Lifestyle choices of the Christian family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lifestyle choices of the Christian family - Essay Example A parent should never assume the role of peer. Parents also need to communicate with children about basic facts such as choice of friends, and healthy activities to engage themselves in. The family should be a cohesive unit where communication flows both ways. Qualities such as love, honesty, tolerance should be enforced so that children will be free to communicate any misunderstandings or changes to family members. Another effective way of setting limits and communicating healthy lifestyle choices is in the examples set by parents. The old adage, ‘children live what they learn’ should not be taken lightly. It is easier and more practical for children in today’s society to abide by the rules and limits set out by the family when they realize that others are also living according to those rules and boundaries. The church community has a moral responsibility in providing support and limits in our current culture. The current culture tends to hold the church up to ridicule by indicating that their Christian ideas and values are archaic. To rise above this view the church needs to implement programs that will give support to families in different areas of their lives. There are many needs that the society is not able to satisfy adequately. The church community needs to be strong and purposeful and present themselves as a viable alternative in the mix of culture that exists in today’s society. They also need to have a welcoming atmosphere (Edgell, 2005). In spite of the media and other influences many persons still believe that the church has a major role. Although it would appear at times that the family is losing the battle as the strongest influence in their child’s lives, it is not as widespread and as damaging as it appears. Other institutions in the society such as schools and other civic clubs and organizations tend to work together with the family in influencing the

Finance and accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Finance and accounting - Assignment Example In contrast, the income distribution for women is highly skewed towards higher income range. The median for men’s income is 2217.5 while the media for women’s income is 1437.5. On the other hand, the mean for men’s income is 2635.95 and the mean for women’s income is 1417 signalling a large difference in income between both groups. Men as well as women see highest income frequency for incomes between 1500 and 2000. In the case of men’s income, the outliers are present beyond the income level of 7000. In the case of women’s income, the only outlier is in the 3500 to 4000 range. Men’s income is more affected by outliers as expressed by the standard deviation of 1701.16 while women’s income is not as deeply affected by outliers as expressed by the standard deviation of 751.55 (Freeman et al., 2007). Outliers for men’s and women’s income distribution can be dealt with by employing statistical corrections such as by converting the data to a normal distribution. Moreover, the outliers in the case of men can be seen as aberrations from the normal distribution of wealth and can be neglected altogether given the fact that these deviations affect the population sample’s credibility. The outliers are not only placed well away from the regular distribution but present an insignificant proportion of the overall sample set. It could be reasoned that these samples originate from clients who do not otherwise fit into the socio-economic group being studied. The same is true of women’s income. The aberration results in small frequency counts that are placed well above the regular income distribution pattern. Similar to the men’s case, the outliers in the case of women can be ignored to produce better results. The answers for part (a) and part(b) tend to differ from each other based on the use of a normal distribution curve and the use of the actual sample. Using the

The Works Of David Cronenberg Film Studies Essay

The Works Of David Cronenberg Film Studies Essay The dissertation reviews works of David Cronenberg circa 1976-1999 in relation to Truffauts theories of the auteur to show the relevance of auteur theory in todays cinematic climate. The dissertation will look at Cronenbergs recurring themes, subjects such as biology, the use of insects as a supernatural force, body horror, and themes of psychological delusion and repression. These themes are consistent in Cronenberg film practice, and will form the basis of identifiable traits for consideration in defining contemporary autership. It will look into both of sides of the argument comparing the evidence from sources that believe directorial auterism is a viable concept and those who feel film making is a collaborative process and therefore a director can never truly take ownership of a piece of work. In this chapter the dissertation will also look at Cronenbergs Rabid which is the directors second feature film. The genre is a Horror film and relies heavily on one of the staple themes of the vampire sub-genre Infection which in this case a strain of rabies being passed on from person to person through the exchange of bodily fluids. The plot is simple girl falls off motorbike, girl has pioneering yet risky surgery, surgery turns girl into bloodthirsty vampiress The recurrent themes are ones of body modification (surgery), faceless medical organisations, sexuality and