Romanticism in Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Romanticism in Frankenstein Essay Romanticism was an intellectual movement that took hold in Europe during the late 18th century. Romanticism was born out of a direct opposition to Enlightenment views that emphasized reason, science and knowledge. The Enlightenment had evolved as a response to oppression by the church. During the Enlightenment Europeans began to question the laws of the church and state that were deemed biased and unfair. As a result to this oppression Europeans began to seek out knowledge and the philosophers of the time were seen as political thinkers and leaders. In contrast, Romanticism was a movement that opposed political norms that were the foundation of Enlightenment thinking. Romanticism placed emphasis on feelings, love, individuality and imagination to name a few. Romanticism touched all facets of art, literature and music during the late 1800s. Many writers during this time produced works that help to define the era of Romanticism by creating characters that were individualists with a keen sense of â€Å"self-definition and self-awareness† (Brians). Mary Shelley is considered one of the great novelists of the Romantic period even though she is only credited with writing one novel that falls within the Romantic genre. Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus, in 1818 as part of a writing competition held by Lord Byron in Geneva. It was originally published under an anonymous author and Shelley’s name did not appear on the novel until a second edition was released in 1823. Frankenstein was Shelley’s most famous work and it is said that the idea for the novel came to Shelley in a dream. In her dream Shelley observes a scientist piecing together parts of mans body, only to be horrified in the end by the unnaturalness of his creation. Frankenstein is considered the first work of science fiction and also a novel that contains ideas central to the Romanticist and Gothic movements (www.egs.edu). In Frankenstein, the main protagonist Victor Frankenstein is the embodiment of Shelley’s romanticist ideals. Victor’s ambition is to create a living, breathing being out of the innate materials in his laboratory. Victor reiterates his relenting passion for creating an artificial being by stating that no single person can â€Å"conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane.† This statement shows that Victor wants to surpass his human limitations to create a new life form. Victor Frankenstein is considered a romantic character because he embodies the Romantic ideals of imagination and innovation. He is a dreamer, who is obsessed with impossible standards and ideals. In this sense, he embodies Romantic traits of unrelenting ambition and is therefore seen as one of the great Romantic characters. Ironically, in Victor’s passionate pursuit of perfection he creates a monster that is the embodiment of imperfection (Shelley). Other examples of Romantic themes in the novel appear when Shelley incorporates vivid descriptions of nature. Throughout the novel, Shelley uses lyrical language to describe the awesomeness of nature which is the backdrop of the story. Shelley’s characters recount their inner feelings and these inner feelings often mimic the state of nature around them. For example, the barren and icy descriptions of the land in which Walton forges into and where the monster ultimately retreats to emphasize the experiences of the monster who fights against the isolation he feels as a result of his monstrous form. The barren landscape can also mirror the isolation that Walton must have felt when he foolishly travels into this cold and foreboding land in the book’s opening scenes. Another example of nature mimicking feelings is the scene in which Victor awakes with much regret after creating his monster. He reflects that the morning is â€Å"dismal and wet† and he fears encountering the creature around every bend. Shelley keeps this common theme throughout the novel so that when the protagonist is scared or upset the weather conditions parallel what Victor is feeling or thinking (Shelley). With emphasis on nature and unrelenting passion, among many other Romantic themes in the novel, Mary Shelley allows her characters to express their deepest desires, even if those desires are seen as unattainable to the reader. These elements of descriptive nature, along with a myriad of emotions that are expressed by the characters help to solidify Frankenstein as one of the great Romantic novels of its time. Works Cited Brians, Paul. Romanticism. Romanticism. Washington State University, 11 Mar. 1998. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. Mary Shelley Biography. Mary Shelley. The European Graduate School, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2013 Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print

Current health and safety legislation Essay Example for Free

Current health and safety legislation Essay Ensure the area in or outdoors is free of any hazards or risks and is safe for CYP to work or play in safely. There should be adequate space for the number of people using it to move round comfortably and safely. Equipment should be stored safely storage should be labelled clearly. Furniture should be appropriate size for age of CYP using it. Lighting and noise should be taken into account and specific risks to individuals as in pregnancy, impaired sight or hearing, disabled, and CYP with special educational needs. We have a duty of care towards all the CYP in our care. The outdoor environment has some different needs like secure boundaries, being regularly inspected. The area should be checked for litter broken glass or animal droppings. Ensure any plants bushes or trees are safe no thorns or nettles and no poisonous or irritant leaves, berries, or flowers. Safety rules should be displayed and explained to the CYP also making sure they have a clear understanding of how to use any toys or equipment safely. Areas that include ponds, pools and sandpits etc should be covered when not in use. Be aware of lines of responsibility for checking the learning environment for risks and hazards. Your health and safety officer should answer any queries you have. There should be the correct ratio of adults to children with suitable training and safety clearance. In both these environments and off-site visits everyone should be aware of what to do in case of: emergencies, fire alarms, incidents, accidents or illness. Be aware of possible signs and indicators of child abuse: physical, emotional, sexual abuse, bullying and harassment , neglect and failure to thrive not based on illness. The signs could be: behavioural changes such as regression, withdrawal, excessive attention seeking, aggression and negative behaviour. Physical indicators such as unlikely bruising, burns, marks, genital irritation or damage, hunger , being dirty, lack of  health care. In school we have notices about certain children whom either have allergies, specific illnesses that require specialised medication or immediate contacting of emergency services, they have a picture of the child and detailed instructions of what to do in an emergency. All incidents and accidents no matter how minor are recorded in detail in our first aid book, anything more serious has to be recorded on special incident sheets along with any witness statements. We have regular fire drill practices. There are security locks on the main exits that can only be opened with a swipe card that only members of staff have. If someone should get through this system and are unknown to staff they will be challenged by any member of staff within the school and asked to leave. All the CYP’s are regularly reminded of stranger danger and what to do if they should be approached by a stranger. The gates are locked to the entrance of the school at starting and leaving times for the CYP’s to ensure there is no danger from cars or lorries driving on and off site. CYP are regularly reminded of hygiene issues like washing hands after using the toilet or at lunch times before eating their food, there are also posters to remind them on a daily basis too.

