How Technology Changed Design Process

How Technology Changed Design Process Consider for a moment the argument of good vs. evil. Neither can seem ably exist alone, without the other surfacing or breaking the mould at one time or another. Now consider the historical friction between the arts crafts era of design and todays computer aided magnificence. As soon as design aids such as AutoCAD, and laser cutters were created, people began to argue for the loss of design origins and individuality; some may even say its soul and character. Those who were enticed by this new technology that allowed production to be executed in half the time on twice the scale, were in awe, and naturally as with all two sided battles, alliances were formed. Gone are the days of hand carving and endlessly tiring man hours in workshops shouted the people of the future, what takes you a week and four men, takes us a day with a computer, with no need for getting grubby. The conceptual age of design was truly revolutionized by computers, no argument there, but was it necessarily a good thing? No! shouted the people of tradition, where you exceed us in production you lack in character, where is the heart and soul? The attention to detail absorbed through precise workmanship and craft? (Pemble, 2010) Once again I feel that their argument is sound, but is it not also a prime case of people fearing what they do not understand? As is the case with all arguments, it often takes a step back and a good long look at both sides of the case to induce or create a compromise that allows both sides to advance further than they imagined. For this we need to begin in Weimar, Germany, the year is 1919 and the Bauhaus school of Art design is formed. Throughout Europe, world war one had clearly left its mark. The German state lay in disarray and its economy lay in tatters and after the initial turmoil over the future of Germany. Whether it be soviet communist or capitalist German, several factors were set in stone, the way of imperialist grandeur and ornamentalism design had to change, the transformation of emotional Expressionism to the matter-of-fact New Objectivity (Minusfive 2006). This gave the German organisation, Deutscher Werkbund, founded in 1907 and considered the forerunner to the Bauhaus, a newfound vessel for their visions of design. The Werkbunds aim was: to harness the new potentials of mass production, with a mind towards preserving Germanys economic competitiveness (MinusFive 2006). This kind of agenda for change become apparent in many areas of design, it may have originated in architecture, with the Werkbunds idea of economical production for housing and the built environment, but it spread to even the most men ial of objects, combining industrial methods with artistic flair, an example I suppose being envelopes. Up until 1840 all envelopes were handmade, cut from paper and constructed before being used to send mail. However, in that year a British man George Wilson derived a method of mass production from the geometric layout called tessellation. This enabled multiple envelopes to be cut simultaneously minimising the waste cut paper. Only five years later the production of envelopes was revolutionized further by two men, Edwin Hill and Warren De La Rue, whom pioneered a steam pressing machine that enabled the cutting, folding and gumming process of envelopes all to be done in one stage. As was to happen less than a century later to various crafts, the traditional method of production died slowly at first, then all together outclassed and outperformed by its machine age successor. Here is where the compromise between industrial and traditional methods is required. During my journey in which I created my own envelope design, I was able to see the merits and disadvantages of both ends of the spectrum. The first step was to take a standard sized envelope and dissect, analyse, and recreate it, several times, to get the feel for and a thorough understanding of its design. I then, from a purely conceptual view, came up with my design, which was to be a clasp sealing disc shaped envelope. I then repeated the process i used for an existing design, for my own, entailing technical drawings, models, prototypes, and experimentations, until I came up with my finalised design. Here is where the best of both worlds comes into its own. If I were to embark on this project in an identical fashion, but in a 3D virtual computer world via programs such as CAD and 3DSMax, it would be quicker; however there would be no feel for the design, certainly no character, and there would be no way of knowing if it worked, or how it were to assemble. Tactility is one of the charms of handmade works. It was at this point that I was encouraged to investigate the more industrial side of production, so after transferring my design from hand drawn plans to an AutoCAD design, It was then onto the laser cutter, which essentially is a robotic device that reads the lines, line weights, and colours of lines to determine where needs to be cut or scored on the material placed under the laser. Now here comes the difficult part, but does prove to be the part that pays off, as the laser cutter is undeniably fiddly to setup and calibrate with regards line weights, fold lines and cuts. In this sense, there is still no smooth transition between man and machine, as it took several attempts for the laser cutter to understand the design, however that said, once calibrated it is the perfect tool for recreating a single design on a mass production level. Modern methods have thankfully taken the stress and immense man hours required out of hand production and tradition, but the integration and principles of tradition and good design should never become fully digitalised like its successor. Just like the argument of analogue vs. digital regarding timepieces, each will have their role as one simply wouldnt exist were it not for the original. The point of this investigation for me is that both modern and traditional crafts both have their roles, and as many influential figures agree, neither should be neglected nor overlooked, for they both hold merits. Technology has indeed renovated the design world, but in todays society it does on occasion overpower and fail to do itself justice, leaving the piece cold, generic and grey, failing to do itself justice. This as with most aspects of the design world boils back down to the roots of the Bauhaus. Take for instance the idea of Bauhaus furniture design, it wanted to maintain the traditions of soul in design, along with logic, so for instance a better thought out design made with more economic materials and technologies, but still manually overseen or produced would therefore potentially be the perfect design formula. Enter Mies Van Der Rohe. Originally from Aachen, he moved to Berlin in 1905. At the age