Political Personalities Essay Example for Free

Political Personalities Essay During WWII, Adlolph Hilter was the most destrutive politician and as a German Natzi dictator he was responsible for the estimated deaths of over 11 million people. After fighting in and losing The Great War, Hitler joined the German labor party which began his political career. Giving speeches that fueled anger over Germanys defeat at war by implicating Jews in a conspiracy against the German government. As a child Hitler grew up in Germany with a loving mother and an authoritive and strict father. It is said that his father was never approving of Hitlers ideas and desires and that they had many disagreements including Hitlers passion to persue his interest in art. His grades in school reflect that he was a as a poor learner and he dropped out after his father died at the age of 15. After this he went to Vienna to persue his interest in art but was rejected twice by the art academy. Observation and theories of personality, psychopathology, and psychotherapy developed by philosopher and psychiatrist Alfred Adler concluded that the desire and goal of every human being is to belong and to feel significant (Adler Graduate School 2012). Adler believes that when such desires are not achieved it can lead an individual to an unhealthy desire for superiority he calles â€Å"superiority striving† What might be the motivation behind this leader’s career choice, according to Adler’s theory? Considering Alders theory of an individuals life goal, Hitlers motivation in his strive for superiority may have been influenced by intense feeling of inferiority and insecureties developed during childhood and family evironment. The discouraging rejection of his passion for art by both his father the art institute guided Hitlers reactions and inspired him to find his own way to overcome these inadequicies. Although childhood events were the most influential, social forces encouraged Hitlers strive for superiortity by the German peoples acceptance and submission to his leadership. Did this leader act out of social interest or for personal gain? What was the long-term outcome of his/her striving? Hitlers advances were efforts of personal gain with no real regard or interest in the German people. His intentions to assume control were only provide benefit to his personal ego and satisfaction How would you apply Adler’s theory of birth order to this personality? Alders birth order theory investigates the ways in which family environment affects personality and behavioral responses. Particularly concerning the persons family status such as in Hitlers life as a child enduring paternal rejection and lack of acceptance and encouragement. Hitlers response was to seek the need for approval through the acceptance in social status which had taken the form of power in superiority and control. Considering Alders theory Hitler being the oldest child with younger siblings.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Film Studies Essay

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Film Studies Essay In this analysis of the style and structure of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004), the following research question shall be addressed: how does filmic style and narrative structure evoke atmosphere, define character, and provide cues that generate audience reactions? It will be argued that the film constructs a bittersweet tale of love using an unconventional and fragmented narrative structure; portraying the effects of memory erasure by immersing viewers within the subjective world of the protagonists mind. Eternal Sunshine tells the story of Joel Barish and Clementine Kruczynskis passionate, yet often painfully incompatible romance. From its humble beginnings at a beach party, their relationship blooms over the period of about two years, but ultimately fails. When Joel learns that Clementine has undergone a surgical procedure on a whim to remove all memories of him, he is so wounded that he tracks down the doctor and demands the same operation immediately. Midway through the procedure, however, Joel begins to regret his impulsive decision, realizing the importance of his past, as well as the inevitable loss of some of his most cherished memories with Clementine. The first five shots of Eternal Sunshine are highly significant in terms of both narrative structure and stylistic implications. The film begins by fading-in from black to a deep focus close up of an unshaven Joel, awakening the morning after the memory-erasing procedure (though this narrative information is not revealed until much later). The off-screen sound of a car door closing rouses him, and it is later discovered that this noise comes from the memory technicians departing after the operation. A variety of shot lengths are used in this opening sequence to communicate information about Joels facial expressions, body language, and surroundings. Ultimately, the act of waking coupled with the natural morning sunlight creates an atmosphere of a new beginning, although it is one tinged with a sense of loss. The use of hand held cameras simultaneously evokes the illusion of realistic footage, and viewers are invited to question why Joel awakens this way, establishing a narrative enigm a concerning past events. Joels waking expression is rather vacant, conveying the barren emptiness of his now spotless mind. The shot is illuminated from the right, and upon opening, his dark hazel eyes are drawn to this light source as he utters a sigh. The next medium shot is an eye-line match that frames Joels window, using an upward tilted perspective from his bed. The morning sunlight shines through, providing the only lighting for the scene and signifying a new beginning. The exclusive use of natural lighting additionally suggests an existence devoid of memories, as the atmospheric lighting techniques that accompany memory throughout the film are absent. Subtle, non-diegetic music; sound that does not have a source within the story world (David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, 330), also commences here, with a triple meter bass ostinato accompanying guitar chords. A straight cut introduces the next medium close up of Joel sitting up in bed, tracked by the camera. He sighs, rubs his forehead and begins to remove the bedspreads, which provides a match-on-action transition into the next shot a long shot of Joel moving towards the end of his bed. The dà ©cor of the space is very plain and uninspired, heightening the atmosphere of emptiness. A piano melody enters above the guitar as sunlight engulfs Joels darkened silhouette on the end of his bed. Before the next shot a short ellipsis is implied, and it commences outside as a medium long shot of Joel, now shaven and dressed in dull winter clothing. Sunlight momentarily shines directly into the lens before the camera tracks him to his car, revealing a large dint on its side. Confused and irritated, Joel thuds his briefcase upon the car bonnet as ambient background noises of children playing blends with the music. Although no dialogue is spoken in these shots, the sparse instrumentation and minimalist structure of the background music serves to heighten the mood of an existence that is somehow lacking essence. Hence, the opening shots be gin to define Joels character, whilst providing cues to evoke an atmosphere of a somewhat empty new beginning. Eternal Sunshine is essentially a love story, and a clear binary opposition a category with two mutually exclusive parts that depend upon each other (Graeme Turner, 104) is established between Joel, who is introverted and withdrawn, and Clementine, who is extroverted and eccentric. This opposition allows the characters to effectively compliment and conflict with each other, thus forming the basis of the narrative complication. Despite this somewhat traditional aspect of the story, the manner in which the narrative is structured is by no means conservative. In Film as Social