Friday, March 27, 2020

Deontological vs. Teleological Ethical Systems Essay Example

Deontological vs. Teleological Ethical Systems Paper Deontological moral systems are characterized by a focus upon adherence to independent moral rules or duties. To make the correct moral choices, we have to understand what our moral duties are and what correct rules exist to regulate those duties. When we follow our duty, we are behaving morally. When we fail to follow our duty, we are behaving immorally. Typically in any deontological system, our duties, rules, and obligations are determined by God. Being moral is thus a matter of obeying God. Deontological moral systems typically stress the reasons why certain actions are performed. Simply following the correct moral rules is often not sufficient; instead, we have to have the correct motivations. This might allow a person to not be considered immoral even though they have broken a moral rule, but only so long as they were motivated to adhere to some correct moral duty. Nevertheless, a correct motivation alone is never a justification for an action in a deontological moral system and cannot be used as a basis for describing an action as morally correct. It is also not enough to simply believe that something is the correct duty to follow. The Teleological ethical system is the opposite of the deontological system. The teleological ethical system judges the consequences of the act rather than the act itself. It believes that if the action results in what can be considered as a good consequence, than it must be good and that the end result will justify the reason that the act was committed in the first place (Pollock, 2004). Among the teleological ethical systems are utilitarianism, ethics of virtue, and ethics of care. Utilitarianism is the view that what is good is determined by the consequences of the action. We will write a custom essay sample on Deontological vs. Teleological Ethical Systems specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Deontological vs. Teleological Ethical Systems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Deontological vs. Teleological Ethical Systems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer If it can be shown that an action benefits the greater amount, than it is good because it outweighs the small amount of harm that the action has caused (Pollock, 2004). There are seven major ethical systems that make up Deontological and Teleological Ethical Systems. Ethical formalism is what is good is that which conforms to the categorical imperative. Ethical formalism is the doctrine that certain actions are good (ie, the right thing to do) or evil (ie, the wrong thing to do) in and of themselves, apart from any beneficial or harmful effect that they might have on individuals. Although many reasons are provided for why these actions are right or wrong, none of the reasons involves the effects that such actions have on individuals. Contemporary commentators on alternative methods of conception frequently adopt this ethical attitude. The second major ethical system is Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory of morality and how one should act. It states that one should act so as to maximize the amount of happiness in the world (focuses on the CONSEQUENCES of actions). That is, you should ONLY do X if X positively contributes to the happiness in the world. So you might think of it this way: Should I steal Marys candy when shes not looking? My happiness: +200 points Marys happiness: -300 points. You must consider EVERYONES happiness EQUALLY, so clearly you should not steal the candy, because it decreases the happiness in the world (-100). The next major Ethical system is Religion. Religion is very difficult to define it seems that everyone has a different idea of what it is. Most people will simply look in the dictionary or use something else equally simplistic. Although that might be fine for everyday conversations, it isnt sufficient for the sort of discussions that appear on this site. Religion is a human creation, and as such can vary as widely as human imagination allows. Religion is a system of belief in society. A ritual is main part of religion that builds citizens of the society to trust, respect the ideology of the society. Each religion has its own inscription for its group. When number of followers grew and opted to join the group that resulted to expansion of particular religion. The next major system is Natural Law is the intelligence and infinite organizing power that silently maintains and guides the evolution of everything in the universe. The activity of every grain of creation and of every level of Nature from the tiniest sub-atomic particle to the vast galaxies is governed by Natural Law with perfect efficiency so that everything in the universe functions with perfect precision and is in perfect co-ordination with everything else. An example of natural law is same sex marriages. This would not be considered a natural law, because it’s not natural. Nature never intended for man to lay with man as they would with a woman. This act also is forbidden in the bible, which will also make this an ethical religion. Ethics of virtue is the next major ethical system. Virtue ethics is currently one of three major approaches in normative ethics. It may, initially, be identified as the one that emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in contrast to the approach which emphasizes duties or rules (deontology) or that which emphasizes the consequences of actions (consequentialism). Suppose it is obvious that someone in need should be helped. A utilitarian will point to the fact that the consequences of doing so will maximise well-being, a deontologist to the fact that, in doing so the agent will be acting in accordance with a moral rule such as Do unto others as you would be done by and a virtue ethicist to the fact that helping the person would be charitable or benevolent (Hursthouse, 2003). Ethics of care, this is a theory about what makes actions right or wrong. It is one of a cluster of normative ethical theories that were developed by feminists in the second half of the twentieth century. While consequentialist and deontological ethical theories emphasize universal standards and impartiality, ethics of care emphasize the importance of relationships. Egoism is a teleological theory of ethics that sets as its goal the benefit, pleasure, or greatest good of oneself alone. It is contrasted with altruism, which is not strictly self-interested, but includes in its goal the interests of others as well. There are at least three different ways in which the theory of egoism can be presented. This is the claim that individuals should always to act in their own best interest. It is a normative claim. If ethical egoism is true, that appears to imply that psychological egoism is false: there would be no point to saying that we ought to do what we must do by nature (Varieties of Egoism, 1997). Reference Page Pollock, J. M. (2004). Ethics in crime and justice: Dilemmas and decisions (4th ed. ). Belmont, CA Thomson/Wadsworth Hursthouse, Rosalind (2003). Virtue Ethics. First published Fri Jul 18, 2003; substantive revision Wed Jul 18, 2007. D. Kay, Charles (1997). Varieties of Egoism. www. webs. wofford. edu/kaycd/ethics/egoism. htm.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Book Review on Undaunted Courage

