Use of the Epigraph in George Eliots Middlemarch Essay -- Eliot Middl

Use of the Epigraph in George Eliot's Middlemarch The epigraph is an unusual, though not uncommon, form of citation. It is a part of the text yet distinct from it. White space and specialized formatting, such as italics, separate the epigraph from the main text, thereby challenging the reader to determine the relationship between the two. Unlike a typical quotation, which dwells in the midst of the text, illuminating one point in the argument, the epigraph's unique positioning prior to the body of the text highlights particular ideas, words, or images and thereby guides the reading of the entire argument. In essence, its shadow falls across and affects the reading of the text it precedes. This shadow looms large because it is formed not only by the body of the epigraph but also by the scholar, philosopher, or poet, and textual source from which it is taken. Like all citations, the epigraph creates an intertextuality and a dialogue with another author. The heuristic function of the epigraph may seem relatively simple when looking at a journal article that begins w...

A Comparison of Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street Essay

Exploring Syncretism in Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Syncretism is the fine line between Christianity and Native American Religions because it is the ambivalent, simultaneous attraction of choice and identification to the influences of two or more religious belief systems. Syncretism is most common among minority groups such as Hispanics. The definition applied to their unique position of culture is brought about by the Native American and Spanish ancestry. Ambivalence is shown even by the word Hispanic, which is an "umbrella" term. The novels, Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima(1972) and Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street(1984) explore syncretism and how it enhances and exemplifies the issue of ambivalent behavior in regards to the combined use of Native and Christian religions. In Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street, syncretism is displayed through the actions of both novels to show that syncretism is the "bridge" of ambivalence. Syncretism in context of Anaya and Cisneros' novels, merge Christianity and Native American pagan religions to form the syncretic nature of ambivalent Hispanic Americans. There are several main points in each text that exhibit the issue of syncretism. These points or issues include the "Christ-like" comparison, the witchcraft comparison, and the comparison of pagan religions of superstition and sorcery. The concept of good and evil revealed in the two Hispanic novels through the mixture of Christianity and Native religions is a type of syncretism created by folk Catholicism. According to Ellwin Stoddard's Mexican Americans, the concept of folk Catholicism, "is driven on the idea that the formal sphere of the Catholic church is blended with the Native ... ...on, folk Catholicism. In consequence, Hispanics have in a sense walked a fine line of ambivalence in relation to syncretic religious practices. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 2002. Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Random House, 2006. Dictionary of Hispanic Biography. "Rudolfo Anaya" Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Penguin Dictionary of Religions, ed. John R. Hiumells. 2004. Stoddard, Ellwin R. Mexican Americans. New York: Random House, 1973. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd.ed., v.1. "The History of the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531.Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Wiget, Andrew O., "Native American Oral Narrative" in The Heath Anthology of American Literature 3rd ed., v.1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 24-27.    A Comparison of Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street Essay Exploring Syncretism in Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Syncretism is the fine line between Christianity and Native American Religions because it is the ambivalent, simultaneous attraction of choice and identification to the influences of two or more religious belief systems. Syncretism is most common among minority groups such as Hispanics. The definition applied to their unique position of culture is brought about by the Native American and Spanish ancestry. Ambivalence is shown even by the word Hispanic, which is an "umbrella" term. The novels, Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima(1972) and Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street(1984) explore syncretism and how it enhances and exemplifies the issue of ambivalent behavior in regards to the combined use of Native and Christian religions. In Bless Me Ultima and The House on Mango Street, syncretism is displayed through the actions of both novels to show that syncretism is the "bridge" of ambivalence. Syncretism in context of Anaya and Cisneros' novels, merge Christianity and Native American pagan religions to form the syncretic nature of ambivalent Hispanic Americans. There are several main points in each text that exhibit the issue of syncretism. These points or issues include the "Christ-like" comparison, the witchcraft comparison, and the comparison of pagan religions of superstition and sorcery. The concept of good and evil revealed in the two Hispanic novels through the mixture of Christianity and Native religions is a type of syncretism created by folk Catholicism. According to Ellwin Stoddard's Mexican Americans, the concept of folk Catholicism, "is driven on the idea that the formal sphere of the Catholic church is blended with the Native ... ...on, folk Catholicism. In consequence, Hispanics have in a sense walked a fine line of ambivalence in relation to syncretic religious practices. Works Cited Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me Ultima. New York: Warner Books, 2002. Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Random House, 2006. Dictionary of Hispanic Biography. "Rudolfo Anaya" Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Penguin Dictionary of Religions, ed. John R. Hiumells. 2004. Stoddard, Ellwin R. Mexican Americans. New York: Random House, 1973. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 3rd.ed., v.1. "The History of the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531.Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. Wiget, Andrew O., "Native American Oral Narrative" in The Heath Anthology of American Literature 3rd ed., v.1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. 24-27.   

