The Internets Impact on Traditional Genres of Art :: Technology Computers Essays

The Internet's Impact on Traditional Genres of Art Data technology and computers are without a doubt already playing a major role in very many peoples’ lives and will probably do so far into the future. Every single day the little power-up sequence of turning a computer on happens millions of times all over the world, and is commonly more and more often followed by making the computer â€Å"go online† via the Internet and the World Wide Web. â€Å"In a few years men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face.† (Mayer 1999, p14). This dramatic statement is from an article written by two computer visionaries; Licklider and Robert Taylor as far back as in 1968. They realized in the 1960’s that people weren’t satisfied with just interacting with their computers. They wanted to use their computers to interact with other people. The rise of the personal computer by Apple and IBM introduced the rest of the world to computing. In the 1980’s PCs became a common fi xture in homes and offices, and the Internet and the World Wide Web started to kick of. People were using their computers as Licklider and Taylor had prophesized, as a medium to interact with other people. Today computers are - next to telephones and face-to-face conversations - without a doubt the most used medium for communication in industrialized countries. People send enormous amounts of emails every day, videoconferencing is getting more and more common and online chatting rooms and discussion forums are becoming increasingly more popular. Actually, according to www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm the amount of internet users worldwide 1st of September 2004, was as many as 800,040,498, as opposed to â€Å"only† 360,971,012 in 2000. A growth of no less than 121.6 %. So how is this impacting on traditional genres of art? As mentioned above the Internet is a very fast growing medium, also for interaction between people. This relatively new medium has not only created a lot of new types of occupations and businesses, it has also in many ways altered a number of the existing ones. This also applies within the field of art. As art has traditionally been thought of as something one can touch or view up close, like a painting or a sculpture, some find it hard to accept digital art to be a proper form of art. But as Shawn Olson – a former photojournalist and now the author of â€Å"Artistic Network creative arts† on the web - states; â€Å"I've heard people say that technology lessens the value of art.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) :: essays research papers

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Digital Subscriber Line new technology that takes advantage of standard copper telephone line to provide secure, reliable, high-speed Internet access. DSL refers to the family of digital subscriber line technologies, such as ADSL, HDSL, and RADSL. Connection speed for DSL ranges from 1.44 Mbps to 512 Kbps downstream and around 128 Kbps upstream. Unlike traditional connections DSL such as analog modems and IDSN, DSL deliver continuous â€Å"always on† access. That means multimedia-rich websites, e-mail, and other online applications are available anytime. DSL makes it possible for you to remain online even while you’re talking on the telephone-without jeopardizing the quality of either connection. DSL is available in a spectrum of speeds. Some are best home use, while others are designed to accommodate rigorous business demands. Whether for business or the home, DSL, offers unsurpassed price/performance value compared to other online options. There are the five facts tha t one should know about DSL. It is remarkably fast. With DSL service, you can benefit from Internet speeds that are up to 12 minutes faster than a typical ISDN connection and 50 times faster than traditional 28.8 Kbps modems. This means that in the 12 seconds it takes to read this information, you could have downloaded a 2 megabyte presentation file or web photograph. It would take 10 more minutes (600 more seconds!) to download the same with a traditional 28.8 Kbps. It’s highly reliable. One can depend on DSL because its proven technology takes full advantage of the existing telecommunications infrastructure. It’s inherently secure. DSL network provides a dedicated Internet connection via private telephone wires, you can bypass dial-up intruders or shared network hackers. Unlike traditional dial-upp modems or cable modems. DSL protects your valuable data with the most secure connection available. It’s surprising affordable. DSL is widely recognized as the most cost-effective connectivity solution for small buisness. DSL delivers industrial- strength like speed to multiple users at only 25% of typical TI costs. There is no better price option available. DSL is also an exceptional value for home users. At about $2 a day for services that meets the needs of most people. The connection is always on. It’s ready to run every minute of the day. There’s no more logging on and off. No more busy signals or disconnects. This gives you the freedom to focus on what you want to accomplish on line rather than focusing on trying to get connected.

