Free Essays on Racism Today

Racism has been a major problem in society from the 1950’s until this day. Being racist means believing that there is only one superior race. These beliefs are a main cause in riots, boycotts and other such outrages. Even though there have been laws passed in order to help control racist acts; it has not changed the thoughts of many people today who still remain racist. Race plays a very large role when it comes down to the way the public is treated. In some cases for example, some businesses will refuse to hire another person that differs from their own race. Another example of this is the use of racial jokes, comments and names. Some hypocrites will claim to be anti-racist while they use racial nicknames in their daily vocabulary. After the civil war, most of the race crimes and racial conflicts took place in the southern states, but now these problems have worked their way up North. Now these racial problems are found mostly in New Jersey and New York, two of the most populated states on the east coast. Everyday there are acts of racism evolving from different areas all over the USA. On June 13, 1998, James Byrd Jr., a 49 year old man from Texas, was beaten unconscious and chained to the back of a pick up truck, where 3 white men dragged him along for miles. This is only one example of recent racial violence in America. Although some racism is still involving African Americans, it is becoming more pointed towards the large amount of Eastern Asians now living in the United States. Many individuals don’t like the fact that these individuals are running most of the gas stations and 7 11’s, and so this is where the racial comments and nicknames are started. This jumping off point is where most racial crimes are rooted and grown from. In comparing racism now to 50 years ago, a lot has changed, but also a lot has remained the same. The changes that have been made to prevent most acts of racial violence ar... Free Essays on Racism Today Free Essays on Racism Today Racism has been a major problem in society from the 1950’s until this day. Being racist means believing that there is only one superior race. These beliefs are a main cause in riots, boycotts and other such outrages. Even though there have been laws passed in order to help control racist acts; it has not changed the thoughts of many people today who still remain racist. Race plays a very large role when it comes down to the way the public is treated. In some cases for example, some businesses will refuse to hire another person that differs from their own race. Another example of this is the use of racial jokes, comments and names. Some hypocrites will claim to be anti-racist while they use racial nicknames in their daily vocabulary. After the civil war, most of the race crimes and racial conflicts took place in the southern states, but now these problems have worked their way up North. Now these racial problems are found mostly in New Jersey and New York, two of the most populated states on the east coast. Everyday there are acts of racism evolving from different areas all over the USA. On June 13, 1998, James Byrd Jr., a 49 year old man from Texas, was beaten unconscious and chained to the back of a pick up truck, where 3 white men dragged him along for miles. This is only one example of recent racial violence in America. Although some racism is still involving African Americans, it is becoming more pointed towards the large amount of Eastern Asians now living in the United States. Many individuals don’t like the fact that these individuals are running most of the gas stations and 7 11’s, and so this is where the racial comments and nicknames are started. This jumping off point is where most racial crimes are rooted and grown from. In comparing racism now to 50 years ago, a lot has changed, but also a lot has remained the same. The changes that have been made to prevent most acts of racial violence ar...

Benefits of Having a Dog Essay Sample

Benefits of Having a Dog Essay Sample Benefits of Having a Dog Analysis Essay Benefits of Having a Dog Analysis Essay Dogs are considered a man’s best friend. Owning a dog is beneficial as it provides balance, emotional well-being, and unconditional love. It is also a great pleasure to spend time in the company of these furry creatures. Dogs provide people with meaningful social support, improve physical and psychological state, increase the level of happiness and decrease stress. The Benefits of Having a Dog are Numerous Firstly, dogs promote health. They help people cope with anxiety and improve an overall mental health, not to mention a number of other health benefits. In addition, dogs are widely used to help people recover from very serious illnesses including cerebral palsy and insult. Secondly, dogs provide social benefits as they influence their owner’s well-being. The pets make people happier, provide greater self-esteem and prevent depression. Dog owners are better socialized and are closer to important people in their lives than those who have no dogs. Thirdly, dogs prevent stress and decrease it. These animals are considered masters at helping people feel calm and relieve stress. Dogs are the best listeners and they do not care about human actions and thoughts. When a person is upset or sad, a dog can give a stress outlet helping to cheer up. Fourthly, dogs improve mood. Stroking a dog may reduce blood pressure and bring balance to our emotional state. The eyes of a favorite dog help people who are in a bad mood. Fifthly, dogs ensure home security and safety. Dogs are extremely protective when a stranger comes to the door. In addition, a barking dog may put off many potential burglars and intruders. Sixthly, dogs have a favorable influence on children. Children who own dogs perform better at school and are more successful. Moreover, bringing up, feeding and regular walks create a sense of responsibility. Dogs have a positive influence on human health, emotional state.  