Presentation, overview, timeline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Presentation, overview, timeline - Essay Example Ptolemy, who headed a considerable number of Alexander’s former troops, proposed they divide the empire among the generals, which was convenient for his ambition. When Alexander died after being ill in Babylon in the year 323 BC, his general (Ptolemy) led a fraction of Alexander’s army back to Egypt where Ptolemy pronounced himself pharaoh. Ptolemy successfully fought off his competing generals’ armies; hence, establishing the Ptolemaic dynasty that persisted for 300 years in Egypt: Ptolemy I to XV (305 – 30 BC). Cleopatra VII (51-30 BC) inherited Egypt from her father; Ptolemy XII (80-51BC) married her older brother Ptolemy XII, who later drowned in battle against Julius Caesar. Cleopatra then married her younger brother Ptolemy XIV; however, she bore a son with Caesar who became Ptolemy XV for the period (44 – 30 BC). After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Ptolemy I nominally acted as a satrap for some time under the successors of Alexander; howe ver, the successors were not strong enough and the empire began to break up (Aufderheide 247). For Ptolemy dynasty to survive heirs had to be produced; hence, Ptolemy I married four wives with the last wife producing his heir Ptolemy II (Rolle 33; Collins 68). Fourteen kings of the dynasty were referred to as Ptolemy and numbered from I – XV, with the remarkable aspect of the monarch being the prominence of women, who rose to power when their brothers or sons were very young (Bugh 41). Ptolemy XII was king of Egypt from 80 to 51 BC officially known as Neos Dionysos although popularly known as Auletes. Auletes was the illegitimate son of Ptolemy IX Lathyrus, who died without designated heir; hence, with the help of political parties, the young Ptolemy became heir to the throne taking the name Ptolemy XII. The accession took place without the blessing of powerful a powerful Roman diplomat, which engendered the thoughts of possible Roman seizure of the country; however, the thre at was partially resolved in 59 BC. Through the help of Julius Caesar Ptolemy gained full status of recognised head of Egypt through the Roman senate in 59 at a price of 6,000 talents of gold, and pay the bribe he had to enforce ruthless taxation program to the easily enflamed subjects; besides, his children included Cleopatra, Absinoe, Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV (Bunson 351). Ptolemy XIII, the son of Ptolemy XII, brother of Cleopatra tried and failed to win the throne of his nation from his sister and Julius Caesar; nevertheless, they both ruled together. Their rule was tough since both of them were surrounded by a group of ambitious counsellors, which resulted in tense political struggle in the palace. The young king departed from the palace to join his army and although he showed real military talent, he was no match for Caesar who faced him in battle resulting in the defeat of Ptolemy XIII. After the demise of Ptolemy XIII, Julius Caesar placed Ptolemy XIV (the younger brother to Cleopatra) in the throne together with Cleopatra. Officially Ptolemy XIV was to be her sister’s consort, but because he was about 10 to 12 years old at the time, Cleopatra was the true power within the land and presumably killed her brother after Caesar was assassinated (Bunson 351). When Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, Cleopatra supported Mark Antony against Octavian who became Caesar Augustus and when Octavian declared war on the duo, Cleopatra raised and commanded army that

The role of family power structure

The role of family power structure Family Power structure plays a critical role in family health functioning. Power has been defined as the ability to control, influence or change another persons behavior (Friedman, 1998). Power is related to resources. Control over resources (eg. money) infers power. In most families, parents control these resources. There are three types of family power namely chaotic power, symmetrical power and complementary power (Hanson, 2001). The power structure in my family is complementary power. It is defined as requiring dominion-submission dynamic within the family structure. In this family-power type, healthy families are characterized by parents having a clear family advantage that their children recognize and accept. Although my father brings home the bacon every month, power is mainly shared between my parents. The decision-making in my family is highly dependent on my parents. Although my sister and I are involved in the decision-making, my parents are mainly responsible for making all sorts of decisions in the family from purchasing household furniture to deciding on a holiday destination to the meals we have together. Family power structure is not fixed. As I turned 18 this year, my parents recognize me as an adult and would listen to more to what I have to say and how I feel. My parents are not as power-dominant as they were 10 years ago. 1.2 Subsystems All families