20 Archetypes for People Based on Names

20 Archetypes for People Based on Names 20 Archetypes for People Based on Names 20 Archetypes for People Based on Names By Mark Nichol Various expressions have arisen, sometimes from folkloric or historical origins, to describe types of people by assigning them with personal names. Here are twenty such appellations and their definitions and (sometimes only probable) origins. 1. Average Joe: the average man from a demographic viewpoint; from the ubiquity of the name Joe 2. Chatty Cathy: an annoyingly verbose woman; coined through alliteration and rhyme 3. Debbie Downer: a naysayer or pessimist; coined by joining an alliterative common name with a descriptive label 4. Doubting Thomas: a skeptic; inspired by the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, who refused to believe in Jesus’s resurrection until he saw him 5. Dumb Dora: a dimwitted or foolish woman, from early-twentieth-century slang; coined by joining an alliterative common name with a descriptive label 6. Gloomy Gus: (see â€Å"Debbie Downer†); based on a cartoon character named by joining an alliterative common name with a descriptive label 7. Good-Time Charlie: a hedonist; probably based on a reference in a Damon Runyon story about a speakeasy by that name 8. Handy Andy: a person with useful skills; inspired by rhyming a common name with a descriptive label 9. Jack-the-lad: an arrogant, carefree young man; probably inspired by the name of a thief who became a folk hero because of multiple escapes from prison 10. Joe Blow: (see â€Å"Average Joe†) 11. Joe Cool: someone who presents a fashionable or unflappable persona; probably originated with the name of an alter ego of the character Snoopy in the Peanuts comic strip 12. Joe Six-Pack (or â€Å"Joe Sixpack†): (see â€Å"Average Joe,† imagined as a working-class man who enjoys drinking beer, thus the reference to a six-pack) 13. Mary Sue: any main character in a story who is unrealistically capable and flawless; inspired by the name’s all-American, wholesome, winsome associations 14. Merry Andrew: a clownish person; based on an archetypal clown act 15. Nervous Nellie: a timid, easily upset person of either gender; originally, a reference to a high-strung racehorse, influenced by Old Nell, a name associated with nags, or older horses 16. Peeping Tom: a voyeur; based on an apocryphal story of an onlooker (identified with a common name) during the based-in-fact tale of Lady Godiva 17. plain Jane: a girl or woman of average appearance, or any unprepossessing object; inspired by rhyming a common name with a descriptive label 18. Simple Simon: a gullible, unintelligent person; derived from a folk character 19. Smart Aleck (or â€Å"smart alec†): a know-it-all; apparently inspired by a nineteenth-century con man the police called â€Å"Smart Alec† 20. Typhoid Mary: a person who spreads disease or another undesirable thing; named after Mary Mallon, an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartHow to Pronounce Mobile10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

The Domestication and History of Modern Horses

The Domestication and History of Modern Horses The modern domesticated horse (Equus caballus) is today spread throughout the world and among the most diverse creatures on the planet. In North America, the horse was part of the megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene. Two wild subspecies survived until recently, the Tarpan (Equus ferus ferus, died out ca 1919) and Przewalskis Horse (Equus ferus przewalskii, of which there are a few left). Horse history, especially the timing of the domestication of the horse, is still being debated, partly because the evidence for domestication itself is debatable. Unlike other animals, criteria such as changes in body morphology (horses are extremely diverse) or the location of a particular horse outside of its normal range (horses are very widespread) are not useful in helping resolve the question. Evidence for Horse Domestication The earliest possible hints for domestication would be the presence of what appears to be a set of postmolds with lots of animal dung within the area defined by the posts, which scholars interpret as representing a horse pen. That evidence has been found at Krasnyi Yar in Kazakhstan, in portions of the site dating to as early as 3600 BC. The horses may have been kept for food and milk, rather than riding or load-bearing. Accepted archaeological evidence of horseback riding includes bit wear on horse teeth- that has been found in the steppes east of the Ural mountains at Botai and Kozhai 1 in modern Kazakhstan, around 3500-3000 BC. The bit wear was only found on a few of the teeth in the archaeological assemblages, which might suggest that a few horses were ridden to hunt and collect wild horses for food and milk consumption. Finally, the earliest direct evidence of the use of horses as beasts of burden- in the form of drawings of horse-drawn chariots- is from Mesopotamia, about 2000 BC. Krasnyi Yar includes over 50 residential pithouses, adjacent to which have been found dozens of postmolds. The postmolds- archaeological remnants of where