Sunday, July 26, 2020

Pick a current topic that relates to mateial that has been coverd in

Pick a current topic that relates to mateial that has been coverd in Pick a current topic that relates to mateial that has been coverd in Economics 101/Microeconomics â€" Term Paper Example > Review of the Article; ‘Measuring the price elasti of import demand in the destination markets of Italian exports’ by Felettigh, A. and Federico, S Name Institution Date This paper equates the price elasticity of products exported from Italy and other countries in their respective countries of exportation. The results show that price elasticity of imports in Italian destination markets is lower than the price elasticity of imports in other euro-area countries’ import markets. It shows that Italy exports its products to lower price elastic markets than France, Germany, and Spain. It was also established that the geographical and sectored composition of Italian exports does not expose the countries to more elastic demand (Felettigh Federico, 2010). The aim of this assignment is to relate the above article to the microeconomics course. There are three learning objectives as outlined in the course contents, which can be related to the article. These are; to explain how economists use the scientific method to formulate economic principles, to define price elasticity of demand and how it can be measured, and to explain how purely competitive firms maxi mize profits or minimize losses. In the article, in order to match the price elasticity of Italian exports and other euro-area countries’ exports, the authors used the Broda and Weinstein, and Broda, Greenfield and Weinstein approaches to measure price elasticity. The approach assumed that each country’s exports are of different varieties; therefore import markets received different varieties of products. This means that if a country, for example, receives wine from Italy, this Italian wine is of different varieties. It also means that countries receive different variety products depending on the countries importing, and the market demands (Felettigh Federico, 2010). This is an example of the use of scientific method to formulate economic principles. The result of the research showed that Italy exported products to market with the low price elasticity of demand. The economic principle that can be derived from this is that markets with low price elasticity of demand are charac terized by extensive price control. The authors may not be economists, but the idea of using scientific methods to formulate a principle is clear (Felettigh Federico, 2010). Felettigh and Federico’s article does not define price elasticity, but is given an idea of how one can measure price elasticity under a specific circumstance; comparing price elasticity of demand for a variety of products. The price elasticity of demand for products in destination markets was an effort to explain Italy’s performance in the export market over the past decades. According to Felettigh and Federico (2010), features of Italian exports may help explain why some excel so much in their business. For example, it is indicated that Italian exporters benefit from wide-ranging pricing power. Price elasticity of demand of products in the import markets could explain the extensive pricing power. If the price elasticity of demand for products is low, it means the price of the product does not affect its demand. Italian exporters can therefore, control the prices to maximize profits (Felettigh Federico, 2010). Italian exporters’ extensive control over pricing is one of the ways through which they may be maximizing profits (Felettigh Federico, 2010). Knowledge of price elasticity is necessary for businessmen maximize profits. Just like in the case of Italian exporters, when the price elasticity of demand of a product is low, the businessmen can control the prices to maximize profits. When the price elasticity is high, it is not easy to increase prices because this can easily affect demand, hence poor sales (Taylor, 2006). It is therefore clear that such knowledge helps achieve one of the course objectives of explaining how competitive firms maximize profits. In this case, the competitive firms are those exporters from different countries, and they are competing in foreign import markets (Felettigh Federico, 2010). One can also easily understand how the article relates to the whole course from the definition of microeconomics. Arnold defines it as follows; “Microeconomics is a branch of economics that deals with human behaviour and choices as they relate to relatively small units; an individual, a firm, an industry, a single market” (Arnold, 2013, p. 20). This article describes human behaviour and choices in relation to imports from Italy and other countries. It explains how consumers in the import markets behave to products from Italy. As indicated earlier, products from Italy have the lower price elasticity of demand. It shows the choice or preference for certain products. More about the human behaviour in such markets can be studied to find out the reason why Italian products are valued. This also provides more relation to microeconomics since specific focus will be on the value of Italian products on import markets (Felettigh Federico, 2010). References Arnold, R. A. (2013). Microeconomics. (11th Ed. ). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2013 Felettigh, A. and Federico, S. (2010). Measuring the price elasticity of import demand in the destination markets of Italian exports. Working Paper Number 776. Retrieved from: http: //www. bancaditalia. it/pubblicazioni/econo/temidi/td10/td776_10/td_776_10/en_tema_776.pdf Taylor, J. (2006). Principles of Economics. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Essay about College Is Not Worth It The Fleecing of...

