Compare and contrast gender roles in the movies Battle of algeris and Essay

Compare and contrast gender roles in the movies Battle of algeris and mother of india - Essay Example particularly highlights this trend is when three National Liberation Front (NLF) women fighters change their appearance to be able to leave the Casbah and attack the French colons by planting bombs. The names of the three women fighters are Djamila, Hassiba, and Zohra. Originally, they are wearing burqas. Their plan is to enter the French colonies without making them realize where these women belong. In order to achieve this plan, they transform themselves into Western women so as to Europeanize themselves. They remove their burqas, cut their hair and dye them, and wear Western outfits. This way, the women fighters are perceived as part of the party in power whereas they are actually functioning as revolutionaries. This is how gender roles have been passed and used to the liberation fighters’ advantage. One factor that makes this movie unique in comparison to other movies based on women’s action is that the women fighters have been shown in the high femme drag in Battle of Algeris unlike the conventional movies on women’s action in which the female action heroes are presented in leather jackets, or military outfits with little to no makeup. The sexualized presentation assists the women fighters in placing the bombs. In this way, the women fighters essentially subjugate their gender identities, and penetrate the enemies’ world for a bigger cause. This scene deals with the gender as well as the racial representation in direct association with the technology used for war. There is a growing trend among women to become the suicide bombers, and the reasons for this are fairly understandable and intrinsically linked to their gender roles and perceptions. One of the most important factors that increases women’s eligibility to become the suicide bombers is the fact that the societal and cultural norms oblige men not to touch the women. The women fighters in Battle of Algeris took benefit of this norm and slipped through all the checkpoints and yet were not

Cars Enslave Us Rather Than Liberate Us Essay Example for Free

Cars Enslave Us Rather Than Liberate Us Essay How much effort do you put in travelling to school or workplace each week? Created in 1870, cars have been one of the most useful and spectacular inventions of human beings. The society we live in has recently became completely reliant on these fuel-burning vehicles. It is widely discuss whether cars are a blessing or a real nightmare that may lead people astray. As a young driver, I firmly believe in the liberating power of cars. Not only do they facilitate life, but also encourage to broadens one’s horizons, which may be justified in the following essay. To begin with, cars allow people to travel from place to place with no limits. Basically, they give a perfect opportunity for those who live in the suburbs and have no access to the public transport. Living far away from the city requires the involvement of other people, typically parents, who drive their children to various places. Otherwise, how would they be able to develop and participate in some additional activities, like volunteering or learning to play the violin? It is important to stress that these ingenious machines may give people the fantastic experience of travelling round the world without worrying about covering long distances having a place to sleep when one is on the way! Furthermore, cars have an unquestionable advantage over the means of public transport. Given the choice between walking in the rain to get to the bus station or taking a car and driving directly to one’s destination, who would not prefer the latter? Rarely do people claim that cars are less convenient or luxurious that buses owing to having the air-conditioning system or soft seats. What is more, there is little possibility of getting stuck in the crowd or being exposed to delay or robbery. Surprisingly, people who travel with the use of public transport are more likely to be late and to demonstrate continual anxiety. On the other hand, cars are very expensive to maintain. They burn a lot of fuel and, therefore, force people to be more restrictive about their expenses. However, public transport is not free too. For a five-member family, it is quite more beneficial to have a car since it not only saves money, but also a lot of free time that can be spent on more pleasant activities. To conclude, living without a car appears to have a lot of serious disadvantages. It strikes me that these vehicles save a lot of time and do not put any demand to subordinate to timetables. To my mind, they liberate us rather than enslave us.

