Thursday, December 26, 2019
Social Media Depression - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 968 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/04/10 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Social Media Essay Did you like this example? There has been a point in someones life where they did not feel good enough. Everyone experiences not having the perfect body image, the perfect grades, or the popularity. Based off of a newsletter named Healthline they discovered that over 350 million people in the United States suffer from depression. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Social Media Depression" essay for you Create order One thing that does not help is social media. Social media provides a perfect standard that people believe they must stand by. For example, the apps Instagram and Snapchat, allow anyone to cover up a persons flaws with filters. Instagram provides anyone with an account to create their own profile, post their own pictures, follow people they admire, and receive followers back. However, Snapchat provides several frivolous filters. These filters allow the users to change the shape of their face, the way their eyes look, and become silly animals. According to Sherry Turkle, who is a professor of the social studies of science and technology, says that not only do we let our phones determine what we do, we let it change who we are. (Turkle, 2012) Social media creates a life inside a persons phone that people become addicted too, and believe that it is the way to live, look, and act. Social Media is used way too much whether people like it or not. According to Sophia Smith, who is the author to a BBC article, states that the over use of social media is debated whether it is a mental health disorder or not. As of January 2018, the WHO (World Health Organization) identified video gaming as an addiction. (Smith, 2018) Before discussed even further, there are different types of social media that needs to be explained. The first social media that is the most popular is Facebook. Facebook, allows a user to post their own posts defining their day or thoughts. Facebook also allows pictures to be uploaded where their friends can like and comment on them. The number of friends a person has, defines their popularity. The next most popular social media app in the United States is Instagram. Although Instagram is very similar to Facebook, it is used in a different way. Like Facebook, pictures are posted where likes and comments are received, posts on Instagram are not allowed . However, a Story can be uploaded where a picture or video can be seen up to 24 hours with writing that announces ones feelings. Once again, the number of followers a user has identifies how popular that person is, it is just more obsessed with, to where people feel the need to purchase the followers they have. On Instagram, it allows people to create their own theme on their account, meaning that they can only post pictures that relate to the theme they picked. The last social media to be discussed is Snapchat. Although it is not the most popular, it has its impacts. Snapchat creates filters that enhances the users face. Some of them can be cute animals such as the dog filter that changes a persons nose with a dog nose and adds dog ears on top of the human head, and others are simple, such as, eyelash extensions and has the effect of a light self- tan. (Whiteman, 2015) Depression is a mental disorder that makes a person feel unwanted, insecure, and extremely sad. Depression makes a person lazy and want to stay in a dark room all day. In the United States 350 million people are depressed. (Pietrangelo, 2015) There are several ways to help with depression even if it has obstacles. There is a website called Suicide Forum that helps with anxiety, depression, and suicide. On the website under each tab, there are several different articles from separate authors explaining their advice and their thoughts on what each disorder is. Suicide Forum provides an online chat room where people who are afraid to meet in person can talk and chat all over the world. The chat room allow people all around the world to exchange advice and personal problems. Although they open themselves up to complete strangers, it makes them feel like they are not alone, and that they have someone who cares for them. Depression in teens is very common, 3.1 million teens have been depre ssed and experienced what it felt like. (Major Depression, 2017) Teenagers in this generation tend to interact with their phones and social media. A very common thing in high school is cyber bullying. Teenagers feel the need to bully their peers through social media. Not only will this cause depression, but in most cases even suicide. Katie Hurley created a short article based on how parents can help their teens with depression. Teenagers feel like they can not go to their parents and they feel alone but reading Hurleys article showed wonderful advice on how make teenagers feel comfortable talking to their parents. (Hurley, 2018) Social media can not only affect teenagers, it can affect anyone in different age groups. Based on the people seen on Instagram posts or Snapchat stories, others tend to want to be them. People see the way others post and the number of likes and wonderful comments they receive, therefore, they feel the need to post like that. According to Sherry Turkles TED Talk video, she explains how people let phones control what we do. (Turkle, 2012) In the beginning of her video Turkle describes how a simple text can change a simple mood. Her example was her daughter sending a good luck text. Now this doesnt just mean a positive text, it can be negative texts or negative posts they see on their phone. Although posts and texts are just through a cellular device, it can either ruin a persons day, or brighten it up. In conclusion, social media should not interfere with our daily lives. People should limit the amount of time they use for social media.