Primary criticisms of American Cinema and Griffith's montage by Sergei Assignment

Primary criticisms of American Cinema and Griffith's montage by Sergei Eisenstein - Assignment Example At the core of their opinions, the ideas have come out of different philosophies asserting the importance of arts and esthetic medium to provide education or entertainment to people. In later age, as the American cinema was highly influenced with its industrial structure American Cinema tended more and more towards the entertainment which could provide good returns of investment in filmmaking. On the other hand, Russian cinema had devoted much to the ideas which regarding cinema as a medium of awareness and provoking. Due to such difference of opinions, Sergei Eisenstein, who was most profound of early Russian filmmakers had critiqued some of the concepts developed and defined by D.W. Griffith. One very important part of that criticism was Eisenstein’s criticism of Griffith’s theory of montage. In the modern day theory of montage Sergei Eisenstein’s assumption for montage are widely accepted for providing a ground for cinematic understanding for fast cutting and expression through montages. As followers to Griffith’s theories Sergei Eisenstein had developed Montage theory according to his philosophical set back based in Hegel and Marx. Although, developed over Griffithian grammar, Eisenstein’s theory to montage shows some contrasting difference as well. Utilization of montages in Griffithian Cinema In a modern day scenario, the term montage briefly suggest a number of small sized shots arranged in a manner to express a particular part of story or an effect. The montages are quite common is almost all the movies made nowadays. Depending on its use and requirement montage may be musical, action packed, blurred or deluding. A profound example of modern montages include David Fincher’s ‘Fight Club’ (Pitt 1999) using a sequence of shots expressing protagonist Jack’s nausea from its surrounding and further his remembrance of his own past that he had been unaware of. Another example contains Martin Scorsese’s depiction of police training in ‘The Departed’ (Nicholson 2006). D.W. Griffith’s earlier movies are supposed to set the basic grammar of cinema. There are number of occasions when Griffith has used sequencing shots without a direct connectivity of moment. Griffith’s montages were involved in compressing the happening of an event. However, without giving much for dialectical montages or other philosophical esthetical presentations, Griffith had designs the base for montage which could already establish montage as a different and particular approach to cinematic timeline. Anyways, the conceptualization and development of those theories is due to Sergei Einstein. How Eisenstein could identify power of Griffithian montage and could be motivated to enhance his own montage theory comes out in his quote I can’t recall who speaks with whom in one of the street scenes of the modern story of Intolerance. But I shall never forget the mask of the passer-by with nose pointed forward between spectacles and straggly beard, walking with hands behind his back as if he were manacled. As he passes he interrupts the most pathetic moment in the conversation of the suffering boy and girl. I can remember next to nothing of the couple, but

Crisis and conflict are inevitable in capitalist economies Essay Example for Free

Crisis and conflict are inevitable in capitalist economies Essay Marx believed that capitalism was doomed, and he developed an intricate analysis of the law of motion of capitalist society to prove it (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). At one level his argument had a moral basis. He argued that the inherent injustices of capitalism lead ultimately to social and economic conditions, which cannot be maintained (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). On another level his argument is sociological: class conflict- between a decreasing number of increasingly wealthy capitalists and a growing and increasingly miserable working class- will lead ultimately to a social revolution (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). To conclude his Final argument is economic, that the accumulation of capital in private hands makes possible economic abundance; yet accumulation also leads to depressions, chronic unemployment and the economic breakdown of capitalism (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). At each level the idea of conflict is emphasized: conflict between ideal reality, between capital and labor, and between stagnation (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). Out of conflict comes change, and in this respect according to Marx, capitalism must give way to another society in which conflict is replaced by ethical, social, and economic harmony. Furthermore, Marx argued that the crisis would become deeper and severe longer as capitalism developed. Student no. Z3220293 However Marxs analysis of conflict within capitalist societies was limited by his theory of the laws of motion. He argued that conflict between classes created by an unequal distribution of wealth, and would ultimately lead to an unsustainable social situation prompting the demise of the world capitalist system. Thus, he perceived class conflict as the fatal flaw of capitalism. However his detractors would argue that conflict of some form exists in all human interactions and thus has existed in all political and economic systems, concluding that capitalism addresses this inherently human conflict in order to avoid crisis. In a capitalist society according to Marx, the two great economic interests are those of a capitalist and worker. These two classes stand opposition to each other, since the capitalist can prosper only if the worker is exploited. In this respect capitalism is only the latest in series of social organizations in which one class exists at the expense of another, stated in the communist manifesto. Marxists would further argue that peoples dominated politically or economically by great capitalist nations now bear the burden of exploitation, poverty and unemployment However as a proof of Marxs errors, his detractors point to the rising living standards of modern nations. The working class has not been subjected to growing misery, and labor unions have gained economic and political power in all major industrialized countries (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). Moreover, the working class Student no. Z3220293 has shared the increased wealth, income, and economic benefits that have been spread widely throughout all social classes. In spite of all the concessions that have been made to the working class, such as social welfare legislation, union organization and higher living standards Marxists contend that the basic defects of capitalism remain, holding back economic growth and postponing the emergence of the abundant society (Fusfeld 2002, p 50). Nevertheless Marxs prediction of the triumph of socialism and the creation of democratic, egalitarian, and nonexplotive society has not proved accurate. Capitalism was placed on the defensive by the rise of communist regimes in Russia and China, and by the spread of socialism through many of the less-developed countries (Fusfeld 2002, p 60). But in most instances, these non-capitalist economies developed authoritarian political regimes, new forms of economic and social inequality, and new aspects of exploitation. Ultimately Marx argued, as Fusfeld states ( 2002) the economy could achieve widespread abundance and produce enough for all, and at that point in human history all people could be completely free, both politically and economically. Further more Marxist economics suggested that capitalism could not achieve this Student no. Z3220293 goal, as it prevented the full development of modern technology and resulted in periodic stoppage of capital accumulation. However, it is evident that under capitalism technology has flourished. More so capitalism has provided the push for new productive industries, as it is a continued to growing and change. Thus such an economy offers more opportunities then a stagnant one. For example China is the manufacturing hub of the globe. Even though China has its roots in communism it is still regarded as an extremely influential capitalist society. Its cities are booming. There are more building cranes in china than in all the United States. Chinas super-highways are filled with modern cars. Its research and development centers are state of the art. At the rate its growing, China will soon be the largest economy in the world. In these respects it is evident to conclude that under capitalism economies have grown and benefited, due to its productive nature. Further more, in a Marx perspective, labor under capitalism is exploited as it is not paid the full value of the products and services it produces. The capitalist employs workers at the current wage rate and works them for as many hours each day as possible, making sure that the value of the workers output is greater than the wage paid (Fusfeld 2002, p 61). This difference between the wage and the value added by the worker, which Marx refers to as surplus value, becomes the capitalist profit. Exploitation of the worker can be intensified, and the surplus Student no. Z3220293 value appropriated by the capitalist can be increased, by an employers efforts to achieve lower wages, longer hours and an employment of greater number of women and children. Marx was correct in some respects, for example developing countries at present are experiencing high rates of exploitation. Women and children whom work in such exploitive environments in china for example for less then a few dollars a day are the truth in Marxs theory. More so, Marx critique of capitalism included a forecast of its inevitable break down. In some instances capitalism has served as an unstable society, which has been suffocated with conflict and crisis. For example the great depression and the 1987 recession. In both instances the economy had if not almost hit bottom. In a Marxist view this could be concluded as the demise of capitalism. However his detractors would argue that conflict of some form exists in all political and economic systems, concluding that capitalism addresses this inherently human conflict in order to avoid crisis. Which in some respects is true. For example on black Monday of the October 1987 when a stock collapse of unprecedented size lopped twenty-five percent off the Dow Jones industrial average. The collapse, larger than that of 1929, was handled well by the economy and the stock market began to quickly recover. More so during the great depression certain strategies were adopted to deal with the crisis. The new deal was the name given by President Franklin D. Roosevelt of programs between 1933-1938 with the goal relief, recovery and reform of the United States Student no. Z3220293 economy during the great depression. The new deal had three components, direct relief, economic recovery and financial reform. In these respects one can observe the recovery of capitalist economies and their ability to continue to grow. To conclude it is evident that crisis and conflict is inevitable in capitalism however such an economic system is able to adapt and recover from such conflict. References student no. Z322093 Campbell, D 1996, the failure of Marxism-the concept of inversion in Marxs critique, Dartmouth Press, London Cohen, G A 1978, Karl Marx theory of history, Oxford University Press, London Culter, A, Hindess, B, Hirst, P Hussain, A 1977, marxs capital and capitalism today, Routledge Kegan Paul Ltd, London Fusfeld, D 2002, the age of the economist, 9edn, Addison Wesley Press, Harman, C 1995, how Marxism works, 5edn, Bookmarks Press, Sydney. Worsley, P 2002, Marx and Marxism, revised edn, Routledge Press, London

