HCCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HCCH - Essay Example ne an opportunity to fulfill the mandatory responsibilities of classroom obligations regarding the learning process, but also helps one grow in their depth of character as a person. As a student pharmacist, I am required to complete a five-hour program of voluntary public service. For this portion of my education, I chose the Hancock Christian Clearing House (HCCH) in Findlay, Ohio. This organization’s purpose is to help those individuals and families, who for one reason or another, fall through the cracks of the usual government assistance programs. For example, some are homeless and cannot get aid without an address. The First Presbyterian Church took the initiative to establish HCCH in 1981 as an independent religious enterprise, which makes it a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization. Today HCCH is a cooperative effort that involves forty-two churches in Hancock County. Their combined mission is to help those, who under ordinary circumstances, may not qualify for the assistance from regular charitable and other social organizations. For the most part, HCCH is an association run solely by volunteers, like myself, who interact directly with the clients in order to determine their needs and to assist them in finding a proper solution for their current situation. HCCH also provides training to the volunteers who need it, like myself, who may not have had any social services experience or training. The main source of funding for HCCH is donations and contributions made by the members of the many churches that are involved, as well as other individuals and companies. HCCH states that approximately $13,000 is disbursed monthly to those in need of it. HCCH provides financial emergency assistance, such as food, rent, utilities and medical prescriptions, to the residents of Hancock County (Local Mission Opportunities, 2009). HCCH recently received a grant of $25,000 to support classes, supplies, training, and wages for the â€Å"Partners in Progress† program awarded

My Philosophy change is a challenge Essay Example for Free

My Philosophy change is a challenge Essay I. Introduction Man needs philosophy in order to be able to think, act and live accordingly. It is a basic blueprint of a man’s actions from thinking, to interacting with others. The only thing that is constant is change. This saying is indeed true especially in the Philippine Education System. For every change implemented lies challengers on the part of the classroom teachers who portrays varied roles. The rapid changes in the world have made curriculum design even more difficult. to be globally competitive II. Aims of my Philosophy chosen There is a need to revise the curriculum from time to time for us to suit the needs of time. We should go on with the flow of life and we should revise it now because curriculum in the past is not anymore very effective or suited for today’s generation As pro active individual I consider Change as a challenge and not a threat. Meeting new challenges require the opportunity to take risks and try new ideas. As a learning individual change is inevitable to meet the needs of society. In a fast changing society education is one way to connect oneself to the past and to project into the future and therefore aims in Philosophy should be considered. III. Role of Philosophy chosen to Education Education and philosophy are closely tied together; both are associated with teaching, learning, and discovering. Philosophy is more of an all-encompassing part of life, though; education is a more specific form of it. Due to the contributions of philosophers over the centuries, education has developed into the powerful tool that it is today. Without philosophy, education would essentially not exist. That said importance of philosophy in education is in fact the foundation in which all academic teaching and intellectual learning is built off. IV. Role of Philosophy to the content development 1. It guides everyone to plan collaboratively for school change to meet the learner’s diverse needs 2. It serves as a vehicle to open new ideas for positive outcomes 3 It strengthens the goals on meeting challenges for a fully functional learner. Language is dynamic as well as the curriculum. We have different curriculum in the past and in the present. We are now in a globally competitive world. A world that also needs competitive teachers and students. So, how will you become competitive if your curriculum is traditional? And is not aware of the new trends of teaching today? Students now are fond of using computers. They will probably choose going to the computer shop than going to school. As a teacher, what will you do? Don’t be a boring teacher! An effective way of solving this kind of phenomena is that the teachers must use technology in teaching. Make it as your partner in delivering a lesson so that the students will not get bored. Make a teaching-learning process lively and meaningful. Teaching and learning give life and meaning to the curriculum because this is the process wherein the teacher and the students interact with each other interchangeably or vice versa. If there is an effective teaching-learning