A Solitary Soul By Kate Chopin - 1995 Words

On April 22nd, 1899, Herbert S. Stone Company published a novel written by female Author, Kate Chopin. According to Chopin’s official website published by the Kate Chopin International Society in which biographers and editors detail information of the authors life, works, and commonly asked questions, Chopin was 49 years old at the time that The Awakening was published. This novel was originally titled A Solitary Soul, but was changed just prior to publication. Though today this novel is heavily studied and appreciated by scholars and critics alike, this positive outlook on Chopin’s deeply symbolic work of fiction did not develop until over 40 years after Chopin’s death in 1904 (Koloski). Upon being published, an overwhelming amount of people were outraged by the implications of main character Edna Pontellier making decisions that directly negate her societal role as a â€Å"mother-woman† In fact, Chopin was not only releasing a work of fiction to be enj oyed for entertainment, but voicing a great deal of controversial opinions about women’s role in society as a negative thing. At each unsure step that Edna took in the novel, it revealed more to Chopin’s true feelings about the pressures put on women to fit a certain mold, and also implied that regardless of how a woman chose to break that mold, she would be rewarded with nothing but loneliness, homelessness, or in the case of Edna Pontellier, even death. The thought that the â€Å"normal† roles of a woman could drive her to takeShow MoreRelated The Importance of the Sea in The Awakening Essay830 Words   |  4 PagesAwakening      Ã‚   Throughout her novel, The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses symbolism and imagery to portray the main characters emergence into a state of spiritual awareness. The image that appears the most throughout the novel is that of the sea. â€Å"Chopin uses the sea to symbolize freedom, freedom from others and freedom to be ones self† (Martin 58). The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, wants that freedom, and with images of the sea, Chopin shows Ednas awakening desire to be free and her ultimateRead More feminaw Seeking a New Identity for Women in The Awakening Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesSeeking a New Identity for Women in  The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Awakening, Chopin questions gender roles. Chopin seeks an identity for women that is neither wife nor mother. To achieve this end, she incorporates progressive feminist ideas into her writing. Yet, in the end, Chopin also shows that, because of years of conditioning, many women are unable to escape society’s stereotypical roles by any satisfactory means. The protagonist of the novel, Edna Pontellier, does not possess the skillsRead More Kate Chopin Gives a Womans Voice to Realism Essay example1173 Words   |  5 PagesKate Chopin Gives a Womans Voice to Realism Kate Chopin succeeded in giving a womans voice to realism. While doing this she sacrificed her career. This seems to be a higher order of feminism than repeating the story of a woman as victim...Kate Chopin gives her female protagonist the central role, normally reserved for the man, in a meditation on identity and culture, consciousness, and art. (Robinson 3) The role of woman in the society Chopin creates is of special interest and relevanceRead More The Importance of Human Intimacy in Chopins Regret Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of Human Intimacy in Chopins Regret      Ã‚   The short story, Regret, by Kate Chopin is about a childless spinster who accepts the responsibility of caring for a neighbors four young children while their mother is away. The main idea of the story is that even though independent people like Mamzelle Aurelie become used to living alone, they still need affection and human intimacy.    Mamzelle Aurelie is depicted as a woman with masculine traits and a somewhat militaryRead MoreThe Awakening by Edna Pontellier Essay1104 Words   |  5 Pagesthe hunger of lips, we are always alone† (Chopin 581.7). In Kate Chopin’s story The Awakening, not only is this the quote that Edna Pontellier identifies with when Mrs. Ratignolle plays piano for her, but it is also the perfect description of the struggle in which Mrs. Pontellier faces. Though, The Awakening was considered sexually charged and risquà © for its time, when one analyzes this quote and the original title of Kate Chopin’s story, A Solitary Soul, they come to the realization that there isRead More themeaw Themes and Fate in The Awakening and Madame Bovary Essay1287 Words   |  6 PagesBovary      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins The Awakening and Gustave Flauberts Madame Bovary are both tales of women indignant with their domestic situations; the distinct differences between the two books can be found in the authors unique tones.   