The Goya Painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Goya Painting - Essay Example The essay "The Goya Painting" explores the painting of Goya. Goya has brought more attention to the central figure whereas the other figures are crouched down and small. The last way that Goya brought attention to the central figure is through light and shadow. The use of light and shadow is very important in that Goya used bright light to bring the central figure to the viewers attention while the other figures and the building are in shadow pushing them into the background. Light and shadow is also used to get the feeling or message of the painting across to the viewer. In this case, the gunmen are darker and dangerous looking because they are in the shadows more. The feeling is that the gunmen have a dark intent and the man in the light is innocent and does not deserve to be in the current circumstance and the light cast on the slaughtered gentleman also creates a feeling that the killing was unnecessary. I feel sad and horrified when viewing Goya’s work because the paining gives me a feeling that any armed conflict between anyone is horrifying and unnecessary. It is clear from this painting that Goya is against war, armed conflict, and, in particular, violence. Goya obviously does not care for violence and the death associated with violence the violence of war. This is clear by the feelings this paining portrays and by the depiction of the gunmen as apposed to those on the opposite side of the guns. The people being shot at look distraught and innocent as show no reason why they should be.

The Severve After Effects of Dropping out of high school

The Severve After Effects of Dropping out of high school Education is a powerful tool. It prepares students to be invaluable contributors to society. Without a high school education, young people are less likely to succeed academically, socially, and professionally. Sadly, millions of young people leave school without completing their minimum education requirements and thus do not graduate with a high school diploma. As a result, many adolescents experience the devastating aftereffects of their regrettable decision. Students who drop out of high school are more likely to: earn less than those who graduate, be unemployed, be on public assistance, and end up in prison (ERIC). Dropping out of high school culminates a long-term process of disengagement from school and has profound social and economic consequences for students, their families, their communities, and the entire nation (ERIC). America is facing a crisis of epidemic proportions with such a high percentage of students who do not complete their high school education. Dropping out of high school is a major life event that severely impacts students chances for subsequent educational and occupational opportunities (NCES). Recent NCES reports indicate that nationally about one-third of all students who enter high school do not graduate on time, if ever. Approximately 7,000 students drop out of high school daily, which translates to one in three students. Annually, that amounts to more than six million students dropping out of high schools across the nation. The U.S. Department of Education has called it an epidemic. The children are the future of America and should be our greatest resource. All children deserve an education that prepares them to be productive members of society who perform their civic and economic duties. As such, we should ensure they have every opportunity to succeed. Every individual in the country, state, city or municipality will reap the benefits of an educated citizenry. Therefore, everyones best interest would be served by ensuring that all children stay in school and receive an adequate education. Efforts towards dropout prevention will remediate students leaving high school prior to graduation. Prevention measures will serve these individuals, their school, their community, and the nation at large. This policy memo will provide an overview on the current state of the high school dropout problem nationwide and in Florida, particularly, Miami-Dade County. I will discuss (1) the number of school dropouts, (2) the reasons related to youth dropping out of school, (3) the consequences of dropping out and not finishing high school, and (4) dropout prevention programs and techniques. For this overview, I researched the Florida Department of Education summary information on graduation and dropout rates as well as proven dropout prevention and intervention programs and techniques. BACKGROUND The vast majority of students who fail to complete high school with their respective graduating class is comprised primarily of Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans. Many of these students abandon school within two years of their projected graduation date. This tragic cycle has not substantially improved during the past few decades during which education reform has been high on the public agenda. During this time, as politicians and other elected officials purport to work at mitigating the high percentage of dropouts, the general public has been almost entirely unaware of the severity of the dropout problem due to inaccurate and inconsistent data. The consequences remain tragic. Students who drop out face a lifetime of consequences for this grave decision. Dropouts are more likely than their graduating peers to be: unemployed, living in poverty, receiving public assistance, incarcerated, of poor health, and single parents of children who drop out from high school themselves perpetuating this vicious cycle. Our local communities, as with the state and the nation, also suffer from this epidemic due to the loss of productive workers, loss of taxable wage base, and higher costs associated with increased percentages of incarceration, greater use of emergency health care services, and overwhelming reliance on social services. Despite repeated declarations by educators, politicians, and elected officials about the importance of addressing the dropout situation, the problem