Violence in the NBA Essay Example for Free

Violence in the NBA Essay Violence in the NBA is spontaneous as well as erroneous. Due to its competitive and physical style of play, players usually get involved in altercations which eventually lead to a free-for-all brawl which is unbecoming of a sport that is known to produce gentlemen of finesse and prestige on and off the court. Each ruckus is always in focus of the meticulous and keen eyes of the media as well as the public. Arguably, it is reflective of what the sport of basketball wants young fans to emulate without the violence of course. Yet violence within the league is rampant amidst the guide of game officials, which are always on the forefront of any untoward incident that tends to spoil the spontaneity and momentum of the game. Due to the spontaneity that is in the nature of the sport, nobody can predict may it be a fan or a referee whenever an imminent brawl is about to take place. Some basketball analysts say that this aspect of the game is what draws fans from all walks of life to the game itself. Violence is exciting as much as athleticism is. Thus, making the sport of basketball a game where masculinity is exemplified and where violence is considered a norm. Players display fits of anger and sparks fly which sometimes involve irate fans. In most recent memory, â€Å"basketbrawls† were instigated by young and raw players which are considered the future of the NBA. Basketball is more than a game of brawns. It is a sport that is fueled by strong emotions that lead to spontaneous violence. Basketball Officiating: Boon or Bust? Being a referee in the NBA is not â€Å"a walk in the park† job at all. Referees are expected to have a rational and sound judgment in every call they make. Each decision of a referee is a crucial part of his job and whenever he makes a call or decision, not only players will react but fans will retaliate in every call as well. Referees are not highly considered to have a vital role in the NBA yet they act as a shock absorber in every loophole that the game has. They are always lambasted by players and fans alike yet they are there to stabilize the pace of the game and performing the task of mandating the rules of the game. Some might say that they are simply doing their job for the betterment of the game but recently there has been an official that was involved in a gambling issue over at Las Vegas. With this in mind, some fans have really lost their complete trust on referees. And fans don’t really care about referees or game officiating at all, fans flock the arenas to watch their home team win and not to be victimized by mediocre officiating. Fans have meticulous and keen eyes when it comes to bad calls as much as referees are also sharp on making calls on players. However, some decisions made by a referee are not favorable to a home team which creates a ruckus among the fans, this happens whenever a call is made and fans don’t like it which results to an unpleasant feedback among the fans. At some instances, fans sometimes instigate â€Å"basketbrawls† and before the referees know it some guy has a fist on his face already. This creates a self-defeating image for the NBA. Remember that this is not ice hockey or football where athletes wear protective gears that will protect them from imminent injuries that result from abrupt and unexpected altercations during the game. An example of â€Å"bad† officiating happened recently when rookie Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks unintentionally hit Toronto Raptors guard T. J. Ford when the latter was driving towards the basket. This created an eclectic plethora of feedbacks around the league. For the fact that Ford has been hampered with injuries since he entered the league which some experts say that Horford’s foul wasn’t intentional yet it was made one because Ford is frail and has a history of serious injuries. Now, this is not objective officiating per se, Basketball is a contact sport and it’s a reality as well as a conviction that is shared by players. Reputation and a player’s salary is always at stake in every call a referee makes. Though Horford was fined and suspended for a couple of games, the Atlanta Hawks rookie showed sportsmanship by visiting and attending to Ford at the hospital, a deed of a suspended player which does not usually happen and simply shows how some kids in the NBA show class and finesse which is good for the image of the league. Hoopsworld. com correspondent Jason Fleming has this to say about the incident: â€Å"But does anyone out there think Horford intentionally tried to hurt Ford? He felt horrible about it after it happened and even went to the hospital to spend time with Ford in Atlanta. He explained the foul, too, to anyone who would listen after that game on Tuesday. † (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1) When it happened with a minute and a half left, we were still down by eight [92-84], Horford said. He got the steal. I just tried to go and block the shot. When he went up, I went up too. He tried to use the rim and I thought he was going to stay on [one] side so I went up and tried to hit the ball and I hit his head. † (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1) He just made a good move and fooled me. Horford said. (Fleming,J. 2007. p. 1) â€Å"That quote has been seen repeatedly. And, if you ask the Raptors, they also wont say it was intentional. Heck, even T. J. Ford understands it wasnt intentional. † (Fleming,J. 2007. p. 1) It wasnt a dirty play at all, Ford said. I think I just kind of tricked him with the move and he got caught in a bad spot. Hes a good kid. I told him Im not holding anything against