Peaceful Pond :: essays papers

Peaceful Pond My Pond an escape, a release, an excursion from normal day to day activities. The Pond is no more than 3/10ths by 1/10th of a mile in dimensions. It is set back among luscious green and yellow pine and maple trees and surrounded by regularly mowed green grass. The mixes of green shades are similar to a young child's drawing using 5 different bright green and yellow markers. You can spend many hours simply thinking on top of a rock protruding from the ground towards the east side of the Pond. A thinking rock, as you could sit next to the pond for as long as you can remember. The rock is about 5 feet tall off the ground and about 20 feet in circumference around the base. The top of the rock is leveled, forming a level bench. This flat bench has provided a good seat over the years allowing you to peer out across the Pond. You could look around yourself and ponder the questions of life and become fascinated with everything around you as well as listen to the sounds of nature. I hear many sounds; the ribbit of a dirty-green plump frog hidden amongst the underbrush, chirps of birds high in the sky, and the soft wind as it rustles leaves on the trees. The most amazing scene you can witness many times along this pond is the ducks. Every few days, you can see a family of ducks traveling across the green grass. The smallest duck, no more than 4 inches tall, would march proudly near the end of the pack. You see sparse, thin clumps of down over his otherwise bare self as he bellows, with his newborn duckling voice, a high pitched quack. As your eyes follow the family towards the frond of the line, the elder ducks appear covered with stiffened slick feathers. Being the more grown and mature ducks in this family, their quacks are extremely sharp and given off in a shrill loud pitched voice.

What does chapter one of “The Spire” reveal about Jocelin and his attitude to other people?