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Love and Matthew 5-7 - 1469 Words
When one thinks of love, he thinks of affection towards another person, but in the case of Matthew 5-7, Rumi, and Mo Tzu; love goes beyond loving another person. There are three ways love is interpreted in these texts: love for God, love for yourself, and love for others. Matthew 5-7 talks the importance of becoming self-successful before helping others, while Rumi discusses the need to love ourselves and become wiser. Mo Tzu argues that we should love others, work together, and treat each other equally to live in a better world. When people talk about love, it means putting that persons needs before yours, but these texts show that worshipping a God or higher power comes before everything else. Each of the texts gives their own interpretation on love, but they can be looked at deeper than just the superficial meaning. It is not only about what the authorââ¬â¢s interpretation is, but the religious background that makes love stand out in their own way. Matthew 5-7 are the chapters of the bible that talk about love for God and how to ask Him for help. In the Catholic culture you must love God and ââ¬Å"let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your father who is in heavenâ⬠(Matthew 221). We must not only pray to God, but praise him; the golden rule for these chapters states that we must ââ¬Å"ask, and it will be given to [us]â⬠(Matthew 225). Asking God for help in prayer is important because he will always be there for us when we need Him.Show MoreRelatedThe Qur Exodus 20 And Matthew 5-7898 Words à |à 4 PagesThe two verses Exodus 20 and Matthew 5-7 are a spinoff of last weekââ¬â¢s verses in Romans and Genesis. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, Godââ¬â¢s desire has been to restore the broken relationship between God and people. God made a covenant. A covenant is a promise from God that can never be broken. The covenant stated that God wanted a relationship with the p eople, but in order to have this loving relationship, they had to turn away from their sin (Barker, 2002). The portion of ScriptureRead MoreJudaism and Christianity Essay1439 Words à |à 6 PagesJudaism and Christianity Jesus is the fulfillment of Judaic prophecies; he is the new Moses imparting the new Law of Love. Mark Perhaps John-Mark, missionary helper of Paul/Peter A suffering Christian community, perhaps in Rome Jesus is the Suffering Servant Messiah; imitate Jesus fidelity by not losing heart; the way to glory is through the cross Luke Gentile companion of Paul; a doctor; also wrote Acts A Gentile-Christian church, perhaps in southern Greece Jesus salvationis open toRead MoreThe Books Of Matthew And 1 Corinthians1403 Words à |à 6 PagesHermeneutical - Matthew and 1 Corinthians The books of Matthew and 1 Corinthians are mainly focused around love and what that is supposed to look like through Christ. 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He wants us to show good will towards our enemies. ââ¬Å"Blessâ⬠thoseRead MoreEssay on CWV101914 Words à |à 4 PagesLily Smithers CWV-101 7/14/15 Ana torres Please address each question below with complete sentences and clear, specific explanation. The total word count of your writing should be between 750-1,250 words. 1. Select one teaching of Jesus from one of the following Bible verses: Matthew 5:21-24, Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 6:19-24, Matthew 7:15-23, Luke 15:1-32, John 13:1-17 34-35, John 15:1-11. Answer the following questions: a. What was Jesusââ¬â¢ point in the teaching? In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus is teachingRead MoreThe Gospel Of Matthew Presents The Messiah1154 Words à |à 5 PagesThe Gospel of Matthew presents the Messiah, the promised savior, the king of the Jews. The Gospel of Matthew is clear in its purpose, and is unique in its role in the scriptures. Matthew shows ages of prophecy to be fulfilled in Christ. He shows the fulfillment of the law in Christ, and Gods redemptive sacrifice fulfilled in Christ. Matthew goes on to show Israelââ¬â¢s rejection of their king, and more, a new people gathered to Christ (biblesanity.org). The birth of the Messiah came about when MaryRead MoreThe Bible : A Journey Into Three Worlds1266 Words à |à 6 PagesJourney into Three Worlds, the reader is taught how to study the bible and can further understand what exactly Matthew was trying to teach us about Jesus through his words. There