Short Story Metaphors and Characterizations

Short Story Metaphors and Characterizations It is impossible to write a good short story without a compelling main character or group of characters. The fact that a well-written short story requires refined characterization skills is enough to show why the use of metaphor in the genre is prolific. In such, understanding metaphor as a path to characterization is vitally important for the short story writer and is one of the many factors that make the genre so uniquely complicated to write.In Poetics, the revered Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote: [T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor… [it is] a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars. This perception he speaks of isnt always easy to come by, which means that metaphor, when used correctly and in its most potent form, isnt easy. It involves layers of meaning and imagery, and reflects the authors own scope of knowledge. The way it will be read and interpreted is based on the individual readers uni que and varied scope of knowledge, creating thousands of potential possibilities when it comes to interpretation of the work.Beyond the limitless possibilities, metaphor as a literary device allows one or two words to carry the weight of many. With successful use of metaphor, an author can speak volumes through the use of a single word or phrase, and induce the reader to understand the character in a more intimate way or in a more specific way. You can have a character who is pale, but describing a womans bone white skin immediately calls to mind the macabre, and has subtly mixed a mood of mortality and death into the story with the use of that one simple description.Why metaphor worksMetaphor is one of those indispensable literary devises that encourages interpretation based on the readers own experiences and background knowledge. In this way, it serves to create layers of meaning for each individual reader, giving him or her the pleasure of interpretationâ€"an interpretation that might indeed be vastly different than what the author intended. This unique characteristic of metaphor adds depth to literature, particularly short stories, in that it helps the reader intuit a great deal of information within a short period of time. You could write, he felt nervous opening the door and the reader could empathize with him, at most. However, you could write that his hands were two large land masses quaking, and the door was the fault line, and an entire new layer of interpretation opens up. He isnt just nervous, this isnt just some random doorâ€"in fact, opening it could be his very raison dêtre.Consider some of the following literary metaphors written by famous authors, and how such language helped solidify these writers place in literary history:All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.William ShakespeareDying is a wild night and a new road.Emily DickinsonIn the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun…Stephen Crane…when I laid down the paper, I was aware of a flashâ€"rushâ€"flowâ€"I do not know what to call itâ€"no word I can find is satisfactorily descriptiveâ€"in which I seemed to see that bedroom passing through my room, like a picture impossibly painted on a running river.Charles Dickens…impressions poured in upon her of those two men, and to follow her thought was like following a voice which speaks too quickly to be taken down by ones pencil…Virginia WoolfThe many faces of metaphorsA common error many beginning writers make is the assumption that metaphor is limited to certain parts of speech when in fact, you can make use of the metaphor in several ways. For example, you can use a metaphor as:A verb (The smile that invaded her face was evidence enough.)An adjective (His imprisoning stare demanded her attention.)An adverb (He spoke musically, each wor d in crescendo.)A prepositional phrase (She looked at me with the eye of an eagle.)A modifier (At her feet lay the pieces of torn paper, a graveyard of ink soaking in the puddled rain.)The eye of a poetUsing metaphor is the only way to achieve profound characterization. No one knows this better than the poet, who is generally more limited in word count than even the short story writer, and must say as much as possible in a format that is famished for words. For this reason, as an exercise in perfecting ones craft and the use of metaphor, try looking at your short storys rough draft with the eyes of a poet. If you had to reduce an entire short story to a poemâ€"and its main character(s) to poetic figuresâ€"what images would you use in doing so? Which parts of the story would be the focus and what metaphor or imagery would you use to elicit the desired response from your reader?You can take this exercise one step further and actually write that poem. When its finished, convert it back into prose and use the metaphors it introduces as highlights of your short storys climax or dénouement; or, use the imagery randomly throughout your short story to deepen the level of characterization you have already developed.

