Descartes Applied To Biology Essays - Nucleic Acids, Sigma Xi

Descartes Applied To Biology Descartes method of questioning what is real is a very important aspect of the world of science. I will show how this method of philosophy is crucial to the studies of biology. Descartes said that the only time that something is not doubted is when it is clear and distinctly true. This is the difference in science between theory and fact. In order for something to be clear and distinct it must be a fact. DNA was discovered on April 25,1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick. They discovered that it was a double helix made up of 5 carbon sugars, phosphates, and 4 different nitrogenous bases. This is where Descartes comes in to play. There was much questioning whether DNA even existed and if it did what was it like. DNA is only about 10 nanometers wide so it is extremely small and easily overlooked. There was much research done to try to figure out the structure of DNA molecules. Chargraff came up with the theory of there being 4 different nitrogenous bases in equal quantities purines and pyrimidines. This was eventually proven true but at the time was not definite. Descartes would not be satisfied with this because it wasn't clear and distinct fact yet. Different theories came up about the actual structure of the molecule. Originally Watson and Crick believed that the molecule could be single stranded and at one point they also believed that it might be triple stranded. This still was only theory and not clear and distinct, so their research continued. Rosalind Franklin was an assistant on the DNA project. She was an X-ray crystallographer, which is someone who takes pictures of strands of DNA. Much research went on till one day a picture was taken to show the B form of DNA, which gave Watson and Crick the information that they had needed. This picture showed that DNA was double stranded and that it was in the shape of a double helix. It was with a little more research that it was finally proven that DNA was a double helix and due to this structure its function was also proven. It was now clear and distinct that DNA is real. If Watson and Crick just left their research at one of the other points such as the single strand or triple strand the real structure would not have been found. This would continue the doubt about DNA's existence and function. People would also be learning the wrong information because they would be learning about theories that were never concluded. The same thing is being done with the cure to Cancer as well as many other diseases. Possible cures are thought up very often. These possible cures are far off to be factual. It takes many years of testing to really see whether the original theory of the cure will actually work. Even then there is still doubt. The problem with most drugs is that they react differently to each individual in terms of their success. This would make drugs go against what Descartes would trust because it is not fact. If you decide to take a drug to cure cancer it may not because there is no proven way at this time. Descartes' theory is pretty much the basis for the world of science in general. Science is made up of people doubting things and only believing in them when they are proven fact. This is what Descartes' whole point was in his theory. Trust only what is fact. Ideas begin with a hypothesis, which is an educated guess. The hypothesis is the basis for the research. They are then tested and theories arise. Theories are still not proven even though there has been research done. Much research needs to be done before it can be proven. Only then can the end result be clear and distinct fact. Biology and all science is based on these theories of questioning till proven. Science is respected because things are tested till they are clear and distinct facts. This is why science can be trusted by the ideals of Descartes.

3 Cases of Faulty Parallel Structure of Negation

3 Cases of Faulty Parallel Structure of Negation 3 Cases of Faulty Parallel Structure of Negation 3 Cases of Faulty Parallel Structure of Negation By Mark Nichol The following three sentences, each followed by a discussion and a revision, illustrate the problem with setting up a â€Å"neither . . . nor† construction or similar phrasing without careful attention to grammatical integrity. 1. â€Å"Data coming from third-party sources can neither be made to comply with the organization’s security guidelines nor can its authenticity be trusted.† The grammatical confusion in this sentence is akin to that in a sentence in which the wording of a phrase including â€Å"not only† and â€Å"but also† is incorrectly ordered. (Search â€Å"not only . . . but also† on this site for multiple posts about frequently erroneous construction of sentences that include those phrases.) A â€Å"neither . . . nor† construction is not valid when a repeated verb (such as can) follows it; use it (with neither moved after the verb phrase â€Å"made to†) only if a single instance of a verb will serve both phrases: â€Å". . . can be made to comply neither with the organization’s security guidelines nor its (something else).† But for this sentence, let cannot take the place of â€Å"can neither†: â€Å"Data coming from third-party sources cannot be made to comply with the organization’s security guidelines, nor can its authenticity be trusted.† 2. â€Å"He does not represent neither goodness nor kindness.† Here’s another misuse of the â€Å"neither . . . nor† construction. Here, it is redundant to not; use one or the other: â€Å"He does not represent (either) goodness or kindness† (either is optional) or â€Å"He represents neither goodness nor kindness.† 3. â€Å"Smith wasn’t lamenting the view, but the decision by Yosemite National Park to change the names of some of the world’s most beloved destinations.† As with the first example, this sentence’s problematic grammar resembles that often seen in the erroneous construction of a â€Å"not only . . . but also† statement. Here, the verb lamenting should split the contraction wasn’t so that the contrast is clearly stated in â€Å"not (this) but (that)† form: â€Å"Smith was lamenting not the view but the decision by Yosemite National Park to change the names of some of the world’s most beloved destinations.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing Light60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†Comma Before Too?

