The Importance of Being Oscar Wilde Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Being Oscar Wilde Essay Among the writers of the late nineteenth century in Britain, none perhaps has surpassed the reputation and press accorded to the inimitable Oscar Wilde. With controversies plaguing most aspects of his life—from his writing to his personal life—Wilde has eventually become an icon of his generation, resonating with readers far and wide, many celebrating his unique voice and alternative thinking. The man as a poet, playwright, and fiction writer used his wit and intelligence as well as a sharp way with words to create masterpieces that have ultimately become part of the literary canon. Two of these, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray, are some of the most studied in literary scholarship worldwide, and are practically responsible for catapulting Wilde into iconic status. However, much of the persona of the famed writer included his unconventional sexuality, as well as the infamous period of his incarceration; but, as it normally happens to exceptional talent, the work was able to fight through the dirt and shine on its own merits, earning the admiration of readers throughout the centuries. II. A Wilde History Oscar Wilde was born in October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland, to wealthy parents, a writer and a surgeon. Aside from spending most of his childhood in the company of the equally rich, including summers in fashionable homes, Wilde eventually began his education in Greek literature classics. During his time as a college student, he found his affinity for Aestheticism, which centered on the concept of using life to create art. This manifested in Wilde’s countenance and choice of clothing and lifestyle, constantly deferring to art-related symbols and feminine representations rather than masculine endeavors like sports. Wilde also did a substantial amount of writing during this time and completed his course with honors; however, his controversial image appeared to have started as many of his fellow students professed a great dislike for his unconventional attitude and manner of expression. Because masculinity—part and parcel of Victorian patriarchy—excluded any association with flamboyance in feminine terms, many critics openly attacked Wilde’s lifestyle and writing. The writer’s apparent homosexuality was largely focused upon, and some even referred to him as a negative influence on the youth. Though Oscar Wilde married a woman, Constance Lloyd, with whom he had two sons, his sexual preference and activities were always called into question. Because of his observed relationships with several men, including Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde became the subject of ridicule and offense; his affair with Douglas, due to the man’s political family, was eventually the reason behind his much-publicized trial and imprisonment. Oscar Wilde passed in 1900, and was buried in Paris where he retreated after being freed from jail. He chose to never return to his native Ireland or to Britain (Merriman, pars 1-10). III. The Picture of Dorian Gray This 1891 novel, which started as a short story published in a magazine, is the only realized work of its genre by Wilde. Largely considered fashionable for its time owing to its gothic horror theme, The Picture of Dorian Gray embodies much of the qualities associated with Wilde himself—art as the center of life, beauty, and homosexuality—and thus was received during its launch with the kind of controversy identified with Wilde all his life. The mind-gripping story revolves around a young, extremely handsome man named Dorian Gray, and the painting of his likeness created by an artist named Basil Hallward. Apparently, the artist was greatly enamored by Dorian’s beauty, which urged him to paint the portrait. However, due to Dorian’s acquaintance with the concept of hedonism and the sole pursuit of beauty, he makes a wish for the painting to take on his physical aging while Dorian’s actual body remained young and beautiful. But for each of Dorian’s sins, changes would take place in the painting—which ultimately mirrored his soul—and make it more grotesque at every turn. His growing fear of seeing his own portrait age led him to affirm his love for beauty even more, and his rejection of everything he deemed unqualified made its mark in every occurrence. In the end, Dorian accuses and kills Basil for bringing this all upon him and attempts to correct all his perceived ills in the hopes of having the portrait return to its normal state. This did not happen, as Dorian was unable to feel guilt or remorse; thus he tried to destroy the painting, which only caused his own aging and death. The portrait, however, returned to its unblemished condition. The dual themes of aestheticism, or the celebration of art and beauty, and homosexuality are present in the novel, both being embodied by Dorian Gray himself. His narcissistic view of beauty and self rendered him at an unending state of discontent, though, and subjects all those who come near him to his exacting ways. These were all part of Oscar Wilde’s personal ideology—the decision to make life an art, constantly seeking for beauty and perfection—which he carried out consistently. However, the novel was considered immoral and ‘dirty’ by the critics of the time, due to the themes projected in the text. IV. The Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde’s hugely popular work is undoubtedly a satire about Victorian society’s rules and regulations, of expectations and etiquette, of hypocrisy and fakeness. It was originally staged in 1895 in London. The famous three-act play is a comedy that revolved around the deception and resulting confusion regarding the use of the name Ernest, which was appropriated by a young man at varying occasions alternating with his real name. Consequently, he meets people who know him through different names, and even falls for a lady who would only marry someone named Ernest. In the maddening turn of events, wherein accusations regarding truthfulness and honesty are made, it is discovered that his name is indeed Ernest, and thus the play ends with all romantic couples satisfied and in love. Clearly, through the mode of comedy, Wilde intended to poke fun at the straitlaced community that frowned upon any deviation from the kind of convention they themselves set. What makes it even more humorous and tongue-in-cheek is the fact that this same society, behind closed doors, defies its own rules while maintaining a consistent and steady front, because of the complications arising from the numerous social obligations necessary to be observed. The trivial and petty arguments coming from the simple use of a name is representative of the superficiality of societal obligation, exemplified by the character Gwendolen’s refusal to marry anyone not named Ernest. While received positively by critics, the exploration of homosexuality in the text was unavoidable, considering Wilde’s reputation. Some claimed that the name ‘Ernest’ subtly referred to being homosexual, and this was somehow confirmed by references to earlier poems by other writers that used this kind of logic, as in John Nicholson’s poem â€Å"Of Boy’s Names†. Nevertheless, other critics and even the actors who had worked on the play denied the claim, and explicitly stated how there was no reference or implication of homosexuality in the piece. V. Other Works and Controversies Oscar Wilde was a prolific writer, churning out exceptional works in the form of poetry, short stories, as well as numerous other plays. He also professed his brand of politics, as evidenced by the impressive collection of articles he published under the titles of â€Å"The Decay of Lying†, â€Å"The Soul of Man Under Socialism†, and â€Å"De Profundis†; all three contained concepts that heralded Wilde’s affinity for aestheticism and socialism. Sadly, Wilde’s public persona was better known for the controversial trial that marred his career, and largely implicated him as an example of immorality arising from homosexual behavior and influence. Gross indecency was the actual crime for which he was being accused, and the event, which was drawn out for a several years, caused Wilde to permanently leave Britain (â€Å"FireBlade Coffeehouse: Oscar Wilde†). VI. Conclusion The intelligence and uniqueness of Oscar Wilde are the qualities that made him the great writer he was, and his conscious deviation from tradition and convention assured the public of works that were always fresh and insightful. However, as with lives tainted by controversy, Wilde could only push his efforts to a degree; he could only leave his literary legacies to a future society. And that he did, with his literature accorded the respect and recognition they deserve—albeit after his death. Wilde was clearly ahead of his time, and his principles on art and beauty would be embraced by many other writers and artists of later generations. Works Cited â€Å"FireBlade Coffeehouse: Oscar Wilde†. Negative Space. 28 June 2009 http://www. hoboes. com/html/FireBlade/Wilde/. Merriman, C. D. â€Å"Oscar Wilde†. 2008. Jalic Inc. 28 June 2009 http://www. online-literature. com/wilde/. Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. Courier Dover Publications, 1990. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. Macmillan, 1999.

