Learning Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Learning Theory - Essay Example ntually, examples of learning theories such as: (1) andragogy which is also known as the theory of adult learning; (2) connectivism which focuses on learning as making connections; and (3) the multi-media learning which focuses on the principles behind the effective use of multimedia in learning will be tackled prior to conclusion. In general, the main purpose of cognitive psychology is to enable psychologists to determine exactly what is going through with a learner’s mind. Cognitivism is actually focused on analyzing the mental processes behind a person’s behavioral changes. (Schuman and Ritchie) Aside from the importance of reinforcement, this type of learning is possible when practicing repetition and contiguity. (Good and Brophy, p. 187) For this reason, providing feedback on mental development of each individual is necessary in order to motivate the learner to undergo the same learning process over and over again. Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980) is one of the most influential and famous cognitivism theorists. (Huitt and Hummel) As part of examining the cognitive learning of human beings, he proposed the four stages known as: (1) sensory motor stage – infancy to 2 years old; (2) pre-operational stage (trial and error / intuitive thought) – toddler (3 to 6 years old); (3) concrete operational stage –school age (between 7 to 11 years old); and (4) formal operational stage – adolescence (12 years old and above) (Boeree). Based on these cognitive developmental stages, Piaget suggests that the standard cognitive learning development of each individual increases from infancy stage up to the point that we become adults. Likewise, Piaget also suggests the cognitive learning theory related to â€Å"assimilation and accommodation† (Atherton a). This particular learning theory complements the idea of adaptation. It means that increasing the learners’ awareness from the real world enables the learner to assimilate and accommodate newly learned ideas into

BangChak and Esso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BangChak and Esso - Essay Example Both companies have prepared their financial statements in accordance with Thai Financial Reporting Standards (Bangchak Annual Report 2013, 2014; Esso Annual Report 2013, 2014). Furthermore, the company’s disclosures are prepared using guidelines provided by the Federation of Accounting Professions and the Thai Securities Exchange Commission. Both companies prepare its financial statements on a consolidated basis. The company adopted changes in TFRS related to Income taxes, Foreign Currency Translation and Operating Segments for preparing its financial statements for the year 2013 (Bangchak Annual Report 2013, 2014; Esso Annual Report 2013, 2014). The company uses historical cost accounting method for recording values of its assets, and transactions. Interest bearing liabilities are recorded at their fair value. For assets/liabilities classes, where it is not possible to ascertain historical values the company uses judgments. The company calculated depreciation of its assets u sing a straight-line method over the useful lives of assets based on their costs less residual value, which are subject to scrutiny every year. In some asset classes, both companies recognize impairment in their value on the basis of their recoverable amounts. It also amortized capital leasehold rights on a straight-line method and recognized operating lease payments in the income statement. The accounting strategy of both companies seemed to be appropriate that is to provide true and fair financial information and supporting data.

William Blake Essay Example for Free

William Blake Essay Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience appear to be quite simplistic on first reading. Explain how Blake uses imagery, form and language in these poems, and what their content reveals about the times in which they were written and Blakes beliefs In many of the poems from his Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience collections, William Blake writes, at first sight, somewhat simplistically and often in nursery rhymes about life in the 18th century. However, a disturbing picture of poverty, exploitation, hypocrisy and moral decay emerges from the stories of ordinary people and, in particular, children, some of which is hidden and only becomes apparent when we analyse Blakes imagery and language more closely. William Blake was born in London in 1757 to a poor family. He grew up without a formal education but later studied drawing at a school on the Strand. In the early 1770s, he became a student at the Royal Academy where he studied Arts and then was apprenticed to a famous engraver, James Basire. Even though his engravings were good, he was only moderately successful with his work. However, his English skills were amazing for an autodidact. Historically, he witnessed many different events such as the Industrial Revolution, French Revolution and American Independence, which in turn influenced him, his writing style and his radical Christian and political views. Indeed, this can be seen in his legacy, and he is constantly referring to the struggles of London and its people during the industrial revolution in his poems. The Industrial Revolution was the major shift of technological, socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the late 18th and early 19th century that began in Britain and spread throughout