becomes more calamitous with every passing year. No Child Left Behind When President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) into law on January 8, 2002, he stated, Now is the time to ensure that every child learns. NCLB required states to use graduation rates to measure how well students were being educated. States were required to report to the federal government how well they met NCLB goals. Originally designed as an attempt by the federal government to hold the nations schools accountable for achieving high levels of educational proficiency for all students, NCLB has been adapted by the states in ways that fail to promote its objectives. Many states tended to manufacture basic data on graduation rates to comply with NCLB. Regrettably, NCLB placed excessive emphasis on solitary assessments that failed to assist educators improve their teaching. Needless to say, NCLB was unsuccessful in its attempt to educate students. The Dropout Crisis For most citizens, graduating from high school is the minimum standard of achievement needed for a successful future. A high school diploma can position a graduate to embark on a variety of pathways to personal, career, and social success that are generally not available to high school dropouts. The plight of the high school dropouts is extremely serious. By dropping out, these individuals considerably lessen their chances to secure a good profession. Without a diploma, dropouts face increasingly bleak career prospects tied largely to entry-level employment. They also may remain far behind in a technology-driven age where career adaptability is not simply a plus, but a requirement (NDPC/N). Graduation rates are a vital indication of how schools are performing. Recently, those rates have been meticulously examined, divulging the extent of the tragedy in Americas high schools. For decades, misleading or erroneous graduation rates were published by schools and school districts. Consequently, the American public knew little of the magnitude of the problems faced by several of the nations high schools. Many factors contribute to students dropping out of school, including poverty, low literacy and achievement levels, parenting responsibilities, and the need to immediately earn money through employment so that they can contribute financially to their impoverished families. Why Do Students Drop Out? While there is no single reason for why students drop out, research indicates that difficult transitions to high school, deficient basic skills, and a lack of engagement all serve as prominent barriers to graduation. Low attendance or failing grades are specific risk factors. Many students discover that their academic skills are insufficient for high school-level work and repeat ninth grade. Many students are not given the extra support they need to make a successful transition to high school and are lost in ninth grade. Lack of both academic and social engagement are integral components of dropping out Overall, far too many students are not graduating on time with a regular diploma; low-income students and minority students fare the worst in the dropout epidemic (Alliance for Excellent Education). More than half of the students who do not graduate on time are minorities. The graduation rate among minorities is as much as twenty-five percentage points below their white peers. Importance of not dropping out The high incidence of students dropping out poses a serious problem for the county, state, and country. Likewise, it creates deleterious consequences for the individual dropout. Consequences of dropping out identified by the General Accounting Office (GAO) include the following: As the pool of dropouts continues to grow, employment opportunities for them are more limited. The rate of engagement in high-risk behaviors such as premature sexual activity, early pregnancy, delinquency, crime, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and suicide has been found to be significantly higher among dropouts. Dropouts are more likely than other citizens to draw on welfare and other social programs throughout their lives. Income differences between dropouts and other citizens can be expected to widen as the economy evolves. A growth of unskilled laborers in low-wage jobs will increase. As summarized by the GAO, the social costs of the dropout problem include an underskilled labor force, lower productivity, lost taxes, and increased public assistance and crime. Identifying Social Issues The Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) suggests a focused approach must be undertaken with the purpose of successfully combating the problem of adolescents dropping out of high school. Particularly, this would entail identifying pronounced social indicators that are interrelated with the countys dropout problem. These characteristics help determine individuals who require the most intervention and accordingly implement programs committed to keeping them in school. According to CBER, three factors should be considered. Firstly, social groupings of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status pictures of at-risk youths emerge. Hispanics, Native Americans, and African-Americans had the highest dropout rates in the state and were more likely of dropping out. Secondly, problematic social environments and inappropriate behavior can be used in identifying at-risk youth. Juvenile delinquency and behavioral problems in school are indicators of potential dropouts. Lastly, academic per formance is a key component in identifying potential dropouts. Grade retention and its effect on self-esteem can be detrimental. DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAMS STRATEGIES Many of the proposed solutions recommended to combat the problem of high school dropouts focus on dealing with the social issues that teenagers encounter on a daily basis. The solutions heavily target at-risk youth, making sure they have the necessary tools and guidance to successfully complete their education. The following is a more sketchy examination of some of