Two Sided Coin Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke Essay

Two-sided coin: Thomas Hobbes vs. John Locke There are always two-sides everything including people and the government, kind of like science vs. faith view. With Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, they give the impression to be on opposite sides when it comes to people, society and the government even and yet both were Englishmen. Hobbes was born 5 April 1588 and died 4 December 1679; he is best known today for his work on political philosophy. While John Locke was 29 August 1632 and died 28 October 1704, and is widely known as the Father of Classical Liberalism, His work greatly affected the development of epistemology and political philosophy. Hobbes wrote Leviathan in 1651, which established the foundation for most of Western political†¦show more content†¦While Locke’s idea is from the bottom up, like the good objective come form the people to the government. To continue this thought process with Rights. Hobbes thought you conceded your rights to the government, in return for your life. That People are born with rights that they relinquish to the monarch in return for protection, this is known as social contract. Again this view is that good comes from the government down to the people. Hobbes augments kind of makes since in a way, we down give of some privacy rights for example the NSA Spying program or when we fly, but get search by the TSA beforehand. While Locke thought men have rights by their nature, and came up with the idea that all people are born with certain inalienable rights; life, liberty, the right to own property. We see this very argument in today’s government, when issues about National Security come up. The NSA spying program, one side says that people are going to have to give up there rights in order to be protected, while the other side thinks that people have the right to privative at all times. Long before there were ever organized Government, there was state of nature. Which was a concept of what the lives of people might have been like before societies came into existence. With Hobbes, argued that all humans are by nature equal in faculties of body and mind. From this equality and other causes in human nature, everyone is naturally willingShow MoreRelatedCleanth Brookss Essay Irony as a Principle of Structure9125 Words   |  37 Pagesbe due to each individually. For the most part they are attempts, arising out of actual work for the party, to clarify the theoretical problems of the revolutionary movement in the mind ,of the author and his readers. The exceptions to this are the two essays Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat and Towards a Methodology of the Problem of Organisation which were both written specially for this collection during a period of enforced leisure. They, too, are based on already existing

No Love Lost Essay - 1218 Words

For a play about marriage A Doll’s House does not have much love in it. All of the characters claim to love each other, but are really concealing other emotions. The expectations of society have forced them into love that they do not feel. This false love is what causes them to fall apart in the end. The play is riddled with marriages that are born out of convenience or expectation rather than love. Every character only loves in ways that they are expected to, and only continue to love for convenience’s sake. There is no love in A Doll’s House. Torvald treats Nora as a child, not an equal; he is not really in love with her. The most glaring examples of this are his pet names for her. He likes to think of her as a small, delicate†¦show more content†¦He did it for his own benefit. Despite her claims to the contrary, Nora never loved Torvald. Nora does often say that she loves Torvald, or at least that she used to love him. However he attitude toward him seems downright spiteful to him. For instance, she eats macaroons because he has forbidden them. She does not tell him about borrowing the money, because she is saving this important fact for when â€Å"Torvalds stopped being so fond of me†¦ then it might be a good idea to have something up my sleeve†(19). She does not save him for love as she claims; it is so that she could have something over him so that when she becomes older and uglier he will have some reason to respect her. This is not an appropriate way to display love. Saving his life is not the action of a dutiful wife, but those of a spiteful and clingy person. Even though the action seemed like it was done out of fear of being alone, when she is asked why she borrowed the money she does not say that it was to save her husband, but to sav e her â€Å"beautiful, happy home†(19). She does not save Torvald, she saves her lifestyle. She is married to Torvald so that she can have this comfortable lifestyle, not because she loves him. Dr. Rank does not love Nora; he is only infatuated with her. His confession of love seems so genuine and powerful that his love could be the only genuine love in the play. But furtherShow MoreRelatedLove Discovered And Love Lost928 Words   |  4 PagesLove Discovered and Love Lost in ‘’Araby’’ By James Joyce Written by one of the best writers in the modernist era in the 20th century, a great story by the name of ‘’Araby’’ emerges. This great short novel was written by James Joyce. In the story Araby, Joyce’s main focal point is the young man who portrays where he lives in North Dublin Street with his family who is