Copernicus Essay -- essays research papers fc

Nicolas Copernicus Nicolas Copernicus 1473-1543 Physics February 8, 2000 Nicolas Copernicus Nicolas Copernicus 1473-1543 Copernicus was born in Poland in 1473, he started his education at Cracow University. There he studied mathematics and optics. From here he went to Italy, where he was appointed as a canon in the cathedral of Frauenburg, where he spent a comfortable academic life studding. Copernicus had some small hobbies while at the cathedral, he painted, and frequently translated Greek poetry into Latin. One other hobby that just wasn't small enough to be called a hobby to most of us was astronomy. He made investigations quietly and alone, without any help. He observed from a turret on a protective wall around a cathedral, he also looked with his naked eye rather than with a telescope. He was one of the founders of modern astronomy. Copernicus died in 1543 of a cerebral hemorrhage. In 1530 right before Copernicus died he managed to published his work, De Revolutionibus. Which said that the earth rotated on its axis once daily and traveled around the sun once yearly. This might no sound very controversial but at this time the church and its followers believed in the Ptolemiac theory, which stated that the universe was a closed space bounded by a spherical envelope beyond which there was nothing. (Landry 1999) Copernicus’s works went against the church, and most scientific beliefs. This may be one reason why Copernicus didn’t publish his work until his deathbed. Another ...

The Host Chapter 50: Sacrificed

The Seeker scrutinized my face while Mel and I fought. No, Wanda, no! Don't be stupid, Mel. You of all people should see the potential of this choice. Isn't this what you want? But even as I tried to look at the happy ending, I couldn't escape the horror of this choice. This was the secret I should die to protect. The information I'd been desperate to keep safe no matter what hideous torture I was put through. This was not the kind of torture I'd expected: a personal crisis of conscience, confused and complicated by love for my human family. Very painful, nevertheless. I could not claim to be an expatriate if I did this. No, I would be purely a traitor. Not for her, Wanda! Not for her! Mel howled. Should I wait? Wait until they catch another soul? An innocent soul whom I have no reason to hate? I'll have to make the decision sometime. Not now! Wait! Think about this! My stomach rolled again, and I had to hunch my body forward and take a deep breath. I just managed not to gag. â€Å"Wanda?† Jeb called in concern. I could do it, Mel. I could justify letting her die if she was one of those innocent souls. I could let them kill her then. I could trust myself to make an objective decision. But she's horrible, Wanda! We hate her! Exactly. And I can't trust myself. Look at how I almost didn't see the answer†¦ â€Å"Wanda, you all right?† The Seeker glared past me, toward Jeb's voice. â€Å"Fine, Jeb,† I gasped. My voice was breathy, strained. I was surprised at how bad it sounded. The Seeker's dark eyes flickered between us, unsure. Then she recoiled from me, cringing into the wall. I recognized the pose-remembered exactly how it felt to hold it. A gentle hand came down on my shoulder and spun me around. â€Å"What's going on with you, hon?† Jeb asked. â€Å"I need a minute,† I told him breathlessly. I looked straight into his faded-denim eyes and told him something that was most definitely not a lie. â€Å"I have one more question. But I really need a minute to myself. Can you†¦ wait for me?† â€Å"Sure, we can wait a little while more. Take a breather.† I nodded and walked as quickly as I could from the prison. My legs were stiff with terror at first, but I found my stride as I moved. By the time I passed Aaron and Brandt, I was almost running. â€Å"What happened?† I heard Aaron whisper to Brandt, his voice bewildered. I wasn't sure where to hide while I thought. My feet, like a shuttle on automatic pilot, took me through the corridors toward my sleeping room. I could only hope that it would be empty. It was dark, barely any light from the stars trickling down through the cracked ceiling. I didn't see Lily till I tripped over her in the darkness. I almost didn't recognize her tear-swollen face. She was curled into a tight, tiny ball on the floor in the middle of the passageway. Her eyes were wide, not quite comprehending who I was. â€Å"Why?† she asked me. I stared at her wordlessly. â€Å"I said that life and love go on. But why do they? They shouldn't. Not anymore. What's the point?