20th century drama Essay

As head of court Danforth also holds pull within Salem and is able to make his views known and perhaps persuade a few to adopt them. He is a figure of authority yet shows much prejudice and allows no one to change his mind. Proctor and Danforth, two men of unmistakable force face each other in court when John is charged with witchcraft. Many of those charged with witchcraft within The Crucible admit to the crime even though they did not commit it and blame others in order to save themselves, however John Proctors honesty and values lead him to tell the truth in court and admit that he believes the whole situation to be a scandal. His truth telling eventually leads to his death however if this would prove his and his friends innocence then this is a price he feels he has to pay. His motivation is his pride and his morals and to show he community the ridiculousness of the situation. He wishes to combat Abby’s revenge. In order to prove Abigail Williams is not to be trusted and has merely set out to punish him he tells the court that she is a whore and that they had an affair together. When asked about this Elizabeth goes against every moral fibre and lies saying that he did not commit adultery to the court in order to save her husband against charges of lechery, or so she believes. This is dramatic irony as the audience knows this is far from the truth and by lying she is in fact ultimately sentencing him to death. Proctor is angered and frustrated by the behaviour of the community and the court and he declares that â€Å"God is dead†. The court and majority of the community take this as an admission of guilt, and that this proves he is at one with the devil; however the audience know that it is to the contrary. It means that there can be no God if there is such injustice in the world. Both Danforth and Hale wish Proctor to confess but for very different reasons. Danforth wishes to be branded a hero for rooting out those involved in witchcraft and getting to the bottom of the situation and ceasing all panic where as hale feels guilty that his teachings have lead to many innocent men’s lives being taken and he wishes to prevent this from happening if possible however he cannot prevent the other prisoners from sacrificing there lives in order to retain there self respect. Before Proctors sentence, those put to death were of a low class and seen as socially unimportant yet this did not matter to Proctor as every life taken was a travesty to him and this contributes to the fact that he denies involvement in witchcraft after consideration. Elizabeth is distraught that proctor will hang, they have an understanding that this is the only was forward for them. All they wish for is forgiveness from one another before the deed is done. ‘I have deeds of my own to count. It needs a cold wife to prompt lechery’ Elizabeth is finally taking some of the blame for Johns adultery. They wish to clear the air before he is put to death. Elizabeth also wishes for Proctor to forgive himself also. ‘it comes to naught that I should forgive you if you not forgive yourself. ‘ Proctor love for his family and wife leads him to sign the paper of admission and live for them however he realises he cannot go through with it and go against his own morals. ‘How can I live without my name? I have given you my soul, leave my name! ‘ This shows that he believes if he lies he would be sacrificing his name which all he has left of his pride and it would be tainted, and thus in his eyes, unworthy of life. The fact he is sacrificing his life in order to show the ridiculousness of the whole situation is heroic even though he has partially upon himself as his intimidating status and admission of lechery lead the community to expect the worst of him. Throughout the play Arthur Miller is trying to address the issues of McCarthyism and human weakness. He is attempting to show how small incidents can be blown out of proportion if jealousy and other human weaknesses are involved. He shows the human tendency to conform and how this can lead to downfall. He emphasises the importance of truth and loyalty as through death proctor gains respect for himself and saves the community from even more widespread destruction. These issues are still important in contempory situations.

