Epic of Gilgamesh vs. Odyssey Thesis Proposal

The odyssey Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald and Epic of Gilgamesh Translated by NK Sandars The overriding issue in the two epics is the interaction between heroism and immorality. In the two epics, the protagonists are portrayed to be hard working, courageous and brave. Contrarily to their moral character traits, they are portrayed to be immoral. In the translation of Homer’s Odyssey, the protagonist has been explicitly built by Robert as a real achiever in heroism context (Hexer Fitzgerald, p.113).   However, Odysseus is immoral and has no respect for himself and women in his community. Sandars translates Gilgamesh’s behavior as conflicting between heroism and evil. The two epics there is an emergence of wickedness and contempt among the heroes. Heroism and immorality are the common phenomena in the two epical scenarios. In the translation of the odyssey, Odysseus behavior is translated to be opportunistic. The aspect of pragmatism is evident among heroes and the bold. The applause that results amidst the members of the community when one achieves bravely can compel an individual to indulgence in malpractices like immorality. When Odysseus came home, he encounters a tremendous support. Odyesseus perceives the support believing that all women and girls are after him. The translation of The Epic of Gilgamesh, the protagonist is challenged by social factors like temptations that lead him into perversion. The community demands ethics from every member apart from the physical might. Gilgamesh is strong and capable of pursuing challenging tasks like winning wars and protecting the community. However, like any other person else, he experiences conflicts in the social set up attributed by immoral behaviors of promiscuity (Sandras, p. 347). The translations of the epics are applicable to the society today since they elaborate on the controversial issues in the community that entails both courteous and ill behaviors. Therefore, the appropriate thesis for this research is that, heroic acts are associated with temptations and opportunism that leads to immorality in the society. Work Cited Hexer R J Fitzgerald R. A guide to the Odyssey: a commentary on the English translation.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Michigan: Vintage Books, 2008 Sandras NK. The epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin Books, 1972 Maurine K. The Epic of Gilgamesh. California: Stanford University Press. 1996 Jackson D. The epic of Gilgamesh. New York:   Bolchazy-Carducci. 1997 Harris J. The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: John Harris. 2006 Marranca R. The Odyssey. Bangkok: Bangkok Books. 2007 Smoop J. The Odyssey: Shmoop Literature Texas: Shmoop University IncI. 2008

A Study On Preparing Titanium Metal Matrix Composites With...

I. INTRODUCTION Many engineering applications in the field of aerospace engineering, automobiles, electronic equipment etc. require very light material with good mechanical properties. Titanium based metal matrix composites with carbon nanotube reinforcement can be a solution for such applications. It can satisfy the requirement of light weight with very good strength. This study focuses on preparing titanium metal matrix composites with CNT reinforcements for various compositions for its mechanical properties. Ti alloys have been widely used as structural materials in aeronautical industries due to their attractive comprehensive properties, such as low density, high strength, ductility, toughness and resistance to fatigue. Observations on the MA behaviour of CNT–Ti powder mixtures in this study showed that addition of CNTs alters the grinding behaviour of Ti powders, which typically agglomerates in ball milling, and that the MA process itself is also affected by the type of CNTs incorporated. While all types of the CNTs, namely SWCNTs, DWCNTs, and MWCNTs, functioned as grinding aid preventing agglomeration of Ti particles, only the MWCNTs seem to have uniformly embedded into the Ti particles whereas SWCNTs and DWCNTs were supposedly not dispersed fully within the matrix. These variations in MA behavior, dependent on the types of CNTs, are ascribed to the morphological characteristics of each CNT type such as overall shape, number of carbon walls, and diameter, and specific

