Cyberlaw Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cyberlaw - Essay Example The inventors have to wait for a long time before they can implement their business goals. Besides, such a backlog results in denial of inventors rights of timely and rigorous processing. As each examiner has more files to handle, they have to take less time processing the patents, which will considerably compromise the extensiveness of their applications (Craig, 2013). On this ground, there is a need for the government to focus on the backlog problem to ensure that it does not de-motivate or kill innovation among upcoming investors. In the emergence of the backlog problem, a number of proposals have been put forward as possible solutions to the problem. Some individuals have come up with the idea that the government should increase its budgetary allocation for USPTO to help them meet the demands for patent examination. While this approach may help to equip the office with more staffs to reduce the backlog, it would impose the burden on the federal government. Another group suggests that the filing fee should be increased to help the office increase its capacity to handle the ever increasing files. However, the weakness with this approach is that it would impose the burden on the inventors, which the government has avoided in its incentive to encourage investment (Craig, 2013). On this ground, it would be crucial for USPTO to consider the most cost-efficient procedures to streamline the patent examination process. To do this, the organization needs to invest in efficient IT infrastructure that will ensure quick and efficient processing of patent files. Besides, training of the IT office staff would be crucial in ensuring that they have higher work output and hence no delay in file processing. Reducing the backlog would be a milestone in improving the patent application files. In the recent past, issues of patent infringement have become popular within the public domain as marked by increased court

Changing the Education Paradigm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Changing the Education Paradigm - Essay Example The essay "Changing the Education Paradigm" talks about the purpose of education in general and as a way to master the challenges of society and get ahead in life. The noble purpose of education is to enable the individual to acquire needed skills and knowledge to muster the resources needed to make critical thinking possible, and from there effect desired changes in society. This is the lofty aim wherein an individual becomes empowered to greatly improve life for everybody. It is the main idea of famed educator John Dewey, who argued education should be used to help improve human nature, to raise human consciousness, to uphold moral values, and to infuse ethical behavior and thinking of all educated people. There is a need to restore real education again as an integral part of learning about life skills and competencies, not limited to acquiring skills to get a job. Real education prepares the person to face life and be able to enjoy it to the fullest. It is not the mere memorization of books and articles; rather, it should provide an understanding of what goes on in the larger real world. To be educated is to be imbued with those ideas and concepts which elevate the person into a real human being able to engage society in a meaningful way, get along in the world and give a good account of oneself. As Spayde somewhat put it succinctly, it should be much more than the â€Å"obligatory filling of our heads† with facts and figures which are oftentimes meaningless in the grander sweep of life. (Spayde 69), but education must not be limited only to the four corners of the classroom; rather, it should be the whole world, instead, made into a classroom, in a figurative sense. What Spayde meant to say was formal education in an academic setting should also be supplemented by informal schooling, in terms of real-life experiences, in which life-lon g lessons are learned and allow the student to distinguish the more important things in life. It will enable him to become a much more improved person able to tackle the challenges in life. A lot of distinguished Americans were essentially self-taught, and this includes Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Mark Twain. These people did not limit their own education to what the classroom can offer, but supplemented their truncated academic schooling with their search for knowledge by living life to the fullest and did not confine their search to what was offered only in schools; in essence, the world became their giant classroom. As an example, Mark Twain quit school early and did not finish high school, and yet he educated himself by becoming a river pilot on the Mississippi River, met a lot of people, got to observe human behaviors and human nature, and became a self-taught expert on many topics concerning the Mississippi (Gribben 1). His frequent travels made for a real education, and his knowledge of the Mississippi is better than most people’s; he could cite facts about its geography, river basin (delta), soil fertility, and size from his prodigious memory (Twain 8). He ended up better educated

See the order instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

