The Chrysalids Essays - Social Science Fiction, The Chrysalids

The Chrysalids Question 7. : Examine the role played by, at least, two minor characters in the presentation of the novels themes. In the novel The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, several minor characters are presented to help convey the themes of the text. Alan Irvin, Sophie Wender, and Axel Morton are several of the minor characters, who are presented in the novel, that assist in the communication of themes to the reader. These characters help develop themes such as intolerance, and the nature of a closed society. John Wyndham also employs various literary techniques including personalisation, and development of character depth, which are imposed upon the characters to better convey the themes of the novel. Axel Morton is a well-travelled person who has seen much more than most of the people who lived in Waknuk. He is one of the few in Waknuk society who had ventured down the coast, and in doing so he saw things, which made him question the religious indoctrination, which occurred in Waknuk. Axel questions the so-called True Image which is preached by the orthodox members of Waknuk society as his travels showed him just how many apparently deviational people thought that they were in the True Image in reference to the Old People. Whether they have seven fingers, or four arms, or hair all over, or six breasts, or whatever it is thats wrong with them- think that their type is the true pattern of the Old People, and anything different is a deviation. This quote from Axel Morton shows that no one could really be sure of what the True Image was, because as stated in the novel, no texts from when the Old People were around stipulated what was or wasnt deviational. Axel Morton had a much diffe rent value system to the other people of Waknuk, and did not believe that deviations were as bad as they were made out to be. Axel Morton reiterates the theme of the nature of a closed society, as he is one of the few members of the Waknuk community, who has alternative knowledge to that which is preached by members of the town in which he lives. The theme of the nature of a closed society refers to the fact that people who live in such communities arent able to question what they are taught as they are they are deprived of the knowledge which travelling and other people can teach them. When reading the novel it is clear that Axel identifies with the texts criticisms of intolerance. Axel disagrees with the intolerance toward things different from the normal, as he himself is not physically the same as others in Waknuk. Axel Morton however is not a deviant because his abnormality was obtained after birth in a sailing accident. He was standing in the customary way, with much of his weight upon the thick stick he used because his leg had been wrongly set at sea. This quote reveals Axel Mortons difference from the norm, and although it is not a huge variation, he still had to cope with that difference, and his inability to perform certain tasks that others could do. Although this difference from the norm was not deviational, he was still able to sympathise with true deviants, as he knew what it was like to be different to others around him. His difference form the norm was not the only reason for which he sympathised with deviants, but his knowledge also of other places and people, allowed him to have an open mind about certain viewpoints, which others did not. Axel Morton as a character is used to convey the theme of intolerance in the novel, in the sense that he disagrees with the intolerance of others around him, and criticises the intolerant beliefs upon which the society is based. Sophie Wender is a minor character in the novel who also conveys the theme of intolerance. Sophie Wender is a deviant in the sense that she had six toes instead of the normal five. For this very small deviation she is completely ostracised from the society in which she lives and banished to the fringes. Wyndham effectively uses David Strorm the narrator of the novel, to positively

