Walden by Thoreau, a Satirical criticism Essay Example for Free

Walden by Thoreau, a Satirical criticism Essay Walter Harding is most accurate when he said you could read Walden as a satirical criticism of modern life and living. Another way of saying this would be that Thoreau writes in a way that he is criticizing the way modern people are living. In fact, he believes, that we could be living in a different way, which would ideally be a more nature-oriented and simplistic form of living. In other words, Thoreau thinks the best way to live is to abandon all materialistic things and live in nature. His reasoning leads to the conclusion that you can be closer to the universal soul and fulfill more of a spiritual life. So, in this sense, we can look at the book in a way that Thoreau seems to criticize the civilization. One thing we can be sure about is that whenever Thoreau speaks of the positive points of living in nature, he is in some way criticizing nature because he claims he his nature has a better method of functioning. Although he does not insist that people remove to nature, he encourages people to do so because he believes thats the best way for them to learn about themselves and the world. One of the lessons he learns involves some criticism on modern society and possessions. An example that Thoreau brings up involves how farmers are chained to their farms as much as a person would be to jail. This can be explained by saying if you work to own things, you will restrict your freedom because you need to work to be able to own things. If you work to gain materialistic things, then you will not be able to gain personal freedom because you consume so much time with it. Thoreaus solution is that you have to realize what you need and what you want. Once you do this, then you are able to work less and work for only the necessary things. Since he is making this suggestion, he is also putting down the way society works. Secondly, Thoreau thinks the modern society has too much excess and should be simpler. A good quote to support this statement would be that he says, Most of the luxuries and many of the so called comforts of life are not only dispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. Basically he is saying that the more comfortable we get, the lazier we become,  therefore slowing down the growth and development of society. This is easily stated in the first chapter of Walden. Another example of Thoreaus criticism of the society is about how we do not simplify, like we should, because our life (society), Is frittered away with detail. Things we can simplify even include the four basic necessities. For instance, clothing isnt important, it is the man behind the clothing. Shelter is important for withstanding the weather, but good shelter doesnt take more than a few days or weeks to create. Thoreau is saying that society lives materialistic lives of excess and in the end it is better off that you arent that way. Lastly, Thoreau believes that we do not spend enough time in solitude. Solitude, to Thoreau is a person that accompanies him. In his opinion, solitude does him more good than any other company. When with solitude, he can think more clearly and deeper to learn more about himself. He believes living in nature is preferable to living in a town. Thoreau is criticizing modern living because he says we have too much work and things to think about and flood our minds with. We arent spending enough time in solitude, and we should be. We are given these four basic needs (food, fuel, clothing, and shelter) but we do not pay enough attention to simplifying our lives down to these necessities. Moreover, Thoreau feels strongly on the importance of time for solitude, so if we arent following that plan, then we arent experiencing what Thoreau thinks is essential to being complete. In conclusion, I believe that Thoreau is criticizing the modern society in many ways, which have been proven to you. Thoreau always has the words must and need in his lectures, and this must obviously mean that he is implying we are lacking something (which to him is contact with nature and spirit). If he says we as modern society are lacking something, then it is a criticism. I must also let you know that the examples I provided were chosen out of many possible ones, so there is always more evidence to prove that Thoreaus purpose was to criticize. Also Thoreau is very justified in his points, and it is easy to understand these ideas that he gives. Society is getting lazier and considering this literature lets us take a step back and look at where we are headed in this world.

