Greek Mythology Literature Essay Sample

Greek Mythology Literature Essay Sample Greek Mythology Literature Essay Sample Greek Mythology Literature Essay Sample Achilles and Agamemnon Greek mythology evolved over several centuries and passed from generation to generation. Nowadays, people can find elements of the myths in the poetry of Homer and Hesiod, as well as the works of the Greek dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and others. The works of these authors still conceal many mysteries. They reflect the legendary past – a time when the public good was above personal interests and protected by glorious descendants of the gods. The one reading these works should view the characters from historical and artistic standpoints. The most prominent and well-known heroes of Greek mythology depicted in Iliad by Homer are Achilles and Agamemnon. Despite fighting in the Achaean army, they possess distinct features, leading to a significant quarrel between them. Thus, the aim of the paper is to give a comparative characterization of two characters – Achilles and Agamemnon. Achilles’ Anger Iliad is an epic poem that depicts the events of the Trojan during the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon. Iliad rests on the myths that provide background for the events depicted. The Greeks besieged Troy for nine years. They captured many of the surrounding towns and villages and occasionally clashed with the Trojans, who appeared behind their powerful fortifications. The Greeks were exhausted and irritated by their failure to win a decisive victory over Troy. Moreover, warrior Achilles also quarreled with king Agamemnon. As a trophy, Greeks promised Agamemnon beautiful Chryseis, daughter of Chryses – the priest of the temple of Apollo. Chryses offered a king a large ransom for the freedom of his daughter. Nevertheless, Agamemnon refused. In response, the priest began to pray fervently to Apollo to avenge his daughter. Consequently, the god sent pestilence on the Greek army. The prophet announced that it would rage as long as Agamemnon returned Chryseis to her father. Ac hilles persuaded the king to fulfill this condition. However, Agamemnon refused. They argued for a long time. Finally, Agamemnon agreed to return the daughter to her father. However, to show his power in the most offensive way, he took Achilles’ young slave Briseis, which make the warrior terribly angry. â€Å"Achilles then became sad and would not leave his tent† (Glaser and Bowman 15). It was an insult to his honor. Moreover, it was also utterly unfair, mainly because trophies obtained in battle were Achilles’ merit. The outraged warrior kept himself aloof from the participation in the battles and the war councils. Taking advantage of discord among the Greeks, the Trojans began to gain victories. Such turnaround of events forced Agamemnon to beg Achilles forgiveness, offering him all taken. However, the latter rejected his proposal, saying that despite all the gifts, Agamemnon would never win. Nevertheless, despite the promises not to join the battle, Achilles was engaged in the battle to take revenge over the de ath of his friend – Patroclus. â€Å"Achilles is eager to fight and refuses to eat; all he craves is killing and blood† (Thompson 43). Achilles Achilles is a hero of the supernatural origin on both lines as his mother is the sea goddess Thetis and his father Peleus is a demigod. Achilles was predicted the death from an arrow shot by his enemy. In an effort to make her son invulnerable and thus give him immortality, Thetis tempered him with fire at night and rubbed ambrosia in the daytime. One night, Peleus saw his infant son in the fire and tore him from the hands of the mother. According to another version, Thetis bathed Achilles in the waters of the underground river Styx. In such a way, she wanted to make her son invulnerable. â€Å"The only place not touched by the sacred waters was where she held him by the heel – his weak spot† (Jeffrey 4). In particular, the arrow shooting in the heel became the cause of Achilles’ death. Offended by the intervention of Peleus, Thetis left her husband. Peleus gave his son to the wise centaur Chiron on education, who reared Achilles with the entrails of lions, bears , and wild boars and taught to play the cittern. The soothsayer Calchas predicted that the Greeks would win the war with Troy only if Achilles participated in the battles. When Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon began to gather an army, Thetis hid Achilles in the palace of the king Lycomedes on the island of Skyros. After learning about the upcoming campaign against Troy, Achilles and his friend Patroclus happily agreed to participate in it. Although Homer denies invulnerability of Achilles, the hero has a number of superhuman qualities – extraordinary courage, audacity, and extreme pride. No one can raise his spear. Achilles conquered twelve cities on the ships, and eleven –from the land. Therefore, his quarrel with Agamemnon is not just a conflict between the epic sovereign and the best of the heroes. It is a conflict of the leader of people with a non-human (Thornton 28). Many researchers usually represent Achilles as extremely boring and monotonous. According to them, he is an epic ideal of the warrior hero. In fact, Homer’s Achilles is one of the most complex figures of the ancient literature. In the first stage of his tragedy, during the quarrel with Agamemnon, Achilles behaves rather passively. His primary emotion here is anger against the offender. Nevertheless, he reconciled and was ready to fight against the