Colleges Reliance on Standardized Testing Scores for Admission - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 570 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Standardized Testing Essay Did you like this example? Many colleges around the world require a certain criteria on standardized test scores in order for being admitted to that particular school. These standardized tests often test a students ability on their literacy, numeracy, and writing skills, which allow a college to know where the students are in there level of education. The topic is sometimes heavily debated on whether or not these test scores show how a student will succeed in the college setting. A standardized test score is not able to measure a person and their ability to do well in school. The human mind is simply too complex that measuring it with only one test score is sometimes not a reliable source. Other factors are sometimes needed to be more carefully considered such as students GPAs, extra curricular activities, or writing a college admission letter showing their intelligence, and much more beyond a single test score. Research works discovered that first-year College Cumulative GPA is the most common and reliable source in determining the successfulness of a student in the college environment (Takele). Standardized testing is not able to test emotional or mechanical intelligence. It is sometimes said that it is only able able to measure memorization and not actual intelligence or comprehension. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Colleges Reliance on Standardized Testing Scores for Admission" essay for you Create order Standardized tests are all structured very similarly. Most test contain around 50 questions per section. It may be difficult to get a accurate result knowing that only 50 questions were asked on 12 years of learning and information. The test is not able to measure all the information and skills that students have been taught over the years of schooling. GPA is able to obtain the knowledge and success of students quite effectively. There is research findings which disclose the contribution of high school GPA in predicting college performance more effective than college entrance test scores (Takele). If the student is taught that only the score matters and not the generalized information in can put the students in a difficult situation to succeed. A large fault that is found in standardized testing in the inconsistency of scores. Students are typically allowed to take these test more than one time. In most cases students would score higher each time, but a study had shown that 22 percent of students who took the ACT decreased their score. This shows that there is an array of results that students can receive. Also the type of gender you are has correlation, most commonly is the science subject. Some tests may be harder the first time then the second; therefore making it unreliable in some situations. Trying to obtain a better score then the previous ones taken is the ultimate goal. This can sometimes test a students ability to prepare for standardized test rather than the generalized content of what students actually need to know. Among some of the negative effects in standard testing, there are many positives to it as well. Standardized testing allows students to get an idea where they are at in terms of readiness and general knowledge in things they have learned over there high school careers. Testing students on these topic spans over a large amount of time on which they have gained this knowledge, and thats why it is one of the few ways to fairly judge where a students skill and knowledge lies. The standardized test are very objective for which students have similar questions, work in like environments, and are graded in a unbiased way.

Sleepy HollowHeads Will Roll Essay - 655 Words

Sleepy Hollow:Heads Will Roll Have you ever heard of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow? It’s a wonderful story, written by Washington Irving in 1819. It was then made into a movie entitled Sleepy Hollow by the gothic film maker Tim Burton in 1999. Basically, it tells the story of a constable named Ichabod Crane sent to a small Dutch community called Sleepy Hollow in the state of New York to investigate the deaths of many people found with their heads cut off. The locals say that the murders have been committed by the legendary Headless Horseman and Ichabod does not believe this, but with the help of the fair Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the town’s richest man, and the young son of one of the victims, young Masbath, he finds out†¦show more content†¦The people of Sleepy Hollow think that everything that is different comes from Hell and that it’s a manifestation of Satan. Church plays a very important part in the lives of the inhabitants. And there’s more! The people have old manners. They talk with a wonderful eloquence and they always act the best they can 24/7. Let’s take for example Ichabod Crane. Not once did I hear him curse throughout the movie or be impolite with any lady, or e ven in that case, any man. Now, let’s talk about the element of supernatural in the movie. In my opinion, this adds a lot to the movie. And that is simply because the main character, Ichabod Crane, a so-called â€Å"geek† that believes only in things that could be proven scientifically ended up believing that a â€Å"Headless Horseman† from Hell is chopping people’s heads off†¦ That, in my humble opinion, is very interesting and is probably what keeps people from getting bored throughout the whole movie. I, for one, unlike constable Crane, believe in the supernatural. I never like to say that something does not exist, because if it does, I won’t end up looking bad. What convinced me mostly in believing in that element is all those people on television that claim to have seen ghosts, or zombies, or stuff like that. Some people like to call them deviates, but I treat them as prophets. What’s the purpose of television if not to tell the truth? And now, it’s time for dessert: my critic of the movie! A fabulous story, backed up byShow MoreRelatedGenre and Narrative Establishment in Edward Scissorhands and Sleep Hollow by Tim Burton1848 Words   |  8 PagesGenre and Narrative Establishment in Edward Scissorhands and Sleep Hollow by Tim Burton Genre is the French word for type. Type is the kind of text it is. The genre of a film text may be Sci-Fi, Horror, Action, Romantic, Comedy, etc. In most films, the genres are combined, this is known as a hybrid genre. Narrative of a film is the structure or order in which the plot (sequence of event) is presented to an audience. This piece of coursework is going to discuss howRead MoreThe Sea818 Words   |  4 Pagesthe metaphor quite clearly: â€Å"The sea is a hungry dog†. Moreover, the rest of the poem reinforces this idea by frequently referring to a dog’s physionomy: teeth, jaws, gnaws, bones, paws, sounds (howls, snores, licking, moans), and movement (rolls, bounds to his feet, shaking his wet sides). In the first stanza, the angry sea is described as a hungry dog who is gnawing at a bone. 