Vidding and Copyright Infringement

Many people have become semi famous from others vidding content that they uploaded or appeared in. A few semi famous people, extra ordinary personalities, that come to mind are the Double Rainbow Guy, aka Yosemitebear, Sweet Brown, and Antoine. Without â€Å"vidding† these people would not have had any fame or acknowledgement whatsoever. There is a fine line between copyright infringement and vidding. One factor that I think plays an important role in differentiating the two is if a video is modified from its original version and an artistic twist is added.Art is intellectual property, and by adding your own property to it, makes it your own. The Double Rainbow video is a great example. This video was up on the YouTube sight for quite some time before being discovered by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel who posted a tweet with the YouTube link on his Twitter account. From there the video spread like wildfire and people were interviewing the maker of the, Paul Vasquez a Yosemite Par k resident. Three days later, a well-known auto tuner made a remix video with a song out of the double rainbow video.The song was made available on ITunes and the profits are split 50/50 with Paul Vasquez, who made the original video and the remix auto tuner, known by user name schmoyoho. When the person vidding the original pays royalties or splits profits, then I think this is not copyright infringement because they are paying their dues. If a person profits from using the original version in their new formatted version, then they should have to pay the original owner a portion, it is only fair. I think this is the fine line between self-expression, freedom of speech, and copyright infringement.If you are looking to profit from the content without consent than that is unethical. However, if you are adding your own perception of a television show or video just to express your point of view then this falls under freedom of speech. With social media more popular than ever, there are millions of people copying and sharing original tweets of Facebook posts. We are absolutely unable to monitor every person’s tweets and posts. With such a broad spectrum of what falls under copyright infringement and what falls under self-expression, we as adults have to be able to use judgment based on ethical reasoning.Lawrence Kohlberg categorized different stages of moral development. People have to use their morals and ethical reasoning to draw a line under the copyright laws. You know when you are stealing someone else’s ideas. The bottom line is that credit should be given where credit is due. References: http://knowyourmeme. com/memes/double-rainbow Lawrence, A. T. & Weber, J. (2011). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy (13th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. ISBN: 978-0-07-813715-0

Locke: Founder of British Empiricist

John Locke had a number of major influences on society in general, but his influences on education have stood the taste of time. His idea of Tabula Rasa, his introduction of empiricism, and idea of the use of all senses are all objectives that are used in schools today. The idea of Tabula Rasa is basically defined as a â€Å"blank slate.† Locke believed that everyone is born with a clean mind, a supposed condition that he attributed to the human mind before ideas have been imprinted on it by the reaction of the senses to the exterior world. â€Å"Thus the first capacity of human intellect is that the mind is fitted to receive the impressions made on it; either through the senses by outward objects; or by its own operations when it reflects on them. This is the first step a man makes towards the discovery of anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -John Locke (On Ideas as the Materials of All Our Knowledge) Locke considers the new mind as white paper or wax. It is to be moulded and formed as one pleases. It is up to the teacher to insure that it is formed the correct way and that there is no inate knowledge. This is incorporated into education the grade system. Children start out in kindergarten or pre-school with a blank slate; we start teaching the very basics as if they know nothing. The more information and experience they gather, the further they move along the grade continuum. Locke was considered the founder of British empiricist. He believed that all knowledge comes to us through experience. â€Å"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience.† Basically, all knowledge has its origin and end in experience, or perception using the senses. He says, â€Å"Experience is twofold, sensation and reflection. From both sources we obtain ideas.† Sensation is the perception of external phenomena and reflection is the perception of the operations of the mind itself. This view of empirical thinking is widely used in schools today, especially in the science fields. Concepts and skills are much easier to learn if you can experience them. The empirical way of teaching has brought about the use of the scientific method. First, students must observe a situation and decide if there is a problem. Secondly, make an educated guess, or hypothesis, of what will happen. Next, test this hypothesis. If it is true then draw a conclusion. If not, make a new hypothesis and test again. This is a very valuable way to learn. The students get to experience the whole situation and will in tern retain and understand this information better. Along with using empirical methods of learning, Locke insisted that all the senses be used when learning. It is not enough for a teacher to just stand in front of a classroom and lecture; students are only using one sense (hearing) to try to comprehend the material. Locke feels that you must hear, feel, see, smell, taste everything in order to get the full potential knowledge. This is very relative to today's teachings because we, as teachers, need to appeal to all learning styles. Some students learn better visually, others orally and so on, so we have to hit all area in order to give all students an equal chance to learn. In closing, John Locke was a very significant figure on how we educate children today. He gave us the idea of starting students with a clean slate, the use of the scientific method, and the essential use of all the senses. All these ideas are important aspects of today†s classroom and will most assuredly be a continued use in the future.

Disadvantages of science Essay

How Science and Technology Affects Human’s Life Science and technology are two things related to each other. Science is a systematic knowledge base, where a series of steps is followed in order to reliably predict the type of outcome. It is all about theories and focused on analysis. Science is the key by which man go anywhere at any time in the space. It has brought about several outstanding advantages to mankind. Technology, on the other hand, is more of an applied science. It is where tools and knowledge are used for the study of a particular science. It is all about process. What is life without science and technology? Nowadays, people can’t imagine their lives without technology. Anywhere they go and whatever they do, there are many things related to science. These are human’s inventions and innovations or various technologies surround them that provide their needs. Even in their daily activities or simple tasks, they are already using those technologies. Refrigerators, microwaves, televisions, cellular phones, laptops, digital cameras, cars, computers and lights are some technologies that human uses in their daily lives. These technologies really provide them many advantages. It is easy to think about the advantages however, for your information technology has also disadvantages. Science and Technology helps human beings make their lives easier in such a way that it helps them in every sector. Like in transportation, through cars, airplanes or trains, they can travel faster to their desired places. From inventions and innovations of great minds, robots and machines are made to help people make lesser mistakes. Because of technology, man can save his time, efforts and give him a quality to his works. Moreover, technology increases production. People can create multiple materials in a short period of time because of modern machines. Most of all, one of the most important advantages of technology is through the field of medical science or human health. Because of the inventions of technology for surgical operations and discoveries of many medicines, human’s life span will be lengthened and will save innocent lives. Science and Technology also changed human’s way of communicating. From telephones to cellular phones, then came the computers and Internets which gave them information. Through these, now they can do video conferences to their love ones at abroad or chatting their friends. Satellite communication is another important dimension of technology. Satellite TV s and satellite radios have eased the broadcasting of events across the globe. Computers can store, organize and manage huge amounts of data. They can process large amounts of information. Computers have given rise to the software industry, one of the most progressive industries of the world. Gadgets can give entertainment not only to teenagers but to everyone. In addition technology also gives assurance or for emergency use. On the other hand, with the advancement in the field of latest technology, people face many disadvantages out of the benefit of modern technology. It can harm our environment. New transportation technology causes pollution by the smoke or gas from factories and cars. Most people lost their job because companies took up automatic machines to improve their production with accuracy. Yet, the answers or discoveries that technology gave may not be always correct. These machines look inexpensive and its good to use but once there are technical problems occur in machines, it took much time to fix it and also it can be more expensive. There are also side effects of technology in our health. This can cause growth of eye disease, increase of body weight and can cause cancer because of radiation of specific technology. Science and Technology can cause people’s communication poor. According to Lauren Nelson, when communicating face to face, nonverbal behaviors provide context clues for the words we use. Unfortunately, the Wall Street Journal found that technologies like email, texting and instant messaging remove these important context clues, and can lead to misunderstandings. Sarcasm and jokes without nonverbal context cues can cause frustration. Though smiley faces with different expressions called â€Å"emoticons† are sometimes used to substitute traditional nonverbal cues, they fall far short of what face-to-face communication can provide. He also states that as more students buy cell phones, iPods, and gaming systems, technology’s impact on effective communication is becoming more pronounced. As the District Chronicles reports, teachers attempting to convey messages about lessons and textbooks find students are texting, playing, or listening to music. Not only does this mitigate the teacher’s ability to communicate lessons, but it hurts future communicative interaction between the teacher and student because of the lack of respect it conveys. The youth has also been very much addicted to gadgets that they get to spend too much time with it and creates their own world. Technology can make people lazy. Many people are already dependent and embrace this technology. Like students playing computer games instead of going to school or study. Technology also brings us privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge and making profit out of video scandals. Advanced technology has also created thousands of cases of cyber crimes, cheating and fraud. And most of all because of the new technology, the world may be facing terrorists threat and all of us are afraid of nuclear war. If people of the world use these inventions and innovations in a right way, we are all going to be benefited out of these but if the motive of a human being is not positive, surely they will face the technology’s disadvantages.

