A Hermeneutical Critique on the Conquest Essay Essays

A Hermeneutical Critique on the Conquest Essay Essays A Hermeneutical Critique on the Conquest Essay Essay A Hermeneutical Critique on the Conquest Essay Essay Essay Topic: Poes Poetry The Representation of the brush between white settlers-invaders and autochthonal peoples in Jeannette Armstrong’s â€Å"History Lesson† and Susanna Moodie’s Rough ining it in the Bush differ greatly in a figure of ways. Writing at different times. for conflicting intents. from opposing points of position every bit good as utilizing different literary mediums- the ensuing representation of the brush between the white and autochthonal groups are inherently contrasting. Depicted as a lesser. more barbarous race in Rough ining it in the Bush every bit good as the victims of savageness and ‘civilisation’ in â€Å"History Lesson† . Native representation in the two plants are peculiarly dissimilar. nevertheless settler attitudes in both are based upon discriminatory and racialist ideals of the clip. and this can be seen in their brush. The function of faith besides helped determine the natives’ brush with the colonists. it is presented in a ludicrous manner in â€Å"History Lesson† every bit good as in a slightly nescient manner in Rough ining it in the shrub. Despite her at times minimizing linguistic communication. Moodie does show some regard and grasp of the Natives’ features. an involvement that is non-existent in â€Å"History Lesson† . nevertheless despite her just mindedness. her sentiments are still tinged with racism and an authoritarian white –supremacist sentiment. Writing about her experiences in the 1830’s in Canada. Susanna Moodie’s Rough ining it in the Bush is an history of life as a female colonist at the clip. Published as a usher to Britons sing emigrating. her authorship is ethnographic. analyzing assorted groups such as those immigrating to Canada. the colonists in Canada every bit good as the autochthonal Natives. In the Chapter â€Å"The Wilderness A ; our Indian Friends† . Moodie is confronted for the first clip with Native Americans. whom she describes as â€Å"a people whose beauty. endowments. and good qualities have been slightly overrated. and invested with a poetical involvement which they barely deserve. † As her first vocalization associating to the Natives. this sentiment serves to be instead belittling and surprising. As she believes they have received excessively much â€Å"poetical interest† . and their evident positive qualities â€Å"overrated† . Moodie goes on to compose. â€Å"Their honestness and love of truth are the finest traits in characters otherwise dark and unlovely. † Despite an effort at complimentary authorship. her Language here is extremely minimizing toward the Natives. and in their brush it is clear she sees herself superior to them. Her usage of â€Å"dark† refers to their cryptic personality every bit good potentially their skin color. The air of white colonist high quality nowadays in Rough ining it in the shrub is drastically magnified in Jeannette Armstrong’s verse form â€Å"History Lesson† . nevertheless the White persons are portrayed as inferior in footings of actions. In contrast to Moodie. Armstrong is composing from the Native’s point of position. telling the invasion of the white encroachers following Christopher Columbus’s initial expedition to the Americas. Her composing serves as a counter-history. supplying a version of events from the Natives position that have throughout history been seen as barbarous enemies of civilisation. It is argued. â€Å"Throughout recorded clip. empowered groups have been able to specify history and supply an account of the present. A good illustration of this is the portraiture of wars between Indians and White by Canadian historiographers. † It is this impression of white ruling history that Armstrong challenges in â€Å"History Lesson† . In the first stanza. Armstrong writes ; Out of the abdomen of Christopher’s ship a rabble bursts Runing in all waies Pulling furs off animate beings Shooting American bison Shooting each other left and right Armstrong ironically depicts the white encroachers as barbarians in this stanza. with small to state between them and animate beings such as the American bison referred to in line 5. Christopher Columbus’s â€Å"discovery† of the Americas is whittled down to one line. Using really informal linguistic communication. â€Å"belly† and â€Å"Christopher’s ship† denotes a peculiarly non-impressive image unlike most word pictures of his ocean trip in white histories. The usage of the word â€Å"mob† conjures beastly intensions once more frequently attributed to Native Americans. Equally good as picturing the brush between Natives and white encroachers. Armstrong besides indicates the oncoming consequences of colonising on the Natives’ land. â€Å"Pulling off furs† every bit good as literally diagrammatically picturing the barbarian nature of the Whites when runing animate beings. besides refers to the fur trade set up following colonisation of Canada. The mindless brutality continues with the shot of American bison every bit good as shot of each other. The deficiency of definition between the two. and the insouciant nature of the lines highlights the Whites animalistic and barbarous nature. every bit good as the deficiency of integrity between the European colonists. In this stanza â€Å"Jeannette Armstrong conveys the force of abstraction of â€Å"Colonialism† by telescoping it into a graphic imitation of huffy physical activity† . In contrast to â€Å"History Lesson† where the Whites are judged on their actions. in Rough ining it in the Bush Moodie ab initio analyses the Natives visual aspect and common traits. Moodie provinces. â€Å"The work forces of this folk are by and large little of stature. with really harsh and abhorrent characteristics. † Following this entirely deprecating description. there is a continuance of animate