Functionality of Religion: Emil Durkheim’s Elementary Forms of Religiou

Emil Durkheim’s Elementary Forms of Religious Life presents religion as a social phenomenon. Based on this idea, this essay will examine the role of religion and its influence on society. Durkheim defined religion as â€Å"a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden -- beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a Church, all those who adhere to them.†1 Hence Durkheim’s emphasis is on the function of religion as a unifier of individuals. In order to illustrate his theory of religion, Durkheim then introduces the Totemism of Australian aborigines as an example of fundamental and primitive religion. He then explains how religious belief and rituals evolve from society. If Durkheim’s theory of religion is valid and if religion is in fact a social phenomenon, it then follows that religion has a function and is thus necessary for society. In other words, society creates religion, and neither can exist without the other. To summarize, religion’s function is to provide a community with a system of communal belief and activities which can be either functional or nonfunctional. A major role of religion in society is to promote social integration by strengthening the bonds between the individual and society. Durkheim emphasizes the communal aspect of religion, explaining how individual humans arrive at a common truth through communal activities. These activities integrate individuals into one single moral community. The individual’s faith is derived from the faith of the community, and the social structure shapes the content of religious beliefs and practices. Moreover, religion brings emotional security to individuals through communal living ... ...eligious Life explains how religious beliefs and practices unite practitioners into a single moral community and how unification is necessary for society. Religion is indeed functional in terms of providing order and a sense of belonging and identity to individuals. Although religion has been used to manipulate people throughout history and has not always affected societies in a positive way, it cannot be denied that it has great power to create in individuals a feeling of acceptance and social coherence. Works Cited Aldridge, Alan. Religion in the Contemporary World. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. Print. Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. Trans. Joseph W. Swain. 7th ed. London: Novello and Company Limited, 1971. Print. "Totemism." Britannica. Web. 19 Jan. 2010. 600496/totemism>.

The Private Choice Essays -- Education Schooling Essays

The Private Choice Think of all the notable people you may consider as highly educated. If you look deep enough, chances are you can find out about their education, which is often private. Why do some people prefer a private education? What even classifies as a private school? One definition given by the Encyclopedia of American Education is â€Å"in modern American education, any school not operated or directly funded by a governmental agency† (793); these include religious, non-sectarian, military, postgraduate, and special education schools. Private Education is beneficial because it provides specialized programs, presents higher standards, includes more involvement of the parents or guardians, and may soon be available to more people through government vouchers. Private institutions are wonderful for those pursuing a specific field of education. A child who has a goal of becoming a scientist will learn more about that career choice at a school that emphasizes science than if they were to only take the classes offered through their local high school. There is only so much that can be taught in the public setting that still maintains the attention of the majority of the students in the class. In his book Choosing Equality, Joseph H. Viteritti states that â€Å"private school curricula offer students a narrower range of educational options and are more focused on academic, as opposed to vocational, subjects† (81). With the help of the more concentrated learning in a specific area, the students may even get through school faster and on to better things. I think that it is a great option for those who do not want to waste their time doing things in school that they deem meaningless. In addition, some privat... ...eir autonomy†¦[and] are unlikely to participate in a voucher program that would require them to meet accountability standards in [certain] areas† (Liberator 2). These opposing views are primarily why the issue is still in debate. Whether you were privately educated or attended a public school, you still were able to obtain an education. Private schools often offer opportunities that you may not be able to find in every public school. Some individuals are quite satisfied with their local public school and find nothing wrong with their child being taught there. For those who can afford it (unless the voucher option ever passes), they choose to take advantage of everything private institutions have to offer, from a better quality staff and atmosphere to more in-depth studies to more satisfaction on the parents’ part. It is all a matter of personal choice.