the world. During that time, an economy based on manual labour was replaced by one dominated by industry and the manufacture of and with machinery Blake was well aware of the changes around him and saw them as a change for the worse rather than the better. Child labour increased, the population increased, churches promoted the wrong ideals, and Blake was angry and frustrated. He wanted a different kind of change and could not get it, thus he begun working on his poems most of which have a hidden or subliminal message to them. His first set of poems were published in 1783, entitled Poetical Sketches and was seen by many as an immature set. His second volume of poems were then published in 1789 and were entitled Songs of Innocence. This set contains some of his most famous work and is still read by many. His third set was published in 1793, entitled Songs of Experience, and it includes many poems that have to be seen as the counterparts of those published in 1789, for example the pair The Lamb and The Tyger. The Lamb is from Songs of Innocence and The Tyger is from Songs of Experience. A lamb symbolises innocence because it is pure and white, a colour which is usually associated with heaven and God. For example the alliterative term meek and he is mild, is used this shows that the lamb is vulnerable. Within this poem there are lots of examples of pastoral imagery and repetition with L in Little Lamb shows that he is only small like a baby and has to rely on someone or something else, lamb can also be linked to Jesus the lamb of God. The l sound is a very soft sound and this is why it can be linked back to vulnerability. The Tyger in the poem Tyger represents evil and the damage that the industrial revolution was causing at the time. In the very first line of the poem it says burning bright, this represents the fire inside the belly of the industries; the effect of the harsh sounding alliteration of these two words is that it makes the reader feel very fearful at the fact that the industrialisation is becoming stronger and stronger. These two poems are different because they use different symbolisms; The Lamb poem uses symbolism linking to innocence and pastoral imagery of streams and meads in the countryside, whilst The Tyger poem uses symbolisms of a strong and scary creature that symbolises the industrial towns that crush things that get in their way, for example What the hammer? What the chain, In what furnace of thy brain? shows materials that would have been used during the industrial revolution. These two poems both have different structures as well because The Lamb has two stanzas and The Tyger has five stanzas, the effect that this has is that it makes the Tyger poem seems longer and not as connected as the Lamb poem. These two poems are similar in the way that they both seem to be asking a lot of questions, although The Lamb does not have any question marks you can still make out questions that are asked, for example Dost thou know who made thee. The Tyger asks a lot more questions and you can pick them out because they are punctuated which makes them stand out more, also a major difference is that the questions in The Lamb are answered, whereas the ones in The Tyger are not and the effect that this creates is one of doubt because you do not know what the answers are. These poems illustrate that during the time that Blake lived there was an industrial revolution and the countryside, the meek and mild lamb was being destroyed by this fearsome Tyger (the industrial revolution) I will now focus on the two poems The Chimney Sweeper one of which is from the book the Songs of Innocence and the other from the Songs of Experience. In the Songs of Innocence book the poem called The Chimney Sweeper, explores the life of a young child, a chimney sweeper and also contains pastoral imagery that is similar to those used in The Lamb for example Bright key and wash in a river and shine in the Sun which create an effect of purity and peacefulness in the world. Similarly to The Lamb, a child is used by the poet in order to establish a sense of innocence with the reader, this can be identified when the narrator says I was very young and the fact that the boy is a chimney sweeper. This effect of a child as a narrator is that it can be used as a sign of innocence. The mood and tone of the poem is then helped, which evokes sympathy from the reader and reveals how faith is restored into the child through God. The positive mood and tone of the poem is created by help from the pastoral and bright imagery. In the Chimney Sweeper religion is portrayed in a positive light and Blake shows this through the dream of a chimney sweeper. In the dream, an Angel who had a bright key, And he opend the coffins set them all free; which was Blake trying to express that new life is given to people and that if you follow Gods rules, you will be happy in your afterlife no matter how miserable your current life is. He also gives more pastoral imagery of a green plain which is less industrial and more natural. In addition, in The Chimney Sweeper religion is degraded as the narrator, who has had experience now, blames the God his Priest King for his misfortunes, as well as his parents. Darker imagery and language is now used by Blake such as little black thing among the snow to describe the children, showing how a once pure and innocent child can be turned into the opposite through experience and society. The narrator then reflects upon how harsh the times were for him as a child by revealing They clothed me