him. (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1) â€Å"During those hours in the hospital, where Horford talked to Ford, it was Ford picking up Horford. I know that Horford feels awful about it, Colangelo said. He spent a couple of hours at the hospital with (T. J. ) last night and, true to T. J. s form, he was probably doing more of the consoling. I think the kid (Horford) was pretty shaken up about it. He felt awful. I dont think there was any intention to do harm. (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1). â€Å"So, with these multiple accounts of no intent of harm on the record, again, why did Al Horford receive a one-game suspension? Is it because of how bad it looked? Is it because of the fragility of Ford given his past issues with his neck and spine? Is it because this could have been much worse than it was? Honestly though, thats going to be true going forward too. No matter what anyone says, basketball is a contact sport. Sure, contact is regulated by the calling of personal fouls, but players get fooled all the time. To be real clear here, this is no different than a player going for a steal on a dribble and accidentally hitting the player with the ball in the groin. It happens. Fouls are called. Basketball moves on. Sometimes players have to leave games with injuries. † (Fleming, J. 2007. p. 1). Basketball Fans versus Athletes Basketball is inherently a physical and competitive sport. Suffice to say that the sport exudes hints of violence due to the physical nature of the game. Yet sometimes the physicality of the game goes overboard and results to chaotic brawls which include players and fans alike. At some instances, these spectators are usually the linchpin to instigate basketbrawls. The heat of the game overwhelms everyone in the stadium and before you know it beer bottles, stadium paraphernalia and other objects are being thrown at the arena and add more tension in an already brewing commotion among players. There are numerous instances that players are overwhelmed by their emotions and retaliation is always imminent on the part of these players. We have to consider that due to the competitive nature of the game, these athletes have high testosterone levels that result in extraordinary aggressive behavior. Which leads us to a behavioral disorder called Intermittent Explosive Behavior which is imminent in these athletes. Intermittent explosive behavior is described as a disorder as having extreme expressions of anger and uncontrollable rage which is inappropriate to a certain situation. George Orwell, author of the book Shooting an Elephant: The Sporting Spirit has this observation about the role violence plays in every sport aside from basketball: Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting. (Orwell. 1950. ). This quote tells us that no sport has an inherent sense of fair play. And every sport is fueled by athleticism and sportsmanship camouflaged by arrogance as well as a certain sadistic nature in terms of watching it for the sake of the gratification brought about by violence. In the NBA, there are numerous basketbrawls but nothing compares to the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl that happened on November 19, 2004 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan, The incident that is better known as â€Å"The Malice at the Palace† sparked a myriad of negative feedbacks from the media to the public. This was arguably the most notorious basketball incident in recent memory since the â€Å"Bad Boy Days† of the Detroit Pistons of the late 80’s. The incident generated repercussions throughout the league and legal authorities as well. The incident involved Indiana forward Ron Artest and Detroit center Ben Walllace. Wallace was on his way for a fastbreak lay-up when Artest abruptly grabbed the former with his two arms causing Wallace to fall in an awkward manner. Wallace then retaliated by shoving Artest causing the latter to almost hit the bench. After this, chaos followed and players from both teams left the bench to join the fray and Piston fans joined the ruckus as well. Punches were thrown be it player against player or player against spectator. It was an embarrassing moment for the NBA and generated speculations about the conduct of players in the league. Each player in the NBA was placed under public scrutiny and is considered responsible for each deed he commits on the court as well as off the court. Sadly, media attention focused on Ron Artest which was suspended for a season, there was a debate regarding Artest rushing to the stands to hit a fan who threw a cup of beer on him, commentators said that it was not a valid excuse to rush to the stands and retaliates in order to hit the fan. The media heavily blamed the players for instigating the melee which was a huge upset for the entire league. Speculations of hooliganism in the league were fueled by the incident and Piston fans were placed in close public scrutiny. The Pistons had defeated the Pacers in a tight Eastern Conference Finals series five months prior to the incident, which eventually paved the way to their first championship since the Bad Boys Era. The game on November 19 was televised nationally on ESPN as well as locally on select Michigan television stations including Detroits NBC affiliate WDIV-TV (Channel 4) and statewide across Indiana through the Central Indiana bureau of FSN Midwest (which was later spun off to FSN Indiana), would be the first rematch between the two rivals since the Eastern Conference Finals. And emotions found its way to run high on either team (Wikipedia Pistons-Pacers Brawl. 