Will students benefit from studying abroad Essay

Will students benefit from studying abroad - Essay Example Intercultural development Students who get to study abroad stand the chance to develop on a massive scale in relation to intercultural development. Through their stay in foreign nations, students observe and understand the different cultures that people in the foreign country possess. This is concerning their total way of life in language, religion, morals, values and social relations (Dwyer and Peter 2). As such, these may be different from the cultural values from their parent country; thus studying abroad also the students to acquire new knowledge on how different people live, aside from the common knowledge that people live in different ways. This can be observed from a firsthand account as opposed to rote learning for the purpose of exams and common knowledge. The first hand experience adds to the knowledge of the students, on appreciation of other cultures and how to handle oneself, and watch his or her behavior and conduct in the foreign country and a new culture. In addition to intercultural development, students who go abroad to further their studies get an opportunity to share in the culture of new worlds and borrow aspects that may appear to appeal to the said students and inculcating them into their own cultures. This is a huge gain to the parent culture of the students and the students themselves, considering that they get a chance to choose the aspects they would like to see their culture adopt and implement. Through this, they become pioneers in their culture in creating reforms to improve their societies. In addition, to this, studying abroad allows students to share their own cultures with foreigner, a perfect opportunity to improve one’s skills in social relations. As such, they gain a higher sense of responsibility and possessiveness towards their own cultures as they get to share it. This is because they appear as experts in cultural issues from their mother nation, which builds self-esteem in the students a significant scale. In addi tion, studying abroad benefits students in that it acts as a revelation, where students get to see the world for what it is, rather than receiving guidance from others on how to perceive it (Crhanova 18). As a result, students become effective learners of the ways of the world concerning economic, political and social structures of both their host nation and their mother nation. Through this study-abroad experience, students gain by appreciating their own cultures and those of other s to the point that they can easily relate between the two cultures, or even more that they find between the countries in which they study. Appreciation of culture creates appropriate social relations between individuals as one comes to terms with the differences and similarities in the various systems found across the cultures. For example in the political culture of a nation, there are usually differences as different nations apply different systems of governance; thus students observe the two and adap t to the one belonging to the host country until they return to their respective nations. This allows students to build a culture of flexibility, where they can bend to fit into any society, meaning that intercultural development is a crucial development to the student studying abroad. Social relations created abroad are also observed to last for a long time, meaning that students who study abroad experience a wider clique of friends and acquaintances from a large social and cultural divide. Internships Students who go to further their studies in foreign nations, also known as abroad, have the opportunity to improve their careers through expanding the level of quality services and skills that they achieve in the foreign nations. As such, students

Strategic analysis Kodak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic analysis Kodak - Essay Example Success in modern world requires constant innovation and change - things most of the organisation are not known very well. This environment changes so rapidly that even the best idea can fade fast. Perhaps this is the reason that environment is so important to an organisation. The external environment of Kodak is complex. As Kodak is focusing on imaging business, this market is the vital market for it. In digital age, more and more activities are related to digital means, same as more and more business are derived from digital technologies. Digital trend, indeed, represents a long-term threat to Kodak's core business - silver print. Although experts disagree over how long it will take for digital imaging to start shrinking the worldwide traditional imaging market, that day is surely coming. According to Lyra Research, a market research company in US, the worldwide film sales will grow only 1% annually through 2003 and slowly shrink after that, whilst digital imaging business will expand 20% annually in next five years (Kodak internal marketing article, 2001). One way to consider the competitive position of Kodak is by means of the Directional Policy Matrix (Thompdon, L. J. 1993: 470). ... a. Analysis of External Environment Success in modern world requires constant innovation and change - things most of the organisation are not known very well. This environment changes so rapidly that even the best idea can fade fast. Perhaps this is the reason that environment is so important to an organisation. Competitive Environment of Kodak The external environment of Kodak is complex. As Kodak is focusing on imaging business, this market is the vital market for it. In digital age, more and more activities are related to digital means, same as more and more business are derived from digital technologies. Digital trend, indeed, represents a long-term threat to Kodak's core business - silver print. Although experts disagree over how long it will take for digital imaging to start shrinking the worldwide traditional imaging market, that day is surely coming. According to Lyra Research, a market research company in US, the worldwide film sales will grow only 1% annually through 2003 and slowly shrink after that, whilst digital imaging business will expand 20% annually in next five years (Kodak internal marketing article, 2001). Introduction of Directional Policy Matrix One way to consider the competitive position of Kodak is by means of the Directional Policy Matrix (Thompdon, L. J. 1993: 470). This matrix is constructed above two axes: the Industry Attractiveness in horizontal axis and the organisation's competitive position in vertical axis. By evaluating relevant factors of these two dimensions we can place appropriate positions for discussed organisation. Traditional Imaging Digital Imaging Industry Attractiveness Market Growth Low High Supplier

ENRON Ethical Breach Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ENRON Ethical Breach - Research Paper Example Its stocks continued to increase at a modest rate, but in 1999 – 2000, investors saw a sudden 87% increase in 2000, which coupled with the company being named the most innovating company in America, meant the future prospects for the shareholders seemed excellent. Unfortunately, it was revealed in October 2001 that this almost sudden increase in investors’ confidence was due to accounting loopholes and fraudulent auditing, which allowed the company’s shares and returns to be appearing more favorable than they actually were. This ethical breach included the involvement and dissolution of Arthur Andersen, one of the most famous auditing firms of the world at the time. There is no reason to believe that Enron participated in corrupt practices since its inception in 1985, rather, evidence indicates that the ethical breach that lasted about a decade began several years later, when Jeffrey Skilling was hired and a team of executives was developed to cater to the accoun ting needs of the company. Since most of the work done by this group of individuals was either difficult to understand, or too complex to be looked into, many loopholes, special entities that otherwise would not have been allowed, and poor financial auditing allowed billions of dollars of debt to be hidden from the public eye. Obviously, an act that is criminal for such a huge public company to carry out. This lack of â€Å"visible debt† meant the company continued to prove profitable, and confidence coupled with investment continued to increase. Studies that were done on the ethical breach carried out by the company showed that it was not the method of corruption employed by people running the company, or the auditors in charge of producing honest financial reports. Rather, it was seen as an accumulation of negligence and misleading details in reports that finally spiraled out of control, and resulted in the demise of a company that not long ago had proved to be immensely pr omising. The ethical breach that has been described as one of the biggest scandals of corporate America involved misrepresentation of financial statements and records that enabled the firms returns and revenues to appear higher, losses to appear lower, and balance sheets to skew towards favorable performance. The auditing firm, Arthur Andersen, clearly did not do their job properly, and they were possibly influenced by Enron into reporting heavy inflow of cash, and putting away the liabilities and debts that the company had undertaken. Other than the fact that the executives entered deals which were extremely complex and bewildering to be clearly understood by many people, the â€Å"clever† accountants that worked for the company used many unethical practices to achieve their ends (McLean & Elkind, 2004). Enron misrepresented revenue recognition to make it seem as though they were bringing in more cash than they were on their services. For example, until September 2001, just a month before their exposure, Enron reported revenues of over 138 billion dollars. Moreover, the company switched from straightforward presentation of revenues (selling price minus costs) and employed the Mark-to-market accounting, which they believed showed the true economic value of their company. Investors were often given

BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE GLOBAL LEADER Research Paper

BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE GLOBAL LEADER - Research Paper Example A total of ten questions were being asked from different level managers and administrative heads in the private service and manufacturing industries. Based on these responses analysis are being drawn. The questionnaire was oriented towards determining the individuals’ familiarity with the modern trends and concepts and also it presented questions which were aimed at finding their responses in scenarios where they may possibly be in place and making critical decisions. The essence of leadership was mutually agreed upon by each of the individual who was being asked about the questions regarding to the need of domain of leadership. Each of the reply was more or less related and coined around the fact that leader is an integral part of the organization and they serve in multiple ways towards the resolving, representing and interacting within the organization. All the questioned individuals were in consonance about the importance and need for an effective presence of leader in a given organization. The literature review part consisted of the different theories along with the concepts associated with the cross cultural context to determine the new concepts and people’s comprehension about it. The literature review part gave support to the questionnaire in a technical and official view. Literature review consisted of the actual theories that have originated over period of time along with the modern trends and concepts that are more prevalent in the current times. The questionnaire contained the part that asked about the kind of relationship and kind of leadership style which they prefer and which they feel is more suited to the need of the hour. In almost all the replies that were recorded, it was observed that all desired for a mutually inclusive and cooperative environment. Very small percentage of them supported the authoritative style of leadership. Large percentage of them supported the use of the

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example I would like your amplification on an issue that is not clear to me in your post. How can you use your strengths and those of the nurse to foster trust between her and her colleagues?. Effective communication skills as a manager are important in terms of communicating organizational as well as individual objectives within organizations. Therefore, your post has helped me understand this clearly Kinsey Weathers. Offering a listening ear as well as your full attention as you do when employees come to your office is a strength that could propel you far in your career. I am in agreement that eye contact is imperative when communicating with others. Advising the nurse and helping her address her personal problems affecting her work is a form of coaching. Tyra (2008) supports your application of your strength through coaching and asserts that "The coaching relationship provides support and accountability for clients to help them change feelings, and beliefs that are blocking them" (112). In my organization, we use trainings, either on-the-job training or holding seminars, to coach employees on how they can apply their strengths in dealing with difficult situations. This has enabled them to improve their performance

