School of Rock free essay sample

The camera zooms in until the title fills the screen. The S in the title is flickering suggesting the lights are quite old. Then the viewer can see the tag which the band is playing on. The important names in the film come into screen one at a time and then two at a time and then the less important peoples names come into view four at a time. Mike White is the films writer and he also plays Ned in the movie. He wrote the film specifically for Jack Black. The title graphics run through the whole of the first scene.There are no graphics however during Dewey Fins stage dive, which prepares the audience, because during the film Dewey always wants centre of attention. The graphics are not there which allows the audiences focus to be completely on Dewey The lighting at the start of the first scene is very dark and fades up. We will write a custom essay sample on School of Rock or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is grubby, but the posters on the wall in the club stand out because they are bright. The lighting then red, as if danger is ahead or perhaps a warning. Then it is dark and gloomy and the only light is from behind a desk in the club.This shows the audience how Dews music career is doing, which is not very well. As the doors open to go through to the stage, the red lights from the movie title stand out. The silhouettes of the figures of the audience become visible to see. The brightest light is on the band when they are playing. From the extreme long shot, the spotlights on the band are really bright. When Dewey does his stage dive, the lights dim. Then the lighting goes green as there is an extreme close up on Dews face. The green lighting implies that Dewey is a bit drunk and may not feel well in the morning. At the start of the second scene, the light is natural coming through the window in Dews room indicating to the audience that it is a new day. From the start the heavy rock music is playing and it gradually gets louder as- the camera goes further into the club. The viewers can hear footsteps and also the woman at the door stamping everyones hand who enters the club. When the camera then goes through the doors the music gets even louder and then the cash machine pinging can also be heard. Once Dewey has done his stage dive, the crowds response is mixed.They are surprised but at the same time not too surprised because seconds ago Dewey had done a guitar solo and acted as if it was all about him. The music cuts out abruptly and glasses smash. There is also a big thud when he hits the ground. Then Dewey says, Wow, nobody caught me that was lame. He expected people to catch IM because he thinks he is really good, this also prepares the audience for how Dewey will continue to behave in the rest of the film. The main character is the film Dewey Finn. Dewey is in a heavy rock band and plays guitar.When the band are performing, Dewey wants to be the centre of attention. At one point he knocks the lead singer off balance. He does long guitar solos and wants to be like his idol Jim Hendrix which prepares the audience for the importance of music in the film and Dews dominating character. At the start of the second scene when Dewey is In his bed, it really shows what kind of person he is. He lives in an apartment with his friend Ned and his wife. He sleeps in the corner of the living room and on a mattress on the floor. The bed is surrounded by clothes and rubbish.There is a curtain around the bed where he sleeps. Dewey loves music and has shelves and shelves of Cads and L as. He also has his beloved guitar sitting up against his shelf. In a sense he is surrounded by music. Above his mattress, Dewey has a Black Sabbath scarf. The audience can see from this that having music in his life is important to Dewey, much more important than being clean and tidy or having a proper bed. Dews apartment is not very nice. The furniture is very old-fashioned and cheap. Instead of a table next to the armchair there is a stool. The television is old and sits on a trolley/stand, and at the bottom of the television stand there are videos which show the viewer that the apartment is behind the times. It looks like Dewey and Ned have had the flat since they were students and have not really moved on, which prepares the audience because Dewey is not very clean and does not take much pride in what he looks like. Another important character is Miss Rosalie Mullions. Miss Mullions is the principal at Horace Green Elementary Preparatory School, considered to be en of the best schools in America. She is brisk, business like and very efficient.There is a big contrast between Dewey and Miss Mullions. Dewey is very lazy and cannot be bothered to do anything. Principal Mullions is dressed in a shirt and tie with a blazer and trousers. She also wears glasses. The suit she wears is very much like how a male would dress. Compare this to Dewey who at the same time of day is still in his dressing gown, slouching around the apartment. Dews hair is very messy and greasy looking, meanwhile Miss Mullions hair is traditional and the viewer gets the impression that she is too us to get a haircut or that her hair is not one of her main priorities.This lets the audience see that there is a possibility of a clash in personalities because they appear to have so many differences. In her office, Miss Mullions, has shelves of knowledge books and encyclopedias, whereas Dews shelves are full of music. She has pupils artwork up on her wood paneled office walls. Also there is a Burger King crown on one of her shelves, suggesting she might have taken it from one of her pupils. The wood panels in her office show that the school is posh and quite wealthy. In contrast Dews flat is very old-fashioned and he has no none.On Miss Mullions desk she has a letter rack and an apple. On a separate table she has a globe and also a vase. At first it appeared that they were two very different characters, however later on in the movie, the viewers see that there are similarities between the two of them, which music helps to emphasis by Dewey entering his class into Battle of the Bands. In conclusion the use various techniques in the opening scenes, such as title graphics, lighting and sound, prepares the audience for the rest Of the film. The characters of Dewey Finn and Miss Mullions are central to the film and develop throughout the story.