They add to the development of communication skills and the sense of responsibility as well as play an important role in child fostering and family relationships. In addition, dogs increase feelings of well being and devotion, ensure safety and even save people’s lives. Dogs are among the most popular pets. These animals are usually called a man’s best friends and there is a reason for it. Dogs’ intelligence, loyalty, affection and devotion are incredibly rewarding. Owning a dog may raise spirits. In addition, having a walk together, relaxing at home together or being greeted by a happily wagging tail engenders a sense of well-being. These are the main reasons why so many people own dogs. What is more important is the fact that pets can play an important social role in people’s lives. Lonely people can get a dog in order to overcome social isolation. In addition, dogs improve people’s health, help to communicate and break the ice. Hence, having a dog is beneficial as dogs provide people with emotional well-being, balance and unconditional acceptance of who we are. Despite the fact that dogs provide meaningful social support, serving to improve owners’ happiness, well-being, and even their physical health there are not many studies on whether all people benefit from owning pets to the same degree or not and whether pets provide social support for people in general (McConnel et al., 2011). It has long been known that dogs bring a lot of pleasure to people who own them. However, there is little awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of having a dog, but it is worth knowing about. Our research is focused on investigation of the advantages of having a dog as a pet. Health Promotion To start with, it should be underlined that these furry friends help to cope with anxiety and dealing with them improves an overall mental health, not to mention a number of other health benefits. A research carried out for over 25 years has shown that a close contact with dogs can lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. A dog, of course, is not the only way to solve problems, but it can help to monitor blood pressure. The study of 240 married couples showed that the owners of dogs had lower blood pressure and heart rate than people who did not own them. The similar study of children showed that there was a significant reduction of blood pressure in children suffering from high blood pressure when they stroked a dog (or any other pet) or played with it. Moreover, the children showed improvement in the general mental state, they became more obedient and easier to adapt socially. In addition, people who own a pet, spend more time outdoors, and have a stronger immune system. Dogs can even help in social life helping people stay active and energetic. It has been investigated that keeping a dog may also reduce the levels of bold triglyceride and cholesterol. Dog ownership is considered to be one of the best predictors of survival from a heart attack. It is also believed that pet ownership, dog ownership in particular, reduces national health expenditures (Headey, 1999). Dogs are widely used to help people recover from very serious illnesses. For example, doctors all over the world are amazed how pet dogs help children come out of a comma. There is a belief that animal assisted therapy is a great breakthrough in medicine. However, the practice of using dogs as a part of therapy dates back to the late 18th century, when these animals were introduced into mental institutions to help in communication with patients with mental disorders, people in a state of anxiety and those suffering from cardio-vascular dystopia. Such patients improved behavioral and psychological indicators of anxiety in the presence of dogs. In addition, people in wheelchairs have more positive emotions and easily communicate with strangers when they are accompanied by a dog. Another benefit of communication with animals is immune stimulatory effects of microorganisms, which, in accordance with the hygiene hypothesis, may protect against allergies and autoimmune diseases. Studies have shown that when a dog lived permanently in the house children were less prone to develop an allergy to pets: only 19% of children with a dog in the house compared to 33% of the total statistics of children whose parents did not keep pets. This is not the only surprising fact. Much lower risk of eczema and other skin diseases and higher levels of certain chemicals in the immune system were observed among children who were in close contact with animals, dogs in particular. That allows health professionals to conclude that a stronger activation of the immune system is a result of communication with our pet friends (Headey, 1999). It was also revealed that dogs helped people with cerebral palsy and after insult. Dogs positively influence the recovering of motor functions and mood. Children with Down syndrome are also treated with the help of