Katie And Joe Play

Is she the reason your grades are so low? Katie: NO it isn't about her. [Joey's phone beeps. ] Joe: Did you go to Dry. Phil yesterday by any chance? [Joe walks over to the other side of the room picks up a charger and walks towards the small round table where there was an outlet and plugs in the charger and puts his phone on the table. ] Katie: Yeah.. ; [Pause] Joe: What did you guys talk about? Katie: Doesn't matter. [Joe frowns] Joe: You know you can tell me anything, right? Katie: That's Beethoven me and Dry. Phil. [Long pause] We just talked about mom, again.Joe: Oh, I see. [Joe walks over and sits beside Katie] Katie: Mom is coming back, right? Joe: Sweetie, Janice†¦ I mean your mother, she's gone†¦ She's not coming back. [Katie starts tearing] Joe: Katie [Long Pause] are you- Katie: I'm fine! [Joe walks to the stand across the room that held napkins and walks back with the napkin at hand] Joe: Oh my god, Kate! [Katie is sobbing and takes the cushion from the sofa and buries her face in it. Joe runs to the sofa and sits down] Joe: It's going to be okay, you don't have to cry anymore. Katie cries harder.Joe lets Katie cry for a while and let it all out] Joe: It's going to be alright sweetie. Here wipe your face with this. [Joe held his hand out with the napkin still at his hand] Katie: Just leave me alone! [Katie pushes his hand out the way, the napkin flies across the room] Joe: Katie! [Katie gets up, the cushion falls. Katie tries to run out the room, Katie trips over the cushion and tries to get up, Joe tries to help. ] Katie: I said, leave me alone! [Small pause] I said I'm fine. [Joe stands back and watches Katie limp UT the room.Joe walks over to the other side of the room where his cellophane lied on the table. Joe takes out the plug and picks his phone up and dials a number. The phone rings, no one picks up. Joe walks to the bookshelf still holding onto his phone and picks up a photo album and sits down on the sofa. Joe flips through pages , slowly feeling depressed. Joe receives a phone call, he picks it up. ] Joe: Hello. Mike: Hey, you called earlier? Joe: Yeah, you busy? Mike: No why? Joe: Can you come over? Really need to talk to you.

