or the supernatural in the medieval lay Essay Example

The role of fairies and/or the supernatural in the medieval lay Essay Example The role of fairies and/or the supernatural in the medieval lay Paper The role of fairies and/or the supernatural in the medieval lay Paper Essay Topic: Literature Medieval lays are essentially tales of romance, often of Celtic origin. Similar patterns of events, or certain features are common in many lays, for example the theme of deeply felt love or a complex love situation where two lovers are separated, go through a period of grief and are eventually reunited. This pattern of events can been compared to rites of passage, as will be discussed later. The mixture between reality and the otherworld is a key aspect of the medieval lays. The supernatural is not over-emphasised, instead it works alongside the reality of the lay, making it much more believable to the audience. Fairies and the supernatural play a particularly important role in Sir Orfeo, based on the classical Orpheus myth. Sir Orfeo enters the fairy-kingdom to rescue his wife Heurodis who has been snatched by the fairy king. Sir Orfeo is able to charm the fairy king with his harp-playing ability, and the fairy king agrees to let Heurodis go. Other lays containing elements of the supernatural include Lanval taken from the Lais of Marie De France, and the Franklins Tale from Chaucers Canterbury Tales. Lanval is lead into the otherworld by two beautiful maids to see their fairy-mistress. She gives him everything he desires, but makes him promise that he will never speak a word of their love to anyone, otherwise he will never see her again. On returning to his own world, Queen Guinevere makes a pass at him but he refuses, insults her in his anger, and talks of his love for the fairy-mistress. Despite this, she forgives him and rescues him from his trial before King Arthur and they return to Avalon. In the Franklins Tale, Dorigen marries Arveragus (a Knight), but then he has to leave to go to England. Dorigen is heart-broken and inconsolable. She attends a May dance, where Aurelius falls in love with her. She makes a rash promise that, should he be able to remove all the rocks from the coast (so that her husband can return safely), she would love him. The supernatural in this lay is when Aurelius meets an Astrologer, whom he pays to make an illusion that the rocks have disappeared. Aurelius goes back to Dorigen to claim his reward. However, her husband returns and Aurelius takes pity on Dorigen, releasing her from the oath she swore. Motifs and Celtic tradition relating to fairies and the supernatural Many of the medieval lays contain motifs relating to the supernatural. It is common, for example, for mortals to be snatched away by the fairies when lying in a meadow or under a tree particularly the ympe-tree described in Sir Orfeo. In Celtic tradition is it believed that those who lie or fall asleep under a tree or in a meadow place themselves in the power of the fairies. In Sir Orfeo, Heurodis first encounter with the fairy king occurs whilst she is asleep under an ympe-tree. The use of the orchard/meadow in the lays creates the impression of a walled-garden used so often in medieval romance, which should signify safety and serenity. The fairies, however, often appear in this environment sometimes through dreams (as is the case in Sir Orfeo where Heurodis is first visited by the fairy king in her dreams). This motif is also used in Lanval, where the fairy mistresss two maids approach him while he is laying by a stream in a meadow. Unlike Heurodis encounter, Lanval is approached whilst he is awake, which to some extent makes is less fantastical and more realistic to the audience. The maids appear to be much more like mortals. Other motifs relate to the idea of rite of passage, as discussed earlier. The transition stage is the most important in the lays, as it is the point in which the supernatural usually plays the most important role. It is apparent that the transition stage is often a period of immense grief and sorrow, and involves some kind of complication for the lovers involved. In Sir Orfeo, he comes across the fairy king on a hunt after being separated from Heurodis, and his quest to reclaim her from the fairy kingdom begins. Also, Lanval meets the fairy mistress when he has been separated from King Arthurs court. The three stages in the Franklins Tale are not as obvious because there are two possible elements of separation one of Dorigen from her husband, and one of Aurelius from Dorigen. The encounters with Aurelius and the supernatural could, however, be interpreted as an obstacle to Dorigens marriage an obstacle that they are able to overcome. The fact that the supernatural encounters generally occur during the most important stage shows a heavy reliance on the supernatural for the progression of events in the lays. This is characteristic of medieval lays and, to some extent, the way in which it is used distinguishes the lays from other