Reflection of the Vision Module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection of the Vision Module - Essay Example However, I soon realized that creativity is a funny thing. What sounds wildly creative and imaginative to one person sounds like a mess of silliness to another. Our first mistake as a group was not sorting out our differences from the beginning as to the very nature of the project itself. One idea that was pitched was a creative use of technology that involved newspaper headlines that were projected on a screen. This was my idea. Others in the group wanted a more traditional presentation of ideas through a featured lecturer set-up. Another faction of the group wanted to create a fully realized dramatic presentation complete with singing, poetry and props. We spent much energy and time trying to accommodate everyone’s ideas. There was a lot of conflict at this stage of the project, but that is to be expected. I kept thinking after each meeting that we would soon find something to do that everyone would be happy with, but after a while, I gave up hope. One of the biggest problem s was the fact that several group members refused to do anything that was not part of their original idea. Anything dramatic or any sort of performance was out of the question for these group members. We could not resolve this rift in the group, so we did something that in the end would prove to be unwise. We moved on with a hybrid of ideas that excluded these members. Basically, through frustration, the majority of the group sent a â€Å"like it or lump it† message to the minority that objected to the performance. This caused considerable problems. One is the fact that the few members that were marginalized failed to keep commitments and did not contribute much work towards the final product. This is understandable, but it really harmed our final product. We decided to write a dramatic performance that included technology I was in charge of utilizing. Just before the performance, some members wanted to make last minute changes to the script. There was a falling out among mem bers. Two members of the group sabotaged the performance by drawing the curtain and hiding behind it. Needless to say, the message of our presentation was somewhat lost among the chaos. Reflecting on this group learning activity really has been a thought provoking exercise. It has been a great opportunity to try something new, reflect on the possible mistakes and note how they could be avoided in the future. Themes that came up continually when I was thinking about this experience include group dynamics, group decision making, leadership styles and styles of communication. Reading about how groups form and share ideas has really helped me to better understand how this group learning activity could have been improved. Actually, the learning activity was great, it was the final product that needed to be improved. The idea that groups go through phases such as storming, norming and performing is interesting. Understanding that there will be differences of opinions in a group is powerfu l information that I do not think all of the members of our group understood. Looking back on the experience, too many people took criticism and critique personally, causing the group to stall in the storming phase. We never really established the norms of how the group should work. As a result, the person or people with the stormiest personalities got their way while the soft-spoken members were pushed to the side. Better resolution of the first phase of team formation would have led to a better end

My Best Friends Essay Example for Free

My Best Friends Essay What do you think with your best friend’s appearance, personality and the feeling you have they to be your friends? In my opinion, â€Å"Friends† is really important for me. I can live without computer and TV but I can’t live without †friends† the persons who is sharing my mood with me whenever I’m happy or sad and I found â€Å"Them† my really best friends who had a, nice appearance , good but has a different personalities and I’m very happy that I had a best friends like them. My best friends are Jessica, Crizel and Hannah. When I first saw them or my first impression about them is, I thought that Jessica was a pretty lesbian or a boyish one because she act like a man but deep inside she was a pure girl and then Crizel was, also like a boy maybe because in the first place they are friend w Hannah which I thought that she was unkind/ rugged but in other side she’s very kind and clever. In addition, when we are not that so close for me Jessica was very annoying because she’s always shouting just to stop our other classmates for making unpleasant sound, and then before when I saw Hannah she has lot of pimple in her face and it is like overload parking lot ha-ha just kidding, but now it is much OK, her pimple was not that much. And lastly Crizel, we are not that much close and unfortunately we had a misunderstandment between two of us. What is more, for me they are so good friend and all the bad side, was so opposite when I knew there real personality. They are the persons who understand me well (I think). They always beside me when I’m upset listen to me and help me every time when I need help. When i have problem they will give me some advices and help me to solve the problem. Even when I don’t understand in the lesson they explained patiently for me to understand every time. I think I’m really lucky that I have them and I’m very happy we are friends and I think we will be friends forever. To summarizes, I think they are a nice person. They have good appearance, personality and I’m very happy that I can be friends with Jessica, Crizel and Hannah. And we learned so many things from each of us as. And they always help me in everything. Finally, I think friend is really important for me and I hope we can be friends forever.

