Organizational Philosophies and Technology Paper Essay

Organizational Philosophies and Technology Paper - Essay Example Technology can, very easily, support an ethical business culture. This requires the development of an organization culture of ethics first, before employing technology to maintain that culture despite situations that challenge the company’s values. Ethics is crucially important for the success (and failure) of companies. In particular, in the case of successful companies, ethics provides a framework for actions that are conducive to relationships with others, the environment, and the public. These actions bring about mutually beneficial results, which lay the foundation for positive public relations. In the case of failed companies, ethics provides a challenge to be overcome with immoral, and sometimes unlawful, acts. Ethics, taken in this way, is defined primarily by the moral, social, and organizational context of the company. Company culture must take into account this context. For instance, a cosmetics company that tests its products on live monkey and other animals may ha ve to deal with the ethical context with changing social attitudes toward testing on live animals. For instance, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) trade-group, consisting of 600 member companies, has controlled vast amounts of resources in order to sway public opinion its animal testing since the industry came under scrutiny in the 1980s (Farsetta, 2006). Companies utilize technology not only to gain favor with the public, but also to maintain and manage their ethical standards and guidelines internally amongst its employees. One way to control how employees interact with customers or vendors is to observe the employees’ emails and telephone correspondence. Some interpret this as a necessary method for avoiding unethical situations with relation to employee-customer relationships; others interpret this as a breach of employee privacy. Another method is filtering searchable websites at the company’s office. A more effective means of managing the e thical corporate culture of one’s organization is to have employees agree with the company to conduct themselves in an ethical manner, according to the company’s values and ethical standards. In return, the employers then give the employees enough privacy in order to do their work effectively. This alternative seems to spare companies the duty of spying on their employees to the extent that current technology allows. From this case, it seems technology has a wide range for ethical and unethical uses in the 21st century business environment. Methods like monitoring employees and filtering viewable websites, while seemingly superficial, contribute to a culture of productivity that excludes actions that detract from the company’s fundamental values. Additionally, it is important for senior levels of management to lead by example: setting these values and working them into the company culture from the top-down. Through these individuals, the company culture and gene ral tone are set for the remainder of the workforce to follow. Managers can either set this example using technology by communicating instantly with all of their employees or giving their employees technology-enhanced values training. Each of these methods ensures that not only will employees treat customers with respect and integrity,

Slavery's Impact on Capital Punishment Research Paper

Slavery's Impact on Capital Punishment - Research Paper Example A stronger and healthier male slave would fetch a higher price than a weaker and older slave. Female slaves were considered more valuable than male and hence would fetch more value as they could reproduce and help increase the number of slaves. Capital punishment is the lawful enforcement of death as a reprimand for hideous crimes. Britain had put an end to the practice of capital punishment in the year1965. However, we find that USA, Japan, China, and many other Asian, African and Middle Eastern still impose death penalty for certain number of crimes and use it with varying regularity. Propagators of capital punishment argue that it is the only way of removing criminals and this would also bring about safety for the people in the society. This can be a permanent way of removing crime completely. In keeping convicts in prison there is a possibility of them escaping from the bars or they could commit crimes within the prison. There is also a third possibility of prisoners being released after the completion of their sentence giving them free rein to start their horrendous practices all over again. There is also a cost factor involved in keeping the convict behind the bars which could be used in a more resourceful way. After the abolishment of capital punishment in Britain, statistics of 2009 reveal that in the past 12 years, 65 prisoners who had served their life sentence and were subsequently released, were yet again convicted for further crime.Their crimes ranged from murder to rape, statistics also show that the people who were given life imprisonment did not serve more than 10 years and moved freely there after.It also revealed that the crimes rose by 125% over the period of five years immediately after the abolishment of the death penalty. The crimes would have attracted death penalty if it were still into force. This means that the removal of death penalty acted as a catalyst to encourage further crime as the criminals became fearless. However, it can be argued that the abolishment cannot be the sole reason for the rise in crime. It