Breaking the Limits What It Takes to Be a Monster Professor Ramos Blog

Breaking the Limits What It Takes to Be a Monster Moumita Milton English 1027th August 2019 Monsters are a paradoxical cultural phenomenon: although abnormal creatures inspire fear and uncertainty, the movies featuring them never lose popularity. This statement is particularly true of Frankenstein, a popular interpretation of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Surprisingly, the 19th century novel has dozens of cinematographic interpretations exciting the public imagination, despite all the breakthroughs in the field of medicine. This paper will examine the canonical Frankenstein produced in 1931 by Carl Laemmle Jr. The objective of the analysis is to explain why the outbreak of the Great Depression was the right time for the monster horror film based on the philosophical novel about the physical and ethical limits of human capabilities. Frankenstein is a monster film telling the story about things going wrong and disturbing the pastoral life in a village of the Bavarian Alps. While ignoring his fiancà ©e’s suasions, the young scientist Henry Frankenstein seeks to create human life from different parts that he and his assistant Fritz have been collected from various sources. Despite its simple and innocent character, the creature inspires fear in many people, which becomes the beginning of a sad saga about the consequences of human attempts to play the god. The monster kills several people but saves the master’s life at the cost of his own existence. The story of the monster was a success given that the box office exceeded the budget almost fifty times (The Numbers n. p.). Therefore, it is interesting to learn why a fairly simple plot attracted thousands of people seeking to survive amidst the global economic crisis. At times, monsters come back explaining why the plain story does not lose its relevance. Jeffrey Cohen, probably the most famous monster expert, asserts that a monster always escapes to â€Å"reappear someplace else† (4). Cohen mentions that â€Å"No monster tastes of death but once†; and this statement may explain why Shelley’s story gained an unexpected popularity with the 20th century public (5). In Shelley’s novel, the monster disappears after Frankenstein tries to shoot him to emerge a century later bringing an important message to who it may concern. (Frankenstein, Boris Karloff, 1931) The message that the creature brings has been bothering experts for decades. According to Lamb, it is the message about the limits of human will that had been significantly extended by Victor Frankenstein’s attempts to create the human life (305). Similarly, Salotto interprets Frankenstein’s experiments as a way to remember himself and reconstruct own identity by creating â€Å"a creature of his likeness† (190). Salotto asserts that Frankenstein’s attempt to manufacture a creature from different parts of various human bodies is a way to survive the traumatic loss experience (191). Frankenstein seeks to recover after his mother’s death by creating someone who is similar to him but who is not overwhelmed by sad memories. The numerous interpretations of Frankenstein’s decision agree on the fact that a monster appears at some critical point in the individual or collective history. For instance, Hartman asserts that monsters reveal the tension between tradition and innovation predetermining the national course (1). Interestingly, this assumption is valid in the context of Frankenstein. Shelley wrote the novel as a rebel against the â€Å"age of reason† underlying the superiority of logic over traditional values like faith(Lamb 305). The 17th and 18th century Enlighteners believed scholars could conduct the experiments that were previously viewed as immoral (Lamb 305). In turn, Shelley created the monster to show that going against the laws of religion and morality would have disastrous consequences. A century later, people followed the monster story because it resonated with changes occurring in their personal existence and the life of the entire country. The cinemagoers saw the destruction of the old world and emergence of the new economic order. The changes were so terrifying that the story of the monster was ironically comforting. Moreover, watching Frankenstein could be motivating by seeing the difference between the monster and the viewers made of flesh and blood. According to Cohen, â€Å"†¦the monster is an incorporation of the Outside, the Beyond – of all those loci that are rhetorically placed as distant and distinct† (7). Although the monster is made from different parts of the human body, he is very different from an average person in terms of physical and mental capabilities; and understanding of the difference evokes a pleasant sense of self excellence. At the beginning of Frankenstein, the monster is timid and awkward, hence, requires a master to oversee his actions and protect him. As the monster leaves the place where he was created, he learns to interact with other people. However, the attempts have dramatic consequences and eventually result in the monster being captured and killed. The scene where the monster saves the master’s life at the cost of his own aims to underline the superiority of a man over an abnormal creature. Since the monster is different from the master, his life appears to be less valuable, and the scene where Baron Frankenstein celebrates the wedding of the recovered Henry seems logical. However, it is necessary to keep in mind the fact that a monster always dwells at the door of difference. According to Cohen, the thesis implies that all the things making a monster different from a man â€Å"originate Within† (7). The statement means that the monstrous difference is an exaggeration of cultural, political, or economic differences. Therefore, people attribute monstrous features to a phenomenon that they cannot understand or control. For instance, scientific experiments may inspire fear because of the unpredicted consequences. Unfortunately, people are unwilling to take responsibility for their careless decisions, so the monstrous features are ascribed to the creature rather than the scientist manufacturing it. Nevertheless, Frankenstein suggests that the difference between the man and the monster may be subtle which encourages people taking a closer look into their choices and decisions. In Cohen’s theory, a monster is standing at the creator’s threshold looking for the reasons why he has arisen from the unknown (25). In a broader sense, the monster is the result of Frankenstein’s attempts to create someone who is like him but