Short Story Metaphors and Characterizations

Short Story Metaphors and Characterizations It is impossible to write a good short story without a compelling main character or group of characters. The fact that a well-written short story requires refined characterization skills is enough to show why the use of metaphor in the genre is prolific. In such, understanding metaphor as a path to characterization is vitally important for the short story writer and is one of the many factors that make the genre so uniquely complicated to write.In Poetics, the revered Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote: [T]he greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor… [it is] a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in dissimilars. This perception he speaks of isnt always easy to come by, which means that metaphor, when used correctly and in its most potent form, isnt easy. It involves layers of meaning and imagery, and reflects the authors own scope of knowledge. The way it will be read and interpreted is based on the individual readers uni que and varied scope of knowledge, creating thousands of potential possibilities when it comes to interpretation of the work.Beyond the limitless possibilities, metaphor as a literary device allows one or two words to carry the weight of many. With successful use of metaphor, an author can speak volumes through the use of a single word or phrase, and induce the reader to understand the character in a more intimate way or in a more specific way. You can have a character who is pale, but describing a womans bone white skin immediately calls to mind the macabre, and has subtly mixed a mood of mortality and death into the story with the use of that one simple description.Why metaphor worksMetaphor is one of those indispensable literary devises that encourages interpretation based on the readers own experiences and background knowledge. In this way, it serves to create layers of meaning for each individual reader, giving him or her the pleasure of interpretationâ€"an interpretation that might indeed be vastly different than what the author intended. This unique characteristic of metaphor adds depth to literature, particularly short stories, in that it helps the reader intuit a great deal of information within a short period of time. You could write, he felt nervous opening the door and the reader could empathize with him, at most. However, you could write that his hands were two large land masses quaking, and the door was the fault line, and an entire new layer of interpretation opens up. He isnt just nervous, this isnt just some random doorâ€"in fact, opening it could be his very raison dêtre.Consider some of the following literary metaphors written by famous authors, and how such language helped solidify these writers place in literary history:All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.William ShakespeareDying is a wild night and a new road.Emily DickinsonIn the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun…Stephen Crane…when I laid down the paper, I was aware of a flashâ€"rushâ€"flowâ€"I do not know what to call itâ€"no word I can find is satisfactorily descriptiveâ€"in which I seemed to see that bedroom passing through my room, like a picture impossibly painted on a running river.Charles Dickens…impressions poured in upon her of those two men, and to follow her thought was like following a voice which speaks too quickly to be taken down by ones pencil…Virginia WoolfThe many faces of metaphorsA common error many beginning writers make is the assumption that metaphor is limited to certain parts of speech when in fact, you can make use of the metaphor in several ways. For example, you can use a metaphor as:A verb (The smile that invaded her face was evidence enough.)An adjective (His imprisoning stare demanded her attention.)An adverb (He spoke musically, each wor d in crescendo.)A prepositional phrase (She looked at me with the eye of an eagle.)A modifier (At her feet lay the pieces of torn paper, a graveyard of ink soaking in the puddled rain.)The eye of a poetUsing metaphor is the only way to achieve profound characterization. No one knows this better than the poet, who is generally more limited in word count than even the short story writer, and must say as much as possible in a format that is famished for words. For this reason, as an exercise in perfecting ones craft and the use of metaphor, try looking at your short storys rough draft with the eyes of a poet. If you had to reduce an entire short story to a poemâ€"and its main character(s) to poetic figuresâ€"what images would you use in doing so? Which parts of the story would be the focus and what metaphor or imagery would you use to elicit the desired response from your reader?You can take this exercise one step further and actually write that poem. When its finished, convert it back into prose and use the metaphors it introduces as highlights of your short storys climax or dénouement; or, use the imagery randomly throughout your short story to deepen the level of characterization you have already developed.