the most widely proposed programs. Information is comprised of data from Center for Business and Economic Research. Intervention at an Early Age The Oregon School Board Association advocates working with children at a young age to teach the importance of staying in school. Schools in Oregon have led the way in the development of effective programs for their students. One of the programs they have pioneered begins in the third grade. The Importance of School Environment Building strong and stable school environments is a necessary factor in the development of specific programs for children who need specialized attention. It is important to start with the essential elements of a sound school environment, beginning with the organization of the administration and ending with the overall school culture. Alternative Education Programs There are some students for whom traditional high schools simply do not work. For example, for teenagers who need to work to support themselves or their family, or for young girls facing pregnancy, going to school during the day may simply not be feasible. Thus, one idea that has been introduced is for school districts to offer alternative high schools. Dropout Prevention Programs As mandated by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), dropout prevention programs in Florida were created to: Provide families, communities, and school districts with strategies and resources to continue increasing the number of students who graduate from Floridas schools. Provide school districts with alternative strategies, such as unique teaching techniques, learning activities, and assessment procedures. Provide positive options for building and strengthening curriculums in order to prevent students from dropping out of school. Dropout prevention is a complicated endeavor and must involve a wide range of services to tackle a wide range of problems. There are multiple pathways to dropping out of school, and therefore, any dropout prevention program should have a multi-faceted strategy to serve a wide range of students who are at-risk of dropping out. (ICF and NDPC/N). RECOMMENDATION The key to early intervention is at birth to five years. This is a critical point in the lives of children in which to foster a lifelong love of learning, respect for academia, and confidence in their academic abilities. In doing so, by definition requires the involvement of parents. For parents who rely heavily on social services, there should be a mandate that they volunteer a certain number of hours in the childs school and classroom and participate in parenting classes. Studies have shown that birth to five-year-old students who have parents involved in their education and learning process fare better in their early education, which leads to better overall success in school. With this age group, critical thinking, enhancement of motor skills, cognitive learning, and experiential learning are all crucial to establishing a broad foundation for lifelong academic excellence. Continued parental involvement coupled with adequately staffed and funded schools, and teachers who are engaged and engaging students, all contribute towards long-term success in school. My recommendation is a program that provides students at an early age, similar to Oregons initiative with the necessary tools to foster academic achievement as well as personal and social growth. The program would provide tutoring, homework support, mentoring activities, extended and individual classroom learning, parental involvement, and community support. The main goals of the program, increasing the graduation rate, reducing the number of high school dropouts, and targeting at-risk youth most likely to drop out; will be accomplished. Todays high school needs greater innovation, increased student engagement, and a rich and rigorous curriculum that is more educationally meaningful for students (ASCD). IMPLEMENTATION BENEFITS The California Dropout Research Project declares: Education affords benefits to both individuals and society. Individuals with more education earn higher incomes, are healthier, are less likely to be involved in criminal activities, and are less likely to be on welfare. Additionally, better-educated persons pay more in taxes and enable reductions in government spending on health, crime, and welfare. Therefore, the state and citizens should make certain that all children graduate and finish school with an adequate education. Moving even just one student from dropout status to graduate status will make positive contributions to the economy. Implementation of the proposed policy will be beneficial to Miami-Dade County and the entire State of Florida. It will allow youngsters to successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life. It will enable educators and parents to be on alert and identify potential signs of behavior that would indicate the student is in danger of dropping out of school. The assistance of parents, teachers, community leaders, and elected officials; will enable students to improve their grades, attendance, and behavior overall. This strategy will instill the importance of education and the benefits of obtaining a high school diploma. A high school education includes the knowledge and skills required to improve an individuals quality of life, to become a more productive citizen, and to improve their income-earning potential. Reduction of the number of local students who fail to graduate on time would exponentially increase economic factors such as individual earnings, spending and investment, tax revenue, and human capital. CONCLUSION Education is an investment in human capital. It provides the foundation for successful academic study, for lifelong learning, and for carrying out the duties of citizenship. Our high school students face significant challenges. Many teenagers drop out of school every year. Reasons for students dropping out are numerous and oftentimes complex. The alarming dropout rates that sentence young people to joblessness and poverty must be turned around.  