J.R.R. Tolkien Essay -- Biography Biographies J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) gained a reputation during the 1960’s and 1970’s as a cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age. His continuing popularity evidences his ability to evoke the oppressive realities of modern life while drawing audiences into a fantasy world. John Ronald Reuel was born on the third of January, 1892, at Bloemfontein, South Africa, where his father, Arthur, had taken a position with the Bank of Africa. In 1895 Tolkien’s mother, Mabel Suffield, moved back to England with her children, because Tolkien‘s health was affected by the climate. Arthur Tolkien hoped to return to England soon, but he contracted rheumatic fever the following autumn and died early in 1896. After a few months of living with her parents, Mabel Tolkien rented a cottage on the edge of Birmingham, and from then until her death in 1904, she and here two sons lived in rented houses on the edges of the city. After her death, Mabel Tolkien’s parish priest, Father Francis Morgan, took responsibility for the upbringing and education of her sons. Tolkien’s only means of escape from a lower-middle-class commercial life was winning an academic scholarship, which, with some difficulty, he did in 1910, gaining entrance to Exeter College, Oxford. In 1908 Tolkien fell in love with Edith Bratt, an orphan like himself. In 1910 Father Morgan forbade him to communicate with her until he was of age, to which Tolkien obeyed. At Oxford he began studying classics but soon concentrated on English language and literature, being awarded first-class honors in his final examination in 1915. He revisited Edith Bratt five days after his twenty-first birthday, and they were formally betrothed in 1914 when, at Tol... ...t hot desert, to England, rolling grassy hills, seemed to open his mind. One of the main reasons he wrote was to entertain his children. He told them about his world. And only a small majority of his stories got published(Kroeber 521). J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) gained a reputation during the 1960’s and 1970’s as a cult figure among youths disillusioned with war and the technological age. His continuing popularity evidences his ability to evoke the oppressive realities of modern life while drawing audiences into a fantasy world. Works Cited Byers, Paula K. Ed. â€Å"J.R.R. Tolkien†. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gake Research, 1998. 259-260 Grotta, Daniel. J.R.R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth. Philadelphia: Courage Books, 1992. 123-135. Kroeber, Karl. â€Å"J.R.R. Tolkien†. British Writers. Ed. George Stade, New York: Gale Research, 1980. 519-521

How Does Wilfred Owen Describe the Horrors of War in Dulce Et Decorum Est? Essay

The First World War was a time of great loss of life and bloodshed. Wilfred Owen, a soldier fighting with the British Army, wrote the poem Dulce et Decorum est to describe, possibly to the public, the horrific consequences of taking part and fighting in the war. During the poem, he describes the aftermath of a poison gas attack, and the injuries sustained by a soldier whom had inhaled the deadly substance. Owen uses gruesome imagery to vividly show in verse the horrible death the soldier faces, in the trenches of France. The poem Dulce et Decorum est is widely regarded as one of the greatest war poems ever written, and is a fine example of an anti-war protest in the form of poetry. The title of the poem is taken from an ode from a Roman philosopher and writer, published many hundreds of years before the poem. These Latin words are briefly translated into English as ‘it is sweet and right.’ The use of ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ in the title of the poem is essenti ally a use of sarcasm, using a common phrase in British Army culture at the time, to almost ridicule the idea that it is a wise thing to do to die in battle, for your country. The first verse of the poem opens with the soldiers walking through the landscape of the trench warfare system, in the thick of what would be a raging battle. These two first lines show the conditions the soldiers faced out on the front line, cursing ‘through sludge.’ After the battle, they ‘turn (their) backs’ on ‘the haunting flares’ and begin to slowly walk towards their ‘distant rest,’ an area where they may recuperate after long periods in the ferocious battle. In this section of the poem, Wilfred Owen describes the soldiers as ‘old beggars under sacks,’ and ‘hags.’ Both of these comparisons are presented in the form of separate similes. The effect that this creates on the reader is that of war being tiring and exhausting – as well as the toll that it takes on the soldiers’ mental and/or emotional state. This widely-known fact is documented in lines five and seven; ‘men marched asle ep,’ and ‘drunk with fatigue,’ respectively. These uses of language suggest that even though they were constantly stressed and tired, the soldiers fighting were still able to make rational decisions, and could do tasks, even when they were in such a delusional state. This was probably because of the repetitive nature of their job. The last line of verse one describes how the 5.9cal (calibre) ‘Five-Nines’ were out of range, as the soldiers trudged away from the guns. Owen uses words in verse one which could be described as very ‘ugly in texture.’ For example, as mentioned earlier, the use of words like ‘beggar’ and ‘hag’ dismiss the image of a fit, athletic, healthy soldier that most would expect to be on the battlefield, and replaces it with a strikingly contrasting one, halting the poem as the reader makes light of the awful situation of The Great War. Another word that Wilfred Owen used, and that I have decided to comment on, is the word blood-shod. Although not used often nowadays, in this poem it is used to describe the visual state of the soldiers, covered in blood. It seems a dehumanizing image, as they are crushed by the constant strains of battle. The first verse, like the second, is written in sonnet form, however the rhythm loosens towards the end o f the first verse as it leads up to an important moment at the beginning of the second verse. That important moment is put somewhat sharply to the reader, as it shocks them, with a very clever use of dialogue. The reason I think it is brilliant is because it jumps into the thick of the action, transitioning from the slow tempo of the end of battle (for that day!) to the panic and perhaps confusion of a poison-gas attack, all in just four words. Slight confusion can actually be perceived, as the ‘ecstasy of fumbling’ ensues, with the soldiers obviously struggling to fit ‘the clumsy helmets just in time.’ This ‘just in time’ part implies that everyone is okay, and has successfully put on their gas-mask before the gas started to work its chilling effects. However, one soldier unfortunately fails to apply his mask, as is told as he was ‘yelling out and stumbling†¦flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.’ The horrible sight is witnessed by the narrator, ‘dim, through the misty panes (of the mask) and thick green light,’ which is actually the hazy, slightly luminescent fluid that hangs around them, probably chlorine gas. It is described as a ‘green sea’ in the next line, and so I think that this is a reference to the huge area it would cover, blighting anyone who crossed within the vicinity. The simile which compares the man’s actions to one who would be in ‘fire or lime’ is describing his desperate attempts – in vain – to help himself. Lime is a substance that would burn human tissue, much like acid. The narrator tells of how he ‘sees the man drowning’ and then of how he constantly dreams about the wretched being, ‘in all my dreams, before my helpless sight, he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.’ The victim would have experienced a sensation likened to that of drowning, as the gas inflames the lungs and takes up the space that clean air would have took up, much like water. The helpless feeling of the narrator would have been there in all the men, for there was very little thing they could do to heal the sickened man, because of the limited resources and technology of the time. Instead, (the company) flings him ‘into the wagon’ to be taken and disposed of, effectively, as Owen quipped in a nother poem, Anthem for Doomed Youth, herded like cattle. It is in this section that Wilfred Owen shows how the man was now experiencing his final moments, as the ‘white eyes (were writhing) in his face’ and ‘like a devil’s sick of sin.’ The hideous comparisons that follow are sure to live in the memory of anyone actually witnessing the event, and Owen captures them superbly (in literary terms) as he says ‘obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud.’ This is a very in-your-face image, showing the horrid substances issuing from the soldier’s mouth, as his lungs begin to completely disintegrate and he loses control of throat muscles. The descriptions of the soldier’s condition are aimed into shocking the reader, many of whom would be the British public, into turning against the war. This is shown as Wilfred addresses ‘my friend,’ in line 25. This is actually Jessie Pope, who wrote many patriotic poems encouraging young men, much like Owen, to sign up and ‘do their duty.’ Owen was completely disgusted by the way war was portrayed towards the masses in Pope’s well-known poem Who’s for the Game? and wanted to change the opinions of the public and show them what war was really like, for the common, light infantry foot soldier. He says, ‘my friend, you would not tell with such high zest,’ meaning that Pope wouldn’t think the way she did if she knew the true extent of the suffering. To end the poem, Wilfred Owen uses a controversial and slightly outlandish term, lie. This is especially bizarre as it is criticizing the beliefs of at least 80% of Britons at the time, including the monarch, government and high-ranking officials in the military. To put it in context (literally) the ending goes: The old Lie: Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori. This means, in English: The old Lie: it is sweet and right To die for your country. To conclude, I have a few more comments to make about the effect of the poem on the public. Owen always strongly believed that there was no glory or pride involved in dying at war. People are told they will be proud to fight, but this is actually all a propaganda scheme to recruit soldiers. In no better way could he have expressed this than in the ending to Dulce et Decorum est. People would be more touched by this poem, had it have been published at the time, not three years later, after Owen’s death. The soldiers are presented in general, as pieces of a toy set. They fight for higher ranking people, in wars that are not, in Owen’s beliefs, fought for the benefit of the people. And obviously, it is the low-paid, life-risking foot soldier that is affected most.