Performance Measurement Essay Example for Free

Performance Measurement Essay Performance measurement tools have been used by many organizations or companies these days as one of their strategies in achieving success. Specifically, this tool is useful for detailed evaluation of the production process of one company, provide extensive guidance for the decision making process, and assess the performance of the company departments and individual employees. In general, measurement tools are created to give the company an easier access to a feedback system regarding its consistency in achieving their goals, and to provide them with options on how they can improve their current process. Basically, it gives companies a preview of how they are currently performing and where they might be heading. Another benefit of having a performance system is being able to better motivate the employees to do better with their jobs. However, such tool also has its consequences and the company should also be ready for it. Managers can easily monitor how their employees are doing by having a performance measurement tool. And one way for them to make their work performance consistent is by having a reward system. With this employees will really work harder with the hopes of attaining the reward. There have been many records and surveys that testified to the positive impacts of performance measurement tools to the employee work performance. In the US Municipalities, 9.6% of the respondents found the tool substantial, and 33.3% find it moderate. Moreover, these results are supported by the same survey conducted in other US counties, which gathered 31.5% of the respondents agreed to the accurate effectiveness of the performance measurement tool. In terms of its impact on employee motivation, 32-68% of the respondents agreed to its effectiveness. All these records only suggest that there are many organizational aspects that the performance measurement tool can improve. Below are some of the major points to consider to ensure that a company has a good performance measurement system are: †¢ The results should be kept clear and brief. †¢ A company has polished both its internal and external communication †¢ Employees and other stakeholders should know about the performance measurement tool. †¢ The manager should be able to establish a proper implementation of the performance measurement tool. †¢ Whatever results gained from performance measurement should be reflected with the employees’ salary, incentives, and recognition. Organizations have many ways of reflecting the results of the performance measurement results by giving them either monetary rewards, or additional off days. It is also ethical for an employee to receive a feedback directly from his or her supervisor, whether it is a positive or negative feedback. One of the most popularly used performance measurement tool is the dashboard. The most important information about the company can be found in the dashboard, such as the target and performance data reports, which can be printed out through a spreadsheet on a regular basis. This makes it easier for managers to access whatever information they need, instead of constantly waiting for someone else to give it to them. Information such as performance of the employees, organizational productivity, custom orders, and order fulfillment are some of the necessary information for managers. From this accessible information, the managers can readily make decisions for the company or with regards to any issue. Dashboards used to be highly static, meaning it is only capable of providing one preview of a data at a time. However, due to the technological advancements, dashboards are growing to be more interactive. Now, it is already possible for the users to upload their own data on the dashboard (Carr, 2008). Motorola first invented the six-sigma in 1980s, with the goal of providing better quality for the processes in various businesses, which many hug and small businesses are already using. This program is very useful in ensuring customer value and reliability. It was initially developed for quality control of businesses, but later on, companies are starting to use it to improve their communication system, thus resulting to more improved processes in companies. The major result of this is still higher quality of outputs. Apparently, the six-sigma program was developed for the sole purpose of enhancing the business processes, such as the variation reduction and financial reporting. Because of the goals, the result of the six-sigma program is well-improved customer satisfaction of most businesses. The technology behind this program is DMAIC methodology or defines, measure, analyze, improve, and control. Define stage is where the problem is identified, and then it is quantified during the measure stage. The causes of the problem are then identified during the analyze stage. Improving stage is when the problems are fixed. Finally, the control phase is putting everything in place assuring that the problem will not happen again (Six-sigma program, 2004). Perhaps, almost any type of organization has already experienced having a project fail. Any project failure can cost an organization a lot of millions. Common reasons for a failed project are cancellation and failure to complete it at the given timeline. Moreover, failure to specify project details will also lead to its failure, as well as lack of communication and project management. Finally, the major factor that leads to project failure is the lack of project measurement. It is one aspect of the project that actually