Surveillance and Social Control †Criminal Justice Research Paper

Surveillance and Social Control – Criminal Justice Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Surveillance and Social Control Criminal Justice Research Paper The most challenging change in our society since September 11th might be the affect increased surveillance has on our society. The government has long been a proponent of increased supervision and lenient regulations. Given our recent history, the support for such actions has been supported by multiple agencies and the nation’s citizens. Learning from their peers, the government has spent numerous resources to gauge the benefits of CCTV systems. Expanded systems have been used in England and show positive results towards controlling criminal acts. Aided by enthusiasm since September 11th, many private companies have geared themselves towards creation of the next phase of identification tools. In a somewhat separate arena, the military is a continued example of how increased surveillance can aid our country. Surveillance and Social Control Introduction The world of surveillance is changing daily and since the September 11th attacks, our nation, as well as the world, has seen drastic change. September 11th extinguished the comfort and trust we so thoroughly enjoy and replaced it with a nervous fear. In response, nations, governments, companies and private citizens have opened themselves to more surveillance by third parties. Closed Caption Television (CCTV) is thriving in Europe where they use biometric recognition to monitor public venues. Even the City of London uses a CCTV system integrated with facial recognition software to identify every person who enters the city limits. These ideas have spread to America and during the 2001 Superbowl the City of Tampa used face recognition software to scan every fan attending the game. Most specifically, CCTV offers the greatest possibility of increased social control in the future. Aiding this approach, numerous private companies are jumping at the chance to provide surveillance equi pment to the government and investigation businesses. Technology is reach new levels and the depth to which we may be observed is increasing daily. From a different perspective, the entire groundwork for the military is based on a system implementing greater forms of control than what the average citizen faces. However, this might be a very valuable form of social control necessary for our nations defense. Over the last two years, our nation has seen a flurry of changes regarding surveillance and the effects it has on social control. The government no longer faces the staunch opposition from civil rights groups when they try to increase â€Å"Big Brother’s† reach. For now, too many big players, to include Congress, the Office of Homeland Defense and average citizens, are demanding more scrutiny to safeguard our nation. They insist that the government prevents another September 11th from happening. And the results are widespread. Colorado is in the midst of scanning every driver license into a database to match against criminal mug shots. Biometrics, data that vectors personal features such as nose shape, cheek angle and eye positioning, is becoming ever more popular. Currently, the company that brought biometrics to Tampa in 2001, Viisage, has one-third of the market for digital drivers license photos and supports its database with software able to scan 50 million faces per second. Still, that is just the tip of the iceberg because iris scans, fingerprint verification and national identity cards are all being considered. As much as this may seem appropriate to protect our national security, they also open the door to potential abuse. Systems like these, when integrated might someday allow the government to ascertain the whereabouts of any citizen at any time. Even though The Fourth and Fifth Amendments might seem overlookable given our recent history, our current trend challenges the most sacred aspects of our democracy. Regulations have long governed more obvious surveillance methods like wiretapping and illegal searches but are overdue when it comes to addressing these new techniques. Our new course is littered with seemingly less intrusive technologies that have great potential to be taken advantage of. Closed Caption Television (CCTV) Most popular in Britain but gaining considerable interest in the United State is CCTV. In Britain, it receives more funding than any other non-criminal justice prevention technique to the tune of $250 million spent from 1999 to 2001. As noted by Doctors Brandon C. Welsh and David P Rarrington in their CCTV research, there are three distinct results possible from widespread use of CCTV (2003). To begin with, crime rates may lower because criminals are deterred by their increased surveillance. Regardless of actual observation, the threat of a watchful â€Å"eye† is often enough to deter criminal acts. On the other hand, crime might increase because CCTV could provide a false sense of security to innocent civilians and make them more likely to enter a criminal area. The fact that an illegal act is occurring does not always translate to a response from the CCTV operators or more importantly, the police. Thirdly, use of this system may cause crime to move elsewhere and thus fail to achieve any objectives at all. Simply moving crime from one area to another is not worth the cost to our taxpayers. CCTV creates â€Å"the power to watch and potentially intervene in a variety of situations, whether they be criminal or not† (Norris, 1997). Despite the United Kingdom’s complete submersion into CCTV systems, the results are not entirely promising. A study done by Clive Norris in England examined nearly 900 targeted surveillances over 600 hours using CCTV. The research targeted three distinctly different sites to include a bustling metropolitan city (population: 500,000), a market square in a mid-sized town (pop: 200,000) and a poor inner city borough (pop: 250,000). To further break