Hector Tobars The Tattooed Soldier Essay -- The Tattooed Soldier Essa

Downtown Los Angeles is one of the busiest commercial centers in the United States. However, the city holds two groups of people in different economic level-the homeless and the working class. Hector Tobar frequently includes the landscape of the setting in downtown Los Angeles in The Tattooed Soldier. The novel is active two immigrants from Guatemala who stomach moved to Los Angeles. The protagonist, Antonio, takes a revenge on the antagonist, Longoria because he murdered Antonios wife and son when he was a Guatemalan soldier. Tobar applies a number of metaphors to connect the buildings and freeways in downtown to Antonios position in the city. Buildings, freeways, and shadows are metaphors for Antonios economic and social status.Tobar uses description of buildings to reinforce Antonios economic and social position in life. He informs the reader about the squat apartment buildings when the protagonist is on the way to a homeless camp, which have a significant contrast with the sky scrapers where Antonio observes later. Everyone can see the skyscrapers, but not many people know the existence of the short apartments. Tobar uses the invisibility of these apartments to reflect the inferiority of the protagonist in Los Angeles. Antonios existence is the least significant as an nonlegal immigrant. He is seen as a parasite that is not accepted by the city. The apartment owner, Hwang, even forces him to leave with a call to the police (9). On the other hand, the auth...

Dreams and Success in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Essays

Dreams and Success in Arthur millers Death of a Salesman In Arthur Millers bit, Death of a Salesman, Miller probes the dream of Willy Lowman while making a statement about the dreams of American society. This essay will explore how each character of the play contributes to Willys dream, success, and trouble. Willy is the aging salesman whose imaginativeness is much larger than his sales ability. Willys wife, Linda, stands by her husband even in his absence of realism. Biff and Happy follow in their fathers fallacy of life. Willys brother, Ben is the only part of the Loman family with the clear vision necessary to succeed. Charlie and his son Benard, on the other hand, enjoy better success in life compared to the Lomans. Miller has written an ambiguous play - unwilling to commit himself to a firm position with respect to tawdry business ethic and the ?industrialized? American dream. Miller alludes to an earlier version of the American dream - escape to the West and the farm, b ut he then denies us the fulfillment of our expectations. The play educates no judgment on America, although Miller seems always on the verge of one. But Willy is not a tragic hero he is a foolish and ineffectual man for whom we feel pity. We cannot equate Willy?s failure to realize his dream with the failure of the American dream. Indeed, there is a lot of room for failure as well as great success in America. The system is not the one to blame. Willy can only blame himself for not becoming what he wanted to be. The next character, Willy Lomans wife Linda, is not part of the declaration but rather part of the problem with this dysfunctional family and their inability to see things for what they really are. Louis Gordon ... ...ly one of them capable of achieving success. However, Charlie and his son Bernard were able to achieve greatness and to make the system work for them. In the end, the decision to make it in this American system is, ironically, up to the individual. Works C ited Eisinger, Chester E. Focus on Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman The Wrong Dreams, in American Dreams, American Nightmares, (1970 rpt In clc. Detroit Gale Research. 1976 vol. 6331 Foster, Richard J. (Confusion and Tragedy The Failure of Millers Salesman (1959) rpt in clc. Detroit Gale Research. 1983 vol. 26316 Gardner, R. H. (Tragedy of the Lowest Man, in his Splintered Stage (1965) rpt in clc. Detroit Gale Research. 1983 vol. 2l6320 Gordon, Lois Death of a Salesman An Appreciation, in the Forties 1969) rpt in clc. Detroit Gale Research. 1983 vol. 26323

Candide and Great Expectations: Comparing Candide and Pip :: Charles Dickens, Voltaire

Candide, by Voltaire, and Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, are two novels written in antithetic periods of time and by authors with different backgrounds. Their main characters are consequently not identical to each other. The fundamental difference between Candide and Pip as characters is that Candide shows us only his outer earmark while Pip lets us know the deepest of his feelings.Candide is one of those follow the leader type characters, that doesnt do much thinking for himself. Most of Candides opinions and actions match those of his philosophy teacher Pangloss. Pangloss firmly believes that he lives in the best of the worlds and that everything that happens is for the best and Candide has learned to apply this believe to all the events he goes through. Candide relies so much on Pangloss and other characters that the reader is not able to figure out Candides inner thoughts nor his true personality.Pip, on the other hand, shows an internal struggle whenever he has to make a decision. Pip in any case has an image of a father imposed on other male characters throughout the progress of his life first his brother-in-law Joe, later the lawyer Mr. Jaggers, and finally his sequestered benefactor Magwitch. But the relative importance that each of them hold on Pips opinions is rather little compared to the effect of Pangloss word upon Candide. Pip is always open to suggestions attack from any of the individuals around him, and he really cares about the judgement of any of these, but he is always left with freedom when concerning an ultimate decision.Candide and Great Expectations take much dissimilarity by themselves. Candide is narrated in third person by an omniscient voice, but Great Expectations narrator is Pip as an adult the news report is told in first person retrospective.

Governmental Family Policy Essay -- Women Feminist Papers

Governmental Family PolicyThe modern working woman is struggling to balance work and family. The Second Wave of feminism has pushed her into the workforce, promising its ideals of compeerity in wages and in the home. However, many women find themselves in a world that devalues their work in home and in the workplace. Our society has not yet caught up to the Third Wave of feminism, which attempts to break down the traditional gender roles our constructions of work and family are ground on. Many are hoping that government intervention through work policies that reflect the demands of an egalitarian family will be able to propel men and women out of the stalled transition.One must without delay address the question why the United States government is not following the lead of other industrialized nations if they are so supportive of family values and moral values. Until there is a public outcry that can no longer be ignored, which is fast-approaching, the government can continue c ontend with words in order to avoid accountability. The problem exists with how these policies are categorized. The common term applied to such policies is social benefits. This language alludes to the social welfare state-an ideal a liberal democracy like America does not strive to uphold. The American attitude for such concerns is usually along the lines of you have your rights, now work it out for yourself. However, it is crucial to break down the relation between these family-friendly policies and the word benefits. Progressive policies do not predominantly benefit working mothers. Without such policies, women cannot pursue their right to earn a living in the same way a man could. Earning a living is not a benefit, equal opportunity fo... ...ing Job For Kids. 21 Jan. 2003http//lexis-nexis.comColtrane, Scott. Family Man. New York Oxford UP. (1996).Contemporary Womens Issues. March 2003. Vol. 52, No.2. http//lexis-nexis.comDe Pasquale, Lisa. The PC Workplace. The Washington Tim es. 27 April 2003.http//lexis-nexis.comEnglish, Holly. Workplace Issues When employers deal with gender issues, they needto include men. Legal Times. 10 Nov. 2003. http//lexis-nexis.comFuss, Diana.. Inside/Out. Critical Encounters Reference and Responsibility in Deconstructive Writing. New Brunswick Rutgers University Press, 1995. 233-240.Hochschild, Arlie. The Second Shift. New York Rutledge Publishing, Inc. (1995).Gerson, Kathleen and Jacobs, Jerry A. Changing the Structure and Culture of Work.Journal of Womens History. September 2003. Vol. 15, No.3. http//lexis-nexis.com