might have increased by the same extent even if the death penalty would have been in force.The propagators of abolishment of capital punishment have a vital argument in their support. According to them innocent people could be incorrectly executed and it would not be possible to compensate them for this great injustice done to them and their families as the loss of a life can never be compensated. Secondly, the grievance suffered by the family of the person convicted cannot be totally ignored. The harassment and the trauma that the families and friends have to bear from the time of arrest until the final judgement is unbearable. The anguish and the pain haunts them for many years after the trial. People find it very difficult to accept the fact that their loved ones are guilty of such heinous crime. It is more difficult for them to contemplate such a painful death for their loved ones. However strongly one may support capital punishment, it cannot undo the harm that has already been done. In case an innocent is convicted, it might augment a feeling of revenge among his close ones and thus increasing the probability of crimes. Beccaria introduces one of the first critics of the use of capital punish

Strategies Used for the Gifted and for Those Who Are Developmentally Delayed Essay Example for Free

Strategies Used for the Gifted and for Those Who Are Developmentally Delayed Essay Generally when we talk of individuals with disabilities, the very core or center of concern always falls on individuals with developmentally disorders, physically handicapped, emotionally disorders. We tend to miss out the individuals who are born as â€Å"gifted†. Well for us, as the title says (gifted), being born gifted is more of a blessing than the other way around. But the truth of the matter is, it is not as easy as it may seem to be. If individuals with different kinds of disorders have special needs, so do gifted individuals. It may just be in a different manner, in a dissimilar kind and in a more diverse situation but there still is a special need and this is also need to be properly addressed in the same manner as with the other disabilities. Since both gifted and with disabilities individuals need special needs, corresponding modifications, strategies and adjustments should be done accordingly to be able to suit to their needs thus learning process can occur. Both classroom set up should be designed in accordance to provide optimum conduciveness in learning. Both have its own sets of teaching strategies that would be best effective in each set of exceptionalities. Initially, both gifted and developmentally delayed individuals should be properly assessed based on either a preliminary checklist or assessment obtained from the professionals such as developmental pediatrician or psychiatrist. Obtaining the assessment would help us discriminate or distinguish individuals that are mild moderate and severe. It also goes the same with gifted children, we need to know which are mildly gifted, moderately and highly gifted in order to be able to address their needs more appropriately. Another psychological truth that we need to learn is that most learning occurs when an optimal match between the learner’s current understanding and the challenge of new learning material has been carefully engineered. Choosing an appropriate program for both gifted and developmentally delayed individuals has always been indeed a challenge to anyone. Sets of programs are always done individualistic may it be for gifted individual or individual with developmental delay because both have unique characteristics that make them so personal and different from one another. Moreover, most often than not, the progress programs given to these two exceptionalities are based on their pace. Generally, for the developmentally delayed students the initial step for learning process to occur is behavior modification. Once the behavior is properly addressed, meaning the teacher is able to get the attention and behavior of the student, will the learning take effect. In gifted children, however, the initial step is to discover the child’s area of giftedness and create a program that will attend and enhance farther his special needs. Behavioral modification is not the basic concern at this point except for some social aspect such as coping up with peers older of his/her age. If that case happens, that is the only time that behavior intervention is needed. If teaching methods use for developmentally delayed students are direct instructions and task analysis, thus making tasks as simple and as directly instructed as possible for easier mastery, for gifted students, it is making it more complex and abstract to maintain the student’s interest and be challenged with it. If the gifted students master a particular unit, they need to be provided with more advanced learning activities, not more of the same activity as before. With developmentally delayed students, repetitions of activities and tasks are advisable to be able to incur mastery. Moreover, gifted students’ learning characteristics are best served with thematic, broad based and integrative content rather than just single-subject areas in which are being used in developmentally delayed students. Compacting are used with gifted student to streamline curriculum in order to allow them to move at a quicker pace and have time to pursue in alternate topic while in developmentally delayed students, the (general) task or activity is broken down into pieces of smaller tasks to be able to effectively master the (general) task.