develop networks of co-existing subsystems formed on the basis of gender, interest, generation or function that must be performed for the familys survival. Each member of a family may belong to several subsystems. Each subsystem can be thought of as a natural coalition between participating members. Subsystems in a family relate to one another according to rules and patterns. There are three types of subsystems in my family namely spousal, parental and sibling subsystems. For example, the spousal subsystem educates children about male-female intimacy and commitment by providing a model of marital interaction. Ways of accommodating one anothers needs, making decisions together and managing conflict etc. Another example, my parents define the boundary of a parental subsystem by telling me as the oldest child to not interfere when they are reprimanding my younger sister. Parental subsystem also includes child guidance, nurturing, limit-setting and discipline. 1.3 Boundaries Boundaries are invisible barriers that keep subsystems separate and distinct from other subsystems. They are maintained by rules that differentiate the particular subsystems tasks from those of other subsystems. Boundaries may either be rigid, diffuse or clear. Disengaged families have rigid boundaries which leads to low levels of effective communication and support among family members. Enmeshed families have diffuse boundaries which make it difficult for individuals to achieve individualization from family. Clear boundaries are more of a balance as they do not fall on either extreme ends of rigid or diffuse. Clear boundaries are firm yet flexible, permitting maximum adaptation to change. The boundary in my family is clear. For example, my parents temporarily redefine the boundaries of the parental subsystem when she tells me to be in-charge of the house when they are away from home. Many years ago, my parents would ask my aunt to come over to care for my sister and I while they are away. This shows that the parental subsystem is flexible enough to include other people temporarily. 1.4 Triangulation Triangulation is used to describe a situation in which one family member will not communicate with another family member unless a third family member is present, forcing the third family member to then be part of the triangle. In this triangulation, the third person will either be used as a messenger to carry the communication to the main party or as a substitute for the direct communication. Usually this communication is an expressed dissatisfaction with the main party. For instance, my family used to be very united until a year ago when my sister who was one of the top PSLE students in her primary school dropped out from secondary school at secondary two suddenly. She stopped attending lessons and was extremely rebellious towards my parents and me. My parents having high expectations from my sister were absolutely furious and upset when she decided to quit school. Numerous attempts to persuade her to attend school failed again and again until a point when my parents gave up convincing her. However, they still talk about my sister to me all the time, mentioning how stubborn/ignorant she is and that she would regret her decision later in life. 2. Communication patterns McLeod and Chaffee (1972) came out with a scheme to analyze family communication patterns (FCP) to examine the role of family communication. In this model, the family communication environment is characterized by the extent to which the family emphasizes on socio-orientation and concept-orientation. Socio-orientation stresses the importance of harmony in the family and avoidance of conflicts. Concept-orientation encourages children to think about and discuss political and social issues. In a highly socio-oriented family, children should not argue with parents and should not express opinions different from other family members so as to maintain social harmony. On the other hand, in a highly concept-oriented family, parents believe that children should look at both sides of issues and talk freely about these issues. Using these two dimensions, McLeod and Chaffee (1972) introduced a four-fold typology of family communication patterns as seen in Figure 1. Figure 1 High on both dimensions of socio-orientation and concept-orientation, the communication pattern in my family is consensual. Consensual families emphasize both relational harmony and free communication exchange. Every member in my family is able to express our ideas freely as long as internal harmony in the family is maintained. Since young, my parents have encouraged both my sister and I to voice out displeasures in the family openly but stresses the importance of logical reasoning behind it. Like most traditional Asian families, my family tends not to express affectionate behaviors in the form of hugging or kissing towards or saying mushy words to one another. Instead, my parents would constantly ask me questions regarding about my school life, the friends that I go out with, among many others that revolve around my daily life. I