Sunday, March 29, 2020
Monkeys Paw Essay Example
Monkeys Paw Essay Monkeys Paw Essay People disregard the warnings of others all the time; whether it is from a teacher, a parent, or perhaps an older sibling (Attention grabber). As displayed in W. W Jojobas short story, The Monkeys Paw, about a family fate-changing experience with a magical paw (Transition). The cynical paw, in fact, belonged to a monkey; it contained three wishes for three different people (Background). There are countless warnings given to the White family through out the story, yet foolish decisions continue to be made (Background). Using a frightening mood, Jacobs argues that those who interfere with their Sistine will suffer (T. S). The storys fearsome mood begins with heavy footsteps and a banging too loudly'(l) (C. D). Using suspenseful diction, the author suggests horrible events to come (commentary). Soon after the first wish a silence unusual and depressing settled upon the white family (5)(C. D). The reader encounters a disturbing sensation, creating an intense feeling of regret, felt mostly by Mr.. White (commentary). At this point in the story Mr.. We will write a custom essay sample on Monkeys Paw specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Monkeys Paw specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Monkeys Paw specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer White begins to understand the severity of his actions, tempting fate (commentary). Near the close of the story both Mr.. And Mrs.. White lay silently listening to the ticking of the clock while a stair Learn 2 creaked (1 1)(C. D). Suspense is an obvious and intentional emotion the writer is trying to convey (Commentary). It seems as though Jacobs is trying to show the hopelessness theyre feeling, waiting for what fate has planned for them(Commentary). Mr.. White finally understands that fate cannot be changed; and trying to change destiny will only end in disaster (commentary). Jojobas clever use of spooky diction/mood supports the notion that interfering with fate will end in dire consequences; foreshadowed within various parts of the story (concluding entente). Jacobs shows that those who interfere with their calling will feel remorse in their actions by foreshadowing numerous events throughout the story (T. S. ). In the beginning of the story Mr.. White makes a fatal mistake after it was too late(l) (C. D. ). The choice of wording, before knowing the ending of the story, seems exaggerated and dramatic (commentary). However after becoming conscious of the outcome, the reader interprets that fatal brings a deeper meaning to the story; seeing as the son dies in the end (Commentary). This also ties into Jacobs argument about dealing with the choices made by humanity. Commentary). Later in the story, when the sergeant is introduced, his tones were so grave that a hush fell upon the group(3) (C. D. ). Again, there is an underlined meaning in the writers choice of diction when he uses grave to describe unnecessary silence (commentary). At this point the reader can conclude that death is an inevitable result of the families attempt of changing fate (Commentary). When the sergeant leaves, Herbert, with a solemn face somewhat marred by a wink (5) (C. D. ). The word marred itself meaner disfigured (commentary). When the way Herbert died is taken into account it becomes clear that his foreshadowed how Herbert looked after the accident (Commentary). The theory that fate rules peoples lives is supported by the countless examples of foreshadowing, meanwhile irony supports another argument (C. S. . Using irony, Jacobs argues that in order to avoid awful consequences people must take into account the warnings around them (T. S. ). In the beginning, Herbert predicts that theyre going to be rich and famous and happy'(4) (C. D. ). This is an example of verbal irony because that is the complete opposite of what ended up happening (commentary). The sergeant warned the white family about the monkeys paw, yet hey still believe the paw will benefit them (commentary). After the first wish is made Mr.. White claims that theres no harm done (5) (commentary). This situational irony supports the carelessness felt by the White family in disregarding the Sergeants warnings; much like reality, people dont understand the graveness of their actions until it is too late (commentary). At the climax of the story, when Herbert dies, the man who delivered the news presents his parents with a certain sum of compensation then hands them bass (8) (C. D. ). The situational irony creates an obvious feeling of regret upon Mr.. White in not listening to his friend (commentary). Jacobs provides more than enough irony to develop his reason for considering the warnings of others (C. S. ). Using irony Jacobs argued that humanity must take into account the forewarnings of others or pay the cost; he showed that those who tamper with fate would regret their actions using foreshadowing and a fearful mood (T. S). Whether or not people take into account the warnings around them, they are there. Though, at times, curiosity gets the best of society, it is crucial that they are not blinded or distracted by extravagant things.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