penetration, especially in the manifestation of a phallic, knife-like probe that emerges from lead actress Marilyn Chambers armpit to stab and infect her victims. The dissertation will discuss the different aspects that make up the film including the actors and their performances, staging (Director of Photography) the narrative and the script and look to relate them back to Truffauts guidelines to highlight key element s. Dissertation chapter 3: The Fly (Dir. David Cronenberg (1986) A scientist invents a teleportation device and accidentally teleports both himself and a fly at the same time. This unfortunate event leads to the scientist becoming part man part fly. The film is a story of blind ambition, a love story and also a story of metamorphosis. The consistency in Cronenbergs choice of film crew (Director of Photography, composer etc) will be looked at in detail and compared to his previous films along with the other recurring themes mentioned in the introduction. Dissertation chapter 4: CONCLUSION In this chapter the dissertation will compare the recurring themes between the films in relation to Truffauts theory of autership. This correlation between the content of both films and Truffauts work aim to show that, Cronenberg can in fact be classed as an auteur. Chapter 2 Rabid. Rabid is a 1977 film both written and directed by David Cronenberg. It is often seen as a sequel to his 1975 film Shivers both films deal with the subjects of disease and sexuality. The film tells the story of Rose Cronenberg has stated that he named her Rose as a metaphor for her innocence. Rose is played by American pornographic movie star Marilyn Chambers and tells of her newly acquired taste for blood that appears after pioneering life saving surgery after suffering a horrific motorbike crash. The skin graft surgery that Rose undergoes causes a mosquito like probe to appear in her armpit which she then uses to drink the blood of her victims. The probe itself is very phallic and is sheathed in something that resembles a vagina adding to the metaphor of this being a way of spreading sexual disease. The disease in this case is explained as a rare strain of rabies. The opening scenes of the film are set in the Keloid clinic. The director seems to have intentionally used this as a name for both the clinic and the head surgeon Doctor Dan Keloid as Keloid is a biological term for a type of scar. There is a discussion about investors being interested in putting money into the clinic between the members of staff to help create a franchised series of plastic surgery resorts which although shot in 1977 seems to reflect the modern day attitude to plastic surgery. It mirrors the blasà © approach of people to undergo potentially life threatening surgery in the name of personal appearance. The character of Lloyd Walsh (Roger Periard) is introduced into the story by stating that, Ive already had my ears done twice, im just here to get my eyes done there is evidently nothing wrong with the bags under Lloyds eyes. The discussion of franchisation is transposed with the images of a couple on a motorbike, Rose and her boyfriend, Hart Read (Frank Moore). The se quence on the motorcycle is very similar in style to sequences in the 1969 film Easy Rider. Close ups on the drivers foot changing gear are interspersed with shots of the bike weaving along country lanes. This editing technique is a horror film staple with quick cutting from actions that seem quite banal cutting back to another action that is building inevitably into catastrophe and violence. The tension helped to build by the use of sound, Howard Shore as the composer for Rabid has used strings and driving synthesizer noises and increasing in volume. As the motorcycle winds through the country lanes we see that a third set of protagonists are brought into the scene in the form of a camper van with a family in. As the camper van driver realizes his mistake in taking a wrong turn he turns the van around blocking the road. Close up on Rose as she realizes they are about to crash. (Rabid 1977) Inevitably the couple on the motorbike swerve and Hart gets thrown clear from the wreckage; Rose however ends up underneath the bike which bursts into flames burning her badly. The scene then cuts back to the Keloid clinic where one of the patients in the hospital has witnessed the crash and alerts the medical staff. They promptly make the decision to take the ambulance and help the crash victims. The use of the location in which the clinic is set helps the audience to realize that without this help then Rose would surely die. Cleverly, Cronenberg has set the clinic in the middle of the countryside. It is clearly in the middle of winter as there are no leaves on the trees and the fields are akin to barren waste ground. The clinic itself is a cold, faceless building with darkened windows and is surrounded by forest. This is consistent with Cronenbergs use of faceless organizations such as shadowy media companies and in this case a medical establishment. The hospital appears to be the modern day equivalent of Draculas castle or some other horror film haunted house staple. Monaco states that: To experience a Horror film was cathartic, the elements are well known: there was litany to each popular genre. Part of their pleasure lay in seeing how these basic elements would be treated this time around (Monaco, 1981) Suffice to say that when we watch films from the horror genre we are expectant of seeing these certain location and