medieval romance. Sir Orfeo is based entirely around Heurodis being snatched away by the fairy king. Similarly, Aurelius being able to fulfil his promise to Dorigen in the Franklins Tale is totally reliant upon supernatural intervention in the form of the astrologer. Portrayal of fairies, the otherworld and the supernatural in medieval lays It is common in Celtic tradition for mortals to be snatched away by fairies and taken into their kingdom. The image that Sir Orfeo sees when he enters the fairy kingdom is that of all those who have been snatched away, frozen in their last state as they were on Earth. Heurodis is shown to him asleep under a similar tree in the fairy kingdom to that she was snatched from in the mortal world. This not only stresses the significance of the orchard motif, but it also suggests that these surroundings provide some kind of gateway between the two worlds. It is no coincidence that the writer describes Heurodis sitting under similar trees in both worlds. If this environment does act as a gateway, it may be seen as a ray of hope for Sir Orfeo as there is a possibility of transporting Heurodis back. The similarity between the mortal world and the fairy world in Sir Orfeo is a striking feature of the lay. When Heurodis is snatched away an taken into the fairy kingdom, she is shown castels and tours, rivers, forestes, frith with flours (Johnson 1987:6) This same line is repeated to describe what Sir Orfeo has left behind in his kingdom when he goes to live alone in the woods. Again, it is not a coincidence that exactly the same line is repeated for both worlds. This makes the two worlds much more alike, reducing the strangeness of the fairy world. Here the poet is trying to create a world that is familiar to the audience. It is easier to accept the supernatural, as it is closer to reality. Similarly, in Lanval there is a strong sense of reality despite his love being immortal. Here, the supernatural elements of his fairy-mistress and being taken into the otherworld are balanced with the very real issue of Lanval facing a legal system and ultimately death because of his encounter. The supernatural is not for fun, it creates some element of danger for the mortals involved. Lanval and the Franklins tale are not supernatural in the same way as Sir Orfeo. The supernatural elements in the two are played-down, and much more believable to the medieval audience. In Lanval the fairy-mistress appears mortal until the very end of the lay where we are told she returns to Avalon the fairy kingdom. In the Franklins Tale, the supernatural is in the form of an astrologer/sorcerer. The fact that he is more closely related to natural magic is more believable, and shows that the supernatural plays a structural role rather than just making the lays more interesting. Other similarities can be seen in Sir Orfeo, where the hunt with the fairy king and his thousand Knights is reflected in the mortal world by Sir Orfeo and his ten hundred Knightes (Johnson 1987:7) when they try to protect Heurodis from being snatched away. The fact that one world seems to be a reflection of the other means that the presence of the supernatural within the lays does not detract from the main theme usually love. The similarities between the two worlds emphasise the theme of what a good ruler should be. The fairy king displays chivalrous behaviour similar to that of Sir Orfeo by keeping his word and letting Heurodis go back to the mortal world, despite the fact that he is under no obligation to do so. If the fairy king did not conform to these rules, Sir Orfeos method of rescuing Heurodis would not have been successful. The immortal also appear more humanly as they can, to some extent, be controlled or subtly manipulated by mortals. Sir Orfeo, for example, is able to charm the fairy king with his harp-playing ability into making him promise to let Heurodis go. This is also true in Lanval, where despite her promise that Lanval would never see her again if he spoke of their love, the fairy mistress remained loyal to him by rescuing him from King Arthurs court. Conclusion It is apparent from the three lays discussed that the structure of the lays relies heavily upon the supernatural, it is essential to the development of events rather than being added for decoration. In each of the lays it is presented in a way that makes it reflect the mortal world in values as well as appearance, particularly in Sir Orfeo. It also acts to highlight the rites of passage motif, as the supernatural encounters occur in the transitional stage. Finally, it acts to emphasise the values and lessons to be learned from the lays, such as the values needed to be a good leader as with the fairy king and Sir Orfeo; also the importance of being true and forgiving like Aurelius in the Franklins Tale and the fairy mistress in Lanval. Overall, the supernatural plays an essential structural role, but does not undermine the main themes of the lays instead it makes them clearer and for the audience to see.