Effect of Fat: Assessment of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient

Effect of Fat: Assessment of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Abstract Objectives: Recent studies have indicated that excessive fat may confound assessment of diffusion in organs with high fat content, such as the liver and breast. However, the extent of this effect in the kidney, which is not considered a major fat deposition site, remains unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that renal fat may impact DWI parameters, and proposes a three-compartment model (TCM) to circumvent this effect. Methods: Using computer simulations, we investigated the effect of fat on assessment of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), intravoxel incoherent-motion (IVIM) and TCM-derived pure-diffusivity. In domestic pigs fed a high-cholesterol (Obese) or normal diet (Lean) (n=7 each), DWI parameters were calculated using IVIM and correlated to renal histology. IVIM-derived pure diffusivity was also compared among 15 essential hypertension (EH) patients classified by BMI (high vs. normal). Finally, pure diffusivity was calculated and compared in 8 patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) and 5 healthy subjects using IVIM and TCM. Results: Simulations showed that unaccounted fat results in the underestimation of intravoxel incoherent-motion (IVIM)-derived pure-diffusivity, particularly at lower fat contents. Moreover, TCM, which incorporates highly diffusion-weighted images (b>2500s/mm2), could correct for fat-dependent underestimation. Animal studies confirmed lower ADC and pure-diffusivity in Obese vs. Lean pigs with otherwise healthy kidneys. Similarly, EH patients with high BMI had lower ADC (1.9 vs. 2.110-3 mm2/s) and pure-diffusivity (1.7 vs. 1.910-3mm2/s) than those with normal BMI.   Pure-diffusivity calculated using IVIM was not different between the ARAS and healthy subjects, but TCM revealed significantly lower diffusivity in ARAS. Conclusions: Excessive renal fat may cause underestimation of renal ADC and pure-diffusivity, which may hinder detection of renal pathology. Models accounting for fat contribution may help reduce the variability of diffusivity calculated using DWI. Keywords: Renal adiposity, Diffusion-weighted imaging, intravoxel incoherent motion, obesity.   Ã‚   Over the past two decades, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has evolved to an important tool for studying neurological disorders (1-3), while application of this method for characterization of abdominal pathological conditions awaited improved hardware and robust pulse sequences over nearly a decade (4). In the kidney, DWI has been used to investigate chronic kidney disease (CKD) (5), renal lesions (6), and deteriorating allografts (7). Nevertheless, the contribution of tubular flow and hemodynamics to the apparent diffusion constant (ADC), the diffusion quantitative index of the single compartment mono-exponential model, complicates tissue characterization and renal DWI analysis (8). This encouraged implementation of models incorporating a larger number of compartments to differentiate pure diffusion from pseudo-diffusive components. Indeed, in the kidney the intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) analytical method, which utilizes a two-compartment model associated with pure diffusion and flow, showed superiority over the mono-exponential decay model (9, 10). However, recent studies on hepatic DWI identified fat as a potential third compartment with a significant confounding effect (11, 12), even in non-steatotic livers (13, 14) or other organs (15). Abdominal DWI is typically performed using an echo-planar imaging (EPI) readout, which uses a water-only excitation. Selected excitation or fat suppression methods prevent contribution of the fat signal associated with peaks spectrally distant from water, but cannot effectively eliminate the signal from fat components with resonance frequencies close to water proton frequency. For instance, peaks between 4.2-5.3 ppm associated with triglycerides, which account for nearly 8.7% of the total in vivo fat content, remain unsuppressed (11). Moreover, in the kidney, which is located in the vicinity of bowel, susceptibility artifacts may significantly reduce the efficacy of spectral fat suppression. Because the diffusion constant of lipid molecules is orders of magnitude smaller than that in water an d remains nearly unattenuated over the conventional range of b-values, the amplitude of the fat signal, especially at high b-values, can be prominent compared to the attenuated water signal (16), and therefore has a considerable impact on DWI parameters assessment (17). The epidemic of obesity stresses the importance of characterization of the effect of ectopic fat on DWI parameters, particularly in subjects with high body mass index (BMI). Increased renal adiposity (18, 19) may potentially interfere with interpretation of DWI in the kidney in obese subjects, but to date this effect has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of renal fat accumulation and suboptimal suppression on DWI parameters. We investigated this effect using computer simulations and verified the error in a large animal model of obesity, and in healthy subjects and in the presence of renal pathological conditions in humans. We hypothesized that residual MR signal from fat causes underestimation of renal ADC and IVIM pure-diffusivity, the magnitude