Concert Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Concert Report - Essay Example The space was primarily designed for engaging music performances, as can be observed from the hall environment. The hall had an entry and exit point in opposite directions for the performers. The seats were designed in an elevated manner, so that viewers can have the optimum viewing experience. One of the finest pieces in the whole lot of performances was performed by Robert Buxton, the last performance of the concert, from the play ‘Huit Preludes’ of 1929. The original performer of the actual play was Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992). The play was performed with the help of three basic elements of music, namely the form, tonality and style. Tonality played an integral role in the piece as it represented the sensation of centrality of even a single note and chord of music being played. Form is another important element of the play, which can be termed as the shape of music, along with its contrast and repetition. Style is the third important phenomena of the play, which represents the way of combining the characteristics of melody, form, harmony and texture within the music1. I appreciate the piece performed by Buxton at the end of the concert. I like the play as Buxton had performed it really well by trying to maintain the standards in accordance to the actual performance. Furthermore, I felt that the play was well performed as it suited the stage environment and ambience prevailing within the concert hall. Moreover, the play ‘Huit Preludes’, is one of my favorite from the past and hence I encountered a feeling of satisfaction and joy, as I watched the play performed by Buxton. I was deeply overwhelmed with the performance since my expectation with regard to the past performance was matched with the present performance. The other pieces as performed in the concert were somewhat similar to Buxton’s play, as they

Bottled water Economics research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Bottled water Economics - Research Paper Example The opportunity cost, is the cost foregone as a result of choosing a given alternative, it is the actual value of the next best alternative that was forgone in the process of making a decision about the current business or investment. Opportunity cost, also referred to as economic opportunity loss is a term derived from Keynesian theory which implies a choice between different options which yield mutually exclusive results, this means that you can only choose one and forgo the other option. It explains the relationship between scarcity and choice and is applied in many areas where financial and monetary decisions are made. For example, the opportunity cost investing in a bottled water company will be the cost foregone in investing the money elsewhere (other business ventures if this was the next best alternative) or the interest lost if that money was left in the bank to accrue interest(if this was the next best alternative). Opportunity cost is evaluated in terms of money, time, mat erial and anything of value. for example someone may decide to go for holiday in Africa and forgo staying in his house and improve it, another may prefer to choose to watch one program and forgo another if the occur at the same time and the person doesn’t have the means of recording the other program.The evaluation of opportunity cost is based on several factors, first is the monetary value of the next best alternative that was foregone. ... If the opportunity cost is higher then the risk should be taken, in this case, for the bottling water company the environmental risk is damage to environment due to plastic bottles, however the opportunity cost is higher than the total damage and hence environmental consideration cannot prevent the starting of this business, furthermore, money, less than the opportunity cost can be dedicated into research on biodegradable plastics. Demand Demand can be defined as the ability or wiliness of consumers to purchase goods and services at a given price within a given time frame. The demand graph or the demand schedule is a graphical representation of the effect of price on demand of goods and services holding all other factors constant, if the price of a commodity e.g. bottled water go up, then the demand for it will reduce and vice versa, the graph below illustrates this Figure 1 showing the demand schedule The law of demand states that increase in price of commodities causes corresponding decrease in the quantity demanded. Decrease in price results to an increase in quantity demanded for a given product provided other factors remain constant. Supply These represent the quantity of goods and services that a given producer or manufacturer is willing to bring to the market at a given price. Supply of commodities is greatly influenced by price of the commodity and other factors. The law of supply states that the quantity supplied increases as the price of the product increases holding all other factors constant. This is because the suppliers are able to get a higher profit margin. Figure 2 showing the supply schedule

