Conflict Between Reality and Illusion as a Major Theme of ‘the Glass Menagerie’ Essay Example for Free

Conflict Between Reality and Illusion as a Major Theme of ‘the Glass Menagerie’ Essay Over the past century discoveries in physics have revealed a whole new paradigm for life one that you can apply to your life right now to get extraordinary insights, intuitions and results. I believe knowing these principles is crucial for your ability to be ‘tapped in’ to the unseen world that surrounds you. To me quantum physics has always interested me. Since a child, I wanted to know what this world was about, and if I could go deep into understanding the nature of matter that makes up our world, and know what is it made of, then I could understand my own essence and the purpose of life itself. So I set off on an exploration into the area of science known as quantum physics. It is the branch of science that explores the universe at the very tiniest and the very largest of scales. What I found was science is really the new religion. For instance, no one has ever seen an atom even though scientists tell us that’s what all things are made of. Since we cannot see an atom, then we have to accept it from the scientific community based on faith. To me, when you involve faith, even an experimentally confirmed version, you also imply a new religion in a sense. In the past, the masses of people got their meaning of life from religious teachers who taught well-understood spiritual laws. The teachers of religion along with ancient myth tellers were the storytellers giving people the ultimate truth of reality. At some point in history, religion became political and was used more for state control of the masses rather than for providing the truth of reality. When Science was discovered all that changed. Over the past 300 years or so science has made an attempt to start from scratch and rebuild what is true. From Galileo to Darwin these rebels sought the truth yet paid the price for going against the inherent worldview. Inspired by these great leaders more and more people joined the scientific exploration for truth, which led to the forming of institutions and organizations. As with any good intention, when it becomes institutionalized, it can lose sight of it’s main objective and eventually become biased as well. In this case, our modern scientists have focused on what can be seen in the material world and have forgotten or downright ignored other unseen forces such as mind or consciousness as factors in the laws of nature. Most scientists have bought into a materialistic and lifeless universe. Even though there is evidence to the contrary, modern scientists do not want to acknowledge such a paradigm – despite what quantum physics shows. This may be because, if scientists go against the inherent worldview, they create the real potential of losing their reputation along with their university-funded careers, which has been know to happen all too often. Only a handful of open-minded scientists, who are willing to put their reputations and careers on the line, have pursued the truth of reality in spite of the consequences. â€Å"At present, of all the stories, it is the scientific ones that most define us,† writes Lynne Mctaggart, author of her book entitled â€Å"The Field†. She continues, â€Å"Our current scientific story is more than three hundred years old, a construction largely based on the discoveries by Isaac Newton – a universe in which all matter moves within three-dimensional space and time according to certain fixed laws. The Newtonian vision describes a reliable place inhabited by well-behaved and easily identifiable matter. The worldview arising from these discoveries is also bolstered by the philosophical implications of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, with its suggestion that survival is available only to the genetically rugged individual. These, in their essence, are stories that idealize separateness. From the moment we are born, we are told that for every winner there must be a loser. From that constricted vision we have fashioned our world. † The current scientific worldview is simple: We are all separate beings being influenced by random events, surviving from cradle to grave, and that’s pretty much it. There is no before life or after life for us. This reality is all we have, and it is based on random, or cause and affect relationships along an ongoing flow of time. â€Å"Although we perceive science as an ultimate truth, science is finally just a story, told in installments† writes Mctaggart. But the latest installment is quantum physics, which reveals a whole different paradigm. We are all not separate but rather interconnected – called non-local entanglement by these physicists. Unfortunately, quantum physics is considered an anomaly in the scientific community. Because it is such a variant to long held beliefs, most scientists have not incorporated these new-found principles into their respective areas of science let alone their own personal lives. If they did, we would have an updated version of biology, physiology, geology, medicine, psychology, sociology and even theology. We would have a whole new paradigm for life, thus impacting our worldview in every way. Instead, these principles stay isolated into the lonely branch of physics that explores the very tiniest of particles. This whole new view of life would say we are not separate at all, not from each other, not from the solar system we are part of, or the universe we belong to. We are all interconnected at the most fundamental aspect of our nature. We may appear as physical things, but we are more than that, we are processes intimately connected to our environment and to each other. Without awareness of these principles, things look random in our lives, but according to quantum physics they are not. If you would like to learn more about the principles of quantum physics and how to apply them to your life, then you may want to enquire about our monthly gatherings we have in Richmond Hill. This group aims to be the leading think tank for gathering answers to life’s most interesting questions, from the meaning of your life, to exploring hidden forces that heal the body and mind, to discovering answers to the riddles of ancient civilizations. Each gathering will be a special event consisting of a professional presentation followed by a short discussion on various topics of interest in order to explore the answers to life’s mysteries, learn the underlying unseen laws governing your everyday existence, and how to apply this wisdom to transform your life. Each event will enhance your sense of wonder and appreciation for you and the world in which you live. No previous knowledge is necessary and everyone is welcome.