How does Golding's language reveal the extent to which he deceives himself? The first chapter of William Golding's novel â€Å"The Spire† reveals much about Jocelin's attitude to the people around him and also the contrary view that others hold about it. The language Golding uses highlights Jocelin's delusions and shows the reader just how much he deceives himself. Throughout the first chapter we are introduced to many of the people that Jocelin encounters on a daily basis. One of the first characters to appear is Goody Pangall, who Jocelin views as his ‘daughter in God'. This phrase shows how much Jocelin admires Goody and, at first, appears to simply demonstrate more of Jocelin's loving nature. However, after reading the following paragraph where he watches her walking away from him ‘with love and a little disappointment', it becomes clear that the sentence holds more meaning than just showing his fondness. It shows up Jocelin's somewhat obsessive character, suggesting he views Goody as being flawless and that he has idealised her to the point where he can imagine her as God's daughter. As Jocelin thinks ‘my daughter' it becomes apparent that he has deceived himself into thinking that he loves Goody as if she were just his daughter but Golding makes it clear to the reader that this is not true. As the paragraph continues it is revealed just how much Jocelin is infatuated with Goody for example, when she does not follow the same routine as usual, he has to ‘glimpse the long, sweet face' as she turns away from him. Golding's use of the word ‘glimpse' suggests that Jocelin is purposely looking out for her ‘sweet face'. Golding repeats this word later in the paragraph ‘got a glimpse of green dress', this too implies that Jocelin is trying to see more of Goody. The fact that Golding has given Goody Pangall a ‘green dress' under her ‘grey cloak' and ‘wimple' makes her more of a distraction for Jocelin and it give the impression that he waits each day to catch a ‘glimpse' of her exotic, colourful interior under her seemingly plain, dull exterior. It also shows the reader that Jocelin is looking at Goody with a masculine gaze, trying to see her passionate side instead of the pure and obliging woman that she must present to society. During the first chapter Goody Pangall is only referred to as ‘Pangall's wife'. Withholding her name allows Golding to deny Goody her own identity and personality, turning her into a possession rather than an individual person. As Jocelin thinks of her as ‘Pangall's wife' it may be that he is trying to remind himself that she is married and the fact Jocelin feels the need to remind himself that she is married and that he cannot have her shows that he does not love her solely as a ‘daughter'. A reason the Jocelin is so attracted to Goody Pangall is that she is quiet and she knows her place in society as, at the time the novel is set, society is extremely patriarchal. This is emphasised by Jocelin's thought that Goody ‘is entirely woman' solely because of what he calls ‘foolish' ‘childish curiosity'. This language shows that he recognises her ‘foolish' ways as only applicable to women, if he was to show any curiosity it would not be classed as ‘foolish' as he would, as a man, have a legitimate reason for it. Although Jocelin recognises her ‘folly' he does not reprimand her, telling himself that ‘that is a matter for Pangall or Father Anselm'. Golding has written this to remind the reader that Jocelin does not want to recognise any of Goody Pangall's faults as then not only would she not be perfect, but he would probably upset her and he does not want to do anything to hurt Goody. When Goody has left the church Golding turns the reader's attention to Gilbert, ‘the dumb man'. With Jocelin's first words to Gilbert, ‘I think he made you choose me, Gilbert', Golding subtly reminds the reader that Jocelin is a man of God and that he has immense faith in Him. This contrasts with the previous paragraph about Goody Pangall where it seemed that Jocelin had become so immersed in his thoughts about her that he had forgotten about who, and where, he was. Gilbert has many of the same qualities as Goody Pangall. He is quiet and does not interfere with Jocelin's plans for the spire, instead he agrees with everything Jocelin suggests. In a peculiar way Gilbert has every characteristic that people expected of a woman in those times and this is probably why Jocelin is so fond of him. As Gilbert does not, or more precisely cannot, object to any of Jocelin's remark or aspirations Jocelin is more comfortable around him. Unlike the chancellor, Pangall and others in the church, Gilbert is the one person who does not have any objections to the spire and Jocelin's delusions that God will perform a