War and Politics: Are both one in the same

His home in England was near the main gathering point for the D-Day invasion. Along with his fathers service in World War I, Keegan felt himself drawn towards the military and its workings. Unfortunately Keegan was unable to serve in the British Military due to a childhood illness. Although Keegan was unable to serve his country, he was determined to find his way into some aspect of the military. With a degree at Oxford, Keegan became a military historian. This essay will take a look into Keegans work, A History of Warfare, and his thesis that war is not a continuation of politics. This essay will refute his thesis with evidence from Clausewitz, fallacies in Keegans novel and military conflicts over the past thirty years. Keegan has dissected the workings of the military and the military soldier. In his novel A History of Warfare, Keegan disputes the Clausewitzen theory that war is the continuation of policy by other means. Keegan supports his theory by giving explanations of how Clausewitzens theory is invalid. To understand Keegans position one must first be familiar with Clausewitz. Clausewitz was a Prussian regimental officer during the Napoleonic wars. Upon retirement, he wrote the book On War. The books main thesis was war is the continuation by policy by other means. Keegan disagrees with Clausewitz by saying: Such at statement implies the existence of states, of state interests and of rational calculation about how they may be achieved. Yet war antedates the state, diplomacy and strategy by many millennia. Clausewitz, a child of Aristotle, went no further than to say that a political animal is war making animal. Neither dared confront the thought that man is a thinking animal in whom the intellect directs the urge to hunt and the ability to kill. Keegan suggests that war precedes states by many millenniums. First, Clausewitzs thesis does not imply there must be existence of states. Perhaps the political entity of the state did not exist but tribal life did. The tribe is a political entity. The bible has many accounts of tribal warfare for political gain. It varies from Moses leaving Egypt to David defeating Goliath. Keegan also states that war precedes diplomacy and strategy as well. The bible also recounts many strategies and diplomacy between tribes and states. Some historians might object to the bible being a reliable source but no one can refute that what happened in the bible was not true or accurate. We are cultural animals and it is the richness of our culture which allows us to accept our undoubted potentiality for violence but to believe nevertheless that its expression is a cultural aberration. History lessons remind us that the states in which we live, their institutions, even their laws, have come to us through conflict, often of the most bloodthirsty sort. Keegan is referring to the statement made by Aristotle in which he said, Man is a political animal. Keegan said that Clausewitz is a child of Aristotle and he believes that a political animal is a war-making animal. Keegan refutes them by saying, Neither dared confront the thought that man is a thinking animal in whom the intellect directs the urge to hunt and the ability to kill. How can he say that he disagrees with Clausewitzs theory when he himself claims that the states we live in now have come to be by conflict Doesnt that support Clausewitzs theory The point about neither Aristotle nor Clausewitz confront the fact that man is a thinking animal is a bit confusing. Yes man is a thinking animal and throughout history there has been countless rulers, dictators and emperors who have used war to gain political control. A prime example would be the conflict between Julius Caesar and Pompey. While Caesar was in Gaul waging war, he used agents to dominate politics in Rome. Caesar used politics and military strength to seize control of Rome and become the emperor. Man is a thinking animal and those in power, especially in the early years of history, were continually thinking on how to get more. Keegans big fallacy is his statement; Politics played no part in the conduct of the First World War worth mentioning. He goes on to say; The Germans, French, British and Russians found themselves apparently fighting war for wars sake. The wars political objects, difficult enough to define in the first place, were forgotten. Political restraints were overwhelmed, politicians who appealed to reason were execrated, and politics even in the liberal democracies was rapidly reduced to a mere justification of bigger battles, longer casualty lists, costlier budgets and overflowing human misery. The Encarta Encyclopedia states the following; The underlying causes of World War I were the spirit of intense nationalism that permeated Europe throughout the 19th and into the 20th century, the political