Free Essays on Kurt Vonnegut

Imagination What would happen if people could imagine something and it would instantly become reality? Imagine the thought of creating a whole new society where perfect and harmonious social, economical, and political conditions and relationships exist. What would a word without violence, racism, and money hungry people be like? This place would be Utopia. By definition, Utopia is an imaginary place or state where all is perfect. Each individual has his or her own idea for the â€Å"perfect state† of a Utopian society. In essence, no Utopia is ever identically equal. A renowned author in American literature decided to use the theme about writing about Utopian aspects in several of his novels. After publishing his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952, he published several short stories before his release of the 1959 novel, Sirens of Titan (Berggoetz 3). He tackles issues such as higher powers, wars, humans vs. machines, and equality in Sirens of Titan. He compares today’s society and then places suggestions on problem areas in society into his novels. In 1997, Stephanie Bonner had said, â€Å"In the past 47 years, he has become one of the most acclaimed writers of our times† (Bonner 1). Who is this renowned author?: Kurt Vonnegut, of course. â€Å"Kurt Vonnegut is one of the preeminent writes of the later half of the twentieth century. His works are all windows into his mind, a literary psychoanalysis†(Heck 1). Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born in November of 1922. He was born into a rich family, but live all other families in that time, they had gone through very hard times during the Great Depression. Through high school and then at Cornell University for college, Vonnegut worked on writing and serves as editors for various newspapers. After his thesis was denied and he had had enough of college, he joined the military. He was sent to Germany during the Second World War and was captured in the Battle of the Bulge in Dec of 1944. After a... Free Essays on Kurt Vonnegut Free Essays on Kurt Vonnegut Imagination What would happen if people could imagine something and it would instantly become reality? Imagine the thought of creating a whole new society where perfect and harmonious social, economical, and political conditions and relationships exist. What would a word without violence, racism, and money hungry people be like? This place would be Utopia. By definition, Utopia is an imaginary place or state where all is perfect. Each individual has his or her own idea for the â€Å"perfect state† of a Utopian society. In essence, no Utopia is ever identically equal. A renowned author in American literature decided to use the theme about writing about Utopian aspects in several of his novels. After publishing his first novel, Player Piano, in 1952, he published several short stories before his release of the 1959 novel, Sirens of Titan (Berggoetz 3). He tackles issues such as higher powers, wars, humans vs. machines, and equality in Sirens of Titan. He compares today’s society and then places suggestions on problem areas in society into his novels. In 1997, Stephanie Bonner had said, â€Å"In the past 47 years, he has become one of the most acclaimed writers of our times† (Bonner 1). Who is this renowned author?: Kurt Vonnegut, of course. â€Å"Kurt Vonnegut is one of the preeminent writes of the later half of the twentieth century. His works are all windows into his mind, a literary psychoanalysis†(Heck 1). Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was born in November of 1922. He was born into a rich family, but live all other families in that time, they had gone through very hard times during the Great Depression. Through high school and then at Cornell University for college, Vonnegut worked on writing and serves as editors for various newspapers. After his thesis was denied and he had had enough of college, he joined the military. He was sent to Germany during the Second World War and was captured in the Battle of the Bulge in Dec of 1944. After a...