The Work Of Stephen Sondheim Music Essay

The Work Of Stephen Sondheim Music Essay Born in New York in 1930, Stephen Sondheim is widely acknowledge as the most innovative and influential Broadway composer of the last fifty years. However, despite having some sixteen projects under his belt (not counting the numerous musical anthologies, revues or movie scores), Sondheims work still divides the critics; whilst some embrace his innovation, others lament over the loss of a more traditional form and lack of hummable melodies. Many seem to deem his work as clever and intelligent but missing the warmth that was generally considered the mark of a hit Broadway show. Yet despite not always meeting with landslide approval for his work, Sondheim has collected more than sixty individual or collaborative Tony Awards; most notably he has received the award for best Score/Music/Lyrics for Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods and Passion, all of which won the New York Drama Circle Award for Outstanding/Best Musical as did Pacific Overtures and Sunday In The Park With George. Company Sondheims first collaboration with writer George Furth, marked his first major hit in 1970. Furth had come to Sondheim in early 1969 with a series of one-act plays he had written. Sondheim passed them on to now legendary producer Harold Prince who suggested the two should work together to transform the plays into a musical, promising to stage it once it was completed. The piece shook Broadway from the fantasy happy ending story it had come to expect and brought about a more provocative musical comedy. As Sondheim stated, Company does deal with upper middle-class people with upper middle-class problems. Broadway theatre has been for many years supported by these people. They really want to escape and were saying well bring it right back in their facesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦what they come to a musical to avoid, they suddenly find facing them on stage. This hard-edged, unromantic depiction of romantic relationships was revolutionary for the Broadway stage and managed to both humour and challenge audiences with its unsettling view of relationships. Some found fault with what they saw as an anti-marriage show that didnt stand up against the classic Broadway themes, however, mostly the show met with the kinds of intelligent accolades reserved for something new and exciting. After its opening, observers noted that the shows protagonist, Robert, showed a similarity to Sondheim own character a middle-class, single, professional, living in New York, commenting on the life of the other young professional couples around him. Sondheim has always denied that any of his work is autobiographical, but his next collaboration with George Furth in 1981, once again seemed very familiar territory for both writer and composer. As far as the new era of Broadway composers goes, Jason Robert Brown has been hailed by some as The next Stephen Sondheim. Brown, also Jewish and born and raised in New York, began his career as an arranger, conductor and pianist. His first major production came in 1995 with Songs For A New World, an off-Broadway revue directed by Daisy Prince, daughter of Hal Prince who later hired Brown to write the songs for the musical Parade after Sondheim turned down the show. The musical tells the controversial true story of the trail and hanging of Leo Frank, who was wrongly accused of the rape and murder of a young factory girl in early 20th century Georgia. The show dealt with the anti-Semitic tensions in the southern states at the time and did not shy away from the conclusion that the likely killer was the African-American factory worker, Jim Conley. . Browns score is full of riches, mixing period American styles with strong melodies, intricate counterpoint, selective dissonances, and natural lyrics which give their characters true, expressive voices. Despite the cool reception of the show by the critics and the feeling that the show took too many liberties in the use of racial slurs, Browns score was highly praised and he later won the Tony award in 1999 for Best Original Musical Score. The attention received by Brown marked him out as the hottest up and coming talent. He returned to work with Daisy Prince on his next piece, The Last Five Years for which he wrote both the book and the score. Literature It is strange that despite the wealth of artistry and innovation which musical theatre has produced throughout the 20th century, it has never really being given its rightful place amongst academia, always being seen as a more low brow art form than that of serious plays or music. It seems that if the likes of Sondheim and Jason Robert Brown were to work in the medium of non-musical drama, or doubled in the field of serious musical composition like Gershwin or Bernstein, perhaps their work might be viewed in more of our universities. Why must important pieces of musical theatre be limited to the destiny of popular artists, however richly deserving of serious attention on its own merits? That is not to say that there has not been much analysis and writing on musical theatre or Sondheim in particular; Martin and Gottfried and Meryl Secrest both present biographies of Sondheims career, life and works in sharp detail providing an in depth look at past and present influences which have shaped his artistic development throughout the years. Sondheim On Music by Mark Eden Horowitz focuses on three main areas: Firstly his interviews with Sondheim, particularly focusing on five of his main works (Passion, Assassins, Into The Woods, Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures). The second part is entitled songs I wish Id written (at least in part) providing a look at some of Sondheims major influences from a list compiled for his 70th birthday celebrations at the Library of Congress. Part three supplies a list of all works, complete discography of all recordings to date and publishing information for all songs and scores up until the release of the book (2003). Joanne Gordons Art Isnt Easy The Theatre of Stephen Sondheim focuses on content and themes of Sondheims stage works, highlighting his innovative use of form and how he manages to weave the music and lyrics into the fabric of the entire piece. It is almost a guide to the appreciation of Sondheims scripts and music and would be especially useful for those staging any of Sondheims musicals and provides an excellent basis of primary research material. With little literary focus on Sondheims use of music, Stephen Banfield takes a different route, examining much of Sondheims output from a musicological perspective, undertaking practical and theoretical treatment of the music. Despite these and other writings in the last decade which are taking a more serious treatment of the works of musical theatre, there is still an elitist treatment against the reading of musical theatre within the academy. It seems to be stuck on the view that musicals remain largely