process, it’s really a big help to the curriculum. It’s a big honor because each complements and supplements each other. The value placed in teaching will reap the same value in learning. Thus, a good curriculum can be judged by the kind if teaching and the quality of learning derived from it. The most important thing to keep in mind about strategic content development is that it’s truly an improvisational process. The reason why you want to identify as many viable options for potentially remarkable content is simple: You’ll almost certainly need to make adjustments on the process, and it’s easier to do that when you’ve already identified alternatives. So, the final aspect of strategic content development is to constantly evaluate what happened along the way, and why. The most valuable lessons are often found in the things that didn’t work, so treat it all as a learning experience that keeps your content constantly fresh and worth talking about. V. Significant effect of this curriculum development to the current trends in attaining universal truth in Educational Process In 2012 Deped’s K 12 Program goes full blast. Brother Armin Luistro has described the implementation of the universal primary or pre-school education in the Philippines as the â€Å"defining moment† in the administration of President Aquino as it seeks to implement reforms with deep impact on the welfare of Filipino children and the youth. DepEd’s enhanced curriculum aims to meet the overall objective of preparing children for productive work, either as employees or entrepreneurs, while maintaining its current academic thrust It seems that the President is rushing this program before his term ends. If this program is not implemented well, we might not achieve our real objectives. And all we have done is to disrupt the whole system. Changing programs and implementing new ones is not cheap. Will the next President change the system again? In a survey conducted by SWS from Aug. 24 to 27 last year showed growing acceptability of the key features of the K-12 program compared to survey results in March 2012. About 72 percent of Filipino adults believe that K-12 will give students more sufficient knowledge and preparation for work and college compared to those who finished 10 years of basic education, garnering a net rating of +48, up from +35 last March. The percentage of Filipinos who believe that more students will be encouraged to finish the two-year SHS because it is equivalent to two years of college hit 69 percent, or a 10- point increase from 59 percent in March. The results showed that 68 percent of Filipinos with a net rating of +39 believe that more students will finish SHS even with the additional cost and number of years because K-12 graduate will be better prepared for work, higher education, and business. The results of the survey did’nt even reach 75% which means some are not amenable to the new program. Although the selling point of K to 12 is the assurance that graduates of Senior High School will be able to work immediately, even before or without seeking a college degree Under certain circumstances, it is possible to revise only the high school curriculum. Even in this case, we have to wait until those already in First Year have finished Fourth Year (under the present system). After drawing up a curriculum on paper (including such things as expected competencies, prerequisites, qualifications, learning areas, scope, coverage, and outcomes), curriculum designers have to think about the textbooks and other instructional materials that will have to be created for the new or revised subjects. Although teacher training is a separate process, curriculum designers also have to give pointers on how teachers should be trained to handle the subjects. There also has to be some way to determine if and when the curriculum needs to be revised; this is called program assessment or evaluation. Because of abrupt implementation teachers are really having a hard time coping with the changes not to mention the lack of classrooms, instructional materials and the real physical situation of the learners. If the government can financially sustain the program without adding too much burden on parents, it’s worth giving it a try. However, nowadays, most of the students are the happy-go-lucky types who do not regard education as their priority. They’d rather bum around in malls or stay glued to computers. As a result, most graduates are half-baked, who can’t even write or speak good English, unlike the students of yesteryears. Before, a Grade 6 pupils then could already teach. An additional two years to the basic education curriculum could spell two more years of burden to poor parents who could hardly send their children to school. Before full implementation, there usually is a year-long pilot to debug the curriculum, as well as a longer transition period within which some students will be following the old curriculum and some following the new. Curriculum should not only focus on the tools necessary to develop reasoned and logical construction of new knowledge in our various fields of study, but also should aggressively cultivate a culture that nurtures creativity in all of our learners. This point seems particularly important.