character stereotypes although in the case of Rabid, Cronenberg has transformed the haunted castle with the mad professor into a more modern setting with the use of the Keloid clinic as a key location. The mad professor has now transformed from being that of Dr Victor Frankenstein or Doctor Moreau to one of experimental plastic surgeon Dr Dan Keloid. The use of the faceless medical organization is consistent throughout Cronenbergs body of work throughout the seventies and eighties. Upon the arrival of Rose into the clinic for life saving treatment, Cronenberg seems to have prophesized the modern surgical technique of stem cell research and given Dr Keloid the ability to neutralize skin tissue from Roses thigh and then use this to grow skin grafts that replace the damaged tissue that is affected by the crash. This yet again is another horror film staple; this experimental almost maverick attitude becomes the surgical equivalent of a character deciding to walk down the dark alley when there is a serial killer on the loose. Throughout this time Rose remains in a coma. The editor Jean LeFleur has used a static title stating one month later to show the passage of time and the fact that Rose has been in a shock induced coma for a long time. Changes in time and space invite audiences to make an immediate comparison between two distinct points in time. Changes in time and space may mark the presence of central conflicts or emphasize important stages in character development (Pramaggiore, M. and Wallis, T., 2008) To show the development of a character that is essentially immobile and unable to communicate without the use of something like dream sequence for instance would be challenging to the director. It seems that what initially appears to look like a potentially lazy plot device in the use of a title to show the passage of time actually becomes a logical tool to show the development of Roses character. It is at this point that Rose awakens from her coma. It is suggested to the audience that by Rose unflinchingly removing the Intravenous drip from her arm that something might not be right. Fellow patient Lloyd Walsh discovers Rose lying in her hospital bed thrashing around her breasts uncovered. Rose claims to have no recollection of the accident but complains of being cold and wants Lloyd to embrace her for warmth. Beard says that; Metanarratively there is a kind of male-sexual-fantasy skit going on, with Lloyd as the male viewers stand-in: man accidentally comes upon beautiful young woman semi-naked in a hospital room; his safety as a voyeur is guaranteed by the womans unconsciousness; when she does awaken, she begs him to hold her because she is cold- another opportunity for covert sexual satisfaction (Beard, 2006) This part of the scene can be construed as Roses awakening of her dormant blood lust and her way of using her sexuality to entice her prey into physical contact so she can feed on them. Another way of looking at it is that this scene is Cronenbergs dark sense of humor coming to the fore. Casting a porn film actress in what audiences would regard as a relatively mainstream film and then placing her in a scenario not too dissimilar to the plot of a seventies porn film could be seen as amusing. The scene plays out with an ironic twist of fate; the male viewers on the side of Lloyd want to see this beautiful woman let Lloyd have sex with her, it is however Lloyd that is the one who gets penetrated with a phallus. Rose strikes with her armpit spike, and the scene once more is sexualized (again metanarratively) and in an unexpected way that reverses the roles of sexual attacker and victim (Beard, 2006) Rose then feeds on Lloyds blood, and Lloyd having no recollection of this starts to wander the hospital looking for help. He has no recollection of what has happened to him and as there appears to be no evidence of Rose having been awake at all it is assumed that Lloyd has had a stroke and fallen. However when the staff enter Roses room everything is in disarray and one of the nurses tells Doctor Keloid she believes Lloyd has tried to molest Rose. The decision is made to send Lloyd to the general infirmary in the city after they have taken some blood samples. This decision is a turning point in the story and shows how Cronenberg has married together several different horror staples; a vampire movie has now shows some of the traits of becoming a zombie film too. The idea of a single infected person being sent back into the general population unaware of the disease they are carrying after a wrong diagnosis from the doctor, furthering the spread of disease is something that has been use d time and time again in film making. Metaphorically speaking the disease could be thought of as a sexually transmitted infection as the situation in which it was passed had definite sexual undertones. After Rose has fed on Lloyd they lay down in what appears to be some kind of post coital bliss. Rose attacks Lloyd and feeds on his blood, she strokes his hair and they lay back down on the bed. (Rabid, 1977) After Lloyd is sent to the general infirmary in the city, Dr Keloid looks at Lloyds blood sample through a microscope and realizes that something Is not quite right. The blood sample is shown through the point of view of the doctor and the blood cells are being attacked by other mutated cells. This representation of the disease is akin to watching a sperm fertilize an egg except in the case of the disease the sperm like disease is not fertilizing