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When were you born

Mr. Clifford was born in 1940 and cannot remember the precise date or month.

Tell me about your childhood

I grew up in in a family of 6 in Charlotte, New York City, His family had just moved there because his father was searching for a job at one of the manufacturing industries in the city. Although he was white, he did not have much privileged because his family led a modest life with limited resources. He states that he had what one would call a normal childhood. I lived the curious years, did the mischief, but overall I was a disciplined child with profound academic ambitions. Not many children then considered education as important as he did.

Tell me about your teenage years.

The 1950s were not favorable years for most Americans particularly those in the economic class Mr. Clifford’s family was in. He did not use the time to develop, explore, rebel or be mischievous, rather he had to work at a cotton mill to help his family navigate the economic hardships of the period. He was considered a man by the time he was 13 as warranted by circumstance.

How did each of the following influence you?

Great Depression

I feel that the great depression affected me through the increased government intervention that resulted and most importantly the formation of social assistance agencies. A working man like himself could salvage something after years of labor through increased government intervention such as the creation of elaborate retirement schemes.

World War II

World War II gave the world computers through the Colossus, which was the first programmable, electronic, digital computer. As an academic and one of the privileged people to use a computer during the early years, Mr. Clifford considers it the most important aftermath of World War II. This is because it is something that still exists and influenced his work considerably.

Atom Bomb

As a lover of art, Mr. Clifford believes 20th Century, music, TV, films and literature was profoundly affected by anxieties created by the atom bomb. He says that he has been influenced by a popular culture that began to grapple with the power of these bombs.

The Korean

Mr. Clifford admits that he did not feel the direct effects of the Korean War. However, it is after this war that the American military presence across the globe intensified creating a nation that is feared with a citizenry that feels safe from external threats. He believes that he feels safe because of the years of military activities across the world to ensure the world lives in an orderly fashion.

Space Program

Space technology has impacted greatly on everyday life, reiterates the interviewee. Mr. Clifford is not your typical 80-year-old. His cognition is perfect and he is so engrossed in technology. The use of GPS is the most dependable thing today and an important tool for him in particular. Mr. Clifford still drives that is why he believes the GPS is very necessary for him. This was a technology developed in space technology but has turned crucial in everyday life.

Civil Rights Movement

I noticed that the interviewee focused on the long term effects of a particular issue. The greatest achievement of the civil rights movement shaped according to him is the free society that he lives in today. He believes that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that resulted from years of activism is still as relevant today as it was during its enactment. The greater social and economic mobility of minorities has created an economically robust society, which means he can enjoy the benefits he is enjoying today.

Vietnam War

Mr. Clifford admits that he interacted with the Vietnam War more profoundly through reading. Reading the Vietnam War made him cynical and suspicious of America’s institutions. It is one of the events that compromise the notion that patriotism was serving one’s country. This war fueled the suspicion that American leaders were lying in war and created the basis of more distrust with the modern wars with Asian nations.

Watergate

Mr. Clifford believes that distrusting the government has become more common recently thanks to the Watergate scandal. The involvement of President Nixon in the Watergate cover-up begs the question of how many times have heads of state done the same thing and the truth never came out. It has influenced his way of thinking somehow and led him to condemn President Trump on the issue of using Ukraine to better his chances at the presidency. It is more likely that this is another cover-up.

Computers

Computers define every aspect of his life. He spends almost 80 percent of his time relying on computers. His phone especially controls various crucial aspects of his life; talking to loved ones, scheduling, entertainment, learning, and so forth. He does not use gadgets as liberally as he used to but he does most things around his house using smart home technology. He believes the idea that old people cannot be tech-savvy is utterly misplaced, he is living proof.

Persian Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War has considerably impacted the economy of this nation. Mr. Clifford continues to suggest that the war consumed a lot of resources that would have been channeled to improve various sectors because the war was avoidable to a significant extent. The economic hardships such as the struggles with the health care system and paying for treatment are partly because of misjudged prioritization of public resources.

