Saturday, September 7, 2019
On Being an Atheist Essay Example for Free
On Being an Atheist Essay In this article McCloskey writes what he believes as truth in the world we live in. He states that theists believe in a God and that they have ââ¬Å"proofsâ⬠that this God exists. In the article he addresses these ââ¬Å"proofsâ⬠and in a very academic and respectful way tears them down. He attempts to eliminate all possibilities of the existence of God, through what he calls ââ¬Å"reasons why I believe that atheism is a much more comfortable belief than theism, and why theist should be miserable just because they are theists. â⬠The first issue that McCloskey references to is the ââ¬Å"proofsâ⬠that Christians hold to prove that God exist, but as we learned in one of our PointeCast presentations, the reasons Christians believe in God are not exactly proofs, because they cannot scientifically or in any way prove to a point that God does in fact exist. These reasons are arguments, theories and carefully thought out propositions that try their hardest to justify what we believe in. Because of this McCloskey argues that humans should give up on the notion that God exists, yet since there also no way to prove that God does not exist, McCloskey is defeated by his own logic. So if humans are to give up on both the notion that there is or is not a God, then that leaves us with nothing whatsoever to believe in. There is no way to prove that God does or does not exist, what I might believe to be a strong argument for the existence of God, and atheist such as McCloskey might deem nonsense. These ââ¬Å"proofsâ⠬ are simply and objective argument for the existence of God, thus have to be taken as valid argument, propositions, and theory and not as tangible proof. McCloskey dissects three major arguments being the cosmological proof, theà theological proof, and the argument from design. He takes all these arguments and picks them apart for both atheist and theist to see what he is trying to prove. In all honesty in some cases in these arguments of his I can see what he is trying to prove, yet in the end I have no sense of what he has accomplished with his arguments if he himself cannot prove that God does not exist. The first argument that McCloskey addresses is the Cosmological proof. He states that we cannot possibly assume without proof on an ââ¬Å"an all-powerful, all-perfect, uncaused causeâ⬠and to this notion I somewhat agree. The reason being is that this argument does not specify the qualities of a god that could create the universe as it is. Thus the argument simply states that there must have been a first cause or there would have been infinite regress, or in other words gods and that is what the argument is trying to avoid. The next argument that McCloskey addresses is the Theological proof. He states that there cannot be indisputable proofs and examples of design that the whole argument becomes invalid. In this case he is again defeated by his own logic; because once again there is no way that any arguments attempting to prove that God does not exist are indisputable as well. In the world we live we must believe in what we as individuals take to as truth, since there is no possible way that a person can prove or disprove that God does or does not exist. McCloskey is attempting to support his arguments so hard that in the essence of itself he is defeating himself without realizing it. I believe that a perfect example of intelligent design is the human body. There is no possible way that such a complex and amazing creation came from a bunch of cells meshing together. Our bodies are built to live on the earth in a way that is amazingly thought out. The body is functioning, living organism in and of itself with thousands of different parts and pieces all working together to accomplish one goal: to live. The human body is the perfect example to show that intelligent design was indeed included in the universe and in the world today. Though this does not prove that there is one God, it does prove that there is a higher being that created what we areà today. I do not object to the thought of microevolution or even evolution itself, but I do not believe that evolution exterminates the need for intelligent design and a creator. Evolutionists believe that there exist the ââ¬Å"perfect conditionâ⬠as to what created the cosmos and the world around us, yet all the experiments to prove that this event took place have failed. Again there is the fact that we cannot prove or disprove this belief, while the experiments have failed; there is no way to go back in time and to prove that it indeed does not exist. Yet people must take into account that evolution does not cancel out God, in fact why couldnââ¬â¢t it have been God himself that created the ââ¬Å"perfect conditionâ⬠that brought into place evolution. McCloskey also addresses the fact that there is imperfection and evil in the world, he states that there could not possibly be a God who would allow this. First of all, the cosmological proof in itself does not tell us the characteristic of the creator, simply that there is one. Secondly a person who believes in God would tell you that there is evil in the world because God gave his creation the right to choose. The choice of the first man and woman of the world which God created chose to sin and brought evil into the world. There is also the fact that I believe McCloskey is being quite bold by stating that there is no divine purpose. After all he is simply a person in the world; he himself is not the creator and definitely does not have all the knowledge of the universe. The fact that McCloskey brings up the presence of evil is quite understandable. I completely understand where he is coming from and have had experiences in my own life with people like this. This is actually a very common argument among atheist and McCloskey is not an exception. It is sometimes hard to accept that fact that evil sometime does in fact fall into Godââ¬â¢s