Examine the use of the dramatic monologue Essay Example for Free

Examine the use of the dramatic monologue Essay Examine the use of the dramatic monologue in the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy Unlike the soliloquy, the dramatic monologue speaks directly to the reader and voices a single character or personas thoughts, this offers a better understanding of the ideas and message the poet is trying to express. The dramatic monologue is used to form a bond or relationship between the speaker and the reader, taking the poem to a personal level, and in turn more effective in conveying a certain message. This essay will explore the way the dramatic monologue is used in both Demeter and Mrs. Midas by Carol Ann Duffy, taken from her collection of poems The Worlds Wife. The phrase, Behind every great man there is said to be a great woman comes to mind when reading The Worlds Wife. The title of this collection reveals much about its content and Duffys intentions. The Worlds Wife places emphasis on the wife, giving the woman the centre stage and allowing her the chance to speak through the medium of the dramatic monologue. From Mrs. Midas to Mrs. Beast, Duffy explores the thoughts and feelings of the women behind famous men, be it through history or through myth or fairytale, Duffy makes it very clear that every woman has a tale to tell. Mrs. Midas tells the untold story of the well-known Greek myth King Midas, who is miraculously, granted the wish of turning everything he touches into gold. As with all the poems in The Worlds Wife, the title is a clear giveaway of what the poem is about to entail, and this is no different. Mrs. Midas, the wife of King Midas is the persona of this particular monologue and here she voices her thoughts on her husbands newfound ability. The kitchen filled with the smell of itself. This personification continues through the first stanza of Mrs. Midas. Its steamy breath and wiped the others glass like a brow, personifies the kitchen Mrs. Midas is in to help you relate to the familiar homely setting that surrounds her. The effect of this is that you feel how she feels at that time, safe, happy and without a care in the world. The lines begun to unwind and the imagery of her relaxing to a glass of wine enforce this feeling. The use of dramatic monologue helps to dramatise the final line of the stanza, He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig, the descriptive lines before this contrasts with the abrupt change of topic, this prepares you for the turning point in her story, where the twist to her tale begins. Within the next few stanzas Mrs. Midass tone dramatically changes from feeling relaxed and happy to shocked and horrified at what her husband has done. He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. The short sentences evoke a feeling of everything happening too fast, supporting the shocked and horrified mood, which continues to the next stanzas. The first point of the poem in which you hear of her husbands reaction is where he laughs in reply to her question, What in the name of God is going on? Duffy has intended his initial reaction to be laughter instead of explaining himself to portray the stereotypical man that doesnt show consideration or take the situation or his wife seriously when she clearly needs it. The poem is set out in a structure of eleven stanzas consisting of six lines where only two exceptions of this rule is made. He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks. The word forks takes a line by itself to help you imagine the way in which Mrs. Midas is speaking to you, she is clearly still in a state of shock and this new line marks a short pause in her speech where she is struggling to stay calm. You see, we were passionate then, where then is on a line by itself it is as though Mrs. Midas has taken a short moment to imagine those happy times when they were passionate, appreciating them as those days are now long gone. I locked the cat in the cellar, The toilet I didnt mind. Like in much of her work, Duffy implements short spouts of humour throughout the poem, the effect of this is that the colloquial language engages the reader and helps to support the idea that Mrs. Midas is actually voicing her tale to the reader personally. Mrs. Midas speaks bitterly about the fatal consequences her husband has bought to their marriage, Separate beds. In fact, I put a chair against my door, near petrified, she also reminisces of the days when they were happy and uses words such as unwrapping which connotes the excitement she once felt. Contrasting the good times they had together with the breakdowns of their marriage they are experiencing now highlights the selfishness and lack of thought her husband had for their relationship. The poem ends with Mrs. Midas being forced to separate from her husband. He is left secluded on his own in the wilds away from people he can potentially harm. The irony of this is that he had hoped the power of the golden touch would win him prosperity, popularity and love and respect by all, and yet it has forced him to live alone for the rest of his life, unable to ever be intimate with his wife again, and unable to enjoy the things he had hoped money would buy him. but the lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness.

Sub Disciplines Of Philosophy Philosophy Essay

Sub Disciplines Of Philosophy Philosophy Essay The word Philosophy is derived from the Greek term connoting love of wisdom through logical or intellectual modes. The study of Philosophy is apprehensive with issues of definitive worth: questions regarding truth, legitimacy, attraction, integrity, righteousness, and sense. This is not to mention that each conducts of such subjects is as fine as every other. Several are affluent, helpful, and evocative; some are infertile, extraordinary, and dull. These are matters we cannot solve. However in our dilemma as soul-holders, I believe these are questions we cannot stay away from. The major sub-disciplines of philosophy include Ethics, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic, Aesthetics, and philosophy of science, philosophy of law, philosophy of language, Political Philosophy, and Religion. In this paper, we will discuss the Philosophy of Religion; its disputes, philosophical theories depending on it, morality, and omniscience of God, atheism, mans free will, and evil reconciliation. Philosophy of Religion: According to Alston, it is a division in philosophy defines the issues regarding religion, as well as the natural world and reality of God and spirits, the inspection of religious and holy familiarities, and the connection between science and religion. Many philosophers, psychoanalysts, theologians, etc have proposed different definitions of Religion. However, the best in my opinion is of the psychoanalyst William James; he described religion as the mind-set, attitude, behavior, and practices of person men in their isolation; such as they concern themselves to situate in link to whatever they might deem as the celestial or divine. Existence of God: Does God exist or not..? This is the question, which all individuals ask at least once in their lives. But there is no middle floor for this. Any effort to stay unbiased regarding Gods being is generally identical to agnosticism. Proof for the existence of God might not be necessary for the devoted ones. But on contrary, it is a necessity for the individuals who tend to go on with logic, or may not believe in any such thing as divine or spirited. According to Oliver J. Thatcher, the existence of God cannot be exhibited; Gods reality is a chapter of faith, and so as to objects of faith are not illustrious, for the reason that the office of revelation is to verify, however faith relates to fads that are not to be demonstrated. Arguments for the Existence of God: We can explore several arguments of numerous unusual types for the existence of God. People have considered that an efficient balanced argument for Gods presence is a significant initial pace in opening the intellect to the prospect of religious conviction in understanding some of the obstructions and wreckage that abstains individuals from pleasing the thought of divine exposure gravely. Amongst the major twenty types of Arguments for the Existence of God, the strongest I perceive is Argument from Religious Knowledge. Argument for the Existence of God from Religious Knowledge: An unlike kind of experience reclines in the incredible heart core of many individuals religious faith. Some types of experiences are sensed deliberately; one realizing its fundamental significance in life or existence. However, another kind stays induced in innermost essence of persons disposition. However, at this time there is definitely a quarrel pertaining to Gods being; made with the information connected with this sort knowledge. Its not at all a quarrel which actions by ones own practical knowledge in your own affirmation of which God is out