How does Thomas Hardy create and maintain Essay Example for Free

How does Thomas Hardy create and maintain Essay How does Thomas Hardy create and maintain a sense of mystery and malignant, uncontrollable forces in The withered arm Thomas Hardy creates and maintains mystery and malignant, underlying forces by using symbolic descriptions of the setting, the atmosphere and the strange unguessable plot. Thomas Hardy sets the story in the fictional village of Holmstoke. Holm means home and stoke means fire. This gives two impressions, one of a nice cosy warm story, but it also gives the impression that fire is also connected with bad things like Hell and witchcraft. This makes you start to wonder what the story will be like. Thomas Hardy uses natural settings to contrast with unnatural events or behaviour. The heath is used a lot because of this. He also uses the heath because it helps create atmosphere and because it is outside he also uses the weather to reflect the characters mood. An example of this is when Rhoda and Gertrude cross the heath to see Conjuror Trendle and Rhoda does not want to and would have done anything to escape this enquiry, the weather and the atmosphere reflect her dread of what will happen. The thick clouds made the atmosphere dark and it was only early after noon and the wind howled dismally. Hardy also uses the weather to help him describe the changing of time like at the beginning of a paragraph. All the gossip was going on in winter and by the end of the paragraph its in the spring I think Hardy also uses the changing of the seasons as a sort of metaphor to symbolize the changing of the characters. An example is when Gertrude changes from a very beautiful, perfect, kind and caring girl to a scarred irritable superstitious woman. Hardy also has such large gap in time so the changes in Gertrude are more noticeable. Thomas Hardy also uses characters to help him create mystery and underlying forces especially Rhoda Brook. Rhoda is an outsider and she lives out of the village by herself with her son. Shes a little weird because she never mixes with people. People dont really mix with her because of her sleeping with Lodge and having a baby. People think she is a witch. I think this is because people associate her with Trendle. When Gertrude needed to find Trendle the villagers told her to ask Rhoda and she realized that they thought a sorceress would know the whereabouts of the exorcist. But the mystery really begins when she has her vision and next day Gertrude shows her the mark from the vision which is on her arm. The vision is an important part of the story as it is the start of everything and caused everything. Rhoda can not control what is happening to so it helps maintain the uncontrollable forces which are all through this book. Thomas Hardy uses Conjuror Trendle a lot to help create mystery and uncontrollable forces. Just the fact that conjuror Trendle lives on the heath starts to make the reader feel a sense of mystery because the heath represents the weirdness or the story. Trendle also helps create mystery by doing magic in secret and not openly He did not profess his remedial practises openly and it also helps that he was in disguise. He was disguised as a dealer in furze , turf sharp sand and other local products. He had to be disguised because people in that time were very superstitious. I think Thomas Hardy uses Gertrude to help create a sense of uncontrollable forces, this is because things are happening to her mentally and physically which she has no control over. Also because the things that are happening to her are unexplainable, it helps create and maintain malignant uncontrollable forces. Hardy illustrates this physically when her incredible beauty is which is described as the light under a heap of rose petals becomes ruined and scarred by her withered arm; and mentally when she turns from a very nice person to an irritable, superstitious woman Farmer Lodge is not in the story much but none the less is a very important character, because he is the main reason the whole story happens. He is the center of the love triangle of him Rhoda and Gertrude which is why everything happens. As we dont see him much in the story this makes him more important as it helps add to the mystery. Hardy uses imagery to help the reader mentally see whats happening and also to symbolise things. An example of this at the beginning of the booking the lorn milkmaid Hardy paint us the picture of a lot of milkmaids all sitting together gossiping. This gives the impression that the village is quite a close knit place and that one Rhoda Brooke is all by herself on the side not joining in this gossiping. This gives the impression that she is a sort of outsider which no one wants to be friends with which adds to the mystery. A very important image in the story is the withered arm. It creates mystery because the reader will wonder how it happened and malignant uncontrollable forces because the reader will wonder if Rhoda really is a witch. The main themes of the story are witch craft and passion. The passion is in the love triangle between Farmer Lodge, Gertrude and Rhoda. The witch craft is in the vision Rhoda sees and the physical and mental change in Gertrude. Passion and witch craft are the uncontrollable forces in the withered arm. I think one of the things Hardy is trying to say in this book is that life cant always be explained. Thomas Hardy uses many different languages effects. He uses similes and metaphors, to describe Gertrude her face as comely as a live dolls and her face like the light under a heap of rose petals. Hardy also uses extended imagery when he uses the river outside the executioners house to link him to the village, it stood close to the same stream. He also uses personification in describing the river the waters of which emitted a steady roar. Thomas Hardy shows us which characters are common and which arent by having the common ones use dialect. The only person not to use dialect is Gertrude. Another important factor in creating and maintaining a sense of mystery and malignant uncontrollable forces was the plot. The vision coming true and Rhoda beginning to doubt herself really draws the reader in to the story. I think it was a very effective ending giving no clear answers like yes, Rhoda was a witch or not or no, it was all a coincidence and leaving it up to the reader. That really helps maintain mystery In conclusion I think that by using the characters, settings and a strange plot, Thomas Hardy successfully creates and maintains mystery and malignant forces in the withered arm.