Current events of today

The 911 instilled fear in Mr. Clifford as an American citizen. It has also created in him an involuntary suspicion of Middle Eastern people.

The Corona Virus currently ravaging through the world has affected and influenced every aspect of his life. He is particularly wary of the mortality rate among people his age. He does not want any interactions and now lives alone with his dog. He will not be allowing any visitors going forward.

These days mostly social issues because of social media and the news affect Mr. Clifford. Twitter, in particular, is a platform where Most Americans among other people of the world share social issues such as video evidence of police misconduct. There are also numerous posts of violence and evidence of a rotten society. Just by scrolling through his timeline, he comes across posts that trouble him more than anything in this world does.

Response paper to Kenneth Delaney’ Interview Transcript

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Response paper to Kenneth Delaney’ Interview Transcript

Kenneth Delaney is a war veteran from World War II who speaks about his experience in the war. He was born in Long Island, New York and was enlisted to the army from civil life. In his interviews, Delaney shows pride in his service at D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Hurtgen Forest. His heroics are illustrated by the numerous wounds he suffered but still continued to fight in battles in the world war. He was clearly a brave soldier and mentions it in his interview. When he landed on Omaha Beach, for instance, his first reaction was not nervousness. He was shot and dragged himself to a safe place as the battle raged on and his colleagues got killed as he watched. He recuperated nevertheless and went right back to the war, fighting in the Battle of Bulge.

The Battle of Bulge was not for the soft-hearted. Kenneth Delaney was recuperating at a hospital when the medics told them that anybody that was able to walk or crawl was required in the field. The American army was overwhelmed and these brave men had to endure pain in order. His response to the devastating attacks on the American troops in Belgium. He speaks of soldiers whose spirits could not be broken and his own account of how he participated in the war is a testimony of how these soldiers during that time (Delaney 1). Although his story became popular and was actually documented there are other battles heroes whose activities we will never know. Despite fighting when not in the perfect health state with injuries from previous battles, Kenneth got injured in the battle of Bulge and had to seek treatment once more. The narrative of the Battle of Bulge was crucial as was every soldier that was countering Hitler’s effort to split the allies as they moved towards Germany.

The D-Day was a battle that began in 1944 and lasted between August and June of that same year. Kenneth Delaney was part of 156,000 soldiers who made up the Allied forces that invaded France and managed the mission to liberate Western Europe from the control of Nazi Germany. This invasion was among the largest amphibious assaults in history. Kenneth recalls watching landing craft they were using to land on the beach being blown up as well as the ships that they used from England (Delaney 2). As soon as they landed, Delaney was shot in the foot. He crawled among fellow members of his troop mourning and hollering from wounds. There were no medics to cater to the overwhelming medical need of all the wounded soldiers. Most medics were wounded or dead. When some medics managed to reach there side, they only had enough manpower to help one individual at a time. Delaney gave the chance to other people he felt needed more attention and went back to the crossfire. He used his rifle spraying the Germans although he had no clear sight of his targets. What counted was he did as much as he could at that particular moment.

There were many heroes in the Second World War that will not be appreciated that they ought to be for their bravery and sacrifice for the nation. Although some like Kenneth Delaney came forward with their stories, there is still nothing the world could do to repay the man for his sacrifice. His tone in his interviews about battles that wounded him and nearly got him killed has no regret. He appears happy that he was shot at the Battle of Bulge or at Normandy even before he was ready to get into the fight. Most people would have taken advantage of the injuries to stay away from the Battlefield, but not Kenneth Delaney a true American hero and embodiment of the true meaning of patriotism.

Works Cited

Delaney, K. T. “Memoir : Kenneth T. Delaney: Experiencing War: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress.” American Memory: Remaining Collections, memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01930/pageturner?ID=pm0007001&page=1.

Should Marijuana be Legalized for Recreational Purposes

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Should Marijuana be Legalized for Recreational Purposes?

