Article reviews Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Article reviews - Assignment Example The author admits that technology has managed to generate a long chain of social networks but regrets that the manner of communication in those links has not been as effective as in the past. Lately, people communicate via email and phones even to the closest ones who they should interact with face to face such as family and close friends. An instance is a case where a child writes a requisition note and sends it to the parent’s email. It indicates the detachment that has evidently been brought by new communication mediums. Families have broken away from the traditional systems and cultures where they could gather around a table for dinner as they discussed issues affecting them. Nowadays, an individual just needs to go behind a computer and share their problems online. The author is, therefore, appealing to the community to abandon the ineffective technology-aided communication and reincorporate the traditional methods that enhanced attachment. To solve this, it is in order for some of the traditional cultural ways of interaction to be revisited and reintegrated back into the modern life. The community should move from digital interactions to real face-to-face co mmunications. The author, in this article, explores some of the negative effects information communication technology (ICT) has brought to learning. This article addresses this issue by giving a practical instance in which classroom sessions have been interrupted profoundly by the many electronic gadgets that students use to surf the internet with. Freedman, appreciates the fact that technology is a real advancement that has improved lives. However, the trend of excessive internet obsession has brought more harm than benefits in classroom learning. A case is highlighted of a war that raged on between the teacher and a student in which the lecturer had to smash the leaner’s phone to show how much serious he intolerant he was with the issue. The author

The Young Man Has Changed Essay Example for Free

The Young Man Has Changed Essay As I was stabbing out the cigarette with my foot I was standing leaning against the dusty black wall, which was blocking the view of the railways. Next to me was my best friend Salim who was carefully watching me and then imitating every minute movement and action. To some extent without boasting I was the leader and Salim was the follower. Just then a young girl wearing a tight body top and a short silky black mini skirt was walking past us and Salim was beginning to whistle at her. As she was disappearing into the main road we were both sniggering loudly. By the reflection on the glass door that had a varnished wooden border I was seeing myself holding a mobile phone, wearing a brand new pair of Reebok trainers, Georgio Armani jeans, and the latest v-neck GAP jumper. In my pocket I was carrying at least fifty pounds that I had made on the streets by doing a few dodgy deals. But even though having all this, deep inside I was feeling no peace, no buzz as if something was missing. Living the life of Islam was the answer to all my difficulties. At the time I knew this but I still could not do it as it was asking me to leave all the things I loved and this was including girls and music. However the weakness which was making me follow my desires and not the way of Allah did at last leave my life. It was one cold summers evening when I was sitting in an alley with a gang of friends planning which club to go to that night. All of a sudden everyone flickered their eyes at the muddy and dirty entrance. There two youngsters with glowing faces walked in. They wore pure white robes and Arabian caps. They greeted us in just the right way Safe boyz. The shorter brother told us that they came from Manchester and that they were here to remind the Muslims about their faith. Everyone including Asim who everyone called The Big Boss was silent and showed both of them lots of respect. The taller brother came in the centre of us and started to talk about Islam. As he said every word and every sentence, the idea that this world is only a test and the life after death is the real place for excitement became a strong feeling inside me. His voice was like a power flowing inside me making me feel peaceful. The things he said and the way he said them made me realize for sure that he had been through what I was going through. When he had finished talking and when both of them had left, all my friends had their eyes towards the floor and all of them were absolutely silent. But then one idiot had to lift his head and crack a joke. And guess what? All of them began to laugh! It was as if the devil snatched away the important advice from their hearts. I was really angry at their behaviour and straight away left them. As I was walking home that evening I was deciding it was time to change. Inside me was born a new feeling that I would be a failure in life unless I began to follow Islam fully. The following day was a big test for me as it was the day I was going to show my changed life to the world. I rolled my trousers up just above the ankle, as this was the teaching of the prophet Muhammad and wore a topi on my head. Like this I walked into school and in the playground everyone was so shocked to see me dressed in this way and their wide opened eyes were glued to me. Some girls when walking past me would look at me with a weird face as if I was some sort of alien. However those of my friends and other people who knew why I had changed were happy for me and were pushing me to carry on. At first when I would be around a lot of strangers and especially girls I would feel really shy but I was not allowing this to stop me from practising my religion because I had faith in Allah that He gives ease after every difficulty. Within a month, every thug on the street knew that I had changed and I was beginning to get respect from everybody in my area, youngsters and grown-ups. Even the people I did not know were greeting me. Now I was feeling a deep satisfaction and as if that something which was missing was found. At present I go to college which I find really different to school mainly because there are more girls around me and I have more freedom to do what I want to do. I feel that Allah is testing my faith in Him by testing me with these young girls. I need to crush my feelings towards them so that I do not get attracted to them and this is hard. But I am coping and when I see girls I try to look down and when I do this I feel as if a wave of ecstasy is swirling inside me and I believe this to be a reward from Allah for listening to Him. The thoughts that make me do this are the images of heaven and hell. They alarm me every time I am about to do something bad and so far these are my strongest motivators in life. Now death has become something I think about a lot. The other evening when I was coming back home from college I was waiting for a train on the Blackhorse Roads filthy platform and this was making me think that I am like a traveller in this world and soon I will leave it. When the train was coming and as it got nearer it stared at me with its beaming eyes and roared even louder and this was making me feel scared, as it was reminding me of the Angel of Death who takes away everyones life. On the same evening after reaching Woodgrange Park station, I was walking home using a different route and by chance I was passing the old, dusty, black wall and it was bringing back my shameful past. I whispered to myself, What an idiot you were. Topi is a hat worn by Muslims.