Sports marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports marketing - Research Paper Example They may also sponsor individual players or in some cases, teams. (Huguelet, 2010). Planning of the whole process of sports marketing commences with the objectives of the corporation and its mission statement. (Kriemadis and Terzoudis, 2007, p. 32). The process of marketing sports fundamentally involves use of 4 Ps, namely, product, pricing, promotion and place (Summers and Morgan, 2005, p. 6). Indeed, these are the 4 most critical factors that decide the success of a sports event. â€Å"The level of support for a football club is a key variable for matchday revenue and also determines most other club revenue streams† (Kase, 2007, p. 278). Sports and business have many traits in common. For example, â€Å"sport and business share values such as the magnitude of teamwork, line of attack and striving also toward a goal† (Hameed, n.d.). The professionals involved in sports marketing also work to address the concerns of an individual country by promoting its team. They may also work for organizers of some professional tournament. Either way, they promote the individual team or event. Sports marketing professionals cardinally make use of advertisements to achieve their objects. Radio, internet, newspapers and television are commonly chosen as the means to announce games coming in near future. Many times, the sports marketing professionals make use of unusual strategies to gather large number of visitors to see the match. They do so by offering to give away their products to the public via lottery or such other schemes. Also, many sports marketing professionals carry out market research to investigate the popularity of individual athletes among public. They require this information so that they may be able to launch a successful advertisement by making that athlete, part of the advertisement of their product. Entities like Fantasy Frontline remain on the forefronts of sports news reporting, and hence, play an

Tempur Pedic Quality Process Improvement Plan Essay

Tempur Pedic Quality Process Improvement Plan - Essay Example As Hill writes, "top management determines quality priorities, establishes the systems of quality, management and the procedures to be followed, provides resources and leads by example" (Hill, 1991). The concept emerged from the work in statistical quality control at the Western Electric Hawthorne plant in the 1930s and was associated with the work of W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran (Chase, Jacobs, 2003). It was introduced to Japan by the Americans as the occupying force in the immediate post war era and found its greatest expression in Japanese manufacturing industry. Literature review. Two themes in the research literature have been particularly prominent in recent years: "the ways of improvement" as a source of service planning and the debate over the different methods and models of successful production technoques. Up-to-date scholarship on both of these themes is reflected in recent researches R.B. Chase, R.F. Jacobs (2003), N. Slack, S. Chambers, R. Johnston (2003), D. Dow (1999), etc. In their works these authors develop a new theoretical approach which can be applied to practice. The works they provide a lot of example of management teams and their experience in TQM. These researches join theoretical and practical side of strategy, giving recommendations for improvement in the TQM to ensure customer satisfaction. "Production and A big layer of literature concerning this topic belongs to such gurus as T. Hill "Production and Operation Management: Text and cases" (1991), N. D. Harris "Service Operations Management" (1989). Their theoretical studies on improvements based on TQM, sustainable competitive advantage, the role of standards, etc, are still the basis of any research in the field of production and operations management. They examine and discuss the role of different companies for product and service improvement can successfully use TQM. Internal factors. Monitoring of the environment is an important method that helps to search for new trends in operations management. Managers should take into account internal and external factors that influence a potential consumer. The policy of implement restructing sooner rather than later was proved to be correct. There is no two cuctomers with the similar requiments, that is why operations management must respond to different customer needs. Factors Internal to a company are types of workers, organization structure, assumptions about people, technology, vision, mission and values of the firm, n ature of ow nership and management. Tempur Pedic is a Swedish Company which manufactures and distributes mattresses and pillows made from its proprietary "Tempur" pressure-relieving material. This material consists of a visco-elastic material that conforms to the body to provide support and help alleviate pressure points.The company operates in 60 countries around the world. In a time of rapidly changing technologies and ever-shorter product life cycles, product development often proceeds at a glacial pace. In an age of the customer, order fulfillment has high error rates and customer enquiries go unanswered for weeks. In a period when asset utilization is critical, inventory levels exceed many months of demand. The usual methods of boosting performance - process rationalization and automation - haven't yielded the dramatic improvements for Tempur Pedic Company need. In particular, heavy

Capital Budget Model Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capital Budget Model - Term Paper Example Financial modeling as explained above is the task of creating a representation of a real financial situation in the world. It consists of the process of forecasting the performance of a financial portfolio or asset of a business through the use of a mathematical or scientific model in order to provide management of a business with adequate information to make informed decisions on the types of portfolio and assets to finance in the future. To understand more about financial models, it is important to critically review them and understand why they are important in today’s financial world. Let us begin with a critical review of financial models. Financial modeling consists of the process of forecasting the performance of organizations and assets, through the use of relationships among a number of variables. This provides the management of an organization with insight into the short-term and long-term environment of business in order summarize specific events to provide direction concerning possible alternatives or actions management can take to achieve set goals and objectives. Financial models can be created in numerous ways, either by the use of a pen and a paper, or computer software. What is most significant, however, is not the type of user interface that is used, but the fundamental logic that incorporates the model. For example, a model can summarize the returns of an investment, such as Sortino Ratio, or it may assist approximate the direction of the market, such as Fed Model.

Violence in the past Essay Example for Free

Violence in the past Essay Abigail has been the victim of violence in the past. In the play she tells the girls: I saw Indians smash my dear parents heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night. This experience influences her actions later on in the play. She seeks vengeance in everything she does and she corrupts the characters in the play because she knows their weaknesses. Her actions are significant in this scene because it shows that she seeks vengeance in order to gain more power. Abigails actions are representative of the actions of government during the 1950s. Both the government and Abigail seek to manipulate the system to gain power (through Witch trials/McCarthy trials). Miller shows what power can do in the wrong hands and the way the government perverts the course of justice. Proctor opposes Abigail during the trial; he refuses to believe her lies and knows that she is being hypocritical. Proctor has considerable influence over the common man in Salem. His reputation is important to him and his dramatic confession how do you call heaven! Whore! Whore! is completely unexpected. This provokes sympathy from the audience. Proctor is now a known lecher and he tries to explain a man will not cast away his good name. This shows that Proctors reputation is important to him and he must protect it. Miller shows his own morals and ethics in Proctors character where Proctor sacrifices his good name. The implication is that Proctor did the right thing by confessing. It is also a dramatic turning point because he has effectively committed social suicide and this becomes the main focus in the trial. Miller wants the audience to understand that John Proctor has been tackling his conscience since his affair with Abigail. After his confession in Act Three he is overwhelmed by guilt and shame because he has disappointed his friends. Miller shows the audience the hardships faced by an individual to stand up to the rest of society. This idea comes from the way Miller stood up against McCarthyism and was scrutinised for it. Elizabeth Proctor is another character in the play that faces a moral dilemma. Upon entering the courtroom she is unaware of the events that precede her arrival. She is confused and this is noticeable from the faint way in which she speaks to Danforth. Both Abigail and Proctor are made to face their backs towards her so they cannot influence her testimony. This is a very tense moment in the play because the audience arent sure how Elizabeth will react under pressure. Throughout the play Elizabeth does not speak to Abigail but it is at this moment that the audience can feel her dislike and anger. When Danforth first questions Elizabeth about Abigail, she knows that John has been accused of lechery. Elizabeth doesnt know whether to choose to save her husbands reputation or to tell the court he has committed lechery and to live with the consequence. not knowing what to say, sensing a situation she begins to stall for time. As a Christian woman, Elizabeth believes that God condemns liars and if she lies her reputation will be tainted. Abigail has corrupted Elizabeth to the extent that she is now powerless and either choice she makes she will lose. The audience expects her response to be the truth and is shocked when she lies. She felt a great importance in telling the truth but she was overcome by emotion for Proctor and didnt want to see him get hurt. She has never committed a big sin in her life so when she lies, she knows that the guilt will follow her for the rest of her life Elizabeth is put under the most pressure in this scene and she is one of the victims of Abigails corruption. Miller wanted the audience to recognise that tragedies happen to good people and that the wicked can often escape their punishment. He shows that when a person has to decide between faith and love, human instinct can often overpower belief. Although Elizabeth wrestled with her conscience before making her decision but she felt that Johns life was more important. Her behaviour is significant in this scene because it is the first time in the play she shows how much she loves John. Reverend John Hale is an outsider and his judgment is not tainted by vengeance or personal responsibilities to the other villagers, he set out to find the devil in Salem. As a priest his duty is to council Christians to stay on the right path but his role in Salem changes. When he first arrives in Salem, he believes that the devil had taken over and he was sent to save them by using his books here is all the invisible world, caught, defined and calculated. In these books the devil stands stripped of all his brute disguises. As an educated man Hale is able to quickly judge a good person from a bad person which is illustrated when Hale first meets Rebecca Nurse. By Act Three Hale sees the truth about Salem and that it is not about witches but of vengeful girls. He learns that you cannot dictate human nature and the answer to the hysteria of the town lay in the people and not in his books. When Elizabeth comes into court and commits perjury he cannot take it anymore. He tells Danforth it is a natural lie to tell because he sympathises with Elizabeth and Proctor and he feels a bond with them. He explains that the trials were about private vengeance and not the devil but the court chooses to be ignorant. In anger he leaves the court I denounce these proceedings! I quit this court because he feels that there is nothing he can do. He is referred to as Pontius Pilate (Proctor-Act Two) because he washes his hands of logic and chooses to side with the court. In Act Three Hales conscience takes control of him because he cant accept Abigails treachery and corruption which caused the deaths of innocent people. I may shut my conscience to this no more he also feels partly responsible for what happened to the villagers. On page 91 Hale has a dramatic change and he makes his intentions clear for the first time in the play. His behaviour is significant in Act Three because he recognises changes in himself and other characters. He understood that Abigail was manipulating everyone around her and he saw her thirst for power. Millers purpose for creating Reverend Hale was to show an individual standing up to society and Miller saw his own attributes in Hale as he was asked to give names of communist sympathisers he had met at meetings. Miller couldnt do tell the courts the name of any communists because his conscience wouldnt allow it. Miller stood up to the injustices created by the government as Hale stands up to Danforth. It is argued that Arthur Millers purpose for writing The Crucible was to show a person status and the impact they made on society. It teaches that an individuals voice can influence others around them. In my opinion this scene is dramatically successful because it forces the audience to contemplate their own standing in society. It is also makes people aware of other injustices that are in any society, which makes the play intellectually stimulating. In Act Three, Millers intentions become clear by his use of language. A courtroom is the appropriate setting to play out Proctors confession because of the way it heightens the drama. The courtroom is parallel to Millers trial with the American government and he stood up to them and wasnt bullied by the authorities and these beliefs and morals are echoed into Proctors character. Proctor believes that the law and the government is unjust so he disagrees with Danforth and Hathorne it is hard to give a lie to dogs because he cannot forgive them for causing the death of his friends. Miller wants the audience to consider the roles the characters played in Salem and to ask themselves whether they would do the same allowing the audience to empathise with the characters. He wants them to question whether there are people like that in todays society and to make them question the world around them. The Crucible shows an awful chapter in human history which still has an impact on the world today. It shows that witches and communists could be equated because they were both victims of the government. Miller wanted to show that society hadnt learnt anything from the events that occurred in Salem and that what is manifestly parallel was the guilt, two centuries apart, of holding illicit, suppressed feelings of alienation and hostility . The government will stop anyone who poses a threat to the state (like Abigail). Including censorship of the Arts e. g. songs by artists like Eminem, whose lyrics scrutinise the actions of government. In response the government brands this behaviour as unpatriotic. The play therefore teaches us that people will always be used as scapegoats by the government because they will always be able to find victims. It shows us the reality of alienation and the power of paranoia, particularly in the way it clouds logic. We learn that as individuals we should avoid becoming the victim and should stand up for what we believe as both Proctor and Miller have done.