suppose these are ways of displaying affectionate behaviors in my family. There are few conflicts in my family. Nevertheless, whenever one arises, we tend to face each other openly and voice out our concerns. My father would always play the middle-man whenever I had an argument with my sister and he would always ensure both parties are treated fairly and just. 3. Family environment Based on Olson, Russell and Sprenkles (1979) Circumplex Model, the Circumplex Model assumes that the difference between functional and dysfunctional families is determined by two interrelated dimensions: cohesion and adaptability. Cohesion is defined as the degree of attachment and emotional bonding among family members. There are four various degrees to the cohesion dimension namely disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed. Families that are disengaged lack family bond and loyalty, and are characterized by high independence. On the other hand, families identified as enmeshed are characterized by high levels of closeness, loyalty, and/or dependency. Adaptability is the ability of the family to change power structure, roles, and relationships in order to adapt to various situational stressors. It too has four degrees namely rigid, structured, flexible, and chaotic. Families with low levels of adaptability are considered inflexible or rigid. Rigid family types are characterized by authoritarian leadership, infrequent role modification, strict negotiation, and lack of change. Families with high levels of adaptability are considered chaotic as it is changing too frequently. Chaotic family types result from a lack of leadership, dramatic role shifts, erratic negotiation, and are characterized by frequent change. Based on the Circumplex Model, my family environment is balanced. It has moderate level of both adaptability and cohesion. Power structure is not fixed and there are times when there is a temporary shift in power to adapt to various situations. For example, I am responsible for taking care of my sister when my parents are out. Another example is when an deciding on a holiday getaway, power is shared among each family members to be involved in decision making. 4. Family Rules Family rules help family members to get along better, and make family life more peaceful. Effective rules are positive statements about how family members want to look after and treat one another. I have become so accustomed with my own family rules that sometimes I do not even realize that some of my daily activities are actually in fact, family rules. Dos and donts rules regarding family members safety, manners and daily routines were set up in my family since I was young. Of course these rules are constantly changing as my sister and I grew older with more responsibility in our hands. Rules such as be home by 10pm and do not lock the doors at home are a thing of the past when I was much younger. Today, the rules are much more flexible. For instance, if I were to return home late or spend the night at a friends house, all I have to do is to call home to inform my parents. There are also fewer family rules as my sister and I are expected to be able to care for ourselves. Moreover, rules set when we were young are already deep-rooted in our daily life. 5. Family values and attitudes Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family (parents and children) to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. 5.1 Money From a very young age, my parents have taught me the importance of saving up money and spending them wisely. Every week, I was to slot in leftover coins in a piggy bank. Years passed by and today I still have the habit of keeping all my loose change in a piggy bank and when it became full, I would then deposit the money into the bank. My parents are prudent in spending money; they only buy what is deemed necessary and seldom splurge on luxury goods. However, there are times when my parents think that it is worthwhile to spend more money such as holding birthday celebrations or Chinese new year celebrations at home. 5.2 Religion My family is a little religious. My parents are Buddhists and they made an effort to pay their respects to the deities at temples annually. However, my sister and I do not have a religion but our parents do not force us to join a religion too. There are no altars at home and my parents do not carry religious charms either like a pendent or a talisman with them. 5.3 Education Like most parents in Singapore, my parents take education very seriously. My father stresses that education is the key to survival in Singapore and this is especially more true since Singapore has been ranked the most competitive country in the world in 2010 by Time. Although my parents view education as important, they also know that each individual has their own limitations towards studying. My parents want my sister and me to have a positive mindset towards studying but yet at the same time not to overwork ourselves. The ideal model is to strike a balance between work and recreation. 