I Shot the Serif Is Font Choice Important - The Writers For Hire

I SHOT THE SERIF: IS FONT CHOICE IMPORTANT? When I married a man with the very Italian surname of Iacullo, I had no illusions about the spelling and pronunciation mishaps that were likely to follow. I knew I’d have to endure a certain amount of ribbing about the surplus of vowels in the old country and make endless attempts to explain that yes, my new last name really did begin with the letter â€Å"I† followed by â€Å"A,† and no, it wasn’t actually that difficult to pronounce. This wasn’t a big deal for me. After all, I’d already spent 30 years with a maiden name – DeLay – that gave me an incentive to be patient with customer service representatives who were sure I’d actually said â€Å"Daley† or â€Å"Delaney.† (I’d also learned to smile my way through conversations with teachers who delighted in dropping hints about homework deadlines and airline employees who tried to make light of scheduling mishaps.) A little more than a decade ago, though, things started to get weird. More specifically, I started to get mail addressed to â€Å"Jennifer Lacullo† instead of â€Å"Jennifer Iacullo.† I also started having to explain to befuddled pharmacists, receptionists, and clerks that they should check to see whether my information had been misfiled under â€Å"L† rather than â€Å"I.† I didn’t quite understand why this kept happening – until I installed Microsoft’s Office 2007 suite on my computer. One of the first things I noticed about the new software was a change in the default font used for Microsoft Word. The venerable Times New Roman was out, replaced by an upstart sans-serif font that went by the name of Calibri. I had no real objections to this change at first. In fact, my initial impression was that Calibri was somewhat more elegant and less blocky than sans-serif stalwarts such as Arial and Helvetica. But then I saw what happened when I typed my married name. In Times New Roman, â€Å"Iacullo† had been relatively easy to read. Each individual letter had a different appearance, and the serifs made it easy to tell the difference between the upper-case â€Å"I† and the lower-case â€Å"L.† In Calibri, â€Å"Iacullo† was a more slippery target. Without the serifs, the two letters in question looked virtually identical: Once I saw Calibri in action, I realized that Microsoft Word was hardly the sole offender. I noticed that most online forms used Arial or another sans-serif font that made little distinction between the upper-case â€Å"I† and the lower-case â€Å"L,† and I deduced that most of the confusion occurred in situations where people had to read my contact information on a screen and then write it out by hand on another form. I then asked myself whether I could avoid this problem by using only lower-case letters when filling out online forms but concluded (regretfully) that I wasn’t willing to forsake proper capitalization, even if there were no serifs available to plead my case. Visuals matter On one level, the above is a purely personal anecdote – a mildly humorous tale about the collision between Italian last names, web designers’ preference for visually crisp fonts, and my own stubborn adherence to the rules of capitalization that I learned so long ago. On another level, though, it is a plea to remember that visuals matter. Certainly, there are reasons to go with sans-serif fonts. When you’re tired or distracted or hustling to meet deadlines, it’s easier to fall in line with the default choice – to let Microsoft Word compose your letter in Calibri, for instance. And when you’re a web or app designer who wants every pixel on the screen to be clear, it’s logical to use a sans-serif font such as Arial, which will never have the fuzzy look of serif fonts such as Times New Roman. But the world doesn’t end at the edge of our screens. The words we see on our monitors and on our smart devices don’t always remain in the digital realm. Even when we’re trying to maintain a paperless office or rely exclusively on electronic records, sometimes we have to write information down by hand or retype it on another machine. If so, mistakes can happen – especially when we’re in a hurry and just trying to jot down what we see. And sometimes the price of such mistakes isn’t just the exasperation felt by people in my situation (or by people such as my friend Ilana G-, who has told me that she regularly receives mail addressed to â€Å"Llana G-†). There can also be consequences such as delays in picking up urgently needed medication for hospital patients in critical condition and difficulties in obtaining accurate contact information for potential new clients. Likewise, sometimes we have to take the information we obtain from screens and turn it into printed material, such as a quarterly earnings report or a legal filing. And if we print it in sans-serif fonts, we run the risk of turning out material that will be difficult to read. (On paper, serif fonts tend to be easier on the eye and the brain because each letter has a distinctive look.) The good news is that there is a simple two-part way to avoid the negative results discussed here. First, when typing something up, ask yourself how the text is likely to be used. If it’s going to stay on the screen and never go offline, sans-serif fonts are likely to be fine. (Indeed, they may even be preferable from a visual standpoint.) If it has to be printed out or transferred to another format, consider using serifs to enhance readability – or look into sans-serif fonts such as Optima, which use subtle visual cues to suggest serifs without compromising their clean lines.