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So, for example, Hucks attempt to teach Jim about French history by telling him about Louis Sixteenth that got his head cut off in France long time ago; and about his little boy the dolphin, that would a been a king (p. 96), prepares for the arrival of the duke later in the novel, who introduces himself as Dauphin, Looy the Seventeen, son of Looy the Read MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagescases. After this, Mr M. Igbozurike copied out each re-transcribed form or example on to a slip of paper. At the beginning of each group of slips, he wrote the root on a 3 x 5 cards, which thus served as a head-word for the group. He then arranged the head-words, and the slips after each head-word, in alphabetical order. (It should be added that Mr Igbozurike, being a speaker of Orlu and not of Onitsha, was purely a scribe and did not serve as an informant.) We had gone approximately half-way throughRead MoreGeorge Orwell23689 Words   |  95 Pagesbreak out in a week or two. It was about as sensible as selling somebody a razor to cut your throat with. But it was ‘good business’. And now look at the results. After 1934 it was known that Germany was rearming. After 1936 everyone with eyes in his head knew that war was coming. After Munich it was me rely a question of how soon the war would begin. In September 1939 war broke out. Eight months later it was discovered that, so far as equipment went, the British army was barely beyond the standard of

Report on Culture of Japan International Business

Question: Discuss about the Report for International Business for Culture of Japan. Answer: JAPAN: Nation selected The nation which I had selected for preparing international business report is Japan and I had selected this country because I had already visited there and was very convinced by the business culture present there and also want to establish business there in nearby future. Description of culture of Japan The culture of the country is stimulating, appealing and involves various dimensions like on one hand Japanese people dates back to their very old customs and traditions and towards other side the country is developing very fast as a result of the new developments in techniques, style which are constantly moving up the country. This feature makes its culture very unique. Public: The persons living in Japan are very unique in social as well as cultural terms. A professional person in society is recognized as sole power in the company according to norms of society, but this principle is doing badly for the company. The demographic in Japan is still vague. The adults are mostly interested in jobs that run part time over whole day jobs and often collaborate with companies outside Japan (Inside Japan, 2016). Faith and belief: In Japan religion is a combination of Buddhism and Shintoism. Buddhists prefer to go to temple for prayers while Shintoism believes in shrines. Japanese people do not have so much faith in God and so preached very rarely. Blessing, fortune and imprudent opinions obtains a lot of weightage for the people. Two most common occasions that are enjoyed with great joy are the New Year and O-Bon. O-Bon is a festival in which people consider that God came on Earth to observe the peoples livelihood. Museum Known as Nara and Kyoto where many Temples and shrines are located are the famous rooms for the people. Interventions of the society: The most important norm of society is bowing of head. People bow themselves in front of others to apologise, to greet someone and to see off. Bowing reflects regard, remorse, gratitude and greeting of the people. Removing the footwear before getting into temple, residence or traditional guesthouse is considered good. Games: Japanese usually enjoys sumo fighting, Judo and karate, Kendo (a struggle in which people use weapons) and these all are club under the games of Japan (Japan: cultural features, 2016). Diet: The Japanese often prefer to eat rice. People are fond of eating meat preferably beef. Fish as a food is considered rich. The people looking for vegetarian food can get soup, noodles and tofu steak. People are very fond of eating outside in eateries called Kaiten-Zushi. Language: People usually converse in Japanese language and the system monitored in writing and reading is Japanese only. English is very rarely spoken by people (Go Japan go, 2015) Costume: Silk costumes called Kimono, lengthening all around the length of people is the oldest costume. In present generation Japanese usually wear jeans, t-shirts, suits (Explore Japan, 2015). Political life: In Japan, dominion system of government is dominant and power is governed by the ruler and he is the only one who is identified as the sign of state and also of the harmony of people (Darlington, 2014). Cultural Analysis of Singapore Public: The demography in the country is around 3 million. People from different religions like Chinese, Malays and Indians constitutes the nation. Language: A number of languages are spoken in the country. The language of the country is Malay and other people spoke Chinese, Tamil, English (Singapore, 2016). Diet: Mostly people prefer non vegetarian food like chicken or fish and vegetarian food constitutes most commonly rice and vegetables. Faith and belief: The country is very unique and constitutes a large number