Practice IV, Turner notes that conventional narratives begin in a stable point of equilibrium, which is then disrupted by some power or force motivating the protagonists quest, usually ending with the restoration of equilibrium (107). Eternal Sunshine, however, follows no such structural formula, and events are presented in a fragmented, non-linear fashion. Indeed, the film actually commences after the relations hip, moving from the present to a series of reverse order memory flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks, before finally returning to the present (whilst constantly interweaving secondary plotlines involving the Lacuna team). Another opposition of sorts is therefore established in the narrative itself between memory and present events, with the complicated structure serving to disorientate viewers and portray the complex nature of an individuals personal memories. In Postmodern After-Images, Peter and Will Brooker state that resistance to linearityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [is an] archetypal postmodern technique (58), and thus Eternal Sunshine uses a postmodern narrative style to communicate its story of memorys role in love. Throughout the film, myriad elements of the mise en scene evoke atmosphere, develop character and provide audience cues. Firstly, colour and costuming serve to accentuate the binary opposition between Joel and Clementine. Joel is only ever seen wearing very dull colours, foregrounding the reserved nature of his character, and he often blends into large crowds. On the contrary, Clementines eccentricity is revealed by her kaleidoscopic clothing choices. Also, the colour of Clementines dyed hair acts as a symbolic indicator of the state of her relationship with Joel, changing chronologically from green, to Red Menace, Agent Orange, and finally Blue Ruin. Green is traditionally a colour associated with new life, and it suitably marks the beginning of the relationship. The deep red dye appears to symbolize a climax of romantic passion, and indeed many of Joels best memories are from this colour stage. Orange perhaps embodies a diluted, fading version of this passion, while blue denotes an atmosphere of sadness and depression, appropriately appearing at the point of the relationships ruin. In one particularly symbolic scene, a crane shot frames Joel and Clementine lying together on the frozen Charles River. Some distinct cracks are easily observed in the ice beneath them, indicating the fractures that will inevitably appear in their relationship, and this notion of an intrinsically flawed romance adds to the bittersweet tone of the film. Finally, many elements of the mise en scene are skillfully utilized within subjective shots to portray the erasure of Joels memories: characters suddenly disappear, text on signs and letters fades or vanishes, objects are deleted from shots in fragments, and facial features are smeared. For example, in the beach-house scene, Joels memory of the event literally crumbles piece by piece in his mind. The use of atmospheric lighting is one of the most important filmic techniques employed by Gondry to construct the subjective memory scenes in Eternal Sunshine. In the present, lighting is generally either natural or realistic, but memory shots adopt a more unique lighting approach, emphasizing this narrative opposition. Firstly, low-key lighting and darkness often play a major role in such scenes, with lights either gradually fading to black or suddenly turning off to represent the removal of memories. The most prominent and effective use of atmospheric lighting, however, is a clearly recognizable spotlight effect that pervades memory scenes and becomes a lighting motif throughout the film. This peculiar device ranges from a small, torch-style light, through to a very large and powerful spotlight reminiscent of a helicopter searchlight (the best example being in the Charles River memory scene). The spotlight effect seems to serve a dual function: in one sense, it represents an intru sive, artificial intervention in Joels memory (implying the operation procedure), and he and Clementine are often trying to escape its glare. Also, especially in darkened scenes, the restricted glow of the spotlight could represent the limits of remembered detail in Joels mind, as is argued by Jason Sperb in his article Internal Sunshine: Illuminating Being-Memory in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, when he states: The spotlight signifies the limited perception of Joels remembering, which remains in and of the present. He cannot again completely experience the moments he thinks he remembers; Joel can only see limited illuminations, fragments in his imagination vaguely informed by his understanding of the past (7). The circular shape of the spotlight could also bear some importance, perhaps signifying the cyclic nature of Joel and Clementines relationship. Finally, throughout the film, this and other lights occasionally turn red to imply a state of urgency or alarm. Hence, the combination of the elements of the mise en scene succeeds in creating atmosphere and crafting the effects of memory erasure within Joels mind. Perhaps the most striking element of cinematography in Eternal Sunshine is the almost invariable use of hand-held cameras. This imperfect, sometimes clunky technique often creates the illusion of genuine home video footage an aspect that undoubtedly increases the authenticity of subjective memory scenes. As Ellen Kuras (the films cinematographer) stated in an interview, the camera movement is not always the most gracefulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with the entire film shot handheld, we ended up using sled dollies, wheelchair and chariot dollies, but no traditional dollies at all (John Pavlus, 2). In terms of movement, the camera often wanders freely, glancing around objects and tracking characters using mobile framing. Such techniques are most evident in memory scenes, and some scenes in the present utilize more conventional framing, perhaps serving to accentuate the stark juxtaposition between memory and the present. In the scene where Joel and Clementine meet on the train, initial long and me dium shots become more intimate medium close ups and close ups as the awkward tension between them reduces and they begin to feel more comfortable conversing. Similarly, clever tricks of size perspective are used in the childhood kitchen scenes to achieve the illusion that Joel is child-sized. Cinematography techniques are also exploited to convey the effects of memory erasure in subjective scenes, and the most notable of these are disorienting blurring effects and racking of focus, where the lensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [is] refocused at various planesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ adjusting perspective relations (Bordwell and Thompson, 243). Finally, speed of motion is also occasionally altered within memory scenes, with normal and reverse fast-motion effects used (for example, when Joel is sketching the skeleton picture) to suggest an atmosphere of distorted temporality. The soundscape throughout the film is similarly used with great effect to evoke atmosphere and provide cues that generate audience reactions. Firstly, an internal diegetic voiceover is sometimes used, with Joels diary entries narrating certain scenes from both the present and within memories, encouraging viewers to sympathize with his plight. Some clever sound-image relations are also present, for example, when Joel hastily decides to squeeze through the doors of a leaving train, his voiceover ironically declares that he is not an impulsive person. Similarly, in a memory scene, Joel yells, its all falling apart to Clementine, as a car actually falls from the sky in the background. Indeed, a series of interesting sound techniques are implemented within memory scenes. For example, off-screen voiceovers of the memory technicians working in the present