Vertigo, 1958 | Film Analysis

Vertigo, 1958 | Film Analysis Vertigo is a 1958 suspense thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, written by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor and based upon the 1954 novel Dentre Les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak and co-starring Barbara Bel Geddes. James Stewart plays the part of detective John Ferguson or Scottie as he is known throughout the film, who develops a fear of heights, acrophobia, after he watches a policeman fall to his death during a police chase over the San Francisco rooftops. Following the incident, Scottie retires from the police force, but old friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) hires him as a private detective to follow his wife, Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) as she has been behaving strangely. Elster believes that she is possessed by the ghost of a dead relative, Carlotta Valdez. It is not long before Scottie starts to find himself becoming obsessed with the beautiful but troubled Madeleine and falls in love with her. As the introductions roll onto the screen, we are confronted by a close up of a black and white womans face, first her lips, her nose, her eyes, then onto one eye, where we can see a tear Her gaze only briefly meets ours, when we first see her eyes, but then they are skirting from left to right. The music gets more intense and the scene turns red, as the eye we are focused on widens in what we can only assume as shock or horror. We then see coloured patterns, starting first in the pupil, then swirling round on the black screen, gradually becoming larger and enveloping the screen and the audience. This setting of emotion and involvement of the audience in what is to be classed as misà ©-en-scene; the creation of emotion through visuals and audio. Fig. 9 Introductory scenes The opening scene underpins the whole of Scotties acrophobia, and as an audience, we also get to experience what it is hes feeling. The music is tense, we can see the skyline, we see them jumping from roof to roof, then we see Scottie slip, hes clinging on to the gutter by his fingertips to stop himself from plunging to a certain death. The other policeman turns to help him, asks him for his hand, but he falls from the roof, to the ground hundreds of feet below. The distance and acrophobia is highlighted by the view on the ground below panning in and out toward us. People who suffer with vertigo feel as if they or their surroundings are moving. These false sensations are often accompanied by a feeling of spinning (Smith et al, 2000: 603). It has also to be noted that psychologists believe there is tension from the feeling of vertigo, whereby there is a desire to fall yet there is a dread of falling. The audience is made to feel the fear and terror that Scottie is experiencing, the fe eling that death is so close, could be so easy. To survive he has to desperately cling to the gutter, his arms and body stretched to their capacity, his mind full of terror, whereas to die, he only has to let go. Within this scene, the audience is given minimal information. We see three men in sequence climb over the top rung of a ladder, the second being a policeman, so we assume the first is a suspect? Thirdly, there is Scottie, but he is in plain clothes, so he could be anybody, but he must be connected to the policeman as he is pursuing him. This is shown as three close up shots, then we have panned out to reveal all three men running across the roof. In turn, they jump to another roof. This is when we see Scottie slip. This can be related to Freuds theory of the Id, Ego and Superego. The Id is the first man; he wants his urges satisfied regardless of society, his focus solely on his pleasure, relative to criminality. The second man, being the policeman, can be shown as the Supe rego, with strict and rigid morals, relatable to the father. It is also in this scene that we can take into account the Oedipus Complex, the son, Scottie, is responsible for the fathers, the policemans, death as he tries to save him from falling, whilst the Id has got free into the darkness. Scottie is left hanging from the gutter; we never see how it is he escapes this situation, leaving him metaphorically stuck there for the remainder of the film. Wood also mentions this theory in his book when he revisits Hitchcocks films. Fig. 10 Hanging and falling Another thing to take into account here is Freuds relation between events and birth trauma and the separation between mother and child. Although he said that a child couldnt recall these memories, they were still instilled within our subconscious. So the idea of falling is, in a way, a re-enactment of birth trauma and separation. This was thought to be at the forefront of anxiety. In the next scene, we are placed within Midges apartment. It is constructed on separate shots between Scottie and Midge and the male/female space in which they inhabit throughout the conversation. They are defined by definite objects, such as Scotties cane and the bra that Midge is sketching. Scottie