Can children with autism develop a theory of mind (ToM) - Free Essay Example

Introduction A Theory of Mind (ToM) can be defined as the way in which children aged 3-to-4 years begin to develop a theory about their own and other peoples mental states, which include beliefs, intentions, knowledge and desires (Baron-Cohen, 1995). It is argued that humans have an innate predisposition to make inferences about their own and other peoples behaviour in order to predict and understand behaviour and that these mental processes have evolved because of the generally social and co-operative nature of life (Baron-Cohen, 1995). Mitchell and Lewis (1994) further argue that humans frequently attempt to manipulate the behaviour of others and one way of achieving this to instil a false belief, which can be achieved through the use of deception. The false belief task has become the classic test of determining whether young children have developed a ToM. However, research suggests that children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are unable to develop a ToM as they have difficulty understanding the concept of a false belief. The following essay will explore research that has investigated children with ASD and the question of whether they are able to develop a ToM is supported or refuted. Methodology for Determining a ToM The methodology used to establish whether a ToM has developed during early childhood is known as a false belief task (FBT). To pass a FBT, children are required to give the correct answer about a belief held by another individual and the ability to do this occurs in typically developing children at about the age of 4 years. There have been a number of variations of the FBT which follow a similar format involving young children demonstrating an understanding that another person can have an incorrect belief in comparison to their own belief. Wimmer and Perner (1983) developed the classic FBT, the unexpected transfer task, in which children are asked to infer the beliefs of Maxi regarding his chocolate bar. Maxi (a doll or puppet) puts his chocolate in one cupboard and then goes out of the room. While he is away his mother moves the chocolate bar to a different cupboard and the children are asked which cupboard Maxi will go to for his chocolate when he returns.   The results sh owed that older children (92% aged 6- to 7-years) said that Maxi would look in the cupboard where he left his chocolate bar, whereas 58% of children aged 4- to 5-years said he would look in the cupboard that his mother had moved the chocolate bar to (Wimmer and Perner, 1983). Variations on the task include the Sally-Anne task developed by Baron-Cohen, Leslie, and Frith (1985) in which Sally hides her ball and, when she is not looking, Anne moves the ball to a basket. The children are asked where Sally will look for her ball and most children aged 4 understand Sally will have a false belief about where her ball is. Another FBT involves a deceptive box in which children are shown a box covered with pictures of Smarties. When the box is opened there are pencils inside, not Smarties. Children aged 40 months were asked what their friend would think was inside the box, 70% said pencils, whereas 50% of children who were almost 4 years old said Smarties (Perner, Leekham and Wimmer, 1987). T he findings from FBTs are consistent and appear to demonstrate that around the age of 4 years typically developing children go through a conceptual change in being able to articulate and form a representation theory of other peoples mental states (Surian and Leslie, 1999). However, according to Mitchell and Lewis (1994) the wording used in false belief tasks may lead to misunderstandings by typically developing children younger than 4-years. Other factors can also contribute to some children passing a FBT. Earlier ability, for example, language development, has been considered an important factor (Fisch, 2013) and those children with older siblings and children who participate in fantasy play (Wellman, 2014). Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) The American Psychiatric Association, in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition defines ASD as a condition where there are persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction this involves impairment in verbal and non-verbal communication together with repetitive and stereotypical patterns of behaviours and interests (DSM-V, APA, 2013, p.50). ASD is a spectrum disorder and can range from autism with severe impairments to Aspergers Syndrome which means the individual is high functioning and has a typical IQ (Adams, 2013). It is suggested by Senju, Southgate, White, and Frith (2009) that high functioning individuals with Aspergers Syndrome are more likely to develop a conceptual understanding of a ToM in comparison to those with classic autism. However, according to Wellman (2014) most adolescents and adults with ASD perform poorly on FBTs. Wellman (2014) argues that children with ASD have delayed cognitive abilities in areas such as language development and therefore this, together with their social impairments, prevent them