The lottery

The Lottery Research Paper Shirley Jackson was a devoted mother and writer. Jackson didn't fit in well in North Bennington, and the town likely served as the setting for the New England town portrayed in â€Å"The Lottery. † â€Å"The Lottery' caused outrage and controversy when it appeared in the New Yorker in 1948, but many critics now consider it to be Jackson's most famous work. Jackson was sometimes thought to be a witch because of her interested in witchcraft and black magic. Almost all of Jackson's work is reflects horror, hauntings, witchcraft, or psychological unease.She also struggled with both mental and physical illnesses as an adult. Unlike other writers, she found the writing process pleasurable. â€Å"The Lottery' starts off in a town on a normal day with children going around and collecting rocks. The men of the households are called forward to a wooden box to draw slips of paper. When one of the men sees that he has the black dot on his slip, his wife immedi ately starts to argue with how the drawing wasn't fair. The family is brought to the stage where they are to draw their slips of paper. Tess (Mrs.Hutchinson) draws the paper with the black dot and is taken to the center of the town where the town's people take their stones that the children collected earlier hat day. As the villagers close in to primarily take Tess's life, all you can hear are her terrified shrilling screams. Shirley Jackson in her work â€Å"The Lottery' reveals the corrosive factors that result in our blind acceptance of morally questionable traditions that cause social paralysis. â€Å"The Lottery' starts off as a normal day in the village â€Å"it was clear and sunny with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day' Oackson 1).This is ironic because it starts off with this allusion of an enjoyable day but really by the end they end up killing one of their own villagers. Jackson does this to create a less serious atmosphere and reflect he attitudes of the community. Instantly, the boys are collecting rocks used to kill the lottery winner at the end of the story. This is an annual thing that the kids do because they have been raised and taught to do so. Because the kids are gradually and systematically exposed to these series of provoking objects and situations, they have become familiar with their actions making it an annual â€Å"game† for the kids (Linz 1).It has become a â€Å"game† for the kids because in the story it states that, â€Å"they gather together quietly for a while before they broke out into boisterous play' and that they find the smoothest and roundest rocks to stuff in their pockets. † Because the kids are repeatedly exposed to this violence it diminishes the negative affect that was once upon them. They can no longer see it as wrong or feel remorse. They blindly accept this task thats given to them every year and don't question it. The constant exposure to violence results in less physiological reactivit y to other violent actions going on around them (Linz 1).The killing of the villagers is the violence going on. Collecting stones has become a ritual that they believe is right, because it is what they have been raised to do, even though it is wrong. They are Just kids and haven't been taught that it is morally wrong to be killing friends and family. An example is at the end of the story when Mrs. Hutchinson's son was handed a few pebbles to throw at his own mother and didn't hesitate. When they are repeatedly exposed to violence 2). â€Å"Both beamed and laughed Oackson 6). This shows how they still find Joy in the situation even though they are about to kill a member of their family. The story goes on to talk about the families that are attending this so called lottery. The women are described as â€Å"housewives that gossip† Oackson 1) and aren't as authoritative as the men. While the boys are all collecting the stones, the women are â€Å"standing aside talking among th emselves. † In the story â€Å"the women began to call their children, and the children came reluctantly, having called four or five times. † When their father calls to them â€Å"they came quickly' Oackson 1).It is as if their mothers hadn't even said anything. This shows how the men are portrayed as the head of the house and they women more as Just the â€Å"housekeeper. † Their voices are not heard in this part of the story and neither at the end when Mrs. Hutchinson claims that, â€Å"It wasn't fair† and no one does anything about it but continues with the est of the lottery. Women have been known to rarely work outside the house and live their lives caring for their husbands and children while taking care of their home. Most males are prevailed as the dominant gender.The women are seen on a lower status (Gender Prejudice 1). The lottery seems to be run mostly by the men of the town. They are the ones that are in charge of the black box and most of th e ceremony. In the story the women are more resistant to the lottery while the men are the ones in control of it. This results in social paralysis of the town because no one wants to change how the lottery is run or who it's run by. When its time for the drawing, Mr. Dunbar is unable to draw so because he and his wife don't have kids the â€Å"Wife draws for the husband† Oackson 3).This all goes back to the role of the men and women in the village. The women are to produce many children so that it gives their family a better chance of surviving if their spouse is chosen in the first round (Oehlschlaeger 1). Men are the ones that go out and prevail in the business world while their wives stay home all day. When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late she makes the statement that she â€Å"Thought my old man was out back stacking wood† and that she Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink Oackson 2),† implying that her husband was doing the hard labor out in the yard while she was inside doing dishes.They mention that most of the ritual has been forgotten over the years. â€Å"The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago Oackson 1). It has become a habit that no one wants to stop. The lottery has become a social paralysis over time, not allowing anyone to step up and want to change or stop what the lottery is doing to their village. No one questions why they still do it and no one even really knows why they do it in the first place. It has lost its significance over the years and become a yearly act that no one has tried to stop.They don't want to make a new box because â€Å"No one wanted to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box Oackson 1). Tradition is a belief that has been passes down from generations, Just like in â€Å"The Lottery. † Traditions are passes on to gain that sense of continuity and bonding through each other. They are supposed to create that special connection between the fam ilies and in this case the town. That's not what it does though, No one knows the significants of the lottery anymore and no one questions ither. Old Man Warner says, â€Å"Pack of crazy fools† to the people that want to give up the lottery.They think that breaking this time-honored tradition would result in them (Tradition 1), such as drawing the paper from the box and having the men draw first then the family. Even though â€Å"So much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded Oackson 2),† they still keep that cultural sense to it. The reverence regularly provided in tradition indicates that people follow it willingly even if they don't know why. â€Å"The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions. † People follow tradition unconsciously because it's what they are taught to do.This is their blind acceptance of the lottery and social paralysis of not wanting to change what they have continued to do for numerous years. T raditions are invoked to preserve the sanctity of the past family rituals. Societies keep traditions for social connectedness and memories (Tradition 3). Throughout the story, â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson uses harsh examples of how the village blindly accepts their morally questionable traditions resulting in social paralysis. They don't want to change anything about the lottery even though most of he significance has been lost over the years.There is evidence throughout the story that shows how the people blindly accept what they are doing to their town and do it without question. This all demonstrates how society never changes or grows resulting in the social paralysis of the story. Their is social paralysis going on all around the world. Even in Pakistan there are people refusing to act upon the issue of suicide happening at large rates ( Poverty and Social Paralysis. ) The lottery is Just an example of how some societies refuse to change even though what they are d oing needs to or should be stopped. The Lottery Lisa Marie Shade Prof. Dunn ENG 102-110 August 9, 2012 The Plot Thickens- In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery†. A good harvest has always been vital to civilizations. After the fields have been prepared and the seeds sown, the farmer can only wait and hope that the proper balance of rain and sun will ensure a good harvest. From this hope springs ritual. Many ancient cultures believed that growing crops represented the life cycle, beginning with what one associates with the end–death. Seeds buried, apparently without hope of germination, represent death.But with the life forces of water and the sun, the seed grows, representing rebirth. Consequently, ancient peoples began sacrificial rituals to emulate this resurrection cycle. What began as a vegetation ritual developed into a cathartic cleansing of an entire tribe or village. By transferring one's sins to persons or animals and then sacrificing them, people believed that their sins would be eliminated, a proce ss that has been termed the â€Å"scapegoat† archetype. In her short story â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson uses this archetype to build on man's inherent need for such ritual.To visit upon the scapegoat the cruelties, that most of us seem to have dammed up within us and explores â€Å"the general psychological basis for such cruelty, showing how we tend to ignore misfortunes unless we ourselves are their victims. The Lottery’s [sic. ] then, deals indeed with live issues and with issues relevant to our time. Jackson's realism makes the final terror and shock more effective and also reinforces our sense of the awful doubleness of the human spirit—a doubleness that expresses itself in the blended good neighborliness and cruelty of the community's action. Evans, 112) Jackson weaves seasonal and life-death cycle archetypes, which coincide with vegetation rituals, into the story. The lottery takes place every year when the nature cycle peaks in midsummer, a time usually associated with cheerfulness. The villagers of a small town gather together in the square on June 27, a beautiful day, for the town lottery. In other towns, the lottery takes longer, but there are only 300 people in this village, so the lottery takes only two hours. Village children, who have just finished school for the summer, run around collecting stones.They put the stones in their pockets and make a pile in the square. Men gather next, followed by the women. Parents call their children over, and families stand together. Mr. Summers, a jovial man, who conducts the lottery ceremony, sets the tone of the event with both his name and his mannerisms. But lurking behind him, Mr. Graves quietly assists, his name hinting at a dark undertone. The picnic type atmosphere betrays the serious consequence of the lottery, for like the seed, a sacrificial person must also be buried to bring forth life. Jackson creates balance by assembling Mr.Summers and Mr. Graves to share in t he responsibilities of the ritual: Life brings death, and death recycles life. At one point in the village's history, the lottery represented a grave experience, and all who participated understood the profound meaning of the tradition. But as time passed, the villagers began to take the ritual lightly. They endure it almost as automatons–â€Å"actors† anxious to return to their mundane, workaday lives. Old Man Warner, the only one who seems to recall the seriousness of the occasion, complains that Mr. Summers jokes with everybody.But, even if one does not understand the meaning, the experience provides the individual a place and a meaning in the life of the generations. Because there has â€Å"always been a lottery† (Jackson 216), the villagers feel compelled to continue this horrifying tradition. They do focus, however, on its gruesome rather than its symbolic nature for they still remembered to use stones even after they have forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box (Jackson 218). The reader may conclude that humanity's inclination toward violence overshadows society's need for civilized traditions. Mr.Summers asks whether anyone is absent, and the crowd responds that Dunbar isn’t there. Mr. Summers asks who will draw for Dunbar, and Mrs. Dunbar says she will because she doesn’t have a son who’s old enough to do it for her. Mr. Summers asks whether the Watson boy will draw, and he answers that he will. Mr. Summers then asks to make sure that Old Man Warner is there too. Mr. Summers reminds everyone about the lottery’s rules: he’ll read names, and the family heads come up and draw a slip of paper. No one should look at the paper until everyone has drawn. He calls all the names, greeting each person as they come up to draw a paper.Mr. Adams tells Old Man Warner that people in the north village might stop the lottery; he says that giving up the lottery could lead to a return to living in caves . Mrs. Adams says the lottery has already been given up in other villages, and Old Man Warner says that’s â€Å"nothing but trouble. † (Jackson, 216). The shock value of the long process and all the moments’ one character or another could have realized the nonsense of the ritual and spoke up. When Mr. Summers finishes calling names, and everyone opens his or her papers. Word quickly gets around that Bill Hutchinson has â€Å"got it. Tessie argues that it wasn’t fair because Bill didn’t have enough time to select a paper.Mr. Summers asks whether there are any other households in the Hutchinson family, and Bill says no, because his married daughter draws with her husband’s family. Mr. Summers asks how many kids Bill has, and he answers that he has three. Tess's eagerness to see the lottery through is only paralleled by her desperation to get out of it once it turns out to be her turn. She goes so far as to try to substitute her daughter and s on-in-law for herself, yelling, â€Å"There's Don and Eva†¦ Make them take their chance! Her extreme moral compromise, as she tries to offer up her daughter for the slaughter instead of herself, underlines that this ritual has nothing to do with virtuous martyrdom; Tess is no saint. Her murder is exactly that: a vicious, group killing of a frightened, antiheroic woman. Tessie protests again that the lottery wasn’t fair. Mr. Graves dumps the papers out of the box onto the ground and then puts five papers in for the Hutchinsons. As Mr. Summers calls their names, each member of the family comes up and draws a paper. When they open their slips, they find that Tessie has drawn the paper with the black dot on it.Mr. Summers instructs everyone to hurry up. The villagers grab stones and run toward Tessie, who stands in a clearing in the middle of the crowd. Tessie says it’s not fair and is hit in the head with a stone. Everyone begins throwing stones at her, as even her own children. â€Å"Tessie may be selfish in her reaction, but her claim that the lottery is not fair may still be true. Whereas the common villagers are described as â€Å"taking† their slips, the businessmen â€Å"select† theirs—a subtle implication that the results have been rigged† (Evans, 112-113) Therefore, the