In Mad Dogs by Douglas Raybeck I read chapter ten Sunstroke. In this chapter Raybeck is stricken by luck that was not foreseen in one major way and a couple of others as well. This unexpected pot of gold he has been searching for was stumbled upon when accompanying a friend Yusof Ismail that has been consistently asking if not begging to come visit his parents in the village of Kampong Paru-Paru. One way luck was involved is that he got to see another part of the culture a more deprived. The main thing that luck had given to him is exposing smuggling. Luck good and bad can play an unexpected role in fieldwork.…
In the book "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell, the central theory that Gladwell presents is that often the decisions and observations made in only a split-second, in the blink of the eye, are better than decisions which are made after extensive thought. To present and justify this idea Gladwell describes the lives of several people who make, or have made, important snap decisions with a high level of success or failure. He then explains the logic behind each story and relates it back to his original principle. The narratives include the story of a fake Greek statue and the debate of it's authenticity, a retired U.S. general who defeated the best of the military with quick thinking, and a group of police officers who killed an innocent immigrant because of a tragic misunderstanding, among many others. While I found many of these anecdotes interesting and do agree to a certain point that on occasion trusting your intuition is more effective than boundless thinking, many of the examples used in Blink oversimplify or misstate the importance of "those first 2 seconds" (8).…
Tracy Sutherland an English teacher provides an analysis of America’s education system by having her high school student’s apply George Orwell’s concepts in Animal Farm to their school. She writes about this is an article titled: Speaking My Mind: Orwell Farmed for Education for The English Journal. The article addresses the issue of what will come of our education system when the foundation is being tampered with and new concepts are constantly reshaping the system. Several students raise important points in their writing. Also, the article allows for a reflection on the types of teachers compared to characters in the novel: working ever so harder never questioning, just going through the motions, too nice to address key issues, or adamantly…
Have you ever felt misunderstood? Have you ever wanted to be alone in the world? In the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, written by Mark Haddon, Christopher Boone is a young teenager who is intelligent and talented in math. But Christopher has a condition, which is autism that makes him think and speak differently. His autism affect how he interacts with people, develops relationships, and deal with new situations.…
Malcom Gladwell is a very powerful speaker man that has plenty to say on a varity of topics. However, when he chooses to speak he uses many ways of expressing himself to grab and keep his audiences attention without having doubt about what he is saying by the end of his speech. Gladwell, in the speech on school shootings is very convincing. There are three main devices he used in order to get his point across which is reasoning, emotion, and credibility. Here I will be explaining how he has come to use each device to win over the majority of his audience.…
Orwell's 'Animal Farm' is an allegory because it represents Stalin's rise to power in Russia. His dictatorship to the people of Russia is how Napoleon treated the animals on the farm. Napoleon the pig represents Joseph Stalin, the dictating leader of the Soviet Union. Napoleon tricked the other animals into believing he was the only one that wanted the best for them. He slowly brought the farm from a more equal state to a state where he was considered and treated as a king. He also murdered any of the animals who opposed him or stood in his way, without trial. Stalin did the same by consolidating power and expanding the limits of his role. He eliminated anyone who tried to oppose him. He organized a massive purge where "enemies" were imprisoned,…
Music can be more than just something to dance or sing along to. It is also a form of art and a way for people to let their feelings out in a different way. Many people write music to express any sort of feeling, such as happiness, anger, and depression. By putting out their music they can connect to their fans, friends, and family in a way that is easier for them and everyone can find a way to relate to them. The songs “From Dog to God” by Prayers, “Undercover Martyn” by Two Door Cinema Club, and “Hey You” by Pink Floyd all express the effects of isolation and how it gets in the way of their lives.…
Nearly everyone has been hurt by the words or actions of others. These wounds can leave someone with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness, and vengeance. However, if one does not forgive, they can that is hurt the most. In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, the main character, Christopher Boone, shows the power of forgiveness. Even though his mother, Judy Boone, left him he still forgives her. Judy Boone’s actions were justified, she did not deem herself fit to be a mother at that time. Through the letters she shows remorse, she cares for Christopher and looks out for him, she also shows growth and maturity. Judy has changed and is better suited to be the mother figure Christopher never had before.…