a cell but eating it instead. This imagery is akin to the spread of the disease throughout the populace shown later on in the film. Cronenberg stated that, Rabid was about the spread of diseaseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, how a whole city is finally almost brought to his knees by a sexually transmitted disease. My imagery tends to be very body oriented. I think Im interested in transformation as well, but not in an abstract spiritual sense or at least not at first, but in a very physical sense. In the case of Rabid it seems Cronenberg is not concerned with only the physical transformation of the protagonists, but also it seems the transformation of society as a whole. It could be assumed that within Rabid, Cronenberg is addressing the changing attitudes of society and that the end of the free love attitude of the sixties and seventies is changing. Sex is no longer safe he appears to be saying. The final scene of the film shows Rose dead on the pavement. Government soldiers that have been charged with controlling the population and keeping the spread of the disease under control find her and throw her into the back of a garbage truck. Muir (2006) proposes that Cronenberg is merely having a stab at women and implying that it is women who are the carriers of disease and that the final scene with Rose getting thrown away emphasizes his thoughts on promiscuity within women equating them to the likes of garbage. Rose, dead, is thrown away into the garbage truck. (Rabid, 1977) Chapter 3 The Fly. Im saying Im an insect who dreamt he was a man and loved it, but now that dream is over and the insect is awake.- Seth Brundle (The Fly, 1986) The Fly is a 1986 film directed by David Cronenberg and produced by Mel Brooks. The film is a remake of the 1958 film of the same title directed by Kurt Neumann which is in turn based on the short story by George Langelaan. The Fly was Cronenbergs biggest cinematic success to date. The director has completely re-imagined the film of the fifties and transformed it into a love story between two characters. The film focuses on Cronenbergs recurring obsession with the horror of the human body. The scientist Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum) and magazine journalist Veronica Quaife (played by Geena Davis) are the main characters involved in the story. Goldblum plays one of the archetypal Cronenberg staples, the mad scientist. Unusually for Cronenberg the scientist is a likeable character, slightly awkward but ultimately charming. As is the norm for the director, Brundle works for a faceless scientific organization Bartok Science Industries who are financing Brundles work. The pair mee ts at a press event held by Bartok. Brundle convinces Veronica that his work will change the course of human history. Wisker (2005) states that Cronenbergs fascinations lie in the perversions of science being manipulated by corporate interests and how humans, initially unaware, are sucked in to the danger resulting in devastation. This is especially the case regarding the character of Veronica Quaife although it seems that in this scenario, both parties involved had the best intentions and both were unaware of the horror which was to follow. When Brundle asks Veronica to come and look at the project he is working on both characters has ulterior motives, Brundle wants sex and Quaife wants a story for particle magazine. Brundles project is one of teleportation; he is on the verge of mastering teleportation via the use of two pods. Brundle and Veronica go back to his workshop, when they arrive outside the building he lives in the building is dark made of brick and has no discerning fea tures as are the majority of Cronenbergs choice of location throughout his career. The dark building where inside the viewer knows that scientific horror waits. In Rabid (1977) it was the use of a plastic surgery clinic, an apartment block in Shivers (1976) and in The Fly it is an old red brick mill type building. Muir (2007) claims that Veronicas effect on Brundles work is one of humanization, initially it is seen that Brundle has the single minded focus of an insect already, in one particular scene Veronica looks in Seths wardrobe only to encounter five sets of the same clothes. Brundle states that this is purely so he will not have to expend energy worrying unnecessarily about what he is wearing, thus allowing him to concentrate fully on his work. Veronica teaches Brundle about Flesh and about with that comes feelings that seem to have eluded Brundle throughout his manhood; feelings of love and passion are intermingled with anger jealousy over Veronicas suspected continuation of a relationship with her former lover. This is not the case however and we learn early on that veronica wants nothing more to do with Stathis (John Getz) who also happens to be her boss at the magazine. It is this drunken and jealous rage that leads Seth to decide to use his teleportation pods to transport himself. A s shown to the audience previously transporting living flesh has not gone well to say the least, initially the transportation of a baboon led to the baboon being turned inside out. Metaphorically speaking the baboon incident coincided with the introduction of Veronica into Brundles life, figuratively speaking it was not just the baboon that was turned inside out but also Seths life. Brundle tries teleporting a baboon with devastating results (The Fly, 1986) Without the introduction of Veronica it is assumed that