‘Away’ by Michael Gow

Michael Gow’s play Away is the story of three different Australian families who go on holiday for Christmas in the sixties. By going away each family is hoping to resolve their issues. Although Away is set some time ago the themes and issues explored in the play are still relevant to a modern day audience, even one of a non-Australian background. Shakespearean plays that were written many hundreds of years ago and are still understandable and relevant to people all over the world today. Away is the story of three Australian families who go on holiday during the Christmas of 1968. Roy and Coral (the headmaster and his wife) are becoming increasingly close to breaking up. Their son was killed in the Vietnam War and Coral is still grieving for him. Tom and Meg were in the school’s production of A Midsummer’s Nights Dream. Tom has Leukaemia, and his parents, Harry and Vic, haven’t told him that he is going to die, but Tom has worked it out already. Tom and his family immigrated to Australia form England. They are going on holiday knowing that it could be their last together as a family, and are determined to have a good time. Meg is the same age as Tom and they both like each other. Meg’s parents, Gwen and Jim are going on holiday so Gwen can have a break. Gwen is a rather uptight and stressed person and thinks that to have anything good happen you have to make sacrifices. During each of the three families holidays there is a storm and they coincidently end up on the same beach. Away by Michael Gow is set in suburban Australia in the summer of 1968. However the specific time and place do not make it any less relevant to me. I could still relate to and understand what was happening in the play, even though it is set in a time before I was born. This is very much like Shakespearean plays that were written hundreds of years ago, even today people can still connect with the characters in them. It is interesting to note that Gow begins Away with a Shakespearean play, A Midsummer’s Nights Dream, and then choses to end it with another of Shakespeare’s plays, King Lear. Away, like Shakespearean plays is non-naturalism, a feature of this being the non-changing set. Throughout the production of Away that I saw the set remains the same except for basic props such as suitcases and a table. White sand covered the floor and lights were shone on the sails to show the hanges between scenes for the play. In the play Tom is compared to Chip Rafferty, a well-known Australian actor who died at age 62 in 1971. Younger people of today probably haven’t heard of him, but from watching the play and reading the script can safely assume that he was a famous actor. What makes Away relevant to an audience of today or from a non-Au stralian background are the universal themes present in the play. As long as the audience can connect and empathise with a character or understand a theme in the play then it will be relevant to them. Some of the themes in the play include death/grief/loss, racism, class systems, and relationships. The relationship between Gwen and Meg (mother and daughter) is quite strained during the play. Gwen is portrayed as a very uptight and stressed person, while Meg is in her late teens and has her own ideas about things. During Act Three Gwen and Meg begin arguing over Jim’s missing Christmas presents for everyone. The argument ends with Gwen saying how hard she tries to make things good for Meg, and Meg apologises. I feel that I can connect to Meg, especially in the scene where she is arguing with her mother. After that argument her father, (Jim) asks her why she did it, because he’d asked her not to upset her mother and she did. Meg replies that she couldn’t help herself. I know how she feels. You don’t mean to hurt the person or upset them but you just have to have your say, no matter what the consequences of that may be. I also feel that I can relate to Gwen, Meg’s mother as she reminds me of my own mum. The near constant stressing about everything, and wanting the very best for her daughter is very familiar. The issue of death is also covered in Away. Roy and Coral lost a son in the Vietnam was and Coral is still grieving for him. While Harry and Vic know that there son Tom is going to die from leukaemia. People all over the world, no matter what language they speak, what culture they come from, or which country they live in can understand and empathise with what these families may be feeling. The sense of loss and grief that comes with death is a universal feeling that can make the play relevant to so many people.

