How does Great Expectations Reflect the Victorian Era?

How does Great Expectations Reflect the Victorian Era? Then, Pip becomes a gentleman, he assumes that great expectations mean that he may no longer be content with the good things he already has. When Mr. Joe visits Pip in London, Pip looks down on Mr. Joe and thinks that he does not fit to his new environment anymore. Pip thinks to himself, Not with pleasure, though I was bound to him by so many ties; no; with considerable disturbance†¦ If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money (pg.186). Although Joe protected and assisted Pip throughout his childhood and adolescence, Pip was still embarrassed by him. However, in the end he regrets for treating him so rude. After so many disappointments (He was planning to marry Biddy, but she married Mr. Joe. He expected that being a gentleman would provide him a chance to marry Estella, but she married Bentley etc.), he is finally forced to develop some simple and realistic expectations and learns how to be content with the modest living he makes in the mercantile firm. Pip learns that social class is not essential for happiness; that strict designations of good and evil, and even of guilt and innocence, are nearly impossible to maintain in a world that is constantly changing; and that his treatment of his loved ones must be the guiding principle in his life. Great Expectations and Victorian Age Dickens Great Expectations is one of several reflective books of Victorian age. It is a very successful representative of its own time. Written in 1860 and following the story of Pip from childhood to adulthood, the book represents the common Victorian elements like social class difference, industrialization, Victorian houses, Victorian values and women. At the very beginning of the book, we encounter with a typical low-class family. They live in a village among marshes. Mr. Joe is a blacksmith and his wife (the sister of Pip) is a typical Victorian low-class housewife. She sinks under the household duties and always complains about not being able to take off her apron (chapter 1-2). Because of her harsh duties, she is always frustrated and often beats Pip. Then, we encounter with high-class, well-dressed, well-dancing women like Miss Havisham and Estella through the onwards of the book. These two different families are also the first signals of the existence of social classes in the society. On the one hand, Gargery family is a poor, uneducated, living in a village. On the other hand, Miss Havisham lives in a mansion called Satis House. The Pockets house is full of servants. Estella is a young lady who dances well and educated abroad. Also the other women in Pips snobbish life in London represent the typical high-class Victorian women. Having seen the two different lives in early years of his life, Pip wants to shift to the upper class. He expects to become a gentleman who has all the values appreciated by the society in order to have Estella and an upper class lifestyle. Pips early impressions about London remind us the effects of Industrial Revolution and immigration. When he comes to London, he is amazed and displeased with the unbelievable crowd (resulting from immigration for job) and awful smell (coming from sewage due to the factories): I was scared by the intensity of London. I think I might have had some faint doubts whether it was not rather ugly, crooked, narrow, and dirty.'(pg. 138) The gloomy streets of Smithfield disturb him. It is easy to see Victorian architecture and Victorian houses in the book. Satis House, Wemmicks house (like a castle), and other ornamented houses tell us the taste of architecture of those days. It is very sad not to see some of important themes of Victorian era like child labor, prostitution, colonialism etc. in Great Expectations. But, Dickens uses colonialism in Great Expectations as a narrative device. A transported convict exactly meets the need for a benefactor who can make a substantial fortune yet who has to remain anonymous, and of whom Pip will eventually be ashamed. The capital law against returning from transportation sharpens the impact of the later chapters, when Pip sheds his pretensions as well as his wealth. Thus Dickens, like so many Victorian authors who used the colonies as places to transfer burned-out characters or from which to retrieve characters, uses this aspect of colonialism as the dramatic cornerstone for his novel. (Jonah Raskin in The Mythology of Imperialism (New York:Random House,1971)) In other words, colonialism is used not as a theme but a narrative device in Great Expectations. Also, Dickens used the other themes mentioned above in his other works. For example, Oliver Twist child labor, destitution etc.

