Oral Presentation Critique Essay Example

Oral Presentation Critique Essay Example Oral Presentation Critique Paper Oral Presentation Critique Paper Most of them went well but all of them could have been better. The funny thing about speeches is I can prepare a great speech and rehearse it until Im blue in the face but when the time comes to stand up and give that speech my heart beat starts fluctuating, my mouth dries instantly, and all my accepted wisdom is wiped clean. This is when I rely on my gift of gab and the confidence I have in myself. After all, this is coming from a guy who loves to tell stories and often enjoys being the center of attention. This time I had a well written speech, I was prepared, and I was confident to be standing in front of the class. Overall it was a success. After reading my classmates critiques about me I feel my presentation went well. Many of the comments contradicted themselves such as poor eye contact with excellent eye contact but others were much more accurate. Overall I think my delivery came across loud and clear and I feel I made good eye contact with my audience. I think I need to learn to slow it down a bit, I get excited and I start rambling. My content was really good, I used fun examples for each trait, and I had some clever transitions to get some laughs. I was very comfortable with my voice presence. I really felt I hooked the audience and kept their attention throughout my entire presentation. This Is thanks, of course, to great organization. I am not always the most organized person, but I really put some time Into this speech and organized it with note cards and rehearsed In front of people and when all was said and done, It felt good. I hope to overcome the Jitters. I realize they may never go away completely, but I would sure like to suppress them at times. I love to talk, and giving a speech should be no harder for me than telling a story, but It Is. One thing I have learned Is that If you get those Jitters but you have put the time and the organization In that Is needed for a great speech, you Just go right In to It. Before you know It youre done and It all went as you rehearsed, and It builds the confidence you need to suppress those Jitters the next time. I am looking forward to that time.

Breast Cancer Essay Example for Free (#3)

