Autobiographical Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Autobiographical Writing - Essay Example They do most of the housework and men rarely do any housework, but some of the men cook for their family. At a very young age adults told me that, â€Å"girls should be quiet and well-behaved†, â€Å"boys should be strong and they should not cry†, â€Å"girls should talk softly and behave gently†, â€Å"boys should protect girls and they should support of their family when they grow up†, â€Å"girls should keep their space clean and tidy†, â€Å"boys should take responsibilities of all things† and so on. Usually, in one relationship, men and women make decisions together if they are respect each other. Sometimes they make their own decisions without consulting their partner if the issue is not very big. However, in severe situation, men always have the decision-making authority in their family. For example, when I decided to study abroad, I knew my mother would support me, but the final decision was in the hands of my father. I believe that in a relationship my girlfriend should listen to me when we have to make a choice or decide an important i ssue. However, things were not practiced the same way in the past. At the time, when my grandparents were young, wives had to be obedient to their husbands. People thought men were superior to women. Families prefer sons to daughters, and they thought if a woman could not give birth to a boy, it was all her fault. When I was very young, I asked my parents how I was born but they never responded to this query. Chinese people are more conservative than Americans and Europeans. Some people think it is disrespectful and wrong to talk about sex and women’s bodies. So I think feminist movement is very necessary and important throughout human history and it should be continued now and in the future. As the reading â€Å"The Body Through Women’s Eyes† by Joanna Frueh says, feminist artists can â€Å"show that women could become makers of meaning, as opposed to being bearers of man’s meaning† (Broude 190). It also

Problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Problem solving - Essay Example techniques that has been majorly studied, scientifically, involves skin penetration with thin metallic needles which are either manipulated by hands or electricity to bring about pain relief. Acupuncture has been traditionally used in China and other Asian countries; however, it is steadily gaining grounds all over the world in the wake of globalization. NCCAM (2012) confirms this fact by stating that millions of Americans use acupuncture every year to relieve pain. It is evident that acupuncture is being used to relieve pain among patients, but we should ask ourselves whether it is really effective. NCCAM (2012) documents that researchers have studied the effects of acupuncture in managing neck pain, osteoarthritis, shoulder pain, and chronic headache and established that it is an effective pain reliever. This finding defeats the notion that acupuncture is a mere placebo and calls for more clinical referrals and research to improve it. Considering that convectional medicines, p ain killers, have myriad of side effects, some of which may be fatal, it is my opinion that alternative medical practices like acupuncture should be explored and developed to accord medical solutions. Further, research has given robust evidence that acupuncture is useful in pain management, and it is imperative that the same be embraced. However, acupuncturists should take serious precautions to deter its negative effects like allergic reactions and nerve damages. There has to be more research to make acupuncture more effective and to manage its side effects. NCCAM. (2012). Acupuncture; Acupuncture May Be Helpful for Chronic Pain: A Meta-Analysis. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Retrieved from:

Biblical References in Shakespeares the Tempest

Biblical References in Shakespeares the Tempest Biblical references in Shakespeares The Tempest So much concerns, so much has been said, done, or written about William Shakespeare and his works; there are memorials, museums, theaters in his honor, full actors and actresses companies dedicated to perform only Shakespearean drama, there are even lots of â€Å"Shakespearean scholars†, biographers, etc. He had been given the title of â€Å"The Bard of Avon†, because of the old English word which means â€Å"Poet†, and also because of the Avon river which flows through his hometown, Stratford-Upon-Avon, in which he was born and baptized in April 1564. Notwithstanding, Shakespeares reputation is nowadays so huge among English poets that hes often called just The Bard; the one and the only English poet who has transcended so many generations and has served as a source of inspiration for so many writers throughout history. His life has been subjected to deep research, analysis, and infinite speculations with many different