See the order instructions - Essay Example The overall gothic theme as presented in the movie is about a women Emily who receives a great deal of fortune as her father dies. Emily did not have the right to select the husband for herself because she was wealthy and needed to marry someone who is worth it. As a result, she murders the man she loved and ultimately presents a gothic element (Danticat). Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates is binded by the suspence through myster as a gothic element. This is prevalent throughout the story leaving the readers as astonished. Finally, New York Day Woman? by Edwidge Danticat is amazingly written gothic story which is not just limited to suspense and mystery but it includes horrific species through realism as a pattern (Danticat). The common factors among all these three chosen texts for the paper were the degree of intensity of mystery, suspense and growth of the character as a complex one. The elements have rather been chosen to help the readers to enjoy the gothic genre of

A Discussion of Tim Walkers Work Essay Example for Free

A Discussion of Tim Walkers Work Essay Walkers’ upbringing in Guildford, surrounded by country has left in him with a feeling of love when it comes to Britain’s landscapes that he wants to show it off in his images, in any which way he can. This essay compares and contrast two works by Tim Walker that are identifiable as his signature style, however individually differ in diverse ways to each other. Taking into consideration the ideas behind the image and how and where he draws his inspiration from to create images that inspire others. His style so unique and recognisable, this essay will take into consideration the historical and social contexts to his works and if his style is a reflection of his inner self, childhood and naturally occurring ideas, or if this style is something he created and now lives within. After graduating from Exeter College of Art, where he studied photography for 3 years, Walker worked as a freelance photography assistant in London. However, it was his move to New York and assisting the photographer Richard Avedon that may have forwarded his career so that at the very early age of 25 he had shot his first fashion story for Vogue. Today a London based photographer, Tim Walker is at the top of his profession and internationally known for his cutting- edge fashion photography; taking fashion further so that fashion becomes seconded to fantasy and surrealism. Walkers innovative photography places him in the midst of the most creative and imaginative photographers out there today. ‘Tim sees pictures in front of him which are not yet there’ (DERRICK, 2008, p124. It is the detailed planning of every image and the ideas that starts the process of the final images he is famous for; for each project of Tim’s, you’ll be able to find a scrapbook full of clippings and ideas found from anywhere. ‘My ideas for all my photographs come from any number of places; a film, or a book I’m reading, a story someone tells me. I take loads of visual references and put them into scrapbooks. I’ve got hundreds of them. ’ (WALKER, 2009, [WWW]) It is these scrapbooks that have provided inspiration for a number of Tim’s shoots. But it’s to be remembered that the inspiration has come from things that have already been, but that he took interest in. ‘I don’t believe in originality. You take inspiration from whatever moves you and you find your own voice in those things’ (WALKER, 2008, p242) Tim Walker saying this, is almost find ironic because his pictures are often named original. However, if it is replicated from/inspired by something/anything he may have seen before- as like most pictures- it can only be your take with your voice on it. However Walker’s inspiration doesn’t stop at that, he also looks to photographers before him for inspiration. Cecil Beaton took so many photographs that purely to me represent the joy one gets from creating fantasy† (WALKER TIM, 2009, [WWW]) The opening to Tim Walkers book Pictures, like all others, start with a foreword. However, unlike all others Tim has handwritten his as if it was just another page in his scrapbook. Located only six pages in after only the credits and title, this is really the very first thing you see in the book and it gives great indication to the style of the book and if you did not know much about Tim beforehand; a great introduction to him, his style and how he thinks. Not only is it the actually content of the foreword: ‘as you tour your imagination you want to photograph what you are seeing†¦you are SO very keen to be able to show what you’ve seen that it somehow becomes true, and the picture you end up taking becomes a souvenir, a piece of proof brought back [all the way] from the daydream. ’ (WALKER, 2008, P6) But the design and the layout of the page also: He cleverly drops the control of the layout, slanting the writing just as he talks about his mind drifting. It’s a clever play on the typography that as we read, we too feel as if we’ve sunken into this relaxed state of daydreaming. The way Tim describes in depth the path he often goes on that lands him at the conclusion of an image shows deeply how creative it often is, usually because it begins with something as simple as walking round a clothes store. The pictures he takes then become a snapshot almost, and a gift he shares with us from his imagination†¦from his daydream. Tim’s childhood plays a big part in the ‘fun’ many of his images are filled with. ‘He draws upon his childhood to construct sets for his images that are witty and playful yet sufficiently sophisticated enough to perform for his fashion