there. Noticeably, most people likely dont have a desire for this kind of controversy. Alternatively, this kind of controversy actions with an additional course: through the widespread fact connected with religious practical knowledge towards the pronouncement of which merely a divine fact can effectively describe the idea. It can be complicated to affirm this argument conclusively. However it could rather be infer in following steps. Many individuals belonging various ages as well as regarding various countries state to get acquired an experience on the spiritual. It is beyond the belief that lots of persons happen to be so completely unsuitable about the distinctiveness in addition to information of their personal contingency. Hence, theres a divine actuality which a lot of individuals from dissimilar periods and traditions have noticed. Now again, the question arises that does God the Ultimate Creator and Beneficial of the whole galaxy really exists or its just a perception? A lot of people recognize their familiarity of divination in this approach; they are jointed with or linked over ceaseless and irresistible awareness and love, which fills them with itself but considerably surpass their aptitude to accept, or in such way, as they state. Another question crops up here; Are we able enough to judge them and then believe? According to Peter Kreeft, theres a huge amount of these kinds of statements. Sometimes these are true or perhaps definitely not. While analyzing these, we ought to think about; The actual regularity of these assertions are they reliable or not and does they relate and justify the reasonable facts we already know? The type of the people who help make most of these declarations are these people honest, literate and honorable? The issues most of these encounters have experienced of their own existence plus the existence regarding some others have they become more genuine, reasonable and gentle after their religious incident? It really is extremely hard for a person to lie out early in advance; just how research in to this specific decree regarding claims and assertions along with characters, may have an impact on many individuals. A person is then unable to claim early in advance just how its going to have an impact on a person. But it is usually a proof; it has numerous confident individuals; and yes it cannot be ignored. Sometimes in actuality, we all consider, very often, that this verification is usually less encountered as laid off using brilliant modern trademarks. Foundations and Emergence of the Universe: Many cultures and religions have tales concerning the emergence and foundation of Universe. According to Brewer (2011), some religions and civilizations believe that universe came into being by hatching from the egg, later laid on the waters and etc. In one more story, the universe is produced from the merger of male and female divine beings. Additionally, the Universe emerged when wrecked matters, such as the carcass of a dead god, blended with other materials or when some universal spirit combined with the nature. Islam however, holds a bit different view about emergence of Universe. It considers God to be the Creator and that it took six ayams (levels or days) to create seven heavens and earth. Emergence and foundation of Universe is humankinds earliest and everlasting interest. Long-ago, when this question was heaved, there was no vagueness, since no matter whom the person was or what his course was, barely two possible kinds of answers from which to select something from nothing, or always existing existed. The most interesting theory about the emergence of Universe is the famous Big-Bang Theory. It suggests that 11 to 15 million years ago, all the matter and vitality ended up being concentrated straight into a mass of the atom. At this time, matter, vitality, area and time period would not survive. Subsequently all of a sudden, the universe did start to grow from an incredible bulk and matter, vitality, area and time period came into being. Because earth expanded, matter did start to coalesce straight into propane clouds, after which celestial stars and planets. This theory has been accepted by most scientists. When all these theories and beliefs are considered, it is impossible to recognize the foundations of the Universe. But when observed in the insight of Philosophy of Religion and different chapters of Bible and Testament are considered, God lays the foundation of Universe. As Hebrews 1:10 mentions; in the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Can one be moral and not believe in God? Humans need not embrace in virtually any faith or religion to be able to use a sense involving morally right or perhaps not. Meaningful rectitude will be pure, rather than predicated in great trust. Morality is a product or service involving social, definitely not faith based discussion. Sadly, this wrongly diagnosed indisputable fact that humans are not beneficial with out professing any belief from the supreme being or perhaps with out belonging to any faith will be one who will be dominating generally in most organizations around the globe. This wrongly diagnosed strategy is basically in charge of deficit of development with people aspects of man lifetime in which made use of exercising moral authority. One who is ethical but does not have faith in God may suppose, for instance, there is only an imaginative standard at effort in the Universe. They could moreover admit a desire satisfying preference in the persons intellect a need to be ingredient of some better whole or reason, which is the annex, or side-effect, of our sole self-awareness and comprehension of our ultimate demise. As inhabitants of this universe, we do not require to fit in to any religious conviction so as to possess a sagacity of moral true or mistake. Moral decency is innate and not centered on mystic belief. Thomas Ash, in his article states that one particular reason why a few theists feel that morality presumes Gods presence will be that will their morals appears to allow their beings apparent function, creating these individuals speculate precisely what function atheists may offer intended for independently. Reconciliation between God, Evil and Science: Evil is an incredibly actual existence on the globe. It is so since human beings have permitted it to be. God is not powerless against wickedness but has a preparation by which persons could possibly be keeping from the outcome of our private crime. God has done His duty to protect his creatures from their one anothers immorality. According to Brooke and Geoffrey, science and religion are not contradicted at all. Religion and science work jointly to bring-up a comprehensive indulgence of the world by reciprocally exemplifying one another. However, science and religion pretense no hazards to each other, except that they do not sustain each others responsibility either; they are basically apprehensive with inaccessible situations of matters. Gods Omniscience and Human Freewill Rational Argument for Atheism: God is All-Powerful. This means that He has the authority to arbitrate and organize the courses of life and human affairs as he perceives vigorous. If God would like definite things to occur at a specified time he can carry on it regarding those proceedings move in that route. If he wants any person to come into subsistence or carry out any definite task, he can make him perform it, most likely without that person being conscious of any intervention. Hence God can know about future of humans, thus free will turns out to be nothing (Wolterstorff, 1982). Regarding arguments given by Atheists on the Existence of God, I strongly disagree with them. In order to move from atheism to theism, the person ought to gather more and more evidences. The atheist might be close-minded, lack the ability to see amazement of nature, morally illiterate, or even have never come across any miracle. Conclusion Presume another person claims to you that all these kinds of ordeals are either the result of injuries to the temporal lobe or even associated with neurotic despotism. Under no circumstances, these tend to accomplish many people verify the truth associated with several divine truth. Just what may possibly be your first impulse be? You might think again more than that will huge certification associated with reports and enquire of by yourself if that could be correct. And you may possibly deduce: No. Given this multitude change, associated with assertions, along with the quality of living of these people, indicates unbelievably that those who made these claims are therefore completely wrong with regards to these people or even insanity or some brain disorder might cause this kind of outstanding amazing benefit along with magnificence. So, by considering all these facts and theories, I find this theme more superior that God DOES exist. He is all around us, and its His freewill that fashions us and our actions, attitude and behavior.

