Romanticism and Classicism Essay Example for Free

Romanticism and Classicism Essay Both Romanticism and Classicism deal with a certain psychological truth – however, they use different techniques to show this truth, and, consequently, show different sides of a persons psychology. The Romanticists take a lyrical stance – they explore a persons emotions and subjectivity. Mostly, this is done in poetry, because poetry generally provides more creative leeway and is more metaphorical. Like any short form, it needs less consistency, but is allowed to focus more on emotion and whatnot. A poem can be created only to portray a feeling or a group of feelings. For instance, Yeats poem â€Å"The Second Coming†, even though its first-person perspective is only seen directly in two lines, the feeling of apocalyptic dread is spread throughout the whole poem, from the first lines ( Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; /Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, ) to the last ( And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,/Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? ). This poem is completely dedicated to showing a single aspect of emotion. It does not require development, but rather elaboration and metaphor, both of which Yeats provides plenty. Moreover, the rhythm and sound of the rhymed word itself is used often to convey an emotion. (Incidentally, Romanticist prose, which is not covered here, also uses these techniques much more than Classicist prose). See Yeats again: â€Å"Turning and turning in the widening gyre† already creates a spinning sensation of something huge, the repetition of the us and is makes the line sound as if it were turning itself. The sounds and rhythm strengthen the feelings the words already evoke, in this case – that of the world turning in on itself – and when in the next line, â€Å"The falcon cannot hear the falconer;† we are faced with a relatively small bird, the illusion of a transition from microcosm to macrocosm is evoked. Portraying subjectivity is easiest to do from a first-person position, because it allows the poet and the reader both to get into the head and soul of the character. This is shown well in most Romantic poetry. For instance, Owens in his descriptions of war depicts the horrors from his own, first-person view, and attempts to make the reader sympathize by creating images that invite a certain empathy, in this case – a feeling of horror at things two people in dialog fear together. An especially powerful example is present in Dulce et Decorum Est (If in some smothering dreams you too could pace /Behind the wagon that we flung him in, /And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, /His hanging face, like a devils sick of sin;). It can be done from the third-person, however. This is generally done from selective omniscient, by showing things from a chosen characters viewpoint. Emotion can also be shown just by writing about the actions of the person, but this is generally used in the dramatical poetry, which is more common in the Classicists. Mostly, narrative is used for the Romantics when there is an actual need to show not just a feeling, but a transition from one emotion to the next. A real master of this is Joyce, who, while not precisely a Romanticist, knows the Romanticist technique well, and utilizes it to his own means. Joyce shows us a change in Gabriels behaviour. Specifically, he utilizes a very interesting technique: in the beginning, he does not give us any insight into Gabriels thought: when we first see Gabriel, he is just one of the characters. There are many others, who may be just as important – although the fact that everyone is waiting for Gabriel and his wife is a certain foreshadowing of the fact that ultimately he will be the main character, it is still far from certain at this point. (â€Å"O, Mr Conroy, said Lily to Gabriel when she opened the door for him, Miss Kate and Miss Julia thought you were never coming. †). As the story progresses, however, we gain gradual insight into Gabriels thoughts as they become more and more mixed in with his deeds, and by the end of it, we are completely in Gabriels mind (â€Å" It hardly pained him now to think how poor a part he, her husband, had played in her life. †) Any outside factor is a symbol for the Romanticists, a tool for self-identification. The difference between them and the Classicists in this case is that for any Classicist the outside world with its obstacles is objective – even when a hero acts or reacts, they are working in an environment. For a Romanticist, environment is optional. In fact, most of them prefer to relate directly to matters such as life and death, to notions which would be deemed abstract, and many avoid the situations in which we face these notions in life. This is well-seen in Tennysons â€Å"In Memoriam†: â€Å"I held it truth, with him who sings /To one clear harp in divers tones, /That men may rise on stepping-stones /Of their dead selves to higher things. † How precisely this stepping is done, Tennyson does not show. But it is these symbolic transitions, the way a human being relates with eternity, that make up the real life of a human being. The situations one faces in life are mere shadows of this real, symbolic life. This is why when the Romanticists use colorful metaphors, and another great lot of textual technique in an attempt to transfer to the reader what can only be felt, to incite an emotional state, this is not only to evoke a feeling – feelings are the meat and drink of life, like actions are to the Classicist. It is this sensual experience that is