5.4 Success/failure My parents are rather reasonable and they know that success and failure are part and parcel of life. My parents view success as achieving ones goals. For instance, one of my goals in secondary school was to get into Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and I did well enough during my O levels to enroll in SP. My parents were very happy and proud of me. On the other hand, I did not get into the course of my choice so I felt disappointed because it felt like I had succeeded and failed at the same time. My parents told me that one couldnt always get what we have aimed for and as long as I have tried my best, thats all that counts. 6. What I have learnt from my parents relationship What I learnt about marriage from my parents relationship is to treat your partner as a friend. Marriage is a lifelong process full of ups and downs. My parents are both committed to overcome obstacles and being the best spouse and friend to each other. My parents are always joking around. My mother loves my fathers sense of humor and they always laugh at the silliest things. This taught me that being playful is a crucial part of marriage and nothing should be taken too seriously in a family. My parents also speak kindly of each other. My mother always told me that my father was a good father and a hardworking man. In addition, they also give each other nicknames as some term of endearment. I learnt the significance of having interests/hobbies different from your spouses too. My father and mother have different interests. My father enjoys watching detective crime television programs while my mother loves watching Korean Dramas serials. My mother would never last an episode of detective crime programs but that seems okay because they respect each others alone time as well. This also taught me that it is fine to have a degree of independence in a marriage too. 7. Attitude towards authority I have a positive attitude towards institutional authority (parents, teachers, police, and the law). I tend to respect the rules and abide by it. I held many student leader positions in schools too. Positions such as class monitor in primary school, student counselor and National Police Cadet Corp (NPCC) non-commissioned officer (NCO) in secondary school and class chairperson in my polytechnic life. This is mainly due to my strict upbringing from early childhood. My father was a very strict man. I still remember the times when my father would cane me whenever I got into trouble in primary school. Furthermore, I would have to write a reflection about my wrongful actions. I used to be very afraid of my father when I was very young. However looking back in time, I realized that my father just wanted me to grow up to be a good person and I am grateful for what my father had done to make me the person I am today. 8. Attitude towards sibling My relationship with my sister has definitely seen better days. We used to be very close and play with each other a lot. However in recent months, my sisters attitude has grown worst. She became very temperament and gets annoyed very easily. We had a lot of quarrels with each other and soon grew distant. Nowadays, we seldom speak to one another. 9. Level of differentiation from family Level of differentiation refers to the degree of ones ability to distinguish his own thoughts and emotions from that of his own family. Individuals with low level of differentiation are more probably to become reliant on others approval and acceptance. They either conform themselves to others in order to please them, or attempt to force others to conform to themselves. Thus, they are more vulnerable to stress and they struggle more to adapt to life changes. Individuals with high levels of differentiation recognize that they need others, but they rely less on others acceptance and approval. They do not only adopt the attitude of those around them but take into account their principles thoughtfully. These enable them decide significant family and social issues, and resist the feelings of the moment. Thus, despite conflict, criticism, and rejection they can stay calm and clear-headed to differentiate thinking rooted in a careful assessment of the facts from thinking clouded by emotion. Well differentiated individuals choose thoughtfully and act in the best interests of the group. I think my level of differentiation from my family is balanced. I have my own thinking and my own point of view. I am not afraid to have a different mindset from my family members. My parents also encouraged my sister and I to become more independent, to be ourselves and not conform for the sake of pleasing others. 