Modern-Day Film Version of A Tale of Two Cities essays

Modern-Day Film Version of A Tale of Two Cities essays The year is 2001. Chuck Dickens has just finished work on his eighth major motion picture at Universal. Each of his films grosses higher than the one before. He's the hottest screenwriter in this day and age. Is this real? Well, no. But could it have possibly been? Of course. What would Charles Dickens be like if he was alive today and writing for television or motion pictures? Would he be as popular now as he was in the nineteenth century? What kind of stories and characters would he create? Who would star in his works, such as A Tale of Two Cities? These questions are easily answered. Dickens was a writer of great popularity during his lifetime. His characters captured the hearts and imaginations of his readers. His novels were affordable to the public, due to the fact that they were published in small segments or serials. His style of writing would not change. Dickens was able to write books that were obscure and experimental, yet could engage the passions of the people. Current novelists today, such as Steven King, use intertwining plots and quick pacing like Dickens did. If Dickens lived in the present day, he would undoubtedly be just as popular as he was during his own time. Charles Dickens' writing was known to be steeped in social criticism. Having lived in industrialized England, he noticed the plight of the urban poor. He was passionate about better provision for the poor and a better standard of living and the spread of standard education for all. Although these problems were overcome by the twentieth century, there are still many issues in which Dickens would have written about. Some such issues could be the corrupt police force, child prostitution, and abusive parents. Dickens' stories would continue to address many social problems, as they did in the past. Dickens' characters would also have the same characteristics as those from his previous novels. Some characters, such as Madame Defarge and ...

Using City Directories for Genealogy Research

Using City Directories for Genealogy Research For anyone researching ancestors in a city or larger community, standard genealogical resources often fall short. Newspapers generally mention only the influential, interesting or most newsworthy residents. Land records offer little help when researching renters. Census records dont tell the stories of individuals who moved multiple times between census years. Cities, however, offer an invaluable historical and genealogical resource not available to those of us researching rural ancestors- namely, city directories. City directories offer anyone conducting family history research in a city or large town a nearly annual census of city residents, as well as a window into the community in which they lived. Genealogists all know the value of placing an ancestor in a particular time and place, but city directories can also be used to follow an individuals occupation, place of employment, and place of residence, as well as potentially identify life events such as marriages and deaths. Looking beyond the names of your ancestors, city directories also provide invaluable insight into your ancestors community, often including sections on neighborhood churches, cemeteries, and hospitals, plus organizations, clubs, associations, and societies. Information Often Found in City Directories Name and occupation of head of household (often men and female widows; later single employed females)Name of spouse (often in parentheses following name of husband; mid to late 19th century)Sometimes the names of children, often only those employed outside the homeStreet name and house number of residenceOccupationWork address (if employed outside the home) Tips for Research in City Directories Abbreviations were often used in city directories to save printing space and costs. Locate (and make a copy) of the list of abbreviations, usually located near the front of the directory, to learn that n Fox St. indicates near Fox St., or that r means resides or, alternatively, rents. Properly translating the abbreviations used in a city directory is essential for correctly interpreting the information it contains. Dont miss the late listing of names received