Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth Essay Example

Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth? Paper There are a number of reasons why Henry VII won the Battle of Bosworth. Whilst there were political, military and economic reasons why Henry won, the political reasons held more weight. There were long term political reasons that contributed significantly to Henry’s success. For instance, the marriage arranged by Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort that united Henry and Elizabeth of York. The marriage was publically announced by Henry in 1483 in the Rennes Chapel, Brittany. The marriage not only strengthened Henry’s claim to the thrown and increased his legitimacy, which was very important at this point in History, but it also increased Henry’s support. It did this by uniting the support of Elizabeth and Margaret who had previously been enemies. This gave Henry support on the Battlefield from not only Lancastrians but some Yorkists that had supported Edward V too, which naturally contributed to his victory as he had more people in England supporting him. Henry’s exile to Brittany was also important in Henry’s success. During his 14 year exile in Brittany, Henry had been gathering a court in Paris as well as collecting troops for an invasion. It can be argued that due to the opinion that Henry Tudor might be useful in further negotiations with England, Henry VII had the support and protection of the Duke of Brittany. The implications of this and befriending welsh exiles were hugely beneficial to Henry. Through having this support Henry was able to collect 1,500 French mercenaries, over 1,000 welsh soldiers and had the support of 400-500 loyal welsh exiles. We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Why did Henry VII win the Battle of Bosworth? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This support contributed largely to his total army of around 5,000. Without this support it seems that Henry would barely have had an army at all, so his exile to Brittany was hugely important to his win at the Battle of Bosworth. Perhaps what is just as important to take into account as Henry’s support, was Richard’s lack of support. Through Richard’s usurpation of the throne he had made many enemies. It caused splits in the Yorkist party and caused fear and doubt within the people. He had failed to win the full support of the nobility and had dropped in popularity even further after the introduction of his policy which involved him putting northerners in southern counties. In addition, with the speculation that Richard had murdered his nephews in 1483, his popularity only dropped further. Richard’s decrease in popularity meant that people who no longer supported Richard would therefore support Henry, adding yet again to Henry’s support which contributed to him winning the Battle of Bosworth. There were also short terms political reasons behind Henry’s win. For instance, the role of the Stanleys on the battle field. It was arguably the turning point of the battle when the brothers, who had remained impartial surveying the battle waiting to see which army would take the lead, decided to enter it on the Lancastrian side. Having made up nearly half of Richard III’s army, this addition of 6,500 soldiers to the Lancastrian army resulted in it being the bigger army of the two sides. They had a tactical position on the field, one brother on each side of the field, which meant when they attacked William, they could attack him from both sides. It was a combination of having more soldiers and the Stanley brother’s strategic location on the battle field that then led to Richard’s death and the end of the battle. There were some short term military reasons as to why Henry won the Battle of Bosworth. Henry’s uncle Jasper Tudor was able to assist him with his military expertise however it was largely down to military luck and chance that Henry was victorious. Despite Richard the III having more troops that were better equipped, considerably more cavalry, the advantaged position on Ambien Hill and vastly more experience of battle, the first hour of the battle was evenly matched. This made Henry lucky, as the odds were heavily against him. It could be argued it was also Henry’s luck that the Stanley brothers joined his side. However, when stalemate occurred Henry rode across to the Stanley’s to offer persuasion to join the Lancastrian side. The fact that the Stanley’s did eventually join the battle on Henry’s side provides evidence that Henry’s confidence as a military leader by being forward thinking and taking his initiative could instead be responsible in gaining the Stanleys support rather than it being completely down to luck. Richard’s tactical errors in the battle also contributed to why Henry won. Richard lost the opportunity to gain advantage in attacking Oxford by being too hesitant. This resulted in Oxford launching the first attack on Norfolk who was then killed. Richard’s risk taking could either show him as a tactical leader, or a reckless one. However his risk in charging down from Ambien hill to attack Henry with the aim to potentially end the battle backfired on him as it resulted in his death as he had played into Henry’s hands. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that Richard’s risk taking was yet another tactical error on his part, which helped Henry VII win. As well as political and military reasons, there were also economic explanations as to why Henry won the Battle of Bosworth. In order to have the resources and equipment for battle, large amounts of money were needed. Henry was able to gain the necessary economic support from Charles VIII of France due to Charles hoping this would distract Richard III from sending help to Brittany. It was this economic support that gave Henry VII the best chance in battle which therefore contributed to his victory. It is clear to see that without doubt that the political reasons for Henry winning the Battle of Bosworth not only outnumber the military and economic reasons but they are of greater importance too. The military reasons hold little significance due to the nature of the battle. This is effectively put by Charles Oman, writer of The Art of War in the Middle Ages that the Battle of Bosworth â€Å"can hardly be taken for serious military study- since it was not settled by strategy or tactics, but by mere treachery†. In addition to this, the economic reason was only one piece in the jigsaw puzzle to why Henry won, whereas the political reasons, both long term and short, made larger contributions to the victory as a whole not only in the build up to the Battle, but during the Battle itself.

Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band are both examples of the murder mystery genre Essays

Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band are both examples of the murder mystery genre Essays Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band are both examples of the murder mystery genre Paper Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band are both examples of the murder mystery genre Paper Essay Topic: Literature The murder mystery genre always includes four main ingredients. These are the crime, the villain, the victim and of course, the detective. Usually, in classic examples of this genre, the detective finds out what has happened and solves the crime. However, the above mentioned ingredients can be mixed together to create different recipes for murder mysteries. Whereas in most stories in this genre the villain is caught or killed, in a small minority, the villain gets away with the crime, making the detective look unprofessional. I have read two stories which cover both of the endings in this genre. These are Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl and The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle. I am going to explain in detail how these two short stories are both similar and different. As I mentioned before, every story that has a murder mystery theme, involves a crime. In Lamb to the Slaughter, the murder is totally unplanned. It happens on the spur of the moment. Mary Maloney, the so-called villain, kills her husband using a frozen leg of lamb. As I found out whilst reading this story, this is an unusual kind of weapon, but effective nevertheless. Mary Maloney is a typical housewife from the time of when this story was written, circa 1950. She works at home all day, doesnt go out much and hasnt even an ounce of a social life. Shes also married to a senior policeman, Mr. Patrick Maloney. On the night of the murder, Patrick has just come home from work. Mary is just about to make dinner. She is being very nice to Patrick as usual. We find out that Mary loves Patrick to bits and cherishes every moment she spends with him. She adores every little thing about this man, She loved him for the way he sat loosely in a chair She loved the intent, far look in his eyes. After the couple have their usual drink, Patrick explains something to Mary. As the readers, we dont get an insight to what is being said, but we do get a picture of what it is about. Of course Ill give you money and see youre looked after, Patrick says. We come to the conclusion that whatever Patrick has said, really shocked and bewildered Mary. She shows this not by having a temper tantrum and yelling at Patrick, but by whispering, Ill get the supper, and walking out of the room. To us, it feels as though Patrick is telling her that he is leaving home. This is because we are told that she was, watching him with a kind of dazed horror as he went further and further away with each word. In my opinion, it is not a very good idea to leave your wife especially when she is pregnant with your baby. Mary walks down to the cellar to fetch the meat. She pulls a frozen leg of lamb out of the freezer and carries it back upstairs. As she enters the room, her husband hears her and says, For Gods sake. Dont make supper for me. Im going out. At this point, I think the last, tiny piece of string holding Marys brain together just snapped. She walks up behind Patrick, who is standing facing the window, and whacks him on the head with the leg of lamb. In The Speckled Band, the crime is carefully planned and breathtakingly complicated. It is also safe to say that the victim is not killed using a dead, frozen animal limb! The person who dies in this story has fallen victim to a crime that been organized over a lengthy period of time. Dr. Roylott, the villain and man we are supposed to loathe by the end of this story, wants to kill both of his two step-daughters. The murder takes place in the bedroom of one of the daughters, Julias. The bedrooms are placed like this, Dr. Roylotts is first in the corridor, then Julias in the middle and then Helen, the other daughters, is last in line. All three rooms are built facing the garden. As I have already explained, the crime is very complex. Dr. Roylott has rigged Julias room with a fake air-vent system which is connected to his own room via the wall. On Julias side, the opening of the vent had a dummy bell-rope hanging from it. At night, according to Helen, Julia heard, a low clear whistle. Every night, Dr. Roylott would send a snake, trained using a whip-cord, a bowl of milk and a whistle, through the ventilation system into Julias room. He did this in hope of the snake biting Julia, as her bed was bolted to the floor under the vent. Helen explains that on the night of Julias death, Julia had asked her sister, Have you ever heard anyone whistle in the dead of the night? After a brief conversation between the two sisters, Julia returns to her room and locks the door shut. The windows are also very small and too narrow for anyone to pass through. This shows us that it is impossible for anyone to enter Julias room at night. We are told by Helen, that there are some gypsies that are staying in the grounds behind the house. We expect the gypsies to have something to do with the murder. However, Sherlock Holmes immediately discards this theory after inspecting the windows. This makes the gypsies the red herrings in this story. The reason the girls kept their doors locked at night was because Dr. Roylott was a wild animals enthusiast and kept a cheetah and baboon in the grounds. On the night of the murder, Helen says that she has an uneasy feeling, A vague feeling of impending misfortune impressed me. She also tells us that the weather is very bad outside. This makes the whole atmosphere of the story even tenser, which in turn makes it even more of a classic murder mystery, where everything is dark and bleak. Helen heard the wild scream of a terrified woman amidst all the noise of the rain and thunder outside. As Helen ran to her sisters bedroom, she hears the same low whistle Julia was talking about earlier that night. She also heard a metallic clanging sound. As Helen approached her sisters room, the door was open. Julia appeared at the opening, her face blanched with terror, her hands groping for help. Julia is convulsing all the while, and Helen explains that it was not easy to understand what she was saying. Julia managed to gasp one final piece of vital information before she perished, Oh, my God Helen! It was the band! The speckled band! We can see that The Speckled Band is a more mature story. The crime is much more dramatic. The main difference between the stories at the moment is that one has been planned carefully and other is just something that happens at the last minute. The crime in Lamb to the Slaughter is quite humorous, whereas the crime in The Speckled Band is very serious. We expect killers, murderers and rapists to be men. It is just something we have come to believe. Whether we are watching television, reading a book or looking at a wanted sign in a shop window, out first conclusion is that the bad guy is actually going to be a guy. What do we expect a villain to be doing in his or her spare time? Washing the dishes? Cooking the dinner? Dusting the furniture? Having a baby? Well these are just some of the routine jobs that the killer in Lamb to the Slaughter does. Surprisingly, this kind, gentle and loving woman, isnt all what she is made out to be. Although she doesnt mind being classed as a domestic creature, Mary shows a quality most other 1950s housewives dont. She shows that she really does have a brain and that she can use it. She shows her quick-wittedness and that she can work way out of problems herself. It comes as a shock to us when we find out that the killer in Lamb to the Slaughter is a woman. But not only is she just a woman, but she is an expecting mother. We would never even dream that she would be the murderer by the way Roald Dahl describes her at the start of the story. Mary is just one of those average 1950s housewives that stay at home all day, cleaning up and getting the dinner ready. What makes it even harder for us to believe that she would kill Patrick is that she loves him so much. Dahl says that she loved to sunbathe in the warm, male glow that came out of him. Mary knows every little thing about this man. Exactly what time he is going to be home, exactly what drink he is going to want and even how he wants it. There is a point when Patrick has finished his drink and about to get another, when Mary suddenly shoots up, Ill get it! she cries, jumping up. This shows just how much she cares for him. She knows he is going to be tired, so she does every little thing for him. We can see that Mary is anything but the stereotypical murderer. She just doesnt have the characteristics. We start to wonder, was what Patrick said so unimaginably terrible, that it provoked Mary to kill the man she undyingly loved? Another thing we have to take into account is that she is not just an average housewife; she is a very clever housewife. After killing Patrick, lots of thoughts start crossing her mind. She thinks that she will face the death penalty. She knows she must save her child, so devises a plan to get out of the murder. She touches up her lips and face and goes to the grocers. When she speaks to Sam, the man who owns the shop, she acts very normal. I want some potatoes please, Sam. Yes, and I think a can of peas. She had already rehearsed these lines beforehand at home. What Mary is doing here, is creating an alibi. The villain in The Speckled Band is the complete opposite of Mary Maloney. Unlike in Lamb to the Slaughter, it isnt much of a shock to us when we find out that Dr. Roylott is the murderer. Dr. Roylott is described as being quite a fierce looking man. It is said that he is a huge man. He sounds like a killer to us already. A large face, seared with a thousand wrinkles and marked with every evil passion. This line makes it even easier for us to picture Dr. Roylott as the killer. Dr. Roylott also has history of violence. Helen says that, he beat his native butler to death, and narrowly escaped a capital sentence. Dr. Roylott is not just brawn, he also has a brain, as his title suggests. He is extremely clever. You have to clever in order to organize a crime like this one. The crime in The Speckled Band would require a man of genius to carry it out. It is in total contrast to the crime in Lamb to the Slaughter where Patrick is killed with a single blow to the head. Another reason why we come to accept Dr. Roylott as the murderer is because he is the girls step-father, meaning he is not their biological father and may not have much love for them. In Lamb to the Slaughter though, Mary soaks Patrick in her love. We feel no sympathy for Dr. Roylott because he only wants to kill the two girls for their money. Helen explains, Each daughter can claim an income of i 250, in case of marriage even one of them would cripple him to a serious extent. In Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary kills Patrick because of deeper reasons. We feel sympathetic towards her because we come to the conclusion that Patrick is leaving her. As we can clearly see now, Dr. Roylott is a stereotypical killer. He has all the characteristics of a ruthless villain. Stereotypically, the victim is the weak, fragile, little lady and the villain is the big, demented, monster of a man. Lamb to the Slaughter though, as we have come to realize, doesnt quite follow the pattern most other stories in this genre do. This is exactly the case when we come to the victim in Lamb to the Slaughter. Patrick Maloney is a senior policeman, and supposedly quite a big, strong man. Certainly strong enough to defend himself against a weak, little lady like his wife. He is not the typical murder victim. He doesnt fit the description. We would expect the scenario to be the other way round. Where Patrick would have a motive for killing Mary. We feel no sympathy towards Patrick when he dies. I think we area actually meant to be happy when he is killed. We are not supposed to like him. This is because he has apparently told Mary that he is leaving her, which to us is for reasons unknown. In fact, I think Patrick deserved what he got. I dont think Mary, who cherished every moment with him, would kill Patrick for a minor thing. What Patrick said, must have been pretty serious. Patrick did not seem to treat Mary with the same love and respect that she showed him from the start. Every time Patrick said something to Mary, it consisted mainly of one word sentences. For example, when Mary lovingly asks Patrick if he would like supper, Patrick just plainly says, No. He doesnt say Its okay love, or, No thank you dear. Because of all these things, we get the feeling that Patrick had it coming. We never at any point feel sorry for him. In complete comparison to Patrick, Helen from The Speckled Band, is the typical victim. Helen is one of those women that require a man to do everything for them. When we first read about her, we are told that she is, in a pitiable state of agitation. She is quite scared, even in the presence of the Great Sherlock Holmes. Even though Helen does not die in the story, we still feel greatly sympathetic towards her. This is because, not only has she lost her twin sister, but also because she does not have a reason to be killed. She hasnt done anything to hurt Dr. Roylott. He only wants to kill Helen because of the money she will inherit when she marries. As I have already mentioned, Helen is weak and innocent, she does not deserve to die. This is completely different to Lamb to the Slaughter, where Patrick is the wrong-doer and has it coming. Helen is the stereotypical murder victim mainly due to the fact that she is weak and fragile. Sherlock Holmes notices five livid spots, the marks of four fingers and a thumb, printed upon Helens wrist. You have been cruelly used, says Holmes. This makes is even easier for us to see why Helen is a typical victim. We now know that she has been abused in the past. We can see that both stories are opposite in two places. In Lamb to the Slaughter, the killer is a woman and the victim is a man. In The Speckled Band, the killer is a man, and the victim is a woman. Detectives are given their jobs because they are particularly skilled in their field of work. They usually show exceptional talent which is of a higher standard than that of a regular policeman. However, in Lamb to the Slaughter, the paragraph above does not relate the slightest. Jack Noonan and OMalley are the detectives that arrive to solve the crime. Although they are showing signs of being professionals, for example they take photographs and check for fingerprints, this soon changes as they begin to make gross errors. The first thing they do wrong is assume that the killer is a man. Its the old story. Get the weapon and youve got the man. This tells us that they are already confident that the killer is a man. Mary is quite safe now, due to the fact that she is no longer a suspect. The second thing that jack does wrong is quite a serious mistake. Jack drinks alcohol while he is on the job. What makes this situation humorous is that he actually knows himself that he is not allowed. Im not strictly allowed, but I might just take a drop to keep me going. The professionalism we saw earlier, was thrown out of the window the second the whiskey whisked down Jacks throat! But the amazing thing is that the rest of Jack Noonans team also join him in having a little nip. The humorous part of the story is displayed at the end. This is when Mary shows truly how intelligent she really is. After she killed Patrick with the lamb, she put the leg in the oven and began to cook it. Intending to clear her name completely, Marks asks the policemen if they would stay to eat. The ironic thing is that the detectives eat what they are looking for! This shows just how stupid these men are. Their chances of solving the crime are now slim to none. The detectives converse about the crime while they are eating: Whoever done it, theyre not going to be carrying a thing like that around with them longer than they need. Personally, I think its right here on the premises. Probably right under our very noses. At this point, Mary is probably very smug indeed. She now knows that she is out of the woods and free of suspicion. She has the right to be happy, And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle. I enjoyed this ending but it is different from the usual stories where the good people are victorious and the bad person is caught. Sherlock Holmes on the other hand, is no ordinary detective. He is a super detective. One that always solves the crime. Holmes is a super sleuth and never takes up any ordinary cases. He always goes for something that would prove to be challenging. He refused to associate himself with any investigation that did not tend towards the unusual. When reading a Sherlock Holmes based story, written by Arthur Conan Doyle, you dont expect anything besides Detective Holmes emerging victorious. Even in a time when forensic sciences were not available, the clever deductions and observations, always got Sherlock his man. During the times of Sherlock Holmes, the ignorance of the Victorian society resented any change in lifestyle. They found it hard to cope with developments and found stability in their solid living styles. If anything went wrong in their lives, Sherlock Holmes was their defender. Sherlock Holmes was to the Victorians, as Superman is to the people of Metropolis. The unalterable fact that comforted the Victorians so much was that Sherlock Holmes would never be beaten. He held all the qualities that were envied by people from the Victorian age. He was extremely boastful and enjoyed showing it to others. He was amusingly witty and used this quality to destroy his enemies. He wasnt afraid of digging deep into the darkness of Londons underground darkness; prostitution and opium dens. It was extremely satisfying for the people of London to know that the warmth of Holmes shadow was always towering over them. Holmes was the superhero of that era; always dependable in a sticky, unforgiving situation. When Holmes first meets Helen, he doesnt even have to ask about her journey. The information and the way he finds out is very surprising. From just looking at the ticket in her hand, and the state of her clothes, he depicts her whole journey. It is like he mentally scans Helen and compiles a report on her. You had a good drive in a dog-cart, along heavy roads. Holmes realizes this just by analyzing the splashes of mud on Helens clothes. Helen is very startled when she hears this. She too cannot believe it. It shows that Holmes is a very good detective. He is good at observing things and finding out obscure and inconspicuous details. Mr. Holmes knows himself that he is a very good detective. He is not at all modest and at some points even boastful. He knows that he is very clever and doesnt fray from showing it. He basically tells us that he had solved the crime before even setting foot in Roylotts room. I had come to those conclusions before ever I had entered his room. We can see just how different the two detectives are in this story. They are complete opposites. One solves the crime, the other eats the main lead! The main difference between these two short stories is that one of them has the crime solved, and the other doesnt. Throughout reading both stories, you continually notice the traditional and not so traditional aspects of both. Both stories are completely opposite, so it is easy to spot their differences. Not one element in both stories is the same. The crime in one is serious; the crime in the other is almost a joke. The villain in one is a six months pregnant woman and the villain in the other is an intelligent, fierce doctor. The stories end in different ways, but both have satisfactory endings nonetheless. In Lamb to the Slaughter, Mary gets away with murder, which is what we want. In The Speckled Band, Dr. Roylott is killed, which is also what we want. The stories are both different in the way that they are told. In Lamb to the Slaughter, we know exactly what has happened, and the detective doesnt. In The Specked Band we are kept in suspense, because we know just as much as the detective. In my opinion, Lamb to the Slaughter was a more enjoyable story. It provides a welcome twist to the genre. It contains humour, which lightens the atmosphere. I think that more authors should follow in Roald Dahls example and write murder mysteries that dont always follow the rules. It would be nice if every book made you smile as you closed it, just as this one did.