Book Review on Undaunted Courage Book Review on Undaunted Courage Book review: Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose In his book, Undaunted Courage, Steven Ambrose brings to our attention the life history of young Lewis before the expedition to the pacific coast. He gives us an impression that Lewis was an intelligent young boy, an attribute that saw him lead the expedition. According to the author, Lewis’ childhood was promising and his future was bright. He made good choices in his youthful life. The Lewis and Clark expedition was influenced by the relationship between Lewis and Thomas Jefferson, who was a family friend. The author comes up with a summary of the 2000-mile expedition in an amazing prose. During the exploration, Lewis wrote his characteristic voluminous journals expressing their two years joy as well as the mysteries they were experiencing. President Thomas Jefferson chose Lewis to lead the expedition whose purpose was to explore and discover a northwest route to the Pacific Ocean and opening commercial ties with the inhabitants of the area. Lewis is a perfect choice to lead the expedition because of his military background where he was a captain. Again, it is indicated in numerous instances that he was very intelligent, something that began since he was a small boy. Lewis is presented by the author as a reasonable man with a natural gift in scientific observation. He is even said to have been a skilled and experienced naturalist. These are some of the qualities that made him catch the eye of the president of course considering the two were friends from home. In his troop, the second in command was Lieutenant William Clark, a friend to Lewis who still was a younger brother to an activist and a war general, George Rogers Clark. The troop went by the name ‘corps of discovery’ and consisted of 30 other recruits. The expedition started in May 1804 and they sailed the river using canoes with others walking on foot along the banks. The leader had strict instructions from the president to keep a journal, which he wrote about the daily events taking place around them. This included daily measurement in latitude and longitude and his scientific observations. As the expedition goes on, a Canadian decided to join the ‘corps of discovery’ with his teenage wife who later on plays a big role in the survival of the voyage. Lewis is disappointed as there is no connection between the river Missouri leading to the pacific so the troop had to traverse through the great falls of the Missouri river and the Rocky Mountains. By this time, their food reserves were running low and were forced to trade their horses against foodstuff for survival. The troop reached the pacific coast in November 1805, were they put up a fort that was named Fort Clatsop. The following spring, the expedition having suffered low supplies begun their voyage back. Lewis and Clark however decided to split the troops into two and explore the east and west water routes. At this time, the corps encountered a hostile military engagement but the troops remained intact without losing anyone of them. However, two lives were lost in the attacking community. Upon their return, Lewis and Clark are received back home as heroes and Lewis is appointed as governor. This was the beginning of his troubles since he was not a good politician and eventually he became an alcoholic, as he was depressed. He unfortunately loses his life at an early age of thirty-five years after committing suicide. Ambrose has used the journals from the expedition and presented the story in a systematic way that reveals the history of Lewis’ background. In my opinion, the presentation of the chronological events that took place in regards to Lewis prior, during and after the expedition is very clear and informative. The author has dedicated his efforts to establish and impart basic knowledge on the details and circumstances surrounding the historic expedition by Lewis. This is an excellent piece of art that I would recommend anyone to read as it is based on the accounts of the historic expedition in the pacific. Feel free to buy a book review online, on any topic you need. All custom book reviews are written from scratch by professional review writers.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Genetic Engineering in Oryx and Crake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Genetic Engineering in Oryx and Crake - Essay Example From this perspective, the current paper critically analyses the novel Oryx and Crake by Atwood. To achieve this objective, the paper examines the possible outcomes of present pursuit of genetic engineering illustrated in the illusionary world created by the author and makes connections to present realities. A critical analysis of the novel Oryx and Crake reveals that Atwood’s main argument relates to the detrimental effects associated with advances in science and technology, especially genetic engineering. Genetic engineering is a technology which involves manipulation of organisms and their genetic make-up. The genetic manipulation may involve inserting foreign genes into an organism to alter its biological, physical and behavioral characteristics. While genetic engineering has been used for beneficial purposes, the advancement in DNA technology has raised numerous questions about the possible impact on society. Nicholl asserts that genetic engineering is an emotive subject (4). The novel examines these consequences from ethical, scientific, economic and social perspectives. The novel begins by illustrating an unidentified event leading to the collapse of morality and civilization. Snowman, the protagonist lives with bizarre human creatures, called the Crackers. The world depicted by Atwood is characterized by atypical beasts, products of DNA technology. From the interjected scenes, it becomes clear that Snowman grew up as Jimmy, who became friends with Glenn (Crake), a talented science student. The two liked playing computer games and watching child pornography. Crake pursues career in bioengineering while Jimmy takes on humanities and literature. Crake creates the Crakes, human-like engineered creatures and befriends a prostitute, Oryx. In addition, Crake develops a contagious engineered virus in the disguise of a drug. The virus infects all human subjects apart from Jimmy who has been innocuously vaccinated against it. The world depicted in the Oryx and Crake illustrates possible outcomes of the advancement in science and technology, especially the use of DNA technology in genetic engineering. While science and technology presents enormous benefits to societies, when these technologies and processes are not controlled they poses detrimental effects. Genetic engineering is one of the most interesting technologies in the 21st century. The ability to create organisms with super-qualities outlines the beneficial outcomes related to DNA technology. However, if scientific experimentation with the genetic-make up of organisms could also result to detrimental effects. This could happen via both deliberate manipulations to create harmful organisms or due to accidental escape of experimental biological material from contained systems. The Oryx and Crake envision a fictional society, in which genetic engineering has been used to create synthetic food products and organisms that threaten the existence of the very society they are made to benefit. A critical analysis of the masterpiece reveals that the author depicts the possible consequences that could arise due to advancement in science and technology. For instance, the novel illustrates the creation of a virulent virus in the disguise of a drug. This illustration depicts the possible use of technology to create harmful