Henderson the Rain King

Henderson the Rain King Free Online Research Papers Eugene Henderson is a troubled middle-aged man. Despite his riches, high social status, and physical prowess, he feels restless and unfulfilled, and harbors a spiritual void that manifests itself as an inner voice crying out I want, I want, I want. Hoping to discover what the voice wants, Henderson goes to Africa. Upon reaching Africa, Henderson splits with his original group and hires a native guide, Romilayu. Romilayu leads Henderson to the village of the Arnewi, where Henderson befriends the leaders of the village. He learns that the cistern from which the Arnewi get their drinking water is plagued by frogs, thus rendering the water unclean according to local taboos. Henderson attempts to save the Arnewi by ridding them of the frogs, but his enthusiastic scheme ends in disaster. Henderson and Romilayu travel on to the village of the Wariri. Here, Henderson impulsively performs a feat of strength and unwittingly becomes Wariri Rain King. He quickly develops a friendship with the native-born but western-educated Chief, King Dahfu, with whom he engages in a series of far-reaching philosophical discussions. The elders send Dahfu to find a lion, which is supposedly the reincarnation of the late king, Dahfus father. The lion hunt fails and the lion mortally wounds the king. Henderson learns shortly before Dahfus death that the Rain King is the next person in the line of succession for the throne. Fearing the elders would rather see him dead than lead the Wariri, Henderson flees the Wariri village. Although it is unclear whether Henderson has truly found spiritual contentment, the novel ends on an optimistic and uplifting note. [edit] Discussion A week before the novel appeared in book stores, Saul Bellow published an article in the New York Times entitled â€Å"The Search for Symbols, a Writer Warns, Misses All the Fun and Fact of the Story.† [1]. Here, Bellow warns readers against looking too deeply for symbols in literature. This has led to much discussion among critics as to why Bellow warned his readers against searching for symbolism just before the symbol-packed Rain King hit the shelves. The ongoing philosophical discussions and ramblings between Henderson and the natives, and inside Hendersons own head, prefigure elements of Bellows next novel, Herzog (1964), which includes many such inquiries into life and meaning. As in all Bellows novels, death figures prominently in HRK. Also, the novel manifests a few common character types that run through Bellow’s literary works. One type is the Bellovian Hero, often described as a schlemiel. Eugene Henderson, in company with most of Bellow’s main characters, can be given this description. Another is what Bellow calls the Reality-Instructor; in HRK, King Dahfu fills this role. In Seize the Day, the instructor is played by Dr. Tamkin, while in Humboldts Gift, Humboldt von Fleisher takes the part. [edit] Pulitzer Prize In 1960 the Pulitzer Prize committee for fiction recommended Henderson the Rain King be awarded the prize for that year. The Pulitzer board, which have final say over the awarding of the prize, overrode their recommendation and chose Advise and Consent by Allen Drury instead.[1] Research Papers on Henderson the Rain KingThe Rise and Fall of Napoleon BonaparteAmerican Central Banking and OilThe Story of Beatrix PotterDistance Learning Survival GuideBooker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-BarnettProbation OfficersThe Mechanics of Grading Grading SystemsThe Equal Rights AmendmentQuebec and CanadaA Marketing Analysis of the Fast-Food Restaurant

China and Japan in East Asian economic development Term Paper

China and Japan in East Asian economic development - Term Paper Example In 1960, the GDP of ASEAN + 3 was approximately 40% of US GDP, with Japan contributing more than 80% of total East Asian GDP, followed by China (Mainland only), with not quite 8%. In 2000, the GDP of ASEAN + 3 was approximately 75% of US GDP, with Japan contributing more than 60% of total GDP, followed by China (Mainland only), which contributed somewhat more than 15%. Japan also leads in GDP per capita among East Asian economies, with almost US$50,000 in 2000 (at market exchange rates), followed by Singapore at US$30,000. In contrast, Mainland China’s GDP per capita was less than US$900 in 2000 (Lau, 2003, p.4) Even though politically and socially two entirely different countries, (China is a communist country whereas Japan is a democratic country), China and Japan play a pivotal role in controlling Asian economy in general and East Asian economy in particular. Even though India, South Korea etc are some other prominent economies in Asia, no other country seems to be as effec tive as China or Japan as far as the influence in Asian economy is concerned. Both China and Japan adopt different methods and philosophies for attaining economic growth. â€Å"Japan is all about the way of doing things. China is all about finding a way to do things† (The difference between China and Japan, 2007). It is often said that Japan gives more priority to quality whereas China gives more priority to quantity because of the superior quality of Japanese products and the bulk quantities of products produced by China. In other words, China tries to reap more profits with the help of bulk production and cheaper prices whereas Japan tries to grow with the help of superior products of higher prices. In the consumer world, Japan stands