sports any issue on the project and address them before the proper project kick off and implementation. These are some of the project development and implementation based on the EDA PM system: †¢ Performance measurement should be used to determine possible hindrances to a project. †¢ Project must be according to the priorities of the project. †¢ A strong project management system should be well established. †¢ It should be noted that implementation of the PM system can take a lot of time, effort, and at some point, money. Thus, a company should have the most competent staff to work on it, with the close monitoring and support of the top management. †¢ Performance measurement can also be used to easily recognize achievements from thee project. †¢ The duties and responsibilities should be clearly set for the entire phase from project planning to implementation †¢ Performance measurement will clearly identify the needs of the project. †¢ Consistency should be observed in terms of the project development and implementation with the company objectives and expected deliverables. In this method, the collect, analyze, interpret and report process in the project measurement should be identified. †¢ Business processes should include the project performance measurement in order for them to systematically collect, analyze, interpret, and report whatever is derived from the project development. †¢ Performance measurement should be objective, just, quantifiable, and results oriented, while including substantial qualitative information (Shayne, 2004). Performance measurement can have different functions: customer satisfaction, business development, employee motivation, and business process enhancement. It has been widely used as a tool to motivate employees to do better in their jobs, with the promise of incentives or rewards. Having a pool of motivated employees will eventually lead to high quality outputs. Moreover, performance measurement will allow a company to operate according to their goals, and have a way to analyze how the output of their current processes will go. It will also give the company a chance to improve certain areas, which they think are more useful in achieving their goals. Performance measurement is also a reliable tool for managers for their decision-making processes, because of its objectivity. References Carr, N. (2008). The Data Dashboard. American School Board Journal, 195(12), 42. Retrieved August 2, 2010, from Master FILE Premier database. Mausolff, C., Spence, J. (2008). Performance Measurement and Program Effectiveness: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. International Journal of Public Administration, 31(6), 595-615. doi:10.1080/01900690701640929. Shayne, B. (2004). Performance-Measurement. Retrieved August 2, 2010, from http://www.performance-measurement.net SIX-SIGMA PROGRAM. (2004). In Encyclopedia of Health Care Management, Sage. Retrieved August 2, 2010, from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/sageeohcm/six_sigma_program

Trait and Types Approaches to Personality

Trait and Types Approaches to Personality Critically evaluate the trait and type approach/perspective of personality, drawing on relevant research. This essay will begin by giving a description of what personality is, before going on to critically evaluate trait and type approaches of personality. The precise definition of personality has been a controversial issue over many years by various theorists. One definition of personality can be described as the underlying causes of individual behaviour and experience within a person (Cloninger, 2000).   Trait and type theory is one of many personality approaches and has been an influential part of personality theory and research. The basic assumption of the trait and type approach is that people possess broad predispositions to respond in particular ways (Pervin, 1993). Therefore, traits are the fundamental building blocks of personality because they produce consistent patterns in our behaviour. Allport and Odbert (1936, cited in Cloninger, 2000), found that the English dictionary lists 18,000 words referring to personality traits. It is difficult to know which of these traits are actually basic and applicable to everyone and which ones are variations of other traits. In order to eliminate unnecessary traits, some researchers have statistically examined which trait scores tend to be correlated. This is done by the use of questionnaires and from this, factor analysis is carried out. Factor analysis is carried out by using a large number of test items administered to many participants , which are then co varied. This enables the identification of groups , clusters or factors of related items. Cattell (1957) proposed 16 dominant personality dimensions. Each of these were defined by a pair of adjectives, such as outgoing versus reserved, tense versus relaxed and suspicious versus trusting. However, later research by other investigators, managed to reduce this number even smaller. Norman (1963, cited in Goldberg, 1990) found five major dimensions of personality, often called the ‘Big Five’. This five-factor model is a descriptive classification of traits into broad domains called neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. His analysis relied largely upon factor analysis. Within these dimensions are lower-level traits such as, talkative versus silent and sociable versus reclusive, which come under the extroversion dimension. This model proposes that human personality can be fully described in terms of five dimensions, however in order to fully understand what an