Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Example for Free

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Tragedy, in multiple views leads to grief, misery and may even cause emotional desensitization. However this solely depends on the cause of such tragedy. A simple tragedy exists as a result of the irony of combining diverse religion and cultures and is especially expressed in the story â€Å"Sandpiper†. Here author Ahdaf Soueif expresses cultural differences through the breaking relationship of a European writer and her Egyptian husband. Acquiescent undermine passivity Being the protagonist, the narrator becomes the view point character in the story and this is where audience criticisms take place. From the beginning she seems to display a sort of weakness and compliance towards events; watching the waves swoop back into the sea; conforming to her lack of work and loss of identity ; â€Å"watching (her husband) vanish†, and watching her daughter â€Å"grow away† from herself. The sand image, as the story opens portrays her compliance-The way she did not wish to obstruct nature`s pattern of â€Å"one grain of sand† because of her movement. Later as Um Sabir (her â€Å"husband`s old nanny†) prevents her from doing any work, her feminine independence also appears to be deplored yet she simply accepts this fact and though seeming solemn, does not take any action. The reader soon becomes critical about such fragility. Notice how the writer mentions -â€Å"watch† her husband vanish. Due to her foreignness, she seemed to slowly fade away from her and her husband`s relationship and displays severe grief. However it appears indeed so absurd for the re ader, because this narrator does not develop any sort of resistance to her dilemma. Furthermore her despondency grows gradually, and it seems that her daughter is being torn away from her the same way as with her husband. She simply pines her heart and the narrator grows a sort of dissent for the protagonist. Sandpiper a coastal bird which cannot fly too high nor too far from the coastal region (due to its habitat and feeding habits) is a perfect name for this story it seems. The way the protagonist’s life appears limited and restricted is definitely the main cause. However the reader may wonder why the narrator does not rebel to this lifestyle. There may be numerous causes. Firstly notice the narrators patience as she sits by the beach observing the water`s â€Å"frilled white edge nibbling at the sand†. As she displays no qualms to her situations (for example being deprived of work as previously mentioned) it seems she still retains hope- of a happy lifestyle. This e xaggerated patience she conforms, may perhaps be one of the reason she does not rebel. Another may be simply her love of and to sustain the happiness of her daughter. These causes all sum to the habitat and ability of a â€Å"Sandpiper†, its only restrictions. Therefore it seems that the protagonist subsists in a self imposed jail, like a sandpiper and indeed does not soar beyond the beach which could momentarily give access to another sort of freedom, mentally, from her own conscience. However if we pay attention to the situation the author rejects such criticisms-instead condemning the readers as absurd. Certainly following different cultures is not the protagonists fault. The consistent confusion and grief of the narrator’s situation is perhaps the cause of her helplessness. This way the author deems the protagonist as universal for humans; which either are NOT exceptions, to displaying similar responses, in such emotionally grim situations and though her image is portrayed as weak it is not held true to how we asses her. In some way the writer creates ambivalent views one portraying the theme of ‘fate’ and the other ‘free will’. A customary feature, to be noticed in this story is the authors unvarying image of the beach. Obviously this picture signifies the present and therefore, perhaps, alludes to the narrators ‘drifting’ thoughts. It also seems, the descriptions of the sand and the sea reflect her emotions. As the story opens, observe the serene albeit somewhat somber, descriptions (of the beach), in the past participle: â€Å"I used to see patterns†¦I did not want †¦. I used to sit†. Definitely the narrator is affectionately looking back at nostalgia, yet with regret. Her emotions drift in melancholy as a compliant stream of conscience guides her and suddenly we imagine a somber weak character, in passivity to not stir a single â€Å"grain of sand† from its ‘natural’ pattern. This is where the readers display an interest to this character`s matters. Slowly her emotions begin to frill as the descriptions become gradually violent –â€Å"the sea unceasingly shifts†¦surges forward with a low growl†¦ like thousand snakes† .By now the reader is absorbed into the persona`s feelings. The usage of the personal pronoun â€Å"I† becomes highly universal to the reader and definitely induces sympathy. Finally, as she â€Å"revert(s) to (the) dry grains that would easily brush away† the emotions are returned to the previous serenity however now there seems to be a hint of pain, a hint of helplessness. This way the writer skillfully attains the reader`s attention to the story, and somewhat forth shadows incidents in the story, pertaining to the emotions. Hereby the atmosphere seems so somber, so calm; slowly the reader drifts in with the thoughts of the writer. What the reader may also take notice, with hindsight, is that perhaps Soueif uses this initial beach image as an extended metaphor for the life of the narrator; as in the beginning