clients. (THOMAS, 2008, [WWW]) Bringing such essences of an adolescent age into something quite professional could be risky, but it is this that give’s Tim’s pictures that exciting, magical vibe. Tim Walker says in an ICP awards interview, ‘fashion is the dream department for photography and I’ve always been a daydreamer. Tim’s pictures relate to and reflect a time in the 1940’s era and the time of the Neo-Romantic artists, that happened at a time of Britain’s ‘dark hours’. Today, although we might not be in the middle of Second World War, the world is in a state of uncertainty. For Walker, it may just be that creativity in fashion photography and the understanding of make believe places in his imaginations may just be the sort of images that the world need to see, to remember themselves, how magical and escapist day-dreaming can be. The first image of Tim Walkers I have chosen is this one titled ‘Lily Cole on fish hook. ’ Surrealism is a big factor in the creation of a Tim Walker shoot and it is the surrealism in this image that makes it so striking. It grabs your attention straight away and with little effort in the actual design of the image. Although the content is completely random, the image works in so many different ways that you almost don’t recognise it until a few moments after looking. The whole image looks calm; the stillness of the water, the sunlight reflected off of it, the grip of her hands on the hook, her expression. This image is magical, because it looks right, for something that shouldn’t ever be. The shoot was located in Northumberland, England and the location only helps set this calm relaxed scene as well as adding to that ‘very English’ feeling he often brings forth to many of his images. Recreational fishing is fishing for pleasure, with the fisher not really too interested in catching fish, but for the tranquillity and relaxation of it. This shoot, is extremely reflective of this, oozing tranquillity with the colours and calmness. Lily allowing her tip toes to play with the surface of the water, creating disturbance in it, works well within the image; it doesn’t have a negative effect on it, but almost brings her as a model to life. This was not Lily’s first shoot with Tim, and posing as bait on a giant fish hook was nothing out of the ordinary madness. He loved working with the English model, who first posed for him at the age of 15. ‘Some Models know how to stitch and weave themselves into a picture. Lily instinctively knows how to become part of it. ’ (WALKER, 2008, p124) In this image of Lily on the hook, she really does own it; she pulls of her ‘act’ as bait, attracting the fish just with her stance and beauty, and looking calm and really engaged with the photographer. She’s wearing a random collaboration of 3 tutus and her hair fizzed up to mirror them. Although quite dainty and delicate in body, she looks strong and very in control ironic to her state as bait. But this works nicely as the setting of the lake and the fields in the background add to that gentle voice the image has, balancing it nicely. The second image is one that Walker had designed for Italian Vogue. The image named ‘Eglingham Stream’ was shot in Northumberland, England, 2004. The image shows a bedroom with a stream running through it from the fireplace. The room is cluttered, and filled with clear personal belongings of somebody. The contents of the coat stand and the drinks trolley-in which the whiskey is the most noticeable bottle-all refer to the occupant being a man. The fishes on the stone and those in the basket on the table suggest that the person that lives her is a man that has a fond passion for fishing. These objects that the viewer initially notices, cleverly lead them to be mysterious as to what the image is showing us. When looking further into the image, we notice smaller details such as the images framed on the wall that are not of any family members or portraits of him, but of horses and landscapes. This could suggest that he has no family members and is possibly quite a reserved man and this is strengthened by the big matter of his room being right by the lake. It raises questions as to how obsessed this man actually is with fishing, that he has moved his bedroom to live within meters of the lake. Although, there are some signifiers that suggest that a woman is present: the pink bedding and net chiffon, the frill trimmed lamps and the two tooth brushes on the chest of drawers. There is also a small portrait of a young boy in the frame above the fireplace. Because of how out of place this looks as the only one, it seems to be a ‘woman’s touch’, as do the shells on top of the fireplace. The image as a whole has a romantic, feminine and fantastical feel-created by the lighting and whispery stream-that is signature to Walkers style. The shoot seems to be set in the twilight hour, or in the early evening, indicated by the bluely tint to the night and the 3 lamps in the room being on. The absence in the room could well just mean that the man is off fishing with his dog shown by the empty dog basket. There are many things about both the images that make them similar when talking about them in context of Walkers style. Both images were shot in Northumberland in the same year and although it isn’t stated, the lake that we see Lily suspended above is likely to be part of the stream that is present in the second image. The images both have strong fishing references to them: Lily is suspended on a giant fishing hook, and