Hurricanes Essay -- essays research papers

Hurricanes A natural hazard is when extreme events which cause great tone ending of life and or property and create severe disruption to human lives, such as a hurricane. Editor Philip Whitefield brings up an important point in Our Mysterious Planet when he comments At a time when we know how to aim a space probe directly at Mars and activate the gigantic forces of nuclear power, we are still at the mercy of hurricanes and volcanoes. It seems peculiar how we can be at such an advanced stage technologically thus far we are unable to completely stop a natural hazard from causing loss of life and damage to existing constructed resources and infrastructures. Hurricane Gilbert, September 1998 was described by meteorologists at the US National Center in Miami, as the most intense occidental-hemisphere tropical cyclone on record. Large areas of Jamaica were devastated and the countrys Prime Minister, Edward Seaga, enunciate it the worst natural disaster ever to strike his country. Gr eatest loss of life however, occurred in Mexico where Gilbert hit twice, first of all traversing the Yucatan Peninsula and two old age later making landfall some 150 km south of the border with the USA, finally dissipating near the city of Monterrey. During its most intense phase at the western end of the Caribbean Sea, Gilbert was estimated to have central pressure of 885mbar, and maximum sustained winds in its circulation over 150kt (knots) with highest gusts in excess of 175 kt. The central pressure outrivalled the 899 mbar of the Florida Keys hurricane of 1935. Gilbert, at that stage an un-named tropical depression with maximum sustained winds around 30kt, was first spotted on Thursday 8 September some 300km east of Barbados. It napped past Barbados and St Lucia the following day with limited wind-damage and some flooding, and was upgraded to tropical storm status (means winds 34kt or more). Gathering strength over the warm waters of the easterly Caribbean, Gilbert achieved hurr icane status (means winds 64kt or more) , with gale force winds brushing the south coasts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The island was swept by the full force of the storm , first from the newton and then from the south, Central pressure at this stage was estimated at 960mbar, wi... ...ive in the paths of approaching storms. Development policies that diversify the economy so that the poor do not need to live near flood prone land for a livelihood should be encouraged. Similarly, primary healthcare must be implemented so that the population is more resistant to disease in the aftermath of disaster. Communications infrastructure should be improved to enable more rapid evacuations. The science of vaticination must be continually developed by investing in appropriate technology and research. Again, this would only be possible in more economically developed countries as only they have the necessary funding. Perhaps it would be a good idea to increase the access of the poo r to low spare-time activity loans to increase their recovery prospects after a disaster. It is clear that at the moment total prevention is virtually impossible. While in EMDCs hazards may be just an inconvenience (even if it is a very expensive one), whilst it is still a matter of life or death in the developing world. Referring back to Philip Whitfields cite at the beginning, it seems man still remains virtually powerless against nature ,even as we approach the millennium.

Hurricanes Essay -- essays research papers

Hurricanes A natural hazard is when extreme events which cause great loss of life and or property and create severe disruption to hu human being put outs, such as a hurricane. Editor Philip Whitefield brings up an important point in Our Mysterious artificial satellite when he comments At a time when we know how to aim a space probe directly at Mars and trigger the gigantic forces of atomic power, we are still at the mercy of hurricanes and volcanoes. It seems peculiar how we can be at such an advanced stage technologically yet we are unable(p) to completely stop a natural hazard from causing loss of life and damage to existing constructed resources and infrastructures. Hurricane sarin, September 1998 was described by meteorologists at the US National Center in Miami, as the most intense western-hemisphere tropical cyclone on record. Large areas of Jamaica were devastated and the countrys Prime Minister, Edward Seaga, pronounce it the worst natural disaster ever to strike his country. Greatest loss of life however, occurred in Mexico where Gilbert hit twice, first of all traversing the Yucatan Peninsula and two days later reservation landfall some 150 km south of the border with the USA, finally dissipating near the city of Monterrey. During its most intense phase at the western end of the Caribbean Sea, Gilbert was estimated to have central pressure of 885mbar, and maximum sustained winds in its circulation over 150kt (knots) with highest gusts in excess of 175 kt. The central pressure outrivalled the 899 mbar of the Florida Keys hurricane of 1935. Gilbert, at that stage an un-named tropical depression with maximum sustained winds around 30kt, was first spotted on Thursday 8 September some 300km east of Barbados. It brushed past Barbados and St Lucia the by-line day with limited wind-damage and some flooding, and was upgraded to tropical storm spatial relation (means winds 34kt or more than). Gathering strength over the warm waters of the eastern Ca ribbean, Gilbert achieved hurricane status (means winds 64kt or more) , with gale force winds brushing the south coasts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The island was swept by the full force of the storm , first from the north and then from the south, interchange pressure at this stage was estimated at 960mbar, wi... ...ive in the paths of approaching storms. Development policies that diversify the economy so that the poor do not need to live near flood prone land for a livelihood should be encouraged. Similarly, primary healthcare must be implemented so that the population is more resistant to disease in the aftermath of disaster. Communications infrastructure should be improved to enable more rapid evacuations. The science of prediction must be continually developed by investing in appropriate technology and research. Again, this would only be possible in more economically developed countries as only they have the necessary funding. Perhaps it would be a good idea to increase the access of the poor to low interest loans to increase their retrieval prospects after a disaster. It is clear that at the moment total prevention is virtually impossible. While in EMDCs hazards may be just an hold out (even if it is a very expensive one), whilst it is still a matter of life or death in the developing world. Referring back to Philip Whitfields remark at the beginning, it seems man still remains virtually powerless against nature ,even as we approach the millennium.

