The Devil And Daniel Webster Essays - , Term Papers

The Devil and Daniel Webster The Devil and Daniel Webster The play "The Devil and Daniel Webster" was written by Stephen Vincent Bent in 1938. Stephen Vincent Bent was born in 1898 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His education came from Yale University and the Sorbonne in Paris, France. "The Devil and Daniel Webster" has a wide array of characters, each with a distinguished personality, yet an overall temperment that would be fitting of a New England community. The main character is Jabez Stone, a wealthy New England statesman whose possition was the state senator of New Hampshire. He had started out as a farmer though, but moved up in life and, when he was about thirty years of age, married the fair woman, Mary Stone- who was in her early twenties. The fiddler, though not incredibly important, was a key character in that he provided foreshadowing. When he said, "But the very devil's got into that fiddle of mine.", he was forshadowing the coming of the devil to disturb the merriments. A very key character in this play is the devil himself, which took the name of Scratch (for that was what he was called in New England communities). He had come to steal the soul of Jabez Stone, claiming that he had a right to Jabez because of a legal contract. Last- but most certainly not least in this story- is the great Governor of New Hampshire, loved by all, Daniel Webster. Daniel Webster was not only the governor, but an excelent orator. He had a way of using words to pursued the opinion of others, sometimes by conveying feelings or emotion. The play starts out in the ornate home of Jabez and Mary Stone, right after their wedding has taken place. The Fiddler, who sat upon a Cider Barrel, played a tune on the Fiddle, and all of the guests danced to it. Basically, it was a wedding reception. At first, there was nothing more than small talk going on, but by using even this smalltalk, Bent very accurately described the lifestyles of the New England residents. As the play progressed, political favor of the day was expressed as Daniel Webster arived, associating himself with Jabez Stone. One man cried out, "Vote the Whig ticket!" and another, "Hurray for Daniel Webster!" Of course, political disfavor was also shown, as Scratch (the devil) portreyed himself as a lawyer from Boston, implying that the political party from Boston was disfavored. Later on, after some forshadowing by both Jabez and Mary, it is learned that Jabez had sold his soul to the devil. He had done this because of the dessolite land he had to farm, it was entirely baren, and had an abundance of large stones there. In return, the devil brought him prosperity- for a time. Jabez had become state senator, married a wonderful woman, and had friends in high places. But it did not last forever. A small climax- more like a turning point- occurred when Scratch had driven all the guests away from fear. He then left for a short time, preparing to come back at a later time to reclaim his "prize". Daniel Webster, however, felt confidant that he could defeat Scratch in a fair trial and/or debate. As it turned out, both happened. When Scratch came back, they had a trial- a trial with a biased jury of the undead. A great oratory debate soon followed between Scratch and Daniel Webster. It was a fierce debate, though it did remain civil. Webster used his cunning intellect against Scratch, but in every case, either Scratch would refute his claim, or the judge at this trial, Judge Hawthorne of the Salem Witch Trials, would over-rule Daniel Webster- no matter how logical he had been. For instance, when Daniel Webster claimed that "Mr. Stone is an American citizen, and American citizen may be forced into the service of a foreign prince.", the devil replied that he was no foreigner with "...when the first wrong was done to the first Indian, I was there. When the first slaver put out for the Congo, I stood on her deck...". Such a trial was impossible to win, until Daniel Webster used his words to bring back memories of the undead jury- of when they had been alive and human. He appealed to them, one by one, and slowly changed the sway of the biased jury of the undead. In the end, the verdict was"not guilty", and old Scratch was finally flung out the door. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this play by Stephen Vincent Bent, and I would recommend