his uncle and aunt in a household. The author reminisces the time when he used to run with his friends throughout ‘’the dark muddyRead MoreA Mothers Love Lost869 Words   |  4 PagesA mothers love lost Having a mother s love is like an essential part of staying alive. Without a mother s love it’s kind of hard to survive the unbarring trials that life has to throw at you. I have been struggling without the love of my mother for about nine and a half years and not one thing has changed. I’m still upset about the fact where I use to have days filled with love and laughter to days that are now filled with unwanted tears and regret. This is an emotional essay of the things thatRead More Lost Love Essay2083 Words   |  9 Pages My Lost Love It was ever so dark that evening. It hurt to look at her. It was like looking at my heart barely beating on the floor. I couldnt stand it. Love never hurt me this much. I cant believe this happened. Why me? Why her? Why us? In an instant it was over. I remember the first time we met. It was actually kind of funny. She was walking her dog. Actually, the dog was walking her. I was reading a poem and walking along. When all of the sudden, we collided. The second I looked up into herRead MoreLove Lost - Original Writing1023 Words   |  5 Pages Love Lost There was never a creature more divine than he. His eyes were the kind that, with a single look, could force one to stop in the middle of a sentence and remain mesmerized. They were blue like the sky on a sunny day, but much more expressive. His hands were strong, but as they stroked my cheeks, I felt nothing except softness. Though his thick beard atop his intense jawline made him look rugged, his temperament was gentle. He told me he believed in love and Buddhism, but that was just theRead MoreAnalysis of Shakespeares Loves Labours Lost934 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s story, Love Labour’s Lost, focuses the story on the endearing lust of men. Women are a powerful force, so in order to persuade them men will try to use a variety of different resources in order to attract the opposite sex. Men will often use their primal instincts like a mating call, which could equivocate today to whistling at a woman as she walks by. With the use of lies to tell a girl what s he wants to hear, the musk cologne in order to make you appear more sensual, or the clichà ©Read MoreLove and Lust in Loves Labours Lost1292 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but Love. (Love’s Labours Lost. 1.2.)† This Shakespearean quote relies on the fact that love can lead to many misfortunes, presented as one of the aspects of love in both William Shakespeare’s â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream†, and Wole Soyinka’s â€Å"The Lion and the Jewel†. One aspect of love demonstrates its brilliant sides, and with it, brings affection, faith, and intimacy. However, it is also noted that an equal aspect of love conveys the consequencesRead MoreAnalysis Of Millay s Lost Love975 Words   |  4 Pages An Analysis of Millay’s Lost Love in Poetry Poetry is a unique way of telling a story in which the medium in question shows instead of tells. They come in all sorts of styles from a Haiku to Free Verse. Some of them are very clear as to what they are about while others can be convoluted and they have to think about for a while. The message in the poem could be about anything. Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote about a variety of topics mostly about the pain of loss from either death, break up, etcRead MoreLove s Labor s Lost2107 Words   |  9 PagesLove’s Labor’s Lost (1598) by William Shakespeare shows a humorous â€Å"battle of the sexes† among members of the aristocracy. While this battle may seem like a harmless game of wits on the surface, there is a serious lack of authentic communication that underlies this comedic play, which spells trouble for male and female relations in general. Through insincere words, vows, and writing, both sexes – men especially – show a failure to love and commun icate genuinely. This â€Å"battle of the sexes,† at leastRead MoreLost Between Love and Abuse Essay2431 Words   |  10 PagesRoethke (1908-1963) describes the relationship between him and his father through his poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz.† Theodore reveals his painful memories of his difficult childhood in a critical age when many children wouldn’t ask for anything more than the love of their parents. Professor Grant T. Smith â€Å"Theodore Roethkes ‘My Papas Waltz’: A Readers Response†, explains how his students value the father-son relationship in Theodore’ poem, he believes that â€Å"Their primary argument that this poem depicts aRead MoreAnalysis Of Labors Love Lost By Andrew Cherlin751 Words   |  4 PagesLabors Love Lost by Andrew Cherlin details the economic and social conditions of the working class in America and their effect on families from the Industrial Revolution to the present day. Cherlin separates this time span into sever al periods: pre-1900s, early 1900s to 1945, 1945 to 1975, 1975 to 2010, and present day. Cherlin uses these periods as a base for his book, describing the progression from the rise of Industrialization to the economic boom provided by escaping the world wars nearly unscathed

Famous Venezuelas - 988 Words