uncalculated risk would not enter into Brundles research however fueled by alcohol and jealousy he decides to transport himself in the pods. Whilst entering the transportation pod Brundle fails to notice a fly has entered in with him. As the door seals the audience realize, so is Brundles fate. It is at this point that Cronenbergs film becomes a story about the frailty of human flesh and as with the major body of his work a metaphoric tale of disease, loss and the relationship between human and machine. As Brundle leaves Pod B he feels more alive than he has before unaware that the computer has fused, on a genetic level, both himself and the fly together in to what Seth refers to as, Brundlefly. Seths behavior gradually becomes more animalistic; he becomes more sexually aggressive, stronger and exhibits more risky behavior. Brundle thinks that he has somehow purified himself, by going through the machine and being pieced back together he somehow thinks that the computer has improved him. It becomes apparent to Veronica that maybe things are not quite right with Seth after the discovery of coarse black hair growing out of Seths back. After Veronica has the hairs medically examined it transpires that they are insect hairs. Seth is in denial and tells Veronica that, Ive become free, Im released and you cant stand it. Hairs sprouting from the back of Seth Brundle (The Fly, 1986) When Veronica points out that Seth is not well he retaliates by going to a bar with the sole purpose of finding another woman to have sex with. in a scene which seems to encapsulate both Brundles new found animalistic masculinity and his wanting to take his anger and hurt out on another being he enters into an arm wrestling match. He bets the men one hundred dollars and the hand of the girl at the bar who is with the men. Brundle starts to arm wrestle, white almost sperm like fluid seeps from his hand as he wrestles the man. With little effort, Seth breaks the bigger mans arm and walks off with the girl. Cronenberg yet again punishes promiscuity like he has done in previous films such as Shivers and Rabid. In the case of Brundlefly a combination of promiscuous behavior and risky scientific procedure leads to Brundlefly becoming diseased in a very noticeable way. The transformation of Brundle into Brundlefly at least at first seems to replicate the physical characteristics of AIDS. De rry states that: In Cronenbergs, movie the scientists early manifestation of bodily change resemble the skin lesions of Kaposis sarcoma, the cancer so common in the early stages of AIDS-related immune dysfunction. As these changes transform him into something monstrous-looking that even his girlfriend recoils from. (Derry, 2009) Lesions on Brundles face, similar to Kaposis sarcoma (The Fly, 1986) Derry is making the point that within the context of a horror film Cronenberg is asking a profound question on whether or not we as a society can show compassion for the degradation of people who are suffering from debilitating disease. By ignoring or failing to embrace these people due to revulsion are we becoming monsters ourselves? Veronica shows us that she is a strong and compassionate character by comforting Brundlefly even though to the viewer he has become a repulsive monster. Cronenberg has said that: The AIDS connection is very superficial. I see it (The Fly) as talking about mortality, about our vulnerability and the tradgedy of human loss (Cronenberg) This may well be the case but in the context of which the film was released it seems no doubt inevitable that viewers would link the film with the AIDS paranoia of the nineteen eighties. Seth Brundle states in the film that, I seem to be afflicted by a disease with a purpose, wouldnt you say. In a social context at the time HIV and AIDs were misunderstood diseases with a lack of education, especially from the government and public misinformation and rumours adding to the fear felt by the public. Cronenberg has yet again tapped into the fear of the unknown. Speculation about the films hidden meanings and metaphors certainly helped gain public interest for the film and to garner huge box office success for the director. In one particular dream sequence there is scene involving a pregnant Veronica giving birth in the hospital. The surgeon, who in this case is none other than the director himself, pulls what the audience are led to believe a baby from Veronicas womb. Amidst the screening the audience, as well as veronica see for the first time that this is no ordinary baby and she has given birth to a baby/maggot hybrid. This reflects the fear of the public during the AIDS crisis, what if my unborn baby is infected? What if somehow my baby is different? Cronenbergs cameo as a surgeonas he pulls the maggot baby from Veronica. (The Fly, 1986) Jà ¼rgen Mà ¼ller, Herbert Klemens (2003) Claim that, along with several other films of the eighties, The Fly is dealing with the theme of a person, in this case Brundle, looking for the Lost Secret the need for a person to become something which they are not. In the case of The Fly Cronenberg has touched on this theme but as is usual for the director the theme is based around the fact that if anyone tries to transgress the boundaries set by nature they will be found guilty of hubris, punishment in the case of Seth Brundle is creeping dissolution. Once he has felt how perfect a specimen he can be as a man, once he has achieved this greatness the only possible way for the character to go is down.

