The importance of volunteering in my community to make it a batter Essay

The importance of volunteering in my community to make it a batter place - Essay Example A volunteer helped him to the home. I immediately called for an ambulance and in no time, dad was taken to the hospital. It was all happening before my eyes, and the remembrance of that feel haunts me till this day. My father, who was both a parent and a spiritual guide to me, was struggling breath by breath for life. Any moment, anything could happen. Nonetheless, this saddest experience of my life taught me the importance of volunteering. In the few days I spent at the hospital to nurse my father as he was recovering, I used to see volunteers offering help to the needy and counseling them to raise their self esteem. I was totally impressed. After all, it was a volunteer that helped my father reach home when he was in trouble! That day, I took an oath to volunteer any way by which I could benefit my community. Few activities that I have made my habit and part of everyday routine in an attempt to benefit my community and making the environment better for them is picking up garbage fr om the streets and throwing it in dustbins, buying seeds and growing plants as many as I can, and providing people with due help in the way the need. I truly believe that volunteering is something much more sacred and noble than our possessions.

Separation of Powers between the Three Branches of Government Essay

Separation of Powers between the Three Branches of Government - Essay Example It was, however, Charles Louis de Montesquieu who clearly defined the three branches of government and laid down the basics of the concept of separation of powers. Some countries being underpinned by the concept of separation of powers, like the United States, have written constitutions that clearly laid out and allocated the various powers and functions of the government to the different branches (Barnett pp. 105-106). This is not so in the United Kingdom. The UK Constitution does not consist of a single, written document but rather of various uncodified laws scattered in several documents like statutes, court decisions and treaties and unwritten ones like customs and conventions. A strict separation of powers normally divides separate powers and functions and allows them to the three branches government: the executive; Parliament, and; the judiciary. In the UK, the components of the three branches of governments usually share powers held by other branches in a mixed government fash ion. Eric Barendt, however, author of the book Separation of Powers does not believe that the UK necessarily has a weaker constitution because of this disparity. He believes that â€Å"the separation of powers should not be explained in terms of a strict distribution of functions between the three branches of government, but in terms of a network of rules and principles which ensure that power is not concentrated in the hands of one branch.† The UK government, like other democratic governments, has three major institutions, all exercising various functions and powers and sometimes sharing the powers of the other branches: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The executive department is made up the Crown and the central government, the latter of which is composed of the Prime Minister and his/her Cabinet Ministers. The central government is accountable to Parliament, which can choose to dissolve it and force a new election of a new set of officials if it believes that circumstances warrant it.  

Walking Through the Baroque Music Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Walking Through the Baroque Music Era - Essay Example Since the era was of absolute monarchy, the life of the nation would center around the exploits of the current leader. And such influence would be seen in all the structures in the country. Of course, spectacular musical and theatrical performances would be staged for the benefit of the monarchs and their foreign visitors. In other words, artists during that time served as instruments for the monarchs to stay or rise in rank. Moreover, JM Howard highlighted three major points vital in the formation of the Baroque as a historical musical era. First is reformation and counter-reformation, second is the existence of the wealthy families of Europe, and third is the desire of the Europe courts to maintain an image. The Reformation and the Counter-Reformation: Since the 17th century became more like a competition between recruiting parties of the Catholic and Protestant parties, many artists and musicians were able to perform on several concerts that were put up to convince people what the best church is. The Wealthy Families of Europe: Since during the 17th century, monarchs and aristocrats ruled, there was a need to somehow show the peasants that the ruling class had soft side, which would be shown through their taste in music. According to Thornburgh, music from the Baroque period is a mixture of many styles: there is Italian, French, English, and German Baroque music; early, middle, and late Baroque music; and even secular and sacred Baroque music. And of course, one must not forget. to mention the different personal styles of the many composers and musicians. Having said that, it would definitely be hard to clearly define what Baroque music is like because of its numerous elements. However, Thornburgh said there is a way to describe Baroque music in a more particular manner, and that is through its musical instruments, stylistic elements, and musical esthetic. Baroque Musical Instruments Voice. Being the oldest musical instrument, the voice would probably thought of being the most natural tool for music making. However, a true Baroque singer is very well-trained and is in many ways different from today's opera singers. Thornburgh said the difference is that Baroque singers accentuate the "difference in tone color between lower and higher registers" as compared to having "uniformity of tone color for which today's voice strives across the vocal range." Moreover,

