Free Essays on Single-Sex Education

Learning Structure Throughout history and even today, single-sex education is a prestigious mark of social status reserved for the elite class. Despite the obvious mark of high social status, there is a controversy among educators and parents. Many educators support the claim that coeducation is the best method and should be carefully improved to offer higher quality education. However, those that favor single-sex education claim it is an effective method to eliminate sexual distractions and intimidation influenced by gender differences. These two perspectives scratch at the true issue at hand: how to provide an appropriate education for girls and boys as they move through adolescence toward adulthood. High quality education is offered when proper resources, experienced educators, and a healthy academic environment are forged together. Therefore, single-sex education will not necessarily improve the learning environment. At coeducational schools, students are able to share their diverse perspectives and talents with those of the opposite sex. The various perspectives help to introduce and educate students of different methods. In Sean McCollum's article, a male student states, "guys and girls bring diverse viewpoints to different subjects. Girls might have a very different take than the boys, say, on [author] Virginia Woolf, and it might challenge my way of thinking. Gender diversity is just as important as racial diversity. If you remove the different perspectives [of gender], you're losing a section of diversity - a big one" (18). Throughout elementary school, I observed that the two sexes have different academic trends. Boys are generally more athletic, and better at mathematics and science. Females, on the other hand, are more composed and stronger in reading, spelling and other literary disciplines. Allowing the two generally different groups to work together in a coeducational setting will improve the overall grades... Free Essays on Single-Sex Education Free Essays on Single-Sex Education Learning Structure Throughout history and even today, single-sex education is a prestigious mark of social status reserved for the elite class. Despite the obvious mark of high social status, there is a controversy among educators and parents. Many educators support the claim that coeducation is the best method and should be carefully improved to offer higher quality education. However, those that favor single-sex education claim it is an effective method to eliminate sexual distractions and intimidation influenced by gender differences. These two perspectives scratch at the true issue at hand: how to provide an appropriate education for girls and boys as they move through adolescence toward adulthood. High quality education is offered when proper resources, experienced educators, and a healthy academic environment are forged together. Therefore, single-sex education will not necessarily improve the learning environment. At coeducational schools, students are able to share their diverse perspectives and talents with those of the opposite sex. The various perspectives help to introduce and educate students of different methods. In Sean McCollum's article, a male student states, "guys and girls bring diverse viewpoints to different subjects. Girls might have a very different take than the boys, say, on [author] Virginia Woolf, and it might challenge my way of thinking. Gender diversity is just as important as racial diversity. If you remove the different perspectives [of gender], you're losing a section of diversity - a big one" (18). Throughout elementary school, I observed that the two sexes have different academic trends. Boys are generally more athletic, and better at mathematics and science. Females, on the other hand, are more composed and stronger in reading, spelling and other literary disciplines. Allowing the two generally different groups to work together in a coeducational setting will improve the overall grades...

Defective Verbs in Spanish

Defective Verbs in Spanish The term defective verb (verbo defectivo) is applied to at least three types of verbs in Spanish: 1. Verbs that logically are conjugated in the third person only. These verbs, sometimes known as impersonal verbs, are the verbs of weather and natural phenomena, such as amanecer (to dawn), anochecer (to get dark), helar (to freeze), granizar (to hail), llover (to rain), nevar (to snow), relampaguear (to flash lightning) and tronar (to thunder). Occasionally, you may see or hear these verbs used in a personal or figurative sense in other than the third person, although such usage is quite rare. If one were, for example, anthropomorphizing Mother Nature and she were speaking in the first person, it would be more common to use an expression such as hago nieve (literally, I make snow) rather than coining a first-person construction of nevar. 2. Verbs where certain forms of conjugation dont exist. Spanish has a handful of verbs that some authorities indicate dont exist in all conjugations, although there is no apparent logical reason why they wouldnt. The most common of these is abolir (to abolish), which some grammar guides and dictionaries say is conjugated only in forms where the suffix begins with -i. (The illegitimate forms include most present-tense conjugations and some commands.) Thus, for example, according to these authorities, abolimos (we abolish) is a legitimate conjugation, but abolo (I abolish) is not. These days, however, the full conjugation of abolir is recognized by the Royal Spanish Academy, so theres no real need to avoid using any particular conjugated form. Three other verbs that supposedly arent conjugated without endings beginning with -i are agredir (to attack), balbucir (to babble), and blandir (to brandish). Additionally, a handful of uncommon verbs are used rarely, if at all, in forms other than the infinitive and past participle; these include aterirse (to be freezing stiff), despavorir (to be terrified), desolar (to destroy) and empedernir (to petrify). Finally, soler (a verb that has no direct equivalent in English but is roughly translated as to be usually) is not conjugated in the conditional, future and (according to some authorities) preterite tenses. 3. Verbs such as gustar that frequently are used in the third person followed by the verbs subject and preceded by an object. Gustar is used in sentences such as me gustan las manzanas for I like apples; typically the word that is the subject in the English translation becomes the indirect object of the Spanish verb. Other verbs that are usually used in the same way include doler (to cause pain), encantar (to enchant), faltar (to be insufficient), importar (to matter), parecer (to seem), quedar (to remain) and sorprender (to surprise). These verbs arent true defective verbs, because they exist in all conjugations, even though they are most common in the third person. The way they are used also doesnt seem to be particularly unusual to native Spanish speakers; they tend initially to be confusing to English speakers learning Spanish because of the way they are translated.