individual’s personality is, the lower-level trait s are needed. Researchers such as Costa McCrae (1992) claim that the five-factor model is the best theory of personality. Nevertheless, a number of investigators have suggested that there may be even fewer underlining dimensions (e.g. Livneh and Livneh, cited in Gleitman, Fridlund Reisberg, 1999). However, the most influential researcher is Eysenck (1967) who found two basic dimensions of personality. He named these introversion-extroversion and neuroticism (stable-unstable). The extrovert is sociable, impulsive and enjoys new experiences, while the introvert tends to be more solitary, cautious and slow to change (Eysenck, 1967). Neuroticism relates to emotional stability, and Eysenck (1967) states that neuroticism/emotional stability and extroversion/introversion are independent dimensions. Introverts and many neurotics have something in common, they are both unsociable and withdrawn, but their lack of sociability has different roots. Introverts are not afraid of social activities, they just don’t like them, however, neurotically shy people keep to themselves through fear of joining in. In the 1970’s, Eysenck added psychoticism onto his existing two dimension classification. People high on this dimension tend to be insensitive, uncaring about others and opposed to accepted social custom (Pervin, 1993). This third dimension is similar to two of the Big Five dimensions, agreeableness and conscientiousness, and Eysenck regards them as being components of the psychoticism dimension. Although Eysenck (1967) does not include openness to experience in his approach, he argues that it is important because it is related to cognitive and educational traits, including intelligence. An alternative five-factor model was also proposed by Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Thornguist Kiers (1991, cited in Zuckerman, Kuhlman, Joireman, Teta Kraft, 1993), and adds impulsive sensation seeking, aggression-hostility and activity to sociability and neuroticism-anxiety to the model. The Big five factor model has been challenged by Waller and Ben-Porath (1987, cited in McCrae and Costa, 1989), claiming that additional research is needed in order to relate the five-factor model to alternative personality systems. However, more research has been carried out by McCrae and Costa (1989), in which they provided evidence that the model can be used to organise the Murray needs measured by Jackson’s (1974) Personality Research Form. Another criticism of the five-factor model comes from McAdams (1992), who claims that although this model may be an important one in the study of personality, it is far from being an integrative model of personality. He also states that because the five factors are so broad, trait scores may not be highly useful in the prediction of specific behaviour in particular situations (McAdams, 1992). However, Digman (1990), states that the five-factor model’s main aim was to be empirical and compatible with other major psychological theories, and this has been achieved. The Big five-factor theory and the three-factor theory seem to agree on two basic points. First, Cattell’s, (1967, cited in Zuckerman et al, 1993) 16-factor personality theory has too many dimensions. Research has also shown that these factors do not seem to be replicable across gender, age, or methods and many investigators have simply failed to find them. The second point is that in the five- and three-factor models, they both agree that two of the major factors are extraversion-introversion and neuroticism. However, there is less agreement on the lower level traits, as proposed by Norman (1963, cited in Gleitman, 1999). In an empirical analysis carried out by Zuckerman et al (1993), they found that there was a great deal of convergence among the major factors in the three-trait models, particularly the two five-factor models. Extroversion and neuroticism are fairly similar in all three models, despite differences in their components. Much research has been carried out in order to support Eysenck’s approach. Two questionnaires were developed to measure extroversion and introversion. One is called the Maudsley personality inventory and the other the Eysenck Personality Inventory, which includes a scale that detects individuals who are faking responses. An example of a question in these questionnaires would be, ‘do you prefer reading to meeting people?’. From the data obtained, they found that individual variations in introversion/extroversion reflect differences in neurophysiological functioning. Introverts are more easily aroused by events and more restrained and inhibited than extroverts. In fact, several studies of identical and fraternal twins suggest that heredity plays a major part in their scores on this dimension (Shields, 1976, cited in Pervin, 1993). It was also found that people high on neuroticism tend to be emotionally susceptible and frequently complain of worry and anxiety, as wel l as bodily aches, such as headaches. It was suggested that individual differences was due to an inherited biological difference in nervous system functioning. Individuals high on neuroticism show a slower decrease in the stress response once the problem has gone and genetic factors contribute significantly to psychoticism (Pervin, 1993). In a study carried out by Barrett, Petrides, Eysenck Eysenck (1998), the factorial similarity of extroversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and social desirability were assessed using gender-specific data collected from 34 countries across the world. They used the