10. Family strengths 10.1 Caring and Appreciation I think I am very fortunate to have a family who is caring and appreciative. Even if a family member makes mistakes, other members would to encourage and support one another. My parents notice and share positive qualities of each other. For example, they pay attention to another persons polite behavior or something nice he or she did or said. They notice the characteristics, skills, achievements and special qualities that make the other person unique. My father would write encouragement messages on his red packet during Chinese New Year. These messages are inspirational and reassured me that my family members do care about me. 10.2 Good Communication Furthermore, there is communication between me and my parents. We talk and share our feelings, hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows, and experiences. I would tell the daily happenings in school or with my friends just to update my parents about whats going on in my life. My parents take the time to listen and respond to what I have to say. 10.3 Openess to change There is a set of family rules in my family. These rules are ways to deal with daily life. Some of the more obvious rules consist of who does the cooking, who washes the dishes, who does the laundry or who clean the toilet. Other less obvious forms include: Who has the authority to make what decisions? How are differences of opinion handled? How are anger, affection, or other emotions expressed at home? 10.4 Working together Most of the time, my family make decisions, solve family problems, and do family work together. Everyone participates. Parents may be in charge of the decision-making at home but the childrens opinions and efforts are invited, encouraged, and appreciated. For example, whenever my parents decided to buy a new television set, they would always ask for opinions about which television is suitable for the family. It makes my sister and I involved in the shopping as well and let us know that what we say counts. I learnt that if parents allow their children to make real decisions, it enables children to grow up to be responsible adults. Children need opportunities to make decisions, to be involved in family decisions, and to observe the parents decision-making process and outcomes. Children are more motivated to carry out their responsibilities if they have some say as to what those responsibilities are and can see how these particular activities help the family. Teenagers are keener to go along on a family vacation if they help decide the destination and itinerary. 11. How has my family affected my personality? What are the weaknesses you want to improve and what are the strengths you want to maintain in yourself. Based on a study on more than 100 children conducted by psychologist Diana Baumrind, she identified four important dimensions of parenting which affects the childs personality. They are disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles and expectations of maturity and control. Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby Martin, 1983). The four parenting styles include authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting, permissive parenting and uninvolved parenting. My parents parenting style suit authoritarian the most. My parents establish house rules and guidelines and expect my sister and I to follow them. However, my sister and I were also involved in the rules setting so we were able to find them realistic. This parenting style is much democratic. When children fail to meet the expectations, authoritative parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Although my father punished me whenever I broke the house rules; he would always end it off with nurturing and kind words. My parents are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. I think I grew up to be a socially responsible and cooperative person. I tend to avoid conflicts with people and adopt the make more friends than enemies mindset. I lean more towards the extrovert scale as I enjoy the company of my friends. My friends told me that I am a good-tempered person too. They dont see me get angry because I am not bothered by the slightest issues. Another strength that I have is being persistent and committed. Once I set my mind on a target or a goal. I would thrive to achieve it. My parents have been teaching me the importance of goal-setting since young. I also gain a huge sense of pride and satisfaction whenever I accomplished my goals. One weakness that I have is being perfectionist. I am very attentive to details and would not be satisfied unless I get the exact results that I wanted. Most of the time striving for perfection is tiring and time consuming. My project members would sometimes find me a pain in the neck when I was not satisfied with their research work. Another weakness I have is laziness. I think I have been too pampered from young. I seldom do household chores because my mother is a housewife and she does all the housework. Well, almost all, my father did his part too. As such I became reliant on my parents to do my own laundry, to wash my dishes etc. I have been trying to increase my contribution to my family by doing some household chores but its hard to do so especially since I have done almost no housework since young but Im not giving up easily. In summary, family relationships are one of the longest relationships we would ever have in our life. We should never take our family members for granted but should cherish them instead.