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Literature Review Memo Proposal (formative assessment)

Memo Proposal (formative assessment) - Literature review Example Furthermore, through the literature review memo, the choices and applications of the words could be understood better, especially in relation to the framing of scientific research. Simultaneously, the literature review memo also assisted in understanding the pattern of writing and strategies in the selection of languages during the framing of scientific research. One of the parameters to compare the selected articles in this literature review is the writing style followed by the authors. Considering this particular parameter, Stephen Peckham and Niyi Awofeso, authors of the article â€Å"Water Fluoridation: A Critical Review of the Physiological Effects of Ingested Fluoride as a Public Health Intervention†, have applied present indefinite tense and present perfect tense throughout the article; for example ― â€Å"Fluorine is the world’s 13th most abundant element and constitutes 0.08% of the Earth crust† (Peckham and Awofeso, 2014). The authors hardly applied past tense while describing preceding occurrences. Both the authors have applied passive voice sentences in order to express their thoughts, as can be observed with reference to their statement ― â€Å"Despite this community water fluoridation is endorsed by the World Health Authority, the US Public Health Agency, and most dental and public health org anisations as a safe and effective method of reducing dental decay (i.e., caries), a major global public health problem affecting 60–90% of schoolchildren and the vast majority of adults† (Peckham and Awofeso, 2014). On the other hand, Ling et al. (2013), in the article titled â€Å"Evaluation of the Toxicity of Fluorine in Antarctic Krill on Soft Tissues of Wistar Rats†, have attempted to inform audiences about the toxicity of fluorine in Antarctic krill. Considering the writing style followed by the authors in this article, it can be observed apparently that the authors have applied the present

