Sunday, January 12, 2020

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 44

Booyah! When Danny finishes reading Tiffany's latest letter, he sighs, scratches his Afro, and looks out my bedroom window for a long time. I want his reaction because he is the only person I know who doesn't already have a strong opinion about Tiffany. Everyone else is obviously biased – even Cliff. â€Å"So,† I finally say from my bed. I'm sitting with my back against the headboard and my cast propped up on a few pillows. â€Å"What do you think I should do?† Danny sits down, opens up the Parcheesi box, and takes out the hand-painted wooden board and pieces my mother gave me for my birthday. â€Å"I feel like being red today,† he says. â€Å"What color you want?† After I pick blue, we set up the board on the little table my mother put in the room for us when I first came home with a broken leg. We play Parcheesi like we always do when Danny visits, and it becomes obvious that he isn't going to weigh in with an opinion regarding Tiffany, probably because he knows that only I can make this decision – but maybe because he just wants to play the game. He loves Parcheesi more than any man I have ever met, and when he lands on one of my spots and sends one of my pieces back to the start circle, Danny always points at my face and yells, â€Å"Booyah!† which makes me laugh because he is so goddamn serious about Parcheesi. Even though I don't really enjoy playing Parcheesi as much as Danny does – and he won't answer any of my questions about Tiffany – it's nice to have him back in my life again. We play Parcheesi for so many hours – days pass, and my record against Danny grows to 32 wins and 203 losses. Danny is a supreme Parcheesi player, and the best dice roller I have ever met. When he says, â€Å"Papa needs a doublet,† he almost always rolls two sixes. Whatever Papa needs, Danny rolls.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Foreign and Domestic Policy of the Trump Administration - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2609 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/03/27 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Donald Trump Essay Did you like this example? President and Trump and his administration are without a doubt one of the most controversial to have ever been leading our country, no matter which party someone is supportive of. The ideas and views of both Trump and his cabinet have, in many times, been seen as less favorable to most citizens but it has not stopped him from going through with his plans. When it comes to domestic policy he has lots of ideas dealing with equality, the environment, and the economy that do not go with most peoples mindset, and when it comes to foreign policy he has done interesting things regarding trade and overall treatment of other countries that is much different from how it has been handled in the past. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Foreign and Domestic Policy of the Trump Administration" essay for you Create order The most notable good thing that he has done for the country so far is the changed the economy for the better for many reasons such as, the stock market and consumer confidence have hit all-time highs, the number of mortgage applications for new homes has reached a seven-year high, and gas prices have fallen to a 12-year low, but other than that theres not much else (Schweller). Trumps foreign views are vastly different from past presidents but at times have led to successful outcomes. To start with the new, for the most part friendly, relations with North Korea, Trump went through with the first summit and agreed to a second summit with North Korea on their quest for some peace (Stokols). Closer to home he has also created a new United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal called USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) which took more than a year to reach, but will overall help US farmers and make trade more free and fair (Trump Praises New). To name just a few other positive things that Trump has done when looking at foreign relations, he has decided to leave remaining US troops to fight Iranian troops in Syria when before he wanted to pull them all out and supported the citizens of Venezuela in their push for a regime change (Is the Trump Administration; Trump Administration Pushes). Both of these situations were originally not going to be handled like th ey were, but due to the change in Trumps mind, he went through with different plans that were better for our country and how our country appears. Other than the little successes with the economy, and with very little improved foreign relations, there is not much else that the Trump Administration has been successful with. While the Trump Administration has had few successes, they have overall been unsuccessful when it comes to dealing with the environment, economy, equality, and immigration of the US and when dealing with the trade and treatment of other countries. When President Obama was in office he did a lot to prevent climate change whether it was limiting regulations on coal-fired power plants or joining the Paris Agreement that planned to fight climate change, but in the two years that Trump has been in office he has managed to undo most of it. Recently Trump set to reverse the centerpiece of Obamas efforts to stop climate change by rolling back on the Clean Power Plan, which restricted greenhouse gases that came from power plants (Daly). This withdrawal from the Clean Power Plan paired with the planned rollback of fuel-economy standards starting in 2020 sets the US in reverse for the fight for climate change and leaning away from clean energy sources (McMahon). Aside from the Clean Power Plan, Trump is working on dismantling many other Obama-era regulations on methane emissions and oil and gas operations, which will just further the quantity of greenhouse gases that the US produces (McMahon). Trump and most of the Republican party view Obamas Clean Power Plan as a war on coal that was waged by Obama, but in reality, it was just a push to avoid global warming from getting worse (Daly). Since the start of Trumps presidency he has done some good things for the economy overall, but recently his actions are leading to a future filled with failure. To start he has a distorted view on todays economy and tried to flat-out deny that poverty was affecting America despite the fact that there are about 40 million American citizens that are living in poverty (Sherman). When the leader of the country is denying something that affects almost one-tenth of the population it is easy to see that the leader is not doing the best job that they could be doing, especially when it comes to something as large as the economy. Branching off from this, he also is focusing on the wrong economic classes when trying to fix something in the economy. With a recent Executive Order he was trying to help the rich or upper-class with retirement by making it so elders can keep more money in their retirement accounts longer, and because the rich usually put their money into these to avoid taxes it is g iving them more power than they need (Ghilarducci). It will mean that if they do not draw from their retirement accounts they will nott have to pay taxes, and their familys tax rate will most likely be lowered (Ghilarducci). With the unnecessary power given to the rich, there is power that is also being taken away from the middle class. When the National Treasury Department released moved to put a $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, the states retaliated in court (Gordon). By putting the cap on some states it would result with the citizens seeing an increase in their taxes this following season, which to the upper-class does not mean much, but to the middle and lower-classes it means a lot since they may not necessarily be able to afford it(Gordon). Aside from those aspects of the economy, his trade war with China is leading to a breakdown in the States, and this is where the economy and trade begin to blur together to create unfavorable conditions. It is easy to see that Trumps effort to scare foreign countries into yielding is not working, the biggest example being the back-and-forth of tariffs with China and the US. So they would not be beaten out by Trump, China placed a $14 