Different Aspects Of Journeys Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Different Aspects Of Journeys - Research Paper Example Furthermore, Frost’s poem mainly describes the options of the speaker in taking one road over the other, thus, the focus is more on the roads themselves or the journey itself. On the other hand, Welty’s short story is more focused on the character of Phoenix, and how the journey she is taking is simply a means to show her qualities, convictions, and characteristics as a person. This paper will explore the different ways by which these two pieces tackled the topic of taking a journey. The poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost, tells of the speaker who happens to chance upon a fork in the road in the woods. The two roads that lay before him are both littered with untrodden leaves until finally, the speaker chooses one of the roads telling himself that someday he will take the other, though of this, he is also doubtful. The speaker further goes on to say that someday, he will be reporting about how his journey turned out to be. On the other hand, the short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty talks about the journey of the main character, Phoenix, a very old woman who went on a trek to get medicines for her sick grandson. In this journey, she encounters and overcomes many challenges and trials that are representative of the challenges that she faces in society as a â€Å"colored† woman. Frost’s poem takes the form of rhyming quintains of iambic tetrameter. That is, it contains stanzas, four to be exact, of five lines each, consisting of four metrical feet (Hengreaves), with the ABAAB rhyming scheme. The metrical length of the poem is relatively shorter than most poems while the number of lines per stanza is longer. Thus, even this form of Frost’s poem is already an indication of what the poem wants to convey, which is nonconformity.

Assess Crowdsourcing in a Globalizing Market place Essay

Assess Crowdsourcing in a Globalizing Market place - Essay Example Various models are considered in addressing the concept and its implication to the intended purposes. The major models considered for this paper are PeoplePerHour and crowdflower (Knowles, 2012). In this case, PeoplePerHour is an instance of a facilitator while crowdflower is an instance of an aggregator. The type of labor used in the two cases is also considered with respect to Castell’s typology of generic labor and self programmable labor. In the paper, crowdsourcing is found to be important and very useful in developing low income countries (Knowles, 2012). Crowdsourcing can be defined as the practice, in which aspects like needed services, contents, or ideas are obtained through solicitation of various contributions, usually from large groups of people. This practice is especially done from the online community instead of traditional suppliers or employees. The process is applied in subdividing tedious work or in fund-raising startup charities and companies (Munro, 2012). Mostly, the process is an online task, but it can take place offline depending of the prevailing conditions of business. Crowdsourcing combines the efforts of many volunteers who are self-identified. Each own initiative contributor adds at least a predetermined portion to the final result, making its greater than it could have been. Unlike outsourcing, crowdsourcing has its work coming from a public, which is undefined instead of being commissioned from within a specific and a named group (Munro, 2012). How Crowdsourcing Works Crowdsourcing applies to many and different activities. It can involve the division of labor especially for those tasks that are tedious. These tasks are split to in way that they use outsourcing techniques that are crowd-based. The concept can as well apply to certain requests, which in this case have to be specific. Some of the applicable requests include crowdvoting, solutions, crowdfunding, broad-based competition, as well as in the general search for cer tain answers or missing individuals. With crowdsourcing, obtaining needed services, ideas, or contents becomes easier than ever before (The WritePass Journal, 2012). The concept is critically important in representing a company’s or institution’s act in taking functions after they had been previously performed by employees (Doan, et al., 2011). The company or institution in this case initiates this practice by outsourcing the given tasks to certain networks of people, which are usually undefined. These networks are typically in the form of open calls, and they can assume the form of production especially when the job has been performed in a collaborative manner. The tasks can also be undertaken by individual persons. The main idea of employing crowdsourcing as a concept is to help in exposing problems to many unknown solvers. The many reason is there the creation of solutions to business related problems. With crowdsourcing, problems are usually broadcast to usually un known groups of problem solvers. These problem solvers are usually open for any call for solutions to related problems. Users in this case are referred to as the crowd (Castells, 2000). These users submit solutions, which on the other hand are owned by the organization or entity that is responsible for broadcasting the problem. The entity, which broadcasts the

Organizational Culture Case Study: BrainGame

Organizational Culture Case Study: BrainGame Introduction The importance of individual and organisational culture are vital components for business to succeed. BrianGame has the organisational culture of making global volunteers as their workers to develop games. However, the debate among BrainGames top management now considers changing the culture of volunteers to full-time employees, which raise issues on the relationship between volunteers and BrainGame. This essay will examine the challenges that BrainGame face and provide recommendations based on the challenges for BrainGame. Trust and Group Conflict One challenge for BrainGame is trust. Some top management want to replace volunteers with full-time developers. This is because volunteers are not productive and hard to manage, more than a thousand crappy ideas proposed, according to Rutger Ekberg, the head of product development (Sutton et al, 2014). Figure 1: (Dietz and Hartog, 2006) People like Rutger from BrainGame belongs to deterrence-based, they dont trust  volunteers and have no positive expectation over volunteers. They believe if no full-time experienced developers used, then what if game fails and the potential of losing investors. This is also a group problem. The companys top management are task conflicts because of the disagreement among top management about the content and outcomes of volunteers performance (Wit et al, 2012). Task conflict may hurt more proximal group outcomes, such as trust from volunteers and volunteers satisfaction. This latter effect is especially likely when volunteers interpret the companys diverging viewpoints as a negative assessment of their own abilities and competencies (Wit et al, 2012). If volunteers are not trusted, then the company will not run effectively, and influence companys operation like productivity, communication, and raise problem of demotivating volunteers, reduce their commitment to the company. According to Mayer and Gavin (1999) employees performance will suffer if they believe their leader cant be trusted. Some top management such as Lena, the CEO, are knowledge-based to volunteers. They believe volunteers saves money and provide free marketing for the company as well as free product development, but they need to convenience people who distrust volunteers so BrainGame can work toward the same target (Dietz and Hartog, 2006). Motivation Another challenge is motivation. BrainGame needs to motivate volunteers so they can be more efficient. Volunteers who work for BrainGame are unpaid, they work because they want to create positive, nonviolent, commercially viable product that reward empathy and caring rather than aggression and revenge (Sutton et al, 2014). Figure 2: (Herzberg F, 1987) Self-determination theory explain the motivation for peoples growth and human development (Deci and Ryan, 2004). The theory explains the intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors are self-determined by ones own will (Deci et al, 1991). From figure 2, it shows achievement, recognition and work itself and responsibility are the top four motivation factors, which are all intrinsic motivation. These motivation factors are correlated with BrainGames volunteers because they want be respected by others, recognize for their work and actually make a difference. The problem between BrainGame and volunteers is some people in BrainGame dont recognize their work, they distrust them. Which could lead to more ineffective production and creativity because volunteers are discovered they are not recognized for what they do and what they contribute, therefore will not fully commit to the job or even leave. If BrainGame wants to keep volunteers, then they need to help volunteers achieve what they wan t so they can commit to the job. Organizational Culture Organizational culture is another challenge for BrainGame. The company have the culture of volunteers instead of full time developers. Klaus called this culture a movement (Sutton et al, 2014). However, the culture has been in question of volunteers should be replaced by full-time developers. Figure 3: (Hartnell et al, 2011) BrainGames culture is most likely to be the adhocracy culture type, because this type of culture is externally oriented with flexible organizational structure (Hartnell et al, 2011). BrainGame has a very flexible organizational structure with over thousands of volunteers as developers around the world (Sutton et al, 2014). The fundamental assumption in adhocracy cultures is that change fosters the creation or garnering of new resources (Hartnell et al, 2011). This organizational type encourages people to be innovative. However, BrainGames current culture doesnt work efficiently. Volunteers produced many ideas but most ideas are not viable to use and time consuming. Moreover, BrainGame initial ideas of using volunteers are because of cost saving. Since BrainGame are making profit now, the company needs to rethink its organizational culture, to continue with volunteers or move on to full time developers. The company needs to also consider the risk of losing volunteers and the possibili ty of turn thousands of brand evangelists to brand haters since volunteers provides free marketing and advertising (Sutton et al 2014). Leadership BrainGames top management have the characteristics of transactional leadership with laissez-faire and management by action (passive) style. They hesitate when make decisions and only make interventions if standards are not met (Judge and Piccolo, 2004). According to research, laissez-faire and management by action (passive) are negatively correlated with leadership criteria (Judge and Piccolo, 2004). Based on the case, BrainGames top management have constant debate on should they keep volunteers or replace them with full time developers. However, no one could come up with a defiant solution. BrainGames top management especially Lena needs to change their leadership styles, to be more inspired to other people, have vision and active. Question 2 Goal-Setting Theory As challenges addressed above, it is important to make appropriate recommendations to help BrainGame solve its problems. One recommendation is using the goal setting theory to solve motivation problem. Figure 4: (Lunenburg, 2011) Figure 4 shows the process of goal-setting theory. The two cognitive determinants of behavior are values and intentions (goals) (Lunenburg F.C, 2011). As for BrainGame, the goal for volunteers is try to achieve self-actualization, to create positive, commercially viable product and have the desire to do things consistent with them. Goals leads to attention and action which gain motivation and lead to higher effort with persistence. Goals help people to find the right strategies for themselves so that they can perform at the level they can to achieve that goal. Finally, goal achievement can lead to sense of accomplishment and further motivation, or frustration and lower motivation if failed to accomplish the goal. (Lunenburg F.C, 2011). The goal setting theory under the right conditions will help BrainGame set goals for volunteers to achieve efficiency and productivity. The first step for goal setting theory is people needs to accept goal first, so that they can be motivated to achieve their goal target (Locke and Latham, 2002). Then they need to commit to their goals, two factors help people to commit their goals are self-efficacy and importance (Locke and Latham, 2002). Importance are factors that makes people stick to their goal, including what they expected for their result (Locke and Latham, 2002). According to Erez et al (1985) shows by having involvement in setting its own goals will make them accept their goals at a higher rate because they feel under control of their goal setting. By involved in goal setting, they will have a better understanding of the task and what will they expect as a result. Self-efficacy is how much people believe they can achieve their goal (Locke and Latham, 2002). Self-efficacy can be improved by provide training for volunteers such as online training, this will help increase their skills which leads to better productivity and efficiency. Through effective and regular communication between the company and volunteers to encourage volunteers, this will help gain their confidences (Locke and Latham, 2002). Through training and regular