miracle in allowing it to be built. Therefore Jocelin need not be guarded around Gilbert for he knows that Gilbert will not confront him about the near non-existent foundations like the chancellor does ‘I don't know, my Lord Dean'. That Jocelin likes to be around people who do not query him reveals that he likes to have control of the situation that he is in, and that he needs to be right. Golding has created Jocelin as a rather selfish character, he wants to build the spire and is determined to do so as, he believes, ‘God will provide'. However, Jocelin has become so absorbed with the detail and planning required and is so inspired by the grandeur that he is certain the spire will provide for the cathedral that he does not pause to think about the effects of the building on his friends. Golding uses subtle phrases and words to show this egotism such as ‘my place, my house, my people' and ‘I know them all, know what they are doing and will do'. These two sentences show that Jocelin sees the people around him as a means to building the spire and does not want to associate with them unless they support him or provide a skill that will build the spire. Jocelin does not see his actions as self-centred, he sees himself as a man who loves everyone and Golding frequently mentions what Jocelin sees as agape love, ‘he shot an arrow of love after him', ‘Jocelin looked sideways at him, loving him'. The reader is shown how Jocelin's aspirations for the spire are damaging his relationships with others by the deacons scathing insults. The remark ‘say what you like, he's proud' is met with the reply ‘and ignorant'. These simple comments hold a huge amount of meaning, for deacons to talk about their dean in such a derogatory manner, especially in the cathedral itself, shows that Jocelin really is pursuing an impossible and ludicrous goal. When Jocelin overhears this conversation he confronts the deacons asking ‘who is this poor fellow? ‘. To the reader it is obvious they were talking of Jocelin but Jocelin himself is so engrossed in his thoughts that it does not occur to him that they could be discussing him. Before Jocelin approaches the deacons they remark ‘he thinks he is a saint! A man like that! ‘, Golding's use of exclamation marks after these statements makes them even more prominent and what they are suggesting more absurd. For a dean in a church to be thought of as a ridiculous candidate for being a saint indicates to the reader that Jocelin's actions are extremely inappropriate for a man of his importance in the church. A man like that! ‘ shows that the deacons do not look up to Jocelin as a role model nor do they respect him. It also proves that Jocelin thinks highly of himself, he does not even consider for a moment that the deacons are talking about him as he believes his to too high in the church and too respected for anyone to think of him as ‘ignorant', let alone voice their vie ws. Another example of Jocelin's pride in himself comes when he meets with Gilbert again. Jocelin asks Gilbert to show him the carving and exclaims, ‘Oh no, no no! I'm not as beaky as that! ‘. This denial shows that Jocelin has an exact idea of what he believes he looks like in the same way that he believes he knows what people think of him. After studying the carving further Jocelin ‘fell silent', this silence may be because he has realised that actually the carving does resemble him, ‘mouth wide open, lined cheeks, hollow deep under cheekbone'. Golding is also suggesting to the reader tat in chasing his dream of the spire Jocelin has neglected not only his relationships with others but himself as well, allowing himself to become older and more dishevelled. Golding has taken the idea of Jocelin becoming lost in his vision by giving Jocelin the thought ‘at the moment of vision, the eyes see nothing', a phrase completely suited to Jocelin and his situation. Overall, chapter one reveals to the reader that Jocelin has allowed himself become so absorbed into his vision of the spire that he has begun to ignore the people around him and to avoid them if they disagree with him or criticise his dream. It gives a great insight into Jocelin's thoughts and other's perceptions, showing the reader that most people in the church have started to see Jocelin as a person to ridicule as he is so self-involved that he will not notice. Golding's language helps to expose Jocelin's self-important views making them stand out and his continual use of the words ‘joy' and ‘love' in Jocelin's thoughts emphasise the fact that he believes he is blessed with the task to build the spire whereas the reader can see that it is more of a curse as it is beginning, even in the first chapter, to damage not only his relationships but his wellbeing too.

