The Comparison of George Moore and James Joyce Essay Example for Free

The Comparison of George Moore and James Joyce Essay Ireland is best known for its unique culture, the accent, the green beer, and the music. But it is also known for its diverse literature and writers. Over the years there have been many different writers with their own sense of styles and their personal views of Ireland. There are many writers, such as James Joyce, Roddy Doyle, Edna O’Brien, George Moore, and Frank O’Conner who all came from different places in Ireland or even moved out of Ireland. James Joyce and George Moore are two good examples of the diverse authors. Surprisingly, there are a few things these two writers had in common, yet their writing styles were different. Despite the different styles of writing depicted by each author and their different backgrounds, George Moore did have an impact on James Joyce’s writing. James Joyce was born in Dublin, on February 2, 1882, to John Stanislaus Joyce. His father was an impoverished gentleman, who had failed in a distillery business and tried all kinds of professions, including politics and tax collecting. Joyces mother, Mary Jane Murray, was ten years younger than her husband. She was an accomplished pianist, whose life was dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. In spite of their poverty, the family struggled to maintain a solid middle-class facade. From the age of six, Joyce was educated by Jesuits at Clongowes Wood College, at Clane, and then at Belvedere College in Dublin (1893-97). In 1898 he entered the University College, Dublin. Joyces first publication was an essay on Ibsens play â€Å"When We Dead Awaken†. It appeared in the Fortnightly Review in 1900. At this time he also began writing lyric poems. After graduation in 1902 the twenty-year-old Joyce went to Paris, where he worked as a journalist, teacher and in other occupations under d ifficult financial conditions. He spent a year in France but returned when a telegram arrived saying his mother was dying. Not long after her death, Joyce was traveling again. He left Dublin in 1904 with Nora Barnacle, a chambermaid who he married in 1931. Two of Joyce’s major works, â€Å"Ulysses†, written in 1922, and â€Å"Finnegan’s Wake†, written in 1939, are noted for the experimental language used in them. Joyce’s technical innovations in his novels include the use of interior monologue and the technique of the stream of the consciousness. He used a complex network of symbolic parallels drawn from the mythology, history, and literature, and created a unique language of invented words, puns, and allusions. â€Å"Ulysses† has many good examples of this form of writing. â€Å"We are praying now for the repose of his soul. Hoping youre well and not in hell. Nice change of air. Out of the frying pan of life into the fire of purgatory.† (Joyce 334.) â€Å"Dubliners†, another major work for Joyce is composed of 15 stories including â€Å"The Dead†. This short story shows Joyce’s technique of using a stream of consciousness in his writing. â€Å"Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried.† (Joyce 224.) In this image, Gabriel contemplates his mortality, and how his living experience intersects with death and the dead. Snow is falling everywhere in Ireland and in Gabriel’s life. This quote shows how Joyce technique of reproducing the chaotic manner of the world and how our minds blend themselves with the ideas and memories of our lives with unstoppable thought. This can also be seen in the last chapter of â€Å"Ulysses†, which is a soliloquy of Molly Bloom thinking about her day and her life as she lies in bed. Joyce used puns, parodies, and allusions in his works. James Joyce’s past was definitely an influence in his writing. It is interesting to see that George Moore was also a major influence in his writing as well, despite some differences in their backgrounds. George Augustus Moore was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s. There, he befriended many of the leading French artists and writers of the day. George Moore uses a naturalistic style in his writing. Naturalism, in literature, is an approach that proceeds from an analysis of reality in terms of natural forces. Unlike realism that focuses on technique, naturalism implies a philosophical position. It focuses on a characters instinct, passion, and the ways in which their lives are governed by forces of heredity and environment. As a naturalistic writer, he was one of the first English language authors to really be influenced by the ideas of the French realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of Émile Zola. According to the literary critic and biographer Richard Ellmann, his writings influenced James Joyce, and, although Moores work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist. Moore’s stories incorporate loneliness, human weakness, the repressive effects of the Catholic Church on its people, and the implications of emigration, especially to the United States. In Homesickness James Bryden returns to Ireland from America and is dismayed at the tyrannical manner in which the local priest treats his parishioners. He gratefully returns to America and eventually marries there. However, in his old age, he becomes homesick for Ireland. â€Å"There is an unchanging, silent life within every man that none knows but himself, and his unchanging silent life was his memory of Margaret Dirken.