communication, individuals will have a better understanding of their own goal importance and more self-confidence towards their goal, therefore improve goal commitment (Locke and Latham, 2006). A goal needs to be specific and measurable, goals which are unclear are confusing and normally have little effect on motivation. Making goal clear allows people to focus on at the right directions and act related to goal (Lock and Latham, 2002). Volunteers with specific goal target will have better understanding of the task, results in efficiency. Goal is proven to be a motivational factor for people to follow if difficulty is considered, it gives the incentive for people to challenge. If goal target is too difficult, it will demotivate people and reduce their commitment. Goal difficulty not just affect individuals behavior, it will also affect at organizational level. In the late 1960s, Fords goal to gain market share against international competitors, goal was set at tight deadlines and many levels of management signed off on unperformed safety check to the newly development car- the Ford Pinto, results in 53 consumer deaths, the challenging goal was met but companys unethical behavior has damaged its reputation (Ordà ³Ãƒ ±ez et al, 2009). Setting goals that are too high or difficult not only reduce motivation and commitment but also can create dishonesty, cutting corners and corruption (Bennett, 2009). BrainGame needs to be clear of their goal settings, specific and measurable, not setting high goals that demotivating volu nteers, since they are not contract bound by the company, demotivating them will only damage the company. Feedback is essential for volunteers to retain their goal commitment and effectiveness. It is important to give volunteers with constant feedbacks on their work so they can aware of all the progress and mistakes they made during their work, or it will become difficult to monitor the level of effort that needs in order to achieve the goal target more sufficiently (Sorrentino, 2006). Additionally, feedback gives the advantage that allows individual to spot their personal disadvantages towards their goals, and allows promptly adjustment to be done (Smith and Hitt, 2005). By having feedbacks, volunteers will know their work has been checked and evaluated and people are recognizing their work. Provide positive feedbacks to volunteers means BrainGame recognize their work. Whereas negative feedbacks will also motivate them and increase their effort to work if they have high self-efficacy. In contrast, volunteers with low self-efficacy will respond with less effort and demotivated to negativ e feedbacks (Bandura and Cervone, 1986). However, goal setting theory have limitation. Concentrating only to goal can cause people to miss other factors in your environment (Simons and Chabris, 1999). When attention is focused on goal, people become inattention to other factors, which could sometimes cause people to miss the bigger picture. Transformational Leadership BrainGame needs to transform from transactional leadership to transformational leadership style in order to run the company more efficiently. Transformational leaders are more effective because they are more creative, and they encourage and help the people who followed them to be creative (Shin and Zhou, 2003). Companies with transformational leaders are more decentralized, managers are more likely to take risks, compensation plans are aim for long-term results (Ling et al, 2008). According to a study of information technology workers in China found giving more power to people will create positive personal control among workers, thus increased their creativity at work (Zhang and Bartol, 2010). Companies with transformational leaders also have better agreement with managers about goals and strategies, this leads to better and efficient group and organizational operations and performance (Colbert et al 2008). Research from 203 team members and 60 leaders in a business unit found high p erformance is related to individual transformational leadership, and high group performance is also related to team focused transformational leadership (Hetland 2007; Lowe 1996). To have transformational leaders is important for BrainGame because there has been debates on volunteers, with people having different opinions but no one have profound and extraordinary effect to influence other people, the level of distrust to volunteers has raised in top management. As a leader, it is important to trust and guide your people with right directions. Transformational leaders obtain higher levels of trust, which in result reduce their followers anxiety and fear (liu et al, 2010). Followers who trust their leader are confident they will be protected for their interest and rights (Hosmer, 1995). BrainGames leaders needs act as transformational leaders and to trust their volunteers because volunteers are there main developer of game. The business is attracting investment and best ideas were gen erated from volunteers. Volunteers want to achieve recognition and trust is the best way to recognize their work. Transformational leaders encourage creativity and support peoples idea, by encouraging their ideas and guide them towards right direction (Schaubroeck et al, 2011). This will help volunteers improve their skills, and improve their productivity and commitment. Training is an effective way to become a better transformational leader. Training include teach skills on trust building and mentoring, learn how to analysis and evaluate a situation and apply those skills into their own styles, and evaluate in a given situation, which leader behaviors is appropriate to use (Brady, 2010). For BrainGames top management, train them gives them more skills to evaluate the current situation, and provide long-term strategy, and better skills to build trust and communication. with volunteers. To conclude, BrainGame currently in debate over should volunteers be replaced by full-time developers. To do so, it could lose trust from volunteers and demotivate them. Organizational culture will have to change, and leadership style needs to change in order to run the company more effectively. Goal-setting theory is a good method to solve some challenges faced by BrainGame. By goal-setting, volunteers will have better understanding of their task and motivate them, which will increase their productivity and efficiency and this is one of the most important factors why BrainGame want to replace volunteers. However, goal difficulty needs to be careful set or it could cause negative impact. By transit from transitional to transformational leadership, leaders of BrainGame will motivate, communicate better with employees. Transformational leadership skills can be improved with training. Nevertheless, BrainGame should retain volunteers, and build a better strategy around them to run more e fficiently. Question 3 It was a group project I worked with other group members. Group leader set goals for each one of us, but goal was not specific enough. After the deadline, one group member completely misunderstood the task, which the whole team project was stagnated. That group member was demotivated, but we decided to stop our tasks and help him to finish his first. One of the problem for us while we are doing the project is lack of communication as a group, we all focused on our part but each part is correlated, lack of communication with unspecific goal leads to this problem. After this, we all decided to communicate and help each other more, we all motivated and the project in the end finished faster than the deadlines. I think I will apply motivation to my career, because through self-determination theory, I will know which factors will influence me most to motivate me and my teammates. Word count: 2456 References:   Ã‚   Bandura, A., and Cervone, D. (1986) Differential Engagement in Self-Reactive Influences in Cognitively-Based Motivation, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 38pp.92-113. Bennett, D. (2009) Ready, aim fail. Why setting goals can backfire. The Boston Globe, C1. Brady, D. (2010) The Rising Star of CEO Consulting, TMG, Available: https://miles-group.com/article/rising-star-ceo-consulting accessed date: 16/12/2016 Colbert, A. E., Kristof-Brown, A. E ., Bradley, B.H . and Barrick, M.R. (2008)CEO Transformational Leadership: The Role of Goal Importance Congruence in Top Management Teams,Academy of Management Journal , 51, (1) pp.81-96. Deci, E. L., Vallerand, R. J., Pellitier, L. G. and Ryan, R. M. (1991). Motivation and education: The self-determination perspective. Educational Psychology, 26(3), pp.325 346. Deci, E.L., Ryan, R.M. (2004) Handbook of Self-Determination Research Rochester, NY: The University of Rochester Press. Dietz, G. and Hartog, D. (2006) Measuring Trust Inside Organizations, Personnel review, 35(3) pp.557-588 Erez, M., Earley, P. C. and Hulin, C. L. (1985) The impact of participation on goal acceptance and performance: A two-step model. 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(2010) Transformational Leadership and Employee Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Trust in the Leader and Self-Efficacy, Applied Psychology: An International Review, 59(3) pp.454-479. Ling, Y., Simsek, Z., Lubatkin, M.H. and Veiga, J.F. (2008) Transformational Leaderships Role in Promoting Corporate Entrepreneurship: Examining the CEO-TMT Interface, Academy of Management Journal 51(3) pp.557-576. Locke, E. A. and Latham, G. P. (2002) Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), pp.705-717. Locke, E. A. and Latham, G. P. (2006) New directions in goal-setting theory. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(5), pp.265-268. Lowe, K. B., Kroeck, K. G. and Sivasubramaniam, N. (1996). Effectiveness correlates of transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic review of the MLQ literature. The Leadership Quarterly, 7(3), pp.385- 425. Lunenburg F.C. (2011) Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation. 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Effects of Different levels of T.V Violence on Aggression Essay

Abstract EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF T.V VIOLENCE ON AGGRESSION: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of different levels of television violence on grade school children. Since some studies show that younger children are more prone to aggression than older children. This study is designed to show how violence plays a role in aggression. The intention is to show that violence causes different aggression levels between males and females. The second purpose of this study is to show if there are any significant differences between males and females and aggression induced by violence. The information on gender difference and aggression is controversial. All the children were mixed in this experiment combined the male and females children in mixed groups. Each group randomly received 10 males and 10 females. One of the groups was the control group which viewed the non-violent video and the second group was the experimental group, which viewed a violent video. Girls and boys who had about the same level of aggression were chosen for th e experiment. Two televisions shows that contained different levels of violence were used in this study. Two volunteer teachers were present while the children viewed the videos. Measurement of aggression will be gathered from each student using a picture aggression test. Aggression levels were rated on a scale of 1 though 11, 11 being the highest level of aggression. The statistical results from group A, the boys who viewed Power Rangers, showed the mean of their level of aggression was 8.4. The variance, the precise measure of variability, of this group (1.64) was a significant difference. Group B for girls, who viewed Sesame Street, their mean was 1.6 and their variance was 0.16, also another significant difference. When comparing the numbers between the boys and girls in group A, the boys did appear to have a higher aggression level, than the girls in the same group, when they viewed the Power Ranger. In group B, the aggression level was higher for the girls than for boys in the same group, when they viewed Sesame Street. EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF T.V VIOLENCE ON AGGRESSION: POTENTIAL GENDER DIFFERENCES Violence in the United States has risen to alarmingly high levels. Whether one considers assassination, group violence, or individual acts of violence, the decade of ... ...of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 283-290. Berkowitz, L. (1993). Aggression: its causes, consequences, and control. Philadelphia: Temple University Press Boyatzis, C.J., & Maitllo, G.M. (1995). Effects of â€Å"The Mighty Morphine Power Rangers† on children’s aggression with peers. Child Study Journal, 25 (1). Retrieved 24 February 2005 from http://web12.epnet.com/ciatation.html. Fox, R. (1977) "The Inherent Rules of Violence," in Social Rules and Social Behavior, ed. P. Collette. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. Molitor, F., Hirsch, K.W. (1994). Children’s toleration of real-life aggression after exposure to Media violence: A replication of the Drabman and Thomas studies. Child Study Journal, 24 (3). Ridley-Johnson, R., Surdy, T., & O’Laughlin, E. (1991). Parent Survey on television violence viewing: Fear, aggression, and sex differences. Journal of Applied Development Psychology, 12, 63-71 Scott, J. (1975). Aggression 2d ed., rev. and expanded. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Surbeck, E. & Endsley, R.C (1979). Children’s emotional reactions to TV violence: Effects of film character, reassurance, age and sex. The Journal of Social Psychology, 109 (2), 269-28.

