The major themes of the novel Essay Example For Students

The major themes of the novel Essay The opening scene of Khaled Hosseinis Kite Runner plays a significant role in setting the tone for the whole novel by giving the readers a glimpse of the major themes of the novel, which are redemption, sin, guilt, loyalty, betrayal and friendship. The technique of foreshadowing has been effectively used in order to present to the readers a small prospect of the novel, along with making the readers curious to find out as to what is going to happen next. The first chapter also suggests that the past consisted of a certain incident which played a major role in twisting the life of the narrator. The narrator speaks about his past and therefore the technique of a flashback has been used. This gives the reader a very strong feeling of mystery and ambiguity, and coerces the reader to read on. We will write a custom essay on The major themes of the novel specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The author has also presented to the readers the period of time when the narrator was residing in Afghanistan. The year 1975, twenty six years back, was the time when the life of the narrator reached a milestone of his life. The time is probably given such importance in order to convey to the readers as to how long the narrator has tried to erase his dreadful memories and for 25 whole years has he been trying to bury his sins and his sense of guilt. The year also plays an important role in showing the period of time when Afghanistan changed, the vicious transition from a land of tradition and brotherhood to the land of bloodshed, chaos and sorrow. The narrator tried to escape his sins by moving away to another continent, miles and miles away from his home, Afghanistan, and spent 25 years still unsuccessful in forgetting his horrifying memories. The image of the two kites also strikes a memory in the narrators mind and reminds him of his past, hassan and his words echoeing in his mind For you, a thousand times over. Hassan is one of the most important characters in the novel, since it was his rape that triggered the transformation of Amirs character. The kite represents the time when Amir and Hassan were one as a team and the difference in their social status was ruled out, to a certain extent. The kites brought back the beautiful and unblemished memories of the days Amir spent with his loyal, best friend, Hassan. The kite also stands as a negative symbol indicating the day of the kite flying tournament, which was the day when hassan got raped while obtaining the kite Amir had cut. It was this day when Amir left his helpless friend hassan alone and realized the intensity of his cowardice by leaving a friend in trouble, who would have gone to any limit in order to protect Amir. The kite also rests as a link between Amir and his father, Baba, since it was this one activity of Amir that made his father proud of him. This shows that Amir would not let go this opportunity to obtain the lacking love of a father. The kites, finally show the relationship between Amir and Hassan, their similarities and the differences. The twin kites show the half-blood relationship between Amir and hassan and the fact that both of them breasted from the same nurse. It can be noticed that they may be half brothers and therefore related, however, they did not share personalities. In fact, Amirs personality was a contrasting one to Hassans. The difference highlighted between Amir and Hassan by the symbol of kites is mainly that of their social stature. .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb , .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .postImageUrl , .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb , .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:hover , .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:visited , .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:active { border:0!important; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:active , .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue3402f8a2ab775b68999c5bccd108aeb:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The speech used is full of double meanings and there are many symbolic features in the play EssayThe everlasting gap between Amir, who represents a Pashtun and Hassan, who represents a Hazara, can be clearly seen in the kite tournament when Amir, the superior class holds the thread and claims the victory when it is in reality Hassan, the hazara, who runs the kite and makes Amir win. The introduction of Kites in the first chapter is an excellent decision of the author to convey to the readers the significance this symbol has in the novel and that it is these kites which mirror the major themes of betrayal, redemption, loyalty and undying friendship. The opening scene also describes the site where the incident of Hassans rape took place, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. This shows the readers the significance of the event and the degree of importance in Amirs life, since he remembers such minute details of the dreadful scene he saw. It also stands as a symbol of Amirs mindset, his soul shattering like the crumbling mud wall because of his sins. The significance of the winter scene is understood later on in the novel when learn that Hassan was born in winter. The atmosphere of a winter setting presents a very negative connotation and makes the atmosphere very gloomy, depressing and dull. This could probably have been shown to foreshadow the monotonous life that Hassan would have to live. The event of Hassans rape also occurred in winter, and the memory was frozen in Amirs mind for the past 25 years with no success of being able to forget it. The physical descriptions are not only to set the atmosphere of the novel but to also depict the mindset of the narrator. The first chapter of the novel has also the introductions of the main characters in the novel, the sources that lead to the development of the protagonists character, i.e. Amirs character. It can be noticed that the name of the narrator, i.e. Amir, has not been mentioned in the first chapter. This could probably show the importance these other characters had in casting the character of Amir. Two of the important characters of the novel are Rahim Khan and Hassan. Rahim Khan, who plays the major role of making Amir realize his big mistake that of betraying his best friend Hassan and conveys to him that there is a way to be good again. Rahim Khan has also been shown as a father figure later on in the novel which provides immense support in making Amir choose the right path that of redemption. The other major introduction in the opening scene is that of Hassan, the hare lipped kite runner. It can be noticed that Hassans name is taken by the narrator before the narrator discloses his own name, i.e. Amir. This shows the importance of Hassans character in the novel since it is Hassan whom the pain is inflicted on and the major incident and turning point of the novel is also directly connected with Hassan. According to me, Hassan is a symbol used to represent Afghanistan. The pain inflicted on Afghanistan is shown by the merciful rape of Hassan and the helplessness he bears due to having a weak social status, that of a servant, just as Afghanistan is considered a weak and a helpless country. Another important observation is that Hassan is the Kite Runner in the novel and since the title of the novel is Kite runner, it clearly shows the significance of the role played by Hassan. It probably shows that Amir, who is the narrator, is not the central character of the novel, but it is Hassan who plays the most important role in the novel. .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 , .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .postImageUrl , .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 , .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:hover , .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:visited , .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:active { border:0!important; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:active , .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07 .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5d8fe1a84baf5997cb653541f9a35f07:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Sheila changes after the inspector(TM)s visit EssayAnother important aspect introduced in the opening scene is the technique of foreshadowing. This is probably one of the major tools used by the writer to make aware or hint the readers as to what they can expect to experience in the later parts of the novel. The presence of the incident which is kept secret from the audience creates a sense of suspense, which also exemplifies the importance this event has in the life of the narrator. The narrator is shown speaking about this particular incident throughout the opening scene and the past of the narrator is portrayed as extremely sinful. The character of Amir, though the name is not mentioned, is also portrayed since the narrator says he has been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years. The act of peeking is considered to be cowardly since the observer merely hides behind a covering object and views the scene from a safe distance, as in Amirs case, it was the rape of his best friend Hassan, and the cowardice of Amir made him betray his best friend by not standing up for him and protecting him as he simply peeked at his friend getting mercilessly raped. Another aspect of Amirs character has been portrayed in the opening scene, which is that Amir had kept the guilt hidden in himself for such a long period of time and did not take any action towards redemption. The thought of redemption only came to his mind after Amir found out that Rahim Khan knew of his terrible sins and after Rahim Khan coaxed him to return to Afghanistan for his opportunity to be good again. This shows that Amirs cowardice and betrayal had taken over his self respect, self realization, integrity and the emotions of friendship and regret and made him what he is today, a cowardly human being who is running away from the truth of his life.  The opening scene is presented in short, though appropriately and powerfully, using the technique of foreshadowing and presenting to the readers the main themes of betrayal, guilt, loyalty and redemption along with portraying the major characters of the novel. The opening scene prepares the readers very well for the remarkable story which is about to unfold.