unsophisticated and lacking in high serious. Unfortunately, there are times when this is true. Recently, Broadway and the West End seem to have been plagued by film adaptations, Disney rehashes and juke-box musicals which, whilst they may have been commercially successful, are tarring other more worthy writers and composers with the low-brow brush. A collection of critical essays edited and with a foreword supplied by Sandor Goodhart makes moves to further the writing and critical analysis of the works of Sondheim, again pushing for the academy to take a closer look into the world of intelligent musical theatre. Hopefully the moves towards a more intellectual appreciation of the work of Sondheim within academia will allow the same to later happen for the new class of musical theatre composers like Brown. Merrily We Roll Along Merrily We Roll Along was one of Sondheim and writer George Furths most famous flops, running for just 16 performances after it opened on Broadway in 1981. It was based on a 1930s play by George Kaufmann and Moss Hart, and follows a group of hopeful young college graduates, from 1957 to 1976. But there is a twist the plot is stage in reverse linear motion so the show begins in 1976 and gradually works backwards in time. So we watch everything knowing how it ended up, with friendships broken, idealism betrayed and marriages on the rocks. The score is full of what sound like traditional musical comedy songs hailing from 50s and 60s Broadway. While the score is very clearly Sondheim and the songs are not parodies, there does seem to be hints of several of his contemporaries; Berstein, Bacharach, Styne and Kander. It seems somewhat ironic that this traditional book-musical which contains some of Sondheims most accessible songs, has had such a troubled professional history. After the failure of the original production, Sondheim later made several major revisions for the revival of the show at the LaJolla Theatre in 1985. The reworking created a score Sondheim now calls, definitive. The show is centred on Franklin Shepard a rich, famous and influential songwriter and film producer. But how did he get to be where he is today? (Merrily We Roll Along) The years begin to roll back. First stop is Franks swanky Bel Air pad in 1976, after the premiere of his latest movie. Frank is throwing a party filled with his friends; the hangers-on, people who make things happen in show business and the movers and shapers are all there, and lavish praise on him (That Frank). At the party we also meet Franks old friend and theatre critic, Mary, who is now an alcoholic. She is sickened by the superficiality of the people Frank has chosen to associate with and by his abandonment of music the one thing he was truly good at for the world of commercial film producing. As she gets progressively more and more drunk, she begins to loudly insult everyone, and is ordered to leave. Their friendship is over. However, Frank is hurt by Marys drunken remarks because he knows they are true. He has concentrated so completely on being a success that everything he most valued at the beginning of his career has long been left behind. The evening ends traumatically with the break down of Franks unhappy marriage to his wife Gussie, a former leading actress in one of his early musicals, when she viciously attacks Meg, his mistress. The years roll back to 1973 (First Transition). Frank and his long-time lyricist collaborator and friend, Charley Kringas, are about to be interviewed in a New York TV studio. In the make-up room, Charley greets Mary (Old Friends), and tells her that Frank is now so busy making deals that he never has time to write shows with him like they had always hoped. Mary laments over their strained friendship and wishes that it could be Like It Was. On-air the TV interviewer accidentally informs Charley of Franks plans to once again put off their long awaited politically idealistic show for another project. A nervous Charley launches into a demented rampage on the way his composer has transformed himself into a corporation (Franklin Shepard Inc). As Charley swings ferociously between bitterness and self-contempt, Frank walks out. Their friendship is over. Its now 1968, and Charley and Frank are in Franks apartment on Central Park West (Second Transition). He and Charley are arguing over his decision to do a movie version of one of their shows, Musical Husbands. Frank wants to do it for the money, but Charley says that it will get in the way of writing the idealistic show theyve always wanted to create. Mary looks on, and when the argument starts getting out of control reminds them that they are all still old friends (Old Friends Part II). Broadway producer Joe Josephson and his wife Gussie arrive. She and Frank have been having a long-term affair. Joe has learnt to live with it, but Mary, hopelessly in love with Frank, finds it much harder to accept. When the others leave, Gussie startles Frank by announcing she intends to divorce Joe to be with Frank, leaving him to decide on what he wants (Growing Up). The years rewind to 1966 (Third Transition). Frank is being sued for divorce by Beth, and they wrangle over the custody of their young son in a courthouse in Lower Manhattan. Beth tells him that Not A Day Goes By when he isnt a part of her life, but she cant live with him knowing he is cheating on her with Gussie. The marriage is over. Mary and Charley and Franks other collegues rally around him telling him that the best thing to do is to move on and start again (Now You Know). Act II opens on the opening night of Frank and Charleys first Broadway show, Musical Husbands. Gussie stars in the show, and the act opens with Gussies performance of Franks and Charleys big hit song(Act Two Opening). Although not exactly the kind of show the duo had always planned, as the curtain comes down on the show, the audience applauds wildly. Broadways latest words-and-music team, Charley and Frank, have just found themselves a hit. (Its A Hit!) The years roll back further to 1962 (Fourth Transition) at a party in Gussie and Joes apartment. Gussie has thrown a soirà ©e so that Frank and Charley, who are going to write a musical for Joe to produce, can meet all the richest and most influential people in town describes as The Blob. We see early signs of Gussies romantic interest in Frank (Growing Up). Gussie invites the collaborators to perform their latest song, Good Thing Going. The guests love it. Gussie simply fawns over the number and implores them to do it again. Charley urges Frank not to. You want to know what true greatness is? Its knowing when to get off, Charley says. But Frank insists. They play the song again, but the guests quickly lose interest and resume their cocktail chatter over Franks reprise (The Blob Part II). Back to 1960, the dawn of a new decade with new hopes (Fifth Transition). Charley, Frank and Beth are young and on the outset of their careers, playing Frank and Charleys music at a small nightclub in Greenwich