Functionalist view on the family free essay sample

In this essay the functionalist’s perspective will be examined on their viewpoint of the family. Also Marxists, feminists and new rights perspective will be taken into consideration. The overall functionalist theory on the family is that it performs positive functions for individuals and society. One of the most influential functionalists was Talcott parson whose understanding of the family was that it provides the primary socialisation of children, which means to teach the culture of society to the child. Another of his perspectives on the family was that it stabilises the adult personalities of the population of the society, which means that family life provides adults with emotional security that they need. However Marxists such as Althusser and Poulantzas counter attack this theory stating that families are reproducing capitalists and socialising pro-capitalist ideology to the children saying that hierarchy and inequality are inevitable. One Marxist called Freidrich Engels had a perspective on families that they were created when people started to value property, therefore men made sure they had sons to pass property down the family line. We will write a custom essay sample on Functionalist view on the family or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This links to Althusser and Poulantzas theory that families have an ideology of capitalism and one of the ways to fulfil capitalism is through inheritance of property as Engels has mentioned. Engels also mentioned that this ideology of inheritance of property has turned women into mere instruments for the production of children. However a functionalist such as Murdock would reject Engels perspective because he believed that the functions of the family was to maintain sexual stability in society, provide society with new members, strengthen the bond between spouses and provide a division of labour and finally parents having the responsibilities to teach children social norms and way of life. Marxist feminists argue that the main cause of women’s oppression in the family is not men but capitalism and that the family reproduces patriarchy. A Marxist feminist called Margaret Benston believed that the family provides the basic commodities for capitalism such as labour power in which women reproduce the next workforce with little cost to the capitalism class. The women are a ‘reserve army’ of cheap labour. Fran Ansley has also stated that women are the ‘takers of shit’ which links to that women absorb anger. However feminists in general have been criticised about their perspectives because they do not account for the economic and  social changes such as more women having a job in the economy compared to in the 1950’s. They are also criticised for not observing the positive side of the family some women may want to raise children and run/control a home. New right perspective on the family is that they believe the government is weakening the family’s self-reliance by giving out welfare benefits. New right link this to raising crime rates in young people because the growth of lone parent families increase in popularity due to increased benefits therefore young children will grow up without a male/female role model which therefore leads to rising crime rates in young males and females. However feminists say that new right want to bring back a traditional nuclear family which they believe keeps women confined to a domestic role. In summary the analysis of the perspective of the family has many theories which can be argued however all the structural perspectives have the functions to which they believe a family fulfils.

Information Technology And Expansion Of The European International Sys