Introduction to Beaux Arts Architecture

Introduction to Beaux Arts Architecture Beaux Arts is an opulent subset of the Neoclassical and Greek Revival architectural styles. A dominant design during the Gilded Age, Beaux Arts was popular but short-lived in the United States from roughly 1885-1925. Also known as Beaux-Arts Classicism, Academic Classicism, or Classical Revival, Beaux Arts is a late and eclectic form of Neoclassicism. It combines classical architecture from ancient Greece and Rome with Renaissance ideas. Beaux-Arts architecture became part of the American Renaissance movement. Beaux Arts is characterized by order, symmetry, formal design, grandiosity, and elaborate ornamentation. Architectural characteristics include balustrades, balconies, columns, cornices, pilasters and triangular pediments. Stone exteriors are massive and grandiose in their symmetry; interiors are typically polished and lavishly decorated with sculptures, swags, medallions, flowers, and shields. Interiors will often have a grand stairway and opulent ballroom. Large arches rival the ancient Roman arches. In the United States, the Beaux-Arts style led to planned neighborhoods with large, showy houses, wide boulevards, and vast parks. Because of the size and grandiosity of the buildings, the Beaux-Arts style is most commonly used for public buildings like museums, railway stations, libraries, banks, courthouses, and government buildings. In the US, Beaux Arts was used in some of the public architecture in Washington, DC, most notably Union Station by architect Daniel H. Burnham and the Library of Congress (LOC) Thomas Jefferson building on Capitol Hill. The Architect of the Capitol describes the LOC as theatrical and heavily ornamented, which is perfectly suited to a young, wealthy and imperialistic nation in its Gilded Age. In Newport, Rhode Island, the Vanderbilt Marble House and Rosecliff Mansion stand out as grand Beaux-Arts cottages. In New York City, Grand Central Terminal, Carnegie Hall, the Waldorf, and the New York Public Library all express Beaux-Arts grandeur. In San Francisco, California, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Asian Art Museum made the California Gold Rush a reality. Besides Burnham, other architects associated with the style include Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895), Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909), Raymond Hood (1881-1934), and George B. Post (1837-1913). The popularity of the Beaux-Arts style waned in the 1920s, and within 25 years the buildings were considered ostentatious. Today the phrase beaux arts is used by English-speaking people to attach a dignity and even a frivolity to the ordinary, such as the volunteer fundraising group named Beaux Arts in Miami, Florida. Its been used to suggest luxury and sophistication, as the Marriott hotel chain expresses with its Hotel Beaux Arts Miami. Its also part of a famous poem, Musà ©e des Beaux Arts, by W.H. Auden. French in Origin In French, the term beaux arts (pronounced BOZE-ar) means fine arts or beautiful arts. The Beaux-Arts style emanated from France, based on ideas taught at the legendary LÉcole des Beaux Arts (The School of Fine Arts), one of the oldest and most esteemed schools of architecture and design in Paris. The turn into the 20th century was a time of great growth throughout the world. It was a time after the American Civil War when the United States was truly becoming a country- and a world power. It was a time when architecture in the US was becoming a licensed profession requiring schooling. These French ideas of beauty were brought to America by American architects fortunate enough to have studied at the only internationally known school of architecture, L’Ecole des Beaux Arts. European aesthetics spread to wealthy areas of the world that had profited from industrialization. It is found mostly in urban areas, where it can make a more public statement of prosperity or an embarras sment of riches. In France, Beaux-Arts design was most popular during what became known as the Belle Époque, or the beautiful age. Perhaps the most important if not best-known example of this French opulence within a logical design is the Paris Opà ©ra house by the French architect Charles Garnier. Definitions of Beaux-Arts Architecture Historical and eclectic design on a monumental scale, as taught at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris in the 19th cent.- Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, Cyril M. Harris, ed., McGraw- Hill, 1975, p. 48 The Beaux Arts is a classical style with the full range of Greco-Roman elements: the column, arch, vault and dome. It is the showy, almost operatic, manner in which these elements are composed that gives the style its characteristic flavor.- Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation To Hyphenate or Not Generally, if beaux arts is used alone, the words are not hyphenated. When used together as an adjective to describe a style or architecture, the words are often hyphenated. Some English dictionaries always hyphenate these non-English words. About Musà ©e des Beaux Arts The English poet W. H. Auden wrote a poem called Musà ©e des Beaux Arts in 1938. In it, Auden describes a scene from a painting by the artist Peter Breughel, a piece of art that Auden observed while visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium. The poems theme of the commonplace of suffering and tragedy- how it takes place / While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along- is as relevant today as it ever was. Is it ironic or on purpose that the painting and the poem are paired with one of the most visibly ornate styles of architecture in an era of conspicuous consumption? Sources Richard Morris Hunt, Beaux-Arts Architectural Drawings The Architecture of the Ecole Des Beaux-Arts by Arthur Drexler, 1977 The Beaux Arts Style by Jonathan and Donna Fricker, Fricker Historic Preservation Services, LLC, February 2010, Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation (PDF) [accessed July 26, 2016]; Beaux Arts Architecture on Capitol Hill, Architect of the Capitol [accessed April 13, 2017]

Organizational Behaviour of Ritz Carlton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organizational Behaviour of Ritz Carlton - Essay Example s the vast potential of demographic and cultural diversity among people and accepts the imprint of globalization on everyday living and organizational competitiveness. (Hunt, et al 2004)1 Previously managerial decisions were mostly directed towards organizations objective while addressing concerns like production, sales and marketing with little attention towards the people working in the organization which is rightly mentioned by Harris et al (2001)2 and (Hunt et al, 2004). It is further stated that progressive workplaces presently are looking and acting differently from those of the past with new approach towards customers and client markets. There are competitions from all corners and the company has to meet the demand and expectations of the customer. (Hunt et al, 2004) In view of the above, the present global environment asks for more commitment, skills and ability to tackle the challenges effectively which can be possible only through changes, individually and institutionally, to keep pace with dynamic and complex environment. The present paper aims to critically examine leadership and management styles adopted by the management of Ritz Carlton during the period of change, their nature of team motivation and policies to achieve high performance. The approach for the present research is qualitative methodological approach relying only on secondary data from online sources, books and journals which were earlier published. The view points and interviews of senior managers of Ritz Carlton Hotels have been collected for the purpose of this research to identify the management and leadership styles during the change , their strategies for employee and team motivation and policies to achieve better quality of service. Ritz Carlton has a long history which goes back to 1898 when the founder of the industry Cesar Ritz moved to Paris working in finest hotels and restaurants and later opening London’s Carlton Hotel setting the stage for Ritz Carlton Company. The