down the data, Norris established four main objectives of the study: Who is surveyed and why and how this is socially differentiated The shared working rules developed by operators to determine who and what is surveyed The outcome of targeted surveillance and whether it resulted in authoritative intervention The vision of future CCTV Few surveillance guidelines were present at the time of the study, so operators were left to make their own decisions about who to monitor. This undoubtedly led to human bias and interpretation as key focus factors. Results support this conclusion in that the majority of targets were men, particularly if they were young or black (Norris, 1997). Men represented 90% of the observed while black persons were one and a half to two times as likely to be observed as compared to their percentage in the population. Still, the most startling statistic might be that 40% of all individuals surveyed were watched for no apparent reason at all. This resulted largely from categorical suspicion where people were monitored simply because of their social or cultural group. It appeared that there were seven major working rules shared by the operators in this study. However, these shaky guidelines seemed to stem directly from the stereotypical assumptions used to determine who would be observed. The majority of operators showed negative attitudes towards young black males, individuals who simply appeared to be deviant, those that loitered without any distinguishable motive, drunks, beggars, the homeless, street traders and those that seemed to be â€Å"out of time and out of place† (Norris, 1997). Even persons who showed signs of unease or misdirection were subjected to more scrutiny. These methods seem transferable to our society and question our basic right of privacy. If we are watched simply because we are lost or new to our surroundings, our behaviors are bound to change. The outcomes of the study reveal how few arrests actually resulted from the 881 monitored events. Only forty-five situations resulted in police deployments. Additionally, the majority of these events occurred in the metropolitan city and mid-sized town with only three arrests in the borough. The lack of police intervention was attributed to a disconnect between operators and police and a lack of concrete evidence. While many suspicious activities were observed, police involvement would not have stood up in court. Another factor that limited the filing of criminal charges was police discretion to resolve the situation right there. Often, regardless of what was caught on tape, officers would arrive post-incident and provide a remedy without arresting anyone. On the other hand, the cameras provided a valuable resource and created a form of net widening when it came to fights. Prior to use of CCTV, police responding to a fight would arrive post-incident and have little informatio n to further their investigation. In the present system, police response time would little matter for they could rely on the video to provide the necessary information. During the study, this often resulted in more arrests for fights occurring in the past. â€Å"The gaze of the cameras does not fall equally on all users of the street but on those who are stereotypical predefined as potentially deviant, or through appearance and demeanor, are singled out by operators as unrespectable† (Norris, 1997). With continued use of CCTV, officer stigmatization will only increase towards those meeting predisposed characteristics. Social control is entering a new phase where those individuals who already suffer from increased surveillance will be subjected to even more scrutiny. Revealing how this might affect us all, police reactions showed how misguided this new form of surveillance might be. During operator-initiated deployments, officers often release those that failed to create any truly dangerous situation, despite what the CCTV operators saw. They often found that what was seen on the camera was not as drastic as previously thought and forwent any further actions. The greatest affect of CCTV might be the change in behavior of th ose in the metropolitan city. The majority of arrests occurred here and the simple threat of police intervention may create a trend toward conformity for the late night dwellers. In fact, the episodes involving the innocents mentioned above will undoubtedly have an affect on their behavior. Research Data Three very specific studies were done by Doctors Welsh and Farrington that show how drastically CCTV affects social control. During their research, they used destinations with newer CCTV systems as experimental areas and similar adjacent areas without CCTV as control groups. Their first area studied was a town center fashioned with 63 cameras and various reporting options. After two years of observation, crime in the experimental area had decreased 21.3%. However, during that same time period, crime increased 11.9% in neighboring control areas. After detailed research targeted at the increase in crime, it was concluded that the results were independent. In their next study, thirteen subway stations were installed with CCTV and observed for eighteen months. The results were very positive with reported crime down 20% in the experimental groups and 18.3% in the 52 control stations. The only crime that did not decrease in the control group was assault. Their final study occurred in two parking lots on a college campus. Both lots had their bushes trimmed back and improved lighting but only one received a CCTV system. After ten months, crime had decreased by 73.3% in the experimental group and almost entire disappeared (93.8%) in the control group. These studies very blatantly show how CCTV can affect people’s behavior. Each group showed very positive affects from CCTV with only one case having a negative affect on the control group. In her article, Surveillance, Privacy and the Military, Emily Merz sums up the results of this study effectively with â€Å"Surveillance functions to