Matisse - The Green Line essays

Matisse - The Green Line essays Stylistic Analysis of Madam Matisse: The Green Line Henry Matisse, one of the most influential members of the Fauve movement, was responsible for much of the attention brought to it and its respective members. One of his works, Madame Matisse: The Green Line, more or less serves as an excellent example of what he was trying to accomplish in art: the use of color to express and convey emotionsThe composition of the work consists of a portrait of Madame Matisse in the foreground and a background divided into several distinct areas of color. The division in the background is apparent in the juxtaposition of the mauve, orange and blue green, with the foreground divided primarily by the green strip itself, which runs down the middle of Madam Matisses face and separates the painting along a vertical axis. The background and foreground, however, are rendered almost completely flat, so that they seem to become part of one another, and Madame Matisse seems to become somewhat of a portrait within a portraitThe space in the portrait is more or less two dimensional, with only a slight hint of depth illustrated by a dark area of shading above Madame Matisses left shoulder. The perspective is entirely frontal with her torso angled to the left and her head slightly to the rightColor, along with the subject of Madame Matisse, is the focus and most important element of the work. Matisse has used color here to illustrate a sense of the emotions he feels for his wife. These colors are primarily bright, striking colors such as orange, red, yellow, mauve and bright green accompanied by the use of a cooler, calmer blue-green and black. The combination of these colors is non-naturalistic and provides a contrast that is readily apparent to the eye. Additionally, the colors that Matisse has chosen are enriched with a personal emotion that seems to make them even more striking in the way in which they ...

Requesting a Reference Letter Years After Graduating

Requesting a Reference Letter Years After Graduating Its a common question. In fact, my students ask about this even before they graduate. In the words of one reader: Ive been out of school for two years now but am now applying to grad school. I have been teaching English abroad for the past two years so I dont have the opportunity to meet with any of my former professors in person and to be honest I never really cultivated a deep relationship with any of them. I want to send an email to my former academic major adviser to see if she can write a letter for me. I knew her through all of college and took two classes with her including a very small seminar class. I think of all my professors she knows me the best. How should I approach the situation? The faculty is used to being approached by former students who request letters. Its not unusual, so dont fear. The way in which you make contact is important. Your goal is to reintroduce yourself, remind the faculty member of your work as a student, fill her in on your current work, and request a letter. Personally, I find an email to be best because it permits the professor to stop and look up your records - grades, transcript, and so on before replying. What should your email say? Keep it short. For example, consider the following email: Dear Dr. Advisor,My name is X. I graduated from MyOld University two years ago. I was a Psychology major and you were my advisor. In addition, I was in your Applied Basketball class in Fall 2000, and Applied Basketball II in Spring 2002. Since graduating I have been teaching English in X country. I am planning on returning to the US soon and am applying for graduate study in Psychology, specifically, PhD programs in Subspecialty. Im writing to ask if you would consider writing a letter of recommendation on my behalf. I am not in the US so cannot visit you in person, but perhaps we could schedule a phone call to catch up and so I can seek your guidance.Sincerely,Student Offer to send copies of old papers, if you have them. When you confer with the professor, ask whether the professor feels that she can write a helpful letter on your behalf. It may feel awkward on your part but rest assured that this is not an unusual situation. Good luck!