Pet Microchips :: Animal Microchip Implant

Pet Microchips Many families have had the agonizing experience of losing their beloved pets. Lost dogs, puppies, and cats end up in shelters around the country with no way of contacting an owner. State wide license laws are supposed to aide in returning lost dogs to their owners, but in many cases these laws do not end up working. Many individuals do not follow the law close enough, do not have enough money to pay for a license, or dogs lose their collars or tags. Other families tattoo their dogs, but few shelters make the effort to find such a marking. Identifying microchips implanted just under the skin of a pet are a possible solution to prevent a family pet from being lost forever. There are fewer problems with this microchip identification system in comparison to the traditional laws. One issue is that some of the chips are becoming unable to be read by a shelter without a universal scanner, and shelters do not necessarily have the technology to scan some of the newer chips. Even though there are set backs, the microchips are becoming an increasingly popular technology to aid in locating your lost pet. The microchip is a tiny transponder the size of a grain of uncooked rice. The chip is a permanent radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip implanted under the dog's skin that can be read by a chip scanner or wand. Implantation is done with an injector that places the chip under the loose skin over the dog's shoulder. This is a quick and easy process that can be done by all veterinarians provided they have the right technology to do so. The chip identification number is stored in a tiny transponder that can be read through the dog's skin by a scanner emitting low-frequency radio waves (Woolf 1). The frequency is picked up by a tiny antenna in the transponder, and the number is retrieved, decoded, and displayed in the scanner readout window. The radio waves use a frequency much lower than AM broadcast stations use, and they must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission before they can be marketed (Woolf 1). The chip, antenna, and capacitor are encased in a tiny glass tub e. The tube is composed of soda lime glass, which is known for compatibility with living tissue. The glass is hermetically sealed to keep moisture out. Microchips implanted in 2003 or earlier are generally readable by most shelters and veterinarians, but microchips that came into use in late 2003 are generally not readable by most shelters and veterinarians because the chips require different scanning technology (Common Questions).