Cultural Assimilation Essay -- United States, American society, ethnic

Many people come to the United States for change. Change they think will be given to them the moment they step foot on U.S soil, which happens to be incorrect. There is a process to undergo before an individual is able to experience change. A process which occurs once they allow it to begin. Cultural assimilation is â€Å"a process by which members of an ethnic minority group lose cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant cultural group or take on the cultural characteristics of another group† (medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com). It is challenging to begin, that is why when deciding on weather or not to assimilate, â€Å"people usually weigh the benefits and costs† (Konya 2). For example, parents usually assimilate even if it â€Å"imposes very large costs for them, because they want the best for their children† (Konya 2). But, there are still ethnic groups that assimilate into American society at much lower rates than others because they refuse to until they finally decide to later in their lives. To be more specific, there is evidence to support that Mexicans in Los Angeles, CA are assimilating at lower rates than any other race: â€Å"Now, a new study lays bare what sociologists and others have long argued: Mexican immigrants are assimilating to life in the United States less successfully than other immigrants† (Schulte 1). The Madonnas of Echo Park by Brando Skyhorse portrays the terrible effects caused by the slow cultural assimilation of Mexicans in Los Angeles compared to other races. These effects such as poor income and daily struggles can be seen through Felicia Esperanza and remarks made by Freddy Blas as well as Efren Mendoza. Felicia Esperanza, a U.S born citizen was raised in a very Mexican concentrated... ...0 Nov. 2013. . Lazear, Edward P. "Mexican Immigration to the United States." Ed. George J. Borjas. Mexican Assimilation in the United States (2007): n. pag. National Bureau of Economic Research. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. . Schulte, Bret. "Mexican Immigrants Prove Slow to Fit In." US News and World Report. USNews.com, 15 May 2008. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. . Skyhorse, Brando. The Madonnas of Echo Park. New York: Free, 2010. Print. Teske, Raymond H.C., Jr., and Bardin H. Nelson. Acculturation and Assimilation: A Clarification 1.2 (1974): 351-67. Jstor.org. Jstor.org/journals, Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

William Shakespeare :: English Literature Essays

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was a very successful man; he was an English dramatist and poet. (1) He is considered the greatest playwright who ever lived. His comedies, sonnets, (the solid fact, however, of Meres’s mention of the Sonnets, two of which (though the whole collection was not published till ten years later) appeared secret, it would seem, next year (1599), introduces another range of hypothetical exercise in biography, which has sometimes been followed in opposition to the former method, but has been more frequently combined with it so as to permit of even more fruitful and wilder expatiation.), tragedies, and poetry. He has been famous ever since all of his works. He wasn’t really recognized then, because people didn’t know or understand who he was, now people know what he has done. The table of Shakespeare's plays is uncertain, but a reasonable approximation of their order can be imply from dates of publication, references in contemporary writings, and resources in the plays to contemporary events, thematic relationships, and metrical and stylistic comparisons. One of his accomplishments was his famous tragedy; it was called â€Å"Romeo & Juliet†, written by Shakespeare at a somewhat connection in his literary career, most probably in 1594 or 1595. In Romeo and Juliet the main plot, in which the new love between Romeo and Juliet comes into conflict with the longstanding hatred between their families, is skillfully advanced, while the true development of minor characters supports and enriches it. The most complex of Shakespeare's early plays, Romeo and Juliet is far more than (2) â€Å"a play of young love† or â€Å"the world's typical love-tragedy.† Weaving together a large number of related impressions and judgments, it is as much about hate as love. It tells of a family and its home as well as a feud and a tragic marriage. The public life of Verona and the private lives of the Veronese make up the setting for the love of Juliet and Romeo and provide the background against which their love can be estimated. (1) The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 1994-2000, â€Å"William Shakespeare† (2) The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 1994- 2000, â€Å"William Shakespeare† It is not the deaths of the lovers that enclose the play but the public revelation of what has happened, with the admonitions of the Prince and the reconciliation of the two families. Another one of William’s works of art is Hamlet. Hamlet is a legendary Danish prince and hero of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.