Famous Venezuelans in the Scientific World I would like to present three exceptional venezuelan scientists who impacted the lives of millions of people in a generous way around the world and also in the United States. Humberto Fernandez-Moran, Baruj Benacerraf, and Jacinto Convit were scientists who significantly changed and contributed to advances in science and medicine in different but equally meaningful ways. Each made his mark within the scientific community in ways that benefited many people around the world, and for these reasons, each was recognized with honors, including Nobel prizes for Benacerraf and Convit. Baruj Benacerraf Baruj Benacerraf was born October 29, 1920 in Caracas, Venezuela to a Moroccan father and Algerian†¦show more content†¦For six years, while at Broussais Hospital, he studied the reticuloendothelial’s function on immunity with Guido Biozzi. Due to the difficulties of finding research positions in France because he was considered a foreigner, he eventually moved back to New York to work as an Assistant Professor of Pathology at New York University School of Medicine. It was his work on immunogenetics that led to being awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1980. (Baruj Benacerraf - Biographical 2017) Humberto Fernandez-Moran Humberto Fernà ¡ndez-Morà ¡n Villalobos (1924-1999) was a physician, biophysical, professor and researcher. A native of Venezuela, he earned his medical degree from the University of Munich in 1944. He founded the Venezuelan Institute for Neurological and Brain Studies and invented the diamond scalpel in 1955 to cut very thin samples of biological tissues and metals. In 1958 he left Venezuela and took a position at the University of Chicago where he devoted his career to the development of electron microscopy, cryomicroscopy, and ultramicrotomes. Fernà ¡ndez-Moran also worked at NASA in 1965-1969 doing investigations about â€Å"Space Related Molecular Biology, including Considerations of the Molecular Organization of Extraterrestrial Matter.† Another project he worked on at NASA was â€Å"Investigations in Space-Related Molecular Biology Including Considerations of-the Molecular Organization in Luster Sounding -Rocket Program.† Dr. Fernandez-Moran was granted the Jo hn Scott AwardShow MoreRelatedThe history of Venezuela dates back to 13,000 B.C. to 6,000 B.C. when the first Venezuelans were600 Words   |  3 PagesThe history of Venezuela dates back to 13,000 B.C. to 6,000 B.C. when the first Venezuelans were found coming from the East (Guyana), the South (Brazil), and the North (Antillas). The difference in their culture and religious backgrounds came from the different tribes. These tribes included hunters, fishermen, and farmers. Other tribes formed a more complex method of the agricultural system, such as those from the region of Andean.Another group, the Caribbean’s, were very hostile and skilled in combatRead MoreAmerica s Successful Fight For Independence1484 Words   |  6 Pagesindependence for Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. Bolivar succeeded as a liberator but his ultimate dream to unify his beloved continent fell short. His vision of combining all of South America into one independent nation alway s remained intact. Being great admirer of the American Revolution and the French Revolution, Bolà ­var described himself decide Along with other Spanish colonies in South America, Venezuela had a broad mixture of races that was controlled by a strictRead MoreVenezuelan Immigration Essay769 Words   |  4 PagesVenezuelan Immigration How did independence politically affect the Creole class in Venezuela? I. Venezuelan independence split the Creole class into two political factions, liberals, and conservatives. In addition, independence motivated many Creoles to remove themselves from politics and pass their power to local caudillos, or soldiers. (Williamson 233-234) (Greene 105-106) A. During Venezuelans independence movement, opposing viewpoints of two of the colonies most influentialRead MoreBiography of Simon Bolivar792 Words   |  4 PagesSimon Bolivar was born July 24th, 1783 in Caracas, Venezuela. His family consisted of a slew of wealthy Creoles, or those born in America but of European decent. However, early on in his life he was faced with tragedy when first, his father died when he was three and then his mother soon followed as he neared the age of only six. Although his parents’ deaths seemed untimely and tragic but, because of the wealth of the family, Bolivar had great access to two very important tutors who would mold hisRead MoreThe Bolivarian Republic Of Venezuela2793 Words   |  12 PagesThe Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the northernmost country in South America. Even though its location makes it a tropical region, this country posses a variety of climates going from warm at the Caribbean islands to alpine and humid at the mount ains of Los Andes. This paper discovers the different tourist areas of Venezuela. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the variety of climates, lands and regions that make this country the perfect tourist destination. First, we will cover someRead MoreVenezuelas Geography : Venezuela1550 Words   |  7 PagesBefore the early 20th century when one considered Venezuela they thought of Venezuela’s coffee and cocoa exports, however ever since the discovery of petroleum during the early 20th century, Venezuela is one of the world’s largest exporter of oil. They are also one of the first founding members of OPEC. However Venezuela has much more to offer than oil and coffee. Currently Venezuela is rapidly expanding and becoming more stable. Compared to the countries past the economy is strong and growing everyRead MoreVenezuela s Power And Power1288 Words   |  6 PagesVenezuela has been gradually turning into a tyranny. What used to be one of the most economical ly prosperous countries in Latin America, has been corrupted by a sole man, who single-handedly managed to control Venezuela for 15 years and pull it away from the ideal of democracy.