“Life of Pi” Mini Essay Essay

Juxtaposing â€Å"Crude reality† with fiction â€Å"for the sake of greater truth†, Yann Martel’s ‘Life of Pi’ illustrates the influence childhood experiences can have our lives, ultimately preparing us for adulthood and the challenges which lie ahead. The lessons Pi learns in his childhood essentially play a vital role in his survival at sea with the illusive figure of Richard Parker. Whilst some skills that Pi acquires in his early childhood plainly aid his future adventure some are not as blatantly obvious, none the less they are still fundamental in his survival and adult life. Pi’s early childhood experiences provide him with the basic skills required to survive his future voyage at sea as having learnt to so swim at age seven by Francis Adirubasamy â€Å"Mamaji† essentially proves vital to survival at sea. Moreover, his vast knowledge of animals, having grown up at a zoo, helps him tame Richard Parker regardless of which story entails the ‘truth’. Furthermore, pi’s experience of watching a tiger kill a goat in his early childhood taught him the fundamental lesson ‘an animal is an animal’, enabling him to strategically and mentally survive his long and testing time at sea. However, perhaps more fundamental in influencing his future adventures and childhood are not the skills that he acquired in his youth but instead the deeper knowledge of himself and the world around him attained through his religious beliefs. Pi’s belief in pluralism and acceptance of the three religions, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam aid his future and is a crucial part of his survival at sea, his faith in knowing â€Å"so long as god is with me, I will not die† gives him the mental strength and will power to survive his ordeal. Furthermore, the three religions and the stories they impart shred a light on and explore the diverse perceptions of truth, from the â€Å"Dry, yeastless factuality† modern depiction of truth. Ultimately, allowing him to manipulate the truth in order to be at peace with the â€Å"crude reality† of his ordeal. Pi’s childhood experiences and teachings learnt in Pondicherry play a vital role in his future adventures and adult life, shaping him and giving him the skills and inner strength required to survival 227 days at sea.

Hart & Dworkin Essay

H. L. A. Hart’s concept of legal positivism was heavily influenced by Austin. However, he breaks with Austinian positivism at three vital junctures. First, he believed that the sovereign law giver is defined by his office rather than being a person who has secured the habit of obedience. Second authority is vested in rule of recognition instead of through the threat sanctions. Finally, Hart believed that laws expand liberty rather than limit it. In a nutshell Hart’s Philosophy of Law builds upon the Command Law Theory established by Austin, corrects its errors and establishes its own doctrines. In his essay â€Å"Sovereign and Subject†, Hart proposed that the habit of obedience does not account for the relationship between subject and sovereign. This inclination to, or habit of obedience, propounded by Austin, asserts that there exists a relationship between a subject and his sovereign. Where this relationship exists we speak of a society. However, since the habit of obedience is a habit backed by threats, it differs little from the idea a gunman coercing a person to give him his purse. Hart opines that a law’s validity does not depend on the existence of social rules. Instead laws exist to promote social order. Hart contributes his conceptual analysis theory to jurisprudence of legal formalism. He postulates that jurisprudence aims to give analysis of the uses to which the concept of law is put in various social practices. Given that all rules have a penumbra of uncertainty, a judge must often choose between alternatives. Simply put, Hart takes legal thought beyond the simplistic Command Theory. To him a law can be valid despite its moral invalidity and sans any coercion backed by threats. Such views on the law can be seen today in the USA Patriot Act. This is morally reprehensible because of the many provisions that potentially violate citizens’ rights. However it is still a valid law promoting the security of American society at large. As a legal naturalist Ronald Dworkin rejects positivism. His chief objection is that moral principles can be binding by virtue of the fact that they express an appropriate dimension of justice and fairness. He espouses the belief that in interpreting the meaning of valid legal rules, it is often necessary to consult moral principles. Curiously, a posthumous edition of Hart’s seminal A Concept of Law gives space to Hart’s response to Dworkin’s criticism of Legal Positivism. In contrast to Hart, Dworkin believes that law is not simply a matter of rules. Moral principles are law even if they are not identified under the rule of recognition. Moral principles can also be said to be law because they have dimensions of justice. As opposed to Hart, Dworkin’s theory on jurisprudence is that judges appeal to binding legal standards that are more discretionary than hard and fast rules. An example is the gravamen of guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Instead of simply relying on their discretion, a judge uses jurisprudence to form a body of as yet unwritten legal standards to back up their decisions. To summarize, Dworkin champions the cause of Legal Naturalism: that laws must appeal to morality to have legal validity. Many of today’s penal laws can be said to espouse Legal Naturalism.