The Effects of Music Technology Curriculum on Young Children's Research Paper

The Effects of Music Technology Curriculum on Young Children's Learning in Early Childhood Education - Research Paper Example When one thinks of early childhood education, they typically navigate towards the consideration of reading, writing, and arithmetic. While these core academic areas are certainly the pillars of educational necessity for children, one needs to also consider the fine arts as another area that contributes greatly to the cognitive development of an individual. One such outlet for creative expression is music. Music class has long been a part of the curriculum in early childhood education, but recent research has indicated that there are numerous benefits in terms of development that had not previously been considered. In addition, technology has enhanced the way that music can be integrated into other disciplines, making this particular area even more worthy of study. Simply put, music technology curriculum is composed of different types of technology that is directly related to the musical arts. This usually entails the use of various electronic devices, combined with computer software, that allows the playback, recording, composition, storage, analysis and performance of any given piece. While this particular curriculum can be implemented at any grade level, all the way through the university, our primary focus in this study will be on early childhood education. In particular, this paper will examine the effects that music technology curriculum has on the learning development of young children. While technology today is rapidly changing, the concept of music technology has been around since the 1980’s.... in early childhood education, but recent research has indicated that there are numerous benefits in terms of development that had not previously been considered. In addition, technology has enhanced the way that music can be integrated into other disciplines, making this particular area even more worth of study. Simply put, music technology curriculum is composed of different types of technology that is directly related to the musical arts. This usually entails the use of various electronic devices, combined with computer software, that allows the playback, recording, composition, storage, analysis and performance of any given piece (Branscome, 2012, p. 113). While this particular curriculum can be implemented at any grade level, all the way through the university, our primary focus in this study will be on early childhood education. In particular, this paper will examine the effects that music technology curriculum has on the learning development of young children. Literature Review and Propositions Development While technology today is rapidly changing, the concept of music technology has been around since the 1980’s. The concept can be interconnected across disciplines because of its focus on artistic and technological creativity in many realms (Andang’o and Mugo, 2007, p. 44). Young children can be taught to use music to express themselves through the arts, and technology has expanded in recent decades to create new devices to enable them to do just that. In essence, music technology can be said to encompass the scientific aspect of music that many individuals never consider. These components, when properly implemented in a music technology curriculum, can have an enormous and positive effect on young children (Hoffman, 1991, p. 23) Importance, Value, and

Describe elements of power and quote work from Weber, Bachrach & Essay

Describe elements of power and quote work from Weber, Bachrach & Baratz & Lukes - Essay Example Power and control are two concepts highly analysed by theorists and researchers. The works that are most known in this field are those of Weber, Bachrach & Baratz and Lukes. Their views on power and control have certain similarities; still, differences exist at the level that each one of these theorists uses different criteria for evaluating human behaviour. In any case, it has been proved that the relationship between power and control is strong at such level that each of these concepts cannot be fully explained without referring to the other. However, there are also cases where the above concepts can be independent, but these cases are rather the exception and not the rule. In order to understand the relationship between power and control, it would be necessary to check the elements of these two concepts, as explained by theorists who studied the particular subject. The view of Weber of power is quite important for understanding the relationship between power and control. In accord ance with Goverde et al. ... The above description of power has been derived by the view of Weber on the specific concept, meaning that the elements of power, as perceived by Weber, could be slightly differentiated from the description given above. In other words, the interpretation of the view of Weber of power cannot be considered as standardized, reflecting the personal view of the theorist who has tried to explain the concept of power using the work of Weber. The definition of power, as given by Weber, is the following one: ‘power is the possibility of imposing one’s will upon the behaviour of other persons’ (Weber 1954, p.323 in Vahabi, 2004, p.2). The approaches used by Weber for interpreting power are analysed in the study of Breiner (1996). The above study helps to understand also the relationship between power and control, as perceived by Weber. Breiner (1996) notes that the view of Weber on power seems to have the following form: power is considered as an advantage of political auth orities; in other words, power is not so much a right of all individuals, but primarily, a right of governors to decide on critical issues of their state. From this point of view, power is depended on control in the following way: the control on the social/ political and economic affairs of a particular state reflects the power of its governor to rule (Breiner 1996(. In other words, control is a means of governors – or politicians – in order to show their power to govern. This power is related not just to various political issues, but it can be expanded on all aspects of citizens’ daily life, including culture, sciences and business activity. In accordance with Vahabi (2004) the above description of power is quite effective, reflecting the characteristics of power when being