is not overburdened by moral dilemmas (Salotto 190). However, the 20th century suggested new reasons why the monster arose from the years of oblivion. Obviously, the monster is an allegory of the national economy that did not live up to the expectations and almost destroyed its creator. During the late 1920s and the early 1930s, American economy resembled Shelley’s monster manufactured from unsustainable ideas and driven by inflated expectations. When the monster left its gloomy shelter, thousands of people wondered how it happened that the creature came to life and made everyone feel insecure. In turn, capturing the monster meant there is always a solution if humans think of the ways how their own thoughts and actions preconditioned the disaster. Therefore, monsters will always be part of culture because they are the product of human desires, fears, and ambitions. The old monster plots do not lose their relevance because the abnormal creatures appear in the time of crisis and encourage people thinking how their worldview opened Pandora’s Box. Understanding of the relationship of a monster to a man is, probably, the best way to make the plot exciting and thought provoking. Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Theses).† Monster Theory: Reading Culture. Ed. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen. University of Minnesota Press, 1996, 3-25. Hartman, Emma. â€Å"Tradition vs. Innovation and the Creatures in Spirited Away.†Digital Literature Review, vol. 4, 2017, pp. 1-13. Laemmle, Carl, director. Frankenstein. Universal Pictures, 1931. Lamb, John B. â€Å"Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton Monstrous Myth.† Nineteenth-Century Literature, vol. 47, no 3, 1992, pp. 303-319. Salotto, Eleanor. â€Å"Frankenstein† and Dis(re)membered Identity.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, vol. 24, no 3, 1994, pp. 190-211. The Numbers. â€Å"Frankenstein (1931) Domestic Box Office.† The Numbers, https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Frankenstein-(1931)#tab=summary. Accessed 6 August 2019. Annotated Bibliography Cohen, Jeffrey Jerome. â€Å"Monster Culture (Seven Theses).† Monster Theory: Reading Culture. Ed. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen. University of Minnesota Press, 1996, 3-25. Although monsters are a common occurrence in world culture, there is no consensus why they exist and continue to excite the imagination. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen argues that monsters embody a difference, hence inspire fear and uncertainty in their creators (3). Cohen further elaborates on the nature of monsters by putting forward seven â€Å"monster theses† (3). According to Cohen, the monster embodies a certain cultural moment, always escapes to reappear in another place or time, defies existing order and rules, reveals cultural differences, policies the borders of the possible, represents forbidden practices, and brings attention to the link with humans creating abnormal creatures (3-25). By introducing the theses, Cohen offers an insightful explanation why monsters emerge, develop, and reappear to appear somewhere in a different time or place. Moreover, the theses explain the longstanding phenomenon by shedding light on the link between the monsters and the people creating them. Hartman, Emma. â€Å"Tradition vs. Innovation and the Creatures in Spirited Away.†Digital Literature Review, vol. 4, 2017, pp. 1-13. Hartman suggests an in-depth analysis of Spirited Away, â€Å"the highest grossing film in the history of Japanese cinema†, with an aim to explain the essence of kami and their relation to Japanese culture (1). According to Hartman, kami possess monstrous features, like supernatural abilities or threatening agendas that are not quite understandable from a Western perspective. Nevertheless, examination of the kami through the prism of Japanese tradition suggests that the monsters embody the tension between tradition and innovation in the country (Hartman 1). Hartman asserts that the kami were invented with an aim to prevent the Japanese youth from slipping away from the tradition (1). Therefore, Hartman’s conclusion is in line with Cohen’s thesis that monsters portend a crisis (6). In Spirited Away, the kami appear when the tension between the traditional and innovative development reaches its peak and becomes a major cause for public concern. Lamb, John B. â€Å"Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton Monstrous Myth.† Nineteenth-Century Literature, vol. 47, no 3, 1992, pp. 303-319. Lamb conducted an intertextual analysis to identify the relationship of Shelley’s Frankenstein to Milton’s Paradise Lost. According to Lamb, tracing the relationship between the two works is â€Å"problematic† because despite Milton’s hold on literary imagination, Shelley succeeded in â€Å"changing the discourse of identity from monologue to dialogue† (319). The changing discourse is insightful in terms of understanding who the monster is, why it has appeared, and whether he is able to survive without the master. The own voice is the distinctive feature of Shelley’s monster who can explain how he feels and why he seeks to find the master, despite the challenges on his way. When the creature gains his voice, the reader understands the moral dilemmas of engaging into forbidden practices and breaking taboos underlying the process of creating a monster. A person transcends the limits because of inner fear, uncertainty, and problematic identity. Salotto, Eleanor. â€Å"Frankenstein† and Dis(re)membered Identity.† The Journal of Narrative Technique, vol. 24, no 3, 1994, pp. 190-211. Salotto suggests an in-depth analysis of Shelley’s narrative as a way to explain the origins of one’s life. Although Frankenstein is divided among three narrators, the distinction between the narrative parts is arbitrary and suggests a close relationship between Frankenstein and the monster he has created. According to Salotto, Frankenstein’s experiments â€Å"to create a creature of his likeness† are the attempts to remember and reconstruct one’s own identity after the mother’s death (190). Salotto’s analysis explains Frankenstein’s decision to create a monster and addresses a plethora of moral dilemmas associated with the intention. Also, Salotto’s analysis elaborates on a number of Cohen’s monster theses. In particular, the examination of Frankenstein’s narration reveals the reasons why people create the creatures that inspire fear and uncertainty. Moreover, Salotto elaborates on Cohen’s seventh thesis by underlying the inextricable relationship between the monster and his creator.