Slavery in Early American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery in Early American History - Essay Example Slavery was practiced in the North America at its climax for up to two centuries before legal issues and human rights fighters started the foundation of dissolving this vice. The vice started fading in the late 18th century, but continued to thrive in the Southern States of North America. Most slaves were found in areas that were active in cash crop agriculture and other areas that required hard manual labor such as industrial areas (Kolchin, 9). Needless to say, many evils happened during the extended period that slavery existed. This essay will discuss the supposed differences that led to the degradation of the blacks as slaves in English America. Terrors that were experienced in slave ships during their transportation and some of the evolutions in the slave ships will also be discussed. These will base their reference on two books: The White Man’s Burden by Winthrop D. Jordan and The Slave Ship, by Marcus Rediker. The black people underwent a lot of maltreatment as slaves d uring slavery, and in slave ships in the early American history. The major difference that formed the basis of every other difference the whites had in degrading the Africans was the skin color. This is according to the book, The White Man’s Burden, by Winthrop D. Jordan. The skin color of the Africans made the Whites believe that they were a radically unusual race. This drove to the belief that this peculiar race was then inferior and thus had no right to some of the rights that the Whites had access. Africans were, therefore, considered lesser than the White Men, and were subjected to play servitude to the perceived superior mankind, the White People. â€Å"By 1700, when Africans began flooding into English America, they were treated as somehow deserving a life and status radically different from English and other European settlers† (Winthrop, 26). According to Jordan, an initial

The Role of the Leader in Evaluating Data to Improve Quality and Safety Essay Example for Free

The Role of the Leader in Evaluating Data to Improve Quality and Safety Essay The Role of the Leader in Evaluating Data to Improve Quality and Safety Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quality and safety has been acknowledged as significant issues in constructing the delivery of appropriate and approachable health care. To improve safety and quality the leader must analyze data and interpret the information to develop s system for clinical performance by supervising, motivating and constructing a quandary solving plan to deal with the scheme of medical inaccuracy. The purpose of this paper is to explain the significance of the responsibility of the leader in evaluation of data to perk up safety and quality aspects.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the telemetry unit, patients are in an unremitting electronic supervision. Telemetry practice is a very significant tool in hospitals since it helps physicians to examine heart rhythm, heart rate, breathing from different locations in the nursing station. Telemetry is usually recommended subsequent to heart attack, or when a patient is developing some problem or is acutely ill. Data evaluation in the telemetry is very vital because it helps nurses to monitor the patients by reading the bedside monitors or telemetry readouts while evaluating the patients. This will help the nurses and other hospital personnel to respond swiftly to an emergency (Guo, 2008). Data overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The average age of patients in the telemetry unit is 72.4 years old, and every patient in the unit has heart disease. The data shows that 68% of the falls were women, who are more susceptible to diuretics. Women are more susceptible to osteoarthritis since bone mass decreases quicker in women as compared to men due to poor nutrition, sedimentary lifestyles and hormonal alterations are therefore more probable of falls. Peripheral sensations dwindle with age and loss of foot affectionate sense in the aged contributes to postural unsteadiness. Postural permanence is an expertise that relies on the harmonization of sensory and motor systems to direct body activities. As component of the aging development people cannot hear, see, feel, smell or taste like they used to do in the early years. The data reveal that fifteen falls in the four-month phase happened between seven in the evening to eleven in the dawn.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Data also reveal that 12% of the patients have secondary diagnosis of disorientation. Confusion in the old age that happens late in the sunset is known as sundowner’s disorder and is amplified perplexity, confusion and is general in telemetry patients. Data reveals that there was only one fall during the eleven pm shift to the three am shift, and on the three to seven shift there was only one fall, the nursing subordinate provides supplementary support for the patients and nurses as well as other basic health care to patients in nursing homes or in hospitals. Data reveals that there were nine falls between 7 in the morning to eleven in the evening. There were seven falls between 11 in the evening to 3 in the morning. And finally there were 14 falls in the 3 in the morning fall to seven in the evening shift. There was a total of 47 seven falls in the 4 months of data evaluation of the elderly people. Some of the old age disorders that causes falls are irreversible, chronic and degenerative ranging from mild to severe hence they require close attention. Appropriate data entry and interpretation is very crucial in the nursing practice. The patients are in diuretics and thus they require constant check up and monitoring so that the doctors can check potassium levels and monitor how the kidneys of the patients are functioning (Murphy, 2012). Quality improvement plan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quality health concern is defined as the extent of how health services increase the probability of achieving desired health results and are consistent with existing professional acquaintance. Quality health care should meet the following aims set by Institute of Medicine. The six aims include: efficient, safe, timely, equitable, effective and patient-centered. The process of care measures help to access whether the health concern performs procedures that have been established to attain the aspired objectives and evade those processes that are inclined toward impairment (Murphy, 2012).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The objectives of evaluating health care value are to establish the impact of health care on aspired upshots and evaluate the extent to which health concern adheres to procedures approved by the professional consensus and is unswerving with patient predilections. Measures of safety and quality can follow up the process of quality enhancement initiatives using external standards. Total quality model is another significant strategy since involve teamwork, systems thinking, organizational management, and change and defined processes to create an atmosphere for advancing health care quality (Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quality improvement is defined as systematic, data-guided operations structured to bring instant advancement in delivering health care in specific settings. Medical errors are usually caused by process or system failures, thus it is vital to adopt process-advancement procedures to acknowledge ineffective care, inefficiencies, and preventable mistakes to persuade changes related with those systems. Quality improvement includes: effects analysis, lean, Plan-Do- Study-Act, failure modes, root-cause analysis, and six sigma models. These techniques involve evaluating performance and using results to update change (Rowe, 2013). Leadership characteristics   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Support and commitment. Leaders should work as a team and always place the patient as the center of care regardless of the prevailing cultural changes. Nurse leaders should be committed to empowering the patients and their families by partnering in their personal care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transformational leadership is another quality that leaders should embrace changes in nursing practice. Nurse leaders need to be updated about safety measures of improving safety. Nurses can learn to improve care by learning from errors by incorporating safety procedures in their daily work flow. Summary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Safety and quality is very crucial in creating the delivery of successful and approachable health care. Quality improvement involves appropriate analysis and interpretation of data to develop a scheme for clinical performance by constructing a quandary solving plan to deal with errors in nursing. Appropriate data evaluation is crucial since nurses are required to respond quickly to emergencies especially if they are attending to old patients.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aged patients are more susceptible to many diseases especially women. Aged patients experience hormonal changes, poor nutrition and sedimentary lifestyles which place them at high risk of certain disorders. Patients suffering from certain disorders can benefit from telemetry unit services since they will learn about their conditions, their causes and techniques that can be applied to manage those conditions. Patients under diuretics should be attended frequently so that the nurses can monitor their potassium levels as well as the functioning of their kidneys. Quality of health care is very important since it can reduce number of patient falls. References Guo, K. L. (2008). Quality of health care in the US managed care system: Comparing and highlighting successful states. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 21(3), 236-248. Murphy, W. A. (2012). Improving Patient Safety and Quality: A Focus on Falls. Home Health Care Management Practice, 24(1), 62-64. Rowe, R. J. (2013). Preventing Patient Falls: What Are the Factors in Hospital Settings That Help Reduce and Prevent Inpatient Falls?. Home Health Care Management Practice, 25(3), 98-103. Tools and Strategies for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. (n.d.). ncbi. Retrieved July 2, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/ Source document

The Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar :: essays research papers

The Tragic Hero of Julius Caesar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tragedy concerns itself with the downfall of a protagonist (or the tragic hero) that suffers crushing defeat or death. Brutus certainly fits in as the protagonist of Julius Caesar and the tragic hero. Since Brutus was one of the main characters of the play, it would be obvious that he would be the tragic hero of the play as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The downfall of the protagonist occurs through a tragic flaw of the protagonist. Brutus' tragic flaw was making bad judgments. For example, he let Antony speak at Caesar's funeral, he let Antony live and also he marched to Phillipi. Since the Romans liked Brutus, they thought that if he killed Caesar, then he had a good reason for it. However, if Brutus had not let Antony speak at the funeral, the people would not have turned against him and the other conspirators. Antony was not Caesar's best friend, like Brutus; he just wanted everybody to be against Brutus so they could follow him. Letting Antony live was very poor judgment. Brutus committed suicide because Antony defeated his army. If Antony were killed, Brutus would have never committed suicide himself. The march to Phillipi was also a bad idea because if they hadn't gone everybody wouldn't have been killed. Brutus also made poor judgment on his friend Cassius. Cassius was the one persuading Brutus to become one of the conspirators, if he hadn't listened to Cassius, he wouldn't have killed Caesar. Brutus was one of Caesar's best friends, but he was not the greatest friend in the world. He killed his own best friend. Also, as good as a friend Brutus was to Caesar, it appeared as though Brutus loved Rome and it's people more. 'If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.'; (3.2.21-24) Loving Rome more than his own friend was another of Brutus' tragic flaw. He was more loyal to people he's never met before, than his own friend. If Brutus did not love Rome more, he would not have killed his good friend.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If Brutus felt so strongly that to save Rome he had to assassinate his own best friend that definitely must show something. Brutus killed Caesar for the people of Rome's sake, not for his own. A true hero would think of other people before thinking of himself.