Prompts Sat

sit probe Prompt Bank 5th Edition Compiled by emailprotected March 10, 2008 Table of Contents probe Scoring Guide.. .. 3 Practice audition Prompts. 4 May 2006 Essay Prompts. 5 Oct. 2006 Essay Prompts. 7 Nov. 2006 Essay Prompts . 8 Dec. 2006 Essay Prompts.. 9 Jan. 2007 Essay Prompts11 Mar. 2007 Essay Prompts 12 May 2007 Essay Prompts 13 June. 2007 Essay Prompts 14 Dec. 2007 Essay Prompts 16 Nov. 2007 Essay Prompts.. .. 17 Dec. 2007 Essay Prompts.. .. .. 19 Jan. 2008 Essay Prompts20 Mar. 2008 Essay Prompts 22 SAT Practice Essay Prompts Prompt 1 work out c atomic number 18fully to the highest degree(predicate) the free presented in the chase infusion and the assignment below. rough persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and turn overment, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But some others go through just the opposite clear. They see sometime(a) memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present. Adapted fr om Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Ive Known Rivers Lives of Loss and Liberation ap heightee Do memories hinder or help battalion in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and print an taste in which you come apart your argue of locating on this takings. patronage your define with reason out and examples interpreted from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 r all(prenominal)y guardedly just or so the solvent presented in the followers withdraw and the assignment below. When flock form opinions active some unity or something, what disturbs them roughly is non tenderness yet style.In other words, the carriage something appears or is presented is to a greater extent important than what it actually is. This principle affects how battalion look at their leadership and their lives, the books they read, the products they buy, and even the subjects they maintain at school. assignment Is style more(prenominal) (prenominal) important than substance? Plan and carry through an picture in which you develop your smear of view on this issue. hold water your rig with conclude and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 return c befully about the issue presented in the by-line natural selection and the assignment below. If we valued h angiotensin-converting enzymesty, we would be exiting to risk our jobs to become whistleblowers and tell truths that our employers did not wish revealed. If we valued success, we would give up our free time in order to excel in a subject or sport. In other words, the sacrifices we atomic number 18 willing to make reveal what we care about the most. concession Can what we value be determined nevertheless by what we sacrifice? Plan and spell out an rise in which you develop your register of view on this issue. make your place with argumentation and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 remember conservatively about the issue presented in the interest exclude and the assignment below. Something flawed is far more interesting than something perfect. Perfection is a trifle dull. It is not the least of spiritednesss ironies that this, which we all aim at, is get out not quite achieved. -Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up grant Is perfection something to be admired or sought afterward? Plan and write an taste in which you develop your point of view on this issue. concord your position with argument and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 5 pretend guardedly about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We need to remember that wisdom is not just about what we remember or dwell, but more importantly, how we act. Simply cosmos smart is not enough. I define wisdom as the application of intelligence and experience toward the attainment of a common heavy. In other words, the wisest battalion are those who look out not just for themselves but similarly for others. -Adapted from Robert J.Sternberg, Teaching for Wisdom in Our Schools appointment What makes a person wise? Are the wisest large number merely smart or are they also concerned with the well(p)-being of others? Plan and write an look for in which you develop your point of view on this issue. funding your position with reason out and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. May 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think conservatively about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Some tribe claim that each item-by-item is solely creditworthy for what happens to him or her.But the claim that we ought to take absolute responsibility for the kinds of people we are and the kinds of lives we lead suggests that we have complete control over our lives. We do not. The circumstances of our lives bear make it mor e or less impossible to make certain kinds of choices. -Adapted from Gordon D. Marino, I Think You Should Be Responsible Me, Im Not So Sure Assignment Are we free to make our own decisions or are we limited in the choices we tidy sum make? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. fight down your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think conservatively about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Certainly anyone who insists on condemning all lies should call about what would happen if we could reliably tell when our family, friends, colleagues, and government leaders were deceiving us. It is tempting to think that the world would become a snap off interpose without the deceptions that bet to interfere with our attempts are genuine communication.On the other hand, perhaps there is much(prenominal) a thing as too much honesty. Adapted from Allison Kornet, The Truth About Lying Assignment Would the world be a better place if everyone incessantly told the complete truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. attendant your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is not that people dislike being part of a community it is just that they care about their individual freedoms more. tidy sum value neighborliness and social interaction until being part of a conference requires them to limit their freedom for the larger good of the group. But a community or group skunknot function effectively unless people are willing to se aside their ad hominem interests. Adapted from Warren Johnson, The Future Is Not What It Used To Be Assignment Does the success of a community whether it is a class, a team, a family, a nation, or any other group depend upon peoples willingness to limit their personal interests? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. thither is an old saying A person with one watch knows what time it is a person with two watches isnt so sure. In other words, a person who looks at an aspiration or event from two different angles sees something different from each position. Moreover, two or more people looking at the same thing whitethorn each perceive something different. In other words, truth, like beauty, may lie in the affection of the beholder.Adapted from Gregory D. Foster, Ethics Time to Revisit the Basics Assignment Does the truth change depending on how people look at things? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your poin t of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. October 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. While some people promote competition as the only way to achieve success, others emphasize the power of cooperation.Intense rivalry at work or play or engaging in competition involving ideas or skills may indeed bowel movement people either to avoid failure or to achieve important victories. In a complex world, however, cooperation is much more likely to produce significant, durable accomplishments. Assignment Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true. Although some respect for authority is, no doubt, necessary in order for any group or organization to function, questioning the people in charge-even if they are experts or leaders in their fields-makes us better thinkers. It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones. Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to pervert actions. Assignment Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We dont sincerely learn anything properly until there is a conundrum, until we make a mistake, until something fails to go as we had hoped. When everything is working well, with no problems or failures, what incentive do we have to demonstrate something new? We are only motivated to learn when we experience difficulties.Adapted from Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life Not a Novel Assignment Does true study only occur when we experience difficulties? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. There are two kinds of pretending. There is the bad kind, as when a person falsely promises to be your friend.But there is also a good kind, where the pretense eventually turns into the really thing. For example, when you are not feeling particularly friendly, the best thing you can do, very often, is to ac t in a friendly manner. In a few minutes, you may in truth be feeling friendlier. Adapted from a book by C. S. Lewis Assignment Can deceptionpretending that something is true when it is notsometimes have good results? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.November 2006 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is wrong to think of ourselves as indispensable. We would love to think that our contributions are essential, but we are mistaken if we think that any one person has made the world what it is today. The contributions of individual people are seldom as important or as necessary as we think they are. Assignment Do we put too much value on the ideas or actions of individual people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on t his issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people deny that stories about characters and events that are not real can discipline us about ourselves or about the world around us. They claim that literature does not offer us worthwhile data about the real world. These people argue that the feelings and ideas we gain from books and stories obstruct, sooner than contribute to, clear thought. Adapted from Jennifer L. McMahon, The Function of FictionAssignment Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the follo wing excerpt and the assignment below. No one is perfect. There are few among us who would disagree with this familiar statement. Certain that perfection is an impossible goal, umpteen people willingly accept flaws and shortcomings in themselves and others.Yet such behavior leads to failure. People can only succeed if they try to achieve perfection in everything they do. Assignment Can people achieve success only if they aim to be perfect? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. bothbody has some choice. People are ever blaming their circumstances for what they are.I dont believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they compulsion and, if they cant find t hem, make them. Adapted from George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warrens Profession Assignment Do success and happiness depend on the choices people make rather than on factors beyond their control? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. declination 2006 SAT Essay PromptsPrompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. In order to be the most productive and successful people that we are capable of being, we must be willing to ignore the opinions of others. It is only when we are completely indifferent to others opinions of uswhen we are not concerned about how others think of usthat we can achieve our most important goals. Assignment Are people more likely to be productive and successful when they ignore the opinions of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of vie w on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. In many another(prenominal) circumstances, optimismthe expectation that ones ideas and plans will always turn out for the bestis unwarranted. In these situations what is needed is not an upbeat view but a realistic one. There are times when people need to take a tough-minded view of the possibilities of success, give up, and invest their energies elsewhere rather than find reasons to continue to pursue the original project or idea.Adapted from Martin E. P. Seligman, Learned Optimism Assignment Is it better for people to be realistic or optimistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think care fully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is easy to make judgments about people and their actions when we do not know anything about their circumstances or what motivated them to take those actions.But we should look beyond a persons actions. When people do things that we consider outrageous, inconsiderate, or harmful, we should try to understand why they acted as they did. Assignment Is it important to try to understand peoples motivations before judgment their actions? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Abraham Lincoln said, Most people are about as keen as they make up their minds to be. In other words, our personal level of satisfaction is entirely within our control. Otherwise, why would the same experience disappoint one person but delight another? Happiness is not an accident but a choice. Assignment Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people spot to be happy? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.January 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people believe that our government should do more to solve our problems. After all, how can one individual create more jobs or make roads safer or improve the schools or help to provide any of the other benefits that we have come to enjoy? And yet expecting that the governmentrather than individualsshould always come up with the solutions to societys ills may have made us less self-reliant, undermining our independence and self-sufficiency.Assig nment Should people take more responsibility for solving problems that affect their communities or the nation in general? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Most human beings lead their lives doing work they hate and work that the world does not need. It is of prime importance that you learn early what you want to do and whether or not the world involve this service.The return from your work must be the satisfaction that work brings you and the worlds need of that work. Income is not money, it is satisfaction it is creation it is beauty. Adapted from W. E. B. Du Bois, The Autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century Assignment Is it more important to do work that on e finds fulfilling or work that pays well? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. The education people receive does not occur primarily in school. tender people are formed by their experiences with parents, teachers, peers, and even strangers on the street, and by the sports teams they play for, the shopping malls they frequent, the songs they hear, and the shows they watch. Schools, while certainly important, constitute only a comparatively small part of education. Adapted from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Education for the Twenty-First Century Assignment Is education primarily the result of influences other than school?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning a nd examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. If we are dissatisfied with our circumstances, we think about changing them. But the most important and effective changesin our attitudehardly occur to us. In other words, we should worry not about how to alter the world around us for the better but about how to change ourselves in order to fit into that world.Adapted from Michael Hymers, Wittgenstein, Pessimism and Politics Assignment Is it better to change ones attitude than to change ones circumstances? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. March 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. From the time people are very young, they are urged to get along with others, to try to fit in. Indeed, people are often rewarded for being agreeable and obedient.But this approach is misguided because it promotes uniformity instead of encouraging people to be unique and different. Differences among people give each of us greater perspective and allow us to make better judgments. Assignment Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.It is easy to imagine that events and experiences in our lives will be perfect, but no matter how good something turns out to be, it can never live up to our expectations. Reality never matches our imaginations. For that reason, we should make sure our plans and goals ar e modest and attainable. We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations and something turns out better than we thought it would. Adapted from Baltasar Gracian y Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom Assignment Is it best to have low expectations and to set goals we are sure of achieving?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Every event has consequences that are potentially beneficial. We may not always be happy about an experience, but we should at least gain in some way from it. For example, the worldwide gasoline shortage in the early 1970s created many hardships but inspired efforts to conserve energy.Whether the gains are large or small, there is something demonstrable or useful for us in everything that happens t o us. Assignment Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. May 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Materialism its the thing that everybody loves to hate.Few aspects of modern smell have been more criticized than materialism. But lets face it materialismacquiring possessions and spending moneyis a vital source of meaning and happiness in our time. People may criticize modern society for being too materialistic, but the fact remains that most of us spend most of our energy producing and overpowering more and more stuff. Adapted from James Twitchell, Two Cheers for Materialism Assignment Should modern society be criticized for being materialistic? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Knowledge is power. In agriculture, medicine, and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from hunger, disease, and tedious labor. Today, however, our knowledge has become so powerful that it is beyond our control. We know how to do many things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this know-how should be used. Assignment Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We do not take the time to determine right from wrong. Reflecting on the variation between right and wrong is hard work. It is so much easier to follow the crowd, going along with what is best-selling(predicate) rather than risking the disapproval of others by voicing an objection of any kind. Adapted from Stephen J.Carter, Integrity Assignment Is it always best to determine ones own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is often the case that unveil the complete truth may bring troublediscomfort, embarrassment, sadness, or even harmto oneself or to another person.In these circumstances, it is better not to express our real thoughts and feelings. Whether or not we should tell the truth, therefore, depends on t he circumstances. Assignment Do circumstances determine whether or not we should tell the truth? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. June 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.People are happy only when they have their minds fixed on some goal other than their own happiness. Happiness comes when people focus instead on the happiness of others, on the improvement of humanity, on some course of action that is followed not as a means to anything else but as an end in itself. Aiming at something other than their own happiness, they find happiness along the way. The only way to be happy is to pursue some goal external to your own happiness. Adapted from John Stuart Mill, Autobiography Assignment Are people more likely to be happy if they focus on goa ls other than their own happiness?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Heroes may seem old-fashioned today. Many people are cynical and seem to enjoy discrediting role models more than creating new ones or cherishing those they already have. Some people, moreover, object to the very idea of heroes, arguing that we should not exalt individuals who, after all, are only flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.But we desperately need heroesto teach us, to captivate us through their words and deeds, to inspire us to greatness. Adapted from Psychology Today, How To Be Great What Does It Take To Be A Hero? Assignment Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.The advancements that have been made over the past hundred years or more are too numerous to count. But has there been progress? Some people would say that the vast number of advancements tells us we have made progress. Others, however, disagree, saying that more is not necessarily better and that real progressin politics, literature, the arts, experience and engine room, or any other fieldcan be achieved only when an advancement truly improves the quality of our lives. Assignment Have modern advancements truly modify the quality of peoples lives? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 It is not true that prosperity is better for people than adversity. When people are thriving and content, they seldom feel the need to look for ways to improve themselves or their situation. Hardship, on the other hand, forces people to closely examineand possibly changetheir own lives and even the lives of others. Misfortune rather than prosperity helps people to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them. Assignment Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. October 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. A person does not simply receive his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. True identity is something people must create for them selves by making choices that are significant and that require a valorous commitment in the face of challenges.Identity means having ideas and values that one lives by. Adapted from Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action Assignment Is identity something people are born with or given, or is it something people create for themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.We value uniqueness and originality, but it seems that everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by ideas and things that are copies or even copies of copies. Writers, artists, and musicians seek new ideas for paintings, books, songs, and movies, but many sadly realize, Its been done. The same is true for scientists, scholars, and businesspeople. Everyone wan ts to create something new, but at best we can hope only to repeat or imitate what has already been done. Assignment Can people ever be truly original? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All people who have achieved greatness in something knew what they excelled at. These people identified the skills that made them specialgood judgment, or courage, or a special artistic or literary talentand focused on developing these skills. Yet most people achieve superiority in nothing because they fail to identify and develop their sterling(prenominal) attribute.Adapted from Baltasar Gracian y Morales, The Art of Worldly Wisdom Assignment Do people achieve greatness only by finding out what they are in particular good at and developing tha t attribute above all else? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Having many admirers is one way to become a celebrity, but it is not the way to become a hero. Heroes are self-made.Yet in our daily lives we see no difference between celebrities and heroes. For this reason, we deprive ourselves of real role models. We should admire heroespeople who are famous because they are greatbut not celebritiespeople who simply seem great because they are famous. Adapted from Daniel Boorstin, The Image A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America Assignment Should we admire heroes but not celebrities? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your readin g, studies, experience, or observations.November 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. People today have so many choices. For instance, thirty years ago most television viewers could choose from only a few impart today there are more than a hundred channels available. And choices do not just abound when it comes to the media. People have more options in almost every area of life. With so much to choose from, how can we not be happy? Assignment Does having a large number of options to choose from make people happy?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. We are often urged to solve problems by ignoring traditional approaches and by finding solutions that are innovative or unconventional. We are encouraged to be creative and to trust that a new way of thinking will yield new insights. But innovation may be impractical and unnecessary.The best ways of fixing problems are often the triedandtrue ways. Assignment Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many people consider the artsliterature, music, painting, and other creative activitiesunnecessary because they provide us with nothing more than entertainment.Yet the arts are extremely valuable because they have much to teach us about the world around us and also because they help people find meaning in life. Assignment Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the worl d around us? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All people judge or criticize the ideas and actions of others.At times, these criticisms hurt or embarrass the people receiving them. Other criticisms seem to be intended to make the critics appear superior. And yet criticism is essential to our success as individuals and as a society. Adapted from Ken Petress, Constructive Criticism A Tool for Improvement Assignment Is criticismjudging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of othersessential for personal well-being and social progress? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.D ecember 2007 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. The first problem for all of us is not to learn but to unlearn. We hold on to ideas that were accepted in the past, and we are afraid to give them up. Preconceptions about what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad are embedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there. Whether its womens role in society or the role of our country in the world, the old assumptions just dont work anymore.Adapted from Gloria Steinem, A New Egalitarian modus vivendi Assignment Do people need to unlearn, or reject, many of their assumptions and ideas? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignmen t below. Our determination to pursue truth by setting up a fight between two sides leads us to believe that every issue has two sidesno more, no less.If we know both sides of an issue, all of the relevant information will emerge, and the best case will be made for each side. But this forge does not always lead to the truth. Often the truth is somewhere in the complex middle, not the oversimplified extremes. Adapted from Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture Assignment Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found in the middle? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. All around us appearances are mistaken for reality. Clever advertisements create favorable impressions but say little or noth ing about the products they promote. In stores, colorful packages are often better than their contents. In the media, how certain entertainers, politicians, and other public figures appear is more important than their abilities. All too often, what we think we see becomes far more important than what really is. Assignment Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Until fairly recently, proficient innovations and inventions were intended to serve basic human needs or desires. Today, however, the most important and urgent problem confronting us is no longer the satisfaction of basic needs. The primary purpose of modern technology is to solve the unintended problems caused by the technology of years past.Adapted from Dennis Gabor, Innovations Scientific, Technologic al, and Social Assignment Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. January 2008 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. It is better to try to be original than to merely imitate others. People should always try to say, write, think, or create something new.There is little value in merely reiterate what has been done before. People who merely copy or use the ideas and inventions of others, no matter how successful they may be, have never achieved anything significant. Assignment Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoni ng and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.Often we see people who persist in trying to achieve a particular goal, even when all the evidence indicates that they will be unlikely to achieve it. When they succeed, we consider them courageous for having overcome impossible obstacles. But when they fail, we think of them as headstrong, foolhardy, and bent on self-destruction. To many people, great effort is only worthwhile when it results in success. Adapted from gilbert Brim, Ambition Assignment Is the effort involved in pursuing any goal valuable, even if the goal is not reached? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue.Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and th e assignment below. Newness has become our obsession. Novelty is more interesting to us than continuing with whatever is tried and true. We discard the old so we can acquire the most recent model, the latest version, the newest and most improved formula. Often, we replace what is useful just because it is no longer new. Not only with material goods but also with cultural values, we prefer whatever is the latest trend.Assignment Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 4 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Since we live in a global society, surely we should view ourselves as citizens of the whole world. But instead, people choose to identify and associate with smaller and more familiar groups.P eople think of themselves as belonging to families, nations, cultures, and generationsor as belonging to smaller groups whose members share ideas, views, or common experiences. All of these kinds of groups may offer people a feeling of security but also prevent them from learning or experiencing anything new. Assignment Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.March 2008 SAT Essay Prompts Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Organizations or groups that share a common goal often mention teamwork as their mystical to success by insisting that people in the group work together for the good of the entire group. However, by requiring each individual to accept the decis ions of the others in the group, organizations may discourage the expression of individual talent. Ultimately, a group is most successful when all of its members are encouraged to pursue their own goals and interests.Assignment Are organizations or groups most successful when their members pursue individual wishes and goals? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Being loyal snug or dedicated to someone or somethingis not always easy. People often have conflicting loyalties, and there are no guidelines that help them define to what or whom they should be loyal.Moreover, people are often loyal to something bad. Still, loyalty is one of the essential attributes a person must have and must conduct of others. Adapted from James Carvil le, Stickin The Case for Loyalty Assignment Should people always be loyal? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Prompt 3 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Winning feels forever fabulous.But you can learn more from losing than from winning. Losing prepares you for setback and tragedy more than winning ever can. Moreover, loss invites reflection and a change of strategies. In the process of recovering from your losses, you learn how to avoid them the next time. Adapted from Pat Conroy, My Losing Season Assignment Do people learn more from losing than from winning? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Self-esteem and Impression Management

