Thor: Comparison of Myths and Comic Books

Thor: Comparison of Myths and Comic Books The modern day image of a superhero consists of either Superman or Batman riding in a high-speed car and swinging off of buildings hundreds of feet from the ground, desperately trying to save the innocent victim. A Norse God with long blonde hair, a winged metal helmet, and a bright red cape with blue leggings is probably not an ordinary image being pictured in ones head. Superheroes come in all varieties, shapes, and forms, but behind each superhero lies a secret to why they were created. The reasons for creation range from events that previously occurred in history to recent changes in todays society. Comic book superheroes were indeed influenced by history, but the comic book superheroes also continually influence history itself. This reciprocal influence continues to affect the generations of comic book fans for years on end. Comic book creators have been known for using a strategy to create characters which tend to resemble infamous gods to separate the common ideal mortal heroes from the indestructible immortals. By using this strategy, comic book creators are able to give their characters a fierce outer shell with a scholarly uplift (Reynolds 53). With the creation of the Mighty Thor comic book character in 1962, Lee and Thomas used this strategy perfectly (54). Asgardian characters were just ready-made superheroes waiting to be transformed into the comic-book world (57). Being named one of the most unusual creations in comic book history, Thor truly defined â€Å"†¦the first successful attempt to harness existing mythology on a large scale to construct the mise en scene of a superhero† (54). In relation to history, Thor was the son of Odin, the universal father, and Frigga queen of the gods. His name dates back to ancient Norse Mythology where he was known for his incredible strength and enormous size. This continually amazed the gods (Guerber 59). Recognized as the god of thunder with a magical hammer, he was â€Å"honoured as the highest god in Norway† (60). Thor was always right in the middle of action when it came to battling against raging monsters, deadly giants, and prehistoric forces. There are three main properties that define Thors character when he becomes involved in battle. The first is his infamous hammer Miollnir which symbolizes the crushing skulls of monsters and giants. The second is his belt of strength which when buckled, makes his godlike powers multiply. Last are his iron gloves which he must wear in order to swing his hammer (Page 40). There is a direct correlation between the mythical Thor and the comic-book character the Mighty Thor. From both the physical aspects and the characteristics of their personalities, Norse legends have heavily influenced the modern comic-book superheroes (Knowles 29). The Mighty Thor is visualized as a tall robust man, with strawberry blonde locks, and blue eyes. He also speaks in a very distinct old English accent. An example is when the mighty Thor proclaims, â€Å"Thy work is done, father! Let it be known far and wide that the full might of Mjolnir is restored† (0000). Whereas the mythical Thor is closely described â€Å"†¦as a man in his prime, tall and well formed, with muscular limbs and bristling red hair and beard†¦(Guerber 60).† Both characters also share the same love of being involved in battle, and depend on their mighty hammer. Although, the mythical Thor depends on his hammer for security and power, the Mighty Thor uses his hammer to transform into Don Blake and back into Thor (Page 13). The mythical Thor was also known for his outlandish and dangerous outrages which eventually became uncontrollable. Consequently, his mother sent him away from home and placed him in the care of Vingir and Hlora. This is where his other names â€Å"Vingthor† and â€Å"Hlorridi† derived from (Guerber 59). Much like the mythical Thor being sent away from his homeland, the Mighty Thor was sent away from Asgard to earth as a punishment from his father because of his arrogance (Reynolds 54). From these comparisons one can obviously conclude that the artist, Jack Kirby, was truly fascinated with Norse legends. Since his childhood, Norse legends formed the basis for his imagination and gave him great inspiration when it came to graphically representing the Mighty Thor on paper (Misiroglu 599). History has indeed influenced the creation of the Mighty Thor, but another question should be raised. Has the Mighty Thor influenced history? With the debut of the Mighty Thor in 1962, the hippie era was on the rise. Long hair, bell bottom jeans, and tie-die were some of the trends getting ready to appear. The country was also getting ready to be faced with the Vietnam turmoil which would greatly influence comic-book creators and their story-lines to come. The Mighty Thor has always been known for fighting out against powerful Communists and mad scientists (Knowles 191). Throughout most of the Marvel comic-books, villains were represented as Communists. Some superheroes would actually have to travel straight into the heart of the Viet-Cong for battle. In the famous 1965 series, Journey into the Mystery, the Mighty Thor was found in South Vietnam assisting a group of anti-communist peasants. Both the peasants and Thor were taking on the merciless Viet Cong military. Along the way, Tho r also liberated a Vietnamese family from Communism where he promised a village he would return (Wright 222). With the Vietnam conflict raging among citizens all over the United States, young adolescents were getting ready to burst out. The Mighty Thors heavy anti-communism propaganda, influenced readers of all ages. One way Thor truly influenced the youth culture was actually unintentional towards young men. Preceding a couple of years after the Might Thors debut, his long golden hair would become a fashionable trend. This long hair then became a symbol of rebellion and rage for young people all over the nation (213). The hippie era had begun.