Information Technology And Expansion Of The European International System: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND EXPANSION OF THE EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: AN OVERVIEW OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR SECURITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PATRICK MARR EXPANSION OF THE EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM DR. MCGEEHAN APRIL 25, 2000 We are at risk. America depends on computers. They control power delivery, communications, aviation, and financial services. They are used to store vital information, from medical records to business plans, to criminal records. Although we trust them, they are vulnerable -- to the effects of poor design and insufficient quality control, to accident, and perhaps most alarmingly, to deliberate attack. The modern thief can steal more with a computer than with a gun. Tomorrow's terrorist may be able to do more damage with a keyboard than with a bomb Computers at Risk, National Research Council, 1991. We need to understand the exact nature of the challenges posed by Information and Communication Technologies to existing societies and economies. We need to know what we mean by the information society and the creative economy. Above all, we need to imagine how ICTs may develop not just in rich urban societies but in all societies, in all countries, and in all sectors of these societies and countries. While the countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are becoming more aware of the haves and have-nots within their own societies, there is a similar but much larger division between haves and have-nots on a global scale. Can ICTs help to close the gap? Howkins, John. Development and the Information Age, United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development, 1997. I. Introduction The origins Information Technology can be traced back to the first forms of spoken and written language. However, within the context of the 20th century, IT refers to the development and use of machines, whether they are computers, cameras, or indeed any electronic device, which produces, transmits, receives, deciphers, or in any other way, manipulates data. That data can be sound, text, numerical, or visual. Since the 1960s, the world has seen the rapid development of IT via the invention and miniaturization of the transistor, the computer, fiber-optic wire, and development of numerous programming languages that instruct these machines to perform their tasks. There has already been, and no doubt will be extensive discussion of the technical innovations and specific technologies that have emerged in the past few decades. However, far more important than the specific technologies is the manner in which governments, businesses, individuals and groups implement IT to achieve their respe ctive goals. For this exercise, IT will be loosely defined as the amalgamation of technological resources that allows for the flow of information across time and space. This paper will analyze the role of IT in the expansion of the European international system. Specifically, the analysis will look at the effect of IT on international security and socio-economic development. Within the realm of international security, several concerns over the role of IT arise. First, what new risks are associated with the development of IT in terms of national security as well as international stability? Second, and conversely, can IT serve as a detriment to conflict? (Both of these questions also raise concerns over territorial sovereignty.) Third, what advantage, if any, does a nation with superior IT have in conflict/war? In terms of socio-economic development, the development of IT raises new concerns for the Western world as well as Less Developed Countries: What are the benefits and consequences of the development of IT for the developed countries and those for LDCs? Furthermore, what role has the development of IT played in expanding the European international system to LDCs, and what are its consequences? II. IT and Security Issues In a very real sense, the Information Superhighway has become the economic brace of many developed nations. While leading the world into the Information Age, developed nations have become uniquely dependent on that highwaythe computers and the global network that connect them together. This dependency has become a clear and compelling threat to their economic well being, their citizens public safety, and their national security for a number of reasons. The world's communication networks, referred to by many as cyberspace, know no physical boundaries. Increasing connectivity to and through cyberspace increases any