points of view. One of the fields in which one can go through (and which it will be certainly done) is Shakespeares religion and the influence this could have had into his life and works. So many scholars have dared to give their opinions and make judgments of Williams religion according to his life, his family, and by analyzing his works as well. Some of them adjudicate him as a Catholic, regarding specially his origins and Catholic backgrounds; According to Peter Ackroyd (2005) in Shakespeare the Biography, Shakespeares mother, Mary Arden, was the member of a noticeable and firmly Catholic family in Warwickshire. Other scholars and biographers say that William Shakespeare was actually a Protestant. The Shakespeare editor and historian A. L. Rowse (1963) firmly assures that Shakespeare was baptized, grew up, married, and buried into the arms of the Orthodox Church.(p.43). And finall y, the most common trend among modern scholars is that of Shakespeares atheism, based on absence towards two different conceptions; absence of direct references to any sacred book or verse; and absence of Shakespeare himself at the religious services. According to Joseph Pearce (2008), there was a man called John Payne Collier, (a notorious forger of historical documents) who examined the records of St Saviours, South wark Cathedral, and found that Shakespeare, alone among his fellow actors, was not shown as regular attendant to the church. (p.126). Thomas Carter in Shakespeare and Holy Scripture argues that no writer has assimilated the thoughts and reproduced the words of Holy Scripture more copiously than Shakespeare.(Carter, 1905, p. 3) The following paper argues the fact that William Shakespeares Biblical knowledge has had a deep and clear influence in the writing of â€Å"The Tempest†. Three main aspects are going to be considered: The references to Ariel in the books of Isaiah, Psalms, and proverbs; and the story of Joseph, the later leader of one of the Tribes of Israel, in the book of Genesis which inspired Shakespeare order to shape the plot line and development of the character Prospero, in The Tempest.For this purpose, The Tempest, The Holy Bible (in the Geneva Version), the comic The Tempest by Gaiman are going to be the resources to be cited, among others. ADD MORE INFO ROAR OF LIONS=ARIEL= Psalm 22:12-13= Proverbs 19:12, 20:2 WOE TO YOU ARIEL=Isaiah 29= LION OF GOD? Joseph Prospero The Bible tells us in Genesis 39-47 about the story of Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, Hebrews living in the land of Canaan. He was the favorite son among his brothers, and they were so jealous because of that, that they plotted to kill him. However, they did not fear to kill him and decided to throw him into a pit, and then sell him to some Midianites merchants on their way to Egypt. The merchants finally sold him to the Egyptians, and once there, even though Joseph went through some distress (getting in jail for example), Gods favor was always with him. This made him able to interpret the Pharaohs dreams, and due to that, they could predict and get prepared for seven years of hunger, and Joseph won the Pharaohs trust. He finally had the possibility to meet with his brothers again, and forgive them for their betrayal. Now, in which way can these events and facts be related to the ones which Prospero had to go through? A step to step analysis is going to be developed. First of all, Joseph and Prospero parallel each other as victims of jealous siblings. Unfavored siblings in both works cannot stand the fact that the protagonists are receiving special privileges and that potentially (in the case of Joseph) or actually (in the case of Prospero) are ruling them. The narration in Genesis states, â€Å"So when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, then they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.† (37:4 Geneva Bible) They hate Joseph even more after he tells them of dreams suggesting that someday he will rule over them. â€Å"[†¦] shalt thou reign over us, and rule us? Or shalt thou have altogether dominion over us?† (37:8) In The Tempest, Prospero did not need a dream to reign over his brother Antonio; he actually was the original ruler of their home city-state, Milan. But Prospero, as well as Joseph,was somehow a dreamer too, more interested in books rather than in the affairs of the government, giving Antonio the opportunity to plot with Alonso, King of Naples, and overthrow Prospero usurping the dukedom for himself. (Shakespeare, 1611. Act 1, sc, 2, 66- 132). Since Prospero was popular with the common people, they did not dare to kill him. Instead, they put him and his daughter Miranda in a boat, and leaving them adrift in the sea, leaving their fate to the mercy of the elements: In few, they hurried us aboard a barque, Bore us some leagues to sea, where they prepared A rotten carcass of a butt, not rigged, Nor tackle, sail, nor mast—the very rats Instinctively have quit it. There they hoist us, To cry to th sea that roared to us, to sigh To th winds, whose pity, sighing back again, Did us but loving wrong. (Act I, sc 2, 144-151) These harsh conditions can be clearly compared to the ones in Genesis, as something very similar happens to Joseph; when the opportunity is given, his brothers â€Å"conspired against him for to slay him.