Theatre of the Absurd free essay sample

A study of four works by Theatre of the Absurd playwrights. The purpose of this paper is to discuss Absurdist (Existential) theatre and four works by Theatre of the Absurd playwrights. The works used are Victoria Station by Harold Pinter, The Zoo Story by Edward Albee, The Philadelphia by David Ives and Sure Thing, by David Ives. Specifically, it discusses hopelessness and meaningless as a base plot for the Theatre of the Absurd and how these two concepts reveal themselves in the works. All four of these plays are by authors considered to write for the Theatre of the Absurd movement, which began in the late 50s. It is a movement concerned with the absurdity and absolute pointlessness of life. Many playwrights participated, including Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Eugene Ionesco, Jean Genet, and Edward Albee. The 20th centurys most popular non-realistic genre is absurdism. The root absurd, connotes something that does not follow the roots of logic. We will write a custom essay sample on Theatre of the Absurd or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the Absurdist school of drama, this holds true. Existence is fragmented, pointless. There is no truth so the search for truth is abandoned in Absurdist works. Language is reduced to a bantering game where words obfuscate rather elucidate the truth. Action moves outside of the realm of causality to chaos. Absurdists minimalize the sense of place. Characters are forced to move in an incomprehensible, void-like realm (Sosnowski).

The NYS Prison System

The NYS Prison System Free Online Research Papers The New York State prison system till this day continues to be one of the most popular prison systems in our country. New York State’s prison system consists of many different prisons and departments located all around the state of New York. New York State prisons have a lot of history throughout the years. The current commissioner of the correctional facilities that governs the prison system is Brian Fischer. Some notable prisons in the New York prison system are Sing Sing and Attica. Overview The New York prison system is one of the most known prison systems in the United States. It is currently the fourth largest prison system in the United States. According to the NYS Department of Correctional Services, the New York adult prison system currently houses and habilitates 62,500 inmates this number is good considering a drop of 9,000 inmates in the last eight years. The correctional service in New York employs over 31,300 employees including over 23,000 uniformed correctional officers in their system. New York currently has over 69 correctional facilities in the state. There are over 17 maximum security facilities, 37 medium security facilities, 13 minimum security facilities, 3 minimum security camp facilities and 1 drug treatment campus facility. The State of New York offers programs for their inmates stationed at various prisons. They offer such jobs as correctional industries, working on such jobs as manufacturing within the prison. These jobs include license plate sh ops, upholstery shops and printing plants. Other programs that NYS prisons offer are education programs in academics and vocational, guidance and counseling, substance abuse treatment services, temporary release programs and transitional service programs. (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) Departmental Mission The New York State Correctional System has many visions, goals, values and policies that apply to all of their prison and correctional facilities. The mission statement for the NYS Correctional Services is â€Å"Enhance public safety by providing appropriate treatment services, in safe and secure facilities, that address the needs of all inmates so they can return to their communities better prepared to lead successful and crime-free lives.†(docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) The main vision in which the correctional facilities in NYS go by is â€Å"enhance public safety by having incarcerated persons return home less likely to revert to criminal behavior.†(docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) The NYS Department of Correctional Services has many goals that it sets out to accomplish in operating its facilities. They want to â€Å"Create and maintain an atmosphere where both inmates and staff feel secure. Develop and implement positive individualized treatment plans for each inmate. Tea ch inmates the need for discipline and respect, and the importance of a mature understanding of a work ethic. Assist staff by providing the training and tools needed to perform their duties while enhancing their skills. Offer career development opportunities for all staff.† (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) The NYS Department of Correctional Services also has values that they want to operate by like â€Å"Operate with ethical behavior. Recognize the value of each person. Protect human dignity. Offer leadership and support to all. Offer respect and structure at all times.† (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) Certain policies that the Department of Correctional Services follows in NYS are â€Å"Offer opportunities for inmates to improve all their skills, and to receive individual treatment services, based on their ability and willingness to participate. Provide appropriate medical and psychiatric services necessary to those requiring such treatment so each inmate can maximize his/he r own rehabilitation. Enhance positive relationships by providing opportunities for interaction between inmates and their families. Establish a structured environment that fosters respect through disciplined learning.