Monday, January 27, 2020

Spanish Cinema During Dictatorship Film Studies Essay

Spanish Cinema During Dictatorship Film Studies Essay Filmmakers living under whatever military dictatorship are basically deprived of any open criticism of the regime as all cultural activities, including cinema, are rigorously controlled by censors. In order to share their ideas and produce films they want, they have to resort to the indirect methods of expression such as parables, metaphors, allegories, symbols and allusions and apply them in cinema language. The elements metaphorised during Francos years in Spain formed the basic criteria of the censorship Faith, Fatherland and Family. Hence, family as a microcosm became a condensed and concealed reference to the state for such directors as Carlos Saura Fernando Palacios, Luis Garcà ­a Berlanga to cite only a few. The questions that this essay raises concern the family category and family relationship in Crà ­a Cuervosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦/Raise Ravens [Carlos Saura, 1975]; code of the figurative language in Spanish national cinema of the Francos years, along with the script, filming an d editing styles that convey internal impulses and foreign influences of that epoch in terms of single family. RR was shot and released during the period marked by the collapsing of Francisco Francos dictatorship that lasted for thirty-five years. It is necessary to bear in mind that the last decade of his governing was characterised by economic growth, social modernisation, population mobility, tourist development caused by domestic and external conditions. But the legacy of his flowering regime that is particularly identified with hispanidad and National Catholicism, gender, political and trade oppression, military regime, strict censorship and dominance of patriarchal family values was still in the air (Ibid., 173-183). In order to raise an issue of the burden of such politics Carlos Saura exploits the tragic story of the family where three sisters have lost both parents and become in charge of a strict aunt. The plot of child-centred RR might be considered as a long flashback of adult Ana recalling her infancy twenty years later in 1995 (DLugo 1991, 132). Thereby, reading this film as retrospective suggests mediation on Anas morbid childhood, on complex issues of family relations and grieves, their interplay and impact on her personality. But on the metaphorical level, audience is invited to meditate on the state of affairs of actual Spain caused by the loss of Empire (1898), unfruitful Second Spanish Republic (1931-39) resulted with the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) that paved the way for the military regime of Franco (1939-75). The opening credits sequence of RR proves Sauras ingenious realistic editing style that results in a non-linear structure and peculiar editing. Indeed it starts with the camera slowly moving across the photographs of child Ana [Ana Torrent] in order to compress the narrative time illustrating moments of her childhood and identifying her as the potential first-person narrative of the film. Further the viewer discovers that the visible limit between fantasy and reality is absent and transition takes place only through camera movement while characters enter the shot directly (07 min 02). From the technical point of view, the flying sequence of child Ana (15 min 35) is remarkable because the transition is realised by means of zooming, changing angle from low to high and subjective camera: in this sequence Ana escapes from her prison-house and it can be interpreted as the rejection of the authority. The passage from present to future is ensured in particular through the dolly shot and the off-screen voice of adult Ana [Geraldine Chaplin] (17 min 55) or solely by means of her voice-over (66 min 35). However the memories from the past are reconstructed from the photographs that are frequently fixed in tight shots (19 min 55, 35 min 06). As a result, the panoply of techniques contributes to the alternative editing and narrative in RR. The use of natural lightning and contemporary realistic settings enhance the authenticity, though complex, of the Spanish society. The establishing shot introduces the location of the gloomy family house and the further mise-en-scà ¨ne articulates the films space concentrated in this roomy isolated house situated in the centre of Madrid that symbolises the impoverished bourgeoisie by the end of the Spanish Civil War. The