Sleep Theories Essay Example for Free

Sleep Theories Essay Most people think that when we sleep, we can shut down our mind. However, with the power of advanced technique, scientist made a careful observation of human brain waves, body temperature, heart rate, breathing, and other physical functions. They received a new light on sleep. Our brain and body actually are active during sleep, sometimes even more active than we are awake. There are two type of sleep, making up a complete 90 to 100 minute cycle that can be repeated 4 to 5 times in an average eight hours sleep. NREM (nonrapid eye movement) sleep: also called quite sleep. Have four stages, from stage 1 to stage 4.REM (rapid eye movement) sleep: also called active sleep. Stage 5, in this stage you dreaming.( Cherry, K.2012) During sleep, we usually pass through five stages of sleep Stage1. Light stage of sleep.  Turn off the light, close your eyes, and find the most comfortable position to lying down on the bed .While, you may feel sleepy now. Your eyes start moving slowly, muscle activity slows and body feel more relaxed. You had already entered stage 1 sleep without noticing it. At this stage, you may be aware of noises. You can be easily awakened and may feel that you are not really sleeping. During stage 1, our brain activity slows down; brain produces waves from alpha waves enter to theta waves. (Rathus, S.pp.100). ï  ¬ 2. A light sleep but it is deeper than stage 1. Stage 2 may last for 20 minutes.Your brain starts producing more waves but activities become lower. Your eyes stop moving; breathing, heart rate slows and body temperature decreases. Right now, you are ready to enter deep sleep. During stage 2, the brain waves are interrupted by bursts of brain activity knows as sleep spindles.( Rathus, S) Stage 3 and 4. Transition period between light sleep to deep sleep. At stage 3, you deep sleep starts, your brain produce slower delta waves. There is no eye movement and you will not consciously trying to move your body. Moreover, your heart rate and blood pressure will drop down to the lowest level during the day. According to the repair and restoration Theory of Sleep, deep sleep is the stages for your body to repair damaged and rejuvenate itself. Growth could occurs in stage 4.( Walsh, K.). It will be difficult to wake you up during these two stages, you cannot adjust immediately, and you may feel dazed and exhausted for few minutes. Stage 5. a very light, active sleep  This stage also called rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. It is a miraculous stage that you hear rate, heart rate increases, blood pressure raised and breathing become shallower; your eyes move back; your brain become more active as you awake and you start dreaming. Incredibly, your muscles still maintains in a relaxed state. Stage 5 usually occurs about 70 to 90 minutes after we fall asleep. ( Brain basics: Understanding Sleep ). The functions of sleep Sleep is the most important thing for us to surviveï ¼Å'it can protect us from disease. Having enough sleep in a day will bring lots of benefits to us -a clear mind, a good mood and full of energy. Sleep may also have other benefits like improving physical and immune function. The following are the summarized functions of sleep. Sleep provides an opportunity for the body to repair and rejuvenate: remove fatigue, conserves the body energy Beneficial of skin care: good sleep can increase the activities of skin metabolism. Sleep provides growth and development: Deep sleep increases the release of growth hormone in human baby or animals.  Sleep protect our nervous systems: helps us recover from stress Sleep improves our study ability: can strengthen and improve our memory. Sleeping affects our immune systemï ¼Å¡increase resistant system Discusses one sleep disorder (i.e., explains the disorder, its causes, symptoms, and the treatment options available). Sleep is a natural process, but if you feel sleep is always difficult such as It is hard to fall asleep; although you have slept for eight hours you may still feel tired and have difficulty to memorize something. If these problems bothered you for ages, you may be suffering from a sleep disorder. Doctors discovered that there are more than 70 sleep disorders which can seriously interfere with our work, driving, and social activities. The most common sleep disorders include insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea. ( Brain basics.) Insomnia is a Latin word for â€Å"no sleep†, is â€Å"a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease† .People that is affected by insomnia has the inability to fall asleep or maintaining sleep. (Insomnia overview). Common symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep; feel awake for a whole night; only can sleep for few hours per day; waking up frequently, and could not get back to sleep. There are many causes of insomnia. It can be caused by stress, anxiety. It may be related to substance use, such as alcohol, and caffeine. Behavior therapy is often part of any treatment for insomnia. For example: A healthy