Define Battle of COP Keating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Define Battle of COP Keating - Essay Example The battle of COP Keating occurred in October 3rd 2009 in Kamdesh, Nuristan province of eastern Afghanistan (35Ëš24ââ€" ¡36ââ€" ¡N 71Ëš20ââ€" ¡29ââ€" ¡E / 35.41ËšN71.34139ËšE) and according to Executive summary: AR 15-6 investigation re: complex attack on COP Keating--3 Oct 09 saw to a 12-hour close contact battle pitting Taliban insurgents against American military, two Latvian trainers and Afghan coalition forces that nearly became a hand to hand combat. At the time of the attack, the COP was home to approximately 60 cavalrymen from Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division and a couple stationed Afghanistan coalition officers. Commanders and leaders during the battle included Curtis Scaparrotti, Randy George, Dost Muhammed, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Ghulan Faroq (Sanders, 122). At the end of the battle, 8 United States troops had died and a further 22 were left wounded. In addition, eight Afghan soldiers were wounded, together with two Afghan private security guards. A body count by the military confirmed that about 150 to 200 Taliban insurgents died in the firefight that lasted through the day. The United States troops who lost their lives in the battle were Justin T. Gallegos (Tucson, Arizona), Christopher Griffin (Kincheloe, Michigan), Kevin C. Thomson (Reno, Nevada), Michael P. Scusa (Villas, New Jersey), Vernon W. Martin (Savannah, Georgia), Stephan L. Mase (Lovettsville, Virginia), Joshua J. Kirk (South Portland, Maine) and Joshua M. Hardt (Applegate, California). Another 10 Afghan soldiers and 4 Taliban fighters died in the period of October 5th and 6th when Coalition troops carried out operations to determine, locate and destroy the militia behind the October 3rd attack on the COP Keating. The PRT Kamdesh, newly named Camp Keating after death of First Lieutenant Ben Keating who died while transporting an armored supply track to the Naray FOB, was initially intended to be a provincial reconstruction team base (PRT); a strategic location from where supply of weaponry from the Pakistan to the Anti Coalition Militia (ACM) would be minimized and halted. However, the camp proved very difficult to defend in case of attack, as was rampant in the area. Several factors contributed significantly to the area’s threatening insecurity and unsuitability for a military camp in an area as hostile as the Camp Keating. These eventually saw to reason and subsequent planning by the US military to evacuate the area to more populated areas of Afghanistan in order to provide more security and protection to the local civilians. The Combat Outpost (COP) Keating is situated in a valley surrounded on all sides by mountains and a river meandering its way on one side. It would appear like a bowl, greatly reducing any chances of successful defense upon attack. The area is also characterized by rough terrain with sharp rocks and transport via the road was prone to attack by insurgents. The road contractors of Afghanistan had also failed to maintain the road in the area which regrettably led to the death of Lieutenant Ben Keating who had a fatal accident while on trans portation duty along the road. This together with the unsuitability of the area for any aircraft landing made any air response and aid during attacks minimal if not late. It is documented that a military chopper had earlier crushed into the terrain while attempting to land in the area killing all its passengers. A landing pad was

Business Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Law - Assignment Example The offeror cannot just cancel an offer once it is made. When an offer is made, the offeree (the one the offer is made to) can decide whether to take it or not within a reasonable timeframe. Since an offer puts some kinds of obligations on the offeror, there is the need to define what constitutes an offer. In this definition, there are some exceptions to the rule. When a person makes an indication that another person can enter negotiations for a contract, this is not an offer, it is an invitation to treat. A typical example of an invitation to treat is the case of the display of goods in a shop window. In Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain V Boots Cash Chemists (1953) it was held that goods displayed in a shop does not constitute an offer but an invitation to treat. Additionally, the declaration of an intent is not an offer. In Harris V Nickerson (1873), an auctioneer advertised the sale of goods in an auction. However, he refused to hold the auction on the said date. A prospect ive attendant sued for a breach. It was held that the advert was simply a declaration of intent but not an offer. Application In this, the advertisement by Gift House that they have reduced their A1 cameras was not an offer. It can be considered an invitation to treat. ... They are mere invitation to treat and declaration of intent respectively. Due to this, Martin does not have the right to purchase the camera at ?50. Davina Issue Davina gets informed that the A1 Camera (which sells for ?100) goes for ?50 in the shop. The shop also states that if anyone purchases goods worth ?500 by 1st December, there will be a free television. Davina mails an order for the camera and the goods totaling ?500 and indicates she wants the free television on 30th November. Davina receives the goods but finds out that she was charged ?100 for the camera and she did not get the television which was promised. The issue is whether the postal order created a legal contract that gives her rights to the camera at ?100 as well as the television set. Rule In Carlill V Carbolic Smoke Ball (1893), the defendants advertised to pay ?100 to anyone who caught flu after using smoke their smokeballs. Mrs Carlill used the smoke balls but caught flu. She argued that she was entitled to the ?100 promised. It was held that the offer was one that a reasonable person could take seriously. Secondly, the postal rule is established in the case of Adams V Lindsell (1818). It states that acceptance of an offer takes effect once the acceptance letter is posted. Application In this case, Davina saw a catalogue that advertised two things: the sale of a camera at ?50 and an offer of a free TV when a customer shops to the tune of ?500. This is something that the average person could take seriously and follow up. Davina followed up by making an order through post on the 30th of November. This order was a valid claim for the A1 Camera at ?50 and the TV prize since she shopped to the tune of ?500. According to the postal rule, this postage