of which may approximate a reduction in these parameters elicited by renal pathology. Moreover, we suggest that the fat-dependency of DWI parameters may be corrected by estimating the MR signal of excessive fat using heavily diffusion-weighted images. Assuming that an unattenuated fat signal acts as an independent compartment, we formulated our model by adding a third exponential decay term to the bi-exponential IVIM model to account for the contribution of fat: (1) In our notation, C and are the fractions of extravascular water and fat in the DWI signal intensity. Dfast, Dslow, andDfat are diffusion coefficients for extravascular water (pure-diffusivity), intravascular flow-dependent component (pseudo-diffusion), and fat, respectively. The product of the fat diffusion coefficient and the b-values, over the conventional range of b-values is small such that the exponential part of the third term can be approximated by one. This simplifies the last term in Equation (1) to a constant signal offset as follows: (2) Considering that at higher b-values (~1000 s/mm2) conventionally used in DWI, the water-component of the signal intensity decays to nearly a few percent of its value at b0 (b=0 s/mm2), while the fat-related fraction (FRF), f, remains nearly unattenuated over the imaging b-value spectrum, the magnitude of FRF and its impact on calculated DWI parameters becomes significant. I. Simulations Simulations in this study pursued four aims. First, to show that in the absence of fat signal, the three-compartment model (TCM) reduces to IVIM. This would essentially verify that a non-zero FRF is not merely a result of overfitting the data of an intrinsically two-compartment system into a three-compartment model, and in fact represents a third independent compartment. Second, to investigate the influence of FRF, as illustrated in equation (1), on the diffusion parameters calculated using the bi-exponential IVIM model. Third, to examine the effect of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on the accuracy of DWI parameters assessed using IVIM and TCM, particularly since increasing the degrees of freedom in TCM per se reduces the stability of the regularization methods. Finally, to test if in the presence of fat signal the DWI parameters calculated using IVIM and TCM would be b-value dependent. We simulated the total MR signal using the TCM, including fast and slow decays associated with intra- and extravascular fluid, as well as the FRF signal as a third compartment. Simulations were performed for diffusion parameters similar to DWI values reported for the kidney (10), over a range of FRFs (0-10%) and SNRs (2.5-50dB) (Table 1). IVIM and TCM were used to extract DWI parameters. In TCM, the total MR signal intensity for all b-values was subtracted by the signal intensity from the corresponding voxel of the high b-value (>2500 s/mm2) image, and the data were then fitted to a bi-exponential model. Table 1 shows the values used in the simulations. To verify the b-value dependency, DWI parameters were calculated from a set of b-values with the highest value being either 600, 1000, or 2000 s/mm2. II. Animal study All animal procedures followed the Guideline for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1996) and were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Mayo Clinic. Fourteen domestic swine in this study were fed ad lib for 16 weeks. Seven animals consumed a normal diet (Controls) and the other half (Obese) a high fat/carbohydrate diet (5B4L; Purina Test Diet, Richmond, IN) containing (in % kcal) 17% protein, 20% complex carbohydrates, 20% fructose, and 43% fat and supplemented with 2% cholesterol and 0.7% sodium cholate. We have recently shown that this diet induces obesity and adiposity (20). Diffusion-weighted MRI scans were performed at the completion of diet. Renal volume and hemodynamics were assessed 2-3 days apart from MR scans, using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). Prior to each in vivo study animals were anesthetized (Telazol 5mg/kg and xylazine 2mg/kg in saline), and anesthesia maintained with intravenous ketamine (0.2 mg/kg/min) and xylazine (0.03 mg/kg/min) (for CT), or inhaled 1-2% isoflurane (for MRI) throughout the course of imaging. Blood pressure was measured using an arterial catheter during the MDCT scanning session. Animals were injected with 10cc of heparin and euthanized with a lethal intravenous dose of sodium pentobarbital (100 mg/kg) a few days after the in vivo studies. Then the kidneys were removed and immersed in saline containing heparin. The tissue was stored at -80 °C or preserved in formalin for histology. a. Diffusion-weighted Imaging (DWI) DWI was performed on a 3T scanner (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) using a torso array coil. Images were collected using a single-shot echo-planar sequence with bipolar gradient. In all animals, 4-6 coronal slices in oblique planes were collected for b-values 50, 100, 200, 300, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm2. MR parameters were set to TR/TE 1800/79ms, field of view 35cm, Bandwidth 648Hz/pixel, Number of averages 3, slice thickness 2.5mm, and matrix size 128128. All acquisitions were performed during suspended respiration. b. MDCT imaging Renal hemodynamics were assessed from contrast-enhanced MDCT images, as previously detailed (21). A pigtail catheter was advanced through the left jugular vein to the superior vena cava to inject contrast media during