The Princess Bride Essay -- essays research papers

In the film, 'The Princess Bride,'; directed by Rob Reiner, Cary Elwes plays a farmboy known as Westley during the Middle Ages. Westley falls in love with Buttercup, played by Robin Wright, who lives upon the land where he works. Buttercup also falls in love with Westley, so he sets out to find his fortune so they can be married. A short time later, Buttercup learns that Westley has been killed by pirates. The Prince of the land chooses Buttercup to be his bride, regardless to her feelings. Before the marriage takes place, Buttercup is kidnapped. Westley, disguised as a pirate in black, sees the kidnapping occur and chases after Buttercup. He catches up and defeats all three of the kidnappers using his strength, skill, and smarts. Buttercup learns of his true identity and together they escape from the evil prince. Westley is an intelligent man who makes good choices. He is a hero in many aspects. Buttercup, on the other hand, made some poor choices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Westley was intelligent. He displayed this characteristic when he poisoned the cups of wine. He poisoned both cups to guarantee that Vizzini, played by Wallace Shawn, one of the kidnappers of Buttercup, died. The intelligence was in the preparation. Westley had built up immunity to the poison before so that the small amount didn't affect him when he drank it, but affected Vizzini.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Westley also showed intelligence when he couldn't move, but made Prince Humperdink beli...

Comparison of American Education and Asian Eduction

Joshua R Coleman Mrs. Kumler English 10 4-26-12 Comparison of American Education and Asian Education For many years, the United States has prided itself in producing the most intelligent people in the world. Much of the U. S. ’s advances have been through the contributions of many brilliant scientists, doctors and other professionals. However, recent studies have shown that America is losing this advantage to many Asian countries including Japan and South Korea. American education has fallen short of the education found in the countries of Asia due to the lack of the competitive culture in America.To show the competitiveness of a nation one can look at a country’s population, average wages, and the amount of time spent in school. When compared to countries such as Japan and South Korea, the U. S. has a much higher population. However, it is not the total population that would make a nation competitive, but the amount of people living in a certain area. According to the National Census of 2011, there are over 300 million people in the United States living in the 3,537,422 sq. iles of the country (â€Å"Profile†). According to the U. S. Department of State, country of South Korea has a population of 48,754,657 people in its 38,023 sq. mi. To put the population of South Korea in comparison to the U. S. , imagine about one sixth of America’s population in side of the state of Indiana. The population of Japan consists of about 126,457,664 people living inside of its 145,902 sq. mi. The population density of Japan is about half of the United States’ population inside of the state of California.The population density shows how many people are competing with each other for jobs and college acceptance. Since America has such a large amount of territory, the people are not as threatened with each other, thus lowering its competition levels. Americans were once thought of having the richest population in the world. In 2010 National Wage Index, the average wage was $41,673. 83. This beats the average wage in South Korea, which is the equivalent of $33,000 U. S. dollars, yet loses to the citizens of Japan, who make the equivalent of $46,800 U.S. dollars (â€Å"2012 Average Salary Survey†). The wages help us determine whether the average man has a well paying job, for him to get a well paying job, he would probably need a good education. The amount of time spent in the classroom also may improve the superiority of the students it produces. The average American student goes to school for 6. 5 hours a day, 180 days a year (O’Mara). In South Korea, the required amount of time for children to attend school is 220 days (Pellissier). In Japan a total of 240 days is required.Students must also pass an entry exam to get into high school, thereby increasing the level of competition even higher (â€Å"Daily Life†). The longer school year and the entry exams force a student to become more focused and competi tive. South Korea, Japan, and the U. S. A. are part of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), which â€Å"evaluate[s] education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in participating countries/economies (PISA). † After the 2009 test scores were published, the U.S. fell below the average in the math section but remained only slightly above average in the reading portion of the test. Japan placed fourth in the mathematics section, and fifth in the reading section. South Korea, however, was the country that had the highest scoring in both mathematics and reading, ranking at the top of the list. These tests are proof that America is not producing the level of high scoring students as Asian Countries. This is yet another example of how a competitive culture can effect and improve an education system.From what the information suggests, the educational systems in Asian countries far exceed that of America. The level of comp etition in these countries plays a major factor in their success and will continue to allow only the best and brightest students to be selected in universities and jobs. If America is to retain her status as the world’s leading producer of brilliant minds, then it must somehow improve its educational systems in order to match not just the competition within her own borders, but across the globe.