Authentic learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Authentic learning - Essay Example In many cases authentic learning incorporates a multiplicity of styles that are basically meant to enhance the quality of the learning process (Herrington & Herrington, 2006). The learning environment in authentic learning stretches beyond the classroom to include other aspects of learning that may lie beyond the school compound to the wider community. The resources of the learning process are obtained both from the school and the community around where the authentic learning takes place (Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2010). The students often engage in social discourses in order to make it possible for the learning process to proceed in a manner that is both resourceful and meaningful within the understanding of knowledge development. Studies on the effectiveness of authentic learning have argued that it enhances the process of cognitive development more than the traditional learning systems. The learning process is distinguished through a hands-on approach. This approach allows the students to participate in the learning process in a manner that is consistent with the need to develop a learner-centered strategy. One characteristic of authentic learning system is that it allows students to develop products that are meant for the benefit of a real audience (Mishan, 2004). For example students in a history may make use of authentic learning by developing an oral product that narrates some details of the learning product. The importance of authentic learning revolves around the aspect of the development of the learning process. It might be argued that the process of cognitive development is largely controlled by a combination of different experiences. Authentic learning usually involves the processing of knowledge from factors that are determined by the society and other forces often included within the element of learning. It might be argued that learning in such situations often involves a combination of social, individual and academic factors. A concise underst anding of the authentic learning process must begin with an appreciation of some of the factors that relate to the aspect of social development. Precisely, theories that emphasize on the social dimension of the learning process have been used to develop structures on which authentic learning takes place. The curriculum that supports authentic learning must involve some specific structures and operational mechanics that foster the element of social interactions throughout the learning process (Magliaro, Lockee & Burton, 2005). This kind of learning is results-oriented and tailored on specific needs of the society. In usual cases learning takes place within an open environment that allows for flexible participation of students in group activities. The goal of authentic learning is to develop a body of knowledge and skills that is responsive to the actual needs of the society. It derives from the philosophy that knowledge must address the needs of the society. It is precisely because o f this factor that it departs from the tradition of abstract learning. Authentic Learning Experience Plan Brief guided interactive discussion on authentic learning and behaviorism theory of learning, (10 minutes). Questions to be administered (10 minutes) 1. Apart from chalk and the writing board,

Qualitative critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Qualitative critique - Essay Example It presents the whole research from the objectives of the research, through the whole process and presents a conclusion of study at the end. The highlights on the purposes of the study outline what the study is all about, and this is critical in the beginning of any research where the reasons for conducting the research should be presented to the readers before the main body to give the guidelines on what to expect. The outlines on the methods used and the results of the data collected give the reader insight on the whole process and all the techniques applied during the research operation. The conclusions in the abstract highlight the whole process operations, findings and recommendations. The abstract gives an overview of the whole research paper; from the introduction through to conclusion (Fong, Finlayson, & Peacock, 2006). The researchers, Michelle Ploughman and the clue are from the Eastern Health, faculty of medicine from the Memorial University. They work in coalition with the people who are disabled of St. John’s Newfoundland from the Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. From the institutions they work with, it is clear that they are closely affiliated with the medical field. The institutions that these companies work with are well reputed in matters dealing with medicine and hence they can undertake the studies on patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Also, the study was supported by personnel in the faculty of medicine, Memorial University. Also, the authors had the support of Center of the Applied Health Research in Canada and the healthcare foundation. This further indicates clearly that the researchers were qualified to undertake the study to warrant the support of the reputable departments from the faculty of medicine. This is an article in Physiotherapy journal, Canada, V ol 64, No 1 from page number 6 to 17 (Michelle, Mark, Michelle, Marshall, & Mark, 2012). The problem in this research has been stated clearly. It is stated

