Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Computer Technology is Here to Stay essays

Computer Technology is Here to Stay essays Computers have gone long way from its first invention to todays high speed machine that plays big role in mathematical modeling to the fields of medicine. Further down as the computers reduced in sizes they took on different purposes in communication, digital media (photography and now DVD), shopping and banking online, and control systems in cars. There is hardly anybody around who can say their lives haven't been influenced by computers. Computers have all but taken over society as we know it. Everywhere you look, computers have greatly improved our lives. The Internet is a technique of communication and a resource of information that has become trendier among educated and those who like to just surf the information superhighway. This in turn has created new modes of keeping in-touch and relaying data and video contents at a lower cost. There are also problems being created with this much information being accessible to general public. Some of these problems are related to spread of pornographic, and hate materials over the internet. The governments throughout the world are pushing for censorship. But a portion of the public does not want the government to regulate the Internet. The computer crimes that started in the 70s have become more and more widespread mainly due to the advancement in the computer technology and the unregulated access to the internet. Some computer crimes are committed by outside individuals that hack into a computer system. These are individuals that generally steal protected information and cause data loss by vandalism. The only way to prevent this kind of crime is to have the international community of countries implement a treaty that would regulate the use of internet. The birth of computer goes way back into human technological evolution. The very first computer is thought to be invented in China3. The Chinese adding machine as it is called didnt have any electronic parts3...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Devil and Tom Walker Summary and Study Guide

'The Devil and Tom Walker' Summary and Study Guide Washington Irving, one of early Americas greatest storytellers, was the author of such beloved works as Rip van Winkle (1819) and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). Another of his short stories, The Devil and Tom Walker, is not as well known, but it is definitely worth seeking out. The Devil and Tom Walker was first published in 1824 among a collection of short stories called Tales of a Traveller, which Irving wrote as Geoffrey Crayon, one of his pseudonyms.  The Devil and Tom Walker appropriately appeared in a section called Money-Diggers, as the tale chronicles the selfish choices of an exceptionally stingy and greedy man. Historical Context Irvings piece is a relatively early entry into the many literary works considered Faustian tales - stories depicting greed, a thirst for instant gratification, and, ultimately, a deal with the devil as the means to such selfish ends. The legend of  Faust  dates to 16th-century Germany, with Christopher Marlowe dramatizing the legend in his play The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, first performed sometime around 1588.  Faustian tales have been a hallmark of Western culture ever since, the major theme of plays, poems,  operas, classical music, and even film and television productions. It is perhaps unsurprising that, given its dark subject, The Devil and Tom Walker sparked a fair amount of controversy, particularly among the religious population. Still, many consider it one of Irvings finest stories and an exemplary piece of narrative writing. In fact, Irvings piece triggered a rebirth of sorts for the Faustian tale. It is widely reported to have inspired  Stephen Vincent Benets The Devil and Daniel Webster, which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1936 - more than a century after Irvings story came out. Plot Summary The book opens with the tale of how  Captain Kidd, a pirate, buried some treasure in a swamp just outside Boston. It then jumps to the year 1727, when New Englander Tom Walker happened to find himself walking through this swamp. Walker, explains the narrator, was just the kind of man to jump at the prospect of a buried treasure, as he, along with his wife, were selfish to the point of destruction. While walking through the swamp,  Walker comes upon the devil, a great black man carrying an ax, whom Irving calls Old Scratch. The devil in disguise  tells Walker about the treasure, saying that he controls it but will give it to Tom for a price. Walker agrees readily, without really considering what he is expected to pay in return - his soul. The rest of the tale follows the twists and turns one might expect as a result of greed-driven decisions and deal-making with the devil. Main Characters Tom Walker, the protagonist of the story,  is described as a meager miserly fellow and is probably Irvings most despised (or least likable) character. Despite his many unsavory characteristics, he is also memorable.  Initially, Walker rejects Old Scratchs offer, but he eventually gives in to the devils conditions. Walker has been compared to Faust/Faustus, a character who has appeared in countless works through literary history, from Marlowe, Goethe, and beyond. Walkers wife is such a minor character that her name is never given, but she can be likened to her husband in her miserly nature and volatile temper, as Irving describes: Toms wife was a tall termagant, fierce of temper, loud of tongue, and strong of arm. Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband, and his face sometimes showed signs that their conflicts were not confined to words. Old Scratch  is another name for the devil. Old Scratch is described as a dark-skinned man. Washington Irving wrote, It is true, he was dressed in a rude, half Indian garb, and had a red belt or sash swathed round his body, but his face was neither black nor copper color, but swarthy and dingy and begrimed with soot, as if he had been accustomed to toil among fires and forges. The actions of Old Scratch are similar to other tales where he is the tempter, who offers the protagonist riches or other gains in exchange for the characters soul. Major Events and Setting The Devil and Tom Walker may be a short story but quite a bit takes place in its few pages. The events - and the locations where they take place - really drive the overarching theme of the story: avarice and its consequences. The events of the story can be divided into two locations: Old Indian Fort Tom Walker meets Old Scratch: Tom takes a shortcut through tangled, dark, and dingy swamplands, which are so dark and uninviting that they represent hell in the story. Tom meets the devil, Old Scratch, at an abandoned Indian fort hidden away in the swamplands.Old Scratch offers Tom Walker great sums of money in exchange for certain conditions. The conditions are, of course, that Walker gives his soul in his deal with the devil.The devil offers Tom riches hidden by Captain  Kidd if Tom agrees to sell his soul to Old Scratch. Tom agrees.Toms wife confronts Old Scratch. She goes into the swamplands, twice, hoping that Old Scratch would make a deal with her instead of her husband. Toms wife absconds with all of the couples valuables for the second meeting, but she disappears into the swamplands and is never heard from again. Boston Bolstered by the ill-gotten riches offered by Old Scratch, Walker opens a brokers office in Boston. Walker lends money freely, but he is merciless in his dealings and ruins the lives of many borrowers, often repossessing their property.A ruined speculator asks for a debt he owes to Tom to be forgiven. Walker refuses, but the devil rides in on a horse, easily sweeps Tom up, and gallops away - and Tom is never seen again. After that, all the deeds and notes in Walkers safe turn to ash, and his house mysteriously burns down. Key Quotes The legend of a man who sold his soul to the devil and its devious consequences has been retold many times, but Irvings original words truly reveal the story. Setting the scene: About the year 1727, just at the time when earthquakes were prevalent in New England and shook many tall sinners down upon their knees, there lived near this place a meager miserly fellow of the name of Tom Walker. Describing the protagonist: Tom was a hard-minded fellow, not easily daunted, and he had lived so long with a termagant wife, that he did not even fear the devil. Describing the protagonist and his wife: ...they were so miserly that they even conspired to cheat each other. Whatever the woman could lay hands on she hid away: a hen could not cackle but she was on the alert to secure the new-laid egg. Her husband was continually prying about to detect her secret hoards, and many and fierce were the conflicts that took place about what ought to have been common property. Laying out the potential moral consequences of greed: As Tom waxed old, however, he grew thoughtful. Having secured the good things of this world, he began to feel anxious about those of the next. The communitys state of mind regarding the death of Walker and his wife: The good people of Boston shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders, but had been so much accustomed to witches and goblins and tricks of the devil in all kinds of shapes from the first settlement of the colony, that they were not so much horror struck as might have been expected. Study Guide Questions Once students have had a chance to read this classic tale, test their knowledge with these study questions: What is important about the title? Had you ever heard the phrase before reading the story?  What are the conflicts in The Devil and Tom Walker? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) do you see?Does Irving reveal character in  The Devil and Tom Walker?  Who was Faust (in literary history)? How could Tom Walker be said to have made a Faustian bargain?How does greed factor into this story? Do you think the Walker familys financial situation plays a factor in their choices?  Ã‚  What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?  Compare and contrast Tom Walker with Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, by  Charles Dickens  Is Tom Walker consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?  Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters persons you would want to meet?  Discuss some of the symbols in The Devil and Tom Walker.  How are women portrayed in this story? Is the portrayal positiv e or negative?  Ã‚  Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why? How did you feel about the ending? Was it fair? Why or why not?   What is the central or primary purpose of the story? Is the purpose important or meaningful?  How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?  What supernatural or surprising events are employed by  Washington Irving? Are these happenings believable?  How do you think Irvings Christian  beliefs impacted his writing?  Ã‚  What would you trade your soul for?  Do you think Tom and his wife made the right choice?