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

â€Å"Experience in the cities shows that the cycle of violence is a self-perpetuating phenomenon, constantly generating new violence from within itself. † (Enns 2002 p. 3). When we observe our nation of children, as a whole group, we see a higher and higher incidence of violence among them, not to mention that it occurs at an earlier and earlier age. It is becoming almost commonplace to hear of pre-teens who have committed acts of violence, and we now are beginning to hear of children as young as six and seven committing violent acts.It is a fact that violence begets violence, and our children are exposed to unimaginable acts from parents and caregivers. Drugs are rampant in our nation, and poverty and domestic violence are merely a way of life for many children today. According to author Kathy Sitarski, â€Å"we all tend to take out our pain on others to one degree or another, even if only in fantasy. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 1). This phenomenon does not occur because we a re in some way inhuman, but rather because we are unable to deal with the feelings of terror and rage that come along with memories of our own pain.When we feel helpless and powerless, or when terror threatens to overtake us, acting out toward others makes us feel more in charge in some strange way. Of course there are those who consciously choose not to take their rage and pain out on another human being, and, in many cases, turn it against themselves in the form of abusive relationships or endangering their own lives. (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Violence can isolate us as human beings because it brings shame into our lives.We are ashamed to have hurt another or we are ashamed that we have allowed ourselves to be abused; â€Å"a beating feels shameful and humiliating and the survivor often internalizes that he or she somehow deserved it. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 2). Even witnessing violence against another can cause us to feel shame as we feel powerless to stop it. Most rapists can rec all rape and physical abuse in their own histories, then they later act out the same form of violence on another. How likely is it that today’s abused, neglected and ignored children will become tomorrow’s violent offenders?According to the National Institute of Justice it is extremely likely; results of a detailed study show that childhood abuse and neglect â€Å"increase the odds of future delinquency and adult criminality overall by 29 percent. † (National 2001 p. 1). Further statistics are equally appalling: the abused or neglected child has a 59 percent increased likelihood of juvenile arrest, and 28 percent increased likelihood of adult arrest, and 30 percent increased likelihood of having committed a truly violent crime. These statistics give us an idea of what the â€Å"cycle of violence† leaves in its wake.Nationwide, the incidence of neglect is some two and a half times that of physical abuse. Neglect can also have the potential to be even more damaging to the development of a child than physical abuse. (National 2001 p. 3). When we think of abuse and neglect, we rarely think of malnutrition. Some children are literally starved of the basic nutrition and food their bodies need to grow as small children. Malnourished children will later show attention deficits, reduced social skills, and poorer emotional stability than the comparison group.Unfortunately, our system of incarceration fails miserably in the sense that the â€Å"punishment phase† of prison is meant to â€Å"blame, shame, ridicule, beat down and break the spirit of people who have broken the law. † (Sitarski 2004 p. 3). While most all of us would certainly agree that those who commit violent crimes must be incarcerated, must be kept from the population at large, we are punishing these people in the same ways that actually turned them to violence in the first place. Those long-held feelings of terror and rage, rather than being relieved in some way, only increase with every day spent in the violent atmosphere of prison.If we really believe in the rehabilitation theory of prison, a long hard look needs to be taken at our prison system, and some practices put into place to actually break this vicious cycle of violence that will continue to repeat itself until interrupted. Early intervention is the key to stopping this destructive cycle; children at risk need to be identified early and swift measures need to be taken to try and relieve some of the terror and rage felt by the abused and neglected child.When this takes place, one link in the cycle is broken, perhaps leading to another and another. Works Cited About Domestic Violence (2003). Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www. edvpor/aboutDV/cycle. htm Enns, Fernando (2001). Breaking the Cycle of Violence. From the Ecumenical Review, Volume 53, Issue 2. Retrieved December 9, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com Hopper, Jim (1997). Factors in the Cycle of Violence: Gender Rigidity and Emotional Constriction. Retrieved December 11, 2006 from: http://www.jimhopper. com/cycle National Institute of Justice (February 2001). An Update on the Cycle of Violence. Retrieved December 8, 2006 from: http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/184894. pdf Siris, Karen (2004). Interrupting the Cycle of Bullying and Victimization in the Elementary Classroom. From Phi Delta Kappan, Volume 86, Issue 4. Retrieved December 9, 200 from: http://www. questia. com Sitarski, Kathy (2004). The Wheel of Violence. From The Humanist, Volume 56, Issue 3. Retrieved December 7, 2006 from: http://www. questia. com

Nonverbal Communication in an Emergency Room