real, and a transition in feeling, its ennoblement is seen as a more valuable – a more ontologically real, if you will – change than any actions that change ones material status. For an example, let us turn to Yeats once more, and how he describes this spiritual transmutation upon his death, in â€Å"Sailing to Bysantium†: â€Å"Once out of nature I shall never take/My bodily form from any natural thing,/But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make/Of hammered gold and gold enamelling†. In essence, Romanticism submerges us in the characters subjective viewpoint, and attempts to make us believe the characters actions by placing us in the characters place. They externalize the characters feelings by projecting them unto our own. For instance, Coleridge in his â€Å"Kubla Khan†, gives an image and a feeling which it evokes in his lyrical hero, and attempts to reproduce that same relationship within the readers own soul: â€Å"A damsel with a dulcimer In a vision once I saw :/It was an Abyssinian maid,/And on her dulcimer she played,/Singing of Mount Abora. Could I revive within me/Her symphony and song,/To such a deep delight twould win me,† The Classicists attempt to portray objective reality as far as they are able – be it by directly addressing real-world issues, or by exploring them through story-telling. A direct discussion on a real problem is shown in Mills essay, where the narrator steps as much away from any personal arguments as possible, and attempts to appeal only to objective facts, and even if his own experience is used, it it always as de-personalized as possible. Nearly any quote from his essay is demonstrative. â€Å"The generality of a practice is in some cases a strong presumption that it is, or at all events once was, conducive to laudable ends. This is the case, when the practice was first adopted, or afterwards kept up, as a means to such ends, and was grounded on experience of the mode in which they could be most effectually attained. † As we can see, he speaks in the third person as much as humanly possible, making general observations about the nature of humanity and society. The Classicists who work in fiction generally work in the narrative, because it is easier to portray outside factors from the neutral point of view of a narrator, rather than from the subjectivity of one character. The preferred mode is pure omniscient. We can see this if we return to Joyce, who in the beginning uses a fully omniscient mode , to show us a multitude of people and detail, to give us a panoramic view and a feeling of objectivity before he begins to focus on the internal evolution of Gabriel. â€Å"Lily, the caretakers daughter, was literally run off her feet. Hardly had she brought one gentleman into the little pantry behind the office on the ground floor and helped him off with his overcoat, than the wheezy hall-door bell clanged again and she had to scamper along the bare hallway to let in another guest. †) Joyce uses this technique to set the stage, to give the mood in which the transformation happens. I believe (though I am not sure whether this is the view your professor has on the subject) that the difference between Joyces story and the â€Å"classic† Classicists is that for him the objective world is neither a place to act in nor a tool of transformation: it is just a backdrop, a setting in which interaction occurs. However, selective omniscient can be used, as well – as long as one gives enough detail that the character notices, but does not classify as important, while, in truth, they play out their part, and a reader – always from his birds eye view – can notice this. A good example is Mansfields â€Å"The Garden†, which utilizes a selective omniscient point of view. Mansfield uses both details that are general, that create the mood both for the character and the reader, (â€Å" That really was extravagant, for the little cottages were in a lane to themselves at the very bottom of a steep rise that led up to the house. A broad road ran between. True, they were far too near. They were the greatest possible eyesore, and they had no right to be in that neighbourhood at all. †), and those that are exlusively thoughts of Laura (â€Å"Is mother right? he thought. And now she hoped her mother was right. Am I being extravagant? †) Some of Mansfields most interesting technique is how she shows the transition of moods through the difference in details Laura notices. Compare the beginning of the story (â€Å"Then the karaka-trees would be hidden. And they were so lovely, with their broad, gleaming leaves, and their clusters of yellow fruit. They were like trees you imagined growing on a desert island, proud, solitary, lifting their leaves and fruits to the sun in a kind of silent splendour. ) and near the end of the story, when she learns about the death (â€Å"Now the broad road was crossed. The lane began, smoky and dark. Women in shawls and mens tweed caps hurried by. Men hung over the palings; the children played in the doorways. A low hum came from the mean little cottages. †) It is still a beautiful sunny day, however, Laura is in no shape to notice it. This is the kind of subjectivity that is allowed in Classicist literature: a subjectivity that is a reaction to the objective world. Classicism is versatile enough to allow it, but it never allows this subjectivity to take completely first place. At best, like in Mansfields works, it has an almost equal role to objective actions. Classicism can even work from completely a first-persons view, as Virginia Woolf shows. But here it is emphasized that the author is subjective but trying to transcend