Peeling Back the Label Essay -- Sociology

Have you ever heard yourself mentioned by someone else as â€Å"mature or immature?† This status is so easy to place on people that they often don’t even realize that they are slapping a label on someone. Have you ever pondered why this person is acting immature? Often people see someone do something obnoxious or stupid and their first thought is â€Å"that person is so immature.† However, what about the effects that leads up to them behaving in this manner? Within my paper I plan to broaden your viewpoint and ideology and show you that immaturity and maturity aren’t just labels, but are the results of many leading affects in a person’s life. The first idea we want to look at would be, â€Å"what does maturity or immaturity really mean and what all does it involve? Maturity and immaturity are only two parts, and the most commonly heard, however there is a third aspect; pseudomaturity. According to the International Journal Of Behavioral Development, pseudomaturity is an attained social maturity without the psychological maturity. Drug abuse can be categorized in the pseudomature area because people who become addicted to drugs do it to look cool, or fit in, not because it is a better way to understand themselves or because is it healthy for them. Maturity is often used to define someone, or their actions, instead of themselves. A teen graciously takes over watching her little siblings without being asked and her Mom instantly praises her with, â€Å"sweetheart, you are becoming so mature these days.† This type of labeling is becoming so common in our culture, because parents throw the word out and the teen comes to connect the word mature with their actions. Maturity in actual reality is not whether you perform a task correctly or what you did, but... ...o, David, Seung Hee Yoo, and Johnny Fontaine. "Hypocrisy Or Maturity? Culture And Context Differentiation." European Journal Of Personality 23.3 (2009): 251-264. PsycINFO. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. NIV Bible Rutger C. M. E. Engels, et al. "Parent-Child Relationships, Partner Relationships, And Emotional Adjustment: A Birth-To-Maturity Prospective Study." Developmental Psychology 43.2 (2007): 429-437. PsycARTICLES. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. S. Alexandra Burt, et al. "Genetic And Environmental Influences On Personality Trait Stability And Growth During The Transition To Adulthood: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study." Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 100.3 (2011): 545-556. PsycARTICLES. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. Wim H. J. Meeus, et al. "Maturation Of Personality In Adolescence." Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 96.4 (2009): 898-912. PsycARTICLES. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

Solar Power Essay -- Alternative Energy Clean Photovoltaic Cells Panel

Solar Power: An Alternative Energy Source Since first discovered in the 1860s, the concept of storing energy from the sun to use as a source of power has been studied and pursued by many programs. Either using solar collectors or photovoltaic cells, the methods of using solar power are becoming more efficient and cost-effective. Solar technology is currently being used by homes and businesses, but is still too expensive and risky for many residents. Researchers are still making advances to solar technology for it to be a feasible energy source in the future. Solar energy was first started in the 1860s when Auguste Mouchout and William Adams found a way for storing solar radiation into tanks of water. Since then, there have been improvements to the processing of solar energy, which has been split into two categories: agricultural based and electricity based. The agricultural method, otherwise known as thermal solar energy, uses the sunlight to heat liquid and power steam engines. Solar collectors can be used on houses or business buildings to store the energy. Different types of solar collectors are flat-plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors and integral collector storage systems (US Department of Energy, 2007, para. 2). The electrochemical process is more complicated and requires photovoltaic (PV) cells to capture the solar energy and convert it into electricity. PV cells have many uses, including powering batteries or mechanical devices by absorbing the photons and creating a voltage. (Simon, 2007, p. 88) Silicon in the PV conductors absorbs photons, but sometimes impurities are added to create a charge. Phosphorous is added to create negatively charged silicon and boron is added to create positively charged silicon in... ...om the Sun. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2007). Solar Research. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www.nrel.gov/solar/ Nersesian, Roy L. (2007). Energy for the 21st Century. New York: M.E. Sharp. Simon, Christopher A. (2007). Alternative Energy. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. United Nations Development Programme. (2002). Energy for Sustainable Development. New York: UNDP. U.S. Department of Energy. (2007). Solar Energy Technologies Program. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/ Van Wyk, Anita. (2005). Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Energy-Advantages-Disadvantages&id=50178 Wikipedia. (2007). Solar Power. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power Solar Power Essay -- Alternative Energy Clean Photovoltaic Cells Panel Solar Power: An Alternative Energy Source Since first discovered in the 1860s, the concept of storing energy from the sun to use as a source of power has been studied and pursued by many programs. Either using solar collectors or photovoltaic cells, the methods of using solar power are becoming more efficient and cost-effective. Solar technology is currently being used by homes and businesses, but is still too expensive and risky for many residents. Researchers are still making advances to solar technology for it to be a feasible energy source in the future. Solar energy was first started in the 1860s when Auguste Mouchout and William Adams found a way for storing solar radiation into tanks of water. Since then, there have been improvements to the processing of solar energy, which has been split into two categories: agricultural based and electricity based. The agricultural method, otherwise known as thermal solar energy, uses the sunlight to heat liquid and power steam engines. Solar collectors can be used on houses or business buildings to store the energy. Different types of solar collectors are flat-plate collectors, evacuated tube collectors and integral collector storage systems (US Department of Energy, 2007, para. 2). The electrochemical process is more complicated and requires photovoltaic (PV) cells to capture the solar energy and convert it into electricity. PV cells have many uses, including powering batteries or mechanical devices by absorbing the photons and creating a voltage. (Simon, 2007, p. 88) Silicon in the PV conductors absorbs photons, but sometimes impurities are added to create a charge. Phosphorous is added to create negatively charged silicon and boron is added to create positively charged silicon in... ...om the Sun. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2007). Solar Research. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www.nrel.gov/solar/ Nersesian, Roy L. (2007). Energy for the 21st Century. New York: M.E. Sharp. Simon, Christopher A. (2007). Alternative Energy. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. United Nations Development Programme. (2002). Energy for Sustainable Development. New York: UNDP. U.S. Department of Energy. (2007). Solar Energy Technologies Program. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/ Van Wyk, Anita. (2005). Solar Energy Advantages Disadvantages. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Energy-Advantages-Disadvantages&id=50178 Wikipedia. (2007). Solar Power. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power

Learning Contracts Essay

Abstract Learning contracts are being used in post-secondary education. Adults approach learning as problem solving and in theory by implementing learning contracts, the student becomes more involved in their own learning process. This paper discusses the use of a learning contract, the advantages and disadvantages for using contracts and the general design of a learning contract. The use of learning contracts provides opportunity for the student to be more involved in their own learning and apply relevance to their own educational experience. Learning Contracts  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Contract learning is, in essence, an alternative way of structuring a learning experience: It replaces a content plan with a process plan. † Malcolm S. Knowles (1991, pg. 39). In the early 1970’s, the concept that adults learn differently than children was introduced by Malcolm Knowles. This theory of andragogy has inspired research and controversy. The complexity of adult learning and motivation provides opportunities to explore new methods of teaching. Implementing learning contracts is an alternative way to structure the learning experience. Definition. Learning contract by definition is an agreement between students and teachers that grant the student certain freedoms and choices about completing tasks yet requires the student to meet certain specifications (â€Å"Definition,† n. d. , p. 1). According to Knowles (1980), contract learning solves, or at least reduces, the problem of dealing with wide differences within any group of adult learners. Knowles (1986) defines a learning contract as containing specifically: 1. the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to be acquired by the learner (learning objectives); 2.  how the objectives are to be accomplished; 3. the target date for their accomplishment; 4. what evidence will be presented to demonstrate that the objectives have been accomplished; and 5. how this evidence will be judged or validated. In academic settings the contract also specifies how much credit is to be awarded and what grade is to be given (p. 38). Understanding the purpose and advantages of learning contracts and being able to apply them in our future careers as adult instructors will help prepare us for the variety of learning styles our students will have. Purposes of Learning Contracts Learning contracts have multiple purposes. One purpose is that it can enrich and extend the curriculum. They can connect educational needs to individual needs. The responsibility of learning is shared by the student and the educator. Learning contracts can also challenge the abilities of highly able students