Will, even some theist have trouble with the problem of evil when they themselves believe in a ââ¬Å"good Godâ⬠. In this argument I honestly have trouble as well. It is hard to justify a good personââ¬â¢s murder, or the rape of a young child, or the death of thousands because of a natural disaster. Yet inà the depths of my heart I personally believe that when God created the world it was not as such, it was perfect. When sin entered into the world it brought the evil as well. As for why God allows such evil to take place, that is a harder question and an even more difficult answer. I was brought up to believe that when God sees his creation in pain, it hurts him too; there have been times when I have questioned why God allows certain evils in our lives. The truth is there is no arguments that can make a person feel better in the face of child abuse, rape, murder, suicide, and even natural disasters, yet in the moments when people are hurting the most is when they turn to God. Thus I believe that is the way in which we see the reason there is evil in the world. God did not create the world with evil in place, but he did create a creation that could choose for their selves. Thus in essence the human race suffers from our own choices. McCloskey makes some very valid arguments yet I find that most of them stand empty handed. McCloskey also questions why God would not create a human race with free will to always to choose what is right. To this statement I honestly believe that would not be freewill. The reason that God created man with free will was so that he could love God of his own free will. If God had created man to the point where he could only choose what was good and right then in essence it would not have been free will at all. The beauty of having free will is the fact that God lets you choose, though he knows the choices that you will make, the choices are yours. Whether to love God or to reject God, free will cannot be controlled for then it would not be free will at all. At the end of his article McCloskey states that atheism is a much more comforting belief than theism. He uses the example of an ill child that was dying and that he would find no comfort in knowing there was a God. I on the other hand find that if there was no God and man was here on earth simply to be and that there was no reason for living that the death of a child would be unimportant. This might sounds very cruel but it is the truth. If there is no reason to live then dying is not much of an issue, since there is no afterlife simply the life we have here on earth. I find the fact of not knowing what will happen after death disconcerting. To know that when I die I will be in heaven with God is more than enough to help me through thisà life on earth. Atheism to me is a sad religion with no reason for the existence of man. Heaven holds so much for the believer, peace, no pain, and an eternal home with God. Atheism to me is the religion that is the most miserable to live with, not theism. The greatest reason being that if there is no God, no afterlife, no salvation; then when death is on your doorsteps there is no hope only despair and fear of the nothingness beyond the grave. I cannot live believing there is no reason to live here on earth, knowing God loves and has a place for me in heaven is what helps me live on this Earth. References Craig, William L. Reasonable faith: Christian truth and apologetics. 3rd Ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008. 71-90. Evans, C. S., Manis, R. Z. Philosophy of religion: Thinking about faith. 2nd Ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. McCloskey, H. J. Question 1: On being an atheist. 1968. 51-54.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Ethics in Grant Essay Example for Free
Ethics in Grant Essay Ethics is described as moral principles and obligations that determine the wrongness and correctness of actions. It is associated with values and righteousness of every individual conduct. As a human being we are responsible for our actions and we have moral obligations for the welfare of others. Ethics cover our everyday life from what we think, decisions we make our philosophy and behavior to our everyday actions. In different professional field, standard and code of ethics are practiced to ensure proper conduct and behavior of those involved in the field. Ethics in grant has always been controversial. Issues associated with ethical behavior often arise from grant projects. The involvement of large amount of money causes the issues and suspicion to rise. An example of an issue that may arise from a grant project is commissioning. Commission refers to the fee paid to an employee after venturing to a successful business or closing a deal. However, professional organizations and funders consider commissioning unethical in nature. This is because compensation with regards to commissioning based on charitable contributions and donations are ugly site to see. Unlike salesmen, who get a cut from the proceeds they made, professionals who are involved in grant projects are considered skilled and talented people who lend and utilized their expertise in order to obtain huge support and following for the work and project that an organization is aiming to achieve. These are usually projects that requires huge amount of funding. If commissions are paid in favor of the grant workers in order to generate money, it would seems people are working because of the money involved and not because of the dedication one has to obtain support for the completion of the project In fact, the Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practices of the Association of Fundraising Professional, clearly outlines that compensation based on a percentage of fundraising should not be accepted. Sincerity and honesty is another issue that that is usually associated with Grant projects. Honesty comes into play when errors are committed while the project is being done. This happens when