Characterisation Essay Example for Free

Characterisation Essay Main character: The character that plays the biggest role in the plot of the story. Major character: Characters that play a big role in the story. Minor character: Characters that play a minor role in the story. Round characters: Round characters are like real people. They have complex, multi-dimensional personalities. They are capable of growing and changing. They are often, but not always, major characters. Flat characters: They have one-dimensional personalities. They represent or portray one particular characteristic. They are a type, e. g. the jealous lover, the fool or the grumpy, old man. They are often, but not always, minor characters. Dynamic characters: They change as a result of their experiences. Static characters: They do not learn from their experiences, and, thus, remain unchanged. How does the author convey character? 1. Telling: The narrator tells how the character is, feels, thinks, etc. 2. Showing: The character reveals his or her personality through what the character says and does. 3. Setting: The author might use the setting (time and place) to say something about the character, e.g. about the character’s emotions or feelings. 4. Comparison to other characters: It might be useful to analyse how the character relate to the other characters in the story, e.g. if there are characters that are in opposition to, or different from, the character in question. 5. Appearance: The character’s clothes, looks and general appearance can often tell us something about the character’s personality. Questions to ask when analysing characters: 1. Is the character a main, major or minor character? 2. Is it a round or a flat character? 3. Is it a dynamic or a static character? 4. Does the author reveal the character through showing or telling, or both? 5. What does the way the character speaks reveal about his character? 6. What does his behaviour reveal about his character?  7. Is she similar or different from other characters in the story? How does she relate to the other characters? 8. Has the setting shaped the character’s personality? 9. Does the setting reflect the character’s mood or emotional state?

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A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem. Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing unit and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved and retrieved. In World War II, mechanical analog computers were used for specialized military applications. During this time the first electronic digital computers were developed. Originally they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers . Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as â€Å"computers.† However, the embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous. History of computing Etymology The first recorded use of the word â€Å"computer† was in 1613 in a book called â€Å"The yong mans gleanings† by English writer Richard Braithwait I haue read the truest computer of Times, and the best Arithmetician that euer breathed, and he... ...e working at Bell Labs in November 1937, Stibitz invented and built a relay-based calculator he dubbed the â€Å"Model K†, which was the first to use binary circuits to perform an arithmetic operation. Later models added greater sophistication including complex arithmetic and programmability. The Atanasoff–Berry Computer was the world's first electronic digital computer, albeit not programmable. Atanasoff is considered to be one of the fathers of the computer. Conceived in 1937 by Iowa State College physics professor John Atanasoff, and built with the assistance of graduate student Clifford Berry, the machine was not programmable, being designed only to solve systems of linear equations. The computer did employ parallel computation. A 1973 court ruling in a patent dispute found that the patent for the 1946 ENIAC computer derived from the Atanasoff–Berry Computer. The fir