as a sign of quality whereas China stands as a sign of quantity. It should be noted that some of the reputed brands in global market have its origin in Japan. For example, Sony, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Honda, etc are some of the popular Japanese b rands not only in Asia, but also all over the world. At the same time Chinese products are popular for cheaper prices rather than superior quality. It is difficult for Japanese or American companies to compete with Chinese products in global markets as far as prices are concerned. In short, Japan and China play a vital role in controlling East Asian economy. This paper analyses the role of Japan and China is East Asian economic development. Role of Japan and China in East Asian economic development Japan achieved an average annual rate of growth of real GDP in excess of 10 percent during the decade of 1960-1970 (in fact, between 1955 and 1975). However, due to the two oil shocks, the average annual rates of growth in the two subsequent decades declined significantly to less than 5%. And since 1990 the average annual rate of growth has been below 2%. Despite the considerable slowdown in the Japanese economy during the past decade, China was able to achieve an average annual rate of g rowth of almost 10% over the past two decades, a performance comparable to that of Japan between 1955 and 1972) (Lau, 2003, p.7) Japan was the leading player in Asia until couple of decades before. They were instrumental in shaping the economies of many other Asian countries. They provided lavish grants and financial aids to many of the other Asian counties like South Korea, India, Vietnam, Philippines etc. In India a huge drinking water supply project is still functioning. Moreover, in the 1970’s Japan provided a Yen loan to South Koreas first subway project which helped South Korea immensely in increasing its transportation facilities. â€Å"In the subway network system project, new model subway trains, manufactured under a joint venture between Korean and foreign companies, were introduced. In the course of the joint venture, the Korean manufacturer of the subway trains learned new technology†(East Asia’s economic developm

Engineering material Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineering material - Essay Example The central part of the specimen possesses reduced cross-sectional area than the end parts. The reduced gauge ensures that the highest stresses occur within the gauge, and not near the grips of the load frame, preventing strain and fracture of the specimen near or in the grips (Fabila 2010). Incremental application of the tensile load to the specimen and its corresponding extension are recorded and plotted by a computer in the form of a load versus elongation graph. This graph is converted into an engineering stress versus engineering strain graph, which is later used to calculate material properties such as yield strength, Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile strength, resilience, and toughness of material. The experiment was conducted on specimens made of Mild Steel (Grade 250), Aluminium 6061, Copper, and Brass. All test specimens had an initial gauge length of 25 mm. All other dimensions of specimens are given below: Each specimen was measured using the calipers to determine the diameter and cross section. A gauge length was determined and scribed into the specimen so the distance between two marks could be measured after the tensile test was completed (Fabila 2010). The specimen was securely placed into the jaws of the Instron load frame so that it was equally spaced between the two clamps (Fabila 2010). The axial and transverse extensometers were attached to the reduced gauge section of the specimen. Care was taken to ensure that the axial extensometer was set correctly, and the transverse extensometer was across the complete diameter of the specimen (Fabila 2010). The test with each specimen continued until fracture. After that, the specimen was removed, and the equipment was reset for the next test. The results of the uniaxial test were used to calculate material properties using the formulas provided below. The results of the tensile tests

Argument of Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argument of Evaluation - Essay Example "The Artist† truly deserves the award it scoped as the ‘Best Picture’ movie during the 2012 Oscars. The movie leaves its audience with real pleasure in the way Hazanavicius makes use of tics and trick of silence together with care and wisdom. He goes further to include musical emotional rhythm emulated from some of the best movies ever witnessed. "The Artist† fluctuates between sad and funny and changes the sound age dawn into an individual tragedy presented to the audience as silent melodrama (Scott 3). The nostalgia used in the movie is instructive as witnessed in the scene where Valentin and Miller are seen tap-dancing on each other sides reminding the viewer of the visually inventive of how early films developed on sound could be. The other scene is when Vlanetin has a conversation with a policeman without title cards reminding the audience of the good silent movie it is. Such scenes call for a lot of imagination from the viewers hence they are fully involved and absorbed in the movie (Bradshaw 4). It is a miraculous form of entertainment that unexpectedly expresses a good deal about the pride of men and emotional literature. The final film of ‘the Artist’ was released in the year 2011making it one of the most joyful and heart-swelling silent movies and was screened in white and black, projecting it in an old fashioned Academy ratio boxy. Some of the lines in the movie are observed to be occasionally printed on dialogue intertitle cards. â€Å"The Artist† is places among the long tradition group of movies and it revolves around a film star who is established together with a young actress who is beguiling coming from the early Thirties and late Twenties Hollywood (Bradshaw 4). This was the period which was marked by the talkies rise. As the settings and pilot of the movie bring out the scenery of singing in the rain, the movie pulls in a different direction to Donen and Kelly’s sonically and visually screen music that