Trojans. All Achilles’ actions make his image surprisingly original. First, a military storm, a huge destructive force, bestial vengeance, and thirst for blood and cruelty explain his actions. Nevertheless, on the other hand, the whole meaning of blood and this atrocity consists in tender friendship with Patroclus. â€Å"Achilles portrays himself as an individual who failed to care for his comrades† (Bloom 161). The image of a beloved and gentle friend coexists in the soul of Achilles with animal ferocity and inhumanity . These two origins not only reinforce each other but also get their single meaning. For example, it is quite common for Achilles that after the appearance near the ditch in a wild and ferocious condition and after the panic caused by his terrible cry, he shed hot tears over the corpse of his faithful companion. In addition, soft and delicate features, which in any case cannot be forgotten while analyzing the hero, are characteristic of Achilles. He is pious and often refers to the gods with the prayer, causing the appearance of the winds. Furthermore, Achilles is reserved. For example, when dealing with the messengers of Agamemnon, he is restrained considering them innocent. In addition, he is a loving son and often helplessly refers to his mother, for example, after the insults received from Agamemnon or after notification of the death of Patroclus. This antithesis is the most characteristic feature of Achilles. On the one hand, he is angry, short-tempered, vindictive, and merciless in war. He is like an animal, not a person. Achilles is a heartless element, not a human heart. However, on the other hand, Achilles has a tender and loving heart. His anger produces a naive impression. The whole image of the hero and the giant weeping near his mother or the dead friend is even touching. This antithesis of a stern fighter and a tender heart is the very first and foremost that readers can find in Achilles. It shows that in Achilles, there is something spontaneous, irresponsible, and irrational. Brutality and a tender heart are mixed in him as the cloudy and clear weather is mixed in nature. In the spiritual experience of Achilles, there is a call of the fate along with the extravagance of life. He knows that he will not return from Troy. Nevertheless, Achilles makes a difficult and dangerous campaign. â€Å"Homer’s Iliad concludes not with a martial triumph but with Achilles’ heartbroken acceptance that he will, in fact, lose his life in this wholly pointless campaign† (Alexander 5). Before the decisive battle, horses predict him the imminent demise assigned by the fate. However, it does not stop Achilles. He turns love to the fate in his philosophy of life. In an inexorable military heart, there is a warm and soft sense of humanity and common destiny of all people. In the deep and complex image of Achilles, there is certain sadness. The voluptuousness of the battle, tender friendship, love, devotion to the will of fate, absolute personal courage, and an intimate sense of humanity are merged into one vital impulse and social instinct. Achilles is a complex and rich nature in a truly ancient and Homeric sense. Overall, Achilles is one of the most popular characters of ancient arts. One can find his depiction in Pompeian frescoes, works of vase painting, reliefs of Roman sarcophagi, and other works. In medieval art, mainly the illustrations to the Trojan War embodied the image of Achilles. Only in the XVI century, scenes from the life of Achilles became widespread in painting. Agamemnon Agamemnon is a character of Greek mythology and â€Å"one of the principle characters in Homer’s Iliad† (Daly and Rengel 6). He is a son of Atreus and Aerope, Mycenaean king, and a leader of the United Achaean troops in the Trojan War. In the works of Homer, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, as well as in novels and plays by contemporary authors, Agamemnon appears as proud, powerful, mighty, and courageous. At the same time, he is a suspiciously selfish person lost in difficult situations. His character attracts and repels at the same time. Agamemnon’s tragic fate invokes compassion. Agamemnon was born in Mycenae. He spent his childhood in an atmosphere of intrigue and power struggles between Atreus and his brother Thyestes. Later, Agamemnon became the king of Mycenae and was one of the most powerful and wealthy Achaean rulers. After the capture of Troy, Agamemnon received a huge booty and Cassandra. He returned to his homeland where he died in his house. According to the older version of the myth, Aegisthus killed Agamemnon during the feast. The fabulous wealth of Agamemnon and his prominent position among the Greek leaders reflect the rise of historical Mycenae in the XIV-XII centuries BC and its dominant role among the early states of the Peloponnese. The preserved ritual epithet â€Å"Zeus – Agamemnon† shows that Agamemnon was probably originally one of those semi-divine patrons of his tribe, whose functions with the formation of the Olympic pantheon went to Zeus. Agamemnon is more principled and less petty than Achilles. Taken the captive woman from Achilles, during the first military damage of Achaean army, Agamemnon returns her and indulges the warrior in every way. Homer depicts Agamemnon in all the grandeur of the Achaean leader. He compares him to the gods. â€Å"Although it would be unfair to suggest that Agamemnon is not a worthy warrior, such a role is not stressed in the poem, and, in fact, the overall characterization of his leadership is anything but positive† (Burgess 86). Homer supplies Agamemnon with weapons only