Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Philosophy Essay The existence of God is viewed in two debatable perspectives – either the Divine Almighty exists or He does not. It is almost impossible to dwell on revealing the right answer to resolve this matter as one is dealing with an abstract matter that goes beyond reason and the physical or concrete aspect of life and the universe. The first argument questions the existence of God because there is no tangible sign in reality that reveals that He does exist. The opposite argument argues that God exists because of the impossibility of the presence of a Divine Being despite his non-existence in physical terms. This is supported by the virtue of faith and the belief that a greater power must be responsible for the existence of man and life. Perhaps asking about the existence of God is one of the most glorified questions that have not been answered since the beginning of time. This may not only be because of the fact that he does not encompass a physical entity, but also because God as an entity is beyond reason that people cannot even start to define who or what He is, what He is capable of doing, and such. In order to present an argument regarding this matter, it is important to discuss points which will prove or rather rationalize God’s existence. God exists, but He will only dynamically exist if one believes in His true existence. Rationalizing the existence of God is similar to proving the existence of love. Love is an abstract feeling or emotion, like God Himself is a nonrepresentational entity which does not exist in physical terms. Love is the same. It is an abstract feeling or emotion which cannot be represented in tangible terms, however, people know what it is, if not believe in it. Love exists because people believe in it. Love is felt and expressed, defining its meaning and significance, and framing it as a valid term or feeling because people can feel it allowing them to know it does exist. On the other hand, people who do not believe in love do not also believe it exists. I think this argument goes the same with the inquiry of the existence of God. God is a term or a word which represents a Divine Entity, while love is also a term or a word which represents an abstract feeling or emotion. However, their existence in reality is only confined in terms or words not unless people would believe they do exist and act upon their existence. Therefore, God does not exist for people who do not have faith in His existence, who do not give meaning to who He is as the creator of man and the universe. Think about love and why people believe it exists. This is because people choose to believe in what they feel, although unexplainable and intangible. Love is expressed in so many ways, from touching, caring, helping, doing good and kind acts, etc. Since love is expressed, then it is felt consequentially; and since it is felt, then people believe it does exist. In terms of the existence of God, people can justify His existence then by acting on their faith. This means worshipping him, praying to him, spreading His word, practicing or applying His commandments, and living in His righteousness. God becomes present in an individual’s life if he chooses to abide by Him and believe in what He has to offer for mankind. This means that although God exists by definition, He will continually exist in reality – that is in the lives of man and in everything they do – if people believe that He plays an important role in their lives and that He commands or directs man into living in the kind of life that He wants for His people. The existence of God then is justified by faith. Moreover, God exists within the things that represent who He is as a Diety – and that is in goodness, in love, in hope, respect, trust, and graciousness. God’s existence perhaps is the most difficult matter to argue given the diverse answers of people to this inquiry. However, one possible rationalization is faith in Him and all the things that people experience that is representative of God. That is man’s faith in God brings Him beyond the term or word labeled to Him, and that the faith of man leads Him to act on it by doing things to acknowledge His existence.

Psychology And Its Branches Sociology Essay

Psychology And Its Branches Sociology Essay First of all psychology is the study of human behaviour. The sole purpose of psychology is to unravel the mystery of why and individual acts a certain way. Psychology examines an individuals specific actions, responses and factors that dictate how an individual reacts under set conditions and the environment. The behaviour of an individual has an impact on the greater society that surrounds the individual. Psychological theories cover many branches including organizational psychology, environmental psychology, development psychology, forensic psychology and sports psychology. The talk about psychology and its branches bring up an individual in particular, Robert William Pickton. This former pig farmer and serial killer convicted of the second degree murders of six Canadian women in 2007. He was also charged with the murder of twenty additional women. The Canadian man born in British Columbia is considered a psychopath and is very easily determined as one because of his childhood. The branch of psychology that specifically affected Picktons mentality was his development as a child and the environment he grew up in, in other words development psychology. Robert Pickton grew up in a childhood filled with denial from his mother. Due to Roberts mother heavy work regime he would never have fun, spend time with friends or time to play. If Robert was not in school, he would be found in the slaughterhouse where his environment affected his mentality. In such an environment it is easy to see the development psychology theory that has had a major effect on Picktons psychopath killing spree up to a total of forty-nine victims. Erik Erikson believes that human behaviour can be understood through the experiences an individual encounters during their