Carl OrffS Philosophies In Music Education Essays - Cantatas

Carl OrffS Philosophies In Music Education Carl Orffs philosophies in Music Education While Carl Orff is a very seminal composer of the 20th century, his greatest success and influence has been in the field of Music Education. Born on July 10th in Munich, Germany in 1895, Orff refused to speak about his past almost as if he were ashamed of it. What we do know, however, is that Orff came from a Bavarian family who was very active in the German military. His father's regiment band would often play through some of the young Orff's first attempts at composing. Although Orff was adamant about the secrecy of his past, Moser's Musik Lexicon says that he studied in the Munich Academy of Music until 1914. Orff then served in the military in the first world war. After the war, he held various positions in the Mannheim and Darmstadt opera houses then returned home to Munich to further study music. In 1925, and for the rest of his life, Orff was the head of a department and co-founder of the Guenther School for gymnastics, music, and dance in Munich where he worked with musical beginners. This is where he developed his Music Education theories. In 1937, Orff's Carmina Burana premiered in Frankfurt, Germany. Needless to say, it was a great success. With the success of Carmina Burana, Orff orphaned all of his previous works except for Catulli Carmina and the Entrata which were rewritten to be acceptable by Orff. One of Orff's most admired composers was Monteverdi. In fact, much of Orff's work was based on ancient material. Orff said: I am often asked why I nearly always select old material, fairy tales and legends for my stage works. I do not look upon them as old, but rather as valid material. The time element disappears, and only the spiritual power remains. My entire interest is in the expression of spiritual realities. I write for the theater in order to convey a spiritual attitude.1 What Orff is trying to say here is that he does not use old material, but material that is good enough to be used again. If one eliminates the fact that this material was written many years ago, then there is nothing to stop that material from being any less legitimate in recent times. Orff's work in Music Education has been astounding. In the early 1920's, Orff worked with Mary Wigman. Wigman was a pupil of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, another very influential name in Music Education. In fact, Orff's approach to music is very similar to Dalcroze's, but Orff focuses on education through percussion instruments. In 1924, Orff joined Dorthee Guenther and together they founded the Guenther School. The schools focus was coordinated teaching of gymnastics, dance, and music. Orff believed that music, movement, and speech are not separate entities in and of themselves, but that they form a unity that he called elemental music. When Orff refers to elemental music, he means the music, movement, or speech created by children that requires no special training, or in other words, the things that children do without really thinking about it. The basis for the Orff method is the belief that the historical development of music is reenacted in the life of every individual. This means that, when a child is young, he is similar to a primitive human being - at least musically - in that both are naive and rely primarily on natural rhythms and movement to make music. Although this theory has not been very widely accepted by most music educators, this is where the Orff method of teaching music begins. The Orff method was so impressive to the public that the Ministry of Culture recommended the adoption of the Guenther-Orff experiments in the elementary schools in Berlin. Unfortunately, the rise of Hitler and the outbreak of war stunted the growth of these plans. Finally, in 1948, the German broadcasting authorities urged Orff to resume his educational activities. The Orff approach, not unlike the Suzuki method, begins with the idea that music should be learned by a child the same way a language is learned. Suzuki calls this the mother tongue approach. A child learns to speak simply by listening

