American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essays

The Graduate/American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essays The Graduate/American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essay The Graduate/American Beauty Sequence Analysis Essay Essay Topic: American Beauty Sequence Analysis: The Graduate The Graduate is a subversive, wistful coming-of-age tale epitomizing the ambiguity of reaching adulthood, and the struggle of this experience. Robert Surtees, the cinematographer, successfully uses mise-en-scene to illustrate these particular themes. A variety of props are scattered throughout the opening sequence that allude to Ben’s melancholy and detachment. Additionally, the same sequence uses social and graphic blocking to depict the impedance Ben feels from his parents and their friends. The sequence begins with a scene of Benjamin sitting in front of his fish tank, submerged in thoughts of his future, and later confronted by his father. Fill lighting isolates Ben’s face from the dim background, and enhances the overall sense of glum and dispassion. Moreover, Ben’s impassive expression and wish for a ‘different’ future is also in strong contrast to the enthusiasm and conformity seen later at the party. The subtle placement of the sea-diver beside Ben only adds to this sense of alienation, while, at the same time, foreshadows the comical events at the second cocktail party later in the movie. In fact, the use of water is frequent throughout the film as tool to illustrate Ben’s self-reflection and wavering identity. Perhaps the prop most indicative of Ben, or at least humorous, is the black and white portrait of a clown frowning behind a painted smile, which is briefly shown before Ben’s parents lead him into the party. Clearly, the painting acts as a metaphor for Ben’s character within the sequence, yet, it is so outlandish that the mise-en-scene momentarily teeters from naturalistic to theatrical. However, this is characteristic of The Graduate as a whole. While the movie seems to maintain a certain level of absurdity throughout, it is always hidden behind a certain amount of reality, which is what makes the film’s message so poignant. The quintessential example of this is when Mr. McGuire informs Ben about â€Å"Plastics† at the end of the sequence. From a modern viewpoint, this advice seems to be downright elementary, but considering the film was released prior to the industrialization of plastic, a viewer at that time would find no more use of the information than Ben appeared to. Thus, the shallow dialogue exemplifies Ben’s lack of direction, while appealing to the despondent generation at the time. Surtees continues to build these themes and messages with the use of social and graphic blocking. At the beginning of the sequence, Ben’s father and mother are positioned in a way that blocks him within the shot, obviously representing their overbearing nature. His mother, in particular, consumes the entire frame when she enters the room. You can also see how tight their hold is on Ben by the claustrophobic camera shots at the graduation party later on. The following series of scenes within the sequence show Ben being grabbed and bounced back and forth between forced conversations. Altogether, these social and graphic blockings attempt to illustrate Ben being forced in a disappointing direction through a superficial society filled with high expectations. The sequence also serves as a strong parallel to the movie’s ending where Ben figuratively and literally overcomes these obstacles by pushing Elaine and himself through a furious horde of adults at the wedding. In this respect, the two sequences function as bookends, giving resolution to the controversies constructed within the movie. Sequence Analysis: American Beauty American Beauty successfully builds off of the themes in The Graduate, while also developing modern messages that appeal to a contemporary audience. The film follows Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in the middle of a mid-life crisis, as he attempts to free himself from his mundane and mediocre lifestyle. The mise-en-scene in the early sequence of Lester at his office effectively conveys this initial feeling of mediocrity and repression. One of the subtlest yet illustrative dimensions of the sequence’s mise-en-scene is lighting. For instance, the natural lighting in Lester’s cubicle is soft and consistent, signifying the monotony of his work duties. When the shot pans out to depict the entire office space, the grid-like pattern of desk lamps suggest a repetitive nature to his workplace, and the similar arrangement of overhead lights possibly indicates a similar pattern in upper management. The cinematographer, Conrad Hall, also uses harsh directional lighting later on when Lester enters Brad’s office. There is a small ray of outside light radiating from the closed blinds next to Brad’s desk that illuminates Lester throughout the conversation. This streak of light is used to highlight Lester’s face during key instances such as when Brad tells him that this is his one chance to save his job, thus creating a stronger emotional moment. In conjunction with lighting, the color within the sequence tends to add to the vapidity of Lester’s workplace. In strong contrast to the predominant and bold red frequent throughout the movie, Lester’s cubicle is consumed in bland neutral colors that are mirrored in other parts of the sequence. Altogether, Hall effectively uses soft lighting compounded with weak colors to create a feeling of mediocrity that fuels Lester’s future escapades. Comical props