development. This directly relates to Robert Pickton because of the violent and gruesome environment Pickton grew up in, it is easy to analyze why his psychological behaviour has become what it is today. Erikson suggests that a person may pass a stage of psychological development or they get stuck. For example, an infant either trusts his/her caregivers or s/he doesnt. This failure of trust gain can affect the persons trusting relationship later on in life. This same ideology goes for Pickton; he grew up in an environment where killing was occurring periodically in a day. This harsh and violent environment has caused Pickton to have a violent and gruesome psychological personality. He believes that killing has no evil or wrong in it, this is because of the psychological development theory. Pickton has been stuck in this psychological environment since his childho od and has been prominent in his life. Sociology Perspective: Sociology is a social science perspective that states one area of society will always have an effect; it can be either direct or indirect. This is due to society being a complex structure where there will always be modifications and changes in it due to society itself. The ideology of society influences decisions made on marriage, economics, love, freedom, politics etc. However, recognizing these facets of life does not assist with the explanation of their existence. In other words, sociology is the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society this can include social problems within society. Robert William Pickton had a criminal mind set because of his childhood as explained through psychological development. Through his childhood and Picktons brutal treatment as a child from his mother, Pickton grew intolerance for the opposite sex. He felt that males are dominant over females and thus the feminist theory of female oppression. Through the sociological feminist perspective Pickton neglected the female figure. His behaviour as a serial killer towards women was triggered through his childhood and ever since he has developed a feminist social view where he believes males are the dominant gender over females. Hostile affection from Picktons mother led to an angrier individual later on towards the opposite sex and thus the criminal acts released against women in Picktons elder years. The sociological analysis of Marxist Feminism Theory also plays a role in the behaviour of Robert William Pickton. This implies the lack of balance in society in terms of gender classes in the economic perspective of sociology. Stereotypes within society influenced Pickton as he believed women have a lesser role in society than males. This is why Pickton would go for vulnerable areas for kidnapping and base his attacks on lower class levels. For example, Robert Pickton would target women that were prostitutes or drug addicts because there class level in society was lower than his. Picktons targeting specific groups of women instead of the women gender as a whole illustrated sociological perspective of feminism. Pickton tried to achieve structural functionalism in society where there is a balance, equilibrium in society by maintaining its interdependent social structures. Talcott Parsons stated, as much as things change they stay the same. Structural Functionalism deals with the maintenance within a society; it defines changes within a system and will always seek a way to return to its normal functioning state. As Parsons stated, Pickton followed this social theory as he thought he was bringing balance to society by eliminating the lower class of females. Parsons also mentioned, When part of the system breaks down, it is necessary for the other components of the society to take over the function of the missing social structure or to assist with the recreation of the malfunctioning social structure. This supports Picktons choice in achieving structural functionalism by the removal of the lower class which consisted of females. Anthropology Perspective: Anthropology is the social science perspective of studying people and their culture. Anthropology exists to explore a variety of social phenomena. A benefit associated with anthropology is that its research lies in the huge perspective on the development and sustainability of human culture. This social science perspective poses questions concerning the continuation of poverty, racism, violence and social inequality in the world. There are four main types of anthropology; including linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological or physical anthropology. Each type studies different aspects of people and their respective cultures including questions such as; why do humans have such different ways of thinking, living and acting? This is the social science perspective of anthropology. Robert Picktons social interactions and relationships were not fully established. Pickton lived his life in rejection; he was rejected of all social interactions which later led to his rage and intolerance against women. Picktons childhood was lived in neglect and the omitting of social interactions with other kids his age. The entire cause for this rejection was because of his mother, a female figure who was very brutal and hostile to the young Robert Pickton. This inevitably led to anger being stored throughout Picktons life towards women and thus the targeted attacking of women by Pickton. Pickton thought of his values and morals over others, specifically prostitutes (again targeting women). Pickton already thought of women as poor and inferior to males, now including prostitution he believed that those women did not deserve to live amongst society and him. Robert believed that to earn a living an individual should go through pain and hardship but prostitution in his perspective c learly did not show that. He believed prostitution made an earning with pleasure in life and not pain; he believed that individuals should earn a living from physical labour and pain. Robert would never feel any sympathy for women especially prostitutes, thus his guilt-free attitude in killing these specified group of women. Robert King Merton bases his interpretation of society using the functionalist perspective. Functionalism is a method for understanding how social institutions fill social needs.  