Breast Cancer Essay Is it true that wearing ‘underwired’ brassieres bring about cancer? Can breast cancer be treated? Are there signs and symptoms that individuals can check to know if breast cancer really occurs in them? These are just some of the essential questions that this paper will attempt to answer. It will also attain to reintroduce breast cancer’s definition, history of recovery, signs and causes, statistical information, diagnosis, breast cancer myths, risk factors, as well as, treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A 34-year-old woman, named Susan has been told by the family doctor that she has a breast cancer. When she asked about it, the doctor initially explained it as â€Å" a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the breasts, typically in the ducts or the areas where milk goes through till it reaches the nipple, as well as, the lobules or the glands which produces milk † (National.. n.p.). The doctor also told Susan that the aforementioned disease has been observed in Egypt way back in approximately 1600 BC (Wikipedia n.p.). Back then he stated that, â€Å" tumors of the breasts were addressed or treated by cauterization through an instrument they technically refer to as the fire drill though they openly admitted that there is no cure for such † (Wikipedia n.p.). The doctor also added that, centuries later experts found â€Å" a relationship between the lymph nodes found in the armpits and cancer of the breast, in fact, Jean Louis Petit and Benjamin Bell were the first ones to get rid of the lymph nodes, breast tissue, as well as, a primary muscle in the chest † (Wikipedia n.p.). The doctor, to make Susan stay calm, mentioned that such surgery has been very successful thus it was also done by William Halsted during the next century or 1882 to be exact, in fact, until the 1970’s, this procedure remained to be the most successful surgical procedure to address the aforementioned condition (Wikipedia n.p.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since Susan was complaining about the physical changes in her body that she observed prior to be being diagnosed as having breast cancer, the doctor also told her that the signs and symptoms of breast cancer include the following: First of all, if there is a lump in the breast then there is a possibility that a person has breast cancer (Mayo.. n.p.). Second, there is also a probability that breast cancer may occur if the nipple/s of an individual discharges blood and has a lump that goes along with it (Mayo.. n.p.). Third, there may be an occurrence of breast cancer if there exist a â€Å" retraction, flattening, or indentation of the nipple † (Mayo.. n.p.). Fourth, if the size of the breast and its contours changes, then it is possible that breast cancer is in existence (Mayo.. n.p.). Last but not least, redness of the skin on the breast area may signify breast cancer as well (Mayo.. n.p.). Upon hearing the aforementioned, Susan remembers that she mainly complained about sign & symptoms number one in the right breast, something she has been complaining about for about 16 months.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Susan has been feeling weird and a little scared and so she decided to look into medical and health magazines, internet sites, as well as, books to check if she is going to make it or not, if she’s going to die etcetera and here’s a statistical information that she stumbled upon: 1) â€Å" Deaths brought about by breast cancer already reached forty thousand four hundred sixty (40,460) for females and four hundred fifty for the males (450 )† (National.. n.p.); 2) â€Å" Unfortunately, there are new cases reported as well, there are one hundred seventy eight thousand four hundred eighty (178, 480) females and two thousand and thirty (2,030) males now who currently have breast cancer † (National.. n.p.). And the aforementioned is in the United States only (National.. n.p.); 3) â€Å"In the United Kingdom, on the other hand, twelve thousand four hundred (12,400) individuals or more die each year because of breast cancer† (National.. n.p.). In fact, in 2003 alone, there were forty three thousand and seven hundred fifty six women and there were three hundred thirty five (335) men who were diagnosed and reported to have breast cancer (National.. n.p.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During that time, Susan was also in denial that is why she researched on her own. She found out that: Breast cancer may be diagnosed through the following: 1) breast self-examination; 2) clinical breast exam; 3) mammogram including screening mammograms, diagnostic mammograms; 4) computer-aided detection; 5) digital mammography; 6) magnetic resonance imaging; 7) â€Å"ultrasonography†; 8) ductal lavage; 9) molecular breast imaging; 10) diagnostic procedures like ultrasound; 11) biopsy including fine-needle aspiration biopsy, core-needle biopsy, stereotactic biopsy, wire localization, surgical biopsy; 12) estrogen and progesterone receptor tests; 13) staging tests; and 14) genetic tests (Mayo.. n.p.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During this time, she was already prepared to believe that she really does not have breast cancer because she had a mammogram performed in March 1989 and again in February 1999, wherein, the results both showed that it is normal. Although, she had to try to accept it or at least entertain that it might be true when an ultrasound was also carried out where it was detected that a fibrocystic lump exists and that it was benign. After the detection of the fibrocystic lump, Susan began to reflect on her way of life, what could have caused the lump to exist inside of her body†¦she actually thought that it may be because of her use of deodorants, ‘underwired’ brassieres, stress from work, as well as, injury to the breasts which she got from playing basketball when she was in college and still a part of a varsity team. It is not very surprising that Susan thought of those as the primary reasons for the lump since there are so many myths that are related to breast cancer and some of the most popular ones are the following: First of all, some individuals claim that deodorants bring about breast cancer, however, currently, no studies have been carried out yet that may confirm or deny such belief of some people (Breast.. n.p.).   Second, some people think that wearing ‘underwired’ brassieres bring about cancer (Breast.. n.p.). Just like the first myth though, no evidence have been found to conclude such a statement (Breast.. n.p.). Third, there are individuals who think that stress can bring about breast cancer, however, research studies have not yet been able to establish an extremely clear link to conclude that such is really possible (Breast.. n.p.). Fourth, there are people who claim that â€Å" living near electricity pylons cause breast cancer † but no evidences have been presented ever since that breast cancer may be associated to electricity pylons (Breast.. n.p.).    Fifth, some individuals say that an injury to the breast augments the probability that breast cancer may occur (Breast.. n.p.). However, no evidences have been presented to back up such claim (Breast.. n.p.). Sixth, people claim that females who are young are more likely to be detected with breast cancer (Breast.. n.p.). Well, statistical information denies this, in fact, eighty percent of all the cases in the UK occur in females who are already fifty years old and above (Breast.. n.p.). Seventh, there are individuals who believe that if a person feels pain or discomfort in his or her breasts, then it is already safe to say that an individual is suffering from breast cancer (Breast.. n.p.). However, experts explain that there are so many reasons why breasts may be painful, for instance, this may be related to the menstrual cycle (Breast.. n.p.). Eighth, some people say that getting pregnant increases the probability of suffering from breast cancer later (Breast.. n.p.). On the contrary, experts have found evidence linking early pregnancy to breast cancer risk being reduced (Breast.. n.p.). They also reiterated that the more babies a woman gives birth to then the lower the risk of getting such cancer (Breast.. n.p.). In light of the detection of the lump, instead of getting more focused with the myths, Susan should have gotten a second opinion. If in case she did that, and the biopsy results will show that an â€Å" infiltrating lobular carcinoma † already exists and that it is already in stage IIa then a more extensive treatment would be provided to her. The aforementioned are really just myths, they were never provided with evidences to establish that those are really linked with breast cancer. Susan was told by her doctor that the main risk factors for breast cancer, actually, include the following: 1) age; 2) age of menarche; 3) age at birth of first-born child; 4) biopsies of the breast; 5) family history; 6) occupation; 7) race; 8) hormone replacement therapy, as well as, 9) alcohol (Hales 105). Susan is only thirty four years old, never had any children, used to engage herself in binge drinking during college, and an aunt of hers had breast cancer years ago. As we can see, most of the risk factors are present in Susan’s case. According to the experts Susan spoke to, â€Å" Breast cancer may be annihilated and for that to occur: 1) either lumpectomy or mastectomy should be carried out; 2) radiation may also be helpful; 3) drugs like taxol, taxotere, and herceptin may be taken; 4) chemotherapy; as well as, 5) hormonal therapy may be undergone by the patient † (Hales 105). Because her treatment options have been clearly explained to her, she decided to have a â€Å" right modified radical mastectomy † following a reconstruction immediately (Hales 105). During the surgery â€Å" eight lymph nodes were annihilated and the biopsy gave out a negative result † (Hales 105). After which Susan underwent chemotherapy as part of her post-surgical treatment which made her experience side effects including loss of hair and anorexia (Hales 105). Last but not least, she was also made to take in drugs named Cytoxan and prednisone (Hales 105). Breast Cancer Care. Statistics and Facts About Breast Cancer. 2004. Cancer Research, UK. Hales, D. An Invitation to Health, Eleventh Edition. Boston: Thomson Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Breast Cancer.   29 December 2006. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-cancer/DS00328/DSECTION=2 National Cancer Institute. Breast Cancer. n.d. n.a. 15 June 2007   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast Wikipedia. Breast Cancer. 14 June 2007. Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 15 June 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer#History Breast Cancer. (2017, Mar 14).

