Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day

Word Count: 617 Teanna Armstrong Enc 1102 Essay #3 March 11, 2013 Sonnet, Theme, and Structure of â€Å"Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day? † A sonnet’s structure has symbolism and it presents the theme in many poems of Literature. In the poem â€Å"Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day? † by William Shakespeare happens to be a sonnet. To begin with, the sonnet mentioned above is called a Shakespearean sonnet. It is composed of three four-line quatrains and a concluding two-line couplet. Certain components of the author’s point are suggested to be based on its structural patterns; components such as thought and feeling.Meaning this sonnet can introduce the subject in the first quatrain, expand and develop it in the second and third quatrains, and conclude something about it in its final couplet. This whole set up helps the reader to capture the theme; and helps the author to organize the theme. As well as, the sonnet’s structure p lays a key role, other than just being a Shakespeare and sonnet. The structure of the sonnet is strictly constrained, and this one in particular is believed to be a fixed form sonnet. Poems in fixed forms are recognized by their rhyme, meter, and repetition.Furthermore, usually in its opening line the central idea of the poems is expressed. The theme of the poem â€Å"Shall I Compare the to a summer’s day† May be stated as: Can someone, or the subject, really be compared to all the components of a summer after understanding the theme it shows the reader that the sonnet is asking is the subject comparable to a summer’s day, making the structure of the poem easier to understand. To illustrate, the theme is hinted in the first half of the first stanza; which starts the order of the sonnet’s theme. It is clearly indicated that the second line: â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s Day? (874) is the question that he will be answering. This question also shows that a comparison will be made. The question that remains is what is being compared to what. This is answered in the second line, which states â€Å"Thou art more lovely and more temperate† (874). This statement shows that Shakespeare is comparing a summer’s day to a person who is more lovely and temperate compared to the day of a summer. Moreover, the structure of this sonnet has setup the central theme for the reader in the first stanza. What lies in the next two stanzas are details and deeper emotions or thoughts to fill the reader’s mind with illusions of the sonnet.These middle stanzas are placed in Shakespearean sonnets for this essential reason. The details in this particular selection creates more compare and contrast examples between that person and a Summer’s day. Although Shakespeare wrote the contrast and compare by explaining all of the Cons of summer in these two stanzas, and in the last two line, also known as the couplet, he tur ns the direction back onto the person he was speaking of to show what the cons were compared to. Not only that, but Shakespeare also showed meaning in this couplet: â€Å"So long as men can breathe†¦ This gives life to thee† (874).The statement stated before is meaning the opposite of what was said in the first two stanzas about the summer. Instead, Shakespeare is indicating that the person will live on through his poem forever unlike a Summer’s day. In Conclusion, many poems have different components that lead the reader to realize the central theme. In sonnets particularly, everything is placed where it should be for a reason. All sonnets have symbolism and presents the theme in many pieces of literature as explained above. . Works Cited 1. Diyanni, Robert. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Unites States of America: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2007. Print.

Several Kinds of English that I Speak of

My family and I lived in several places and so as we move from one place to another, I have learned to speak several kinds of the English language as well.For instance, I am a little familiar with West Indian English, wherein one of the major characteristics of their grammar is the absence of â€Å"-s† if its state is singular and is in the present tense, and so sometimes instead of stating â€Å"Cleavon loves music†, I would only say, â€Å"Cleavon love music†Ã‚   (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.).In addition to that, another grammatical characteristic of the West Indian English is the elimination of the word that connects the subject and the predicate or what is technically referred to as the â€Å"copula† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). For example, â€Å"Cleavon extremely passionate†, instead of â€Å"Cleavon is extremely passionate† or â€Å"Cleavon my cousin† instead of â€Å"Cleavon is my cousin† (Oxford Univer sity Press, 2008, n.p.).Furthermore, when we moved to Canada and stayed there for about two years, I managed to acquire a little bit of Canadian English as well which is sometimes evident in the way I pronounce words, for example, my classmates would be confused even if I meant â€Å"caller† because what they heard from me was â€Å"collar† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). Similarly, if I say â€Å"caught†, they would misunderstand it since it sounded like â€Å"cot† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). I also got the nanny confused one time when I said, â€Å"May I please just have porridge for breakfast?† I forgot that in U.S. English, it is known as, â€Å"oatmeal† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.).Last but not least, since we now moved back to the United States, my U.S. English is back as well (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). Nowadays, I would jokingly say â€Å"My seatmate is such a nerd; she would spend three sleeple ss nights for our science project and would not even complain a bit† (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.). Nobody would be confused by my statement since this is the Standard English that they utilize also (Oxford University Press, 2008, n.p.).ReferenceOxford University Press. (2008). Types of World English.Retrieved April 7, 2008 fromhttp://www.askoxford.com/globalenglish/types/?view=uk