the setting of the second is the home of someone completely obsessed with fishing. The images are not part of the same set or story, and do not look it either. However, contextually, they seem to work hand in hand. Having the countryside and fields in the background that run our eyes to the edge of the Fish Hook image just above the halfway line is similar in comparison to the way the Eglingham Stream image is cut off. This image is split by the striking pink/reddish colour of the walls meeting the grey wet slate form the stream that make the bedroom floor. Both splitting factors are of natural earthly objects; possibly representing that county, earthly, English vibe Walker has been known to create in many of his images. There is a terrible truthfulness about photography that the ideas which might work in a painting or a sketch won’t necessarily work in a photograph’ (UNKNOWN, 2008, p254. ) This statement is from Tim Walkers book Pictures and although this was not said in reference to Walkers work, it almost seems as if this is something he fights hard to overcome in his own pictures. He doesn’t let the normal be a limi t, he combines familiarity with fantasy and imagination to create what has never been seen before. This is what gives them that edge over many other fantastic editorials, and sketching ideas to visualise them is a big thing with Tim Walker; something he prides his work upon. Despite all their similarities, the images are in fact very different and not only of location and setting, but of story and design. In the first image of Lily on the hook, that is the surrealism; this beautiful girl dressed in a random combination of tutus with huge frizzy ginger hair hanging on a fishing hook. This is what we are supposed to look at and see the dreamlike, far from ordinary image in front of us. In the second image, the stream running out of the fire place through the middle of the room is also surreal, but that’s not only what the image is about. It’s about the story the scene creates. Yes you look at the stream and think ‘wow’ and begin to question it, but it doesn’t stop there, your questioning goes on to the room and what the contents of it mean. The images also differ in terms of layout. The first is portrait and works better in this format as it allows the full size of the hook to be appreciated. If this was on a landscape layout, the surrealism of the hook may not be fully valued due to it physically having to be shrunk on the page. However, the double page landscape layout for the second image allows a full viewing of the room and many details and objects to be noticed. This image in a portrait layout would not be successful as the image would have to be shrunken or cropped- both having negative effects on the way the image is viewed. The subject matter and the use of a model being used in the first image but not in the second is another differing factor between them both. Lily as a model is the subject in Figure 2 that the viewer connects with; she gives the image that presence so that when we look at it, it’s not just a picture, it’s a situation that we feel as if we are now part of. In Figure 3, Tim Walker is successful in including the viewer, but in a very different way and without using any models; we are invited to look into somebody’s bedroom while they are not there and just by looking at the photograph, the viewer becomes an intruder. But this intrusion plays as a foundation for the story behind the image, the one we seek out and uncover more of the more we look at it. Although the lamps warm up the image, it still has this cold feel created by the grey stones, real flowing stream and lack of natural light. The absence of anybody in the room assists in creating this ‘chill-in- the-air’ feeling. Figure 2, where Lily is standing on a large fishing hook, has a surprisingly warm tone to it and this may be due to her relaxed pose and the warming colours present in the image: The ginger of her hair, the red of her tutu and the fishing tackle and the brown/copper of the lake. The colours are softened by the sunlight adding to that warm tone. ‘Photography is a bit like cooking: you take the ingredients out of the cupboard and mix them up- old pictures, characters, colours, landscapes, to create something that is in your imagination that surprises you. ’ (WALKER, 2009, P208) It is clear to see that Walker uses certain ingredients in both of these images; fantasy and surrealism become like the salt and pepper; the underlying flavour and present always. After looking at Lily On The Hook and Eglingham Stream in comparison to each other, many similarities are because of Walkers ‘style’ that are consistent throughout. Even though both are editorials, contently, technically and visually, there is a big difference between them. Creatively, they are alike. These are just two out of hundreds of Tim Walkers photographs, but as like all of his images, there will always be something magical, fantastical or romantic to hint that the image was photographed by Walker. The images are real in their own terms; that is what they are. As a fashion photographer you are a documentary photographer within a fantasy land. ’ (WALKER, 2009, p210) By Walker referring to himself as a documentary photographer within a fantasy land gives us a clear insight to how he sees fashion photography; in a childlike day-dream way. He escapes to this place in which his imagination can be real and he sees his job as a photographer to document this.