Nuclear Waste Essay -- Environment Pollution Papers

Nuclear Waste Australia is a major player in the grand scheme of the world’s energy needs. Its large land mass and geologic history has provided it with an extensive list of mineral resources. Australia, therefore, since the initial gold rushes of the 1850’s, has come to depend heavily on the mining industry. In particular, the discovery in the 1950’s of uranium and new coal deposits created a wave of mining that to present has proven to be quite profitable for the country’s economy.[1] Australia is unique in that it is the world’s second largest producer and exporter of uranium,[2] and â€Å"the world’s largest coal exporter.†[3] It comes as no surprise, therefore, that current energy issues regarding waste products hits close to home for Australia. However, Australia’s contributions to and use of fossil fuel and nuclear energy are all very different. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 has enabled Australia to assume a role that not only contributes to the efforts of emissions reductions, but also allows it to continue its economic benefits of coal mining. Solutions to and decisions about nuclear waste management, on the other hand, are much more difficult to come to. While Australia’s future in the coal industry will depend greatly on the results of the Kyoto Protocol, the future of nuclear waste management may eventually greatly depend on Australia. History of Mining and Nuclear Policy Due to its large production of coal, Australia has come to rely heavily on fossil fuels as its primary source of energy.[4] While it might seem appropriate that nuclear energy be another significant source, since uranium is a significant component of the fuel used to run nuclear reactors, this is not actually the case. Au... ... Zwaan, op cit. [20] Langer, â€Å"Nuclear waste management and the earth sciences† [21] â€Å"Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 2000† [22] Ibid. [23] Holland, op cit. [24] Ibid. [25] Nuclear Waste Storage (Prohibition) Act 1999, in Holland, op cit. [26] Parliamentary Debates, Senate 26 August 1999 in Holland, op cit. [27] Prime Minister Howard in Holland, op cit. [28] Holland, op cit. [29] van der Zwaan, op cit. [30] â€Å"Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 2000† [31] Holland, op cit. [32] â€Å"Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 2000† [33] Langer, op cit. [34] Holland, op cit. [35] â€Å"Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 2000† [36] Holland, op cit. [37] Ibid. [38] Senator Minchin in Holland, op cit. [39] van der Zwaan, op cit. [40] Ibid. [41] ENST 309 Lecture Notes. [42] Beardow, op cit.

