A Man Defined by War Essay Example for Free

A Man Defined by War Essay Similar to many authors during the early part of the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway uses his first hand experience to write meticulous novels conveying his struggles. Hemingways efforts are recorded using new techniques not yet seen before. Hemingway, the author of the celebrated A Farwell To Arms, incorporates meaningful diction, imagery, and syntax in Book 1 to convey his detached tone towards the Great War. Book 1 of A Farewell To Arms sets the groundwork for one of the most influential novels of all time. Lieutenant Frederick Henry, an American ambulance driver for the Italian army, seems stoic about his situation. Henry meets a British nurse, Catherine Barkley. After an evening with Catherine, he says to himself, I had treated seeing Catherine very lightly, I had gotten somewhat drunk and had nearly forgotten to come but when I could not see her there I was feeling lonely and hollow. (41). This is the first time Henry fully recognizes that he loves Catherine. His body drained of guilt, Henry utter, when I could not see her.I was feeling hollow. A lover without a clue, Henry lays his problems, the war, his love life, and his friends on the table. While away from Catherine, he feels he goes through the motions needed to live but can not actually be attached to the world. Catherine completes him. Just after the priest discusses God, Henry walks through Abruzzi. He thinks to himself, lovely was the fall to go hunting through the chestnut woods. The birds were all good because they fed on grapes and you never took a lunch because the peasants were always honored if you would eat with them at their houses.(73). Henrys thoughts are obviously disconnected from his main problems. Pondering the birds, Henry detaches himself from the rest of the war. Hemingways personal issues regarding the war are exemplified in Henrys speech. Vibrant, vivid imagery became one of Hemingways favorite structural devices. In the early stages of the tale, Henry, still getting accustomed to his surroundings, finds time to observe the less important items of his experience. While viewing the scenery around him, Henry observes, snow slanted across the wind, the bare ground was covered, the stumps of trees projected, there was snow on the guns and there was paths in the snow going back to the latrines behind trenches. (6). His world completely changed, Henry resorts to crafting detached images for himself from his surroundings. Snow generates a sense of permanence, just as the war itself has produced. With the same disinterest as he has in the war, Henry continues to show a lack of concern on his job and sometimes with his friends. Hemingway wants the reader to reconsider their opinion of the Great War and contemplate the lesser things in the world such as nature. While driving an ambulance to Pavla, Henrys car is demolished by a trench mortar. A general without his authority, Henry struggled through this tragedy using his unbelievable willpower and audacity. Just before the attack, Henry, ate the end of my piece of cheese and took a swallow of winethen there was a flash, as when a blast-furnace door is swung open, and a roar that started white and went red and on and on in a rushing wind. (54). The mortar blast that attacks Henrys ambulance furthers his dismal attitude towards the war. Hemingway knows that innocent men such as Henry have been injured and killed throughout this war and he knows this is not fair. Above all, he further detaches Henry from the world and the war for the readers own thoughts to form about the evilness of guiltless casualties. Syntactical devices are one of literatures most important and practical modes to get a point across in an exciting and interesting manner. Authors utilize such tools to get deeper meanings across to the reader. A variety of syntax Hemingway utilizes is known as subject. Additionally, while he is illustrating one of those most impressing scenes of Book 1, Henry must deal with other feelings and sights. Henry observes, The dead were off to one side. The doctors were working with their sleeves up to their shoulders and were red as butchers. There were not enough stretchers. Some of the wounded were noisy but most were quiet (56-57). To cope with his negative opinions towards the war, Henry draws up his inner strength to battle them. With the same resolve that drove him to the war, Henry eliminates feelings of sorrow and shows a lack of interest on the front. Another syntactical device utilizes repetition. To prepare the reader for the upcoming idea, Hemingway creates a brilliant structural masterpiece. During a mess hall scene in Book 1, Henry narrates, Yes, father. That is true, father. Perhaps, father. No, father. Well, maybe yes, father. You know more about it than I do father. (38). By repeating the same father over and over again, Hemmingway initiates a serious, monotonous tone to this excerpt. The repetition alone is a cautious statement bending the limits of literature itself. Dr. Robert Lamb believes repetition is key to creating great literature, but the author must know how to apply it. He states, the most remarkable aspect of the passage is Hemingwaysemployment of repetition. The repetition of key words like want and perfectlyare used [to] keep the dialogues relevant. (Hemingway and the Creation17). Hemingway effectively displays repetition demonstrating Henrys disinterest and detachment from the war and all of its horrors. The everlasting war establishes Henrys dismal tone as he struggles to survive the war. Out of Henrys struggles emerged his strengths. In conclusion, Ernest Hemingways innovative techniques in the fields of diction, imagery, and syntax generate the protagonists detachment from World War I in Book 1. Deriving from his disinterest comes his affection for a young British nurse. Hemingways own conflicts in World War I blend with his views from that war and congregate in this masterpiece.