posts have been set in the past- are arranged in circles, and these are interpreted as evidence of horse corrals. Horse History and Genetics Genetic data, interestingly enough, has traced all extant domesticated horses to one founder stallion, or to closely related male horses with the same Y haplotype. At the same time, there is a high matrilineal diversity in both domestic and wild horses. At least 77 wild mares would be required to explain the diversity of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in current horse populations, which probably means quite a few more. A 2012 study (Warmuth and colleagues) combining archaeology, mitochondrial DNA, and Y-chromosomal DNA supports the domestication of horse as occurring once, in the western part of the Eurasian steppe, and that because of the horses wild natures, several repeated introgression events (restocking of horse populations by adding wild mares), must have occurred. As identified in earlier studies, that would explain the diversity of mtDNA. Three Strands of Evidence for Domesticated Horses In a paper published in Science in 2009, Alan K. Outram and colleagues looked at three strands of evidence supporting horse domestication at Botai culture sites: shin bones, milk consumption, and bitwear. These data support domestication of the horse between about 3500-3000 BC sites in what is today Kazakhstan. Horses skeletons at Botai Culture sites have gracile metacarpals. The horses metacarpals- the shins or cannon bones- are used as key indicators of domesticity. For whatever reason (and I wont speculate here), shins on domestic horses are thinner- more gracile- than those of wild horses. Outram et al. describe the shinbones from Botai as being closer in size and shape to those of Bronze age (fully domesticated) horses compared to wild horses. Fatty lipids of horse milk were found inside of pots. Although today it seems a bit weird to westerners, horses were kept for both their meat and milk in the past- and still are in the Kazakh region as you can see from the photograph above. Evidence of horse milk was found at Botai in the form of fatty lipid residues on the insides of ceramic vessels; further, evidence for consumption of horse meat has been identified at Botai culture horse and rider burials. Bit wear is in evidence on horse teeth. Researchers noted bitting wear on horses teeth- a vertical strip of wear on the outside of horses premolars, where the metal bit damages the enamel when it sits between the cheek and tooth. Recent studies (Bendrey) using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis found microscopic-sized fragments of iron embedded on Iron Age horse teeth, resulting from metal bit use. White Horses and History White horses have had a special place in ancient history-according to Herodotus, they were held as sacred animals in the Achaemenid court of Xerxes the Great (ruled 485-465 BC). White horses are associated with the Pegasus myth, the unicorn in the Babylonian myth of Gilgamesh, Arabian horses, Lipizzaner stallions, Shetland ponies, and Icelandic pony populations. The Thoroughbred Gene A recent DNA study (Bower et al.) examined the DNA of Thoroughbred racing horses and identified the specific allele which drives their speed and precocity. Thoroughbreds are a specific breed of horse, all of whom today are descended from the children of one of three foundation stallions: Byerley Turk (imported to England in the 1680s), Darley Arabian (1704) and Godolphin Arabian (1729). These stallions are all of Arab, Barb and Turk origin; their descendants are from one of only 74 British and imported mares. Horse breeding histories for Thoroughbreds have been recorded in the General Stud Book since 1791, and the genetic data certainly supports that history. Horse races in the 17th and 18th centuries ran 3,200-6,400 meters (2-4 miles), and horses were usually five or six years old. By the early 1800s, the Thoroughbred was bred for traits that enabled speed and stamina over distances from 1,600-2,800 meters at three years of age; since the 1860s, the horses have been bred for shorter races (1,000-1400 meters) and younger maturity, at 2 years. The genetic study looked at the DNA from hundreds of horses and identified the gene as C type myostatin gene variant, and came to the conclusion that this gene originated from a single mare, bred to one of the three founder male horses about 300 years ago. See Bower et al for additional information. Thistle Creek DNA and Deep Evolution In 2013, researchers led by Ludovic Orlando and Eske Willerslev of the Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark and University of Copenhagen (and reported in Orlando et al. 2013) reported on a metapodial horse fossil which had been found in permafrost within a Middle Pleistocene context in the Yukon territory of Canada and dated between 560,00-780,000 years ago. Amazingly, the researchers found that there were sufficiently intact molecules of collagen within the matrix of the bone to enable them to map the Thistle Creek horses genome. The researchers then compared the Thistle Creek specimen DNA to that of an Upper Paleolithic horse, a