Synthesis and Purification of Nitrophenols

Synthesis and Purification of Nitrophenols Abstract Ortho and para-nitrophenol was synthesized using an electrophilic aromatic substitution of phenol and dilute nitric acid. Isolation of the crude product used a dichloromethane followed by a short vortex and sodium sulfate for water removal. Separation of the ortho and para products was completed using column chromatography to collect the eluent in ten vials; vials #1-5 collected o- and vials #6-10 collected p-nitrophenol. Thin layer chromatography confirmed synthesis of o-nitrophenol collected in vial #3, 4 and 5 and p-nitrophenol in vial #7.1H NMR showed o-nitrophenol being the spectrum with more peaks, due to the asymmetric structural difference creating more nuclear environments for the proton to participate in. Introduction Phenols, due to their rich electron density, are highly susceptible to undergo electrophilic substitution reactions. The hydroxyl group on the aromatic ring of the phenol promotes charge delocalization; thus, allowing for stabilization through resonance.   One such electrophilic substitution reaction is that of nitration. First, an electrophilic attack of the phenol takes place, resulting in a carbocation intermediate stabilized by resonance1. Next, the nitronium ion nitrates the phenol ring, producing p-nitrophenol and o-nitrophenol (Figure 1). The hydroxyl group of the phenol is an ortho para director; therefore, the meta isomer is not produced. However, by products such as 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4,6,-trinitrophenol may be present in excess amounts of nitric acid. Once nitration is complete, the crude product can be purified through column chromatography and monitored through TLC. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a chromatographic technique used to separate the components of a mixture using a thin stationary phase. TLC functions on the same principle as all chromatography: a compound will have different affinities for the mobile and stationary phases and this affects the speed at which migrates2. After a separation is complete, individual compounds appear as spots separated vertically. Each spot has a retention factor (Rf) which is equal to the distance migrated over the total distance covered by the solvent. The Rf formula is2 In this experiment the difference in Rf values will allow for identification between o- and p-nitrophenol. When comparing two different compounds under the same conditions, the compound with the larger Rf value is less polar because it does not stick to the stationary phase as long as the polar compound, which would have a lower Rf value2. Column chromatography is a useful analytical technique for small-scale separation and purification using similar principles as TLC3. The polar, stationary phase remains either silica gel or alumina and the mobile phase can be dichloromethane (DCM)/hexane or DCM/ethyl acetate depending on the polarity of the sample. Therefore, the more polar isomers will adsorb to the silica gel and take longer to elute than the less polar isomers3. In the above reaction, the ortho product should elute first as it is less polar than the para product. Results Total percent yield using mass values Table 1 Table 1: Mass of fractions #1-10 Vial Number Empty Clean Vial (g) Dry Vial Weight (g) Product only (g) 1 13.3497 13.4663 0.1166 2 13.3357 13.337 0.0013 3 13.1605 13.1608 0.0003 4 13.0819 13.3543 0.2724 5 13.2054 13.3147 0.1093 6 13.2838 13.6743 0.3905 7 13.2007 13.5176 0.3169 8 13.0464 13.0977 0.0513 9 13.3157 13.4682 0.1225 10 13.5818 13.8376 0.2558 Table 2. 1H NMR spectrum of o-nitrophenol Atom Atom is part of a group Peak multiplicity Peak observed (ppm) Peak calculated (ppm) A Hydroxyl Singlet 10.7 10.84 B Arene Doublet 7.15 7.07 C Arene Triplet 7.0 6.59 D Arene Doublet 8.2 8.00 E Arene Triplet 7.6 7.22 Table 3: 1H NMR spectrum of p-nitrophenol Atom Atom is part of a group Peak multiplicity Peak observed (ppm) Peak calculated (ppm) A Arene Doublet 8.15 8.24 B Arene Doublet 6.8 7.0 C Hydroxyl Singlet 5.45 6.0 Table 4: IR spectrum of o-nitrophenol Functional Group Molecular Motion Observed Wavenumber (cm-1) Literature Value Range2-4 (cm-1) Peak Intensity Peak Shape Aromatic alcohol O-H Stretch 3240.31 