Gallipoli Essay

A relevant idea in the film Gallipoli, produced by Peter Weir, is that war is a tragic waste of life. Weir made this idea seem relevant in the world today by using film techniques including music, dialogue and symbolism. Gallipoli is the story of a young man who went off to World War One. This particular film narrates the story of an eighteen-year-old from Western Australia who boarded a troop ship bound for Gallipoli. These soldiers fought the Turks in a campaign to capture Constantinople in 1915. It was Archy Hamilton’s sacrifices that highlighted the main idea that war was a tragic waste of life. Music is the first technique used to show us that war is a tragic waste of life, an idea that is relevant in the world today. Adagio in G Minor was a fitting sad and sombre piece. It was played along with blue lighting and visual effects such as the smoke when the soldiers crossed from Lemnos to Gallipoli. This piece of music really made me feel sad. It really helped to convey the sombre mood. The blue lighting and smoke also helped to add to the tension of the scene. This scene reminded me of animals heading off to a slaughterhouse. The superior officers acted as the humans, whilst the soldiers acted as the animals. It was these attitudes towards life and society that really helped me to understand that war is a tragic a waste of life. The officers’ attitudes showed that they did not seem to care about the soldiers’ lives or personalities. They just wanted to win the war. This idea is backed up by the dialogue between Major Barton and Colonel Robinson. â€Å"If the Turks get back in their trenches we’ll get cut to pieces! † â€Å"I still say you must go. † This attitude of the officer’s also has relevance in today’s world. There are still people out there nowadays who are so ambitious that they do not care what is in their way or who gets hurt. They are determined to reach their goal, for example a parliamentary race for election or an athlete’s fight for a champion title. Dialogue is a technique used to show us that war is a tragic waste of life, an idea that is still relevant in the world today. In the opening scenes we are shown a tracking shot of Archy sprinting and his ‘world-class’ time. This is showing us a brief snapshot of Archy’s talent. Later in the film Uncle Jack says to Archy, â€Å"You’ve got the God-given ability to be amongst our very greatest. † This piece of dialogue really conveyed to me the extent of his talent and that he could go far. This is why I was dismayed to find out that Archy was killed in action. The enemy does not care who is in the firing line or what the opposition’s personal talents are, they are just there to win the war. So not only is war a tragic waste of life, but a waste of talent too. Eric Bogle’s hit single ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ also backed up this idea. In the song he mentioned the â€Å"wounded and maimed. † This refers to those men like Archy, who had the potential to go far but war got in the way. Their talents were wasted or never had the chance to develop, because their countries were fighting over a minor issue that could have been resolved. This idea is also relevant in the world today because everyone has the potential to do or become something great. You just have to look deep inside yourself to find it. That is why it makes me so sad to see people wasting their talent and potential over one silly and stupid mistake and then end up going to jail. Another technique used to show that war is a tragic waste of life is symbolism. Symbolism is also used to show that this idea is still relevant in the world today. One example of this would be the use of watches. We are shown a close up shot of Uncle Jack clocking Archy’s record-breaking time. Later in the film, before Archy goes over the top of the trench, we are shown him hanging up the watch along with his other meagre possessions. This shows us that it means something to him. I believe this is because it reminds him of back home, his friends and family. The watch is also a symbol of Archy’s talent and is something that brings Uncle Jack and Archy closer. I also believe that the use of watches is used to symbolise death and that death runs on it’s own clock. This idea is also relevant in the world today when people face the tragedy of cancer. We cannot control whether we will be alive tomorrow, we just have to let life run its course. It made me really sad to see the watch being hung up on the bayonet because I felt it brought me to the end. Also, when Uncle Jack is saying goodbye, he said, â€Å"Take care of it boy. This is referring to the watch. This statement reinforces Archy’s youth by using the word â€Å"boy†. It also reinforces the meaning of the watch for him. To conclude, the techniques used to show that war is a tragic waste of life are music, dialogue and symbolism. These techniques were also used to show this main idea’s relevance in today’s world. I think the world today has become smarter than the days of world wars. There will still be skirmishes, but mankind has become smart enough to know not to sacrifice everything all over again.

To What Extent And Why Did German Nationalism Change Between 1789 And 1840?