Reflective Report On Glo-Bus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Reflective Report On Glo-Bus - Essay Example The paper tells that the Glo-Bus business simulation exercise is a case of experiential learning. This is an important aspect of the learning process, which has positive outcomes on the learners. I consider the whole exercise educative, informative, and a fun way of learning. According to Kolb et al., experiential learning should be included in the learning process, as this boosts the quality of learning, as well as the learning outcomes. They divided experiential learning into four stages, including concrete experience, observation and reflection, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. Therefore, reflection after experimentation counts, according to these authors. Therefore, the reflective approach argued by Kolb et al., helps me, as a learner to evaluate the impact of my experiential learning on my ideologies and on the learning objectives of the specific course. This was my first experience with an online business simulation exercise. Therefore, I ventured into thi s exercise with a lot of expectations and enthusiasm, that I would learn more business management concepts, and add on to my existing theoretical knowledge of the business processes and concepts. Additionally, this, I thought would give me a feel of what being a manager, or what being part of a management team in a high-ranking company entails and feels like. This is because, in our company, I was a co-manager, therefore, had the responsibilities of what a co-manager does in real life management cases. According to Butzen and Lee (2003), corporate leadership requires high level of discipline and integrity, especially where finances are concerned. Nonetheless, this is what this simulation experience also presented me with. The learning experience in this business simulation exercise revolved around, but not limited to the basic mechanics of operating a company. Christodoulou and Zorica

Article on improving training and retention in small to medium sized Assignment

Article on improving training and retention in small to medium sized businesses - Assignment Example Concerns of improving training and retention in these businesses are increasingly becoming centres of attraction for successful businesses. This essay explores the issue of employee training and retention in small and medium businesses. Comparative advantage in performance and labour productivity is being realized in small to medium sized businesses through strategic development of their human resources. Effective training and retention forms the key component of such an achievement (Analoui & Karim 2003). The ultimate goal of training in any organization is to improve the skills and knowledge of its employees and also gain a competitive advantage in a particular business sector. Training needs be tailored to address the business strategic objectives and meet its calculated needs. It also facilitates creation of a unique workforce. Small and medium sized businesses have to embrace the following practices in order to improve training and retention, putting more emphasis in valuing of work place learning and training. Like larger organizations, small and medium sized businesses need to continuously and regularly improve their capacity to gather information, managerial skills and their commitment to investing in employee’s knowledge and skills. ... Strategic training and partnerships should be employed to foster the achievement of such goals. For instance, in organizations that employ the principle of lean manufacturing which is geared to reduce waste and improve productivity, employees learning initiatives are tailored to support the principle. In addition, partnership training should help small business entity in strengthening its training reserves and learning to explore new business opportunities and increase returns in the long run (Alberto & Hamel 2005) Moreover, Employees need to receive tailor made training that matches their job task and anticipated work results. The training offered should be flexible to enable the employees accommodate their job responsibilities as well as social life ones. The training should also be participatory in nature such that employees who are efficient in one area are involved in sharing that knowledge with their colleagues. Formal employee training programs especially the foundation learni ng programs need to be adopted by the employers with the emphasis of developing communication skills. In the globalized and technology oriented business environment, customer satisfaction is imperative to any business success. In small and medium sized businesses, the employees represent the image of the organization and forms daily contact with the customers especially in those the service industry. The foundation training program should work as a curtain raiser to advanced training programs that facilitate the acquisition of management and leadership skills, decision making and problem solving (Alberto & Hamel 2005). This will form the basis of promotion within the organization because such programs prepare the employees for higher