3550-3500 Weak Broad Aromatic C=C C=C Stretch 1613.37 1600-1430 Medium Sharp Aromatic nitro NO2 Asymmetric Stretch 1530.13 1540-1500 Medium Sharp   Ã‚   Aromatic nitro NO2 symmetric Stretch 1471.31 1370-1330 Medium Sharp Table 5: IR spectrum of p-nitrophenol Functional Group Molecular Motion Observed Wavenumber (cm-1) Literature Value Range2-4 (cm-1) Peak Intensity Peak Shape Aromatic alcohol O-H Stretch 2999.35 3550-3500 Weak Broad Aromatic C-H In plane C-H   bending 1259.93 1275-1000 Medium Sharp Aromatic nitro NO2 Asymmetric Stretch 1517.92 1540-1500 Medium Sharp Aromatic nitro NO2 Symmetric Stretch 1326.38 1370-1330 Strong Sharp Aromatic C=C C=C Stretch 1600 1600-1430 Medium Sharp Figure 2: TLC plate A  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figure 3: TLC plate B Table 6: Rf values Compound Retention Factor (Rf) Relative Polarity o-nitrophenol 0.93 Less polar p-nitrophenol 0.07 More polar Discussion In this experiment a nitrophenol synthesis was carried out. The total percent yield is 42.7% as evident in Equation 2. Equations 2 and 3 show o-nitrophenol yield being 54.66% and p-nitrophenol being 45.34%. It could be assumed that not all of the organic matter was collected during the crude isolation phase. Two TLC analyses were performed to further determine the identity of o- and p- nitrophenols. The analysis on plate A determined that the fractions collected correspond to o-nitrophenol. This was concluded based on the distance the spots traveled up the plate. The o-nitrophenol complex is less polar than both the silica gel on the TLC plate and the p-nitrophenol complex. Therefore, it was expected to travel further up the plate. The fractions collected on TLC plate B correspond to p-nitrophenol; this complex is polar and adheres to the polar silica gel of the plate. The Rf value (retention factor) obtained for o-nitrophenol is 0.93. The Rf value obtained for p-nitrophenol is 0.07. Compounds with larger retention factors are less polar as they do not stick to the polar solvent. The fractions collected on plate A are all pure as only one spot is observed per lane. Lanes 1 and 2 do not show any spots because the fractions were collected too early and no product exists. The only pure frac tion collected on plate B is the one in lane 7. Lanes 8, 9, and 10 each have multiple spots suggesting that by-products are present. Lane 6 does not have any spots meaning that only solvent, not product exists. To confirm the identity of the product, 1 H NMR spectroscopy were used. The 1 H NMR spectrum of p-nitrophenol it is easily distinguishable because it contains only 3 observed peaks- A, B and C at 8.15 ppm, 6.8 ppm and 5.45 ppm accordingly. Peak A is a doublet and belongs to the protons adjacent to the deshielding nitro group. The proton pair adjacent to the hydroxyl group show a doublet signal at 6.8 ppm on the spectrum. The singlet showing lack of splitting must belong to the hydroxyl group, but it is far below expected values of around 10 ppm4. This is due to the intermolecular hydrogen bonding in this compound. The spectrum for o-nitrophenol has five observed peaks. The hydroxyl group is just above 10.5 ppm, which is in normal range. Peak D which is a doublet belongs to the proton closest to the nitro group at 8.2 ppm. The triplet directly across the nitro group peak E has a values of 7.6 ppm. This value generally would be expected at 7.0 ppm, but the ortho and para positions are more deshielded due to the resonance structure observed in Figure 4 and 5. Comparing resonance structures of p-nitrophenol and phenol explains why pnitrophenol is more acidic (Figure 4, Figure 5). Phenol can donate an electron pair to the aromatic system from the hydroxide group. P-nitrophenol has a ring deactivating nitro group that withdraws electron density from the aromatic system. This allows the hydroxyl proton to be removed because of the partial positive charge on that side of the system. The conjugate base is then stabilized by the nitro group taking away an electron pair from the negatively charged oxygen to form a double bond with the ring system. The stable conjugate base means that it cant form a new bond with the free proton, thus making p-nitrophenol more acidic than phenol. However with phenol, there is no electron