base actions exhibited in groups (such as the stoning of Mrs.Hutchinson) do not take place on the individual level, for here such action would be deemed â€Å"murder. † On the group level people classify their heinous act simply as â€Å"ritual. † When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives at the ceremony late, flustered because she had forgotten that today was the day of the lottery. She chats sociably with Mrs. Delacroix. Nevertheless, after Mrs. Hutchinson falls victim to the lottery selection, Mrs. Delacroix chooses a â€Å"stone so large† that she must pick it up with both hands (Jackson 218).Whereas, on the individual level, the two women regard each other as friends, on the group level, they betray that relationship, satiating the mob mentality. The people of the town are caught up in the ritual to such an extent that they have given up any sense of logic. Mob psychology rules their actions. Though they appear to be sane, sensible individuals, when the time of the lottery comes, they abandon their rational nature and revert to the instincts of the herd. This psychological phenomenon is characteristic of humans throughout history.Although Jackson portrays it in its extreme form in this story, the idea that men and women in groups are willing to forgo personal responsibility and act with great cruelty toward others is evidenced in actions such as lynch mobs, racial confrontations, and similar incidents. â€Å"The willingness of people to act irrationally as members of the herd displays aspects that, while unpleasant, are still integral parts of their nature that they must recognize, if they are to keep them in check. † (Mazzeno) A first-time reader of â€Å"The Lottery† often finds the ending a surprise.The festive nature of the gathering and the camaraderie of the townspeople as the lottery is conducted belie the horror that occurs at the conclusion of the tale, is one of the tale’s strongest points. Another strength, however, is â€Å"the skillful way in which Jackson prepares the careful reader for the denouement by including key details so that, on a second reading, one is assured that there is no trick being played on the reader. † (Mazzeno) In comparison to the heavily symbolic figures of Mr. Graves (Death), Mr. Summers (Progress), or Old Man Warner (Tradition), Tess is resolutely anti-symbolic.She's a woman in an apron with soapsuds on her hands, who cracks jokes and wants to join in her community – but, it turns out, they don't want her back. She's the sacrificial lamb for that year, an outsider that the village then violently excludes. Althou gh civilized people may no longer hold lotteries, Jackson's story illustrates that society's tendency toward violence and its tendency to hold onto tradition, yet even meaningless, base tradition, reveal our need for both ritual and belonging.Work Cited Evans, Robert C. â€Å"The Lottery. † Short Fiction: A Critical Companion (1997): 112-119. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. Hall, Joan Wylie. â€Å"Shirley Jackson (1916-1965). † Columbia Companion To The Twentieth- Century American Short Story (2000): 310-314. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. Jackson, Shirley. â€Å"The Lottery†. Drama, and Writing Compact sixth ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2011. 213-218. Print Mazzeno, Laurence W. â€Å"The Lottery. † Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. Yarmove, Jay A. â€Å"Jackson's The Lottery. † Explicator 52. 4 (1994): 242. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug . 2012. The Lottery Lisa Marie Shade Prof. Dunn ENG 102-110 August 9, 2012 The Plot Thickens- In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery†. A good harvest has always been vital to civilizations. After the fields have been prepared and the seeds sown, the farmer can only wait and hope that the proper balance of rain and sun will ensure a good harvest. From this hope springs ritual. Many ancient cultures believed that growing crops represented the life cycle, beginning with what one associates with the end–death. Seeds buried, apparently without hope of germination, represent death.But with the life forces of water and the sun, the seed grows, representing rebirth. Consequently, ancient peoples began sacrificial rituals to emulate this resurrection cycle. What began as a vegetation ritual developed into a cathartic cleansing of an entire tribe or village. By transferring one's sins to persons or animals and then sacrificing them, people believed that their sins would be eliminated, a proce ss that has been termed the â€Å"scapegoat† archetype. In her short story â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson uses this archetype to build on man's inherent need for such ritual.To visit upon the scapegoat the cruelties, that most of us seem to have dammed up within us and explores â€Å"the general psychological basis for such cruelty, showing how we tend to ignore misfortunes unless we ourselves are their victims. The Lottery’s [sic. ] then, deals indeed with live issues and with issues relevant to our time. Jackson's realism makes the final terror and shock more effective and also reinforces our sense of the awful doubleness of the human spirit—a doubleness that expresses itself in the blended good neighborliness and cruelty of the community's action. Evans, 112) Jackson weaves seasonal and life-death cycle archetypes, which coincide with vegetation rituals, into the story. The lottery takes place every year when the nature cycle peaks in midsummer, a time usually associated with cheerfulness. The villagers of a small town gather together in the square on June 27, a beautiful day, for the town lottery. In other towns, the lottery takes longer, but there are only 300 people in this village, so the lottery takes only two hours. Village children, who have just finished school for the summer, run around collecting stones.They put the stones in their pockets and make a pile in the square. Men gather next, followed by the women. Parents call their children over, and families stand together. Mr. Summers, a jovial man, who conducts the lottery ceremony, sets the tone of the event with both his name and his mannerisms. But lurking behind him, Mr. Graves quietly assists, his name hinting at a dark undertone. The picnic type atmosphere betrays the serious consequence of the lottery, for like the seed, a sacrificial person must also be buried to bring forth life. Jackson creates balance by assembling Mr.Summers and Mr. Graves to share in t he responsibilities of the ritual: Life brings death, and death recycles life. At one point in the village's history, the lottery represented a grave experience, and all who participated understood the profound meaning of the tradition. But as time passed, the villagers began to take the ritual lightly. They endure it almost as automatons–â€Å"actors† anxious to return to their mundane, workaday lives. Old Man Warner, the only one who seems to recall the seriousness of the occasion, complains that Mr. Summers jokes with everybody.But, even if one does not understand the meaning, the experience provides the individual a place and a meaning in the life of the generations. Because there has â€Å"always been a lottery† (Jackson 216), the villagers feel compelled to continue this horrifying tradition. They do focus, however, on its gruesome rather than its symbolic nature for they still remembered to use stones even after they have forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box (Jackson 218). The reader may conclude that humanity's inclination toward violence overshadows society's need for civilized traditions. Mr.Summers asks whether anyone is absent, and the crowd responds that Dunbar isn’t there. Mr. Summers asks who will draw for Dunbar, and Mrs. Dunbar says she will because she doesn’t have a son who’s old enough to do it for her. Mr. Summers asks whether the Watson boy will draw, and he answers that he will. Mr. Summers then asks to make sure that Old Man Warner is there too. Mr. Summers reminds everyone about the lottery’s rules: he’ll read names, and the family heads come up and draw a slip of paper. No one should look at the paper until everyone has drawn. He calls all the names, greeting each person as they come up to draw a paper.Mr. Adams tells Old Man Warner that people in the north village might stop the lottery; he says that giving up the lottery could lead to a return to living in caves . Mrs. Adams says the lottery has already been given up in other villages, and Old Man Warner says that’s â€Å"nothing but trouble. † (Jackson, 216). The shock value of the long process and all the moments’ one character or another could have realized the nonsense of the ritual and spoke up. When Mr. Summers finishes calling names, and everyone opens his or her papers. Word quickly gets around that Bill Hutchinson has â€Å"got it. Tessie argues that it wasn’t fair because Bill didn’t have enough time to select a paper.Mr. Summers asks whether there are any other households in the Hutchinson family, and Bill says no, because his married daughter draws with her husband’s family. Mr. Summers asks how many kids Bill has, and he answers that he has three. Tess's eagerness to see the lottery through is only paralleled by her desperation to get out of it once it turns out to be her turn. She goes so far as to try to substitute her daughter and s on-in-law for herself, yelling, â€Å"There's Don and Eva†¦ Make them take their chance! Her extreme moral compromise, as she tries to offer up her daughter for the slaughter instead of herself, underlines that this ritual has nothing to do with virtuous martyrdom; Tess is no saint. Her murder is exactly that: a vicious, group killing of a frightened, antiheroic woman. Tessie protests again that the lottery wasn’t fair. Mr. Graves dumps the papers out of the box onto the ground and then puts five papers in for the Hutchinsons. As Mr. Summers calls their names, each member of the family comes up and draws a paper. When they open their slips, they find that Tessie has drawn the paper with the black dot on it.Mr. Summers instructs everyone to hurry up. The villagers grab stones and run toward Tessie, who stands in a clearing in the middle of the crowd. Tessie says it’s not fair and is hit in the head with a stone. Everyone begins throwing stones at her, as even her own children. â€Å"Tessie may be selfish in her reaction, but her claim that the lottery is not fair may still be true. Whereas the common villagers are described as â€Å"taking† their slips, the businessmen â€Å"select† theirs—a subtle implication that the results have been rigged† (Evans, 112-113) Therefore, the base actions exhibited in groups (such as the stoning of Mrs.Hutchinson) do not take place on the individual level, for here such action would be deemed â€Å"murder. † On the group level people classify their heinous act simply as â€Å"ritual. † When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives at the ceremony late, flustered because she had forgotten that today was the day of the lottery. She chats sociably with Mrs. Delacroix. Nevertheless, after Mrs. Hutchinson falls victim to the lottery selection, Mrs. Delacroix chooses a â€Å"stone so large† that she must pick it up with both hands (Jackson 218).Whereas, on the individual level, the two women regard each other as friends, on the group level, they betray that relationship, satiating the mob mentality. The people of the town are caught up in the ritual to such an extent that they have given up any sense of logic. Mob psychology rules their actions. Though they appear to be sane, sensible individuals, when the time of the lottery comes, they abandon their rational nature and revert to the instincts of the herd. This psychological phenomenon is characteristic of humans throughout history.Although Jackson portrays it in its extreme form in this story, the idea that men and women in groups are willing to forgo personal responsibility and act with great cruelty toward others is evidenced in actions such as lynch mobs, racial confrontations, and similar incidents. â€Å"The willingness of people to act irrationally as members of the herd displays aspects that, while unpleasant, are still integral parts of their nature that they must recognize, if they are to keep them in check. † (Mazzeno) A first-time reader of â€Å"The Lottery† often finds the ending a surprise.The festive nature of the gathering and the camaraderie of the townspeople as the lottery is conducted belie the horror that occurs at the conclusion of the tale, is one of the tale’s strongest points. Another strength, however, is â€Å"the skillful way in which Jackson prepares the careful reader for the denouement by including key details so that, on a second reading, one is assured that there is no trick being played on the reader. † (Mazzeno) In comparison to the heavily symbolic figures of Mr. Graves (Death), Mr. Summers (Progress), or Old Man Warner (Tradition), Tess is resolutely anti-symbolic.She's a woman in an apron with soapsuds on her hands, who cracks jokes and wants to join in her community – but, it turns out, they don't want her back. She's the sacrificial lamb for that year, an outsider that the village then violently excludes. Althou gh civilized people may no longer hold lotteries, Jackson's story illustrates that society's tendency toward violence and its tendency to hold onto tradition, yet even meaningless, base tradition, reveal our need for both ritual and belonging.Work Cited Evans, Robert C. â€Å"The Lottery. † Short Fiction: A Critical Companion (1997): 112-119. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. Hall, Joan Wylie. â€Å"Shirley Jackson (1916-1965). † Columbia Companion To The Twentieth- Century American Short Story (2000): 310-314. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. Jackson, Shirley. â€Å"The Lottery†. Drama, and Writing Compact sixth ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2011. 213-218. Print Mazzeno, Laurence W. â€Å"The Lottery. † Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-2. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug. 2012. Yarmove, Jay A. â€Å"Jackson's The Lottery. † Explicator 52. 4 (1994): 242. Literary Reference Center. Web. 6 Aug . 