Kaiser-Hunka Bianchini (KHB) procedure, however, this procedure was modified due to previous criticism of the validity of this procedure. Eysenck has suggested that it is necessary to collect data for cross-cultural comparisons between countries and cultures using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), as the main measuring instrument. The main aim was to compare the factorial structure of the EPQ within each country, to that of a UK dataset. This comparison would establish whether there is universality of the psychometric scales of extroversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and social desirability. Eysenck and Eysenck (1985, cited in Barrett et al. 1998), claimed that extroversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and social desirability would prove to be universal across countries and cultures because these scales are based upon a biological theory of personality. Although social desirability has not been specified in this way, Eysenck still claims that there will also be universality. The results found that the factors of extroversion, neuroticism, psychoticism and social desirability were strongly replicable across all of the 34 countries. The trait and type theory approach does seem to be effective in describing and providing evidence for personality. Generally in the study of personality, trait psychologists seek to discover the psychological dimensions along which people differ and the ways in which traits cluster within individuals the major focus being on enduring behaviour (Buss, 1989). The impact of experimental manipulations is not always investigated, because the focus is on the content of behaviour not the psychological process underlying the behaviour. This has been debated by many researchers e.g. Mischel (1968, cited in Hjelle, 1992). An experiment by Fenigstein (1979, cited in Buss, 1989), investigated whether manipulations are crucial determinants of behaviour. He placed each participant (with different degrees of public self-consciousness) in a waiting room with two other â€Å"participants†, who were experimental accomplices. In the control condition these accomplices responded to conversation by the participant, but did not respond in the experimental condition. This manipulation found that participants high in the public self-consciousness trait, reported high levels of discomfort and tended to avoid choosing the accomplices as subsequent partners in the second part of the experiment, compared to those participants low on this trait. This empirical research seems to suggest that traits do have an impact on behaviour, and experimental manipulations significantly influence behaviour (Buss, 1989). Another criticism of the trait theory approach is with the use of factor analysis. The results obtained from this, relies heavily on the exact contents of the date set. Therefore, if the items included in the analysis are changed, the resulting factors may be significantly different. Consequently critics argue that it is difficult to claim that any single factor analysis allows us to identify the real dimensions of personality. In conclusion, it seems that the study of personality is not as clear cut as one would hope. Although there appears to be many similarities among the trait theorists, there are also differences between them. It is also important to point out that there are many other approaches and perspectives of personality – behaviourist, social cognition and dynamic perspectives, which may provide a more complete understanding of personality. No one model seems to be appropriate in accounting for the whole theory of personality, but it seems apparent that each theorist does provide a valuable theory of personality. References Barrett, P.T., Petrides, K. V., Eysenck, S. B. G. Eysenck, H. J. (1998). The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire: An examination of the factorial similarity of P, E, N and L across 34 countries. Personality and Indiviudal Differences, 25, 805-819. Buss, A. H. (1989). Personality as traits. American Psychologist, 44, 1348-1378. Cattell, R. B. (1957). Personality and motivation structure and measurement. New York: Harcourt, Brace, World Cloninger, S. C. (2000). Theories of personality: Understanding persons. (3rd Ed). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. Costa, P. T. McCrae, R. R. (1992). Four ways five factors are basic. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 653-665. Digman, J. M. (1990). Personality structure: Emergence of the five-factor model. Annual Review of Psychology, 41, 417-440. Eysenck, H. J. (1967). The biological basis of personality. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas. Gleitman, H., Fridlund, A. J. F. Reisberg, D. (1999). Psychology. (5th Ed). New York: W.W. Norton. Goldberg, L. R. (1993). The structure of phenotypic personality traits. American Psychologist, 48, 1299-1314. Hjelle, L. A., Ziegler, D. J. (1992). Personality theories: Basic assumptions, research and applications. New York: McGraw-Hill. McAdams, D. P. (1992). The five factor model in personality: A critical appraisal. Journal of Personality, 60, 329-355. McCrae, R. R., Costa, P. T., (1989). More reasons to adopt the five factor model. American Psychologist, 44, 1001-1004. Pervin, L. A. (1993). Personality: Theory and research. (6th Ed). New York: Wiley Zuckerman, M., Kuhlman, D. M., Joireman, J., Teta, P. Kraft, M. (1993). A comparison of three structural models for personality: The big three, the big five, and the alternative five. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 757-768.