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Essays

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Essays A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Paper A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings Paper Essay Topic: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings Themes Doubt and Ambiguity One of this story’s difficult aspects is the sense of uncertainty it creates by leaving important facts unresolved and seeming to offer several possible interpretations for its events. The reader is never allowed to doubt that the old man and his strange wings are as â€Å"real† as anything else in the story; yet the reader can never be sure just what he is - a heavenly angel, a sad human who happens to have wings, or perhaps some other, unexplained possibility. This deliberate uncertainty can leave readers feeling a bit cheated - particularly in what seems to be a fairy tale. Stories are expected to have clear-cut meanings, and the author is expected to reveal them to the reader; if not, there is a tendency to feel he has failed in his storytelling, or that his audience has failed as readers. But in works of realism (and many other forms), ambiguity is often used as an intentional effect, to make a story seem less â€Å"storylike,† and more like life itself. It reflects the understanding that real life is far more uncertain than the stories in books, and often forces readers to choose among several, equally possible explanations of events. As characters in daily life, readers seldom know â€Å"the whole story† - but it is traditional to expect writers to tie all tales neatly together for our understanding. While it complicates the task of the reader, the skillful, suggestive use of ambiguity is often admired by critics, and is usually considered to be one of the most appealing features of â€Å"magic realism. Even in stories dealing with magic or the supernatural, there are rules a writer is expected to follow - for example, that there must always be a clear distinction between magical events and â€Å"normal† ones, and that the nature and significance of all characters is eventually made known to the reader. But as a magic realist, Garcia Marquez insists on breaking these rules as well. Without its fantastic elements, there is no story; yet the reader is never sure just how to take them, and how far to trust the narrator. Sometimes, he makes it obvious that the villagers† magical beliefs are in fact ridiculous delusions; but at other times, the reader seems expected to take logically impossible events at face value. The changing of a human into a giant spider, a man who can’t sleep because â€Å"the noise of the stars† disturbs him - are these things that â€Å"really happened? † Can they be dismissed as mere hallucinations? Are they poetic images, meant to be interpreted on some level beyond their literal meaning? Like the old man with his miracles, Garcia Marquez may be suspected of having a kind of â€Å"mocking fun† with the reader, suggesting all sorts of miraculous possibilities, then stubbornly contradicting all the expectations he creates. In appreciating such a story, it may be necessary to limit one’s reliance on clear meanings and moral lessons, and to be prepared to enjoy the sheer wealth of possibility and comic misunderstanding that is presented. The Problem of Interpretation One effect of ambiguity is to focus attention on the uncertain nature of all efforts to assign meaning to events. The troublesome nature of interpretation has been a matter of intense interest for literary critics in the years since this story was written - which may be one reason Garcia Marquez remains a popular subject of scholarly attention. Many theorists stress that all â€Å"readings† (whether of texts, or of life itself) are strongly influenced by their context, and by the specific interests and point of view of the person making the judgment. While one may detect such influence in the opinions of others, it usually operates unconsciously in the self; the assumptions behind one’s own thinking are so familiar that one tends not to even recognize them as assumptions. Some critics go so far as to suggest that all explanations are actually inventions, and that â€Å"true meanings† can never be reliably determined. While one may not choose to embrace so extreme a position, the speculation serves as a reminder that confident pronouncements about the world are seldom, if ever, as rational or disinterested as one believes them to be. The villagers† quirky thought-patterns may be seen as a parody of this universal human tendency. They â€Å"talk themselves into† all kinds of wild speculations, clinging to irrational notions (such as the â€Å"fact† that mothballs are the proper food for angels) and leaping to impossible conclusions (for example, that the old man should be named â€Å"mayor of the world. †) It seems that, once they get an idea into their heads, they willfully convince themselves of its truth and ignore any evidence to the contrary - unless a more appealing version of the truth comes along. Their folly is a kind of exaggerated ignorance, which Garcia Marquez uses consistently for comic effect; but in their unquestioning application of â€Å"conventional wisdom,† and their stubborn faith in their own ideas, they reflect habits of mind that can be recognized in all cultures. On another level, the author may be seen as placing the reader in much the same position - forcing the reader to accept interpretations that seem absurd, or to give up any hope of understanding events. In this sense, it might be said that the story’s meaning lies in the manner it denies any clear meanings, complicating the reader’s efforts to understand, and showing usual means of determining the truth in a strange, uncertain light. The context of literature may tempt one to â€Å"read into† these odd characters, looking for symbolic meanings and creatively-coded messages from the author. Nothing prevents the reader from doing so, but there are few clues or hints to help and no obvious way to confirm or deny any interpretation one may construct. The reader can’t be sure if he is finding the story’s meaning or making one up; he may even wonder if the story has a meaning at all. Garcia Marquez presents a rich mystery, which engages the reader’s thinking and seems to â€Å"make sense† in the manner of fairy tales; then he leaves the reader to decide its meaning for himself. However one goes about the job, he is never allowed to escape the suspicion that he may, in his own way, wind up being as foolish and gullible as the villagers. Characters Bird-Man See Very old man with enormous wings Elisenda In her marriage to Pelayo, Elisenda takes an active part in decision-making. Her husband runs to get her as soon as he discovers the old man, and they try to make sense of him together, apparently sharing the same reactions. It is she who first conceives of charging the villagers admission to see the â€Å"angel,† an idea which makes the couple wealthy. At the end of the story, she is the mistress of an impressive mansion, dressed in the finest fashions. Yet the old man seems to be a constant annoyance to her, a feeling that only intensifies over time. He is useless and infuriating to her, â€Å"dragging himself about here and there like a stray dying man†; she seems to be constantly shooing him out of her way. She eventually grows so â€Å"exasperated and unhinged† that she screams that she is living in a â€Å"hell full of angels. † Elisenda is also the only witness to the old man’s departure, watching silently from the kitchen window as he tries out his newly regrown wings. Her reaction as he disappears over the horizon shows a measure of sympathy for the â€Å"senile vulture,† as well as her hope that her own life will return to normal: she lets out a sigh of relief â€Å"for herself, and for him. Father Gonzaga A former woodcutter, Father Gonzaga is the village priest whose religious training and standing in the community make him a moral and intellectual authority. Of all the characters, he seems uniquely qualified to pass judgment on the strange visitor and to determine whether he is really one of God’s angels or â€Å"just a Norwegian with wings. † However, his understanding of church doctrine leads him to no solid conclusions. He counsels the villagers to withhold their own judgment until he can receive a definitive answer from scholars in the Vatican. Father Gonzaga is never able to provide an explanation, and he loses sleep over the mystery until his parishioners eventually lose interest in the old man entirely. Examining the angel-like creature, Father Gonzaga immediately suspects that he is â€Å"an impostor. † The old man’s unbearable odor, his derelict condition, and his undignified appearance all make him seem â€Å"much too human† to accept as a perfect immortal or member of a divine race. But rather than make a judgment from the evidence of his senses (and knowing that the devil likes to trick people with appearances), he applies a series of tests to the old man, presumably based on church teachings about the nature of angels. First, he greets the old man in Latin; the lack of a response is yet another suspicious sign, for it shows that the â€Å"angel† doesn’t â€Å"understand the language of God or know how to greet His ministers. † A series of letters from higher church authorities results in further â€Å"tests† of divinity (Does the old man have a belly-button? Does his language seem related to the biblical dialect of Aramaic? ) but fail to lead him to any final judgment. Unable to provide the answer that they seek from him, the Father can only warn his flock not to jump to any conclusions - a warning which they ignore with enthusiasm. As a comic authority figure Father Gonzaga is open to a variety of interpretations. He is clearly ineffective in his role as a spiritual authority and as a source of wisdom and enlightenment. His superiors in the church hierarchy prove no more helpful and seem to be obsessed with obscure heological abstractions, such as how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. Such factors suggest at least a mildly satirical view of the Catholic Church and perhaps of organized religion in general. To some critics, Father Gonzaga’s means of inquiry are also a parody of the scientific method, while his fruitless correspondence with church scholars reflects the useless-ness of bureaucracies everywhere. And other critics even see a reflection of themselves - the figure of the cultural authority, whose profession makes him unwilling to admit the obvious limits of his understanding. Old Man See Very old man with enormous wings Pelayo It is Pelayo, the town bailiff, who discovers the old man with wings struggling face down in the courtyard of his home after a storm. As the strange visitor begins to attract crowds, Pelayo and his wife, Elisenda, exhibit him as a carnival attraction. Though the old man proves to be only a temporary sensation, he creates a highly profitable windfall for the young couple. In â€Å"less than a week they had crammed their rooms with money† from paid admissions; they quickly earn enough to rebuild their house as a mansion and to live in luxury by village standards. Pelayo quits his job and sets up a rabbit warren on the edge of town, trading a minor administrative position for the leisurely life of a gamekeeping squire. While Pelayo’s discovery of the winged being brings him great fortune, it also brings confusion and complication into his life. It is not the sort of luck he hopes to see repeated. When he and Elisenda design their new home, they are careful to include â€Å"iron bars on the windows so that angels wouldn’t get in. † Spider-Woman The centerpiece of a traveling carnival, the â€Å"woman who had been changed into a spider for disobeying her parents† proves to be a more popular attraction than the old man, causing the villagers to lose interest in him and putting an end to Pelayo and Elisenda’s profitable courtyard business. As a young girl, she had once gone dancing all night against her parents’ wishes; later, while walking home, she was allegedly struck by lightning and transformed into â€Å"a frightful tarantula the size of a ram. . . with the head of a sad maiden. † Compared to the baffling old man, the spider-woman provides a far more satisfying spectacle. While she is at least as grotesque and fantastic as the â€Å"bird-man,† she charges a lower admission price; more importantly, she is willing to communicate freely with her visitors, recounting her sad experience and inspiring sympathy for her fate. The â€Å"meaning† of her story is easy to grasp and teaches a clear moral lesson - one that confirms the villagers’ conventional beliefs. In contrast, the old man makes no attempt to explain himself and seems to contradict all religious and folk beliefs about the nature of angels. His very existence raises disturbing questions, but he offers no reassuring answers. Very Old Man with Enormous Wings The old man is the story’s central character and its central mystery. He is given no name but is precisely described in the title, which includes everything that can be said about him with any assurance: he is an extremely old man, in failing health, with all the frailties and limitations of human old age, and he has a huge pair of bird’s wings growing from his back. We follow the other characters in their comic efforts to explain him, to assign some â€Å"meaning† to his sudden appearance, and finally to just put up with his annoying presence, but when he flies away at the story’s end, the mystery remains. The very idea of a â€Å"winged humanoid† evokes the image of angels, and most of the â€Å"wise† villagers quickly assume that he is an angel. But everything about him seems to contradict traditional stereotypes of heavenly power and immortal perfection. When Pelayo first finds him in the courtyard, apparently blown out of the sky by a strong rainstorm, his condition is pathetic: he lies â€Å"face down in the mud,† â€Å"dressed like a ragpicker,† and tangled in his half-plucked, bug-infested wings. The narrator tells us directly that this â€Å"pitiful condition of a drenched great-grandfather had taken away any sense of grandeur he might have had,† and Father Gonzaga underscores the point later, when he observes that â€Å"nothing about him measured up to the proud dignity of angels. † Nor do the villagers allow him any dignity or respect; throughout the story, they treat him â€Å"without the slightest reverence. † He is displayed like a circus animal or sideshow freak; poked, plucked, and prodded; branded with a hot iron; pelted with stones and garbage; and held prisoner for years in a filthy, battered chicken coop, exposed to the elements. Though he is the source of the family’s great fortune, Elisenda comes to find him an intolerable annoyance, becoming â€Å"exasperated and unhinged† by his presence. He is understandably â€Å"standoffish† toward people, tolerating only the company of the couple’s young child, and the villagers come to think of him as â€Å"a haughty angel who scarcely deigned to look at mortals. † Given his cruel captivity, the reader can only agree when the narrator observes that his â€Å"only supernatural virtue seemed to be patience. Even this virtue is later deprived of any otherworldly greatness; it becomes merely â€Å"the patience of a dog who had no illusions. † The old man is described in imagery of earthly poverty and human weakness, contradicting traditional heavenly stereotypes. Even the birds with which he is compared to are ignoble ones (â€Å"buzzard wings,† â€Å"a huge decrepit hen,† â€Å"a senile vulture†). Yet there is clearly something of the magical about him beyond his unexplained wings