in the clothes of death which means he was left for death by his parents. Religious hypocrisy was one aspect Blake was strongly against, this was the idea that the Church was trying to tell people the right thing to do, but in fact were doing the exact opposite by neglecting the children and imposing fear into people using God. The Chimney Sweeper has six quatrains but the sentences are shorter in comparison to Holy Thursday. The poem also has rhyming couplets and this continues the song-like rhythm that Blake creates in his Songs of Innocence poems. The speaker is a young boy, a chimney sweeper, and the poem is written from his point of view. By having the young boy as the speaker it allows Blake to evoke pity from the reader and allows Blake to describe how life was for a young chimney sweeper through a first-person perspective. Similarly to the two sweeper poems, there is another set of poems that carries the same tile, Holy Thursday and, thus refers to the Thursday before Easter, the day of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. The Holy Thursday included in the Songs of Innocence consists of much longer lines than the other poems and could almost be described as a narrative poem. The tone and rhythm however is similar to all of those previously featured in the Songs of Innocence section like a nursery rhyme. The first stanza opens positively and cheerfully, with children attending a service, their innocent faces clean. This once again reminds us of the childrens innocence and how they can still get close to God, in particular when Blake later likens them to lambs again. However, we somehow also get an image of happy children who have made an effort to be clean for their church visit and/or whose faces are not stained yet by the loss of innocence, and the colours of their clothes, red blue green, also sound cheerful. However, the colour imagery continues and we soon realise that the children have only been dressed up for church because they are chimney sweeper groups following their Grey- headed beadles. In contrast to the children who are unlikely to even grow up, they have had the chance to grow old. The reference to the colour white in the simile with wands as white as snow is ironic. While white usually stands for innocence, we know that wands are a symbol of oppression and control, and the snow might well represent the coldness of the beadles hearts. Once again, the children are depersonalised in the simile they like Thames waters flow into the church. There are multitudes and Thousands of them, and there is no room to pay them individual attention. However, Blake also describes them as the flowers of London, perhaps ironically to remind us that we should allow children to bloom and that flowers are usually growing and beautiful, in contrast to the children who will die early. In addition, when the whole experience seems rather regimented because the children have to walk in two two and sit in companies. It almost is an image of military discipline. It is highly ironic when Blake describes the beadles as the childrens wise guardians, when any wisdom they may have gained is only used to oppress the children and their actions overall show everything but wisdom. The strength of the childrens voices is shown when Blake describes their voices as a mighty wind they raise to heaven. Metaphorically, wind can blow bad things away, and perhaps the children could change society if given the chance. They certainly seem to have the energy and drive. Blake also uses a biblical reference in the last line of the poem, Then cherish pity, lets you drive an angel from your door. This is a reference to Hebrews 13:2, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. This powerful quote implies that we must be good to our fellow man as they may have just been sent by God to test us. Thus, the innocent children should of course be treated particularly well. I will now focus finally on one of his most famous poems London from the Songs of Experience. The whole of the poem shows William Blakes view of London during the 18th Century, he describes the oppression inflicted on the civilians both by themselves and by others. Blakes attitude to society, as he describes it in his poem London, shows London to be controlled by bureaucratic laws. This is shown by the mentioning of charterd streets, charters were given to people who were richer or more powerful than most and it allowed them to control the streets of London. Blake also mentions the Thames at this point to emphasise the extremity of the control by saying the charterd Thames, obviously it is ridiculous attempt to control the river. Blake puts a large emphasis onto the depair affecting everyone by the repetition of every there is also an exaggeration of of the negative feeling by the repetition of cry. In the third stanza Blake places some of the responsibility onto the church, the church is metaphorically described as blakening to represent the guilt. There is also a juxtaposition in this line, appalls is exaggerating the blame of the church as well as meaning goes pale which is a juxtaposition with blackening. Blake also connects the chimney-sweeper with the church because they are often in need of the churchs help but are oftened turned away, this is why the blakening church also represents the smoke and soot. During this time many feared a revolution as one had occured recently in France, it is obvious that Blake also feared a revolution as he mentions the hapless soldiers blood running down the palace walls