An Overview Of Meningitis

An Overview Of Meningitis Meningitis is swelling and inflammation of the protective membranes that cover brain and spinal cord. Depending on the duration of symptoms, meningitis may be classified as acute or chronic. Acute meningitis denotes the evolution of symptoms within hours to several days, while chronic meningitis has an onset and duration of weeks to months. Meningitis is mainly caused by infection with viruses, several different types of bacteria, or sometimes by a fungus, and less commonly by certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammations proximity to the brain and spinal cord. All types of meningitis tend to cause symptoms that include fever, headache and stiff neck. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of illness and the treatment differ depending on the cause. Viral meningitis, the most common form of meningitis, is less severe than bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is usually more serious than vira l meningitis and is sometimes fatal, particularly in infants and the elderly. Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of death and disability world-wide. [1] b. The etiology and risk factors Meningitis is usually caused by infection from viruses or micro-organisms. Most cases are due to infection with viruses, with bacteria, fungi, and parasites being the next most common causes. It may also result from various non-infectious causes. The etiology of bacterial meningitis varies by age group and region of the world. Worldwide, without epidemics one million cases of bacterial meningitis are estimated to occur and 200,000 of these die annually. [1] Before antibiotics were widely used, 70 percent or more of bacterial meningitis cases were fatal; with antibiotic treatment, the fatality rate has dropped to 15 percent or less. Bacterial meningitis is most common in the winter and spring. Beyond the perinatal period, three organisms, transmitted from person to person through the exchange of respiratory secretions, are responsible for most cases of bacterial meningitis: Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) can be fatal and should always be viewed as a medical emergency. About 10% of infected people die from the disease. [5] In non-fatal cases, those affected experience long-term disabilities, such as brain damage, loss of limb, or deafness. Preventing the disease through the use of meningococcal vaccine is important. Although anyone can get meningitis, pre-teens and adolescents, college freshmen who live in dormitories and travelers to countries where meningitis is always present are at an increased risk for meningococcal disease. Before the availability of effective vaccines, bacterial meningitis was most commonly diagnosed in young children. Now, as a result of the protection offered by current childhood vaccines, bacterial meningitis is more commonly diagnosed among pre-teens and young adults. As children reach their pre-teen and adolescent years, protection provided by some childhood vaccines can begin to wear off. As a result, pre-teens and adolescents are at a greater risk for catching certain diseases. Introducing vaccinations during the pre-teen years increases the level of protection during adolescence. College freshmen, especially those who live in dormitories, are at a slightly increased risk for bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) compared with other persons of the same age. vaccination against bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) is recommended to persons who travel to or reside in countries in which the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis is hyperendemic or epidemic, particularly if contact with the local population will be prolonged. Meningococcal meningitis, caused by Neisseria meningitidis, is primarily a disease of young children, with the incidence of cases declining in those older than 1 year of age. The disease is most common during winter and spring. In some persons, the bacteria can cause a severe blood infection called meningococcemia. N. meningitidis is classified into serogroups based on the immunological reactivity of the capsular polysaccharide. Although 13 serogroups have been identified, the three serogroups A, B and C account for over 90% of meningococcal disease. [1] Meningococcal disease differs from other leading causes of bacterial meningitis because of its potential to cause large-scale epidemics. A region of sub-Saharan Africa extending from Ethiopia in the East to The Gambia in the West and containing fifteen countries and over 260 million people is known as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“meningitis beltà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  because of its high endemic rate of disease with superimposed, periodic, large epid emics caused by serogroup A, and to a lesser extent, serogroup C. [1] Haemophilus meningitis is most frequently caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b, also known as Hib. Before effective vaccines became available and widely used, Hib was the most frequent cause of bacterial meningitis in children 5 years of age and younger. While most children are colonized with a species of H. influenzae, only 2-15% harbour Hib. [1] The organism is acquired through the respiratory route. It adheres to the upper respiratory tract epithelial cells and colonizes the nasopharynx. Following acquisition of Hib, illness results when the organism is able to penetrate the respiratory mucosa and enters the blood stream. This is the result of a combination of factors, and subsequently the organism gains access to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), where infection is established and inflammation occurs. An essential virulence factor which plays a major role in determining the invasive potential of an organism is the polysaccharide capsule of Hib. Pneumococcal meningitis, caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococci), generally strikes infants, the elderly and individuals with certain chronic medical conditions. Younger adults with anatomic or functional asplenia, haemoglobinopathies, such as sickle cell disease, or who are otherwise immunocompromised, also have an increased susceptibility to S. pneumoniae infection. S. pneumoniae, like Hib, is acquired through the respiratory route. Following the establishment of nasopharyngeal colonization, illness results once bacteria evade the mucosal defences, thus accessing the bloodstream, and eventually reaching the meninges and CSF. The term aseptic meningitis refers loosely to all cases of meningitis in which no bacterial infection can be demonstrated. This is usually due to viruses, but it may be due to bacterial infection that has already been partially treated, with disappearance of the bacteria from the meninges, or by infection in a space adjacent to the meninges (e.g. sinusitis). Endocarditis (infection of the heart valves with spread of small clusters of bacteria through the bloodstream) may cause aseptic meningitis. Aseptic meningitis may also result from infection with spirochetes, a type of bacteria that includes Treponema pallidum (the cause of syphilis) and Borrelia burgdorferi (known for causing Lyme disease). Meningitis may be encountered in cerebral malaria (malaria infecting the brain). Fungal meningitis, e.g. due to Cryptococcus neoformans, is typically seen in people with immune deficiency such as AIDS. Amoebic meningitis, meningitis due to infection with amoebae such as Naegleria fowleri, is contracted from freshwater sources. [2] Like bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis can affect anyone but infants younger than 1 month old and people whose immune systems are weak are at higher risk for severe infection. People who are around someone with viral meningitis have a chance of becoming infected with the virus that made that person sick, but they are not likely to develop meningitis as a complication of the illness. Viral meningitis is common and often goes unreported. It is a central nervous system (CNS) infection characterized by signs and symptoms of meningeal inflammation in the absence of positive bacterial cultures. The incidence varies with season, and the clinical presentation often includes fever, headache, and stiffness of the neck accompanied by symptoms typical of the specific causal virus. Viral meningitis is usually self-limited and resolves without treatment, although case reports suggest that treatment is indicated and beneficial in certain clinical scenarios. Viruses that can cause meningitis include enteroviruses, herpes simplex virus type 2 (and less commonly type 1), varicella zoster virus (known for causing chickenpox and shingles), mumps virus, HIV, and LCMV. [3] In the absence of a lumbar puncture, viral and bacterial meningitis cannot be differentiated with certainty, and all suspected cases should therefore be referred. Lumbar puncture and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid may be done primarily to exclude bacterial meningitis, but identification of the specific viral cause is itself beneficial. Viral diagnosis informs prognosis , enhances care of the patient, reduces the use of antibiotics, decreases length of stay in hospital, and can help to prevent further spread of infection. Over the past 20 years, vaccination policies, the HIV epidemic, altered sexual behavior, and increasing travel have altered the spectrum of causative agents. [4] A parasitic cause is often assumed when there is a predominance of eosinophils in the CSF. The most common parasites implicated are Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Gnathostoma spinigerum. Tuberculosis, syphilis, cryptococcosis, and coccidiodomycosis are rare causes of eosinophilic meningitis that may need to be considered. Meningitis may occur as the result of several non-infectious causes: spread of cancer to the meninges (malignant meningitis) and certain drugs (mainly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulins). It may also be caused by several inflammatory conditions such as sarcoidosis (which is then called neurosarcoidosis), connective tissue disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and certain forms of vasculitis. Epidermoid cysts and dermoid cysts may cause meningitis by releasing irritant matter into the subarachnoid space. Mollarets meningitis is a syndrome of recurring episodes of aseptic meningitis; it is now thought to be caused by herpes simplex virus type 2. Rarely, migraine may cause meningitis, but this diagnosis is usually only made when other causes have been eliminated. [2] c. Pathophisiology d. Clinical signs and symptoms Meningitis infection is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, photophobia (sensitivity to light) and altered mental status. The symptoms of bacterial meningitis can appear quickly or over several days. Typically they develop within 3-7 days after exposure. Infants younger than one month old are at a higher risk for severe infection. In newborns and infants, the classic symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to notice. The infant may appear to be slow or inactive, irritable, vomiting or feeding poorly. In young children, doctors may also look at the childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s reflexes, which can also be a sign of meningitis. Although the early symptoms of viral meningitis and bacterial meningitis may be similar, later symptoms of bacterial meningitis can be very severe (e.g., seizures, coma). Viral meningitis is an infection of the meninges (the covering of the brain and spinal cord) that is caused by a virus. Enteroviruses, the most common cause of viral meningitis, appear most often during the summer and fall in temperate climates. Viral meningitis can affect babies, children, and adults. It is usually less severe than bacterial meningitis and normally clears up without specific treatment. The symptoms of viral meningitis are similar to those for bacterial meningitis, which can be fatal. Symptoms of viral meningitis in adults may differ from those in children. Common symptoms in infants include fever, irritability, poor eating and hard to awaken. Common symptoms in adults include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to bright light, sleepiness or trouble waking up, nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite. The symptoms of viral meningitis usually last from 7 to 10 days, and people with normal immune systems usually recover completely. Symptoms of fungal meningitis are similar to symptoms of other forms of meningitis; however, they often appear more gradually. In addition to typical meningitis symptoms, like headache, fever, nausea, and stiffness of the neck, people with fungal meningitis may also experience dislike of bright lights, changes in mental status, confusion, hallucinations and personality changes. [5] e. Diagnosis and laboratory findings If meningitis is suspected, samples of blood or cerebrospinal fluid are collected and sent to the laboratory for testing. It is important to know the specific cause of meningitis because the severity of illness and the treatment will differ depending on the cause. In the case of bacterial meningitis, for example, antibiotics can help prevent severe illness and reduce the spread of infection from person to person. If bacteria are present, they can be grown (cultured). Growing the bacteria in the laboratory is important for confirming the presence of bacteria and for identifying the specific type of bacteria that is causing the infection. For viral meningitis, the specific causes of meningitis may be determined by tests used to identify the virus in samples collected from the patient. To confirm fungal meningitis, specific lab tests is performed, depending on the type of fungus suspected. e. Therapeutic management of disease, medical treatment, pharmacologic, dietary Bacterial meningitis can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics. It is important that treatment be started early in the course of the disease. If bacterial meningitis is suspected, initial treatment with ceftriaxone and vancomycin is recommended. Appropriate antibiotic treatment of the most common types of bacterial meningitis should reduce the risk of dying from meningitis to below 15%, although the risk is higher among the elderly. [5] There is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Antibiotics do not help viral infections, so they are not useful in the treatment of viral meningitis. Most patients completely recover on their own within 7 to 10 days. A hospital stay may be necessary in more severe cases or for people with weak immune systems. Fungal meningitis is treated with long courses of high dose antifungal medications. This is usually given using an IV line and is done in the hospital. The length of treatment depends on the status of the immune system and the t ype of fungus that caused the infection. For people with immune systems that do not function well because of other conditions, like AIDS, diabetes, or cancer, there is often a need for longer treatment. g. Teaching self care h. Health promotion strategies to prevent Keeping up to date with recommended immunizations is the best defense. Maintaining healthy habits, like getting plenty of rest and not coming into close contact with people who are sick, can also help. There are two kinds of vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis. Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Menomune) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and available since 1981. Meningococcal conjugate vaccines, Menactra and Menveo, were licensed in 2005 and 2010, respectively. Each vaccine can prevent 2 of the 3 most commonly occurring strains in the US. Meningococcal vaccines cannot prevent all types of the disease, but they do protect many people who might become sick if they didnt get the vaccine. Meningococcal conjugate vaccine is routinely recommended for all 11 through 18 year olds and for certain high-risk children and adults. There are two types of pneumococcal vaccine currently available: a polysaccharide vaccine and a conjugate vaccine. The pneumococcal c onjugate vaccine, PCV7 (Prevnar) was the first pneumococcal vaccine for use in children under the age of 2 years. PCV13 (Prevnar 13), which was licensed in early 2010, replaces PCV7. [5] Pneumococcal vaccines for the prevention of disease among children who are 2 years and older and adults have been in use since 1977. Pneumovax is a 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) that is currently recommended for use in adults who are 65 years of age and older, for persons who are 2 years and older and at high risk for pneumococcal disease (including those with sickle cell disease, HIV infection, or other immunocompromising condition), and for persons 19-64 years of age who smoke or have asthma. The Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine is highly effective against bacterial meningitis caused by a type of bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae type b. The Hib vaccine can prevent pneumonia, epiglottitis, and other serious infections caused by Hib bacteria. It is recommended for all chil dren under 5 years old in the US, and it is usually given to infants starting at age 2 months. Hib vaccine can be combined with other vaccines. People with certain viral infections can sometimes develop meningitis. There are no vaccines for the most common causes of viral meningitis. Thus, the best way to prevent it is to prevent viral infections. However, that can be difficult since sometimes people can be infected with a virus and spread the virus even though they do not appear sick. Following are some steps recommended by CDC [5] to help lower the chances of becoming infected with viruses or of passing one on to someone else: Washing hands thoroughly and often, especially after changing diapers, using the toilet, or coughing or blowing nose. Cleaning contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs or the TV remote control, with soap and water and then disinfecting them with a dilute solution of chlorine-containing bleach. Avoiding kissing or sharing a drinking glass, eating utensil, lipstick, or other such items with sick people or with others when sick. Making sure of vaccinations. Vaccinations included in the childhood vaccination schedule can protect children against some diseases that can lead to viral meningitis. These include vaccines against measles and mumps (MMR vaccine) and chickenpox (varicella-zoster vaccine). Avoiding bites from mosquitoes and other insects that carry diseases that can infect humans. Controlling mice and rats. There is little evidence that specific activities can lead to developing fungal meningitis, although avoiding exposure to environments likely to contain fungal elements is prudent. People who are immunosuppressed (for example, those with HIV infection) should try to avoid bird droppings and avoid digging and dusty activities, particularly if they live in a geographic region where fungi like Histoplasma, Coccidioides, or Blastomyces species exist. HIV-infected people cannot completely avoid exposure. Some guidelines recommend that HIV-infected people receive antifungal prophylaxis if they live in a geographic area where the incidence of fungal infections is very high.

