Downfall of our public schools Essay Example for Free

Downfall of our public schools Essay As much as we would like to be able to assert that American public schools are the best in the world, time and time again we have been proven wrong, at least partially. The American system of public schools is failing those it serves. It has failed to provide equal educational opportunities to all students, it has failed to train them to take jobs and advanced careers, and it has failed to secure the future of American prosperity by failing utterly to create the kind of necessary professional and skilled labor balance that is critical to our continued prominence as a nation. On structural, financial, and curricular levels, the system is not designed to succeed. What it does do well is prepare a very small number of people who come from wealthy families to have any opportunity they want to take advantage of and leaves the vast majority of the nation to fend for itself – often without the tools, support, or ability to do so. The American public system of education bases its curriculum on several overarching principles: generalization, focus on the liberal arts, and an emphasis on individual achievement and self-selection (meaning that individual students determine the course of their own education and career path rather than being funneled into specific schools and programs as is common in other countries). Each of these, philosophically, is designed to help students achieve the greatest level of self-reliance and independence while providing the broad liberal foundation that can be, theoretically, applied in any situation, in any calling. Those are the benefits of a liberal foundation, but the detriments are that without specialization in education, students aren’t able to focus intensely upon their particular subject area until as late as college, and perhaps a small amount in high-school. The result is that students focusing on a general education for 12 years are allowed only 4-5 years of specialization (Browser, 10). Other nations, notably Japan and Germany, employ a system of education that, as early as elementary school, begins to identify potential school types and careers for students and puts them through specialization 4-6 years earlier than the US (Browser, 10). This results in many of these nations excelling in math and science where the U. S. falters. But, this is not the only point of failure of the U. S. system, the 2005 study of reading and mathematical proficiencies of 4th and 8th graders nationwide found that less than 40% of all students tested were grade-level proficient in those subjects (Standard Poors, pNA). This figure gets worse when the schools are dominantly African-American or Hispanic in Graduation Graduation rates are similarly dismal – only 69. 7% of American high school students matriculate (â€Å"High School Graduation Rates in the United States†, pNA). The American public school curricula is failing its students. There are a variety of opportunities throughout the continuum of public education to directly assist students in determining the career path that best suits not only their individual skills and needs, but those of the nation as well. In my own experience, I witnessed high school programs that taught industrial arts, and job-related programs that had been designed to provide students who would not be going to college with the skills necessary to enter the workforce upon graduation get cut out of the curricula entirely. The reasoning given was that the school wanted to focus on achieving higher levels of college entrance, and to increase the numbers of college-prep courses available. This, on paper, sounded great, but in reality it left many students completely without post-high school support. If the American dream requires college, then we are absolutely failing our students by allowing (in some districts) more than half of the population to fail out of school entirely. If we take a realistic look at how students could benefit from industrial arts, business training, home economics, and other job-related training, providing intensive specialization in high-school would allow for a much higher success rate and a higher graduation rate. Our system is failing its students in terms of investment in their present and their future. Schools get the majority of their funding from locally levied taxes with additional state and federal support. It should be no surprise, then, that the districts with the largest tax base to population ratio results in a much larger amount of money available for schools than in districts with a low tax to population ratio. For example, in Nevada, there are two primary sources of funds for schools – property tax and gambling revenue taxes. In districts with the highest value of homes, the tax base is very high, resulting in significantly more money per pupil available than in districts with less expensive homes or those dominated by apartments and low-income housing which do not pay nearly as much in property tax per resident than do the more affluent communities (â€Å"America Goes Back to School†, pNA). The impact, then, is not only significant regional differences in the amount of money available per student, but these differences can be found at the district by district level throughout the entire country. Not surprisingly, those schools with the highest per-capita spending capability are also among the highest ranked schools in the nation (there are no inner city urban public schools in the top 100 high schools in the nation). Therefore, by failing to provide a balanced financial opportunity for every school district, we are pre-determining the level of success, graduation, and career opportunity for entire swaths of students. The poor, the Black and Hispanic, and the otherwise disadvantaged will remain so because they (as a community) will never be able to catch up in terms of opportunity and performance with the more successful communities until we balance the amount of money spent per student throughout the entire nation. On a structural and statistical level, in terms of money and curricular focus, our public school system is failing its students and the communities it is supposed to serve. Despite a continual â€Å"focus† on education, our graduation rates and basic skills passing rates are absolutely dismal. Our generalist curricula has absolutely failed to contribute meaningfully to reducing the massive gaps in our workforce. Finally, the severe imbalance in spending and available funds from district to district and community to community has led to a near permanent state of success and failure for the entire student population in each of those districts. Ultimately, then, the system has failed and is continuing to fail to properly educate, support, and allow our students to contribute to the betterment of society and our success in the international community. References Browser, Jack. Educating America: Lesson Learned in the Nation’s Corporations. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1989. United States Department of Education. â€Å"America Goes back to School† www. ed. gov/Family/agbts/index. html. Online. Internet. Info Acc March, 2007. Standard Poors. â€Å"United States Public Schools Districts: How Students Performed on National Reading and Math Tests†. SchoolMatters. com Online. Internet. Avail: http://www. schoolmatters. com/app/location/q/stid=1036196/llid=162/stllid=676/locid=1036195/site=pes. Info Acc March 18, 2007. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. â€Å"High School Graduation Rates in the United States†. Manhattan-Institute. org. Online. Internet. Avail: http://www. manhattan-institute. org/html/cr_baeo. htm. Info Acc March 19, 2007.

