The Origins of Vernacular Language and Its Spread free essay sample

The term vernacular can be defined as using a language that is native to a country or province, rather than a cultured, foreign, or literary language. The vernacular languages would also be considered as the large family of contemporary â€Å"Romance† languages (Matthews, 2007). These vernacular languages would one day be known to use as Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and etc. Before the twelfth century, Latin was the major language that was used for literature and among the educated. The findings of Latin were influenced by other native languages which included those of Celtic languages, Greek, and Etruscan (University of Calgary, 1996). The Latin language was consistently developed due to the fact there were significant differences during each period. These differences included those in the literary written language, and also due to differences in the spoken language of the educated and those of the less educated populace. Development of Vernacular Language In the beginning, Latin was only one of several Italic languages in which all of them belonged to the Indo-European linguistic family, and the development of these languages were influenced by other tongues, including the language known as Celtic, Etruscan and Greek. We will write a custom essay sample on The Origins of Vernacular Language and Its Spread or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Like many other languages, Latin language underwent continuous development. During each period of its evolution there were many differences between the literary written language, which was very distinct from the spoken language of the educated versus those of the less educated populace. Within the spoken language, borrowing from other tongues was common at all periods (University of Calgary, 1996). The development of literature and learning in Latin language was strongly influenced by the Greek, but for people in Western Europe the works of Latin authors had a gigantic range importance. This proved influential were the authors of the Golden Age (from c. 70 BCE to 14 CE), including the prose writers Cicero, Caesar and Livy. It also included the poets Virgil, Ovid and Horace, whose works have become part of a lasting literary and educational heritage that has survived for many centuries. Even after following the spread of Christianity, educated persons, including the Western (Latin) Fathers of the Church, continuously shared in this heritage (University of Calgary, 1996). After the Empire between 500-1000, vernacular language was also being used by the peninsula for popular celebrations of religious festivals, improvisational troupes of actors, story-tellers, etc (Matthews, 2007). Unfortunately none of the literature was written down so that it may be handed down to generations. However, although none of the literature was written down early on, there was enough of the literature left around the year 1200 to prove that the common language could be produced into real literature for the common people. The Spread of Vernacular Language Vernacular language was first spreaded by the French, which included their literary works, and by the time of the fourteenth century, vernacular works had already made its way through Europe. The shift from the Latin language to vernacular language presents an importance in the interest of courtly literature. During the rise of vernacular language, the woman’s role was not undermined. Reason being is that noble women were the ones to have commission works to be written in or translated into vernacular language, which helped to, preserve history. By the time of the fifteenth century, vernacular language was very well sought out to be the language of literature, historical record and personal expression. However, in the end vernacular language was often subjected to be standardized. The possibility of vernacular language being able to rise and spread was because many people did not speak Latin, not even the noble men. Vernacular language was eventually used over Latin, because it made it easier to convert people to Christianity. Technological advances, also helped spread vernacular language and lead to an increase in literacy rates were found to be essential. There were different factors behind the rise of vernacular language. The dream to spread Christianity, the desire of women to take part in cultural debates and the technological advances are only three of the many factors that made it possible for vernacular language to overtake the Latin language. A subsequent standardization of vernacular language is a said to be a logical consequence. Factor One: Spread Christianity Because the desire to make Christianity available for the broad population was so greatly desired, it is one of the important factors for the rise of vernacular language. Since monks were more versed in the studies of vernacular language, as well as science and the bible they were typically the ones who created an alphabet to translate the Latin bible into vernacular language. As soon as Christian readings and teachings were available in the vernacular language, it became much easier to convert people to Christianity (Bouchard, 2004). Even though vernacular language was used more than the Latin language, there was still a debate over whether or not religious services should be held in Latin or in vernacular language. This debate became one of the focal points of the Reformation in the sixteenth century (Slavitt, 1999). Factor Two: Women Wanting to Take Part As stated before, the role of women during the rise of vernacular language hould also have been not be undermined, as it was those noble women who had commissioned works to be written in or translated to vernacular language, which had helped preserved history (McCash, 2008). Even though schools were on the rise, that is at least for wealthy boys, the main subject remained Latin and although girls of the same social class was taught to read and identify Latin, they unfortunately did not learn its grammar or its true meaning (Orme, 2006). Therefore, when women decided they wanted to participate in cultural debates, they had to do so in vernacular language (McCash, 2008). Do to the fact that women did not know the true meaning and grammar of the Latin language, vernacular language was able to empowered women and lead them towards greater freedom of expression and by the fifteenth century, writings by women were no longer viewed as odd (McCash, 2008). Factor Three: Technological Advances In order for vernacular language to keep rising advances in technology and the import of papermaking techniques were important (Slavitt, 1999). The invention of movable letters and a printing process by Gutenberg allowed for mass production which was important for the spread of vernacular language as well. Literary works were faster and easier to make because of the printing process (Chappell, 2011). The Bible, was the first book printed by Gutenberg and to no surprise it was written in vernacular. The literacy rate prospered due to the technological advance, since anyone who could speak the vernacular language could learn how to read and write in it as well (Slavitt, 1999). (Slavitt, 1999). Going into the fifteenth century, vernacular language was well over established as the main language of literature, personal expression and historical record (McCash, 2008). Latin, did remain as an important language for official proceedings and science as it was considered to be safe from change (Vincze, 2009). The rise and spread of vernacular language was very much so possible because many people did not speak the Latin language. Vernacular language was able to thrive because of the various factors. Many languages from other countries that we hear and for some speak today come from the vernacular language.