Consideration of a persons perspective ego and the processes used to determine behaviors is wizard element of favorable psychology. Some of the processes and theories are impression management, sociable tuning, mixer comparabilitys, mindsets, and intrinsic and extrinsic pauperism. This work will poll the basic premises of each of these along with personal examples provided by the author. Impression anxiety Impression management is the use of intended or subconscious behaviors by a person to manipulate the others opinions or so them.This can be done in a variety of ways including showering others with flattery and compliments and giving gifts with the motivation of developing a favorable opinion of the giver. Adolescence is a phase of life that is particularly susceptible to impression management. When I was twelve years old, my family was transferred from inner metropolis St. Louis to a tiny town of 2,000 people in northeast Arkansas. This town was very elitist and there w as very little inroad for natural kids to find a home of belonging. Almost exclusively, the junior high students had been classmates since kindergarten, and their tender in-groups were intact.There was one girl who reached out to make me feel welcome, and her name was Laura Beth Williams. She had long, curly, strawberry nordic hair, and wore the cutest clothes. Her dad owned a local nursery and she had four sisters. She invited me to sit at her lunch table, told me where to go at lunch time, and gave me insight about teachers and classes. I was so grateful to her that I valued to do something nice in return, and I also wanted the other students to think well of me and to consider including me too. matchless day I took a cobalt ultramarine ring to school with the intention of giving it to Laura Beth to show my appreciation. As I thought of what I might do, and the possible responses of my classmates, I was so excited. Then, my excitement incited something that would be my demis e. Instead of simply presenting the perfectly lovely piece of costume jewelry, my mind began to create a much more flourish scenario that snowballed to catastrophe. When we got to our first hour workplace hall, I made a big deal of making certain that several people saw my ring.As they asked, I told them that my maternal grandfather was a lustful Native American (he very was), and that he had given me this gorgeous piece of turquoise jewelry which I wanted to give to Laura Beth as thanks for her service of process and welcoming manner. As I had hoped, the class was impressed and I knew my status was immediately elevated in this new social group. All was well until one of the boys asked to see the ring. As he examined it, I heard an ominous snicker before he loudly announced, Hey, Gina, is your grandpas name Chief Avon? Naturally, I was mortified and began to cry and repent about fabricating the story.What is interesting is that from that time forward, the students were much mo re helpful and welcoming. That was the day that I well-read a valuable lesson about lying and trying to impress other people. According to Segev, Shoham, and Ruvio (2013) found that being self-conscious can be positively associate with gift giving in adolescence. Adolescents value peer relationships and may give gifts as a way to ensure that they have friends. Social Tuning Social tuning is the aspiration for mankind beings to be more attracted to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of their own social group.This gravitation toward similar knowledge, customs, and beliefs is one element of the development of culture. My daughter, Nikki, is a typical 20-something American young woman. She has bountiful up with many of the niceties and luxuries of our country and as most of us are, is a bit spoiled. When she was 22, Nikki answered a call to serve as a teacher-missionary in an orphanage in Honduras. She went to language school in Nicaragua and spent two years teaching elementary students in the mountains near Tegucigalpa. Upon her return to the U. S., Nikki would often lapse into Spanish, in particular when she got offensive or excited, and she loved to go to the Mexican restaurants in town. She said it felt more like home.It has been two years since her return, and now Nikki no durable breaks out in Spanish, and she doesnt frequent Mexican restaurants as often. Although living in Honduras for over two years did not make Nikki a Honduran, social tuning began an enculturation process. A 2010 study actually showed that there is a psychological and cognitive tendency for people to be more prominent deep down ones in-group.The study specifically explored words, paintings, and time pressure. Not only did the study explore reactions to stimulus among those who shared cultural similarities, but the researchers found that the information and psychological reaction was lessened when the participants thought that the other participants were unlike them. Social Comparisons Human beings naturally comparison themselves to other human beings, both individually and corporately. This phenomenon is called social comparison, and it can be either positive or ban.For example, if a person who has had three speeding tickets is comparing their driving record to the driving records of other people, they may feel redeeming(prenominal) about their driving if they have fewer accidents or tickets and bad about their driving skills compared to the person who has never had an accident or a ticket. The comparison actually does not change the persons driving ability, only their perception of their driving ability. Recent research demonstrates that it is the quality rather than the relative frequency of social networking experiences that places individuals at attempt for interdict mental health outcomes.However, the mechanisms that account for this association have yet to be examined. Accordingly, this study examined whether the tendency to negatively com pare oneself with others while using Facebook leads to increases in depressive symptoms, and whether this association is mediated by increases in rumination. A sample of 268 college-age young adults completed an initial online survey and a 3-week follow-up. track analysis was used to test the hypothesized model, wherein negative social comparison on Facebook was predicted to be associated with increases in rumination, which, in turn, was predicted to be associated with depressive symptoms.The model controlled for general social comparison to test the specific effect of social comparison on Facebook over and above the tendency to engage in social comparison in general. Results indicated that the hypothesized mediation effect was significant. In sum, in the setting of social networking, negatively comparing oneself with others may place individuals at risk for rumination and, in turn, depressive symptoms. Findings increase catch of the mechanisms that link social networking use to negative mental health outcomes and suggest a continued emphasis on examining the specific procesSelf-esteem and Impression ManagementConsideration of a persons perspective self and the processes used to determine behaviors is one element of social psychology. Some of the processes and theories are impression management, social tuning, social comparisons, mindsets, and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This work will examine the basic premises of each of these along with personal examples provided by the author.Impression ManagementImpression management is the use of conscious or subconscious behaviors by a person to manipulate the others opinions about them. This can be done in a variety of ways including showering others with praise and compliments and giving gifts with the motivation of developing a favorable opinion of the giver. Adolescence is a phase of life that is particularly susceptible to impression management. When I was twelve years old, my family was transferred fro m inner city St. Louis to a tiny town of 2,000 people in northeast Arkansas. This town was very elitist and there was very little inroad for new kids to find a place of belonging. Almost exclusively, the junior high students had been classmates since kindergarten, and their social in-groups were intact.There was one girl who reached out to make me feel welcome, and her name was Laura Beth Williams. She had long, curly, strawberry blonde hair, and wore the cutest clothes. Her dad owned a local nursery and she had four sisters. She invited me to sit at her lunch table, told me where to go at lunch time, and gave me insight about teachers and classes. I was so grateful to her that I wanted to do something nice in return, and I also wanted the other students to think well of me and to consider including me too. One day I took a turquoise ring to school with the intention of giving it to Laura Beth to show my appreciation.As I thought of what I might do, and the possible responses of my classmates, Iwas so excited. Then, my excitement incited something that would be my demise. Instead of simply presenting the perfectly lovely piece of costume jewelry, my mind began to create a much more elaborate scenario that snowballed to catastrophe. When we got to our first hour study hall, I made a big deal of making certain that several people saw my ring. As they asked, I told them that my maternal grandfather was a full-blooded Native American (he actually was), and that he had given me this gorgeous piece of turquoise jewelry which I wanted to give to Laura Beth as thanks for her help and welcoming manner.As I had hoped, the class was impressed and I knew my status was immediately elevated in this new social group. All was well until one of the boys asked to see the ring. As he examined it, I heard an ominous snicker before he loudly announced, Hey, Gina, is your grandpas name Chief Avon? Naturally, I was mortified and began to cry and repent about fabricating the story. W hat is interesting is that from that time forward, the students were much more helpful and welcoming. That was the day that I learned a valuable lesson about lying and trying to impress other people. According to Segev, Shoham, and Ruvio (2013) found that being self-conscious can be positively related with gift giving in adolescence. Adolescents value peer relationships and may give gifts as a way to ensure that they have friends. Social TuningSocial tuning is the tendency for human beings to be more attracted to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of their own social group. This gravitation toward similar knowledge, customs, and beliefs is one element of the development of culture. My daughter, Nikki, is a typical 20-something American young woman. She has grown up with many of the niceties and luxuries of our country and as most of us are, is a bit spoiled. When she was 22, Nikki answered a call to serve as a teacher-missionary in an orphanage in Honduras. She went to language s chool in Nicaragua and spent two years teaching elementary students in the mountains near Tegucigalpa.Upon her return to the U.S., Nikki would often lapse into Spanish, especially when she got nervous or excited, and she loved to go to the Mexican restaurants in town. She said it felt more like home. It has been two years since her return, and now Nikki no longer breaks out in Spanish, and she doesnt frequent Mexican restaurants as often. Althoughliving in Honduras for over two years did not make Nikki a Honduran, social tuning began an enculturation process.A 2010 study actually showed that there is a psychological and cognitive tendency for people to be more prominent indoors ones in-group. The study specifically explored words, paintings, and time pressure. Not only did the study explore reactions to stimulus among those who shared cultural similarities, but the researchers found that the experience and psychological reaction was lessened when the participants thought that the other participants were unlike them.Social ComparisonsHuman beings naturally compare themselves to other human beings, both individually and corporately. This phenomenon is called social comparison, and it can be either positive or negative. For example, if a person who has had three speeding tickets is comparing their driving record to the driving records of other people, they may feel good about their driving if they have fewer accidents or tickets and bad about their driving skills compared to the person who has never had an accident or a ticket. The comparison actually does not change the persons driving ability, only their perception of their driving ability.Recent research demonstrates that it is the quality rather than the frequency of social networking experiences that places individuals at risk for negative mental health outcomes. However, the mechanisms that account for this association have yet to be examined. Accordingly, this study examined whether the tendency to negat ively compare oneself with others while using Facebook leads to increases in depressive symptoms, and whether this association is mediated by increases in rumination.A sample of 268 college-age young adults completed an initial online survey and a 3-week follow-up. Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized model, wherein negative social comparison on Facebook was predicted to be associated with increases in rumination, which, in turn, was predicted to be associated with depressive symptoms. The model controlled for general social comparison to test the specific effect of social comparison on Facebook over and above the tendency to engage in social comparison in general.Results indicated that the hypothesized mediation effect was significant. In sum, in the context ofsocial networking, negatively comparing oneself with others may place individuals at risk for rumination and, in turn, depressive symptoms. Findings increase understanding of the mechanisms that link social network ing use to negative mental health outcomes and suggest a continued emphasis on examining the specific proces