10 Grammar and Punctuation Rules to Always Remember - Freewrite Store

10 Grammar and Punctuation Rules to Always Remember - Freewrite Store The English language, cobbled together over centuries from Germanic, Scandinavian, Latin, French and Greek sources, is a minefield of confusing (and often contradictory) rules. So it’s no wonder that writers frequently struggle with the correct use of words and punctuation. However, most readers will agree that writing littered with errors comes across as sloppy and unprofessional, damaging their trust in the message and the author. To help you improve your writing, here’s a list of some of the most common mistakes that writers make, and tips on how to avoid them.   1. Apostrophes Apostrophes have two main uses – in contractions and to show possession. They’re quite different, so we’ll cover each one separately. Contractions: A contraction is where you take two words and combine them, missing out a letter or two along the way. Should not = shouldn’tI have = I’veWe will = we’ll Generally, wherever the missing letters are, that’s where the apostrophe goes. You can also apply this rule if you’re writing dialogue where someone cuts off the beginning or end of a word, like ‘ello, or nothin’. Possessives: A possessive apostrophe is used to show ownership. It’s done by placing ‘s after the noun. I am walking Pete’s dog this morning.I need to buy a gift for my sister’s birthday.The children’s bus was late again. Things get slightly more confusing, however, if the noun already ends in an s. In this case, you need to consider how you would say it out loud. If you would add an es sound to the end of the word, then you write it with ‘sat the end. I was summoned to the boss’s office.The bus’s tire was completely flat.Dennis’s parties were legendary. However, if you wouldn’t add an es sound to the end of the word, then a lone apostrophe is appropriate. I am walking my parents’ dog this morning.The kids’ hamster had five babies.The Hastings’ roses are magnificent this year. When not to apostrophize Don’t forget that apostrophes have no place in ordinary plural nouns, like bananas, toys, or megabytes. An apostrophe in an ordinary plural is sometimes called a â€Å"greengrocer’s apostrophe† because it could often be found on signs in fruit and vegetable shops. Apostrophes also don’t need to be used in dates or acronyms. I was born in the 1970s.Nobody uses CDs anymore. The exception is if you’re omitting letters or numbers or using the apostrophe possessively. The ‘80s produced some amazing music.Landing a probe on Mars was one of NASA’s greatest achievements. You also never use an apostrophe in a possessive pronoun. Theybecomes theirsHerbecomes hersItbecomes its 2. Semicolons Much confusion surrounds the use of the semicolon, but it’s actually quite simple to utilize. It only has two functions. The first is to join two related clauses in a sentence. There are three conditions of use: both parts of the sentence must be able to stand alone, they need to relate to each other somehow, and they need to be of equal weight. For example: I love Hawaiian pizza; the pineapple tastes amazing.I burned my tongue on the pizza; the pineapple was too hot. If you put a coordinating conjunction between the two clauses (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet), then you would replace the semicolon with a comma. The other use of a semicolon is when you’ve got a long sentence, and you’re listing groups of items. To prevent reader confusion, you can use a semicolon between each group. For example: My son needs a lot of things for his first day of school: pens, pencils and markers; exercise books, writing pads and binders; and erasers, paperclips and a calculator. 3. Oxford Commas The Oxford comma (aka serial comma or Harvard comma) is the comma that occurs before the and in a list. The second comma in the list below is the Oxford comma. I like pizza, cake, and chocolate. For such a small piece of punctuation, it has generated a lot of debate. Many style guides now prescribe that the Oxford comma should be omitted. At the same time, it has a lot of very vocal fans who insist it should be retained. If you don’t have a set style to follow, there’s no definitive rule beyond being consistent with whichever method you choose to follow. Most of the time, taking out the Oxford comma has no detrimental effect on the structure of a sentence. However, there are occasions where omitting the Oxford comma leads to ambiguity and, in those cases, it should always be used. For example, here’s a real-life quote: Amongst those interviewed were Merle Haggard’s two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. Without the final comma, the sentence appears to suggest that Merle Haggard was married to both Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall. The use of an Oxford comma would have made it obvious that this was a list of four separate interviewees. So, if you have no set style guide to follow, the choice to deploy the Oxford comma rests with you – but if you prefer not to use it, make sure its omission doesn’t change the meaning of your sentence. Next, let’s look at commonly mixed-up words. Most of these are words that sound the same but have different applications. 4. Your/you’re Your = it belongs to you. Your library book is overdue. You’re = the shortened version of ‘you are’. You’re welcome. When in doubt: Try replacing the word with you are. If it doesn’t fit, then use your. 5. There/they’re/their There = a place. Put it over there. They’re = the shortened version of ‘they are’. They’re going to be late. Their = belongs to them. The couple enjoyed their pizza. 6. To/too To is a preposition with many meanings, including â€Å"towards† and â€Å"until†. Let’s walk to the bus. It should get here at five minutes to midday.Too is an adverb that means â€Å"also† or â€Å"very†. I want to catch the bus, too, but I am too tired to walk there. 7. Who’s/whose Who’s = the shortened version of â€Å"who is†. Who’s that? Whose = belonging to who? Whose bag is this? When in doubt: Try replacing the word with who is. If it doesn’t fit, use whose. 8. It’s/its It’s = the shortened version of it is. It’s a beautiful day. Its = belonging to it The cat swished its tail. When in doubt: Try replacing the word with it is. If it doesn’t fit, use its. 9. Less/fewer Both less and fewer mean the same thing, but they are not interchangeable. There’s a fairly simple way to work out which one you should be using. Less is for situations when you’re using words that don’t normally have a plural, aren’t made plural by adding an s,and cannot be counted. Examples of this include water, rain, and traffic. There was less water in the bath than I expected.I had hoped for less rain today.If more people caught the bus, there would be less traffic. Lessis also used when referring to numbers, either on their own or in measurements of time, distance or weight. The bus will arrive in less than five minutes.It is less than a mile away.The pizza recipe uses less than 12oz of flour. On the other hand, fewer is used for items that can be counted or made plural by adding an s, like cats, jobs, and roses. There are fewer cats in the neighborhood since the dog moved in.The rise in automation means there are fewer jobs available.This summer we have fewer roses in our garden. When in doubt: See if you can add a number to the word. You can’t say â€Å"there is five traffic,† so you would use less. You can say â€Å"there are three pizzas,† so you would use fewer. 10. Everyday/every day People tend to write this as one word. However, that changes the meaning. Everyday = common, usual. I’m wearing my everyday clothes. Every day = each day. The Queen doesn’t wear a tiara every day. When in doubt: Replace everyday with each day. If the meaning of the sentence remains intact, then you need to write everyday as two separate words. Given the complexity of the English language, there are exceptions to most of these rules. However, the ones we’ve outlined here will apply to most instances where you need to use these punctuation marks and words.  Are there any writing mistakes we've left out that drive you nuts?   Let us know in the comments section below!  Ã‚      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.