[1] While alive, Hugo Chà ¡vez arose like a populist false prophet, took advantage of an establishment-tired and politically divided Venezuela, and did everything possible to perpetuate his own power and pave the way for a monopolisticRead MoreWhy Venezuela Is A Federal Republic With A Presidential System2383 Words   |  10 PagesA country known for the Angel Falls (highest waterfall in the world), the exquisite arepas (corn cakes with cheese) and the legendarily Miss Universe titleholders; the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is located in northern South America.   Regardless from the artistic landscapes, Venezuela is acknowledged for its vital oil reservoirs, its everlasting admiration of Simon Bolivar and its prominent watermark of Chavismo. Moreover, the country’s bureaucratic history ha s been influenced by Spanish colonialismRead MoreJoining a Discourse Community1221 Words   |  5 Pagesto join, that’s why this wide subject might be interesting to every person in the world, however some readers might object this idea by insisting that some people are unique and can handle themselves alone in life, but no one can live alone, as the famous American writer Pearl S. Buck said â€Å"The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no otherRead MoreRed Bull Marketing2204 Words   |  9 PagesVenezuela is located on the northern end of South America. Its coastline borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The country is just over the size of two California’s and has a population of approximately twenty-six million people. Venezuela gained its independence from Spain in 1830. Its gove rnment is democratically elected with Hugo Chavez as the current president. Chavez is currently pushing his political idea of â€Å"21st Century Socialism† and is nationalizing many of the infrastructural

Staying True to Self Examining the Elements which Hinder...

Assimilation by any standard is conversion. A type of conversion into another’s culture with new beliefs, morals, and traditions that changes an individual. Forced or willingly done, this act of assimilation is a loss of a person’s identity within his/or her own culture, whether he/or she is African, Native American, Chinese or Latino. However, who says that one must fully assimilate into another culture, taking on another’s entire way of living and committing to those beliefs, ridding oneself of one’s own heritage? In Lee Schweninger’s essay, â€Å"Back when I used to be Indian: Native American Authenticity and Postcolonial Discourse,† he acknowledges â€Å"the importance of tribal identity, an identity maintained despite and separate from those†¦show more content†¦Never can one fully escape the captivity of their heritage. But rather they hold onto pieces of their culture through daily activities, hobbies, or simple interactions, restraining them from ever completely adapting into another’s culture. With the use of critical arguments from Frederic Nietzsche, Deborah L. Madsen, and Gloria Anzaldua, this thesis will prove that the characters within the works of Sherman Alexie’s Reservation Blues and Tyehimba Jess’ Leadbelly can never fully assimilate into the dominate culture due to driving elements such as storytelling and dreaming which heavily impact their individual lives, promoting acceptance of their own heritage and cultural identity over that of the oppressive dominating society. Frederic Nietzsche’s ideas of the Apollonian and Dionysus helps explore the power of dreaming and the reality it forces one to confront within them as they battle with the thought of assimilation. The existence of the two ideas is contrasting in characteristic, but they don’t merely fight each other; they need each other to exist. The Apollonian state is in which, the person who is responsiv e to the stimuli of art behaves toward the reality of dream much the way the philosopher behaves toward the reality of existence; he observes exactly and enjoys his observations, for it is by these images that he interprets life, by these processes that he rehearses it. (Nietzsche 440) This is coupled

Dulce Decorum Free Essays

Taylor 1 Dying for a State through Poetry Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est uses vivid imagery which removes any romantic ideas that it is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland. Randall Jarrell’s The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner uses ambiguity to compare death for the state and abortion. Both writings convey the horror of dying for a state. We will write a custom essay sample on Dulce Decorum or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Death of the Ball turret Gunner begins â€Å"from my mother’s sleep, I fell into a state and hunched in its belly until my fur froze. † This is saying that the gunner was born from his mother’s warmth into a cold state, as he is born in the belly of a high altitude bomber. The â€Å"State† is referred to as cold and less nourishing in Randall Jerrell’s poem. In Dulce et Decorum Est the poem reveals hidden truths of the first world war, and showed the