The Graduate Gilm Analysis

The Graduate Gilm Analysis The phrase New Hollywood originally achieved extensive use to express a new wave of films and young film directors that emerged between the mid-to-late 1960s to the mid-to-late 1970s; a phenomenon more frequently regarded as the Hollywood Renaissance. Amongst these young directors included Mike Nichols whose massive box office hit The Graduate (1967), became one of the momentous, landmark films of the period, and helped to put in motion an innovative modern epoch of film production. Freshness and originality (traceable to the French New Wave) within an embedded framework of classical Hollywood style could be the most fitting way to typify the formal structure of The Graduate. Having emerged from the post studio era of production, a period when Hollywood was producing a high number of successful cutting edge films, The Graduate follows popular trends by setting out to offer a probing depiction of American society. Through its mixture of old and new Hollywood stylistic conventions, The Graduate realistically captures the 1960s culture of youthful alienation, disillusionment, opposition to the status quo and middle class values, and the growing cynicism of a younger generation against the older generation. An array of industrial factors was significant to both the emergence of young directors like Mike Nichols and the changing content in films of the Hollywood Renaissance. The decline of vertically integrated companies together with a large decrease in cinema attendances, contributed towards the ending of the studio system of production, and opened the gateways for a thematically different style of film-making. Consequently, individual packages were assembled: a format that gave directors like Nichols more authority, money and freedom to stamp their authority on film projects. Due to these rapid modifications in industrial factors, American values were also being challenged. The success of sexually explicit films like The Man with the Golden Arm, led to an adjustment of the production code. With barriers falling, Nichols was allowed to portray adultery, affairs and near nudity in The Graduate. Films no longer had to strictly target the family audience. Hence, Nichols pushed the limits, pushing the restrictions of both stylistic medium, and of taste. The idea of an older married woman (Mrs Robinson played by Anne Bancroft) eagerly seducing a young college graduate almost half her age (Benjamin Braddock played by Dustin Hoffman) was deemed controversial by many older audiences at the time, yet proved very effectual in targeting youth audiences. The film was thought of as bringing something new to Hollywood. However, although The Graduate has been bracketed as a product of New Hollywood, it is important to note that most of its scenes adhere to the classical style of editing, mainly because continuity editing and conventional form was a proven successful formula in Hollywood cinema; it remained ideal for constructing narratives that were visually uncomplicated to follow. The opening scene of The Graduate is principally constrained by the rules of classical Hollywood style for reasons like this, and so that audiences are presented with a rational believable world. The film begins with a close-up of Benjamin Braddocks face the white background focuses attention on his steely motionless gaze. The composition of this shot accentuates his look of disillusionment to the audience. It seems he is isolated, but the camera steadily zooms out, revealing him to be on an aeroplane packed with passengers. By filming his muted bodily movement on the automatic walkway in one slow extended take, the sen se of Benjamins isolation is heightened; Nichols is of course shaping up a narrative to reflect the disillusionment of the youth culture of his day, and as we learn later, Benjamins future reservations. Together with the popular non-diegetic soundtrack Sound of Silence, Benjamins mood is perfectly encapsulated within the opening credits. Since the lyrics of Sounds of Silence coincide with Benjamins behaviour, it almost becomes a second language for the film. The song, produced by the folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel, became an instant hit with the youth culture of the 1960s; it reached number one on New Years day (1966). In the opening, it matches well with the slow pace and continuity of the scene; the solemn edge and dim emotional colouring of the track underline the psychological difficulties Benjamin is experiencing. It is only when the shot of Benjamin exiting the airport dissolves to a shot of him expressing his qualms about future aspirations, that the viewers are able to distinguish the basis of his psychological commotion. By presenting a traditional older community who dont understand Benjamins troubles, the viewers build compassion towards Benjamin. In this second close up of his face, Benjamin conveys a slight look of apprehension as he tries to explain to his father (Mr. Braddock played by William Daniels) of his need to be different. However, Benjamins worries about his future are seemingly ignored. His father seems more concerned about keeping up appearances and persuading his son to attend to the guests of the home-coming party. This scene draws directly to the 1960s culture of youthful isolation, because like several young individuals of his generation, Benjamin emerged from the safe haven of the college lifestyle, only to feel confounded and highly indecisive about his future career. His parents, however, highlight their self-absorbed intentions by coaxing him downstairs as opposed to understanding his predicament; the party just seems like a reason for them to parade their material possession s to their friends. Hence, young people loved the movie because it highlighted their anxieties, and in the process it put down parents as self-obsessed immoral clods who only saw life through the narrow lens of class structure and wealth. Another technique used to represent the oblivious older generation is when the middle-aged guests of the home-coming party find themselves communicating in third person about Benjamin, even whilst he is positioned quite close to them. Combined with their invasive ways (almost pressuring Benjamin into an answer about his future), none of them truly comprehend Benjamins desires. In looking troubled and hesitant about future goals, Benjamin appears to be resisting the quintessence of the supposed American dream a complete American education, followed by a lucrative career. Like young people of his time, he is finding it difficult to come to terms with the institutionalised adult working life awaiting him. During the party Benjamin is constantly surrounded by a swarm of older people who want to praise his academic achievements or question him about his future; this only further adds to his claustrophobic mindset. Even after escaping the middle-aged crowd to refuge of his bedroom, he is interrupted by Mrs Robinson and feels trapped once more. Within the same shot that Mrs Robinson is being framed in the doorway, Ben is also framed within the world of his fish tank another symbol of imprisonment that is repeated several times throughout the film. Indeed Benjamin is like a fish himself shy, introvert and feeling alone in an ocean of emptiness. The classical editing in the opening of the film attains a smooth and faultless style of narration, allowing the viewer to effortlessly track the direction of the narrative; the viewers can feel the tension created when Benjamins inner conflicts are crossed with a non-understanding older generation. Further continuity editing is used to uphold clear narrative action (a feature of several successful films of the Hollywood Renaissance) as well as build up the moments leading up to the bedroom scene, in which Mrs Robinson will attempt to seduce Benjamin. In an establishing long shot of Mrs Robinsons house, Benjamin is persuaded to accompany Mrs Robinson inside. As Benjamin enters, he is surrounded by a porch made of all glass, making the environment outside entirely noticeable. The huge trees and thick green bushes outside, give the appearance of a tropical jungle; this could be a metaphor to illustrate Mrs Robinsons pursuit of Benjamin. Also, in one of the most infamous frames within a frame shot where Benjamin is framed perfectly under Mrs Robinsons leg, Mrs Robinson again takes on the more dominant position between them; she takes up the role of a predator whilst he becomes the young vulnerable prey. These portrayals of a sexually aggressive woman perhaps symbolises how easily t he older generation and society can lead a fretful, alienated individual astray if he or she deviates from forming a meaningful purpose towards life. Benjamin, who is already feeling lost, is caught off guard and becomes easy pickings for Mrs Robinson to take advantage. From an industrial perspective, Mrs Robinsons pursuit of Benjamin is important in establishing her constructed gender role; she is neither a liberated woman (who will leave her husband and pursue her romantic desires) nor a conformist faithful suburban housewife. During the 1960s, women roles were shifting from 1950s image of subservient housewives, to a more rebellious independent role. However, Mrs Robinson plays both the unhappy suburban housewife as well an explicitly sexual woman chasing an affair. She is shown as asserting her authority and sexual prowess over Benjamin, yet is still bound by her sex and relations with men; her representation is a result of the film industrys incapability to cut free from the conventional portrays of women so prevalent throughout the history of early Hollywood cinema. Julia Anderson states, Most viewers were not interested in watching, and Hollywood was not interested in funding a determined woman as a popular female lead. Thus, Mrs Robinson is a gripping protagonist one of the most renowned in Hollywood, in fact, but when her character is measured in terms of gender depiction, it is plain to see she is not gripping because of her accomplishments, but because of her villain like role. And her whole story circulates around her relationships with a member of the opposite sex; as a result she remains a female character that is defined by her association with a man, instead of her own defiant or heroic actions. The extent of Mrs Robinsons