billion tariff on American soybean exports that enter Chinas borders (Silverstein). Because of the high tariffs and the trade war between the countries it has caused American farmers to suffer since they are caught directly in the middle of it (Trump Faces Fallout). Not only are American farmers being affected, but some big companies such as Volvo are taking a big toll (Trumps Trade Policy). Because of the high cost of trade between countries the company has been considering laying off a lot of their workers, and if the current trade policy does not chan ge by this next summer then the US is estimated to lose 700,000 jobs overall (Trumps Trade Policy). To date Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese technology imports and 25% on $3 billion in Chinese steel and aluminum, but that is not all there has to do with China (Brinkley). President Trump has even threatened to impose tariffs on all Chinese imports, which would essentially lead to a trade disaster if it is modeled off by how things have been going now (Brinkley). When mixed together it is seen that the tariffs will lead to rising input prices for American businesses, which means employees being given a weaker wage and therefore a weaker employment growth, which will then result in even worse retail sales and end with a large decline in economic growth (Coppola). Other foreign relations under Trump have been a bit rough, specifically the way that he has treated and acted to other countries. He acts impulsively in most situations with other countries because of how much he embraces his nationalist views which usually ends with unpleasant results (Freedman). Puerto Rico, which is an island of US territory, is not a state of the US despite the fact that they have to abide by the laws of America, and under Trumps presidency he says they will not be granted statehood because there are some Puerto Rican citizens that are mean to him (Trump Says Puerto Rico). This not only is the wrong treatment to a situation such as the granting of statehood, but it is overall so immature because the head of the country will not even consider it for a reason as small and petty as them being mean to him. The entire nation is represented by President Trump, and when he says something such as that it shines the country as a whole in a bad light. When it comes to coun tries that Trump has other feuds with he has stuck by his maximum-pressure strategy, despite the fact that his national-security teams beliefs do not match up (Nasr). Trump plans to make conditions progressively worse for countries until they finally buckle under the pressure and give in to what he wants, but when this was used with China in the current trade war it just caused them to retaliate with big tariffs of their own. Trumps treatment to countries as a whole has been bad, but the treatment of their leaders have been worse in sometimes. When Trump met with the Kenyan Leader, Uhuru Kenyatta, throughout the entire meeting he avoided questions related to the recent death of Senator John McCain and repeatedly joked with the Kenyatta during serious topics such as the Kenyan economy and the overturning of the August presidential election by Kenyas Supreme Court, which tarnished Kenyattas image (Odula). Moving over to Russia, while Trump was talking about his upcoming meetings with NATO, the United Kingdom, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he joked and said that Putin would be the easiest of them all (Trump Says Putin Meeting). Despite the comment being a lighthearted joke about the meeting with the Russian President, the meeting between two national leaders should not be made into a joking matter. While Trump has made very substantial work with reaching peace with North Korea, there have been times where he has acted wrong for the situation or not done enough when he should have. While Trump has worked to get North Korea to end their nuclear program and bring an end to the tension, he is getting in a bit over his head. He has said that he respects Kim Jong Un and frankly likes him, and while he should not be saying that he hates him and is against him, he also should not be showing support for a dictator that has such tight control over a country (Wong). And while North Korea did agree to begin to denuclearize, no progress has been seen since they said it (Wilkinson). In a situation such as this Trump should be giving a bit more of a push to denuclearization, and while he did cancel Mike Pompeos trip to North Korea after finding out there was little to no progress on denuclearization, he has not worked on doing much else (Wilkinson). Because both North Korea and the United Sta tes have been skeptical about the situation as a whole they both have been slow to work with one another, but that just gives all more the reason for Trump to work harder and tougher at reaching the peace that is so close (Jervis.) The idea of equality is a tough one when it comes to todays world, even though in the society that we live in it really should not be. Affirmative Action is something that the Democratic and Republican parties have fought over for many years, and after certain policies were passed under Obama that affected some aspects of the college admissions process. While the law that Obama passed did not directly give colleges and universities the power to use race as a basis for admissions, it did make it a lot easier, and now Trump wants to undo that (Trump to Reverse Obama-Era). Another aspect of race that Trump is indirectly getting into is found in Chicago (Riechmann). Almost half of the population of the city of Chicago is African-American, and with Trump saying that he openly supports stop-and-frisk policing in the city it can be taken a little as a racial hit (Riechmann). While this is definitely not a direct jab at any specific race, it still is not something that he should be endorsing because every citizen is entitled to certain privacies and should not be subjected to getting stopped and frisked by police while minding their own business walking down the street. Immigration is also a very big issue that Trump has certain ideas on and they recently have not had good results. Immigration overall is a very big deal because people entering a country without a citizenship or visa should not be happening, but the way Trump has been handling it should not be happening either. Parents who are illegal immigrants are losing their children to the adoption system and giving them such a hard time at getting them back because of the flaws that are built into the idea of it (Burke). Parents have a right to take care of their children and it should not be taken away from them, and in the instances such as illegal immigration they definitely should not be taken away and given to another family to then take months and months of work just to get them back where they rightfully should be (Burke). While this has neither to do with domestic policy or foreign policy directly, it still is a big issue that President Trump has, and that is the way that acts as a person. To begin, Trump publically lashed out at his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to a case in violating campaign finances in coordination with Trump (Miller). After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, Trump claimed that the 3,000 reported deaths were completely fake and totally exaggerated while there was evidence to prove that they were all real (Trump Faces Bipartisan Backlash). After Judge Kavanaugh was approved to the Supreme Court there was talk about impeaching him, and to do that they would have to first impeach Trump, which President Trump then went on to joke about in front of a crowd after Kavanaughs hearing (Trump Jokes About His). Lastly, when it comes to the border wall between the US and Mexico that Trump is so supportive of, he has said many times that he will get Mexico to pay for it, wh ich will not happen (Trump Throws Fit Over). This fact along with lack of funding for a border wall in the Senate version of the Spending Bill ended with Trump throwing a fit over the border wall and how it is being paid for (Trump Throws Fit Over). When looked at past presidencies it is shown that none have ever reacted as drastically as Trump has, and overall no leader of any country should act or react in the ways that President Trump does. Trumps presidency as a whole definitely is not a completely terrible thing for the US, as they have majorly improved some aspects of the economy and made huge steps in some areas of foreign relations. While they were able to accomplish these, they missed the mark when it came to the environment, aspects of equality, areas of the economy, immigration of the US, and the treatment and trade with foreign countries. Trump has yet to do anything drastically terrible that will ruin the United States, but he also has not done much in helping it either, and in the end has possibly just made it worse.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Essay about The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography

The Role of Reflexivity in Ethnography Reflexivity, as I understand it, is very well named.It is the practice of reflecting upon oneself and one’s work, of being self-aware and self-critical. In anthropology, it is well exemplified by the work of Renato Rosaldo, Ruth Behar, and Dorinne Kondo, among others. In its most obvious form (or at least the form most obvious to me), reflexivity is manifest in the practice of an ethnographer including herself in her own ethnographic research---seeing herself not as an â€Å"unbiased, impartial† (Malinowski 18) observer, but as an essential and un-removable part of her study. The effect of reflexivity on ethnographic writing has been, however, much broader than just that. It signals â€Å"a departure from†¦show more content†¦One should remember to be critical of one’s own work, to be open to the idea that one may be wrong. Among the semester’s readings, one in particular stands out for me as utterly self riteous and lacking in self-criticism. The introduction to Bronislaw Malinowski’s Argonauts of the Western Pacific is an assault upon my (admittedly) politically correct, postmodern (is that a bad word?), early 21st century sensibility. His â€Å"unbiased† writing is chalk-full of condescension, bigotry, and Eurocentricism. These are easy enough to dismiss (although not excuse) as the mind-frame of the era in which he was writing. It is, instead, his arrogant belief in his own irrefutable authority that (ironically) decreases his credibility for me. Malinowski writes of obtaining ethnographic success â€Å"by a patient and systematic application of a number of rules of common sense and well known scientific principles† (6). He refers alternately to missionaries, traders, and even natives as â€Å"untrained minds† (5) â€Å"and inferior amateur[s]† (6). He write s of ethnography as the be all and end all of understanding â€Å"primitive† cultures, of decoding the â€Å"chaotic and freakish† (9). I should say here that I do not wish to dismiss ethnography in any way. On the contrary, I believe it to be of great value in the study of any kind of culture. I don’t even entirely disagree with Malinowski. I suppose my main qualm with his work is in its total lackShow MoreRelatedEssay about Ethnography1634 Words   |  7 PagesEthnography One of the most complex and interesting aspects of cultural anthropology is the ethnography. The idea of being able to read stories about groups of individuals is something that is intriguing to many people. With the ethnography, the authors many times feel that they have control and understanding over the individuals that they are writing about. Furthermore, many of these authors assume that the individuals among whom they are living and studying exemplify the entire society asRead MoreEssay on The Role of the Reflexive Ethnographer1252 Words   |  6 PagesThe Role of the Reflexive Ethnographer Works Cited Missing The role of the reflexive ethnographer has been constantly defined and redefined since the beginning of the study of anthropology. The use of reflexivity has and will always be questioned in anthropology. Malinowski, who was a pioneer in the field of anthropology, discouraged the use of reflexivity; he, instead, believed that anthropology was scientific and could produce â€Å"concrete evidence† (Malinowski 17). Reflexivity is wayRead More Anthropology1316 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology Anthropology what a vulnerable observer you are! You may well have to jump into the arms of the scientists if you are going to try to keep your grass hut at the academy! -- Ruth Behar Debates on the role the reflexive plague the field of cultural anthropology as postmodern critics join the bandwagon attempting to claim authority in this dubiously recognized discipline. In the borderline realm between the sciences and humanities, cultural anthropology has tried to find a nicheRead More Ethnography Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesEthnography Works Cited Missing Reflexivity is a qualitative method of research that takes an ethnography one step further, displaying the personal thoughts and reflections of the anthropologist on his informants. Ethnographies generally take an outside or foreign perspective of a culture, like reading a text, and reflexivity introduces a new component of inside description. Here, the anthropologist may describe personal interactions and experiences with natives and use this inside informationRead MoreEssay on The Pros and Cons of Ethnographic Reflexivity849 Words   |  4 PagesThe Advantages and Limits of Ethnographic Reflexivity Awareness of writing choices generates an appreciation of the reflexivity of ethnographic research. Reflexivity involves the recognition that an account of reality does not simply mirror reality but rather creates or constitutes as real in the first place whatever it describes. Thus ‘the notion of reflexivity recognizes that texts do not simply and transparently report an independent order of reality. Rather, the texts themselves are implicatedRead More Ethnography Essay989 Words   |  4 PagesEthnography Works Cited Missing Anthropology is defined, in the most basic terms, as the study of other cultures. This field can subsequently be divided into more specific sects, and contain more precise defining characteristics, but this definition is essentially all that is needed. Anthropology is a science that attempts to look at other cultures and draw conclusions to questions that are raised while studying. An anthropologist is someone who accepts what is presented before them and isRead MoreAnalysis Of Robert Flaherty s Famous Work Nanook Of The North1235 Words   |  5 PagesThe challenge of accurately representing ethnography, the critical analysis and systematic inspection of everyday life across cultures, has been repeatedly attempted with myriad intentions and has subsequently evolved over time. This paper will examine four iconic anthropological filmmakers in the mid-twentieth century in their individual distinctive endeavors to contribute to and accomplish this goal of developing ethnographic film. F rom Robert Flaherty s objective to showcase culture as art, toRead MoreThe Presentation Of The Self By Irving Goffman1167 Words   |  5 Pagesperform a variety of social roles, like actors in a play, and that society is made up of groups of players working together to up hold various social realities and functional institutions such as work, school, home, medical, legal or leisure. The two key components of this theory are ‘front and back’ and ‘impression management’, which enable analysis of how identity is presented and understood through symbols, and the differing ways people behave when they are in and out of role: enabling preparation andRead MoreEssay on Reflexivity and Modern Works of Anthropology1090 Words   |  5 PagesReflexivity and Modern Works of Anthropology The role of reflexivity in Anthropology has changed a great deal over time. The effects of doing ethnography on the ethnographer was not considered an important mode of inquiry in the past. While inevitably, going to far distant lands and living with a culture so different from your own will at least cause the ethnographer to reflect on personal issues but most likely will cause profound changes in the way he or she will view the world. But in theRead MoreA Research Study On Anthropology And Sociology1308 Words   |  6 PagesEthnography is a strategy of analysis coming from anthropology and sociology where the researcher studies the common forms of a person’s actions,vocabulary, and movements of a complete social cluster in an ordinary location over a lengthy period of time. Documents gathering often includes clarifications and dialogues(Creswell, 2014).A qualitative researcher uses ordinary locations, they are the main mechanism, collects numerous origin of evidence, uses inductive and deductive statistics study, put