For this project I had to decide upon and visit an environment that I would not normally be in. This environment had to be different from my normal and more comfortable surroundings, in which I thought the nonverbal communication patterns would differ from my own. I made my observations over two days. The environment I chose to observe was an emergency room waiting area. I chose this because I figured the people that I would be observing would not necessarily be very different from me, but I figured that they would be in a different emotional state then I was. I was just an observer in the emergency room while everyone else was there because of some sort of serious medical issue. During my observations I tried to identify any emblems, adaptors, affect displays, eye gaze patterns, regulators, and illustrators and interpret why they might be occurring and what they mean. I also studied and interpreted the impact of the environment itself and what effect it might have had on the people in it. I took a seat toward the back of the room to get the largest possible view of the waiting room. The overall feeling was fairly comfortable and it was not intimidating. The first thing I noticed was that the lighting in the waiting room was dimmer than the lighting in the rest of the hospital. It seemed like mood lighting to me and compared to the fluorescent lit rooms in the rest of the hospital it was more relaxing. The wall facing the outside was basically a wall of tinted windows looking into the parking lot. The windows were tinted to let in a comfortable amount of sunlight without it being too bright. I think the goal was to allow as much natural light in as possible. This would be a good idea in a waiting room because the windows can help reduce the feeling of being â€Å"stuck† there. There were a couple televisions mounted on the wall. Obviously, these were put there to help waiting patients and visitors pass the time. But I would also argue that the televisions were placed there to make the waiting room more familiar and comfortable like someone’s living room. The color of the wallpaper was a very dull, khaki, color. I think that color was picked because it is a neutral color that would not evoke any emotion. Another thing I took note of was how the seating arrangement was laid out. The room was a rectangle shape. The chairs lined the walls and outlined the shape of he room. Other chairs were placed in the middle of the room around a couple of coffee tables. It didn’t seem to make sense at first. However, the more I stared at it, the more it made sense. The chairs seemed arranged to accommodate the different types of groups that would be sitting there. Some rows were long and straight without any other rows opposite them, which I thought would be suitable for somebody waiting alone and might not want to be facing any strangers and keep to themselves. Other rows were arranged to give you the option to sit face to face with someone. There were also some rows that were arranged in a square facing each other but further apart, possibly so that if you wanted to talk to somebody you didn’t know, you had the option to do so, without it feeling obligated or awkward. At the end of the rectangle-shaped room, in the back left and right corners, were two additional areas. One was a â€Å"family consultation room† and the other area was the â€Å"children’s play area. † These two environments differed from the rest of the waiting room. The children’s play area was in the corner and was made to be a fun environment. There was a small, pink, round table with four matching chairs. The ceiling dropped down and was lower than the rest of the room as you entered the play area. I felt this made it cozier for children because the ceiling height was more in proportion to a smaller child’s height. The paint on the walls changed also. It had the same color wall as the rest of the waiting room but there was a big, blue, zigzag pattern that started half way up the wall and wrapped around the perimeter of the play area. It seemed appropriate because even without the label on the wall, the area was clearly a children’s play area. The pattern also set a playful mood. The emergency room can be a stressful place and having to a specific place for children to feel comfortable in was a good idea. The second area was a â€Å"family consultation room. † This was an additional room in the back right corner. This room is for families that have received devastating information about a patient in the emergency room. The room has a door but it was open and unoccupied at the times I was there. This room also had a different feel then the waiting room just outside. As you would imagine it had a very comforting feel. The walls were a light blue color that seemed to be painted on with a sponge. This room also had a wall of windows but it had an optional pull-down shade to cover the windows if desired. The chairs in this room were different too. There were a set of two normal chairs, a couch and a two-seat bench. The couch had room for three people and the bench had room for two. The couch and bench were different from the seats in the other rooms because these did not have any dividers between the seats. I think the idea behind that was that the room was an area to be close with friends and family. Having places to sit were you can be close to someone next to you was essential for the purpose of the room. After making notes about the environment I started making notes on everything I saw people doing, and taking note of the different types of people I was observing. I also intentionally put on headphones so that I would only be interpreting non verbal behaviors. Some of the emblems I saw were unique to the individual, while others were repeated among a lot of people. One that I saw a lot of people doing was to put an arm around the person sitting next to them. Along that same line, people were holding each other’s hands, as