modern donkey, five modern domestic horse breeds, and one modern Przewalskis horse. Orlando and Willerslevs team found that over the past 500,000 years, horse populations have been enormously sensitive to climate change and that extremely low population sizes are associated with warming events. Further, using the Thistle Creek DNA as a baseline, they were able to determine that all modern existing equids (donkeys, horses, and zebras) originated from a common ancestor some 4-4.5 million years ago. In addition, Przewalskis horse diverged from the breeds which became domestic some 38,000-72,000 years ago, confirming the long-held belief that Przewalskis is the last remaining wild horse species. Sources Bendrey R. 2012. From wild horses to domestic horses: a European perspective. World Archaeology 44(1):135-157. Bendrey R. 2011. Identification of metal residues associated with bit-use on prehistoric horse teeth by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(11):2989-2994. Bower MA, McGivney BA, Campana MG, Gu J, Andersson LS, Barrett E, Davis CR, Mikko S, Stock F, Voronkova V et al. 2012. The genetic origin and history of speed in the Thoroughbred racehorse. Nature Communications 3(643):1-8. Brown D, and Anthony D. 1998. Bit Wear, Horseback Riding and the Botai Site in Kazakstan. Journal of Archaeological Science 25(4):331-347. Cassidy R. 2009. The horse, the Kyrgyz horse and the ‘Kyrgyz horse’. Anthropology Today 25(1):12-15. Jansen T, Forster P, Levine MA, Oelke H, Hurles M, Renfrew C, Weber J, Olek, and Klaus. 2002. Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of the domestic horse. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 99(16):10905–10910. Levine MA. 1999. Botai and the origins of horse domestication. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 18(1):29-78. Ludwig A, Pruvost M, Reissmann M, Benecke N, Brockmann GA, Castaà ±os P, Cieslak M, Lippold S, Llorente L, Malaspinas A-S et al. 2009. Coat Color Variation at the Beginning of Horse Domestication. Science 324:485. Kavar T, and Dovc P. 2008. Domestication of the horse: Genetic relationships between domestic and wild horses. Livestock Science 116(1):1-14. Orlando L, Ginolhac A, Zhang G, Froese D, Albrechtsen A, Stiller M, Schubert M, Cappellini E, Petersen B, Moltke I et al. 2013. Recalibrating Equus evolution using the genome sequence of an early Middle Pleistocene horse. Nature in press. Outram AK, Stear NA, Bendrey R, Olsen S, Kasparov A, Zaibert V, Thorpe N, and Evershed RP. 2009. The Earliest Horse Harnessing and Milking. Science 323:1332-1335. Outram AK, Stear NA, Kasparov A, Usmanova E, Varfolomeev V, and Evershed RP. 2011. Horses for the dead: funerary foodways in Bronze Age Kazakhstan. Antiquity 85(327):116-128. Sommer RS, Benecke N, Là µugas L, Nelle O, and Schmà ¶lcke U. 2011. Holocene survival of the wild horse in Europe: a matter of open landscape? Journal of Quaternary Science 26(8):805-812. Rosengren Pielberg G, Golovko A, Sundstrà ¶m E, Curik I, Lennartsson J, Seltenhammer MH, Drum T, Binns M, Fitzsimmons C, Lindgren G et al. 2008. A cis-acting regulatory mutation causes premature hair graying and susceptibility to melanoma in the horse. Nature Genetics 40:1004-1009. Warmuth V, Eriksson A, Bower MA, Barker G, Barrett E, Hanks BK, Li S, Lomitashvili D, Ochir-Goryaeva M, Sizonov GV et al. 2012. Reconstructing the origin and spread of horse domestication in the Eurasian steppe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early edition.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW - Essay Example In order to give Dicky proper legal advice, it would be in order to understand the exact terms and conditions that his employment or engagement with Smythe and Dickinson stated. The importance of this contractual agreement would be to know if Dicky’s terms of employment terms provision spelled out agreements on whether the company was either the sole owner or joint owner of any work produced in course of employment (Sumpter 2006, p.77).. This is because section 11 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act states the criteria for ascertaining the ownership of any copyright material and provides that any work produced in the course of employment belong to the employer who is deemed as the first owner. In the event that there are no such terms or regulations, Dicky will be perfectly be in a right position to fully own the work. Under the copyright laws in England, there are certain qualifications that one has to fulfil before they are fully covered or protected by the law on copy right. First, a person must be a citizen of Britain based on the qualifications that are set by the British Nationality Act 1981 (Ross 2008, p.46). The other requirement is originality, it has to be ascertained that without doubt the work (Valuation Guidelnes) was his (Dicky’s) own expression of ideas and invention to be the first owner under Copyright, Designs and Patents Act S.11(1). This is of interest, as it will help in understanding the actual position of the nature of the legal position from which the company is claiming rights. Dicky can argue that the company has no copyrights