Childhood Memories and Adult Aspirations Essay Example for Free

Childhood Memories and Adult Aspirations Essay Back when I was younger I would spend countless hours playing in the sand box on warm, sunny days. Time was an irrelevant figure of which I knew or cared little about. The biggest problem I had to negotiate was how to construct the biggest and most complex sand castle possible. This type of scenario is something which is much more rare in the adult world. As an adult a person bares a great deal of responsibility and time means much more than in a childs world. Now that I am making the transition from simple childhood into the complex world of adulthood, I am reminded of the many things I will miss about being a kid. Though there are many things about childhood I will miss there are also many things about adult life that I greatly look forward to. One of the activities I will greatly miss about being a kid is going outside during the winter with my little brother and building a snow fortress. We would each take advantage of the snow piles which inevitably formed along the boarders of the driveway after each shoveling job. Therefore, almost immediately after there was a snowfall my brother and I would each build a fort and then proceed, after construction, to have snowball wars. Playing in the snow together brought us hours of fun and enjoyment. It is times like these where life is carefree and the only thing that matters is having fun. We always had a great time together during these moments. Another thing I will miss about being a kid is the recesses we were entitled to in elementary school. Every day class would seem to last an eternity as my friends and I would wait in anticipation of the recess bell. Collectively everyone would get together and decide upon a game which we could play. For example one day we would play soccer and the next day we would play Cops and Robbers. Each activity brought to us many laughs and hours of enjoyment. These periods of time provided us with a break from the day and I believe taught us a great deal about interacting with one another. Recess with all of my friends is something that I miss and will continue to miss for a long time. In the future and into adulthood I am looking forward to in adulthood is being able to have total independence. Independence is something great a person gets when he becomes an adult. Being able to make all of your own  decisions and having the privilege of being able to partake in activities which minors cannot is a great advantage to being an adult. I am looking forward to, for example, being able to go to the sports bar with my friends to watch hockey and football games. It is these privileges which appeal to me and make me exited to become an adult. Lastly being able to travel around the world with friends and family is something I also look forward to in adulthood. I hope to travel to many destinations with friends during and after university. Learning about different cultures, foods, ideas, ways of life, and histories is something I believe will be very enjoyable. Vacations, along with providing lots of relaxation and learning, also give people the chance to meet lots of new and different people. I believe that vacationing with friends provides lots of great experience and therefore posses as a great advantage to becoming an adult. The carefree hours of fun and games experienced as a child will always be something I fondly remember. Currently I accept the fact that those times are, for the most part, gone and am positively anticipating adulthood. The securities of childhood are great accept for the fact that they inevitably take away independence something most people need as they get older. In contrast, however, independence comes with the price of responsibility and therefore must be used wisely. I am greatly looking forward to adult life and will always fondly remember my childhood.

Development Of The Submarine :: essays research papers

Development of the Submarine Throughout history, navies have made significant impacts in the technological development of human kind. These impacts range from improvements in metal technologies made while perfecting the cannon to the advent of cybernetics, which allowed more precise targeting of weaponry. One of the more sophisticated developments in naval history has been the invention of the submarine. The submarine was born in 1620 as a leather-covered rowboat built by Cornelius Drebbel. After Robert Fulton came up with a more modern prototype in 1800, the military advantages of a nearly invisible warship were quickly divined. However, they remained unrealized for quite a while. Although Fulton probably foresaw that his invention would be used for war, he hardly could have envisioned it launching projectiles with the capability to level entire countries. However, after a series of innovations in nuclear missile and submarine designs, the submarine-launched ballistic missile has become an integral part of our naval weapons arsenal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To understand the need for the development of nuclear missile submarines, there is a need to examine the political climate of the world in the era after World War II. The realignment of the superpowers after the war resulted in a unique situation. The two major naval powers of the day, Great Britain and the United States, were now allied against the greatest land power in history in the Soviet Union. In the period from 1955 to 1965, the advantage was heavily in favor of the U.S. As the United States had developed the atomic and hydrogen bombs first, they obviously gained a head start which developed into a decisive nuclear advantage. This advantage acted as an effective deterrent to any Soviet movement into Western Europe. However, as the Soviet nuclear arsenal expanded (mostly during the Kennedy administration), it became necessary to effect a balance in the area of conventional warfare or to make more inroads in nuclear weapons development. Before this could be accomplished, however, advancements in submarine technology had to made as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The submarines of World War II, although effective in their roles, were rather primitive. A noisy, slow, shallow-diving sub would hardly be a capable missile submarine as it could be easily detected and destroyed. Even so, before the end of the war, there were intelligence reports in America that the German Navy had developed a U-boat capable of towing or carrying V-2 rockets to launch sites near the U.S. east coast. Although these reports turned out to be false, the Germans had been developing a type of submersible barge to tow V-2s. This scare prompted the American development of ballistic missile submarines.