from developing a ToM. Using an unexpected transfer FBT with children with ASD older than 4 years Baron-Cohen et al. (1985) found that they were not able to successfully complete the task. As children with ASD have several cognitive impairments it was proposed that the failure to pass the FBT may be related to learning difficulties. However, when the children with ASD were compared with a control group of typically developing children and a group of children with Downs syndrome, learning difficulties were not found to affect the successful performance for the children with Downs (Baron-Cohen et al.1985). Many other studies have found similar results with different groups of children compared to typically developing children that appears to suggest there is a cognitive impairment in children with ASD in developing a ToM (Baron-Cohen, 1995).   Surian and Leslie (1999) further suggest t hat the findings from these studies suggest there are specialised neurocognitive mechanisms that support the development of a ToM. Surian and Leslie (1999) used the Sally-Anne FBT and compared children and adolescents with ASD and mental ages of around 4-years, with a group of typically developing 3-year-old children. As predicted by Surian and Leslie, all the children in both groups failed to pass the FBT. However, even with instruction the children with ASD did not improve and remained unable to pass the FBT, although the 3-year old typically developing children showed improvement. The research identifies cognitive limitations in the typically developing children at age 3 which affects their performance, whereas the children with ASD appeared to be caused by a deeper meta-representational impairment (Surian and Leslie, 1999, p.141). The study shows that although both groups of children (those aged under 4 years and those with ASD) typically fail the FBT, the reasons for the fai lure are different. The 3-year old children could pass the FBT with prompts and guidance, however, this was not the case for the children with ASD.[AJ1] It is concluded by Surian and Leslie (1999, p.153) that typically developing 3-year-old children have intact conceptual competence and limited processing capabilities, whereas children with autism have sufficient processing resources but limited conceptual competence. Children with ASD may respond more successfully to a FBT if other mediums such as drawing are used. In a study that compared typically developing children (aged 4-years) with a group of children who had learnt signing language late in childhood and a group of children with ASD (aged 6-to-13 years), a standard FBT and a drawing FBT were used (Peterson, 2002). It was found that the late signing children and the children with ASD had lower scores than the typically developing children in the standard FBT. However, in the drawing FBT the late signing children and the ch ildren with ASD had higher scores than the typically developing children. The findings suggest that children with ASD (as well as the late signing children) have some understanding of the conceptual nature of an FBT but appear to be unable to express it in a standard, verbal way. The study supports the role of language in the development of a ToM as the profoundly deaf children who had not learnt signing until relatively late, had a three-year delay in developing a ToM (Peterson, 2002). It is also suggested by Peterson (2002, p.1457) that drawing may be a better way for children with ASD to communicate as they may have difficulties recognising a link between what people say and what they think because their minds are organised in a more pictorial manner around visual images. Neurological Evidence regarding the ToM Fisch (2013) argues that technological developments in neuroimaging appear to suggest that a neurocognitive explanation is more appropriate than other explanations for the social and cognitive impairment in ASD. This perspective is supported by Wellman (2014) who reports that when neuroimaging techniques are used the medial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction are the predominant areas activated during ToM tasks such as social reasoning (Wellman, 2014). In a longitudinal study undertaken over a 5-year period by White, Frith, Rellecke, Al Noor and Gilbert (2014) typically developing children were compared with children with ASD. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) atypical activity was found in the children with ASD and that there is a neurophysiological abnormality that persists despite improvements over time, despite individual differences in performance, and is present even in mildly impaired ASD adolescents (White et al. 2014, p.23). Can a ToM be Taught? Evidence from the research undertaken by Surian and Leslie (1999) and discussed previously appears to suggest that despite prompts and guidance, passing an FBT did not improve in children with ASD. Swettenham (1996) attempted to teach a ToM using a computerised version of the Sally-Anne task which may be more appropriate for children with ASD. This is because children with ASD have problems communicating with other people and respond well to