Division of Labor According to Gender in Virginia Woolfs A Room of One

Division of Labor According to Gender in Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own Virginia Woolf, in her treatise A Room of One's Own, identified a gendered division of labor. For her, men work in the market place and make the money while the women, the upper class women at least, attend to the social pleasantries and household management. While she lamented this state of affairs, she did not present, as Gilman did, a model for existence that would allow men and women to operate on the same level. However, a direct comparison to Gilman is somewhat unfair as she was not focused on the status of women in the economy so much as the status of women as writers. Like Gilman, Woolf saw this division between a man's work and a woman's work as a socially constructed conceit. Unlike Gilman, Woolf advocated a further break between the world of men and women. Woolf saw the status of women as a socially constructed situation. She certainly does blame the patriarchy for this, however, blame also falls on the women. "At the thought of all those women working year after year and finding it hard to get two thousand pounds together...we burst out in scorn at the reprehensible poverty of our sex" (Woolf 21). It is not that Woolf pitied the situation of British women, she scorned it. She declared that women were responsible for their own "reprehensible" state (21). She lamented: "If only Mrs. Seton and her mother and her mother before her had learnt the great art of making money and had left their money...to the use of their own sex...we might have looked forward...to a pleasant and honourable lifetime spent in the shelter of one of the liberally endowed professions" (21). The fact that it was "their fathers and their grandfathers bef... ...the broader situation of the implicit implications of the sexual divisions of labor. While certainly women in academic positions will mitigate the misogyny of Professor von X, it proposes little to change women's attitude towards making money for their own descendants. We are left to assume that a change in the intellectual elite will percolate down into the ranks of the working class. Whatever the problematic implications, Woolf called for a new era where "[women] have the habit of freedom and the courage to write exactly what [they] think" (Woolf 113). She closed her treatise on a comment pointed at the female writers of her age: "I maintain that she [Shakespeare's sister] would come if we worked for her, and that so to work, even in poverty and obscurity, is worth while" (114). References Woolf, V. A Room of One's Own. London: Harcourt, 1929. 1

Vocab for Ap Human Geography

Acid DepositionSulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, emitted by burning fossil fuels, enter the atmosphere– where they mix with oxygen and woter to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid– and return to Earth's surface.Acid PrecipitationConversion of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides to acids that return to Earth as rain snow or fog Acitve Solar Energy SystemsSolar energy system that collects energy through the use of of mechanical devices like photovoltaic cells or flat-plate collectors AgribusinessCommercial agriculture characterized by integration of different steps in the food-proccessing industry, usually through the ownership by large corporations.Agricultural DensityThe ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture Agricultural RevoluionThe time when human beings first domesticated plants and animals and no longer relied entirely on hunting and gathering. AgricultureThe deliberate effort to modify a portion of the Earth's surface thr ough the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock for sustenence or economic gain. Air PollutionConcentration of trace substances such as carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, hydrocarbons, and solid particulates, at a greater level than occurs in average air.Animate PowerPower supplied by people or animals. AnimismBelief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, such as thunderstorms and earthquakes, have discrete spirit and concious life. AnnexationLegally adding land area to a city in the United States ApartheidLaws (no longer in effect) in South Africa that physicall separated different races into different geographic areas. Arithmic DensityThe total number of people divided by the total land area. Autonomous ReligionA religion that does not have a central authority but shares ideas and cooperates informally.Balance of PowerCondition of roughly equal strength between opposing countries or alliances of countries. Balkanizationprocess by which a state breaks do wn through conflicts among its ethnicities. BalkanizedA small geographic area that could not be successfully organized into one or more stable states because it was inhabited by many ethnicities with complex, long-standing antagonisms toward each other. Base LineAn east-west line designated under the Land Ordinance of 1785 to facilitate the surveying and numbering of townships in the United States.Basic IndustriesIndustries that sell their products or services primarily to consumers outside the settlement Biochemical Oxygen DemandAmount of oxygen required by aquatic bacteria to decompose given load of organic waste; a measure of water pollution. BiodiversityThe number of species within a specific habitat. Biomass FuelFuel that derives from plant material and animal waste. BlockbustingA process by which real estate agents convinced white property owners to sell their houses at low prices because of fear that black families would soon be moving into the neighborhood.BoundaryInvisible line that marks the extent of a state territory. Brain DrainLarge-scale emigration by talented people. Branch (of a religion)A large and fundamental division within a religion. Break-of-Bulk PointA location where transfer is possible from one mode of transportation to another. Breeder reactorA nuclear power plant that creates its own fuel from plutonium. British Received PronunciationThe dialect of English associated with upper-class Britons living in the London area and now considered standard in the United Kingdom.Bulk-gaining IndustryAn industry in which the final product weighs more or comprises a greater volume than the inputs. Bulk-reducing IndustryAn industry in which the final product weighs less or comprises a lower volume than the inputs. Business ServicesServices that primarily meet the needs of other businesses. CartographyThe science of making maps. CasteThe class or distinct hereditary order into which a hindu is assigned according to religious law. Census TractAn area delineated by the U. S, Bureau of the Census for which statistics are published; in urbanized ares, they correspond roughly to neighborhoods.CensusA compete enumeration of a population. Central Business DistrictThe area of the city where retail and office activities are clustered. Central Place TheoryA theory that explains the distribution of services, based on the fact that settlements serve as centers of market areas for services; larger settlements are fewer and farther apart than smaller settlements and provide services for a larger number of people who are willing to travel further. Central PlaceA market center for the exchange of services by people attracted from the surrounding area.Centripetal ForceAn attitude that tends to unify people and enhance a state. Cereal GrainA grass yielding grain for food. ChaffHusks of grain separated from the seed by threshing. Chain MigrationMigration of paople to a specific location because of relatives or people of the same nationality pre viously migrated there. ChlorofluorocarbonA gas used as a solvent, a propelant in aerosols, a refrigerant, and in plastics foams and fire extinguishers. CirculationShort-term, repetative, or cyclical movemens that recur on a regular basis. City-stateA sovreign state comprising a city and its immediate hinterland.Clustered Rural SettlementA rural settlement in which the houses and farm buildings of each family are situated close to each other and fields surround the settlements. ColonialismAttempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory. ColonyA territory that is legally tied to a sovereign state rather than completely independent. CombineA machine that reaps, threshes, and cleans grain while moving over a field. Commercial AgricultureAgriculture undertaken primarily to generate products for sale off the farm.Compact StateA state in which the distance from the center to any boundary does not vary sign ificantly. ConcentrationThe spread of something over a given area. Concentric Zone ModelA model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are spatially arranged in a