Miguel de Cervantes, Influential Spanish Novelist

Miguel de Cervantes, Influential Spanish Novelist No name is more associated with Spanish literature- and perhaps with classic literature in general- than that of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. He was the author of El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, which is sometimes referred to as the first European novel and which has been translated into nearly every major language, making it one of the most widely distributed books after the Bible. Cervantes Contribution to Literature Although few people in the English-speaking world have read Don Quijote in its original Spanish, it nevertheless has had its influence on the English language, giving us expressions such as the pot calling the kettle black, tilting at windmills, a wild-goose chase and the skys the limit. Also, our word quixotic originated from the name of the title character. (Quijote is often spelled as Quixote.) Despite his immense contributions to world literature, Cervantes never became wealthy as a result of his work, and not much is known about the early parts of his life. He was born in 1547 as the son of surgeon Rodrigo de Cervantes in Alcal de Henares, a small town near Madrid; it is believed that his mother, Leonor de Cortinas, was the descendant of Jews who had converted to Christianity. A Brief Biography of Cervantes As a young boy Cervantes moved from town to town as his father sought work; later he would study in Madrid under Juan Là ³pez de Hoyos, a well-known humanist, and in 1570 he went to Rome to study. Ever loyal to Spain, Cervantes joined a Spanish regiment in Naples and received a wound in a battle at Lepanco that permanently injured his left hand. As a result, he picked up the nickname of el manco de Lepanto (the cripple of Lepanco). His battle injury was only the first of Cervantes troubles. He and his brother Rodrigo were on a ship that was captured by pirates in 1575. It wasnt until five years later that Cervantes was released - but only after four unsuccessful escape attempts and after his family and friends raised 500 escudos, an enormous sum of money that would drain the family financially, as ransom. Cervantes first play, Los tratos de Argel (The Treatments of Algiers), was based on his experiences as a captive, as was the later Los baà ±os de Argel (The Baths of Algiers). In 1584 Cervantes married the much younger Catalina de Salazar y Palacios; they had no children, although he had a daughter from an affair with an actress. A few years later, Cervantes left his wife, faced severe financial difficulties, and was jailed at least three times (once as a murder suspect, although there was insufficient evidence to try him). He eventually settled in Madrid in 1606, shortly after the first part of Don Quijote was published. Although publication of the novel didnt make Cervantes rich, it eased his financial burden and gave him recognition and the ability to devote more time to writing. He published the second part of Don Quijote in 1615 and wrote dozens of other plays, short stories, novels, and poems (although many critics have little good to say about his poetry). Cervantes final novel was Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda (The Exploits of Persiles and Sigismunda), published three days before his death on April 23, 1616. Coincidentally, Cervantes date of death is the same as William Shakespeares, although in reality Cervantes death came 10 days sooner because Spain and England used different calendars at the time. Quick - name a fictional character from a literary work written about 400 years ago. Since youre reading this page, you probably had little difficulty coming up with Don Quijote, the title character of Miguel de Cervantes famous novel. But how many others could you name? Except for characters developed by William Shakespeare, probably few or none. At least in Western cultures, Cervantes pioneering novel, El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha, is one of the few that has been popular for so long. It has been translated into nearly every major language, inspired some 40 motion pictures, and added words and phrases to our vocabulary. In the English-speaking world, Quijote is easily the most well-known literary figure who was the product of a non-English-speaking author in the past 500 years. Clearly, Quijotes character has endured, even if few people today read the entire novel except as a part of college coursework. Why? Perhaps it is because there is something in most of us that, like Quijote, cant always distinguish totally between reality and the imagination. Perhaps its because of our idealistic ambitions, and we like seeing someone continuing to strive despite the disappointments of reality. Perhaps its simply because we can laugh at a part of ourselves in the numerous humorous incidents that happen during Quijotes life. A Quick Look at Don Quixote Here is a brief overview of the novel that might give you some idea what to expect if you decide to tackle Cervantes monumental work: Plot Summary The title character, a middle-aged gentleman from the La Mancha region of Spain, becomes enchanted with the idea of chivalry and decides to seek adventure. Eventually, he is accompanied by a sidekick, Sancho Panza. With a dilapidated horse and equipment, together they seek glory, adventure, often in the honor of Dulcinea, Quijotes love. Quijote doesnt always act honorably, however, and neither do many of the other minor characters in the novel. Eventually Quijote is brought down to reality and dies shortly thereafter. Major Characters The title character, Don Quijote, is far from static; indeed, he reinvents himself several times. He often is a victim of his own delusions and undergoes metamorphoses as he gains or loses touch with reality. The sidekick, Sancho Panza, may be the most complex figure in the novel. Not particularly sophisticated, Panza struggles with his attitudes toward Quijote and eventually becomes his most loyal companion despite repeated arguments. Dulcinea is the character that is never seen, for she was born in Quijotes imagination (although modeled after a real person). Novel Structure Quijotes novel, while not the first novel written, nevertheless had little on which it could be modeled. Modern readers may find the episodic novel too long and redundant as well as inconsistent in style. Some of the novels quirks are intentional (in fact, some portions of the latter parts of the book were written in response to public comments on the portion that was published first), while others are products of the times. Reference: Proyecto Cervantes, Miguel de Cervantes 1547-1616, Hispanos Famosos. Quick Takeaways Miguel de Cervantes was one of the most influential writers of all times, writing the first major European novel and contributing to both the Spanish and English languages.Although known best for Don Quijote, Cervantes also wrote dozens of other novels, short stories, poems, and plays.The main characters of Don Quijote are the title character; his sidekick, Sancho Panza; and Dulcinea, who lives in Quijotes imagination.