and costumes within the sequence lighten the glum ambiance in the sequence while also foreshadowing later events. Exemplary, Brad wears a classic business style suit with a dull blue shirt underneath, mirroring the bleak and repetitive colors in the office. Laughably however, he is also wearing a flamboyant tie that alludes to the person he truly is; a manager attempting to befriend his subordinates and reduce feelings of intimidation. In addition to this, Lester waives a pencil with an overly large soccer ball eraser when conversing with Brad. The funny pencil top hints at the immature state that Lester resorts back to while attempting to overcome his mediocre lifestyle. One could also argue that Lester’s sarcastic demeanor is also reminiscent of an adolescent and is epitomized when he states, â€Å"For you Brad, I’ve got five! † These blatant facades are exemplarily of American Beauty as a whole. Typically, the more troubled a character is, the more they attempt to cover their reality with an illusion. This is clearly an attempt to point out flaws in a modern superficial society. However, the funny props add a humorous touch to the film that makes its social messages less harsh. Hall uses camera angles within the sequence to display the hierarchy of authority in the workplace, which is also representative of the repression Lester tries to free himself of. For example, the camera is always looking up toward Brad while the opposite is true for Lester, obviously portraying Brad in a higher position of power than Lester. The high angel shot of Lester in his cubicle not only depicts him in a minor and passive manner but also places his coworkers within the shot. This gives the perception that Lester’s position and purpose within the workspace is relatively small and negligible. In contrast, Brad is isolated from his peers in the shot, enhancing his overall sense of superiority and reaffirms he is indeed above everyone. The following scene in Brad’s office enhances this effect with the use of perspective. The same camera angles are used for Brad and Lester; however, Brad is much larger in his shots while Lester appears significantly farther and hence smaller in the screen. Consequently, the hierarchical relationship is once again displayed.

Gender Biologically Determined Essays

Gender Biologically Determined Essays Gender Biologically Determined Essay Gender Biologically Determined Essay Pulling upon ethnographic illustrations from 2-3 societies. Gender being biologically determined’ agencies that whether gender is inherited or passed down by genetic sciences. If a individual is a adult male or adult female. ( which is normally called The Sex’ ) . that is biologically determined because they inherit the chromosomes to be born a adult male. or to be born as a adult female. In the early 1970’s sex was described by biology as: anatomy. endocrines. and physiology ( West and Zimmerman 1987 ) . Apart from gender being a biological factor. there are other things which are non biologically determined ; Gender was an achieved position. which was constructed through psychological. cultural and societal means ( West and Zimmerman1987 ) . Therefore the reply to the inquiry is gender biologically determined? Is no. Gender is a socially constructed phenomenon. Gender refers to a set of functions people perform in their communities. which are their values and attitudes that people have toward adult male and adult female ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . In this essay. the subjects which would be discussed to back up this statement are Gender Identity with illustrations of how work forces and adult females are expected to move. walk. talk and frock in a certain mode which is suited in their society. Gender and Sexuality with the illustrations of culturally in-built norms of sexual behavior. along with bing issues environing gender. and eventually Gender and Status with an illustration of male laterality in Traditional Chinese society. : Gender individuality is defined in footings of how people ( i. e. work forces and adult females ) are supposed to act in the societal class. Their attitudes and the manner the frock. talk and carry themselves in the populace are encoded in a set of cultural assumptions which are based on the culture’s values and functions and people are expected to larn these as they are a portion of that society ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Each civilization has certain norms’ for gender and these norms’ vary from civilization to civilization. most of these norms have a cosmopolitan common form and people seem to brood on these societal concepts as they make a life based on these political orientations. Cultural concepts are theoretical accounts of behavior and attitudes that a peculiar civilization transmits to its members. These concepts are shared beliefs and values that become taken for given guiding principles ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . There are so many ways that these socially constr ucted behaviors are exhibited in different communities. the messages about how each adult male and adult female should move depends upon several factors such as linguistic communication and spiritual beliefs. Work force and Women were distinguished based on their vesture. what they were allowed to have on as a adult male and adult female. hence publicly signalling their genders. work forces wore bloomerss and had other bodily humanistic disciplines such as tattoos while adult female adorned frocks. jewelry and do up. This made up the really basic construction of Gender Identity. Apart from. the basic