Every custom or practice in society provides a form of stability for the entire system. This seems like a grand theory but social institutions provide for the physical and psychological needs for its society members.  Sex is a practice of functionalism as it is a physical and psychological need for humans. Pickton was a very shy and quiet individual but he acquired sex because it stored up inside of him. Pickton would host wild parties and orgies to release his chaotic thoughts. This also explains why Pickton would have sex with the women he would kidnap and then kill her, it is a practice of Picktons functionalism and this describes the social science perspective of anthropology. Hypothesis: Psychoanalysis, Functionalism and Feminism Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory founded in the late 19th century and early 20th century by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. In involves the inherited constitution of personality which is an individuals development determined by events in their childhood. Cognition, human behaviour and experience are largely determined by irrational drives. Mental disturbances from psychology occur when there are conflicts between conscious and unconscious material. Functionalisms core idea is that mental states are constituted solely by their functional role. It is a theoretical level between physical implementation and behavioural output. Functionalism is a method for understanding how social institutions fill social needs. Every custom or practice in society provides a form of stability for the entire system. This seems like a grand theory but social institutions provide for the physical and psychological needs for its society members. Feminism examines the perspective of women and their rights within a society, specifically a male dominated society. To understand and comprehend a serial killer as to what his/her motives are it is important to instigate an investigation. Through this investigation it is important to determine the unconscious and conscious mind of the serial killer by taking a look at their ego. This investigation will determine the drive of the serial killer as to what they wish to achieve, what pleasure they wish to achieve etc. Functionalists regard crime as a necessary guideline in society because it sets moral guidelines and rules through legal punishment. An increase in criminal behaviour loses the societys trust whereas a decrease in criminal behaviour illustrates that individuals have no freedom or individuality. When determining a serial killer it is important to gain information of the insights of the psychoanalytic, feminist and functionalist perspectives. These three perspectives combined can determine and give a thorough understanding of a serial killers ambition, pleasure and the ego of the criminal.

Focus On The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report Social Work Essay

Focus On The Victoria Climbie Inquiry Report Social Work Essay In his statement to the House of Commons when presenting Lord Lamings Inquiry Report into the death of Victoria Climbià ©, on 28 January 2003, the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, said: It is an all too familiar cry. In the past few decades there have been dozens of inquiries into awful cases of child abuse and neglect. Each has called on us to learn the lesson of what went wrong. Indeed, there is a remarkable consistency in both what went wrong and what is advocated to put it right. Lord Lamings Report goes further. It recognises that the search for a simple solution or a quick fix will not do. It is not just national standards, or proper training, or adequate resources, or local leadership, or new structures that are needed. I will give an overview of the inquiry. I will also give an overview of the themes, lack of accountability right through the organizations to the most senior level and staff not adequately trained in child protection. I will analyse and critique these themes in relation to agency policy, legal requirements, research, practitioner knowledge and the voice of the service user. Previous inquiries and there link to this inquiry will be discussed along with have we learned any lessons from this. The failure to implement a legal, ethical and political framework to inform current best practice will be utilized. I will reflect on the implications of evidence informed practice and how this will inform future social work practice. This paragraph will provide a summary of the events leading to the death of Victoria Climbie, and establish why there was a need for the inquiry. From the report (Lord Laming, 2003) we know that Victoria Climbie came to England with her great-aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao in April 1999. Within a year, she was dead. On 25th February 2000, Victoria died of hyperthermia at St Marys Hospital, Paddington. She was just eight years old and had 128 separate injuries to her body. On 12th January 2001, her great-aunt Kouao and her boyfriend, Carl Manning, were convicted of murder. The level of cruelty experienced by Victoria was truly horrific, with daily beatings using several different implements. Her final days were spent living and sleeping in an unheated bathroom in the middle of winter, where she was bound hand and foot, lying in her own urine and faeces in a bin bag in the bath. The secretary of State set up the independent statutory inquiry into her death, under the Chairmanship of Lord La ming, in April 2001, to establish under section 81 of the Children Act 89 the concerns with the functions of the local authority social services committees and the way they relate to children. The inquiry wanted to examine the way in which local authorities in respect of their social services functions and identify the services sought or required by, or in respect of Victoria, Marie-Therese