† (37:18) but then they decided to â€Å"Shed not blood† (37: 22) and throw him into a pit without any food or water for then selling him to Midianite merchants, leaving his fate to the mercy them (37:23-28). Later on then, in both works, Joseph and Prospero use their ingeniousness to success in an foreign and unknown land. Actually, they both become rulers of their new land, by using their wisdom and abilities combined with supernatural forces (magic, Gods favor) to gain power. On one hand, Joseph is sold again, this time in Egypt, where he is imprisoned on false charges. But â€Å"the LORD was with him; for whatsoever he did, the LORD made it to prosper.† (39:23) Joseph was given the ability to interpret dreams, and this talent calls the Pharaohs attention; Joseph interprets Pharaohs dreams which no other wizard or soothsayer could, foretelling seven years of plentiful harvests followed by seven years of hunger, and suggesting a plan for crop rationing in order to save food for the famine times. This impresses the Pharaoh so much, that he gives Joseph domain over the whole land of Egypt (41: 41). On the other hand, Prospero comes ashore on a unknown island, in his own words, â€Å"By Providence divine† (Act. I, sc 2, 159) and there, he uses the magic he has learned from books to overthrow the witch who had ruled and become ruler himself—although the island is so desolate that as Caliban points out to him, â€Å"I am all the subjects that you have† (1.2.344). Joseph and Prospero eventually achieve positions of power over their former betrayers. Both can choose from a variety of actions: seek revenge, test for signs of repentance, or offer forgiveness. Both men eventually choose all three, in the aforementioned order. -By the time Joseph and Prospero confront their former betrayers, years after the betrayal, the onetime conspirators are helpless, having been humbled and unknowingly brought to the protagonist by what appear to be forces of nature but are actually supernatural forces. In Genesis, when the famine comes—reflecting Gods will, given that Joseph, the man favored by God, could predict it—Israel and his sons are starving, while Joseph and the Egyp- tians have plenty. Thus, Josephs brothers—all except Benjamin, the youngest and the new favorite of the father—must go to Egypt and beg to buy corn from Joseph. Although they do not recognize him, he recognizes them, and he real- izes, as they bow helplessly before him, that his earlier dreams of ruling over them have been fulfilled (41.50-42.9). Prospero, in turn, after twelve years on the island creates his own â€Å"supernatural nature†: when a ship carrying his former enemies passes near, Prospero conjures up the tempest that gives the play its name, and his enemies are washed ashore after a shipwreck, with Alonso disconsolate because he thinks his son Ferdinand has drowned in the storm. Although they cannot see Prospero unless he chooses, he can see them when he chooses (3.3.17-93), and he realizes, as they struggle helplessly before his magic, that his longtime dreams of repaying his enemies can now be fulfilled. Initially, Joseph and Prospero make their former betrayers squirm and regret their past cruelty, even associating that cruelty with the possible death of a beloved child. Although Joseph provides his siblings with the corn they seek, he employs subordinates to confuse and torment them by planting circumstantial evidence suggesting they are thieves (42.24-28). He also briefly imprisons them on false charges, thus making them undergo what he suffered after their transgressions in the past. He leaves one brother imprisoned, so that their father thinks he may be dead (42.36), and pressures the others to produce Benjamin, the youngest brother, moving the remaining brothers to say to each other, â€Å"No doubt we deserve to be punished because of our brother [Joseph], whose suffering we saw; for when he pleaded with us we refused to listen† 226(42.9-21). In The Tempest, Prospero employs spirits to confuse and torment his former betrayers, and has his supernatural servant Ariel remind them of their past transgressions until Alonso laments that the thunder proclaimed his transgressions against Prospero, transgressions for which he believes he has been punished by his sons death (3.3.97-100). But Joseph and Prospero do not simply torment their former betrayers into repentance; they also test them by virtually replicating the circumstances of the original betrayal, in effect giving the betrayers a second chance. Joseph manipulates the brothers into agreeing