2012. The lottery The Lottery Research Paper Shirley Jackson was a devoted mother and writer. Jackson didn't fit in well in North Bennington, and the town likely served as the setting for the New England town portrayed in â€Å"The Lottery. † â€Å"The Lottery' caused outrage and controversy when it appeared in the New Yorker in 1948, but many critics now consider it to be Jackson's most famous work. Jackson was sometimes thought to be a witch because of her interested in witchcraft and black magic. Almost all of Jackson's work is reflects horror, hauntings, witchcraft, or psychological unease.She also struggled with both mental and physical illnesses as an adult. Unlike other writers, she found the writing process pleasurable. â€Å"The Lottery' starts off in a town on a normal day with children going around and collecting rocks. The men of the households are called forward to a wooden box to draw slips of paper. When one of the men sees that he has the black dot on his slip, his wife immedi ately starts to argue with how the drawing wasn't fair. The family is brought to the stage where they are to draw their slips of paper. Tess (Mrs.Hutchinson) draws the paper with the black dot and is taken to the center of the town where the town's people take their stones that the children collected earlier hat day. As the villagers close in to primarily take Tess's life, all you can hear are her terrified shrilling screams. Shirley Jackson in her work â€Å"The Lottery' reveals the corrosive factors that result in our blind acceptance of morally questionable traditions that cause social paralysis. â€Å"The Lottery' starts off as a normal day in the village â€Å"it was clear and sunny with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day' Oackson 1).This is ironic because it starts off with this allusion of an enjoyable day but really by the end they end up killing one of their own villagers. Jackson does this to create a less serious atmosphere and reflect he attitudes of the community. Instantly, the boys are collecting rocks used to kill the lottery winner at the end of the story. This is an annual thing that the kids do because they have been raised and taught to do so. Because the kids are gradually and systematically exposed to these series of provoking objects and situations, they have become familiar with their actions making it an annual â€Å"game† for the kids (Linz 1).It has become a â€Å"game† for the kids because in the story it states that, â€Å"they gather together quietly for a while before they broke out into boisterous play' and that they find the smoothest and roundest rocks to stuff in their pockets. † Because the kids are repeatedly exposed to this violence it diminishes the negative affect that was once upon them. They can no longer see it as wrong or feel remorse. They blindly accept this task thats given to them every year and don't question it. The constant exposure to violence results in less physiological reactivit y to other violent actions going on around them (Linz 1).The killing of the villagers is the violence going on. Collecting stones has become a ritual that they believe is right, because it is what they have been raised to do, even though it is wrong. They are Just kids and haven't been taught that it is morally wrong to be killing friends and family. An example is at the end of the story when Mrs. Hutchinson's son was handed a few pebbles to throw at his own mother and didn't hesitate. When they are repeatedly exposed to violence 2). â€Å"Both beamed and laughed Oackson 6). This shows how they still find Joy in the situation even though they are about to kill a member of their family. The story goes on to talk about the families that are attending this so called lottery. The women are described as â€Å"housewives that gossip† Oackson 1) and aren't as authoritative as the men. While the boys are all collecting the stones, the women are â€Å"standing aside talking among th emselves. † In the story â€Å"the women began to call their children, and the children came reluctantly, having called four or five times. † When their father calls to them â€Å"they came quickly' Oackson 1).It is as if their mothers hadn't even said anything. This shows how the men are portrayed as the head of the house and they women more as Just the â€Å"housekeeper. † Their voices are not heard in this part of the story and neither at the end when Mrs. Hutchinson claims that, â€Å"It wasn't fair† and no one does anything about it but continues with the est of the lottery. Women have been known to rarely work outside the house and live their lives caring for their husbands and children while taking care of their home. Most males are prevailed as the dominant gender.The women are seen on a lower status (Gender Prejudice 1). The lottery seems to be run mostly by the men of the town. They are the ones that are in charge of the black box and most of th e ceremony. In the story the women are more resistant to the lottery while the men are the ones in control of it. This results in social paralysis of the town because no one wants to change how the lottery is run or who it's run by. When its time for the drawing, Mr. Dunbar is unable to draw so because he and his wife don't have kids the â€Å"Wife draws for the husband† Oackson 3).This all goes back to the role of the men and women in the village. The women are to produce many children so that it gives their family a better chance of surviving if their spouse is chosen in the first round (Oehlschlaeger 1). Men are the ones that go out and prevail in the business world while their wives stay home all day. When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late she makes the statement that she â€Å"Thought my old man was out back stacking wood† and that she Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink Oackson 2),† implying that her husband was doing the hard labor out in the yard while she was inside doing dishes.They mention that most of the ritual has been forgotten over the years. â€Å"The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago Oackson 1). It has become a habit that no one wants to stop. The lottery has become a social paralysis over time, not allowing anyone to step up and want to change or stop what the lottery is doing to their village. No one questions why they still do it and no one even really knows why they do it in the first place. It has lost its significance over the years and become a yearly act that no one has tried to stop.They don't want to make a new box because â€Å"No one wanted to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box Oackson 1). Tradition is a belief that has been passes down from generations, Just like in â€Å"The Lottery. † Traditions are passes on to gain that sense of continuity and bonding through each other. They are supposed to create that special connection between the fam ilies and in this case the town. That's not what it does though, No one knows the significants of the lottery anymore and no one questions ither. Old Man Warner says, â€Å"Pack of crazy fools† to the people that want to give up the lottery.They think that breaking this time-honored tradition would result in them (Tradition 1), such as drawing the paper from the box and having the men draw first then the family. Even though â€Å"So much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded Oackson 2),† they still keep that cultural sense to it. The reverence regularly provided in tradition indicates that people follow it willingly even if they don't know why. â€Å"The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions. † People follow tradition unconsciously because it's what they are taught to do.This is their blind acceptance of the lottery and social paralysis of not wanting to change what they have continued to do for numerous years. T raditions are invoked to preserve the sanctity of the past family rituals. Societies keep traditions for social connectedness and memories (Tradition 3). Throughout the story, â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson uses harsh examples of how the village blindly accepts their morally questionable traditions resulting in social paralysis. They don't want to change anything about the lottery even though most of he significance has been lost over the years.There is evidence throughout the story that shows how the people blindly accept what they are doing to their town and do it without question. This all demonstrates how society never changes or grows resulting in the social paralysis of the story. Their is social paralysis going on all around the world. Even in Pakistan there are people refusing to act upon the issue of suicide happening at large rates ( Poverty and Social Paralysis. ) The lottery is Just an example of how some societies refuse to change even though what they are d oing needs to or should be stopped. The lottery The Lottery Research Paper Shirley Jackson was a devoted mother and writer. Jackson didn't fit in well in North Bennington, and the town likely served as the setting for the New England town portrayed in â€Å"The Lottery. † â€Å"The Lottery' caused outrage and controversy when it appeared in the New Yorker in 1948, but many critics now consider it to be Jackson's most famous work. Jackson was sometimes thought to be a witch because of her interested in witchcraft and black magic. Almost all of Jackson's work is reflects horror, hauntings, witchcraft, or psychological unease.She also struggled with both mental and physical illnesses as an adult. Unlike other writers, she found the writing process pleasurable. â€Å"The Lottery' starts off in a town on a normal day with children going around and collecting rocks. The men of the households are called forward to a wooden box to draw slips of paper. When one of the men sees that he has the black dot on his slip, his wife immedi ately starts to argue with how the drawing wasn't fair. The family is brought to the stage where they are to draw their slips of paper. Tess (Mrs.Hutchinson) draws the paper with the black dot and is taken to the center of the town where the town's people take their stones that the children collected earlier hat day. As the villagers close in to primarily take Tess's life, all you can hear are her terrified shrilling screams. Shirley Jackson in her work â€Å"The Lottery' reveals the corrosive factors that result in our blind acceptance of morally questionable traditions that cause social paralysis. â€Å"The Lottery' starts off as a normal day in the village â€Å"it was clear and sunny with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day' Oackson 1).This is ironic because it starts off with this allusion of an enjoyable day but really by the end they end up killing one of their own villagers. Jackson does this to create a less serious atmosphere and reflect he attitudes of the community. Instantly, the boys are collecting rocks used to kill the lottery winner at the end of the story. This is an annual thing that the kids do because they have been raised and taught to do so. Because the kids are gradually and systematically exposed to these series of provoking objects and situations, they have become familiar with their actions making it an annual â€Å"game† for the kids (Linz 1).It has become a â€Å"game† for the kids because in the story it states that, â€Å"they gather together quietly for a while before they broke out into boisterous play' and that they find the smoothest and roundest rocks to stuff in their pockets. † Because the kids are repeatedly exposed to this violence it diminishes the negative affect that was once upon them. They can no longer see it as wrong or feel remorse. They blindly accept this task thats given to them every year and don't question it. The constant exposure to violence results in less physiological reactivit y to other violent actions going on around them (Linz 1).The killing of the villagers is the violence going on. Collecting stones has become a ritual that they believe is right, because it is what they have been raised to do, even though it is wrong. They are Just kids and haven't been taught that it is morally wrong to be killing friends and family. An example is at the end of the story when Mrs. Hutchinson's son was handed a few pebbles to throw at his own mother and didn't hesitate. When they are repeatedly exposed to violence 2). â€Å"Both beamed and laughed Oackson 6). This shows how they still find Joy in the situation even though they are about to kill a member of their family. The story goes on to talk about the families that are attending this so called lottery. The women are described as â€Å"housewives that gossip† Oackson 1) and aren't as authoritative as the men. While the boys are all collecting the stones, the women are â€Å"standing aside talking among th emselves. † In the story â€Å"the women began to call their children, and the children came reluctantly, having called four or five times. † When their father calls to them â€Å"they came quickly' Oackson 1).It is as if their mothers hadn't even said anything. This shows how the men are portrayed as the head of the house and they women more as Just the â€Å"housekeeper. † Their voices are not heard in this part of the story and neither at the end when Mrs. Hutchinson claims that, â€Å"It wasn't fair† and no one does anything about it but continues with the est of the lottery. Women have been known to rarely work outside the house and live their lives caring for their husbands and children while taking care of their home. Most males are prevailed as the dominant gender.The women are seen on a lower status (Gender Prejudice 1). The lottery seems to be run mostly by the men of the town. They are the ones that are in charge of the black box and most of th e ceremony. In the story the women are more resistant to the lottery while the men are the ones in control of it. This results in social paralysis of the town because no one wants to change how the lottery is run or who it's run by. When its time for the drawing, Mr. Dunbar is unable to draw so because he and his wife don't have kids the â€Å"Wife draws for the husband† Oackson 3).This all goes back to the role of the men and women in the village. The women are to produce many children so that it gives their family a better chance of surviving if their spouse is chosen in the first round (Oehlschlaeger 1). Men are the ones that go out and prevail in the business world while their wives stay home all day. When Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late she makes the statement that she â€Å"Thought my old man was out back stacking wood† and that she Wouldn't have me leave m'dishes in the sink Oackson 2),† implying that her husband was doing the hard labor out in the yard while she was inside doing dishes.They mention that most of the ritual has been forgotten over the years. â€Å"The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago Oackson 1). It has become a habit that no one wants to stop. The lottery has become a social paralysis over time, not allowing anyone to step up and want to change or stop what the lottery is doing to their village. No one questions why they still do it and no one even really knows why they do it in the first place. It has lost its significance over the years and become a yearly act that no one has tried to stop.They don't want to make a new box because â€Å"No one wanted to upset even as much tradition as was represented by the black box Oackson 1). Tradition is a belief that has been passes down from generations, Just like in â€Å"The Lottery. † Traditions are passes on to gain that sense of continuity and bonding through each other. They are supposed to create that special connection between the fam ilies and in this case the town. That's not what it does though, No one knows the significants of the lottery anymore and no one questions ither. Old Man Warner says, â€Å"Pack of crazy fools† to the people that want to give up the lottery.They think that breaking this time-honored tradition would result in them (Tradition 1), such as drawing the paper from the box and having the men draw first then the family. Even though â€Å"So much of the ritual had been forgotten or discarded Oackson 2),† they still keep that cultural sense to it. The reverence regularly provided in tradition indicates that people follow it willingly even if they don't know why. â€Å"The people had done it so many times that they only half listened to the directions. † People follow tradition unconsciously because it's what they are taught to do.This is their blind acceptance of the lottery and social paralysis of not wanting to change what they have continued to do for numerous years. T raditions are invoked to preserve the sanctity of the past family rituals. Societies keep traditions for social connectedness and memories (Tradition 3). Throughout the story, â€Å"The Lottery,† Shirley Jackson uses harsh examples of how the village blindly accepts their morally questionable traditions resulting in social paralysis. They don't want to change anything about the lottery even though most of he significance has been lost over the years.There is evidence throughout the story that shows how the people blindly accept what they are doing to their town and do it without question. This all demonstrates how society never changes or grows resulting in the social paralysis of the story. Their is social paralysis going on all around the world. Even in Pakistan there are people refusing to act upon the issue of suicide happening at large rates ( Poverty and Social Paralysis. ) The lottery is Just an example of how some societies refuse to change even though what they are d oing needs to or should be stopped.