of 19, he was unqualified and spent his time hopping between building sites. Not exactly the start in life most would stereotypically associate with a famous architect, whom set about change we feel the benefits of today. The tasks of design and construction were combined in his early education, not separated by increasingly common divisions between architect and builder. (Zimmerman C. 2006, p.7) Mies van Der Rohe was trained as an accomplished bricklayer and stonemason under apprenticeship of his father, but also trained as a proficient draftsman, after taking a keen interest in design whilst he worked for a specialized plasterwork company. He saw the need for an understanding of both the ends of the construction spectrum from the initial spark of an idea, to the laying of foundations, so that he may design more efficiently. Riehl House was his first commission under recommendation of a colleague at Bruno Paul architects, and was finished in 1907. The young Mies proved himself able to design and build competently, even skilfully, and capable of productively engaging the most contemporary issues of the architectural world in Berlin at the time. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.19) This was only the beginning of a long and fruitful career for Mies, and this subliminal theme was present throughout his career, the breakaway from tradition and supposed acceptable form, in favour of modular, efficient modern materials in design. This ability to draw and recollect from the design ethos of yesteryear, and combine it with the forefront of technology to create something that is not only perfected in its balance, but also pleases a wider audience is an ability he seldom neglected. A prime example is of this is dark red masonry built Lange and Esters House. The esters and Lange buildings were both surfaced in dark brick; but they are only partially bearing-wall structures. They were among the first modern buildings to free brick from its load bearing function. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.33) It gives the appearance of a traditionally built house of the time, yet modernised in aesthetics slightly, and due to its modular skeleton of steel it allows the large open views that it contains, and for the first time in German architectural history, the spatial design dictated the structural calculations. Just like with his most prolific of projects like the Seagram building, IIT centre and exhibition hall in Berlin (ironically his career peaked both as he left and later returned to the city) he used the most modern of approaches to construct the building yet he still remained true to the classical ideals of open flowing space, secular views, and the overall mastery of the space provided. I suppose a pinnacle case study would be that of the Barcelona Pavilion. After being accepted into the Werkbund in 1927, Mies was commissioned by the German Reich to design and build the 1928 World exhibition in Barcelona. With its beautiful classical onyx and marble walling, and chrome framed glass facades of multiple shades, it was the epitome of form with function, a piece de resistance of the Bauhaus vision. Instead of the normal layout of conventional housing or building, it followed Mies combination of Rhythmic movement and carefully composed views. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.39) Though beautiful, like all individual prototypes it was slightly flawed (due to insufficient budget and lack of specialised materials, the prolific flat roof was susceptible to water damage and nearly ruined the entire structure), but just like the method of trial and error in many of the hand crafts, Mies learnt from his mistakes, and embraced them with his future projects, like the Seagram building and IIT, whereby he perfected his steel frame designs that have revolutionized todays construction. The Seagram building was undoubtedly in this paradigmatic fashion. It is often seen as the finest high-rise building Mies ever built. No longer looking back to past historical design for legitimation, the building presents the architecture of capitalism with its most essential, concentrated face. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.16) Just like in my investigation into envelope design, sometimes things can be flawed; the important part is learning from it and being able to continue. This is where I feel that by doing all of the experimenting stage by hand, with copious amounts of trial and error, I managed to succeed in a design that as viewed by others was vitally flawed, my point being this. The initial design criteria given to me was that the envelope had to be capable of holding this essay and any accompanying notes, drawings, work etc and my design being circular was therefore flawed, considering all of my notes and work is on rectangular pieces of paper. It may seem like a very simple answer to a glaring omission, but I have simply decided to enlarge the size of the envelope, and changed its own criteria in that it will be more like a folder, capable of holding my work. Just as alterations were needed to my envelope, drastic alterations were needed to the world of design. The winds had changed direction, and change was coming. As with a lot of the architects of the time and followers of the Neues Bauen, people frowned upon this new rationale of design. By 1933 many architects of Neues Bauen understood their precarious status in national socialist Germany, and many emigrated. (Zimmerman C. 2006 p.14) With the tension growing rapidly in Germany, and the intolerance of the now empowering Nazi party quickly showing itself, the design world soon became a focal point. With its grand imperialist nature, the new Reich wanted its capital to show this. However tradition ruled the waves. As soon as the National socialist party came to power the Bauhaus was voluntarily closed by its members, knowing the view of the new Reich and how its left wing ideals would be dealt with. Nazi writers like Wilhelm Frick and Alfred Rosenberg had labelled the Bauhaus un-German and criticized its modernist styles (MinusFive 2006) Many architects of the time soon began to emigrate, restrictions upon Mies own work was imposed and his security was soon threatened. In 1938 he made a career changing choice and emigrated to the United States of America. Here I feel began the true nature of ingenious design. By that I mean the ability to cover the entire spectra, correcting the negatives and reinforcing the positives, and fulfilling the Bauhaus ideals of singular design. The Seagram building was by any standard, miles ahead of its competitors. Yet it achieved this without claiming to be the future, or resenting the past. With classic interiors, a classy dark outside skin of externally mounted bronze, and topaz tinted glass; it not only looked the part, but also