The fact that 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical use means that its use is beneficial in the management of various conditions, which questions the reason why there are restrictions against it elsewhere. The debate on whether to legalize marijuana is becoming fierce each day as proponents and opponents take sentimental positions. The rejection of a legalization bill by the state of Ohio has been the most recent event in this deadlock. Efforts to advise the best action on this issue through research has been biased and lean towards finding the harmful effects of the drug rather than its benefits. Legalizing marijuana for medical purposes is not enough, and there are numerous calls about legalizing it for recreational use.

The support for marijuana from the public in recent times has been significant, with more than half in support of its legalization. The fact that almost 44 percent have tried the drug is an indication of its influence in recent years. In comparison to other drugs, the effect of marijuana is relatively insignificant. The number of casualties reported each year from smoking or alcohol use is very concerning- almost half a million people die each year from tobacco smoking while 76, 000 die from causes directly related to alcohol. Marijuana, on the other hand, has been indirectly responsible for about 32 deaths each year, which beats the logic to why alcohol and tobacco are legal, and marijuana is not.

Opponents claim that the legalization of marijuana would increase its use among young people and open a way to more addictive drugs. More teens are enrolled for treatment from marijuana than any other drug, and allowing unrestricted access to adults will mean the same for children. Restrictive measures on the use of marijuana have reduced its use from 1979 to 2008 from 13.2 percent to 6.1 percent, respectively among people aged 12 and older, which is a significant health triumph.

Situational Approach

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Situational Approach

Case 5.1: Marathon Runners at Different Levels

Part 1

The runners are new to this activity and have accumulated no experience at all. Because they are all novices to running, they are classified as (D1) under the development levels. Their excitement about the race and their effort to show up each day is an indication of high commitment. So under the development levels, they are D1, low competence, and high commitment. This group asks basic questions constantly and is worried about their abilities in the race. For this reason, David should adopt the qualities of a coach represented by (S3) leadership styles. The group needs direction on the technicalities of a marathon. David does not expect, however, to deal with these kinds of questions and is not prepared. He is rather prepared to use Directing (S2), in his mind, his work is to direct and not to encourage this group coming to him with childish insecurities.

Part 2

It is clear from their choice of words and their concerns that runners in group two are considerably experienced and know a thing or two about running, they possibly lie under the (D3) developmental level (Northouse). With this group, David is at his element being highly supportive and because of their experience, he does not need to apply a hands-on approach or exercise high direction.

Part 3

This group’s experience and the ability of several of them to finish in the top ten put them at the D4 developmental category. It might not be David’s fault that he appears ineffective as a coach for this team. Their ego and an idea in their minds that they need a certain level of practice and tactics mean they do not appreciate David. They feel bigger than the New York marathon and look to focus on marathons beyond this one.

Part 4

David’s experience as a marathon runner himself is important for his coaching; his idea of the sport makes him suitable to speak to other people as a coach. The way he deals with group 1 may suggest a little bias, which is not a strong point for a leader. He needs to exercise patience if he is to succeed in this position. He also needs to exert a little more authority and demand respect from Group 3 runners.

Case 5.3: Getting the Message Across

Part 1

The current problem may be that training and leadership may be absent. It is good that Ms. Calder is interacting with students and relating with them, however, not having standards to run the station is major problem. She should focus some of her time training the students and holding them accountable than being friendly.

Part 2

Ann’s hands off approach means she is mainly doing things the S4 quadrant way and has no idea why the students are not following the rules. It is important for her apply the S1 or apply more of the S2 approach where she exerts more direction and becomes more involved. The nature of students and their ages mean their excitement for working for WCBA and learning the radio does not teach them right from wrong. They should be coached with an experienced individual and moderate during shifts.

Part 3

Ann can spend several shifts with the students and coach them on an individual basis. This will help her know how directive she needs to be with each of them. She will also be more informed on their level of skill. This is because situational leadership is based on the evaluation of employees’ skills and decides the level of need to amend in accordance.

Works Cited

Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications, 2018.

Symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart

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Symbolism in The Tell-Tale Heart

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart’ is one of his celebrated short stories that narrate the story of a murderer who takes the life of an old man because he has an issue with his blind eye. He uses the excuse of the old man’s beating heart to finish what he started before someone else notices. Allan Poe has used symbolism in most of his writings. It is not only the Tell-Tale Heart but he has mastered the use of symbolism in his works. From the “The Pit and the Pendulum” where the whole narrative is a symbolism of the dark and rough time in its torture chambers. Symbolism in his story “The Black Cat” uses the cat as a representation of the kind of hatred that grows in people and remains bottled up. The same thing happens in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart’ is one of his famous short stories that narrate the story of a murderer who takes the life of an old man because he has an issue with his blind eye. He uses the excuse of the old man’s beating heart to finish what he started before someone else notices. He uses the beating heart to represent the consciousness that is in human nature after they have been involved or done a bad thing. The key symbols in the story The Tell-Tale Heart are the eye and the pounding heart.

The storyteller reports being repelled by the eye of the old man. He calls it the “vulture” eye (Poe). The bird is a scavenger that eats dead animals and rotting flesh, which means the eye is a representation of preying and death. The “evil eye” is bothering the old man so much that it drives him to madness. The fact that he calls it the “vulture” eye symbolizes the presence of death or predicts the imminent death, as vultures are known to hang around dying creatures and waits to prey on them (Ellatopia). The color of the eye can also be translated to mean coldness. The eye is blue a color that is usually a symbol of coldness. The narrator feels like the eye is watching him and he feels like goring it out. The eye can also be translated by the reader to mean light, intellect, and wisdom. Vision is always associated with vision and discernment of the future. This is why it is difficult for the reader to comprehend why the narrator wants to kill the eye and the old man along with it.

The speaker terms the old man’s eye as evil. The veil or the film that he describes is over the eye might be the reason why he calls it the vulture eye. The old man’s evil is seen to have a huge influence on the narrator because he is restless when he sees it. he appears to be tortured and bothered by it so much that he feels to murder the man just because he is not comfortable with a single part of his body. His dull eye with the veil or film covering it might be a symbol that the man cannot see the danger that is larking. He is in imminent danger but does not see it. However, the light still allows light to the extent that the old man’s heart starts pounding fast.

The other symbol is the beating heart is a representation of emotions and conscience. The narrator believes that the loud beating of the heart comes from the old man when the light goes through his eye. However, it is obviously the heart of the narrator that is pounding because he feels the guilt, which ultimately leads to his confession. The beating heart might then be a symbol of the lack of closure that comes with being a murderer and the haunting consequence even if we believe the dead are buried. In essence, the old man’s pounding heart is the speaker’s guilty conscience. At this point in the story, the narrator is filled with extreme rage, fear, and guilt so it is obvious his heart is where the beating sound is emanating. He is delusional, he cannot separate the way he reacts from his own self and what he suspects to be the old man. Despite dismembering the victim’s body and putting it under the floorboards, the narrator still hears the heart beating. The narrator is hallucinating from his guilty conscience.

The beating heart is a representation of the human morality or human aspect of the narrator. Throughout the narration, the storyteller considers himself the animal without emotions, and without the capacity to be sympathetic. He somehow takes pride in what he has done, he stalks the old man like an animal would and even feels good about himself for executing the perfect murder. However, when the guilt starts creeping in his humanity starts coming back and the guilt starts making him hear the pounding heart from under the floorboards. The beating heart bothers the old man so much that he confesses. The heart is basically a revelation of his conscience, and after hearing it he has is faced with certain moral code.

Works Cited

Ellatopia. “Symbolism: The Tell Tale Heart.” Short Stories Analyzed, 13 Oct. 2013, www.shortstoriesanalyzed.com/2013/10/symbolism-tell-tale-heart.html.

Poe, Edgar Allan. The Tell-tale Heart And Other Writings. New York : Bantam, 1982. Print.

Restricted view of Human Reason.

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Criticism of the Rational Model

Restricted view of Human Reason.