Kris, a wife and a mother, worries about the increasing cost of higher education. She and her husband have a two year old daughter whom they are determined to send to college. They want their daughter to succeed in life, but they have to weigh the complications of going to college as well. â€Å"I have always thought about college as a â€Å"catch 22†...You’re taught from a young age that in order to achieve the â€Å"American Dream† you must graduate high school and go to college,† Kris contemplates (Kris 5).Throughout Kris’s ten years of experience with college, she has seen the tuition increase to shocking heights. In fact, she claims that community colleges cost as much as state colleges did when she first started her college hunt. Back then, she†¦show more content†¦Sometimes a college degree does not pay off as one might hope, and sometimes the competitiveness of certain schools or programs make the cost issue even more prominent. Whe n all is said and done, college might lead to debt and the shattering of dreams. Hence, the resounding question is, â€Å"is college worth it?† The answer to this questions is even more daunting for today’s average family and prospective high school graduates. A major problem for today’s high school graduates is the rising price in college education. Attending college can add up really fast; it can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars per year (Barkan 1). No wonder, in Steven Barkan’s book of social problems, issues and problems in higher education take up a full chapter. In this chapter, Barkan states that only 44% of all students who attend a four-year institution is lucky enough to have annual tuitions and fees amount to less than $9,000 per year. The aggravating question is, â€Å"why does college cost so much?† Not only is tuition part of the cost of college but also fees housing and meals, books, school supplies, and accessories (â€Å"What’s the Price Tag† 1). All tuition covers is the money for academic instruction. Fees are charges for specific services such as, internet access, and then the cost of books and school supplies add up. Additionally, one is not paying just for textbooks but alsoSh ow MoreRelatedManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Leadership

Friday, May 8, 2020

Illegal Immigration And The United States - 1126 Words

Illegal Immigration Illegal immigration, according to an online dictionary is, â€Å"an alien (non-citizen) who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa† (thefreedictionary.com). This issue has been a controversial and divisive topic throughout the world. Illegal immigration is a serious threat to national security. Lack of proper immigration can cause harmful consequences, and while there is much debate over what to do with the many illegal immigrants in the country, it is evident that it is a burden and very damaging. Illegal immigration dates all the way back to the nineteenth century, and since then has only grown more apparent. Around this time, however, illegal, and†¦show more content†¦Protecting that Southern border is just as important as any other part of the world as far as I’m concerned—and more important† (Scarborough Illegal Immigration is National Security Issue). To reiterate what Dan Burton stated, illegal immigration is such a huge threat is because not only are drug dealers making their way across, but terrorists will find any way possible to get into the country, increasing the many lives that are at risk. Some people even argue that a large portion of the anxiety that comes from this issue is based on the attacks on September 11th. In fact, James A. Lyons, retired admiral in the United States Navy, stated, â€Å"It is an acknowledged fact that since we have refused to secure our borders, we have facilitated the transit and infiltration of al Qaeda affiliated terrorists and narco-terrorists who are now living illegally in the United States. This is a serious national security issue, as manifested by the Boston Marathon bombing†. For further emphasis, the gang Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, has also been reported of taking advantage of the immigration problem along the border. It is evident that these members and individuals a re not peaceful, but rather coming in with the main goal of harming as many people as possible. These examples surely unveil the huge threat to national security that is being stemmed from illegal immigration. It cannot be stressedShow MoreRelatedIllegal Immigration And The United States1573 Words   |  7 Pagesmillion illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States furthermore, for the United States economy. The correctional prerequisites against migrants were added to enactment to protect it from feedback that acquittal is absolution without outcome. Immigration makes a difference among everybody, and Congress ought to be doing everything in its energy to make it as simple as feasible for settlers to live and work lawfully what s more, openly in the United States. The United States is knownRead MoreIllegal Immigration And The United States1315 Words   |  6 PagesFor ages, the United States has seemed to be the country where people seek to move to for a better life. The