proposals made is not enough for the project to be successful and major changes are needed. Employees often resort to covering things up in an effort to conceal the miscalculations and mistakes done during proposal. Cover up is done because the fear of losing the funder since the original plans agreed upon fail to materialize. Employees then tend to lie and pretend everything runs smoothly. To prevent ethical issues rising from Grant Projects, it is important to be honest and to tell everything that that is going on to the funder. By being honest, one can earn the funderââ¬â¢s trust and trust is important in every project to be successful. Furthermore, Grant makers and funders appreciate sincerity and honesty and they are open to changes from original plans that have been set, since changes that are made will yield promising results for the project. If an error with the project has been discovered, it is necessary to report at once. Also, it would be ethical to issue an apology if things are not carried out properly as promised. With the huge sum of money involved in Grant Projects, it will be helpful for anyone to be honest in every little way to prevent ethical issues from occurring. Sincerity for the projectââ¬â¢s completion and the responsibility one owes from the funder and from those who support the organization in building the project should make one realize the misconduct of falling into the temptation the large sum of money brings. One should understand that an arrangement in which one obtain a kickback is unethical. To preserve oneââ¬â¢s name and his reputation as a person and professional one must keep away from doing them.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Effects of Groupthink in an Organisation
Effects of Groupthink in an Organisation Introduction The paper aims to assess the relationship between groupthink and team performance. First, it will review the conceptualisations of groupthink to analyse the effects of groupthink in organisations, focusing how it is formed and its manifestation in organizational performance, especially in group decision making. Secondly, my study will explain whether or not groupthink affects organisational performance through an analysis of the existent theory by Irving. L. Janis and the empirical studies conducted to examine the groupthink and group performance link. Finally, my paper shows some recommendations which reduce negative impacts of groupthink in workplace. Within my study, I also will support ideas by giving implications about groupthink in organisations in the light of theory. In the past several decades, there has been a substantial increase in emphasis on organisation behaviour literature, focusing on group decision making (Branstatter et al, 1982; Kerr and Tindale, 2004). The utilisation of group decision making, conducted in different type of tasks, has been credited with various benefits including improved productivity and enhancement of the quality of work life (Troopman, 1980). However, many researchers also review a potential problem that occurs within groups and that can dramatically hinder group effectiveness from their performance. This disease can be referred to as ââ¬Ëgroupthinkââ¬â¢, which is presented the first time in 1972 by Irving L. Janis. The main point of theory on which Janis has been suggested is that the poor decisions of group suffering from groupthink derive from a strong concurrence-seeking tendency that suppresses collective decision-making processes, and leads to fiascos (Janis, 1972). Based on his achievement, a large bo dy of research has shown a conscious awareness of the psychological phenomenon of groupthink as well as formulates some simple strategies to avoid it. A review of groupthink According to Janis (1972), groupthink is described as a ââ¬Å"mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the membersââ¬â¢ striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative course of actionâ⬠(1972, p.9). Based on this theory, it is suspected that groupthink occurs when group membersââ¬â¢ motivation for unanimity and agreement such as consensus overrules their motivation to evaluate carefully benefits of decisions as well as expression of deviant or minority opinions (Janis, 1972; Robbins and Judge, 2013). Many studies have evidenced that groups and teams can develop a high level of cohesiveness which tends to result in better performance. However, a considerable disadvantage of highly cohesive groups is that their decision making ability can be drastically restricted by Janisââ¬â¢s groupthink hypothesis. Indeed, strong cohesive groups, where group members are friendly and respec tful of otherââ¬â¢s opinions, can contribute to faulty decisions and a policy fiasco when such groups are immersed in poor decision making process under in-group pressures (Eaton, 2001). With the same view, in other words, Fincham and Rhodes (1999) argued that highly cohesive groups can create the pressures of conformity that reduce reflexivity, impeding membersââ¬â¢ judgement and their ability to reach a correct decision. From this point, it is clearly seen that each member of a group finds it comfortable to be in agreement, following a positive part of the group, rather than to be an opposing force, even if this factor is potential to enhance the efficiency of the groupââ¬â¢s decisions. This reveals a reality that individuals who have different opinions from that of the dominant majority have a tendency to withhold or modify their true feelings and beliefs, which leads to distort the decision making process (Robbins and Judge, 2013). In addition, Knights et al (2007) beli eved that groupthink can cause a disadvantage when learning activities stopped as any further development was largely stagnated by a consensus that was more based upon a withdrawal of respect than upon a useful critical insight to assessment of different information and alternative options. Therefore, when the group is attacked by groupthink, the