The rational model specifically confines to the human reason view. Ramos (1981) in his book, “the new science of organizations” gives a connection between growth of market economy and modern concept of instrumental rationality. The rational model leaves little space for self actualization and mostly when it happens it becomes as a surprise. Politics administration dichotomy links to rational model’s distinction of means and ends. The rational model advocates for participation in societies when it comes to societal values and decisions although rationale sometimes ignores the human life aspects of intuition and emotion. Also, the model tends not to focus on the moral context within which an action can occur.

Incomplete understanding of knowledge acquisition.

The rational model assumes a single way in which absolute knowledge is accessed and that is through spontaneous application of positive scientific methods to technical and social relations in an organization. A positive science model has basic tenets that must be thoroughly applied. The tenets guide an individual to come with science oriented solutions. However, limitations of positive science model should be as well taken into consideration. A limitation such as the fact that human behaviour varies due to new information, human subjective experiences, and the scientist own objectivity in the areas of study.

Inadequate link between theory and practice.

The gap between academics and practitioners, theory and practise can be explained as ways individuals want their experiences to be important in influencing disciplines and giving explanations on phenomenon. However, the gap between theory and practice widens in an organizations in the sense that sometimes individuals consider one way of acquiring knowledge, that is through jargon which leads to communication breakdown and not appreciating other people’s way of understanding knowledge. The rationale model seeks to objectify human experience and at the same time it comments on experience therefore, it deviates from its course.

The Inspiration of the Public Service and the Restoration of Democratic Citizenship

The development of the official race and ethnicity groups is nothing ‘natural’ according to Yanow but an American contemporary race ethnic discourse. Although, this is also a governmental policy that seeks to identify and give a sense of identification to groups. The Queer theory that originates from gender and feminism studies builds itself from the experiences of people who break societal norms.

The Queer theory rejects the advances of ‘normality’ that may have been in existence in the society. Denhardt and Denhardt (2007) in their ‘new public services note that it draws its inspiration from; alternative approaches to management and organizational design and democratic political theory. The latter; democratic political theory is mostly used model. Whereby, the government and the citizens have roles to play. For instance the government provides for the rights and enforces these rights in order to protect its citizens and the citizens in return exercise their rights through voting to choose leaders that meet their personal ideologies and respect other people’s rights. An individual in this case is given the rights to act on behalf on the rest of the society through the individual self interests to the general good interests of the citizens. This kind of arrangement is referred to new public management.

Moreover, democratic citizenship allows for the idea that an individual is more active in self government. Citizens should shelf personal interests and pursue general and public interests that transcend them. This obviously requires much more from an individual therefore; individuals should have knowledge on public affairs and a sense of belonging. For citizens to share self rule they should have a civic virtues that they as a community embrace. To restore a new public service and democratic order there should be systems in place that prepare individuals at basic levels in order for them to have stronger political systems for the people.

Teaching Against Idiocy

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Teaching Against Idiocy

Idiocy has not just plagued our time but was also a problem for ancient Greece, although the meaning might have changed over time. The author explores the challenge that democratic societies encounter in developing public-minded citizens. He argues that schools are in the best position to succeed in finding the root of idiocy. He also continues to compare schools to “village squares, cities, crossroads, meeting places, community centers, marketplaces,” since today schools are growing large and turning into small cities (Parker).

While contemplating the root of the term “idiocy,” the author explores the problems faced by democratic societies in the development of citizens that are mindful of the public. Schools today are working to create democratic environments in fulfilling their obligation to create public citizens. In addition to his argument on schools being suited to deal with this task, he provides suggestions on how best to improve these efforts and archive much success.

The role of schools in introducing children to different situations cannot be undermined. Integration allows children to meet other children from various backgrounds. The various types of tasks presented to these kids allow them to think for themselves. However, the idea that school does this solely is misplaced because the so-called idiots still go through these systems, which indicates that it is something beyond school that they lack.