United States was built on immigrants. People have always migrated to the United States both legally and illegally. The main problem the country has face with immigrants is the amount that trespass the border illegally. Illegal immigration is the unlawful act of crossing a national border(Illegal Immigration Pros and Cons). The illegal immigrant population keeps growing at an annual averageRead MoreIllegal Immigration And The United States969 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican businessman, politician, television personality, and author, is the presumptive of the y for president of the United States in 2016having won the most state primaries and caucuses and delegates to the 2016 Republican National Convention. Trump’s positions in opposition to illegal immigration, various free trade agreements that he believes are unfair, and most military interventionism have earned him particular support among blue-collar voters and voters without college degrees. Many of hisRead MoreIllegal Immigration And The United States1486 Words   |  6 PagesIllegal immigration has been an issue in the United States for a long time so the issues that come with it should not be a surprise. America was established on the basis of newcomers settling here from abroad. Recently though, thousands of illegal immigrants have come into the U.S. through either the Mexico border, the Pacific Ocean, or the Gulf of Mexico which has created a new an unanticipated issue for the U.S., in the past immigrants came from Europe and passed through the Ellis Island stationRead MoreIllegal Immigration Is The United States1805 Words   |  8 PagesIllegal immigration is the migration of people across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. Some c ountries have millions of illegal immigrants. Immigration, including illegal immigration, is overwhelmingly upward, from a poorer to a richer country. The easy definition of an undocumented immigrant is someone who was not born in the United States and therefore has no legal right to be or remain in the United States. Not all undocumented immigrantsRead MoreIllegal Immigration : The United States1876 Words   |  8 PagesIllegal Immigration Due to the economic benefits of immigrant labor, the dangers of central American countries, and the basic human rights of noncitizens, the US government must grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants. Illegal immigration has become a rising issue in the US over the past few years, and it will continue to heat up coming into this year s presidential election. This issue is also very present in the local community due to it’s diversity and large Hispanic population. GenerallyRead MoreIllegal Immigration in the United States1864 Words   |  8 PagesIllegal Immigration In The United States: A Controversial Debate Illegal immigration is an on-going issue, which is of much importance in the United States today. It has been overlooked for many years, however it has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. Most of the illegal immigrants, 54% to be exact, come through the Mexican border. (Hayes 5) Since the early 1980’s, the number of illegal Mexican immigrants has risen at an incredible rate, causing the United States government to takeRead MoreIllegal Immigration in the United States Essay2094 Words   |  9 PagesIllegal Immigration in the United States Illegal Immigration in the United States The United States (US) has always been viewed as the land of opportunity because it is the only true free country in the world. This being the case people have been fighting their way into the country for decades. However, it is becoming more and more of a problem each decade that passes. With the United States border being so close to Mexico it is now seeing the highest population of illegal immigrants toRead MoreDeportation: Immigration to the United States and Illegal Alien2373 Words   |  10 Pagesadvance because of the way the immigration process works. However, one thing we all had in mind, was to see the light of a different country, see different faces and hopefully find ways to stay. Once the airplane took off, words was already spread all over the office of Haiti air in Florida that the airplane left Haiti with more than 30 Haitian illegal on board. The first few 2 hours spent at the arrival office was like a discovery of a new world for every single illegal in that group. This was oneRead MoreIllegal Immigration And Immigration In The United States1091 Words   |  5 Pagesarrest persons for immigration enforcement purposes. (De Leon, K) The new legislation, created by California Senate President Kevin de Leon, officially makes the state of California a â€Å"sanctuary state†. Previously, de Leon determined that Donald Trump is a racist because of his positions on immigration; most notably, Trump’s attempt to defund cities that considered themselves sanctuaries. In a debate that is becoming increasingly more polarized, Brown sought to protect illegal immigrants against

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Shoehorn Sonata Free Essays