How to Build Your Own Style Guide

How to Build Your Own Style Guide How to Build Your Own Style Guide How to Build Your Own Style Guide By Mark Nichol I recently wrote a post advising writers and editors responsible for print or online publications to create their own style guide to supplement whichever published manual they follow, be it The Chicago Manual of Style, The Associated Press Stylebook, or a similar volume. Sensible enough, but how does one go about this task? First, note that a house style guide is not a comprehensive compendium; it is a resource that details rules and guidelines for consistency that contradict or are not covered in other resources. That said, a house style guide can range from a couple of pages to more than a thousand. (The Chicago Manual of Style, which exceeds that latter number, is simply a house style guide that escaped from the University of Chicago Press, for which it was created more than a hundred years ago, and went viral.) The size depends on how often, and how significantly, your publication veers from default resources and how complex its subject matter is. The first step is to select a style manual of record and a dictionary of record and to document that selection prominently in your house style guide. These publications should, with few exceptions, be the only ones of their kind that anyone who writes for your publication consults. For example, if you use Chicago, no one on your staff should be thumbing through The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage (or vice versa). And if a writer objects to your correction of their spelling, which they checked against The Oxford English Dictionary, inform them that your publication adheres to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (or vice versa). (Exceptions include if your style guide or dictionary of record does not cover a certain issue or include a specific term.) Most style guides resemble encyclopedias or dictionaries in their organizational scheme, presenting information according to alphabetically arranged topics. For example, a house style guide might start with the following entries and the indicated details about them: Abbreviations (Which are acceptable?) Acronyms and Initialisms (Which can be used without first spelling out the entire term?) Addresses (When is abbreviation allowed?) Then, continue through topics starting with the letters B (such as bylines), C (capitalization, for example), and so on. To populate your house style guide, read through your publication’s (or any publication’s) content and brainstorm all the issues that come up. Here are some other examples: Cities (Which should be identified by the country in which they’re located, and which city names are sufficiently well known to stand alone? This entry might simply refer the reader to another resource, or to an appendix in the house style guide.) Colons (Capitalize the first word following a colon?) Company Names (Formal, as in â€Å"Microsoft Corporation,† or familiar, as in Microsoft, and maybe even Redmond from time to time?) Cross-References (How do you refer to other content previously published in your publication?) Entries should be clear and concise even terse and imperative and should include an example: For instance, a note about percentages might simply say, â€Å"Spell out percent but retain numeral form (â€Å"37 percent,† not â€Å"thirty-seven percent† or â€Å"37%†). Remember not to get carried away replicating rules found in your style guide or dictionary of record, especially at the expense of including essentials such as whether you employ the serial comma, how you style em dashes, or whether the text following a copyright symbol is preceded by a letter space. And no house style guide should omit a section about number style (cross-referenced to related entries such as the rule about percentages shown above). Also, don’t forget a word list. This is a record of idiosyncratic terms that don’t show up in the dictionary, because they’re neologisms or highly specific technical terms, or because they reflect variations in spelling. (For example, the founder of a publishing company I freelance for prefers some British American spellings, such as acknowledgements and grey, so those appear in the word list of his company’s house style guide.) Some house style guides, like the ones that have become universal resources, are organized by broad themes such as abbreviations, numbers, and special treatment of terms (such as capitalization and italics), but specific alphabetic entries are more useful. The Associated Press Stylebook goes to the other extreme, including entries for specific terms, from antiwar (to demonstrate the absence of a hyphen in that term) to â€Å"Major League Baseball† (to indicate that this term is a proper noun) to zookeeper (to show that this term is a closed compound), plus more comprehensive entries for general rules and a separate section on punctuation. A thematic organization with a word list is more manageable. One last note: A house style guide is a living document subject to change at any time, so refrain from using a hard copy you and other users will have to mark up with changes and additions (or frequently print out after updates are made). Encourage colleagues who might actually use the document to consult an online version that you or someone else manage; you might even make it available on an intranet or on Google Docs, with read-only access for anyone not authorized to amend it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†50 Synonyms for "Assistant"9 Forms of the Past Tense

Is Airport Security Too Strict or Not Strict Enough Essay

Is Airport Security Too Strict or Not Strict Enough - Essay Example In addition, one should pose to think if the security measures have benefits to the security of the American nation. Some people may feel that the measures invade too much into their privacy. However, it is worth noting that the intentions of the check are to ensure security of the traveler (Samantha). Most people think about the discomfort the check causes and forget that it is for their own good. In an era when the nation has been trying to respond to the war waged against them, security has to be more stringent. The attacker may take advantage of any loophole in the security system. Screening of passengers seeks to ensure that none of them has in possession any firearm or potentially destructive material. One of the check equipment is the metal detector that screens through the individual and produces a beep signal upon detection of a suspicious object. All personal luggage and cargo go through an x-ray screening system that screens through the bulk of the luggage. These measures did exist even before the attacks but they have only become more specific and elaborate. In addition, this is an era when some drug dealers have become too smart to disguise their illegal luggage. The security system has to tighten up to keep the situation under control. One of the reasons why the business has been booming is because in some areas of the world, security is not tight enough and drugs go in and out easily. To curb this, homeland security is justified to tighten security. It is evident that tight security is essential in airports for the safety of passengers and the nation at large. Probably, people should not complain about the stringency with which security comes but rather the real debate should seek to establish quicker and less cumbersome security equipment. What most Americans are complaining about is the hustling and queuing at the airports. This brings out the issue that security equipment used lack efficiency and is time consuming. In other cases, invasion of privacy is unavoidable because the equipment cannot screen effectively without this. What America needs are advanced equipment for security checks that are more efficient and time-saving and that allow the security officers to respect the privacy of the people. The transportation security administration