Both authors weave similar themes into their writings such as, the escape from the monotony of domestic life, dissatisfaction with marital expectations and suicide.   References to fate abound throughout both works.   In The Awakening, Chopin uses fate to representRead More A Woman Who Is a Person in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour1058 Words   |  5 PagesA Woman Who Is a Person in The Story of an Hour  Ã‚     Ã‚   In her book, The Faces of Eve, Judith Fryer writes, In the last year of the nineteenth century a woman succeeded where men had failed: Kate Chopin created . . . a woman who is a person. Chopin’s short story, The Story of an Hour, openly portrays the true feelings of a woman who feels trapped inside her marriage. In the period in which she lived, there were only two alternatives for her to achieve the much desired personal freedom—eitherRead MoreEssay on The Awakening1610 Words   |  7 Pages In their analytical papers on The Awakening by Kate Chopin, both Elaine Showalter and Elizabeth Le Blanc speak to the importance of homosocial relationship to Edna’s awakenings. They also share the viewpoint that Edna’s return to the sea in the final scene of the book represents Edna being one with her female lover and finding the fulfillment she has been seeking. We see evidence of this idea of the sea as a feminine from Showalter when she tells us that â⠂¬Å"As the female body is prone to wetness,Read More The Importance of Setting in The Awakening Essay2206 Words   |  9 Pagesin her independent home in New Orleans, and in just about every other environment that she inhabits. In fact, Edna seems to drift from setting to setting in the novel, never really finding her true self - until the end of the novel.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chopin seems highly concerned with this question throughout her narrative. On a larger scale, the author seems to be probing even more deeply into the essence of the female experience: Do women in general have a place in the world, and is the life of a womanRead MoreKate Chopin s The Awakening1875 Words   |  8 Pagessocial, and economic equality to men.† The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, was written in 1890 during the height of the women s suffrage movement, and essentially the public felt that the author â€Å"went too far† due to â€Å"the sensuality† of the protagonist (Toth 1). The â€Å"male gatekeepers† that scrutinized her work saw her piece as a statement that â€Å"the husband is a drag†, and that traditional American values should be forgotten (Toth 1). In truth, Chopin did not think that American values, such as motherhood

Hotel Rwanda Global Essay - 937 Words

Global Essay Hotel Rwanda The United Nations was created to solve world problems. It has made actions like making peace with other countries, creating programs that help them, and helping countries in war. But sometimes, the UN will simply avoid a problem. One of these instances was in Rwanda. Around 1994, the Hutu tribe of Rwanda was committing the genocide of the Tutsi, another tribe of Rwanda. The Tutsi tribe was in alliance with Belgium when it controlled Rwanda, so when the Rwandans gained their independence, there the Hutus had prejudice against Tutsis. Eventually, there was a war between them. The Tutsi rebels were vastly outnumbered (about 10% of the Rwandan people were Tutsi and about 90% were†¦show more content†¦One of these purposes involved maintaining international peace throughout the world in all countries. According to the charter, the UN is supposed to prevent non-peaceful things like war, genocide and rebellions. It did not do so in Rwanda though. While the genocide of the Tutsis was occurring in Rwanda, the UN did not do anything to help. All it did was rescue citizens of their own countries while they left the Tutsis to face their fate of death. According to the UN charter, it was supposed to prevent the genocide and war. During the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda, the UN ignored it and did little without a care. It simply didnt care about the natives of Rwanda. The fact that there was prejudice against them was a big reason. Most of the people that needed to be saved in Rwanda were nothing but poor, black Africans. In the UNs eyes, those types of people dont even matter. Even though they were still living human beings, they didnt make a big impact on the UNs own world so they werent even worth saving to them. The UN just doesnt care for those kinds of people that dont affect them. Also, the fact that Rwanda had nothing worthwhile to the UN was a reason why they didnt help. Some countries have resources that are valuable to