of religions like Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Christianism. Almost 10 religions are preached in Singapore (Local custom and culture, 2013). Social norms: In Singapore collectivism approach is more favored and team is given more preference than a single. The person very near to the family are clubbed into that family (Singapore Guide, 2016). Costume: The traditional costume that are wore includes loose shirt, pants and a sarong tied on waist. At present costumes wore by people are jeans, t-shirts and suits (Singapore costume and traditional dress, 2016). Politics: The form of government that is chosen in Singapore is parliamentary form and President is nominated only for a period of six years. Business culture of Japan Business culture includes unity, debates, meetings for deciding towards a proposal, Team work, politeness, able manners and values, gentility (Tamburello, 2016). Business people are of helping nature and does not punish anyone for the mistake. Misbelief: Internationally Japans culture is perceived incorrectly by people. They believe that it is really difficult to carry out business there. So for this reason many of the big organizations hesitates from opening up new business terms in Japan. Dress code: Formal suits are preferred over casual ones in meetings. On some special day in office people can drape casuals as well. But too much overdressed is not liked by people at all. So it is considered good to wear formals. Mostly dark color is preferred. Communication: Interaction between people shows weakness and indistinctness and meaning or manifestation is also less interpreted from the communication. There is no similarity between what one person thinks and what other speaks in society. So the conclusion can be taken wrongly and opposite can happen (Japanese communication style, 2016). Language spoken in business terms: In business terms people widely use Japanese and English is spoken very less and people also dont understand much of it and is mostly accepted wrongly. So Japanese is the only language (Japanese communication style, 2016). Business lunch: Just before starting with lunch they often do prayer. People often believe in cleaning all their food and not wasting at all. For eating people mostly use chop sticks and is considered as the trade mark (Tamburello, 2016). Body style: People during business discussions sit in a straight back position and prefer to remain quiet for most of the time. Decision making: Most of the decisions are concluded by a team and not more emphasis is paid on individual because of collectivism approach (Gundling, 1999) Business Meeting: In Japan respecting others is considered as very general and good. People consider that introducing themselves is not good so wait for being introduced by someone. Gifts wrapped by a gift paper is considered wonderful. Meetings should be scheduled beforehand. Reaching in time and regularity is important. Persuading Japanese is very difficult and it can take lot of time and plenty of appointments to indulge in business with them. They believe in establishing larger duration relations. These people consider to present a gift to person on superior position after discussions (Japan guide, 2016). Business compromise: The Japanese people are very calm and so handle situations peacefully. Mostly decisions are written on an agreement and people do not like loud pitch voice. People do not generally say no and nor prefer to listen no for anything. They are against giving discounts. Visiting Cards: It is advised to print one side of the card in Japanese language. Cards are usually given by respect using both hands and slight bowing of head. When the meeting is running always prefer to keep the card before them (Japan Guide, 2016). Behavior of business people: The behavior of the businessman is straight and predictable. People do not use glitter pens or dresses. When they listen anything with good concentration they normally close their eyes. In business for writing they use black or blue pens. Business norms: At business meetings it is advised to greet everyone by bowing of head. They do not know anything about handshake. Position of seating is very crucial in Japan. The head usually occupies the head of the table and the executives preceding them occupies the adjacent position and thus the lower ranking persons sits on other side. It is always advised in business that when no person is sitting you should also not sit (Japanese business meeting etiquette, 2010). Difference between business culture of Japan and Singapore In Japan in any caf or restaurant when anyone arrives, he is given respect and all the people of restaurant greets him and when he vacates the place he often hears thank you. Even the chef of the place also came out to wish the person but it is not so in Singapore. They dont give so much of respect to outsiders. Service by waiters is considered a portion of the regular service. People do not give tips while people in Singapore give tips to receive the best service (Doing business in Japan, 2009). During a business meeting in Japan when the problem arrives people prefer to remain quiet to get instant relief from stress and will plan the meeting for some other day but in Singapore people dont get silent and meetings generally are not postponed. Language used in business communication is Japanese in Japan and mostly English in Singapore. With reference to cost of living Japan is the most costly country and Singapore is comparatively cheaper and occupies sixth position in world ranking (Living in Singapore vs. Tokyo, 2012). The working hours or the office timings are 12 hours in a day for Japanese while in Singapore office hours are approximately hours in a day (Living in Singapore vs. Tokyo, 2012). In Singapore a person introduces himself in a meeting at his first arrival by announcing his title trailed by family name and lastly by giving his name. But contradict in Japan, it is not considered good to introduce himself but considered as a token of respect if some other person greets him. Japanese are very slow in their process for making judgments and conclusion is reached after arranging a large number of discussions. The process is very old but it is very appropriate