The Frontier Thesis

The emergence of western history as an important field of scholarship started with Frederick Jackson Turner’s (1861-1932) famous essay â€Å"The Significance of the Frontier in American history. †[1] This thesis shaped both popular and scholarly views of the West for the next two generations. In his thesis, Turner argued that the West had to be taken seriously. He felt that up to his time there had not been enough research of what he in his essay call â€Å"the fundamental, dominating fact in the U. S. istory†: the territorial expansion from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. The frontier past was, according to Turner, the best way to describe the distinctive American history and character. To this day, Turner’s thesis remains one of the most widely discussed interpretations of the American past and it still continues to influence historians. Even though many scholars have questioned the thesis as an acceptable theory of explaining American history and cul ture, the thesis has its strengths. Turner explained what made America unique. America as a unique nation was already a belief when the first colonies were established on the East coast. And the notion that America was exceptional would continue to be re-created again and again on the frontier. The frontier was closely related to the myth that sustained the American faith, the ideals and images that represent the American Dream as well as America as an exceptional nation. The purpose of this paper is to look at the essence of Turner’s argument in his essay, as well as discuss his strongest and weakest arguments. The paper will end with a look at the West as a myth. The essence of Turner’s thesis In Turner’s mind, the settlement of the West by white people –â€Å"the existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward† was the most important part of American history. [2] This is the major theme in Turner’s essay and the heart of the frontier thesis. Turner did not define the West as a geographical place or region but as a process, which defined what he looked upon as uniquely American. According to Turner, the westward expansion had transformed the savage and wild land into a modern civilization. This westward expansion could explain the American development, the national character as well as its democracy. Turner believed that this settling of a wild area of â€Å"free land† was an important factor in shaping the American character. American characteristics like individualism, democracy and a strong work ethnic, which Turner looked upon as typical American qualities had all been developed when newcomers settled the wilderness. These special qualities would later influence the whole nation. Other historians and philosophers such as Tocqueville and Hegel have also talked about the impact of the frontier on the American experience, but the Turner thesis was the first to be accepted by other historians. Turner insisted upon the frontier as the number one â€Å"explanation† of American history. But it is difficult to understand what he really meant by â€Å"explanation†. As argued by Joshua Derman, it is almost impossible for the reader of Turner’s work to deduce whether he intended the â€Å"frontier to be the ‘prime mover’ in American political history, the single best explanation for why American cultural and political institutions developed the way they did, or a dogmatic rule for interpreting all events in American history. †[3] The notion that democracy arose because of the frontier is also weak. For example, both Russia and China have vaster frontiers than America, but they lack democracy. And in his essay, Turner has not showed what made the American frontier experience different from other countries with considerable frontiers. To say that the frontier shaped American democratic institutions is vague and hard to prove. It is clear that the new land and communities in the wilderness demanded greater participation in political activities (than in Europe) and because of this ordinary people had to step in and contribute. 4] This notion that the ‘common man’ should contribute in civil life became an important part of American society. [5] It was not only American democracy that Turner thought had developed out of the unique frontier experience. There were also several other values that owed the frontier its striking characteristics, for example the complex nationality (later termed the melting pot), individualism and economic mobility (the American Dream). â€Å" The result†, Turner concluded, was â€Å"that to the frontier the American intellect owe[d] its striking characteristics†(100). Individualism was one of the most important and distinctive qualities created by the frontier, as stated in the essay: That coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and acquisitiveness; that practical inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things†¦. the restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and evil, and withal the buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom – these are traits of the frontier, or traits called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier. (100) As we can see from these lines, frontier individualism did not only promote positive things, it had negative traits as well. On the frontier, newcomers had to rely on themselves. This feeling created the traditional, individualistic feeling. Since life was so hard on the frontier one could not carry one’s ancestry into the wilderness. As a consequence, Turner thought, social life became more informal †¦ than in the older and more settled communities. According to the frontier thesis, all the resources on the frontier as well as its lack of an established socio-political structure provided opportunities for the settlers. They could now pursue their dreams â€Å"of limitless wealth and self-betterment. †[6] Cheap or free land meant more opportunities for the self-made man, and provided a ‘safety valve’ for the ‘newcomers’: Since the day when the fleet of Columbus sailed into the waters of the New World, America has been another name for opportunity, and the people of the United States have taken their tone from the incessant expansion which has not only been open but has even been forced upon them. (100) Free land led to new opportunities, and it was up to each individual and their desire to work hard and climb the economic and social ladder: â€Å"†¦each frontier did indeed furnish a new field of opportunity, a gate of escape from the bondage of the past; and freshness, and confidence, and scorn of older society†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Turner, 100). Everything was open to the man who knew how to seize the opportunity. The self-made man became the ideal of the West, and eventually every man in the U. S. A. should be like him. It was the work ethic of the frontier, not of the South or East, Turner thought, that had contributed the most to the American character. The frontier culture concentrated on the dollar and it became important to make something out of your life. People were constantly moving in search of larger acreage and new opportunities. The large amount of unclaimed western land offered huge opportunities for those who were willing to take a risk. It could, if they worked hard, give them even more wealth and money. This â€Å"gospel of wealth† has continued to be a part of American society. The idea of the â€Å"American Dream† was already a part of the Puritan faith, but it gained even more strength as a modern conception of the frontier. The frontier became the American Dream. To some extent, Turner is right when he talks about the opportunities on the frontier. Newcomers came to the U. S. A. because of new opportunities, and America letters described all the opportunities the frontier offered those who were willing to take a risk. [7] Whereas genealogy divided classes in the Old World, money from hard work divided classes on the American frontier. This became uniquely American. And this myth of America as a place of opportunity and optimism is still a part of the American character. Also, the American tradition of competition and self-betterment was born on the frontier and continues in America even today. But a weakness of the frontier thesis is that Turner ignored the fact that many Americans have never or would never live on the frontier. The West was not a place of opportunity and freedom for everyone, as it seems in Turners essay. For example, to many women and minorities and of course the Indians, the West was no promised land. Life was hard. It was not as romantic and idealistic as Turner made it seem in his essay. And not all men benefited from the frontier. For example, the cost of starting a farm in West was high and few poor urban workers of the East could afford to get a second chance in the West. Also, the largest migration was actually to the city and not to the farm. [8] Historians have concluded that the American West was not â€Å"some rough-hewn egalitarian democracy, where every man had a piece of land and the promise for prosperity, but a world quickly dominated by big money and big government. †[9] Despite shortcomings in Turner’s essay, the frontier myth meant social and economic mobility. As argued by Degler, â€Å"precisely because it [the frontier] was believed to be a safety valve, regardless of what it was in fact, the western frontier worked an influence upon the attitudes of Americans. It left its mark in the optimism, the belief in progress, the promise of the future and the second chance – all of which have been deeply embedded in the American character† (142). Turner also ignored the fact that the land was not ‘free’ (which is illustrated by all the Indian wars). And the essay does not say much about the violence and lawlessness of western expansion. Clearly, opportunities aided the development of democratic ideals in America. But the availability of opportunities should not be confused with the origination of democratic ideas (Degler, 137). The idea of ‘starting over’ is closely connected with opportunity and an important part of the frontier thesis. As stated in the thesis: â€Å"American social development has been continually beginning over again on the frontier. This perennial rebirth, this fluidity of American life, this expansion westward with its new opportunities, its continuous touch with the simplicity of primitive society, furnished the forces dominating American character† (Turner, 88). The wilderness overwhelmed the newcomers and reduced them to a sort of â€Å"primitiveness. † It is a reversed evolution of civilization Turner explains in his thesis. But this step backwards was overshadowed by the hope for a new and better society. Euro-Americans turned the wilderness into civilization, and in doing so they themselves were transformed. In the ‘contest’ between nature and the colonists emerged a unique American character and a distinctive political culture – individualism and democracy. [10] Turner addressed all these new opportunities the frontier created as a â€Å"social rebirth†. America became a sign of a new start to many. People were willing to lie their past behind in search of new opportunities. Turner also set the stage for what would later become known as the â€Å"melting pot†. He looked upon the frontier as a crucible where people with different backgrounds came together and formed a distinct American character: â€Å"In the crucible of the frontier the immigrants were Americanized, liberated and fused into a mixed race, English in neither nationality nor characteristics. † The result was †the formation of a composite nationality for the American people† (94-95). But Turner as well as many others were wrong since the West was not a homogeneous as they thought. Many thought the newcomers would be Americanized, but the reality was that many newcomers kept their traditions and Americanization happened much more gradually than Turner believed. For example, Germans and English colonists differed in farming methods, crops and labor systems even though they lived on the same frontier. And many ethic groups settled in areas dominated by their own people and showed resistance to change. Another central aspect of Turner’s frontier thesis was that the frontier had made the United States different from Europe. According to Turner, the frontier remade the Europeans who entered it: â€Å"The frontier is the line of most rapid and effective Americanization. † The frontier â€Å"finds him [the settler] a European in dress, industries, tools, modes of travel and thought †¦ little by little he [the settler] transforms the wilderness, but the outcome is not the old European, not simply the development of Germanic germs†¦[but] a new product that is American (89). The only uniquely â€Å"American† part of American history is the history of the frontier regions, since the other regions are too influenced by European institutions, Turner thought. He broke away from the notion that America was an extension of European culture and the so-called †Germ Theory† of American historical development, which stated that American institutions had their roots in ancient Teutonic forests (European roots of American institutions). [11] Turner looked upon the frontier as a powerful force. It shaped European settlers into something different from the European character. [12] The settling of the New World, especially the American frontier, had shaped an exceptional country, different from the Old World. The United States was something new and unique, something independent of European experience. As argued before, America as exceptional was a part of the American republic from the beginning and the frontier thesis carried this view even further. [13] The American frontier became something different and made a sharp contrast to the shadows of urban Europe. America became â€Å"the land of European dreams. † And this is not all, the frontier actually influenced not only America, but Europe as well: â€Å"Steadily the frontier settlement advanced and carried with it individualism, democracy and nationalism, and powerfully affected the East and the Old World† (Turner, 99). One weakness in Turner’s essay is that he puts too much emphasis on the effect on the frontier and because of this fails to mention other important features that have formed both the West and America as a whole. The frontier clearly contributed, but other factors are important as well, like slavery, immigration, agriculture, violence, industrialization, urbanization as well as women and ethnic minorities. For example, Indians received far too little attention. Turner considered Native Americans to be of little significance. They were part of that wild frontier environment and posed â€Å"a common danger and served as â€Å"a consolidating agent in our history,† faceless obstacles to be overcome and subdued in the process of westernizing† (Milner, 213). Turner’s estimated effect of the frontier on American politics and institutions was also exaggerated. As Turner puts it: â€Å"The legislation which most developed the powers of the national government, and played the largest part in its activity, was conditioned on the frontier† (Turner, 95). But actually, the frontier state was not that different from eastern models in state government and legislation. For example, the constitution of both Tennessee and Kentucky were modeled after the Pennsylvania constitution of 1790. Just some clauses had actually originated in the West (Degler, 136). In fact, regarding property qualifications for suffrage and the structure of state legislature, the western states modeled their government and legislation after older eastern States. The western states were also more reluctant than eastern states to permit black suffrage and even to allow them to enter their states both before and after the Emancipation. 14] Benjamin F. Wright, Jr. , argues that democracy had emerged in the Old World and had generally moved from east to west, rather than visa versa. Turner has also been criticized when he defines the frontier. To him, the frontier means different things. Sometimes it is an area where the civilization and wilderness meets, and other times the western part of the United States. It can even refer to a process – a way of life for those participa ting the settling of the land or a place full of natural resources. Critics have argued that if the frontier is the edge of civilization, it cannot also be the western part of the USA at a stage of social evolution (Degler, 135). The Western myth The frontier has become essential to Americans’ becoming who they are as a people. As argued by Faragher, †the belief that ‘westernizing’ defines our unique national heritage, and that it amounted to the purest expression of American idealism, has been what historian Warren Susman called â€Å"the official American ideology†(Faragher, 230). Henry Nash Smith and other specialists in American studies demonstrated that reality did not always rule in thinking about the West and that myths, symbols, images and stereotypes developed in response to the conditions of a particular time, could become a part of American culture and be transmitted to subsequent generations (Milner, 12). It was on the western frontier that America formed its own independent identity. Americans have located their nation-building myths and heroes out west, and the west has connected America’s to a national culture through a common story. The frontier thesis had, and continues to have, a powerful hold on popular and scholarly imagination. It reinforced the American sense of uniqueness and accomplishment, and strengthen the American nationalism (Milner, 21). The frontier played a role in endowing the people of the United States with distinguished character traits. Conclusion With his frontier thesis, Turner wanted to get away from the notion that America was just an extension of Europe. Instead, he emphasized the importance of the frontier as the promotion of distinctive American characteristics. It was on the western frontier you could trace the uniquely American character traits like, for example, individualism, opportunity and democracy. The West would be known as a place for opportunity and success for millions of Americans throughout the frontier, eastern cities and soon rest of the world. America became the â€Å"New Eden† and the land of opportunity. The affluence in America made Americans unique to Europe and also the rest of the world. The frontier’s work ethic and individualism spread across the country because it spoke to all Americans. And American frontier values like individualism continue to be important even today. No other country in the world would use the word frontier as Americans do: it convey so many different things to them. Most of all it means optimism. It is not strange that people were encouraged to go West for example during the depression of 1857, where they were promised more opportunities. [15] Despite shortcomings and weaknesses in Turner’s essay, the frontier thesis has a lasting appeal and the frontier idea keeps turning up in new forms, for example in everything from western movies, commercials and politics. The frontier has become an important part of American consciousness. There is something of substantial merit at the core of Turner’s views. The characteristics we think about when we hear the name America, even if it’s true or just a myth is qualities Turner described in his thesis. The frontier has become a symbolic repository of American values and characteristics. Turner articulated the American ‘myth’ that people already thought was true and what many thought was a distinctive American characteristic. The West became an image of a mythmaker and a preserver of distinctive American values. Clearly, the West continues to live one, and it is a distinctive American characteristic.