Political and ideological discourse Essay

America is founded upon some deeply disturbing prejudices, which are dangerously implanted in our youth at a young age. The impact is a sick culture, capable of terrible acts of impulse that are inspired by fear and contempt. This is at the core of The Crucible. In many ways, The Crucible, which recounts the awful details of the Salem Witch Trials, still resonates today. The term Witch Hunt is often invoked in modern social, political and ideological discourse to characterize any malicious or unfounded crusade against an innocent party or parties. The narrative of the 1954 Arthur Miller play helps to keep fresh the understanding of that which we are capable of at our worst, our most misguided and our most ignorant. In addition, it cautions against the type of repression which marked the Salem society, elucidating that such unnaturally draconian standards will inevitably cause revolt. Perhaps among the most shocking elements of the play is that which is revealed to the play’s reader in the introduction regarding the extraordinary young age of the girls. Acknowledging them as being barely out of their puberty, this introduction helps to pave the way for the cruel behavior perpetrated by such young aggressors, producing a useful discussion on the cultural impact bore upon our young by a culture that behaves with such virulent fanaticism. This also helps us in our consideration of the realities surrounding the witch trials, with Miller’s telling pairing with some historical notes of interest. These do help us to appreciate the danger tread by Americans in this context and in those modern parallels thereto. To this extent, the shocking detail noted in the introduction relates to the fact that in the years after the witch trials, when the state of Massachusetts had come to fully acknowledge and provide reparations for what had occurred, it did so with precious little remorse. Though it provided a small financial sum to the compensation of the Proctors—with John Proctor already deceased by execution—â€Å"perversely, damages were paid not only to the victims but also to such people as William Good, who was his wife’s accuser, and Abigail Hobbs, a ‘confessed witch’ who became a hostile witness. ’† (viii) In addition to this grotesque distortion of a reconciliation, the statement provided by the Governor accompanying this statement of apology would argue nonetheless that the accusers could be forgiven for their atrocities due to the fact that the time and place in question was â€Å"infested with a horrible Witchcraft. † (vii) This would seem a most unyielding apology. These observations lead to a number of questions concerning the play as a whole. Particularly, the fact of this unrepentence causes us to wonder whether Miller’s political enemies recognized the parallels suggested between McCarthyism and the Witch Trials. A second question wonders whether this play might have been made had not the era of McCarthyism begun to impact artists, authors and entertainers, even in spite of the fact that it was based on events more than 200 years passed. A final question as we enter further discussion on this subject questions whether or not—without a loaded intention—Miller’s analogy between the Witch Trials and the anti-communist loyalty trials of the 1950s. The story is presented with some dramatic elements which do not blunt but tend instead to make more relatable the impact of certain characters. The most prominent of distinctions from history is the set of dramatic liberties taken with regard to personal relationships, such as the affair between Proctor and Abigail, which would be a device intended to move forward themes of personal vindictiveness. Additional distinctions are the characterizations which in many contexts, Miller acknowledges, were intended as ‘composite’ sketches of groups of individuals identified by historical record. His characters were fictionalized for the purpose of economy. An additional detail of importance is that many of the character ages were altered in order to create dramatic tensions and possibilities central to the narrative action but distinct from historical accuracy. Ultimately, none of these distinction detract from the imposition of Miller’s message, which is that the danger present in this age would emerge once again in the era of McCarthyism, and perhaps we might argue, again today in the age of terrorism. Namely, we can see that fear of an unseen villain has bred a blind and irrational wave of paranoia and its attendant behaviors, establishing a society deeply vulnerable to exploitation and mob mentality. 2. Ultimately, it is impossible for this reason of mob mentality to place the blame for the horrific series of events upon any one individual. Though some appear as more insidious than others, and where others still will tend to even demonstrate remorse in eventuality, all individuals in the society may be said to play a hand in the disgrace for which Miller’s play accounts. Indeed, as much as the aggressive pursuit shown by some, it would be the spineless docility of others which would allow so many to lose there lives. Indeed, we may be immediately struck by how fast speculation is turned around in the sequence described by Act I. Here, the manipulative young girls escape culpability for deviant behavior by exploiting the primitive instincts of the townsfolk. Miller’s work seems largely fixated upon the easy and willing susceptibility of the Salem townsfolk to such a ploy. The story utilized fast sequence of narrative action in order to demonstrate the stunning quickness with which the Church moves to respond to allegations, eschewing sensible law enforcement or due process to instead begin a series of completely unfounded arrests. Indeed, the arrival of Hale, the specialist on witchcraft, brings with it a gloomy sense of foreboding that seems to target this man with the onus of blame for that which is to occur. With the sentence of death being the outcome to such proceedings as those brought forth, the reader is moved by the remarkably errant posing of Church authority. The courtroom drama which is used in the Third Act of the play is compelling if a little overstated. Here, the genuine hysteria has set in and the outrageous turnabout between first Mary and John toward Abigail and ultimately, Mary and Abigail toward John demonstrates the greatest problem of the play. It is clear that everybody is on trial, which we may denote is likewise how Miller views it. To his perspective, the town is indeed on trial for its behavior. The carnage and extremity of the outcome is perhaps less surprising therefore than something such as the reversal of Hale in the finally act. Initially, the reader views him as a sinister figure but it is clear by this juncture that the forces governing Salem had leapt far beyond his intent or control. The finality of the play here is unforgiving, as the accused are hanged with no redemption. The theme of intolerance as a crime of which the whole town is guilty is presented largely in the descriptions by Miller, who portrayed the Puritans as living in what â€Å"was a barbaric frontier inhabited by a sect of fanatics who, nevertheless, were shipping out products of slowly increasing quantity and value. † (4) Miller would describe them as a people who ‘forbade anything resembling a theater or ‘vain enjoyment. ’ We might therefore argue that the theme of intolerance is best exemplified by the impact which it has on the cruel and hateful children, made so by the puritan society. A contrary indication, given by the kindly Rebecca, notes that â€Å"a child’s spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back. † (24) Here, we are given an intuition otherwise absent from Salem, and much to the destruction of its people as it drives the neglected children to become ripe with meanness. Indeed, all are guilty, right down to the children who laughed while others died. Works Cited: Miller, A. (1964) The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts. Penguin Books.

