Defining The Winners And Losers English Literature Essay

Defining The Winners And Losers English Literature Essay Winning isnt everything, its the only thing (Lattterell 210). Spoken by one of the most well-known football coaches ever, Vince Lombardi sums up the value America places on competition in this quote. America is dominated by the cultural assumption that the role competition plays in the United States is to define winners and losers. While the assumption does value hard work, perseverance, and giving all ones got as a pathway to become a winner as well as whoever or whatever one dreams of being in life, the assumption fails to recognize Americans obsessions with the infinite new ways they concoct just to prove themselves as winners. In addition, the assumption does not take into account the way competition can turn into an out-of-control complete loss of civility (Latterell 211-213). Even more so, defining winners and losers causes Americans to value the extrinsic rewards for competing instead of looking at the value of intrinsic motivation and cooperation (Latterell 213-214). Joshua D avis and Alfie Kohn each question the assumption that constitutes almost every aspect of Americans lives and reflects Americas obsession with defining winners and losers. To begin with, Joshua Davis looks at the American cultural assumption on competition in his essay Team USA by looking at how it played a role in his own life. From early childhood, Davis had been influenced by his mother to become the champion she had never become. Ever since his mother place fifth in the 1962 Miss USA contest, she looked to her son to become the champion she had never been. Even after all of her accomplishments, she still saw herself as a loser or just average, and therefore, she wanted her son to become the winner she could no longer become (263-264). As humorous as it sounds, the five-foot-nine-inch, 129-pound data entry clerk looked to fulfill his goal to become a winner in his own right by becoming a professional arm wrestler (262). In the end, Davis made it all the way to the World Arm Wrestling Championships and ended up getting seventeenth in a field of eighteen. Humorously, Davis is now ranked seventeenth in the world for the 132-pound arm wrestling division without even winning one single match (275). Overall, the essay pokes fun at the American ideal that any individual can become a champion and winner if he/she really puts his/her mind to it and give it everything he/she has got. American society is so concerned with being winners that Davis wonders where an average citizen like himself stands out in society (275). The fact that this average citizen, who has been labeled a loser his entire life, becomes an internationally ranked arm wrestler without winning one match reflects Americans absurd desire to prove themselves as winners in any way imaginable. Daviss story is a direct criticism of Americas assumption on the value of competition. It is even essential to take notice of the way Davis criticizes Americas cultural assumption that hard work and extreme effort will get anyone to the top. His essay criticizes the assumption because he became internationally ranked with not one win and not nearly the amount of time and hard work that is needed to reach such a high status. By wri ting about his experience of becoming an internationally ranked arm wrestler through zero wins and no experiences or matches in arm-wrestling in his life prior to the U.S. National Arm Wrestling Championships, the essay further points out the silly, ridiculous, bizarre, and yet comical ways Americans try to prove themselves as winners (265). His mothers disappointment that came from competing in beauty pageants followed by her strong desire to push her own son to the status of champion is a sad representative example of Americas cultural desire to win-at-all-costs for trophies and other extrinsic rewards. The fact that some arm wrestlers had their legs amputated in order to cut off unnecessary weight so that they could have a better advantage at winning the gold is yet another ridiculous extreme people resort to in order to get themselves to the admirable, distinguished status of being a winner (275). Essentially, the essay is a criticism of the value Americans place on being a winn er and the measures people go to in order to become a winner. In No Contest: Play, Fun, and Competition, Alfie Kohn argues against the cultural assumption that competition and defining winners and losers is more enjoyable than play (277). To begin with, Kohn defines play and competition as two separate entities. He sees play as a voluntary and pleasing source of freedom free from being serious and free from the recordings of results and scores because they do not matter in play. Whereas play represents a process orientation (278) that is intrinsically gratifying, competition represents a product orientation (278) that is extrinsically gratifying. Furthermore, competition is strongly regulated with many rules. Motivating Americans for acceptance outside of oneself, competition is very goal-oriented with strong incentives to obtain power, trophies, and/or money (278-280). In competition, someone must end up a loser (286). Kohn makes a very important point in noticing that it is very hard for Americans to enjoy their leisure time when it is filled with competitions that directly resemble corporate America and Americas hierarchical social status system (280). In essence, Kohn is saying that competition especially sports resemble work more than it resembles pleasure and leisure (279). Competitions and sports are mainly getting people ready for a life that is filled with work, competition, and winners and losers (280). One of Kohns most important points is when he states that We have been raised to associate recreation with the win/lose model of our society, to assume that having fun means someone has to end up a loser (286). More importantly is the fact that when a victor is named and receives an external reward for their accomplishment over another person/team, any other gratification that could come from a game is lost. Thus the goal and the focus are only on winning in order to receive societys favor, adoration, and respect (282). In order to give a better expression of what play looks like, it is necessary to at least identify one of the many noncompetitive games cited in his essay. One such example is the cooperative rather than noncompetitive game called Cooperative Bowling. In this example of play, participants try to take down all ten pins in as many rounds as there are players. It is also significant to note that in play others are partners rather than opponents as in competition (288). Overall, Kohns main point he tries to get across is his belief that play not only can be much more enjoyable than the win/lose structure of competition, but that play can also make people an overall better human being than competition can (277). Furthermore, his entire essay helps assert that play has many more benefits compared to the benefits of competition. Kohn uses the unique advantages people think competition offers and shows how they can be just as advantageous if not more when one is involved in play of all kinds. When looking at the unique quality of teamwork, play is more beneficial and enjoyable because teamwork is, simply stated, a cooperative activity aimed at working together towards a common goal. Therefore, since play forces everyone to cooperate together while competition involves one group working against another enemy, play is twice as gratifying as competition is (283). In addition, play can be just as challenging as competition as evidenced by Cooperative Bowlin g (287-288). Play can also involve a determination to beat ones own previous record such as in running to beat ones previous time(s). It is important to note that this example of play does not involve competition because there are no winners or losers; there is only a push to challenge and better oneself rather than compare oneself to others as competition does (284). Every attempt whether failed or succeeded is nonetheless beneficial when a person challenges himself/herself. One key feature of competition is the destruction and disadvantages, that competition, and not play, creates. Competition and play are both similar in that they are supposed to provide large scale participation and enjoyment. However, looking at the rates of participation in North America makes one conclude that competition is not very popular or very much enjoyed. In North America it is not uncommon to lose from 80 to 90 percent of our registered organized sports participants by 15 years of age (285). That statistic alone should stand out as a major drawback of competition since competition is meant to yield vast participation and enjoyment. Even more so, the pervasive competitiveness in childrens athletic programs such as Little League baseball helps one to see the damage competition causes. Angry parents who yell at their children, humiliating them in the process, are such sad sights to see because they only to want to see their children win (286). As a certified soccer referee wh o has refereed for over four years now, I can strongly agree with this statement. Competition and sports are valued and accepted for their hostility, aggression, and violence as well (281). It is hard to correlate competition with fun, enjoyment, and unique advantages with this kind of evidence (286). Findings show that once children are exposed to noncompetitive games they generally prefer these games compared to competitive ones. However, society is socialized and brainwashed into thinking that competition is more enjoyable. When individuals are judged on their own efforts as in play or noncompetitive games and not compared or measured to any other individuals, greater benefits and enjoyment can be obtained (287). Cooperative games offer a satisfaction not only for the success of oneself but also for the success of all involved; sadly, this gratifying advantage is absent from competition (289). In conclusion, America is encompassed with the assumption that the only way to enjoy and benefit from leisure time is to engage in the win/lose model of competition. While competition is unlikely to fade from its high ranks in capitalistic America, it is essential for Americans to look more at play and noncompetitive games as opportunities for fostering social harmony and enjoyment and success for all.