† (Moore 59.) In the last paragraph of â€Å"Homesickness†, it is easy to see that James Bryden was homesick for America. He chose to live in the hustle and bustle of New York to escape Irish rural life. There is also a sense of naturalism in this story as well. Bryden is driven by instinct and his own human nature. He is trying to find an environment in which he feels most at home. â€Å"Homesickness†, in a way, reflects Moore’s life. He moved away to Paris; to the hustle and bustle of a big city and away from the rural Irish life. James Joyce and George Moore have different writing styles. But Joyce was influenced by Moore. With having such different backgrounds and different lifestyles, Moore seemed to have a major impact on Joyce and his writing. It is easy to see that Moore’s past in France and interests in philosophy influenced his naturalistic themes and way of writing. Joyce’s work was also influenced by his middle class past and his Catholic background. He wrote with puns ands many symbols; the stream of consciousness was also a major theme in his writing. Both men, James Joyce and George Moore, grew up in Ireland in the Catholic Church. They were educated and both lived in Paris for a while. George Moore was influenced by the French philosophers. They both have many things in common; yet, there are some major differences in their works. Even though their backgrounds are similar, their writing is very unique. Works Cited George Moore. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. 05 Mar. 2009

Cuban Missile Crisis Decision Making

Cuban Missile Crisis Decision Making Introduction A decision can be defined as the culmination of a thought process analysing a problem. Good decision making is vital for the well being and safety of a man. Many men who have not given it a thought have come to grief because of poor decisions. Naturally we make poor decisions all from time to time, but a man needs to rediscover himself and identify those qualities, which are critical to good decision making. Historical perspective Background After the Second World War, most of the countries in Europe and Latin America became a fertile land for proxy wars between the two superpowers, i.e. USSR and USA. While the Soviet Union campaigned for communism in their areas of influence the USA promoted liberal democratic values and capitalism. The race for world domination was such that both the superpowers escalated the nuclear arms race and always prepared for a nuclear strike in their soil from the opposing camp. Naturally, they wanted to place nuclear missiles in areas that could reach the enemy state in terms of the range of the missiles. The Cuban Missile crisis was an example of such strategies. American intelligence The crisis came to surface on 14th October 1962 when the intelligence images provided by American U2 reconnaissance flights showed some spots in Cuba which were installing and moving nuclear missiles. President Kennedy and principal foreign policy and national defense officials were briefed on the U-2 findings and discussions were held about the course of action to be taken in response to the nuclear threat. Two principal plans were formulated an air strike and invasion, or a naval quarantine with the threat of further military action. President Kennedy decided to keep the findings confidential from the public eye, so as to avoid the chaos that would follow in response to such as dangerous nuclear threat. As American military units started being deployed in bases in South Eastern US, President Kennedy’s official schedules were maintained while secret discussions were periodically held with advisers to monitor the developments and come up with strategies to diffuse the situation. During this time, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko in a visit to President Kennedy said that the Soviet aid being provided to Cuba were for defensive purposes and would pose no threat to the US. The US president kept the information he had about the nuclear missiles confidential. However, he also mentioned to the Soviet Foreign Minister that any threat to American national security would be dealt with in a harsh manner. Meanwhile, more images of from another U2 flight showed additional sites and the number of missiles were estimated to be between 16 to 32. American Response plans After 5 days of deliberations about the response to be taken, it was decided to go ahead with the plan to quarantine Cuba by US Navy ships. A decision to inform the American citizens was also taken. On the sixth day, President Kennedy was informed by General Walter Sweeney of the Tactical Air Command who tells him that an air strike could not guarantee 100% destruction of the missiles. To seek the advice of his predecessors former Presidents Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower were briefed about the situation on the 7th day. The president also established the Executive Committee of the National Security Council to monitor the crisis everyday, and also informed his ally the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan of the situation. A letter was also sent to Soviet leader Khrushchev in which President Kennedy argued about the futile effort of a nuclear confrontation which would result in a catastrophic destruction of all parties concerned as well as the whole world. The president addressed the American citizens about the situation the same day in a televised conference. On the 23rd of October, the USA starts diplomatic maneuvers to gather international support against the aggression of the Soviets. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Edwin Martin seeks a resolution of support from the Organization of American States. Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevenson lays the matter before the U.N. Security Council. In this period, the American ships of the naval quarantine fleet move into place around Cuba. Soviet submarines threaten the quarantine by moving into the Caribbean area. However, Khrushchev orders Soviet ships on their way to Cuba to stop in the Atlantic about 750 miles away. This prevents a confrontation but, the oil tanker Bucharest continues towards Cuba. In the evening Robert Kennedy meets with Ambassador Dobrynin at the Soviet Embassy. Russian Response and American Counter response On the 24th of October the Soviet premier sends a letter to President Kennedy. President Khrushchev’s response to the letter sent by US president Kennedy indicated that the Soviets were not willing to take away Missiles and blamed the US for showing aggression by carrying out a naval quarantine. According to the Soviets, the US was trying to intimidate them by threatening to use force against the Soviet ship thereby, endangering international peace. The next day, Kennedy writes a letter to Khrushchev to urge him to step down. He had been briefed that some of the missiles in Cuba had already become operational. Meanwhile, the U.N. tries to negotiate a settlement by suggesting a short period for cooling down the tension. However, it is rejected by the US because the missiles could be deployed at any time given that it had already become operationally ready. U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson in a debate at the Security Council shows the photographs of the missiles in presence of the Soviet ambassador Valerian Zorin. The US president also orders his Air Force to increase the number of flights over Cuba from once a day to twice a day, so as to gather more intelligence.Photographic evidence shows accelerated construction of the missile sites and the uncrating of Soviet IL-28 bombers at Cuban airfields. During this period Cuban president Fidel Castro urges the Soviets to initiate a nuclear first strike, but Khrushchev is not prepared for a nuclear war. So, he sends a letter to Kennedy with an offer to remove the missiles if the Americans agree to lift the quarantine along with a promise that it will not invade Cuba. American intelligence in this period shows that construction activities of missile sites are progressing at an alarming speed, so the USA starts discussing about invading Cuba to control the missile sites. However, they become concerned that invading Cuba would definitely result in a war that could turn nuclear. On the 12th day of the crisis another letter from Moscow is received in Washington. This letter demands the removal of American missile from Turkey in exchange for removal of missiles from Cuba. Deliberation in Washington decides to ignore this second letter and respond only to the previous one. At the mean time the American Air force is kept in high alert to be ready for an invasion, if it is decided. Later that night, Robert Kennedy, President Kennedy’s confidante meets secretly with Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin where it is agreed that the Soviets would remove the missiles under United Nations supervision in exchange for an American pledge not to invade Cuba. Theories used in crisis decision making Rational actor model Rational actor model attempts to describe a states behavior as that of a perfectly rational individual, who is normally assumed to have perfect situational knowledge, and who attempts to optimize whatever values/goals are sought in a given situation. (Slantchev, 2005). The basic assumption of this model is that in a difficult situation nation consider all options and act rationally to maximize their utility. Under this model: Governments are treated as the primary actor. The government examines a set of goals, evaluates them according to their utility, then picks the one that has the highest payoff. The action is chosen as a calculated solution to a strategic problem Explanation consists of showing what goal the government was pursuing when it acted and how the action was a reasonable choice given the nation’s objective The formal way of defining rational actor model is by using four key concepts.In order to determinethe possible cause of actions of nations following criteria must be analyzed. Scrutinize reading of this concept also reveals the process of development of decision by national leader. (1) The Goals and Objectives of the Nation, (2) The Alternatives, (3) The Consequences, 4) The Choice the nation made Organization process model An organizational process model is one of the decision making model in which there is time and information limitations and Decision makers involved does not seek an optimal solution rather attempts to find a solution which achieves a set (minimum) goal, and minimizes risk of failure. The organizational model focuses mainly on four concepts On the type of group and office involved Type of information The task being done The task that the groups are actually capable of doing This model attempts to forecast thefuture activities of organization based on its present activity. The organizations involved in the decision making were military, Intelligence, White house. The personnel involved were some core group decision makers. The type of information that the group got was from the CIA efforts of collecting data on Cuba and a standard protocol that planned airreconnaissance in the Cuban air space .The detail information about the presence of missile proved to be important. But there were also criticism that the information provided was not in time Kennedy chose the option of naval blockade in Cuba. It was made possible by the factthat, A big and strong navy already existed in U.S. and Navy had already prepared and rehearsed a comprehensive operational plan. The organization process model attempts to define action that is otherwise not described by rational actor model. It explains all the actions during the crisis are not only the result of rational decision making but also the consequence of normal organizational processes. For example, in Cuban missile crisis, the strategy of Russians was different at different time period. While the ships were being taken to Cuba, the secrecy and camouflage was given the highest priority. But once the ship reached Cuba, there priority shifted on building missile bases. The government politics model The third model is recognized as thegovernmental politics model or bureaucratic model and is characterized by the use of various decision makers and committee leadership.