Assignment 6

(1) Paraphrases of important points
Original
A third area for theory is that of the relationship between literature and gender. In the case of this poem, the gender issue is pretty stark. We might ask the question, what are the signs in this poem that it is written by a man rather than a woman? (This is very often a good question to ask). One sign, I think, is the fact that as a ploy in the seduction process the speaker draws attention to his relatively advanced age. Could a woman speaker in a love poem associate herself with images of late autumn, sunset, approaching death, and dying embers? It seems unlikely.
Paraphrase
Barry considers the connection between literature and gender as a third area in terms of theory. He claims the gender issue in this particular poem is quite stark and looks for signs indicating that the writer is a man rather than a woman. According to Barry a female writer would not draw attention to her age and further argues that they would not likely compare themselves with images of late autumn, sunset, approaching death and dying embers.

Original
(2) We look for similarity beneath apparent dissimilarity, or vice-versa.
The two couples may be presented at first as the opposites of each other, but a close reading shows that what at first seemed true is actually untrue. For instance, one couple may be presented as very materialistic and the other as highly idealistic. But in the end events show the idealist to be unyielding and inflexible, while the materialist is seen to be generous of heart and forgiving of human frailty. So they are opposites, but not in the way that first appeared.
Paraphrase
In Barry's second element of interpretation he claims that a close reading shows that things are not always what they appear to be when you first read a literary work. He exemplifies this with two couples; one may be introduced as very materialistic and the other couple as highly idealistic. As the story unfolds the idealist couple turns out to be unyielding and stubborn, whereas the materialistic couple are seen to be generous and forgiving.

(2) Words, phrases or brief passages that I think should be quoted directly
Reading literature well is often a matter of picking up these counter-currents, those points where language undermines itself, runs against its own grain, carries along its own opposite in its own slipstream.

Deconstructive reading is a kind of dowsing tool which is designed to pick up that counter-current which runs beneath the surface.

Linguistic quirks, structural patterns, deconstructive reading, close reading, reading the text against itself.

(3) Review
The more I read the more annoyed I became. The article started out well with a clear outline of what the reader was to expect, followed by the check list; interesting and not hard to understand. The rest was more of a daze. Written by an academician for academicians alike; drawn out expoundings that are certainly interesting but not written interestingly enough to keep me alert for that amount of text. The text was too dense and there were too much literary jargon, it made me lose track several times and I had to go back and read it again. The wrapping up was a total anti climax, a sudden and abrupt end, perhaps leaving the reader more confused than enlightened that I presume was the actual purpose. To me it seemed like a third or fourth draft that needed to be slightly more revised. He made an interesting subject yawn- producing and I am certain he is a writer skilled enough and able to write more captivating.
The structure was good as far as the ten elements were concerned, the rest of the article I thought went from one thing to another with no clear point for each paragraph. In conclusion I did not think the article was very convincing, due to a lot of unnecessary twaddle.

In the article Tackling Textuality - Without Theory from The Use of English (Volume 52, Number 1, Autumn 2000), Peter Barry accounts for ten principal methods on how we take on and interpret a literary text. These are ten essential features that will always be required when interpreting a text. With this checklist Barry makes us aware of what we do when we decipher a literary work when 'close reading' without the use of literary theory. However, these methods are never sufficient as they mainly look 'inwards into the text itself' when we have to look out from the text too. The need to look out from the text is the reason we have and need literary theory and to complement his checklist he elucidates four aspects of the connection between literature and the outside world which are history, language, gender and psychoanalysis. Barry uses Shakespeare's Sonnet 73 to illustrate these different approaches.
Barry's principal methods explains for example how we look for a general 'structural pattern' in a literal text to enable an interpretation, how a close reading reveals that things are not always what they appear to be and how we identify the difference between meaning and significance. Furthermore we consider what influence the genre of the work has on its contents and we usually read the literal as metaphorical.
Barry uses the relationship between literature and language to illustrate 'deconstructive reading'. He argues that this particular relationship allows us to think about deconstructive reading which as well as it has been a strong instrument in literary theory it is also closely connected to our usual intensive close reading. One of Terry Eagleton's definitions of deconstructive reading is 'reading the text against itself'. The close reader's ambition is to demonstrate a 'unity of purpose within the text' and with all its intentions directed towards that, the text then appears to be in harmony with itself. The deconstructor on the other hand wants to demonstrate the text's disharmony and looks for elements of for exampel contradictions, absences or omissions. Barry illustrates deconstructive reading with the poem 'Oread'.
In conlclusion of Tackling Textuality - Without Theory, he claims that literary theory can many times be an obstacle which leads to more problems than it is able to solve but the enjoyment and the understanding when unfolding a text is rewarding enough to justify the process.

