The Moral Disagreement on Capital Punishment (Death Penalty)

Using Democratic Deliberation to Resolve the Moral Disagreement on Capital Punishment (Death Penalty) Common American experience seems to suggest that a solution to every dilemma can be found through enough lobbying, legislating, media-blitzing or politicking. We often believe that the person arguing most eloquently, reasonably or forcefully will win every dispute, yet there are times when this optimism fails. Despite great efforts to show the strength of a position, there are arguments that we cannot untangle simply by proving our right and anothers wrong. Some moral questions permit such different outlooks that holders of completely opposing views can both be morally sound. Rather than trying to reason away one side we can only†¦show more content†¦Participants in such discussion can arrive at an understanding of their differing views and gain respect for the variation that exists, the first steps towards solving the moral questions that seem unsolvable. To lead towards any justifiable outcome, deliberation must abide by certain guidelines of respect, open mindedness and accommodation. At the heart of the debate must be a genuine acknowledgement that opponents views, though disagreeing with our own, are just as morally sound. In granting this we must also approach the discussion with a willingness to change our opinions if discussion reveals a stronger moral position. Deliberation relies on rational participants who do not blindly cling to prior beliefs despite evidence favoring other ones. If, however, deliberators cannot justify leaving their positions after fair consideration, they must make concessions to the opposing side without sacrificing their own views. By eliminating points of contention opponents can reach towards an economy of moral disagreement. Though it will never be possible to satisfy every member of this diverse nation, appeals to methods of deliberation offer moral justification for our decisions. A crusader f or censorship, for example, will always be upset if defeated, but he may be more satisfied knowing the rationale for his defeat than otherwise. To investigate whether or notShow MoreRelatedThe Constitutionality Of Capital Punishment1625 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment is a form of taking someone s life in order to repay for the crime that they have committed. Almost all capital punishment sentences in the United States of America have been imposed for homicide since the 1970 s. Ever since the reinstatement after 38 years of being banned, there has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics say that executions are violations of the â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment† provision of the EighthRead MoreShould Capital Punishment Be Abolish?981 Words   |  4 PagesShould capital punishment be abolish? The answer should definitely be, no. Without the death penalty, criminals would oppose the law more aggressively. Criminals would openly do as they like, because they would no longer have the restriction from the law. Meaning without the law, the crime rate would escalate greatly. Yet in light of this importance, opponents (against capital punishment) offer their oppositional viewpoints. They combat what they consider the menace of social order. They question:Read MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment1080 Words   |  4 Pages Since 1608, legal systems have used capital punishment as justice. â€Å"As of November 2014, 32 states have the death penalty. There have been a total of 1348 executions from January 1977 to the end of 2014† (capitalpunishmentuk). The capital punishment only affects those who sentenced in the crime of rape or murder. The most popular death method is lethal injection. 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Its application is restricted by the amendment of the eight to intensified killings committed by psychologically competent people. Capital punishment existed a consequence for numerous misdemeanors under English mutual regulation, and it was imposed in entire of the early US colonies preceding to the Declaration of IndependenceRead MoreGreat Philosophers : Moral Knowledge1430 Words   |  6 PagesLaurella Dotan 12/11/14 Great Philosophers Moral Knowledge Over the last several thousand years, ideas of what is acceptable, right, and moral have shifted and evolved. What one time period and place held as a moral truth—such as the acceptability of slavery due to a person’s skin color—another place and time views as a moral failing. How humans gain knowledge, and even the very nature of knowledge, have been hotly contested throughout the centuries, as philosophers have developed various theoriesRead MoreThe Ethics of Capital Punishment Essay examples1501 Words   |  7 PagesAmericans have argued over the death penalty since the early days of our country. In the United States only 38 states have capital punishment statutes. As of year ended in 1999, in Texas, the state had executed 496 prisoners since 1930. The laws in the United States have change drastically in regards to capital punishment. An example of this would be the years from 1968 to 1977 due to the nearly 10 year moratorium. During those years, the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment violated the Eight Amendment’sRead More The Problem of Capital Punishment Essay3342 Words   |  14 PagesThe Problem of Capital Punishment The issue of capital punishment is a divisive topic that encompasses many moral and empirical aspects of human justice. Ultimately, the key issue regarding the death penalty is as follows: is the death penalty an appropriate form of punishment for the United States of America’s judicial system to impose? This key issue incorporates the empirical and moral claims of the opponents both for and against capital punishment in America. The main empirical issuesRead MoreThe Fundamental Claim of Cultural Relativism Essay example1270 Words   |  6 Pagesuse to govern if an act is morally wrong or right. It is considered a subspecies of the theory of moral relativism as it essentially follows the same path but just considers a more narrow approach. Putting Schafer-Landau’s Argument from disagreement into context for cultural relativism, looks to disprove the theory, however I will demonstrate how it is flawed. Schafer-Landau’s Argument from disagreement states: P1: If well informed, open minded people intractably disagree about some claim, then that

Themes of Conformity in Society - 561 Words

As readers, we see how the analysis of conflictive themes has been taking over literature scenarios. When reading between the lines of certain books we can perceive themes such as conformity and rebellion. Mostly these themes can be seen in writings from times of social upheaval. According to The Oxford Dictionary, the word conformity means â€Å"behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards†, while rebellion means â€Å"the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention.† These terms create a constant battle among societies. A certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason society has laws, rules and expectations. Literature represents life, and these themes can be found at the root of many literary works. Conformity can also be considered as silence. This silence is based on the restrictions of real feelings and thoughts in some literary pieces. During the sixteenth centur y, the emphasis on conformity was at its height. Works of literature from this time period have often reflected a fascination and frustration with this particular characteristic. People do not want to be restricted in terms of expressing opinions and developing certain activities. When facing oppression, denial of their freedom, they rebel, and that contributes to the part of the process of change in society. Not all kinds of rebellions are rationally fundamental, but when they are, it can transform society for theShow MoreRelatedThe Movie Cool Hand Luke 1164 Words   |  5 Pagesprisoners. Unfortunately at the end, Luke ends up getting shot and killed. After viewing the movie â€Å"Cool Hand Luke† there were three main psychological themes that were very prevalent on the basis of the film. 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According to Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the second question models the world in which he lives. Over a span of three days, nonconformist Holden seeks different people to connect with, most of whom are conformists, but is left isolated and unhappy as no one seems to care about him. Through the characterization of Holden Caulfield, JD Salinger develops the theme of society’s disdain of nonconformityRead MoreBelonging - a Clockwork Orange Essays679 Words   |  3 Pageswill allow a sense of identity, without this we lose our huma nity; however, conformity is in a sense a facade of belonging, as it restrains our freedom and forces us to only mimic. My studied texts show how society demands us to conform, yet conformity prevents a sense of true identity being ever created. This notion is elaborated in the novel, A Clockwork Orange. Alex is a criminal who doesn’t belong anywhere within society. In the novel, the government attempts to suppress his criminality by physicallyRead MoreNon-Conformity in The Catcher in the Rye and Igby Goes Down Essay1170 Words   |  5 Pagesthe issue of non-conformity among youth. As Steers’ text is an appropriation of Salinger’s, similar ideas and opinions are presented, however they are affected by both context and medium in the way that they are conveyed, and the composers view on the issues. Despite this, their purpose remains the same, and that is to show the positive and negative sides of non-conformism on the mental and physical health of contemporary youth. The issues used to convey this purpose are conformity, growing up andRead MoreJohn Ford’s acclaimed film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) is well-known among cinema buffs800 Words   |  4 Pagesit sheds light on the theme of the film, which is that of the American identity. What Ford articulates in the film is a vision of the American character that is rooted in the heritage of the Old West and in the doctrines of freedom and liberty that underlie the founding