Roland barthes and his semiotic theory

Roland barthes and his semiotic theory Abstract Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980) is one of the most recognised names in the field of Semiotics. His Semiotic Theory has been the inspiration behind many aspiring students and teachers alike. His rise to fame coincided with the release of his 1957 book Mythologies, which was a collection of essays he had authored. The public was so fascinated by his ideas that his opinion was often sort in the public arena. Signs range from speech, body language and symbols to paintings, music and Morse code. Barthes Semiotic Theory broke down the process of reading signs and focused on their interpretation by different cultures or societies. According to Barthes, signs had both a signifier, being the physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses and the signified, or meaning that is interpreted. Barthes also believed that every ideological sign is either a Denotative sign system or a Connotative sign system. A Denotative sign, which is a strictly descriptive system, is the result of the signifier image and the signified concept combining. A Connotative sign is one that has lost its historical meaning. This could be due to a number of things including: changes in culture or terminology, an event, or even just evolution. Semiotic Theory is an ‘Interpretive theory that can be applied to most aspects of everyday life although most people would not realise it. Introduction Purpose The purpose of this report is to gain insight into the world of Roland Barthes in terms of a brief timeline of his life. Also of particular focus will be to gain a basic outline and understanding of his Semiotic Theory. This will include the key issues involved in the theory, along with its application in everyday life and an evaluation of the theory. A few of my own views on this theory will also be included. Scope This report will focus on the basic concepts of Barthes Semiotic Theory. It will only look into the most basic concepts as going into great detail would involve a much more involved and lengthy research process given its complexity. An attempt to gain an understanding of the theory will be sort in order to assess it relevance in todays society. Limitations In the process of researching this topic it quickly became apparent that it would be difficult to gain a clear and concise understanding of it. The availability of ‘easy to read information sources seemed few and far between, with the majority of available material worded in a nature that was at times impossible to decipher. It was also found that many of Barthes work is not freely available, access to it was more than once accompanied with a monetary contribution of some sort. Research Methods A number of different research methods were used in the acquirement of information for this report, all with varying success. The primary source was the internet because of its easily accessible pool of information. Using this method it was possible to gain immediate information on most topics, although it did occasionally have its limitations. The use of books was also another primary information source. Finding books that were easy to read was difficult but a number of them were of great aid. Periodicals were also used to acquire information although the available articles were of little use due to the nature of the language and terminology used. Structure of the Report This report will first outline the life and times of Roland Barthes including his upbringing and education. It will then go on to outline his Semiotic Theory and describe some of its most basic concepts. This will flow on into how the theory can be applied to everyday life as well as an evaluation. Literature Review Book Reference One Hall, S. (2007). This Means This, This Means That. A Users Guide to Semiotics. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. Summary Although this book uses fairly basic language to describe the concepts it is trying to portray, it does not ‘water down the text so much as to make you feel stupid. Given that semiotics can be quite a difficult subject to explain, this book does a decent job of explaining a number of different concepts with graphical examples. The graphical examples it supplies helps to give a greater understanding of the idea/s that is being put across, and gives readers the opportunity to first interpret what they are viewing from their own perspective, before reading the explanation describing the theory behind the graphic, or sign. This interaction gets the reader involved in a lot of creative thinking which is a great way to re-enforce the points and concepts being laid out by the text. Given its graphical nature, this book will also be extremely useful for presentation purposes. Accuracy and Validity The author of this book, Sean Hall, is the Leader in Contextual Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. Although not a ‘big name in semiotics, his previous studies, academic status, and proven track record in research goes a long way to proving the accuracy and validity of his work. The extensive bibliography provided in this book shows that he has sourced many areas for his research and consulted many different individuals. Semiotics is a subject that has no body of knowledge to fall back on. For this reason it is difficult to determine whether or not any information is accurate as everything about semiotics is subjective and open to scrutiny. Book Reference Two Cobley, P., Jansz, L. (2004). Introducing Semiotics. (2nd ed.). Singapore: Tien Wah Press Ltd. Summary I found this book to be rather difficult to follow due to the nature of the layout. It is set out in almost a comic style, or storyboard type approach, which can be a little difficult to follow at times. This is also not helped by the absence of a contents page, forcing the investigation of particular ‘ideas to be located through the index at the back of the book, or else recalling exactly where in the book that it was originally read. It is difficult to determine exactly what information will be useful from this book. Some information, such as that about particular theorists, will be somewhat helpful; however, many of the other concepts covered may not be of any use due to the difficulty of finding it again – and the comic book type nature. One topic, which is covered at the beginning of the book, is a pre-history of semiotics. This information is extremely helpful as information of this nature has been difficult to locate. As previously stated, this book opens up with a brief history and a little about the very first researchers in the area of semiotics. It then goes on to outline how some of the earlier historical figures contributed to the early understanding and significance of signs. This is followed by an attempt to give an understanding of the concepts involved with semiotics and also includes reference to some of the more recent researchers of this field, including Roland Barthes. Accuracy and Validity Dr Paul Cobley, the man responsible for the text in this book, is a Senior Lecturer in Communication at London Guildhall University. He has authored as number of books in the area of Semiotics as well as Communication Theory, and his record in these areas is exceptional. I have found that a lot of his work has been used as reference by many of the other information sources I have used. This shows that his work is highly regarded by many in the field, and that the accuracy and validity of his work is widely recognised. Library Database Reference One Petrilli,S.(2008). On Communication: Contributions to the Human Sciences and to Humanism from Semiotics Understood as Semioethics.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),193-236.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836621). Summary This article was extremely difficult to decipher and not very helpful. For this reason I find it particularly challenging to review it as it made little to no sense to me. This article was chosen more out of necessity than anything else as finding useful database articles proofed to be difficult. Accuracy and Validity Susan Petrilli teaches Semiotics and Philosophy of Language at the Department of Linguistic Practices and Text Analysis at Bari University, Italy. Her list of studies and publications is extensive, as is her work in the translation of research done by Charles Morris and Thomas A. Sebeok from English to Italian. There is little doubt that information sourced from Susan Petrilli is viable, it is just a shame that in this case it was of little use as it was not valid. Library Database Reference Two Petrilli,S.(2008). The Relation with Morris in Rossi-Landis and Sebeoks Approach to Signs1.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),89-121.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836581). Summary This article authored by Susan Petrilli and featured in The American Journal of Semiotics, outlines the work done by Ferruccio Rossi-Landi and Thomas Sebeok, which in turn was based on the work of Charles Morris. Charles Morris (1901 – 1979), is quite a controversial character in the world of Semiotics. Some credit him with the recognition of Semiotics as a science field, and others accuse him of copying the work of another theorist, Charles Peirce. Either way, the work he did or didnt do was influential in the works of other theorists. It gave new direction and recognition to semiotics and helped pave the way for future study and research. Both Ferruccio Rossi-Landi and Thomas Sebeok have helped to advance the science of semiotics but it is important to highlight that the work they have done was in most cases an extension of Morriss research. This article highlights that fact and expands on it in much greater detail. Whether or not this article will directly influence my studies is debatable, it does however, give a greater understanding about the evolution of semiotics and how it came to be recognised. Accuracy and Validity Susan Petrilli teaches Semiotics and Philosophy of Language at the Department of Linguistic Practices and Text Analysis at Bari University, Italy. Her list of studies and publications is extensive, as is her work in the translation of research done by Charles Morris and Thomas A. Sebeok from English to Italian. Web Article Reference One Barthes, R (1957). Mythologies: The World of Wrestling. Retrieved 1 September, 2009 from http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/Barthes-Mythologies-Wrestling-1957.pdf Summary Having access to an actual essay by Roland Barthes proved to be a great help in the research process. This essay picked apart a wrestling event by applying his theories to it. It was an excellent way to explain certain aspects of the theory. This ranged from the physical appearance of the competitors and their general mannerisms, to the cultural or public interpretation of what was unfolding before them. It explained the theatrical side of wrestling and how it is catered to the needs of its audience. Everybody at the event knows what is going on because of the different signs expresses by the ‘actors. Accuracy and Validity Given that this report is based on Roland Barthes theory, the accuracy and validity of the information needs little clarification. Everything in this report is based on his ideas and concepts so the accuracy needs not be questioned. Web Article Reference Two Wikipedia.(2009). Roland Barthes. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Barthes Summary This article on Roland Barthes was a great starting point in the research process. Without being too technical it gave a nice brief outline about Roland Barthes including a little about his works and theory. Accuracy and Validity Not always an accurate source of information, I was initially reluctant to take any information from Wikipedia at face value. However, this did slowly change as my research went on and verification of the content was discovered. The great thing about Wikipedia is that it has its own references meaning that it paves the way for more in depth research. Findings Roland Barthes Roland Barthes is considered to be one of the biggest names in Semiotics and much of his work has been the primary inspiration and information source for many aspiring students, as well as teachers, in the field of Semiotics. Born in Cherbough, France, on the 12th of November 1915, Roland Barthes had what he called â€Å"Not an unhappy youth†. Less than a year after his birth his father was killed in a naval accident forcing his mother to move with him to Bayonne. Here he spent the early part of his childhood before moving again in 1924, this time to Paris. It was in Paris that he attended school at Lycà ©e Louis-le-Grand and Lycà ©e Montaigne, both being well renowned secondary schools in France. In 1934 he contracted Tuberculosis and spent a number of years in Sanatoriums. Although this often meant he was unable to undertake his doctorate studies, it did give him the time to pursue other interests, the most dominant being reading, â€Å"What else did you ha ve to do except read?