(Sexton, 2007) . The Government politics model adopted by the administration of the US president highlights The personalities of individuals, Their backgrounds and Theinterdependent influences among each other in a group. President Kennedy selected the core group advisors and depended on them for taking decision. The advisors also comprised of his own brother Robert, the nations Attorney General at the time and TheodoreSorenson. Governmental Behavior Model A Governmental Behavior Model focuses on the individuals that took part in the decision making , their background , their personality traits , the level of information they had and their overall influence in overall decision making process. It emphasizes that actions may not be the result of one monolithic entity choosing the most rational action, but rather the integrated and refined effort of many people with different background, objectives, information and estimates of outcomes that were discussed and compromised. For example, Kennedy put together a committee of advisors, including his national security advisor, the head of the state department, the head of the DoD, and other acting government leaders, a former ambassador to Russia, a retired State Department administrator, and others. The Transcripts of tapes of the White House discussions, the book that were made public later clearly shows the debating and decision-making process. It includes how various members of the discussi on brought up ideas, changed sides, and fused their ideas together.. (John, 2010) Small group model In the Cuban missile crisis, The decision making process reflected the small group model . The decision was solely made by the EXCOMM and the president. This model emphasize on the need for secrecy, decisiveness in policy making, speed and an extraordinary degree of liquidity in the flow of information to and from the White House.(Gopalan, 2014). President Kennedy created the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (EXCOM) to advise him on the Cuban Missile Crisis. The EXCOMM was formally established by National Security Action Memorandum 196 on Oct 22, 1962. Outcome of Cuban missile Crisis Kennedy certainly came out of the crisis with a reputation greatly enhanced in the west. Khrushchev, for his part, was deemed by his colleagues to have suffered a humiliation, and the crisis was one of the issues that led to his being deposed in October 1964. They both have showed responsible leadership and a means to find a peaceful resolution. They both have rejected hard-line advices and were careful not to escalate the crisis. Khrushchev might even be said to have shown greater courage in making what was publicly seen as the larger concessions. In the aftermath of the crisis they both worked to improve relation and prevent a recurrence of such a confrontation. The â€Å"hotline† allowing direct communication between both leaders was installed and the Partial Test Ban Treaty of September 1963 signified a 1st step towards arm control. Kennedy’s hope to build on these steps, brutally ended by his assassination in November 1963, further heightened his statesman- like image. However both men had acted recklessly in bringing the crisis about. Khrushchev and Castro should have realized the danger of secretly introducing nuclear weapons into Cuba. They could not be kept secret, and the US reaction should have been predictable. Conventional forces, perhaps a couple of Soviet armored brigades, should have been enough to deter a US invasion of Cuba, without risking a major confrontation. And Kennedy could have too secretly requested to remove the missile, might have avoided a confrontation. Finally, the world was fortunate that the greatest crisis of the Cold War era was deescalated. If the technology advances have made missile launch shorter and submarines quitter and when decisions could be made in minutes, the consequences could easily have been catastrophic. After the Cuban Missile Crisis both sides were careful to avoid such circumstances. One Missile Crisis was enough. Bibliography Allison, G. P. (1999). Essence of Decision. New York: Longman. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureaucracy Cuban Missile crisis. (2014). Retrieved April 18, 2014, from HISTORY: http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis Cuban Missile Crisis. (2014). Retrieved April 23, 2014, from John of Keneddy Presidential Library and Museum.: http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/Cuban-Missile-Crisis.aspx. Elite theory. (2014, 25 April). Retrieved April 30, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_theory Essence of Decision. (2014, May 03). Retrieved May 03, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence_of_Decision Gopalan, K. (2014). Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from FOREIGN POLICY JOURNAL : http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2010/08/16/kennedy-and-the-cuban-missile-crisis/ John, M. (2010, January 12). Essense of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis. Retrieved april 23, 2014, from Essense of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis: http://marieljohn.blogspot.com/2010/01/essense-of-decision-explaining-cuban.html L.Slantchev. (n.d.). Chapter 13. Decision Making in Politics. . Retrieved April 24, 2014, from The Challenge of politics , the introduction of political science: http://college.cqpress.com/sites/challenge/Home/chapter13.aspx 1