The Tunnel Rats Essay Example for Free

The Tunnel Rats Essay INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was in January 1966 when one of the biggest intelligence coups of the war that time took place. While the soldiers or the â€Å"diggers† were doing a sweep of the â€Å"Iron Triangle† that was an area near Saigon they discovered a vast complex of tunnels.[1] This location was heavily guarded with armed protection and was restricted by the Viet Cong (VC). What they were about to find out was 60 feet into the ground of that perimeter would be the Viet Cong headquarters. [2]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When they arrived in Vietnam as part of the 1st Battalion of the 28th Infantry, 3rd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division in January 7, 1966, they were called the â€Å"Big Red One† and were sent to engage in operation â€Å"Crimp.†[3] The mission was to search and destroy sweep the Viet Cong stationed in the Northwest of Saigon. Even as they were just landing, they could see from the air how there were groups of their men in trouble with small fire fights that made them quickly exit their helicopters to engage in battle and destroy the VC that had been attacking the soldiers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When they went inside the tree line that led to the locations were they saw some of the fights, they saw a large trench filled with nothing and no one. They did not know where the VCs went. Those they saw that were firing at the other soldiers just disappeared into thin air. They were gone, all of them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The battalion moved forward to see large catches of rice and estimated the amount they saw were enough to feed a Regiment.   Even after a few days later, they saw foxholes, trenches and caves but there were no VC enemies to fight with. However, it was evident the United States casualties were still increasing because of sustained enemy sniper fire that basically came out of nowhere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was already January 10th and they merely had a few glimpse of this enemy. Later that day, a radio report came out that elements from another brigade had made contact with the VC and found the same thing tunnels. VIETNAM WARFARE STATEGIES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later they would discover that the VC’s strategy was to strike unexpectedly and then slip away into the tunnels to avoid retaliation. Their strategy was concealment and was effective with their hit and run tactics.[4] Tunneling was the essential element in the VC strategy. It was the greatest element in the VC stationed in the area of Cu Chi, located north the South Vietnamese capital, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They used the tunnels for many functions. They attack American installations that were conveniently built right above them.[5] They took refuge in the tunnels when they felt threatened with annihilation. They used the tunnels to escape from threatened villages. The also used them to store war materials and to operate facilities like an underground hospital. The Americans never really discovered the full extent of the Viet Cong tunnel systems, but they gradually tried their best to develop tactics to counter attack the VCs and to use the complexities of the tunnels to their advantage.[6]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnels are now made into something like a Disney amusement park wherein tourists can take an hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh to experience going into them. These tunnels used to be well hidden from American soldiers and reporters of the war but now it has brought tourism to the country. But along with the sights and the interesting experience, the war tactics and weapons the Viet Cong used were placed on display that serves as a reminded of their polished warfare strategies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Man traps made to kill were part of the display. When American soldiers would try to slip into the tunnels, Punjisticks or spears of bamboo with razor sharpness and covered with excrement or poison were the first things that greeted them.[7] The sticks pierced the legs and the torsos of the Americans. More brutal strategies were used as bear traps were also placed in the tunnel openings to amputate the feet of the soldiers as they go inside the tunnel. Like this was not enough protection, booby traps were also hung from the trees near the opening that would result to beheaded soldiers or amputated limbs.[8]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The VC did not even bury some of their casualties. The United States forces often buried their dead enemy to keep track of the extent of the casualties for the enemy. Tactical conditions from the Viet Congs would result to dead VCs lying around the tunnels for the tunnel rats to discover. In some cases, they would even pull the bodies of dead American soldiers in the tunnels for the soldiers to encounter. This was a strategy they used to unnerve and demoralize the U.S. troops that would come into the tunnels.