too late for inclusion in the alphabetical portion. This can usually be found located just before or after the alphabetical list of residents and may include people who had recently moved to the area (including those moving within the city limits), as well as individuals the canvasser missed on his initial visit. If youre lucky, you may find a separate list of individuals who migrated from the city (with their new location), or who died within the year. What If I Cant Find My Ancestor? Just who was included in a city directory was up to the discretion of that directorys publisher, and often varied from city to city, or over time. Generally, the earlier the directory, the less information it contains. The earliest directories may list only people of higher status, but directory publishers soon made the attempt to include everyone. Even then, however, not everyone was listed. Sometimes certain parts of town weren’t covered. Inclusion in a city directory was also voluntary (unlike a census), so some people may have chosen not to participate, or were missed because they werent home when the agents came calling. Make sure you have checked every available city directory for the time period when your ancestors were living in the area. People overlooked in one directory may be included in the next. Names were also often misspelled or standardized, so be sure to check name variations. If you can locate a street address for your family from a census, vital, or another record, then many directories also offer a street index. Where to Find City Directories Original and microfilmed city directories can be found in a variety of repositories, and an increasing number are being digitized and made available online. Many may be available either in original format or on microfilm in the library or historical society that covers that particular locality. Many state libraries and historical societies have large city directory collections as well. Major research libraries and archives such as the Library of Congress, Family History Library, and American Antiquarian Society also maintain large collections of microfilmed city directories, for locations across the United States. Over 12,000 city directories for cities across the United States, most from the collection of the Library of Congress, have been microfilmed by Primary Source Media as City Directories of the United States. Their online collection guide lists the cities and directory years included in the collection. The Family History Library Catalog also lists a large collection of city directories, most of which can be borrowed on microfilm for viewing at your local Family History Center. Where to Find Old City Directories Online A large number of city directories can be searched and viewed online, some for free and others as part of various subscription genealogy collections. Large Online City Directory Collections Ancestry.com has one of the largest online collections of city directories, with a focus on coverage between the 1880 and 1900 U.S. federal census, as well as 20th century data. Their U.S. City Directories collection (subscription) offers good search results, but for best results browse directly to the city of interest and then page through the available directories rather than relying on search. The City Directories collection online at subscription-based website Fold3, includes directories for thirty large metropolitan centers in twenty U.S. states. As with the collection at Ancestry.com, better results are achieved by browsing the directories manually rather than relying on search. The Historical Directories Searchable Library is a free website from the University of Leicester in England, with a nice collection of digitized reproductions of local and trade directories for England and Wales for the period 1750–1919. Additional Online Sources for City Directories A number of local and university libraries, state archives and other repositories have digitized city directories and made them available online. Use search terms such as city directory and [your locality name] to find them via your favorite search engine. A number of historical city directories can also be found through online sources for digitized books, such as Internet Archive, Haithi Digital Trust, and Google Books.

