Monday, January 27, 2020

The Death of Ivan Ilych, 1886

The Death of Ivan Ilych, 1886 This is a critical essay about the Death of Ivan Ilych that was written in 1886. It was the first most important fictional work published by Leo Tolstoy after his disaster and conversion. The religious philosophies of Tolstoy serve as a background to the understanding of the fiction story of The Death of Ivan Ilych. The values that became important to Tolstoy in the second half of his life include: brotherly love, mutual support and Christian charity emerged as the dominant moral principles in the death of Ivan Ilych. The Ivan Ilychs awakening exposes him to the light of a meaningful life and alleviates his fear of dying. The death of Ivan Ilych can be seen as true reflection of and an elaboration of Tolstoys philosophical concerns after conversion. The novel is a fictional answer to the questions that afflicted Tolstoy during the middle of 1870s. Tolstoy died in 1910 after almost a ten year period of continuing ill health. The three themes: the right to life, the inevitability of de ath and inner life as opposed to the outer life are discussed from the critical point of view in the essay. Themes The right life Tolstoy beliefs that there are two kinds of lives: the artificial life which is represented by Ivan, Praskovya, Peter, and nearly everyone in Ivans society and company; and the authentic life represented by Gerasim. The artificial life is characterized by superficial relationships, self-interest, and materialism. It is also inward-looking, not fulfilling, and eventually incapable of providing answers to the vital questions in life. The artificial life is a deception that hides lifes true meaning and leaves one terrified and alone at the moment of death. Alternatively, the authentic life is characterized by pity and compassion. The authentic life promotes reciprocally affirming human relationships that ends isolation and allows for true interpersonal contact. While the artificial life leaves one unaccompanied and empty, the authentic life embraces strength through unity and relieve through empathy. Thus it creates bonds and gets one read to meet death. The authentic life is not the right life because of the following reasons: empathizing with one does not relieve pain; theres no total self-sacrificing love for others and no true interpersonal contact, this is evident when Gerasim considers that just empathizing with Ivans plight and relieving his isolation is more important than the physical support of holding Ivans legs. Also, theres no genuine personal involvement because compassion and love must go both ways; both must benefit from the relationship (Tolstoy, 2010). The inevitability of death As Ivan steadily approaches death, it is also the time that he starts to recognize his death and his search for a compromise with its terrible and nullifying influence. The question of how is one to make sense of the end of ones life, of ones relationships, projects, and dreams, of ones very existence is a dilemma. It is not true that as Ivans approach to life changes, prompted by pain and the prospect of death, his emotions progress from sheer terror to utter joy. Also the avoidance of death that depicts Ivans social situation is founded on an illusion meant to protect people from distasteful realities which only lead to horror, emptiness, and dissatisfaction. However, accepting death and the identification of the right unpredictable nature of life allows for peace, confidence and sometimes joy at death point. The death of Ivan is a lesson on making sense of death by living rightly (Tolstoy, 2010). Inner life opposed to Outer life Tolstoy portrays human existence as a conflict between the inner and the outer, the spiritual life and the physical life in both the artificial and authentic life. For the longer time of his life, Ivan beliefs that he is a purely physical being. He does not absolutely show any indication of any spiritual life in his physical being. Ivan lives for the good of his own flesh and relates only with those who promote his desires. This is not true since Ivan mistakes his physical life for his true spiritual life. Ivan supposes that his existence is the right one, and he rejects to see the mistake of his life. As a consequence of denying the spiritual life, Ivan is not capable of outdoing the physical life. As he holds on to the belief; he experiences agonizing pain, total terror and irresistible unhappiness. However, when the view of his death compels Ivan to deal with his isolation, he steadily begins to realize the importance of the spiritual life. As the understanding of Ivan continues t o grow, he starts to replace the physical life with the spiritual life. It is then he moves past suffering, overcomes death and experiences intense joy. Hence the duty of each person is to identify the twofold of the self and to live such that the less important physical life matches to most important spiritual life (Tolstoy, 2010). Conclusion The three themes depicted from Tolstoys story about the death of Ivan Ilych include: the right life, the inevitability of death and the inner life as opposed to outer life. Tolstoy beliefs that there