Attitude Towards Women Fathers and Sons Essay

To analyze the attitudes towards the women question and the most useful starting point would be to look at the representation of the liberated woman, Yevdoxia Kukshina, which can be contrasted with the representation of Bazarov’s mother or Nikolai Kirsanov’s wife, the women ideals of the older generation. Kukshina is clearly meant to the representative of the radicalism of the 1850s to1860s, â€Å"the progressive, advanced or educated woman : nigilistka or nihilist woman† (Richard Stites). She has ‘vowed to defend the rights of women to the last drop of my blood’ and is scornful of Sand ‘an out of date woman’. She has separated from her husband and plans to go abroad to study in Paris and Heildelberg. She thus, personifies the emergence of new objectives and tactics among the Russian emancipees of the early 1860s. However, it is also quite obvious that while much has been written about Turgenev’s attitude towards his nihilist hero, there is no doubt that the female nihilist Kukshina is an unflattering caricature and as Walter Smyrniw quotes â€Å"Turgenev has deliberately portrayed Kukshina as a ludicrous and repulsive emancipee.† Walter goes on to argue that in his portrayal of Kukshina, Turgenev lampooned only certain undesirable tendencies generated by Russian emancipees. The worst among them was a lack of genuine involvement, an inadequate commitment to the movement itself. Some merely assumed the roles of the emancipated women and hence their behaviour was both contrived and unnatural. Although many critics have argued along the same lines of Turgenev’s portrayal of Kukshina as a device for irony â€Å"the progressive louse which Turgenev combed out of Russian reality† (Dostoevsky) and that he has assumed the same sentiment in respect to Russian men who merely assumed the pose of materialists and nihilists (eg. Sitnikov), it is hard to escape that in the description of her person and household we find some of the stereotyping of radical women found in most conservative writing. He did not hesitate in expressing value judgments when ridiculing the pretentiousness and hypocrisy of Russian women who merely played the role of emancipees. She is dirty and slovenly in her habits and person, her room is scattered and dusty, her hair disheveled and her dress crumpled. Moreover, her conversation and behaviour is meant to ‘show’ us that her radicalism is shallow and unaffected. The narrator ‘tells’ us that she greets her guests with a string of questions without waiting for answers. It is important to notice here the narrator’s generalization here, which would seem to impute lack of serious concern (feminine casualness) to all women as part of their feminine nature and not to Kukshina as an individual. The narrator draws repeated attention to Kukshina’s unattractive physical appearance almost as if that were partly her fault. Kukshina is unfortunate enough to show her gums above her top teeth when she laughs and her piano playing revels her flat-cut fingernails. However, what is most significant in terms of the dominant patriarchal ideology of the mid-nineteenth century Russia is her declaration, â€Å"I’m free, I have no children.† From a conservative perspective, this would count as near sacrilegious statement. Though Bazarov himself is a serious character, it’s possible to read Sitnikov as a parody of the younger generation. At Madame Kukshin’s, the narrator tells us â€Å"To Sitnikov the chance to be scathing and express contempt was the most agreeable of sensations† (13.44).

Pippa Norris and Ronald Ingeharts Cosmopolitan Comunication

Pippa Norris and Ronald Ingeharts Cosmopolitan Comunication How morality function affects cosmopolitan communications The firewall model as postulated by Norris and Inglehart holds that news media impacts on societal values and as such, they can actually initiate value change. Norris and Ingehart have noted that although such a scenario may not occur frequently, nonetheless, there is the risk that it can be mediated by societal factors, in which case individual countries can be affected by the flow of cosmopolitan communication.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Pippa Norris and Ronald Ingehart’s â€Å"Cosmopolitan Comunication† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, in Chapter 3 of their book, Norris and Ingehart show how the flow of information moves from the global north (especially Germany, the US, the UK, Canada, and France) to the other global countries (Norris and Inglehart 8). Many of these other global countries lack the necessary media freedo m and do not easily access foreign news. In addition, they cannot also easily access foreign communication infrastructures. According to Norris and Inglehart, such a setting acts as a firewall that shields media influences from the society. What the authors intend to demonstrate is that cultural products, communication and information do not just flow freely, and that their flow could be hindered by ‘firewalls’ or social barriers (specifically isolation, poverty, traditional local socialization processes, and press restrictions). Many behavioural practices and social values are learned from the ideas and images conveyed by glossy magazines, television entertainment, music videos, internet websites, feature films, consumer advertising, and news reports. As such, the media is regarded as one of the most important tools for socialization. Therefore, the media can influence the attitudes and moral standards of the society. Although Norris and Ingehart do not object to the c laim that the media does exist, nonetheless, its activities are limited by firewalls (15). Due to the existence of various firewalls, the mass media is not in a position to penetrate parochial societies and as a result, it is cannot influence them. What should be done by politicians about cosmopolitan, what cultural policies should be developed, according to Norris and Inglehart? Owing to the rapid expansion of global communication, indigenous cultures are at a greater risk of being exposed to a sudden flow of advertising, corporate capitalism, communication, and explicit sexuality and graphical violence on television.Advertising Looking for assessment on communication strategies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This implies that globalization is a threat to cultural diversity and unless something is done very fast, we are likely to witness the loss of cultural diversity in certain sections of the society. Towards th is end, our politicians have an important role to play given that they are the ones charged with the responsibility of implementing policies. Norris and Inglehart contend that national diversity is faced with the threat of the globalized news media. As such, our politician should be in a position to propose policies for adoption by member countries in order to ensure that they retain their cultural diversity. In addition, there is need to also develop certain cultural policies that can restrict access to phonographic sites for purposes of retaining cultural identity. We need to encourage the idea of cultural fusion so as to enhance a balanced power dynamic (Norris and Inglehart 19). This way, it becomes easier and faster for members of a society to communicate with each other and in the process, they can help one another in the generation of a global mix that blends programs, connections, and genres derived from various places and times. Norris, Pippa and Ingehart, Ronald. Cosmopol itan Communications: Cultural Diversity in  a Globalized World. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print.

