A Great Deliverance Essay essays

A Great Deliverance Essay essays The Use of the Sidekick in Contemporary Detective Fiction It is sometimes difficult to find a detective novel worth reading, especially amidst all of the grocery store trash that many people seem to thrive on and consider great literature. However, two contemporary authors are rising to meet just that challenge. Elizabeth George and Patricia Cornwell do not use cheap tactics to win readers over. They take classic detective fiction approaches to make their novels interesting and worth reading. By using creative techniques as well as contemporary approaches to investigation, both authors are able to create and redefine detective fiction for the new age of readers. One of the most classic themes of detective fiction is that of the detective and a sidekick. This has become an age-old tradition, dating back to Edgar Allan Poe and more famously, Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Both Patricia Cornwell and Elizabeth George make good use of this theme in their novels Postmortem and A Great Deliverance, respectively. Cornwell and George address contemporary societal conflicts as well as the problem of keeping a balance of normalcy and reality within the detective fiction novel through the use of similar detective sidekicks. Detective assistants are a critical yet necessary aspect of solving crimes. They occur throughout the history of the detective fiction genre, beginning with Poe and the unknown narrator who assists Auguste Dupin in solving his murder cases. The sidekick however, has developed and changed much over the years from this beginning nameless and mostly voiceless character. Instead of simply standing back and narrating as the detective solves the crime, cotemporary assistants have become just as involved in the crimes as the primary investigators. They make judgments, provide new ideas, and even in some cases use their own deduction and skills to save the ...