German nationalism did change between 1789 and 1840, regarding their aims, characteristics and demographics, but only to some extent. The changes and continuation of nationalism were essentially affected by the international context and the domestic factors which both stimulated and stagnated German nationalism throughout the period. Although the nationalists may have not achieved their ultimate aim for political unity by 1840, the events during this period had indeed strengthened the ‘cultural well'.The aims of the nationalists did change, but the change and continuity depended on the domestic situation and were influenced by the international context. The initial aim of the nationalists was to have cultural unity and the idea of a ‘grossdeutcheland'. They hoped to achieve a German identity through sharing the same language and taste in art, literature and music. The nationalists were inspired by the words of Hegel and his idea of the ‘volksgeist' and Fichte's prin ciple of ‘German superiority and the ‘fatherland'.The desire for cultural unity remained and continued from 1789, as sown in the Wartburg Festival in 1817 where they created the German Lutzow Freikorps flag, and this was also carried out in the Hambach festival 1932. Moreover, the location of it being the refuge of Martin Luther is significant and to the nationalists, it gives a historic foundation to Germany. Although cultural unity wasn't the main aim later on, the events of the Battle of Leipzig 1813 and particularly the Rhine Crisis in 1840, did inadvertently deepen the ‘cultural well'.The fact that Theirs claimed that the Rhineland, which became a historical ground for the Germans after the war of liberation, was France's natural border, intensified the cultural well. The Rhine crisis attacked the nationalists culture and historic past, and thus led to the Rhine song movement. Becker's popular poem became available for everyone to read, and this widespread nes s strengthened the cultural unity. Hence the international factors didn't change their aim for cultural unity, but helped enhance it.Another fundamental aim of the German nationalists is to have political unity in the Deutsche Bund by amending the structure of the Bund system. They desire a constitution in each state, and although this exists in Bavaria, Wurttemberg and Baden, the main states Prussia and Austria do not adopt this system. The formation of the Deutsche Bund (German Confederation) in 1815 after the War of Liberation made the nationalists against the Bund and its system because it was reactionary.This sparked ideas about liberalism and wanting a constitution, and this began to be expressed in the Wartburg Festival in 1817 where they burnt effigies and created manifestos. Before the creation of the Bund the nationalists didn't want political unity, and the freikorps were fighting for their nation. However, the creation of the bund had changed their aims into wanting poli tical unity. Nevertheless, the nationalists were restricted from achieving their aim, because they were being repressed by the Carlsbad decrees 1819 created by the Bund in result of Wartburg.This meant that the nationalists could not openly attack the Bund, had no rights of association and were prevented from writing manifestos. They were further repressed by the 6 Acts 1834 in response to Hambach, and so this repression prevented the nationalists from changing and trying to achieve their aims. Hence the political context restricted the nationalists and so there was a decade of no change. However, it wasn't until the Rhine crisis which allowed the nationalists to express themselves more since the Bund appeased them and allowed Becker's popular poem to be published in every newspaper, available to all.This to some was seen as a turning point or a big change as the Bund was supporting the nationalists to some extent, but only because the nationalists were not against the Bund. This co uld suggest that although the nationalists didn't manage to make changes to the political system, they did change and improve the relationship between them and the Bund. Thus, the political context did stagnate and restrict the nationalist movement in terms of their aims, but it did help them achieve cultural unity. The characteristics of the nationalists indeed changed from 1879- 1840.The French Revolution in 1789 inspired the nationalists into having liberal ideas, which the Bund were reactionary to. This reactionary and conservative system made the nationalists anti-establishment, since they rejected the French ideas of having constitutions, freedom of speech and press and rights to vote. This liberalism was shown in both Wartburg and Hambach where they created their manifesto of demands to reform the government, and this anti- establishment continued throughout this period. It can be said that theRhine Crisis proves there to be a relationship formed with the nationalists and the Bund since Metternich sympathised the nationalists, they still remained anti-establishment. Although the nationalists were inspired by French idea's, they were always hostile to France. This was because of the constant intervention and triumph of France, with the Treaty of Tilsit 1807 on Prussia after Battle of Jena and Auerstedt, and in particular the War of Liberation 1815 which was fought on the Rhineland, and finally the Rhine Crisis 1840.France has always remained a national enemy in the eyes of both the Bund and the nationalists, and this hostility intensifies particularly in 1840 when Theirs claims the Rhineland is France's ‘natural borders' and sends troops there. Hence France is a key factor to why the characteristics of the nationalists have stayed the same and changed. One key change however is the behaviour and method of the nationalists. As a result of the repression from the Carlsbad decrees 1819 and the 6 Acts 1834, the nationalists were very limited and restri cted as they couldn't express their demands openly, as there was strict censorship.Thus this lead to romanticism, where underlying political messages were hidden in art literature and music. France's interference in the Rhine Crisis influenced the ‘Rhine song movement' , as since the nationalists were under censorship, they expressed themselves romantically. Thus, the characteristics and behaviour of the nationalists did change through romanticism, but their ideas of anti-establishment and hostility to France continued, and all were effected by France and the political context.In hindsight, the