the scan. Then animals were moved to MDCT unit (Somatom Sensation 64; Siemens Medical Solutions, Forchheim, Germany). Following localization of the kidneys, a bolus of iopamidol (0.5 ml/kg over 2s) was injected, and after a 3-second delay, 140 consecutive scans were acquired over approximately 3 minutes. After the flow scan and an additional contrast injection, a volume study was performed. Axial images were acquired at helical acquisition with thickness of 0.6mm and resolution of 512512, and reconstructed at 5mm thickness. c. Lipid Panel Lipid (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipid (HDL)) was measured (Roche) at the Mayo Immunochemical Core Laboratory from blood samples, and low-density lipid (LDL) was calculated. d. Morphological Studies Images were acquired using an ApoTome microscope (Carl ZEISS SMT, Oberkochen, Germany). Renal fibrosis was quantified by colorimetric measurements in 5 µm slides stained for trichrome. Tubular dilation was measured in Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-stained slides counterstained with Hemotoxylin. Intracellular lipid accumulation was assessed by colorimetric measurements in Oil-Red-O stained slides from frozen tissue counterstained with Hematoxylin. III. Human study The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Mayo Clinic, in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. All patients provided written informed consent before enrollment. Fifteen patients with essential hypertension (EH) were recruited from an on-going study, to study the effect of renal fat on DWI parameters. Patients were divided in two groups based on their BMI: an obese group (n=10, BMI≠¥30kg/m2) and a lean group (n=5, BMI 20-25kg/m2). Additionally, diffusion parameters assessments in healthy vs. impaired (post-stenotic) kidneys, with and without fat correction, were compared in eight patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS), and five healthy controls. a. DWI In patients 3-8 axial images were acquired on 3T scanner (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI and Siemens Medical Systems, Erlangen, Germany) with MR parameters TR/TE, Bandwidth, Slice thickness, matrix size, and b-values were set to 2000-2400/60-94ms, 1953 Hz/pixel, 7mm, 128128 or 160160, and 100, 300, 600, 900 (s/mm2) in the first study with EH patients. In ARAS and Control subjects the TR/TE were 2600-4286/59-112ms. Pure-diffusivity was calculated from b-values ≠¥300 s/mm2 and fat-related fraction was assessed from high b-values, 2000-2500 s/mm2. b. Clinical parameters and Lipid Panel Clinical and laboratory parameters including age, sex, weight, BMI, blood pressure, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and lipid panel levels were evaluated at study entry by standard procedures. IV. Data analysis a. DWI Pixel-by-pixel maps of quantitative indices of mono-exponential model, ADC, and bi- and tri-exponential models, IVIM and TCM parameters, respectively, were generated (Figure 1), as shown previously (22). The threshold for fast vs. slow components was set to 300s/mm2 in both animal and patient studies (23). Large cortical regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn on b0 DWI images and transferred to the maps as detailed before (22). Mean values of ADC and IVIM parameters were calculated by averaging values in all corresponding ROIs for all slices in the subject. b. MDCT Using contrast-enhanced MDCT in animals, single-kidney volume, GFR, perfusion, and renal blood flow (RBF) were calculated. To calculate renal function and hemodynamics, the cortical and medullary signal attenuation vs. time curves were fitted to an extended Γ-variate model. Regional blood volumes and mean transit times were calculated to estimate cortical and medullary perfusion and blood flows (products of perfusion and the corresponding volumes). Total RBF was assessed as the sum of cortical and medullary flows. Finally, GFR was evaluated using the slope of the cortical proximal tubular curve, as previously shown (21). Data Analysis software All analyses were performed in MATLAB ® (MathWork, Natick, MA, USA) and Analyzeâ„ ¢ (Biomedical Imaging Resource, Mayo Clinic, MN, USA). V. Statistical Analysis Simulation results are shown as mean  ± STD, and in vivo results as Median [First Quartile Third Quartile]. Minimum sample size was calculated using power analysis for minimum power value of 0.8. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney was used for comparison among groups. For p values

Global Warming - A Problem Blown Out of Proportion Essay -- Greenhouse

Global Warming - A Problem Blown Out of Proportion It is ironic that fifty two years before hosting the 1997 United Nations Conference on Climate Change, the city of Kyoto had barely missed being destroyed. It was one of four cities considered as primary targets by President Harry Truman’s secretary of war, Henry L. Stimson. The others were Kokura, Hiroshima, and Niigata. Gale E. Christianson describes Kyoto in her book Greenhouse as a magnificent city surpassed only by Tokyo in the number of its institutions of higher learning. Kyoto served as the seat of the emperor for more than 1000 years until the Imperial Household moved to Tokyo in 1868. All Japanese try to visit the city at least once in their lives. The city remains the heart of Japanese culture. Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines dominate the landscape. Japanese theater was founded in Kyoto. It was in this setting that the Nations of the world gathered to discuss the issue of global warming in late November of 1997 (Christianson 254).