The cost of the modern Olympics far outweighs the benefits. Argue your Essay

The cost of the modern Olympics far outweighs the benefits. Argue your position - Essay Example Indeed, one may definitely identify some economic benefits that are a result of the Games. These include employment of workers who will work at construction sites; the Olympics attract numerous people from across the globe that will predictably buy lots of thing, etc. At the same time, there are others that criticise the Olympics because of large amounts of public money spent by local governments to host them. While the latter may sound a bit pragmatic, yet theirs is the point. THESIS STATEMENT: The benefits of the Olympic Games do not outweigh their cost since the expenditures on construction are not remunerative, substitution spending takes place, misplacement is often the case, employment opportunities are temporary, and hopes for visitors’ excessive spending and attendance do not realize. To support this statement, this paper refers to the latest data on the Olympics and their benefit analysis done by scholars who research the issue. BODY PARAGRAPH 1: First, the cost of th e Olympic Games considerably outweighs its benefits because expenditures on construction of new world-class facilities require excessive funding which will not be remunerative in the long run. Charles Santo in his article â€Å"Economic Impact of Sport Stadiums, Teams, and Events†, observes that Olympic spending is higher than any other spending on sporting events. He cites the following data: the 2004 Summer Olympics which were held in Athens incurred $12.8 billion; the Chinese government invested up to $43 billion to host the Beijing Olympic Games back in 2008. However, the sporting facilities do not yield sufficient returns on the public money invested in their construction and maintenance. The long-term fate of Olympic facilities in Beijing built before 2008 Olympic Games well illustrates this statement. As Demick (2009) observes, the National Stadium in Beijing, also called the Bird’s Nest, was supposed to host only one event in 2009. That was an opera performance of Turandot scheduled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the ceremony of opening of the Olympics. Ironically, the leading soccer club in China had withdrawn from the deal to play at the stadium, since it found it embarrassing to utilize a 91,000-seat facility for soccer games that typically attracted not more than 10,000 visitors. BODY PARAGRAPH 2 Second, it is possible to say that the cost of the Olympic Games considerably outweighs their benefits because of the phenomenon known as substitution spending. Substitution spending with regard to the Olympics takes place when an anticipated tourism boom proves not profitable enough in real life: in fact, a tourism boom for one city means a slum for others. For example, hotel occupancy during the time of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia was related to substitution spending. The Olympics were held in Sydney between September 16 and September 30. For those two weeks, hotels in Sydney had nearly 100% occupancy, yet in other marke ts Australian hotels had considerable demand shortfalls compared to the first half of September and to the same time period a year ago. Specifically, hotel occupancy dropped by 17% and 19% during the period of the Olympics in Brisbane and Melbourne (Andersen 2000, p.1). Hence, the substitution spending was fixed during the 2000 Olympics. It leads to the conclusion that the economic gains brought by the

Reasons for Jackson's Implementation of the Indian Solution Term Paper

Reasons for Jackson's Implementation of the Indian Solution - Term Paper Example Mississippi state and the western segment of Alabama will be relieved of Indian tenancy, and permit those States to progress swiftly in population, wealth, and power (Mark p134). The Indians were denied immediate contact with settlements of whites; free them from the power of the States; enable them to pursue happiness in their own way and under their own rude institutions; will retard the advancement of crumble, which is shrinking their statistics, and possibly cause them progressively, beneath the defense of the administration and through the influence of superior advice, to shed off their savage practice and develop into an interesting, cultured, and Christian society. These results, some of them so firm and others so possible, make the absolute implementation of the plan sanctioned by Congress at their last session an object of much solicitude. Impacts of Jackson destroying the National bank According to Terry, Bilhartz and Alan (106), in 1833, President Andrew Jackson announced that the government will no longer use the country's national bank. He then used his executive control to eliminate all national finances from the bank, in the ultimate round of what is referred to as the "Bank War." A national bank initially formed by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton in 1791 to dole out as a central repository for national finances. The Second Bank of the United States was founded in 1816; five years after this first bank's contract had run out. Conventionally, the bank had been managed by a board of directors with ties to industry and processing, and thus was partial towards the modern and developed northern states. Jackson, the embodiment of frontiersman, railed against the bank's deficient of financial support for development into the unsettled Western regions. Jackson also protested against the bank's uncommon political and economic power and to the lack of congressional oversight over its business dealings. Jackson, known as obstinate and bestial but a man of the ordinary people demanded for an inquiry into the bank's policies and political agenda as soon as he settled in to the White House in March 1829. To Jackson, the institution signified how a fortunate class of businessmen oppressed the will of the common Americans. He made it plain to confront the legality of the bank, much to the dismay of its cohorts. In rejoinder, the bank’s director, Nicholas Biddle, loosened his personal political power, spinning to affiliates of Congress, as well as the influential Kentucky Senator Henry Clay and leading businessmen sympathetic to the bank, to fight Jackson (Williams p 168). According to Hoffmann (44), shortly that year, Jackson presented his case against the bank in a speech to Congress; to his vexation, its members commonly agreed that the bank was certainly legal. Still, debate over the bank remained for the subsequent three years. In 1932, the troublesomeness resulted to a crack in Jackson's cabinet and, that similar year, the pigheaded president prohibited an attempt by Congress to make a new agreement for the bank. All of this occurred through Jackson's proffer for re-election; the bank's prospect was the central spot of a harsh political campaign between the Democratic