† He also started to do a little writing and cofounded the magazine Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre populaire. There was one positive to come out of his ill health – it kept him out of military service during World War II. Barthes went on to study at the Historic University of Paris, or Sorbonne, where he received a degree in Classical literature, as well as in grammar and philology. This was followed by various teaching positions including appointments in France, Romania and Egypt. He had made an intentional avoidance of major degree awarding universities throughout his career which lead to these ‘unusual posts. In 1957, Barthes had a book called Mythologies released. In this publication Barthes used the concepts of semiotics to analyse myths and signs in contemporary culture. The release of this book coincided with the rapid rise of fame for Barthes. The ideas and concepts within the book seemed to strike a chord with scholars and the general public. This pop ularity lead to material from the book being referred to in newspapers, films, shows, and exhibitions. Auto manufacturer Renault found his work so compelling that they temporarily hired him as an advertising consultant. During the early 1960s, Barthes spent much of his time exploring the fields of semiology and structuralism. This was accompanied by various faculty positions around France and a continuation in the production of his more full length studies. During his career, Roland Barthes published more essays than substantial studies. He often presented his views in a concise, subjective way that differed from the theoretical approach used by the majority of scholars. It was this approach that not only made him a standout in various fields but also a somewhat controversial character. Many other academics and theorists had a love hate relationship with him. Roland Barthes died on the 25th of March 1980 from injuries succumbed from being hit by a van a month earlier. Outline Of Roland Barthes Semiotic Theory Among other fields studied by Roland Barthes, his Semiotic Theory is one of the most famous and well renowned. Although he changed his mind about the way signs work more than once over his career, most practitioners follow the concepts of his original theory. Semiotics, or Semiology as it is often referred to, is concerned with anything that can stand for something else. It is the study of sign processes, meaning what signs signify and how, what signs are communicating, as well as how meaning is constructed and understood. In short it is the study of everything to do with signs. Although arguably not a recognised field until the work of Charles Morris, Semiotics can be applied to almost every aspect of life because it is an interpretation of everything around us. Signs are not only the visual aspect that we all immediately think of but also extends to include areas such as gestures or body language, music, clothes, poetry, paintings, Morse code, food, and graffiti. These are all cons idered to be signs that fall into the category of Semiotics because they can all mean something other than the obvious. For example, an apple can mean healthy and a crown can mean king. These meaning are however, very dependent on the context in which they are referred too. Spots on your chest need to be deciphered in a medical context and road signs will be judged in a transport context. According to Barthes theory, every ideological sign is either a Denotative sign system or a Connotative sign system. A Denotative sign, which is a strictly descriptive system, is the result of the signifier image and the signified concept combining. In other words the apple is the signifier and healthy is the signified. A Connotative sign is one that has lost its historical meaning. This could be due to a number of things including: changes in culture or terminology, an event, or even just evolution. It is important to note that Barthes description of a sign as the correlation between the signifier and the signified came directly from the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure. The best way to describe the difference between the signifier and signified may be to refer to Barthes essay ‘The World of Wrestling which was published in his 1957 book Mythologies. In this essay he describes the image portrayed by the wrestlers and the resulting portrayal by the fans resulting from the wrestlers image. As Barthes (1957) states: As soon as the adversaries are in the ring, the public is overwhelmed with the obviousness of the roles. As in the theatre, each physical type expresses to excess the part which has been assigned to the contestant. Thauvin, a fifty-year-old with an obese and sagging body The nausea voluntarily provoked by Thauvin shows therefore a very extended use of signs: not only is ugliness used here in order to signify baseness, but in addition ugliness is wholly gathered into a particularly repulsive quality of matter I know from the start that all of Thauvins actions, his treacheries, cruelties and acts of cowardice, will not fail to measure up to the first image of ignobility he gave me; I can trust him to carry out intelligently and to the last detail all the gestures of a kind of amorphous baseness, and thus fill to the brim the image of the most repugnant bastard there is: the bastard-octopus (p.2). This description of the wrestler Thauvin contains a number of signifiers. His physical image: â€Å"fifty-year-old with an obese and sagging body† accompanied by his general mannerisms, are all signifiers. The immediate impression gained by these signifiers lead us to the signified â€Å" all of Thauvins actions, his treacheries, cruelties and acts of cowardice, will not fail to measure up to the first image of ignobility he gave me†. The impression we gain of ugliness and evil by way of the signifier and signified form an image of a villain – which is the sign. This example of a Denotative Sign System is easily dissected because of its theatrical nature. The ability to clearly define the signifier and signified, and therefore the sign, is not always so easily achieved. Application of Theory Semiotic Theory can be applied to many aspects of everyday life and includes activities carried out by most people. Signs have become a part of everyday living and are everywhere. In many societies they are essential, for without them there would be chaos. A simple task such as driving from A to B could become a real nightmare without knowing where you are going, what the road rules are, or how fast your car is travelling. The application of signs in society gives us rules and order. But signs are not always so clearly displayed, read, or interpreted. A married couple can tell each others sad state of mind whereas anyone else may not realise that anything is wrong or out of place. A farmer can tell a sick animal from a healthy one, others will see absolutely no difference. A systems analyst will interpret the clients needs better than a programmer (in most cases). More often than not experience in reading or interpreting a sign is essential in gaining meaning to it and a better understanding of what it is trying to get across. If signs were always clearly interpreted, the number of system projects failing wouldnt be so great; a clear thorough understanding of what is needed would be more easily obtained. Evaluation of Theory Semiotic Theory seems to be based on a mainly Interpretive Approach but does include a small number of Scientific or Objective Approach qualities. The process of deciphering a sign involves many interpretive aspects. While a particular symbol may mean something in one culture, it may mean something different in another. It is how that culture interprets that symbol which determines its meaning. An example can be taken from ‘The World of Wrestling essay by Barthes, â€Å"As soon as the adversaries are in the ring, the public is overwhelmed with the obviousness of the roles.† (p.2). That particular culture (public) has a clear interpretation of what they think the wrestlers are portraying. This is clarified further on in the essay: â€Å"It has already been noted that in America wrestling represents a sort of mythological fight between Good and Evil (of a quasi-political nature, the bad wrestler always being supposed to be a Red [Communist]).† ( Barthes, 1957, p.3). This tells us clearly that it is the American publics interpretation of events which gives the desired meaning or effect. The same ‘show being played out in another culture will likely have very different results. This clearly shows an example of ‘Clarification of Values. Over the course of his career, Barthes reviewed his theory and even changed his mind about certain aspects. This ‘evolution as it has been referred to, shows that it was very much under scrutiny and social reform. Given that it in no way could be ‘scientifically tested, many other scholars or likewise had their own opinion on Semiotic Theory – some for and other against. Either way, it was all very much how it was interpreted. Conclusion Summary of Points Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980) is one of the most recognised names in the field of Semiotics. His Semiotic Theory has been the inspiration behind many aspiring students and teachers alike. His rise to fame coincided with the release of his 1957 book Mythologies, which was a collection of essays he had authored. The public was so fascinated by his ideas that his opinion was often sort in the public arena. Signs range from speech, body language and symbols to paintings, music and Morse code. Barthes Semiotic Theory broke down the process of reading signs and focused on their interpretation by different cultures or societies. According to Barthes, signs had both a signifier, being the physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses and the signified, or meaning that is interpreted. Barthes also believed that every ideological sign is either a Denotative sign system or a Connotative sign system. A Denotative sign, which is a strictly descriptive system, is the result of the signifier image and the signified concept combining. A Connotative sign is one that has lost its historical meaning. This could be due to a number of things including: changes in culture or terminology, an event, or even just evolution. Semiotic Theory is an ‘Interpretive theory that can be applied to most aspects of everyday life although most people would not realise it. A Critique of the Theory Roland Barthes often caused controversy because of his often non-scholarly point of view, and the subjective nature of his essays. Barthes 1963 study ‘Sur Racine was one such series of works that caused such controversy. Another ‘Racine scholar name Raymond Picard, took particular exception to this work and criticised Barthes approach in some of his work. In turn, Barthes responded by writing an essay which implied that criticism should become a ‘science. Generally such criticism of Barthes work was rare, and his approach often had fellow scholars intrigued. It is my opinion that this theory is an over-analysis of what should be a simple act of reading a sign. Constantly analysing every aspect of life would easily become very painstaking and I can imagine some ‘enjoyment of life would be lost due to this. The concept of the signifier and signified forming the sign seems relatively simple in theory and if left at that would be. The constant in-depth analysis of even the simplest of tasks seems to be rather pedantic and unnecessary – hence the reason I am not a Semiotic Theorist. Glossary Of Terms Amorphous – Having no definite form. Baseness – Despicable, Untrustworthy, Treacherous. Connotative – In Semiotics connotation arises when the denotative relationship between a signifier and its signified is inadequate to serve the needs of the community. Connotative Sign System – A mythic sign that has lost its historical referent; form without substance. Denotative In semiotics, denotation is the surface or literal meaning encoded to a signifier. Denotative Sign System A descriptive sign without ideological content. Ideology – Knowledge presented as common sense or natural, especially when its social construction is ignored or suppressed. Ignobility – Not noble in quality, character or purpose. Myth – The connotative meaning that signs carry wherever they go; myth makes what is cultural seem natural. Philology the study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature. Sanatorium – an institution for treating chronic diseases, typically tuberculosis. Sign – The inseparable combination of the signifier and the signified. Signified – The meaning we associate with the sign. The idea or thing that that the Signifier represents. Signifier – The physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses; an image, object or word being referred too. References / Bibliography Amazon.com. (2009). Universe of the Mind: A Semiotic Theory of Culture. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Mind-Semiotic-Theory-Culture/dp/025321405X Australia Donna. (2009). Susan Petrilli. Retrieved August 7, 2009 from http://www.australiadonna.on.net/english/prof/petrilli.htm Barthes, R (1957). Mythologies: The World of Wrestling. Retrieved 1 September, 2009 from http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/Barthes-Mythologies-Wrestling-1957.pdf Chandler, D. (2002). Semiotics: The Basics. Great Britain: Routledge. Chandler, D. (2005). Semiotics for Beginners. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem01.html Cobley, P., Jansz, L. (2004). Introducing Semiotics. (2nd ed.). Singapore: Tien Wah Press Ltd. Goldsmiths, University of London. (2008). Hall, Sean. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.gold.ac.uk/design/staff/hall/ Griffin, E. (2009). A First Look at Communication Theory. (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Hall, S. (2007). This Means This, This Means That. A Users Guide to Semiotics. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. Halton, E. (1992). Charles Morris A Brief Outline of His Philosophy with relations to semiotics, pragmatics, and linguistics. Retrieved August 7, 2009 from http://www.nd.edu/~ehalton/Morrisbio.htm Liukkonen, P. (2008). Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980). Retrieved September 1, 2009 from http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/rbarthes.htm London Metropolitan University. (2009). Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design. Staff Research: Media and Communication. Retrieved August 10, 2009 from http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/jcamd/research/staff-research/mc/paul-cobley.cfm No Author. (1992). Websters Dictionary. (1992 ed.) United States of America: Leisure Entertainment Service Co Inc. Petrilli,S.(2008). On Communication: Contributions to the Human Sciences and to Humanism from Semiotics Understood as Semioethics.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),193-236.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836621). Petrilli,S.(2008). The Relation with Morris in Rossi-Landis and Sebeoks Approach to Signs1.The American Journal of Semiotics,24(4),89-121.Retrieved August 7, 2009 from Research Library. (Document ID:1608836581). The Stewardship. (n.d.). Semiotic Theory. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://the-stewardship.org/research/semiotics.htm Wikipedia.(2009). Roland Barthes. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Barthes Wikipedia.(2009). Semiotics. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics Wikipedia.(2009). Semiotic Information Theory. Retrieved July 22, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotic_information_theory

