Venus Asleep Of Paul Delvaux Essays - Paul Delvaux, Walloon People

"Venus Asleep" Of Paul Delvaux Paul Delvaux (1897-1994) Venus Asleep 1. What Does the art work look like? describe it. This piece of art work in my opinion looks like a dream. The art work has a certain disoriented charm. It has mainly all dark colors and uses these dark colors to contrast with the light skin pigment of the people in the painting. The painting has a calm erotic nude lady sleeping on a very formal looking couch or day bed. If the picture is read as this ladies dream then it appears as if she were dreaming of death or something of a cult like manner. If it is indeed death she is dreaming of then she is symbolizing that death is very calm and relaxed, for her leg has gone limp as if she is very relaxed as death (the skeleton) is hovering over the foot end of her bed. In the background there are also people flying up in the sky and these people could symbolize the dead rising to a heaven or a god, or even angels attempting to help the dying on there way to a heaven or a god. It also seams as if the people in this dream are in a place of worship and they are all looking up to the skies and praying. The structures around them are very temple like, for they have many statues and engravings about them. There is one lady in close and she is not praying and looks very formal. This lady is looking right at the skeleton which symbolizes death. This lady could symbolize a priest that is conversationalizing with her god or death itself, or this lady could also symbolize a non-believer that only examines the cult or religion and passes judgment. Another major aspect of this painting is that it is all set at night, which only makes the viewer believe more that the painting is set in a dream state because most dreams occur at night when we are asleep. 2. What subject matter does the artist work with? How is the subject matter represented: realistically, abstractly. Paul Delvaux uses a lot of different subject matters and here is a list of them: mythology, dreams, religion, bourgeois men, death, skeletons, large landscapes with ruins or city views and naked woman who wander expressionlessly. But in this painting he used a dream like atmosphere and a Greek cult like landscape to portray his message. Initially his first works, painted in the early 1920's, mostly consisted of pretty post-impressionist landscapes, but later more into the late 20's (around 1926-1927), Paul Delvaux evolved towards a more simplified style of Expressionism and Symbolism as these styles were seeping into his works. In his own words Paul Delvaux explains "I wanted to find something else, but I did not know exactly what that could be.". After this metamorphosis Paul Delvaux converted to Expressionism. From 1935 and onward Paul Delvaux mainly focused on surrealistic works of art. This painting is represented in a surrealistic manner. His choice of subject-matter and his personal style attest to his own personality. 3. What kind of technique is used to produce the work? Include the type(s) of media that are used. Paul Delvaux uses many techniques, but for this painting Venus Asleep Paul Delvaux used very sharp edge images with a lot of dark shadows. He did this painting with oil on a (173 x 200cm) canvas. He conveys his work using political media from his time period and rearranging it to show his feelings of a subject or the reality of a situation. Sometimes he uses unrelated media that he links together to make a point in his own way. 4. Where was the work produced? (GeoGraphic location) Paul Delvaux is known as a Belgian artist. Paul Delvaux initially studied architecture, but later studied painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. Around 1934 Paul Delvaux withdrew from society, spending a month in the tiny southern Belgian village of Spy filling his many sketch books with lingering fantasies in his mind and childhood memories. From 1951 onwards Paul Delvaux most often worked in Sint-Idesbald (Koksijde). Except in 1952 Paul Delvaux designed murals for the casino of the Kursaal in Ostend and he also did work in a few other places as well. The painting (Venus Asleep) was created in Brussels in 1944. 5. When was the work done? (Dates of the artists life, working life, name of the art period in which the work

Attack On America essays

Attack On America essays On September 11, 2001 a terror struck every human being in the world. A terrorist attack on the worlds twin trade centres in New York, New York, struck everyones attention. The two towers where demolished by two 747 airplanes. The buildings collapsed not to long after that incident, as people still could not believe what was happening in the world. Over five thousand people are reported missing. What exactly should be done to the people responsible for these actions? This question is very difficult to answer considering that the people responsible remain anonymous. Personally, I think the United States should put together the best anti-terrorist group and eliminate those who are a threat to our society and nature. Hearing that Bin Laden is involved, a military strike should be considered on Afghanistan since the people refuse to give him up to the U.S. government. This situation is difficult since Bin Laden is hiding, and has been involved in these types of activities a few years bac k with a well known history of terrorism. The decision is really tough since the people choose no other way of surrendering, so this leads to the fact that America is going to build a great army and go into Afghanistan and eliminate the disturbing nation of threat. The big part about all this is that if it gets really serious, people from the surrounding countries will feel the strike may also have an affect on their country, which may lead to these countries to responding as well. The worst thing of all would be starting a world war since some of the countries dont agree with the United States for striking back at Afghanistan. This would cause a lot of chaos since people would be terrified and very alarmed. The United States should make some agreements with other nations in the world to figure out a way to prevent this tragedy, and a way to get the people to justice for doing what they have done. As of today, it looks like there is no hop...