her life was filled with bliss (in love with her husband), which suddenly changed to desperation and somewhat anger (as he slowly â€Å"slip away† from her) and finally grief (of the freedom she lost). Proactive pragmatic The next imagery of the beach occurs after she mentions the second summer at the â€Å"beach house west of Alexandria†. Here the narrator utilizes the sand and the sea as symbols for her husband and herself, the way these two entities seemed to â€Å"meet and flirt and touch† and establishes the theme of love . However, reading between the lines, perhaps the writer forth shadows a sort of obscurity in the relationship. Notice how the sand and the sea simply â€Å"meet† metaphorically indicating love; although away from this â€Å"edge† such love does not seem to prevail as the sea and the sand form a tight boundary. Also the sea consistently â€Å"drifts† and the sand itself shifts, especially with the pressure of the waves: perhaps the author accentuates fluid emotions which flow and â€Å"shift† with due time and therefore depicts this couple to slowly â€Å"drift† apart from each other. This way another theme, of relativity of time and emotion is established here. The ending of the story also prevails with this beach image. It seems the narrator is back to the present and this picture plays the greatest significance as she sees â€Å"different things from those 6 years ago†. Now she appears calmer yet more melancholic. The reader can effective ly perceive such emotion; especially in the lines â€Å"the last of the foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and â€Å"with each ebb of green water the sand looses part of itself to the sea†. This definitely feels somber; as if love is being persistently broken down by the force of nature. Realistically, it seems such force subsists as cultural pressure. Where the couple belonging to 2 different cultures altogether formed such a relationship, the narrators â€Å"foreignness†¦began to irritate him (her husband)†. Cultural pressure and foreign tensions arise as a conflict due to the ignorance of each other`s culture and perhaps a development in this slowly weakened their relationships. Not only does the husband feel irate yet this deplored the protagonist`s freedom- â€Å"I tried at first at least to help, but she would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ease the duster or the vacuum cleaner from my hand†. Coming back to the coastal descriptions, note how the author mentions â€Å"the†¦foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and how these two bodies meet but never ‘mix’. Probably the author, here portrays the theme of immiscibility. As sea and sand are immiscible it appears the foreignness and its resultant family tensions never intended a strong relationship; the love of both the narrator and her husband was immiscible, which would interact, yet as easily drift away. Perhaps this way the author undermines the system of religion. Indeed such a trivial matter, as exemplified is the commencement of weak relations and eventually such tragedies; for certainly, every being strays ethnocentric and this simple arrogance leads to major conflicts. This is later supported as the narrator finally questions-â€Å"But what do the waves know of the massed, hot, still sands of the desert? And what does the beach know of the depths, the cold currents†¦where the water turns a deeper blue.† .Duplicity is heavily prevalent due to ignorance of other religion, and like the sand and the sea it extends massively. What the writer Ahdaf Soueif is attempting to accentuate is that this concept of worldly cultures actually constructs a sort of mistrust amongst others and its great irony is exhibited in the form of this story Another image which we can relate to this theme is the difficulty, even dislike the wife shows towards adapting to a different culture. During the second summer at the beach house the narrator mentions her nostalgia of her hometown (Europe as Georgian sq uare is mentioned) and â€Å"misses† her time spent there. The moment this is mentioned suspicion rises in the readers mind; of her happiness following the new culture. She does display a sort of irritation as she is not allowed to work at home. Finally (later) she appears to complain- â€Å"my foreignness†¦my inability to remember namestruggles with his (her husband’s) language†, etc. Definitely the author is attempting to depict another cultural pressure here; despite the passage of time, evidently she depicts, that the wife has problems shifting to the new culture. Ironically, though, this foreignness actually appealed her husband yet now repelled him. LorDhRUv

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The History of Billiards :: essays research papers

There are many different theories as to when and how billiards was first developed. A lack of actual physical evidence has left most of these theories as simply speculation. Most people agree, however, that the game gained its roots from lawn games, which were not unlike croquet, played by nobility. Early players were said to include King Louis XI of France (King between 1461 and 1483); Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542-1587); King Louis XIV (1643-1715); Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI. If the game did indeed develop from lawn games, then where did the lawn games come from? Many historians believe that the lawn games date back to ancient Egypt. "Bat and ball" games are said to be what the lawn games evolved from, and images of these games can be found on the outside of tombs from as far back as 3000 years