monitor and observe groups for the purpose s of order, power and social control† (Merz, 2002). The police desired to change behaviors and implemented a surveillance system- the result was a noticeable change in criminal behavior. Technology â€Å"Surveillance is not inherently sinister or malign. But the focused attention to persons and population with a view to influencing, managing or controlling them – that we call ‘surveillance’ – is never innocent either† (Lyon 2002). Feeding into CCTV and taking hold in other venues are changes in surveillance technology. The demand for diverse surveillance techniques has skyrocketed since September 11th and companies can’t keep up with the demand. While use of CCTV in police interrogation rooms likely encourages fair treatment of suspects, it is extended use of this system that threatens our civil rights. Furthering this threat are advances in computer technology, internet monitoring and financial tracking. Iris scanners, fingerprint identification and cameras on downtown streets are just the beginning of this new surveillance era. Still, the need for increased surveillance is very apparent; however concentrating on these areas wit hout knowledge of possible results is a precarious situation. Specific government entities have entered a new period of surveillance where their means of observation are widespread. Computer technology is creating the most opportunities as the number of people using the internet increases daily. Not entirely new but gaining more and more leeway is CARNIVORE, the internet surveillance program used by the FBI. This system allows the FBI to intercept a wide variety of international information and even monitor all the internet activity of a single person. New additions to this software are PACKETEER and COOLMINER. They would allow the government to decipher encrypted messages and extrapolate data found in emails. Even more obtrusive technology may take hold with the government supported Next Generation Internet Protocol, IPv6. This software aims to provide more secure e-commerce and advanced security measures but includes progressive surveillance methods. If the â€Å"master keys† or backdoors are made available to the government, a ny interaction with the internet could be observed by Big Brother. This would allow access to financial information, transaction histories and money flow. Directly influencing this trend is the continued intelligence sharing between the UK and the US. Dating back to WWII, The United States Sigint System (USSS) has been collaborating with the United Kingdom to monitor worldwide communication mediums. On the civilian front, numerous companies have jumped at the chance to provide integrated surveillance systems. Most notably, â€Å"Larry Ellison, president of the Silicon Valley Company Oracle, offered the US government free smart card software for a national ID system† (Lyon, 2002). Michael Cherkasky, president of the security firm Kroll, has suggested that every American be given a national ID card that would allow the government to determine who and where they are at any time. A coordinated effort between government and private organizations occurred after September 11th when â€Å"supermarkets, hotels, traffic control points, credit card transactions and so on – were used to trace the activities of the ‘terrorists’† (Lyon, 2002). Advanced Biometrics Incorporated (ABI) is the leader in hand geometry devices which measure the internal human hand structure to identify persons. This technology is even being explored to prevent unauthorized use of handguns. However revolutionary these tactics may seem, unseen factors have provided undesired results; thus, new technology may not impart the intended control factors. Social Control in the Military To consider another direction, maybe surveillance is not such a bad form of social control for some individuals. Used in the military, applicants sacrifice numerous privacies before they even join the armed forces. Before one can enlist, the following histories must be submitted: drug, medical, crime, driving and financial. And that is just the beginning, for daily life in the military brings about a whole new set of rules. Every time you enter or leave certain buildings, you have to swipe a badge noting your presence. Whenever you want to use a computer, you have to log on and consent to being monitored. Likewise, all phones have the capability of being monitored. Even the basic infrastructure of the military encourages surveillance. Your doctor and dentist are part of the military, the financial office that handles every pay transaction is military, you shop on base, you get your haircut on base, you buy your alcohol on base and all your neighbors are military. If you have a weight problem, alcohol problem, tobacco addiction, driving incident or spouse trouble, your boss knows about it. You must submit an HIV test every two years and any other medical abnormalities can be brought to your boss and affect what career path. Work is very exposed in that you understand everyone there is watching and holds you to a higher set of standards. However, as naked and barren as that might seem, it is often a very helping and understanding community. There is a wide variety of individuals who, through one way or another, become aware of your situation; yet, the majority of them are there to help you- in fact, it is their job to help you. There are few aspects of a military life not governed in one way or another. One military member quotes it as a â€Å"voluntary subordination of one’s own interests to those of the state† (Neill, 2000). Still, this is a required sacrifice because of the uniqueness of the military mission. These individuals must submit to various forms of control to be a part of such an organization. We as a nation rely on fast acting soldiers who follow orders and perform their duties to the best of their abilities. We cannot leave National Defense to someone who can’t pay their bills, we don’t want some overweight 40 year