and Carl. This section will now aim to analyse and critique the key theme I have identified that emerged from the inquiry report which is lack of accountability right through the organizations to the most senior level and staff not adequately trained in child protection. Lord Laming (2003) points out There were at least 12 key occasions when the relevant services had opportunities to successfully intervene to help Victoria, but had failed to do so. Within the Report Lord laming (2003) states That not one of these interventions would have required great skill or made heavy demands on staff, sometimes it needed nothing more than a manager doing their job by asking pertinent questions or taking the trouble to look in a case file. He continues to states Lord Laming (2003) There can be no excuse for such sloppy and unprofessional performance. As Lord Laming (2003) commented Not one of the agencies empowered by Parliament to protect children in positions such as Victorias emerged from the Inquiry wi th much credit, what happened to Victoria, and her ultimate death, resulted from an inexcusable gross failure of the system. Lord Lamings (2003) expressed His amazement that nobody in the agencies had the presence of mind to follow what are relatively straightforward procedures on how to respond to a child about whom there is concern of deliberate harm. The Inquiry Report (Lord Laming, 2003) highlighted widespread lack of accountability through the organisations as the principal reason for the lack of protection afforded to Victoria. Who should be held responsible for these failures? As Webb (2002) states: Lord Laming was clear that it is not the hapless and sometimes inexperienced front-line staff to whom he directs most criticism, but to those in positions of management, including hospital consultants, I think that the performance of people in leadership positions should be judged on how well services are delivered at the front door. Professor Nigel Parton (2003) points out that Too often in the Inquiry people justify their positions around bureaucratic activities rather than around outcomes for children. Frankly, I would be the very last person to say that good administration is not essential to good practice. Professor Nigel Parton (2003) continues to state that Good administration-and we did not see a lot of it, I have to say-i s a means to an end. I cannot imagine in any other walk of life if a senior manager was in charge of an organisation and that organisation was going down the pan-to put it crudely-in terms of sales and performance that someone would say My role is entirely strategic, do not hold me to account for what happens in the organisation. People who occupy senior positions have to stand or fall by what service is delivered at the front door. The Inquiry Report Lord Laming (2003) highlighted the apparent failure of those in senior positions to understand, or accept, that they were responsible for the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of local services. As Rustin (2010) states Lord Laming pointed to the yawning gap in the differing perceptions of the organisation held by front line staff and senior managers. Lord Laming was unequivocal that the failure was the fault of managers whose job it should have been to understand what was happening at their front door. As the Report Lord Laming (20 03) pointed out, some of those in the most senior positions used the defence no one ever told me to distance themselves from responsibility, and to argue that there was nothing they could have done. Rustin (2004) states this was not a view shared by Lord Laming. Rustin (2004) also continues to state that Lord Laming went even further in evidence to us, telling us forcefully that, in his view, accountability of managers was paramount, and that the front line staff were generally doing their utmost. In addition to the fundamental problems of a lack of accountability and managerial control, it was also apparent in the course of the Inquiry Lord Laming (2003) that other failings existed in all aspects of practice. This section will evaluate previous inquiries and how they link to this inquiry and have any lessons been learned from them. As Rustin (2004) states: As with many previous inquiries into child protection failures, Maria Colwell (1973), Jasmine Beckford (1984), Tyra Henry (1984 ) and Kimberley Carlile (1986) it was clear that the quality of information exchange was often poor, systems were crude and information failed to be passed between hospitals in close proximity to each other. As the Report commented Lord Laming (2003) Information systems that depend on the random passing of slips of paper have no place in modern services. The evidence from another report, Maria Colwell, who had died in January of 1973 pointed to similar weaknesses, which were found in Victorias report these weaknesses were, lack of accountability and staff not adequately trained (Corby et al, 2001). Inquiry reports are sources of evidence to inform social work practice and even though they have many weaknesses within them as illustrated. Professor Nigel Parton (2004) points out that In many respects public inquiries have proved to be the key vehicle through which changes in policy and practice have been brought about over the last thirty years in relation to child protection policy and practice in this country. Professor Nigel Parton (2004) continues to point out that Rather than public inquiries being ignored, they have been fundamental to the way child protection operates. In this respect, they are as much a part of the problem as they are the solution. Have lessons been learned from the many public inquiries over the previous thirty years. It was as if states Professor Nigel Parton (2004) The frontline professionals, and the key organisations and agencies who have responsibility for children and families were quite incapable of learning the lessons and, crucially, putting these into practice in such a way that such horrendous tragedies could be avoided. It is hoped by many, therefore, that the report by