Virginia Woolfs Style And Subject In A Room of Ones Own Essay

Times have changed since universities admitted only male students. Women have gained the right to educate themselves, and the division of the sexes in business has decreased dramatically. When Virginia Woolf wrote her essay A Room of One’s Own, however, there was a great lack of female presence in literature, in writing specifically. In the essay, Woolf critiques this fact by taking the reader on a journey through a day in the life at a fictional university to prove that although women are capable of critical thought and want to write great works of literature, they are unable to for lack of means. The way she comes to this conclusion through writing a work of fiction is not only interesting, but also very unusual. Using the generalizing term 'I', commenting on what she is doing, and shifting gears abruptly are some stylistic ways in which she makes her point that women need money and a room of their own in order to write fiction. Looking at chapters one and six of the e ssay, it is clear to see that the way she writes about women in fiction, while critiquing the lack thereof in confrontational and sarcastic manner, shows that although Woolf is ardent about getting her message across, she is aware that she may be brushed aside by her male oppressor. Throughout A Room of One’s Own, Woolf uses 'I' and different personas to eloquently relate a day in the life at her fictional university, Oxbridge. It is immediately clear that she is not referring to herself, Virginia Woolf, when she says 'I' because she conveniently adds a disclaimer as she begins her fiction, 'Here then was I (call me Mary Beton, Mary Seton, Mary Charmichael or by any name you please' it is not a matter of any importance) sitting on the banks of a river a we... ...ay form while speaking to the fact that perhaps all fiction should be written this way. It is beneficial to write an essay in this style because it makes the reader look deeper for the meaning in it all. In chapter one especially, the reader is forced to wonder what significance each occurrence has and how each instance relates to women in fiction. It becomes clearer in chapter six, when the point is laid out plainly, but the stylistic choices are still bearing on the fact that you must read critically to understand the true meaning of the piece. This is true for most fiction, but for this essay specifically, the importance of the issue and the style of the writing go hand in hand to create for the reader a nugget of truth to stow away in his notebook forever. Works Cited Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1989.

Children and Play

D1, D2, D3 There are many different settings where children can play. Children from a very young age can go to a baby room and after the baby room, children can go to pre-school nursery and then they can go to school. In my assignment these are the three settings I will be talking about. In a baby room the age range would be 9 months to 1 year old. The stage of play for this age range is solitary play. In solitary play children play on their own, totally independent from adults or other children. In a pre-school nursery the age range would be from 3 to 4 years old. There are 3 different stages of play this age range would be at. These are parallel, associative and co-operative play. Parallel play is when a child is playing along aside another child, but not playing with the other children. Associative play is when children share their materials and they talk to one and other. They all have different ideas of what they want to do and play. Co-operative play is when a child plays within a group and fully interacts with the other children. They also share their resources. In a school the age range is 5 to 11 years old. The stage of play the children are at is co-operative play, (see above for co-operative play). In a baby room the play that takes place is physical play. Physical play may include crawling and walking. Some children may be picking up objects, e. g. rattles and sucking toys.