US Foreign Policy in the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US Foreign Policy in the Middle East - Essay Example Different foreign policies get suited for different regions with regard to the goals sought. The realist perspective in international relations alludes that countries will act in their selfish interests going against whatever moral consideration there may be. The basis of this is study of the nature of humans and the need to be out of harms way. Realism views look at the international pool as an archaic system with no checks placed on sovereign states (Mingst 12). Foreign policy ought to be firmly defined through realism. The type of foreign policy fronted by the government should be beneficial to that country and achievable. The stand taken by the authorities should be supported by the nation’s population. This creates a sense of belonging and contribution in as far as effective governance gets concerned. Over the years, several foreign policy statements have become challenged because they do not depict the feelings of the population. It is in this light that opinions should be sought from the public through consultation and involvement in decision making (Jackson 66). The US foreign policy in the Middle East should involve a wide consideration of dynamics. It should look into the sociological, economic and political perspectives and possible impacts of policies made. The US foreign policy in the Middle East should view the region as a new hub for economic gain. The Middle East boasts of the world’s largest oil reservoirs. Oil wells in the United States are drying up at alarming rates. The US policy in the Middle East should encourage mutually beneficial trade between the two trading blocks (Sorensten 116). With the current state of affairs where the US is massively indebted especially to China, new trading partner should be found. Trade treaties that allow for continued investments in the Middle East should be encouraged. Movement of goods and services between the two blocks should be monitored to ensure that

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 37

Leadership - Essay Example I think I need to encourage my team to participate more in decision making and implementing ideas. I should also encourage them to be creative while coaching them on new procedures. I can achieve these goals by taking initiative, doing more critical thinking and learning the art of effective listening (Montana & Charnov, 2008). Taking initiative will involve going beyond my position and picking on skills I can develop further. Working closely with people and sharing ideas is a good start. By critically thinking out situations, I can foresee problems before they actually occur. Apart from problems, potential opportunities can also be noticed and taken advantage of for the whole team’s benefit (Zweifel, 2008). Finally, listening will enable me to point out each team member’s strong point and be able to give feedback, while am also adviced on how best to incorporate my ideas into common projects. Listening creates an open communication platform that facilitates effective flow of information. I believe becoming a good team leader is more than my personal effort. It will take the whole team to drive me there (Zaccaro,

Democracy in the Final Quarter of the 20th Century in Latin America Essay

Democracy in the Final Quarter of the 20th Century in Latin America - Essay Example The Latin American region also meant that the struggle was intense and largely supported by the US in an attempt to buttress its hegemony in the region (Bethell, 2009). The seventies saw the emergence of leftist ideas in Latin American nations. The political-military elite of these nations saw the rise of leftist ideas as a threat to the already established systems of governance. In order to protect their nations from leftist ideology, the ruling elite turned to more authoritarian forms of government such as military dictatorships. The example of Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and many other Latin American countries supports this idea. These regimes often employed brute tactics to weed out the leftist factions and to avoid an armed struggle against the central governments. Harrowing tales of murder, political assassinations, rape, plundering, confiscation of property and the like are rampant in Latin America at the time. Chile’s dictator Auguste’ Pinochet, for example, is famous for the blatant elimination of his political opponents without any trials. The struggle in Nicaragua that put the Sandinista regime in charge was marked with bloo d and violence to fortify the seat of power. These actions on the part of these regimes infused a spirit of freedom from oppression in the masses in these nations (Skidmore & Smith, 2005). It is, therefore, no surprise that there were myriad leftist armed struggles in Latin America that were calling for regime change by the final quarter of the twentieth century. The entanglement of these military regimes in armed struggles also meant that the economy had to pay a heavy price. In certain other cases such as Argentina, the economy turned to shambles due to nepotism, mismanagement and usurpation of public resources (Stein & Hunt, 2007). It was common practice for military regimes to take onto armed adventures in order to divert public attention from the state of the economy. For example, the Argentinean military regime was made famous by its  myopic decision to invade the Falklands that exposed the Argentinean military’s weakness against a formidable British military.  