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning the United States was viewed as the villain. Undersecretary of State, Stuart Eizenstat, and head of the U.S. delegation, let it be known that no amount of pressure could force the administration to flinch. â€Å"We want an agreement, but we are not going to Kyoto at any cost† (qtd. in Christianson 255). Vice President Al Gore added: â€Å"We are perfectly prepared to walk away from an agreement that we don’t think will work† (qtd. in Christianson 255). It was quite obvious that the United States did not want to be there – and for good reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reason had everything to do with cost and benefit. The Protocols would require that the United States reduce its 2008 – 2012 overall greenhouse emissions by about a third of the current levels. The economic costs are quite significant and the benefits are not. Tom Wigley, a senior scientist at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, calculated â€Å"saved† warming under the assumption that every nation met its obligation under the Kyoto Protocol. According to his calculations, the earth’s temperature in 2050 would be 0.07 ËšC lower as a result (Wigley). According to Patrick J. Michaels, a professor of environmental science at the University of Virginia, a warming of such an infinitesimal amount cannot accurately be measure on a thermometer. â€Å"The benefits of Kyoto are so miniscule as to ... ...crosoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Robinson, Arthur B. and Jane M. Orient. â€Å"Science, Politics and Death.† The New American 20.12 (June 2004): 37 par. 24 November 2004 http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2004/06-14-2004/science.htm Taylor, Jerry. â€Å"Global Warming: The Anatomy of a Debate.† Diss. John Hopkins University, January 16, 1998 http://www.cato.org/speeches/sp-jt011698.html Boyachek, Karen. â€Å"Argument Against the Global Warming Theory† U of Saskatchewan Newsletter 26 Jan. 20 http://www.cs.usak.ca/undergrads/kmbl129/49/assignment Mendelsohn, Robert. Global Warming and the American Economy. Northampton: Edward Elgar, 2001. Moran, Edward, ed. The Global Ecology. New York: Wilson, 1999. Christianson, Gale E. Greenhouse. United States: Walker, 1999 James Hansen et al. , â€Å" A Common-Sense Climate Index: Is Climate Changing Noticeably?† Proceeding of the National Academy of Science 95 (1998): 4113-20 Thomas Wigley, â€Å"The Kyoto Protocol: CO2, CH4, and Climate Implication,† Geophysical Research Letter 25 (1998): 2285-88 Michaels, Patrick J. â€Å"Long Hot Year Latest Science Debunks Global Warming Hysteria.† Policy Analysis 329 (1998): 1-12

The Gods in Homers The Iliad and The Odyssey Essay -- Homer The Ilia

The Gods in Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey The stories told in the Iliad and Odyssey are based on stories handed down over several generations, for they preserve (as we have seen) memories of an already quiet far distant past. The two pomes show clear connection in their language and style, in the manner in which their incidents presented, and in the combination of agreement with level, which distinguish their creation. The work was written by one author but gave two diverse views on the nature of the Olympian Gods, their relationship to humankind, and the general lot of mortals throughout their all too brief lives. For the reason that of these differences, both novels end up sending, different messages about life in general. In the Iliad, the supernatural denizens of Olympus are representing as false, power-hungry, and above all unreliable beings that are always at each other's throats. Factionalism abounds, and neither the bonds of marriage, nor the ties of relationship can contain keep it under control. A great example is when Ares betrays his mother, Hera, and his sister, Athene, by aiding the Trojans instead of the Greeks. When he is revealed, Athena strikes him down in battle through Diomedes. In the Odyssey, however, the Gods of Olympus display far more unity and civility toward each other. They argue and disagree, but their disagreements are never carried out to the extremes found in the Ili ad. When Poseidon punishes Odysseys for blinding the Cyclopes, Athena does not take revenge. Even though Odyssey's is her favorite human, she respects Poseidon's right to punish him. In addition, the betrayal among the Gods that is so prevalent in the Iliad, is nowhere to be found in the Odyssey. In Iliad, Hera, enters int... ... be so short. If you are clever enough, strong enough, and careful enough, you can overcome just about anything the Gods or other men throw at you. Bibliography Bloom, Harold, Homer’s Odyssey: Edited and with an Introduction (NY, Chelsea House 1988) Fitzgerald, Robert, tr., The Iliad of Homer, USA: Penguin Books, 1991. Copyright 1995. Griffin, Jasper, Homer on Life and Death, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1980. A clear and easy to read exploration of the poem and its worldview. Griffin, Jasper, Homer: The Odyssey Cambridge UP 1987. Heubeck, Alfred, J.B. Hainsworth, et al. A Commentary on Homer's Odyssey. 3 Vols. (Oxford 1988) PA4167.H4813). Lattimore, Richmond, tr., The Iliad of Homer, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1951. Thalmann, William G., The Odyssey: an epic of return. (NY, Twayne Publishers 1992) PA4167.T45.