2004. p. 1). Let us take a closer look on what transpired after the infamous incident: Players and spectators who were part of the incident are deemed to be subjected to criminal charges and will be thoroughly investigated by The Auburn Hills Police Department as well as the Oakland County Prosecutors Office. Two spectators filed and claimed monetary damages. The final legal actions of the incident for those involved may take months to determine (Wikipedia Pistons-Pacers Brawl. 2004. p. 1). â€Å"On November 30, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca announced that he will seek charges against all players involved in the melee. † â€Å"Whoever was involved in fisticuffs will be charged, regardless if they were wearing a jersey. Its obvious there were several Pacer players and fans that dealt blows. †(Wikipedia Pistons-Pacers Brawl. 2004. p. 1). When Basketball Rears its Ugly Head Players are always at risk whenever they display unruly behavior on the court yet most players dont really care about the consequences that will be brought about by such behavior. Players dont really care about consequent suspensions as well as fines for their misconduct. Players are not really concerned that they are being watched by people around the world and each action they make is a mirror image of the NBA. These athletes are only there to perform their best because that what they are paid for and does not really mind if they are playing â€Å"prison rules† basketball in a prestigious league such as the NBA. What is surprising about the violence which is apparent in the NBA is that people couldnt care less about it. Arguably, NBA afficionados are used to the competitive and physical style of play wherein players thrive upon. And whats contradicting is that these players are deemed responsible for their actions on the court yet sometimes they themselves enjoy a little fistfight once in awhile. Since the incident in Detroit which was called â€Å"The Malice at the Palace†, some basketball analysts bluffed that having a resident psychiatrist in every team in the NBA will help each player as much as a physical condition trainer helps a player with regards to physical health, so why not consider mental health as well? One of the most penalized game altercations after the infamous Pistons-Pacers brawl would be the Knicks-Nuggets brawl which happened on December 16, 2006 which resulted to the suspension of seven players from both teams and a fine of $500,000 dollars each. The fine was arguably stiff due to the fact that Commissioner Davide Stern was trying polish the leagues image since the Pistons-Pacers brawl. The altercation started when Denver guard J. R. Smith was on a fastbreak and was about to dunk when suddenly New York rookie Mardy Collins strangled him when he the former was in mid-air causing Smith to fall hard on the floor. New York guard Nate Robinson rushed to them then pushed Smith in order to break the fight. The three players were surrounded by the team mates and officials who were trying to restrain the altercation. Yet this didnt help restrain the imminent on-court fight which was further escalated when Denver forward Carmelo Anthony strangled Robinson. At this time, New York forward David Lee was holding back Smith but the latter broke free and tackled Robinson then slammed Smith on the courtside resulting spectators and media to depart from the scene. Again, chaos overwhelmed the hardwood and more fighting followed. More pushing and shoving followed as well then eventually cooler heads prevailed and order was restored. Yet the seemingly restrained fight was inflamed again when Anthony made a cheap shot on Collins, The Nuggets star sucker-punched the Knicks rookie which had Knicks players chasing after him while he was leaving the court (Wikipedia Knicks-Nuggets Brawl. 2006. p. 1) The media has speculated that Knicks General Manager and Head Coach was the main culprit for the brawl which generated the notion that was Thomas dire attempt to revive the physical and rough brand of play which was reminiscent of the Detroit Pistons â€Å"Bad Boys Era† for him to inspire his team and give them the confidence boost they need in order to overwhelm a sense of inferiority against upper echelon teams. Criticisms surfaced as well due to the fact that Commissioner Stern didnt hand Thomas a suspension for his verbal provocation on Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, telling the latter not to enter the paint which suggested that the Knicks were planning mayhem right at the start of the game itself. Denver Head Coach George Karl said that this was a mediocre attempt on insulting his friendship with former Knick coach Larry Brown who was fired by Thomas and had a tumultuous relationship with after Browns departure from New York (Wikipedia Knicks-Nuggets Brawl. 2006. p. 1) George Karl was furious the next day and made a harsh comment on Thomas saying: â€Å" Thomas made a bad situation worse. Hes a jerk for what hes trying to do. My team has blown 10-point leads, 11-point leads with two minutes to go. I watched Utah blow a 12-point lead to Sacramento two nights before that with four minutes to go in the game and youre telling me that Im running the score up? Hes an asshole † (Karl. 2006) The comments made by Carl was scrutinized and criticized by media men speculating a brewing bad blood between Carl and Thomas which dates to Thomas firing of Larry Brown who happens to be a close friend of the Nuggets mentor (Truehoop. com. 2006. p. 1) With this in mind, violence in the NBA does not start from players alone. One cannot help on being skeptic on how coaches think and manipulate their players. In the aftermath of this Knicks-Nuggets brawl, speculations on coaches surfaced on how they motivate as well as manipulate their players. Specially players who are raw and new to the league. Prior to this incident, New York Knicks GM and Head Coach Isiah Thomas was being accused already to display provocative tactics as well as unruly behavior among these are: ? The pre-season game versus New Jersey Nets on October 27 was glimpse of things to come. Thomas confronted Nets assistant coach Tom Barisse after a potential on-court brawl that resulted from a hard play which involved a Nets player and three Knicks players. Nets head coach Lawrence Frank didnt acknowledge or responded to the bickerings of Thomas. Thomas exclaimed that: The better teams dont like when the teams on the bottom give them a hard time Sometimes they get a little upset with that. We have to give them a hard time and I hope they dont take it personally. (Thomas. 