Without Her by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Without Her by Dante Gabriel Rossetti ‘Without Her’ Dante Gabriel Rossetti Formed in 1848, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood consisted of a group of young artists who wished to throw off the conventions of the art establishment and found a new movement that took its inspiration from the more ‘primitive‘ art of the medieval and early Renaissance period. Dante Gabriel Rossetti was one of the founding members of the group and acted as an energising force to the other artists. Rossetti himself, though, was never exclusively devoted to painting. Dividing his time between painting and poetry, he was in part responsible for the group’s use of literary subjects and symbols in their work as well as for the printing of the group‘s short-lived literary journal, The Germ. A significant number of his poems were written to supplement painted subjects and his philosophical ideas about painting were also argued in his poems. Following the death of his wife, Elizabeth Siddal, many of his poems were preoccupied with love and death. It is believed that h is marital infidelities, together with his experience of falling in love with the wife of his friend, William Morris, led to feelings of guilt and remorse and influenced the pessimistic tone of his later poems (Wilmer, 1991, 7-21). Walter Pater (1889, 230) comments upon the ‘definiteness of sensible imagery’ and the ‘minute and definite’ attention to visual detail in Rossetti’s work and it is certainly the case that the symbolism of ‘Without Her’ is grounded in particular physical objects which are described with a painterly eye and with the typical Pre-Raphaelite attention to the detail of nature. Yet Rossetti is also concerned with the sound and rhythms of poetry. He translated Italian verse into English and his sonnet sequence, The House of Life, shows that influence, particularly in his use of Petrarch‘s model of the sonnet cycle. The sonnet ‘Without Her’ is written in the Petrarchan form, its fourteen lines of iambic pentameter arranged as an octet followed by a sestet. The rhyme scheme, abbaabba cddccd also follows this convention. However, within this framework, Rossetti frequently subverts the form, especially in irregular patterns of rhyt hm and stress, in order to convey the pressure of emotion. This irregularity of rhythm is present in the opening line, which breaks in the middle and then runs on to the second line. Rossetti rejects the normal iambic rhythm, beginning the line with the stressed word ‘What’ and ending with two stressed words ‘blank grey’. The second line has a similar pattern, varied in the middle, but again beginning with a stressed word, ‘There’ and ending with the double stress of ‘moon’s face’. To add greater emphasis, he makes use of alliteration in the hard g of ‘glass’ and ‘grey’ in the fist line and the assonance of ‘pool’ and ‘moon’, ‘there’ and ‘where‘ in the second. Straddling these two lines, the alliteration of ‘blank‘ and ‘blind‘ also echoes the consonant ‘l’ from ‘glass’ and ‘pool‘. The diction of these lines is deceptively simple, made up as it is of single-syllable words. However, these images work in a symbolic way, repeating images such as the mirror, the pool and the moon that have occurred elsewhere in The House of Life (for example, in XLI, ’Through Death to Love’ and in the ’Willowwood’ sequence, XLIX-LII). His lost lover is linked with the moon a conventional symbol of femininity and the mirror that had previously reflected her presence is now empty. In the second pair of lines, Rossetti continues this pattern of irregular stresses. Just as the despair of the first lines is emphasised by the double stress of ‘blank grey’, so the third line contains the phrase ‘tossed empty space’. The ‘s’ sound in ‘dress’ in taken up by ‘tossed’, ‘space’, ‘whence’ and ‘passed’ and the absence of the moon is reiterated. In the second quatrain, Rossetti subverts the expectation that he will create pairs of lines that break in the middle of the first and run on to the end of the second; instead, three consecutive lines are broken in the middle and run on to the next. Only the final line of this quatrain is a completed. In this greater metric irregularity, Rossetti shows a greater emotional agitation, especially in the exclamation ’Tears, ah me!’, followed by the triple stress of ’love’s good grace’, with its alliterative ‘g’ sounds adding weight to the feeling. Again, he uses alliteration for emphasis, especially when referring to the bed from which she is absent as ‘her pillowed place’, which picks up the ‘p’ sound from ‘paths’ and ‘appointed’ in the previous line. Whilst the octet uses four concrete instances from the outward physical world to represent the absence of the beloved, the sestet turns inward to the heart of the poet. With the question ’What of the heart without her?’, the poem becomes self-reflexive in its tone and these six lines also begin to have a more regular metrical rhythm. The overriding image is of the ’wayfarer’ who is ’weary’ and ’labouring’. The emptiness of his existence is thus emphasised by a more settled rhythm, which represents the dull despair of a lonely journey through life. Particularly effective are the final four lines, in which the diction is dominated by words such as ’barren’, ’chill’, ’steep’, ’weary’, ’darkness’ and ’labouring’. The repetition of the pair of words ’the long’ in the penultimate line shows that the poet regards his life as a series of te dious repetitions without his love. Furthermore, this repetition is taken up in the final line with the alliterative phrase ’doubled darkness’, where the cloud and the wood become oppressive to the poet, feeling as he does that his life consists of ’labouring’ up a steep hill. Throughout the sonnet, the phrase ’without her’ has recurred six times and so the final images of ’doubled darkness’ takes up this sense that the poet feels grief as a kind of constant repetition of emptiness and darkness which is reflected in the repetitions that he sees in the natural world around him. In the use of such visual imagery, Rossetti has thus written a sonnet where his painterly eye complements his poet’s ear to create a fusion of the two art forms to which he devoted his life. BIBLIOGRAPHY Primary sources Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 1928. The House of Life: A Sonnet-Sequence, Paul Franklin Baum, ed., Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, ‘Without Her’ (with textual notes) accessed at http://www.rossettiarchive.org/docs/26-1871.raw.html Secondary Sources Pater, Walter, 1889. ‘Dante Gabriel Rossetti’, in Appreciations, with an Essay on Style, accessed at  http://www.rossettiarchive.org/docs/pr99.p32.rad.html Wilmer, Clive, 1991 ‘Introduction’, in Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, Selected Poems and Translations, Manchester: Carcanet.