Psycho Persuasive Essay Essay Example

Psycho Persuasive Essay Essay Example Psycho Persuasive Essay Essay Psycho Persuasive Essay Essay Essay Topic: Everything Is Illuminated Persuasive Psychological you expect it to be really hard to change the audiences perception of a character within moments of the characters Introduction? Alfred Hitchcock made It seem almost easy In the movie, Psycho. The sinister nature of Norman Bates was revealed and enhanced through the use of symbolism to set the mood, foreshadowing in regards to Normals mindset and lighting to establish Normals darker aspects. In scenes where Norman Bates was present, symbolism was an important aspect used to establish the eerie mood that he set. From the beginning, Norman Bates was perceived as a shy and nervous, but still friendly sort of hereafter. He seemed to have a crush on Maroon but she already had a man. This lead to audience sympathy which soon changes to an uncomfortable feeling when his hobby of taxidermy is revealed. The stuffed birds in the movie often symbolize and reflect certain characters personality. In the case of Norman, the birds used to symbolize are mainly shown in the parlous scene where he is eating dinner with Marion. There is a large owl with its wings spread out on one side and an equally large crow on the other side of the room. There are also smaller birds Like sparrows n the table next to where Maroon Is sitting. Owls and crows are mainly predator birds and as they are shown looming dauntingly over the sparrows, this could symbolize Normals predator status over Marion. This is the first thing that symbolizes his sinister nature as it shows him having a superior power over her. The use of birds could also symbolize his conflict with his mother when he states, But shes harmless. Shes as harmless as one of these stuffed birds. This statement could be restated as he thinks of her as harmless because she is dead and unresponsive Like his stuffed birds. This sets a creepy mood In the scene and enhances his sinister nature as he doesnt show much regard to the fact that hes comparing his mother to a dead bird. These examples prove that symbolism is very important when establishing the mood that Norman is setting in a particular scene. Much of the symbolism used also leads to revelations made in the future so these examples also lead to foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is another key aspect used in enhancing the sinister and creepy personality of Norman Bates as It gives you Insight Into his mindset and starts leading you to taking Inferences on his sanity. For example, during the dinner in the parlous scene, Marion asks Norman if hes ever considered sending his mother away to an institution as a way of getting away from her controlling nature. Though she didnt mean it offensively, he is immediately angered and says, A boys best friend is his mother. and We all ago little mad sometimes. This could mean that his mother is an Incredibly vital part of his life as he Is defending her. It Is an example of foreshadowing as it leads to revelations later on where she Is such a huge part of his life because she basically Is him or his other reason. Another example of foreshadowing would be when he says, Shes as harmless as one of those stuffed birds. As those birds are dead, it would be foreshadowing because it is basically implying that his mother is also dead. Foreshadowing is also shown in the scene where Norman dumps Marinas car (which also el n a newer AAA Day In It) as en Is seen smelling Wendell ten car slinks Any normal person would be fretting anxiously and freaking out, probably not smirking as they commit a crime. This example would be foreshadowing as it shows him possibly paving some sort of psychotic disorder because he doesnt act as a sane person would and it lead to revelations of how in the end, he did actually have a mental issue. Therefore, foreshadowing is a very important aspect used in the film to support, enhance and give greater understanding to Norman Bates mindset and way of thinking. Equally as important as foreshadowing in the movie is also the lighting used to establish a darker characteristic in Norman. Lighting is an important tool used in the movie that supports details about Norman being a dark and sinister hereafter. Though it is a black and white movie, Alfred Hitchcock did a marvelous Job showing the differences between a good character and bad character with the use of lighting. The lighting would get darker or brighter in a different scene depending on whether it is Norman that is being shown or an opposing character. For example, when Marion and Norman were talking in the parlous, Marion always seemed to be brighter than everything else while there was a constant shadow surrounding Norman. This was particularly strange as they were in the same room and the cackling was also the same for the two of them. This supports the idea that Norman is the antagonist as he is shown in the shadows which is most often accompanied with dark characters in movies. Another example of how lighting enhances his evil persona would be during the shower scene. Everything in the bathroom is all white and illuminated but as the psycho approaches, there is a darkness that fills the entire room as Norman (or Mother) approaches to kill Marion. This was very effective to showcase his character as it made him seem really dark and unapproachable. A IANAL example would be at the very end of the movie, when