Twelfth Night – Feste’s self

Feste is an observer. He sees through people. Though he's a kind of entertainer, who will only perform for money, what he chooses to sing to people is intentionally relevant and disturbing to them. People find the truth very hard to deal with, for example, ‘Peace, you rogue†¦here comes my lady'. This story shows people avoiding the truth at every level. Especially since they are being called ‘fools' or ‘clowns', and not really taken seriously. For example, the fool in King Lear was constantly being threatened with hangings and beatings, but this was only as he was a ‘witty fool'. Again with Feste in Twelfth Night, who also is threatened with hangings, due to his absence. But Feste does not fear this threat, and in fact makes a joke of it; mocking Maria and using a sexual pun at the same time. This confidence comes from the fact that it wasn't their job to simply provide amusement, but also to make critical comments and provide advice, as Olivia asks him: ‘What's a drunken man like, fool?'. And because he is an ‘allowed fool' he was able to say what he thinks, without fear of punishment, ‘there's no slander in an allowed fool'. Since the only relationship that involves Feste, is that between Olivia's family, he has the ability to mediate between the whole cast. He is regarded as a close friend to Olivia, ‘What is a drunken man like, fool?', as well as Sir Toby, by engaging in their ‘folly' and songs. But he also has the ability to distance himself from everyone when needs be. Because he is constantly mocking people with puns and soliloquy, the audience gets the feeling that he doesn't really feel close to them. A well as being incredibly comic, Feste is probably the most perceptive character in the play. He comments on people in ways other people over look, whether be their appearance or their ‘mind'. For example, in Act ii: iv, he point blank tells Orsino what he thinks of him, saying his ‘mind is very opal' and ‘the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta' (a silk which changes colour). The joke here is Feste telling Orsino that he is very fickle and has a very changeable mood, so changeable that he should have matching clothes. He then goes on to say that he is so changeable that he would sail around the world to justify purposeless busyness. Feste hardly knows Orsino, who in turn scarcely knows Feste, but for Feste to cast this view shows his perceptiveness. This view is so accurate, that it leads Orsino to make Cesario go to Olivia's and tell her that his love is ‘more noble than the world'. Furthermore, he also suspiciously notices Viola, and is the only one start suspecting her, ‘send thee a beard' he says, hinting that he knows of her ‘such disguise'. Feste's perception was depicted in Trevor Nunn's production of Twelfth Night, where he has Feste give Viola a necklace. A necklace that she abandoned in Act 1 scene 2, on the seacoast, showing that he has always known of Viola's situation. This interpretation of Feste means that throughout the play, Feste has always known of Viola's situation and was always playing along, again showing his nature. Feste's Language: Feste has a very sophisticated way of speaking that allows him to climb up and down the social ladders of Illyria and be able to talk with Lord Orsino, Sir Toby and Fabian. This becomes significant when he is able to get himself out of situations or even to make other people react, which may otherwise be tricky and use his language skills to make mockery. Such as the ‘the more fool, Madonna, to mourn for your brothers soul†¦' a. This is the first scene that he is present in and he immediately proves Olivia to be a ‘fool'. This kind of humour was taken kindly by Olivia and an Elizabethan audience would of enjoyed it more. However, Feste has proved two things here, the first is that he is not ‘dry' and the second that he can provide the humour if is someone does ‘minister occasion to him' or invites him to ‘make that good'. By getting set up for this comedy, or getting invited, the audience would get ready and find the punch line slightly more comical. Another key figure of Feste's language, are his uses of Latin. He talks and refers a few times in Latin, and all times, he is either talking to Olivia or Orsino. This again proves his versatility talking appropriately with people and it also shows the audiences his education. All his Latin sayings convey messages. For example, the first, to Olivia, ‘cucullus non facit monachum', which refers to an overriding theme in the play; don't judge by outward appearances, as if preparing her for his foolery. The last Latin reference is to Orisino in Act 5. ‘Primo, secundo, terito is a good play†¦', here simply begging for a third coin. Feste's songs do hold a dramatic function, and depending on the scene, the dramatic function changes. One of the most dramatic things, are the songs that he sings. The are not just for entertainment, but they hold meaning and are sung for a reason. Such as when Feste asks ‘would you have a love song or a song of good life'. He feels as though he has to please; it's his duty as a fool, and his song will reflect the audience's mood at this current moment in the play. Or as he said in his final song at the end of the play ‘†¦And we'll strive to please you every day.' The meanings of Feste's songs, are always significant. They are either used to create dramatic effects or represent/ echo his feelings about a situation or a scene. In Act 2, Feste sings ‘Come away, Come away, death†¦', a melancholy song to Orsino about a lover who dies for love, which echoes Orsino's mood and his situation. The listener can read into this as Orsino being the lover and Olivia being the ‘maid', making sense as the lover is ‘slain'. The words that are used mirror what Orsino has already said, such as ‘My part†¦share it' hold similar meaning to that in ‘If music be the food of love†¦'. Orsino then immediately acts on the song and tells Viola/ Cesario to go to Olivia's. This is one example of the role of Feste; do we value what he says or laugh at what he says? Here, Orsino values what he says, we know this as he sends Viola to go to Olivia and tell her ‘that nature pranks her in attracts my soul' not her money. However, after the song is sung, Feste then casts a point blank