are often heard, reinforcing the fact that certain scenes are occurring subjectively within Joels mind. Effects such as degrading the sou nd quality, slightly asynchronous sound, which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦occurs earlier or later than the events which we see in the image (Bordwell and Thompson, 337), and the use of a digital deleting sound-effect all serve to depict the erasing of Joels memories. Finally, in film, the rhythm, melody, harmony, and instrumentation of the music can strongly affect the viewers emotional reactions (Bordwell and Thompson, 325), which applies throughout Eternal Sunshine. For example, a playful woodwind scherzo accompanies Joel and Clementines meeting on the train, adding to the flirtatious tone of the scene. Similarly, a chromatically sliding cello often signifies disturbing moments, and the dissonant yet beautiful broken guitar chords in the beach-house scene serve to heighten the bittersweet atmosphere and affect the audiences emotions. The final stylistic element that requires analysis is the use of editing throughout Eternal Sunshine. Continuity, which is the style that generates the illusion of a smooth, unbroken continuity across cuts by focusing our attention on story and characters and away from style (Budd, Craig and Steinman, 112), is rather varied in the film, with certain memory scenes and most present scenes adhering to the conventions of this style. For example, in the dining dead scene, a series of shot-reverse shots and eye-line matches are used to depict Joel and Clementines tense conversation. Such techniques give the scene a paced interest and offer balanced character perspectives, whilst remaining easy and natural for viewers to follow. Also, a montage is used to convey a large quantity of information to viewers in a short amount of time when Joel goes home to gather all Clementine-related objects. Unlike scenes in the present, continuity is often radically altered in subjective scenes. For example , when Joel tries to turn Patrick around to face him in the bookstore, a series of quick jump cuts repeatedly prevent the action. Also, jump cuts are often used to suddenly change memory locations, or to entirely erase characters (especially Clementine) from scenes. Finally, it is necessary to examine the films closing scene and its implications. The ending, although slightly ambiguous, seems to be a rather tragic prediction of Joel and Clementines future. The final shots observe the couple walking away together along the snowy Montak beach, suggesting the possibly of a happy ending. Suddenly however, quick jump cuts loop and replay their actions multiple times, indicating that their relationship is destined to continually fail and recommence in an inevitable cycle of love and pain. Thus, with particular attention devoted to the opening shots, it has been argued that via its mise en scene, cinematography, sound, and editing, Eternal Sunshine successfully evokes atmosphere, defines character, and provides cues that generate audience reactions. Ultimately, these stylistic elements, in conjunction with the fragmented narrative structure of the film, subjectively portray the effects of memory erasure within Joels mind, whilst constructing a bittersweet tale of an inevitably failing romance. List of Works Cited: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Dir. Michel Gondry. Focus Features, 2004. Turner, G. Film as Social Practice IV. London: Routledge, 2006. Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K. Film Art: An Introduction. Fifth Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1997. Budd, M., Craig, S. and Steinman, C. Continuity Style Editing. Consuming Environments: Television and Commercial Culture. London: Rutgers University Press, 1999. 112-123. Brooker, P. and Brooker, B. Postmodern After-Images: A Reader in Film, Television and Video. Sydney: London, 1997. Sperb, J. Internal Sunshine: Illuminating Being-Memory in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Kritikos. 2 (2005):1-12. Pavlus, J. Forget Me Not American Cinematographer 85.4 (2004):1-3.

Bilingual signs in the Alsace area

Bilingual signs in the Alsace area Introduction The focus of this essay is on the bilingual signs in the Alsace area. The Alsace, like all of France, is officially monolingual. Even so, in towns such as Strasbourg, Mulhouse/Mà ¼hlhausen or Colmar bilingual street signs have been noticed. Interest in German and Alsatian dialects, repressed until the 1970s, has recently increased. However it may be too late as Alsatian is no longer widely spoken by younger generations. Alsatian may be relegated to an antiquarian curiosity and as such is no longer a threat to French nationalism. This essay presents some primary data in the form of photographs of street signs and demonstrates that there is a pattern to these signs. Bilingual signage only appears in the historic centre, where outside of this the signs are monolingual. Therefore installing street name signs in both French and Alsatian/German may be a tourist draw rather than a genuine attempt to increase the awareness of the language. Bilingual Signs The linguistic landscape is defined as the signs on buildings and shops, road signs, street names and advertising billboards within a geographical territory, which serve the function of conveying information and also a symbolic function (Cenoz Gorter, 2006; Landry Bourhis, 1997). The symbolic function that is served is to promote the language and thus the identity of a minority. Where in previous generations, the dominant culture would obliterate the language of a minority culture living within its confines, either deliberately or simply due to a lack of concern, in the current multicultural climate, minorities are celebrated. Sohamy (2006) refers to language battles taking place between top-down and bottom-up approaches. The top-down approach is from government, public or economic facilities, where bottom-up is when those of an autonomous status such as local business and private citizens initiate the action. These two approaches interact and this is where Sohamy suggests that the battles for control arise. In terms of bilingual signage, these battles would be fought on the linguistic landscape with shop signs being in one language and road signs being in another for instance, or road signs being bilingual and shop signs monolingual. The appearance of language in the public space serves as an important mechanism through which language battlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ take place. Thus, the public place serves as a tool in the hands of different groups for the transmission of messages as to the place of different languages in the geographical and political entities and for influencing and creating de facto language realities. (Sohamy, 2006, p.111) These battles may erupt into criminal behaviour such as the defacing of road signs where the language which is considered unacceptable is obliterated (Chen, 2007). These are civil disobedience actions by people with national pride and pride in their language as a symbol of their nationality, and these actions would be the result of a bottom-up process. In Wales the focus has shifted in recent decades from bottom-up actions like these to a top-down process whereby the government and all official signs must legally be bilingual. A bottom-up protest in Wales now would be a monolingual English sign erected by a shopkeeper who does not wish to pay for translation services. The impact of the bilingual signage in Wales is that drivers take longer to read the sign than if it were monolingual in their dominant language (Jamson, 2004). However, even with this safety concern, and given that there are no longer any Welsh speakers who do not also speak English, it remains politically expedient to oblige all official signs to be bilingual in Welsh and English rather than monolingual English (Merriman Jones, 2008). Thus Wales is officially a bilingual