of America as a nation. In many ways, the film traces a cynical evolution from the earliest days of the frontier, symbolizing self-reliance and individuality, and the modern era of media and social conformity. The reason that theRead MoreEssay On Chris Mccandless969 Words   |  4 Pagesan individual’s purpose is to be unique and to avoid being conformed by civilization. Ralph Waldo Emerson views a persons purpose as to not conform, however he advises to be well versed in a vast majority of areas, both of these authors view non-conformity as the most important trait a person may have and view civilization as evil. Chris McCandless was a young man who desired an adventurous and exciting life, not to be held down from civilization’s restraints and social norms. In addition, ChrisRead More Social Change In Japan Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pageseliminate diversity are the family, the power of gender, the poor treatment of minority groups, the corporate Japanese mentality, and the respect required by people in authority. However, due to globalization and the shrinking of the world, Japanese society is starting to make the change to diversity. The individualistic mentality shared by the new technology driven younger generation is putting pressure on the old Japanese status quo. The transformation is happening very slow, but as the populationRead MoreRay BradburyS Fahrenheit 451 Shows A Society Where, Similar1070 Words   |  5 PagesRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 shows a society where, similar to modern day America, technology and conformity are praised, but unique ideas are seen as taboo. Ma ny have heard phrases to the effect of â€Å"Don’t watch so much TV, it’ll rot your brain!† But is there any validity to these claims? 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The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss Free Essays

Macduff (Macbeth) 1 Macduff (Macbeth) Macduff (Macbeth) Dan O’Herlihy as Macduff in Orson Welles’ controversial film adaptation Macbeth (1948) Creator William Shakespeare Play Date Source Family Macbeth c. 1603-1607 Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587) Lady Macduff, wife Son, (name unknown) Antagonist to Macbeth; kills him in the final act. Despair thy charm / And let the angel whom thou has served / Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped (5. We will write a custom essay sample on The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss or any similar topic only for you Order Now 10. 14-16) Role Quote Macduff, the Thane of Fife, is a character in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (c. 603-1607). Macduff plays a pivotal role in the play: he suspects Macbeth of regicide and eventually kills Macbeth in the final act. He is the main antagonist, yet the hero, in the play. The character is first known from Chronica Gentis Scotorum (late 14th century) and Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland (early 15th century). Shakespeare drew mostly from Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587). Although characterized sporadically throughout the play, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth, a figure of morality, and an instrument to the play’s desired excision of femininity. Origin The overall plot that would serve as the basis for Macbeth is first seen in the writings of two chroniclers of Scottish history, John of Fordun, whose prose Chronica Gentis Scotorum was begun about 1363 and Andrew of Wyntoun’s Scots verse Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, written no earlier than 1420. These served as the basis for the account given in Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587), on whose narratives of King Duff and King Duncan Shakespeare in part based Macbeth. Macduff first appears in Holinshed’s narrative of King Duncan after Macbeth has killed the monarch and reigned as King of Scotland for 10 years. When Macbeth calls upon his nobles to contribute to the construction of Dunsinane castle, Macduff avoids the summons, arousing Macbeth’s suspicions. Macduff leaves Scotland for England to prod Duncan’s son, Malcolm, into taking the Scottish throne by force. Meanwhile, Macbeth murders Macduff’s family. Malcolm, Macduff, and the English forces march on Macbeth, and Macduff kills him. [1] Shakespeare follows Holinshed’s account of Macduff closely, with his only deviations being Macduff’s discovery of Duncan’s body in 2. 3, and Macduff’s brief conference with Ross in 2. 4. Historically, the Clan MacDuff was the most powerful family in Fife in the medieval ages. [2] The ruins of Macduff’s Castle lie in East Wemyss cemetery. Role in the play Macduff first speaks in the play in 2. 3 when he discovers the corpse of King Duncan in Macbeth’s castle. He raises an alarm, informing the castle that the king has been murdered. Macduff begins to suspect Macbeth of regicide when Macbeth says, â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury / That I did kill them† (2. 3. 103-104). Interestingly, Macduff’s name does not appear in this scene; rather, Banquo refers to him as â€Å"Dear Duff† (2. 3. 75). In 2. Macbeth has left for Scone, the ancient royal city where Scottish kings were crowned. Macduff, meanwhile, meets with Ross and an Old Man. He reveals that he will not be attending the coronation of Macbeth and will instead return to his home in Fife. However, Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm, the slain King Duncan’s elder so n, and convinces him to return Macduff (Macbeth) to Scotland and claim the throne. Macbeth, meanwhile, visits the Three Witches again after the spectre of Banquo appears at the royal banquet. The Witches warn Macbeth to â€Å"beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife† (4. 1. 87-88). Furthermore, they inform him that, â€Å"The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth† (4. 1. 96-97). Macbeth, fearing for his position as King of Scotland, orders the deaths of Macduff’s wife, children and relatives. Macduff, who is still in England, learns of his family’s deaths through Ross, another Scottish thane. He joins Malcolm, and they return to Scotland with their English allies to face Macbeth at Dunsinane Castle. After Macbeth slays the young Siward, Macduff confronts Macbeth. Although Macbeth believes that he cannot be killed by any man born of a woman, he soon learns that Macduff was â€Å"from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped† (5. 10. 15-16). The two fight, and Macduff slays Macbeth offstage. Macduff ultimately presents Macbeth’s head to Malcolm, hailing him as king and calling on the other thanes to declare their allegiance with him (5. 11. 20-25). 2 Analysis Macduff as a foil to Macbeth As a supporting character, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth; his integrity directly contrasts with Macbeth’s moral perversion. [3] In an exchange between the Scottish thane Lennox and another lord, Lennox talks of Macduff’s flight to England and refers to him as â€Å"some holy angel† (3. 6. 6) who â€Å"may soon return to this our suffering country / Under a hand accursed† (3. 6. 48-49). The play positions the characters of Macduff and Macbeth as holy versus evil. The contrast between Macduff and Macbeth is accentuated by their approaches to death. Macduff, hearing of his family’s death, reacts with a tortured grief. His words, â€Å"But I must also fee l it as a man† (4. 3. 223), indicate a capacity for emotional sensitivity. While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth insist that manhood implies a denial of feeling (1. 7. 45-57), Macduff insists that emotional depth and sensitivity are part of what it means to be a man. This interpretation is supported by Macduff’s reaction upon his discovery of Duncan’s corpse and the echo of Macduff’s words when Macbeth responds to the news of Lady Macbeth’s death. Macduff struggles to find the words to express his rage and anguish, crying, â€Å"O horror, horror, horror† (2. 3. 59). In some stage interpretations, Macduff’s character transitions from a state of shock to one of frenzied alarm. [4] This contrasts starkly with Macbeth’s famous response to the announcement of his wife’s death: â€Å"She should have died hereafter / There would have been a time for such a word / Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow† (5. . 17-19). Macbeth’s words seem to express a brutal indifference–she would have died anyway–and perhaps even suggest that he has lost the capacity to feel. Macduff as a moral figure Although Macduff comes to represent a type of â€Å"goodness† in the dark world of Macbeth, Shakespeare also allows for some instability in his character. This becomes most evident in 4. 3 when Macduff joins Malcolm in England. In this scene, the play has moved from the tumult in Scotland to England. In the exchange between the two Scotsmen, Malcolm is clearly in control and forces Macduff to examine and reconcile with himself his own moral code. In a moment of dramatic irony, Macduff begins the conversation urging Malcolm to fight for Scotland rather than to grieve, not knowing that Malcolm has already arranged for English military support (4. 3. 134-136). Malcolm manipulates Macduff, questioning his loyalty, facilitating his emotional responses, and testing to see how much Macduff’s, and perhaps the audience’s, morality can ultimately be compromised. Malcolm portrays Macbeth as a tyrant, but he positions himself, too, as someone morally repulsive. [4] He describes his own voluptuousness–the bottomless â€Å"cistern of [his] lust† (4. 3. 4)–and â€Å"staunchless avarice† (4. 3. 79). Macduff must decide whether he can accept Malcolm as an alternative to Macbeth. He does not give this answer until the final scene, addressing Malcolm, â€Å"Hail King† (5. 6. 20). By this point, however, Malcolm has â€Å"abjure[d] / The taints and blames I laid upon myself, / For strangers to my nature†(4. 3. 125-127). This shows that rather than speaking truthfully about himself, Malcolm was simply testing Macduff to see where Macduff’s loyalties were. Therefore, Macduff is right in accepting Malcolm Macduff (Macbeth) as king. Macduff may also be read as a precursor for ethical philosophy. 