Torah Scripture Essays - Book Of Exodus, Covenant, Free Essays

Torah Scripture Essays - Book Of Exodus, Covenant, Free Essays Torah Scripture Introduction to the Torah Scripture Introduction to Scriptures in general and Hebrew Scriptures in particular The Torah A. Introduction to the Torah B. Begin exploring the Torah's themes and content The Torah in the New Testament and the Book of Common Prayer Part I Introduction Scripture In General Doctrine of Inspiration The Bible is: A single Divine revelation, with two Testaments, better called covenants or agreements between God and his people. Three necessary theological constituents of inspiration: God's causality: The prime mover in inspiration is God. The Bible tells us that "no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (II Peter 1:21). In other words, God revealed and people repeated the revelation orally or in written form. See BCP, p. 236. The Human agency: People play an important role in the overall process of inspiration; they were the means through which God spoke. God used people to convey his propositions. In inspiration, then, God is the original cause, and the human agent is the instrumental cause. Scriptural authority: This is the third and final product of God's causality and the human agency. God not only spoke to the writers of Holy Scripture, but he continues to speak through their God-inspired writing. See BCP, p. 853. A working definition of the doctrine of inspiration might be this: "A process whereby God causes his Word to work through the mind and pen of a human being, without overriding their personality and style, to produce divinely authoritative writings." The Bible has a unifying theme - Redemption: There is a two-fold meaning of the word redemption. it infers deliverance; and it implies a price paid for that deliverance, the ransom. Redemption ultimately is from: the penalty of sin: from the power of Satan and evil, cf, BCP, p. 302; by the price Jesus paid on the cross. How the Books of the Hebrew Bible are Organized (Chart) Part II Introducing The Torah The books of the Bible have not always been numbered or grouped as they are today. The earliest division of the Old Testament was a simple twofold division of Law and Prophets. The first five books were called the Law of Moses and all the other books were called the Prophets. (C.f., the Summary of the Law, BCP, p. 324) The names given to the first five books of the Bible are several: They are called: The Law The Torah The Books of Moses or the Pentateuch. The time covered in the Books of Moses or Torah: Genesis - from the creation to the bondage of Israel in Egypt, about 1860 BC. Exodus - from the sojourn of Israel in Egypt to Mt. Sinai (c. 1860-1447 BC.) Leviticus - one month between Exodus and Numbers Numbers - from Mount Sinai to the end of the forty-years "wandering" (c. 1447-1407 BC) Deuteronomy - from the end of the wandering to after Moses' funeral (about two months). The heart of the Pentateuch is found in the book of Exodus, which deals with the exodus from Egypt and the sojourn at Mount Sinai. All Jewish tradition reaches back to these "root experiences." They constitute the basic understanding of Jewish identity and of the identity and character of God. Covenant and Law Two themes fundamental to the Old Testament: covenant and Law, are closely related. Covenant signifies many things, including an agreement between nations or individuals, but above all it refers to the pact between Yahweh and Israel sealed at Mount Sinai. The language concerning that covenant has much in common with that of ancient Near Eastern treaties; both are sworn agreements sealed by oaths. Yahweh is seen to have taken the initiative in granting the covenant by electing a people. Perhaps the simplest formulation of the covenant is the sentence: ?I will take you for my people, and I will be your God? (Exodus 6:7). The law was understood to have been given as a part of the covenant, the means by which Israel became and remained the people of God. The law contains regulations for behavior in relation to other human beings as well as rules concerning religious practices, but by no means does it give a full set of instructions for life. Rather, it seems to set forth the limits beyond which the people could not go without breaking the covenant. Scholars

Why dieting ultimately leads to weight gain Essay

Why dieting ultimately leads to weight gain - Essay Example The effects of dieting have surprised many scientists prompting them to indulge in further research to determine the psychological and physiological processes that cause the paradox observed with dieting. It is unfortunate that many people obsessed with dieting only lose weight for some time and are likely to regain more weight after a while. This paper will discuss some of the mechanisms that contribute to weight gain during dieting. Dieting denotes a pattern of regulated and restricted eating with the purpose of losing weight or preventing weight gain. In an era where obesity rates are soaring each year, many people consider dieting as a viable solution. To understand why dieting may trigger weight gain, it is important to consider the normal metabolic process. Food consumed by an individual undergoes a rigorous process of chemical transformation with the objective of producing energy. Naturally, some people have a faster metabolic rate while in others the rate may prove to be slower (Lowe, 2015). Individuals with a