integrated frontier technology, to aid in wind buffering and reduce UV glare/heat. Its latticed modular steel framework also represented the way forward, not only with its curtain walling efficiency that allowed simple mountings for the traditional venetian blinds, but also with regards a lighter, stronger, more adaptable construction method that retained so called classic features. However, the buildings piece de rà ©sistance is what many of todays skyscrapers have to thank. Before Mies got his hands on the commission, he looked at the competitors, the other structural locale, and also back at his previous concepts. He then did what no one else had done. He set the tower a reasonable distance back from the street and created what we see throughout todays cities, urban landscaping. By creating this public space, this void filler that bridged the public and private sector he thereby integrated the Seagram immediately with its environment, it was this sort of thinking, that put Mies one step ahead, enabling him to cater perfectly for both ends of the spectrum by simply thinking outside of the box, where no others considered or dared to. It paid dividends, whilst also setting the trend of vertical design for decades to come. Conclusion Balance is what enables many things in life to perform at their respective bests, from the balance of work and social, to the balance of a relationship, and none more so than the design world. When it comes to the argument of traditional vs. Modern, the initial stages of design should always respect their roots, thus keeping to hand drawn methods, crafts, and human investigation like sketching and model making. It is all too easy to rely solely upon CAD and other such programs that have made some of todays design rather inert and cold, without human charm, and the only possible preservative of these features is the maintaining of traditional methods and heritage to keep the human signature alive. The investigation I carried out made this all too apparent, that relying upon technology to carry a design from inception to creation is a vitally flawed theory, and that without sacrifice of man hours and effort with my own skills, my envelope would be nowhere near as thorough or well desig ned, not saying that it is a perfect example, but what designer is without his or hers mistakes? Far too many things in life have slipped into the vast abyss that is history and all because weve become too eager and thirsty for this new age of production ease, of technological employment, whereby objects are no longer designed, they are manufactured, devoid of all the initial ingenuity. The radically simplified forms, the rationality and functionality, and the idea that mass-production was reconcilable with the individual artistic spirit. (MinusFive 2006) Within the last century, the Bauhaus is the only thing that has come in the way of the seemingly unstoppable machine age. It questioned craftsmanship vs. Mass production, usefulness vs. Beauty, and mainly whether a singular proper combined form could exist. In many areas it succeeded, especially in furniture design, with the likes of Breuer and Stam, whom renovated modern furniture with the cost effective use of steel, providing form and the most necessary function. At the end of the day, the dispute over the necessitation of design evolution will rage for years to come, the important factor which I cannot emphasise enough is the compromise, the balance, the equilibrium, and however many other words there are to describe the simple fact that both are equally as important as the other. One of the main objectives of the Bauhaus was to unify art, craft, and technology. The machine was considered a positive element, and therefore industrial and product design were important components (MinusFive 2006)

The Philosophy of Gift Giving

The Philosophy of Gift Giving The gift is primarily about the relationships being transacted, about the people involved in these transactions rather than the ceremonial giving and receiving of things (Carrier 1995: 19). Write an essay evaluating the role of alienable and inalienable goods in underscoring the importance of exchange transactions. In order for us to take an in depth look at the idea of gift giving and the relationships involved in such a ceremonial transaction we must first look at the people that are involved in the transaction. Not only must we look that the people but we must also focus on the affiliation between people and the actual object itself. Carrier himself states in his essay; Gifts and Commodities that Clearly there is much more in our relationship to objects than sheer utility (Carrier, 1995. 1), and thus proving to us that there we have a much more intimate relationship with material objects than we first imagined. This bond is deep enough that we even need material objects to define who we are sometimes, for example if a punk rocker claims to be a punk rocker he must dress according to the social image of a punk rocker and from there we can assume that persons identity and personality as a punk rocker. Carrier says himself that The corollary is that objects signify status identity and so consti tute a claim to status-group membership on the part of those who have them (Carrier, 1995. 2). Another major concept that is involved with both the relationship between humans and material objects and with the ceremonial act of gift giving is reciprocity. It shows us and defines to us the strength of the bond between people and material objects. It goes without a doubt that humans have a natural affiliation with objects as we all have a material need and it is through these objects that we can control these needs. Carrier states in his essay; Gifts and Commodities that Humans do have material needs, and objects can satisfy them (Carrier, 1995. 1). As I stated earlier we need material objects for a variety of reasons, one of which is for them help define and show our society both our identity and our personality. It is for this reason that we have such a deep connection with material objects, because as long as society continues to exist so will the need for material objects. However this essay, nor is Carriers essay, about the connection between people, identity and material objects but instead, as Carrier puts it, we are going to investigate the ways that objects are implicated in personal relationships, rather than seeing them in mass structures of meaning and identity (Carrier, 1995. 