How to Write a Lab Report - Steps and Template
How to Write a Lab Report - Steps and Template Lab reports are an essential part of all laboratory courses and usually a significant part of your grade. If your instructor gives you an outline for how to write a lab report, use that. Some instructors require the lab report be included in a lab notebook, while others will request a separate report. Heres a format for a lab report you can use if you arent sure what to write or need an explanation of what to include in the different parts of the report. Lab Report A lab report is how you explain what you did in ââ¬â¹yourà experiment, what you learned, and what the results meant. Lab Report Essentials Title Page Not all lab reports have title pages, but if your instructor wants one, it would be a single page that states:ââ¬â¹ The title of the experiment.Your name and the names of any lab partners.Your instructors name.The date the lab was performed or the date the report was submitted. Title The title says what you did. It should be brief (aim for ten words or less) and describe the main point of the experiment or investigation. An example of a title would be: Effects of Ultraviolet Light on Borax Crystal Growth Rate. If you can, begin your title using a keyword rather than an article like The or A. Introduction / Purpose Usually, the introduction is one paragraph that explains the objectives or purpose of the lab. In one sentence, state the hypothesis. Sometimes an introduction may contain background information, briefly summarize how the experiment was performed, state the findings of the experiment, and list the conclusions of the investigation. Even if you dont write a whole introduction, you need to state the purpose of the experiment, or why you did it. This would be where you state your hypothesis. Materials List everything needed to complete your experiment. Methods Describe the steps you completed during your investigation. This is your procedure. Be sufficiently detailed that anyone could read this section and duplicate your experiment. Write it as if you were giving direction for someone else to do the lab. It may be helpful to provide a figure to diagram your experimental setup. Data Numerical data obtained from your procedure usually is presented as a table. Data encompasses what you recorded when you conducted the experiment. Its just the facts, not any interpretation of what they mean. Results Describe in words what the data means. Sometimes the Results section is combined with the Discussion (Results Discussion). Discussion or Analysis The Data section contains numbers. The Analysis section contains any calculations you made based on those numbers. This is where you interpret the data and determine whether or not a hypothesis was accepted. This is also where you would discuss any mistakes you might have made while conducting the investigation. You may wish to describe ways the study might have been improved. Conclusions Most of the time the conclusion is a single paragraph that sums up what happened in the experiment, whether your hypothesis was accepted or rejected, and what this means. Figures and Graphs Graphs and figures must both be labeled with a descriptive title. Label the axes on a graph, being sure to include units of measurement. The independent variable is on the X-axis. The dependent variable (the one you are measuring) is on the Y-axis. Be sure to refer to figures and graphs in the text of your report. The first figure is Figure 1, the second figure is Figure 2, etc. References If your research was based on someone elses work or if you cited facts that require documentation, then you should list these references.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Care and management of chronic obstructive airways disease Essay
Care and management of chronic obstructive airways disease - Essay Example He was advised to quit smoking by the general practitioner, but the patient was unable to do so. In view of persistent cough and worsening health condition, the patient was referred to our center for further management and counseling. Other health problems in John include hypertension and hemorrhoids. He has been taking amlodipine 5 mg for hypertension. Overview of the disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the devastating medical conditions that causes a great degree of suffering to humans (Mosenifar, 2011). It is a source of both economic and social burden (Sullivan et al, 2000 and Fromer and Cooper, 2008). It is defined as "a disease state characterized by the presence of airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis or emphysema" (Mosenifar, 2011). There are 2 sides of coin to the disease and they are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis refers to presence of chronic cough with no other etiology and which is