slightly worse than Achilles’ ones. However, for Achilles, it was easy to get his famous shield because he is the son of sea princess, and she asked Hephaestus for the weapon. Agamemnon does not have an extremely defiant and despotic character. On the contrary, his character is weak. If Agamemnon rashly and inappropriately orders something, he is immediately ready to apologize and cover everything with his peacefulness. His weakness of character explains his angry outbreaks. Agamemnon suddenly becomes wrought up but immediately calms. It explains his famous quarrel with Achilles. Agamemnon is forgiving, despite all the provocations on the part of Achilles. However, the warrior is extremely vindictive. Achilles strongly condemns and belittles the king. He calls Agamemnon a dog, a drunkard, shameless, a despot, and a coward. However, Agamemnon is cruel but not crueler than all the other characters. He prohibits Menelaus to spare the Trojan and is ready to kill even a baby in the womb from a hostile country. However, it can be considered a trifle compared with the cruelty that Achilles shows against his enemies, not excluding even helpless and young ones. Agamemnon definitely does not appeal to Homer. The author does not like him in a role of a king and a supreme military leader who abuses his power. In the eyes of Homer, the tribal community leads to absolutism with all the attendant consequences. An emancipated poet does not admire this evolution. In this sense, Homer depicts Agamemnon worse than other warriors are because his power is stronger. The author presents the king as a robber, a predator, and a bold critic of Zeus. He is often a coward and a drunkard with a lyrically subtle, profoundly insulted, and infinitely suffering soul. However, taken alone, he is not much different from others. Moreover, he is criticized no more than others are. His image eventually is covered with some sad and tender lyrics. In such a way, Agamemnon is a powerful and glorious knight and king; however, unstable and weak-willed, greedy and voluptuous, modest and supple. The conflict between the two Achaeans – Agamemnon and Achilles exhibits a contradiction between two powerful characters. The reader perceives Agamemnon as an irascible, cruel, greedy, brutal, and intransigent person. His main principles in life are power, strength, and glory. His whim is to receive an equal prize. It is a reaction of injured dignity and self-confidence of the king. In contrast, Achilles is tripping and divine. Courage, valor, and nobility distinguish him. He fought in defense of the heroic ideal of justice. The images of Achilles and Agamemnon are complex and controversial. They are not one-sided – either only positive or negative. Both Achilles and Agamemnon have positive and negative traits of character, which make them extremely outstanding characters in Greek mythology.

These Are the Easiest AP Classes for You

These Are the Easiest AP Classes for You SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What are the easiest AP classes and/or the easiest AP tests? Answering this question isn’t so simple as just giving you a list, since there are a lot of factors that could make an AP class easy. The easiest AP tests could have hard classes to go with them, or vice versa. You also have to think about your school, the national average scores, and your own personal strengths when figuring out which AP courses are relatively easy. But don’t worry- we’ll help you break down these factors and decide which AP tests will be easiest for you! In this article, we'll first discuss your particular situation- your skills and your school. Then, we'll look at national data on passing rates and reputation for easiness. How Do Your Skills Affect Which AP Tests Are Easiest? The very first thing you should consider when deciding which AP tests are easiest is, well, you! Any topic that you are good at or comfortable with will be easier for you than classes you are less experienced in. For example, if you’re a good writer and have always done well in Language Arts/English classes, you will probably find both AP English Literature and AP English Language will be manageable for you, even though their rates of scoring a perfect 5 are pretty low (under 11%). (Read more about AP scoring here.) As another example, if you have always liked math and have taken math classes up through pre-calculus, you may find AB or even BC Calculus fairly easy, especially if your school has a good teacher (more on that in a minute). Remember, one student’s easy AP class could be another student’s nightmare! So even as you consider things like passing rate and teachers, keep in mind you shouldn’t just go on a class’s reputation alone when choosing an AP class. Trust your own instincts and strengths! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. How Does Your School Affect Which AP Tests Are Easiest? Another important factor to consider is your school and teachers. For example, if there is a teacher at your school who has taught AP US History for 10 years, has their curriculum down pat, and has a higher passing rate than the national average, you’ll have a high shot of passing, even though AP US History has one of the lowest national passing rates. This can even be true of other AP classes considered tough by reputation, like AP Physics, AP Biology, and AP English Literature. This also means that if you take an AP class from a teacher who has never taught it before, you might have to plan on doing more studying on your own. The new teacher might not have as much experience with timing the curriculum or working practice tests into their class schedules. Don't underestimate the importance of practice tests! So this means when signing up for AP classes, don’t just look at what your school offers. Try to find out who teaches it and figure out their reputation. But how can you do this? #1: Ask your guidance counselor. They should know about how many students take the AP class every year, what the teacher’s exam pass rate is, and if they notice students switching out of the class often. That could be a sign the course is challenging or students don’t do well with the teacher. #2: Talk to upperclassmen who have taken the class. If you have older siblings, or older friends from clubs or sports, you can ask about what they have heard about certain teachers. Don’t rely only on what other kids say about a teacher, but for example, if every student you talk to says they have heard the AP Biology teacher is amazing and all their friends have passed the AP test, that’s a good sign! #3: Talk to your current teachers. Especially if you are in an AP prerequisite class, like a biology class that feeds into AP biology, the teacher probably knows plenty of students who have gone on to take AP and has heard about how well they do. What About the AP Class Itself? Another factor to consider is how hard the class itself will be, not just the AP exam. This is something that varies based on your school and the teacher teaching the class. As an example, I took two tough AP classes my sophomore year- AP World History and AP Biology. Both exams were very hard, but the classes were two very different experiences. Even though the World History exam was hard and I studied a lot, the class itself wasn’t hard to pass. The teacher even automatically changed our grades for the last semester to an A just for taking the AP test! However, for AP Biology, our teacher assigned very tough tests and lots of homework, including making several flashcards for every single textbook chapter. It was very hard to get an A in that class. To find out how hard an AP class will be, you can use the same tips we mentioned above to learn about a class’s reputation. As a general rule, the more material there is to cover before an examination, the harder the class will probably be. Calculus BC, Biology, and English Literature have tough reputations in a lot of schools since there is more material to cover. US Government, Psychology, Human Geography, and Environmental Science tend to be easier since there is comparatively less to cover before the exam. Also keep in mind that some schools weight AP classes, so they can boost your GPA if you do well. Average AP Passing Rates: What We Can Learn The passing rate for each AP test is where many students start when trying to figure out the easiest AP classes. Check out our table below to see which exams have the most and least students pass. Exam Name Passing Rate (3+) 5 Rate Studio Art: Drawing 91.1% 20.8% Spanish Language and Culture 89% 24.9% Chinese Language and Culture 88.3% 57.2% Studio Art: 2-D Design 86.4% 21% Calculus BC 81.5% 43.2% Physics C: Electricity Magnetism 81.1% 35.9% Seminar 80.7% 6.8% French Language and Culture 76.7% 15.5% Research 76.2% 10.8% Japanese Language and Culture 75% 38.2% Computer Science Principles 72.7% 13.6% Spanish Literature 71.9% 9.1% Physics C: Mechanics 71.1% 34.6% German Language and Culture 70.5% 18.4% Studio Art: 3-D Design 70.1% 10.1% Computer Science A 69.9% 27% Microeconomics 68.4% 22.2% Gov. and Politics - Comparative 66.2% 22.2% Biology 64.6% 7.1% Italian Language and Culture 64.6% 11.8% Psychology 64.4% 20.2% Art History 63.9% 12% Physics 2 63.5% 12.6% Music Theory 63.4% 20.9% Latin 63.1% 13.1% Statistics 59.2% 14.5% European History 58.4% 11.7% Calculus AB 58.3% 18.9% Macroeconomics 57.9% 17.6% World History 56% 8.7% Gov. and Politics - United States 55.2% 12.9% English Language and Composition 55.1% 10.1% Chemistry 54.6% 10.7% United States History 54.3% 12.1% English Literature and Composition 50.1% 6.2% Environmental Science 49.6% 9.5% Human Geography 49.1% 10.7% Physics 1 44.6% 6.2% Source: College Board. For language rates, "Total" includes all students, while "Standard" includes only those students who didn't indicate they speak this language at home or spent more than four weeks studying it abroad. Notice that some of the exams with the highest passing rates, Chinese, Spanish Language, and BC Calculus, are not the easiest AP classes or tests by any estimation. They have high pass rates because the students who take those classes are ones, in general, who have had plenty of prior preparation. This also includes the AP Studio Art Classes- the AP exam is really a portfolio you submit. AP art students put in tons of work during the year preparing pieces for their portfolio. You have to have prior art experience to put together a solid portfolio; you can’t just waltz into AP art as a novice! So what does this mean? If you are strong in a subject, you have a good chance of doing well on the AP exam, even if it has a reputation of being tough. But don't just go by the national passing rates when signing up for classes! On the flip side, note that some of the exams with the lowest passing rates- Environmental Science, US Government, and Human Geography- are not necessarily the hardest AP tests. In fact, at many schools they have a reputation for being easy. So why are their passing rates low? One reason is that many high schools let freshmen and sophomores take these courses since they are comparatively easier. However, since they are many students’ first-ever AP exam, the students can