The mass media Essay Example

The mass media Essay Example The mass media Essay The mass media Essay In my presentation I want to deal with these questions. One fact is that the sphere of influence of media is spreading out. But does the increasing offer of information really gives us a more varied spectrum of opinions or has the flooding of news rather a degenerated and stun effect on our opinion. Is independent and critical journalism always possible at all?  The mass media is often called the mouthpiece of public opinion. This is again essential for social-political communication. Consequently the media can be seen as a producer of the general public. The quality of a democracy depends basically on the way how the society communicates, which means how the process of forming an opinion is carried out. The mass media are playing an essential role when forming an opinion in a democracy.  The word mass media includes all technical methods if multiplication and dissemination which produce the process of mass communication. This means in detail institutions like the press, radio and television.  And for most people these are the main sources of social information.  Therefore the media shall inform and create an quite exact image/copy of reality. But when we observe todays media, especially the yellow press we might come to the view that they carry some events to far and not very realistic. The notion of press freedom developed as a principle during the wave of democracy of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some fundamental points are regulated through the basic constitutional law, that everyone has the right to express his opinion in public as long as it doesnt offend against the regulations for protection of the youth and the personal honour. Moreover has everyone the right to make a correction if something wrong was told. The philosophy behind that is that information about different opinions will or want to help us to find the truth. It guaranties control and correction because there is a mutual process of arguments and counterarguments. So we could ask if the mass media is the forth authority or do they only have the task to control? Maybe they are only a catalyst of interests.  We could describe the public forming of an opinion as a theatre in which the media is writing or maybe directing the play. But on the other hand we could say that they only perform the role as an stage owner who rents his stage for big money to interesting actors. A good example for this point of view is the BILD-Zeitung. Who dont know the famous and at the same time notorious Bildzeitung. It doesnt matter who you ask everyone knows this newspaper. They are working with big letters and much pictures. The publishing in such a way is founded in America. They are the pioneer of screaming and scare bannerlines. The headlines are designed with strong statements in an emotional background. Everything is personalized. In a more and more technical world they search for something personal and on the other hand they dont have to read so much because the information is already filtered in short articles. They want to attract the reader with emotional, scaring or shocking headlines or pictures. The more effect it has on the reader, the better it is. The actors in that play are public figures, athletes and politicians. The one who brings the highest circulation gets the biggest part of the side and it doesnt matter if they destroy/ruin a life as long as they sell their newspaper. And one important factor is almost not decisive: the truth. The behaviour of the media during the war in Iraq is frightened. They swamped us with information which were faked. They showed us scenes in which they bombed a city, but it was only an unoccupied house somewhere in the desert. Therefore the question comes up, when do we know that its the truth, that its real. Can we discover it at all And who are the persons which remove the stitches I dont know and I fear we will never know  When looking back in the history the main goal of communication is the understanding of every single individual. Through the development into the days of the internet , it is getting more and more difficult to reach a consensus within the society. The globalization of the communication increases the alienation of everyones as well as the communication determines everyones life. As a single person it is quite impossible to influence the global stream of communication or to keep them under control.  Especially when we hear what occurs in Italy, it might bring us to the opinion that even though we would like to change something we havent the power to do so. Because while some European lawmakers fret about Silvio Berlusconis conflict of interests, his government is pushing through legislation which will allow his business empire to take an even bigger chunk of Italys media. Berlusconi effectively controls 90 % of the Italian TV market via his family interests in private broadcaster Mediaset and his influence over state-broadcaster RAI in his capacity as Premier. His family holding company Fininvest controls the nations largest publishing company Mondadori and its biggest film distributor, Medusa, while his brother Paolo runs one of the countrys most widely sold newspaper, Il Giornale. Other family interests include an indirect stake in Telecom Italia and a host of other interests.  The size of Mr Berlusconis grip on business and political power prompted protests from left-wing members of the European Parliament last week when the Premier outlined Italys plans for its presidency of the European Union.  For the Berlusconis, expansion into other media areas is banned at present, but if the media bill becomes law, there will be no limit to the number of media any firm can own.  So who can defend against such a development? Its an objective fact that for example parties try to have an influence on the media.  Some people say that the institutions of the mass media are important to contemporary politics. But do they keep this opinion if this is all handled through one person?  In the West elections increasingly focus around television, with the emphasis on spin and marketing. Democratic politics places emphasis on the mass media as a site for democratic demand and the formation of public opinion. The media are seen to empower citizens, and subject government to restraint and redress. Yet the media are not just neutral observers but are political actors themselves.  Contrasting with this is a liberal tradition which sees the mass media as essential to the development of democracy. The mass media is seen, in this view, as helping to secure rights of citizenship by disseminating information and a pluralism of views.  By this process public opinion forms and influences government. The media are seen as essential to the operation of a public sphere of open debate. The press constituted a public sphere in which an open political debate could take place. But this is a fallacy if politicians control/manage the media.