countries of the UN so it gets involved with that country. Even in war, the UN would try to help that country, partlyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Rwanda Genocide Compared with Hotel Rwanda2521 Words   |  11 Pagescentral African country of Rwanda. The Hutus and the Tutsis, two ethnic groups within Rwanda, have been at continual unrest for the past half a century. During the 100 day massacre of 1994, a murder occurred every two seconds; resulting in 18% of the Tutsi population being killed. A decade after the war, in 2004, the film Hotel Rwanda was released. The film followed the story of a Hutu man; Paul Rusesabagina as he housed over 1200 Tutsi refugees in his hotel. The Hotel De Milles Collines, a five-starRead MoreLeaving The Comforts Of The First World By Jessica Alexander974 Words   |  4 Pagesjoining the Humanitarian Industry Jessica Alexander was a former University of Pennsylvania graduate whom, after her mother died did not want to work in the corporate arena. Instead Jessica Alexander traveled t o many different countries which include: Rwanda, West Darfur, North Darfur, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Sierra Leone and Haiti. While traveling, Jessica found love, dismay, disgust, happiness, and frustration– a mixture of emotions that she exemplified in through her actions, thoughts and narration.Read MoreThe Impact Of Economic Growth On The World And The Environment3597 Words   |  15 Pagesnegative effects of slow economic growth for the world and the environment. This essay provides a selection of theories with unique perspectives regarding the different impacts of economic growth on countries around the world. It will also explore the different methods/theories discussed by academics for best achieving economic growth. Aiming to provide a critical insight to the issues involved in economic growth, this essay will focus firstly on what economic growth means, then going on to considerRead MoreRole of Media in Tourism9761 Words   |  40 PagesTourism  (IIPT)  African  Conference  on  Peace  through  Tourism  at   Educators’  Forum,  Uganda  (Kampala).                        Organized  by  the  International  Institute  for  Peace  through  Tourism   (IIPT),  United  States  of  America  (USA),  Held  At  Serena  International   Hotel  and  Conference  Centre,  Kampala,  Uganda,  May  19†22,  2007            Abstract   The  objectives  are  :(1)  to  highlight  the  theoretical  or  conceptual  implications  of:  the  new   media   communication   technologies,   globalisation,   and   cultural   contestations  Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesPHILADELPHIA Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright  © 2010 by Temple University All rights reserved Published 2010 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Essays on twentieth century history / edited by Michael Peter Adas for the American Historical Association. p. cm.—(Critical perspectives on the past) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7Read MoreBhopal Gas Disaster84210 Words   |  337 Pagesof stockpiled pesticides, and all activities will be carried out in line with the strictest health and environmental standards (www.africastockpiles.org) . * In 1995, the European Commission procured 230 tonnes of off-specification fungicide from Rwanda. * Nearly 300 tonnes of obsolete pesticides were repackaged and exported to Britain from Yemen with the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Netherlands and Germany. If Dow does not agree to remove the waste and ship it overseas

The Heart Reserves A Special Place For Music - 1332 Words

The heart reserves a special place for music. To many, music is more than a melody or a combination of sounds pulsating in ears; it brings out emotions, memories, and shared vibes. Whether a person is an avid listener or casually listens to music, everyone has a few specific albums that laid a foundation for the music they currently enjoy. Recently, I have rediscovered one of these albums, Madvillainy, when putting my old playlist on shuffle. The album consists of Daniel Dumile, the album’s MC (rapper) who goes by many aliases, but most commonly as MF Doom, and Otis Jackson Jr., or Madlib. The underground hip-hop album was released in 2004 and is now considered a classic by many. The album’s 22 tracks consist of skits, instrumentals, and rapping with most tracks around two minutes long. Madvillainy has proven to me to be a masterpiece and a consistently good listen. One of the qualities that set Madvillainy apart from its peers, is the superb production performance given by Madlib. The album’s production is magnificent, even to Pitchfork standards, saying, â€Å"the samples are smart and never played-out, and the production and rhymes reveal a determined