Repoliticalization of Accounting Standard Setting Assignment

Repoliticalization of Accounting Standard Setting - Assignment Example Some researchers have claimed that the drive behind financial systems is accounting policy-makers and the forces in the market. The affair has been much on the adoption or rejection of fair value principle. EU rejected IAS 39’s proposal of fair value principle. In addition, it put conditions on the extent to which the asset factor can be realized. It led to the amendment of the IAS 39 and IRFS 7. The EU and G20 have on more than one occasion discussed financial institutions and regulations on monetary policies. They have given guidance on securities valuation (BENGTSSON, Elias, 2011). Moreover, they proposed being a supervisory body or that the IASB should be constantly supervised in its activities. Opinion Political influence on financial in my view is not a bad agenda but their negative influence. The institution is no longer at ease to perform its functions with the profession required. On the other hand, the EU declined the adoption of IFRS 9 after the financial crisis, leaving the world amazed about the political forces behind financial institutions. IAS 39 was established under political pressure and went further to affect its operation when mistrust arose between the EU and US financial institutions. The political drive wheel should be to facilitate the growth of financial institutions and not curtail their operations.

Has Journalism Become Feminized Over Time Media Essay

Has Journalism Become Feminized Over Time Media Essay Introduction During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, journalism was dominated by man. When advertising became the main source for the newspapers profit, women journalists were hired in order to appeal to female audiences. However, they were assigned to soft news topics, such as fashion, the arts and domestic issues, because of the lack of professional reporting skills assumed by their male editors. Even when dealing with the politics or social issues, women journalists were required to write from the human interest angle and emphasize the events effects on people (Chambers et al. 2004, p14). In the past two centuries, studies have shown the influx of women into journalism. Feminists tend to focus on both the equality in the employment and the news representation of women in this progress. These two issues are of great importance when discussing the feminization of journalism over time. This essay aims to examine has journalism become feminized over time and show whether the influx of women entering journalism could shape the news and newsroom structure. This essay is divided into two parts. The first part discusses female journalists and their work in the newsroom. The second part analyzes how women are portrayed in the news. Women in the newsroom With more women entering journalism, there have been significant differences in the proportion of female employment in the media industry and the level of their occupations. According to a study conducted by the London College of Printing (LCP) School of Media in 1995, there were approximately 30,000 active journalists in the UK and 11,130 of them, nearly 40 per cent, were women. The highest percentage of women journalists was in periodicals where women journalist accounted for 55.6 per cent of the total. 40.8 per cent of journalists in broadcasting were women. Newspapers (22.6 per cent) had the lowest rate of women journalists. Statistics have shown that women have become an important part of journalism. According to van Zoonen (1998), it is the transformation to market-driven journalism that provided an opportunity for women journalists to enter, or even dominate, journalism. The main reason is that human interest news, audience needs and desires, and emotional investment are three key elements in the consumer-oriented journalism. They coincide with the characters of feminine news values. The news values in market-driven journalism have changed and consequently given potential for more women to become professional journalists. News and journalism at present, with its increase of human interest topics and angles, is becoming more and more feminine despite the ongoing minority of women in journalism. Those changes may open up journalism as a profession for women(van Zoonen 1998, p35). Van Zoonen highlights that the content and style of news are crucial factors that determining whether men or women are more s uitable to work in journalism. This is not the first time in the history that a large number of women entering journalism. Chambers et al. (2004) argue that this trend parallels the new journalism and the rise of sob sister journalism in Britain in the late nineteenth century. Therefore, from a historical point, it is possible to predict some outcome of the