demographics of the nationalist movement may seem to grow and become widespread, but in reality it essentially stayed the same. The nationalists primarily consisted of middle-class educated bourgeoisie students and lecturers who were referred to as the burschenschaft. There were only 1,000 burschenschaft out of 10,000 students in the German Confederation, and so the initial scale of how many nationalists there were is very small compared to the general size of the population.During the War of Liberation, only 12% of those who fought were freikorps who fought for the ‘German nation', whilst the others were conscripted soldiers fighting only for their monarchy. Hence this proves that the demographics in the beginning was very small, and so nationalism was not very known or popular. The nationalists hoped to gain more supporters by having discussion circles and gymnastic societies. Nonetheless, in the Wartburg festival, merely 500 burschenschaft members attended, again showing how not many people shared the same nationalist ideas.Perhaps this was because of the disorganisation of the Wartburg festival, as the burschenschaft did not productively state what they want to do, but rather complained about the current Bund, making it difficult for others to understand their true aims. In contrast to Hambach 1832 however, there was a big increase in attendance of 20-30 ,000 people. This was seen to be the most ‘popular political festival'. Conversely, a lot of the people who attended were peasants who were most likely there to sell food for their own economic reasons, not for the political side to it.Also, although Hambach seemed to be more organised than Wartburg, only the literates could understand and read the invitations, and so again it seems that only the educated middle class burschenschaft were exposed to the political agenda, not the illiterates who made up almost most of the population. Again, it wasn't until the Rhine crisis did the demographics change a little. The fact that an average, unknown court clerk wrote the poem in September 1840, makes it more relatable to the public which is why it was widespread.The Bund allowed the poem to be published in every German newspaper, which also means that more people were becoming literate and so there was more support and ideas spread faster across the regions. This could have affected t he demographics, in increasing but not as much since it was still lead by the middle class burschenschaft. What limits the nationalists into achieving their aims is that they have no clear leader, and so perhaps if there was one, the ideas could become more widespread, hence once step further to achieving their aims.The demographics does in essence stay the same throughout the period, it being the very few educated middle class. In conclusion, German Nationalism did change in terms of their romantic behaviour and political and cultural aims, and the key factors to why these changes occurred was mainly the influence of France, and the political changes within the Bund. Yet, their ideas and characteristics of being hostile to France and remaining antiestablishment and the small scale of demographics continued to stay the same from 1789-1840 because of the repression in result of censorship, and again French intervening.It seems that throughout this period, a pattern has emerged where the nationalists create a festival or event, which leads to repression and a decade of censorship. This repression lead to the change in behaviour, where they expressed their ideas through romanticism building their cultural well and then France's influence leads to the cycle occurring again. However, we cannot ignore the fact that, although the nationalists may have not achieved their political aims, the events through this period has definitely built upon their ‘cultural well', and so had achieved cultural unity to some extent, and this is a change.

The Betrayal and Loyalty in Macbeth and Kite Runner

â€Å"A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything. † Baba says these words to Rahim Khan while he is talking about Amir at the end of Chapter 3, and the quotation reveals important traits in both Amir and Baba. With these words, Baba sums up one of Amir’s major character flaws—his cowardice—and Baba shows how much value he places in standing up for what is right. Baba is reluctant to praise Amir, largely because he feels Amir lacks the courage to even stand up for himself, leaving Amir constantly craving Baba’s approval.Amir’s desire for this approval as well as his cowardice later cause him to let Assef rape Hassan. The quotation also foreshadows the major test of Amir’s character that occurs when he must decide whether to return to Kabul to save Sohrab. As Amir searches for redemption, the question he struggles with is precisely what concerned Baba: does he have the courage and stre ngth to stand up for what is right? â€Å"I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world.Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. † When Amir says this, toward the end of Chapter 7, he has just watched Assef rape Hassan,and rather than intervene, he ran away. Amir says he aspired to cowardice because, in his estimation, what he did was worse than cowardice. If fear of being hurt by Assef were the main reason he ran, Amir suggests that at least would have been more justified. Instead, he allowed the rape to happen because he wanted the blue kite, which he thought would prove to Baba that he was a winner like him, earning him Baba’s love and approval.The price of the kite, as Amir says, was Hassan, and this is why Amir calls Hassan the lamb he had to slay. He draws a comparison between Hassan and the lamb sacrificed during the Muslim hol iday of Eid Al-Adha to commemorate Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son to God. In this context, Hassan was the sacrifice Amir had to make to get the kite and ultimately to gain Baba’s affection. â€Å"That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for he last twenty-six years. † At the outset of Chapter 1, just as the book begins, Amir writes these words. With them, he hints at the central drama of the story and the reason he is telling it. To the reader, the quotation functions as a teaser. It piques the reader’s interest without revealing exactly what Amir is talking about, and from the time period Amir mentions, twenty-six years, the reader gets an idea of just how important this moment was. As the story unfolds, we realize that the deserted alley Amir refers to is wh ere Hassan was raped, and that this event has largely defined the course of Amir’s life since.This is what Amir means when he says that the past continues to claw its way out. Try as he might to bury it, he was unable to because his feelings of guilt kept arising. As a result, he figuratively continues peeking into the alley where Assef raped Hassan, literally meaning that he keeps going over the event in his mind. â€Å"There is a way to be good again. † (pg. 2) Rahim Khan said this to Amir to encourage him to help Hassan’s son escape Afghanistan. †And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can’t love a person who lives that way without fearing him too.Maybe even hating him a little. † (pg 15) This is Amir’s assessment of his father. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb. † (pg. 76) Here Amir describes the look on Hassan’s face as Assef and two others rape him. The look reminds Amir of a sacrifical lamb. I envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with. † (pg 165) Amir makes this comment to the reader after Soraya tells him the whole story of how she ran away with a man and shamed her family. He wishes he could tell what secrets he carries around, too. Baba had wrestled bears his whole life . . In the end, a bear had come that he couldn’t best. But even then, he had lost on his own terms. † (pg 174) Baba has died and Amir sums up his life with these words. The Search For Redemption Amir’s quest to redeem himself makes up the heart of the novel. Early on, Amir strives to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes, primarily because his mother died giving birth to him, and he feels responsible. To redeem himself to Baba, Amir thinks he must win the kite-tournament and bring Baba the losing kite, both of which are inciting incidents that set the rest of the novel in motion.The more substantial part of Amir’s search for redemption, ho wever, stems from his guilt regarding Hassan. That guilt drives the climactic events of the story, including Amir’s journey to Kabul to find Sohrab and his confrontation with Assef. The moral standard Amir must meet to earn his redemption is set early in the book, when Baba says that a boy who doesn’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything. As a boy, Amir fails to stand up for himself. As an adult, he can only redeem himself by proving he has the courage to stand up for what is right.The Love and Tension Between Fathers and Sons Amir has a very complex relationship with Baba, and as much as Amir loves Baba, he rarely feels Baba fully loves him back. Amir’s desire to win Baba’s love consequently motivates him not to stop Hassan’s rape. Baba has his own difficulty connecting with Amir. He feels guilty treating Amir well when he can’t acknowledge Hassan as his son. As a result, he is hard on Amir, and he can on ly show his love for Hassan indirectly, by bringing Hassan along when he takes Amir out, for instance, or paying for Hassan’s lip surgery.In contrast with this, the most loving relationship between father and son we see is that of Hassan and Sohrab. Hassan, however, is killed, and toward the end of the novel we watch Amir trying to become a substitute father to Sohrab. Their relationship experiences its own strains as Sohrab, who is recovering from the loss of his parents and the abuse he suffered, has trouble opening up to Amir. When we got to Kabul, I [Rahim Khan] discovered that Hassan had no intention of moving into the house. â€Å"But all these rooms are empty, Hassan jan. No one is going to live in them,† I said. But he would not.He said it was a matter of ihtiram, a matter of respect. He and Farzana moved their things into the hut in the backyard, where he was born. I pleaded for them to move into one of the guest bedrooms upstairs, but Hassan would hear nothin g of it. â€Å"What will Amir agha think? † he said to me. â€Å"What will he think when he comes back to Kabul after the war and finds that I have assumed his place in the house? † Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (16. 24-25) You may be confused by the voice here. It's actually not Amir – Rahim Khan gets one chapter in the book.Rahim Khan recounts his trip to Hazarajat to find Hassan and bring him back to the house in Kabul. When Hassan does move back to the house with Rahim Khan, he refuses to live where Baba and Amir lived. Does Hassan's refusal suggest that Hassan is only Amir's servant and the two never achieved an equal friendship? (Side question: Does Hassan sense – on some unconscious level – Baba's true relationship to him? Is that why he mourns Baba for forty days? ) I felt like a man sliding down a steep cliff, clutching at shrubs and tangles of brambles and coming up empty-handed. The room wa s swooping up and down, swaying side to side. Did Hassan know? † I said through lips that didn't feel like my own. Rahim Khan closed his eyes. Shook his head. [†¦ ] â€Å"Please think, Amir Jan. It was a shameful situation. People would talk. All that a man had back then, all that he was, was his honor, his name, and if people talked†¦ We couldn't tell anyone, surely you can see that. † He reached for me, but I shed his hand. Headed for the door. [†¦ ] I opened the door and turned to him. â€Å"Why? What can you possibly say to me? I'm thirty-eight years old and I've just found out my whole life is one big fucking lie!What can you possibly say to make things better? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing! † (17. 57-63) Rahim Khan tells Amir about Baba's betrayal of him, Hassan, and Ali. Here's the story: Baba slept with Sanaubar, Ali's wife, and fathered Hassan. But Baba never told Amir or Hassan about it. We wonder if Rahim Khan's revelation makes life easi er or harder for Amir. On the one hand, Amir sees, for the first time, the similarities between himself and his father. Now he knows he wasn't the only one walking around with a ton of bricks (a. k. a. secret guilt). But does this really help Amir?Is it comforting at all to know his father made similar mistakes? Amir's betrayal of Hassan brings him closer to Baba in ways he couldn't have predicted. Although the two don't share the same secrets, they do share the secrecy of guilt. â€Å"You know,† Rahim Khan said, â€Å"one time, when you weren't around, your father and I were talking. And you know how he always worried about you in those days. I remember he said to me, ‘Rahim, a boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything. ‘ I wonder, is that what you've become? † (17. 