The Shoe-Horn Sonata by John Misto The opening scene, with Bridie demonstrating the deep, subservient bow, the kow-tow, demanded of the prisoners by their Japanese guards during tenko, takes the audience straight into the action. As the interviewer, Rick, poses questions, music and images from the war period flash on the screen behind Bridie, and the audience realises they are watching the filming of a television documentary. The time is now, and Bridie is being asked to recall the events of fifty years earlier. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shoehorn Sonata or any similar topic only for you Order Now This scene establishes who Bridie is, and introduces the audience to the situation: the recall and in a sense the re-living of memories of the years of imprisonment. Characterisation TASK: Re-read the play. Go through and highlight specific characteristics of our two protagonists – ensuring that you can provide evidence from the play (The evidence could be lines or phrases of dialogue, their actions, current or past, or their body language as described in the text. ) Character| Specific Characteristics| Evidence from the play| Bridie| | | Shelia| | | ACT SCENE| Spine Summary (3-4 lines)| Quotations| Act 1, Scene 1| | | Act 1, Scene 2| | | Act 1, Scene 3| Eg. Women find themselves in the water and the song ‘Young Jerusalem is sung by young Sheila †¦. | | Act 1, Scene 4| | | Act 1, Scene 5| | | Act 1, Scene 6| | | Act 1, Scene 7| | | Act 1, Scene 8| | | Shoe Horn Sonata Act ONE Analysis Re read each scene and write a short summary outlining the ‘spine’ of the scene (What keeps it together). Write in full two of the main quotes from the scene that supports the spine summary. Do this for AT LEAST 3-4 scenes PER act Shoe Horn Sonata Act TWO Analysis ACT SCENE| Spine Summary (3-4 lines)| Quotations| Act 2, Scene 1| | | Act 2, Scene 2| | | Act 2, Scene 3| | | Act 2, Scene 4| | | Act 2, Scene 5| | | Act 2, Scene 6| | | Act 2, Scene 7| | | Re read each scene and write a short summary outlining the ‘spine’ of the scene (What keeps it together). Write in full two of the main quotes from the scene that support the spine summary. Do this for AT LEAST 3-4 scenes PER act Characterisation Characterisation can mean two things: 1. The nature of a particular character as it is presented in a text. This would include age, appearance, temperament, past life experiences, personality traits, characteristic ways of expression, values and ideals, motivations, reactions to circumstances, responses to other characters. 2. The methods the composer of a text has used to project this character to the audience or reader. These would include, among other things, the words they use or others use about them, their decisions and actions, their body language, responses to others’ words and actions, the motivations they reveal. See Activities] The play’s structure is based on the differences in character and temperament between Bridie and Sheila which are gradually revealed to the audience. The action of the play revisits their past hardships and terrors, but the final focus is on the trauma they have suffered afterwards. The revelation of the crises they have each faced is presented as a healing action, which lead s to the resolution of their differences and a satisfying closure to the play. Misto’s own motivations for researching these events and writing the play is made clear in his Author’s Note (p. 6). His perceptions of Australia’s neglect to honour such women as Bridie is suggested when she says: â€Å"In 1951 we were each sent thirty pounds. The Japanese said it was compensation. That’s sixpence a day for each day of imprisonment. † Introduction to Play Sheila’s arrival at the motel from Perth introduces immediately one source of friction between the two: they clearly have not been in touch with one another for many decades. Each is just finding out basic information as whether the other ever married or had children. The audience sees, too, that the warmth of Bridie’s greeting: â€Å"Gee it’s good to see you† is not reciprocated by Sheila. The audience wonders why not. The revelations by the end of Act One will finally show the reason. The body language described on page 26 indicates the deep underlying tension between the two–yet the scene ends with their lifting the suitcase as they used to lift the coffins of the dead: to the cries of Ichi, ni, san—Ya-ta! Their shared experiences are a strong bond. The Shoe-Horn Sonata is divided into two acts: the longer Act One, with eight scenes, and a shorter Act Two, with six scenes. It follows theatrical custom by providing a major climax before the final curtain of Act One, which resolves some of the suspense and mystery, but leaves the audience to wonder what direction the play will take after the interval. The action cuts between two settings: a television studio and a Melbourne motel room. The extreme danger the prisoners faced is indicated by Bridie during this exposition: over-crowded ships sailing towards an enemy fleet, the unpreparedness of the British garrison in Singapore for the invasion, the fear of rape for the women. Misto thus sets up some of the issues to be confronted during the course of the play between the Australian Bridie and the former English schoolgirl Sheila. Sheila appears in Scene Two, and the major conflict of the play begins