faster metabolic rate have an advantage because all the food they consume is burnt down completely. However, individuals with a slow metabolic rate may experience increased fat accumulation because the body lacks the capacity to break down all the food consumed. The dietary pattern affects the normal metabolic rates. Some people practicing dieting avoid meals with high amounts of carbohydrates or fats. Nutritionists have highlighted that consuming lesser amounts of fats prompt the body to preserve fats for the future. Therefore, after a meal, the body adjusts the metabolic rates to preserve fats for the future. Many people who practice restricted eating are likely to consume more food in one go. Since the body is starved, it loses its ability to control satiety (Lowe, Doshi, Katterman, & Feig, 2013). Therefore, an individual is likely to consume more than the required calories. When

Safety Aspects of Food Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Safety Aspects of Food Processing - Essay Example Such secondary manufacturers can include re-packers, food caterers, and food retail outlets. As of a decade ago, the working legislation relating to this topic is EC Regulation No 2073/2005. It states that food should â€Å"not contain micro-organisms their toxins and metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health† (European Commission 2005). In addition, existing policy does require that some food business operators be required to demonstrate that the foods the produce comply with the stated criteria related to microbiological material throughout the entire period of time mentioned in the shelf-life. This relates specifically to reasonable and foreseeable conditions of distribution, storage, and use of the food. In regard to labelling, it is important to note that the legal definition of shelf life in Europe is defined as the ‘date of minimum durability’. This means that it refers to the date until which a food can be reasonably expe cted to retain its specific properties as long as it is stored properly. Another important term to note is the ‘use by date’, which relates to a microbiological perspective. Within a short period of time after this date, the food would be deemed to constitute an immediate threat to the health of a human. As such, as the the ‘use by date’ has passed, the consumer should consider the food to be unsafe, but prior to this date they have the expectation that it is, indeed, safe. In addition, the ‘best before date’ is taken to mean to the date until which a food retains its specific properties when it is stored properly. The properties include, but are not limited to, appearance, odour, texture, and flavour. It is one thing to understand the legal requirements of properly setting a valid shelf-life duration for any given product, but it is another thing entirely to do so

Modernity and Literature Essay Example for Free

Modernity and Literature Essay Modernity by itself is a very abstract concept which can be associated with all new experiences in history. It is largely temporal because what is modern today is the old or obsolete tomorrow. Modernity is said to be a logic of negation because it tends to give importance to the present over the past, and at the same time also frowns over the present with respect to the future. From a purely historical perspective however, the society which evolved in Europe after the French Revolution of 1789 can be termed as modern in so much so that there is a marked difference or break in the way of thinking, living and enterprise between the societies after and before the French Revolution. The evolution of the modern society was not a process that happened overnight. The roots of the modern society and its gradual evolution can be traced back to the beginning of the eighteenth century. In fact the period from that point in history to the French Revolution is termed as the period of intellectual Enlightenment when there was a radical change in philosophy, science, politics, arts and culture. It was on these new forms of knowledge that the foundation of the modern society or modernity was based. Defining the Traditional Many scholars have tried to analyze the basic or instinctive nature of human beings in attempts to track back how modernity could have affected the core individual. In his book Leviathan, Hobbes deduced that in an environment uninfluenced by artificial systems or in a ‘state of nature’ human beings would be war like and violent, and their lives would consequently be solitary, poor, brutish and short. Rousseau however contradicts Hobbes. He claims that humans are essentially benevolent by nature. He believed in the ‘noble savage’ or the concept that devoid of civilization human beings are essentially peaceful and egalitarian and live in harmony with the environment – an idea associated with Romanticism. Human beings have however lived in communities and formed societies since the very early ages. In what is now known as the ancient world or the world of classical pagan antiquity typical of the societies of Greece and Rome, the concept of the ‘new’ or ‘change’ was absent. Time, like the seasons, was supposed to move in cyclical order, repeating itself with regularity cycle after cycle with nothing new or changed to break away from the established order. The people were steeped in more superstitious and religious beliefs which ruled almost every aspect of their lives. Christianity brought about changes in the