Explain how Dickens conveys setting, character and atmosphere in the opening chapter of ‘Great Expectations’

In the opening chapter of ‘Great Expectations' Dickens draws upon a wealth of literary devices which range from the carefully selected word to a rather grand style of writing in long, complex sentences. He focuses these literary devices on conveying setting, character and atmosphere which enable the reader to have a entertaining, fictional experience. Immediately, in the first line the reader realises who the main character is and begins to build a picture of him. The reader is conscious of an older narrator looking back on his childhood when the following line announces: â€Å"I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.† As the first chapter is all about â€Å"Pip† it is appropriate that readers should be able to envisage the main character who will transport them to a Victorian childhood. In the second paragraph the reader deduces that Pip is very imaginative as from the â€Å"shape of the letters† on his father's gravestones he has formed an image of a â€Å"square, stout, dark man with curly black hair.† It's important that the reader understands at this early stage that Pip's imagination has such a hold over him as later on in the chapter. It explains why Pip obeys the convict and is so frightened of him. The young boy is in thrall to his child-like imagination. The setting of the novel is closely associated with the main character as is revealed by the line: â€Å"ours was the marsh country†. The word â€Å"ours† is not simply a pronoun; it gives the reader the impression that he has always lived there like the generations. The word suggests he feels, even as an adult looking back on his childhood, somewhat proprietorial about the marshes. In short, the marshes were his homeland or heartland. The memory of that day at the marshes is described as â€Å"vivid and broad.† These words give the reader the impression that what happened was something unforgettable that stood apart from all of Pip's other memories in the way that vivid colours stand out and you remember them better. The word â€Å"broad† signifies a lot of things happened in the short space of time. Dickens goes on to describe the day as â€Å"raw† which initially seems to contradict the word â€Å"vivid† however it reinforces the idea that the day was memorable. The word is an interesting choice as it is often associated with cold and unpleasant experiences as opposed to â€Å"vivid† which makes one think of reds and oranges which are warm and cosy. . The area around Pip is a â€Å"bleak place overgrown with nettles†. Dickens' words seem to be chosen deliberately. â€Å"Bleak† is important as all the next paragraph is going to be about how desolate this area is and how Pip is alone where as the word â€Å"nettles† makes the reader think of being stung. When you're stung by a nettle you remember it because it hurts like Pip remembers this day. Throughout the opening chapter Dickens uses noun phrases to describe â€Å"scattered cattle†, â€Å"broken shoes† and â€Å"high tombstones† These enhance his description of place and in the â€Å"wilderness† of the marshes, the reader builds up a picture of there being nothing else there which makes it appear a very lonely setting where one may have to fight to survive. In effect the description of the setting foreshadows the fight for survival the prisoner will have, mentally and physically. Furthermore, the single word â€Å"wilderness† also has another connotation i.e. the marshes reflect Pip's inner feelings. Pip is â€Å"dark† inside as he has no happiness. He's a working boy whose parents and brothers have died which makes him â€Å"flat† as he has no highs or lows The setting and atmosphere link incredibly closely with one and another and without Dickens excellent description of the setting the reader would be unable to build such an atmosphere which engages their mind and senses building up fear and suspense. The reader understands Pip is alone however being alone can be very beautiful, peaceful and relaxing but the reader creates the scared atmosphere after Dickens adds the adverbial phrases and noun phrases like â€Å"place overgrown with nettles†, â€Å"dark, flat wilderness†, â€Å"low leaden line†, â€Å"distant savage lair†, and â€Å"wind was rushing†. All of these are dark, frightening phrases which don't describe any beauty. The description of the sea as a â€Å"distant savage lair† is also a very good description of what the marshes are to the convict. A â€Å"lair† is somewhere an animal often â€Å"savage† lives and the convict is living in the marshes and he is like an animal as he's uneducated and eats â€Å"ravenously† as well as having a â€Å"savage† mind and temperament for he makes threats involving blood (â€Å"savage† and blood are closely linked) and is physical unkind turning Pip upside down. The key thing about a â€Å"lair† is the fact it conceals the animal and the convict is much concealed as prior to him just appearing Pip is unaware anyone else is there; this links with â€Å"distant† as at that point any threat to Pip is very â€Å"distance† in his mind as he is believing that he's alone. The convict â€Å"started up from among the graves† is how his entrance is described but the words â€Å"started up† mirror and foreshadow how something else is starting up and that is Pip's change in fortune. â€Å"Started up† is also different and unusual in this context as it would normally be used for a car or a mechanical thing not a person. The difference between people and mechanical things are people have feelings and at this point in the story the convict is being portrayed as a cold man who doesn't seem to have feelings or concern for anything just gets on with life. Before the reader develops a sense of sympathy for the convict, his mannerisms make a reader afraid of him and understand why Pip as a small boy would have followed his orders. He never talks without issuing commands. His first spoken word is usually an imperative verb which gives the reader the impression the convict will not tolerate disobedience. The sentence, â€Å"Hold your noise!† hints at the convict's concern not to be discovered. He is a â€Å"fearful man† and a long descriptions of the convict follows in which Dickens uses a string of adverbial phrases to emphasise the dreaded physical condition of the convict who had been â€Å"†¦soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles †¦Ã¢â‚¬  In this way, a picture of sustained suffering is created that arouses the sympathy of the reader. Pip is under the sole control of the convict and has no room to negotiate with a man who is â€Å"so sudden and strong†. He has to do what the convict says for fear of the verbal threats becoming true and these are forced more on him by the convict's unkind physical treatment including turning Pip â€Å"upside down†. This re-enforces the frightening atmosphere to the reader as reading between the lines they see Pip has no way of escaping. When Pip speaks he does so in Standard English e.g. â€Å"My sister †¦ wife of Joe Gargery, the blacksmith.