Worship and Prayer Practices of Islam and Zoroastrianism Essay

Worship and Prayer Practices of Islam and Zoroastrianism - Essay Example The question of how these two religions, despite having almost the same origins, these two are very similar yet very distinct from each other. Examples of their similarities are that both religions are monotheistic by nature, that is their followers believe in one and only one God, Allah for the Muslims and Ahura Mazda for the Zoroastrians. Also both religions hold that Allah and Ahura Mazda had only one prophet sent to preach their teachings, namely: Muhammad for Allah and Zoroaster for Ahura Mazda. Another thing that connects both religions to one another and to any other religion is the belief in a place of salvation (heaven, in Christian terms) and a place of damnation (hell, in Christian terms). This paper discusses the worship and prayer practices of the two religions and how they similar and different in many aspects. Islam is the world's second largest religion, next to Christianity. Though it origins is Middle Eastern, its practice is not only limited in there but also other parts of the world such as Asia and Europe. According to 2005 estimates and census, there are about 900 million to 1.4 billion Muslims today. It is a monotheistic religion which believes that the one and only true God is Allah and Muhammad is his sole prophet. The "Islam" is derived form an Arabic term which means "to be subservient" or "to be obedient". This explains the humble nature of Muslims when it comes to their worship practices ("Islam"). Islam is a religion that is mainly divided into two: Sunni and Shia Islam. Sunni Islam is often referred to as orthodox Islam while Shia is a more contemporary form. The difference between these two factions is mostly based on political issues although lately there has been other deeper reason involved. Sunni Muslims comprise about 85% of the Muslim population while Shia is about 15%. Each division has 4 schools dedicated to the teaching of theology ("Afghanistan."). Some notable Muslims are: Ibn Sina known in the West as Aviccena "the doctor of doctors". He contributed many scientific and theological concepts in his time and was especially known for his works in chemistry and medicine. Another noble Muslim is El Zharawi or Albucasis, the "Father of Surgery". He was known to have written a 30-volume encyclopedia known as At-Tasrif, containing extensive discussions about medical and surgical procedures. Contemporary Muslims and converts to Islam include: Mike Tyson (Heavyweight boxer), Ice Cube (American rapper) and Malcolm X/Malcolm Little, an Afro-American Civil rights leader known by his Muslim name Malik Shabazz (Almed). Muslims refers to their sacred book as the Qu'ran or Koran in other languages, which is believed to have been handed by Allah himself to his prophet Muhammad. It is from the Qu'ran that the 5 tenets of Islam are derived: First: Shahadah, the belief in one and only one God, Allah and that his sole prophet is Muhamad. The second one is Salah, the recitation of the 5 daily prayers. The third one is Sawn, or fasting in the period of Ramadan. The fourth is Zakat, the giving of alms and the last on is Hajj or the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one's lifetime ("Islam"). The Salat/Salah, the 5

Prodigies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prodigies - Essay Example Teachers at Queensmill encouraged him to speak by taking away his art drawings so that he could ask for them when he needs them. He responded by making some sounds, which made him to eventually utter his first word paper and he finally, learned to speak when he was nine years old (Sacks, 2012). He is highly interested in American cars; Stephen became fascinated with architectural drawing of landmark London buildings. One of his teachers took him on a drawing excursion and entered his work in children’s competition, of which he won many of the awards. The media become impressed and suspicious on how a young child could sketch such masterful drawings. The interest from the local media became national when he attained eight years of age; thus, enabling him launch his lifelong career. When he turned nine, he received his first work from the Prime Minister Edward Heath to make an architectural drawing of Salisbury Cathedral. At the age of 10, Stephen embarked on his project dubbed, London alphabet, which was a group of pictures depicting landmark structures that are found in London starting from Albert hall to London zoo (HappeÃŒ  & Frith, 2009). He did many things correctly to achieve fan base, fame and financial stability that he enjoys currently. A mixture of good intuitive decisions and raw talent from that tender age was his recipe for success. He is much motivated and he feels encouraged when he makes other people feel happy thereby making him proud, he has a motto that says, â€Å"Do the best you can and never stop. He cannot live alone because he needs moral support from close family relatives; this is evident as he still lives with his mum (Sacks, 2012). Stephen is very confident and loves London. He is an ambassador for those suffering from autism and their parents. He also assists the disabled by talking to them and telling them how drawing changed his life. Wiltshire is

The Black Death 1348-1350 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Black Death 1348-1350 - Research Paper Example Epidemics similar to the Black Death have followed over the centuries. The Great Plague of 1665 was also akin to the Black Death and led to the deaths of around 15-20 percent of the populationi. The controversies around the Black Death’s causes and effects bring out the historical significance of the pandemic in more than one way. Causes The deaths during the second pandemic (The Black Death) were brought about by an epidemic which entailed appearance of sore swelling of lymph nodes in different parts of the human body (especially armpits and groin). High fever followed this and caused deaths rapidly. The epidemic was supposedly caused by black rat fleas and popularly known as the Bubonic plague. The initial belief about the endogenous nature of the Black Death does not hold true in the modern time. Rather, scientists have detected some external pathogen, a rod shaped bacteria called Yersinia pestis as the responsible factor. A Swiss biologist Alexandre Yersin identified this in 1894, much after the plague had mercilessly cut down the population of Europeii. Yersin also concluded that rodents and insect vectors spread this bacterium amongst human beings. The particular flea which causes this disease is known as xenopsylla cheopisiii. Despite the differences in opinions amongst historians, they agreed on some common points while analyzing the factors behind the Black Death. During the High Middle Ages, Europe was undergoing a persistent population growth along with almost disease-free society. Apart from this, innovations and advancements in technological and agricultural fields, Europe also managed some political stability which brought about a decrease in invasion. This provided a perfect environment for the increase in population from 25 million to 75 million (from 950 to 1250) and a rapid urbanization or development of townsiv. Despite all, a majority of wealth came from the land and its produce. The advancements made in agricultural techniques led to improvements in soil and seed quality and therefore, brought about better cultivation. The Medieval Europe reached the peak of development during 1200-1250. From 1250 onwards some changes took place and environmental or climatic changes were significant among these. According to historians understanding these changes were important to observe the impact on pre-modern society. The movements of glaciers and pollens indicate an improvement in this respect till early thirteenth centuryv. This situation of â€Å"little optimum†vi enabled all round development in political, social and economic arenas. But the environment grew colder gradually and this affected agriculture. Even trade was hampered and hence supply of foodstuffs became scarce. High fertility rates and continuous population growth worsened the situation. The surplus in food production built over the years began to fall. While the environment grew colder and wetter, a severe Malthusian crisis emerged in Europe which w as growing economically poorvii. Food prices also began to increase and conditions of peasants worsened under pressure from the landlords. However the population of peasants began to increase owing to low mortality rates and absence of any killing disease. Crop failures and famines pursued. As food crops became scarce, people began to live more on livestock. Unhealthy eating habits

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Media - Assignment Example In fact, the music is associated with the gang life rather than a liberation movement. Sports have changed the lifestyle of people because of the engagement in sport both as players and fans of the game. Changes in technology have ensured that sports can be played even at night (Beverly and Thomson 78). The desire to watch games has ensured the media technology that has changed significantly. People watch games on 3D television sets and even develop affiliation to a certain type of game. The advertisement of the sports has been intensive leading to the creation of association and loyalty. The sampling of a population for a survey is complex especially when the number of individuals involved is large. For the company, it cannot survey all its employees due to the cost constraints. However, the sample size should reflect the dynamic nature of the population including the special interest groups. For the 160,000, the company must be able to cover over 75% of the entire population which gives confidence level of 75% and above. Therefore, the company must survey close to 100,000 employees to ensure

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Advanced Accounting Theory & Practice - Essay Example For that objective, the standard has classified different economic units as assets, equity, liabilities, income, expenses and cash flows. This classification is used to prepare and present different types of financial statements such as statement of financial position, statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows. The IAS 1 provides different qualitative characteristics which are highly essential to be depicted by the financial statements. Fair presentation suggests that the financial statements faithfully represent the effects of the economic transactions and conditions which must be complying with the framework definition, recognition and measurement criteria for assets, equities, liabilities, income and expense as well. In the following parts of this paper, first key features of IAS 1 along with different types of financial statements have been accounted for. Subsequent to that, a description elaborating qualitative characteristics has also been included. It is followed by illustrative example representing how Royal Dutch Shell prepares and presents its consolidated statement of comprehensive income. Before the conclusion, critical evaluation of IAS 1 has been described to highlight the shortcomings of the accounting standard. International Accounting Standard (IAS 1) provides a framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements. IAS 1 prescribes that the basis for presentation of ‘general-purpose financial statements’1, defined as statements develop to meet the needs of the users who require an entity to prepare reports tailored to their important information needs. This definition covers both consolidated and separate financial statements. Interestingly, IAS 1 does not specifically apply to the structure, content and form of interim financial statements, which are detailed in IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting, but many of its basic underpinnings such as consistency