The Illusionist Movie Review Film Studies Essay

The Illusionist Movie Review Film Studies Essay The genre of the movie is drama. It has been one of the most famous films because of their excellent  presentation; good script, directing and clear enough to deliver the message to the audience. The Illusionist Film is produced by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Michael London, Cathy Schulman,Bob Yari and screen writer/director is by Neil Burger and starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti. That movie is based on Steven Millhausers short story called sEisenheim the Illusionist. The Illusionist movie is right balance to the romance and true piece of the magic. The story is basically about of Eisenheim who was a magician in turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna. First of all, I would like to tell about the Eisenhemins lifestyle and history. He was the son of a cabinetmaker in  Austria-Hungary. One day, he met a travel magician along street. That magician illustrated him some a few magic tricks. Since then Eisenhemin become obsessed with the magic tricks and started to practice to become better in it. At that time, some people believed that Eisenhemin got some special power. Eisenhemin and Sophie were childhood friends and when they grew older they fell in love but Sophes family did not approved of it. After that, Eisenhemin went out to his native town and traveled around the world and started to learn more magic tricks.  Ã‚  After 15 years later, Eisenhemin became a famous magician in Vienna. So Crown Prince Leopold came to see his illusionist. In that time, Eisenhemin wanted to show one of his best illusion tricks. So he requested that he needed one performance to help with his illusion. That is why, Crown Prince made his fiancà ©e Sophie volunteered for his performance. By the time, Eisenhemin and Sophie met on stage again; both were immediately remember their childhood days. However, The Illusionist is an intense battles of wills between the despicable Prince Leopold and the cunning Eisenheim, with officer Uhl an amateur magician himself and someone fascinated with Eisenheims work stuck in the middle. Is Eisenheim calling on supernatural powers when he makes butterflies appear out of thin air, plants grow to full height in the space of mere minutes, or performs other extraordinary tricks onstage, or is it all smoke and mirrors? Uhl seeks answers to the source of Eisenheims powers while delicately balancing his admiration for the magician with his duty to the Crown Prince. At a royal Eisenheim takes the princes sword, balances it on its tip on the floor, evokes the myth of Excalibur and invites soldiers in the audience to remove it. The prince succeeds, but only after Eisenheim lifts the spell. Eisenheim though about his new kind of magic show and he prepare for some equiment and purchases a run-down theater and opens a new performance. During his show, apparently spirits, on the stage. However people believe that he had supernature powers. In those days, Price Leopold heard that news, he was so disguise. During his show, he summons the spirit of Sophie who says someone in the theater murdered her, panicking Leopold. Later that Uhl has to shop that show and he just to do to make prince orders to rrest Eisenheim during his show but Uhl could not rest Esienheim because his body fades and disappears like his summoned spirits. So that why, Edward Norton was good performance as a master of illusionist and he is a calm reserve for the most part, yet is able to unleash playfulness when its called for specifically in the scenes when hes showing off his magical talents on stage and he also make tricks and rescuers for his lover Sophie and he is good treatment for Inspeter Uhl. It was so good presentation for scene by scene. As a conclusion, the Illusionist movie is really good performance, excellent Actor and Actress and nice screen play, good story board and so on. Other best way is that movie using a muted color is like a brown color and we just know about to wear 19th century old fashion style and we just know characteristic of in 19th century. The film was nice cinematography, costumes and overall tone helped modern audiences forget its 2006. The film is amazing job of transporting its view back in time to 1900 in Vienna. Moreover, the effects support for magic show and sound effect make it more interesting for the whole movie. All of all, the good thing is a 2 hrs script con ­verted from a short inter ­est ­ing story as well.