Platinum :: essays research papers

Platinum is a relatively rare, chemically inert, metallic element. It symbol is Pt, atomic number is 78, and its atomic weight is 195.09. Platinum is one of the heaviest substances known. One cubic foot of Platinum weighs 21 times as much as a cubic foot of water. A grayish-white metal, Platinum has a melting point of 1772 degrees C and a realatively high boiling point of 3827 degrees C. It has a high fusing point, is ductile and malleable, expands slightly upon heating, and has high electrical resistance. Platinum is seldom used in its pure stage because it is too soft. The third most ductile metal, it can be drawn into a thread one twenty thousandth part of an inch in thickness. It is extremely resistant to attack by air, water, single acids and ordinary reagents, but does dissolve in hot aqua regia, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids. Platinum has the unusual property of being able to absorb large amounts of hydrogen at ordinary temperatures and resist it at high temperatures. The first mention of Platinum occurs in the writings of an Italian physician and poet named Julius Caesar Salinger in 1557. A hieroglypic character made froma grain of Platinum dated back to the 7th century. Credit for discovery of Platinum has been given to Don Antonio de Ulloa, a young lieutenant in the Spanish Navy. The metal was referred to as the "platina de Pinto", meaning the siver like metal from the Pinto River. The first thorough study of Platinum was conductd in1750 by the English physician William Brownrigg. Brownrigg noted that Platinum was heavier and even more chemically inert than Gold was. Platinum forms useful alloys with many other metals, including Iridium, Palladium, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Osmium, Gold, Nickel, Cobalt, and Tungsten. At high temperatures Platinum also reacts with Chlorine, Fluorine, Phosphorus, Arsenic and Sulfur. Among the transition metals, Platinum has the greatest tendencies to bond directly with Carbon. Platinum is used extensively in modern industrial society because of its chemical inertness, high melting point, and extraordinary catalytic properties. platinum is valuable for laboratory apparatus, such as tongs, combustion boats, crucibles and evaoporating dishes. It is also used for thermometers in furnaces, for electrodes in making quantitative chemical analyses, and for corrosion and heat-resistant instruments.

pearl harbor Essay -- essays research papers fc

Pearl Harbor: Isolationism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is a common held belief that America has historically been a nation driven by the ideology of isolationism. The best cases for these arguments are through our unwillingness to participate in either world war. The lynch pin being the events that happened in Pearl Harbor. I will try to dispel this theory in my essay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On December 7th, 1941 war was forced upon America by the Japanese assault on Peal Harbor, and declarations of war by Germany and Italy four days later. It is a myth that Franklin D. Roosevelt was anxious to bring America into the war, and was prevented from doing so by the overwhelming isolationist spirit of the American people. The evidence shows that FDR was primarily concerned with his domestic policies and had no wish â€Å"to join in a crusade against Nazism or totalitarianism or indeed against international aggression.† He took no positive steps to involve the United States in the conflict. The war came as much a surprise-and an unwelcome surprise-to him as anyone else. There is a persistent myth that he was forewarned about the Japanese aggression at Pearl Harbor, and did nothing to stop it, being anxious that American participation in the global conflict should be precipitated by the unprovoked act of aggression. That all kinds of warnings were in t he air at the time is clear. But an objective survey of all the evidence indicates that Pearl Harbor came as a real and horrifying shock to all the members of the Roosevelt administration, beginning with the President himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is also a myth, however, that America’s unwillingness to engage in World War Two-the polls show that around 80 percent of the adult population wanted America to stay neutral until the Pearl Harbor assault-sprang from a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2- deep sense of isolationism, which was America’s â€Å"pristine and natural posture in world affairs.† This myth is so persistent that it has led in the 1990’s to a demand to ‘return to isolationism,’ as though it were America’s destiny and natural preference. So it is worth examining in a longer historical context. There is nothing unique, as many Americans suppose, in the desire of a society with a strong cultural identity to minimize its foreign contacts. On the contrary, isolationism in this sense has been t... ...ry into international affairs. He was a President fraught with the problems of a panicked, economically debacled country. His entire focus was on the regrowth of the American infrastructure. The fickle attitude of Japan, a country that occilated between threats of war and neutrality, between military and civilian control, were not taken seriously in leu of more prevalent problems. This is not to say, either, that the U.S. itself was a populace