this subjectivity: even in the first person, she attempts to step out of conventional social roles – even those she takes on herself and look at things rationally and reasonably, and, possibly, with irony. It is a curious fact that novelists have a way of making us believe that luncheon parties are invariably memorable for something very witty that was said, or for something very wise that was done. But they seldom spare a word for what was eaten. † Woolf takes many liberties with her texts, and experiments often with styles and conventions – such as the listing of various foods, or the ironic descriptions of conversations, or unconventional views on known topics. Like a philosopher, she brings to attention things that are rarely noticed (â€Å"Have you any notion of how many books are written about women in the course of one year? Have you any notion how many are written by men? Are you aware that you are, perhaps, the most discussed animal in the universe? †). But all of these are things that exist in the real world. You will find few abstractions in her works, and even those have a grounding in some sensual experience that she has. She is very skeptical indeed of any matter of pure spirit, indeed, she does not believe in them in the common sense of the word. (â€Å"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. The lamp in the spine does not light on beef and prunes. We are all probably  going to heaven, and Vandyck is, we hope, to meet us round the next corner—that is the dubious and qualifying state of mind that beef and prunes at the end of the day’s work breed between them†) This is what attempted objectivity from the first person looks like. Mixed modes work well, too. Conrads â€Å"Heart of Darkness† is a great example of this: he often gives descriptions which could be both from the third person and the first person (â€Å"The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails ), and even those he gives explicitly from the first person are always shown as attempting to step away from direct emotional perception, such as in the scene where the hero thinks about the reason why the savages are cannibals. (â€Å"I would no doubt have been properly horrified, had it not occurred to me that he and his chaps must be very hungry: that they must have been growing increasingly hungry for at lea st this month past. †) This is very typical of Classicism, to look for outside solutions to ones feelings, and, instead of feeling something directly, to attempt to reach feeling throughout experience and logical thought. A Classicist cannot emphasize directly; Conrad could not have written something like, â€Å"I saw the hunger in his eyes and realized with a sharp jab of the conscience that, had I been so hungry, I would have been no different. † A Classicist will only portray the internal logic of his heroes, he cannot attempt to have them experience something they did not, even in the imagination. They remain captured by their own lives. What is important about Classicism is that it is almost always in prose. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, such as Browning, but they are few and far between. Poetry adds an extra, undesirable dimension to a text. It is the dimension of subconscious influence – by the sound of the words, by the rhythm. Classicism, of course, cannot step completely away from using techniques that influence not so much by meaning, as by style – so long as the work is a work of literature – but they do their best not to emphasize on the technical style of things. Even if they use technique, it is as simple as possible. The Classicists wish the text to be transparent, as opposed to the many colors of Romanticism. Conrad is, once again, a good example here: his descriptions are dynamic, yet very simple: â€Å"One evening as I was lying flat on the deck of my steamboat, I heard voices approachingand there were the nephew and the uncle strolling along the bank. † Complete contrast to the falling and raising of the Romantic worlds, Classicism uses Occams Razor as much as possible. Classicism likes to use a dramatic stance: it generally does not tell us about what the person is feeling, but rather attempts to allow us to see for ourselves from the persons actions. For instance, Browning in his poetry – a rare example of a dramatic approach in it – does not give us feelings directly. Instead, he gives us actions and thoughts related to those actions, not self-reflection: like when he writes about the painter Fra Filippo Lippi (Or Lippo Lippi, as he calls his hero))(â€Å"/Zooks, whats to blame? you think you see a monk! What, tis past midnight, and you go the rounds,/And here you catch me at an alleys end/Where sportive ladies leave their doors ajar? †) This says more about the character of the frater than any self-reflection upon the nature of necessity to go out at night would have. For the Classicists, it is an emphasis on that only the deeds of a person are actually real, and the thoughts essentially matter only as stimuli towards action . This is an externalization of the characters psychology by projecting it upon the world.

Impact That Jerzy Grotowskis Poor Theatre