The Rude French Myth

The Rude French Myth Its hard to think of a more common stereotype about the French than the one about how rude they are. Even people who have never set foot in France take it upon themselves to warn potential visitors about the rude French.The fact is that there are polite people and there are rude people in every country, city, and street on Earth. No matter where you go, no matter who you talk to, if you are rude, they will be rude back. Thats just a given, and France is no exception. However, there is no universal definition of rudeness. Something which is rude in your culture may not be rude in another, and vice versa. This is the key to understanding the two issues behind the rude French myth. Politeness and respect When in Rome, do as the Romans do are words to live by. When youre in France, that means you should make an effort to speak some French. No one expects you to be fluent, but knowing a few key phrases goes a long way. If nothing else, know how to say bonjour and merci, and as many polite terms as possible. Dont go to France expecting to be able to speak English to everyone. Dont tap someone on the shoulder and say Hey, wheres the Louvre? You wouldnt want a tourist to tap you on the shoulder and start jabbering away in Spanish or Japanese, right? In any case, English may be the international language, but it is far from being the only language, and the French, in particular, expect visitors to know this.  In the cities, you will be able to get by with English, but you should use whatever French you can first, even if its just Bonjour Monsieur, parlez-vous anglais?Related to this is the ugly American  syndrome - you know, the tourist who goes around yelling at everyone in English, d enouncing everyone and everything French, and eating at only McDonalds. Showing respect for another culture means enjoying what it has to offer, rather than searching for signs of ones own home. The French are very proud of their language, culture, and country. If you are respectful of the French and their heritage, they will respond in kind. French personality The other aspect of the rude French myth is based on a misunderstanding of the French personality. People from many cultures smile upon meeting new people, and Americans in particular smile a lot, in order to be friendly. The French, however, dont smile unless they mean it, and they dont smile when talking to a perfect stranger. Therefore, when an American smiles at a French person whose face remains impassive, the former tends to feel that the latter is unfriendly. How hard would it be to smile back? the American might wonder. How rude! What you need to understand is that its not meant to be rude; its simply the way of the French. The Rude French? If you make an effort to be polite by speaking a bit of French, asking rather than demanding  that people speak English, and showing respect for French culture, and if you avoid taking it personally when your smile isnt returned, youll have a hard time finding the rude French. In fact, youll be pleasantly surprised to discover how very friendly and helpful the natives are.Still not convinced? Dont take our  word for it.

Marketing & Entrepreneurship What makes entrepreneurs successful Is it Essay

Marketing & Entrepreneurship What makes entrepreneurs successful Is it skill or luck - Essay Example In this paper, the researcher will use example of Sir Alan Sugar who is not only the founder of consumer electronics giant Amstrad but also the example for entrepreneurs across the world. Sir Alan Sugar established the company at the age of 21 when majority of his classmates were learning in the colleges in order to get job. Before retiring from the organization, Sir Alan Sugar transformed Amstrad from start up venture into electronics giant which is synonymous with innovation, value for money offering and customer loyalty. Was Sir Alan Sugar a magician who is blessed with sheer amount of luck or Sir Alan Sugar was a hardworking individual who used skill and intuition to build the Amstrad Empire? At this point, the essay is not mature enough to answer the question but it is expected that at the end of this essay, the answer will be revealed. One has to understand theoretical underpinning of entrepreneurship before answering the above question whether luck is important or not in makin g an entrepreneur successful. Hence, in the next section, the researcher will try to figure out pertinent variables that affect the success of an entrepreneur. Modern research scholars such as Coulter (2001) and Kirby (2004) defined entrepreneurship as the process with which a particular individual or set of individuals try to fulfil their objectives by creating value for people in the society. Nixon (2004) and Van Praag and Cramer (2001) argued that it is not necessary for entrepreneurs to create value for society rather it is more important for an individual to fulfil existing needs through innovation and unique offer in order to classify as entrepreneur. It is understandable, why management scholars tried to identify the role of luck for an entrepreneur, because giving importance on luck factor will probably disregard the importance of management skill in developing a successful enterprise. Research scholars such as Kaplan and Schoar (2005) and Hochberg, Ljungqvist, and Lu (2006) nullified the importance of luck in helping an entrepreneur to become successful. These research scholars have given examples of successful enterprises that are funded by more experienced venture capitalists in comparison to enterprises that failed due to inexperience of venture capitalists. Hochberg, Ljungqvist, and Lu (2006) strongly argued that a more experienced and skilled entrepreneur has more probability to succeed in comparison to a novice entrepreneur. Eesley and Roberts (2006) raised question over role of luck in helping an entrepreneur to succeed in a competitive environment. According to them, people often mistakenly identify the skill, experience and strategic intelligence of the entrepreneurs as the sheer amount of luck. Eesley and Roberts (2006a and 2006b) amusingly pointed out that there is no such thing as luck for an entrepreneur because an entrepreneur can move ahead in business by understanding the market need and fulfilling the need of customers by offering them value. Research scholars such as Eesley and Roberts (2006a) and Kaplan and Stromberg (2003) found that successful entrepreneurs are those who do not stop estab lishing new enterprises after failure in the previous start-ups. It is evident from the research works of previous research scholars that luck plays very little role in helping an entrepreneur to establish successful enterprises. In such context, Chatterji (2005) showed that experience in working in a particular

Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story Research Paper - 1

Theme and Narrative Elements in the Short Story - Research Paper Example Thus, Eudora Welty abruptly and effectively introduces the time of year (December) and the geographic location (the South) at the beginning section of the story, apart from identifying the main character, an old Negro woman (Phoenix Jackson). Setting plays a crucial role in Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† as it is effective in stimulating the reader’s imagination at the initial stage of the story. In fact, the opening five paragraphs of the story offer an introduction to the setting and the readers are carried away to the world of the narrative. â€Å"It was December—a bright frozen day in the early morning. Far out in the country there was an old Negro woman with her head tied red rag, coming along a path through the pinewoods. Her name was Phoenix Jackson.† (Welty, 1941). This is the way the author opens her story and a detailed description of the character follows in the succeeding sections. It is important to recognize that the setting of the story i s a rural, a cold, early morning in December in the South. A careful analysis of the setting of the story confirms that the storywriter effectively puts boundaries around the action when she introduces the South as the geographic location and December as the time of year in which the action occurs.

Love in Time of Cholera Essay Example for Free

Love in Time of Cholera Essay Time of CholeraLove, as Mickey and Sylvia, in their 1956 hit single, remind us, love is strange. As we grow older it gets stranger, until at some point mortality has come well within the frame of our attention, and there we are, suddenly caught between terminal dates while still talking a game of eternity. Its about then that we may begin to regard love songs, romance novels, soap operas and any live teen-age pronouncements at all on the subject of love with an increasingly impatient, not to mention intolerant, ear. At the same time, where would any of us be without all that romantic infrastructure, without, in fact, just that degree of adolescent, premortal hope? Pretty far out on lifes limb, at least. Suppose, then, it were possible, not only to swear love forever, but actually to follow through on it to live a long, full and authentic life based on such a vow, to put ones alloted stake of precious time where ones heart is? This is the extraordinary premise of Gabriel Garcia Marquezs new novel  Love in the Time of Cholera,  one on which he delivers, and triumphantly. In the postromantic ebb of the 70s and 80s, with everybody now so wised up and even growing paranoid about love, once the magical buzzword of a generation, it is a daring step for any writer to decide to work in loves vernacular, to take it, with all its folly, imprecision and lapses in taste, at all seriously that is, as well worth those higher forms of play that we value in fiction. For Garcia Marquez the step may also be revolutionary. I think that a novel about love is as valid as any other, he once remarked in a conversation with his friend, the journalist Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza (published as El Olor de la Guayaba, 1982). In reality the duty of a writer the revolutionary duty, if you like is that of writing well. And oh boy does he write well. He writes with impassioned control, out of a maniacal serenity: the Garcimarquesian voice we have come to recognize from the other fiction has matured, found and developed new resources, been brought to a level where it can at once b e classical and familiar, opalescent and pure, able to praise and curse, laugh and cry, fabulate and ing and when called upon, take off and soar, as in this description of a turn-of-the-century balloon trip: From the sky they could see, just as God saw them, the ruins of the very old and heroic city of Cartagena de Indias, the most beautiful in the world, abandoned by its inhabitants because of the sieges of the English and the atrocities of the buccaneers. They saw the walls, still intact, the brambles in the streets, the fortifications devoured by heartsease, the marble palaces and the golden altars and the viceroys rotting with plague inside their armor. They flew over the lake dwellings of the Trojas in Cataca, painted in lunatic colors, with pens holding iguanas raised for food and balsam apples and crepe myrtle hanging in the lacustrian gardens. Excited by everyones shouting, hundreds of naked children plunged into the water, jumping out of windows, jumping from the roofs of the houses and from the canoes that they handled with astonishing skill, and diving like shad to recover the bundles of clothing, the bottles of cough syrup, the beneficent food that the beautiful lady with the feathered hat threw to them from the basket of the balloon. This novel is also revolutionary in daring to suggest that vows of love made under a presumption of immortality youthful idiocy, to some may yet be honored, much later in life when we ought to know better, in the face of the undeniable. This is, effectively, to assert the resurrection of the body, today as throughout history an unavoidably revolutionary idea. Through the ever-subversive medium of fiction, Garcia Marquez shows us how it could all plausibly come about, even wild hope for somebody out here, outside a book, even as inevitably beaten at, bought and resold as we all must have become if only through years of simple residence in the injuring and corruptive world. Heres what happens. The story takes place between about 1880 and 1930, in a Caribbean seaport city, unnamed but said to be a composite of Cartagena and Barranquilla as well, perhaps, as cities of the spirit less officially mapped. Three major characters form a triangle whose hypotenuse is Florentino Ariza, a poet dedicated to love both carnal and transcendent, though his secular fate is with the River Company of the Caribbean and its small fleet of paddle-wheel steamboats. As a young apprentice telegrapher he meets and falls forever in love with Fermina Daza, a beautiful adolescent with . . . almondsshaped eyes, who walks with a natural haughtiness . . . her does gait making her seem immune to gravity. Though they exchange hardly a hundred words face to face, they carry on a passionate and secret affair entirely by way of letters and telegrams, even after the girls father has sound out and taken her away on an extended journey of forgetting. But when she returns, Fermina rejects the lovesick young man after all, and eventually meets and marries instead Dr. Juvenal Urbino who, like the hero of a I9th-century novel, is well born, a sharp dresser, somewhat stuck on himself but a terrific catch nonetheless. For F lorentino, loves creature, this is an agonizing setback, though nothing fatal. Having sworn to love Fermina Daza forever, he settles in to wait for as long as he has to until shes free again. This turns out to be 51 years, 9 months and 4 days later, when suddenly, absurdly, on a Pentecost Sunday around 1930, Dr. Juvenal Urbino dies, chasing a parrot upon mango tree. After the funeral, when everyone else has left, Florentino steps forward with his hat over his heart Fermina, he declares, I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love. Shocked and furious, Fermina orders him out of the house. And dont show your face again for the years of life that are left to you . . . I hope there are very few of them. The hearts eternal vow has run up against the worlds finite terms. The confrontation occurs near the end of the first chapter, which recounts Dr. Urbinos last day on earth and Ferminas first night as a widow. We then flash back 50 years, into the time of cholera. The m iddle chapters follow the lives of the three characters through the years of the Urbinos marriage and Florentino Arizas rise at the River Company, as one century ticks over into the next. The last chapter takes up again where the first left off, with Florentine now, in the face of what many men would consider major rejection, resolutely setting about courting Fermina Daza all over again, doing what he must to win her love. In their city, throughout a turbulent half-century, death has proliferated everywhere, both as el colera, the fatal disease that sweeps through in terrible intermittent epidemics, and as la colera, defined as choler or anger, which taken to its extreme becomes warfare. Victims of one, in this book, are more than