Stress and Negativity in Our Human Minds

SPC Mattadeen, Judy Corine Ms. Alexa Fernandez Effective Essay Writing January 26, 2010 STRESS AND NEGATIVITY IN OUR HUMAN MINDS Introduction Eliminating stress and negativity is the most important factor in our human minds. In general it is so powerful we almost feel like we can’t cope with it. Finding ways to fight stress and negativity is crucial to not only handle the ways of life but to really live a happier and more meaningful life. Stress and negativity is not a new agenda or a phenomenon. It has been a huge experience in mankind throughout history. These feelings accumulate in our lives and in our soul over time. Although sometimes these experiences are unavoidable. There are ways that can be done to help go through the process of eliminating stress and negativity and feeding our human minds with a good and positive outlook in life. Having a positive mentality and eliminating the negativity of stress in ourselves is not going to just fall upon us. It’s really a choice we have to make. Being positive doesn’t necessarily come naturally. It’s our decision that we have to make daily. Is stress an enemy to us human beings? Of course it is because you deal with so much negative energy. That alone merges to different type of problems that we encounter in our daily lifestyle. Be at work or at home, thus this type of emotions is everywhere. Now it is up to us on how we handle the situation that can either make us or one way to break us. We make the choice. (Melinda Smith, M. A. , Ellen Jaffe-Gill, M. A, & Robert Segal M. A. 2008) (http://helpguide. org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping. htm) Stress and negative feelings The stress of always feeling bad can lead to deep depression and medical disorder. Our body and our mind are a continuum. In other words focusing too much on being angry, fear or having fear of failure is one of the contributing factor of self destruction and having such failure in achieving such goals that we human want in life. We can control all the stress and negativity we encounter by means of responding to new challenges by telling ourselves that we are capable of facing our fears and doing what is right. All this is a way of eliminating such negative thoughts and a turnaround of a positive spin. That is a good start of leading a better life. Visualization, this technique can be achieved by means of installing positive expectations and believe that we can do it. Therefore if we literally eliminate the old feelings and shadow it with the new and positive ways. We can achieve a good and healthy mind and soul. We are not meant to live a miserable and unfulfilled life. When we discover the path of visualizing what we really want to achieve in life. Then we can discover and start working in some realm associated with a positive attitude not negative and we all will thrive to the fullest of success. Critical thinking Whenever we tend to catch ourselves being critical or even having a negative thought in mind is very stressful. Thinking negative of another person, circumstances or anything that can lead a negative reaction is a challenge. Make it a priority also to keep your well pure. If somehow in some points you’re being or if somebody is being critical of you or trying to lead you in a bad light. Recognize that there is a stone coming your way. We don’t need to dwell on it, or get upset and vengeful. When these stages occur the best thing to do is pull ourselves back and have this inner question â€Å"Can I take up such challenge to control myself†? One way to look at our level in coping with these feelings is our human emotions. Our body alone is like a bucket of energy where we store pure energy alone. May it be negative or positive. We might want to declutter our world by human cleanse also. By means of letting your choice reflect your taste. Whether you let the stress and negative thoughts handle your life or fight the biggest fight. Motivation is one of the best key in life. Surrounding ourselves with positive individuals will help us move on to the right track. Keep pressing forward. The key to rising higher is to keep looking to where you want to go. Keep a positive vision and see yourself accomplishing your goals and fulfilling your destiny. Meditation Relax and take a deep breath. Always let in a positive spirit to avoid negative thoughts. Personal power, acceptance, and inner love will help restore our boundaries to normal settings. Maintaining all these positive factors are guides us in removing old baggage and replacing it with the good ones. Let in a higher power. The answer to this is simply having God in our hearts. Let our choice reflect our taste and by then when we have that higher power restored in our souls. We are on the right track. We all need to get in peace of who we really are. Dwell only on the positive, empowering thoughts towards ourselves. That’s when we realize that our faith is energized. Prayers are the best medicine in our everyday routine in life. Health and well being Maintaining a good and healthy balance mind and body will lead us to fight all the stress and unwanted negative that surrounds us in our daily lives. Exercise is also the best key. It releases such tension in due time and provides us with energy to handle anything that may come our way. One way also to eliminate stress and negativity is managing our time wisely. We must always find a way to have our own me time. Have a habit of writing everything down on paper on what to do, where to go, what else needs to be done or etc. is a good way of managing your time wisely. Handle important task first and eliminate unessential task. Exercise and eating right is also a good factor in eliminating stress and the entire negative that surrounds us. If we are fit, and nothing else is really seriously wrong in our lives, than we can probably manage a fair amount of frustration, delay, unfairness, misfortune in whatever form. Surrender and let in Instead of fighting and feeling negative about your thoughts that can lead to stress. Surrender to them and you will see that the negative feelings will quickly eliminate and lose its power over our human minds. When we are in a world of so much stress fight it by accepting it and try not to think too deep into it. Cause in some points there are stressors that are really not even meant to be paid attention too at all. We should always observe the feeling in our mind and body without labeling or either judging it by all means. Self confidence is also one of the best tools for us to use to reach our goals and be happy in life. There is always room for improvement with our inner feelings to avoid accumulating stress by means of having faith in everything we do and encounter. Be realistic about life alone. Set realistic goals. Ask yourself questions before we even execute. Think positive thoughts. Know what you want and do what is right. Nobody can hold you down if you believe. For God alone does not focus on what’s wrong with us. He’s not looking at all our faults and weaknesses. He’s looking at how far we’ve come along and how much we’re growing as a person. So we all need to focus on what’s right for us. (Henrik Edberg 2006-2010) Final thoughts Life alone is a major challenge. Everywhere we go we may encounter the good and the bad. Whether you may take the chance of absorbing the negative and deal with it or fight the toughest fight in dealing with stress alone. We all make those choices. Eliminating stress and negativity can be achieved by thinking positive. It’s time to unburden ourselves by receiving progress, initiative, inner peace, love, setting goal, prayers, and motivation. My personal experience in life alone dealing with stress and so much negative alone is challenging. There are times where in I just can’t handle the situation that I’m in yet I pushed myself for the better by pressing forward, surrounding myself with positive people, and learn how to deal with stress by means of how to handle my emotions. This is one of the most significant aspects in coping. Overall by reading every word in this essay is a step in what are the ways in dealing with everyday stress and negativity in general. It is also a guide in improving our everyday life. We can make the most of any experience or challenges that we go through by committing ourselves in change and grow. Expressing ourselves freely, fully and honestly is not going to lessen us the benefits of creating a positive meaning in life. Remember when our life or your life is full of rocks; don’t forget to throw bread back in return. Reference: How to reduce, prevent, and cope with stress (Melinda Smith, M. A. , Ellen Jaffe-Gill, M. A, & Robert Segal, M. A. 2008) http://helpguide. org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping. htm

Dance Choreography

RESEARCH PROJECT SUBJECT TITLE: Choreography TOPIC: Choreograph two dances in the school musical, High School Musical ASSESSMENT TYPE 1: FOLIO PROPOSAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT Weeks 1-4: (Background Research) †¢ Plan for the year. Background research – history of choreography †¢ Send letter to Kenny Ortega and Mia Michaels in America †¢ Analyse DVDs of musicals, Grease, High School Musical, Centre Stage, Bring It On Fringe and Festival Performances †¢ Research copyright laws and copying exact moves from the movie Weeks 4-10 (the audition process) †¢ Send email to VN about auditioning techniques Interview ET, ST, AP about auditioning experiences †¢ Interview BS about how she selects dancers for musicals she choreographs †¢ Choreograph audition dance and get feedback †¢ Interview MB about what inspires her choreography Weeks 10-11 †¢ Teach audition piece and select dancers †¢ Weeks 12-14†¢ Research famous choreographers and how people learn Weeks 11-14 †¢ Choreograph dances to teach at the musical camp †¢ Attend camp and teach dances and rehearse them Weeks 15-20 †¢ Continue rehearsals and polishing performances †¢ Discuss my ideas for costumes for the dancers School Musical Performance BACK GROUND RESEARCH ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHY AND CHOREOGRAPHERS (and my annotations in blue) Kevin O'Day: starting at the top – choreographer and dancer Kevin O'Day, the redheaded dancer so familiar to us from his distinguished tenure with the company of Twyla Tharp (he toiled there eight long years), his duties as soloist with American Ballet Theatre, and his current membership in Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project, has made a bravura leap into the tenuous, difficult world of choreography and emerged a winner. makes me realise that choreography isn’t easy, and not everyone succeeds, not even experienced dancers) With astonishing aplomb, O'Day, at thirty-two, seems to have sprung ful l-grown into the arena of making dances, forging a vocabulary that while tinged with influences nevertheless shapes movements and phrases at once formal, musical, inventive, and genuinely felt. realise my choreography will probably show influences from teachers I have had) That his choreographic gifts should have made themselves evident within the span of less than a year, and through only two brief works, each under a distinguished aegis, is a tribute to his finely honed dance sensibilities and to the eyes and minds of his champions, Baryshnikov and Peter Martins.Indeed, so strong was their belief in O'Day's talent and so positive was the audience and critical response to these fledgling works that both directors instantly commissioned new works for their respective companies. (shows that if people believe in you and guide and support you the choreography can become amazing. Also if something is so spectacular your work can get noticed and take you far) On February 9. O'Day's secon d work for New York City Ballet (still untitled at press time) will be premiered.It is set to a score by the young English composer Graham Fitkin. Last December in Tokyo, White Oak unveiled O'Day's The Good Army, to music of John Lurie of the Lounge Lizards, with Baryshnikov as one of its dancers. This uncommon whirlwind of choreographic success (success is hard and uncommon! ) all began in March 1994, when the White