A Review of Literature of Erosion of Soils

A Review of Literature of Erosion of Soils Introduction Numerous work and research have been undertaken on erosion of soils for many decades. The following literature review is focusing on the relevant topics in terms of soil erosion process as well as the parameters and factors of soil erosion .Moreover, the literature reviews is primarily focusing on the management and control the soil erosion. 1 Soil Erosion by Water To perform this study, it was necessary to understand how soil erosion occurs. Usually it occurs at a low level but can become a problem when the ecological balance disturbed by humans activities or severe weather .The risk of erosion by water when soils with a high sand or silt content that exposed to heavy rainfall. (Defray 2005). It is crucial that considering rainfall and runoff factors when assessing a water erosion problem (BC.S.Baldwin 2003) .Although the soil erosion caused by long-lasting or less-intense rainfall is not as spectacular .But soil movement by rainfall is most noticeable during the short-time, high-intensity thunderstorms and the amount of soil loss can be considerably, especially when compounded over time. While the excess water on a slope that cannot be absorbed into the soil or trapped on the surface, the runoff will occur. The amount of runoff can be increased if infiltration is reduced due to soil compaction. (BC.S.Baldwin 2003) Two stages process involved in the soil erosion, which depend on water detaching and transporting soil. Rainsplash is a key determinant of detachment of soil particles in the first stage of erosion. However, if a growing crop covers the soil surface, the erosive power of rain will dramatically reduced. Once it detached, surface water run off plays a key role in the process of soil particles being transported. Surface run-off can be easily happening during the heavy storms or prolonged rainfall. (BC.S.Baldwin 2003) Tess Wynn investigated the streambank retreat. Normally it is called streambank erosion, the occurrences involved the combination of three processes, subaerial process, fluvial entrainment and mass wasting. Specifically. The term â€Å"subaerial process† is used to describe the climate- related phenomena that reduce the strength of soil .It mainly controlled by climatic conditions, and overly independent of flow. Subaerial processed are often called â€Å"preparatory processes† due to they increase the susceptibility of soil to erosion at high flows (Wolman, 1959;Lawler, 1993) Apparently. Fluvial entrainment means the direct removal of soil particles or aggregates from the streambed or banks by flowing water. (Tess Wynn 2006), but the fluvial erosion of cohesive soils is extremely complex and related to soil properties and test conditions (Grissinger, 1982). The susceptibility of a cohesive soil to erosion influenced by numerous of the parameters of soil, including grain size distribution, soil density, pore water content and chemistry (Grissinger, 1982) Mass wasting also known as bank failure, it occurs when the weight of the bank exceeds the shear strength of soil. The mass wasting can be attributed to increasing the bank height or bank angel due to fluvial erosion or the presence of tension cracks (ASCE, 1998).Research has proved that bank geometry, properties of bank materials and the density and the type of bank vegetation play the key role the occurrence of mass wasting. Hu Liu, Theodore G. Cleveland, and Keh Han Wang conducted the laboratory tests of dependence on properties of soils and. In their study, rainfall was generated by the rainfall simulator; along with flume .The rainfall simulator consist of a wooden frame and a group of PVC pipes with small holes. The soil sample was placed at one end of the flume .In the experiment, the simulator activated by the adjustment of the slope. In addition, six type of soil with different texture and classifications used in this laboratory experiments. The results show more soil erosion produced by the higher rainfall intensity. Besides, the unit soil volume loss affected by shear strength, compressive strength and rainfall intensities but less influenced by the bed slope. (Hu Liu, Theodore G. Cleveland, and Keh Han Wang, 1999) Jill Fernqvist and Ida Florberger conducted their research in South Africa .Their study indicated the fires are one the important factor that changes the soil properties .their study has been taken in the Western Cape,. The fieldwork focused on water repellency has detrimental influence upon the post-fire erosion Jill Fernqvist and Ida Florberger(2003) 2 Soil Erodibility Soil erodibility is an estimate of the ability of soils to resist erosion in term of the physical characteristics of soil. Generally, the faster infiltration rates of soil, the higher levels of organic matter and improved soil structure have a greater resistance to erosion silt, very fine sand, and certain clay textured soils tend to be more erodible than Sand, sandy loam and loam textured soils cropping practices which lower soil organic matter levels, cause poor soil structure, and result of compacted contribute to increases in soil erodibility. Compacted subsurface soil layers result in decreased infiltration and increased runoff. A formation of a soil crust, can create the decreased of infiltration, however, normally the growth of runoff water is attended by the greater soil erosion problems. (BC.S.Baldwin 2003) There is a definite link between Past erosion and soils. The original soils tend to be less erodible than the exposed subsurface soils on eroded sites were, owing to their lower organic matter or poorer structure .The lower nutrient levels usually related with subsoils contribute to lower crop yields and generally poorer crop cover, which in turn provides less crop protection for the soil. (BC.S.Baldwin 2003) Gregory J. Hanson provided the complex problem about how to predict the erodibilty of soil material by flowing water. Base on the knowledge of hydraulic characteristics and the characteristics of cohesive soils .Laboratory Jet tests were carried out on soil samples compacted at different moisture content dynamic. Jet detection apparatus and method description of the excess stress parameters determined kd and tc. An example of this is used to test the soil in the laboratory to determine the appropriate placement in the field. The flume tests and field trials were carried out to verify the plane corrosion. (Gregory J.2002) 3 Slope Gradients and Length Basically. The steeper slope areas, the greater amount of soil erosion by water.Soil erosion of water also increased with slope length due to the greater accumulation of runoff. The consolidation of small fields into larger results is often no longer the slope length of the potential for erosion, because water with an increase rate that allows a greater degree of scouring (carrying capacity of the sediment) (BC.S.Baldwin 2003) 4 Soil Deposition Soil particles of all sizes may be moved during run-off. When flow stopped, these start to settle. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), sediment is a root cause of water quality impairment (USEPA, 2002).excess Suspended sediments to reduce diversity and rich of aquatic organisms, reduce reservoir capacity, improve drinking water treatment costs, and serve as a carrier of pollutants.(Tess Wynn,2006) The erosion process of cohesive sediment was studied in Masato Sekine and Nobuaki Iizuka study .To full understand the process, they also conduct an experiment .Clay mixed with different compositions were used to test samples of the form of erosion of water pipes in a closed experimental apparatus. Specifically .Experiments carried out a square circle closed pipeline system cross-section 400 centimeters in length and 10 centimeters wide, 10 centimeters deep. 5 Vegetation The potential of soil erosion is increased, if the soil with little or no vegetation, plants and crop residues. Residue cover to protect plants and soil from rain splash, tends to slow down surface runoff flows, and ensures excess surface water infiltration. Erosion soils reducing the efficiency of the plant or residue cover depends on the category, degree and quantity of cover. Combination of vegetation and residue completely covered the soil, and to intercept all falling raindrops, and near the surface and the most effective control of soil (such as forests, permanent grassland). Part into the residue and the root is also very important because they provide the channel that allows surface water into the soil. The effectiveness of any crop, management system or protective cover also depends on how much protection can be at different times during the year, the relative amount of erosive rainfall during these periods belong to. In this aspect , the crops with food, protective cover a major part of the year (for example, alfalfa or winter cover crops) can reduce soil erosion can be far more than crops leave the soil bare for a longer period of time (such as row crops) , especially during the high erosive rainfall (spring and summer).( C.S.Baldwin 2003) I.J. Shelton also investigated tillage operations influence upon the soil erosion, which depending on the depth, direction and timing of the plowing, the types of farming equipment and a number of passes. Generally speaking, the less interference or residual vegetation cover at or near the surface, the more efficient farming practices, and reduce soil erosion (I.J. Shelton 2003) Soil erosion potential is affected by tillage operations, depending on the depth, direction and timing of plowing, the type of tillage equipment and the number of passes. Generally, the less the disturbance of vegetation or residue cover at or near the surface, the more effective the tillage practice in reducing erosion. Regarding the effects of vegetation on streambank stability , Tess Wynn examined the vegetation influences the chemical and properties of steambanks and the local micro climate .The multiple effects on subaerial process produced by riparian vegetation including the dense cover of vegetation absorbs the energy of rainfall ,reducing soil detachment by raindrop . But it should be noted that the effects of vegetation on stream hydraulic varies with the stream stage, width and season. Additionally. Distribution of energy and sediment in a stream influenced by the vegetation. (Tess Wynn 2006) Tess Wynn 2006 addressed the vegetation cover problem. Extensive erosion by wind may result from the lack of permanent vegetation cover in certain locations. Loose, dry, bare soil is the most susceptible; however, crops that produce low levels of residue also may not provide enough resistance. Besides, crops that produce a lot of residue which not protect the soil in severe conditions. Therefore, an adequate network of living windbreaks along with good tillage, residue management, and crop selection are considered to be the most effective vegetative cover for protection. (Tess Wynn 2006) South Africa is a country which lack of the water, but the Jill Fernqvist and Ida Florberger have described the theory of fire -induced water repellency and the following soil erosion in their study. Generally, In South Africa, alien species require more water than the indigenous one. Therefore, alien vegetation provides a poor ground cover compared to the indigenous vegetation, which could result in surface run off and soil erosion (.Jill Fernqvist and Ida Florberger 1996). Jill Fernqvist and Ida Florberger observed the Alien vegetation apparently has been considered as a key issue in the ecosystem of Western Cape. Water yield was decreased in the long term due to the alien vegetation consume a large amount of water, as a result, the biodiversity is threatened. In addition, fire in the alien vegetation for the results of erosion-prone slopes. (Jill Fernqvist and Ida Florberger, 2003) Defra (2005) summarized the Management Practices using Vegetables and Salad Crops in soil erosion Control. And offered some solutions to prevent the soil erosion when undertaking the cultivations, irrigation and harvest. (Defra 2005) 6 Soil Erosion by Wind Soil is also erosion by wind, although the effect is not noticeable like the erosion by water. C.S.Baldwin studied the rate and magnitude of soil erosion by wind is decided by many factors: Erodibility of Soil The wind suspends very fine particles and then transported great distances. Fine and medium size particles can be lifted and deposited by wind. While coarse particles can be blown along the surface (commonly known as the saltation effect). Soil Surface Roughness Soil surfaces only provide little resistance to the wind. However, ridges can be filled in and the roughness broken down by abrasion to produce a smoother surface susceptible to the wind in a long time. Excess tillage is a threat to soil, because it breakdown the soil structure and increased erosion. Climate There is a define link between the speed and duration of the wind and extent of soil erosion. The levels of Soil moisture can be very slightly low at the surface of excessively drained soils or during periods of dro ught, and releasing