withdrawing group, allowing oxygen to retain its negative charge. The conjugate base formed is very unstable and will immediately bond with any available proton. Also, o-nitrophenol has the nitro group in close proximity to the hy droxyl, thus allowing for intramolecular hydrogen bonding to occur. This slightly lowers the acidity of o-nitrophenol compared to pnitrophenol because the hydroxyl proton is made unavailable by the negative oxygen on the nitro substituent. Whereas in p-nitrophenol, intermolecular bonding occurs between other p-nitrophenols contributing to the overall stability of the compound. The IR spectrum of o-nitrophenol was given; however, the IR spectrum of p-nitrophenol was obtained experimentally. The IR spectrum for o-nitrophenol shows the following stretches: O-H stretch; C=C stretch; aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch; and an aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch. The O-H stretch is caused by the hydroxyl group on the phenol ring. The observed value is 3240.31 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 3550-3500 cm-1. The peak was broad and exhibited strong intensity. The C=C stretch is caused by the aromatic ring of the phenol. The observed value is 1613.37 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1370-13130 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited medium intensity. The aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch is caused by a nitro group. The observed value is 1530.13 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1540-1500 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited smedium intensity. The aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch is also caused by the nitro gr oup. The p-nitrophenol IR spectrum exhibited many of the same peaks. The observed peaks are as follows: O-H stretch; C-H bending; aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch; aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch and C=C stretch. The O-H stretch is caused by the hydroxyl group on the phenol ring. The observed value is between 3726.38 and 2999.35 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 3550-3500 cm-1. The peak was broad and exhibited weak intensity. The C-H in plane bend is caused by the aromatic ring of the phenol. The observed value is 1259.93 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1275-1000 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited medium intensity. The aromatic NO2 asymmetric stretch is caused by a nitro group. The observed value is 1517.92 cm-1; this corresponds to the literature value range of 1540-1500 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited strong intensity. The aromatic NO2 symmetric stretch is also caused by the nitro group. The observed value is 1326.38 cm-1; this corr esponds to the literature value range of 1540-1500 cm-1. The peak was sharp and exhibited medium intensity. Conclusion The synthesis of o- and p-nitrophenol was performed using an electrophilic aromatic substitution of a nitro group in dilute acidic conditions. This was followed by column chromatography to separate the o- and p forms and TLC to confirm that the synthesis and purification was successful. The capture of o-nitrophenol and of p-nitrophenol was successful due to having product in vials #3,4,5 and 7 as seen on the TLC plates (Figure 2 nand 3). IR spectra of o- and p-nitrophenol also confirm a successful synthesis due to the differences in the aromatic OH streches (Table 4, Table 5). The experiment may be considered a success because of the differences between the IR spectra confirming the synthesis of o- and p-nitrophenol. The IR spectra may be improved by more homogenous packing of the column. Also, waiting to collect a darker yellow elute may have increased yield of o-nitrophenol due to not capturing only solvent in vials #3-4. References Stawikowski, M. Experiment 5: Synthesis and Purification of Nitrophenols; BlackBoard. Touchstone, Joseph C. Practice of thin layer chromatography. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley, 1983.Print Smiley RA Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons . Richards, S. A., and Hollerton, J. C.. Essential Practical NMR for Organic Chemistry (1). Hoboken, GB: Wiley, 2010, 2.