Definition of Stump Speech

Stump speech is a term used today to describe a candidates standard speech, delivered day after day during a typical political campaign. But in the 19th century, the phrase held a much more colorful meaning. The  phrase became firmly established in the early decades of the 1800s, and stump speeches got their name for a good reason: they would often be delivered by candidates who literally stood atop a tree stump. Stump speeches caught on along the American frontier, and there are numerous examples where politicians were said to be stumping for themselves or for other candidates. A reference book in the 1840s defined the terms to stump and stump speech. And by the 1850s newspaper articles from around the United States often referred to a candidate taking to the stump. The ability to give an effective stump speech was considered an essential political skill. And notable 19th-century politicians, including Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, and Stephen Douglas, were respected for their skills as stump speakers. Vintage Definition of Stump Speech The tradition of stump speeches became so well-established that A Dictionary of Americanisms, a reference book published in 1848, defined the term To stump: To Stump. To stump it or take the stump. A phrase signifying to make electioneering speeches. The 1848 dictionary also mentioned to stump it was a phrase borrowed from the backwoods, as it referred to speaking from atop a tree stump. The idea of linking stump speeches to the backwoods seems obvious, as the use of a tree stump as an improvised stage would naturally refer to a location where land was still being cleared. And the idea that stump speeches were essentially a rural event led to candidates in cities sometimes using the term in a mocking manner. The Style of 19th Century Stump Speeches Refined politicians in the cities may have looked down on stump speeches. But out in the countryside, and especially along the frontier, stump speeches appreciated for their rough and rustic character. They were free-wheeling performances that were different in content and tone from the more polite and sophisticated political discourse heard in the cities. At times the speech-making would be an all-day affair, complete with food and barrels of beer. The rollicking stump speeches of the early 1800s would typically contain boasts, jokes, or insults directed at opponents. A Dictionary of Americanisms quoted a memoir of the frontier published in 1843: Some very good stump speeches are delivered from a table, a chair, a whiskey barrel, and the like. Sometimes we make the best stump speeches on horseback. John Reynolds, who served as governor of Illinois in the 1830s, wrote a memoir in which he fondly recalled giving stump speeches in the late 1820s. Reynolds described the political ritual: Addresses known as stump-speeches received their name, and much of their celebrity, in Kentucky, where that mode of electioneering was carried to great perfection by the great orators of that state. A large tree is cut down in the forest, so that the shade may be enjoyed, and the stump is cut smooth on the top for the speaker to stand on. Sometimes, I have seen steps cut in them for the convenience of mounting them. Sometimes seats are prepared, but more frequently the audience enjoys the luxury of the green grass to sit and lie on. A book on the Lincoln-Douglas Debates published nearly a century ago recalled the heyday of stump speaking on the frontier, and how it was viewed as something of a sport, with opposing speakers engaging in spirited competition: A good stump speaker could always attract a crowd, and a wit combat between two speakers representing opposite parties was a real holiday of sport. It is true that the jokes and counterstrokes were often feeble attempts, and not very far removed from vulgarity; but the stronger the blows the better they were liked, and the more personal, the more enjoyable they were. Abraham Lincoln Possessed Skills as a Stump Speaker Before he faced Abraham Lincoln in the legendary 1858 contest for a U.S. Senate seat, Stephen Douglas expressed concern about Lincolns reputation. As Douglas put it: I shall have my hands full. He is the strong man of the party — full of wit, facts, dates — and the best stump speaker, with his droll ways and dry jokes, in the West. Lincolns reputation had been earned early. A classic story about Lincoln described an incident the occurred on the stump when he was 27 years old and still living in New Salem, Illinois. Riding into Springfield, Illinois, to give a stump speech on behalf of the Whig Party in the 1836 elections, Lincoln heard about a local politician, George Forquer, who had switched from Whig to Democrat. Forquer had been generously rewarded, as part of the Spoils System of the Jackson administration, with a lucrative government job. Forquer had built an impressive new house, the first house in Springfield to have a lightning rod. That afternoon Lincoln delivered his speech for the Whigs, and then Forquer stood to speak for the Democrats. He attacked Lincoln, making sarcastic remarks about Lincolns youth. Given the chance to respond, Lincoln said: I am not so young in years as I am in the tricks and trades of a politician. But, live long or die young, I would rather die now, than, like the gentleman, — at this point Lincoln pointed at Forquer — change my politics, and with the change receive an office worth three thousand dollars a year. And then feel obliged to erect a lightning rod over my house to protect a guilty conscience from an offended God. From that day forward Lincoln was respected as a devastating stump speaker.