Soliloquies Essay - Self-Realization in Richard IIs Final Soliloquy

Self-Realization in Richard II's Final Soliloquy      Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Richard II, first published in a quarto edition in 1597, is the first in a sequence of four history plays known as the second tetrology, which deal with the early phases of a power struggle between the houses of Lancaster and York. The Richard II of the play has been called both mercurial and self-indulgent; however, several sustained soliloquies in the play demonstrate how deeply realized his character is. During one of these soliloquies, which takes place after his imprisonment and before his murder, he seems to rediscover the qualities of pride, trust, and courage that he lost when dethroned-and so goes onward to meet his death with a spirit more powerful than ever before.    The scene (5.5), begins in the keep of Pomfret Castle, where Richard is being held prisoner, and starts on a despondent note as he tries to reconcile his life in prison with the life he led as king:    I have been studying how I may compare This prison where I live unto the world; And, for because the world is populous, And here is not a creature but myself, I cannot do it. Yet I'll hammer it out. (5.5.1-5)    Despite his despondency, Richard begins to explore how he might live his life out within the microcosm of the keep, and still keep some semblance of his former life. He finds his life in the keep lacking because it is unpeopled. However, the last line indicates a turnabout in this attitude. He is beginning to fight back against the internal forces that threaten to drag him into despair and loneliness when he states, in line five, that he will à ¬hammer it out.à ®    Because a king needs a ... ... and the role that time will play henceforth in his life. These realizations have made him stronger, and fortified him against the future, for now he knows that he must depend upon himself, not upon the royal blessings of God.    With Richard's last words, we see the final result of this moment of truth, this self-realization, as he bravely assaults and kills two of his attackers before dying a noble death: à ¬Mount, mount, my soul! thy seat is up on high;/Whilst my gross flesh sinks downward, here to dieà ® (5.5.111-112).    Works Cited McKay, John P., Bennett Hill, and John Buckler. A History of World Societies. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. 452-454. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of King Richard The Second. William Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Ed. Alfred Harbage. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1969. 554-667.   

The Hornets Nest Essay -- Expository Cause Effect Essays

The Hornet's Nest Without proper preparation, getting rid of a hornet's nest can cause more problems than it solves. Although I do not have first-hand experience, I can relay an incident explained to me by my mother regarding my father and the hornet's nest he came upon in their flowering crab tree. Suffering from the results of the incident, which can only be described as simultaneously hysterical and tragic, my father spent most of last week recovering from injuries that were both self and hornet-inflicted. His various comical and disastrous attempts to remove this nest from their property, and the resulting misery he endured, bring to mind a saying my high school English professor used frequently, "If you fail to plan, plan to fail." Under the guise of "heading out to do some yard work," my father took on the dubious and dangerous task of attempting to rid his treasured flowering crab tree of a hornet's nest, reported by my mother to be the size of a large, ripe watermelon. Armed with the starter for the barbeque, the garden hose and a rake, Dad approached the tree and offending nest with the determination of a front line soldier ordered to advance on the enemy line. His plan was to set the nest on fire (yes, while still attached to the tree) and then douse the ensuing inferno with the garden hose. Coming upon the nest, Dad stealthily lit the barbeque starter under the huge hornet hive and stepped back as it became engulfed in flames. With his trusty garden hose in hand, he immediately began his attempt to extinguish the flames before the tree, the house, the whole neighborhood caught on fire. Although the flames died down expediently, not all of the hornets perished in the blaze. A few survivors remained, and all... ... ice pack pressed to his neck. Three of the disenchanted beasts had pursued my father into the house and the crashing sounds were those of the ensuing chase and massacre in the living room. What were the results of this encounter? My father sustained bad stings to his neck, forearm and calf, a large bruise to his knee, and a stiff and sore back that threatened to halt his journey to work the following morning. It is apparent to me that the moral of this story is that proper preparation would have saved my father a great deal of pain and suffering. Had he taken a few simple precautions (wearing long sleeves and gloves, or perhaps making a quick call to an exterminator) perhaps the incident may never have occurred. According to the latest reports from my mother, the nest remains where it landed on the boulevard of their lawn and is still humming menacingly today.