Penny Synthesis Essay Example for Free

Penny Synthesis Essay Penny Synthesis Essay To â€Å"†¦ not ban pennies, but merely discourage their use by establishing a system†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is because I agree with Mark Lewis of Forbes. com, that I affirm abolishing the penny, yet with some restrictions. In 2001 a United States Representative by the name of Jim Kolbe introduced a proposition to eliminate the penny (United States’ lowest denomination coin). To deeply reason as to why an individual might support this proposition, we must look at three different points of analysis. First, â€Å" How zinc manufacturing around the nation may be affected due to this decision†, Second, â€Å" What this means for the people of this country on an economical standpoint†, and Thirdly, â€Å" What are the benefits of eliminating the penny in terms of time and money†. According to Source A, since 1982 penny manufacturing has been produced from 97. 5% zinc material. Mentioned, as opposition to this bill, is Tennessee who is rich in raw zinc. Representative Kolbe’s idea is to make the nickel the country’s lowest denomination coin. Interesting enough Kolbe’s state of Arizona is rich in copper, which makes up most of the higher denominational coins. Keep in mind zinc manufacturing is not solely dependent upon penny manufacturing. The fact that this issue is being used to negate this bill is invalid because of this exact reasoning. Moreover, The proposition would gradually eliminate manufacturing instead of suddenly stopping production. This gives time for manufacturing companies to find other means of work besides the penny. It is understood from the proposition that prices would be altered rounding to the nearest nickel’s place. The study shows that if a person’s time is worth $15 an hour (which we all know it’s worth less than that, but that’s a different story) a person would be losing close to $60 per year. The penny will always be a crucial statement in our nation’s history yet we must keep our mind set on the future. In the words of Bob Dylan, â€Å" Times are a changing. † It is a better economical strategy to gradually eliminate the penny from circular use. From this reasoning I affirm Jim Kolbe’s proposition to eliminate the penny.

Automobile Safety Essay -- Automobile Safety Essays

People in developed countries all over the world have come to see automobiles as the preferred way to travel. They allow independence: point to point transportation without having to rely on others to get where we want to go, to do what we want to do. Long range travel and short range travel can be undertaken whenever one desires, either alone or with other people. Citizens of the modern world must often wonder how people ever lived without automobiles. To think that human beings once traveled everywhere by foot or on horseback is not just a humorous idea to reminisce; it is foreign concept that would not allow the social and business culture of today to exist. It is almost as foreign a concept that early automobiles were driven by steam. The challenge of steam engines was making them small, but still powerful enough to provide enough power to move more than themselves. In addition, these engines burned coal, a messy, inefficient fuel.1 With the invention of the internal combustion engine came a long line of innovations around the world that led us to the automobiles we enjoy today. Along the way, automobiles have become an essential part of life for many people in the United States. Their operation and usefulness have also become commonplace; something most people take for granted, without any knowledge of the years of innovation that led to the automobiles we enjoy today. Dangers of Driving With the convenience of driving comes many risks. Automobiles are heavy, powerful objects moving at rapid rates. When they collide with each other or other objects, enormous unfavorable forces come into play. The composition of the human body is not designed to fend against mishaps that can occur with such machi... ... and the General Estimates System (Washington, DC: ) i. [back to text] 4. Inventor Profile: Nils Bohlin, 2002, National Inventor’s Hall of Fame, 28 Feb. 2004, . [back to text] 5. Technical Recruitment, 2004, Volvo, 28 Feb. 2004, . [back to text] 6. Volvo Safety Center, 2004, Volvo, 28 Feb. 2004, . [back to text] 7. Volvo Saved My Life, 2004, Volvo, 28 Feb. 2004, . [back to text] 8. Autoliv, Inc, 2003, Illustrations, 1 March 2004, . [back to text]

Working Conditions for Children During Industrial Revolution

Working Conditions of Children During the Industrial Revolution During the beginning of the industrial revolution there was a high demand for labour. Families travelled from rural farm areas to newly industrialized and larger cities in hope of finding new work. To survive even in the lowest class of poverty families would have had to have every single able family member working, this includes children. Children as young as six were put to work in factories. They worked for up too 19 hours a day with only one hours break in total.Work was hard and the children were often paid barely anything. These fragile human beings were; frequently overworked, underpaid and ill treated for a long time. They didn’t have small jobs either; their jobs were physically intense and required a lot of effort and strength. With little medical knowledge in comparison to today these children were prevented from growing healthily and naturally. Deformedness was common amongst many of the children due t o the high amount of physical exertion performed by them.Their growth was slowed down and they suffered in multiple other ways. The treatment of children in factories was horrendous to say the least. They were verbally abused and little care was payed to their safety and wellbeing. Sever punishments were also in place for the slightest disobedience. It was incredibly unsafe to work in the factory environment due to the large machineries used, which very often proved a hazard to the children. With the enormous machines fingers and body parts of theses skinny children could often result in deaths due to serious injuries or accidents.Sometimes children fell asleep from working excessive hours and occasionally the sheer force of the machines would just crush them. In factories that were unsanitary there was harsh exposure to dangerous chemicals and toxins consistently. Some children died from excessive inhalation of the fumes. Children who worked in coalmines often died from explosions and injuries. Overall there was extreme difficulty faced with being a child and having to grow up working during the industrial revolution.