the particles for transport by wind. It occurs in freeze drying of the surface in winter. Adverse operating conditions maybe created by wind erosion in the field. Crops can be completely ruined so that costly delay and reseeding is necessary (C.S.Baldwin 2003) 7 Effects of Soil Erosion The negative changes from bank erosion including farmland productivity losses, damage to building structures such as bridges, roads etc. I.J. Shelton defined the on-site effects and off-site effects. On-site effects mean extension of the elimination of the impact of soil erosion of valuable topsoil. Crop emergence, growth and yield a direct impact on the loss of, natural and applied fertilizer and soil nutrients. Seeds and plants may interfere with or completely abolish the erosion site. Organic matter in soil, residues and any applicable fertilizer, a relatively light weight, can be transported off-site, especially in the spring thaw conditions. While the off-site effect is not always obvious as on-site effects, but Eroded soil, deposited down slope can inhibit or delay the emergence of the seed, bury small seedling, need to replant in the affected areas. Soil quality, structure, stability and texture can be affected by the loss of soil. The breakdown of aggregates and the removal o f smaller particles or entire layers of soil or organic matter can weaken the structure and even change the texture. Textural changes can in turn affect the water-holding capacity of the soil, making it more susceptible to extreme condition such a drought. (I.J. Shelton 2003) According to the C.S.Baldwin (2003), Sediment can contribute to road damage, accelerate bank erosion, and reduce downstream water quality. What is worse, Pesticides, and fertilizers, which contained in the soils. They frequently transported with eroded soil pollution or contamination of water downstream and entertainment district. 8 Conservation Measures While, based upon research, various conservation measures can be taken to reduce soil erosion by both water and wind. Tillage, cropping practices, and land management practices, have a direct impact on the overall soil erosion problem and solutions to a farm. When crop rotations or changing tillage practices are not enough areas where erosion control method or a combination of more extreme measures may be necessary. For example, contour plowing, strip cropping, or terracing may be considered. (C.S.Baldwin 2003) The defra (2005) advised measures about how to control the soil erosion. In their study, four categories of solution were presented. It is crucial to understand that erosion control on susceptible soil types can be successfully achieved to reduce the impact of rainfall erosion and maintain soil infiltration rate, so that the surface flow are avoided. It can be achieved by 1 To protect the soil from rainfall impact, whether it is permanent vegetation cover or land rotation, timely crop establishment and retention of surface crop residues. 2 Avoiding smooth, flat finishes to exposed field surfaces, so that good water seepage rates remain unchanged. 3 Avoiding tramlines, wheeling or cultivation features that can channel surface flow. 4 Seeking to increase the organic matter content in the means of improving the stability of the soil in the longer term. Steep slope and erosion because of increased risk, the efficiency of these measures is becoming increasingly important. When deciding on the combination of measures to apply in any particular situation, consideration should always be the serious erosion that may occur, if the case happened. In some cases, a measure aimed at controlling erosion may increase. For example, work along the contour is sometimes used to reduce runoff, but if the profile is not strictly followed, the accumulation of water at low points which might break over the cultivation features. (Defra 2005) Meanwhile, good management practices play a pivotal role in the control of soil erosion. Some examples and considerations were presented in defra (2005) study. In order to minimize the soil erosion when soil in the most vulnerable condition, the different type and timing of cultivations should be planned. Obviously, the overall aim should be the soil maintain in a less vulnerable condition as long as possible .Therefore, defra (2005) provided the good management of the farm to reduce erosion risks in terms of seedbed preparation, directions of cultivations and irrigation. 9 Conclusion Soil erosion is a natural and slow process. It has the detrimental effect on the environmental. Normally the agents of soil erosion are water and wind, the soil erosion is affected by many factors .But soil erosion could be effectively controlled and minimized by taken appropriate measures. References Abernethy, B. and I. D. Rutherfurd. 1998. Where along a rivers length will vegetation most effectively stabilize stream banks? Geomorphology. 23(1):55-75 ASCE. 1998. River width adjustment. I: Processes and mechanisms. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. 124(9):881-902. Coppin, N. J. and I. G. Richards. 1990. Use of Vegetation in Civil Engineering. Butterworths.London Department for environment food and rural affairs .2005 .Controlling soil erosion, Defra Publications, London. G.J.de Boer .2002.on the consolidation and erosion of cohesive sediments.Deflt University of Technology .Civil Engineering and Geosciences G. Wall, C.S. Baldwin and I.J. Shelton. 2003. Soil Erosion Causes and Effects .Face Sheet.Queen`s print for Ontario Jill Fernqvist, Ida Florberger 2003. Fire and post-fire soil erosion in the Western Cape, South Africa: Field observations and management practices. Committee of Tropical Ecology, Uppsala University, Sweden. Tess Wynn.2006. Streambank Retreat: A Primer. Vol. 4, No.1 January March 2006. Watershed Update Thorne, C. R. and N. K. Tovey. 1981. Stability of composite river banks. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 6(5):469-484

Life In A Medieval Castle