struggle because all AP exams are challenging and tough to pass. Also, students might underestimate these exams and not study enough. Especially if they are taking multiple APs in one year, they might, say, neglect Environmental Science while trying to study for Physics. So even if an AP course has a reputation for being easy, or the class at your school isn’t that hard, do not underestimate the exam. All AP exams are difficult and you have to put in study time to do well on the test. By Reputation, What Are The Easiest AP Exams? We’ve talked about personal strengths, teachers, and passing rates. But you’re probably still wondering: across the board, which AP classes and tests tend to be easy, and which ones are hard? Easiest AP Classes and Tests: Psychology Human Geography Environmental Science US Government Some schools teach US Government as a half-year course since it has less material. Psychology is mostly memorization and only has two free-response questions on the test. (Compare that to AP Chemistry, which has seven.) Environmental Science is conceptually easier to understand than Physics, Biology, or Chemistry for most students. Human Geography centers around learning and applying models, and has less raw memorization required than the AP history exams. Statistics, Computer Science, and Economics (both macro and micro)are often also cited as easier tests if you have background in the subject and/or good teachers. Which APs are often seen as the most difficult? Hardest AP Classes and Tests: English Literature English Language BC Calculus Physics C (both Mechanics and Electricity and Magnetism) Biology Again, this can change if you are strong in any of these subjects and/or your school has a great teacher. You do still have to memorize the structure of the brain, among other things, for AP Psychology. If memorization isn't your strong suit, it might not be so easy. Are AP Language Classes Easy? Finally, we want to address the language AP exams. As we saw above, foreign languages have some of the highest pass rates of all the AP exams. AP Spanish has a pass rate of 89%, AP Chinese's pass rate is 88%, and other languages have similarly high pass rates. Why are their passing rates so high? It’s because students don’t just learn these languages in one year. Most students only take AP language if they have been taking a language for several years. Many students who take the AP language exams even speak that language at home or may have studied abroad. This explains the high passing rates. What this means: if you do have lots of experience with a language, you should definitely try to take the AP language exam. Colleges frequently use AP language scores to place you in first year language courses, or even to excuse the foreign language requirement. In other words, the AP language exams are a great way to show your foreign language skills to colleges- and will be pretty easy to pass as long as you have the experience. But don't sign up for them just because they appear easy based on their passing rates. You can't learn Chinese in a year! What Do Colleges Want? As a final note, you should keep in mind why you are taking AP classes in the first place- to get college credit, and also to strengthen your college applications. In general, colleges want to see two things out of your high school classes: that you are challenging yourself, and that you are developing specific academic interests. If you only take the AP exams with easy reputations, it might look like you’re not challenging yourself. This is especially true if your high school offers the traditionally â€Å"tough† courses like calculus and literature. In other words, don’t load up on a bunch of â€Å"easy† APs just to have them on your transcript. Colleges will see through it. Instead, take APs that are interesting to you and support what you want to study in college. This will often result in a balance between easier and harder exams. For example, a future political science major might take AP US History (challenging) and AP US Government (easier). Or a future environmental engineer might take AP Calculus BC (hard) and Environmental Science (easier). The bottom line? Play to your strengths! Want to get a perfect 5 on your AP exam and an A in class? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. What’s Next? Curious about what the AP tests themselves are like? Learn about how long AP tests are and how to deal with fatigue. Also studying for the SAT? Learn to improve a low math score and how to write a strong essay. Aiming for perfection? Get tips from our resident 1600 full-scorer. Going with the ACT instead? Get tips for the essay and get study tips from our perfect 36 full-scorer. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Why Extrinsic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why Extrinsic - Essay Example The failure of organization to provide perceived equity for employees results in a lot of resentment (especially when there is secrecy and people overestimate each other’s pay) and resulting inefficiencies. The failure of extrinsic rewards is even more obvious in executive positions as incentive systems had very weak or negative correlations to corporate profits as at higher incomes, prospect of more money fails to be a motivator. Locke’s (1960) research suggests a reason for such results – incentives actually discourage risk-taking and people perform easier tasks to complete as much work as possible. Employees look at short-term benefits (monetary rewards) rather than long-term organizational interests. Another research proved that in the long-term, even the removal of a financial incentive system that has been long in place could not drive down productivity. Merit pay has also failed as a motivator of performance as few managers feel that higher pay would make them work harder. Therefore, intrinsic rewards such as training and goal-setting is a much stronger motivator of performance. To treat workers with respect and appreciation is what motivates them to stay at an organization and higher pay has failed to reduce employee turnover in the