The Simple Solution to Homeless People in America - 954 Words

The Simple Solution There are many homeless people out on the streets of this great nation. Ten years ago, nobody would have expected that America would be this far in the slumps. Rather than feeling lucky to have a playground to play on at a great school, children are now lucky to have just one of their two parents working for minimum wage. With the average unemployment rate hovering above seven percent over the last eight years, America’s youth are growing up in a world where dreams no longer come true and are taught to aspire to be a waiter or grocery store clerk for life. Such low aspirations and consequent expectations are not what the founders of America sought for this country. On the contrary, the United States was built and founded on nearly unreachable dreams and aspirations. What happened to the American dream? Fathers would go to work at 8:00 AM while mothers got her kiddos off to school, dressed to play, carrying a sack lunch. The day would pass, and fathers would return home by 5:0 0 PM for supper and family time. No longer is this standard. Today, children are sent off to school with little or even no lunch because their family cannot afford enough food with one minimum wage job. Parents are home when school ends not because they are fortunate enough to have the luxury of leaving work early, but because they are forced to work the graveyard shift, or they had no job to report to in the first place. These circumstances are becoming all too common, and shouldShow MoreRelatedHomelessness Is A Serious Problem896 Words   |  4 Pagesfundamental human need, however, not everyone gets to have a home. Homelessness is a serious problem throughout the world. With an average of 643,067 people experiencing homelessness in America daily, there is now believed to be at least 1.6 million homeless people in America alone according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development s 5th Annual Homeless Assessment Report. (Henry, 2015) Homelessness is a major problem b ecause it damages the capability of a person to provide for themselves. ThroughRead MoreHomelessness in American1645 Words   |  7 PagesHomelessness in America Homelessness in America has always been an issue but it has become an even bigger issue over the past years. With a world filled with global conflict, disappearing jobs, higher education cost, and increasing poverty in America, the homeless need our help more than ever. Just last year, the national poverty rate rose to include 13.2 % of the population. Also, 3.5 million people were forced to sleep in parks, shelters, under bridges or in cars. Hunger and homelessness areRead MoreHomelessness Is A Major Social Crisis Essay1505 Words   |  7 PagesHaight Ashbury. In these places, homeless people are plentiful, yet they are almost always overlooked by the other San Franciscans who use those areas to work and play. Providing permanent housing (as opposed to places at shelters) to chronically homeless people has been proven to be an efficient method of combatting homelessness. I propose that San Francisco introduce a voluntary 10-cent tax on coffee, as a way of raising money to provide services to homeless people within permanent housing, and simultaneouslyRead MoreA Brief Note On The Poverty Of The United States1482 Words   |  6 PagesStates has a homeless population of more than a half million people. The homeless assistance programs are overloaded, leaving nearly one third of that half million unsheltered, sleeping outside on the streets, or in makeshift tent cities. 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In fact, a study taken in 2015 gathered that with more interaction and willingness to help the homeless, the more empathy and compassion is gained for them, later resulting in a larger contribution from society creating a social change. I obtained this information based on a survey taken by LindsayRead MoreHomelessness : An Epidemic Across The United States1066 Words   |  5 Pageshas become an epidemic across the United States of America over the past 40 years. Despite the fact that most individuals are reminded of this problem on a daily basis when they see those without homes on the street, few solutions have been implemented that would fix the causes of this horrendous issue. Funding for programs that assist the homeless and homeless prevention programs is abysmal, while the costs incurred due to such a large homeless population continue to rise. Ove r the past centuryRead MoreHomelessness in the United States Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, â€Å"approximately 3.5 million people are homeless each year, while 36.3 million live in households without enough food.† This statistic only reflects the United States, and to many people, it just doesn’t make sense. For instance Alfredzine Black of the YWCA in Marion, Indiana says, â€Å"I don’t understand why we have so much poverty in the richest country in the world!† Citizens of the United States have a hard time defining andRead MoreThe Effect of Homelessness on the Youth of America1086 Words   |  5 Pages There are millions of homeless youth in America. On any given night, you can find these children ducking into abandoned buildings, crammed up against alley dumpsters, curled inside the big yellow slide of a local playground. I imagine they are thankful for sleep, wary of a new day, but thankful nonetheless. Homelessness at such a young age if left alone, leads to increased rates of conflict. The more homeless youths now, the more our country as a whole will have to deal with divorce, mental illness

Development of a Math Laboratory at the Professional...

RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE OF THE PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF A MATH LABORATORY AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL Presented to the Faculty Development Committee Dr. Sheila Mehigan Assistant Professor of Education March 11, 2002 RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL TITLE OF THE PROJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF A MATH LABORATORY AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL {PDS} PROJECT SUMMARY This project is being developed for the purpose of funding a math laboratory to be set up during the 2002-2003 school year where preservice (college students) will work with at-risk K-5 students at the Professional Development School (PDS) at Jackson Elementary School. Professional Developments Schools (PDS) are public school settings in which a school district†¦show more content†¦The simultaneous co-product of this investigation is the potential to help at-risk K-5 students develop their mathematical communication skills and math efficacy (Nicholls, Cobb, Wood, amp; Yackel, 1990) through activity-based experiences. Project Plan This research study will be completed with two parallel studies. The first study will focus on the preservice teachers enrolled in a K-8 math methods course at Elmhurst College, EDU330 -- Math for Elementary and Middle School Students. The second study will focus on the K-5 elementary students at Jackson Elementary School particip ating in the math lab sessions. Jackson Elementary School is partnering with the Education Department at Elmhurst College to form a Professional Development School (PDS) and thus a collaborative relationship as well as vacant instructional space that provides a unique opportunity for this project. In sum, the research project has two guiding goals -- mathematical efficacy and communication. The first goal is to discern the changes in math self-efficacy in both the K-5 students and preservice teachers. 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Gladwell Free Essays

Essay I : Gladwell argues that success is not the result of innate talent, but of practice and of being in the right place at the right time. Critically evaluate this argument. Malcolm Gladwel Analyses in his latest book Outliers , the circumstances that made some people successful . We will write a custom essay sample on Gladwell or any similar topic only for you Order Now He shows another aspect of their self-made rise to success. Gladwell gives the definition of an outlier as an unusual person ‘classed differently from a main or related body’ (2008:3), in other words out of the ordinary. He argues that success is not in any case a matter of talent, but of practice, of social status, culture, and of being in the right place at the right time. The aims of this essay is to evaluate whether Gladwell’s argument are true, and how reliable are the evidence used to support his arguments. I will critically evaluate, and identify the type of evidence used by the author, which sometime tend to be unconvincing. This essay is organised into two great section. Each section present arguments and evidence used by Gladwell , an evaluation of these , and finally other examples and comparisons. The first section will argue about the fact that success is not the result of innate abilities but of practice. It will be illustrated through examples of the ‘10,000-Hour rules’, were individuals allocate a certain amount of time to become an expert. However Gladwell insist on the fact that practice is not the only way to become succeful, as being at the right place in the right time is important as well. Thus, the second section will present five arguments that support this idea. Firstly I will argue about the relative age effect through the examples of hockey players. Secondly, the demographical advantage will be presented through the example of ‘the seventy-five richest people’ and the example of successful American businessmen. Thirdly, I will talk about the family background argument with the example of the ‘entitlement (2008:105). Finally, I will present the argument of Ethnicity through the example of minority law student at the university of Michigan. Gladwell present the correlation between innate talent and practice through examples stories. Indeed, the first example from his argument is the one considering the three group of violinist. The thirds group appears as the elite one because of the amount of practice allocated according to K. Anders Ericsson. The example of Mozart is then presented by showing the amount of time he have been practicing to become a prodigy. For those two examples he uses evidence from psychology studies and conclude that there is a ‘ten thousand hours’(2008:40) rule to become successful. Furthermore he uses approximations to confirm his argument, as he noted ‘ what’s ten years? It’s roughly what it takes to put in ten thousand hours of practice [†¦] the magic number of greatness’ (2008:41). This approximation is without any doubt perplexing. Gladwell gives further exceptional example to defend his theory. Among them the example of the Beatles who practiced ten years before becoming very famous , which is again another confirmation of the ‘ ten thousands hours’ theory. To summarise, Gladwell pretends that there is no such thing as innate talent , but the a rule of ten thousands hours to become an expect. Galton (Cited in Ericsson, Krampe and Clemens, 1993) argues that eminent performance is determined by innate capacity and genetics, through his example of the human body. Gladwell is in fact choosing his evidence according to his opinion, which is actually not very objective. He uses Ericsson’s study of 1990 as evidence, whereas three year later the same author argued that sufficient amount of experience and practice does not lead to greatness (Ericsson, Krampe and Clemens; 1993). Moreover, the idea of ten thousands hours cannot be verified universally. Some individuals might need more time to reach the level of an expert, as well as the amount of time may differ according to the field involved. According to Gladwell practice is not the only way to achieve greatness, opportunities, timing and backgrounds are also important. Gladwell argues that talent , hard work and passion are