Brutus and Mark Antony in the play Julius Caesar :: William Shakespeare

The Empire of Deceit In the play Julius Caesar, written by the playwright William Shakespeare, the characters Brutus and Mark Antony each recite a speech in the market place after Caesar’s death. These speeches, exemplifying parallelism, verbal irony, and witty use rhetoric, expose the true intentions of these characters. From these speeches, the reader can understand the true intentions of these characters and thus conclude for themselves whether or not the slaying of Caesar was one of justice or one of greed. Corruption is always apparent in every society. No matter what time, age, or government, every man or women always has a second intention. In murdering Caesar, Brutus hoped that he could gain power. His intentions also presented a scenario in which the plebeians were pleased with his course of action. Why? With the logic that states that all Roman people were or would become the slaves of Caesar due to his immense power. Thus, in Brutus’s mind, he is the liberator of the Roman people. Trying to woo the simple plebeians in the marketplace, he asks them to invest trust in him. Brutus makes clever rhetoric such as his emphasis and emotion on powerful words to convey his message. But what the reader must understand is that this man is nothing more than a corrupt politician. Brutus uses language in his favor, stating he killed Caesar not out of hate, but in fact because of his love of the Roman people. If one truly understands the key principles of all language and philosophy, the n one must be able to tell that Brutus is doing nothing more than using a â€Å"double-talk† kind of approach towards the common man. Reality can be controlled. The reason behind this statement is simple- reality is controlled by keepers of the records. What this statement means is that any situation can be manipulated in order to favor one side or another. In the speech by Antony, the tide of reality pulls sharply out, exposing a beach of discontent and deceit. Antony starts his speech by saying that he is not there to praise the late emperor, but in fact accept the fact that Brutus is a praiseworthy man. However, Antony’s speech begins to pull the tide of Brutus’s reality once Antony mentions that Caesar was his friend. It is this simple notion that changes Rome’s future forever. Antony goes on to state that Caesar had triumphed over many enemies, thus bringing power to the Romans and bringing much fortune.