Village. Trying to appear bright and sophisticated, they perform a cheeky number celebrating the accession of Americas new First Family (Bobby And Jackie And Jack). Joe is in the tiny audience and hes quite impressed, as is his wife Gussie. Afterwards, Frank explains that hes marrying Beth and pledges that a day doesnt go by when shes not a part of his life (Not A Day Goes By Part II). At an adjoining table, Mary echoes the sentiment; its how shell always feel about Frank. Its 1959 (Sixth Transition) and the young Frank, Charley and Mary are busy in New York, establishing their careers (Opening Doors). The boys audition for Joe, but he wants more hummable tunes. So they decide to do their own show and end up hiring Beth as a singer. The years finally take us back to October, 1957 (Seventh Transition). Its 5:30am, and Frank, Charley and Mary are on the roof of an old apartment house waiting for the first-ever earth-orbiting satellite. Suddenly, Sputnik is there in the sky, and for the three young friends, anything is possible (Our Time). The Last Five Years Jason Robert Browns one act musical The Last Five Years premiered in Chicago and was later produced off-Broadway in 2002. The story explores the five year relationship of Jamie Wellerstein and Cathy Hyatt. Like Merrily it also makes use of reverse-linear motion, but just for one character; so Jamies story moves chronologically through their relationship, but we begin at the end of Cathys story moving chronologically backwards. Their relationship begins in their early twenties; Jamie is an up and coming novelist, Jewish and intense. Cathy is a struggling actress, catholic and insecure. Browns score is diverse and he is not afraid of writing catchy melodies with much of the material being pop-driven and wedded to intelligent lyrics that explain who these characters are. The show was met with high acclaim, with critics praising the Browns genuine, smart, humorous and moving writing . The show begins with Cathy alone in her apartment as her marriage to Jamie has ended, and he has just moved out (Still Hurting). When the song finishes, Jamie appears. It is five years earlier and he is on their first date. We learn that Jamie is Jewish and Cathy is not. Despite this, Jamie is completely smitten with his Shiska Goddess The scene then switches to Cathy sitting on a pier in Ohio with Jamie, who has come to visit her for her birthday while she does summer stock theatre (See Im Smiling). It is clear that she is not happy about spending her time away from Jamie and is enthusiastic about fixing their marriage. She becomes very angry when Jamie announces that he has to return to New York. They argue, and Cathy claims that he spends all of his time thinking only of himself, singing you and you and nothing but you. During interludes in the music, Jamie, several years earlier, talks to a literary agent about the book he has just written. His future looks promising. The play moves away from their argument, and Jamie tells a friend that he is moving in with Cathy. Everything seems to be going right for him; his book is being published and the Atlantic monthly is printing the first chapter. Even though his work and his relationship with Cathy seem to have taken on lives of their own, hes too happy to get worried (Moving Too Fast). Cathy, meanwhile, is making a call to her agent. Though we only hear her side of the conversation, it is obvious that she is struggling with her career. Cathy sits at Jamies book signing party. She sings about her life with him, asserting that even though he often obsesses over his writing and ignores her, she is terribly in love with him (A Part of That). Cathy confesses that she does not act independently anymore, but instead follows in his footsteps. Jamie celebrates his first Christmas with Cathy. He tells her a fable (which he has written, new and unpublished) about an old tailor named Schmuel whose encounter with a magical clock gives him infinite time to realize the dress of his dreams. Jamie reveals the parallel between Schmuel and Cathy: she needs to take the time to unlock her dreams. He presents Cathy with her Christmas present: a watch (The Schmuel Song). Cathy sits in Ohio and writes a letter to Jamie. They have just been married and she is missing him dreadfully. She describes to Jamie her quirky life in Ohio among her eccentric cast members (A Summer in Ohio). Jamie is sitting with Cathy in a boat on the lake in Central Park. He proposes. Cathy enters and Jamie presents her with the engagement ring and, for the first and only time in the musical, their stories meet and they sing together (The Next Ten Minutes). They exchange vows and rings, promising to stay together for the next ten lifetimes. They kiss before Jamie escorts Cathy to the rowboat, where she has the other side of the conversation that Jamie had before her arrival. Jamie watches her go. The newly-wed Jamie is facing some temptation issues. He feels like he is constantly bombarded by attractive women, especially since his writing career has taken off (A Miracle Would Happen). Cathy, meanwhile, embarks on a series of audition for the job in Ohio (When You Come Home to Me). She is frustrated with the audition process and discusses her sense of inadequacy with her father (Climbing Uphill). Jamie, on the phone with Cathy, does his best to convince his wife that his relationship with his editor, Elise, is purely platonic. Cathy doesnt believe him. Jamie wants to celebrate a book review in The New Yorker, but Cathy isnt in the mood to go out. She sings passionately about her desire to be independent, refusing to trot along at the geniuss heels. Jamie is reading an excerpt of his book. It is obviously about his relationship with Cathy. In the next scene, Jamie is fighting passionately with Cathy. It is toward the end of their relationship and he is trying desperately to just get her to listen to him. He wonders aloud if they will ever get to the point where things are easy, where there arent so many obstacles facing their marriage. He accuses her of being unsupportive of his career just because hers is failing. Though his words are harsh, he promises her that he believes in her unconditionally, and that if he didnt he wouldnt love her (If I Didnt Believe in You). Some time into the relationship, Cathy drives Jamie to her parents house in the suburbs. As she drives, she babbles happily about her past relationships and her desire not to end up in the same small town life as her best friend from high school: married with children and living in a little cute house on a little cute street with a crucifix on the door (I Can Do Better Than That). At the climax of the song, she asks Jamie to move in with her. Towards the end of the marriage, Jamie wakes up in the apartment beside a woman who may or may not be his editor, Elise (Nobody Needs to Know). He tries to defend his actions and blames Cathy (who is away in Ohio) for destroying his privacy and their perfectly balanced relationship. Jamie