Green Building And Zero Energy Trends Environmental Sciences Essay

As we move into the twenty-first Century, new and unplanned fortunes are get downing to determine our lives, our architecture and our metropoliss. It is going clear that the impact we ‘re making on our milieus is holding an consequence on the well being of our planet and its ecosystems every bit good as our populations, motivating us to eventually take action towards a better hereafter. Global heating and it ‘s formidable menaces have scared us and given corporations incentive to market its relinquishing, which at times is identical as to whether or non these are honest efforts or merely catchs. Similarly, the statement on whether or non we are in at hand danger is merely as controversial. The follow up to this reaction has been an overpoweringly undisputed motion toward eco-friendly tactics in a figure of professions including concern, medical specialty and architecture, merely to call a few. However, in the terminal all of this predication breeds the coevals of new type s, coercing us to re-think the manner that we live. For architecture, these creative activities come in the signifier of zero-energy and green edifices. Zero-energy edifices ( ZEB ) are edifices that use zero-net-energy ingestion and breathe zero-carbon emanations. They are convenient in that they can be used autonomously from the energy grid supply and energy can be harvested on-site. Although these edifices are province of the art, there is a trade off between pecuniary cost and the benefit that they offer. Green edifices should non be confused with zero-energy edifices, nor are they reciprocally sole from being zero-energy. Green edifices by and large differ from zero energy edifices in that they engage in the pattern of making constructions and utilizing procedures that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a edifice ‘s life-cycle. In theory, it should stay consistent to its purpose throughout the full edifice procedure from design, building, operation, care, redevelopment, and deconstruction. In both instances, the purpose is to spread out and complement the classical edifice design concerns of economic system, public-service corporation, lastingness, and comfort. Green edifices have been in conceptualisation for old ages now, dating back to the motion ‘s head in the 1960 ‘s when Rachel Carson wrote soundless spring and DEET was outlawed. However, the development of modern zero-energy edifices merely became possible more late, non merely through the advancement made in new building engineerings and techniques, but through significantly improved academic research on traditional and experimental edifices that collect precise energy public presentation informations. Such edifices are developed utilizing advanced computing machine theoretical accounts that can demo the efficaciousness of technology design determinations. Subjectively, energy usage can be measured in different ways ( associating to cost, energy, or C emanations ) and, irrespective of the definition used ; different positions are taken on the comparative importance of energy crop and energy preservation to accomplish a net energy balance. Although zero energy edifices re main uncommon in developed states, they are deriving in importance and popularity merely because the zero-energy attack has possible to cut down C emanations, and cut down dependance on fossil fuels. It is besides of import to observe that most ( ZEB ) definitions do non include the emanations generated in the building of the edifice and the corporal energy of the construction. This means that in many instances so much energy is used in the building of a new edifice that this can shadow the operational energy nest eggs over its utile life. A coincident illustration of such architecture is zero energy ( from dodo fuel ) house no.1 by zoka Zola architecture + urban design. This house is built on a dual batch and is situated 3 stat mis west of the Chicago Loop. The designers dedicated themselves to merely utilize energy generated on site and saw their edifice as a accelerator that would hopefully be an inspiration to other householders and developers in urban environments. A batch of the discrepancy and control throughout the house is done through the operation of its operable Windowss. In the summer, the Windowss allow cross airing and in the winter, warm sunshine inundations the shoal suites through big south-facing Windowss. These Windowss besides provide a battalion of positions to the out-of-doorss. The clients of this house had a passion for gardening so in add-on to building an urban single-family place that is ecological, socially regenerative, and self-sustaining the designers besides incorporated multiple gardens including a few roof deck gardens. The accessible green roofs promote bio-diversity and absorb H2O overflow, while insulating the inside and protecting the roof from thermic daze and extremist violet impairment. They divided the house into four zones. Bathrooms are stacked and ventilated as an stray country of higher wet and heat. The kitchen is ventilated as an stray country of higher wet, heat, and olfactory property. The life and dining infinites are located on the west side of the edifice where 1 can bask the last beams of the eventide Sun after work. The degage Multi-Use infinite is employed as portion of the garden and is on occasion heated and cooled. These tendencies are surely non sole to individual edifices. In the development of its popularity, zero-energy edifice has had its influence on the development of territory programs. An illustration of such a edifice site would be Beddington Zero Energy Development ( BedZED ) . BedZED is a lodging development in Hackbridge, London, England designed to back up a more sustainable life style. Because of BedZED ‘s low-energy-emission construct, autos are discouraged and