Representations of Masculinity in Film

Representations of Masculinity in Film Representations of Masculinity in Film Real men don’t cry. Men who show emotion are seen as pathetic and weak, whereas society want men to be strong, athletic and powerful. This assignment will include an identification and analysis, in the film American Pie (American Pie, 1999) of the six different representations of masculinity and their impact on the story and the audience. The analysis will comply of the identification of six specific characters that embody the male gender stereotypes, or their subversions. The six male gender stereotypes are: the Joker, the Jock, the Strong Silent Type, the Big Shot, the Action Hero and the Buffoon. These are important to identify because they appear in all movies which we tend to be oblivious to at times. Knowing the different types of stereotypes help you gain a better understanding of the film. â€Å"The Jock is always willing to compromise his own long-term health; he must fight other men when necessary; he must avoid being soft; and he must be aggressive (NMMU, 2014). By demonstrating his power and strength, the jock wins the approval of other men and the adoration of women.† The function of a jock in a film is to create a social structure in a school and to give the image of an ideal American teenager. In the film American Pie there are a few protagonists that resemble the jock stereotype. Chris â€Å"Oz† Ostreicher is one of the characters in the movie that portrays this stereotype. Oz is a great representation of a jock as he embodies all the characteristics. Oz is a typical all American male teenager who plays football and lacrosse, manages to swoon the ladies and he is at the top of the social hierarchy at school. Oz is a well groomed man where his good looks far surpass his academic abilities. A prime example of this in the film is when Oz tells all hi s friends that he has been seeing a collage girl and that soon they will be moving onto the next level in their ‘relationship’. This is done to acquire the approval from all his friends, especially from Steven Stifler, and the other popular males. Another character that embodies the jock stereotype is Steven â€Å"Steve† Stifler. Steve is an egotistical big-headed sports driven high school student. The evidence in the film that he is a jock are proven because he plays lacrosse and football with Oz. When Steve is faced with situations that could place any damage on his reputation he tends to react in an aggressive manner. Another instance of the jock stereotype is highlighted when Steve has a house party at his residence. Everybody from school who is popular enough to be invited inside is there. Then the doorbell rings during the party and the whole musical band from school are standing outside his door. Steve refuses to let them inside because they are not cool e nough and might ruin his reputation. This shows that Steve has a desire to main supreme amongst the rest of the jocks. When it comes to the ladies, Steve only uses them for his benefit and gain. Steve takes a girl to his room but she refuses to kiss him as she does not want him to go around joking about her with his friends the very next day. Steve lies and tells her that he would never do that just so that she could feel better. He even gives her false compliments just so that she would become putty in his hands allowing him to take advantage of her. To analyse the above stereotype both of the protagonists personify the characteristics of a typical high school jock. Although Oz and Steve are both the popular boys at school they have a very different way of showing it. Oz is much friendlier and kinder whereas Steve is arrogant and aggressive. These characters are driven by their sporting talents because for them sport is the only thing that makes you a real man. They see woman as ob jects and not as human beings. Therefore the film American Pie excels at representing the jock stereotype in the movie. â€Å"The Joker is a very popular character with boys, perhaps because laughter is part of their own mask of masculinity. A potential negative consequence of this stereotype is the assumption that boys and men should not be serious or emotional† (NMMU, 2014)The function of a joker in a film is to allow for comedic relief and to create a relaxed atmosphere as well as making inappropriate jokes at times. Stifler is the joker in the film as he is constantly making comments throughout the movie that makes people laugh. A joker is popular among males which makes Stifler one of the most popular boys at East Great Falls High. Stifler makes every serious situation a joke and does not allow for emotions to come into play. Another example of the joker stereotype in the film is when Stifler