† In contrast the convict uses slang â€Å"pint† and â€Å"mind to't† and sometimes then he doesn't pronounce words right – he says â€Å"wittles† instead of â€Å"victuals†. Dickens endears Pip in the way to a middle-class audience. Dickens use repetition several times but changes it slightly each time he uses it. Sometimes he just repeats the exact same sentence â€Å"He tilted me again†¦He tilted me again†¦He tilted me again.† This reinforces the point he is making of the convict having control over Pip and builds the reader's feelings even higher creating more of a frightening atmosphere. At other times his repetition is slightly changed by singular words, this links the second part back to the first and the reader is able to build a stronger link between the two. A good example of this is â€Å"partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.† here the reader sees how both bits are about the same issue, Pip holding onto the tombstone, and receives a better description of why he's doing it but by the repetition the link between them is strengthened. The final description of the setting refers to â€Å"horizontal lines† of â€Å"red† and â€Å"black†. Using â€Å"lines† is a really good description as â€Å"lines† are very insignificant to many people just like this area is insignificant so no-one hardly comes but without lines nothing would be in the world or happen. As lines form the foundations of letters which allow communication, lines are seen everywhere like on roads and things are built with lines – classroom desk edges are straight lines; and without Pip being a little line figure â€Å"intermixed† with all these other lines he wouldn't of met the convict, who therefore couldn't of been his benefactor which means Pip wouldn't of formed the foundations for his journey in becoming a gentleman. The first line description of a â€Å"long black horizontal line† is very significant in the fact it's very plain and simple and that reflects how the marshes were now, they were just simply plain marshes again. However it also reflects how Pip felt and how his life was just one â€Å"long line† that so far had never changed. Furthermore it also singles a slight change in the atmosphere although there is still the â€Å"frightening† threat of the â€Å"young boy† all the high drama has stopped so the reader can take a step back and is able to think about what just happened. Dickens uses similes in his writing to add extra description and allow the reader to imagine better. The use of a simile is very useful for describing the â€Å"beacon† as many readers may not have known what Dickens was talking about especially if they lived in the city but by saying it was â€Å"like an unhooped cask upon a pole† they are fully able to visualise what it is. So as well as telling a great story Dickens is also introducing his readers to new words. In addition Dickens talks about the convict â€Å"as if he were the pirate come to life,† by using a metaphor he's adding yet a different literary tool. In fact using the tool of a metaphor is very good as they create an image the reader can relate to and remember easily. But Dickens didn't just use any metaphors he carefully selected them using key words such as â€Å"pirate† which relates back to what he's talking about – the gibbet. â€Å"Pirates† are also scary and people that threaten others to get what they want just as the convict is a â€Å"fearful† person and has threatened Pip to get food. â€Å"But, now I was frightened again, and ran home without stopping.† is a fabulous final line which makes the reader hungry for more. This sentence sums up the entire chapter well as it relates back to Pip previously being frightened when it says â€Å"frightened again† however it leaves you very much on a cliff-hanger wanting to know if Pip gets home safely and if he returns with food for the convict. This was one of Dickens preferred styles as he wrote in episodes but now when they are all put together it forms something excellent as you read stories within a story. In general, Dickens' style of writing in incredibly long sentences helps set the atmosphere of there being something more to this story than meets the eye, this allows the reader's mind to work overtime and read between the lines. Sentences like â€Å"A man who had been soaked in water †¦ as he seized me by the chin.† and â€Å"On the edge of the river †¦ which had once held a pirate.† also helps build a clearer picture in the readers mind. All the sub-clauses in the sentences as well give Dickens plenty of time to describe every fraction of detail about the setting or a characters appearance which if you can give the text your full attention without any distractions transport you very easily into this world therefore you don't watch it like a movie but live it like a life. Sub-clauses in long sentences such as â€Å"soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones.† are dramatised by the use of commas before the word and. You would not think, especially not in today's modern world, that there should be a comma before the word and however Dicken's deliberately chose to do this. As by having the commas the reader has to slow down when reading the long sentences which gives them chance to digest what they have just read and it sinks into their head more. But in addition it also holds the reader in suspense, only for a couple of seconds, but in that time they build up an urge to read on. In conclusion, the opening chapter sets up the book as an incredibly worthwhile read which seems to semi-autobiographical and concerned with making a commentary on life, childhood and the class system of Victorian England. In order to express his views through a best-selling novel he combined a range of elements including romance, mystery, crime, comedy and sentiment. It's paramount for the reader to deduce and infer these from the description of the setting, characters and atmosphere allowing them to get the most out of this magnificent book. The opening chapter is a curtain-raiser for the rest of the novel in which Dickens takes the reader back in time to experience a Victorian childhood.