dogs. For example, in a medical center in Panama, which is under the leadership of Mario Chang, doctors use specially trained dogs in a therapeutic practice that helps to cope with mental and physical disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism (Dog Helps Boy Recover from Coma, 1992). Companion animals may provide unconditional love and comfort to families with children suffering from autism. Most families reported that their children have very close bonds with dogs and felt comfortable and relaxed with their pets. The admirers of dogs state that dogs make people move more and in that way improve their health. According to the study of 351 people aged 20 to 80 published a few years ago in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on average dog owners spend a far greater amount of time performing moderate physical activity than those who do not have a dog (Your Pet and Your Health, 2011). A study, which was attended by new owners of a Yorkshire terrier, showed a highly significant reduction in minor health problems during the first month after the purchase of the puppy, and this effect was maintained until the end of the study. Many Americans have even calculated the percentage of survival of patients with the coronary heart disease, and concluded that the owners of Yorkies were significantly less likely to die within a year of acute myocardial infarction as compared to those who did not have a pet. In addition, older people started to spend considerably more time in physical activity, and Yorkshire terriers were thus a necessary stimulus. These results suggest that the acquisition of an animal can have a positive impact on human health and behavior, and have a prolonged effect on the overall condition. It is a proven fact that cat and dog owners exhibit noteworthy improvements in their self-reported physical and psychological health, compared with those who donâ€⠄¢t own a pet (Prokop Tunnicliffe, 2010). Social Benefits McConnel et al. (2011) worked out and held three experiments during which they examined how people benefit from communication with dogs every day. It turned out that the advantages of having a god are stronger when pets fulfill ones social needs. As a result, scientists concluded that â€Å"pet owners often experience greater well-being (e.g., greater self-esteem), exhibit healthier personality characteristics (e.g., more conscientiousness), and show attachment styles that are less negative towards the self (i.e., less fearful, less preoccupied)† (McConnel et al., 2011). One more argument for keeping a dog as a pet is the fact that pets also influence their owner’s well-being. People, who have dogs, seldom suffer from depression, are less lonely, have greater self-esteem, and are happier. Dog owners are better socialized and are closer to other important people in their lives as well as receive more support from them. Scientists found that people and their animals have a strong connection and those who have â€Å"healthier personalities seem to extend their general social competencies to relationships with their pets, and that pets with healthier personalities fulfill their owners’ social needs better† (McConnel et al., 2011). Dogs also provide their owners with social support. Dogs are good assistants for people with disabilities. In many countries, the degree of acceptance of dog guides at public facilities is rather high. Researchers find a number of benefits from this co-work. Not all people know that dogs have been used to assist people with a variety of physical and mental diagnoses since the 9th century. The first documented example of the therapeutic use of animals â€Å"occurred in the 9th century in Gheel, Belgium, where animals were part of the ‘therapie naturelle’ provided for the handicapped by members of the community† (Bustad Hines, 1984, p.20). Owners and pets’ well-beings are closely related. It was studied that there is â€Å"a link between care for sick pets and owner health† (Your Pet and Your Health, 2011). When a person provides veterinary care for a pet he/she can improve his/her own health. It can be explained by the fact that when â€Å"patients like these report being more vigilant about their own condition because they think of their pet’s condition frequently† (Your Pet and Your Health, 2011). They become more interested in knowledge of the disease, focus more on treatment provided to their pets and to themselves and do the right things. A pet’s disease, that in most cases may be the same as their owners` disease, makes them think not just about their own health; as a result they become more concentrated and disciplined (Your Pet and Your Health, 2011). From a social point of view, a walk with a dog allows not only enjoying fresh air, but also, for example, it is easier to start a conversation or strike up an acquaintance with someone. Walking with dogs or just pet care can provide moderate exercises and fellowship for those who are already at an advanced age. Lower Stress One of the benefits of owning a dog is that it is a master at helping people relieve stress and feel calm. It is well know that talking to a friend about a problem improve a person`s emotional state. A friend should be a good listener, so a dog is a good party. When a person is upset or sad, a dog can give a stress outlet helping to improve mood. It has been proven that people experience less stress caring out stressful tasks when their dogs are with them (Raina et al. 