Appropriation as a critical practice in postmodernist art Essay

Appropriation as a critical practice in postmodernist art - Essay Example In the context of visual arts, art appropriation is associated with concepts of borrowing, adoption, recycling, or sampling certain aspects or even the entire form of any visual arts creation. The strategies used include recombinant, variation, interpretation, re-vision, imitation, supplement, re-evaluation, version, improvisation, increment, homage, paraphrase, forgery, mimicry, allusion, and karaoke.   Thus, in this form of art the artist while creating a new object uses certain elements borrowed from another artist’s works. This borrowing, referred to in the context of describing the new work, will term it as 'the artist uses appropriation;' or it may also directly refer to the new work and state, 'this is a piece of appropriation art'. Within ‘Arts’ the practice of appropriation involves the use of other artists’ symbol, ideas, artefacts, objects, photographs, sound, forms or styles from the various cultures, popular culture, art history, or any man c reated visual or non visual art form (Schneider, 2003). An elementary feature of appropriation art is that the artist in his new work simply reframes the original idea and presents it as a new one. Thus, in a majority of the cases, the original work still remains visible or accessible without change within the framework of the new creation. Anthropologists in their various research papers have claimed that this process of appropriation, is another form of  cultural borrowing  and includes concepts of both art and urbanism, and represents a path of the cultural modifications taking place while also distinguishing the relationship between the different cultures worldwide (Schneider, 2007). The words variation and   appropriation  in art often viewed as synonyms and used interchangeably, to denote the same form of work (ibid). In this context, we will examine works of three famous artists Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Barbara Kruger as we explore the use of appropriatio n as a critical practice in postmodernist art.   Discussion A brief overview of the history of appropriation art: Various artists, scholars and critics, have studied and analysed the route of the ‘appropriative’ notions that have been present in the arts history for many centuries. The word ‘appropriation’ implies ownership rights, and associated questions on unethical practices. Appropriation has been long present within the history of arts, and a study of the ancient artworks will reveal that the classical Greek artworks existed primarily through the Roman art appropriations. These were presented in the form of reproductions, created specially, to preserve, to keep records, to document, or to elicit a culture they hoped to imitate in the future (Deloria, 1999), while during the Middle Ages, a perfectly reproduced artwork was generally granted the same honour as the original piece. As per the notions associated with appropriation art, one can also refer Leonardo da Vinci  as an appropriation artist of the middle ages. Da Vinci used the ‘recombinant’ technique of appropriation, and accepted ideas from different sources and diverse subjects like art, mathematics, biology, and engineering and then combining them to create inventory artworks. In fact, modern historians contend that many of Da Vinci’s scientific models and designs were imitated and improvised versions of the works of another famous sculptor

Herpes Essay -- essays research papers

Herpes Herpes is one of the common of more than 30 different sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) in America today. Herpes is an infection that is caused by one of two closely related viruses, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Both of which are very easily caught, have similar symptoms, and can occur on different parts of the body. Even though it is most common to see the virus HSV-1 appear as oral herpes and to see the virus HSV-2 appear as genital herpes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most often herpes is a relatively harmless disease that is rarely life threatening. The most common form of herpes is oral herpes and usually shows up on the lips or inside of the mouth as â€Å"cold sores† or â€Å"fever blisters†. Cold sores are common in young children who acquire them from being exposed to active cold sores of adults and other children. This form of herpes is annoying but harmless in both children and adult, but is however very harmful to a newborn. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish whether or not someone has been exposed to the other form of herpes, genital herpes. This is because there are very often no symptoms that go along with the virus. This is not always the case though and when symptoms do occur they are often seen as a cluster of blister sores, usually on the vagina, vulva, cervix, penis, or anus. For genital herpes, symptoms may last several weeks, go away but only to return again weeks, months, or even year s later. Symptoms may a...