lifestyle can help to improve sleep quality, doing exercise is helpful in reducing stress. Provides examples of how/if any of sleep theories, and/or disorders apply to your life. I found a part time job as a store manager in my final year of college. It was hard to study at school during the day and lead employees to work in the night. Worries and tenseness lead me to insomnia. I felt that it is difficult for me to fall asleep in late night, and sometimes when I awake, I still felt tired and dizzy. Lack of enough sleeps cause me became moody, such little things would fire me up. I have to take sleeping pills to get to sleep, but it would not take effect for long term use. Learning to relax helped me sleep better and feel better. It is simple, using scented candles at home to create a comfortable area, take a bath and listen to the music.

Reflective Essay on Learning Styles and Theories

Reflective Essay on Learning Styles and Theories EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Learning is the lifelong process of continuous improvement. Human being learns new things throughout its lifetime. It is necessary for the overall development of human being. Only the person who is keen learner can survive and grow in todays competitive environment. We always continue to learn from the day we born till the day we die. Life without learning is like stagnating water. Human being learn everything that comes to him i.e. learn from its actions, its experience etc. In Reflection module I am going to summarize the reflection of what I learnt. Reflection and learning are explained through various models and theory in this assignment. ASSIGNMENT 1 When I am doing this project I was under the intuition that it is going to be another industry module where we will be showing to only abstract ideas. But I came to know that it is more about molding an individual into getting prepared to a organization career. Mostly PASS overlaps the trained and academic skills that are needed by individuals to struggle in this mutually dependent world. The first day of joining my institute is basically different from my assumption, the college give us the right knowledge and a key to success. But when I came to know about this module (PASS) my falsehood was nowhere to be found any more within me. It provides me the professional knowledge and help us to improve my skills. REFLECTIVE JOURNAL Collaboration:- This section collaboration was introduced where we implicit the need for collaboration for the team work. Basically collaboration is to gather a variety of different skills among team members and utilize them to ensure the success of the project. In this i introduced the Tuck mans Group Development Model and Belbins Theory TUCK MANS AND BELBIN THEORY Tuckmans model is that it helps us understand that teams evolve. It also helps us to consider how they may encounter different problems at different stages of their development There are four stages in Tuckmans model: forming, storming, norming and performing. In the first stage we read about forming. In this firstly the base level is established. In this stage the individuals are not yet gelled together and everybody is busy in finding their place in the team. Also the trust is developed between the team members in this stage. The team members agrees on common goal. This stage is very important because in this stage members make goods contacts and strong bonding towards each other. In the second stage we focused on storming. In this stage members feel themselves as a part of a team. They are identify with the powers, control issues and the resources that are to be used. In this stage members express different ideas, feeling, and opinion, however they may challenge themselves and the team leader about what the team is doing and and how the work should be done. The third stage is norming. The members come together. They agrees about roles and processes for solving the problem. We can say it is the characteristic of togetherness. Decisions are made through negotiation and agreement building. The team is engaged in various activities. The final stage is performing. Members find solutions to problems using appropriate controls. They work collaboratively and care about each other. The group established as a unique identity and the members are interdependent and they have increased focus on the task. Co-ordinator The co-ordinator is a person-oriented leader. This person is trusting, accepting, dominant and is committed to team goals and objectives. The co-ordinator is a positive thinker who approves of goal attainment, struggle and effort in others. The co-ordinator is someone tolerant enough always to listen to others, but strong enough to reject their advice Shaper The shaper is a task-focused leader who abounds in nervous energy, who has a high motivation to achieve and for whom winning is the name of the game. The shaper is committed to achieving ends and will shape others into achieving the aims of the team. Plant The plant is a specialist idea maker characterised by high IQ and introversion while also being dominant and original. The plant tends to take radical approaches to team functioning and problems. Plants are more concerned with major issues than with details. Resource Investigator The resource investigator is the executive who is never in his room, and if he is, he is on the telephone. The resource investigator is someone who explores opportunities and develops contacts. Resource investigators are good negotiators who probe others for information and support and pick up others ideas and