old chasing down the enemy and we won’t trust a $30 million plane to some person who has a DUI. The needs of the military are often used as grounds for sacrificing personal human rights, including privacy. The military members must submit to some form of advanced control to complete this mission. Another military aspect that is very different from the civilian world is the Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the military legal process. Both the Supreme Court and the JAG realize civilian courts are ill suited to address the disciplinary needs required by the military. Our armed forces have their own set of rules they live by and these courts often pass judgment on life decisions usually protected as personal decisions. Military courts are granted additional powers allowing punishment and discipline suited to meet their needs. Regardless of the reasons, all military members realize a loss of personal control in some form or another and submit to a military, if not social, form of control. One incident that validates increased military surveillance could be the Guantanamo Bay espionage case against an army chaplin. If this soldier truly provided protected information†¦ Conclusions In 1983, the Supreme Court held in Kolender v. Lawson that the government could not require citizens to provide â€Å"credible and reliable† identification if they had committed no crime other than looking suspicious. However, the systems our nation is considering would allow such identification to occur against anyone. The Governments pursuit of newer, more efficient technology and the eager contributes of private organizations has opened the surveillance flood gates. Even though these methods are validated by September 11th and other crimes across the country, the results may affect us all. The ‘eye’ shows little discernment and its affects will influence everyone’s behaviors. As America evaluates the benefits of CCTV and considers its own widespread use, we must examine how it has affected the UK. The most obvious example is the use of CCTV in England where case studies illustrated how effectively behaviors changed. Whether or not a site was actua lly monitored by cameras, crime decreased. Despite these positive outcomes, we are faced with a blanket of observation that will undoubtedly affect us all. As the average criminal noticed the presence of cameras in some areas and assumed an overall presence, so would the average citizen. Not knowing who was behind the cameras creates a situation where everyone is bound to change their behavior. And with discussions about wider levels of integration, this formal control technique will change the way we lead our lives. As stated, more progressive technologies are being pursued from a variety of angles. Most notably, governments around the world are stepping up research into surveillance methods. This situation is only compounded by the growing number of businesses exploring cutting-edge surveillance techniques. We now have funding for research and development from multiple levels leading us into uncharted territory. It appears, at our current pace, there will be few if any facets of our lives free from surveillance. The ramifications of this interest will limit people from making decision without first considering what penalties may be levied against them. However, forms of social control such as this are not all bad. As shown in the military discussion, our nation needs higher levels of surveillance to protect our national security. In fact, without this increased supervision for our military personnel, our nation might not be the superpower it is today. Still, I would maintain that our c urrent attitudes expose us to many reckless situations. Surveillance has its place but it does not belong in every aspect of our daily lives. Without the freedom emphasized by our Constitution our society would begin to resemble a Communist society. References Barber, Grayson. (2001). Anonymity and Surveillance in New Jersey. Retrieved on December 1, 2003 from http://graysonbarber.com/pdf/Anonymity%20and%20Surveillance.pdf Barr, R. and Pease, K. (1990). Crime placement, displacement, and deflection. In M. Tonry and N. Morris (Eds.), Crime and Justice: A Review of Research: Vol. 12 (pp. 277-318). Chicago:University of Chicago Press. Blomberg, Thomas G., Cohen, Stanley. (1995). Punishment and Social Control. Hawthorne, New York: Aldine De Gruyter. Campbell, Duncan. (1999, October). Development of Surveillance Technology and Risk of Abuse of Economic Information. Retrieved December 8, 2003, from europarl.eu.int/stoa/publi/pdf/98-14-01-2_en.pdf Clarke, R.V. (1995). Situational crime prevention. In M. Tonry and D.P. Farrington (Eds.), Building a Safer Society: Strategic Approaches to Crime Prevention: Vol. 19. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research (pp. 91-150). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Klemen, Marcus. (2001, February).The Development of Surveillance Technology and Risk of Abuse of Economic and Private Information. Retrieved December 8, 2003, from innox.com/graphic/info/Surveillance1_0.pdf Kolender v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352 (1983). Retrieved December 4, 2003 from oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/202/ Lay, Ross. (1992). Intensive Supervision and Electronic Surveillance as Alternatives to Remand in Custody. Retrieved on December 2, 2003 from aic.gov.au/publications/proceedings/06/lay.pdf Lyon, David. (2002). Surveillance After September 11th, 2001. Retrieved on December 1, 2003 from sarai.net/journal/02PDF/10infopol/06sep11_surveillance.pdf Lyon, David. (2002) Surveillance Studies: Understanding visibility, mobility and the phonetic fix. Retrieved on December 2, 2003 from surveillance-and-society.org/articles1/editorial.pdf Marx, G.T. (1988).Undercover: Police Surveillance in America. Berkeley: University of California Press. Merz, Emily. (2002). Surveillance, Privacy and the Military. Retrieved on December 1, 2003 from