once mistaken for victims of the other. War, always the same war, is presented here not as the continuation by other means of any politics that can possibly matter, but as a negative force, a plague, whose only meaning is death on a massive scale. Against this dark ground, lives, so precarious, are often more and less conscious projects of resistance, even of sworn opposition, to death. Dr. Urbino, like his father before him, becomes a leader in the battle against the cholera, promoting public health measures obsessively, heroically. Fermina, more conventionally but with as much courage, soldiers on in her chosen role of wife, mother and household manager, maintaining a safe perimeter for her family. Florentino embraces Eros, deaths well-known long-time enemy, setting off on a career of seductions that eventually add up to 622 long term liaisons, apart from . . . countless fleeting adventures, while maintaining, impervious to time, his deeper fidelity, his unquenchable hope for a life with Fermina. At the end he can tell her truthfully though she doesnt believe it for a minute that he has remained a virgin for her. So far as this is Florentinos story, in a way his Bildungsroman, we find ourselves, as he earns the suspension of our disbelief, cheering him on, wishing for the success of this stubborn warrior against age and death, and in the name of love. But like the best fictional characters, he insists on his autonomy, refusing to be anything less ambiguous than human. We must take him as he is, pursuing his tomcat destiny out among the streets and lovers refuges of this city with which he lives on terms of such easy intimacy, carrying with him a potential for disasters from which he remains safe, immunized by a comical but dangerous indifference to consequences that often borders on criminal neglect. The widow Nazaret, one of many widows he is fated to make happy, seduces him during a nightlong bombardment from the cannons of an attacking army outside the city. Ausencia Santanders exquisitely furnished home is burgled of every movable item while she and Florentino are frolicking in bed. A girl he picks up at Carnival time turns out to be a homicidal machete-wielding escapee from the local asylum. Olimpia Zuletas husband murders her when he sees a vulgar endearment Florentino has been thoughtless enough to write on her body in red paint. His lovers amorality causes not only individual misfortune but ecological destruction as well: as he learns by the end of the book, his River Companys insatiable appetite for firewood to fuel its steamers has wiped out the great forests that once bordered the Magdalena river system, leaving a wasteland where nothing can ive. With his mind clouded by his passion for Fermina Daza he never took the trouble to think about it, and by the time he realized the truth, there was nothing anyone could do except bring in a new river. In fact, dumb luck has as much to do with getting Florentino through as the intensity or purity of his dream. The authors great affection for this character does not entirely overcome a sly concurrent subversion of the ethic of machismo, of which Garcia Marquez is not especially fond, having described it elsewhere simply as usurpation of the rights of others. Indeed, as weve come to expect from his fiction, its the women in this story who are stronger, more attuned to reality. When Florentino goes crazy with live, developing symptoms like those of cholera, it is his mother Transito Ariza, who pulls him out of it. His innumerable lecheries are rewarded not so much for any traditional masculine selling points as for his obvious and aching need to be loved. Women go for it. He is ugly and sad, Fermina Dazas cousin Hildebranda tells her, but he is all love. And Garcia Marquez, straight-faced teller of tall tales, is his biographer. At the age of 19, as he has reported, the young writer underwent a literary epiphany on reading the famous opening lines of Kafkas  Metamorphosis,  in which a man wakes to find himself transformed into a giant insect. Gosh, exclaimed Garcia Marquez, using in Spanish a word in English we may not, thats just the way my grandmother used to talk! And that, he adds is when novels began to interest him. Much of what come [sic] in his work to be called magical realism was, as he tells it, simply the presence of that grandmotherly voice. Nevertheless, in this novel we have come a meaningful distance from Macondo, the magical village in  One Hundred Years of Solitude  where folks routinely sail through the air and the dead remain in everyday conversation with the living: we have descended, perhaps in some way down the same river, all the way downstream, into war and pestilence and urban confusions to the edge of a Caribbean haunted less by individual dead than by a history which has brought so appallingly many down, without ever having sopoken, or having spoken gone unheard, or having been heard, left unrecorded. As revolutionary as writing well is the duty to redeem these silences, a duty Garcia Marquez has here fulfilled with honor and compassion. It would be presumptuous to speak of moving beyond  One Hundred Years of Solitude  but clearly Garcia Marquez has moved somewhere else, not least into deeper awareness of the ways in which, as Florentino comes to learn, nobody teaches life anything. There are still delightful and stunning moments contrary to fact, still told with the same unblinking humor presences at the foot of the bed, an anonymously delivered doll with a curse on it, the sinister parrot, almost a minor character, whose pursuit ends with the death of Dr. Juvenal Urbino. But the predominant claim on the authors attention and energies comes from what is not so contrary to fact, a human consensus about reality in which love and the possibility of loves extinction are the indispensable driving forces, and varieties of magic have become, if not quite peripheral, then at least more thoughtfully deployed in the service of an expanded vision, matured, darker than before but no less clement. It could be argued that this is the only honest way to write about love, that without the darkness and the finitude there might be romance, erotica, social comedy, soap opera all genres, by the way, that are well represented in this novel but not the Big L. What that seems to require, along with a certain vantage point, a certain level of understanding, is an authors ability to control his own love for his characters, to withhold from the reader the full extent of his caring, in other words not to lapse into drivel. In translating  Love in the Time of Cholera,  Edith Grossman has been attentive to this element of discipline, among many nuances of the authors voice to which she is sensitively, imaginatively attuned. My Spanish isnt perfect, but I can tell that she catches admirably and without apparent labor the swing and translucency of his writing, its slang and its classicism, the lyrical stretches and those end-of-sentence zingers he likes to hit us with. It is a faithful and beautiful piece of work. There comes a moment, early in his career at the River Company of the Caribbean when Florentino Ariza, unable to write even a simple commercial letter without some kind of romantic poetry creeping in, is discussing the problem with his uncle Leo XII, who owns the company. Its no use, the young man protests Love is the only thing that interests me. The trouble, his uncle replies, is that without river navigation, there is no love. For Florentino, this happens to be literally true: the shape of his life is defined by two momentous river voyages, half a century apart. On the first he made his decision to return and live forever in the city of Fermina Daza, to persevere in his love for as long as it might take. On the second, through a desolate landscape, he journeys into love and against time, with Fermina, at last by his side. There is nothing I have read quite like this astonishing final chapter, symphonic, sure in its dynamics and tempo, moving like a riverboat too, its author and pilot, with a lifetimes experience steering us unerringly among hazards of skepticism and mercy, on this river we all know, without whose navigation there is no love and against whose flow the effort to return is never worth a less honorable name than remembrance at the very best it results in works that can even return our worn souls to us, among which most certainly belongs  Love in the Time of Cholera,  this shining and heartbreaking novel.