cruelties the soldiers had to face on a day to day basis. Dulce et Decorum est begins â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars† (5) All the turmoil’s that young men were put through making them feel and look older than they really were, breaking them down making them lose their spirit they had as young men. What makes this poem unique is the fact that Wilfred Owen was there to witness the horrors of the first world war. Owen continues â€Å"An ecstasy of fumbling fitting helmets. † As the soldiers ran from the gas bombs their helmets bouncing on their heads, putting them at bigger risk of dying for your country. War is often glorified by others that have not experienced how horrifying war can be and they think that they can be hero’s, because of stories they heard as a child from a mother or a father that makes war seem romantic and patriotic so they should enlist in the romance of being that hero not realizing that the war is truly a horrifying experience. Owen states at the end of his poem â€Å"to children ardent for some desperate glory† (25) Children who think it is sweet and honorable to die for ones country because someone who has no experience has told them stories of romance and patriotism allowing them to believe they will be hero’s in the perfect dream. Taylor 2 Wilfred Owen and Randall Jerrell both tell the gruesome truths of the war and ow it really was to be that unsung hero that watched his friends die and be put into a cart to be hauled off not really knowing if their families and loved ones knew they had passed on, or how it was to be the product of a war and to not live past your first hour because you were born into the freezing belly of a bomber plane and treated like trash when the plane has finally landed and was being cleaned out. How the war today is any different than what both of these authors are trying to say? There is no difference because in Dulce et Decorum est the very last words â€Å"The old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. † â€Å"It is sweet and honorable to die for the fatherland. † The recruitment offices of today still tell their soldiers that they are doing America a favor by fighting for them and that it is an honorable way to live life however it is not said that it is honorable if you die but if you live you have better opportunities in life to go somewhere and be someone. What happened to those young men who fought in the First World War? Most of them lost their friend because they were told it was honorable to die for their country, then a lot of them came home from the wars crippled and could not participate in the things they did before they enlisted, and then some of them came home in a plain pine box to families that only then saw the horrors of the war. How to cite Dulce Decorum, Essay examples

Soap Operas Essay Example For Students

Soap Operas Essay What forms of pleasure can be found in viewing the continuous serial on TV?The continuous serial is more commonly known as the soap opera, and is peculiar in that each episode cannot be watched and understood on its own; the viewer must watch the episodes before and after to understand what is happening. According to Brown the soap opera has 8 typical characteristics (see appendix 1). Television is becoming an increasingly important part of society. We have more televisions in our homes, and on those televisions there are more soap operas for the viewing public e.g. EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Neighbours, Home and Away, Brookside, London Bridge, and HollyOaks. Individuals undoubtedly get a lot of pleasure from them, and although the soap opera is viewed as entertainment, there should be a cautious approach to this view, because television is an influential part of our society. In this essay I will look at the pleasures and the consequences. Escapism is one form of pleasure. The soap provides an outlet for an individual to escape the responsibilities of their own life. As soon as the familiar theme music begins the viewer is transported to another world, although Mike Clark poses the question (page 19) ?What sort of escape is it that constantly refers to the very issues that may be troubling the viewer?. Another pleasure of soap operas ?is the continuity of the characters and settings (Clark, page 19). The familiar settings give a sense of a stability and order to the viewer. Most people know the Rovers Return in Coronation Street or the Old Vic in EastEnders. The individual feels at home with a soap and its characters, of which there can be up to 40; all are old friends to the regular viewer. For the most part they do not set out to shock. Because the characters are ordinary and believable, Mike Clark states that the actors must be the same in their lives outside television. He tells us that:?When Peter Adamson, who pla yed Len Fairclough, was charged with sexually molesting a child and subsequently ?killed off from the program, his crime was not that, precisely (he was acquitted), but rather one of deviating from the unexceptional norms of Coronation Street and of the viewers at home. Seeing someone who had been publicly associated with such an offence, and thinking ?I wonder what really happened, would be disruptive of the kind of low-key realism attempted by the program, therefore out he had to go.Im not sure that this argument would hold true today. His book was published in 1987 and since then I think the public has become more tolerant, and apart from that, Coronation