How to Write a High School Book Review

How to Write a High School Book Review How to Write a High School Book Review Instructors are fond of assigning book reviews in high school. Most students think that book reviews are some sort of punishment that ensures they read the whole book and write a 500 word critique. However, book reviews are assigned to students so that they can develop a better understanding of the society in which they live and the world at large. How to write a high school book review is a nightmare for most high school students who despise reading, but it does not have to be if one follows some simple rules. First, one must understand the nature of a book review, which is the reader’s reaction to a specific book rather than a simple summarization of the work. A book review involves analyzing the validity of the content, purpose, and organization of the book. There are two basic kinds of book reviews, descriptive and critical. Descriptive book reviews evaluate the pertinent information offered in the book through exposition and description and is couched in the context of literary and historical values. These attributes are then supported by evidence from the work. The writer states and examines the perceived purposes and intentions of the author, often quoting some of the most compelling excerpts from the text in an effort to illustrate a point. However, in most cases, high school students are assigned critical book reviews to complete as part of their literature assignments as opposed to descriptive. In a critical book review, students must be conscious of two requirements. First, students need to be well informed of the work under review. This necessitates that the student understand the author’s purpose and how the sections of work contribute towards the purpose in writing. Gaining a basic knowledge about the author’s life experiences, as well as other works by the author and time period of publication, will often facilitate the student’s ability to understand the influences on the author’s works. Secondly, it is imperative for students to understand the genre of the text. Understanding the book’s genre is simply to be conscious of the art form of the book and utilization of its characteristics. Without knowledge of the genre, students have no literary understanding upon which evaluation s are based. The basics of a book review also include having a sense of what the reader expects to find in the critique. The reader should be able to glean from the critique some understanding of author’s thoughts and intentions without reading the original text. Main events and themes of the book are presented in a coherent and precise manner. Finally, in a review, apart from communicating the author’s purpose, it is prudent for the reviewer to express an opinion about the author’s success in achieving the purpose in writing the book. Students must be certain to provide adequate evidence to support personal opinions. In summary, completing a book review, just like making a book report, requires one to read through the entire text and offer a reaction to the content of the book, as well as its organization and the author’s ability to express ideas in a clear and concise manner. The student will find it helpful to develop and follow an outline as a way to organize ideas in a coherent manner. Finally, the student must spend time revising and proof-reading the critique. Visit to get professional book review help from academic experts who hold Masters and PhD degrees.

Pro or cons of personal freedom such as public smoking or talking on Essay

Pro or cons of personal freedom such as public smoking or talking on the phone while drving - Essay Example In the U.S., laws preventing gambling and gay marriage fall into this category as well. There is, of course, a line drawn within this opinion regarding laws that include children. Consensual adults, however, should be free to choose how to live their lives as they please if it does not interfere with the personal welfare or property of others. Denying personal freedom is often justified and accepted as necessary but in the greater scope of human endeavour the acceptance of these ‘no harm’ laws leads the public to accept other such laws which slowly but steadily lead to further reductions of free will decisions by free peoples. The country was founded by people who believed this concept and wrote the Constitution to forever protect personal freedoms. This discussion will examine the history of how the concept of guaranteed personal freedoms became an American invention and offers a constitutional analysis of two hotly debated issues, euthanasia and abortion. To what extent personal freedom should be permitted is not the issue. Personal freedoms are an American birthright that is slowly but surely eroding over time. Whether or not the American people have the courage to protect and restore these freedoms is the real issue. The Founding Fathers displayed courage when they broke away from a tyrannical, oppressive King of England who ruled over the most powerful military at that time to establish a country where personal autonomy was considered the most precious commodity in a society. The seeds of the Founders’ concept of law and freedom emanated from Britain. The Constitution was inspired by the Magna Charta and British philosopher John Locke helped to lay the foundation for the Founders’ deep belief in personal freedoms. Locke defined each individual as having the right to â€Å"life, liberty and estate† (Locke, 1960 p. 448). These words have an almost identical mirror in the beginning paragraphs of the