2006) ? In a game against the San Antonio Spurs on November 11, Thomas appeared to instigate a fight against Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, which Bowen accused Thomas of yelling at his players to â€Å"break his foot! † In retaliation how Bowen used his legs on when Knicks guard was attempting a jumpshot. Other than that, Thomas started shouting match against Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Thomas said: I was trying to stoke a little fire. We were playing three games in four nights against a pretty tough opponent in a getaway game. We were almost ready to pack our bags. (Thomas. 2006. p. 1). He later mentioned his Bad Boys Era in Detroit and exclaimed that if ever someone tried that on him, â€Å"I would murder him† (Thomas. 2006. p. 1) Thomas actions and innuendos were unbecoming of a hall of famer and a team general manager. This lead to a bevy of feedbacks about his conduct not only as a team official but a person as well. Perhaps this was a result of the job pressure he was receiving from the media and fans who wanted him out in New York. Thomas was considered to bring the unfavorable atmosphere in Madison Square Garden. Final Analysis The imminent violence that thrives in the NBA will always be part of the game. People have to accept the fact that every sport will be dealt with the consequent physicality and relative competitiveness that is a crucial part of every sport that is played. The NBA should do its part in assessing each brawl accordingly so as to be fair to the players. Players have should be responsible for their actions on court and off court as well. Its a good thing that the league has started having a dress code in order to polish the image of its players. Yet it doesnt end there and players should always carry with them a sense of sound conduct amidst the strong emotions that is always at play during games. Sportsman-like rivalry coupled with a sense of camaraderie will always overwhelm the hint the ugly notion of prison rules basketball. But players will always be true to their game which comes along with their passion for the game that makes the notion of violence a norm in each game played. References Fleming, J. 2007. Horford’s Suspension Unfair. p. 1. Retrieved December 13,2007 from Hoopsworld. com Levesque, J. 2004. Violence part of NBAs history. Retrieved November 23,2004 from Seattlepi. com Celizic,M. 2004. Fans as much to blame as players. Retrieved November 22,2004 from MSNBC. com Wikipedia. 2007. Violence in Sports. Retrieved December 20,2007 from Wikipedia. com Wikipedia. 2007. Pistons-Pacers Brawl. Retrieved December 22,2007 from Wikipedia. com Wikipedia. 2007. Knicks-Nuggets Brawl. Retrieved December 26,2007 from Wikipedia. com ESPN News Services. 2007. Raptors guard Ford injured after flagrant foul in victory. Retrieved December 11,2007 from ESPN. com Orwell, G. 1950. The Sporting Spirit, Shooting an Elephant. p. 153 New York: Harcourt, Brace, Co.

A Comparison of the Character of Brutus in Julius Caesar and Hamlet in

The Characters of   Brutus and Hamlet in Hamlet and Julius Caesar  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Written one year apart from the other, one cannot fail to recognize the parallels between William Shakespeare's tragedies Julius Caesar and Hamlet. To begin, they are both stories of assassinations gone horribly wrong. Although the details of the plays are different, the two assassins (Brutus and Hamlet) provide interesting comparison. Through these two killers, Shakespeare reveals the different levels of justice; one’s personal sense of justice; others’ perception of justice; the justice of the monarchy that supports Shakespeare’s craft. Through this, the audience realizes that a just person is not always a humble one, a condition that may turn out to be a fatal flaw in the end. When a man decides to play God by taking justice into his own hands, the world can unravel much more quickly than he had ever imagined.    Justice in Hamlet  is a conflict between two Bible teachings: The Old Testament says, "An eye for an eye," but the New Testament preaches, "Turn the other cheek." Hamlet’s peers beg him to let his father rest in peace and accept his mother’s remarriage, an act that would be in accordance with the New Testament. Claudius, Hamlet’s mother’s new husband, himself p... ... 36 Bradley., A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. New York: Penguin Books, 1991. Durband, Alan. Shakespeare Made Easy: Julius Caesar. Barron's Educational Series, Inc.; New York. 1985. Mack, Maynard. â€Å"The World of Hamlet.† Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Rev. ed. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. New York: Oxford University P., 1967. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Suzanne L. Wofford. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1994. Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Ed. Alan Durband. London: Hutchinson & Co. Publishers Ltd., 1984.   