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Is The Statue of Liberty a Lie Essay - 1716 Words

Is The Statue of Liberty a Lie? The issue of immigration has shaped the history of the United States throughout the years of its existence. People from numerous different countries have immigrated to America in search of a better life and new opportunities. While Americans often ponder whether immigration is a benefit to society, legislators have recently enacted many anti-immigration laws which have been enforced to keep control over illegal immigration. Many different positions exist concerning illegal immigration in the United States. Advocates for Proposition 187 would suggest that illegal immigration is greatly increasing the population of the country, crowding schools, and denying many basic rights to citizens. Opponents†¦show more content†¦In Los Angles, California, elementary schools have been greatly affected by the anti-immigration laws. Teachers are forced to report to authorities which children they believe could possibly be illegal immigrants. Those children are then removed from scho ol and often times sent back to their home country. Tom Bradley, mayor of Los Angeles in 1994, stated â€Å"it is not fair to turn the children of illegal immigrants into scapegoats by ejecting them from public schools and denying them vital health services† (Ono 92). Even if children who are legal citizens are not forced out of their school, their parents will still be deported from the United States leaving the children with nothing. Fourteen-year-old Simon Romero says about his parents, â€Å"It’s not my fault my parents are here illegally†¦. If they have to leave, what am I going to do?† (Ono 94) This is true in many family situations. The parents may be illegal, but the child is born in the United States. One of the biggest controversies is how Proposition 187 will affect the children of illegal immigrants. Opponents to immigration say that immigrants are over crowding the public schools; therefore taking away the education those citizens’ children should be receiving. While it may not necessarily be the responsibility of the government to decide what should be done with the children of illegal immigrants, it is their responsiblitly to ensure the basic rights of Americans.Show MoreRelated Statue of Liberty: A Lie? Essay972 Words   |  4 PagesStatue of Liberty: A Lie? As I sat on a park bench in the middle of Manhattan, eating a pack of stale peanut butter crackers, I couldnt keep myself from thinking about the woman I had met the day before. The lady I met seemed to be a strong woman of high morale, but after our interaction I came to the conclusion that she was living a lie. Well-known and noticeably the tallest female in the community, many people looked up to her as somewhat of a motherly figure. Ill never forget the tattoo onRead MoreThe Illusion Of Justice892 Words   |  4 PagesIllusion of Justice Many people immigrate to the United States seeking new opportunities and a better lives as a citizen. Everyday citizens never think to question the validity of the pledge of allegiance, in particular the section that states For liberty and justice for all. Does the United States government abide by this pledge and give every citizen, including the lawbreakers, justice? In my opinion, I do not believe that every citizen is given a fair trial under the current drug laws created byRead MoreThe Significance of Radical Thought and Attitudes in the Civil War Period1444 Words   |  6 Pagesevident in violent clashes that culminated in their removal under Cromwells orders Lynch further poses an interesting idea that In an exact sense they were communists. He is suggesting that here may lie the original seeds that led to later Communism. That the first statue of Winstanly was erected in Russia after Lenins consolidation of power shows the extent of their influence in later history and more importantly is evidence of how radical and far reaching their ideasRead MoreThe Mystification of the Artistic Object1497 Words   |  6 Pagesstoic virtue that were traditionally associated with the Roman Republic, thus drawing parallels between that time and the contemporary struggle for liberty in France such as Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres 1827 Apotheosis of Homer which depicts the famous blind poet in a scene of regal bearing in a manner that is as idealistic and lifelike as a Grecian statue (Norfleet 2006). However, by the time that Impressionists such as Monet began to produce their works in the latter half of the 19th century, theRead MoreEssay on DISSAPOINTMENT926 Words   |  4 Pagesactuality, I felt more confined and trapped because of the crowds. I will admit that it was beautiful there, and I did partake in all of the touristy exhibits, but I didnt feel a need to belt out the star spangled banner from the top of the Statue of Liberty! All of my life I had this idea of going to New York, and siting in a little coffee shop and having the time of my life, much like the media portrays New York with all of its `artsy people and places, but I ultimately was disappointed whenRead MoreMy Most Memorable Trip1518 Words   |  7 Pageswere going to go. Regardless of the decision, any experiences enjoyed together would be moments to cherish. Ultimately, I surprised her with a short drive to the dock. A few moments later, we were on a ferry to Ellis Island to enjoy the Statue of Liberty. I quickly realized that enjoying the seven point spiked rays representing a nimbus (halo), holding a stone tablet close to her body in her left hand and a flaming torch high in her right hand would not be happening. The tablet bears the wordsRead MoreLife of Edgar Allen Poe from Immigration to Poet1035 Words   |  5 Pages Edgar Allan Poe was alive during the period of the 1800s though the 1850s. During this period of time there was a mass movement of European Immigration to the United States (Educating About Immigration). On the Statue of Liberty, which is located in The New York Harbor which many immigrants had to pass through, the words â€Å"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this quotation gave immigrants hope while entering the new land (Educating About Immigration). Immi grantsRead More The Marine Corp Memorial Essay example1756 Words   |  8 Pageslater a life size model of it. Gagnon, Hayes, and Bradley, the three survivors of the flag raising posed for the sculptor. The original statue which was cast in plaster went on display in front of the Old Navy Building in Washington D.C. from 1945-1946. It was used to promote war bonds around the country. In 1946 General Vandegrift was so moved by the statue that he had Felix de Weldon transferred from the Navy to the Marine Corps and commissioned him to produce the memorial we see today. Read MoreLiterary Response : The Handmaid s Tale1361 Words   |  6 Pagesoutspread. Her legs are apart, I lie between them, my head on her stomach, her pubic bone under the base of my skull,†¦She too is fully clothed.† c. The way that Serena and Offred are positioned in complete discomfort symbolizes how women have no say and must be submissive, even in such an intimate, â€Å"holy† act. a. Simile b. â€Å"She continues lying on the bed gazing up at the canopy above her, stiff and straight as an effigy.† c. The use of this simile compares Serena to a statue. This makes the reader wonderRead MoreThe Lewis And Clark Expedition1405 Words   |  6 Pages Sacajawea is a renowned Native American woman who played a significant role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As stated by Brown, â€Å"She turned to dreaming of the future, of what it might hold for Pomp (her son), as she had dreamed of what might lie ahead for her when she had learned she was to be going on the expedition. But it was no dream that she had become a part of history† (110). Although most of her history is unclear, one thing is definite - without the help of Sacajawea, the United States