not enough to be successful. Another element is also important. To be born in the right time. Indeed, Gladwell supports this argument by giving the example of the relative age effect in hockey player in Canada. According to Roger Barnsley study, players who were born after January ( entry cutoff age for hockey class) ‘have had the benefit of critical extra month of maturity’ (2008:24). Gladwell does not show good reference about Roger Barnsley, as he relates the author study to an approximate date; He noted: ‘It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that [†¦] Roger Barnsley first drew the attention to the phenomenon of relative age. ’ (2008:21). The reader is not able to verify the reference properly. At the end of the book, Gladwell give the reference of a review about Roger Barnsley published in 2001. In 2011 Gibbs, Jarvis and Dufur argues that being a small kid increase the performance as they have to work twice as hard as the one born after the cutoff date. Moreover, youngest people are more are more successful at university as the cutoff maginalise them and let them focus more on studies (Billari Pellizzari,2008). Here we can see that Gladwell is not using actual references. Knowing the creation date of a source is important as this help verify the currency of the evidence. Another example of the unknown provenance of Gladwell’s evidence, is the table that shows ’the seventy-five richest people in human history’ (2008:56). There is now reference for this table. From a critical point of view, nothing shows that there are actually seventy-five richest people in the human history. The ranking of rich Americans (2008:62), does not show any provenance. Gladwell pretends that those people were born in a strategic time that allowed them to be ready for certain period of growth, which will then lead them to success. His argument is strong, as real facts witness it; however the evidence used is not accurate. Gladwell show the difference between children from a poor family background and the middle-class children through Annette Lareau’study. Again, no date is shown as a reference. Moreover, he supports his argument that middle-class children are more asserted in society than poor children, through an anecdote. He gives the story of two children behaving differently in a doctor interview. Gladwell emphasizes on their names and personalities to support his argument. He noted that ‘Alex Williams is better off than Katie Brindle because he’s wealthier and because he goes to better school, but also because [†¦] the sense of entitlement that he has been taught is an attitude perfectly suited to succeeding in the modern world. (2008:108). This anecdote is unfortunately making Gladwell’s argument unconvincing. Comparing two random and unknown individuals cannot persuade any critical reader those richer individuals are better than the others. Furthermore, to stay on the same aspect, Gladwell justify Alex Williams’ position, not because of his racial attributes as being white, but because of his â⠂¬Ëœcultural advantage’(2008:108). When considering the population of the United States for instance, no big difference exists between black and white people as they live in the same country, with the same nationality. An implicit meaning, that white people are better than black people, could be understood by a critical reader. It will no longer be a matter of ‘cultural advantage’, but a matter of ethnicity. Michigan minority Law students are another example of Gladwell’s assumptions of Ethnicity reasons. He noted that in law studies white student are better than minority students (2008:85), with no origin of this information. He quotes Richard Lempert who wrote his study in 2000. The date of this reference is unfortunately unreliable when comparing the year of Outliers’ publication (2008). I have examined in this essay the arguments and evidence used by Gladwell in his book Ouliers (2008), to support the fact that success is not the result of innate talent, but of practice and of being in the right place at the right time. For that I initially examined the relationship between innate talent and practice through Gladwell’s believes of the ‘Ten Thousands hours’ practice to succeed. But also, by projecting and comparing this theory with a universal point of view. I then moved the second part of Gladwell’s argument which is about timing, opportunities and backgrounds; as being in the right place at the right time. I considered the examples of the hockey players with the aspect of the relative age; then I argued about the demographical advantages, being born in a strategic period of growth; family background was ten presented as being another explanation of success; and finally the aspect of ethnicity. We have seen so far that Gladwell is using acceptable arguments. However , the types of evidence he uses are not accurate. Indeed, the use of anecdote, tables without any reference would not persuade the reader. Moreover his generalizations of assumptions are not convincing, and leave perplexed any critical reader who might not find this book useful as a reference. To my point of view, practice and opportunities are very important to be successful. However, innate talent is vital, as individuals have defences in capacities. Some people would be better in certain field, whereas others would not be gifted. Passion and motivation will then come to guide skilled individuals to the road of expertise, and maybe if the opportunities arises, to the road of success. References: Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers Ericsson, K. Ander. ; Krampe, Ralf Th. ; Tesch-Romer, Clemens. (1993). The Role Of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Psychological Review, vol. 100, issue 3, pp. 363 Bedard, K and Dhuey, E, (2006). The persistence of early childhood maturity: international evidence of long run age effects, Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 121, issue 4, pp. 1437-1472 Musch, J and Grondin, S, (2001). Unequal competition as an impediment to personal development: a review of the relative age effect in sport, Developmental Review, vol. 21, issue 2, pp. 147-167 Gibbs,B. G. ; Jarvis,J. A. ; Dufur, M. J. (2011). The rise of the underdog? The relative age effect reversal among Canadian-born NHL hockey players: A reply to Nolan and Howell. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. [Online]. Available at: http://irs. sagepub. com/content/early/2011/08/19/1012690211414343. abstract [ Accessed 27 november 2012] Billari, F. C. ; Pellizzari, M. (2008). The Younger, the Better? Relative Age Effects at University. Journal of Population Economics, 2012, 25 (2), 697-739. [ Online ]. Available at : http://ftp. iza. org/dp3795. pdf [ Accessed 27 november 2012] How to cite Gladwell, Papers