New Years Changes in Henrik Isbens A Dolls House Essay -- Victorian

In Victorian England, women were expected to be undoubtedly obedient to their fathers, and later in life, servile to their husbands as well. They were normally forbidden to pursue a real education, and would often â€Å"devote themselves to their husbands' happiness† (Roland 10). Throughout history, women have had to make sacrifices for other people's feelings and lives. They have given up their own lives, freedoms, education, and careers due to their concern for others. A concurrent injustice occurs in Henrik Ibsen's play, A Doll's House. The play's characters, motifs, and symbols support it's theme; the sacrifices and decisions pushed onto women by society have hampered them from pursuing their own lives, but there is hope to overcome it. The two minor women characters, Anne and Mrs. Linde, both make sacrifices for different people in order to make life better for others. During the 1800's, a chance for a woman to get an advanced education was fairly rare. This limited a woman's options to low paying job or marrying a well-off man. Anne, the nurse, explains to Nora that when she was young, she was just â€Å"a poor girl† led down the wrong path by a â€Å"wicked man† (Ibsen 200). Anne was forced to put her daughter up for adoption so she could get a job and survive, but it also provided her daughter with a stable home. Mrs. Linde, an old friend of Nora's, reappears after ten years and tells Nora of the struggles in her past (Ibsen 180). Due to the familial obligations society often places on women, she had to leave her love, a poor man named Nils Krogstad, to marry a rich man who will able to financially help Mrs. Linde take care of her sick mother and younger brothers (Ibsen 182). Nora, the main female character of the play, care... ...ted as a doll all off her life by both her father and Torvald, and decides to leave her family so she can live a life of her own. The meaning of the New Year's Eve changes to represent how Nora and Torvald will evolve into new people (Ibsen 236). It also shows that it is never too late for any woman to take back her freedom. Ibsen's play displays how society's expectations of woman are unfair to their freedoms and the pursuit of their own lives. The female characters sacrificed having their own lives to better those of others. The motifs contrast what women experience in life and what they deserve. The symbol of New Year's Eve proves that a woman can reclaim her freedoms. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. â€Å"A Doll's House† The River Reader. Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009 Roland, Paul. The Crimes of Jack the Ripper. Edison: Chartwell Books, Inc., 2007. Print.

Communication in Early Childhood Education Essay

Effective communication creates a learning environment where students can learn according to their individual needs in a safe and accommodating environment. Think about your early childhood education (or your child’s early education), was it flexible to suit individual learning experiences or were children required to conform to the teacher’s methods of teaching? If you answered the latter, do you think the former would improve the quality of education? Pedagogues’ in all divisions of education should possess proficiency in different levels of communication, whether  they are teaching primary or secondary students or university alumni, to be able to address a combination of the various age groups (colleagues, students, parents or superiors). Educators will face difficulties in providing a satisfactory level of education without the necessary skills to communicate effectively to these groups of people. Early childhood educators with effective communication skills demonstrate an ability to adapt their teaching methods to suit the needs of their young individual students, which benefits the progression in child development. The teacher’s positive mood determines the emotional climate of the classroom,  creating a healthy and safe learning environment for the children and allows teachers to communicate comfortably with children, parents and colleagues, therefore, resolving issues efficiently. Early childhood educators who communicate effectively with children and parents create a positive classroom atmosphere, where successful learning can take place. Teachers and parents must be able to communicate and cooperate to build a strong relationship for the best interests of the child. Do parents have an innate trust in teachers? (For them to leave their children in the teachers care, in some  cases, almost a stranger) Whether or not this is accurate, teachers must build on this trust to create a supportive parent-teacher relationship. Each situation is different and teachers should be aware of their body language, and use of language, so when speaking with parents their communication should be different when talking to parents than when they are chatting with friends. The first step is establishing a dialogue by approaching the parent first and making them feel welcome and relaxed, as parents may be resistant in making first contact, due to, a bad experience with teachers themselves, as children or bad experiences in other  schools with other teachers (Miller, 2003 & Roffey, 2002 as cited by Porter, 2008). There are different strategies teachers can use to maintain effective communication with parents and build strong relationships once they have made communication. Keeping a parents trust is important in maintaining open lines of communication so they can discuss concerns relating to the child and solve issues promptly. Teachers can gain parents confidence by always respecting confidentiality and avoiding rumors. If a parent finds out that, their child’s teacher breached confidentiality or is  a known gossip, parents will find it difficult to confide in them with an issue regarding their child, particularly if it is of a personal nature. Parents are also more likely to approach their child’s teacher if they know they can discuss issues and reach a mutual agreement (Bender, 2005). Teacher-parent communication is all about showing trust and comfort with each other. Frequent communication between these two parties creates less tension, when an issue arises, allowing a constructive discussion to take place and reaching an agreement sooner without hostility. Teachers can increase parent participation in the child’s learning by updating  them in upcoming activities and events, so they can be included in their child’s education, stay informed in their child’s successes and concerns, participate in special events, and contribute to their child’s overall learning process. The activities and responsibilities of the school should not be limited to the school environment and cease once the child has reached home, therefore, teachers and parents should allow room for overlapping (Edwards, 2000). Keeping parents updated on their child’s school progress allows parents to provide the necessary support and encouragement at home, giving them a better understanding of their child’s development. At the same time, teachers should obtain information from parents regarding the child’s progress at home, so teachers can help children accordingly at school. This back and forth communication between parents and teachers will provide students with a supportive network that benefits everyone concerned (Ramirez, 2006). It is also the responsibility of teachers to advice parents when their child is involved in an accident. Teachers should always take detailed notes of incidents, remembering to keep confidentiality (between parents), if more than one student was involved (Koza, 2007).  If a parent became aware about an incident through their child, it may give the parent the impression that the teacher tried to conceal the incident. By keeping parents constantly informed, reinforces the parent-teacher relationship, giving parents’ confidence in the teacher’s ability to care for their child. Teachers need to be flexible in their teaching, to meet each individual’s needs. Teachers must demonstrate various teaching styles to accommodate how each individual â€Å"learnt-to-learn† (Edwards, 2009), by applying the learning methods children are familiar with enables them to accomplish more and feel comfortable in  their new learning environment. The way children learned to do tasks at home is crucial to their learning when they reach early childhood education, since each child learned to follow instructions and complete tasks differently, it would be insensitive to treat all children the same without taking into account their cultural differences and experience (Marotz, 2009). Educators teaching young children must consider the learning methods each individual is already accustomed to and design their teaching methods around the children’s experiences, and so, communication can be  used effectively by incorporating different teaching strategies such as speaking, writing and visual demonstrations. For example, a child who has learned to complete a task by reading instructions will perform more efficiently if they are able to read from the board or paper, instead of following verbal instructions from a teacher. Teachers should make the effort to understand each child’s previous learning experience and background, so they can identify the best teaching method required by each child. Teachers must adopt appropriate methods and language for teaching and should outline the schools (or teachers) code of conduct regarding  language, to parents, so they can enforce the same rules at home to avoid children bringing inappropriate language to school, causing disruptions in the learning of other children and disgruntling other parents. As teachers gain experience with children and parents of different cultures, religions and abilities, they develop their own communication skills so they can provide improved services to the children they teach in the future. A safe and positive classroom is an important environment for the learning and development of a child. As a classroom leader, the teacher must behave and  communicate in a manner that creates a positive emotional climate in the classroom; firstly, teachers must resolve or reduce stress caused by work and personal issues, doing so outside of the classroom, so they can concentrate on the needs of the children when they are in the classroom. Secondly, by displaying self-confidence, a strong sense of self-worth and control over their emotions creates a classroom atmosphere where children are happy, comfortable and safe, as a result, children respond more positively to their teachers and classmates (Marotz, 2009). Ebbeck & Waniganayake (2003) stated that young children generally have a  sense of happiness and positiveness in them, but society depresses this and upsets the way children view the world and future, by creating fear in them (the media showing violence, bad behavior, and superficial concerns). However, teachers can empower children by showing them â€Å"how to take their place in society and create a better now and future† (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2003) and give them a feeling of optimism in everything they try to accomplish. Teachers who build a trusting bond with their students are also better equipped, in understanding each individual, allowing children to open up and discuss personal problems with them. This enables  teachers to speak and listen to each individual easily and identify signs of possible abuse, bullying or other health and safety concerns. In conclusion, effective communication is essential to all learning environments and without it, teachers will struggle to teach and students will face learning difficulties, resulting in a decline in the quality of education. In early childhood education, it is up to the teachers to ensure that each child’s education environment is safe and comfortable for the child, by showing flexibility in teaching to meet individual requirements and showing care and understanding to assist children with concerns. A strong parent-teacher relationship creates a support network where information is exchanged and issues are solved, to allow the child to concentrate on his or her learning and development. Early childhood educators are there to guide and support children in all aspects of life. References Ebbeck, M. & Waniganayake, M. (2003). Early childhood professionals: Leading today and tomorrow. East Gardens, Australia: Maclennan & Petty Pty Ltd Edwards, MC (2000) Center for effective parenting is a collaborative project of: The Jones center for families, 3. Retrieved from http://www. parenting-ed. org/handout3/Parental Involvement/Communicating with. Teacher Handout. pdf Edwards, S. (2009). Early childhood education and care. Castle Hill, Australia: Pademelon Press Koza, W. (2007). Managing an effective early childhood classroom. Huntington Beach, USA: Shell Educational Publishing. Marotz, L. R. (2009). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child (8th ed. ). Australia: Cengage Learning Porter, L. (2008). Teacher-parent collaboration: Early childhood to adolescence. Camberwell, Australia: ACER Press Ramirez, L (2006) Parent teacher – The benefits of creating a supportive parent teacher relationship. Retrieved from http://www. parenting-child-development. com/parent-teacher. html.