The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example

The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Essay Example The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Paper The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos Paper The final step in the opening credit sequence is the title screen detailing The Sopranos. The viewer is presented with a black scene in the centre of which is the white block letter spelling out The Sopranos. This title screen itself may semiotically provide much information regarding the themes of the television programme once its layers of meaning are extricated and analysed. Treating firstly the importance of the simple colours of this screen- black and white- the themes of the show are visible. The traditional semiotic meaning that is assigned to these two colours aid in the production of these themes. White is mostly explicitly recognised as the colour of the good, the virginal/pure in contrast to the assigning of the colour black to the evil, the mysterious, danger, death and malice. The assigning of meaning to these two colours can be traced back in anthropological terms to the Western worlds view of white people as being good whilst the black people from the continent of Africa were inherently evil and not to be trusted. This dichotomy was later applied to the notion of the goodies versus the baddies and can be seen in the title of graphics detailing a main theme of the show- the good guys or the police, reflected in the white, battling against the bad guys or Tony Soprano and his mafia family, reflected in the black. These colours can also represent the struggle in Tonys world between right and wrong and his struggle with his morality and religious faith. Throughout the series, Tony has many crises of faith and a few attacks of conscience. Thus the black may reflect Tonys dark side, with his underhand dealings and deadly intent, and the white may represent Tonys faith, his belief in Catholicism and his need to do good in some form. However as the graphics show the black impedes on the white possibly illustrating the fact that Tony has a great struggle between right and wrong. To analyse the typography of the sequence it is again possible to find meaning implicitly embedded in it. The letters spelling out The Sopranos are thick and have blunt edges. The letters in the original are also large and white and stand out prominently from the black background. The typography used is illustrated below. This may be analysed semiotically as being a reflection of the character of Tony Soprano- solid and dependable with a large stature who is rough around the edges; possibly a reflection of his brutal streak. It may also serve to provide meaning about the Soprano family as a whole- large, close-knit and very prominent in society (reflected by the white standing out against the black background). Finally the representation of the downward facing gun as spelling out the R of The Sopranos is important for the assigning of meaning also. According to Freud, the gun can be viewed as a phallic symbol, a representation of the male penis and thus is a reflection of the male sexual drive. The gun may connote power and male sexual potency along with aggression and danger. The sexual exploits of Tony Soprano and his power sexually as well as physically is a main theme of the show, and is referred to implicitly in the title graphics. Thus it is possible to say that the title screen of the opening credit sequence of the show provides meaning semiotically through colour codes, typographic presentation and symbolic representation. Themes of the show such as the good versus the bad, violence and sexual prowess are all reflected through the simple yet highly effective title sequence. The opening credit sequence of The Sopranos may also be analysed semiotically as one explores the assigning of meaning to maleness and indeed the image of the gangster i. e. Tony Soprano. By analysing this sequence in-depth it is possible to detail information that the average viewer may neither implicitly nor explicitly decode whilst watching the television programme. The semiotic representation of Tony Soprano in the opening credit sequence reveals a lot about his character. Throughout the sequence Tonys face is obscured by shadows and darkness, the lower part of his face i. e. from his nose down, is the only part visible. If one is to assign meaning to this it is possible to say that Tony is a mysterious man with a dark mind/ dark thoughts. His face is obscured as he drives from New York to New Jersey; from work to home. It is only when he arrives home that Tony is fully visible/ fully illuminated. This reflects the idea that Tonys work life is dark and mysterious, full of secret dealings and murders, and that his home life and his family provide him with the bright/highlights of his day. In the car, Tony is the only person visible. He steers the car suggesting that he is a person who is solely in control and in power. It also suggests that he is an actor in his own future, that he directs his life and controls his destiny. This is again emphasised by the continuous close-up shots of Tonys hands and arms. The affluence of Tonys life and his materialism that is shown in the show is reflected in the opening sequences. There is a continual emphasis on Tonys gold jewellery connoting opulence, richness and his carelessness with money. The cigar that Tony smokes is also a symbol with several layers of signification for this opulence but also on another layer of meaning it may be seen as phallic, reflecting Tonys masculinity and raw sexual energy. The theme of money is again reinforced with the shot of the bank reflecting possibly Tonys implicit need for financial security for himself and his family. The religious aspect of Tonys personality is also detailed. The shot of the cathedral/church illustrates Tonys Catholicism but the shot is somewhat obscured by branches of trees. This may signify the crisis of faith that both Tony implicitly and his wife Carmela explicitly have in the show. Tony is religious, he has faith but this faith is obscured by the sins that he has committed and the illegal dealings that he is involved in. the image is almost a black and white image reflecting the clear cut base belief in God that Tony and the Soprano family hold. A red canopy on the front of the church is important as its semiotic analysis reveals that the colour red connotes a raw energy, vigour and spirituality. This reinforces the strong position that religion plays in Tonys life. The appearance of the graveyard also provides us with information about the show. The long shot of the gravestones illustrates that death will be a prevalent theme as it proves to be with all the murders carried out by Tony and his mafia gang in the show. The appearance of the butchers shop stands as signification on two levels- the butcher per se as the murderer e. g. Tony, and as standing for an immoral behaviour. The pig on top of this shop stands as a symbolic representation of Tonys greed for both food and money and for his selfishness and over-indulgence. The Pizzaland shop also reflects his greed for food and Tonys traditional Italian roots. Tonys arrival at home is also important to analyse semiotically. His movement through the gates signifies that he has entered a new phase of his life and as he moves up his driveway this signifies that an end has come to his journey, he is at rest and secure/content. Thus by performing a semiotic analysis of Tony and certain scenes from the opening credit sequences it is possible to ascertain what are the important areas of Tonys life i. e. family, religion, sex, money, food, revenge etc. The use of colour in the opening credit sequence is of particular importance in this semiotic study. There are many different meanings assigned to colours and their use in certain contexts can be highly significant in the development of meaning and therefore, themes. Tony is dressed in a maroon coloured shirt. This colour is associated with bravery and strength, which is indicative of Tonys character despite his cruel and brutal streak. The road signs signalling New Jersey, Tonys home-place, are green. Green is associated here with Tonys home-life and his family and this colour connotes peace and serenity, all feelings that Tony himself hopes to associate with his family. A colour that is of a particular significance due to its connotations is silver. The colour silver connotes justice and purity due to its association with the silver swords of the knights of olden times- protectors of freedom, upholders of morality and keepers of peace and justice. For this reason the colour is also connotative of the police as they have taken on the contemporary role of the knight. Silver freight lorries are frequently shown in the opening sequences but they are always shown travelling in different directions to Tony, never with him or even close to him. A freight truck may act as a symbol for carrying a heavy load or a burden, so the silver trucks may connote Tonys anxiety regarding being caught/followed by the police. His journey in opposite directions to these silver trucks may also act as signification that he has left purity/justice behind and is leading an immoral life. It is possible to even suggest that the colour of Tonys house is indicative to meaning. As Tony drives home, he passes by many white family homes, which bear the American flag thus connoting morality and good. Tonys house however is brown or not white signifying something other than purity and wholesomeness. Thus by analysing the use of colours and in particular their use in certain contexts it is possible to ascertain that themes such as immorality, family and fear of the police will feature as themes in this show. An important part of any semiotic analysis of a film or television programme is that of the soundtrack. Music works primarily on the level that it can rely on the spoken word as it is sung to create meaning instead of the visual image. Non-verbal communication is also employed in music to create meaning with the use of certain instruments to evoke emotions and atmosphere. According to Self (1988:116) title sequences together with title music, are instrumental in communicating the mood and themes of the coming production. The show uses the same song at the beginning of each episode. The song is Goy yourself a Gun and its lyrics play on the notion of the mob and the gun which are both themes in a way in the programme. The song plays slowly and quietly at the start of the sequence as Tony leaves the city and gains in speed and audibility, as he gets closer to home. This illustrates that he feels strongly about where he lives and about his family. According to the song, if one is to relate it to Tony, he was born under a bad sign with a blue moon in your (his) eyes (lines 7-8). This provides a hint to Tonys character, that he is immoral and does not follow the rules. Having blue moon in ones eyes is indicative of Tonys upward gazing idea, that one must better themselves regardless of how they do this even if the rules must be broken. The repetition of this song at the beginning of each episode helps to continually create the overall atmosphere of the show as being one of immorality and violence connoted by the gun in the song.