buy custom The Renaissance Humanism essay

buy custom The Renaissance Humanism essay This research paper studies the basics of humanities; how and when did humanism began? It further studies Renaissance Humanism during fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the literary work during that time. It further studies the cultural and philosophical movement which swept across Europe during that time which led to the modern era, ending the era of middle ages is known as Renaissance Humanism. For my study, I referred to Krayes book Renaissance Humanism which was first published in 1996 and discusses the origin of Renaissance Humanism in Europe, especially the Italian humanists contribution in translating the ancient Roman and Greek work related to art and literature of ancient times. Kreis article on Renaissance Humanism also helped me clarifying key points of humanism, their philosophy and school of thought and how did they worked their way up so that their views are known and widely accepted by the society. During 1400 A.D. to 1650 A.D. the secularism philosophy stimulated with the era when people and nations began favoring the pagan traditions again and were diverted to gain respect and worldly pleasures. This periods intellectual and literary currents and their social philosophy which is considered to be the most predominant, is referred to as Humanism (Kreis, 2000). The cultural and philosophical movement swept across Europe during fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth century which lead to the modern era, ending the era of middle ages is known as Renaissance Humanism (Kraye, 1996). Due to the emergent secular view of life it resulted in zeal for the tradition; growth of luxury and prosperity, trade expansion, and growing social contacts attracted more interest in the pleasures of the world although they had formal adherence to Christianity. Therefore, humanists gave birth to classical writers who revealed the attitude of secular system and similar kind of social values (Kreis, 2000). Amongst the common outline of those scholarly interests and their mental attitudes gathered under the rubric humanism, historians agreed that the humanists mentality stand between the contemporary scientific and their critical attitude, and medieval supernaturalism. According to Medievalist, Humanism is the fatal product of the middle ages (Kreis, 2000). Modern historians view humanism as the germinal period of modernism, therefore, it is assumed that the Renaissance man lived between medieval Christian matrix and scientific concepts. Therefore the man of the Renaissance is suspended from both, reasons and faith, because he does not believe in homogeneous point of view which determined the significance of each phenomenon, and he is yet to find security for his life, social principle stability and system of scientific concets (Kreis, 2000). The main focus of humanism is the rights of human beings, that is, they should be praised for the work they have done and their achievements. Humanists, therefore, produced literary work on ancient methodologies and their arts so that they can be remembered for their great work during that time (Kraye, 1996). The Renaissance Humanism was first introduced in Italy due to its connections with ancient Rome which is known for its artistic work and culture. Italians believed that they are the descendents of Romans therefore they felt the need to study the culture of their forefathers and their ancestors (Kraye, 1996). Until sixteenth century, there were no political thinkers produced due to the humanists movement because the Renaissance humanists were not engaged with politics till then. They were keen to accept professions in which they became bureaucrats, diplomats, teachers, courtiers etc. It was because most of the ancient literature was lost or was written in Greek which they require translating so that it can be reproduced and brought forward to be recognized by the worldly nations (Kraye, 1996). The Renaissance Humanism was first introduced in Italy due to its connections with ancient Rome which is known for its artistic work and culture. Italians believed that they are the descendents of Romans therefore they felt the need to study the culture of their forefathers and their ancestors (Kraye, 1996). The literary work they produced at that time on politics was not intended for focused audiences. They were more interested in producing literary work on ancient traditions of moral-rhetorical through which they desire to reform individuals, such as aristocrats, merchants and professional, and their society (Kraye, 1996). During fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, humanists changed the intellectual world which helped them to bring reforms in political science. Although, humanists were unable to produce any high ranked political thinkers as yet but during sixteenth century they produced two high ranked politicians in Europe named Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas More whose literary work and writings exposed the tensions of contemporary political view and characteristics dilemmas (Kraye, 1996). There were two views and types of reformers. One believed that by reforming individuals they will be able to reform their institutions and the others believed that by reforming their institutions they will be able to reform the individual values. Many humanists began taking part in political affairs so that they may serve both purposes i.e. to reform individuals by reforming institutions and to reform institutions by reforming individual values (Kraye, 1996). Renaissance was the age of oligarchs and tyrants; it was the time when rulers had questionable titles which were illegitimate. Therefore, the humanists efforts were devoted to reforming individuals during fourteenth and fifteenth century so that they can later reform their institutions (Kraye, 1996). The cultural and philosophical movement swept across Europe during fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth century which lead to the modern era, ending the era of middle ages is known as Renaissance Humanism (Kraye, 1996). The main focus of humanism is the rights of human beings, that is, they should be praised for the work they have done and their achievements. Humanists, therefore, produced literary work on ancient methodologies and their arts so that they can be remembered for their great work during that time (Kraye, 1996). The Renaissance Humanism was first introduced in Italy due to its connections with ancient Rome which is known for its artistic work and culture. Italians believed that they are the descendents of Romans therefore they felt the need to study the culture of their forefathers and their ancestors (Kraye, 1996). Humanists first became bureaucrats, diplomats, teachers, courtiers etc., and produced literary work to influence individuals behavior, their perception and views so that they may change the system to reward those who take active part in building a society (Kraye, 1996). Most humanists were the believers of paganism while there were few others who did not believed in any god as they argue that religion is far from any social affairs. Amongst the common outline of those scholarly interests and their mental attitudes gathered under the rubric humanism, historians agreed that the humanists mentality stand between the contemporary scientific and their critical attitude, and medieval supernaturalism. According to Medievalist, Humanism is the fatal product of the middle ages (Kraye, 1996). Modern historians view humanism as the germinal period of modernism, therefore, it is assumed that the Renaissance man lived between medieval Christian matrix and scientific concepts. Therefore the man of the Renaissance is suspended from both, reasons and faith, because he does not believe in homogeneous point of view which determined the significance of each phenomenon, and he is yet to find security for his life, social principle stability and system of scientific concepts (Kraye, 1996). Until sixteenth century renaissance humanists were not associated with politics though they did produce some literary work but it was not intended for the focused group. However, these and other literary work changed the intellectual communitys perception and in sixteenth century two high ranked humanist politicians made valuable contributions to the humanists view of political sciences (Kraye, 1996). Buy custom The Renaissance Humanism essay