being like comparings â€Å"the detecting modules big. the rational 1s barely developed ; the ears big. and standing off from the face ; the eyes looking towards the temples. lament. snake-like† In both literary texts. the opposing group is represented as animalistic. albeit metaphorically in â€Å"History Lesson† and much more literally in Rough ining it in the Bush. Using important linguistic communication throughout. Moodie seems to be speaking down to the Native peoples. Her ceaseless insisting on mentioning to the Native peoples. within which there were 55 different linguistic communications and legion folks. as â€Å"Indians† besides shows a clear deficiency of desire in larning the civilization. a white attitude typical of â€Å"History lesson† every bit good. Although being an advocator of peace. her apprehension of the nature of white- native dealingss seems slightly off. Representing the pickings of Native land as being â€Å"Passed into the custodies of strangers† . suggests it was peaceable and non questioned. due to the inactive verb â€Å"passed† . However this is entirely contrasting with â€Å"History Lesson† in which the truer nature of the struggle is depicted. Religion plays a important function in both word pictures of the brush between white colonists and the indigens. Christianity. and the manner in which it was thrust upon the Natives is mocked in â€Å"History Lesson† . whilst Moodie finds the Natives’ apprehension of the faith lacking. despite her entire deficiency of cognition of the Natives’ spiritualty. Armstrong writes. â€Å"Father average good? waves his stopgap wand forgives round-eyed Indians† Mentioning to a Priest as â€Å"Father mean well† is a sarcastic simplification of English footings. proposing his purposes are good but small else. â€Å"Waves his stopgap wand† is a peculiarly unusual manner of depicting a rood. with â€Å"wand† proposing its charming as opposed to spiritual. Writing from a Native point of position nevertheless it is clear intending given to such objects mean small to those that do non imply such significances. and Armstrong instills in the reader the apprehension that Christianity in the oculus of the Natives is about ludicrous. In the self-deprecating line â€Å"forgives round-eyed Indians† Armstrong twists racism about. with her fellow Natives the abused in order to demo its true ignorance. Moodie in comparing. composing for her place countrymen. reacts angrily in what she perceives every bit excessively much of a captivation with a adult male made blade. â€Å"For several yearss they continued to see the house. conveying along with them some fresh comrade to look at Mrs. Moodie’s God! –until. annoyed and annoyed by the delectation they manifested at the sight of the eagle-beaked monster. I refused to satisfy their wonder by non bring forthing him once more. † Moodie represents the indigens as nescient and naif. nevertheless her choler at their involvement shows her close-mindedness in footings of religion. This can be seen once more when Moodie writes â€Å"Their thoughts of Christianity appeared to me obscure and unsatisfactory. They will state you that Christ died for work forces. and that He is the Saviour of the World. but they do non look to grok the religious character of Christianity. nor the full extent of the demands and application of the jurisprudence of Christian love. † Both literary texts are likewise in that Native comprehension of Christianity is missing. nevertheless it is of class non they’re chosen religion and so this is apprehensible. Mentions to the Garden of Eden can be found in both texts. as Armstrong writes â€Å"Somewhere among the remains of skinless animate beings is the expiration? to a long journey and unhallowed hunt for the power glimpsed in a garden forever closed everlastingly lost† Armstrong likens the new universe to the Garden of Eden. another signifier of Utopia disturbed by human action. Despite clear efforts at conveying Christianity to the Natives. she refers to the whole ordeal as â€Å"unholy† . owing to the awful actions of the colonists. Moodie’s find of the countries natural beauty and naming of already known stones and other objects is besides similar to the scriptural narrative. Yet Moodie sees herself as Eve. as opposed to the destroyer of it. In â€Å"History Lesson† there are several recognitions of the weaknesss of Colonization and Capitalism that are to come following the brush between Whites and Natives. As Armstrong writes â€Å"Pioneers and bargainers bring gifts Smallpox. Seagrams and rice krispies† She once more references the Bible. with the likelihood to the birth of Christ and the three Kings. However the gifts are awful. unwellness. alcohol addiction and peculiarly insubstantial modern nutrient that of no usage and no demand to the Native with their established diet. Typifying her statement. she states â€Å"Civilization has reached the promised land† like the unashamed nature of advertisement. Armstrong ironically includes the tagline â€Å"snap. crackling and pop† to exemplify the inutility to Natives White/US civilization has become. The desolation continues as in stanza 7 she writes â€Å"The giant? in which they trust while burying take a breathing woods and Fieldss beneath concrete and steel stand agitating fists waiting to mangle whole civilisations ten coevalss at a blow† The brush between the Whites and Natives is represented as lost. for the natural admiration of the state is buried â€Å"beneath concrete and steel† . with â€Å"whole civilisations. 