Keywords:
literary theory, close reading, deconstructive reading, interpretation and meaning

Grading of Children in Primary School

Ideally children in primary school should not have the burden of grades when the process of acquiring knowledge has only just begun. Primary school should preferably be a time for exploring knowledge, becoming aware of how to achieve it, but above all develop children's self-esteem. For learning to be valuable, the learning process needs to be pleasurable. Children are not able to distinguish between the person and performance thus self value may be measured in grades which might lead to a spiteful and tense atmosphere in the classroom. There are many different kinds of intelligences which are a crucial point to acknowledge and something the teacher must make the child understand. Knowledge should not be acquired to attain a certain grade; the child needs to learn the value of knowledge and why it will be important in the future. School is also about learning styles and personal development; would that be visible in a grade?

Grades may motivate the pupil to foremost finding out what the teacher wants rather than stimulate eagerness to learn and understanding. Knowledge is quality, grades are quantity. Every child shall have the prerequisites to succeed in school, hence teachers, children and guardians need to engage in active dialogue about schooling; what works, what does not work, and what can be done about it? Furthermore, a discussion about the reasons for going to school at all, should to a greater extent take place. That way, children might be able to enhance their understanding about the importance of the activities in school and appreciate knowledge.

Many children achieve a great sense of satisfaction when graded, but may also be devastating for children with troublesome home conditions. It may seem late to get your first grades when in eighth class and might cause stress not knowing if the effort put into school work is sufficient to obtain a certain grade. The reality is they are going to apply to upper secondary school where many programs require fairly high grades. School is also an arena for preparing children and adolescents for the future; to become responsible and independent citizens; consequently working towards a grade might be an important driving force and encourage self-determination and hard work. A possible solution would be to grade children in primary school, incorporate them into the eventually inevitable system of grades; illustrating the development of knowledge in this manner makes it tangible.

Even so, keeping in mind the contentment grades might give some children, it does not vindicate them in primary school. Children at that age need foremost to establish their self-esteem; accordingly, grades may ruin the enjoyment of learning which would be a betrayal to our future generation.

Christmas gift of the year 2010

Christmas may seem a long way away but why not consider your Christmas shopping already now? Rather than spending time and money finding the perfect Christmas gifts for your kith and kin why not put your money where the need is. Have you thought about donating some Christmas money to fund-raising organizations committed to water and water-related issues?

We cannot survive without water, it is vital for all living beings. Clean water is a fundamental necessity we take for granted, having fresh drinking water straight from the tap is hardly something we praise every day. In grim contrast, only one flush of a toilet in this country uses more water than most Africans use to carry out one day's washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking. Millions of people, mostly children, die every year from waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, guinea worm and hepatitis. Unsafe water and sanitation is today alone the largest cause of illness worldwide and without clean water children are deprived of an education, which consequently would generate a better quality of life and hope for a promising future.

In 2005 the United Nations set a Millennium Development Goal with an aim to increase the number of people with access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. For that reason the U.N. General Assembly announced the years between 2005 and 2015 to be the International Decade for Action on "Water for Life" to raise attention on this global concern. Anybody can get involved in the "Water for Life" Decade, it takes place everywhere all over the world and you, as an individual or organization are welcome to arrange any kind of event. To organize an event as a Christmas gift may seem exaggerated and over-ambitious, my point being is merely to promote awareness and suggest alternatives for spending your money. Keep an eye out for various events where a small contribution could be helpful, nobody can do everything but everybody can do something.

Every so often we read about scandals involving highly placed chiefs of fund-raising organizations embezzling money which certainly tarnish the reputation of such organizations. Be sensible and put your money where your heart is, where you believe it would be most beneficial. Endeavour to inspect some organizations, be cautious to avoid scam artists and ensure that your donation benefits the people or organization you want to help.
Therefore the Christmas gift of the year 2010 deserves with good reason to be a donation to the United Nations or any fund-raising organization you believe in. Is not a contribution to a better quality of life for somebody, the best gift of all?

Why do so many young people overuse Red Bull and similar beverages?

We are increasingly living at a faster pace, things need to happen fast, constantly. The Internet enhances your availability and technology today makes it possible to create any personality of your liking. I am seen, therefore I am, appears to be an underlying driving force for many adolescents today. Round-the-clock availability, attendence and alertness certainly requires a considerable amount of energy. To stay contactable at all times might reduce the risk of exclusion and the anxiety this generates could be too overwhelming for the young teenager. The solution is delivered in a can, aggressively marketed with health benefits like "improves performance, especially during times of increases stress or strain, increases indurance, concentration and improves reaction speed".