are two kinds of lives: the artificial life which is represented by Ivan, Praskovya, Peter, and nearly everyone in Ivans society and company; the authentic life represented by Gerasim. The artificial life is characterized by superficial relationships, self-interest, and materialism. Alternatively, the authentic life is characterized by pity, promotes reciprocally affirming of human relationships and compassion. According to the inevitability of death, it is not true that accepting death and the identification of the right unpredictable nature of life allows for peace, confidence and sometimes joy at death point. Finally, Tolstoy portrays human existence as a conflict between the inner and the outer, the spiritual and the physical in both the artificial and authentic life which is not tru e since they are dual things.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Bandura’s Experiments

In the early 1960s Bandura and other researchers conducted a classic set of experiments that demonstrated the power of observational learning. In one experiment, a preschool child worked on a drawing while a television set showed an adult behaving aggressively toward a large inflated Bobo doll (a clown doll that bounces back up when knocked down). The adult pummeled the doll with a mallet, kicked it, flung it in the air, sat on it, and beat it in the face, while yelling such remarks as â€Å"Sock him in the nose †¦ Kick him †¦ Pow! † The child was then left in another room filled with interesting toys, including a Bobo doll.The experimenters observed the child through one-way glass. Compared with children who witnessed a nonviolent adult model and those not exposed to any model, children who witnessed the aggressive display were much more likely to show aggressive behaviors toward the Bobo doll, and they often imitated the model's exact behaviors and hostile words. I n a variant of the original experiment, Bandura and colleagues examined the effect of observed consequences on learning. They showed four-year-old children one of three films of an adult acting violently toward a Bobo doll.In one version of the film, the adult was praised for his or her aggressive behavior and given soda and candies. In another version, the adult was scolded, spanked, and warned not to behave that way again. In a third version, the adult was neither rewarded nor punished. After viewing the film, each child was left alone in a room that contained a Bobo doll and other toys. Many children imitated the adult’s violent behaviors, but children who saw the adult punished imitated the behaviors less often than children who saw the other films.However, when the researchers promised the children a reward if they could copy the adult’s behavior, all three groups of children showed large and equal amounts of violent behavior toward the Bobo doll. Bandura conclude d that even those children who did not see the adult model receive a reward had learned through observation, but these children (especially those who saw the model being punished) would not display what they had learned until they expected a reward for doing so.The term latent learning describes cases in which an individual learns a new behavior but does not perform this behavior until there is the possibility of obtaining a reward. B Bandura’s Theory of Imitation According to Bandura’s influential theory of imitation, also called social learning theory, four factors are necessary for a person to learn through observation and then imitate a behavior: attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. First, the learner must pay attention to the crucial details of the model’s behavior.A young girl watching her father bake a cake will not be able to imitate this behavior successfully unless she pays attention to many important details—ingredients, quantiti es, oven temperature, baking time, and so on. The second factor is retention—the learner must be able to retain all of this information in memory until it is time to use it. If the person forgets important details, he or she will not be able to successfully imitate the behavior. Third, the learner must have the physical skills and coordination needed for reproduction of the behavior.The young girl must have enough strength and dexterity to mix the ingredients, pour the batter, and so on, in order to bake a cake on her own. Finally, the learner must have the motivation to imitate the model. That is, learners are more likely to imitate a behavior if they expect it to lead to some type of reward or reinforcement. If learners expect that imitating the behavior will not lead to reward or might lead to punishment, they are less likely to imitate the behavior.C Theory of Generalized Imitation An alternative to Bandura’s theory is the theory of generalized imitation. This theo ry states that people will imitate the behaviors of others if the situation is similar to cases in which their imitation was reinforced in the past. For example, when a young child imitates the behavior of a parent or an older sibling, this imitation is often reinforced with smiles, praise, or other forms of approval.Similarly, when children imitate the behaviors of friends, sports stars, or