Game Thoery-Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Game Thoery-Science - Essay Example In game theory, a situation of cooperative behavior is referred to as non-zero type game since both individuals playing end up sharing the survival interest. Where there is no cooperation leading to one player winning at another’s expense this translates to a zero-sum kind of game. The interactive tasks are going to be centered on the â€Å"Prisoner’s Dilemma†. Prisoner’s Dilemma is an expression describing a non-zero type of game where some reciprocal moves or behaviors are approximated. An assumption is made under the game of prisoner’s dilemma. One imagines that they (with a partner) are arrested with a minor crime of stealing goods and which is punished by way of a 2-year jail term. However, the police are convinced that you are the culprit and through this you should serve an 8-year term, but they are devoid of proof that either of you is the doer of the act. They subsequently do separate you for questioning. Each of the individuals involved is offered with a choice by the police, to either cooperate or defect. By cooperating one remains mum to ensure cooperation with the partner. At least you could get a 2-year jail term and the partner could be convicted with a minor crime. A defection means that one implicates the partner in the crime. Therefore, through defection the police are set to do away with the minor charges put against you and thus, could go without punishment. Judging from other players’ moves average the cooperative move had a 9.2-year prison term while defect group had a 7.2-year term in prison. Therefore, on average defect has the best outcome. Further, looking at the extent of logic the move is, if the partner decides to cooperate then one should defect because 0 years would be apt than 2 years in jail. On the other hand, if the partner decides to defect then one should do the same since a prison term of 8 years is apt in comparison to 10