Free Essays on John Singer Sargent

Perhaps one of the most well-known painters of the 19th and early 20th centuries, John Singer Sargent specialized in portraiture of the more influential and well off men and women of the era. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, novelists Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James, actress Ellen Terry and art patron Isabella Stewart Gardner all sruck their best poses for him. Raised in Europe by an American emigrant family, Sargent attended art schools in Paris. Extremely gifted, he soon received lessons from the old masters, the contemporary Impressionists and the Spanish painters Velzquez and Goya, producing a spectacular array of exciting and masterful paintings while only in his 20s. At the 1884 Paris Salon, however, his portrait of the 23-year-old American Virginie Gautreau, shown with bare shoulders, overflowing bosom and haughty manner, scandalized the Paris establishment. The picture, which became known as Madame X, crippled Sargent's hopes of establishing himself as a portrait painter in Paris. In 1886 he moved to London, and in just a few years became the most admired and sought-after portrait painter in Britain and the United States. But Sargent was much more than a portrait painter. He was also a terrific landscape and figure artist, producing more than 1,000 dazzling oils and watercolors. For example, his Valdemosa, Majorca which is a watercolor of Brush and Thistles shown on a hillside. Although the paniting is very impressionistic, the lighter colors of the leaves really bring the brush forward towards the onlooker’s eye. He tends to fill the entire space on the paper with his dark backgrounds contrasted against his lighter foregrounds. He uses a great mixture of warm colors to show where the sunlit sky shines towards the brush. I have always been one whom enjoys impressionist pieces of work, but Sargent’s paintings have always stood out to me from the rest. ... Free Essays on John Singer Sargent Free Essays on John Singer Sargent Perhaps one of the most well-known painters of the 19th and early 20th centuries, John Singer Sargent specialized in portraiture of the more influential and well off men and women of the era. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, novelists Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James, actress Ellen Terry and art patron Isabella Stewart Gardner all sruck their best poses for him. Raised in Europe by an American emigrant family, Sargent attended art schools in Paris. Extremely gifted, he soon received lessons from the old masters, the contemporary Impressionists and the Spanish painters Velzquez and Goya, producing a spectacular array of exciting and masterful paintings while only in his 20s. At the 1884 Paris Salon, however, his portrait of the 23-year-old American Virginie Gautreau, shown with bare shoulders, overflowing bosom and haughty manner, scandalized the Paris establishment. The picture, which became known as Madame X, crippled Sargent's hopes of establishing himself as a portrait painter in Paris. In 1886 he moved to London, and in just a few years became the most admired and sought-after portrait painter in Britain and the United States. But Sargent was much more than a portrait painter. He was also a terrific landscape and figure artist, producing more than 1,000 dazzling oils and watercolors. For example, his Valdemosa, Majorca which is a watercolor of Brush and Thistles shown on a hillside. Although the paniting is very impressionistic, the lighter colors of the leaves really bring the brush forward towards the onlooker’s eye. He tends to fill the entire space on the paper with his dark backgrounds contrasted against his lighter foregrounds. He uses a great mixture of warm colors to show where the sunlit sky shines towards the brush. I have always been one whom enjoys impressionist pieces of work, but Sargent’s paintings have always stood out to me from the rest. ...

The Italian Bond Spread Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Italian Bond Spread - Essay Example From 2008, Italian banks survived and prevented abrupt losses using the traditional business model and limited support from the government (International Monetary Fund, IMF, 2011). But the Greek and Irish crises increased the bond spread for most EU countries, causing a decline in government securities’ value and higher risks of investments on the affected countries. Aside from the European and worldwide economic crisis, Italy suffered from other internal problems such as economic and political systems, like economic fragmentation and the people’s lack of trust in national politics (Bastasin, 2012). In addition, reports of both the Left and Right government coalitions’ inability to create long-term solutions while creating counter-productive reforms and programs did not stop the economic crises’ effects, serving only a few sectors of the government and not all Italian people (Cline & Wolff, 2012). Other issues in Italy affected the people’s economic perception like over-reliance on non-permanent government work contracts, devaluation of some public services like health services and educational institutions, people’s deterrence from spending, and the increasing unemployment rates from the lack of support for small and medium-sized firms (Di Quirico, 2010). Also, the previous administration’s problems decreased the standing of the country such as the former prime minister’s non-incarceration from numerous filed cases, creation of self-serving policies and laws, and questionable ownership of majority of national television networks resulting to near-total control over mass media (Guiliano, 2012; Viroli, 2011). Internal... The Italian Bond Spread: Its Transformation from Berlusconi’s Third Regime to Monti’s Administration and Beyond Like other EU nations, Italy was also affected by the global economic crisis starting from 2008, but this was not the sole factor that caused its large fiscal deficit and high bond spread. The political instability from the former Prime Minister’s issues such as misusing public funds and inefficient policies along with the nation’s multi-party system’s lack of unity lack of policies compounded on the recession’s effects. While Prime Minister Monti initially helped increase the country’s credit standing through some reforms, these were not enough to completely change Italy’s economic standing. In addition, the 2013 elections created more problems due to a political deadlock, and the three major forces that were expected to reform the Italian politics had no hopes for cooperation at present. The existing policies should be revised to solve fiscal problems as soon as possible, otherwise the recession would continue to affect the country and even tually block Italy’s further economic development. Since most problems rooted from the leaders’ inability to create effective policies, one possible solution for Italy and other European nations is unification similar to the United States, where the government, leaders, politics along with the currencies are centralised. However, this solution would take a long time due to restructuring, developing and proper implementation.