Can Nanotechnology Transform Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars?

Can Nanotechnology Transform Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars? Juan Manuel Vargas Ferreira    Can Nanotechnology convert hydrogen fuel cell cars into mainstream vehicles?   Ã‚   Section 1: Abstract The aim of this report is to determine whether Nanotechnology can transform hydrogen fuel cell cars into mainstream vehicles through improvements in the cost of catalysts (Section 4:A) plus hydrogen production (Section 4:B); battery life (Section 4:C) and the safety of hydrogen storage (Section 4:D). The word mainstream for this report means that there will be at least 1.15 million hydrogen fuel cell cars on the worlds roads [the number of electric cars in the the planet (Carbon brief, 2016)] Section 2: Introduction      Ã‚   Nanotechnology is about observing and manipulating matter occupying the nanoscale, which is ranges from 1 nanometre to 100 nanometres (Nanodic.com, nd). A nanometre is one billionth of a meter or 100 000 times smaller than the width of human hair (DigPhilosophy, 2013). Nanotechnology is a principle factor in improving hydrogen fuel cells, which are devices that harness the energy of hydrogen to make electricity via a chemical reaction without combustion (CHFCA, nd). These devices will be crucial as they are utilized to make zero carbon footprint cars. Reducing the carbon footprint of humanity will reduce the far reaching effects of global warning, which encompass ecosystems and agriculture among other variables (Barret, nd). Therefore, the development and implementation of hydrogen fuel cell cars will have a great influence in safe guarding life in our planet. [DS1] Section 3: Methodology Financial Sources for Research For any project to go forward to the physical research stage there must be internal and/or external sources of finance. Some examples include government grants, companies and non profit companies (Understanding Science, nd). For my own research, the most appropriate source of finance would be familys income. This is because I will solely be carrying out secondary research. Creating a budget for Research[DS2] The budget required for my research entails the consideration of the following: Cost of broadband (SKY, 2016) Cost of electricity (sust-it, 2015) Cost of leasing of a computer (HARDSOFT, 2016) Cost Specification Monitory Cost (pounds) Broadband 16 Electricity 0.34 Leasing a computer 65 Total cost 81.34 Research procedures and techniques In order to carry out the necessary research I used the Internets extensive database. The techniques involved in this kind of research are web browsing, which involves writing the topic or question you wish to explore in a search engine and extracting revelation information from the sources that appear. The other technique involved is referencing with the world renowned Harvard referencing model. Ethical Issues: Nanotechnology[DS3] Although Nanotechnology has an array of very useful applications some ethical concerns were raised against its implementation. Such concerns revolve mainly around the fact that it is not yet clear whether nanoparticles can, in fact, interact negatively with our cells. There are already examples of other types of particles of similar dimensions causing harm to our bodies. Such an example would be car fume particles being deposited in our lungs (techNyouvids, 2013) and possibly causing cancer, cardiovascular diseases and asthma attacks (Nairaland Forum, 2013). It is therefore only logical to question whether nanomaterials will have the same or worse effects on our health. As a result, more research would have to be carried out if Nanotechnology is to be an established discipline with common practice within society. Section 4: Results and Discussion A: Reducing the cost of the catalysts Nanotechnology can reduce the cost of the catalyst (normally Platinum) used in a hydrogen fuel cells as less of the catalyst would be used (Soutter, 2016). In order to scale down traditional catalysts, the top down manufacturing process can be used, which involves breaking down material of larger dimension into the desired nanomaterial (GrennFacts, 2016). Notable disadvantages of this process include the fact that a lot of material is wasted ([2] Nano.gov, nd). and that approximately 250 complex steps are required to have the finished product (NanoScale Systems, 2015). An alternative technique is the bottom up manufacturing process, which entails building nanomaterials by constructing single atoms and molecules (GrennFacts, 2016). Additionally, since the catalyst is at nanoscale it will have a greater surface area; increasing the reactivity of the catalyst and so the speed of the fuel cells chemical reaction (Nano.gov, nd). The benefits can be further developed by the introduction of porous nano support structures such as nanotubes, which would make the platinum nanoparticles even more accessible for reacting (Soutter, 2016). This would mean that electricity