† â€Å"I don't know, Lily. I'm not sure what the point is.† â€Å"Why?† she asked again, not speaking to me anymore. Her glassy eyes looked right through me. I stepped carefully past her and hurried to my room. I had my own question that had to be answered. To my great relief, the room was empty. I threw myself facedown on the mattress where Jamie and I slept. When I'd told Jeb I had one more question, that was the truth. But the question was not for the Seeker. The question was for me. The question was would I-not could I-do it? I could save the Seeker's life. I knew how. It would not endanger any of the lives here. Except my own. I would have to trade that. No. Melanie tried to be firm through her panic. Please let me think. No. This is the thing, Mel. It's inevitable anyway. I can see that now. I should have seen it long ago. It's so obvious. No, it isn't. I remembered our conversation when Jamie was ill. When we were making up. I'd told her that I wouldn't erase her and that I was sorry that I couldn't give her more than that. It wasn't so much a lie as it was an unfinished sentence. I couldn't give her more than that-and stay alive myself. The actual lie had been given to Jared. I'd told him, just seconds later, that I didn't know how to make myself not exist. In the context of our discussion, it was true. I didn't know how to fade away, here inside Melanie. But I was surprised I hadn't heard the obvious lie right then, hadn't seen in that moment what I was seeing now. Of course I knew how to make myself not exist. It was just that I had never considered that option viable, ultimate betrayal that it was to every soul on this planet. Once the humans knew that I had this answer, the one they had murdered for over and over again, it would cost me. No, Wanda! Don't you want to be free? A long pause. I wouldn't ask you for this, she finally said. And I wouldn't do it for you. And I sure as hell wouldn't do it for the Seeker! You don't have to ask. I think I might have volunteered†¦ eventually. Why do you think that? she demanded, her tone close to a sob. It touched me. I expected her to be elated. In part because of them. Jared and Jamie. I can give them the whole world, everything they want. I can give them you. I probably would have realized that†¦ someday. Who knows? Maybe Jared would have asked. You know I wouldn't have said no. Ian's right. You're too self-sacrificing. You don't have any limits. You need limits, Wanda! Ah, Ian, I moaned. A new pain twisted through me, surprisingly close to my heart. You'll take the whole world away from him. Everything he wants. It would never work with Ian. Not in this body, even though he loves it. It doesn't love him. Wanda, I†¦ Melanie struggled for words. Still, the joy I expected from her did not come. Again, this touched me. I don't think I can let you do this. You're more important than that. In the bigger picture, you are of much more value to them than I am. You can help them; you can save them. I can't do any of that. You have to stay. I can't see any other way, Mel. I wonder how I didn't see it sooner. It seems so completely obvious. Of course I have to go. Of course I have to give you yourself back. I already knew we souls were wrong to come here. So I don't have any choice now but to do the right thing, and leave. You all survived without me before; you'll do it again. You've learned so much about the souls from me-you'll help them. Can't you see? This is the happy ending. It's the way they all need the story to finish. I can give them hope. I can give them†¦ not a future. Maybe not that. But as much as I can. Everything I can. No, Wanda, no. She was crying, becoming incoherent. Her sorrow brought tears to my eyes. I'd no idea that she cared so much for me. Almost as much as I cared for her. I hadn't realized that we loved each other. Even if Jared had never asked me for this, even if Jared did not exist†¦ Once this path had occurred to me, I would have had to proceed down it. I loved her that much. No wonder the success rate for resistant hosts was so low here on Earth. Once we learned to love our human host, what hope did we souls have? We could not exist at the expense of one we loved. Not a soul. A soul could not live that way. I rolled myself over and, in the starlight, I looked at my body. My hands were dirty and scratched, but under the surface blemishes, they were beautiful. The skin was a pretty sun-browned color; even bleached in the pale light, it was pretty. The nails were chewed short but still healthy and smooth, with little half moons of white at the