Free Essays on Healing Th Pacific, An Oral History

Sophie Georges was born in Calgary, Alberta, on January 14th, 1916. Five years after she was born, her family moved to Pennsylvania, in the United States, to live with her mother’s cousins. Her father had grown sick and passed away; Sophie’s mother had three children and nowhere else to turn. Sophie grew up in Pennsylvania, going to school and helping her aunt with chores in exchange for pocket money once a month to see the pictures. At age twenty she decided to leave her job as a store clerk, and so became a Naval nurse in September of 1936. Once Sophie had become fully qualified, she was given a placement in a naval hospital in Chelsea, MA, and in 1938 was transferred to the Annapolis Hospital. After two years, she was given the option of either going to Dietic School in order to further her degree, or to go to the Philippines with the Naval services. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sophie chose the Philippines. The thought of such a journey intrigued her, and w ithin a month was aboard a transport ship by the name of the Chaumont. After boarding at Norfolk, the ship traveled through the Panama Canal, stopping over at the infamous Pearl Harbor to pick up a few soldiers, most of whom were then dropped off at Midway. The Chaumont carried onto Guam, reaching the Philippines in July 1940. Sophie had spent the entire trip fighting seasickness, but didn’t care. Everything was so different, so exotic. At this time, the war had not reached the Philippines, and the area was still more or less calm. Sophie started work right away; she’d been assigned as a junior nurse. Work started at 8am. Lunch was at 1pm, and the nurses then received the rest of the day off. The girls could go golfing, biking, or swimming in the local town. The houseboys cleaned the nurses’ shoes for a charge of $5, and the cleaning woman did the laundry with eagerness and ease. Sophie had no way of knowing that the war had started until her roommate’s boyfrie... Free Essays on Healing Th Pacific, An Oral History Free Essays on Healing Th Pacific, An Oral History Sophie Georges was born in Calgary, Alberta, on January 14th, 1916. Five years after she was born, her family moved to Pennsylvania, in the United States, to live with her mother’s cousins. Her father had grown sick and passed away; Sophie’s mother had three children and nowhere else to turn. Sophie grew up in Pennsylvania, going to school and helping her aunt with chores in exchange for pocket money once a month to see the pictures. At age twenty she decided to leave her job as a store clerk, and so became a Naval nurse in September of 1936. Once Sophie had become fully qualified, she was given a placement in a naval hospital in Chelsea, MA, and in 1938 was transferred to the Annapolis Hospital. After two years, she was given the option of either going to Dietic School in order to further her degree, or to go to the Philippines with the Naval services. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sophie chose the Philippines. The thought of such a journey intrigued her, and w ithin a month was aboard a transport ship by the name of the Chaumont. After boarding at Norfolk, the ship traveled through the Panama Canal, stopping over at the infamous Pearl Harbor to pick up a few soldiers, most of whom were then dropped off at Midway. The Chaumont carried onto Guam, reaching the Philippines in July 1940. Sophie had spent the entire trip fighting seasickness, but didn’t care. Everything was so different, so exotic. At this time, the war had not reached the Philippines, and the area was still more or less calm. Sophie started work right away; she’d been assigned as a junior nurse. Work started at 8am. Lunch was at 1pm, and the nurses then received the rest of the day off. The girls could go golfing, biking, or swimming in the local town. The houseboys cleaned the nurses’ shoes for a charge of $5, and the cleaning woman did the laundry with eagerness and ease. Sophie had no way of knowing that the war had started until her roommate’s boyfrie...

Causes of Political Disaffection and Disengagement

Causes of Political Disaffection and Disengagement Is the British political class to blame for political disaffection and disengagement? The Founding Fathers suggested that a democracy can only come to impartial decisions if both high levels of representation and deliberation take place (Gargarella, 1998). As a result of growing political disengagement and disaffection within contemporary British politics, there is a growing, â€Å"focus on the quality of representative democracy in Britain and on the quality of participatory democracy† (Kelso, 2007, p365) – the relationship that has been recognised is that political disaffection and disengagement are not conducive with an impartial democracy. Worryingly, both the Hansard Society’s annual, ‘ Audit of Political Engagement’ (2017), and a recent House of Commons briefing paper, ‘Political disengagement in the UK: who is disengaged?† (2017), suggest that political disaffection and disengagement are growing issues; knowledge of politics is down six percent from the previous year (49%), the level of trust in Government ‘to put the needs of the nation first’ has dropped to 17% (2013) and trust in the credibility of MPs stands at a measly 9%. These figures indicate that there is indeed an issue of disaffection and disengagement within the UK, thus, to determine if the political class or instead, something else is responsible, it becomes necessary to investigate what the cause of disengagement and disaffection is within specific subsections of the population; especially those who are more likely to become disengaged from politics – the ‘disaffected democrats’ (Flinders, 2015). These factions include demographics such as the ‘working class’ and ‘18-24 year olds’, both of which account for low levels of knowledge in politics compared to the average mentioned above; 29% and 33% respectively (Hansard Society 2017). The term ‘political class’ is conten tious and, ‘is still not thoroughly developed in literature’ (Manolov 2013). Allen that the term political class is used to identify certain, ‘flawed characteristics’, that elected politicians tend to hold, those being: â€Å"Limited roots in local constituencies, inexperience of the real world, inability to reï ¬â€šect the social background of the voting population, inability to represent devolved and English regions, and their tendency to engage in a style of politics that is off-putting to the general public.† (Allen Phillips (1995), most notably suggested that the electorate tends to favour those that are, â€Å"best equipped to represent† (Wà ¤ngerud, 2009, p.52), their views – those that can empathise directly with their electorate. Underrepresentation is an issue for a much wider demographic than just the working class. Just 8% of MPs identify as BME (British Future, 2017) whilst the population of BME citizens in the UK stand s at 13% (Census, 2011). Furthermore, just 2% of MPs are under the age of 30 (Total Politics, 2016) whereas those who are of voting age under 30 make up 8.4% (Census, 2011). As the political class is not representative of the working class, or if it fails to represent minorities proportionally, there is no sense of, ‘impartiality’, within the representative process (Gargarella, 1998), resulting in political disaffection and potentially even disengagement.