Normals psychological disorder is revealed and Mother has taken over. This scene uses lighting to enhance his sinister character effectively as the entire room is well lit yet he still has hooded eyelids and shadows surrounding his eye-nose-mouth region to imply his dark nature. This effect was created by having light shine directly over his head which lead to the shadows that were on his face and another revelation about his dark nature. This evidence from the movie proves that lighting was a very relevant and effective technique to use when trying to portray Norman Bates evil character. With the use of techniques like symbolism, foreshadowing and lighting one can really influence how the audience perceive a character in a movie. In conclusion, we can see that these three aspects were used effectively in Psycho to correctly portray the sinister characteristics of Norman Bates as they all showcased how he changed from an innocent protagonist into the evil, psycho antagonist that we know him as. Therefore, no symbolism, no foreshadowing, no lighting = no psycho?

Business Plan

Mission Statement Sound Noise, a State of Indiana S Corporation, spotlights unconventional music, merchandise and entertainment typically overshadowed by mainstream ideologies. It speaks to the shared experiences of Generation Y and The Urban Trendsetter. It provides fair compensation to its employees, a fair return to its owners, and a fair royalty to its artists.Goals * Establish and grow The Company into a full service record label, merchandising ND multimedia company * Create a steady stream of revenue from record sales, digital sales, merchandising, licensing and live performances Keys to Success * Focus on creating a consistent stream of high quality songs and music related products * solve problems with Independent marketing, promotional and advertising budgets * Ensure products are delivered on time, financial are managed effectively, marketing and promotional budgets are monitored, and develop successful growth strategies * Focus on internet presence and building the foundat ion for a recognizable web brand Financial Requirements Sound Noise (hereafter referred to as The Company) seeks a capital infusion of $100,000 to continue building on the foundation already established by the company. This money will be used to cover costs associated with creating a consistent stream of music related products, marketing, promotion, and working capital necessary to establish and grow The Company into a successful multimedia organization. We plan to repay the balance of this loan amount in the span of approximately three years. We also plan to immediately begin repayment of the loan Interest at a rate of 6% or $500 per month.Further information regarding these procedures is outlined later in this plan. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Our current sources of income include but are not limited to the following list of products and services: * Retail sales of Cads. DVDs and other multimedia formats * Sales of T-shirts, Jackets, tour books and other promotional merchandise * Royalties and fees earned from performances of recordings on radio and television, on the Internet, in movies, and in commercial venues such as restaurants and nightclubs * Live Performances Recorded Music Sound Noise will spe nd a large portion of their creative energy on writing song lyrics ND composing music.The company commits to producing and recording a steady stream of high quality music for public consumption to equal no less than two songs tots chains, at live shows and over the internet via various online and offline distributors and aggressors. The Company will also sell digital music in the following formats: Complete Album Downloads, Full Track Downloads, Mobile Only Full Track Downloads, Polyphonic Rhinestones, and Arranging Tones. We plan to make these items available through structured licensing agreements with popular online retail (I. E. I Tunes, Music, and Rhapsody). Merchandising ere Company will manufacture and produce a large variety of merchandise at the lowest possible costs.Every piece of merchandise, once sold, becomes a living piece of advertising for our projects, creating a dual benefit for our company and its consumers. These items will include but are not limited to the following: T-shirts, CDC, Posters, Sweatshirts, Hats, Jackets and other collectibles. Live Performance ere Company will focus on live performance venues and the relationships with booking agents as a marketing and advertising supplement to drive record and reassigning sales. Licensing As the owner of the masters and the publisher of our own catalogue of songs, The Company is guaranteed a certain bundle of rights by law. Because we own all the rights, anyone who wishes to use our song must first obtain our permission.A film or IV show needs to borrow only two of these rights: the right to use the actual recording (our master), and the right to use the underlying composition that the master is based on (our song). The permission we give them to use the master is tendered in the form of a contract called a master-use license. The permission we give them to use the song itself is tendered in the form of another contract called a synchronization license. Both these licenses can be combined into one agreement if the publisher and master owner are one in the same. MARKETING PLAN ere Companys marketing will revolve around 4 basic online and offline mediums: Radio, Reviews, Road