The Partition Of India And Pakistan

The Partition Of India And Pakistan August 15th was marked as the date for the formation of the two independent countries India and Pakistan. The ceremony which took place for the transfer of power was held in Karachi which was made the capital of the newly formed nation (Pakistan) and the reason behind holding the ceremony was so that the viceroy at that time of the partition of India was Lord Mountbatten who could then easily attend the ceremonies of both the nations. Thus this lead to the formation of two separate entities and thus lead to Pakistan celebrating its independence day on the 14th of august followed by India celebrating it on the 15th. In the year 1906 the All India Muslim league was formed in the district of Dhaka and this league was formed by a group of Muslims. Who thought that they were not given equal rights and power in the nation as much as the Hindu majority which was the Indian national congress. The Muslims believed that they were not given the rights in the nation, thus wanted to make certain changes among the Muslim league the first person to have brought up the topic was Allama iqbal who in his presidential address said that they required a formation of a new nation separately for the Muslims and the reason behind this demand was the same thing about the Muslims feeling that they were not given the equal rights which they deserved and thus wanted the partition to happen as they felt that they will not be granted their rights in a Hindu dominated country. The Muslim league then by 1935 when their demand was approved thought that they needed a well reputed Muslim who would lead their this mission and tur n it into success thus they thought of making Mohammad Ali Jinnah the leader of their mission who once was the guy who was involved in the peace treaty between the two nations (India and Pakistan) thus they urged him to head the Muslim project and thus he stared to lead the mission from the front. Mohammad Ali Jinnah started to argue with many of the important parties including the congress party of which once before he was a part of and he argued for the less of interest shown towards the demands of the Muslim party and fought for them being a minority and raised the issue of the partition. By the year 1940 Mohammad Ali Jinnah who was the leader of the Muslim party had put forward his statement at the Lahore conference asking for a complete different nation and for the partition of India , the letter that Jinnah had written was quite vague and not that clear about the demand for a different territory and thus it was not given that much of importance in the start. Later on after like seven years the idea of Jinnah regarding about the partition was given importance and thought about by the Muslim parties and specially by the Hindu parties( like the Hindu Mahasabha). Thinking about the partition all the Muslim parties also thought that there was no point in the partition of India due to many reasons and some Muslim parties like the Khaksar Tehrik of Allama Mashriqi were completely against and opposed this idea of the partition. Even the Hindu parties were against the partition and thought that it was much better if the there would be peace settled amongst the Hindu and Mus lims. During the 1937 during a meeting of the Hindu Mahasabha there was this one speaker who was Mr veer Savarkar who stated that India can be cannot be considered as an homogenous or an identical nation but on the contrary there are two main nations within it which consist of the Hindu and Muslims. There were these secularists who were a part of the congress in India and thus were totally against the partition of the nation on the lines of religion. Great leaders at that time like Mohandas Gandhi and Allama Mishriqi stated that they did not want the partition to happen and that the both parties the Hindu and the Muslims should just live in peace and not disrupt the nations harmony. There was another statement of Mohandas Gandhi who stated that My whole soul rebels against the idea that Hinduism and Islam represent two antagonistic cultures and doctrines. To assent to such a doctrine is for me a denial of God. Following Ghandis footsteps his followers and he himself tried to retain the Muslims in the congress party form leaving but by the year 1930 many of the Muslim activist left the congress which in a way acted like a catalyst and angered the Hindu nationalist and the Indian Muslim nationalist. Soon after the partition Mohandas Gandhi was assassinated by the one of the Hindu activist whose name is Nathuram Godse and he shot Gandhi for his reason that he thought that during the partition of India Gandhi was just trying to comfort the Muslims interest on the cost of all the Hindus. The political leaders from both the sides also initiated allot of controversies that lead to allot of destruction and violence like the riots which took place in Calcutta in august in the year of 1946 and thus as the civil war broke down it destructed many of the territories within the nation like majorly the Bengal issue which later lead into the partition that took place within it, this was done in a way to avoid the war which was breaking out within the two parties. By the year of 1946 the demand of the definition of Pakistan as a separate nation was so flexible that the it could have been assumed that it already was a separate nation. Some of the historians believed that Jinnah who was the leader of the Muslim party who had initiated the partition of India, used this partition as an excuse or a key to attain more independence for the Muslim dominated areas which lied in the western region which were in the Hindu dominated regions. Some other