Article Astronomers Measure Precise Distance to Controversial Star Essay

Article Astronomers Measure Precise Distance to Controversial Star Cluster - Essay Example The further the distance of the star, the smaller the size of the parallax. Astronomy is a social activity where astronomers discuss ideas and interpret data while at the same time arguing on what the observation mean. In the scientific method, they make use of both the inductive and the deductive reasoning to learn about astronomy. In inductive reasoning, they make use of observations and use the results to make generalizations about astronomy. These generalizations may lead into a new theory or elaborations on a theory. They may also make use of deductive reasoning where the existing theories are subjected to rational considerations to come up with logical theory consequences. The consequences could result into new theories and other predictions testable through various experiments. For instance, there are radio astronomers claiming that they have determined a distance of the Pleiades cluster of star from the earth. However, the results contradict that of European satellite aimed at measuring stellar distances. The European space agency launched a Hipparcos satellite to measure a parallax of 100000 stars (Croswell, 2014). Unfortunately, a certain booster failed to fire leaving a satellite in an elliptical orbit around the earth resulting into complicated data analysis. Despite this, Hipparcos scientists released the data indicating the Pleiades cluster was closer to the earth. This raised a controversy since the analysis of data had been distorted. However, scientists agreed on a new methodology to resolve the ongoing controversy. They had to launch the Gaia spacecraft which measures parallaxes of billion stars including multiple Pleiades. The scientists are optimistic that by the end of a decade, then individuals will have a sure proof of how far the cluster is from the earth. However, this could raise more controversies if its findings contradict what the astronomers think they know. Thus, astronomers use the scientific