country with a unique history of language activism. The Welsh language has a much stronger position than other minority European languages such as Basque. The Welsh bilingual signs are no longer designed to be quaint or attract ethnic tourism as they may have been in the past (Pitchford, 1995). Other minority European language speakers may still be patronised in this way and have looked to Wales as a model for challenging this attitude. The Alsace Context The Alsace is an historically disputed geographical area between France and Germany. It is an area of linguistic contact between the two dominant languages French and German, and has a unique and complex history of cultural conflict, military occupation and political domination (Kegel, 2003). Since the fifth century AD when the area was occupied by two Germanic tribes, German dialects have been spoken in this area. The Vosges mountain range to the West have served to isolate the population from the French and kept Alsace on the German side of the Germanic-Romance language border. Even when Alsace was officially French it has been easier to travel to Germany rather than into France as recently as the 1970s (Rademaekers, 1973). During the 70s Alsatians had access to television channels from both France and Germany. Most Alsatians at that time spoke both French and German and 80% also spoke Alsatian (Hessini, 1979). However in recent years there has been a decline in use and it is repor ted that younger generations do not speak Alsatian (Bister-Broosen, 2002). French is the state language, is used in education and officialdom, and parents are reluctant for their children to miss learning French as a native tongue due to this prestige. As languages, French and German are considered to be mutually exclusive, French being a Romance language. Alsatian is a Germanic dialect, derived from the Alemanni who settled in the area in the fifth century, and is understood to be German with French borrowings (Hessini, 1979). In fact it has been seen that there are appreciable differences between the dialects in different areas of Alsace and Lorraine, although the whole area is said to speak Alsatian (Judge, 2000). Alsatian was never a written language; Gutenbergs printing press in 1440 precipitated the standardisation of written German. The dialect that was chosen to be the written German was the one considered to be most easily understood by all Germanic dialect speakers. This then became the official and prestige German language and other dialects dwindled. German is the literary medium for the unstandardized Alsatian dialect (Hessini, 1979). The region of the Alsace has changed allegiance or been invaded numerous times through wars between France and Germany, and always seems to be on the losing side (Rademaekers, 1973). Between 1870 and 1945, the Alsace experienced five different changes of nationality, each of which required a change of official language (Vassberg, 1993). It has been French since the end of the Second World War and although Alsatian as a language has more in common with German than with French, as a French province, French has been the official language and Alsatian has been repressed until the 1970s. For example, French educational authorities have forbidden the teaching of German-language courses in Strasbourg primary schools. (Rademaekers, 1973, online). France has become more multicultural in recent years, with bilingual education being introduced, however there is a strong historical context for this monolingualism which stems back to the time of the French Revolution: a nation state which built itself on the principle of one language, one nation. This has meant that all citizens must share the same language in order to be equal before the law; plurality of languages or dialects was felt to be a threat to the cohesion of the nation and for two centuries linguistic policies were based on the elimination of dialects. (Hà ©lot, 2003, p.255) Thus the elimination of Alsatian has been a deliberate policy of French government. In recent years attitudes have changed due to the acknowledgement that learning a second language while young will enhance a childs educational prospects and later their employment prospects (Hà ©lot, 2003; Judge, 2000). However it may well be too late for Alsatian to continue to exist as a language in its own rig ht. If it is no longer spoken, then it will be doomed to become something quaint and old-fashioned, only reeled out for specific purposes (Bister-Broosen, 2002). Alsatian as a spoken language is used on some radio and television, but in all written formats, e.g. education and newspapers, German is used in its place (Judge, 2000). There has not been political language activism in the Alsace in the same way as there has been in other European countries, such as Wales described above. In the 1970s there existed a small-scale group Front de lAlsace libre and there now exists an Alsace dAbord movement which promotes bilingualism on all levels (Judge, 2000). However this is also a small movement and is described as an extreme right-wing movement playing the regionalist card to gain support (Judge, 2000). The supremacy of French in France continues to be absolute, and has been confirmed by Article 2 of the new Constitution of 22 June 1992. This article states that the language of the Republic shall be French. Elected regional authorities use only French. However they do now provide financial aid for the teaching of standard German in Alsace and in 1993 set up the Office rà ©gional du bilinguisme dAlsace (Regional Office for Bilingualism in Alsace). Public and semi-public services are provided solely in French, this includes telephone bills and receipts, telephone directories, hospital signs, electricity bills, post-office and police-station signs (Euromosaic, 2009). Oral communication between the authorities and the public is generally in French, as public employees tend not to be natives of Alsace. In common with other areas in Europe, there is a great deal of geographical movement and there are many other languages spoken in this area not only French, German and Alsatian, including non-European languages. Primary Source Analysis Street Signs in Strasbourg Street signage in Strasbourg has since 1991 begun to be bilingual in French and German. As has been previously mentioned, Alsatian has no written form, and standard German is used in its place, therefore on street signs it would be difficult to distinguish whether they are Alsatian or German as both are the same when it comes to written format. Bilingual signs are also seen in other Alsatian towns such as Mulhouse/Mà ¼hlhausen or Colmar. However, this analysis will concentrate on Strasbourg. On analysis of these street signs, their location and purpose, it might be said that the sign makers are paying lip-service to Alsatian rather than a genuine attempt to reinstate the language. This primary source analysis will begin with street name signs in the historic centre of Strasbourg and will move on to general road signs around Strasbourg for comparison, and signs for the river Rhine. It will then move on to a discussion of the use of bilingual signs, including their patterns and prevalence and opinions on their use. Bilingual Street Name Signs in the Centre of Strasbourg Figure 1 Katzegass (source http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/france-%E2%80%93-belgium-bilingual-road-signs) In Strasbourg, an important and historic street Rue Du Chat (Cat Street) is also signed as Katzegass. It can be seen from the photograph in Figure 1 that the French sign is clearly older than the Alsatian/German. Both in style and condition, the French is seen to be the original with the newer German sign placed above. Figure 2 Isernemannsplatz (source http://www.grenzen.150m.com/strasbourgGB.htm) Another historic street in Strasbourgs tourist centre is Place De LHomme De Fer (Iron Mans Square). Figure 2 is a photograph of the two new signs that have replaced the