4) Rahim Khan has just asked Amir to rescue Sohrab from Kabul. Amir is initially resistant, so Rahim Khan tries three times to convince Amir to undertake t he task. (The task is obviously a redemptive quest because there's no reason Amir has to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan tells Amir he has enough money to get Sohrab, so it seems like anyone could have performed this task. ) Anyway, Rahim Khan gives Amir three reasons why he should rescue Sohrab. One, because your father thought you couldn't stand up for anything and here's your chance to prove him wrong. Second, it's my dying wish that you rescue Sohrab.And third, Hassan was actually your half-brother, so you owe it to him. We think all these reasons add up and Amir agrees to rescue Sohrab. Of course, the third reason seals the deal, but they're all important and end up motivating Amir. How could he have lied to me all those years? To Hassan? He had sat me on his lap when I was little, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, There is only one sin. And that is theft†¦ When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. Hadn't he said those words to me? And now, fifteen yea rs after I'd buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief.And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he'd stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos. (18. 5) This is a central moment in the novel because it revises our picture of Baba, and thus our picture of Amir. Amir's guilt, all these years, has partly resulted from Baba's very strict adherence to a personal code. Baba's set of principles include honor (nang), pride (namoos), and loyalty. Now Amir finds out the following: not only did Baba â€Å"steal† Ali's honor and pride, but he stole a sense of self from Hassan, and a brother from Amir.What are you supposed to do when you find out the single most important figure of authority and morality in your life strayed from his principles? That's right, go on a personal quest of redemption to rescue your half-nephew from a sadistic, Mein Kampf-toting member of the Tali ban. I unfolded the letter. It was written in Farsi. No dots were omitted, no crosses forgotten, no words blurred together – the handwriting was almost childlike in its neatness. (17. 7)| First, it's amazing that Hassan learns how to read and write as an adult. But even more amazing is the aura of innocence still surrounding Hassan.Hassan lives through a tragic attack at a young age. His best friend, Amir, betrays him. He and his father leave their home. War comes to Afghanistan. But through all this, Hassan holds onto something like innocence. Chapter 16 – 17 Going to Kabul becomes a test of Amir’s honor, loyalty, and manhood. Amir is clearly afraid to go. He knows the city is extremely dangerous, and in returning there he would risk everything he has, including his life and the welfare of his family. Kabul will also undoubtedly recall memories of Hassan and his past that Amir would rather not confront.Rahim Khan recognizes that the decision is a difficult one for Amir. To convince him, he brings up the conversation he once had with Baba, when Baba said he feared that Amir would not be able to stand up to anything as a man if he could not stand up for himself as a boy. Amir concedes that Baba may have been right. Then Rahim Khan reveals that Ali was not Hassan’s father, and implies that Hassan was, in fact, Baba’s child. Hassan and Amir, then, would be half-brothers, and Sohrab would be Amir’s nephew, obligating Amir further to find the boy. The dilemma brings together the tensions Amir has struggled with in the novel.By rescuing Sohrab, Amir can become the man that Baba always wanted him to be, and he can finally atone for the ways he failed Hassan as a friend. â€Å"Do you know what I will tell Daoud Khan the next time he comes to our house for dinner? † Assef said. â€Å"I’m going to have a little chat with him, man to man, mard to mard. Tell him what I told my mother. About Hitler. Now, there was a leader. A great leader. A man with vision. I’ll tell Daoud Khan to remember that if they had let Hitler finish what he had started, the world be a better place now. † (Hosseini 43) Assef claims that Hitler was his role model.He has a same point of view as Hitler has. He wants the country to be one race, one religion and one belief. This is also related to the holocaust in WWII. We all know that Hitler’s actions fund the worst actions in human society because he started the WWII. He was also racist against people who have different beliefs and race. Similarly, Assef copied Hitler and isolated the Hazaras from the rest of the country. This prove that his attitude toward the country and those Hazaras end him up with suffering the serious consequences. Assef and Hitler‘s actions are the worst actions in human. His blue eyes flicked to Hassan. Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood. † He made a sweeping, grandiose gesture with his hands. â€Å"Afghanistan for Pashtuns, I say. That’s my vision. † This is a significant because this quote does a good job in terms of portraying Assef’s attitude toward those Hazaras. Assef said this when he is harassing Hassan. We all know that Amir was put in a situation where he has to decide whether he has to stand up for himself or following the belief of Pashtun bully.Assef harassed Hassan and Amir for not following their beliefs and he eventually joined Taliban and killed tons of Hazaras. This harassment due to different religion lead to the worst action the Taliban has done and this lead to the disunity of the country. Assef slipped on the brass knuckles. Gave me an icy look. â€Å"You’re part of the problem, Amir. If idiots like you and your father didn’t take these people in, we’d be rid of them by now. They’d all just go rot in Hazarajat where they belong. You’re a disgrace to Afghanistan. †This quote indirectly tells us that Assef’s attitude will lead Afghanistan to downfall and his point of view will drive him forward to join the Taliban to kill those Hazaras. He thinks Pashtun who spend time with the people with a different religion are disgrace to Afghanistan. His point of view is the same as Hitlers. He think those Hazaras should be always oppressed and Afghanistan is the land only for Pashtun. This is an unfair way of differentiating people. Afghanistan will have the potential to become more united without Taliban’s prejudice and the attitudes toward people with different religion.