Gender Trait Chart Essay

Complete the chart by listing seven traits you believe are associated with male or female behavior. Examine the differences of these traits between genders. Identify whether the differences are biological, social, inherent, or learned. Explain why. Gender Trait What are the trait differences between genders?  Are the trait differences biological or social? Are the traits inherent or learned? Why? Nurturing Women are more nurturing than men re. They show signs of being more emotional and caring. inherent and learned it seems to be associated with genetics but also through the expectations of society- women are expected to be more nurturing and caring. Sympathetic Women are sympathetic then men are however some males have carry the same trait Learned and inherent women tend to be more sympathetic and nurturing which is mostly learned but can also be inherent. Dominant More of a male trait, being dominant tends to show the male is in charge. Inherent and learned this trait can be inherited but also learned men are obligated to be more â€Å"macho† and being dominant proves masculinity. Aggressiveness Male trait Inherent and learned men are suppose to be rough and show fearlessness in some sort of way, this is the perspective from society.

How Each Writer Makes You Feel Sympathy for the Main Characters

Both of the writers make me feel sympathy for the main characters because the main characters are both still in their youth and they both face the same fate – death. Although the characters are portrayed in very different situations, both writers show how powerless they are to avert their fate. By having an accident or tragedy in the pieces, the writers make the reader feel compassion because it is not the central characters fault. From saying that the boy was ‘a child at heart’ whilst ‘doing a man’s work’, Frost tells us directly how young the boy is and how he is not experienced enough to understand how important his hands are.He uses repetition of the word ‘child’ to emphasise how still is. In contrast, Andre and Jacob in The Last Night are only children; they are orphans and they only have each other to rely on. Faulks makes us feel even more sorry for the Jewish children because even a ‘baby of a few weeks is being lifte d’ onto the bus to go to the concentration camp. The writers make the reader feel sympathy for the main characters by making their background circumstances pitiable; although they are both young, their lives are very hard. The boy in the poem is only a teenager, but he is already working.In the poem, he is on his own working by himself and has to work for a very long day. Frost uses repetition of ‘snarled and rattled’ to emphasise how boring the boy’s job is. He has to concentrate and cannot enjoy the scenery; he is not one of those that had the time to lift their eyes to ‘count the five mountain ranges one behind the other under the sunset far into Vermont. ’ In contrast, the living conditions in the Last Night are very poor; the squalid conditions of the Jews that are waiting to be taken to the concentration camp makes the readers feel pity for them.While the children are waiting, they are only given a sandwich and a pail of water to share b etween them; they have to drink water out of sardine cans. The sleeping conditions are also very poor; the children have to sleep on dung. When Faulks talks about Andre ‘lying on the straw’ with the ‘soft bloom of his cheek laying, uncaring, in the dung’, the contrast of the words ‘soft bloom’ and ‘dung’ informs the reader of how dirty it is there. The characters in both texts have the same fate, but the writers portray their fate in different ways.In ‘Out, Out –’, the storyline happens a lot quicker and the poem includes the boy’s death. This makes the reader feel very shocked and sorry for the main character because everything can happen so quickly; life can be short and brutal. Frost makes the reader feel sympathy for the central characters by making the event seem threatening; he uses harsh onomatopoeic words. In ‘Out, Out –’, the buzz saw is presented as the boy’s enemy. Fr ost uses the word ‘snarled’ to compare the buzz saw with a fierce dog.The word ‘rattled’ makes the reader anxious because it makes the buzz saw seem like it is going to break soon. Frost uses repetition in his poem; by repeating ‘snarled and rattled’, the atmosphere grows tenser as the disastrous moment is approaching. He makes the accident seem terrible by including many details. The boy’s reaction after the incident happens is terror and fear about his hand. He shows the effect of injecting the wrong amount of ether in someone. The boy ‘puffed his lips out with his breath’ because the doctor ‘put him in the dark of ether. Frost even uses punctuation to explain the boy’s death; he uses dashes near the end of the poem to make it sound jerky: ‘they listened at his heart. Little–less–nothing! –and that ended it. ’ These pauses mimic his breathing because it is gradually slowing do wn as the words ‘little’, ‘less’ and