of isolationists. America had grown wealthy through international trade and exports, but the devastating implications of a war on an already strained people was too much. America joined the war, initially, in retaliation to the threat of war. It was forced, inadvertently, into war, not by Presidential conspiracy to overturn isolationist feelings, but out of self-defense. Bibliography Charles C. Transill, â€Å"Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace† (New York 1957) Ibid., 688. Roberta Worhlstetter: Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision (New York 1980) Akira Ariye: Across the Pacific: an Inner History of American-East Asian Relations (New York 1967) The American Past: Conflicting Interpretations of the Great Issues Vol. II (Macmillan Co. 1961) pearl harbor Essay -- essays research papers fc Pearl Harbor: Isolationism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is a common held belief that America has historically been a nation driven by the ideology of isolationism. The best cases for these arguments are through our unwillingness to participate in either world war. The lynch pin being the events that happened in Pearl Harbor. I will try to dispel this theory in my essay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On December 7th, 1941 war was forced upon America by the Japanese assault on Peal Harbor, and declarations of war by Germany and Italy four days later. It is a myth that Franklin D. Roosevelt was anxious to bring America into the war, and was prevented from doing so by the overwhelming isolationist spirit of the American people. The evidence shows that FDR was primarily concerned with his domestic policies and had no wish â€Å"to join in a crusade against Nazism or totalitarianism or indeed against international aggression.† He took no positive steps to involve the United States in the conflict. The war came as much a surprise-and an unwelcome surprise-to him as anyone else. There is a persistent myth that he was forewarned about the Japanese aggression at Pearl Harbor, and did nothing to stop it, being anxious that American participation in the global conflict should be precipitated by the unprovoked act of aggression. That all kinds of warnings were in t he air at the time is clear. But an objective survey of all the evidence indicates that Pearl Harbor came as a real and horrifying shock to all the members of the Roosevelt administration, beginning with the President himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is also a myth, however, that America’s unwillingness to engage in World War Two-the polls show that around 80 percent of the adult population wanted America to stay neutral until the Pearl Harbor assault-sprang from a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  -2- deep sense of isolationism, which was America’s â€Å"pristine and natural posture in world affairs.† This myth is so persistent that it has led in the 1990’s to a demand to ‘return to isolationism,’ as though it were America’s destiny and natural preference. So it is worth examining in a longer historical context. There is nothing unique, as many Americans suppose, in the desire of a society with a strong cultural identity to minimize its foreign contacts. On the contrary, isolationism in this sense has been t... ...ry into international affairs. He was a President fraught with the problems of a panicked, economically debacled country. His entire focus was on the regrowth of the American infrastructure. The fickle attitude of Japan, a country that occilated between threats of war and neutrality, between military and civilian control, were not taken seriously in leu of more prevalent problems. This is not to say, either, that the U.S. itself was a populace of isolationists. America had grown wealthy through international trade and exports, but the devastating implications of a war on an already strained people was too much. America joined the war, initially, in retaliation to the threat of war. It was forced, inadvertently, into war, not by Presidential conspiracy to overturn isolationist feelings, but out of self-defense. Bibliography Charles C. Transill, â€Å"Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace† (New York 1957) Ibid., 688. Roberta Worhlstetter: Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision (New York 1980) Akira Ariye: Across the Pacific: an Inner History of American-East Asian Relations (New York 1967) The American Past: Conflicting Interpretations of the Great Issues Vol. II (Macmillan Co. 1961)

Pierre Bourdieu Essay -- Sociology, Habitus Stems

As a French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher, Pierre Bourdieu focuses on the role of practice and embodiment in social dynamics of power relations in life, which opposes Western traditions. He conceptualizes the notions of habitus and field, which disclose the construction in human society, which, according to him, should not be understood as applying a set of rules. Echoing Michel Foucault and Michel de Certeau, Bourdieu intents to analyze the interrelationship between social structure and social practice. His arguments are around a reconciliation of both external power generated from social structure and internal power produced by subjective individuality. Bourdieu transforms Max Weber’s notion of domination and social orders into his theory of fields, defining field as a setting in which agents and their social positions are located, a system of social positions that are structured in terms of power relationships. Fields, so to speak, â€Å"provide themselves with agents equipped with the habitus needed to make them work†(1980, 67). Bourdieu thereby claims that society can be seen as the sum