If my understanding is correct, this description of Mr. Parker correlates with the high school I went to that was like a miniature college campus. In this, institutions are where children should learn how to deal with life. He thinks that schools are where children are made into adults or at least given the ability to deal with life and to become independent. He creates a reference to his school as having the most useful resources that are beneficial for children.

I grew up in a home that is well-grounded, family-oriented, which I believe has equipped me with the value of rationalizing, being compassionate, considerate, understating, and a good listener, with the latter being the foundation of all these other qualities. His idea is that school nature children into “puberty,” which is a term I believe he is using metaphorically. It is true that school probably play a crucial role in engaging children into various issues that define an environment outside the comfort of a home, but I am not sure whether diversity and problems are the most essential tools for a child to develop and become naturally capable of “growing up and thinking for themselves.” Instead of tossing them into a scenario like a simulation or a practical exercise, it is important to first teach a child right from wrong. A well-rounded person that is “democratic” is a result of guidance from the most important mentors the world has offered them, and that is their parents.

Before I joined the school and started interacting with various children from diverse races and ethnicities, my dad had taught given me reasons as to why our skin tone did not make us different. I was really curious because I did not know why God could create people who differ in terms of appearance and so I had questions. My dad went as far as bringing me to work where I was able to interact with people from different races because my neighborhood was not that diverse. So when I got to school, I was the only child that was friends with all minorities at my school. I knew what it meant to be “democratic” before I was five years of age.

Why this effort requires an all hand on deck approach is its complexity. Democratic citizens do not just come from nowhere to perfect the principles of tolerance, the need to question unmeasured power for the majority, the separation of state from the church, impartial justice, or the distinction between liberty and license. Children are not born with the natural disposition to agree with beliefs and cultures that are not familiar or with the ability to deliberate on public policy with different minded people. Rather they are molded by society, presented with moral and intellectual abilities in the process, virtues that are extremely hard to win.

There are many situations that can be presented to a child where a decision or a reaction is required depending on what they have learnt. Who should prepare the prior for these decisions one might as. The answer is parents, relatives, the community, and teachers. The only way a child can mature is from every person’s input and rationalization. Leaving such a task for school is illogical because of the overwhelming nature of school work and the lack of specific concentration of teachers on individual children. In this case, the “school should not be the center of attention. It is what the child learns from a collective unit that makes them “Democratic” and goes a long way in helping them avoid idiotic characteristics.

Works Cited

Parker, Walter C. “Teaching against idiocy.” Phi Delta Kappan 86.5 (2005): 344-351.

LOreal Brand Audit

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L’Oreal Brand Audit

For many decades L’Oreal has been a devotee on female beauty (hair and skin) in fulfilling their mission responsibly and ethically. It’s one of the world’s leading beauty product corporations.

L’Oreal has beauty brands that have the direct and indirect. The two main direct competitors include Procter & Gamble Company (PG) and Revlon (REV). These competitors do also produce households skin cares, cosmetics and other hair and beauty products. Others include Nivea (hair-care, skin-care) Unilever (cosmetics hair-care, skincare), Nivea (cosmetics), Coty (fragrances ,cosmetics), LVMH (luxury beauty products), Boots (cosmetics), Estee Lauder (cosmetics, fragrances) and Beiersdorf (skincare) among others. Its indirect competitors’ include Google Inc. and apple in terms of their market size and financial profitability ratios.

The marketing strategies employed by the key competitors of L’Oreal include: engaging thorough creativity in their production of hair and skin care products, creating massive awareness of the products across local and international markets, using new mechanisms to scrutinize L’Oreal responses to their marketing measures, influencing strengths from L’Oreal customers’ perspectives and understanding and analyzing the competitive landscape of L’Oreal.

As at February 2014, L’Oreal market share had operating turnover of 3.88 billion Euros, showing 16.9% of retailing and an increase of 3.2% net proceeds after interests.

The strengths and weaknesses of the chief competitors of L’Oreal include: the steady research and originality, trying to lead in cosmetic production, doing immense advertising and online trading, trying to create market and create presence in more countries, producing steady quality, being concern on environmental hazards and other socially responsible activities that will try to outweigh L’Oreal as a principal competitor. The weaknesses of L’Oreal chief competitors include: large decentralized organizational structures, struggling profit margin and high dependence on third party retailers.