Future Food Trends; Health Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Future Food Trends; Health - Research Paper Example It will take about 20 minutes to prepared this salad recipe. Given the mixture of vegetables below, these are mixed with a little water, mustard, and vinegar along with Rapeseed Oil to serve as emulsifier. Notice that the specified gree vegetables are not specified. In order to Water and white wine vinegar are boiled first. While the water and vinegar are simmering, eggs are cracked, poured onto the liquid, and stirred for 3 minutes. The eggs are then removed from the simmering liquid and cooled with fresh water. In a separate saucepan, water and bacon are boiled with high heat and boil for only 10 seconds. Bacon is drained. Thereafter. The bacon is transferred to a large frying pan and cooked some more for 1 minute under high heat, followed by a medium heat cooking time of 5 minutes while it is stirred. Before serving with the vegetables and dressing, the eggs are heated for 3 minutes with 90 degrees hot water. The salt and better amount will depend on the taste test. A recommended dressing would be made up of a combination of 20 grams of mustard, 15 grams of white wine vinegar, 5 grams of water, 45 grams of Rapeseed Oil, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, 10 grams of chopped Shalot, 20 grams or  ¼ of diced garlic clove. (Blanc, R. n.d.) Matsumoto, M. (2012) described the taste to be â€Å"like a fireworks display for your taste bud† while the eggs and bacon fat protect the tongue with too much taste and these ingredients add texture. The salad itself can be placed on a sandwich. Thus for Americans who love to eat sandwiches, this will make it very tasty. Mark Matsumoto was featured in USA Today, HY Times, and Wall Street Journal for his culinary expertise. To the French people, the Salad Lyonnaise is essentially fresh bitter vegetables with properly cooked bacon and eggs. At La Sardin in the USA, the price is $ 8.oo. The term came the L’Assiette which means a plate, and the French word Charcuterie which refers to a 1930 shop of a pork butcher ( Boogert,

Chapter two and three Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Chapter two and three - Dissertation Example Several literatures exist on growth and development online education (Carroll and Burke, 2011) but there is limited study on the skills and competence of the faculty designers. Development and use of information and communication technology has brought significant changes in education sector especially distance and online education (Arinto, 2013). Uptake of Online courses has also been on increase due to its flexibility and convenience. However there exist a gap between course content development and delivery of the course content to the students, interaction of the involved students and use of technology. According the National Center for Educational Statistics, Universities and other higher institution offering has been on the rise (Carroll and Burke, 2011). Since 1990s education institutions have been taking advantage of development in use of internet and technology to supply their students with course materials in traditional face to face mode of learning as well as online course s. Students are also embracing the use of technology (Carroll and Burke, 2011). In the initial stages of online education involved only the course materials but this has changed over time and therefore the need for effective online education programmes. Recognizing the basic skills and competencies required for the faculty designers to develop online courses, including best practices and distinguishing features, could help to improve the quality of such courses. The online education practices ranging from use of technology, competence of the lectures, course materials and communication tools affects the outcome of the courses in different ways (Lee, Dickerson and Winslow, 2012). Instructional design theory will help in development of online education programmes that satisfy the needs of the students with references to psychological principles for student focused education system by American Psychological Association (APA). The competence of the tutors and course designers as well as best practices will ensure that the online education programmes meet the needs of the students as well as job market. Growth and development of online courses Uptake of online courses has been on increase since 1990s due to development of information and communication technology which is integrated with online application to ensure effective delivery of quality learning material and interaction of the lectures and concern student as well as other student across different geographical location. The teachers and the students through electronic media which in some cases is real time rather that meeting in conventional classrooms (Suarez-Brown at el, 2012). The online courses are flexible and accessible across the globe but they are faced with several challenges since the students interacts with the lectures in delivering the course content, delivering the tests and assignment, evaluation of students personal attributes and communication skills. Online courses allow the students to stu dy while still on employment or internship which is a requirement for most courses thus providing a excellent opportunity for the students and the lecturers. The increase in the number of higher learning institutions offering online courses can be associated with its flexibility and accessibility, high success rate of online student compared to conventional classroom students and extensive marketing of online course to different