Preparing Students for the Testing Season

Spring  is traditionally the  season  of beginnings, and for middle and high school students, spring is often the beginning of the testing season. There are district tests, state tests, and national tests for students in grades 7-12 that begin in March and continue through the end of the school year. Many of these tests are mandated by legislation.   In a typical public school, a student will take  at least one  standardized test  annually. Those high school students who enroll in college credit courses  may take even more tests. Each of these standardized tests is designed to take a minimum of 3.5 hours to complete. Adding up this time over the course of  the six years between grades 7-12, the average student participates in standardized testing for 21 hours or  the  equivalent of  three full  school days. Educators can first provide the information that helps students better understand the purpose of a specific test. Is the test going to measure their individual growth or is the test going to measure their performance against others?   Two Kinds of Standardized Testing for Grades 7-12 The  standardized tests  that are used in grades 7-12 are either  designed as norm-referenced or as criterion-referenced tests. Each test is designed for a different measure. A norm-referenced test is designed to compare and rank students (similar in age or grade) in relation to one another: Norm-referenced tests report whether test takers performed better or worse than a hypothetical average student Norm-referenced tests usually are simple to administer and easy to score because they are usually designed as multiple-choice tests.    The criterion-referenced  tests are designed to measure student performance against an expectation: Criterion-referenced  tests and  assessments  are designed to measure student performance against a fixed set of predetermined criteria or  learning standards Learning standards are descriptions by grade level of what students are expected to know and be able to do.  The criterion-referenced tests used to measure learning progress can also measure gaps in student learning.   Preparing Students for the Structure of Any Test Teachers can help prepare students for both  kinds standardized tests, both norm-referenced  tests and criterion-referenced  tests. Educators can explain to students the purpose of both criterion referenced and  the norm-referenced test so students will have a better understanding when they read the results. Most importantly, they can expose students to the pace of the exam, to the format of the exam and to the language of the exam. There are practice passages  in texts and online from different tests that will allow students to become more familiar with  the format of the test. To prepare students for the pace of the exam, teachers can offer some practice testing under conditions that mimic the actual test. There are released tests or materials that mimic the test that students should be encouraged to take independently. A timed practice text is particularly helpful is giving students the experience so they will know how fast they have to move to answer all the questions. Multiple practice sessions for timed essay writing should be offered if there is an essay section, for example, like the AP exams. Teachers have to coach students to determine a pace that works for them and recognize given how much â€Å"average† time they will need to read and answer an  open-ended question. Students might practice how to survey the whole test at the beginning and then look at the number of questions, point value, and difficulty of each section. This practice will help them to budget their time. Exposure to the format of the exam will also help student distinguish the amount of time that might be needed in reading multiple choice  questions. For example, one standardized test section requires students answer   75 questions in 45 minutes. That means students have an average of 36 seconds per question. Practice can help students adjust to this speed. In addition, understanding the format can help students negotiate the layout of a test, especially if the standardized test has moved to an online platform. Online testing means a student must be proficient in keyboarding, and also know which keyboarding feature is available for use. For example, the computer-adaptive tests, like the SBAC, may not allow students to return to a section with an unanswered question.   Multiple Choice Preparation Educators can also help students practice with how tests are administered. While some of these remain pen and paper tests, other tests have moved to online testing platforms. A part of test preparation, educators may offer students  the following multiple choice question strategies: If any part of the answer is not true, then the answer is incorrect.  When there are identical responses, then neither is correct.Consider no change or none of the above as a valid answer choice.Students should eliminate and cross off those distracting answers that are absurd  or obviously incorrect.Recognize transition words that  describe relationships between ideas in choosing a response.  The stem or start of the question should agree grammatically   (same tense) with the correct answer, so students should quietly read the question aloud to test each possible response.Correct answers may offer relative qualifiers such as sometimes or often, while incorrect answers are generally  written in absolute language and do not allow for exceptions. Before taking any tests, students should know if the test gives a penalty  for incorrect responses; if there is no penalty, students should be advised to guess if they dont know the answer.    