illustrations of gender individuality. there are several other instances where adult females and work forces have unequal individualities. one such instance is the. Identity inequality of work forces and adult female in household farms. In today’s universe. Gender revolves around being the fact that adult females are less recognized than work forces. and are subjected to work which are in the shadows of parturiency. That being the generalized factor. the survey of the European household farm’ merely made this issue recognizable to the universe. Farms were considered to be the do minant agricultural production in the capitalist states ( Brandth 2002 ) . The survey used theories of gender function and individuality. explicating the issue in the signifier of discourses. In the 1990’s inquiries were being raised towards individuality of adult females and work forces in the rural farms. these inquiries finally shifted towards feminism ( Brandth 2002 ) . Discourses are signifiers of power. They constitute heads. organic structures. individualities of persons as parts of wider webs of power relations ( Brandth 2002 ) . It was used in the context of giving out a significance towards the differences of work forces and adult females. there were three discourses formulated by Hirschman. called as the issue. voice and trueness. Women. who didn’t want to be subjected to unequal position left the system. some used their voice to protest against it. while others merely were loyal and confined themselves to the family activities. The jurisprudence stated that the family farm’ should be passed on from male parent to boy. since adult females were considered weak and have no entree and cognition of belongings and agribusiness. Women merely came into this. merely by matrimony. Hence. the male leads the household into it. he allocates what occupation has to be done. and he participates in forums determinations. and making so he becomes publicly recognised. Since adult females are adaptable and flexible. their undertakings are confined to household jobs. and these undertakings are unpaid and non recognised as productive end product from them. On the other manus. men’s individualities were tied to their ownership of the farms. their business and the productive result which give them position and economic income. Real work was equated with physical undertakings and women’s self image is based on the absence of such qualities ( Brandth 2002 ) . In recent yearss. with the betterment of farming engineerings. the female work. such as milking cattles. and so on are now being done by these jury-rigged machines. doing adult females less efficient and therefore doing farming a whole masculine activity ( Brandth 2002 ) . Hence with this illustration it is clearly pointed out that the societal concept differentiates and distinguishes work forces and adult females. Apart from gender being differentiated by a societal concept. there are factors which raised inquiries and surveies in the society. one of such being gender and its relation to gender. There is ever a tabu when it comes to sex. and it seems to be a common form in the universe. Even though. we have sexual feelings and we pattern them as it being a portion of nature. it is besides profoundly influenced by civilization ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Culture teaches people what is the right thing to make. in what manner. when. where and so on. There are a batch of illustrations where civilization intervenes and states the norms’ under which the people in that society or community should act sexually. For illustration. sexual relationship between members of a atomic household or distant dealingss is prohibited in most civilizations. There are other states which have the legal age of holding sex. which are normally the Americans and Europeans. where the legal age is 16. so if a individual in dulges in a sexual relationship with a individual who is below 16 it is considered against the jurisprudence and will be filed for statutory colza ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Other parts such as India. sex before matrimony is considered as wickedness based on the cultural beliefs. whereas in American society it is inappropriate to hold sex if you’re non hubby or married woman ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . While in some states where sex could be considered as normal. other societies. like Islamic states for illustration. any criminal conversation committed by a male or by a female is badly punished. or most normally stoned to decease ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . But this isn’t the lone issue sing gender. the most recent yet flooring development. is homosexualism between work forces and adult female. Homosexuality was considered to be a misdemeanor of the natural law ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Peoples were merely meant to prosecute in heterosexual activity ( between adult male and adult female ) to reproduce. During the 1980’s indulgence in homosexual activity was considered in offense. people were imprisoned when caught making so. But in 2003 some parts o f the United States. suspended the jurisprudence. and made homosexualism legal. shortly European states such as Canada. Belgium. and Netherlands passed an act which approved of homosexual nuptialss ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . If one digs deeper into this issue. where these problematic. one can happen that it roots back from faiths. Most religion disapprove of homosexualism but in faiths such as Hindu. for gender. Bibles of homosexual activity