Impact That Jerzy Grotowskis Poor Theatre Jerzy Grotowskis poor theatre is an experimental concept which influences performers to go back to theatrical roots using the voice and body as the main production. Just like many avant-garde artists he strived to pull away from the regular theatre conventions through other influences. Grotowskis main theatrical idea was depicted by the theatrical devices used throughout performance, such as lights, sound, sets, costume and makeup; the way which theatre is portrayed on stage was to compete with cinema and television which was perceived as Rich Theatre. Grotowski argued that if theatre cannot be richer than the cinema, then let it be poor. (Grotowski, 1968, p. 41) Stripping the stage of all its technical and aesthetic parts leaves just the actor and the audience; this creates a more emphasised performance for the audience as all their left to watch is the performance its self. Throughout this essay, I will be discovering how poor theatre has impacted contemporary theatre practice. Grotowski became a massive influence towards Peter Brook and through working together and discovering new exercises Brook learned how to make poverty an ideal (Brook, 1996, p.72) he saw firsthand just how his methods works with actors: To verbalise is to complicate and even to destroy exercises that are clear and simple when indicated by a gesture and when executed by the mind and body as one. (Brook, Grotowski, 1968, p. 13) Grotowski believed that the actor should be fully aware of his own body making full use of gestures and facial expressions, and the use of costume, makeup and sound is just a mask covering what an actor can really produce. To further an actors technique requires Intense physical training which Grotowski concentrated more on the body and developing natural resonators. His exercises were given very little instruction in order for an actor to interpret them in their own way. In contemporary practice we can see how Grotowskis physical ideas of performance has had its influence. Physical theatre groups such as DV8 has had a major impact through Grotowskis methods. Lloyd Newson who is the founder of DV8 describes physical theatre as a Grotowski based term: DV8 were one of the first groups in Britain to call their work physical theatre, which is a Grotowski-based term (Giannachi, and Luckhurst,1999, p. 109) Many physical theatre groups work without money, in order to create their own scenery and props with their own bodies, just as Grotowski strived his actors to work on a bare stage, physical theatre could be seen as a concept of poor theatre. Another of Grotowskis techniques of poor theatre was the awareness between the actor and audience relationship, believing that theatre can exist without the set, costume etc. but it cannot exist without an audience. Grotowski wanted the actors to experiment with how the audience are perceived: The actors can play among the spectators the actors may build structures among the spectatorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the actors may play among the spectators and ignore them, looking through them. The spectators may be separated from the actors - (Grotowski, 1968, p. 20) He experimented with the space, shape, and size of the audience trying to find a both a spiritual and spacial awareness for the audiences relationship with the actors. Above all this Grotowski believed that an actor audience relationship was essential, his methods and ideas of the relationship can now be perceived as environmental theatre. (Slowiak and Cuesta, 2007, p. 12) However Grotowski believed the intention of the performance can distinguish the audiences involvement of the performance. As well as Grotowski, there are other practitioners such as Brecht and Artaud whose influence was to break down the fourth wall; in contemporary practice more theatrical groups experiment with this. Groups such as Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre de Complicità © and kneehigh began to form through the eighties who based their performances with no fourth wall and full audience participation. One of Grotowskis major influences was Artaud, they both had ideas of how theatre should be depicted with symbolism, eastern theatrical and ritualistic senses. Grotowski used many oriental techniques throughout his exercises and workshops in order to bring out the best of body movement: Also particularly stimulating to me are the training techniques of oriental theatre (Grotowski, 1968, p. 16) His most undetermined pragmatic approach to eastern physicality was yoga which he used as the foundation for his physical exercises. However he became increasingly sceptical about the use of yoga throughout theatre and rather than disregard the yoga movements he adapted them. In more contemporary practices yoga is used between physical theatre groups. DV8 in specific use yoga using Grotowskis exploration, where he insisted that the mood after yoga is one that puts you under rest; which generally destroys the enthusiasm for expression: Grotowski called it an internal sleep, an inexpressive equilibrium, a great rest which ends all actions.' (Callery, 2001, p. 27) DV8s analysis was also that yoga gave a different energy, but also that other physical exercise such as aerobics also gave a different energy. They therefore discovered their own means of physical exercise in order to find new potentials. (Callery, 2001, p. 27) In conclusion, many contemporary theatrical groups and practices all use forms of Grotowskis practices. Groups without money tend to form the black box stripped theatre in order to create poor theatre focusing mainly on body and facial expressions. Physical theatre companies also use the bare stage in order to create their own props and scenery through body language and movement. Also the spectator and actor relationship can be seen through many of todays performances as well as other practitioners work. Grotowskis physicality and experimental exercises can be seen through contemporary practice, but can only be portrayed through an actors own discovery.