10). In order to get a full understand ing of such a topic we must first take a look at what is known as reciprocity, reciprocity is a term used to describe the exchange of goods and labour. It was separated into a few separate terms know as, generalized reciprocity, balanced or Symmetrical reciprocity and negative reciprocity. The term which most applies to the ceremony of gift giving is generalized reciprocity as it is described as the event of giving or sharing. It is defined as when a certain individual shares his expertise with another individual in his society who is in need of his goods or labour without expecting anything in return. However this does not define the event as reciprocal as the giver expects nothing in return, but this interaction is indeed reciprocal as the individual who gives his goods is overcome by such satisfaction in giving his services, and the fact that it creates a social bond between the giver and the receiver and that is what he attains in return for his goods or services. In modern day society this seems to occur mainly between parents and children or within married couples as there seems to be a certain amount of trust and social interaction involved between the people within the event. It is through these transactions with other people that also help define our identity, not just that material object itself. Carrier himself says that; Indeed, in some ways transaction creates the very identities of those involved in it. (Carrier. 1995. 35) These, reciprocal events help define our relationships with other people, as I said before through these events we can gain social bonds with people but we also need certain amount of social interaction with that same person before we can involve ourselves in such a transaction. What is also interesting about these transactions, and indeed very much present in the generalized reciprocity that I defined earlier, is that we are indeed a selfish race. We only give gifts so that we may receive something in return. In the context of generalized reciprocity we only give our goods and labour so that it can be returned in the feeling of gratitude and the formation of a social bond. Marcel Mauss states in his essay; The Gift that gifts are never free and as a selfish race we will always expect something in return as we only give so that we may receive. Mauss probably most famous question raised by his essay The Gift was; What power resides in the object given that causes its recipient to pay it back?, (Mauss, 1990. 3) an the answer seems to be simple enough. The Power lies not with the object itself but rather with the unspoken contract that it creates with the people involved in the transaction. The giver does not only give away some material abject but also gives a way a part of themselves with that object; this creates a strong bond between the giver and the item he gave away. Mauss himself says that the objects are never completely separated from the men who exchange them (Mauss, 1990. 31). Because of this bond between the gift and the giver the receiver has a certain obligation to return the favour to the giver in the form of a gift of the same, if not better value. Although the receiver is not under any law to return in such a manner and it is solely up to him if he returns the favour, the failure to reciprocate often results in the loss of social status and trust amongst his peers. Mauss describes an even greater consequence to the failure of the act of reciprocation, in Polynesia that failure to abide by the obligations of reciprocity results in the loss of mana which is a persons spiritual energy and source of power and wealth. Mauss breaks down the ceremonial event of gift giving into three separate stages and obligations; giving, rece iving and reciprocating. Giving is the step that is needed to maintain a social relationship, receiving is the act of acknowledging and accepting that social relationship and failure to accept results in the rejection of that relationship, and last is reciprocating as it shows ones honour and social status within the society. We can see this throughout the ethnography of the Kula ring and the Kula shells, whereby giving the shells away is just as important as receiving them for they are not meant to kept forever but instead passed on. Is saying this however we must also look at the concept of inalienability in reference to gift exchange as it plays a major part in both Mauss essay and the ceremonial act of gift-giving. An inalienable object is something that cannot be exchanged from one individual to another. Instead they have to be sold and the rights of ownership are then passed to the new owner, the object has therefore become an alienated item to the original owner as they no longer have the rights to that object however the concept of free gifts is a slightly different one. Instead of the owner selling the object and becoming completely alienated from the item given, the gift instead renders the item under loan. Therefore the original owner remains the rightful owner and this rightful ownership has the power to compel the recipient to return the favour. Carrier points out the same concept in his essay where he says that if he buys a bottle of wine in s hop it is now his and can do what he wants with it, inclu ding pouring it down the drain, however if his mother buys him a bottle of wine it is her choice for him and becomes a token of her affection towards him and in turn this makes it a part of her identity, he therefore could not simply throw it out like his own bottle of wine. This identity that we find in the object is also what Mauss calls the hau. The hau is what is known as the spirit of the gift, it lives inside the gift and has a deep connection with its original owner, and therefore the object is constantly trying to return to its rightful owner, increasing the obligation of the receiver to return the gesture of gift-giving. Because the gift is an inalienable object and the rights of ownership still belong to the gift giver, the favour must be returned by the receiver as the act of gift giving creates a contract between the people involved and that in turn creates a sort of gift giving social debt that must be repaid by the receiver. So then according to Mauss, if the free gift is not returned buy the receiver the act of gift giving therefore becomes a contradiction as if the gift is not returned it cannot create social ties because the demands of the obligations are not met. Mauss therefore believes that social solidarity is achieved through the concept of gift giving and the social relations that it creates. Carrier also raises the issues of alienation within his own essay as he tackles the concepts of the self and alienation. He shows us how some commodities and objects cannot be alienated from our selves as they are too closely linked with our identities. For example Carrier supposes to us that we cannot put our right to vote up for sale, as that is our constitutional right as a citizen to execute, and Carrier also says; Equally, one cannot sell ones decision on how to vote. (Carrier, 1995. 29) What he means here is that we cannot be told how or who to vote for in an election by somebody else in exchange for money. However Carrier does state that One can . . . give that decision as a gift (Carrier, 1995. 