old monolingual sign, the aperture clearly visible beneath the two signs. In this case, both new signs have been produced in the same style although different lettering is used. The French is in capitals and is placed above the Alsatian/German which is in italic script. This photograph was taken in 2001. Road Sign Examples Figure 3 Arrival to Strasbourg on the French side (source http://www.grenzen.150m.com/strasbourgGB.htm) Figure 3 is a photograph of a monolingual French sign Communautà © Urbaine de Strasbourg (literally translated as Urban Community of Strasbourg or City of Strasbourg). This photograph was taken in 2001 on the French side of Strasbourg, on entering the city. Figure 4 Arrival to Strasbourg on the German side (source http://www.grenzen.150m.com/strasbourgGB.htm) Figure 4 depicts a monolingual German sign on arrival to Kehl, a district of Strasbourg on the German side, and Figure 5 is a photograph of a monolingual German sign leaving Kehl and travelling through Strasbourg towards France. Comparison of Figure 3, 4 and 5 demonstrates that directional signs in Strasbourg are monolingual French on the side nearer to France and German on the side nearer to Germany. Figure 5 Leaving Kehl towards France (source http://www.grenzen.150m.com/strasbourgGB.htm) Signs for the River Rhine Figure 6 Leaving Strasbourg (source http://www.grenzen.150m.com/strasbourgGB.htm) Leaving Strasbourg, a monolingual French sign indicating le Rhin (the Rhine river) is depicted in Figure 6. And Figure 7 depicts a German sign for Rhein the same river but seen from the German side. Figure 7 Leaving Strasbourg near the Europabrà ¼cke (source http://www.grenzen.150m.com/strasbourgGB.htm) Therefore it can be seen in comparing Figures 6 and 7, that signs for the river are monolingual in French or German depending on which side of the river is being signposted, rather than being bilingual. Patterns and Prevalence of Bilingual Signs Strictly speaking, Figure 1 and Figure 2 are not images of true bilingual signs, they are both images of two monolingual signs placed together. However due to the close proximity of these signs, and due to the fact that there are no true bilingual signs to be found, i.e. two languages on one sign, these will be classed as bilingual signage in this analysis. From these seven images it can clearly be seen that in signage other than street names, the signs in the Strasbourg area are monolingual. Given the cultural and historical significance of the Rhine river, it may be expedient to use bilingual signage for this, however as these photographs (taken in 2001) indicate, this has not been the case. It appears that the only examples of bilingual signage to be found in Strasbourg are in the historic centre, which may be considered the most tourist-visited area. Thus the patterns of signs in this region appear to be German on the side of the city nearer to Germany and French on the side nearer to the rest of France. This includes road signs for the towns and areas and for the river. In the centre there is bilingual signage for the street names. Opinions on Bilingual Signs People do not believe that the French government will promote the use of German. For instance there is little funding available for research projects into German in French universities. There is little encouragement to use written or spoken German in public life; there is little acknowledgement of German as contributing to Frances cultural richness. People are discouraged from giving their children names that are too German although proper names and place names have remained in their traditional correct German form (Euromosaic, 2009). Public notices, door signs, hospital signs, school and trade signs are all in French. As can be seen from this primary source analysis, monolingual German road signs are only evident on the German side of the city. Euromosaic (2009) reports that a number of Commune authorities in France have begun to install bilingual street signs and that these usually appear in historic town centres. This is reportedly due to public pressure, and in Strasbourg this pressure group is referred to as Action-Pirate. The appearance of these signs in historic tourist areas appears to be a salve to indicate government support of a language that no longer presents a challenge to the dominant language of the state. If it is limited to use on street name signs, it become folklorique and antiquarian. It may be the equivalent of the English Ye Olde Teashoppe signs which are understood to be a reference to cultural history rather than a genuine attempt to reinstate a dead form of the language. This may be a cynical view, however with no evidence of bilingual signage outside of these tourist areas, as might be seen in a true bilingual country such as Wales, it is clear that the French authorities are making no effort to support the use of Alsatian in the Alsace. Instead it appears that the language is used as a gimmick to attract ethnic tourism. Conclusion This essay has analysed the prevalence and patterns of bilingual signs in Strasbourg. It has been seen that bilingual signage only appears in the historic centre, where outside of this the signs are monolingual. The conclusion drawn from this is that these signs form a gimmick to be used as a tourist draw. These signs are top down in Sohamys (2006) mechanism, and have a purpose other than simply naming the street. As part of the linguistic landscape, they point to the cultural history of the space rather than being needed for directional purposes.

Murphys Law :: essays research papers

It is a quiet, Saturday afternoon, and the overcast humidity of the air gives me an obscene sense of nonchalance. Time in hand, I peruse a ‘Survival Handbook’, a sort of â€Å"Pessimist’s Guide to the World†. It was given to me as a Christmas present, and its perverse implication of Murphy’s Law amuses me. I would assume that its pleasant uselessness would appeal to all who share my insatiable appetite for superfluous information. A smile creeps onto my face as I remember the one objective truth about this world: â€Å"Anything that can go wrong, will†. I stop to ponder a hypothetical scenario in which I might need to know â€Å"How to win a sword fight† or â€Å"How to leap from a burning car†. Further indulging my pessimism, I begin to fantasise†¦ I am siting comfortably in the first class compartment of a train from Paris to Munich, quietly minding my own business, sipping coffee from a china mug and reading my Pessimists Handbook, when the door at the end of the carriage opens. In walks a decrepit looking old man dressed in tattered rags, giving him the appearance of Fagan from Oliver Twist. Unlike Fagan on the other hand, he sports a gleaming new assault rifle and is draped in chains of ammunition. This, I realise, gives him more of a â€Å"Rambo meets Hunchback of Notre Dame† appearance. After a little deliberation, I notice that this is somewhat out of place in my train carriage, which to my perplexed bemusement, is becoming littered with bullet holes. Caring not at this time to ponder the philosophical implications of this seemingly random outburst of post-teenage angst, I am more worried about the looming possibility of ending unfashionably dead. Remembering my survival handbook, I â€Å"run fast but do not move in a straight line† and â€Å"weave back and forth†. Coming to the opposite end of the carriage, I slide open the door, and â€Å"turn a corner as quickly as I can† which leaves me but one option; to climb the ladder leading onto the top of the carriage. Having previously read the chapter entitled â€Å"How to Maneuver on Top of a Moving Train†, I am fortunately informed that I should â€Å"not attempt to stand up straight†¦ stay bent slightly forward, leaning into the wind†. As I â€Å"move my body with the rhythm of the train – from side to side and forward†, I remember my feet should be â€Å"spread about 30 inches apart†, and that I should â€Å"wobble from side to side† as I move forward.