Composition in the Humanities, How has humanitys use of the Written Research Paper

Composition in the Humanities, How has humanitys use of the Written Word Evolved Over Time - Research Paper Example As they prospered due to plentiful food and water they had a growing tendency to use surpluses to build impressive and complex cities for trade and emerging industries. It is thought that these complex city societies invented writing in order to help them keep track of their goods and property, and of their business deals. The Sumerians took the material that was most plentiful in that area, and one that they used to make the bricks that built their homes: the clay from the delta. Another plentiful commodity was the reeds which grew by the water and these were sharpened so that they could be used to make small marks in the clay. The distinctive wedge shaped format of the reed stem is what gave its name to this earliest form of writing: cuneiform. The clay tablets that cuneiform was written on were very cheap to produce. They could also be left to harden in the sun, or in an oven, so that they became more permanent records, and they proved very popular because of this. The system of w riting depended on tiny symbols being used to represent items in the real world. These early symbols were called â€Å"pictograms† because they were mini pictures that recalled the sounds or shapes of things in the world. (Harry Ransom Center Website). Archeologists have found vast libraries of these cuneiform tablets, containing laws, literature, and huge numbers of lists and business records. One of the disadvantages of clay are that it is brittle and liable to cracking and breaking, which makes it a risky medium for permanent records. The Egyptians solved this problem by carving their most important writing onto permanent stone monuments. Their writing is called â€Å"hieroglyphics† which means â€Å"scared carving† (Harry Ransom Center Website) and it had much more elaborate pictograms which resemble birds, animals and objects which are recognisable even today. Stone is extremely heavy, and it takes a very long time to carve, and so the Egyptians also looked for lighter, cheaper and more flexible ways to record everyday things. They used a kind of plaster on walls, and painted onto that with colored pigments, and they also invented papyrus, which is a type of processed reed that could be made up into a light and flexible surface. The design of the scroll, which allows the the papyrus to be rolled up into a tube, made transportation and storage much easier. Depending on the purpose of the writing, Egyptian scribes used three different scripts: â€Å"there is one, the most formal, for religious documents; one for literature and official documents; and one for private letters.† (Historyworld website) In other parts of the world such as central and northern Europe, America and China there were different geographical conditions. Societies here developed their own methods of writing using local materials. Manuscripts of the finest quality were produced in the ancient period and right through the middle ages using the scraped skins of animals, called parchment or vellum (University of Michigan Library website). Scripts such as Latin and Greek moved away from pictograms and into a system using a stylized alphabet based on sounds, which could be written speedily. Germanic tribes lived in areas with huge forests, and so they chose a simple script based on straight lines that could be carved on wood. In China rice paper was invented for painting and writing. These systems could be written left to right, right to left, and in a

Introduction to Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Introduction to Management - Essay Example This essay will explain business management theory and its application to Medibank Private, a leading prominent insurance and healthcare provider in Australia. As a new manager who found weak organizational culture and poor customer-driven approach, some recommendations are explicated herewith to enhance the institutional capacity toward excellence of service. Medibank  (2011) is a government-owned health insurance company organized in 1976 in Australia with the facilitation of the Health Insurance Commission, also known as Medicare Australia. It is the largest and dominant health insurance with an estimated subscriber of 3.6 million insurance holders. As a dominant insurance company, Medibank (2011) possessed Australian Health Management (AHM) and merged with HSA Group in 2009. With these developments, the company expanded by opening the Health Solutions Division which takes care on health insurances covering basic medication such as clinical services, preventative, and health support program—the latter is inclusive of coaching services through the Medibank Health Solutions and Travel Doctor. In mid- 2010 Medibank (2011) purchased McKesson Asia-Pacific, which transformed company into a health solution and insurance provider organization. Medibank (2011) decided in 2010 to amend its basic First Choice Savers hospital policy. The benefits associated to heart operations and reproductive services became accessible only by customers who opted to increase its health policy at a higher cost of 50% more for the restricted services (Medibank, 2011). The company evolved into a corporate company in 2009 under the regulation of Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC). In exercising their corporate social responsibility, Medibank (2011) supported health-related and community-based charity. However, much as the institution endeavors to attain corporate excellence and to achieve operational efficiency, the organization has apparent weak