Analysis of Troy: Film Essay

The story takes place in the fertile, eastern lands bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and kept by the gods. Within the cradle of ancient civilization empires are built, wars fought, alliances forged, and heroes born. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, has united most of Greece’s kingdoms under his rule and now advances his army upon the nation of Thessaly, hoping to include it in his collection of ever-growing conquests. King Triopas bargains with Agamemnon to each let one of their best fighters decide who wins the battle rather than engaging in open war. Triopas calls upon the giant Boagrius while Agamemnon calls to Achilles, but the legendary warrior is nowhere to be found. A messenger boy is sent to fetch him and Agamemnon curses the stubborn nature of the fiercest warrior Greece has ever seen. A half-god and blessed with incomparable strength and skill, Achilles lives to fight but he refuses to associate with Agamemnon, preferring instead to seek his own destiny and be immortalized in history. Achilles easily defeats Boagrius, sealing Agamemnon’s control over the nation, and calls out if there is anyone else worthy enough to fight him. Meanwhile, Princes Hector and Paris of Troy feast in the banquet hall of King Menelaus of Sparta as honored guests and peace ambassadors to their home nation. However, young Paris sneaks away to be with Menelaus’ beautiful wife, Helen whom he loves dearly. He convinces her to come back with him to Troy, stowing her away on his brother’s ship. When Hector finds out he is clearly angry but it is too late to return to Sparta with Helen and seek pardon. Finding Helen gone, Menelaus vows revenge on Troy and seeks the approval of his brother, Agamemnon, who is only too happy to oblige, though Agamemnon’s decision comes mostly from his desire to sack Troy. Odysseus, king of Ithaca and under command of Agamemnon, goes to convince Achilles to accompany them in the conquest of Troy. He finds him sparring with his young cousin, Patroclus who is more than eager to join in the fighting. But Achilles refuses to go, despite Odysseus’ assurance that this war will go down into history. Achilles later seeks advice from his mother,  the sea nymph Thetis who is gathering shells to make a new necklace for him. She tells him that if he chooses to stay home he will find a wife, raise a family, and die old and loved. If he goes to Troy, he will find his eternal glory and history will remember his name for thousands of years. However, should he go to Troy, he is doomed to die and will never return. Meanwhile, Hector and Paris return to Troy with Helen, greeted warmly by their fellow Trojans. The city is guarded by a high, thick wall that has remained impenetrable since its founding. They meet their father, King Priam who welcomes Helen and praises her beauty. Hector is reunited with his wife, Andromache and his infant son. Achilles decides to join Agamemnon’s campaign against Troy but brings his own warriors, the Myrmidons, led by Eudorus. Patroclus accompanies them as well. The Myrmidons prove to be faster rowers than the Greeks and arrive on the shores of Troy before anyone else, though Achilles tells Patroclus to stay and watch the ship. They take the beach with ease and sack the Temple of Apollo where priestess and cousin of Hector and Paris, Briseis is taken captive. In a defiant move, Achilles decapitates the statue of Apollo. Prince Hector leads an offensive to keep the Greeks at bay and runs into the temple where Achilles confronts him but refuses to fight him. Achilles explains that their fight would be suited best in front of an audience and he allows Hector to leave. Briseis is brought to Achilles’ hut as his prize. She berates him for killing priests of Apollo before he is summoned to see Agamemnon who is preparing to celebrate the victory. There, tensions rise as Achilles and the king argue over claims to the victory. Agamemnon goes further by bringing in Briseis, claiming her as his own spoil of war, which drives Achilles into a rage. He threatens to fight for her but she angrily interjects, saying that no one else will die for her. Achilles stays his blade, to the surprise of Agamemnon. Achilles vows that Agamemnon will one day fall under his sword. That night, Priam seeks the advice of his advisors and elders with his sons in attendance, discussing how best to defend against the Greeks. Paris  offers an alternative to bloodshed; he will fight Menelaus for Helen’s hand. The winner will take her home and the loser will burn before nightfall. Later, Priam speaks with Paris in a courtyard and admits that, in all the wars hes fought for power or land, a war fought for love makes more sense. He gives Paris the Sword of Troy, forged at its founding and containing the history of their nation. He explains that as long as a Trojan wields it there is hope for their people. Hector goes to see his wife and son. She fears for his life and can’t imagine living on without him. He comforts her before getting up to see his brother. In the halls, he sees a cloaked figure and gives pursuit to find that it’s Helen trying to leave the city. She is remorseful for being the sole reason so many Trojan men died that day but Hector tells her that returning to Menelaus will not end the war and that she is a princess of Troy now. Helen returns to Paris. The next day, Agamemnon’s army marches for Troy while Achilles, still seething over his loss of Briseis, watches from a nearby hill with his men. Hector and Paris ride