Characterization in Canterbury Tales Essay

From cover to cover, Geoffry Chaucer’s late 14th century collection of short stories, Canterbury Tales, provides readers with a unique literary experience. Chaucer compiles twenty-four short allegories of no relation, yet all of the narrators know eachother. Another interesting trait of Chaucer’s masterpiece takes place in the beginning as he dedicates over twenty pages just to characterization of the story tellers. Chaucer takes about a page to deeply introduce the reader to each character who tells their own fable. It has been said of Chaucer’s characterization that â€Å"the sheer variety of wealth of detail creates the impression of a specific person. And yet, taken together, it all adds up to a comparatively simple stereotype† (Prompt) Chaucer goes into such detail in his prologue that he almost seems to create real people. For the most part, Chaucer stereotypically characterizes each character, but in the tale about another person of their same type, he satirically and indirectly characterizes them contradictary to the reader’s initial impressions of the equatable narrating characters. Chaucer creates these contradictart characterizations to show the flaws in society. Chaucer sets up the reader with a stereotypical description of each character showing them what characteristics the characters should possess, then simulatenously in the tales points out traits that one would view as corrupt and ironic. In the â€Å"Shipman’s tale†, a monk goes behind his best friend’s back and sleeps with his wife. Ironically not something a stereotypical monk should do. In the â€Å"Friar’s Tale†, a summoner corruptly blackmails people to keep from summoning them. Lastly in the â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale†, a knight rapes a women which contradict’s Chaucer’s initial noble description of the Knight. In the â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale†, a â€Å"lusty† knight sees a maiden â€Å"alone as she was born†, and despite her refusal â€Å"by very force he took her maidenhead† (282). This Knight contradicts Chaucer’s initial direct characterization of the Knight in the prologue having â€Å"truth, honor, generousness, and courtesy† (4). Chaucer describes the Knight in his prologue as the stereotypical â€Å"distinguished†, â€Å"modest†, â€Å"perfect gentle-knight†(5). The â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale† could not portray the knight in any more ironic of a light. The knight’s brutal rape of the maiden creates situational irony as it completely contradicts the description of Chaucer’s â€Å"gentle† knight (5). Chaucer points out that even the most noble and respected men can committ cruel acts of violence that go against their expected values. But even men who do not have the same class rank as the knight can still committ immoral acts that go against their expected actions. In Chaucer’s prologue, he characterizes a Summoner. He does not necessarily portray the Summoner as a noble man, but respected as â€Å"children are afraid when he appears† (20). A respected Summoner that society expects to do his job right, the â€Å"Friar’s Tale† describes a Summoner who does everything but do his job moraly and respectfully, â€Å"he was a theif, a summoner, and a pimp† (295). The â€Å"Friar’s Tale† exposes a Summoner who â€Å"rode forth to catch his prey† as he would blackmail people ruthlessly for money in order to not Summon them to court (295). Chaucer victimizes the people the Summoner takes advantage of by lableing them as â€Å"prey† and indirectly characterizes the Summoner as heartless and manipulative. Society expects a Summoner to truthfully do his job without stealing people’s money in exchange for a court release. The â€Å"Friar’s Tale† portrays a dirty Summoner which contradicts the stereotypical Summoner Chaucer describes in his prologue. This unethical Summoner shows the ill in society that many Summoners exploit people in the same way the Summoner does in the â€Å"Friar’s Tale†

The Star-spangeled Side of Cold War - 2632 Words

DROP SHOT: The Star-Spangled Side of Cold War I dont know what weapons will be used during World War III, but Im sure that during World War IV only sticks and stones will be used. Albert Einstein INTRODUCTION The so-called Cold War between the United States and The Soviet Union started after Winston Churchills Fulton speech in August 16, 1945 and in fact ended only when the USSR collapsed. The Cold War was a period of tense relationship between the two countries and not once the world stood at the brink of World War III. However the American interpretation of history turns the Soviet Union into an evil aggressor, meanwhile the United States did their best to defense their country and democracy around the world. Ask any†¦show more content†¦The cities were chosen on following criteria 1) productive capacity, mostly of aircrafts and other weapon 2) presence of administrative and governmental institutions 3) presence of science- research institutions. Moscow, Gorky, Kuybishev, Sverdlovsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Saratov, Kazan, Leningrad, Baku, Tashkent, Chelyabinsk, Nizhniy Tagil, Magnitigorsk, Perm, Tbilisi, Novokuznetsk, Grozny, Irkutsk and Yaroslavl were in that list. 13 000 000 peop le would die in the result of such attack, not to mention the ecological catastrophe that would follow. On February 22nd 1946 US Ambassador in the USSR Kennan sent an 8000 word long telegram which is considered to be the corner stone in estimation of USSR. In it he described Soviet Union as a political force which is fanatical sure that there can not be no long term modus vivendi with the USA. He assured that this should be the main point Washington should consider in building any relationship with Moscow. This forced the officials of Truman cabinet to start something of a competition on who will create a better punishment for the USSR. On September 24th, 1946 Trumans special assistant Clifford presented a special report American Policy Towards Soviet Union. Here are some fragments from it. Adepts of force understand nothing but force... We must point to Soviet Union that that we possess enough power not only for defense, but for a quick smash of Soviet Union during war. Soviet