Plato and Gettier on Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Plato and Gettier on Knowledge Essay Plato in one of his most famous earliest dialogue Meno tried to provide a new way of explaining how we humans acquire knowledge. The common notion of the ancient Greeks and even to our times on how we acquire knowledge is the characteristic of knowledge to be taught and learned. Knowledge in a sense is an outside entity that resides outside ourselves. We learn outside of ourselves through our environment or other people that try to teach us. However, the events and flow of discussion in Meno had convinced Plato to provide a new framework that will be able to discuss how we acquire knowledge. Platos basic discussion says that knowledge acquisition is more in fact a matter of recollection rather than learning. We acquire knowledge and ideas from the inside of ourselves and not through the lessons outside ours. Plato rooted this from the belief of the priest and diviners and even philosophers to the immortality of the soul. The soul had existed since time immemorial making it able to know everything it needs to know. Whatever knowledge and ideas had already been embedded on the soul because of immortal existence. However, as the soul transfer from one body to another body because of the mortality of the human body, Plato argued that as the body withers and dies, all the knowledge are forgotten and put into background. From here, Plato would argue for the knowledge acquisition to be a matter of recollection and remembering of the knowledge and ideas already possessed by the soul. Plato believed that whatever we know is a recollected and remembered idea of the souls former existence. This concept was explained by Socrates to Meno with the help of Menos slave. Socrates called the slave and asked some questions regarding geometry and the measurement of some shapes. Socrates tried to ask some questions that direct the slave to answer them rightfully. It is important to note the slave is uneducated in the classical sense. However, through Socrates questions, he managed to enable to direct the slave towards right answers. This had help to prove to Meno that the soul already possessed the knowledge and opinions about everything. For Plato, this knowledge can be accessed by examining ourselves and with yourself or someone asking the right questions that will redirect you to the knowledge and ideas inside your soul. Knowledge is defined in its justification, truth and being a belief. After discussing the nature of knowledge and how we can acquire it, Socrates and Meno moved on to discuss to define opinion and its relevance on the affairs of man. The task is simple, to define opinion (true opinion) and to contrast it to knowledge. Primarily, Socrates acknowledged the role of a good opinion in the human affairs. He did not disregard it completely but rather understand its use in some cases. In fact, he acknowledges the inclination of virtuous men to rely on their true opinion to do good things. However, Socrates clearly undermines opinion; even they are good when it is contrasted to knowledge. For Plato, an opinion does not last long and easily withers in contrast to knowledge that has the capability to last eternally. The main difference lies on the presence of a rationality and grounds on knowledge and its absence of an n opinion. He used the example of a statue. He stated that the statue with that is tied in a good foundation will be able to last longer compare to a statue that is not tied. For Socrates, though an opinion can produce the same awe to an observer, it is a natural tendency for humans to ask the question of why and how. These questions cannot be answered by an opinion because of its absence of ground. In this sense, knowledge exceeds an opinion. This definition of knowledge that is characterized by Plato which is defined as a justified true belief had dominated from the ancient Greeks up to the mid-late 20th century. The general belief that knowledge for it to be referred as knowledge must be able to satisfy three basic characteristics, which is (1) justification (2) truth (3) belief was questioned by Edmund Gettiers paper entitled â€Å"Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? †. This short paper that had managed to provide a doubt to the long tradition in epistemology that considers knowledge to be a justified true belief. Edmund Gettier provided to two cases or examples will put in to question the long era of this ancient belief. He presented a case in which the three conditions are present namely justification, truth, belief yet unable to be count as knowledge because of the play of other factors. In Gettiers examples which were referred as Gettiers cases, the three criteria were only made possible by some elements of luck and chance which clearly invalidate it to be knowledge. This put an end to a long tradition of considering knowledge by the virtue of three elements of justification, truth and belief. Though the paper of Gettier did not provide an alternative view or solution to his problem, responses on his paper can be summarized to the attempts of many philosophers to look or find out for the fourth criteria that will make the definition of knowledge. Works Cited Plato. Grube G. M. A. (trans) Cooper, John (rev) Five dialogues. 2002. Hacket Publishing Company Inc. IN. Print Gettier. Edmund. Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? Web.