to simmer. Journey through memory For the rest of Act One, the shared memories of Bridie and Sheila become those of the audience, through the dramatic techniques Misto uses. In Scene Three, the audience is reminded of how young Sheila was when she was taken prisoner. The voice of a teenage girl sings part of ‘Jerusalem’, the stirring and visionary song with words by English poet William Blake, and the mature Sheila joins in. (Later Bridie and Sheila sing it together. ) Bridie’s attitude from their first meeting as shipwreck survivors drifting in the sea is protective of Sheila. She sees her as â€Å"another stuck-up Pom†, and hits her with her Shoe-Horn to keep her awake. Sheila has been taught by her snobbish mother to look down on the Irish, the label she puts on the Sydney nurse from Chatswood because of her surname. Further differences between the two surface in Scene Five, when the â€Å"officers’ club† set up by the Japanese is described. But by the end of this scene they are recalling the choir and â€Å"orchestra† of women’s voices set up by Miss Dryburgh. Scene Six opens with Bridie and Sheila in a conga line singing the parodies of well-known songs they’d used to taunt their captors and keep their spirits up Pain and tension Soon they are arguing, focusing on their differing attitudes to the British women who in Bridie’s view were â€Å"selling themselves for food† to the Japanese. The tension rises as more and more is revealed about the deteriorating conditions for the prisoners and the relentless number of deaths, especially in the Belalau camp. At the end of the Act, in a dramatic gesture, Sheila returns the Shoe-Horn. She had claimed to sell it for quinine to save Bridie’s life–but in fact as she now reveals she had been forced to sleep with the enemy to buy the medicine. She extorts from Bridie the implicit admission that she would not have made that sacrifice for her. Bridie says nothing, but cannot face Sheila. Sheila is shattered by the realisation: â€Å"All these years I’ve told myself that you’d have done the same for me. [Calmly] I was wrong, though, wasn’t I? † Act Two opens back in the studio, where Bridie and Sheila explain on the documentary the appalling conditions in the death camp of Belalau. Suspense is built by the revelation that orders had been given that no prisoners were to survive to the end of the war. The audience wants to know how there could have been survivors. They also want to know how or if the tension in the relationship between the two women can be resolved. It becomes clear that the traumatised Sheila cannot in civilian life face any sexual relationship; nor has she felt able to return to Britain or to face remaining with her family in Singapore. She has led a quiet life as a librarian in Perth. Her nights are filled with nightmarish recollections about Lipstick Larry, and she drinks rather too much. In contrast, Bridie had been happily married for years to the cheeky Australian soldier who had waved and winked at her at Christmas behind the wire. She is now widowed and childless. Ambush and resolution Misto is preparing an ambush for the audience. By Scene Twelve, Bridie’s â€Å"disgrace† is revealed. Spooked when she is surrounded by a group of chattering Japanese tourists in David Jones Food Hall, she runs away with a tin of shortbread and later pleads guilty in court to shoplifting. â€Å"I still lie awake cringing with shame† she tells Sheila. She could not explain the truth about her phobia to the court or to her family and friends. The effect on Sheila is more than Bridie expected. She now decides that she can be at peace only if she faces the truth in public. She explains: â€Å"There are probably thousands of survivors like us–still trapped in the war–too ashamed to tell anyone. † Bridie urges her not to. But in Scene Thirteen after they have recounted how they were eventually discovered and rescued, days after the end of the war, it is in fact Bridie who reveals the truth of Sheila’s heroism and self-sacrifice. She then finds the courage to ask Sheila to explain about her shoplifting arrest The scene ends with the declaration Bridie has waited fifty years for: â€Å"And I’d do it all over again if I had to†¦. cause Bridie’s my friend†¦ † The tensions between the two have now been resolved: the secrets are out, both the personal ones and the long-hidden information about the experiences of the women prisoners and internees. The brief and cheerful last scene shows their friendship restored, the Shoe-Horn returned to its rightful owner, plans made for a Christmas reunion, and, fina lly, the peacetime dance they had promised one another in the camp. The Blue Danube plays: â€Å"It is the music of joy and triumph and survival. † How to cite The Shoehorn Sonata, Essay examples

The Shoehorn Sonata Free Essays