overwhelming sexual needs bears resemblance to the dissatisfied, sexually frustrated housewife described by Betty Friedan in her Feminine mystique (1963). Although Mrs Robinson had been forced into marriage as a result of becoming pregnant, she is put in a hopeless position to escape the marriage, possibly since she has become financially dependant on her husband. In having conformed to the archetypal housewife role rather than pursuing a professional career, it could be argued that she has become consumed by the feminine mystique; a lifestyle which regardless of true love keeps women, in many cases, interested due to the wealth of material possessions and money they receive. In Mrs Robinsons case, the combination of a loveless relationship and dreary housewife commitments makes her more subject to an increased sexual appetite. Thus, Mrs Robinson only engages in the affair to use Benjamin as defence mechanism to bring herself out of her miserable existence within marriage. The cinematography techniques used to capture Mrs Robinsons growing sexual desires for Benjamin, are examples of a move away from classical Hollywood style; the lightning fast cuts and other disorientating effects in the bedroom scene create the feeling of restiveness, impatience and a great sense of sexual hunger on Mrs Robinsons part. One of the reasons in using discontinuity techniques was because it was a major component for films deserving to be categorised as part of a new wave or renaissance. In this case it is effectively used to represent the turning point in the film; not only does it highlight Mrs Robinsons sexual urges, but the high-speed editing simultaneously reflects the growing tension and awkwardness on Benjamins part. This time he is framed over Mrs Robinsons shoulder and it is clear to detect his uncomfortable reactions when presented by the fully unclothed Mrs Robinson. By applying a slow opening to The Graduate and contrasting it with these bursts of rapid cuts, the visual impact of the seduction is made much greater to the audience; the full force of Mrs Robinsons desire is projected onto the viewer, who up until now has been comfortable experiencing the largely unnoticeable style of editing. Films like The Graduate and others of the Hollywood Renaissance period aimed to move away from directing entire films via strict continuity regimes; they aimed for a newer exciting dimension of stylistic techniques and current gimmicks to reflect characters emotions. The fact that Benjamin is emotionally at a crisis himself, makes the subsequent affair with an older married woman all the more worthless. The whole feeling of worthlessness surrounding the affair between Mrs Robinson and Benjamin is brilliantly captured in the musically backed montage, a segment that uses rapid editing and special effects a more direct use of discontinuity style thought to have been borrowed from the films of the French New Wave (La Nouvelle Vague). During the montage, one scene is edited so that it appears Benjamin is drifting between his parents house to the hotel room he shares with Mrs Robinson. Afterwards, in a disorientating match-cut, Benjamin is shown climbing up onto his home swimming pool raft and landing on top of Mrs Robinson in the hotel bed they share perhaps another symbol to symbolise Benjamins downward spiral in life, and his plunge to new lows by partaking in the affair. Within the several jarring cuts that show Benjamin walking back and forth into these separate spheres, the non-diegetic soundtracks Sound of Silence followed and April Come She Will play in the background; in illust rating compressed narrative information within the montage, the sequences of events highlights their loveless affair, and demonstrates how Benjamin is submitting himself to Mrs Robinson in order to block out the purposelessness and bleakness of his life over the summer. Nichols purposefully contradicts continuity here to stamp his mark on the film; in borrowing successful elements of the French New Wave, he is able to add that major ingredient of innovation so important to films in and around his period, and use it portray the feeling of youth disillusionment manifest in his society. It could be also argued that the increased discontinuity techniques in the musically backed montage have a more political purpose rather than merely reflecting character moods. By having a more jarring sporadic style of editing, viewers becomes more alert to messages in the film, and start to question dominant ideologies in society. In this case, Benjamins refusal in submitting to neither the plastics world of the older generation or any other city profession shows his rejection of the status quo and middle class ideals; a similar rejection shown by the youth rebellion of the 1960s. More concern in emphasised on Benjamins need to belong and find his identity as opposed to following the traditional way of American life fulfilling his education and entering a commercial, corporate based occupation. Through Benjamins almost robotic, strained replies to his father questions, he is resisting the standardised American way of living in hopes to search for a more fulfilling existence. Thus, his feelings of aimlessness directly reflect the youth generation of the time who equally drifted for prolonged periods of time whilst trying to determine an aim in life. Benjamins feelings of discontent are justifiable because as Friedan would argue, many young men who willingly conformed to corporate life in the late 1960s realised that the purposelessness of their work kept them from feeling like men. For reasons like these, Benjamin refrains from following the old-fashioned way of living that his parents have occupied. Instead he enters a passionless affair and drifts around at his parents pool as a form of escapism. Pushing narrative boundaries and including illicit representations of sex in the affair between Benjamin and Mrs Robinson were thoughtfully calculated by the film to target the 1960s American youth rebellion culture. In an era when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) no longer had the final contribution in the films story, Nichols was free of most strict censorships. This allowed him to openly forefront facets of the youthful counterculture; in doing so The Graduate targeted younger audiences (the major cinema ticket consumers in the late 1960s). Since younger people preferred films that dealt more explicitly with sex, Nichols audience targeting strategy proved very cost effective and ticket sales rocketed with the film earning a box office gross of $105m. Large amounts of that gross total were down to Nichols innovative film techniques which pushed home the feelings of the youth counterculture uncertainty, fear, and a general lack of direction in life. Another reason for Nichols to offer the clear rejection of classical unambiguous cinematic form (evident in the scenes previously mentioned) was because many film directors who employed such techniques in various scenes of their films were held up in admiration at the time, whilst Hollywood films restricted by conventional narrative flow were condemned. Films like Easy Rider and Bonnie and Clyde were largely greeted with huge success for their innovative trendy stylistic approach. Described as a period of great artistic achievement based on new freedom and widespread experimentation, these new formal styles became very profitable for selling huge box office hits, and helped cement the Hollywood Renaissance a golden age in Hollywood history. Moreover, by using new off the wall techniques, Nichols perhaps shows his desire to be held in the same admiration of previously successful forward thinking directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chapin and Howard Hawks, who were much-admired for their high film art, and auteur status. Considering the new found freedom that directors of the Hollywood Renaissance had, the films of the period have been mostly understood in terms of the efforts of the artistic auteur. Hence, Nichols too has been regarded as a filmmaker creating his own personal style of directing. For example The scene which celebrates Benjamins 21st birthday is important in establishing the psychological burdens Benjamin is suffering; a mindset which mirrors the youth alienation and counterculture of the 1960s. Through avant-garde techniques, Nichols positions the viewers in Benjamins viewpoint (looking out of a scuba diving mask), and forces them to experience Benjamins feelings of entrapment as he makes his uncomfortable transition from a boy to a mature man. Benjamins visions reveal a blurry image of his parents faces; this together with muted sounds of the middle-aged crowd could be representative of Benjamin being too caught up in his own thoughts to acknowledge anything, particularly the overbearing views of the older generation he wants to block out. As well as moving lethargically towards the pool and finally sinking to the bottom of it, this scene cements the foundation for his growing rebellion towards his elders. Like the youth alienated society of the day, Benjamin prefers to blank out the real world. Before he decides to emerge in front of the birthday guests in his scuba diving outfit, Benjamins replies to his father are packed by unusually high pitched bleats of apprehension: dad can we please talk about this for a second. The anxiety that punctuates Benjamins line deliveries accentuates his uptight frame of mind, and becomes a point of resistance against his parents. Not only does this add to the comedic element of the film, but by presenting comedy in its blackest sort, these instances positions the viewer to ridicule American materialistic values the need to flaunt material wealth as a means of maintaining class hierarchies. The fact that Benjamins father feels the need to highlight the price of the scuba diving mask to the birthday guest only further affirms this. As Benjamin moves sluggishly towards the pool, it is interesting to note the parallels of Nicholass point of view shots with Alfred Hitchcocks; they both create a similar feeling of discomfort in the viewer. Like Hitchcock, Nichols too questions the root of regular human behaviours by aligning the viewer to the protagonists dissenting action through point of view. The increased volume of Benjamins breathing appears to be a sound which transcends from