of social objective relationships in the conditions of economic production and that it is the social agent should be emphasized in society. Bourdieu, although retaining structuralist concepts of social structures, argues that the reproduction of social structure is not constrained by the logic of social structure. Bourdieu describes habitus as the theory of the mode of the generation of practices. Habitus, according to Bourdieu, which is a â€Å"product of history† structured based on a set of acquired dispositions, is constituted in practice and is always â€Å"oriented towards practical functions†(1980, 52-54). That is, habitus ... ...uses construct practical space that organizes social relations ; Calendars structure practical time that organizes social works. System of classification, as embodiment of social order thereby subsumes subjective experiences and naturalizes â€Å"its own arbitrariness†(1977, 164). Doxa, the state of this naturalization, through censorship and exclusion, preserves a â€Å"universe of that which is taken for granted†(1977, 170) Bourdieu further argues that practices involve â€Å"a logic made to dispense with concepts†(1977, 116) but should not be described as logical processes. It is, instead of abstract logic, but body movements and actual practice should be analyzed with an investigation on the connection between body movements and classificatory system. The â€Å"language of the body†, according to Bourdieu, is more ambiguous to be analyzed than linguistic schemes(1977, 120).

Characters that influence scout in to kill a Mockingbird Essay

There are many positive influences that help shape Scout into the person she becomes at the end of the novel. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mocking Bird, there are 3 main characters that have an effect on Scout’s maturity. Jem Finch influences Scout because he is always looking out for her best interest. Next, Calpurnia influences Scout because she teaches her how to act â€Å"ladylike†. Finally, Atticus Finch influences Scout because he teaches her important life lessons throughout the book. Jem, Atticus and Calpurnia have the strongest influence on Scout’s development into the person she is at the end of the novel. For starters, Calpurnia helps scout become more lady like at the end of the novel by teaching her proper manners and edict. Scout learned cooking and cleaning skills from Calpurnia while Jem was busy growing up and distancing himself from her. â€Å"Just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome, we’ll find lots for you to do in here.† (Lee 154). Another example of Calpurnia teaching Scout proper manners was when she corrects Scout for thinking that she is better than Walter Cunningham. â€Å"Yo’ folks might be better than the Cunningham’s, but it don’t count for nothing the way your disgracing them.† (Lee 33). When Calpurnia scolds Scout for thinking she is better than Walter, she is telling her how she was being extremely rude. Calpurnia tells her that it is not acceptable to treat company rudely. Calpurnia helps scout develop into the person she is at the end of the novel by teaching her appropriate lady like actions. Next, Jem influences Scout throughout the novel by always looking out for her best interests. When Dill first arrives Jem makes the decision that he is an acceptable friend, even when Scout questions this decision. â€Å"Jem told me to hush, which is a sure sign that Dill has been studied and found acceptable.† (Lee 9). Towards the end of the novel Jem looks out for Scout by throwing himself in front of her when they got attacked by Bob Ewell. â€Å"I felt Jem against me. He was up like lightning and pulling me with him.† (Lee 351). When Jem threw himself in front of Scout he proved that he would risk his own life looking after his sister. He wanted to make sure that Scout would end up okay, so he tried to fight off Bob Ewell in order to protect her and keep her safe. Jem Finch helps shape Scout into the person she is at the end  of the novel by always looking out for her best interests. Finally, Atticus Finch has a major influence of Scouts Developments into the person she becomes at the end of the novel because of the valuable life lessons he teaches her growing up. Atticus teaches Scout the importance of education by making a compromise that they will continue to read at home every night, as long as she is attending school during the day. â€Å"if you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night as we have been.† (Lee 41). Atticus also teaches Scout not to treat people differently just because they look strange or act weird. In the novel Atticus is referring to Boo Radley when he says â€Å"You never really understand a person until you’ve climbed into their skin and walked around in it.† (Lee 39). Scout does not really understand Boo Radley until the end of the book when he saves her brothers life. She really starts to understand him as she is standing on the Radley’s porch. She then realizes that even though Boo Radley was a bit odd looking, he was not a bad guy, in fact he was actually rather nice. Atticus Finch is a major influence on the person Scout is at the end of the novel because of the lessons he has taught her throughout her childhood. In conclusion, The 3 characters that had the biggest impact on Scout’s character change towards the end of the novel were Atticus, Jem and Calpurnia. First, Jem always looks out for her. Second, Calpurnia has taught her how to act like a proper lady. Finally Atticus has taught her valuable life lessons. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee has displayed that everyone’s surroundings influence their character, personality and ultimately the person they become.