transformation to market-driven journalism. The rise of new journalism during the 1880s opened up the profession for women journalists. Chambers et al. (2004) point out that the new journalism was an emotional and sensational style that employed to attract readerships and this style brought two major changes to women journalists. First, the needs for interviewing and reporting about women enabled women to become journalists. Second, women were treated as independent subjects as they could represent the social changes. Women journalists became sob sisters to report about women movement or horrible conditions for women in order to advocate social reform. In addition, they were assigned to investigate stunts which would be regarded as extraordinarily daring for women. This can also be found in todays newsroom. Consequently, both new journalism and contemporary market-driven journalism have two characteristics: heavy criticism for abandoning objectivity and impartiality, and a trend of employing large numbers of women (Chambers et al. 2004, p201). Although the emergence of a market-oriental journalism has resulted in the influx of women journalists, women remain marginalized to the topics of politics and public policies. Creedon argues the increasing number of women in the news industry does not translate into superior power or influence for women; instead it has been translated to mean a decline in salaries and status for the field (1993, p17). The rise of women journalists does not necessarily indicate the advancement of female status in the profession, as a glass ceiling still preventing women to promote to key decision-making positions (Chambers et al. 2004). Delano (2011) finds out that in the newspapers, more women were working as reporters, while more editors or deputy editors are men. More female senior executives, assistant editors, news directors appeared in the periodicals and broadcasting, with 12 per cent were women and 4 per cent were men. This provides some clues about the imbalanced gender division in the news industry. Delano (2011) contends that it reveals an insufficient representation of women in national daily newspapers that van Zoonen (1994) defines as high prestige. In radio and TV, whereas female reporters are less than their male colleagues, more women become newsreaders. As the market-driven journalism calls for the human interest, emotional involvement and entertainment in news, anchoring has become a suitable profession for women (van Zoonen, 1998). Nevertheless, it does not necessarily mean a positive outcome for women. Holland (1987) argues that the reason more women becoming news anchors in Britain is that the newsreaders task has been regarded as a decorative performer rather than an originator of news. Female newsreaders have been constructed as pleasurable objects for men to look at and could not achieve the prestige as well as the political respect as their male counterparts. Hair that has not been done, lack of make-up, the less studied appearance associated with feminism, must be avoided (Holland 1987, p148). They found themselves dressing as the stereotype for the post-feminism working young women in the 1980s which was built by advertisements and magazines targeted at businesswomen. Holland highlights that women newsreaders are stuck in the conflicting definitions of femininity and of the news themselves trivialised, they can be blamed for trivialising (1987, p148). Anchorwomen are required to speak with a universal voice, yet they are excluded from both the political consensus and the ma sculine structure of language. It represents the deeply rooted female subordination in newsreaders. On the other hand, it is not always the same in Dutch television. The transformation of Dutch television news from 1985 enable female anchors become a majority. Van Zoonen (1998) points out that while they are of good-looking appearance, some of they are in their mid-forties and even fifties. They present a model of traditional female authority who acted as the caring and never-failing mother. Other anchorwomen, who are not old enough for motherly impact, are not spectacularly beautiful and like the ordinary neighbor you can trust. They embodied another women stereotype: the neighbors wife: as van Zoonen defines, very plain and very ordinary, yet very desirable. However, van Zoonen (1998) admits that female news anchors are needed because they provide womens touch in the news. Therefore, while more women are working as news anchors, it was their capacity of communicating as women instead of professional skills that was valued by the news media. The rise of women journalists has lead to the question that whether the news values would be feminized when women become a significant part in journalism. Some researchers have long claimed that women are likely to have distinct news values and perspectives. It brings about the discussion that whether women making news different from men. Van Zoonen (1998) summarizes the feminine values