10 coevalss at a blow† ready to be mutilated. Despite cases of missing understanding and credence on Susanna Moodie’s portion in Rough ining it in the Bush of the Natives and their beliefs and characters. she does exhibit some tolerance and recognition of their many accomplishments and positive qualities. As Moodie provinces. â€Å"The fondness of Indian parents to their kids. and the respect which they pay to the aged. is another beautiful and touching trait in their character. † Her brushs with them are represented as peaceable and humbling. as she notes their humbleness in having nutrient â€Å"The Indians are great impersonators. and possess a nice tact in following the imposts and manners of those with whom they associate. † However despite her sort rhetoric. her superior racist attitude frequently prevails. â€Å"During better times we had treated these hapless barbarians with kindness and liberality† . Frequently excessively happy to return to the usage of â€Å"savages† . she surely does non give the Natives much regard as is due. much like the brush in â€Å"History Lesson† . As J R Miller writes. â€Å"the ethnographic attack to the survey of autochthonal peoples was debatable because it was a descriptive portraiture that rendered Natives inactive and unchanging. † This is the instance with Moodie’s portraiture of the indigens. as it is clear their manner of life is seen as backward in her authorship. Much of this nevertheless is to make with the birthplace environing Rough ining it in the Bush. However the brush between the different groups in her authorship is peaceable. intriguing and surely non every bit black as in â€Å"History Lesson† . In both texts the common subjects of misinterpretations. faith and racism arise and aid to determine the representation of the brush between the white and native groups. with two really different word pictures of the brush and its effects. Bibliography Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851. James S Fridered. Native Peoples in Canada- Contemporary Conflicts. Canada. 1988 Jeannette C Armstrong A ; Lally Grauer. Native Poetry in Canada- A Contemporary Anthology. Canada. 2001 J R Miller. Contemplations on Native Newcomer Relations-Selected Essays. 2004. Canada Jeannette C Armstrong. History Lesson Native Poetry in Canada- A Contemporary Anthology. Canada. 2001 I was able to derive farther penetration into the subject of white settler/Native dealingss utilizing the book ‘Native peoples in Canada-contemporary conflicts† . I was able to larn more of the manner in which the history between these two groups has been documented. and this in bend enabled me to further understand the representation of the brush between them in the two literary texts. I found this book in the library. Native poesy in Canada enabled me to better understand the significance of Armstrong’s initial stanza. I found this utilizing Google books. J R Miller’s book. Contemplations on Native Newcomer Relations once more enabled me to better understand the historical certification of native/white dealingss in Canada. Again I found this in the library. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - – [ 1 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 2 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 3 ] . James S Fridered. Native Peoples in Canada- Contemporary Conflicts. Canada. 1988. p4 [ 4 ] . Jeannette C Armstrong A ; Lally Grauer. Native Poetry in Canada- A Contemporary Anthology. Canada. 2001. p 24 [ 5 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 6 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 7 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 8 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 9 ] . Jeannette C Armstrong. History Lesson Native Poetry in Canada- A Contemporary Anthology. Canada. 2001 [ 10 ] . Jeannette C Armstrong. History Lesson Native Poetry in Canada- A Contemporary Anthology. Canada. 2001 [ 11 ] . Jeannette C Armstrong. History Lesson Native Poetry in Canada- A Contemporary Anthology. Canada. 2001 [ 12 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 13 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 14 ] . Susanna Moodie. Rough ining it in the shrub. The wilderness A ; Our Indian Friends. Canada. 1851 [ 15 ] . J R Miller. Contemplations on Native Newcomer Relations-Selected Essays. 2004. Canada. p16.

Braveheart Summary essays

Braveheart Summary essays The movie "Braveheart" starts off in Scotland, 1280 AD. We see a little William Wallace, following his father, Malcom Wallace to a meeting between noblemen. Whne they arrive at the place of the meeting, they find everyone had been hung by King Edward "The Longshanks". Days later, Malcom, his eldest son John, and other Scottish farmers set off to fight. The next day, William's father and brother are brought home dead. They are laid to rest and soon after William's uncle, Argile, comes to adopt him. Argile promises to teach young William how to use his mind before he shows him how to wield a sword. Argile then brings William back home with him. Years later, King Edward marries his son, Prince Edward, to Princess Isabella, the daughter of the King of France. William returns to his hometown after many years of being away. He falls in love with Murron, who as a little girl gave him a flower at his father's funeral. Soon after, they get married in secret to avoid "Prima Nocta", a law enforced by the King that allows a noble to consecrate a new marriage by having the new wife in his bed for the first night. Instead they consecrate their marriage on their own, but I wouldn't know how because a certain teacher edited out these parts of the movie. Then a crazy solider tries to rape Murron, who then is saved by William. William and Murron separate during their escape, and Murron ends up being captured. The towns' Magistrate slits her throat to teach the townspeople not the attack his soldiers and to try and lure Wallace to fight him. An angry Wallace leads the men of the town in a revolt. They kill all the soldiers, sei ze the fort, and Wallace avenges his wife's death by slitting the throat of the Magistrate. Other towns and clans, hearing of this rebellion come, and join Wallace. They then begin their rampage of the English by infiltrating a local noble's fort/. The kill him, burn the fort, and send the remaining Englis...