Study Skills For English Language Beginners

Study Skills For English Language Beginners Learning any language takes practice - lots of practice! Often, its difficult to know what you should practice. Should you watch a video? Perhaps, it would be a good idea to do a few quizzes. Of course, you should try to speak English with your friends. All of these are great ideas, but its also important to build a routine. A routine will help you make studying English a habit. Thats the best way to improve your English! Make Learning a Habit Its important to be exposed to many different areas every day. However, you shouldnt try to study too many different subjects. These suggestions take a short listening and reading as the basis for daily practice. You are trying to learn many new things, so dont try to learn too much in any one area too quickly! Listen - 10 Minutes There are a number of beginning level listening selections that you can use on this site. Books written for children are also a great idea. Here are some suggestions for free childrens books that you can listen to on your computer: Read - 10 Minutes Choose a subject you like to read about and read for fun. You can find beginning level reading here on the site. These sites also offer easy English reading selections. Simple English NewsEasy English Times Improve your Vocabulary - 5 Minutes Take five minutes to write down all the new words you find in your listening and reading exercises. Keep a notebook, and write in the translation in your native language. Grammar - 5 - 10 Minutes Think about what you are studying in English class (if you are taking it). Or, if you are studying by yourself, take out your grammar book and find one grammar point to review. You can also use the beginner grammar resources at this site. Take a quick look at the grammar and then think about the listening and your reading. Did you hear or read these forms? How were they used? Speaking - 5 Minutes It is very important to move your mouth and speak! Even if you only speak to yourself. Take five minutes and speak out loud (not silently). Try to quickly summarize what you listened to and what you read. Can you do it? Of course, its better if you can do this with a friend. Find a friend and study together a few times a week. You can practice together. Thats it! Approximately thirty minutes a day, every day - or at least four times a week! If you continue to do this, you will be surprised at how quickly your English improves! Of course, there are much more ways to improve your English. However, make a habit of doing these simple exercises at least four times a week. When you have questions come to this site and use the beginning English resources, or use your grammar book. Watch a video online, try to use English in every way you can - even if the language is too difficult.

Advertising Statement Essay Example for Free

Advertising Statement Essay ? Rosser Reeves was the one who invented the term â€Å"USP†. The Unique selling proposition is sometimes referred to as â€Å"product difference.† In rare cases, some products or services have a unique and impressive proposition/benefit. A unique selling proposition is the ultimate proposition because its one that no other competitor can claim. It has to be something that you could also sell from. The concept of a unique selling proposition, or USP, is based on a benefit statement that is both unique to the product and important to the user. The heart of a USP is a proposition, which is a promise that states a specific and unique benefit you will get from using the product. If the product has a special formula, design, or feature, particularly if protected by a patent or copyright, then you are assured that it is truly unique. This is why a USP is frequently marked by the use of an â€Å"only† statement, either outright or implied. There are various methods that can be used to find a USP as it is demonstrated in advertising strategies and ideas. In advertising, â€Å"strategy† refers to the overall marketing or selling approach. It is the thinking behind the concept/idea. (The thinking behind the thinking, if you like.) Decisions about selling premises are central to the overall advertising strategy. The strategy (or strategic thought) can come from a proposition/benefit of the product, how it used, the market background, the choice of target audience, or any combination thereof. Every strategy should have an element of distinction ( small or large ) from the competition’s strategies, as should the proceeding concept and campaign. All strategies should be written in the form of a strategy statement, also known as â€Å"creative brief†. However, there are several questions we should seek to answer to cover the area of strategic analysis. Competitor, best prospects, and what buying appeals have the greatest leverage. At the corporate level what takes place in the advertising department would be seen as tac tical whilst in the advertising department this would be seen as strategic. * Corporate strategies are concerned with the major functions of the company, and cover finance, human resource management, production, administration, and marketing. * Marketing strategies are concerned with ANSOFF’s matrix and the marketing mix. * Promotional strategies are concerned with the promotional mix options (advertising, sales promotions, PR, publicity, selling, sponsorship, exhibitions). Advertising that is effective creates the message that best expresses the product-prospect relationship. In addition, the message has to be intrusive enough to battle through the clutter in the contemporary media marketplace. To reach the effectiveness in advertising, a creative strategy should be involved in the process. It has to sell the product effectively by promoting them through smart and well designed advertisement. When forming a strategy from which to create ideas, it needs to be written down in a black and white. This helps to focus and steer the formation of ideas from the onset. When people suggest that an idea is â€Å"off strategy,† they mean that it doesn’t relate back to the defined strategy, and will therefore be much harder to sell the idea to the client. By having a strategy statement at hand, you can keep referring back to it whilst generating ideas from that strategy. It is very hard, even if you are an experienced creative, to produce a great campaign idea (or even a single one shot) without a solid, tight strategy. In short, the better you are briefed, the easier your job will be. A poorly defined, vogue, â€Å"wooly† brief is no use to a creative person, nor is highly specific one that restricts the number of ideas. Below are the basic examples of the headings in a creative brief, * Client * Product/service * Product and market background (supposition) * Competition * Business/Advertising Objective (problem to solve) * Media * Target market/Group/Audience * Proposition/Promise/Benefit * Proposition Support Points * Tone of Voice * â€Å"Mandatories† (Inclusions/Exclusions) Media in Advertising The choice of media depends upon the type of product or service being advertised, the target market, and the client’s budget. Each campaign can be in one form of media, or multiple forms. Traditional advertising media includes print, TV, and radio. Non-traditional includes ambient and guerrilla concepts. In addition, there is direct media, and interactive media. In the UK, each type of media is defined by its relation to a hypothetical â€Å"line† that divides the two. Traditional media is â€Å"above the line,† whereas direct marketing and interactive advertising is â€Å"below the line.† Companies that produce work in all the forms are referred to as â€Å"through the line† agencies, or â€Å"full service.† Other divisions within advertising include sales promotion, and business-to-business. Whereas business-to-consumer advertising, once the skill is developed, the same creative process can easily be applied to these other forms of media an d advertising. All products and companies, as seen by the customer, occupy some kind of ‘position’ in the market whether they intend it or not. This might be, for example, high price-high value, low price-low value, high price-low value, good company-not-so-good company and so on, when compared with comparable competing products and competing organizations. Most modern organizations now attempt to actively influence this position in the market by matching product and corporate benefits with the needs of clearly identified segments. The managers have performed professionally, be integrated to match the identified needs of the target market. Positioning is how the marketer wants the consumer to view its product relative to the competition. Although product differentiation plays a role in creating a product position, product differences account for only part of a product’s position. A positioning strategy also includes the manner in which a product’s factors are combined, ho w they communicated, and who communicates them. The size (and value) of the advertising corporate and brand positioning is crucial to the well-being of any company and so should be left to the agency professional. Copywriting is an essential part of the design communication mix, and those of us who do it for a living will tell you that crafting massages and telling stories is a rewarding mental process, even in the business context. You’ll find that being able to generate a response from your audience is a valuable and highly sought-after skill. Copy (or text, or words) used in design is a very particular type of creative writing that requires the inspiration of an artist and the control of a craftsman or craftswoman. In comparison to the rails on which the copywriter runs, the novelist or poet has no limitations. Poetry and storytelling are flights of the imagination, with no client or news editor to bear in mind. Whether the personality of the writer shines through directly or indirectly, this is the purest creative writing – it can take off in any direction, be as fictional as it wants to be, and go wherever it pleases. Writing copy, however, is all about sticking to brief, while paying homage to the creativity and style of the poet and storyteller. Journalists and copywriters are commercial writers, but the essence of the role is completely different. In most cases journalist have to create the story from the scratch, usually by following leads. They will have to research the facts to get to the heart of the matter, discover the different viewpoints and opinions, and bring this material together accurately and coherently. Articles are often written to a tightly defined structure, while features can allow more room for individual expression and the interweaving of the writer’s viewpoint. The message has to be factually correct, balanced, and fair, but the writer is allowed to take a stance, which could reflect that of the newspaper or, in the case of regular column, the writer’s opinion. Copywriting borrows from all other fields of writing in its quest for creative expression, but ther e is no room for your personality in the copy that you write; you are simply a scribe, a hired mouthpiece for your client, and it is the brand’s voice that must come through, loudly and clearly. Advertising Statement. (2016, Oct 12).