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - Essay Example Three distinct approaches can be used in persuasive writing: appeals through ethos, pathos, and logos, which are terms derived from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, and which refer to morals, emotions or reason respectively. The two articles are compared, showing similarities and differences in the way they use these appeals, and then also instances where they use fallacies. The principle of ethos as used in the study of rhetoric can be defined as â€Å"persuasion through the moral character† (Cockcroft and Cockcroft, 2005, p. 4). In modern English, the word ethics is used in connection with making choices between good and bad actions. In rhetoric, it refers to the person who is attempting to persuade others through the written or spoken word. Ethos is defined in rhetoric as containing two separate concepts, namely personality, and stance. (Cockcroft and Cockcroft, 2005, p. 28) The personality aspect deals with how the writer presents him or herself, while stance relat es to the attitude that the writer has towards the audience or readership. In the first article, the author’s name and qualifications are given at the end of the article: â€Å"Professor Ian Hickie is the executive director of Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Research Institute† (Hickie, 2009, p.1). The academic titles â€Å"Professor† and â€Å"executive director† imply that this person is a senior member of a respected institution, with high qualifications and important responsibilities in Australian society. The purpose of this description is to inspire confidence and give the impression that this person knows more than the average individual, and is an expert, especially in the field of the human brain. The writer launches into his article with a confident statement about â€Å"really smart countries† and then issues a clear instruction: â€Å"To achieve that aim, we need to....† Another instruction, in a somewhat gentler tone, is given later such as â€Å"It’s time we really took some hard choices...† There is an even gentler suggestion towards the end: â€Å"let’s do something...† followed by a very strong direct command in the last line: â€Å"Lift the age to 19 and make a real difference now† (Hickie, 2009, p.1). This pattern shows a strong ethos of a teacher telling people what to do, using both direct instruction and more subtle persuasion, which is an example of his skill in changing his stance in relation to the readership in order to appear both authoritative and considerate. In contrast to this high-status individual, the writer of the second article, (Blake, 2010, p.1) is described without any title: â€Å"Joshua Blake is a Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Queensland.† Interestingly the author also makes specific reference to his own status in defense of a statement that he makes about Australian binge drinking culture: â€Å"How do I know this? I’m a 19-year-old who regularly sees my peers getting drunk...† (Blake, 2010, p.1). The age is cited here because the author wants to make the point that he has direct experience of the issue of age-related binge drinking connected with rites of passage in student life.  

Scottich Dolphin Centre, Spey Bey, Moray Assignment

Scottich Dolphin Centre, Spey Bey, Moray - Assignment Example There is diversity in the types of experiences. Whereas the only aspect that that all of the tourism experiences or products share is their inclusion of the element of wildlife, discussion and the labelling of the wildlife tourism, as a separate class of tourism turning out to be more and more common (ARLUKE, and SANDERS, 1996). The development of wildlife and marine tourism has been as a response to the increasing number of the individuals who seek to combine the efforts of conservation with their time offs or retreats. In the last few decades, there has been a rising demand for tourism which is inclusive of the features of the natural environment and really promotes but not destroying the natural environment (BATTEN, 2009). Marine and tourism has some aspects and one such aspect is making sure that this kind of tourism an actual interaction with the nature is encouraged whereas championing the efforts of conservation in the region. This puts the consumer in a better position of acc omplishing their desired vacation experience whereas the natural environment is not interfered with at all as it continues to flourish. This kind of tourism actually draws inferences from various areas that are outside of the sector of tourism. Bringing the ideas or concepts of the various areas of research is what gives a good experience of wildlife tourist. Wild Scotland is among the most fundamental agencies or departments for the Scottish wildlife and marine tourism (WEAVER, 2007). The Wild Scotland is a none-profit making organization that offers the tourists the opportunities of getting involved with the wildlife together with activity holidays with the experts in the area. The organization was established in the year 2003, and then came to incorporate the Activity Scotland in the year 2011. Since the incorporation, it now includes all of the responsible nature tourism present in the country. According to the organization, they have an understanding of nature tourism as a comm ercial undertaking that should be well taken care of; that is environmentally, economically as well as ecologically to continue being in a position of providing future nature tourism in the country (WILKERSON, 2009). This is also same with some other organizations that are concerned with matters wildlife and marine tourism worldwide. One of the countries that lead in the provision of marine and wildlife tourism is Australia. This is particularly true because the country has some exceptional species that cannot be found easily anywhere else in the world (VEAL, 2006). However, what make the nature tourism to be successful in the country is the efforts made by the government, good and proper conservation and marketing. There are some parks in the country that keep the highly rare and species that are endangered, and these are in high demand by the tourists who travel from different parts of the world just to come and see (HENNING, 2009). This implies that these species are given the be st possible care, thus giving the tourists the chance of being able to view something very unique that they cannot find easily in their countries or any other parts of the world. This is something that the tourism industry of Scotland can actually learn for the purposes of future development of the industry. This can really be done by putting a lot of stress on the

