Closing commentary

By: jez

18-04-2007

4 comments

-6- Closing commentary
When summarizing the facts given in this coursework I come to the conclusion, that George W. Bush, president of the United States of America, used the horrible attacks on the World Trade Center to not only justify the upcoming attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, but also to establish new laws that reduce the citizens freedom. (Patriot Act / Homeland security)

His administration created and distributed false facts, blatant lies and fairy tales, to persuade the people of America of their opinion. Several incidents have shown, that Bush bent reality far too much: All the lies about 9/11, the war in Afghanistan which was started without any real evidence and the war in Iraq, where everyday 1,98 US soldiers are killed.(based on the casualties until today, 30th march, 2004. Watch the Flash animations for further information). The whole story about the Weapons of Mass destruction was a lie. He, Bush, even jokes about the non-existing WMD. “Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere … nope, no weapons over there … maybe under here?” Bush joked at the occasion of a dinner.” 41
I personally do not find this too funny. There were no WMD. That’s what Blix’ s detailed report said. Other sources verified this.42 I am really wondering if Mr. Bush thinks that killing people without any reason (that’s what the US did in the Iraq war in 2003), is funny to joke about. The whole idea sickens me.
Slowly, but maybe just in time for the US election 2004, criticism towards the Bush administration increases. Reports that had been withheld are now made public. Former White House employees and other government officials release secret information that were not accessible up to now, and that really puts pressure on Bush. It looks like that Bush tried to use the events of 9/11 to justify wars against other nations, but he did not say “We are declaring war on Iraq”, but “I declare war on terrorism”. This phrase marks history, as for the first time a war is not fought against a single country, but against a great number of countries that allegedly grant a safe haven for them. This vague term allows Bush to target any country he wants. Who will be next? So far, we have learnt, that no reason is a reason, which means, that the country accused of dealing with terrorists (Afghanistan e.g.) can be attacked on base of facts created by the Bush administration’s PR machine.

-7- Eigenständigkeitserklärung

Ich erkläre, dass ich die Facharbeit ohne fremde Hilfe angefertigt und nur die im Literaturverzeichnis angeführten Quellen und Hilfsmittel benutzt habe.

Ich bin der Autor dieser Facharbeit und beanspruche ein komplettes Copyright auf diese.
I am the author of this coursework. The author copyrights this coursework.

Science-Fiction

By: jez

18-04-2007

english lk, oberstufe

0 comments

The following article is part of a series called “German A-Levels/Abitur 2005 English”. In Germany you have your a-levels after the 13rd year in school. Pupils are usually between 17 and 18 years when they have their exams. In the compulsory schools you a broad variety of courses: From German, English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Greek to Science, Maths, Geographics, Physics, Literature, Arts and Sports etc. I prepared myself in 2005 for my a-levels by writing everything down. May these articles help anyone. Enjoy!

- Main ideas
utopia / dystopia = anti-utopia

- Our future, is it doomed?
* colourless
* dull
* grey

- Asia, a new market
- Africa, the forgotten continent

_FUNCTION+PURPOSE: warn of technology and its consequences

- far advanced technologies

- birth control
* artificial production of humans
* mass production
* controlled society
* faster reproduction

- DNA / gene manipulation
* standardized human beings
* fixed destiny / inescapable future

- one language
- limited resources
- fake wars

- drugs / drug use
* honest and contempt citizens
* emotions are suppressed by drugs

- totalitarian system
* propaganda is used to manipulate society.
* Dictatorship like government
* education and punishment in order to impose ideology on society
* total surveillance
* omnipotent controllers
* fixed system of values
* set ideals

- loss of individuality

- urge of perfection at expense of emotions
* no more love and romance
* sex only for fun
* monogamy

- communication world wide (internet?)
- information overload vs. controlled life
- nature vs. machines
- no wars
- no revolutions
- no changes
- no developments
- no history
= stuck in the present, no past and future
= only progress is stand-still
= history ceased to exist
= human values are destroyed
= nature has been replaced by an artificial environment