great thinkers laid their thoughts forward stating that the true vision behind Jinnahs idea of the partition was to create a separate nation Pakistan which would enter into the Hindu majority regions. Some of the demands that Jinnah also had was relating to the annexation of different regions to Pakistan were of the west Bengal, the east Punjab, part of Hyderabad and the region of junagadh to be a part of Pakistan. Jinnah also was very much interested in the annexation of the state of Kashmir and mainly because it is a Muslim dominated state with a Hindu ruler. The Indian political parties were: All India Muslim League, Communist Party of India, Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam, Syed Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari, Hindu Mahasabha, Indian National Congress, Khaksar Tehrik, and Unionist Muslim League (mainly in the Punjab). The partition 1947 The division of the two countries was done according to the plan which was known as the Mountbatten plan and the partition done in the supervision of the British and also the line which was drawn between the two countries was name the Radcliffe line after a London lawyer. On 18 July 1947, the British passed the Indian independence act that finalized the partition arrangement. The government of India act 1935 was adapted to provide a legal framework for the two new dominions. Following partition, Pakistan applied for membership of the united nation, which was accepted by the General Assembly on 30 September 1947. The union formed from the combination of the Hindu states assumed the name India which automatically granted it the seat of British India (a UN member since 1945) as successor state. The states affected majorly due to the partition: Punjab Bengal Sindh Kashmir Lakshadweep Punjab: The year of 1947 marked the development of the state of Punjab, which eventually got disrupted due to the partition of India. The state of Punjab originally when it was united was anyways divided into two regions as the western part of Punjab was a majority of the Muslim community and then the eastern part of Punjab consisted of the majority of the Sikhs and Hindus but due to the partition of India, the state was left to face the riots by both the communities and thus the creation of two parts of Punjab. The western part which had a majority of Muslims was divided and given to Pakistan and the eastern part was retained by India and kept within its territory. Even when the partition was done within the state of Punjab there were a significant number of Hindus and Sikhs who lived in the majority of Muslims within the western part and same goes with those Muslims who lived in the eastern part dominated by the Hindu category, this partition of the state thus brought many of the Muslim an d Hindus who were caught up in the opposite parts to create riots and disrupt the harmony within the state of Punjab . Bengal: Like the division we saw in the state of Punjab the state of Bengal had a very similar outcome which resulted the state to be divided further into two district parts, the east Bengal and the west Bengal. The west Bengal was retained by India and kept in its territory and the east Bengal was taken away by Pakistan and was name as the east Pakistan. The East Pakistan was later landed up becoming an independent nation which was called Bangladesh and this was done during the Bangladesh liberation war which was fought. While Muslim majority districts of Murshidabadh was given to India, Hindu majority district Khulna the Buddhist majority Chittagong division was given to Pakistan by the award. Sindh: The situation that occurred in this state was that the sindhis were told to reside in India itself as it was seen that the sindhis community did not have any such kind of a conflict when it came to Hindu and Muslim, this decision of the sindh community residing in India made many of them in Pakistan or the ones who were thinking of goin to Pakistan think that there was much of a risk involved by going to Pakistan due to the uncertain future of the newly developed country and thus since their community did not have any problem as such in India they all decided to stay back in India, this further lead to an increase in the number of the Pakistani refugees who wanted to come and reside in India. Kashmir: The conflict within this state was that the state was as usual divided into a hindu majority and muslim majority, with the hindu having a majority in Jammu and the muslims having their majority in Kashmir. This division of the the two communities broke of into riots and thus lead to the ruler of the state to accede to India due to the immense violence. This issue did not just have the violence in form of riots but also lead to the 1947 war of the two countries India and Pakistan. Lakshadweep: These are a bunch of islands toward the south of India and they main guy who is to give credit to make these islands a part of India and give the integration with the republic of India is Mr Sardar Patel, who after the partition realised and laid emphasis on the islands and thought that the inhabitants of the islands did not know anything about the partition until after the August 15th. Sardar Patel thought that the islands that are there towards the south are far from Pakistan but yet they would try to claim the land and make it theirs by giving the Muslim majority as a reason. Thus Sardar Patel sent a navy ship to the islands of Lakshadweep to hoist a Indian flag there and make the territory in Indias favour. Once the mission was successful there were Pakistani vessels which were tracked near the islands which did obviously went back to Karachi as they had seen the Indian flag mounted on the islands.