6 Critical AP Exam Tips to Ace Your Tests

6 Critical AP Exam Tips to Ace Your Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The most important thing you can do to maximize your chances of getting a 5 on an AP exam is to learn the material. However, it is a standardized test, and there are strategies you can use to maximize your chances of success and make sure your hard work pays off. Keep reading for my top AP examtips! #1: Do Easy Questions First There’s no rule that you have to answer all of the questions in a given section in order. If you come to a question that looks either difficult or time-consuming, it’s fine to skip it and come back later. This applies to both the multiple-choice and free-response sections. Just make sure you are careful when you fill out your Scantron or your test booklet! Once you make a first pass and answer all the slam-dunk questions, then you can buckle down on the harder or more tedious questions.Don’t let yourself get held up too much on any one question, though. If you feel yourself getting bogged down, skip that question, and come back to it to either work on it more (if you have time) or guess (if you don’t). #2: Answer Every Question- But Be Smart About It Since there is no guessing penalty on AP exams, it is to your advantage to answer every question. If you aren’t sure of the right answer on a multiple-choice question, eliminate as many answers as you confidently can before guessing.This will up your chances of guessing the right answer and getting points! On a free-response or short answer question, just do the best you can to guess based on what you remember. If you leave a question blank, you’ll definitely get zero points, but if you write something even a little bit relevant, you might get partial points! And even one point is better than zero. #3: Manage Time Carefully You are allowed to bring a watch to the exam just so long as it doesn’t make noise. I highly advise doing so, so that you’ll be aware of how you are doing on time at any given moment. It’s critical that you pace yourself on the exam. On the multiple-choice section, if you notice yourself getting stuck on a particular question or series of questions, skip them and come back at the end. Don’t let a few questions completely tank your time. If you’re staring at a question in confusion for longer than a minute, move on and come back to it. On the free-response section, time management is even more critical because you’ll need to complete a series of tasks in an allotted amount of time, but you won’t be prompted to move on to the next essay or question. Keeping track of time will let you know if you’re on target to finish everything. You should have time targets for each essay or task in mind when you go into the test. This kind of clock is not allowed! #4: Plan Your Essays Carefully This may not apply to every AP exam- it’s hard to plan a math problem in advance- but for APs that do have essay questions, it’s critical that you plan them out before you start writing them. Even five minutes spent quickly jotting down your thesis and the main ideas of your paragraphs will help you write the essay faster, make your argument stronger, and ensure your essay is better-organized and more coherent. A slightly more detailed outline that denotes where you are going to include specific examples and evidence is even better if you have time. #5: Bring Water and a Snack for the Break This might seem like a relatively trivial tip, but you may experience some serious test fatigue during your AP exams. Bringing water and a snack- preferably one with a bit of protein and complex carbs, like a peanut butter granola bar- will help you stay energized through the exam and keep you from fading during the free-response section. An appropriate snack. #6: Keep Up Positive Self-Talk You might hit a bump in the road on exam day. Maybe you’ll see a question type you weren’t quite prepared for, forget something you thought you knew inside and out, or be totally stumped by a free-response question. The important thing if this happens is to not panic. Maintain positive self-talk. Tell yourself you are doing great. Move on to another question. Even if you’re still stumped when you come back around to it, keep telling yourself that you’re crushing the rest of the test. And then just do the best you can on the test. Key Takeaways If you want to get a 5 on your AP exam, the best thing you can do for yourself is to learn the material. However, there is still a strategic element to taking the AP, just like on other standardized tests. Here are my top six AP exam tips: Do easy questions first and come back to the harder ones later. Answer every question, but only guess after eliminating all the answers you know are wrong. Bring a watch and manage your time carefully! Carefully plan out your essays before you start writing! (This tip doesn’t apply to those APs without essays). Bring water and a snack for the break! Maintain positive self-talk, even if you hit a snag! With these AP test tips, you’ll maximize your chances of getting the score you’re aiming for! What's Next? Need more guidance on AP preparation? See our five-step plan on how to study for AP exams. Do you need an AP test perfect score?Read this guide to learn if it's something you should be aiming for. Taking a history AP exam? See our guide on how to write a top-scoring DBQ. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Elegant Variation