Lord Laming, and the changes brought about as a result, will mean that this will be the last report of its type. This section will address the other theme I have highlighted adequate training. The question of adequate training and supervision for staff working in all the relevant agencies were also an issue identified in the Inquiry. Professor Nigel Parton (2004) points out that In Haringey, for example, it was observed that the provision of supervision may have looked good on paper but in practice it was woefully inadequate for many of the front line staff. Professor Nigel Barton (2004) also points out that nowhere was this more evident than in the fact that in the final weeks of Victorias life a social worker called several times at the flat where she had been living. There was no reply to her knocks and the social worker assumed, quite wrongly, that Victoria and Kouao had moved away, and took no further action. As the Laming Report (Lord Laming, 2003) commented, It was entirely possible that at the time Victoria was in fact lying just a few yards away, in the prison of the bath, desperately hoping someone might find her and come to her rescue before her life ebbed away. This section will now look at the failure to implement the legal and political framework within the inquiry report. Lord Laming within the report (Lord Laming 2003) told us that he continued to believe that the Children Act 1989 was basically sound legislation. His recommendations do not argue for a major new legislative framework. However, Lord Laming (2003) states he did not believe that the Act was being implemented in the way that had been envisaged for it, and, in his view, there was a yawning gap at the present time between the aspirations and expectations of Parliament and the certainty of what is delivered at the front door. Rustin (2004) states In the absence of adequate managerial accountability, front line workers were obliged to make crucial strategic decisions, for example about the use of the Children Act, and between using sections 17 and 47 (relating respectively to a child in need, and a child in need of protection). The sections of the Act had been developed with th e intention of as pointed out by Rustin (2004) Of recognising the different needs of children. How the sections were being applied on the ground however as stated by Lord Laming (2003) is Quite different, far from employing the section of the Act that would best meet the needs of the particular child and their circumstances, what they were actually doing was using these sections to restrict access to services and to limit the availability of services to people. The Children Act, Lord Laming (2003) argued to us Should be about promoting the well-being of children, not about putting labels around peoples neck. Lord Laming (2003) went on to suggest that Front line workers were being forced into making decisions that should properly have rested with management and policy decisions. This raised major questions about the role of public services and the basic principles that should underpin them, as (Lord Laming 2003) stated We need to stand back and say that we need to discover the basic principle that the public services are there to serve the public, not just some of the public and not just some people who can get through eligibility criteria, or who are sufficiently persistent. Therefore services must be more accessible and they must be more in tune with their local communities. If, as Lord Laming believes Kirton (2009, p.17) states The Victoria Climbià © case was not unique, but highlighted widespread and major deficiencies in the implementation of the Children Act, this raises issues that Government should address. I believe that the Children Act 1989 remains essentially sound legislation. However, there is concern as pointed out by Professor Nigel Parton (2004) That the provisions of the Act which sought to ensure an appropriate response to the differing needs of children are being applied inappropriately, used as a means of rationing access to services, and have led to section 17 cases being regarded as having low priority. The Laming Inquiry (Lord Laming 20 03) recommended that consideration should be given to unifying the Working Together guidance and the National Assessment Framework guidance into a single document, setting out clearly how the sections of the Act should be applied, and giving clear direction on action to be taken under sections 17 and 47. Within this section I will discuss the ethical framework. It is important to include the issues of social class and gender, which were not evident in the Victoria Climbià © inquiry. However, it is issues around ethnicity and race that are more evident. However, the diversity referred to is incredibly complex. This is illustrated at various points states Webb (2002) For example: At the time Victorias case was handled in Brent, all the duty social workers had received their training abroad and were on temporary contracts. (In Brent) at least 50 per cent of social workers time was spent working on cases of unaccompanied minors. As Webb (2002) states There was evidence that Haringey has one of the most diverse populations in the country, with 160 different languages spoken locally, a long tradition of travellers settling in the borough and a high proportion of asylum-seeking families (9 percent of the total population). Within the report Lord Laming (2003) points out that In relation to all the London boroughs involved there were high levels of poverty and deprivation, diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic backgrounds, as well as the diverse backgrounds of the workers themselves. In many respects, it seems Victorias situation was not unique in these respective boroughs. Webb (2002) indicated The impact of increased global mobility, more specifically the rapid increase in asylum-seeking families, together with the diverse backgrounds of the workers themselves increasingly seems to characterise work in many metropolitan areas. This has a particular impact states Webb (2002) On the