Comparison between Life of Pi and Brave New World Essay Example for Free

Comparison between Life of Pi and Brave New World Essay The heroes, Piscine Molitor Patel in â€Å"Life of Pi† by Yann Martel, and John in â€Å"Brave New World† by Aldous Huxley view their fears as an obstacle that they must overcome. Both heroes were faced with immediate challenges in their life. Through challenging their fears, personal or community morale benefits from their perceived success. In such a way, the hero’s success manipulates the situation as the feared become afraid. Each hero battled their fear differently and thus discovered a hidden truth behind the challenge they were faced with. John was born into his fear. He had no say or no choice. He had to find the positive out of every situation throughout his life. â€Å"Never put off till tomorrow the fun you can have today. † John did what he could to service happily with himself. Adversity was a struggle for him. His hidden truth was his ability to feel and show affection, of which no one was able to understand. This proved to be difficult for John being somewhat isolated. On the other hand, Pi was a quick and decisive learner. His fear was conquered through his self-determination. Fishing and taming Mr. Parker (the tiger) revealed much of his hidden truth. Pi revealed, â€Å"The presence of God is the finest of rewards. † To him, it was as if his fear now became the feared. Pi was rewarded with self-empowerment. With the conquering of the hero’s fears, different aspects of their lives were affected with their efforts. Individually, Pi was rewarded. Pi quoted, â€Å"Can there be any happiness greater than the happiness of salvation? † This can be related to the Warden from â€Å"Shawshank Redemption† saying, â€Å"Salvation lies within†. For Pi this meant he had the power in saving himself from any terrible circumstances. Being considered an anti-hero, John did not necessarily individually benefit from his fight against his fear from the world state itself, but he may have influenced others who might possibly follow his path. As for John, he believed suicide was an option under his situation, â€Å"Ending is better than mending. † He finally decided there wasn’t a way in changing the â€Å"New World† in which he committed suicide. In an effort to impact his fear, he was able to potentially influence others, like a domino effect. As this was easily the most feared situation the world state could be faced with. With the hero’s efforts, personal and community morale benefited. No matter the aspiration, change for the better will occur. As my mother has always told me, â€Å"Everything happens for a reason. † In both situations, Pi and John found a way through their fears, and influenced themselves and others as the feared are now the afraid.

Nike: A Strange and Terrbile Saga :: Company Business

Nike: A Strange and Terrbile Saga Image is a vital to the success of the giant international sports footwear and apparel corporation Nike. Endorsements by sports superstars like basketballer Michael Jordan, soccer maestro Eric Cantona and sprinting ace Cathy Freeman -- to name just a very few -- have made the company's "Swoosh" logo synonymous with "cool" for millions of young people worldwide. That image would be badly tarnished if it became widely known that the Nike empire is built on cheap Third World labour (including child labour), denial of trade union rights and collaboration with repressive regimes, most notably the Suharto regime in Indonesia. Nike Australia's public relations spokesperson, Megan Ryan, was coy about how much the company spends on marketing and sponsorship when Green Left Weekly spoke to her recently. She refused to disclose how much it pays top athletes to endorse its products. She said Nike sought to sponsor, and be endorsed by, the "best athletes possible" as a recognition of their achievements. The only image Nike sought from association with sports mega-heroes was to be recognised as an "authentic" sports brand. "Nike is not a fashion brand", she insisted. Perhaps Ryan hasn't stood on a city street corner, or in a suburban shopping centre, to see just how much Nike gear has become part of youth culture. This is in large part due to the "street cred" that comes from being associated with the likes of the larger-than-life Michael Jordan and the outrageous "dunk-punk" Dennis Rodman, US NBA basketball -- according to one poll, the most popular sport among Australian young people -- and, indirectly, African-American fashion and music. Okay, Ryan finally conceded, there is "some flow-through effect". In fact, more than 60% of Nike sales are to non-athletes. To achieve this "flow-through effect" Nike pays Jordan, the jewel in its endorsement crown, an estimated US$20 million a year to have a sandshoe named after him. In 1992, the company forked out $250 million on its advertising and promotion budget alone. Nike advertisements appear in magazines not noted for their sports content, such as Rolling Stone and the Source, the premier US hip hop magazine. Nike billboards have featured the Swoosh symbol painted by street graffiti artists, and flying basketballers letting loose with technical sports terms like: "I'm gonna dunk on your ass". And, of course, Nike has a home page on the World Wide Web where athletic Web surfers are urged to "hear Spike Lee talk about the Air Jordan XI, call 1-800-645-6031" (perhaps Spike jogs?