The Second World War (WWII) Essay -- World War 2 II Two

World War I has often been referred to as the â€Å"Great War.† This is a rather deceiving statement being that over 65 million men fought, and over 37 million men died in a war that lasted 4 years. World War I was, also, referred to as the â€Å"War to end all Wars.† Yet, 20 years later that statement would no longer be true as WWII erupted in 1939. When WWI ended with no real purpose served, it became apparent that a peace conference needed to occur and that someone had to pay reparations for the damage done. So, many representatives from different European and North American countries met and formed the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty was harsh and punishing towards Germany, whom the rest of Europe felt was to blame for the war. However, the question asked at that time, and still today, is who is to blame for the â€Å"Great War† that is known for its great destruction to a generation? Many historians would agree that Germany was solely to blame for World War I. They would argue that Germany brought other countries (mainly Britain) into the war by invading neutral Belgium. They would, also, argue that by invading Belgium, Germany exercised a nine year old war plan to attack France. The move was offensive by Germany and therefore France and Britain were just defending their allies. Germany was again blamed for the repercussions of World War I because of their shady past with France. In 1870, Germany and the Prussian Empire defeated a highly confident French army. From this period on un...

Personal Narrative - Body Image :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative - Body Image One's body is what makes one who one is. Every inch of someone is what sets a person apart from everyone else. Even though everyone has an opinion about what his or her perfect body would be, changing one's personal features would take away from individuality. I personally would never have plastic surgery because when I look at myself, I do not see a tall, skinny young man with a funny looking nose and big "bug" eyes, but I see a beautifully sculpted masterpiece that God has made just for me. It is a body that gives me character, individuality, and confidence. In my personal opinion, and I say this as humbly as I can, I am a very good-looking young man. I have a very animated face that goes well with my personality, which is humorous, but in a mature fashion. I can be serious and stare at others with my endless snowflake blue eyes, but if I get too drastic for the mood, it is easy to look at my nose and then laugh to lighten the air. I take pride in the fact that there is no one else on this earth exactly like me. Not just my inner beauty, but my outer beauty makes me different from everyone else. Life would be so boring if everyone looked exactly the same, but what is inside oneself makes one beautiful, not only inside, but outside as well. I personally could not be more content and happy with who I am. If I were to walk down the street, there would be many different comments going through people's heads as I passed. Some people would find me attractive, and some would find me ugly. Some people might find me sexy, and others might find me skinny and sickly looking. The bottom line is that it does not matter what they think. It only matters what I think because I am the only one in the whole world that has to live with myself.