and provide alternate options that can be altered specifically for the differences in abilities, learning styles and interests of individual students. The contract is a tool for structuring the learning process. Uses of Learning Contracts Findings from research about adult learning have shown that when adults go about learning something naturally, they are highly self-directed (Tough, 1971, 1979). Coincidentally, when adults learn on their own initiative, they have a deeper understanding and more permanent memory of when they learn by being taught. Core adult learning principles view the adult learner as the primary source of data for making sound decisions regarding the learning process (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 183). Contract learning is compatible with the notion that adult learners are self-directed learners. Online instruction is an example where contract learning can be highly effective. In an online environment, instructors are not physically meeting with the students to discuss learning goals, objectives and expectations. Learning contracts can help negotiate and define the learning goals and outcomes. Sample learning contracts can be placed on a web page and the student can determine which contract best suits their learning goals. Students can also engage in online discussions about the different options with their peers and gain a broader perspective through shared knowledge. Learning contracts can also be highly effective in the corporate world. Training employees is costly and can require large investments from organizations. Learning contracts allow the employee to take responsibility and increases motivation in the learning process when they are able to relate the training directly to their job responsibilities. Contracts can also clearly define the company’s expectations of the outcomes. When the expectations are defined, both instructor and trainee can track progress and stay focused on the company’s business goals and strategies. Learning contracts are useful in research. Research learning contracts provide form and structure to an unstructured environment such as the research laboratory, while ensuring maximal flexibility (â€Å"Contracts,† n. d. , para. 2). It allows the student to control their own learning. Contracts allow students to define learning objectives, activities, rate of progress and methods of assessment that will evaluate the student’s success or failure. Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Contracts Advantages. There are many advantages for learning contracts in adult education. Learning contracts enhance the adult learner’s self-directed learning experience. They promote creative and critical thinking for the student and develop their time management, planning and decision making skills. They can target specific individuals and their specific learning activities. Each students experience can be unique to them and incorporate their own prior knowledge and experience. The contracts also allow students to work at their appropriate pace and can increase the student’s motivation which in return can increase their class participation. Contracts can help keep students on course if the contracts are specific and concrete. This can also help minimize miscommunication or misunderstanding of expectations and outcomes. The contract also provides a means for the learner to receive continuous feedback regarding progress toward accomplishing learning objectives. Disadvantages. There are disadvantages to using learning contracts. Contracts can be time consuming to develop. They typically are more detailed and require you to put in more work in the developing stage. Also, students can have confusion especially if their prior learning experience has only been the traditional method of instruction in a classroom. If students are only familiar with â€Å"instructor taught† learning and have not learned to be self-directed learners, the student could have difficulty adapting to this method. The learning contract method in pedagogic learning may require more instructor involvement verses student driven in andragogic learning. The attitude of the educator can have an influence on the learning contract as well. Some educators feel the learning contract gives the student too much control. Designing Learning Contracts There are many different ways to design a learning contract. Learning contracts can address the diverse learning needs of different students and may be designed to suit a variety of purposes. Despite the flexibility, there is a general format starting with identification of the content that will be learned. Specific methods and strategies that will be used to learn the content should be identified. Specifying resources to be used in order to learn the content and determining the type of evidence that will be used to demonstrate the learning should be identified. Last, the evidence that will be validated and by whom needs to be defined. Having clarity will lead to improved performance and allow for revision of learning objectives if needed throughout the learning experience (â€Å"Learning Contracts,† n. d. ). Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion. Malcolm Knowles’ introduction of andragogy has influenced adult education. A distinguishing characteristic of adult learning programs is the shared control of program planning and facilitation (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998, p. 133). Engaging adults as partners in their learning experience satisfies their â€Å"need to know† and appeals to their self-concept as independent learners. Learning contracts are a tool that encourages students to participate more actively in their own learning experience. It is an alternative method of structuring a learning experience unique to individuals. It enables educators to work with differences among a group of learners. Learning contracts, more so than any other type of instructional method, create the conditions for individualized instruction. The contract method will not be effective if the adult learner is passive in their own learning experience. Disadvantages include extensive planning and commitment as well as excessive focus on individual success (Duggan, n. d. ). In general, adult learners are going to be self-directed learners as opposed to child learners. Based on the five assumptions learned in WED 486 regarding adult learners: adults need to know why they need to know; adults need to learn experientially; adults approach learning as problem solving; adults learn best when the topic is of immediate value; and adults need to integrate new ideas with what they already know, learning contracts are an effective tool to enhance a self-directed experience. Recommendations. Additional research related to contract learning involves the fairness of learning contracts. In the traditional method of instructor taught learning, all students are given the same syllabus and information on what it takes to earn a particular grade. In the case of learning contracts, they are individualized to the learner. The contract may be specific as to how each learner will obtain earned grades but will the content be equal? Additional research is recommended to determine if contracts are efficient if not all students are covering the same material. References Duggan, T. (n. d. ). The disadvantages of training agreements. Retrieved from http://www.ehow. com/list_6075915_disadvantages-training-agreements. html Guidelines for writing. (n. d. ). In Learning contract guidelines [PDF]. Retrieved from https://dsacms. tamu. edu/sites/sllo. tamu. edu/files/LearningContractGuidelines. pdf Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education from pedagogy to andragogy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education. Knowles, M. S. (1986). Using learning contracts (p. 38). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc. , Publishers. Knowles, M. S. , Holton, III, E. F. , & Swanson, R. A. (1998). Beyond andragogy. In (Ed. ), The adult learner (5th ed. , pp. 153-183). Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing. Learning contracts. (n. d. ). In How to create and use learning contracts [PDF]. Retrieved from http://fcpsteach. org/docs/directions-learning%20contracts. pdf Research learning contracts. (n. d. ). In webGuru. Retrieved October 1, 2011, from http://www. webguru. neu. edu/undergraduate-research/structuring-ur-experience/research-learning-contracts Tough, A. (1971, 1979). The adult’s learning projects. Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Why Zoos Should Close

1. Limited enrichment. Animals need to have their mind active while they are in captivity. Good zoos do this by offering them toys or puzzles to figure out, by hiding food in the exhibit so they have to exercise their natural hunting. scavenging instincts and by using training. Training also helps with medical needs, a lot of animals are trained to lift their feet so they can be checked out, or to expose their side/rump in order to give injections safely. Zoos that do not work on enrichment or training leave the animal unnecessary stress.Have you ever seen tigers or bears pacing in their enclosure? That's a stereotypical behavior of animals in captivity when they are not stimulated enough. Bad sign. 2. Lack of education, research and conservation. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is an international group that gives accreditation to facilities that strive to improve the welfare of their animals, educate the public about the wild and captive animals and environment and spend mone y on research to help both education, conservation and wildlife.Zoos that are not accredited by the AZA may do these things, but it is unlikely. â€Å"Roadside zoos† are only there to make a profit. They make sure that their animals stay alive so they can make money off of them, but have no commitment to keep them healthy and they do not contribute to the scientific community. 3. Poor breeding programs. AZA institutions are part of an international breeding program with a huge data set that includes the genes and health records of all the animals that are used in breeding programs.There's even individual committees in charge of each species or groups of species to make sure that breeding is done only to make healthy offspring that can contribute to the genetic pool of captive animals. Good zoos very rarely use wild animals to breed, so they do not affect any of the natural, wild populations. Bad zoos, however, can partake in the illegal blackmarket pet and exotic animal trade . These animals can be taken directly from the wild, illegally, and/or bred with other animals with absolutely no consideration to their genetics. Inbreeding is a big problem, and is never done in good zoos.