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay: An Analysis -- Love Song J. Alf

An Analysis of The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock The general fragmentation of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is obvious. The poem seems a perfect example of what Terry Eagleton calls the modern "transition from metaphor to metonymy: unable any longer to totalize his experience in some heroic figure, the bourgeois is forced to let it trickle away into objects related to him by sheer contiguity." Everything in "Prufrock" trickles away into parts related to one another only by contiguity. Spatial progress in the poem is diffident or deferred, a "scuttling" accomplished by a pair of claws disembodied so violently they remain "ragged." In the famous opening, "the evening is spread out against the sky / Like a patient etherised upon a table," and the simile makes an equation between being spread out and being etherised that continues elsewhere in the poem when the evening, now a bad patient, "malingers, / Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me." There it "sleeps so peacefully! / Smoothed by long fingers . . . ." This suspe nsion is a rhetorical as well as a spatial and emotional condition. The "streets that follow like a tedious argument / Of insidious intent" lead not to a conclusion but to a question, a question too "overwhelming" even to ask. Phrases like the "muttering retreats / Of restless nights" combine physical blockage, emotional unrest, and rhetorical maundering in an equation that seems to make the human being a combination not of angel and beast but of road-map and Roberts' Rules of Order. In certain lines, metaphor dissolves into metonymy before the reader's eyes. "The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes" appears clearly to every reader as a cat, but the cat itself is absent, repr... ...becomes a collection of individual parts, just as the poem's human denizens had been little more than parts: "And I have known the eyes already, known them all"; "And I have known the arms already known them all." The instantaneous movement from part to whole, from eyes, arms, evenings, mornings, to "all," expresses the emptiness between, the gap between dispersed parts and an oppressive whole made of purely serial repetition. The very reduction of human beings to parts of themselves and of time to episodes makes it impossible to conceive of any whole different from this empty, repetitious "an." As Burke says, metonymy substitutes quantity for quality, so that instead of living life Prufrock feels "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons. Â   Works Cited Michael North, The Political Aesthetic of Yeats, Eliot, and Pound. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