The Shoe-Horn Sonata by John Misto The opening scene, with Bridie demonstrating the deep, subservient bow, the kow-tow, demanded of the prisoners by their Japanese guards during tenko, takes the audience straight into the action. As the interviewer, Rick, poses questions, music and images from the war period flash on the screen behind Bridie, and the audience realises they are watching the filming of a television documentary. The time is now, and Bridie is being asked to recall the events of fifty years earlier. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shoehorn Sonata or any similar topic only for you Order Now This scene establishes who Bridie is, and introduces the audience to the situation: the recall and in a sense the re-living of memories of the years of imprisonment. Characterisation TASK: Re-read the play. Go through and highlight specific characteristics of our two protagonists – ensuring that you can provide evidence from the play (The evidence could be lines or phrases of dialogue, their actions, current or past, or their body language as described in the text. ) Character| Specific Characteristics| Evidence from the play| Bridie| | | Shelia| | | ACT SCENE| Spine Summary (3-4 lines)| Quotations| Act 1, Scene 1| | | Act 1, Scene 2| | | Act 1, Scene 3| Eg. Women find themselves in the water and the song ‘Young Jerusalem is sung by young Sheila †¦. | | Act 1, Scene 4| | | Act 1, Scene 5| | | Act 1, Scene 6| | | Act 1, Scene 7| | | Act 1, Scene 8| | | Shoe Horn Sonata Act ONE Analysis Re read each scene and write a short summary outlining the ‘spine’ of the scene (What keeps it together). Write in full two of the main quotes from the scene that supports the spine summary. Do this for AT LEAST 3-4 scenes PER act Shoe Horn Sonata Act TWO Analysis ACT SCENE| Spine Summary (3-4 lines)| Quotations| Act 2, Scene 1| | | Act 2, Scene 2| | | Act 2, Scene 3| | | Act 2, Scene 4| | | Act 2, Scene 5| | | Act 2, Scene 6| | | Act 2, Scene 7| | | Re read each scene and write a short summary outlining the ‘spine’ of the scene (What keeps it together). Write in full two of the main quotes from the scene that support the spine summary. Do this for AT LEAST 3-4 scenes PER act Characterisation Characterisation can mean two things: 1. The nature of a particular character as it is presented in a text. This would include age, appearance, temperament, past life experiences, personality traits, characteristic ways of expression, values and ideals, motivations, reactions to circumstances, responses to other characters. 2. The methods the composer of a text has used to project this character to the audience or reader. These would include, among other things, the words they use or others use about them, their decisions and actions, their body language, responses to others’ words and actions, the motivations they reveal. See Activities] The play’s structure is based on the differences in character and temperament between Bridie and Sheila which are gradually revealed to the audience. The action of the play revisits their past hardships and terrors, but the final focus is on the trauma they have suffered afterwards. The revelation of the crises they have each faced is presented as a healing action, which lead s to the resolution of their differences and a satisfying closure to the play. Misto’s own motivations for researching these events and writing the play is made clear in his Author’s Note (p. 6). His perceptions of Australia’s neglect to honour such women as Bridie is suggested when she says: â€Å"In 1951 we were each sent thirty pounds. The Japanese said it was compensation. That’s sixpence a day for each day of imprisonment. † Introduction to Play Sheila’s arrival at the motel from Perth introduces immediately one source of friction between the two: they clearly have not been in touch with one another for many decades. Each is just finding out basic information as whether the other ever married or had children. The audience sees, too, that the warmth of Bridie’s greeting: â€Å"Gee it’s good to see you† is not reciprocated by Sheila. The audience wonders why not. The revelations by the end of Act One will finally show the reason. The body language described on page 26 indicates the deep underlying tension between the two–yet the scene ends with their lifting the suitcase as they used to lift the coffins of the dead: to the cries of Ichi, ni, san—Ya-ta! Their shared experiences are a strong bond. The Shoe-Horn Sonata is divided into two acts: the longer Act One, with eight scenes, and a shorter Act Two, with six scenes. It follows theatrical custom by providing a major climax before the final curtain of Act One, which resolves some of the suspense and mystery, but leaves the audience to wonder what direction the play will take after the interval. The action cuts between two settings: a television studio and a Melbourne motel room. The extreme danger the prisoners faced is indicated by Bridie during this exposition: over-crowded ships sailing towards an enemy fleet, the unpreparedness of the British garrison in Singapore for the invasion, the fear of rape for the women. Misto thus sets up some of the issues to be confronted during the course of the play between the Australian Bridie and the former English schoolgirl Sheila. Sheila appears in Scene Two, and the major conflict of the play begins to simmer. Journey through memory For the rest of Act One, the shared memories of Bridie and Sheila become those of the audience, through the dramatic techniques Misto uses. In Scene Three, the audience is reminded of how young Sheila was when she was taken prisoner. The voice of a