The Turbulen Sixties Essay -- essays research papers

The Turbulent Sixties Throughout American history, each generation has sought to individualize itself from all others preceding it. Decades of American history can be separated to represent a distinctive set of values, culture, and political ideals. The 1960's was a decade caught between euphoric, idealistic beginnings and a discordant, violent climax. The music of this time period produced a strong counterculture which sought to influence America in a way never before experienced. The songs were the backbone of this new age; they were the tunes which the generation danced to, marched to, and got high off of. This paper will discuss the ways popular music of the 1960's produced national awareness of the anti-war movements, led to the partialcollapse of the structure of American society, and forever changed the way current generations listen to and buy music. The songwriters of the 1960's were rarely without inspiration. Perhaps the most powerful incentive came from the movement to end the Vietnam War. Many of the most prominent musicians of that generation aided the struggle to protest against and attempt to end the war. The most popular song to be considered an anthem against the war efforts was called "Blowin' in the Wind," written by Bob Dylan in 1962 while he was living in New York. The song is centered around racism and militarism, two main focal points which were principal in many early sixties protest songs (Pichaske 58). Dylan used conventional symbols to blatantly state his point; a white dove representing peace, flying cannon balls describing war and violence, and roads and seas symbolizing the hardships and struggles there would have to be with eliminating the war. Demonstrations against the Vietnam War took place in many major cities and college campuses. While many of these demonstrations had only peaceful motives, violent methods were often used to break them up. Take for example the famous student takeover of Columbia University. Black students arguing for civil rights, and white students protesting against the Vietnam war successfully took over Hamilton Hall, the Low Library and the Dean's office, as well as three other buildings. The Grateful Dead were smuggled onto campus and played several long sets of music while students began to set up communal living, with food generously donated by outside supporters and Harlem's CORE (Co... ... labels began methodically recruiting performers and signing them to contracts. The music was becoming less oriented to free form and more constricted so as to present them on FM radio. Advertising became increasingly directed towards the hippies. Pepsi Cola began airing commercials that consisted of an eerie psychedelic renderings of urban nightlife, with the Pepsi theme sounding more like a Byrd's song than a commercial jingle (Frank 178). Many musicians began fighting a sense of deep disillusion as the sixties winded down. Perhaps Dylan, the man who spoke so poignantly about the generation understood it best, he knew that the most prominent threat to musicians of the sixties was their image, it leads to the generalization of their art and destroys it (Pichaske 177). In conclusion, the sixties were a turbulent time characterized with both optimism and despair. The music that this generation spawned has lasted as a remnant of the idealistic and hopful nature of the times. In many cases, the songs are interrelated with certain events. In other instances, music was used as a catalyst to ignite a chain of events. Whatever the case may be, music was revolutionized during the1960's.

The Role of Setting and Landscape in “Mrs. Dalloway” and “On the Road”