Distortions Through Deception In Macbeth Essay

In William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the three witches destroy lives by their acts of deceit to create corruption, violence and an upset in the balance of good and evil. To be deceived implies a deliberate misrepresentation of facts through the words or actions, which is used by one to increase power. While caught in a viscous, power hungry cycle, it is hard to distinguish between what is ethical and moral as reality becomes distorted. It is this distortion and the negative repercussions that cause devastation, which has resulted from deceptions. These deceptions have ruined the lives of many, who were to caught up in a struggle for power and unable to realize their own shattered lives. Firstly, acts of deception, which created corruption, violence and a disturbance in good and evil, are illustrated through the life, which Macbeth led. The witches, through their prophecies, deceived Macbeth. These prophecies lead Macbeth to corruption, and through distortion of reality, felt murder was the only way to gain power. Macbeth murdered Duncan, in order to satisfy this hungry urge for control. Yet, instead of feeling remorse and repenting, he began to plan the murders of others, in order to protect his own guilt. Before Macbeth met the witches, he knew how morally wrong murder was. Through his own distorted perception and corruption, murder became a necessity for survival. Soon others saw Macbeth’s corrupt nature, and thus the rebellion against Macbeth resulted from his hastily built empire. Macbeth used violent actions for what he what he could not be achieve with integrity. Since Macbeth could not stay king without doing a dishonest act, he had Banquo violently slain by someone else, â€Å"Safe in a ditch he bides, /With twenty trenched gashes on his head, /The least a death to nature.† (Shakespeare 3.4.26-28). Although, Macbeth did not carry out these actions, it was his bloody directions that were followed. Violence is another example of how power hungry Macbeth was, by using violence; he had no ethics or morals and could not be admired. Macbeth used violent actions to gain his power, violent actions to stay in power, and regrettably, violent actions were what severed him form his power. Macbeth used violence to destroy the lives of others,  and violence ultimately destroyed his. Macbeth was once a person who appeared to have a good grasp on good and evil and was able to distinguish between them. However, Macbeth was quickly confused when he first had the taste of power, once he had tasted the sweet victory, he would do anything not to lose his grasp. It was then, that the aspect of good and evil was forever altered in Macbeth’s eyes, good was quickly associated with power and strength and evil with limitations and vulnerability. Of course, Macbeth wanted to be powerful, he associated everything with it, respect, admiration and recognition. Unfortunately for Macbeth, no matter how powerful he became, he craved more. The only way he felt he could gain power was to kill, and killing is in truth evilness on it’s own. Consequently, Macbeth mistook good for evil and this added to his untimely downfall in the public eye. Macbeth’s hunger for an insatiable power was the act of deception used in order to promote his corruption, violence and disturbances in his morals. Secondly, Lady Macbeth used acts of deception in a more devious manner. She toyed with others emotions, not caring about the consequences as long as she ended up on top. She demonstrated deception through corruption, violence and the balance of good and evil. Thus, Lady Macbeth was along side her husband, also quite power hungry. She craved it, and would do and use any means possible to get it, manipulation, deceit, and even murder. Although lady Macbeth never physically killed anyone, she did play a large part in the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth is solely to blame for being corrupted. She did it all to herself. She began herself corruption by pleading to the spirits, â€Å"Come you spirits/That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full/ Of direst cruelty; make my blood thick/ Stop up the access and passage to remorse, / That no compunctious visitings of nature†Ã‚ ¦And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell† (Shakespeare, 1.6.39-50). By having herself corrupted, she was able to corrupt her husband. She fed his innocent mind full of unkindly thoughts of murder, she convinced him that he will not be suspected, â€Å"Who dares receive it other, / As we shall make our grief’s and clamour roar/Upon his death?† (Shakespeare 1.7.77-78) As a result, this begins the corruption of her spouse. By having her husband  believe that power brings happiness, he does exactly as she says. Violence, defined as a powerful force or energy, is the second force Lady Macbeth uses to unknowingly destroy her husbands life and her own. She uses such power in the sense of how perfectly her plan to murder Duncan was carried out with precision. All of the strength she possessed was in the execution of this plan. She was drained emotionally of all her strengths, this let to the quick demise of her mentality. Lady Macbeth never really appeared to have a good grasp on the difference between good and evil. Neither mattered until she received what she wanted. She was spoiled by the evil of her ambitions for her husband to become king. Lady Macbeth wanted nothing more than the power her husband could control and used evil acts to get it. However, once she had the power, the imbalance of good and evil had been tampered with too much and her actions could not be reversed. Since lady Macbeth did not understand the difference between good and evil, her soul was never set free, her suicide is proof of this. Lady Macbeth became lost in her own guilty conscience, something she thought she had long since disposed of. Thirdly, the witches were perhaps the most deceitful characters presented in Macbeth. They used their powers for their own twisted pleasure and easily toyed with certain characters innocence. Initially and by far the largest character in which they corrupted was Macbeth. He was an easy target for the witches; he secretly dreamed of power and only attempted to be modest around others. The witches noticed this and fooled around with his boyish self-esteem. The three told him great prophecies of the future that Macbeth could only dream about. The three knew Macbeth was coming â€Å"A drum! A drum! /Macbeth doth come.† (Shakespeare 1.3.30-31) Secondly, the witches use violent actions to their advantage. They torture humans in their sleep, haunting them, â€Å"Sleep shall neither night nor day/ Hang upon his pent-house lid; / He shall live a man forbid. /Weary sev’n nights nine times nine,† (Shakespeare 1.3.19-22). The witches torture the innocent in their sleep. They tortured a sailor, and they quite possibly could have tortured Lady Macbeth as she slept, although she was not innocent. This could be the ultimate cause for her sleepwalking. Finally, the witches used good intentions on innocent people and use evil  prophecies of the future to make others power hungry and desire the evil nature. After one visit from the witches, Macbeth had to know more, he yearned for more information, which was the witches’ objective all along. When Macbeth came back to visit them, they gave him miniscule pieces of information that lead him to believe he had nothing to worry about. While in fact had a great deal to worry about. The witches’ prophecies made him feel invulnerable and were what killed him in the end. The witches had perhaps the largest part in Macbeth, it was their evil prophecies of power that destroyed a vast variety of lives who unfortunately got involved. As clearly illustrated in the lives of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the three witches, deception and the consequences are undoubtedly portrayed as having detrimental effects in their lives. The corruption, violent tendencies and unethical choices are a few of the consequences of the deception, which was created, to devastate. In conclusion, Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, is an excellent portrait of today’s society, as it depicts effects of the insatiable, unrealistic and deceived society, which corrupts, hurts and promotes decisions that leads to the untimely waste of many lives.