Hope Leslie Essay Example for Free

Hope Leslie Essay In the novel, Hope Leslie, Catherine Maria Sedgwick uses personal analysis as well as historical information to create an uncannily realistic tale of romance, racial prejudice and religion. Throughout the book, Sedgwick emphasizes relations between the Native American peoples and the European Americans living in Massachusetts in the 1640’s. She is able to do this specifically with the characters of Magawisca, the Native American slave with the will of a lioness, Everell Fletcher, the handsome much wanted white male protagonist, Hope Leslie, a strong headed young woman who symbolizes modernism in the piece and Esther Downing, Hope Leslie’s literary foil. Through the relationships between Everell and each of the three female protagonists, Magawisca, Esther and Hope, Sedgwick stresses that the relations between Native Americans and Americans will never be fully amiable due to religious, societal, natural influences. The first relationship of the three relationships that are mentioned in the writing is that of Everell and Magawisca. Sedgwick uses the mother, Mrs. Fletcher, to introduce this young love between the white boy and his Native American acquaintance in a letter to Mr. Everell while he is away from their home at Bethel. â€Å"The boy doth greatly affect the company of the Pequod girl, Magawisca†, she writes,† He hath taught her how to read† (32). This action between the two children shows Magawisca gradually assimilating into the American society and thus, becoming more Americanized and less â€Å"savage† as literacy is considered a civilized ability. As Magawisca dismisses the basic principles of Puritanism, however, it is clear that there is a definitive divide between the Native American and her new family’s beliefs. As religious tenets are defining features of a person and his or her background, Magawisca can never completely assume the American ways without acknowledging the religion. Thus, the relations between her and Everell will not be able to last due to their difference in. Thus, religious differences create adversities in the relationship and ultimately attribute its failure. Mrs. Fletcher directly highlights the fact that the relationship will inevitably fail when she compares the two adolescents to plants: â€Å"Two young plants that have sprung up in close neighborhood, may be separated while young; but if disjoined after their fibers are all intertwined, one, or perchance both, may perish† (33). This statement implies that nature will undoubtedly separate the Everell and Magawisca in the future and the longer they stay together, the more difficult it will be for each of them to survive when they are torn apart. The emphasis on the fact that nature will tear the Native American and the white boy apart is particularly interesting because towards the end of the book Sedgwick brings up the relation between nature and love when speaking about Everell and Hope. In the later case, however, Sedgwick writes, â€Å"Nature will rejoice in reciprocated love, under whatever adversities it comes† (351). This contradictory statement brings to light the idea that reciprocal love between and American and Native Indian will never last no matter how strong the connection is, yet reciprocal love between two Americans will last no matter how many hardships the couple face. Based on Sedgwick’s blatant double-standards, it is clear that relations between the same races are favored, creating yet another issue between Native American and White relations. As the novel progresses, Everell encounters another relationship except this time with Esther Downing. Though this kinship does not directly involve a Native American counterpart, the future diminishment of this bond is directly based on Native American-white relations specifically concerning Magawisca. When Magawisca is apprehended after meeting with Hope Leslie, she is captured on the grounds that she is â€Å"suspected of being an active agent in brewing the conspiracy forming against [the white people] among the Indian tribes†(245). Therefore she is solely arrested on the basis of suspicion, not proof, and only because of her racial affiliations and the skepticism surrounding the Native American peoples at the time. It is this imprisonment of Magawisca that proceeds to highlight the differences between Everell and Esther and future accentuates the fact that relations between the two races will never be completely peaceful. The reactions both Everell and Esther have towards the situation seem to be the same, however the way each of them handle it show that no matter how much the Americans want to have loyal relations with the Natives it will not work. Once Magawisca is imprisoned Everell tried to enlist the help of Esther to free her however, Esther believes that they â€Å"had not scripture warrant for interfering between the prisoner and the magistrates† (292) implying, that she was too morally and religiously strict to free Magawisca without consent to do so. It wasn’t that Esther disliked Magawisca, in fact, she plainly stated that â€Å"those who love [Everell] need no know this maiden to feel that they would save her life at the expense of their own, if they might do it† (293). The restriction on the loyal and amicable friendship both Esther and Magawisca could share was not hindered by distaste for one another, but instead because of strict religious views and moral conduct. This dissent between Everell’s wishes and Esther’s duty brings about the notion â€Å"that there was a painful discord between them† (293) and they are evidently not compatible. The final relationship, between Everell and Hope, shed a positive light the fact that white relations with Native Americans could in fact be successful. Magawisca’s freedom gave both Everell and Hope a mutual cause to fight for and finally allowed them to express the feelings they had suppressed for so long. She pushed both parties to reveal their true love for each other. â€Å"Ask you own heart, Hope Leslie, if any charm could win your affections from Everell Fletcher? † (350). These lines not only instigated a relationship between two soul mates but also affirmed a very close relationship between Hope and Magawisca. This gesture paralleled what Hope did to Esther when she let Esther have a relationship with Everell even though she loved him. It is evident that Magawisca still has feelings for Everell by her reactions to seeing him: â€Å"An involuntary exclamation burst from her lips; and then shuddering at this exposure of her feelings, she hastily gathered together the moccasins that were strewn over the floor, dropped a pair at Hope’s feet, and darted away† (193). Her burst of emotions and flustered actions prove she had feelings for Everell and by sacrificing those feelings for Hope’s happiness, she is delineating that she is in fact, just as good of a friend to Hope as Hope is to Esther. Thus, the relations between Indians and Americans can in fact occur with the upmost loyalty and respect. Though Hope and Everell’s relationship does indicate that the two races can coexist in harmony, Magawisca still makes it clear that thought the individuals may be on good terms, their society as a whole is not by dutifully stating â€Å"the law of vengeance is written on our hearts†¦ the Indian and the white man can no more mingle, and become one, than day and night† (349). The revengeful nature the Native Americans still associate with the white peoples of Massachusetts still trumps any possible platonic or affable relations between the two races. Thus, societal influence once again hinders harmony. Through each of the three relationships it is evident that good relations between the Indians and the Americans may only exist if the mindset of all parties involved is modernist and accepting of all races. In addition, Sedgwick also determines, with the relationship of Faith, Hope’s sister, and Oneco, Magawisca’s brother, that if one of the lovers in the relationship completely assimilates into the culture of the other, a healthy, loving kinship may blossom. Though Sedgwick does portray Native American people in relatively positive light throughout the novel, through her delineation of forbidden and accepted love, she makes it evident that the cultural and ideological barriers between Americans and the American Indians cannot ever be completely lifted.