1984 & Brave New World – some common traits
- anti-utopian
- totalitarian system
- controlled society (by an elite)
- total surveillance
- uniformation of society
- new language
- castes
- theme: individuality vs. society

1984:
- war
- hate
- sadism, diabolism, brutality
- feasible/comparable with existing science and technology
- colourless, dull world
- political dystopia
- violence and punishment
- takes place in the past
- limited resources

Brave New World:
- pharmacological totalitarian system
- no more war
- friendly atmosphere
- no diseases
- no problems
- colourful
- technological dystopia
- no violence
- satisfaction
- takes place in the future
- enough resources
- harmony
- far advanced technology

Essay on society of the Brave New World, J.Klewes
Society of the BNW is not really a society at all. This is my introductional theses which I will be trying to explain.
Society as A. Huxley describes it, lacks most of the features that make up a society or what I consider a society. There is no real and intact family structure, words and abstract expressions such as “mother”, “father”, “parents”, “home”, “family” or “romance” do not really exist anymore.
Only a handful of people know those words and those who do know them from history only. A society is a dynamic and vivid concentration of different groups. Often it consists of many different religions, cultures, races and ethnic minorities. All those features are lacking in the BNW.
Society is stable due to the controlled system. The birth rate is controlled and altered whenever it is necessary, furthermore everyone’s fate is decided before he or she is decanted.
Decanted? Yes, that’s right; the leaders of the BNW abolished viviparous reproduction. Nowadays they rely on artificial creation of human beings.
Almost industrial-like humans are created in hatcheries.
Society is a human thing. People have the urge to come together, form groups and to interact which each other. Society in the BNW is totally different from that, humans in the BNW lack this human feature.
Actually it is a good question whether the people living in the BNW can be considered “human” at all, because they betray they body, block emotions and take drugs in order to feel happy. It is a very important human feature to have emotions and that is why I hope Huxley’s dystopian views of the BNW will never become reality!

The Third World

By: jez

18-04-2007

english lk, oberstufe

0 comments

Land rights:
In many 3rd World countries the land is owned by relatively few people or organisations (often multinational), who use it for plantations of cash-crops which can be sold. The mass of the population, who do not own land, cannot plant the subsistence crops they need to support themselves. If food prices are high and their wages are low, or they are unemployed, these people face malnutrition or even starvation.

Multinationals:
A company based in one country is subject to the laws of that country, pays taxes there, and can be controlled in its operations.
Multinationals however are not controlled that much. They act in their own interest.

Arms Trade:
Part of a government’s budget that is spent on defence. Industrialized countries support Arms Trade as many jobs are in manufacturing of arms. Many countries give credits to poor countries so that they can participate in Arms Trade.

Tied Aid:
Rich nations devote small portions of their budget to foreign aid. The idea is to make countries better by helping them to be able to help themselves. Sometimes the aid comes in the form of interest-free loans or capital. In most cases the countries that receive Tied Aid cannot decide how to use the help. The multinational companies profit from Tied Aid, too, because often the aid receiving countries buy products from the donor country.

Cash Crops:
Products like tea, coffee, cocoa, bananas or tobacco are Cash Crops.
Cash Crops are items that cannot be effectively consumed by the producing countries but bought by richer countries. Cash Crops are products that are sold on the world market.

Colonial history:
In many colonies the colonists organised trade and industry to serve their own interests. For instance, the raw materials were produced in the colony, and the processed in the metropolis using technology to make a finished product. This happened, for instance, with sugar in the Caribbean, cotton in India or copper in Zambia. The processing is the profitable part, and the resources of rich countries ensure their technology is always more advanced. The colonists often destroyed and agricultural system where fanning was carried out in harmony with nature, the result was erosion and soil exhaustion. Populations which could support themselves became dependent on wages instead.