Sale of Organs for Transplantation Research Paper

Sale of Organs for Transplantation - Research Paper Example World Health Organization (WHO) may be quoted, that is, â€Å"organ transplantation is often the only treatment for the end state organ failures, such as liver and heart failure. Although end-stage renal disease patients can be treated through other renal replacement therapies, kidney transplantation is generally accepted as the best treatment both for the quality of life and cost-effectiveness†. Thus, the point to be stressed here pertains that organ transplantation is crucial to the success of the field of medicine as chronic illnesses may be cured by virtue of the process. However, as simple as it sounds, there may be issues attached to organ transplantation which act as a deterrence in the process. Firstly, as opposed to a vast array of patients requiring organ transplantation, the donors are fewer in number. Moreover, the sale and purchase of organs involve ethical and moral issues, as a few opponents of organ transplant see the procedure as a violation of the laws of nat ure. Yet, these issues fail to negate the fact that in Western countries, for instance, the US, organ transplantation is being carried out with a striking success rate, where a lot of lives have been saved by virtue of the procedure.  Furthermore, considering the glaring need for increased sources of organs to be donated for critical patients in dire need of transplantation, organ sale has often been regarded as the only viable solution. Proponents of organ sale argue that saving the lives of these patients is crucial in the context, and thus regulating the sale of these organs can effectively contribute towards addressing the issue at hand. (Andre & Velasquez, 2014). On the other hand, those who oppose organ sale contend that one must rely on the Divine power for the decisions of life and resorting to organs` purchase from any kind of sources would be detrimental to the dignity of mankind. Another point of contention in this context is that an individual must be given the right t o choose for himself, regarding the means and resources they intend on exhausting, even if it involves organ transplant (Finn 2000).  In any case, it must be ensured that effective regulation and proper governance is being conducted while ensuring the increase in its supply on a global scale.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides - Thesis Example A handsome young teenager named Trip Fontaine manages to charm Lux and also impress Ronald (the girl’s father). He gets the parent’s permission to take Lux along with other three girls (Bonnie, Mary and Therese) to a homecoming dance. That day on a football ground Trip and Lux have sex. This makes Lux miss the curfew and hence starts a torturous time for all of the sisters. They are taken out of the school and restricted to their house and their liberty is curtailed. In one incident the mother even orders Lux to destroy all the music records she has. After some resistance Lux submits to the demands. From here the lives of the sisters takes a downturn. Smoking and sex on rooftop become common features. A strange smell comes from the house and permeates the neighborhood. All these spectacles create a big interest of the neighborhood in the lives of these girls. It is during this time that the neighborhood boys, who are infatuated by the Lisbon girls, communicate with them by using various methods. For example, they play music records over the phone. All these activities don’t continue for a long time as in the end all the girls kill themselves. When invited by the girls to the house, the boys enter it and find all of them dead. Bonnie is found hanging in the house, Theresa takes overdose of sleeping pills and Lux dies of Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Although Mary doesn’t die immediately she takes overdose of sleeping pills and dies one month after putting her head in the oven. The girl’s parents sell the house and leave the neighborhood. For the senior thesis I would like to explore the relationship between parents and their teenage girls. In the novel parents tried to make their daughters happy by being more lenient in terms of permitting interaction with the opposite sex. But probably what the girls needed was more displays of love and affection. The theme of difference between perception and expectation of parents and teenage