the patriot review :: essays research papers

The Patriot Movie Review The Movie, The Patriot, was a rousing and vigorous Revolutionary War epic from the view point of a family full of revenge and strong wills. This movie began with the majority of colonists angered. This part of the movie caught my attention and intrigued me to keep watching until the last minute. I especially enjoyed the heartbreaking moments and the realistic war scenes in the movie. Although I liked those aspects of the movie, the storyline was exceptionally good as well. To understand this historical fiction movie, a historical background is needed. If a person does not understand what is meant by â€Å"Taxation without representation,† then the subject of conflict will not be understood. The plot of the movie began to develop when Benjamin Martin’s son, Gabriel, was captured by British troops. Benjamin Martin was a former hero of the French and Indian War, but he renounced fighting so that he would be able to raise his family in peace. Attempting to save his brother, Benjamin’s other son stood up to the British soldiers, but was killed in the process. Benjamin, only wanting to save Gabriel, ended up fighting in battle, rescuing Gabriel, and killing the murderer of his other son. After all of this happened Benjamin realized the importance of being involved in the war, so he sent his other children to live with their aunt in order for he and Gabriel to join the army. Once they became part of the army, Benjamin became a general and lead his colonial militia, including Gabriel, into trifling battles. During battle Gabriel was killed, which deeply depressed Benjamin and made him so distraught that he does not feel like fighting anymore. His feelings stayed this way until (while at the camp) he saw the Brit that killed Gabriel. Benjamin then killed that man and understood at that moment why so many men had been dieing. Because of this, Benjamin became extremely patriotic and decided to move on with the Americans because he then had something t o fight for. Everything that happened kept me on the edge of my chair wanting to know what was going to happen next. Overall, I thought that this movie was very moving and vigorous. Although I enjoyed the main portion of the movie, there were some obvious likes and dislikes in my opinion. I believe that I learned from this movie and it helped me understand more of what the people of that time were feeling.

‘Of mice and men’ †A comparison of the opening scenes of the film and the beginning of the book Essay

A comparison of the opening scenes of the film and the beginning of the book ‘Of mice and men’ is set in southern California at the time of the great depression (late 1920 and early 30’s), the basis of the story is about 2 men George and Lenny, who are two workers who travel from place to place finding work on ranches, so they can earn there 50 bucks a month. George is the leader out of the two he looks after Lenny, sorts out where they go and what they do and eat. Lenny is a very big and strong man, but he is very dumb and could not look after himself, he his at heart a nice, harmless man but likes colourful, nice feeling things, so he is just like a small child. Lenny gets them into trouble a lot, he likes to touch nice things and when he does people get the wrong idea and like at the start of the book and film gets accused of rape, and at the end causes a death of a woman. Like most writers or directors, John Steinbeck and Gary Sinise try to grab the readers or viewer’s attention. Even though the novel and film are based on the same story, they use different techniques and ways to try and get the audiences attention. In the novel John Steinbeck uses a lot of description of his settings and this is how he tries to keep the audience’s imagination going. For example in the first two pages of the novel, he uses a strong descriptive and a strong style of language to try and give an effect of a natural, calm and peaceful atmosphere, also when describing the willow pool he tries and puts as much detail in as possible, as this area of land is one of the most important places in the story as this is where Steinbeck starts the story and ends it in a similar place. It’s quite amazing how Steinbeck manages to turn a violent and threatening scene into a calm, relaxing place and an almost peaceful time. I think that the first set of settings is set in a spring/summer theme as they are talking about there dream which is seen as the American dream of this time, so this also relates to life in the late boom and depression of the 1920’s. The beginning is used to try and introduce the two main characters portraying Lenny as the leader and it seems that he is like a father to Lenny who is portrayed as a small child who cannot control what he is doing. George also knows he has to take the role as the father or older brother and has to keep rules and tells him what to do, e.g. when they are drinking from the lake Lenny keeps his head in the water and is just guzzling the water down, then George says; â€Å"For god sake don’t drink so much†, and also he checks if the water is safe by making sure that its is running although George is of little intelligence him self he knows how to stay