alternatively the undertaking encourages public conveyance, cycling, and walking, and has limited parking infinite. Electric and liquefied-petroleum-gas autos have precedence over autos that burn gasoline and Diesel, and electricity is provided in parking infinites for bear downing electric autos. All of the houses on the site face to the South and come equipped with roof top solar panels, 777 mA? of solar panels entire, to take advantage of the increased solar addition from that way. The energy that is so harvested is either used throughout the abode or fed back into the grid. Most of the rain H2O that falls onto BedZED ‘s site is harvested for a ulterior day of the month and in add-on, contraptions are chosen to be water-efficient and utilize recycled H2O when possible. BedZED besides uses green constructing schemes like utilizing low-impact stuffs ( LIM ) . LIM stuffs on this site were selected from renewable or recycled beginnings within 35 stat mis of the site, to minimise the energy required for transit. Finally, BedZED is host to legion waste recycling installations that are designed to back up recycling. The consequences that BedZED put forth old ages after execution are amazing. The development efficaciously reduced space-heating demands by 88 % , hot-water ingestion by 57 % , The electrical power used was 25 % less than the UK norm, 11 % of which was produced by the roof-top solar panels, Mains-water ingestion has been reduced by 50 % and the occupants ‘ auto milage is 65 % less on norm. These are all startlingly dramatic consequences toward efficiency, but when it comes down to it BedZED was nil more than norm when the sum nursery gasses emitted throughout building were calculated. The consequences showed that the corporal environmental impacts of BedZED ‘s building stuffs were similar to standard UK lodging. The entire corporal CO2 of BedZED is 675kg/m2, while the typical volume house embodies 600-800kg/m2. So, as one can see there are tremendous advantages to the finished merchandise in respects to zero-energy edifice, but it seems as though the existent problem is c aused by the outsourced agencies of edifice. While edifices have been a first measure for green and zero-energy tendencies and territory communities have acted as proving evidences for larger execution, there have n't been any stairss toward developing wholly zero-energy C impersonal green metropoliss until merely late. The name of the undertaking is Masdar metropolis and it ‘s planned to be located in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Its nucleus is a planned metropolis, which is being built by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, a subordinate of Mubadala Development Company, with the bulk of the capital provided by the authorities of Abu Dhabi. Designed by the British architectural house Foster + Partners, the metropolis is planned rely wholly on solar energy and other renewable energy beginnings, with a sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology. The undertaking was initiated in 2006 and was planned to be finished in 2009. The entire production cost will be 22 billion dollars and will cover 2.3 square stat mis will be home to 45,000 to 50,000 people and 1,500 concerns, chiefly commercial and fabricating installations specialising in environmentally-friendly merchandises. Even though the metropolis will be resident to about 50,000 people, it still holds a prohibition on cars within the metropolis. Travel will be accomplished via public mass theodolite and personal rapid theodolite systems, with bing route and railroads linking to other locations outside the metropolis. Masdar is set to utilize a assortment of renewable power resources, among the first being a 40 to 60 megawatt solar power works which will provide power for all other building activity. In this manner, Masdar metropolis is a monolithic betterment from BedZED in that it has thought through a more eco-friendly agencies of building throughout the whole metropolis. Masdar ‘s solar power works will subsequently be followed by a larger installation and like BedZED ; extra photovoltaic faculties will be placed on rooftops to supply auxiliary solar energy to the metropolis. Wind farms will be established all around the outside the metropolis ‘s margin, capable of bring forthing up t o 20 megawatts. The H2O supply has been planned out merely as exhaustively. How it works is the metropolis will house a solar-powered desalinization works which will be used to supply the metropolis ‘s with clean imbibing H2O. Approximately 80A per centum of the H2O used will be recycled and waste H2O will be reused every bit much as is possible with this greywater being used for harvest irrigation and other intents. Similarly to BedZED Masdar metropolis besides has a focal point on waste recycling. The program is to utilize biological waste to make nutrient-rich dirt and fertiliser. Some waste will be utilized through incineration as an extra power beginning and industrial waste will be recycled or re-purposed for other utilizations. If all of this is n't singular plenty, Masdar will be host to several province of the art academic installations focused on the promotion of renewable energy techniques. The first of these establishments to open is the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Developed in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is a post-graduate university focused on the scientific discipline and technology of advanced renewable energy, environmental engineerings and sustainability. First opened to pupils in September 2009, by 2011 the institute will offer 10 Masters plans and its first PhD plans in renewable energies and sustainable engineerings. These academic inducements are hoped to promote an environment that will further the following coevals of scientific finds. A more recent part to the development of zero-energy