Some Of The Models And Frameworks For Reflection Education Essay

Some Of The Models And Frameworks For Reflection Education Essay Having established the need for experiential knowledge that arises out of reflection, this handout is exploring some of the models structures and frameworks that can facilitate the reflective process. However, before we explore these frameworks some important distinctions are needed to be made about different types of reflection. Edgar Schon, an influential writer on reflection, described reflection in two main ways: reflection in action and reflection on action. Reflection on action is looking back after the event whilst reflection in action is happening during the event. To complicate matters there are different interpretations of reflection on action. Lets now explore these terms. Reflection in action means To think about what one is doing whilst one is doing it; it is typically stimulated by surprise, by something which puzzled the practitioner concerned(Greenwood, 1993). Reflection in action allows the practitioner to redesign what he/ she is doing whilst he/she is doing it. This is commonly associated with experienced practitioners. However, it is much neglected. Reflection on action is defined as: The retrospective contemplation of practice undertaken in order to uncover the knowledge used in practical situations, by analysing and interpreting the information recalled (Fitzgerald, 1994pp67) We can see here that reflection on action involves turning information into knowledge, by conducting a cognitive post mortem. Alternatively Boyd Fales suggest reflection on action is: The process of creating and clarifying the meanings of experiences in terms of self in relation to both self and world. The outcome of this process is changed conceptual perspectives (Boyd Fales, 1983pp101) We see here that Boyd and Fales focus more on self development. Here refection does not only add to our knowledge but challenges the concepts and theories we hold. Furthermore as a result we dont see more, we see differently. Atkins and Murphy (1994) take this idea one step further and suggest that for reflection to make a real difference to practice we follow this with a commitment to action as a result. The problems with these views of reflection on action are that they do not take account of the importance of reflection before action. This is when we plan out before we act what we want to do. So what have we learnt about reflection? It can best be seen as: Reflection before action Reflection in action Reflection after action. Now lets see which frameworks best support these approaches. Gibbs Framework for Reflection (Linked with the core skills of reflection) Stage 1: Description of the event Describe in detail the event you are reflecting on. Include e.g. where were you; who else was there; why were you there; what were you doing; what were other people doing; what was the context of the event; what happened; what was your part in this; what parts did the other people play; what was the result. Stage 2: Feelings and Thoughts (Self awareness) At this stage, try to recall and explore those things that were going on inside your head. Include: How you were feeling when the event started? What you were thinking about at the time? How did it make you feel? How did other people make you feel? How did you feel about the outcome of the event? What do you think about it now? Stage 3: Evaluation Try to evaluate or make a judgement about what has happened. Consider what was good about the experience and what was bad about the experience or what did or didnt go so well Stage 4: Analysis Break the event down into its component parts so they can be explored separately. You may need to ask more detailed questions about the answers to the last stage. Include: What went well? What did you do well? What did others do well? What went wrong or did not turn out how it should have done? In what way did you or others contribute to this? Stage 5: Conclusion (Synthesis) This differs from the evaluation stage in that now you have explored the issue from different angles and have a lot of information to base your judgement. It is here that you are likely to develop insight into you own and other peoples behaviour in terms of how they contributed to the outcome of the event. Remember the purpose of reflection is to learn from an experience. Without detailed analysis and honest exploration that occurs during all the previous stages, it is unlikely that all aspects of the event will be taken into account and therefore valuable opportunities for learning can be missed. During this stage you should ask yourself what you could have done differently. Stage 6: Action Plan During this stage you should think yourself forward into encountering the event again and to plan what you would do would you act differently or would you be likely to do the same? Here the cycle is tentatively completed and suggests that should the event occur again it will be the focus of another reflective cycle Gibbs model incorporates all the core skills of reflection. Arguably it is focused on reflection on action, but with practice it could be used to focus on reflection in and before action. Bortons` (1970) Framework Guiding Reflective Activities What? So What? Now what? This is the descriptionand self awarenesslevel and all questions start with the word what This is the level of analysisand evaluation when we look deeper at what was behind the experience. This is the level of synthesis.Here we build on the previous levels these questions to enable us to consider alternative courses of action and choose what we are going to do next. Examples What happened? What did I do? What did other do? What was I trying to achieve? What was good or bad about the experiences Examples So what is the importance of this? So what more do I need to know about this? So what have I learnt about this Examples Now what could I do? Now what do I need to do? Now what might I do? Now what might be the consequences of this action? Bortons model incorporates all the core skills of reflection. Arguably it is focused on reflection on action, but with practice it could be used to focus on reflection in and before action. Johns Model of Structured Refection Chris Johns (1994; 1995) model arose from his work in the Burford Nursing Development Unit in the early 1990s. He envisaged this model as being used within a process of guided reflection. His focus was about uncovering and making explicit the knowledge that we use in our practice. He adopted some earlier work by Carper (1978) who looked at ways of knowing in nursing. Ways of knowing Cues Aesthetics the art of what we do, our own experiences What was I trying to achieve? Why did I respond as I did? What were the consequences of that for the patient? Others? Myself? How was this person (people) feeling? How did I Know this? Personal self awareness How did I feel in this situation? What internal factors were influencing me? Ethics moral knowledge How did my actions match my beliefs? What factors made me act in an incongruent way? Empirics scientific What knowledge did or should have informed me? The framework uses five cue questions which are then divided into more focuses to promote detailed reflection. Cue Questions 1. Description of the experience Phenomenon describe the here and now experience Casual what essential factors contributed to this experience? Context what are the significant background factors to this experience? Clarifying what are the key processes for reflection in this experience? 2. Reflection What was I trying to achieve? Why did I intervene as I did? What were the consequences of my actions for: Myself? The patient / family? The people I work with? How did I feel about this experience when it was happening? How did the patient feel about it? How do I know how the patient felt about it? 3. Influencing factors What internal factors influenced my decision making? What external factors influenced my decision making? What sources of knowledge did / should have influenced my decision making? 4. Evaluation: Could I have dealt with the situation better? What other choices did I have? What would be the consequences of these choices? 5. Learning How do I now feel about this experience? How have I made sense of this experience in light of past experiences and future practice? How has this experience changed my ways of knowing Empirics scientific Ethics moral knowledge Personal self awareness Aesthetics the art of what we do, our own experiences Smyths Framework for Reflection on Action Activity Cues Describe What did I do? Inform (Analysis) What does this mean? Confront (Self awareness) How did I come to be like this? Reconstruct (Evaluation and Synthesis) What do my practices say about my assumptions, values and beliefs? Where did these ideas come from? What social practices are expressed in these ideas? What is it that causes me to maintain my theories What views of power do they embody? Whose interests seem to be served by my practices? What is it that acts to constrain my views of what is possible in my practice? We can see with a number of models they go through, some, or all of the following phases. Descriptive phase Reflective phase Emancipator phase Processes Description of practice events Reflective analysis against espoused theories Critique of practice regarding conflicts distortions and inconsistencies Examination of descriptions for genuiness and comprehensiveness Reflective analysis of the situations Reflective analysis of intentions Engagement in emancipatory change process Products Descriptive accounts/narrative Knowledge about practice processes and applications Learning and change in practice Self awareness Self critique and emancipation Phases in critical reflective inquiry Kim 1999