problems are usually discussed and examined in an uncertain way, leaving many possible solutions and useful ideas (Knights et al, 2007). One of the clearest examples of groupthink which can be considered is the the explosion of the NASA Shuttle Challenger, 73 seconds after it launched in January 1986, killing seven astronauts. The disasters could have been easily prevented if the NASA team noticed the concerns from engineers on the readiness and safety of the Shuttleââ¬â¢s structure before it were launched (Moorhead et al, 1991). It could be concluded that groupthink impede the voices of members of the group who have their own opinions b ut are marginalised, and maintain an illusion of group unanimity, which may invalidate team performance and contribute in creating fiascos (Knights et al, 2007). In addition, many researchers studied that the effectiveness of directive leadership is also one of the factors related to groupthink (Flowers, 1977; Mullen et al, 1994). They claimed that directive leadership has a weak connection with information being considered by the group, the discouragement of dissent, fewer solutions being found and more self-censorship by members (Flowers, 1977; Leana, 1985; Moorhead and Montanari, 1986). Based on previous studies, Moorhead et al (1998) believed that individualsââ¬â¢ opinions may be prevented from group interaction if there appears a strong leadership and group members just only follow their leaders without sufficient critical evaluation. For example, if the leader of the group suggests unethical ideas, and the group cannot control the rules to prescribe ethical behaviour, poor decision may be shaped (Sims, 1992). Similarly, Huczynski and Buchanan (2013) concluded that if the group leaders consider their position from the beginning and ap pear to have a strong preference for a particular goal, the groups tend to support their leaderââ¬â¢s idea and do not have a chance to suggest alternative information or solutions. Research on symptoms of groupthink Groupthink, in most of viewpoints, is considered as a threat of organization. Fortunately, Janis (1972, 1982) described eight symptoms categorised in three types of characteristics which were experienced from the fiascos and serve as the powerful tool for recognising the existence of groupthink. They are: overestimation of the group (illusion of invulnerability; belief in inherent morality), closed-mindedness (collective rationalisations, stereotyped images of out-groups), and pressure towards uniformity (self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, direct pressures on dissenters, self-appointed mindguards) (Janis, 1972; Hart, 1991). These symptoms, according to Janis (1972), are considered as a collection of a concurrence-seeking tendency that can fade group decision making process and lead to fiascos, and even disasters. In his research, concurrence-seeking plays a vital role in collective decision making process; but, it will become excessive when it occurs too early in a limited acces s. In addition, Hart (1991) pointed that the signal of excessive concurrence-seeking can be derived from the pressures toward uniformity, and concurrence-seeking takes places in the context of misguide policy from the other two types of characteristics. However, According to Choi and Kim (1999), not all symptoms of groupthink tend to be associated with the others. Their study evidenced that pressure on dissenters, collective rationalisations, and self-censorship tend to be positively associated with each other but negatively associated with the belief in the illusion of invulnerability, the groupââ¬â¢s inherent morality, and the illusion of unanimity. From that point, they also suggested that groupthink symptoms reflect two different processes that may occur in collective decision making: the positive correlations between the illusions of invulnerability and unanimity with the belief in the group morality, contrary to the emergence of mindguards, self-censorship, pressure on diss enters, and stereotypes of outgroups. Similarly, Park (2000) examined symptoms of groupthink based on the groupthink modelââ¬â¢s Janis and went to a conclusion that the symptom groupings tend to produce negative correlations across the divergent processes. This strengthens for the argument of Longley and Pruit (1980) that the symptoms of groupthink have a strong connection with defective decision making process which would qualify as high quality. How to avoid groupthink It is clearly seen that groupthink is an invisible barrier that causes negative effects on group decision making process and lead to serious consequences. However, Janisââ¬â¢s achievement on groupthink theory has paved the way for researchers finding methods to avoid this phenomenon. Macleod (2011) suggested that it is important for managers to foster group cohesiveness along with a shared sense of professional solidarity. At the same time, it is also important to create an impartial comfort zone in which each member of a group is encouraged to have an active voice in the exchange of ideas and in the evaluation of options. Moreover, relevant outside input should be welcomed as a means of providing diverse information and broadening the extent of collaboration. Conclusion In conclusion, a large body of research has examined the negative impacts of groupthink to organisation, focusing on group decision making. All of them are reviewed and examined meticulously from the Janisââ¬â¢s groupthink hypothesis, which claimed that groupthink is clearly seen as an enemy of creativity, bringing threats and major blunders (Simone, 2008). Indeed, groupthink leads to group decision making failures which come from the highly cohesive groups and the strong directive leadership (Flower, 1977; Leana, 1985; Hart, 1991). Developed from this point, before groupthink becomes a potential pitfall in group decision making, controlled attempts to understand its symptoms are not only desirable but highly necessary. If people can do that, the groupthink framework can be applied effectively to analyse defective decision processes and propose recommendations to avoid groupthink in work organisations. Therefore, it is necessary to have more research on the potential threats to ef fective group decision making caused by groupthink to get deeper insight into this phenomenon as well as improve the further ideas and continuous in-depth research for groups.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Identifying QUALCOMM Intellectual Property :: essays research papers