Retaining students is an enormous problem for many schools; however, students must be convinced to stay in school and learn skills that will allow them to compete and contribute to our economy. Without a high school diploma, young people are less likely to succeed in the workforce.  Solving the dropout epidemic should result in a significant number of actual dropouts, a skilled workforce, and an improved economy. The State of Florida, specifically Miami-Dade County, has a serious problem to confront within its public-education system. Florida has a bleak record pertaining to dropout prevention efforts. Therefore, it is imperative that citizens acquaint themselves with the issues associated with high school dropouts in order to effectively address the problem. Sometimes it is difficult to identify young people who need assistance. However, social factors can be used to identify at-risk youth. Once identified, proven and successful programs used around the country that aim at getting children through school, can be implemented. Certainly, it is up to the citizenry of the state to prevent their children from leaving high school. RELAION TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION The incorporation of results-based accountability, as well as, merit pay and performance bonuses that school districts across the nation are gradually adopting, reflects NPM in public education. A reform initiative, such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), is a prime example of New Public Management (NPM) concept being applied to education. NCLB illustrates an attempt by policymakers to employ techniques of NPM and to impose more tightly coupled policy restrictions on the educational system. These techniques are applied to the management and operation of schools. SOURCES ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ). ASCD High School Reform Proposal from http://www.ascd.org/public-policy/High-School-Reform/High-School-Reform-Summary.aspx Alliance for Excellent Education. Factsheet. Available online at: http://www.all4ed.org/files/GraduationRates_FactSheet.pdf California Dropout Research Project. The Economic Losses from High School Dropouts in California. Available online at: http://www.cbcse.org/media/download_gallery/Belfield%20and%20LevinCDRP%20Policy%20Brief%201.pdf Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER). Nevada Kids Count: Addressing the High School Dropout Epidemic Policy Brief. Retrieved November 31, 2010, from http://kidscount.unlv.edu/2002/dropouts.pdf College Board Advocacy Policy Center, The College Completion Agenda: State Policy Guide. http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/reports_pdf/Policy_Rec_Three.pdf Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) Document Reproduction Service). School Characteristics Related to High School Dropout Rates found at www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ785964 Florida Department of Education. Available online at: http://www.fldoe.org. Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Available online at: ies.ed.gov ICF International and National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N). Best Practices in Dropout Prevention. Available at: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/comm/leg_reports/bpdp_finalreport_20081219_toTEA.pdf National Center for Education Statistics. US Department of Education. Effective Strategies. Available online at: www.nces.ed.gov National Dropout Prevention Center Network. Clemson University. Available online at: www.DropoutPrevention.org National Governors Association. Graduation Counts: A Report of the National Governors Association Task Force on State High School Graduation Data. 2005. Washington, D.C. No Child Left Behind (NCLB). U.S. Department of Education. 1 Apr. 2003. . U.S. Department of Education. (1995). Educational programs that work: Dropout prevention/alternative programs (archived information). Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EPTW/eptw3/index.html U.S. Department of Education. (1996). Manual to combat truancy (archived information). Retrieved November 30, 2010, from http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Truancy/index.html U.S. General Accounting Office. (2002). School dropouts: Education could play a stronger role in identifying and disseminating promising prevention strategies (Report GAO-02-240). Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved November 31, 2010, from http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02240.pdf

The ?Way? As Seen In Taoism And Confucianism Essay -- essays research

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taoism and Confucianism are both very complex and important religions of their time. Both mainly Asian religions, these creeds were more prominent in the times they were developed then they are today. Each of these religions had a certain belief that there was a â€Å"Way† that things should happen and should work so that goodness and peace will regulate in the world. Confucius was the founder of Confucianism. His works were taught in the Confucian Analects. His sense of mission to be â€Å"a human among other humans.† He was said to have fortune cookie knowledge and was admired by many people, including his many followers. Lao Tzu is the founder of Taoism. His teachings are found from the Te-tao-ching. Lao Tzu beliefs were nature based around nature. Each of these teachers taught a great deal to their followers about their beliefs and we see that through the works they left behind. Confucius was willing to teach and learn with anyone who came to him; once he even accepted an uncapped youth though he stated that he was not responsible for what the youth did when he left. He once struck a man who was waiting for him in a sprawling position in the shins with his staff, declaring that youths that show no respect for their elders achieve nothing, and those who merely get older are useless pests. He observed that one youth seemed to be more interested in growing up quickly than in improving himself....