Make Potassium Chlorate From Bleach and Salt Substitute

Make Potassium Chlorate From Bleach and Salt Substitute Potassium chlorate is an important potassium compound that can be used as an oxidizer, disinfectant, source of oxygen, and component in pyrotechnics and chemistry demonstrations. You can make potassium chlorate from common household bleach and salt substitute. The reaction is not particularly efficient, but its something to keep in mind if you need potassium chlorate right away or just want to know how to make it. Key Takeaways: Make Potassium Chlorate From Bleach and Salt Substitute Potassium chlorate is used as an oxidizer, disinfectant, and colorant (purple) in chemistry demonstrations and fireworks projects.While its not the most efficient chemical reaction, its simple to make potassium chlorate by boiling bleach, cooling it, and mixing in a saturated solution of salt substitute in water.The synthesis works because potassium from the salt substitute displaces sodium from the sodium chlorate made by boiling the bleach. The product is sodium chloride and potassium chlorate. Since potassium chlorate is not very soluble in water, it precipitates and may be collected by filtration. Materials for Making Potassium Chlorate You only need two ingredients to synthesize potassium chlorate: Chlorine bleachPotassium chloride (sold as a salt substitute)Filter paper or coffee filter Take care to check the label on the salt substitute to make certain the ingredient is just potassium chloride. While salt substitute is potassium chloride, lite salt is a mixture of sodium chloride (table salt) and potassium chloride. The reason this project works is because potassium replaces sodium in sodium chlorate. Basically, you need to make certain you are supplying the potassium. While it shouldnt be significant, keep in mind household bleach has a shelf life. If your bottle of bleach has been opened and stored a long time, its a good idea to get a fresh one for the project. Prepare Potassium Chlorate Boil a large volume (at least a half liter) of chlorine bleach, just until crystals start to form. Do this outdoors or under a fume hood, to avoid inhaling the vapor. Boiling bleach disproportionates sodium hypochlorite into sodium chloride and sodium chlorate.3 NaClO → 2 NaCl NaClO3As soon as crystals start to form, remove the bleach from heat and allow it to cool.In a separate container, prepare a saturated solution of potassium chloride by stirring potassium chloride into the water until no more will dissolve.Mix equal volumes of the boiled bleach solution and potassium chloride solution, taking care to keep solids from either solution out of the mixture. This is a substitution or single replacement reaction. The two products are separated based on solubility. Potassium chlorate will precipitate out, leaving sodium chloride in solution.KCl NaClO3 → NaCl KClO3Cool the solution in the freezer to increase the potassium chlorate yield.Filter the mixture through filter paper or a coffee filter. Keep the solid potassium chlorate; discard the sodium chloride solution. Allow the potassium chlorate to dry before storing or using it. NurdRage has a video of the process if youd prefer to see how its done. Potassium chlorate is used in fireworks as an oxidizer and to produce a purple flame. Teeraphon Phooma / EyeEm / Getty Images You can test the potassium chlorate in a simple chemistry demonstration: Purple Fire (shown) - Mix potassium chlorate and half as much sugar. Ignite the mixture either by applying a flame or adding a few drops of sulfuric acid (instant chemical fire).Dancing Gummi Bear - The candy is the source of the sugar in this demonstration. The vigorous reaction between the candy bear and the potassium chlorate makes the bear appear to dance in purple fire. Other uses of potassium chlorate include safety matches, fireworks, disinfectants, pesticides, firearm primer, and to force plant blooming. It is also a good starting point to prepare oxygen gas or chlorine gas. Safety Tips This is a project that should be performed with responsible adult supervision. Undiluted bleach can cause skin irritation and damage eyes and mucous membranes if splashed. Heating bleach should be done outdoors or under a fume hood, as irritating vapors are released. Finally, keep the potassium chlorate collected in this project away from heat or flame until you are ready to use it. It should be stored away from sulfuric acid and sulfur, as spontaneous ignition may occur.

Free Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God

One German poet metaphorically described love, â€Å"Love is a flower of life†. Can love be the most beautiful aspect in one’s life? Can anyone live a life without love? No one can actually give a lucid answer to this question since everyone gives a different value to love. However, at least, it is true that love is the most valuable sense that humans have as we can see the history of mankind began from Adam and Eve’s love. In that sense, a life without love, perhaps, would be valueless. Zora Neale Hurston stresses this necessity of love in a life as she looks back upon Janie’s life in the novel, â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God†. Taking this subject one step further, Hurston also throws out a question; â€Å"What would marriage be like without love?† Hurston provides an answer directly in Janie’s daydream, which is, ‘bees can not live without flowers’. In â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God†, Janie, a main character, goes through her life with three different husbands. Her first husband, Logan Killicks, is a man who, with his wealth, provides her food, shelter, and etc. The second husband, Joe Starks, is a man who does not only have wealth but also has great aspirations in his life. With these two perfect-seeming husbands, Janie, ironically, spends most of her married life with repentance and tears. It was not because Janie is not satisfied with their wealth but because these marriages do not contain love. Consequently, as Janie redefines the concept of marriage during her unpleasant married life with these two husbands, she starts to see marriage from a different point of view; â€Å"A marriage needs love†. With this new point of view toward marriage, she meets a man, Tea Cake and falls in love. Surely, her third marriage with Tea Cake is full of flowers since it contains love. â€Å" ’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection. Ah ain’t gittin’ ole, honey. Ah’m done ole.†... Free Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God Free Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God In Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is a young girl with dreams who matures into a woman as she lives through three different marriages. Her first marriage is arranged to Logan by her grandmother, who thinks more practically than her. However, she does not love Logan and runs off with Jody. This marriage also turns stale and after Logan’s death she marries once more to Tea Cake which eventually ends with his own tragic death. These three marriages are quite similar in ways, yet Janie gains different experiences from each in her long journey to find herself. Throughout her life, Janie struggles to live life on her own terms as she goes through three periods of her life that are similar, yet definitely vary as Janie ages. The three steps of Janie’s life, which are characterized by each of her three husbands, are very similar in the distinction of Janie’s characteristics and the difficulties in each marriage. Janie wishes for true love and is not content with Logan, her chosen husband. When she visits Nanny, she says, â€Å"Ah wants things sweet wid mah marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think.†(23) Throughout her life, Janie wants a real, true, unconditional love. In each marriage, she faced certain uphill battles. For example, as Janie is asked to make a speech at the committee meeting, Jody says, â€Å"Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no speech-makin’. Ah never married her for nothin’ lak dat. She’s uh woman and her place is in de home.†(40) This shows the sort of space she was limited to in her relationships and she faced one form or another of it throughout her marria ges. In addition, as Tea Cake spoke about beating Janie to Sop-de-Bottom, he said, â€Å"Ah beat her tuh show dem Turners who is boss.†(141) Tea Cake even whips Janie to express his possession of her to Ms. Turner’s brother. Even though Tea Cake just whi... Free Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God Stages of a Hero Every morning you wake up, early. Think of the reason why, it’s because you have to get to work or you have to get to school. You have to leave your nice warm house, for a cold car so frozen that it won’t even start, the community coffee maker hell that has a life of its own and don’t even get me started on the boss. After a long hard day at work or school you return to your nice, comforting house, only to find that Mr. Tinkles decided to pop a squat in the middle of your white carpet. But finally, after cleaning up the present donated by the lovely Mr. Tinkles, you can relax. But your day has not been a complete waste, you have obtained knowledge that will someday help change the world; and you thought that work was just some evil invention meant to torture you... shame. We all go through these stages of a hero everyday, but does that necessarily make each one of us a hero? In Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neal Hursten, the main character, Janie, goes through stages of life that follow those of a traditional hero. She has a call to adventure, a journey, and then returns to a familiar place. Other heroes like Odysseus and even Superman follow these stages in there adventures. Much like Odysseus is called away from his homeland to war, Janie is call to begin her journey into womanhood. She receives numerous calls to adventure, the first of which occurs while she lays under the pear tree. Janie has a sexual awakening while she watches the bees pollinating the flowering buds. She believes that the bees and the tree have a marriage of sorts, and thinks to herself, â€Å"So this is marriage!† and she is â€Å"summoned to behold a revelation† (11). Her revelation is that she wants to have what that pear tree is experiencing. She wants to get married and become a woman. She is young, only sixteen and has â€Å"glossy leaves and bursting buds† (11), and she wants to be married. She marries Logan, w... Free Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God One German poet metaphorically described love, â€Å"Love is a flower of life†. Can love be the most beautiful aspect in one’s life? Can anyone live a life without love? No one can actually give a lucid answer to this question since everyone gives a different value to love. However, at least, it is true that love is the most valuable sense that humans have as we can see the history of mankind began from Adam and Eve’s love. In that sense, a life without love, perhaps, would be valueless. Zora Neale Hurston stresses this necessity of love in a life as she looks back upon Janie’s life in the novel, â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God†. Taking this subject one step further, Hurston also throws out a question; â€Å"What would marriage be like without love?† Hurston provides an answer directly in Janie’s daydream, which is, ‘bees can not live without flowers’. In â€Å"Their Eyes Were Watching God†, Janie, a main character, goes through her life with three different husbands. Her first husband, Logan Killicks, is a man who, with his wealth, provides her food, shelter, and etc. The second husband, Joe Starks, is a man who does not only have wealth but also has great aspirations in his life. With these two perfect-seeming husbands, Janie, ironically, spends most of her married life with repentance and tears. It was not because Janie is not satisfied with their wealth but because these marriages do not contain love. Consequently, as Janie redefines the concept of marriage during her unpleasant married life with these two husbands, she starts to see marriage from a different point of view; â€Å"A marriage needs love†. With this new point of view toward marriage, she meets a man, Tea Cake and falls in love. Surely, her third marriage with Tea Cake is full of flowers since it contains love. â€Å" ’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection. Ah ain’t gittin’ ole, honey. Ah’m done ole.†...