Leadership assessment style Essay

Culture is the beliefs, views, morals, religious practices, and behaviors specific to a group of people which becomes the frame on which one builds his or her life. Culture affects the way someone behaves, the decision he/she makes in her/his life, from the food one eats to the way someone takes care of himself, and people around him or her. It is important that a nurse has a full understanding of an individual’s culture before making a nursing assessment. The family that is interviewed is from Mexico two years ago. The family consists of Mr Miguel, a thirty two year-old male, his wife Mrs Maria 29 year-old, and his son Rodriguez 2 year-old. This family is a third generation migrating into United State of America for a better life. Although the number has decreased since 1986, border towns in Texas and California still experience large influxes of Mexicans seeking improved employment and educational opportunities (Prunell, 2008). Coming into the United States was a success for Miguel, because he is able to find a job in order to support his family. Although the job requires no significant degree, but he seems happy to work. In Mexico, education is not required to get a job. Once in the United States, a Mexican initially finds work similar to that which he did in his native land, including farming, ranging, mining, oil production, construction, landscaping, and domestic jobs in homes, restaurants, and hotels and motels (Prunell, 2008). Employment is very difficult due to lack of knowledge on how to speak the language, but willing to get underpaid jobs. Socioeconomic status is considered low class with the husband being the head of the household. In Mexico family structure is defined as the man being in power of the household. The typical family dominance pattern in traditional Mexican American families is patriarchal, with evidence of slow change toward a more egalitarian pattern in recent years (Grothaus, 1996)(Prunell, 2008). Change to a more egalitarian decision-making pattern is primarily identified with more educated and higher socioeconomic families (Prunell, 2008). Machismo in the Mexican culture sees men as having strength, valor, and self-confidence, which is a valued trait among many (Prunell, 2008). Men are seen as wiser, braver, stronger, and more knowledgeable regarding sexual matters (Prunell, 2008). The female takes the responsibility for the decisions within the home and maintaining the family’s health( Prunell, 2008). Machismo assists in sustaining and maintaining health not only for the man but also with the implications for health and well-being of the family( Sobralske, 2006)( Prunell, 2008). The family seems to understand each other role and works together to help one another, specially for the sake of the child. Marriage ritual: In Mexican weddings, the couples select those who would be supporting and guiding them throughout the engagement and marriage ceremony. Those mentors are usually people who have played an essential role in the lives of the bride and the groom. According to the tradition, the relative takes turn to dance and pin money on their wedding attire. The reason of this is to express their hopes to be wealthy. Pregnancy: Mexican men view large numbers of children as proof of their virility (Prunell, 2008). The optimal childbearing age is between 19-24 years(Prunell, 2008). Abortion is prohibited in some communities, however it is permissible if there is a life or death situation. Abortion in many communities is considered morally wrong and is practiced only in extreme circumstances to keep the mother’s life intact(Prunell, 2008). The pregnant woman prefers hot foods having in mind that is healthier for the baby. For instance, during a woman is more likely to favor hot foods, which is believed to provide warmth for the fetus and enable to be born into a warm and loving environment (Eggenberger, Grassley, & Restropo, 2006)(Prunell, 2008). A child must have a grandparent if his parent cant fulfill the responsibilities of child-rearing – child is taught to respect his or her parent. Physical punishment is often used as a way of maintaining discipline and sometimes considered child abused (Prunell 2008). Children are taught at early age to respect parents and older family members, specially grandparents ( Prunell, 2008 ). Death is part of Mexican culture. Mexicans often have a stoic acceptance of the way things are and view death as a natural part and will of God (Eggenberger et al; 2008)(Prunell, 2008). When a person expires in the family, the news quickly emerged to everyone of the family. They may gather for a velorio, a festive watch over the body of the deceased person before burial (Prunell, 2008). Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking countries in the world, with 80 million speaking the language (Prunell, 2008). Mrs Miguel is able to speak English a little, but his wife has some difficulties. The family speaks Spanish fluently at homed, however Mrs Miguel expresses himself in English at his job, where works as a housekeeper. The wife seems to be very closed to her husband which is in Mexican culture a normal trait according to Prunell (2008). The wife is sitting very close to her husband by stroking her husband hands during the interview, no eye contact is made. Mexican Americans consider sustained eye contact when speaking directly to an older person to be rude ( Prunell, 2008). Avoiding eye contact with superior is a sign of respect (Prunell, 2008). The main religious belief of Mexico is Catholic. The predominant of most Mexicans and Mexican Americans is Catholicism (Prunell, 2008). The major religions in Mexico are Roman