Assessment of the Necessity of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty

Perceptions regarding atomic weapons presents a contradiction in terms of the existence of a peaceful nuclear past and a fearful nuclear future (Sagan 66). Such a contradiction exists in terms of our current understanding regarding nuclear weapons and deterrence. Consider for example that during the Cold contend period, nuclear weapons were widely believed to be one of the most important factors in maintaining the peace between the United States and the Soviet Union (Cimbali 224).Currently, on the other hand, it is widely believed that enabling the continuing spread and development of nuclear weapons will only increase the insecurity of the development of a nuclear war. This is based upon the assumption that rivalry countries that are considered nuclear powers are unlikely to maintain stable deterrence. Due to this concern regarding the prevention of such an event, the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was formulated during 1968. The pact imposed an international limitation to t he spread of nuclear weapons. It is based upon three main tenets non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, disarmament of nuclear weapons, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. What follows is an analysis of the nuclear proliferation argument.As was secernd above, the main rationale for the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was the prevention of nuclear wars pillowcased by the unstable deterrence between nuclear weapons states. According to the Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, the agreement is based upon international mechanisms that operate within the foundations of international laws and norms.Anxworthy further states that the NPT opts to promote and achieve a piece without nuclear weapons hence a world without a nuclear war impending in its historical future (1). As opposed to this, it has been argued by political scientists that if the main rationale for the treaty was the prevention of nuclear wars, then the treaty by prohibiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons defied itself in so far as enabling the proliferation of nuclear weapons ensures the prevention of nuclear wars.According to Kenneth Waltz, nuclear weapons have been given a bad name (731). Waltz argues that it is fallacious to assume that since nuclear weapons may cause catastrophic nuclear exchanges, nuclear wars will thereby cause global destruction. Waltz argues that nuclear weapons will enable the development of stability and peace since a nation will be deterred from attacking if it believes that there is a possibility that its adversary will retaliate (734).It is important to consider that Waltzs choose is based upon the assumption that major wars amongst states occur as a result of the estimation of zero or low retaliation costs of a state from another state. In lieu of this, it is thereby possible to refrain that allowing the proliferation of nuclear weapons lessens the possibility of the development of nuclear wars since it ensures that countries will consider the high a mount of risk involved in launching a nuclear attack towards a state with similar military capacities.In lieu of this, I would like to conclude that it is indeed true that the choice between a more peaceful and co-operative versus a war-ridden and hostile world is highly dependent or critically dependent on the future of nuclear weapons however, it does not necessarily necessitate the prevention of their further spread.Works CitedCimbali, Stephen. The Dead Volcano The Background and Effects of Nuclear War Complacency. Portsmouth, NH Praeger/Greenwood, 2002Halard, Muller, David Fischer, and Wolfgang Kotter. Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Global Order. Oxford Oxford Univ. P., 1994.Waltz, Kenneth. Nuclear Myths and Political Realities. American Political Science Reviews 84. 3 (September 1990).