Assessment of the Parenting Problems in Society

Assessment of the Parenting Problems in Society Parents Just Dont Understand Before Will Smith started his big solo career as a rap artist, he and his friend, Jazzy Jeff, had a song called, Parents Just Dont Understand. It was a big hit, particularly for youth. The song was about how parents just didnt understand the trends and the way life was in those days for kids. Smith told about situations he had with his parents and his audience could easily relate to these situations, thus, making the song a hit. Smith was right on track with part of his message. Parents just dont understand. They do not understand that their job as parents is to pay attention to how they raise their children. Though there are parents who do a wonderful job raising their children, many parents neglect their responsibility in child development. In this paper, the following will be discussed: the diversion the government makes in the operation of parental duties when it steps in to discipline a young person, and the parents teaching discipline in values and morals. There are times when government action prevents parents from developing the child themselves. According to Liz Seymour, Los Angeles Times staff writer, one instance involves a high school senior. He was not caught with enough marijuana after being pulled over to receive a citation, but his school decided to transfer him to another school 89 days before graduation (Seymour B2). After his parents took the issue to court and won, the senior stayed and did not transfer. The punishment exceeded the severity of the crime. Why did the school system think that exporting this student would help his life and education? A new school will not solve a drug problem. Another case in St. Petersburg reflects another situation with a school. Greg Hamilton composed an article in the Citrus Times that was about a 13-year-old who refused to attend school. After numerous attempts were taken by the court and his mother to keep the child in school, the problem had not been resolved. The court even went so f ar as to try to reach the child by threatening his mother with jail time if she did not keep him in school. Eventually, the child was placed in juvenile detention for a few days and the mother had a weekend vacation in the pen. Did this action help the childs problem? Though there is no definite answer, the verdict may have been a waste of time. As Hamilton puts it, Where is the line between societys role in the raising of a child and that of the parent? (Hamilton 1). It seems the punishment just covered up the problem instead of correcting it. One question: where is the child now? In response to an editorial in The Columbus Dispatch, Marjorie Renspie voiced her opinion stating that parents should be given the chance to raise their children (12A). The situation involved a teen who had done some things that made him a criminal in societys eyes, and the court sent him to a juvenile detention center in Jamaica. Renspie felt that shipping the delinquent to Jamaica prevented the opportun ity for the parents to work with him. Her main argument was that the key influence a child has is its parents. The parents, in Renspies eyes, were the ones who could help this kid and sending him off would not help at all (12A). The parent should raise the child, not society. Yet, in spite of this great idea, still parents do not do the job. Amongst the obstacles parents encounter while developing their children, they overlook a few things in the process. Parents have neglected teaching their children discipline. In the case of the child who refused to attend school, the mother had neglected to teach her son the importance of school attendance. To fill the gap the parent left, the judges rule was so that they would be accountable for themselves (Hamilton 1). Recall the marijuana senior. His parents had not taught him the dangers of drugs and had not engrained in him the discipline to stay away from drugs. Both instances are examples in which the parents had not done their job and society had to step in. Parents simply need to teach discipline. Along with teaching discipline, parents should attend to teaching values and morals so they are not neglected. Hamilton writes that the people who leave their children to be raised by other adults in such things as Little League, school, and church, expect to have all manner of social graces, work ethic, and values instilled in their kids, and will stand ready to jump on the person if it is not done (Hamilton 1). Hamiltons concept: the parents deliberately neglect their role. Why is it that parents think that they can just get away with doing their job? If they are responsible enough to bring the child into the world, they should be responsible enough to teach it and raise it properly. By teaching values and morals, the child will most likely grow up generally feeling better about who they are. The child values itself, and has a sense of self-worth. No longer will the child feel apt to throw their life around as if it is a joke, rather something of value not to take for granted. In M arjorie Renspies letter to the editor, she claims that using drugs, driving recklessly, taking no responsibility for ones well-being and being a threat to society as well as to ones family are much more serious problems (12A). She was leaning towards the severity of the actions of children in the past. Actions in the past included stealing cars, serious vandalism, and other similar instances. For bad seed youth, the roots to their problems start with the individuals themselves. From there, it branches out to worse things. Both the root and branches can be signs of underdevelopment. Here is where the parent receives a sign telling them their work is not good enough. It is clear that there are times when society gets in the parents way of raising their child, yet in the midst of that, the parent misses the parts of teaching discipline, morals and values. The popular saying goes like this: It takes a village to raise a child. However, the village can get in the parents way and then there are problems. The parent should have the most impact in raising a child. Society can be there for nurturing, but the main job should be done by the parents. And that is what is missing in the world today. Parents are not doing their job.

Frida Kahlo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frida Kahlo - Essay Example The paper "Frida Kahlo" analyzes the life and art of Frida Kahlo. Her father was German, however, his true nationality was Jewish. While his life he was a photographer. Her mother used to be an America originated Spaniard. At the age of six years old, the artist used to suffer from polio. This determined the reason why since then the right leg became shorter and thinner than the left one. At the age of eighteen, Kahlo survived in a car accident: a broken iron rod collector tram stuck in the stomach and left groin, shattering the hipbone. The still painful months of inactivity began. It was that time when Kahlo asked her father for a brush and paint. There was a special frame made for Frida in order to allow her to paint lying. 1929 was an important year for the artist. She enters the National Institute of Mexico. For the year, held in almost total immobility, Kahlo obtained a serious passion for painting. Again, start walking, she attended art school and in 1928 joined the Communist Party. Her work has been praised by the time by the famous artist Diego Rivera of Communist era. When Frida was twenty-two years old, she married him. Their family life is seething passions. They could not always be together, but never – apart. They tied relationship which could be characterized as passionate, obsessive, and sometimes painful. In 1953, Mexico City is hosting the first solo exhibition of Frida Kahlo. None of self-portrait of Frida Kahlo smiles: serious, even mournful face, bushy eyebrows grown together.