and incidences if mistakes are very less. In contrast it is very rapid and not much meetings are arranged in Singapore. So incidences of mistakes are quite high (Hashimoto, 2016). Respect to others in Singapore is given by handshake while in Japan bowing of head is prevalent and nobody knows about handshaking as a tradition. The greater the person head is bending the greater respect he is giving. More emphasis is given on professional life and people consider work as worship. After the office hours a party is also arranged to discuss the proceedings regarding the work. On the other hand in Singapore family life is given more importance. Work life is considered as a necessity and after work timings the employee go straight to his home (Hashimoto, 2016). People of Japan are work oriented so they want to spend their whole life working for a company but in Singapore people frequently resign from jobs as a result of greater pay or larger resources. In Japan conversation is mostly done by meeting face to face which they believe as very important for strong business but in Singapore internet and calls are used over personal meeting (Hashimoto, 2016). Hofstedes cultural dimensions Power distance: This dimension usually defines the limit to which there is uneven arrangement of power (Frost, 2013). It is basically the extent up to which the individuals with low power understands irregular arrangement (Geert Hofstede, 2016). Japans this dimension score is 54. It reflects that it touches the border line. This means that individuals are very particular about their placement in society and so their behavior is accordingly governed. The country does not show hierarchy as can be seen from very slow pace of working and making judgments as no person occupies the top position. Individualism vs. collectivism: This dimension measures the extent to which an individual is important over a team (Frost, 2013). It is exactly the ratio of reliance of a country on its men power. It has marks of 46 towards individualism. Therefore Japan shows many characters of collectivism such as establishing unity among people in a nation and also people will be afraid of doing harmful things as a fear of damaging their integrity. The country is not so much collectivist as it does not have any joint family. There is a paternalistic approach according to which the eldest child will get a lot of things and the younger have to strive (Geert Hofstede, 2016). Masculinity vs. Femininity: According to terminology masculinity is stated as more modest, more assured and shining society while femininity defines life with superior quality and helpful in nature (Frost, 2013). It is defined as what motivates with in a human being is to do better (Masculinity) or wish what you desire (Femininity). Japans score is 95 that implies it to be masculine. As a collectivist society, sureness and struggle cannot be observed. Struggle is prevalent within teams. Masculinity can be observed in making processes, in restaurants and eateries where struggle is for best and accurate (Geert Hofstede, 2016). Uncertainty avoidance: It is defined as the extent up to which a nation feels threatened as of future doubt (Frost, 2013). The countrys score is 92 which is highest. As Japan is regularly affected by landslides, tidal wave, cyclones, volcanic bursts. So Japanese have to prepare themselves for the uncertainty. As before opening any venture all related task study is done and risk factors are considered. Long term orientation: It is defined as the extent up to which a nation gives importance to future without considering the present and history (Frost, 2013). The nation have to make some conclusions for the present and future by considering the past. It has a score of 88 in which Japanese predicts their life as small in big past. Businessmen are keen in financing a huge sum of money in research and development even when there are very hard times. The reason being that the nation thinks with respect to long terms and not for short span (Geert Hofstede, 2016). Indulgence: It is stated as the extent to which Japanese rules their desires and drives. The nation has a score of 42 which demonstrates that Japanese society is very confined and people consider relaxing as irrelevant and so there is a possibility of doubt and disbelief. People thinks that their actions are limited by ethics of society. Conclusion The international company which has to start up in Japan and run their business there has to have a deep knowledge regarding the culture, customs, the business sense of the people living there, business environment, the greetings they expect from other people, the costumes which they admire and person need not to feel sorry for his dressing sense. The culture and the business culture prevalent there has an impact on the people living there. So a deep understanding is essential. List of References Greet Hofstede. (2016). ITIM international. Inside Japan. (2016). Retrieved from: https://www.insidejapantours.com/ Explore Japan: housing, food and clothing. (2015). Retrieved from: https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/housing/ Japan Cultural features. (2016). Retrieved from: https://www.insightguides.com/destinations/asia-pacific/japan/cultural-features Drlington, R. (2014). A short guide to Japanese Political System. Local Custom and culture in Singapore. (2013). Inter nations. Singapore. (2016). Countries and their cultures. Singapore guide. (2016). Commisceo Global. Singapore costume and traditional dress. (2016). COSTUMEi. Japanese business meeting etiquette. (2010). Japanese business resource. Japanese communication style. (2016). World business culture. Doing business in Japan. (2009). Venture Japan. Japan guide. (2016). Commisceo Global. Gundling, E. (1999). Communicating with Japanese in business. JETRO: international communication Department. Tokyo, Japan. Tamburello, N. (2016). Business dinner abroad? Crash course in business dining etiquette. The muse. Frost, A. (2013). Japanese culture and Hofstedes five dimensions. Kyoto Restaurant. Living in Singapore Vs Tokyo. (2012). Moteki. How different are Japanese? (2009). Japan Watching. Hashimoto, R. (2016). 10 cultural contrasts between us and Japanese companies. Freshtrax.