are three literary worlds: the literary, historical, and contemporary world which all have subcategories. Matthew presents Jesus in a positive light and as an exceptional man throughout his gospel. First of all, Matthew presents Jesus as the Son of God, the term ââ¬Å"Son of Godâ⬠should be looked at carefully. In Hauer and Youngââ¬â¢sRead MoreThe Relationship Of Jesus And Christians Essay1630 Words à |à 7 Pages Genesis 3:5 tells the reader, ââ¬Å"From the beginning of history, humans have been striving to become like God in knowledge and powerâ⬠(McQuilkin Copan, 2014, p. 63). Yet this desire was not for good, and was the impetus to the Fall, ultimately separating humanity from God and plunging them into a lifetime of darkness. God provided a set of rules and laws for His chosen people in the Old Testament, guiding them to live a Godly life in the midst of their sinfulness. The birth of Jesus, his death andRead MoreWho Is The Human Race?871 Words à |à 4 Pageswith other denominations and non-Christian cultures and unite with love. As Christians we are one in Christ. (Gal 3:28) Regardless of the different denomination and belief practices, we all belie ve in the same grace given to us through Jesusââ¬â¢ death and resurrection. We find common ground at the cross. ACTIONS TOWARDS OTHERS Because we believe, we are called to action. None of us are perfect and are bound by the words to love everyone regardless of lifestyle choice, morals, beliefs, and statusRead MoreGospel of Matthew Essay example1396 Words à |à 6 PagesThe Teachings of Matthew The Gospel according to Matthew is the first book in the New Testament, and also serves as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The gospel tells us of Jesus and his teachings. It is believed that the Gospel originated with Matthew, one of Jesus disciples, and it circulated anonymously (Harris 149). The message in this gospel was compiled to minister to a Jewish and Jewish-Christian community when tensions between early Christians and postwar
Monday, December 9, 2019
Competitive Advantage of Companies
Question: Discuss about the Competitive Advantage of Companies. Answer: Introduction This report aims at discussing the competitive advantage of the companies. The case studies of the companys such as Coca cola and Starbucks has been explained. A brief discussion is given for the reasons of achieving marketing strategies. Strategies are also explained of both the companies. The successful marketing practice is being explained of the companies. Ansoff Matrix model of Coca cola and Porters generic Strategies of Star bucks has been explained. For this report, two companies such as Coca Cola and Starbucks has been selected. To know more about these companies the brief introduction is given below: Case Study of Coca Cola It is a successful soft drink company all over the world. It is a beverage company, which is located in US Atlanta. The company was launched by Dr. John Pemberton, in 1886 who was a pharmacist in Atlanta. Firstly, it started selling at soda fountains and hence, there were no bubbles in the drink at that time (Coca Cola, 2016). Delicious and refreshing was given as a first slogan for the company Coca Cola. It is successful over last century. Its revenue in 2015 is US$44.294 billion and its operating income was US$8.728 billion (2015). Currently, the number of employees working in this company is 123,300. The products of the companies are sold in more than 200 countries. Case Study of Starbucks Starbucks is an American coffee company established in Seattle, Washington in the year 1971. It has number of locations 23,678 worldwide. It operates products such as Coffee beverages, Smoothies, tea, baked goods and Sandwiches. Its specialty is to serve best coffee for their customers. It has started expanding its brand by spreading over Starbucks coffee all over the world. It started from 55 stores in 1989 and now it has 15000 stores all over the world. It is produced in 70 countries. The market structure of Star bucks is monopolistic (Star bucks, 2016). Mission Its mission is to satisfy the customers and create stores in order to make customers feel comfortable. The other mission is to inspire the human spirit of person. It also provides connectivity with the employees. Evidence of Successful Competitive Advantage Competitive Advantage of Coca Cola Company There are many advantages through which company gets competitive advantage: Competition through Marketing Mix is helpful for the companys competitive advantage as the marketing helps in the promotion of the product. The products should be frequently developed to meet the requirements of the customers. Secondly, products is the competitive advantage for Coca Cola Company as it produces all types of drinks such as light, classic, and other soft drink and beverages. Thirdly, promotion of the company is also a competitive advantage as it is helpful to set the mind of the customers. Advertising is the main promoting step. Fourthly, pricing is also the other competitive advantage of the company as it offers discounts to the customers during the events. The product is sold at cheap rate, which is an advantage for the company (Coca Cola, 2016). Fifthly, placement/distribution