RIMS and Jobs in Risk Management Research Paper

RIMS and Jobs in Risk Management - Research Paper Example RIMS in the Americas and the Pacific allow various professionals to connect in order to share risk management information at different kinds of conferences (RIMS). The various types of conferences initiated by RIMS are explained in detail below. The basic most level of conferences held by the RIMS umbrella is labeled as the foundational conferences. The contention behind foundational conferences is to allow budding professionals in the risk management and insurance coverage sectors to present their ideas and to take in the ideas of senior professionals. Foundational conferences can be held at the various local chapters’ level. Advanced conferences are designed to allow professionals in their mid careers to interact and to impinge on young and aspiring professionals. Advanced conferences under the RIMS umbrella may be carried out at a chapter’s level or through the collaboration of various chapters. Strategic conferences are designed to meet certain specific challenges that are brought up by various sections of RIMS at both horizontal and vertical levels. Inclusion in strategic conferences depends on the kinds and levels of expertise required to solve the challenge at hand. The subject of strategic conferences may be restricted to specific phenomenon such as the drainage of the Florida wetlands or to more broad areas such as climate change and its impacts on business. The contention behind strategic conferences is to design appropriate responses in time to solve upcoming challenges to the risk management sector. Social events are organized by RIMS in various horizontal and vertical capacities and levels. The contention behind social events is to raise awareness of both risk management and insurance coverage as professionally emerging sectors. In addition, social events are designed to allow greater interaction between various levels of members in the RIMS umbrella to facilitate networking and contact generation. As any sector emerges in the modern economy,

Economic Development and Corruption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic Development and Corruption - Essay Example In a developing economy there is improvement in the standard of living of people and focus on environmental stability also increases. Economic stability can sometime also give rise to materialism. People strive hard to make more money and they often use unethical means to achieve their materialistic targets. One such unethical method is corruption. Different people hold different views about the impact of corruption on the economic development. Many people view it as a barrier to economic development while others believe that it does not impact the society and economic development much (Easterly 2006). This paper is going to discuss various anecdotal evidence and view that people have about corruption in relation to economic development. Economies in the transition face often have large number of lobbying efforts going on. These economies are aiming for economic development and hence they do not care much about lobbying efforts and governments of these economies are more susceptible to lobbying pressures than a government of a more developed nation. The evidence and research shows that these lobbies often pay huge sum of money to the government pressures to accept their demand. The corrupt political system in these countries makes it possible for people to form lobbies and put pressure on political leaders. These leaders often get directions from these lobbies if they pay them well. Since many lobbying groups are fighting for what is good for their own business, they end up doing well for the society also. The theory of invisible hand comes into play here. The theory states that any action done for one’s own self motive or profit will eventually translate into good for the society. Hence, corruption in all cases is not bad and research on 4000 firms in developing countries shows that corruption has played a role in the economic development of a nation. (Campos & Giovannoni 2007) In another paper, it was argued that corruption is essentially bad for a gro wing economy. First of all, corruption reduces the value of shareholders. In growing economies where corruption is extremely high, the expected profit that the shareholders expect to make does not materialize. Much of the profit is lost in the corrupt red-lines of bureaucracy and hence shareholder value goes down in the corrupt economies. Many foreign companies therefore try not to invest in corrupt nations fearing that returns on investment in these economies would be far less than if the investment is made in the local setting. This reduces foreign direct investment flows into the corrupt economies and poses a big problem for the economic development. This argument shows us that corruption can be a big barrier in the economic development of a nation. (Weitzel & Berns 2006) In a recent paper written by a well known economist, it was argued that corruption is actually good for the economies. It increases the flow of wealth in the economy from one hand to another and promotes economi c activity which leads to economic development. It was argued that corruption becomes bad when the corruption money goes out from the system. Evidence shows that many political and rich figures in the developing economies put their money in bank accounts in the foreign countries. This is an example of money flowing out of the system and this money does not promote any

Edinburgh Napier library services Essay Example for Free

Edinburgh Napier library services Essay Edinburgh Napier University was established as a technical college in 1964 taking its name from famous inventor of logarithms, John Napier. Since 1971, the college has started to offer degree level educations. In 1992, the college was converted to university, and changed its name to Napier University. However, in 2009, the university changed its name to Edinburgh Napier University. To enhance high academic integrity, the university aims to implement scalable high level Library Information Systems in order to offer high quality learning. (Edinburgh Napier University, 2009, Microsoft Corporation, 2006). The objective of this proposal is to evaluate an initiative of the Edinburgh Napier library services. To enhance greater understanding of proposal, it is essential to provide brief description of the research area. 1. 