Plagiarism Essay -- Education Cheating School Essays

Plagiarism For many, many years schools have been trying to stop students from plagiarizing materials. Detecting this plagiarism used to be easy because students only had access to books in the library, magazines, and encyclopedias. However, as the popularity of the Internet increased, so did the number of essays and papers being plagiarized. Students can easily go onto the internet and in no time at all find and essay on their topic of choice. For a certain fee they can buy the essay and have it delivered right to their doorstep, just in time to hand it into their teacher. Some essays you don’t even have to pay for. You can simply print them off of the computer. This rise in the internet information highway makes it harder for teachers to detect plagiarism, and easier for students to get a not well deserved A on their paper; if they don’t get caught. Bellow I will discuss what plagiarism is, ways teachers can prevent plagiarism, ways teachers can detect plagiarism and ho w students can avoid plagiarism. First of all, what exactly is plagiarism? The Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language says it is, â€Å"to steal or purloin the thoughts or words of another in literary composition.† [1] When we were in elementary school if we had to do research on a certain topic, we would just copy information that was found word for word. We would hand this in and get a great mark. However, times have changed. We’re in College and it is totally unacceptable to copy materials from other people and say that they are yours. It is extremely important that if we do get information from a book, magazine, internet, etc., that it is given credit for that author(s). These are not your thoughts or words so you shouldn’t be... ...e more than happy to help their students. If students are sure and they don’t want to ask their teachers they can find loads of books on proper citation, what plagiarism is and isn’t and how to paraphrase things. In conclusion, people today may not think that plagiarism is that big of a deal. Those people do not understand the consequences of their actions. They could get a failing mark in a class they have worked hard in, or even worse they could be expelled from the college or university. Why would anyone want to take the chances of being expelled? Nobody wants this, which is why it is so important to have knowledge about plagiarism. By discussing what plagiarism is, ways teachers can prevent plagiarism, ways teachers can detect plagiarism and how students can avoid plagiarism I hope people have a better understanding of what plagiarism is.