productive for at least 3 months during each of the two consecutive years. Emphysema is a condition in which damage of the air spaces that are present distal to the terminal bronchioles occurs. The damage is irreversible, abnormal and associated with destruction of the air space walls with no obvious fibrosis (Fromer and Cooper, 2008). ... The most distressing symptom of COPD is breathlessness which is a progressive problem and the crux of treatment of COPD is management of breathlessness. Pathophysiology Understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease helps elaborate a good management plan. The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking. It develops in about 15 percent of chronic smokers (NICE, 2004). Thus, John developed COPD because of chronic smoking. Other risk factors for the development of COPD are air pollution especially due to solid cooking fuels, presence of airway hyperresponsiveness (Mosenifar, 2011). The characteristic pathophysiological changes in COPD are seen in the central airways, the peripheral airways and also the lung parenchyma. Diverse mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of COPD (Thurlbeck, 1990). Primary offenders like oxidative stress due to free radicals from cigarette smoke and oxidants from phagocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes trigger the release of certain enzym es like leukocyte elastase in such proportions that they cannot be counteracted effectively by anti-proteases, resulting in destruction of the lung tissues (Thurlbeck, 1990) leading to necrosis or apoptosis of the lung tissue. Due to these mechanisms, certain pathological changes occur in the airways and the lung tissue like inflammation and globlet cell hyperplasia in chronic bronchitis and loss of elastic recoil in emphysema. Other changes include ciliary abnormalities, airway smooth muscle hyperplasia, bronchial wall thickening and sometimes atrophy (Mosenifar, 2011). These pathophysiological changes contribute to airway flow obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness and mucus accumulation leading to poor ventilation and oxygenation, breathlessness, cough and infection. A
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Running Water and Ground Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Running Water and Ground Water - Essay Example Rains maintain a balance through which water is maintained in the fresh water resources. Running water is the water that is present in the streams. It runs down due to the force of gravity. Groundwater is the water that seeps down from the surface and gathers under the surface in an aquifer or underground reservoir. It rains on mountains quite often, the water from the rain rushes down the mountains due to the force of gravity. At first stage, small streams are formed that combine together to make a bigger stream, streams connect together to form a river. The water in the streams and rivers is called running water. In the similar manner, due to change in temperature from winter to summer, the snow on mountains melt into water. The water rushes down the mountain due to the force of gravity. Running water has high oxygen level and most of the needs are satisfied with the help of running water. Running water is also utilized to generate energy. In olden days, the force of running water was utilized to crush wheat cornels (Hynes, 1983). Ground water is the type of water that seeps down into the surface and settles down in an aquifer or underground reservoir. This water is also the rain water but due to saturation of ground the seeps down to the aquifer. As the quantity of water above the surface decreases, the quantity of water undergrad also decreases. However, annual rains and snowfalls replenish the underground water through the saturated grounds. Wells lie directly over the aquifers. Underground aquifers are good in holding water for longer periods as compared to the above ground water resources. There is no evaporation of water from the underground aquifers. However, little water that comes to the surface due to capillary effect evaporates form the surface (Hynes, 1983). Aquifer is an underground soil or group of rock that allow the underground water to pass through them and move according
Monday, January 27, 2020
Natural Rights Theory