1999). In addition, people, who are with dogs while working, have lower levels of stress during their workday. It was found that having dogs in the workplace improved morale among all staff members. Dogs are tactile creatures. When people are stressed, it is a good remedy to stroke a pet. A dog may lick you and it is emotional exchange. This is the interaction when people do not have to think about what someone else is thinking. When dog owners come home, they are sure that their favorite pet will wait for them. Feeding a dog and playing with it relieves routine stress and improves mood. Thus, having a furry friend can reduce stress and bring support when times get tough. Improved Mood For people who love animals, it is almost impossible to stay in a bad mood when they look into the eyes of their favorite dog. Researchers support the idea that animals, dogs in particular, provide their owners with mood-enhancing benefits (Allen et al., 1991; Raina et al., 1999). Animals are much easier to cope with as compared to people, as they will definitely love people without judging their words and actions. A research has shown that a person needs to spend with a dog only approximately 30 minutes to feel more relaxed (Raina et al., 1999). In addition, playing with a dog raises the brain’s levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters associated with tranquility and pleasure. Thus, simply stoking a dog it is possible to reduce blood pressure and bring balance to a person`s physical and emotional state (Charnetsky, Riggers Brennan, 2004). Home Security and Safety Many dog owners believe that their houses will not be robbed because of a vicious dog. Dogs are usually loving and sweet. However, they are extremely protective when a stranger comes to the door. Studies show that vicious and barking dogs put off many potential burglars. Using a dog as a home security system saves a lot of money, as security systems are expensive. Even a small dog may make a person safe at home, as it may be a reliable alarm. Barking is able to deter potential burglars and intruders. A loud barking makes neighbors look out a window and if necessary call police. Moreover, dogs do not need to learn how to use a weapon or learn safety rules. Their main weapon is jaws and claws. Dogs and Children Psychologists believe that children who have dogs perform better at school. Reinhold Bergler, a German psychologist, found that children whose families had dogs at home were of an exemplary behavior at school and were more successful. The professor and his colleagues interviewed 400 mothers about the behavior and learning abilities of their children aged 13-15 years. Half of the respondents had dogs. It was found that children with dogs, especially boys, usually got better grades at school than their peers without four-legged friends. It is believed that regular walks, feeding and bringing up create a sense of responsibility in children (Shubert, 2012). Animals help children become more concentrated; they capture children’s attention and teach lessons about life, devotion, love, and affection. Many children see dogs as their peers and they learn a lot from animals’ body language. In addition, it is easier to teach children become sympathetic, as animals are straightforward in their behavior and when expressing their feelings. Children-animal bonds contribute to mood improvements, higher confidence and greater empathy (Serpell, 2008). live CHAT Child psychologists unanimously recommend getting a dog for a child who suffers from a lack of communication, is reserved, suspicious etc. The appearance of a puppy is an important part of parenting; it can change the nature of a reserved child for the better. He/she will take care of someone, talk to someone he/she trusts and with who he/she can share his/her secrets without a fear that a friend will spill the beans to someone. In addition, experts are confident that having a puppy brings feelings of responsibility, compassion and concern in a child; it teaches him/her to have the routine of the day as the dog usually gets used to walking at certain hours. In addition, the child receives daily charge of joy while communicating with a shaggy friend. Adopting a dog brings fun and friendship into one’s home and improves a person`s health and mental state. There is no doubt that owning a dog requires hard work especially at the beginning. However, if difficulties are put aside it becomes evident that good things prevail. Dogs can reduce stress, improve health, ease loneliness, promote social interaction and exercises as well as provide a person with affection, the sense of well-being and unconditional love. It should be emphasized that having a pet dog is very beneficial to those who are ready to take care of a pet. The benefits of owning a dog are the following: a positive effect on human health; development of communication skills; an important role in family relationships; child fostering; and positive influence on behavior. Dogs are also able to decrease the level of despair and anxiety, increase feelings of well being and devotion, increase mental capabilities and increase social functioning. In other words, owning a dog really makes a difference in people’ daily life. In addition, there are many real stories glorifying dogs, which have saved people’s lives in different situations. It is known that dogs have a special sense of prediction and are able to quickly respond in case of emergency.