opinion, face-to-face of Orsino. This creates a lot of tension, especially with the use of words like ‘pain' and ‘..bones shall be thrown'. Here is a good example of the dramatic significance of Feste; as this scene ends in tension. This is the part where Viola nearly reveals of her true love for Orsino, and the audience think that Viola might reveal who she really is, so the audience are anticipating and waiting for Viola's next words . And the next scene starts in comic humour. The drama in each scene seems heightened due to the massive contrast. At the end of the play, Shakespeare provides what seems to be an epilogue, like other plays, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and All's Well That Ends Well. However, unlike these, Feste sings it. The song is about Feste growing up, about being tolerating in childhood, rejected in adult hood, unsuccessful in marriage and drunk in old age†¦but nothing really matters, the actors will always try an please. Although this song is about Feste, the overall meaning of it reflects the whole play. For example, he talks about himself growing up with bad experiences, his life circle from childhood to being an old man. This is a slight re-iteration of a song he sang earlier: ‘What is love†¦youth's a stuff will not endure', This song is telling the audience that we should enjoy the present because nobody can know what the future holds, it could be good e.g. Viola-Orsino and Sebastian-Olivia, or it could be terrible e.g. Malvolio. Feste uses word play frequently throughout this play. These word plays, or puns, can make the audience laugh or even add to the tension so far. A good example is in Feste's first scene: ‘he that is well hanged in this world needs to fear no colours'. The first interpretation of this pun, is the word ‘colours' which can mean enemy or war. So, logically, someone who is already dead, can't fear. However, an Elizabethan audience could of heard it as ‘collars' (meaning noose or hangmen's nooses) so they don't fear them. The Elizabethans enjoyed such punning jokes, and the pun itself would relax the mood. With Maria threatening Feste with death, and then Feste making the whole audience laugh. This is an example of the dramatic significance of Feste. The role of Feste: Feste's appearance in the play is held off until the fifth scene of act I. In this scene the reader is introduced to the clown through a conversation with Maria. In this scene his contribution to the play is revealed through: â€Å"Wit, an't be thy will, put me in good fooling! Those wits that think they have thee, do very oft prove fools, and I that am sure lack thee may pass for a wise man†¦better a witty fool than a foolish wit†. These lines indicate that Feste's presence is not merely comic relief through foolish acts and show that the role of the fool requires much intelligence, or being a ‘wise man'. Feste's contribution to the exposure of underlying themes of love is essential to the understanding of the play's messages. The clown's most profound comments often take the form of song: ‘O mistress mine, where are you roaming?†¦Youth's a stuff will not endure.' It's in this song where we could possibly see Feste uncovering viola, ‘Trip no further, pretty sweeting;', where the ‘pretty sweeting' may be Viola, and the ‘wise man's son' is Feste. If this is so, then it suggests that Viola-Orsino may end up as ‘lovers'. This song is performed due to the requests of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew for a â€Å"love-song.† The song plays on the events of Twelfth Night itself. The song echoes the cheerfulness of this play and how the uncertainty of ‘what's to come' shouldn't be a negative prospect as ‘there lies no plenty'. Feste also foresees events that will occur later in the play. When he speaks of journeys ending â€Å"in lovers meeting,† he hints at the resolution in which several characters are married. Feste's intuition is comparable only to the perception of Viola. Because both characters are the only ones who are involved in both houses, Orsino's and Olivia's, they rival each other in their knowledge and putting their wits against each other. Namely act3:i, where, they both delight in using word play, ‘a sentence is but a cheveril glove to a good wit-‘ and later Viola saying ‘I understand you sir', as if showing him that she is clever. Apparently, Viola is the only character who recognises Feste's true intelligence: â€Å"This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, and to do that craves a kind of wit†¦but wise men, folly-fall'n, quite taint their wit†. This shows Viola's awareness of Feste and his ability to read people in order to say the right thing at the right time. Through this keen observation by Viola, she is perhaps acknowledging that the clown might even have the ability to see through her own disguise. Although Feste never openly claims to know of Viola's deceptive dress, it is indicated that he might be on to her: â€Å"Now Jove in his next commodity of hair send thee a beard†. He's used to change the audience; if Shakespeare wanted to portray thoughts or morals, he would do so with the puns and songs Feste tells the audience. For example, Act 1:v, he says: â€Å"many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage† communicates as if you are well ‘hung' then you need not love. And if we look back, to Act 1, the Latin quote refers directly to how Shakespeare felt. So, it is possible that Feste was the voice of Shakespeare, and if Shakespeare wanted to make the audience happy, for dramatic effect or other, then he might use Feste to sing a song. And when Feste says lines 359-354 in act5:i, he quotes the things that Malvolio has said, and a feeling of ‘what goes around comes around'. This putting down of Malvolio would of been particularly enjoyed by the audience, because of his puritan nature. So by Feste putting down and mocking of Malvolio's nature would of caused great humour. I detected this in act 2:iv, where we are faced with a melancholy ending about love and ‘passion' then straight after, we see the trap that is set for Malvolio. This comic scene gets enhanced because the mood of the preceding scene was sorrowful and sad, but the beginning of this one is very jovial. The plot in Twelfth Night is very convoluted. This is why fools might of been used