â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† by acclaimed novelist Virginia Woolf is an interesting literary piece with several distinctly remarkable features. The author utilizes a stream-of-consciousness technique records ‘the atoms as they fall upon the mind in the order in which they fall†¦ tracing the pattern, however disconnected†¦ in appearance, in which each incident scores upon the consciousness’ (Woolf, 1) to bring out the innermost thoughts of the characters in a manner which effectively weaves together the elements of memory and time.Prior to the early 20th century fictive literature had emphasized the primacy of plot and detailed descriptions of the characters and the settings, with externalities serving as the most significant turning-point in the story, effectively limiting the innermost workings of the characters’ minds to a more secondary role, mainly that of providing the motivation for the external occurrences in the plot. Going against the grain, Wool f’s refinement of the stream-of-consciousness technique – the representation of multiple consciousness lingering around a locus – is definitely one of her lasting contributions to the literary world, as evidenced by her novels.In â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† the plot can be described as generated by the inner lives of the characters, i.e. Mrs. Dalloway and Septimus, whose natures are revealed through the ebb and flow of their emotions, impressions, thoughts and feelings. This in turn effectively transforms the rather ordinary events in their lives into the extraordinary, particularly as their consciousness appears to slip in and out through time conceptualized not merely as a linear series of events but also as cyclical.Focusing on the two distinct worlds of the primary characters – gracious London society matron Clarissa Dalloway with a stable life in London’s high society and young Septimus Warren Smith thought to be suffering from a metal afflict ion brought about by the loss of a friend in World War I – the novel explores their seeming parallel thought processes despite differences in social station and the fact that they did not know each other and had never met, within a single eventful day in June.Both appear to experience exhilarating shifts in their moods, eerily similar to bouts with manic depression which Woolf apparently suffered from: profound joy over the simple beauty of spring and the appearance of its fresh, tiny leaves, apprehensive dread over what they perceive as the on-rushing of time, alarm over their impending demise, and what could only be described as overt guilt over the crime of being human with its accompanying sensibilities, awareness, failures and shortcomings.In the concluding chapter of the book the reader finds Clarissa finally being acquainted with the character of Septimus posthumously when his distinguished doctor’s wife explains to their hostess Mrs. Dalloway the reason for the ir tardiness – the suicide of a patient earlier in the day, leading her to internally remark that ‘Here is death, in the middle of my party’ (Woolf, 108). A peak at Mrs. Dalloway’s mind reveals a rather emphatic understanding of the sensitivity, despair and ultimately defiance besieging her symbolic double.In admirable literary fashion, despite all events happening within the 24-hour span of a single day, the setting and landscape appear to be effectively adequate for the story to unfold. The seemingly fluid nature of time the author utilizes allows the effortless weaving of the characters’ thoughts from the present to the past and vice-versa, even allowing the creeping up of thoughts about the future. Despite the cornucopia of ideas taking shape in the characters’ minds and the feelings such thoughts evoke, the clever use of time imparts order to the fluidity of thoughts, memories and encounters populating the world of Mrs. Dalloway.Big Ben that seemingly solid symbol of a strong England sounds out the passing of time hour after hour, a constant reminder to the characters painfully aware of the grip of time over their lives. Yet when the hour is chimed, the sound disappears as if its â€Å"leaden circles dissolved in the air† – signifying the ephemeral nature of time which most people in their wary obsession with time still fail to understand. Woolf skillfully introduces the notion of time not merely as having a linear character but a circular aspect to it as well when the reader is introduced to the ancient woman singing the same song for a seeming eternity at the Regent’s Park Tube Station.In terms of the visual landscape, the author captures the beauty of a London summer day in June with the abundant images of trees and flowers in the story. The variety of flowers appearing throughout the text is suggestive of the characters’ fleeting emotions. In the opening pages of the book, the reader is acquainted with Clarissa Dalloway on her way to the flower shop.Clarissa, deep and profound in her thoughts, revels in the beauty of flowers and trees, while the stiffer, more aloof members of the English establishment trained in the art of keeping their emotions in check all the time are represented as awkward in the way of handling flowers (Richard treats the bouquet of flowers as if it was a weapon while Mrs. Bruton appeared to be at a loss with the flowers offered to her, eventually stuffing them into her dress, the femininity and grace of the gesture surprising even herself) and traditional in their choice of blooms – roses and carnations as picked by Richard and Hugh.In tune with the reflective tone of the novel, the significant abundance of trees with their far-reaching root systems appear to signify the extensive reach of the human soul, even as the two protagonists wage their own personal battles in a struggle to protect their souls. The element of water appearin g in the characters’ fluid thoughts as on-rushing waves evokes images of the washing away of the old to be replaced by the new in an endless cycle of the waves lapping at the shore (the appearance of which increases in intensity until it