Noli Me Tangere free essay sample

Foreigner: Well, dont you HTH- Padre Admass: Listen, when I first arrived, I was assigned to a small town, the people ere hard working. When it came time for me to transfer to a larger to a larger parish, you should have seen them send me away. They broke down and cried, they loaded me with presents, and the brass band played till I was gone. Foreigner: That Just goes to sin- Padre Admass: Just a moment, one moment! Hold your horses! Now I had served in San Diego for twenty years. (Padre Admass depresses and becomes angrier) Well, twenty years! Nobody will deny thats enough time to know any town. Taiga with Don Crisscross Barbara Captain Taiga calmly walks toward the two men arguing; Crisscross stays where he stands Captain Taiga: [Relaxed] Gentlemen (Padre Admass and Detente first surprised at the arrival of their host but calm down quickly) we should not have this kind of argument on such an occasion Padre Admass: (With a smile) Well hello there old friend Padre Admass stands up to shake the hand of the captain. We will write a custom essay sample on Noli Me Tangere or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Captain Taiga waves over Crisscross to come to the group; Crisscross calmly walks over Captain Taiga: This here is the son of my dear friend Don Rafael Barbara, who has sadly passed away recently. His name is Crisscross Barbara; he has Just arrived from his travels in Europe. Crisscross Barbara: [Happily] Well look who it is! Father Admass, the parish priest of my hometown, and a good friend of my father (Crisscross puts his hand out for Padre Admass; Padre Admass makes no reaction; short pause) I beg your pardon. I must have mistaken you as someone else Captain Taiga: I must see to my other guests Captain Taiga walks off and greets the other guests Padre Admass: [Coldly] You are not mistaken. But you father was never a good friend of mine (Crisscross retracts his hand) Detente: Young man? Your father was Don Rafael Barbara, the businessman? (Crisscross nods; Detente smiles) [Warmly] Welcome to your country! May you be happier in it than your father! I had the honor of his acquaintance. And I can say that he was one of the most honorable and honest men in the Philippines. Crisscross: Sir [Visibly Moved] the tribute which you pay my tanner will surely help to relieve my doubts about his fate, which even now L, his own son Do not know Thank you Detente: (Smiles) You know how they say, the son of a Lion is also a Lion Captain Taiga: (Interrupts) Im sorry to interrupt everyone, but dinner will be served soon. Scene 21 Setting-Dining room I Purpose: Conflict between Crisscross and Padre Admass Narrator: The Guests enter a grand dinning hall with a large center table, set with fine china and seated with cushioned chairs. The ceiling is twice as tall as the lobby and has many chandeliers hung, the windows reach top to bottom with long elegant curtains that have been set in their place. They take their seats one-by-one, Padre Admass in a visibly angered mood hurriedly walks to his chairs while stepping on others toes and pushing them out of the way. Crisscross continues to awe the other Filipinos with stories of his travels. Foreigner: How long have you been away? Crisscross: Almost seven years Foreigner: Well, you must have forgotten by now what the country is like Crisscross: [Proudly] On the contrary, although I seem to have been forgotten myself, I have always remembered Foreigner: [Puzzled] What do you mean? Crisscross: I meant to say that I had not had news from here for the past year, and I now find myself a stranger who doesnt know to this day how and when his father died Foreigner: Ah, in that time where had you been staying? Crisscross: For the past two years I was in northern Europe: Germany and Russian Poland Detente: And what country in Europe did you like the best? Crisscross: Hem After Spain, which I consider my second home. Say any free country in Europe I would have to Detente: Since you nave been gone around so much, tell us, what did you tint moms remarkable? Crisscross: Remarkable? In what sense? Detente: For instance, with regard to the life of the people their social, political, religious life, life in general, in its essence, as a whole Crisscross thinks for a while) Crisscross: Frankly, putting aside the element of national pride in each of them Well, what would be remarkable in those countries (Crisscross clears his thought) Let me put it this way. Before visiting any of those countries I would try to study its History, its Exodus, so to speak, and after that I found everything understandable (The guests are all in awe with his speech) I saw that in all cases the prosperity or unhappines s of nations is in direct proportion to their liberties and their problems, and, on that note, to the sacrifices or selfishness of their ancestors. Padre Admass: Is that all? (Padre Admass lets out some mocking laughter) It wasnt worth throwing you fortune away Just to learn that! Any schoolboy know that much! (Crisscross has a shocked look on his face; the rest of the guest exchange apprehensive glances) Crisscross: [Calmly] Gentlemen, do not wonder at the familiarity with which our former parish priest treats me. That was the way he dealt with me when I was a boy, and the years have not changes [Mockingly] His Reverence. But I thank him for it because he recalls vividly the days when His reverence was frequent visitor at our house and sat at my fathers table, enjoying our food. The rest of the guests stare at Padre Admass, who now has an uneasy look of disgust on his face) Crisscross: (Continues) And now I must take my leave. I have Just arrived a few hours go, and I must be off again tomorrow. There are many things I must attend to. We have all had a most wonderful dinner, but I am afraid I am not very fond of lingering over the brandy. Crisscross makes his way to the door Captain Taiga: Wait, wait (Captain Taiga walks over to Crisscross) Dont go, Maria Clara will be here soon; I had someone go fetch her. Crisscross: Ill come tomorrow before leaving into San Diego. Now I really must make a very important call Crisscross leaves Padre Admass: You see that?! All out of pride! He couldnt stand being reproved by a priest He things hes somebody. Of course, thats what comes from sending these youngsters to Europe. The Government should put its foot down and stop it Scene 31 Setting- Streets of San Diego I Purpose- Tell the tale of Don Rafael Barbara Narrator: Crisscross leaves the home of Captain Taiga in a rather bad mood. The night air is cool and is able to help clear Crimsons head. He makes his way down towards Bambino square. Private commissaries dash by public cabs, their horses galloping at the steady pace. The streets look exactly the same as when he had seemed them last, white-washed stucco-faced houses trimmed with blue. The lighted lock on the church tower, the Chinese corner-stores with their grimy curtains and iron railing Crisscross finds himself on a familiar bench. Crisscross: (To himself, looking around) We go slow Long pause; Crisscross has a look of dissatisfaction on his face) [Sarcastically] Amazing Thats the same Chainman I saw there seven ears ago, and that old woman Still there! It mightier been last night, and I could have dreamed those seven years in Europe. And , good God, theres that cobblestone, Just as I left it (Crisscross lets out a long sigh) Detente comes up to him Detente: Watch you step, young lad. Learn from your father Crisscross: (Surprised at the presence of the o fficer) I beg your pardon, but you seem to know much of my father. Could you tell me? How and where and WHY did he die? Detente: What?! Dont you know? Crisscross: I asked Captain Taiga, but he put off telling me until tomorrow. Maybe you, yourself happen to know what became of my father Detente: [Quietly; Solemnly] Of course, like many men like him. He died in prison (Crisscrosses eyes widen) Crisscross: My father? In PRISON? What are you saying? (Crisscross grabs the officers arm) Dont you know who my father was? The kind of respect the people had or him! (Short Pause) Can you tell me why he was in prison? Crisscross lets go of the officers arm) Detente: As you know, your tanner was the richest man in your province; en was I and honored by many. Though, there were still some who hater and envied him. (short pause) Unfortunately, those of us Spaniards who come to the Philippines arent always what we should be. The continual changes in the administration, favoritism Greed Combined with the cheaper fares and shorter trip out here, due to the Suez Cana l, are to blame for everything; the worst elements of the Peninsula come here, even if a good man were to come here.

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.