Determining the Concentration of Sulphuric Acid Essay Example for Free

Determining the Concentration of Sulphuric Acid Essay I am going to plan an experiment to determine the accurate concentration of sulphuric acid. It is thought to have the concentration between 0.05 and 0.15 moldm-3. I will be provided with a solid base which is anhydrous (powder) sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). To find the accurate concentration I will titrate the sulphuric acid against the sodium carbonate. The reaction following will take place: Na2CO3 (aq) + H2SO4 (aq) Na 2 SO4 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O(l)1 Deciding the Amounts Sulphuric acid has a concentration about 0. 10 moldm-3 (half way between 0.05 and 0.15 moldm-3). I would like to use 25cm3 of sulphuric acid. This is because, it is not a wasteful amount and also it would reduce percentage errors because this is quite a large amount to use. It would be an ideal value to use. Furthermore, I will need to make up a standard solution from the solid base that I have been provided with, which is sodium carbonate. I would again ideally like to use 25cm3 of the standard solution per titre. This is because, the pipettes have the reading of 25cm3, which means the pipette is readily, available for this amount, therefore it is a sensible value. Consequently I will need to make up a standard solution of concentration 0.10moldm-3. This is because of the stoichiometry. The equation shows that for every one mole of sulphuric acid, there is one mole of sodium carbonate. Therefore, the concentration must be the same because the volumes are the same and the number of moles are the same. I estimated the concentration of sulphuric acid to be 0.10 moldm-3 because its halfway between the thought amount of 0.05 and 0.15 moldm-3, therefore the concentration of the standard solution must be the same. Deciding what Indicator to Use I need to use an indicator to see when the end point of the titration occurs, and they are used between acid and alkalis. I have decided on using 2-3 drops of methyl orange indicator fin my experiment per titre. This is because; methyl orange indicator gives an accurate indication of the end point using a strong acid (sulphuric acid) and a weak alkali (sodium carbonate). 2 Making up my Standard Solution As I have mentioned before, I want my standard solution to have the concentration of 0.10 moldm-3. I have chosen my volumetric flask to be 250cm3. This is because these volumetric flasks are readily available. In addition, I am aiming to do approximately five titrations, therefore this amount would allow me to do five titrations and have some to spare. I now need to find out how much sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) is needed to make a standard solution of concentration 0.10 moldm-3. I need to use the equation: Number of moles = concentration (moldm-3) x volume(dm3)3 n = c x v The volume is 250cm3 so I need to divide this by 1000 so that it converts into dm3. Number of moles = 0.10(moldm-3) x 0.25 (dm3) Number of moles = 0.025 moles Therefore, 0.025 moles id required for the standard solution, nevertheless, I now need to convert this into grams by using the equation: Number of moles = Mass (g) / Molar mass(gmol-1)4 Mass (g) = Number of moles x Molar mass(gmol-1) Molar mass for Na2CO3 = (23 x 2) + 12 + (16 x 3) = 106gmol-1 Mass (g) = 0.025 x 106 = 2.65g Therefore, 2.650g of sodium carbonate is required for my standard solution. My experiment The apparatus I am going to use are as follows: * Burette * Conical flask * Volumetric flask * Rubber ball pipette filler * Distilled water * Beakers * Filter funnel * Teat pipette * Tile * Sulphuric acid * Sodium Carbonate * Scales * Spatula * Weighing bottle * Glass rod * Stand * Clamp * Methyl orange indicator Plan of Experiment 1. Prepare apparatus. 2. Weigh a weighing bottle accurately. Using a spatula, transfer 2.650g of sodium carbonate to the weighing bottle and weigh again. 3. Tip the contents of the weighing bottle into a clean 250cm3 beaker and reweigh the empty weighing bottle to find the weight by difference. This way I can work out the actual weight of sodium carbonate that has been transferred. 4. Add 50cm3 of distilled water to the solid and stir using a glass rod until dissolved. Transfer this solution into a volumetric flask using a funnel. Make up the graduation mark with distilled water using a teat pipette to ensure you so not overshoot it. This is now the standard solution. 5. Put a stopper on the flask and invert it about 20 times to make sure all the solution is mixed. 6. Using pipette filler, pipette 25.0cm3 of the solution into a clean conical flask. 7. Clean the burette out with distilled water and then again with sulphuric acid. Attach the burette to the stand, and fill the burette using a funnel with sulphuric acid. 8. Add methyl orange indicator to the conical flash only about 2-3 drops. Put the conical flask onto a white tile so the colour change is easy to see when titrating. 9. Titrate the solution until you reach the end point (when the solution turns orange), and record your results. I am going to use this as a rough titre. 10. Repeat this to obtain concordant results, concordant meaning results that are similar usually results which are in 0.1cm3 of each other. Risk Assessment Chemical Name Form Used Safety Statement Precautions Sulphuric Acid 0.05-0.15 moldm-3 Irritant Wear eye protection and gloves. Wear a lab coat. If spilt on skin dry with a cloth and then wash with water. If spilt dry with cloth and then scrub using water. If it gets it contact with eyes wash them with water thoroughly. 6 Sodium Carbonate Solid and at 0.10 moldm-3 Irritant, but if dust gets in eyes its harmful. Wear safety goggles, gloves and also protective clothing. If in contact with eyes wash quickly with clean water. If spilt on skin wash intensely. If inhaled move to an area of fresh air. If spilt anywhere scoop as much as possible up. 5 Methyl Orange Indicator 2-3 drops Irritant Wear safety goggles, gloves and also protective clothing. If spilt, clean it up using a cloth and water. If gets in contact with skin wash the area thoroughly. If enters eyes wash with clean water. 