in journalism in terms of topics, angle, sources and ethics. Women journalists focus on topics like human interest news, consumer news, culture and social policy, which are usually neglected or marginalized in the masculine news values. Female journalists also tend to emphasize the backgrounds and effects of news stories, rather than the accumulation of facts in male news writing. In addition, they pay more attention to audience needs than men. As for sources, while women are likely to look for female spokespersons, men overwhelmingly use male sources and spokespersons. This difference, however, can be regarded as reflecting the personal networks of male journalists rather than being a representation of actual gender divisions among sources (van Zoonen 1998, p36). Nonetheless, van Zoonen (1994) points out that although studies show the differences between masculine and feminine values in journalism, these are in fact the reflections of self-perceptions and self-images, and do not necessarily lead to gender division in professional practice. This view is supported by Weaver (1997), who claims that few significant differences between women and men in journalism practices have been found, except that women use female spokespersons as sources. It may partly due to the fact that women have to accept masculine news values in their struggles to be considered as professional. On the other hand, some studies suggest that as a result of womens incursion into journalism, the definition of what is newsworthy has been expanded (Christmas 1997, Mills 1997). It brings about a more diverse range of topics in news, especially issues that particularly attract female audiences. Furthermore, a shift in news sources can also be identified. Journalists, especially women, may be stepping out of the more conventional news beat systems and tapping ordinary people as sources more often (Weaver 1997, p39). As can been seen, the impact of women journalists in changing news values is complicated. As Ross describes, gender alone will not make a difference in changing the culture of newsrooms or in the type of news produced (2001, p542). Factors such as socio-economic background and political values, rather than gender, are of more importance in shaping journalists attitudes and values. Likewise, newsroom and community environments are more influential factors in journalists professional conduct than gender (Weaver 1997). Women in the news Researchers have long been focus on how women are portrayed in the news content. Although more women have entered the newsroom, the changes they bring to the way issues are covered remain unclear, thus it is still hard to say that women have been more fairly treated in the news with more female journalists in the newsroom. The representation of women in the news has been formed in the masculinized discourse and fell into stereotypes. Allan (2004) finds four codes when concerning with gender in the news analyzing the broadsheets in Britain. First, using generic pronouns, for instance he, refers to both male and female news subjects. The views of men on the street are also used as the representation of public opinion. Second, the gender is explicitly pointed out when the news subjects are women, such as using the female victim instead of the victim. Third, the age, marital status and appearance of a female news subjects tend to be regarded as more relevant to the stories than for men. Finally, the news producers are more likely to employ male-centered naming, such as wife, girlfriend and mistress. By utilizing these codes, women are usually sexualized and related to male subjects. In the popular press, the sexualization of women is even more obvious. Bingham (2009) defines three phrases of the popular presss reporting of women and sex since 1918 and it could give a glimpse of how women were represented in the tabloids over time. The first phase, roughly during the inter-war period, showed that the popular press gave cautious treatment to the topic of sex. Although some space was given to the topics such as birth control, there was little open discussion of sexual matters. Generally, popular newspapers preferred the topics such as titillating divorce reports, exposures of the horrors of white slavery and gossips about the love romance of cinema stars (Bingham 2009). From the Second World War to the late 1960s was the second phase that a significant expansion of coverage of sex took place in the popular press. Sex began to be presented both as a source of entertainment and a subject that public required up-to-date information, thus received far more diverse-ranging, extensive and detailed reporting. For example, the Daily Mirror used more sexually explicit pin-ups and cartoons, and provocative content for titillation. Bingham (2009) argues that this tendency to employ female images enhanced the stress on women to see themselves as sexual playthings and to behave in accordance with media ideals of attractiveness that embodied masculine