belief systems of the ancient world. Christianity postulated that time was linear, that it began from the birth of Jesus Christ and would end with the apocalypse and the second coming of Jesus. This was a linear concept of time that moved in a straight line and not in a cycle that kept coming back to the same point. The Foundations of Modernity It was during the Enlightenment period that the Christian concepts of time and history were secularized to give way to the modern approach to change and progress. There were many other basic changes during the Enlightenment. The key ideas which formed the basis of the enlightenment period were autonomy and emancipation, progress and the improvement of history and universalism. The development of scientific knowledge gave rise to religious skepticism. People were no longer willing to submit blindly to the dictates of ordained religion. In other words they attained emancipation from the shackles of religion that had governed almost all aspects of their lives. This emancipation led to autonomy of the individual. Individuals began to decide for themselves instead submitting to an external authority such as religion. The people now decided by themselves what kind of authority, rules and regulation would be good for them, and such authority must be natural and not supernatural. Enlightenment encouraged criticism. Enlightenment thinkers did not hold anything sacred and freely criticized, questioned, examined and challenged all dogmas and institutions in their search for betterment or progress. Thinkers such as Voltaire defended reason and rationalism against institutionalized superstition and tyranny. The belief that there could and should be a change for the better came to be a prominent characteristic of modernity. The critical attitude of enlightenment thinker to contemporary social and political institutions paved the way for scientific studies of political and social studies and subsequent evolution of better forms of such institutions. The scientific revolution during the period, culminating in the work of Isaac Newton, presented a very practical and objective view of the natural world to people at large, and science came to be regarded very highly. Scientific inquiry was gradually extended to cover new social, political and cultural areas. Such studies were oriented around the cause-and-effect approach of naturalism. Control of prejudice was also deemed to be essential to make them value free. Enlightenment thinking emphasized the importance of reason and rationality in organization and development of knowledge. The gradual development of the scientific temperament with a paradigm change from the qualitative to the quantitative is also very evident in Europe of the time. People came to believe that they could better their own lot through a more scientific and rational approach to everything. The concept of universalism which advocated that reason and science were applicable to all fields of study and that science laws, in particular, were universal, also grew roots during the period. People began to believe in change, development and progress – all basic tenets of modernity as we know it today. Autonomy to decide for their own good, gave the people the right to choose the form of authority that could lead them as a society or community towards a better future and progress. This opened the doors to the emergence of states with separate and legally defined spheres of jurisdiction. Thus we find that modernity represents a transformation – philosophical, scientific, social, political and cultural – at a definite time in history at a definite spatial location. This transformation also represents a continuum up to the present in so much so that its basic principles are inherent in the societies and nations of today. The period of enlightenment can be seen as one of transition from the ‘traditional’ to the ‘modern’ forms of society, from an age of blind beliefs to a new age of reason and rational. Different Perspectives on development of Modernity Different political and philosophical thinkers have however developed different, and sometimes contradicting, theories of the development of modernity. Friedrich Hegel and Karl Marx are two of the leading thinkers whose theories run counter to each other. For Hegel, the development of modernity was a dialectical process which was governed by the increasing self-consciousness of what he termed as the collective human ‘mind’ or ‘spirit’. According to Hegel, the dialectic process of development of the mind comprised three stages, with two initially contradicting positions synthesizing into a third reconciled position. Human beings live what Hegel called an ‘Ethical Life’ or in a social environment shaped by customs and traditions. This ethical life has three stages: the first is the family, which is dissolved in due course, the second is the ‘civil society’ that a person builds up as a result of his social interactions beyond the family and greater relations, and finally the third stage of the ‘state’ which Hegel defines as the highest form of social reason. For Hegel therefore, the formation of the modern state is the mark of modernity when human beings achieve the ultimate stage of social existence. Hegel believed as individuals or families, human beings are too selfish and self-centered co-exist in harmony and work for development. It is the state that is able to integrate the contradictions of different individuals, and