Memorandum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Memorandum - Essay Example The agreement between the parties was solely directed towards the two parties involved innovative cancer treatment and the hope hospital. The exhibits bearing proof to this consent are the claimant’s exhibit number 6,which is the sales and licensing agreement of the two parties involved. An active scanning technology equipment was purchased by the seller and a license showing that the equipment was indeed sold was issued out. The license also revealed the terms to which the claimant was entitled to and their permanent use of the software equipment sold. In addition, the exhibit also show cased that the claimant was expected to co-operate in the development of the software equipment purchased by the buyer. A copyright of the agreement was also availed to innovative cancer treatment allowing them to sell the software equipment under their ownership and without bearing any liability. The claimant was also entitled to file a case against the purchaser in cases where the agreement is neglected or not followed in the courts of Mediterraneo which was within their jurisdiction. Claimant’s exhibit number 7 also attest to the agreement between the two parties. It clearly states that innovative cancer treatment did not stick to the terms of the agreement. They sited that the engineers who were tasked with ensuring the effective operation of the software equipment did not play their role as they did not check the equipment for repair of defective parts. Secondly, the exhibit also states that the sold software could not perform as guaranteed since an example was that room number was left unused because patients did not receive effective health care services of treatment from the software equipment. Lastly, the exhibit also pointed that hope hospital was running on losses is stead of finding the use of the equipment cost effective as promised by the seller,

Human Rootedness and Its Importance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Rootedness and Its Importance - Essay Example By establishing a hierarchy in the appreciation of the senses though, there is also the propensity for man to detach himself from his inherent humanness. Apparently, it is not just vision that makes a human being; it is also the other four senses. Aside from sight, man can only enjoy his existence and make it relevant if he has the senses of hearing, touch, scent, and taste. In fact, he can even discern further on the existence of other things by using not just his eyes but all the other faculties related to the other four senses. This is the point raised by Juhani Pallasmaa in the book The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. In Vision and Knowledge, which is a definitive portion of the book, the renowned architect provides valuable philosophical inputs on the dominant mode of thinking regarding the designs of buildings and other works of architecture. Pallasmaa categorically expresses the perspective that the overemphasis on vision and the tendency to set aside or to rele gate the other senses to a minor role can be seen in the very architectural designs that are prevalent. As a consequence, building designs too are no longer anchored on comprehensive humanness but only one aspect, vision, which is often associated to aesthetics when it comes to architecture. Pallasmaa’s view, however, is not only relevant to architecture. It may even be considered as a current truth seen in how human beings actually treat themselves and everything else that surrounds them. By ignoring the importance of the other four senses, people are predisposed to lose their human rootedness. By losing such rootedness, they drift towards the creation of objects that are not really founded on the most positive and innate characteristics of humans. The feeling of the alienation and detachment not just from others but from one’s own humanness can be attributed to environmental factors. Ironically, such external conditions are not natural but are made by man too. As an architect, Pallasmaa points out that the man’s own products in building design and construction have led to such situation. He writes that â€Å"the growing experiences of alienation, detachment, and solitude in the technological world today, for instance, may be related with a certain pathology of the senses.† (284) It is clear that technology is a product of man’s ingenuity. Since it is always associated with the future, technology is a product of man’s vision. The other senses could only appreciate the present; it is vision that is capable of grasping the things that has yet to come. However, alienation and solitude are obvious symptoms of the lack of human rootedness. Human rootedness is the condition in which an individual is in touch with himself and with the world around him. This can only be achieved by relying on all his senses and not just sight. Sight can take one’s attention away from objective conditions but the other senses would cert ainly keep him grounded. It is true that having sight means having sense of direction. With it, man is able to build and travel from the present to the future. However, â€Å"the art of the eye has certainly produced imposing and thought-provoking structures, but it has not facilitated human rootedness in the world.† (Pallasmaa 286) There are beautifully designed buildings that satisfy the sight but have failed to provide contentment to the individual. There are structures that may be visually appealing but also strike a feeling of loneliness and of isolation. There are imposing buildings that convey authority but these also trigger the sense of isolation of those who do not own or control it. All these are proofs that the neglect of other senses and the overemphasis on sight can adversely affect