out to meet Agamemnon and Menelaus before battle. Agamemnon demands that the Trojans return Helen to his brother and submit to his rule. Hector bravely rebuffs but Paris offers to fight Menelaus one-on-one, hoping that will settle the dispute. While Agamemnon could care less about returning Helen to his brother, he allows Menelaus the opportunity to issue revenge. The two begin their fight and Menelaus is clearly stronger. Paris is wounded and disarmed but, before Menelaus can deliver a death blow, ducks away and crawls back to his brother. Stunned at his cowardice, Menelaus demands the fight to continue but Hector defends his brother and drives his sword through Menelaus, killing him. Enraged, Agamemnon charges forward with his army. Watching from his hilltop, Achilles can’t help but curse under his breath at Agamemnon’s inability to keep his ranks in formation. Hector proves to be the more able warrior and overpowers the Greeks with his tactics. One of the strongest Greek warriors, Ajax is felled by Hector. Odysseus advises Agamemnon to fall back before he loses his entire army and the Greeks  retreat to the beach where their archers provide defense. With Menelaus dead, the main reason for the assault on Troy is gone and Agamemnon struggles to think of a way to rally the troops to his cause. Odysseus suggests that Agamemnon put his reservations aside and enlist Achilles to fight again. Outside, Briseis is tossed around between Greek soldiers, having been given to them by Agamemnon. Before she can be cruelly branded, Achilles steps in and takes her back to his hut. He gives her a wet cloth to clean with and some food. When she questions why he fights and defies the gods, he shows her a more reflective side to his nature and explains that the gods are jealous of men for their short, mortal lives. As such, everything is more beautiful. Priam consults with his advisors again while Paris laments over his cowardice. Helen assures him that, though Menelaus was a strong warrior, she hated her life with him. She’d rather have someone to love and grow old with than to see him die on the battlefield. Hector advises his father that the Greeks underestimated Trojan strength and that they should not do the same. However, General Glaucus wants to strike preemptively and High Priest Archeptolemus claims Troy is favored by the gods, citing bird omens. Despite Hector’s warnings to keep behind their walls, Priam favors his advisors and issues an attack before daybreak. As Achilles sleeps that night, Briseis takes a dagger and holds it to his throat. Without opening his eyes, he encourages her to kill him but she hesitates. They realize their feelings for each other and make love. Achilles decides that he’s had enough of war and offers to take Briseis away from Troy. Afterwards, he speaks with Eudorus and tells him that they will go home. Hearing this, Patroclus is devastated, having hoped to take part in battle. Achilles returns to his hut. Just as dawn approaches, the Trojan army, led by Hector, set up on the dunes and sent hundreds of lit arrows into the sand. The Greeks awake in time to see large balls of hay being rolled down the hill towards camp, ignited in huge fireballs by the torched arrows. Banging their shields to intimidate, the Trojans advance towards the Greek camp. Suddenly, Achilles appears in his armor and rallies the troops to fight. Achilles fights his way towards Hector and the two engage in combat. Greeks and Trojans alike surround them, edging them on, until Hector slits Achilles’ throat with a swift thrust of the sword. Achilles falls, gasping for breath, while the Myrmidons look on in horror. But when Hector removes his helmet, he discovers that the man he wounded is not Achilles; its Patroclus. Hector, repentant but resolute, drives his sword into the boy’s chest to finish him. He addresses Odysseus and tells him they’ve fought enough that day. Before leaving, Odysseus tells Hector that Patroclus was Achilles’ cousin. The Myrmidons return to camp as Achilles emerges from his tent. Seeing them battle-worn, he asks why they disobeyed him. Eudorus laments that Patroclus disguised himself in Achilles’ armor, even moved like him, and fell under Hector. Achilles is outraged and attacks Eudorus. Briseis tries to stop him but he throws her to the ground. Hector returns to his wife. He admits that he killed a boy who was much too young and feels that his actions will have severe repercussions. He shows his wife a hidden passage under Troy that she can take civilians through to get to the mountains should he die and the walls be breached. Though she is upset to have to consider this, she heeds his advice. Achilles puts his cousin on a funeral pyre and sets it alight. Agamemnon watches and says, â€Å"That boy may have just saved the war for us,† knowing that the rage of Achilles will not wane until he’s had revenge. Meanwhile, Helen watches as Paris practices his archery in preparation for battle, hitting his target time and again. The following morning, Achilles sets off to enact vengeance upon Hector. Briseis begs him not to go, but he ignores her. He rides to the gates of Troy and calls for Hector who dresses in his armor and says goodbye to his wife. He meets Achilles outside alone. Achilles throws down his helmet so that Hector can see his face. Though Hector tries to reason, Achilles is bent on bloodlust. As they begin to fight, Priam and Paris watch while Helen  comforts Andromache who can’t bring herself to look. Achilles overpowers Hector by driving his spear into his chest