bases. I fluttered my fingers, watching the muscles pull the bones in graceful patterns. I let them dance above me, where they became black fluid shapes against the stars. I ran them through my hair. It was almost to my shoulders now. Mel would like that. After a few weeks of shampoo in hotel showers and Health vitamins, it was glossy and soft again. I stretched my arms out as far as they would go, tugging against the tendons until some of my joints cracked. My arms felt strong. They could pull me up a mountainside, they could carry a heavy load, they could plow a field. But they were also soft. They could hold a child, they could comfort a friend, they could love†¦ but that was not for me. I took a deep breath, and tears welled out of the corners of my eyes and rolled down my temples into my hair. I tensed the muscles in my legs, felt their ready strength and speed. I wanted to run, to have an open field that I could race across just to see how fast I could go. I wanted to do this barefoot, so I could feel the earth beneath my feet. I wanted to feel the wind fly through my hair. I wanted it to rain, so that I could smell it in the air as I ran. My feet flexed and pointed slowly, to the rhythm of my breathing. In and out. Flex and point. It felt nice. I traced my face with my fingertips. They were warm on my skin, skin that was smooth and pretty. I was glad I was giving Melanie her face back the way it had been. I closed my eyes and stroked my eyelids. I'd lived in so many bodies, but never one I loved like this. Never one that I craved in this way. Of course, this would be the one I'd have to give up. The irony made me laugh, and I concentrated on the feel of the air that popped in little bubbles from my chest and up through my throat. Laughter was like a fresh breeze-it cleaned its way through the body, making everything feel good. Did other species have such a simple healer? I couldn't remember one. I touched my lips and remembered how it felt to kiss Jared, and how it felt to kiss Ian. Not everyone got to kiss so many other beautiful bodies. I'd had more than some, even in this short time. It was just so short! Maybe a year now, I wasn't completely sure. Just one quick revolution of a blue green planet around an unexceptional yellow star. The shortest life of any I'd ever lived. The shortest, the most important, the most heartbreaking of lives. The life that would forever define me. The life that had finally tied me to one star, to one planet, to one small family of strangers. A little more time†¦ would that be so wrong? No, Mel whispered. Just take a little more time. You never know how much time you'll have, I whispered back. But I did. I knew exactly how much time I had. I couldn't take any more time. My time was up. I was going anyway. I had to do the right thing, be my true self, with what time I had left. With a sigh that seemed to come all the way from the soles of my feet and the palms of my hands, I got up. Aaron and Brandt wouldn't wait forever. And now I had a few more questions that I needed answered. This time, the questions were for Doc. The caves were full of sad, cast-down eyes. It was easy enough to slip unobtrusively past them all. No one cared what I was doing right now, except maybe Jeb, Brandt, and Aaron, and they weren't here. I didn't have an open, rainy field, but at least I had the long south tunnel. It was too dark to run flat out the way I wanted, but I kept up a steady jog. It felt good as my muscles warmed. I expected I would find Doc already there, but I'd wait if I had to. He would be alone. Poor Doc, that was usually the case now. Doc had been sleeping alone in his hospital since the night we'd saved Jamie's life. Sharon had taken her things from their room and moved them to her mother's, and Doc wouldn't sleep in the empty room. Such a great hatred. Sharon would rather kill her own happiness, and Doc's, too, than forgive him for helping me heal Jamie. Sharon and Maggie were barely a presence in the caves anymore. They looked past everyone now, the way they used to look past only me. I wondered if that would change when I was gone, or if they were both so rigid in their grudge that it would be too late for them to change. What an extraordinarily stupid way to waste time. For the first time ever, the south tunnel felt short. Before I thought I'd gone halfway, I could see Doc's light glowing dimly from the rough arch ahead. He was home. I slowed myself to a walk before I interrupted him. I didn't want to scare him, to make him think there was an emergency. He was still startled when I appeared, a little breathless, in the stone doorway. He jumped up from behind his desk. The book he was reading fell out of his hands. â€Å"Wanda? Is something wrong?