realism to expressionism and it fits in well with Benjamins troubled mood. In this way viewer feels they are partaking in scopophilic and often pervasive acts, sharing a strong bond with Benjamin. As continuity editing paints a more naturalistic ordered world, these avant-garde techniques can be viewed as mirroring the disordered society of the 1960s- youthful alienation and rebellion to middle class norms. Moreover, Benjamins behaviour and strained replies to his father are significant in establishing Benjamins identity crisis; an issue which reflects the gender crisis of the 1960s. During the 1960s, new notions about masculinity were starting to surface; the counterculture sought to change the traditional one dimensional understanding of man. In contexts to Benjamins world, he encounters the suburban middle-class ideas of the older generation and their traditional understanding of manhood a well rounded education, followed by a future in plastics. However, by rejecting this lifestyle in hopes to seek his true identity, Benjamin models himself on the modern image of the American male one who has a greater vision as opposed to conforming to the rather straightforward life presented to him by his father one that he is readily expected to lead. Just like in The Graduate, the older generation of Nichols time did not recognize that the gender roles for men were changing; it was only due to the growing counterculture asserting new attitudes towards gender that finally produced a young politicised generation who were on the lookout for their true individuality. The film thus mocks the traditional views of the older generation, particularly the materialistic wealth and snobbery that Benjamins father constantly parades to his friends. In addition to the changing gender roles of the 1960s, Dustin Hoffmans projection of a wholly different type of masculinity in The Graduate could be down to industrial factors. In a period when the industry was in flux, older notions of star power as highly desired commodities were concurrently on the decline; the rebirth of Hollywood cinema in the mid-to-late 1960s provided room for new stars to be born. This allowed Nichols to move away from portraying the traditional male hero one who was physically imposing, clearly motivated by an aim, and a man of more action rather than words. Nichols, on the contrary, presents the viewer with a male hero (Benjamin) who is small, introvert, awkward, indecisive, and feels lost throughout the film. As The Graduate was entering Hollywood cinema at a time where films were projecting high innovation, it could be argued that Nichols opts to go for something new in his characters to represent this trend. In the process he undermines classical narrat ive convention by portraying a male hero who has no clear motivations. Therefore as well as reflecting the changing gender dynamics of the period, Nichols gives rise to a new kind of star impersonation in his male hero. Moreover, Katharine Rosss character Elaine (the daughter of Mrs Robinson and Benjamins true love) also reflects the changing gender attitudes of the 1960s. At a time when the womens movement was gathering in strength, so the depiction of women in Hollywood cinema was also shifting. By ultimately rejecting the prospect of a mundane marriage and suburban lifestyle, Elaine liberates herself from the lifestyle forced on her by her parents; she shows herself to be capable of making decisions about her future. However, in choosing to marry Benjamin, Elaines representation reflects how marriage was still deemed imperative to the fulfilment of femininity in the 1960s. Nonetheless, the educated Elaine thinks independently, and like Benjamin, she chooses to abandon the older generational norms in favour for her self-fulfilment and romantic desires. The institution she attends for her college education (Berkeley) is also an important place for constructing her forward thinking mentality since i t was the centre of radical movements including class, gender and politics. By ending the film with Elaines romantic escape, the film stays also stays in touch with the 1967s year of proclaimed summer of love. Even though there is a slight change in the gender roles for the female protagonists, the women in The Graduate still conform to ingrained patriarchal norms, thus making the film a product of its time. The 1960s was a period where the second wave of feminism was gaining momentum, however in the face of these changes, inequality between the sexes remained; accordingly, the Hollywood industry only made minor adaptations in female character roles to reflect this. Benjamins mother and Mrs Robinson still inhabit a feminine role, acting as subservient counterparts to their working husbands, and although Elaine is an educated woman, her part in the story is mainly as a foil to Benjamins quest for identity. Moreover, in the shots of Mrs Robinsons legs and semi naked body, she can be viewed as what Laura Mulvey would state, an object of the male gaze. The leopard print coat which Mrs Robinson wears on her first meeting with Benjamin at the hotel is an important animal motif representative of her sexually predatory nature; she adheres to the voyeuristic erotic pleasures of the male audience. Although it can be argued Mrs Robinson is an assertive sexual subject in her own right, the counter argument would assert that she merely upholds sexual power over a physically petite, self-conscious, unconfident young man one whos young enough to be her son. In casting two aesthetically attractive women protagonists in Mrs Robinson and Elaine, The Graduate becomes another film of its time which fulfils the neurotic needs of the male ego Furthermore, the affair between Mrs Robinson and Benjamin is mainly a manifestation of an old fashioned male fantasy having a sexual affair with an older married woman. From this viewpoint, The Graduate places constraints on its radicalism and rather offers a constructed form of narrative experimentation in order to attract widespread audiences. By depicting this male fantasy, the film once again lives up to patriarchal norms. Due to the patriarchal norms of the time, The Graduate also keeps in conventional Hollywood custom by naturally focusing on a male protagonist in the narrative. The entire film revolves around Benjamin and, in typical fashion, the focus remains on his character development, identity struggle (making the adjustment from youth to adulthood), and the sexual relationships he gets caught up in. Mrs Robinson and Elaine, who are the key women protagonists in the narrative, are only defined in their sexual relationships with Benjamin. This demonstrates the Hollywood industrys tendency to heavily rely on the individuality of a male hero. The major success of The Graduate just became another platform for the industry to persist with notions of a male hero, whilst female characters had constraints on their freedom and remained mostly marginalised. Nonetheless, Elaine does have a good measure of freedom, and it is perhaps this along with her youth which make the psychologically and sexually suppressed Mrs Robinson jealous of her; consequently Mrs Robinson perhaps has an affair with Benjamin to reclaim her lost youth. To her, Benjamin provides the only escape of happiness in an otherwise dreary traditional suburban housewife life with a man she no feelings for. When the audience are made to realise Mrs Robinson and her husband share separate beds, one becomes conscious that they merely live under the false pretence of a happy marriage to keep up appearances in a rigid class structured society. It is aspects like these with which The Graduate is attacking the conformist ideals attached to middle-class values. Due to the dark, biting satire of the film, one cannot help but find the whole situation amusing, especially the dialogue regarding the moments Mr Robinson discovers the affair: in Benjamins defence he says, it didnt mean an ythingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we might just as well have been shaking handsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I dont love your life, I love your daughter sir to which Mr Robinson replies, As far as Elaines concerned, you are to get her out of your filthy mindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and thats all Ben, youll pardon me if I dont shake hands with you. Benjamins awkward, spontaneous replies are so absurd that one cannot help but laugh. The interchanging comments between them underpin the many comic moments of the film; comedy gives an effective platform to mock the societal values of the traditional American people a direct example of this is when Benjamin, in his lifeless monotone voice replies no sir to Mr Robinsons question about whether Benjamin respects him. The films ability to confine all these serious moral issues into dark humour reflects the growing confidence of filmmakers, and the freedom that allowed them to assemble contentious film projects around multiple genres. Overall, although the period of transition in the Hollywood industry during the fifties and sixties bought much needed freedom to filmmakers, The Graduate still remained an industrial product; the film speaks to a incessant helplessness in the world, and inability to change and to create change for example, when The Graduate does portray action, it is performed by an isolated hero in a particularly antisocial method (going against societal norms and traditions), further establishing that genuine change, collectively carried out, is unattainable. Even though Benjamin and Elaine escape together in a typical happy ending, they do it at the expense of leaving their families behind; after everything, the final shot of them staring blankly into space is an uncomfortable one, especially Benjamin who produces the same look of disillusionment like the one in the opening of the film. Nichols does very well in artistically capturing the themes of the 1960 counterculture; however, in a commerci ally dominated industrial sphere, Nichols is inevitably indebted to stay within the constraints of total freedom of expression because he needs to get the film funded. By using calculated methods of visual experimentation and having a very constructed radical plot, The Graduate ensures economical success and with it, the widespread appreciation of the film from audiences.