metropoliss is Zira Island. Designed by the Danish house of Bjarke Ingels Group ( BIG ) has merely released inside informations of their maestro program for a zero energy resort and amusement metropolis on Zira Island, which is located within the bay of Baku, Azerbaijan. Unlike Masdar metropolis, Zira Island attempts to let the signifier of its man-made landscape to use the aggregation of energy. The program calls for approximately 10.8 million square pess of architectural landscape based on the natural landscape of Azerbaijan.A Zira Island is set to have seven residential developments, each in the form of one of seven extremums of Azerbaijan, and 300 private Villas with positions over the Caspian Sea.A The metropolis is designed to be wholly independent of external resources and to supply, â€Å" high terminal populating with low terminal ingestion of resources. † All of this is expected to be accomplished by using the Casp ian Sea for heating/cooling with heat pumps, puting photovoltaic panels strategically on frontages and rooftops, incorporating solar thermic panels into the architecture, garnering air current power from an offshore air current farm and eventually through waste and storm H2O aggregation, intervention, and reuse in landscaping. The methods are really similar to Masdar metropolis, except the integrating of the systems into the manufactured landscape is much more cohesive in this design. However, one must maintain in head that this metropolis ‘s design is still really conventional at this point.

Discuss with reference to two other poems Essay

Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. To what extent do you agree? Discuss with reference to two other poems in the collection – Tennyson question Tennyson presents death in different ways in ‘Crossing the Bar’, ‘Break break break’ and ‘Morte D’Arthur’. Each presentation is powerful however; it is difficult to decide whether ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation because it depends on what type of death the reader finds the most significant. If it is the death of one’s own life, then ‘Crossing the Bar’ might seem more powerful because it is a representation of Tennyson’s complacency with his own death. But, if the death of a friend relates more to the reader’s personal experience, death in ‘Morte D’Arthur’ could be more meaningful and powerful. To some extent I do not agree that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. Both ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Break break break’ use imagery of the sea to convey different meanings. In ‘Crossing the Bar’, the sea represents the world the speaker will transgress into after death. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar, when I put out to sea’. Tennyson uses the metaphor of the sandbar to describe the barrier between life and death. One side of the sandbar is life and the sea on the other side is death. This is a powerful representation because Tennyson sets out a distinction between the two worlds clearly, suggesting that death should be embraced because it’s now peaceful and natural. ‘And may there be no sadness of farewell, when I embark’. This is in contrast to the normal response of death, which is indicated in ‘Break break break’. In ‘Break break break’ the speaker displays feelings of anguish and pain, this is shown in the title. The repetition of the word ‘break’ emphasises the onomatopoeic sound of a heart breaking. It could also be interpreted as waves breaking on the rocks. ‘Break break break at the foot of thy crags, O sea! ’ This quote describes how life progresses in an endless cycle even in the event of the death. The effect of the ‘O’ and exclamation mark at the end punctuates the speaker’s frustration that life still continues to go on. The speaker takes on a tone of bitterness that the world is not morning with him. ‘O, well for the sailor lad, that he sings in his boat on the bay! ’ In contrast, the use of an exclamation mark in ‘Crossing the bar’ demonstrates the speaker’s excitement of death instead of feelings of enragement. ‘Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! ’ This shows how the speaker is compliant of death because it is their own life and they are ready, however in ‘Break break break’ the speaker is demoralised because death has taken their friend without warning. ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Break break break’ both present death powerfully, however ‘Break break break’ may appear more powerful because it uses an expression of grief caused by loss and uses intense emotions, like anguish. Then again, to some extent I do agree that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology, especially in comparison with ‘Morte D’Arthur’. A similarity between ‘Crossing the Bar’ and ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is that they both discuss religion and relate them to death. King Arthur’s death in ‘Morte D’Arthur’ can be seen as an allegory for the loss of honour and chivalry in an increasingly materialistic age. ‘And the days darken around me, and the years, among new men, strange faces, other minds’. Arthur and his knights at the round table can be interpreted as Jesus and his disciples. ‘But now the whole round table has dissolved, which was an image of a mighty world. ’ The presentation of death here appears powerful because it is the removal of a higher authority, which has followers and believers just like religion. If a God is removed, then the religion will fall apart because it no longer has a leader. This makes the death of Arthur seem even more significant because it represents the collapse of civilisation. ‘Ah! My Lord Arthur, whither shall I go? ’ However, ‘Crossing the Bar’ uses religious connotations such as ‘crossing’ to describe the speaker’s journey into the next world or crossing into faith and devotion. Tennyson complements this