And Then there were none. :: essays research papers

Two policeman, Sir Thomas Legge and Inspector Maine, discuss the perplexing Indian Island case. They have reconstructed much of what happened on Indian Island from diaries kept by various guests. It is clear to them that the murderer was not Blore, Lombard, or Vera. When they arrived, the police found the chair Vera kicked away to hang herself mysteriously set upright against the wall. We learn that Isaac Morris, who hired Lombard and Blore and bought the island in the name of U. N. Owen, died of an apparent sleeping-pill overdose the night the guests arrived on the island. The police suspect that Morris was murdered. The police know that the people of Sticklehaven were instructed to ignore any distress signals from the island; they were told that everything taking place on the island was part of a game being played by the wealthy owners of the island and their guests. The rest of the epilogue takes the form of a manuscript in a bottle, found by a fisherman and given to the police. It is written by Judge Wargrave, who writes that the manuscript offers the solution to an unsolved crime. He says he was a sadistic child with both a lust for killing and a strong sense of justice. Reading mysteries always satisfied him. He went into law, an appropriate career for him because it allowed him to indulge his zeal for death within the confines of the law. Watching guilty persons squirm become a new pleasure for him. After many years as a judge, he developed the desire to play executioner. He wanted to kill in an extraordinary, theatrical way, while adhering to his own sense of justice. One day, a doctor mentioned to Wargrave the number of murders that must go unpunished, citing a recently deceased woman he felt sure was killed by the married couple who worked as her servants. Because the couple withheld a needed drug in order to kill her, the murder could ne ver be proven. This story inspired Wargrave to plan multiple murders of people who had killed but could not be prosecuted under the law. He thought of the â€Å"Ten Little Indian† rhyme that he loved as a child for its series of inevitable deaths. Wargrave took his time gathering a list of victims, bringing up the topic of unpunished murders in casual conversations and hoping someone would mention a case of which they knew.

Wiccan Beliefs and Practices

When I think of martial arts, I think about the first time I saw my first Bruce Lee movie. With all the fast movements of Karate or Tae Kwon Do, it seems as though every movie they put out about martial arts in the beginning you would have the teacher training the student and then the student taking on the teacher and once he demonstrates that he can beat the teacher or he is proficient at whatever task the teacher has assigned then he can move on to the next journey or stage. Each stage of martial arts is practiced, and each student must learn concentration. In this paper I will show you the comparison between martial arts in the United States and other countries of origin. The only reason martial arts are so great is because it strengthens each of these aspects of body and mind to make a beautiful display of movement. Martial arts are commonly associated with East Asian cultures, but are by no means unique to Asia. Throughout Europe there was an extensive system of combat martial arts, collectively referred to as Historical European martial arts, until modern times and now they are being reconstructed by several organizations. Native Americans have a tradition of open-handed martial arts, that includes wrestling and Hawaiian’s have historically practiced martial arts featuring small and large joints manipulation, it’s a mix of origins that occur in the athletic movements of Capoeira that was created in Brazil by Slaves, based on skills brought with them from Africa. Also, there is an early legend in martial 3 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and Asia arts that tells the tale of an Indian monk Bodhi dharma (also called Daruma), believed to have lived around 550 A. D. He is credited with founding the meditative philosophy of â€Å"Zen Buddhism† and with influencing the unarmed combat arts of the Shaolin temple in China. The martial virtues of discipline, humility, restraint and respect are attributed to this philosophy. The teaching of martial arts in Asia has historically followed the cultural traditions of teacher-disciple apprenticeship. Students are trained in a stri ctly hierarchical system by a master instructor: Sifu in Cantonese or Shifu in Mandarin; Sensei in Japanese; Sa Bum Nim in Korean. The