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Chinese Art Influence on Western Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese Art Influence on Western Culture - Essay Example This interest was mainly fostered on appreciation for the unknown, as most Europeans were never afforded the chance to visit China themselves. This paper will analyze in-depth four pieces of Chinese art from a specific region of China—Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen—and how they have evolved and shaped western art; the four pieces of art are a Meiping vase, Porcelain serving dish with fish design, water fountain and basin, and dish with phoenix and peonies. The Meiping vase was first forged during the Yuan dynasty around roughly 1320 A.D. – 1350 A.D. This tall blue and white vase shows two figurative scenes that derive from the drama Xi Xiang Ji, which is a play about an affair between a young scholar and the daughter of a high ranking minister. The form of drama was particularly popular during this period in Chinese history, and this can be shown with the Meiping vase. The idea of showing narratives from novels and dramas was first derived during the Jin dynasty an d then subsequently the Yuan dynasty. Despite this fact, examples like the Meiping vase are very rare before the seventeenth century. This particular type of vase has become very popular with western art lovers, with this form of vase, or similar ones, commonplace in the homes of many upper-middle class homes. Likewise, the Porcelain serving dish with fish design also came from the Yuan dynasty during a similar era (1330 A.D. – 1360 A.D.). It comes as no surprise then that the design and style of this Porcelain serving dish are very similar to the Meiping vase. As such, it is also a common feature in many homes of western art lovers. The dish began to be exported during the Yuan dynasty to regions such as India, the Middle East, and North Africa. As Chinese did not usually travel too far out of their homeland, Arab and Persian merchants often had the task of exporting ceramics like this one (Medley 170). The reason why the dish was so popular everywhere it traveled was that i t was larger than most other dishes, thus offering space for large amounts of food to be consumed. Other regions tailored the dish to suit their own cultures, but western art has largely kept Chinese dishes like these in their original forms. The water fountain and base is in complete contrast to the previous two pieces of art from the Ying dynasty; this work of art is derived from the Qing dynasty at the much later period of 1735 A.D. – 1740 A.D. This would have likely been used by the Chinese as a means to wash their hands after a meal. While western culture does not use exactly instruments like these to wash hands, it has taken the concept and used it to turn into a sink. Another interesting fact about this work is that it was designed not by a Chinese artist, but by the well-respected Dutch painter Cornells Pronk. Pronk was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to produce artwork that would sell better back in his homeland rather than Chinese made pieces of art. Fo r this reason, this work of art is starkly different to the rest of the pieces in that it was designed by a western for western tastes while still trying to capture Chinese designs. Similar to the first two works of art, the dish with phoenix and peonies also comes from the Yuan dynasty and around the same time period (mid-fourteenth century). The designs on this dish are typical of dishes of that era just as in the Meiping vase and Porcelain serving