Halford Mackinder essays

Halford Mackinder essays Halford Mackinder created what is now known as "geopolitics," which relates international political power to the physical setting (Gray 4). Ultimately, Mackinder recognized recurring patterns in the power of landed countries, and he predicted the world's most powerful nations would be those with the most land. Seapower also plays a role in conquest, but not as great as those with superior landpower do. Great Britain, long known for its command of naval prowess, refused to recognize Mackinder's theories, and so, they left themselves wide open to land attack from Germany in the beginnings of World War II. Mackinder proved his theories by looking back in history at the most successful powers in European and Asian conquest. "According to Mackinder, the history of Eurasia is a history of the competition between security communities preeminent in seapower and those preeminent in landpower" (Gray 5). While seapower dominated much of early conquest and colonialism, Mackinder recognized there were many areas of Eurasia that were simply inaccessible by any sea force. He called this the "Heartland," or the "Geographical Pivot of History," and he began to warn nations that whoever dominated this pivotal area of Eurasia, whether it was Russia, Germany, China, or even Japan, would someday be in a position to dominate the world's political processes. This came to be when Germany attacked Poland, and began World War II. Mackinder wanted to create a "cordon sanitaire" as a buffer that would separate Germany and Russia, thus helped to diffuse the Heartland's power, but his recommendation was ignored. After the end of World War II, Mackinder's theories were reexamined, and his worry that the U.S.S.R. would come out of the war as a dominant world superpower proved to be correct. Ultimately, Mackinder urged an Atlantic alliance of the United States, Great Britain, and France, to try t...