Through the chronicles of history there have always been heroes. Men and women that stand up and take charge and are moral leaders of countries. Joan of Arc, Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Churchill are only a few examples of people that are remember eternally for what they have done. There are also other leaders that people would like to forget because they are moral cowards killing their subject and causing evil. Stalin, Fidel Castro, and the Character of Macbeth are all examples of this. Macbeth is a moral coward. During the play Macbeth often shows that he is morale coward. For instance, when he is planning Duncan’s murder. Likewise he also shows cowardice by killing Banquo. Lastly he shows how spineless he is when he orders Macduffs family to be murdered. A coward is an individual that is easily scared or has difficulty performing functions because of possible reprocutions. Macbeth shows notable cowardice when planning the murder of Duncan. Macbeth leans from one side to the other because he is fearful of the reprocutions. Macbeth says, “ If {we} should fail';. This shows that he is fearful and too cowardly to act. Lady Macbeth also states, “Are thou afeard to be the same in thine own act';. Again showing how cowardly Macbeth is because he will not act. Likewise Macbeth is a coward because he murders Duncan in the middle of the night and does not give a formal challenge. Instead he pretends to be his friend then kills Duncan while he is sleeping. This is what a coward would do. Likewise Macbeth also shows cowardice by killing Banquo. This shows cowardice on Macbeth’s part because his only true reason for killing him is that he is afraid of Banquo’s royalty of nature. Banquo poses no real threat to Macbeth’s throne and is visibly loyal to him. Still Macbeth fears Banquo because he is a good guy and is very respected. Macbeth is spineless because he even believes that his friend is after him and is a danger to his throne. Macbeth says “our fears in Banquo stick deep, and in his royalty of nature reigns that which would be feared';. Macbeth is pusillanimous to the point that he even believes that his friend posses the greatest opposition for him as king. As well as this Macbeth is also a coward because he himself does not kill Banquo.

International Coach Federation Code of Ethics

International Coach Federation Code of Ethics International Coach Federation Code of Ethics Professional Conduct at Large #7 – I will maintain, store, and dispose of any records created during my coaching business in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security, and privacy, and complies with any applicable laws and agreements Professional Conduct with Clients 12 – I will not knowingly take any personal, professional, or monetary advantage or benefit of the coach-client relationship, except by a form of compensation as agreed in the agreement or contract. Professional Conduct with Clients #18 – I will not become sexually intimate with any of my current clients or sponsors. Confidentiality/Privacy and Conflicts of Interest. #22 – I will maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality with all client and sponsor information.I will have a clear agreement or contract before releasing information to another person, unless required by law It is very interes ting to learn that a coach and a teacher are very much alike in many ways, especially when it is about ethics. I learned also that the coach’s pledge is very similar to the teacher’s. As an ICF Professional Coach, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching clients and sponsors, colleagues, and to the public at large.I pledge to comply with the ICF Code of Ethics, and to practice these standards with those whom I coach. If I breach this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the ICF Code of Ethics, I agree that the ICF in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to the ICF for any breach may include sanctions, such as loss of my ICF membership and/or my ICF Credentials. Reference International Coach Federation Code of Ethics. Retrieved from www. coachfederation. org/ethics/En  cache  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Similares

Compare the presentation and content of the article in the Mirror and the article in the Guardian