computers as there is no social interactions involved and they can work at their own pace. In the study there were three groups; children with ASD (mean age 10-years), typically developing children (mean age 3.5-years) and children with Downs syndrome (mean age 11-years). It was found that all three groups passed the Sally-Anne task after instruction. However, although the typically developing children and the children with Downs syndrome were able to generalise the finding to other similar tasks, this was not the case for the children with ASD . Swettenham (1996) suggests that the children with ASD developed a different type of strategy in order to pass the task but did not have any understanding of the conceptual principles of the FBT. However, Begeer et al. (2011) also investigated the effectiveness of ToM training children with autism using a randomised controlled trial in which children with 40 high functioning ASD children with normal intelligence levels, aged between 8- and 13-years who were compared with a control group of typically developing children. It was found that children with ASD improved in their conceptual ToM skills, but not in their understanding, self-reported empathic skills or parent-reported social behaviour. Conclusion There appears to be considerable evidence in the many studies undertaken in the 1980s and 1990s that suggest that children with ASD are unable to develop a ToM and do not understand that other people can hold a false belief. However, there appear to be some inconsistencies in the research, for example Peterson (2002) found that children with ASD were more successful passing an FBT using drawing rather than verbal responses. Swettenham (1996) [AJ2]however, found that while children with ASD could pass an FBT presented on a computer they were using a different type of strategy and there was little understanding of the conceptual principles of a ToM. Children with ASD, who experience language delay as well as social impairments may have greater difficulty understanding a FBT (Wellman, 2014). However, one problem with early research into ToM is the methodology used which relies heavily on just one indication of whether a child has acquired a ToM, which is the FBT, even though there are several variations of the task. More recent research has used neuroimaging techniques (e.g. White et al. 2014; Wellman, 2014) which appears to suggest damage to the areas involved in ToM activity. References Adams, M.P. (2013). Explaining the theory of mind deficit in autism spectrum disorder. Philosophical Studies, 163(1), 233-249 American Psychiatric Association, (APA, 2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V fifth edition). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Baron-Cohen, S. (1995). Mindblindness: An Essay on Autism and Theory of Mind. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, and Frith, U. (1985). Does the Autistic child have a theory of mind? Cognition, 21, 37-46. Begeer, S., Gevers, C., Clifford, P., Verhoeve, M., Kat, K., Hoddenbach, E. and Boer, F. (2011). Theory of mind training in children with autism: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 41, 997-1006. Fisch, G.S. (2013). Autism and Epistemology IV: Does autism need a theory of mind? American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part A, 161, 2464-2480 Mitchell, P. and Lewis C. (1994). Critical issues in childrens early understan ding of mind. In C. Lewis and P. Mitchell, (Eds), Childrens Early Understanding of Mind: Origins and Developments pp. 1-15, London: Psychology Press. Perner, J., Leekham, S.R. and Wimmer, H. (1987). Three-year-olds difficulty with false belief: The case for a conceptual deficit. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 5, 125-137. Peterson, C.C. (2002). Drawing insight from pictures: the development of concepts of false drawing and false beliefs in children with deafness, normal hearing and autism. Child Development 73(5), 1442-1459. Senju, A., Southgate, V., White, S., and Frith, U. (2009). Mindblind eyes: An absence of spontaneous theory of mind in Aspergers syndrome. Science, 325, 883à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"885. Surian, L. and Leslie, A.M. (1999). Competence and performance in false belief understanding: A comparison of autistic and normal 3-year-old children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17, 141à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"155. Swettenham, J. (1996). Can childr en with autism be taught to understand false belief using computers? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 37(2), 157-165. Wellman, H.M. (2014). Making Minds: How Theory of Mind Develops. Oxford: Oxford University Press White, S.J., Frith, U., Rellecke, J., Al-Noor, Z. and Gilbert, S.J.   (2014). Autistic adolescents show atypical activation of the brains mentalizing system even without a prior history of mentalizing problems.   Neuropsychologia, 56, 17-25. Wimmer, H. and Perner, J. (1983). Beliefs about beliefs: Representation and constraining function of wrong beliefs in young childrens understanding of deception. Cognition, 13, 103-128.