cda-acd.forces.gc.ca/cfli/engraph/research/pdf/28.pdf Norris, Clive. (1997). Surveillance, Order and Social Control. Retrieved on December 3, 2003 from http://archive.aclu.org/issues/privacy/CCTV_Norris.pdf Ricks, Thomas E. (1996). The Great Society in Camouflage. Retrieved on December 1, 2003 from theatlantic.com/issues/96dec/military/military.htm Traeger, Cynthia. (2002).Biometrics Market Trends. Retrieved December 8, 2003, from http://ccrma-www.stanford.edu/~jhw/bioauth/andre/BiometricmkttrendJan02.pdf Welsh, Brandon C., Farrington, David P. (2003). Effects of Closed Circuit Television Surveillance on Crime: Protocol for a Systematic Review. Retrieved on December 1, 2003 from campbellcollaboration.org/doc-pdf/cctv.pdf Whitaker, Reginald (1999). The End of Privacy: How Total Surveillance is Becoming a Reality, New York: New York Press. Research Papers on Surveillance and Social Control - Criminal Justice Research PaperThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationQuebec and CanadaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThe Project Managment Office SystemDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWOpen Architechture a white paperRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Career Change Consider These 5 Ways to Reinvent Yourself

Career Change Consider These 5 Ways to Reinvent Yourself Looking for a new job? Don’t pigeon-hole yourself by only considering opportunities similar to your established career path or what your degree says you are qualified to do. If you are going in a totally new direction with your career, it may require reinventing yourself, utilizing hidden skills and talents, and setting a goal to enjoy your new job more than you ever thought possible. As the poet Robert Frost wrote, â€Å"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.† So your new path may not be the most obvious one to take, but forging in a new direction can be very rewarding.How to Reinvent Your CareerIf you are looking for a change in employment; a job that will be rewarding and actually make you excited about heading to work each day, that job you seek may not even be on your radar.Reinventing your career requires thinking outside of the box (another job skill, by the way). Focus more on your hidden talents and the skills you have acquired through your work experience, in your personal life, or through volunteer work. Look down a different path, rather than the obvious direction of your work history or what you majored in college.What Skills Does a New Employer Seek?You have hidden skills and talents. Whether you mastered creating extraordinary PowerPoint presentations or your were in charge of entertaining your company’s clients while they were in town, you acquired extra skills along the way.So how do you identify these hidden talents and use them to find a new job or career? Here are the basic steps to reinventing yourself and finding a new career path.First, think about any skills you learned at other jobs, especially the ones that were never part of your job description, yet were required for you in order to succeed. This is a tough one because it requires really thinking about what was expected of you in moments where probably not a lot of recognition was given. These were side-skills and until now, nobody paid attention to them.Now begin writing a skill list and include all of your soft-skills as well as hard skills. While it is great that you are a PowerPoint guru, employers want to know that you have the insight to know what should go into a presentation that will reach the audience, motivate a client, or entice a customer. Write down instances where critical thinking and being keenly aware of underlying messages were something you tapped into.Add to your list any examples of being a persuasive public speaker. According to Prinstonreview.com, strong public speaking or presentation skills are vital for many career paths you might take. Think of it as the ability to sell or influence others, which could apply to a myriad of career options.Think about the research skills you have developed through your experience. Whether a career in law, marketing, teaching, politics or public relations, having a solid understanding of research methods will be a val uable asset for employers.If you are skilled at writing and communication then you are in luck. One of the top skills employers look for is good communications skills. If you can write or edit copy, there are many opportunities in which to use these skills. Above all, employers are looking to hire candidates with outstanding communication skills and who are team players, according to results of National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2013 survey.Finally, consider out of the ordinary experiences you have had on the job. This is a vast topic because there are so many ways you may have developed creative skills or sharpened organization capabilities. Have you excelled in illustration and design activities at work? Perhaps you were placed in charge of planning and orchestrating your company’s elaborate 10th-anniversary dinner party or an awards banquet?Creative or organizational skills like design or event management are needed in so many different forms of employment. Never leave those little extra talents you possess, like creativity or your ability to manage multiple tasks, off of your list.Think that focusing on your experience and expanded skill-set will not net you a solid job offer? Think again. According to a survey conducted by NACE, a vast majority of employers look more to hands-on experience and those extra skills, the ones most people don’t think twice about, when they are considering applicants.Now you are ready to consider new job opportunities, utilizing additional skill-sets and talents that you previously might have overlooked when searching for a new job. If it is time to explore new career possibilities, sign up with TheJobNetwork, include any hidden-skills that you possess on your resume, and head down a new path to your future.