metaphorical link with a spiritual one as he hopes he will see his ‘Pilot face to face’. This can also be interpreted as Tennyson hopes to see Hallam in the Pilot, however it is more likely that Tennyson is discussing a Christian God. This is because seeing God face to face is a biblical theme and the transition from life to death in Christianity allows people to join God in heaven, which is beyond ‘Time and Place’. The presentation of death in ‘Crossing the Bar’ may appear the most powerful because unlike ‘Morte D’Arthur’, death becomes an end that is not confusing. In ‘Morte D’Arthur’ Arthur goes to Avilion, which could be a metaphor for heaven. However, he leaves behind a disorientated world with a lack of guidance. In comparison, the bar in ‘Crossing the Bar’ is also a metaphor for heaven, but the crossing is far more peaceful and conclusive. To conclude, I believe that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death because in contrast to ‘Break break break’ Tennyson is conclusive – he is being valiant about his own deaf or has come to terms with the grief of his friend and is ready to be reunited with him. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar’. Even the structure of the poem can represent the shortness of life. By having fewer words, they can hold more control and capture the attention of the reader. In contrast, ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is longer and this makes the presentation of death less powerful because the meaning may be lost as the poem is read.

Taking Online College Courses to Earn a Degree

Taking Online College Courses to Earn a Degree Online college courses can help you earn a degree, improve your resume, or develop a new skill just for fun. If you’re  interested in starting online college courses, this article will help you get started. Taking Online College Courses That Lead to a Degree A growing number of students are taking online college courses to earn their degrees. Some students earn entire degrees online, some transfer traditional college credits to an online program, and some transfer credits from their online college courses to a traditional school. Online college courses are convenient and many can be taken asynchronously, making it possible to be enrolled in a course and engaged in discussions even though you do not need to log on to a website at a specific time. Online college courses in thought-heavy topics (such as English, humanities, math, etc.) tend to be more common than online college courses covering action-specific subjects. If you are interested in taking online college courses that lead to a degree, make sure that the school you’re choosing is properly accredited. Keep in mind that many traditional and online colleges do not easily accept credit transfers. If your plan includes transferring schools at some point, talk to counselors at both schools to make sure that your online college course credits will be approved.   Taking Online College Courses for Professional Development Even if you don’t want to earn an entire degree through the internet, you can take online college courses to improve your resume and develop skills that are valued in the workplace. You may choose to take online college courses ala carte. Or, you may enroll in an online professional development program. Many programs like the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Stanford Center for Professional Development allow students to take a sequence of shorter online college courses leading to a professional certificate in a subject like project management, computer security, information technology, or sustainable energy. Check with your workplace or experts in your field to see how a particular online college course will be received in your industry. For example, some computer certification courses that are highly coveted for secretarial work would be considered unnecessary for those employed in a managerial position. Many students are able to take online college courses for free by asking their employers to cover the cost of their tuition. Tuition reimbursement programs are designed for employees that complete coursework or earn degrees related to their position or a position they may qualify for. Even if your employer doesn’t have a formal tuition assistance program in place, he or she may be willing to work with you to subsidize coursework that will help you do better at your job. Taking Online College Courses for Personal Enrichment Online college courses aren’t all about profit and degrees. Many students enroll in online college courses just to learn a skill they are interested in or explore a subject they are curious about. Some schools will allow students to take a class pass/fail so that students do not need to concern themselves with receiving grades. As an alternative to taking online college courses through formal enrollment, you may want to explore many of the free online classes that are now available. Dozens of traditional colleges make their course lectures, assignments, and reading guides openly available to the public as open courseware. By taking free online college courses, you won’t have access to an instructor to help you through the content. Nor will you receive graded feedback. However, you will be able to work at your own pace and learn without paying a dime. There is coursework available on just about every subject, from math to anthropology. Another option is to take advantage of the many free online courses offered outside of the education system altogether. While these aren’t technically â€Å"college† classes, many independent organizations and individuals offer in-depth instruction on a wide variety of topics. For example, Khan Academy provides down-to-earth video lectures on dozens of math topics. Many virtual learners have found these resources easier to understand more than when taking many traditional courses.