How Meta Fiction Influenced Life of Pi - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1048 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/07/31 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Life of Pi Essay Did you like this example? To this day storytelling is the most important tradition humans can have. Family and friends pass down knowledge from generation to generation. Every story contains a lesson that can affect the audience differently in their own way. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How Meta Fiction Influenced Life of Pi" essay for you Create order Stories can teach us about appreciation of other cultures, languages, and religions. They also can offer insights into values and encourage creativity. Yann Martels novel contains metafiction where versions of Pis survival compete for the readers belief and imagination. As the author is wandering through India on his own adventure, he was in search of a theme. He meets an older man who tells him I have a story that will make you believe in God. Life of Pi is about a religious boy whose faith in God saves him from a tragic experience that becomes a story. Pi claims The world isnt just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesnt that make life a story? (Martel 3. 99) Metafiction usually occurs in fictional stories and is when the story examines the elements of fiction itself. Metafiction can be playful or dramatic but always forces the reader to think about the nature of storytelling and how they are made. This literary device draws attention to the work of imagination, rather than reality, allowing the reader to constantly be aware that the novel they are reading is untrue. The Metafictional frame has an estranged effect, you are always reminded: dont forget, this is only a story I am telling. Throughout the novel Life of Pi, Pi tells two different stories of his survival. This is an example of metafiction because Pi presents the stories both as true but asks which one seems more realistic and which one you would rather hear. Pis first story was a fun fictional tale that made the reader believe in strength and willpower of a man trapped in the middle of an ocean with animals. His original story is with a tiger named Richard Parker, a hyena, a zebra, and an orangutan named Orange juice. They all escaped the sinking ship and ended up together in the lifeboat. Throughout the first few days the hyena kills the zebra and the orangutan. Richard Parker then kills the hyena and eventually Pi tames him with a whistle. By the end of the story Pi considers Richard Parker his companion until they reach land in Mexico. Pis adventure ends once he is finally resting in a hospital bed where he is interviewed. The agents tell Pi that his first story is too unbelievable for them to write about and asks Pi for a more believable story, a story that makes sense. Pi claims I know what you want. You want a story that wont surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That wont make you see higher or further or differen tly. You want a flat story. An immobile story. You want dry, yeastless factuality. (3.99.224) Pi tells them a second story which is more violent and realistic, exposing the darker side of a man and what survival drove him to do. Pi compares the animals from his first story to the people in the second who were actually on the boat. The hyena represents the cook who gave trouble to Pis mother from the beginning because he was opposed to her being a vegetarian. The zebra represents the sailor, and Orange Juice represents Pis mother. Richard Parker stands for Pi himself, and all the lessons Pis father gave him about animals when he was a child. The second story Pi told, the cook killed the sailor and his mother, then Pi killed him. This story is much more gruesome and leads to the question which story would you rather hear? Pi presents the idea that both stories hold truth, and that truth changes perception of what youve previously read. In both he was stranded for 227 days and was dep rived of food and water. He constantly relied on God and his three religions to get him through his survival. Regardless of what story you decide to believe, the same lessons were learned. Since I was a young girl my family has read to me the three little pigs in many versions which is also an example of metafiction. If you are aware you are a character in a book, you can even escape your own story and make a different reality. In David Wiesners Three Little Pigs the big bad wolf comes and the pigs get out of their stories allowing the reader to follow the three pigs on their own. In the true story of Three little pigs its told from the wolfs point of view on why the wolf isnt so big and bad. The wolf speaks directly through the text and claims he was headed to each pigs house for a cup of sugar so he could bake his grannys birthday cake. He claims the huffing and puffing was just coughing and sneezing due to being sick. In the end of the story the wolf speaks from the jail cell claiming he was framed and is innocent. In the other version of The Three Pigs this story is told from the pigs point of view and focuses on the adventures the pigs have with other storybook ch aracters rather then the ultimate goal of overcoming the wolf. Although this version takes out violence like the Life of Pi, they both hold truth. In both stories the pigs built houses out of straw, sticks, and bricks. The ending is the pigs settling in the brick house after they learned their lesson. Yann Martels whole argument (a story that will make you believe in God) is that most readers prefer the version of Pis survival with the animals on the boat. If you choose to believe that story, you are choosing to believe in the impossible by having faith which is God. Asking to choose which story you rather believe in was for the purpose of serving a theological reflection. Whether you are a person who only believes in things that make sense or someone who has an imagination. Either way, there is no correct answer to that question because Life of Pi intentionally leaves it unanswered.