would me delivered to the motor more quickly and so increase the acceleration of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Such an improvement would definitely make it more competitive in the market and aid fuel cell cars to enter into mainstream industry waters. Furthermore, the development of nitrogen doped nanotubes can replace platinum catalyst. Hence reducing the cost of hydrogen fuel cells since the cost of the catalyst amounted for 25% of the overall fuel cell cost (Soutter, 2016). The cheaper cost of nanotube catalysts is not the only advantage they offer; they will also provide the fuel cell with the same or greater power output compared to the standard platinum catalyst. It is also important to consider the fact that nanotube structures are also stronger than conventional catalysts meaning they are not compromised by carbon monoxide when reacting chemically to create electricity. Such improvements would mean that fuel cell cars are even cheaper; more powerful and have a longer running life. As a result, Nanotechnology is certainly aiding this emerging car technology to enter the main road of the 21st-century commercial vehicle industry. B: Reducing the cost of hydrogen production Around 75% of everything in our universe is in fact hydrogen (Dnews, 2015). As result utilizing this abundant element to fuel our cars seems like a well-funded idea. Its production is also not in its infancy of development as the U.S creates 9 million metric tones of hydrogen annually (Dnews, 2015). However, current methods of hydrogen production are not ideal. An example would be that the method of obtaining hydrogen by breaking natural gas with high temperatures and pressures produces carbon dioxide. Another procedure involves splitting oxygen and hydrogen atoms in water with electricity, formally known as electrolysis (Dnews, 2015). Unfortunately, electricity for electrolysis is mainly obtained through the combustion of coal that is another carbon dioxide emitting process. The process of hydrogen production is also a notoriously expensive procedure, which is part of the reason for the lack of implementation of hydrogen fuel cell cars. Interestingly, however, creating new catalysts can also reduce the manufacturing of hydrogen. Since hydrogen can be produced by decomposing natural gas, which requires being passed over silicon or aluminum catalyst (BBC Bitesize, nd), a decrease in the price of the catalyst would directly reduce the cost of manufacturing hydrogen. C: Extending fuel cells life once fully charged There have been numerous collaborations in order to improve the durability of batteries. One exciting development are nanowire batteries, which are now said to be able to withstand 200, 000 rounds of charging due to work at the University of California Irvine. Nanowires are made from gold and future developments could potentially provide the world with the first battery that does not require recharging. Another type of battery using nanotechnology has been developed by the MIT that last three times as long as current options on the market and it can be fully charged in just 6 minutes; they have named it nano yolk (Pocket lit, 2016). Such developments would not only mean hydrogen fuel cell cars become mainstream vehicles but the main way of transport for our ever growing population (Pocket lit, 2016). D: Increasing the safety of hydrogen storage A recent paper (ACS Nano) has suggested Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as an absorptive storage compound for hydrogen. The paper by leading author Dr. Kondo Francois Aguey Zinsou also stated that NaBH4 can absorb hydrogen so that it gives hydrogen fuel the same energy potential as that of petrol in a similar fuel tank. This would improve the safety of hydrogen storage since the compound NaBaH4 doesnt release hydrogen significantly at cabin temperatures, ranging from 57.3 degrees Celsius to 60.5 degrees Celsius (Manning, R., Ewing, J., 2009) [DS4]However, the compound does have to be engineered in the nanoscale and it has to be engulfed in a nickel shell. Moreover, the sponge-like compound (NaBH4) only releases hydrogen predominantly at 350 degrees Celsius (The A Register, nd). Section 5: Conclusions[DS5] In order to determine whether Nanotechnology can transform hydrogen fuel cell cars into mainstream vehicles, the possibility of 1.15 million hydrogen fuel cell cars being part of the worlds roads must be analyzed. A theoretical perspective on the matter is provided by the US setting the target of having at least 15% of all of Californias cars to be zero emission vehicles be 2025 (Dnews, nd), that translates to 4.2 million cars [In 2012 there were 27.7 million registered cars in California (Reference, nd)]. That most certainly exceeds my target of 1.5 million, which suggest Nanotechnology is on its way to make fuel cell cars mainstream vehicles in America at least. Therefore, I can conclude that Nanotechnology will turn hydrogen fuel cell cars into mainstream vehicles. It is just