The Life Of King Henry VIII

The Life Of King Henry VIII King Henry VIII was born in 1491. Henry was the third child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. He was seen as a promising young prince due to his outgoing personality, and intelligence. Traditionally the first male heir of the royal family is successor to the thrown, but unfortunately, the first born; Arthur died quite unexpectedly at the young age of fifteen. This sudden tragedy has placed Henry as the unforeseen heir to the throne. King Henry VIII was looked upon as the perfect young king during his early reign; he had received an outstanding amount of schooling, and he spoke many languages. Not only did he fall under the category of an intellect but as an athlete as well. He was experienced and talented in jousting, hunting, tennis and archery. However, as Henry grew older history has shown scholars a change in this once beloved king. King Henry VIII proved to rule tyrannically due to his thirst for blood, power, and a male heir to succeed him. Throughout Henrys reign, bloodshed seemed to have been a typical method for this king to solve his problems. As soon as he succeeded his fathers position, Henry made his mark as a King who would not let anyone stand in his way by groundlessly charging his fathers two unpopular ministers Sir Richard Empson, and Edmund Dudley with Treason. The two ministers were executed in 1510. Another controversial and completely unnecessary death ordered by Henry VIII was that of Cardinal Wolsey. Cardinal Wolsey was appointed chancellor by King Henry VIII, they were very close friends. With that being said, Henry trusted Wolsey to convince the pope that he should have the divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon. When Wolsey failed this important task, King Henry out of anger dismissed him of his duties as Chancellor, and later ordered his arrest. It had been intended that Cardinal Wolsey be confined within the Tower of London, but during the crossing from York to London Wolsey died. If the death of such a close friend, who supported this tyrannical King in whatever he did isnt bad enough, he was also responsible for the execution of two wives. Henrys second wife was charged with treason, incest, and plotting to murder the king. It was King Henrys plan to have the crimes: be such as to inspire not only revulsion for Anne but also sympathy for Henry, and it must be something that would merit divorce as well as death. (Weir 309). King Henrys fifth wife Catherine Howard was also put to death with the charge of treason and adultery. When Catherine was arrested it should be remembered that Cranmer which was the kings adviser has no evidence beyond his own conclusions that she had committed adultery (Weir 448). These sorts of things had become what has been described as: a commonplace, and it has been suggested that this blood-thirstiness was a reflection of Henrys increasing age, power and problems. (Fraser 19) Christians throughout Europe had been part of the same Church for more than a thousand years. The pope was considered head of Christianity, this gave him tremendous power. Christians in that time period believed they can only get to heaven by following the rules and teachings of the Church. Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation in Germany, his writing quickly spread to many parts of Europe; King Henry VIII then countered his ideas by publishing The Defense of the Seven Sacraments. This book defended the seven sacraments which Martin Luther was so critical of. When the Pope had read the book, he gave Henry VIII a new title: Defender of the Faith. He was seen as the hero for some time, but this quickly changed. King Henry VIII decided to divorce Queen Catherine when he realized she could not produce a son. The King decided to take on a new Queen; Anne Boleyn. He hoped Anne would be the answer to his prayers and would give him the son that he so desperately longed for. But in d ivorcing Catherine, Henry had been required to make a split with the Roman Catholic Church, which had gone against King Henrys wishes and refused his request for the divorce. In the process of King Henry VIII trying to reach absolute power by separating from the Church he had dramatically transformed the Church in England. King Henry VIII had hoped that by limiting the power of the pope it would make his chances of the divorce going through successful much easier. But if this did not work, the king had been prepared to take total control of the Church in England so he could obtain a divorce without the permission of the pope (Worth 64). King Henry VIII had imprisoned numerous citizens who did not support the Reformation or the kings new position as head of the Church. Some were even sent to the scaffold, including two well recognized men through out England; Bishop John Fisher, and Sir Thomas More. The death of two distinguished men such as More and Fisher sent shock waves through o ut England and Europe. Some of Henrys subjects who had supported the Reformation now began to wonder if the king had become a tyrant (Worth, 75). Henry VIII has had 6 marital affairs throughout his reign as king of England. This was a big scandal during the time of the Renaissance, seeing as divorce was uncommon. King Henrys first wife was originally his brother Arthurs betrothed. King Henrys ultimate goal was to create a male heir to succeed him and in all the time he was married to Katherine of Aragon, only a daughter was produced and numerous stillborn sons. This infuriated Henry, and along with the conniving Anne Boleyn who used lust and her wit as her weapon, King Henry was driven to divorce this woman of virtue. This separation was clearly an act of selfishness on King Henrys part; he drove the church into the ground for this divorce to take place, due to his lust for Anne Boleyn and obsession with creating a son. Things only got worse once the King was married to Anne Boleyn. King Henry did not expect her to be so opinionated and involved with both his political and personal affairs. Being a man with a love for absolute power, this displeased him and his interest in her began to wane, and he turned his attention to Jane Seymour. While pursuing Jane Seymour Henry began to become infuriated by Anne, not only was she ill-tempered but she was not producing a son. Cromwell immediately devised a conspiracy against Anne Boleyn which would ultimately allow Henry VIII to not only divorce his new wife, but to have her killed. He and Cromwell without acknowledging the fact to each other, both knew that they were parties to a plot to do away with an innocent woman for the sake of expediency (Weir 310) Anne Boleyn was beheaded on the charges of Treason, Adultery, Incest, and plotting to kill the king. King Henry moved on to marry Jane Seymour, who gave him a son, she died during child birth, and conveniently pronounced her his true love and that in the event of his death he should be buried beside her. The King later decided it was time for him to marry, merely for political gain he agreed to marry Anne of Cle ves hoping their marriage would put an end to the religious problems of the German principalities (Weir 390) The King had never seen her in person, and had only received portraits which exaggerated her beauty. When they had finally met, like an immature child he was disappointed with her physicality, and thus the marriage started off on a bad foot. This marriage became annulled in 1540, with the excuse that the marriage had not been consummated and she had a pre-contract with another man. Another failed marriage did not stop Henry; he proceeded to become infatuated with the young Katherine Howard. Katherine Howard was thought to be an empty-headed and materialistic girl, only interested in her own personal affairs. This surely did bother the controlling King Henry All he asked of her was that she give him more sons (Weir 434). Marrying a girl with such little experience backfired on King Henry VIII, when she committed adultery with Thomas Culpepper, a member of the court, as well as a favorite of the King. This led to her arrest, and death. Last but not least there was Catherine Parr, who was lucky enough to stay married to Henry for four years until his death in 1547. Five marriages with an exception of one were ended, some in death due to this finicky Kings lust, need for power, and ultimately to conceive a male heir. King Henry VIII had ruled England for thirty seven years as a tyrant, only looking for personal gain. We see this through various events which have marked England forever, throughout the reign of this cruel and oppressive King. This includes the many unnecessary killings, his marriages to six wives which ended in death, the failure to produce a male heir, or simply because he was not attracted to her. The third way proving the tyrant within King Henry would be the split from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry had an obsession with power, and having the pope stand in his way to marry another woman led him to make one of the biggest changes in English History.