develop them. They are characterised by sociability and enthusiasm and are good at liaison work and exploring resources outside the group Team worker Team workers make helpful interventions to avert potential friction and enable difficult characters within the team to use their skills to positive ends. They tend to keep team spirit up and allow other members to contribute effectively. Their diplomatic skills together with their sense of humour are assets to a team. They tend to have skills in listening, coping with awkward people and to be sociable. sensitive and people oriented Company worker/ implementer Implementers are aware of external obligations and are disciplined, conscientious and have a good self-image. They tend to be tough-minded and practical, trusting and tolerant, respecting established traditions. They are characterised by low anxiety and tend to work for the team in a practical, realistic way. Implementers figure prominently in positions of responsibility in larger organisations. They tend to do the jobs that others do not want to do and do them well: for example, disciplining employees. Completer finishers The completer finisher dots the is and crosses the ts. He or she gives attention to detail, aims to complete and to do so thoroughly. They make steady effort and are consistent in their work. They are not so interested in the glamour of spectacular success. Specialist The specialist provides knowledge and technical skills which are in rare supply within the team. They are often highly introverted and anxious and tend to be self-starting, dedicated and committed Team Management Artifical barriers between leaders and led are only one obstacle to true teamwork. Interdepartmental and cross-functional rivalries what Americans call turf wars are other serious hurdles, made worse by the fact that they are seldom overcome. Theyre known in sport, too. Try to persuade rugby forwards that they can learn from backs, or vice versa, and youll usually get no more change than when persuading marketing to work (as it should) hand-in-glove with production, or either to cooperate willingly with finance. The skills essential to the modern manager thus include the ability to work with other functional talents in teams and to lead, not by the authority of command, but that of expertise. Team leadership, paradoxically, includes knowing when to hand over the lead to others, as their expertise moves to the fore. In games, this stems naturally from the functional demands. Only the quarterback can call the plays in American football: in rugby, lineout tactics are equally an expert function. A team relies on its leader to get them through. Team benefit All teams are groups of individuals but not all groups of individuals necessarily demonstrate the cohesiveness of a team. Teams outperform individuals because teams generate a special energy. This energy develops as team members work together fusing their personal energies and talents to deliver tangible performance results. There are a number of benefits for teamwork, among them are: Distributing the workload Reinforcing individual capabilities Creating participation and involvement Making better decisions Feeling like we play a part in the work being done Generating a diversity of ideas, etc. Teams have become the latest management obsession. Theyre the corporate equivalent of a Visa card: theyre everywhere you want to be. Managers, school principals everywhere in the world are striving to set up efficient teamwork procedures in their establishments. Trouble is that despite their ubiquity and their omnipresence, teams rarely achieve breakthrough results. Instead, they sink to the level of the weakest performer and keep digging. The fault lies not with the team or its members, but with those who took a group of individuals, charged them with improbable goals, staffed them with uninspired leadership and expected them to function as a team. Contrast that to an organized, well-oiled, and disciplined team, one in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Such groups allow members to achieve results far beyond their individual abilities. The irony is that when the needs of the group take priority, the needs of the individual actually are enhanced. High performance teams do not result from spontaneous combustion. They are grown, nurtured and exercised. It takes a lot of hard work and skill to blend the different personalities, abilities, and agendas COMMUNICATION Communication Communication is an exchange of facts,ideas,opinions by two or more persons. Communication is the process of passing information understanding from one person to another.It is the process of imparting ideas malking oneself understood by other. Communication is the transmission interchange of facts, ideas, feelings, or course of action. The interchange of thought or information to bring about mutual understanding and confidence or good human relation. In communication model we use the concept of Berlos Model Concept of Barlos model:- Source Does he have a command over language? What is his attitude towards the receiver? Thirdly what is his level of knowledge? Does he speak as a member of a group; religious,political, or commercial? Does he belong to a highly advanced culture or he comes from some primitive tribe Message : A message contains content or matter. It appears in some language from such as English or French or in picture form. Channel : Channel stands for the medium in which the message reaches the receiver. It may be natural, one of the senses seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. Receiver : The receiver too, like the source has skill, attitude, knowledge and culture context. If the receiver and the source have positive attitudes towards the topic, communication become easy. TIME MANAGEMENT This is the most important concept in this assignment as well as our day to day activity. The Three Ps of Effective Time Management:- Planning Priorities Procrastination Ten Myths about Time:- Myth: Time can be managed. Myth: The longer or harder you work the more you accomplish. Myth: If you want something done right, do it yourself. Myth: You arent supposed to enjoy work. Myth: We should take pride in working hard. Myth: You should try to do the most in the least amount of time. Myth: Technology will help you do it better, faster. Myth: Do one thing at a time. Myth: Handle paper only once. Myth: Get more done and youll be happier. As I got closer to the end of this assignment, I realized that we were actually trained how to utilize the resources to become a better leader as well as manager. As a manager it is very essential to make optimum use of the limited resources that will be provided for ones task. At the same time, a manager should also have equivalent skills and make sure his/her employee is up to the mark to gain better competitive advantage and a higher market value for the purpose of development and success of the organization. For a manager, a department with the lowest staff turnover is always better for the management and shows the excellence of the manager managing his/her team. ASSIGNMENT 2 Learning Style The process of increasing knowledge and skills and developing our attitudes or beliefs so that we have the opportunity for increased choice (Thorpe and Clifford, 2000). This approach to learning emphasizes the fact that individuals perceive and process information in very different ways. The learning styles theory implies that how much individuals learn has more to do with whether the educational experience is geared toward their particular style of learning than whether or not they are smart. In fact, educators should not ask, Is this student smart? but rather How is this student smart? Different type of learning style Inguistic This type of learner loves to read, write, and tell stories. They tend to memorize places, dates, names, and trivia very easily, and are always mesmerizing you with their incredible tales. They have a remarkable ability to repeat back everything you have ever told them, word for word. 2.logical This child is very mathematically inclined. They enjoy solving problems, particularly if they are math related.. They will plague you with questions on how things work, how things relate to one another, and why things are here. Their favorite toys as young children were likely building blocks, and pattern puzzles. 3.spatial These are the visualizers. They spend most of the day dreaming, watching movies, and staying as far away from reality as possible. If they seem particularly down, asking them to draw a picture will get you much further into the nature of the problem, than asking them to tell you about it. 4.musical if your child is always walking around the house humming a tune, or always needs music to study by, then he/she is likely a musical learner. This type of learner is best at noticing details, pitches, and rhythms that escape the normal listener. 5.bodily This type of learner is always on the move. They constantly walk around, they have to touch everything, and they use body language to convey their feelings. They would rather play sports or do a craft than sit down and read a book. They need active education! Keep them moving. 6.interpersonal These are the social butterflies. They adapt easily to any type of social situation, have many friends and are excellent leaders. They are patient, understanding, and very empathetic, which makes them a favorite among their playmates. They generally make good leaders because of their ability to mediate conflict, and are often referred to as the Peacemaker of the family. 7.intrapersonal iunderstanding of themselves. They pride themselves on being independent and original, and they tend to stand out from the crowd without even trying. They are the strong, silent type. Kolbs Learning theory Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience Kolb (1984, 38) a comprehensive theory which offers the foundation for an approach to education and learning as a lifelong process and which is soundbased intellectual traditions of philosophy and cognitive and social psychologyklb4kind Divergers view situations from many perspectives and rely heavily upon brainstorming and generation of ideas Assimilators use inductive reasoning and have the ability to create theoretical models Convergers rely heavily on hypothetical-deductive reasoning Accommodators carry out plans and experiments and adapt to immediate circumstances David Kolb stated that for true learning to take place, we need to have an experience, reflect upon this experience, make sense of it (often through creating theories) and finally apply our theories to our lives by planning what we would do next time we were in the same or similar situation. HONEY AND MUMFORDS LEARNING STYLES There are four type of honey and mumford learning style Activist Reflector Theorist Pragmatist C:UsersANUJDownloadsPicture1.png Activist Activists are people who learn through doing and prefer activity-based development. They dislike sitting still for long periods and will therefore not respond well to lectures or highly reflective activity. Activists are chatty, lively and