not market forces. Since the state by itself is composed of political institutions, Hegel’s theory equates the development of the modern state or modern political institutions with modernity. Marx took a completely opposing view, when he asserted that material forces drive history. For him the state by itself is not an ideal entity for the integration of human beings into a cohesive whole for their development as a nation or a society. According to him it is the material forces comprising social and economic forces that drive history towards modernity. People engage in production for their means of subsistence, they bind together and form states for the sake of production. Different forms of productions create different class relations. It is to maximize production and gain the maximum benefits and advantages that people bond together in different classes in the form of the modern state. The different ways in which production is organized give rise to complex forms of social organization because a particular mode of production is an entire way of life for the people who are involved in it. For Marx social existence is not consciously determined by human beings, rather, it is the other way round: their social existence determines their consciousness. When there are contradictions between productive forces and the social relationships of production, class conflict arises. For Marx, therefore, modernity is defined by the state of social existence. Marx acknowledges that ‘capitalism has been the most productive mode of production, and it contains the most potential for the realization of human freedom’. This very dynamic characteristic of capitalism is born out of its destructiveness for all traditional social constraints such as religion, nation, family, sex, etc. But it is the same destructiveness and creativeness that creates the experience of modernity in Capitalism. This vital association between capitalism and modernity from none less that Marx himself establishes that the capitalism that evolved after the period of enlightenment in Europe has been acknowledged as the modern era of the period of modernity by Marx. Marx however states that capitalism is exploitative, and because it is exploitative, its full potential cannot be harnessed for the benefit of all. He therefore advocates communism which is a system of planned and conscious production by men and women of their won free will. This brings us to the question whether humanity has already passed through a stage of history that has been termed as modernity, and has moved on to the postmodern era (Mitchell, 2009). Another important point is regarding the placing of modernity. Modernity is understood to be a process that began and ended in Europe, and was later exported to other parts of the world. Thinkers like Marx tend to differ. He saw Capitalism emerge as a ‘rosy dawn’ not in England or the Netherlands but in the production trade and finance of the colonial system (Marx, 1967). Therefore, though the concept of modernity can be defined in various ways, it definitely refers to the process of evolution of the human mind and the society to a point where people were able to come together for their own advantage and benefit and work for unceasing development under a collectively formalized authority such as the nation state. It can also be state with a certain degree of assertiveness that the period from the beginning of the Eighteenth Century to the French Revolution in 1789 actually marked the period of active development of modernity in Europe. The concepts that were nurtured during the period bore fruit immediately afterwards in Europe and the West and later spread to the rest of the world. The world has continued since on very much the same basic principles but with far more advanced technologies and superior social, economic and political approaches. Influence of Modernity on Literature Modernity had a profound influence on literature. As people began to think differently, they also began to write differently. The modernist ideas of religious emancipation, autonomy, reliance on reason, rationality and science, and on development and progress began to find expression in the literature that developed even during the period of enlightenment and thereafter. This new form of literature came to be known as the Modernist Literature. Modernist literature tended to vent expression to the tendencies of modernity. Modernist literature, as also modernist art, took up cudgels against the old system of blind beliefs. Centering around the idea of individualism or the individual mind, modernist literature displayed mistrust of established institutions such as conventional forms of autocratic government and religion. It also tended not to believe in any absolute truths. Simmel (1903) gives an overview of the thematic concerns of Modernist Literature when he states that, â€Å"The deepest problems of modern life derive from the claim of the individual to preserve the autonomy and individuality of his existence in the face of overwhelming social forces, of historical heritage, of external culture, and of the technique of life. † Examples from two Greats A few examples of Modernist literature will serve to make its characteristics more clear. Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650) is considered to be one of the early enlightenment thinkers whose literary works opened the avenues to the modern era. Known as the founder of modern philosophy and the father of modern mathematics, Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician and scientist whose influence has served to shape the beginnings of Modernist literature. In his famous work, The Discourse on Method, he presents the equally famous quotation ‘cogito ergo sum’ or ‘I think, therefore I am’, which about sums up the very principle of the basis of the modern era. â€Å"I observed that, whilst I thus wished to think that all was false, it was absolutely necessary that I, who thus thought, should be somewhat; and as I observed that this truth, I think, therefore I am (COGITO ERGO SUM), was so certain and of such evidence that no ground of doubt, however extravagant, could be alleged by the sceptics capable of shaking it, I concluded that I might, without scruple, accept it as the first principle of the philosophy of which I was in search† (Descartes, 1637). In this work, Descartes drew on ancients such as Sextus Emiricus to revive the idea of skepticism, and reached a truth that he found to be undeniable. â€Å"Descartes started his line of reasoning by doubting everything, so as to assess the world from a fresh perspective, clear of any preconceived notions. In other words, he rejected man’s reliance on God’s revealed word, placing his own intellect on a higher plain† (McCarter, 2006). David Hume (1711 – 1776) was a philosopher, economist and historian from Scotland, and was considered a notable personality both in western philosophy and of the Scottish Enlightenment movement. In his works, he had a way of projecting the errors of scepticism and naturalism, thus carving out a way for secular humanism. In his most famous work, ‘An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding’, Hume asserts that all human knowledge is imbibed through our senses. He argues that unless the source from which the impression of a certain entity is conveyed to our senses is identified, that entity cannot exist. The logic would nullify the existence of God, a soul or a self. â€Å"By the term impression, then, I mean all our more lively perceptions, when we hear, or see, or feel, or love, or hate, or desire, or will. And impressions are distinguished from ideas, which are the less lively perceptions, of which we are conscious, when we reflect on any of those sensations or movements above mentioned †¦It seems a proposition, which will not admit of much dispute, that all our ideas are nothing but copies of our impressions, or, in other words, that it is impossible for us to think of anything, which we have not antecedently felt, either by our external or internal senses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dover Philosophical Classics, 2004) In the same work Hume also postulates two kinds of human reasoning – Relation of Ideas and Matters of Fact. The former involves abstract concepts such as of mathematics where deductive faculty is required, and the later is about empirical experiences which are inductive in nature. This postulate has come to be known as Hume’s Fork. Hume, along with his contemporaries of the Scottish Enlightenment, also proposed that the basis for principles of morals is to be sought in the utility that they tend to serve. This shows the questioning nature of modernist literature not only of religious but also of moral and social norms and values. A very visible influence of modernity is therefore seen in the works of Hume. Present-day Modernist Literature If modernity influenced literature, it also used literature to shift from a philosophical and theoretical domain into the practical lives of people. Modernity could infiltrate into the lives of people through literary works that defined and reiterated the legitimate new modes of classification. Old literary forms with traditional meanings attached to them were reworked, allowing readers to modify or contravene the older meanings. â€Å"This opening-up process allowed readers to glean new meanings that modified or contravened the older ones. In the course of these changes, words, forms, and institutions altered their meaning in British life: they, and the practices they comprised, referred differently†¦. modifying ‘reference potential’ in literature fed back into how readers responded to changes in life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rothstein, 2007) In art and literature, many critics view ‘modernism’ as a new trend in the field of art and literature, defined basically by stylistic and structural variations. They would not accept the fact that ‘modernism’, it is basic approach, was the principles of modernity rendered plausible in literature and art. Modernity has always tried to hold up the world in new perspectives. Similarly, modernist literature opens up the world in all its forms – theoretical, philosophical, aesthetical and political – for fresh scrutiny. Even in its present form, modernist literature attempts to break the objective world of the realist. â€Å"Modernist writing †¦ takes the reader into a world of unfamiliarity, a deep introspection, a cognitive thought-provoking experience, skepticism of religion, and openness to culture, technology, and innovation† (Melton, 2010). Modernist literature exhibits a fascination with the workings of the mind, and how reality is reflected by the mind. The questioning of life, with or without the presence of God, is another trademark of the philosophical and theoretical moorings of modernist literature. Charles Darwin’s work challenges