Georgian Territory Essay -- South Ossetia, Abkhazia

South Ossetia and Abkhazia Russia’s involvement in conflict settlement on the territory of Georgia had always been the most controversial, even before the events of August 2008. After breaking out in December 1990, the conflict in South Ossetia was ended in June 1992 by the signing of a ceasefire agreement in Dagomys. According to the agreement, Russia was to act as a guarantor of peace and security. In August 1992, there was a further escalation in another conflict on Georgian territory – in Abkhazia. According to experts, in the years prior to this (1991-1992) and during the first month of the war, Russia played a double role, providing military aid both to Georgia and Abkhazia. There was no consensus among the Russian policy-making elites with regard to the conflict. Only after September 1992 did Russia begin to support Abkhazia more actively (Antonenko, 2005). Shevarnadze had no other choice but to sign another ceasefire agreement with Russia, the so-called Moscow A greement of 1994 on Abkhazia. The Georgian leadership acted under the threat of a further escalation of the conflict and a possible large-scale confrontation with their much stronger neighbour. This explains why the Georgian President had to agree to negotiation formats and mechanisms of conflict settlement with Russia in the leading role, although Georgia would have preferred greater involvement of other international actors in conflict resolution efforts. Although the peacekeeping forces stationed in Abkhazia had a mandate from the CIS, they were exclusively Russian troops. For political negotiations, two formats were established: the Geneva process (with the participation of Georgia and Abkhazia and the UN Secretary-General’s Group of Friends of Georgia, involv... ...ssia’s moves to contribute to conflict resolution have been quite reluctant, and have not broken the negotiation deadlock in any of the four cases. Russia constantly felt both the pressure of Georgia and Moldova, which have questioned the legitimacy of Russian peacekeeping forces, and that caused by the interest of other international actors in launching civil and civil-military missions of their own. In sum, it has invested much (both rhetorically and in practice) in defending its right to remain in the zones of conflict. However, as Ivan Sukhov has rightly noted, the presence of a Russian contingent in Georgia should not have been a goal in itself. Unlike the situation in the 1990s, a Russian peacekeeping mission would have made sense only if it was combined with active Russian efforts towards conflict settlement, together with the US and the EU (Sukhov, 2006).