Victors Destruction in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenst

Victor's Destruction in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley, in her book Frankenstein, makes several allusions to the fact that Victor Frankenstein is usurping the role of God in bringing his creature to life. The point of the book seems to be that a human who attempts to usurp the role of God will be heavily punished. Victor Frankenstein is severely punished. He loses everyone he loves before perishing himself in the arctic wastes. But did he really "play God" or did he merely unleash his own id and destroy himself? Allusions to Frankenstein's identification with God are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. From an early age Frankenstein identifies himself with God through his study of metaphysics. "It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn (23)," Frankenstein says. From an early age it was the metaphysical secrets of life and death that obsessed Frankenstein. It was this interest that led him to study the alchemists. A choice that he believed brought about his own downfall. Frankenstein fears for his sanity. He exhorts us more than once to "remember that he is not recounting the visions of a madman (37)." Yet he fears so much that he will be thought mad that he doesn't reveal that his creature killed William, even though it means the death of Justine, who was wrongly convicted of the murder. Frankenstein protests his own sanity so strenuously throughout the book that one begins to wonder if he is, in fact sane. The image of Frankenstein as God is reinforced in the dialog between Victor and the creature when they meet on the summit of Montanvert (Chapter 10). The creature says: I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king if thou wilt also perfo... ...d friend, and the destined mate -- rivals for the affection of his parents and for success. It is significant that Frankenstein, although he knows of the creature's threats, does nothing to protect Elizabeth on their wedding night. In this way he is complicit in her death, and in his own destruction. Frankenstein spends the rest of his life chasing the creature. He seems to want to confront and kill him, but it is not destined to be. In reality Frankenstein ostracizes himself from human society, even traveling to the uninhabitable North Pole. He never catches his creature. Instead he wears himself out, dying more of guilt and exhaustion than anything else. The creature, freed by Victor's death, retreats from the inhabited world searching for the death that he hopes will bring him relief. Works Cited Shelley, Mary, Frankenstein. (Bantam Classics, NY), 1981.

Barack Obama: A Legend in the Making Essay

Barack Obama is the Illinois State Senator where he served for seven years. He is currently a candidate for the 2008 presidential race alongside Hilary Clinton and John McCain. At least half a dozen African-Americans have preceded Obama as candidates to be America’s first black president, from Jesse Jackson to Virginia’s Douglas Wilder. But none has arrived at what seems to be such an opportune time with such broad appeal ( Graff, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Born on August 4, 1961, and named as Barrack Hussein Obama, Jr. by his parents who were a Kenya-born Harvard-educated economist and a Caucasian anthropologist (White, 2008). At the age of two, his parents were divorced and when his mother married an Indonesian man, the family moved to Jakarta. Although his father and step-father were Muslim, Obama chose to be a Christian wherein he attended secular and Catholic schools rather than a madrassa. He then moved back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents and attend school. He went on to study political science at Columbia University in New York, and then moved to Chicago where he spent three years as a community organizer(â€Å"Profile: Barack Obama,† 2008).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1988 he left to attend Harvard Law School, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. After Harvard, Obama returned to Chicago to practice civil rights law, representing victims of housing and employment discrimination (Ibid).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With his upbringing and educational background, Obama have made a name in the political arena. His charisma, personality and presence have made him a notable African-American politician. Part of what sets Obama apart in the Senate is his relative youth. He is one of the first senators born in the 1960s, in a chamber dominated by greatest-generation colleagues, Obama is more likely to find peers on his staff than on the Senate floor. He has cordial but not close relations with party elders. He prefers to discuss issues in his own words, and reframing topics as he goes . The senator’s highest-profile ventures have been bipartisan, including a tutelage in nuclear nonproliferation that took Obama to Eastern Europe and Russia. It was an effort to bring transparency to government and a push for immigration reform. Obama is also known for his initiative in raising e the threat of avian flu on the Senate floor and has spoken out for victims of Hurricane Katrina, pushed for alternative-energy development, and championed improved veterans’ benefits ( Graff, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obama’s