Empowerment of Women in India Essay

WHAT IS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT? In the simplest of words it is basically the creation of an environment where women can make independent decisions on their personal development as well as shine as equals in society. Women want to be treated as equals so much so that if a woman rises to the top of her field it should be a commonplace occurrence that draws nothing more than a raised eyebrow at the gender. This can only happen if there is a channelized route for the empowerment of women. Thus it is no real surprise that women empowerment in India is a hotly discussed topic with no real solution looming in the horizon except to doubly redouble our efforts and continue to target the sources of all the violence and ill-will towards women. CHALLENGES There are several challenges that are currently plaguing the issues of women’s rights in India. A few of these challenges are presented below. While a lot of these are redundant and quite basic issues faced across the country, these are contributory causes to the overarching status of women in India. Targeting these issues will directly benefit the empowerment of women in India. EDUCATION While the country has grown from leaps and bounds since its independence where education is concerned, the gap between women and men is severe. While 82.14% of adult men are educated, only 65.46% of adult women are known to be literate in India. Not only is an illiterate women at the mercy of her husband or father, she also does not know that this is not the way of life for women across the world. Additionally, the norms of culture that state that the man of the family is the be-all and end-all of family decisions is slowly spoiling the society of the country. Women Empowerment in India Data Source: Census of India 2011 As said in a study conducted by the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism, In spite of the UN Charter of Human Rights and the provisions of the Indian Constitution, women continue to be victims of exploitation. The view that the future generation of a family is carried on and preserved by boys-only has degraded the position of women in society. Similarly, it is noticed that majority of the women are lacking in the spirit of rebellion. If careful attention is not paid and major steps are not taken, the situation will become extremely critical. Eradicating this gap and educating women about their real place in the world is a step that will largely set this entire movement rolling down the hill to crash and break the wall of intolerance, negligence and exploitation. ACTIONS TAKEN TO EMPOWER WOMEN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL The United Nations Development Programme constituted eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for ensuring equity and peace across the world. The third MDG is directly related to the empowerment of women in India. The MDGs are agreed-upon goals to reduce certain indicators of disparity across the world by the year 2015. The third MDG is centred towards promoting gender equality and empowering women: â€Å"Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education by no later than 2015† While India’s progress in this front has been brave, there are quite a few corners that it needs to cut before it can be called as being truly revolutionary in its quest for understanding what is women empowerment. As UNDP says:- India missed the 2005 deadline of eliminating gender disparity in primary and secondary education. However, the country has hastened progress and the Gender Parity Index (GPI) for Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER) in primary and secondary education has risen. Given current trends, India is moderately or almost nearly on track. However, as the Government of India MDG Report 2009 notes, â€Å"participation of women in employment and decision-making remains far less than that of men, and the disparity is not likely to be eliminated by 2015.† Achieving GPI in tertiary education also remains a challenge. In addition, the labour market openness to women in industry and services has only marginally increased from 13-18 percent between 1990-91 and 2004-05. MINISTRY FOR WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT The Ministry for Women & Child Development was established as a department of the Ministry of Human Resource Development in the year 1985 to drive the holistic development of women and children in the country. In 2006 this department was given the status of a Ministry, with the powers to:- Formulate plans, policies and programmes; enacts/ amends legislation, guiding and coordinating the efforts of both governmental and non-governmental organisations working in the field of Women and Child Development. It delivers such initiatives such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) which is a package of services such as supplementary nutrition, health check-ups and immunisation. As mentioned earlier, the empowerment of women begins with their safety and health and this Ministry is committed to providing them. National Commission for Women The National Commission for Women is a Department within the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It was set up exclusively to help women via the Constitution – by reviewing Legal and Constitutional safeguards for women, recommending remedial legislative measures, by facilitating quick redressal of grievances and by advising the Government of India on all policy matters affecting women. The website allows for online submission of complaints and fast redressal exclusively for women. Additionally it is also a good resource of information for women and the Commission is committed to helping out women in need.

Consumer Behavior on Black Friday

Running Head: Black Friday Consumer Behavior on Black Friday Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine consumer behavior on Black Friday. Black Friday is typically the busiest shopping day of the year, and it is all driven by the chance for consumers to save the most amount of money possible while getting their holiday shopping done. Research was done online, and also through personal experiences. By understanding what retailers and consumers hope to accomplish on this day can have a positive impact on everyone. Consumers are able to get what they want with the least amount of turmoil, and retailers are able to turn a profit. This research can be most helpful to merchants, as it will help them to understand what a consumer wants, and what they expect the unofficial holiday to be like. A complication with this research is that each consumer is different and may have different expectations in mind. Concentrating on making Black Friday as organized as possible will only benefit all parties involved. Introduction Black Friday refers to the day after Thanksgiving, which