and economic rivalry among the nations, and the establishment and maintenance in Europe after 1871 of large armaments and of two hostile military alliances. The fundamental causes of he conflict were rooted deeply in the European history of the previous century, particularly in the political and economic policies that prevailed on the Continent after 1871, the year that marked the emergence of Germany as a great world power. Keegan fails to give one argument supporting his statement. How he can say that politics played no role worth mentioning is beyond me. He not only gives no arguments but goes on to say, we are nevertheless right to see Clausewitz as the ideological father of the First World War, just as we are right to perceive Marx as the ideological father of the Russian Revolution. The appalling fate that those armies brought upon themselves by their dedication to it may be Clausewitzs enduring legacy. To compare Clausewitz and Marx is stretching it a bit. To blame Clausewitz for World War I is ludicrous. Once again Keegan fails to support his theory. Keegan goes on to say that Clausewitz is the ideological father of World War I. One can concur that if Keegan states Clausewitzs is to blame for World War I then wouldnt he be supporting Clausewitzs theory If war is the continuation of politics and Clausewitz is to blame, then isnt it correct to say that war is the continuation of politics Keegan he was not the only one who had this theory. Radical military writers such as the British historian B. H. Liddell Hart had such theories as well. He accuses him of urging the largest possible offensive with the largest possible numbers as the key to victory. Later Liddells thoughts were dismissed. Keegan, adhering to Liddells theory, once again has himself in a no win situation. He has stated that man is a thinking animal so shouldnt man be intelligent enough to figure out war and conflict without going to the past Shouldnt a general wage his own war, not an officer who wrote a book in the past Keegan concludes his theory with these thoughts; Culture is a prime determinant of the nature of warfare, as the history of its development. Politics must continue; war cannot. That is not to say that the role of the warrior is over. The world community needs, more than it has ever needed, skilful and disciplined warriors who are ready to put themselves at the service of its authority. Such warriors must properly be seen as the protectors of civilization, not its enemies. There is an even greater wisdom in the denial that politics and war belong with the same continuum. Unless we insist on denying it, our future, may belong to the men with bloodied hands. It is great to say that politics must continue but war cannot, but is it realistic For centuries war and politics have gone hand and hand. What events or individuals have given us a hope for change Are recent conflicts a testament to the future The United States involment in Bosnia, Somalia and the Gulf War has proven that. Would Keegan say that politics were not involved in those conflicts Keegan fails to address a few major conflicts in history. The Vietnam War and Korean War are not mentioned at all. The current theory underlying Vietnam and Korea were political reasons for the conflict. It is true that we went to Korea to support the South Koreans who were invaded but why were they invaded Political reasons are why. We were politically obligated to support the South Koreans. Chinas involment was purely political. The United States was not going to invade China. To the Chinese, having communist North Korea on their border was better than having the United States. Saying that Vietnam was not a political conflict does not give a reasonable explanation. The Vietnam War was the United States supporting a helpless South Vietnam and the United States fighting to keep their influence in South East Asia. With Keegans failure to address these major conflicts he leaves the reader wondering why. There are some errors of interpretation and fact in his novel as well. The atomic bomb was not designed to end wars without commitment of manpower on the battlefield as the author contends. The atomic bomb was another weapon, which we potentiality we only discovered after its use. Not until a decade later did nuclear weaponry come to take its place among equals in military establishments, at least in the United States. Keegans main goal was to refute the Clausewitz theory of war and politics. Keegan failed in this task. His inability to discuss such politically orientated conflicts such as Vietnam and Korea aids in his failure. His contention that World War I was not political was refuted by a definition in an encyclopedia. Keegan tries to offer the reader a new concept in studying military history but he is unable to get the reader to follow his train of thought.