series of rings. ConnectionsRelationships among people and objects across the barrier of space. ConservationThe sustainable use and management of a natural resource, through consuming at a less rapid rate than it can be replaced. Consumer ServicesBusinesses that provide services primarily to individual consumers, including retail services and personal services.Contagious DiffusionThe rapid, widespread diffusion of a feature or trend throughout a population. CosmogonyA set of religious beliefs concerning the origin of the universe. Cottage IndustryManufacturing based in homes rather than in a factory, commonly found before the Industrial Revolution. Council of GovernmentA cooperative agency consisting of representatives of local governments in a metropolitan area in the United States. Counterurbanization Net migration from urban to rural areas in more developed countries.CreoleA language that results from the mixing of a colonizer's language with the indigenous language of the people being dominated Crop RotationThe practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil. CropGrain or fruit gathered from a field as a harvest during a particular season. Crude Birth RateThe total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society. Crude Death RateThe total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society. Cultural EcologyGeographic approach that emphasizes human-environment relationships.Cultural LandscapeFashioning of a natural landscape by a cultural group. CultureThe body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits that together constitute a group of people's distinct tradition. CustomThe frequent repetition of an act, to the extent that it becomes characteristic of the group o f people performing the act. Demographic TransitionThe process of change in a society's population from a condition of high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and a higher total population.Demographythe scientific study of population characteristics DensityThe frequency with which something exists within a given unit of area. Density Gradientthe change in density in an urban area from the center to the periphery Dependency RatioThe number of people under the age of 15 and over age 64, compares to the number of people active in the labor force. DesertificationDegradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting. DenominationA division of a branch that unites a number of local congregations in a single legal and administrative body.DevelopmentA process of improvement in the material co nditions of people through diffusion of knowledge and technology. DialectA regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. Diffusionthe process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time. DioceseThe basic unit of geographic organization in the Roman Catholic Church Dispersed Rural SettlementA rural settlement pattern characterized by isolated farms rather than clustered villages. Distance DecayThe diminishing in importance and eventual disappearance of a henomenon with increasing distance from its origin. DistributionThe arrangement of something across Earth's surface. Double CroppingHarvesting twice a year from the same field. Doubling TimeThe number of years needed to double a population, assuming a constant rate of natural increase. EbonicsDialect spoken by some African-Americans. Economic BaseA community's collection of basic industries. EcumeneThe portion of Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement. Edge Citya large node of office and retail activities on the edge of an urban area Elongated StateA state with a long, narrow shape.EmigrationMigration from a location. Enclosure MovementThe process of consolidating small landholdings into a smaller number of larger farms in England during the eighteenth century. Environmental DeterminismA nineteenth- and early twentieth-century approach to the study of geography that argued that the general laws sought by human geographers could be found in the physical sciences. Geography was therefore the study of how the physical environment caused human activities. EpidemiologyBranch of medical science concerned with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases that affect large numbers of people.Epidemiological Transitiondistinctive causes of death in each stage of the demographic transition Ethnic CleansingProcess in which more powerful ethnic group forcibly removes a less powerful one in order to create an ethnically homogeneous reg ion. Ethnic ReligionA religion with a relatively concentrated spatial distribution whose principles are likely to be based on the physical characteristics of the particular location in which its adherents are concentrated. EthnicityIdentity with a group of people that share distinct physical and mental traits as a product of common heredity and cultural traditions.Expansion DiffusionThe spread of a feature or trend among people from one area to another in a snowballing process. Extinct languageA language that was once used by people in daily activities but is no longer used. Federal StateAn internal organization of a state that allocates most powers to units of local government. FerrousMetals, including iron ore, that are utilized in the production of iron and steel. Filteringa process of change in the use of a house, from single-family owner occupancy to abandonment FissionThe splitting of an atomic nucleus to release energy.FloodplainThe area subject to flooding during a given num ber of years according to historical trends. Folk CultureCulture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous, rural group living in relative isolation from other groups. Forced MigrationPermanent movement compelled usually by cultural factors. Fordist ProductionForm of mass production in which each worker is assigned one specific task to perform repeatedly. Formal RegionAn area within which everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics. Fossil FuelEnergy source formed from the residue of plants and animals buried millions of years ago.Fragmented StateA state that includes several discontinuous pieces of territory. FranglaisA term used by the French for English words that have entered the French language, a combination of franfais and anglai. † the French words for â€Å"French† and â€Å"English,† respectively. FrontierA zone separating two states in which neither state exercises political control. Functional RegionAn area organized around a node or focal point FundamentalismLiteral interpretation and strict adherence to basic principles of a religion (or a religious branch, denomination, or sect). FusionCreation of energy by joining the nuclei of two hydrogen atoms to form helium.Gender Empowerment MeasureCompares the ability of women and men to participate in economic and political decision making. Gender-Related Development IndexCompares the level of development with that of both sexes. Gentrificationa process of converting an urban neighborhood from a predominantly low-income renter-occupied area to a predominantly middle-class owner-occupied area Geothermal EnergyEnergy from steam or hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks. GerrymanderingProcess of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.GhettoDuring the Middle Aes, a neighborhood in a city set up by law to be inhabited only by Jews; now used to denote a section of a city in which members of any minority group live because of social, legal, or economic pressure. GISA computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data. GlobalizationActions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope. Global Positioning SystemA system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and eceivers. GrainSeed of cereal grass. Gravity ModelA model that holds that the potential use of a service at a particular location is directly related to the number of people in a location and inversely related to the distance people must travel to reach the service. Green RevolutionRapid diffusion of new agricultural technology, especially new high-yield seeds and fertilizers. GreenbeltA ring of land maintained as parks, agricultural, or other types of open space to limit the sprawl of an urban area.Greenhouse EffectAnticipated increase in Earth's temperature, caused by carbon dioxid e (emitted by burning fossil fuels) trapping some of the radiation emitted by the surface. Greenwhich Mean Timethe time in that time zone encompassing the prime meridian or 0 longitude Gross Domestic ProductThe value of the total output of goods and services produced in a country in a given time period (normally one year). Guest WorkersWorkers who migrate to the more developed countries of Northern and Western Europe, usually from Southern of Eastern Europe or from North Africa, in search of higher-paying jobs.HabitA