A Comparison of Socrates’ and Luther’s Ideas of Freedom

Despite a difference of around two millennia, or 2000 years, the claims to freedom of the Greek philosopher Socrates and the German Leader of the Protestant Reformation Martin Luther lend themselves to both similarities and differences.Although there are more differences than similarities, the two works have both not only expressed the dreams and aspirations of these two great man but especially changed the societies in which they lived, although gradually.This paper will discuss the similarities between Socrates’ claims in the Apology and those of Luther in Concerning Christian Liberty. This paper will discuss the similarities between Socrates’ claims to freedom in the Apology and those of Luther in Concerning Christian Liberty.SimilaritiesThe claims of Socrates and Luther to certain freedoms share a few similarities.An Exhortation to Oppose Established Institutions. Both Socrates’ and Luther’s claims for freedom exhorted people to oppose established inst itutions. While Socrates tried to undermine the immoral ways of Athenian society, Luther wanted to expose the defects in the theological bases of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.Socrates, on one hand, criticized Athenian society when he said, â€Å"If there were a law at Athens, such as there is in other cities, that a capital cause should not be decided in one day, then I believe that I should have convinced you† (Apology).And somehow he implied a certain attachment of Athenians to money when he said, â€Å"I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue come money and every other good of man, public as well as private.† (Apology)On the other hand, Luther exhorted Christians and Catholics to question the theological basis of the Catholic doctrines. He expressed his opposition when he mentioned every time he mentioned that works were not a path to spiritual salvation but only faith and faith alone. Aside from this, he mentioned that: "†¦it will profit nothing that the body should be adorned with sacred vestments, or dwell in holy places, or be occupied in sacred offices, or pray, fast, and abstain from certain meats, or do whatever works can be done through the body and in the body.† (Luther)DifferencesThe claims of Socrates and Luther to certain freedoms also lend themselves to a number of differences from the notion of their freedoms to the way they have presented their claims.Notion of Freedom. Socrates and Luther were both fighting for different kinds of freedoms.First of all, one of the freedoms that Socrates was fighting for was more of a freedom of expression, or specifically a general freedom to question the logic that operated behind the Athenian justice system. The Athenian Meletus accused Socrates of being â€Å"a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the state, and has other new divinities of his own† (Apology).To this accusation, Socratesà ¢â‚¬â„¢ sarcastically claims his freedom of expression by saying, â€Å"If my offence is unintentional, the law has no cognizance of unintentional offences; you ought to have taken me privately, and warned and admonished me† (Apology). This is the more personal freedom that Socrates was fighting for in the course of his defense. Socrates proved Meletus’ illogic several times during his defense so Socrates was indirectly making here a claim for the freedom of the mind through logic.As for the other freedom that Socrates seemed to have been fighting for was the freedom of philosophy. This freedom was implied when Socrates said, Men of Athens, I honor and love you; but I shall obey God rather than you, and while I have life and strength I shall never cease from the practice and teaching of philosophy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Apology). Such a statement was naturally taken by the Athenian court as a defiance of the authority of the state that defined obedience to God as obedience to the laws rather than to one’s philosophy.Furthermore, Socrates’ claim for this freedom and his defense of it in Plato’s Apology was more of a defense of personal convictions considering that Socrates himself was on trial at the time that he declared his claims for this freedom.Based on the aforementioned points, the idea of freedom of Socrates was different from that proposed by Luther. Luther’s ideas were more on religion rather than on logic and philosophy. Luther expressed the nature of the freedom that he claims when he said, â€Å"For faith alone, and the efficacious use of the word of God, brings salvation† (Luther). This therefore is a freedom from works, and is explicitly stated by Luther when he said, â€Å"†¦this faith cannot consist at all with works†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Luther) and that â€Å"†¦no work can cleave to the word of God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Luther).

Sherman Alexie s Flight - Flight - 1686 Words

Response Essay: Sherman Alexie Novel Flight Flight is a novel by Sherman Alexie that tell the story of a distressed Native American teenage boy, who has sadly stretched his breaking point after years of ill-treatment at the hands of adults, named Michael but prefers to be called Zits, â€Å"Call me Zits. Everybody calls me Zits. That is not my real name, of course. My real name is not important.† (Zits, p.1). Zits was left to his own devices at the age of six when his mother died of breast cancer and his father did not stick around much after he was born and left him. â€Å"I get into arguments and fistfights with everybody. I get so angry that I go blind and deaf and mute† (Zits, p.8)Zits is a violent person and takes out his anger on anyone because he has been in and out of the foster care system, none of which felt like family, with foster parents who only cared about the government cheque. He feels left out from the rest of the society mostly because of his half-Indian heritage and his abuse. Because of this, he is easily persuaded into committing crimes. Flight is saturated with violence at almost every turn. Violence can be said to be an effect without consent in respect to an individual or a group. There are various types of violence ranging from inter-racial and intra-racial violence, child abuse, sexual molestation, war, terrorism including others. Zits has developed an empathy for violence and fighting which is majorly owed to his father’s betrayal which caused him a lotShow MoreRelatedProfiling By Sherman Alexie s Flight Patterns1458 Words   |  6 Pagesget a clear view of who people are, which could be beautiful. Profiling causes people to become engulfed by other people s perceptions of who they are and becomes a conflict between racial heritage and human nature. 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Gender Inequality in Literature - 1223 Words