Borders :: essays research papers

Borders are concepts which encompass and exclude. They exist everywhere. Some are literal visible physical lines whereas others go beyond sight and exist in terms of characteristics such as monetary wealth, or even humanity. Over time these boundaries are redefined and in turn change the flow of daily life for the individuals they effect. In many cases it is the powerful governments which are in control of the pen which outline these symbolic and physical lines. However as history can prove even though it is these powerful governments which give definition to these borders, it is very often them (the governmental officials) who are the ones who cross them. This hypocritical characteristic is blatantly apparent in regards to Central America. Both the ruling elite and the United States government has infringed upon the many levels of borders which exist in this part of the world. Numerous atrocities have been committed, thousands of lives have been shattered, countless victims have suffered all due to lack of respect for the borders which exist. All levels have been touched; political, economic, and even human. No outline is safe from being infringed upon or even shattered in Central America. While many of us may point fingers it is indeed our very own United States government which has not respected the political borders present in this part of the world. We have stepped into territory in this area that we have no business being involved with. Under our government’s supervision, the CIA carried out a coup in Guatemala in which it installed a self-perpetuation pro-American gang of military criminals who have held power for almost forty years. Their reproductive mechanism has been murder of hundreds of thousands of Guatemalams. After this unnecessary interaction of the CIA, US national security planners saw "Cuba as a highly inflammable element which unchecked, could spread communism - now interchangeable with revolution" (Landau 30). In response to this President Eisenhower ordered the CIA to repeat its ‘success’ in Guatemala. "Throughout the continent, US police and military advisers worked with torturers, murderers and Fascists to repress not only revolution, but all forms of democracy" (Landau 31). Our government officials have such extreme fears of the uprising of the poor in these nations that it did not care out of place it was to get involved. Their economic investments and trade guided our foreign relations. They would enter and cross the borders of this seemingly innocent third world section of the continent and intervene regardless of the fact that they did not belong there in the sense that it is not thier country and should not be involved.