1: Background of Research The university opened Electronic Library Information systems in 2000, and since this period, the library has acquired huge amount of academic resources in electronic formats. However, with increase in the academic complexity, learners are increasingly facing challenges in accessing academic resources from the university library. (Edinburgh Napier University, 2008). By visiting the current online library resources, it is revealed that the university is facing challenges to provide high quality and innovative e- library services. Although, the university e-library has offered various services such as e-resources, teaching resources, study and research, user’s information, and information on the library resources, however, it is revealed that there are various lapses in the existing library services that have led to gaps in the knowledge. The university teaching resources from WebCT has not provided social teaching networking where students and tutors will be able to interact when lecture is taking place. Thus, the university has not been able to provide virtual face-to-face teaching strategy that resembles traditional teaching method. As being argued by Rolfe et al (2008), the WebCT which is one of the university library resources of Napier Edinburgh University has not been able to provide social interactions for students. The lack of dialogue do not provide rich virtual academic standard for students. Moreover, the university has not be able to offer 24 hour service for students in the physical university libraries such as Canaan Lane, Comely Bank, Craighouse, Craiglockhart, Livingston, Melrose, and Merchiston. The books in these libraries have not been available online. To address this problem, the university needs to implement scalable e-Resources Strategy in order to achieve high quality e-learning. It is essential to realise that the library should be able to provide varieties of online portals that should provide social networking for students and instructors. The recommendation provided is that the existing software and hardware that were used for the university library resources need to be upgraded to high quality and scalable new software and hardware. The comparison between national and international students on the effectiveness of university library resources has revealed that overall international students are happy with the university library resources. Compared to home students where only 54% of home students are happy with the university library resources. (Bawden, Robinson, Anderson et al 2007). Thus, the proposal attempts to address these gaps and make recommendations to the library. To achieve these objectives, the study provides the outline of the project in the box below. 2. Project outline for the project 1. The idea for this research arose from: The research arose from the shortcoming identified in the library services of Edinburgh Napier University. The research attempts to provide recommendations to the library in order to fill the gap. 2. The aims of the project are as follows: To provide understanding among students the different means of accessing material through the various services. To provide recommendations of high quality and scalable e-library resources in order to ensure easy and quick accessible of learning materials. 3. The main research questions that this work will address include: To what extent the existing library resources have been able to satisfy the need of students and staff? What are the high quality and scalable methods to improve university library resources? 4. The software development/design work/other deliverable of the project will be: The software design will involve Software Development Life Cycle which is typically referred as waterfall model. The prototype of the software design reveals that output from a specific stage will provide the inputs for the next stage of software design. 5. The project will involve the following research/field work/experimentation/evaluation: There will be primary and secondary research to carry out this project. Moreover, there will be experimentation of software and hardware that will be employed for the proposal. 6. This work will require the use of specialist software: MOSS 2007, Microsoft cluster, Web 2. 0 7. This work will require the use of specialist hardware: VM Ware Tools, Linux Server, podcasts, Virtual hardware 8. The project is being undertaken in collaboration with: The project is done in collaboration with a researcher and school of computing. (Bawden, Robinson, Anderson et al 2007) 3. Conclusion The proposal attempts to evaluate an initiative of Edinburgh Napier library services. The study has revealed that there are shortcomings in the existing university library resources. The gaps identified are that the university has not been able to offer 24 hours services for some of the library resources. Moreover, the WebCT has not been able to offer virtual classroom experience for students where learners would enjoy virtual classroom experience just like traditional learning. Thus, the proposal has recommends that the existing software and hardware need to be upgraded to ensure that the university offers high quality and scalable library services for students. References Bawden, D. Robinson, L. Anderson, T. et al (2007). Towards Curriculum 2. 0: library / information education for a Web 2. 0 world. Library and Information Research. 31(99):14-25). Edinburgh Napier University, (2009). History of Edinburgh Napier University. Scotland. Edinburg University Press. Edinburgh Napier University, (2008). Napier University Learning Information Services E-service strategy: Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Microsoft Corporation, (2006). Napier University, University Streamlines Access to Student Services with Improved E-Learning Portal. Microsoft Corporations. Rolfe, V. Alcocer, M. Bentley, E. (2008). Academic Staff Attitudes Towards Electronic Learning in Arts and Sciences. University of Nottingham. UK.

Not Just a Number: Critical Numeracy for Adults :: Numeracy Mathematics Education Essays

Not Just a Number: Critical Numeracy for Adults "It is difficult to understand why so many people must struggle with concepts that are actually simpler than most of the ideas they deal with every day. It is far easier to calculate a percentage than it is to drive a car." (Dewdney 1993, p. 1) To many people, the words "math" and "simple" do not belong in the same sentence. Math has such an aura of difficulty around it that even people who are quite competent in other areas of life are not ashamed to admit they can't "do" math. Innumeracy is more socially acceptable and tolerated than illiteracy (Dewdney 1993; Withnall 1995). Rather than discussing specific ways to teach math to adults, this Digest looks at emerging perspectives on numeracy and their social, cultural, and political implications as a context for new ways of thinking about adult numeracy instruction. What Is Numeracy? Numeracy involves the functional, social, and cultural dimensions of mathematics. Numeracy is the type of math skills needed to function in everyday life, in the home, workplace, and community (Withnall 1995). Although not always recognized as such, math is used in many everyday situations-cooking, shopping, crafts, financial transactions, traveling, using VCRs and microwave ovens, interpreting information in the media, taking medications. Different people need different sets of math skills, and their numeracy needs change in response to changes in life circumstances, such as buying a car or house or learning a new hobby (Gal 1993; Withnall 1995). Like literacy, numeracy "is not a fixed entity to be earned and possessed once and for all" (Steen 1990, p. 214), nor a skill one either has or doesn't have. Instead, people's skills are situated along a continuum of different purposes for and levels of accomplishment with numbers. Beyond daily living skills, numeracy is now being defined as knowledge that empowers citizens for life in their particular society (Bishop et al. 1993). Thus, numeracy has economic, social, and political consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. Low levels of numeracy limit access to education, training, and jobs; on the job, it can hinder performance and productivity. Lack of numeracy skills can cause overdependence on experts and professionals and uncritical acceptance of charlatans and the claims of pseudoscience (Dewdney 1993). Inability to interpret numerical information can be costly financially; it can limit full citizen participation and make people vulnerable to political or economic manipulation.