Housing as a Common Need Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Housing as a Common Need - Essay Example Lastly, the option of renting a house with a group of friends. It is an option that shows sociable tendencies in a person, whereby he puts himself deliberately into a position where he can be amongst others in more ways than one. This tendency is a derivative of harmony, and highlights increased affinity for others within a person. It is purely an option that is driven by the need for recognition and approval. The probability is that the option and its consequences are familiar to the common public; hence adopting this path is no new thing. In fact, doing this enables a person to be a part of a group or a type of person that he idolizes in terms of actions. Renting a house with a group of friends exhibits social supremacy. It depicts the intention of a person to have the want to go beyond limits in order to acquire social recognition. It is similar to another lion wanting to enter a pride. He feels that this is the only way the conflict pertaining to dominance can be resolved - by jo ining the group! With renting a house with a group of friends, the person has speculated a possible response that is likely to come from the people concerned. The individual may not do so in a place which provides him with uncertainty. His prior interaction and conception of the place is the primary factor which enables him to do the deed, otherwise, it would not actualize. The second option of renting a single apartment is the  second best option. It amounts to a much greater hassle as far as the intensity and repercussions are concerned. Options of housing in this realm are actually a type of escape, in which one is venting out the excess energy that is been surmounted due to other pressures and unresolved aims.   Willfully committing an option that is likely to harm another person is representative of suppressed rage and anger, which has not been able to come out in a healthy way.

Investigating the relationship between personality and Leadership Essay - 1

Investigating the relationship between personality and Leadership - Essay Example For example, Theory X and Y of management may be used within the same company in different departments depending on the nature of the work involved. Theory X of management assumes that most people have personalities that dislike work and must be controlled by strong means if they are to remain productive. Further, people need direction as well as control and not independence while they work (NetMBA, 2005). Theory Y is the complete opposite of this since it suggests that people are naturally inclined towards work as they are towards play and rest. Additionally, people find satisfaction in work and will use imagination, creativity and their personal skills to solve work related problems if they are allowed to work as they please (NetMBA, 2005). A manager who has a personality which is a good fit for managing with Theory X would find it difficult to create productivity in a department which should be governed with Theory Y. In such situations, personality itself can be defined as the collective emotional, thinking, and action patterns which are exhibited by an individual which are more or less consistent over a period of time (Miner & Dachler, 1973). Psychologists and those who study human personality have defined types of personalities and presented theories which help in placing individuals on certain scales of personality (Joy, 2004). The idea of personality as a set of individual levels of certain traits is fully supported by Cattell (Statt, 2004). It is also suggested that there are quite a few elements which affect human personality and the interaction of these traits as well as the reactions they produce to various stimuli result in a fully formed personality (Plucker, 2007). The work done by Cattell is important for the study of personality and productivity since it lets us gauge an individual’s personality and then connect it to their performance at a given position in the company. At the same time, we have