well as putting a hand on somebody’s leg. The triage nurse that was calling new arrivals into triage rooms used her hands and body movement to direct people to come with her and to direct them into specific rooms. She would call out someone’s name and when that person acknowledged that they heard her she would invite them over with a wave of her hand. I also saw her point to one of the triage rooms without saying anything when a doctor walked into the waiting room. The doctor had come in and looked at her with a questioning facial expression. She answered his non verbal question with a non verbal answer. She pointed to the second of two triage rooms. That was the answer the doctor was looking for because he entered the triage room without a word. Other conversational examples that were simpler were things such as a person shaking or nodding their head as a response to someone else talking to them. One woman was actually nodding and shaking her head in response to whoever she was talking to on her cell phone. There were a lot of adaptors throughout the entire room, visitors, patients and hospital staff alike. A few of them were actually common throughout the room, not always simultaneous, but at some point or another they were repeated by others. One such adaptor was bouncing a leg up and down while talking or waiting. A couple of people also kept shifting in their chairs while talking. The two most common I saw with people’s hands were drumming their fingers on the arm rest, or rubbing their hands incessantly. One that I only saw once was a girl who every few minutes had to switch the position of her feet that were propped up on a coffee table in front of her. She seemed to be doing it out of boredom or restlessness. I felt she was doing it too often for it to have been the result of her feet being uncomfortable from being in the same position for too long. Others that I noticed were small. A security guard that passed through a few times had the consistent habit of playing with his set of keys attached to his belt. I spotted one of the nurses at the information desk had a habit of tapping the end of her pen gently on her two front teeth while she was pausing to look up anything on her computer. Most of the affect displays throughout the room were revealers, and very similar to each other, without much change from when I entered to when I left. The first thing I noticed was that nobody was smiling. The only smiles I noticed were fake smiles. The person smiling was forcing the smile. This occurred a lot within groups sitting together when they weren’t talking. A mother â€Å"smiled† at her son but her eyebrows were furrowed and pulled together, and her eyes remained unexpressive. The mother’s â€Å"smile† was a sign of reassurance and maybe it was interpreted by her son as a real smile, but the mother was clearly worried. Most of the people in the room had blank expressions or just a slight frown. It seemed as if everyone was in deep thought and most people did not look thrilled to be there. Eye gaze patterns throughout the room varied quite a bit depending on the person's situation. A group that was sitting together in the area of chairs facing each other kept the most eye contact with each other while talking and seemed very comfortable with it. There was another group that was not as good at making eye contact. The group consisted of an elderly woman in a wheelchair along with a middle aged man and woman. The man looked very agitated. He sat with his body positioned forward toward his companions, but his head was turned completely to the side so that he was looking out the windows. He had his elbow propped on the back of the chair next to him, his chin was resting in his hand and his fingers were covering his mouth. When one of the women talked to him his eyes darted to the one speaking to him but quickly went back to the windows as he answered. The women exchanged glances with each other that seemed to let the other know that they both picked up on his agitation and should probably let him be. A few people’s gazes were all over the place. Those people seemed to be the ones that had nothing to do. They were sitting there without a magazine or anything to distract them. Another person sitting alone also mainly looked at their lap or the ground, occasionally locking eyes with a stranger sitting across from them and quickly looking away. The same thing happened to me with a girl sitting opposite of me. We kept making eye contact when I was looking around the room for examples. I’m pretty sure she was trying to figure out what I was doing. I do think she did figure out that I was making some sort of observations and recording them because she started to avert her eyes more quickly the next two times we made eye contact. Regulators were hard to spot because, for the most part, nobody was talking to each other, with the exception of the two groups near me. In the corner what I noticed was, while the man was listening to the woman, he sat back in his chair, body turned towards her, and nodded his head. When it was his turn to speak, he did the opposite and sat up and leaned more towards her and looked around more. The family was all fairly reserved while listening; hands in their laps, bodies turned towards the speaker, but were more animated with their hands and body shifting as they spoke. The illustrators I saw were mostly emphasizing or helping illustrate something somebody was saying. I watched one funny example play out between the two girls in front of me. I never heard what they were talking about but at one point they both put their arms out to their sides and touched the tip of their noses with their pointer fingers. They were discussing either a field sobriety test given by a police officer or a balance test given by a doctor. Another example like this helping explain