Bacteriophage Lambda Lysogenic Cycle Biology Essay

Bacteriophage Lambda Lysogenic Cycle Biology Essay Viruses are tiny agents that cause infections in a wide range of hosts including animals, plants, bacteria and other viruses. In particular, viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriophages, bacterio meaning â€Å"bacteria† in Greek and phage meaning â€Å"to eat†. Bacteriophages are able to undergo lytic and lysogenic cycle to replicate; however, most undergo one or the other cycle to replicate. An example of a bacteriophage that is able to undergo both cycles is bacteriophage lambda (phage lambda). Bacteriophage lambda infects only the bacterium Escherichia coli strain k-12. Phage lambda is unique in its ability to turn replication genes on or off depending on the host’s condition. When E. coli is infected with phage lambda and the cell dies due to an environmental factor, the phage will switch from the lysogenic to the lytic replication cycle. Bacteriophage lambda was discovered by Esther Lederberg in 1950 while she was working in a laboratory with E. c oli strain k-12. Lederberg is considered a pioneer of bacterial genetics; she was also an immunologist and microbiologist. She flourished academically, receiving a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin where she worked with many other pioneers of microbiology, genetics and immunology, including: Andre Lwoff, Edward Lawrie Tatum, George Wells Beadle, Frances Crick and James Watson. While at the University of Wisconsin, Lederberg was using ultraviolet light on E. coli strain k-12 to mutagenize that specific strain of the bacteria. After prolonged exposure to the ultraviolet light, the bacteria stopped growing and its condition slowly began to deteriorate. An hour and a half after the exposure to the ultraviolet light ceased, the bacteria began to lyse (burst). This led Lederberg to the discovery of bacteriophage lambda. The E. coli sample that Lederberg was using was infected with bacteriophage lambda. The phage was not detected because it was in the lysogenic cycle, which meant that the phage was a prophage, and thus that the phage genome was integrated within the bacterial genome. Bacteriophage lambda sensed that the bacteria was about to die, so it switched its replication genes on and converted to lytic replication, therefore causing the cell to lyse and release the phage into the environment. Lederberg is also accredited with the discovery of induction; the process of when the lysogenic cycle is terminated and the lytic cycle is activated due to adverse conditions caused by ultraviolet light. Lederberg, along with her team of researchers, was awarded the Pasteur award in 1956. Viruses have many different anatomical structures depending on what kind of cells they infect. The anatomical feature that is similar throughout all bacteriophage is the capsid. The capsid or head is a shell made out of protein that contains DNA or RNA, depending on the virus. The capsid also contains some internal proteins. The capsid can have many different configurations, from a polygon-shaped sphere, like an icosahedral, or a rod-shaped helix. The main functions of the capsid are that it allows the virion to attach to its host via special sites on the surface, contains the internal proteins that allows the virus to penetrate the host cell membrane, which enables it to inject the infectious DNA or RNA into the host cell’s cytoplasm, and that it provides protection for the nucleic acid from the environment and digestion by enzymes. The capsid has structural subunits called capsomers that may contain one or many polypeptide chains. Some viruses have a secondary structure that protects the capsid itself, this is called an envelope. Not all viruses have an envelope; the envelope is made up of glyco-proteins and surrounds the entire capsid for optimum protection. The envelope has two lipid layers intermingled with protein molecules, a lipoprotein bi-layer, and also has a mixture of material that consist of the viral origin and some material from the me mbrane of the host cell. Besides a capsid, some viruses also contain a tail that is attached to the capsid which helps the virus penetrate the host cell’s outer membrane and allows the virus to inject the DNA or RNA into the host cell. The tail consists of two main structures: the tail fibers and a tail sheath. The tail fibers are tiny leg like formations that help the phage attach on to the bacterial cell by clinging on to the surface receptors. The tail sheath is a tube like structure that runs from the capsid to the tail fibers; the tail sheath digs into the cell membrane of the host and the DNA or RNA travels down the sheath and into the cytoplasm of the host and the infectious cycle begins. For viruses without tails, specialized spikes are protruding directly from the capsid that play a similar role to that of tails; the spikes are made up of proteins and help the virus invade the host cell. Bacteriophage lambda has a capsid with an icosahedral configuration that is 55 n anometers in diameter that contains 350-575 capsomers or subunits of 37,000 Daltons; the capsomers are positioned in groups of 5 and 6 subunits or pentamers and hexamers. The tail is 180 micrometers long and contains a single tail fiber that is 25 nanometers long. Bacteriophage lambda does not possess an enveloped capsid.

Company logistic analysis and drawbacks and recomendation Research Proposal - 2

Company logistic analysis and drawbacks and recomendation - Research Proposal Example For the last financial year home depot registered profits of over $4.5 billion. This made the share price to rise from $2.47 to $3.00 per share. In the financial report for the year 2012, it did not include the $145 million tax charge. This was related to the closing of the china store, which affected the share price negatively with a decline of 0.10 earnings per share. The net sale for the year 2012 increased by 62% to $78 billion. This was an increase from the previous year where the earnings were $70 billion. The store sales increased to 4.6% attributed by a 2.9% rise in comparable store average ticket. In addition, the rise in customers in our stores attributed to this increase. The financial year of 2012 had an extra week that increased the net sales by $1.2 billion. This led to an increase of the share earnings by $0.07. The growth in the 2012 financial year is credited to continued focus on the following initiatives. Customer service – continued focus on customer service is driven by philosophies of making an emotive link with the customer. These philosophies are putting the customer first and making the business simple. Home depot has opened new call centers in Utah and Georgia simply to have a more personalized connection with the customers. All these centers have been opened in the last financial year. This has played a major role in increasing the earnings and profit margins for the company. In additions, new wits such as the new arrangement system for secondary and centralized return to seller process has more than 57% of all labor hours dedicated to customer services and by the end of the financial year of 2013 the labor hours will have reached 60%. In addition, other measures will be put in place to ensure complete customer satisfaction. This will lead to increased sales bringing the stock price to a higher price. This will put the stocks in a better position than the

N.A.F.T.A Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

N.A.F.T.A - Assignment Example Moreover, the policies also focused upon codifying broad assortment of agreements related to textile, agriculture, telecommunications, auto trade, intellectual properties, flexibility of workers and environmental policies (Ford, â€Å"A brief history of NAFTA†). Thesis Statement The discussion would aim to analyze the purpose of NAFTA. It would also attempt to provide an insight into the history of NAFTA along with ascertaining the favorable as well as unfavorable outcomes on the US and world economy. A Brief History of NAFTA NAFTA was established in the year 1994 for the purpose of trimming down the costs related to trading, raising business funds and most significantly promoting financial growth among Mexico, Canada and the US. The agreement i.e. NAFTA which was duly signed by the different leaders of the participating nations was ratified by the Congress of the US in the year 1993. It was observed that the agreement proved to be quite controversial as most of the manufactur ing industries as well as the makers of agricultural commodities belonging to the US faced the threat of losing the business market by competing with the Canadian along with Mexican business firms due to their lower cost arrangements (Ford, â€Å"A brief history of NAFTA†). ... Additionally, the fundamental purpose of NAFTA is to ensure and maintain a smooth flow of goods as well as services by making substantial investments. Moreover, the agreement aimed to provide each of the participating countries the prominence in terms of substantial favored trade in the business market. With regard to the purpose of NAFTA, it has been observed that the agreement encompassed certain important areas which comprised the abolition of non-tariff associated trade barriers, augmentation of financial investments and reduction of environmental issues. Moreover, the agreement also entailed segments such as trimming down the tariffs and developing the trade rules such as dispute settlement methods. However, on the basis of the above discussion, it can be stated that the chief aim of NAFTA is to generate a situation of free trade amid the nations of Mexico, Canada and the US by the exclusion of tariffs along with other trade barriers. The agreement i.e. NAFTA can be considered a s a major initiative owing to the different imperative purposes of the trade policies (Rosson, Benson, Moulton and Sanders, â€Å"The North American Free trade Agreement and U.S. Agriculture†). Effects of NAFTA on US World Economy NAFTA was found to pose significant effects upon the world economy of the US. Due to the implementation of NAFTA, the trade relations between the nations i.e. Mexico, Canada and the US broadened substantially. It becomes necessary to be stated in this context that the supporters of NAFTA declared the agreement to be a successful one for supporting the producers of the US by generating a free trade amid the participating nations. Moreover, the agreement benefited the