Irony in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Essay -- The Story of an H

Irony in Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. The author of â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is Kate Chopin. Her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Irony is thinking or believing some event will happen but in return the unexpected or opposite occurs. Kate Chopin uses two types of irony in this short story. Situational irony refers to the opposite of what is supposed to happen, and dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader knows something that the rest of the characters in the story do not know. Kate Chopin does a great job in placing irony into this short story and makes the reader understand that the unexpected happens in life. There are few characters in this story, but they all play an important part. The characters are Mrs. Mallard, Josephine, Richards, and Brently Mallard. Mrs. Mallard and Brently Mallard are married and live together in the house that the story takes place in. Josephine is Mrs. Mallard’s sister and she is the one who would break the news to her about Brently Mallards death in the railroad accident. Finally Richards who is Brently Mallards good friend, and he is the one who found out about Brently Mallards death. The setting of the story takes place in the Mallards house. It seems to me that the house is old and very comfortable. I think this because after Mrs. Mallard finds out about her husband’s death she goes to her room and the narrator says â€Å"There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into this she sank.†(157) This shows that the furniture is old and worn because most furniture takes a while before it can be worn is so when sat on it will sink in. Throughout the whole short story â€Å"The Story of an Hour† the reader sees’ irony but the best usage of irony occurs toward the end of the story in the last few paragraphs. As the reader reads the story they notice that Mrs. Mallard’s husband Brently Mallard died in a railroad disaster. The reader also finds out that Mrs. Mallard has a heart trouble, and great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death. (157) There ar... ...iant because it lets the audience know her real death and what the characters in the story thought her death was. Without irony in a story it may be very boring and easy to put the story down. With irony included in the story the reader does not want to put the book down and stays interested throughout the entire story because irony makes the reader want to know what is going to happen next because they can’t guess it. Kate Chopin uses irony to perfection in this short story. She does this by using irony to let the reader better understand the purpose and meaning of the story. Without the irony in this story it would be dull and boring, but with irony, the story has suspense and unexpected events. This story was not like other stories that you usually read. It was not predictable at all. I love the vivid imagery throughout the whole story. I like this story because you can not really predict what is going to happen. When you can predict, it usually ruins the story. It kept you wandering about how it was going to end. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. The Story of an Hour. The Story and its Writers. Compact 6th Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. 15