Coetzee’s Use of Humor in Disgrace (1999) Essay

After reading Coetzees clean (1999) and then the literary criticisms that followed its publication, the inevit adequate to(p) conclusion was that the numerous different interpretations of the novel demonstrated it reached ratifiers in highly individual ways. Indeed, it awaited that many of the criticisms were of different books. The purpose of this paper was to focus on an aspect of the novel that has current little attention, Coetzees liberal use of humor or satire in the context of city life in post-Apartheid South Africa during the late nineties from the viewpoint of the main character, David Lurie in the first percentage of the novel.Lurie taught at Cape Technical University, previously Cape Town University College. Because of low learner enrollment, the Department of Classics and innovational Languages had been closed and Lurie had been assigned to teach courses in Communications Skills and a single course a year of his own choice in an area of his specialization, wild -eyed Poetry. When Lurie, 52-years-old at the measure of the novel, had been younger, his impressive physical appearance had eitherowed him to attract women of his choice with little effort.Attracting women had become much knockout as he aged, and became even more difficult when Apartheid ended and many of its victims, who obviously did non idolize ashen male scholars, became university students and then faculty. The views of these students spread to washcloth women, who already had lacked power, relative to white men, to begin with Apartheid ended. Thus the feminist and civil rights movements that were active in the 1960s in the United States and other democracies in Western Europe did non begin in South Africa until the 1990s, when Apartheid ended.David Luries StoryAt the beginning of Coetzees novel (1999), Lurie was thoroughly satisfied having sex once a week with a bonnie Muslim woman, wagesing an escort service. Less satis pointory was his coterminous escort, follow ed by a secretary in his university department. Knowing the risk presented by new university policies, he nonetheless seduced a young student taking his course, Melanie, when he accidentally encountered her while on his way home. Her feelings were clear only the second duration they had sex.He had gone to her apartment, she had said no (using her concern that her cousin/roommate would soon return as an excuse), he insured and though she did not fight him, she seemed to playfulness dead, waiting for him to finish. In his own mind, he concluded that what he did was not rape, not quite that, provided undesired nonetheless (p. 25).Later, later she had filed a complaint, he met with the disciplinary committee, composed of faculty (and one non-voting student), and readily admitted his guilt. However, he refused to offer additional information that they needed in order to recommend to the Rector of the University a course of action other than dismissal. The Rector, in an effort to avo id asking for Luries resignation, asked him to sign a statement expressing remorse, already written for him by a member of the committee.After refusing to sign and beingness dismissed, Lurie visited his daughter, Lucy, at her home in a rural area of South Africa, where the satire in the first sectionalization inevitably lessened (though did not disappear) because of the most harrowing central event of the second section, the brutal gang-rape of Luries daughter, Lucy, when the rapists also set Lurie on fire and locked him in the bathroom, shot the dogs at Lucys kennel, and then leave in Luries car.Criticisms Related to Luries Hearing in Coetzee (1999)One argument against publishing the novel was made by prominent South Africans who were opposed to presenting a damaging image of the country (Attridge, 2002, p. 315). This argument did not recognize the difference between bare historical events and valuing literature, and that the only responsible way to engage with Disgrace is as a literary work (p. 319). Based on this premise, only literary criticisms adopt been discussed below. Few of these criticisms even recognized elements of the novel that were humorous or satiric.Many interpretations had in common a view of Lurie as a symbol of the white male aristocratic elite, a man who had tried to retain the Apartheid privileges of his race and gender, in crabbed, freedom to initiate sexual relationships with young women who were their students (Boehmer, 2002 Cornwall, 2002 Graham, 2003 Saunders, 2005). While the view of these critics did, in fact, reflect Luries view of himself, the critics also shared Luries own failure to recognize that the techniques he used to try seducing his women students were thoroughly ineffective for reasons misrelated to any differences in the academic abilities of students before and after the end of Apartheid.For example, as Lurie did recognize, his sexual conquests of earlier years required him to use no techniques at all because w omen were drawn to his impressive physical appearance. As he aged, seduction required effort and he hadnt a clue as to what would and would not take him appealing to young women, regardless of their color.His lack of awareness of the impression he made on others went to the extreme of him not even being able to pay Soraya, a professional from the escort service to continue what he considered a genuine relationship, believably because she found it frightening that he seemed to be following her. Although she could not have been aware of his fantasies about having sex while her two children watched, it would be understandable for her to have been concerned about the safety of her children because she no longer was able to keep her actual identity close, a precaution any professional prostitute should take.However, Sarvans conclusion (2004, p. 27) that the fantasies Lurie (or anyone) had to increase arousal while having sex indicated he had a moral sickness was funny enough for Coetz ee to have used in the novel itself. As Attridge (2000) noted, increased puritanical surveillance of once private details of sexual intimacy was not limited to South Africa, only instead reflected the world in general, notably . . . the United States (p. 103) and that in the first section of the book, Coetzees writing frequently used satire (p. 103).Lurie recognized that he had never been much of a teacher (p. 4) and after reading a seek of how he taught what did interest him, Wordsworth (when seducing Melanie, he told her that the harmonies of The Prelude have echoed within him for as long as he can remember, p. 13), one shudders to imagine him doing a worse job in teaching Communications (p. 4).Coetzee provided a very brief sample of part of a class on Romantic Poetry Lurie taught (p. 21), so brief that it was funny, rather than mind-numbing as an entire lecture would have been. After reading a passage from The Prelude, he asked the students why Mont Blanc had been a disappoint ment (p. 21). He then pedantically asked them what he already knew that, of course, none of them had looked up a dictionary definition of the unusual verb form usurp upon (p. 21).Although without a dictionary, context would probably permit automatically inferring a meaning such as intrude upon, Lurie implied the passage would have been clear had they known that usurp upon means to intrude or encroach upon. Usurp, to take over entirely, is the perfective of usurp upon, usurping completes the act of usurping upon (p. 21). When he was younger, it would seem clear that the young women in his classes found him sexually attractive because they were aspect at him, rather than listening.Regarding Luries sexual relationship with Melanie, Lurie did not seem to know whether she was attracted to him, sexually or otherwise. That she did not resist him when he had sex with her after she had said no could have been because she recognized she could be safe from physical harm or even that hed lea ve more right away if she were passive. When she returned to stay at his home, her reason might have been because she feared her boyfriend or that Lurie correctly understood that she did and had a right to manipulate him regarding her attendance and work in his class. There was no evidence that she feared his power to manipulate her grade in his course.After Melanie had filed a formal charge of sexual harassment (and Lurie really did not have a way of knowing whether or not she was pressured to do so), several criticisms (Boehmer, 2002 Cornwall, 2002 Graham, 2003 Saunders, 2005) seemed to accept Professor Farodia Rassools argument that they needed to evaluate whether a statement from Lurie comes from his heart and whether a statement expressing grinding reflected his sincere feelings (p. 54). Luries term preposterous (p. 55) was literally accurate in the sense that it is not likely to determine the sincerity of a written statement, but it also was difficult to understand why Lur ie, who had never before showed any concern about being deceitful, suddenly became a man with principles.He did seem to be mocking Rassool but it also appeared obvious that she was a humorless woman and regardless of race, she was supported, and without particular warmth, only by the two other women who had been present at a time when she spoke. It indeed was astonishing that Saunders (2005) could have made an obvious error of fact had she read the book, stating the faculty committee italics added indignantly objects to Luries acceptance of charges without remorse (p. 99).Saunders repeated her erroneous treatment of the Committee as united in the next three pages, Luries response does not, from the committees perspective, meet the demands of ethical responsibility (p. 100), the committee isnt convinced that Luries admission is a formulation of his sincere feelings (p. 101), and Luries performance does not fulfill the expectation, shared by the novels committee of inquiry that rem orse and transformation were publicly adjudge (p. 102). How was it possible to fail to recognize that the three men at the hearing, Aram Hakim, sleek and youthful (p. 40), Manas Mathabane, the chair of the Hearing (p. 47), and Desmond Swarts, Dean of Engineering (p. 47) had no such expectations, but instead made it clear they wanted Lurie to let them help him avoid being asked to resign?Swarts, for example, said DavidWe would like to find a way for you to continue with your career (p. 52) and Hakim immediately after said We would like to help you, David, find a way out of what must be a nightmare (p. 52). After Rassool urged that the Committee impose the severest penalty (p. 51), Mathabane responded, Let me remind you again, Dr. Rassoolit is not up to us to impose penalties (p. 51). Lurie recognized the men were his friendsThey want him back in the classroom (p. 52).There was no response after he noted, In the chorus of goodwillI hear no female voices (p. 52), but, oddly, Lurie did not seem to remember that prior to the Hearing, the only other person mentioned as a member of the Committee was a faculty member who teaches in the Business schooltime (p. 47). During the Hearing, she was presented as a young woman, but her question about his willingness to seek help of any kind (a priest, for instance, or a counsellor, p. 49) suggested she shared the muddiness of the men about his refusal to simply save his job, regardless of his opinion, but had no desire either to persuade him to do so or to cause him harm.At the preliminary meeting, the chair of his department was present, a woman who, according to Lurie, regarded him as a hangover from the past, the sooner cleared away the better (p. 40), but the reader had no way of knowing whether she cared about him at all or might in fact want to replace him not because of his discipline but because she would prefer hiring a person who could teach.Coetzee did give the woman who wanted him to express contrition that came from his heart a name indicating she was colored (at least at the time of the novel, no-one suggested it was problematic to divide people into two racial groups white and non-white, the reason for using the term colored).Combined with Lurie having had sex with a young student who also was not white, Coetzee clearly intended to introduce ambiguity regarding Rassools intended meaning of Luries failure to mention the long history of ontogeny of which this is part (p. 53). However, there was no justification for Cornwall (2002) using the races of Rassool and Melanie to reach the (inelegantly worded) conclusion that their relationship can be seen to be informed not only by the power relations of patriarchy and the academy but also by those of race their encounter is contextualized within the several centuries of colonial history in which white men debauched black women with impunity (p. 315).While many of the conclusions in criticisms related to the experiences that led to and occurre d during Luries Hearing were that there was a need for him to express contrition or remorse, the actual events in the novel, as described above, led to the conclusion that Lurie was more of an unintentional anti-hero than sinner.Whatever his reasons were, as an anti-hero, he flaunted both social conventions regarding treating women with compliance and politically correct jargon, such as women victims of the patriarchy. Should we thus admire him for the relationships he had with women? Of course not. Perhaps the most well-known sexual anti-hero was another Professor, self-confessed pedophile Humbert Humbert (Nabokov, 1955), who demonstrated that indeed the vilest of behaviors can simultaneously be the most comic.While Luries offensive behaviors pale in comparison to those of Professor Humbert, it would seem difficult to fail to recognize that both his typically inept efforts at seduction and his more successful ability to bring out the silliest of exercises in political justness r esulted in devastating humor at an extremely difficult period in South Africa.ReferencesAttridge, D. (2000). Age of bronze, state of grace Music and dogs in J. M. Coetzees Disgrace. Novel, 34, 98-121.Attridge, D. (2002). J. M. Coetzees Disgrace Introduction. Interventions, 4, 315-320.Boehme, E. (2002). Not saying sorry, not speaking pain Gender implications in Disgrace. Interventions, 4, 342-351.Coetzee, J. M. (1999). Disgrace. New York Viking.Cornwall, G. (2002). Realism, rape, and J. M. Coetzees Disgrace. Critique, 43, 307-316.Graham, L. V. (2003). Reading the unspeakable Rape in J. M. Coetzees Disgrace. Journal of Southern African Studies, 29, 432-444.Nabakov, V. (1955). Lolita. New York G. P. Putnams Sons.Sarvan, C. (2004). Disgrace A path to grace? World Literature Today, 26-29.Saunders, R. (2005). Disgrace in the time of a Truth Commission. Parallex, 11, 99-106.