and mysterious origin. He does, after all, perform miracles - but they, too, fail to satisfy expectations. The blind man’s sight isn’t restored, but he suddenly grows three new teeth; the leper’s sores aren’t cured, but sunflowers begin growing from them. These are â€Å"consolation miracles,† which show â€Å"a certain mental disorder,† as if senility had caused his magic powers to misfire. Alternately, they could be practical jokes, a form of â€Å"mocking fun† to avenge his abuse by the crowd. Their sick child recovers when Pelayo and Elisenda take in the old man, but this could be coincidence, or perhaps another case of failed magic (if, as the neighbor woman believes, he is an angel of death sent to take the baby). And, despite his obvious infirmities, he is possessed of a surprising inner strength. His health seems to be in irreversible decline throughout; a doctor’s examination finds it â€Å"impossible for him to be alive,† and very late in the story his death appears imminent. Yet with the coming of spring, after years of uselessness, his wings grow new feathers and regain their strength, allowing him to escape the village forever. Although his wings make him a creature of the sky and he is clearly not at home on land, the old man also has some association with the sea. He comes from the sea (or at least from over it), washed up with a tide of crabs by a three-day storm; his first attempts to fly away are accompanied by â€Å"a wind that seemed to come from the high seas. † Pelayo and Elisenda first take him for a foreign sailor (perhaps because they detect â€Å"a strong sailor’s voice† in his incomprehensible speech), and an early plan called for him to be set out to sea on a raft with provisions. As his wings begin to regenerate, he sings â€Å"sea chanteys† under the stars. Critics disagree in their interpretations of this connection and in their judgments on its significance. But in Garcia Marquez’s other works, they often find the sea to be an important theme or symbol, both as a natural force of great power (equally capable of bringing rich gifts or terrible destruction), and as a force associated with the supernatural. Several of his stories include episodes where unusual strangers from the â€Å"outside world† appear in a small town and have a strong effect on its people. Very often, these remarkable visitors arrive by sea. The old man is also connected in some way with Pelayo and Elisenda’s child. The newborn is ill when he first appears, but quickly recovers when the â€Å"angel† takes up residence. The â€Å"wise neighbor woman† believes that he was sent to takes the child’s life. Both the child and the old man come down with chicken pox at the same time, and the old man uncharacteristically allows the child to play with and around him, tolerating â€Å"ingenious infamies† with patience. But beyond these details, the connection or bond between the two is not developed. Because the old man is a misunderstood outsider subjected to cruel mistreatment, he becomes primarily a figure of pity - a strange emotion for an â€Å"angel† to inspire. He has enough magical qualities to let the reader see him, at least potentially, as a figure of wonder, but his very human vulnerability keeps this from being much more than a suggestion. Finally, there is at least an equal suggestion of a potential â€Å"dark side. † Pelayo’s first impression is that of having seen a â€Å"nightmare,† and the â€Å"mental disorder† of the old man’s miracles suggests that his â€Å"magic powers† are uncontrollable, making him dangerous. When burned with a branding iron, his startled wing-flapping creates â€Å"a whirlwind of chicken dung and lunar dust,† â€Å"a gale of panic that did not seem to be of this world. † It is almost a moment of terror; when he calms down, the villagers regard him with renewed caution and fear: â€Å"his passivity was not that of a hero taking his ease, but that of a cataclysm in repose. † And though his visit brings truly miraculous results for Pelayo and Elisenda by making them fabulously wealthy, it also seems to be a frightful and unnerving experience for them. Elisenda comes to feel that she lives in â€Å"a hell full of angels,† and when they design their dream home, the couple make sure to â€Å"angel-proof † it with iron bars. Media Adaptations  ·Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† was adapted, with some modifications, as a film with the same title in 1988, in a Spanish production directed by Fernando Birri. Starring Daisy Granados, Asdrubal Melendez, and Luis Alberto Ramiriz, the film is available with English subtitles on Fox/Lorber Home Video, Facets Multimedia, Inc. or from Ingram International Films. Plot Summary While Garcia Marquez makes no divisions in the text, this discussion will consider the plot in four separate stages. The story begins with the â€Å"old man’s† arrival and ends with his departure. The intervening period, which covers several years, may be divided into two stages: the brief sensation caused by his appearance and a long period of declining interest in which the strange visitor is all but forgotten. Arrival The setting is an unnamed coastal village, at an unspecified time in the past. A long rainstorm has washed crabs up from the beach into Pelayo’s house, creating an odor he thinks may be affecting his sick newborn child. Disposing of their carcasses, he sees a figure groaning on the ground in his courtyard; as he moves closer, he discovers it to be â€Å"an old man, a very old man, lying face down in the mud, who, in spite of his tremendous efforts, couldn’t get up, impeded by his enormous wings. † Staring at this pitiful â€Å"bird-man,† Pelayo and his wife Elisenda begin to overcome their amazement, and even find him familiar, despite those mysterious wings. While they can’t understand his language, he seems to have â€Å"a strong sailor’s voice,† and at first they decide he is a shipwrecked foreign sailor, somehow managing to overlook the need to explain his wings. But a neighbor soon â€Å"corrects† them, stating confidently that he is an angel. Assuming he is nothing but trouble, she advises them to kill him. Not having the heart for it, Pelayo instead locks the old man in his chicken coop, still planning to dispose of him, only now by setting him to sea on a raft. He and Elisenda wake the next morning to find a crowd of neighbors in the courtyard and a far more complicated situation on their hands; suddenly, â€Å"everyone knew that a flesh-and-blood angel was held captive in Pelayo’s house. † Sensation The villagers treat the old man like a â€Å"circus animal†; they toss him food and speculate about what should be done with him. Some think he should be made â€Å"mayor of the world,† others want him to be a â€Å"five-star general in order to win all wars,† and still others hope he will father a super-race of â€Å"winged wise men who could take charge of the universe. The village priest arrives to inspect the captive, and presumably to make a more reasoned judgment on his nature. Father Gonzaga suspects â€Å"an impostor† at once and finds the old man’s pathetic appearance to be strongly at odds with the church’s traditional image of heavenly messengers. Finding the old man smelly and decrepit, his battered wings infested with insects, and showing no knowledge of church etiquette, the priest concludes that â€Å"nothing about him measured up to the proud dignity of angels. Despite his skepticism, he refuses to give a definitive ruling on the old man, choosing instead to write letters to his church superiors and wait for a written verdict from scholars in the Vatican. In the meantime, he warns the villagers against reaching any rash conclusions. But word of the â€Å"angel† has already traveled too far, drawing fantastic crowds and creating a carnival atmosphere; events unfold quickly, described in language that suggests the exaggerated, dreamlike world of fairy-tales. Surrounded by all this hectic activity, the old man takes â€Å"no part in his own act,† keeping to himself and tolerating the abuses and indignities of his treatment with a patience that seems to be â€Å"[h]is only supernatural virtue. † Drawn by the crowds, traveling circuses and carnivals arrive in town - including one that provides formidable competition for the puzzling attraction of â€Å"a haughty angel who scarcely deigned to look at mortals. † Decline The new sensation is â€Å"the spider-woman,† whose fantastic nature includes none of the majesty we associate with angels; she represents a kind of â€Å"magic† familiar from fairy-tales and folk legends. When still a girl, she once disobeyed her parents by going dancing; later, on the way home, she was struck by lightning and changed into a giant tarantula, retaining her human head. As a spectacle, she appeals to the crowd in ways the old man cannot, and even charges a lower admission price. Significantly, she speaks to her visitors, explaining the meaning of her monstrous appearance; her sad story is easy to understand, and points to a clear moral (children should obey their parents), one her audience already believes to be true. In contrast, the old man does nothing to explain himself, teaches nothing, and doesn’t even entertain people; rather than confirming their beliefs, his mysterious nature challenges all the expectations it creates. He does perform some miracles, but they are equally puzzling, seeming to be either practical jokes or the result of some â€Å"mental disorder. † These disappointing miracles â€Å"had already ruined the angel’s reputation, when the woman who had been changed into a spider finally crushed him completely. The crowds disappear from Pelayo and Elisenda’s courtyard as suddenly as they had come, and the unexplained mystery of the â€Å"bird-man† is quickly forgotten. Still, thanks to the now-departed paying customers, Pelayo and Elisenda are now wealthy. They rebuild their home as â€Å"a two-story mansion with balconies and gardens and high netting so that crabs wouldn’t get in during the winter, and with iron bars on the windows so t hat angels wouldn’t get in,† and settle into a life of luxury. But the ruined chicken coop and its ancient captive remain; as the years pass, the couple’s growing child plays in the courtyard with the old man, who stubbornly survives despite his infirmities and neglect. When a doctor comes to examine him, he is amazed that the old man is still alive, and also by â€Å"the logic of his wings,† which seem so natural that the doctor wonders why everyone doesn’t have them. Even the bird-man’s mystery and wonder grow so familiar that he eventually becomes a simple nuisance: a disagreeable old man, â€Å"dragging himself about here and there,† always underfoot. Elisenda seems to find him everywhere in the house, as if he were duplicating himself just to annoy her; at one point she grows so â€Å"exasperated and unhinged† she screams that she is living in a â€Å"hell full of angels. † Finally the old man’s health deteriorates even further, and he seems to be near death. Departure As winter gives way to the sunny days of spring, the old man’s condition begins to improve. He seems to sense a change taking place in himself, and to know what it means. He tries to stay out of the family’s sight, sitting motionless for days in the corner of the courtyard; at night, he quietly sings sailor’s songs to himself. Stiff new feathers begin to grow from his wings, and one morning Elisenda sees him trying them out in the courtyard. His first efforts to fly are clumsy, consisting of â€Å"ungainly flapping that slipped on the light and couldn’t get a grip on the air,† but he finally manages to take off. Elisenda sighs with relief, â€Å"for herself and for him,† as she watches him disappear, â€Å"no longer an annoyance in her life but an imaginary dot on the horizon of the sea. † Style Imagery In establishing the character of the old man, Garcia Marquez plays against traditional stereotypes of angels. Angels are supernatural creatures and are expected them to be presented in images that convey grandeur, perfection, wisdom, and grace. By definition, angels are contrasted with humans; though they resemble humans physically, they are super-human in every conceivable way. But like Father Gonzaga, the reader’s first response to the old man is likely to be that he is â€Å"much too human. † Instead of presenting a majestic, awe-inspiring figure, Garcia Marquez describes a creature with mortal weaknesses and senility (â€Å"a drenched great-grandfather†), in circumstances without any trace of reverence or dignity. While his feathered wings invite comparisons with birds, even this imagery is common and debased; he is â€Å"a senile vulture† or a â€Å"decrepit hen,† not a soaring eagle or an elegant swan. While the villagers face the problem of understanding an apparent â€Å"angel† who fits none of their expectations for the type, the reader finds himself placed by the author in the same position. Also unusual is the way Garcia Marquez combines different types of imagery. The opening line reveals that it is â€Å"the third day of rain,† and a few lines later this information is repeated in another form: â€Å"The world had been sad since Tuesday. † One is a direct statement of fact, which might appear in a weather report; the other is a poetic image, projecting human emotions onto the weather and individual feelings onto the entire world. Expressed in other terms, the reader accepts the first version as â€Å"real,† while the second version (if taken at face value) is â€Å"magical,† involving a logically-impossible connection between human feelings and the weather. Both attitudes are familiar to readers, who know to read a factual account in a rational, literal frame of mind, and to suspend disbelief in a more imaginative story, where descriptions are expected to be used for their creative, suggestive effects. But Garcia Marquez never allows the reader to settle comfortably into one attitude or the other; throughout the story, realistic and magical details are combined, seeming to suggest that both attitudes are valid, and that neither one is sufficient by itself. Narration The ambiguity within the story is reinforced by inconsistencies in the narrative voice. The narrator is, after all, the â€Å"person† presenting all this odd imagery to the reader, and readers habitually look to the narrator for clues to help find a proper interpretation. For example, when the narrator states that Father Gonzaga’s letters to his church superiors â€Å"might have come and gone until the end of time† without reaching a conclusion, he confirms the reader’s suspicion that the priest’s approach is futile, despite his confident assurances to the crowd. Narrators don’t just present facts; they also give direction as to â€Å"how to take† the information we receive This narrator, however, seems to direct the reader all over the map and to be inconsistent in his own attitude to events. The villagers† wild ideas about the old man are often presented as obvious delusions, characterized as â€Å"frivolous† or â€Å"simple† by the narrator. But at other times, he seems no more skeptical than the villagers. For example, the story of the spider-woman seems far more fantastic than that of an old man with wings, but the narrator gives no suggestion that her transformation is particularly unusual and seems to expect the reader to accept this frankly â€Å"magical† event as if it presented no mystery at all. Though they are wise in ways the villagers are not, and see through the various fanciful interpretations of the visitor, readers come to feel that the narrator may not fully understand the old man himself. Such an unreliable storyteller makes a mystery even more mysterious, complicating efforts to fix a definite meaning to the tale.