Shopping Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Shopping Behavior - Essay Example They kept asking one another about the items they prefer to buy, at the same time, they listen to their friends' comments and suggestions. Most teenagers who spent time with friends displayed a unique sense of individuality and self-expression. The girls displayed interest in fashion, food and technologies. They were excited to buy wide variety of products. To name some of these products purchased include: Trendy clothings, bags and accessories; Food like cold beverages, potato chips, soda and ice cream; CDs, video games and multi-media accessories. Despite these buying behaviors, the teens were able to spend significant proportion of the budget they have, yet, they also managed to keep the rest of their money. Participant Observation was employed as the research design for this activity. Undeniably, there was conflict of roles during the period of observation. Observer cannot concentrate entirely on the observation process conducted. The observer acted as if one of the shoppers in the mall and occasionally took the opportunity to examine the subjects' gestures, to hear some of their commentaries and gain insights about the verbal and non-verbal forms of communication manifested by the subjects of the study in order to acquire the true and more clear picture of the teens' behavior.

The Role of Peer Feedback in Improving EFL Writing Skills of Saudi Essay

The Role of Peer Feedback in Improving EFL Writing Skills of Saudi English Major Students - Essay Example The essay explains the role of peer feedback in helping them improve their EFL writing competencies. Following this, a section of the paper presents the concept of peer feedback in detail. Finally, the last section looks at the issue of collaborative learning, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the process of peer feedback to help better understand this type of approach. Many researchers have found a positive relation between students’ writing achievements and the provision of feedback. It is seen that feedback improves writing skills since it gives both students and teachers a picture of students' progress and improvement. It is also considered to be â€Å"a key element of the scaffolding provided by the teacher to build learner confidence and the literacy resources to participate in target communities†. This paper makes a conclusion that peer feedback as it was presented in this essay can be a very beneficial collaborative activity in EFL writing sessions. Unfortunately, this kind of feedback is novel in many non-Western teaching contexts such as Saudi Arabia where teacher-feedback based classes are still dominant. The education system in Saudi Arabia is in the traditional style where it is loaded by rules, and is bound by a certain structure. Saudi students are taught writing by structured written exercises and traditional drills. Students’ writing is most often controlled and guided with model writings provided by teachers rather than allowing them to write freely. However, this situation could be changed with proper awareness of the educational problems and with appropriate writing instructions such as applying cooperative learning and peer feedback to make students better writers.

The Symbol of the Heart in The Floating Opera Essay -- Floating Opera

The Symbol of the Heart in The Floating Opera  Ã‚      The heart is the dominant symbol in The Floating Opera, more important even than the symbol of the showboat of the novel's title. From beginning to end the book is richly populated by references to the heart on both a literal, physical level, and a figurative, symbolic one. In the first case, literal references are made to Todd's heart condition. In the second case, the heart plays two symbolic roles; not only does it serve as a symbol of Todd's emotional and non-rational side, but the frailty of Todd's heart serves as a correlative for the fragility of all human life. This paper will examine several examples from The Floating Opera that demonstrate this multi-levelled usage of the heart. Hearts make an early appearance in the text, in the very first chapter, when Todd describes his heart condition; a "kind of subacute bacteriological endocarditis"1. This condition predisposes Todd towards myocardial infarction (heart attack), and consequently Todd writes, "What that means is that any day I may fall quickly dead, without warning - perhaps before I complete this sentence, perhaps twenty years from now."2 Although this may seem to be a purely literal device, Barth is using Todd's heightened awareness of the delicateness of his own life as an exaggerated symbol for the vulnerability of all human life. This early focus upon the heart continues due to the centrality in the novel's plot of Todd's decision to kill himself, and his subsequent "change of mind". At the core of this decision to suicide is Todd's realisation that his life has been governed by his heart (his emotions), despite his best efforts to live by will, reason and intellect: "My heart was the master... ...when Froebel had Parnassus in his pan?"8 This quotation is demonstrative of both the inability of reason to overcome emotions - the very problem which Todd has grappled with for much of his life, and which lies centrally in The Floating Opera - and also of Todd's acute awareness of that inability. This, like so many of the "facts" in the narrative, has both a symbolic and a literal meaning, and shows the extent to which the heart and what it stands for permeate the fabric of the entire novel. Bibliography Barth, John, The Floating Opera and The End of the Road, Anchor Books, New York, 1988. Endnotes 1 Barth, John, The Floating Opera and The End of the Road, Anchor Books, New York, 1988, p. 5. (All subsequent page numbers refer to this book.) 2 p. 5. 3 p. 226. 4 p. 49. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 p. 124. 8 pp. 94-5      