Analysis of Learning Theory Essay

Teaching and education in the church utilizes both the spiritual, as well as the psychological. Andy Stanley and Lane Jones in their book Communicating For A Change discuss teaching the Bible in a clear and concise way that encourages one to change. William Yount in his book Created to Learn examines traditional learning theory and how it applies to teaching the Bible. Andy Stanley has come up with three ways one can approach teaching the Bible. The first way is to teach the Bible to people. This method is just to educate the people about Bible facts. It does not address doctrine or to dig deeper into biblical truth. Stanley states, â€Å"This is the perfect approach for the communicator whose goal is to simply explain what the Bible teaches.† This is not a very helpful teaching method. Just knowing Bible knowledge will not impact one’s life. Change requires application. The second way to approach teaching Scripture is to teach people the Bible. This is the traditional way pastors and teachers approach the Scriptures. It is three points and a poem. Stanley states, â€Å"This goal differs from the first in that the communicator takes his audience into account as he plans his approach.† The third method of teaching is the method the authors present, which is hearing and doing. Stanley states, â€Å"A third goal, and the one I subscribe to, is to teach people how to live a life that reflects the values, principles and truths of the Bible. In short, my goal is change. I want them to do something different instead of just think about it.† This is best summed up when James states to be a doer of the Word not just a hearer, in the first chapter, talks about being a hearer and a doer of the Word. Appling the Word is the only way one will see any change in one’s life. Learning also has a psychological aspect as well. There are various theories on how one learns. One such theory is behavioral learning theory. Behavioral theory teaches that one learns through conditioning. Edward Thorndike has adapted traditional beha vioral learning to the classroom. William Yount describes Thorndike’s law of readiness. â€Å"The law of readiness states that learning proceeds best when learners are properly prepared to respond†¦In the classroom, learning proceeds best when learners are made ‘ready’ – when they are engaged in the subject – at the beginning of the session.† The law of readiness takes into account the environment where learning takes place. By providing the optimal learning environment, the teacher is creating an atmosphere that encourages learning. Learning also takes place through repetition and practice, which is known as the law of exercise. The third law Thorndike recognizes is the law of effect. Yount states, â€Å"The law of effect states that any response that is followed by pleasure or reward strengthens the association between that response and its stimulus.† This theory treats human learning just like training an animal. It does not take into consideration man’s spiritual nature. However, conditioning is useful in classroom management and conduct. Another theory of learning is social learning theory. Albert Bandura is the psychologist who popularized this theory. It has four stages. Stage one is known as attention. Yount states, â€Å"Attention is attracted, intentionally or not, by the perception that models help status competence, popularity, success, or similarity.† The concept of modeling is best described biblically as discipleship. The next phase is called retention. Yount states, â€Å"Retention – ‘retaining information or impressions’ – refers to the observer’s encoding of the model’s behavior into memory so that it can be remembered and produced at a later time.† This is done by mentally storing the information in one’s brain. The third stage is production. Production is practicing the observed behavior and adapting it based on feedback. This concept is learning by doing what one has seen in the model. Jesus sent out the disciples in groups of two to put into practice what they have learned. The fourth stage is motivation. The learning is motivated by their behavior being reinforced. This is done through feedback, both positive and negative. Social learning theory is consistent with the process of discipleship. Mentors are able to model what the Christian life looks like and the disciples put that behavior into practice. A third learning theory is cognitive learning theory. One form of cognitive learning is known as discovery learning. Yount states, â€Å"Discovery learning builds upon direct instruction to help students see the relationships among principles and concepts. It leads to longer-lasting retention of the material, as well as higher self-esteem in learners. Discovery learning encourages the development and use of creative thinking skills, involving formal logic, but more, including beliefs, desires expectations, emotions, and intentions of learners.† Discovery learning is made up of five concepts. The first concept is structure. This is organizing material in a concrete way in order to be taught. It is organizing material into outlines or graphs and the like. The next concept is presentation. Yount states, â€Å"Bruner believed that people possess different modes of under standing, and that these modes were available to learners of any age. He called these modes the enactive, the iconic, and the symbolic.