is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday is a day when stores dramatically discount products with the intention of luring in the highest number of shoppers possible. The term Black Friday received its name because that is a day when, hopefully, businesses balance sheets go from red, a loss, to black, a profit (Staff, 2010). It can be a day of chaos, as seen in 2008 when a Walmart employee was trampled to death by a mob of customers (Gould, Trapasso, & Schapiro, 2008). But many that day focus on saving money, and are willing to wait in lines for days for a deal. Impulsive Consumption Some of the purchases made on Black Friday may be impulsive. The textbook states that impulsive consumption is usually spontaneous and involves some feelings of liberation; is associated with a lessened sense of costs or consequences; and is motivated by a need for immediate self-fulfillment (Babin & Harris, 2011). Consumers who go to a store for only a couple of items may find themselves enticed by other items that are on sale. The average person spent $365. 34 during Black Friday weekend 2010, for a total of approximately $45 billion total spent nationally (Chang, 2010). Unplanned purchases may be made because although a consumer went to a store for one sale, they may not have known all the other items that are discounted that day, and may make other purchases. Because many Black Friday shoppers are actually holiday shopping for other people, it is easy to look for a gift for one person, but find those perfect gifts for the other four people on your list, all in the name of getting a good deal. Social Environment Social environment is defined in the text as â€Å"the other customers and employees in a service or shopping environment (Babin & Harris, 2011). Normally, people may be put off by crowding at stores. However, it is the norm on Black Friday. Although it is still unfavorable, it is something that people are willing to adapt to for the day. It may give a sense of urgency, which will put a consumer into the mindset of action. The text also refers to shopping buddies. Many people who wait in line for hours or even days on Black Friday do not do so alone. There are usually small groups of people, which may help to make consumers feel more comfortable. Consumers are taking more time to find buddies to shop with, and they are making an effort to have a plan in mind for what stores they will visit, and what they will purchase. For people who wait in lines for extended periods, they usually create some type of habitat to pass the time. Consumers bring tents, chairs and heaters to make themselves more comfortable. Some even bring electrical items such as lighting, computers or small televisions to keep them company while waiting for the savings to begin. The people in line usually form temporary relationships with the people that are around them. Sharing stories or deals that they are interested in is a far cry from the massive chaos shown on television news stories. Attitudes People may get caught up in the excitement of the day, and that can help them to spend even more money. While waiting in line, customers at the front of the line seem to be excited and happy. However, at the end of the line, customers appear to be more frustrated and anxious. Some consumers plan their Black Friday shopping trips weeks in advance. There are many websites available for people to view Black Friday advertisements online, before they are supposed to be released to the public. Walmart has tried year after year for the advertisements not to be leaked, but they usually end up on these websites before they are supposed to (4 Years Strong: Walmart Sends Another Cease & Desist, 2011). Stores may not want to have their advertisements released early for a couple of reasons. First, consumers having the ability to research products and having too much time to explore all of their options may mean that consumers will not make as many spontaneous purchases on Black Friday. They also do not want to have their competition see their deals, and then have them beat their prices. Having the advertisements earlier though means consumers are able to plan what stores they want to go to, which may lead to less chaos on the actual day. People are motivated by saving money on Black Friday. Some consumers may even see it as a competition. For some, because there is only a limited selection available for many of the items that are drastically reduced, just acquiring that item may be all the motivation someone needs to be at the front of the line on Black Friday. A consumer may feel a sense of empowerment, or the thrill of winning, which will only intensify their moods for the day. A consumer may be more likely to make a purchase of something out of the ordinary because of the price on Black Friday. The perceived risk is lower because the consumer balances the risk with the monetary discount that is offered, and can write it off easier. Normally, consumers may think thoroughly about an electronics purchase. However, electronics are usually a major seller on Black Friday. Because the discount is thought to be so significant, and the consumer thinks there are only a limited number available, they do not have time to think the purchase through like the normally would, and they make the purchase. What people are buying Each year, electronics are the one of the most widely sought after products on Black Friday. In 2009, the introduction of Zhu-Zhu Pets was the top search on Google referring to Black Friday sales (Wong, 2009). Surprisingly, rugs and jewelry were also top searches in 2009. In 2010, the iPad and other tablets were the top searches in electronics (Andrew, 2010). They were ollowed by laptops and HDTV’s. Handheld gadgets are expected to be a top seller for 2011. E-readers, tablets, music players and smart phones all seem to be popular searches for the upcoming holiday (Black Friday 2011 Predictions, 2011). Televisions and accessories are normally highly discounted on Black Friday, and 2011 should be no different. There may be more sales on 3D televisions, blu-ray players, and bundles of the televisions with the accessories. Cyber Monday Some consumers do not want to brave the chaos of Black Friday, and have moved to online shopping, while still looking for the dramatic discounts. Online purchases have grown steadily over the past few years, and in 2005, the term â€Å"Cyber Monday† was created (â€Å"Cyber Monday† Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year, 2005). In 2010, Black Friday sales grew 9% from the year before, but Cyber Monday sales grew 16% (U. S. Online Holiday Shopping Season Reaches Record $32. 