12 diferencias entre ciudadanos y residentes permanentes legales

12 diferencias entre ciudadanos y residentes permanentes legales Las diferencias en derechos entre un ciudadano americano y un residente permanente legal son numerosas y de gran importancia. Es fundamental saber las diferencias porque aunque la tarjeta de residencia, tambià ©n conocida como green card, permite que un extranjero viva y trabaje legalmente en Estados Unidos, pero no le da los derechos que sà ³lo pueden tener los estadounidenses. En este artà ­culo adems de seà ±alar cules son las 12 diferencias fundamentales se recuerdan dos obligaciones comunes y se seà ±ala cul es el camino a seguir para pasar de ser residente permanente legal a ciudadano de los Estados Unidos. 12  ejemplos de derechos que sà ³lo tienen los ciudadanos estadounidenses 1. Votar, previa registracià ³n, en elecciones nacionales para elegir presidente de los Estados Unidos, senadores y congresistas. Este derecho se mantiene en la mayorà ­a de los casos aà ºn cuando el ciudadano reside habitualmente en otro paà ­s. Es decir, los expatriados pueden votar. 2. Acceder a ciertos empleos limitados a ciudadanos. Estas son las 50 profesiones con ms demanda en el gobierno federal, con sus salarios y nivel de educacià ³n que se pide. Incluso hay que tener en cuenta que ciertos empleos que requieren previa autorizacià ³n por motivos de seguridad (clearance) pueden estar vetados a ciudadanos americanos con doble nacionalidad. 3. Ser elegido representante de los ciudadanos. 4. Actuar como jurado en juicios civiles o penales. 5. Poder solicitar la residencia permanente para familiares  en ms casos y ms rpidamente que los que son solamente titulares de una tarjeta de residencia. Pero recordar que para solicitar los papeles para padres o hermanos los ciudadanos deben de haber cumplido los 21 aà ±os de edad. 6. Poder vivir en el extranjero sin là ­mite de tiempo. Sin embargo, los residentes sà ­ tienen que tener cuidado con el tiempo que pasan fuera de Estados Unidos, ya que pueden quedarse sin la residencia. 7. Si cometen crà ­menes o faltas, los ciudadanos son responsables penalmente y/o civilmente, pero no pierden derecho a vivir en EEUU. Por el contrario, los residentes pueden ser deportados. 8. Adems, a diferencia de lo que ocurre con la green card la ciudadanà ­a no se tiene que renovar, es para toda la vida. Sà ³lo se pierde en casos extremos o por actos voluntarios expresos. Esta es una lista de famosos estadounidenses que renunciaron a su nacionalidad por causas muy diversas, aunque en la mayorà ­a de los casos fue para no pagar impuestos. 9. Los ciudadanos pueden tener una doble nacionalidad. Ya que EU no exige a los ciudadanos que se naturalizan que renuncien a su ciudadanà ­a original. Sin embargo, el paà ­s de origen sà ­ que puede exigir que sus ciudadanos que renuncien a su nacià ³n de nacimiento al jurar lealtad a los Estados Unidos. 10. Sà ³lo los ciudadanos  pueden pedir una visa para sus prometidos extranjeros. La finalidad tiene que ser casarse en los Estados Unidos.  