Ridley Scot on Bladerunner and Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Ridley Scot on Bladerunner and Frankenstein Essay Interviewer: Ridley Scot, thank you for taking the time to talk to us about your movie Blade Runner. It is quite an interesting film that raises a lot of issues and certainly makes us as an audience think and question out morality and our values. Ridley Scot: Well any great movie or film should indeed raise awareness to present day issues don’t you think? Interviewer: Indeed they should. And is that what you felt you should do with Bladerunner is raise awareness to the issues that you felt are predominant at the time? In watching Bladerunner I couldn’t help but notice the scope of the issues that you presented to the audience from environmental, personal, and political. The list goes on, so why did you choose to play upon these issues and fears? Ridley Scot: Those are ones that are close to my heart, being raised in a world where I was confronted daily by the fears of others in society in regards to war of nuclear weapons and the effect these would have on the environment and on humanity. I was constantly imagining all of the various scenarios that could arise due to such weapons of mass destruction being used, But also the wonders and fears of space exploration, the search for other life forms and the search for another planet that we as humans could utilise. Well it left me wondering. Why do we need another planet? Is it because of the fear of this one being destroyed due to war or was it just out of greed? Interviewer: So I’m guessing that the reasoning behind the environment in which you chose to stage Bladerunner. The post apocalyptic like environment with dim lighting and long dark shadows being cast, It certainly magnifies the fear of destruction. Not to mention those massive buildings sticking up into the sky and the dirty streets Ridley Scot: ah yes the shadows. The directors and I worked long and hard on creating that feeling of darkness and gloom. I wanted it to feel like the end of the world, and to show the destruction of the environment so what better way to do that than with a dirty city with no trees and little sunshine. Interviewer: In watching that it really becomes evident your fear of the environment being neglected in pursuit of science and greed, much like Mary Shelley, Author of Frankenstein. Many of her issues that she chose to place emphasis on were the battle between nature or science. Do you feel that this may have been partly the reasoning behind your choice in lighting, set and issues raised.. Ridley Scot: In some ways yes. Mary and I do share many of the same ideas and I was inspired by her writing when filming Bladerunner. I guess we both wanted to raise awareness to the issues of our times. I feel the one that we both shared and placed high emphasis on would be science and humanity. Interviewer: The great battle between the two. Do you think it is possible to find a balance between them? Ridley Scot: Whether it is possible or not I’m still not sure but I wanted to point out the dangers in taking one too far and disregarding the other. In Frankenstein the problem is Victors and Walton’s greed and obsession with science, much the same as in my movie. The pursuit of science and technology led to the destruction of the world and the disregard of humans. Interviewer: What do you mean by that? Ridley Scot: The creation of the beings, not quite human yet more human than humans themselves. In the pursuit of science the disregard for humanity, emotions and feelings led to the creation of replicants that were hollow to an extent. They were designed for no purpose other than to serve. Interviewer: Human greed Ridley scot: exactly yet in the pursuit to always reach beyond what has already been accomplished they created Rachel, who had emotions and feelings so human Interviewer: That even Deckard couldn’t tell she wasn’t a replicant. Ridley scot: That was a very important thing to show, how human she was despite being a replicant. What better way to show this than with camera angles? The conventions of film noir that I wanted to utilise here were the close up and zooming of her face in response to questions Deckard asked her and the use of film recording instruments to look into her eyes. We all know eyes are the gateway to the soul. Interviewer: But she is a replicant, they aren’t supposed to be human, contain emotion or have a soul? Ridley scot: Ah you see but I believe a soul does not actually determine humanity, in the end isn’t Rachel more human than many of the humans themselves? Much like the creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, only she cannot use film to show this Interviewer: No but thankfully being raised in the romantic era and writing with influence of Romanticism Mary wrote with such expressive language, and her literary influences being included into the creatures own readings was brilliant in creating the human emotions within the creature himself. Ridley scot: I was inspired by her descriptive writing. How she could get so much across without pages and pages of dialogue. I felt that if I could do the same with Bladerunner through cinematic techniques then it would be more efficient in getting my messages across to the audience. That’s why in intense scenes, like that of the Death of Zhora there is no dialogue just raw emotions. Interviewer: The raw emotions are evident. The slow motion camera angles as she smashes through the glass is so powerful the pain on her face is evident as she gets shot and it sends shivers down my spine. Ridley Scot: The slow motion in this scene was very important. If it went to fast then the magnitude of the scene would be lost so we slowed it all down and the dark, sad, melodic music to the scene as well to provoke more feelings out of the audience. We chose to use a lot of glass to reflect the magnitude of various colours. All of this at once adds for a vary disjointed fragile environment Interviewer: again more styles and conventions of film noir Ridley scot: Well those conventions really helped to heighten the emotions within this scene, Interviewer: And the camera cuts between the two of them, watching Deckard’s Determination to kill Zhora and Zhora’s determination to survive. Ridley Scot: It certainly makes you question doesn’t it? After this pursuit of science and the disregard for humanity, nature, and the change in beliefs and values in the creation of these replicants who are not supposed to show emotions or feeling- Such important aspects of humanity. who in this scene ends up showing the most humanity? Interviewer: I guess we all have to take a moment to think and reassess our values now don’t we. Thankyou Ridley for taking the time to speak with us about your inspirations and intentions behind Bladerunner, It has been a pleasure.

Workplace Literacy: Its Role in High Performance Organizations :: Workforce Work Jobs Essays

Workplace Literacy: Its Role in High Performance Organizations During the past decade a number of issues have been raised about the goals and purposes of workplace literacy; chief among these has been the debate surrounding the conceptualization of workplace literacy as a functional context program with its focus on analyzing the gaps between a workplace's literacy requirements and the abilities of its work force. Critics have felt that, too often, the job context approach was interpreted too narrowly and failed to involve workers. Frequently, the result was a curriculum designed to "fill in the gaps," usually through a top-down process with decisions made primarily by company management, human resources development specialists, and higher-level educational experts (Pritz and Imel 1993). At the same time, workplace educators were discussing how workplace literacy programs should be created, the concept of high performance organizations was emerging. Conversations began about how workplace literacy could be conceived of as a means of changing not just "the behavior of individual employees but of the larger work organization as well" (Imel and Kerka 1992, p. 4) by reinforcing critical thinking and teamwork required to transform workplaces into high performance, continuous improvement organizations. Sometimes referred to as the "collaborative" approach, the perspective that links workplace literacy to collaborative ways of organizing work-and that broadens the functional context approach-is gaining support (Jurmo 1994b). This ERIC Digestdescribes the relationship between collaborative approaches to workplace literacy and high performance work organizations, reviews some principles underlying the collaborative approach, and presents results of research on literacy development in high performance work organizations. High Performance Work Organizations and the Collaborative Approach In a high performance work organization (HPWO), employee basic skills are just one of many components (Jurmo et al. 1994). HPWOs feature flatter organizational structures, work done by teams of highly skilled workers, and a focus on quality, customer service, and continuous improvement (Kerka 1995). In addition to producing high-quality products and services, an HPWO also "provides a high quality of work life for all employees" (Jurmo et al. 1994, p. 4). HPWOs need workers who can take initiative, identify and solve problems, make decisions, and engage in a wide range of tasks. Traditional basic skills such as reading, writing, math, and communication are important primarily within the context of these higher-level skills (ibid.). Although many organizations have not achieved high performance status, they are moving in that direction and are seeking to develop a work force with a broader range of skills (Kerka 1995).