6 Why my plan will Devise Reliable results My plan will devise reliable result because of many reasons. Firstly I am going to do a rough titre in my plan, which means I will have a rough idea of my titration, so when I do my real results I know when to add it drop wise, so that I wont overshoot the end point. Another reason why I wont overshoot the end point is because I am going to use a white tile so I can judge the end point more accurately. Furthermore, I am only going to add 2 or 3 drops of methyl orange indicator. This will make my results more reliable because the methyl orange indicator is slightly acidic, so it would use up the alkaline solution, therefore by only adding a small amount of it will make my results more reliable and accurate. In addition, I am also going to wash my equipment out thoroughly with distilled water and then with the solution I am going to put that piece of equipment. This will remove any impurities that were originally in the containers so will make my results more reliable. Also, when I am measuring the solution, I will measure accurately by using a pipette to make sure the bottom of the meniscus is on the line to make my results more accurate. Also, when reading the burette I will put a piece of plain paper behind so I can read it more accurately. I will also, remember to take the funnel out of my burette as this could also affect the accuracy of my results. This is because drops are still on the funnel could enter my burette which mean more sulphuric acid affecting my results. This way by removing the funnel, I will achieve accurate results. 7 Finally, I am going to use accurate equipment as possible, which will minimise errors in my results. Overall my results will be very accurate and reliable! References 1. Article on types of chemical reactions, http://www.sky-web.net/science/reaction-types. I used this to help me write my balanced equation for the reaction between sodium carbonate and sulphuric acid. 2. Information on the use of indicators in acid-alkali titrations, salters practical assessment. I used this to decide what indicator to use as it told me what to use if I had a strong acid and weak alkali. 3. Chemical ideas, 2nd edition, chapter 1, section 1.5, concentrations of solutions, published by Heinemann 2000. I used this to get the concentration equation. 4. Power point presentation on moles and concentration, http://moodle.kedst.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=4556. This helped me find the formulas for concentration and to find out the mass. 5. Safety data sheet, http://www.brunnermond.com/products/sodium_carb. I used this source to find out the safety statement of sodium carbonate and the precautions I will need to take. 6. Hazard cards, numbers 98 and 32, Cleapps 1998 and 2003. I used these to find out the safety statement and also the precaution I will need to take when doing my experiment for methyl orange indicator and sulphuric acid. 7. Skills for Salters as Chemistry, pages 3,4,6,7 and 29, chemistry department, 2007. I used this to see how I will use my equipment and use it accurately, giving me accurate results. Analysis I made up my standard solution by firstly weighing out some sodium carbonate. I weighed the weighing bottle and added approximately 2.65g of sodium carbonate. I then transferred the sodium carbonate to a beaker and reweighed the weighing bottle, so I can therefore work out exactly how much sodium carbonate I transferred. Mass of weighing bottle and sodium carbonate = 57.732g Mass of weighing bottle after transfer of sodium carbonate = 55.052g Consequently the accurate amount of sodium carbonate transferred is the mass of the weighing bottle and the sodium carbonate, minus the mass of the weighing bottle after the transfer which is: 57.932g 55.052g = 2.680g Therefore, 2.680g of sodium carbonate was transferred. Next I added about 50cm3 of water to the beaker and using a glass rod I stirred the solution until the sodium carbonate has dissolved. This was then fully transferred to a volumetric flask and water was added to the 250cm3 graduation mark. I then used a pipette to transfer 25.00cm3 of this standard solution to a conical flask and titrated with the unknown acid. I used 25.00cm3 of the standard solution for each titre after the experiment; I had obtained results for how much acid was added for each titre. The results for how much acid I added for each titre are as follows: 20.10cm3, 19.85cm3 and 20.05cm3. I am now going to work out an average by picking out the concordant results (results which are in 0.10cm3 of each other) and dividing by how many there is. 20.10cm3+ 20.05cm3/2 = 20.075cm3. Therefore, my average titre was 20.075cm3. Concentration of Sodium Carbonate Solution I am now going to calculate the concentration of the sodium carbonate solution: 2.68g of sodium carbonate was dissolved in a 250cm3 volumetric flask using water, so I need to find out how many moles of the substance I used in order to find out the concentration. Therefore I need to use the equation: Number of Moles= Mass (g)/Molar Mass (gmol-1) Molar mass of Na2CO3 = (23 x 2) + 12 + (16 x 3)= 106gmol-1 Number of Moles= 2.680g/ 106gmol-1 Number of Moles= 0.0253moles. Therefore, I used 0.0253 moles in my standard solution. I now need to use the equation to find the concentration: Concentration (moldm-3) = Number of moles/Volume (dm3) I firstly need to convert 250cm3 to dm3 so that my equation works: 1000cm3 = 1dm3 250cm3 = 0.250dm3 (I divided by 1000). Concentration (moldm-3) = 0.0253moles/0.250dm3 Concentration= 0.101moldm-3 Consequently, I have calculated my sodium carbonate standard solution to have a concentration of 0.101moldm-3, rounded to three significant figures. Concentration of acid I am now going to calculate the concentration of the acid solution; therefore I firstly need to find out how many moles there is of the sodium carbonate solution, by using the equation: Concentration of Na2CO3 (moldm-3) x Volume of Na2CO3(dm3) = Number of moles of Na2CO3 0.101moldm-3 x (25/1000) dm3) =0.00253 moles The equation of my reaction is: Na2CO3 (aq) + H2SO4 (aq) Na2SO4 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O(l) This equation shows that the molar ratio of sodium carbonate and sulphuric acid is 1:1 which means is there is 0.00253 moles of sodium carbonate there is 0.00253 moles in sulphuric acid. The average titre as shown above was 20.075cm3, which I need to convert to dm3 which is: 20.075cm3/1000 = 0.0201dm3. I can now use the equation Concentration (moldm-3)= Number of moles/Volume (dm3) Concentration (moldm-3)= 0.0253 / 0.0201 Concentration = 0.126moldm-3. Overall, I conclude that the concentration of the acid solution is 0.126moldm-3.