Separate Peace Essay: Influence of the War on Characters

Influence of the War on Characters Historical events can play an important role in a person's life. In A Separate Peace, the whole atmosphere at the Devon School changed as World War II progressed. The boys either eagerly awaited the draft, enlisted in the area of war they wanted, or did not want to go at all. The students at the school created new activities for enjoyment since the customary past times could not be played due to a lack of materials. When a friend "returns" from the war, the boys at Devon got a real sense of what the war was like. The boys learned that going to war was not all fun and games like they had anticipated. The influence World War II had on the characters in A Separate Peace and on life at the Devon School was clearly depicted through their actions and activities. The beginning of the novel allows the reader to get a feel of what the Devon School was like during that time period. Students of "war age" were constantly leaving Devon to go to the war, either by choice or by draft. Whether kids wanted to go or not, the anticipation was always present. As winter approached the Devon school, so did the encroaching shadow of the war. The boys were called out to help shovel free a troop train trapped by snow-blocked tracks. The experience "brings the war home" for all of them, and they realized they would have to face a crucial decision very soon. Maturity leapt upon them, whether they're ready for it or not, at the tender age of seventeen. The excitement of the war had gotten to everybody at the school, including the staff, and made it a chaotic place. The boys wer... ...as different because of his experience. ****I like how you incorporate quotes from the book into your own thoughts in these sentences: When a friend "returns" from the war, the boys at Devon got a real sense of what the war was like. The boys were called out to help shovel free a troop train trapped by snow-blocked tracks. The experience "brings the war home" for all of them, and they realized they would have to face a crucial decision very soon. ****You need to be consistent with the tenses. To solve the problem you can do one of two things. You can change the tense of the verb in the quotation and enclose it in brackets to show that you changed the tense. (e.g. "return[ed]" "[brought]") Or you can just change the tense of all your discussion to present tense, which is commonly done when discussing books.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 23

Acoldfrisson went down Elena's back, the most delicate of shivers. Damon didn'task for kisses. This wasn'tright . â€Å"No,† she whispered. â€Å"Just one.† â€Å"I'm not going to kiss you, Damon.† â€Å"Not me. Him.† Damon denoted â€Å"him† with a tilt of his head toward Matt. â€Å"A kiss between you and your former knight.† â€Å"You wantwhat ?† Matt's eyes snapped open and he got the words out explosively before Elena could open her mouth. â€Å"You'd like it,† Damon's voice had dropped to its softest, most insinuating tones. â€Å"You'd like to kiss her. And there's no one to stop you.† â€Å"Damon.† Matt struggled up out of Elena's arms. He seemed, if not entirely recovered, perhaps eighty percent of the way there, but Elena could hear his heart laboring. Elena wondered how long he'd lain feigning unconsciousness to get his strength back. â€Å"The last thing I knew you were trying to kill me. That doesn't exactly get you on my good side. Second, people just don't go around kissing girls because they're pretty or their boyfriend takes a day off.† â€Å"Don't they?† Damon hiked an eyebrow in surprise. â€Å"I do.† Matt just shook his head, dazed. He seemed to be trying to keep one idea fixed in his mind. â€Å"Will you move your car so we can leave?† he said. Elena felt as if she were watching Matt from very far away; and as if he was caged somewhere with a tiger and didn't know it. The clearing had become a very beautiful, wild, and dangerous place, and Matt didn't know that either. Besides, she thought with concern, he'smaking himself stand up. Weneed to leave – and quickly, before Damon does anything else to him. But what was the real way out? What was Damon's real agenda? â€Å"You can go,† Damon said. â€Å"As soon as she kisses you. Or you kiss her,† he added, as if making a concession. Slowly, as if he realized what it was going to mean, Matt looked at Elena and then back at Damon. Elena tried to communicate silently with him, but Matt wasn't in the mood. He looked Damon in the face and said, â€Å"No way.† Shrugging, as if to say,I did everything I could , Damon lifted the shaggy pine rod – â€Å"No,† cried Elena. â€Å"Damon, I'll do it.† Damon smiledthe smile and held it for a moment, until Elena looked away and went to Matt. His face was still pale, cool. Elena leaned her cheek against his and said almost soundlessly into his ear, â€Å"Matt, I've dealt with Damon before. And you can't just defy him. Let's play along – for now. Then maybe we can get away.† And then she made herself say, â€Å"For me? Please?† The truth was that she knew too much about stubborn males. Too much about how to manipulate them. It was a trait she'd come to hate, but right now she was too busy trying to think of ways to save Matt's life to debate the ethics of pressuring him. She wished it were Meredith or Bonnie instead of Matt. Not that she would wish such pain on anyone, but Meredith would be coming up with Plans C and D even as Elena came up with A and B. And Bonnie would already have lifted tear-filled, heart-melting brown eyes to Damon†¦. Suddenly Elena thought of the single red flash she'd seen under the Ray-Bans, and she changed her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted Bonnie around Damon now. Of all of the guys she'd known, Damon had been the only one Elena couldn't break. Oh, Matt was stubborn, and Stefan could be impossible sometimes. But they both had brightly colored buttons somewhere inside them, labeledPUSH ME , and you just had to fiddle with the mechanism a little – okay, sometimes more than a little – and eventually even the most challenging male could be mastered. Except one†¦ â€Å"All right, kiddies, enough time out.† Elena felt Matt pulled from her arms and held up – she didn't know by what, but he was standing. Something held him in place, upright, and she knew it wasn't his muscles. â€Å"So where were we?† Damon was walking back and forth, with the Virginia pine branch in his right hand, tapping it on his left palm. â€Å"Oh, that'sright † – as if making a great discovery – â€Å"the girl and the stalwart knight are going to kiss.