In In Total Remission :: Cancer Health Medicine Essays

In Total Remission Valentine's Day will never be the same. Four years ago, Cupid's holiday coincided with my discovery of a tumor in my cheek. Later diagnosed as a rare sarcoma, this capricious cancer has provoked me to understand myself and my passions. While I have developed new life perspectives since vying with cancer, my metamorphosis was not induced by my illness, but through learning to confront myself. My renewed outlook manifests in my leadership with the American Red Cross where I serve as the Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Youth Involvement. Carrying my insight from cancer--that tomorrow is never guaranteed--I have re-focussed the Council's advocacy efforts on behalf of the 340,000 youth volunteers of the Red Cross. Rather than promoting youth as an investment for tomorrow, I have prioritized youth as the asset of today. With a more immediate message, our Council has bolstered corporate youth programs and youth funding. Through my service on the National Committee on Resolution s, I also integrate youth initiatives from the field level of the Red Cross into national policy. My approach to Red Cross service has also changed at the grassroots level. Shortly after my final chemotherapy treatment, I was dispatched to a residential fire in central Fort Worth. At the scene, I discovered a mother crouched at the curb silhouetted against her smoldering house. While listening to the mother, I learned that she lost her thirteen-year-old son in the blaze. Though I had rehabilitated disaster victims before my illness, this event carried a different significance. While I was learning to live anew, I comforted a mother coping with death. My conversation with the mother compelled me to re-confront my journey with cancer. By reflecting on my own anxieties, still real and familiar, I empathized with the mother on an equal plan rather than that of victim and volunteer. Through service, I now probe my own experiences to assist and empower others. I have confronted and challenged myself in other realms of my life. Last spring, in Harvard's Agassiz Theater, the lights were dim and the audience hushed as a cool cube of ice melted over my tongue. Through the crack in the curtain, I noticed my friends huddled in the rear of the theater. A moment later the music roared and I leaped on stage with my troupe. Dressed in our radiant costumes, we feverishly danced, skipped, and clicked our sticks in near perfect harmony.

Biggest Challenges Young Adults Face Today Essay

We often think young adults are ready to launch easily take off into career, college and lively adult social scenes. Many young adults find they are over-loaded and over whelmed with great difficulty in making this change. They may feel confused and even have a sense of deep loneliness. Relationships, school and finding employment are the latest challenges young adults face with today. We’re all, like, based on relationships and if all the relationships you build up for yourself aren’t what you want them to be then it has an effect on you, because it affects who you are. If you can’t get those connections to other people, than you are automatically lost in a hole. Something drastic that changes in your life would cause depression, like maybe your parents getting a divorce, a death in the family, or your boyfriend/ girlfriend breaking up with you. For young people, education and training are crucial to becoming valued, contributing adults in society. Young adults often experience additional difficulties with other aspects of their community adjustment. Student attitude plays a critical role in academic success. Getting good grades, studying for a test, turning in homework on time is a challenge for students. Student’s beliefs about their ability to learn are shaped by messages and experiences at home, school and in the large society. Large class sizes, high poverty rates, low family literacy weak school-family relationships, high student mobility many schools face these challenges. The most difficult things regarding transitioning to employment are developing realistic self- confidence at work and developing practical skills in the workplace. It is very important to promote yourself as a qualified individual who would add great value to the company. Your personal life will play a part in your ability to effectively complete your job. It’s important to watch your emotional and physical level. Transportation is another challenge for some young adults. Public transportation might not be an option in some areas. Some young adults don’t have their license due to their age or they have lost them. Young adult’s life is challenging in many ways. Stress and depression can cause grades to drop in school. Relationships can tent to be unhealthy and cause adults to get fired from their job. During school, try to get experience to put on your resume such as internships and volunteer opportunities. Having a positive mind can be a good thing. Focusing on the right things in life will end in a positive note. When you have someone to give you good advice on schoolwork, bad or good relationships and help find a good job to build a future. Life will always have challenges stay focus and be on track think before you change your life around.