a matter of time and whether it will be sooner rather than later. Section 6: Evaluation[DS6] Overall the micro research project was carried well. I managed to acquire information from the Internet related to my chosen topic. Although a modification I would make for future report-writing would be to explore my general and then specific subject area before writing my report. I would do this because it will provide me with greater focus from the preliminary stages. In order to further the research work in this report, I would like to carry out primary research on the topic of producing hydrogen with no greenhouse emissions and on whether water vapor is a worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Section 7: References[DS7] Barett, J.T. (nd) How Does the Release of Car Exhaust Fumes Cause Global Warming Available at:http://education.seattlepi.com/release-car-exhaust-fumes-cause-global-warming-3682.html (Accessed 30 August 2016). BBC Bitesize (nd) Fractional distillation Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zm2v4wx/revision/2 (Accessed 2 September 2016) CarbonBrief (2016) IEA: There are now more than 1 million electric cars on the worlds road Available at: https://www.carbonbrief.org/iea-there-are-now-more-than-one-million-electric-cars-on-the-worlds-roads (Accessed 30 August 2016). CHFCA (nd) What is a fuel cell Available at: http://www.chfca.ca/education-centre/what-is-a-fuel-cell/ (Accessed 30 August 2016). DigPhilosophy (2013) What is Nanotechnology? What applications can it be used for? Available at: https://youtu.be/WOqEk440JZ8 (Accessed 29 August 2016). Dnews (2015) How Hydrogen Fuel Is Made Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5b6SthDbsE (Accessed 2September 2016) GreenFacts (2016) Bottom-up vs Top-down (in the context of nanoparticle formation) Available at: http://www.greenfacts.org/glossary/abc/bottom-up-top-down.htm (Accessed 31 August 2016) HARDSOFT (2016) Lease and Hire the iMac 27 Retina 5k Available at: https://www.hardsoftcomputers.co.uk/apple-macs/apple-desktops/imac-27-retina-5k (Accessed 31 August 2016) Manning, R., Ewing, J. (2009) Temperature in Cars Survey Available at: https://www.racq.com.au//cars%20and%20driving//0814_temperature_in_cars_su.. (Accessed 3 September 2016) Nairaland Forum (2013) Do You Know How Dangerous The Car Exhaust Is To Your Health Car Talk Nairaland Available at: http://www.nairaland.com/1461704/know-how-dangerous-car-exhaust(Accessed 30 August 2016). Nanodic.com (nd) Nanoscale Available at: http://www.nanodic.com/general/Nanoscale.htm (Accessed 1 September 2016) Nano.gov (nd) Whats So Special about the Nanoscale Available at: http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/special (Accessed 30 August 2016). [2] Nano.gov (nd) Manufacturing at the Nanoscale Available at: http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/manufacturing (Accessed 31 August 2016) NanoScale Systems (2015) Top Down vs Bottom Up: 3D -Printing of sensors on the nanoscale Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1GepWC4WQ0 (Accessed 31 August 2016) Pocket lit (2016) Future Batteries, coming soon: charge in seconds, last months and power over air Available at: http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/130380-future-batteries-coming-soon-charge-in-seconds-last-months-and-power-over-the-air (Accessed 2September 2016) Register (nd) How many vehicles are in California Available at: https://www.reference.com/vehicles/many-registered-vehicles-california-52c20f61bcb10e9d (Accessed 2 September 2016) SKY (2016) Sky Broadband Fibre and Talk Available at: http://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/ (Accessed 31 August 2016) Soutter, W. (2016) Nanotechnology in Fuel Cells Available at: http://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3032(Accessed 30 August 2016). sust-it (2015) Electricity Cost Calculator Available at: http://www.sust-it.net/energy-calculator.php (Accessed 31 August 2016) Understanding Science (nd) Who pays for science Available at: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/who_pays (Accessed 30 August 2016). techNyouvids (2013) Manufactured Nanomaterials: Health, Safety and the Environment Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkpcUpattE8 (Accessed 31 August 2016) The A Register (nd) Scientists find a new way to store hydrogen Available at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/17/safe_hydrogen_storage/ (Accessed 2nd of September) Section 8: Acknowledgements I would like to thank the University of East London for hosting the STEM4TECH lectures that enabled me to understand and apply common practice in academia regarding report writing. I would also like to thank Dekkel Simmons for delivering the lectures and Andre Mozert for supporting the STEM4TECH project. [DS1]Good [DS2]Good [DS3]Good. [DS4]Not consistent with Harvard referencing. [DS5]Good [DS6]Good [DS7]Good