pours laxatives into Finch’s drink as he knows Finch does not use the school’s toilets. Stifler has everybody laughing at this prank. This character was effective because Stifler is a ve ry dominate character and so he makes up a lot of different stereotypes because of his personality. He never shows emotions and is never serious about anything. Stifler is only worried about, Lacrosse, woman and his popularity. â€Å"The Strong Silent Type focuses on being in charge, acting decisively, containing emotion, and succeeding with women. This stereotype reinforces the assumption that men and boys should always be in control, and that talking about one’s feelings is a sign of weakness† (NMMU, 2014).The function of this type in a film is to allow for those characters that are dominant and strong yet who show emotion to have a role in the film. Although Oz is a jock in the film he also starts to display characteristics of a strong silent type. Oz and his friends made a pact that by the end of high school they should all have lost their virginity. Oz believes that it is a good idea to join the choir as the girls are perceived to be naà ¯ve and innocent and would be easy prey. Oz decides that he is now going to try get rid of his reputation of being an insensitive jock and become more caring and sensitive towards ladies. He meets a girl named Heather, who sings in the choir, and he imme diately feels an attraction towards her. For now he can only think of the pact his friends made and how he can use Heather as his victim to fulfil the deal. Steve, Kevin and Jim are all watching Oz while he sings and so after the choir practice Stifler asks Oz what his game plan is for joining the choir. Oz validates himself saying that he needs to find a girl to complete the deal they all made. â€Å"Chris Oz Ostreicher: [On being sensitive] You ask them questions, and listen to what they have to say and s**t. Steve Stifler: I dunno, man, that sounds like a lot of work† (IMDb, 1990-2014). This is the first glimpse of evidence that there is a slight start to showing emotion and care for Heather. As the film continues there is a complete change in Oz as he starts to focus more on Heather than his sport. He even leaves in the middle of the most important lacrosse game of the season to go and sing in a choir competition. When he arrives at the auditorium where the competition is taking place he grabs Heather in a passionate embrace and kisses her. This highlights that he has grown true and honest feeling for her. Heather and Oz end up breaking their virginity on prom night but promise to not tell anybody. At the end of the movie Oz believes that he is starting to fall in love with his girlfriend, Heather. Kevin Myers is also a strong silent type but it is not as obvious as in Oz’s case. The reason why Kevin falls under this stereotype is because he loves to take control and dominate the group. He even comes up with an idea that Finch, Oz, Jim an himself must lose their virginity before graduation from high school. They all make a pact and agree upon it. Kevin is the main instigator and inventor of this pact, and so all the drama that occurs as a result of the plan is because of Kevin’s idea. Another reason why he is the strong silent type is because he succeeds with woman and is a ladies man. He hides all his emotion about his feelings for hi s girlfriend away from her. When Kevin’s girlfriend tells him that she loves him, he is stunned and speechless. He doesn’t know how to express himself because he does not want to lose his credibility as a man if he is seen as emotional. Kevin eventually tells his girlfriend that he loves her before they have sexual intercourse. This can be seen as a way of manipulating his girlfriend into sleeping with just so that he can abide by the pact. This stereotype is well portrayed in Oz’s case. They show the transition from a sport crazy jock to becoming a choir singing sensitive man. It is very effective as it shows that men are allowed to show emotion and feelings, they don’t always have to be as hard as bricks. Although showing emotion for a male is seen as weak, Oz shows emotion in such a way that it doesn’t affect his jock status it only makes himself look like a better person. Kevin is also portrayed effectively although he is not as clear as Oz, he is still a strong silent type. Kevin portrays more of a dominate role in this case than Oz does. Both roles have been displayed accurately and in an effective manner. â€Å"The Big Shot is defined by his professional status. He is the epitome of success, embodying the characteristics and acquiring the possessions that society deems valuable. â€Å" This stereotype suggests that a real man must be economically powerful and socially successful† (NMMU, 2014).The big shot stereotype includes a number of characters. Stifler is a big shot as he believes that he rules the school and everybody in it. He is arrogant and insensitive to others. Stifler loves to have parties and drink alcohol which high school students consider to be enjoyable. Stifler has no respect for woman at all. He believes that they are only there to satisfy his personal needs. Chuck Sherman also embodies this stereotype as he makes all his ‘friends’ believe that he is going to sleep with a beautiful girl. The very next morning when these men wake up they witness Sherman coming downstairs with this girl. He then proceeds to lie to his friends and tell them that the y were busy the entire night. Meanwhile they had been having