Reaction paper on the book Lucky by Alice Sebold Essay

Reaction paper on the book Lucky by Alice Sebold - Essay Example ed the course of her life when she was 18 and a freshman at Syracuse University in 1981, Sebold invites her readers into the lifelong effects of that one event. From the intricate description of police action following her report, through the days and weeks following both in facing other students back at her dorm room and in returning to her parents home for the summer break, to the recognition and trial of the man who raped her, Sebold gives a real life account of the various ways in which rape can hurt a woman, physically, psychologically, socially. By including the stories of several of her friends and acquaintances that she meets along the way, Sebold also sheds light on the ways in which others reacted to similar experience or to herself as a victim. Told with her characteristic forthright style, Sebold paints a picture of the reality of rape as she has experienced it over the course of the approximately 18 years since it happened. I especially liked the way in which Sebold approaches the subject with a frank, tell-it-like-it-is approach that typifies her writing style. As she described the way in which her attacker painfully manipulated her breasts, she narrates the way in which she dissociated herself from the experience. â€Å"’Nice white titties,’ he said. And the words made me give them up, lobbing off each part of my body as he claimed ownership – the mouth, the tongue, my breasts† (Sebold, 1999, p. 16). By painting the picture in such straightforward language, without appeals to sympathy or apology, Sebold immediately drew me in to her story, allowing me to sympathize with the experience in a way that has not often been presented. â€Å"’I was raped’ I said. †¦ I felt I had to say it. But I felt also that saying it was akin to an act of vandalism. As if I had thrown a bucket of blood out across the living room at the blue couch, Myra, the winged chair, my mother. / The three of us sat there and watched it drip† (Sebold, 1999, p. 76).

Womens Inclusion in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Womens Inclusion in Education - Essay Example In many countries, cost of education has been rapidly growing and this substantial and constant rise has discouraged many families to provide quality education to their all children. Consequently, this has led to believe that education can only be given to male children rather than to female children. Additionally, in some countries, religious beliefs also discourage the followers to provide education to their girls. For example, in the religion of Islam, some scholars believe that girls should not be allowed to receive an education. And in order to support their perspective, they contend that allowing girls for receiving education would provide them an opportunity to freely interact with boys which become a major cause of social evil in their society. However, this type of belief has made this world more insecure and unsafe as well. For example, because of this backward thinking and perspective, the world is facing the menace of terrorism and extremism; and the events of 9/11 are th e result of one of such insane manifestations. As a result, it can be extracted that because of this thinking, many innocent people lost their lives in that attack. At the same time, the followers of that thinking are still causing harm to humans and humanity as terror attacks are still taking place in a number of other countries as well. In order to avoid this cost, which is being paid by the whole humanity, it has become highly necessary and unavoidable to work against this belief and promote and encourage woman education.

Course work question in term of report in database field Coursework

Course work question in term of report in database field - Coursework Example sist develop an updated system for them to manage administration, sales, stock, SC club members, competitions, service scheduling, promotions and other administration matters. The reason for this report is to provide update approaches that Silent Cycles require. The report is comprises of the following sections requirements collection techniques, database security issues, context level diagram, analysis and design: use technique of Normalisation, and finally a critical discussion of the database system. Silent Cycles has been in operation unfortunately their existing database system does not adequately serve them currently. Requirements gathering techniques are meant to collect information from managers, employees, system administrators and customers so as to assess the best strategies (Dennis, Wixom & Roth, 2009). The purpose of doing this is to understand what suppose to be done as the process involves building systems for others, not for experts. Gather data through interviews, documentation, observation, surveys/questionnaires, and immersion. These techniques necessitate that data is systematize or presented in a way end users can understand. This can be done through notes, brainstorming, cards, and computer tools then presented as lists, outlines, matrices, narratives, network and flow charts. Three key apparatus in considering how individuals work comprise activities, artefacts and relations. Not just computer system oriented but investigation of related systems and objects i n the setting that people may employ in office environment including papers, whiteboards, phone calling and others. Focus on observable behaviours (Dennis, Wixom & Roth, 2009); what are the steps, methods, objects, practices used? Learn what people do, the reason they do it, the manner they do it, the time they execute it, with what instrument or individuals they do it. The new application / UI may transform some of this, particularly the manner. Comprehending how can direct to deeper