Gender Inequality in Literature Gender equality, men and women having the same rights and obligations, and everyone having the same opportunities in society, has been a topic of discussion for many centuries (Dorious and Firebaugh). Women have used literature as a voice to defend their gender equality rights. Female authors have tried to achieve extraordinary success in literature while functioning in a culture that frowned upon female literary desire. Men greatly dominate the profession (Dorious and Firebaugh). Until well into the nineteenth century, it was common for both male and female writers to publish under a pseudonym. Fiction was a genre that was frequently published anonymously. Fiction was considered a low genre of literature leading many authors to detach his or her name from the piece of fiction. For women especially, the cloak of anonymity was particularly essential (Dorious and Firebaugh). Female proclamation and self-revelation were viewed as unwomanly. Therefore, wri ting under the identity of a man would protect a woman from the criticism for having â€Å"unladylike thoughts†. The male alias could potentially increase a female’s chances of receiving an unprejudiced review. Throughout history, women have had a weak voice in the literary world due to fear of the power women had and the lack of respect for females. The first women’s rights convention was organized by 68 women and 32 men in 1848. As a result, a document titled â€Å"The Declaration of Sentiments† wasShow MoreRelatedGender Inequality in Literature Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesGender equality, men and women having the same rights and obligations, and everyone having the same opportunities in society, has been a topic of discussion for man and women for centuries (Dorious and Firebaugh). For many centuries, women have used literature as a voice used to defend their rights as women. Female authors achieved extraordinary success in literature functioning in a culture that frowned upon female literary desire but men still dominated the profession (Dorious and Firebaugh). UntilRead MoreMod B: Critical Study Essay- speeches (Lessing + Atwood)1035 Words   |  5 Pagesfocused her speech on the relationship between education and poverty and as such, conveyed education as the means to escape poverty. Atwood’s orati on was delivered to a well-read audience and draws attention to gender inequality by examining the unfair representation of women in literature. The worth of Lessing’s speech lies in her ability to evoke a response to world poverty, from her audience, through her emotionally gripping use of rhetoric. The euphemistic allusion to the Nobel prizes in â€Å"I don’tRead MoreGender Inequality in Womens Rugby1181 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction As the nation’s gender inequality continues to diminish, things like sports stereotypes, and labour force conflict cannot be understood without understanding the term of identity. Identity work is explained by Schwalbe and Mason-Schrock in 1996 as â€Å"anything people do, individually or collectively, to give meaning to themselves or others† (as cited in Ezzell, 2009, p. 1). I propose to examine inequality based on gender identity and in depth the process of stereotype issues, - how peopleRead MoreIdentity in the Workplace Creates Gender Inequality801 Words   |  3 PagesAs the nation’s gender inequality continues to diminish, things like sports stereotypes, and labour force conflict cannot be understood without understanding the term of identity. Identity work is explained by Schwalbe and Mason-Schrock in 1996 as â€Å"anything people do, individually or collectively, to give meaning to themselves or others† (as cited in Ezzell, 2009, p. 1). I propos e to examine inequality based on gender identity and in depth the process of stereotype issues, - how people constructRead MoreGender Discrimination And The Workplace1356 Words   |  6 Pages2.1 Introduction For many decades now it has been said that there has been inequality in the workplace, it has been a major issue in the workplace in terms of women not being allowed to have certain jobs as well as in terms of women not being promoted within the workplace which all contributes to women being paid less than men. According to Ryan and Branscombe (2013), gender discrimination has been defined as the differential treatment members of one group receive compared to another by many socialRead MoreEducation Is Not An Equal Opportunity For Everyone1473 Words   |  6 PagesAdrienne Rich’s essay, â€Å"Taking Women Students Seriously†, she speaks of the inequality mainly affecting women while subtly hinting at the inequality present in education in regards to race and class. Gender, race and class are three characteristics that work together to create either a positive or negative profile for one’s education. When delving into the content of Rich’s essay, the author clearly indicates her focus on the gender imbalance in education and how that impacts the lives of women. Women’sRead MoreWhy Education Is Not An Equal Opportunity For Everyone1259 Words   |  6 PagesAdrienne Rich’s essay, Taking Women Students Seriously, she speaks of the inequality mainly affecting women while subtly hinting at the inequality present in education in regards to race and class. Gender, race and class are three characteristics that work together to create either a positive or negative profile for one’s education. When delving into the content of Rich’s essay, the author clearly indicates her focus on the gender imbalance in education and how that impacts the lives of women. Women’sRead MoreRacial Gap And Social Mobility1139 Words   |  5 Pagesincome distribution by race. A society can be in a position of high absolute mobility and also low relative mobility. The availability of at least some social mobility is key in providing conduits to greater equality in societies with high social inequality. Social mobility however can typically be hypothesized in terms of its direction and distance based on the quantity of the movement. There is complexity in trying to analyze the different rates that constitute the mobility structure of a societyRead More Medea and Lysistrata Essay552 Words   |  3 PagesLysistrata Medea and Lysistrata are two Greek literatures that depict the power which women are driven to achieve in an aim to defy gender inequality. In The Medea, Medea is battling against her husband Jason whom she hates. On the other hand, in Aristophanes Lysistrata, the protagonist Lysistrata plotted to convince and organize the female gender to protest against the stubbornness of men. In terms of defining the purpose of these two literatures, it is apparent that Euripedes and AristophanesRead MoreThe Multifaceted State Of South Africa Underwent Vast Reconstruction1518 Words   |  7 Pageshistorical disadvantages coupled with the gendered inequality and environment of economic turbulence exasperated the poverty of women in South Africa due to the conflicting multidimensional responsibility women faced, a lack of representation in the political and economic market as well as lack of access to essential social services and land within the region. Literature Review A major understanding that was found throughout the scholarly literature associated with the phenomenon of women’s poverty