Life In A Medieval Castle Life during the middle ages began at sunrise, when one of the guards sounded the days start. Servants had already begun to make sure that the fires were lit in the kitchen and great hall. Breakfast was not served until mid day. During this time the servants got time to complete their chores while the soups were cooking in the kitchen. All floors had to be cleaned and wash buckets, which were called basins, had to be washed out. Once the lord and the lady of the house woke up, the maids entered into their quarters, and they cleaned and emptied chamber pots, washed the basins, and the laundry woman also began to do the days laundry. The lord and the lady got well dressed before leaving their quarters to go to mass. They always wore elegant clothing which showed their status but also kept them very warm. After a small breakfast was eaten and the lord and his family went to mass. Once the morning service was complete, the lord dealt with the days business. At mid-morning, dinner was serv ed. Dinner was the main meal of the day. During dinner there was usually entertainment and much food. When dinner was finished, the lord may take his knights or special guests hunting while the lady may do embroidering. Usually the lady did not because she oversaw the castle and did not have time. Supper which was different from dinner, was usually eaten right before bedtime. It marked the end of the day for everyone in the castle. After supper the lord and the lady would go to their quarters and the servants would retire to their quarters. This was the almost daily routine of life in a castle. However, life in a castle was not all work. Hunting and hawking were greatly enjoyed by everyone in the castle and when the lord hunted, delicious and sometimes rare animals were brought to the table as food. Some of the past times were quite dangerous. These involved tournaments and rough ball, which was similar to football. Adults and children alike, enjoyed games such as the blind mans blu ff. This game involved tying a players head with a blind fold, and he would chase the other players. To pass time indoors, people played board games and listened to musicians or storytellers. Storytellers would narrate the stories of heroes such as Arthur and his knights. Though life in the middle ages involved a lot of work, the people in the castle enjoyed great entertainment. In a castle, almost everyone had a specific responsibility. The lord was the head of the castle. The lady spent much of her time supervising their work, as well as overseeing the cooking of meals in the kitchen. One of her responsibilities was running the household, managing production, and maintaining adequate supplies. She had to know which rents and fees were owed to the household. The lady also supervised the embroiderers who had the responsibility of making the clothes for the people in the castle and keeping the lady company. In addition, the ladies were responsible for overseeing the education of the young pages. The parents of the children usually devoted little time to them and those children were quickly thrust in to the adult world. Children usually became part adults at age 12 and were allowed to bear arms. Aristocratic children usually had very little contact with their parents. They were usually raised by nurses. The boys had to perform various services for the lord of the castle such as protect the arms and care for his horses. When the boy reached majority, which was usually at age 15, the fathers rule over him came to an end and the boy was considered an adult with full rights. At that point, the boy was a free, responsible individual who set up their own household. Girls were responsible to learn how to run a household and to raise children when they were old enough. These kinds of responsibilities allowed a castle life to run more smoothly. Castles in the medieval times were very uncomfortable and hardships were plenty. A castle had no central heating. The main fireplace heat was saved for the lord and the lady. They were fortunate to have heavy blankets, mattresses made of feathers, fur covers, while the workers had to sleep in the towers which got unbearably cold and damp, especially at night time. The attendants were sometimes lucky to stay with their master or mistress. They slept on the floor but they were able to get some of the heat coming out of the fireplace. When it was summer, everyone enjoyed the warm weather outside because the castle was still cold inside. Workers wrapped themselves in covers which helped them stay warm during cold times. The castle was also a very busy place. Ship and pigs would roam freely around the castle. With the loud noise of all the people in the castle, it caused a busy atmosphere with a loud noise. Hygiene was normal for the people in the middle ages. They took bathes, washed the ir hands, and brushed their teeth. However, disposal of human waste was not as good. Most castles did not have any plumbing which meant that the waste would remain in one place until it was cleaned by the chamber maids. These conditions may seem bad but they were better than the conditions of a lower class citizen. The code of chivalry and courtly love had a significant influence on the life of nobles. The code of chivalry affected knights in particular. The code of Chivalry came to mean an idealization of the life and manners of a knight at home in his castle and with his court. Courtly love also had strict rules. It was practiced all over Europe. The rules of courtly love allowed nobles to show how they really felt for each other. This kind of event was common between nobles and ladies. The harshness of the castles made them less than desirable to live in but for the lord and lady it was better than the common peoples homes. The life of individuals involved hard work life for the average person during the Middle Ages was very routine but they enjoyed entertainment as well. Everyone in the castle had a specific responsibility which made life run more efficiently even though a castle was busy and very loud. The code of chivalry and courtly love also were a great part of life. They dictated how a noble should lead their lives and how to hold themselves when with others. This was life in the middle ages. Books Blackwood, Gary L. Life in a Medieval Castle. San Diego, CA: Lucent, 2000. Print. Bouchard, Constance Brittain. Strong of Body, Brave and Noble: Chivalry and Society in Medieval France. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1998. Print. Brochard, Philippe, and Patrice Pellerin. Castles of the Middle Ages. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdett, 1980. Print.. Gravett, Christopher. Castle. New York: Knopf, 1994. Print. Hinds, Kathryn. Life in the Middle Ages. New York: Benchmark, 2001. Print. Jordan, William C. Family. The Middle Ages. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1996. 79-81. Print. White, T. H. The Once and Future King. New York: Ace, 1987. Print. Encyclopedias Castle The New Encyclopedia Britannica Macropedia. ed. 2005. Print. Jordan, William C. Family. The Middle Ages. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1996. 79-81. Print.