mansion is surrounded by overgrown garden and boasts an empty and ruined swimming pool connoting the decay, emptiness and death with an allusion to the dead-end political situation of the regime. The entering of the outside world into the closed space via consumerism is expressed by comics (09 min 36), glossy magazines (29 min 23) and billboards. Even the international influence on economic and cultural transformation of Spanish society is visualised in the national flags of the USA (14 min 46, 28 min 20). The only sequence set outside the city takes place in the ho use of servicemen Nicolà ¡s Garate [Germà ¡n Cobos] where children play outdoors and the diegetic birds singing (72 min 27) contrasts to the diegetic sound of heavy traffic heard in their garden (14 min 48, 16 min 28, 101 min 58). The ambiguity of adult Ana and Anas mother Maria [both by Geraldine Chaplin] contributes to the time, space and identities shift in the film. While mixing up memories and fantasies of child Ana with the reality of adult Ana and joining time layers of past, present, future and unreal together, Saura creates a concentrated reality where all characters and epochs interact and enter the field. Child Ana, the ambiguous protagonist, becomes a main link between Maria and adult Ana. As means to emphasise the importance of Anas viewpoint in the film, Saura applies the close-up on her face (03 min 35, 25 min 21, 46 min 37, 62 min 47, 67 min 17 etc.), and camera is also often placed at the level of her eyes despite the sequences with adults participation (07 min 11, 21 min 43, 30 min 35, 57 min 26, 58 min 22 etc.). This can be interpreted as the innocence of childs viewpoint and an appeal to viewers to adopt it. The films title RR as a part of popular Spanish saying states for Raise ravens and they will peck out your eyes could become a allegorical moral that not only the children could return evil for evil to their parents, but the unsatisfied country is able to take revenge on its former ideological leaders. Child Ana remains a powerful metaphor for Spains future that is still indefinite and unsure to defeat the regime, but potentially strong as her viewpoint is distinctly lucid, penetrating and analysing (DLugo 1991, 134-135). Thus, through the silent shots, she unveils what adults as censors try to conceal: adulteries of her father [Hà ©ctor Alterio] as an antithesis of canonised marriage (05 min 28, 74 min 20); grieves and pains of her mother standing for agony and frustration with the Francos regime (46 min 10, 55 min 22); quarrel of her parents proving the dominating role of husband in the family (58 min 02); affair of her aunt [Mà ³nica Randall] (88 min 19) contrasting with her a uthoritarian manner (21 min 17). Ana seems to understand that spontaneous stories of housemaid Rosa [Florinda Chico] with her genuine speech (24 min 37, 74 min 33) are more sincere than the orders of her aunt. The kitchen, which is Rosas realm, is also accentuated by means of bright lightning and grows into Anas safest place in the whole house. All in all, Anas character invites the audience to participate in estimation of cause-and-effect relations of the precedent and current epochs, depicted in her parents, as well as their impact on her future. As for the Anas surroundings, her household is characterised by double absence of parents and feminine composition. Since in Francos time the patriarchal family structure prevailed and the man was supposed to be the head of such mà ©nage (Helen Graham 1995, 184), this role is successfully played by Aunt Paulina whose iron discipline substitutes maternal affection. As Ana has already disclosed the illusion of the paternal system when she found her father dead in the arms of his mistress [Mirta Miller] at the beginning of the film (05 min 28), she does not obey her aunts orders and refuses to kiss her dead father (13 min 27). The symbolic meaning of this act lies in disapproval of established Catholic and militarist models embodied in her aunt and the servicemen present at her fathers funeral. Anas further rebel against her aunts rigorous education up to attempt to shoot (88 min 41) and to poison her (91 min 09) in the climax could be interpreted as an appeal for emancipation of the n ew generation, the yearning to burst the bonds of patriarchal family and to uphold womens rights in the society (Helen Graham 1995, 329). Yet Ana re-plays this rebellion in the scene with a doll blaming her disobedience (66 min 09). Girls dynamism and thirst for