Essay on The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima - 845 Words

In The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima creates an exquisite story which has strong idealistic and mythic features. Although Mishima writes of young love and tranquility in The Sound of Waves, his later works are categorized as aggressive and containing violent sexual actions. Even Mishima himself referred to The Sound of Waves as that great joke on the public (qtd. in Ishiguro 385). However, one cannot compare this novel to Mishima’s other literary pieces; in order to classify it as romanticized, one must evaluate the usage of imagery, an idealized setting, mythical allusions, and characterizations which establish the romantic-driven qualities in The Sound of Waves. It is apparent that nature plays a major role throughout The Sound of†¦show more content†¦Mythical allusions described by Mishima serve to highlight the other qualities within The Sound of Waves. When Shinji first catches sight of Hatsue, she is â€Å"letting her hair stream† and her â€Å"cheeks glow† (7). These characteristics are shown many times throughout the novel and resemble Vergil’s depictions of goddesses such as Venus and Juno in the Aeneid. One conflict that Hatsue must overcome is when Yasuo attempts to rape her; his plot was obstructed by the intervention of a furious hornet. Hatsue sees the flashing of the little golden colored wings and wonders what god it [is] who [has] come to her rescue. (93).The interference of the hornet seems far-fetched, for most would think that the hornet would not only attack Yasuo, but also Hatsue. In this case, Mishima created an idealized situation were nature as saved Hatsue from the immoral actions of Yasu o. The setting of the island Uta-jima is idealized, which creates a place where the romance between Hatsue and Shinji can seem realistic. The reader begins the novel with a description of this island and â€Å"two spots with surpassingly beautiful views.† (3).After this, the reader is introduced to a young man, Shinji, climbing up the stairs of the lighthouse. Mishima depicts this area as one of the most beautiful views on the island. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Sound Of Waves By Yukio Mishima1420 Words   |  6 Pages Yukio Mishima’s The Sound of Waves takes place on the Japanese island of Uta-jima, an island caught in between two peninsulas in which tradition escapes the encroaching modernization of the outside world. The Sound of Waves is a timeless love story that tells the story of Shinji, the virtuous son of a village woman, and Hatsue, the daughter of the wealthiest man on the island. The naive pair fall in love and explore their newfound emotions while keeping in mind to avoid the villagers’ gossippingRead MoreEssay on The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima 637 Words   |  3 Pagesthe way one lives their life. 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Commonly used in The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima employs the sea to display the protagonist, Shinji’s, dreams, thoughts and emotions, further the text, and resolveRead More##arison Of Japanese Characterism In Yuukio Mishimas The Sound Of Waves1463 Words   |  6 Pages The novel, The Sound of Waves, by Yukio Mishima, is a reflection of Japanese ideologies and characteristics that are infused in characters to portray a singular Japanese identity. He specifically uses the Bushido code which values Duty and Honesty along with other Japanese warrior traits as a basis for representing true Japanese characters in contrast to their Western-influenced counterparts (Bushido). However, he is hesitant in providing a fair comparison between the two. Yukio Mishima’s politicalRead MoreEssay on Sound of Waves759 Words   |  4 Pagessituations in a story. The tranquil diction used by Yukio Mishima in The Sound of Waves is very important to the calm island setting used in the story. The authors smooth word choice complements the burgeoning love between Shinji and Hatsue, the two main characters. Mishimas style also accentuates many instances of situational irony between the two young lovers and is only one of the many elements he uses in his composition . The Sound of Waves is a love story about Shinji and Hatsue and how theyRead MoreJapanese culture is one of the most well appreciated yet, sometimes intriguing and difficult to1000 Words   |  4 Pagesculture. In fact, the author of The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima enhances the habits of the right and unique ways of this old culture in his main characters and there, touches several important themes found throughout the book in relation to sexism. By the use of imagery, Mishima exposes the subtle sexism apparent on the island of Uta-Jima based on gender roles, stereotypes and religious ideologies to distinguish the role of men and women within Japanese culture. Mishima portrays gender roles to distinguish