How to Use Mood and Atmosphere in Your Novel - Freewrite Store

How to Use Mood and Atmosphere in Your Novel - Freewrite Store ï » ¿The mood, or atmosphere, of your novel, is one of the things that makes your story stick in your readers’ minds long after they’ve turned the last page. Think about some of your favorite novels - what is it that you remember most? For me, the stormy atmosphere of my favorite novel, Wuthering Heights, is the first thing that comes to mind. Emily Bronte managed to create a mood in the novel that I really related to during my turbulent teenage years. As I’m writing this, I’m listening to the angry crashing of thunder and the pouring torrential rain, listening to children screaming as they run inside - what a perfect reminder of how nature creates atmosphere without any effort at all! The Power of Your Setting for Atmosphere There’s a variety of factors that go into creating mood and atmosphere in fiction. Your setting - including details like the weather and climate - can be a great starting point for conveying a mood. In Wuthering Heights, for example, the windswept moors of the Yorkshire Dales created the perfect backdrop for the atmosphere of the story. It’s the setting that allows you to introduce details that create the mood. The kinds of details that you can use for conveying the atmosphere against the backdrop of your story include smells, sounds, and sights. For example, you could create a gothic mood by using details that describe the decay of an abandoned house - cobwebs in the corners, rust on the bars on the windows, clouds of dust, and so on. Using Mood Words As a beginning writer, when I first came across the term ‘mood words’, I thought it referred to a list of moods (e.g. happy, depressed, angry, despondent, etc.). I was wrong. Mood words are broadly defined as descriptive verbs and adjectives that add an extra dimension to non-descript actions. For example, consider the difference between these sentences: Adelaide walked towards the door. Adelaide tiptoed towards the door. Walking is non-descript. We all do it, and without any kind of descriptors about howa character is walking, there’s no sense of mood or atmosphere. To tiptoe, however, is to walk in a particular way - to avoid being heard or to avoid disturbing someone. Overall, tiptoeing creates a sense of stealth and can be used to convey an atmosphere of tension or caution. Mood words are incredibly useful when you’re trying to convey an atmosphere. It can be helpful to have a list of mood words for particular types of scenes that you can easily refer back to. Here’s an example to get you started: Eerie Mood Words: Creaking Rattling Thumping Scuttling (as in a mouse scuttling) Whistling (as in the wind whistling) Cracking (as in a twig cracking) Show, Don’t Tell The easiest way to create a mood is to tell the reader what the mood is, right? Wrong. Which of these two passages is more engaging and captivating in its description of mood?: Rebecca felt happy that the interview had gone well. She was excited to hear back from the manager. Rebecca walked sedately out of the building, but as soon as she was out of sight of the reception desk, she almost danced across the road to where Dom was waiting for her. A bubbling laugh escaped her lips as she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. â€Å"I think I’ve got it!† she almost shouted. â€Å"Oh, Dom, you should’ve seen me in there!† You should always avoid telling your readers something when you can show them through your characters actions and speech. The second passage conveys the excitement in a way that makes the reader feel part of the scene - simply telling the reader that your character is excited isn’t going to create an atmosphere of excitement. Word Choices The words that you use to describe a scene or setting can have a powerful impact on the kind of mood you create. When I was studying for my Creative Writing degree, my tutor set an assignment that I thought I’d suck at, but I actually found that I enjoyed it. We were given a setting - a simple backyard - but told to describe it in three different ways, conveying a different atmosphere each time. This is how it turned out: Scene 1: Shadows played across the yard like a shroud. Long grass, unkempt and almost knee-high, danced in the breeze. A child’s bicycle, long abandoned, lay in the shadow of a withered oak tree. Sunlight blazing off the sash windows of the house made it impossible for Derrick to see whether Susan was inside. Scene 2 Alstroemeria bloomed in the bright-blue planter pressed up against the side of the front porch. Danny’s bike was, yet again, abandoned in the middle of the lawn at the foot of the old oak. Excited giggles drifted down from the treehouse as the boys quickly hauled the ladder up. â€Å"Is your Mom home?