nature, stability and cohesion of local communities. It is worth noting that, compared to the Maria Colwell case, no referrals are noted in the Victoria Climbià © case from neighbours or other members of the community apart from the child minder Mrs Cameron. We are not simply talking about diversity here but incredible compl exity. Kirton (2009) argues that Not only does it pose major linguistic challenges but also it poses major challenges for statutory departments in relation to the familial and cultural identities of those with whom they work and to whom they have responsibility. Issues around racism are clearly important here, however they cannot be reduced to a simple black and white community and cultural divide. This section will reflect on the implications of evidence-informed practice (EIP) and the usefulness of the inquiry to inform the development of future social work practice. Often, in hindsight, those who put people at risk are blamed for the misfortune and harm they cause. (Kirton, 2009) This is arguably the most signi ¬Ã‚ cant professional context in which EIP has emerged. According to Munro (1998) Social workers rely on vague assessments and predictions, rather than considering what is more or less probable. In everyday life decisions have to be made on a limited evidence base and professional decisions are also at best problematic. There are numerous unexpected and complex outcomes in social work, many of which rest on having to make judgments under conditions of uncertainty. (Kirton, 2009) The main problems associated with making effective decisions in social work as stated by Kirton (2009) include: risk and uncertainty, intangibles, long-term implications, interdisciplinary input and the politics of different vested interests pooled decision making and value judgments. Decision analysis has developed as a statistical technique to help overcome these kinds of problems. Decision analysis is closely related to risk assessment and actuarial practices. Evidence-informed practice and policy are self-explanatory. They involve the adoption of evidence-based protocols and use local standards for conducting social work practice and developing organizationally speci ¬Ã‚ c policies. (Webb, 2002) It has been suggested that evidence-informed protocols feed directly into the practitioner context to provide guidelines for carrying out EIP. Essentially evidence-informed practice and policy in social work will entail the explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the social care of service users. This de ¬Ã‚ nition is widely used and derived from Sackett et al.s Evidence-based Medicine (1996). A pragmatic approach as stated by Sa ckett (1996) Has been adopted here, which regards the practice of evidence as integrating practitioner expertise with the best available external evidence from systematic but multiple research methods. The implementation model outlined is the idea that the practice-based process begins with the evidence rather than the individual or groups of clients. Clearly the application of evidence-informed practice and policies will be governed by the economic scope of social work agencies in terms of resources and the development of an evidence-informed infrastructure. (Kirton, 2009) Sackett (1996) points out that At a local level it will also be dependent on incremental learning and accumulative professional development which are likely to be facilitated by the practice research networks and evidence-based brie ¬Ã‚ ngs discussed above. In this essay I have analysed and critiqued two key themes from the inquiry, lack of accountability right through the organizations to the most senior level and staff not, adequately trained in child protection. I have also analysed and critique these themes in relation to agency policy, legal requirements, research, practitioner knowledge and the voice of the service user. I have linked previous inquiries and discussed have we learned any lessons from these inquiries. I identified the failure to implement a legal, ethical and political framework to inform current best practice will. I also reflected on the implications of evidence informed practice and how this will inform future social work practice. A closing quote to finish from the Secretary of State, Alan Milburn (2003) It has felt as if Victoria has attended every step of this inquiry, and it has been my good fortune to have had the assistance of colleagues whose abilities have been matched by their commitment to the task of doing justice to Victorias memory and her enduring spirit, and to creating something positive from her suffering and ultimate death.

Beethoven :: essays research papers

It has been called the greatest audio entity one could ever listen to; a song which can pierce the soul of even the most dedicated music-hater: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Not only has it been designated thus; also, as one of the few truly divinely inspired works, one which most men can only marvel at, as they wallow in their appropriate humility. These creations, however, are definitely not the only aspects of entities beyond the scopes of men; there are far more examples, which are seen every day, but often overlooked. I was walking outside, with this song echoing in the recesses of my mind, on a dismal, overcast day in the Autumnal quarter, a day when where the streets blended with the atmosphere, when one could hardly look up without feeling the singe of the wind against one’s face. To me, these days have always conjured up images of some distant, looming storm, some silent tempest which, if not otherwise distracted will soon wreak mayhem and disaster on my environs. This day had an intense air about it, as do others of its ilk. This is most likely the fault of the storm under which it is shadowed, as though it and its inhabitants are uneasy and harrowed about the imminent predator waiting overhead to pounce. As the sky overhead swam with deeper and deeper shades of gray and hopeless black, the song in my mind was reaching some vocal crescendo in the fourth movement, a better