Pagibig Sa Tinubuang Lupa Poem Analysis Essay

This poem was written in Tagalog by one of the heroes of the Philippines but there are English translations as well,probably since it is a very good poem that not only Filipinos can read and appreciate it but other nationalities can too. Some lines that struck me are: â€Å"Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa? Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala.† This stanza translates to- ‘What love can surpass purity or greatness like love of country? None.’ It can be seen in the first part of the poem. I like the message of this because it will be agreeable to most people. When we think of it, if you love your country, it means you do not only think of yourself, but all the people around you. You care for the well-being of other people, and only wish them well. You try to help others in the best way you can. If you love your country, it means you are loyal and committed and that you are too with the people you encounter in your life. Overall, this poem is about being proud of one’s nationality and country. We have to love, praise, and fight for our own country and appreciate the things that it has to offer for us. This poem makes me proud to be a Filipino and proud to have a hero like Andres Bonifacio who fought and battled to save his fellowmen and country. He was not only thinking of himself, but also the sake of other people. We should be just like him and start loving our country and not complain about things we don’t like in it since it will not do anyone good anyway, instead we should start helping out in our own simple ways to make our country a better place.

How Customer Service is provoded in business Essay

Costumer service is the ability of an organisation to recognise and consistently meet the costumers’ needs. Costumer service generally involves service teamwork and service partnerships so they can meet customer expectations and produce costumer satisfaction. Costumers contact an organisation when they need something, the main reasons are: * To complain * To request/ order a service/product * To obtain information * To ask for advice * To enquire about an order * To change an order or request * To report a problem to return and exchange goods * To ask for assistance or help The organisation I have chosen to study for this is the National Maritime Museum which consists of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, Queen’s House and National Maritime Museum. Together these constitute one museum working to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people. A customer is anyone who has the right to ask or expect a service as part of a job role; this means there are two types of customers – internal and external. Internal customers are all the colleagues who need assistance to fulfil their obligations to their own customers; these include the supervisors, staff, staff teams and managers. External customers are those who contact or visit the organisation because of what it provides or supply’s as it is something they need. There are a wide range of external customers but only a few can apply to each business, some businesses have a wider range of external costumers compared to other businesses, such as a supermarket will have a wider range of external customers as it will sell a wide range of goods whereas a youth club or nursery will have a smaller rage of external customers as its only aimed at a certain age group. The National Maritime Museum has a wide range of customers and provides everyone access to its historical buildings and unique collectors; as a result the customers have a wide range of needs so they provide products and services to fit their needs. On any average day the museum staffs have to deal with * People wishing to research their family history in our archives * Ship model-makers wanting advice on details of a ship * Film companies wanting to use our buildings as a location for an advert or television drama * Domestic tourists wanting a fun day out * Foreign tourists wanting to experience British history * School and college groups wanting to investigate the Museum to help with their studies. The Museum has 7 main categories of customers which have their own special needs and interests and they are the following 1. Individuals – Casual Visitors – Special Interest Visitors – Individual Researchers 2. Families – Parents along with Young Children 3. Groups – Mixed age groups – Special Interest and Education 4. People from different cultures with different languages – Foreign and Domestic Tourists – People from Diverse Ethnic and Religious Communities 5. People with special needs – Blind and Visually Impaired – Deaf and Hearing Impaired – Learning Difficulties – Physical, Emotional or Mental Health Needs 6. Virtual users who access the Museum via our website – People who access the museum via the website 7. Internal customers – Members of Staff who Support the Work of Others The main three types of customers the National Maritime Museum focuses on are families, disabled visitors and groups. Families are an important target audience for the museum as it is a free family-friendly place to visit; it focuses of the key needs and expectations of family audiences which are: – it’s free – the price of tickets can be a barrier for many families, especially with the costs of travel and lunches – it’s fun and educational with lots to see and touch, like the All Hands interactive children’s gallery – there’s lots to do such as special activity workshops, storytelling and treasure trails – it’s easy to get to – only 20 minutes from central London, with good transport links The Museum also has family-friendly events which bring the Museum galleries to life including practical activities for 2-to-6-year-olds (weekly); trails revealing the secrets of their vast collection of objects; action-packed art and science workshops, and actors’ performances for all ages. Their family-friendly facilities include areas for changing and feeding babies, clean and accessible toilets, cafe and picnic areas and online activities in the E-Library and on the website. The Museum aims to increase the number of families who visit the National Maritime Museum by expanding programs of events, activities and special exhibitions for families, especially during weekends and holidays. All this makes the Museum more appealing to families. Along with individuals the Museum has also built up experience in providing for different type of groups who each have a different set of needs. Foreign language students – The Museum provides souvenir guides and essential visitor information on their website in different languages. This service targets both foreign tourists and domestic visitors with English as a second language. They also have non-Eurocentric displays and events which inform customers of the history of people and cultures from all over the world. Large Groups – For large groups coach parking is easily attainable, there are special discounts given to access the charging exhibitions, pre booked tickets make it easier for large groups to book easily and guided tours and talks are especially available for larger groups. Special Interest Groups – At the museum there are enquiry and research facilities accessible via the library, there are archives and online sources at hand and also special curator talks and tours for all the groups that have a special interest. Corporate and Private Hire Groups – There is event planning and support available for Corporate and Private Hire groups including venue hire and catering for those who want to use the museum for private hires and corporate reasons. Educational Groups – The museum provides curriculum recourses and educational talks along with support with visit planning and booking. They also have a lunchroom and cloakroom especially suited for school/ educational groups. Lastly the National Maritime Museum also focuses on developing access for all their visitors and users which includes those who are disabled. It continuously tries to exceed and improve the museums facilities to meet the basic requirements of those who are physically disabled, deaf and blind. They believe good, inclusive customer service is about understanding everybody’s special needs. For visitors with disabilities, the Museum has a range of access facilities as part of its customer service. o Installing new lifts and ramps o The Road Train service o Providing detailed information for disabled visitors o Providing alternative ways to access the Museum o Maintaining a policy of welcoming assistance dog They have added lifts to improve physical access around the Museum site. Members of staff are always at hand to help. The new lifts and ramps that have been installed provide flat or wheelchair access to all levels and galleries. Visitors may also borrow manual wheelchairs from admission areas. Special bookings for those who are disabled are also available by calling the bookings unit who will make any special arrangements. There is also information available online such as the availability of disabled car-parking, mobility buses and the access facilities on all their sites. It is also important that the customer information also describes areas that are not accessible – such as parts of the historic buildings of the Royal Observatory. This avoids frustration and disappointment on the day. Touch Sessions for Visually Impaired Visitors are also available. They have a number of alternative methods to accessing the Museum and its collections. For blind and visually-impaired visitors they provide: o Braille Guides o Raised drawing o Magnifying glasses o Large-print guides o Tactile maps o ‘touch packs’ They also run a program of pre-booked ‘touch talks and tours’ by Museum staff and guest speakers. The National Maritime Museum also has a sign-interpreted talk for deaf and hearing-impaired visitors. They have installed perimeter loops in the galleries, admission areas, information desks and key audio installations. They also run a program of pre-booked British Sign Language sign-interpreted talks and events. Customer service is important to the National Maritime Museum because without customers there would not be a business. Excellent customer service results in: * higher visitor numbers and greater customer diversity – Visits to the sites are increasing each year – provides a public service for groups of people who don’t traditionally visit or use cultural or heritage organizations like museums – Has an outreach community newsletter which has news and events for communities under-represented among the visitors * increased sales – The Museum generates increased income through shops, cafes and charging for special exhibitions – It also supplies hiring venues for corporate events and weddings and sales from the Picture Library. * increasing public image – The Museum has to compete with other organizations for people’s leisure, by providing excellent customer service it increases public image they do this using their website and leaflets * survival in terms of competition – Good customer service can give the Museum an edge over other tourist attractions or leisure facilities, as they compete for customers’ leisure time and money. * satisfied customers and greater job satisfaction for staff – As well as asking for feedback from customers and monitoring visit numbers the Museum pays a market research company to conduct surveys, the customers are asked to rate their experiences and satisfaction levels, this helps knowing the customer’s needs and satisfying them. – The staff also takes pride in being part of an organization which delivers high levels of customer service – Job satisfaction is increased by positive feedback from the customers * repeat business and customer loyalty – Museum donation box Analysis of feedback and visitor surveys indicates that 94% of visitors would recommend the Museum to their friends. – Excellent customer service results in strong customer loyalty and increased visitor numbers – especially repeat visits. The National Maritime Museum believes that to enjoy and learn from a museum’s collections, visitors must first feel welcome, secure and comfortable in their environment. Crucial factors include friendly staff to greet and help, clear signage, queuing systems, gallery plans and well-maintained washrooms and cloakrooms. Improvements to these areas can significantly increase word of mouth recommendations, repeat visits and time and money spent by visitors as competition for the public’s time and attention is intense.