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Recreation And Sports Facilities In Ipswich â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Recreation And Sports Facilities In Ipswich? Answer: Introducation The plaintiff and the defendant entered into a contract to construct five multi-purpose recreation and sports facilities in Ipswich, Brisbane and Beaudeser, Toowoomba and Logan City. Although the plaintiff commenced manufacturing and designing but did not start the construction as was required by the contract and the defendant terminated the contract. Plaintiff claims reliance damages for the works done under the contract as the termination notice was an invalid exercise. Defendants Submissions Wrongful Termination The defendant had entered into a contract with the Plaintiff in July 2016 and the subject matter of the contact was to construct a five multi-purpose recreation and sports facilities in Ipswich, Brisbane and Beaudeser, Toowoomba and Logan City. The plaintiff failed to commence with the construction of the sports and the recreational facilities and merely initiated with the manufacturing and designing of the project. The defendant terminated the contact based on the ground that the plaintiff had repudiated when he failed to commence construction, which forms the subject matter of the contract. In Koompahtoo Local Aboriginal Land Council v Sanpine Pty Ltd [2007] 233 CLR 115, 135 party to a contract is said to have repudiated the contract when their conduct is such that any prudent person would believe that the party the does not have any intentions to be bound by the contract. Such conduct shall also imply that the plaintiff intends to fulfill the contract in a manner that is contrary to the obligations conferred on such party[1]. The plaintiff had initiated the design and manufacturing of the multi-purpose sports and recreational facilities but did not commence with the construction of the recreational and sports facility, which signifies that the plaintiff did not have any intention to perform the contract[2]. Hence, the defendant had terminated the contract on the ground of breach of the contract which in order to be considered as repudiation must be sufficiently severe to give rise to the right to terminate. The plaintiff committed a breach of contract by failing to commence construction of the multi-purpose sports and recreational facilities. In law of contract if either party to the contract commits a breach of the contractual terms, the innocent party is entitled to terminate the contract. This is particular when the contractual term infringed by the breaching party has been agreed to be an essential term (i.e. a condition) between the parties to the contract as was ruled in the Koompahtoos case. If the breached term is a condition, the aggrieved party shall be entitled to terminate the contract with respect to the breach of such contractual term. In order to determine whether the term breached was essential (i.e. condition) the test of essentiality must be applied. Thos would enable to comprehend whether the nature of the contract signifies that the promise made to the promise was so essential that in the absence of such promise, he would not have formed the contract if he had not been assured of the performance of the promise. If the contractual term breached by the plaintiff was a warranty or a non-essential term, the innocent party shall be entitled to claim damages but cannot end the contract. If the violated term is an intermediate or an innominate term, the contract is entitled to be terminated[3]. However, the termination depends on the seriousness of the breach of such contractual term. A contract can be terminated for breach of any non-essential or an intermediate contractual term. In Hongkong Fir Shipping Co Ltd v Kawasaki Kisen Kisha Ltd [1962] 2 QB 26[4], it was held that for claiming a breach of any contractual term, the innocent party must establish that the breach was of serious nature and the seriousness of the breach shall enable the innocent party to end the contract. The aggrieved party must establish that such breach has deprived him of the significant benefits that he was otherwise entitled to receive had the contract been performed. In Ankar v national Westminster Finance, it was held that in some cases the it becomes difficult to determine whether the term breached is intermediate term or not owing to the ambiguousness of the language of the term. Under such circumstances, such terms shall be considered as both an essential and non-essential term. The seriousness of the breach shall determine whether the termination of the contract was justified. The subject matter of the contract entered into between the defendant and the plaintiff as to construct multi-purpose sports and recreational facilities but the plaintiff failed to commence with the construction, which implies his intention of not performing his contractual obligation. Due to such failure on part of the plaintiff, the defendant had been deprived of the benefits he would have obtained otherwise, if the plaintiff had fulfilled his contractual obligations. As mentioned in the Hongkongs case, the defendant is entitled to repudiate the contract on the ground of breach of the contract on part of the plaintiff. Wrongful termination 2.1. If the defendant had not terminated the contract, even then it still would have been deprived of the benefits as the plaintiff had merely started with the designing and manufacturing process and the defendant could not make use of the sports and recreational facilities as its construction had not yet been commenced. It could be said that the breach had an overarching impact on the end objective of the contract. 2.2. In the case Piattchanine, Iouri v Phosagro Asia Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 25[5], the High Court held that the employer is entitled to terminate a contract under Common Law on the ground of breach of a contractual term and the essence of the contractual term breached depends on the facts of the case. The plaintiff had failed to start the construction of the multi-purpose project, which formed the subject matter of the contract and hence can be considered as an essential term of the contract. The defendant is entitled to terminate the contract under Common Law on ground of breach of an essential contractual term. 2.3. If a party is free to terminate a contract on notice, there is no stipulated requirement under the Common law to provide reasons to the party for terminating the contract as was ruled in Intico (Vic) Pty Ltd Ors v Walmsley [2004][6]. 2.4. In order to end the contract on the grounds of breach of any contractual term, it is imperative to identify the term that is alleged to have been infringed and the nature of the term should also be determined. If the term breached is an essential term irrespective of the fact how minor the term is, it shall be considered as a breach of an essential contractual term and the innocent party shall become entitled to terminate the contract. 2.5. If the term is not an essential term, that nature of the breach should be taken into consideration. As was observed in the Koompahtoos case, it is essential for the defendant to establish that the plaintiff had committed a breach of the proviso of the contra and the term was fundamental to the contract, hence the breach is of serious nature. The breach goes to the root of the contract and deprives the defendant or the aggrieved party significantly of the benefits that the innocent party as entitled to if the breach of the contractual term had not taken place on part of the plaintiff[7]. 2.6. The termination of the contract by defendant was based on the ground of a breach of an essential term of the contract, which was to construct a multi-purpose recreational, and sports facilities in Ipswich, Brisbane and Beaudeser, Toowoomba and Logan City. Due to the failure to commence the construction, it amounted to a breach of an essential term of the contract, which formed the subject matter of the contract. Such breach is considered as a fundamental breach and goes to the root the contract, thus, depriving the defendant from significant benefits which he was entitled to, had the contract was not breached. The defendant is entitled to claim compensation as ruled in the Kommpahtoos case. 2.7. The defendant had terminated the contract based on the breach of contractual term, which is considered as condition that gives rise to the right of the innocent party to terminate the contract. The defendant had notified the plaintiff about the termination of the contract and that the termination was conducted based on the breach of the contractual terms and not on the basis of repudiatory breach. In case the breach was conducted on the grounds of repudiation, the defendant would have had a chance to raise new grounds for terminating the contract. 