J. Edgar Hoover Essay -- essays research papers fc

J. Edgar Hoover Former Senator Joseph McCarthy put it perfectly when he said, â€Å"†¦ for the FBI is J. Edgar Hoover and I think we can rest assured that it will always be.† (qtd. in Denenberg 7). J. Edgar Hoover is credited for reconstructing the Bureau of Investigations (later renamed Federal Bureau of Investigations). Regardless of how people saw him, Hoover was powerful and committed, and did everything within his power to improve the agency that would make this country a safer place for all. John Edgar Hoover was born New Years Day in 1895. After years of education and law school he started as a third generation government worker in July 1917 as a clerk for the Justice Department (Denenberg 23,25-26). In 1919 he was promoted to acting director and later to director in 1924. He ran the FBI until his death on May 2, 1972 at the age of 77 (DeLoach 226). With all of the changes to the system that occurred because of his hard work, J. Edgar Hoover is referred to as the â€Å"father of modern-day law enforcement† (DeLoach 226). Hoover can take credit for separating the Bureau from politics, raising standards for agents, and implementing many other necessary crime programs (DeLoach 226-227). Most people were frightened of Hoover and this caused an attempt to portray him, through the media, in a manner that was far from complimentary (DeLoach 228). It is very difficult to find positive information about him; but no one can deny the hard work and accomplishments he made for the good of this country. To this day, he is the longest-serving leader of an executive branch agency, having served through the terms of eight presidents. He had good standing relationships with all the presidents regardless of their political position. Herbert Hoover (no relation) recommended J. Edgar Hoover to the attorney general for his director position with the Bureau based on his previous performances. No president came close to firing him (Hoover 34-35). For almost three generations, and even now, it is almost impossible to think of the FBI without thinking of Hoover. Democrats accused him of being Republican just as Republicans accused him of being Democrat. Hoover himself was not political. He was just as skeptical, scornful and vindictive in the treatment of right-wingers and left-wingers he didn’t like (Hoover 40). Hoover swept through the department and fired agents with questionable ... ...velt to obtain communications and tactics of suspected spies and war enemies. Though controversial it terminated the largest spy ring in operation in this country (Denenberg 79-81; Directors). Through the years Hoover’s dedication in raising the importance if the FBI helped to expand the Bureau’s jurisdiction and responsibilities (Directors). J. Edgar Hoover’s record of notable government service has never been matched. He transformed the bureau from a badly managed, corrupt organization to a quality law enforcement agency. As its size and budget have increased over the years, its reputation for competence and integrity has declined. It has lost most of the respect that it enjoyed in Hoover’s day. Works Cited Denenberg, Barry. The True Story of J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. New York: Scholastic Inc.,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1993. DeLoach, Cartha. â€Å"J. Edgar Hoover.† Booknotes: Life Stories. Ed. Brian Lamb. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Random House, 1999. Directors: Then and Now. Home page. Federal Bureau of Investigation. 1 July 2004 . Hoover, J. Edgar. â€Å"J. Edgar Hoover Speaks Out.† By Jack Wooldridge and Wilbur Martin. Nation’s Business January 1972: 32-45.

Advice about cheating situation Essay

I would like to thank you for your letter and would like to commend you for stepping out and trying to ask for help with your problem. Marriage is a complicated thing but is very rewarding, especially when the two persons involved try their best to work the whole relationship to the best of their abilities. However, is it not unknown to many of us that there are just some relationships and marriages that do not work because of different reasons. As for your case regarding your sister and brother-in-law’s relationship, unhappiness is the main cause of trouble. It is unfortunate that your sister resorted to cheating because there could have been many things she could have done about the situation without having to commit any sins. It is also very unfortunate for you because you know what is happening and is torn between doing the right thing and protecting your sister. The best thing that you can do here is to offer advice to her. You cannot dictate what she should do with her life and relationships but you are entitled to your opinion and this is what you should give to your sister. It is also important to note that you cannot force your sister to do something that you think she should be doing because she should make the decision herself. What you can offer is a good advice, as well as support and guidance whatever decision she decides to make because this is her life. Ultimately, she would be the one suffering the consequences of her decisions but in the end, you can say that you did not lack in giving the support that she needed. As mentioned above, there are many ways as to how she could have handled her unhappiness with her husband aside from cheating and you, as her sister, can offer the following advices to her. You have to remember that she may or may not follow your advices and may or may not agree with your opinions but the important thing is you did your part and it is up to her to make the right decision. The first advice that you can give her is to end the affair with her coworker. This is the most obvious option that she could do to end all the drama in her life, as well as to clean your conscience. In the first place, she should not be having this rendezvous with her coworker or any other person for that matter simply because she already has a family of her own that she should be taking care of. This is the oath that she took when she married her husband and should be keeping it because she wants the marriage to last. She should also keep in mind her children who are very young and may not understand the situation. Maybe if she tried hard enough and not dwell on her sadness and loneliness, she can make the marriage work along with her husband who seems to be devoted to her and the whole family. The second option that she has is to divorce her husband to live with the coworker that she is having an affair with. This would solve all problems and she could live freely without hiding anything from anybody. However, divorce might be hard because of the two children and the thought that she, the woman, is leaving her husband and family for another man. Still, concern for the children is not reason enough not to divorce. It is better to live in honesty than to let your kids see that you are unhappy because this might affect their growing up. While some people may think that it is selfish for your sister to leave her whole family and be with the person that she thinks she will be happy with, it is better to have a divorce rather than live in a lie and have a negative effect on the people around you.   