and Retail.Sound Noise will use the strategies of this plan to attack all four principles simultaneously over the course of the next three years. This Nail determine the true value of The Companys music and validity of our business. To et the most of these 4 mediums we must first prepare a polished and professional press kit and update our online presence. The Company explains in more detail below. The costs for these items are listed in the Start up Cost spreadsheet in the Financial Statement. Professional Press Kit Includes: geography A professional one page biography will be written to provide press, radio and fans with a complete concise story behind the music of The Company. Photo Shoot A full service digital photo shoot will be performed to provide high resolution mages for The Companys Namespace Page, Blob and Press Kits; both online and offline. Electronic Press Kit -An online version of The Companys press kit will be created and maintained to allow for easy access to floggers, Journalist and other press outlets to cover its music. * Download Cards Similar to tunes, this plastic or recycled cardboard business card sized gift cards come with a unique download code to be entered on the web that will collect data about the fan downloading (I. E. ;mail, address, zip code, age, etc. ) * CD Manufacturing Professionally copy of The Companys latest releases. Online Presence * Customized Namespace Layout A new layout will be designed and published at http://www. Namespace. Mom/semiconscious to maximize fan experience and brand exposure on the #1 music discovery destinations on the web. * The Sound Noise Backbone A new Backbone layout will be designed and published to NNW. Backbone. Com/semiconscious. Musicians will also receive their own new designed Backbone page. Backbone will be updated weekly with amps, pictures, video and commentary from The Company. The blob will serve as a two way communication between The Company its fans and stakeholders. Once the professional press kit and updated online presence is complete, The Company will move forward in presenting The Companys products to the mediums that are illustrated and outlined in detail on the following pages.Reviews ere Company will do as much as it can to effectively promote ourselves in the press; however we anticipate the need for a full time publicist. * The Company will pay a full time professional publicist at a rate of $500 per month to secure interviews and reviews in both online and offline publications. The first step in assisting the publicists is to compile a list of appropriate press accounts (I. E. Outlets) in our target racket college press, local magazines and newspapers, fanzines, online press and media, etc. Note that our list will include press that is not primarily focused on music, but which music fans read for example, fashion or auto magazines.Evaluation of our press and publicity efforts will include the monitoring and tracking of single, album and concert reviews, as well as interviews and features regarding our label and its acts. Radio ere Company will do as much as we can to effectively promote our record ourselves to commercial and college radio; however we anticipate the need for an independent radio promoter. The Company will pay a professional college radio promoter at a rate of $500 per month to secure radio spins on BEDS/COM tracked radio stations. In addition, The Company plans to use highly influential online services to market its music to radio. These services will be paid at a rate of $1,000 per month. We will assist the efforts of the radio promoter by creating a comprehensive list of station information. Servicing radio involves providing the MD, PDP, Dos and Promotions/ Marketing Director with full-length CDC and singles, and updating appropriate radio personnel with information on our acts and developments with our label (new leases, upcoming concerts to add to the concert calendar, special promotions in the area, T-shirts, posters, flyers, etc. ). Evaluation of our radio promotion efforts will Include the monitoring and tracking of ads, level of rotation and overall chart statistics (Billboard, BEDS, and College Music Journal). Road En plan to Join The National Association of Campus Activities to maximize the number of paid gigs per year. These shows easily become multi media events a place to sell Cads and other merchandise. * The membership rate for the NCAA is $750 as described in the start section in the financial plan. The Company will also SE online booking agencies to find high profile, paid gig. We will pay those services a total of $500 per month. Retail Marketing While no one element of our marketing mix is more important than the other, we will tie as much of our marketing efforts into retail as possible. The first step will be to build a comprehensive list of music blobs that make sense for The Company. Secondly, we will service the online record stores (I. E. tunes, Rhapsody, music, Amazon MPH, All and more) with current releases, promotional material, and point of purchase advertising. * The cost of distributing The Companys product will be TA rate of $100 per month. Online vs..Offline The Straddle is a term coined by professor/flogger George Howard to explain the difference between online and offline market. The balance act necessary to leverage both worlds is something that is not so often talked about, but one that most successful acts are already doing. * The cost of online and offline