Essay on Nietszche and Self Creation - 753 Words

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centurys, the Enlightenment was a term designated to the increasing amount of scientificic discoverys debunking religious theology. With humanitys loss of their once certified objectivity, the individual and his society sunk into the chaotic realm of insecurity revealing the seeds of a postmodern world. The German philosopher Nietzsche, deeming God is dead, saw the collapse of these collective truths of objectivity, showing the meaningless of the universe. Hence he located meaning and truth to be relative to the individual with his ability to surpass his chaotic existence through the will to power. In Nietszchean philosophy there is no absolute selfhood or archetypal basis in life. Though the†¦show more content†¦The value of the Ubersmensh is not the acceptance of the sanctity of life, but rather the embracement of life regardless of its value. It is an embracement of the totality of emotional experience and rationalistic impulses, a realization of mortality and living fully unto that demise. The Ubersmensh is not an ideal, virtue or objective but, rather an individuals own discovery and creation from himself in his experience; not a role model but a creation of yourself as your own. The embracement of life is not the only valuable notion of the Ubersmensh, as an artist his profound flux of vision and individuality helps generate the wills of others, helping them to recognize their own potential to be the God they see. In his art, or art itself, they see their own life and the vast and incomprehensible life of the Ubersmensch. It is only to often when an eye or ear da rts past what theyve heard or saw in confusion, giving no thought to its greater depth but merely their own superficial label, e.g. the many unconscious Marilyn Manson protesters. An Ubermensh is art itself, a creation from their own experiences. The ambiguousness of art, expressed by an Ubersmensh, shows the complex individuality and vastness of the experience these Ubersmesnch live in. By seeing art thus, it allows us to reflect on the smallness of our own lives, and if the world we adhere to is any near the vastness of what they have

The Backseat Driver A Journey Of Sexual Abuse - 944 Words

TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page—The Backseat Driver: A Journey of Sexual Abuse 1 Dedication* 3 An Address 4 Expository Essay 5 Backseat Driver 6 â€Å"Molest†* 7 Age 7 8 Teeth* 9 Old Friend 10 Traffic Guards* 11 Flashbacks* 12 Age 14 13 Letter to a Shadow* 14 Signature 15 Angeline 16 I’m fine* 17 Candle 18 Emancipation* 19 Changing the Story 20 Age 16 21 Running 22 Reflection 24 Notes 25 Bibliography 26 to my Angeline whom I will always believe is an angel sent to any others trapped in binds of your own minds do not fear freedom to the self-abused your glowing future deserves all you can offer and lastly my backseat driver I’ve enjoyed your company and bittersweet strength My Dear, Dear Reader, The day of my birth I was†¦show more content†¦I dare not let it escape. After so many years of playing tug of war with my past I grew fatigued. I didn’t have the energy to continue fighting it or to address it, so I just stayed idle. I was depressed and unresolved in my identity, so I allowed other to choose who I was. This resulted in a series of abusive relationships. In December of 2014 I met a woman named Angeline whose power of influence I will never understand. The same day I met her we had one conversation, and with her in the back of my mind I told my family of my abuse. After revealing myself to my parents and siblings I was able to see myself, truly—under all the remaining corroded layers of repression—for the first time. Since then I’ve conquered anxiety, depression, self-harm (physical and psychological), abusive relationships, and insecurity. I wrote this paper not only for shrouded sexual abuse victims, that they may free themselves, but also for anyone whose fear or insecurity has plagued every crevice of their life and who longs to be free. You have the power to free yourself, but it requires you to step out of your comfort zone. Before you can truly appreciate freedom you must truly appreciate yourself, which you cannot do without having to prioritize—especially when it is detrimental to your emotional or physical health—your needs over your wants, comforts and traditions. I am more than proud to say that the weight of sexual abuse has not been