this shows he believes that if the unhappiness of the soldiers is continually ignored by those running the country a revolution is inevatable. The final stanza concentrates on marriage and new-life, both of which should bring happeness, instead Blake sees new-life as just continueing the cycle of the corruption, and he critisises the reasons for marriage, believing that many marry for convenience rather than marrying for love. Blake also critisises the youthful harlot and uses the word plaugue to suggest STDs which will be contracted and passed on. Blake uses immagery to put across his view, with the main idea being the constraint and lack of freedom for everyone within London. The poems from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience have more meaning than the reader might first imagine due to mainly the events that were surrounding their author William Blake at the time of their writing. By the harsh reality of London at that time Blake incorporates the Chimney sweeps, Charity schools, London in general and the industrial revolution into his poems. He does not openly state what each poem is about but within in writing we can pick up on ideas and themes that influenced him to write these poems. While reading these poems people pick up on the things happening at the time due to the detail in which they are described in poetry. These poems are not just poems, they are more like Blakes autobiography on his life through the form of media he liked best, poetry.

Outsourcing: Advantages and disadvantages

Outsourcing: Advantages and disadvantages Outsourcing, advantages and disadvantages Write a 2-3 page paper about outsourcing from the perspective of a multinational firm (Yes, this may be a hypothetical firm), be sure to answer the following questions: 1. What are the advantages of outsourcing? 2. What are the disadvantages of outsourcing? As defined by Chase et al. (2004, 372), outsourcing is an act of moving some of a firms internal activities and decision responsibilities to outside providers. Others define outsourcing as the procurement of the organizations products or services from external sources. Most definitions of outsourcing describe it as referring to allocating or reallocating business activities from an internal source to an external source. The two basic organizations that are involved in the outsourcing agreement are the client firm (the firm that outsources their internal business activities) and the outsource provider (the firm which provides outsourcing services to the client firm). The client firm outsources business activities such as services, manufacturing activities, tasks and jobs. Outsourcing in an international context refers to the outsourcing activity between nations or between boundaries of two or more countries. It includes global outsourcing which involves many international, external firms. Although outsourcing is a new concept, it has been practiced before and was referred to as subcontracting production activities. Outsourcing in an international context has been known as a major driving force in the business world. The Internet has allowed firms all over the world to provide services which were not possible before due to geographical limits. The Internet, together with the WorldWideWeb (WWW) has provided the connectivity that is necessary for the rapid growth of the outsourcing in an international context. Together with the growth of the Internet and WWW is the growth of international business. The passage of international trade agreements such as the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international trade zones that have been established throughout the globe, governments preparing and allowing the greatest expansion of international business, inexpensive computer and communication technology, have been major contributing factors in the enormous growth of international business. Is international outsourcing desirable or undesirable? There have been many views about outsourcing by multinational firms and a big debate is ongoing across the globe and people are affected by it. Business enterprises greatly support outsourcing but employee unions and politicians oppose it. There are many advantages and benefits that outsourcing can give to the home countrys business undertakings as well as to the country wherefrom the services are being provided. Enjoying cost leadership is one of the ways to enjoy sustainable advantage in this very competitive business world. The best way to achieve this is to outsource jobs. Another advantage of outsourcing is to have greater control over the quality of the goods because they can demand from the many suppliers the excellent products/services at lower cost. The client firm has the advantage of deferred payment thereby creating more opportunities to spend their funds wisely and make it more profitable. Outsourcing can also drive down wage and production costs. Another advantage of outsourcing to the client firm is that they dont need to buy raw materials, and stock them and other semi-finished products in the warehouse thereby saving on space, interest payments, godown charges, pilferage, and wastage. There is also a reduction of the number of people that are employed since the production is done in another place outside of the company. This situation also lowers the headache of union problems. The end result is that the client firm can focus on their core business matters and customer relationship management. Aside from bringing cost savings and an increase in profits to the