is re-affirming that he will be free of the corset that is binding him tomorrow, taking back him masculinity and power within the situation. It is only at three points throughout the scene that Midge and Scottie are shown together. Firstly, when Scottie approaches Midge to talk about the bra she is drawing-she speaks of it in a very matter of fact way, telling Scottie that he is a big boy and knows of such things. Next, Scottie talks of curing his acrophobia a small step at a time, he stands on a stool, Midge takes over the situation by bringing him a set of steps to climb, which she encourages him to do so. He sees out of the window between the buildings, like the scene he saw when hang ing from the gutter at the start of the film, but we are still held in reality by the flowers on the windowsill, but his vertigo grips him again. Even the security of Midges home is not enough, that becomes the vision and the drop becomes real. Next, we see Scottie clutched to Midges breast, whilst she holds him and soothes oh Johnny, Johnny. The common theme throughout is the presentation of Midge as the mother figure. In the scenes where they are shown together depict the mother/child relationship that they have. This is a reason why Scottie wouldnt be attracted to her like he is to Madeleine. She is too independent, whereas Madeleine is helpless and mysterious as we find out as the film continues. Fig. 11 Motherly love It is this scene that particularly also states Scotties condition as feminine. When he approaches Midge to ask her what the bra on a wire frame is, she relates the design is based on that on a bridge, the latest in revolutionary uplift made by an aircraft engineer. Not only is the relation of a bridge, which is a high place with regard to Scotties acrophobia, linked with the femininity of a womans undergarment, but the design of it has also been constructed by a man, thus saying that femininity is exactly that. Scottie cannot fulfil his role in society as a police man because of the fear, like Jefferies couldnt in Rear Window because of his injuries. Next we are presented with the exterior of Gavin Elsters office, then straight to Scottie and Elster having a conversation inside. Elster is asking Scottie to follow his wife for him. Around the office, there are mentions of ships, suggesting escape, and also references of the old San Francisco, relating to the power and freedom you gained then, as a man, again, this is mentioned later on whilst Scottie and Midge are talking to Pop Leibel in his bookstore. This relates to the conversation they are having about Elster wife, she is the object in the conversation between the two men, an intensifier of the taboo desire that we often see within films; one woman and two men who both lust after her. The position of power is also shifting between Scottie and Elster. When we first enter the room, Elster is sitting behind his desk, whilst Scottie is wandering around the office, looking at things, he then gets up and explains what he wants Scottie to do, taking power by positioning himself high er than him. Fig. 12 Stances of power Next the viewer is positioned inside the restaurant and is introduced to Madeleine with Scottie. The camera pans across the restaurant and comes to rest upon Madeleines back, her bare shoulders showing. She is shown as an object of desire; a close-up allows us to see her features as a still portrait, like that of the painting of Carlotta Valdez as she gracefully glides through the restaurant in a dream like manner. From this instance she is a mysterious object of desire that we must know more about. She has no idea that our gaze is upon her, she is helpless to it; we are an accomplice to Scottie, if not already him, and what it is in turn we are going to discover about Madelines secret life. When Scottie follows Madeleine in his car, it is downhill, to an alleyway. He follows her inside, through the back door in which she enters, where she is buying flowers. We are seeing from Scotties point of view. When he spies in through a crack in the door, this is how we see her also. When she turns, we see her reflection on the mirrored door that Scottie gazing through the door, completely unbeknown to her. She is surrounded by flowers, bathed in a soft light, enhancing her subtle beauty and femininity accompanied by a haunting music. Is she somehow a mirrored image of Scottie/the viewer? Koftman (1985 cited in Modelski 1989) stated that mens fascination with [the] eternal feminine is nothing but fascination with their own double, and the feeling of uncanniness, Unheimlichkeit, that men experience is the same as what one feels in the face of any double, and ghost, in the face of the abrupt reappearance of what one thought had been overcome or lost forever. This links back to Freud s castration complex. The view of the camera is very much from Scotties point of view, subjective, only further reiterating the point that the feminine is seen as lacking and the masculine is to look. Fig. 13 The perfect and unobtainable Within this scene, another thing to note