promises not to lie to this woman and tells her, just as he told Cathy in Shiksa Goddess, that I could be in love with someone like you. Cathy is at the end of her first date with Jamie. She sings goodbye to him (Goodbye Until Tomorrow). She proclaims that she has been waiting for Jamie her whole life and is ready for this romance. Simultaneously but five years forward, Jamie sits in their shared apartment writing a farewell note (I Could Never Rescue You). As Cathy waves Jamie goodbye until tomorrow, Jamie wishes Cathy simply goodbye. So what do these two musicals have in common apart from the obvious manipulation of time used in each story? Well it becomes apparently clear on examination of both the shows and their creators that these stories are more than just something to be told, but in fact stay perilously close to home and stem from a more personal elements of the world of both Sondheim/Furth and Jason Robert Brown. In Merrily the character, composer Frank Shepherd, advises an aspiring writer Dont just write what you know Frank says as he points to his head. Instead, he encourages to write what you know, pointing to his heart. Despite Sondheim always being very avid that he never writes himself into any characters, there was a clear choice made to change the original Kaufman and Hart play from playwright and painter to composer and librettist who write musical comedies together. There are further similarities established by making the librettist a native of Chicago and graduate of Columbia University. Also we note that the theatre in which Frank and Charleys hit show is produced is The Alvin, which was home to Sondheim and Furths first great hit Company in 1970 and later Merrily itself in 1981. Where the characters and contemporary settings in Company were directly forcing the audiences to acknowledge and confront the themes presented, Merrily also challenges Sondheim and Furth themselves to acknowledge their own world, their own relationships and the industry they find themselves in. Putting the characters in the familar surroundings of Broadway productions allows Sondheim and Furth to make a real statement about the industry; What kind of people fill this world? What kind of pressures do writers and composers face throughout their careers? What do producers want? Can one walk the fine line between commercial success and artistic integrity? Perhaps it is this demystifying of the Broadway illusion was what led to the original production of Merrilys early closure? Jason Robert Brown is more open about his obvious personal link to the character of Jamie and the similarities of the Jamie/Cathy relationship to that of Brown and his failed marriage to actress Theresa ONeill. We see how the rise of Jamies career as a writer mirrors that of Brown as a composer and the troubles it gave in marriage. Indeed, ONeill even threatened legal action before the opening of the off-Broadway production, claiming the piece came too close to real life. Brown made some changes, disclosing them, he states, would violate the settlement but we know that one of the major changes was the inclusion of the Shiska Goddess instead of I Could Be In Love With Someone Like You. The fact that both shows deal with a certain type of person an artist, a creator, trying to make a professional career in New York dictates the musical and lyrical style of the show; In Merrily the fact that the show deals with two friends who write Broadway musicals leads to a traditional book musical with a score widely considered to be one of Sondheims most accessible scores with many ironically hummable melodies. With the characters of Frank and Mary, Sondheim and Furth have the chance to have some verbal fun as they enforce their characters abilities as writers. We see with that Mary has a habit of taking other peoples clichà ©d conversation and turning it into unexpected meanings, for example in the opening party seen: Ru: So what do you do? Mary: I drink. Ru: No, what do you really do? Mary: I really drink. Also, when Frank tells everyone that he and Mary go way back, she continues, but seldom forward, not only a comment on their stalling friendship but also a clever inside joke on the narrative structure of the piece. Verbally, Mary keeps taking people places they dont expect to go. Sondheims lyrics in That Frank show this ability to take the listener down one road and then take an unexpected turn in another direction. Singing about Franks guest she says: These are the movers, these are the shapers These are the people who give you vapors And in Now You Know she makes the surprising point that you should burn your bridges every now and then, turning around the conventional idea that burning bridges is a negative thing. Similarly there is some further beautiful wordplay highlighting her knack with words as she advises Frank that bricks can tumble from clear blue skies, and that people love you and tell you lies Charley sometimes plays a similar verbal trick. Whilst being interviewed on TV he is asked, What comes first, the words or the music? he replies, Generally the contract. Infact, the song Franklin Shepherd Inc is a complete show piece for Charley, highlighting both his talents with words and having only been introduced to the character, the audience are made aware of the dynamics of his character who seeks purity of purpose, dedication and the rewards of keeping it simple. On the other hand, composer Frank is inarticulate in comparison. We find that when he opens his mouth he tends to create some clichà © like the worst vice is advice or she is the raft that keeps me from drowning. Also, we note that he only sings one solo number in the show Growing Up, where we become aware of the characters ability to think he is rationalising his hopes and beliefs when he really means compromising. Both shows seem to have a sense of honesty with the creation of real, multi-layered storyline and flawed characters. Maybe it is the close relationship of creator(s) and story that manages to generate scenes and songs which capture a moment in time or an emotional snapshot which sets these shows apart. Furthermore, both shows also centre on the fragility of relationships, with the manipulation of time constantly conditioning and changing the audiences view of the relationships and where their sympathies lie. **

The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh :: Epic Gilgamesh essays