5] Macduff’s flight from Scotland is a â€Å"spiritual reawakening†, with spirituality based around the truth, regardless of what it may be. Macduff constantly reexamines his values. In deciding to leave his family, Macduff deserts those values and pays bitterly for it. Macduff echoes sentiments of writers such as Plato and the later Thomas Hobbes, who claim that morality may only be judged to the extent that a person takes responsibility for his or her actions. Thus, because he accepts the burden of his decision to leave his family for political exploration, Macduff’s actions can be justified. [5] 3 Macbeth and the fantasy of female power One of the themes that the play Macbeth wrestles with is the relationship between male vulnerability and feminine influence. The play explores the fantasy of a female or maternal power as well as the desire of an escape from this influence. [6] Femaleness is to be feared and reviled, and to a certain extent, the play works to excise femininity and restore autonomous male or paternal power. However, the play also exposes the impossibility of the fantasy of absolute masculinity. After Macbeth derives much of his motivation from the Witches’ perceived promise of invincibility: that no man born of woman can kill him. He interprets the prophecy to mean he is untainted by femininity, as if femininity were the source of vulnerability. [6] Macbeth believes in his own invulnerability, claiming, â€Å"I bear a charmed life, which must not yield / To one of woman born† (Act V, scene 8). However, Macduff, born via caesarian section, exposes this fantasy as a fallacy. He replies to Macbeth: â€Å"Despair thy charm, / And let the angel whom thou still hast served / Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped† (Act V, scene 8). Though he may not have been of a woman born in the conventional sense (thus fulfilling the prophecy), Macduff ultimately originates from woman, asserting that he was â€Å"from his mother’s womb. † If, as Macbeth believes, true manhood cannot derive from or be tainted by femininity, then Macduff’s very existence fundamentally counters this idea. References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Bevington, David and William Shakespeare. Four Tragedies Bantam, 1988. Official Scottish Clans and Families (http:/ / www. electricscotland. com). Horwich, Richard. â€Å"Integrity in Macbeth: The Search for the ‘Single State of Man. † Rosenberg, Marvin. The Masks of Macbeth. University of California Press, 1978. Hennedy, John F. â€Å"Macduff’s Dilemma: Anticipation of Existentialist Ethics in Macbeth. † Adelman, Janet. â€Å"Escaping the Matrix: The Construction of Masculinity in Macbeth and Coriolanus. † Suffocating mothers: fantasies of maternal orig in in Shakespeare’s plays. Routledge, 1992. External links †¢ Macbeth: Folio Version (http://internetshakespeare. uvic. ca/Annex/Texts/Mac/F1/Work) †¢ Macbeth: Full-text online (http://shakespeare. mit. edu/macbeth/full. html) Article Sources and Contributors 4 Article Sources and Contributors Macduff (Macbeth)   Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? oldid=542149214   Contributors: 2A01:388:201:3030:E4B5:F56E:CE1B:5242, Agricolae, Akira625, Alansohn, Alex2706, Andrei Iosifovich, Andrew Hampe, Ashton1983, Australian Matt, Benjamin Geiger, Bucklesman, Byron Farrow, Cntras, David Gerard, Deskford, Dwanyewest, Escape Orbit, Finavon, Fitnr, Focus, Girlwithgreeneyes, Huw Powell, IllaZilla, ItsLassieTime, John of Lancaster, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, KGasso, Kabartlett, Kierant, Kyaa the Catlord, Lentower, Lordrosemount, Luki9875, MarnetteD, Mhardcastle, Mhockey, Monkeyzpop, Nashikawa, NatureA16, Omarworld87, P. S. Burton, PC78, Paul Bedson, Pegship, Philip Trueman, Pjweller, Poeloq, Red-eyed demon, Roregan, SAGE01, Saga City, Smalljim, Speedevil, Stefanomione, Stephenb, Steven Zhang, ThinkBlue, Tiria, Tommy2010, Treybien, UltimateCoach, Wangyingyun, Warofdreams, Woohookitty, Wrad, Xover, 115 anonymous edits License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3. 0 Unported //creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/3. 0/ How to cite The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss, Essay examples

Underachievement of the Nursing Student-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the application of different learning theory to promote effective learning process. Answer: Introduction: Effective mentorship during prequalified nursing education is considered very important because nursing students spend half of their course in clinical practice. In such situation, it is essential that rich clinical experience is provided to nursing students that supports their ongoing development and learning. It can be summed up by saying that effective mentorship is critical for the development of required clinical competencies in nursing students. Students who find an effective mentor before their placement finds the mentoring support as invaluable for their professional skill development. While a student attempts to learn new nursing skills and interventions, the mentor acts as a gatekeeper to monitor whether expectations in particular task is met by them or not. The supervising mentor guides a failing student to the right direction by summative assessment of their learning and implementation of alternative learning process to improve their practice (Myall et al., 2008). This es say explores the whole process of mentoring and their role in learning, teaching and assessment of students through the discussion on an experience of mentorship with an underachieving student. The essay takes the discussion further by describing the underachievement of the nursing student and identifying the behaviors or action leading to underachievement. Furthermore, the assessment of the student is done through the comparison with different learning styles and using them to teach and improve existing skill of students. The essay also focuses on the application of different learning theory to promote effective learning process. Finally, the essay also provides a reflection on key learning from the experience as a mentor to improve nursing skills of an underachieving student. Discussion on underachieving student For a nursing mentor, managing and supporting a nursing student who is failing to meet the standards and proficiencies mentioned by NMC (National Midwifery Council) for registration is the most challenging task. The NMC outlines different competency standards for different practice areas such as adult nursing, mental health nursing, childrens nursing and learning disabilities nursing. The NMC also makes it mandatory for all mentors to support and assess learning of a student on pre-registration nursing education programme (Nursing Midwifery Council 2017). Therefore, mentors work with prequalifying nursing students to support, supervise and teach them in the application of theory to practice. However, when a student does not perform at the expected level, the mentoring role becomes difficult. Once such challenging mentoring experience was seen when a second year nursing student came to a mentor for a 5 week placement. The main reason for which she was sent to the mentor was that she was inefficient in administering medications correctly. In her last placement, she was found to make serious error in this area and due to this underacheivement, she was placed under a mentor. She had made many mistakes in last placement as she gave the wrong dose of medication to a patient which lead to adverse drug event. Considering the underachievement of student in medicine administration, the mentors role in supporting the student to achieve this competency is important. This is because nurses are the most involved in the medicine administration phase and they play a vital role in the medication process. A small mistake by them can also cost the lives of patient. Wrong dose related error is mostly made by nurse due to complex dosage regimen particularly in the specialty area of ICU, emergency department and intervention area (Smeulers et al., 2015). The common reasons reported by nurses for this kind of error are name confusion, inappropriate drug labeling, miscommunication and knowledge deficits (Feleke, Mulatu, Yesmaw, 2015). Hence, as a mentor, it is very important for them to identify, intercept and correct errors of the nursing student in placement. The first step for mentor is to identify the underachieving learner. The mentor can do this by reviewing the previous placement record of the nursing student. This can help to formulate strategy for support and guidance (Melnyk et al., 2014). While trying to assess the behavior of the underachieving learner, the most common problem reported by mentors was that nursing students could not apply theoretical knowledge to nursing practice. In the scenario of the nursing student, she also faced the same problem. She also had attitude because she felt very nervous and displayed very high level of anxiety during clinical actions. Another major issue with her was that she had poor interpersonal skill which increased the likelihood of making medication error. During the observation, the student was found to display high level of anxiety during medicine administration. The students behavior is common to other underachieving learner. Rooke, (2014) showed that underachieving learners in nursing p ractice display diverse range of behaviors like reluctant to ask questions, unenthusiastic attitude, high level of anxiety, inconsistent performance, lack of theory to support learning, lack of response insight, poor judgment and poor professional behavior and development. In this situation, the mentor plays a major role in improving the knowledge, skills and professional attitude required for professional nursing practice. Assessment of student and learning style: To address the shortcoming of the nursing student in medicine administration, the first critical step for the mentor will be to establish a unique relationship with the learner. A mentor is defined as an individual who manage the potential of a learner, develop their skills and help them achieve their professional goals (Bray Nettleton, 2007). As part of student-mentor relationship, the role of mentor is to judge the quality of the underachieved student through assessment process. The progress of learner is dependent on unbiased assessment decisions. Maran