I Hate About You is a relocation of the Taming

The Taming of the Shrew relocated to high school? Gill Gunner's 10 Things I Hate About You is undoubtedly more complicated than a relocation of Shakespearean The Taming of the Shrew into high school. The transformation of Shakespearean comedy Into the teen' movie genre and the integration of Elizabethan values enable the film to be a successful relocation of the play, yet the Incorporation of modern gender conventions discerns it as something more than a relocation. The culmination of these facets produce a cinematic masterpiece that draws parallelism to Shrew In a feminist perspective.The transformation of Shrews comedic genre into the teen' genre in 10 Things facilitates its relocation into high school. In Shrew, comedy revolves around the physical violence upon Kate, deception, and a play on words. The sight of a ‘shrew' physically subdued by a man would have been humorous to an Elizabethan audience. Humor is also evident in Epithetic and Skate's verbal battle, where elabora te puns are constructed. Women are made to bear and so are you' (11. 1. 200). Here, Epithetic twists the word ‘bear' into meaning ‘giving childbirth', thus twisting Skate's Insults Into Innuendo. Influenced by the teen' genre and the rise of fearfulness. N 10 Things, comedy exists verbally and in stereotypical teenage experiences. Ms Perks attempt to describe an erotic scene in her novel is evidence of verbal humor, similar to Pediatrics use of puns. The concept of growing up is embodied in Cat's antisocial behavior. Described as a heinous blotch', her unfriendly manner Illustrates her inability to accept her adolescence, such as dating. This is emphasized in the party scene, where the childhood swings she is sitting on Juxtapose against the adolescent party house In the background. The modern adaptation also explores teenage dating. Dating forms the basis of comedy.Blanch feels the urge to date for the purpose of fitting in to teenage culture. In the words, ‘I'm t he only girl that doesn't date,' Bianca suggests that her motivation for dating is due to peer pressure. The influence of peer pressure is also apparent in other movies based on a teen genre, such as Grease (1978) and The Breakfast Club (1985). By appealing directly to teenage audiences through common experiences, Shakespearean comedy is relocated into high school. The integration of money and status as Elizabethan values into 10 Things contributes to It being a successful relocation of Shrew.In Shakespearean comedy, marriage Is an opportunity for the men to acquire wealth and Increase their social status. Pedicurist's motives for journeying to Pad are solely to marry the daughter of an affluent father to increase his own wealth and status, or as he expresses it, to Wives and thrive' (1. 11. 42). The simplicity of Petroleum's Intentions accentuates the ease to which It can be accomplished, and therefore suggests that marriage Is a game signed and played by the men. These values are incorporated into the teen' adaptation by alternating the setting into high school.By incorporating the teen' Shakespearean work, dating is a tool used to gain money and popularity. Cameron and Michaels plot to use Joey, a wealthy ‘Coco, to bribe Patrick to date Kate is evidence of this. While this increases Patriot's money and allows Cameron and Joey to date Bianca, it also enables Michael to be ‘cool by association' to popular people, thus increasing his status among the school hierarchy. In such, the men benefit while the omen become puppets in a male plot. The similarities between money and status in Shrew and 10 Things depict a parallel course to which both texts extend.The distinction in gender conventions between 10 Things and Shrew is crucial in demonstrating that the modern version is more complicated than a high school relocation of the play. In Elizabethan England, women were the property of their men and were expected to loyally serve them. This convention is adequately expressed in Shakespearean drama, culminating in Skate's ‘submission' speech. In such, the use of juxtaposition comparing women to men in the words, ‘l see our lances are but straws/ Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,' (V. I. 173-174) illustrates female submission to male superiority in a patriarchal society. In consideration of Skate's violent behavior, her acknowledgement of female servitude undermines her ‘shrewish' nature, and therefore demonstrates that she is tamed'. Elizabethan gender conventions are transformed to a more feminist and less sexist perspective in the movie, dictated by modern attitudes towards women. Women in 10 Things josses more control of themselves and exert greater influence, such as Banana's manipulation to induce her sister to date.Similar to Kate, Kate is a young independent woman who strongly supports feminism. In the words, Why should I live up to other people's expectations except for my own,' Kate demonstr ates she is uninfluenced from social oppression. In contrast to Pedicurist's use of physical violence of taming Kate, Patrick uses kindness to tame the wild beast' and socially conform her. The change in gender conventions while maintaining a similar characterization of Kate compels the elm to be a relocation of the play but in a more feminist outlook. 