2.6. the plaintiff had claimed that he relied on the contractual promise stipulated in the contract that it shall not be terminated unless the defendant notifies the plaintiff regarding the termination of the contract by giving reasons for it. However, as observed in the Inticos case, the employer is entitled to end a contract without giving any reasons for such termination under the Common law. The failure of the plaintiff to construct the multi-purpose project was a willful breach and the defendant had notified the plaintiff about the termination of contract on the grounds of breach of the contractual term, which was fundamental to the contract. 2.7. The plaintiff had further contended under clauses 5.5 that the plaintiff had entered into the contract with the belief that this contract would led him to earn huge profits in the future and that the defendant would form future contracts with him as well[8]. However, in order to form a valid contract it is imperative that both the parties to the contract agree by the terms of the contract and have legal intend to become legally bound by the contractual terms. In other words, both the parties to the contract must have the intention to perform the contractual terms of the contract without committing any breach of the contract. The plaintiff was aware that the subject matter or an indispensable term of the contract was the construction of the multi-purpose project in the five locations. The plaintiff commenced with the designs and the manufacturing but did not commence the construction of the project which implies that the plaintiff did not have any legal intention to perform his p art of the obligations and by non-commencing the construction of the project, it signified breach of an essential contractual term or a condition. 2.8. The defendant would have entered into other contracts with the plaintiffs had the plaintiff not failed to perform his part of the contractual obligations. Further, the defendant did not compel the plaintiff to enter into the contract at the cost of incurring a loss of $250000. The plaintiff had agreed to the terms of the contract and had entered into the contract voluntarily. The defendant promised the plaintiff of the substantial performance of the contract and was willing to perform the contractual obligation on part of the defendant. The plaintiff had willfully committed a breach of the contractual term by not fulfilling his obligation to construct the multi-purpose sports and recreational facility project in the five stipulated locations. 2.9. The plaintiff claims reliance damages to recoup the expenses incurred by the plaintiff to the extent that the plaintiff would have been entitled to recoup, had the contract was performed and not terminated[9]. As observed in the Piattchanines case, the defendant dismissed the claim of the plaintiff with respect to expenses incurred on the ground that the plaintiff had committed a willful breach of a contractual term, which amounts to a fundamental breach of the contract. Such willful breach deprives the defendant from substantial benefits that he would have otherwise obtained if the contract as fulfilled. The plaintiff failed to exercise reasonable care while performing his part of the obligation and has failed to the act in the best interests of the defendant. Reference list Stewart, Andrew. Stewart's guide to employment law. Vol. 3. Sydney: Federation Press, 2013. Painter, Richard, and Ann Holmes. Cases and materials on Employment Law. Oxford University Press, USA, 2015. Selwyn, Norman M., and Astra Emir. Selwyn's law of employment. Oxford University Press, USA, 2014. McKendrick, Ewan. Contract law: text, cases, and materials. Oxford University Press (UK), 2014. Adriaanse, Mr John. Construction contract law. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. Hughes, Will, Ronan Champion, and John Murdoch. Construction contracts: law and management. Routledge, 2015. Intico (Vic) Pty Ltd Ors v Walmsley [2004] Piattchanine, Iouri v Phosagro Asia Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 25 Hongkong Fir Shipping Co Ltd v Kawasaki Kisen Kisha Ltd [1962] 2 QB 26 Koompahtoo Local Aboriginal Land Council v Sanpine Pty Ltd [2007] 233 CLR 115, 135 [1] [2007] 233 CLR 115, 135 [2] Stewart, Andrew. Stewart's guide to employment law. Vol. 3. Sydney: Federation Press, 2013. [3] Painter, Richard, and Ann Holmes. Cases and materials on Employment Law. Oxford University Press, USA, 2015. [4] [1962] 2 QB 26 [5] [2015] SGHC 25 [6] [2004] [7] Selwyn, Norman M., and Astra Emir. Selwyn's law of employment. Oxford University Press, USA, 2014. [8] Adriaanse, Mr John.Construction contract law. Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. [9] Hughes, Will, Ronan Champion, and John Murdoch.Construction contracts: law and management. Routledge, 2015.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Secret Life of Bees free essay sample

The Secret Life of Bees Monk Kidd  «The Secret Life of Bees » is a historical novel by American author Sue Monk Kidd. It is a story of coming-of-age, of the ability of love to transform our lifes. Adressing the wounds of loss, betrayal and the scarcity of love, Kidd demonstratesthe power of women, coming together to heal those wounds, to mother each other and themselves, to create a new holy place – true family and home. The novel received much critical acclaim and was a New York Times bestseller. In 2005 it was adopted into a film by Ginn Prince-Bythewood. The Secret Life of Bees » is the story of Lily, a fourteen-year-old girl who runs away from her unloving father to search for secrets of her dead mother`s past. The setting of the novel is South Carolina in 1964, a time when racial tensions were inflamed by civil rights movement and white racists`frequently violent responses to it. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Life of Bees or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Against this backdrop, Lily and her house-keeper, Rosalin, find shelter in the home of the eccentric Boatwright sisters, three African American beekeepers who worship before the statue of a Black Madonna they call  «Our Lady in Chains ». There Lily finds love and acceptance and begins to come n terms with the quilt she feels over her mother`s death. Lily has a special relationship with bees. At night, they squeeze through the cracks of her bedroom wall by the hundreds and fly circles around her room until the air itself pulsating with wings. They seem to indicate to Lily where is her right path. Every chapter opens with a short description of he life of bees which is always has a connection with the plot. In the climax of the story the sisters Boatright, the beekeepers, empart to Lily the sectets of the Black Madonna, mother to thousands. T. Ray Owens is the hateful, peach-farming antagonist of the novel, is feeling particularly meen towards Lily. He is a monstrous and abusive father. There is not apparent love in his heart for Lily whatsoever, and living with him only deepens the ubiquitous pain of her motherless existence. Deborah Owens`death is a source of great anguish and mystery for the confused adolescent, a memory from when she was four that she still can`t quite get her head around. Lily`s only true friend is Rosalin, a large black peach-worker who T. Ray brought to the house to care for Lily when her mother died.  «The Secret Life of Bees » is growing-up tale wrapped into a search for one`s mother, plunked down into the racially – charged South Carolina during the Civil rights movement, set alight with feminine spirituality. It is an inspirational feminist tale with strong female characters. And while it has already proven its` mettle as a best-selling novel with universal appeal, it will particularly enchant the female reader.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

How effectively does Shakespeare introduce the characters and themes of Hamlet Essay Example