an in-depth conversation with one another instead. At prom the truth about this incident is revealed when this girl, who Sherman claimed he had sex with, tells everybody that he is a liar and that it never happened. Paul Finch is the third character to portray a big shot, he does this by the way he behaves and speaks. An example in the movie is when they are at Stifler’s house party after prom. Finch has no date and decides to walk around the house until he comes across a room that he is out of bounds. Inside the room he finds Stifler’s mother drinking and smoking. His attitude changes immediately and acts much older than he really is. He starts to seduce Stifler’s mother by means of his big shot personality. He drinks whiskey with her which is regarded as an adults drink, but Finch believes he is far more mature than the young boys downstairs. Finch then sleeps with Stifler’s mother which cause s problems the next morning. Kevin is the last big shot character in the film. Kevin says that â€Å"[o]ur very manhood is at stake† (American Pie, 1999) with regards to their lack of sexual encounters. Kevin has formed a pact with his friends which states that they have to lose their virginity by the time they graduate. Kevin becomes a jerk at Stifler’s house party when he wants to have sex with Vicky, his girlfriend, but she is not willing. He almost becomes forceful during the movie when she does not want to give it to him. His big shot personality is seen when he is walking downstairs at the party and says to Jim â€Å"enough with the blowjob bull s**t, I gotta get laid already† (American Pie, 1999).Vicky over hears this and is distraught. He is a big shot in the terms that he just wants to lose his virginity and thinks that he can take control and force Vicky into it. All these characters were portrayed exceptionally well. They were very easily spotted in t he film as their characteristics matched those of the big shot stereotype. The big shots are those that have power and require things that society believes is valuable which are women, sex and popularity. They manages to use their power to seduce the woman in order to acquire what is important to them, which is to lose their virginity. â€Å"The Action Hero is strong, but not necessarily silent. He is often angry. Above all, he is aggressive in the extreme and, increasingly over the past several decades, he engages in violent behaviour† (NMMU, 2014). In the film American Pie the best example of an action hero is the character Steve Stifler. He embodies many different types of stereotypes. He is your typical big cheese, know it all type of guy. If he has been humiliated and embarrassed by somebody he will use force to take his revenge on them and is very aggressive when things do not go his way. His anger is his form of a mask that covers and hides his emotions from the world. An example would be when Steve Stifler finds out that Finch is spreading rumours about himself. A rumour involving Steve had been spread around campus which was that Finch had beaten Steve in a fist fight. Steve was overwhelmed with anger when he heard the rumour, as it embarrassed him and hurt his creditability. Steve reacted to this s eeking revenge, he then decides to put a high dosage of laxatives into Finch’s regular mochacchino. The outcomes of Steve’s joke allowed for the embarrassment and rumours about his weakness to be forgotten and for all the good attention to be drawn back to him and for all the laughter to be focused on someone he sees as lower than him. This allows the audience to view his aggression and low self-esteem issues. In analysis to the character of the action hero in the film it is extremely well portrayed as the character is your typical big man on campus. This character shows that there is much more to him then he allows you to see, and is prepared to reveal to the public. This allows the audience to understand the character and his feelings better. This gives the viewer the chance to see another side of the character. This makes Steve seem strong and intimidating on the outside but in fact he is a normal human with feelings just like everybody else on the inside. â€Å"The Buffoon commonly appears as a bungling father figure in TV ads and sitcoms. Usually well-intentioned and light-hearted, these characters range from slightly inept to completely hopeless when it comes to parenting their children or dealing with domestic (or workplace) issues† (NMMU, 2014). The function of a buffoon in a film is to add entertainment and light hearted laughter. Noah Levenstein is the perfect example of a buffoon in the film, as he has no idea of how to raise his son properly when it comes to teenagers’ problems. It is evident in the film that Noah is a buffoon. The film starts with Jim, his son, watching a bad quality porn movie. Noah then helped his son by agreeing with him. This is the first sign that the father is going to be a funny and laid back father. Later in the film Noah visits Jim in his room and decides to have a conversation about sex. He tries to give his son sexual advice and brings him pornographic magazines. Further along in the film Noah comes home to his son performing sexual acts to an apple pie that his mother had baked. The father then helps Jim to clean up the kitchen and he then comes up with the idea that they will tell his wife that they had eaten the pie. Noah decided to help cover up Jims actions so that he would not get in trouble with his mother. â€Å"We’ll just tell your mom