The Purpose Of Human Life Essay Research free essay sample

The Purpose Of Human Life Essay, Research Paper The intent of human life is an unanswerable inquiry. It seems impossible to happen an reply because we don # 8217 ; T know where to get down looking or whom to inquire. Being, to us, seems to be something imposed upon us by an unknown force. There is no evident significance to it, and yet we suffer as a consequence of it. The universe seems utterly helter-skelter. We therefore attempts to impose intending on it through form and fabricated intents to deflect ourselves from the fact that our state of affairs is hopelessly unfathomable. # 8220 ; Waiting for Godot # 8221 ; is a drama that captures this feeling and position of the universe, and characterizes it with originals that symbolize humanity and its behavior when faced with this cognition. Harmonizing to the drama, a human being # 8217 ; s life is wholly dependent on opportunity, and, by extension, clip is meaningless ; hence, a human+s life is besides nonmeaningful, and the realisation of this thrusts worlds to trust on cloudy, outside forces, which may be existent or non, for order and way. We will write a custom essay sample on The Purpose Of Human Life Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The basic premiss of the drama is that opportunity is the implicit in factor behind being. Therefore human life is determined by opportunity. This is established really early on, when Vladimir mentions the fable of the two stealers from the Bible. # 8220 ; One of the stealers was saved. It # 8217 ; s a sensible per centum # 8221 ; ( Beckett, 8 ) . The thought of # 8220 ; per centum # 8221 ; is of import because this represents how the destiny of humanity is determined ; it is random, and there is a per centum opportunity that a individual will be saved or damned. Vladimir continues by mentioning the disconcordance of the Gospels on the narrative of the two stealers. # 8220 ; And yet # 8230 ; how is it # 8211 ; this is non tiring you I hope how is it that of the four Evangelists merely one speaks of a stealer being saved. The four of them were at that place # 8211 ; or thereabouts # 8211 ; and merely one speaks of a stealer being saved # 8221 ; ( Beckett, 9 ) . Beckett makes an of import point with this illustration of how opportunity is woven into even the most sacred of texts that is supposed to keep ultimate truth for humanity. All four adherents of Chirst are supposed to hold been present during his crucifixion and witnessed the two stealers, crucified with Jesus, being saved or damned depending on their intervention of him in these concluding hours. Of the four, merely two study anything curious go oning with the stealers. Of the two that study it, merely one says that a stealer was saved while the other says that both were damned. Therefore, the per centums go from 100 % , to 50 % , to a 25 % opportunity for redemption. This whole affair of per centums symbolizes how opportunity is the finding factor of being, and Beckett used the Bible to turn out this because that is the text that humanity has looked to for intending for millenia. Even the Bible reduces human life to a affair of opportunity. On any given twenty-four hours there is a certain per centum opportunity that one will be saved as opposed to damned, and that individual is powerless to impact the determination. # 8220 ; The destiny of the stealers, one of whom was saved and the other damned harmonizing to the 1 of the four histories that everybody believes, beco Maines as the drama progresses a symbol of the status of adult male in an unpredictable and arbitrary existence # 8221 ; ( Webb, 32 ) . God, if he exists, contributes to the pandemonium by his silence. The really fact that God allows such an arbitrary system to go on makes him an confederate. The Gallic philosopher Pascal noted the flightiness of life and that the existence worked on the footing of per centums. He advocated utilizing such flightiness to one # 8217 ; s advantage, including believing in God because, if he doesn # 8217 ; t be, cipher would care in the terminal, but if he does, one was on the safe side all along, so one can # 8217 ; t lose. It is the same concluding that Vladimir uses in his comment quoted above, # 8220 ; It # 8217 ; s a sensible percentage. # 8221 ; But it is God # 8217 ; s hush throughout all this that causes the existent hopelessness, and this is what makes # 8220 ; Waiting for Godot # 8221 ; a calamity amidst all the amusing actions of its characters: the soundless supplication to God for significance, for replies, which symbolizes the supplication of all humanity, and God # 8217 ; s silence in response. # 8220 ; The resort to clerking by the philosopher [ Pascal ] no less than the buffoonish hobo shows how incapacitated we are with regard to God+s silence # 8221 ; ( Astro, 121 ) . Either God does non be, or he does non care. Whichever is the instance, opportunity and arbitrariness determine human life in the absence of godly engagement. The universe of # 8220 ; Waiting for Godot # 8221 ; is one without any meaningful form, which symbolizes pandemonium as the ruling force in the universe. There is no orderly sequence of events. A tree which was bare one twenty-four hours is covered with leaves the following. The two hobos return to the same topographic point every twenty-four hours to wait for Godot. No 1 can retrieve precisely what happened the twenty-four hours before. Night falls immediately, and Godot neer comes. The full scene of the drama is meant to show that clip is based on opportunity, and therefore human life is based on opportunity. Time is meaningless as a direct consequence of opportunity being the underlying factor of being. Hence there is a cyclic, albeit indefinite, pattern to events in # 8220 ; Waiting for Godot. # 8221 ; Vladimir and Estragon return to the same topographic point each twenty-four hours to wait for Godot and see the same general events with fluctuations each clip. It is non known for how long in the yesteryear they have been making this, or for how long they will go on to make it, but since clip is meaningless in this drama, it is assumed that past, present, and future mean nil. Time, basically is a muss. # 8220 ; One of the apparently most stable of the forms that give form to see, and one of the most distressing to see crumble, is that of clip # 8221 ; ( Webb, 34-35 ) . The branchings of this on human being are symbolized by the difference between Pozzo and Lucky in Act I and in Act II. Because clip is based on opportunity and is hence nonmeaningful, human life is treated randomly and in an about ruthless mode, and is besides nonmeaningful. In Act I Pozzo is going to the market to sell Lucky, his slave. Pozzo is healthy as can be, and at that place seems to be nil incorrect. Lucky used to be such a pleasant slave to hold around, but he