Natural Rights Theory Natural rights are perceived as the inherent and original rights of human nature, which equally belong to all men without exception, and which are possessed solely because of their human condition.Ãâà They are held to stem from a concept of natural law, whatever definition may be attributed to the term. The theory of natural law and natural rights of man is, however, an obscure one. It seems a strange law, which is unwritten, has never been enacted, may even be observed without penalty, and imposes peculiar rights which are entitled prior to all specific claims within an organised society. It may be just an example of social mythology, but such an idea is still intriguing. For, to disregard it completely is to deny all its evident psychological, political and legal effects, and to adopt it fully is to be blind to mans own imperfections. That men are entitled to make certain claims by virtue simply of their common humanity has been equally passionately defended and vehemently den ied.[à [1]à ] H. L. A. Hart once asserted that if there are any moral rights at all, it follows that there is at least one natural right, the equal right of all men to be free.[à [2]à ] And the proposition that all men have natural rights or rights as human beings is found explicitly in the theories of Thomas Aquinas and John Locke, implicitly in the moral and political philosophy of Immanuel Kant, and at least problematic in the writings of Thomas Hobbes. At the level of practise, it is expressed not only in the rhetoric but in the constitutional innovations of the American and French Revolutions, stating that the end in view of every political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptable rights of man.[à [3]à ] When the ordinary citizen acts as a living and protesting individual, challenging the dictates of existing governments when and if he finds them oppressive, he is appealing to the very same values of freedom and equality among men, and in which social differe nces simply vanish, leaving the solitary individual with his essential human nature. Both conservative and socialist thinkers, however, have attempted to deny such claims, and instead assert the interests of the community as more important than those of the individual. As Karl Marx would put it, none of the so-called rights of man goes beyond egoistic man, an individual withdrawn behind his private interests and whims and separated from the community.[à [4]à ] The same idea and the same controversies have dominated political debates in the twentieth century regarding governmental practises. The importance of a persons rights to individuality and freedom from interference is central to the moral and political theories of such subjectivist thinkers as J. L. Mackie and David Hume. However, by no one has the theory of natural rights ever been properly justified or denied, or at least not as it has been defined and debated. Questions are then posed as to, why people should suppose that they have natural rights independent of the laws and governments of any existing society? If, for example, the laws of a society condemn a human being to slavery, how would his claim (if any) that freedom is a natural right of man be justified? And, if it could be said that there is an essential aspect of human nature which determines mans free status, a natural law which applies to all men, something in man which governs the relations of human beings independently of the laws of all particular societies, how can such natural facts be discovered if they have never been confirmed by observation? The answer may be contained in the proposition that man uniquely possesses the powers of reason. Thus, Roman lawyers, who were not the first to discuss natural law or natural rights, but the first to posit the theory defensibly, conceived of it as an ideal or standard, not yet completely exemplified in any existing legal code, but also as a standard fixed by nature to be discovered and gradually applied by men.[à [5]à ] It is a standard not created or conferred by mans voluntary action, but by nature, or God, and which all men have if they are capable of rational choice. According to Thomas Hobbes, the state of nature in which man lived before the social contract was a war of every Man against every Man,[à [6]à ] a condition of internecine strife in which the life of man was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.[à [7]à ] Thomas Hobbes believed that self-preservation was the great lesson of natural law and that law and government would become necessary as a means of promoting order and personal security. For each citizen to preserve his own life, he must give absolute and unconditional obedience to the law. Hobbes political theory is best understood if separate in two parts: his theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Egoism, and his theory of the Social Contract. The direction of this assessment will look exclusively to Hobbes theory of Social Contract. The social contract is used by Hobbes in defense of absolutism and is thus used to justify authoritarian government. Hobbes own goal was to rule out the legitimacy of civil rebellion and thus to eliminate the possibility of civil war, which he regarded as the greatest of evils. Hobbes informs us that we should infer the characteristics of political obligation from the intention of him that submitteth himself to his power, which is to be understood by the end for which he so submitteth.[à [8]à ] The use of a social contract to construct a natural rights doctrine is articulated most fully in the writings of John Locke.