Another thing that your sister can do is to go to a marriage counselor with her husband. This would allow her to determine the cause of her unhappiness with her husband and the whole family. Going to a marriage counselor can help lessen the chances of the marriage ending in divorce. It would also help the couple talk about their differences and what could be done to improve the status of their relationship. Having a professional mediate them can give them a chance to hear a neutral side regarding their relationship and might help them see each other in a different light. This should be done with the young children in thought and how hard it must be for them to see their parents not happy with each other. The couple try for the sake of their kids because their children look up to them and it is important for them to have a normal childhood. The last option that you could give to your sister is for her to admit the affair to her husband and let her husband decide what should be done next. This is because your sister does not want to leave the family and leaving the decision to her husband might make things easier for her. However, it is not guaranteed that the husband will decide to leave the family once he learns the truth. It might be that he wants to work things out and ask your sister to give up the affair and go to counselor with him. Whatever her decision may be, you should remind her that she should go for the one that would make her happy not only for the present time but also in the future. She might be feeling happy at this time because of the excitement that the affair is bringing, but in the long run, it might not be what she wants and it might be too late to change her mind. She should also keep in mind her children because as their mother, she has a responsibility to them. If she decides to leave them and divorce your brother-in-law, she has to make sure that her kids do not feel abandoned and unloved. She should also make sure that she has the right resources to provide support for her kids in case her husband decides to leave her upon learning about the affair. She is faced with a hard decision but she has to decide now and be the one to tell her husband. The truth will hurt but it will hurt even more for the husband if he learned it from somebody else. To answer your question, I believe that you have no right in telling your brother-in-law that her wife, your sister, is having an affair with another person because you are not involved in the relationship no matter how close you are to them. The most that you can do is to talk to your sister and try to shed some common sense in her so that she becomes aware of the situation that she is presenting to both you and the whole family. Instead, you should be a good sibling and give the advice that you think is proper for her to make. You should give her sometime to think about things and what she truly wants in her life. Remember that this is not an overnight turn of events. It will take some time and the outcome will depend on what she decides to do. Your loyalty is to yourself and the whole family. Although it is obvious that you should be taking the side of your brother-in-law, we are still not sure as to why your sister became unhappy with the relationship in the first place. We cannot judge her just because she presents to be the â€Å"sinful† one in the situation. Like many other situations, numerous factors can contribute to her decision to have an affair and unhappiness might only be a small part of it. Cheating, for most couples, is a very grave sin and can cause for breakups and separations. It will not be a surprise, then, if the husband decides to leave his family. Remember that this is a guy and that his ego plays a major part in his decisions. It might be hard for him to accept that his wife cheated on him. Whatever happens, you must remember that you should be there for the both of them to give support in their respective decisions. This is the only way that you can show that you care for them both.

Classroom Seating Arrangements

Classroom Seating Arrangements By: Walaa Samir Fayek Classroom management is extremely effective to create a better learning environment, in which the teacher invests in space, time and materials to achieve academic and personal development to the students. Personally, seating arrangements play a significant role in creating a stress-free and a beneficial atmosphere for the EFL learners and helping the teacher in controlling the class easily. It will also reflect their performance in the activities, how much they have grasped from the lesson and facilitate free movement in the classroom.I consider the desks in semi-circles and U-shape are the ideal shapes for my EFL classroom. Arranging the class in a semi-circle allows the teacher to observe the students and also the students will be able to see their classmates and the board. It is also perfect for conducting group discussions and participating in group conversations by building the students’ self-esteem and confidence in sh aring their ideas, especially for students who are shy to present their work to others. On the other hand, semi-circle seating arrangement might not be helpful sometimes as the teacher might find it difficult to meet the students one-on-one.It is also not so handy if the class is not big enough because this seating arrangement will take much room than the normal row seating arrangement. As for the U-shape or â€Å"horseshoe† seating arrangement, it is a good choice as it allows each student to have a panoramic view of the whole class; classmates, teacher and the board as well, and gives the teacher a more direct contact with each student, promoting eye contact, improving classroom behavior and controlling discipline problems especially with young learners. Related article: Cda Competency Goal # 1Moreover, through the U-shape setup, the students won’t be able to hide or avoid participation and that will encourage them to improve their behavior. The U-shape seating allows a huge space for setting up projectors or any teaching materials and free movement in the class. Desks in U-shape require a large space, which might be a disadvantage that can negatively affect the teaching process. There are other seating arrangements that might be useful in teaching English, especially during the production stage, which are clusters and groups seating arrangement.Young learners of EFL can be placed in small clusters so they can interact easily and dynamically with one another and work on group projects. Clusters help in mixing between students of various skill levels and abilities, allowing the teachers to move around the class and observe the students. One drawback is that some of the students will end up facing other students not the front of the class which may lead to a slight distraction even if it was for young learners or adults.To sum up, seating arrangements have an effective role in enhancing the learners’ productivity and concentration during the class. There are many examples for seating arrangements like the semi-circle and the U-shape. Both of them can work perfectly if the teacher is conducting an informative lesson that needs the learners’ focus. Also, there are the clusters and groups seating arrangements that facilitate the group work and help the learners to connect their thoughts together.