29). Carrier goes on to tell us that one cannot sell oneself as that would mean that we are putting ourselves up for slavery, which realistically one cannot do as one cannot alienate themselves from oneself, but one can sell ones labour ability. And again the same can be said for selli ng oneself sexually, as that is considered prostitution and punishable by the law, but one can give themselves sexually as a gift. What Carrier is trying to say is that one cannot be alienated from all aspects and the identity of their life, but through the act of gift giving, we can lend our insights, experiences and goods to our peers and those who need them in our society. But Carrier goes on to talk about these inalienable qualities and how they relate us to one another and not to our objects. Carrier says; My mother and I are linked by what our society sees as inalienable attributes. (Carrier, 1995. 31). What he is saying is that the blood bond between himself and his mother defines them and imposes on each of the obligation to interact and transact in certain ways and under certain circumstances. This then in turn can relate to the interactions between a gift giving relationship. Thus, gift transactors are social persons defined in significant ways by their inalienable positio ns in a structure of personal social relations that encompasses them. (Carrier, 1995. 31). And thus showing us how gift transactions help define who we are. In Carriers essay; Gifts and Commodities he states that; in many societies dominated by gift exchange that structure of kinship provides the basis of peoples identities and their relations with each other, and thus their obligations to transact with each other. What Carrier is trying to say her is that rather than our objects entirely defining who we are, the act of gift giving from person to person may be more important to our identities than the actual object we are giving. The relationship between the giver and the receiver is of utmost importance to their social relationship, the item in this context seems of little importance, for it is through these acts of gift giving and the obligations that ensue the actions that help us build our social relations. This is helped along by the inclusion of alienated objects and inalienable objects within a gift transaction, for both come with certain obligations where we sell and item so it becomes alienable or the object is entirely inaliena ble to us, both are connected to the relationship between the giver and the receiver, and building a social relationship between the two. It was Mauss who claims that it is these gift giving ceremonies that build the social solidarity of a culture.

Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers

Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a genuine memoir that vividly tells the story of a young, Irish Catholic boy during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Frank’s memory of his impoverished childhood is difficult to accept, however, he injects a sense of devilish humor into his biography. He creates a story where the readers watch him grow beyond all odds and live through the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. â€Å"People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years†(McCourt 11). His interaction with his family proves that despite the hunger and pain, love and strength come out of misery. Although the book tells the experience of an individual, the st ory itself is universal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. Due to the Great Depression, Malachy could not find work in America. However, things did not get any better back in Ireland for Malachy. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Week after week, Angela would be home expecting her husband to come home with money to eat, but Malachy always spent his wages on pints at local pubs. Frank’s father would come home late at night and make his sons get out of bed and sing patriotic songs about Ireland by Roddy McCorley and Kevin Barry, who were hung for their country. Frank loved his father and got an empty feeling in his heart when he knew his father was out of work again. Frank described his father as the Holy Trinity because there is three people in him, â€Å"The one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and prayers, and then the one who does the bad thing and comes home with the smell of whiskey and wants us to die for Ireland† (McCourt 210). Even when there was a war going on and English agents were recruiting Irishmen to work in their munitions factories, Malachy could not keep a job when he traveled to England. Angelas Ashes :: essays research papers Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a genuine memoir that vividly tells the story of a young, Irish Catholic boy during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Frank’s memory of his impoverished childhood is difficult to accept, however, he injects a sense of devilish humor into his biography. He creates a story where the readers watch him grow beyond all odds and live through the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. â€Å"People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early years, but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty, the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters; the English and the terrible things they did to us for eight hundred long years†(McCourt 11). His interaction with his family proves that despite the hunger and pain, love and strength come out of misery. Although the book tells the experience of an individual, the st ory itself is universal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. Due to the Great Depression, Malachy could not find work in America. However, things did not get any better back in Ireland for Malachy. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Week after week, Angela would be home expecting her husband to come home with money to eat, but Malachy always spent his wages on pints at local pubs. Frank’s father would come home late at night and make his sons get out of bed and sing patriotic songs about Ireland by Roddy McCorley and Kevin Barry, who were hung for their country. Frank loved his father and got an empty feeling in his heart when he knew his father was out of work again. Frank described his father as the Holy Trinity because there is three people in him, â€Å"The one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and prayers, and then the one who does the bad thing and comes home with the smell of whiskey and wants us to die for Ireland† (McCourt 210). Even when there was a war going on and English agents were recruiting Irishmen to work in their munitions factories, Malachy could not keep a job when he traveled to England.