† In Stefan's room, Bonnie said, â€Å"For the last time, Meredith, did you find a backup file for Stefan's note or not?† â€Å"No,† Meredith said in a flat voice. But just as Bonnie was about to collapse again, Meredith said, â€Å"I found a different note completely. A letter, really.† â€Å"Adifferent note? What does it say?† â€Å"Can you stand up at all? Because I think you'd better have a look at this.† Bonnie, who had only just gotten back her breath, managed to hobble over to the computer. She read the document on the screen – complete except for what seemed to be its final words, and gasped. â€Å"Damon did something to Stefan!† she said, and felt her heart plummet and all her internal organs follow it. So Elena had been wrong. Damonwas evil, through and through. By now, Stefan might even be†¦ â€Å"Dead,† Meredith said, her mind obviously following the same track that Bonnie's had taken. She lifted dark eyes to Bonnie's. Bonnie knew that her own eyes were wet. â€Å"How long,† Meredith asked, â€Å"has it been since you called Elena or Matt?† â€Å"I don't know; I don't know what time it is. But I called twice after we left Caroline's house and once at Isobel's; and when I've tried after that, I either get a message that their mailboxes are full or it won't connect at all.† â€Å"That's about exactly what I've gotten. If they went near the Old Wood – well, you know what it does to phone reception.† â€Å"And now, even if they come out of the woods, we can't leave them a message because we've filled up their voicemail – â€Å" â€Å"E-mail,† Meredith said. â€Å"Good old e-mail; we can use that to send Elena a message.† â€Å"Yes!† Bonnie punched the air. Then she deflated. She hesitated for an instant and then almost whispered, â€Å"No.† Words from Stefan's real note kept echoing in her mind:I trust Matt's instinctive protectiveness for you, Meredith's judgment, and Bonnie's intuition. Tell them to remember that. â€Å"You can't tell her what Damon's done,† she said, even as Meredith began busily typing. â€Å"She probably already knows – and if she doesn't, it'll just make more trouble. She's with Damon.† â€Å"Matt told you that?† â€Å"No. But Matt was out of his mind with pain.† â€Å"Couldn't it have been from those – bugs?† Meredith looked down at her ankle where several red welts still showed on the smooth olive flesh. â€Å"It could be, but it wasn't. It didn't feel like the trees, either. It was just†¦pure pain. And I don't know, not for certain, how I know that it's Damon doing it. I just – know.† She saw Meredith's eyes unfocus and knew that she was thinking about Stefan's words, too. â€Å"Well, my judgment tells me to trust you,† she said. â€Å"By the way, Stefan spells  ¡Ã‚ ®judgment' the preferred American way,† she added. â€Å"Damon spells it with ane . That may have been what was bothering Matt.† â€Å"As if Stefan would really leave Elena alone with everything that's been going on,† Bonnie said indignantly. â€Å"Well, Damon fooled all of us and made us think so,† Meredith pointed out. Meredith tended to point out things like that. Bonnie started suddenly. â€Å"I wonder if he stole the money?† â€Å"I doubt it, but let's see.† Meredith pulled the rocking chair away, saying, â€Å"Grab me a hanger.† Bonnie grabbed one from the closet and grabbed herself one of Elena's tops to put on at the same time. It was too big, since it was Meredith's top given to Elena, but at least it was warm. Meredith was using the hooked end of the wire hanger on all sides of the floorboard that looked most promising. Just as she managed to pry it up, there was a knock at the open door. They both jumped. â€Å"It's only me,† said the voice of Mrs. Flowers from behind a large duffel bag and a tray of bandages, mugs, sandwiches, and strong-smelling cheesecloth bags like the ones she'd used on Matt's arm. Bonnie and Meredith exchanged a glance and then Meredith said, â€Å"Come in and let us help you.† Bonnie was already taking the tray, and Mrs. Flowers was dumping the duffel bag on the floor. Meredith continued prying the board up. â€Å"Food!† Bonnie said gratefully. â€Å"Yes, turkey-and-tomato sandwiches. Help yourselves. I'm sorry I was away so long, but you can't hurry the poultice for swellings,† Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"I remember, long ago, my younger brother always said – oh, my goodness gracious!† She was staring at the place where the floorboard had been. A good-sized hollow was filled with hundred-dollar bills, neatly wrapped in packets with bank-bands still around them. â€Å"Wow,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I never saw so much money!† â€Å"Yes.† Mrs. Flowers turned and began distributing cups of cocoa and sandwiches. Bonnie bit into a sandwich hungrily. â€Å"People used to simply put things behind the loose brick in the fireplace. But I can see that the young man needed more space.† â€Å"Thank you for the cocoa and sandwiches,† Meredith said after a few minutes spent wolfing them down while working on the computer at the same time. â€Å"But if you want to treat us for bruises and things – well, I'm afraid we just can't wait.† â€Å"Oh, come.† Mrs. Flowers took a small compress that smelled to Bonnie like tea and pressed it to Meredith's nose. â€Å"This will take the swelling down in minutes. And you, Bonnie – sniff out the one that's for that bump on your forehead.† Once again Meredith's and Bonnie's eyes met. Bonnie said, â€Å"Well, if it's only a few minutes – I don't know what we're doing next anyway.† She looked the poultices over and picked a round one that smelled of flowers and musk to put on her forehead. â€Å"Exactly right,† Mrs. Flowers said without turning around to look. â€Å"And of course, the long thin one is for Meredith's ankle.† Meredith drank the last of her cocoa, then reached down to gingerly touch one of the red marks. â€Å"That's okay – † she began, when Mrs. Flowers interrupted. â€Å"You're going to need that ankle at full capacity when we go out.† â€Å";;When we go out'?† Meredith stared at her. â€Å"Into the Old Wood,† Mrs. Flowers clarified. â€Å"To find your friends.† Meredith looked horrified. â€Å"If Elena and Matt are in the Old Wood, then I agree:we have to go look for them. Butyou can't go, Mrs. Flowers! And we don't know where they are, anyway.† Mrs. Flowers drank from the cup of cocoa in her hand, looking thoughtfully at the one window that wasn't shuttered. For a moment Meredith thought she hadn't heard or didn't mean to answer. Then she said, slowly, â€Å"I daresay you all think I'm just a batty old woman who's never around when there's trouble at hand.