Adems, los familiares inmediatos de ciudadanos, como son su cà ³nyuge, hijos solteros menores de 21 aà ±os y los padres, gozan de ciertos beneficios migratorios, como la posibilidad de ajustar su estatus en ms casos, etc. 11. Son estadounidenses y tienen derecho al pasaporte americano los hijos de ciudadanos nacidos en el exterior, salvo con ciertas limitaciones. Y eso es porque pueden transmitir su ciudadanà ­a a sus hijos sin importar su lugar de nacimiento. Es lo que se conoce como derecho de sangre. 12. Otra importante diferencia entre los ciudadanos y los residentes permanentes es que ciertos beneficios sociales como los cupones de alimentos y Medicaid aplican de manera distinta a residentes y ciudadanos. Obligaciones comunes a ciudadanos y residentes Aunque el estatus de ciudadano y de residente es distinto, existen obligaciones comunes a ambos. Por ejemplo, la de registrarse para el Servicio Selectivo  o la de pagar impuestos. Naturalizarse para obtener la ciudadanà ­a americana Los residentes permanentes pueden solicitar naturalizarse  cuando cumplen el  tiempo de espera de los residentes para aplicar por la ciudadanà ­a americana  que varà ­a dependiendo del caso. Si lo que da miedo es el examen de inglà ©s y conocimientos cà ­vicos hay que saber que en algunos casos es posible rendir el examen en espaà ±ol. Asimismo, algunos discapacitados podrà ­an no tener que rendirlo. Tambià ©n es posible preparar el examen en las clases gratuitas para la ciudadanà ­a que brindan numerosas organizaciones en todo el paà ­s o tomar este quiz o test de respuestas mà ºltiples para saber  si aprobarà ­as el examen de naturalizacià ³n  sobre conocimientos cà ­vicos.   Actualmente, el proceso de naturalizacià ³n dura un promedio de cinco a seis meses y debe iniciarse rellenando correctamente el formulario N-400.

The requisite behavior from diverse English proficiency levels Assignment

The requisite behavior from diverse English proficiency levels - Assignment Example The project main entailed an assessment of intra-language and inter-language inconsistency concerning the realization patterns of requests. The basic issues of the research of speech acts pertain to universality, which entails the determination of the degree of fundamental pragmatic types for particular acts anticipates to be dominant. Moreover, a suitable analytical framework for the assessment of speech acts advanced for this research is mainly based on a succession of a working hypothesis concerning constitutions of students for widespread features of requests.  The project main entailed an assessment of intra-language and inter-language inconsistency. The basic issues of the research of speech acts pertain to universality, which entails the determination of the degree of fundamental pragmatic types for particular acts anticipates to be dominant within any natural language. Suitable analytical framework for the assessment of speech acts advanced for this research is mainly based on a succession of a working hypothesis concerning constitutions of students for widespread features of requests.  Requests had three hypotheses concerning widespread characteristics namely requesting behavior is able to differentiate among fundamental phenomena encompassing kind of strategy as diverse from interior and external adjustment, requesting behavior is essentially based on selections from variability of alternatives stretching from direct to indirect issues, and the underlying scale of indirectness entails a minimum of three major types of alternatives.