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of Literature review

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of published financial information and the information content - Literature review Example Moreover, it has been proved that financial information and information content of earnings have the power to affect the investors’ decision making process. The interaction between the overall model of investor’s decision making and the published financial information, as well as the information content of earnings, is critically discussed in this paper. The justification of the above model in the context of the current financial crisis is evaluated. In order to secure that all the issues discussed above are covered, the paper has been divided into several sections, highlighting the various aspects of this paper’s subject. Apart from the introduction section, where the overall scope of the paper is presented, of particular importance are the literature and the Discussion sections. In the literature review section the following issues are addressed: the key characteristics of market research and its value on financial reporting, the published financial information and the information content of earnings as factors influencing investors’ decision making and potential use of the model of investors’ decision making within modern market which is under the continuous pressures of global financial crisis. The value of the literature findings in the context of the present crisis are further analyzed in the Analysis and Discussion section, so that valid assumptions are developed in regard to the study’s key subject. In the last section of the paper, Conclusion and recommendations, the key findings of the research developed for the issues addressed in this paper are summarized and recommendations are made, as appropriate, so that future failures are avoided. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Market research – characteristics and relation with financial reporting Market research is employed in a variety of business activities. For example, when having to decide in regard to the entrance of the business in a new market or in regard t o the development of a new product/ service market research is used for gathering information related to the host market or the consumer preferences as related to the new product/ service (Wahlen et al. 52). In regard to financial reporting and investment decision making, market research has a similar role. It helps to gather information required in developing a firm’s financial statements so that the position of the firm and its competitiveness is made clear (Wahlen et al. 52). Market research can be developed through a high range of research methods, such as surveys and field studies (Wahlen et al. 52). Preferably, market research should be based on empirical research methods, aiming to show the current market trends in regard to one or more critical business sectors. Capital market research is part of market research, it its broad meaning. Capital market research focuses on the review of ‘value-related information, such as share prices’ (Wahlen et al. 52). At this point it would be necessary to explain the key context of financial reporting, as a key activity in all organizations. Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford note that financial reporting is a process ‘for gathering information that will be used by investors or creditors for developing their investment or credit decisions accordingly’ (Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford 62). In general, financial reporti

Japanese Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japanese Literature - Essay Example The four main principles of Keene help us in understanding the aesthetic appeal of Japanese literature more vividly. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that is related with the appreciation of things as they affect our physical senses and especially affecting in a pleasurable way. According to the first principle of Keene, which is suggestion, the Japanese artists and writers wanted to suggest things rather than expressing it completely. The writers never expressed a climax like in Western writing but gave an appealing beginning and end tot heir work without giving a proper reasoning. For example, the literary works about love does not describe much about the meeting of a man and women but explains about the yearning and longing in the minds of lover to meet each other. In the times of Kenko, the Japanese literature applied the principles of suggestion to great length .They tried to be imaginative and expressed the beauty of nature with single strokes of paining rather than filling up the canvas with colors. A second important characteristic of Japanese aesthetics is the element of irregularity .By this it means that, one cannot find uniformity in the artistic work of Japanese works. Japanese writers and artists believed that, uniformity spoiled the uniqueness of the work and also created disinterest in the person who is enjoying the writings or artistic work. The principle of irregularity implies that making a work irregular gives much space for the reader‘s to enhance their imaginative power .The incompleteness element of the literary works prompted the readers to long for completeness and for this they use their creative and imaginative power to a great extend. â€Å"The Japanese have been partial not only to incompleteness but to another variety of irregularity also called asymmetry. This is one respect in which they differ conspicuously from the Chinese and other peoples of Asia†(Keene,10). Simplicity is another principle of Keene which was highly reflected in the earlier works of Japanese literature. The poets and writers of ancient Japan believed in the simple beauty of nature which his subtle and serene. One of the poem which exemplifies the principle of Simplicity is the furu ike ya(the ancient Pond) kawazu tobikomu (A frog leaps in) mizu no oto (The sound of the water). Here the poet describe about the eternity of the pond as well as the sound which is created by frog as it jumps in water. This is such a simplified form of expressing the subtle beauty of nature which normal men forget to notice or perceive.Kenko is one writer who insisted on the element of simplicity and he claims that only wise men can be simple in his thoughts, expression and lifestyle. One another concept of simplicity in Japanese culture is the tea ceremony which is artistically carried out by Japanese since ages. Kenko believed that simplicity is sometimes more expensive than ornateness and is a luxury concealed in luxury. Last but not he lea st is the principle of perishability , where in the Japanese artists and writes saw the sadness evolved around the destructive aspect of nature. Persihability is that truth of life which

Visual Analysis of Painting II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Analysis of Painting II - Essay Example The first impression created by the painting is of an expansive, deep-red sunset above a stormy ocean, which indicates an approaching typhoon. On closer inspection, one can notice a ship sailing off in the far distance. The masts seen on the ship are crimson-red which matches the blood-red color seen in the sky, as well as the sickly copper hue of the ocean that blurs the lines between a number of objects seen in the painting. The sails of the ship have not been unfurled. This indicates that the ship is bracing for an impending typhoon. In the foreground of the painting, there are a number of floating bodies. It is worth noting that their chained feet and hands as well as their dark bodies show that they are slaves who have been tossed overboard from the ship in the far middle-ground. An even more careful look indicates that there are sea monsters and fish circling in the water, probably in the process of attacking the drowning slaves, and there are also sea gulls which are circling above the chaos. The central focus of this painting has been placed on the interactions of a number of colors. Some defined brush strokes are clear in the painting hence the figures, colors and objects are indistinct. To a certain extent, objects have been outlined by their distinctive colors in the artwork. There are some objects such as the incoming storm and the bodies of the slaves which have no genuine border at all. They have been specifically defined by the contrasting pigments around them. The most visible colors are the maroon color.

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of Literature review

In the context of capital market research what is the importance of published financial information and the information content - Literature review Example Moreover, it has been proved that financial information and information content of earnings have the power to affect the investors’ decision making process. The interaction between the overall model of investor’s decision making and the published financial information, as well as the information content of earnings, is critically discussed in this paper. The justification of the above model in the context of the current financial crisis is evaluated. In order to secure that all the issues discussed above are covered, the paper has been divided into several sections, highlighting the various aspects of this paper’s subject. Apart from the introduction section, where the overall scope of the paper is presented, of particular importance are the literature and the Discussion sections. In the literature review section the following issues are addressed: the key characteristics of market research and its value on financial reporting, the published financial information and the information content of earnings as factors influencing investors’ decision making and potential use of the model of investors’ decision making within modern market which is under the continuous pressures of global financial crisis. The value of the literature findings in the context of the present crisis are further analyzed in the Analysis and Discussion section, so that valid assumptions are developed in regard to the study’s key subject. In the last section of the paper, Conclusion and recommendations, the key findings of the research developed for the issues addressed in this paper are summarized and recommendations are made, as appropriate, so that future failures are avoided. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Market research – characteristics and relation with financial reporting Market research is employed in a variety of business activities. For example, when having to decide in regard to the entrance of the business in a new market or in regard t o the development of a new product/ service market research is used for gathering information related to the host market or the consumer preferences as related to the new product/ service (Wahlen et al. 52). In regard to financial reporting and investment decision making, market research has a similar role. It helps to gather information required in developing a firm’s financial statements so that the position of the firm and its competitiveness is made clear (Wahlen et al. 52). Market research can be developed through a high range of research methods, such as surveys and field studies (Wahlen et al. 52). Preferably, market research should be based on empirical research methods, aiming to show the current market trends in regard to one or more critical business sectors. Capital market research is part of market research, it its broad meaning. Capital market research focuses on the review of ‘value-related information, such as share prices’ (Wahlen et al. 52). At this point it would be necessary to explain the key context of financial reporting, as a key activity in all organizations. Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford note that financial reporting is a process ‘for gathering information that will be used by investors or creditors for developing their investment or credit decisions accordingly’ (Carmichael, Whittington and Lynford 62). In general, financial reporti

Visual Analysis of Painting II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visual Analysis of Painting II - Essay Example The first impression created by the painting is of an expansive, deep-red sunset above a stormy ocean, which indicates an approaching typhoon. On closer inspection, one can notice a ship sailing off in the far distance. The masts seen on the ship are crimson-red which matches the blood-red color seen in the sky, as well as the sickly copper hue of the ocean that blurs the lines between a number of objects seen in the painting. The sails of the ship have not been unfurled. This indicates that the ship is bracing for an impending typhoon. In the foreground of the painting, there are a number of floating bodies. It is worth noting that their chained feet and hands as well as their dark bodies show that they are slaves who have been tossed overboard from the ship in the far middle-ground. An even more careful look indicates that there are sea monsters and fish circling in the water, probably in the process of attacking the drowning slaves, and there are also sea gulls which are circling above the chaos. The central focus of this painting has been placed on the interactions of a number of colors. Some defined brush strokes are clear in the painting hence the figures, colors and objects are indistinct. To a certain extent, objects have been outlined by their distinctive colors in the artwork. There are some objects such as the incoming storm and the bodies of the slaves which have no genuine border at all. They have been specifically defined by the contrasting pigments around them. The most visible colors are the maroon color.