Pera, (2015) also mentions that relationship is the heart of effective mentoring and giving constructive and developmental feedback is the fundamental part of professional mentoring relationship. The following are the important element of effective mentor-student relationship: Open communication with learner Identifying goals and challenges Passion and inspiration Developing caring relationship, mutual respect and trust Exchange of knowledge Independence and collaboration (Eller, Lev, Feurer, 2014) Hence, the process starts with open communication with learner and assessment of their unique learning style. Secondly, this is followed by teaching and learning phase in which passion, inspiration and exchange of knowledge occurs. Foster, Ooms Marks-Maran, (2015) mentions that for students, teaching and knowledge exchange is the most valued behavior for them in the student-mentor relationship. Mentors also work to address the attitude related problem of learners. For instance, they can motivate students to learn by arousing their curiosity level. They always try to correct their clinical action by explaining the relevance of the action for achieving adesired goal. The most important point that must be instilled in unachieved students mind is that they must also have the confidence that they can learn anything and achieve satisfactory results. Developing anxiety and lack of confidence is a negative trait for learners. In the context of the nursing student with underachievement in medications administration, her skill and professional development can be planned by mentors by proper assessment strategy. Proper assessment and accountability will only foster professional growth, personal development and nursing competency of the student (Moran Banks, 2016). Learning style is one of the major factor that influence learning and identifying the preferred learning style of student is important to align the teaching and learning strategies according to the preferred learning style of students. It promotes retention of information and promotes learning too (Leidenfrost et al., 2014). In case of the underachieved student, the mentor can identify her learning style via the VAK questionnaire. The VAK questionnaire is based on the visual-auditory-kinesthetic learning styles model. It is a simple and easily tool that helps mentor to identify preferred learning styles of students and plan specific teaching plan and learning strategies that matches students preference (Thakur, Vij, Shri, 2017). The VAK learning style model defines three types of learning styles. Visual learners are those who learn best from visual displays and taking notes. They always try to observes things through display, demonstrations, handout and displays. The second learning style is the auditory learning style that involves retention of information through spoken words or sounds. Such learners pays interest to lectures, classroom discussion and role plays. Another learning style is the kinesthetic learning style by which learners learn through physical and practical hands-on experience. This types of learners are explorers who actively participates in activities (Gholami Bagheri, 2013). The VAK questionnaire helps to identify learning styles by answering 30 questions. The score obtained from the response determines the main preferred learning style of student. Based on the learning style of the underachieved student, the mentor can plan the modes of learning and teaching process for them. If she is a auditory learner, she can use lecture methods for teaching. For visual learners, providing displays will be important. Secondly, for kinesthetic learners, giving them practical hands-on experience will promote their professional development. Application of learning theories to enhance learning On the basis of the VAK questionnaire, the preferred learning style identified in the underachieving student was visual learning style. The assigned mentor can plan teaching and assessment strategies according to the visual learning style. In such case, the mentor needs to explain all the concepts related to medicine administration by means of pictures, diagrams and good quality educational videos. They need to integrate all clinical information with visual diagrams. Matching learning style with preferred learning style will ultimately prove beneficial for the underachieved nursing student because this will have a great impact on her ability to acquire the knowledge related to safe medicine administration (Morgan, 2014). All have an individual learning styles that best suits them. Therefore, the underachieved nursing student is expected to take detailed notes and learn fast by means of illustration, graphics and power-point presentation. Hence, visual tools will be used as a teaching tool to improve the skills of the nursing student. Although the focus of mentor is to promote professional development of students, however assessment is required in the area of professional values, interpersonal skills, attitudes and reasoning too (Bennett McGowan, 2014). This is because certain behavior and value also determines the ability to manage risk and remaining persistence with service standards. On the basis of this identification, appropriate action plan can be developed by the mentors. According to the NMC specification, while assessing and documenting the skill of pre-registration nursing student, it is necessary to be factual and non-judgment to identify strength and weakness in particular nursing practice (Nursing Midwifery Council, 2017).In the context of underachieving nursing student, the mentor can identify weakness in clinical skill by reviewing past placement report. Secondly, her attitudes and behavior towards nursing practices can be evaluated by open communication and interaction with the student. This inte raction revealed many efficiencies in student both in terms of professional skills as well as interpersonal skills and professional values. Firstly, the student was found to lack confidence and her communication skill was poor. In the area of medicine administration, determining medicine in different clinical situation was difficult for her. So, the action plan for professional development mainly needs to address the area of competencies in medicine administration and personal attitude towards nursing practice. Developing an action plan for underachieving nursing student to help them achieve specific professional outcome is a challenging task for mentors. However, it can be made easier by outlining different activities such as- Identifying areas of development for nursing students Evaluating how to achieve target learning outcomes. Listing the criteria to assess achievement of outcome Planning a date for achievement of action plan Giving constructive and honest written or verbal assessment feedback to students Implement teaching plan for the achievement of desired competencies (Brown et al., 2012). While teaching the nurse about medicine administration safety, the first important teaching will be to make the student crystal clear about the five stages of medication process- prescribing, transcribing, dispensing and delivery, administering and monitoring process (Halbesleben et al., 2010). In helping the nurse to achieve the required competency in this area, the nurse will not focus on the nursing actions in each process. Instead, it will focus on making the student nurse about errors that can occur in different stage. This will be a unique learning opportunity for student because mentors have the experience in these areas and they provided useful knowledge about practice issues occurring in this activity. This process will enhance the learning process and make the nurse aware about mistakes and ways to address them. The most common issue for nursing student when they enter clinical placement is that they struggle to apply theoretical knowledge into practice in different clinical situations. However, mentors facilitate their transition from one learning environment to another through their knowledge and experience in nursing (Button, Harrington, Belan, 2014). They can also enhance the learning experience of mentors by application of different learning theories in the teaching and mentoring process. Each learning theories can contribute to effective mentorship process. For instance, the behaviorist learning theory focused mainly on change in behavior due to experience or positive reinforcement. It recognizes that behavior can be changes in response to a stimulus. It is relevant to the theories of classical and operant conditioning that focus on reinforcement of rewards to promote change (Montano Kasprzyk, 2015). Hence, to modify students attitudes and response towards an action, the mentor can a lter the stimulus condition in clinical environment. Another theoretical perspective about learning is understood from the cognitive learning theory which focuses on individuals cognition such as perception, thought, memory and way of processing information to promote learning. It is a highly active process in which individual observe, categorize and form generalization about to environment and then develop new insights and learning (Sternberg Zhang, 2014). Hence, contrary to behavioral theory, it does not believe in rewards to enhance learning. A mentor trying to teach nursing students by this method will have to influence the learning process by identifying the past perception, expectation and social influence that affect their learning situation. Another adult learning theory is the andragogy learning theory which regards adult learning as problem centred process. It recognizes the fact that experience forms the basis for learning and people are interesting in learning those things which have immediate relevance in their personal l ife (Merriam, 2015). In my own personal mentoring practice, I would apply the cognitive learning theory to facilitate better learning in the nursing student. Hence, in relation to the inefficiency of the nursing student in safe medicine administration, the main role of mentor will be to assess the past experience of students in this activity and find out how their own expectation and social influences disrupts from achieving the outcome. This can give insight into the mentees expectation and the reasons