The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy and Farthing House by Susan Hill :: Thomas Hardy Farthing House Hill essays

The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy and Farthing House by Susan Hill I am going to be comparing two short stories; The withered arm by Thomas Hardy, which was written before 1900 and Farthing house by Susan Hill which was written more recently. The themes in each of the two stories are quite similar. They are both based around women, their needs and their wants and illegitimate children. Both stories have obvious similarities especially with the types of women in the story. 'The withered arm' was a story written before 1900. At the time when The Withered Arm was written, there was a very high child mortality rate. Babies died at an early age due to poor health care and repeated pregnancies. Many women died during childbirth. There were some forms of birth control but they were condemned by the church. Society believed that a woman's main purpose in life was marriage and motherhood. For many, this was not possible. There was a high mortality rate amongst male babies, early death amongst adult males and emigration among marriageable young men. There were hierarchies in society. Quite often, rich males would commit adultery with poor, working females. Once the woman got pregnant, she would be left on her own as marriage was not possible. Single mothers would then become outcasts in society. Generally, people knew what was happening. They were against sex outside marriage but they did nothing to stop it. Now in the 21st century, the roles of women have changed. They are no longer expected to just get married and have children. There is more equality in today's society. Although women still get married, they are also allowed a career and life of their own. They have more freedom and independence. There is better health care and birth control but sex outside marriage still continues. Today, there are many single mothers. Although they are no longer the outcasts they once were, they still have not been entirely accepted by everyone and are sometimes treated as inferiors and thought of as sluts. In the Withered Arm, Rhoda Brook, a poor, once beautiful, milkmaid was used by the rich farmer Lodge. After she became pregnant, she was tossed aside like some used toy. Lodge wanted nothing to do with her. He was rich, she was poor; there was no way they could marry. Rhoda had a child without a husband. Everyone in their village knew about the affair but did nothing to help. They knew that Rhoda had been used and then discarded of but still continued to treat her as an outcast in society. She was the thing to gossip about when there was nothing

Foreshadowing is the essential part of Steinbeck’s style in ‘Of Mice and Men’ Essay