The Social Process of Joining an Organization Essay

The Social Process of Joining an Organization - Essay Example Organizations and the people within organizations confront a number of difficulties and situations that are entirely complex. It therefore follows that as social systems, both organizations and the people within them have to constantly adapt to complexity. Whether or not members of an organization learn to adapt to complexities is usually determined by how well members are integrated into the organization when they initially join it. The social process of joining an organization also known as â€Å"organizational socialisation† is important because it is a process in which the newcomer â€Å"acquires the attitudes, behaviour, and knowledge† necessary for participating as an â€Å"organization member†. Among the main socialization processes are: assimilation, civilisation, marginalisation, and professionalization. How an organization applies and deals with each of these processes in the socialising of newcomers depends on the mission and policies of the organization. This essay examines some of the applicable theories directing organizational choices in the complex socialisation process for newcomers. Two useful theories for guiding the socialisation process are psychological and socialisation theories. These theories are important for helping organizations learn the appropriate recruitment and retention skills in the socialization process (Allen, 2006, p. 237). Psychological theory focuses on perceptions of organizational expectations and how those expectations are altered upon entry and with respect to the newcomer’s experiences within the organization and the newcomer makes sense of those experiences (De Vos, Buyens, & Schalk, 2003, p. 537). Psychological theory also narr ows down the perceptions and how experiences alter perceptions by focusing on the experiences of gender groups (Robbins & Judge 2009, p. 45). Sociological theories such as social exchange theory argue that within an organization there is an: ..on-going, dynamic relationship between people as a series of interactions in which actors exchange resources guided by rules of exchange, such as social norms (Korte, 2009, p. 289). In other words, sociological theories inform of the processes in which a newcomer learns the social ordering of the organization via experiences and interactions after entering an organization. According to Allen (2006) employee turnover for organizations occurs more frequently among newcomers (p. 237). Unfortunately, this is problematic because, organizations typically invest a great deal of resources in the recruitment, and training of new employees and with the high turnover among newcomers, organizations have very little opportunities to realize a return on tho se investments (Allen, 2006, p. 237). Together sociological and psychological theories of organizational socialization inform that the socialization process commences before the newcomer enters the organization and that the socialization experience can have an impact on the newcomers decision to remain within the organization (Taormina, 1997, p. 29). It therefore follows that how an organization chooses to influence the socialization of a newcomer is very important and might even be relevant at the recruitment stage. For instance, perceptions of gender inequality in the work place such as in Wal-Mart where women are under-represented in its workforce might influence organizational change in attempting to increase the organization’s appeal to the female workforce (Boxall & Pucell, 2011, p. 14). In this regard, it would be necessary to change practices and policies within an organization that will facilitate the professionalization of women and thereby alter preconceived notion s of gender inequality by practices and policies that significantly alter the newcomer’s â€Å"anticipatory socialisation process† (Ongiti, 2011, p. 78). For example, a new recruit who believes that an

Dax's biography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dax's biography - Research Paper Example She believed that the treatments were going well even if her son did not believe these treatments to be effective (Burns, 2005). More importantly, Ada believed that God wanted her son to live and to fulfill his responsibilities to Him. And she clung to the belief that if God really wanted his son to die then he would have let him die. In the meantime, all efforts to keep him alive must be done, even if these methods were against Dax’s will and even if these methods caused him considerable pain and suffering (Burns, 2005). In understanding Ada’s position, the normative ethics is the most appropriate theory which can be used. Normative ethics â€Å"is devoted to identifying the conditions under which actions are morally right, or motives and intentions are morally good† (Shafer-Landau and Cuneo, 2007, p. 1). It is concerned with a person’s actions being morally right and good. In the case of Ada, she believed that it was morally right and proper to keep Dax alive for him to fulfill his duties to God. Normative ethics is focused on identifying the conditions where actions are deemed right, and motives are deemed wrong (Shafer-Landau and Cuneo, 2007).... The teleological theory can be used in order to justify Houston’s actions. Teleological is derived from the Greek word â€Å"telos† which means â€Å"ends† (Wittjen, 2003). This theory considers, more than anything else, the end goals of certain actions, or in some instances, the consequences of one’s actions. For Houston, his actions can be supported by this theory in the sense that his actions support the ends he wanted to achieve. He wanted to keep Dax alive because Dax would stand to gain in the end. The ends he wanted to seek, therefore justifies his actions of wanting to keep Dax alive. C. Dr. Charles Baxter Dr. Baxter believed initially that Dax’s request to die was due to his feelings of severe pain and shock. He believed that Dax lacked the mental capacity to make the right decision about his care. In considering the entire situation, Dr. Baxter believed that Dax’s actions were just related to his attempts to control his environment and therefore it was his job to provide medical care to the best of his duty (Burns, 2005). Dr. Baxter’s actions can be supported by the deontological theory. Deontology is based on the word â€Å"deonto† which means â€Å"duty† in Greek (Wittjen, 2003). This theory is based on a person’s duties and responsibilities and how people should act based on such duties and responsibilities. In this case, actions are based on these duties and these duties shall guide and designate whether or not a person is acting based on such duties (Wittjen, 2003). In the case of Dr. Baxter, his actions are based on his duties and responsibilities. His duty and responsibility is to provide medical care to Dax because he believed that Dax was not thinking logically. He felt