for which she could not match them during delivery of the activity. Knowing about her own perception can help the mentor to judge whether she has the right professional value to achieve those competencies or not. Secondly, any knowledge or skills gap and other environmental factors in workplace that causes the student nurse to medication errors. Importance of clinical learning environment The main focus of mentors in nursing practice is to support preregistered nurse to achieve the desired competency to confirm their registration as a practice nurse. Hence, nurses mostly focus on characteristics and attitudes of nurse that prevent them from achieving desired professional outcome. However, it cannot be denied that shortcomings and weakness in nursing students alone do not lead to underachievement. Sometimes, the clinical environment of process also acts as a barrier in the accomplishing a clinical task in a safe and effective manner. This may have an impact on the students learning experience too. The clinical environment is necessary for practical experience and development of nurses. However, sometimes the clinical environment only creates stressful situation for nurses. One study investigating about learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environment revealed that insufficient qualification of nursing instructor and unsupportive learning environment crea ted challenges in learning (Baraz, Memarian, Vanaki, 2015). In relation to medication errors by nurses, it was also found that clinical environmental also contributed to this issues. Cheragi et al., (2013) revealed that nurses reported medication errors due to noisy environment, heavy workload, tiredness and lack of adequate support. All these factors are linked to clinical environment. Hence, it cannot be denied that providing an appropriate clinical environment is also necessary to enhance the learning process. To facilitate quality acquisition of clinical experience during placement, it is necessary to adjust clinical learning environment. Therefore, when mentors engage in assessment process, they must also assess nursing students satisfaction with the clinical environment as this also affects their motivation level as well as clinical performance (Papastavrou et al., 2016). After the identification of the learning style, the appropriate assessment of the nursing student can be done by SWOT analysis. This can help to determine the main priorities of action and utilizing strengths as a motivational factor for mentees. The SWOT analysis can act as a useful tool to identify strength and weakness in nursing students and plan teaching objectives accordingly. It can act as a starting block in the interview. The SWOT analysis can assess students in the following ways: Strength- Personal strengths and good qualities as a nursing student Weakness- Areas needing improvement in terms of clinical skill and personal attitude towards nursing Opportunities- Interesting opportunities for the nursing students to achieve competency in medication administration Threat- Personal and environment barriers acting as a threat in the learning and skill acquisition process With SWOT analysis process, objective setting process for learning and skill development will become easier. Reflection on assessment and constructive feedback can provide a positive learning experience to the underachieving student. On basis of identification of weakness and strength, the SMART objectives that can be made by the mentor to train and develop the student includes the following: Helping the student to achieve complete competency in safe medicine administration (Specific) Promoting practice based learning in student through visual aids and exploring past to identify perception, thought and attitude of nursing, evaluation of activities by validation of assessment tools and decisions (Measureable) Full clarity regarding medication administration process will be given through video tutorial and role play (Achievable) Improving communication and interpersonal skills to prevent errors and facilitate collaboration process in nursing practice (Relevant) Conclusion The essay gave an understanding about the duties and responsibilities of a mentor for skill development in pre-registration nursing students. The critical discussion regarding the process followed by a mentor to assess and teach an underachieving student gave insight into the importance of alignment with mentees learning style to promote learning. Furthermore, application of different learning theory was found to enhance the learning process for nursing students. Apart from focus on personal and professional skill development, the importance of effective clinical environment was also found to be important to support and motivate students to learn clinical skills. Completion of this module gave me very important knowledge and insights regarding the non-judgmental attitude and specific planning needed by mentors. It gave me idea about different dimension of mentors role such as that of effective working relationship, evidence-based practice, context of practice, assessment and accounta bility, evaluation of practice and facilitation of learning. In future, I will use the above elements to support learning and assessment of students References Baraz, S., Memarian, R., Vanaki, Z. (2015). Learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environments: A qualitative study in Iran.Journal of education and health promotion,4. Bennett, M., McGowan, B. (2014). Assessment mattersmentors need support in their role.British journal of nursing,23(9), 454-458. Bray, L., Nettleton, P. (2007). Assessor or mentor? Role confusion in professional education.Nurse education today,27(8), 848-855. Brown, L., Douglas, V., Garrity, J., Shepherd, C. K. (2012). What influences mentors to pass or fail students: Lynn Brown and colleagues describe a study to explore mentorship practices, including whether mentors pass students who are not fit to practise, the reasons for doing so and mentors perceptions of the universitys support for their role.Nursing Management,19(5), 16-21. Button, D., Harrington, A., Belan, I. (2014). E-learning information communication technology (ICT) in nursing education: A review of the literature.Nurse Education Today,34(10), 1311-1323. Cheragi, M. A., Manoocheri, H., Mohammadnejad, E., Ehsani, S. R. (2013). Types and causes of medication errors from nurse's viewpoint.Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research,18(3), 228. Eller, L.S., Lev, E.L. and Feurer, A. (2014) Key components of an effective mentoring relationship: a qualitative study,Nurse Education Today, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 81520. Feleke, S. A., Mulatu, M. A., Yesmaw, Y. S. (2015). Medication administration error: magnitude and associated factors among nurses in Ethiopia.BMC nursing,14(1), 53. Foster, H., Ooms, A. Marks-Maran, D. (2015) Nursing students expectations and experiences of mentorship,Nurse Education Today, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 1824. Available at:https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.04.019(Accessed 11 February 2015). Gholami, S., Bagheri, M. S. (2013). Relationship between VAK learning styles and problem solving styles regarding gender and students fields of study.Journal of Language Teaching and Research,4(4), 700-706. Halbesleben, J. R., Savage, G. T., Wakefield, D. S., Wakefield, B. J. (2010). Rework and workarounds in nurse medication administration process: implications for work processes and patient safety.Health care management review,35(2), 124-133. Leidenfrost, B., Strassnig, B., Schtz, M., Carbon, C. C., Schabmann, A. (2014). The Impact of Peer Mentoring on Mentee Academic Performance: Is Any Mentoring Style Better than No Mentoring at All?.International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education,26(1), 102-111. Maran, A. A., Pera, M. P. I. (2015). Theory and practice in the construction of professional identity in nursing students: a qualitative study.Nurse education today,35(7), 859-863. Melnyk, B. M., Gallagher?Ford, L., Long, L. E., Fineout?Overholt, E. (2014). The establishment of evidence?based practice competencies for practicing registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in real?world clinical settings: proficiencies to improve healthcare quality, reliability, patient outcomes, and costs.Worldviews on Evidence?Based Nursing,11(1), 5-15. Merriam, S. B. (2015). Adult Learning Theory: A Review and an Update.Culture, Biography Lifelong Learning,1(1), 59-71. Montano, D. E., Kasprzyk, D. (2015). Theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, and the integrated behavioral model.Health behavior: Theory, research and practice (. Moran, M., Banks, D. (2016). An exploration of the value of the role of the mentor and mentoring in midwifery.Nurse education today,40, 52-56. Morgan, H. (2014). Maximizing student success with differentiated learning.The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas,87(1), 34-38. Myall, M., Levett?Jones, T., Lathlean, J. (2008). Mentorship in contemporary practice: the experiences of nursing students and practice mentors.Journal of clinical nursing,17(14), 1834-1842. Nursing Midwifery Council. (2017).NMC standards for mentors, practice teachers and teachers. Retrieved 11 August 2017, from https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/nmc_standards_to_support_learning_and_assessment_in_practice.pdf Papastavrou, E., Dimitriadou, M., Tsangari, H., Andreou, C. (2016). Nursing students satisfaction of the clinical learning environment: a research study.BMC nursing,15(1), 44. Rooke, N. (2014). An evaluation of nursing and midwifery sign off mentors, new mentors and nurse lecturers' understanding of the sign off mentor role.Nurse education in practice,14(1), 43-48. Smeulers, M., Onderwater, A. T., Zwieten, M. C., Vermeulen, H. (2014). Nurses' experiences and perspectives on medication safety practices: an explorative qualitative study.Journal of nursing management,22(3), 276-285. Sternberg, R. J., Zhang, L. F. (Eds.). (2014).Perspectives on thinking, learning, and cognitive styles. Routledge. Thakur, D., Vij, A. K., Shri, C. (2017). Matching Teaching Pedagogy with Learning Styles of Students-Insights through Literature Review.