Personal Narrative- Amazon Experience Essay -- Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative- Amazon Experience Being a curious little twelve year old who was eager to discover the world, when my father asked me back in 1997 if I wanted to travel to Colombia, I jumped on the opportunity. Little did I know just how much I would be discovering. Colombia held sights, sound, and smells that I had never experienced. Crowded city highways with no marked lanes, the stench of lead exhaust filling the overcrowded streets of the capitol, the freshness of the Andean Mountains filling the country air. The thought of Colombia brings a dozen images and adventures to mind. Out of all of these, however, there is one in particular which I shall never forget. It was one of the last mornings we were to spend in Colombia. My father and I flipped through the hotel’s visitors guide looking for ‘must see’ places to visit that day. â€Å"Take a tour of the Amazon jungle,† one of the ads said, â€Å"and see the beauties of nature that have inspired thousands of painters and authors who have visited this site.† My father and I met eyes. If we wanted adventure, this is where it could be found. That morning, while eating breakfast at a small, family-owned restaurant in the country, we joked excitedly of the adventurous possibilities. â€Å"I’ll bet there are some savage cannibals out there, my dad playfully suggested between spoonfuls of Changua. â€Å"Yeah right,† I remarked,† lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!† After getting both our hopes and stomachs full, my father and a departed for our great adventure. Prior to our arrival at the day’s main attraction, we stopped at a tiny souvenir store along the way. As my father and I searched the store for some final gifts to bring back home to friends and relatives, my eyes were captured b... ...man walking along side the driver’s window. â€Å"My daughter says it’s too warm down here and she’s not feeling well. We need to run around.† â€Å"Please let us go. Please let us go. Don’t tie us up. Just let us go,† I thought. â€Å"All right,† he said to my relief. â€Å"Do you know your way back, or would you like us to escort you?† he asked kindly. â€Å"We’ve got it. Thanks,† replied my dad. I breathed a sigh of relief once I reached the paved road again. Looking back now, I realize what a silly twelve year old I was. My father was most likely right. Those primitive looking tribal men were just tour guides trying to make a living. My cowardice and ignorance kept us from exploring the wonders of the Amazon- a once in a lifetime experience! Perhaps if I went back know, I would have a different attitude. In any case, however, this was an experience I’ll never forget.

Response to Goerge Orwells 1984 :: essays research papers

Upon my reading of the novel 1984, I was fascinated by George Orwell’s vision of the future. Orwell describes a world so extreme that a question comes to mind, asking what would encourage him to write such a novel. 1984 took place in the future, but it seemed like it was happening in the past. George Orwell was born in 1903 and died in 1950; he has seen the horrific tides of World War  ² and à . As I got deeper into this novel I began to see similar events of world history built into 1984. The main thing I saw in this book that brought me back to historical events, was the control of people for corrupt and selfish purposes. At the end of World War  ² Japan began to capture areas in Asia and the Pacific that had valuable materials such as coconut copra, rubber and quartz. The inhabitants of captured territories where more or less given the status of slaves. I saw the same events taking place in 1984; wars were being fought in disputed areas which contain valuable goods, but the main reason for war was for cheap slave labor. When Winston and Julia are in Mr. Charrington’s room Julia brings out a surprise â€Å"It’s real tea. Not blackberry leaves.† â€Å"There’s been a lot of tea about lately. They’ve captured India, or something,† (1) Oceania is a world where quantity is more important than quality and quality goods are hard to get a hold of because it is reserve for greedy inner party members. Another instance of a concept that brings me back to historical events is the strong connection between the Oceanian society and the German Nazi society. After World War  ² Germany was still in a stage of depression, Adolf Hitler promised a way out. So he began his brainwashing campaign and used load speakers and radio broadcasting. He started destroying books that opposed his views and murdered people that stood in his way to power. To keep control over society the inner party also used the same tactics. They formed a secret organization (known as the brotherhood) to stop any treat to the party. And built departments (Ministry of Love, Truth and Plenty) to keep the party in power, the party even eliminates or re-writes parts of history if needed. During World War à  communication improved, Hitler came to power by using communication; he used load speakers, radio broadcasting and slogans to promote his views.