† â€Å"No, Doc,† I reassured him. â€Å"Everything's fine.† â€Å"Does someone need me?† â€Å"Just me.† I gave him a weak smile. He walked around his desk to meet me, his eyes wide with curiosity. He paused half a step away and raised one eyebrow. His long face was gentle, the opposite of alarming. It was hard to remember how he'd looked like a monster to me before. â€Å"You are a man of your word,† I began. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but I held one hand up. â€Å"No one will ever test that more than I will test it now,† I warned him. He waited, eyes confused and wary. I took a deep breath, felt it expand my lungs. â€Å"I know how to do what you've been ending so many lives to discover. I know how to take the souls from your bodies without harm to either. Of course I know that. We all have to, in case of an emergency. I even performed the emergency procedure once, when I was a Bear.† I stared at him, waiting for his response. It took him a long moment, and his eyes grew wilder every second. â€Å"Why are you telling me this?† he finally gasped. â€Å"Because I†¦ I am going to give you the knowledge you need.† I held up my hand again. â€Å"But only if you will give me what I want in return. I'm warning you right now, it won't be any easier for you to give me what I want than it will be for me to give you what you want.† His face was fiercer than I'd ever seen it. â€Å"Name your terms.† â€Å"You can't kill them-the souls you remove. You must give me your word-your promise, your oath, your vow-that you will give them safe conduct on to another life. This means some danger; you will have to have cryotanks, and you will have to get those souls onto shuttles off-planet. You have to send them to another world to live. But they won't be able to hurt you. By the time they reach their next planet, your grandchildren will be dead.† Would my conditions mitigate my guilt in this? Only if Doc could be trusted. He was thinking very hard as I explained. I watched his face to see what he would make of my demand. He didn't look angry, but his eyes were still wild. â€Å"You don't want us to kill the Seeker?† he guessed. I didn't answer his question because he wouldn't understand the answer; I did want them to kill her. That was the whole problem. Instead, I explained further. â€Å"She'll be the first, the test. I want to make sure, while I'm still here, that you're going to follow through. I will do the separation myself. When she is safe, I'll teach you how it's done.† â€Å"On who?† â€Å"Kidnapped souls. The same as before. I can't guarantee you that the human minds will come back. I don't know if the erased can return. We'll see with the Seeker.† Doc blinked, processing something. â€Å"What do you mean, while you are still here? Are you leaving?† I stared at him, waiting for the realization to hit. He stared back, uncomprehending. â€Å"Don't you realize what I'm giving you?† I whispered. Finally, comprehension slammed home in his expression. I spoke quickly, before he could. â€Å"There's something else I'm going to ask you for, Doc. I don't want to†¦ I won't be shipped off to another planet. This is my planet, it truly is. And yet, there's really no place for me here. So†¦ I know it might†¦ offend some of the others. Don't tell them if you think they won't allow it. Lie if you have to. But I'd like to be buried by Walt and Wes. Can you do that for me? I won't take up much space.† I smiled weakly again. No! Melanie was howling. No, no, no, no†¦ â€Å"No, Wanda,† Doc objected, too, with a shocked expression. â€Å"Please, Doc,† I whispered, wincing against the protest in my head, which was getting louder. â€Å"I don't think Wes or Walt will mind.† â€Å"That's not what I meant! I can't kill you, Wanda. Ugh! I'm so sick of death, so sick of killing my friends.† Doc's voice caught in a sob. I put my hand on his thin arm, rubbed it. â€Å"People die here. It happens.† Kyle had said something to that effect. Funny that I should quote Kyle of all people twice in one night. â€Å"What about Jared and Jamie?† Doc asked in a choked voice. â€Å"They'll have Melanie. They'll be fine.† â€Å"Ian?† Through my teeth. â€Å"Better off without me.† Doc shook his head, wiping at his eyes. â€Å"I need to think about this, Wanda.† â€Å"We don't have long. They won't wait forever before they kill the Seeker.† â€Å"I don't mean about that part. I agree to those terms. But I don't think I can kill you.