celebrities, this imitation may be reinforced—by the approval of their peers, if not their parents. Through the process of generalization, the child will start to imitate these models in other situations. Whereas Bandura’s theory emphasizes the imitator’s thought processes and motivation, the theory of generalized imitation relies on two basic principles of operant conditioning—reinforcement and generalization. D Factors Affecting Imitation Many factors determine whether or not a person will imitate a model.As already shown, children are more likely to imitate a model when the model’s behavior has been reinforced than when it has been punished. More important, however, are the expected consequences to the learner. A person will imitate a punished behavior if he or she thinks that imitation will produce some type of reinforcement. The characteristics of the model also influence the likelihood of imitation. Studies have shown that children are more likely to imitate adults who are pleasant and attentive to them than those who are not.In addition, children more often imitate adults who have substantial influence over their lives, such as parents and teachers, and those who seem admired and successful, such as celebrities and athletes. Both children and adults are more likely to imitate models who are similar to them in sex, age, and background. For this reason, when behavior therapists use modeling to teach new behaviors or skills, they try to use models who are similar to the learners. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2003.  © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Friday, January 10, 2020

John Steinbeck Essay

Comparison between the portrayal of women in ‘The Ostler’ by Wilkie Collins and in ‘Of Mice And Men’ by John Steinbeck In both the stories ‘The Ostler’ by Wilkie Collins and ‘Of Mice And Men’ by John Steinbeck the authors have used the females, who are Rebecca in ‘The Ostler’ and Curley’s wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’ to play important roles in developing the plot. Both of them considerably shape and alter the lives of those other characters around them. In ‘The Ostler’ Rebecca is a young lady who meets Isaac and later marries him. She totally changes his life. However she has a darker side and later plots to kill him leaving Isaac living in fear for his life. Similarly in ‘Of Mice and Men’ Curley’s wife ends up causing the death of one of the principal characters, Lennie. So we can see that in both stories the women either threaten or cause the death of a main character. Both the stories were written some time ago, the Ostler being the older of the two, written in 1855. So the Ostler was set in the Victorian age. We know that in the Victorian age there were little opportunities for unmarried women. Rebecca is a good example of this. Before she met Isaac she was dependant on drugs. This is suggested on page 11 when Isaac meets Rebecca in the Chemist’s whilst he is buying medicine for his mother. The chemist said â€Å"It’s my opinion there’s something wrong with her. She’s been asking for Laudanum to put on a bad tooth†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"It’s a case of suicide, sir, if ever there was one yet. † Of Mice and Men was set in the great depression in America. Still there was little opportunity for women and most were unfairly treated. Curley’s wife is portrayed as a lonely, isolated character who longs to be free from the tight reigns of her husband Curley. She spends much of her time flirting with the other men on the ranch, hungry for conversation. So in both stories the writers have portrayed the women as unfairly treated. Whether it was one of their aims to make their readers aware of the situation or whether the suggestion is just through their realistic reflection on the society they lived in we cannot tell. Although I wouldn’t say that a strong emphasis is placed on the treatment of women and therefore I would argue that it was not their target but just one consequence of the story line. Rebecca is first introduced to us in the fourth paragraph on the first page, although we don’t know who she is at that point. A detailed description is given of her, but she is not named. â€Å"Light grey eyes†¦ and a droop in the left eyelid†¦ Flaxen hair with a gold streak in it†¦ Fair, white arms with a down in the – little lady’s hands, with a reddish look under the fingernails† However after this description which Isaac is telling us in his sleep, then has a narrative signpost suggesting that this women is trouble. â€Å"†¦ and the knife – always the cursed knife – first on one side, then on the other. † It is suggested that there will be murder in the story and conveys a horror genre, a style very popular at that time. Similarly, In ‘Of Mice and Men’ Curley’s wife looks are portrayed as dangerous. Although we haer a description of Rebecca, it is only a feature of Isaac’s nightmare. The same decription of Rebecca is then repeated when Isaac returns home to his mother and tells her of his dream. His mother writes the details down so that she doesn’t forget them. His mother seems to be a suspicious women who believes the dream had a deeper significance and