that if one of them can be proven to have stolen from Joseph, he should become Josephs slave; he then uses planted evidence to frame Benjamin. Thus, the brothers face essentially the same question they faced years earlier when they sold Joseph: Will they be party to the enslavement of their younger brother, their fathers favorite, despite his innocence? They redeem themselves by pleading Benjamins case, one even offering to take Benjamins place as slave (44.1-34). While The Tempest resembles the Joseph account in replicating the circumstances of the initial betrayal, the guilty brothers response is much different—a contrast contributing to the unstable nature of the ending to Shakespeares play. Prospero causes Alonso and his guards to fall asleep, while Antonio and Alonsos brother Sebastian remain awake, unaware that Prospero is alive and following their actions. Thus, the earlier situation is replicated: An oblivious ruler could be supplanted by a conspiracy between that rulers brother and the ruler of another Italian city-state. But far from redeeming himself, Antonio suggests to Sebastian that the two of them should kill the sleeping Alonso, thus allowing Sebastian to usurp his brothers kingdom (2.1.205-98); they even explicitly compare this with Antonios earlier overthrow of Prospero as they prepare to carry out the murder (2.1.271-76, 292-94). Prospero must employ Ariel to save Alonsos life (2.1.299-307). Unlike Josephs brothers, Prosperos brother Antonio remains a dangerous man, one to be watched closely. Despite Antonios unrepentant nature, in both works the protagonists eventually forgive their brothers—although they do so from a position of absolute power. His torments and tests of his brothers complete, Joseph finally reveals his identity to them (45.1-4). And although his brothers fear further reprisals and beg forgiveness (50.15-18), Joseph magnanimously tells them, â€Å"Do not be distressed or take it amiss that you sold me into slavery here . . .† (45.5)—a statement made easier by his brothers groveling before him in his role as virtual ruler. Similarly, Prospero eventually decides to act â€Å"in virtue [rather] than in vengeance† (5.1.28) and reveals himself to Antonio and Alonso. He also tells his brother, â€Å"I do forgive thy rankest fault†Ã¢â‚¬â€although he forgives only on the condition that he be restored to his former, and rightful, position as Duke of Milan (5.1.131-34).227Last, in their entire experience with betrayal, exile, redemption, and reconciliation, Joseph and Prospero are instruments of a divine plan to save not only the current generation but also its descendants. Moreover, through forgiving those who betrayed them, Joseph and Prospero not only unite families but also unite states that had been historically unfriendly to each other. Joseph invites all his brothers and their father, Israel—effectively inviting â€Å"the twelve tribes of Israel†Ã¢â‚¬â€to live with him in Egypt, and they accept (45.9-13, 46.1-7). Joseph explains to his brothers that the reason they should not feel guilty about having sold him into slavery is that if they had not done so, many people would have starved and the â€Å"tribes of Israel† would have been wiped out: â€Å"[I]t was God who sent me ahead of you to save mens lives. . . . [and] to ensure that you will have descendants on earth, and to preserve you all, a great band of survivors† (45.5-7). In addition, Joseph has by now married and had sons by the daughter of an Egyptian priest, giving Jews and Egyptians a shared set of descendants (41.45, 50-52). Thus, Josephs early misfortunes were part of a divine plan for the future state of Israel. In The Tempest, Prospero has arranged that his daughter (the rightful Duchess of Milan) and Alonsos son (the heir to the throne of Naples) should fall in love with each other, and as the play ends, the lovers imminent marriage promises to unite the formerly hostile Italian city-states and give them a shared set of descendants. This conclusion supports Prosperos earlier observation that although he and Miranda were exiled from Milan through foul play, they were â€Å"blessedly† helped onto the island (1.2.62-63). And Gonzalo, a courtier and an old friend of Prosperos, states on learning of the upcoming marriage of Prosperos daughter to Alonsos son that it is the gods that â€Å"have chalked forth the way / Which brought us hither† and that Prospero was â€Å"thrust from Milan, that his issue / Should become kings of Naples† (5.1.2058). Although Shakespeare perhaps had to refer to â€Å"the gods† rather than â€Å"God† because of a 1606 law banning r eferences to â€Å"God† onstage (Bevington 1204), the play suggests that Prosperos earlier misfortunes were part of a larger divine plan for â€Å"descendants on earth.