sense of cooperation, as Doom spouts off his most brilliant lyrical change-ups and production-conscious playoffs† (Pemberton). Like stated in Pitchfork, the production works cohesively with MF Doom’s rapping. For example, on the song â€Å"Meat Grinder†, the beat alone seems quirky, sounding like it belongs in an episode of Spongebob,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Article Parramatta 1191 Words   |  5 PagesParramatta and some from the neighbouring suburbs consider Parramatta Sydney s second CBD. It is a hub for easily accessible public transport, one of the biggest shopping centres in Australia, and has restaurants that feature just about any cuisine your heart d esires. Parramatta is very close to UWS and has several amazing schools and child care centres to accommodate the children of this densely populated suburb. Everything is convenient and virtually right at your door in Parramatta. The Parramatta RiverRead MoreDescription Of Nicaragu The Spanish Word For Water1392 Words   |  6 Pagessprings. A lucky bird watcher may be able to add a rare quetzal to their inventory. Most certainly they will see goldfinches, hummingbirds, magpies or toucans. Taking a branch of the famous Pan American Highway, the traveler can drive through the heart of this region to the border with Honduras. The Atlantic Lowlands: Nicaragua’s tropical east coast is far different from the rest of the country. The climate is predominantly tropical with high temperature and high humidity. Around the area s principalRead MoreA Cold, Brittle Wind Blew The Front Door Open1431 Words   |  6 PagesHawthorne bought it, the house belonged to the Alcott family, who names it â€Å"Hillside.† Here, Louisa May Alcott and her sisters lived much of their childhood described in Little Women. With that much literary history in the home, it was the perfect place to hold a dinner party. Mr. E. A Poe, his proud and beautiful head erect, his dark eyes flashing with the elective light of feeling and of thought, a peculiar, an inimitable blending of sweetness and hauteur in his expression and manner, greeted hisRead MoreThe Different Directions Of Belgravia Escorts Essay2154 Words   |  9 PagesLondon to meet your high-class beauty model for the perfect evening, but there is something genuinely special about this small community that will have them bursting with joy. Near London s most iconic landmarks such as the Buckingham Palace to the east, Hyde Park to the north, the Royal Albert Hall and Natural History Museum to the west, and the River Thames to the south, there are plenty of places to bring your escort no matter the direction. Get to your escort and reach the apex of life with themRead MoreIncredible India3330 Words   |  14 Pages ⠝â€" Geography ⠝â€" Environment of India ⠝â€" Name of many cities of India ⠝â€" Language ⠝â€" National symbol of India ⠝â€" Festivals of India ⠝â€" Holidays of India ⠝â€" Religion demography ⠝â€" Tourist place of India ⠝â€" Famous people of India ⠝â€" Hindi movies ⠝â€" Music ⠝â€" Food of India ⠝â€" Conclusion Introduction The Republic of India is a large South Asian country rich in ethnic diversity, with over one billion people speaking hundreds of languages. Politically it is theRead MoreThe Conservation Of Yellowstone Wildlife Essay2083 Words   |  9 Pagesthree states. According to Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk, his park â€Å"is at the heart of the largest intact ecosystem in the temperate zone in the United States, if not the world† (interview). It’s called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and within its borders lay two national parks (Grand Teton and Yellowstone), four national wildlife refuges, and seven national forests. This important biological reserve is the largest protected area in the lower 48 states and provides critical habitatRead MoreHigh Social Circle and Waltz During the Eighteenth Century2088 Words   |  8 Pageswaltz has evolved through the là ¤ndler along with cultural and social advances. Created in the countryside of Austria, the là ¤ndler was a type of couple’s dance that became widely popular in the late eighteenth century when composers began creating music for dance halls (Watson). The dance is basically a primitive version of the waltz with the man’s hands rested on the woman’s waist, and the woman’s hands on the man’s shoulders. At the end of the song, it was typical during the là ¤ndler for the manRead MoreEssay about The Importance of Public Broadcast Television 1973 Words   |  8 Pagesbroadcasting, public broadcasting was not quite important or seen as useful. Commercial broadcasting was all the rage; the blitz for commercial station licenses went on from the 1940s – 1950s. However, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did reserve many frequencies for