speech was a young man holding both of his closed fists together and snapping them apart while talking to a woman he was with. I determined he was explaining what had happened to his leg since he was in a wheelchair and his leg was wrapped. Those were the only specific illustrators I saw that seemed to have some type of meaning, where the most common thing was just random gesturing of people’s hands as they spoke. This did not always seem to have any direct connection to what they were speaking about. The adaptors I saw had clear and similar messages with each other. One man came off as stressed and anxious because he was rubbing and squeezing his hands together very roughly without seeming to be aware of it. Fidgeting with his hands seemed to help him take away from the stress he was feeling. Similar to the man rubbing his hands was the girl shifting the position of her propped up feet. She was releasing energy through movement of her feet. It seemed as though she didn’t want to be sitting and would rather be moving around. Most of the prescriptive interpretations I came up with for the behaviors observed came to me immediately as I saw them, as most of them seemed to convey a very clear message in my mind. Almost all of the emblems I saw were various people putting an arm around the person’s shoulder sitting next to them, holding their hand, or putting their hand on their leg. Touch is a powerful form communication. These all were ways of conveying to the other person that they were there for them, to comfort them and help them in this emotional time, and that everything would be alright. I didn’t have to do too much adjusting once I entered the room. I didn’t stick out anymore than anybody else did as far as my clothing went. Since this is an emergency clinic, I assumed that none of these people planned to be here so there really was no particular style of dress. Also, the fact that I was there alone and not talking to anybody actually helped me blend in. There were plenty of people alone and keeping to themselves. The only time I felt like I wasn’t blending in was when the girl in front of me noticed I was writing about the room. That happened on the first day. The second day I went into the emergency waiting room, I wore a hat to better conceal my face and what my eyes were doing. Overall I thought what I found was pretty interesting because I have been in this environment before, noticing most of these things, but the observations this time were put in a whole new perspective because I had to consciously interpret each one, instead of casually noting them. What I think was unique and interesting about this environment was the fact that, although everybody in the room could have easily been of a different ethnicity, gender, age, religion, or political affiliation than each other, they all still had a very similar communication style and seemed to convey the same general emotions. The overall communication was mostly nonverbal simply for the fact that there was very little talking. However, the non verbal communication that was happening was easily interpreted by the people I was observing. There are few places you can go where the overall internal state of mind and emotions will be so universally contained within one room and made this an excellent location. This exercise made me realize how much and how effectively we communicate as humans without even talking.

Analyzing ‘The Fool’ As Used By Jaques

Analyzing ‘The Fool’ As Used By Jaques In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Jaques is a static, melancholy character who continually prefers to remain removed from the imprudence of love, wishing he could speak his mind without reprehension. In contrast to most of the other characters, who seize opportunities for change, Jaques, for the most part, successfully resists the magic of the Forest of Arden. His use of the word â€Å"fool† is telling. He frequently uses the term ‘fool’ to describe others, such as Orlando and Touchstone, for pursuing love. Also, the post of a fool in court intrigues him, for such fools are allowed to speak their mind without consequence – an ability that Jaques desires. Eventually a reversal of circumstances renders Jaques the fool, which causes his stubborn character to give way and recognize the merits of love and cordial speech. This essay shows how the word and role of â€Å"fool† both strengthen and humble Jaques. Jaques uses â€Å"fool† frequently in Act II, scene vii, where it merely describes the profession of a court jester. Such a fool has the ability to say anything he wishes because however sarcastic or biting his statements towards others might be, they could be interpreted as jest and forgiven. He speaks with Duke Senior about how he â€Å"met a fool i’ th’ forest,† and how he wishes he were a fool so that he might â€Å"blow on whom he please,† or criticize whomever he wants to without consequence. However, he modifies the meaning of the role of the fool that he wishes to play from an optimistic one, to one more dark and heavy of purpose. The jester in the forest was musing generally about fortune and the passing of time, whereas if Jaques were to have the ability to speak freely, he would â€Å"Cleanse the foul body of th’ infected world, /If they will patiently receive [his] medicine.† By stating his desire to ‘purge the world of its infections,’ he taints the purpose of the fool from that of simply making a situation more lighthearted to ‘lifting the world from its wrongdoings.’ Although the purposes are similar – changing a negative situation into a positive one – Jaques chooses to word the purpose of a jester in such a way that a negative outlook of the world is emphasized; the words â€Å"foul body o th’ infected world† lends a resonating image of pus and festering flesh, which one would not naturally associate with a court fool. Jaques also suggests superiority of thought to the specific fool that he met in the forest by mocking the fool’s intelligence. He laughed for an hour â€Å"sans intermission† after hearing the contemplative musings of the fool, and later compares the fool’s brain to a sea biscuit that has been dried after a voyage, having â€Å"strange places cramm’d/With observation, which he vents/in mangled forms,† or having a jumble of thoughts which he fails to present coherently. By suggesting the idiocy of the fool in the forest, Jaques inherently implies that he finds himself more intelligent, and so further justifies his thought tendencies of dwelling on the negative; now, not only does he view the world as a more negative place, but feels that he is right to think so and those that think otherwise are not as smart as he. To ensure he does not compare he own intellect to that of the fool’s, he emphasizes his desire to wear the clothing of a fool: a â€Å"motley coat,† or patchwork costume. By wishing to only dress as a fool, he attains the right to free speech without compromising his opinions and ‘sinking’ to a level of intelligence in which he would maintain the incoherent thoughts of the fool he met. In Act III, scene ii, Jaques’ use of the term â€Å"fool† shifts during a conversation with Orlando. He initially bids Orlando to sit with him and â€Å"rail against our mistress the world, and all our misery,† or complain about the state of the world. When Orlando refuses to sit with Jaques, Jaques responds, â€Å"The worst fault you have is to be in love,† and later, further belittles Orlando by addressing him as â€Å"Signior Love.† Jaques has made it clear that he associates Orlando strongly with Orlando’s preoccupation with love, and thinks poorly of Orlando for it. Indeed, he states, â€Å"By my troth, I was seeking for a fool when I found you,† Jaques may have been looking for a â€Å"fool† as in a court jester, but upon its association with Orlando, the meaning of the word changes from that of a jester to that of ‘one who has a deficiency in sense and understanding.’ Again, with the aid of the word â€Å"f ool,† Jacques has scoffed at the ideals of love. However, the nature of Orlando’s retorts stings Jaques. Orlando states that the fool Jaques was seeking has â€Å"drown’d in the brook,† and if Jaques were to look in, he should find the fool. When Jaques replies he would see only his reflection, Orlando continues, â€Å"Which I take to be either a fool or a cipher.† He cannot endure being called a fool and leaves abruptly. Suddenly, his means of strengthening his melancholy has betrayed him; he has used the term â€Å"fool† to his advantage thus far and unhappily found himself to be the subject at which it is directed. Through this reversal of who is called, â€Å"fool,† Jaques’ superiority complex is kept in check, and although he continues to call such lovers as Orlando, â€Å"fools,† he also shows faint recognition of the reasoning behind the pursuit of love. In the final scene, Act V, scene iv, when Touchstone and Audrey enter the wedding scene, he remarks, â€Å"There is sure another flood toward, and these couples are coming to the ark.† He compares the lovers to a pair of animals seeking the shelter of Noah’s ark, recognizing the ‘flood’ of ever-present dangers that reside outside of the forest: corruption, hatred, and the vengeful, approaching army of Duke Frederick. He also recognizes the ‘shelter from the storm’ that marriage might provide; it would allow them to focus their attention on a more intimate and loving counterpart and distract them from the threats that lie in the outside world. However, such recognition is short-lived, and he overthrows any glimmer of sympathy he might have had for the lovers with his next sentence, â€Å"Here comes a pair of very strange beasts, which in all tongues are call’d fools.† Even though he has openly noted the safety which marriage would provide, he proceeds to pronounce the folly of the pursuit of love, and marvels at the ‘strangeness’ of the couple. Such an opinion implies that Jaques would prefer the storm of the outside world than the safe haven that love provides, reconfirming Jaques’ negative attitude and his preference for a state of mind in which the fears of the world are not ignored, but openly recognized and embraced. Throughout the rest of the scene, Jaques shows evidence of both maintaining his aversion to love and recognizing its merits, but he continues to use â€Å"fool† to strengthen his superiority of thought. Addressing Duke Senior with regards to Touchstone, Jaques remarks â€Å"Is not this a rare fellow, my lord? He’s as good as anything, and yet a fool.† Since Touchstone is both a fool by profession and a fool to Jaques because he is in love, Jaques’ line can be interpreted with the application of both meanings of â€Å"fool†: ‘he’s as smart as they come, even though he is only a jester,’ and ‘he’s as smart as they come, yet still foolishly in love.’ Either way, Jaques projects an air of superiority to Touchstone he places the esteem of the profession below that of his own a court fool and implies that a fool would not be of comparable intelligence to him, and in the interpretation where ‘fool’ hol ds the meaning of one in love, Jaques judges Touchstone and categorizes him as one without calculation and reason. During his departure speech, his implications of superiority are maintained in that he bestows gifts on many of the characters that were not his to give. For instance, he ‘bequeaths’ Duke Senior’s former honor to him, and gives Rosalind to Orlando again. However, he passes this opportunity to share his negative opinions with others, and instead, speaks cordially to them. In his re-giving of Rosalind, he says to Orlando, â€Å"You to a love, that your true faith doth merit,† recognizing the admirability of Orlando’s faithfulness and the goodness that it deserves, again recognizing the delights and benefits of love. He addresses Touchstone genially as well, and appropriate to Touchstone’s position as a jester, jokes with him about the strength of his relationship with Audrey, stating, â€Å"†¦thy loving voyage/ Is but for two months victuall’d,† meaning that his love for Audrey is not the kind of deep love that would last bey ond two months. And even though he still refuses to partake in love or the festivities associated with it, he departs the scene to join Duke Frederick and his group of religious converts stating, â€Å"There is much matter to be heard and learned [from them].