Steinbeck, in my opinion, has one of the most unique styles of writing which is not only effective but also inspirational. The fact that he puts the whole plot and the ending right in front of us (at the beginning, in every section and even in the name) and we don’t recognise it easily is truly fascinating. Hints of the ‘grand finale’ could be found nearly everywhere in the novella. In the beginning of the play we learn that Lennie likes to pet soft things. He starts off by petting a mouse and then petting a puppy, of which he kills both as a result of his unrecognised brutal strength. The puppy was all innocent and fragile and Curley’s wife was seen in the same way which foreshadows the killing of Curley’s wife. The idea of Curley’s wife knowing the history of Lennie with pets and his blindness about the strength he possesses and still allowing him to stroke her hair was particularly considered peculiar by me. The only way I managed to justify this was that perhaps she was unaware of the dangers at that particular time as she was too caught up in the moment of perhaps she wanted to be rid of her depressive and oppressive life. Perhaps she was just fed up of her failure of her dreams and living a life of such misery that she thought of death to be the only way out and maybe death by the hands of Lennie seemed like a good idea because he was still considered to be childish meaning the element of innocence could be attached to him. Foreshadowing plays a huge role in indicating towards the fact that Lennie won’t make it alive to the end of the novella. The opening sets a pleasant mood to the story, it makes the world seem peaceful and lively then these feelings transforms into a darker and a much more sorrowful aura. The extract â€Å"I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now† was said by Carlson to Candy. This action foreshadows the death of Lennie; He can be personified as Candy’s dog as his main purpose is also to accompany George hence when Lennie/ the dog is of no use or has exceeded his limit then he will be put down. This also highlights one of the theories attached to this story in perspective; the idea of Darwin’s ‘Survival of the fittest’ theory. The natural environment and settings could also emphasise Darwin’s theory as it was linked to nature but the quote also shows that a weak element in the food chain (Carlson) preys a weaker member of the food chain (the dog) and later on we learn that George (a weak member of the food chain) kills Lennie (a weaker member of the food chain in terms of mental abilities) regardless what the intents where. Furthermore, the death of Candy’s Dog and Lennie is pretty identical which can contribute to the method in which Lennie was murdered. The dog was shot in the head which was the same way Lennie was killed. The quotes â€Å"I ought to of shot that dog myself† and â€Å"He won’t even feel it.† shows that the idea of George killing Lennie himself rather than getting some else to do it is being suggested to George. Additionally, the second quotes highlights that it’s all for the best and this action is being taken for the greater good. In Addition, â€Å"I should have done it myself† said by Candy also suggests and foreshadows that George will be the murderer of Lennie. Candy realised afterwards and in a way regretted that he didn’t kill his dog, his best companion, himself, in the same George wouldn’t want Curley to kill Lennie so he would commit the murder himself. This could be considered a gesture of loyalty and love that now Lennie wouldn’t have to suffer anymore or it could also be a sign that George was just fed up of carrying Lennie’s burden around on his back. In my judgement, I would question George’s actions because I believe there are always other ways of getting around the situation and who gave George the right to take someone’s life. In conclusion, the element of foreshadowing is the main and one of the most important techniques which the novella is based on. Foreshadowing and hints of the future aspects of the story could be found at nearly every stage of the novella and I think that this doesn’t only make the story interesting but it also clamps the reader in deeper and deeper, it makes a reader’s hunger to find out the ending even more and more. In my opinion, Of Mice and Men is one of the most inspiring story’s I’ve read not only plot and content wise but also writer’s techniques wise.

Euthanasia Persuasive Speech Essay

Imagine a world where anyone, even the curably ill or depressed, is easily assisted in suicide. Where someone else decides when you’re life is no longer worth living. Where it is a societal expectation to die rather than receive long-term care. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the world that awaits us if we legalise euthanasia. Euthanasia, or assisted suicide, is defined as the practice or act of ending the life of a terminally ill person, usually by lethal injection. Though there is no exact specification for what ‘terminally ill’ may pertain to. Who would this definition extend to and who would be eligible to be euthanized? Some laws state that â€Å"terminally ill† means that death will occur in a relatively short time. Others are specifically stating within six months or less. Though this definition is futile, as medical experts state it is virtually impossible to predict the life expectancy of each specific patient. As this has been realised, numerous euthanasia activists have increasingly replaced references to ‘terminal illness’ to phrases such as ‘hopelessly ill’, ‘desperately ill’, ‘incurably ill’. In Thomas E. Joiner’s journal Suicide and Life- Threatening behaviour, an article described the guidelines for assisted suicide to be for those with a hopeless condition. The definition of ‘hopeless condition’ included terminal illness, severe physical or psychological pain, physical or mental debilitation or deterioration, or a quality of life that is no longer acceptable to the individual. In 2009, over 30% of euthanasia cases were carried out without consent in Belgium. Simultaneously, the number of cases had increased dramatically, specifically 40% greater in 2009 than in 2008. Furthermore, in 77. 9% of these cases the patients had been killed without an explicit request, nor a discussion of euthanasia. It seems extremely likely that, in Belgium, physicians are killing patients on their own cognizance with no regard for legal restraints. Is euthanasia truly a ‘voluntary’ practice, as described in the law? Even the enforcement of laws seems ineffective as they have proven to do little to ensure the safety of vulnerable patients. How can we ensure that these results will not be replicated in Australia if we follow in Belgium’s footsteps? Could euthanasia be considered a ‘slippery slope to legalised murder’? When analysing medicines primary taboo, as sworn in the Hippocratic Oath, ‘I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if they asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect’ it becomes apparent that euthanasia purely contradicts this. Doctor assistance in the death of a patient is antithetical to the moral ethos and the primary goal of medicine. Their role as healer is fundamentally incompatible with euthanasia. Furthermore, euthanasia rejects the dignity and value of human life. The existing quality-of-human-life ethic would be replaced with a utilitarian and nihilistic death culture and a pessimistic view that the answer to life’s most difficult challenges is the intentional ending of human life. Such a radical shift in morality would fire dangerous consequences. Societal pressure and acceptance of this concept would influence the decisions of those who would originally never contemplate such a decision. Vulnerable people- the elderly, the ill, the depressed- would feel pressure- real or imagined- to request an early death through euthanasia. The legalisation of euthanasia would be detrimental to the strife for survival of the ill and depressed, to the vulnerable that health-maintenance organisations wish to exterminate, to the medical profession and to the overall value of human life. By legalising euthanasia we are allowing our world to transform into the unthinkable. When will someone else decide when you’re life is no longer worth living?