educational television (ETV). These stations were just beginning to be used in the early 1950s for universities and other nonprofits. Public-service broadcasters try to show programming that will improve society b y informingRead MoreBelfast And Belfast Visitor Guide3467 Words   |  14 Pagesquarter, Queen’s quarter and Beyond the City Centre. Belfast is an adventurous city, where you can surf; ski or mountain climbs if you are close by. People will go to Belfast for different motivation such as, historic, cultural, business, educational, special occasion and for relaxation. Location: As reported by Belfast visitor guide (2011), Belfast is located in the Northern of Ireland. The accessibility their provides travel from another country to Belfast are Airports and boat. They have two airportsRead MoreCuba - International Marketing2910 Words   |  12 Pages GROUP 133, SERIES A PROJECT THEME: CUBA TABLE OF CONTENT: 1. HISTORY 2. GOVERNMENT 3. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 3.1. LOCATION 3.2. CLIMATE 3.3. RESOURCES 4. RELIGION AND LAW 5. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION 6. CULTURE 6.1. MUSIC 6.2. SPORTS 7. ECONOMY AND MARKETING ENVIRONMENT 8. CURRENCY 9. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. HISTORY Cuba was discovered in the 15th century by Christopher Columbus and his conquistadors on the journey to discover a new route to East

Cmn279 Final Report - 1348 Words

City of Toronto Grants Department Date: November 15, 2011 To: Mayor Rob Ford, Mayor of Toronto cc: Toronto City Council From: Senior Grants Officer Subject: Ford City Grants Fund Application from Toronto Arts Council The Toronto Arts Council has applied to a new fund, the Ford City Grants Fund, which was created for granting funding to non-profit organizations. Successful bidders will receive up to a $50,000 grant to offset costs from their operations and expenditures. This report serves to critically evaluate the Toronto Arts Council and determine whether it is worthy of receiving funding from the new Ford City Grants Fund. It will begin by providing a brief overview of the Toronto Arts Council and its†¦show more content†¦The Toronto Arts Councils primary objectives include providing grants to outstanding artists and arts organizations. As such, the Toronto Arts Councils activities contribute directly to Torontos cultural life and environment. 2. Benefits of arts and culture to Toronto’s Tourism industry The local arts and culture scene supports Torontos tourism industry, one of the key pillars of its economy. The arts and culture sector (which is a subset of Torontos Tourism industry) as a whole accounts for between 133,000 to 190,000 jobs and $9 billion of economic activity every year, comparable to other much-hyped sectors such as high-tech or biomedical (The Economic Importance of Culture to Toronto: Final Report, 2001). Toronto is famous for its liberal, expressive arts, and the local performing arts scene has been in the spotlight many times and received numerous rewards (Henry, C., 2009). Every year, flocks of tourists are drawn in by world-renowned theatre events and festivals. Examples include (Toronto International Film Festival Inc., 2011): * the Toronto International Film Festival, which draws in approximately 1.3 million visitors each season; and * the Canadian National Exhibition, which features 336 films from 64 different countries and draws in over 500,000 people annually, including numerous famous celebrities The Toronto Arts Councils activities and funding helpsShow MoreRelatedCmn279 - Final Report2268 Words   |  10 Pagesthe university to best identity which charity would be the most deserving of a donation. We have done this by collecting information from each organization and comparing them to see which charity best meets the set of criteria we have chosen. This report is comprised of the set of criteria we have used to compare each organization, the three alternatives we have chosen, a diagram and a recommendation based on our analysis. Significance of the Problem: Choosing the Charity that will Receive the RBSA’s

Essay on Prevention Of Hiv Transmittance To Babies