Nineteenth Century Insane Asylums Essay example -- Exploratory Researc

Nineteenth Century Insane Asylums No matter where they were, mad houses, or insane asylums, have the same basic features and functions. The views of asylum life changed drastically over the course of the nineteenth century. The growth of the number of mad houses during the nineteenth century is quite remarkable. Before 1810, only a few states had insane asylums. By 1850, most of the Northeastern and Midwestern states' legislatures supported having asylums. As early as 1860, 23 of the 33 existing states had some sort of public institution for the insane. (Perrucci, p.11) The view of what caused insanity was widely disputed during this time period. Some physicians viewed insanity as being caused by a disease of the brain resulting in lesions. The opposing view, held by many Europeans, was that insanity was caused by civilization or society as a whole. (Perrucci, p.12) Classification played a significant role in the asylums and how they were run. First there is the classification between sane and insane. This division has continually been the center of study and discussion. Perhaps those that are considered insane aren't really. "Nineteenth century records make it clear that those alone, whether single, divorced, or widowed, were particularly vulnerable to institutionalization." (Dwyer, p.106) The next classification distinction is whether a person is temporarily insane or chronically insane. In many places, the need for a separate institution for the chronically insane was discussed. When a New York state asylum was considering a separate location, superintendent John Gray "opposed the idea of a separate institution for the chronically insane." (Dwyer, p.46) This idea was discredited throughout America and Europe. (... ...bility for Poe's story does exist. Mad houses were hardly present at the beginning of the nineteenth century. They quickly sprouted up throughout Europe and the United States. For the most part, they were run by a powerful, authoritative hierarchy. Towards the end of the century, people realized the major problems of asylums, and reform swept both Europe and the States. Bibliography Beaver, Harold, Ed. The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. Penguin Books. London: 1976. Dwyer, Ellen. Homes for the Mad: Life Inside Two Nineteenth Century Asylums. Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick: 1987. Perrucci, Robert. Circle of Madness: On Being Insane and Institutionalized in America. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: 1974. Porter, Roy. A Social History of Madness: The World Through the Eyes of the Insane. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. New York: 1987.

Politics in the Music of Green Day Essay -- Political Music Essays Pap

Politics in Music Every day we live our lives exercising the right of freedom of expression. In our country, everyone is entitled to his/her own opinions and are allowed to express those opinions freely and openly except in different circumstances where the state determines when (if) a limitation of this freedom is necessary. What happens when this threshold is breached? How has the freedom of expression affected the music industry? How has this all affected society? Green Day is punk rock musical trio from California that features Billie Joe Armstrong on guitar and lead vocals, Mike Dirnt on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Trà © Cool on the drums. Green Day is widely credited, along with fellow California bands The Offspring and Rancid, with reviving mainstream interest in and popularizing punk rock in the United States during the mid 1990s. The band has sold over 30 million albums in the United States, and over 63.5 million records worldwide, â€Å"making them the most successful punk band of all time† (Bruen, par. 4). Green Day currently has three Grammy Awards under their belt including Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, and Record of the Year for their single â€Å"Boulevard of Broken Dreams.† They are also second to the Red Hot Chili Peppers for the most number-ones on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks with eight, and most collective weeks at number one on the Modern Rock Tracks wi th 39. â€Å"American Idiot is a 57 minute politically charged epic depicting a character named Jesus of Suburbia as he suffers through the decline and fall of the American Dream† (Moss, par. 2). The album cover for American Idiot, which is pictured above, illustrates a transparent hand snatching a blood-dripping gr... ...y mixes punk and politics.† TheDailyCampus.com 23 September 2004. 15 October 2006. /storage/paper340/news/2004/09/23/Focus/Green.Day.Mixes.Punk.And.Politics-728545.shtml?norewrite200610291921&sourcedomain=www.dailycampus.com> Malakian, Daron Vartan. â€Å"B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bombs).† Mezmorize. Colombia, 2005. Mattingly, David. â€Å"Dixie Chicks begin tour amid controversy.† CNN.Com/Entertainment 1 May 2003. 15 October 2006. 01/dixie.chicks.tour/index.html> Moss, Corey. â€Å"Why Idiot Was The Smart Move For Green Day.† VH1.COM 01 October 2004. 15 October 2006. green_day.jhtml> Tyrangiel, Josh. â€Å"In the Line of Fire.† Time.com 21 May 2006. 15 October 2006.