The Bystander Effect

When the terms feelings, thoughts, and behavior are brought up, one does not automatically think these are quantifiable variables. To social psychologist, these words make up the basis of their studies. Trends have also been studied, tested, and analyzed as a way to understand the outcome of actions. They study what one is feeling, how those emotions are affecting that person’s thoughts, and how, or if, those thoughts become incentives or something that produces an action. Together, those analyses’ make up behavioral trends.Sociologists have been studying behavioral trends for decades, especially how people react in groups to a situation or stimulus. Researchers do not only study the behavior of people in a certain group but also how they act, as a whole, in society or within a culture. Psychologists have come to find that the way a person acts influences others either positively or negatively. Behavior, above all other things, describes why the bystander effect happens . In 1968, Bibb Latane and John Darley were the first to demonstrate the bystander effect.Darley and Latane arrived at the conclusion that the number of people within an area influences the likelihood of intervention during an emergency (Latane and Darley, 1968). Emergency, in this definition, refers to a number of situations such as a murder, someone that is homeless, or a person being ridiculed or discriminated against. It could be a person that was hit by an automobile or a child that was abandoned from a car and left to walk home. The bystander effect also influences the likelihood of someone reporting an emergency such as smoke coming from another room or a vent.After this phenomenon was introduced, Latane and Steve Nida (1981) explained it was the most replicated effect in social psychology according to their review (p. 305). Many factors are taken into account as to why this social phenomenon exists. Diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance, to name a few, descri be how groups are influenced by the bystander effect. Some case studies, that have been conducted, do not support the effect though. Altruism, personality, and morals are why people get involved occurs. Imagine there is a man lying on the stairs in front of an office building in the middle of a city.He is an average looking man in jeans and a plain t-shirt. The man appears to be hurt because he is face down and moaning. Many people stop to assess the situation. Here is where the diffusion of responsibility takes place. Diffusion of responsibility is the concept that each person is only responsible for an equal proportion of effort base on the number of people in a group (Latane and Darley, 1968). Considering it is a busy city, many people do not have time to stop and check to see if he is all right. No one is assigned to take accountability for a person in distress.All the people that see the man, and notice that something is wrong, automatically pin the responsibility on everyone e lse, figuring others will intervene. It is stated that as the number of bystanders [increases], the amount of responsibility any one bystander bears [decreases] (as cited in What Is Psychology 2002, p. 503). If there were one hundred passersby walking past that hurt man, the likelihood of anyone stopping is very low. When the liability of interference is singled out or placed upon one person, contribution to the circumstances is very high.There are a number of reasons why the diffusion of responsibility takes place. People that are aware of an emergency tend to look at what others are doing because they are inclined to follow normal behavior. People imitate what others are doing in order to achieve a sense of normalcy. Some people do not want to assess a situation incorrectly. For example, the man mentioned above may be hurt but to some people he may appear drunk. Witnesses sometime believe everyone else knows something they do not know. One person might have been watching that man drinking out of a bottle from a brown, paper bag.So assuming it was alcohol, the witness does not get involved which influences everyone else around that had not seen him drinking. If no one else is helping him, it gives other people the impression that the man in pain is not in need of assistance because of the unconscious control people have over one another. During an emergency, observers have the choice to analyze the situation and act or fail to act. People who fail to act usually fall victim to cognitive biases. When reasoning is distorted, immoral decisions are frequently made.Floyd Allport reported that pluralistic ignorance explain events in which virtually all members of a group privately reject norms yet believe that virtually all other group members accept them (p. 348). It is a bias when people follow a fallacy by rejecting a norm, which might not be the correct way to deal with an emergency. One of Latane and Darley’s first case studies was the influence of peop le in a smoke filled room. A number of confederates were in a controlled room with one person who was unaware of the test. They were filling out surveys when all of a sudden fake smoke started to fill the room.No one had noticed or said anything about the emergency. The woman that was being tested was fully aware of the situation but because of pluralistic ignorance, she did not report the smoke (Latane and Darley, 1968). When it is perceived or known that one person in the room comprehends what is happening and they are not doing anything, it influences the rest of the group because his or her opinion is casted onto the bystanders that what is happening is okay. Similar to this cognitive bias, false-consensus effect describes why diffusion of responsibility occurs.It is the tendency for people to project their own opinions when predicting the attitude, opinions, and behaviors of others (Ross, Greene, & House, 1977). This cognitive bias states that individuals believe to share the s ame beliefs or opinions as others, which is related to the bystander effect in the sense that people seem to project their thoughts onto those around them. People that prefer to follow a crowd portray why humans act out the bystander effect. As a result, the herd behavior or the bandwagon effect arises.If there is a man face down on the street and everyone is calmly walking around him, the chances are that everyone else will follow suit. Whatever decision the leader of the herd makes, the rest of the pack is sure to follow. Animals tend to walk in packs with one or more leaders and numerous followers, which keep them safe. Similarly, people want to conform to everyone else. The word society makes us human; without it, we are animals. We do what we need to stay alive and to protect others and ourselves; that is, until threats to our lives are taken into consideration.Carrie Keating, a psychologist at Colgate University, proves a point when saying; â€Å"We use [a] sort of intuition to get a sense of how dangerous people are† (Keating, 2008). If people see that an emergency is too dangerous, one will more than likely not take action. The least one can do is call the police and notify them of any violence. Neglecting the possibility is also another cognitive bias that people fall under during the bystander effect. It is that a person completely rejects any possibility when trying to decide something under uncertainty, or ambiguity.The more ambiguous the situation is, the less likely people are to intervene (Bickman, 1971). This goes back to people wanting to do what is normal. If there is a child being hauled away by a man, one can easily mistake the situation for a misbehaved son or daughter, when in fact, the man is a kidnapper. It is embarrassing to intrude on a situation that is misinterpreted. Neglecting the possibility that a child is being abducted, or that someone else will take care of the dilemma, makes it easier to stay out of the way.When there are fewer people around to distribute responsibility to, people tend to have all the weight on their shoulders. The responsibility is distributed among the other people and you are not singled out. People that are not in groups but are singled out tend to have excuses of their own that fall into other cognitive motives. Some excuses are that they were in a hurry and did not notice anything. Some people do not want to get into any legal processes. People like to mind there own business so if there was a woman getting verbally abused in a park, people tend to think it is none of their business.People are not expected to intervene if the situation looks like it is a dispute between couples or between spouses. Keating explained, on ‘What Would You Do’ that some people do not help men or woman that look low class or high class. They seem to help people that appear to be in the same rank as them (Keating, 2009). People think that just because they are not certified doctors t hat they have no sense in even stopping to help someone that is injured. Colin Tukuitonga and Andrew Bindman say that some men and women do not stand up for people of other cultures, religions, ethnicities (2002), or opinions.An episode of ‘What Would You Do? ’ revealed that people praised a clerk for not serving a Muslim customer even though she was from America. Another episode exposed a young girl to verbal abuse by three other girls but because it was not physical, no one saw a reason to intervene. Sometimes the situation looks to dangerous and witnesses think of themselves rather then the danger of someone involved. Don Hockenbury stated that when the personal cost for helping outweighs the benefits, the likelihood of helping decreases (p. 527), the costs being embarrassment, danger, and an endeavor.In rare cases, the number of people in an area does not influence the likelihood