Prevention of HIV Transmittance to Babies Last year, it was cause for celebration. The cause of celebration was for the results that several clinical trials of zidovudine cut the risk for mother to child transmission of human immune deficiency virus (HIV) by two thirds. Although, this year, it is the basis for new federal recommendations that all pregnant women should receive HIV testing and counseling. But, these findings have been cause of protests by several activist groups. Activists fear that conservative legislators and policy makers will use the clinical data to justify mandatory testing and treatment for pregnant women. During the latter part of February, the United States Public Health Services published guidelines for HIV†¦show more content†¦The center for Disease control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. reports that as of December 31, 1994, there were 58,448 women with AIDS in the United States. Nearly one fourth of the total were reported in 1994 alone. AIDS is now the fourth leading cause of death in US women ages 25 to 44 and in 15 major United States cities. In 1993, the CDC estimated that 7,000 HIV infected women gave birth in this country, in other words, about one in every 625 women who gave birth that year was HIV positive. The rate of mother to child transmission rate ranged from 15% to 30%, which is estimated that there were as many as 2,000 HIV infected infants born in the United States in 1993. Much of the controversy centers on AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) protocol 076. In the 2 year study, 239 of the 477 HIV infected women enrolled received AZT during pregnancy and delivery. Their infants received the drug for six weeks. At 18 months, 8.3% of the infants in the treatment group vs. 25.5 % of the controls were infected. quot;Evidence based on every analysis that has been done of the outcomes to date shows that this is a prevention breakthrough,quot; said Wanda Jones, DrPH, acting associate director of CDCs office of Womens Health. Activists believe that the data is incomplete and should not be used as theShow MoreRelatedHiv Theory And Behavior Paper2195 Words   |  9 PagesHIV Theory and Behavior Paper HIV also Known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a virus that leads to the disease Aids by disturbing the helper T cell of the immune system.There are two types of HIV-1 which is carried througout the world and HIV-2 which is dominant in mjaority of West Africa.HIV transmission is when the HIV virus is spread from person to person.The most common way HIV is spread through the United States is by sex intercourse and sharing drug injection equipment such as needles and

The Effectiveness of Advertising a Literature Review free essay sample

The effectiveness of advertising: a literature review Elisabetta Corvi Associate Professor of Economics and Business Management University of Brescia [emailprotected] unibs. it Michelle Bonera (corresponding author) Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Management University of Brescia +39 333 2341484 [emailprotected] unibs. it Abstract The aim of the paper is to propose a simple approach to monitor and control the encoding phase, too often neglected by the doctrine and operators in the communication process. The paper is discusses a possible methodology to investigate the degree of coincidence / discordance between what is conveyed through the advertising and what is actually understood by some consumers. The object of investigation is the verbal text of the spot in order to verify the level of understanding of the message and, if necessary, to find the reasons of a wrong perceived meaning. Introduction Advertising effectiveness can be defined as the extent to which advertising generates a certain desired effect. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effectiveness of Advertising: a Literature Review or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Measuring the effects of advertising is very important, given the amount of investments needed for advertising. While it is not possible to obtain a global measure of the advertising effectiveness, we should seek to develop and apply methods and measures for a partial verification of results. Regarding the difficulty of measuring the overall effectiveness, we believe that it is due essentially to the following considerations: †¢advertising interacts with other business variables (behavior, marketing olicies, financial decisions etc. ) and environmental variables (competition, economic conjuncture etc. ), hardly isolable; †¢the effects of advertising are varied and not always translatable into quantitative terms; †¢advertising causes long-term effects, not always, therefore, the results occur in the same period in which are the costs. In literature and practice the evaluation of advertising effectiveness has used two basic models: †¢the dichotomous model; †¢th e three-dimensional model. The dichotomous model is applied mainly in product and brand advertising, tending to isolate and evaluate separately the following: †¢sales effect; †¢communication effect. The sales effect refers to the assessment of the capability of advertising to affect the sales volume and/or the market share, regardless of the possible influence of other variables. For Batra et al. (1995), the effectiveness of advertising should be considered for its effect on sales in the short term. This advertising performance