Definitions and Interpretations of Rhetorical Irony

Definitions and Interpretations of Rhetorical Irony To say one thing but to mean something else - that may be the simplest definition of irony. But in truth, theres nothing at all simple about the rhetorical concept of irony. As J.A. Cuddon says in A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Basil Blackwell, 1979), irony eludes definition, and this elusiveness is one of the main reasons why it is a source of so much fascinated inquiry and speculation. To encourage further inquiry (rather than reduce this complex trope to simplistic explanations), weve gathered a variety of definitions and interpretations of irony, both ancient and modern. Here youll find some recurrent themes as well as some points of disagreement. Does any one of these writers provide the single right answer to our question? No. But all provide food for thought. We begin on this page with some broad observations about the nature of irony - a few standard definitions along with attempts to classify the different types of irony. On page two, we offer a brief survey of the ways that the concept of irony has evolved over the past 2,500 years. Finally, on pages three and four, a number of contemporary writers discuss what irony means (or seems to mean) in our own time. Definitions and Types of Irony The Three Basic Features of IronyThe principal obstacle in the way of a simple definition of irony is the fact that irony is not a simple phenomenon. . . . We have now presented, as basic features for all irony,(i) a contrast of appearance and reality,(ii) a confident unawareness (pretended in the ironist, real in the victim of the irony) that the appearance is only an appearance, and(iii) the comic effect of this unawareness of a contrasting appearance and reality.(Douglas Colin Muecke, Irony, Methuen Publishing, 1970)Five Kinds of IronyThree kinds of irony have been recognized since antiquity: (1) Socratic irony. a mask of innocence and ignorance adopted to win an argument. . . . (2) Dramatic or tragic irony, a double vision of what is happening in a play or real-life situation. . . . (3) Linguistic irony, a duality of meaning, now the classic form of irony. Building on the idea of dramatic irony, the Romans concluded that language often carries a double message, a second often moc king or sardonic meaning running contrary to the first. . . .In modern times, two further conceptions have been added: (1) Structural irony, a quality that is built into texts, in which the observations of a naive narrator point up deeper implications of a situation. . . . (2) Romantic irony, in which writers conspire with readers to share the double vision of what is happening in the plot of a novel, film, etc.(Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language, Oxford University Press, 1992) Applying IronyIronys general characteristic is to make something understood by expressing its opposite. We can therefore isolate three separate ways of applying this rhetorical form. Irony can refer to (1) individual figures of speech (ironia verbi); (2) particular ways of interpreting life (ironia vitae); and (3) existence in its entirety (ironia entis). The three dimensions of ironytrope, figure, and universal paradigmcan be understood as rhetorical, existential, and ontological.(Peter L. Oesterreich, Irony, in Encyclopedia of Rhetoric, edited by Thomas O. Sloane, Oxford University Press, 2001)Metaphors for IronyIrony is an insult conveyed in the form of a compliment, insinuating the most galling satire under the phraseology of panegyric; placing its victim naked on a bed of briars and thistles, thinly covered with rose leaves; adorning his brow with a crown of gold, which burns into his brain; teasing, and fretting, and riddling him through and through with incessant discharges of hot shot from a masked battery; laying bare the most sensitive and shrinking nerves of his mind, and then blandly touching them with ice, or smilingly pricking them with needles.(James Hogg, Wit and Humour, in Hoggs Instructor, 1850) Irony SarcasmIrony must not be confused with sarcasm, which is direct: Sarcasm means precisely what it says, but in a sharp, bitter, cutting, caustic, or acerb manner; it is the instrument of indignation, a weapon of offense, whereas irony is one of the vehicles of wit.(Eric Partridge and Janet Whitcut, Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English, W.W. Norton Company, 1997)Irony, Sarcasm, WitGeorge Puttenhams Arte of English Poesie shows appreciation for subtle rhetorical irony by translating ironia as Drie Mock. I tried to find out what irony really is, and discovered that some ancient writer on poetry had spoken of ironia, which we call the drye mock, and I cannot think of a better term for it: the drye mock. Not sarcasm, which is like vinegar, or cynicism, which is often the voice of disappointed idealism, but a delicate casting of a cool and illuminating light on life, and thus an enlargement. The ironist is not bitter, he does not seek to undercut everything that seems worthy or serious, he scorns the cheap scoring-off of the wisecracker. He stands, so to speak, somewhat at one side, observes and speaks with a moderation which is occasionally embellished with a flash of controlled exaggeration. He speaks from a certain depth, and thus he is not of the same nature as the wit, who so often speaks from the tongue and no deeper. The wits desire is to be funny, the ironist is only funny as a secondary achievement.