Report on Identifying and Protecting QUALCOMM Inc. Intellectual Property Introduction QUALCOMM Incorporated is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM has boasted more than 3,000 patent portfolios in wireless industry and has licensed its essential CDMA patent portfolio to more than 125 telecommunications equipment manufacturers worldwide. Under the protection of those IP, QUALCOMM continues to enable the enterprise, network operators and manufacturers, developers and wireless end-users by providing technology innovation and leadership in the telecommunications industry worldwide. This paper will give you a brief analysis on the key forms of QUALCOMM IP, the potential threats and also a general framework to effectively address the intellectual property issues and manage the legal IP risks. QUALCOMM originally made its name known through pioneering and commercializing its CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) digital wireless technology, is now one of the leading enablers of 3G wireless products and services. QUALCOMM spearheads the evolution and growth of 3G wireless by developing CDMA2000à ® 1X, 1xEV-DO and WCDMA (UMTS) chipsets and end-to-end solutions for network operators and equipment manufactures, as well as other participants in the wireless value chain such as applications developers, publishers and content providers. CDMA works by converting speech into digital information, which is then transmitted as a radio signal over a wireless network. Using a unique code to distinguish each different call, CDMA provides excellent voice capacity and data capability by enabling many more people to share the airwaves at the same time---without static, cross-talk or interference. Because of its advantage, CDMA serves as the foundation for 3G services worldwide. QUALCOMMââ¬â¢s major products and services are generated by three categories of technologies. First is CDMA2000 1x & CDMA2000 1xEV-DO chipsets and solutions, which provide voice and data capabilities within a standard 1.25 MHz CDMA channel for outstanding spectral efficiency and flexibility. Developed as a direct evolution from the previous generation of proven CDMA systems, QUALCOMMââ¬â¢s CDMA2000 technologies provide the easiest, most cost-effective path to 3G services for CDMA operators. The second product the company supplies is Wideband CDMA (UMTS) chipsets and solutions, an approved 3G standard that uses 5 MHz channels for both voice and data. In the area of WCDMA (UMTS) development, QUALCOMM developed the worldââ¬â¢s first commercially available, fully integrated WCDMA (UMTS) chipset solutions and now offers complete solutions to support high-speed WCDMA (UMTS) networks worldwide.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Essay on Dignity of the African People in Chinua Achebes Things Fall A
Dignity of the African People Conveyed in Things Fall Apart In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, it is shown that the African people had their own complex culture before the Europeans decided to "pacify" them. The idea that the dignity of these people has been greatly compromised is acknowledged in the essay "The Role of the Writer," which is explanatory of Achebe's novels. A writer trying to capture the truth of a situation that his readers may know little or nothing about needs a sense of history in order to appropriately address the topic. It is not enough "to beat" another writer to the issue. Writers should make the attempt to express a deeper understanding. Without proper mental investment in a written work, the product will be a shallow representation of what it is meant to convey. Achebe chose to write his novel realistically. He includes the beauty of the Ibo's culture, as well as the gruesome. He recorded that a man might help kill his own adopted son for fear that he would be "thought weak." He also revealed that newborn twins were thrown away. Along with the "great depth" comes tragedy, but all of the details were required to make an accurate presentation of the subject. The writer must understand that the truth is not selective to the pleasant facts. The District Commissioner believed that it was important that he "be firm in cutting out the details" and decreed that a paragraph would suffice for the explanation of Okonkwo. However, Achebe, in essence, wrote an entire novel about this character. It is arrogant to believe that the complete understanding of a human being can be accomplished so easily. The character of the District Commissioner is a prime example of a biased ... ...priciously without consideration to the public's attention to written news. Care must be taken and time set aside to allow for every needed aspect of a literary work to develop. Writing for expediency often excludes the "value and beauty" in the culture of the Africans. Fallacious arguments and insincere statements result from hastening a document. Writers have the opportunity to "tell the people" the harsh realities of the past. Each one who writes about the colonial period has the choice to just write something or to write something substantial. The goal of a writer should be to influence the world for the better. With a proper attitude towards the material, knowledge of the history, and care taken for the preparation, the dignity and self-respect lost to the African people can be regained, and many can know "where the rain began to beat them."