merely stated that it was normal and natural. to be attracted to the same sex ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . But in today’s society the chief issue is sing the issue of males being attracted to each other. an illustration of this issue is Homophobia of men’ . Homosexuality is considered to be a cultural concept. which apart from the lesbian identities’ gave rise to the gay identities’ ( Herek 1986 ) . It is common for normal work forces. to avoid act uponing with homosexual work forces. as they fear what the public might believe of them being judged as non masculine’ . where as its more normal for adult female to tie in with tribades or homosexual adult females. as they are non being judged by the remainder of the females ( Herek 1986 ) . Surveies showed. that the societal building of homosexual individualities meant that there was something psychologically incorrect with that individual. it was neer attributed to the fact that homosexualism is more of a societal concept than something being incorrect with the persons mental province ( Herek 1986 ) . Gay work forces are more frightened to come out. or experience comfy about their gender in the populace than cheery adult female. The ground for this is because. work forces look for other men’s blessing to derive the position of being a man’ ( Kimmel ) . We are under the changeless careful examination of other work forces. Other work forces watch us. rank us. and allow our credence into the kingdom of manhood. Manhood is demonstrated of other men’s blessing. It is other work forces who evaluate the performance ( Kimmel ) . As mentioned earlier. work forces look for other men’s blessing. and because of this cheery work forces are subjected to stigma and favoritism ( Herek 1986 ) . As a consequence. they develop defensiveness. ’ an unconscious defense mechanism mechanism ( defined in psychodynamic footings ) . This helps them avoid or quash their homosexual inclinations ( Kimmel ) . To summarize. gender is non biologically determined because people have the free will to take their gender ( i. e. they are non born being homophiles. it is clearly a societal concept ) . Gender functions. is defined as a set of regulations or instead guidelines towards the behavior of work forces and adult female. The rights and responsibilities. attitudes and behaviors of work forces and adult females constitutes of how they are culturally associated with gender ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . The plants of work forces and adult females are separate. as in. work forces carry on making work which they are culturally supposed to be making and adult females do their work. based on what the norms of civilizations tell them to make. When these two norms interact with each other. they reflect a batch of differences and alterations in position. prestigiousness and power of work forces and adult female this is called as gender relations’ ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . It is obvious that work forces are thought to be more superior to adult females as they are more power driven and physically stronger than adult female. While. work forces get more esteemed and leading occupations. adult female are confined to their plain responsibilities of being a house-wife or in other words a care- giver ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . This brings about the inequality of work forces and adult female. There undertakings which categorize what adult female are capable of making such as. caring for kids and their hubbies. cooking nutrient. devising apparels and other homely jobs. while work forces on the other manus do more physical and unsafe undertakings such as. runing animate beings. carry oning warfare etc. this is called division of labor ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . Gender and position are the most recent struggle and the most studied subject in today’s society. Gender equality. happens when both the male and female agree to be rights and behaviors. Gender inequality happens when the male and female do non hold to equal rights. attitudes and behavior ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . An illustration of this. is male laterality in China. the male grownup. was the caput of the household and they expressed their laterality over their kids and married womans. Traditional Chinese civilizations had more Patriarchal gender dealingss ( Bonvillain 2006 ) . In decision. the inquiry is gender biologically determined? is wrong. even though gender has a biological definition. gender is largely socially defined in this context. The undertakings or norms which each gender ( i. e. male and female ) is supposed to execute in the society. is based on a societal concept. They are non born to be who there are. alternatively these societal buildings are in-built within them since childhood. Since they taught to move and act in a specific manner which is culturally approved. They choose to be what gender entreaties to them and what each individualistic gender they are taught to be. Hence Gender’ is strongly driven by civilization. Mentions: West. C and Zimmerman. Don. 1987. Making Gender. Sociologists for Women in Society 1 ( 2 ) : 125-155 Herek. Gregory. 1986. on Heterosexual Masculinity. American Behavioural Scientist 29 ( 5 ) : 563-577 Brandth. Berit. 2002. Gender Identity in European Family Farming: A Literature Review. European Society for Rural Sociology 42 ( 3 ) : 181-200 Kimmel. Michael. Masculinity as homophobia: Fear. Shame and Silence in the Constructions of Gender Identity. Bonvillain. Nancy. 2006. Chapter 10. Gender from Cultural Anthropology. Upper Saddle River. New jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Pp. 251-282. ISBN: 0-13-045545-8