Hamlet Rough Draft

Throughout the play, Hamlet shows many examples of being an indecisive person and being unable to do anything he wants to, as if something stops him. An example would be in act five, when he decides to confess his love for Ophelia on her grave. He took too long to tell Ophelia or anyone for the matter about his love for her. Another example would be his mother remarrying, and Hamlet not being able to confess his true feelings about King Claudius being his new father. In the first four acts, Hamlet goes on about his life being miserable and in some kind of melancholy mood.He can’t find a way to deal with it, so he keeps all of his negative feelings to himself. This â€Å"depressed† funk he is in interferes with his will to act upon things that go on around him. However, he does manage the courage to finally step up and confront his feelings about King Claudius, which puts him in fear of Hamlet. Besides his mood affecting his will to act, how Hamlet over thinks his action s ruins his ability to do anything. For him, there is always something else that can go wrong, so he decides not to go with his original plan.While we all go around looking for an excuse whether or not to do something, Hamlet seems to have no problem just saying never mind to everything and chickening out. He thinks about a plan to make, then decides against it. â€Å"Why† is what I have to ask? Why didn’t Hamlet do everything he wanted to? Maybe his life would have changes completely and he would be in such a rough state. Maybe his life wouldn’t have changed at all. In Act Five Scene 1, Hamlet finally confesses his true love for Ophelia, who has already committed suicide. As if saying this is going to bring her back to life, he fights with her brother Laertes about who loves her more. Forty thousand brothers/ Could not, with all their quantity of love,/ make up my sum. † (V. i. ) The two literally jump into her grave and fight over her. Hamlet waits until Ophelia is dead to confess his love for her, while before, he had the chance to do so. (Claudius and Polonius set up a trap for Hamlet to see if he’s gone â€Å"mad† because of his love for Ophelia, or because he may actually be insane. )In this scene, Hamlet chooses to completely dis Ophelia and basically tell her he doesn’t love her at all. She was in on it the whole time, and was discouraged by his reaction.This may be the reason she actually killed herself. It is ironic to see how scared he seems of confronting anyone about how he feels. â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman! † (I. ii. ) Hamlet is completely in awe and disbelief that his mother would marry her own brother. Especially since it’s her own flesh and blood she’s married to. Hamlet feels that it hasn’t been nearly long enough to remarry or get over their loss which they suffered. Yet, Hamlet still shows no sign of courage to confront the new king, even though he feels so st rongly that this is so wrong.Before he says that to his mother, he also said, â€Å"That it should come to this,† meaning that she could have married anyone or anything else, and it still wouldn’t have been as bad as her own brother. That it would have to come to this, thinking that you can’t trust anyone again besides your own family members. Hamlet also believes that because of this awkward marriage, there is just a series of streaks of bad luck to come to him and his family. Sharing this with his mother would be the best idea, but like many other times, hamlet doesn’t say a word and keeps to himself.He hates his uncle being king, and wants so bad for it to change. This scares him though, thinking that saying something will just bring even more bad luck to him. Later on in the story, he does go and find his mother to tell him his trouble about this and what will happen if he doesn’t share this with her. Hamlet goes to his mother and finally share s what’s on his mind. He tells her things like, â€Å"don’t believe your husband that I/m crazy, because I’m really not,† or, â€Å"I’m only telling you this so Claudius doesn’t persuade you to think differently of me. He warns his mother to not go and â€Å"spread the compost on the weeds/ To make them ranker † By saying this, he doesn’t want the compost to be like a catalyst, and spread corruption throughout her own mind because of Claudius telling her so. Although Hamlet shows himself as indecisive and insecure, towards the end of the story he does show some act of courage; enough to finally go and kill King Claudius. At first, he finds himself procrastinating at the matter, because he comes up behind King Claudius while he’s praying. He originally planned on killing him right then and there, but wait!Hamlet stops and lets his inner coward win over yet again. After a series of deep thoughts, he does decide to kill hi s uncle, and realizes that he must go through with his plan quickly, before Hamlet himself is killed. †Thus conscience does not make cowards of us all;/ And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought;/ And enterprises of great pith and moment,/ With this regard, their currents turn away,/ And lose the name of action. † Hamlet here combines some themes of this play: death and life, the connection between thought and ction. In act five scene five, he goes into Claudius’ room to kill him. Like the last time he went to kill him, he was on his knees praying. Why send him to Heaven when he should go to Hell? His father wasn’t given a chance to repent his sins before he was murdered, so why should King Claudius? Hamlet thinks about this for a minute, and decides to wait for a more reasonable time to go through with this murder. Maybe he will get lucky and catch the king drinking, angry, or being a lustful man. Then he feels it would be right to kill him.When we do bad deeds, we feel bad about them sooner or later, or do we immediately regret doing them? This is something Hamlet does a lot throughout the entire play. One moment he is ready to confess his love for someone, and the minute they turn to look at him, he changes his mind. His indecisiveness seems to play a big part on his actions. If he wasn’t so afraid of the possible outcome, do you think he would go through with everything he says he will? Over the series of acts, Hamlet shows another emotion. Whether he’s happy, sad, angry, or in love, one mood will never seem to stay put.When I first read this, I kept losing my train of thought because of the consistent change of emotion. Hamlet seems to be insecure with everything he thinks about, which leads him to a world of hurt in the future. Look at what happened with Ophelia: he waited too long to tell her he loved her, said all of the wrong things to her, and she killed hersel f over it all. When his mother married his uncle, he was confused and angry, but didn’t say anything because he was afraid of hurting his mother and bring bad luck to him. Hamlet also doesn’t tend to give any one thought of his a chance before completely shooting it down with disbelief.I mean, leaving things to fall on their own makes sense to do, but not with every single problem or situation that comes around. For example, when we’re cold, do we go and get a blanket, turn the heat on, or even snuggle up on the couch? Or do we just wait until were so cold that were just numb? Of course we aren’t going to let ourselves freeze, so we go and do something about it without thinking about all of the negative repercussions. (Like being even more uncomfortable once we get up, or worse case scenario, tripping over something and breaking a limb. Hamlet needs to be more lenient on himself while making decisions, because he seems to be killing himself by doing this. He loses every chance he gets by not bothering with them in the first place. Shakespeare’s plays all have a theme based on the same basic thing: life and personal experience. Like a normal human being, he’s probably been through heartbreak, a loss of a loved one, and the experience of having to make a serious decision. Maybe he was the kind of author that makes his characters do everything he didn’t, and that’s what makes it so relatable to us as his audience.