The Transformation of Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero's character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero, Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem, we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different ways -- as an overbearing ruler resented by his people, a courageous and strong fighter, a deflated, depressed man, and finally as a man who seems content with what he's accomplished. Through all of these transitions, we see Gilgamesh's attitude toward life change. The goals he has for his own life alter dramatically, and it is in these goals that we see Gilgamesh's transition from being a shallow, ruthless ruler to being an introspective, content man. The epic begins with the men of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an overly aggressive ruler. "'Gilgamesh leaves no son to his father; day and night his outrageousness continues unrestrained; And he is the shepherd of Uruk, the enclosure; He is their shepherd, and yet he oppresses them. Strong, handsome, and wise. . . Gilgamesh leaves no virgin to her lover.'"(p.18, Line 23-27) The citizens respect him, but they resent his sexual and physical aggression, so they plead to the gods to alleviate some of their burden. The gods resolve to create an equal for Gilgamesh to tame him and keep him in line. This equal, Enkidu, has an immediate impact on Gilgamesh. When they first meet, both having never before met a man equal in stature, they brawl. "They grappled with each other, Snorting like bulls; They shattered the doorpost, that the wall shook."(p.32, lines 15-18)   In giving Gilgamesh a real battle, Enkidu instantly changes him; having this equal gives Gilgamesh a sense of respect for anoth er man. These two men fighting each other creates a serious mess, but they both end up without animosity toward the other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next time we see them, their friendship is concrete. "They kissed one another, And formed a friendship."(p.33, line 19-20) Gilgamesh seems to be the leader at the start of their relationship, and right away, he plans an adventure for them. "In the forest dwells the terrible Huwawa. Let us, me and thee, kill him, And let us destroy all the evil in the land."(p. 34, line 96-98) Here, Gilgamesh reveals one reason that he wants to kill Huwawa - to destroy the evil in the land.

The Benefits of Global Positioning Satellites :: Expository Essays Research Papers

The Benefits of Global Positioning Satellites Navigation systems are becoming more and more popular in cars. In a world where society wants everything fast and easy, a system which allows you to program a location and quickly get directions is sure to be a success. Early versions of these navigating systems installed a computer hard drive into the car. These were rather expensive and also somewhat clumsy to operate. The new systems which are called Global Positioning Satellites run off of satellite dishes that the military monitors. These new GPS systems, as they are called, are extremely accurate as well as useful. They can track a car's location within about 30 feet. GPS originally started in rental cars and now are becoming more common in other cars. One of the most popular GPS systems is General Motor's OnStar system. OnStar not only offers the navigation aid like normal navigation systems, but also a wide variety of other features as well. It provides automatic theft notification which signals a call center allowing the vehicle to be tracked, automatic crash notification which alerts the call center when air bags are deployed, road-side assistance aiding travelers in finding the nearest repair center, and an in-vehicle emergency button which immediately contacts and OnStar operator. By stating your pin number to an operator, OnStar can automatically unlock your car if you lock your keys inside. It is backed by the company's policy of "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" as well. OnStar has voice recognition as audio directions. In addition to the necessities of traveling, OnStar can help you find a hotel in the area you are heading, order flowers while driving, and even suggest certain restaurants you may want to eat at and m ake reservations while on the road. OnStar is a standard feature in all General Motors and some Acura vehicles. Customers receive one year of service for free and after that are billed a monthly fee. Though depending on the service package, the cost varies from $34 to $70 a month, OnStar manages to keep almost two million subscribers. Despite the luxuries OnStar and other navigation systems offer, there are factors which may still stop customers from subscribing. Though OnStar is rather quick at obtaining information, tests have shown that programs such as MapQuest beat OnStar at coming up with directions. OnStar needed nearly twenty-one minutes to calculate a 618 mile journey.

Comparing My Twin Cousins Essay -- comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing My Twin Cousins For years I have been fascinated by that mysterious quirk of nature called twins. In my family, there are several sets of identical twins, and I have always concentrated on their similarities. I did not realize that identical twins also have many differences. My identical twin cousins, Sue and Heidi, appear to be perfect mirror images. They love to dress alike. They can feel each other's pain. They sound alike and can complete each other's sentences. But upon taking a closer look, I have found that they are as different as day and night. Aside from Sue and Heidi's outward characteristics, they possess several distinguishing traits that allow them to be viewed as two separate, independent individuals. Sue and Heidi are total opposites intellectually. Sue is not a very good student. She absolutely hates school and does only enough work to get by. She does not study and refuses to apply herself. She has a bad habit of procrastinating when it comes to her school work. For example, one of her class assignments was a Black History report on anyone of her choice. The assignment was given on a Monday and was due the following Friday. Sue did not begin working on her report until Thursday evening. As a result of her not allowing herself enough time to prepare her material, she received a low grade on her report. Heidi, on the other hand, is an exceptional student. She does more than what is expected from her by her teachers. She asks for extra assignments to keep her busy in her spare time. She takes her studies seriously. She prepares well in advance for each assignment and takes her time in completing her work. For instance, her class received the same Black History assignme nt as ... ...away from home. She has several pets of her own: two cats, a dog, four hamsters, and a ten-gallon aquarium of fish. She also loves to read. She makes it a habit to read daily, whether it's a newspaper, a magazine, or a book. She especially loves to read novels; she is even a member of a mail-order book club. She plans to attend Texas Southern University and major in veterinary medicine with a minor in business administration. Her future goal is to own a veterinary clinic. Sue and Heidi have as many differences as they have similarities. But they do not compete with each other and are like built-in best friends. Sometimes they communicate with one another by an unspoken means, telepathy. Identical twins, Sue and Heidi are a remarkable creation. On the outside they are a perfect mirror image, but, on the inside, they are as different as night and day.