client firm, outsourcing also brings benefits to the host country in terms of macro-economics. In Information Technology and other accounting tasks that are being outsourced, management of client firm will experience less capital expenses since they dont have to buy hardware and software, less management problems due to having the outsourcing company handle the staff providing the services. In terms of disadvantages of outsourcing, the main argument is the loss of jobs in the country of the client firm as the activities performed in the home country or organizations have been transferred to another location/s. Also, the culture clash that happens between the manufacturing client firm with those doing the outsourcing jobs results in each ones rejection of each ones culture. Another disadvantage is the decline in the labor rate and also, trade unionism gets a jolt due to outsourcing. The state has to pay allowances to the unemployed and all of these disadvantages create problems in society and to the industry side, quality may suffer in pursuit of cost reduction. Another disadvantage is that the client firm will have less managerial control so it will be harder to manage the outsourcing service provider than own employees. The client firm will also tend to depend on the outsourcing provider and if the provider goes out of business for whatever reason, then there is a need to go through a quick transition for another service provider, or find other means so that the business activities will not be disrupted and will go on as effective as it should be. Not all outsourcing can give benefits of cost reduction. Sometimes it can be costly too on the part of the client firm. Other matters related to confidentiality and security issues such as outsourcing processes related to payroll and other confidential information will be known by the outsourcing provider. It might be noteworthy to consider one comment of a business leader that in order to be successful in business, it is better to cut the wastage than to cut costs. Westerners have also expressed their dissatisfaction and unhappiness of the pronunciation and diction of the call centre agents in India and to add to this, there have been instances of leakage and improper use of customers data. Whether the multinational firm will outsource or not, there is nothing conclusive. The firm must perform a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis before deciding on outsourcing. Also, with outsourcing, the days of patriotism and cultural nationalism are gone but what replaces is the satisfaction of the firms own benefit of maximum profitability. References: http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=OYZ_-EiBCJkCpg=PA5lpg=PA5dq=outsourcing+of+an+international+firmsource=blots=HoR0S6CD22sig=cgd7SEV0V3Biegi0RiNSyXnsHnQhl=enei=RvGRSoKzFdOIkQXx_ti7Cgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3#v=onepageq=f=false http://www.ls-marketing.com/business/tips/advantages_and_disadvantages_of_outsourcing/ http://www.ictstandards.com/Advantages_And_Disadvantages_Of_Outsourcing.htm

Essay --

Fish constitutes a key source of animal protein for much of the world’s population.[1] Global fishery catches from marine ecosystems were highest in the mid-1980s and have been decreasing ever since despite increasing fishing effort [2]. Many of the world’s oceans wild fish stocks are completely exploited, so the capture fisheries are no longer sustainable. In 2004 the United Nations State of the World’s Fisheries report indicated that â€Å"52 percent of the oceans' wild fish stocks are fully exploited.[3]. In response to the decline of wild fisheries, many of the countries have put their effort to aquaculture. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic plants and animals. FAO placed the global Aquaculture at 60 million tonnes in 2010,[1], which is about 41.2 % of the total fish production in the World. European Union (EU) countries contribute to 4% of the world aquaculture production. The value of EU aquaculture production was â‚ ¬ 3.1 billion for 1.26 million tonnes of production in 2010[4]. Available data show a growing gap – estimated at 8 million tonnes – between the level of consumption of seafood in the EU and the volume of captures from fisheries. Thus the European Union is giving a priority to expansion of Aquaculture in its Members countries. Because of the many issues involved aquaculture, there is a deliberate measu re by the EU to keep up policies which will ensure that the expansion of aquaculture is in done in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way by member countries. Here I discuss the general concepts of aquaculture and the significance of the EU aquaculture policies under the EU Union common fisheries policy (CFP) for the growth of aquaculture in the region. I also compare these policies with other ma... ...ave led to success of china aquaculture include availability of market, diverse and diversity of fish products. Prioritization of the aquaculture as important sector of the economy also contributes to the significance difference in production between the EU and china.[13] The major differences that can be seen between aquaculture in China and in the European union is that in china aquaculture production is more focused to production while the European Union focuses on the Environmental challenges. Conclusion The aquaculture sector has a strategic importance in contribution to food security and its growth is very promising especially under the blue growth economy. Despite the many challenges facing the aquaculture industry in the EU the growth can be realized if the polices and strategies under the CFP for aquaculture are implemented by the member countries. â€Æ' Essay -- Fish constitutes a key source of animal protein for much of the world’s population.