Oak Dance Project gave its first New York season at the New York State Theater. There was no question that O'Day's first ballet. entitled Quartet for IV (and sometimes one, two or three †¦ , was the unqualified hit of the company's first New York appearance.While several pleasures were garnered from Baryshnikov's small troupe, not the least being his own masterly and immaculate performances, the company's repertoire was short on originality or genuine interest. When O'Day's moment came, audiences responded with an immediacy that indicated the relief they felt at fi nally encountering a work that, in its exuberance and emotional focus, proved as intellectually engaging as it was entertaining. This para shows that if something isn’t original or interesting the audience just doesn’t respond, but when something amazing is seen before them they react and now are much more engaged) A few critics carped at what they considered O'Day's glaring Tharpisms, such as his noodling with her polycoordinations and her odd manipulations of phrasing. But some, notably Arlene Croce in the New Yorker, found this choreographic debut remarkable and worthy of attention. (His debut shows that even your first show can be great.Gives me hope) When only a few weeks later O'Day presented his second ballet, Viola Alone (With One Exception), set to Hindemith, created at the invitation of Martins for New York City Ballet's prestigious Diamond Project II, the rarity of O'Day's gifts became even more evident. Here was a work of very particular craft and content. (Not all dancers can choreograph) Dance Magazine senior editor Tobi Tobias, writing about the Diamond Project premieres in New York magazine, stated, â€Å"O'Day's ballet, the most vivid and engaging of the seven [seen], shows him attempting to steer clear of the Twyla Tharpisms that are his heritage. (still need to be individuals and break free from your influences)Then, describing the flow and structure of the ballet, Tobias concludes, â€Å"At the end, [Alexander] Ritter gestures toward the onstage violist, as if to say, `The carefree days of my life–gone now–lie in this music,' but sentiment is so ruthlessly excluded from the earlier proceedings that the chief elements of the piece remain lusty energy and bold motion, deftly marshaled. On speaking with O'Day, one learns that the act of choreographing has long been part of his life as a dancer, a by-product of observation and, of course, desire: â€Å"I had always worked in studios on my own whenever I could,â₠¬ . he says. I'd get a video camera, set it up, and I'd dance around. I was collecting material. (I will be doing this this year – e. g. experimental research) â€Å"I learned from Twyla Tharp that if you're going to choreograph, you had to go into the studio by yourself and spend time working. You just had to work and work and work.And you had to work on your own way before working with a group of people or even just two people. The point is, you had to have an understanding of what you want from dancers before you start working with them. You can't just snatch things out of the air. (This is excellent advice – working by yourself before working with the class so you can perfect the piece. It takes a lot of time and lots of practice but this way you know how it looks and what to expect from the dancers) â€Å"The influence of Twyla helps me when I'm in the studio alone.You see, Twyla has a lot of ways of putting movements through a road test. She'll improvise, make a phrase, then turn it into something very solid. She would also change the music. Within the span of an hour she might change the music four or five times. So, she makes a body of material, and that's been her greatest influence on me: how to put together a body of material. â€Å"(a lot of trial and error will be involved, so must allow time to experiment) Thus, explains O'Day, he, like Tharp, will try things on is own body, sometimes to different music, and create a patchwork that may ultimately be used in a work: â€Å"The more I try this, with different textures, different music, different road tests, different qualities of doing a movement, to see how far a movement can be stretched or shrunk. All these things serve to build a body of material, which might then go into forming a piece. † Dance Magazine, Feb, 1995 by John Gruen http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1083/is_n2_v69/ai_16686035/ NIGEL LITHGOW’s line – â€Å"if the choreography is simplist ic it is up to the performer to bring the routine to life. (So You Think You Can Dance) Will really apply to me as most of the students I will be working with don’t have much experience –so will have to have simple steps. This means that I will have to enforce that dancers have to be so energetic to really bring the moves to life. This shows that my choreography, although very important, isn’t everything. There’s a big responsibility on the dancers to bring the dances to life. I will share the quote with the group when it’s looking dull so they can bring it to life.My views on RESEARCH ON HOW TO TEACH: from article in SACE STAGE 2 Physical Education Workbook, Different methodologies (ways to teach or coach) Visual Demonstrations –this is the most effective way of teaching dance. This is the main method I have used so far and it’s the method I will continue to use the majority of the production. This won’t have to be done as muc h once the dance is learnt as the students have to know how to do it without me because I will not always be standing at the front. This method is so useful for them to get a picture of the dance in their head and how to do it correctly.Usually when we start a rehearsal and before I begin to teach a new dance I sit everyone down and stand out the front and do the dance properly so they know what the dance is meant to look like. Then I break down each move, visually showing the cast each step. This would best suit visual learners. Audible Cues – when I am teaching a dance from the beginning this method will only be used in conjunction with the visual demonstrations. Just verbally telling them how to do the dance won’t work. This will be used also when they are doing the dance and I can call out the counts or â€Å"Arms straight! , â€Å"Point your toes† etc. When I am instructing, have to ensure that instructions are short and simple so I don’t confuse/ov erload the learner and once they know the moves the instructions can get more complex. This obviously suits a verbal learner who understands best through written and spoken words. Manipulation – haven’t used this methodology so far, but from past experience in dancing I know it’s very effective. I believe it’s more useful for beginners or those who struggle with dancing. Basically I have to physically put the person’s body/arms/legs through the correct range of motion.Obviously there is a slight ethical concern here, I have to ensure I don’t touch someone in the wrong way. But I think I will start using this more especially with arm movements as they can be quite tricky and visually and verbally showing them how to do it doesn’t always work, Reflections about article Tips for Teaching – Seven Principles of Good Practice http://honolulu. hawaii. edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip. htm#techniques Use time well – very important – time is everything, to get production ready on time.Have to keep reminding cast and they have to help. I have to completely plan rehearsals and set realistic goals. Communicate high expectations – â€Å"Expect more and you will get more†. – reflects my way of teaching. I have such high expectations of this musical and have a vision of how good it will look. Expecting the cast to perform well is a bonus for me as I will put in the effort to ensure it reaches this standard. Respect diverse talents and ways of learning – have to ensure all dancers have opportunity to learn in ways that work for them.Seize the moment – if people come and ask for clarification – even though I might not have time to help them, I should as they are probably ready to learn at that moment. Involve the student in planning – this could help if I’m stuck for ideas giving the groups challenges to come up with choreogra phy. There is some student involvement in the freestyle parts where students get the chance to be creative and do their own thing. Move from simple to complex- I can use this principle in my teaching for sure – If I teach complex choreography to begin with and then assess everyone’s progress who finds it easy and who finds it difficult.Then if everyone gets it and it looks too simple I can make it more difficult. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH ST (actor, singer, dancer) + My Reflections (in blue) a) What do you think works well in auditions as a performer? Having confidence is the key to success. Believing in yourself. Forgetting a move – just keep going I will have to reinforce these points to all the cast. They should be confident and believe in themselves and remind them to keep going even if they make mistakes. b) How does a dance audition usually run?Get there and register (giving name, age, details experience). This is a good suggestion; however, using numbers c ould be a bit intimidating for our students. We would get them to fill out their details of experience etc You then sit in a waiting room – most people warm up here. If it is an audition with a prepared dance you practice it. We’d give them time to warm up, but not in another room Usually there would be 2 sessions with 40 dancers. You get called and line up and learn the dance in rows of four. First four would do the dance and then go to the back of the line.Because of the time constraints we’d only have one session but I like the idea of doing it in rows and them moving to the back of the line There isn’t usually a set warm up- done by the performers while they are waiting. I’m considering doing a set warm up – only because a lot of the performers are inexperienced and would not know what stretches to do. c) What auditions have you been successful in and why is that? Is it because of the way the auditions were run? It is mainly the audition s which make you feel really comfortable.You are already nervous enough as it is and the places that make you feel safe and secure make you perform better. The environment makes big difference, for example you would be feeling scared auditioning in a spooky house so rooms with warm nice colours give it a good feeling. I will make an effort to be really friendly, welcoming and kind to make the students feel comfortable. A lot of them would never have danced before and I wouldn’t want them to feel scared and not come back. In no way would I get angry, frustrated or grumpy if they’re not being cooperative. I’ll be the nicest person I can try to be. ) Are the dances usually hard so the good people excel or easy so everyone has the opportunity to shine rather than focus on the moves? Usually you would learn a dance that is either going to be in the show or a similar style to what is going to be in it. At first I wanted to do a different dance rather than one weâ€⠄¢ll use but after hearing this, and after talking to the director, I have decided to do the chorus of â€Å"We’re all in this together† for the audition dance. e) Anything else you would like to add? You would usually receive a phone call, email or letter in the post about 3 eeks later saying if you’re successful or not. I’d have to discuss this with other teachers involved, but we’d probably take 1-2 weeks to decide and let them know by hanging up the parts or telling them in person. You need a large wide room as there is nothing worse than trying to dance when it is crowded and squishy. Mirrors and bars are something you need but if it’s at school you might not have it. The auditions would usually be held in the hall but from past experience this is narrow and squashy. Ideally I’d like them to be held in the spacious gym, but guess it depends on the availability of the gym.The main thing is to talk loud. With echoing rooms the nois e can bounce off the walls and it is hard to hear which is difficult for people at the back. You are already nervous enough and this makes it much more