Thoreaus Elements of American Romanticism Essay -- essays research pap

Elements of American Romanticism Henry David Thoreau pens his book Walden during a revolutionary period of time known as American Romanticism. The literary movement of American Romanticism began roughly between the years of 1830 and 1860. It is believed to be a chapter of time in which those who had been dissatisfied by the Age of Reason were revolting through works of literature. All elements of Romanticism are in sharp, abrupt contrast to those types of ideas such as empirical observation and rationality. An online article describes American Romanticism in the following manner, â€Å"They celebrated imagination/intuition versus reason/calculation, spontaneity versus control, subjectivity and metaphysical musing versus objective fact, revolutionary energy versus tradition, individualism versus social conformity, democracy versus monarchy, and so on† (Strickland). In 1845 during that period of time, Thoreau decides to spend two years of his life in an experiment with Mother Nature in a cabin at Walden Pond. H e tells exquisite tales of life in natural surroundings in his book, Walden, through a most primitive organic style. Walden is a key work of American Romanticism because of its embedded ideas of solitude, individualism, pantheism and intuition. Romanticism seeks nature as a means for obtaining knowledge, and while Thoreau heavily spends his time in the woods and around the pond by himself, he inevitably feels a sense of solitude. Solitude is not necessarily loneliness or intentional isolation of oneself. It is merely an acknowledgment of the fact that he or she is alone. Thoreau has his own thoughts about solitude in which he writes: In the midst of a gentle rain while these thoughts prevailed, I was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature, in the very pattering of the drops, and in every sound and sight around my house, an infinite and unaccountable friendliness all at once like an atmosphere sustaining me, as made the fancied advantages of human neighborhood insignificant, and I have never thought of them since. Every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me. (88-89) He acknowledges his distance from humanity in the preceding passage, yet he does not feel lonely because Nature upholds him. Additionally, he clearly states that the living organisms around him are what he dwells upon for his emotional su... ...ing Henry David Thoreau into a prominent American Romantic writer. Such elements include his writings about life in Nature having great solitude; he became friends with the surrounding plants and animals. Secondly, he wrote about what was occurring day to day at Walden’s Pond which showed him as being individualistic. Moreover, there was the idea that God can only be found in nature, and pantheism was constant idea in his book. Finally, Thoreau wrote about intuition as a means of obtaining knowledge, and his use of senses as a tool for building intuition. These ideas time and time again show the various aspects of Thoreau being portrayed as an American Romantic which has lead to a great historical achievement as a writer that he well deserves. Works Cited Harrison, Paul. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions about Pantheism.† (1996). 10 December 2004 . Pohle, Nancy C. and Selover, Ellen L. â€Å"Awareness & Intuition.† 10 December 2004 . Stata, Raymie. â€Å"What is Individualism.† (1992). 10 December 2004 . Strickland, Brad. â€Å"AMERICAN ROMANTICISM (1828-1865) OVERVIEW.† (1997). 10 December 2004 . Thoreau, Henry David. Walden and Civil Disobedience. New York: W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1966.

Issues Surrounding the Trial Scene Within to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

This essay will identify issues outside of the primary theme of race that come to light during the court case in which Tom Robinson, a black man, is trialled and convicted for raping Mayella Ewell. Throughout the trial, significant action occurs both inside and outside the court room that draws attention to side-lined topics including the definition of courage, the loss of innocence, class relations, and expectation within society. To Kill A Mockingbird was set in the 1930’s, a turbulent decade characterised by struggles between world powers, racial prejudice and economic depression. The aftermath of the Wall Street Crash in 1929 affected America particularly badly, and by the winter of 1932 they were in the depths of the greatest economic depression in their history. These historical events are reflected in the novel by the division within Maycomb’s society according to wealth and class, with families such as the Ewell’s epitomising the term ‘white trash’ and positioning at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Furthermore, despite the American government’s abolition of slavery in 1848, racism was as strong as ever in the Southern States. The black people were forced into racial segregation in schools, public transport and churches. Stemming from this racial prejudice comes a level of expectation that different people in society believe they must adhere too as a result of the segregation and racial prejudice engrained into society. This is shadowed in the book by the minor character of Dolphus Raymond, a drunken white man deemed an outsider by societies norms. All of the action that takes place within To Kill A Mockingbird is concentrated in the fictional county of Maycomb, which can be seen as a microcosm dissecting important issues present in the wider Southern America. The trial in many ways is the most important and dramatic sequence in the novel, as although the trial targets Tom Robinson, in a metaphoric sense it is in fact the entire county of Maycomb that are on trial. Despite Tom’s conviction, the trial does show a small progression within Maycomb, with the jury taking such a long time to make their decision constituting a sign of positive advancement in racial relations, with Miss Maudie stating â€Å"it’s just a baby-step, but it’s a step. † This â€Å"step† is achieved through the books definition of courage, embodied through the character of Mrs Dubose, a ying old woman who embarks on the brave task of facing her addiction to morphine before reaching her end. According to Atticus, Mrs