like to be involved they enjoy the here and now. The methods through which they will prefer to learn involve exercises, problems, tasks, drama and excitement. Reflectors Reflectors enjoy reviewing and considering situations and events. When asked a question, they tend to sit back and think about the answer before responding When they join a discussion their contribution will be well thought out. Reflective learners like to consider issues from a range of different perspectives and will feel uncomfortable if they are put into the limelight without prior warning; when choosing methods for them, ensure that they will have the time required for reflection to take place Theorists Theorists like to know the theories behind a piece of learning or the ideas that back up comments that are being made. They prefer to learn from research, data, models and information. They do not cope well when they are asked to do something without being told why and without underpinning evidence or theory. Theorists like logic and are rational and analytical in a learning situation, they like their development activities to have structure and purpose; they will be uncomfortable with high emotion and feelings. Pragmatists Pragmatists prefer practicality to theory and learn effectively when they are able to apply the learning to their situation and the real world. They learn best when provided with true-to-life tasks, rather than being given woolly concepts that they are unable to relate to their daily life. They seek out new ideas and want to try them out, drawing links between the subject and their current job. Vark model The acronym VARK stands for Visual, Aural, Read/write, and Kinesthetic sensory modalities that are used for learning information. Fleming and Mills (1992) suggested four categories that seemed to reflect the experiences VARK learning style shows that I am a reading/writing preference learner followed by visual and kinesthetic learner. The visual and kinesthetic learner characteristics are similar to the outcome of both the Belbin and Honey Mumford theory. According to the Honey Mumford learning style, Belbins theory and VARK theory, I am indeed a person who learns better when theories and techniques are put into practice. I specifically prefer to learn from new experiences as well, making me a person who likes to do more physical and hands on activities compared to learning new modules through theories. For example, teaching and training materials are absorbed faster and effectively when I perform them through tutorial or lab activities.According to the VARK learning theory, I learn best when theories that are taught are absorbed via lectures and notes written from lectures according to personal preferences. For example, during lectures, I learn best when I write lecture notes and rewrite it over and over again. A reading and writing preference learner would translate diagrams and charts into their own words to learn betterf the students and teacher. Visual (V) This preference includes the depiction of information in maps, spider diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, labelled diagrams, and all the symbolic arrows, circles, hierarchies and other devices, that instructors use to represent what could have been presented in words. It could have been called Graphic (G) as that better explains what it covers. It does NOT include movies, videos or PowerPoint. It does include designs, whitespace, patterns, shapes and the different formats that are used to highlight and convey information. Kinaesthetic (K): By definition, this modality refers to the perceptual preference related to the use of experience and practice (simulated or real). Although such an experience may invoke other modalities, the key is that people who prefer this mode are connected to reality, either through concrete personal experiences, examples, practice or simulation [See Fleming Mills, 1992, pp. 140-141]. It includes demonstrations, simulations, videos and movies of real things, as well as case studies, practice and applications. AUDITORY-learners who would love to sit reverse and pay attention. They dont make a lot of notes READ/WRITE- learners who need to read the information for themselves and they take a set of notes CONCLUSSION VARK model proved that I m a KINESTHETIC learner. I can sit long for focussed on a particular topic. But other than KINESTHETIC i am a weak learner. And I feel that this is my weak point and I want to resolve it. Now i am trying to deliberate on a particular topic by sitting actively like a visual learner. Now i am concentrating on the reading/writing part by reading more and more books and different journals or assignments. But I feel that kinesthetic is not an actual style which should be learned because kinesthetic is a person who cannot concentrate much more so I did not belong to it. I strongly believe that i should expand that particular learning theory along with the rest that I already practice. As a group member we should create some new ideas all the time and these ideas can be practical or theoretical. From Honey Mumford theory I came to know that I m a activist so I decided to learn the other learning styles that the VARK assessment showed as I do not see any harm in lear ning new theoretical modules. I actually feel that with this module we will develop our skills, knowledge, training and many more. We know our value and importance in a group. This module also helps us to understand the team management, different communication skills, and time management and captures the different styles of learning.