6 Billion for November-December Period, Up 12 Percent vs. Year Ago, 01). Cyber Monday 2010 was the first billion-dollar spending day in history, and the first time that sales on Monday were higher than Friday. Many people have a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving, and are back to work on Monday. A large number of consumers are able to place orders right from a work computer, or even their smart phones. Smart phones are also making it easier for consumers to do research on sales, and to do the shopping itself. Online Black Friday sales increased 11% from 2008-2009 (Wong, 2009). Retailer Organization Most consumers on Black Friday have the same goal; to save money. If the stores are able to have some form of organization on Black Friday, it should help to keep the customers organized also. Chaos is more likely to happen when the store is not prepared for the massive number of shoppers. If the store makes adjustments to the way they normally operate, they are more likely to have an easier time handling the crowds. Passing out tickets to the customers in line for big ticket items is becoming the norm for many stores (Palmer, 2010). By doing so, customers are able to be sure they are going to receive the item they came to purchase, and it is easier to explain when they are sold out of a particular item. Also, some stores are able to rearrange their stores and put the items that are on sale in a particular area, so customers will not have to search all around the store, adding to the chaos. Many stores are choosing to open very early, with some retailers, such as Toys R Us even opening on Thanksgiving night at 10 P. M (Toys†R†Us Stores Nationwide to Open at 10pm on Thanksgiving Night to Welcome Black Friday Shoppers Earlier Than Ever Before with 200 Doorbusters and More Than $11,000 in Savings on Hot Toys, 2010). As this was only introduced in 2010, it remains unknown whether other stores will follow the idea. Having enough employees at check-out and for assisting customers is also essential. Retailers may want to also hire some form of security for the day, to prevent mobs of people causing chaos. No matter how prepared a shopper may be on Black Friday, if the store is unorganized or does not have a sensible system in place, chaos may ensue because of the consumers confusion or frustrations. Customers also look for even further discounts on Black Friday by using coupons. Retailers may want to include in their advertisements and stores about their coupon acceptance policy on Black Friday. If a customer waits in line for hours, then goes in the store to get an item, then waits in line for another hour to check-out, only to find that their coupon will not be accepted, that consumer may get very irritated and that will cause further problems. Conclusion Black Friday is a day that retailers hope to make the most amount of profit. But for consumers, they hope to save as much money as possible. Many consumers make impulsive shopping decisions on Black Friday. The social environment may lead to this behavior, as many shoppers are with friends or family, and make a display out of their shopping practices on that day. The attitudes of people can vary greatly on that day also. Most people are excited, but that can turn to frustration if it does not go as planned. Purchasing trends can vary each year, depending on what the newest items are. Electronics and the newest toys are usually very popular items. Cyber Monday is also changing the way people shop, and helping them to save even more money from the comfort of their home, from work, or even on their smart phone. A retailer being organized on Black Friday is imperative, as it can affect consumer behavior and how much money they spend. References 4 Years Strong: Walmart Sends Another Cease & Desist. (2011, 10 14). Retrieved 10 22, 2011, from http://bfads. net/ Andrew. (2010, 11 15). Holiday Shopping Trends and. Retrieved 10 23, 2011, from http://www. retrevo. com/content/node/1570 Babin, B. J. , & Harris, E. G. (2011). CB2. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Black Friday 2011 Predictions. (2011, 10 11). Retrieved 10 23, 2011, from http://www. blackfriday2011. om/news/2011/10/11/black-friday-2011-predictions/ Chang, A. (2010, 11 28). Big Black Friday weekend results: 212 million shoppers, $45 billion spent. Retrieved 10 21, 2011, from http://latimesblogs. latimes. com/money_co/2010/11/big-black-friday-weekend-results-212-million-shoppers-and-45-billion-spent. html â€Å"Cyber Monday† Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year. (2005, 11 21). Retrieved 23 2011, 10, from http://www. shop. org/c/journal_articles/view_article_content? groupId=1&articleId=623&version=1. 0 Gould, J. , Trapasso, C. & Schapiro, R. (2008, 11 28). Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede. Retrieved 10 21, 2011, from http://articles. nydailynews. com/2008-11-28/local/17910475_1_wal-mart-worker-long-island-wal-mart-jdimytai-damour Palmer, K. (2010, 11 23). Black Friday Guide to the Best Deals and Steals. Retrieved 10 23, 2011, from http://money. usnews. com/money/personal-finance/articles/2010/11/23/black-friday-guide-to-the-best-deals-and-steals Staff, L. L. (2010, 11 24). Business News Daily. Retrieved 10 21, 2011, from http://www. businessnewsdaily. om/how-did-black-friday-and-cyber-monday-get-their-names–0754/ Toys†R†Us Stores Nationwide to Open at 10pm on Thanksgiving Night to Welcome Black Friday Shoppers Earlier Than Ever Before with 200 Doorbusters and More Than $11,000 in Savings on Hot Toys. (2010, 11 16). Retrieved 10 23, 2011, from http://www. prnewswire. com/news-releases/toysrus-stores-nationwide-to-open-at-10pm-on-thanksgiving-night-to-welcome-black-friday-shoppers-earlier-than-ever-before-with-200-doorbusters-and-more-than-11000-in-savings-on-hot-toys-108565064. html U. S. Online Holiday Shopping Season Reaches Record $32. 6 Billion for

The Tragedy Of Sophocles Oedipus The King ) - 1044 Words

The Forgotten Ones (Describe the Significance of the Chorus in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King) Oedipus the King is a famous play written by the renowned author Sophocles and first acted out back in 429 BC. It is the second of three plays written by Sophocles that dealt with Oedipus; the first one being Oedipus at Colonus and the last one being Antigone. This play relates the story of Oedipus, a man who becomes King of Thebes while unwittingly fulfilling an old prophecy that said that he would kill his father Laios and marry his mother Jocasta. He embarks on a journey to try and find the man who killed his father, and promises to banish this man from Thebes forever. In the end, he will learn the ugly truth; he is the one who killed his father, and the woman he considered to be his wife is actually his mother. This play is a classic tragedy, considering that Oedipus’ own faults will lead to his tragic downfall at the end of the play. One of the important aspects of this play that makes it so g ood, although unknown to many, is the fact that this is a piece of climatic drama, which means that most of the action and of what constitutes Oedipus’ misery in the end occurred before the play even starts. In fact, the prophecy that will end up being the focal point of the play was set on Oedipus when he was a little boy, which is long before the action of the play even started. This is where the Chorus comes in handy. According the â€Å"Glossary of Dramatic Terms†, the Chorus is â€Å"a maskedShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Sophocles Oedipus The King Essay1490 Words   |  6 PagesSophocles’ â€Å"Oedipus the King,† successfully demonstrates Aristotle’s definition of tragedy. According to Aristotle â€Å"tragedy† is vastly different from what one would likely describe if requested in modern times. It is common today to hear one speak of a tragic vehicular crash, but what is being spoken of as a tragedy, is an accident, not a tragedy. T hus, it is important to understand what Aristotle thought when he spoke of a â€Å"tragedy.