Comparing Medieval Art to Renaissance Art Essay

Medieval art period Medieval art covers a large scope of time. The period covered over 1000 years of art in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The period was characterized by major art movements based on national art and regional art. There was also the aspect of revivals and artists crafts. Art historians have been successful in classifying medieval art into major periods and styles. This is often characterized with significant difficulty. The major periods of art in medieval period include, the early Christian art, the migration period art, the insular art, the Pre Romanesque art, and lastly the Romanesque art. Gothic art was also a prominent period on medieval art. In addition to these periods, each region which later became nations had its own distinct artistic style. Medieval art was basically produced in a large array of media (Veronica, 2008). The works have remained significant and large in number. They include illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, sculptures and mosaics. Paintings were als o a common occurrence during this period. Historians have pointed out that medieval art in Europe grew as a result of artistic heritage that highly influenced by the Roman Empire. There is also an influence of iconographic traditions in this art period. It has been noted that these artistic source we mixed with what warfare to as barbarian artistic culture of northern Europe to provide excellent pieces of art. Byzantine art was one of the most influential arts during medieval time. This art form was basically influence by the Byzantine Empire and went on to be accepted in major areas. From the period of the late antique in the medieval period, there emerged the Byzantine Art (Veronica, 2008). Although it basically originated from the catholic Europe, the art was embraced by all as a result of its originality. During the period of 730 to 843, there were a large number of icons that were destroyed and therefore very little remain today to present the originality of this era in medieval art. From the medieval eras, there came prominent artist by the name of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti, commonly known as Michelangelo. The most famous piece by Michelangelo was his art work done on the Sistine Chapel in Rome: the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling and The Last Judgment in the altar wall. His works were inspired by the developments of the time. His works encompassed rhythm and contrast in a way that brought out the basic details of the artistic works. He used dull colors to reflect his somber mood while also embracing balance as a way of inspiring the generations. Most of his notable artistic works were influenced by color and balance. He used these two aspects of art to bearing out a message through his works. There is a major understanding the medieval art period was the real cause for the developments in the renaissance period (Lawrence, 2007). It is also argued by historians that as a result of the best steps taken by artists of the medieval period especially the late medieval period, the artists of pre renaissance period were able to build their trade. The argument is informed by the fact that during the late medieval period, there were early renaissance period artistic representations that were present. There is the basic understanding that the two periods ran concurrently for a certain period of time before they partied ways. The later medieval period gave rise to the early renaissance period. Renaissance Art Renaissance Art period is conceivably one of the utmost celebrated art periods in the history of mankind. The period was characterized by a wide array of disincentive artistic talent that put paint to work producing excellent results. Some of the notable artists of this period include Leonardo da Vinci, Robert camping, Santos Botticelli, Raphael and titian. There have been arguments in the artistic historical world whether the period was the best period in the history of art. Renaissance art originated from the renaissance period (Johnson, 2009). According to art historians, the period was characterized by sculpture, painting and decorative arts that formed the renaissance period in history. The period emerged with its distinct style in about 1400 parallel to developments in philosophical, literary and musical industries. The period art is referred to as the rebirth of ancient traditions and has its roots in the classical antiquity. The period has transformed by the absorption of recent developments to give a different approach to art in the northern Europe through application of contemporary scientific knowledge. The renaissance art period was also characterized by the renaissance humanist philosophy that spread throughout the western history. This affects both the artists and the patrons of their works. There was a development of new techniques and also new artistic sensibilities. The renaissance period was basically the time from medieval period to early modern age. One of the most respected pieces of art of this period was the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The artistic representation of the last supper has been addressed as one of the unsurpassed in the history of mankind. This has given Leonardo da Vinci an upper hand among his peers of the renaissance period. The absorption of recent developments in the early modern age characterized a radical shift in renaissance art. It is believed that this change of tact formed the basis for the new approach on the aspect of artistic representation of ideas. Historical facts show that early renaissance art was infarct produced parallel with the late medieval art. By 1500, the renaissance part was declared the better of the time thereby prevailing over the late medieval art. The late renaissance art was later called mannerisms and developed to become a fully fledge artists pattern. This pattern took distinctive attributes of each region and merged them together (Johnson, 2009). The proto renaissance period was basically I Italy and ran from 1280 to 1400. By the late 14th century, Italy had already been introduced to the new version of the renaissance era. That period was characte4rise by outstanding arts like the sculpture of Nicola Pisano and also Giovanna Pisano. There was a major development in figurative painting where precedence was set on naturalistic and three dimensional approaches that classified the classics it into different categories (Charles, 2009). The period was viewed as aim of classifying and rebirth of art from different perspectives. Leonardo da Vinci work captured all the major aspect of art including color, balance rhythm and balance. He used bright colors in his trademark works including the Last Supper. The use of bright colors was restricted to the foreground on f the pictures while the background was characterized by dark colors. In conclusion, there was an aspect of balance in both periods as they seek to balance different occasions with specific colors. There is a major understanding that both works have a similar approach to balance. The use of rhythm in the latest installations of these works in the periods offered a new way of understanding art. The two periods have emphasized on the need to build themes based on the current issues of the time. References Charles, A, 2009, ‘Renaissance Art’, Washington: Parkstone International Johnson, A, 2009, ‘Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction’, Washington: Oxford University Press Lawrence, N, 2007, ‘Early Medieval Art’, Washington: Oxford University Press Veronica, A, 2008, ‘Medieval Art’, Washington: Oxford University Press