is the other competitive advantage for the company. Furthermore, there are various reasons for the competitive advantage of the company as it allows adopting different things in the business su ch as innovative products. For Coca Cola Company it is easy to practice beverages in the business. These advantages are helpful in customer satisfaction and these are mandatory for the company. Competitive Advantage of Starbucks There are various competitive advantages which star bucks takes into consideration such as new innovative ideas, it provides new products, and the new experiences for the guests, it also provides sustained competitive advantage by maintaining long term relationship with the customers. It also provides Starbucks reward card, which is the competitive advantage. It allows the customers to share the thoughts of experience at star bucks (Star bucks, 2016). There are various reasons of adopting this competitive advantage as it helps the company to expand its retail operations, adopting opportunities, unique products so that other competitor may not compete, new distribution channels. Strategies of the Company to achieve success There are different strategies which are followed by Star bucks that are product differentiation such as product mix, locations, coffee beverages and customer service. These are helpful for achieving successful competition in the market. It does not follow the model that is franchising and joint ventures in the international market (Lamb, 2012). It also offers technology protection in the coordination of global strategy. For the succession of the company it is necessary to be competition oriented. The company competition strategy focuses on the weakness but the strength should be avoided. It would be helpful in gaining competitive advantage against other companies. The company mainly focuses on strategies such as differentiation focus, focus on the cost, and leadership focus. These strategies are adopted in order to be successful in achieving the competitive advantage. The company provides unique products in order to achieve marketing strategy. Differentiated focus on producing different products and target the group of customers. Cost leadership involves producing products at low cost (Coca Cola, 2016). The company is cost focus that is low price of the product according to the benefit of the customers. Successful Marketing Practices Starbucks follows this practice in order to be successful in the market by meeting needs of customers. It identifies the market segments and customer feedback in order to identify their choice. Secondly, it provides affordable price for the customers so that all may enjoy its coffee. It also provides innovative products in order to attract the customers for its product. It also produces different product in comparison with its customers. It promotes the product by advertisement (Mudie, and Pirrie, 2012). Changes are mandatory for the business to grow successful. It also adopts new technologies such as social media, star bucks digital network to promote its products. Online offerings are also helpful for Star bucks to be successful in the market. There are different marketing practices of Coca Cola, which helps the company to be successful such as socialization that is helpful in reaching the customers on worldwide level through single platform. Secondly, Personalization is also helpful for achieving the success for the company as face to face communication. It helps to understand the customers needs more easily (Coca Cola, 2016). Simplicity is the main successful marketing practice of Coca cola. It endures simple message to the people such as Enjoy and Happiness. Innovative ideas, unique products are helpful for successful marketing practices. Ansoff Matrix of Coca Cola This model was invented by H. Igor Ansoff came into practice for helping management teams in order to focus on the business growth of the company. It focuses on four marketing strategies such as Market penetration, Product development, Market development and Diversification. It has been applied to coca cola and this company is well known for trade name in the world. Market Penetration: In this marketing strategy, it covers existence products that are already existed in the existing market. Promotion method is used in the company order to carry out these marketing strategies (Lamb, Hair, and McDaniel, 2011). It also adopts new initiatives which encourage the usage of the product. Due to the strength of Coca Colas brand, market penetration is utilized by the market creating association between coca cola and Christmas. It increased the sale during the period of festival. Product Development: In these marketing strategies, newly products are introduced in the existing market. The difference can be measured by introducing new product in the existing market. It helps in increasing the performance of the product or quality of the product. Market Development: In this marketing strategy, the existing products are sold by the business in the new developed market. It has been successful for applying these strategies (Coca Cola, 2016). Diversification: This strategy helps in selling new products to new markets at the same time. It is considered as the