0 Things I Hate About You is a high school relocation of The Taming of the Shrew in a feminist viewpoint. The incorporation of the teen' movie genre and the values of money and status in the movie ensure the plays relocation into high school, while the change in gender conventions provides a more feminist perspective of the movie. The modern adaptation moves away from its misogynist basis and entertains a teenage audience by transforming aspects of Shakespearean drama into common adolescent experiences.

Aristotle or a post-modern anti-hero?

In On the Road Jack Kerouac produces what has become known as the archetypal Beat hero, Dean Moriaty. An analysis of whether he is closer to a traditional Aristotelian hero or to the postmodern anti-hero will reveal much about the often contradictory forces at work within the â€Å"rhythms of fifties underground America, jazz, sex, generosity, chill dawns and drugs . . . â€Å" (Holmes, 1957). Before discussing which Moriaty is closer to it will be necessary to briefly define both the traditional and the postmodern hero, identifying what they hold in common and what divides them.The traditional Aristotelian hero is a high-born man, normally royal or at least from the aristocracy who appears to be on top of the world at the beginning of his story. He has many advantages, both natural and acquired. He is often successful, popular with others and apparently happy. The tragic hero normally has something that has been called â€Å"the fatal flaw† (Kaufmann, 1992). This flaw may b e something he has no blame for, such as the heel that makes Achilles physically vulnerable, the jealousy that makes Othello emotionally vulnerable or the introspection that makes Hamlet delay so long. This fatal flaw often leads, in one way or another, to the downfall of the tragic hero.So the traditional tragic hero falls from a high social position to disgrace and/or death through circumstance and through his supposed fatal flaw. Aristotle said that his fate should inspire â€Å"pity and fear† within the audience (Aristotle, 2001).   Pity for the fate of the individual tragic hero and fear that they might fall into a similar situation themselves.   By contrast, the anti-hero is, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, â€Å"a main character in a dramatic or narrative work who is characterized by a lack of traditional heroic qualities, such as idealism of courage† (America, 1992).Some clue to which definition of protagonist – hero or anti-hero †“ Dean Moriaty falls can be found within the fact that the very term â€Å"anti-hero† is in fact a Twentieth Century invention (Lawall, 1966).   The idea of the anti-hero is in many ways linked to early twentieth century philosophies such as Existentialism, which suggested that life has little meaning and that no absolute standards of morality are relevant. The anti-hero creates his own sense of values, often from moment to moment, according to the needs of the moment. The postmodern anti-hero takes on similar propensities, although he is even more extreme. The â€Å"Man-With-No-Name† character that Clint Eastwood played in the 1960’s spaghetti westerns is perhaps the classic postmodern anti-hero.The world of these westerns does not have â€Å"good† and â€Å"evil† as could be identified by the white/black horses, the white/black cowboy hats and the handsome/ugly actors of the traditional Western. There are merely shades of darkness in the spag hetti western, and the same can be said for most of the characters in On the Road, set as it is within a world of constant wandering throughout America that is in some ways very similar to a western.One of the most important facets of On the Road is the fact that there are two main characters. First, there is Sal Paradise, the titular narrator of the novel that has been more or less associated with Kerouac himself; and second, there is Dean Moriaty. The reader is rapidly and constantly drawn into views of Dean Moriaty. Sal describes him as â€Å"simply a youth tremendously excited with life† who possesses â€Å"a kind of holy lightning . .. flashing from his excitement and his visions† (Kerouac, 1957).   