Need and Respect

Most people appreciate receiving respect from others; however, much of the time people fail to give respect. Respect takes a number of forms: Respect for other people, respect for people's property, and perhaps most importantly, respect for oneself. If you want others to give you respect, you must first learn how to give respect yourself. People need to be treated with Respect. Everyone needs and deserves respect. Respect is a basic human need. We all crave respect and we all should give respect. The Golden rule, Due unto others as you would have done unto you, is perfect example of respect.This famous saying means treat others as you would want to be treated. Or in other words respect everyone. The great hold upon people is the desire for respect and admiration by others. Why? People need friends and to feel loved. If you are constantly rejected by people it hurts and it may form the way you respect someone. Compassion is remembering the humanity behind the case. Compassion is remem bering the role you have in someone’s life. Compassion is listening rather than just looking like you are listening. Compassion is treating someone as you would want yourself, or a close family member whom you care about, to be treated.We can’t always do what we want for someone, provide the services needed, take the necessary action – but we can always treat people as if they are human beings and we can always show respect and behave with dignity. Respect is not an emotion; it’s an action we perform. It is something we do to show others we value them. Showing respect is one way we can show compassion and bring healing to someone during a compromising time in one’s life. Compassion in social work is teamwork we all have to work together to help and save lives.

Determining the Paleoenviroment and Tectonic History of a Small Area †geology (400 Level Course)