The eNotes Blog Literatures Top 10Lovers

Literatures Top 10Lovers You didnt think we here at would let Valentines Day go by unnoticed did you? As soon as we came down off our sugar highs, we began composing our list of favorites. Here, by demand and consensus, are ten of Cupids best pairings (at least in literature). 10. Petrarch and Laura.   AhhLaurathe original woman on a pedestal. In 1327, Petrarch, then a priest, left the church after catching sight of the beautiful Laura. Some scholars doubt that she actually existed, but others are certain she was indeed a real person. Real or imaginary, the speaker of the sonnets penned by the lovelorn Petrarch is doomed to forever seek her love, and to be forever denied her embrace.   Sniff. 9.   Dante and Beatrice. Sure, your man may say hell go to hell and back for you, but Dante here (at least the character of Dante) actually did it for his beloved Beatrice. (Maybe the box of Whitmans and the choice of two mangled cards left at the Walgreens at 10 am Valentines Day morning needs to be rethought next year). 8. Don Quixote and Dulcinea. If your man wont go to hell for you, will he at least take on giant, vicious windmills? Hmmm? Well, will he? No? Okay, then he falls short of the chivalry of Don Quixote. Despite the Dons heroic effort,  his love interest, Dulcinea, remains unimpressed by his overtures. Whats a fella gotta do? 7.   Cyrano and Roxanne. How about patience? Your man got any of that?   Cyrano writes letters for his friend, Christian, to Roxanne,  even though Cyrano himself is in love her. Mortally wounded, Christian confesses to Roxanne that, in fact, it is Cyranos eloquence with which she has fallen in love. For the next fifteen years, Roxanne hides away in a convent until she finally allows Cyrano to read the last letter and realizes the truth. 6.  Lady Chatterley and Gamekeeper Mellors. First, youll need a gamekeeper. Or a pool boy will do in a pinch. Be sure to gather up lots of wildflowers to weave through his chest hair (not sure how the guy pictured here got the part). Then have him memorize this line: Perhaps only people who are capable of real togetherness have that look of being alone in the universe. The others have a certain stickiness, they stick to the mass. 5.   Stanley and Stella. Steaming up the streets of New Orleans are one of literatures most passionate couples, Stanley and Stella, in Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire. Their animal-like lust for each other is something to behold. And then behold some more. 4.   Heathcliff and Catherine. If brooding loners do it for you, then youll want to find yourself a windy moor and practice shouting things like, Oh God! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul! 3.   Paris and Helen. Secretly wish men would start wars over you? Then youll want to revisit The Iliad and remind your husband or significant other that some men will build a gigantic horse for cryin out loud, just to storm a city and get their woman, and the least he could do is just go to the store and get the milk already. 2.   Rhett Butler and Scarlett OHara. Sometimes, relationships need spark to burn, and thats just what you get between Scarlett and Rhett. Plus, if you are a procrastinator  like me, youll want to commit this quote to memory:  Ã‚  I cant let him go. I cant. There must be some way to bring him back. Oh, I cant think about this now! Ill go crazy if I do! Ill think about it tomorrow. But I must think about it. I must think about it. What is there to do? What is there that matters? Tara! Home. Ill go home. And Ill think of some way to get him back. After alltomorrow is another day! 1. Elizabeth and Darcy. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth gets to keep the best parts of herself. Darcy gets to keep the best parts of himself. They learn to reform the worser parts, resolve their differences, and live happily ever after. With lots and lots of money.