Compare and Contrast two pieces or two authors using three literary Essay

Compare and Contrast two pieces or two authors using three literary critics. The stories used are How I Got That Name by Marilyn Chin and White Trash Primer by Lacy M. Johnson - Essay Example â€Å"How I Got My Name† depicts how the poet got her name ‘Marilyn’ and further illustrates social issues revolving family, and Americanization. As a reader, it is apparent that Chin is comfortable in her own voice as she tells her life experiences. In terms of structure, the poem is a four-stanza poem that utilizes free verse. It flow is natural and conversational, Chin’s tone changes from stanza to stanza. She incorporates irony, assonance, alliteration and other literary devices to add on to the flow of the poem (Cucinella 56). Its subtle complexity is reason for its continued popularity among audiences from all lifestyles in America. The subtitle to this poem is â€Å"an essay on assimilation† and this highlights the main theme that the poem tackles. Assimilation in America is difficult and the poem aptly captures her struggle (Cucinella 157). In addition, the subtitle signals to the reader that one should be sensitive and attentive to Chin’s struggle. Chin shares, both directly and indirectly, her experiences as a foreigner in America. Her father gives her the name ‘Marilyn’ derived from the legendary actress Marilyn Monroe. Her father’s choice of name illustrates that he had already envisioned his family as Americans; which they were not (Cucinella 54). Additionally, the name also depicted the influence that American pop culture had on Chin’s father. Her father easily assimilated into the American culture and wished his family would also follow suit. Despite being assimilated quickly, the family stayed true to its Chinese traditions and culture. Her father was the patriarch of the family and nobody dared to question his authority and decisions. Throughout the poem, Chin hints at the internal struggle she underwent as she integrated into the American culture. The second stanza provides proof â€Å"The further west we go, we’ll hit east; the deeper we dig,

Critical Appraisal Of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Articles Essay

Critical Appraisal Of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Articles - Essay Example The article titled â€Å"Analyzing Qualitative interview data. Addressing issues of reliability and validity† presented by   J.V. Appleton deals with the aspects that must be taken into consideration while conducting a qualitative research study to ensure the reliability and validity of the data (Appleton, 1995). In contrast, Shuster and Shannon (1994) in their article titled   â€Å"Differential Prehospital Benefit from Paramedic Care† present the aspects affecting the efficacy of quantitative research methods. Both article authors have based their findings on the results of actual studies they have personally carried out in order to assess the relative efficacy of either method. The two articles present a valuable insight into the process of conducting research and the means that may be employed to ensure that data obtained are as valid and reliable as possible. Both these studies were conducted using health professionals as the source of the data. J.V. Appleton (1995) is a healthcare visitor/worker and the aim and objective of her research effort were to identify a set of criteria to identify and determine which families could be considered â€Å"vulnerable† from the point of view of child protection. The method chosen for her research study was a qualitative approach based on a two-fold process – the administration of questionnaires as well as follow up interviews. The reason for the choice of a qualitative approach lay in the fact that this was an exploratory study designed to elicit the perspective of healthcare workers. Therefore the quality of the data was dependent upon the richness and quality of the responses that needed to be obtained rather than upon statistical numbers and figures that could be used as the basis for the study. Qualitative research has been found to be useful in the study of exploratory phenomena (Morse, 1991).   Appleton’s study was based upon questionnaires administered to 1 2 healthcare workers followed up by face to face interviews, with a tape recorder being used in all cases.

Current HR Practices and Insights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current HR Practices and Insights - Essay Example The article shows that inadequate practices applied by OBM management led to lack of skills and knowledge among employees. A special attention is given to assessment, creation and sharing of information and knowledge. The authors state that learning strategies are formalized and structured by the goals, activities and culture of the work practice, just as learners' experiences in educational institutions are structured by those institutions' cultures of practice. Workplaces are often highly contested, with access to the activities and guidance required for learning not being uniformly distributed. Opportunities to participate may be distributed on the basis of factors such as workplace cliques, affiliations, gender, race, language or employment standing and status. Indeed, it could be suggested that, rather than being unstructured, workplace learning experiences are structured by too many factors. Instead, the kinds of activities engaged in by individuals and the support and guidance they can access in the workplace from other workers will influence the quality of learning at work. In this way, much of the knowledge required for demanding vocational practice can be learnt through work. The article provides a clear and detailed description of the situation and allows readers to concentrate on the best practices and solutions proposed by IBM team. There is long-standing evidence of the efficacy of learning in the workplace. Prior to the establishment of vocational colleges and universities, most people learnt their vocations through their work. The evidence also suggests that workers have long produced goods and provided services with limited technology and in ways that have required understanding and robust (transferable) procedures developed through their work. The products and services of craft and other workers require combinations of creativity and functionality. Many of the world's great buildings, such as the castles, churches and cathedrals of Europe, were built by workers whose vocational practice was developed through participation in their craft (Becker 1993). The article "Organizational Learning" by D. Cayla describes the role of permanent changes and its impact on environmental interactions. the author argues that learning takes place on the job and is structured, with supervisors having the responsibility for developing the work-related knowledge of their subordinates. Much of what apprentices learn during their three- or four-year indenture is also a product of engagement in everyday work practice. This learning often generates capabilities that are transferable across tasks and situations. Learning in the workplace cannot, therefore, be described as concrete-fixed and embedded inextricably in the circumstances of its acquisition. Instead, at least some of what is been learnt in workplaces is transferable to other situations. Learning can be independent and interdependent, with the latter probably best able to be achieved through guidance rather than direct teaching. It is also inaccurate to characterize workplace learning as concrete. Learning in any environment will be more or less transferable, depending on the quality of learning processes experienced (Bateman and Snell 2004). Therefore, the same claims about the structure,