repetative act by a particular individual. HearthThe region from which innovative ideas originate. Hierarchical DiffusionThe spread of an idea from persons or nodes of authority or power to other persons or places Hierarchical ReligionA religion in which a central authority exercises a high degree of control. HorticultureThe growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. HullThe outer covering of steel. Human Development IndexIndicator of level of development for each coun try, constructed by United Nations, combining income, literacy, education, and life expectancy Hydroelectric PowerPower generated from moving water.IdeogramsThe system of writing used in China and other East Asian countries in which each symbol represents an idea or concept rather than a specific sound, as is the case with letters in English. ImmigrationMigration to a new location. ImperialismControl of a territory already occupied and organized by an indigenous society. Inanimate PowerPower supplied by machines. Industrial RevolutionA series of improvements in industrial technology that transformed the process of manufacturing goods. Infant Mortality RateThe total number of deaths in a year among infants under one year old for every 1,000 live births in a society.Intensive Subsistence AgricultureA form of subsistence agriculture in which farmers must expend a relatively large amount of effort to produce the maximum feasible yield from a parcel of land. Internal MigrationPermanent M ovement within a particular country. International Date LineAn arc that for the most part follows 180 ° longitude, although it deviates in several places to avoid dividing land areas. When you cross the International Date Line heading east (toward America), the clock moves back 24 hours, or one entire day. When you go west (toward Asia), the calendar moves ahead one day.International MigrationPermanent movement from one country to another. Interregional MigrationPermanent movement from one region of a country to another. Intervening ObstacleAn environmental or cultural feature of the landscape that hinders migration. Intraregional MigrationPermanent movement within one region of a country. IsoglossA boundary that separates regions in which different language usages predominate. Isolated LanguageA language that is unrelated to any other languages and therefore not attached to any language family.Labor-intensive IndustryAn industry for which labor costs comprises a high percentage o f total expenses Landlocked StateA state that does not have a direct outlet to the sea. Land ordinance of 1785A law that divided much of the United States into a system of townships to facilitate the sale of land to settlers. LanguageA system of communication through the use of speech, a collection of sounds understood by a group of people to have the same meaning. Language BranchA collection of languages related through a common ancestor that existed several thousand years ago.Differences are not as extensive or old as with language families, and archaeological evidence can confirm that these derived from the same family. Language FamilyA collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history. Language GroupA collection of languages within a branch that share a common origin in the relatively recent past and display relatively few differences in grammar and vocabulary. LatitudeThe numbering system used to indicate the location of parall els drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator.Less Developed CountryAlso known as a developing country, a country that is at a relatively early stage in the process of economic developement. Life ExpectancyThe average number of years an individual can be expected to live, given current social, economic, and medical conditions. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live. Lingua FrancaA language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who have different native languages. Literacy Ratepercentage of people who can read and write.Literary TraditionA language that is written as well as spoken. LocationThe position of anything on Earth's surface. LongitudeThe numbering system used to indicate the location of meridians drawn on a globe and measuring distance east and west of the prime meridian (0 °). MapA two-dimensional, or flat, representation of Earth's surface or a portion of it. Maquiladora Factories built by U. S. companies in Mexico near the U. S. border, to take advantage of much cheaper labor costs in Mexico. Market AreaThe area surrounding a central place, from which people are attracted to use the place's goods and services.Medical RevolutionMedical technology invented in Europe and North America that is diffused to the poorer countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Improved medical practices have eliminated many of the traditional causes of death in poorer countries and enabled more people to live longer and healthier lives. Mental MapAn internal representation of a portion of Earth's surface based on what an individual knows about a place, containing personal impressions of what is in a place and where places are located. MeridianAn arc drawn on a map between the North and South poles.Metropolitan Statisical AreaIn the United States, a central city of at least 50,000 population, the county within which the city is located, and adjacent counties meeting on e of several tests indicating a functional connection to the central city. Micropolitan Statistical AreaAn urbanized area of between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants, the county in which it is found, and adjacent counties tied to the city. MicrostateA state that encompasses a very small land area. MigrationForm of relocation diffusion involving permanent move to a new location.Migration TransitionChange in the migration pattern in a society that results from industrialization, population growth, and other social and economic changes that also produce the demographic transition. MilkshedThe area surrounding a city from which milk is supplied. MissionaryAn individual who helps to diffuse a universalizing religion. MobilityAll types of movement from one location to another. Monotheismthe doctrine or belief that there is only one God More Developed CountryAlso known as a relatively developed county or a developed country, a country that has progressed in relativety far along a continuum of development.Multi-ethnic StateA state that contains more than one ethnicity. Multinational StateState that contains two or more ethnic groups with traditions of self-determination that agree to coexist peacefully by recognizing each other as distinct nationalities. NationalismLoyalty and devotion to a particular nationality. NationalityIdentity with a group of people that share legal attachment and personal allegiance to a particular place as a result of being born there. Nation-stateA state who's territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality.Natural Increase RateThe percentage growth of a population in a year, computed as the crude birth rate minus the crude death rate. Net MigrationThe difference between the level of immigration and the level of emigration. New International Division of LaborTransfer of some types of jobs, especially those requiring low-paid less skilled workers, from more developed to less developed countries. Nonbasic IndustriesIndustries that sell their products primarily to consumers in the community. Nonferrousmetals utilized to make products other than iron and steel.Nonrenewable EnergyA source of energy that is a finite supply capable of being exhausted. Official LanguageThe language adopted for use by the government for the conduct of business and publication of documents. OverpopulationThe number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living. Ozonegas that absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation, found in the stratosphere, a zone between 15 and 50 kilometers (9 to 30 miles) above Earth's surface. PaddyMalay word for wet rice, commonly but incorrectly used to describe a sawah. aganA follower of a polytheistic religion in ancient times. PandemicDisease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a very high proportion of the population. ParallelA circle drawn around the globe parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians. Passive Solar Energy SystemsSolar energy that collects energy without the use of mechanical devices. Pastoral NomadismA form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals. PastureGrass or other plants grown for feeding grazing animals, as well as land used for grazing. PatternThe geometric or regular arrangement of something in a study area.Perforated Statea state that completely surrounds another one Peripheral ModelA model of North American urban areas consisting of an