Paper on Career Skills Essay

1. Career direction It starts with five articles which help you think about career direction. These tools help you uncover what you do best and identify the types of work that you’ll enjoy doing most. From this, you can figure out how to make the most of your skills and preferences, whether in your current role or in a new one. a. Personal SWOT Analysis shows you how you can apply the well-known SWOT strategy tool to your life and career, helping you identify your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities open to you and the threats you face. This leads naturally into the idea of job crafting. This is something that many of us do subconsciously to some extent, but our article gives you a rigorous approach that you can use to craft your ideal job. b. Develop your career in various ways. We show you what you can be doing now to future proof your career and to get ready for promotion. And if you’re frustrated because your hard work and abilities are going unnoticed, find out how to get the recognition you deserve. we show you how to live with a lack of job security and how to cope with life after job loss. Yet even when the economy’s booming, you can still face challenging career situations such as hitting a â€Å"glass ceiling†. We round off this section with two articles that will help you transition through significant events in your career. First, we look at what you can do when you get a new boss, and then we see how to wrap up in one role before moving on. Finding Career Direction Discover Yourself and Your Purpose How long has it been since you asked yourself what you want to be when you grow up? If you haven’t considered the idea since high school, then you may have settled into a job that is not fulfilling your professional aspirations, or your purpose. Each of us has particular talents that, when expressed or exercised, make the world a better place. Most likely you enjoy doing these things, and you find that people respond well to you when you do them. Perhaps they’re things you gravitate towards during out-of-hours activities, and that people respect you for. When you develop these talents as far as you can, you can make your greatest possible contribution to the world, and enjoy personal and professional satisfaction that goes along with this. Your Career Direction Journey The process of uncovering what you are meant to do, that is finding career direction, is a journey. It starts with discovering the essential â€Å"you†: the person who truly resides behind the facades, defenses, and stresses of everyday life. Once unmasked, your journey continues with specific career exploration and identification of a career that allows you to make good use of your talents. And it moves on with a focused job or career move, in which you identify the jobs you want and put yourself in the best possible position to get them. In fact, this journey never really ends because work itself is all about change, growth, development, and reinvention. By taking a talent-based approach to your career search right from the start, you keep yourself heading toward the right career even when the actual direction shifts over time. This approach consists of sequentially answering three questions: 1. Who Am I? 2. What Do I Want to Do? 3. How Do I Get Hired? 1. Discovering Who You Really Are The first question to answer is â€Å"Who am I?† We’ll take two approaches to answering this – firstly asking you to explore your talents, and secondly using psychometric tests to explore your preferences. Exploring Your Talents First of all, consider your answers to the following questions: * When have you been most committed, passionate and enthusiastic? * When have you been most creative? * When have you been most sure of yourself and your decisions? * What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment? * When have other people considered you to be most successful? * When have you enjoyed your work most? * What talents were you relying on, and using, in these situations? * For what would you take a very strong stand? * What about the world puzzles or disturbs you that you could make an impact on? * What jobs do you like to do at work when you have a choice? * What activities are you drawn towards out of work? * If money were no concern, what would you be doing? Brainstorm each of these questions, and then use your answers to identify the top three talents that you most use when you’re successful. Rank these in order. Tip:If you’re having problems choosing, use a technique like paired comparison analysis to rank things in order. | Personality Inventories Next, we’ll look at using personality inventories as a way of looking at your preferred way of working relative to other people. There are many typologies available including Myers-Briggs, DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness) and the strength finder evaluation in â€Å"Now Discover Your Strengths†. Tip 1: Some of these cost quite a lot of money, however considering the importance of what you’re doing, it is probably worth investing in them if you haven’t already done so. Tip 2: It can be hard initially to see how to apply these tests. One trick is to turn things around, and as you identify possible careers, think about what personality type is most likely to be successful in these careers. Is there a match or a mismatch? We’ll do this later. Tip 3: Treat these tests as advisory only – you can’t capture the whole complexity of your personality and experience with only a few questions. That said, you’ll probably find the tests quite insightful! | With personality testing you learn what you have in common with other people. You also discover potential points of friction with people of other personality types. While no personality type is good or bad, it does help you discover what motivates and energizes you. This in turn empowers you to seek those elements in the work you choose to do, and avoid the things that frustrate and demotivate you. As you explore your personality you come to realize that who you are is really determined by the choices you make. You choose to react one way over another, or to prefer one thing to another. You can take this self-awareness one step further by examining why you make the choices you do. In psychological terms, what is your payoff for making the choices you make? When you know the â€Å"why† it is easier to see how you can become fulfilled through the work you do. Write a â€Å"Who I Am† Statement Now draw this together into a simple written statement of who you are. This is an important step toward self-discovery and defining your purpose. Use it to answer the following questions: * What your talents and strengths are. * The talents you achieve most with. * The activities you get most satisfaction from. * The type of activity the psychometrics you’ve completed guide you towards. Tip: When you’re doing this, be careful not just to look back nostalgically at simple jobs where you performed well – after all, many different people could perform well in these situations, and this gives you little information. Focus instead on more difficult areas where you made a positive difference, and where others didn’t. 2. Finding Out What You Want to Do Now that you know who you are, the next stage is to think about what you want to do. For your life to be balanced and fulfilled, your career must be aligned with who you are: Otherwise you’ll be unhappy with work, and you’ll probably underachieve. After all, ill-fitting jobs demand different talents from the ones that you have. If you try to pursue a career path that is at odds with your values, your beliefs, and your way of seeing the world, then you’ll struggle constantly and be under a great deal of stress and pressure. The starting point is to do some brainstorming on the jobs that you think would suit who you are. We’ll then confirm this with some different psychometric tests, and then extend this list with some more brainstorming. You then need to spend some time researching the top careers you’ve identified. i. Exploring the Options You Know About Starting with your â€Å"Who I Am† statement, start thinking about all of the jobs you can see that would suit you someone with the talents and interests in that statement (by depersonalizing it in this way, you help to avoid â€Å"being too close to the issue.