Essay about Christendom and The Song of Roland - 1119 Words

The Song of Roland is the oldest epic poem in French, written by an anonymous poet, composed in between late eleven century to twelfth century. This epic poetry holds an important place in the history of France and invention of Christendom. The Song of Roland is a cultural artifact that takes us to the journey of Medieval Europe, when religion becomes an important element for the formation of proto-Europe. Religion plays a crucial role in The Song of Roland and becomes the reason of criticism. Some readers might take this poem as a religious text, whereas, for some reader it is a fictional literary work and contain ideological perspective. The Song of Roland cannot be consider as a religious text, however, the poet uses religion for†¦show more content†¦The time, when The Song of Roland was composed, is the era of creating national identity for diverse kingdoms to unite and form a harmonious cultural area. To recognize the â€Å"self† it becomes important to separates the â€Å"other† in terms of race, religion and culture. For The Song of Roland, religion is selected to separate â€Å"others†. The misrepresentation of Muslims as pagans can be found throughout the poem, which helps Christians to recognize themselves righteous and superior to Muslims. Davies Norman quotes T.S. Eliot in Europe: A History, â€Å"The dominant feature in creating a common culture†¦is religion†¦ I am talking about the common tradition of Christianity which has made Europe.† (Norman qtd. Eliot 9). Eliot emphasizes the importance of Christianity for Europe. Christianity become a symbol for medieval Europe and gives a label of â€Å"Christendom† to the nation. The self-recognition by separating others continues. In thirteen and fourteenth century, Christians gain prejudice by persecuting and demonizing Jews. George M. Frederickson quotes Joshua Trachtenberg in Religion and Invention of Racism, â€Å"Not being a human being but a demonic, a diabolic beast fighting the forces of truth†¦was the Jew as medieval Europe saw him.† (Frederickson 21). Followed by Dante Alighieri illustration of Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio) and Paradise (Paradiso) in The Divine Comedy in 1321, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was placed inShow MoreRelatedWhat Is The Theme Of The Song Of Roland1747 Words   |  7 PagesThe Song of Roland is the foundation of the French literary tradition. One of the earliest poems written in French, it describes the process by which France left behind its Germanic past as a loose confederation of powerful families and accepted its future as a Christian nation united by loyalties to king and country. T his story is told as a clash of powerful personalities who are together engaged in a holy war against the Muslims in Spain. Unfortunately, the role of ignorance and jealousy combiningRead MoreLegitimacy Of Charlemagne And Charles The Great1449 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Franks, the Defender of Christendom, the Emperor of Rome, and he was even said to be the Father of Europe. However, the question is which factor made it possible in order to justify his rule. Many historians say that the most important factor was only the fact that he was a great military leader, however, his heredity as well as the fact that he was a great military leader who also used his military to spread Christianity, being he was the Defender of Christendom, both played great part in legitimizingRead MoreLa Chanson De Roland, And The Song Of Roland1802 Words   |  8 PagesLa Chanson de Roland, or The Song of Roland, is the oldest surviving French poem. It is also the oldest and greatest of the chansons de gest e, medieval epic poems written in French. In old French, geste means a deed or action, often of heroic proportions. A hundred or so of these epic poems survive, dating from around the year 1100 to the late fourteenth century. In their time, they were exceedingly popular. Although we know neither the identity of The Song of Roland s composer nor the date ofRead MoreThe History of Arianism Essay1423 Words   |  6 Pagesverse of his major work, the Thalia. It was widely spread by popular songs written for laborers and travelers. He started off as a priest in Alexandria, where he tried to teach his beliefs but was shortly exonerated locally from his community for teaching Arianism (Arius). After being condemned and deprived of his office Arius fled to Palestine and spread his doctrine there among the masses through his poetry and popular songs. He also had some help spreading his teachings through influential leadersRead More Humanities in the Early, High And Late Middle Ages Essay2132 Words   |  9 Pages Fiero (2002) states Germanic traditions, including those of personal valor and heroism associated with a warring culture, are reflected in the epic poems of the Early Middle Ages. The three most famous of these, Beowulf, The Song of the Nibelungen, and the Song of Roland, were transmitted orally for hundreds of years before they were written down sometime between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. (p.71) Although this age had a brief renaissance, the Early Middle Ages was a shadow of the greatRead MoreEssay about Humanities in the Early, High and Late Middle Ages2248 Words   |  9 PagesFiero (2002) states Germanic traditions, including those of personal valor and heroism associated with a warring culture, are reflected in the epic poems of the Early Middle Ages. The three most famous of these, Beowulf, The Song of the Nibelungen, and the Song of Roland, were transmitted orally for hundreds of years before they were written down sometime between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. (p.71) Although this age had a brief renaissance, the Early Middle Ages was a shadow of the greatRead MoreFeudalism2848 Words   |  12 Pagesthe guy at the top-even smaller and smaller units. With this increase in decentralization, or weakening of central power in Europe†¦ For a while, the Eastern emperor was the only person that even looked like a ruler to many members of Latin Christendom, and they did exercise some power over the folks in the west. But even that was on the wane. In 660, Constantine II visited Rome with a sizable army and an assembly of nobles. Everyone came out to greet him, big parade. A diplomatic mission?