September 11 Exposed the Weaknesses of a Complacent Superpower Essay

The unthinkable events of September 11 have called into question things that once seemed indisputable about America. The end of the Cold War brought with it notions of American supremacy economically, militarily, and in intelligence. The only challenge to this supremacy had been the Soviet Union, and its collapse ensured that the United States was safe to take its place as the world's only superpower. However, in the decade following the end of the Cold War, America has not been willing to accept the responsibility that accompanies this position. The weaknesses exposed by the attack all point to a need for America to abandon its perception of itself as invincible, because that attitude is precisely what made it so vulnerable. America needs to be willing to constantly reevaluate itself and question whether or not it is acting responsibly, as a superpower should. Â   What constitutes a superpower? This is a question that must be answered in order to determine where America stands after September 11. There is no question that America is the dominate force in the world both militarily and economically, and both of these factors play an important role in defining it as a superpower. However, these are two factors that are only relevant when looking at the whole world. Internal factors also play a role in defining a country as a superpower. First of all, the country must have a feeling of safety. People living in a superpower feel that they are untouchable and that as long as they stay under the security blanket that their government offers, no harm will come their way. In addition, the strong superpower will be held up by a strong infrastructure. Intelligence should be a top priority to ensure the safety of the people of the supe... ...g to join. Â   The events of September 11 have changed the America forever. Undoubtedly, the age of American innocence is over. However, the question remains: does the end of innocence mean the end of superpower status? The reevaluation of American hegemony is inevitable, but will this reevaluation signify the end of the hegemony? Undoubtedly, America dominates the world scene, even after the attack, but it must begin to understand better what it means to dominate this ever-changing world. America must never again sink into the complacency that had taken over in the past decade. It is only through constant reevaluation that America will ever truly understand the huge responsibility that accompanies being the world's lone superpower. Sources CNN, "Anthrax victim urges Americans to 'stand together,'" http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/11/05/anx.anthrax.facts/

How would you perform the role of BottomIn Act 1 scene 2?

Bottom is one of the group called the mechanics and he is an important comic character and is the only mortal to enter the world of fairies. In this scene we are introduced to him for the first time and he is one of a band of workmen who offer a complete contrast to the world of fairies that we saw previously. In the scene a group of artisans discuss the play they are going to perform as part of Theseus's wedding celebration. The play is entitled, â€Å"The most lamentable comedy, and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe. Peter Quince takes a roll call of the actors and hands out their parts. Bottom the weaver gets the leading role of Pyramus, which pleases him because he is super-confident of his acting abilities. Bottom's costume will reflect his status as a weaver, so therefore his costume might be torn or dusty. His dramatic status is important because he is a dominant, full of self-importance and eager to dominate the meeting of this band of amateur actors. I would also make his costume quite colourful, to reflect his happy, enthusiastic and quite over bearing character. My performance would be influenced by my physical appearance and vocal characteristics. I see Bottom as a tradesman in his forties, taller than the others and of portly build, in fact I would want him to be physically larger than life and his accent Devonshire in cadence and with a raucous singing voice. In this scene, my performance would have to reflect the rivalry between Bottom and Quince. In the beginning of the scene, Quince who is in charge, would walk in rather proud, with an upright posture, and with head held high, maybe greeting the workmen by shaking their hands and smiling, as he doesn't want to make enemies and wants them to do what he requires and to ignore Bottom. He would probably forget to acknowledge Bottom and walk straight past him to put him in his place. Bottom's first line†¦ You were best to call them generally, man by man according to the scrip,' shows that despite Quinces dislike for him, and the attempt to lower his confidence, he is still extrovert and larger than life. It was directed to Quince and in playing this part I would make my voice domineering loud and move in close to Quince trying to intimidate him, as he is smaller than me. Quince would also be centre stage, as he is almost the focal point and is meant to be in charge of the other actors, who would be sitting down, looking up to him. Bottom would stand up in order to compete with Quince and try to push him out of the way or maybe stand in front of him to block him completely. My intention would also to get people to like me and to establish a friendship with them by shaking their hands. I would then break off from doing this to say ‘First good Peter Quince, say what the play treats on.. ‘ in a forceful manner and then get closer to Quince, snatching the scroll out of his hand, as if to take over the rehearsal myself. There would be complete scuffle between them as they fight for passion of the script, and this could be created very comically using large exaggerated gestures and their voice could turn into a crescendo, getting louder to get their point across without the other interfering. As bottom I would sound very confident and sometimes almost