advertisement will cost the company $1 500 per month For independent artists, this concept is even more important to grasp. Namespace and other social networks have given rise to a generation of musicians who think they can become an instant success from their opts. Truth is, if you fail to create a real connection with the fans or friends you make online, you will ultimately loose them all offline. Our Street Team The street team is an integral part of The Companys marketing plans, and a significant portion of every artists marketing budget is dedicated to manufacturing promotional items for street team use. The street team will be an extra set of several arms and legs scattered across the country supplementing the efforts of our publicist, radio promoter and general managers. * The cost to properly fund our street team will be $300 per month MANAGEMENT PLAN Brandon Ernest President ; Aaron Fisher Secretary Brandon has managed UPS for 3 years and is looking to take his experiences and knowledge to his own business. He is also musically trained on trombone, guitar, piano, and drums.While Aaron Fisher is a graphic design major looking to take his cameras where ever life leads him. Also equipped with computer gear made by apple overseeing design operations is his dream. Both men are musicians at heart and the music industry is full of heart. Gerard Brooks (aka Rush) UP Operations He is the eldest of 4 children and was raised in a single family home by his mother. His responsibilities, at times, seemed overwhelming in comparison to others his age. His hard knock life bestowed him with a make it happen now attitude. Life has not always been beneficial for him, but deep, perspective thinking and speaking it real is truly evident in his music.Gerard began music Just by making a rhyme for fun in the Once the crowd heard my rhyme, they went wild and I received such an adrenaline rush hence the name Rush. Ralph Kay (aka Picasso) UP of Sales Picasso, the eldest of 3 children, was part of one of the only African American families in the area that had both parents living in the same household. Although a two parent household might sound normal to many people, Ralph understood that it was not at all a normal occurrence. Because of his secure environment, he grew up with a care free, all is right with the world attitude. Nothing seemed to concern or worry him much, still does not. This fosters his ability to paint beautiful pictures with words and use his witty humor along the way.

Google Adwords Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Google Adwords - Coursework Example A person can search for keywords using a word or a phrase, a website or a category. As an example suppose we are making an ad campaign for mobiles , then the word mobile sales can be used as an input in the word or phrase column to get information about possible keywords ; the website column can be used to get suggested keywords by entering our own website in the column or the website of a competitor. Category column usually gives many weird suggestions but can be a good starting point if we are not aware of what keywords to use or if the company does not has a website of its own. It can work as a starting point .In this tool we also have the advanced filters option which can be used to filter keywords based on the country we are targeting, the language spoken by the target market and whether the application is visible on desktop or mobile. Ad words Preview and Diagnosis Tool This tool can be used to see how the ad is being displayed by Google. It can be used to preview the ad and so lve any problems with the display (Moss, 2009). This tool can be used to see the display of the ad in various geographical locations. This tool functioning requires us to enter the term for which search results are to be seen , the domain(country) , the language , location and the devices (mobile or desktop) where we want to see our ads. For e.g. we want to see our English language advertisement regarding mobile sales in USA, New York city on mobile devices. So we enter all this information and Google will show us a preview of our ad and will also information us if the ad is not visible. This tool helps us to solve any problems with the ad campaign and helps to increase it reach. 2) What more advanced tools exist? Where did you access them and which ones did you try? The other advanced tools which are available in Ad words are change history, Conversions, Google analytics, Website Optimizer, Traffic Estimator, Placement Tool and Contextual Targeting tool. These tools are visible whe n we make a Google account and sign in to ad words using this account. All these tools are visible in the Tools and analysis tab. I tried my hand at all of these tools. 3) Which tools did you find most useful and why? The tools which I found the most useful were the traffic estimator tool and the placement tool. The placement tool helps us to place ads on the Google display network which helps us to place banner ads on a number of sites which are either owned by Google or third party sites. Banner ads are usually more effective in reaching the target customers and this tool helps us to make and place banner ads. The other useful tool is the traffic estimator tool. This is very useful tool which can help the advertiser know about the expected traffic for their ads and the amount of money the advertisement is going to cost them. With the help of this tool we come to know of the cost per click, estimated daily clicks and the estimated daily cost of placing the ad on Google. 3) What cri teria would you adopt to evaluate the success of your campaign? How would you characterise success for this campaign, either in terms of click-through rate (CTR) and Return on Investment (ROI)? I will use the Return on Investment criteria in order to gauge the success of the campaign. In order to justify the use of this criterion, I will first explain both Click Through rate and Return on investment method and though show which one is