The almost cult status that Red Bull has achieved over the years as well as the countless debates of the health risks linked with energy drinks, makes it more intriguing and enticing. Numerous urban legends might also have contributed to its popularity, one claims that taurine (one of the major ingredients of Red Bull) was made from bulls' semen but stories of this kind could further increase its enchantment. Red Bull is said to have caused several deaths and it is also criticised for its high contents of caffeine and other stimulants. Also, a small amount of cocaine was detected in Red Bull Cola, however its contents were not enough for a narcotic effect.

At least one death has been reported, possibly caused by a Red Bull overdose; a woman of 21 had been drinking four cans of Red Bull as well as several VK's; a vodka and caffeine drink. It was suspected that she suffered from a rare heart condition called long QT Syndrome and she was also on medication for epilepsy. Again, such controversies, especially those not proven would also make the brand gain in popularity and young people worldwide may take the challenge; consume more than necessary only to prove authoroties wrong. Red Bull claims that taurine, an amino acid, can "kick-start" the metabolism, another possible reason for an overconsumtion amongst young people who likes to be slim, particularly young girls.

Through an ardent marketing campaign with the slogan "Red Bull gives you wings", the company has successfully built up a "cool" image associated with extreme sports such as snowboarding, windsurfing, cliffdiving, surfing and motorcross. Music and video games are other sponsored activities which particularly appeals to young men with an interest in computers rather than extreme sports. To be able to play long hours, stay sharp and certainly alert, Red Bull or similar beverages is likely to provide the extra energy and improves the consumer's performance. The constant flow of information possibly creates a demand for more action which in turn could perhaps lead to a craving for more and extravagant stimuli. Is this a conceivable scenario for our future generation and is it a healthy development?

1. Style
In writing, style refers to the manner in which a writer chooses to use his or her language to express meaning in a given context. In academic writing, the writer aims to adapt language according to the audience and the situation, written in such a manner with a striving to attain high readability; the text being articulate and accurate.

2.Formal writing
The Foreign Office said that it was doing everything in its power and liaising with Pakistani authorities through consular officials. "We are in touch with the family and providing every support we can," a spokesman said. "It would not be responsible of me to say too much in public about what is happening in the investigation." Pakistani police, who earlier suggested that the affair would be over within 24 hours, now appear less confident. They say that they were still making significant progress in tracking down the kidnappers, who struck as Raja Naqqash Saeed, 28, Sahil’s father, was loading suitcases into a taxi outside the family home in Jhelum, Punjab, ready for the flight home. The raiders subjected the family to up to six hours of torture before snatching the youngster and demanding a £100,000 ransom.
(http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7050922.ece)

Tentative language; "...now appear less confident."
Formal language, for example subjected.
No contractions
Relative clauses, for example "Pakistani police, who...".
Long and complex sentences.

Informal writing
I was also lucky enough to receive the skirt with red lips, which I plan to somehow incorporate into a creepy nurse/Richard Prince outfit.Oh, life. Oh, people! You are very good to me, and I am lucky. One day I will be saying to my grandchildren, "You know, I once had a blog, which is like those hologram things you kids have now, but it was on a big cubic device. And some people kinda got a kick out of it, and I sometimes got things like skirts from Prada." And they'll be like "LOL OK TIME FOR BED, BUBBE."
(http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/)

Colloquial language such as kids, kinda, creepy, got things
Contraction; they'll
Colloquial expression; "And they'll be like..."
Acronym; LOL

3.Formal
Alice in Wonderland was written in1865 by the English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, published under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. The book was well received and the first print run of 2,000 was quickly sold out. It has never been out of print, has been translated into 125 languages and has over the years captivated children as well as adults worldwide. Although well renowned intellectuals such as Queen Victoria and Oscar Wilde both took much pleasure in reading Alice in Wonderland, it was also made an object of ridicule for being bizarre and unpredictable.
Informal
Alice in Wonderland was written in1865 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson but published under the name Lewis Carroll. People liked the book and the first print run of 2,000 sold out in no time. It's never been outta print, has been translated into 125 languages and has fascinated children and adults all over the world. Even if famous intellectual people like Queen Victoria and Oscar Wilde were really into the whole Alice in Wonderland thing, t'was also made fun of because t'was just weird and unpredictable.