Country Lovers: a Reader’s Response

Country Lovers, Nadine Gordimer TLC 25 November 2012 ? Nadine Gordimer dramatically depicts the theme of forbidden love in Country Lovers, but more than just the depth of this love, the forbidden relationship between races during the years of apartheid. Gordimer brings forward very early the fact of racial division, â€Å"the black children are making along with the bodily changes common to all, an easy transition to adult forms of address, beginning to call their old playmates missus and baasie little master†. Gordimer, 1975) This short story powerfully demonstrates the ever present desire for that which is taboo and the often very tragic end for all concerned in an overtly subjugated society, race notwithstanding. She sets the story in South Africa on the farm owned by the white Eysendeck Family, early in the childhood of their son Paalus and the young black girl, Thebedi.The vivid descriptions or Local Color are depictions of culture and landscape within this setting allow the author to depict the atmosphere that shaped the characters moral values of individuals in a particular region. (Clugston, 6. 4) The use of setting, in this case the time and place of the story also illustrates Milhauser’s opinion, â€Å"†¦ if you concentrate your attention on some apparently insignificant portion of the world, you will find, deep within it, nothing less than the world itself.The author also cleverly uses foreshadowing to allude to issues the characters may deal with, â€Å"The trouble was Paalus Eysendeck did not seem to realize Thebdi was now simply one of the crowd of farm children down at the kraal†. (Gordimer, 1975) The overwhelming sense of cultural taboo was evident throughout the story and was recognized by both characters in their need to be secretive in their meetings. The use of foreshadowing and setting strongly supported the themes in the story, allowing Gordimer to bring the reader closer to the heart to the story.Although Nadine Gordimer grew up in South Africa during the enforcement of apartheid and attempted throughout her years of writing to bring attention to the under privileged; she and many other writers did not have the ability or desire to discuss the unfortunate issues that generations of the often over-indulged and morally corrupt class also had to face, â€Å"I will try and carry on as best I can to hold my head up in the district. † (Gordimer, 1975) The characters throughout this story were strong and richly developed.Both Paalus and Thebedi were similarly portrayed as equally developing young people in the illustrations of their interactions with classmates and friends, an example being the gifts they exchanged on holidays and the joy they gained admiration of them. (Gordimer) Ms. Gordimer expertly executed the account of two young people that were lifelong friends and eventually secret lovers and the on pressures that society, class and race can have on those individuals.An incredible sense of despair is exposed in the passages discussing the issues faced by the characters, Thebedi and Paalus, both showed a feeling of loss of control of the situation when he stated, â€Å"I feel like killing myself†; she could not help but feel sadness for a man she likely still loved, â€Å"her eyes began to glow, to thicken with tears†. (Gordimer, 1975) This effort to bring the ominous mood to the reader is astonishingly effective. In the last portion of the story the dialogue of the main characters demonstrates the deliberate change in the characters.Paalus becomes very aware of the potentially catastrophic outcome of his and Thebedi’s indulgences. The shift in characterization was brilliantly executed with the seemingly formidable white man becoming the pariah in the district where his family was well respected. The conflict or struggle within both characters became what to do with the baby who was the product of forbidden love in an unaccepting society. Lastly, the reader is made aware of several shifts that have shift occurred. The first shift being for Paalus and the Eysendeck family by being lowered in status â€Å" left with his mother’s raincoat shielding his face from photographers†.The next obvious shift of the Judge in his statement in court actually raised Njabolu’s status, †by commending the honorable behavior of the husband†¦ and even provided clothes for the unfortunate infant out of his slender means. † (Gordimer, 1975) The final line of the story provides insight on the outcome by bringing to light the fact that the girl â€Å"in her own language stated that â€Å"it was a thing of our childhood and they don’t see each other anymore’’ The symbolic nature of this last line demonstrated the eventual movement forward of the young woman and her embracing her life as it was set in motion by time and society to be. REFERENCES: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Milhauser, S. (2008). The Ambition of the Short Story. The New York Times. 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