is the recurrent theme of the oil painting, with the surround of flowers, but also the mirror, not only relating to the Koftman quote above, but also briefly I would like to touch upon John Berger. Within his essays, Ways of Seeing, he talks of the relevance of mirrors, that they reflect the judgemental gaze of others, as well as her own. They are also a symbol of vanity. If a woman is seen surveying herself in the mirror, it is for the benefit of the male, showing her subservience and willingness to become pleasing to the eye, but also her vanity. This in turn can is relatable to Freuds theory of the Electra Complex and Penis Envy. Her affections are transferred from her father to other men to give her what she ultimately wants, due to her lack of a penis, which is a child. This is turn leads onto a point made by Jacques Lacan, whereby he states that the mirror stage of a childs development is crucial so it can place itself within the world and relate to others. Much like Freud stated within the Oedipus and Castration complex, whereby the son relates to his father, wanting to be like him and grow into a man so he can have a woman of his own, like his father has his mother. The screen within the cinema frames its actors much like the mirror frames the self. As Mulvey states; It is the birth of the long love affair/despair between image and self-image which has found such intensity of expression in film and such joyous recognition in the cinema audience. (Mulvey, 2009: 18) When Madeleine falls into San Francisco bay, Scottie rescues her and takes her back to his house, undresses her and puts her to bed. Once again, he is the hero and she is the helpless woman who, without Scottie, would be dead. His obsession is becoming more and more with her. Whilst in his apartment, her near first concern is of the pins from her hair and her handbag, so she can find a mirror and put her hair up, making herself presentable for Scottie. The relation of power is also clear in this scene; Madeleine is sitting on the floor, whilst Scottie takes the higher position of the sofa arm to question her, to watch her. She is the object of desire; of his desire, as well as the male viewers object of desire. From here we can see the relation to any stereotypical fairytale; the hero rescues the helpless princess from the evil man/woman, although there is more to fairytale, for the use of this essay, I am outlining it in this very simplified manner. Take, for example, Cinderella, she is a servant to her stepmother and step sisters, but she goes to the ball, meets the prince, who does everything in his power to find his princess and rescue her. Freud also made this point, highlighting the lengths a man will go to, to rescue the woman they love, even if, as Freud (1910 cited in Perron 2005) stated, another man can claim right of possession, Madeleine being Elsters wife. This in turn, can be linked closely with the Oedipus complex. Freud (1910 cited in Berman 1997) also stated A man rescuing a woman from water in a dream means that he makes her his own mother. In the bell tower scene where Scottie is chasing Madeleine, it is where his masculinity is compromised once more because of his acrophobia. He should have taken his role as a man and stopped her from falling, he should have rescued her, but he failed and she fell to his death. Elster had hired Scottie to follow his wife, but once again, he failed at his job, like he did as a policeman. Scottie is plagued by nightmares of the tragic event. He is falling, like Madeleine, haunted by Carlotta Valdez, colours flash red, signifying not only Scotties vertigo but also his fantasies. Fig. 14 Re-occurring fall When Scottie is back in San Francisco, every woman he sees bears a resemblance to Madeleine. Women on the street, in restaurantsHe seems like a broken man, not the strong counterpart that the audience want to relate to. He follows a woman, Judy, to her apartment and asks her out to dinner. Slowly, we can see Scottie becoming more and more obsessed with Judy, asserting his masculinity by offering to take care of her, but her flowers, clothes. Judy is becoming an ideal passive counterpart to Scotties active sadistic voyeurism. She knows her part is to perform, and only by playing it through and then replaying it can she keep Scotties erotic interest (Mulvey, 2009: 25). We, as an audience, have already made the discovery that Judy really is Madeleine, that she played a part for Elster. It is an uncomfortable discovery as Scottie doesnt know. We almost feel as though we are cheating him, hes falling into a trap and we cant warn him. We are only watchers to the scenes playing out before us, regardless of us; things will still happen and go forth. The essential fact is to get real suspense you must let the audience have information (Hitchcock cited in Bays, 2004). Scottie is trying his hardest to change Judy to Madeleine, and she is letting him. The roles of passive female and the active male are mirrored in the re-enactment of a scene that happened between Scottie and Madeleine. She is a visually objectified other, confirmed by her dress, make up and style. Also, this, again, can be linked back to the Oedipus/Castration complex, when the sole object of the boys desire was his mother. In his eyes, she was the perfect woman and satisfied all his needs. It is only when Scottie is happy that Judy looks enough like Madeleine that he begins to become sexually attracted and interested in her. He has successfully turned her into a fetish; he has eliminated the threat of castration. The tower in which Madeleine and Judy both fell off are very symbolically phallic, re-asserting the masculinity of the situation. The film makes the audience confront their own lives and past.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck :: Papers