that it was a prophecy that Isaac would one day be killed by the women of the dream. It isn’t until some time later, when his mother falls ill and he goes to the chemist, that he meets a lady who we find is called Rebecca, although Isaac doesn’t recognize her from his dream. He thinks she will commit suicide so in an attempt to prevent her taking her life and also because he is strangely attracted to her, he plans to marry her. When he introduces Rebecca his mother recognizes her to be the women of the dream and tries to call off the marriage. However the marriage goes ahead. So you can see what a big part her looks played. It was her looks that first caused conflict in the marriage. Rebecca, who is upset that Isaac’s mother, Mrs. Scatchard, does not like her, tries to be friendly towards his mother. However the relationship between Isaac and Rebecca deteriorates and when Isaac discovers Rebecca has bought a new knife, one like that of the dream and demands that he keeps the knife. This further upsets Rebecca and they get into a fight and she leaves. Isaac lived in fear wondering if she return and try to kill him like in the dream. He takes precautions to protect himself. Then one day she returns and tries to kill him. So he leaves. From that day forward he lived in fear.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Are Gallnippers Giant Mosquitoes

Sensational news headlines suggest that giant bugs called gallnippers are invading Florida. These huge mosquitoes  attack people, and their bites really hurt. If you live or vacation in Florida, should you be worried? What are gallnippers, and what can you do to protect yourself from them? Yes, Gallnippers Are Mosquitoes Anyone who has lived in Florida for any length of time has undoubtedly heard of the dreaded gallnippers, a nickname given Psorophora ciliata long ago. Some call them shaggy-legged gallnippers, as the adults bear feathery scales on their hind legs. The Entomological Society of America has not approved these as official common names, but these nicknames persist in folk legends and songs. First, the facts about gallnippers. Yes, the mosquito in question – Psorophora ciliata – is an unusually large species (you can see photos of gallnippers on Bugguide). They measure a good half-inch long as adults. Psorophora ciliata does, indeed, have a reputation for being an aggressive biter with a preference for human blood (or that of larger mammals, at least). Male mosquitoes are perfectly harmless, preferring flowers to flesh when it comes time to feed. Females require a blood meal to develop their eggs, and Psorophora ciliata females inflict a surprisingly painful bite. Gallnippers Are Native to Florida These giant mosquitoes are not invading Florida; Psorophora ciliata is a native species that inhabits much of the eastern U.S. Theyve been in Florida (and many other states) all along. But Psorophora ciliata is what is known as a floodwater mosquito. Psorophora ciliata eggs can survive desiccation, and remain dormant for years. Standing water left by heavy rains can, in effect, reanimate Psorophora ciliata eggs in the soil, unleashing a new generation of mosquitoes, including females thirsty for blood. In 2012, Tropical Storm Debby (no relation) flooded Florida, enabling Psorophora ciliata to hatch in unusually high numbers.   Like other mosquitoes, gallnipper larvae develop in water. But while most mosquito larvae scavenge on decaying plants and other floating organic matter, the gallnipper larvae actively hunt other organisms, including the larvae of other mosquito species. Some people have suggested we use the hungry, predaceous gallnipper larvae to control the other mosquitoes. Bad idea! Those well-fed gallnipper larvae will soon become gallnipper adults, looking for blood. We would essentially convert our mosquito biomass from smaller, less aggressive mosquitoes into larger, more persistent mosquitoes. Gallnippers Dont Transmit Diseases to Humans The good news is Psorophora ciliata isnt known to transmit any diseases of concern to people. Though specimens have tested positive for a number of viruses, including several that can infect horses, no definitive evidence has linked the bite of a gallnipper to the presence of these viral diseases in people or horses thus far. How to Protect Yourself From Gallnippers Gallnippers (Psorophora ciliata) are just big mosquitoes. They might require a little more DEET, or that you wear thicker clothing, but otherwise, just follow the usual tips to avoid mosquito bites. If you live in Florida, or in any other state where gallnippers live, be sure to also follow guidelines for eliminating mosquito habitat in your yard. Too late? You were already bitten? Yes, indeed, gallnipper bites can and will itch just the same as other mosquito bites.   Sources: Huge, aggressive mosquito may be abundant in Florida this summer, UF/IFAS expert warns, University of Florida media release. Accessed online March 11, 2013.EENY-540/IN967: A mosquito Psorophora ciliata (Fabricius) (Insecta: Diptera: Culicidae), University of Florida Extension Service. Accessed online March 11, 2013.Species Psorophora ciliata - Gallinipper, Bugguide.net. Accessed March 11, 2013.