biggest accomplishments as a freshman senator have taken place outside the Capitol. His â€Å"Call to Renewal† speech at Washington DC’s National City Christian Church   was perhaps the most important dissection of the political world and the role of faith made by any Democratic politician in a generation. He argued that faith was an important part of the American reform tradition but Americans must remember that it was the most religious founders who insisted on the separation of church and state so people could not be persecuted for their beliefs. More broadly, he has inspired in a generation of political activists a measure of hope for a better, more united America. Obama emphasized that Americans are seeking guidance in the uncertainty of modern life, and for politics to ignore, or even belittle that search for meaning is a disservice to the nation. He stated that,â€Å"They need an assurance that somebody out there cares about them, is listening to them—that they are not just destined to travel down the long highway towards nothingness† (Ibid).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the reasons why Obama have made such an appeal to all over the world is because his life is the embodiment of the American dream. He came from a broken family and was brought up modestly. Despite this, he still managed to a become a community organizer, civil rights attorney, progressive leader and a loving husband to his wife and a responsible father to his two daughters. His accomplishments are a testament that anyone can   be a somebody as long as they put their   hearts and souls in achieving their dream. Obama’s journey to the presidency have given hope particularly to Black Americans that they are not a marginalized group in the American society. His story have inspired a lot of people to make a difference before its too late. References BBC. (2008 January 30). Profile: Barack Obama. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3936013.stm Graff, G.M. (2006). The Legend of Barack Obama. Washingtonian.com. Retrieved February   Ã‚  Ã‚   2008, from http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1836.html White, D. (2008). US Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. New York Times Company. Retrieved February 21, 2008, from   Ã‚   http://usliberals.about.com/od/congressionalleadership/p/SenObama.htm

Imagery and symbols Essay

Quotations from the text are in italics. ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is a play enriched with imagery and full of expressionism: it shows the world through the characters’ emotions rather than how they literally perceive it. Throughout this play, Tennessee Williams uses various forms of imagery and symbolism to explain and highlight themes and moods. The play often uses symbols to accentuate the thoughts and emotions of the characters, and it is these expressionist elements that I will go on to discuss in this essay. In this piece of writing, I will not only look at the imagery used and the meaning behind it, I will also try to evaluate its role in the functioning of the play. The main motifs of symbolism used in this play are: o Light o Heat o Music o Colour o Titles & Names o Clothes o Reference to animals The most significant imagery in the play is the use of light and shade in the play. Light is, in many ways, a playwright’s biggest asset: light (or the lack thereof) can denote tension, fear, and suspense and can be used to draw the audience, to rivet their attention on a certain point. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Tennessee Williams, while using it for all of the above reasons, manipulates light in a unique way: light is a physical manifestation of the truth. For this reason, Blanche hates light, she is afraid it will destroy her illusions: ‘I don’t’ want realism.’ By looking at light as synonymous with truth we can see her aversion to light stems from her desire for magic (‘I’ll tell you what I want. Magic!’). Blanche’s disgust at naked light bulb (‘I can’t stand a naked light bulb, any more than I can a rude remark or vulgar action.’) expresses her inability to face reality, and so she puts ‘a paper lantern over the light’: the paper lantern which represents her illusions, and the faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade she presents to the rest of the world. Stanley has no patience with her fantasies, and so ‘he tears the paper lantern off the light bulb.’ This action of his is a symbol for his revealing her true self. There is also a more apparent and less subtle reason for Blanche’s terror of light: she wants is very subconscious about her age, and she has fears of being scrutinised under the ‘merciless glare’ of the light. Light also has other connotations in the play. For Blanche, it represents first love. When she was very young ‘the searchlight’ was switched on, and after Allan’s death it suddenly went off again, after which ‘never for one moment has there been a light stronger’ than the soft glow of a candle. Through this we can clearly see that the tragic events of her past, and the loss of her first love, have led to Blanche’s fear and intense loathing of light: she was dazzled by love early in life, and after Allan’s death, she avoided all light. For Blanche there is a difference between the soft shimmer of the candle, which she takes comfort in, and the harsh glare of the light bulb. This leads