Chernobyl (1237 words) Essay Example For Students

Chernobyl (1237 words) Essay ChernobylApril 26th 1986 marked the date of the worst nuclear accident to ever occur. Chernobyl, a nuclear power plant in Russia was undergoing routine safety tests that envolved running the reactor on less then full power, followed by a standard shut down. At Chernobyl’s reactor number 4 a specific test was designed to show that a coasting turbine could produce enough power to pump coolant through the reactor core while waiting for electricity from diesel generators. During the test turbine feed valves were closed to initiate turbine coasting, and automatic control rods were withdrawn from the core. When the steam valves to the turbine close, the pressure in the reactor should go up causing the boiling point of the water to increase. This creates more water in the reactor, increasing cooling. During this test there was a problem with the feed water supply, so the increase in cooling water did not happen. What did happen was an uncontrolled increase in the steam pressure. The operator saw this and started to shut down the reaction by reinserting the control rods. The initial insertion of the control rods caused the reaction to concentrate in the bottom of the reactor. The reactor power rose well above its maximum capacity. Fuel pellets shattered, reacting with the cooling water, creating high pressure in the fuel containers. This surge in pressure caused the fuel containers to rupture. This led to two severe explosions, one a steam explosion, the other a rapid expansion of fuel vapor. The force of these explosions lifted the pile cap, allowing air to enter the reactor. The graphite used in the reactor construction caught on fire, ending a horrible and tragic sequence of events, but beginning another. Local firemen, unaware of the dangerous amounts of radiation, were called in to put out the fire. All of the firemen died, either a result of the fire, or from breathing radioactive debris. Unfortunately, their heroic attempts were useless, because the core of the reactor was exposed making the fire much to hot for water to cool. The first thing the Russians did was try to cover up the accident. This turned out to be impossible, considering the amounts of radioactive debris released into the air. Shortly after the accident a nuclear power plant in Sweden measured high amounts of radioactivity in their area, called the Russians to inquire if there had been an accident. The Russians shortly thereafter alerted the press, and evacuated towns surrounding Chernobyl. This of course wasn’t their biggest problem. They needed to find the fuel that had escaped from the reactor in order to avoid another massive chain reaction. This was a huge problem due to the extreme amounts of radioact ivity inside the sarcophagus. They didn’t have the money for robots, so they sent in the Soviet Army. 3400 men were used on â€Å"roof runs† in which they’d go and collect samples from the roof of the reactor. During these missions soldiers could be subjected to 20 Rankin’s of radiation. Many people who have worked at Chernobyl have died from sudden heart failure. The Russian government denies that this has anything to do with their work at Chernobyl, but their have been too many deaths related to heart failure for it not to be. The next move was to find the fuel. Unlike American nuclear power plants that have their reactors over steel reinforced concrete the crazy Russians built their reactor on top of offices. Inside these offices radiation levels reach around 100 to 250 Rankin’s of radiation per hour. This means it would be impossible to ever work safely inside Chernobyl, unless of course you had a few hundred thousand years on your hands for th e radioactivity to fall to safe levels. Unfortunately they didn’t, they had to find the fuel before another chain reaction occurred, releasing more nuclear fallout into the environment. Throughout their early investigation they could find no clues to the whereabouts of the fuel. Finally, one cold December day in 1986, scientists came across a large highly radioactive mass approximately 2 meters across in size. Because of its unique shape they titled it the â€Å"Elephant’s Foot†. Their only dilemma was, what the heck is it? This problem probably would have been easy to solve if the Elephant’s foot wasn’t emitting 10,000 Rankins of radiation per hour. One of the scientists came up with the idea to shoot the â€Å"Elephant’s Foot† to obtain samples. Although they didn’t want to wreck the beauty of the â€Å"Elephant’s Foot† they decided it was a good idea (how pretty could solidified fuel be anyway?) Due to the extr eme bureaucracy of Russia’s government, finding a gun was much harder then one would assume. They first went to the army, only to be sent to the police, who sent them to the KGB, who sent them back to the police. They finally got a police man to come and shoot 30 rounds at the foot. They found that the â€Å"Elephant’s Foot† was composed of many layers and was made up of silicon dioxide mixed with fuel that had dripped from the reactors base. Now that they had more of an idea about what they were looking for, they decided the next place to look was the core. It took them half a year to break through, and when they did they were shocked to learn it was completely empty. This was good news safety wise, but that still left everyone scratching their heads dumbfounded. After the fuel shock, they decided to search the rooms under the reactor that were generating a lot of heat. They pooled all their money together and were able to buy a toy truck for 15 rubles (roughly $.52 at today’s exchange rate). Much to their dismay, the toy truck didn’t prove to be a wise investment, but it did detect a large mass that got them excited. They rigged up a camera dolly to go in, it found a lot of destruction, but no fuel. They had to go in themselves. .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 , .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .postImageUrl , .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 , .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:hover , .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:visited , .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:active { border:0!important; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:active , .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6 .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubb8de759b53a47fd58332c95c9ab40f6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Assessing The Motivational Techniques Of Pepsi Business EssayThis time they were going directly under the reactor. This would be the most dangerous area they would investigate. What they found shocked them. Concrete was steaming from the floor, and below them they saw lava. They found some pretty crystals, they now call chernobalite, and learned that the lava was caused by nuclear fuel and sand. Of course this wasn’t the end of their problems, what fun would that be? The inside of the sarcophagus was falling apart. If it collapsed, a whole lot of radioactive dust would escape into the air, and probably wouldn’t do much for the Russian’s popularity. Thi s was a big threat, the reactor could collapse any day so it needed immediate attention. They could burry it in concrete, but that would make it hard to monitor. They could cover it in sand, except sands a good insulator. Or they could build a 2nd sarcophagus, but that might cost more then 15 rubles. What they did know is that whatever they did had to last longer then the pyramids. They needed help from other countries. Hopefully, with the knowledge learned from Chernobyl, and the rising need for nuclear energy, we can find a safer way run nuclear power plants. Science Essays