we ate it† (American Pie, 1999). In the end of the movie Noah opens his son’s bedroom door and sees Jim dancing in a sexual manner. Noah smiles at what he sees and starts breaking into very similar dance moves and shouts for his wife saying â€Å"Sweetheart† (American Pie, 1999). The use of the buffoon is very effective in the overall film. The character was portrayed perfectly and so it made identifying the buffoon very easy. Noah embodies all the characteristics a buffoon usually expresses. The protagonist is portrayed accurately in this film and allows for people to easily connect with the c haracter. Analysing the above character makes it clear that the buffoon is one of the main sources of comedy in a movie. It is an effortless yet at times awkward. To conclude, in this film it is evident that male stereotypes are rife. In society, males are meant to be strong and unbreakable whereas not every man is the same. This allows for the different stereotypes to be formed as some males fall under the popular category while others are more emotional. [2989] Reference list American Pie. 1999. [Film] Directed by Paul Weitz. United States of America: Universal Pictures, Zide-Perry Productions, Newmarket Capital Group, Summit Entertainment. IMDb, 1990-2014. Quotes for Chris Oz Ostreicher. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002450/quotes [Accessed 13 May 2014]. Janelle Vermaak NMMU course notes 2014

Whitman Essay -- Biography

Biography. Born on May 31st 1819, died March 26th 1892. Born into a working class family, ended his formal education at age 11, would later say that most of his meaningful education came from outside the school house. Had apprenticeships at working-class newspapers also started his own newspaper, The Long Islander, though it later failed. Whitman's most famous work is the collection of Leaves of Grass, first published in 1955 at his own expense. In total there were 9 editions each addressing the citizens of the United States, urging them to be large and generous, a new race nurtured in political liberty, and possessed of united souls and bodies published during Whitman's life with each having its own distinct virtues and faults. Emerson received praised and support from the Transcendentalism movement, specifically, Emerson, Thoreau and Alcott (Folson & Price, 2011). Beliefs: On Personal Development. Whitman believed that it was corruption of civilization that ultimately change the goodness of human and the soul by changing the state of good in the mind. Therefore, one should disc...

Fact and Fancy in Hard Times Essay

Discuss the significance of Fact and Fancy in Hard Times with particular reference to Dickens’ presentation of the worlds of Sleary’s circus and Coketown. You should focus closely on techniques used and effects created and how both of these things shape our response, as readers, to the text. Dickens uses a range of techniques to present the idea of the importance of and contrast between Fact and Fancy, such as the settings of the contrasting ‘worlds’ in the novel, imagery, and the very language he uses. Dickens lived in an era of growing industrial powers, where the ‘hands’ inside ravenous factories were many and depersonalised. With such an economy rapidly expanding, it could be considered the only logical that the value placed upon emotion, leisure and human compassion was hastily replaced by a focus on work ethic, greed and a strong class segregation. The rapid changes of the time benefited some people long before others. Dickens is concerned with those still waiting for improvements and raises key moral and social questions in his writing, mainly focusing upon the need for schooling, the cruelty to and corruption of children, the problems arising from rapid industrialisation and the problems created by emphasis on social class and newly acquired wealth. All of which can be seen in Hard Times. Dickens was, however criticised in his time. Gissing said that he â€Å"did not know the North of England† and that the character of Blackpool was a â€Å"mere model of meekness†. So this perceived representation of the industrial town and working class characters could be looked at sceptically by readers. To present the differences between fact and fancy Dickens uses setting: an important technique at his disposal to instil in the readers mind a clear visualisation of the differentiating places using imagery not just simple description. In this case the contrast between harsh industry and the compassion of human nature. Dickens describes Coketown as â€Å"a town of machinery and tall chimneys†, instantly giving the reader the image of an industrial Northern town, similar to the representation of Victorian industry towns and cities in modern media adaptations of Victorian novels. With its â€Å"black canal† and a river that â€Å"runs purple with ill smelling dye† the reader is instantly aware of the unpleasant setting Dickens’ creates. The bricks of the buildings here â€Å"would have been red if the smoke and ashes  allowed it†: the smoke is conditioned to be connected with the very name of Coketown. Using the colour â€Å"black† further emphasises the darkness of the industrialised Coketown, and ‘purple’ a show of contrasting fact and fancy. That is, purple in the canal being artificial yet a factual occurrence and even a product of the philosophy of fact practiced in Coketown. Ironically, Dickens uses creative metaphors in his representation of this world of facts, such as the comparison between the