then ‘nothing’ indicate. In The Last Night, the storyline is slower and less dramatic because the story ends with the Jews being loaded on the bus, while the poem ends with the boy’s death. By doing this, Faulks builds up anticipation of something dreadful that is going to happen.In this piece, we never find out exactly what happens to the Jews in the concentration camp, but we see them being loaded onto the buses. This makes it is easier for the reader to imagine what is going to happen to Andre and Jacob. In this story, the ‘homely thudding of a Parisian bus’ is the sound that threatens the Jews waiting to be taken to a concentration camp. This makes the reader feel pity for the Jews because they will never hear the ‘familiar sound’ of the engine’s noise again. Faulks includes many descriptions of what the Jews are doing; he makes it clear how it is going to be their last time.In the beginning of the story, when the Jews are writing their ‘final message’, we are told how they are writing with ‘sobbing passion’ and others with ‘punctilious care’ even though they know that the ‘camp orders forbid access to the post. ’ Even the description of Andre and Jacob huddling together lying on the straw makes the reader feel sorry for them. The sentence ‘Jacob’s limbs were intertwined with his for warmth’ shows how they both need each other. In both pieces, the central characters seem to be vulnerable and threatened by something they cannot control; they do not have ower over their fate. Neither of the characters is aware of their impending fate. In ‘Out, Out –’, the boy does not deserve to die; the buzz saw cuts the boy’s hand because he loses his concentration at the sound of his sister saying ‘Supper. ’ Even the people in both pieces wanting t o help are powerless: the doctor in ‘Out, Out –’ injects the wrong amount of ether in the boy, leaving him ‘in the dark of ether; the ‘shower of food’ that the women in The Last Night throw towards the Jews never reaches them.In The Last Night, the gendarmes drag the children to the bus; nothing will change even if they ‘dig in their heels and scream. ’ The writers make us feel sympathy by having different responses of the people around the central characters. In ‘Out, Out –’, when the boy accidentally cuts his hand and dies due to the excessive amount of ether, his fellow workers ‘turned to their affairs’, ‘since they were not the one dead. ’ They do not feel sympathy for the boy who has just died which makes the reader feel sorrier for the boy. In The Last Night, there are many women who are ‘wailing’ and mourning for the Jews.Even ‘a shower of food was thrown towar ds them’ to show how sorry they are because they cannot do anything to help the young children on-board. This makes the reader also feel sorry for the Jews. Even though the responses of the people in both texts are different, the reader still feels sorry in both occasions. In both texts, the writers create powerful dramatic irony by allowing the reader to understand what the central characters cannot foresee. The central characters created by the writers are innocent and do not deserve to die.When the boy in ‘Out, Out –’ accidentally cuts his hand with the buzz saw, at first he does not understand how serious his injury is: his ‘first outcry’ was a ‘rueful laugh’; he holds up his hand to keep his ‘life from spilling’ showing how much blood there is. In The Last Night, while the Jews are waiting to be taken to the concentration camp, the adults sit ‘slumped against the walls’. The children, on the other ha nd, have the ‘ability to fall asleep to dream of other places’ because they do not know where they are going to be taken since they are able to fall asleep without any worries.Later in the story, the adults ‘refuse to drink’ coffee because they know ‘it meant breakfast, and therefore departure’, while the children were at the ‘deepest moments of their sleep. ’ The writers make us feel sorry for the central characters because they both have feelings of fear and terror in them after understanding how serious the situations are. In ‘Out, Out –’, the boy’s fear when he is begging the doctor not to cut off his hand after he realises how important his hands are for work makes us feel sorry for him because he won’t be able to work.The Last Night shows Andre growing up through the story; it makes us feel sorry for him now that he has some understanding of what waits him. In the beginning, he does not reall y know what is happening, but when Andre sees a woman whose ‘eyes were fixed with terrible ferocity on a child,’ he starts wondering why. As he asks himself questions, he begins to understand why the woman was doing that and then he realises that the woman ‘was not looking in hatred, but †¦ she was looking to remember’ her child forever. This makes the reader feel very sorry for the parents who have to separate from their child.Later in the story, he ‘holds on hard to Jacob as they go up on the bus; this shows his own fear and realisation that they are probably going to die soon. Even