native peoples of North America and South America had their own martial training which began in childhood. Some First Nations men and more rarely, some women were called warriors only after they had proved themselves in battle. Most groups selected individuals for training in the use bows, knives, blowguns, spears, and war clubs in early adolescence. War clubs were the preferred martial weapon because Native American warriors could raise their social status by killing enemies in single combat face to face. Warriors honed their weapons skills and stalking techniques through lifelong training. Martial arts in the United States have evolved into everything from simple to complex system of fighting. The truth of the matter is all martial arts are similar, they teach similar principles but in different ways. It’s like religion, there are many different 4 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and Asia religions but they all have something in common, they worship some form of deity. The one thing they have in common is they promote self-defense. Some martial arts are linked to spiritual or religious beliefs, philosophies such as Daoism, Shinto or Buddhism and other have their own spiritual code of honor. Martial arts are another way of saying the â€Å"art of combat† or it is a weapon used to survive. Kill or be killed. It is a set of movements used for offensive or defensive purposes (called Kata’s or forms). It can also be a set of movements used to promote health, it has structure and every movement has a meaning. It has been said that the late Bruce Lee taught that one should take the best from all arts and adapt them to whatever situation one finds oneself in. No matter where you look, or where you are in the world, you will see different kinds of martial arts dojo and training centers. Martial arts have also evolved to accommodate the needs of different ages, from kids and toddlers to grownups. For example, a dojo that offers karate can teach different classes for male and female from varying age levels. What martial arts have expanded beyond their countries of origin and become popular in the US and why? Martial arts like karate, taekwondo, judo and other oriental styles may have come from Asia. There are other forms of martial arts that originated from countries like Europe and South America. Each style has a unique facet that 5 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and Asia makes them different from other martial arts, methods of training vary and may include sparring or forms (kata), which are sets or routines of techniques that are performed alone or sometimes with a partner. The Western interest in East Asian Martial arts dates back to the late 19th century, due to the increase in trade between America with China and Japan. Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, and considering it to be mere performance. Exposure to martial arts during the Korean War was also significant and as Western influence grew in East Asia a large number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan, and Korea. In the late 1970s and 1980s there was an increase interest in martial arts thanks to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li were prominent movie actors that are responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts. In Europe, with the rise of firearms, martial arts declined. As a result, martial arts with historical roots in Europe do not exist today, to the same extent as in Asia, since the traditional martial arts either died out or developed into sports. Swordsmanship developed into fencing. Boxing as well as forms of wrestling have endured. European martial arts have mostly adapted to changing technology so that while some traditional martial arts still exist, military personnel are trained in skills like bayonet combat and marksmanship. Some European weapon systems have also survived as for sports and as self-defense methods. 6 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and Asia In conclusion when comparing Eastern religions and martial arts in the US and in Asia, how martial arts are taught and practiced differently I found that all martial arts are similar, they teach similar principles but in different ways. In order to learn martial arts you must have self- discipline. The martial virtues of discipline, humility, restraint and respect are attributed to the Zen philosophy. The teaching of martial arts in Asia has historically followed the cultural traditions of teacher-disciple apprenticeship; however in the US the teachings are more along the lines of self-defense and competition styles.