From Ugly to Pretty, Its Pretty Ugly free essay sample

Because of American culture today, citizens commonly go to a great extent just to feel needed, to feel worthy of their part in society. Originality quickly begins to fade as most citizens attempt to conform to the ideal persona created by society itself. Any non- conformist is then deemed an outcast to society, one whose judgments become baffling. This fear of originality is a concept spreading through our youth like an epidemic. American’s lose all sense of who they are in efforts to personify the perfect body that society presents them with. This fear of not being accepted for who we are begins to consume the self, and creates the monstrous society that embodies lack of originality, and you can identify it anytime you walk into the public. The fear of being anything but the presented ideal image, the perfect body, by society, holds damaging affects to the individual.The use of advertising manipulates the real woman into a fictitious petite female and the average man into a massive ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ male. Children absorb all aspects of these by no choice and it begins to affect there self-confidence before ever even being introduced to others that might not accept them for who they are , such as non-family members. Because of all of the accusations brought upon by advertisements, children start adapting who they are to meet those standards. As Dorah and Job Dubihlela- authors of â€Å"Youth Attitudes towards Advertising†¦Ã¢â‚¬ - point out that â€Å"Both young men and women are the primary focus and objects in advertisements, with appeals that catch youth’s attention†¦ such as half-naked, young and beautiful women†¦ due to its pervasiveness, stereotypical portrayals, manipulative and persuasive appeal-sure† (1). Advertisers’ goal is to catch the consumer at a young age, in order to keep the consumer lifelong. The effect of this causes unrealistic knowledge that these ideals are accepted by society and that they are the only way society will accept the individual. The Dubihlela’s continue, â€Å"Advertisers sell dreams and entice [the audience] into confusing dreams with reality†¦ [it] requires being consistently informative and appealing, and†¦ after proper exposure, the audience begins to trust and believe the advertisement† (1). Being surrounded by family, by members that accept you for who you are along with absorbing another point of view through media advertising, the youth is confounded with confusion. With the reinforcement of constant exposure, youth’s accept the new point of view as what is true. The concept of what is real and what is ideal is becoming extinct within the youth. For example, Lauren Tochnov and Karen Sides-Moore- authors of â₠¬Å"The Thinner, The Better†¦Ã¢â‚¬ - reported that, â€Å"Constant exposure to thin bodies in their social environment may alter perceptions of what normal and ideal bodies are supposed to look like. As a result, they begin to adopt a perspective of what a healthy or acceptable body image is based upon the images they view on a regular basis† (7). With little knowledge of other points of view, the youth has nothing else to accept but how they interpret what they see in advertisements. They begin to adapt to this ideal image that society is presenting them, reinforcing the belief that it’s not okay to be who you are. Not being able to achieve the perfect body is not an option for youths. Michelle Kistler- and other professors for a journal on the research of adolescents- stated that, â€Å"Adolescents who compare themselves against idealized body images are at risk for having a lower self-concept, especially in the physical domain and global self-worth† (618). When the youth is subjected to this manipulation repeatedly, they begin to make assessments of themselves in comparison to what they believe is what accepted and what is not. When they can’t get o r don’t have the qualities of the body that are supposedly ideal, negativity and self-resentment are born and can have very damaging effects to our mental health before the child is ever put in society itself. We can’t hide from advertising. Within seconds of turning on the television or tuning the radio station, children are at risk. Within five minutes of walking out the door, we are bombarded with false images of what we are programmed to believe society wants from us, and it affects us mentally before we ever even experience society.In school, as you were forced to face making new friends, social rank was quickly decided based upon appearance, how closely you related to the ideal body of your gender created by society. Social comparison, an effect to this apparent societal norm, rippled into bullying those that don’t conform reinforcing the concept that the perfect body is the only body to have. Kistler also notes that â€Å"Adolescents rely on social comparisons and perceived norms†¦ [they] construct a view of self through self-reflection and the reflected appraisal of others† (617). Because we now have more options, we begin to observe other’s behavi or, and in it, we make assumptions about ourselves. Before school, adolescents relied solely upon the ideas they were receiving from the media, as Kistler coined, â€Å"a sort of super peer† (619), and now it fuels the judgment and ridicule upon others for not meeting those pre-perceived ideals of the perfect body. As Nancy Cunningham- and colleagues for an article on aggressive behavior in a psychology and behavioral sciences collection- noted that, â€Å"Physically attractive youth tend to be those first†¦ involved in sexual bullying behaviors†¦ research on bullying in general indicates that students who are less attractive are often targeted as victims† (273). Those who have adapted well, or felt that they had already achieved