Fine Tuning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Fine Tuning - Essay Example The key findings will demonstrate how ‘Accounting Ratios’ for August, ‘Analysis of History’ and ‘Recommendations’ on improving the situation can positively impact the company. It will have three main bodies such as Accounting Ratios, History, and Recommendations. The structure of the assignment envisages a main body, which will be divided into different sections based on the topic to be covered and each section will be arranged under a separate subheading. This way, it will become clear as to who is required to read the report. Activity 2 encompasses an analytical and in-depth research on accounting ratios for December. This has then been compared and contrasted with data pertaining to August. An analytical review of the history of trading from August-December has been conducted with the aid of graphs, tables and the relevant evidence has been shown by referring back to the graphs and tables. Subsequently, based on the recommendations endorsed in Activity 1, clear evidence is presented to show the effectiveness of the action plan was. This, again, will be divided into three main bodies including Accounting Ratios, History, and the evidence of successful Action Plan. An investigation of this nature will help the company to determine its current organisational and operational anomalies that have contributed to a fall in their profitability. An analysis of various accounting ratios spanning over several months, which is one of the aims of this study, will help them to identify problems that have contributed to this phenomenon. In addition, it will also enable them to pinpoint the source of the problems so that they can take appropriate measures to address them adequately. Therefore, this study envisages a thorough analysis of various financial statements of the company right from January to June by applying an analysis of various ratios. Once the relevant ratio analyses are undertaken