of a bystander helping or reporting an emergency. Prosocial behavior describes the soci al interaction when people help others knowing there will be no reward. It contradicts everything that psychologists study about decreased intervention. Altruism is a selfless way of decision-making where a person puts their general welfare in danger to help another in need without expecting a reward. People like to think of it as a moral obligation towards a person. Irving Piliavin, and others (1969), conducted an experiment on New York’s underground subway.Even though it is a busy subway, ninety percent of the witnesses helped an apparent disabled person when they fell down. When a drunken confederate fell over, twenty percent of the people on the subway helped the person. Piliavin concluded that bystanders see others as responsible for their own situation. Society is less prone to help those responsible for their predicaments. He also concluded that participation strengthens when a person seems similar to them. In addition, when they perceive the situation is not the victi m’s fault, such as if the person is unable to help him or herself (ex. lderly or disabled), intervention strengthens. People who are more attractive seem to get help faster then those who are unattractive. (Piliavin, 1969) According to Jane Pivialin and Hong-wen Charng (1990), factors that increase the likelihood of bystanders helping include the â€Å"feel good, do good† effect, guilt, seeing others helping, deserved help, knowing how to help, and relationships (p. 526 – 537). When a person is in a good mood, they are quick to help someone in need. Your conscious is a major influence on yourself. It tells you whether a decision is a good one or not.When one person has all the responsibility to intervene, that person feels obligated to make a move. If the person fails to fail, guilt sets in and intervention occurs. Morals also come into effect while deciding to intervene. If someone was brought up to do the right thing, that person will help or report a person o r situation. Empathy also determines how people will act. People, that have experienced the same situation that someone is going through, will more than likely act upon what their conscious is telling them to do because they know it is the right thing.For someone that used to be homeless, one will help someone asking for food or spare change. Whenever one person helps, a group seems to form, which strengthens the alliance. If one person has to carry ten rocks from point A to point B, those stones are going to be very heavy. If you have nine other people working with you to complete the task, the weight of the rock that one person has to carry, decreases provided each person carries one stone. The responsibility is distributed among the other people and the task is accomplished more efficiently.When someone intervenes, people also follow and then unconsciously form a group to ward off the violent person. When individuals act and get involved, it empowers stander-bys to take responsib ility for their society and it allows an opening to appear so others can also help. People that are stronger, more aggressive, or sympathetic seem to be of the dominate group of interveners while ambiguity slows down intervention â€Å"†¦The more crystal clear the situation, the faster intervention occurs† (Keating, 2008). When a woman is screaming as a man drags her through a park, ambiguity occurs.Until that woman specifies to onlookers what is happening, people most likely do not mediate between the two, whether they are related or complete strangers. Relation to the person in need increases likelihood too. William Howard and William Crano (1974) studied the effects of gender in relations to the bystander effect (p. 491- 507). Amoung many other psychologists, Howard and Crano hypothesized that men are more motivated to act in the case of an emergency then woman. Conversely, they concluded that men and women do effect the whether intervention takes place; they are equa lly present in the bystander effect.Marie and John Tisak, psychologists of Bowling Green State University, reported that whether it is direct family, friends, or simply acquaintances, those factors increase likelihood. Small talk and eye contact towards the victim automatically trigger a connection and when that connection is made, one feels associated with the other and is quicker to speak out for that person. Likewise, if the witness knows the aggressor, the witness is also more likely to step in. The type of relationship determines the likelihood.Relatives or very close friends to the bystander increase intruding whereas friends or acquaintances decrease likelihood (Tisak & Tisak, 1996). Many factors are correlated as to why intervention happens. Many famous events took place across history that people may not think as being the bystander effect. One of the first cases ever recorded was from the bible. Samaritan is the word that describes a charitable or helpful person but it als o holds a more powerful meaning. A Jewish man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho had been stopped by thieves who robbed him, beat him, and left him to die on the side of the road.A priest walked by and pretended not to notice the suffering man. A Levite, who was also a church official, looked at him and proceeded to walk on the other side of the street. The third man, a Samaritan, came across the man. It was evident that the Samaritan would not stop because Jews and Samaritans were enemies. He caught sight of the dying man and came to his aid. He brought him to a nearby inn to restore health and paid for his recovery (Luke 10: 25-37). It is hard to believe that the priest and Levite did not stop because of the bystander effect, but only because there was no compassion.The Holocaust is another time in history were the bystander effect was realized. Everyone fell victim to being a bystander. If society tries to state otherwise, they are saying that the Holocaust was not as horrifying as everyone made it to be. The entire world knew about the death of the Jews but no one said anything, not because no one else was taking a stand, but the fear of being executed filled their minds. Psychologists namely study feelings, thoughts, and behaviors and how each relates. By comprehending that concept, psychologists then go into detail and study groups and how they influence individuals, vice versa.John Darley and Bibb Latane hypothesized that the numbers of people in an area influence individual’s reactions to a response. After numerous controlled case studies, Darley and Latane concluded that the number of people does influence human behavior during an emergency. After this conclusion, the bystander effect became one of the most renown and replicated studies in psychology. Psychologists, such as Steve Nida and Floyd Allport, have been significant contributors in the development of this behavioral effect.Pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility are two major reasons that decrease the likelihood of intervention, among many other reasons. Altruism and morals, to name a few, enhance the likelihood that someone will interfere. There are many historical events that take place before the bystander effect happened Albert Einstein once said â€Å"No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong† (as cited by Calaprice, 2005). Which is a true statement because unless the case studies conducted are flawless and show a constant correlation between each data entry, nothing can be proven right.There are always biases and errors when researchers document data. There is no definite, reliable source to base information off because no one’s research can be one hundred percent accurate. When research is confirmed by a community it is usually accepted to be precise and true. When a theory appears in psychology and people begin to test it, replication of the same case studies can show bias. Su rveys that are taken on a computer or filled out on paper are not a true representation of what the general population would do in an emergency.The person has to experience the conditions to predict what they would do. Anyone can say that he or she would be the hero but when it comes time to stand up to an aggressive man, the meek, twenty year old would most likely shy away. The bystander effect has many different levels of complexity. Psychologists, when performing case studies on bystander effect, fail to record the mood someone is in which, from above, shows that it has an effect on whether someone responds to a stimulus. Attributions, altruism, morals, personality along with others explain why people intervene.Age defies the laws of the bystander effect. The size of a group does not matter to a child; they will not intervene. Alcohol consumption, mental health, maturity, ambiguity, experience, and reaction time are reasons that have to be taken into account when testing subjects and using the data to represent a statistic. It is all there in the numbers but they can also be misleading sometimes. We just have to believe that what researchers are telling us is true. Therefore, I agree with my hypothesis, to an extent, that the number of people in an area influences the likelihood of intervention.I do believe that certain people look to others when determining what to do in an emergency. I also confirm that the reason some people do not intervene is that they are following social norms and by doing so they do not get involved because they do not want to assess a situation inaccurately. The bystander effect is a very complex behavioral trend that involves a lot of testing and analysis. I do not believe that it can be proven completely true in less than forty years or in one semester by a first year student. More research is to be done.