† â€Å"It's all or none, Doc. You have to decide right now. And†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I realized I had one more demand. â€Å"And you can't tell anyone else about the last part of our agreement. No one. Those are my terms, take them or leave them. Do you want to know how to remove a soul from a human body?† Doc shook his head again. â€Å"Let me think.† â€Å"You already know the answer, Doc. This is what you've been searching for.† He just kept shaking his head slowly back and forth. I ignored that symbol of denial because we both knew his choice was made. â€Å"I'll get Jared,† I said. â€Å"We'll make a quick raid for cryotanks. Hold off the others. Tell them†¦ tell them the truth. Tell them I'm going to help you get the Seeker out of that body.†

Drama †Blood Brothers Response Essay

Blood brothers is a story which was written in 1981 as a school play and included a range of themes which help the audience understand and feel for the story rather than just watching it. The themes in this play include poverty, innocence, love, games, belief and superstition. I feel that the key themes that control the play are chance and society of the time and I feel that most of the story circles around these themes and most events are caused by these themes. To emphasize the themes in the play, we created a three minute version of the play which consisted of still images, narration and stylised movement. We decided to split the play into four sections which were: baby years, childhood, 14 – 17 years and 20+ years. We decided that we would show the giving away of the baby as this allows the rest of the story to flow. If it wasn’t for this specific scene, the story wouldn’t have happened as the giving away of one twin is a significant event in the play. This also allowed us to add emotion to our piece as this is one of the several events which separate people into two opinions. For the second section (which was childhood) we included images of them first meeting, playing games, both of the mothers separating Mickey and Eddie and Mrs Johnstone giving the locket to Eddie. My group and I felt that these were also important events in the play; in fact one of the main themes in the play is games which relates to the robbery and overall shooting of both twins later on. For 14 -17 years, we decided to show both children being suspended from school, the meet up between friends with the devil narration on top which we thought allowed our piece to flow making it easier to understand. At the last stage, 20+, we performed four still images which included an unemployment scene, Linda’s pregnancy, Eddie and Linda being together and finally the shooting with the second half of the images having the mad man narration over the top: ‘There’s a mad man running round and round You know the devil’s got your number You know he’s right beside you He’s screamin’ deep inside you And someone said he’s callin’ your number up today Today Today TODAY!’ This piece of narration was used in our three minute version of the play as we thought that it summed up a lot of the happenings in this age group and is a constant theme throughout the play. I found that the best way to tell this story within the three minutes was to use different techniques which allowed expressing and stressing of several moments in a play making it more effective. In our three minute version, this included levels, space and marking the moment. One example of these entire three put together was when both boys got expelled. We had the class sitting down at the back while the teacher was standing up straight looking down on one pupil who was higher than the class but lower than the teacher. This made use of levels, space and also marked the moment by focusing on the locket. We decided to make the giving away of the baby the most significant point in the play. This is because the whole of the story centres on this point, and if it wasn’t for this event, none of the other events would have happened. To mark this moment, we used narration which was originally placed over the point where Mrs Johnstone was only considering giving the baby to Mrs Lyons. ‘How quickly and idea, planted, can Take root and grow into a plan. The thought conceived in this very room Grew as surely as a seed, in a mother’s womb’ This piece of narration allowed us to realise how the event they are seeing came into being. We found that forum theatre was a very useful technique to bring Mickey’s monologue to life. Forum theatre was used to change the way we said lines and how to put expression, feeling and life to the lines which in turn make the monologue a lot more vibrant and interesting. The way we performed forum theatre was to have someone acting out a verse of the poem. We then got the audience to comment and suggest improvements. We then acted the verse out again and repeated the process until we were happy with it. Below is the verse we performed. ‘Y’ know our Sammy, He draws nudey women, Without arms, or legs or even heads In the baths, when he goes swimmin’. But I’m not allowed to go to the baths, Me Mam says I have to wait, ‘Cos I might get drowned, ‘cos I’m only seven, But I’m not, I’m nearly eight.’ We started off with the beginning of the verse being said in a very secretive way although it was put in the category of secret in a child which meant that it had to be told; something I had felt many a time when I was a young child which also meant my body was slightly crouched and slightly tense. I used the same experience to ‘goggle’ at what Sammy was able to do when he went swimming. Then disappointment kicks in when I hit ‘But I’m not allowed†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ as my voice goes slower and my body slumps and when the mother comes on I re-enact a rather rude hand motion usually used when someone is too talkative while the mother reads her quote. The last line is said in a way of self-pity making the character feel sorry for himself which I have felt many times when I was a young child and feeling as if my parents were deriving me of all of the world’s pleasures. In this monologue I learnt that Mickey was a character who always wanted more and wanted something someone else had that he hadn’t which is an apparent characteristic of Mickey throughout the play. It also helped me realise that it was more than just a greedy feeling as the feeling was a lot deeper and it was if the world had forgotten about him but not the others who lived in the world around him. As I said before, forum theatre had helped me find these characteristics as it helped shape what had been written. It was as if there were a lot of muddled thoughts and both me and the audience were helping to piece it together properly so we could both get an idea on how the character was really like and how the character really felt. For individual spontaneous improvisation, I acted as Mrs Johnstone where I was looking at both babies and playing with them as if it were my last time with both of them. Of course, at the time my character would have not known which baby would have been taken and because of this, I acted in a way as if it were the last time for Mrs Johnstone to see both of them. My thought track for this piece was: ‘I can’t believe this is happening’ and it would have been hard to come to terms with something which could potentially change somebody’s life, especially when it is your own son. This decision was both challenged and supported by a technique called a conscience corridor which we used to find the pros and cons of giving the baby away which was then fired to somebody stepping into the shoes of Mrs Johnstone. Feeling the confused and mixed feelings, it gave us a chance to make our own decision as if we were that character. Some pros included having money, less stress, a better life for your son, less work. Some cons included the guilt of your child being bought, splitting up a natural bond given to both children, more stress as you worry and having to cover it up from the outside world. The conscience corridor was put into action by splitting the class in half and putting them up as two sides to create a human ‘corridor’. We then got a member of our class to walk up while each person in the ‘wall’ said the pros and cons. When the person in the middle finishes walking up through the corridor, he/she tells us his/her decision. In this situation, I wrote a diary entry as Mrs Johnstone. I typed my diary entry up below ‘I can’t believe it is happening. So close to the time where one of my beloved babies would be given away to my employer. I am sure that I am doing the right thing – I can’t afford to give them both a good life and Mrs Lyons does want a baby so badly. Even so, I feel I am breaking a natural bond given to them both which makes me unsure on whether I should do it. I am in a situation which I would never wish on any mother.’ Overall, I found that explorative strategies helped us understand Blood Brothers as it allowed us to see what usually are hidden thoughts and feelings of characters. It also allows us to get into character and realise how events and other actions are performed by the character.