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck The title of the book i am writing about is 'of mice and men' and is written by John Steinbeck. This book is set in western America in the sub urban areas. The book is set in 1937. The job of farm labouring is a boring one because the men who work there usually travel by themselves, this is different in George and Lenny's case because they travel together everywhere they go. They both have each other for company, although Lenny has the capabilities of a child. In the time the book is written America is in depression, many businesses failed and many men worked for low pay contracts at different ranches across America. The American dream is to live in small town or in a suburban area where grass and trees simulate the country. This dream home is a permanent seat, not rented but owned. This dream is bound to fail because everyone wants that dream and it cost a lot of money, most of the men working in America with this dream are on low salary so can never afford the American dream. George is one of the main characters in the book, he travels from ranch to ranch with Lennie. George gets Lennie out of trouble when he does bad things. The dream George has is to live in a small house and have a few acres of land and live off of the fatter of the land and not to go to work on the land when they don't feel like it or the weather is horrible. This dream usual for the time he is living in. This is the type of dream that people have in them days. Georges dream is that 'were gonna get the jack together and were gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and some cows and some pigs and we'll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we'll just say the hell with goin to work'.

School Vouchers: A Harmful Choice Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ed

School Vouchers: A Harmful Choice Since entering office in January, President George W. Bush has given education reform high priority on his agenda. One element of his four-point initiative involves the implementation of school vouchers. A voucher, as defined in The American Heritage Dictionary, is a "certificate representing a credit against future expenditures." (The American Heritage) By diverting tax dollars from public schools to private institutions through the use of vouchers, America's public education system will become less effective, students from low income families will be set further behind, and the First Amendment will be directly violated. The conservative economist Milton Friedman first suggested the concept of school vouchers in 1955. He laid out a plan, "to return tax monies to parents of school-aged children for tuition use in a variety of authorized public and private educational settings." (Noll 193) Now, President Bush embraces Friedman's philosophy with his four-point education initiative. In his plan, Bush advocates (1) annual testing in reading and math in every primary grade; (2) empowering schools and school districts to implement reforms; and (3) federal government assistance in transition to higher standards. Most significantly, Bush says in his final point, (4) "If any school consistently fails to meet minimal standards for three consecutive years, vouchers will be offered so that children can go to the school of their selection, rather than the choice of the government." (Thomas 1) For the most part, liberal Democrats, such as Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, agree with the first three elements of Bush' s proposal; but party lines are drawn over vouchers (Thomas 1). Under Bush's proposal, stu... ...homas, Cal. "Bush Won't Leave Kids in Bad Schools." The Grand Rapids Press. 26 Jan 2001: A13 pp. Bell and Howell Information and Learning-Proquest. 6 Mar 2001. "Vouchers." National Education Association. . 8 Mar 2001. "Vouchers Ignore Bush's Chance to 'Unite' Rather Than 'Divide.'" National Education Association. 23 Jan 2001. . 8 Mar 2001. "Voucher Talking Points." Rethinking Schools Online: An Urban Education Journal. Fall 1998. . 8 Mar 2001. Walthers, Kevin. "Saying Yes to Vouchers: Perception, Choice, and the Educational Response." Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Education Issues. Ed. James Wm. Noll. Vol. 11. Guilford: Dushkin/McGraw Hill, 2001. 194-201. The American Heritage Dictionary. 3rd ed. 1992.