Northcentral's Expectation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Northcentral's Expectation - Research Paper Example Introduction It is important for the researchers to clearly differentiate and distinguish the quantitative research method and qualitative research method. In order to make sure that the research is properly carried out and the stated aim and objectives are fulfilled in effective and efficient manner, it is essential for the researcher to carefully select the research method. For this purpose, the researcher should be able to clearly distinguish the two research methods from each other. The qualitative research method is descriptive as it focus on depth and details, on the other hand quantitative research method is precise as it focus on the quantity. The research designs in the quantitative research method are more formal and use more numbers and statistics. Apart from this the quantitative research designs are designed for the statistical treatment and analysis. On the other hand, the qualitative research method and designs focus more on different informal sources like words, image s and other things. This in turn, allow the researcher to get hold of the topic being investigated on more personal level. It is also important to acknowledge here that some researchers often use a mix method approach in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used. ... For this purpose, researchers also take help from different statistical tests. The numbers are interpreted with the help of different mathematical and statistical techniques for example, mean, frequency, z-score test, and many other. In order to increase the generalization of the research study, there should be large amount of information or data. Researchers normally use different well structured questionnaires and surveys in order to gather quantitative data. Along with this the experimental studies are also common in order to identify and establish causal relationship between difference variables. These experiments are either performed in controlled setting or non controlled setting (Creswell, 2007). In order to come up with the problem statement in the quantitative research study it is first essential to identify different variables which includes confounding variables, covariates, mediating variables, dependent variable, independent variable, etc. Along with this in quantitative research study the researcher has to come up with different research questions and the related proposed hypothesis. The researcher should make sure that the research questions and hypothesis are formulated in such a manner that they are aligned with the problem statement of the research study. Hypotheses are only formulated in the quantitative research study or mix method research study. The quantitative research study focuses on exploring the direct relationship between two or more variables with the help of different tests and experiments. For this reason, in quantitative research studies and mix method research studies it is essential for the researcher to present the operational definition of the

Marriage and family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marriage and family - Essay Example Indeed, the pain of a bereaved would not heal overnight. It takes a lot of time and courage; some may take months while others wait for years to cope up with their loss. But what is important is to try to look at life on a different perspective, and that means moving on. According to experts, the best way to cope up with grief is to connect with other people; knowing that there are people who understand and care for you may lessen the pain. Oftentimes, when the pain is taking time to heal, it is advisable to go to a therapist; they can help a bereaved surpass intense emotions. In the case of therapists, the challenge is not to â€Å"treat† patients but allow them to let loose of their burdens. For children who lost their parents, the goal is to inculcate in them that moving on does not mean detaching and forgetting rather accepting and starting a new life and commitment in two different worlds. It is also referred by Carol Crandall in her book, In a Time to Grieve: Mediations for Healing after the Death of a Loved One (1994) as "You don't heal from the loss of a loved one because time passes; you heal because of what you do with the time".