† In Genesis, however, Gods divine plan for Josephs descendants has a darker side. Many years earlier, God had told Josephs great-grandfather Abraham, â€Å"[Y]our descendants will be aliens living in a land that is not theirs; they will be slaves, and will be held in oppression there for four hundred years† (15:13). Years after Josephs people were reunited in Egypt, the Egyptians enslaved the Jews, treating them â€Å"with ruthless severity† and subjecting them to â€Å"every kind of hard labor† (Exod. 1.13-14). It is here that a typological reading destabilizes the optimistic ending of The Tempest. While Shakespeares play seems to end with a vision of perfect order and reconciliation, the forces of disorder remain intact and largely unrepentant. For Prospero and his people, as for Joseph and his, the â€Å"reconciliation to a 228richer and fuller life† may be only temporary (Traversi 269-70). Shakespeare may have at least subconsciously created a level of religious allegory that undermines the â€Å"brave new world† (5.1.185) and subtly questions the wisdom of Prosperos decision to act in â€Å"virtue [rather] than in vengeance† (5.1.28).

Death Of A Salesman :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Death is such a contradicting situation. It is always a sad event, but in some perspectives it may or may not be a joyous event. Not to say that death should be celebrated, just to point out that life may have been a more dramatic experience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For my first novel in G.T. I read Death of a Salesman, a play written by Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was born in 1915, in New York City. His parents were well To do until the depression. He attended college where he won three drama prizes. Death of a Salesman was his their Broadway play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play Death of A Salesman was an extremely confusing play, it was a dialogue between a family of people. There were numerous flashbacks used to illustrate things that happened in the past. The overall purposeof the flashbacks was to describe the situation that Willy Loman, the main character, was dillusional. I feel that in this the characters of this book are well described. The author describes Willy was an average man with a somewhat normal life. His wife Linda is loving and like any woman she sticks by her man. Happy and Biff are Willy and Linda’s sons. The play takes place when Biff and Happy come to visit their parentsfor a couple of days.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The play is reality that most books and movies do not display. It shows an average american family struggling to get by. In the play it is apparent that the characters have strong dreams and aspirations. It is also obvious that they have not yet succeeded in accomplishing them. Quite a few events happen that prove, no matter how hard someone tries, in society things change and it is hard to reach full potential.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The authors of the play puts more reality into the central theme of the play. People get old and begin to do odd things such as talk to people that are not there or people that only exists in their minds. Throughout the play Willy would have conversations with people that he believed were there, but they really were not. Willy strived to be the best and if he was not successful, then things were not good enough. He was ashamed that his money supply was not sufficentenough to support his family. The theme changed throughout the course of the book. I believe the point that he was trying to emphasize was to never give up and all the barriers in the way will be broken.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This play has taught me the lesson that life is how one individual person decides to

Argumentative Essay Essay

Analysis of â€Å"We should cherish our children’s freedom to think† â€Å"We Should Cherish Our Children’s Freedom to Think† is written by Kie Ho and expresses his belief of the education in the US. Throughout the article he argues that the American school system â€Å"is not perfect, but it is a great deal better than any other† (Ho, 2007, p. 114). His arguments are reflected through his thoughts and experiences but are weakened by vague evidence. Ho (2007) states that since public school has provided children with opportunities and direction to fulfill their creativity, the US has developed into a country of innovation. He strongly supports this claim with his own experience and idea. On a (2007)â€Å"excursion to the Laguna Beach Museum of Art, where the work of schoolchildren was on exhibit† (p. 113) Ho got the idea that supports his argument. (2007) When public schools give students opportunities to participate in creative activities, the general public assumes that this freedom to choose is universal. This is not true according to Ho’s different personal sources. (2007) A Polish refugee, a German friend and a Lebanese believe that the American education system is far behind their home countries. Ho’s evidence for his first argument