The Difference Between Benjamin Franklin and Phyllis Wheatley

In the 18th century, the British colonies that would eventually become the United States of America contained a wide variety of types of people. America really was a â€Å"New World.† It had not really completely invented itself yet. As a result, there were a wide variety of types of people living in the British American colonies. Benjamin Franklin and Phyllis Wheatley are two examples of Colonialists in America with markedly different backgrounds, lives, and gender and those differences are reflected in what they wrote. Phyllis Wheatley was kidnapped as a child from Africa and sold to a family in Massachusetts. This family recognized her abilities and educated her. Phyllis Wheatley wrote poetry that reflected her refined upbringing in Massachusetts. Benjamin Franklin, on the other hand, essentially ran away from home at the age of 15 and made his own way. He came from a more working-class family. One thing that these very different two people have in common, however, is that they rose from humble beginnings to accomplish things that are still highly regarded today. Wheatley's poetry demonstrates that she must have received a classical education. The language she uses is elaborate and full of symbolism. They reflect high degrees of optimism and idealism. One example of such a poem by Wheatley is â€Å"On Imagination.† In the poem, Wheatley uses metaphor to think of imagination as an â€Å"imperial queen.† In language that would be considered artificial and stilted today, she writes, â€Å"Thy wond'drous acts in beauteous order stand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The flowery and exalted language compare sharply with Benjamin Franklin's style of writing, which was much more practical and down-to-earth. Much of Franklin's writing was completely practical in nature. In â€Å"Poor Richard's Almanac† he provided information people needed at the time in their everyday lives. He wrote pithy columns for daily or weekly publications about issues that affected people right then. Franklin was a practical man, and although he displayed tremendous imagination, he put it to practical use. While Wheatley was writing about â€Å"Th' empyreal palace of the thund'ring God.† Franklin debated the merits of being married vs. taking an older woman as a mistress. These differences are to be expected. In the 18th century, genteel women – and Wheatley was raised as a genteel woman even though she started her life in America as a slave – did not concern themselves with the practical realities of life. The differences in their writing highlight the fact that although they both grew above their position at birth, Franklin was able to elevate himself more than Wheatley could. Part of this difference undoubtedly lies in their racial differences, and part of it their gender differences. Franklin was an active inventor, a highly imaginative use of creativity. He invented bifocals, a development that resulted in dramatic changes in the manufacture of eyeglasses. He invented the Franklin Stove. Homes were often heated by fireplaces during that time, and only one side of a fireplace released heat into the room. The Franklin Stove stands in the room and is not built into the wall. The result is that heat is released from all sides, providing more heat for the home. While Franklin's work was largely practical, sometimes he applied imagination to life simply out of curiosity. He devised his experiment with a kite and a key because he was curious about lightning, not because he was looking for some way to harness lightning and use It in some practical way. But even then his approach was simple and concrete. He wrote no flowery poem extolling the wonders of lightning after he finished his experiment. It seems likely that if a woman had taken a kite, tied a key to the string and flown the kite in a thunderstorm, people might have thought she had gone mad. The differences between Franklin's and Wheatley's writing may reflect a difference in formal education. Wheatley must have had a formal, classical education to write in the style she did. Her poetry includes references to Greek mythology. We know that Franklin had little formal education. During the 18th century this did not have to interfere with advancement and a high level of education was not required for most jobs. As a printer, it seems likely that skill with his hands would be at least as important as the ability to read and write, skills Franklin clearly developed. But since he was apprenticed to his brother at age 12 and fled to Philadelphia when he was 15 it seems very unlikely that he had an opportunity to study Greek myths. Franklin advanced himself by developing skills that had real market value. He became a very good printer and actually created a franchise for his skills. His writings were widely read. He had a trade, he was very good at it, and because of that he could support himself and his wife well. His wife helped. She ran the store they owned. But she did not start businesses on her own, and while she was certainly entitled to share in her husband's wealth, she would have had a very hard time accomplishing what he accomplished on her own. For instance, Franklin began his first real successful printing enterprise by getting a loan. It seems unlikely that such a loan would have been given to his wife. Wheatley, of course, had the added obstacle of being Black. Interestingly, it appears that being Black was not much of an obstacle for Wheatley, given the times in which she lived. She still received an outstanding education. Instead, the differences between Franklin and Wheatley may be more one of class. Wheatley's poetry suggests an upper class education, whereas Franklin's life and writing suggests a much closer connection to the common man. It also appears that Wheatley was very religious. This is revealed in another of her poems, where she expresses thanks for being brought to America as a slave, because it brought her to Christianity. However, her religious beliefs go well beyond the simple concept of salvation. In â€Å"On Imagination,† she views imagination as God's residence, and writes, â€Å"From star to star the mental optics rove, measure the skies, There in one view we grasp the mighty whole, or with new worlds amaze th' unbounded soul.