Criticality and Creativity

Individuality is the state or quality of being an individual; a person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs or goals. Individualism promote the exercise of one’s goals and desires thus one values independence and self reliance while opposing external interference upon one’s own interests by society and institutions such as the Government. Liberty is the ability of individuals to have control over their own actions.John Stuart Mill a philosopher, on his article Liberty under the chapter of Individuality as One of the element well-being has made an imperative that that human beings should be free to form opinions, and to express their opinions without reserve. This is of beneficial consequences to the intellectual, and through that to the moral nature of man, unless this liberty is either conceded, or asserted in spite of prohibition. He recognized the difference between liberty as the freedom to act and liberty as the absence of coercion.Indivi duals should be given the chances to come up with opinions or ideas and be allowed to express them without been stopped. For example the Government should not refuse an individual to put into action their new ideas but should rather motivate them. It should not stop them because it thinks it can do better than them but should facilitate the idea by providing the necessities such as fund and freedom. Individuals can come up with opinions or ideas that may benefit them but at the same time impose a problem to others.The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he/she must not make himself a nuisance to other people. But if he refrains from molesting others in what concerns them, and merely acts according to his own inclination and judgment in things which concern himself, the same reasons which show that opinion should be free, prove also that he should be allowed, without molestation, to carry his opinions into practice at his own cost.When individuals are given the freedo m to come up with new ideas and exploit them, it encourages them to want to come up with better ideas, learn from their experiences thus promoting their creativity and developing criticality in them. The human faculties of perception, judgment, discriminative feeling, mental activity, and even moral preference, are exercised only in making a choice. He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice. He gains no practice either in discerning or in desiring what is best.The mental and moral, like the muscular powers, are improved only by being used. The faculties are called into no exercise by doing a thing merely because others do it, no more than by believing a thing only because others believe it. If the grounds of an opinion are not conclusive to the person's own reason, his reason cannot be strengthened, but is likely to be weakened, by him adopting it and if the inducements to an act are not affected by, or rights of others are not concerned, it is so much done towa rds rendering his feelings and character inert and torpid, instead of active and energetic.This is because originality is a valuable element in human affairs. There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, and point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct, and better taste and sense in human life.

The 10 Most-Banned Classic Novels

The 10 Most-Banned Classic Novels Want to read a banned book? Youll have plenty of excellent novels to choose from. There have been many attempts throughout history to suppress or otherwise censor works of literature, even works that have gone on to become  classics. Authors such as George Orwell, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and Toni Morrison have all seen their works banned at one time or another. The list of banned books is massive, and the reasons for their exclusion varies, but books with sexual content, drug use, or violent imagery are banned most frequently, regardless of their literary value. Here are the top 10 most-banned classic works of fiction in the 20th century, according to the American Library Association, and a little bit about why each was considered controversial. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald Gatsby, Fitzgeralds Jazz Age classic is one of the most-banned books of all time. The tale of playboy Jay Gatsby and the target of his affection, Daisy Buchanan, was challenged as recently as 1987, by Baptist College in Charleston, S.C. because of language and sexual references in the book. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger The stream-of-consciousness story of Holden Caulfields coming of age has long been a controversial text for young readers. An Oklahoma teacher was fired for assigning Catcher to an 11th grade English class in 1960, and numerous school boards have banned it for its language (Holden goes on a lengthy rant about the F word  at one point) and sexual content. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck John Steinbecks Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that tells the story of the migrant Joad family has been burned and banned for its language since its release in 1939. It was even banned for a time by Kern County, Calif., which is where the Joads end up because Kern County residents said it was obscene and libelous. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee This 1961 Pulitzer-Prize winning story of racism in the Deep South, told through the eyes of a young girl named Scout, has been banned mainly for its use of language, including the N word. A school district in Indiana challenged To Kill a Mockingbird in 1981, because it claimed the book  represented institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature, according to the ALA. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker The novels graphic portrayals of rape, racism, violence against women, and sex have seen it banned by school boards and libraries since its release in 1982. Another winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Color Purple was one of more than a dozen books challenged in Virginia in 2002 by a group calling themselves Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. Ulysses, by James Joyce The stream-of-consciousness epic novel, considered Joyces masterpiece, was initially banned for what critics viewed as its pornographic nature. In 1922, postal officials in New York seized and burned 500 copies of the novel. The matter ended up in court, where a judge ruled that Ulysses should be available, not just on the basis of free speech, but because he deemed it a book of originality and sincerity of treatment, and that it has not the effect of promoting lust. Beloved, by Toni Morrison The novel, which tells the story of the freed slave Sethe, has been challenged for its scenes of violence and sexual material. Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize, in 1988 for this book, which continues to be challenged and banned. Most recently, a parent challenged the books inclusion on a high school English reading list, claiming that the sexual violence depicted in the book was too extreme for teenagers. As a result, the Virginia Department of Education created a policy requiring the review of sensitive content in reading materials.   The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding This tale of schoolboys stranded on a desert island is often banned for its vulgar language  and violence by its characters. It was challenged at a North Carolina high school in 1981 because it was considered  demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal. 1984, by George Orwell The dystopian future in Orwells 1949 novel was written to depict what he saw as serious threats from the then-budding Soviet Union. Nevertheless, it was challenged in a Florida school district in 1981 for being pro-Communist and having explicit sexual matter. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov Its little wonder that Nabokovs 1955 novel about middle-aged Humbert Humberts sexual relationship with adolescent Dolores, whom he calls Lolita, has raised some eyebrows. Its been banned as obscene in several countries, including  France, England, and Argentina, from its release until 1959, and in New Zealand until 1960. For more classic books that were banned by schools, libraries, and other authorities, check out the lists at the American Library Associations website.