ago. The greatest innovation that has led to modern billiards play would have to be that of the modern time cue or cue stick which dates back to the 1700's. Up until that time only makeshift cues were used and it was the mace that was the most popular. During its reign as leading cue the mace was used to push the ball on the table and the skinny end was used as a handle. Difficulty with shots compressed against the rails would lead to the use of the skinny end to shoot causing the fall of the mace and the arrival of a stick. Along with the emergence of the cue came other great improvements. Leather tips were developed around the eighteen hundreds, and a few years later chalk was developed for the tips. Slate beds, fine cloth, rubber rails and standard sizes for tables soon arrived, and pushed the development of the games popularity. Along with popularity came the need for standardized rules, tables, and equipment. Of course with the gained popularity came the "business" of billiards.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Reaction time Essay

How fast a response can be made once he need has been recognised. By improving my reaction time I will be able to move my racket into the correct position to return my opponents shots much quicker. I would also be able to move my body into the correct position on the correct much quicker which would stop the need for over stretching for the shuttle which sometimes causes me slight injuries. This would make my play much more successful within both doubles and singles. After examining each health and skill related component of fitness and evaluating how well I did in the fitness tests I have decided to center my exercise plan round improving my muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness. I have chosen these because I believe that before I improve any skill related component of fitness I must have solid health related components of fitness. This is because usually health related components are directly linked with how easily a person is able to develop skilled components. For example without good muscular strength a person cannot be powerful. Muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness are the two that need improving foremost as I already quite a good player and therefore come up against many players which are equally matched to myself, therefore the duration of games is usually quite long and endurance is important. Relevant fitness tests to support my aims. Multi stage fitness test = this is a bleep test which participants run between two points which are 20m apart, the bleeps tell the person when to start running and when they should reach the other point. As the levels increase the beeps get closer together. This test will determine how good my muscular endurance is and whether I can run at increasing speeds with increasing tiredness. As one of my main aims is to improve my muscular endurance this test is vital to highlight any improvement made by implementing my personal exercise plan. I could not carry on after level eight; I felt this was quite good but not excellent. I would like to, with the help of my personal exercise plan, be able to achieve level 10. Pull ups = this test just involves how many times I can lift my entire body weight to lift my head above the bar. This is a relevant test as it measures the strength of my arms which is very important in the game of badminton. The strong my arms the more power I can put into my shots and the further and faster the shuttle can travel. I managed just three pull ups. This result is just below average. Improving my muscular strength would be an advantage however this is not one of my main aims of my personal exercise plan. Reaction time = this test involves putting a ruler against a wall and getting another person to hold it. I would then put my strong hand at the 50cm mark. My friend would then drop the ruler and I would have to catch it. The test of my reaction time is how far down the ruler I catch it. In badminton reaction time is also very important as reacting to the shuttles direction quickly is vital. Reaction time is very difficult to improve however nationally I scored excellent so this isn’t a major concern for improvement. Illinois Agility Test = this test is rather complicated but a great test of agility. It involves lying on the floor until the timer starts, once it has started I must stand up and run following the arrows on the diagram, each circle is a cone. This test accesses the ability to change direction at speed and the transference of weight at speed. The game of badminton can be very fast and therefore changing direction at speed can be essential. The test took me 43seconds; this is also just above average. Balance = this test involves a static balance which is timed. This is to see how long I can balance on one leg with my eyes closed. Balance in badminton is important as when stretching to reach the shuttle I need to keep my balance so not to fall. I managed to stay balanced for 20seconds this being nationally very good.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Founding of the Colony of Georgia