My Victory Essay

â€Å"What’s happening?’ I heard the soldiers crying. I didn’t understand how everything went wrong. First we were happy†¦ †¦ Then we were sad. It was like a blossoming flower caught in a storm. The knocking in my head wouldn’t end. Were we so stupid all along? This is what happened â€Å"We are going to win this war!† my regiment sang happily. This was exactly what my mum always wanted me to be – independent, have a family of my own and fight for my country! She would be so proud of me. Even though she’d passed away a while back, she could still see me from heaven – which she used to call â€Å"a special place†. Time flew past as we were on our way to win the war. We began digging up the damp mud to build our trenches. Our feet were sinking into the soft surface of the mud. The time had slowed down. Throughout the day, the clock ticked slower as if it has completely stopped. Our brightness had faded away. Even the smiles on our faces were forgotten. What happened? We had thought that we would win, that this war would be a war to end all wars. We thought this would be the Great War. So what was going to happen? Nobody knew. I had that feeling, which felt like the END! That feeling is fear. I was frightened that I was going to die. I was frightened that we were going to lose. I was frightened that it would get worse. And it did get worse. The Germans began to fire. My fear came back. The captain ordered us to cross no mans land; he said we had no choice. This was it. My heart was pounding like the footsteps of a running horse. We started to cross no mans land. My feet were hurting from standing in the muddy trenches. The land was so empty and lonely. I was so stiff from the coldness of the wind, trying to walk on the mud and scared to death. At if I got shot? I thought. The Germans were firing all around us and I could hear the fast beat of my blood drumming through my ears. I was motionless, trying to think of what to do. But it was too hard. At once all I could think about was my mum. Her words went through my head – â€Å"one day, you’ll find your victory! It’s inside you† – from then on I knew exactly what to do. I knew that I would find my victory. I didn’t care if my body was in pain. My mind was strong and that’s what mattered. I dodged the bullets and fought so hard, running and shooting the Germans. But suddenly I felt a pain, a bigger sharper pain than I’ve had before. It was just above my stomach, in the middle. It hurt so much. The ripping feeling was an agony. I looked down and saw blood everywhere. I’d been shot! As I through my feet forward to walk, I couldn’t take any more of the tearing pain. Slowly, I dropped to the muddy ground. Blood was running down my hands. The incapable agony of the burning bullet got worse and worse but I was still alive. And then†¦ ‘Flash!’ through my eyes! Something wonderful had happened. The pain flew away, along with my fear. ‘Flash!’ again, but this time I saw my whole life in a flashback right before my own eyes! It felt incredible. Everything went dark. And suddenly I saw my mum. She was standing in a bright light like an angel. This wasn’t a memory this was a real fantasy. Her eyes filled with happiness. Her tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped of her lips. She was happy, and so was I. I knew that I would never lose her. I knew I found my victory.