Problems connected with multiculturalism in England:
- rough competition between immigrants and white citizens for the low number of jobs
- racism by dissatisfied whites (problem: jobs)
- substandard housing (run-down areas)
- development of ghettos
- ethnic segregation: different ethnic minorities live separated from each other
- riots
- racial tension
- violence
- unemployment
- prejudice
- people feel overrun
- people feel like foreigner are not willing to integrate into society
- fear of their own country turning “foreign”
- cultural differences

Summary
Immigrants
- legal
- temporary

Asylum seekers
- bogus
- genuine

Hopes
- living conditions
- work
- education

Commonwealth countries
- Bangladesh
- Pakistan
- India
- Caribbean
- Africa

Problems
- competition (jobs)
- racism
- riots
- racial tension
- violence
- unemployment
- development of ghettos
- run-down areas
- ethnic minorities

Solutions
- government is to spend money on job creation
- social centres
- city councils
- community
- increase acceptance

Multiculturalism

By: jez

18-04-2007

english lk, oberstufe

1 comment

- the colonial heritage , e.g. India, the Caribbean, South Africa, Nigeria

General statements:
We know what is happening in the third world, we know what Tied Aid does or how Multinational companies work and what they cause, but we also want to be blindfolded, we want to ignore reality so what we only see what we like.

Foreign companies own virtually everything –from banks to agriculture facilities-. The main problem is, that the money, their profit, is not re-invested in the region. As a consequence the foreigners become richer while the native population remains at a level of poverty.

The IMF and the World Bank both lend money to highly indebted states and countries so that they have a chance of developing their own industry. Once the industry is settled, the economy can stabilize and the government can pay back the borrowed money.

What It Means to Be British, Robin Cook
Chicken Tikka Massala
- British is not a race, but a majority of different races and cultures
- naval supremacy
- 200 different languages spoken in London
- Pluralism contributes to culture
- cultural diversity = reason why international companies change their hq to London
- linguistic variety
- social enrichment
- Britain absorbs other culture’s traditions
- food = perfect example for that
- London = perfect hub
- not a burden but an asset

Tourists in Third World Countries

pro:
- bring along money – might improve economy
- tourists get to know the countries and their cultures – education of people
- improved infrastructure – higher standard of living (living conditions) for some people

against:
- companies that are not related to the 3rd World country earn most of the money (food, etc)
- foreign (higher developed) countries take away profits
- prostitution and drug business booms
- tourists are privileged

Caribbean’s diversity and problems

- Although the islands belonging to the Caribbean are small an incredibly huge diversity of nationalities, languages and cultures can be found
(great variety)

- They suffer from the same problems that 3rd World countries do:
- due to a similar shared history of slavery and sugarcane there are huge differences in the distribution of property and wealth
- that means that only a few people own a lot while the majority is poor
- they are missing essential goods such as medicine, education, etc.
- there is little to no schooling (lack of educational opportunities)
- 60-50 % can neither read nor write
- no decent jobs
- not able to afford decent housing
- slums
- low life expectation
- high infant mortality
- high crime rate
- lack of jobs
- lack of investors
- unstable economy

Basically all profit’s that were generated by the region’s resources were taken away (and are still) by Multinationals.
Though the region is rich on goods it doesn’t benefit from it.
Market is controlled by multinational companies that are able to set a price for a certain good. If the Caribbean economy doesn’t accept these framing conditions the companies will simply move away and leave the region in poverty.

Facts:
The Commonwealth Caribbean consists of the territories which used to be part of the British Empire, i.e. Belize and Guyana on the mainland as well as many islands.
The Bahamas, the Greater Antilles (Jamaica etc) and the Lesser Antilles.
Many countries gained independence in the 19th century.
Their political system is based on British democracy.
Commonwealth is a voluntary association of sovereign states, nearly all which were formerly British territories. Each country is independent.
53 countries, 1.6 billion people. Queen = head. Some flags feature the Union Jack (New Zealand and Australia).

Shakespeare

By: jez

18-04-2007

english lk, oberstufe

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Macbeth

Short characterizations:
Macbeth:
- a good vassal
- obedient general
- brutal
- courageous
- brave
- merciless
(changing in the course of the play)

Macbeth’s character changes from the beginning of the play to the end as at first he is presented as a noble, honorable and good vassal.
In the on going story he is a coward at one point and his manhood is questioned by his wife. He is lead by his fears, visions and prophecies.
In the end he has become a brutal, reckless and violent ruler “the tyrant” of Scotland. Both the witches and Lady Macbeth have a heavy influence on him and his personality.
In both cases this influence is negative, as for the witches and their prophecy he becomes narrow-minded and reckless and for his wife he turns into a violent beast.
He is more or less the witches’ toy.