Lexical Ambiguity free essay sample

Lexical Ambiguity â€Å"What you see is what you believe on the basis of what you have conditioned yourself to accept. Your negative will be someone’s positive. † – Pushkar Shinde I’m always told since time immemorial that I have to speak and express myself because I have something to say but being an English major brought me in a point of realization wherein I learned how hard it is to be entirely understood. As my professor had always told me, meanings are in people, not in words. Language, being a system of communication, has a very delicate job to perform, particularly when it is being used by us humans.Words in fact communicate a whole personality and that’s why their correct usage has so much importance. But no language in the world has so far been able to claim that it is capable of communicating all that a human wants to communicate to another human. We will write a custom essay sample on Lexical Ambiguity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ambiguity will always be present. Ambiguity, as a language phenomenon, has a negative effect and some people consider it a curse. I could not blame them. People can have major misunderstandings by thinking someone is meaning one thing when their real meaning is totally different. Many times, these misunderstandings result in comedic action, but they can cause major trouble. Just as different cultures have varying customs and can insult one another if that is not understood and ambiguous language does the same. Words can cause miscommunications, misunderstandings, and basically just a lot of confusion. Ambiguity of language, then, seems to be at the focal of conflicting interests that abhor precision and accountability. It is the possible root of our chaos and could lead to heinous event such as war, terrorism, racism, etc.Ambiguity will always be a part of language complexities. If ambiguity is employed properly and appropriately, it will produce a magical effect. I will focus in this fact and attempt to show that even when perceived as a problem, ambiguity provides value. In any case, language ambiguity can be understood as an illustration of the complexity of language itself. Characterizing Ambiguity One of the building blocks of language comprehension is the ability to access the meaning of words as they are encountered and to develop an interpretation that is consistent with the context.This process becomes particularly interesting at a choice point in understanding, as is the case with lexically ambiguous words. When a word has multiple meanings, one meaning must be selected while somehow retaining the possibility of using the alternative meaning. Additionally, the working memory capacity of individual readers affects their ability to maintain various representations in the process of understanding a sentence (Miyake et al. , 1994). Many words are semantically ambiguous, and can refer to more than one concept. For example, bark can refer either to a part of a tree, or to the sound made by a dog.To understand such words, we must disambiguate between these different interpretations, normally on the basis of the context in which the word occurs. However, ambiguous words can also be recognized in isolation; when presented with a word like bark we are able to identify an appropriate meaning rapidly, and are often unaware of any other meanings. Words can be ambiguous in different ways. The two meanings of a word like bark are semantically unrelated, and seem to share the same written and spoken form purely by chance. Other words are ambiguous between highly related senses, which are systematically related to each other. For example, the word twist can refer to a bend in a road, an unexpected ending to a story, a type of dance, and other related concepts. The linguistic literature makes a distinction between these two types of ambiguity, and refers to them as homonymy and polysemy (Lyons, 1977; Cruse, 1986). Homonyms, such as the two meanings of bark, are said to be different words that by chance share the same orthographic and phonological form. On the other hand, a polysemous word like twist is considered to be a single word that has more than one sense.All standard dictionaries respect this distinction between word meanings and word senses; lexicographers routinely decide whether different usages of the same spelling should correspond to different lexical entries or different senses within a single entry. Many criteria (e. g. , etymological, semantic and syntactic) have been suggested to operationalise this distinction between senses and meanings. However, it is generally agreed that while the distinction appears easy to formulate, it is difficult, to apply with consistency and reliability.People will often disagree about whether two usages of a word are sufficiently related that they should be taken as senses of a single meaning rather than different meanings. This suggests that these two types of ambiguity may be best viewed as the end points on a continuum. However, even if there is not a clear distinction between these two different types of ambiguity, it is important to remember that words that are described as ambiguous can vary between these two extremes. (Rodd et al. , â€Å"The Advantages and Disadvantages of Semantic Ambiguity†)Ambiguity and Literature We tend to think of language as a clear and literal vehicle for accurately communicating ideas. But even when we use language literally, misunderstandings arise and meanings shift. People can be intentionally or unintentionally ambiguous. Nevertheless, when someone uses a potentially ambiguous sentence or expression, usually the intention was to express only one meaning. As we know, most words can have denotations, apparent meanings, connotations and implied or hidden meanings. Also, we often use words in a figurative way.Even though figurative language is more often used in poetry and fiction, it is still very common in ordinary speech. Ambiguity is a poetic vehicle. It is human nature to try to find meaning within an exchange. A text is given to us and in return we give our interpretation. Our own associations give understanding of what is presented to us. A characteristic of the late twentieth century, as well as of postmodern literature, is that certainties are continuously called into question, and thus allegory becomes a suitable form for expression.Allegory is a classic example of double discourse that avoids establishing a center within the text, because in allegory the unity of the work is provided by something that is not explicitly there. In contrast to symbols, which are generally taken to transcend the sign itself and express universal truths, allegories and metaphors divide the sign, exposing its arbitrariness. Metaphors are indeed highly appropriate postmodern devices, because they are obvious vehicles for ambiguity. A living metaphor always carries dual meanings, the literal or sentence meaning and the conveyed or utterance meaning.A metaphor induces comparison, but since the grounds of similarity are not always given, metaphors serve to emphasize the freedom of the reader as opposed to the authority of the writer (Gloss, 17-56). Taking into consideration why all the aforementioned could be considered as a curse, no example of literature better serves than the Bible. This special book, because of its central place at the heart of three of the worlds most important religions, has been subject to enormously detailed scrutiny over the centuries in an attempt to glean meaning and to determine once and for all the  proper  way of living and worshipping.