ESL Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ESL Cause and Effect - Essay Example Those native in a country expect that immigrants should get integrated into the society. One of the ways this is expected to be achieved, is by having those individuals learning the language of the country and with respect to America, students are required to study English (Kessler& Quinn, 1982). Thus it was thought necessary that the way to assimilate different culture is through making English the uniform language of instruction. The assimilationist orientation was institutionalized by reducing public funding to private and church associated schools and banning bilingual programs in public schools. Bilingual textbooks were burnt with teachers were fired, taken to court, and convicted for clearing up concepts in childrens own native languages. Language minority students display low accomplishment in English only classrooms. When compared with the national norms, they are behind in every subject areas. In addition to losing their native languages, these students exhibit low achievement in English only classrooms. When compared with the national norms, they lag behind in all subject areas. A large number of them eventually drop out or are pushed out of school (Kessler& Quinn, 1982). Classrooms are full of students representing diverse cultural, ethnic, and national origins. They speak one of the many different immigrant languages back home, and have diverse religious, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds. This means that different approaches would be required but this becomes quite difficult. School failure of language minority students is was attributed to childrens supposed inadequate intellectual, cognitive, and linguistic abilities. It was widely believed that knowing two languages resulted in mental confusion, subdued cognitive and academic development, and led to low achievement of language minority students. Another commonly held belief was that some ethnic groups were genetically

Essay problem-solution Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problem-solution - Essay Example Global warming is led to by many causes. The rise in the carbon dioxide content is the most principle cause for this phenomenon. Industrialization is one of the most important reasons for carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. The release of carbon dioxide from the fossil fuels that are used in these industries leads to an increase in the carbon dioxide levels in the air. Automobiles are another source of the emission of carbon dioxide in the air. The trees work as a shield against the issue of global warming as they take in the carbon dioxide from the air and release in return. Deforestation for industrialization and forest fires are thus another major cause of global warming as they lead to a reduction in the number of trees and thus this promotes the warming phenomenon of Earth. Global warming has brought with it many disastrous effects on the atmosphere and the environment. The warming results in an increase in the overall temperature of the world. This promotes the melting of the glaciers which are the ice reserves which in turn leads to an increase in the level of water in the rivers and the seas. A rise in the overall water level can be cause of floods and many small islands can be destroyed from the world map owing to this. Furthermore, floods are also a cause of the spread of diseases. Heat waves are also generated owing to the warming of the earth. These heat waves can be a reason of many deaths as well. Thus, global warming provides for many damaging results for the earth’s atmosphere as well as for mankind. The issue of global warming should be taken seriously and steps should be taken on the global level to prevent further deterioration. The emission of greenhouse gases should be controlled. Alternative fuels should be introduced for the motor vehicles to prevent the emission of gases. The usage of public transport should be promoted to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. Guidelines for industries should also be laid down which may