in such plays as ‘King Lear', ‘All's well that ends well' and ‘Two gentlemen of Verona'; to underline and reinforce important parts of the plot to the audience, and make their songs and folly draw parallels to the play. For example, in Twelfth Night, Feste sings to Malvolio ‘†¦She loves another'. As if, Feste has seen through Malvolio and knows of his affection for Olivia, and crudely tells him there is no likelihood for him, moreover, he already must know of Olivia's affections for Viola. With the indictment of Malvolio and other happy endings in the form of marriages, the future seems delightfully optimistic, Feste's final song lessens the hope of a completely happy ending. The refrain of this song, which states â€Å"the rain it raineth every day,† insinuates that at any time the happiness that now occupies the characters in Illyria could at any time be swept away. The song as a whole seems to show maturation from innocence to experience and through this development was a continuum of â€Å"the wind and the rain.† With this song, Feste seems to suggest that even as a person goes through life, with its ups and downs, he or she must remember that at any time one can end up in an unfamiliar place with a completely different life, exactly like Sebastian and Viola. There will always be unpredictability, as long as there is ‘wind and the rain'. Ironically, Feste is the only person not to be seen as the fool. Olivia is the fool, as she has fallen in love with a woman, Orisino is seen the fool, because his Viola has tricked him into thinking she is a man. Sir Andrew comes across as the fool because of his foolish remarks, like taking the word ‘ass' literally and believing ‘Pigrogromitus'! This irony will add humour and dramatic irony to the audience and again make Feste look the cleverest by default. By acting the ‘fool' he comes across as the wise man he is. The ‘Twelfth Night' was know as the â€Å"Feast Of Fools†, which is very similar to â€Å"Feste the Fool†. This seems extremely significant, due to the similarity, as the Feast of Fools always appointed a â€Å"Lord Of Ridicule†. It is possible the an Elizabethan audience would of got this (intentional) similarity and therefore see Feste as this Lord Of Ridicule. If Feste was this lord, then he would become the master of the household, for this short holiday period, and organise dances, folly, pranks and deceptions, in order to entertain the rest of the household. If this case, it would then explain Feste's songs, drunkenness, writing of letters to Malvolio and of course dressing up as Sir Topas.

Novel “Unwind” Essay

In the novel, Unwind, three teenagers embark on a journey full of mischief, excitement and tragedy. The three main characters have their own agenda in the novel. Risa is orphan who is being unwound due to cutbacks in budget. Lev is an thirteen year old tithe who’s main purpose in life was to be unwound once he turned thirteen. Lastly, Connor is fifteen year old trouble maker who is being unwound due to the fact that his parents have grown sick and tired of his negative behavior. They all show that in the end that life is sometimes a fight for survival. In the beginning Connor runs away from home because he doesn’t want to be unwound. While Connor is running away from the police on the interstate, he pulls Lev out of a car and takes him hostage in order to slow down police. As this happens, Risa’s bus crashes due to Connor’s antics and she escapes the grasp from the people trying to unwind her. When the three finally get away, Lev is hell bent on getting revenge Connor for kidnapping him. When the three teens hide in a local high school, Lev sneaks away from the pack and tells the local authorities about the runaway unwinds. When the police enter the school and the fire alarm is pulled, Risa & Connor have to make a last second escape from the cops. With the help of a teacher, they find help in a local antique’s shop owner named Sonia. Sonia helps Risa and Connor, by letting them stay in her store basement where they meet Roland, Mai, and Hayden (other runaway unwinds). Sonia tells them that their stay is only temporary and when their time is up they are shipped different safe houses. Connor & Risa hate Roland, for he is a power hungry bully with nothing to lose. After Christmas, all of the kids who are stationed in the safe houses, are put in airplane crates and shipped to â€Å"The Graveyard†. In the graveyard they meet The Admiral who protects unwinds until they turn eighteen, then he lets them go. When things get out of hand, the thousands of kids being stationed in â€Å"The Graveyard†, make an attempt to kill The Admiral. All of the teenagers believe that he wants to sell them for their parts. When The Admiral almost dies, Roland, Risa, and Connor fly him to a local hospital where Roland turns them all into the authorities. At the Harvest Camp, Connor is recognized among the many teenagers as the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Akron AWOL†. This is the name given to him for his actions on the interstate in Akron, Ohio. While in the Harvest Camp, Connor sees Lev, and is surprisingly overjoyed. Though Connor does not know that Lev is there for his own hidden agenda. When Connor’s day comes to be unwound, it’s a mournful day at the Harvest Camp. Once Connor enters the doors of the Unwind Medical Bay, bombs go off. Suicidal bombers known as clappers blow up the medical bay and Connor comes limping out without an eye and badly wounded. Risa, who was playing in the band on top of the medical bay. To everyone’s surprise, Lev is one of the bombers, but he refused to make himself go off. Instead he runs into the medical bay and helps pull the other’s out including Risa. When Connor wakes up with only vision in one of his eyes, he figures out that someone has given him a new name. He also notices that the new replacement arm is Roland’s. Risa is paralyzed from the waste down, but is happy to be alive. Lev is in a Juvenile detention center for having traces of nitroglycerin in his blood (relating him to the suicide bombers). In the end, Connor and Risa both go back to â€Å"The Graveyard†, where they help other numerous unwinds escape from their death. Due to Lev’s antics at the Harvest Camp, the government changes the unwind ages from 13 through 18, to 13 through 17.