(Roberston Davies, The Cunning Man, Viking, 1995) Cosmic IronyThere are two broad uses in everyday parlance. The first relates to cosmic irony and has little to do with the play of language or figural speech. . . . This is an irony of situation, or an irony of existence; it is as though human life and its understanding of the world is undercut by some other meaning or design beyond our powers. . . . The word irony refers to the limits of human meaning; we do not see the effects of what we do, the outcomes of our actions, or the forces that exceed our choices. Such irony is cosmic irony, or the irony of fate.(Claire Colebrook, Irony: The New Critical Idiom, Routledge, 2004) A Survey of Irony Socrates, That Old FoxThe most influential model in the history of irony has been the Platonic Socrates. Neither Socrates nor his contemporaries, however, would have associated the word  eironeia  with modern conceptions of Socratic irony. As Cicero put it, Socrates was always pretending to need information and professing admiration for the wisdom of his companion; when Socrates interlocutors were annoyed with him for behaving in this way they called him  eiron, a vulgar term of reproach referring generally to any kind of sly deception with overtones of mockery. The fox was the symbol of the  eiron.All serious discussions of  eironeia  followed upon the association of the word with Socrates.(Norman D. Knox, Irony,  The Dictionary of the History of Ideas, 2003)The Western SensibilitySome go so far as to say that Socrates ironic personality inaugurated a peculiarly Western sensibility. His irony, or his capacity  not  to accept everyday values and concepts but live in a state of  perpetual  question, is the birth of philosophy, ethics, and consciousness.(Claire Colebrook,  Irony: The New Critical Idiom, Routledge, 2004) Skeptics and AcademicsIt is not without cause that so many excellent philosophers became Skeptics and Academics, and denied any certainty of knowledge or comprehension, and held opinions that the knowledge of man extended only to appearances and probabilities. It is true that in Socrates it was supposed to be but a form of irony,  Scientiam  dissimulando  simulavit, for he used to dissemble his knowledge, to the end to enhance his knowledge.(Francis Bacon,  The Advancement of Learning, 1605)From Socrates to CiceroSocratic irony, as it is constructed in Platos dialogues,  is therefore  a method of mocking and unmasking the presumed knowledge of his interlocutors, consequently leading them to  truth  (Socratic  maieutics). Cicero establishes irony as a rhetoric figure which blames by praise and praises by blame. Apart from this, there is the sense of tragic (or dramatic) irony, which focuses on the contrast between the protagonists ignorance and the spectators, who ar e aware of his fatal destiny (as for example in  Oedipus Rex).(Irony, in  Imagology: The Cultural Construction and Literary Representation of National Characters, edited by Manfred Beller and Joep Leerssen, Rodopi, 2007) Quintilian OnwardsSome of the rhetoricians recognize, though almost as if in passing, that irony was much more than an ordinary rhetorical figure. Quintilian says [in  Institutio Oratoria, translated by H.E. Butler] that in the  figurative  form of irony the speaker disguises his entire meaning, the disguise being apparent rather than confessed. . . .But having touched on this borderline where irony ceases to be instrumental and is sought as an end in itself, Quintilian draws back, quite properly for his purposes, to his functional view, and in effect carries nearly two millennia worth of rhetoricians along with him. It was not until well into the eighteenth century that theorists were forced, by explosive developments in the use of irony itself, to begin thinking about ironic effects as somehow self-sufficient literary ends. And then of course irony burst its bounds so effectively that men finally dismissed merely functional ironies as not even ironic, or as self-evidently les s artistic.(Wayne C. Booth,  A Rhetoric of Irony, University of Chicago Press, 1974) Cosmic Irony RevisitedIn  The Concept of Irony  (1841), Kierkegaard elaborated the idea that irony is a mode of seeing things, a way of viewing existence. Later, Amiel in his  Journal Intime  (1883-87) expressed the view that irony springs from a perception of the absurdity of life. . . .Many writers have distanced themselves to a vantage point, a quasi-godlike eminence, the better to be able to view things. The artist becomes a kind of god viewing creation (and viewing his own creation) with a smile. From this it is a short step to the idea that God himself is the supreme  ironist, watching the antics of human beings (Flaubert referred to a blague supà ©rieure) with a detached, ironical smile. The spectator in the  theatre  is in a similar position. Thus the everlasting human condition is regarded as potentially absurd.(J.A. Cuddon, Irony,  A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, Basil Blackwell, 1979)Irony in Our TimeI am saying that there seems to be o ne dominating form of modern understanding; that it is essentially ironic; and that it originates largely in the application of mind and memory to the events of the Great War [World War I].(Paul Fussell,  The Great War and Modern Memory, Oxford University Press, 1975) Supreme IronyWith supreme irony, the war to make the world safe for democracy [World War I] ended by leaving democracy more unsafe in the world than at any time since the collapse of the revolutions of 1848.