Poetry Analysis of “Anthem for Doomed Youth” Essay

Wilfred Owen’s poem, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth†, creates a picture of young soldiers in battle dying. Drawing a mental picture of a family at home sharing in the mourning for their lost sibling, the reader feels the grief of this poem. Through the portrait of vanishing soldiers one sees loneliness, as they die alone on the battleground. Effective use of imagery, alliteration, and end rhyme as well as great writing gives the reader a lasting impression. The title, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth†, fits well for this poem. For the duration of the poem a feeling of death and despair run through the reader’s mind. Though one cannot tell exactly which war the poem stands for, one can hypothesize that it stands for World War I because of the type of warfare the speaker discusses. He discusses machine guns, rifles, and artillery shells falling from the sky like rain which most parallels World War I. This image of soldiers dying due to heavy artillery appears most in the mind of the reader. Feckless soldiers dive into the muck of trenches to save themselves from the â€Å"wailing shells† (7) that â€Å"shrill† (7) over them. Reading this poem puts one in World War I through the great imagery of the speaker; one feels as if he is diving to keep away from the artillery. Titling this poem seems simple since the entire sonnet informs the reader of the hopeless situation for the young soldiers. Praying soldiers â€Å"die as cattle† (1) with no â€Å"passing-bells† (1) as â€Å"their hasty orisons† (4) die with them. An interpretation of this is that if one â€Å"[dies] as cattle† (1) they are dying as animals and dying with no â€Å"passing-bells† (1) means there are no mourning bells which exist at funerals. â€Å"Hasty orisons† (4) means quick prayers which in the sonnet makes them the quick prayers before the soldiers are shot; so if â€Å"their hasty orisons† (4) are â€Å"[pattered] out†, then they have no prayers. The speaker’s diction here sets the gloomy tone and setting throughout the poem. Without any introduction the reader finds himself on the front line. Through great imagery the speaker illustrates a grim tale of battlefield death. In the first octave the speaker makes the reader feel as if he stands shoulder to shoulder with a fellow soldier praying that â€Å"the monstrous anger of the guns† (2) will not leave them decaying on the field. Dying alone on the  field, the boy’s â€Å"hasty orisons† (4) fade away by the â€Å"stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle† (3). Through these images the reader sees how the prayers of young soldiers go on deaf ears with no one around to hear, especially over the â€Å"choirs of wailing shells† (7). Honestly, no one knows of or can acknowledge the fact that the boys die this lonely death, which leaves sadness in the reader’s heart. As in most octaves of poems there lies a proposition in this poem the proposition of a lot of deaths alone on a battlefield becomes the proposal. In further detail the reader sees the flying shells and rifles that bring a stop to the hope and prayers of the soldiers. Following the octave, the sestet brings a result or response to the proposition. Responding to the proposition of dying alone, the reader finds that the young soldiers die alone on a battlefield, but they have already given their â€Å"holy glimmers of goodbyes† (11) to the girls who will cry over their deaths. Crying over these dead soldiers shows that these young boys die in someone’s heart, though they die by themselves physically. Through the illustration of â€Å"the pallor of girls’ brows shall be their pall; / their flowers the tenderness of patient minds† (12-13), the reader sees the poignant funeral of a military man. In the last line of the poem the reader finds out that â€Å"each slow dusk a drawing- down of blinds† (14) occurs, which can have two meanings. One, more sadness reaches the people who love their lost soldier, and another interpretation can be that the â€Å"drawing-down of blinds† (14) displays the soldiers’ eyes closing slowly as he dies. This interpretation of â€Å"the holy glimmers of goodbyes† (11) means the soldier’s eyes right before death have flashes of his funeral back on the home front with â€Å"the pallor of girls’ brows† (12) and â€Å"their pall; / their flowers† (12-13). Within the sestet the reader basically finds that mourning does occur for the death of the young lost soldiers. Throughout the first octave the speaker uses great imagery to illustrate the grim reality of the young boys’ dying on far away battlefields. Also in â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† such devices as alliteration and end rhyme give a flow to the poem. Alliteration occurs when the reader reads â€Å"rifles’ rapid rattle† on line three. Another use of alliteration arises with the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"slow dusk a drawing-down† (14) repeating the sound of words starting with the letter d. Using the alliteration of the r and d sound gives the reader a better feel for the sound of what occurs at that point in the poem. Reading â€Å"rifles’ rapid rattle† (3) gives the sound of the rifle shooting very well. Throughout the poem the use of end rhyme transpires with the rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD EFFEGG. Although this rhyme scheme appears to be Petrarchan because of the octave and sestet, it does not have the same scheme as Petrarchan. Shakespearian scheme occurs in the octave and the last two lines of the sestet, but it does not take place in the first four lines of the sestet, and it does not have the correct format of three quatrains and a couplet. In conclusion this poem displays a grim look on the truth about war and its affect on the young soldiers who participate in it. Displaying this truth through great imagery, Wilfred Owen brings a candid opinion of what occurs during war. Through these literary devices such as alliteration, end rhyme, and imagery Owen creates a vivid picture and gripping description of â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth†.