How to Edit a Book The Ultimate Free 21-Part Checklist

How to Edit a Book The Ultimate Free 21-Part Checklist How to Edit a Book: Your Ultimate 21-Part Checklist So you want to get published? If you want people to actually read what you’ve written, you must master the art of ferociously self-editing your book. These days, anyone can get anything printed. It doesn’t even have to be good. If you have the money, you can find someone who  will print whatever you submit, as is. That’s not necessarily underhanded. Almost any independent publisher would be happy to offer all the services you’re willing to pay for to make your manuscript as publishable as possible. But you’re the boss. So if you want them to print your unedited book in the exact form you give it to them, they’ll say, â€Å"As you wish. And if they wont, you can easily find someone who will. On the Other Hand Ideally, you’d rather be discovered by a traditional publisher who takes all the risks and pays you an advance against royalties and then royalties on your sales. But the odds of landing a traditional publishing contract are slim. So you must separate yourself from the competition by ensuring your manuscript is the absolute best it can be. Yes, a traditional publisher will have its own editors and proofreaders. But to get that far, your manuscript has to be better than a thousand other submissions. And if you’re self-publishing, the only way to stand out against even more competition is by ferociously editing your own book until its as crisp and clean as possible. There’s little worse than an independently published book that looks like one. So, You Must  Learn How to Edit a Book Whether you’re going to hire an editor, or be assigned one by a traditional publisher, your responsibility is to get your book manuscript to the highest level it can be before you pass it on. Never settle for, â€Å"That’s the best I can do; now fix it for me.† Why? Because sadly, if you attempt the traditional publishing route, could pour your whole life into a manuscript and get just five minutes of an editor’s time before your book is rejected. Sounds unfair, doesn’t it? But as one who has been on both sides of the desk for more than four decades, let me tell you there are reasons for it: Why Publishers Reject Your Manuscript After Reading Just Two Pages Editors can tell within a page or two how much editing would be required to make a manuscript publishable; if it would take a lot of work in every sentence, the labor cost alone would disqualify it. An editor can tell immediately whether a writer understands what it means to grab a reader by the throat and not let go. Have too many characters been introduced too quickly? Does the writer understand point of view? Is the setting and tone interesting? Do we have a sense of where the story is headed, or is there too much throat clearing? (See below for an explanation.) Is the story subtle and evocative, or is it on-the-nose? Yes, a professional editor can determine all this with a quick read of the first two to three pages. If you find yourself saying, â€Å"But they didn’t even get to the good stuff,† then you need to put the good stuff earlier in your manuscript. So today, I want to zero in on tight writing and self-editing. Author Francine Prose says: For any writer, the ability to look at a sentence and see what’s superfluous, what can be altered, revised, expanded, or especially cut, is essential. It’s satisfying to see that sentence shrink, snap into place, and ultimately emerge in a more polished form: clear, economical, sharp. If you’re ready to learn how to edit a book, here’s what you need to do: The  Ultimate Checklist for Editing a  Book Want to keep these 21 self-editing tips handy next time youre writing?  Click here to download the checklist. 1. Develop a thick skin. Or at least to pretend to. It’s not easy. But we writers need to listen to our editors- even if that means listening to ourselves! 2. Avoid throat-clearing. This is a literary term for a story or chapter that finally begins after a page or two of scene setting and background. Get on with it. 3. Choose the normal word over the obtuse. When you’re tempted to show off your vocabulary or a fancy turn of phrase, think reader-first and keep your content king. Don’t intrude. Get out of the way of your message. 4. Omit needless words. A rule that follows its own advice. This should be the hallmark of every writer. 5. Avoid subtle redundancies. â€Å"She nodded her head in agreement.† Those last four words could be deleted. What else would she nod but her head? And when she nods, we need not be told she’s in agreement. â€Å"He clapped his hands.† What else would he clap? â€Å"She shrugged her shoulders.† What else? â€Å"He blinked his eyes.† Same question. â€Å"They heard the sound of a train whistle.† The sound of could be deleted. 6. Avoid the words up and down unless they’re really needed. He rigged [up] the device. She sat [down] on the couch. 7. Usually delete the word that. Use it only for clarity. 8. Give the reader credit. Once youve established something, you dont need to repeat it. Example: â€Å"They walked through the open door and sat down across from each other in chairs.† If they walked in and sat, we can assume the door was open, the direction was down, and- unless told otherwise- there were chairs. So you can write: â€Å"They walked in and sat across from each other.† And avoid quotation marks around words used in another context, as if the reader wouldnt â€Å"get it† otherwise. (Notice how subtly insulting that is.) 9. Avoid telling what’s not happening. â€Å"He didn’t respond.† â€Å"She didn’t say anything.† â€Å"The crowded room never got quiet.† If you don’t say these things happened, we’ll assume they didn’t. 10. Avoid being an adjectival maniac. Good writing is a thing of strong nouns and verbs, not adjectives. Use them sparingly. Novelist and editor Sol Stein says one plus one equals one-half (1+1=1/2), meaning the power of your words is diminished by not picking just the better one. â€Å"He proved a scrappy, active fighter,† is more powerful if you settle on the stronger of those two adjectives. Less is more. Which would you choose? 11. Avoid hedging verbs like smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit, etc. 12. Avoid the term literally- when you mean figuratively. â€Å"I literally died when I heard that.† R.I.P. â€Å"My eyes literally fell out of my head.† There’s a story I’d like to read. â€Å"I was literally climbing the walls.† You have a future in horror films. 13. Avoid too much stage direction. You dont  need to tell every action of every character in each scene, what they’re doing with each hand, etc. 14. Maintain a single Point of View (POV) for every scene. Failing to do so is one of the most common errors beginning writers make. Amateurs often defend themselves against this criticism by citing classics by famous authors who violated this. Times change. Readers’ tastes change. This is the rule for today, and it’s true of what sells. 15. Avoid clichà ©s. And not just words and phrases. There are also clichà ©d situations, like starting your story with the main character waking to an alarm clock; having a character describe herself while looking in a full-length mirror; having future love interests literally bump into each other upon first meeting, etc. 16. Resist the urge to explain (RUE). Marian was mad. She pounded the table. â€Å"George, you’re going to drive me crazy,† she said, angrily. â€Å"You can do it!† George encouraged said. 17. Show, don’t tell. If Marian pounds the table and chooses those words, we don’t need to be told she’s mad. If George says she can do it, we know he was encouraging. 18. Avoid mannerisms of attribution. People say things; they don’t wheeze, gasp, sigh, laugh, grunt, snort, reply, retort, exclaim, or declare them. John dropped onto the couch. â€Å"I’m beat.† Not: John was exhausted. He dropped onto the couch and exclaimed tiredly, â€Å"I’m beat.† â€Å"I hate you,† Jill said, narrowing her eyes. Not: â€Å"I hate you,† Jill blurted ferociously. Sometimes people whisper or shout or mumble, but let your choice of words imply whether they are grumbling, etc. If it’s important that they sigh or laugh, separate the action from the dialogue: Jim sighed. â€Å"I just can’t take any more,† he said. [Usually you can even drop the attribution he said if you have described his action first. We know who’s speaking.] 19. Specifics add the ring of truth. Yes, even to fiction. 20. Avoid similar character names. In fact, avoid even the same first initials. 21. Avoid mannerisms of punctuation, typestyles, and sizes. â€Å"He†¦was†¦DEAD!† doesn’t make a character any more dramatically expired than â€Å"He was dead.† Your Assignment Apply as many of these book editing hints as possible to the first page of your work-in-progress. Itll make a huge difference. I’ve added a downloadable self-editing checklist below to help you master these 21 tips. The more boxes you can check for your manuscript, the leaner, meaner, and more ready it will be for submission to a publisher. Click here  or below to download it free: What other questions do you have about how to edit a book? Ask me below.