Changes in Maro environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changes in Maro environment - Essay Example Wal-Mart in Mexico was impacted due to the 1994 currency crisis. Due to currency crisis, the interest rate was decreased in the Unites States as a result of which the amount of net capital inflows in Mexico was adversely impacted. With this macroeconomic variables’ impact, Wal-Mart’s credit position was affected which brought the firm in unstable position through increased level of cost and decreased productivity. The case of Wal-Mart in Mexico is a practical implication of the political decisions’ impact, which is a macroeconomic factor, upon the operations of a firm (Oxelheim, Wihlborg, & Zhang, 2009). The similarity between the strategies adopted by McDonald’s in China and Wal-Mart in Mexico is that both the firm strived to come out of certain adverse consequences of the macro environment and succeed in the respective markets. The difference between the strategies is that McDonald’s followed ‘customer driven’ strategy whereas Wal-Mart followed ‘competition driven’ strategy. This is because McDonald’s focused on implementing various ways of winning customers’ belief, while on the other hand, Wal-Mart concentrated on gaining competitive advantage through adoption of various innovative strategies such as opening up of banks in its stores. In the case of McDonald’s expansion strategy in China, the Chinese governmental policies towards foreign companies attempting to acquire China’s natural resources impacted upon the firm’s cost during entering the market as they had to make use of channels for avoiding this entry barrier. Utilization of channels accompanied extra cost for the company and also in certain cases, the firm had to compromise with its business structure for reducing the entry barriers. Again the case of Wal-Mart’s expansion strategy in Mexico had been highly impacted due to the trading situations between Mexico and the US resulting in various

ADVANCED PRICING TECHNIQUES Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ADVANCED PRICING TECHNIQUES - Assignment Example US has an absolute advantage in ______________Chemicals____________ (apparel, chemicals, both apparel and chemicals, neither apparel nor chemicals). e. China has a comparative advantage in ________ both apparel and chemicals __________________ (apparel, chemicals, both apparel and chemicals, neither apparel nor chemicals). US has a comparative advantage in __________ neither apparel nor chemicals ________________ (apparel, chemicals, both apparel and chemicals, neither apparel nor chemicals). g. Compared to the initial optimal product combinations D and S, world output of chemicals is ________smaller________ (smaller, greater) by __18___ tons of chemicals and world output of apparel is ________greater________ (smaller, greater) by __28___ 1000 units of apparel. i. Based on the actual terms of trade in previous part of this question, US can now choose four 1000 units of apparel and ___1.5___ tons of chemicals and China can now choose six tons of chemicals and ___1.5___ 1000 units of apparel. Specialization and trade between the two nations has ______decreased________ (decreased, increased) the standard of living in US and has ________Increased______ (decreased, increased) the standard of living in

Adult Learning Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adult Learning Theory - Assignment Example This theory carries with it some assumptions about self-concept, experience, readiness, motivation, and, orientation to learning as well as relevance. These assumptions give the individuals a chance to take the initiative, with or without the help of others to diagnose their needs in learning, formulate them, identify human and material resources for learning, preferring and putting into practice appropriate learning strategies as well as evaluating the outcomes (Brookfield, 2005). This is what differs with the learning of children due to the fact that the characters portrayed in this theory, such as self-reliance cannot be present in childhood learning as it requires a lot of guidance from teachers or instructors depending with the kind of teaching they are going through (Hall, et al., 2004). I recall my recent workshop training on the importance of adult learning based on â€Å"learning the new electronic medical record’ in all in the medical fraternity. The workshop had come up to encourage most of the hospitals to come up with an adult learning session so as to improve the mode of working for its members. During, the experiences there was the principle of adult learning the entails practice and problem centred where people were taught how to insert a chip under the skin of the patient so as to come up with all the health issues that are affecting the patients, thus encouraging the keeping of health records. There was the use of collaborative, authentic problem-solving activities such as understanding what to do especially when some or all the gadgets were not working (Hohler, 2003). By giving new ideas and offering suggestions through the discussions that were held. This learning experience brought to light the importance of positive self-esteem especially based on the kind of profession that was on hand. It emphasized the importance that individual being more effective and confident through practice and establishing routines and self-set goals ensuring that they are met at all cost. New ideas were also incorporated in relation to the previous experience that was gained with the help of the of the days topic.