The Ape-Like Mr. Hyde in Robert Louis Stevenson Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Ape-Like Mr. Hyde in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde   Ã‚   Throughout The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Henry Jekyll underwent periods of transformation, transcendence and transgression. During these periods where Dr. Jekyll was Mr. Hyde, Hyde had an impact on several of the characters' lives inhabiting Stevenson's tale. In imagining Hyde, readers are struck by a great sense of who Hyde is with surprisingly little in the way of physical description. We are reminded of the dwarf-like stature and the impression of deformity Hyde leaves upon his onlookers. We are given few other clues, but one trait of Hyde's is almost a certainty-- Hyde possesses simian characteristics.    After Utterson hears Enfeild's story of Mr. Hyde running over a child like a "Juggernaut," Utterson decides to stalk Mr. Hyde (Stevenson 3). After running into Mr. Hyde, Utterson is struck that "the man seems hardly human!/Something troglodytic" (Stevenson 10). According to the American Heritage Dictionary, troglodytic can be interpreted as "a member of a fabulous or prehistoric race of people ...

Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act Essay

‘Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act’ Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ‘Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes act’ is a federal law against hate crimes which was passed in 2009 after two ruthless preference motivated crimes of murder of James Byrd Junior., an African American man in 1998 and murder of a student Matthew Shepard in the same year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The key provisions of this act or law were:- Removal of the requirement that the victim be engaging in a federally secure action, like voting or being educated in a school, Giving federal authorities better capacity to engage in hate crimes investigations that local authorities choose not to pursue, Provides 5 million USD every year in financing for fiscal years 2010 through 2012 to help national and native agencies pay for prosecuting and investigating hate crimes, Requires the Federal Bureau for Investigations(FBI) to make sure they check statistics on hatred criminalities established on gender identity and gender (statistics for any other groups were already tracked) in Texas and other states. (Jones-Brown, In Frazier, & In Brooks, 2014).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advantages of hate crime laws   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These laws will make the public vigilant that the group is defenseless, has been broadly victimized in the earlier and there is need of protection. The crime which is based on this law is not directed basically against one person but it is projected to intimidate and target the victim’s whole group so the law is fair. The law would guard persons of all sexual orientations. More so it will not limit freedom of speech because it cannot be applied before the criminal act happen. (Jacobs & Potter, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disadvantages of hate crime laws   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of its parts are unfair since there is consideration of people identically meaning they depend on some characteristics such as gender or maybe disability. The laws will increase federal government of Texas participation in law enforcement and this will bring some imbalance in the governing. In addition the laws covers all crimes which are already illegal under the existing state and local laws. (Jacobs & Potter, 1998).Hate crimes laws are still existing even today because the rate of hate crimes has now reduced compared to the time when the law has not been enacted. However even its provision are very tough and this have brought frustration to the public thus reducing the crimes. These laws are also taking a big responsibility in protecting every kind of person in the society in terms of color, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation. References Crooks, R., & Baur, K. (2011). Our sexuality. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. In Jones-Brown, D. D., In Frazier, B. D., & In Brooks, M. (2014). African Americans and criminal justice: An encyclopedia. Jacobs, J. B., & Potter, K. (1998). Hate crimes: Criminal law & identity politics. New York: Oxford University Press. Source document