Duncan:
- a good king
- gracious
- generous
- fair
- humane
- respectful

They are equally good men with opposing qualities.

Witches:
- supernatural beings: foresee the future, curse people, cast weather spells, ability to disappear
- human beings: human desire for sleep, exposed to the weather, depended on nutrition, reckless
- visions: invisible, outer appearance seems unreal, bubble-like, melting

Opening scenes in Macbeth:
- introducing the reader to a world of disorder
- the nature which is in uproar is matched by the society at war
- traitors and invaders have upset peace

Contrasts:
The atmosphere:
outside: thunderstorm, foggy
inside: warm

A summary of Macbeth:
King Duncan hears how Macbeth has been a brave warrior whilst fighting the Norwegians. Duncan gives Macbeth the title Thane of Cawdor as reward for his valour.
The old Thane of Cawdor is sentenced to death for being a traitor.
On their way back from battle, Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches who tell Macbeth that he will become the new Thane of Cawdor and also the new king of Scotland. The weird sisters tell Banquo that his descendants will be the future kings of Scotland. Macbeth is not sure whether this is true, but he soon told by a messenger that he is now the new Thane of Cawdor. This seems like the first part of the prophecy has come true.

Macbeth sends a letter to his wife, Lady Macbeth, about the witches predictions. She is excited about becoming queen, but fears that Macbeth is not ambitious enough to kill Duncan. When Macbeth arrives home she tries to persuade him to kill Duncan.
Macbeth eventually agrees with her.

Duncan arrives at Macbeth’s castle and is greeted by the hosts. They hold a feast and most people get drunk. Macbeth is unsure about killing Duncan and decides to abandon his plan. Macbeth believes that Duncan is a good king and he comments that Duncan has said many good things about him. Lady Macbeth is angry that he has abandoned his plan and calls him a coward. Macbeth decides to go through with the plan to murder the king.

Later that night, whilst approaching Duncan’s room, he sees an imaginary dagger before his eyes. He follows the dagger to Duncan’s room. Macbeth creeps into his king’s room and murders him in cold blood. Lady Macbeth sees the daggers in Macbeth’s hands and rushes back to plant them on the servants.
Macduff arrives at the castle and discovers Duncan’s corpse and raises the alarm. Duncan’s sons, Malcom and Donalbain, quickly leave Scotland, because they might be suspected of killing their father. Macduff does not trust Macbeth and suspects that he might have something to do with it.

Macbeth has become the king of Scotland. The witches’ prophecy makes Macbeth believe that he must kill Banquo and his son Fleance, because Banquo’s descendants might become kings of Scotland. Macbeth orders two henchmen to carry out the job. However, Fleance escapes and this makes him very angry and also concerned that the witches’ predictions could become true.

Macbeth has a banquet and sets a place at the table for Banquo, knowing full well that he is dead. However, he sees the gory ghost of Banquo in the seat left for him and he shouts in horror at the ghost. His guests suspect that he has a guilty conscience.

Macbeth decides to pay the witches another visit and the show him the apparitions. The first is a head with armour on (this represents Macbeth’s own severed head, later), the second is a bloody child (who is likely to be Macduff torn from his mother’s womb), and the third is a crowned child with a tree in its hand (this is meant to represent Malcom and Birnam Wood). The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff, the second that he will never be defeated by anyone born of a women, and the third tells Macbeth that he will never be beaten until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane.

Macduff is sure that Macbeth has murdered Duncan and decides to join Malcolm and Donalbain in England. He raises an army of 10000 Englishmen in order to kill Macbeth and reclaim the throne.

In rage that Macduff has fled the country, Macbeth orders his henchman to kill Macduff’s wife and children. This act disgusts his followers, who start to desert him.