Mass Marketing Is Dead

Mass market advertising was once an effective marketing tool. The â€Å"one product suits all† approach had its heyday and is now declining. Hallerman (2006) wrote that in an American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) survey, only 28.7% of respondents now believe that untargeted advertising will be very effective by 2010. The survey is validating the consensus that mass marketing is dead. Increasingly, business leaders, marketing and advertising practitioners are looking at niches, market segments and differentiated audiences as targets.Emergence of Mass MarketingAccording to Lake (2007), marketing is the systematic conduct of business activities to result in a mutually advantageous exchange of products between buyers and sellers. It started off from the sales techniques used by traders and the promotional methods of skilled artisans. Mass marketing is a marketing approach in which the marketer addresses all segments of the market as though they are the same. It refer s to the treatment of the market as a homogenous group and offering the same marketing mix to all customers. (â€Å"Market Segmentation†. n.d.)Companies that employ this strategy expect to generate profits through economies of scale. Marketing, particularly mass marketing, became a discipline as we know it today after the emergence of (1) the mass production of goods; (2) channels of mass distribution of products; and (3) media for mass communication.Mass marketing required a mass supply of goods and the Industrial Revolution facilitated reaching greater volumes of production. New technologies engendered better machinery and production processes. Large quantities of products could now be manufactured at lower costs. This placed the goods within the reach of a greater number of consumers. It made little business-sense to encourage the purchase en masse of a product if such product was non-existent or not readily available for transfer to the buyer.The mass production of goods would have been, however, useless if the products did not reach the consumers. Again, the Industrial Revolution helped bring this forth. The invention of the steam engine led to the establishment of railways that brought the products en masse to distant markets at cheaper rates. Essentially, the railways brought isolated communities closer. Where before, produce of the area could only be sold within the locality, these may now be transported to and sold in far-away areas through the railway system.Now that products are easily reaching distant markets, their existence had to be brought to the attention of potential buyers. The message that â€Å"products were available for purchase affordably† had to be communicated. Again, the Industrial Revolution helped realize this. First, the Gutenberg press allowed the wide-scale dissemination of information through newspapers. Later on, we had the radio, television (broadcast and cable) and the internet.Of course, mass marketing did not magically emerge as soon as the objective condition of having mass production, mass distribution and mass communication existed. The subjective element had to exist. Entrepreneurial vision, drive, organization and resources had to implement the strategy. (Meyer and Dailey. n.d.)A classic example for mass marketing would be Henry Ford’s Model T car. Ford adopted mass production techniques and standardized output that resulted in lower costs. To generate demand for the Model T, it marketed as an automobile that would meet the needs of all buyers at an affordable price.Changing Consumer DemandA big impetuous for mass marketing came after the close of the Second World War. The war effort resulted in increased production capacity, new technology and most importantly, increased demand.A large segment of men went into the military service during the war. Women replaced them in the production of goods. Factories that used to produce consumer goods shifted towards producing weaponry and other resources needed to fight the war. This resulted in full employment of the labor force with greater spending capacity. However, due to the war and the limited supply of consumer goods, spending was â€Å"curtailed† and incomes were saved. According to McCann (1995), there was high pent-up demand when the war was over and the men returned home. Mass demand for consumer products logically followed this pent-up demand considering that the populace had wealth to spend.The new production capacity and improvements in electronics resulted in inexpensive radio and affordable television set. Households easily got hold of radio and television sets giving manufacturers a channel through which they may address the consumers. An almost universal audience for the manufacturers’ pitch was created.Bianco, et al. (2004) wrote the United States was far more uniform not only in terms of ethnicity but also of aspiration in the 1950s and 1960s. The ideal was to own the same model of car or lawnmower or products as the Joneses, or at least ones neighbors. This changed in the 1970s and 1980s due to greater affluence. From â€Å"I want to be normal†, says McDonald’s Light, it became â€Å"I want to be special†. (Bianco, et al., 2004)Multiplicity of Communication MediaThe development and widespread use of printed text in Europe in the1500s produced a brand new form of communication. A single message could now be duplicated with little error and distributed to thousands of people. (â€Å"Tutorial: Mass Communication†. n.d.) McCann (1995), however, said that it was broadcast media that served as the cornerstone of mass marketing.Print media is usually read by individuals even though a standard message may be printed in each copy. Broadcast media, on the other hand, can create a â€Å"monolithic eyeball† – millions of consumers tuned in to a single program. By its nature, broadcast media was for a long time a very viable c hannel for marketing. Bianco, et al (2004) reported that an advertiser in the 1960s could reach 80% of U.S. women by airing simultaneously on CBS, NBC and ABC a commercial spot.However, the hegemony of mass media in influencing consumers has diminished. Business competition and technological advances have resulted in a diversified mass