Prime Candidates of Vigilantism

All law stems from one source of order. In a time of anarchy and chaos a man brought for from a mountain top two stone tablets from which all law branches. Those two tablets, the Ten Commandments, were to be the seeds of lawful civilization. Those seeds have since become the roots of modern humanity. A prime example of this is the United States government. The phrase â€Å"In God we trust† is imprinted on every piece of legal tender and on most documentation. The purpose of law and government is to â€Å"protect† the people, but the fact that punishment need be imposed only illustrates the fact that it does not protect. Punishment is imposed only after harmful actions against society have been carried out. In order for punishment and legal intervention to be applied there first must be a crime or an action that is the government†s responsibility to prevent from taking place. When law is applied the government has already failed to protect the individual; punishment will do nothing to help the victim after they have been victimized. Law does not, in truth, prevent such behavior; it only deals with it once it has occurred. Law does nothing to prevent socially harmful behavior, it therefore does not protect in accordance with the tenets set forth in the theory of the Social Contract. Why then, in such a modern civilization, do we have vigilantes? The answer is simple. The fact is that although humanity has advanced, law has failed to keep up. The prime candidates for vigilantism are those who abide by the law. They acknowledge the existence of the law and respect it. They expect that if one day they are the victim of a crime the offender will quickly go through trial and be punished. The truth is that that is rarely the case. It can take months for an offender to even go to trial. The U. S. criminal justice system, however the best in the world, is not nearly efficient enough to properly handle the workload placed upon it. Still the situation comes up that even in a clear-cut case with hard evidence and witnesses, law enforcement will fail to properly pass down punishment to those who commit a crime. This is the time when people take the law into their own hands. Impatience and frustration drives and individual to do what he or she believes what the government has failed to do. It can happen to anyone. But can crime be prevented in the first place? The law often frustrates teenagers and adults alike. The major difference between these two groups is experience. Teenagers are usually more likely to go out and â€Å"punish† those who violate them or their friends. An example of a teen vigilante is when a teen goes out to defend his/her name in order to prevent slander. This is seen very often. Unfortunately, these teens have either not been educated or have exhausted all legal means in order to halt the crime (slander). Adults are often confronted with the same situation but by having experienced this before, they are more prepared to take action against this. But in adults we often see something not usually seen in teens, the involvement of alcohol. Alcohol clouds judgment and increases violent tendencies. Although teens do consume alcohol, they cannot obtain it legally. Because of the age difference, punishment should not be the same for both adults and teens. Although there are some difference, for some reasons adults seem to have more choices in terms of education and correction. In adult prisons, inmates can attend GED classes and earn degrees. Teens however do not have that same option. Instead, they have clean-up punishments such as Saturday detention at the high school. What should be done is Saturday corrective classes. Instead of cleaning the school, clean their minds. This is where education comes in. In order to eliminate criminal behavior, we first must rehabilitate and educate those who are at high risk to or have already committed a crime. In most forms of punishment, such as seen at the Douglas Juvenile Corrections office, there is actually no correction. Lawn maintenance does in no way educate the offenders. Punishment does not promote understanding not does it allow analysis. Education, unlike punishment, is not a restriction, but a guide. Education is a positive behavioral influence that promotes freedom and instills morality. With education comes understanding. Without those two key elements there cannot be the wisdom necessary for correction. Regarding the disciplinary action taken on juvenile offenders, some of which I have seen working outside during school hours, should not be out there. Instead, they should be forced to attend school. Whether it is high school or a form of military school, they need education. Becoming a vigilante is almost never a result of free choice of an individual. Rather, it is forced upon one by poor or slow action on part of law enforcement. If we as society ever hope to live in peace and prosperity as guaranteed to us by the constitution, we need to not only enforce the laws, but preach the law.

Communicate in a business environment Essay

3.1 Describe ways of verbally presenting information and ideas clearly 3.2 Explain ways of making contributions to discussion that help to move them forward 3.3 Describe methods of active listening 3.4 Explain the purpose of summarising verbal communications 4.1 Describe ways of getting feedback on communications 4.2 Explain the purpose of using feedback to develop communication skills Describe ways of verbally presenting information and ideas clearly to present any information or ideas I need clearly I often use simple language and short sentences this makes it easier for everybody to understand. Also I present the information is a variety of ways as some people understand things and concepts in different ways. For example; some people understand by hearing or seeing. Before I present any information or ideas I always plan out what I want to say, I often also take out any information that is not necessary. I also use active and personal language like ‘’you’ and ‘we’’. Explain ways of making contributions to discussion that help to move them forward To make conversation move forward, I often learn to listen to people and give importance for everybody’s ideas. This way I can make positive contributions that can lead to further discussion. I also often do not make a contribution to a subject who isn’t positive or may not affect me or my work. Describe methods of active listening In order to perform within LSG and to develop my skills listening is one the most important skills I should obtain. As it will portray the quality of my relationship with my team and clients. Listening is important as I need to often obtain information from others to learn new things. Methods of active listening include: Listening calmly without interrupting, so that I let the other person speak and show them that I care and respect them Asking others to repeat if I do not understand anything, in order to avoid mistakes Taking notes of important points, so that I do not forget or miss out on any important points Confirming what I have understood, so that there is no misunderstanding of information Explain the purpose of summarising verbal communications The purpose of summarising verbal communication is to identify major points, behaviours, thoughts and feelings that have been discussed. I then often collate all the information I have collected. By doing this is helps to have a clear precise outline of all communications. Describe ways of getting feedback on communications I believe that feedback completes the entire process of communication. Feedback helps us to decide if the communication was effects and useful. I often get feedback from my line manager Scott or I often get it from clients on the phone. If any feedback given is to improve on anything I often make note of the feedback and make a working progress for myself to include the suggestion in my work. Explain the purpose of using feedback to develop communication skills I use feedback for improve my work performance. It helps improve my work ethnic, team work and quality of my work. To help develop communication skills the feedback has to be received and acted upon. Once I have acted upon feedback I always let my line manager Scott know so that he can see I am willing to learn and enthusiastic and this may encourage people to offer me feedback in the future.