Ionic Radius Definition and Trend

Ionic Radius Definition and Trend The ionic radius (plural: ionic radii) is the measure of an atoms ion in a crystal lattice. It is half the distance between two ions that are barely touching each other. Since the boundary of the electron shell of an atom is somewhat fuzzy, the ions are often treated as though they were solid spheres fixed in a lattice. The ionic radius may be larger or smaller than the atomic radius (radius of a neutral atom of an element), depending on the electric charge of the ion. Cations are typically smaller than neutral atoms because an electron is removed and the remaining electrons are more tightly drawn in toward the nucleus. An anion has an additional electron, which increases the size of the electron cloud and may make the ionic radius larger than the atomic radius. Values for ionic radius are difficult to obtain and tend to depend on the method used to measure the size of the ion. A typical value for an ionic radius would be from 30 picometers (pm, and equivalent to 0.3 Angstroms Å) to 200 pm (2 Å). Ionic radius may be measured ​using x-ray crystallography or similar techniques. Ionic Radius Trend in the Periodic Table Ionic radius and atomic radius follow the same trends in the periodic table: As you move from top to bottom down an element group (column) ionic radius increases. This is because a new electron shell is added as you move down the periodic table. This increases the overall size of the atom.As you move from left to right across an element period (row) the ionic radius decreases. Even though the size of the atomic nucleus increases with larger atomic numbers moving across a period, the ionic and atomic radius decreases. This is because the effective positive force of the nucleus also increases, drawing in the electrons more tightly. The trend is particularly obvious with the metals, which form cations. These atoms lose their outermost electron, sometimes resulting in the loss of an entire electron shell. The ionic radius of transition metals in a period does not, however, change very much from one atom to the next near the beginning of a series. Variations in Ionic Radius Neither the atomic radius nor the ionic radius of an atom is a fixed value. The configuration or stacking of atoms and ions affects the distance between their nuclei. The electron shells of atoms can overlap each other and do so by different distances, depending on the circumstances. The just barely touching atomic radius is sometimes called the van der Waals radius since the weak attraction from van der Waals forces governs the distance between the atoms. This is the type of radius commonly reported for noble gas atoms. When metals are covalently bonded to each other in a lattice, the atomic radius may be called the covalent radius or the metallic radius. The distance between nonmetallic elements may also be termed the covalent radius. When you read a chart of ionic radius or atomic radius values, youre most likely seeing a mixture of metallic radii, covalent radii, and van der Waals radii. For the most part, the tiny differences in the measured values shouldnt be a concern. Whats important is understanding the difference between atomic and ionic radius, the trends in the periodic table, and the reason for the trends.

Aggregates and Social Aggregates in Sociology

Aggregates and Social Aggregates in Sociology Within sociology, there are two kinds of aggregates that are commonly used: the social aggregate and aggregate data. The first is simply a collection of people who happen to be in the same place at the same time, and the second refers to when we use summary statistics like averages to show something about a population or a social trend. The Social Aggregate A social aggregate is a collection of people who are in the same place at the same time, but who otherwise do not necessarily have anything in common, and who may not interact with each other. A social aggregate is different from a social group, which refers to two or more people who interact regularly and who have things in common, like a romantic couple, a family, friends, classmates, or coworkers, among others. A social aggregate is also different from a social category, which refers to a group of people defined by a shared social characteristic, like gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, age, class, etc. Every day we become part of social aggregates, like when we walk down a crowded sidewalk, eat in a restaurant, ride public transit with other passengers, and shop in stores. The only thing that binds them together is physical proximity. Social aggregates sometimes figure into sociology when researchers use a convenience sample to carry out a research project. They are also present in the work of sociologists who conduct participant observation or ethnographic research. For example, a researcher studying what happens in a particular retail setting might take note of the customers present, and document their demographic makeup by age, race, class, gender, etc., in order to provide a description of the social aggregate that shops at that store. Using Aggregate Data The more common form of an aggregate in sociology is aggregate data. This refers to when social scientists use summary statistics to describe a group or a social trend. The most common type of aggregate data is an average (mean, median, and mode), which allows us to understand something about a group, rather than considering data that represents specific individuals. Median household income is among the most commonly used forms of aggregate data within the social sciences. This figure represents the household income that sits exactly in the middle of the household income spectrum. Social scientists often look at changes in median household income over time in order to see long-term economic trends at the household level. We also use aggregate data to examine differences among groups, like the change over time in median household income, depending on ones  level of education. Looking at an aggregate data trend like this, we see that the economic value of a college degree relative to a high school degree is much greater today than it was in the 1960s. Another common use of aggregate data in social sciences is tracking income by gender and race. Most readers are probably familiar with the concept of the wage gap, which refers to the historical fact that women on average earn less than men and that people of color in the U.S. earn less than white people. This type of research is produced using aggregate data that shows averages of hourly, weekly, and annual earnings by race and gender, and it proves that despite legalized equality, interpersonal discrimination on the basis of gender and race still works to create an unequal society. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.