Lady Macbeth has gone mad and talks in her sleep about washing blood from her hand.
A messenger tells the king that the wood is on its way to Dunsinane and Macbeth is worried.

When the army arrives at the castle, Macbeth recklessly attacks and kills many men because he believes that no one can kill him. However, Macduff tells Macbeth that he was not born of a woman, because his mother gave birth to him by cesarean. They start to fight and Macduff kills Macbeth. He takes his head with him, so that it is displayed for everyone to see.

Themes within Macbeth:
- goodness and evil
- loyalty and hypocrisy
- love and deception
- justice and retaliation
- kingship
- corruption
- supernatural
- ambition*
* driving force of Macbeth’s life. It is his ambition that leads the witches to Macbeth, and it is ambition which leads Macbeth to murder, treason, hypocrisy, corruption and deepest evil.
Theatre in the times of Shakespeare

groundlings:
- can’t attend plays very often due to lack of money
- admission cost 1 penny
- close to the stage, just below the actors

actors / play:
- performances took place in day light
- roofed stage
- always sold out theatres

nobility:
- smoked tobacco pipes
- comfortable seats
- good view towards the stage
- shilling rooms

There was no class distinction in theatres, because members of all social classes were allowed to visit the theatres. That means the working, middle and upper class.

Shakespeare and his time
- plague also called “black death”
- sailors sail around the world for the first time
- England defeats the Spanish Armada
- people believed that the sun turned around the earth
- Monarchy (the country is ruled by a king/queen)
- law and order was maintained by the landowners and enforced by their deputies
- the average man had no vote
- women had no rights at all
- England was a Christian country in which every child was baptized
- The church was very important in England at that time
- Absence at divine service was punished by fines
- Bible was only available in Latin, later in English, that is the reason why the Christian religion spread so well in England
- School education reinforced the Church’s teaching
- School started at the age of four
- School cost money, fees had to be paid if you wanted further education
- Only few students proceeded to university (either clever boys or sons of noble man)
- Girls stayed at home and acquired domestic skills such as cooking, sewing or sometimes music, only a few learnt how to read or write
- The language “English” is partly based on Latin resources.
- English is a language rich of synonyms, word-plays such as puns and infinite variety of expressing certain things.

The feudal pyramid
God
King
Vassals
Nobility / clergy
Peasants / servants / women / serfs

Letter to the editor

By: jez

18-04-2007

english lk, oberstufe

1 comment

How to make a letter more vivid and appealing:
- Rhetorical questions – “Is this the people we want?”
- Using personal pronouns – “…our kids…”
- Appeal to the readership – “Don’t say you…”

A letter to the local city council concerning the planned construction of an international airport

Attention: department of construction

I am writing to you because of the planned construction of the international airport in the New Jean area.
Hence I am living in this region which is very close to construction site I ask you to rethink the airport’s placement on the basis of the following reasons:
There are various residential zones with a high density of housing;
in two out of eleven regions live a fairly ample amount of young families with little kids and babies.
All those residents won’t be too happy and delighted to receive constant acoustic irradiation caused by the arriving and departing airplanes, as well as the vehicles moving to the airport.
I personally will not accept this harassment.
I won’t let my life be disturbed by every York-Jean flight.
Furthermore keep in mind that the Jean area encloses 9 districts where about 2300000 people live. If necessary I will not hesitate to raise signatures for a complete interdiction-petition.
Speaking of petitions- the environmentalists won’t be too happy about the idea of having this intact and untouched piece of nature destroyed.
I doubt that pro-naturalists and those residents who frequently visit the Jean National Park will support the construction of the airport.
I would appreciate if you took this letter into consideration.
Sincerely yours,
jez

A retarding element causes tension.

American Dream

By: jez

18-04-2007

english lk, oberstufe

2 comments

Will We See the Real War?, J.Alter
-No. (explained below)

Rules for the press, Pentagon

- The Pentagon’s draft rules allow the press to interview or photograph wounded soldiers only in the presence of a military escort and with the consent or patient, doctor and commander.
The visual and audio recordings of personal in agony or sever shock are not authorized.
Imagery of patients suffering from severe disfigurement or undergoing plastic-surgery treatments are not authorized.
Interviews with or visual imagery of patients undergoing psychiatric treatment are not authorized.