Of mice and men is the story of two men George Milton and Lennie Small Essay

Of mice and men is the story of two men George Milton and Lennie Small who are two people who move from place to place in search of work. This is so that one day they can afford to buy a small farm somewhere where they can live alone and be there own bosses. George looks after Lennie because Lennie is mentally slow and he has looked after him since Lennie’s aunt died, because Lennie is mentally challenged, he tends to get George and himself into trouble because of stupid little things. They where on the run and they found a ranch in the Salinas valley California where they could work as ranch hands. Crooks, the black stable buck, was a proud aloof man who kept his distance from other people and demanded that they keep their own distance too. This was because he was black and at the time this novel was written, there was a lot of racist discrimination towards people with black skin, and so if he did mix with the others they would just make a mockery of him by using sarcasm and taunts. Crooks was obviously a very intelligent person because he controlled his inner anger towards the other people on the ranch but he was also a proud and bitter man. Proud because he never let anyone see how he truly felt and the ridicule and name calling and bitter because of the way he is treated and he passes on the hurt feeling he has to other people he thinks that there will be no recriminations from. He feels he is isolated because he is the only black man on the ranch and one of the very few black people in the entire area. Crooks is treated badly due to the racism in both the ranch and society as a whole. At the time when this story was written, the world was a very racist place and anyone with a different coloured skin other than white was treated differently. He was called a nigger and yet he was born in America so in fact, he was a true American and not a nigger, but due to him being black, he was treated very differently. He was given all the jobs that a white man would like to consider below him, i.e. cleaning out the stables. Even though the workers on the ranch did not set out to insult him deliberately, the use of the term ‘nigger’ signals to people that black men like Crooks were degraded both verbally and physically by people with white skin. Crooks was openly referred to as a ‘nigger’, which amplifies the casual racism that was directed at him by the others. Crooks bullies Lennie because he has been tormented and bullied all the time he has been able to understand the facts of racial prejudice. He is then given the chance to bully Lennie. To get Lennie’s attention he uses a subdued and convincing voice. When he gets the affect he wants he then turns to bullying and you can see his â€Å"face lighted with pleasure in his torture†. He revelled in the suffering and tribulation he put on Lennie because he is enjoying bullying instead of being bullied himself. He also likes his new level as he can only do this to Lennie because he is not a threat and it is possibly the only time he can get his own back in some small way shape of form. Crooks’ character helps to widen the theme of loneliness in the novel because all the men on the ranch would have been proud and bitter men in someway because of the work they were forced to do. In addition, the way it says that it is unusual for people to travel around in twos I think that they were used to people keeping them selves to them because at the time it was written it was the great depression and so people were sad and tended not to communicate with other people. Crooks is given the smallest most desolate room on the ranch he is made to keep away from the bunkhouse where the rest of the workers work. His room is not only his room it is sort of an equipment store a place where equipment gets fixed. He is the also the only black person on the ranch and possibly the only black person for miles, which means that he has no one of his own race to converge with. The other thing that is not on his side is that with him being black no one would believe him if any thing went wrong an example of this is when Curleys wife goes into Crooks’ room and crooks tell her to leave she replies with that she calls him a nigger ands that she could get him lynched (hanged) quiet easily, implying that she doesn’t like him and that she could do it if she was pushed. The language used to describe Crooks gives him a lack of recognition which help the author to make the reader of the novel feel sorry for Crooks and that they would just want to help him. John Steinbeck uses this to show his lack of identity and thus making him an outsider to the rest of the people on the ranch who have a full explicit description of the way they look. The lack of description of crooks makes us feel sympathetic towards him Steinbeck also uses like a sad slow old-fashioned form of writing to make you feel like he is lonely and is sympathetic towards him. Crooks is quit an important character in the novel it helps the writer convey the loneliness and solitude there must have been being a worker on a desolate ranch. Crooks is also the only person in the novel who can take part in one of the novels main themes (discrimination). It is also a good way of letting you see what life was like and the way people strived to make their life long dream come true (the American dream). After a while Crooks begins to trust Lennie and they become friends, which is another (friendship).