How effectively does Shakespeare introduce the characters and themes of Hamlet Paper To be or not to be that is the question Hamlet famously declaims in the third act of William Shakespeares longest drama, and one of the most probing plays ever to be performed on stage. Shakespeares Hamlet was written around the year 1600 in the final years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who had been the monarch of England for more than forty years and was then in her late sixties. The prospect of Elizabeths death and the question of who would succeed her was a subject of grave anxiety at the time, since Elizabeth had no children, and the only person with a legitimate royal claim, James of Scotland, was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and therefore represented a political faction to which Elizabeth was opposed. Hamlet and many other Shakespeare plays from this period, unsurprisingly, explore this theme of the transfer of power from one monarch to the next, particularly focusing on the uncertainties, betrayals, and upheaval that accompany such shifts in power, and the general sense of anxiety and fear that surround them. These themes of disorder, dilemma and indecision, madness and revenge and the discrepancy between appearance and reality are mainly explored through the main characters, principally Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia, and through the plot itself. We will write a custom essay sample on How effectively does Shakespeare introduce the characters and themes of Hamlet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How effectively does Shakespeare introduce the characters and themes of Hamlet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How effectively does Shakespeare introduce the characters and themes of Hamlet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Therefore, the first two acts in this drama are paramount in introducing the characters, and thus also themes, of Shakespeares play Hamlet for it to be regarded as one of the greatest plays ever to be written and staged in universal drama. As one critic, T. S. Elliot, remarks in his book On Poetry and Poets, the opening scene of Hamlet is as well constructed as that of any play ever written . Immediately, from the opening of the play, Shakespeare establishes a mood of anxiety and dread by using fragments of conversation, for example, Nay, answer me, stand and unfold yourself and Long live the King! The verses do not flow and their broken rhythms generate an atmosphere of unease, apprehension and confusion; this, and the fact that the play begins with the question Whos there? and is followed by six more in the next twenty lines, reveals from this early point of the play the notion of distrust and uncertainty that is prevalent throughout the play. In addition, the supernatural appearance of the ghost on a chilling, misty night outside Elsinore Castle indicates immediately that something is wrong in Denmark. The ghost serves to enlarge the shadow King Hamlet casts across Denmark, indicating that something about his death has upset the balance of nature. The appearance of the ghost also gives physical from to the fearful anxiety that surrounds the transfer of power after the kings death, seeming to imply, as Horatio sees it, a dark and frightening future for all. In addition, Horatio in particular sees the ghost as an ill omen, an extravagant and erring spirit, boding violence and turmoil in Denmarks future. The introduction of this character in the scene is important in signalling to the audience that there can be no doubt of the Ghosts existence or of its striking resemblance to the last King of Denmark, the valiant warrior, King Hamlet. This is due to the establishment of this character as a good-honoured man who is also educated, intelligent and sceptical of supernatural events. Before he sees the ghosts, he insists, Tush, tush, twill not appear, and even after seeing it he is reluctant to give full credence to stories of magic and mysticism. However, on seeing the ghost, Horatios ability to accept the truth at once, even when his predictions had been proven wrong, indicates the fundamental trustworthiness of his character. His reaction to the ghost functions to overcome the audiences sense of disbelief, since for a man as sceptical, intelligent and trustworthy as Horatio to believe in and fear the Ghost is far more convincing than if its only witnesses had been a pair of superstitious watchmen. In this subtle way, Shakespeare introduces Horatio from the first scene of the play not only to inaugurate the themes of disorder and uncertainty but also to represent the audiences perspective throughout this dark and ghostly scene. In a seemingly stark contrast, the second scene of the play is devoted to the apparently jovial court of the recently crowned King Claudius. If the area outside the castle is murky with the aura of dread and anxiety, the rooms inside the castle are committed to an energetic attempt to banish that aura, as the king, queen, and the courtiers desperately pretend that nothing is out of the ordinary. Claudiuss opening speech appears relaxed, level-headed, eloquent and persuasive. In spite of this, Shakespeare signals to the audience, long before they hear Claudius confess it, that the Kings public mask conceals a troubled mind. The merriment of the court seems superficial largely due to the fact that the idea of balance Claudius pledges to follow is unnatural. Claudiuss speech is full of contradictory words, ideas and phrases, beginning with Though yet of Hamlet our late brothers death / The memory be green, which combines the idea of death and decay with the idea of greenery, growth, and renewal. He also speaks of defeated joy, an auspicious and a drooping eye and dirge (a lament for the dead) in marriage, ideas which are at unease with one another, theatrical means of hinting at the hypocrisy Claudius embodies. Consequently, as a result of this clear dishonesty, this scene portrays as dire a situation as the first scene does. While in the first scene Shakespeare illustrates the sense of disorder, fear and danger through the guards panicked and forceful exchanges and the appearance of the ghost, the second scene hints at the corruption and weakness of Claudius, through the incongruities in his speech and the fallaciousness of the setting around him. Contrary to the dishonesty of Claudiuss character is the way Hamlet is introduced through the first two acts. Prince Hamlet, devastated by his fathers death and betrayed by his mothers marriage, is introduced as the only character who is unwilling to play along with Claudiuss gaudy attempt to mimic a healthy royal court. His words to Claudius are cryptic so that he can be rude to the clever Claudius whilst giving little away to the court. His first words, A little more than kin and less than kind, suggest how Hamlet feels that he is neither kindly disposed towards his uncle, nor does he think that he is of the same kind, meaning from the same honourable class. His next response, Not so, my lord. I am too much in the sun adds more emphasis to this dark and mysterious side of Hamlet as he hints of his awareness of all the that is ongoing ever since his fathers death. The war of words is apparent in this scene between the two characters of Claudius and Hamlet as is the audiences sense that both of these characters know the truth but due to political concerns and fear of confrontation they do not openly say it, thereby highlighting a central theme in the play: that of the conflict between appearance and reality. While Claudius pretends to be unaware of the reasons for Hamlets anger and hatred, Hamlet in his uncertainty on how to exact revenge, is afraid to take decisive action and thus has to be content with making scathing comments in the hope of provoking some sort of admittance by Claudius of fowl play. His seven soliloquies are all centred on the most important existential themes: the emptiness of existence, suicide, death, suffering, action, a fear of death which puts off the most momentous decisions, the fear of the beyond, the degradation of the flesh, the triumph of vice over virtue, the pride and hypocrisy of human beings, and the difficulty of acting under the weight of a thought which makes cowards of us