before finishing him with his sword. He then ties Hector’s legs together behind his chariot and drags him away, back to the beach. When he returns to his hut, Briseis cries out and asks when the killing will stop before leaving. That night, Achilles is visited by a stranger in a cloak. The stranger kisses Achilles’ hand before revealing himself as none other than King Priam. Having stealthily entered the Greek camp unnoticed, Priam begs for his son’s body back to be given a proper burial. He tells Achilles that, while Hector killed his cousin, he did not know who it was and he asks Achilles how many cousins and brothers he’s killed in his time. Despite being enemies, he asks for respect. Achilles relents. He weeps over Hector’s body, promising to meet him in the next life, before giving him to Priam. When Briseis comes forward, Achilles allows her to go home and apologizes for hurting her. He gives Priam his word that the Greeks will not attack Troy for 12 days to allot for proper mourning. When Agamemnon hears of Achilles’ secret treaty with Priam, he becomes incensed. But Odysseus, who notices the sculpture of a horse a fellow soldier has made for his son, proposes a plan, putting the 12 days of mourning to their advantage. After 12 days, the Trojans discover that the beach has been abandoned and various bodies lie in the sand. They appear to have been taken by disease and, where the heart of the camp once was, a large wooden horse has been erected. Upon seeing this, Priam is advised that the horse was left as a gift to the god Poseidon and is encouraged to bring it back to Troy. Paris, who is suspicious, urges his father to burn the horse, but Priam brings the horse into the city where its revered as a sign of the end of the war. A Trojan scout, hiking through the cliffs outside the city, comes upon a cove apart from the main beach and discovers the Greek armada hiding there. However, he is killed by arrow before he can warn the rest of Troy. Meanwhile, the whole city celebrates into the night. Once everything has  quieted down, the horse opens and Achilles, Odysseus, and a mass of Greek soldiers emerge from inside and open Troy’s gates where the rest of the Greek army has gathered. They quickly infiltrate the city, pillaging and burning homes and killing any Trojan who stands in their way while a tearful Priam can only watch. Soldiers of Troy attempt to defend the royal palace, but fail. As Priam prays before the statue of Apollo and asks why he’s been forsaken, Agamemnon comes up behind him and stabs him in the back. Achilles, meanwhile, searches the city for Briseis. Paris and Andromache lead surviving civilians down to the secret passage where Paris gives a young boy, Aeneas (a progenitor of the Romans), the Sword of Troy, reciting what his father told him. He then returns with his bow and arrow to help fight. Briseis is praying before a statue of Apollo when she is grabbed from behind by Agamemnon. Achilles sees this and runs to her aid. Agamemnon tells Briseis his intent to take her back to Greece as his slave before she takes a concealed knife and fatally stabs him in the neck. His guards accost her but Achilles kills them. As he is helping her up, Paris arrives and shoots an arrow through Achilles’ heel. Standing up to face Paris, despite Briseis’ cries, Achilles is shot again through the chest. He removes the arrow only to be shot again and again, each time removing the arrow. He finally collapses and tells Briseis that she was his peace in a lifetime of war and urges her to escape. Briseis goes with Paris and they leave as the Greeks arrive at the palace to find Achilles dead, seemingly taken by a single shot to the heel (thus perpetuating the myth surrounding his death). Achilles’ body is burned honorably on a funeral pyre within the ruins of Troy the following day as Odysseus watches and exalts, â€Å"If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say I lived in the time of Hector, tamer of horses. Let them say I lived in the time of Achilles.† Conclusion: The movie Troy ended with Odysseus burning Achilles in a funeral pyre. Achilles died at the end of the Trojan War and is a hero after saving Briseis. Analysis: Based on what I’ve research, Troy is an adaptation of the poem written by Homer it is also known as The Iliad and The screenplay was written by David Benioff and stars who were Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brian Cox, Diane Kruger and Rose Byrne. The Importance of this film is in regards to the City of Troy, the alliances of the Greeks, and the reason behind the war itself. It was made to capture the imagination of Homer and his poems. The actors were chosen and represented through his eyes, yet embellished a great deal for entertainment purposes. Which it was enjoyable to watch, I found it somewhat inaccurate with questions unanswered. While there may also be evidence to support much of what Homer wrote about, the movie in itself creates a different illusion. The time, places, and people were either out of date nor not even involved in some cases. However, the actors portrayed what Homer described perfectly. Achilles was very strong and considered immortal, Hector was the bravest and modest leader of Troy under the Rule of Priam. Helen was extremely magnificently beautiful while Paris was naà ¯ve and weak. All of the characters involved had important roles whose actions were caused of many important events. However, if you relate back to Homer and back of what historians have discovered, the movie wasn’t accurate representation.