Two Gallants Are Callous Men Essays - Dubliners, Two Gallants

Two Gallants Are Callous Men 'Two Gallants are Callous Men' Try not to let the title fool you. Two Gallants, written by James Joyce, is a short story centered around two callous men. One, Corley, is an older man of some rudeness and has a taste for womanizing. The other is a self-conscience, older man of some weight, named Lenehan. The story begins with a light approach, description of the evening weather and the ?illumined pearl? lamps of the street. All of Joyce's stories found in the work, The Dubliners, have a poetic quality that makes the simplest of remarks, beautiful. This story in particular has the evident use of eloquent and flowing language but, in keeping with Joyce's style, is used to mask the perverse subject matter. Underneath the language and examining the adolescent drives in two grown, callous men, is where the real story lies. As told by Joyce, Corley is an entertaining man who gives the reader pause as pertaining to his adolescent treatment of women. As read by a careful eye, Corley seeks the company of well-to-do girls as a prize and pay off. Through the beginning of the story, he tells his companion, Lenehan, about his latest encounter and his eminent one as well. Often referred to, is the question, as Lenehan puts it, ?Corley I suppose you'll be able to pull it off alright(31), this referring to Corley's congress with the girl. Lenehan's interest stretches to the point where he wishes permission to see the girl up close, by walking by the two as a stranger, and even follow the two. This voyeurism displays as evidence of perverse subject matter in the piece. The title is meant as an obvious joke because the two characters are as far from gallants as horses are from dogs. This show of cynicism reflects throughout the story not only the conversations between the main characters but also in Joyce's prose. Corley begins his journey as a night walk with his girl, departing from Lenehan who in turn, after following the two like a spy, makes his way to a bar. Lenehan has spurts of contemplation in which time he criticizes his own habits, vices and position in life, ?He was tired of knocking about, of pulling the devil by the tail, of shifts and intrigues. He would be thirty-one in November. Would he never get a good job? Would he never have a home of his own?(35)? This criticism reflects the need for the ?two gallants? to moralize their dealings with the opposite sex and the world at large. When Lenehan is at the spot the two, Corley and himself, had agreed upon to meet, he is made to wait ten or fifteen minutes. During this short span of time, Lenehan speculates the reason of his friend's lateness. Ideas so far fetched that Lenehan begins to think that Corley will abandon the agreed plan and him. This distrust existing in Lenehan's mind, of his own friend, edifies the presence of immoral drives and values. Although his paranoid speculation was unwarranted, it still existed as a possibility in Lenehan's stout mind. The last the reader sees of the ?two gallants? is outside the girl's house. Here is the place in the story the reader is lead to the assumption that Corley is paid for his company. The girl is lead to her home and although she enters, Corley stays outside on the sidewalk. His waiting is met by the re-emergence of the girl, who now carries in her hand a gold coin. The two exchanges the gold coin and Corley walks to meet his fellow ?gallant?, which waits, watching the two, from across the street. When the question, is again, put forth by Lenehan, ?Did it come off Corley's only reply is the raising of the gold coin. Book Reports

Philosophies of the Mind Essay Example

Philosophies of the Mind Essay Example Philosophies of the Mind Essay Philosophies of the Mind Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Philosophies of the Mind Analogy of the Cave Q1 Explain what the analogy of the cave means. Plato describes the Analogy of the Cave in his book, The Republic. The author illustrates the Analogy of the Cave’s concept through a conversation between Socrates and Glaucon. In Book VII of this publication, Plato describes how people live confined in a dark cave with chains around them. He describes the life of a prisoner in an attempt to explain his theory. In his book he writes, â€Å"Behold! Human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open toward the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks so that they cannot move† (Kessler 373). Moreover, the prisoners only have the ability to see what is in front of them due to their chained necks. Additionally, the conditions in the cave worsen due to the large fire at the rear of the cave. Plato also talks about a path bordering the fire and the prisoners. With nothing else to do, the prisoners observe the shadows of the people passing on the path cast in front of them. Furthermore, echoes from the passers-by fill the cave. In this analogy, Plato compares illusions to shadows. According to the author, the shadows and echoes are all that is familiar to the prisoners since they have never left the cave. The prisoners even compete in identifying the objects casting various shadows on the wall of the cave. Consequently, they perceive these illusions as the reality. Through their conversation, the two describe the possible outcomes of their release. In the analogy, the prisoners would not recognize the same objects that cast a shadow in the cave’s wall. Socrates asserts, â€Å"And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, – will he not be perplexed?† (Kessler 374). Additionally, he perceives that the released prisoner will believe the shadows and echoes as real as opposed to the physical objects causing these illusions. This is evident when he says, â€Å"will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him?â €  (Kessler 374). Moreover, he states how the fire light that was familiar to the prisoner while in prison would stress his eyes when he physically looks at it. He also describes how the light from the sun would make him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the analogy indicates that the prisoner would assimilate reality, as opposed to illusions in a slow pace and after some time abandon all illusions. Moreover, he states that the prisoner will no longer have problems in viewing the sun light or the fire upon getting used to the outside world. Socrates states, â€Å"He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and stars and the spangled heaven, and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day?