inner city surrounded by large suburban residential and business areas tied together by a beltway or ring road. Personal ServicesServices that provide for the well-being and personal improvement of individual consumers. Photochemical SmogAn atmospheric condition formed through a combination of weather conditions and pollution, especially from motor vehicle emissions. Photovoltaic CellSolar energy cells, usually made from silicon, that collect solar rays to generate electricity.Physiological DensityThe number of people per unit of area of arable land, which is land suitable for agriculture. Pigdin LanguageA form of speech that adopts a simplified grammar and limited vocabulary of a lingua franca, used for communications among speakers of two different languages. PilgrimageA journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes. Placea specific point on earth distinguished by a particular character. PlantationA large farm in tropical and subtropical climates that specializes in the production of one or two crops for sale, usually to a more developed country.Polderland created by the Dutch by draining water from an area. PollutionAddition of more waste than a resource can accommodate. PolytheismBelief in or worship of more than one god. Popular CultureCulture found in a large, heterogeneous society that shares certain habits despite differences in other personal characteristics. Population PyramidA bar graph representing the distribution of population by age and sex. PossibilismThe theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but people have the ability to adjust to the physical environment and choose a course of action from many alternatives.Post-Fordist ProductionAdoption by companies of flexible work rules, such as the allocation of workers to teams that perform a variety of tasks. Potential ReserveThe amount of energy in deposits not yet identified but thought to exist. PreservationMaintenance of a resource in its present condition, with as little human impact as possible. Primary SectorThe portion of the economy concerned with the direct extraction of materials from Earth's surface, generally through agriculture, although sometimes by mining, fishing, and forestry.Primate CityThe largest settlement in a country, if it has more than twice as many people as the second-ranking settlement. Primate City RuleA pattern of settlements in a country, such that the largest settlement has more than t wice as many people as the second-ranking settlement. Prime Agricultural LandMost productive farmland. Prime MeridianThe meridian, designated at 0 ° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England. Principal MeridianA north-south line designated in the Land Ordinance of 1785 to facilitate the surveying and numbering of townships in the United States.Producer ServicesServices that primarily help people conduct business. ProductivityThe value of a particular product compared to the amount of labor needed to make it. ProjectionThe system used to transfer locations from Earth's surface to a flat map. Prorupted Statean otherwise compact state with a large projecting extension. Proven ReserveThe amount of a resource remaining in discovered deposits. Public HousingHousing owned by the government; in the United States, it is rented to low-income residents, and the rents are set at 30 percent of the families' incomes.Public ServicesServices offered by the govern ment to provide security and protection for citizens and businesses. Pull FactorsFactors that induce people to move to a new location. Push FactorsFactors that induce people to leave old residences. QuotaIn reference to migration, a law that places maximum limits on the number of people who can immigrate to a country each year. RaceIdentity with a group of people descended from a common ancestor. RacismBelief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.RacistA person who subscribes to the beliefs of racism. Radioactive WasteParticles from a nuclear reaction that emit radiation; contact with such particles may be harmful or lethat to people and must therefore be safely stored for thousonds of years. RanchingA form of commercial agriculture in which livestock graze over an extensive area. RangeThe maximum distance people are willing to travel to use a service. Rank-size RuleA patte rn of settlements in a country, such that the nth largest settlement is 1/n the population of the largest settlement. ReaperAmachine that cuts grain standing in the feild.Recyclingthe separation, collection, processing, marketing, and reuse of unwanted material RedliningA process by which banks draw lines on a map and refuse to lend money to purchase or improve property within the boundaries. RefugeesPeople who are forced to migrate from their home country and cannot return for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion. RegionAn area distinguished by a unique combination of trends or features. Regional StudiesAn approach to geography that emphasizes the relationships among social and physical phemona in a particular area study.Relocation DiffusionThe spread of a feature or trend through bodily movement of people from one place to another. Remote SensingThe acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a sate llite orbiting the planet or other long-distance methods. Renewable EnergyA resource that has a theoretically unlimited supply and is not depleted when used by humans. ResourceA substance in the environment that is useful to people, is economically and technologically feasible to access, and is socially acceptable to use. Retail ServicesServices that provide goods for sale to consumers.Ridge TillageSystem of planting crops on ridge tops, in order to reduce farm production costs and promote greater soil conservation. Right-to-work StateA U. S. state that has passed a law preventing union and company from negotiating a contract that requires workers to join a union as a condition of e3mployment. Rush Hourfour consecutive 15 minute periods in the morning and evening with the heaviest volumes of traffic. Sanitary LandfillA place to deposit solid waste, where a layer of earth is bulldozed over garbage each day to reduce emissions of gases and odors from the decaying trash, to minimize fi res, and to discourage vermin.SawahA flooded feild for growing rice. ScaleGenerally, the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole, specifically the relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface. Secondary SectorThe portion of the economy concerned with manufacturing useful products through processing, transforming, and assembling raw materials. SectA relatively small group that has broken away from an established denomination. SectionA square normally 1 mile on a side. The Land Ordinance of 1785 divided townships in the United States into 36 sections.Sector ModelA model of the internal structure of cities in which social groups are arranged around a series of sectors, or wedges, radiating out from the central business district (CBD). Seed AgricultureReproduction of plants through annual introduction of seeds, which result from sexual fertilization. Self-determinismConcept that ethnicities have the right to govern themselves. Serviceany activity that fulfills a human want or need and returns money to those who provide it. SettlementA permanent collection of buildings and inhabitants. Sex RatioThe number of males per 100 females in a population.SharecropperA person who works fields rented from a landowner and pays the rent and repays loans by turning over to the landowner a share of the crops. Shifting CultivationA form of subsistence agriculture in which people shift activity from one field to another; each field is used for crops for relatively few years and left fallow for a relatively long period. SiteThe physical character of a place. Site FactorsLocation factors related to the costs of factors of production inside the plant, such as land, labor, and capital. SituationThe location of a place relative to other places.Situation FactorsLocation factors related to the transportation of materials into and from a factory. Slash-and-burn AgricultureAnother name for shif ting cultivation, so named because feilds are cleared by slashing the vegetation and burning the debris. SolsticeTime when the Sun is farthest from the equator. SovreigntyAbility of a state to govern its territory free from control of its internal affairs by other states. SpaceThe physical gap or interval between two objects. Space-time CompressionThe reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distinct place, as a result of improved communications and transportation systems.SpanglishCombination of Spanish and English, spoken by Hispanic-Americans. SprawlDevelopment of new housing sites at relatively low density and at locations that are not contiguous