A word is half the sender, and half the receptor Free Essays

Today, more than ever, language is an integral part of our existence and survival. We depend on it to think and communicate on a day to day basis from person to person. Language as a basic communication takes the form of: sender, message and receiver, and is said to be highly specialized and sophisticated. We will write a custom essay sample on A word is half the sender, and half the receptor or any similar topic only for you Order Now Language allows us to communicate an infinite variety of messages; indeed, sometimes messages are unclear or vague because both the sender and receiver might not have the exact same understanding of their language. This last problem of communication that is unclear or vague is one that results from the use of words for which the range of application is not clear. One could also say that something which is vague is that which lacks precision. This type of vagueness results from statements or words which are not quantifiable and therefore lead to misunderstandings between the sender and the receptor. Montaigne said something very true about the term ‘word’ as it is very difficult to define. To start, what is a word? What is the definition of the term word? All these deceptively simple questions have led to debate among linguists. At its most simple, according to David Crystal, a word is â€Å"a unit of expression which has universal intuitive recognition by native speakers†. However, a word is so much more than that: a word has to be imaginarily divided into the person who say it and into the person that receives it because these two individual members of communication have their own way to interpret what is the idea within that precise word. In order to know the exact meaning of the term ‘word’ we have to take into consideration the fact that some words have a denotation and several connotations. A denotation is the primary or ‘dictionary’ meaning; what the word describes precisely, no more no less. On the other hand, a connotation is the ‘added value’ to a word; what it implies; what is associated or attached to it by society and/or the individual. Some words, for example expressive words, have much more connotation because they create feelings and atmosphere. The term ‘apple’ denotes more than the term ‘food’, and yet the term ‘food’ connotes more than the term ‘apple’. There are some factors that affect the connotation of a word. For example, the term ‘weekend’ has lots of connotations and these will vary depending on the receptor’s age, sex, social class, personal interest, past experience, etc. A 16 year old girl can associate the term ‘weekend’ with: party, friends, cinema, relax, sleep more, have fun; while a 50 year old man who owns a restaurant will associate the term ‘weekend’ with: more customers, more work, more stressful, higher incomes for the company and less time to relax. Communication, that is the â€Å"system of verbal gestures by which a speaker points out a reality to a listener†, requires that the two parties involved have a similar understanding of the language. Such a problem arises when two people speak a different language, but the same thing can occur on a smaller scale if people have a slightly different understanding of the same language. This is because we unconsciously assume that the other person (the receptor) is identical to us in their use of language. This often is as a result of a sender and a receiver (or writer and reader where it happens these same sort of confusions because of misunderstanding of message by problems with their language) who use certain words in a different manner. It is necessary, for communication not to be impeded, that the second individual has the same understanding of a word as the first. That is why it can be said that a word is half the sender and half the receptor as both of them have their own way of interpreting the word and also their own way of recreating it by its meanings in their minds, by all the factors mentioned above. To conclude we can say that language is our most important tool in communication and thus must be employed in order to interact with each and everyone who surrounds us. If it were not employed, communication would be hindered, delayed or even blocked, to a far greater degree than it is due to the problems such as misunderstanding, vagueness or the fact that words have different connotations to everybody. It should be the aim of everyone to, when possible, avoid these problems. The result would be language which is far clearer, precise, and less confusing, that will help both the sender and the receptor in order to transmit a more concrete message and therefore understand themselves in a more optimal way. Language free of most problems would make it an even greater tool, effectively improving the communication between persons and developing better understanding and knowledge through this communication. How to cite A word is half the sender, and half the receptor, Papers