[à [9]à ] To Locke the state of nature that preceded the social contract was not, as conceived by Hobbes, one of brutal horror, but rather a golden age, an Eden before the Fall. In the state of nature, men have the right to freedom from interference by others and in turn a correlative duty to refrain from interfering in the life of others. However, at the same time, all men may be restrained from invading others rights, and from doing hurt to one another, the execution of the law of nature and preservation of individual natural rights is put into every mans hands, whereby everyone has a right to punish the transgressors of that law to such degree, as may hinder its violation.[à [10]à ] Men have an obligation to preserve to the best of their ability the life, liberty and property to which others also have natural rights, as long as his own preservation comes not in competition.[à [11]à ] In moving from the state of nature to that of civil society, man carries with him the natural rights and some of the authority he had in that state of autonomy. There are certain powers, however, that man gives up in subjecting himself to civil authority. He gives up that power he had to do whatever he sees fit for the preservation of his life, since this power is to be regulated by the laws made by society. Man therefore signs a social contract, surrendering the power of punishing, which is to be so far disposed of by the legislative, as the good of society shall require. But he never surrenders his rights, and thus government is obliged to secure everyones property [liberty, life and possessions], by providing against those defects that made the state of nature so unsafe and uneasy.[à [12]à ] Man did not enter society to become worse than he was before, but only to have his natural rights better secured. When social contract theorists talk of the rights which men enjoyed in the state of nature, they are in effect saying what men ought to enjoy in any society, that all men ought to be free, independent of their social condition. Words like freedom and equality represented for the advocates of natural rights what they considered to be the fundamental moral and social values, which should be realised in any society of rational citizens. These values, and hence natural rights, in the social contract, are the basis for rights embedded in the clauses of constitutions. The fundamental purpose of law is therefore considered to be the protection of individual rights. In reality, however, positive laws of society are somewhat imperfect. Until a law was enacted in order to abolish slavery, slaves ought to have been free but clearly were not. Even though man seemed to be entitled by nature to natural rights, which might be denied to him by the positive laws of existing societies, the natural law and natural rights were impotent. The Social Contract approach to natural law culminated in the writing of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. As Barker has noted: Rousseau is a Janus-like figure in the history of natural law. He turns to it and belongs to it, he turns away from it and it belongs elsewhere.[à [13]à ] There are two distinct social contract theories by Rousseau. The first one is, Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men, usually referred to as the Second Discourse, and is a relation of the moral and political evolution of human beings over time, from a State of Nature to modern society. As such it contains his naturalized description of the social contract, which he sees as very problematic. The second is his normative or idealized theory of the social contract, and is meant to provide the means by which to lighten the problems that modern society has created for us, as laid out in the Second Discourse. Rousseaus idea of a state of nature is closer to Lockes than Hobbes, though without Lockes emphasis on the sanctity of property. Rousseau, the social contract is a mystical construct by which the individual merges into the community and becomes part of the general will. Preferably the people should govern themselves. But, as he acknowledged, it is unimaginable that the people should remain continually assembled to devote their time to public affairs.[à [14]à ] Law is the register of general will. Government can only be tolerated so long as it accurately reflects the general will. On the other hand, Rousseau insists that whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body: he will be forced to be free.