† She sees God in everything she views, and grasps the enormity of creation. By comparison, Franklin talks about religion in practical terms. In his letter â€Å"Advice on the Choice of a Mistress,† he says that taking an older woman for a mistress is less of a sin than â€Å"debauching a Virgin.† While he mentions sin, most of his letter witty and clever but completely ignores the issue of whether taking a mistress is against God's law or not. His argument is moral: don't ruin a young girls' life just because you don't want to marry – it's not necessary. Franklin wrote directly, and without metaphor, especially the extended ones Wheatley was fond of. He used short sentences that got right to the point, such as â€Å"A stitch in time saves nine.† Wheatley, however, wrote more elaborate expressions. When she admired the paintings of a young African-American, she wrote a 34-line using iambic pentameter – the same meter often chosen by Shakespeare. However, although we know from reading her poem that she admired the paintings, we don't get any clear image of what the painting might have looked like. She spends a good part of the poem in good wishes for the poet: â€Å"Still may the paint's and the poet's fire to aid thy pencil, and thy verse conspire~ And may the charms of each seraphic theme Conduct they footsteps to immortal fame!† By comparison, Franklin gives very specific and practical advice to his friend who does not wish to marry, including 8 reasons he should take an older mistress if he does not marry, including the final one: â€Å"and lastly. They are so grateful!!!† Such earthy humor is not present in the poems of Wheatley's examined here. He also gives humorous advice such as to cover the upper torso of an older lover with a basket, because the head and upper body suffer the ravages of age first. Even when giving intensely personal advice, Franklin is practical as well as entertaining. Franklin seems to enjoy bawdy humor based on this example. However, it should be noted that Franklin may not have intended this letter to be published and may have written in a less graphic style for public consumption. Benjamin Franklin lived a remarkable life. He was apprenticed to his older brother and worked hard for him, only to make his brother jealous of Benjamin's abilities. Benjamin managed to keep his brother's paper operational while the brother was in jail for expressing his beliefs, and wrote a column for it anonymously, slipping his work under the door at night. When he finally revealed to his brother that he was â€Å"Silence Dogood,† his brother only scolded him. Defying the norms of the day, he ran away at age 15. He arrived penniless in Philadelphia but not only created his own fortune, but won the hand of the young woman who first saw him when he arrived in Philadelphia looking quite disreputable. He then parlayed one success into the next, ended up a leader in the emerging new country, and served as the new country's ambassador to France. Franklin seems to have succeeded at everything he attempted to do. With almost no education, he became a famous writer, a founding father of what became a great nation, and an ambassador. He had no advantage of class; upper class youth were educated and not apprenticed to a trade. He seems to have had a talent for recognizing opportunity when it was presented to him, because running away was illegal. Such an action could have begun a serious downward spiral. Instead it was the start of the first of many opportunities Franklin created for himself. Along the way he developed concern for the common good. He organized Philadelphia's first hospital and first fire department. Wheatley's circumstances were quite different. Kidnapped and brought to the U. S. as a slave, she was fortunate to be purchased by a family that educated her. However, she could not have had the opportunities to create her own fortune as Franklin did, both because she was female and because she was Black. One has to wonder how Phyllis Wheatley fit into Massachusetts society as an adult. It would have been difficult for her to find an African-American husband who had her level of education. It just have been quite a shock to many to discover that the beautiful, elaborate poetry had been written by a former slave. It would have been very difficult for her to get a college education. Perhaps she could have been a teacher, maybe for African-American children, but genteel women of the time were not brought up to have some kind of career or trade. That was the province of young men such as Benjamin Franklin. Still, both Franklin and Wheatley seem to have made the best they could of their circumstances. Franklin had an uncanny knack for business and understood the printing trade very well. It probably helped him that he entered this field just as being able to communicate with people via the printed word was going to become very important. The printed word played an important role in rallying colonists around the cause of separating from Great Britain. In spite of what must have been very restrictive circumstances, Wheatley found the perfect outlet for her education, language abilities and intellectual skills in her ornate poetry. In this way, both Franklin epitomized the United States during the 18th century, because for people with talent and determination, America truly was a land of opportunity.