Street has become more controversial in its storyline; these days generally any publicity is good for a soap. This leads to another pleasure derived from the soap opera. The private lives of the actors, reported in the press and on the television, provide an infinite source of pleasure for the viewing public. In the Evening Stan dard (Tuesday 3rd March 1998) there were three separate articles about three different actors from EastEnders: Barbara Windsor, Paul Bradley, and Patsy Palmer. However, such public interest can create a problem for the actors, in the form of admirers and stalkers and the public still perceiving them as their on screen character. Empathy with the characters can reduce the viewers own problems as they realise that other people also suffer; another good reason to watch a soap. Biancas abortion storyline, in EastEnders, may have helped people in similar situations think about the relevant issues before making their own decision. Regular soap opera viewers who have followed a particular soap for years, according to Clark ?acquire an expertise and a fund of archival knowledge, which enable them to experience the programs more fully, and more enjoyably. So, they understand the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of the characters in the soap, and will often know exactly how a particular character would act in a particular situation. For them, this makes soaps more pleasurable. The romantic interest in the soap holds many viewers. Who will fall in love? Who will have an affair? Who will get married? At the time of writing, in Coronation Street the viewing public are wondering what will become of Fiona and Steves relationship. Marriages in soaps bring record viewing figures. Ive already mentioned the controversial storylines in soaps; these are another pleasure. EastEnders in particular is overtly controversial which is why their ratings are so high. Such storylines allow the viewer to have fun arguing his/her side of the case, or accepting the side presented by the writer. Brookside has covered incest, euthanasia, drugs, surrogacy, and a body under the patio. According to Phil Redman (creator of Brookside) ?the more challenging the storyline the more the audience appreciate it?. These storylines are beneficial to society because they increase social awareness of issues such as aids (Mark Fowler in EastEnders), and alcoholism (Phil Mitchell in EastEnders). T hey can also help people who are exposed to, or tackling, these issues in their own lives, because they see how the characters in the soaps deal with the situations. The high quality of the acting is another of the pleasures derived from viewing soaps. Both EastEnders and Coronation Street are renowned for their good acting. In February 1998, Patsy Palmer who plays Bianca Butcher was nominated, along with Miranda Richardson and Sinead Cusack, for the best actress award by the Royal Television Society. These awards are not based on ratings, or viewers opinions, and this is the first time the society has proposed a soap star for the coveted trophy. She was nominated for her performance as a devastated young mother who discovered her unborn baby was suffering from spina bifida and brain damage. Interestingly, this storyline won EastEnders some of its highest ratings. Soaps can be enjoyed as a ?primary cultural activity (according to Fiske). The viewer sits down and watches without inte rruption. After a long hard day at work, there is nothing better than sitting with a cup of tea or coffee, switching off from the problems of the day, relaxing and watching a soap. But they can also be enjoyed as a ?secondary cultural activity whereby the viewer watches or listens whilst doing something else. This too makes soaps pleasurable because they can be incorporated in to daily life, but not dominate it or control it. Ironing, homework, paperwork, and cleaning can all be done whilst watching a soap, because they are not too demanding to watch. People derive pleasure from talking about soap operas. Its a double pleasure; having had the pleasure of watching them, they then enjoy talking about them with their friends and work mates, discussing the issues and what they think will happen next. Katz and Liebes state that in discussing soaps, people are discussing and evaluating the issues in their own lives. Certainly if we discuss Emmerdale or Home and Away with friends we have a sense of belonging or social identity. Storylines are not only discussed by the viewers, but also reported in the press. The newspapers obsession with soap operas was apparent in 1983 when Deirdre Barlow (wife of Ken) had an affair with Mike Baldwin. When this storyline broke, the press printed endless stories ?should Deirdre go to bed with Mike, or should she leave Ken to set up home with Mike? The Daily Star, Daily Mail, Sunday Mirror, Daily Express, Sun, even the Times, Daily Telegraph, and Guardian covered the storyline. Ann Kirkbride who plays Deirdre Barlow said ?I thought the story would spark off a few fan letters, but I never imagined anything like the press and public reaction we got. I never dreamed it would grip the nation like it did. It was scary.?The interweaving storylines are another reason why soaps are enjoyed by viewers. There are at least 10 different storylines in each episode, so that if one storyline does not interest a viewer, one of the others will. In an episode each scene is generally no longer than a minute and a half, thus keeping the