What is aggression Does watching violence in television, film and Essay

What is aggression Does watching violence in television, film and video games ake people more aggressive and more likely to commit violent acts in society - Essay Example The resulting changes in everyday social relations may lead to steady escalation in aggressive actions. Because of the powerful way in which the television media has focused on violent and antisocial behavior, the media deliberately misinforms, making the viewers fearful, suspicious and cynical. Because of its bias toward bad news, the media feeds a perception that the world is a violent, dangerous place. As a result, the viewers come to overestimate the rate of violence. With these images flashing in their minds every evening, the viewers become negative, mistrustful of others and withdrawn, and cease to believe in progress. Children, who are not mature enough to distinguish fantasy from real life, television from life on the street, come to assume that acts of violence are acceptable in real life and become incapable of making appropriate judgment calls in times of conflict. Children who are repeatedly exposed to entertainment violence are also more likely to see violence as an effective way of settling conflict. However, playing violent video games may be more detrimental than view ing violent television shows or movies because they are especially enthralling, interactive, and necessitate the player to associate on a personal level with the violent character of the game. Infamous events have generated extensive debate regarding the effects of video game violence. For example, a nationwide conversation ensued regarding what connection video games had to the 1999 Columbine High School (Littleton, Colorado, U.S.) massacre where two students murdered 13 and wounded 23 before killing themselves. While many motivations were likely involved, it is not possible to identify precisely what provoked these teenagers to shoot their classmates and teachers but violent video games have been mentioned as one possible contributing factor. The two students had often played

The Road to Integrated School Systems Essay Example for Free

The Road to Integrated School Systems Essay In 1986, the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case established that there could be separate but equal facilities for blacks and whites, giving support to Jim Crow laws. The Supreme Court did not begin to reverse Plessy until the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case 58 years later, which established that segregating blacks and whites was unconstitutional and that separate could never be equal. After the period of reconstruction following the Civil War, many states in the south and other regions of the country passed laws that discriminated against African-Americans. These laws ranged from restrictions on voting to requirements that blacks and whites use separate facilities and attend separate schools. On June 7, 1892, Homer A. Plessy, a man who was one-eighth black and seven-eighths white, bought a train ticket to travel from New Orleans to Covington, Louisiana. Under Louisiana law, he was considered black and was required to ride in the colored car. Because Plessy sat in the whites only car, he was arrested and put in jail in New Orleans (Frost-Knappman). Plessy faced trial for his crime of riding in a railroad car for whites only. John A. Ferguson presided over his trial in federal district court. He was found guilty, and the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld his conviction. Plessy then appealed to the United States Supreme Court for an order forbidding Louisiana-in the person of Judge Ferguson-from carrying out his conviction (Frost-Knappman). On April 13, 1896, Plessys lawyers argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Their argument was that Louisiana had violated Plessys 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law (Cozzens). Attorney General Cunningham argued that the law merely made a distinction between blacks and whites and did not necessarily treat blacks as inferiors (Cozzens). On May 18, 1896, the court issued its decision, upholding the Louisiana law: A [law] which implies merely a legal distinction between the wh ite and colored racesa distinction which is founded in the color of the two races, and which must always exist so long a white men are distinguished from the other race by colorhas no tendency to destroy the legal equality of the two races (Frost-Knappman). The court also endorsed the separate but equal doctrine, ignoring the fact that blacks had almost no control over how equal black and white facilities were (Frost-Knappman). In years to come, black schools, railroad cars, and other facilities were very rarely as good as those of whites. For the next 58 years blacks continued to be discriminated against through segregation. This led to the 1954 Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education. Brown