this ideal image, begin to advance on those less fortunate. The self-worth of those victimized now begins to diminish even more, and as the teasing continues, more damaging effects arise. Self hatred begins to consume the victims as the needed self-appraisal from others is not present , and a likely depression follows. Cunningham also provides that, â€Å"Research has consistently shown differences between males and females on bullying behavior†¦ and found higher levels perpetrated by both males and females and higher levels of victimization for females† (274). Adolescent males and females adopt this bullying behavior and target those ‘lesser individuals’, mostly girls, as the societal interpretation of the female is more objectified then that of the male on a regularly reinforced basis. Females who can’t meet this ideal would be more of a target then those less fortunate males. Adolescents absorb what is surrounding them, and act accordingly; they have seen the objectified woman and have now begun to objectify each other. Alterations in appearance become the difference between social victims and social butterflies, creating significant emotional damage.The extent of actions performed in order to achieve this perfect body is never ending and has major effects to the health of the individual. Eating disorders and steroids, along with other damaging practices, become the option for those who can’t attain the ideal image society presents them with. Iryna Petina- along with other authors of an article in the Journal of Consumer Behavior- reports that, â€Å"appeals emphasizing unrealistic body images are increasingly linked to depression, loss of self-esteem, and unhealthy eating habits†¦ and can be attributed to the existing social standards of the ‘ideal’ body† (1). Severely damaging effects to the health are caused by unrealistic attempts to accomplish the goal of attaining the ideal body. The processes people endure in order to accomplish this unrealistic goal provides evidence of the mental manipulation society has offered them. By default, members of society who perceive themselves as lesser than the perfect image are left with no other option than to begin practices in severely unhealthy habits in efforts to achieve it. Jennifer Galli- and co-authors in the Journal of Sport Behavior- goes on to state that, â€Å"in contrast to women, whose body dissatisfaction emerges from†¦ a desire to lose weight and be thin, men’s dissatisfaction occurs [when] they have too much body fat and want to lose weight in an effort to become leaner [or] perceive themselves as not sufficiently muscular†¦ This concern with muscularity may lead to†¦ a preoccupation with gaining muscle coupled with an irrational belief that they are too small and weak†¦ [and] more likely to use anabolic steroids† (48). The effects caused by this certain ideal are heavily d amaging to the health of all individuals who don’t meet the standards. Even though it is more typical for females to undergo these effects, the damaging aspects are not gender oriented,. Males, even if at a lower rate, do suffer from this pressure to be the muscular ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ man. For instance, Galli recognizes that similarly with women, men will adopt â€Å"pathogenic weight loss behaviors, such as restrictive eating, the use of laxatives, self-induced vomiting, and overtraining†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (48). The pressures to be the thin or lean body type are exhausting for the human body. The health related issues are a demanding matter that should be taken into consideration by society before ever presenting this perfect image of the body. Tochnov and Sides-Moore continue that â€Å"worry about a physical image may lead women to believe that all they have to offer is their appearance†¦ this idea may be driven by unrealistic expectations and a diminished sense of self-worth† (2). Along with the physical demands that the ideal image requires, there are long-term and damaging effects to the self about beliefs on an unrealistic body. People will go to extreme lengths to gain the perfect body, and will not care about the affects to their health. Nothing else matters to them, just as long as they pose the perfect body image. Ultimately, a quicker death to achieve the ideal image is better than a long and healthy life without the ideal body. The issue stems from an unrealistic idea that can’t go away because it surrounds us all the time, continually being reinforced by society. The apparent goal to conform your body to fit the perfect image is unattainable, no matter how much damage we inflict on ourselves and others in order to achieve it, however there are members of society that can look beyond upholding the ideal image. Society is changing, Lady Gaga and Niki Minaj are just some of several well known celebrities that have busted through society’s grasp and became their own persons. These are selected individuals, whom we should look up to when we feel the pressures of society clouding our judgment. I’m not saying walk around the public wearing a banana suit because you want to be different, but these celebrities are making a point. It shouldn’t matter what we look like, so if you want to go around wearing a banana suit, then by all means you should be able to. Appearance shouldn’t b e all that matters, a concept that will be very difficult for society to learn, mirroring Tally’s story in the young adult series â€Å"Uglies,† written by Scott Westerfeild. Tally Youngblood is faced with the decision to become a ‘pretty’ upon the age of 16 with an all body cosmetic procedure, or follow her new friends into non conformity as they show her the sides of being a ‘pretty’ that aren’t so pretty. This book allowed for thoughts of question to creep into my mind. How can a world where everyone looks the same and ‘perfect’ be meaningful? This series was set in a dystopia, a world where everyone looked the same after turning 16 years old. Does America want this? With advancements in plastic surgery, doesn’t America have the means for this to happen? Land of the free†¦ or is it? Do we have the choice to be whatever we want to? With the constant fear of being anything but the presented ideal image by society, I don’t think we do, and the affects are damaging.