African American Girls Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

African American Girls - Essay Example While studying the two contradictory family settings of African American girls, it was observed that the girls with father can enjoy healthier life than those who are fatherless. The paper focuses on discussing about two types of African girls, one is the girl with father and another is without father. For the healthy development of the child the presence of father in the family is very essential. In the family setting regarding this issue, the basic characters involved are the girl, her mother, father and sometimes other members of the family such as her siblings and her close relatives. The scope of the paper is African American girl with father and her counterpart, the girl of same race without father. Here also we have to take into consideration the status of the father, that means whether the father present in the family is a biological father of the girl or he is the social father (mother’s second husband) it makes a lot of difference in the girl’s life. While com menting on the relationship of father and daughter especially in African American family, Belgrave Faye states, â€Å"Father-daughter relationship is important in the shaping of a daughter’s body image, self worth, and other self attributes.† The setting in which the relationship of a father and his daughter shapes is the family. It is the centre point from which the personality starts shaping. The bringing up and the behavioural pattern are decided by the family and the overall surrounding he/she gets especially at home. The common view of a healthy family means the presence of both father and mother. If anyone of them is missing, the life of the children gets affected adversely. Our paper basically focuses on the importance of father in shaping the life of the Black American Girls. The study aimed at focusing on the major factors of African American girls’ lives and they are as follows: The physical and mental development of African American girls and the role s of their fathers, in shaping them The second theme was to study the behavioural pattern of African American Women in the presence and absence of their fathers. While studying it was hypothesized that: The African American girls having fathers live healthier life physically and psychologically. The behavioural pattern in African American girls having fathers is more balanced and normal as compared to the girls who are fatherless. African American girls with fathers are brighter academically than the girls without fathers The African American Girls with Fathers: Fathers’ role in the physical activities of their daughters is very crucial in the family. For psychological needs, they rely on their mothers but for physical activities, they get support, encouragement and motivation from their fathers. Taylor et al. (1999) studied African American and Letina middle school girls regarding physical activity and found that African American girls ages 14 – 18 reported biological fathers positively influence their physical activity levels. Bungum and Vincent (1997) also found that fathers are instrumental in physical activity promotion among African American girls. (Tara Blackshear P. 24) In the study of Thompson (2003) it was found that African American girls require additional social support to increase physical activity behaviours, especially from their fathers. The girls are so much close both to their fathers and mothers. When it is a question of spending time with the father, they like to engage in sports activities with their fathers (such as playing sports, attending sports events, or going for any amusement with their father. While engaging with their parents, girls are equally engaged with

Computer Use and Copyright Policies and Regulations Research Paper

Computer Use and Copyright Policies and Regulations - Research Paper Example Every single organization, educational institutes and businesses using computers has introduced certain policies and regulatory measures to keep the computer usage under control. The computer usage policy ideally defines certain goals and principals of the organization with respect to the computer systems. The basic principles that the policies are based upon are essentially the beliefs of the organisation like ethics, morality, values and philosophy. Generally every organization has a written set of rules also known as the Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP). These form a core part of the information technology security procedures and define what a user must do or not. It also in clear and concise manner defines the penalties that might be implemented if a user does not comply with the rules. Regular audits within the organizations ensure the compliance of the AUPs. The most important segment in every AUP is the code of conduct that regulates and controls the behaviour of a user while at work. It defines how one should conduct oneself while using the internet, permissible languages, prevent activities that might cause harm to the organization or any colleague, and ensure that there is complete data security and privacy. (Office of Information Technology, 2010). The AUP also defines the consequences that one might face incase the policies are violated or not adhered to. Non-compliance to the policies can lead to termination, suspension, or dismissal from educational institutes. There is another important factor apart from the computer usage policy that is relevant to most organizations and educational institutes; that being the copyright policy. Copyright is defined as exclusive rights granted by the Government to the creator or builder of something original and unique. (Quarterman, 1986). It prohibits anyone else from copying, imitating or using the contents for any other purpose, other than for what it was created or conceived. Organizations and institutes using co mputer technology incorporate the copyright policy as well to protect their work, study material, thesis etc. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that they comply with the copyright laws and restrictions while using resources on the internet, journals or accessing databases. The copyright policy prohibits users from making copies of copyrighted material or software, non-compliance of which can lead to fatal outcomes. Both policies are equally important in any organization or educational institutes to maintain sanctity of work and data privacy, while permitting the employees and students to perform their duties properly. Institutes incorporating Computer Usage Policy American University (AU) established at Washington in the early 18th century remains a prestigious university. Moving along with changing time and period, it has ensured it remained in sync with the modern technologies and along with everything else, has incorporated the computer usage policy. The policy res tricts individuals from accessing any account, file or software that they don’t have the authorization for. All staff and students are given network access privileges, with unique access codes, that allow them to access all resources like the library, research materials, systems, networks and registered software’