† (Kessler 374). He goes ahead to describe how he would appreciate his newfound reality and even pity those still imprisoned in the dark cave. The prisoner would regret the period he dwelt in the world of illusions. He would not comprehend how he felt comfortable in his previous state of mind. This is according to the analogy of the cave where Socrates affirms, â€Å"And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow- prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them?† (Kessler 375). In this publication, Plato creates a picture of the possible events upon return of the free prisoner to the dark cave. He would no longer be able to identify the people an objects casting shadows on the cave’s wall. Furthermore, this ancient philosopher illustrates how hard it would be for the returned prisoner to participate in the cave dwellers’ competition of identifying shadows and echoes. In addition, the rest of the prisoners would view him as disadvantaged. Furthermore, they would view him as partially disabled. Upon seeing the state of the different prisoner, they would increase their hate for the outer world. This is evident where the author writes, â€Å"Men would say that up he went and down he came without his eyes, and that it is better not even to think of ascending; and if anyone tried to loose another and lead him to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death† (Kessler, 375). The author of this book uses a prisoner to describe the famous analogy of the cave. This analogy argues that both realities and illusions are in one’s mind. Depending on the surrounding environment, one can decide to take certain illusions as the reality and stick to it. In order to shift from these illusions, the victim must go through an acclimatizing period.The author uses symbolism to explain the analogy of the cave. He uses objects that everyone can relate to in an attempt to analyze this theory. For example, he relates cave to the concept of vision and fire light to the sunlight. Moreover, he uses the upward journey to intellectual levels. This is clear in the portion where he indicates, â€Å"This entire allegory, I said, you may now append, dear Glaucon, to the previous argument; the prison-house is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellect ual world† (Kessler, 376). The Analogy of the Cave entails reality and illusions. Plato uses the story of the prisoner to contrast the two worlds. Moreover, he tries to convey his belief in the power of illusions. This renowned philosopher believes that the world of reality is created from illusions and forms. Additionally, Plato uses prisoners to illustrate the ignorance of individuals living in the world of illusion and their comfort in this situation. According to the author, the world of reality is relative to an individual. Moreover, the strong believer of the world of forms relates the reality and illusion worlds to the five senses in a person. This is according to his argument in the book, â€Å"Anyone who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind’s eye† (Kessler 376). According to his theory, the real world is a rational form of the illusion version of an object. As such, the world of forms is crucial in creating the real world. It is through these illusions that make objects appear real. Moreover, the world of forms improves one’s intelligent through the five common senses. Additionally, this philosopher identifies one’s soul and mind as the forces behind the real world. The analogy states, â€Å"Whereas our argument shows that the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already; and that just as the eye was unable to turn from darkness to light without the whole body, so too the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being† (Kessler 377). Q2 Why do you agree or disagree with the analogy of the cave? The Analogy of the Cave is one that achieves its objective of explaining the occurrence in our environment. It describes these occurrences in details in an attempt to eliminate people’s confusion on nature. The analogy makes it clear that our thoughts relates to one’s soul and mind. Moreover, the improvement of our intelligent levels relates to the mind and soul and can determine our personality. The author of this philosophic book states, â€Å"And whereas the other so-called virtues of the soul seems to be akin to bodily qualities, for even when they are not originally innate they can be implanted by habit and exercise, the virtue of wisdom more than anything else contains a divine element which always remains, and by this conversion is rendered useful and profitable† (Kessler 377). The Analogy of the Cave is, therefore, one that creates a sense on the human nature. It helps understand the different perspectives and views of people. In conclusion, the Analogy of the Cave is relevant in the explanation of human thinking. Rene’s First Principle Q1 Explain how Rene arrives at his 1st Principle The First Principle by Rene, according to Meditation I and II of Descartes, seeks to protect the fields of science and religion from irrational critics. This principle supports the non-questionability of theories in the two fields. According to Rene, one can only consider something as true or false upon gathering sufficient evidence to support the claims. This principle works against premature judgments on various ideas. Moreover, Rene campaigns for detailed analysis of ideas and concepts before making conclusions from them. Rene came up with this principle upon his dissatisfaction with the western philosophy that tried to connect science and religion. In his publication, â€Å"the western philosophy did not produce anything that was not in dispute and consequently doubtful† (Kessler 6). Being a staunch catholic as well as a scientist, the philosopher believed that the two fields were independent of each other. Moreover, he believed that the concepts in these fields needed sufficient proof in order to be termed as true or false. As such, this principle prevents review of these concepts based on one’s thoughts and opinions. His issue with science-based arguments was due to their concentration on the past’s ideologies while leaving no room for recent observations. Upon identifying the gaps in the existing philosophy, Rene decided to create a principle against this philosophy in order to eliminate prejudgments in these fields. He used his own self as a study tool to create a principle that controls criticisms on science