Dante’s Inferno Notes

A huge and powerful warrior-king who virtually embodies defiance against his highest god, Capaneus is an exemplary blasphemer–with blasphemy understood as direct violence against God. Still, it is striking that Dante selects a pagan character to represent one of the few specifically religious sins punished in hell. Dante's portrayal of Capaneus in Inferno 14.43-72–his large size and scornful account of Jove striking him down with thunderbolts–is based on the Thebaid, a late Roman epic (by Statius) treating a war waged by seven kings against the city of Thebes.Capaneus' arrogant defiance of the gods is a running theme in the Thebaid, though Statius' description of the warrior's courage in the scenes leading up to his death reveals elements of Capaneus' nobility as well as his contempt for the gods. For instance, Capaneus refuses to follow his comrades in a deceitful military operation against the Theban forces under the cover of darkness, insisting instead on figh ting fair and square out in the open. Nevertheless, Capaneus' boundless contempt ultimately leads to his demise when he climbs atop the walls protecting the city and directly challenges the gods: â€Å"come now, Jupiter, and strive with all your flames against me! Or are you braver at frightening timid maidens with your thunder, and razing the towers of your father-in-law Cadmus?† (Thebaid 10.904-6).Recalling the similar arrogance displayed by the Giants at Phlegra (and their subsequent defeat), the deity gathers his terrifying weapons and strikes Capaneus with a thunderbolt. His hair and helmet aflame, Capaneus feels the fatal fire burning within and falls from the walls to the ground below. He finally lies outstretched, his lifeless body as immense as that of a giant. This is the image inspiring Dante's depiction of Capaneus as a large figure appearing in the defeated pose of the blasphemers, flat on their backs Ser Brunnetto Latino = Round Three- Violence Against NatureOne of the most important figures in Dante's life and in the Divine Comedy, Brunetto Latini is featured among the sodomites in one of the central cantos of the Inferno. Although the poet imagines Brunetto in hell, Dante-character and Brunetto show great affection and respect for one another during their encounter in Inferno 15.Brunetto (c. 1220 – 1294) was a prominent guelph who spent many years living in exile in Spain and France–where he composed his encyclopedic work, Trà ©sor (â€Å"Treasure†: Inf. 15.119-20)–before returning to Florence in 1266 and assuming positions of great responsibility in the commune and region (notary, scribe, consul, prior). Such was Brunetto's reputation that chroniclers of the time praised him as the â€Å"initiator and master in refining the Florentines.† While Brunetto's own writings–in terms of quality and significance–are far inferior to Dante's, he was perhaps the most influential promoter in the Midd le Ages of the essential idea (derived from the Roman writer Cicero) that eloquence–in both oral and written forms–is beneficial to society only when combined with wisdom.We understand from this episode that Brunetto played a major–if informal–part in Dante's education, most likely as a mentor through his example of using erudition and intelligence in the service of the city. Apart from the reputed frequency of sexual relations among males in this time and place, there is no independent documentation to explain Brunetto's appearance in Dante's poem among the sodomites. Brunetto was married with three–perhaps four–children. Many modern scholarly discussions of Dante's Brunetto either posit a substitute vice for the sexual one–linguistic perversion, unnatural political affiliations, a quasi-Manichean heresy–or emphasize a symbolic form of sodomy over the literal act (e.g., rhetorical perversion, a failed theory of knowledge, a pr oto-humanist pursuit of immortality).Geryon = Round Three- Violence Against Art(fraud) giant with three heads and bodies Geryon, merely described in Virgil's Aeneid as a â€Å"three-bodied shade† (he was a cruel king slain by Hercules), is one of Dante's most complex creatures. With an honest face, a colorful and intricately patterned reptilian hide, hairy paws, and a scorpion's tail, Geryon is an image of fraud (Inf. 17.7-27)–the realm to which he transports Dante and Virgil (circles 8 and 9). Strange as he is, Geryon offers some of the best evidence of Dante's attention to realism. The poet compares Geryon's upward flight to the precise movements of a diver swimming to the surface of the sea (Inf. 16.130-6), and he helps us imagine Geryon's descent by noting the sensation of wind rising from below and striking the face of a traveler in flight (Inf. 17.115-17).By comparing Geryon to a sullen, resentful falcon (Inf.  17.127-36), Dante also adds a touch of psychologic al realism to the episode: Geryon may in fact be bitter because he was tricked–when Virgil used Dante's knotted belt to lure the monster (Inf. 16.106-23)–into helping the travelers. Dante had used this belt–he informs us long after the fact (Inf. 16.106-8)–to try to capture the colorfully patterned leopard who impeded his ascent of the mountain in Inferno 1.31-3. Suggestively associated with the sort of factual truth so wondrous that it appears to be false (Inf. 16.124), Geryon is thought by some readers to represent the poem itself or perhaps a negative double of the