God as the Creator and presents the process of natural selection in the survival of life. This led to modernist literature of time travel, of questioning the existence of individuals and the purpose of the universe. Modernism brought about a new openness in the areas of feminism, bisexuality, the family, and the mind. In the world of today, modernist literature still display much of the characteristics of the times in which it first took shape. A very important theme of modernist literature today is a feeling of being alone in the world – a feeling stemming from estrangement or alienation. Characters are often presented as being depressed or angry. A second common trait is that of being in doubt. â€Å"It may be disbelief in religion, in happiness, or simply a lack of purpose and doubt in the value of human life. Finally, a third theme that is prevalent is a search for the truth† (Foster, 2010). Then there is a third theme in which the alienated character is always in the search for truth and seeks answers to a plethora of questions relating to human subjectivity. In all these characteristics are to be found the same questioning nature, the same denouncement of blind beliefs and the same dependence on reason and rationality that the Eighteenth Century enlightenment thinkers had pursued. The character is alienated and estranged because he or she questions all that is deemed not right by his or her own mind; the character questions the beliefs of religion and other institutions which are not based on reasoning; and finally the character seeks answers and the truth. â€Å"Modernist literature encompasses the thematic fingerprints of a rebellious, questioning, disbelieving, meditative, and confident type of form, which was conceived out of a change in the belief of humanity, the mind, a God, and the self brought on by the shift from capitalism to an ever-increasing society of revolutionary changes† (Melton, 2010). References Descartes, R. , 1637, The Discourse on Methods. Dover Philosophical Classics, 2004, David Hume, An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, Dover Publications Inc. Foster, J. , 2010, Modernism in Literature and History, Available: http://www. helium. com/items/743749-modernism-in-literature-and-history Karl Marx, 1967, Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, 3 vols. , New York: International Publishers, 1:703. McCarter, J. , P. , 2006, Literature of the Modern Era, The Puritans’ Home School Curriculum. Melton, L. , 2010, Modernism in Literature and History, Available: http://www. helium. com/items/809291-modernism-in-literature-and-history Mitchell, T. , 2000, The Stage of Modernity, Available: http://www. ram-wan. net/restrepo/modernidad/the%20stage%20of%20modernity-mitchell. pdf Rothstein, E. , 2007, Gleaning Modernity, Earlier Eighteenth Century Literature and the Modernizing Process, Rosemont Publishing and Printing Corp. , Associated University Presses. Simmel, G. , 1093, The Metropolis and Mental Life.

Self-Determination: Right or Privilege? :: essays research papers

In 1968, the Soviet Union along with several Warsaw Pact allies invaded Czechoslovakia with the intention of re-establishing a full communist government. The reason for the invasion was mainly due to â€Å"Prague Spring† – the period of great hope for the Czech people led by the reform movement against the hard-line policies of the Czech and Soviet governments. The main justification given by Soviet Premier Brezhnev regarding the attack was that the USSR, a communist nation itself, had an obligation to stop anything that poses a threat to established communism in any country. This came to be known as the â€Å"Brezhnev Doctrine†, and was seen as a clear warning to other eastern European countries. This example is one of many in history that has raised the issue of whether or not great nations are justified in exerting influence over the affairs of lesser states. The issue of whether or not great nations are justified in exerting influence over the affairs of lesser states is extremely complex. Some people believe that powerful nations are not only justified but obligated to play an important role in the affairs of states that do not measure up in status or power. The main reason being that these states do not have the capabilities to handle their domestic and foreign policies without external influence of some kind. Others believe that every nation has the sovereign right to formulate domestic and foreign policies without external influence. Both groups of people are right to an extent. I do not think that the power of a nation justifies their interference in the affairs of other countries unless they influence the country for the better. Basically, great nations should never attempt to influence the affairs of lesser states if they are only looking out for their own self-interests. In the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union was not truly threatened by the reform movement. The USSR was just not prepared to take risks with a country bordering on the West. Their main concerns were their sphere of influence as well as Czechoslovakia being one of their satellite states that provided them with a buffer zone against an attack from NATO. Therefore, Czechoslovakia played an important role for political, economic, and strategic military reasons. It was imperative that it remained under Soviet influence because if not, the balance of power would be in favour of the U.S.