Ernest Hemingway Legend Essay Example for Free

Ernest Hemingway Legend Essay Ernest Hemingway is the ideal of an American legend, rugged, no-nonsense, with personal adventures rivaled only by those in his groundbreaking fiction.   His sparse newspaper style created a literary furor and his success came early and grew until the day he died.   In addition to his canonical novels, Hemingway was also adept at short fiction, including one only six-words long.   Besides, his male bravado, he also managed to capture the alienating effects of modern life in his fiction.   The modern themes of abortion, feminism, and alienation are expressed simply and eloquently in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants. † In the short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† Hemingway explores modern alienation in a tense discussion between a couple waiting for a train.   Two Americans in Spain, the man is trying to pressure the woman into some operation, though it is never revealed what this operation is.   Throughout the tense, yet sparse conversation, the man insists she have the operation, yet the woman resists.   It becomes increasingly clear that the operation they discuss may be an abortion, and the tension between the two symbolizes something uniquely modern.   Though abortions have been performed for centuries, it remained taboo until the twentieth century. Hemingway, though never specifically citing abortion as the subject in the story, displays the alienating effect it has on relationships and couples:   â€Å"‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.’   The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on. ‘I know you wouldnt mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in’† (Hemingway).   The man refuses to completely acknowledge the significance of the situation, perhaps suggesting either his refusal or dismissal of Jig’s role as a woman worthy of making her own decision. According to critic Paul Lankin, â€Å"as the man persists in opposing the continuance of Jig’s maternity, he grossly oversimplifies the issue, even to the point of self-contradiction, calling abortion first ‘an awfully simple operation’ and then ‘not really an operation at all’† (234).   His dismissive attitude speaks of a former socially acceptable condescension by men towards women during a time when women were often treated as second class citizens.   This frank discussion between the man and the woman seems only possible in modern literature and seems unimaginable during Victorian times. The tension between the man and the girl is palpable in the short story.   Though they are travelers, imbibing alcohol and waiting for the train to their next destination, the conversation is filled with underlying themes of male dominance and female perseverance.   The man continuously belittles the girl’s feelings towards the pregnancy, and his argument includes many attempts at downplaying the importance.   The man persistently tries to convince her, even though he seems to feign sincerity in much of his words: â€Å"‘Well,’ the man said, ‘if you don’t want to you don’t have to.   I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to.   But I know it’s perfectly simple’† (Hemingway).    The girl does her best to contend with the man, believing that if she listens to him the relationship will be back to normal.   She hides her worry with levity, including her comment about the hills looking like white elephants.   It becomes apparent that more than fear over the procedure, the girl is coming to the realization that her relationship with the man is not what she thought it was: â€Å"the girl clings to a dream of family and togetherness until the last minute, and finally decides to give it all up as the requisite price of staying with the man-not knowing, as the reader does, from the many hints provided by Hemingway, that the man is likely to leave her, even if she goes through with the abortion† (Hashmi 3). Her final declaration that she is fine is the affirmation that a man cannot dictate her womanhood and her life decisions.   In the end, she becomes the one with the strength and wisdom, understanding that the relationship is forever changed.   The newfound disconnect between the man and the girl will be permanent after this episode, exemplifying the theme of alienation brought by many modern decisions. Though the man believes that the only way to preserve the comfortable relationship is to maintain the status quo, even if it means aborting their baby, the woman disagrees.   The American tries to make himself sound perfectly reasonable and rational, but as the dialogue continues, it becomes clear that he is both selfish and hypocritical (â€Å"Overview: Hills Like White Elephants†). The couple’s disagreement, about something as monumental as creating human life, is a clear sign that they have little that bonds them other than their superficiality.   The girl even comments in the beginning of the story how, â€Å"That’s all we do, isnt it look at things and try new drinks?’† The man responds, â€Å"I guess so† (Hemingway).   Later, when the man claims that everything will be the same after the abortion and the baby is the only thing that made them unhappy, it seems like a statement lacking all truth. The very fact that keeping or aborting a baby is a choice, is a uniquely modern issue.   The reality of having to even consider it completely destroys their carefree lifestyle as travelers in Europe, and underlines their existences as solitary beings alienated from each other.   Ironically, the man claims that he only wants her and no one else, but his statements seem insincere. The girl realizes their alienation from each other and the happiness they once knew with the â€Å"claim that Europe ‘isn’t ours anymore,’ which expresses her knowledge that such an innocent return to a secularized American-in-Europe experience of time is impossible† (Grant 3).   Europe is not theirs to share, seemingly as if enjoyment is also no longer theirs to share.   The complexity of their modern dilemma illustrates the true distance between them. Hemingway’s story is one that could only be written during modern times.   Though not many years removed from the Victorian Age, the themes of abortion, feminine independence, and modern alienation have continued to echo throughout the literature of modernity.   While short and devoid of lengthy descriptions, the dialogue and significant themes give â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† a lasting power that only continues to grow as time goes by. Works Cited: Grant, David. â€Å"Hemingways ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ and the tradition of the American in Europe.† Studies in Short Fiction. Summer, 1998. 25 July 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2455/is_3_35/ai_83585388/pg_3. Hashmi, Nilofer. â€Å"‘Hills Like White Elephants’: The Jilting Of Jig.† The Hemingway Review.   Fall 2003. 25 July 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3786/is_200310/ai_n9334110/pg_3. Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† The Heath Anthology of American Literature.   Lauter, Paul.   3rd Ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† Short Stories for Students, Vol. 6. The Gale Group, 1999. Lankin, Paul. â€Å"Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants.† The Explicator. Summer 2005; v63.