measurement is based on the marginal theory (Chamberlin, 1948). The advertising is therefore regarded as an independent variable that can be combined with other marketing variables to have a certain effect on the dependent variable, i. e. sales. The aim is to seek the best combination of the determinants of the sales increase. The effect of communication refers to the ability to reach, with appropriate messages, a more significant share of public. Such effect is examined in literature with different approaches: †¢sociological; †¢semiotic; †¢psychological; †¢socio-psychological. Sociological analysis focuses on the community, considered as a system governed by rules and social norms, and on the social behavior (Moingeon, 1993). The role of advertising and consumption in the society change is a very fertile topic. Sociology has examined how advertising influences opinions, attitudes and behaviors of individuals and social groups. There are two opposite sociological perspectives to the advertising function in contemporary society. The first maintains a positive approach to advertising.

Plato Myth of the Cave free essay sample

This paper will describe the learning experience of my interviewees while translating what The Myth of the Cave by Plato means to them. Further, it will discuss the similarities and differences between the responses received from my interviewees based on my discussion of The Myth of the Cave by Plato as read in Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. For this paper, I interviewed a group of my peers at work. My company Bombardier makes trains and planes. I was a Senior Project Administrator for a project at New Jersey Transit where thirty-six (36) dual electrical/diesel locomotives were implemented to their train fleet. I recently was promoted and moved to Fayetteville, GA. My former work unit consisted of seven (7) people. The members of this group came from different countries and I was the only American in this work unit. I felt that based on the cultural and educational differences of the interviewees involved, I would receive unique responses to the question: What is the meaning of Plato’s Myth of the Cave? I chose the five (5) engineers in our group for this paper. The interview began as a group where I described The Myth of the Cave by Plato based on my reading in Twenty Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. I described the story as follows: There are a group of men, prisoners, their hands and legs are shackled by chains. Moreover, the movement of their head and face is also restricted, so that they can see nothing but the wall in front of them. This restricted movement limits their visibility to the wall, thus circumscribing the scope of any encounter beyond it. There is an enormous fire on the ground, and between the wall and the fire is a walkway meant for objects to pass. The shadows of these objects fall directly on the wall providing the sole view for the prisoners. The only way for the prisoners to get acquainted with their surroundings is to decipher the shadows and consider them to be a part of the real world. They start naming each and every object, and amongst all the prisoners, the intellect of an individual is governed by his ability to judge those objects. Later, one prisoner is freed of the shackles and gets to see the outside world. What he encounters is beyond his comprehension. He is accustomed to dim light, and the light of the sun hurt his eyes. But slowly he would get accustomed to the existence of the new world and discover true reality and the beauty of Mother Nature. When the prisoner returns to the cave to share the news of the truth he has just discovered, he tries to persuade his companions that there is a â€Å"real† outside world, and what all has been seen by them are mere shadows of the real objects. But the other prisoners resist his enlightenment and condemn him. In addition, we watched a You Tube video with an animated version of The Myth of the Cave by Plato to give my interviewees a visual interpretation as well as verbal description of the story. Once my story and video were completed, we discussed the meaning of the myth of cave as a team and debated about the moral of the story. After, I asked my interviewees to write down their personal thoughts of the story for individual discussion. My first interviewee is named Graziella Spizzi. She is twenty-eight (28) years old from Zurich, Switzerland. She is an Electrical Engineer at my company. She feels the myth of the cave is a symbolic way of showing how people are enlightened. She states that there are two main characters, those making the shadows and the prisoners. The people casting the shadows are trying to pass on what their ancestors taught them. The same shadows were once cast to them. The