[à [15]à ] What Rousseau is saying is that disobedience is morally illegitimate because it constitutes a failure to discharge a moral obligation a citizen incurred when acting as a citizen. Rousseau is, however, refusing to draw a distinction be tween law and morality: the general will is the moral will of each citizen. Rousseaus social contract theories outline a single, consistent view of our moral and political situation. We are gifted with freedom and equality by nature, but our nature has been contaminated by our contingent social history. We can overcome this sleaze, however, by calling upon our free will to reconstitute ourselves politically, along strongly democratic principles, which is good for us, both individually and collectively. [à [16]à ] If morality is not to be discovered but to be made, one may say that there are no real natural rights as described above by Lockes theories. Natural events cannot tell us what we ought to do until we have made certain decisions. Whether moved by reason or sentiment, or both, standards of behaviour are determined by human choice, not set by nature independently of men. And no man can have any valid rights in the absence of a society. That is not to argue in favour of the communitarian point of view that there can be no individual rights but it is to assert that human beings need one another in order to fully exercise all their rights. One may say that someone has the right to life only because someone else might have the power to kill him. For, if there were no else in the universe, there would be no need for protection, there would be no need for rights. Human beings can only vindicate their rights in relation to others, for human beings can only live in relation to others. It can thus be concluded that (human) rights are the product of social conditions, of mans general desire for harmonious relations and his instinct of self-preservation in a community of different and often conflicting interests. Hence, neither can there be no natural rights, as understood to be ordained by God, or, as many libertarians would defend, to be discovered by reason. Rather, mens own imperfections have made individual rights a natural quality of human beings. If they are thought to originate outside of human nature and interactions, natural rights are defiable; but nonetheless, in day-to-day life, we simply assume that we have these human rights. It may be a product of human imagination, and it probably is but we like to think that they are real.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Special Children’s Necessities and Managements
The term, sprecial-needs children is defined as children whose developmental and/or behavior requires help or intervention beyond the scope of the ordinary classroom or adult interactions. About 15 to 20 percent of all children in the United States will exhibit some form of atypicall development and need special services (Bee, 1995). These children include children with learning disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Down Syndrome children, physically and mentally disabled children and gifted children. Children with learning disabilities may have poor memory skills, trouble following directions, eye-hand cordination problems and trouble with distinguishing between letters, numbers and sounds. There is no scientific explanation why children have learning disabilities, but some experts believe the cause may be due to slight brain damage. ADHD affects up to 5 percent of children up to the age of 18(Walls, 1994. When hyperactivity components are not present, it is diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. Children with ADHD are prone to restlessness, anxiety, short attention spans and impulsiveness. They have trouble listening, remaining seated, interacting with other people and are easily distracted. A child with ADHD will show extreme symptoms, usually before the age of 7. The most common medication for children with ADHD is an amphetamine called Ritalin, which produces a paradoxical effect. The speed stimulates the cerebral cortex, allowing the brain to manage incoming sensory information efficently. Ritalin is very controversial since the side effects can be quite serious, such as inhibiting growth. Down Syndrome is one of the most common and easily determined forms of mental retardiation. It affects 1 in 100 births among women under the age of 35 and 5 per 100 of woman over 40. Down Syndrome, formerly called mongolism, is caused by a chromosal abnomality. The affected individual has 47 chromosomes in all body cells instead of the normal 46. There is no treatment for Down Syndrome, but better medical care, which has resulted in an almost normal life span compared to the previous life expectancy of 14 years. A disabled child is a child with physical, mental or sensory impairment that makes performing everyday tasks more difficult. In the early 1980's, it was estimated that 9 to 10 percent of the United States population was diabled in some way. Until the second half of the 20th century, it was rare to find simple recognition that aside from the specific diability, disabled children have the same needs, interest and abilities as mainstream children. In schooling, the federal law now gurantees a free fit education to all handicapped children, regardless of the severity of their handicap. Gifted children are children who have unusually high intelligence. They generally have long attention spans, learn quickly, good memories and have a wider range of vocabulary thatn their peers. Gifted children usually tend to be bored with activities based for children their own age. Children who score between 130-150 on the standard IQ tests have traditionally been classified as gifted. These children come from all social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. There are many concerns that the majority of these children are being overlooked, since a lot of them are not given the same opportunities, attention and support as the child who is raised in the ââ¬Å"All-American Familyâ⬠.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Hartwick College Essay