The Characteristics of Language Acquisition and Development

Language ability starts even before birth and happens in every area of the child’s life. A child absorbs the language that is spoken in their environment with characteristics such as the tonal quality, the syntax, and the usages of that language. A child can learn languages which are spoken by their parents. The child absorbs the language that is most prevalent in the environment they live. It is a unique phenomenon in human life and occurs in a significant time span. Language absorption is provided by nature from birth, up until around the ages of four to five. Early Childhood Language development in the first five years of life is the key for a child’s development of communication and language. In the first five years of life, the language development begins at birth when infants communicate through their cries and the many looks they give. In the next period, infant’s attempts at communication with adults become more deliberate. This period is usually around xix to eighteen months. Infants in this period can coordinate their visual attention with another person regarding objects and events. Their ability to remember comes into play. Their remembering will consist of recognizing and recall methods. Their quest to further their knowledge will help to facilitate their oral language competencies. Oral language Competencies are directly related to the acquisition of literacy. Children learn new words from hearing them in similar positions as they are used in sentences. They learn their words through direct teaching, parent vocalizations, and other points of interest. They also learn words by associating a word they hear with some concrete reference they can see. Their receptive mode in oral language is listening and their expressive mode in that area is peaking. Their written language receptive mode is reading and their expressive mode is writing. â€Å"Children who are fluent in oral language are more successful learners. † â€Å"Being successful learners in this regard leads to better communication skills, better listeners, and the ability to talk with peers and teachers more effectively. † (Otto, 2006) In the third period, from 18 months onward, language becomes children’s primary means of learning and communication. Preschoolers can engage in conversations, can use language for self-control and have the capacity to participate verbally. An infant’s oral competencies are a part of a larger scenario. What children acquire and learn often relates to what they are exposed to in the womb. My grandmother and mother were always big on making sure that they encouraged my sisters and /or their female friends to speak to their unborn children. â€Å"Talk to the little one and let him or her know that you are there. † I firmly believe that my love for music comes from the fact that mother used to tell me that she played music for me the entire time she was pregnant with me. I seriously fell in love with music at around age 2 (by all accounts and photos). The text tells us that â€Å"infants can perceive sounds beginning with the 25t week of gestation. † (Otto, 2006) This makes it extremely important for expecting parents to talk, sing, read, and provide as many sounds and words as possible. Once babies are born, the text also tells us that â€Å"beginning at birth, children are a part of a social environment. It is within this social environment that language development begins. † (Otto, 2010) â€Å"They are also born with predispositions to pay attention to language and people in their environment. † (Otto, 2006) Children will learn words between 18 months and 6 years of age. They begin to distinguish specific phonemes as early as 1 month of age. † (Otto, 2006) They however are still not able to verbally express those distinctions as of yet. An infant will first need to decipher speech sounds that occur within their environment. That’s why it is crucial for parents and/or caregivers to speak, listen, and then respond to whatever their baby is uttering. This will be a kind of reinforcement of developing language patterns. I think this makes me realize the importance of the bonding process that all parents should undertake after birth. The role of a caregiver should follow later after this process is complete. I think this will play a beneficial role in how an infant will acquire his or her oral competencies. Some of our literature offers us a time table as to when some of these accomplishments will occur. The text tells us that â€Å"at six months a child will respond to his or her name. † â€Å"At twelve months, a child uses their words with meaning and intention. † â€Å"The vocabulary increases from that of five to 20 words at 18 months to 150-200 words at two years of age. â€Å"By the age of 4, a child can use at least four prepositions, know names of familiar animals and has mastered one or more colors. † (Atherton, 2008) This leads us to discuss the various ways in which it could be possible for children to acquire language. There are several perspectives that describe the ways in which children can acquire language skills. â€Å"The Learning perspective argues that children imitate what they see and hear; and that children learn from punishment and reinforcement. †(Shaffer,Wood, & Willoughby, 2002). The first is the Nativist Perspective. This perspective focuses on the inborn and/or the innate human capabilities as it relates to the acquisition of syntactic language. â€Å"Applications provide the opportunity to use and explore language to encourage â€Å"hypothesis testing† and activate LAD. † (Otto, 2006)This would be useful in helping young students develop confidence in questioning the information they acquire. This perspective was researched by Noam Chomsky, who is known for his contributions to the study of linguistics and his influence on the teaching of computer languages and mathematics. The next perspective is called the Cognitive Development Perspective. The idea of language acquisition; as it described by theorist Jean Piaget, is â€Å"acquired as maturation occurs and cognitive competencies develop. † (Otto, 2006) Implications would dictate that in order to be successful in language acquisition, â€Å"learning activities should be developed to match a child's stage of cognitive development. † (Otto, 2006) In a classroom setting, this might be a challenging, tedious, but still rewarding endeavor for a teacher. This idea might find more credence in the arena of special education. The Behaviorist Perspective consists of language being learned through repetitive and supported speech. This is also facilitated by â€Å"associations between stimuli, responses, and events following the response. † (Otto, 2006). Students would benefit greatly from the direct correlation and association of everyday objects, activities, and situations. The implications as researched by B. F. Skinner, â€Å"focus on the stimuli and reinforcements that children experience which involve language use. (Otto, 2006) Children's communication efforts are also supported as well as language exercises that involve a repetitive nature. The Interactionist Perspective; focused on by theorist Vygotsky, has a direct connection on sociocultural interaction. Its implications provide a positive emotional basis for social interactions. It also offers a â€Å"wide range of social interactions in which oral and written language are used in developmentally appropriate activities. † (Otto, 2006) For those students learning on many levels this would be a significant opportunity to apply those oral and written language skills with everyday interactions. Out of all the theoretical perspectives listed, I am more impressed with the Interactionist Theoretical Perspective. In my opinion it offers a greater opportunity to apply language acquisition with social interaction opportunities. It also give the child an avenue to be expressive in ways that will benefit them later in their development. these areas might include eye contact with greater confidence, mediation for future conflict resolution, child-directed speech for positive peer relations; and support for questioning. I am always a fan of social interacting building. References http://languagedevelopment.tripod.com/id15.html