Philip Johnson's Glass House Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philip Johnson's Glass House - Research Paper Example The Glass House, his most unique, acclaimed and popular creation, constructed in the year 1949, is still considered as an architectural marvel of all times. It can be perceived as the trend setter for architectural constructions in steel and glass. Outdoor and Interior Appearances and Its Relationship with Natural Environment: The Glass House, set on a luxuriant landscape, illustrates style over substance and rather than a habitat it serves the purpose of a lifestyle component, apart from reflecting Johnson’s philosophy of architecture being â€Å"expressive of and compatible with modernity’s machine processes.†5 The exterior of the construction exists in a serene and peaceful ambience of natural elements. It is mostly done in glass and charcoal colored steel with a brick floor that stands about 10 inches from ground level. The lawn is an exquisite green with lush green growth of grass, and the entire structure is again set against the greenery of trees and shrub s. From a distance when one looks at the Glass House, it gives an impression of open space as the transparent glass walls allow an unobstructed view of the other side, the repetition of a lush green abundance. The main focus of the interior is the flow of natural daylight, which the transparent glass structure permits in rich abundance and it sort of blurs its boundaries with the exterior. The interior comprises mainly open spaces, with cabinets made in walnut wood. Brick has been used on in the construction of a cylindrical structure that accommodates a bathroom on one side and a fireplace on the other. The interior of Glass House can further be perceived as the manipulation of the systems of domestic occupation especially in the context of large areas indirect illumination and glazing and Johnson has on several occasions admitted that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe â€Å"served as a prime†¦source† for his design of the Glass House.6 Moreover, Johnson has considered Mies, who had â€Å"employed similar forms† in his design of the Farnsworth House, as a mentor. The influence of Mies also reflect in the furnishings of the interior, the designs of which have apparently emulates his style. As can be evidenced from the above image, the interior is sparsely but elegantly done with a barely minimum furnishing that matches the sleekness of the glasswork. It is also relevant that both the components of the exterior and the interior are selected and placed in such a deft manner as to complement one another and enhance the aesthetic appeal of each. Style and Materials: The construction style of the Glass House is â€Å"so spare in form† that it provides little clue to the â€Å"variety of ideas† or the hard work that has gone behind its conceptualization and execution.7 Its plan necessitated drawing up of 79 â€Å"schemes and variations† that Philip has devised with 27 â€Å"clearly distinguishable approaches†

Descartes & Hume Essay Example for Free

Descartes Hume Essay Rene Descartes was a rationalist, meaning he thought that reason alone, not sensation or experience, was the source to attaining knowledge about the eternal truths of the universe, such as mathematics, epistemology, metaphysics and the existence of God. He excluded physics from this list, admitting that knowledge of physics only comes through experience (Descartes). Regardless, his rationalistic epistemology made it so that Descartes could only accept the truth about something if it was based upon a principle that was clearly and distinctly certain. Innate, a priori knowledge is fundamental to Descartes philosophy. A priori refers to any knowledge that is attained without appealing to sensation (O’Connor, Class Notes). Being a rationalist, he completely doubted every sensory experience he had ever had. Sensation is ever-changing and sometimes misleads or deceives us, so according to Descartes, trusting in an experience of sensation to provide us with any kind of universal truth would be foolish (Descartes). Whereas rationalism directly focuses on reason as being the only way to attain knowledge about the world, empiricism concentrates fully on all knowledge being a posteriori, or attained through experience and sensation. In an obvious way, David Hume’s empiricist epistemology directly contrasted Descartes rationalism, specifically by how he believed humans can attain knowledge. According to Hume, humans understand the world by experiencing different perceptions: impressions/sensations and ideas/thoughts. The amount of force and vivacity of the perception allows humans to differentiate between the two. Impressions and sensations are more forceful and lively since they are a product of direct experience. Ideas and thoughts are simply weak recreations of the original impressions that were perceived. While Descartes believes that certain ideas are innate, such as the existence of God, Hume absolutely denies the possibility of innate ideas. He claims that humans could never fully know or comprehend anything beyond our impressions. If an impression is not perceived, then it cannot be acknowledged. Since our knowledge is limited to the impressions we perceive, we have no real way of comprehending causality, instead it is often confused with correlation. Cause and effect events tend to occur in close temporal order, but that does not mean we can know whether those events are intrinsically related or not. Instead, we can only place our faith in the customs and habits of human life. Oppositely, Descartes believed we gain knowledge a priori, and we can only know that which we have clear and distinct justification for. In order to justify what we know, we cannot appeal to anything except for reason. Lastly, we must judge those justified ideas by applying Descartes’ specific and logical method of reflection. Thusly, by accepting Descartes’ method, the universal and eternal truths of the world can be known.