all. Thus, they probe his own situation, his mind and the problems attached to being human in a society characterised by duplicity and hypocrisy, and being an active agent in a moral universe. Hamlets first soliloquy in Act one Scene 2 opens with the emphatic line: O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, a cry of anguish and a longing for dissolution, which is however followed by an acknowledgement of the fundamental Christian injunction against suicide, thereby precluding escape from the burden of life. This question of the moral validity of suicide in an unbearable painful world haunts the rest of the play, reaching the height of its urgency in perhaps the most famous line in all of English Literature: To be, or not to be- that is the question. In this scene Hamlet mainly focuses on the appalling conditions of life, railing against Claudiuss court as an unweeded garden/ That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature/ Posses it merely. The listless tempo of the words How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable conveys his weariness. The speech contrasts dramatically with Claudiuss flowing lines as its verse starts and stops, punctuated by expressions of pain and confusion. This disjointed rhyme serves to reflect the dislocated progress of Hamlets thoughts which convey to the audience his inner turmoil. Moreover, in this soliloquy, Hamlets bewilderment and disgust at his mothers hasty remarriage and sexual depravity is revealed as he proceeds to a comparison in which his sanctified father is contrasted with his repugnant uncle, Hyperion to a satyr, the sun god is set against the mythical half-human, half-beast noted for sexual appetite. This disgust is not only apparent in the imagery but also in the sounds of Hamlets words. Hissing sibilants convey the young mans nausea as he imagines his other and his uncle in bed together: Oh most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets. The intensity of Hamlets disgust here underlines how impossible he finds it to come to terms with the incestuous union of his mother and his uncle and the indecent haste of his mothers re-marriage. In essence, Shakespeare uses this soliloquy to encapsulate and foreshadow several of the ideas, concepts and images that dominate this play: disillusionment so severe that suicide seems to be the only alternative, insincerity that leads to dramatic theatricality, Hamlets inability to express his feelings publicly or to replace his words with action which lead to further frustration, anger and passion, and a desperation and weakness that amounts to a betrayal of human decency, far beyond any religious considerations. Although the development of these ideas is gradual, the important role the first two acts play in illustrating the various concepts and in underlining their importance from early on, mainly through Hamlets soliloquies, cannot be exaggerated. A presentation of this can be seen through comparing Hamlets thoughts and actions in act one scene two to that of act two scene two, where he makes his second soliloquy. Again, Hamlet speaks in riddles, this time to Polonius. Although his words sound like nonsense, a thread of bitter satire runs through it giving the audience the impression that Hamlets remarks indeed are not madness, but forthright contempt, privileged rudeness in a court where no one speaks the truth. For example, importantly Hamlet declares, I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, that is, he is only mad at certain calculated times, and the rest of the time he knows what is what. And, although he presents himself as sounding mad, a closer look at the directions reveals they do in fact point in one and the same way. Furthermore, in this scene, the longest by far in the play, Hamlet makes his second soliloquy following his involvement with the players. The presence of actors and the idea of a play within a play points to an important theme: that real life is in certain ways like play-acting. Hamlet professes to be amazed by the player kings ability to engage emotionally with the story he is telling even though it is only an imaginative recreation. He berates himself for displaying less passion when overwhelmed with grief and outrage than that displayed by an actor who is merely producing a performance. His self-disgust is evident through the insults he hurls at himself, calling himself among other things a rogue and pleasant slave and through his questioning of himself: Am I a coward? As his indignation reaches its zenith, assonance, rhythm and repetition illustrate the intensity of emotion, portraying his ever-worsening inner turmoil that threatens to erupt in the climax Bloody, bawdy villain! / Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain! only to collapse into a state of exhaustion due to the continual failure to take action. The theme of dilemma and indecision is clearly dominant here, and it is due to Hamlets apparent lack of willingness to take action here that many view Hamlet as a play of words and emotion rather than action. One such critic, who takes this view, T. S. Elliot, remarked that Hamlet presented a character dominated by an emotion which is inexpressible because it exceeds the events that occur, the absolute opposite of Macbeth.   Yet, in contrast to these interpretations, Hamlet by the end of the play evolves from a dreamer to a man of action. While the play begins with Hamlet contemplating his fathers death and later on, in the graveyard scene, death itself, in the key image of the play where he holds Yoricks skull, Hamlet by the end of the play is no longer just like a student of the concepts of death. Instead, he becomes the tragic action hero who finds a divinity working through action. Although it is true that the impulse for his actions is imposed on him by other characters or by events, another interpretation see Hamlet as nevertheless extremely active: he listens to the ghost (which his friends refuse to do), he adopts a coarse attitude verging on insubordination, he violently rejects Ophelia, he thwarts one after the other plots aimed at revealing his plans, he stages for the court a show which is nothing but a trap in which he hopes to catch the king, he confronts his mother in a scene of extreme violence, and he fights Laertes. Engaging further in pure physical violence he kills Polonius, sends his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths, kills the king, and is indirectly responsible for the death of Laertes. In conclusion, through the first two acts of the play, Shakespeare is very successful in introducing the main characters and themes of the play. While his introduction of Horatio and the ghost in the first scene is very important in establishing a mood of distress and anxiety, as well as touching on the themes of uncertainty and disorder, Shakespeares following scene builds on that to a great extent through the contrast between Claudius and Hamlet, the conflict between appearance and reality and through Hamlets first soliloquy of the play. In this soliloquy not only are Hamlets true emotions revealed to the audience but with it many of the central themes and concepts of the play are explored, such as the concept of severe disillusionment leading to the idea that suicide is the only viable option. It is thoughts and emotions such as these that are gradually developed in the novel; and which has led to Hamlet being regarded by many critics as the most powerful and probing play Shakespeare has ever written. The different interpretations of Hamlet and the play in general is only a natural consequence to the ambiguity and uncertainty that Shakespeare creates from very early on in his play. As one critic, John Dover Wilson remarks, Hamlet is very much like a dramatic essay in mystery; that is to say, the more it is examined, the more there is to discover. In that context, the first two acts of this drama have served not only as a very effective means of introducing the main characters and themes of the play, but also through the beautifully crafted soliloquies, Shakespeare probes the most daring aspects of the psychology of man and the history of human thinking through pieces of pure poetry, written in blank verse, sustained by a rhythm now smooth, now rugged, by a fast or a slow pace, offering his audience surprises in every line.