† Based on Aristotle, POETICS, CHAPTER VI, The tragedy is an imitationRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Oedipus The King By Sophocles2776 Words   |  12 Pagesthem with. In the tragedy, Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus’ fate starts with a prophecy. No matter how much Oedipus tries to do the â€Å"right† thing, the prophecy comes to term. It is argument-able that Oedipus was led to his tragic ending by fate. It is also possible that his tragic ending was brought open by his own actions. The idea of fate and free will both played an important role in Oedipus’ downfall. Even though he was a victim of fate. It did not control him. Oedipus was destined to killRead MoreThe Classical Tragedy Of Sophocles Oedipus The King950 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Greece’s Golden Age introduced many excellent playwrights, all of whom contributed to the success of Greek Literature† (sites.google/ Playwrights of the Golden Age). Sophocles, the author of the classic tragedy, Oedipus the King, was one of the three b est play writers during that time frame. Born in 495 B.C., Sophocles â€Å"lived for nearly ninety years through the most of the turbulent events of his country during the fifteenth century B.C.† (Charters and Charters). He was born in Colonus, not farRead MoreExposure to Tragedy in Sophocles Oedipus the King702 Words   |  3 PagesSophocles background influenced him to write the drama Oedipus the king. One important influence on the story was his exposer to tragedy all around him. Jeffrey buller in â€Å"Sophocles† told us that Sophocles learned the art form of tragedy from Aeschylus. Sophocles later went to the Great Dionysus a competition for the greatest tragedy and won first place over Aeschylus. Also, Sophocles shows tragedy in the play by telling us about the legend the heard while he grew up (Buller 2-4).Similarly, OedipusRead MoreThe Tragic Tragedy Of Sophocles Oedipus The King1601 Words   |  7 PagesThe Tragic Hero Tragedy deals with unexpected or unfortunate events that usually results in negative outcomes that affects the downfall of the main character in a play. Tragedy within Greek drama incorporates the time within the their lifestyle of religious and superstitions. Greek writers use tragedy as a theme in literature because it represents their civilization. Sophocles uses this theme in his dramatic plays because the audience is able to correspond to the story line. It allows the audienceRead MoreThe Perfect Aristotelian Tragedy: Sophocles Oedipus the King918 Words   |  4 PagesAristotle considered Sophocles Oedipus the King to be a nearly perfect example of Greek tragedy. His reasons were based on the structural perfection of the play, in which the protagonists recognition of his circumstances (anagnorisis) comes at the same moment as his reversal of fortune (peripeteia). But the terms whereby Aristotle defines character in Greek tragedy are slightly harder to work out where is the hubr is of Oedipus? An examination of the plot will demonstrate that Oedipus hubris is manifestRead MoreEssay about Tragedy in Sophocles Oedipus The King and Antigone 1403 Words   |  6 PagesTragedy in Sophocles Oedipus The King and Antigone The Greeks considered tragedy the greatest form for literature.   However, the tragic ends for the characters were not ordained or set by fate, but rather caused by certain characteristics belonging to that person.   Such is the case with the characters of Sophocles plays Oedipus the King and Antigone.   Oedipus from King Oedipus, and Antigone and Creon from Antigone posses characteristics, especially pride, that caused their tragic ends.   AsRead MoreDeconstructing Tragedy And The Definition Of The Protagonist’S1173 Words   |  5 PagesDeconstructing Tragedy and the Definition of the Protagonist’s Innocence In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Oedipus meets the Aristotelian definition of a tragic hero as divine fate and tragic flaws lead to his downfall. Oedipus’s tragic flaws like hubris, curiosity, and anger, contribute to his unfortunate fate. The components of a perfect tragedy as defined in Aristotle’s Poetics are at the center of Oedipus Rex. The play contains the elements of a perfect tragedy such asRead MoreOedipus Tyrannus, A Tragic Hero. Summary: . Context. Oedipus1391 Words   |  6 PagesOedipus Tyrannus, a Tragic Hero Summary: Context Oedipus Tyrannus is a Greek tragedy that was first performed as a play in 429 BCE. The setting of the play is in Thebes, one of Greece’s city states that is suffering from a tragic plague. King Oedipus’s brother in-law; Creon, reports back from the oracle of Apollo that the plague would only be lifted if the murderer of his predecessor; King Laius, is found and brought to justice. Before the whole city of Thebes, Oedipus vows to apprehend and punishRead More tragoed Oedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex)1217 Words   |  5 PagesOedipus as the Ideal Tragic Hero of Oedipus the King In the introduction to Sophocles Oedipus the King, Sophocles defines a tragic hero as one who [behaves] admirably as a man, [but who] is nevertheless tripped up by forces beyond his control and understanding... (Sophocles 76).   In Oedipus the King, Oedipus is the tragic hero. The force that trips up the hero is fate, or, moira. It is Oedipuss actions that set the events into motion,   but it is ultimately his fate, and his attempted

Street Art And Graffiti - Street Artists - 1296 Words