Community Based Correctional Systems Criminology Essay

Community Based Correctional Systems Criminology Essay Community corrections is an umbrella phrase, which includes everything from intermediate punishments to pre-trial diversion. A community correctional system includes any non-incarcerative, but supervised way of handling offenders who have already been convicted or who are facing conviction. Parole and probation are the most renowned forms of community corrections, but the phrase also includes: electronic monitoring, home confinement, work release, day fine programs, restitution, halfway houses, check-in programs, community services, community based correctional facilities and curfews. In Ohio, community corrections refer to a system of particular facilities, which provide non-residential and residential services to a convicted offender. A good example of a community based correctional system in Ohio is the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (W.O.R.T.H. Center). This paper will attempt to cite the strength and weaknesses of the W.O.R.T.H. Center. I will also exp lain whether or not this system serves the community better than institutional correctional systems. Discussion The W.O.R.T.H. Center, just like other community based correctional systems in the United States, receives funds from the state, but, it is based in and operated by the local community in Ohio. In addition to this, this center is a male and female community based correctional facility, which houses criminals for a period not exceeding six months. This center provides an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦intermediate residential sanction at the front end of the system between prison and probation, known as diversion and re-integration services at the tail end of the system between parole and prison, known as transitionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Bronstein, 2005). The W.O.R.T.H. Center has various programs that are aimed at fully rehabilitating the offenders such as: moral reconation therapy, skills class, chemical dependency, substance abuse, AA meetings, educational services, job readiness, money management, anger management, domestic violence, public service, parenting classes, Bible study, recreation, and community meetings. Each program is highly structured with evaluation, treatment, follow-up services such as transitional counseling (W.O.R.T.H Center, 2011). The offenders who effectively complete the program at this facility normally continue on non-residential probation that is supervised for a certain period of time. And those offenders who do not are sent to jail. Offenders sentenced to the W.O.R.T.H. Center are normally felony low level felony offenders or probation offenders who are otherwise headed to jail or prison. Rather than being sentenced to jail, such offenders are diverted into centers such as the W.O.R.T.H. Center where they receive severe treatment for education, chemical dependency, family relations or employment assistance. In numerous ways, the W.O.R.T.H. Center is similar to a conventional prison setting since it is a residential placement with very little freedom to actually move around. However, this facility has minimum security operations, which houses between fifty and two hundred male and female offenders, so it is somewhat smaller than most jails and offers to some extent, more freedom to the offender. Community based correctional system such as the W.O.R.T.H. Center is believed to be an evident improvement over conventional corrections programs for humanitarian reasons. The W.O.R.T.H. Center can be considered humanitarian because it provides less serious male and female offenders with choices, which allow them to continue with various elements of their lives. In addition to this, this community based correctional facility is also humanitarian because it avoids many of the negative effects of incarcerations such as stigmatization, damage to mental or physical health as well as constant exposure to criminal peers (Bronstein, 2005). Another advantage of the W.O.R.T.H. Center is that it offers opportunities to be more responsive to the needs of victims, offenders and the community at large. For instance, the restorative resolution program in the W.O.R.T.H. Center is a community alternative to imprisonment. This program targets lawbreakers who are facing a prison term of about six months or at times even nine months. Another sentencing plan is developed for lawbreakers referred to this program that aims to tackle the individual needs of the lawbreaker as well as address victim concerns. Another advantage is that the community programs at this facility are more effective than prison or incarceration. Effectiveness can be measured in terms of avoiding exposure to undesirable effects, reducing recidivism as well as promoting the successful re-integration of offenders into the community (Bloomberg, 2000). Moreover, the cost of running the W.O.R.T.H. Center is not as costly as conventional prison. However, the W.O.R.T.H. Center is not without its weaknesses. This community based correctional facility appears to have very little impact on the rates of recidivism among the ex-offenders (W.O.R.T.H Center, 2011). In addition to this, since the W.O.R.T.H. Center includes residences or halfway houses where the ex-offenders learn to make the successful transition from prison into society, the residents who live around are naturally kept on a strict curfew. In addition to this, these halfway houses are located in a neighborhood, as opposed to remote locations and this commonly disturbs the residents of that particular neighborhood, who live in fear of being victimized or even threatened by the ex-offenders residing in the halfway houses. Recidivism is the repetition of criminal behavior. Clearly, one objective of community based correctional system such as the W.O.R.T.H. Center is to prevent the offenders from repeating any kind of criminal behavior. In the past, these facilities have been commended for being more effective in reducing recidivism than conventional prison settings since they never take the offender completely out of the community and that they also provide a transition period between the community and the prison (Bronstein, 2005). Ideally, community based correctional systems teach the offender how to be productive and successful members of the community. But, regrettably, some offenders in community based correctional programs do recidivate. The re-arrest, charging and return of criminals to correctional facilities has a public safety advantage and numerous social as well as fiscal costs. Proponents of community based correctional systems argue that community programs are in reality more effective than prison. Effectiveness can be measured in terms of avoiding exposure to undesirable effects, reducing recidivism and so forth. According to Benzy (2004), incarceration is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦not more effective than community corrections in preventing re-offending and treatment programs have been shown to be more effective when delivered in a community settingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. What is more, community based correctional programs spare the offenders numerous negative effects of incarceration. I believe that community based correctional system serves the community better than institutional correctional systems. Community based correctional programs facilitate many of the factors linked with the successful re-integration of the offender into the community. For criminals being released from prison into a community based correctional facility, the benefits of community corrections are rather obvious. Not only is the criminal provided with the chance to steadily re-integrate into society, he or she is able to pursue educational and employment opportunities. Moreover, family ties are better maintained when a criminal is residing at a community based correctional facility rather than a prison. Presently, community based correctional facilities have not been widely accepted by the general public and this opposition manifests itself in numerous ways. For instance, the general public has never fully embraced community corrections programs like fines, probation, full and day parole, intermittent prison sentences and temporary absences. A majority of communities in the United States are unfriendly to the notion of having residential centers such as the does a community based correctional system serves the community better than institutional correctional systems for law offenders located in their midst for fear that adjacent property values will drop and crime will increase, a phenomenon commonly referred to as Not In My Back Yard Syndrome or NIMBY (Benzy, 2004). But, most individuals agree that the current institutional correctional system does not work and many are even willing to consider community based correction systems. Institutional correctional systems such as prisons generally make individuals worse. Presently, nothing much has changed other than that there are many more individuals in prison and our prisons are currently larger and in fact, more destructive of the human personality than before with harsher regimes and fewer programs (Bronstein, 2005). Research reveals that there are only three possible changes in the life of an offender during his or her incarceration in an institutional correctional system: availability of a reasonably supportive job, family upon release, as well as the process of aging that ultimately eradicates criminal behavior as an alternative (Bronstein, 2005). It is rather obvious that in the institutional correctional systems, offenders are incarcerated not to treat them, but for other reasons. Increasingly, such systems are places of punishment and have nothing at all to do with rehabilitation unlike the community-based correctional systems. Conclusion Community based correctional systems offers workable alternatives to incarceration for offenders at different stages of the criminal justice process. The alternatives that are available to the offenders include: alternative measures programs, bail supervision programs, fine options programs, restitution programs, probation, community service order, parole and so on. The community based correctional system serves the community better than institutional correctional systems since the offenders are given a chance to steadily re-integrate into society, pursue educational and employment opportunities and in general, be more productive in the community.

Smuggling Of Nuclear Material Essay -- essays research papers

Smuggling of Nuclear Material Over the past five years the former states of the Soviet Union haven't been able to prevent the leakage of nuclear material. Nuclear materials and technologies are more accessible now than at any other time in history, due to the breakup of the Soviet Union and the worsening of economic conditions. No longer does the Soviet KGB, the Soviet military and the Soviet border guards have the control to stop the smuggling of nuclear material's. With the Cold War being over, there is a huge stockpile of over 100 nuclear sites (See Appendix A). Russia, alone has an inventory of 1,300 tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU), and 165 tons of weapon usable plutonium. Such material is coming into high demand on the market. Terrorist, organized crime and countries with nuclear ambition, are high bid contenders for the material. The United States is also becoming involved for the safety of preventing a nuclear disaster. The U.S. has just begun their large task and with Russia's worsening economy, smuggling of nuclear material will continue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Cold War the security of Soviet nuclear weapons and missile materials was based on a highly centralized military system and operating within a strong political authority. The workers back then where well disciplined and each individual new his/her role. The workers were among the best treated and loyal to the Russian military. They are now suffering hardships and are forced to scavenge anything to pay for their food, rent and social services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new trend is already occurring with some of the workers . There are those that will seek employment out of the nuclear field and in the commercial sector, where salaries are higher. Then the unfortunate who lose their jobs and find no work. The scarier thought is that the uncontempt people in Russia's nuclear complex with access to nuclear materials will sell themselves, to make a quick buck. Most suppliers of nuclear material, were insiders who had worked or were then working at nuclear research institutes or naval bases. Most perpetrators had no customers in hand but new that a quick profit existed (See Appendix B).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first confirmed case involving the diversion of HEU occurred at the Luch Scientific Production Association in Podolsk. Between May and September of... ...;  Ã‚  Ã‚  The smuggling of nuclear material out of Russia has become proratable to the low income worker as well as to the benefit of terrorist, organism crime and nuclear research centers. There exist no security at most of the nuclear facilities and so apprehending the material is quit easy. More cases of unsuccessful attempts are becoming known to the media, but any successful attempts the government, both Russia and the U.S have decline to answer. If left unchecked it may even escalate to the complex level of drug smuggling. Work Cited List   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas B. Cochran, Robert S. Norriss, Making the Russian Bomb: From Stalin to Yelsin, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Deutch,  ³The Threat of Nuclear Diversion Statement for Record, ² CIA, March 20, 1996.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexei Lebedev, in  ³Russian Weapons Plutonium Storage Termed Unsafe by Minatom Official, ² Nucleonics Week, April 28, 1994.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weclliam C. Potter,  ³Arms Control Today, ² Monterey Institute of Internation Studies, October 1995. Paul Woessner,  ³Nuclear Material Trafficking: An Interim Assessment,  ³ Bridgeway