Life in the Trenches Essay

Today, we were once again heavily bombarding the German lines. It was a routine thing nowadays. Some of the more experienced soldiers didn’t even notice the heavy German response bombardments that were every second posing a threat to their lives. As we heard a shell landing, we heard attentively just to make sure it wasn’t coming direct on us and then, the colossal roar burst from the ground. Life here was getting rather monotonous, always the same routine, four days on the frontline then four days behind lines and then the same thing the following week or so. It wasn’t what the papers said up in England, they were written to hide the truth of the massacring that occurred at the battle of the Sommes for one example. Hundreds and thousands of corps lay motionless on the ground. General Haig believed that with heavy bombardments we could break through their lines. He was mistaken. Men were crushed by the machine-gun fire as if dry leaves and they lay there, untouched, rotting away in the muddy earth which emitted an incredibly pungent smell. The mud made it almost impossible to live in these trenches. The water was right up to my knees and there was nothing I could do about it. A lot of my comrades managed to get trench foot which was a disease which made your feet rot due to the fact that they remained submerged for hours if not days. Life was incredibly tough in the trenches, nothing like I had imagined it to be. I thought I’d come back as a war hero but from the English articles we read, it seemed to me as if none of our letters had been dispatched or if they had been intercepted in some way, to not allow our families know the real truth. They are made to believe that all is well and that the heroes that saved the French are close to victory. This was not true. Although General Haig did believe he made some progress today, it was nowhere near what we had hopes. The Germans knew about the attack and had built very effective means to defend themselves. They had built dig outs that were up to 12 metres deep underground. This was to protect from any sort of shell attack that the English and the French had. They also had very effective barbed wire that the English didn’t completely manage to destroy before the 200,000 men were sent over the top on a suicide mission. The weather was also very unpredictable some days it would be boiling hot and we would die of thirst waiting for something remotely interesting to happen and other times, we would fear for our lives when we could hear a shell whistling like a train in a tunnel, at which point, we would sink our head right into the mud and not rise until we heard a relatively near explosion. The dig-outs were a good initiative seeing as it has always been a fact that the best way to absorb shell shock is with earth. We heard that some of the accommodations for officers were rather nice in the dig-outs. They were full complete with a bed, a pump, and sometimes even some different food that they manage to bring along with them and place it in the cupboards. Everyday, there was fear of the new methods that the Germans had developed of attacking us. There was late news that gas attack was in use. Now it was regulation that we had to carry a mask with us at all times otherwise we could be gassed with new inventions such as the mustard gas which apparently burned right through your skin and you suffered a horrible and painful death. We were all worried about this new gas. We didn’t know what it actually smelt like. Apparently, it had a pungent smell hence the name, mustard gas but most of my fellow soldiers feel that they would fall into panic if a gas attack was to take place One of the very few things which I feel is very positive about the whole trench warfare is the comradeship. I had made some pals that would risk their lives if it would mean saving mine. I had never experienced such a feeling until I came to the trenches. It was truly unique. Knowing that you would have to live with these people twenty four hours a day, seven days a week was a way of knowing that somebody would always be there for you. You would seriously bond with someone and would do anything to accomplish the promise you made them. This was particularly moving when one of your closest comrades dies in action and you feel you should have died with him or for him. The danger in the trenches was as dangerous on the front line as to get there. We would be exposed to heavy artillery fire in these measly little trenches that compared to the front line looked as if they were built for dwarves. When our men died, we buried them behind the trenches. It was a petty funeral, no service no nothing, just whoever wanted to attend to dig up a ditch and place his friends in there to rest in piece. It was up to you if you wanted to help seeing as there was always the chance of a stray bullet or a sniper hitting you as you were working. Most were left to rot. After a while, the trenches, with the wet weather deteriorated. There was no more a 4†³ thick bullet-proof parapet to save your life; the walls of the trench had collapsed to make the trench into a mud bath with water which was to reach your knees. During the wet weather it was truly disgusting. Overall life in the trenches is pretty gross and unhygienic although, some officers did get treated rather well and the food that the English were given which was usually bully beef and jam was of a much higher quality than any other front line army. Diseases spread and people suffer of lack of sleep without forgetting the fact that everyone was homesick and wishing to see their families so basically, apart from making good friends and fighting for your country, the trenches must have been a rather appalling experience.