Video Rental Store Database Information Technology Essay

Video Rental Store Database Information Technology Essay Development of a Video Rental Store database application for JJ Video Library to facilitate efficient data storage and retrieval. Background to the Project JJ Video Library is a store which rents out videos to its members. It was established in 2006. It is located in Kimara, Kinondoni district of Dar es Salaam. The stores success is due to the good service it provides to its members and the wide and varied stock of videos available for rent. The store is having difficulties in managing the increasing amount of data used and generated. It cant cope with its own success. It now offers a larger selection of videos to a growing number of members, which means that the level of service it provides is falling. A system that will speed up the way they work, i.e. something to automate a lot of the day-to-day tasks that seem to take forever to complete is needed. The aim of this project is to develop a database application that will help solve the increasing problems of data management. Objectives The main objectives for the system are as follows: 3.1) Technical To produce an overall requirements specification for the system. To design and develop the system by adapting the waterfall model. 3.2) Personal To gain programming experience in PHP and MySQL. To produce a system that will meet the need of the store. To improve my understanding in organizing and carrying out a software development project. 3.3) Academic To meet the academic requirements of the B.Sc. ICTM final year Project. Justification 4.1) Reasons for choosing this project The primary reason for choosing this particular project is to solve the business need of JJ Video Library, which is detailed in section 5.1. Without a real-time database application, it is extremely difficult to manage the growing size of the data being stored. In the new system the following manual functions will be automated: Check in and out Find customer show details. Show customers current rentals. Return a video on time. Return a video late pay fine. Return late video without paying. Paying outstanding fines. Locate video details to check out. Check a video out. Search Search for a movie. List genres. Add title Add the new title to the database. Find the ID of the film we just added. Create copies of the film. Find existing artist. Connect the artist with the film. Get genres. Sign up Add new customer details. Get ID of new customer. List all debtors Show list of customers with unpaid fines. A secondary reason for choosing this project is to broaden my knowledge in both the areas of PHP scripting and database application development. I am greatly interested in both areas and see this project as a way for me to investigate how both these areas can be combined to create robust database applications. 4.2) How this project draws from other course subjects During this project I will use many skills I have acquired during my coursework, the table below summaries this: Code Course Subject Techniques/Knowledge to be used ICT 106 Introduction to Information Technology. Document and presentation preparation techniques. ICT 110 Fundamentals of Computer Networks. Appliation deployment techniques and protocols. ICT 209 Global Networks. ICT 116 Management Information Systems. Salient components of Information Systems and how they couple with functional areas of a business. ICT 211 Information Technology and Business Computing. ICT 208 Database Concepts and Design. Relational database design techniques. ICT 214 Computer Programming. Programming constructs. COM 200 Business Communication Skills. Report writing techniques. PUB 220 Research Methods. Research techniques. ICT 313 Database Management and Administration. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of subject. ICT 314 Information Technology and Society. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. ICT 315 Software Engineering. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. ICT 316 Systems Analysis and Design. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. ICT 317 IT Project Management. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. 4.3) What are the expect gains from doing this project The development work will give me the opportunity to gain handy practice in a programming language. The project will give me a chance to put to use many of the techniques and concepts which I have learnt in my coursework. Database development methods and the application of formal systems development model to mention a few. Furthermore, upon the completion of the project, JJ Video Library store will have a powerful tool which they can use to store and retrieve information more efficiently. The development work will serve as the means for meeting the requirements of the B.Sc. ICTM project component. The project will enable me to improve my software development ability by developing a considerably sized software application, thus allowing me to gain valuable experience in: planning and organizing project work problem-solving systems analysis systems design programming and testing 4.4) Video rental industry background study The movie rental industry has changed drastically over the years. Previously, movie fans could only rent movies at their local movie renting store, but the birth of new technologies and movie distribution methods has changed the way the movie rental industry operates. Today, there are three major ways for movie buffs to obtain their movies: the traditional movie rental store, online movie rental services, or no-return movie rental services. While the movie rental industry is rapidly changing, movie rental stores are still very financially successful. Movie rental stores make their money through a number of different methods including membership fees, rental