Introduction Essay

Outline and Introductory Paragraph Worksheet Create an outline and introductory paragraph in preparation for writing a complete Personal Plan due in Week Five. Use the following information to assist you with the content of your outline and introductory paragraph: Ethical Lens Inventory results. Career Interests Profiler results Career Plan Building Activity: Competencies results Your SMART goals, including those identified in the University of Phoenix Material: Goal Setting Use the following to assist you with the writing of your outline: Sample Outline in the CWE MyFoundationsLab: The Writing Process MyFoundationsLab: Prewriting Outline: Introduction 1. Topic Comparing my career interest results with my prior personal opinion a. Subtopic Understanding my strengths b. Subtopic How SMART goals fit in. 2. Topic Competencies Results a. Subtopic Strengthening my Results b. Subtopic Improving my weaknesses Use the following to assist you with the writing of your introductory paragraph: MyFoundationsLab: Developing and Organizing a Paragraph MyFoundationsLab: The Topic Sentence MyFoundationsLab: Recognizing a Paragraph Introductory Paragraph: I have wanted to go to college since I was twelve; I believed it would be exciting to go to school as an adult. When I became a teenager I thought I had decided that I wanted to be a school teacher, but as we grow these things change. I then attempted college for something completely different but was unable to finish due to tragic circumstances. Now at twenty-six years old I have found what I truly want to do with my life. I took a career interest profiler, a program that provides you with possible occupations that match your interests. After taking the profiler, I find I may slightly disagree. However, my results did show me new things about myself I did not know. From these results, I have created some SMART goals to help achieve my ultimate goal. After taking a competency test I realized I had some great strengths and weaknesses. I plan to reinforce these strengths as well as improving my faults. With all this information, I plan to obtain a better understanding of myself and wha t my interests are so I may reach my career goals.

55 Motivational Writing Quotes from Famous Authors - Freewrite Store

55 Motivational Writing Quotes from Famous Authors - Freewrite Store Sometimes, the hardest part of writing is simply getting started. Whether you’re taking your first dip in the story-telling pool, or you’re opening a fresh, blank document after finishing your last project, that empty page can be a little daunting. So, to help combat those moments of doubt, here are some quotes from professional authors and artists who have been right where you are now, and who know exactly how you feel. First, you just have to start 1. "Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." -  Louis L’Amour 2. "Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good." -  William Faulkner 3. "The first draft is just you telling yourself the story." -  Terry Pratchett 4. "You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it." - Octavia E. Butler 5. "Start before you’re ready." -  Steven Pressfield 6. "You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page" -  Jodi Picoult 7. "You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." -  Jack London 8. "I have never started a poem yet whose end I knew. Writing a poem is discovering." -  Robert Frost 9. "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." -  Toni Morrison 10. "I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles."   - Shannon Hale 11. "I get a lot of letters from people. They say, "I want to be a writer. What should I do?" I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it." -  Ruth Rendell Then, keep going! 12. "First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!" - Ray Bradbury 13. "The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book." -  Samuel Johnson 14. "Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." -  Ã‚  E. L. Doctorow 15. "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme." -  Herman Melville 16. "Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences."   - Anne McCaffrey 17. "Description begins in the writer’s imagination but should finish in the reader’s." -  Stephen King 18. "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader." -  Robert Frost 19. "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." - Stephen King 20. "Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer." - Barbara Kingsolver 21. "Never write anything that does not give you great pleasure. Emotion is easily transferred from the writer to the reader." -  Joseph Joubert Editing is vital 22. "My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying." - Anton Chekhov 23. "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. " - Thomas Jefferson 24. "When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done."   -  Stephen King 25. "It is perfectly okay to write garbage as long as you edit brilliantly." -  C. J. Cherryh 26. "Half my life is an act of revision." -  John Irving 27. "Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear." -  Patricia Fuller 28. "Write your first draft with your heart. Rewrite with your head." -  Mike Rich 29. "So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads." -  Dr. Seuss 30. "You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke." -  Arthur Plotnik 31. "Anyone and everyone taking a writing class knows that the secret of good writing is to cut it back, pare it down, winnow, chop, hack, prune, and trim, remove every superfluous word, compress, compress, compress..." -  Nick Hornby 32. "When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest."   -  Stephen King Don’t lose your sense of humor 33. "It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous. " -  Robert Benchley 34. "There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write." - Terry Pratchett 35. "Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read." -  Groucho Marx 36. "I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams 37. "If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster." - Isaac Asimov Believe in yourself 38. "If you have no critics, you’ll likely have no success." -  Malcolm X 39. "If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write." -  Somerset Maugham 40. "And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." -  Sylvia Plath 41. "If the book is true, it will find an audience that is meant to read it." -  Wally Lamb 42. "I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged." -  Erica Jong 43. "Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy." -  Norman Vincent Peale 44. "If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word." -  Margaret Atwood 45. "Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. " - Ralph Waldo Emerson 46. "Difficulties mastered are opportunities won." -  Winston Churchill 47. "Ignore all hatred and criticism. Live for what you create, and die protecting it." -  Lady Gaga Remember, being a writer is awesome 48. "You can make anything by writing." -  C.S. Lewis 49. "The true alchemists do not change lead into gold; they change the world into words." -  William H. Gass 50. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions." -  Albert Einstein 51. "Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic." -  J. K. Rowling 52. "A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer; it sings because it has a song." - Maya Angelou 53. "I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living." -  Anne Morrow Lindbergh 54. "I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of." -  Joss Whedon 55. "I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." -  Anne Frank Do you have a favorite quote about writing? If so, share it in the comments below!      About the author: Claire Wilkins is a freelance copywriter and editor from New Zealand. She loves to write about travel, health, home, and proper punctuation. After a career in financial services spanning almost three decades, Claire left the corporate world behind to start Unmistakable - her writing and editing business. She creates website copy, blogs, and newsletters for creative agencies and small businesses, and  specialises  in polishing existing content until it shines. In her spare time, Claire enjoys cloud-spotting, singing in the car and editing video.