Part Six Chapter III

III Andrew had refused a lift back to Hilltop House, so it was only Tessa and Fats in the car together, and Fats said, ‘I don't want to go home.' ‘All right,' Tessa replied, and she drove, while talking to Colin on the telephone. ‘I've got him †¦ Andy found him. We'll be back in a bit †¦ Yes †¦ Yes, I will †¦' Tears were spattering down Fats' face; his body was betraying him; it was exactly like the time when hot urine had spilt down his leg into his sock, when Simon Price had made him piss himself. The hot saltiness leaked over his chin and onto his chest, pattering like drops of rain. He kept imagining the funeral. A tiny little coffin. He had not wanted to do it with the boy so near. Would the weight of the dead child ever lift from him? ‘So you ran away,' said Tessa coldly, over his tears. She had prayed that she would find him alive, but her strongest emotion was disgust. His tears did not soften her. She was used to men's tears. Part of her was ashamed that he had not, after all, thrown himself into the river. ‘Krystal told the police that you and she were in the bushes. You just left him to his own devices, did you?' Fats was speechless. He could not believe her cruelty. Did she not understand the desolation roaring inside him, the horror, the sense of contagion? ‘Well, I hope you have got her pregnant,' said Tessa. ‘It'll give her something to live for.' Every time they turned a corner, he thought that she was taking him home. He had feared Cubby most, but now there was nothing to choose between his parents. He wanted to get out of the car, but she had locked all the doors. Without warning, she swerved and braked. Fats, clutching the sides of his seat, saw that they were in a lay-by on the Yarvil bypass. Frightened that she would order him out of the car, he turned his swollen face to her. ‘Your birth mother,' she said, looking at him as she had never done before, without pity or kindness, ‘was fourteen years old. We had the impression, from what we were told, that she was middle class, quite a bright girl. She absolutely refused to say who your father was. Nobody knew whether she was trying to protect an under-age boyfriend or something worse. We were told all of this, in case you had any mental or physical difficulties. In case,' she said clearly, like a teacher trying to emphasize a point sure to come up in a test, ‘you had been the result of incest.' He cowered away from her. He would have preferred to be shot. ‘I was desperate to adopt you,' she said. ‘Desperate. But Dad was very ill. He said to me, â€Å"I can't do it. I'm scared I'll hurt a baby. I need to get better before we do this, and I can't do that and cope with a new baby as well.† ‘But I was so determined to have you,' said Tessa, ‘that I pressured him into lying, and telling the social workers that he was fine, and pretending to be happy and normal. We brought you home, and you were tiny and premature, and on the fifth night we had you, Dad slipped out of bed and went to the garage, put a hosepipe on the exhaust of the car and tried to kill himself, because he was convinced he'd smothered you. And he almost died. ‘So you can blame me,' said Tessa, ‘for your and Dad's bad start, and maybe you can blame me for everything that's come since. But I'll tell you this, Stuart. Your father's spent his life facing up to things he never did. I don't expect you to understand his kind of courage. But,' her voice broke at last, and he heard the mother he knew, ‘he loves you, Stuart.' She added the lie because she could not help herself. Tonight, for the first time, Tessa was convinced that it was a lie, and also that everything she had done in her life, telling herself that it was for the best, had been no more than blind selfishness, generating confusion and mess all around. But who could bear to know which stars were already dead, she thought, blinking up at the night sky; could anybody stand to know that they all were? She turned the key in the ignition, crashed the gears and they pulled out again onto the bypass. ‘I don't want to go to the Fields,' said Fats in terror. ‘We're not going to the Fields,' she said. ‘I'm taking you home.'