† â€Å"We would never think that,† Bonnie said staunchly, but thinking that they'd found out more about Mrs. Flowers in the last two days than in the entire nine months since Stefan had moved in here. Before that, all she'd ever heard were ghost stories or rumors about the crazy old lady in the boardinghouse. She'd been hearing them since she could remember. Mrs. Flowers smiled. â€Å"It's not easy having the Power and never being believed when you use it. And then, I've lived for so long – and people don't like that. It worries them. They start to make up ghost stories or rumors – â€Å" Bonnie felt her eyes go round. Mrs. Flowers just smiled again and nodded gently. â€Å"It's been a real pleasure having a polite young man in the house,† she said, taking the long poultice from the tray and wrapping it around Meredith's ankle. â€Å"Of course, I had to get over my prejudices. Dear Mamaalways said that if I kept the place, I might have to take in boarders, and to be sure not to take in foreigners. And then of course, the young man is a vampire as well – â€Å" Bonnie almost sprayed cocoa across the room. She choked, then went into a spasm of coughing. Meredith had her no-expression expression on. † – but after a while I got to understand him better and to sympathize with his problems,† Mrs. Flowers continued, ignoring Bonnie's attack of coughing. â€Å"And now, the blond girl is involved as well†¦poor young thing. I often speak to Mama† – still with the accent on the second syllable – â€Å"about it.† â€Å"How old is your mother?† Meredith asked. Her tone was one of polite inquiry, but to Bonnie's experienced eyes her expression was one of slightly morbid fascination. â€Å"Oh, she died back at the turn of the century.† There was a pause, and then Meredith rallied. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† she said. â€Å"She must have lived a long – â€Å" â€Å"I should have said, the turn of theprevious century. Back in 1901, it was.† This time it was Meredith who had the choking fit. But she was more quiet about it. Mrs. Flowers' gentle gaze had drifted back to them. â€Å"I was a medium in my day. On vaudeville, you know. So hard to achieve a trance in front of a roomful of people. But, yes, I really am a White Witch. I have the Power. And now, if you've finished your cocoa, I think it's time we went into the Old Wood to find your friends. Even though it's summertime, my dears, you'd both better dress warmly,† she added. â€Å"I have.†

Migration from Mexico to united states

Migration is a subject that is studied on all levels when dealing with humanity and its idiosyncrasies. In order to understand migration we must understand the various components involved in migration, including internal migration, external migration, immigration and both refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. We must attempt to understand the reasons to migrate and how laws affect the various forms of migration and if there would be solutions to this practice of migration. The objective is to study the problems, the solutions and the reasoning behind migration as a whole. In order to understand the reasons behind migration of people we must first define the various components of migration. Migration refers to the movement of an individual from his or her home country, also known as the source country to another country as his or her destination. The two main movements are involved include immigration and emigration. Immigration would be the movement of individuals into a country. Emigration is the movement of individuals from their home country. The balance between emigration and immigration would be known as net migration and this can be either positive or negative. Positive would be when immigration exceeds emigration and negative would be the reverse of that process. (Kar, 2006, 187) There are many different influences and consequences relative to migration for anyone that moves from where they originated. Factors that would have to do with migration include the economic growth and development of the country that people are leaving, specifically GDP, the level of domestic development, and finally income and quality of life within the countries. Another two factors include how urbanized an area would be and variations in that consideration along with levels of education that would in fact be available for children across the country of origin in place of isolated areas. Occasionally, the amount of US influence on a country can either adversely or conversely affect the amount of migration. We see this today as we build walls along the US and Mexican border. We see it in the denials for migrants that are entering this country from all over the world as the numbers increase exponentially. The US has gone so far as to create the Homeland Security office to ensure that human trafficking is policed, and have created new laws to create fencing between the US and Mexican border to prevent more immigrants from entering the country illegally. An attempt at appeasement for Mexico in regard to what was known as the bill to create a guest worker program failed in gaining the necessary acceptance. (Fletcher, 2003, 343) Migration from Mexico has generated a sizeable Mexican-born population in the United States. Mexican estimates compute this population in the range of 8 to 8.5 million, of which the non-authorized component is estimated between 3 and 3.5 million. The US Census Bureau estimates that there are more than nine million Mexican immigrants living in the United States. Of these, approximately 4.7 million, or over half, are undocumented. However, about 1.6 million, or one in five Mexicans, are naturalized US citizens (MPI, 2002, 1). Regulation and policing will only go so far in slowing the amount of migration. Force rarely facilitates the ability to have residents of one country to remain in that country and there have been no recent incentives to have many of them stay in their own countries. The US may provide aid, and this may actually end up causing further migration in place of bringing a halt to it. Aid is not always the answer, unless that aid is universal in content coming from many donors in place of one. References Fletcher, R; (2003); Beliefs and Knowledge: Believing and Knowing; Howard & Price. Kar, P; (2006); History and related application of Migration; Dasgupta & Chatterjee. Migration Policy Institute (MPI). (2002) Mexico: A Crucial Crossroads. Retrieved 1/9/2007 Â