† Derrick called out to the boys, shading his eyes against the glare of the sun. Scene 3 There were some signs that this had once been a happy home - the rusty bicycle below the oak tree, and the partially-collapsed remains of a treehouse. There had once been a lawn, but now it was just a scorched black scar in front of the dilapidated house. Derrick dug the toe of his boot into the dirt and sighed. It had been fifteen years, but if he breathed in deeply enough, it was almost as if he could still smell the smoke of the fire. The words that you choose to describe anything in your novel have the power to convey very different moods. You have to be careful about the vocabulary that you choose, to ensure that every word matches up with the mood you’re wanting to portray. Descriptions are a lot like paintings. The details that you show to your reader come together to create an overall picture - and if you use details that don’t fit the mood, they’ll be jarring to your readers. Putting What You’ve Learned Into Practice Actually practicing using mood and atmosphere in your novel is the best way to get better at it. I’ve put together some exercises to help you get started. Imagine you’re writing a ghost story. Which of these two settings would provide the best backdrop for your story?: A cabin on the beach on the island of Barbados in summer An isolated cabin in a remote part of the Scottish highlands in winter (where there are only a few hours of daylight each day) Imagine you’re writing a story about a marriage breakdown. How would these different settings change the mood of the story?: The kitchen during the morning rush to get the kids to school A seating area outside a cafe close to where there’s a group of protestors shouting and waving placards A clifftop as your characters are participating in a walk for charity Create a mood word list for each of the following atmospheres: Spooky Tense Despairing Excited Joyful Find a scene in a novel (yours, or one you’re reading) where there’s more telling than there is showing. Re-write the scene in a way that conveys a mood without using the actual word. Describe a house and garden in three separate scenes, creating a different atmosphere in each.

Social Work Mental Health Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Work Mental Health - Literature review Example Social workers themselves can, in turn, influence people to raise their own levels of self confidence through the positive work that they do, as well as the quality services that they provide (Gray & Schubert 2010). The degree of expertise that a social worker has, and the skill sets that they come into the position with, largely depends on the quality of the training that they have received. With this in mind, it can be said that social workers need to be trained to take it upon themselves to improve their own effectiveness in work with individuals that have a mental illness, all in an effort to perform the various job functions assigned to them with excellence. To accomplish this objective will require possessing the ability to manage a complex discipline, in addition to the challenging situations that arise on a daily basis, in order to provide maximum benefit to both the individual and to society as a whole. The focus of the following literature review is to provide the reader wi th a cursory overview of the function that social workers play within the treatment of mentally ill individuals, as well as a critical analysis of two health models that more effectively cover this topic in depth (Bogg 2014). Recent trends indicate that social workers can literally transform the lives of people that have a mental health condition. This demonstrates their significance in modern society (Allen 2014). This is accomplished through their ability to improve the quality of services provided to people that have a mental illness and through the dedication exhibited by social workers, as they are the very professionals trained and this field and possess the capability to truly make a difference in this discipline. It should be mentioned, as well, that the field of mental health is a ripe area for the practice of social work, and within this context such individuals are well positioned to impact society in a positive manner. Social workers do provide