Later Dean is described as â€Å"the holy con-man with the shining mind† (Kerouac, 1957).So in the manner of both the hero and the anti-hero, Dean is a charismatic character who draws others to him through the sheer energy that he exudes and his apparent zest for everything life has to offer. But Dean is very low born. He is apparently the son of an alcoholic who was never really raised properly and who has had criminal propensities from a very young age. Dean has been in prison for stealing cars. While traditional tragic heroes may commit the most serious of crimes (often murder) they are not normally criminal in a conventional sense. There is something petty and hopeless about the kind of criminality that Dean Moriaty displays.But in the best tradition of the postmodern anti-hero, Dean has learned a lot about how to live from his incarceration. He states, with characteristic bluntness:Only a guy who’s spent five years in jail can go to such maniacal  helpless extremes . . . prison is where you promise yourself the  right to live.  (Kerouac, 1957)So the anti-hero discovers himself through falling from grace, even if he probably did not have far to fall in the first place. Rather than going to his death or languishing in the shame of his crimes he lives out the years of his imprisonment and then comes out to go â€Å"on the road†. In one sense the novel shows what might happen when the tragic hero has fallen, been transformed and emerged as a postmodern anti-hero.Dean does fall further however, especially as the novel continues and the novelty of being free to do as he wishes starts to wear thin. Thus his abandonment of his wife and child are brought to his attention, indeed he is confronted with it. Sal, ever the intelligent observer, states that â€Å"where once Dean would have talked his way out, now he fell silent . . . he was BEAT† (Kerouac, 1957).The protagonist of the novel goes through it performing decidedly un-heroic deeds such as this abandonment. He also expresses a constant and rather disturbing attraction for very young girls, often only 12 or 13, especially those who are prostitutes and thus totally vulnerable to his desires. Near the end of the novel he actually abandons S al as he lies sick in Mexico City. Ultimately Sal comes to see Dean in a very brutal light, oine that hardly meets any kind of definition other than a decidedly anti-hero:. . . when I got better I realized what a rat he was, but then I hadbto understand the impossible complexity of his life, how he had toleave me there, sick, to get on with his wives and woes.b(Kerouac, 1957) (emphasis added)Dean is thus essentially a coward, and a lack of courage is never part of the character of a tragic hero, whatever other faults he may possess. But Sal, in characteristically postmodern fashion, does not blame Dean for his cowardice and being a â€Å"rat†. The postmodern condition is one in which there are no absolute standards of ethics and thus everything is more or less forgiven.It is the â€Å"complexity† of his life that Sal feels makes Dean constantly abandon people. He is just another character who moves through an aimless world with little to concern him except an increasin gly futile search for a purely hedonistic lifestyle.The constant traveling in the book makes Dean an anti-hero rather than a hero. While many tragic heroes travel (Aeschylus, Odysseus) they nearly always have some kind of destination – whether it be ethical or geographical, in mind. The characters of On the Road travel constantly, but with, to quote a popular song of the period â€Å"no particular place to go†. They travel for the sake of traveling.   This aimless travel is a symbol for the lack of a higher ethical or religious structure within which to live. The characters of On the Road are sure of nothing, except that, as Sal says at the end of the book â€Å"nobody knows what’s going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old† (Kerouac, 1957).Dean moves from the West to the East to the West to the South . . .   and on with a sense of rather melancholy endlessness. At the end of the novel Dean returns to the West Coast on his own, and Sal ruminates upon the sad meaninglessness of life. While much has happened in the novel in some senses, in the classic, Aristotelian sense very little has occurred that will permanently change people. On the Road has no simple dramatic structure. There is no climax and denouement. Rather it is a formless kind of a quest story in which the search is an end in itself.This endless quest give On the Road   a post-modern structure. The characters are on an existential search for themselves that seems doomed to failure. Dean Moriaty is the archetypal post-modern anti-hero within this quest. He draws people to him, and they travel thousands of miles in order to be a part of his wandering life. But when he loses interest in them he drops them with what appears to be a callous disregard for the consequences. But there is something â€Å"heroic† in his actions as he is at