A report on Johann Strauss II The Waltz King

Biography Johann Strauss II was also known as Johann Baptist Strauss, Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger, or the Son. He was born on 25th October 1825 and died on 3rd June 1899 (Gartenberg 123).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A report on Johann Strauss II: The Waltz King specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strauss who was also the most prominent of the Strauss family was born in St. Ulrich and died in Vienna where he was buried at the Zentralfriedhof. As Crittenden indicates, â€Å"the composer was of an Austrian nationality and mainly did light music in particular dance music and even operettas† (89). He is also known to have composed quadrilles, polkas, waltzes, ballets, operettas, opera and marches. Even though his father opposed his pursuit of music, he secretly involved himself in studying the art. He is mostly remembered for some of his great waltz pieces such as â€Å"tales from the Vienna woods† , â€Å"Kaiser-Walzer†, and â€Å"The Blue Danube†. In polka, he is well known for pieces like â€Å"Tritsh–Tratsh† and â€Å"Pizzicato†. Some of his best-known operettas are â€Å"Die Fledermaus† and â€Å"Der Zigeunerbaron†. Chosen pieces Some of the songs that were incorporated in this report are: Die Fledermaus (The Bat), overture to the operetta (RV 503-1)  Ã‚  (8:31) Conductor: Martin Sieghart, Genre: waltz. Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald (Tales from the Vienna Woods), waltz for orchestra, Op. 325 (RV 325)  Ã‚  (11:59) Conductor: Ondrej Lenard. Genre: waltz Annen-Polka, for orchestra, Op. 117 (RV 117)  Ã‚  (4:31) Conductor: Johannes Wildner: Genre: PolkaAdvertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Wiener Blut (Vienna Blood), waltz for orchestra, Op. 354 (RV 354)  Ã‚  (8:29) Conductor: Ondrej Lenard. Genre: waltz Rosen a us dem Suden (Roses from the South), waltz for orchestra, Op. 388 (RV 388)  Ã‚  (8:25) Conductor: Ondrej Lenard. Genre: waltz Sources The main sources of reading are: Jacob, H. E. Johann Strauss, Father and Son: A Century of Light Music. The Greystone Press. 1940. Gartenberg, Egon . Johann Strauss — End of an Era. Pennsylvania State University Press. 1972 Traubner, Richard. Operetta: A theatrical history. Routledge. p.  131 Crittenden, Camille. Johann Strauss and Vienna. Cambridge University Press. p.  89.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A report on Johann Strauss II: The Waltz King specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fantel, Hans. The Waltz Kings. William Morrow Company. p.  76 Gà ¤nzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre (3 Volumes). New York: Schirmer Books, 2001 Reason for choosing the composer The main reason for choosing Johann Strauss was due to his music type. Being a fan of the pia no and waltzes, his work was a good combination which is worth any kind of research. As much as his work does not enjoy much popularity in the modern world, Strauss has contributed much from his dance pieces which have been made operetta themes in today’s music world. Some of his pieces such are â€Å"Cagliostro-Walzer† and â€Å"Kuss-Walzer† among others have managed to become well known in the modern world of music being able to survive obscurity. His rich background in music having written waltzes, operettas, mazurkas and so many other genres gives one the desire to know more of this great waltz legend (Traubner 131). Composer’s family Johann Strauss hails from a musical family in that his father, Johann Strauss, Sr. was a great name in the orchestra in those days. The major problem that he encountered was lack of support from his father who did not want him to engage in music and instead he forced him to be a banker (Gà ¤nzl 99). Due to very huge sup port from his mother, he managed to get secret violin lessons from one of the leading violinist in the dad’s orchestra, Franz Amon. He was able to acquire full concentration in music as a career when they parted ways with his father after he abandoned them. At this time with additional motherly support, he was able to be a composer (Fantel 76). Gà ¤nzl (99) states, â€Å"He studied harmony and counterpoint from Professor Joachim Hoffman in a private school. He also had lessons from a composer, Joseph Drechsler, who taught him harmony too†. He was also a student of Anton Kollman who engaged him in orchestra thus making him have the confidence of seeking authority to perform in Vienna.Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He first recruited a small orchestra group though his first performance was at the Dommayer’s in 1844 after successfully convincing the management of his prowess. He was later through several years able to perform to various audiences, both home and away which made him such a great name. One of the greatest performances was in the USA in the late 1970s where he performed the Blue Danube waltz. Great pieces Some of the greatest pieces in the list of his songs that I really like are: – The blue Danube: this is a piano piece that is easy to understand and grasp. For any one who would have a choice of practicing, it proves so simple to practice and play. It has a playable arrangement where one can rarely lose the bits. Roses from the south: the completeness of the music due to the very easy piano transcriptions makes this a great piece to listen to and also to practice with. This piece also has a fine replay by Andre Rieu who did it with a 1667 violin making it so smooth a nd understandable such that listening to the original part becomes more and more interesting. Andre has tried to put the song in modern day though the original impact of Strauss was the driving key point. Die Fledermaus (The Bat), overture to the operetta (RV 503-1): this classic has a sweet tempting melody and nice rhythms. It also has plot twists that are quite humorous. The song begins with a motif in a trio where Einstein is put in jail by mistake. The overture opens with a classical allegretto and instances of brutes which have been sounded by horns and flutes. The interrupting applause shows how the piece was like at that time thus falling in as one of my favorites. Impact The overall impact of the musician’s pieces was overwhelming. In the first instance, the starting point of his career life was so much grounded by problems like the instances of his father whipping him to â€Å"beat music out of him† and challenging career at the beginning (Lamb 56). This makes me feel that there are various ways which might try to hinder one’s pursuit of something but they should not be obstacles. If Strauss felt and abided to the wishes of his father, we would not be discussing him in this paper. The emotional way in which he has expressed some of his music like the bat gives one a feeling of experience of what goes on in day to day’s life and thus entrench a feeling of responsibility in a person. Works Cited Crittenden, Camille. Johann Strauss and Vienna. Cambridge University Press. p.  89. 1996. Print. Gà ¤nzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre (3 Volumes). New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. print. Gartenberg, Egon . Johann Strauss — End of an Era. Pennsylvania State University Press. 1972. print. Fantel, Hans. The Waltz Kings. William Morrow Company. p.  76.1987. print Lamb, Andrew, ‘Strauss, Johann’ in the New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. London: Stanley Sadie. 1992. print. Traubner, Richard. Operetta: A theatrical history. Routledge. p.  131. 1999. print. This report on A report on Johann Strauss II: The Waltz King was written and submitted by user Campbell Dunlap to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

What You Ought to Know About Crafting Great Scenes - Freewrite Store

What You Ought to Know About Crafting Great Scenes - Freewrite Store Today’s guest post is by Marsh Cassady. Marsh has Ph.D in theatre and is a former actor, director, and university professor. He is the author of fifty-seven published books and hundreds of shorter pieces. His plays have been performed in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., including Off-Broadway. Two men are collecting their papers and preparing to go home after a writing workshop. One approaches the other, obviously wanting to say something.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Get the hell away from me.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I just want to help, damn it.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Help? How can you possibly help me? For God’s sake, man, you know even less about constructing a good scene than I do.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Oh, yeah? If that’s what you think, why don’t you let me prove you wrong?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Yeah, sure, you’re going to prove me wrong. I can’t believe this.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Just listen, for heaven’s sake.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I guess that’s the only way to end this stupid argument.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"So it’s agreed?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"You wear me down, man. So just go ahead and say what you want.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"All right then.† He begins to explain†¦ We often think of scenes as plot segments, or to use a theatrical term, motivational units. Yet consider two things. First, a scene can rarely stand alone and make sense by itself. But some jokes and some short stories, particularly flash fiction, are exceptions. For instance:    The Forecast Is Rain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"For crying out loud! We gotta run...or are you gonna lie in bed all day? I’ll get the car, while you phone and tell them we may be a little late.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sally knew how important it was to get the new apartment. The rent was cheap, but all we could afford.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"When you're ready- and it better be quick- come out to the car.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was a sad situation. I’d lost my job. No prospects. Sally never would work; too lazy, I suppose. Can’t see any other reason. And if we didn’t get the new apartment, the manager here would kick us out on the street.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dammit, where was she? The forecast was for rain, and the old car leaked around both doors and the windshield. I wanted to get to the new place before we got soaked. Make a good impression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Sally, where the hell are you?