Raise The Red Lantern

Raise The Red Lantern The story of Raise the Red Lantern is about the life of a 19-year-old girl, Songlian who married a rich old man as his forth concubine. She was forced to marry him by her stepmother because her father had passed away. From then on, Songlian has to fight for her own power in the family, that is, to gain the chance to light up her lantern which means the master, Chen would stay with her for the night but not the other wives. However she is not happy with the rules of the house, the rivalries between wives as well as the loneliness she has to bear. She even can‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¦t get along with her maid, Yan‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¦er. With lots of incidents happened which finally drove her crazy.Raise the Red LanternIn the film, we can detect the low status of women in society as well as in the family. Women have to live in a closed, dictatorial house and are not allowed to work outside in the society like the master, Chen. They are either wives or concubines or servants. Though they may have little power, theirs are only a domestic ones, and their power is just to influence other women.In the family, they have to share a husband. They are just like men‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¦s toys. Every night Chen can choose who he wants to join for the night. But what about the concubines? Standing there like prostitutes waiting for the result of whose lantern would be light up. Their life-long career is to serve men. It is clear to us that women need to depend on men in that family. Their struggle for the chance to bear a male child is the only way for them to gain a little bit more power. The film also indicates the low status of women...

Purposes and Effects of the Electoral College

Purposes and Effects of the Electoral College Since the United States Constitution was ratified, there have been five Presidential elections where the candidate who won the popular vote did not have enough Electoral College votes to be elected as President.  These elections were as follows:   1824 – John Quincy Adams defeated Andrew Jackson1876 – Rutherford B. Hayes defeated Samuel J. Tilden1888 – Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland2000 – George W. Bush defeated Al Gore2016 – Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton.It should be noted that there is a significant amount of evidence to question whether John F. Kennedy collected more popular votes than Richard M. Nixon in the 1960 election due to severe irregularities in Alabama voting results. The results of the 2016 election have brought forth a great deal of debate with respect to the continued viability of the Electoral College.  Ironically, a Senator from California (which is the largest U.S. state- and an important consideration in this debate) has filed legislation in an attempt to start the process necessary to amend the U.S. Constitution to ensure that the winner of the popular vote becomes the President-elect- but is that truly what was contemplated by the intent of the founding fathers of the United States? The Committee of Eleven and the Electoral College In 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were extremely divided about how the President of the newly formed country should be elected, and this issue was sent to the Committee of Eleven on Postponed Matters.  This Committee of Elevens purpose was to resolve issues that could not be agreed upon by all the members.  In establishing the Electoral College, the Committee of Eleven attempted to resolve the conflict between state rights and federalism issues.   While the Electoral College provides that U.S. citizens could participate by voting, it also gave protection to the rights of the smaller and less populous states by giving each state one Elector for each of the two U.S. Senators as well as for each member of the U.S. State of Representatives.  The workings of the Electoral College also achieved a goal of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention that the U.S. Congress would not have any input in the Presidential election whatsoever. Federalism in America   In order to understand why the Electoral College was devised, it is important to acknowledge that under the U.S. Constitution, both the federal government and the individual states share very specific powers. One of the most important concepts from the Constitution is Federalism, which, in 1787, was extremely innovative. Federalism arose as a means to exclude the weaknesses and hardships of both a unitary system and a confederation James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers that the U.S. system of government is neither wholly national nor wholly federal. Federalism was the result of years of being oppressed by the British and deciding that the U.S. government would be grounded on specified rights; while at the same time the founding fathers did not want to make the same mistake that had been made under the Articles of Confederation where essentially each individual state was its’ own sovereignty and could override the laws of the Confederation. Arguably, the issue of state rights versus a strong federal government ended shortly after the America Civil War and the post-war period of Reconstruction. Since then, the U.S. political scene has been made up of two separate and ideologically distinct major partisan groups – the Democratic and Republican Parties. In addition, there are a number of third or otherwise independent parties. The Effect of the Electoral College on Voter Turnout U.S national elections have a significant history of voter apathy, which over the last several decades show that only about 55 to 60 percent of those eligible will actually vote.  