over any of his productions when he undertakes it independently even if employed by Smythe and Dickinson. The other requirement to gain copyright is fixation, as was held in the Merchandising Corp v Harpbond (1983), for instance the work has to be in a material form of which the valuation guidelines are in print and Dicky’s Antiques is in a DVD. Having ascertained Dickys terms of employm ent, citizenship, fixation and originality such that the Valuation Guidelines were his creative creation work; Dicky should understand the rights that a copyright holder have in relation to that particular original idea, which is automatic in UK upon meeting copyright requirements. Section 16 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act gives the copyright holder the right to copy the work and issue it to the public as well as broadcasting the work in a cable service program (McCombs 2011, p.21). All copyrighted material must possess originality as proposed in the case of University of London Press v University Tutorial Press (1916) 2 CH 601. This case discussed the doctrine known as sweat of the brow doctrine and if the word â€Å"original† is taken to refer to the originality of an expression for a certain piece of work to gain copyright protection (Harms 2008, p.133). The concept of originality tries to evaluate the relationship between the author of a particular piece of wor k and his work and is essential for a piece of work to gain copyright protection in England. This is expressly provided for under Section 1(1) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.1(1) and involves judicial reasoning and logic in the solution of cases. In order for Dicky to succeed in his defence, he must

Legal aspects of Nursing- Homework # 5 raquel Essay

Legal aspects of Nursing- Homework # 5 raquel - Essay Example Their testimony shows that the procedure for documentation of narcotics given was not keenly followed because most nurses did the documentation during their breaks and free time. It is shown that most of them documented when they had forgotten the number of patients given the narcotics. In the court, the suspended nurse can argue that the difference in figures may have resulted from forgetting the figures. I would have ruled in favor of the suspended nurse. This is because; there is no credible evidence that solely links the nurse to the missing drugs. From the evidence, the nurse has been diligently working for 25 years with no past records of such an incidence. In addition, the nurse was not found in possession of the drugs hence lack of solid evidence linking her to the drugs. The institution has enhanced patient safety by putting in place a computerized medicine cabinet. This cabinet ensures enhanced distribution and better monitoring of narcotics. The nurses were also required to document the narcotic usage and hence record the dosage, time, and method of administration. This shows that the institution was committed to the safety of its patients. The nurses are negligent in their duties. As a nurse, one ought to put the patient’s interest first by ensuring that records of the patient are properly kept for future use (Thompson, 2005). Lack of proper recording shows the unwillingness and laziness of the nurses to take care of the patients and therefore they are negligent. The organization must consider the failure of its nurses to do a proper documentation on drugs issued to patients. It must also look at ways in which close supervision is to be made on nurses so that they follow rules and regulations. In addition, in the case where nurses do not follow the guidelines of a physician and opt for IV route instead of IM injection, strict rules and supervision should be imposed. The defendants in this case are

Electricity and Magnetism Essay Example for Free

Electricity and Magnetism Essay In this investigation I will be burning a range of alcohol in a method known as calorimetry. This will allow me to see the amount of energy produced by each alcohol, and then look at the structure of the alcohol and investigate why an amount of energy is produced for each alcohol. Before I go on with the experiment there are several factors that must be first understood. What is an alcohol? The definition of an alcohol as taken from Richard Harwoods Chemistry textbook is a series of organic compounds containing the functional group OH. The OH group, called a hydroxyl group is what defines the compound as an alcohol. The alcohol compounds are very similar to the alkanes, however alcohols contain one oxygen atom, creating the hydroxyl group, and making the alkane an alkanol (alcohol). As the hydroxyl group makes the compound different to an alkane, the hydroxyl group is seen to be functional. The formula for alcohol is: In this investigation I will look at the first five alcohols. These are methanol, ethanol, propan-1-ol, butan-1-ol and pentan-1-ol. The classification of alcohols is similar to the classification of alkanes, where the name refers to the number of carbon atoms i. e.meth- one carbon atom, eth-=two carbon atoms, prop-=3 carbon atoms, but-=four carbon atoms, pent-=five carbon atoms and so