teenage girl sings part of ‘Jerusalem’, the stirring and visionary song with words by English poet William Blake, and the mature Sheila joins in. (Later Bridie and Sheila sing it together. ) Bridie’s attitude from their first meeting as shipwreck survivors drifting in the sea is protective of Sheila. She sees her as â€Å"another stuck-up Pom†, and hits her with her Shoe-Horn to keep her awake. Sheila has been taught by her snobbish mother to look down on the Irish, the label she puts on the Sydney nurse from Chatswood because of her surname. Further differences between the two surface in Scene Five, when the â€Å"officers’ club† set up by the Japanese is described. But by the end of this scene they are recalling the choir and â€Å"orchestra† of women’s voices set up by Miss Dryburgh. Scene Six opens with Bridie and Sheila in a conga line singing the parodies of well-known songs they’d used to taunt their captors and keep their spirits up Pain and tension Soon they are arguing, focusing on their differing attitudes to the British women who in Bridie’s view were â€Å"selling themselves for food† to the Japanese. The tension rises as more and more is revealed about the deteriorating conditions for the prisoners and the relentless number of deaths, especially in the Belalau camp. At the end of the Act, in a dramatic gesture, Sheila returns the Shoe-Horn. She had claimed to sell it for quinine to save Bridie’s life–but in fact as she now reveals she had been forced to sleep with the enemy to buy the medicine. She extorts from Bridie the implicit admission that she would not have made that sacrifice for her. Bridie says nothing, but cannot face Sheila. Sheila is shattered by the realisation: â€Å"All these years I’ve told myself that you’d have done the same for me. [Calmly] I was wrong, though, wasn’t I? † Act Two opens back in the studio, where Bridie and Sheila explain on the documentary the appalling conditions in the death camp of Belalau. Suspense is built by the revelation that orders had been given that no prisoners were to survive to the end of the war. The audience wants to know how there could have been survivors. They also want to know how or if the tension in the relationship between the two women can be resolved. It becomes clear that the traumatised Sheila cannot in civilian life face any sexual relationship; nor has she felt able to return to Britain or to face remaining with her family in Singapore. She has led a quiet life as a librarian in Perth. Her nights are filled with nightmarish recollections about Lipstick Larry, and she drinks rather too much. In contrast, Bridie had been happily married for years to the cheeky Australian soldier who had waved and winked at her at Christmas behind the wire. She is now widowed and childless. Ambush and resolution Misto is preparing an ambush for the audience. By Scene Twelve, Bridie’s â€Å"disgrace† is revealed. Spooked when she is surrounded by a group of chattering Japanese tourists in David Jones Food Hall, she runs away with a tin of shortbread and later pleads guilty in court to shoplifting. â€Å"I still lie awake cringing with shame† she tells Sheila. She could not explain the truth about her phobia to the court or to her family and friends. The effect on Sheila is more than Bridie expected. She now decides that she can be at peace only if she faces the truth in public. She explains: â€Å"There are probably thousands of survivors like us–still trapped in the war–too ashamed to tell anyone. † Bridie urges her not to. But in Scene Thirteen after they have recounted how they were eventually discovered and rescued, days after the end of the war, it is in fact Bridie who reveals the truth of Sheila’s heroism and self-sacrifice. She then finds the courage to ask Sheila to explain about her shoplifting arrest The scene ends with the declaration Bridie has waited fifty years for: â€Å"And I’d do it all over again if I had to†¦. cause Bridie’s my friend†¦ † The tensions between the two have now been resolved: the secrets are out, both the personal ones and the long-hidden information about the experiences of the women prisoners and internees. The brief and cheerful last scene shows their friendship restored, the Shoe-Horn returned to its rightful owner, plans made for a Christmas reunion, and, fina lly, the peacetime dance they had promised one another in the camp. The Blue Danube plays: â€Å"It is the music of joy and triumph and survival. † How to cite The Shoehorn Sonata, Essay examples

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Leonardo Da Vinci Essay Essay Example