Elegant Variation Elegant Variation Elegant Variation By Michael I learned about elegant variation from my high school English teacher, but even she taught about it with a slightly-skeptical smile. Its a rule that many writers feel bound to follow when they dont need to. According to this so-called rule, a writer should never use the same word twice in a paragraph. Newscasters follow elegant variation when they say, The Dow-Jones Industrial Average rose more than 300 points yesterday. It was the blue-chip indicators fourth straight gain. Or Chinas Sichuan province experienced another earthquake yesterday afternoon, the second in three months. The temblor measured 6.1 on the Richter scale. Admittedly, a news story might sound a bit childish if it said, The Dow-Jones gained 300 points yesterday. It was the fourth straight gain for the Dow-Jones. Too much repetition reads like a toddlers picture book. But more important than not repeating a word is not using the wrong word. I experienced several earthquakes when I lived in California, and not once did I hear anybody say, Did you feel that temblor last night? I remember one local radio newscaster who spent about twenty minutes saying basically, We had a big earthquake this morning, and we dont know anything else about it, but I have to keep talking about it because this is an all-news station and its our top story. But I dont think he ever used the word temblor. In fact, Ive never heard that word at all, except from radio announcers trying to avoid saying earthquake. Instead of asking What other word can I use the next time?, we should be asking, What better word can I add the next time?. In my first example, using the term blue-chip indicator in parallel to Dow-Jones Industrial Average defines the Dow-Jones Industrial Average as a performance indicator for blue-chip stocks. It adds to the meaning of the sentence, instead of simply providing variation. Another problem with elegant variation is that it can push your writing out of the readability zone. If youre trying to be elegant, youre probably trying to be formal. If youre trying to be formal, youre probably going to use big words that fewer readers understand (porcine instead of piggish). If youre straining to find a synonym for the right word, you may end up doing worse than finding the wrong word. You may end up with finding a word that even you dont understand. Repetition is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes once you find a good thing, the best course is to stick with it. My previous paragraph was stronger because of its repetition. Repetition emphasizes parallelism, which makes sentences and paragraphs more understandable. Elegance is not necessarily a good thing. When the term elegant variation was coined by Henry Watson Fowler in the 1920s, it implied precious writing overly dainty and falsely sophisticated. When I was a magazine writer, I was often faced with the desire to find a more elegant word. The Sharchops dwell in the mountains of Bhutan The Sharchops reside The Sharchops are situated near The Sharchops homeland is nestled within I decided that if I couldnt find a better way to say, The Sharchops live in eastern Bhutan, I could always say, The Sharchops live in eastern Bhutan. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You36 Poetry Terms15 Idioms for Periods of Time

Chemical engineering design project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chemical engineering design project - Essay Example There is an increase in agricultural subsidies offered to farmers under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). Table 1shows estimates of costs incurred in the SPS for 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. It is evident there is an increase in figures for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 SPS(6.3M and 9.3M) and still further subsequent increase in 2010/2011. Biofuel producers also accrue tax exemptions. HMRC 2011 places tax per litre for biofuels, diesel and petrol to be equal. However, it is also perceived that exemptions are likely to affect government revenue earnings. Another factor that significantly influences the use of biofuels is caloric requirements required in comparison to pure petroleum. Biofuels have low caloric values and therefore a greater amount of biofuels are required to meet the energy output of petroleum products. Table 2 shows the amount of blended biofuel needed to meet the energy value of pure petroleum product (Chris and Wooders 24). Since the tax per litre is equal for both petroleum products and biofuels, then the cost for biofuels will be much higher compared to petroleum products. In consideration of petroleum being an input in the biofuel production, this has significant implications on costs of other inputs i.e. feedstock’s and transport services, therefore, affecting production costs. Table 3 projects that in 2020 bioethanol will be 16-35 pence per litre more expensive. On the other hand, biodiesel will be 29-42 pence per litre more expensive than the petroleum product they are intended to replace (Chris and Wooders 29). It is a requirement that biofuels comply with the sustainability criteria. This is an added cost to the producers (Chris and Wooders 32). GHG saving is set at 35% and from 2017 is expected to be at 50%. The introduction of sustainability criteria increases cost, and it is estimated to be at GBT 256milion. Therefore, it is likely that the