risk taking strategy among the three marketing strategies. In this strategy the target is on the new market. Porters Generic Strategy of Star Bucks The above picture describes the Starbucks Porters Generic Competitive Strategy. This company focuses on the differentiation strategy so as to compete from its competitors. The company provides unique features by focusing on the customers needs. It helps in determining the unique product for the customers (Star bucks, 2016). Star bucks provide coffee of high quality and it attracts the customers with unique experience. It also provides new instant coffee line. The coffee of the star buck is unique from other competitors in the market. It focuses on the customers satisfaction. Conclusion It is to be concluded from the above report that for the successful growth of the companys customer satisfaction is mandatory. The company star buck and coca cola created innovative technologies so as to compete in the market against other competitors. It also provides unique products for the customers and provides unique items. References Coca Cola (2016) Coke life [Online]. Available at: https://us.coca-cola.com/coke-life/ (Accessed: 6 December, 2016). Coca Cola (2016) Taste the feeling. [Online]. Available at: https://us.coca-cola.com/home/ (Accessed: 6 December, 2016). Lamb, C.W. (2012) Marketing. USA: Cengage Learning. Lamb, C.W., Hair, J.F. and McDaniel, C. (2011) Essentials of marketing. USA: Cengage Learning. Mudie, P. and Pirrie, A. (2012) Services marketing management. UK: Routledge. Star bucks (2016) Star bucks. [Online]. Available at: https://www.starbucks.com/coffee (Accessed: 6 December, 2016).
Monday, December 2, 2019
The major themes in Our Day Out Essay Example
The major themes in Our Day Out Essay Our Day Out is set in inner city Liverpool in the mid 1970s. The fictional school is located in a neighbour with a high crime rate, drug use, prostitution, high unemployment, poverty and domestic abuse. The kids in the schools remedial class are all portrayed as economically unstable, poor and deprived children with different stories which reinforce the key ideas of the play. In 1981 there was rioting in Toxteth, a deprived district of Liverpool of which high unemployment rates were blamed for. The setting of the play acts as a prelude to the riots. Willy Russell adds elements of subtle humour which make the play funny and sad at the same time Early on in the play we are introduced to Carol Chandler who is evidently one of the poorest children in the class when she is revealed to be wearing a school uniform which doubles as a street outfit and a Sunday best, eating half a sandwich and clutching a carrier bag Here Russell is introducing us to one of the focal characters with a description which suggests that Carols family cant afford to buy here a school bag, have to share food and cant afford many clothes. We will write a custom essay sample on The major themes in Our Day Out specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The major themes in Our Day Out specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The major themes in Our Day Out specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This portrayal of Carol is important as it shows the signs of social deprivation and establishes her economic status. She describes Conwy as somewhere far away, I forget (in response to Les the lollipop mans question as to where the trips destination is). This also tells us she hasnt been far from home before since if shed been to Conwy before shed would know it is only about an hour away from Liverpool. We feel a little sorry for Carol and feel guilty about her having to live like that while our homes are often full of materialistic goods and appliances that we take for granted. When up on the cliff she refuses to return to the trip and wants to stay in Wales. We immediately get a sense of her naivety though it is a quality rather than a weakness and she clearly doesnt mean any harm at all. Carol has another quality of being appreciative of lifes simple things i. e. nature,since she cant posses materialistic products for a small price, this is a quality we all hope to have . She reveals to Mrs Kay-whom she looks to for mentoring, friendship and sometimes motherly love, which she cant get at home that she wants to live in one of them nice places with trees and that and underneath Mrs Kays encouraging facade, she knows Carol is stuck in the poverty cycle and wants to get out. Them nice places also shows Carols lack of education. This is tragic but Carols implicit disorganisation and forgetfulness accounts for the plays humour-I find this technique a very clever and powerful way of entertaining the audience and conveying the reality of these deprived childrens lifestyles. The play also focuses on Andrews, one of Carols peers in the progress class who has a similar lifestyle. Firstly, we learn that he smokes. He tells Reilly (an older ex-progress class student) to Gis a ciggy, in return for opening the window. Willy Russell continues with the theme of social deprivation by exposing Andrews mother as a prostitute when Digga refers to all them fellas she picks up This also tells us that Andrews mother not only has to practise promiscuity