Typical reaction pattern of L’Oreal competitors include litigations of various accusation on products and their intellectual and property rights, trying to advance their technology to match with L’Oreal strategies and keeping tabs with them on various innovations.

Work Cited

“L’Oréal, World Leader in Beauty: Makeup, Cosmetics, Haircare, Perfume – L’Oréal Group.” L’Oréal, World Leader in Beauty: Makeup, Cosmetics, Haircare, Perfume – L’Oréal Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.

The Art of Story Telling

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The Art of Story Telling

Initially, I defined a good story as a way of telling an account by understanding factors that satisfy the audience or a reader without regardless of intricate details such as genre. I believed that stories should achieve certain effects such as being inspirational or moving the audience emotionally. A good story is something that the audience acknowledges as good or important. Over the semester my definition of a good story has changed to include dramatization. A story scenario should rely on a dramatic premise to advance itself inform the resulting actions and the outcome that comes from the primary story scenario. A good story contains conflict, tension, Controversy, surprise, suspense, and characters who are out of the ordinary.

Periods of Literature

I enjoyed studying the Romantic period because one, it was a period that constituted writing from American authors and marked the transition of literature from British nonfiction writers. The fascinating thing about writings from the Romantic Period was that they explored the values of the individual over the group. A value that has evolved to define societies today. In an age where we are losing nature at an alarming rate the value of nature illustrated in these writings is reminiscent. Edgar Allan Poe was my favorite writer from this period. His accounts depict and inhabit the role of the Romantic individual, he describes his torment and strugglers in such an educative and engaging way. His invention of the modern detective story is legendary.

Thoughts on the Final Project

The story I am trying to tell is how a girl grows up shaped by society or the experience of growing up a girl. The prose form imitated from “The Girl” by Kincaid is befitting of this story. although this is not a poem like Kincaid’s work, just like it, it does not follow the rules of literature which I hope will have the effect of ensuring a continuous flow of reading and increase reader engagement. The goal of this story is to pass a certain message and that is the most important thing just as many forms of modern writing. I am learning that it is okay to ignore the traditional rules of writing especially with poems, which I initially thought strictly required to follow a certain form to be considered a poem.

Changes I would make to the Course

The change I would like to make to the course would probably be increasing the content or making it longer. The study of literature is very interesting and has a wide scope which I understand is inexhaustible but I would wish to read more especially on deeper forms of literature such as the language that was used in the early days. I would keep “The Girl” by Kinkaid and give up Love and Other Catastrophes: a MixTape” by Amanda Brown just because it is a requirement otherwise I would lose neither.

Knock Down the House Analytic Review

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Knock Down the House: Analytic Review

Knock Down the House is a documentary directed by Rachel Lears, who also does part of the writing (Lowry). The film follows chronologically the activities of Democratic activists who successfully challenged incumbents. Ocasio-Cortex gets the biggest share of screen time, with her experience depicted as a movement that allows the filmmakers to spend time with other challengers such as Paula Jean Swearengin, Cori Bush, and Amy Vilela and telling their stories. The lesson of this documentary does not, however, become evident until towards the end where Ocasio-Cortez consoles herself by saying that in order for one to make it through, then a hundred must join the battle.

The tragedy begins with the backgrounds of each of the individuals that the documentary is based on. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx in a not so privileged family, and when the financial crisis hit them, and their house was on the verge of foreclosure, she has to work double shifts at a restaurant to prevent this from happening. Amy Vilela was left devastated after losing a loved one due to the awful health care system. She was dealing with anger that she did not know where to direct. Cori Bush joined his community in protests against police shootings that left an unarmed black man dead. On her part, Paula Jean Swearengin watched helplessly as her family and friends died from pollution from the coal industry (Jordan). These stories are resonating, very compelling, and are worth knowing as they create a significant basis for the entire documentary. The director, however, captures these stories just in the right amount and does not go so much in-depth that the women appear weepy.