Influences Of Mother Tongue On Second Language English Language Essay

Influences Of Mother Tongue On Second Language English Language Essay In many research on second language classroom, the role and influences of mother tongue or first language (L1) on second language (L2) learning has always been a hotly debated issue. There have always been contradicting views about whether or not to use L1 of the students in the second language classroom. During the past 30 years, in the late seventies to early eighties, the idea of using mother tongue in language classroom was not a favored one. Majority of the language classroom used solely L2 while the use of L1 is avoided totally (Liu, 2008). In fact, many supported the use of L2 only so as to provide full exposure to that language. The use of L1 in the language classroom is deemed as depriving the learners input in L2 (Ellis, 1984). Despite the many arguments from both proponents and opponents of the use of L1 in the L2 language classroom, linguistic researchers failed to provide a conclusion for this issue and could not reach a common ground on whether the use of L1 is considered as a facilitator or a barrier in the acquisition of second language. According to Nation (2003), L2 should be fully utilized as much as possible in a foreign language classroom (in this context, English). Though L2 should be the core language used in classroom management and learning, the use of L1 should not be abandoned as it has a minute but significant role in language learning (Nation, 2003). Apart from Nation (2003), there are many linguists and researchers in the field of second language acquisition who agreed that L1 should be utilized in the language classroom in particular with students who are not highly proficient in the target language (Swain Lapkin, 2000; Tang, 2002; Mattioli 2004). This suggests that L1 plays an important role in the language classroom especially for the low proficiency learners. However, not many empirical studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of using L1 as a tool for low proficiency learners in L2 classroom (Bouangeune, 2009). Therefore, this paper seeks to find evidence to support the theory that L1 can facilitate the learning of L2 in the classroom learning. Classroom learning for languages encompasses four language skills, for example, reading comprehension, writing, and vocabulary learning. As a head start, this paper will examine the use of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning. 1.2 Research Objectives Liu (2008) did a rather straightforward and comprehensive research on the effects of L1 use on L2 vocabulary learning. In his study, he managed to prove that bilingual vocabulary teaching method is actually suitable for Chinese EFL learners (Liu, 2008). Inspired by his research, this study aims to address the problem of low proficiency learners in Malaysian secondary government school. This study will replicate the research done by Liu (2008) to investigate the role of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning. Also, this study intended to identify whether L1 is a facilitator or a barrier to the L2 vocabulary learning in Malaysian context and how L1 facilitates the language learning. The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of L1 use in L2 vocabulary learning on low proficiency L2 learners. 1.3 Research Questions Based on the objective, this study seeks to measure how L1 facilitates the low proficiency L2 learners to understand the meanings of new words. This study aims to answer the following questions: What are the effects of using L1 in L2 vocabulary learning classroom? To what extend does the use of L1 increase the performances of L2 vocabulary learning. From here, we propose the following hypotheses: There are significant differences between the performances of students with different language approach in the vocabulary learning. The bilingual approach (incorporating L1 in L2 classroom learning) is suitable to low proficiency L2 learners. 1.4 Purpose of the Study This study sets to focus on L2 vocabulary learning due to the reason that acquisition of vocabulary has a fundamental role in learning a second language (SÃ ¶kmen, 1997). In other words, vocabulary learning is inter-related to other language skills. A number of studies claimed that L2 learners need to have extensive knowledge of vocabulary as it is useful in the long term run (Nation, 2001). Since the acquisition of vocabulary is so important in learning a second language, effective ways of teaching and learning vocabulary should be emphasized. Research has confirmed that proper application of L1 can effectively assist the memorization of new words during L2 vocabulary learning process. Liu (2008) used the fact that L1 is present in L2 learners mind, therefore, whether the teacher uses L1 or not, the L2 knowledge that is being formed in their mind is linked in all sorts of ways with their L1 knowledge. This observation is supported from the sociocultural theory perspective that L1 meanings continue to have a persistent effect in the L2 learning (Lantolf Thorne, 2006). Therefore, it is hope that through this study, we are able to draw some insights concerning the role of L1 and how L1 provides a familiar and effective way for acquiring and understanding the meaning of new words in L2 vocabulary learning. 1.5 The Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework for this study is based on three prominent second language acquisition theory, namely the Krashens Monitor Model (1985), Swains Output Hypothesis (1985) and Comprehensible Output (1995) and Longs Interaction Hypothesis (1996). It has been widely acknowledged that the three constructs of these theories, the input, interaction and output are closely related elements in L2 learning (Zhang, 2009). The input is vital for language acquisition. However, input alone is not sufficient. In addition, interaction comes into play as an equally important role in the process of learning. As for output, it is the final result or the goal in learning L2. 1.5.1 Krashens Input Hypothesis The Input Hypothesis is the most important hypothesis out of the five hypotheses generated by Krashen (1985) in second language acquisition. This hypothesis aims to explain how learners acquire a second language. It claims that language input (vocabulary) is important to acquisition. For the acquisition of L2 vocabulary, comprehensible input is an essential factor. Learners tend to achieve optimal acquisition when they are able to understand most of the input while being challenged by some new vocabulary (Castro, 2010).

Waste Land Essay: Spiritual Decay -- T.S. Eliot Waste Land Essays

Spiritual Decay in The Waste Land      Ã‚  In The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot develops his theme of sterility and decay in the post-World War I man by focusing on the aspect of "religious dearth or superficiality reflected in despintualized love" (Pinion). For Eliot, man's inability to find real love or to move beyond superficial sexual gratification is congruous to the spiritual decay of his soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first part of the poem, "The Burial of the Dead'~ Eliot's allusions to two love stories amidst a backdrop of "stony rubbish" and "broken images" illustrates his view of love as something that has lost its ability to blossom in the infertility of modem society (20,22). Eliot alludes to the story of Tristan, a young sailor, who leaves his lover, Isolde, behind when he sails for home. As he lies dying, he waits for the arrival of her ship, but the sea that is to bring her remains empty and desolate. This shows how human longing in love is fr... ...erating his hope for the regeneration or rebirth of the human spirit (424-425).    Works Cited and Consulted Pinion, F.B., A T.S. Eliot Companion: Life and Works, The Macmillan Press (1986) Southam, B.C., A Guide to the Selected Poems of T.S. Eliot, Harcourt Brace & Company Shashane, VA "Reflections on the Waste Land", Studies on IS Eliot Ed. A.N. Dwivedi; US Bahri Publishers (1989) Raffel, Burton IS Eliot Frederick Ungar Publising Co., Inc. (1982)