[9] TUNNELS OF CU CHI   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Located just seventy-five kilometers northwest from the country’s capital Ho Chi Minh were the tunnels of Cu Chi. This district of Cu Chi was a major Viet Cong infiltration route that served as a trail towards the Ho Chi Minh.[10]   Situated above the ground of this perimeter was the station of the United States 25th Infantry Division.[11] Below them was the home of the 7th Viet Cong Regiment and other allied units. It was like sleeping with the enemy, only with them they were sleeping above the enemy, literally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnels were reported to be 250 kilometers long and most of the tunnels were located in Cu Chi. There were three levels to the VC tunnels. [12] In the first level, the opening was three meters deep. As one goes deeper into the tunnel, it would widen and be about six meters deep. The third level of the tunnels was eight meters below the ground. An Underground Battle Station   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the tunnels, it was like a whole word underground. There were kitchens, there was a hospital, and the officers’ quarters were there as well as a meeting room.[13] During that time the tunnels were almost inaccessible. It was hidden in a jungle-like area. During the war it was ravaged by a skin-burning chemical Agent Orange that was part of the American counterattack. Some tunnels were also too narrow for an overweight Westerner.[14]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnel system included different sizes of chambers, rest areas, weapons and ammunitions storage, kitchens, workshops, barracks room as well as rooms that housed the communication equipments.[15]   The kitchens was designed so well the smoke that could signal the Americans of their location were dispersed and dissipated into numerous pipes that would mislead anyone who would see it.[16]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnels of Cu Chi were the venue where the Viet Cong fighters and the American Tunnel Rats, as they call those brave enough to penetrate the tunnels, would go into hand-to-hand combat inside dark and dangerous subterranean and complex tunnels. These tunnels were where they fought to death using knives and pistols.[17] The Little IRT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnels of Cu Chi were known as the Little IRT. They were similar to the railway system in America with an interconnecting tunnel system that was in the northern section of Hau Nghia Province and in the southwester section of Binh Duong Province. The tunnels complexity connected hamlets, villages and provinces in the area. Originally it was dug up to be used to support the Viet Minh guerilla war against the French.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American soldiers dubbed the tunnels the â€Å"little IRT† because of how similar it was to the New York City Subway. The complex tunnel system allowed for different levels in different locations that were interconnected by a series of â€Å"trap doors, channels, shafts, wells and communication tunnels.†[18] There connections from the tunnels to bunkers that was almost bombproof as well as to ground level bunkers. Tunnel Explorer, Locator Communicator System   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The TELACS was an experimental communications device system that the tunnel rats or the American soldiers used when they explored the enemy tunnel systems. It was a system that was composed of an earphone and a throat microphone for communications with the troops in the surface.[19]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was a flawed system because there was much voice distortion and there needed to be a large amount of wire that had to be dragged behind the explorer. It was a slow and inaccurate system. When it was tested in the year 1969, it was withdrawn.[20]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnel system proved to a sophisticated military tactic from the Viet Cong that may have been underestimated by the American troops. The genius of their strategies overwhelmed U.S. Forces until it came to the point that they decided to clear the tunnels of the VC. TUNNEL CLEARING   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the time when Ben Suc, Vietnam was depopulated American troops went on to clear out the tunnels of Cu Chi, looking for Viet Cong fighters. The army made use of large tanks with bull dozer blades as well as medium built soldiers that were known to be â€Å"tunnel rats† that went to uncover the underground city.[21] In the clearing process they found stoves, furniture, clothes for men and women, and essentially thousands of pages of important war documents. This major headquarters that the American command found brought them to explore further into the tunnels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, during that time, a senior officer that was in-charge of exploring the tunnel was killed by one of the bloody booby traps. The U.S. army saw the danger of the situation and retreated from exploring the tunnels. Instead, they pumped tear gas into the tunnels as well as set off explosives.[22] The Americans thought this was the top headquarters for the Viet Cong, they miss the headquarters of the NLF that was several miles north that place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The U.S. used tons of artillery and bombs for every Viet Cong fighter. The Viet Cong manual even said that the U.S. had much superior weapons and strength compared to them on the battlefield. But they could not chase them as they always launched surprise attacks from their underground tunnels.