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Business Plan - Essay Example The business analysis section of the business plan gives emphasis on the details of the restaurant that is going to be set up in London. It highlights the products and services that are to be served and offered to the customers in London. Hence, an overall blueprint of the business is provided in this section. King’s Cross Delite will be a multi-cuisine restaurant in London, whose main aim is to provide delicious and healthy foods to the customers. The restaurant will be established near King’s Cross railway station. The reason for choosing such a position is that it is the most populous and attractive place in London, where thousands of passengers come to the city and leave the city every day. The passenger includes students, office goers, tourists and businessmen. A multi-cuisine restaurant in such a place will not only attract customers but also increase the number of customers daily. The restaurant will have a new theme, which is not tried by any other restaurant in London. The customers, who will be visiting the restaurant, will get the feeling that they are inside a sea. The watery background will be provided in order to present a calm and comfortable climate for the customers while consuming their food. It not only creates a clear ambience but it will also give a feeling of having food under water. The water will have several fishes, not large one, but small and familiar ones along with water plants and insects. If the business plan is recognized to be feasible for developing the restaurant business, King’s Cross Delite will be inaugurated in January 2016. Less than a year time will be required to build the structure of the restaurant and kitchen. The most important part of the restaurant will be its kitchen; it is an open-kitchen, which will allow the customers to see how the dishes are prepared and whether the chefs are maintaining a

Microbiology Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microbiology Work - Essay Example They also contribute to patient’s treatment as well as the control of infection in the community and hospitals. However, Microbiology is rapidly changing. In the late 1970s, HIV and AIDS were unknown, but by the year 2000, approximately 22 million HIV related deaths had occurred globally. Ebola and Legionnaires viruses were also unknown, but a year later, they were making headlines. Microbiologists decided to go to the laboratory to find the virus behind AIDS and other diseases. The laboratory categorized the samples and dealt with each sections of the virus depending on the site and nature of collection. In this regard, this paper aims at explaining microbiology work in HIV, identifying the problems or issues that face scientists today as well as identify science influence or contribution to today’s culture in terms of technology, advances, and infectious disease controls (Gustavo, 2001). HIV/AIDS is said to have spread rapidly. There are roughly 33.4 million people li ving with the virus, 2 million deaths from and 2.7 new infections of AIDS. Microbiologists discovered that HIV virus causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The virus is said to infect cells which are critical to the immune system, and as a result, destroy the ability of the system to fight infections. Therefore, it was found out that people who have AIDS do not have the ability to fight infections by other bacteria and viruses, which cause diseases in healthy people. Because of this, AIDS patients die from such infections that the scientists regard as harmless. Some of them develop cancers in their systems (Basic information about HIV and AIDS, 1999). The Microbiologists first discovered the agent which causes AIDS in 1983. In about 24 years, there were abnormal infection clusters that were found in homosexual men and approximately a million of Americans have contracted HIV. This epidemic has now afflicted both female and males in all ethnic groups. Spencer and Ragout (2 004) claim that, scientists acknowledge that the epidemic is growing rapidly among women and minority population. There are over 20 million deaths and the epidemic is spreading in all geographic regions. However, there is hope in finding the cure for AIDS because, Microbiologists are doing all they can to discover it. They have managed to stabilize it because of the ARVs that they initially discovered for its control which has helped in avoiding deaths. To add to this, they claim that when a person becomes infected with the HIV virus, there is a substantial lag time, for example, a decade before the person fully develops the AIDS symptoms, although the anti-HIV drugs can help delay the symptoms. However, afterwards, infected individuals start experiencing symptoms of Flu and are said to go for many years without the symptoms being detected (Basic information about HIV and AIDS, 1999). During this phase, the virus is said to continue replicating within the body, in addition to transm itting to other individuals if there is a direct contact with body fluids such as blood and semen. This time there is a steady but slow depletion of the cells, known as CD4 positive T cells which are infected by HIV. A Microbiologist found out that a normal person usually has 1000 CD4 Tcells in a blood milliliter, which HIV infects, and once the cells fall to 200 cells the person infected enters another phase which is now called AIDS.