stressful if you can’t hear the instructor. This is a good point. Nothing is worse than not being able to hear the teacher, especially in a big room where there’s lot of people. I’m going to speak loudly and clearly so everyone can understand. This also raises the issue if there’s so many people in rows, it’s hard to see people up the backI think this interview was really successful as ST gave me some really good ideas and insights. REFLECTIONS ON THE MOCK AUDITION AND WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHY On Monday I gathered 3 close friends to trial the audition process. The aim was to teach the dance I had prepared for the audition and get some feedback on what the dance was like and how I went teaching it. I chose three friends with 3 diff levels of dancing ability: one is a talented well coordinate d dancer; one is a competent dancer but inexperienced and one is not into dancing at all.I filmed the majority of the audition if I need it for future reference. I think this was a valuable task and I got so much out of it as I faced some hurdles but the main thing was they learned the dance in the allocated time frame. One thing I learnt during this mock audition is to be totally prepared. On the day I forgot the CD I was using. I also thought about what was a more appropriate method of teaching; facing the cast and therefore the moves being opposite direction or facing the same way as the cast with them not able to see what is going on the front of the body.I also had to think about how much I would teach at once. For example, teach 4 or 8 counts before renewing it. How competent did they have to be before we tried it to the music? I also demonstrated the moves in different areas around the room so everyone got to see exactly what I was doing and from different angles. I found I n eeded to speak slower and clearer to G as she needed more explanations so I have to remember there will be a variety of standard in the room.Giving the cast the opportunity to do it without me, whilst I sit back and watch not only gives me the chance to see how my choreography looks but makes the students think harder. From past experience I know that doing a new routine without the teacher demonstrating with you gets the routine drilled in your mind, especially as they’ll have to do it alone/pairs at the audition. Giving the cast the opportunity to watch me and the way it is meant to be done will also help. Finally I think I have to show I’m confident and happy with my choreography because I thought I looked a bit embarrassed and worried about what others would think.Things I’ll do the same- filming, deconstructing choreography into 8 counts, demonstrate with them NOT participating, demonstrate with them following, face same way as cast then swap so they get to see the whole picture, stand aside and watch them do it alone, move around room demonstrating + giving advice, get feedback. Things I’ll do different- be more organized, more confident, speak with louder voice, don’t get frustrated as everyone learns at different pace, get into it – be OVER THE TOP, wait till they’re more competent before practicing with music. USEFUL ADVICE FROM VN about how she chooses successful dancers at the udition (from email):Compare the dancers to the strongest performer in the group. Other things like heights to make the sure the group is evenly balanced. How the performer presents themselves for an audition is also important. AUDITION PROBLEM: A problem we encountered during this process was a large number of people pulling out after the audition and callback process This really worried me as I was stressed that everyone would pullout and we wouldn’t have a big enough cast. After talking with the other teachers involved I realized that this was a positive.A smaller cast would be a lot easier to handle and would be easier to get 50 people looking tight and uniform compared to 100. This number would also fit on the stage better and give everyone the opportunity to be on stage for most of the time. Another problem with picking parts was that we had a lack of boys to begin with†¦I think I will have to learn not to stress too easily as things usually fall into place at the end. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS. – keep in mind people’s feelings. A lot of these kids have never danced in their lives so I have to treat them with respect when teaching the dance and give them the time to pick it up.Not that I want to do this, but I can not laugh, or stare or give sarcastic comments or do anything to restrict them wanting to return to practices†¦. Also when choosing parts I have to be aware that my friends are auditioning and not be tempted to favour them and give them important roles if they do n’t deserve them. I have to leave friendships aside and be unbiased, treating everyone fairly. – I also have to remember not to copy the choreography from the movie. The part I did adapt for the finale is the only part I am really going to use.This just reminds me that someone else has spent so much time choreographing these dances and it is not fair if I take them completely and say they are mine. Not to mention legally this would not be allowed. I actually don’t like some of the choreography in the movie so I don’t want to take it and besides a lot of the choreography would be too difficult for our standard of dancers. So sticking with the another method I have just come up with ,where I play the music and just do what comes to my head seems like a good thing to do. PROBLEM: There are not any huge problems at this stage.One thing that I have to go is remember to keep researching. I am doing a lot of choreographing at the moment which is obviously a posi tive thing, but I also have to remember that this subject is the research project. Now the audition process is over I don’t have to keep researching that but I do have to keep looking at ways of teaching and research choreographers and what makes other musicals good. In my last discussion Ms W told me I was not doing enough researching. FEEDBACK ON MY CHOREOGRAPHY FROM questionnaire to a third year Dance student at Adelaide Centre of the Arts (showed him the footage taken at the Musical Camp)What do you think of the choreography of ‘We’re All In This Together’? It’s great, for someone so inexperienced. Looked effective and strong as a large group. Obvious that it’s taken from the movie which is what your audience will want to see, but some of your easier modifications look cleaner. Some students are struggling –especially some boys and some leads. What could be changed? Perhaps some of the hard moves could be modified/slowed down, espe cially in the Wildcats’ cheer at the end. Arms look messy and un-uniform in â€Å"wave your hands up in the air†.It doesn’t even look like there are any set moves. In chorus, â€Å"When we reach, we can fly†, maybe arms could be simplified. Looks all over the place. What am I doing well in the area of teaching the moves? The way you break down every single move helps cast know where the placements are. Modifying moves as you go along is a positive as you’re not changing it later when the old move has already stuck in their head. Like the way you demonstrate it alone first. What do you think I could do to improve? Louder voice! Don’t look as nervous, your body language makes you seem not confident.Stand closer to cast, feel free to mingle and help individuals. You did seem more capable and confident as time went on. What did the choreography look like so far in Status Quo? Looked great, loved the big chorus around the tables. Good idea doing it around one big circle so everyone gets a feel for the directions. Good concept – Brainiacs and book dance. Overall looks like a fun piece, shows great potential. What could be changed? Brainiacs’ dance needs to be sharper, maybe tell them to get into it a little more (footwork needs to be the same at the end of the dance).Some small groups could have simple choreography. A lot of freestyle people just need to get right into it or learn how to freestyle better (show them some moves ) Slow motion needs more work (actual moves. ) I do understand this is a work in progress. [pic] [pic] DISCUSSION My notes |How research is developing: |Ideas developing through the research | |firstly – looked at internet, dance magazines for info on choreography. Not all dancers can choreograph | |Was quite useful and made me more confident |Its up to the dancers to make the choreography â€Å"sing†, so simple moves can | |second – interviews with dancers+ choreograp hers about auditions to help|be really effective (good to know as I will probably be | |me get ideas about running auditions and selecting the dancers. Was |Creating a positive atmosphere is important to make performers feel | |really useful comfortable and get the best out of them (particularly important in our | |third – experimental – started getting down my ideas about the |school – with boys and inexperienced dancers) | |choreography for the audition |Need to speak loud | |fourth –ran a mock audition to trial my choreography and practice |Break choreography into small parts, e. g. – 8 counts | |teaching it to a small group |Make sure performers are confident with steps before adding difficulty by | |NEXT – plan to look into learning styles and how to teach, so I get more|doing it to music | |information about how to teach the dances successfully |Good to sometimes demonstrate facing the cast, but also facing same | | |direction as them so they can follow | |Knowledge and skills I am developing and applying |FEEDBACK FROM TEACHER | |Knowledge -Many things about ethical considerations in being a |-Ms W said I need to remember that focus of the task is actually research, | |choreographer, such as: |not the choreography of the dances, that most of what I had done so far was | |how strict copyright laws can be. How important it is not to copy the |thinking about the steps and how I will run the audition, so need to think | |exact moves of the dances in High School Musical, also how to get |of more ways of incorporating research into it. this is true – but am | |permission to obtain performing rights , cant change the American |pretty nervous about what people will think of my choreography –so I keep on| |flavour of it or the script in any way etc |thinking about this) | |being completely fair when selecting parts for the musical – have to be |Suggested I analyse the DVDs of High School Musical and the Behind the | |professional and not let friendships influence my decisions |Scenes extras to get ideas. Also really needed to get on to organize visits | |Be aware of the abilities of the group |to view performances. |Many things about how to teach – importance of things like giving |Also suggested I undertake more research into the features of a well | |students a say where possible (even though this is pretty difficult with|choreographed dance and look at some theoretical writing about choreography,| |dance – would look a mess if I did this) |so that I will be able to base the decisions for my choreography on more | |Importance of using different teaching methodologies |technical aspects drawn from the research. This would show that I have more | |Essential to be super organized ( have forgotten music CDs on a couple |thoroughly researched my topic. Will ask the dance teacher for some | |of occasions – is disastrous and don’t look professional) |sugg ested readings on this. |How high expectations can be really productive- encourage performers to | | |strive – but not be too high that they cant achieve them | | |Knowledge & Skills in Choreography – importance of facing dancers but | | |also showing them when facing the same way. Teaching routine in small | | |chunks, then lots of repetition. Plotting patterns on paper and planning| | |beforehand. | |CHOSEN CAPABILITY: | | |Really enjoying being part of the musical and assisting others to | | |develop their creativity, as well as myself | | |Learning a lot about being sensitive to others- particularly with | | |learning to dance – it’s pretty scary and challenging for some so I | | |really need to take that into consideration | | |Have been getting feedback from a few people (teachers, director, stage | | |manager etc) and taking it into consideration. Is really helpful | | Stage 2 Research Project Performance Standards |Planning |Application |Synthesis |Evaluation | | |[pic] |[pic] | | | |[pic] | |A |Thorough consideration and |Thorough and highly resourceful development|Insightful synthesis of knowledge, |Insightful evaluation of the research | | |refinement of a research |of the research. |skills, and ideas to produce a |processes used. | | |topic. |In-depth analysis of information and |well-developed research outcome. |Insightful reflection on the nature of the| | |Thorough planning of research|exploration of ideas to develop the |Insightful and thorough substantiation of|chosen capability and its relevance to | | |processes that are highly |research. |key findings central to the research |themselves and the research project. | | |appropriate to the research |Highly effective application of knowledge |outcome. |Well-considered and insightful reflection | | |topic. and skills specific to the research topic. |Clear and coherent expression of ideas. |on the research outcome and its value to | | | | | |themselves and, where applic able, to | | | | | |others. | |B |Consideration of the main |Considered and mostly resourceful |Considered synthesis of knowledge, |Considered evaluation of the research | | |area of research and some |development of the research. |skills, and ideas to produce a |processes used. | |refinement of a research |Some complexity in analysis of information |well-developed research outcome. |Considered reflection on the nature of the| | |topic. |and exploration of ideas to develop the |Substantiation of most key findings |chosen capability and its relevance to | | |Considered planning of |research. |central to the research outcome. |themselves and the research project. | | |research processes that are |Effective application of knowledge and |Mostly clear and coherent expression of |Considered reflection on the research | | |appropriate to the research |skills specific to the research topic. |ideas. outcome and its value to themselves and, | | |topic. | | |where applicable, to others. | |C | Adequate consideration of a |Adequate development of the research. |Adequate synthesis of knowledge, skills, |Recount with some evaluation of the | | |broad research topic, but |Adequate analysis of information and |and ideas to produce a research outcome. |research processes used. | | |little evidence of refining |exploration of ideas to develop the |Substantiation of some key findings |Reflection on the relevance of the chosen | | |the topic. research. |central to the research outcome. |capability to themselves and the research | | |Satisfactory planning of |Adequate application of knowledge and |Generally clear expression of ideas. |project. | | |research processes that are |skills specific to the research topic. | |Reflection on the research outcome and its| | |appropriate to the research | | |value to themselves and, where applicable,| | |topic. | | |to others. |D |Basic consideration and |Development of some aspects of the |Basic use of information and ideas to |Superficial de scription of the research | | |identification of some |research. |produce a research outcome. |processes used. | | |aspects of a r esearch topic. |Collection rather than analysis of |Basic explanation of ideas related to the|Superficial reflection on the relevance of| | |Partial planning of research |information, with some superficial |research outcome. |the chosen capability to themselves and | | |processes that may be |description of an idea to develop the |Basic expression of ideas. |the research project. | | |appropriate to the research |research. |Some reflection on aspects of the research| | |topic. |Superficial application of some knowledge | |outcome and its value to themselves and, | | | |and skills specific to the research topic. | |where applicable, to others. | |E |Attempted consideration and |Attempted development of an aspect of the |Attempted use of an idea to produce a |Attempted description of the research | | |identification of an area of |research project. |resear ch outcome. |process used. | | |interest. Attempted collection of basic information, |Limited explanation of an idea or an |Attempted reflection on the relevance of | | |Attempted planning of an |with some partial description of an idea. |aspect of the research outcome. |the chosen capability to themselves and | | |aspect of the research |Attempted application of one or more skills|Attempted expression of ideas. |the research project. | | |process. |that may be related to the research topic. | |Emerging awareness that the research can | | | | | |have a alue to themselves and, where | | | | | |applicable, to others. | ———————– My topic and question. †¢ To choreograph two dances in our school musical, the much anticipated â€Å"High School Musical†. †¢ Really interested in dance. Have been doing calisthenics since I was two and am member of the Junior Crows Cheerleading Team. Have been in two Rock Eisteddfod Team s. †¢ Thrill of performing gives natural high and experiences have brought lifelong memories, lifelong friends and lifelong skills which will get me through life. †¢ Want to try something new now, still in dancing field but in different direction where I can have a say in the choreography and what is going on.Relevance of The Chosen Capability: Citizenship †¢ I will be very involved in, and contribute to, the school community. †¢ Will have to show understanding of other people’s perspectives all along. †¢ Will be taking action to contribute to the school community objectives of giving students opportunities to develop their talents (artistic) †¢ Will be asking for and taking notice of people’s feedback – basically giving them a say in the choreography. Isn’t that democracy? Research processes Background Research- using internet, magazines, journals, newspaper articles. Research topics like: Choreography, choreographers, revie ws of â€Å"High school Musical†, interviews with cast etcAnalysing performances of musicals on DVD, during the Fringe, TV shows like â€Å"Dancing With the Stars†, â€Å"So you think you can dance†; Adelaide Fringe or Festival Shows Interviews – with dancers choreographers, I know + to get feedback on my choreography Will have to work with and negotiate with many others, e. g. the director, stage manager, costume designer, all the performers, choreographers. Be open to suggestions Experimenting with different routines (often in small groups I’ve got to think of the ethical considerations too e. g. : -Safety of the performers – make sure choreography is safe. -Privacy – get permission from people I interview them -Plagiarism – must make my own steps original and not copy the choreo Suitability to audience- make sure moves are suitable to audience of all ages and not offensive in any way. My Outcome The video of the dances + an oral to my teacher explaining my choreography. †¢ My Outcome The video of the dances + an oral to my teacher explaining my choreography (14) This student’s research development was presented in large scrap book folios, too large to reproduce as an exemplar. The following is a selection of this evidence, reduced to 10 pages, for inclusion in the student's portfolio to be submitted for moderation and marking. This selection of evidence, with the student notes to record the discussion, can be used for moderation purposes to confirm the teacher assessment decision for Assessment Type 1: Folio. CommentsOn balance the Folio is indicative of a B standard. Planning: †¢ The research topic is well defined. Thoroughly considered research processes, which are appropriate to the task, as well as manageable and ethical, have been planned. Application: †¢ The research is developed in a mostly resourceful and considered manner, including web-based research on choreography, fea tures of successful musicals, how to teach and the audition process. Feedback from more experienced choreographers, has been sought although evidence is not provided of the way the research develops in response to this. At times, there also appears to be an over emphasis on ‘doing’ the choreography. Information to develop the research has been methodically collected and documented. There is also some evidence of information being analysed in order to develop the research. Some complexity in analysis of information and exploration of ideas to develop the research is evident, such as in the responses to some of the sources located, interviews and the mock audition conducted. †¢ Knowledge and skills specific to the topic are applied in a highly effective way, such as in careful planning of patterns for different parts of the dance, preparation for the auditions. Assessment Type 1: Folio Assessment Type 2: Research Outcome Assessment Type 3: Evaluation

Revamp Your Resume The Top 5 Words to Delete

Revamp Your Resume The Top 5 Words to Delete Okay, okay, its not that you can never use these words, but according to the recruiter experts at Experteer Magazine, HR departments are tired of seeing these same buzzwords repeated on every resume, cover letter, and job application that crosses their desks!MotivatedIf you think about it, saying youre motivated is actually praising your effort over your achievements. An employer expects you to be motivated, first of all, and secondly, you could be incredibly motivated and still produce subpar work. Just think of the never-ending lines to audition for TV talent shows! Being motivated to camp outside a studio for three days doesnt mean youre a great dancer or a talented chef! In your resume, put the focus on your measurable accomplishments instead- try phrases like developed training program or increased client retention or provided dynamic design and content.  CreativeThis is another overused buzzword that has essentially lost most of its meaning. Rather than using an abstract adje ctive, look for active and descriptive verbs to showcase exactly what you did in your past work. Consider delivered new group strategies or produced increased collaboration or modeled innovative problem-solvingEnthusiasticIm guilty of this one all the time- I forget that enthusiastic, like motivated, is a bare-minimum qualification for a new hire, and one that I probably share with the other 500 CVs in the submissions folder. Worst-case scenario, it makes you sound immature and inexperienced, but trying to cover it up by being your own cheerleader. Trade enthusiastic for proactive, experienced, capable, or skilled.Thinks Outside the BoxTime to realize that not all employers actually want someone who thinks outside the box because its often code for cannot work well with others or refuses to learn company procedures because they think they know better. Rather than announcing youre an unconventional thinker, once again refocus on the actual products of all your creative work habits. E xactly what have you developed, created, implemented, or produced?ResponsibleI havent used responsible in a resume since I was applying to babysit my neighbors kids. I was 14 and an overachiever. And I got the job. But now that Im a grownup, I try to focus on leadership attributes and experience. If you must use responsible, tie it directly to job functions, i.e. Responsible for ensuring on-time payment for invoices and vendor expenses, and not as an adjective to describe yourself.  So now that youve erased these snoozy buzzwords from your resume, what will you sue to fill those holes? Experteer suggests these targeted search terms that will make you stand out from your competition instead of blending in with the enthusiastic, motivated, creative crowd!AchievedImprovedTrained/MentoredManagedCreatedInfluencedIncreased/DecreasedNegotiatedLaunchedUnder budget

As the number zero was the start of mathematics and the vacuum the foundation of physics. Essay Example