poem. Pier della Vigna = Round Two- Violence Against ThemselvesLike Dante, Pier della Vigna (c. 1190 – 1249) was an accomplished poet–part of the â€Å"Sicilian School† of poetry, he wrote sonnets–and a victim of his own faithful service to the state. With a first-rate legal education and ample rhetorical talent, Pier rose quickly through the ranks of public servi ce in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, from scribe and notary to judge and official spokesman for the imperial court of Frederick II. But his powers appear to have exceeded even these titles, as Pier claims to have had final say over Frederick's decisions (Inf. 13.58-63).While evidence of corruption casts some doubt on Pier's account of faithful service to the emperor, it is generally believed that he was indeed falsely accused of betraying Frederick's trust by envious colleagues and political enemies (Inf. 13.64-9). In this way, Pier's story recalls that of Boethius, author of the Consolation of Philosophy, a well known book in the Middle Ages (and a favorite of Dante's) recounting the fall from power of another talented individual falsely accused of betraying his emperor. Medieval commentators relate that Frederick, believing the charges against Pier (perhaps for plotting with the pope against the emperor), had him imprisoned and blinded. Unable to accept this wretched fate, Pier brutally took his life by smashing his head against the wall (perhaps of a church) or possibly by leaping from a high window just as the emperor was passing below in the street.Pier's name–Vigna means â€Å"vineyard†Ã¢â‚¬â€œundoubtedly made him an even more attractive candidate for Dante's suicide-trees. As an added part of the contrapasso for the suicides, the souls will not be reunited with their bodies at the Last Judgment but will instead hang their retrieved corpses on the trees (Inf.  13.103-8).MinotaurThe path down to the three rings of circle 7 is covered with a mass of boulders that fell–as Virgil explains (Inf. 12.31-45)–during the earthquake triggered by Christ's harrowing of hell. The Minotaur, a bull-man who appears on this broken slope (Inf. 12.11-15), is most likely a guardian and symbol of the entire circle of violence. Dante does not specify whether the Minotaur has a man's head and bull's body or the other way around (sources support both possibilities), but he clearly underscores the bestial rage of the hybrid creature. At the sight of Dante and Virgil, the Minotaur bites himself, and his frenzied bucking–set off by Virgil's mention of the monster's executioner–allows the travelers to proceed unharmed.Almost everything about the Minotaur's story–from his creation to his demise–contains some form of violence. Pasiphaà «, wife of King Minos of Crete, lusted after a beautiful white bull and asked Daedalus to construct a â€Å"fake cow† (Inf. 12.13) in which she could enter to induce the bull to mate with her; Daedalus obliged and the Minotaur was conceived. Minos wisely had Daedalus build an elaborate labyrinth to conceal and contain this monstrosity.To punish the Athenians, who had killed his son, Minos supplied the Minotaur with an annual sacrificial offering of seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls. When Ariadne (the Minotaur's half-sister: Inf. 12.20) fell in love wit h one of these boys (Theseus, Duke of Athens: Inf. 12.16-18), the two of them devised a plan to slay the Minotaur: Theseus entered the labyrinth with a sword and a ball of thread, which he unwound as he proceeded toward the center; having slain the Minotaur, Theseus was thus able to retrace his steps and escape the labyrinth CentaursThe Centaurs–men from the waist up with lower bodies of horses–guard the first ring of circle 7, a river of blood in which the shades of murderers and bandits are immersed to varying depths. Armed with bows and arrows, thousands of Centaurs patrol the bank of the river, using their weapons to keep the souls at their allotted depth (Inf. 12.73-5). In classical mythology, the Centaurs are perhaps best known for their uncouth, violent behavior: guests at a wedding, they attempted–their lust incited by wine–to carry off the bride and other women; a fierce battle ensued, described by Ovid in all its gory detail (Met. 12.210-535), i n which the horse-men suffered the heaviest losses. Two of the three Centaurs who approach Dante and Virgil fully earned this negative reputation.Pholus, whom Virgil describes as â€Å"full of rage† (Inf. 12.72), was one of the combatants at the wedding. Nessus, selected to carry Dante across the river in hell, was killed by Hercules–with a poisoned arrow–for his attempted rape of the hero's beautiful wife, Deianira, after Hercules had entrusted the Centaur to carry her across a river (Nessus avenged his own death: he gave his blood-soaked shirt to Deianira as a â€Å"love-charm,† which she–not knowing the shirt was poisoned–later gave to Hercules when she doubted his love [Inf. 12.67-9].) Chiron, the leader of the Centaurs, enjoyed a more favorable reputation as the wise tutor of both Hercules and Achilles (Inf. 12.71).Punishments of Each Ring -First Ring- For violence against neighbors. Made to boil in blood, and shot by arrows if they et out higher than they are deemed worthy. Fitting because those torturedmust boil in the blood they creted in life by violence.Chief sinner: alexander the great, who was violent against many of his countrymen as a tyrant.  · -Second Ring- For those violent against themselvesthey are turned into trees and are immobile. They are tortured and pecked at by Harpies. They will never be returned to their bodies because they didnt properly appreciate them in the first place.Chief Sinner: Pier della Vigna, who felt so ashamed by the lies of shcemers, took his own life.  · -Third Ring-For those violent against God. Three circles:  · Blasphamers – Just on hot sand · Sodomites – Also rained upon my fire  · Violent against art – also with purses around thier necksChief Sinner: Capaneus, Besieged Thebes. He is very defiant, still, and says hell shall never break him.Allusions  · Phlegethon-Literally a â€Å"river of fire† (Aen. 6.550-1), Phlegethon is the nam e Dante gives to the river of hot blood that serves as the first ring of  circle 7: spillers of blood themselves, violent offenders against others are submerged in the river to a level corresponding to their guilt. Dante does not identify the river–described in detail in Inferno 12.46-54 and 12.100-39–until the travelers have crossed it (Dante on the back of Nessus) and passed through the forest of the suicides. Now they approach a red stream flowing out from the inner circumference of the forest across the plain of sand (Inf. 14.76-84).After Virgil explains the common source of all the rivers in hell, Dante still fails to realize–without further explanation–that the red stream in fact connects to the broader river of blood that he previously crossed, now identified as the Phlegethon (Inf. 14.121-35).  · Polydorus-If Dante had believed what he read in the Aeneid, Virgil would not have had to make him snap one of the branches to know that the suicide-s hades and the trees are one and the same–this, at least, is what Virgil says to the wounded suicide-tree (Inf. 13.46-51). Virgil here alludes to the episode of the â€Å"bleeding bush† from Aeneid 3.22-68. The â€Å"bush† in this case is Polydorus, a young Trojan prince who was sent by his father (Priam, King of Troy) to the neighboring kingdom of Thrace when Troy was besieged by the Greeks.Polydorus arrived bearing a large amount of gold, and the King of Thrace–to whose care the welfare of the young Trojan was entrusted–murdered Polydorus and took possession of his riches. Aeneas unwittingly discovers Polydorus' unburied corpse when he uproots three leafy branches to serve as cover for a sacrificial altar: the first two times, Aeneas freezes with terror when dark blood drips from the uprooted branch; the third time, a voice–rising from the ground–begs Aeneas to stop causing harm and identifies itself as Polydorus. The plant-man expla ins that the flurry of spears that pierced his body eventually took the form of the branches that Aeneas now plucks. The Trojans honor Polydorus with a proper burial before leaving the accursed land.Old Man of Crete-Dante invents the story of the large statue of an old man–located in Mount Ida on the Island of Crete–for both practical and symbolic purposes ( Inf. 14.94-120). Constructed of a descending hierarchy of materials–gold head, silver arms and chest, brass midsection, iron for the rest (except one clay foot)–the statue recalls the various ages of humankind (from the golden age to the iron age: Ovid, Met. 1.89-150) in a pessimistic view of history and civilization devolving from best to worst. Dante's statue also closely  recalls the statue appearing in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in the Bible; this dream is revealed in a vision to Daniel, who informs the king that the composition of the statue signifies a declining succession of kingdoms all inf erior to the eternal kingdom of God (Daniel 2:31-45).That the statue is off-balance–leaning more heavily on the clay foot–and facing Rome (â€Å"as if in a mirror†) probably reflects Dante's conviction that society suffers from the excessive political power of the pope and the absence of a strong secular ruler. Although the statue is not itself found in hell, the tears that flow down the crack in its body (only the golden head is whole) represent all the suffering of humanity and thus become the river in hell that goes by different names according to region: Acheron, Styx, Phlegethon, Cocytus (Inf. 14.112-20).Phaethon and Icarus-As he descends aboard Geryon through the infernal atmosphere, Dante recalls the classical stories of previous aviators (Inf. 17.106-14). Phaethon, attempting to confirm his genealogy as the son of Apollo, bearer of the sun, took the reins of the sun-chariot against his father's advice. Unable to control the horses, Phaethon scorched a la rge swath of the heavens; with the earth's fate hanging in the balance, Jove killed the boy with a thunderbolt (Ovid, Met. 1.745-79; 2.1-332).Daedalus (see Minotaur above), to escape from the island of Crete, made wings for himself and his son by binding feathers with thread and wax. Icarus, ignoring his father's warnings, flew too close to the sun; the wax melted and the boy crashed to the sea below (Met. 8.203-35). So heartbroken was Daedalus that he was unable to depict Icarus' fall in his carvings upon the gates of a temple he built to honor Apollo (Aen. 6.14-33). Experiencing flight for the first, and presumable only, time in his life–aboard a â€Å"filthy image of fraud,† no less–Dante understandably identifies with these two figures whose reckless flying led to their tragic deaths.