Equality and Diversity - 2238 Words

1. What is meant by diversity? Diversity means differences and variations, within in people for example different races, beliefs, physical appearances, age, capabilities, customs and gender and class. 2. Describe the community you live in. Highlight some of the variations you may observe in terms of: †¢ Interests †¢ Beliefs †¢ Ages †¢ Lifestyles †¢ Personal, social and cultural identities. The community I live in is very diverse, I live among various different cultures and lifestyles ranging from lower class to upper class. My street has different age groups living here from families with young children to pensioners. There are a range of interests within my village from sports clubs to various music/ dancing groups with†¦show more content†¦12. What is meant by stereotyping and labelling? Stereotyping and labelling is when a person or a group of people are seen or described in a particular way due to sharing a specific characteristic such as a person’s race or age. In a lot of circumstances stereotyping and labelling are not based on facts and are often linked to negative opinions. 13. Explain why some people stereotype others. Some people stereotype others as they feel they need to fit in within their social groups or make themselves feel better about themselves. Some people believe it makes them make sense of the world. 14. Provide two examples of the damaging effects that stereotyping and labelling can have on people. Stereotyping and labelling can have damaging effects on people as individuals who are being stereotyped might start to accept the negative labels and damage their self-esteem .Stereotyping and labelling also can damage people and society by causing conflict between individuals that may not have existed if it wasn’t down to people being stereotyped or labelled. 15. Provide at least two examples of the way stereotyping is perpetuated in society. Stereotyping continues to exist in society due to many factors the main ones being that the media continues to stereotype and label people within its target audience, people feel inclined to agree with their friends or peer groups opinions in order to fit in and also that parents and families are bringingShow MoreRelatedEquality and Diversity2900 Words   |  12 Pagesand is made up of 5 Parts. Name: Part 1: Understanding equality This section will help you to evidence Learning Outcome 1: Know the meaning of equality |Learning objective |Place in Assessment | |1.1 Define the following terms: |Question 1 Page 1 | |Equality Read MoreEquality and Diversity2601 Words   |  11 PagesRunning Head: EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY 1 Equality and Diversity: A New Approach to Gender Equality  Policy in the UK Gender Studies 30th April 2011 EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY 2 Abstract The United Kingdom is a country that claims to be intolerant towards gender discrimination and at ease with diversity of all kinds. 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