values. During the third phase, from the late 1960s, the sexualization of popular press became much broader and the family values in editorial seemed to lost its potency. Sexual aspect of the news, however slight the connection is to the main story, was highlighted in the news reporting in the popular newspapers (Bingham 2009). The Page Three girl in the Sun is one of the most controversial representations of women. As Holland (1998) claims, the display of topless women in the Page Three is the representation of male-oriented, sexual pleasure by which to attract a mass readership. The brashness, visual excitement and down-market appeal of the Sun are gendered around heterosexual male privilege. According to Holland, in this context, the visual is associated with a masculine insistence on the inalienable right to a lustful gaze (1998, p24). Similarly, Bingham believes that the pin-up was a feature in which the tension between commercial ambition and moral respectability played out in a very visible way. However disguised, it was, fundamentally, erotic entertainment for heterosexual men that could not be justified according to any ordinary scale of news values (2009, p227) . Furthermore, Holland points out that The Suns construction of female sexuality reflects a gendered politics of social identity. By using the Page Three Principle, The Sun associated sexuality with lifestyle. It is intemperate abuse, as Holland characterizes, that to those whose sexuality do not accord with their lifestyle. In the news reporting, the image of the sexy woman continues to be laid against female demons like single mothers, lesbian teachers and ugly women (Holland 1998, p25). This sexualization of gender difference has widened the gap between women and men and put constraint on womens public participation, because by reinforcing the sexual difference, the nature of the democratic discursive space is brought into question (Holland 1998, p28). The exposed women figures in popular press are regarded as a symbol of sexual pleasure, implying that women are linking with triviality, entertainment and public consumption. The different treatment between men and women can also been found in the reporting of sexual violence. The daily reporting of male sexual violence against women is normalized in masculine preferred patterns (Carter 1998). News reports encourage readers to blame female victims for mens violence. In six British daily tabloid newspapers, Carter (1998) finds that murder and rape are the most frequently covered categories of sexual violence, despite the fact that they are the rarest form of violence. The reporting of murder, particularly when women are the victims, constitutes 42 per cent of sexual violence coverage, while in the reality male are much more likely to become victims of homicide, with 68 per cent of all victims are male. The over-representation of the murder towards women creates the impression among readers that the world outside is highly dangerous places for women and girls, one in which sex crimes have become an ordinary, take-for-granted feature of everyday life (Carter 1998, p231). Moreover, regarding of news sources, Carter points out that male sources significantly outnumber female in the reporting of sexual violence, especially in terms of sources as expert opinion. Female news sources are likely to be seen as unauthorized voice and mostly been cited when an emotional or familial perspective are needed. Normalizing the sexual violence to women, even though the reverse is the reality, represents women as weak, trivial subjects that constantly suffer from violence. Conclusion This essay discusses has journalism become feminized over time from two aspects: women journalists in the news organizations and the representation of women in the news. The market-oriented journalism has engaged more women into the professional journalists. While more women entering journalism, women in the newsroom are largely disproportionate in terms of the level of positions, with a majority of women end up in the lower-status media occupation. Men still dominate the senior level of news organizations, which reproduce the subordinate role of women. The fact that more women appeared on the screen as news anchors is largely because of their gorgeous appearance. Women journalists may add some feminine characters to the news values, but whether it can change the news values that have long been established by men remains vague. Similarly, female subjects in news have not received equal and adequate treatment. Women are encoded in the male-centered news system. The sexualization of the popular press has represented women as the entertainment for the public in order to appeal to the male audience. An improvement of women as producers and subjects of news can be recognized in contemporary journalism, but to a limited scale. Gendered division still exists; masculine values continue to rule the news and newsroom. Journalism may still be far from being feminized.