An August 2016 study by the Pew Research Center  ranks the U.S. voter turnout at 31 out of 35 countries with a democratic government. Belgium had the highest rate at 87 percent, Turkey was second at 84 percent and Sweden was third at 82 percent. A strong argument can be made that U.S. voter turnout in Presidential elections stems from the fact that, due to the Electoral College, every vote does not count. In the 2016 election, Clinton had 8,167,349 votes to Trump’s 4,238,545 in California which has voted Democratic in every Presidential election since 1992. In addition, Trump had 4,683,352 votes to Clinton’s 3,868,291 in Texas which has voted Republican in every Presidential election since 1980. Further, Clinton had 4,149,500 votes to Trump’s 2,639,994 in New York which has voted Democratic in every Presidential election since 1988. California, Texas and New York are the three most populated states and have a combined 122 Electoral College votes. The statistics support the argument of many that under the present Electoral College system, a Republican presidential vote in California or New York does not matter, just as a Democratic presidential vote in Texas does not matter. These are only three examples, but the same can be stated as true in the predominantly Democratic New England states and the historically Republican Southern states. It is entirely probable that voter apathy in the United States is due to the belief held by many citizens that their vote will not have any effect on the outcome of the Presidential election. Campaign Strategies and the Electoral College When looking at the popular vote, another consideration should be campaign strategies and finances. Taking into consideration the historical vote of a particular state, a presidential candidate may decide to avoid campaigning and or advertising in that state. Instead, they will make more appearances in states that are more evenly divided and can be won to add onto the number of Electoral votes which are required to win the Presidency.   One final issue to consider when weighing the merits of the Electoral College is when does the U.S. Presidential vote become final. The popular vote occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every fourth even year that is divisible by four; then the Electors of the Electoral College meet in their home states on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December of the same year, and it isn’t until January 6th immediately following the election that the joint session of Congress counts and certifies the votes. However, this seems to be moot seeing that during the 20th Century, in eight different Presidential elections, there has been a sole elector who did not vote consistent with that Elector’s states popular vote. In other words, the results on election night reflect the final electoral college vote.   In every election where the individual who lost the popular vote was voted in, there have been calls for ending the Electoral College. Obviously, this would not affect the outcome of the 2016 election but it could have an impact on future elections, some of which might be unforeseen.

Oracle Database Concepts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oracle Database Concepts - Assignment Example In invoice table (2NF), item price and item description are dependent on item alone and is independent of the invoice information. Thus invoice table is further reduced to 3NF by moving the independent fields to another table named ITEM as shown below: Thus the final design has 3 tables: CUSTOMER, ITEM, and INVOICE. Customer and Item are related to INVOICE using customer id and item id respectively as foreign keys. The new tables (reduced to 3NF) are shown below: The initial design for storing invoice information had a single table. All the information was stored on the single table. This created a lot of redundancy in the database. For example, if a customer purchases three quantity of 5 items, then the information for the customer has to be repeated for all 15 (3 * 5) rows. This not only creates redundant data but also increases the database size. Further, if the customer information changes, then all the rows have to be updated. This might create a lot of update anomalies. Though this sort of anomalies can be avoided by updating all rows by using customer id in the WHERE clause, there are chances for the presence of huge records for each customer in the invoice table. This may result in heavy updates and lowers the overall efficiency and throughput. After reduction to 2NF, though the data redundancy and update anomaly is eliminated to some extent, it still exists for item information. The information for items like item description and item price is purely dependent on ITEM id and not on invoice. This may again create redundancy and update anomalies. Hence the item information is moved to a new table thereby storing each business entity in separate tables. Thus, the new design that is reduced to 3NF eliminates redundancy and update anomalies and increases the overall efficiency.