† I screamed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The front door opened; Sally stood there in pajamas and a robe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What’s wrong with you?† I asked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Mom sent me money,† she said. â€Å"You can go; I’m staying here.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What! After all this time, nearly four years, together. And to think I’d always treated her so well. Second, not all scenes directly contribute to the plot. What was that? Okay, I said â€Å"directly contribute.† Yet each scene has to contribute in some way to the overall story. Sometimes scenes are largely narrative or descriptive and involve little conflict. At the same time, they have to be interesting; they have to, in some way, contribute to the advancement of the plot- even though indirectly- and they have to hold a reader’s attention. This all means that a scene needs to have a purpose, and everything within it has to relate that purpose. It’s up to you to figure out the purpose of each of your scenes and not deviate from it. There can be many reasons for including a scene. Maybe it’s to establish the world or universe in which the action exists. Maybe it’s to reveal character. There are many types of scenes, a few of which we’ll get to later. But let’s take the type that directly advances the plot. Plot and The Scene First, maybe we need to define plot? What exactly is it? The answer is that it’s the portrayal of conflict between a protagonist- the guy with the white hat- and the antagonist- the guy with the black hat.   Both have a particular goal they want to reach within the context of the story. When plotted fiction is at its highest point, one of the two beings or forces is victorious in defeating the other, thus reaching its goal. â€Å"Beings or forces† instead of men or women? Yes, since first of all there are different sorts antagonists. In other words, the protagonist may struggle against: 1) another person; 2) against self; 3) against society; 4) against nature. To further confuse things, a protagonist or antagonist may be a group of people, rather than an individual. The second sort of conflict may be as simple as a person fighting against an addiction, the third fighting against corruption, the fourth against a severe storm. An example of a group antagonist would be a n evil government. And characters in fiction certainly don’t have to be human beings; they can be animals, extraterrestrials, or even imaginary creatures like Hobbits. A plot generally has four (or sometimes five) parts. It begins when things are at an even keel and something destroys this balance. This may occur near the beginning of the novel but often occurs before the action begins. This â€Å"upset† is the inciting incident, which initiates the struggle between the protagonist and antagonist. The parts are the: 1. Inciting incident- Which leads to the conflict. 2. Rising action- Where the tension and conflict build. 3. Turning point- Where the end of the conflict is determined. 4. Climax- Where the protagonist or antagonist is defeated. 5. Falling action or denouement- Where everything is tied up. The following illustrates a very simple plot, and serves as a diagram for a scene, as well. But if it is one scene of many, of course, there is no turning point. Rather the action falls off a little before it continues to build. In other words, there are minor climaxes.       Look back at the opening of this post, which, in effect, has all the necessary ingredients of a scene- two people arguing over whether one of them actually knows how to construct a scene. The beginning of the argument is the inciting incident, the argument itself the rising action, the one person’s decision to give up is the climax, and the rest of the blog is the denouement- though most denouements are short. (An exception is some mystery novels in which a lot of loose ends need to be tied up.) Each scene in which there is conflict has to contain these elements. Most stories and certainly virtually all novels have more than one scene, each building to a climax and then falling off a little before the next scene begins, like this:       Sometimes, the turning point and the climax are the same, sometimes not. The turning point is where the action can go no further without something irrevocable happening. The climax is where the irrevocable actually occurs. Think of a close basketball game. The teams struggle to score baskets. One scores first and temporarily gains the upper hand. Then the other goes ahead. The struggle continues till the final seconds of the game. The score is tied. One team gets the ball and scores just as time runs out. This is both the turning point and the climax. But suppose two people are enemies, and each wants to defeat the other. They have a sword fight. One knocks the sword out of the opponent’s hand. This is the turning point. The climax comes a few seconds later when the one still holding the sword stabs the other†¦or decides to spare his life. The turning point is when the one with the sword in hand carries out the decision, which brings about the defeat of the other. Fiction often contains scenes in which there appears to be no direct conflict. Yet if the piece is well‑written, the conflict is inherent; it relates to what already has been shown. For example, one character may be describing what is bothering her, what has caused the central problem and conflict. In so doing, she may begin to glimpse a possible solution, foreshadowing more direct conflict while building tension and anticipation about whether she will succeed. But remember that everything that occurs in fiction with a plot has to be relevant to the advancement of the plot. Everything must be relevant to the protagonist’s attempt to reach his or her goal. Dialogue and The Scene Most scenes contain conversations. Writing dialogue involves many considerations. First, does it sound natural? I say â€Å"sound natural† because dialogue is rarely an exact replication of everyday speech. It’s more direct, more honed. It doesn’t change direction as often as regular conversation. Each line has to contribute in some way to the advancement of the scene. It cannot be extraneous, except if going off on tangents is an important part of the character’s personality. Other things to consider are if the dialogue fits the â€Å"universe† or the â€Å"given circumstances† of the story. Dialogue from Elizabethan times would be vastly different from that of today. And a Bostonian would speak much differently than a Canadian. You need to consider if the dialogue in any scene fits the characters. Are they highly educated or do they have little formal education? What are their economic backgrounds? You need to figure out any part of a character’s background, experience, and personality to have them speak â€Å"naturally.† What is natural for one character could be vastly different from what is natural for another. Further, the mood of the scene helps determine the type of dialogue. A scene in which a mother is trying to save a child from an attack by a rabid dog would certainly be different from that mother talking to her neighbor about an upcoming vacation. Character, Dialogue and The Scene More than all this, you need to keep in mind everything you already known about the   character and build on that. You also need to be sure that during any scene, particularly one of intense conflict, you need to reveal more and more about what the characters are like. This is true for the protagonist and the antagonist, but usually not so important for other characters, many of whom are there simply as â€Å"devices† to further the action. The less important the characters, the less the reader needs to know about them. If you spend too much time with these minor characters, you take away from the plot and lead the reader astray. The central characters have to be well-developed enough so that what they are willing to do to reach their goal is a logical outgrowth of the type of people they are. There also has to be a reason for other characters to be present in any scene. You need to ask yourself why they are necessary to the advancement of the plot. Each character in a plotted story, like the protagonist and the antagonist, has a goal. Maybe a husband’s goal is just to support to his wife in her struggles. Maybe it’s as simple as a mailman delivering a letter- his goal- that is important to the plot. Exposition, Dialogue and The Scene There’s also the matter of exposition. You need to determine everything the reader or audience member needs to know in order to understand the scene. Exposition establishes the time period, the location, the situation, and anything else the reader needs to know. At the same time it shouldn’t call undue attention to itself. The first of the two following examples is ludicrous; it’s intrusive and unnatural:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John: Well, here we are, the first day of our vacation in Paris, and we forgot to ask the Thompsons to water our plants while we're gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marsha: Yes, and, like we discussed, we should have canceled the newspaper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John: Oh, well, since this is the first vacation we've taken in the last eight years, we should just try to forget such things and enjoy our two weeks together.    Such a scene can come across as humorous or boring. Besides that, the characters are telling each other things they already know. Some of the information may be necessary for a reader to know, but presenting it this way doesn’t work. You could rewrite the same material to give it tension and conflict:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"For heaven’s sake, Marsha, how could you forget to ask the Thompson’s to water the plants?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I suppose, John, the same damn way you forgot to cancel the paper. I mean we did agree on who was responsible for what!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"I take you to Paris- for a nice vacation, one I thought you’d appreciate- and you act like this.