† (docs.state.ny.us/docs.html) Brief History The New York adult prison system has a lot of history behind it. The creation of the adult prison system in NYS dates all the way back to 1797 when Newgate Prison opened in Greenwich Village, 17 years later Auburn state prison was built being the second prison built. In 1825 Sing Sing was built on the Hudson River, just north of New York City and following this the creation of Clinton prison was formed. More and more prisons were built around New York due to the problem of crime and overcrowding. With these issues came into play the change of architecture of bigger prisons. Many new improvements followed thereafter. â€Å"The major improvements in the construction of prisons were the introduction of escape-proof cells and unbreakable toilets and wash basins. This escalating process of constructing ever more secure prisons reached its pinnacle in 1931, when the most secure, escape-proof prison ever built opened in the little upstate village of Attica, New York. With such dedication poured into its construction, Attica was, at the time, the most expensive prison ever built. Construction had begun in 1929 and continued into the early years of the Depression. Over one hundred years had passed since inmates from Auburn had gone to work to build Sing Sing. In the spring of 1930, the scene was repeated; inmates from Auburn were transported to Attica to assist in construction.† (correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/state/html/nyprisons2.html) In the later years prisons in NYS began to offer many programs to their inmates. â€Å"Effective January 1, 1971, the states complex of adult correctional facilities was reorganized as the Department of Correctional Services. Nine months later, the most severe prison riot in American history broke out at Attica Correctional Facility. A searching reexamination of correctional practices resulted in a heightened emphasis on educational and other rehabilitative programs including work release.† (correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html) Training for Prison Officers in NYS The first basic training for officers in NYS occurred in the 1930s on maximum security prison sites. â€Å"In 1936, the Department opened the Central Guard School for newly recruited officers at Wallkill Prison. Wartime restrictions and manpower shortages ended Guard School operations in 1942. It was not until 1965 that centralized recruit training was resumed, this time on the grounds of Matteawan State Hospital (now Fishkill Correctional Facility) in Beacon. The Beacon Academy offered a three-week training program for correction officers. In 1973, the DOCS leased the Mater Christi Seminary from the Diocese of Albany and established its current Training Academy there. The property was purchased by New York State in 1987.† (correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html) Currently the academy annually gives out two million hours of professional training in lecture training and on hands training. (correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html) Reaction I believe that the New York State prison system is a very complex system. From articles and research done throughout the writing of my paper I have found out that New York State prisons have always had a problem with overcrowding in their prisons. They have also been faced with problems of budgeting because of the issue of overcrowding. I think that New York State although being a fairly large state and having a fairly high crime rate should look into ways into making their prison systems more of a learning experience to their inmates. So far I think that they are doing a fairly good job in having resources available to their inmates. I think that that is the most important thing in the prison system especially in New York with their overcrowding. I think that the price of having an inmate be released into the world and then recidivate making them go through the whole process of being tried with the courts and then housing them in prison for another sentence, is more costly in my opi nion than having programs for them to learn and counseling to make them a better individual to be released into the world again. New York in my opinion does a god job but you could always do better. References CORRECTIONS MUSEUM. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from correctionhistory.org/html/museum/docsroom/docsmuseum.html Evolution of NYs Prison System Part 2. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from correctionhistory.org/html/chronicl/state/html/nyprisons2.html NYS Department of Correctional Services. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from docs.state.ny.us/docs.html New York State Department of Correctional Services Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Department_of_Correctional_Services Seiter, R. P. (2007). Corrections: An Introduction (2nd Edition). Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall. Research Papers on The NYS Prison SystemCapital PunishmentNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceOpen Architechture a white paperThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesTwilight of the UAWArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Project Managment Office System