though there are similarities in their background circumstances, the actual situation the central characters are in is different: one is ordinary and one is not. The situation of the boy in ‘Out, Out –’ is ordinary compared to Andre and Jacob’s situation because accidents at work are still quite common. One of the main differences is the s cale of the problem. Out, Out –’ presents a personal tragedy where the reader feels sympathy for just one person. On the other hand, The Last Night presents a whole group of people who are suffering. If you were poor, you would probably have to start working earlier because you would need more money. In the boy’s case, he has to start working at an earlier age, but because he loses his concentration for a moment, the buzz saw ‘leaps out at the boy’s hand. ’ The Last Night focuses on a historical event which is unparalleled in history – the Holocaust. The Jewish children cannot take any blame or responsibility for their fate.The story talks about what happens while they are waiting to be sent to a concentration camp in the 1940s; Faulks wants the reader to feel sympathy for a whole group. This shows how abnormal and unfair the situation is because many Jews were sent to concentration camps just for being Jewish. The characters’ b ackgrounds in both texts are very different compared to my situation; they have to go through a lot at such a young age. The way the characters are portrayed by the writer helps me understand their situation and empathise with them because there is a lot of descriptive detail.Overall, I felt more sympathy for Andre and his brother Jacob in The Last Night than the boy in ‘Out, Out –’ mainly because I can relate better to The Last Night because I know about the Second World War and what happened to the Jews. The poem includes the boy’s unexpected death, while the innocent and younger children in The Last Night do not even know where they are headed for; I find it more powerful that the reader is left to imagine what happens when the Jews reach the concentration camp and how Andre and Jacob copes.

How to Calculate the Mean or Average

Given a list of numbers, it is easy to determine the arithmetic mean,  or average. The average is simply the sum of the numbers in a given problem, divided by the number of numbers added together. For example, if four number are added together their sum is divided by four to find the average or arithmetic mean. Average or arithmetic mean is sometimes confused with two other concepts: mode and median. The mode is the most frequent value in a set of numbers, while the median is the number in the middle of the range of a given set.  Ã‚   Uses and Applications Its important to know how to calculate the mean or average of a set of numbers. Among other things, this will allow you to calculate your grade point average. However, youll need to calculate the mean for several other situations, too. The concept of an average allows statisticians, demographers, economists, biologists, and other researchers to better understand the most common situations. For example, by determining the average income of an American family and comparing it to the average cost of a home, its possible to better understand the magnitude of economic challenges facing most American families. Similarly, by looking at the average temperature in a particular area at a particular time of year, its possible to predict the probable weather and make a wide range of decisions appropriately. Issues and Pitfalls While averages can be very useful tools, they can also be misleading for a variety of reasons. In particular, averages can obscure the information contained in data sets. Here are a few examples of how averages can be misleading: Johns grades include a 4.5 in math, a 4.0 in science, a 2.0 in English and a 2.5 in History. After averaging his scores, his advisor decided that John is a straight B student. In fact, however, John is quite talented in math and science and needs remediation in English and history.Ten people were in a room. One woman in the room was pregnant. Based on the average, therefore, everyone in the room was .1% pregnant. This is, of course, a false and ridiculous finding! The Calculation In general, you calculate the mean or average of a set of numbers by adding them all up and dividing by how many numbers you have. This can be defined as follows: For a set of numbers, {x1, x2, x3, ... xj} the mean or average is the sum of all x divided by j. Worked Examples Lets start with an easy example. Calculate the mean of the following set of numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 To do this, add up the numbers and divide by how many numbers you have (5 of them, in this case). mean (1 2 3 4 5)/5 mean 15/5 mean 3 Heres another example of calculating the mean. Calculate the mean of the following set of numbers: 25, 28, 31, 35, 43, 48 How many numbers are there? 6. So, add together all of the numbers and divide the total by 6 in order to get the mean. mean (25 28 31 35 43 48)/6 mean 210/6 mean 35