Why Listening Is Important For A Good Listener - 888 Words

Why Listening is Important Being a good listener is extremely important. It helps you to understand where the person is at and what state of mind they are in. It also helps you to communicate with that person and help them to solve whatever problem they might be going through. It lets them know that you understand the situation and you possibly have empathy with them because you may have gone through the same thing. According to Capps, it is important to be a good listener. To be a good listener you must follow three important things. Attention, appreciation and affirmation. In emphasizing attention, he wants to make the point that better listening does not begin with techniques instead, it starts with making a sincere effort to pay attention to what is going on in the conversation partner’s private world of experience. Some individual comments may help to open another person up! â€Å"Tough day?† â€Å"Are you worried about something?† â€Å"Is something bothering you?† This is not however, technique, but simply saying something that indicates a willingness to listen. (pg. 23 Capps) If you prove you are willing to listen to someone’s conversation they will open up to you and trust your advice if offered. Most of the time a person just wants to be heard and know that they have a friend to listen to them whenever needed. As for appreciation, Nichols advises showing genuine appreciation for the other’s point of view. One should assume, until proven otherwise, that the other person has aShow MoreRelatedArt of Listening1453 Words   |  6 PagesThe Art of Listening www.humanikaconsulting.com Learning outcomes †¢ Explain what we mean by listening skills †¢ Identify why listening skills are important, from an employability perspective †¢ Identify key reasons why we often fail to listen effectively †¢ Adopt simple listening techniques to ensure that you listen effectively Introduction †¢ Almost 45% of time we spend in listening. †¢ An essential management and leadership skill. †¢ A process of receiving, interpreting and reacting toRead MoreAnalyzing Active Listening Skills. Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesThe theories of counselling, listening skills sessions, offered the opportunity to learn and exercise the practical application of listening skills. Such skills involved actively listening to the speaker and asking forth bringing questions. 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The preface to the introduction is the realization that truly listening to music requires an active response, and this type of listening is not innate. All throughout the day we are bombarded with music and every day sounds, most of which remain in our periphery. It can be difficult to focus on a single event such as a concert, le cture or any other situation that requires a quiteRead MoreThe Perception of Listening1162 Words   |  5 PagesThe Perception of Listening Listen up! Are you really listening? What is listening and why is it important? This paper will address the viewpoint of listening skills and its outcome. Listening is an essential tool, which is one of the constructive aspects in the communication process, for communicating with other people. To listen well is a talent that is learned. 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