Bail Out vs. Bale Out

Bail Out vs. Bale Out Bail Out vs. Bale Out Bail Out vs. Bale Out By Maeve Maddox Reading A Presumption of Death by Jill Paton, (St. Martin’s Minotaur, New York, 2003), I was distracted by the author’s frequent references to the necessity of a pilot’s having to â€Å"bale out† of his aircraft. How odd, I thought, that such a spelling error would slip by in a book of this quality. Surely the expression should be spelled â€Å"bail out.† According to a UK source (The Phrase Finder), the choice between â€Å"bail out† and â€Å"bale out† depends upon one’s way of viewing the act of leaving the aircraft. The person who says, â€Å"bale out† is thinking of the parachuted person as a bundle being pushed out, like a bale of hay, whereas the person who says â€Å"bail out† is thinking of the act of pouring water from a boat. This explanation might make sense if all English speakers agreed as to the spelling of the water idiom as â€Å"bail out.† Apparently some British speakers prefer to â€Å"bale out† boats. Nearly 90 years ago, H. W. Fowler (Modern English Usage, 1st edition, 1926) took a stand for bail: bail is right, bale wrong, in the sense throw water out; the derivation is from French baille, bucket. Fowler made no pronouncement on how to spell the word for jumping out of an airplane, most probably because he hadn’t heard of it yet. The earliest OED citation of bail in that sense is an American source dated 1925. The first citation for â€Å"bale out† is dated 1939. Fowler’s successor Sir Ernest Gowers (Modern English Usage, 2nd edition, 1965) dismissed the relevance of etymology in favor of â€Å"differentiation†: bail out, bale out. The OED says that [the spelling bail] should be used for emptying a boat of water; bale is ‘erroneous’ because the derivation is from French baille, bucket. But, perhaps owing to an instinct for differentiation, popular usage prefers bale both for this and for making a parachute descent from an aircraft in an emergency. The OED now has an entry for bale in the sense of â€Å"To lade or throw water out of a boat or ship with buckets,† but explains its etymology as an â€Å"erroneous spelling of bail.† The Guardian/Observer Style Guide has adopted the spelling bale for both jumping from an airplane and for pouring water out of a boat: bail out a prisoner, a company or person in financial difficulty; but  bale out  a boat or from an aircraft. Other British news sources, however, seem to prefer bail: Daily Mail Incredible story of the Lancaster pilot who bailed out over Germany whose life was saved when a searchlight helped him find his parachute Mirror Bedfordshire plane crash: Photos of wreckage show pilot may have tried to bail out. BBC NZ skydivers bail out over Lake Taupo as plane crashes. Telegraph Amid the 70th anniversary commemorations this summer it can be disclosed that at least 200 pilots died â€Å"needlessly† in 1940 after bailing out over water. Even The Guardian mixes the two spellings in the obituary of Flight Lieutenant William Walker that appears in its US edition: the bale spelling appears in a photo caption and the bail spelling in the article that follows. The UK edition of The Guardian has â€Å"bale out† in the text as well as in the caption, but Walker’s obituary in both The Telegraph and The Independent has him bailing out. Finally, the Ngram Viewer grid shows â€Å"bail out† far above â€Å"bale out† in printed usage. Bottom line: If you don’t have strong reasons to do otherwise, stick to bail for exiting an airplane and for throwing water out of a boat. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating ConjunctionsThe Difference Between "will" and "shall"The Uses of â€Å"The†

Theoretical Approaches to Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theoretical Approaches to Leadership - Essay Example Fred Fiedler developed the first contingency model for leadership, known as The Fiedler contingency model. It is suggested the model is "the most comprehensive program of research ever conducted on leadership" (Fiedler, 1967, as cited in Elkin and Inkson, 2000, p. 212). Fiedler developed this theory by studying hundreds of groups and teams', ranging from basketball teams to military unit, to examine leadership style and its effectiveness in different situations (Forsyth, 1999, p.355; Elkin and Inkson, 2000, p. 212). The theory suggested "That successful group performance relies upon the appropriate match between the leader's approach to interacting with his or her followers as well as the extent to which the circumstances gives control and authority to the leader (Robbins, 1993, 372). In other words, leadership effectiveness is contingent or dependant upon the suitability of the leader's style and the favourability of the situation (Forsyth, 1999, p. 355). In Fiedler's model, he utilized a measure called the LPC (least preferred co-worker scale) to measure between task-orientated and people- orientated leadership. People who scored high on LPC were considered 'people- orientated' whereas people who scored low on the LPC was considered 'task-orientated'. Individuals' LPC scores would determine the type of situation for which they were best suited. Furthermore, the situation was defined and measured through 3 important variables, 1. Leader-member relations 2. Task- structure 3. Leader position power

Overseas holiday project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overseas holiday project - Research Paper Example Now I will discuss the shortest time needed to complete this project. I have studied this project in a very comprehensive way and got that the obtain passport activity takes the 15 days and plan itinerary takes 10 days. If process fast then I think that we can get 5 days from obtaining passport activity, and 8 days from the planned itinerary. Then buy special clothes takes 3 days, we can complete this activity in one day, in the similar way we have study brochures activity that is taking 5 days, we can cut down this activity to 2 days. In this way, I have saved the 18 days. Now we work more rapidly than we can complete this project in 33 days. So it is the shortest possible time to complete this project. In this project, the main considerations that we have to place on the things that can affect the planned time allowed for the project are the activity of the obtaining visa, and passport. There are lots of factors that can include in these two processes. If any one on of these two activities delays, then we can have the problem regarding the project completed on time. So we have to concentrate on these two activities for the better project exaction with in time limits. The project planning and tracking tools like WBS, OBS, and CPA provide numerous facilities in the process of the project planning. For instance, WBS provides us a way to break down the complex and large project into the small components through which overall project execution becomes easier (Kernzer, 2003).