†    Or take the following scene from Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. The scene is pure exposition, yet Wilde makes it humorous, reveals lot of information about the two characters, and sets up what is to follow:    ALGERNON: How are you, my dear Earnest? What brings you up to town? JACK: Oh, pleasure, pleasure! What else should bring one anywhere? Eating as usual, I see Algy. ALGERNON: (Stiffly) I believe it is customary in good society to take some slight refreshment at five o’clock. Where have you been since last Thursday? JACK: (Sitting down on the sofa) In the country. ALGERNON: What on earth do you do there? JACK: (pulling off his gloves) When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring. ALGERNON: And who are the people you amuse? JACK: (airily) Oh, neighbours, neighbours. ALGERNON: Got nice neighbours in your part of Shropshire? JACK: Perfectly horrid! Never speak to them. ALGERNON: How immensely you must amuse them! (Goes over and takes a sandwich) By the way, Shropshire is your county, is it not? JACK: Eh? Shropshire? Yes, of course. Hallo! Why all these cups? Why cucumber sandwiches? Why such reckless extravagance in one so young? Who is coming to tea? ALGERNON: Oh! merely Aunt Augusta and Gwendolen. JACK: How perfectly delightful! ALGERNON: Yes, that is all very well; but I am afraid Aunt Augusta won't quite approve of your being here. JACK: May I ask why? ALGERNON: My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you. JACK: I am in love with Gwendolen. I have come up to town expressly to propose to her. ALGERNON: I thought you had come up for pleasure?...I call that business. JACK: How utterly unromantic you are! ALGERNON: I really don’t see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal. Why, one may be accepted. One usually is, I believe. Then the excitement is all over. The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If ever I get married, I’ll certainly try to forget the fact.    Some of the things we learn in this scene are that Jack and Algernon are good friends since Jack has felt comfortable enough to drop in unexpectedly. We learn that Jack will be serving tea to Gwendolen, whom he obviously intends to marry. We find that Jack and Gwendolen obviously love each other. Wilde also begins to reveal what the two men are like and hints at what is to follow. Furthermore, Wilde sets up a series of small conflicts. Many of the lines are humorous because we don’t expect them. In the following, the two characters had been hovering over their bodies in an emergency room. Suddenly, they swooped down†¦into the same body:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frank opened his eyes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Well, Brad, I see we're awake," a female voice said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brad! What the hell was going on!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What...what happened?" His voice sounded funny; he felt strange.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brad woke up, his head filled with random images, alien thoughts. What's going on?He screamed inside his brain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stop the damned screaming!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What! Who are you?he asked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Frank Willard. Who are you?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bradley Booth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are you doing in my head?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You're in my body,Brad said. Get the hell out!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Your body? What happened to my...oh, my God!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What?Brad asked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I was in this smash-up. A guy wasn't looking. An asshole in a semi. He pulled in front of me; I couldn’t even swerve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You!Brad said. You were hovering. I thought how awful your body looked. A pile of rubbish!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hey!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yeah?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My body isn't... Oh, Jesus, I was up there, and floating beside me- You! Nothing seemed to be wrong with you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nothing wrong, you stupid shit! I'd been stung by a bee!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A bee? You were stung by a bee. What kind of person-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I'm allergic to bee stings, all right! I could die.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What kind of sissy are you, man?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Look, creep, you're the one who's dead.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dead! Oh, Jesus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   You ...Brad sensed that part of his brain had gone to sleep. Oh, fuck. How could this be? He really was crazy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Then he remembered. Somebody saying he was going to make it. At the instant he merged with his body, he felt another-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Mr. Booth!"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Yes," he said. "It's just me."    The second scene, presented humorously, is filled with conflict, though with elements of personality and some exposition involving the situation. But the scene sets up what is going to be a series of conflicts in which the two men have to solve the major problem of sharing the same body. Obviously, this is going to affect everything they try to do in that each is stubborn and refuses to give in to what the other wants. Some scenes are strictly narration, as in the following excerpt from a longer scene in which a man with serious mental problems has been trying repeatedly to kill a young actress. Though the scene consists only of his thoughts, we certainly get a glimpse into the sort of person he is and how he feels.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I said I loved Mary. I was going to kill her†¦ I love Mary. I love Ruthie. She'll have to have me. We're going to be married. If she doesn't marry me, I'll ki...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No, I love her. Damn it, I love her. I love Mary too; no, I don't, the little bitch.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some scenes are strictly narrative. They may show a character jogging or traveling in a train or any one of dozens of other scenarios. Or they may be entirely descriptive. But they set up what is to follow; they anticipate and so build interest and suspense. __________   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to remember that each scene in a story is different and therefore has its own purpose and its own requirements. What you need to do is to determine that purpose and how you can do your best to achieve it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Examine each element of your scene and figure out if it accomplishes what you want it to, and that it is consistent with the other scenes in the story or novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does the dialogue fit the character, the situation, the mood, the time period? What is jarring about the conversation? What doesn’t fit?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do the same with the important characters. Are they believable and consistent within the framework of the story? Is there anything out of place? If so, what, and how can it be fixed?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is the scene interesting? Will it hold a reader’s attention? Is there tension and suspense? Have you written the scene so that it holds the reader’s attention and make him or her look forward to the next scene? Are the characters themselves interesting? Will the reader care about the protagonist and those close to him or her? If not, you need to make the character more appealing in whatever way you can. What can you do to make the reader care?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Writing a good scene is a matter of figuring out its purpose and following through in an interesting manner. If you do that, you should have no problems.       Marsh Cassady has Ph.D in theatre and is a former actor, director, and university professor. He is the author of fifty-seven published books and hundreds of shorter pieces. His plays have been performed in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., including Off-Broadway. For about eight years he was co-publisher of a small press and a literary journal. He has also taught creative writing at the University of California, San Diego, and for thirty-five years led all-genre writing workshops.

Kants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kants - Essay Example But the only thing that could be an object of respect for me is something that is conjoined with my will purely as a ground and never as a consequence, something that does not serve my inclination but overpowers† (320). From the definition above of Kant’s categorical imperative, one can see that the categorical imperative aims to test whether the reason behind an action contradicts itself if one uses a rational basis for it. Kant actually explains it in this way: â€Å"Is it a necessary law for all rational beings to judge their actions always in accordance with those maxims which they can themselves will that they should serve as universal laws?†(332). The formula has a procedure that states what one is supposed to do. It therefore clearly distinguishes between what one has to do and what one wants to do. The basis of the categorical imperative is therefore not in the necessity of the action, not in the motivation of the desire or pleasure but in the rationality of the action. For a motivation to be acceptable, it must be purely rational and its being rational is for the greater good, or for what is good to all people without any exceptions. Based on Kant’s definition of the categorical imperative, the motivation for the first case is that if the action were to be made into a universal law, then no one would say such things because one would expect the other person to say it. Thus, it would contradict itself. For the second case, the motivation should be a situation which is debt free so that it would not contradict itself. As for the third case, it is similar to the first. In short, if the motivation would be getting something in return, and if this were to be converted to a universal law, then there is no one would give anything anymore. Thus, one should wait to be that second person. For the fourth case, the motivation would be to get a good grade. However, if everyone would do this, then there would be no