alive and live well. Gary Sinise tries to grab the audience’s attention quite differently at the beginning of the film as he uses a dramatic sequence of George and Lenny sitting in the luggage holder of a train, and you see him thinking back to what happened at Weed. When this is happening the light fades over Georges face from the cracks in the compartments wooden walls, this effect of the light streaming across his face gives an imaginary sense of prison bars. During Georges flashbacks you see them running fast and out of breath down a field full of long grass, and it keeps flashing back on Georges face in the train giving you a sense of distress instead of the calming effect of the novel. It then flashes to a pretty woman in a red dress that has a rip going down the bottom of it, the air flows through her dress and hair as she is running down a field. This scene really is exciting and full of tension to the viewer, which contrasts totally to the calm and peaceful opening of the book. Next you she a bunch of workers in a field, and they hear the girl’s screams. The workers on horse follow carrying shotguns. This contrasts to the life of today against nearly a century ago, as nowadays Lenny would have been arrested and put to a fair trial but back then they would have just killed Lenny on the spot. This scene puts people on the edges of their seats giving a sense of suspense; this is how a good director is able to keep the audiences attention to the film. The scene of the willow pool is quite like the scene in the book it gives a more relaxed effect from the previous suspense scenes, as they hide neck deep under the overflowing bush weed, and luckily the workers lose them. When we see George and Lenny getting there work cards it proves the fact that this is in the 1930’s as there were a lot of job shortages and you had to go to a job office and see if any jobs were available, most people would take any job there was, because of the depression. This then gives us a slight historical background of the time they are in. George in the book is firstly described as â€Å"small and quick, dark of face with restless eyes and sharp, strong features†. George being described as having restless eyes gives an impression that he is quite alert and a quick thinker of what to do in troubled times. Lenny on the other hand is described quite differently: â€Å"Huge man, shapeless face with large, pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws†. â€Å"†¦the way a bear drags his paws† Lenny is being described as an animal which shows that he is a slow and clumsy both physical and mentally. The characters in the film are unlike the ones in the book as they are not physically opposite. Lenny is only slightly taller than George, but the behaviours of these two characters do mirror that it is similar to the book as Lenny acts like a child and George is the smart, dominant one. This is often shown in the close ups of their faces and in their speech and movement. The clothes they wear are described in the book as workers clothes so rugged and tattered, so the movie is also based on this part as the clothes in the movie are like this. In my opinion I think casting John Malkovich was perfect to be Lenny as he was able to portray the child like brain of Lenny. He seemed to fit the right description of Lenny. The voice used by John Malkovich was very effective in giving the viewer a childlike impression of Lenny. Gary Sinise although he was director he himself played George and he obviously knew how he wanted George to be played and he did with an amazing attitude, he gave out the attitude and cunningness of George as is written in the book. In conclusion, the beginning of the book and the beginning of the film are based on the same storyline. The way the scenes are described and presented are really quite different. Gary Sinise is able to create a sense of action and suspense followed by the calm of the willow pool, whilst Steinbeck creates a very rich and calm descriptive opening scene, which contrasts with the violence of what is actually happening.

New Age Music and Religion

New Age music was first introduced in 1964, when Tony Scott recorded â€Å"Music for Zen Meditation.† In the years that followed this impressionistic music became popular in California, but was not sold nationally until the 1980s. Windam Hill is the largest producer of New Age music, grossing some thirty million dollars in 1987, but many competitors have recently come into the market. There is a wide variety in style of New Age music, but very often it is dreamy music associated with nature. Typical would be that of Paul Winter who on his saxophone accompanies the sounds of humpback whales, timber wolves, and eagles – letting them â€Å"create† the melody. Other New Age music features the sounds of waterfalls, ocean waves, and crickets (Rhodes: 133).But despite the increasing support of many people to New Age music, its critics also have their own arguments about it. What is New Age music really about and what are the critics’ arguments about its associati on to religion? All of these and more are discussed as we go along the context.Reflection and AssessmentBecause it is much a decentralized movement, it is difficult to assess the impact of New Age. There is no doubt that it has already has a powerful influence on Western society, but its future is impossible to predict. Is it a passing fad that will be largely forgotten in decades to come, or is it a movement that has only just begun to gain momentum? In reference, Brooks Alexander writes in Christianity Today: â€Å"Is this just another diversion of New Age, or is it something more enduring?