Case Study †Sources of International Law, ‘Non-binding’ agreements & Treaties

Abstract International agreements are frequently entered into by sovereign States and international organisations. Whilst many of them are formal treaties and thus have binding effect, others do not fit into this category and thereby remain non-binding agreements. This often leads to a great deal of dispute resolution procedures taking place since it is generally quite difficult to determine whether an agreement is binding or not. Using Iran as a case study, an agreement that has recently been entered into will be reviewed in order to determine its legal effects and consequences. Introduction A Treaty is a written agreement that has been entered into by international law actors, such as international organisations and sovereign States. A Treaty is thus a type of contract that allows parties to voluntary enter into the agreement in order to be bound by its terms (Fitzmaurice and Elias, 2005: 10). Accordingly, treaties are â€Å"the only way States can create international law consciously† (Dixon, 2007: 26) and may either be bilateral or multilateral. The legal status of the agreement between Germany and the five permanent members of the Security Council (SC) and Iran will be reviewed in order to consider its legal status, whether it is binding and whether it will prevail over previously SC resolutions. The equality of States doctrine will also be considered in order to establish whether it is workable in practice. The legal status of this agreement. Is this a TreatyWhy? The ‘Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons’ is a multilateral Treaty that opened for signatory at London, Moscow and Washington on the 1st July 1968 and entered into force on the 5th March 1970. The TTreaty currently has 190 State Parties, 93 signatories and 4 Depositary Governments(UN, 1968: 1). Under this Treaty Iran has been able to develop a nuclear programme that has been regarded suspicious by many other countries (Kerr, 2013: 2). Despite this Iran has persistently claimed that the peaceful nature of its activities aimed to develop nuclear energy. Consequently, Iran has thus entered into an agreement with the Security Council and Germany in order to put an end to all sanctions being inflicted upon them. Whether this will arouse further suspicion is arguably, yet the agreement, also known as the ‘Joint Action Plan’, is also a ‘Treaty’ in that it imposes obligations upon the State parties; Case Concerning the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Pro ject (Hungary v Slovakia) (1998) 37 ILM 162. Furthermore, because this is a legally binding agreement between the State parties that has been created by two or more subjects of international law, it can be recognised as having Treaty status. Under the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties all States have the capacity to make treaties. This can be made available to the SC under Article 43 (3) of the UN Charter. Again, this further indicates how this agreement is capable of being a Treaty (Hollis, 2012: 75). Nevertheless, the parties to the agreement must intend for it to be binding at international law (Villiger, 1985: 35). This does appear to be the case given that the agreement contains a unilateral Statement because as was confirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Australia v France, New Zealand v France 1974 ICJ Rep 253; unilateral statements of States are legally binding in appropriate circumstances. The legal status of this agreement is that it is therefore a Treaty and legally binding. As such, Iran will no longer be sanctioned for developing a nuclear programme, which they claim to be for peaceful purposes. Are Resolutions of the SC sources of International Law/Binding? Resolutions of the SC generally have binding effect; Legal Consequences for States of the Continued Presence of South Africa in Namibia (South West Africa) notwithstanding SC Resolution 276 (1970) Advisory Opinion of 21 June 1971, although there has been some focus by the ICJ on their other effects, such as authorising effect and (dis)empowering effect (Basak, 1969: 385). The effect of the resolution will, nonetheless, depend entirely on its type . This is because a SC resolution may either be a recommendation or a decision, which are not clearly defined in the Charter. As a result, it is often difficult to determine the legal effects of such resolutions (Johnson, 1955: 107), however the Court generally refers to binding resolutions as decisions and non-binding resolutions as recommendations; Certain Expenses of the United Nations (Article 17, Paragraph 2 of the Charter) [1962] ICJ Rep 151, at 163. SC resolutions resolution are binding if they create obligations on its recipients and if they are made under Chapter VII (Action with Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace and Acts of Agression). Since the ‘Joint Action Plan’ agreement imposes obligations on its State parties and contains a threat to the peace, it is likely that this will again render it a binding resolution. However, it has been pointed out by Hollis that the agreement is not binding on the basis that it â€Å"implies something aspirational rather than required.†(Hollis, 2013: 1). This is evident from the wording; â€Å"The goal for these negotiations is to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure Iran’s nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful (Geneva, 2014: 1). Therefore, whilst it seems that the agreement is a legally binding resolution, the fact that only recommendations are being made may suggest that it is not and sceptics ha ve argued that the plan is â€Å"just a false front for the Iranians in order to have sanctions lifted† (Midwest Diplomacy, 2013: 1). Therefore, although SC sources of international law are binding, it has been questioned whether Iran should be provided with the ability to develop their nuclear programme even further as this could have disastrous effects (Zand, 2014: 1). In case of conflict between this agreement and previous SC Resolutions which one should prevail? The determination as to whether SC decisions possess an overriding binding effect will be determined on a case by case basis. However, it is usually the case that SC recommendations will not have an overriding binding effect; Questions of Interpretation and Application of the 1971 Montreal Convention Arising from the Aeriel Incident at Lockerbie (Libya v UK) Preliminary Objection [1998] ICJ Rep 9, at 26, whilst SC decisions will; Reparation for Injuries Suffered in the Service of the United Nations [1949] ICJ Rep 174. Therefore, if the ‘Joint Action Plan’ is merely a recommendation then this will not be binding and will therefore not prevail over previous SC Resolutions. If the agreement is a decision, however, then it will be prevail as it will have a binding effect. In Lockbie, Provisional Measures [1992] ICJ Rep 3 it was held by the ICJ that pre-empting obligations that flow from traditional sources of international law can be overridden by the normative powers of th e SC in order to ensure that peace and security is maintained, yet the binding effect of resolutions will depend on their language, the discussions leading up to it and the provisions of the Charter being invoked (Oberg, 2005: 879). In Application for Review of Judgment no. 273 of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal (‘Mortished affair’) [1982] ICJ Rep 325 Resolution 34/165 reversed the prior decision in Resolution 33/119 in order to avoid two incompatible legal effects co-existing. Therefore, because SC Resolutions 1696 (2006) of 21 July 2006 and 1737 (2006) of 26 December 2006 will be incompatible with the new agreement, they may be reversed if the new agreement has an overriding binding effect. This is highly beneficial for Iran since they deemed the previous resolutions unfair on the basis that they had received different treatment to other States. Comment on the parties of this agreement. What does it say about the equality of States in practice? The doctrine of equality of States covers both legal equality and political equality. Legal equality deals with the legal relations that exist between States, whilst political equality deals with the distribution of economic and military power between States. Because Iran appears to have been given exceptional powers under the new agreement, it is likely that these new powers will be considered contrary to this principle. This is because Iran is effectively being given additional powers to control its nuclear program and is also being protected from any sanctions imposed by other States. As the doctrine seeks to ensure that all States are treated equally under international law, States ought to have the same rights and responsibilities as each other (Kelsen, 1952: 156). As this is not being effectuated under this agreement, it is clear that this principle is being contravened. Nevertheless, there is an exception to the doctrine in cases where there has been a ‘breach of the p eace’ or an ‘act of aggression’ that threatened international peace and security. Therefore, because Iran has stated that they aimed to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, the violation of this doctrine will be permitted (Nahar, 2005: 1). This agreement thereby illustrates that the equality of States doctrine may not actually be workable in practice since the doctrine may be contravened if the aim is to maintain international peace and security. Conclusion Overall, it appears as though Iran’s agreement with the SC and Germany is a Treaty and will therefore have binding effect. This is because the agreement has been made purely to maintain peace and security. Although Iran’s activities have been met with some suspicion over the years, they have continued to state that the peaceful nature of their activities merely aimed to develop nuclear energy. As this agreement does appear to be a Treaty, it is likely that it will be capable of prevailing over previous SC resolutions. This is welcoming for Iran who were subjected to unfairness as a result of resolutions 1696 and 1737, although not all would agree with this decision. Hence, many would argued that the agreement conflicts with the equality of States doctrine. Nevertheless, because Iran have stated that they are acting in the interests of national security, the doctrine will be capable of being breached. Accordingly, the Doctrine is therefore not always workable and in thi s instance, Iran are being treated more favourably than other States. References Basak, A. (1969) ‘Decisions of the United Nations Organs in Judgements and Opinions of the International Court of Justice’; Thierry, Resolutions of international bodies in the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice, Collected Courses, Volume 167. Johnson, A. (1955) ‘The Effect of Resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations’, 32 British Year Book of International Law 97. Dixon, M. (2007) Textbook on International Law, London, Oxford University Press. Geneva. (2013) ‘Joint Plan of Action’ [Online], Available: http://im.ft-static.com/content/images/d0fa3682-5523-11e3-86bc-00144feabdc0.pdf [15 January, 2014]. Fitzmaurice, M. and Elias, O. A. (2005) Contemporary Issues in the Law of Treaties, Netherlands, Eleven International Publishing. Hollis, D. B. (2012) The Oxford Guide to Treaties, London, Oxford University Press. Hollis, D. B. (2013) ‘The New Iran Deal Doesn’t Look Legally Binding. Does It Matter?’ Opinio Juris, [Online], Available: http://opiniojuris.org/2013/11/24/new-us-iran-deal-doesnt-look-legally-binding-matter/ [14 January 2014]. Kelsen, H. (1952) Principles of International Law, London, The Lawbook Exchange. Kerr, P. K. (2013) ‘Iran’s Nuclear Program: Tehran’s Compliance with International Obligations’ Congressional Research Service, CRS Report, R40094. Oberg, M. D. (2005) ‘The Legal Effects of Resolutions of the UN Security Council and General Assembly in the Jurisprudence of the ICJ’ European Journal of International Law, Volume 16, Issue 5. Midwest Diplomacy. (2013) ‘Understanding Iran and the Nuclear ‘Joint Plan of Action’ [Online], Available: http://egiuliani.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/understanding-iran-and-the-nuclear-joint-plan-of-action/ [14 January 2014]. Nahar, S. (2005) ‘Sovereign Equality Principle in International Law’ [Online], Available: http://www.globalpolitician.com/print.asp?id=4351 [14 January 2014]. (1968) ‘Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons’ Multilateral, [Online], Available: https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20729/volume-729-I-10485-English.pdf [13 January, 2014]. Villiger, M. E. (1985) Customary International Law and Treaties: A Study of their interactions and interrelations, with special consideration of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, BRILL. Zand, L. (2014) ‘Organisations Warn Senate Against New Iran Sanctions’ Fellowship of Reconciliation, [Online], Available: http://forusa.org/blogs/leila-zand/62-organizations-warn-senate-against-new-iran-sanctions/12813 [20 January, 2014].