[1] Global fishery catches from marine ecosystems were highest in the mid-1980s and have been decreasing ever since despite increasing fishing effort [2]. Many of the world’s oceans wild fish stocks are completely exploited, so the capture fisheries are no longer sustainable. In 2004 the United Nations State of the World’s Fisheries report indicated that â€Å"52 percent of the oceans' wild fish stocks are fully exploited.[3]. In response to the decline of wild fisheries, many of the countries have put their effort to aquaculture. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic plants and animals. FAO placed the global Aquaculture at 60 million tonnes in 2010,[1], which is about 41.2 % of the total fish production in the World. European Union (EU) countries contribute to 4% of the world aquaculture production. The value of EU aquaculture production was â‚ ¬ 3.1 billion for 1.26 million tonnes of production in 2010[4]. Available data show a growing gap – estimated at 8 million tonnes – between the level of consumption of seafood in the EU and the volume of captures from fisheries. Thus the European Union is giving a priority to expansion of Aquaculture in its Members countries. Because of the many issues involved aquaculture, there is a deliberate measu re by the EU to keep up policies which will ensure that the expansion of aquaculture is in done in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way by member countries. Here I discuss the general concepts of aquaculture and the significance of the EU aquaculture policies under the EU Union common fisheries policy (CFP) for the growth of aquaculture in the region. I also compare these policies with other ma... ...ave led to success of china aquaculture include availability of market, diverse and diversity of fish products. Prioritization of the aquaculture as important sector of the economy also contributes to the significance difference in production between the EU and china.[13] The major differences that can be seen between aquaculture in China and in the European union is that in china aquaculture production is more focused to production while the European Union focuses on the Environmental challenges. Conclusion The aquaculture sector has a strategic importance in contribution to food security and its growth is very promising especially under the blue growth economy. Despite the many challenges facing the aquaculture industry in the EU the growth can be realized if the polices and strategies under the CFP for aquaculture are implemented by the member countries. â€Æ'

Amazon.com Essay -- Biography, Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, founder, chief executive officer, president, and board chairman of the mega Internet store Amazon.com is considered one of the most innovative entrepreneurs of the e-commerce industry. At the age of 31, with just a computer science degree, little funding from his family, and a challenging idea, Bezos set out to pursuit his entrepreneurial vision of a internet bookstore which had turn into the biggest online retailer of our times (Jeff Bezos, 2007). Born in January 12, 1964, Bezos demonstrated intense scientific and mechanical interests since an early age. Parents, Miguel Bezos, a Cuban immigrant engineer, and Jackie Gise Jorgensen were impressed when their three-year-old Jeff dismantled his crib apart using a screwdriver (Business, 2006). Bezos’ early age was not different, attending River Oaks Elementary in a Houston Texas suburb while playing scientist from their parent’s garage. From the garage laboratory Bezos assembled an electric alarm to keep his younger cousins away from his workstation. Bezos spent most of the summers at his grandfather’s ranch at Cotulla, Texas were he would display his mechanical skills by repairing tractors, windmills, among other tasks (Jeff Bezos, 2007). In late 1970’s the family moved to Miami, Florida were Bezos attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School. The young man continued his early achievement when he was named valedictorian of his senior class in 1982, and was awarded with the Silver Knight Award from the Miami Herald (Business, 2006). Easily accepted, Bezos attended Princeton University and graduated in 1986 with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, earning Phi Beta Kappa membership in the process (Business, 2006). Bezos’ entrepreneurial personality... ...e (Esten, 2007). Bezos entrepreneurial visions when further that Amazon when in 2004 he helped found Blue Origin, a human spaceflight tourism start-up company. Recently, the 43 years old capitalist had been using a lot of his time and business knowledge to philanthropic work, heading his own foundation and addressing important issue to the whole world (Jeff Bezos, 2007). Jeff Bezos have proved to be a very successful businessman with an incomparable entrepreneurial vision for opportunities. He led a small garage start-up e-bookstore to become the biggest online retailer in the world. During the process he reaffirmed his position as a great leader, manager, and human being. Recognized by multiple institutions in the business world and out of it, Bezos deserves the respect of the global society for having revolutionized the way the world shops online.