Aeneas Fights With Turnus Essays -- Aeneid Virgil Essays

Aeneas Fights With Turnus In the Aeneid, Virgil describes many human qualities, problems and characteristics. Some examples which I wish to illustrate can be found in the end of epic, in the scene of the final duel between Aeneas and Turnus. Virgil also introduces a novel idea in his work. Both sides, the Trojans and the Latins, are portrayed as noble people. Even though Aeneas is fated to win, and he is the hero of the work, the opposing force, Turnus, is not portrayed as evil, but rather like a noble person in a very hard situation. Virgil deals as much with physical and psychological problems Turnus faces, being an honest and noble man, as he does with Aeneas’s problems. By the time the battle begins, Turnus knows that he will lose. His sister, who was given some divine powers by Jupiter earlier, helped him during the battle before the final duel, but then she is called off by Jupiter. Turnus knew even before the battle started that he will lose, because it was fated for Aeneas to receive the land and marry Lavinia. He was urged by King Latinus and Lavinia herself not to fight but as the poet says, â€Å"Words cannot check the violence of Turnus† (Book XII, 62). Who was Turnus’s â€Å"violence†, or anger against? I do not think that it was Aeneas. Turnus was angry at the fate that forced him to give up the woman he loved to some newcomer. He could not accept that. Virgil is showing that anger can drive a person to the most irrational decisions. Turnus went, knowingly, to die because he was angry at fate, which cannot be changed. Aeneas faces a similar problem when he has to leave Dido -- fate is against his desires, but Aeneas, chooses fate’s way, while Turnus chooses his desires. This quality is not only portrayed in the ... ...ght of Pallas’s belt upon his murderer. He decides to avenge him, and punish Turnus for his crimes. Here, justice prevails over mercy, and repentance does not achieve any results. It is difficult to see how in later times Virgil might have been referred to as a Christian before Christ. He clearly here states that Aeneas, who was a very humane hero, kills Turnus to avenge his friend despite the fact that Turnus repented his sins. At the end, justice triumphs over feelings like mercy. Both men, Aeneas and Turnus are shown to be bound by justice. Turnus cannot accept Aeneas’s usurping of his wedding rites, and is prepared to fight and die for it. Aeneas cannot accept the slaughter of his friend, and must avenge him. And even though only one of them is the hero of the epic, both follow a similar path through the work, and both get what they were assigned to by fate.