Instigation of the hostage crisis of 1979 Essay

Instigation of the hostage crisis of 1979 - Essay Example The Iran Hostage Crisis began on November 4, 1979; when the pro Ayatollah students broke into the US embassy in Iran and took about 66 90 people hostage, of which 66 were Americans. Thirteen hostages were later freed, bringing the number down to 53. Almost all of these 13 hostages released were believed to be African-American women, who in their view had a history of oppression by the very country they were citizens of . Another hostage was later released in 1980 bringing the total number of hostages held down to 52. The hostages were finally set free after 444 days on 21st January 1981.This coincided with the inaugural address of President Ronald Reagan. There are several questions that are being asked on what could have been the actual cause of the attack on the US embassy in Tehran by the pro Ayatollah students. There are varied views on what could have motivated them into the act. No need to start a new paragraph. The topic has not changed. You open a new paragraph only when you switch to a new topic. It is generally said that the acceptance of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi in New York may have been the cause of the crisis. Despite the acceptance of Shah into US soil being taken to be the immediate cause of the attack, the hostage taking was actually motivated by much more than Shah’s acceptance. Even though, on the surface, Shah's acceptance into the U.S. soil was alleged to be the main cause behind the hostage crisis, the real reasons behind the motivation ran much deeper than that. This The hostage crisis was an avenue hence used as front by that the participants in the act used to make their displeasure known and to show t hat they were breaking away from the past where the Americans had been interfering with the Iran’s internal affairs by supporting the Shah.