[23]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of incendiary weapons that included the white phosphorous and the napalm was used vastly by the U.S. forces during this time. [24]This move has placed them in the center of condemnation.   Napalm was described to be a petroleum fuel that as very effective in the destruction of the enemies’ bunkers as well as the people inside them. White phosphorous was used to mark targets and to set fire to flammable ones. It has caused suffering that would tend to continue burning the skin long after the initial contact.[25] Used together with napalm would prove to be painfully lethal. The mortality rate from those who suffered from such weapons was high and there were deaths that arose from injuries where victims were too badly burnt to receive hospital treatment.[26] CS Gas was proficiently used in clearing the tunnel complexes that sifted the enemy soldiers as well as the large numbers of civilians who sought refuge in the tunnels.[27]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some antiwar critics of the U.S. Forces in the Vietnam claimed that America conducted a war of genocide in Vietnam because of the civilian casualties. However this was denied because the U.S. military strategy did not amount to having an official policy of genocide nor was it the intention of the government and the armed forces to wipe out any significant part of the Vietnamese civilians. TUNNEL RATS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the war trained special units were called tunnel rats. They were described to be â€Å"small, mean and crazy† as they actually went inside the tunnels and combated with Viet Congs they encountered while other units merely thrown explosives to clear the tunnels.[28] They were also known to be the â€Å"Tunnel Runners† by the 25th Infantry Division and â€Å"Ferrets† by the Australian Army. â€Å"Tunnel Rat† was their official accepted name.[29]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was during this time that the U.S. Army realized that it was short-sighted to destroy the tunnels by the bulldozers and the bombings. There would be a massive loss of vital intelligence if the plans and documents of the Viet Cong would be destroyed through their first strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was in 1965 when the 1st and 25th Infantry division organized specialized teams that had missions to search and explore the tunnels in the III Corp area.[30] The tunnel rats were not assigned; they were all volunteers and were armed only with a pistol or shotgun, a knife and a flashlight.[31] They infiltrated the tunnels with such minimal weapons where hundreds of VC might be hiding with their massive supply of weapons stored in the tunnels as well. Anyone who went into the tunnels was then dubbed as â€Å"Tunnel Exploration Personnels.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the tunnel rats descended into the tunnels they experience walking into a pitch black and claustrophobic pathway wherein they were playing a deadly game of hide and seek with the enemy Viet Cong. The sensitive probing of the floor, sides and roofs of the tunnels soon became second nature to the tunnel rat as he inched his way deeper into the tunnel complexes.[32] They carefully watched out for wires and tree roots that was irregular and could pass for booby trap that could blow them up to pieces or cut their limbs into pieces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entrances of the tunnels alone are usually mined or protected by concealed guards ready to fire upon entry. Sometimes, the unsuspecting tunnel rat can met the garrote or someone would cut his throat as he came up and pass by connecting trapdoors[33].   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aside from the VC booby traps were a whole breed of animals that resided in the dark confines of the tunnels.[34] There were bats that used the grounds during the daylight hours. Snakes were also encountered inside the tunnels. The Bamboo Viper and the Krait were the deadly snakes that can be found the VC tunnels. The Viet Cong would deliberately tether a snake in the tunnels to serve as a natural booby trap for the tunnel rats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The stress the tunnel rats undergo every time they went into the tunnel was unthinkable that pushed their mental state to its limits. They would crawl into the narrow, pitch black tunnels looking for a heavily armed enemy for hours to combat with. The idea was to find the VC first before he jumped on them to kill them. Sometimes the strain on the men’s nerves was too much to bear to the point wherein he had to be dragged from the tunnel screaming and crying.[35] When this occurs, they are not allowed to go into the tunnel ever again. There were no dead tunnel rats that were to be left inside the tunnel. Dead or wounded they were dragged out with wires, rope or by a comrade only to be taken out of the VC territory.[36] Weapons and Warfare   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There was extensive use of the tunnel by the VC. The tunnel rats had to search and flush out the VC. Tunnel warfare then occurred between the VC and the U.S. Tunnel Rats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The soldiers became used to tunnel welfare that they reveled in the opportunity to pursue a VC through the narrow passageways. It was not a work for someone with a faint heart as the danger of death was ever present underground were grenades would just pop through trapdoors and other forms of booby trap awaited.[37]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When a tunnel rat went in for tunnel warfare, the infantry basic load was kept to a minimal. His total lack of equipment to carry was a factor for the tunnel rat’s survival.[38] The pistols the tunnel rats carried where the .38 Smith and Wesson. Sometimes they would carry a 9mm German Luger.