to the existing built-up area. Spring WheatWheat planted in the spring and harvested in the late summer. Squatter SettlementAn area within a city in a less developed country in which people illegally establish residences on land they do not own or rent and erect homemade structures. Standard LanguageThe form of a language used for official government business, education, and mass communications.StateAn area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government with control over its internal and foreign affairs. Stimulus DiffusionThe spread of an underlying principle, even though a specific characteristic is rejected. Structural Adjustment ProgramEconomic policies imposed on less developed countries by international agencies to create conditions encouraging international trade, such as raising taxes, reducing government spending, controlling inflation, selling publicly owned utilities to private corporations, and charging citizens more for services.Subsistence AgricultureAgriculture designed primarily to provide food for direct consumption by the farmer and the farmer's family Sustainable AgricultureFarming methods that preserve long-term productivity of land and minimize pollution, typically by rotating soil- restoring crops with cash crops and reducing in-puts of fertilizer and pes ticides. Sustainable DevelopmentThe level of development that can be maintained in a country without depleting resources to the extent that future generations will be unable to achieve a comparable level of development. SwiddenApatch of land cleared for planting through slashing and burning.TabooA restriction on behavior imposed by social custom. Tertiary SectorThe portion of the economy concerned with transportation, communications, and utilities, sometimes extended to the provision of all goods and services to people in exchange for payment. TextileA fabric made by weaving, used in making clothing TreshTo beat out grain from stalks by trampling it. ThresholdThe minimum number of people needed to support the service ToponymThe name given to a portion of Earth's surface. Total Fertility RateThe average number of children born to a woman during her childbearing years.TownshipA square normally 6 miles on a side. The Land Ordinance of 1785 divided much of the United States into a serie s of townships. Trading BlocA group of neighboring countries that promote trade with each other and erect barriers to limit trade with other blocs TranshumanceThe seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pastures. Transitional CorporationA company that conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where its headquarters or shareholders are located Transportation and Information ServicesServices that diffuse and distribut services.Triangular Slave TradeA practice, primarily during the eighteenth century, in which European ships transported slaves from Africa to Caribbean islands, molasses from the Caribbean to Europe, and trade goods from Europe to Africa. Truck FarmingCommercial gardening and fruit farming, so named because truck was a Middle English word meaning batering or the exchange of commodities. UnderclassA group in society prevented from participating in the material benefits of a more developed society because of a variety of social and economic characteristics. Undocumented ImmigrantsPeople who enter a country without proper documents.Uneven DevelopmentThe increasing gap in economic conditions between core and peripheral regions as a result of the globalization of the economy. Unitary StateAn internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials Universalizing ReligionA religion that attempts to appeal to all people, not just those living in a particular location. Urban RenewalProgram in which cities identify blighted inner-city neighborhoods, acquire the properties from private members, relocate the residents and businesses, clear the site, build new roads and utilities, and turn the land over to private developers.UrbanizationAn increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements. Urbanized AreaIn the United States, a central city plus its contiguous built-up suburbs. Value Addedthe gross value of the product m inus the costs of raw materials and energy. Vegetative Plantingreproduction of plants by direct cloning from existing plants Vernacular RegionA place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity. Voluntary MigrationPermanent movement undertaken by choice.Vulgar LatinA form of Latin used in daily conversation by ancient Romans, as opposed to the standard dialect, which was used for official documents. Wet RiceRice planted on dryland in a nursery, then moved to a deliberately flooded field to promote growth. WinnowTo remove chaff by allowing it to be blown away by the wind. Winter Wheatwheat planted in the fall and harvested in the early summer Zero Population GrowthA decline of the total fertility rate to the point where the natural increase rate equals zero. Zoning OrdinanceA law that limits the permitted uses of land and maximum density of development in a community.

Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth” Essay

Former Vice President and former Tennessee Senator Al Gore discusses the correlation between carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and global warming. Gore’s movie, â€Å"An Inconvenient Truth† is constructed to look as though the majority of it is taking place in a college lecture hall, thus implying that his information is indeed fact. Better yet, before the end of the movie, Gore attempts to prove that global warming is not an environmental theory, but is a fact and that it is being caused by things that man is doing. His simple conclusion is that mankind is creating more greenhouse gases and that is causing the earth’s temperature to rise at a rate that might soon be catastrophic. Gore spends a great deal of the movie in front of a double line graph comparing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and the earth’s temperature. He explains where his personal interest in the concept came from, a research professor when he was an undergraduate student, and how the professor’s work has predicted the climbing earth temperatures. Gore never specifically illustrates how mankind is contributing to the greenhouse gases, but he does make allusions to heavy traffic and coal-fired energy plants as the cause. Instead, he uses a very effective melding of classroom instruction and beautiful natural footage of his farm in Tennessee and the ice flows of Antarctica. He even compares the need to do something about global warming to his family’s failure to do something about smoking. Gore points out that until his sister died from lung cancer, his father raised tobacco on their Tennessee farm. It wasn’t until his daughter’s death that he made the connection between his action and her illness. Likewise, Gore said, he is afraid that we will not make the connection between our actions and global warming until our children are dying from it. The use of analogical reasoning is impressive through the film as is the use of pop culture to define his arguments, relying on a clip from the cartoon sit-com Futurama as his explanation of why greenhouse gases lead to heating the environment. The biggest failing of the movie are Gore’s lack of an answer for the problem he presented. He points to the ever-rising global temperature and the melting ice flows in the Arctic, Antarctica and Greenland, but only as the final credits roll are there any suggestions for what to do about it. And these claims are the ones that are least supported. For example, the credits proclaim the advantages of switching to mercury-based florescent light bulbs instead of traditional incandescent light bulbs, claiming that the energy saved by making little changes like that can help offset the growing carbon problem. But he never backs up those claims with facts and never discusses other issues which might be a factor in choosing light bulbs, such as quality of light provided and the fact that fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, a potentially lethal heavy metal. Gore’s explanations seem sound and reasonable, but that may also be due to the way they are presented. With an ice shelf breaking apart before your eyes, it is hard to demand answers about why the shelf is breaking apart. And, no one in the movie ever challenges Gore’s opinions or facts. He claims that when opponents to the global warming theory make objections that he researches them and adds the answer to his lectures, but there is no evidence of this. Instead, it appears that Professor Gore has used his training in academia and politics to make it look as though he knows all the answers, but the real â€Å"Inconvenient Truth† is that the movie leaves you with more questions than answers.