How the Puritans Differed from the Pilgrims

How the Puritans Differed from the Pilgrims The Puritans and the Pilgrims were two significant immigrant groups who moved from England to America in the 1600s. Both groups existed in England at a time when the country underwent a break with Catholicism. Following this break with the Catholic Church, The Church of England was established and every Englishman was required to acknowledge its authority.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on How the Puritans Differed from the Pilgrims specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This new state of affairs led a group of religious people to seek immigration to the New World so that they could exercise their religious freedoms. Thus in the early 1600s, the Pilgrims and the Puritans headed left England for America out of religious considerations. This paper will highlight the major differences between the Puritans and the Pilgrims. The most significant difference between the two groups is that while the Pilgrims desired a separation of church and state, the Puritans only wanted to purify the Church of England from within. The pilgrims did not want to belong to the Church of England and they took to holding meetings in barns and homes. These separatists formed their own religious rules and traditions (Velm 83). Because of this, the King of England persecuted the Separatists. These pilgrims therefore moved to America, which was viewed as a place where they could have the freedom to worship the way they wanted. The Puritans on the other hand viewed did not seek a separation from the English establishment and only wanted to carry out reforms to remove corruption from the church. The Puritans emigrated to the New World since they were persecuted in their attempts to instigate reforms in the Church of England.  The two groups also differed in their perception of God. The Puritans deemed religion as a guideline for everyday living and God was regarded as a strict supernatural being who ruled over all. The Puritans laid great emphasis on spirituality and members of this group had great biblical knowledge (Conforti 190). Owing to their concern for Christian purity, the Puritans were strict in their way of life. Conversely, the Pilgrims had a more accommodating perception of God who was viewed as a benevolent and lenient ruler who could forgive easily. The pilgrims had a more liberal approach to worship and religion and little emphasize was made on spirituality. The Pilgrims way of life was more tolerant and it did not have many restrictions.  The other difference between the two groups is that while the Pilgrims emphasized on individual righteousness before God, the Puritans were committed to corporate righteousness. The Pilgrims were in favor of a strong separation between the church and state and for this reason; they were regarded radical rebels (Velm 83).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To this group, each person was accountable for his or her own actions to God and corporate righteousness was unbiblical. The Puritans on the other hand supported corporate worship and deemed the state as integral to the perpetration of religion. The Puritans were of the opinion that the role of the government was to enforce Gods laws. The Puritans and the Pilgrims played a major role in the development of the American colonies. This paper set out to articulate the difference between the two groups. To this end, it has documented that the major difference was that the Pilgrims were Separatists while Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England. In spite of their differences, the two groups move to the New World where they were able to practice the religious freedoms they did not enjoy in England. Conforti, Joseph. Imagining New England: Explorations of Regional Identity from the Pilgrims to the Mid-Twentieth Century. Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. Print. Vel m, Greg. Wiley AP U.S. History. NY: John Wiley Sons, 2012. Print.