(James Harvey Robinson,  The Human Comedy, 1937) Contemporary Observations on Irony The New IronyThe one truth the new irony has to tell us is that the man who uses it has no place to stand except in momentary community with those who seek to express a comparable alienation from other groups. The one conviction it expresses is that there are really no sides left: No virtue to oppose to corruption, no wisdom to oppose to  cant. The one standard it accepts is that on which the simple manthe untutored non-ironist who fancies (in his dolt-hood) that he knows what good and bad should meanis registered as the zero of our world, a cipher worth nothing but uninterrupted contempt.(Benjamin DeMott, The New Irony:  Sidesnicks  and Others,  The American Scholar, 31, 1961-1962)Swift, Simpson, Seinfeld . . . and Quotation Marks[T]echnically,  irony  is a rhetorical device used to convey a meaning sharply different from or even opposite of the  literal  text. It’s not just saying one thing while meaning anotherthat’s what Bill Clinton does. No, itâ₠¬â„¢s more like a wink or running joke among people in the know.Jonathan Swift’s  A Modest Proposal  is a classic text in the history of irony. Swift argued that English lords should eat the children of the poor to alleviate hunger. There is nothing in the text which says, hey, this is sarcasm. Swift lays out a pretty good argument and it’s up to the reader to figure it out that he’s not really serious. When Homer Simpson says to Marge, Now who’s being naà ¯ve? the writers are winking at all those people who love  The Godfather  (these people are commonly referred to as men). When George Costanza and Jerry Seinfeld keep saying Not that there’s anything wrong with that! every time they mention homosexuality, they are making an ironic joke about the culture’s insistence that we affirm our non-judgmentalism.Anyway,  irony  is one of those words that most people understand intuitively but have a hard time defining. One good test is if you like to put quotation marks around words that shouldn’t have them. The quotation marks are necessary because the words have lost most of their literal meaning to the  new  politicized interpretations.(Jonah Goldberg, The Irony of Irony.  National Review Online, April 28, 1999) Irony and EthosSpecifically rhetorical irony presents few problems. Puttenhams drie  mock pretty well describes the phenomenon. One kind of rhetorical irony, however, may need further attention. There can be relatively few rhetorical situations where the target of persuasion is utterly ignorant of the designs someone has on himthe relationship of  persuader  and persuaded is almost always self-conscious to some degree. If the persuader wants to overcome any implicit sales resistance (especially from a sophisticated audience), one of the ways he will do it is to acknowledge that he  is  trying to talk his audience into something. By this, he hopes to gain their trust for as long as the soft sell takes. When he does this, he really acknowledges that his rhetorical maneuvering is ironical, that it says one thing while it tries to do another. At the same time, a second irony is present, since the pitchman is still far from laying all his cards on the table. The point to be made is that every rhetorical posture except the most naive involves an ironical coloration, of some kind or another, of the speakers  ethos.(Richard Lanham,  A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd edition, University of California Press, 1991) The End of the Age of Irony?One good thing could come from this horror: it could spell the end of the age of irony. For some 30 yearsroughly as long as the Twin Towers were uprightthe good folks in charge of Americas intellectual life have insisted that nothing was to be believed in or taken seriously. Nothing was real. With a giggle and a smirk, our chattering classesour columnists and pop culture makersdeclared that detachment and personal whimsy were the necessary tools for an oh-so-cool life. Who but a slobbering bumpkin would think, I feel your pain? The ironists, seeing through everything, made it difficult for anyone to see anything. The consequence of thinking that nothing is realapart from prancing around in an air of vain stupidityis that one will not know the difference between a joke and a menace.No more. The planes that plowed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were real. The flames, smoke, sirensreal. The chalky landscape, the silence of the streetsall real. I feel your painreally.(Roger Rosenblatt,  The Age Of Irony Comes to an End,  Time  magazine, September 16, 2001) Eight Misconceptions About IronyWe have a grave problem with this word (well, in fact, its not really gravebut Im not being ironic when I call it that, Im being  hyperbolic. Though often the two amount to the same thing. But not always). Just looking at the definitions, the confusion is understandablein the first instance, rhetorical irony expands to cover any disjunction at all between language and meaning, with a couple of key exceptions (allegory  also entails a disconnection between sign and meaning, but obviously isnt synonymous with irony; and lying, clearly, leaves that gap, but relies for its efficacy on an ignorant audience, where irony relies on a knowing one). Still, even with the riders, its quite an umbrella, no?In the second instance,  situational irony  (also known as cosmic irony) occurs when it seems that God or fate is manipulating events so as to inspire false hopes, which are inevitably dashed (1). While this looks like the more straightforward usage, it o pens the door to confusion between irony, bad  luck  