Monday, September 2, 2019
How to format a hard drive :: essays research papers
How to Format Your Hard Drive You had a long day at work; the traffic is bumper to bumper on the freeway. You are almost home and you get pulled over and cited a speeding ticket. You finally get home and get on your computer to research some lawyers to get out of that speeding ticket and your computer seems to be not acting right. Well it is time to format the hard drive. If you are like most computer owners, you understand how frustrating and expensive a computer can be. Taking your computer to the repair shop and paying high technician fees can be a thing of the past. Follow my directions and you will not ever have to worry about keeping your computer running again. Before you begin, you need to have a computer and a basic understanding of how it operates. You will need a few 3.5-inch floppy disks, a startup disk, and an operating system disk. The startup disk is a disk that was made especially for your computer. It tells the computer what hardware it has and which type of operating system is going to be installed. The operating system disk is, for most personal home computers, Microsoft Windows. Today the Windows versions would most likely be Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 S.E., Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Windows X.P. If you have the floppy disks, the startup disk and the operating system disk then you are ready for the next step. Now, you need to decide which (if any) information you do not want erased. This information will be saved on a 3.5-inch floppy. To save on a 3.5-inch floppy you need to insert the disk into the skinny hole on your tower making sure to keep the shiny side down. The drive that you inserted the disk into is called the A-drive. After your disk is inserted into the A-drive open the file you wish to save. Click on the word file and a drop down menu appears. On the drop down menu you will see a list of options. Click on save as. Another window will open and ask you where you would like to save the file and what you would like to name it. Type the name of the file and click on A-drive 3.5 floppy. Do this with everything that you do not want to lose. When you have finished saving, take a deep breath.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
ââ¬ÅCannon Fodderââ¬Â and ââ¬ÅThe Armisticeââ¬Â Essay
The two poems are both written during the time of the First World War, and reflect the emotions felt towards the war. Both poets have different experiences of the war, yet share a common grief. They reflect their grief and other emotions through their use of language. In the poem ââ¬Å"cannon Fodderâ⬠, Wilfred Owen tries to convey to the reader the terror that he felt when discovering the corpse of the soldier seven days after his death. Owen uses very powerful imagery to show the reader the horror of the corpse: ââ¬Å"Feeling the damp, chill circlet of flesh Loosen its hold On muscles and sinews and bonesâ⬠This represents the decay and decomposition of the corpse, and he shows us the horror of seeing the extent of the decay by using a metaphor. The flesh isnââ¬â¢t really holding on to the dead soldiers body, but it is there to inform us that it is falling apart. Owen also tries to convey to the reader the feeling of futility towards the war. He shows the pointlessness of it all by using rhetorical questions: ââ¬Å"Is death really a sleep?â⬠The soldier who has discovered the corpse is asking the corpse this question, but of course, the soldier will get no answer because he is talking to a dead man. This task in itself is pointless, and reminds us just how pointless all of the war seems to Owen. Owen also uses a lot of Prefixes on words instead of using a different word. This can change the mood of a sentence: ââ¬Å"Uncared for in the unowned placeâ⬠The use of the suffixes makes the place sound so desolate, that it is not worth dying for. The place is called ââ¬Å"no mans landâ⬠, and this is why it is referred to as unknown. Uncared makes us feel that there is no recognition of the bravery of the soldier, or for the respect to bring his body in from no mans land. In Owenââ¬â¢s poem, we also feel for the soldier who found the corpse. He thinks back to what the dead soldiers life at home was probably like. This makes us feel as though the soldier wishes he was at home, feeling all of the comforts presented in the soldiers thoughts: ââ¬Å"But at home by the fireâ⬠The word but instantly indicates that the mood of the poem is about to change, and that the reader is about to see a contrast between what they have just read, and what they are about to read. Owen also uses his line structure to add power to the words and the meaning he is trying to convey: ââ¬Å"Your bright-limbed lover is lying out there Deadâ⬠The last line of the quote is very emphatic and powerful, because death is such a strong word and it is being used alone, almost being used as a false stop to the idyllic life being lived by the dead soldiers lover. During stanzas two, three and four, Wilfred Owen uses the soldier to try and tell the story for the people back home by using the context that they will understand: ââ¬Å"O mother, sewing by candlelight, Put away that stuff.