‘Communities in Britain aren't used to gun culture'. However, what is gun culture? Although gun crime is increasing, is it the so-called glamorous ‘culture' that is fuelling it? On the other hand, is it the society we live in and our failure to instil morals and principles in our children? In this essay I am going to compare how a tabloid and the website of a broadsheet presents and reports this issue. I shall be looking at the different presentational devices and visual images used, language and the structure and context of the material. Firstly, the difference in media is immediately clear. The Mirror, a tabloid paper, has a big picture of Ice Cube the rap artist spread across two pages as its main focal point with the heading ‘Don't let music take the rap'. In contrast, the Guardian's website has very little in the way of pictures and has the text as the main focal point with a small heading. As this is a broadsheet, I would expect it to be much the same in the actual paper. On the other hand, both papers have used puns in their headings. The Mirror uses ‘Don't let music take the rap' and the Guardian uses ‘Bullet points'. Both headlines are used for the same reason- to catch the reader's attention and to inform the reader what the article is about. Furthermore, in the tabloid paper the picture of Ice Cube holding a gun promoting his film is very similar to the one of Trevor Nelson in the main article, since they are both wearing black leather jackets and black hats. Implying that both of them are involved in the same sort of lifestyle. The Guardian does not use such presentational devices to make the article more appealing to the reader but it does have a small picture with the words ‘Gun violence in Britain' on a red back ground suggesting blood. Both papers have a number of articles relating to the main subject but have them displayed in very different ways. The Mirror has a number of small columns relating to the main editorial, which are spread around the outside of the two pages, Dealing with various aspects of gun culture, so as to hold the readers attention the info has been broken down into digestible ‘bites'. On the other hand, it may distract the reader's attention from the main article. However, the Guardian has a number of hyperlinks to related articles so there are no other actual pieces on the same page as the ‘Bullet points' article. This once again shows the difference in media and how the two papers are able to present their articles. At the bottom of the main article in the Mirror there is a section asking the public to write in if gang life has affected them. Here the Mirror is inviting readership participation, much as TV shows such as Jerry Springer and Oprah, this invites an on going discussion, which may provide the paper with a good story. They are also probably expecting sensationalist replies. The Guardian does not use this since its editorship probably thinks its readers have the confidence to write in anyway. Since the presentation of the two articles is so different and the fact that one paper is a tabloid and the other is a broadsheet, you would expect the content of the two articles to be very different. First of all, the difference in paragraph sizes is immediately clear. The Trevor Nelson piece in the Mirror is mostly single sentence paragraphs. On the other hand, the paragraphs in the Guardian are slightly longer with three to four sentences in a paragraph. Apart from this, the articles are not very different, both articles are against blaming music for gun crime, ‘†¦it is wrong to blame gun crime and violence on music', and ‘To blame gun violence on music is to simplify and distort the problem.' This in the Mirror's case is contradictory to the picture of a rap star holding a gun. The Mirrors main article is supposed to be Trevor Nelson's views on the subject written by a reporter. On the other hand, Willber Willberforce, a programs editor at ‘1Xtra', expressing his views on the subject, writes the Guardian's main piece: Both articles are mainly opinion and have little or no facts in them; this is a sentence from the Mirror's article. ‘All a kid has to do to prove he is the baddest boy in the area is to get a rumour going he's got a gun.' This is a sentence from the Guardian's piece. ‘Music is in everybody's house, in everybody's car, but does not dictate peoples morals.' Furthermore, the language in both articles is quite informal; ‘†¦if you pardon the pun, would be not to give them any ammunition.' since the Guardian is a broadsheet, a more formal approach to the subject would have been expected. Moreover, the difference in the level of vocabulary used by both papers is little or none; this is an extract from The Guardian: ‘†¦It is a social problem that has lots of contributing factors. To blame gun violence on music is to distort and oversimplify the problem.' In contrast, here is a sentence from the Mirror: ‘Nelson is adamant that it is wrong to blame gun crime and violence on music and says the fault lies in the heart of society.' Here you can see that the level of vocabulary is the same. Although, both papers use people in the music industry to write their articles the way two papers choose to do this is very different. The Mirror does this by getting a reporter to interview Trevor Nelson and then write an article expressing his views. On the other hand, The Guardian gets the Programmes editor at 1xtra to write his own article expressing his views this enables him to speak directly to the reader rather than through the filter of a reporter. Moreover, the way the two pieces are structured is very different; The ‘Bullet points' article starts of by talking about how gun crime has got worse, ‘gun violence has undoubtedly got worse'. Then goes on to discussing the reasons why people feel the need to carry guns, and then it blames the media for the way they portray urban musicians, ‘Megaman visits a hospital, but that's not newsworthy.' Finally, the writer chooses to end the piece talking about how most popular urban artists don't actually talk about guns and violence in their songs, ‘†¦the biggest selling urban acts today†¦ are basically singing love songs.' In contrast, the Trevor Nelson article in the Mirror begins by talking about how music is not to blame for gun crime and violence but society, ‘†¦the fault lies at the heart of society.' Then the article goes on to talk about how what is happening with urban music is no different to football hooliganism: ‘But this is no different to the hooligan days when yobs used football as vehicle for their aggression.' Lastly, the article ends talking about Trevor Nelson's first hand experience of gun crime at a club he was DJ-ing at. ‘I was devastated. To know someone got killed at a party where I was DJ-ing†¦' I think the Trevor Nelson article makes its points most effectively it is better structured and is well thought out. Moreover, Nelson has more credibility because he has given an MBE for bringing urban music to the UK, whereas Wilberforce is less well known. On the other hand, due to the readership of both papers it is not very lightly that the readers will know who either Nelson or willberforce are. The ‘Bullet Points' article in the Guardian did not have a main point on why not to blame music, it seemed to push the blame to the media. In addition, it said that the most popular urban artists sing love songs, in spite of the fact that Eminem is one of the biggest selling urban acts and one of the most controversial due to the nature of his lyrics. Furthermore, in this piece there are a number of questions asked by the writer that are left unanswered: ‘If there were no records glorifying guns, would they still feel they needed to carry a gun?' Or ‘Where do the influences on peoples behaviour begin and end?' In conclusion, the way in which the two papers covered the issue was very different from each other, although surprisingly they did have their similarities in vocabulary and language. Moreover, there were clearly some advantages and disadvantages in the medium chosen to report the subject, such as; for the Guardian, the internet enabled them to use a number of hyperlinks to satellite article but the reader would have to know the web address to get to their site first. In contrast the Mirror could guarantee that the reader would at least glance at each article whether they chose to read it or not but because they were using paper they had a limited amount of space available for articles.