Embedded correspondents
- Frontline reporting
- real and direct reporting
- bring truth to the local citizens as well as the people far away
= major progressive development

- but: part of a military unit and takes on the soldiers’ views
- government controls them (“propaganda”)
- distorted view of reality
- personal danger
- US-ARMY has the possibility of manipulating the reports

Reality is different from what is written in the newspapers.
Reality is clouded by fog of war.
A fog that governments create in order to camouflage the reality.
Information is censored for the purpose of not damaging the military’s reputation.
Information is released to justify the war and to maintain a certain narrow-minded picture of the war. (one sided, biased reporting)
Human Interest Stories are released to manipulate people and to draw attention.
HIS are heroic stories that describe the fate of a single person.
A legend remains regardless whether the story is true or not.

The function of the press
- Information (truthful account of events)

Code of Ethnics (moral principle) for American Journalists
= Responsibility of information having to reach the public
- Freedom of the press
- Independence (independent from governments)
- Sincerity, Accuracy (Aufrichtigkeit/Richtigkeit)
- Impartiality (Objectivität)

Total information awareness (erkenntnis) motel
- Pentagon – embedded media
= both in one bed == connected = P. controlling the e.m.

Reshaping the American Dream, Griffith
traditional form:
- “liberty and justice for all”
- “land of promise”
- “pursuit of happiness”
-> Declaration of Independence
Everybody shall be able to develop to the fullest stature.

present form:
- “more than incomes and titles”
- material wealth and social position are basic personal goals
- the idea of progress for future generation
- but also: crime rates increased, state of affluence is accompanied by losses of individuality
- idea of social and moral advancement (not achieved: crime rates)

future form:
- A.D. is still a basic ingredient
- but: Americans have lost confidence in their future
- limitation of resources -> planning != dream
- new challenges for the future
- the American Dream has a new shape

Michael Moore, The Big One
This documentary deals with the subjects social security cuts, its consequence, unemployment caused by companies and the widening gap between rich and poor.
Moore uses irony, the means of direct confrontation, provocation, humour, sarcasm, exaggerations and news reports to draw attention to his issues.
It is good to see that people like Michael Moore stand up to large companies and confront them with what the vast majority thinks.

Adams
- A.D. = lure, promise of America
- no clear definition
- land of opportunity
- richer fuller life
- pursuit of happiness
- success
- not a dream of material plenty (cars and high wages)
- equality (equal treatment regardless of the circumstances of birth/position)
- freedom (of choice)
- in order to make the dream come true, people have to build together (better), and not bigger (keeping up with the Joneses)
- communal spirit must be higher
- intellectual life must be higher
- top society members are to become more dedicated to society and share their intellectual wealth

Independence Day – 4th of July – Declaration of Independence was passed
Stars and Stripes – white = purity, red = endurance, blue = justice
Melting Pot – metaphor describing America. Individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men.
New Canaan – reference to Canaan, the land Moses led his people, New Canaan = America, “The Promised Land”
Frontier – line of settlement (westward)
Individualism – central concept in the way Americans see themselves and are viewed by others. Responsibility for one’s fate shaped the American culture.
Manifest Destiny – America’s mission to democratize the world. USA = “nation of the future”. Used the M.D. to justify the territorial expansion. The role of the US as global mediator in political conflicts grew out of this idea.

Reasons for the immigration:
- Industrial revolution
- Gold rush
- Building of railroads
- persecution of Jews

Later on, limited immigration due to laws. Set quotas, changed immigration system. Illegal immigration of Mexicans and Latin Americans.