Huck Finn: The Twisting Tides Of Portrayal - Racism Essay -- essays re

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In recent years, there has been increasing discussion of the seemingly racist ideas expressed by Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some cases, the novel has been banned by public school systems and even censored by public libraries. Along with the excessive use of the word, â€Å"nigger,† the basis for this blatant censorship has been the portrayal of one of the main characters in Huck Finn, Jim, a black slave who runs away from his owner, Miss Watson. At several points in the novel, Jim's character is described to the reader, and some people have looked upon the presented characterization as racist. However, before one begins to censor a novel it important to distinguish the ideas of the author from the ideas of his characters. It is also important to read carefully to sufficiently capture the underlying themes of a novel. If one were to do this in relation to Huck Finn, one would, without a doubt, realize that it is not racist and is, in fact, anti-slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On an superficial level The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn might appear to be racist. The first time we meet Jim he is given a very negative description. The reader is told that Jim is illiterate, childlike, not very bright, and extremely superstitious. However, it is important not to lose sight of who is giving this description and who it is being given to. Although Huck is not a racist child, he has been raised by extremely racist individuals w...

To Dream Out Loud :: College Admissions Essays

To Dream Out Loud    is it the fear for losing freedom, or is it that the unripe fruit of idealism we begin with has finally become ripe? because it seems that the youthful starry-eyed liberalism fades. our fruit becomes rotten, stinking of uncaring, self-serving, change-fearing conservatism. precariousness becomes anathema. some keep out the fear of losing comfort. I hope I do. Lou Reed, face wrinkle-worn, still not-sings about a poor boy in New York, still refers to the Statue of Bigotry. but my father tolerantly smiles as I dream out loud as I try to believe that there is good in most as I talk about trying to make things better. he's cynically calling himself conservative as he pretends to dislike feminism and truly believes that people should want to help others. that people should not have to. that most people do not want to. my father is good, and sturdy. generous. stoic. he believes that I will gain wisdom with age   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (I will) and that I will come to think liberalism is misguided and overly hopeful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (I hope I won't.) my father is not an artist. he is a lawyer. he still struggles to help people but he has stopped believing they'll be grateful. his fruit of idealism has become rotten. where are the Romantics? the Transcendentalists? they've just turned 19 and are going to a college I can't afford. hair, jeans, love, and hope all fade. I respect my father, and I respect Lou Reed. I respect the freedom-loving hopeful criticizing words of Bob Dylan. my father still respects those too. perhaps the hope doesn't die; perhaps it is cloaked in the fear of losing what you've already gained. precarious youthful hope feeds off the youthful need for freedom-

African American Life Before and After Emancipation Essay -- American

African American Life Before and After Emancipation Slavery was an intrinsic part of North American history from the founding of the Jamestown colony in 1607 to the legal abolition of servitude in 1865. But our nation continues to grapple with the economic, political, social, and cultural impact of that peculiar institution to this day. Over seventy years after the end of the Civil War, the WPA Federal Writer’s Project sought to understand the impact which slavery had on the lives of African Americans who once lived under its yoke. In 1936-38, the Writer’s Project sent out-of-work writers to seventeen states to record the personal narratives of former slaves; the result was an outpouring of nearly 3,000 stories from men and women who were born into bondage and released into uncertain freedom early in their lives. The relatively small collection of 26 narratives gathered in Mississippi in these years reveals the complexities of African American life before and after emancipation. While this sample should not be read as indicative of the memory and experience of former slaves at large, it does raise important questions about the meaning of freedom, the failures of Reconstruction, and the perceived quality of life for blacks during and after slavery. A careful reading of the Mississippi narratives reveals nostalgia for the security and stability of slavery and an overwhelming dissatisfaction with the failed promises of freedom: â€Å"turned †¦ loose, †¦ lak a passel o’ cattle,† former slaves struggled to realize the concrete benefits of an abstract freedom and longed for better days;[1] This weary nostalgia must be recognized not as a rejection of freedom, but as a denunciation of the powers, which declared them fr... ... [30] Sam McCallum, 4. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [31] Foner, 159. [32] Charlie Davenport, 8. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [33] Foner, 246. [34] James Lucas, 7-8. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [35] Foner, 376. [36] James Lucas, 7. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [37] Foner, 54-56. [38] Foner, 107. [39] James Cornelius, 3. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [40] Foner, 82. [41] Foner, 78. [42] Anna Baker, 5. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [43] Nettie Henry, 1-2. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [44] Jane Sutton, 5. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [45] Foner, 96; 366. [46] Wayne Holiday, 2. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [47] Isaac Stier, 5. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [48] Henri Necaise, 4. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [49] Dora Franks, 3. American Memory: Born in Slavery. African American Life Before and After Emancipation Essay -- American African American Life Before and After Emancipation Slavery was an intrinsic part of North American history from the founding of the Jamestown colony in 1607 to the legal abolition of servitude in 1865. But our nation continues to grapple with the economic, political, social, and cultural impact of that peculiar institution to this day. Over seventy years after the end of the Civil War, the WPA Federal Writer’s Project sought to understand the impact which slavery had on the lives of African Americans who once lived under its yoke. In 1936-38, the Writer’s Project sent out-of-work writers to seventeen states to record the personal narratives of former slaves; the result was an outpouring of nearly 3,000 stories from men and women who were born into bondage and released into uncertain freedom early in their lives. The relatively small collection of 26 narratives gathered in Mississippi in these years reveals the complexities of African American life before and after emancipation. While this sample should not be read as indicative of the memory and experience of former slaves at large, it does raise important questions about the meaning of freedom, the failures of Reconstruction, and the perceived quality of life for blacks during and after slavery. A careful reading of the Mississippi narratives reveals nostalgia for the security and stability of slavery and an overwhelming dissatisfaction with the failed promises of freedom: â€Å"turned †¦ loose, †¦ lak a passel o’ cattle,† former slaves struggled to realize the concrete benefits of an abstract freedom and longed for better days;[1] This weary nostalgia must be recognized not as a rejection of freedom, but as a denunciation of the powers, which declared them fr... ... [30] Sam McCallum, 4. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [31] Foner, 159. [32] Charlie Davenport, 8. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [33] Foner, 246. [34] James Lucas, 7-8. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [35] Foner, 376. [36] James Lucas, 7. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [37] Foner, 54-56. [38] Foner, 107. [39] James Cornelius, 3. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [40] Foner, 82. [41] Foner, 78. [42] Anna Baker, 5. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [43] Nettie Henry, 1-2. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [44] Jane Sutton, 5. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [45] Foner, 96; 366. [46] Wayne Holiday, 2. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [47] Isaac Stier, 5. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [48] Henri Necaise, 4. American Memory: Born in Slavery. [49] Dora Franks, 3. American Memory: Born in Slavery.