Carol Ann Duffy Notes

The poem dears with inciteers of oppression, control and confinement. Possibility that was once limitless for the dolphins now has limits oblige upon it that will become impossible to bear. The realisation will probably hasten the creatures death, signalling that there is as much at stake from a psychological emplacement as there is from the physical circumstances. Stifling of natural impulse and behaviour can have fatal consequences. The plastic toy is a further reminder of the indignity visited on this majestic creature of the ocean.The phrase until the whistle blows is potentially ambiguous. In one level it simply refers to the controlling device employmentd by the keeper provided on a nonher the poet efficacy be reminding us that this sort of cruelty will continue until somebody exposes it for what it is. Duffy does effectively blow the whistle on such practices. The last-place line, with its reference to our mind, neatly links the plural possessive pronoun with the singu lar noun mind indicating a collective voice for a species.The tense change to we will draws fear to the contrast amongst what the dolphins had, what they have now and can expect in the future. As a result, the dolphins assume an al closely mythic status in that they appeal to archetypal impulses in us and in nature they are non just the creatures who form part of it. The Dolphins may just as easily be read as a poem about human disillusion, betrayal and loss of direction as it is about animals. As an interpreter of experience it offers us a overbold language into which we would do well to translate ourselves.Foreign Duffys preoccupation with language is dealt with here form the perspective of its heathen significance as much as its ability to say any(prenominal)thing. To the immigrant, the country to which he or she has moved out of economic necessity will always be foreign but the indigenous universe will regard them as foreigners. The fact that living in a foreign culture is something that is not easy to get used to is emphasised in the opening line of the poem. in spite of living in a city for twenty years it remains strange.The immigrant is aware of his or her own foreign accent as it sounds to others. The shape of thinking in one language and having to translate into the speech of another cannot always be sustained and this is sensitively pointed out through the physical tip in the final stanza And in the delicatessen, from time to time, the coins / in your palm will not translate. The breakdown in communication in an everyday, exposed transactional situation is escalate through the words Inarticulate and point.Duffys empathic feeling for such people is further expressed in her presentation of other actions such as writing home, a way of maintaining contact with others of the same culture. The local dialect in the immigrants head is coupled with the memory of his or her mother singing. These are details with which any sympathetic person might id entify and throw into sharp relief the actual experience of seeing racist graffiti sprayed in red (line 12). Duffys use of the simile, Red like blood to describe the key fruit is effective because of its monosyllabic directness of observation.It also resonates with a famous and terrible speech given by the Conservative politician Enoch Powell who, on 20th April 1968 warned that increase immigration into Britain would result in a river of blood. There is, then, a stark contrast between the uses of language as a sign system of cultural inclusion (stanza 2) and its deliberate use as a weapon of racial exclusion (stanza 3). The hate name of the racists is sprayed on a brick wall the harshness and unyielding nature of which is typic of the mentality of those who do such things.The unfamiliar, snowy weather and artificial neon lights create the impression for the immigrant that the country moved to is coming to bits. This image of fragmentation is, though, not entirely imaginary as he o r she has a life splintered from all that is familiar and constantly experiences a sense of alienation. The italicised words at the close of the poem give voice to the immigrant but this only gives away a difficulty with slope. The unfinished verbs, Me not know and It like they only are drawn attention to by Duffy in order that the reader may ponder what it would be like to face the same language problem.The final words of the poem, Imagine that remind us of the opening and there is quite a clear impression that Duffy is adopting an undisguised didactic stance. As a skilled and empowered user of the English language herself she is lottery attention to the lot of those who are marginalised because of their deficiency in its use. Head of English The poet is introduced to the class by the Head of English who has very frozen views about what poetry should be. As in Comprehensive, the school in question is a multi-ethnic institution.It is significant that the instructor should be dis missing the live woman poet because she does not conform to the Keatsean ideal in the instructors mind. She is not dead and she is not male. How anyone with English second language is expected to relate to dead white English men is clearly a challenge laid down in the poem. The five six line stanzas are indicative of a controlled, contained environment, the institution and the teacher are reflected in this. Duffy does not choose to use rhyme throughout (as the teacher predicted) but reserves some obvious rhymes for the teacher to use.This is a very subtle use of a poetic technique to satirise someone who is complaining about its absence from modern poetry. So, simultaneously, Duffy is using a poetic technique to show that the teacher is wrong about it being absent from modern verse whilst showing that the rhyme, being obvious, is the sort needed by the teacher. The reference to Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) is significant for a physique of reasons. His poems do rhyme very regularly , and a number of them are redolent of British imperialism and nationalism in the Victorian period.This is actually grossly offensive in a multicultural context. Winds of change is a wittily ambiguous phrase since it refers to the words of Harold Macmillan, British Prime Minister 1957-63 speaking of political events such as the urbane war in the Congo following the granting of independence from Belgium. It also tells us that the teacher is referring to flatulence, as well as reinforcing her own entrenched views. Duffy is ironically drawing attention to the fact that Calliope, the Muse and source of afflatus, breath of inspiration for poets is interrupted by an unwelcome allusion to noxious gases.The control possible in adopting a persona in the dramatic monologue is clear. Single word sentences, a hallmark of Duffys verse, work very well in capturing the terse, rude attitude of the teacher. Still. (stanza 2) Right. (stanza 4) and Well. Really. (stanza 5) show that she is singula rly unaffected by what she has heard. Here, it is what is implied by Duffys economical use of language that is so effective in building an impression of what this woman is like.The idea of someone being in charge of an English Department who cannot see that it is she who actually has the outside view is worrying. The fact that she devotes a whole lesson to assonance also indicates the deadly boring teaching methods she employs. She patently teaches technique out of context in the same way that she cannot accept modern poetry as belonging to a literary tradition. Like any poor English teacher she views tradition as something strictly to do with an unreachable past.It is striking that it is the silent space between the fifth and sixth stanzas that the poet has been allowed to read. Despite having encouraged pupils to ask questions after all were paying forty pounds, the teachers response to the poets reading is telling as she instructs the class to run along. The reader wonders just what insight the teacher has actually gained. Also, her pupils are unlikely to derive much from her teaching. More worrying, though, are the entrenched attitudes of a person who should not be in charge of the most expansive of subjects studied at school.