Classical Conditioning Theories And Its Uses In An Educational Setting

Classical Conditioning Theories And Its Uses In An Educational Setting In this paper, we will describe classical and operant conditioning theories and its uses in an educational or work setting. It will begin with differences between classical and operant conditioning, followed by specific examples and applications for each developmental level (infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, or early childhood). A discussion on the use of rewards from a philosophical and practical viewpoint will follow with different developmental and learning theories that can be applied in an educational or work setting. Finally, a brief summary of definitions and terms of the theory, discussing specific examples, benefits, and challenges while implementing this theory. Classical and Operant Conditioning According to Pavlov, learning begins with a stimulus-response which is classical conditioning (p.47). Learning should reflect a change in behavior. The stimulus and response noted within the working setting may not see a change in behavior. The classical conditionings in the work setting include: A customer service representative in a call center receives call quality scores via e-mail. The customer representative experiences anxiety each time the score(s) are given. The departmental potlucks create an atmosphere of food and fun. The departmental service level suffers because the customer service representatives are not adhering to scheduled breaks and lunches. The emergency room receives the charts daily. As the end of the calendar month approaches overtime is required to complete all work received. In operant conditioning, learning occurs because of rewards and punishment. Rice indicated, Satisfying consequences bring about changes in behavior (2001). Operant conditioning is often used in the educational or work setting. His or Her father gives them a credit card at the end of their first year in college because they did so well. As a result, their grades continue to get better in their second year. A professor has a policy of exempting students from the final exam if they maintain perfect attendance during the quarter. The professors policy showed a dramatic increase in his students attendance. Customer service representatives strive daily to meet the quarterly incentive. The adherences to break and lunch schedules are enforced. Examples of operant and classical conditioning are prevalent in the everyday lives of many and are seen in the educational environment. An example of operant conditioning during the infancy stage occurs when a caregiver is effective in comforting a crying infant, the infant stops crying. The removal of the unpleasant crying reinforces the caregivers comforting technique. The caregiver is apt to apply the same method of comforting the next time he cries. As an example of classical conditioning during the infancy stage occurs when a baby bottle is inserted in the infants mouth. This brings out a reflexive unlearned response of sucking. The infant can develop a conditioned to the baby bottle; the sucking occurs as soon as the infant sees a baby bottle. The following will provide examples of operant conditioning and classical conditioning during the early childhood stage in an educational environment. As an example of operant conditioning during the early childhood stage, when a student raises his or her hand and waits to be called on to receive something good as a reward. The rewards come in many forms for example a reward is the student receiving a praise or a piece of candy for his or her good behavior. Another example of classical conditioning during the early childhood stage is, when a student calls a classmate an inappropriate name. The teacher may call the student with the inappropriate behavior aside and reprimand him or her. The teacher would have that student take a time out or write sentences as of why he or she should not perform the action of calling the other student inappropriate names (Tuckman, 2010). The following will provide examples of operant conditioning and classical conditioning during the middle childhood stage in an educational environment. As an example of classical conditioning during the middle childhood stage, when a student who seldom associates with other students is encouraged to associate with others, is given praise by the teacher. As an example of classical conditioning during the middle childhood stage, a student has a fear of test taking. In the past, the student has always performed poorly when taking a test. The teacher is aware the student knows the material. The teacher could work with the student by giving him or her series of tests the student could pass. The teacher would provide positive feedback to the student to reinforce the good grade. The student would associate the test taking with positive feedback, and then the student would no longer have a fear of taking test. The following will provide examples of operant conditioning and classical conditioning during the adolescence stage in an educational environment. As an example of operant conditioning during the adolescence stage, when an above average child is receiving an average grade a parent could use monetary rewards if he or she receives As in school however, if the child receives an undesirable grade, the child would pay the parent as a means of punishment. During the adolescence stage, students enjoy working in groups on assignments and projects. As an example of classical conditioning during the adolescence stage, the teacher advises the students to work with the partner of choice if the class exhibits appropriate behaviors until that point in the lesson. If the class is not well behaved, the class does not get to work in groups. If the class exceeds the teachers expectations of appropriate behavior, the class is allowed to work in groups. The students behavior gives a definite response, w hich is a consistent reaction to the classes actions. Rewards Over the years punishment and rewards have been used to control behavior. The concern is that money, high grades, and even praises may be effective in a persons performance, but performance and interest can only remain constant as long as the reward is continuous. Rewards and punishments are ways of manipulating behavior. These two methods are used in our educational environment. These methods are saying to the child, if he or she does this, we will give him or her this, and if he or she does that, we will take away this. The question that arises is as teachers are we using these methods appropriately and is our children benefiting from the methods as a hold. What is the purpose of punishment? The purpose of punishment is to decrease certain responses. There are two types of punishments. Punishment I represents an appearance of an unpleasant stimulus, and punishment II removes the unpleasant stimulus. Punishment can be effective by immediate reasoning, or infrequent reasoning. The purpose of a reward is to let the student know that he or she has done an impressive job. The reward is used to increase the students ability to perform better or do more because his or her performance is already at or above level. This reward can cause a students desire to fail in his or her ability, and become disinterested because he or she has already reached his or her level of attainment. The purpose of reinforces is to increase desired responses and behaviors. We use these reinforces to receive a positive or negative response. The focal point is not principally on rewards and punishment. It is to create an atmosphere that increases motivation. Learning Theory There is no one perfect option in developing a strategy or theory of what would best to used in a classroom or workplace setting. The human mind has been studied for thousands of years, and there is not one study that can be reproduced exactly when it comes to human thinking. The classroom is set up based on the teachers experiences as well as educational knowledge. Starting with the learning focus model, the classroom is set up in the following way to enhance the learning environment. 1) Self- Regulated students are students who develop goals, monitor goals, practice met cognition, and use effective strategies. 2) Teacher Characteristics is expressed in personal teaching efficacy, modeling and enthusiasm, caring as well as a positive expectation of the students abilities. Promoting students motivation in the classroom involves instructional variables, instructional focus, personalization, involvement, and feedback. In comparing Piaget with Vygotsky, Piaget saw interaction primarily as a mechanism for promoting assimilation and accommodation in individuals. Whereas, Vygotsky developed his ideas based on learning and development, which arises directly from social interactions, which means individuals cognitive developments are a direct result of interactions with other people. The role of language is central to Vygotskys theory, and it plays three different roles in development (Eggen Kauchak, 2007, p.46). The first role is giving learners access to knowledge. Second, language providing the learners with cognitive tools that allows humans to think about their surroundings and resolve problems. The third role that language plays is helping the learner with regulation and reflection of his or her own thinking. According to Vygotsky, learning occurs when people acquire specific understanding, Thomas, 32(3), 656). In reviewing the research of the three different theories of motivationbehavioral theo ries humanistic theories and cognitive theoriesthe researcher has to study the development of the humanistic views of Charles Maslows hierarchy of needs. Looking at Maslows two-step processes, the first step is Deficiency needs, which includes survival, safety, belonging, and self-esteem. The second step, Growth needs, includes intellectual achievements, anesthetic appreciation, and self-actualization (Eggen Kauchak, 2007, p.303). This researcher believes that if the work environment or the classroom environment could combine Piaget, Vygotsky and Maslows theories in to one basic idea, one would have the closest thing to a perfect understanding of human physical and cognitive development.