and religion. In his book, â€Å"I eventually reached the decision to study my own self, and choose the right path† (Kessler 7). This detailed study gave rise to the famous ‘first principle’. Q2. After reaching the 1st Principle, Rene then asks what the â€Å"I† is. Rene goes through several possibilities, and concludes that he is a thinking thing. Explain how Rene arrives at this conclusion from the 1st Principle Rene used himself as a study tool to formulate his first principle. According to him, human beings use their minds to argue certain concepts and theories. He illustrates thinking capability as the main difference between human beings and other creatures. According to Rene’s principle, a human being’s mind is immortal as opposed to the body. He is of the idea that the mind control human beings. This explains his belief that the soul of a human being continues to exist even after one’s death. This belief in this concept relates to his strong catholic faith. The catholic denomination believes that the soul is the core of a human being. As a result, his religious history influenced the formulation of his first principle. In his principle, â€Å"our souls can exist without our bodies† (Kessler 10). This evidence satisfies the affirmation of Rene in his publication, â€Å"I think, therefore I am† (Kessler 12). Q3 Do you agree that humans are essentially minds or souls? According to Rene’s first principle, humans are mainly made of minds and souls. This principle describes the human body as physical. Because of this state, the body is mortal, and upon one’s death, it completes its functionalism. On the other hand, the soul and mind of an individual are intertwined and the force behind the functionalism of an individual. Moreover, the soul is non-physical and immortal. This makes it continue functioning even after the death of an individual. Rene argues that comprehension of events in one’s environment is the responsibility of the mind and not the body. By the use of the candle wax melting process as an example, Rene cancels out the idea that the five senses are responsible for articulation of events in the surrounding. He argues that these sensory organs are just vessels that direct information from the mind to the body. Q4 Rene asks: â€Å"Then what was there in the wax that I comprehended so distinctly?† Explain how Rene answers this questionIn the experiment of the wax, Rene analyses the concept behind his identification of the physical state of the wax. He says, â€Å"Then what was there in the wax that I comprehended distinctly† (Kessler 13). After his analysis, he concludes that the appearance and characteristics of the wax in its different forms appear due to the action of the mind as opposed to that of the five senses. Rene states, â€Å"What the wax is only with my mind† (Kessler 13). According to Rene’s answer, the mind is responsible for identification of physical objects. To give an explanation to his answer on the wax experiment, Rene divides human beings into the mind and body. Moreover, he explains his theory that minds are more powerful than the bodies due to their non-physical state. According to his line of thought, the mind can influence the body’ s actions although the vice versa is not true. However, this thought has drawn substantial argument from his critics due to his conclusion that the control of the body by the mind takes place in the pineal gland of the brain. This conclusion contradicts his thought that physical objects do not influence non-physical ones. Q5. Explain why you agree or disagree with Rene’s view of the mind and the body and his view of religion and science I agree with Rene’s theory that due to the evidence he uses to support his claims. The mind is a powerful and independent part of humans that control their actions. It aids in differentiating real objects from their shadows. As such, one is able to differentiate the real world from that of illusions with the help of our minds. This is evident from Rene’s first principle. Moreover, his principle aids in eliminating irrational criticism on the fields of religion and science. This is important as some aspects in these broad areas need no baseless criticism. Aspects such as God’s existence depend on one’s faith and relate to the mind. Moreover, his principle on science issues is valuable. People should not base certain concepts related to science on personal opinions due to their complex nature. This principle makes Rene’s thought relevant in the worlds of science and religion. Work Cited Kessler, Gary E. Voices of Wisdom: A Multicultural Philosophy Reader. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth, 1992. Print.

Biogeochemical Cycles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biogeochemical Cycles - Research Paper Example le covers different regions from ocean to sky to earth and it covers all the Earth systems such as atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. â€Å"The movement of water in the hydrological cycle extends through the four parts of the total Earth system—atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere—and strongly depends on the local peculiarities of these systems.† (Kuchment, 2004, p 2). The importance of the hydrological cycle to life’s processes is generally recognized as all living organisms, including humans, depend on the hydrologic cycle for water and different activities of humans such as drinking, respiration, perspiration, and elimination of wastes form part of this cycle. Significantly, human activities have a great impact on the functionality of the hydrological cycle and those activities that change the land cover of river basins and are aimed at regulating the water fluxes in nature can greatly change the hydrological cycle of th e separate river basins, and even of large regions. â€Å"Due to human activities, the natural hydrological cycle of most river basins is becoming more and more transformed and regimented†¦ The major effects of reservoir construction on the hydrological cycle (excepting runoff control) are an increase of evaporation and a rise of groundwater table.† (Kuchment, 2004, p 30). Similarly, the impact of irrigation on the hydrological cycle is especially informative in the arid regions, although it is also substantial in regions with moderate climate where irrigation is of supplementary character. In conclusion, human activities have a great impact on the functionality of the hydrological cycle. Kuchment, Lev S. (2004). â€Å"The Hydrological Cycle and Human Impact on it.† Water Resources Management. Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems. p 2. Retrieved 07 October, 2009, from