action are opposed to her grandmothers [Josefina Dà ­az] immobility and passivity. Her paralysed and silent figure stands for the nostalgia for the glorious past of the Spanish Empire and is a true allusion to her powerlessness in Francos society. Her life was destroyed by wars and regimes; she remains merely a silent witness of the present epoch finding her comfort in photographs that accompanied by an old-fashioned song  ¡Hay, Maricruz! bring back her sweet memories. Moreover, Saura attributes an emblematic soundtrack to every women generation in the film. The opening credits start with the melancholic piano piece  Cancià ³n y Danzas N.6 by Federico Mompou; it is performed later by Anas mother with a symbolic reference to her abandoned career of concert pianist and her unfortunate marriage (Helen Graham 1995, 308). Finally, Jeanettes rhythmic tune Porque te vas (Because You are Leaving) is a pop song about the failed relationships but it also has a connotation of Anas revolt and vitality. Thus, the self-conscious role of diegetic music makes characters and their ideological values more vivid. Being an example for masculinities, Anas father Anselmo does not have any associated tune: he is a former military officer from the Blue Division devoted to his Fatherland, though unfaithful tyrannical husband and neglecting parent. Overflowed with authoritarianism, Anselmo stands for a purest metaphor for the Francos military regime with all its dreads, oppressions and gender inequalities. His dominating position is illustrated in one of the photographs from the opening credits where he rides a horse (01 min 13).The legacy of the Spanish Civil War subsists in the sequence when children put in order their fathers cabinet asking questions about his military role (87 min 00). His gifts (pistol, gun and colours) could signify the transmission of values of the dying regime, e.g. violence, brutal power and nationalism. Furthermore, Anselmos character reveals and completes the image of his passive wife Maria. Being the typical spouse of the Francoist society, she renounced her vocation so as to accept the upbringing of children (Helen Graham, 183-193). Indeed, she was not convinced of her success and this can suggest a hidden parallel to the dictatorship, when none of the artistic activities was beyond censors attention. Maria is also a vivid example of a victim recluse in the house dying in agony, as it was the destiny of the Second Spanish Republic that did not lived up to Spaniards expectations. Redefinition of gender roles of the parents takes place in the domestic play staged by the children where Ana and her elder sister Iren [Conchita Pà ©rez] act their parents (37 min 59). Performing the mise-en-abà ®me of their conflict, Ana metamorphoses her mothers character according to her rebel head that stands for a shift in the new generations mind. This scene appeals to the open-ending (102 min 06) when girls leave their family house for the school accompanied by the soundtrack Porque te vas foreshadowing Spains optimistic opening to the world. All in all, these examples do not pretend to be exhaustive but seem sufficient to evaluate Sauras creative authorial insight and his attempt of dramatising the historical background in terms of family life. So the childs trauma in the film refers to the disease of the nation under the infamous Francos dictatorship. The semiotic of Sauras film including the non-linear narrative, cinematographic blurring of the events due to the camera movement and its different angles; use of diegetic music and sounds, natural lightning as well as actors play, all this might have contributed to censors confusion and they allowed its release without any cut, moreover it was awarded the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes Film Festival. RR can be also compared to the earlier works by Saura: La prima Angà ©lica/Cousin Angelica [Carlos Saura, 1974] and El jardà ­n de las delicias/Garden of Delights [Carlos Saura, 1970] which plots are also built on the family life with inevitable political subtext orienta ted on the intellectually engaged viewer. Word count: 2236 words Filmography Title: Crà ­a Cuervosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Raise Ravens) Director: Carlos Saura Screenwriter: Carlos Saura Cinematographer: Teodoro Escamilla Editor: Pablo Gonzà ¡lez del Amo Music: Federico Mompou Year of release: 1976 Production Company: Elà ­as Querejeta Producciones Cinematogrà ¡ficas S.L. DVD reference: E166377