Global Food Prices on the Rise Essay -- Economics, Global Government

Who Benefits from Government Policies There are many companies, taxpayers and agencies that benefit from the promotion of production of ethanol. As noted in one resource, â€Å"Big Oil pocketed tens of billions of dollars through a little known subsidy called the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC)† (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, 2010, Take Action). Farmers in developed countries who receive subsidies from the government reap benefits from this policy because the more corn, or sugarcane, that is produced for ethanol, the larger the profit is for the farmers. Subsidies also help these farmers in producing more products for the ethanol that is demanded. As the text states, â€Å"By lowering production costs, subsidies help domestic producers in two ways: (1) competing against foreign imports and (2) gaining export markets† (Hill, 2011, p. 207). Taxpayers see large benefits from ethanol production, but the benefits of sugarcane ethanol are larger than those with corn ethanol. As noted in one resource, â€Å"Gasoline with sugarcane ethanol is $2.88 per gallon, where gasoline with corn ethanol is $2.92 per gallon† (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, 2010, Economic Advantages). The government, for example, in the United States, also benefits from polices set in place. As noted in one resource, â€Å"Corn ethanol production has hit record levels this year [2011], beating government goals and creating a surplus for export† (Krauss, 2011,  ¶ 10). Who Benefits from Tariff Barriers on Imported Sugarcane As discussed in the text, there are two parties who benefit from import tariffs: the government and domestic producers. For the government, tariffs increase revenues. For domestic producers, tariffs provide the ability to afford ... ...ed January 29, 2012, from http://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_case_against_biofuels_probing_ethanols_hidden_costs/2251/ Hill, C. W. (2011). Global Business Today (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Krauss, C. (2011, July 7). Ethanol Subsidies Besieged. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/business/energy-environment/corn-ethanol-subsidies-may-be-in-jeopardy.html?pagewanted=all Peters, G., PhD (2011, February 16). A Look Behind Rising Food Prices: Population Growth; Rising Oil Prices; Weather Events. Message posted to http://ourfiniteworld.com/2011/02/16/a-look-behind-rising-food-prices-population-growth-rising-oil-prices-weather-events/ Radcliffe, B. (2011). The Basics Of Tariffs And Trade Barriers. Retrieved January 29, 2012, from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/08/tariff-trade-barrier-basics.asp#axzz1ktwQdZhy

American Architecture

Beaux Arts, French for â€Å"fine arts,† describes a type of American architecture that was popular from 1890 to 1920. They have two roof styles: flat or low-pitched hip roof or a mansard roof. These buildings often feature decorative garlands, floral patterns, or shields on their walls. The facade often has quoins, pilasters, or columns with Ionic or Corinthian capitals, and masonry walls of light-colored and smooth stone. Arched, pedimented windows were common. The first story uses stonework joints that are exaggerated, giving it a rusticated look, although the facade is usually symmetrical.There are several reasons why Beaux Arts style was a dominant choice of public building architecture from 1890 to 1920. Beaux Arts buildings were a popular architecture choice in prosperous urban settings in cities such as Washington, D. C. , New York, Boston, St. Louis and San Francisco, as well as Newport, Rhode Island. They were big, elaborate buildings to build, and their construction one was a way to show off your wealth if you were rich. Beaux Arts buildings were the style of choice for rich American industrial barons, for example.However, when the Great Depression hit in the late 1920s, these large buildings became too costly to build and maintain, and over time several were destroyed. Some have been preserved as public museums, schools, and clubhouses. Another reasons why they were dominant in public building style in America is the French influence. Americans who served in France during World War I saw examples of these buildings and helped make the style popular when they returned home. Americans who studied at France's Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the best architectural school in the world at that time, advocated for this style of building when they returned to America.The Ecole also favored formal planning for the spatial relationships between buildings. This helped drive the American City Beautiful movement, which was popular during this time period. This idea also influenced AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE PAGE 3 the Beaux Arts-style employed by designer Richard Morris Hunt for Chicago's 1893 World Columbian Exposition. After this, other large cities, including Cleveland, Philadelphia and Washington D. C., used these formal design ideas in planning suburbs with massive parks and boulevards that were lined with landmark Beaux Arts-style houses. A further reason why Beaux Arts was a popular architectural choice is their roof's appearance. The mansard roof became popular in attached urban town houses because it reduces the apparent height of the upper-floor living space as compared to other nearby buildings. It also gave the homeowner a full upper story of attic space to use, and so it became popular to use this style of roof in remodeling older buildings as well as for new ones.There were tax implications for this style here as well: in France, where the mansard roof originated, expanding a home ‘s â€Å"footprint† – adding addi tional rooms on the ground and increasing square footage – meant that the owner would be required to pay heavier taxes on the structure. Building â€Å"upward† – expanding square footage vertically rather than horizontally – constituted a â€Å"loophole† which helped the property owner to avoid increased taxation on his home. The Great Depression may have brought an end to the cost feasibility and popularity of these lovely structures.From about 1933 onward, homes that were constructed were smaller, plainer and more utilitarian. Fortunatly for us, but happily several of the old Beaux Arts have been preserved for our enjoyment and study in cities across the country, including San Francisco, Portland Oregon, Chicago and Rochester New in cities across the country, including San Francisco, Portland Oregon, Chicago and Rochester New York. Even in times during which real estate markets fall, classic old homes such as Beaux Arts houses and buildings conti nue to command top prices.