Attention Essays

What did Stanislavski mean by Imagination and Concentration/Attention Essays What did Stanislavski mean by Imagination and Concentration/Attention Paper What did Stanislavski mean by Imagination and Concentration/Attention Paper Stanislavski, referred to by many in the world of theatre as the dominant influence on actor training today, had many views and techniques he believed were necessary for an actor to feel or follow in order to be fully prepared for a role. All of these ideas and approaches to acting were directly part of the Stanislavski system. Imagination was key in his system in order to turn the play into a theatrical reality through invention. In conjunction with the magic if which can be interpreted as belief. For example, if this piece of paper was really an injured bird, then what would it look like? How would it feel? Why is it injured? It leads the actor to create details and facts about a certain object or character, which in turn make the situation easier to believe in. Personally when doing this exercise and watching as the bird was passed around the room, each person adding more detail to the situation, my belief in the bird heightened and I became more involved in the situation. Sympathy was evoked for the bird by one girl, showing that the exercise was working for many of us. Every new fact acted as a fixation to the imagination and intensified out belief. The If is magic because it gives the imagination that stimulatory nudge which will excite the actor into action. What was interesting was that before we were told exactly what the piece of paper was, the group thought that we were going to have to imagine something for ourselves, which would have been a lot harder. This showed me that I found it easier working with a preconceived idea, oppose to creating myself and entirely new one. For me, this meant that although I began to believe in the bird, perhaps imagining situations is not as easy as one may think, which is why circumstances and the magic if help a lot when imagining a situation. In An Actor Prepares, Stanislavski sets this out perfectly with I am I; but if I were and old oak tree, set in certain surrounding conditions, what would I do? In the preparation of a role this is crucial. In order to establish the realistic style of acting Stanislavski wanted to achieve, an actor must draw upon the realistic reactions of himself, and incorporate them into the role. Not only will this add to the depth of the character, it will make the audience relate more to the character. By asking questions about the role, it becomes explored until the actor knows and can understand why his character reacts in certain ways, or why he is there, how he came to be there etc. Therefore, the role becomes believed rather than pretended; the actor becomes the character. As Stanislavski said, parts in the play are the invention of the authors imagination, a whole series of ifs and given circumstances thought up by him. There is no such thing as actuality on stage. And this is true even when acting events in history, as the actor still has to imagine what it would have been like and ask questions about the character, as with the bird i. e. why am I here? It is not merely about the actor learning his lines as these will give him no ideas of their thoughts, feelings or impulses. All this must be made fuller and deeper by the actor. In this creative process imagination leads the actor. When preparing a role, research therefore had to be done into every aspect of the character. Imagination helps to set up a background, setting and tone for every scene and most importantly an explanation that is crucial for an actor to realize. Stanislavski states that when creating a role, you should first gather all the materials that have a bearing on it, and supplement them with more and more imagination. For example, if I was preparing the role of Masha in Chekhovs Three Sisters, I would want to explore the thoughts and motives and explanations behind Mashas language and expression. In conjunctions with this would be the Russian culture and her standing within her family. When fully satisfied with all that only the text could tell me, imagination would be set free and I could explore her tones in certain scenes and pace. I would imagine in some scenes like her triste with Vershinin, she would be very excited in her speech but in others with Kulygin, perhaps more melancholy and slow. Then would improvisation occur when I would imagine how she would move around e. t. c. Extending the magic If allows greater opportunity for character exploration as I would investigate Mashas reactions to diverse situations. Extending my imagination to the extent that I am completely at ease within my given circumstances allows me to become more relaxed on stage in the character. The use of Emotion Memory would be a vital part of preparing for playing the role of Masha. Sincerity of emotions, feelings that seem true in the given circumstances that is what we ask of a dramatist A fundamental part of creating the role would be in making the portrayal appear realistic and believable. By drawing experienced emotions together into a kind of reservoir, actually experiencing an emotion as I am acting would add to the appearance of Masha being real. For example, when Masha argues with her sisters, she is feeling lonely, hurt and angry. On stage I would be really experiencing these emotions, but they would not necessarily stem from the same situations. That is to say, for instance, the feelings of pain would not have to be the result of my love leaving me to be with his wife. All of this linked to the idea of creating a natural character on stage, in order to step away from the unrealistic style of acting before the late 1880s. Imagination can be used to create places familiar to ourselves, or to create fantasy situations. Both are important for an actor to accomplish as often it is harder to act on something in which you have no experience and it is necessary to create a difference between pretending and believing in a role. For example, when given the scenario of cooking a meal in a kitchen, instantaneously I imagined my own kitchen and began cooking as I would there i. e. with the stove in the same place, cupboards and drawers. This was simple to believe as I know my kitchen very well and found myself nudging drawers closed and other habits that I do in my kitchen. If I were to perform in a kitchen, I would most certainly use my own imagination to aid in a realistic portrayal of one as I see it. The situations in which we were put became more and more diverse, and as my experiences in those areas diminished, I found it much harder to imagine exactly as when in my kitchen what was happening or what the surroundings were like. Feeling the emotion in these situations was harder than believing or pretending the exercise was real, as although I had felt these emotions before, they were not as intense. Therefore, imagination is key in order to recall and keep fresh past events in an actors mind so the feelings can be replicated in new circumstances when needed. Stanislavski dais, Although our feelings and emotional experiences are changeable and incapable of being grasped exactly, images are much more easily and firmly fixed in our visual memories and can be recalled at will. One scenario placed us all on a train station in Brazil and asked us to create our own characters in an environment which is unfamiliar. This was difficult to imagine the totally unfamiliar as I have never seen a station in Brazil so naturally reverted back to my local station which was more comfortable to imagine and therefore act. The character creation and hence reactions to certain situations we were given had to be in character. I found this simple to act as I imagined my own reactions to circumstances and then incorporated those into what the created character would have. This I definitely did when we were told that our younger brother had died in front of us. It was hard to portray what my exact emotions would have been, however I did find myself on the brink of tears as undoubtedly I would be. As I have a younger brother, I found that the idea of his loss left me with intense emotions, however, if I were an only child I think it would have been harder to visualise such a feeling. The use of imagination and the magic if to create these circumstances and add emotions and detail to a play or sketch were highlighted greatly here. Concentration and attention helps the actor become completely absorbed in his work and therefore to forget the audience and other distractions, conquering their fear of the black hole of the auditorium. Concentration is helped greatly by imagination, belief magic if. If an actor can imagine completely that he is a certain character and become solely involved in it, it will seem as though nothing else is around. What is a performance will no longer seem so, and the actors attention remains fixed on what he is doing. The magnet of the audience is more powerful than many imagine. I myself know how fear of being ridiculed has made me more contained in my emotion when performing to others. When faced with an entire theatre full of people, watching your every move and prepared to criticise, it is no wonder that some find it hard to concentrate on their acting. As Stanislavski said, In order to get away from the auditorium you must be interested in something on the stage, be this the perfo rmance, your character, or point on your colleagues face. Whatever it is, an actor must have a point of attention not in the auditorium in order to not be sucked into the black hole. Even simple acts can become forced or strained when repeated on stage in front of hundreds of people so for an actor, it is necessary to learn how to walk or talk without the self-conscious nature we are all born with, or wondering why is that person looking at me? Therefore, when next on stage, it was seem more of a normality to be there oppose to in the general public. However, in performances, actors act together not alone. Stanislavski was aware that many performers tend to stop acting, or lose their concentration when they are not the main characters in a scene or when someone else is talking. Such performers make a great effort when they are speaking but not when they are listening. This tendency destroys the through line and causes the performer to move into and out of a role. That, in turn, weakens the sense of the ensemble the playing together of all the performers. Therefore, concentration is about what is happening on stage also, not only to overcome audience fear. Therefore, when preparing and rehearsing a role, an actor must become concentrated on being attentive to an object on stage and forgetting the auditorium/audience. However, there is a danger of becoming too concentrated on an object and therefore losing the realistic appearance on stage. Letting your attention wander around stage is more realistic than a singular stare. Stanislavski referred to the extent or range of concentration as a circle of attention. This circle of attention can be compared to a circle of light on a darkened stage. The performer should begin with the idea that it is a small, tight, circle including only himself or herself and perhaps one other person or one piece of furniture. When the performer has established a strong circle of attention, he or she can enlarge the circle outward to include the entire stage area. In this way performers will stop worrying about the audience and lose their self-consciousness. As a result, concentration can help and actor to overcome fear of the audience, and as such make their performance more realistic. Perhaps in Three Sisters the piano would be good to let your attention wander upon, or out of the placed window. Especially for Irina who in the first Act is very nostalgic, concentration and attention would be crucial to have. Irina is supposed to look far-away and lost in her own thoughts, so if I was playing her, I would be pausing upon objects to examine before turning my attention to something else. Concentration can make the actor seem more relaxed and therefore the character will be played more freely. In conclusion, imagination and concentration/attention can greatly aid the preparation of a role. Together, they make the outward behaviour of the performer gestures, voice, and the rhythm of movements- natural and convincing. The actor conveys the goals and objectives-the inner needs of a character. Even if all the visible manifestations of a character are mastered, a performance will appear superficial and mechanical without a deep sense of conviction and belief. The life of the character onstage is made not only dynamic but continuous. Some performers tend to emphasize only the high points of a part; in between, the life of the character stops. In real life, however, people do not stop living. Imagination greatly helps the character to be continuous in conjunction with the magic if. Lastly they help to develop a strong sense of ensemble playing with other performers in a scene, and the interactions between them as all actins onstage have a purpose. The self-consciousness becomes lost and a more realistic portrayal of a character can be set free.