In this extract, we are shown insight into what Pips character has become, by reacquainting him with the convict Magwitch. In this second visit, we can see the contrast between Pips first encounter, and this more shocking scene ââ¬â how Pips persona has changed from an innocent youth, to a selfish, egocentric ââ¬Ëgentleman. ââ¬Ë Also, we are given the startling revelation of Pipââ¬â¢s true benefactor, in a cumulative peak of excitement enriched with Dickens unique writing style. Throughout the text, Pipââ¬â¢s manner towards others, his way of thinking and even his narrative voice transform to create two reasonably different characters. The extract pictures him as a selfish, pompous young man who shows great ingratitude towards Magwitch ââ¬â asking ââ¬Å"inhospitably enoughâ⬠whether he would like to come in and pushing away a plea for affection, from one who has worked hard all his life merely to provide Pip with a great wealth, and an undemanding lifestyle. When Magwitch returns to greet his beneficiary, he is treated with less than minor courtesy. Pipââ¬â¢s younger character however appears far more innocent, showing respect and even compassion towards a convict, who threatens and oppresses him, glad that his stolen food is ââ¬Å"enjoyedâ⬠by a complete stranger. This highlights a stark contrast between the Pip displayed in the extract, and Pips younger self. Indeed Dickens seems to point out the irony of such a title ââ¬â at the point in time when society considers him ââ¬Ëgentlemanââ¬â¢ he is anything but gentle ââ¬â instead he appears malicious and critical of his former friend Joe whose visit he awaits with ââ¬Å"mortification. â⬠The wealthy gentleman is now a moral shadow of the impoverished yet guiltless Pip we are introduced to at the beginning of the story. His simultaneous ascent to aristocracy and fall into selfish spendthrift, leading to his subsequent redemption, are reminiscent of the ââ¬Ëeducationââ¬â¢ novel popular at the time. These tales of ââ¬Ëapprenticeshipââ¬â¢ were often of mistreated orphans who managed to become wealthy and successful. The stories featured the many obstacles that the hero/heroine would have to overcome, and their popularity peaked around Dickens time. Typically, they explore ââ¬Å"the youth and young adulthood of a sensitive protagonistâ⬠who is ââ¬Å"in search of the meaning of life and the nature of the worldâ⬠(David Cody, Associate Professor of English, Hartwick College.) They tended to contain autobiographical elements, and were sometimes influenced by contemporary social and industrial transformations. There are also some other genres on which the story touches upon, namely the ââ¬Ësensation novelââ¬â¢ ââ¬â the numerable plot twists and shocking revelations form a large part of the structure ââ¬â in this extract we see the startling disclosure of Pips true benefactor, which most contemporaneous readers would perhaps not have guessed. Indeed, these climatic scenes are pivotal to the books success as a serialisation, as well as a novel. To maintain interest in a book that is staged in weekly instalments, Dickens uses a variety of sub-plots to keep the reader engrossed. This eccentric writing style gives the text a unique quality, and the overall effect on the reader is one of shock and intrigue. The rendezvous with the convict in the graveyard, and his death, Miss Havishamââ¬â¢s fire, and the showdown with Orlick are among the most memorable climaxââ¬â¢s we experience ââ¬â as well as Pips second meeting with Magwitch. In this passage, we can see how the writer cultivates tension and makes the most of Magwitchââ¬â¢s secret. When extract reaches a pinnacle of excitement, many sentences become long and drawn out, and sentence complexity increases, leaving the shorter, snappier ââ¬Å"why, Wemmickâ⬠and ââ¬Å"would it be J? â⬠to further promote interest in the plot, and give a tense, nervous atmosphere. As the scene draws to its zenith, as Pipââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"heart (beats) like a heavy hammer of disordered action,â⬠we see powerful metaphors, and repetition of prominent, emotive language (ââ¬Å"dangers, disgraces, consequencesâ⬠) to give a sense of anxiety and intensify the scene. Language is also used here to alienate the convict from Pip himself. The rich, throaty slang of Magwitchââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"arterwards,â⬠ââ¬Å"specââ¬â¢latedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"warmintâ⬠contrasts against Pipââ¬â¢s more noble speeches of how he ââ¬Å"cannot wish to renew that chance intercourseâ⬠and inquires of the messenger ââ¬Å"since he undertook that trust. â⬠The way Dickens estranges Magwitch from Pip is significant: it symbolizes the delusional