Franklin
Ladder of success:
- Industry = Fleiss
- perseverance = Ausdauer
- courage = Mut
- economy = Sparsarmkeit
- integrity = Anpassungsfähigkeit
- prudence = Klugheit
- temperance = Gelassenheit

Elliott
The American Dream:
- Democracy and freedom
- Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream”
- Equality (no racial/political differences)
- Success
- Progress
- The frontier (line of settlement)
- Individualism
- Capitalism
- Peace
- Pride
- Happiness
- Wealth
- Unlimited possibilities
- The founding fathers (Franklin, Jefferson, Washington)
- Everyone has a different “American Dream”

Dover Beach

By: jez

28-11-2006

english lk, oberstufe

0 comments

The poem “Dover Beach” written by Matthew Arnold is about a human misery.
Nature especially the sea is used in order to draw a comparison between the fights of nature and the human misery.
The poem consists of four stanzas which have a different amount of lines. The first stanza consists of 14 lines, the second of six, the third of eight and the last line of nine lines. The rhyme scheme is very irregular. For example, in the first eight lines of the poem it is abacdbdc.

The first stanza can be divided into two parts. In the first part (line one to line six) the lyrical I describes the motions of the sea in a very positive way. The words ?to-night? (l. 1), ?moon? (l.2) and ?night-air? (l.6) show that it is night. To create a very harmonious mood the poet utilizes adjectives such as “fair”, tranquil? and ?calm?. Matthew Arnold uses an anaphora (?Gleams? and ?Glimmering? l.4/5), to underline the harmonious atmosphere of the first six lines. The word ?only? in line seven can be seen as a caesura. After line seven the harmonious mood of the first lines is changing into a sad mood. The word sea is personified by the verb ?meets? in line seven. The personification and the expression ?moon-blanched land? create a mystic atmosphere. With the words of sound ?listen?, ?hear? and ?roar? in line nine Arnold wants to activate the reader?s perception of senses to involve him in his poem. Also, he involves the readership by using the imperatives ?come? and ?listen?. The verbs ?begin? ?cease? and ?again begin? show that the pebbles? motions are a never ending movement. By using the words ?sadness? and ?tremulous? the pebbles? motions are illustrated in a woeful and threatening way.
The first stanza can be seen as a description of a present status, whereas the second stanza is a reference to the past. In the second stanza the poet uses ?Sophocles?, an ancient Greek philosopher, to show that the people for a long time thought about a comparison between sea and human misery. The verb ?hear? in line 16 and in line 20 can be regarded as a connection to the words of acoustic perception in the first stanza. The expression ?distant northern sea? is another connecting element between the both stanzas. By mentioning the countries England and France the first stanza is talking about the northern sea. The main topic of the first stanza is the motion of sea. The reader can only guess that it refers to human misery, but the second stanza talks about to the human misery in line 18.
The third stanza abstracts the image of the sea and uses it as a metaphor (?sea of faith?) to show that ?once? (l.22) humanity was more religious. The metaphor of ?bright girdle furled? emphasizes that faith was inseparable to earth. The words ?But now? in line 24 are a caesura. The first three lines of the stanza create a feeling of hope, whereas the last lines sound sad and hopeless.
The word ?only? show that the lyrical I feels only the sadness of the world. To amplify the negative mood of the last lines Arnold utilizes words such as ?melancholy?, ?drear? and ?naked?.

The last stanza refers to the misery of humanity and can be seen as a conclusion of the preceding stanzas. The lyrical I compares the world to a ?land of dreams? which is ?various? ?beautiful? and ?new?. This means that the world and the people who live on it might be happy and live together in peace. To underline the positive mood, the lyrical I uses the word ?love? at the beginning of the stanza. The verb ?seems? shows that it is only a dream or an illusion of the lyrical I which can never become reality.
Line 33 is a caesura, wherefrom the lyrical I describes his real life. The enumeration in line 33 and 34 ??nor love, nor light, nor peace?? shows the cruelness of the world. The plural form ?us? and ?we? illustrates that not only the lyrical I but also many other people feel the cruelness. The words ?sweep? and ?clash by night? both together form an allusion to the preceding stanzas. The motions of the sea are used to clarify the bad relations between other people.
The poem illustrates the contrast between hope and reality. There are many caesuras in the poem, which definitely show the changing mood of the lyrical I. It wishes a peaceful world, but it also knows that it is almost impossible.
Maybe Matthew Arnold refers to the industrial revolution which was a big change of life for everybody. Many people were very unhappy with their new life.