was an eight-year-old girl named Linda and was the daughter of Oliver Brown, a quiet, hard-working man who served as an assistant pastor and sexton at St. John African Methodist Epicostal Church in Topeka, Kansas (A Moment in History). Linda Brown attended a school that was more than three miles from her home. Her trip to school involved a six-block walk along the train tracks to catch a bus that took her the rest of the way (Pratt). In 1950, Oliver Brown sought to enroll his daughter at the nearby white Sumner Elementary School (Hollaway ). The superintendent, Kenneth McFarland, had always favored segregation and informed Brown that Topeka was not yet ready to make the change (Hollaway). The school board supported McFarland in his decision (Hollaway). On August 25, 1950, Lucinda Todd, secretary of the local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), wrote to the national office in New York, saying that the school situation in Topeka had grown unbearable and that the local branch was willing to go to court to challenge the Kansas law. Local attorneys Charles Bledsoe, John Scott, and Charles Scott drew up the legal papers. However, it was not easy to find blacks willing to serve as plaintiffs in the case. Lucinda Todd was the first to volunteer. Eventually, twelve others followed. All were the parents of children who had been denied admission to white schools, and all were women except for Oliver Brown who was listed as the lead plaintiff (Pratt). The case was officially filed with the U.S. District Court for Kansas on February 28, 1951. Though sympathetic with the plaintiffs argument, the District Court unanimously refused to grant relief (Cozzens). Immediately after the lower courts ruling, the NAACP attorneys began to prepare their appeal. Similar school desegregation suits were being filed in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Virginia, and South Carolina. The central issue of the cases shifted from unequal funding to the fact that segregation was unconstitutional and a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. In December 1952, the Supreme court decided to group the five cases together and hear them simultaneously. The cases became known as Brown v. Board of Education (Cozzens). On May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote for a unanimous court that separate education facilities are inherently unequal. In summing up the courts opinion Warren concluded: To separate [black children] from others of similar age solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community. In 1955, the court handed down its enforcement decree in Brown II, which said that the desegr egation of public schools should proceed with deliberate speed (Hollaway). Ironically, Linda Brown had by this time started to attend an integrated middle school. However, thousands of other children benefited from the courts decision (Pratt). Eventually this decision would be used to dispel other segregation laws and practices. For example, the separate but equal doctrine was abolished (Frost-Knappman). Today, de facto segregation still exists in some areas because of residential patterns and other factors. However, much progress has been made. Were it not for the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, The U.S. would probably not be quite so far along in the quest for public integration of races. Works Cited Cozzens, Lisa. Brown v. Board of Education. 29 June 1998. 14 April 2002 . . Plessy v. Ferguson. 17 Sep. 1999. 18 April 2002 . Frost-Knappman, Elizabeth, Edward W. Knappman, Lisa Paddock, eds. Courtroom Drama. 1998. New England Publishing Associates, Inc. Hollaway, Kevin. The RulingBrown v. Board of Education. Civil Rights: A Status Report. 13 Dec. 1996. 14 April 2002 . A Moment in History: Brown v. Board of Education. Learning Network. 14 April 2002 . Pratt, Robert A. Segregation Overruled. National Parks. Sep./Oct. 1993.

The Metamorphosis: Use Of Comedy And Irony Essay -- essays research pa

To what extent did Kafka use comedy/irony to develop his tragic, cynical view of society and family?Gregor Samsa, a young traveling salesman who lives with and financially supports his parents and younger sister, Grete, wakes up one morning to find "himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin" or insect. At first, to my surprise, he is preoccupied with practical, everyday concerns: How to get out of bed and walk with his numerous legs? Can he still make it to the office on time? Most persons would be devastated to find themselves in such a position as Gregor, but he did not seem to care much about himself, but only about his obligations, instead of panicking, he starts cursing his job : "If I did not hold back for my parents’ sake, I would have quit long ago, I would have marched up to the boss and spoken my piece from the bottom of my heart", " Well, I have not given up hope completely; once I’ve gotten the money together to pay off my parents’ debt to him, I’m going to make the big break. But for the time being, I better get up, since my train leaves at five." This is a sort of dry humour; a person in a tragic situation does not seem to notice the predicament he is in.He tries to get out of bed, but his new form does not enable him to do the things he used to do so easily. The way he describes it, can already be seen as comical : "First he tried to get out of bed with the lower part of his body, but this lower part- which by the ...