The New England Lobstering Profession: Components and Optimal conditions for a Successful Harvest :: Essays Papers

The New England Lobstering Profession: Components and Optimal conditions for a Successful Harvest Imagine the aroma of ocean air, fog horns sounding, sea birds singing and coast winds blowing while you float across the waves of the Atlantic Ocean in Maine. Lobstering thrives in the Gulf of Maine due in large part to favorable lobster habitat. Rocky coasts and cobbley bottoms allow young lobsters to hide from their predators such as small coastal fish, crabs and even other lobsters. Interestingly, the gulf of Maine has seen a huge increase in lobster populations in the 1990s. This population pressure is causing young lobsters to move from secure cobble to the Gulf’s abundant sandy bottoms. Consequently, lobstermen are following. The Maine lobster, a crustacean from the family Homarus americanus, is found on the east coast of the Atlantic from Newfoundland to North Carolina. It is shy, nocturnal and armed to the teeth. Lobsters are found throughout the Gulf of Maine, both out at sea and near the coast. They are one of the highest value commercial species fished for in the Gulf of Maine states and provinces. Once considered a trash fish, suitable only for indentured servants and prisoners, lobsters have become a popular delicacy on many a seaside diner’s plate. Maine lobster is easily distinguishable from the â€Å"spiny† lobster commonly called rock lobster caught along the southern Atlantic Coast and the coast of California by its large heavy claws. The spiny lobster has tiny claws and is usually marketed as uncooked frozen tails. Because of its sweet, delicious flavor and tender texture, many believe that Maine lobster is the world’s most prized catch. Lobsters take about five to seven years to reach marketable size. The females produce eggs each summer when water temperatures reach 56 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. As many as 10,000 eggs are fertilized as they are extruded onto the females stomach. Here, they lay in a tight bundle until they hatch nine to ten months later. As larvae, lobsters travel great distances. The tiny larvae feed and swim vertically for thirty to fifty days in the water, carried by currents. After this stage, larvae settle down to become bottom dwelling lobsters. As they mature, they use their claws to crack open the shells of snails and mollusks and will eat either algae or remains of dead animals as well.

Courage in to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

One likes to think of a hero, as strong, brave, and meeting all challenges head on. All the characters in this book have a different view as to what courage is, and they all show it in different ways through their everyday lives. Younger characters, like Jem and Scout, see the physical aspect of it, whereas Atticus believes this to be an extremely weak form of courage. He believes in the mental quality of courage. The ability to be in minority and not back down and to be able to change; he admires Mrs. Dubose for her acts of courage that are against all odds. For a younger character, like Scout, courage is often associated with a physical act that is usually dangerous. It is hard for young children to realize that courage can be shown in other aspects of life. Scout sees an example of courage in her father when he shoots the mad dog Tim Johnson (pg. 101). Although Atticus does not think of it as very courageous, Jem and Scout are proud of their father and the courage he showed in this dangerous situation. Atticus views courage on a more intellectual level, as a moral thing not something that can be proved with a weapon. Later on in the story, Jem and Scout encounter the vindictive, spiteful Mrs. Dubose who often shouts out racism directed at the passing children because of Atticus’ job. At one point she proclaimed, â€Å"Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for! † (pg. 111). When she blatantly made Atticus an object of ridicule like that, Jem decided that the best way to settle things was to ruin Mrs. Dubose’s camellias. Since he could not attack Mrs. Dubose directly, Jem decided to go for something close to her. He is committing a physical act of retaliation, which led to her suffering mental pain yet again. It was a cowardly act, for he dared not step up and confront her. After Atticus heard about this stunt, Jem was made to read to her every afternoon for a month. He now needed mental valour, and he did find it more difficult to source this than the physical bravery he was used to displaying. This is made apparent by him refusing to walk past her house alone, and because Jem was at first terrified of going to see her. Mrs. Dubose was a very sick woman, and had used morphine to ease her pain but was now addicted. It was her goal to leave the world â€Å"beholden to nothing and nobody† (pg. 120). She displayed what Atticus refers to as â€Å"real courage. † (pg. 121). She showed â€Å"real courage† because she does not have the luxury of standing there with a gun pointed at her addiction. One single attempt could not free her from the addiction. Rather, it had to be a many staged process over an extended period of time. It was shear determination and â€Å"real courage† that allowed her to accomplish her goal. It was not until after she died that Atticus explained to Jem and Scout how courageous the woman was because she knew she was dying but was still determined to die free of the morphine. She fought against great odds, even though she knew that she would surely die. Atticus tells his children that he wanted them to see â€Å"what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. † He also says that she was the â€Å"bravest person he ever knew. † (pg. 121) â€Å"Real courage† is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus Finch demonstrates â€Å"real courage† several times throughout the novel, in addition to the lessons that he teaches his children. The largest and most important example would be the trial of Tom Robinson. When Atticus took the case, he went up against Maycomb, a generally prejudiced town, in order to defend Tom. He understood that taking the case would make him an object of ridicule and that no one would forgive him for believing a black man’s word over a white man’s. Even his own sister expresses disapproval at his decision, practically telling him he was bringing disgrace to the family. Nevertheless, no matter how much his reputation suffered, he did not change his mind. Standing up for his morals and ethics was more important than what people thought about him. From the very start Atticus knows he will not win the case however he does his job