fees, late fees, and movie purchases. Because online movie rental services are both cheap and convenient, they are quickly becoming a strong competitor within the movie rental industry. Both options are ideal for movie rental enthusiasts who enjoy renting movies regularly but dont want to be bothered with returning the movies. One of the leaders in no-return movie rentals, Flexplay, offers superior quality and convenience over other no-return movie rental companies. Scope System Requirements 5.1) Scope The scope of the system will be limited to the core business functions (Connolly Begg, 2004: 132) of JJ Video Library, namely: To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on videos To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on members To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on video rentals To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on staff To perform searches on videos. To perform searches on video rentals. To perform searches on members. To report on videos. To report on members. To report on video rentals. 5.2) System Requirements Usage of the database application will be restricted to two groups of users, namely the supervisor who will have unrestricted access to the system and the other staff members who will have limited access to the system. To effectively meet the needs of JJ Video Library the functionalities listed below need to be delivered. Due to the time constraints the project will only deliver the contents of this specification. The system will provide the following functionality: Log in Connect to MySQL database: username password. Locate user in employees table. Log out Terminate MySQL database connection. Check in and out Find customer show details. Show customers current rentals. Return a video on time. Return a video late pay fine. Return late video without paying. Paying outstanding fines. Locate video details to check out. Check a video out. Search Search for a movie. List genres. Add title Add the new title to the database. Find the ID of the film we just added. Create copies of the film. Find existing artist. Connect the artist with the film. Get genres. Sign up Add new customer details. Get ID of new customer. Create a user account Add a new user. Grant privileges to user. Remove a user account Get the username of the user. Remove the user from database. Revoke users privileges. Get user ID. List all debtors Show list of customers with unpaid fines. Deliverables 6.1) Development Approach For this project I plan on using the Waterfall systems development life cycle model and an object oriented development approach using UML diagramming tools to model the systems architecture. The waterfall model (Pressman, 2005: 79) will allow for a systematic, sequential approach to software development that will begin with customer-specification of requirements and will progress through planning, modeling, construction, and deployment, culminating in on-going support of the completed software. The figure below shows the proposed model. Waterfall Systems Development Model (Pressman, 2005: 79) Another reason for choosing the waterfall model (Pressman, 2005: 79) was because the requirements for the project are fixed and work is to proceed to completion in a linear manner. And if there is any change in the requirements the model will provide for feedback loops (iteration). 6.2) Artefacts The following parts of the project life cycle are part of this document. These include project initiation, project feasibility and requirements analysis. A high-level design document will be the next deliverable. After that for each stage the following deliverables will be produced at the listed phases: Detailed Design Requirements Specification User Interface Design Database Design Entity Relationship Diagram Data Dictionary Functional Design Use Case Diagram Class Diagram Sequence Diagram Deployment Diagram Build Working Application Test Test Plan Test Cases for: Acceptance Testing To get a small sample of user opinions. Performance Testing To test the speed of the system under load, in a live environment. Implementation User Guide Additional deliverables required for the B.Sc. ICTM project component that will be produced include: Final Project Report. Formal Oral Presentation Timing 7.1) Major Milestones Appendix A gives a detailed breakdown of the hours I have at my disposal to work on the project. I am convinced that I will be able to deliver within the target dates. ID Milestone Hours Start Date Target Date PID Project Plan/Requirements Analysis 75 18 January 2011 31 January 2011 HLD High-level Design Document 75 01 February 2011 14 February 2011 Development Phases DP1 Core System/Database structure 35 15 February 2011 21 February 2011 DP2 Login_logout 17 22 February 2011 24 February 2011 DP3 Check_in_out 18 25 February 2011 28 February 2011 DP4 Search 35 01 March 2011 07 March 2011 DP5 Add_title 35 08 March 2011 14 March 2011 DP6 Sign_up 35 15 March 2011 21 March 2011 DP7 Create_user_account 35 22 March 2011 28 March 2011 DP8 Remove_user_account 35 29 March 2011 04 April 2011 DP9 List_debtors 35 05 April 2011 11 April 2011 FPR Final Project Report 105 12 April 2011 02 May 2011 Total 535 18 January 2011 June 2011 Additional Information 8.1) Project Organisation The project will be conducted entirely by myself. The project supervisor will be Mr. Almasi Maguya. 8.2) Resources: The following tools will be put to use during this project: Tool Description Apache 2.2.17 Web Server. PHP 5.3.3 Scripting Language. Star UML 5.0 UML Diagramming Tool. Komodo Edit 6.0.3 Text Editor. Microsoft Project 2003 Project Management Software. MySQL Workbench 5.2.31 Database Design Tool. MySQL 5.5.8 Relational Database Management System. Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended Graphics Editing Tool. OpenOffice.org 3.2.1 Office Suite.