Mass Media Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mass Media - Research Paper Example The reach of mass media is so vast that the Internet users who were 40 million in population in 1995 increased their numbers to above 800 million in the year, 2005 (Brym and Lie, 2006, pp.108). From a peripheral view, it can be seen that mass communication, is a one way process but mass media theorists have after deeper introspection, put forward different view points as well, regarding the nature of mass communication. Some theories focus on the top down dissemination of information. Some present mass communication scenario in a totally different light where social conflicts are reinforced and some others stresses the mutuality involved in a mass communication process with the producer and consumer on both ends. Reception of messages, the process of decoding them, giving feedback, and behavioral changes associated with this whole affair have to be taken into consideration while studying mass media. While looking into the various aspects of the social theories and their impact on the mass media as well as on the society as a whole, it can be inferred that only the three major sociology theories (functionalism, conflict, interactionism) in combination can address the complexities involved with the social institution, mass media. ... ion, social control (and) entertainment† which are the pillars on which a particular order of the society can stay firm (Brym and Lie, 2006, p.546). The four basic premises of this theory are that a) social structures and patterns mould or influence human behavior, b) a particular social structure can develop or destroy the total social stability, c) such social structures are built based on shared concepts and values, and d) it is only a matter of regaining equilibrium so that the society remains stable and peaceful (Brym and Lie, 2006, pp.13). This theory has great scope in assessing the impact of mass media in society, which can be considered as a social structure capable of maintaining and destroying social stability. The information or message that is handed over to the consumer through mass media is viewed here as having a unifying function at conceptual levels of the society. An idea is disseminated, it is discussed, and a consensual position created in the society, whic h is an outcome of shared values. Similarly, each and every individual who cater to the information disseminated by mass media, is actually going through a socialization process, which enables him/her to function in a society in an acceptable manner. It is the learning process of accepted social behavior that occurs in the mass media space. Before the emergence of mass media, the young people had to depend solely on their family, community and school for socialization but after mass media came into being, it has become the most important socializing space and tool. This is why it is observed that the youth has an inherent tendency to create and maintain their identities by processing the cultural messages that they get from the media, i.e.; they tend to imitate the outward looks as well as

INFORMATION SOCIETY & INFORMATION ECONOMY Essay

INFORMATION SOCIETY & INFORMATION ECONOMY - Essay Example The changing internet related environment at overseas branches and operations of banks has such a big impact on the online banking related decision making process. While multinational companies (MNCs) such as banks have been making use of internet banking as the main investment related strategic policy alternative, smaller banks too have been making use of it in order to achieve positive synergies over the internet (Durkin, and Howcroft, 2003). However while the former have being able to increase their net investment expenditure on internet banking on a larger scale, the latter have only been able to increase such investment on a smaller scale. As a result a clear dichotomy between the two entities can be noticed. Big business organizations including some international banks have adopted growth oriented communication policy measures primarily with the intention of enhancing growth drivers such as merger and acquisition (M&A) related synergies while smaller banks have basically relied on capturing niche markets. Online banking related benefits have come to be identified with positive organizational outcomes as well. Therefore internal and external growth drivers of banks operating internationally are mostly determined by either the success or the failure of the average banks online banking policy. In fact according to recent World Bank reports nine out of ten companies engaged in international business operations have invested a greater percentage of asset related investment funds in ICT. This is because that such investment brings about a qualitative shift in their operational environment and capabilities (Bell, 1976). Such capabilities include incremental growth rates in financial management cash flow, quality, sales revenue and profits. While big banks have successfully made use of online banking activities to achieve these organizational goals, smaller banks have been less successful because they lack adequate resource portfolios to engage in competition at every level of operations. Analysis Despite a series of online banking related investment successes by big banks, there have been some policy related lags too. For instance the operational environment of a bank is constantly influenced by the changing circumstances in the global environment. The current economic downturn has played a very important role in changing the fortunes of many banks. Falling demand and supply constraints have forced many banks to adopt variety of online banking policies in their international operations (Mackay, 2003). According to available statistics already there are signs of falling internet related investments in overseas operations of banks, though so far no fully-fledged study has been undertaken into a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the economic downturn.Online banking strategy requires well defined organizational goals and such organizational goals might vary from one banks to the other. For example some international banks are faced with a different set of policy alternat ives while small banks have a completely different set of priorities and opportunities (Mattelart, 2003). Therefore it is very important to consider multinational banks and smaller banks separately.