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Measuring Up to Customer Expectations - Essay Example ith this consideration, the paper intends to discuss about the present customer service as well as expectations within Samsung which have emerged from the delivery of superior products and services by the organisation. Moreover, in the main findings section, various strategies which could be applied by Samsung to deliver consistent as well as effectual customer services within the competitive marketplace will also be evaluated. Apart from these strategies, this paper also provides certain recommendations which can be fruitful for the organisation to sustain customer service excellence going forward. Customer service is regarded as a service stipulation which organisations’ deliver prior to and after a product purchase. Customer service involves a sequence of activities which are designed by an organisation in order to enhance the level of customer satisfaction through delivering products and services as per the customers’ expectations. The significance of customer service may differ in terms of industry, a company’s products and services. Superior interpersonal communication system is quite essential in order to enhance customer services through which an organisation can attain excellent competitive advantage. In the present business scenario, customer service is considered as a significant consideration where every leading organisation always attempts to meet effective level of customer expectation (University of Cambridge, 2012; Newby & McManus, 2002; Richmond/ Wayne County, n.d.). In this similar context, it can be said that customer service is a kind of systematic process which is utilised in order to make certain that customer satisfaction is achieved by delivering products as well as services according to the demands of the consumers. In accordance with the present business situation, customer service generally takes place while operating a transaction process regarding products’ sales and service. Moreover, it is considered as a vital constituent

The framing of the church settlement of 1559 Essay Example for Free

The framing of the church settlement of 1559 Essay Elizabeth faced numerous obstacles following her accession as Queen of England, but the main sector of concern was the religious aspect of society. England was at war against the France, as they sided with the Spanish, and also the Parliament was a key constituent of Elizabethan religious settlement. The Parliament was a hindrance to Elizabeth’s progress as many of the Parliament members were religious conservatives, which implied difficulty when presenting and passing the bill to the House of Commons. Presenting the bill to the House of Lords would prove toughest to Elizabeth and her ministers. It cannot be denied that her personal preference and her Counsel’s decisions respectively played a large role in making sure the bill was passed, although it must be acknowledged that she and her councilors had to compromise to achieve their main religious aims. Susan Doran believes that Queen Elizabeth had successfully fulfilled her goal in terms of religious settlement, while her councilors thought the general outcome fell short of her primary plans. The complicated international affairs that England was stuck in after Mary’s reign put Elizabeth in a troublesome position. As Edmund Grindal, Bishop of London, proposed, plans for religious settlement were heavily delayed to the desperate search for peace. Elizabeth had to deviate from her main plans for religious settlement has she had to be involved in he ongoing war against Spain, which England had entered in 1557, later into Mary’s reign. Furthermore, to make matters worse, she had to prevent any potential threat to the throne from Mary Stuart, who was in alliance with France. In order to prevent Catholic nations from turning against England and to avoid any large-scale domestic uprising amongst English Catholics, Elizabeth was keen on not infuriating Catholics. She pursued this plan by retaining certain aspects of the traditional Catholic Church. On the other hand, she still showed signs of Protestant settlement, as she had recalled her papal ambassador and had formed alliance with strongly Protestant German princes. The Peace of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559 would emphasise on the link between Elizabethan religious settlement and England’s international affair. Even though, this would result in the loss of Calais, the borders neighbouring Scotland would be soothed and English settlement could be spread more quickly. In addition, retaining hope in Philip II to potentially marry Elizabeth in the nearer future would enable Philip II to make sure the Pope did not take any action against Elizabeth. Although, she does eventually get excommunicated, this is much later on in the reign where Philip II’s hopes have dried up. After international affairs were gradually settled through the peace treaty, it was her personal preference that played a key role in the religious settlement. It is crystal clear that Elizabeth desired a Protestant settlement but not a radical one. She rejected papal authority unsurprisingly and also denied the concept of transubstantiation, which caused tremors amongst the more conservatives of Elizabeth’s reign. Even with clear motives of Protestant settlement, she was still keen on sustaining certain traditional and conservative aspects of the Church. She was very fond of Catholic ornaments in the Royal Chapel and had Catholic musicians and choir in her presence. Even though she rejected the doctrine of transubstantiation, she still partially accepted the concept that there was some sort of presence in the communion bread and wine, which was a common though amongst Lutherans. Such personal preference were reflected directly in her proposal to Parliament as she wanted to reintroduce the 1552 Book of Common Prayer and break away from papal authority. However, the House of Lords did not allow the bill to be passed, which is why Elizabeth and her ministers had to take a different approach to religious settlement. Furthermore, Elizabeth’s counsel could be considered another large body to have influenced religious settlement. She had appointed members who had previously served Edward VI, which would imply an already-Protestant mindset. It is acknowledged that there were many members of her Privy Council who were strong Catholics for international affairs of not having Catholic states turn against England. However, as her appointment of Francis Knollys, earl of Bedford, and William Cecil, she was still keen on having the fundamental protestant foundation even within her councilors. For instance, William Cecil and Nicholas Bacon were key members of the Privy Council who were able to advise and guide the Queen before and during initial rejections and failures of passing the Bill. Such failures including Winchester and Shrewsbury voting against the Bill still emphasise the influence the members had on Elizabeth’s decision and the Bill itself. The last large consideration that influenced religious settlement was the Parliament itself. It had rejected the first bill proposed by Elizabeth until they made amendments for the final settlement. Elizabeth tried to discredit and Marian bishops before the amended bills were to be re-proposed to Parliament. Although Elizabeth was indeed able to hinder the Catholic bishop, there were key amendements made in the bill. For instance, Elizabeth was given the title â€Å"Supreme Governor† not â€Å"Supreme Head†. It is unclear whether or not this change in title name was for conservative reasons or to calm political stirs of a woman naming herself superior to laymen. However, it still ensured her to have as much authority as Henry VIII or her brother. Amendements in the Uniformity Bill targeted the concept of transubstantiation as people were not in favour of the complete denial and rejection of this doctrine. Therefore, priests modified the words used in the Uniformity Bill to create deliberate ambiguity. This would allow diverse interpretations to be made by peers allowing less opposition. Last, the â€Å"Ornaments Rubric† allowed traditional vestments and ornaments to be sustained in Church. It can be argued that the Catholics Bishops in the House of Lords had finally been given the upper hand; however, it must also be taken into consideration that this could simply have been part of Elizabeth’s personal preference as she was keen on keeping traditional ornaments in her Royal Chapel. In conclusion, the framing of the religious settlement of 1559 was based on numerous factors. The main influence on the settlement was her personal religious preferences such as the traditional ornaments and a not-so-radical Protestant movement. The international dilemma she was stuck in had indeed hindered her progress of Protestant settlement. However, as this tribulation cleared up, her council members could help her construct her bill to be passed. However, the Parliament’s involvement or influence must also be considered largely as it rejected the first Bill and allowed important amendments to be made.

Victorian society Essay Example for Free

Victorian society Essay How does Arthur Conen Doyle manipulate the conventions of the genre and an audiences expectations and deliver the moral messages that Victorian society would have expected?  The two stories that I have studied, The Man with the twisted lip and the adventure of the Speckled Band are both written by the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle between the years 1859 1930. They also both feature in the story Sherlock Holmes, along with a side kick, Doctor Watson.  Sherlock Holmes stories were not initially published in books, they were printed in Serial form in the Strand magazine. The Contempory audience at the time would have been familiar with the characters and the story being told from Doctor Watsons point of view, and the way in which the investigations are carried out. The Generic expectations of murder mystery stories is that there would be a villain and a victim, the crime is usually by an aggressive man who has a motive and is violent, short tempered and known as a gold digger. The villain is also expected to be male and clever. The victim is usually a female and is typical of the generic expectations of a murder mystery. She would be vulnerable and an hairness who had money. The detective would not be part of the law and would conduct his investigation in an appropriate manner. The crime is usually atypical and would usually be a weapon and well planned and executed and crime solved by Holmes, and justice is always done, and the person who commits the crime is always punished. The clues and the evidence of the story would be to entertain, following clues and the reader predicting the end. The scene and the setting of the crime would be a quiet place, enclosed and dark. The investigation of the crime would be atypical, it would be how and not who did it and the investigator does the investigation as a hobby. An audience would also expect to find evidence, clues and a motive that leads to an investigation and usually a solution. The investigation and crime would be solved by a detective, with an assistant at his side. The Villains in the two stories appear to be typical of the conventions or expectations of a murderer, a typical murderer in a murder mystery story is male, aggressive, shrine, unpleasant and has something to gain from the death of his victim. In the Adventure of the Speckled band the villain is Dr. Roylott, uncle to the first victim. Helen Stoner who was his stepfather and stood out to Doctor Roylott as her mother was well off so Helen stood to inherit money which made her a target for Doctor Roylott. Helen Stoner describes Doctor Roylott as Uncontrollable in his anger, this makes the reader think that he is frightening to this because she doesnt know how he will react at any particular time. Through Watsons narration of Roylott, Conan Doyle creates an image of a wild animal, a hunter, a savage beast. Roylott is described as a fierce old bird of prey and on leaving the apartments, he snarled at Holmes at Watson like a vicious dog. In the man with the twisted lip the villain is Hugh Boon, whom the author describes him as having a bull dog chin which makes the reader believe that he is dog like, savage and vicious. He is a typical villain with a violent and rough past, he seams unreal with inhuman features. The quotes like bile shot eye gives the reader the impression that he is very angry and furious. Thoughout the story Boon is described as a perputial snarl by Doctor Watson, a old Scar by Watson and repulsive ugliness by Doctor Watson. The writer was subverting our generic expectations because we do not expect to know who the villain is at the start, however, the writer conforms our generic expectations because of the setting, the motives and the murder method. In The Adventure of the speckled band the victim is Helen Stoner, step daughter of Dr Roylott. Her mother was quite well off so Helen stood to inherit money income of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½250 which made her a ideal target for her stepfather. In the man with the twisted lip Neville St Clare, who was an atypical victim was the apparent victim. He was an atypical victim because of the financial gain. Neville St Clare was also a villain, and he wanted to cover this up, he was saw in a window looking very agitated. The crime and investigation in both stories subverts the generic expectations. In The Adventure of the speckled band the investigation is atypical because Holmes in investigating how not who. There is no weapon in the crime, its a snake which does the damage and subverts the generic expectations, so its atypical to the generic expectations. In The Man with the Twisted Lip, there is no crime committed even though it is a murder mystery. Sherlock Holmes investigates the mystery and finds the villain was the victim. The detectives in both stories are atypical because Holmes does it for a hobby, the enjoyment and mental stimulation. In the end, Neville St. Clare was barred from begging ever again and Doctor Roylott was hoist by his own petard.  In Conclusion, I think that these two stories are both typical in the majority of the ways in a murder mystery genre because they both adhere to the generic expectations of a murder, detective story.