†) Starting here is particularly important if you’re already established in a career: It’s important to capitalize where you can on the experience and contacts you’ve already built up, compared with ditching everything and starting completely afresh (while this sounds glamorous and enticing, it puts you in the position of competing equally with other career starters, who may be much younger than you. On the other hand, if you’re profoundly unhappy with your company, industry and profession, a radical career change may be the best thing†¦) So start by asking yourself if your current role can be adapted to suit you much better; if there are other roles within your existing company that would be worth trying; or whether similar roles in other organizations might be more rewarding. Once you’ve done this, extend out and brainstorm the other options available. ii. Using Career Tests The next stage is to use online career tests to explore options that you might have missed. Useful ones are: Free, but limited career selection advice: Princeton Review Career Quiz Chargeable (but inexpensive, and with good selections of possible careers): http://www.self-directed-search.com http://www.assessment.com iii. Thinking Further The unavoidable flaw with these career tests is that they’re based on backward-looking data, and can only cope with the major career types. Because of this, they can’t recommend new careers, nor do they know about less well-known careers. Using the test results as a starting point, do some brainstorming to see if there are new technology careers which demand similar personality types, or if there are more obscure careers that may also be open. iv. Pulling This Together. You’ll now have identifies a wide range of possible careers open to you. Now’s the time to cut these down and prioritize them. We’re not asking you to choose one now, but to cut down to your top 5 or 6 choices (the reason being that when you start researching these careers, some of them may turn out to be quite bad!) Again, if you’re having trouble prioritizing, use paired comparison analysis to rank your choices. v. Perform Career Research Armed with a solid understanding of how you can participate in fulfilling work, you now need to research the various options you have to make money doing so. Career research is not something many people relish, but it is necessary in order to eliminate choices that seem to be great fits on the surface but really won’t align with your mission and purpose. Yes, this is quite tedious. But think about the consequences of getting things wrong! Surely it’s worth spending time exploring your options, rather than a lifetime kicking yourself for making a bad choice! Methods for researching careers include: * Researching the career using sites like Acinet.org, so that you can understand industry trends, job pay levels, qualifications needed, job availability, etc. * Conducting your own PEST Analysis to confirm your own view of likely career trends. * Reading industry/career magazines and get a sense of how â€Å"happy† the industry is, who the major players in it are, and what the issues and problems within it are. Also, looking at job vacancies to see if the career is in demand. * Understanding what talents and personalities make people successful in the career, and mapping these back against your own talents and personality. * Attending professional and trade shows. * Participating in job fairs; * Visiting company websites, and keep an eye on how companies are talked about in the press. * Understanding where organizations are based, and deciding if you’re prepared to travel to interviews, and perhaps to move. * Volunteering. * Working part time and/or seasonally in the industry. Tip: Be careful when using career trends to identify career possibilities: The desire to pursue an up and coming career may overshadow your mission and purpose. This will only lead to dissatisfaction down the road. Also be aware that there’s a natural desire from people within an industry to inflate its prospects (to ensure a good supply of new recruits in the future.) Take official figures with a pinch of salt! | By the end of all of this research, you may have rejected several possible careers. Now’s the time to narrow down to one! Again, Paired Comparison Analysis may be useful here, however so can Grid Analysis which helps you make comparisons where many variables are involved. 3. Answering â€Å"How do I Get Hired?† In this last phase you answer, â€Å"What am I going to do to get hired?† With your â€Å"Who I Am† statement and your research as your compass, now you need to actually map your progress. Many people tend to move from their purpose right into job search mode. This is a mistake because unless you have a plan, it is far too easy to get derailed by a lucrative job offer, an opening that Uncle Vinny has, a job that sounds really glamorous, or a whole host of other distractions. Develop your plan first and you’re more likely to get where you want to go, faster. * Start by writing down the career you want. What is your long-term vision for yourself in terms of your career? * Write down the steps you need to take or the things you need to accomplish, in order to get there. What qualifications should you get? What experience should you build? Which organization will give you the best start? * For each of these steps create a detailed implementation plan. * These are your short term goals. * Be sure to express as SMART objectives. * Go back and identify contingency plans * Do a â€Å"what if† analysis on your goals â€Å"If you don’t get accepted to grad school this year, what will you do?† Tip: The more contingency plans you have the more likely you will be able to survive the inevitable setbacks. You will also have much more confidence in yourself despite the bumps in the road. Tip 2: Recognize that the more opportunities you have, the better the job that you’ll be able to choose. Concentrate on creating as many opportunities as possible! | Now you are free to pursue your dream career with confidence. There are certainly no guarantees but with the right amount of planning and a sufficient dose of reality, the career that you are meant for will materialize. Signs a career direction evaluation may be in order: * Your job lacks challenge and excitement for you. * You are feeling unappreciated. * Your promotional and/or development opportunities are limited. * You are no longer having fun. * Learning is replaced with routine. * You sense that your skills and talents are being wasted. * You are suffering from stress or depression. Finding career direction is a process. The more effort you put into the planning stages the better your results. Uncovering your true self and your purpose is heavy, emotional work and you may have to go through this process a few times in the span of your working life. The effort however, is certainly worth it when you end up with a clear sense of the direction your career should be taking.