on. The carbon atom that the hydroxyl group is bonded to may classify the alcohol further. If it is joined to the end carbon atom it is classified as -1-ol, if it is bonded to the second carbon atom it is classified as -2-ol and so on. The five alcohols I am testing are shown with formulas, and atomic structure diagrams below: Name RMM Formula Structure Boiling Point Methanol. What is combustion? The definition of combustion as taken from Richard Harwoods Chemistry textbook is a chemical reaction in which a substance reacts with oxygen the reaction is exothermic. Burning is a combustion reaction that produces a flame. The reactions that will take place in our investigation will be combustion reactions, as we burn the alcohol in calorimetry. The combustion of an alcohol produces carbon dioxide and water. This is represented by the following equation: ALCOHOL + OXYGEN i CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER e. g. The combustion of methanol produces carbon dioxide and water: METHANOL + OXYGEN i CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER 2CH3OH + 3O2 i 2CO2 + 4H2O What is calorimetry? Calorimetry is defined as the science of heat. It may be used in chemistry to measure the heat energy exchanged for a substance during a reaction, by allowing the substance reacting to heat a measured mass of liquid. The temperature change of this liquid is measured and recorded, and the following equation may be used to calculate the heat energy transferred to the liquid: Heat change = MC? T (where M = mass of liquid, C = critical temperature, and T = temperature change). The critical temperature is the proportionality between heat energy applied and the subsequent temperature rise. E. g. for 1g of water a temperature rise of 1 i C requires 4. 8 joules of heat energy. Using calorimetry may be used to measure both reactions in solution, and reactions not in solution. Wet reactions or those in solution are more accurate than those not in solution, as the actual energy release of the reaction is being measured directly as a thermometer is placed in the solution. For dry reactions, (a reaction not in solution such as the burning of an alcohol) the reaction must be used to heat a mass of water and the temperature increase measured from the water. As the combustion reaction must transfer its heat energy from the reaction to the water, calorimetry for dry reactions can be inaccurate due to heat loss. HYPOTHESIS I believe that the increased complexity of a molecule and the energy released by it are proportional. I found this idea upon the theory of breaking and making bonds. In a molecule, bonds hold atoms together. When these bonds are formed energy is given out to the surroundings (exothermic), and when these bonds are broken energy is absorbed from the surroundings (endothermic). This may be seen by the alcohols boiling points: Name Boiling Point Methanol 65 Ethanol 78 Propan-1-ol 97 Butan-1-ol 117 Pentan-1-ol 137 Using this theory of breaking/making bonds, we can say that there will be a greater amount of energy released from the combustion of a more complex alcohol, as more bonds will be formed. When more bonds are formed, more heat energy is released. The hypothesis may be seen on the flowing graph: TESTING To investigate the relationship between the structure and heat provided by combustion of a range of alcohols, we will use the method of calorimetry. We will do this by burning an alcohol, and allowing it to heat a mass of water. Measuring the temperature rise of this mass of water we can use the formula to find the heat energy released during the reaction. Apparatus == 1 can == 1 measuring cylinder == Water == 1 thermometer == 1 stand == 1 clamp == 1 boss == 1 heat mat == 1 alcohol burner/candle == 1 balance == Draught shields Fig1: Experiment setup. Method. Safety must be ensured at all times, as highly flammable substances are being burned here. All students must wear eye protection during the experiment, stay standing during the experiment, and be aware of the flames around them. 1. The apparatus is set up as shown in fig 1. 2. The alcohol candle is weighed on the balance, and the mass recorded. 3. The mass of water in the can measured and recorded 4. The height between the candlewick, and the base of the can must be set and recorded, measuring the distance with a ruler. 5. The temperature of the water is measured and recorded using the thermometer. 6. The candle is lit and the thermometer monitored until the water has risen by a given temperature. 