but has to risk her life on the streets of inner city Liverpool and we start to worry about Andrews mother putting her life at risk which makes us feel sorry. The aforementioned quote also shows bad education and not being able to speak properly. When Briggs tells Andrews off for smoking, he is told that Andrews mother doesnt take any notice but me dad, he belts me Ironically, Andrews is beaten because he wont give his father a cigarette. Andrews has a nasty life and we take pity and feel empathic but the aforementioned irony accounts for the plays humour, as does Briggs lack of understanding when he assumes Andrews father returns home because he is in the forces, when really, all he wants is the money. This portrayal of Andrews establishes the area of where the school is situated a deprived area and includes individual cases of families struggling to survive. Russell also uses Reilly, an ex-progress class student as a mouthpiece for his ideas and to convey aspects of social deprivation. We learn that Reillys dad works at the docks and hates it. Unrealistically, Briggs tells Reilly to tell his father to stop and take a look around. He may see things different then, an unrealistic expectation. Here we get a view of the docks through two different perspectives. To Briggs, an affluent middle class teacher the docks are historic and something to be proud of. To Reilly and his dad however, they are their means of employment which they have spent their lives trying to get away from. We also learn that Reilly has been motherless for ten years when Digga tells Briggs he cant swear on his mum sir shes been dead for ten years Reilly is in love with Susan, a young teacher in her early twenties who wouldnt go out with Reilly in a million years. Whether Reilly is being serious isnt revealed, but it is possible that Reilly is fishing for Susans money, in other words a goldigger. This possibility shows that Reilly doesnt have enough money of his own, so Russell is making us aware of social deprivation, a theme of the play. Reilly clearly has no respect for people above him in the school hierarchy, which shows lack of education, one of the plays theme. Later on in the play Susan turns the tables on Reilly and makes sudden advances and Russell manipulates the audience into believing she is being serious. She later tells him to stick to his own league and so forms a bond with 15-year-old Linda Croxley, a far more appropriate girlfriend for Reilly. We feel sorry for Reilly but being a motherless child has toughened him up and taught him to survive but his crush on Susan has a lot of comic element so contributes to the plays humour. Mr Briggs and Mrs Kay are focused upon heavily during the play who both have very different views on which teaching method is better for the remedial class. In a conversation with Colin, a young, less experienced teacher Briggs says well you have to risk being disliked if youre to do any good for these children and refers to Mrs Kays teaching method as woolly-headed liberalism. From this we can easily draw a conclusion that Mr Briggs doesnt think about the consequences of ruthlessness and all he is concerned about is positive results. Briggs obviously thinks because the kids missed out on a lot of education earlier in life they need some sort of intensive education technique if things are to be put right. He clearly sees respect from the kids as a nice extra when really it is essential. Also, when Mrs Kay changes the itinerary of the trip and takes the class to the zoo, Mr Briggs response tells us he doesnt want to deviate from the schedule and keep the kids bored, something in Briggs opinion would do the kids a bit of good. Colin later calls Mr Briggs a burke, and from this we can deduce that Mr Briggs is no more popular with his colleagues as he is with the students. On the other hand, Mrs Kay has a far more relaxed approach to educating the kids and a motherly, matriarchal attitude to the children-the two qualities awarding her street-cred with the kids. Mr Briggs sees this as a bad thing (he also thinks she has a motherly air) and he thinks if the antics in her department are anything to go by she always reminded me of a mother hen rather than a teacher. From this quote we can conclude that Mrs Kay is less popular with her colleagues, though the opinions of the other staff on her philosophical view of education are undisclosed. During a chat with Carol on the coach, Mrs Kay puts her arm around Carol and the stage directions at this point describe this as looking like a mother and daughter. Later on in the play she reveals explicitly that she is on the childrens side though this doesnt come as a surprise to the audience. This relationship is important since Carol has to look to her teacher for mentoring and motherly love which she cant get at home. This creates a possibility that Carols family maybe bad parents, socially deprived and not respectable. This reinforces the theme of social deprivation. All of these points establish Mr Briggs and Mrs Kays personalities and define the opposing forces. Willy Russell uses this opposition to manipulate the audience into wondering what will happen to the children with two completely different teachers taking