Leonardo Da Vinci Essay Paper 1st Essay Sample on Leonardo da Vinci There were many great artists during the Renaissance, but in my opinion, one of the greatest was Leonardo Da Vinci. Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Italy. A single father raised him, and apparently raised him well. He never attended public school, instead, at the age of fifteen, he joined the studio of Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence. And since he spent most of his days and nights painting, he had no real interest in women. Art took his soul away into a world that women werent allowed. J Within 5 years, he became a member of the guild of St. Luke, which was a painters guild that was located in Florence. A couple of years later, he became an independent artist, still in Florence. In 1483, at the age of 31, he started on thefirst version of the Virgin. In 1485, he finally finished it. In 1486 Leonardo began to explore human flight. In 1500 he went to Mantua. In Leonardos life, he studied various subjects. Some of them were philosophy, natural history, anatomy, biology, medicine, optics, acoustics, science, mathematics and hydraulics. Its amazing because it was completely option to learn all those, but he still studied them. On May 2, 1519 Leonardo Da Vinci died. One way to make sure that a painting is a real Leonardo work of art, you have to see if the painting had any eyebrows. Da Vinci did not put eyebrows on his paintings. None of them had eyebrows, which might be the reason to why the Mona Lisa (1404) is so special. It is said that Mona Lisa will look at you from whichever side of the room you are on, which I experiencedfirst hand, and it is true yet creepy. Another specific thing about Mona Lisa that is so extraordinary is her smile. She is said to have a mysterious smile when piano music played. 2nd Essay Sample on Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was born near Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany. His father took custody of him shortly after his birth, while his mother married someone else and moved to a neighboring town. They kept on having kids, although not with each other, and they eventually supplied him with a total of 17 half sisters and brothers. Leonardo had access to scholarly texts owned by family and friends. He was also exposed to Vinci’s longstanding painting tradition, and when he was about 15 his father apprenticed him to the renowned workshop of Andrea del Verrochio in Florence. As an apprentice, Leonardo demonstrated his colossal talent. His genius seemed to have seeped into a number of pieces produced by the Verrocchio’s workshop from the period 1470 to 1475. One of Leonardo’s big breaks was to paint an angel in Verrochio’s â€Å"Baptism of Christ,† and Leonardo was so much better than his master’s that Verrochio allegedly resolved never t o paint again. Leonardo stayed in the Verrocchio;s workshop until 1477 when he set up a shingle for himself. From that time he worked for himself in Florence as a painter. In 1478 he was commissioned to paint an altarpiece for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Three years later he undertook to paint the ;Adoration of the Magi; for the monastery of San Donato a Scopeto. This project was interrupted when Leonardo left Florence for Milan about 1482. Already during this time he sketched pumps, military weapons and other machines. In Milan, around 1510, Leonardo created ;The Virgin and Child with St. Mary; and was the fruit of much deliberation, as drawings and cartoons indicate. Leonardo never quite finished this panel, however, and kept it with him until he died. We will write a custom essay sample on Leonardo Da Vinci Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Leonardo Da Vinci Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Leonardo Da Vinci Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Magistrates of the Parlements essays

Magistrates of the Parlements essays The Magistrates of the Parlements - Truly Noble? Reading the remonstrances of the Parlements between the years 1775 and 1788, one is struck by the zeal and enthusiasm with which the magistrates, public servants drawn from the nobility, fought for the rights of Frances poor. Claiming to desire to plead the cause of the people before Your Majestys tribunal (52), they provided a voice to the King for members of French society who could not speak for themselves. There are indications, however, that their intentions were not completely altruistic. Were they really sincere in their desire to aid the lower classes, or were these nobles leading a fight which they felt would retain their popularity and build their support amongst the masses? For although they are seen to have fought for equality in the form of just tax collection procedures, fair legislative representation, and honest beaurocrats (see the Remonstrance of the Cour des aides, May 6, 1775), they also fought vociferously to retain Frances traditional tax structure, in which the First and Second Estates were exempt from paying land tax. When Calonne, and then Brienne, tried to relieve Frances financial burdens by instituting a universal land tax, a move which would have invariably eased the financial burdens of the Third Estate, the magistrates of the Parlements fought with the same zeal exhibited previously on behalf of the people to fight against this legislation (see remonstra nces from March 1776 - May 1788). Was their support for the poorer classes sincere, albeit with their personal interests given priority, or had they never truly cared about the rights of the Third Estate from the beginning? An analysis of the arguments presented by the magistrates in support of the poorer classes will offer insight into their mindset at the time the arguments were made. On May 6, 1775, the Cour des aides of the Parlement of Paris issued a ...