to another, more obscure, connotation of light in the play. If the light bulb represents reality, then the candle represents hope. Blanche acknowledges that ‘candles aren’t safe’, and she associates the burning out of the candle with the loss of innocence, ‘and after that happens, electric light bulbs go on and you see too plainly’. Therefore, she associates light (reality) with the loos of innocence, specifically hers which was cruelly snatched away from her at Allan’s death. This fear of light/ reality portrays her inability to grasp anything real or solid, which is demonstrated when she gasps at her reflection in the mirror. As can be seen, the symbol of light has a major role in the play, and it is impossible to conceive how the play would even function without it. Therefore, we can see that, in the case of the motif of light, the imagery and symbolism related thereof is very important in the play. Another form of symbolism in the play, and closely linked to light, is the theme of heat. This time, however, the imagery is just not related to Blanche, it relates to many of the main characters in the play. In ‘A Streetcar named desire’, heat represents different individuals response to their body image. Stanley is confident, assured about his image, full of ‘power and pride’, and his level of comfort with his physical image is the reason why he easily says, ‘my clothes’re sticking to me’. He sums up his outlook on his self-image when he says ‘Be comfortable is my motto’. In this play, heat is also used to accentuate the differences between the characters, and the differences between Mitch and Stanley are emphasised in this way. Stanley simply says ‘Do you mind if I make myself comfortable’, whereas Mitch says he is ‘ashamed of the way he perspires’. This reference to heat by both characters shows us the difference between them. It also shows that, if Stanley’s body image is bold, brash and confident, Mitch’s is shy, clumsy and insecure. Blanche’s issue with her appearance has already been glimpsed in the previous section, through her trying to conceal her age and wilting beauty. This can be discussed in greater detail from the perspective of the motif of heat. Stella says that Blanche takes baths to ‘cool down’, which seems to directly relate to the motif heat. However, is that really why Blanche bathes so often? Some critics feel that Blanche’s frequent bathing is a vent for her feelings of guilt over her stained past. Perhaps her frequent bathing is a result of her preoccupation with washing away sins and making a ‘fresh start’. She likes bathing because it makes her feel like ‘a brand new human being’. However, I disagree with this interpretation, as Blanche herself does not feel she has done anything wrong: ‘I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be the truth. And if that is sinful, let me be damned for it!’ Therefore, it is unlikely that her bathing is a result of her guilt. In my opinion, her frequent bathing is a result of her insecurity about her age and appearance. She herself states that the baths are a form of ‘hydrotherapy’: it assuages her fears of her tarnishing beauty. Overall, although the symbol of heat is not as major or well-developed a theme as light, it enriches the play and adds many nuances to the personalities of the characters. Names and titles are also used symbolically in this play. One critic has said that ‘Essentially this is a play about Desire and Death and the effect these have on the human soul.’ From this, and indeed simply from the title, we can see that Desire is an important theme. This theme is portrayed through the imagery of ‘A streetcar named Desire’. In his own life in New Orleans, Williams observed two streetcars (trams), one named desire, the other called cemetery. As he observed their movement, he was impressed by the symbolism of this and their relevance to life in general. In ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, ‘Desire’ and ‘Cemetery’ are two journeys we make in life: one towards our desires, our hopes, dreams and ambitions, and another toward the cemetery, through death (‘they told me to take a streetcar named Desire, and then transfer to one called Cemetery. These streetcar titles are especially relevant to Blanche and her past life. She has travelled on ‘Desire’ to get here: it is because of her lustful desires that she is in a position wherein she has to come to Elysian Fields to live with her sister. Other names and titles also hold significance in this play. ‘Elysian Fields’ is a name that brings an image of peace and tranquillity, which is a definite contrast to the violent actions of the habitants of ‘Elysian Fields’. ‘Elysian Fields’ also indicates a resting place for the dead, and this once again reflects symbolically on the themes of Desire and Death. The last significant name in this play is the title of the plantation, ‘Belle Reve’. Earlier on I looked at hope from the point of view of Blanche, and we can see that ‘Belle Reve’ is a personification of that hope, as ‘Belle Reve’ means beautiful dream. For Blanche, when she looses ‘Belle Reve’, she has fully lost all her hopes and dreams, and her journey of ‘Desire’ begins to come to a halt, and her journey towards the ‘Cemetery’ begins. In general, the symbolism of titles and names is essential to the theme of the play, and therefore holds a great deal of importance in this play.