7. The candle is blown out, the burnt wax on the base removed of the candle, and the candle is weighed. The data produced by this method will then be calculated by the formulas: ? H (j) = mass of water (g) X specific heat capacity of water (S. H. C) X temperature rise (? C) The result of this is found per gram of alcohol burnt by dividing it by the change of mass ? H per gram of alcohol burnt (J/g) = ? H (? C) / change in mass (g) The results of this are the found per mole of alcohol burnt. ? H per gram of alcohol burnt per mole (J/mole) = ? H per gram of alcohol burnt (g) X RMM of alcohol Variables There are two types of variables: dependant variables and independent variables. Dependant variables are those that are kept constant at a set value, so that they cannot cause variation in the results, by changing throughout the experiments. There should only be one independent variable in a test, this is what is being tested. Therefore the dependent variables for this investigation are as follows (see fig 2): 1. The distance of the wick from the base of the can The distance of the flame from the base of the can may vary the results greatly, as it will decide how much of the flames heat is transferred directly to the can and to the water. The experiment should allow the flame to contact the can at its hottest point. The most accurate and safe way to measure flame distance from the can is to measure the distance of the wick. For the purposes of our experiment this should be accurate enough. Measuring the distance from the wick and the base of the can each time will control this variable. 2. The mass of water heated. The volume of water can vary the experiment greatly, as the greater the mass of water used, the more alcohol will be combusted to reach the target temperature. Also when a greater mass of water is used, the test will go on for longer, and thus a greater amount of energy will be transferred to the surroundings as wasted energy. Measuring the amount of water used each time will control this variable. 3. The type of can used. The type metal the can is made from is extremely important to the experiment, as different metals conduct heat with different efficiency and at different rates. Therefore the type of can used will affect the heat transfer to the water. Using the same can each time will control this variable. 4. The heat increase The heat increase can vary the experiment, as the greater the energy increase, the greater the mass of alcohol burnt, and the greater amount of energy transferred to the surroundings as waste. The start temperature may affect the results, as the higher the temperature the equipment reaches, the more heat will be wasted in the surroundings, according to the theory that heat energy moves from areas of high heat energy to areas of low energy. By allowing the equipment to cool after each experiment to a set temperature this variable may be controlled. 5. Stirring of the water Stirring the water will affect the results, as it means that the whole mass accounted for in the calculation will be being heated, not just one volume of water. The type of stirring in terms of frequency and power may affect the results also, and must be kept constant. To control this variable, the same type of stirring will be used each time. The only variable in the experiment will be the changing type of alcohol being combusted, as this is what is being investigated.

Harold E. Stearns’ Critique of American Culture in the Book, Civilization in the United States :: American America History

Harold E. Stearns’ Critique of American Culture in the Book, Civilization in the United States Harold E. Stearns and his colleagues set out on a mission to enlighten and inform the American society of the 1920’s in their book entitled Civilization in the United States. Thirty-three authors with the aid of an editor, Stearns, instead produced a highly controversial and inadequate account of certain aspects of life in American society. According to critic Arthur Schlesinger the writers of Civilization in the United States fell short of their goal of producing a critical depiction of American society and instead wrote "supercilious reflections" (167). There are three main themes presented in each essay included in Civilization. They are as follows: Americans are hypocritical, American civilization is not Anglo-Saxon nor nationalistic, and finally American social life lacks emotion. Stearns chose his writers very carefully. He wanted each of them to be blunt and straight to the point in their essays, especially when writing on these three themes. In his preface, Stearns himself states: "If these main contentions seem severe or pessimistic, the answer must be: we do not write to please; we strive only to understand and to state as clearly as we can" (vii). It is obvious that Harold Stearns wanted to voice his ideas and those of his counterparts in an open, bold fashion and that is why each essay touches on the main themes mentioned above. Critic Arthur Schlesinger, however mentions in his critique of Civilization that if there are any common themes in these essays at all, that they certainly are not the ones Harold Stearns mentions. Rather, Schlesinger hints that the theme is that Americans are "cocksure but bewildered children in a world [they] cannot understand" which is new and constantly changing (168). He feels that overall, each author wrote his or her own opinion and didn't follow a common theme in the true sense of the word. It is apparent to me that the critic has a valid point and his opinion coincides with my own opinion. Stearns may have had a common theme in mind when he organized the writing of Civilization, but it seems as if the authors went a bit off track. Some of the topics discussed in Civilization in the United States were "The Intellectual Life," "The City," "Economic Opinion," "History," "Business," "Engineering," "Politics," "Journalism," and "Philosophy" to name a few. As critic Arthur Schlesinger notes in his review of the book, the topics and authors included in this account of