If there is a difference in the point value of a question, students should plan on how they will  spend time on the more weighted sections of the test. They should also know how to split their time between multiple choice and essay answers if that is not already separated by section in the test. Essay or Open-Ended Response Preparation Another part of test preparation is  teaching students to prepare for essays or open-ended responses. Students to write directly on paper tests, take notes or use the highlighting feature on computer tests in order to identify sections that can be used for evidence in essay responses: Follow the directions by looking carefully at keywords: Answer A  or  B vs.  A  and  B.Use facts in different ways: to compare/ contrast, in  sequence or to provide a description.Organize facts  based on headings in informational texts.Use transitions with enough context in a sentence or paragraph to make the relationships between facts clear.Suggest that  students answer easiest questions first.Suggest students write on only one side of the page.Encourage students to leave a large space at the beginning of a response, or to leave a page  in between,  in the event a student ends up with a different thesis or position or would like to add or to change details later if time permits.   When time is limited, students should draft an outline by listing key points and the order they plan to answer them.   While this would not count as a complete essay, some credit for evidence and organization may be credited.   Which Tests Are Which? Tests are often better known by their acronyms than why they are used or what they are testing. To get balanced data  from their assessments, some states may have students take  norm-referenced tests as well as  criterion-referenced tests in different grade levels. The most familiar  norm-referenced tests  are those designed to rank students  on a  bell curve The  NAEP  (The National Assessment of Educational Progress)  reports  statistical information about student performance and factors related to educational performance for the nation and for specific demographic groups in the population (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender);The SAT  (Scholastic Aptitude Test and/or  Scholastic Assessment Test);  Scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600, combining test results from two 800-point sections: mathematics, and critical reading and writing.  The following states  have opted to use the SAT as a high school  exit exam:  Colorado,  Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Idaho* (or ACT), Illinois, Maine*, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island*. (*optional)  PSAT/NMSQT  a precursor to the SAT.  The test is composed of four sections: two Math Sections, Critical Reading, and Writing Skills used to determine eligibility and qualification for the  National Merit Scholarship Program.  Students in grades 8-1 0 are the target audience for the PSAT.  The  ACT  (American College Test) is four  content area tests  scored individually on a scale of 1–36, with the composite score as the whole number average. The ACT does have elements of  a criterion-referenced in that it also compares how a student performs compared to ACT College Readiness Standards which are regularly reviewed.  The following states  have opted to use the  ACT  as a high school  exit exam:   Colorado,  Kentucky,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Utah.ACT Aspire  tests map learner progress from elementary grades through high school on a vertical scale which is anchored to the scoring system of the ACT. Challenges to the tradition of norm-referenced testing came with  the expansion of  criterion-referenced tests in 2009 when tests were designed to measure  the impact of the  Common Core State Standards (CCSS).These  criterion-referenced  tests determine how college and career ready a student is in English Language Arts and in mathematics.   While initially embraced by 48 states, the two testing consortiums have the remaining states committed to using their platforms: The  Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers  (PARCC) in the following states  Colorado,  District of Columbia,  Illinois,  Louisiana,  Maryland,  Massachusetts,  New Jersey, New Mexico,  Rhode IslandThe  Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium  (SBAC)  The states that use this  SBAC computer adaptive testing include:  California,  Connecticut,  Delaware,  Hawaii,  Idaho,  Iowa,  Michigan,  Montana,  Nevada, New Hampshire,  North Carolina,  North Dakota,  Oregon,  South Dakota,  U.S. Virgin Islands,  Vermont,  Washington,  West Virginia The College Board  Advanced Placement (AP)  exams  are also criterion referenced. These exams are created by the College Board as  college-level exams in specific content areas.  A high score (5) on the exam may award college credit. At the conclusion of the spring testing season, the results of all these tests are then analyzed by different stakeholders in order determine student progress, possible curriculum revision, and in some states, teacher evaluation. The analysis of these tests can guide the development of a schools educational plan for the following school year. Spring may be the season for testing in the nations middle and high schools, but preparation for an analysis of these tests are a school year long enterprise.