As the number zero was the start of mathematics and the vacuum the foundation of physics. Essay Example As the number zero was the start of mathematics and the vacuum the foundation of physics. Essay As the number zero was the start of mathematics and the vacuum the foundation of physics. Essay Essay Topic: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings Hilarious Light in August As the number zero was the start of mathematics and the vacuum the foundation of physics, so silence became the standard measure of civilization. Yet, all three of these scientific standards spring from human imagination and are only applicable by general agreement, but remain in principle fictional.Few compositions have caused such a division of opinion as John Cages 4.33 from 1952, one of his own favourites. A well-dressed pianist entered the stage, sat down behind the grand piano, opened it, turned a page of the score in front of him every now and then and after about four and a half minutes he got up, made a bow and left the stage. Cage got the idea for this composition after a visit to a soundproof room and only wanted to show there is no such thing as absolute silence. This manifests itself on a recording of the piece that still exists. In it, a world of small tiny sounds opens up. Chairs squeak, uncomfortable coughing, the humming of the air-conditioning, some far-away sounds of traffic, the rustling of the pages of a program. Above all one can hear, just like the original audience back in 1952, the rushing of ones own blood in ones ears, ones heartbeat, swallowing and rumbling stomach. Through this, the audience becomes the performing artist of 4.33, and because one goes to a concert to listen, the uproarious silence had never been heard as well as just there. Does silence exist at all, one wonders, or is it like a hole in the ground, only observed because of the earth that surrounds it? After all silence is an arbitrary name for the absence of sound.Each piece of writing can be considered a composition as well; a composition in words and these are in essence silent. This void is filled as soon as the reader starts interacting with the authors words and his imagination attributes numerous voices and sounds to the essential silent text. This is the intention of reading and only natural since Mother Nature hates emptiness horror vacui and fills it promp tly. In music, as shown with the help of John Cage, one may well justify the use of markedly contradictory words, like the oxymoronic title of this paper. Some say that Faulkner likes to force readers to absorb many contradictory feelings all at once. His use of oxymorons helps to create a feeling of unresolved conflict.The author, like a filmmaker, has another trick up his sleeve. They are both able to turn off the sound at will. It is not very hard to picture this (talking about sound) and the effect it has can make a spectacular difference. The watching of a horror movie without sound often results in an audience responding at first uneasily and in the end with laughter, missing the culminating effect of music with image in heightening the tension. Now the author only manages to create a silent mode by either omitting all references directly relating to sound and by emphasizing the visual effect, or by the absence of dialogue when there seems to be every need for coherent speech but speech fails as a means of communication. As Addie Bundren observed in As I Lay Dying, (172) a word is just a shape to fill a lack. Faulkner, wittingly or intuitively, quite often uses a lack to create a new shape, one which is silently able to reverse the expected situation and give it a totally different charge.The old clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ that sometimes silence speaks louder than words still holds true. Silence has gradually become the social distinction between civilization and barbarism since the introduction of book printing. Knowledge and wisdom were gathered from books instead of by orating. One should not ever disturb a reader. The signs in the library demand silence. As in a silent movie, Faulkner manages to weave into his work scenes that seem to be stripped of sound, where nature and human life go into a silent mode, and the only option left is to watch it unfold before your eyes. In these scenes particularly, he succeeds in mixing the tragic and comic tones in such a w ay that contemplation of the view is the result. Whether one should classify Faulkners work as being more tragi-comedy than comi-tragedy is a difficult and debatable matter. The consensus seems to lean towards it being predominantly tragic with varying degrees of comic relief. The outcome of that discussion, however, is less interesting to me than to try to demonstrate the powerful effect that mixing these two tones has. I will pay special attention Faulkners descriptions of motion and sound, in which we seem to be presented with a slide show of consecutive still images, more specifically in scenes from Pantaloon in Black, a story in Go Down, Moses, and from Light In August.Pantaloon in BlackFrom Go Down, MosesWhere romantic comedy says: these aggressions can be transcended, and realistic comedy says: these aggressions will be punished, tragic-comedy says these aggressions can neither be transcended nor brought to heel, they are human nature and they are life (342). Eric Bentley poi nts out, in these few words, the power, the purpose, and the effect of mixing tones in literature. Comedy alone, he argues, creates an unreal world. Tragedy, he continues, excludes most of mens experiences because of its emphasis on Beauty, Heroism, Nobility and Higher Truth(338). Any author writing about the complexities of modern man should consider this, as William Faulkner does in Pantaloon in Black. In this story, the reader is presented with the immense tragedy of Rider, the protagonist, and because of this, most readers miss the storys comic moments.A plot summary most likely will only emphasize the tragic elements. Rider mourns the death of his wife Mannie. He buries her, single-handedly, in an almost violent way. After all, she has caused him to change, to become a better man. After refusing to go home with his aunt and uncle, his surrogate parents, he returns home only to see her ghost and then to the sawmill where he works like a mad man, throwing an enormous log in a dar ing display of physical skill one showing his desire to die for without her he doesnt want to live anymore. After that he desperately tries to drink himself to death with moonshine he fought over and got from a bootlegger. A rush to a dice game follows, after another confrontation with his aunt, where he tangles with Birdsong, a crooked white man, whom he kills with a razor. Captured by the law, Riders story, as seen through his eyes, ends. The deputy sheriff, a myopic prejudiced man, tells the rest of Riders story to his extremely bored wife. Though he did not attempt to escape, Rider tears his cell apart, only to be beaten by members of a black chain gang all for naught for the next day, the deputy tells us, persons unknown take him from the jail and lynch him.However, it hardly captures the essence of the story, for the comic undertones make all the difference. The first hint the reader gets is in the title. Pantaloon (or pantalone) is a stock character in the Italian commedi a del arte1 and here juxtaposes with black, the color of death, tragedy and the deprived race in Go Down, Moses. It is Faulkners first notice of absurdity. Rider represents this absurdity, and faced with it in the end, all he can do is laugh. Life has cheated him of the woman who made all the difference; such a situation seems a cruel joke. In the opening scene he flings dirt on to her coffin, using an implement which resembled the toy shovel a child plays with at the shore, its half cubic foot of flung dirt no more than the light gout of sand the childs shovel would have flung (131). If one thinks of the wasted energy of the mad swings with the little dirt, one cannot help but laugh at this silent scene.When one sees that the grave lies in a barren garbage heap, full of shards of pottery and broken bottles and other objects insignificant to sight (132), one cannot fail to appreciate the irony; a woman, who meant so much to her husband, tragically buried in a trash heap. When Rider arrives at the sawmill, he needs food. One cannot write home about his table manners but humorous mime again underlies the tragedy. When he eats, he is cramming the food into his mouth with his hands, wolfing it pease again, also gelid and cold, a fragment of yesterdays Sunday fried chicken, a few rough chunks of this mornings fried sidemeat, a biscuit the size of a childs cap indiscriminate, tasteless (139). This gentle grief-stricken giant eats what looks like garbage, like an animal. After his display of brutal strength his aunts husband was waiting for him with a peach pie which he immediately starts, holding the pie with both hands, wolfing at He was blinking rapidly as he chewed, the whites of his eyes covered a little more by the creeping red. (140)Again, to the casual observer he, comically, eats like a hungry wolf. Nevertheless, the picture Faulkner paints tragically shows a man whose eyes betray, through the blinking and the red that is creeping in, his sincere sorrow an d depth of feeling. The apparent absurdity of the dice game, in spite of its violent outcome, is highlighted by the fact that throughout this entire scene Rider is smiling like a fool (147-149). The black men participating in the game are losing their money like fools. Though the story does not describe their actions, and they never talk, we are aware of their actions. They are present through the soiled and palm-worn money (148) in front of Birdsong, the cheating white man with the comic name, who is eventually unmasked and killed by a fool. Rider, the traditional character of pantaloon who has ranted and raved throughout the story, true to his role, has adapted to the absurdity of life itself. Life is a crooked crapshoot; the odds are mostly against you.The deputy cannot grasp the contradictory attitude of someone who willingly confesses to murder but does not want to be locked up. Ah done it. Jest dont lock me up, Rider is reported to have said (152). Because of his enormous stre ngth he tears his cell apart and rips the door out of the wall. Like in a cartoon he is then subdued by a road gang of black convicts: a big mass of nigger heads and arms and legs boiling around on the floor and even then Ketcham says every now and then a nigger would come flying out and through the air across the room, spraddled out like a flying Squirrel and with his eyes sticking out like car headlights (154). This fight is one of those silent scenes, the absence of sound emphasizing the ridiculousness of the visual image. When Rider realizes the silliness of mans struggle to survive, he can do nothing else but laugh and cry, the perfect blend of comi-tragedy. Readers feel deeply about him, through his silent laughter and tears, because we see him as an absurd hero, especially compared to the insensitive racist deputy. The end of the story is all the more powerful by its mixture of comic and tragic tones.Light In AugustIn this thematically multi-layered novel by Faulkner, the st ory of Lena Groves is structurally juxtaposed with the stories of Joe Christmas and Gail Hightower. The book starts and ends with Lena Grove, a young pregnant woman looking for the father of her unborn child who he walked out on her. In the end, we learn that she was not so much looking for him as traveling just to travel, living in the present, in touch with nature and confident it would eventually bring her to her purpose and destination. Joes tragic story starts in the third chapter and ends in the third-to-last. Hightowers story begins in the third and ends in the next-to-last. These three stories do not proceed chronologically but are felt, by most readers, to fuse into one unified novel. Some readers have argued that the novels unity comes from other elements than the structure; thematically the main characters embody such themes as racism, the heritage of the past, Christianity, community, male-female relations and personal identity.With the addition of Joanna Burden and Byro n Bunch, the five central characters encompass subsidiary themes as the contrasting attitudes of the different characters to time, the issue of man and nature (as in Go Down, Moses) and fate and martyrdom. Others say that the