Apollo vs. Green Arrow

Apollo and Green Arrow/ Oliver Queen When I first learned about the Greek god Apollo in my Classical Mythology class, he reminded me of Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen is a character from one of my favorite television show called â€Å"Smallville†. He inherited a big industrial empire from his parents when they passed away. He was a playboy who did not care to give back to the society and only did what pleases him. One day, when Oliver was out on his boat, he was pushed overboard into the sea by an employee. After being marooned on an island, he learned to hunt and improved his survival skills.He later found a small settlement on the island and saw that some of the islanders were cruelly disposed of in a nearby well. It shocked him and he became focused on avenging their deaths. He resorted to making his own weapons and pursued the escaping men in the boats, who turned out to be drug dealers. His stamina and skills helped him overcome them, and was later able to turn them over to t he police. Oliver had his first taste of crime fighting then. He vowed to change the world for the better with the resources he had. He became a vigilante under the name of â€Å"Green Arrow†. â€Å"Comic Vine†) I think that Oliver Queen and Apollo seems so alike yet different at the same time. I believe that they will make a great comparison to each other. The very first and obvious similarity between Apollo and Oliver is that they are both skillful archers. Apollo is the god of Archery. When Apollo was still an infant, he claimed that the bow was his. (Mayerson 118) Oliver created his vigilante persona based on his skill and passion for arrows and bows. When he was marooned on an island, he improved his already talented archery skills.He made his own makeshift bow and arrows and used them to hunt to eat. With his refined archery skills, he later tracked down the drug dealers who were escaping in a plane. He managed to gain upper hand by shooting them down. Oliverâ₠¬â„¢s vigilante character â€Å"Green Arrow is considered by even the superhuman members of the Justice League to be the greatest archer in the world. † (â€Å"Comic Vine†) Oliver himself always said that Green Arrow never misses a target, not even when he was not looking at the target. Apollo and Oliver are also both full of wit and charm.Apollo is the God of Music. According to Mayerson, â€Å"the infant-god †¦ declared that the †¦ lyre would be his†. He later joined the other gods in Olympus and played the lyre them. Oliver is also very charming. In various episodes of Smallville I have watched, Oliver is often seen offering a glass of wine for a beautiful lady and impressing them with his charming personality. (â€Å"Smallville†) He is also sometimes seen playing the piano, where he intentionally lets people see the soft and refined side of him. Oliver have the kind of personality that is not easily forgettable.When he enters a room, he make s a great impression on everyone with his charm and wit. He converses with just about anyone and his conversations are usually laced with humor. Compared to other wealthy billionaires, Oliver has become very down to earth and he does not let his status in society and wealth hinder him from ridding the world of evil. (â€Å"Appointment in Crime Alley†) As very powerful and handsome men, Apollo and Oliver’s lives are filled with women and their love interests are numerous. Unfortunately, their affairs never last or are always cut short by another factor.Philip Mayerson explained in his book of various relationships of Apollo. Apollo’s first love Castalia changed into a spring of water. His next love Cassandra, a Trojan Princess, was cursed by Apollo himself. Sibyl was granted her wish of living as long as the grains of sand in her hand, therefore becoming just a voice. Daphne turned into a tree nymph. His wife Coronis was burned to death. While Oliver’s lov ers did not have brutal endings like Apollo’s, Oliver still went through various women. He was in a relationship with Black Canary when they were working together for the Justice League.He later came across Shado, a Japanese assassin who was killing the yakuza, and had an affair with her. Oliver was also seen kissing a girl named Marianne now and then. (â€Å"Scott McCullar's Green Arrow Compendium†) Throughout his first appearance in Smallville, Oliver was seen dating Lois Lane, the future wife of Superman. They had