Social Networking Sites In Election Campaigns Media Essay

Social Networking Sites In Election Campaigns Media Essay Internet is fast growing communication tool these day with numerous social networking sites operating and eminent personalities posting their thoughts on them and communicating with people. It is becoming the medium of election communication as political parties across the world are logging on to the Internet and it is impacting the political system and voting behaviours. An interesting phenomenon in political communication is the use of social networking sites like Facebook, You Tube and Friendster, that are being used as a means of election campaigning. The study focuses on use of social media in political campaigning and communication in past at different countries and how these can be implemented in Indian scenario and what would be its types and benefits. Table Of Contents Introduction 2 Past Cases ( Use of SNS in EC ) 6 Benefits 9 Presence in India 10 Conclusion 12 Introduction: Social networking sites are online services or platforms that focus on building and reflection social relations among people. They proved to be a fundamental communication tool in every aspect and a limitless source of information campaign strategy. Their effectiveness to gather and communicate a targeted political message, raising the stakes in strategy and aggressive social media participation helps in election campaigning. The use of social networking sites in political parties spans across increased media exposure, funding, participation and has increased mobilisation and enthusiasm in numerous recent political campaigns. Social networking sites has become fast and low cost communication tool and enables quick and easy access to political information among potential users. Campaigning managers use these sites as an effective way for recruiting new employees and other campaigning strategies. From past two decades social networking sites and systems is been used in political campaigning and dialogues. In year 1996 email and social networks was widely used as source of communication among political parties and groups of people. During year 2006 at Belgian elections catchphrase Think was circulated among people through Myspace so as to stimulate people in discussions and thought around voting preference and encouraging people to reconsider voting for right party. In the same year a survey was conducted on Myspace users over 18 years of age and it was found that they were three times more likely to take part in an online political discourse than traditional way. In year 2007 it was found out that 40% of all social networking users  had  used Myspace and Facebook  as a source for  political information  in the United States (US) and  20%  of people used  these sites  to discover the political interests of their friends.  It has been  suggested  that Myspace is so effective that it should be a key part to any campaign strategy. Barack Obama has successfully used Twitter, Myspace, Youtube and Facebook as an effective tool in communicating and mobilising people. He spends around $2 million in election campaigning and building a social networking site known as MyBarackobama.com. Republican Party also used social networking sites in 2008 elections to promote John McCain. There is great potential for political parties to raise large sums of money in short periods of time using social networking sites through micro-fund-raising. The use of micro-donations not only enable candidates to raise funds rapidly it gives a sense of involvement and participation to those who have donated, no matter how small the amount. In the year 2008 US presidential election $55 million was raised in one month and 80% of which were online donations. With social networking sites political campaigning add to a visibility to politicians personal and professional life. It leads to accountability and risk. As they can filmed anywhere and these could be uploaded anytime which goes around like a disease among people and can be used for political gains. These political strategies were used in American politics. Another fact related to same is that some parties even hire people who not only keep track of their accounts but also of competitors account and keeps on uploading and distributing such video content through Youtube. . An example of this  high-level of exposure can be seen in the 2006 US election cycle  as  one senator was filmed making a racial slur, which was uploaded to YouTube and it became the most viewed video. This increased exposure of political candidates adds another dimension to political campaigning of smear campaigning of opposition candidates with ease. While political parties may not have the level of control over the content that is distributed but these social networking  sites have facilitated an  increase  in  the rate of political participation.  As these networking sites create an easily accessible medium for people to find, distribute and absorb. Evidence from a number of studies supports the theory that the Internet has beneficial effects on online political involvement. Internet use encourages higher levels of political participation: for example, forwarding e-mails with political content, online voting, and so forth. And online communications through social networking sites can aid in political engagement. YouTube and other social media sites allow campaign strategies to easily target limitless voters with great communication power. According to a Pew Internet and American Life study, 46% of American voters have used the Internet, text messaging or email for political mobilisation, discussion and to access political news and information and 35% of people in the US watched political videos on YouTube. In 2008 presidential elections in US new technologies combined with these social networking sites have been used as to advertise to potential voters and their mobilisation. The demographic for the internet has widened and social networking is no longer just for young people. In year 2006 over 50% of American YouTube and Myspace users were 35 years or older, and the proportion of 12 to 17 year olds were declining. Social networking sites  do not just represent a young demographic.  Politically engaged people  and political participation is increasing throughout the community through the use of social networking sites. Thus, social networking is playing a substantial role in political process in recent years. Not only it has been effectively utilised by political parties of western countries in the campaign cycles, political issues groups and otherwise unrepresented minorities, but also as a means of open and uncensored communication for citizens in countries with oppressive government control over other media conduits. The use of these online tools has seen a shift in the funding models of political parties through the highly effective use of micro-donations. These sites have expanded the reach and accuracy of strategically targeted communications by political parties to potential voters.  There is an increase in  political participation  and people garner a greater sense of contribution through the use of social networking sites and social media, influencing involvement with political parties in the greater community.   Social networking sites have proven to be a powerful political tool and we can only expect that it will grow limitlessly alongside the political machine. Past Cases of Social Networking Sites as a tool in Election Campaigning: Kenya Elections: In Kenya elections in year 2006 these social media such as Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Flickr etc. is been used in mobilising and sharing and gathering of information and raising the money in restricted time. It was also seen social media as a way to get involved in political parties response to mainstream media. During the Kenya post-election crisis people mobilised a website called Ushahidi for people to collaboratively report where violent clashes has taken place. Perspectives and commentary on the post-2006 election crisis in Kenya were seen in online networking sites as a way to criticise the media and government and it was found that views and discussion topics seen in social networking sites were much more diverse that seen in mainstream media. Internet and Social Networking Sites in Election Campaigns: Gabriela Womens Party in Philippines wins the 2007 Elections Philippines also embarked on using Internet, social networking sites and the mobile phones for their 2007 elections. Gabriela Womens Party (GWP), among others, was one of them. Given the limited funds for mass forms of communication, the party made use of new communication technologies, in particular, the Internet and social networking sites like YouTube and Friendster along with its website, to augment traditional campaign techniques. The (GWP) won two seats, making it the first and only womens group in the country to attain such a feat in the party list group contest (Alojamiento, 2007). Maximizing YouTube YouTube and Friendster are very popular among young female Internet users in the country. It was only logical for the GWP to turn to these sites to expand their networks and establish their presence among Filipino voters. Political advertising is an obsession among politicians in the country especially when it comes to TV advertising. All parties make efforts to be on television and spend the maximum amounts on advertising. Television advertising being expensive, the GWP after a few commercials on television, extended this kind of advertising to YouTube by uploading a video endorsement of Angel Locsin, a young local celebrity. Use of Social Media in US : Over the past two decades  online  social networking  sites and  systems  have  been  effectively  used  to increase political  dialogue. In 1996 email was widely used across social networks as a means of facilitating  people and groups for political purposes .  In 2007 it was estimated that  40% of all social networking users  had  used Myspace and Facebook  as a source for  political information  in the United States (US) and  20%  of people used  these sites  to discover the political interests of their friends.   Barack Obama successful used Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook among others to communicate and mobilise people. He also had a $2 million dollar custom campaigning and social networking site built called MyBarackobama.com (Walmsley 2008; Crow 2008; Talbot 2008).  The Republican party used social networking sites during the 2008 to promote candidate John McCain, even at 71 years of age, which demonstrated their understanding of the importance of its use. Political parties are now actively engaging with social networking sites as part of their campaign strategies. Political campaign strategies have successfully used social networking sites to increase campaign funding. Howard Dean, in 2004, was the first US politician to explore the financial value in using the Internet as part of his campaign strategy. He successfully used the Internet to facilitate small donations online instead of the traditional big fund-raising events. During this same year Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry raised $80 million in online donations. Within two months of creating a MySpace page during the US 2006 election cycle one Republican candidate raised donations by 20%  The Barack Obama campaign during the 2008 US presidential election raised $55 million in one month 80% were online donations and 90% of those were under $200 each. This was before he had run a single fund-raising event . Social networking sites create an easily accessible medium for people to find, distribute and absorb political information. YouTube and other social media sites allows campaign strategies to easily target limitless voters with great communication power .According to a Pew Internet and American Life study, 46% of American voters have used the Internet, text messaging or email for political mobilisation, discussion and to access political news and information 35% of people in the US watched political videos on YouTube .This ease of access combined with new technologies enables campaigners to strategically target and customise their marketing approach. Social networking sites enable a more targeted approach to election campaigning. The US Republican 2008 presidential campaign used an internal database, called the Voter Volt, matched with internet searches to advertise to potential voters using social networking sites .These new technologies combined with the use of social networking sites not only increases the accuracy of the campaign message through targeted advertising, it has also helped to increase the size of the audience.  During the 2008 US Election new technologies allowed The Republican National Committee to increase the number of potential voters on their database by 6-fold compared to their 2004 campaign .The use of these new tools have the added potential to increase mobilisation. Benefits of Social Networking Sites usage in Political Campaigning: Mass Coverage: The biggest advantage that social networking sites provide in an election campaign is of mass coverage with sites such as Myspace, Twitter, Facebook , Youtube, Linkdein , orkut etc. Data table from i strategy labs generating no of users of facebook between age of 18 and 24 are as follows: It can be seen youth between age 18 and 24 using facebook accounts for 40.8% and in middle age group constitute of 16.6%. So political parties targeting youth and middle age group can be benefited if campaigning through these sites. Cost Effective : Political campaigning through these sites is very cost effective methods as the cost involved is very low. And in past micro donations can be arranged easily through these sites only. This has been seen in presidential elections in year 2008 taken place ay US. Emergence of new political parties: With social networking sites as a tool used for election campaign emergence of new political parties can be seen. More of individual politicians are encouraged and are emerging out in elections. They are reaching to public with their ideas being communicated well using the videos on Youtube or post on twitter or on Facebook account or through blogs with many followers acting as agents and their promoters. Environmental and Societal benefits: The other benefits associated with campaigning through networking sites are of environmental and societal benefits to general public in all. While campaigning through these sites the major tool of campaigning traditionally that is pamphlets is through emails, posts and blogs. Thus reducing the usage of paper and saving trees. Also society is saved from traffic jams, noise pollutions when campaigning is done on these sites. Moreover while campaigning on these sites an add on feature of more visibility leading to accountability is been ensured, giving a right to voters to have all information and then deciding upon the right candidate to vote for. Presence in India: Political parties in this day and age are now trying to use web as a medium to gain attention of the masses. Employing internet as a strategy to make an appeal to the masses is also being used a host of NGOs and non-profit organizations, such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy and Public Interest Foundation. These organisations are using internet, alongwith traditional media like radio and television, to launch initiatives geared toward raising awareness among the electorate. There are nationwide campaign ensuring to increase transparency in Indian elections by combining information about constituencies and candidates. The purpose of these campaigns are: Provide information regarding the representatives based on the information they have provided through affidavits to the Election Commission   Provide information about a constituency Give a chance to the public to give feedback on work done by their elected representatives The media excitement around the election is being generated by the middle-class urban youth, who   believe in bringing about a change. Of late, many Indian politicians have begun considering internet as a viable medium for interactive communication and are, consequently, making their presence felt in the World Wide Web.  For instance BJP has launched a website for its prime ministerial candidate and for its chief ministerial candidate as well. Similarly, even the congress party is making use of social networking sites like youtube, facebook, twitter etc. to run social marketing campaigns. Thus, the presence of social networking sites in the indian electoral scenario is spellbound as the political parties now are resorting to online campaigning and voting systems. CONCLUSION : The present study and other studies cited in this paper mostly point out to both the importance of new media technologies and the trend towards their exploitation in current political settings. Their maximization for political campaigning should be viewed, however, in the context of where these new technologies operate Though studies have demonstrated that new technologies have been playing significant roles in campaigns in the US, the diffusion of online campaigning in parts of Asia, particularly in the Philippines, is unfolding but at a slower pace. These do not discount the promises of the Internet for political campaigning. If offline conditions change, it is likely that online uses will follow. In the meantime, it is important to look at the Internet as an integral part of a holistic political campaigning strategy, which can complement the use of traditional media and grassroots campaigning by reaching the growing segment of the population using the Internet. Future studies in this field of political communication would help in understanding how far the applications of the Internet and its contemporaries would go in bringing political actors closer to the public and how politics itself would change in the years to come as these new technologies become more sophisticated at the same time societies around the world evolve and change