George Orwell and Animal Farm :: essays papers

George Orwell and Animal Farm The British author George Orwell, pen name for Eric Blair, achieved prominence in the late 1940's as the author of two brilliant satires. He wrote documentaries, essays, and criticism during the 1930's and later established himself as one of the most important and influential voices of the century. Eric Arthur Blair (later George Orwell) was born in 1903 in the Indian Village Motihari, which lies near to the border of Nepal. At that time India was a part of the British Empire, and Blair's father Richard, held a post as an agent in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service. Blair's paternal grandfather, too, had been part of the British Raj, and had served in the Indian Army. Eric's mother, Ida Mabel Blair, the daughter of a French tradesman, was about eighteen years younger than her husband Richard Blair was. Eric had an elder sister called Marjorie. The Blairs led a relatively privileged and fairly pleasant existence, in helping to administer the Empire. Although the Blair family was not very wealthy, Orwell later described them ironically as "lower-upper-middle class (Gross, p.109)." They owned no property and had no extensive investments; they were like many middle-class English families of the time, totally dependent on the British Empire for their livelihoo! d and prospects. Even though the father continued to work in India until he retired in 1912, in 1907, the family returned to England and lived at Henley. With some difficulty, Blair's parents sent their son to a private preparatory school in Sussex at the age of eight. At the age of thirteen, he won a scholarship to Wellington, and soon after another to Eaton, the famous public school (Gross, p.112). His parents had forced him to work at a dreary preparatory school, and now after winning the scholarship, he was not any more interested in further mental exertion unrelated to his private ambition. ^At the beginning of Why/Write, he explains that from the age of five or six he knew he would be, ^must be,^ a writer (Gross, p.115).^ But to become a writer one had to read literature. But English literature was not a major subject at Eaton, where most boys came from backgrounds either irremediably unliterary or so literary that to teach them English Literature would be absurd. One of Eric's tutors later declared that his famous pupil had done absolutely no work for five years. This was, of course, untrue: Eric has apprenticed himself to the masters of English prose who most appealed to him, including Swift, Sterne and Jack London (Gross, p. George Orwell and Animal Farm :: essays papers George Orwell and Animal Farm The British author George Orwell, pen name for Eric Blair, achieved prominence in the late 1940's as the author of two brilliant satires. He wrote documentaries, essays, and criticism during the 1930's and later established himself as one of the most important and influential voices of the century. Eric Arthur Blair (later George Orwell) was born in 1903 in the Indian Village Motihari, which lies near to the border of Nepal. At that time India was a part of the British Empire, and Blair's father Richard, held a post as an agent in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service. Blair's paternal grandfather, too, had been part of the British Raj, and had served in the Indian Army. Eric's mother, Ida Mabel Blair, the daughter of a French tradesman, was about eighteen years younger than her husband Richard Blair was. Eric had an elder sister called Marjorie. The Blairs led a relatively privileged and fairly pleasant existence, in helping to administer the Empire. Although the Blair family was not very wealthy, Orwell later described them ironically as "lower-upper-middle class (Gross, p.109)." They owned no property and had no extensive investments; they were like many middle-class English families of the time, totally dependent on the British Empire for their livelihoo! d and prospects. Even though the father continued to work in India until he retired in 1912, in 1907, the family returned to England and lived at Henley. With some difficulty, Blair's parents sent their son to a private preparatory school in Sussex at the age of eight. At the age of thirteen, he won a scholarship to Wellington, and soon after another to Eaton, the famous public school (Gross, p.112). His parents had forced him to work at a dreary preparatory school, and now after winning the scholarship, he was not any more interested in further mental exertion unrelated to his private ambition. ^At the beginning of Why/Write, he explains that from the age of five or six he knew he would be, ^must be,^ a writer (Gross, p.115).^ But to become a writer one had to read literature. But English literature was not a major subject at Eaton, where most boys came from backgrounds either irremediably unliterary or so literary that to teach them English Literature would be absurd. One of Eric's tutors later declared that his famous pupil had done absolutely no work for five years. This was, of course, untrue: Eric has apprenticed himself to the masters of English prose who most appealed to him, including Swift, Sterne and Jack London (Gross, p.