Gertrude As Innocent Or Guilty Of Various Crimes - 870 Words

In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet, the audience can view Gertrude as innocent or guilty of various crimes. However, Shakespeare uses Gertrude’s ignorance, symbols, and her actions to portray her as innocent. Gertrude condones spying on Hamlet and marries her husband’s murderer, but she has no idea that Claudius killed King Hamlet and agrees that they must watch Hamlet closely because she is worried about him. Shakespeare depicts Gertrude as innocent through her own ignorance of the circumstances surrounding King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet decides that the best way to catch his father’s murderer is to â€Å"have these players play something like the murder of my father,† and gets his answer in Claudius’ anger (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Penguin Books, 2001. II, ii, 533-534). However, Gertrude shows no signs of guilt. She clearly does not understand that the play relates to her life, as seen in her statement that â€Å"the lady doth protest too much† (III, ii, 226). Therefore, Gertrude’s lack of response shows her innocence. In addition, Gertrude shows that she is oblivious to the crime in that she asks â€Å"as kill a king?† when Hamlet tells her that his father was murdered (III, iv, 30). Through statements such as â€Å"to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stewed in corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty,â₠¬  Hamlet makes her feel guilty, but that guilt is over her hasty marriage (III, iv, 91-94). Throughout the play, Gertrude suggests that Hamlet isShow MoreRelatedThe Blind Curtain And Hamlet s Guilt922 Words   |  4 Pagesof Claudius and Gertrude. As well as the two main characters of Hamlet exhibiting guilt, most of the supporting cast commit various crimes. Ophelia, notably, is seen as the most sympathetic and victimized character in a Renaissance era. The worst sin one could commit in the culture of early 17th century England, is suicide. Ophelia goes mad as a result of her father’s death and Hamlet’s appalling apathy towards her. Her actions and reactions make audiences perceive her as innocent while others seeRead More An Essay on The Withered Arm, by Thomas Hardy2241 Words   |  9 Pagesessay I am going to describe the ways in which Thomas Hardy has made his short story, ‘The Withered Arm’ interesting to the modern reader. ‘The Withered Arm’ is about Rhoda Brook, a dark milkmaid who retaliates on her lovers beautiful new wife, Gertrude, after her lover, Farmer Lodge abandons her and their illigimate son. Hardy has carefully structured all the elements of a short story making ‘The Withered Arm’ interesting and perennial to the modern reader. Farmer Lodge’s denial of the affairRead MoreThe Death Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay2134 Words   |  9 Pagesuncle is the one that kill his father. He could have killed Claudius, but he wasn’t sure if Claudius really did murder his father. Hamlet thirst for revenge has clouds his judgement and for that he comes with many plan to make Claudius to confess his crime. Therefore, according to the article, â€Å"Hamlet Revenge† by Eleanor Prosser, â€Å"†¦ any theory suggesting that Hamlet’s audience is to view revenge as immoral â€Å"requires us to suppose that, when the Ghost enjoins Hamlet to avenge the murder of his fatherRead More Hamlet, why did he delay Essay1626 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough the soliloquies. In fact, the whole idea of drama is to feel, to an extent, what the character feels. However, in Hamlet, the use of the soliloquy offers the audience a gateway into the minds of the characters, and in this case it provides various reasons why Hamlet delays in exacting revenge. The depth of thought possessed by characters is easily measured by how effortlessly a reader can relate to what is being said or done. 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This can be denoted by the text â€Å"fires,† â€Å"burnt,† â€Å"foul crimes,† â€Å"purged,† and â€Å"nature.† The reason why this diction is present is to verify the claim that ghosts are really known to repay forRead More Analyzing Capital Punishment Essays3576 Words   |  15 Pagesset of morals, making this issue extremely divisive. For instance, it is arguable that the punishment for a crime should be comparable to the crime committed. However, one may counter by asking wh o decides what is a comparable punishment for a crime and how can one go about ensuring that no undeserved punishment is being practiced. Thus, because the discussion of the issue elicits various views about how effective punishments are and what is morally â€Å"right or wrong,† it is difficult to reach a consensusRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pageson a search for a wet leaf to lick, and so forth), (2) guessing the consequences of those various courses of action (being thirsty, continuing the camping trip, getting a disease), (3) evaluating those consequences (being thirsty is a negative, continuing the camping trip is a positive, getting a disease from Giardia would be terrible), and 8 (4) considering the probabilities that those various consequences will actually occur (It is 100 percent probable that you wont be thirsty after