The Prince vs. Henry V

The Prince vs. Henry V A comparison of attributes After reading Machiavelli’s The Prince and watching Shakespeare’s Henry V in class, one begins to notice similarities between the authors’ idea of what a â€Å"perfect king† should be. The patterns between the ideal ruler of Shakespeare and the ideal ruler of Machiavelli can be seen in numerous instances throughout this story. For the duration of this essay, I will compare the similarities in both pieces to give the reader a better understanding of how Shakespeare devised his view of what a â€Å"perfect king† should be.One can see an example while looking back on Henry’s youthful experiences. Before taking oath as king, Henry was involved with some scrupulous characters. He would party, stay out all night, and defile his father’s wishes. But after becoming king, Henry shunned this former lifestyle and become the individual of greatness we know today. As Machiavelli stated, â€Å"So a prince should be so prudent that he knows how to escape the evil reputation attached to those vices which could lose him his state, and how to avoid those vices which are not so dangerous, if he possibly can; but, if he cannot, he need not worry so much about the latter.And then, he must not flinch from being blamed for vices which are necessary for safeguarding the state. This is because, taking everything into account, he will find that some of the things that appear to be virtues will, if he practices them, ruin him, and some of the things that appear wicked will bring him security and prosperity. † (Machiavelli) If looked at closely, this is exactly what Henry had done. He used this youthful expression to gain favor with the layperson and look even better when he took the throne.This act of â€Å"smoke and mirrors† worked to his advantage and backs up Machiavelli’s claims. As Machiavelli says, â€Å"From this arises the following question: Whether it is bett er to be loved than feared, or the reverse. The answer is that one would like to be both the one and the other; but because it is difficult to combine them, it is far better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both. † (Machiavelli) During Henry’s speech at Harfleur, one can see this point in action.While speaking to the governor, Henry literally scares the people of Harfleur into submission and gains entry to the city without further fighting. This shows a definite similarity in what Machiavelli and Shakespeare view in their leader. As a king, Henry becomes known for being a man of resilience, strategy, and combat. These traits, according to Machiavelli, are necessary to become the â€Å"ideal king. † As stated by Machiavelli, â€Å"†¦a prince ought to have no other aim or thought, nor select anything else for his study, than war and its rules and discipline; for this is the sole art that belongs to him who rules. (Machiavelli) This can be seen when th e Dauphin presents Henry with a gift of tennis balls and an insulting speech practically telling him to stay out of grown men’s affairs. This gives Henry the leverage he needs to start a war with France without looking like the instigator. He can now put the blame of war on the Dauphin and the many lives of whom will be killed. Henry uses this to move toward his strength and show his full potential. Another example can be seen when Henry has to hang Bardolph for plundering during the invasion of France.Years earlier, while drinking in the tavern, Bardolph had asked Prince Henry this question, â€Å"Do not thou, when thou art king, hang a thief? † Prince Henry replied, â€Å"No, thou shalt. † (Branagh, Scofield and Holm) In this instance, one can see Henry is following his Machiavellian ways. This can be shown in the following passage. Machiavelli states, â€Å"The prince should nonetheless make himself feared in such a way that, if he is not loved, at least he escapes being hated; and the prince can always avoid hatred if he abstains from the property of his subjects and citizens and from their women.If, even so, it proves necessary to execute someone, this should be done only when there is proper justification and manifest reason for it. But above all, a prince should abstain from the property of others; because men sooner forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. † (Machiavelli) Bardolph had been warned of this many years earlier. Henry was just following up on this promise. For this last example, I will quote Machiavelli for almost the last time.He states, â€Å"The fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous. Therefore, if a prince wants to maintain his rule, he must learn how not to be virtuous, and to make use of this or not according to need. † (Machiavelli) This can be seen on the night before the last battle. Henry disguises himself as a common soldier by borrowing Erpingham’s cloak and spying on his troops. Henry does this to ensure his troops are mentally prepared and in high morale.What he finds is a mixed morale within his troops and makes him prepare even harder for the upcoming battle. Henry uses this â€Å"cloak† as a tool to find the weaknesses in his army and then exploits them with his inspiring speech before the battle begins. This Machiavellian act could have been the turning point and major reason they won against an outnumbering, French army. As seen throughout the film, the similarities between Machiavelli’s â€Å"ideal prince† and Shakespeare’s â€Å"perfect king† are too many to count.A blend of old and new attributes created this timeless character in which we are still learning from today. One can only hope the few examples given will give the reader a better understanding of were Shakespeare derives his perfect, Machiavellian king f rom. To finish, a famous quote from Machiavelli, â€Å"The end justifies the means. † (Machiavelli) Works Cited Henry V. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Kenneth Branagh, et al. 1989. Machiavelli, Niccolo. â€Å"Selections from The Prince. † Matthews, Roy T and F DeWitt Platt. Readings in the Western Humanities. Vol. II. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 18-21.