and inconvenience.Most pressingly, though, there are a number of misconceptions about  irony  that are peculiar to recent times. The first is that September 11 spelled the end of irony. The second is that the end of irony would be the one good thing to come out of September 11. The third is that irony characterizes our age to a greater degree than it has done any other. The fourth is that Americans cant do irony, and we [the British] can. The fifth is that the Germans cant do irony, either (and we still can). The sixth is that irony and cynicism are interchangeable. The seventh is that its a mistake to attempt irony in emails and text messages, even while irony characterizes our age, and so do emails. And the eighth is that post-ironic is an acceptable termit is very modish to use this, as if to suggest one of three things: i) that irony has ended; ii) that postmodernism and irony are interchangeable, and can be conflated into one handy word; or iii) that we are more ironic than we used to be, and therefore need to add a prefix suggesting even greater ironic distance than irony on its own can supply. None of these things is true.1. Jack Lynch, Literary Terms. I would strongly urge you not to read any more footnotes, they are only here to make sure I dont get in trouble for plagiarizing.(Zoe Williams,  The Final Irony,  The Guardian, June 28, 2003) Postmodern IronyPostmodern  irony is allusive, multilayered, preemptive, cynical, and above all, nihilistic. It assumes that everything is subjective and nothing means what it says. Its a sneering, world-weary,  bad  irony, a mentality that condemns before it can be condemned, preferring cleverness to sincerity and quotation to originality. Postmodern irony rejects  tradition,  but offers nothing in its place.(Jon Winokur,  The Big Book of Irony, St. Martins Press, 2007)Were All in This Togetherby OurselvesImportantly, the Romantic of today finds a real connection, a sense of groundedness, with others  through  irony. with those who understand what is meant without having to say it, with those who also question the saccharine quality of contemporary American culture, who are certain that all diatribes of virtue-lament will turn out to have been made by some gambling, lying, hypocritical talk-show host/senator overly fond of interns/pages. This they see as doing an inj ustice to the depth of human possibility and the complexity and goodness of human feeling, to the power of the imagination over all forms of potential constraint, to a basic ethics that they themselves are proud to uphold. But ironists, above all else, are certain that we must live in this world as best we can, whether or not it suits our own moral outlook, writes Charles Taylor [The Ethics of Authenticity, Harvard University Press, 1991]. The only alternative seems to be a kind of inner exile. Ironic detachment is exactly this sort of inner exilean  inner emigrationmaintained with humor, chic bitterness, and a sometimes embarrassing but abidingly persistent hope.(R. Jay Magill Jr.,  Chic Ironic Bitterness, The University of Michigan Press, 2007) Whats Ironic?Woman: I started riding these trains in the forties. Those days a man would give up their seat for a woman. Now were liberated and we have to stand.Elaine: Its ironic.Woman: Whats ironic?Elaine: This, that weve come all this way, we have made all this progress, but you know, weve lost the little things, the niceties.Woman: No, I mean what does ironic mean?(Seinfeld)

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Why executive compensation is out of control - Essay Example Many investors in the stock market all over the world believe that executive pay is running out of control. There is worrying trend especially in the United States where the annual salary of an average worker is the amount of money an executive receives in a day. Critics believe that executive bosses are not worth the amount of compensation they receive. Despite falling stock shares in the market, executives still receive large amounts of compensation. Stock market investors believe this should not be happening since their performance does not correspond to earnings. At a moment where recession and unemployment is high in many countries, it does not make economic sense to have executive bosses receive such a large amount of compensation. The excess pay awarded to them should instead be invested in the public sector and this consequently shows how executive bosses have little concern about their countries and the citizens. Economists believe that in order to clear the economic instability being experienced in the world currently, it is important that the pay of executives be tied to performance (Bebchuck, 2010). Most executive bosses control their board of directors hence they still manage to earn exaggerated compensation. The board of directors should however be able to control the compensation got by this executives and their compensation should be tied to performance instead of the power an executive has in the board. This shows how corporate governance is continuously being under rated with a show of little economic sense when just a few people are left to joke around with investor’s interests. The fact that executive compensation is determined by market demand, most executives are continuously receiving an exaggerated compensation in comparison to an average worker. Critics believe that the market forces such as demand and supply should not entirely determine their compensation and it should however

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