reaches the shore, only to fade into another), i.e. death as the fate awaiting us all.Set against the background of post-war London, traditional English society is presented as if a tide pulling down those who fail to adapt to the pressing changes plaguing England, and one such casualty was Septimus Warren Smith who had ultimately failed to accept and understand his vastly altered concrete social realities following the end of the war and the irreparable scarring of humankind.In contrast, Clarissa appears to have navigated the murky waters of London high society quite admirably (a â€Å"silver-green mermaid† in Peter Walsh’s eyes) yet underneath the veneer of dutiful wife and mother is a kindred soul who identifies with Septimus and his wish to struggle against the oppressive pressures of society, attempting to strike a balance between privacy and open communication with the significant people in their lives. In the last analysis, she refuses to succumb to the temptation herself, and veers away from the outlet chosen by Septimus.In a similar manner to that of Virginia Woolf, the American writer Jack Kerouac, who founded the so-called â€Å"Beat Generation†, could also be considered as a pioneer in terms of contributions to the literary field. Though Kerouac was of a different generation and genre from the English author, the two share the similarity of going against convention in their own lifetimes in a bid to assert their own ideas on crafting literary pieces. His novel â€Å"On the Road† could be described as an attempt to inspire readers to go out there and seize the day – â€Å"Carpe diem!† as the French say, so to speak – and live life.â€Å"On the Road† we m eet the young, somewhat naà ¯ve writer Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty, whom the narrator describes as â€Å"tremendously excited with life† in their adventure traipsing around America to test the limits of their â€Å"American Dream.† Various settings, e.g. a small town in rural Virginia, a jazz joint in urban New York, a Mexican whore-house,   and landscape are utilized by the author in their full extent to present the reader with images of the USA and its new-world wonders – urban jungles, sleepy towns, the American rural wilderness, vast expanse of desserts – the only tangible connection between them being the road, the need for a generation to get out of their seeming confinements limited by space, to break out and seek freedom unchained by any imposed-from-above belief, sentiments or ideology.These youths, overwhelmed by the lack of fulfillment and the overriding sense of desperation in their lives made them feel that â€Å"the only thing to do w as go,† providing the impetus to search for their own personal freedoms, the pleasure of which they found in sex, drugs and jazz music. For Sal, â€Å"†¦life is holy and every moment precious,† which may perhaps account for Dean seeming â€Å"to be doing everything at the same time† as a fear and wariness of death appeared to haunt the gang in their sojourn throughout America (â€Å"†¦death will overtake us before heaven†), manifested by visions of a great spirit trailing after them across the desert of life.Yet this fear did not prevent them from living their life not held by the sway of materialism, that â€Å"mad dream-grabbing, taking, giving, sighing and dying just so they could be buried in those awful cemetery cities beyond Long Island.† As their travels together come to an end, Sal and Dean find themselves in the poverty-stricken city of Mexico, where among the brothels, barefooted old women, and simple meals, Sal notices that â₠¬Å"[b]eggars slept wrapped in advertising posters torn off fences† (Kerouac, 248).An excited Sal declares â€Å"This was the great and uninhibited Fellahin-childlike city that we knew we would find at the end of the road† (Kerouac, 248). They had found a world where people could apparently live in bare, unadorned simplicity not harassed by the pressures of a materialistic culture, a timely reminder that despite the pretentiousness of the relatively affluent 20th century, people’s possession of goods, or the lack of it are not the sole determinants of being human. Such an idealistic message in a work of fiction attempts to counter the overriding negativism and corruption of the corporate fantasy dominant in American culture, of which its inherent conflict with other needs and interests of the human spirit continues to be played out in contemporary societies up to the present.The two novels, â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† and â€Å"On the Road† utilize landscap e and setting to the full extent, resulting in powerful narratives which allow the reader much visual power, i.e. the reader is transported to post-War early 20th century London and a modernizing 20th century America. Yet the authors use setting and landscape in rather different ways. In the case of Woolf’s â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway, she employs the setting and landscape in an interestingly novel manner which complements her stream-of-consciousness technique, while Kerouac resorts to a rather typical use of setting and landscape to paint a picture of the America of the Beat generation in â€Å"On the Road.† The techniques they used might be different yet the end result is the same – stunning literary narratives which are undoubtedly some of the excellent works written in their respective periods by writers of their generation.ReferencesClark, Tom. â€Å"Jack Kerouac† New York: Harcourt, Brace, Javanovich, 1984.Dunphy, Mark. â€Å"Call Me Sal, Jack†: Vis ions of Ishmael in Kerouac’s â€Å"On the Road† in Melville Society Extracts, July 2002.Hunt, Tim. â€Å"Kerouac’s Crooked Road: The Development of a Fiction.† Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.Kerouac, Jack. â€Å"On the Road.† New York: Viking Press, 1957.Woolf, Virginia. â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway.†originally published 1925. Accessed through the University of Adelaide Library Electronic Texts Collection, on 28 November 2007

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