favors his reasoning, but is vague on documenting sources. This weakens his argument a lot and results in less persuasive evidence. He assumes that the idea of people who thinking freedom to choose is a norm without any supporting evidence and that the information from his friends is trustworthy knowledge. Furthermore, Ho (2007) makes a comparison between the imagination of his childhood in Indonesia and his son at school in the US. Ho explains that, (2007)â€Å"When I was 12 in Indonesia, where education followed the Dutch system, I had to memorize the names of all the world’s major cities† (p. 13). While (2007) his son at the same age grew up in California had not much knowledge about world’s major cities but had a better imagination because he took creative geography at the age of 6. Both these examples are good strong arguments and support his belief that the American school system has given children a better imagination by introducing creative thinking in class. But then again his personal sources are weak evidence towards making a conclusion that (2007) imagination helps children to learn because it can help them to visualize what they are learning. This idea is also drawn from his son’s life, but is not supported by any other evidence than what he believes. Additionally he feels like the education system took away an important factor in his learning; the ability to â€Å"experiment freely with ideas† (Ho, 2007, p. 113) and gain confidence. (2007) When looking at the quality of the school one does not include the factor of freedom but only how knowledgeable a student is. Consequently this takes him to the counter part of his story were his son was awarded for using his imagination in an essay at school. The evidence strengthens Ho’s argument of that the school system gives a student freedom to choose and gain more confidence when awarded for trying new ways. When looking at the quality of his sources the argumentative appeal weakens a lot. He draws a conclusion from his own experience and assumes that â€Å"disgruntled American parents forget†¦[that] their children are able to experiment freely with ideas† (Ho, 2007, p. 113). If he would have had a supporting source to this claim, rather than only his own experience the argument would stand much stronger. Ho’s next evidence is based on his statement where he admits (2007)â€Å"that American education does not meet high standards† (p. 113) but only because of how the system is now. If one would make American education meet high standards, students wouldn’t be able to function in the way they do now. This is the weakest point of Ho’s argumentative appeal. The argument in some sort misleading because he is later claiming that â€Å"Our public education certainly is not perfect, but it is a great deal better than any other† (Ho, 2007, p. 114). When combining these two ideas he’s saying that (2007) a school system that does not meet high standards in basic courses is basically still a great deal better than any other because of the creativity and confidence it gives students. Ho wants to keep the school system how it is now and not put any more stress on the students with providing them with a higher quality education. Here again Ho doesn’t cite any of his sources. How can he know that providing students with a higher quality education will make them not function the way they do now. It is no doubt that the American school system is bad, but there is no proof that making it better would â€Å"retard their impulses, [and] frustrate their opportunities for self-expression† (Ho, 2007, p. 113). Overall the argumentative appeal in this argument is weak because of the lack of sources and misleading evidence but leads you in some way towards his overall belief. Finally, Ho argues that (2007) critics of American education do not understand the real purpose of the education. In all studies that are done on education the only measurement that has been left out is freedom. He explains that it’s omitted because people have never had freedom in education and therefor never seen the positive effects. To clarify this he applies this to that the importance of freedom in education â€Å"extends even to children the license to freely speak, write and be creative† (Ho, 2007, p. 114). Here Ho relates the first amendment into to right to freely speak or write. This makes a lot stronger evidence for his argument. But on the other side he still doesn’t cite any of his sources and in particular the last sentence were he writes â€Å"Our public education certainly is not perfect, but is a great deal better than any other† (Ho, 2007, p. 114). These words are very strong and almost make it look like he exaggerates to make his cause clearer. Ho is right in some way of his saying but from the general public viewpoint he is wrong. If Ho look at school as an institution that is supposed to teach students to experiment with ideas and fulfill their creativity he