prisoners are chained in chains that represent conformity. She believes as the prisoners learn the shadows and the order in which they go in the chains are loosened. When a prisoner is able to recite the shadows in the order in which they appear they are released in order to share that same information with future generations(G. Spizzi, personal communication, May 25, 2011). My second interviewee is Markus Schaefer. He is forty-three (43) years old from Niedermollrich, Hessen, Germany. He is a Mechanical Engineer at our company. He believes it describes our fear of exploring outside our safety zone. We get locked and chained by our own fear. Markus stated that in psychology there is a process called subception whereby we disallow any incoming data at the source so that it doesn’t ever enter the conscious mind. In his example he stated that some people need the safety of believing that they can only rely on themselves so much so that they do not see when other people needing charity (M. Schaefer, personal communication, May 25, 2011). My third interviewee is Ennio Luchessa. He is forty-five (45) years old born in Zurich, Switzerland but raised in Northern Italy. He is a Technical Engineer at our company. He states the myth of the cave expresses how the prisoners in the dark cave were ignorant people and if brought into the light outside became informed individuals. Ennio feels that humans in general are trapped into they own world, not allowing outside influences that may enrich them to come in. He feels we have a duty to experience everything that the world has to offer and if possible afford this opportunity to others (E. Luchessa, personal communication, May 25, 2011). My fourth interviewee is Hector Martinez-Cabanes. He is twenty-six (26) years old from Villaviciosa de Odon, Madrid, Spain. He is an Electrical/Mechanical Engineer at our company. He also feels the meaning of the myth of cave was the prisoners in the dark cave represented ignorance in society in general. Hector believes that once the prisoners are brought into the â€Å"light† from the dark they are freed from their preconceived beliefs and can realize the world for what it really is and then choose what is better for them (H. Martinez-Cabanes, personal communication, May 25, 2011). My fifth interviewee is Volker Goltz. He is forty-one (41) years old from Kassel, Germany. He is a Technical Engineer at our company. He states that Plato was conveying that the real world can be correctly apprehended only intellectually, not physically. Volker furthers his claims by asserting that knowledge cannot be transferred from teacher to student through memorization-driven education and Plato’s belief of discovery-guided learning gives students the best possible advantage to discover the world for themselves and formulate what is true, real and important (V. Goltz, personal communication, May 25, 2011). All the interviewees agreed that the myth of the cave was about enlightenment. The differences it their responses occur with how the enlightenment may come about. Most responses convey that one must experience something and not only judge something from the way it looks or what they have heard. One must first live in someones shoes before they are able to feel what they feel and understand how they live. Most importantly, never judge something by its cover and from the outside. For me, at first I agreed most with Hector’s response to the meaning of the myth of the cave. My decision changed once I thoroughly reviewed the interview with Volker. His response to the meaning of the myth of the cave that the real world can be correctly apprehended only intellectually especially through discovery-guided learning seemed logical to me. My decision is based on children, when they are young they believe what they are told by adults never questioning. As the child grows they begin to learn and experience things about the world that may differ from what they have been taught. As teenagers, most rebel against their parents for the chance to discovery the world for themselves, not as the world has been interpreted to them. As young adults and into adulthood, they are able to have their own opinions and formulate what is true, real, and important. Further, most of these opinions are commingled with the things taught to them in youth, which during their life journey have been proven to be true. Overall, the group believed that most people prefer to remain in chains and to see only shadows of the truth. Only the wise are willing to free themselves from the chains and look for the truth even if it is blinding at first. I believe through discovery-guided learning versus memory-driven education beginning in kindergarten will help develop more informed, open-minded, and outside the box thinkers in the future.