Determining the Paleoenviroment and Tectonic History of a Small Area – geology (400 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Geology Coursework: Determining the paleoenviroment and tectonic history of a small area (Cocklawburn Beach) Planning In this coursework I am going to try and find the tectonic history and paleoenviroment of an area of exposed rocks along a short section of beach in Northumberland, Cocklawburn beach is 50 metres to the south of Berwick-upon-tweed and can be found on OS map sheet 75. The general geology of the area is that it is mostly carboniferous limestone with layers of sandstone, shale and coal existing between the layers of limestone. I know this from previous experience in the area, as I have completed a sedimentary log for another section of rock in the same area, at Cullernose Point For the paleoenviroment I am going to look at and analyse the rock type. I will check the rocks for structures and fossils as they can be used to determine the absolute age of the rocks and they can also be used to check if the rocks have been shifted or if they have been moved upside down. The first thing that I shall investigate with respect to paleoenviroment is the relative age of the rocks. For the tectonic history I shall investigate the Dip and Strike of the rocks, as this will show the attitude of the rocks relative to the horizon and it will show if any tectonic activity has shifted the rocks, and also if there are any major igneous structures (Bowls ect) I shall look for any displacement in the rocks as this will show if there have been any faults in the area that have affected the rocks in the past. Using all of this information together I intend to construct a sedimentary log that will definitively show the history of this small area. To help me find this information I wi ll use my own observations, as well as secondary sources such as the Internet and geology reference books (see bibliography) I think that I am most likely to find Sedimentary rocks that will be in recurring cyclotherms containing a lot of fossils and other structures, and that have also been affected by a lot of faulting and folding. To collect the data for the items I have outlined above, I will go to the beach and construct a sedimentary log. I have already tested this method on another beach in the same area as Cocklawburn beach, at a area called Cullernose point This log will encompass most of the data that I will need to collect, however I will also have a Field Notebook, which I will use to sketch out the layers or rock and also to sketch any structures that are found on the beach, this will be used so I can identify which type of fossils and what special features were present in the layers of rock. To fill in the above logging sheet I will use the following equipment. To find the grain size of the rocks, I will examine the rock with a hand lens and compare what I see to a grain size index card provided by my teacher, I will do this to find the energy of the transport medium at the time of deposition, this card will also to be used to checked the sorting of the rock, which will show the rate of deposition. I will look for any fossils in the rock, as they will help to show if there are any special environmental conditions in the area during that time of disposition. I will also use evidence of any sedimentary structures to determine the env ironment of deposition. I will also examine the colour of the rocks to try and determine the mineral and oxygen content, as this can be used to try and determine the paleoenviroment of the area at the time that the sediment was deposited that formed the rock layers. I will look for evidence of dip and strike by using clinometers to find the dip angle and using a clinometers and a ruler to find the strike, I will do this so that I can accurately show any tectonic features in the area, and so that I can form a hypothesis about what forces have acted on the area in the past. I will look for evidence of folding and faulting, as they will show if there have been any compression or tension forces acting on the rock, and also the direction that the forces were coming from. To test these methods I have constructed a short sedimentary log of beach called Cullernose point, which is near Cocklawburn beach, I have found that these methods work in the field and I do not intend to change any of the methods used. The limits of my investigation if that I can not check any rocks that are underground, so I will not be able to find the thickness of some beds, if I can not see the base. Implementing In this section I will record the results that I have found from my fieldwork, I will use sedimentary logging, charts and graphs to shows the information that I have gathered. The first item that I am going to show is the most important, as the sedimentary log shows most of the information that I have gathered on the trip that will be useful in a clear way Analysing evidence and drawing conclusions From the sedimentary logging sheet there is a obvious pattern in the rock layers, which clearly show the recurring cyclotherms, I believe that I was caused by differing sea levels at the time of deposition, for example, if the cyclotherms that is composed of bed 1-5 is examined, then the pattern is: 1: Limestone – Deep Sea where dead creatures decomposed to form limestone layers 2-3: Silt – Shallowing seas mean layers are formed by fine sediment being deposited from the closing landmasses 4: Sandstone – As the sea gets shallower then the size of the sediment that is deposited increases steadily, meaning layers 2-4 have evidence of graded bedding that goes with the increasing size. 5: Coal – as the sea becomes a swamp or maybe even low land, trees fall in and coal is deposited as a top layer of the cyclotherms. After bed 5 the process begins again with a limestone layer at bed 6 to 10. This pattern recurs along the beach. Throughout these layers fossils and sedimentary features are in evidence, these fossils are mostly Crinoids, with Brachiopods scattered throughout, sedimentary features in evidence throughout the beds are graded bedding, and ripples which shows evidence of sea currents as the seas became shallower. A lot of the beds also contain ironstone nodules. Below is an analysis of each bed found on the beach, this data has been taken from the sedimentary log I produced in the field. Bed 1: This bed has a thickness of at least 3 metres, I say at least because the bottom of the bed is below the beach and cannot be seen. It is composed of limestone with a shale layer about halfway up the visible area, however this layer is not discernable enough to count as a separate bed. The composition is fine sand, with silt in the shale layer; there is evidence of paleocurrents from the south in this bed. The colour is grey at the bottom but the top is muddy and browner. Brachiopods and crinoids were found in this layer. This evidence seems to show that this layer was in deep sea, with a lowering of sea levels causing the shale layer in the middle, and then sea levels falling at the end of the bed, causing the muddy area at the top of the bed. The marks on this bed (see to the right of the marker) These marks are from the remains of a colonial coral, which would have lived on the rock, and would have been fossilised when it died This picture shows the solitary corals (the ring shapes) and the brachiopod fossils that were found in bed 1. As these creatures could only live in a very low energy environment this shows that the rock was formed in a deep sea where there were only low energy currents. Bed 2: This bed has a thickness of 2.5 metres. Its composition is clay and it shows evidence of ripples, there are no paleocurrents visible in this layer. The layer is black in colour, and there were brachiopods found in the layer as well. This layer was very soft and unstable, and it could be broken off easily with hands. This layer will have been formed as the sea levels fell and fine sediment from the land will have been deposited on the sea floor. Bed 3: This bed has a thickness of 4 metres. It is composed of siltstone interbedded with mud, the grain size is silt and there are alternating paleocurrents, with south at the bottom and north facing at the top of the bed. There is a lot of cross bedding in this layer and there are also ironstone concretions throughout it. There are load casts at the top of the bed, which is brown in colour. This bed will have been formed as the sea levels fell even more, which would let larger sediment pieces fall and be deposited on it, as there would have been less time for it to be eroded into smaller particles. This is a picture of the loads casts that can be seen in the top of bed 3. These are formed when a section of the above rock falls away into the mud beneath, when the rock below fossilises the other rock is left as a fragment, called a load cast. Bed 4: This bed on only 1 metre thick. This bed is grey and is composed of fine sand sized particles. This bed shows evidence of fossilized roots embedded in the top of the bed. This composition of this bed is known as â€Å"sea turf† and is formed from deposition on a very shallow sea; the roots are from plants that have rooted into the land while it is still underwater. Bed 5: Bed 5 was not thick enough to measure accurately. It is a layer of clay sized grains, and is coal. This is the end of the first cyclotherms in the beds, as can be seen from the cycle limestone -> coal. This layer would have been formed in a shallow swamp, with very little water movement. As plants and other matter died and fell into the water, it would have decayed very slowly and been formed into coal. This picture shows bed 3, 4, 5 and 6, note how thin bed 5 is in relation to the other beds, this shows that the area did not stay as a swamp for very long Bed 6: This bed is 1 metre thick. It is fine sand sized particles and is composed of grey limestone, this fizzes with dilute HCl, and there is evidence of crinoids and trace fossils in the bed. This bed shows a return to deep water, as there are now hardly any sediment deposition, and an increase in carbon deposition leading to the formation of limestone and the fossils. Bed 7:This bed is 1.5 metres thick, it has clay-sized particles. This bed is composed of mudstone and is black in colour. There is a lot of ironstone nodules spread throughout this bed. It is soft and comes apart easily in the hand. There is also evidence of lamination in this bed, which will have been caused by uneven deposition rates over the years in which this bed was formed. This bed will have been formed like bed two, with a shallowing sea leading to a fine sediment deposition Bed 8: This bed has a thickness of 1.5 metres. It is composed of silt size particles and is siltstone, it is grey. This bed is interbedded with shale and there are iron stone concretions throughout it. This bed shows numerous fossils, with Trace fossils roots and also a lot of sedimentary features, such as cross lamination and normal laminations, these will have been formed due to different current directions and also due to different amounts of deposition during the years the bed was formed. This bed will have been formed in a very shallow sea, as there is evidence of fossilised roots at the top of the bed. This picture was taken from the top of the 6th bed, and shows bed 7 and 8 on top of it. Note how much bed 8 has eroded. Bed 9: This bed is .5 metres thick. It is composed of fine sand particles and is sandstone. This bed is grey in colour and shows evidence of lamination and root fossils. Once again these will have been formed by plants rooting in the very shallow water of the area. Bed 10: This is the end of the second cyclotherms, as this is a coal layer, once again it is too thin to be accurately measured. This will also have been formed in a shallow stagnant swamp. Bed 11: This bed has a thickness of 1 metre. It has silt-sized particles and is clay. The only feature shown by this bed is lamination; there were no visible fossils or any of features in this bed. Bed 12: This bed has a thickness of 2 metres. It is composed of medium sand grained particles and is sandstone. This bed is interspread with layers of silt. This layer is laminated, it also has asymmetrical ripples, formed when the currents affecting the bed shifted, there are also trace fossils. This bed has been formed due to shallower seas, but as the next bed is composed of clay, the cyclotherms pattern has been interrupted, so there must have been an unconformity to break this cycle. This picture shows bed 8 from further along the beach, and also bed 9, bed 10 and bed 11 Bed 13: This layer is .5 metres thick. It is composed of silt-sized particles and is clay. It is black and shows cross lamination, formed by shifting currents and irregular deposition. As I have mentioned above, if this bed followed the normal cyclotherms cycle shown in the beds below it, this bed would be composed of sea turf or perhaps even a layer of coal, however as this bed is finer grained than the one below, which suggests a deepening of the sea, then either a unknown element changed the area at this time or a unconformity has altered the bedding pattern. Bed 14: This bed is .5 metres thick. Its is a medium grained sandstone. It is grey and shows evidence of laminations across the bed. It is black, this layer, and the layer above it (15) shows that the sea was shallowing, and that the pattern shown in the 2 preceding cyclotherms is reasserting itself. This picture shows bed 11, bed 12, bed 13, bed 14 and bed 15 Bed 15: This bed is near identical to the one above it, it is .5 metres thick, grey and shows lamination, however this one has shale layers interspread in between it, so I have marked it as a separate layer from the pure sandstone layer underneath it. This photo shows the top of bed 16, Bed 17, bed 18, Bed 19 and bed 20. It also shows bed 21-23, but these beds are hard to see on this photo, so I will show them on another photo further down the list Bed 16:This bed is 2 metres thick. It is sandstone and has medium sand particles. This bed had very poor bedding and had a lot of roots throughout the whole bed. The poor bedding could have been caused from changes in deposition over the years. There were also trace fossils and ironstone nodules found in this bed. This bed was formed once again, as sea levels got shallower Bed 17: This bed is 1 metre thick. This bed has silt-sized particles and is siltstone. This bed has a lot of roots throughout it. This bed was probably soil that formed when the sea lowered so much that there was actually land there where the sea was. Bed 18: Bed 18 is the third coal layer in the log. As the layer above it was formed in land, then the seas must have returned to form a stagnant swamp that allows coal to form. Bed 19: This bed is 2.5 metres thick, it is composed of clay particles, and there are root casts and ironstone nodules in this layer. This layer could have been formed either by a return to deep-sea conditions, which I think is unlikely, or as a very thick layer of soil as the sea stayed either very shallow or went to land for a long time. Bed 20: This is another coal layer. This layer makes it appear that the sea did not return to a true deep sea for a very long time after bed 18, but stayed as a shallow area or a swamp for a long period of time. Bed 21: This is a very thin layer of clay sized mudstone, this forms in-between two layers of coal, which supports my theory that this was a land area for a very long time before it returned to the sea, this can be shown by the fact that there is not any fossils or sedimentary features in the area to show evidence of currents of animals. This photo shows bed 21, bed 22, bed 23 and bed 24. I have used this photo to show bed 21-23 as it is clearer Bed 22: This coal layer has formed very close to another coal layer, which shows that the area stayed as a swampy land for a long time. Bed 23:This is a layer of fine-grained sandstone. It is 1.25 metres thick and has evidence of calcite deposits; these were probably formed as calcite formed round particles of mud or clay. Bed 24: This bed is 1.25 metres thick. It has medium sand sized particles, but it is a sandy limestone. This bed shows a return to relatively deep-sea characteristics, but with a high sediment deposition, which suggest a large land mass may have formed nearby. Crinoids are also in this bed, which suggests a deep sea, as the low energy environment would not break them up as it does in a high current environment. This photo shows bed 25, bed 26 and bed 27. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of bed 28. Bed 25: This is a .5 metre thin bed of medium sandstone. This bed has ironstone deposits and root casts, and seems to indicate that the sea that was in the area was shallowing. Bed 26: This bed has an unknown thickness and an unknown rock type, it was eroded and no information could be gathered about it. Bed 27: This is another coal layer, however no thickness information could be found because the base of the layer could not be seen. Bed 28: This bed has no thickness information, as once again, the base could not be seen. This bed is limestone, and shows that the area has returned to deep-sea conditions. This is reinforced by the crinoids and brachiopod fossils that were found in the area Overall: In total the layers that I logged came to about 38 metres, and spanned about 100 metres of beach across, there only appears to be 3 complete cyclotherms, although there are a few that appear to have been disrupted by tectonic activity. The cyclotherms present in the rock show that the past history of the area was repeating, over millions of years. This means that the area has gone from sea to swamp or possibly even land, and then reverted to sea again. The most obvious cyclotherms is present in bed 1-5, as it shows the formation of sandy limestone’s, representing deep sea environments, which is further reinforced by the fossils of crinoids and brachiopods found in it, all the way through finer layers until bed 5, which is a coal layer formed by decaying plant matter in anaerobic conditions. Tectonic History The tectonic history of the area can be shown by checking the dip and strike of the rocks and plotting a diagram that will show the direction, I have used a rose diagram with degrees around the edge to find where the forces came from. The diagram shows that the main force in the area came from the northeast; this is confirmed by the dip, which is northeast/southwest, and the strike, which is roughly south east/northwest. This is backed up by the asymmetrical anticline seen at location 1 on the base map; this anticline had been pushed inwards from the northeast so that it formed a hump-backed appearance facing northeast. It is also shown by the plunging folds fold at location 2 on the base map, as the dip and strike measurements shown there are in alignment, and the folds run northeast/southwest. This evidence shows that there has been a major force acting on the coast in the past, forming these features, and that it was acting in a northeast/southwest direction, with more force from the northeast. This hypothesis is backed up by the evidence that I have collected on my sedimentary log. This is a photo of the asymmetrical fold that was at location one on the base map. Note the thrust which pushes one side of the fold over, the right side of this photo is the north-east. This photo shows the folding that has occurred in the first bed on the log. Once again, the right side of this photo is pointing to the north east, which shows the tectonic forces to be northeast/southwest Evaluating Evidence and Procedures I think that the techniques used to collect this data was the most reliable ones that I could use practically in the field. However, I have noted the limitations of the techniques that I have used. The sedimentary log only shows features which can be seen on the surface on the rock, there could have been fossils or features buried in the rock, which I cannot include in my study. The dip and strike measurements that I have taken, as well as the measurements for the thickness of the beds can only be as accurate as the things I used to measure them. This means there will be an error built in to the measurements, as well as human error. The statistical analysis techniques that I have used could also contain error (the rose diagram), however, I believe that have minimised the error by making measurements as accurate I could in the field. I believe that the conclusions I have drawn from the evidence I have collected is true, however there could have been forces at work that I was not aware of, and some of my conclusions could be wrong due to this fact. Research Papers on Determining the Paleoenviroment and Tectonic History of a Small Area - geology (400 Level Course)Where Wild and West MeetTrailblazing by Eric AndersonResearch Process Part OneUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Art History: Filippo Brunelleschi Scuptor and Architect of the Renaissan

Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the greatest sculptors and architects of the Renaissance. His architectural achievements consist of some of the most well known and impressive structures not only of the Renaissance, but today. Not only were his structures amazing, but during his time he also invented new technology that would allow for his structures to be built. What would happen if Brunelleschi never designed architecture? We would have lost his inventions, his structures, and all of the work he inspired in other artists. Brunelleschi’s career path changed from sculpture to architecture after his loss to Ghiberti during the competition for the Eastern Doors of the Florentine Baptistery. If Brunelleschi had won that competition, architecture and art in the Renaissance, and even today would have been negatively affected. To understand how Brunelleschi came to be the artist he is, you need to look back to his childhood. Brunelleschi, during his youth, was showing that he was already capable of great things. His great-great-grandfather was a master physician, so there we can see evidence of technical skills being passed down. Brunelleschi’s father tried to push him into various career paths which didn’t involve art, such as being a physician, and a notary, but Brunelleschi showed little interest and was more drawn to manual labor, art, and things of greater utility. Utility by definition is the quality or state of being useful. We will eventually see several useful things come from Brunelleschi. His father realized that his son was going to do what he wanted, so he introduced him to a goldsmith where he learned to set stones and work with metal, which he quickly mastered and moved away from. He then moved... ... middle of paper ... ...ay have never discovered the secret to linear perspective, which was later used by not only architects, but painters as well, such as Masaccio's Holy Trinity fresco in 1427. All of the art that was ever inspired by Brunelleschi wouldn’t be here today. Brunelleschi barely lost the competition for the eastern doors of the Baptistry, and that may have been the most defining moment of the Renaissance. Annotated Bibliography Paatz, Walter. The arts of the Italian Renaissance: painting, sculpture, architecture. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1974. Partridge, Loren W.. The art of Renaissance Rome, 1400-1600. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1996. Turner, Richard. Renaissance Florence: the invention of a new art. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1997. Vasari, Giorgio. Lives of the painters, sculptors architects. London, Toronto: J.M. Dent, 1927.

Independent African American Film Producers Research Paper

Independent African American Film Producers - Research Paper Example Independent African American Film Producers Independent film producers are professional producers who make feature films that are mostly produced outside the confines of the system of major studios (Levy 29). In addition to production, as well as distribution, through independent companies, these producers can also distribute and/or produce their films via major studio subsidiaries. These films are also characterized by marketing them as a limited release, although there are times when the marketing campaigns can be done through wide release (Reid 48). Prior to distributing the films, independent film producers will screen their movies at film festivals. This paper will seek to give the biography of three independent African American film producers; Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, and Ivan Dixon. Biography of Tyler Perry Born in New Orleans on 13 September 1969, Tyler Perry had a difficult childhood. He has had to forge his career in the entertainment industry, in which he has made various successful plays, films, and even written books that have ended up on the best-sellers list. According to him, his childhood was difficult in a family with three other siblings where his early life was punctuated by corporal punishment by his father (Uschan 30). He once attempted to kill himself to escape what he fathomed to be a difficult life. In an attempt to forge a life away from his father, the man born Emmitt Perry Jr. changed his name to Tyler and dropped out of high school, although he did go on to earn a GED general equivalent later on in his life. He only discovered his passion after trying his hand at several unfulfilling employment opportunities. Watching Oprah Winfrey on television, he was inspired by an independent filmmaker’s comments on the show about how personal breakthroughs could be brought about by difficult experiences (Uschan 31). Starting by writing a series of letters that he addressed to himself, Perry used his experiences to create his first musical I Know I Have Been Changed. While touching on the subject of his abuse as a child, Perry also touched on forgiveness, an aspect of his films that has been ever-present, reflecting the seriousness he takes his faith as a Christian (Uschan 31). His first showing of the musical in 1992 only drew an audience of 30 people. Perry was disappointed but determined and took odd jobs to fund h is reworking of the project. Although he staged his show in various American cities, he was still not successful and had to live in his car for a while. Perry finally got his breakthrough in 1998 with the musical I Know I Have Been Changed, for which rented the Atlanta franchise of House of Blues. Soon he began to draw sell out crowds, forcing the musical to be moved to a theater with more sitting space (Uschan 36). He followed up this musical with an adaptation of Woman Thou Art Loosed, a book by Televangelist T.D. Jakes, which also proved popular with audiences, particularly African Americans. However, it was his next project, I Can Do Bad All By Myself that brought him the success he had been craving and introduced Madea, his most famous character. He based the character of Madea on mature women in his life, including his mother, choosing to play the character by wearing a drag and changing his voice. Madea made her screen debut in Diary of a Mad Black Woman in 2001 and making su bsequent popular appearances in Madea’s Class Reunion and Madea’s Family Reunion, for which Perry toured extensively around the country in support of his films (Uschan 36). Diary of a Mad Black Woman proved a hit at the box office, starring Steve Harris and Kimberly Elise as an adulterous husband, and scorned wife respectively. Perry himself made an