An Overview of the PerformaMembers of the Brass Family essays

An Overview of the PerformaMembers of the Brass Family essays 1. A Brief History of the Brass Family pg. 2-7 2. The Harmonic Series, Ranges, and Intonation pg. 7-12 3. The Breathing Process pg. 13-14 8. Transpositions and Clefs pg. 23-24 10. Mutes Brass instruments have been in use for over three thousand years, however the greatest achievements in design have occurred in the past three hundred years (Colwell and Goolsby 347). Originally, brasses were of varied shape and composition (bone, assorted metals, wood, etc.), and sounded only the natural harmonics of the tube (375). Chromatic notes were only available in the extreme upper harmonics of the instrument (Yates, History). This type of instrument is seen in the military bugle, a single tube-shaped trumpet with no valves or keys (Villanueva 1). As the complexity of music increased through the Medieval and Renaissance periods of music, composers and performers began to look for ways to increase the availability of pitches for the brasses (Ericson, Why). Three breakthroughs in brass design in this period were: the addition of crooks, or extra loops of tubing added to the instrument; adding keys to the tubing (like a woodwind); and the slide (Yates, History). Crooks added to the instrument extra length that altered the harmonic series of the instrument (higher or lower in overall pitch), which in turn allowed the performer to play in extended keys (Ibid.). The crooks were in use throughout the 19th century, but have been replaced by valves (Ibid.). The keyed bugle, invented in 1760 by Kolbel of St. Petersburg, was a hybrid of woodwind and brasswind technology (Colwell and Goolsby 376). The keys were placed along the length of the bugle and when opened they changed the tones of the instrument (Villanueva 7). Haydn and Hu mmel both composed concertos for the keyed bugle (Ibid.). The slide mechanism was developed for the slide trumpet...

Feminists Want Women to Be the Same as Men Essay - 1

Feminists Want Women to Be the Same as Men - Essay Example Feminists advocate for the rights of women as equal individuals in the society with men in the society and they support the equal treatment of all people within the society and in which case they are able to propagate the issues that promote the livelihood of all. In many instances, people have said that feminists have advocated for the gender equality in which men and women have to be treated in the same way regardless of the differences that exist between them. However, this caused a debate between in the people considering the fact that some people argue from the perspective of the modern feminists who advocate for gender equity rather than gender equality advanced by others (Kunin, 2012, p. 3-7). In this respect, the debate of whether feminists want women to be the same as men remain important and relevant among people who have knowledge about the perspectives of the feminists and the things they support. In the introduction of feminism in the society, the proponents had advanced the notion that there was unequal treatment between men and women who were expected to raise people to a level of worship. The inequalities that people pointed out did not favor women and therefore, they felt that there was a need to establish a system in which people who do similar jobs in an organization were to receive equal treatment in all aspects (Kunin, 2012, p. 12). This was aimed to improve the status of working in the society so that both women and men are able to benefit from what they do in the society and ensure that all effort is rewarded equally in the society. Feminists of the early times advanced the perspective that payments and other benefits that are guaranteed to one gender can be extended to other people regardless of the fact that they have differences. Feminism in its original form worked to establish gender neutrality between men and women so as to eliminate biases that existed in extending benefits to men and women who did similar jobs.

Retail strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Retail strategy - Essay Example The five changes include, Infrastructure, innovation, Knowledge and trust relationships between the supplier, retailer, and the customer. To validate the reason for a critical evaluation on Dawson's statement is simply to say that the growing retail industry with a powerful attraction for minor retailers proves to be death trap. This is mainly because of the increased competition and the changing conditions in the economy and consumer behaviour. However, the business of retail proves to be threatening for manufacturers creating brands and trying to sustain brand image and brand loyalty as they squeezed by the so- called retailer. In a book by Lars Thomassen, et., al (2006, pg. 1) 'Retailization' begins by saying "We have moved from the age of the brand to the age of the retailer" - a shift that has led many brands to a near chronic state of constant stress and confusion. This is backed with data were the book reports that four major retail chains in the have 75 percent of the grocery market, and one pound in every eight spent is in the retail giant Tesco. Well this overpowering omnipotence of the retail industry had led to fierce competition with individual retailers or minor retail stores crushed to close down. There is constant fight and struggle to keep up profit margins and stay abreast of competition, which makes Dawson's statement true. ... Below is a table that reflects the diminishing share in the grocery sales of individual retailers in this competition over the recent years. The table will talk volumes of the struggle the giant retailers and medium sized establishments are undergoing. The data reported is from the Competition Commission organization in the report of 'Overview of UK grocery retailers' The table is a factual of the share in UK's grocery sales for the different retailers in the country. The Verdict data series used in the table and provides relative sales shares of all the retailers and that of small retailers represented as others. Grocery sales share of UK grocery retailers. 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Tesco 20.2 22.4 23.8 25.4 26.8 27.6 Asda 12.3 12.9 13.3 13.4 13.7 14.1 Sainsbury 12.8 12.5 12.6 12.8 13.4 13.8 Morrisons 3.8 4.2 10.3 9.6 9.7 9.9 Safeway 8.2 7.8 2.4 0 0 0 Somerfield chain 2.9 2.8 3 3.7 4.1 3.9 M&S 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.8 CGL 2.8 3.2 3 2.9 2.8 3.8 Waitrose 2.5 2.6 2.8 3 3.2 3.3 Iceland 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 Aldi 0.9 1 1.1 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lidl 1.1 1.1 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 Netto 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 Kwik save 2 1.8 1.6 1.3 0.7 0 Others 24.9 22.1 19.6 20 17.4 14.9 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Source: Verdict UK Grocery retailers 2008, February 2008.( Overview of UK grocery sales ) The row mentioned 'Others' is emboldened to throw light on their diminishing share of business in the grocery sector and ultimately leading to their destruction. Find a pictorial representation below. Looking closely at the figures of the larger retailers, the Year on Year sales numbers increase only at an extremely marginal pace and retailers like Safeway have their numbers freezed