In the novel Animal Farm, George Orwell hints that power corrupts through the use of an allegorical storyline. By using historical criticism, one can analyze the causes and effects of ruthless ambition. During the WWII era, there was widespread corruption in many nations, as seen in Germany with Hitler and Russia with Stalin. This time period of chaos exposed the lack of compassion among humans. Similar to this era, there were cultural and political struggles among the humans and animals in the farm as well. Ironically, in the animal’s struggle to free themselves of human dictatorship they end up oppressing their own kind.…
Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point offers a fascinating and insightful way to think about the issue of epidemics. Those elements Gladwell believes are the basis for why epidemics start allows the reader to think about their world in a way they never thought they could. I would not have thought of Sesame Street or Blue's clues as being defined as epidemics. When one thinks of an epidemic, one thinks of AIDS, or some form of disease so widespread that it must be contained and a cure provided to keep the disease in check from spreading further. Therefore, after reading the book, the reader is left with a new perspective to "look at the subtle, the hidden, and the unspoken" (Gladwell, 2002, pg. 80). Those things in everyday life that we would not normally think about as being epidemics are now taken under the microscope and analyzed. Through the work the reader learns to apply those concepts put forth by Gladwell to see if things like soap operas, game shows, magazines, and eating disorders can fit into the framework of what an epidemic is or is not and why certain things do become epidemics.…
In the past, the Russian Revolution is falling into action throughout these events in Animal Farm. George Orwell, the author of the novel, writes on how he feels about the October and February Revolutions. He uses characters to portray the history in the people and events during the revolution. These characters allow readers to know how George reflected the purpose of the historic event. Three major characters used are Boxer, Squealer, and the sheep. Orwell critiques society through Boxer, Squealer, and the sheep with their actions, characterization, and dialogue in the novel.…
Fahrenheit 451 is a novel written by Ray Bradbury exploring the effects of a simplistic society devoid of free thinking and reliant on cheap satisfactions. The story follows a fireman whose job is to burn books and put an end to the sharing of knowledge. The novel reveals the psyche of many of its characters, and also the author. Psychoanalytic theory was created by Sigmund Freud, a famous Austrian psychologist. It is a theory used to explain human behaviour. Psychoanalytic theory states that the id, the ego, and the superego make up the human personality. The id represents the instinctual drive for instant satisfactions. The job of the ego is to fulfill the demands of the id in a safe and socially acceptable way while also considering the ideals of the super ego. The super ego is comprised of the idealistic goals and ideal self one wishes to accomplish. It strives for perfection and morality. In addition, Freud used defence mechanisms such as repression to explain how people cope with difficult emotions. Sigmund Freud’s theories and ideologies can be used to analyse people and literature in order to uncover secrets about the psyche.…
Malcolm Gladwell’s article "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted" raises many questions about the potential contributions web-based social networking has attributed to the emergence of progressive social movement and change. "The revolution will not be tweeted" is reflective of his view that social media has no useful application in serious activism, which is a bold assertion, given the impact that social media has on today’s society. Gladwell believes that effective social movements powerful enough to impose change on longstanding societal forces will require both strong ties among all involved parties and the presence of the hierarchical organizations. In contrast, Gladwell characterizes the social networks as an interwoven…
In the novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, Christopher John Francis Boone struggles to realize that the world isn't as structured as he had believed. Christopher is a child with special needs who dislikes many things such as being touched, France, and the colour brown. Throughout the story, Christopher decides to investigate the death of his neighbour’s dog, Wellington. {PUT HIS FATHER LYING IN HERE SOMEWHERE}In a turn of events, he embarks on a will-testing journey to find the truth. On this journey, Christopher realizes that the way he views the world is flawed and reality is much more chaotic. {Find a way to fit your three topics}…
Not knowing things is sometimes an award, but it can also be a curse. The same idea is applied to the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury where the government often hides the truth from the people. They do this to keep everyone happy since they think if you do not know about something, you do not have to worry about it. Some people can accept this standard of living, but others feel as if they are missing something like the main character Guy Montag felt as he learned more about books. Montag developed throughout the story to overcome the statement Ignorance is Bliss by the help of many characters but mainly Beatty, Clarisse, and Faber.…