The colony of Georgia was the last of the formally founded colonies in what would become the United States, in 1732 by Englishman James Oglethorpe. But for nearly 200 years before that, Georgia was a disputed region, with Spain, France, and England jockeying for the control of land owned by several powerful Indian groups, including the Creek Confederacy. Fast Facts: Colony of Georgia Also Known As: Guale, Carolina ColonyNamed After: British King George IIFounding Year: 1733Founding Country: Spain, EnglandFirst Known European Settlement: 1526, San Miguel de GualdapeResidential  Native Communities: Creek Confederacy, Cherokee, Choctaw, ChickasawFounders: Lucas Và ¡zques de Ayllà ³n, James OglethorpeFirst Continental Congressmen: NoneSigners of the Declaration: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton Early Exploration The first Europeans to set foot in Georgia were Spanish conquistadors: it is possible that Juan Ponce de Leon (1460–1521) made it to the coastal reaches of the future state by 1520. The first European colonization was on the coast, probably near St. Catherines Island, and established by Lucas Và ¡zques de Ayllà ³n (1480–1526). Called San Miguel de Guadalupe, the settlement only lasted a few months before it was abandoned over the winter of 1526–1527 due to illness, death (including its leader), and factionalism. Spanish explorer Hernan de Soto (1500–1542) led his expeditionary forces through Georgia in 1540 on his way to the Mississippi River, and the De Soto Chronicles contained notes about his journey and the Native American inhabitants he met along the way. Spanish missions were set up along the Georgia coast: the most permanent of those was established by the Jesuit priest Juan Pardo on St. Catherines Island in 1566. Later, English settlers from South Carolina would travel into the region of Georgia to trade with the Native Americans they found there. Part of Georgia was subsumed into the Carolina colony in 1629. The first English explorer was Henry Woodward, who arrived at the Chattahoochee falls in the 1670s, what was then the center of the Creek Nation. Woodward formed an alliance with the Creek and together they forced the Spanish out of Georgia. The Margravate of Azilia The Margravate of Azilia, a colony proposed in 1717 by Robert Montgomery (1680–1731), the eleventh Baronet of Skelmorlie, was to be located somewhere between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers, as an idyllic establishment with a palace of the margrave (leader) surrounded by a green space and then in descending circles farther and farther from the center, sections would be laid out for barons and commoners. Montgomery likely never made it to North America and Azilia was never built. In 1721, while Georgia was part of the Carolina Colony, Fort King George near Darien on the Altamaha River was established and then abandoned in 1727.   Founding and Ruling the Colony It was not until 1732 that the colony of Georgia was actually created. This made it the last of the thirteen British colonies, a full fifty years after Pennsylvania came into being. James Oglethorpe was a well known British soldier who thought that one way to deal with debtors who were taking up a lot of room in British prisons was to send them to settle a new colony. However, when King George II granted Oglethorpe the right to create this colony named after himself, it was to serve a much different purpose. The new colony  was to be located between South Carolina and Florida, to act as a protective buffer between the Spanish and English colonies. Its boundaries included all of the lands between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers, including much of present-day Alabama and Mississippi. Oglethorpe advertised in the London papers for poor people who would get free passage, free land, and all the supplies, tools, and food they would need for a year. The first shipload of settlers set sail aboard the Ann in 1732, disembarked at Port Royal on the South Carolina coast, and reached the foot of Yamacraw Bluff on the Savannah River on February 1, 1733, where they founded the city of Savannah. Georgia was unique among the thirteen British colonies in that no local governor was appointed or elected to oversee its population. Instead, the colony was ruled by a Board of Trustees that was located back in London. The Board of Trustees ruled that slavery, Catholics, lawyers, and rum were all banned within the colony. That would not last. War of Independence In 1752, Georgia became a royal colony and the British parliament selected royal governors to rule it. Historian Paul Pressly has suggested that unlike the other colonies, Georgia succeeded in the two decades before Independence because of its connections to the Caribbean and based on an economy of rice supported by the enslavement of Africans.   The royal governors held power until 1776, with the beginning of the American Revolution. Georgia was not a real presence in the fight against Great Britain. In fact, due to its youth and stronger ties to the Mother Country, many inhabitants sided with the British. The colony sent no delegates to the First Continental Congress: they were facing attacks from the Creek and desperately needed the support of regular British soldiers. Nonetheless, there were some staunch leaders from Georgia in the fight for independence including three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton. After the war, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the US Constitution. Sources and Further Reading Coleman, Kenneth (ed.). A History of Georgia, 2nd edition. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1991.  Pressly, Paul M. On the Rim of the Caribbean: Colonial Georgia and the British Atlantic World. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2013.Russell, David Lee. Oglethorpe and Colonial Georgia: A History, 1733-1783. McFarland, 2006Sonneborne, Liz. A Primary Source History of the Colony of Georgia. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2006.  The Margravate of Azilia. Our Georgia History.