differences that cannot be overcome and their relationship ended. After that, Oliver seemed to rekindle with an on-and-off old flame Tess Mercer, who was also Lex Luthor’s, Oliver’s enemy, ex-wife. She is also very cunning and self-perseverative.She only cared for herself and fled when Oliver came into trouble. She later came back to be a good friend and support system for the vigilante team. Oliver also had flings with Betsy Braddock and Adr ienne Frost. Betsy Braddock was noticed by Oliver because she had psychic abilities. Oliver came across Adrienne Frost because she seemed to have telepathic abilities. (â€Å"Smallville Season 6 – 10†) Oliver’s fascination with these two ladies especially reminded me of Apollo and his †¦. Oliver’s latest and last known relationship is with Chole Sullivan and they have a child together.While there are many similarities between Apollo and Oliver Queen, there are also several differences. Apollo is the God of Prophecy; therefore he or his oracles are prophetic and can know what will happen in the future. While their answers are ambiguous, the oracle or the priests who interpret them still seemed to predict well enough. (Mayerson 124) Among the superheroes, Oliver is one of the few people without any metahuman skills. He compensates it by improving his skills as well as trying to predict and be more aware of possible threats. He does this by using the Wa tchtower, along with a team of superheroes.The Watchtower is ran by Chloe Sullivan, his then-friend and now-wife. However, the equipment and research is funded by Oliver’s very own Queen Industries, whose support is very crucial. The Watchtower allowed Oliver’s Justice League to assess any incoming supernatural problems and patterns, observe happenings in the world, and access almost any paperless trails. (â€Å"Watchtower†) In Classical Mythology in Literature, Art, and Music, Philip Mayerson states that Apollo is â€Å"a god of Purification, particularly from acts, such as homicide†. On the other hand, Oliver does not have a problem with stealing and murdering.It does not necessarily make him a bad man. Oliver decided use his improved archery skills to become a vigilante. This requires him to defeat and overcome opponents who were very similar to the man he used to be. He thwarts greed and corruption from hurting average citizens. He channels a modern d ay Robin Hood persona and constantly fights for underdogs. Since his days stuck on the island was full of misery, sweat, blood, and desperation, he came to understand the â€Å"testament to what it takes for someone to answer that wake-up call, change their ways, and fly straight. As straight as an arrow. (â€Å"Green Arrow†) While Apollo and Oliver Queen both went through various relationships and affairs, there is one major difference between them. Apollo dearly loved Coronis but was worried she might not stay faithful him. She did not, and he or his sister Artemis punished her transgression by setting her on fire. Apollo â€Å"regretted the hasty action, but it was too late. † (Mayerson 131) Oliver, on the other hand, was much luckier. After going through many obstacles together as a crime-fighting team, Oliver finally realizes his love for Chloe, who already seems to be in love with him as well.In â€Å"Warrior/ Super girl†, viewers can obviously see how co mpatible Oliver and Chloe are with each other. It was a beginning of a romance that changed their lives. They stopped hiding their feelings and kept no secrets. This lifted some weight off of Oliver’s shoulders since he does not have to hide his secret identity as Green Arrow from her either. Unfortunately, their relationship was tested with various situations, such as both of them sacrificing themselves into enemies’ hands and going far away to keep the other one safe. However, they just cannot stand to be apart from each other.During the episode called â€Å"Fortune†, they happily married in the tenth and final season of Smallville television series. Oliver tells her â€Å"You saved my life, Chloe. Both the myth and the man. † (â€Å"KSite TV†) There are many similarities and differences between the Greek god Apollo and the television show character Oliver Queen. Despite their various statuses situations, they both are powerful men, who went thro ugh many heartaches and obstacles. They are so different yet so alike. This is why I believe that Apollo and Oliver makes a very good comparison to each other.