Characteristics Of The Tragedy Of Platos Apology

The relationship of comedy and tragedy are often overlapped in meaning, notably in ancient Greek drama and arts. Comedy often presupposed tragedy and are known to compliment one another in literary work. Plato displayed the proper elements of adversity within the â€Å"Apology† and detailed the unfairness the democratic society of Athens presents by punishing an opposing, equally justified force. Socrates preforms his defence arrogantly and sarcastically in the courtroom of Athens, humouring his own trial where he faced a grave fate. Socrates would not accept a verdict of guilty, therefore would not accept any other punishment than freedom. Platos Apology depicts the dramatically tragic death of philosopher Socrates, historically†¦show more content†¦This emphasized the notion of a tragic greek drama as his sentence to death was a morally questionable in a democratic ‘free’ society . -Socrates had the option to choose, exile, or a fine for punishment he did not feel he was guilty at all, and would not accept any other punishment than freedom. Since exile and a fine were not considered freedom as he would be submitting to unjust laws. - Since the true judges of piety and pious were divine, he was no longer interested in the thoughts of the humans surrounding him and the freedom of the living, but the freedom of death. - Typically, a heroic entity would die in the most sacrificial manner to enhance his honour. Socrates was not interested in honour, but the quest for knowledge and freedom. Similar to Romeo and Juliet, an immortal romantic tragedy, the silent death rebelling against a practical cause can have a larger impact on an individuals message rather than Body Paragraph #3 Platos ability to illuminate specific fundamental conflict between philosophical nature and the historical political community of Athens. Socratic irony reflected on the true conflict between the democratic government and the adaptation to the evolution of science andShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of The Oedipus And Plato 1636 Words   |  7 PagesKAUFMANN’S OEDIPUS AND PLATO’S SOCRATES In Chapter Four of his book, Tragedy and Philosophy, Walter Kaufmann claims that Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is one of the greatest tragedies ever written in part because it presents so vividly five characteristics of human life which make our existence so tragic. The purpose of this paper will be, first, to present Kaufmann’s view and, second, to apply these same characteristics to Plato’s dialogues in general and to the characters in Plato’s dialogues, particularlyRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Socrates As A Tragic Hero1373 Words   |  6 Pagesdocument known as Plato’s â€Å"Apology†. Upon analyzing the events encountered in the â€Å"Apology† and the trial of Socrates, it seen that Socrates was portrayed as a tragic hero due to the dramatic retelling of the Plato’s â€Å"Apology†. In this essay, it will feature evidence of the dramatic portrayal of Socrates’ death enhancing the tragedy that has lead to his demise. In the terms of a tragic hero, Aristotle developed the concept with the intention of distinguishing the characteristics of a tragic heroRead MoreThe Trial and Death of Socrates Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesSocrates can be commended for many other desirable characteristics. Some of those can include being the first martyr to die for his philosophical beliefs and having the courage to challenge indoctrinated cultural norms is part of what made Socrates exceptional. His refusal to compromise his intellectual integrity in the face of a death sentence has set an example for the entire world to follow. It is these concepts in combination that contribute to the tragedy in the trail and death of Socrates. Although

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Benefits Of Retirement And Volunteering Essay - 1549 Words

Retirement may pose many questions that need to be answered. Throughout research, a question that I sought out to answer was if retirement and volunteering had a significant connection with each other; and if so, what people are the most willing to become active volunteers? This question formulated in my mind based on an interview that I had with my grandma, Elaine Wagner. She retired in 2007 from being a dietetics supervisor at a nursing home in a rural community for twenty-five years. In this interview, she explained to me that retirement was a big adjustment for her and keeping active through volunteering was what helped her get through it. From that statement, I began to wonder if there had been any scientific studies that showed a clear correlation between retirement and volunteering. Investigation Throughout the search to the answer to this particular question, it was easy to see that there are many personal factors that relate to an individual’s willingness to retire. Conscientiousness and Volunteering I found that there is a connection between how volunteering can affect the retirement process. The Journal of Research in Personality found through their study that many people’s reason for going to work is to feel as if they have accomplished something (Jackson Oltmanns 2014). There is a loss of their sense of achievement-striving tendencies when they retire, however, it may be replaced through volunteer efforts. The Journal refers to retirees that areShow MoreRelatedThe Dangers Of An Ageing