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Analysis †Amazing Grace

The Analysis – Amazing Grace Kiel Carino ENG 125 Professor Olabisi Adenekan October 29, 2012 The Analysis – Amazing Grace The poetry â€Å"Amazing Grace† by John Newton is one of the most famous poems ever written and composed. â€Å"Amazing Grace† has been particularly influential and has affected lives since it was written. The reasons why â€Å"Amazing Grace† is influential are for the same reasons why I found this poem very interesting and engaging. The literary elements that attributed to the poem’s quality and importance are its form, content, and tone.These elements are what make â€Å"Amazing Grace† such an important and significant piece of poetry in history. The form of the poem â€Å"Amazing Grace† is different from other literature readings from the book. â€Å"Amazing Grace† is a special type of literature; a poem in a form of a song. â€Å"A hymn is a lyric poem or sacred song which is written in praise to a deity or spirit† (Wheeler, 2012). This type of literary form is appealing to read and hear. The poem comes to life as it is being played.This type of literary form has an advantage over other types due to the poem is being composed specifically to be heard, not read. The contents of â€Å"Amazing Grace† are overwhelmingly powerful. In the first paragraph, John Newton used words to describe who he was and how a certain sound changed his life. â€Å"Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, / That saved a wretch like me! / I once was lost but now am found, / Was blind, but now I see. † (cited in Clugston, 2010). In this paragraph, Newton used words such a wretch to describe himself.He also stated that he was lost, but the sweet sound helped him and guided him to see, which to me meant that he began to differentiate between right and wrong. In the fourth paragraph, John Newton once again used strong words to captivate its audience by letting the readers know where he st ands with his faith. â€Å"The lord has promised good to me; / His word hope secures; / He will my shield and portion be, / As long as life endures† (cited in Clugston, 2010). Newton stated in this paragraph that he will maintain his faith with the Lord.The Lord promised him good things and he will be eternally grateful. I believe that this poem is a short autobiography of John Newton and how his life was changed forever. The contents of this poem are very strong and as a person of faith, reading a poem of this caliber strengthened by beliefs. The contents kept me attached and encouraged me to keep reading in order to find out more about John Newton’s life and how he was spiritually saved. The tone of â€Å"Amazing Grace† was very slow and methodical. As stated earlier, I believe this poem is a short autobiography of the author and it came from the heart.The author seemed as if he was pouring his heart out as he wrote this poem. â€Å"Through many dangers, toil s, and snares / I have already come; / ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, / and grace will lead me home† (cited in Clugston, 2010). In this passage, he stated that he has been through many trials in his life, but he has overcome all of this through his faith and this faith of his will assist in overcoming what trials lie ahead. After reading this poem, I listed to the audio version and the audio version enhanced its meaning.The slow and sad tone of this poem graciously depicted John Newton’s struggles, prior to being saved spiritually. The poem â€Å"Amazing Grace† by John Newton is one of the most famous poems ever written and composed. â€Å"Amazing Grace† has been particularly influential and has affected lives since it was written. The reasons why â€Å"Amazing Grace† is influential are for the same reasons why I found this poem very interesting and engaging. The literary elements that attributed to the poem’s quality and imp ortance are its form, content, and tone.These elements are what make â€Å"Amazing Grace† such an important and significant piece of poetry in history. By combining the form, contents, and the tone, John Newton beautifully created a masterpiece that will continuously affect people for years to come. Reference: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Wheeler, D. L. K. (2012). Literary terms and definition. Retrieved on October 25, 2012 from http://web. cn. edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_H. html

Friday, January 10, 2020

Advantage and Disadvantage of Living Abroad

Up to now there are more people living abroad. Some people live abroad to travel study or work. Living abroad has many advantages and disadvantages. The first advantage is easy to learn another language. This means if you are living abroad, you can learn another language. For example, your original language is Chinese, but now you living in America, you can learn English and speak it well. In addition, the second advantage is can know different culture. This means you can learn lots of knowledge and custom in that country.The final advantage is can make friend with people from different country. This means you can be happy with new friends. For instance, I study in Malaysia; I have friends from Japan, Korea, and Malaysia. Aside for the advantage, there are some disadvantages of living abroad. Firstly, you may not easily find a helper to help you if you are having a problem. Moreover, you will waste a lot of money on transportation. For example, take cab can cost you more than driving your own car.You need adapt to your new environment is also a disadvantage at living abroad. For example, you need to try to eat those indigenous foods though you don’t like it. At the end, living abroad also has many disadvantages. To sum up living abroad can be easy to learn another language, know different culture and make friends with people from different country. But also need to conquer those issue such as different environment, transportation and become more independent. So living abroad have many advantages and disadvantages.