media environment. We have the giant broadcast networks and a multitude of narrowcast cable TV stations. A Nielsen Media Research reported that the average U.S. household receives 100 TV channels in 2004 compared to only 27 in 1994. (Bianco, et al. 2004)Traditional broadcast media is also being affected by new media technologies. The internet has opened a new channel for marketing and is increasingly affecting advertising revenues traditional mass media. In fact, we now have an online version of almost every television station, newspaper and magazine.The internet has also allowed a democratization of mass communication. Now, every person can send out his message through blogs, personal websites and online forum. This in turn creates even more niches that the mass marketer must consider and contend with. Each website can potentially promote or demote a consumer good.Where the communication flow through traditional mass media channels was one-way, new media allowed interactivity. Readers or viewers can interact with the source of information being viewed. A blogger establishes a regular audience by addressing special interests. As with online forums, viewers are encouraged to respond.Current technology now also allows the consumer to by-pass even the most targeted advertising that a marketer may come up with. Personal video recorders are allowing consumers to watch a program when they want to. This has increased television viewing. Research, however, shows that personal video recorders were used to skip about 70% of ads. (Bianco, et al. 2004)SummaryThe same elements that gave rise to mass marketing are tearing it apart. Technologi cal advances brought forth mass production, mass distribution and mass communication. The ordinary consumer is faced with tons of consumer goods. Production techniques now allow mass production of custom products. Automobiles can now be produced in different styles, color, and accessories preferred by the consumer with minimal disruption in the assembly and at little additional cost.Products and consumer goods can now be easily distributed. Shipping of consumer goods is accessible to all. Individual sellers can easily sell and ship products as shown by the success of such online auction site as eBay. More importantly, information and communication technology has developed to the extent that access to information can not be limited. This allows consumers to be more discriminating.Mass marketing is a thing of the past. Mass marketing requires a mass market, a single market without differentiation. In fact, M. Lawrence Light, McDonald's global chief marketing officer said that the mass market never really existed. It was just that the available technologies of the past did not allow companies to reach the individual markets that existed then. (‘Marketing in the â€Å"Age of I†. 2004) While the world has grown smaller due to technological advances, it has magnified the diversity of consumers. Disparate communities are brought closer but proximity does not always translate into homogeneity.Since advances in technology will enable better data gathering, marketers will also be better at connecting with consumers. The marketing message can be refined to the point that it is not intrusive or invasive. According to James Stengel, Procter ; Gamble’s global marketing officer, the future of marketing will be oriented to permission marketing wherein marketing and advertising will be welcomed by consumers because they are viewed as relevant. (Bianco, et al. 2004) This, however, can no longer be done through mass marketing.ReferencesBianco, A., Lowry, T., Berner, R., Arndt, M., and Grover, R. The Vanishing Market. BusinessWeek (July 12, 2004). September 28, 2007. ;http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_28/b3891001_mz001.htm;Hallerman, David. June 16, 2006. The Death of Mass Marketing: eMarketer looks at the rise of ad targeting. September 28, 2007. ;http://www/imediaconnection.com/content/10063.asp;Lake, Laura. n.d. Marketing vs. Advertising: What’s the Difference? September 28, 2007. ;http://marketing.about.com/cs/advertising/a/marketvsad.htm;â€Å"Market Segmentation. n.d. September 29, 2007.   ;http://www.netmba.com/marketing/market/segmentation/;â€Å"Marketing in the ‘Age of I’†. BusinessWeek (July 12, 2004). September 28, 2007. ;http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_28/b3891011_mz001.htm;McCann, John M. March 10, 1995. The Changing Nature of Consumer Goods Marketing ; Sales. September 28, 2007. ;http://www.duke.edu/~mccann/cpg/cg-chg.htm;Meyer, Earl C. and Dailey, Lori A. n.d. Ma ss Marketing. September 29, 2007. ;http://www.answers.com/topic/mass-marketing?cat=biz-fin;â€Å"Tutorial: Mass Communication†. n.d. September 29, 2007. ;http://www.rdillman.com/HFCL/TUTOR/Media/media2.html;

A warm welcome to BN2102 Bioengineering data analysis Essay

Understand the statistical analysis that commonly accompanies publication of experimental data in scientific literature.   Perform the appropriate statistical analysis for a given set of experimental data. Estimate a parameter of interest by performing a suitable fitting to a set of experimental data. Create a suitable mathematical model based on the available experimental data. The module is divided in two parts. The first part will be taught by Chen Peiyi of the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability while the second part will be taught by Dr Alberto Corrias of the Department of Bioengineering. Some of the sessions will be conducted in the computer cluster rooms (block E2, level 3). For those sessions, the class is divided in 4 groups. Please check the IVLE to see which group you belong to and the Lesson Plan to check the exact locations and timings. The assessment is a combination of Continuous Assessment (CA) and final exam a s follows: CA of part 1: 20% CA of part 2: 20% Final exam: 60% The nature of the CA will be specified by each lecturer in due course. The final exam will be closed book. No aid†sheet will be allowed. Statistical tables will be provided if necessary. Please bring your calculator, however please note that programmable calculators will NOT be allowed. We hope you will enjoy BN2102! Best wishes, The teaching staff.