A make up artist job

The job of a make-up artist is my lifelong ambition. Since early childhood, I was impressed with the mysterious world of stage and cinema and eager to make a contribution to the sphere. I believe that make-up artists are making a great deal to make artists’ appearance before cameras intriguing and appealing. There are also a number of things about the career that appeal to me at this point. First, it involves communication with people. As make-up artists work with movie stars, television hosts, and theatre actors, this means communication with interesting, talented people who bring their gifts to stage presentations. As someone fascinated with the artistic world, I am eager to foster relationships in it that can turn into lasting friendships. Contributing to their looks on the screen and on stage, I can become an important person in their lives and one to whom they turn for support and advice. Second, I like the creativity of the job. A human face can appear to the world in such a distinct variety of looks that it is really breath-taking to imagine. The make-up artist can use one’s innate ability to add a new touch to anybody’s face, making it more or less impressive. I am excited to learn ways to present the same face from a different standpoint, demonstrating its different aspects and qualities. I believe that there is great opportunity to use one’s creative abilities in this kind of job. Since I am always booming with ideas, I feel that a job of such kind is right for me. Third, it is very important that this job relates to human beauty. Personally, I sometimes admire how good-looking people can be. People are so different, and the make-up artist’s job is to bring out their individuality, underscoring their most appealing qualities. Working on the human face is so exciting because, no matter how trite this phrase seems, the face is the mirror of the soul and is thus the most important part of appearance. Trying to reveal the beauty of the human face is very exciting, especially when one works with a face that does not fit into social beauty standards. I would be especially thrilled to work on such faces, attempting to show the world the inner beauty of these people. I also enjoy the technical part of the profession and its various challenges. I know that I will have to gain a thorough understanding of technical issues involved and details of the photographic process, shooting, colors, special effects, and the like. I am really interested in seeing all these details in work and gain a thorough understanding of them. When I finish the make up artist school, I intend to seek a job, perhaps on television or in the movie industry. This is my first choice because I believe that a make-up artist has a lot to do in those areas. This work is going to be creative and offer opportunities for self-development. I would love to secure a permanent job with a film-making company or a TV channel. I understand that it may be unrealistic at some point and therefore am prepared to deal with assignments on a contract basis, offering my services to different companies for temporary projects. I hope that over time, as my experience increases, I will obtain access to interesting projects with attractive compensation. Preparing make-up for a well-known movie would be the pinnacle of my career. To attain this goal, I plan to do a lot of networking in the industry and related trade bodies and associations. In this way, I can increase my participation in the industry and foster good connections. I would also love to find a mentor who can guide me through the intricacies of the profession. This is why I would gladly accept an assistant position as my first job. I hope that with due effort, a career in this industry can become a reality for me. Â   Â  