Emily Dickinson’s poem #371 Essay

Analyzing the poem by discovering how the author used literary elements usually is very essential to understanding the poem’s theme. As one of the significant elements, extended metaphor may convey one of key ideas in poetry. Depending on the poem, extended metaphor may provide the opportunity to reflect on even more deep and hidden, but just as important concepts the author chooses to convey. Similarly, in the poem # 371, Emily Dickinson uses extended metaphor as practically the most essential element to convey her feelings in regard to The Antique Book held as fascinating and exciting volume. Emily Dickinson compares real historical characters to the Antique Book, giving it the qualities of a fine gentleman. It is a â€Å"precious pleasure† to meet such a gentleman who will entice with and tell of his radical but thrilling notions. What must mesmerize Emily in the â€Å"Antique Book† are realistic images of â€Å"the Dress his Century wore,† along with the opportunity of learning about compositions by Shakespeare, Sappho, Sophocles, Plato, to inspect their thoughts in detail, and to understand their contradicted ideas- dreams of the future. Such account of acquaintance, enhanced with the facts of history, is an â€Å"Enchantment.† This sophisticated â€Å"figure† may be dear to the narrator in the same way Beatrice may be to Dante. It is only one of the many reasons why Emily Dickinson would call â€Å"Antique Book† a gentleman-like, where the contents of a volume either entice, reflect, intrigue, puzzle, or fascinate the narrator . The development of this metaphor may be compared with the process of reading and enjoying a book. It can also be seen as an acquaintance with a particular person. As when meeting the â€Å"gentlemen,† the narrator may acquire strong fascination for this â€Å"person.† Fascination of Emily Dickinson may be seen through diction, since it is evidently â€Å"a†¦pleasure†¦to meet and Antique Book.† Further on, it is a â€Å"venerable Hand to take† and later it is â€Å"His quaint opinions- to inspect.† It seems as if the subject begins to fascinate the narrator and thus the conversation begins to be more intriguing. Here, then, â€Å"Old Volume shake their Vellum Heads,† thus tantalizing â€Å"-just so-† The encounter leaves the narrator with only the wish and that is to hear more. Undoubtedly, the same concept can be addressed to  an act of reading a book. The â€Å"acquaintance† is then with an interesting book which on e reads on to inspect its contents over and over, filled with radical but inspiring ideas. It can be said in overall that the point of interest in this poem arises from the first stanza to the last. Such usage of an extended metaphor and also other literary elements is meant to reveal the theme. What especially underlines the extended metaphor and thus helps to reflect narrator’s fascinating and exciting account is the use of allusion, diction, iambic pentameter in the poem, and also such elements as assonance and consonance. Basically, a reference to some of the great people in history is intended to be an aspect of the extended metaphor, which personifies The Antique Book, and is an allusion to the great philosophers, poets, and playwrights. Iambic pentameter is a significant tool because it, though seemingly plain and simple as an element, may convey numerous things, ideas that prosperous elegance is admired. Emily Dickinson also uses â€Å"slant rhyme† that might add to the effect of the poem, created as a bit formal but still a bit irregular. It can produce the same effect a book must produce on the narrator in this poem. In turn, assonance and consonance help to distinguish the key ideas in the poem. Though not many, Emily Dickinson uses consonance to connect the words such as â€Å"theme,† â€Å"mutual† and â€Å"mind.† Also assonance is used in words â€Å"venerable Hand to take,† repeating the vowel sound to emphasize, especially, the privilege behind this act. Referring to all the literary elements Emily Dickinson uses, it must be that otherwise understanding of the poem may have become convoluted. Consequently the poem thoroughly can be analyzed to trace the elements essential to the theme. It is very important to use such elements where poem may otherwise be seen pointless. In the poem #371, Emily Dickinson effectively reflects on her feelings thus enabling the poem to be intriguing, as the book is to the narrator. It may be true that Emily, as an author, gets her ideas, such a strange at the time and a curious at others embodied in a poetic form, from the sort of â€Å"Old Volume† as the one described in the poem. If so, this correlation may help suggest a message of a broader issue reflected in this poem.

A Better Manager What Makes A Good Manager - 1417 Words

A Better Manager 1 Conflict is when you are coming into a disagreement or an argument that may arise. As a manager in a workforce, that manager should always expect to have some sort of conflict; whether it is with other managers or subordinates that work under that management. There is very difference situation in which makes a good manager versus what makes a bad manager. For instance, most successful managers come from life experience such as learning the techniques of handling situations that arrives on the jobs, while unexperienced managers might not have the skill set to lead. Overall, managers are the go between for the subordinates and upper management such as the CEO of a company or General manager of the†¦show more content†¦The success of a business normally falls on the shoulders of the management team. While this statement may be true, it also falls on the shoulder of those employees who work for that company as well. There will always be som e kind of adversity in any business or corporation. Take the military for instance, most people join the military with very little experience, even so much as joining the military straight out of high school. Depending on that particular organization, some people may advance to a management position much faster than others; it all depends on that organization advancement opportunity. While most managers can be advance at a rapid rate because of their knowledge of the business, but it still may not have the quality it takes to run a full on work team. â€Å"As a nonmanagerial employee, you probably didn t have access to a lot of the company information your boss did. Now that you re a leader, you ll be a more involved in planning and strategy work, and it s important to keep your team informed about what s going on in the organization as a whole† (Taylor, 2014). New managers can be face with many challenges that may be far their expectation. 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