coincidence of them all being in the same town between the two climactic events of Joanna Burdens murder and Joe Christmass death provides enough unity, though their tales are separate and distinct. Still others argue that Faulkners stream of life presentation would have suffered under a less loose and open construction. By contrast, to Lena, Joe Christmas does not know who he is; his uncertain racial identity affects every aspect of his life. When the uncertain trace of black ancestry, for he is also called the mulatto (Cowley, 51), is known, it provokes very different responses. Yet, his claim that he belongs to the black race is ambivalent since he uses it to rebel against both black and white. He roams the country, like Lena, but without purpose, never sett ling or entering a long-lasting human relationship.His fate seems to inevitably push his lifes story to an inescapable and violent death. The reverend Gail Hightower, the preacher who is punished for not conforming to his congregations idea of practicing religion and because he was unable to keep his wife from behaving sinfully, seems rooted in the past, obsessed with the heroic past of his forebears. His story ends when he realizes that his detachment from life does not prevent him from being concerned with the events of the present. Like him, Joanna Burden compares badly to both her grandfather and father and is a victim of her stern religious upbringing, which Joe suffers from as well. Her abolitionist family moved down from the North and was never fully accepted. She leads a lonely life in an isolated mansion out of town. Joanna becomes involved with Joe, in a destructive and unequal relationship that fatefully foreshadows her demise, and is eventually murdered by him. Byron Bun ch, another solitary character, falls in love with Lena the moment he sees her, pregnant and all. After realizing that there is no alternative, for he worships her, he blindly follows her, wherever it may take him. This insultingly short rendering of such a comprehensive novel merely attempts to illustrate the predominantly tragic tone of the book.Nevertheless, as in Pantaloon in Black, there are numerous instances of mixing tones and what is more the silent mode is elaborated upon by another of Faulkners techniques. Like Keats in his Ode on a Grecian Urn Faulkner compares the wagons Lena has ridden in to figures carved on an urn: backrolling now behind her a long monotonous succession of peaceful and undeviating changes from day to dark and dark to day again, through which she advanced in identical and anonymous and deliberate wagons as though through a succession of crackwheeled and limpeared avatars, like something moving forever and without progress across an urn.(7)A paragraph later, she actually sits waiting by the side of the road for the next one, but this carts progress seems to stop, for it seems to hang suspended in the middle distance forever and forever (8). Yet, Lena thinks of herself as already moving, riding again Faulkner uses frozen motion, the absence of sound combined with the still picture, frequently. It also features in his descriptions of often chaotic and violent events. Readers and scholars argue about the interpretation: some say that, again like Keats, the nature of art is to freeze the captured motion in order to give us the chance to contemplate the scene from different points of view. However, one could also argue fatalistically that the characters destinies are as certain and their goals as unattainable as the urns ancient carvings. I will describe and analyse a scene with each of the five main characters in which frozen motion is used, showing that it does contribute to the greatness of this novel.Apart from showing the absurdi ty of mans existence, the effect of the tragic deaths of Joe and Joanna, and Hightowers new insight means next to nothing to the characters who inhabit the last chapter of Light In August. Contrary to the wife of the deputy in Pantaloon in black, who was not listening and not even interested, the wife of the furniture dealer is listening and intrigued. Her husband tells her of his meeting with Lena and Byron and their seemingly absurd interaction, for he only slowly starts to realize they are not man and wife, which we already know. When he comes to the part, which in every mans eyes must be the ultimate rejection, where Byron tries to lay with Lena in the back of the truck, there is a brief instant of frozen motion which is hilarious when we see and feel through his eyes that lay with can be seen as force upon.Byron is seen through the eyes of the dealer: I watched him climb slow and easy in the truck and disappear and then didnt anything happen for about while you could count mayb e fifteen slow Than motion slows down and comes to a ridiculous and also to him unexpected stop at that moment he comes out the back door of the truck. Not fast, and not climbing down on his own legs at all. For a moment, Byron is suspended there in mid-air, picked up and set outside by the strong Lena. The furniture dealer was half expecting rape, but this silent nonsensical picture evokes the sought after comic relief he needed and provokes a smile from the reader. Byron is then placed on the ground and spoken to with calm assurance: get some sleep. We got another fur piece to go tomorrow'(503 my italics). The dealer is not sure but Lena is, Byron will be there again, wild horses cannot drag him away.When Hightower, in a futile attempt to save Joe Christmas, tries to provide him with an alibi for the murder of Joanna Burden, there is another violent moment of some consecutive stills. Just before that, the raised and armed and manacled hands (463) of Joe had struck him down, caus ing the old man some facial injuries. The pursuers of Joe help him on his feet with his big pale face streaked with blood(464) to learn from him where Joe is hiding. When Hightower delivers his testimony as to Joes innocence, instead of giving the required response, he is literally flung aside. On the one hand, this demonstrates the ruthlessness of the white militia pursuers in finding and killing the now pronounced black Joe and reveals an extra layer of racial tension. On the other hand, it accentuates the insignificance of Hightowers attempt to return to the present, a huge step in the life of a man who has lived in the past for more than 20 years, by being flung aside by the same hands that picked him up. The whole tragic scene shifts to ridicule.Joe provokes people of both races into non-acceptance. He is violent by nature and deeply frustrated. It shouldnt come as a surprise that instances of frozen motion occur a lot around him. After his adoption by the probably Scottish Pre sbyterian McEacherns, the little Joe is about to receive his third consecutive beating with a strap, ten strokes after each hour, for he has failed to learn the catechism:Again on the dot of the hour McEachern looked up from the watch. Have you learned it? he said. The boy did not answer, did not move. When McEachern approached, he saw that the boy was not looking at the page at all, that his eyes were quite fixed and blank. When he put his hand on the book he found that the boy was clinging to it as if it were a rope or a post. When McEachern took the book forcibly from his hands, the boy fell at full length to the floor and did not move again. (151)One is aware that the tension between the two is enormous, the beating is administered without anger (which I find most scary), but both cling to the book, the older man for the content he tries to force onto the boy, the boy rejecting that but using its tangible presence for physical support. The moment that support is taken away from him, one can visualize series of stills in which the body does not yet realize the lack of support that kept it in balance for as long as it did, after which it collapses and the boy falls.There are also moments when Joe is the instigator of violence, for instance against Brown, the man who impregnated Lena, in the beginning of chapter five. These men are condemned to each other in an unequal relationship in which secrecy, dominance and the illegitimate selling of moonshine prevail. Joe is the more dominant of the two. Brown began to sing Shut it, Christmas said. He did not move and his voice was not raised. Yet Brown ceased at once (102). The silent threat is imminent and almost tangible. When Brown after an interval stumbles and falls and begins to laugh because he is drunk, Joe irritatedly hauled him out from beneath the cot and raised Browns head and began to strike him with his flat hand, short, vicious, and hard, until Brown ceased laughing.Christmas then proceeds, when Brown again starts laughing, to curse him in a level voice, all very controlled, and when that does not give the desired effect, Joe put his hand flat upon Browns mouth and nose, shutting his jaw with his left hand while with the right he struck Brown again with those hard, slow, measured blows, as if he were meting them out by count. Brown had stopped laughing (103). This resembles the way in which McEachern administered his beatings to Joe, without heat, pragmatically ensuring the desired effect, showing his upbringing. The sound of slapping must be there but seems to come slow, if at all, and seems to hang suspended over the whole scene. The drunken laughter, the calm silent threats and the ridiculous power one man has over the other makes this scene a whirlwind of conflicting emotions in which bewilderment struggles with the tragicality of the situation which is undermined by the comic.Howe2 says that from a dramatic point of view it is only appropriate that characters break out of th eir obscurity, collide, cause pain and then part. Faulkner once said that the writers he admired most were those who had tried to accomplish so much that they inevitably had to fail. It has been said that his great admiration for grand but doomed efforts shows in his novels too. Maybe Byron Bunchs assault on Brown is one of these doomed yet courageous actions as well as an appropriate dramatic breaking out for one of the two characters involved. It lasted less than two minutes. The small Bunch has the advantage of surprise and of a silent approach over the sitting but much taller Brown.In this soundless scene he wants to punish him for throwing away twice inside nine months what I aint had in thirtyfive years (which is Lena). It does not last long. Faulkner warns us twice and he foreshadows Byrons defeat: Youre bigger than me, Byron thought. Brown reverses the advantage because he cannot believe that any man, catching his enemy sitting, would give him a chance to get on his feet tha t was worse than an insult: it was ridicule (439). No sound in the few instances the man intending to do the beating gets beat and was lying quietly bleeding quietly about the face. (my italics) The complete earnest of Byrons seemingly futile attempt, although it releases him from the past and firmly puts him in the present, is tragic but the person picking a fight and losing it accordingly mostly deserves a wry compassionate smile.AfterthoughtsI think it was Bouwe Postmus3 who once said that one should never write about a work or an author one admires. I now see his point but it can not be avoided when one is just introduced to such a writer in the course of a term. Even by confining myself to what I thought to be a limited subject as comic-relief by means of the audio-visual modes of silence and still, the amount of perspectives is incredible. The shifting point of view and the distance and detachment with which the human enterprise is seen provides a response that transcends the individuals tragic encounter with the reality about him.I think I have shown that the mix of comical and tragical tones gives Faulkners work an extra dimension by which lifes duality is truly represented. Faulkners use of style figures, like an oxymoron, helps to deepen the contradictory human aspects that are present in his characters. One cannot be forced to see the portrayed events in this paper in the same way that I do. It does not prevent them from being seen for what they are: images that give a defeaning sound in the surrounding silence.