The Definition of Deviance Amplification

The Definition of Deviance Amplification Deviance amplification is a process, often performed by the mass media, in which the extent and seriousness of deviant behavior is exaggerated. The effect is to create a greater awareness and interest in deviance which results in more deviance being uncovered, giving the impression that the initial exaggeration was actually a true representation. Leslie T. Wilkins originally reported on the process of deviant amplification in 1964 but it was popularized by Stanely Cohens book  Folk Devils and Moral Panic,  published in 1972. What Is Deviant Behavior? Deviant behavior is a broad term because it covers anything that goes against social norms. This could mean anything from minor crimes like graffiti  to more serious crimes like robbery. Adolescent deviant behavior is often a source of deviance amplification. Local news will sometimes report on a something like a new teen drinking game, implying it is a popular trend instead of the actions of one group. This kind of reporting can sometimes start the trends they were reporting on although each new act will add credence to the initial report.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Deviant Amplification Process Deviant amplification usually starts when one act that is either illegal or against social morals that wouldnt normally be worth of media attention becomes newsworthy. The incident is reported on as being part of a pattern. Once an incident becomes the focus of the media, other similar stories that normally wouldnt make the news fall under this new media focus and become newsworthy. This begins to create the pattern that was initially reported on. The reports can also make the action seem cool or socially acceptable, leading to more people to try it, which reinforces the pattern. It can be hard to prove when deviant amplification is happening because each new event seems to validate the initial claim.   Sometimes citizens will pressure law enforcement and government to take action against the perceived  deviant threat. This can mean anything from the passage of new laws to harsher punishments and sentences on existing laws. This pressure from the citizens often requires  law enforcement to put more resources into an issue that it actually warrants. One of the main problems with deviance amplification is that it makes a problem seem much larger than it is. Which in the process can help create a problem where there was none.  Deviance amplification can be part of a moral panic but they do not always cause them.   This hyper-focus on minor issues can also cause communities to miss larger issues they need to be focusing attention and resources on. It can make social issues harder to solve because all of the focus is going to an event that was artificially created. The deviant amplification process can also cause certain social groups to be discriminated against if the behavior is tied to that group.