Article and lyrics comparison Essay

The songs â€Å"Have you Forgotten† by Darryl Worley, and â€Å"Where have all the flowers gone? † by Pete Seeger are two songs that both deliver strong messages regarding two different wars. â€Å"Have you Forgotten? † which is a song composed to convey emotions regarding the war in Iraq delivers messages that are meant to sway people to hate war. It describes the war and all its horrors by questioning if people have in fact forgotten what it is like to be in a war and so have become indifferent of the one that was currently being fought. â€Å"Where have all the flowers gone? † on the other hand, which is written during the period of the Vietnam war is another song written as a series of progressive questions terminating in the sad reality that the war in Vietnam had caused so many deaths. While the song does not in any way specify whose death had been more deserved or valued in the Vietnam War, it proceeds to question these deaths in an attempt to question the war itself. In an article, John Pareles describes that, â€Å"Songs that touched on the war in 2006 were suffused with the mournful and resentful knowledge† (2010) This is quite obvious in the song by Worley, for instance, in the lines from the chorus, â€Å"Have you forgotten, how it felt that day? / To see your homeland under fire/†¦And you say we shouldn’t worry bout Bin Laden†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (7-8, 12) the song seems to be didactic and even moralizing in its approach and its perception of how people perceived the war. These lines, in relation to what Pareles describes, are in fact resentful in that they express how people are indifferent about this particular war. In addition, Pareles (2010) also states that, â€Å"Immediate responses to 9/11 and to the invasion of Iraq arrived along familiar lines. There was anger and saber-rattling at first†. This expresses how the emotions had died down when the war had began to drone on. There was only the desired response initially which eventually died down. Hence, Morley’s song very accurately describes this indifference by questioning America about its stand on the war and how America can seemingly be uncaring of what was going on. So, in the last few lines of the song, one finds, â€Å"Have you forgotten / About our Pentagon / All the loved ones that we lost / And those left to carry on† (27-30) as the song shifts from being fierily questioning of the objectives for and reactions to the war to being deeply emotional, appealing to the better judgment of the listeners as if pleading that everybody be more reactive because the war was not just any kind of war, but it was something that took away so much from those who were in it. Songs during the Vietnam War were equally as questioning, perhaps because that particular also had grey areas when it came to the goals and objectives of the battle. â€Å"In 1963 musicians began directly questioning the Vietnam War. † (Anderson) and so, in the song â€Å"Where have all the flowers gone? † by Seeger, this questioning tone is also employed. However, noticeably in the song, as it progresses, the repeated lines go from questioning where the flowers are to where the graves are; (1-40) looking at each of the stanzas, however, the more interesting recurring line is â€Å"When will they ever learn? † (7-8, 15-16, 23-24, 31-32, 39-40) which serves the same function as the ‘Have you forgotten’ theme of the earlier song. So, in effect, this song by Seeger not only questions but also admonishes the listeners, perhaps because, â€Å"†Their music stated traditional folk themes, ones which were being voiced in the current civil rights crusade: justice, peace, and brotherly love. † (Anderson) Looking at these two songs side by side one can easily conclude that while both were about different wars at different periods the main message delivered is don’t people ever get tired of wars albeit the painful and agonizing effects of these exercises? So, if war songs are to be evaluated according to these two songs which are separated by decades in between, the sentiment of people when it comes to war has not changed significantly which is probably due largely to the reality that nobody wants wars regardless of the reasons. So, while both of the songs question the audience or the listeners, the questions in both songs are meant to indirectly remind the listener of the horrors of war and to admonish and enjoin the listener to remain faithful to the precepts of peace, justice and love while actively protesting whatever justifications the government makes for conducting these bloody exercises. Works Cited Anderson, Terry. â€Å"American Popular Music and the War in Vietnam. † (): 51-65. Print. Pareles, John. â€Å"Pop Music and the War: The Sound of Resignation. † New York Times. N. p. , 2 Jan. 2007. Web. 15 July 2010. . Seeger, Pete. â€Å"Where Have all the Flowers Gone. † arlo. net. N. p. , 2003. Web. 15 July 2010. . Worley, Darryl. â€Å"Have you Forgotten?. † Lyrics007. N. p. , 2007. Web. 15 July 2010. .