These four women refuse to sit back and remain helpless and decide to take action at a period of historical volatility in the politics of the United States. Without the resources afforded to well-established incumbents or corporate financing, there create a movement of rebellious candidates criticizing powerful incumbents in Congress. What follows is one of the most significant upset in the nation’s history.

The documentary does a great job highlighting the huge and extraordinary odds that Ocasio-Cortez overcomes to clinch the political seat. It also puts into context the dismissive nature of Joe Crowley, who is a well-established political veteran. The documentary follows the modest campaign of Ocasio-Cortez, where she goes door to door and attends meetings only attended by a handful of people. It captures a moment when Crowley sends a stand-in for the debate a sign of how much he considered the 20-something year old up and coming politician insignificant.

The documentary sheds light on the idealism and vigor that Ocasio-Cortez and other characters invested in their campaign and shows the people the hurdles small politicians face during campaigns and the influence of money in politics. The glimpse of the grassroots campaign offices is very eye-opening. With these hurdles, any individual, whether Republican or Democratic, would not help but admire the ambition of these legendary women. They have no experience, no finances, or experience and lay everything on the line with a vision to change the country for the better.

The film does not have coordinated storytelling but has a strong message for pro-minority or pro-female in politics activists. It inspires, anger, and conceivably even motivates its audience to do something about the current political situation. It is a message for all women who have chosen to willingly take on the male-dominated political scene and withstand the harassment that comes with the challenge. The documentary shows the campaign staffers warning candidates of the consequences of coming turning up with facts and truths. It is an indication of how the political era today has bid farewell to polite discourse.

The application of ethos in this film is natural. Ethos is the major character of a culture and is used to appeal to an audience through underlying sentiments that advise the beliefs, practices, customs, and practices of a certain society. The characters in this film operate using ethos at each point. Ocasio-Cortez is an upbeat young woman who goes around driving home points of inequality to people regardless of their age. She uses facts and truths to eviscerate her competition and does exceptionally well in doing so. The depiction of Ocasio-Cortez, Paula Jean Swearengin, Cori Bush, and Amy Vilela as ethical or the use of ethos creates credibility with the audience. Although the message is not intricately persuasive, the audience is challenged to take action and join in the movement.

The creators of the documentaries use pathos a lot in the film. It begins with the background stories to each of these strong women that evoke pity, although not to the extent that depicts them as victims rather than heroes. Pathos is a value that arouses sadness or pity. The documentary creates an emotional response from the audience, especially with the death of Amy Vilela’s daughter due to the negligence of the health system. The journey of these women during campaigns is also pitiful. Their campaign funds come from well-wishers through crowdfunding and have stories of relatable hardships. There are a lot of women out there whose children have been denied treatment for lacking insurance or having the wrong one like in the case of Amy.

Although the film is not based on any conspiracies, it appeals to the audience a sense of logic. Logos is a persuasive element that challenges the audience to reason, use logic, and be rational. Logos is applied through the campaigns and the message carried by the candidates. Ocasio-Cortez, Jean Swearengin, Cori Bush, and Amy Vilela campaign using points about the extent of social inequality and get people to start seeing what was already in front of them.

This documentary is an indication of the slow but significant success of minorities in response to change. There is still a long way to go, but this documentary evokes a reaction from a larger audience and beyond the people that have had contact with the woman depicted. No matter what happens in the future, Knock Down the House will remain a significant record of a pivotal movement in the politics of this nation.

Works Cited

Brian Lowry. “‘Knock Down the House’ Puts AOC’s Stunning Victory in Larger Context.” CNN, 30 Apr. 2019, edition.cnn.com/2019/04/30/entertainment/knock-down-the-house-review/index.html.

Hoffman, Jordan. “Knock Down the House Review – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Doc Brings Down the House.” The Guardian, 30 Jan. 2019, www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/28/knock-down-the-house-review-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-doc-brings-down-the-house.