Second Battle of the Marne in World War I

Second Battle of the Marne in World War I The Second Battle of the Marne lasted from July 15 to August 6, 1918, and was fought during World War I (1914-1918). Conceived as an attempt to draw Allied troops south from Flanders to facilitate an attack in that region, the offensive along the Marne proved to be the last the German Army would mount in the conflict. In the opening days of the fighting, German forces made only minor gains before being halted by a constellation of Allied troops. Due to intelligence gathering, the Allies were largely aware of German intentions and had prepared a sizable counter-offensive. This moved forward on July 18 and quickly shattered German resistance. After two days of fighting, the Germans commenced a retreat back to trenches between the Aisne and Vesle Rivers. The Allied attack was the first in a series of sustained offensives that would bring the war to an end that November.      Spring Offensives In early 1918, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff commenced a series of attacks known as the Spring Offensives with the goal of defeating the Allies before American troops arrived on the Western Front in large numbers. Though the Germans scored some early successes, these offensives were contained and halted. Seeking to continue pushing, Ludendorff planned for additional operations that summer.    Believing that the decisive blow should come in Flanders, Ludendorff planned a diversionary offensive at the Marne. With this attack, the hoped to pull Allied troops south from his intended target. This plan called for an offensive south through the salient caused by the Aisne Offensive of late May and early June as well as a second assault to the east of Reims. German Plans In the west, Ludendorff assembled seventeen divisions of General Max von Boehms Seventh Army and additional troops from Ninth Army to strike at the French Sixth Army led by General Jean Degoutte. While Boehms troops drove south to the Marne River to capture Epernay, twenty-three divisions from Generals Bruno von Mudra and Karl von Einems First and Third Armies were poised to attack General Henri Gourauds French Fourth Army in Champagne. In advancing on both sides of Reims, Ludendorff hoped to split the French forces in the area. Allied Dispositions Supporting the troops in the lines, French forces in the area were buttressed by approximately 85,000 Americans as well as the British XXII Corps. As July passed, intelligence gleaned from prisoners, deserters, and aerial reconnaissance provided the Allied leadership with a solid understanding of German intentions. This included learning the date and hour that Ludendorffs offensive was set to commence. To counter the enemy, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Supreme Commander of the Allied forces, had French artillery strike the opposing lines as German forces were forming for the assault. He also made plans for a large-scale counter-offensive which was set to launch on July 18. Armies Commanders: Allies Marshal Ferdinand Foch44 French divisions, 8 American divisions, 4 British divisions, and 2 Italian divisions Germany Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff52 divisions The Germans Strike Attacking on July 15, Ludendorffs assault in Champagne quickly bogged down. Utilizing an elastic defense-in-depth, Gouraud’s troops were able to quickly contain and defeat the German thrust. Taking heavy losses, the Germans halted the offensive around 11:00 AM and it was not resumed. For his actions, Gouraud earned the nickname the Lion of Champagne. While Mudra and Einem were being halted, their comrades to the west fared better. Breaking through Degouttes lines, the Germans were able to cross the Marne at Dormans and Boehm soon held a bridgehead nine miles wide by four miles deep. In the fighting, only the 3rd US Division held earning it the nickname Rock of the Marne (Map).   Holding the Line The French Ninth Army, which had been held in reserve, was rushed forward to assist the Sixth Army and seal the breach. Aided by American, British, and Italian troops, the French were able to halt the Germans on July 17. Despite having gained some ground, the German position was tenuous as moving supplies and reinforcements across the Marne proved difficult due to Allied artillery and air attacks. Seeing an opportunity, Foch ordered plans for the counteroffensive to commence the next day. Committing twenty-four French divisions, as well as American, British, and Italian formations to the attack, he sought to eliminate the salient in the line caused by the earlier Aisne Offensive. Allied Counterattack Slamming into the Germans with Degouttes Sixth Army and General Charles Mangins Tenth Army (including the 1st and 2nd US Divisions) in the lead, the Allies began to drive the Germans back. While the Fifth and Ninth Armies conducted secondary attacks on the eastern side of the salient, the Sixth and Tenth advanced five miles on the first day. Though German resistance increased the next day, Tenth and Sixth Armies continued to advance. Under heavy pressure, Ludendorff ordered a retreat on July 20 (Map). Falling back, German troops abandoned the Marne bridgehead and began mounting rearguard actions to cover their withdrawal to a line between the Aisne and Vesle Rivers. Pushing forward, the Allies liberated Soissons, at the northwest corner of the salient on August 2, which threatened to trap those German troops remaining in the salient. The next day, German troops moved back into the lines they occupied at the beginning of the Spring Offensives. Attacking these positions on August 6, Allied troops were repulsed by a stubborn German defense. The salient retaken, the Allies dug in to consolidate their gains and prepare for further offensive action. Aftermath The fighting along the Marne cost the Germans around 139,000 dead and wounded as well as 29,367 captured. Allied dead and wounded numbered: 95,165 French, 16,552 British, and 12,000 Americans. The final German offensive of the war, its defeat led many senior German commanders, such as Crown Prince Wilhelm, to believe that the war had been lost. Due to the severity of the defeat, Ludendorff cancelled his planned offensive in Flanders. The counterattack at the Marne was first in a series of Allied offensives that would ultimately end the war. Two days after the battles end, British troops attacked at Amiens.