The Darkness in Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

The Darkness in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It can be said that a certain degree of darkness lies within every person, but this darkness will not surface unless given the correct environment.   The darkness, however, can emerge and ultimately destroy the person if not checked by reason.   If one's inner darkness does surface, the victim then is given the opportunity to reach a point in personal growth, and to gain a sense of self- knowledge from it.   That is, when one's darkness appears, one must learn from this experience how he or she can prevent similar results from occurring in the future.   It is ultimately through self-knowledge that we gain the power to defeat our inner darkness, and all of its elements.   Just as everyone has the potential for evil within themselves, we too have the potential for true goodness.   In many literary works the author attempts to exemplify the evil which lies within by showing many characters which have been, or are being overcome by their inner darkness.   In the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad we see how Marlow's journey into his ultimate evil, into his inner self, can be a positive experience.   By contrasting Marlow with Kurtz, who represents the absolute evil, we can see the two products of an inner evil which has emerged.   Marlow, who defeats his evil, and gains self-knowledge, and Kurtz, who is defeated by his darkness and falls prey to its wrath.   In William Golding's Lord of the Flies the author points out how easily people can be over taken by the darkness, how the potential for good can be destroyed by the evil, but ideally how good will triumph.   Through an examination of these two works we can see how the darkness within, given the correct environment will surface.   The circumstances which eventually cause the appearance of the inner darkness in these two novels stems from the lack of civility, the true test, or journey which every life contains, and finally the product of evil which lies in all of us, either through acts of commission or omission.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When people lack the aspect of civility in their lives they too will lack the restraints and barriers it has on one's inner evil.