Dubose’s decision shows the possession of â€Å"real courage†¦ when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. † It is this attitude that foreshadows and fittingly describes Atticus’s own approach to the Tom Robinson case. It is clear in the novel that even before taking on Tom Robinson’s case, the lawyer knew that he would fail to acquit the accused of his charges because of the rigid prejudicial outlook innate within Maycomb’s inhabitants. Thomas Shaffer, argues that Atticus shows us precisely that what matters in professional ethics is character rather than moral principle which is highlighted by Atticus’s fights to prove Tom’s innocence to the community, even though he knows it will not be acted upon. While Atticus eventually loses the court case, it his courage and steely determination to see it through until the end that successfully reveals the injustice of a stratified society that confines the blacks to a â€Å"coloured balcony†. Furthermore, the involvement of the Ewell family in the trial also highlights issues of class relations within Maycomb County. The term â€Å"white trash† is a pejorative term particularly used in rural Southern America, to describe a collection of lower class people who live by degraded standards. The term suggests outcasts from a respectable society living on the fringes of the social order who are seen as dangerous because they may be of a criminal nature without respect for authority whether it be political, legal, or moral. The audience are aware from the beginning of the novel that the Ewell family epitomise â€Å"white trash† from Burrell Ewell’s refusal to go to school, and his ability to escape the legal system. Moreover, their home behind the town garbage dump in a tin-roofed cabin adheres to the characteristic of ‘living on the outside of town’ and highlights their social and physical segregation from the more respectable members of the community. Their position at the bottom of the social hierarchy is substantiated by Mayella Ewell’s section of the trial – the young girl believes that Atticus is trying to make a fool of her by labelling her as â€Å"Miss† conveying her lack of social skills as a result of her family’s failure to integrate into society. Moreover, the implication that Bob Ewell abuses his daughter creates a perception of him as being violent and criminal, two characteristics that are of course brought to light in the latter parts of the novel. Overall, this highlights that Maycomb County (and the wider South) are not just segregated by race, but also by class. The sad reality however, is that in the racist world of Maycomb, even the Ewell’s have the power to destroy an innocent man. This leads onto a further issue that is at stake throughout the trial: the threat posed to innocence by evil. This theme is revealed primarily through the characters of Tom Robinson and Jem Finch. The audience are made aware that Tom is an innocent man who has been wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit. This depicts the evil attack of social prejudice on an unoffending man, guilty only of the colour of his skin. Tom Robinson is not prepared for the evil that he encounters, and this consequently leads to his downfall. This concept links to the title of the book â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, which highlights that to destroy someone innocent purely for existing, is a sin. Furthermore, the trial also focuses around the loss of innocence of Jem and his movement into adulthood, linking to the Bildungsroman theme within the novel. The Bildungsroman genre is an example of â€Å"the coming of age† novel, and is evident in the novel from the children’s journey from ignorance to enlightenment. Hereby, Jem witnessing the harsh reality of life revealed by the trial is seen as a necessary growth point that his character must go through in order to reach maturity, summarising the transition from a perspective of childhood innocence, to a more adult perspective in which Jem has confronted evil and must incorporate it into his understanding of the world. This shift is apparent in the trial scene after Atticus reveals to the jury that Bob Ewell is a left-handed man, and that a left-handed man would be more likely to leave bruises on the right side of a girls face. Jem, still clinging to his youthful illusions about life working according to concepts of fairness, doesn’t understand that his father’s efforts will be in vain, commenting â€Å"We’ve got him. † After Tom is found to be guilty, Jem’s hopes are shattered as he cries over the injustice of the verdict. His emergence into a more adulthood perspective is highlighted by his conversation with Miss Maudie, where he reveals that he sed to think that the people of Maycomb were the best in the world, but having witnessed the trial, he doesn’t think so anymore. Ultimately, a final issue brought to light amidst the action of the trial, is the levels of expectation that people are pressured by as a result of the class and racial issues present in Maycomb. Dolphus Raymond’s attendance at the trial is accompanied by Jem’s description of his background – that he is a drunk who had several children by a black woman even though he was from a rich and respectable family. As the prosecution begins to question Tom Robinson, the action is diverted from the courtroom as Dill begins to cry resulting in Scout leading him outside where they encounter the mysterious character of Mr Raymond. It is revealed that he is in actual fact pretending to drink alcohol from the paper bag to provide the white people with an explanation for his lifestyle: â€Å"When I come to town†¦ if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does†. This highlights that Dolphus Raymond does care very much about what people think of him, and believes that by stereotyping himself as a drunk, the other members of Maycomb county will find his behaviour excusable. The significance of his character is to forefront the pressures that society’s norms exhume on those who wish to be different – Dolphus Raymond simply prefers black people to whites, just as the white community simply dislike blacks with no valid explanation. In conclusion, it is clear that many other relevant issues to the time period occupy the trial at the heart of To Kill A Mockingbird as well as simply racial prejudice.