control of them for the day, providing some of the plays humour. It also reveals societys opposing viewpoints about education. Throughout the play, stage directions are used to conjure up more explicit visions of what is going on. They are very important because if you are reading the play the more visual humour is hard to convey with words alone. At the start of the play, in the morning the kids are streaming in one direction. They [the kids] are shoving, rushing, ambling, leering and jeering. Here the strong use of verbs adds to the clarity of the description and leering and jeering suggests that there could be bullying going on. This shows lack of education- the kids obviously dont know what is right and wrong and have a poor sense of ethics (also evident in stealing the animals and taking them on to the coach). Stage directions can also express the humour that cant be conveyed with words alone. Just before leaving the zoo the animal keeper runs up to the coach polo-necked and wellied. Russell could have easily omitted that description but running in wellies is almost impossible. The image of someone running in something hard to run in e. g. stilettos, wellies, ski boots etc. is often used as a scene of slapstick humour- as opposed to the more dry, subtle humour used earlier on in the play. Also, animals appear from every conceivable hiding place and the coach is a menagerie. This stage direction pictures animals swarming around a small area(the coach), scuttling from side to side, jumping out of luggage lockers and generally causing chaos. This scene accounts for the plays humour but in my opinion, it is hard to fully appreciate without a graphical representation. The visual medium of TV allows Willy Russell to use the device of visual metaphor. While the class are in the zoo they are compared to a captive bear in an implicit way and are trapped in different ways. The bear is literally trapped in the pit for visitors and tourists to see and it cant do much, if anything to get out. The children, on the other hand are trapped in a more metaphorical way and stuck at their level in the social hierarchy and in the poverty cycle. From Briggs line dont forget it was born in captivity so it wont know any other life, we get the impression Briggs feels the children should stay working class rather than climb the pecking order to a middle or upper class rank and mixing with the more affluent Liverpudlians, while keeping their coarse and vulgar demeanours. From this we can tell Briggs is politically right-wing and if real, would have been one of the many Britons who decided it was time for James Callaghan to call it a day it 1979. Mrs Kay thinks the children deserve better but is unsure as to which route in life is best for the kids. Russell uses this technique again at the castle when comparing Mr Briggs old-fashioned teaching methods to the archaic, medieval castle-despite the fact he is younger than Mrs Kay, though you wouldnt think so. At the castle there is also a showdown between Mrs Kay and Mr Briggs, and the castle provides the perfect backdrop for it. Mrs Kays idea of visiting the modern zoo goes well with her modern philosophical view of education. However, Mrs Kays expectations of the kids are a bit too low and arent likely to bring out the full potentials of the kids. Conversely, Briggs are too high and are less realistic than Mrs Kays. Although neither teachers expectations are perfect (expectations of a teacher who gives the kids push and support simultaneously would be), Mrs Kays are more appropriate on the whole, and despite being too soft on the kids, Mrs Kay seems to know it is better to under-expect rather than to over-expect like Mr Briggs does because his views of education are far from appropriate and are no better for the kids than Mrs Kays. Willy Russell moves the play to a more dramatic climax which creates suspense-a literary device previously unused in the play. Carols naivety is reinforced by her explicit desire to remain in Wales. At this point Briggs doesnt change in personality but is now powerless and has no way of controlling Carols erratic and suicidal behaviour though knowing Briggs he is probably more concerned about being struck off and a legal inquiry than Carols state of mind and only told her she had hope to avoid the two aforementioned crises. When Briggs changes his ways Russell manipulates the audience into thinking Briggs is changing permanently and he will help the kids catch up and excel in life. However our expectations are dashed when the class returns to the city. When Reilly describes the city as horrible when you come back to it, Russell tells the audience that the children must be used to their neighbourhood after 13-15 years of entrapment in the inner city. Linda is unsure what Reilly is talking about which shows that she was taken in by the trip. Russells message to the audience is that living in the inner city of Liverpool can toughen one up and as a result, enables the kids to survive almost anything. The ending is disappointing yet realistic and Briggs making a fool of himself through singing a ridiculous song in a cowboy hat adds a humorous side to this sombre scene.
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