imagery in Coketown – the â€Å"painted face of a savage† where the reader could infer a contextual meaning – Dickens attempt to portray a supposedly civilised society truly being a savage and cruel society. The â€Å"interminable serpents of smoke† where one could consider a religious aspect – the serpent leading human kind into sin in the Garden of Eden, representing Dickens view of society of his time being led astray by the ever increasing industrialisation. The steam-engine working up and down like â€Å"an elephant in a state of melancholy madness† which supplies the reader with a depressive visualisation of the heavy, monotonous and slow industry and how it must feel to be seemingly trapped in this factory; the feeling of slowly going ‘mad’ with the repetition. Comparing these uses of imagery to Slearys circus, the reader becomes aware of a great deal of care on Dickens part from the carefully placed contrasting images. The Pegasus, the winged horse that wouldn’t be accepted in the Fact philosophy of Coketown, appears twice in the chapter titled â€Å"Slearys’ Horsemanship†. The second occurrence of which is described as â€Å"theatrical†, covered with â€Å"golden stars† with a harness of â€Å"red silk†. These all directly contradict the metaphorical animals used in Coketowns description, and the monotonous smoke stained effect given to the reader. The horse – a grand, proud â€Å"Quadruped† animal, fast, strong and agile, comparatively to the slow mad elephant of Coketown is metaphorically symbolic of not only the contrasting people of the two settings, but the places themselves and the community each possess. Contrastingly to the use of colours in the description of Coketown, the circus is filled with colours such as ‘golden’ and ‘red’, these colours being of royalty and leisure, ironically to the supposedly lesser setting of the novel. The very fabric of silk itself is a luxurious commodity. Slearys’ circus can be seen  as a place where the reader can finally ‘breathe’, away from the smoke and industrialisation that compresses them while they read of Coketown. The reader becomes aware of the significance of the difference between the two by careful detail Dickens includes and the techniques he uses. The contrast between fact and fancy is also presented in theme of education, and its characters. The school is there to instil â€Å"nothing but facts† into the children. The class room is bare, no colours or imagination, and the teachers equally stern and monotonous (almost the point of â€Å"madeness†). The use dialogue at the beginning of the novel gives Dickens the opportunity to ridicule one of the philosophers of fact in Coketown, Mr Gradgrind. The specific choice of language is worth noting as an important example of the mocking of the coldness of fact in both the world in Hard Times and contextually the Victorian era. The phrase â€Å"root out everything else†, more specifically â€Å"root†, Dickens may be presenting his dislike of the coldness towards imagination and the emotional response in the Victorian era itself by referring to the supposedly ‘non-factual’ parts of the self comparatively to weeds amongst the theoretical crop of what the Victorians classed as the intellect. The description of the other character presented in the beginning chapters, the schoolmaster Mr M’Chokemchild, is also an important example of character differences: â€Å"(†¦) some one hundred and forty (†¦) turned at the same time, (†¦) same factory, (†¦) same principles, like so many pianoforte legs†. He describes them as being made all the same, namely with the same principles, mocking the Victorian rigid beliefs. Once more, the language Dickens choses- this time he depersonalises them to emotionless characters by comparing them to mere â€Å"pianoforte legs† – to be at the foundation of and hold up the body of the fraudulent founders of the philosophy of Fact. Dickens also subtly shows the uselessness of the philosophy by the way the children, whom are supposedly â€Å"educated†, appear. For example, Louisa, who is educated by Mr Grandgrind: â€Å"(†¦) a fire with nothing to burn, a starved imagination keeping life in itself somehow(†¦)† A strongly repressed passionate young girl who through education has become depressed and cold. And Blitzer, who eagerly adhered to Grandgrinds’ teachings as a child growing up to become a uncompassionate egotist: he becomes the light porter at Bounderby’s bank, spies on Tom and the other clerks, and only follows the  economic principle of complete self-interest. Dickens tries to show how education so greatly shapes a person’s character by using the space of time that passes in the novel to show the growth of the children. More importantly to show how the forced factual education has a damaging effect on individuals – innocent individuals. This ‘killing’ of compassion in the children could be considered to be Dickens way of presenting the damage caused by ‘fact’ in society. The reader could infer that the presentation of the battle between fact and fancy, or even the mere existence of it, is significant because Dickens is presenting a contextual view into the society he is living in. Dickens was rebelling against the way imagination and compassion was viewed and the way knowledge was defined, by reflecting to readers this world and the battle between Fact and Fancy. Bibliography Dickens, Hard Times, Penguin Classics (July 2007) George Gissing â€Å"Dickens and the Working Class† (1898)

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