foreteller of the gale I could not imagine. While the winds bullied and tormented the defenseless neighborhood, I started for my house. Unexpectedly, as the crescendo was losing speed, a quiet, pacific violin entered the musical fray in my brain, and the entire mood of the symphony mellowed, the winds themselves pacified, seemingly under Ludwig’s fickle dominion. Thinking the storm had passed, I continued blissfully onward to the meadows which were my destination. Again I was assaulted, this time by a different part of the symphony; not too long after the first chorale. This was the startling and almost fearful, but still uplifting, part in which the female and male vocals collided like two huge tidal waves with the power to splinter a fleet of ships with the German Alle Menschen repeated several times. Upon this onslaught of euphony, I turned from whatever I might have been thinking before, and looked at some violently twisting and rising leaves and other debris, and gazed at the playful heavens, again ominous. Annoyed with Beethoven and the cruel elements, I stood there, unmoving; indecisive, not knowing whether to turn around or pursue my present course, I felt the excited chorale still striking

Bartleby The Scrivener :: essays research papers

Most everyone remembers a favorite story that he or she has read. A book that just captivated the reader from beginning to end. But how do authors successfully grab the attention of their readers? Authors utilize specific techniques to convey the characters, setting, and plot effectively. The two short stories Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville and The Tenant by Bharati Mukherjee do just that. The authors of both stories effectively develop unique characters through description or narration, action, and dialogue, which fit in with both the setting and the plot. The main character in Bartleby, the Scrivener is indeed an interesting one. Although the name of the story may give the impression that the main character is Bartleby, it is in fact the narrator whom we learn the most about. The narrator is described as a very orderly person. His actions and speech demonstrate his fastidious ways. The narrator even shows the reader right from the beginning that he prefers to go about i n an orderly fashion, by the fact that he absolutely must give background about his life and work, before he can begin to tell us about his employee. "Ere introducing the scrivener†¦if is fit I make some mention of my self, my employés, my business, my chambers, and general surroundings†¦" (Meyer, 113). The narrator’s setting, including his office, also shows that he likes to keep everything organized. His office is separated into sections by folding glass doors to distinguish his side of the room from his scriveners’. The narrator also separates Bartleby into confinement. "Still further to a satisfactory arrangement, I procured a high green folding screen, which might entirely isolate Bartleby from my sight, though not remove him from my voice" (118). The reader can see that the narrator likes to have a set way of doing tasks through his actions and interactions with the other characters. The narrator is obviously not one whose dem ands are often ignored. He does not quite seem to know how to react when Bartleby "prefers" not to comply with the narrator’s wishes. "I staggered to my desk, and sat there in a deep study†¦ Was there any other thing in which I could procure myself to be ignominiously repulsed by this lean, penniless wight? – my hired clerk?" (122). Another one of the narrator’s qualities is being pompous. He seems to have an overblown image of himself and puts himself above others.

Fathers and Sons Essay

   Finally the Monster’s ability to transport himself globally from one setting to another, in spite of his obvious physical appearance and limitations is something which the author leaves essentially unexplored. As a consequence the reader is reminded that this is fiction. However, the themes of Frankenstein – prejudice, knowledge, ambition, injustice and parental responsibility – are familiar and serve to deflect the reader from the fictionality of the novel. Society’s inability to see the true reality beneath the appearance is a central theme. The Monster is not judged by his actions, such as saving the drowning girl but instead by his grotesque and frightening appearance. The perception of the humans to whom he comes into contact is distorted, and barring the blind, old man De Lacy who judges him by his sentiments, they attack rather than accept him. Society’s prejudice against that which is different (physical, religious, cultural diversity) is a theme to which readers can relate. Attainment of knowledge is another key theme to which the reader can associate. Walton, Victor and the Monster all begin their stories by communicating a desire to explain the world around them, although each has a different focus. Walton and Victor’s thirst for knowledge is arrogant and ambitious with disastrous consequences. The Monster’s by comparison is simple and pure and driven by necessity. Through the De Lacy’s he learns about love, happiness and kindness and how to ‘unravel the mystery’ of language (Frankenstein, page 89). Through this theme Shelley draws us in to accept that misguided knowledge is more tragic than no knowledge at all. If we consider modern scientific developments (IVF and human cloning), the ethical implications as identified in Frankenstein, are just as relevant today. The disregard for basic human rights and decency is a theme that emerges throughout the novel. Justice, parental responsibility, oppression, the right to education and companionship are all addressed by Shelley. The injustice of Justine’s execution; the rejection of children by their parents (Justine, Safie and the Monster); the Monster’s desire for love and affection, are all emotive issues to which the reader can connect. As a consequence of the author’s use of recognisable themes we are drawn in and find ourselves accepting the implausible context in which they are