Curley’s Wife: Floozy or Innocent Girl? Essay

Curley’s wife is a young, pretty woman, who is mistrusted by her husband, Curley. The other characters refer to her only as ‘Curley’s wife,’ which is significant as she is the only character in the novel without a name. She is a simple object or possession belonging to her husband and this shows the severity of the sexual discrimination in America in 1930s. I believe Steinbeck would have thought of her not as a person but a symbol. Almost everyone on the ranch is lonely and she symbolises this. The audience would come to believe she is a weak isolated character however, the men are fearful of her. She is the wife of their boss. She has power and this power creates fear among the ranch workers. She is both in charge and screaming for attention. When we first meet Curley’s wife, the description of her suggests she is clearly overdressed for life on a ranch. ‘Her fingernails were red’ and she wore ‘red mules, on the insteps of which w ere little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.’ The repetition of the red suggests danger. This could be a warning about trouble in the future. Danger creates fear and the workers on the ranch definitely fear her. She has the power to dismiss them from their jobs or even have them lynched as she is the boss’s wife. This ‘Miss Dynamite’ image is supported by the fact that George thinks she will be trouble. He calls her a ‘tramp’, ‘poison’ and tells Lennie (who has taken a shine to her) to ‘leave her be’. He sees her as a threat and doesn’t want Lennie to get involved with someone who could potentially lose them their jobs. The audience begins to dislike this woman. This highlights the prejudice against women at the time. She comes across as a confident flirt when in company due to her body language. The first description of her includes ‘..so that her body was thrown forward’. This gesture suggests that she almost throws herself at men. George called her a ‘tramp’ and her actions are beginning to fulfill this opinion of her. I think some would view this as disappointing. Women were mainly seen in whore houses at the time. The fact that Curley’s wife had found herself a husband, lived on a ranch and not in a whore house, suggests she is a ‘good girl’. We want her to be different from the general view of women at the time which had been brought about by prejudice. Unfortunately she comes across as no different. This continues in chapter 5, when Curley’s wife consoles Lennie. ‘She moved closer’ is repeated showing how she continuously reduces the distance between herself and Lennie. It suggests she is forward and flaunting herself at him. The audience could start to feel uncomfortable and anxious at this point. This could be the moment of danger that was foreshadowed in the beginning. She seems to be the powerful Miss Dynamite. However, there are so many implications that she is a lonely victim. After she is killed there is a poignant moment in the book. The long sentences emphasise the movement of peace, time standing still before the men find her body. All the negative aspects of the character disappear and we feel sympathy for her. She tries to convey glamour and sophistication when really she is just a sweet country girl. Steinbeck describes her as ‘very pretty’, ‘simple’ and ‘sweet’ when dead. The audience now realise the simplicity of her true self. ‘†¦the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face’ shows that she is at peace. She doesn’t have to pretend anymore. She has been putting on an act. She had a dream which we only become aware of in this chapter to become a film star in Hollywood. One theme in the book is the American dream. Lennie and George have one. However, it is suggested that this is unreachable as George talks of them owning ‘red and blue and green rabbits’ which gives the American dream a fantasy quality. The fact that Curley’s wife still seems to believe in her dream gives her a naivety and we feel more sympathy for her and the audience warm to her. I think this is the point in the book (when Steinbeck reveals her true character) that the audience can look back over the book and think of her differently, as the lonely victim. For instance, she is constantly searching for her husband which could be an excuse to mingle with the other men. ‘I’m looking for Curley’ could have a hidden meaning and she could be desperate for some attention if she is lonely. The loneliness of her character is supported by the scene with Lennie in Chapter 5. She tells Lennie the about herself and her dream. She is so desperate to talk to someone and for someone to listen. ‘.. her words tumbled out in a passion of communication’ shows how desperate she is to share her story. This desperation continues when ‘she went on with her story quickly, before she could be interrupted.’ This could be seen as her being conceited. On the other hand, she could just be overwhelmed that someone is actually listening to her so she wants to say everything before it becomes too good to be true and Lennie loses interest. This implies she has no one to talk to which is saddening as it shows how isolated she must be. This isolation is emphasised further when she can’t even connect with Lennie. The one person who she starts to befriend turns out to be too good to be true. ‘Don’t you think of nothing but rabbits?’ shows that Lennie isn’t really listening. They lose what was a potentially beautiful connection. In conclusion, Curley’s wife dreams of being Miss Dynamite but is really only the lonely victim. Her dream was to be a film star in Hollywood but she finds herself living on a ranch. One of her strengths is her status in society as the boss’s wife but apart from this she seems to be the lonely victim through and through even though she tries to cover it up with her ‘glam’ image. She hides behind a mask and the audience only realise when she dies.