quite patronising, as if I am talking to people far more inferior to me for example when I say ‘A very good piece of work I assure you, and a merry' almost as if my opinion is important and worth hearing. Also when I say ‘Now good Peter Quince, call forth your actors.. it would be in a very instructive but condescending tone, emphasising the word ‘good' as it would provoke an annoyed reaction from Quince. Even when Quince calls out my name, emphasising that I am just a weaver, I would respond enthusiastically, instructing him to tell me my part and to carry on with authority. Quince appears very powerful and ignores Bottom, so Bottom h as to re-establish his importance by ordering â€Å"masters spread yourselves' at this point I would reveal some dissatisfaction and pull up a chair and reluctantly sit down. At this stage I would want my audience to respond, by thinking Bottom a rather loud mouthed bossy individual and have them feel sorry for Quince having to put up with such a disruptive member of the group. When finding out that I am ‘a lover that kills myself most gallant for love' I will respond very dramatically, telling the actors how the audience will cry, as my acting will be so natural and emotional. I would hold my hands up to my heart to portray this and maybe pretend to hold out a sword to show how brave I am, even though I am just a lover and not a tyrant. I would also suggest other parts such as Ercles or a part to tear a cat in, to show my capabilities, and in doing this I would screw my face up to make me look vicious and claw my hands, frantically moving my arms back and forth as if I am attacking a cat. I can see myself in every role and when I recite my poem I walk around the whole stage, emphasising the words ‘raging' almost spitting the words out to show my fury, and ‘shivering' by holding my arms and trembling, with my teeth chattering. I would also push my hands out forcefully, thrusting my body forward, almost as if I was ‘breaking' the locks of the prison gates. ‘ Quince just ignores him and continues to issue parts to the other actors. I watch when Quince assigns the part of Thisby to the flute, the bellows-mender, which is the other leading role, and when Flute refuses the part as he has a beard coming, my faces becomes animated and delighted as I would love to play that part too, this would be shown by my raised bright eyes and my open mouth. I face Quince, even though he faces away and tell him how I could wear a mask, and speak in a monstrous little voice, where I would raise the pitch of my voice till it Is almost squeaky, and maybe use a feminine characteristic such as playing with my hair or holding out my hand as if I was carrying a basket. When Quince refuses to give Bottom both parts, Bottom doesn't show any disappointment and tells him to just ‘proceed. ‘ I continue to dominate the discussion and when Quince gives the lion part to Snug, I almost pounce like a lion and curl my fingers up like claws and raw in a deep husky tone. I go towards Quince and aggravate my voice and shout ‘I will roar, that I will do anyman's heart good to hear me.. ‘ and when I quote what the duke will say, I put on an articulate, upper class English accent when I say' Let him roar again, let him roar again. ‘ When Quince and the rest of the actors claim that I would scare the duchess and the ladies and they would end up hanging them all, I am not offended at all, and continue to suggest other ways of roaring such as ‘gently as any sucking dove' and whilst saying this I would say it in a feminine voice with a sweet and innocent expression on my face. When Quince responds, his voice becomes much more stern, and agitated when he says ‘you can play no part but Pyramus' I will the sulk and sit down on a chair, with my head down and my bottom lip drooping, like a child would do If they were upset. This may make the audience feel a bit sorry for Bottom or they might feel relieved that Quince has finally gained more courage and has power over him. When Quince sees this, he puts on a sympathetic tone and says ‘Pyramus is a sweet-faced man' lifting my chin up and gently stroking my face. I quickly recover myself by running energetically towards the wooden box filled with wigs and beards and open it rummaging through all the varieties of beards holding up the ones that might suit his character and throwing the ones that were not good behind him. I think Bottom quite likes the fact that Quince is almost pleading to him and saying how much he needs him to play the part and when Bottom says ‘Well, I will undertake it' he will say it proudly, expecting all the other actors to be relieved. In the end of the scene, when Quince suggests learning their lines the following night and rehearsing in the woods, he emphasises to the actors that they should not fail him. I as Bottom, will stand next to Quince, nodding my head up and down, and looking down at the other actors as I am in charge too and I will announce ‘ we may rehearse most obscenely and courageously' throwing my fist in the air with excitement and I will also make sure I have the last word when I say ‘hold or cut bow-strings,' which I will say firmly and sharply with authority. Overall I will try to irritate the actors and the audience, and make them feel sympathetic towards Quince. I also want the audience to realise that although I am very confident and make out that I'm very talented, I am not very good and don't really have the ability to act other parts, this makes it comical. I will intimidate the other actors on stage to emphasise my authority and I will make sure that I have Quince's attention throughout the whole scene, so if Quince turns his back on me or pushes me out of the way, I will get in front of his view and I will push him out of the way too. This way the audience can see our relationship clearer. There are lots of different levels of emotion when Bottom is acting and there is a lot of competition between Quince and him. Bottom is a very comical and melodramatic character to play.