Street art and graffiti has grown increasingly popular worldwide in the last few decades. This is because street artists are given the opportunity to showcase their ideas and opinions freely, and do not allow themselves to be limited by regulations of the law or public opinion. Street artists can express the unpopular opinion without worry that they will be punished for it, as these artists often work anonymously. According to Michael DeNotto from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, street art allows the artist to â€Å"reject established standards, encourage experimentation, and draw from popular culture and advertising† (Street Art and Graffiti, 1). They are given the canvas of public property such as sidewalks and building walls to create art pieces that can be viewed by potentially anyone. However, the fact that the audience for street art is so vast can also lead to disagreements about the content or location of the art, and difference in opinion between the artist and the viewers. Street art can be used as a method of openly expressing opinions on controversial matters, such as war, laws, public figures, social issues, and more. In Street Art San Francisco by Annice Jacoby, there are several art pieces depicting anguish and disapproval. There is a mural of a person crying over loved ones who have past away, with the words, â€Å"Those We Love, We Remember.† There is another painted across a fence, depicting the lives affected by the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Across the bottom,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Modern Street Art vs. Graffiti933 Words   |  4 PagesModern street art and graffiti are undeniably tied together. Graffiti could be considered the forefather of street art in many ways- it has paved the way for the development of modern street art. Yet, while both are still hotly debated topics, street art is seen in a more positive light while graffiti is still considered to be a negative term. Graffiti is associated with the vandalism that the governmen t desperately wanted to erase. Graffiti has played a huge role in the development of street art thatRead MoreGraffiti : A New Type Of Painting And Writing1241 Words   |  5 PagesGraffiti is a new type of painting and writing on the public place or wall and a lot of teenagers interested in it. However, there are lots of debates on the form of graffiti, one side think it is a vandalism and another side think it is a form of art. The essay will focus on discussing these two forms of graffiti and give some relevant examples. The two main points about the reason why some people think graffiti is a vandalism are indelicacy words and the problem about ownership. Another side thinkRead MoreGraffiti: Art or Vandalism Essay examples1453 Words   |  6 Pagesis recognized as art and vandalism. The individual is often faced with uncertainty when the topic of graffiti arises. The public often portray graffiti as a destructive act towards his or her surroundings however; graffiti can also be considered a form of self-expression. Many questions can be made pertaining to the graffiti movement, but the main question is graffiti a crime or an art? The answers lie in the complex phrase of â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder†. Graffiti portrays contemporaryRead MoreManifesto about Street Art1312 Words   |  6 PagesArt became an integral and most crucial thing in lives of most people. It helps people to represent their feelings through their art works, whereas other people are using art in order to get profit. People are learning arts in schools and universities and using it in their lives for different proposes. However, art seems to be good for all people, there is only one type of it which is usually not welcomed in countries - ‘Street art’. According to Johan Slogan, ‘Nowadays art’ (2010, 13-14), streetRead MoreHistory Of The United States And The Uk1343 Words   |  6 Pages With many reports and studies conducted on the history of graffiti in the United States and the UK, one must not overlook the history of street art in France. With France being a dignified instigator of political changes in modern history, France always honored the revolutionary spirit, which fit perfectly with the art that emerged out of resistance. In today’s time, France, and Paris especially, both enforce strict laws against vandalism and the damage of public property and monuments. A law enforcedRead MoreStreet Art: Crime or Art?1517 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is Street Art? Street art is arguably classed as Urban Art and also known as Contemporary Art. This form of Art represents the voice of the lower class in debate with the political class, they express themselves with sprays on plaster and endure A life spent scribbling in books scrambling over walls and fences, scrawling on any available surface. It is today accepted by designers and artists who also are influenced by these contemporary visualised forms, this form of contemporary art has changedRead MoreGraffiti And Its Effects On The World War I1504 Words   |  7 PagesComm 1016 Essay We see graffiti everywhere even though it is illegal. Its on trains, buses, buildings you name it there has most likely been graffiti on it. Let’s start with what the definition of graffiti is, â€Å"writing or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed illicitly on a wall or other surface in a public place† (Bing.com). Graffiti can be traced back as far as world war 2 the most famous tag of that time being, â€Å"Kilroy was here† along with an illustration the artist or ‘writer’ they are alsoRead MoreThe Subculture Of Street Art1407 Words   |  6 PagesThe Subculture of Street Art In today’s society street art has managed to reach every country worldwide. In the film â€Å"Exit Through The Gift Shop† a film by a street artist named Banksy that tells the story about Thierry Guetta a French man who lives in Los Angles that falls in love with the subculture and films the life known as graffiti or to some people that love it, it is known as street art. Thierry shows the different artist and ways he explains how the subculture of street art is taking overRead MoreGraffiti Literature Review1747 Words   |  7 PagesGraffiti is always part of the urban landscape that has expressed ideas, thoughts and styles on the built environment to shows to the audiences to appreciate their master piece. The graffiti in the urban environment are able to be seen and are not hiding from the public. Its mostly on billboards, buildings and mostly unexpected obvious places. Graffiti is a phenomenon in to the contemporary society inspired lots of young people to be part o f graffiti culture from the local to international levelRead MoreGraffiti As A Sustainable And Decent Art Form1397 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are ongoing debates among multiple stakeholders regarding the nature and acceptability of graffiti as a sustainable and decent art form. Having gained immense popularity in urban environments, graffiti has always been on the verge between art and vandalism. The reason for such controversial perceptions lies in the definition of graffiti and its origins. As Campos defines it, â€Å"graffiti and street art could be considered a practice through which individuals appropriate the city† and whose nature