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Sociology - Essay Example Since the UK contained a well-established political structure, well-trained and highly equipped army, navy and air force, magnificent economic stability and unshakeable social hierarchy, the country was in a position to rule over the entire world for several decades. By dint of her unconquerable armed forces, sharp foreign policy and enormous financial resources, the UK invaded on numerous Asian and African countries, and captured their wealth and governmental system. Hence, the people belonging to the subjugated states got orientation with the UK as a great strategic, educational and economic giant of the world at large. Consequently, they dreamed of visiting and settling down in the UK in order to lead a comfortable and respectable life for the future years to come. Additionally, the African men, women, children and elderly were also brought in the country as slaves, where they were meant to serve their white masters in their domestic chores and professional responsibilities as wel l. By looking into the history of the British Africans, it becomes crystal clear that the Blacks had been the least educated stratum of British society, as majority of this community was either working as slaves or got involved into different petty or purported odd jobs at lower scale. Similarly, because of their association with the labour in their native land as well as scarcity of food and fruits, the Blacks underwent poorer health condition in comparison with the rest of the entire English population. Though the situation has taken drastic change with the passage of time, and the country is viewed to be exemplary in respect of the health condition and education level of its citizens, yet the Blacks are still viewed to be the least developed community in respect of both health and education, as they are refused to be treated on the foundations of equality in the British society. Thus, their past is still haunting the Blacks even after several years of their freedom from slavery a nd settling down as free citizens in Great Britain. The Paper: The contemporary Britain is undoubtedly one of the most enlightened states of the entire sphere, which offers job, business, health and immigration facilities to the highly skilled and proficient individuals belonging to various parts of the globe. Additionally, the traditional British universities have been pioneer in providing high quality education by conferring degrees against different disciplines, which does not have any match with any educational institution of the entire world. It is therefore the students who had sought education and degrees from these renowned institutions, led their respective societies and cultures by rendering valuable services in their relevant fields. The entire exposure they gain and the outstanding vision they acquire is partially dependent of the British educational institutions, cultural values, social norms and traditional way of life that proves guiding star for polishing their perso nality and enhancing their capabilities to move and survive even in the multicultural civilisations. On the one side of the picture, there appears to be affluence, luxuries, social justice, economic prosperity and technological advancements, and on the other side, malpractices, apartheid, ethno-racial and religious discrimination, poverty and deteriorating health of the lower stratum of society raise their ugly head to threaten the glow of the so-called big claims of national

Property Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Property Management - Research Paper Example Property Management is a hot topic among modern real estate managers who are entrusted with the profitable care of any residential, commercial or industrial real estate in most modern cities and states around the world. Since the 1800's, effective and professional Property Management has been in demand, with the arrival of steel-frame buildings and elevators, the proliferation of the suburbs and the explosion of large real estate property-investment institutions that specifically aim to build more urban dwellings and infrastructure for the purpose of generating profits from real estate as an enterprise (Kyle et al, 3). With the advent of large urban commercial and industrial complexes, Corporate Property Management took its imposing place in the real property management scene while big government similarly responded with equally imposing bureaus intended to regulate the residential settlements and commercial complexes, with their sophisticated modeling schemes for simulating the growth, and implementing land audits that help dictate the land values of zoned areas in vast metropolises while placing various zonal restrictions aimed at efficiently harmonizing the explosion of mega-cities and the suburban sprawl. Sophisticated corporate... Sophisticated corporate strategies, financial instruments and computer based management information systems and property management-outsourcing which underlay the development of modern property management have been around for quite some time already, with much of their contribution to the practice of real estate property development, still evident in today's real estate property values that have been arrived at through the methods and practices advanced by modern-day property managers. However sophisticated this industry may now seem, Property Management began as the very basic practice of ensuring a property's maximum value (in terms of financial worth or appraisal) while expending the least amount of resources (financial or otherwise) for its upkeep and development. It involves the simple concepts of ensuring the maximum "value for money" on the part of the occupier and maximum profit on the part of the owner. It has been the property manager's job to make sure that the owner's best interests are sufficiently advanced while satisfying the requirements of the tenants. Property Management, as practiced by the State, by private corporations or by common individuals have remained fundamentally unchanged over the 19th century, that is to say that its objectives of profitability and operational efficiency remained the same, until the late 20th century wherein the real property market environment had undergone sweeping changes such that the management of a certain property, be it residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use or special-purpose, has become a major discipline requiring an interdisciplinary approach that involves an intricate network of whole government bureaucracies and corporate divisions that