The sea is calm to-night. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits;–on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Come to the window, sweet is the night-air! Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanch’d land, Listen! you hear the grating roar Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand, Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in. Sophocles long ago Heard it on the {AE}gean, and it brought Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow Of human misery; we Find also in the sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea. The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furl’d. But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles of the world. Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; And we are here as on a darkling plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.

Faith
I honestly believe that Arnold is talking about how the question of faith has left the world in darkness. In the beginning of the poem, he expresses how calm everything seems, and it’s like any other night. However, as the poem progresses, he mentions how Sophocles heard the sadness in the Aegean sea, just as he was hearing the sadness in his own sea. In mentioning the Sea of Faith, he reveals that while it looks calm and normal on the surface, really, the sea is singing a song of sadness and despair. during this time, people began questioning religion and turning to Darwinism. Arnold is expressing how people used to not think twice about what they believed, but now the world was unsure. In telling his love to stay true to him, he is hoping that at least one thing in the world will remain the same and true. To him, the world was left in darkness by the threat against faith.

Bush's war on terrorism

By: jez

28-11-2006

english lk, oberstufe

6 comments

The following article is part of a series called “German A-Levels/Abitur 2005 English LK”. In Germany you have your a-levels after the 13rd year in school. Pupils are usually between 17 and 18 years when they have their exams. In the compulsory schools you a broad variety of courses: From German, English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Greek to Science, Maths, Geographics, Physics, Literature, Arts and Sports etc. I prepared myself in 2005 for my a-levels by writing everything down. May these articles help anyone. Enjoy!

Coursework English LK

Topic: Bush’s war on terrorism
“How he used 9/11 to justify the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq”
Subject: English LK 12/2 Fr. Beer 2004
Author: Julian Klewes for h4x3d.com

“Suddenly the Weapons of Mass destruction become Weapons of Mass distraction”

Introduction:
I am writing my coursework about Bush’s war on terrorism because the actions that took place on and after the September 11th, 2001 (shortened to 9/11 in due course) influenced my life in many ways. Now I see the world with other eyes.
That day at 15.56 o’clock (8.56 AM US-Time) I received an instant message from one of my American mates saying, “NY is under attack”. I thought it was a joke and turned on my TV to watch the ongoing CNN live coverage. Just 5 minutes later, I saw the second plane, flight 175, hitting the south tower. The first few minutes I kept asking me the same two questions that now motivate me to write my coursework on this subject: Who would someone plan such a cruel and insane attack against innocent people? But also: Why should anyone use an airplane to strike the World Trade Centre? It did not make any sense; but now after having researched over four weeks I perhaps know some of the answers…

In the ongoing progress of reading through my work, you will find answers – the ugly but true reality about what had happened, and who profited from it.

Analysis: Act II of The Melting Pot

By: jez

04-02-2006

english lk, oberstufe

2 comments

Act II clearly shows the problems and difficulties of different cultures and races living in the USA. Differences concerning the class system are also stated.
There are anti-Jewish tendencies and racism in America. Mr. Davenport can be regarded as a symbol of a typical racist (p.43 l.332), he “wouldn’t have a Jew, even if he paid” him (p.43 l.332). He is an arrogant (p.41 ll. 221-231) upper class member and the son of a millionaire (stage directions p.39 ll. 143-147 and p.39 l.155 “always travel on my own yacht”).

He stands in contrast to David, a humble Jew who was persecuted in Russia.
While David believes that all people are equal, that means their race and culture, Quincy Davenport thinks the opposite. He stands for other values of the American Dream than David does (material wealth, success). David believes in the main ideas of equality, freedom and liberty. It is hard for him to realize that some people (e.g. Quincy) have prejudice against other races such as jews.

- h4x3d.com

Closing commentary

Science-Fiction

The Third World

Multiculturalism

Shakespeare

Macbeth

Letter to the editor

American Dream

Dover Beach

Bush's war on terrorism

Coursework English LK

Analysis: Act II of The Melting Pot

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