Economics Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics Assigment - Essay Example Indeed, it should also be pointed out that Chinese did not focus, especially, on differentiation, innovation and process development that are essentials of technological superiority. In addition, China’s biggest mistake was its failure to understand why technology is foremost for economy and how it contributes to economic growth and sustainable development. Part 2 Acemoglu and Robinson (2008) have thrown light over the importance of institutions and the impact of economic institutions on the prosperity of a nation. Nevertheless, the authors argue that the economic institutions become stronger when harmony exists among political forces and institutions. In other words, political certainty averts the possibility of law and order crises, thereby creating a peaceful business environment for economic actors. Hence, the stronger the economic institutions, the better the policies devised for economic growth. Indeed, the policy-makers pay greater attention to provide trade incentives, to bring Foreign Direct Incentives, to initiate human resource development programmes and to promote technological development for enhancing organisational productivity and ensuring economies of scale (mass production). For instance, the authors’ main argument is that the economic institutions are the actual difference between 2 nations because a nation with strong institutions becomes developed, whereas a nation with weak institutions remains poor and technologically backward. Part 3 As far as the differences between articles written by Landes (2006) and Acemoglu and Robinson (2008) are concerned, it should be pointed out that Landes (2006) is more concerned with the underlying reasons that contributed to China’s technological failure in comparison to developed Western nations, which have become technologically superior due to their proactive and innovation centred approaches. China ruled out the possibility of implementing capitalism; therefore failed to reinforce c ompetition among entities. Next, China also disregarded to adopt some pertinent western values thus remained technologically backward in past, whereas West flourished at a phenomenal rate. Acemoglu and Robinson (2008) are more concerned with institutionalism as they argue that economic institutions and policy – makers play their vital role in economic well-being of a country because they take into consideration economy as a whole and formulate strategies that benefit economic actors in a society in general. Economics Assignment 2 Part 1 The article â€Å"Why Europe and the West? Why Not China?† has been composed by David Landes in which he has presented his arguments regarding the technological advancement of West and Europe and the reasons behind China’s failure in competing with Western economies. Landes (2006) highlighted that the western nations have always focused on developing their educational institutions so that they could establish a strong base for Re search & Development activities. Nevertheless, the Western and European countries were aware of importance of technology and the benefits they could obtain in terms of economic efficiency and sustainability. On the other hand, China lacked these valued as well as failed to thrive by acknowledging western achievements, capitalist values and technological knowledge base. Another major argument raised by Landes

The film Little Big Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The film Little Big Man - Essay Example These include the contrary warrior, the two-spirited person and the grandfather. These are entities of the Cheyenne that occupy their ordinary life. In portrayal of the two-spirited warrior, the sculpture emanates from the view of the little big man. It is vital to note that the young crab grows to become a successful warrior in the Cheyenne army. The younger bear, who is the contrary warrior, creates enmity with the little big man (Grant 98). The fundamental portrayal of the contrary warrior concerns the fact that nature stems from the fact that they are rebellious spirits. Their rebellion seems to stem from an injustice that they witness around them. This injustice may have trivial or concrete reasons. In the younger bear’s case, he seems to be envious of the little big man’s success. In turn, he strives to convince his society of his inner prowess. This does not bear success, in the short run, and he becomes frantic at the same. It comes as a further blow when the little big man saves him from a Pawnee warrior. The contrary warrior comes across as a superb portrayal of prowess in war and life skills. In this sense, the contrary warrior would walk on his hands around the camps. In addition, he would be able of extraordinary skills of riding the horse backwards. He would be able of turning their arches for backward shooting of arrows. Whenever he could come across a stream, he would lift his moccasin and hop through the water. His rebellion focused on doing the opposite things during wars. This would be both beneficial and counterproductive to wars. In spite of the contrary warrior’s struggles at seeking recognition, he is the same. This proves the same when he saves the little big man from Custer’s pistol. The grandfather shares a positive portrayal in the film story. He surfaces in the same when he saves the little big man and Caroline from the wild. It is vital to note that the Pawnee warriors are a dangerous group