Catholic, 89 percent; Protestant, 6 percent; and other, 5 percent of the population (Prunell, 2008). Family is important to a Mexican couple. Family takes precedence over work and all other aspects of life (Prunell, 2008). In many Mexican families, it is often said â€Å"God first, then family†(Prunell,2008). The typical Mexican diet consists of rice, eggs, pork, corn, tortillas, sausage, mint, chili peppers, onions, tomatoes, squash, canned fruit, mint tea, chamomile, carbonated beverages, beer, cola-flavored soft drinks, sweetened packaged drink mixes, sweetened breakfast cereals; potatoes, bread, gelatin, custard, refried beans, tacos, stripe soup beef (Prunell, 2008). Family’s lunch includes salad, soup, vegetables, meat (chicken, beef, fish, or shredded pork), fresh fruit, cheeses, fruit water the big meal of the day. A dominant health care practice for Mexican and many is hot-and-cold theory of food selection. Common hot foods used to treat cold diseases and conditions include cheeses, liquor, beef, pork, spicy foods, eggs, grains other than barley, vitamins, tobacco, and onions ( Kemp, 2001) ( Prunell, 2008 ). the client’s perception of illness in a Mexican family is a natural occurring event. Working is a must. Illness may occur when the person can no longer work or take care of the family ( Prunell, 2008). Therefore many Mexicans may not seek health care until they are incapacitated and unable to go about the activities of daily living( Prunell,2008). Many factors may cause illness or it is just an act of God. If the person becomes seriously sick, that is just the way things are; all events are acts of God (Eggenberger et al; 2006)(Prunell,2008). The treatment utilized based on Mexican belief system to treat an illness is as follows: folk medicine, spiritualists, medicine man, ritual, and western health care. Folk medicine is used when mal de ojo occurs usually to child and women. To prevent mal de ojo, the child wears a bracelet or a bag of seeds pinned to the cloths ( kemp,2001) ( Prunell, 2008). Most Mexicans enjoy their soul or spirit, specially in times of illness, whereas many health-care providers may feel uncomfortable talking about spirituality(Prunell,2008). The medicine man is like the folk medicine where one is being manipulated in order to discover an illness. A traditional practice that takes place in Mexico is the use of witchcraft, and a Mexican person believes sometimes that causes the illness of family member which leads family to seek help from the folk practitioners. Specific rituals are carried out to eliminate the evils from blame (Punell, 2008). Family takes full responsibilities of another being ill. Pain is part of life for a Mexican. Mexicans acceptance and anticipate pain as necessary part of life (Prunell, 2008). Culture is very important. Learning someone else culture requires knowledge and understanding. A nurse need to study and knowing a client’s cultural background prior assessment. This cultural assessment is great learning experience. People from different country have different views on many aspects of their life. Nurses must to be aware of a patient cultural beliefs, religious belief, cold-and-hot remedies, client perspective on pain, verbal and non-verbal cues, rituals, foods, etc, in order provide competent care. References Prunell, Larry D. (2008). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach, third edition. Philadelphia: F. A. Davis Company.

Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 - 2532 Words

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a magnificent masterpiece written to aid in visualizing what a distant future dystopian society would look like; one in which everyone lives in the fast lane, technology is at its crowning, void of human relations and instant satisfactions, as well as gratifications, are constantly being pursued. The novel was written during the era where communism and the holocaust began to sprout. Mr. Bradbury, being a patriot of his country, feared that society was leaning toward destruction and anarchy; the result is the birth of Fahrenheit 451. The central premise of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is the theme and setting behind the entire graphical dystopian society disregarding its historic aspect and timeline.†¦show more content†¦LiteraryDevices.com defines theme as the main idea(s) or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly. Let us begin with censorship. Notwithstanding of the fact that Mr. Ray Bradbury did not pinpoint the exact reason as to why censorship was such a huge deal in Fahrenheit 451, further personal research indicated that the introduction of censorship was to aid build a neutral safety net. In the context of reading books, readers in Fahrenheit 425’s society did little to comprehend a writer’s diction. Instead, readers tried to make meaning of the little they read and would form cliques and opposable parties against whoever argued with their views. So as to combat chaos and anarchy over whether or not an antagonist was right in their actions in a certain book, censorship and restrictions were put in place in to prevent either party or citizens from obtaining knowledge whatsoever in the first place. Many applaud Mr. Bradbury for his use of censorship in Fahrenheit 451. With the intention of eradicating chaos, Bradbury created a dystopian society; mind you, this version of society is exactly where chaos breeds, in which censorship is the rule of the day. He somehow managed to create a setting upside down without necessarily setting that setting on fire. Conformity was on top of the pyramid and knowledge was at the bottom, almost none questioned the status quo. The