Personal Reflection of Anne Frank’s House Essay

Personal Reflection on Anne Frank’s House I chose to write a personal reflection on the Anne Frank’s House tourist attraction in Amsterdam because I have two daughters. As a parent, I want the best for them and most importantly, their safety. I would do the exact thing what Anne’s father had done for them. Otto Frank had to move to the Netherlands when the anti-semitism in Germany was growing. Though it took seven years for their family to be reunited in the Netherlands, he successfully got them out of Germany. My late father did the same for our family. When I was 13 years old, I followed my parents to migrate to Ecuador. We were not escaping anti-semitism but my father knew that we were not safe in our country due to the worsening of the economy and the rise of unrest in Cambodia. Like Anne Frank, being in a new country I started missing the place where I grew up and the friends I had left behind. I recall writing many journals when I got homesick. This was the only way I can re-live the life I had once before. Now that I have a family of my own, and if I find myself with the same predicament like of Otto Frank. I will find a better place for my family. I want to visit Anne Frank’s house because during my youth I read her book. I was completely absorbed in the world of this creative and articulate girl who put her experiences in writing while in hiding. Since I have read the diary it will be very interesting to see it in real life. I have passed down Anne Frank’s story and her book to my daughters and when I get the chance, I will take my family to visit the Netherlands and tour the Anne Frank historical house. Anyone with some knowledge of World War II knows the story of Anne Frank and her famous diary. A visit to Amsterdam will give me an opportunity to see the location where young Anne and her family were holed up in virtual silence for two years, along with other families hoping to escape the hatred of the Nazi regime. The great takeaway about visiting the house will be a constant reminder on how fortunate I am as an American whose freedom is not in peril. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine a family living in the rooms like what Anne’s family had to experience, with the constant threat of being given away and sent to concentration camps. Unfortunately, this did eventually happen and only Anne’s father Otto survived the war. During the first part of Anne Frank’s House presentation, I was only interested in visiting the place because one of my classmates mentioned, â€Å"the former hiding place of the Frank family is one of the most popular attractions in Amsterdam and many tourists declare it to be one of the most touching places they’ve ever visited.† But as soon as they got into details about the house, I was no longer interested in visiting the house as a tourist but as a person with a purpose. I wanted to experience and see first hand with my daughters how Anne tried to overcome their harsh living conditions while writing her journals that eventually sparked a lot of interest all over the world. As mentioned from the presentations, the living quarters comprised of three upper floors of a rear annex to Mr. Frank’s larger office building that is reached via steep, narrow flights of stairs. The room is small, dark and unfurnished, the Nazi captors having emptied them of furniture and most possessions as was customary during that time. The museum set up a place where the visitors can see some of Anne’s diary and read them. I can imagine myself picking up the diary, reading it and being absorbed with her eloquent stories that inspired and touched many people. What makes Anne’s diary so special is the way she wrote it. In her diary, in spite of the cruel hardship she and her family were enduring, Anne maintained a sense of optimism. Even with the evil that surrounded her, she wrote in her diary â€Å"despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart†. Because of her incredible words, Anne is remembered as a girl of tremendous courage and hope, an inspiration to all. I firmly believe that the Dutch people were somehow ashamed of their involvement on the holocaust atrocities. And one of the defining moments to reinvigorate the Dutch and Jewish people together after the war was to pay tribute to the people who were stripped of their dignity and eventually led to their death. The perfect person for such a tribute was this young girl named Anne Frank. Even though a lot of bad things have happened in Netherlands during the dark times in 1945, today that history has never been forgotten. Preserving the Anne Frank’s house and making it a museum is a constant reminder on how a young girl touched many lives with her diary. And today it is evident from the millions of tourists that visit Amsterdam that Anne Frank’s house is a must-visit.