Censorship Essay -- essays research papers

Recently in the news, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) fined Johnny Sauter, one of their drivers, $10,000 as well as charging him 25 points for â€Å"inappropriate† comments made after a BUSCH race in Las Vegas. The words said were at the conclusion of a race in which the driver had been putting his life on the line at over 200 mph. Fueled with adrenaline, the words spoken were not words ordinarily used by Sauter, however, NASCAR legislated just the same (McCormick). This case is the most recent of many that censorship has become a major battleground. Since first the shootings of April 1999 in Columbine Colorado, and most recently, the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show in which singer Justin Timberlake exposed the breast of fellow singer Janet Jackson, the government has made it its priority to influence the entertainment industry to put into place new rules, such as the one in NASCAR, to regulate â€Å"inappropriate† material, therefore increasi ng censorship. On top of this, the industry itself has begun to attempt a type of self-censorship. Although censorship has been around for ages, what is it and why does it exist? Censorship in today’s era is a higher power attempting to prevent disturbing or painful sights, sounds, or any other information form from reaching the public in order to keep a feeling of well moral being. However, the main question in today’s times is whether or not censorship is necessary in today’s world, and if the government should be able to force censorship on the entertainment industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though the case involving the NASCAR driver is the most recent ridiculous form of censorship, it has taken place throughout the history of entertainment itself. However, in the past ten years, after censorship laws had begun to loosen, the media and the government has once again begun to pull tighter on the censorship blindfold, covering society’s eyes. After the shootings in Colorado, many wrongfully took up arms against the entertainment industry, convincing society that the blame for the teen’s actions should fall on the violence they viewed in movies and on TV. Therefore, following the shootings, the House of Representatives held a hearing to help determine any new bills that should be put into place to restrict the entertainment industry. As written by Virginia Postrel in an article for Reason magazine... ...utting blame else ware, parents, as well as other authority figures, are not solving the problem, rather, they are throwing dry wood on a fire which is already beginning to burn out of control. Censorship is not, nor has it ever been an answer. It is simply another way to cover up this modern reality, and though at times it may be harsh, it is what is real that makes one into who he or she shall become. By allowing censorship, one is hurting both those who create media art and the audience for whom the art is meant. Therefore, as quoted from Postrel’s article â€Å"Creative Matrix,† â€Å"Curbing new ideas hurts not only individual creators but the audience for which they create and the posterity that inherits their legacy.† Work Cited: Lowenthal, David. â€Å"Why the Mass Media Must Be Censored.† Furist October 1998. Eisner, Michael E. â€Å"A Little Restraint, Please.† The Wall Street Journal 24 April 1998. Postrel, Virginia. â€Å"Creative Matrix.† Reason August/September 1999. McCormick, Steve. â€Å"Nascar Censorship Reaching New Heights.† 28 Nov 2004 Associated Press. â€Å"Poll: Janet's Revelation No Crime.† 21 Feb 2004. 28 Nov 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Censorship Essay -- essays research papers Recently in the news, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) fined Johnny Sauter, one of their drivers, $10,000 as well as charging him 25 points for â€Å"inappropriate† comments made after a BUSCH race in Las Vegas. The words said were at the conclusion of a race in which the driver had been putting his life on the line at over 200 mph. Fueled with adrenaline, the words spoken were not words ordinarily used by Sauter, however, NASCAR legislated just the same (McCormick). This case is the most recent of many that censorship has become a major battleground. Since first the shootings of April 1999 in Columbine Colorado, and most recently, the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime show in which singer Justin Timberlake exposed the breast of fellow singer Janet Jackson, the government has made it its priority to influence the entertainment industry to put into place new rules, such as the one in NASCAR, to regulate â€Å"inappropriate† material, therefore increasi ng censorship. On top of this, the industry itself has begun to attempt a type of self-censorship. Although censorship has been around for ages, what is it and why does it exist? Censorship in today’s era is a higher power attempting to prevent disturbing or painful sights, sounds, or any other information form from reaching the public in order to keep a feeling of well moral being. However, the main question in today’s times is whether or not censorship is necessary in today’s world, and if the government should be able to force censorship on the entertainment industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though the case involving the NASCAR driver is the most recent ridiculous form of censorship, it has taken place throughout the history of entertainment itself. However, in the past ten years, after censorship laws had begun to loosen, the media and the government has once again begun to pull tighter on the censorship blindfold, covering society’s eyes. After the shootings in Colorado, many wrongfully took up arms against the entertainment industry, convincing society that the blame for the teen’s actions should fall on the violence they viewed in movies and on TV. Therefore, following the shootings, the House of Representatives held a hearing to help determine any new bills that should be put into place to restrict the entertainment industry. As written by Virginia Postrel in an article for Reason magazine... ...utting blame else ware, parents, as well as other authority figures, are not solving the problem, rather, they are throwing dry wood on a fire which is already beginning to burn out of control. Censorship is not, nor has it ever been an answer. It is simply another way to cover up this modern reality, and though at times it may be harsh, it is what is real that makes one into who he or she shall become. By allowing censorship, one is hurting both those who create media art and the audience for whom the art is meant. Therefore, as quoted from Postrel’s article â€Å"Creative Matrix,† â€Å"Curbing new ideas hurts not only individual creators but the audience for which they create and the posterity that inherits their legacy.† Work Cited: Lowenthal, David. â€Å"Why the Mass Media Must Be Censored.† Furist October 1998. Eisner, Michael E. â€Å"A Little Restraint, Please.† The Wall Street Journal 24 April 1998. Postrel, Virginia. â€Å"Creative Matrix.† Reason August/September 1999. McCormick, Steve. â€Å"Nascar Censorship Reaching New Heights.† 28 Nov 2004 Associated Press. â€Å"Poll: Janet's Revelation No Crime.† 21 Feb 2004. 28 Nov 2004   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