interest of the audience. The assumption here is that the average viewer has a short attention span. Because there are so many storylines, new characters can be introduced to the soap alongside old ones; this all adds to the viewers enjoyment. The most popular TV programme of Christmas 1987 was the Christmas Day episode of Coronation Street, so they must be a pleasure to watch. According to the book BBC People and Programming, most families seem to organise their evening TV viewing around a few core programmes, which everyone enjoys, such as Coronation Street or EastEnders. These are called bonding programmes. ?At 7pm 80% of TV viewing is group viewing says Clarke. So another pleasure derived from watching soaps is that they can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Viewers know that there will be no embarrassing sex scenes, no foul language, and no nudity. So in the case of Coronation Street, grandpare nts and grandchildren can sit down and watch together and neither will be offended. However, this statement does not hold true for EastEnders, where the ?gay storyline, for example, could upset the older generation. Women are avid soap watchers and it is possible that their enjoyment is in watching scenarios that could occur in their own families, and so prepare them to deal with such situations. They are also enjoyable for women because soaps are about the only television programmes which show that older women, who are larger and not so beautiful, do have a romantic or sexual existence. This is not shown on the screen, just talked about. According to Fiske :?There is a real pleasure to be found in soap operas that assert the legitimacy of feminine meanings and identities within and against patriarchy. Pleasure results from the production of meanings from the world, and of self that are felt to serve the interests of the reader rather than those of the dominant.They also appeal to w omen because, there is a pleasure in seeing women take active and controlling role; an example being Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders. Billy Budd By Herman Melville Analysis EssaySoaps are enjoyable because they echo what is going on in the world. Television and soap operas are not the originators of social change, but are merely part of that change. As aids became an illness affecting people in society, so soaps such as EastEnders included it in their storylines. However, despite all the pleasures of soaps that I have written about, things are not that straightforward. Because soaps are shown at peak family viewing times, care must be taken with the content of the storylines. Aggressive behaviour should be kept to a minimum because ?there is a positive relationship between the amount of exposure children have to television violence and the extent to which they act aggressively according to Atkinson. Although the pleasure of soaps is that they can be incorporated into the viewers daily lives, and according to Palmer ?viewers are rarely dominated or controlled by them?, I would argue that the opposite is true. Many viewers have to be home by a certain time for a particular soap, or cannot go out until their favourite soap has finished. Soaps are certainly addictive and, although they are pleasurable, they are also a problem because they are a habit that cannot easily be stopped. The cliff-hanger at the end of each episode keeps the audience int erested, yet addicted. With the increase in soap operas, individuals spend more time watching them and this affects their view of the world, even if it is subconsciously. Because they are frequently watched, it is possible that they distort our view of the world. Other activities such as reading and exercising are prevented by soap watching. Critics of soaps argue that watching them makes individuals more passive, so it cannot be a real pleasure because were not actively involved. With all of the above in mind, I would argue that soap opera watching is a definite pleasure. Viewers can be selective in their watching, and those that choose to watch soaps are aware that they are fiction. I will leave the last word to the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman:?Manchester produces what to me is ?The Pickwick Papers that is to say Coronation Street. Mondays and Wednesdays I live for them. Thank god half past seven tonight, and I shall be in paradise.?BibliographyATKINSON, Introduction to P sychology, Orlando: Harcourt Brace, 1996BROWN, M.E., ?The Politics of Soaps, Australian journal of cultural studies, 4, 1987, 1-25CLARKE, Mike, Teaching Popular Television, London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, 1987FISKE, John, Television Culture, London: Methuen ; Co. Ltd, 1987KATZ, E. and LIEBES, T., On the Critical Ability of Television Viewers, 1987KAY, Graeme, Coronation Street Celebrating 30 Years, London: Boxtree Ltd, 1990THOMSON, Mark, BBC People and Programmes, London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1995Appendix1. Serial form which resists narrative closure. 2. Multiple character and plots3. Use of time which parallels actual time, and implies that the action continues to take place whether we watch it or not. 4. Abrupt segmentation between parts. 5. Emphasis on dialogue, problem solving, and intimate conversation. 6. Male characters who are ?sensitive men. 7. Female characters who are often professional and powerful outside the home. 8. The home or some other place, which functions as a home, as a setting for the show.