and finishes what he set out to do. Atticus’s strong sense of morality and justice motivates him to defend Tom Robinson with determination, giving it all he has. He shows this when he says, â€Å"Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win. † (pg. 82). He says this to Scout after she comes home from school angry at Cecil Jacobs for making fun of Atticus in the schoolyard. Atticus tells her to fight with her head instead of her fists. He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom, â€Å"That boy may go to the chair, but he’s not going till the truth’s told. † (pg. 159). Atticus is putting everything a man holds dear, dignity, respect, honor and status, on the line to protect Tom. He later shows more bravery when he goes to the jailhouse to protect Tom from a mob. Without thinking twice, he rushed to Tom’s aid. He went willingly, knowing that if a mob did form he would be greatly outnumbered and would easily be beaten. Still, he put Tom’s well being ahead of his own welfare. While serving justice, Atticus also showed great courage. For example, he did not go along with Heck Tate when he told a lie about what really happened the night Bob Ewell was found stabbed to death. Atticus put his life and career on the line because he knew that, as an officer of the court, withholding information from an investigation could have gotten Mr. Tate thrown into jail. Nonetheless, like many times before, doing what was right and fair prevailed in Atticus’s way of thinking. In addition, Atticus went against his moral code and principles he had always upheld before, when Atticus is faced with the decision of abiding by the law or breaking it in order to do the right thing. He knew that incarcerating a man like Arthur Radley would have been unforgivable, especially after Arthur had just performed a great deed by saving his children’s lives. He knew that exposing him would be an awful way of repaying him; it would have been like â€Å"shooting a mockingbird. † Therefore, Atticus chose to protect Boo from the public eye rather than abide by the law and his â€Å"honest† judicial ways he was so accustomed to follow. Sometimes it takes even more courage to set a new level of morals than to stay in one’s comfort zone. (pg. 297-302). The courage to change habits and thoughts is very important, because not everyone is able to do it. A very good example of this courage is when Atticus asked Scout not to fight anymore. â€Å"When I committed myself to this act of cowardice. Word got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight anymore, her daddy wouldn’t let her. † (pg. 97). That was a great act of courage because Scout used to fight a lot but as she had promised her father she would not fight anymore. Scout, like Jem does not want to disappoint Atticus, so she makes a change. In conclusion, Atticus shows praiseworthy courage and behaviour in many instances throughout the story, not by fighting or killing, but by standing up for what he believed in a civilized and determined way. His strongest motivation, however, were his children. He wants to be a good example for his kids and encourage in them a strong sense of moral value. One time Scout asks him why he had taken a case he knew he was not going to win and he responded by saying, â€Å"For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again. † (pg. 82). In other words, he would not have been able to talk to his kids about justice and standing up for what one believes when he himself had not stood for what he believed in. The lessons taught by Atticus and Mrs. Dubose show Jem and Scout what it is to be courageous, to be able to change, to tell the truth and most importantly to stand up for their own beliefs. All qoutes from Lee, Harper, 1960, To kill a Mokingbird, London, Pan Books

From Rejection to Acceptance: the Transformation of Maya

From Rejection to Acceptance: The Transformation of Maya Through Childhood Experiences In this novel, the main character, Marguerite Johnson or Maya, experiences many events that put her through a variety of psychological states. From the time that she is abandoned as a child and sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, to giving birth as a sixteen year old woman, Maya experiences a wide variety of events and challenges, each having their own outcome and own effect on her state of mind.Angelou embodies these effects and feelings of displacement and alienation when she says â€Å"If growing up is painful for the southern black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult. † (Angelou 4). Through this reflection, Angelou shows the turmoil that Maya is going through even during her early stages of life, and foreshadows the future struggle that is yet to come. The first event that has a significant effec t on Maya is the discovery that she was willfully given up by her parents.This discovery leads Maya to feel betrayed, and alienated from the rest of her family. This new knowledge leads her to see that not only was she given up by choice, but also the self-doubt that causes her to ask herself what she did wrong to deserve it. â€Å"The gifts opened doors to questions that neither of us wanted to ask. Why did they send us away? and What did we do so wrong? So wrong? † (Angelou 53). This introduction of self-doubt and feelings of alienation are what set up the opportunity for future tragedies and painful events in Maya’s life.One of these tragedies that occur is the molestation and rape of Maya by Mr. Freeman. Because of the fact that Maya is in a place of darkness and confusion in her life because of the new environment that she I thrust into, her need for love and attention gives Mr. Freeman the chance to take advantage of her. Though Maya does not feel completely comf ortable with the situation she likes being held my Mr. Freeman and does not realize what has happened. This need for attention and stability in her life is shown when she says â€Å"Finally he was quiet, and then came the nice part.He held me so softly that I wished he wouldn’t even let me go. I felt at home. From the way he was holding me I knew he’d never let me go or let anything bad ever happen to me. † (Angleou 73). Maya’s world is then once again shaken after Mr. Freeman is found dead shortly after the trial that she testified in. Even though he was her molester and rapist, she still feels responsible for his death, thus proving again that she is developing even deeper issues of self-doubt and alienation. After Maya’s return to Stamps, things are different than they were before she left.Even though she is shortly coaxed out of silence by Mrs. Flowers, she soon begins to feel the same feelings of alienation because of the fact that she is