What pressures shaped the nature and timing of decolonisation in Essay

What pressures shaped the nature and timing of decolonisation in Palestine - Essay Example ine was not considered as a full country, but rather an informal settlement of non-Jewish Muslims whose influence would threaten the presence of the state of Israel. However, new forces began to emerge which led to the ultimate decolonization of the country and the current clamor to enter into the united nations under a full recognition charter. The pressures, intrigues and forces that gave impetus to the freedom struggle in Israel have been attributed to a number of factors inherent in the country and beyond. In this paper, various forces and activities that led to the final decolonization of Palestine will be discussed to illustrate the various interests and events that occurred during the process1. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by significant push and clamor to create a Jewish state in the Middle East for the settlement of the Israelis who were living in different countries across the world. The support of Britain and the United States was being sought for the creation of a Jewish community settlement in Middle East despite the opposition of the Arab countries2. This led to the Balfour declaration in 1917 which increased the hopes of the Israelis that the British and the Americans will finally support their resettlement in a region they believed was their ancestral home3. Before this declaration, Arthur Balfour scripted a letter to Lord Rothschild, one of the few Jewish people who had influence and wealth to determine the historical directions of the race. Rothschild had influence among the Americans and the British foreign secretary invoked his influence in beginning a process that will finally create a Jewish settlement within the Middle East. In this letter, Balfour declared that he will support attempts to create a permanent establishment for the Jewish people within the area under the control of the Palestine. He however highlighted that specific safeguards must be adopted to ensure that the non-Jewish Palestinians were also given

The Circulatory System Functions Of The Heart Physical Education Essay

The Circulatory System Functions Of The Heart Physical Education Essay Circulatory System is the combined function of the heart, blood, and blood vessels to transport oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues throughout the body and carry away waste products. The circulatory system increases the flow of blood to meet increased energy demands during exercise and regulates body temperature. Also, when foreign substances or organisms invade the body, the circulatory system quickly sends disease-fighting elements of the immune system, such as white blood cells and antibodies, to places under attack. In the case of injury or bleeding, the circulatory system sends clotting cells and proteins to the affected site, which quickly stop bleeding and promote healing. The heart, blood, and blood vessels are the three main elements that make up the circulatory system. The heart is the engine of the circulatory system. It is divided into four chambers, the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium, and the left ventricle. The walls of these chambers are made of a muscle called myocardium, which contracts to pump blood. The pumping action of the heart occurs in two stages for each heartbeat. Diastole, when the heart is at rest, and systole, when the heart contracts to pump deoxygenated blood toward the lungs and oxygenated blood to the body. There are typically about 60 to 90 beats per minute. If the heart stops pumping, death usually occurs within four to five minutes. Blood consists of three types of cells, red blood cells that carry oxygen, disease-fighting white blood cells, and blood-clotting platelets, which are all carried through plasma. Plasma is yellowish and consists of water, salts, proteins, vitamins, minerals, hormones, dissolved gases, and fats. Three types of blood vessels make a network of tubes throughout the body. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, and veins carry it toward the heart. Capillaries are tiny links between the arteries and the veins where oxygen and nutrients spread to body tissues. The inner layer of blood vessels is lined with cells that create a smooth passage for the transfer of blood. This inner layer is surrounded by connective tissue and smooth muscle that help the blood vessel to expand or contract. Blood vessels expand during exercise to meet the increased demand for blood and to cool the body. Blood vessels contract after an injury to reduce bleeding and also to conserve body heat. Arteries have thicker walls than veins so they can withstand the pressure of blood being pumped from the heart. Blood in the veins is at a lower pressure, so veins have one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards away from the heart. Capillaries, which are the smallest of blood vessels, are only visible by microscope. The arteries, veins, and capillaries are divided into two systems of circulation, systemic and pulmonary. The systemic circulation carries oxygenated blood from the heart to all the tissues in the body except the lungs and returns deoxygenated blood carrying waste products, such as carbon dioxide, back to the heart. The pulmonary circulation carries this blood from the heart to the lungs. In the lungs, the blood releases its carbon dioxide and absorbs oxygen. The oxygenated blood then returns to the heart before transferring to the systemic circulation. The heart gets rid of oxygen-rich blood under high pressure out of the left ventricle, through the aorta. Smaller arteries branch off from the aorta, leading to various parts of the body. These smaller arteries in turn branch out into even smaller arteries, called arterioles. Branches of arterioles become progressively smaller in diameter, eventually forming the capillaries. Once blood reaches the capillary level, blood pressure is greatly reduced. Capillaries have extremely thin walls that allow dissolved oxygen and nutrients from the blood to become a fluid, called the interstitial fluid, that fills the gaps between the cells of tissues or organs. The dissolved oxygen and nutrients then enter the cells from the interstitial fluid by diffusion across the cell membranes. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide and other wastes leave the cell, diffuse through the interstitial fluid, cross the capillary walls, and enter the blood. In this way, the blood delivers nutrients and removes wastes without leaving the capillary tube. After delivering oxygen to tissues and absorbing wastes, the deoxygenated blood in the capillaries then starts to return to the heart. The capillaries merge to form tiny veins, called venules. These veins in turn join together to form progressively larger veins. Ultimately, the veins converge into two large veins, the inferior vena cava, that brings blood from the lower half of the body, and the superior vena cava, that brings blood from the upper half. Both of these two large veins join at the right atrium of the heart. The circulatory system plays an important role in controlling body temperature. During exercise, working muscles generate heat. The blood supplying the muscles with oxygen and nutrients absorbs much of this heat and carries it away to other parts of the body. If the body gets too warm, blood vessels near the skin enlarge to disperse excess heat outward through the skin. In cold environments, these blood vessels constrict to retain heat. The pressure generated by the pumping action of the heart propels the blood to the arteries. Blood pressure, for instance, enables a person to rise quickly from a horizontal position without blood pooling in the legs, which would cause fainting from deprivation of blood to the brain. Normal blood pressure is regulated by a number of factors, such as the contraction of the heart, the elasticity of arterial walls, blood volume, and resistance of blood vessels to the passage of blood. Blood pressure is measured during systole, the active pumping phase of the heart, and diastole, the resting phase between heartbeats. Blood pressure varies between individuals and even during the normal course of a day in response to emotion, exertion, sleep, and other physical and mental changes. The average normal blood pressure is about 120/80 mm Hg. Higher blood pressures that are sustained over a long period of time may indicate hypertension, a damaging circulatory condition. Lower blood pressures cou ld signal shock from heart failure, dehydration, internal bleeding, or blood loss.

Development Of Defense Of Provocation :: essays research papers

Development of Defense of Provocation Question: Critically evaluate the development of common law principles applicable to the defence of provocation in criminal law from the decision in Mancini v DPP [1942] AC 1 to Mascantonio v R (1995) 183 CLR 58. Assess the degree to which the common law has proved inflexible in responding changing societal needs and expectations. Are there other legal means of achieving substantive justice? At the time of the case of Mancini the concept of provocation as a defence to murder was already a well established one dating back centuries. It originated from the days when men bore arms and engaged in quarrels of violence that often resulted in a homicide being committed. For provocation to be an ample defence to murder it needed to be something which incited immediate anger, or "passion" and which overcame a person's self control to such an extent so as to overpower or swamp his reason. What this something can be has been the subject of many views through the centuries, and these views have strongly depended upon the type of person whom the law has regarded as deserving extenuated consideration when provoked to kill. In the words of Viscount Simon "the law has to reconcile respect for the sanctity of human life with recognition of the effect of provocation on human frailty. " In this regard the difficult concept of the "reasonable man" or the "ordinary man" has developed and with it the legal doctrine that provocation must be such as would not only cause the person accused to behave as he did but as would cause an ordinary man to so lose control of himself as to act in the same sort of way. It is therefore interesting to examine how the doctrine of common law in relation to provocation has responded to changing societal needs and values. It also provides a useful case study in which the development of common law doctrine can be observed. It is useful to conduct a case-by-case analysis of the rule of provocation as a defence to murder in order to more effectively observe the legal evolution that has taken place. In the case of Mancini v DPP [1942] AC 1 the appellant had been convicted for murder after stabbing a man to death in a club. The appellant's counsel contended that the trial judge should have directed that the jury was open to find provocation to reduce the appellant's conviction to manslaughter. Lord Simonds provided direction upon what kind of provocation would reduce murder to manslaughter. He said that the provocation must temporarily deprive