† He leaves the audience with the impression that, although he has not grown to love, his steadfastness in his negative perspectives has been humbled a bit through his interactions with the other characters. Jaques’ melancholy is an object of curiosity the audience does not know why he chooses to brood over the world the way he does, remaining so solitary, but Jaques makes it clear through the use of the word â€Å"fool† that he prefers the sullen state such a sullen state. He addresses Orlando and Touchstone as such, believing them to be foolish in their pursuit of love, and also expresses his desire to wear the costume of a court fool so that he might criticize others freely. He uses the term â€Å"fool† to project his intelligence over others; however, he does not remain completely unaffected by criticism. Even though he remains melancholy for the entirety of the play, after being rendered a fool, he becomes slightly more humbled and expresses an ability to see the merits of amiable speech in addition to the legitimacy of others’ romantic ideals.

The birth of a nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The birth of a nation - Essay Example Their main objections have focused on specific scenes in the movie that involve â€Å"a white girl killing herself to escape from a Negro pursuer and a black politician coercing his benefactor to give his daughter in marriage,† as can be discerned from the contents of a letter from the Secretary of the NAACP (The Birth of a Nation and Black Protest). Besides, there have also been disputes against the historical accuracy of the events portrayed in the movie and many believe that Griffith has distorted the facts to suit his interest of serving the cause of white supremacy. However, all the debates and controversies aside, there is no denying the fact that â€Å"The Birth of a Nation† is an elegant work of art of epical proportions and a classic that has set the standard for future movies, besides being the most expensive film produced till that time. One of the best aspects of the movie is that it portrays the ravages of war in such a palpable manner that the audience wil l start hating the concept of war. Movies, as the most popular mass communication media, serve the purpose of creating awareness in people about various aspects of human life. â€Å"The Birth of a Nation,† from this perspective, can be understood as having undertaken a noble mission of apprising the audience of the destructive power of war and the havoc it can wreak on human lives. The movie displays a message immediately after the titles are shown, which reads, â€Å"If in this work we have conveyed to the mind the ravages of war to the end that war may be held in abhorrence, this effort will not have been in vain† (Griffith 1915). To ensure communication of this theme to the audience, Griffith resorts to the depiction of various situations that his characters confront in the story before, during and after the war. The senior Cameron, petting little puppies and then putting a kitten on top of the puppy, is symbolic of a

Effects of employment insurance on unemployment (Canada) Essay

Effects of employment insurance on unemployment (Canada) - Essay Example policy is to increase the opportunity cost of those Canadian citizens’ who are unemployed and to reduce the cost of working by mobilizing the unemployed people to look for a job.1 It is believed that this policy will help unload the burden on low-skilled laborers as well as improving the Canadian public employment agencies. In the short term run, it is expected that there will be an increase in the unemployment rate because the employment insurance policy is expected to promote more people into job searching. The number of people looking for jobs will continue to increase because of the job searching performance that is being monitored directly by the Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). The increase in the supply of manpower will create an adjustment in the supply and demand curve of labor in the market. (See figure 1) The increase in the number of people looking for a job will eventually affect the supply and demand for employment in the sense that the bigger the supply of manpower available in the market force will give room for employers to select a prospective employee at a lower salary. (See figure 2) Considering that the supply of manpower continuously increases, the demand for manpower decreases. This will give the company the privilege to select competent employees at a cheaper salary. Cheaper salary will result to a decrease in the operational cost per unit in production. A lower operational cost will result to an added profit for the company. (See figure 3) For example, a company is able to manufacture a toy that sells for $10 per hour. Given that there is no other production cost except for the salary of a worker, if the salary of a new worker is only $5 per hour as compared an old employee rate of $7 per hour, the profit per unit will be: Profit per toy (new worker) = Price – Cost per toy The same process applies in reverse. Given that the selling prices fall but the input costs are relatively fixed, the profit margin will