Inequality in our Education System Essay

Education is vital to all individuals. It is the foundation of one’s development in order to achieve personal distinction. In addition, it also equips people the capacity to properly interact with other people. Education serves as a weapon for survival. It empowers one’s capacity and provides an edge in any endeavor that one wishes to get involved in. For example, in securing a job, a decent   and impressive educational attainment is one of the qualifications necessary in order to get hired.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Schools are designed to provide the adequate needs for attaining quality education. Schools should provide competent teachers, rigorous curriculum and modern facilities and equipments. But few   Americans are aware of the massive disparity and inequality that are consuming the educational system. Although it is not proper and ideal, the social status of an individual greatly affects the quality of education that one receives (Darling- Hammond, 2008, p. 208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tracking, in the area of education, recognizes the gap between the low-income, minority students and their well-off peers. Ethnic and linguistic minority students coming from low-income background oftentimes only afford admission to general and vocational courses, thus decreasing their chance, if not totally depriving them from pursuing college education (Mehan and Hubbardm, 1999, n.p). Schools with high concentration of low-income and minority students receive fewer and poor quality learning resources than the other schools within the same district (Darling- Hammond, 2008, p. 208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Along with medical assistance and social welfare, ideally the education sector should be alloted with a larger portion from the state budget and should be appropriately divided among all the schools. But ironically, educational fund in the United States has also been unequally distributed to all schools. 10% of the wealthiest school district in the most industrialized country spend 10 times more than the 10% least fortunate. The number of poor and minority students are definitely higher in the least funded schools, mostly located at the central cities and rural areas, which is lowly funded than the schools in the suburban districts. Recent study shows that Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, and Texas and schools with higher ratio of students of non-White American descent receive fewer resources than schools serving a greater number of White Americans (Darling- Hammond, 2008, p. 208).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To address the issue of racism within the educational system, the idea of hidden curriculum was coined. Hidden curriculum pertains to the messages passed on by the organization or pedadogical institution apart from their public statements. The hidden curriculum is aimed to teach the students of school routines and to enable students in getting along in school and in the society in general. The messages in hidden curriculum may complement or contradict each other. In a way, it opens the minds of students to the possibility that some of the innate principles and natural laws enclosed within the democratic political system, may not at all times be practiced (Cornbleth. 2008, n.p).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Earlier studies proved that hidden curriculum conveyed in public and private schools were different. Public schools mainly focuses on academic classrooms with an emphasis on things like race, ethnicity, disability, and gender or sexual orientation as well as social class, politics, and culture (Cornbleth, 2008, n.p).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the years, we have overcome indecency caused by racism. As our culture succumbs to the tenets of globalization, people of different faces and races have been drawn closer towards each other. And this trend would ideally suggest equality among people born out of different ethnicities. The irregularities in our education systems rooted from unjust   policies have caused inequality in our schools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tracking, has kept the students separated from others based on their skin color and income. Tracking is therefore a form of racism, wherein students coming from different race and low-income background can never avail of the same oppurtunities, benefits and treatment that other students get. School funding policies branch from tracking, where schools serving more students who they believe are from inferior color and race, receive lesser funds than other schools. And last, hidden curriculum disposes messages that rationalized disparity among students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In any way, the school shall serve as an institution where values and culture formation is hastened. But if an important and delicate institution like schools inculcate disparity amongst the people, then students and the whole society will be deprived of the rights that everyone must equally enjoy. References Cornbleth, Catherine. (2008). Hidden Curriculum. Retrieved May 3 2008 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1899/Curriculum-School-HIDDEN-CURRICULUM.html Darling-Hammond, Linda. (2001). Inequality in Teaching and Schooling: How Opportunity Is Rationed to Students of Color in America. In The Right Thing to Do, The Smart Thing to Do Enhancing Diversity in the Health Professions (pp. 208-233). National Academy. Mehan, Hugh and Lea Hubbard. (July 1999). Tracking â€Å"Untracking†: Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Innovation. Retrived May 3 2008 from http://crede.berkeley.edu/research/tier/rb3.shtml