Society Essay1283 Words   |  6 Pageshave to rise significantly from its current rate of 13% to over 18% in the United Kingdom. Fortunately, experts might have found another solution to solve this funding problem. If every worker had his own â€Å"pension fund† where he saves money for retirement himself, the dependence on the working youth could be reduced. The main difficulty with this method would be the current retired population that did not have the chance to save up for themselves but still need money to live (Read). Furthermore,Read MoreRethinking Age And Aging, By Warren Sanderson And Sergei Scherbov860 Words   |  4 Pagessociety manages questions of age, with regards to social policy and age-specific benefits. â€Å"40 is the new 30† is a phrase that highlights changing perceptions of age and what certain ages mean. Forty is the â€Å"chronological age†, the number of years that a person has lived. In the past, this has been a reliable indicator of familial-status (for example: a person will normally have had several children by 35), retirement age (a person has exhausted their use in the workforce by 65), and death (peopleRead MoreHow Will An Ageing Population Have An Effect On Australia And The Economy?882 Words   |  4 Pageslife into retirement. (Corcoranb Hana, 2014 pp. 2) The ability to accommodate the ageing population has prompted questions regarding which areas will gain high levels of the ageing population growth and what services need to be provided to sustain this change. Corcoranb’s et al focuses on the spatial distribution in QLD and the impacting factors. The paper discusses reasons as to why ageing Australians may relocate to a new destination; som e of these include a change in climate, retirement, deterioratingRead MoreHow Does Volunteering Teach You Empathy?1416 Words   |  6 Pagescharacter. Who wouldn t desire those attributes? If you had any type of sense, you would realize how sedulous it is to gain those traits through doing one simple thing......volunteering. Volunteering will teach you traits that can lead to phenomenal contributions for the world such as empathy. How does volunteering teach you empathy? Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within another’s frame of reference; the capacity to place oneselfRead MoreThe Volunteer Stages And Transition Models : Organizational Socialization Of Volunteers1355 Words   |  6 Pagesan organization and proposes learning and interaction models within the context of volunteering. The abstract of the article provides a strong context of the research question and by reading the abstract, I was able to understand the crux of the paper and the need for this research at an abstract level. The introduction provides a detailed background on what the authors perceived as areas of concern in volunteering. The authors connect all fragments of the research area and describe the need for aRead MoreThe Psychology Of Retirement By Joe Barbier i Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesThe Psychology of Retirement By Joe Barbieri | Submitted On October 28, 2013 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Joe Barbieri Where Did the Idea of Retirement Come From? There was a time whenRead MoreImpacts of an Aging Population1406 Words   |  6 Pageselderly population affect the politics of a country, and finally, economic, the ways in which the elderly population affect the wealth of the country. Social impacts can be negative or advantageous, an advantage would be the fact that in a study on volunteering 35% of people aged 75 or over regularly give up their free time to help others. This is beneficial as it helps many people, this also links to the fact that they look after grandchildren and other elderly relatives such as husbands/wives or sistersRead MoreWhat Makes Member Entry Into Associations?877 Words   |  4 Pagesavailable for employees. For example, I was volunteering last semester at the All Stars Project. I was called for the interview, and I noticed that most of the people that work there are blacks, between ages 35 and up. During the interview, they asked if I can hand out flyers outside and they replied and said this cannot be done because I am a female. Throughout Newark, any organizations out there are affected by the external environment. I think solidary benefits have an impact on how individuals interactRead MoreThe Work For The Government Essay1449 Word s   |  6 Pageskeep their jobs in many occasions until is their time for retirement. Even though is not something that happens to everybody, in cases where the government has reductions in personnel or change in departments their employees may go find a job in another agency or department. As many government employees that I know would say. â€Å"there’s nothing like knowing that your paycheck will be there every 1st and 15th of the month. Pay and benefits. As mention in the book, the pay government employees get isRead MoreVolunteering Motivations And Their Well Being1982 Words   |  8 Pages An Integrative Research Paper On: VOLUNTEERING MOTIVATIONS AND THEIR WELL-BEING by Joseph A. Sagadraca Summer 2015 Practicum at the American Red Cross University of North Florida Dr. Jody Nicholson July 31, 2015â€Æ' ABSTRACT With considerable amounts of psychological research focused on volunteers, this paper will attempt to indicate and reiterate the motivations of volunteers in non-profit organizations through an integrative style of thinking. A lot of research is based on the well-being