† The enactive mode is learning by doing and seeing presentations. The iconic mode is learning visually by pictures and such. The symbolic mode is learning by describing complicated concepts verbally. The third concept is economy. This concept deals with the idea that providing too much information can cause overload and actually hinder learning. Stanley refers to this when evaluating traditional Bible teaching. The next concept is power. This power is best found in keeping learning simple and concise. Breaking concepts down into formulas or diagrams is helpful. The final concept of discovery learning is motivation. Yount states, â€Å"Intrinsic motivation sustains that will to learn; extrinsic motivation does not. Intrinsic motivation comes from the student’s own curiosity, their drive to achieve competence, and reciprocity – the desire to work cooperatively with others. These are rewarding in themselves, and thus, self-sustaining. The fourth learning theory is educational humanism. This concept takes the whole person into consideration and is learner focused. Yount states, â€Å"Learners are persons; therefore, life-changing learning engages personal attitudes, emotions, and values. The goal of educational humanism was to personalize the classroom.† There are several positive aspects to humanistic learning. One is the ability for teachers to build relationships with their students. This can also apply the modeling concept of social learning. Another positive aspect is the ability for students to explore their feelings and emotions. Yount states, â€Å"In the context of Bible study, exploring personal feelings and sharing personal testimonies are means to spiritual growth as God’s Word speaks, and Bible truths are discovered, personalized, and integrated into the authentic activities of life.† Learning theory impacts how one approaches teaching the Bible. In the opinion of the author, social learning theories, as well as, aspects of discovery learning and humanistic learning are effective in teaching the Scriptures. The concept of modeling is biblical. When Jesus told the disciples to follow Him, He was inviting them into a modeling relationship. This is the call to discipleship. By discovering biblical truth and applying to one’s life, both individually and in community, is how one grows in Christ. Bibliography Stanley, Andy and Lane Jones. Communicating For A Change. Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2006. Yount, William R. Created to Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Introduction to Educational Psychology. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Andy Stanley and Lane Jones, Communicating For A Change, (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2006), 93. [ 2 ]. Stanley and Jones, 94. [ 3 ]. William R. Yount, Created to Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Introduction to Educational Psychology, (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010), 178. [ 4 ]. Yount, 179. [ 5 ]. Ibid., 219. [ 6 ]. Ibid., 220. [ 7 ]. Ibid., 221. [ 8 ]. Ibid., 242. [ 9 ]. Ibid., 243. [ 10 ]. Stanley and Jones, 102. [ 11 ]. Yount, 244. [ 12 ]. Ibid., 313. [ 13 ]. Ibid., 323.

A’ Minimum Of Two’ A Short Story

A Minimum Of Two A Short Story â€Å"Minimum of two† is a collection of short stories written by Australian writer Tim Winton. He writes his stories in different views such as first and third person, mainly for the reader to feel the story more in depth. The book features 14 short stories which are; Forest Winter, No Memory Comes, Gravity, The Water was Dark and it went forever down, Nislam’s Friend, Minimum of two, Distant Lands, Laps, Bay of Angels, The strong one. Holding, More, Death belongs to the dead his father told him and sadness to the sad and finally Blood and water. Throughout all of these stories there is relevant trauma for past events, coming to an outcome of growth in either a positive or negative way. The short story that in my opinion is the most powerful in regards to trauma and growth is the story â€Å"Minimum of two†. It’s written in first person view of the husband (Neil). This is a deep story about a married woman called Greta getting raped by a senior in her de partment by the name of Fred Blakey. He is taken to court by Greta and Neil and is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment but for Neil this is not enough because he went through ample suffering through the recovery of Greta in the way that she did not want to be intimate with him because she was sensitive as expected after being raped. With this issue, Neil decides to take matters in his own hands and contemplates killing Blakey when he gets released, he tells his friend Tony Mitchell that he will be doing this. Mitchell doesn’t agree with what Neil wants to do, but Neil doesn’t listen to him and ends up killing Blakey when he got out. His conscience then catches up with him and he then feels like the most horrible person, saying that he feels that he was a â€Å"dead man†. The main trauma in this story is the rape of Greta by Fred Blakey, this is mainly trauma from Greta as she becomes sensitive and doesn’t get intimate with Neil, this is also a traumatic for him, and this is shown in the way he writes about his feelings. It seems like her intimacy with him is a great thing for him making this story traumatic for both Neil and Greta. In the ending Neil kills Blakey and comes to a negative growth of feeling sorry for himself, as well as losing his best friend Tony Mitchell. The next story that showed trauma and growth is the story called â€Å"Distant Lands†. It’s written in the third person view. This short story is about an overweight woman working at her father’s newsagency. This woman is called â€Å"Fat Maz† she was teased and tormented through high school and also was not supported very well by her parents, they also treated her as if they didn’t know her or that she wasn’t their daughter. There was a day though that changed her life, a stranger Pakistani man comes into the newsagency, and opens the book â€Å"Distant Lands† has a glance and leaves. As she goes to inspect the book sh e realises the blurb saying â€Å"You will want this book never to finish†after she reads the blurb she is interested in reading the book, as she is reading it the Pakistani man comes into the newsagency once again and this time re-opening â€Å"Distant Lands† and smiling at Fat Maz, he gives her money and some confidence to leave her garbage job helping at her father’s newsagency