[39] Most of the tunnel rats agreed not to carry the Colt .45. It was too big of a weapon for the underground battle with a silencer. Without a silencer, it was too loud that the enemies from far away could know your location instantly while you are temporarily deafened by the shot. In tunnel warfare, the tunnel rats follow the golden rule that prohibits firing more than three shots underground without reloading.[40] If this does not happen, the VC could know that the tunnel rat is out of ammunition and could attack while they reload.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnel rats carried a standard Army issue flashlight and each member carried one. They practiced how they would carry the flashlight to prevent themselves from being lighted targets. They also practiced how to change batteries in pitch darkness by touch alone and how it can be done quickly.[41] CONCLUSION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The tunnel rats were remembered to be one of the bravest in the American-Vietnam war. They did a job that not many wanted to do. In fact, not many dared to volunteer for this position. But they stepped up and made it a duty to their country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was not an easy job considering the highly sophisticated tunnel strategies that the Viet Cong implemented before the U.S. Army troops even discovered that they existed. They were in and out of a battle scene. They controlled the tempo of the battle because of their invisibility. Even when the tunnels were discovered, threats still turned on the American troops as it proved to be dangerous to explore the tunnels. Deadly booby traps such as land mines, sharp sticks and trapdoors overwhelmed the U.S. troops that may have underestimated the intelligence of the VC tactics. In the end much of the tunnels that were deeper into the complexes were remained uncovered and unexplored by the U.S. Army. This was a war rightfully won by the one who had the best strategies, the most ruthless approaches that surprised the nations of the world. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brown, Lousie. War and Aftermath in Vietnam. New York, Routledge, 1991. Clark, Gregory R. Words of the Vietnam War: The Slang, Jargon Abbreviations, Acronyms Nomenclature, Nicknames Pseudonyms, Slogans Specs, Euphemisms Double-Talk, Chants and Names and Places of the Era of United States Involvement in Vietnam. Jefferson, NC, McFarland, 1990. Mangolds, Tom. â€Å"Behind Enemy Lines a Nam Vet Returns; Tom Mangold Revisits the Terrifying Viet Cong Tunnels He Discovered as a Young War Reporter.And Finds Them Transformed into a Fascinating, Disney-Style Attraction†, The Mail on Sunday, 15 October 2006, 94. McGibbon, Ian. â€Å"The Tunnels of Cu Chi: A Remarkable Story of War in Vietnam†, New Zealand Internationa lReview, Vol. 31, No. 3 (2006): 29. Philbert, Robert E.   â€Å"Back to Nam†, Social Studies, Vol. 86, No. 1 (1995): 6. Schulzinger, Robert D. A Time for War: The United States and Vietnam, 1941-1975. New York Oxford University Press, 1997. â€Å"Tunnel Rats.† Digger History, (2002). Available from http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-conflicts-periods/vietnam/tunnel-rats.htm, accessed on October 3, 2007.

1984 Essay --

Are you sitting comfortably? I find myself constantly drawn back to the subject of George Orwell’s 1984 it follows a dystopian community, which is set in a world that has been in continuous war, and has no privacy by means of surveillance and has complete mind control and is known by the name of Oceania. It keeps an eye on a man named Winston whose features are described as him having â€Å"a smallish, frail figure†¦his hair very fair, his face natural sanguine, [and] his skin roughened† (Orwell 2). This book illustrates to readers what the world would be like if we were under complete control of the Government, as a result, this book poses a couple motifs’ for instance Part One tackles â€Å"Collectivism† which means the government controls you, while Part Two fights with â€Å"Romance† because Winston and Julia’s love, and Part Three struggles with â€Å"Fear† and how it controls you physically and mentally. Likewise, George Orwell’s 1984 Part One Motif is â€Å"Collectivism† which means an economic or political system in which the government controls everything like land, business, and in Oceania’s case even to extent of mind control. This theme proves itself as you first turn the page in part one when it states â€Å"Big Brother is Watching You† (Orwell 2). Those five words that could be read under that poster seem to act as all he needs in this community to prove his control and authority. The motif played a main part here because it was all about someone not having their own control; it was about them having everything accepted by Big Brother whether what they inscribe in their journal, what their thoughts were, or even what they were doing because Big Brother is watching at all times. Part two of George Orwell’s 1984 motif is â€Å"Romance† because Winsto... ...f it no matter what even if it means betraying the people we care. In order to understand ourselves, we must first understand George Orwell’s 1984. This book expresses multiple motifs like Part one on Collectivism by the people of Oceania putting their community in the hands of Big Brother, or Part Two was about Romance between Julia and Winston and about how the party wanted to alter love for complete devotion to Big Brother, and later in Part Three it was about fear and how it can control you. We must ultimately comprehend how this book could prove more of a timeline of events taking place now if we don’t put steps inline to stop the Government from complete control, really we are the proles Orwell was mentioning we are the hope and we must utilize it. â€Æ' Works Cited Orwell, George. 1984: a novel. New York, N.Y.: Published by Signet Classic:, 1977. Print.