† There are many â€Å"faddish† characteristics of the movement, but fads have sometimes developed into time-honored traditions (Kemp:135).Indeed, there are many signs that New Age on the whole is gaining a powerful foothold in society that will not quickly pass away. This position is gaining credibility among secular scholars. According to Carl A. Raschke, a religion professor at the University of Denver and a student of the movement, New Age is â€Å"the most powerful social force in the country today† (Tucker: 351).New Age CriticsBy the early 1990s, there was a myriad of Christian critiques of New Age. New Age had replaced ’secular humanism’ as the enemy of traditional Christians. Other Christian anti-New Age works include Douglas Groothuis’ three-part series beginning with Unmasking the New Age (1986) and Walter Martin’s The New Age Cult (1989) (Kemp:135). Innocuous ‘New Age music’ is also condemned for encouraging people to reflect on religion and culture that is not explicitly Christian. John Newport, for example, insists that it is ‘†¦satanically inspired†¦ [and thus] theologically wrong in its roots and in the effects it hopes to achieve’ (Partridge: 255).The mainstream churches have tended to be less overtly hostile in their official responses to New Age than some of the smaller t he innovative approach to spirituality. However, their knowledge of New Age is often based on works by Evangelical or fundamentalist Christians and is strongly colored by them (Kemp: 135).New Age PerspectiveThere is a strong spiritual dimension to the New Age. It is not only interested in contemporary philosophies but in ancient wisdom, drawing in an eclectic way from Eastern and Western spiritual-religious traditions, with a contemporary blend of psychology and ecology and a profound interest in such things as metaphysics and sacred geometry. Some New Age movements foster a mystical approach. It can fit within the category of non religious spiritualities, and for some adherents it is like an alternative to religion. For others, New Age practices harmonize with their religious beliefs (Wilber: 348).The New Age is particularly concerned with lifestyle and health. It means a range of human needs from immediate wellbeing to a sense of connectedness with others and the world, and to mea ning in life. It also has a commercial dimension catering to consumer spirituality; some practices at the market end of the New Age can be regarded as part of the self-help industry (Tucker: 350).The literature on New Age highlights diversity and spirituality. While beyond our scope here, an appraisal of the spiritual scope of New Age remains an important part of any critical exploration of the contemporary spirituality that affects young people (Kemp: 134).The New Age is mainly an adult and young adult interest. Nevertheless, adolescents and children will be inquisitive about it when they encounter it in the culture. They may well try some practices as part of their experimentation in identity and spirituality. What is likely to appeal to young people is the fluid and non-institutional appearance of the New Age; it does not prescribe beliefs but is based on individuals piecing together their own spirituality to suit their needs and interests. Also attractive would be its existentia l and lifestyle focus, and its holistic notion of the integration of mind-body-spirit (Crawford and Rossiter: 223).Summary and ConclusionCertain critics may not agree with the music of New Age but it doesn’t deny the fact that a lot of people also patronize the music. Personally, I think New Age music soothes someone’s mood and relaxes a tired mind. Association to religion is optional and should not make other people get bothered about the idea. It’s just a matter of opinion, whether or not to accept New Age music or not.Works Cited:Crawford, Marisa, and Graham Rossiter. Reasons for Living: Education and Young People's Search for Meaning, Identity and Spirituality. A Handbook. Camberwell, Victoria: Aust Council for Ed Research, 2006.Kemp, Daren. New Age: A Guide : Alternative Spiritualities from Aquarian Conspiracy To. George Square, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2004.Partridge, Christopher H. The Re-Enchantment of the West: Alternative Spiritualities, Sacralization, Popular Culture, and Occulture. Vol. 2. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005.Rhodes, Ron. The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions: The Essential Guide to Their Doctrine, and Our Response. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001.Tucker, Ruth. Another Gospel: Alternative Religions and the New Age Movement. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1989.Wilber, Ken. Up from Eden: A Transpersonal View of Human Evolution. Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 1996.