Want Answers Top 20 Current Trends in Resumes and Job Search

Want Answers Top 20 Current Trends in Resumes and Job Search What’s the â€Å"right† way to write a resume or conduct a job search? People ask me questions all the time about how many pages a resume should be; whether to include an Objective statement; what the value is of a web portfolio; etc. The fact is, there is no clear cut answer to many of these questions, and the answers change year by year, even day by day. They certainly can change depending on who you are, what industry you’re in, and what your experience level is. Ask the Experts Given that resume writing and job search strategies are constantly changing, I feel fortunate that there is a coalition of experts who spend a lot of time thinking about these issues, and even more fortunate that they share their wisdom each year. On December 30, 2010, a consortium of 156 career experts from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. met to brainstorm about career and employment issues. They published their findings on March 14, 2011 in Findings of 2010 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New the Next in Careers. As my readers, you are privy to the valuable findings of this group of Career Thought Leaders. The latest trends in resume writing and job search strategies include: Your Google results are the new resume. Build a strong online presence so you look good when those results come up. And monitor your Google results routinely in case of anything fishy! Keep it short. Three-page resumes are discouraged, regardless of your experience level. Use â€Å"extras† or addenda if necessary for publications, technology qualifications, consulting experience, etc. Culture fit is more important than your skill set. Companies hire people, not resumes. Web portfolios are not as useful as you might think in most industries. Brand yourself! Keep your brand consistent throughout your job search documents. DO use a Core Competencies or Key Strengths section. DO put a testimonial or two on your resume. DO use tasteful graphic touches, including borders, text boxes or graphs when appropriate. Show the company what YOU can do for THEM. Write resume bullets that clearly show the problem you solved and how you solved it. If possible, write your intended job title instead of â€Å"Summary of Qualifications† above your summary. This structure makes your objective clear, and allows you to write a summary of your offerings instead of an objective. DO send paper resumes! They will make you stand out from the crowd. DO send a cover letter. Do not expect that it will be read. However, in some cases it is read first, so assume it will be read. E-cover letters (in the body of an email) can be short and sweet. Have a bio available in addition to a resume as an alternative introduction to a resume. Format your resume in Microsoft Word .doc format. Have a plain text resume available as well. Use Twitres (www.twitres.com) to display your resume on Twitter. Use Box.net to display your resume on LinkedIn (Box.net is my personal tip) Networking is still the absolute best way to get a job. Job boards just are not an effective tool for job search, although you should use them as part of your strategy. Only 13.2% of external hires in Fortune 500 companies came from job boards, whereas 26.7% came from referrals and 22.3% came from employer career sites. Overall, somewhere between 65-95% of all new hires come as a result of networking. That’s a pretty staggering statistic! Social networking an essential job search strategy, and LinkedIn tops the chart. 80% of recruiters use social media to recruit candidates. You absolutely MUST have a strong presence on LinkedIn, â€Å"the #1 online networking platform for job seekers† according to the report. Clear skeletons out of your closet if you can. With so many candidates vying for each open position, any red flags mean your application is put in the â€Å"no†pile. Employers will go back 20-30 years to make sure your record is clean. Become savvy with virtual technology. You might be required to attend a virtual interview, or you might choose to create a web-based resume or portfolio to get some extra notice. Need help to manage it all? Many job seekers are hiring virtual assistants just to keep up with it all! If you want to read more detail about these top 20 points, please go to the full article, Findings of 2010 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New the Next in Careers. Were you surprised by any of the findings? What did you learn? Please share in the comments below.

Childhood life in Swizterland Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Childhood life in Swizterland - Research Paper Example When students complete their primary school they are assumed to have completed their first portion of their education in different types of grade one school. These schools emphasize on occupational or academic subjects to different degrees. There are then the grade two schools which are not obligatory for students to attend. They include trade and gymnasium schools, which act as opening doors for students to the university. Despite the challenges faced by Swiss government, it has tried to provide standard life for its citizens. Private schools in Switzerland are mostly found in the French speaking cantons. These schools provide quality education, and they offer various academic opportunities. Most of the children in Switzerland complete their primary education and this account for about 98%. There are about 10 universities that are managed by the cantons in Switzerland (Colombo, 2006). Four of the universities are located in areas speaking French, and four are located in the area speaking German. The universities in Switzerland are funded by the cantons as the confederation contributing about 53%. One- third of the contribution in higher education is directed to research and some to development. Research has shown that 49% of adult have tertiary education where the enrollment of men is about 53% while that of women is about 44%. The literacy rate of men and women is approximately 99%. Swiss is well known for the high standard of education that it offers, and it is funded by the public. Switzerland concentr ates on improving its education system because it has few natural resources for improving their economy and a country as a whole (Hug). It is because of this reason that makes many people continue studying even after they have completed their compulsory education. People prefer to take more that one course after finishing their compulsory education as this make them become diverse. It is very unfortunate for the education system because it