notion that Pip is a gentleman, and that he is superior to the convict. Pip believes himself to be changed since that first chance meeting in the graveyard, and thinks that he is now above Magwitch, who is after all a criminal. The irony experienced by the reader is that Pipââ¬â¢s great wealth and upper class lifestyle is solely attributable to Magwitch himself, and this too is the source of the shock Pip describes. The way Dickens depicts Pips feelings is extremely powerful, as we see Pip ââ¬Å"suffocatingâ⬠merely from the shock of this news, news that his almost successful attempt to become a gentleman was funded by the dark relic of his youth, whoââ¬â¢s felonious past appears further from gentry as is possible. This is of course, not the first time we see Pipââ¬â¢s character interrupted by members of his childhood ââ¬â there was his meeting with Mr Pocket on his arrival to London, and more important, Joeââ¬â¢s visit to Pip in his London flat. This meeting, like the one with Magwitch we see in the extract, stresses the change we have seen in Pipââ¬â¢s character by comparing his manner towards someone he knew as a boy, and how he acts towards them now. Upon his visit, Joe is not treated with hostility as such, but Pip denotes that he ââ¬Å"certainly would have paid moneyâ⬠to keep him from coming. As a boy, Pip always stayed friends with Joe despite his obvious stupidity and clumsiness, yet now he wishes more than anything to avoid him. Pips dismissal of Joe in this way turns the reader against him slightly ââ¬â up until now we have supported Pip as the ââ¬Ëgood guy. ââ¬Ë Pips corruption from an innocent youngster to a snide gentleman, and then back into a more honourable businessman. This cycle of purity, corruption and redemption is an ongoing theme in Great Expectations, and makes subtle references to Christian beliefs of how the life of greed and sin that Pip lived in London, on the wealth of a convict, lead to a corroded innocence that was only liberated through his consequent illness and then his new beginning with Estella. The other theme that appears in the novel, is that of justice and the just punishment of crime. We first see this in the appearance of a convict (though this method of punishment was stopped in 1868 several years after the novel was written) and Dickens portrayal of him as an honest man, who admits to the theft of ââ¬Å"some broken wittlesâ⬠and ââ¬Å"a dram of liquorâ⬠to save Pip from his sister, Mrs Joe. And again, Mrs Joe herself ties in to the punishment theme, her harsh disciplining of her husband and brother again lets us sympathise with those who are chastised, and not the chastisers. Later in the book, we see another example of this when Magwitch is caught. And more subtle instances of punishment such as Mrs Havisham burning for her corruption of Estella (corruption almost being a theme in itself) are also present in the text, giving us a thorough impression of how those who commit crime will always be brought to justice. The time setting of the novel allows Dickens to include these ideas of corporal punishment, convicts and public hangings. To a modern reader, these archaic, brutal methods of upholding the law appear old-fashioned. However, readers of the time would most probably have experienced these events fist-hand, in one way or another. Moral preachingââ¬â¢s of more passive action towards prisoners and criminals would be relatively new to them, whereas nowadays such views are accepted as standard. The feelings created by the views Dickens has on delinquency, and its retribution, are therefore significantly different between readers of-the-time and present day students. As a modern audience, we also feel compelled, excited, and fascinated by the books intricate plotlines, particularly in this extract. To inspire such strong emotions, Dickens uses many lingual and structural functions, the aforementioned effectiveness of metaphors and imagery to name one. He also writes in the 1st person, which is pivotal to the feelings the book creates: the story is far more personal and involving. Dickens also entwines his plots and subplots very carefully to create a prominent air of tension. As he builds up to the climax of one plot twist, he continues to insert little mini-dramas that leave us waiting for the main storyline to continue. He does this quite often in the novel, and it makes the reading most tense and far less predictable. To a less observant reader, Magwitchââ¬â¢s return would be a complete surprise ââ¬â this is where the majority of this extractââ¬â¢s attraction lies. Overall, this extract is in fact one of the most outstanding scenes in the book. The build up of excitement before the final revelation of ââ¬Å"Pip ââ¬â your him! â⬠is done with a variety of complex, literary devices, and the twist in the plot and return of a familiar character add to its success. It calls attention to Pipââ¬â¢s new assumed role, as a self-centred ungrateful gentleman, and is characteristic of Dickens writing style.
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