Ap English Language Argumentative or Persuasive Essay

The Assignment: You are to research and compose an argumentative or persuasive essay focusing on a controversial issue (you may not write on abortion, gun control, marijuana legalization, gay marriage, or creationism/evolution). Argumentative essays enlighten your readers to the rationale behind your position on a debatable issue. However, persuasive essays not only enlighten your readers to your position on an issue, but also attempt to coerce readers to take some sort of action. You will be transforming your essay into a speech which you will present to the class. The Prewriting Stage: Step 1: Finding an issue 1. List possible topics 2. Select the topic in which you are most interested 3. Consider if others will be interested in it as well Step 2: Preliminary research—exploring the issue 1. Define your issue; develop your claim 2. What do you understand about it already? Brainstorm and list what you know about it. Explore your position. 3. What has been written or said about your issue by others? 4. How does your issue impact others? 5. Research the history of the issue. 6. Is your issue focused enough to be analyzed successfully? Is it so narrow that little has been written about it, or that few sill express an interest? Step 3: Considering your audience 1. How will most of your readers probably feel about his issue? 2. What do you expect them to know about it already? 3. Should you address your essay to an audience who disagrees with your position, or will you be â€Å"preaching to the choir†? Are you going to have to impact their underlying beliefs and values? Remember, you must address opposing arguments. Step 4: Reassessing your choice 1. Has your research supplied enough for you to maintain your claim? 2. Is there enough information available to addressing opposing arguments? 3. Do you need to learn more about it? Step 5: Constructing your argument—preparing to address those who disagree 1. List every reason that you can think of that will help your argument and convince your readers to reconsider their position and adopt yours. 2. Consider effective appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) 3. Number your points or assertions in order of strength or plausibility 4. Under each point or assertion, list potential objections or questions that it could raise. 5. Consider how you would respond to that objection or question 6. Consider how you would refute any illegitimate or illogical objections or questions. Step 6: Anticipating opposing arguments 1. List widely known opposing positions to your claim 2. Meet in groups and allow other students to play â€Å"devil’s advocate† by arguing the opposing side. 3. Number the opposing points or assertions in order of strength or plausibility; you will address the strongest points in your essay 4. List reasons for the opposing points 5. Prepare to accept or concede portions of plausible opposing arguments 6. Prepare to refute an implausible point or assertion. Validity of opposing arguments may be addressed by: *Giving a counterexample *Questioning the authority or source, the validity of the facts *Questioning the logic of the opposing point The Drafting Stage: Introductory Paragraph 1. Determine your claim. State it clearly in your opening paragraph 2. Define the issue and your purpose to your readers. Why are you writing about this? Why should your audience be interested? 3. Getting the reader’s attention—anecdote (telling a story), startling statistic, interesting quote, significance of your concerns 4. The background/history of the issue (if significant) 5. Establish the appropriate tone for your subject and your audience Body Paragraphs Supporting your claim 1. State your reasons for supporting your position along with evidence 2. Go beyond simple assertions; consider the nature of your appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) Body Paragraphs Addressing potential opposing arguments. You may either 1. Concede the validity of an opposing argument by qualifying part or accepting all of it while explaining why your position is stronger, or 2. Refute the opposing argument by stating why it is invalid or weak. Conclusion 1. Restate your claim 2. State the significance of your position. How does it affect the future? 3. Make a final emotional appeal if appropriate 4. State a call for action (persuasion) 5. Appeal for further study of research Self Evaluation: Address the following questions: 1. Did you stick with your original topic or did you change it? 2. What problems did you encounter during the process of creating the essay? 3. List two of the most important changes you made. Why did you make them? 4. Of what part of your essay are you most proud? Why?

Questions On American Airlines, Flight 11 - 971 Words

Katie’s eyes blink open with a start as she looks over at the clock. â€Å"Up before the alarm.† She thinks with a smile. It feels like ages since she’s seen her family in Los Angeles. A long overdue visit home is just what she needs. She jumps out of bed, excited to start her day. After showering and dressing Katie eats her breakfast on the balcony. It’s a beautiful Boston morning, crisp with just a hint of fall in the air. Once winter comes there’ll be no sitting outside. But, today the bright blue sky shows no signs of what’s coming. Before heading out the door, she hurriedly checks her tickets one last time. Sure enough they are right where they were a few minutes ago, safe in the side pocket of her purse. Looking at her flight†¦show more content†¦With only a carry-on she quickly checks in and gets to her gate. â€Å"Now boarding American Airlines Flight 11 to Los Angeles.† The desk agent says over the loud speaker. â€Å"Could my timing be any more perfect?† Katie thinks as she walks toward her gate. Entering the plane, she looks at her boarding pass, seat 8E. She quickly finds her seat where a Middle Eastern man is occupying the aisle seat. Nodding toward the window seat, â€Å"That’s me.† She says. As she is struggling to heave her bag into the overhead bin the man gets up and assists her. â€Å"Thank you.† She says as she takes her seat. A few moments later the flight attendant says over the loud speaker, â€Å"We have a bit of a situation, this flight is full and we have a passenger who must get to LA for a medical crisis in her family. Would anyone be willing to take a later flight?† Katie looks around and nobody is offering to give up their seat. â€Å"Don’t get on that plane.† Without thinking, she raises her hand. â€Å"They can have mine.† As she’s leaving the plane a frazzled woman with a tear streaked face is coming towards her. â€Å"Thank you, my dad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tears swallow her words and she takes her seat. Apologizing for the delay the flight attendant announces they’ll be taking off momentarily. At the airline counter Katie’s new tickets are already waiting, First Class, plus a voucher for food and drinks – nice. Sitting down at the bar Katie says, â€Å"It’s 5:00 o’clock somewhere, I’ll have aShow MoreRelatedSummary : 9 / 11 Essay1991 Words   |  8 PagesResearch Paper: 9/11 George W. Bush once said that â€Å"Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make. They see liberty and think they saw weakness.† 9/11 was a devastating day in American history. 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