least being honest. He is being true to himself. If that â€Å"self† much of the time is cowardly, c asually cruel, vaguely criminal and pedophilic in nature then he will still reveal it.To conclude, it seems clear that Dean Moriaty, the protagonist of On the Road is far nearer to a post-modern anti-hero than   to a traditional, classical hero. The world that he inhabits is one in which there is little meaning. It is an often dark, forbidding place in which the Cold War threatens nuclear missiles and in which a kind of despairing hedonism is the only course of action which seems relevant to most of the characters. They move around the country at an often dizzying rate, driving all night long for no apparent reason other than the fact they are moving. Romantic relationships are often little more than brief romantic liaisons and marriages are abandoned with the same disregard for consequences that the children that have come from them are thrown away. Dean Moriaty is a post-modern anti-hero, one that a myriad of similar figures have been more or less based upon in the fifty years s ince On the Road   was first publish.Works CitedAmerican Heritage Dictionary, Dell, New York: 1992.Aristotle, The Basic Works of Aristotle, Modern Library, New York: 2001.Holmes, Richard. â€Å"On the Road Review†. The Times, London: 1957.Kaufmann, Walter. Tragedy and Philosophy. Princeton UP, New York: 1992.Kerouac, Jack. On the Road. Penguin, New York: 1957.Lawall, Greg. â€Å"Apollonius Argonautica. Jason as Anti-Hero†. Yale Classical Studies. 19, 119-169.

English Essays (212 words) - Animal Rights, Free Essays, Term Papers

English Essays (212 words) - Animal Rights, Free Essays, Term Papers 1.Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year. 2.92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials because they are too dangerous or dont work. 3.Labs that use mice, rats, birds, reptiles and amphibians are exempted from the minimal protections under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). 4.Up to 90% of animals used in U.S. labs are not counted in the official statistics of animals tested. Take a stand by kidnapping your friends products that were tested on animals (seriously!). Sign up for Kidnapped Cosmetics. 5.Europe, the worlds largest cosmetic market, Israel and India have already banned animal testing for cosmetics, and the sale or import of newly animal-tested beauty products. Why introduce alternatives to animal testing? Humans and animals don't always react in the same way to a drug. One drug, TGN1412, was tested on animals and in humans. All the human patients suffered life-threatening side-effects which didn't appear in animals. Not all drugs are used for the original purpose they were designed for. Animal testing can't show all the potential uses of a drug. Ethical considerations - is it morally right to test all medicines on animals first?

Mohandas K. Ghandi essays

Mohandas K. Ghandi essays As Mohandas K. Gandhi once said, Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), called Mahatma (Great Soul), was a small man who had a big heart. He was Indias leader in its successful struggle to liberate itself from British colonialism. His love for humanity and his will to uplift all people against the oppression of apartheid showed in his many public and personal demonstrations. He was a man who was easily likeable and highly respected, unless of course, it was your cause that he was fighting against. He spoke of truth, peace and unity among many other things. What made Gandhis movement extraordinary is that it functioned without political influence, economic resources, or military power of any kind. Gandhis guiding principle was Satyagraha, which means non-cooperation and nonviolent passive resistance. He was highly influential to many people in India and worldwide for a variety of reasons. One notable person in American history w ho adopted the Mahatmas teachings was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King used Gandhis teachings to fight against racism in America during the civil-rights era. Gandhi greatly influenced me because he stood firmly behind his beliefs, which in turn taught me to fight for what I believe is right. Gandhi had many beliefs that many of us can relate to. As a lawyer in South Africa, he learned that he was trusted with his work more when he looked for the hearts of both prosecutor and defendant, active in honesty. He longed to serve people in a meaningful way. Gandhi was impacted by the way he saw his fellow Indians were being treated, living as repressed slaves. He soon found that the more he simplified his life, the more time he would have to devote to community service. Gandhi continued to simplify his life, giving up all forms of compensation including gifts and stopped dressing as an Englishman....