now beginning to personally confront the culture of racism in the south. With her employment under Mrs. Cullinan and the speech of Mr. Dunleavy given during the graduation ceremonies, Maya is shown the true sentiments of racism and prejudice in the south, and finally she is once again uprooted from her home and her life as Momma feels as if best for them to not be exposed to scenes of death and despair that the south will have in store for them.The move to California represents the last time that Maya will have to be uprooted from her home. The main events that contribute to the molding of Maya as a character and her mindset is her experiences with Big Bailey and the homeless children in the empty junkyard. Because of the experience with Dolores, Maya runs away from Big Bailey and spends a month on her own in this society made up of other homeless children, and because of this, Maya is beginning to realize that adults don’t really have any power over her and her life.She is final ly becoming her own person. This new sense of self-worth then gives her the confidence to become the first black streetcar operator in San Francisco. However, she still has some feelings of insecurity about her own body that become evident when she states that â€Å"In front of the mirror I detachedly examined my body. For a sixteen year old my breasts were sadly underdeveloped. They could only be called skin swellings, even by the kindest critic.The line from my rib cage to my knees fell straight without even a ridge to disturb its direction† (Angelou 274). This self-examination began to bring up thoughts of lesbianism and other possibilities, convincing Maya that she needed to have sex in order to determine the truth, however, in the process she becomes pregnant. Though the pregnancy was unintended it gave Maya the human connection that she had been craving her entire life. Throughout this novel Maya yearns for a sense of belonging but is typically only met with some form o f rejection.She is discriminated against, abused, neglected and abandoned. However despite all of this the development of her character leads from the helpless, alienated child in the beginning of the novel, to the proud African-American mother that we see at the end. Though some things that we see are disturbing and heart wrenching, they make Angelou into the the proud successful woman that she is today. Works Cited Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 1970. Print.

Christmas Carol Essay

   But overall when it comes to the characters in the story, it would have been for the older audience, mainly because, many of the characters aren’t suitable for children, fortunatley the media and industry have transformed the original characters into the more child friendly characters which can be seen in the modern films of a Christmas carol. The gothic genre of stories was favored in the Victorian era so Dickens tried to add some of his gothic conventions to his novella. At the time, children and adults loved the gothic genre so the novella was then most likely to be suitable for all ages. Dickens places in a Christmas carol some of the basic conventions of a gothic story such as the several ghosts and the mystery and suspense in the atmosphere with the ghost of Christmas future. He also sets the first chapter of Marley’s ghost in his old, dark and gloomy home, the atmosphere becomes mysterious at the time with the constant sound heard and supernatural event, like When Marley appears in his room. There are also many more of these gothic conventions used like the mysterious weather, the rain makes creates a more gothic atmosphere, also with the ghost of Christmas future and a very important convention used in many gothic movies and books, justice-it is present in the novella, like how Scrooge’s actions means that if any positive change is not present in him he could suffer from a hellish afterlife and how tiny Tim would die without his help. And I think that the final convention of the gothic which is present in the story is the idea of Scrooge’ heroine in distress, this creates even more tension into the story. In the novella, many different themes are used , for example, coldness and darkness in the first chapter, then once the ghost of Christmas past arrives and takes scrooge to places like Fizziwigg’s home, a theme of happiness is placed to calm the audience and allow their minds to escape from total darkness and to lighten up the story, this method is also commonly used in many gothic stories, basically something scary happens and the audience experience a very intense atmosphere, this intensity is then relieved from the audience by the next scene being a bit brighter or happier. After the Fizziwigg party, the atmosphere becomes saddened and brings the audience back the gloom of the story. And after that the main themes involved in the upcoming chapters happiness with the kind hearted ghost of Christmas present, misery and happiness with Scrooge’s life before and after him changing into a business obsessed old man, life and death with Tiny Tim, darkness with the ghost of Christmas future and not to mention redemption with involving Scrooge and the Ghosts, and finishes the story off with a happy ending with the much kinder Ebenezer Scrooge. The happy theme at the end of the novella also makes the story more suitable for children as most children stories include happy endings. A Christmas Carol has changed its audience since the story was published, it was initially written for the rich, and to be specific adults, but over time it has been slowly transformed into something many children will be interested in watching, a family classic which is usually enjoyed many Christmas’. During this time, the characters have been changed to suit the audience and to allow them to appeal to a children as well as adults, for example, the ghosts have become less gothic, like the ghost of Christmas future and other characters in comparison to the first book or film. My opinion about the audience for a Christmas carol is that it was initially targeted at families; I think this mainly because children would love to have a gothic twist to their Christmas classic and not completely a children’s movie so the adults can enjoy it too. To conclude to my essay I personally think that the book was initially written to be suitable for all ages, it is more of a family story, especially considering at the time that all age groups loved gothic stories, both children and adults, making it enjoyable for them both. But at the same time some scenes of the novella may be unsuitable for younger children, especially the scene involving the ghost of Christmas past. Choose either one of the last two.