is absolutely right. However this is not the real purpose of school. School is an institution made for students to gain knowledge and not mental skills. Ho has several good arguments for his cause but I think his arguments are not strong enough. The starting argument I would say connects to the topic well, but is not very strong. The reason the US is a country of innovation is not only because of the school system, there is other more important factors that made this happened. Later he draws a conclusion about that children need the American school system the way it is to function. This is a little less good of an argument, he doesn’t cite the evidence anywhere and here a chance he made this up by himself. Continuing on, he claims that increasing the quality of the school will retard student’s impulses. This claim is also vague. There is no evidence of this happening, and he doesn’t say that it has even been tried. At last he finishes of saying that American education is good enough the way it is now. I would say I disagree with him at this point. American education does provide a lot of freedom in education, but this generates a lot lower level of knowledge and therefor goes against what education really is about, to learn as much as possible and get a broader perspective of the world.

Components of American Economic Growth between 1820-1860 Essay

Despite the thrust of the Jeffersonians towards agrarian reliance and its expansion, by 1820 however, the American economy was moving more towards industry and technology. American economic growth was â€Å"linked to and influenced by events elsewhere in the world particularly in Great Britain which was the home of the Industrial Revolution. † The advance of industrialization fueled economic growth. There were the technological innovations that allowed for the increase in production. With the factory system, we see for the first time that goods were produced faster than the population could grow. It was fortunate that the United States has abundant supply of natural resources or raw materials necessary for the production of goods. Moreover, with increasing European migration to the Americas, the demand for additional workers necessary for economic expansion was met. There were other factors that contributed to this continued development. Improved transportation played a key role. There was a time that the Federalists and anti-Federalists were arguing against the viability and management of a continued expansion. This has now been rendered moot as canal-building projects in the 1820’s and 1830’s and the construction of the railroads which dramatically transformed this situation. Moreover, it was also instrumental in bringing about economic and geographic expansion. â€Å"Canals and railroads provided farmers, merchants and manufacturers with cheap and reliable access to markets and goods and encouraged Americans to settle the frontier and cultivate virgin lands. † Before the canals, the freight rates were prohibitive and it was not financially viable to produce more that the local market. Then, seeing Britain’s success with the steam-powered railways, the U. S. followed suit with the construction of its railroads which does not freeze over unlike canals. With railroad expansion, the U. S. experiences faster economic growth. â€Å"Goods, people, commercial information flowed even more predictably, rapidly and cheaply. † As well, improved transportation â€Å"stimulated agricultural expansion and regional specialization. † Rather than produce diverse products for local consumption, they can just import staples from other regions and focus instead on producing products that are high yield and suitable to their soil and climate. Hence, by the late 1830’s â€Å"the old Northwest had become the country’s granary while New England farmers turned to dairy products. † Then there was the infusion of capital from foreign investors and from the fast-growing merchant class. There were new investments and the rise of new enterprise. While cities had the major share of factory concentration which led to urbanization, there were one or two factories as well which located in the smaller towns. Local and state governments did their share in encouraging entrepreneurship by passing laws of incorporation, granting tax breaks or monopolistic control, underwriting bonds for improvement projects and provision of loans. Judicial decisions also created ownership and concept of property rights and the binding nature of contracts. There was also the rapid spread of education that fostered innovation, productivity, discipline and skills development. Then, there were the intangible factors. The Americans in this era were simply thinking differently. The entrepreneurial outlook was present and there was a constant drive for change and improvement. Work Cited â€Å"Economic Transformations in the Northeast and the Old Northwest. † Name of Book. XXX ed. Year Published.