set. Shelley’s characters lend themselves to the romantic and gothic genres. Their characterisation is stereotyped, two-dimensional and largely undeveloped. These characters serve not deflect us from their fictionality but compliment instead the emotional, tragic and fatalistic tone of the novel. Justine, Elizabeth, Safie and Agatha are reflections of the virtuous woman, biologically immaculate as they have not been tainted by sexual experiences or motherhood. The Monster by contrast is not a fully formed individual but a debasement of the human form. Shelley incorporates other characters not for the purpose of realism but to perform a functional role within the novel. The most significant of these characters is William. He is an undeveloped character and yet his death serves many literary meanings. His characterisation moves the plot forward (his death creates the opportunity for Victor to return to Geneva); helps to develop themes (prejudice, political and revenge) and enables us to understand more about the major characters. Walton is arguably set apart from the other characters within the novel, as having the ability once faced with a wretched image of his future self, to emerge as the ‘single wiser individual’ (The Realist Novel, page 80). However, the duplication and doubling of the male characters within Frankenstein – Victor and Walton (through their ambition and thirst for knowledge) and Victor and the Monster (through shadowing of God & Man/Satan, Paradise Lost) – leads the reader to conclude that in spite of their marked differences, their fate will be the same, ‘ultimately, failure and death’ (The Realist Novel, page 80). By the end of the novel Victor and presumably the Monster are dead, whilst Walton although returning to England has in all likelihood not abandoned his hope of ‘utility and glory’ (Frankenstein, page 184). Frankenstein like the Monster is a hybrid (mixture of genres). In spite of Shelley’s use of realist conventions to depict real life issues, Frankenstein is undoubtedly an offshoot of Romanticism, the gothic novel. The expression of the imagination through incredible events, mysterious settings and satanic imagery are all features of this genre. I would argue therefore that although Frankenstein does not sufficiently draw us in to prevent us from thinking â€Å"this is fiction†, this was ultimately not the author’s aim. Shelley instead was intent on creating a sensationalist horror, a science-fiction that would enable the reader to explore the sub-conscious and the principles at the heart of human nature. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Shelley. M, Frankenstein 1818 text (1998) Oxford University Press (World Classics). Walder. D (ed. ), The Realist Novel (2005) The Open University. Approaching Prose Fiction, (2002) The Open University. ? X0499126 Steve Lenaghan 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Dangerous Sport

Sports are an indispensable part of human life. However, some are considered to be more dangerous than the others. Because of the dangers those sports can lead to, many people believe they should be banned. In this essay, I will discuss why dangerous sports should not be allowed. Firstly, human life is undoubtedly precious. If somebody, for example, dies of a dangerous sport; his family would be very upset. This is also a loss to the society considering the fact everybody has to spend twelve years on schooling.Next, sports are meant to help people improve their health. For instance, playing table tennis should give you a better level of reflection. Hence, there is no need to have life threatening sports. Moreover, dangerous sports can result in serious injuries. Even though the lives of the people playing this kind of sports can be saved, they still possibly have to suffer from permanent injuries which can make them disabled. Hence, preventing people from this kind of sports can redu ce the chances of permanent injuries from sport related accidents.Finally, a challenging sport needs not be dangerous. It is commonly believed that people like to play dangerous sports because they are considered to be more challenging. However, there are many challenging sports which do not require people to face dangers. To sum up, I would strongly recommend that dangerous sports should be banned from our societies. Because they do not contribute to the development of human life and because of the dangers people could face, safer sports should be considered as the best alternative. Dangerous Sport Sports are an indispensable part of human life. However, some are considered to be more dangerous than the others. Because of the dangers those sports can lead to, many people believe they should be banned. In this essay, I will discuss why dangerous sports should not be allowed. Firstly, human life is undoubtedly precious. If somebody, for example, dies of a dangerous sport; his family would be very upset. This is also a loss to the society considering the fact everybody has to spend twelve years on schooling.Next, sports are meant to help people improve their health. For instance, playing table tennis should give you a better level of reflection. Hence, there is no need to have life threatening sports. Moreover, dangerous sports can result in serious injuries. Even though the lives of the people playing this kind of sports can be saved, they still possibly have to suffer from permanent injuries which can make them disabled. Hence, preventing people from this kind of sports can redu ce the chances of permanent injuries from sport related accidents.Finally, a challenging sport needs not be dangerous. It is commonly believed that people like to play dangerous sports because they are considered to be more challenging. However, there are many challenging sports which do not require people to face dangers. To sum up, I would strongly recommend that dangerous sports should be banned from our societies. Because they do not contribute to the development of human life and because of the dangers people could face, safer sports should be considered as the best alternative.