â⬠This quote was used to show the reader that the war would affect them back at home almost as badly as the soldiers are feeling it over in France. In stanzas two, three and four, one can detect a large amount of bitterness, and possibly anger, yet the anger is conveyed more subtly than in poems like ââ¬Å"dulcet et decorum etâ⬠where the stanzas are set out almost like tirades. We detect this bitterness by the rudeness to the people back at home. In stanzas three and four, he even tells the mother and the lover what to do. In the poem, ââ¬Å"The Armisticeâ⬠by May Wedderburn Cannan, the reader feels some entirely different emotions than the ones conveyed in ââ¬Å"Cannon Fodderâ⬠. The first different emotion that the reader detects from the poem is relief. The whole office feels this, as it descends in chaos: ââ¬Å"One said, ââ¬Å"itââ¬â¢s over, over, itââ¬â¢s the end: The War is over: endedâ⬠The reader can feel the hustle and bustle of the people in the office, as their excitement and relief boil over. This is shown by the repetition in the workers speech. They repeat the words end and over. This is to stress the key fact that the killing will come to an end, and that their families and loved ones will get them back. In the second stanza, the workers also being to recollect: ââ¬Å"I canââ¬â¢t remember life without the warâ⬠This shows that to the people, war had become a way of life, and that people had forgotten their old lives. The fact that the people are reflecting about the war is good, because it shows their concern and respect for the men on the front line, and this is probably Wedderburn Cannanââ¬â¢s subtle way of saying thank you to the men who were frontline. The reader can also detect feelings of isolation from the two women left behind after the others leave the room: ââ¬Å"Big empty roomâ⬠This suggests that the women do not feel left behind by the other staff, but left behind by their men who went and fought, and died in the army. The big empty room is a metaphor for the womenââ¬â¢s empty hearts now that the loves of their lives have left them for good. The reader is also given a view of the idyllic thoughts that one of the women is thinking about the front line: ââ¬Å"It will be quiet tonight Up at the front: first time in all these years, And no one will be killed there anymoreâ⬠This is an idyllic view of the frontline, however it is also ironic, because it is a well-documented fact that lives were lost even after the armistice because it took a while for news to spread of the end of the war. It is also a little upsetting, because these menââ¬â¢s lives are being lost in vain. Wedderburn Cannan also makes us feel empathy towards the two female characters at the end of the poem: ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s over for me tooâ⬠¦my man was killed, Woundedâ⬠¦and diedâ⬠The pauses in the dialogue make the reader feel that the woman is struggling to force back tears. It also makes us feel that maybe she is contemplating what the future holds, and reflecting on her dead husband. The poem comes to an extremely sombre ending, and this is very similar to the ending of the war: ââ¬Å"Peace could not give back her dead.â⬠This makes us feel that the whole war was worthless. Even in the times of peace, people like the woman in the poem are still feeling the grief that devastation of the war had caused. The two poems are from different times, wartime and post-war but the anti-war message is still the same and is still being utilised effectively by the strong language used in both poems. In ââ¬Å"Cannon Fodderâ⬠, Wilfred Owen displays to us the full of horror of the war in gory detail, whilst in ââ¬Å"The Armisticeâ⬠, the horror of the war is the loneliness of the people left behind. Whereas Owen uses shock tactics to put his message across, Wedderburn Cannan tries to draw the readerââ¬â¢s empathy instead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)