Latin American Religions Essay examples - 624 Words

Latin American Religions University of Phoenix November 12, 2012 What are some major attributes of Latin American Catholicism? Identify and describe at least two distinctions and include how they are distinct from Catholicism elsewhere. The Central American War had changed the priorities of the Catholic Church in Latin America. In the 1980’s, the clergy’s had decided to go against the Catholic Church mainly the Vatican despite the various threats, and began to help the poor which were struggling for their equality and their rights. The Catholic activism was in support of the change; however, it did influence guerilla movements in certain parts of Latin America such as Nicaragua, Salvador, Guatemala. This had introduced moral and†¦show more content†¦Once others start to deviate from Catholicism then it begins to start a new religion and moves away from the beliefs of the Catholicism. Only the Vatican may assess and make changes within the Catholic Religions. How have churches fostered or hindered social changes in Latin America? After the civil war, Latin Americans had turned to other religions. For over 500 years, many Latin Americans were considered loyal to the Catholic religions. However, it quickly turned to be a stronghold to Protestants. In the Liberation area other religions had developed such as Evangelical and Pentecostal. These religions are very different from the Catholicism. These religions speak in tongue, rely on baptism, accept the Holy Spirit, and emotional rituals. With these new religions developing the social changes in Latin America does provide a much broader outlook on their beliefs. There are various groups or community gatherings within the particular religion. Each religion unites and brings together their faith and social aspects within their own community. How has Protestantism spread in Latin America in the past? Is it different than the factors that are promoting the current growth in Protestantism in this region? How and why? The Protestantism had spread in Latin America in the past due to the fact of various discrepancies within the Catholic Religion. For instance, in 1980’s, the Guatemalan’s had begun to change their beliefs and lean more to theShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Religion On Latin American Politics2024 Words   |  9 PagesHistorically, religion and politics have always played a very significant part in our everyday lives, dating back to the ancient pharaohs of Africa to our modern day society, the relationship between religion and politics can be traced through centuries of human history in various civilizations. Both religion and politics prescribe, legislate, and enforce codes of behavior, promote collective action, and create group identification. There are numerous examples of how religion continues to contributeRead MoreLatin American Culture Essay examples1050 Words   |  5 PagesLatin American Culture Latin America represents 1/10 of the worlds population, and geographically can be located from the land extensions of Mexico, until the Patagonia at Argentina. Some of the most relevant elements of todays culture in Latin America are; Religion, Values, Attitudes, Social structure, Social stratification, Language and Gift-giving hospitality. The predominant religion throughout history in Latin America has been Catholicism. From big cities to small villages, churches, basilicasRead MoreU.s. A Multicultural Country1045 Words   |  5 PagesIn terms of diversity, the U.S. contains a lot of history, which makes them what they are now. Both the U.S. as well as Latin America were colonies, achieved independence movements and were directly influenced by countries like Spain and France. The difference relies that in the U.S., these European countries remained for a longer period of time, making the U.S. a multicultural country. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Queens, a major area of New York City is considered to be â€Å"theRead MoreThe Differences Of Culture And Culture Essay2234 Words   |  9 PagesCulture Culture is part of each of us; its characteristics are defined by a combination of multiple conditions such as language, religion, places, people, lifestyle, etc. People in different societies have different cultures, sometimes they can be significantly different, but they can also have similarities. We are all surrounded by people of different backgrounds, religion and culture. This expands our knowledge and by being surrounded of different cultures, it let us to think with an open mind acceptingRead MoreLatin Americ The United States Essay2417 Words   |  10 Pages). Another myth is that Latin America is behind the U.S. However, government power and initiatives have also disproved this. While the U.S. has never had a female president or even vice president, four Latin American countries have female leaders: Brazil’s Dilma Roussef, Costa Rica’s Laura Chinchilla, Argentina’s Cristina Fernà ¡ndez de Kirchner and Chile’s Michelle Bachelet. (Weiss, L., 20 14). Another stereotype is that immigrants are taking money away from the United States. Despite the speculationRead More Depiction of Latinos in 20th Century Film Essay2434 Words   |  10 Pagesmontage of unrealistic caricatures which seemed to convey the filmmakers creativity more so than true representations. This formed the manner in which the American people at large viewed not just Latino characters attempting to assimilate, but also those who were not. As Cine-Aztlan puts it, film manipulates the human psychology, sociology, religion, and morality of the people, in a word the ideological super-structure of modern capitalist society (pg.275, Chicanos and Film). As the years went byRead MoreThe American Culture : Key Values10736 Words   |  43 PagesThe American Culture Some Key Values †¢ Individuality †¢ Results orientation †¢ Pragmatism †¢ Direct communication style Greetings and Goodbyes For most Americans a smile and verbal greeting are appropriate. In a business context, however, a firm handshake is used. Weak handshakes can be perceived as a sign of weakness. It is likely the handshake will be brief. Men usually wait for women to offer their hand before shaking. Also, direct eye contact is also appreciated. Americans tend to dislike over-formalisedRead MoreWhite Women : Shapeshifters Of America Essay1916 Words   |  8 PagesWhite Women: Shapeshifters of America Throughout our history, there have been many incidents that have helped shaped American culture. Many of these incidents have substantially affected women. To counter these phenomena, women work as shapeshifters. That is to say, they shift and morph their ethics and endeavors in order to adapt to their external, social environment. From the glamorization of woman’s confinement in Cotton Mather’s â€Å"The Captivity of Hannah Dustan† to overcoming political and socialRead More The Loss of Faith Exposed in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings2205 Words   |  9 Pageshim completely (443).† The falling actions are the angel’s surviving his worst winter and his strengthening. The angel’s departure from the town is the conclusion.    â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings† takes place in a small coastal South American town, in the aftermath of a violent storm. Marquez writes, â€Å" The world had been sad since Tuesday. Sea and sky were a single ash-gray thing â€Å" and says the sands of the beach â€Å"had become a stew of mud and rotten shellfish (441).† This tells us thatRead MoreClassical Era in Latin America and Europe Essay1569 Words   |  7 Pagesstyle of politics, culture and economies, the economic and social patterns in Latin America distinctly detached this civilization from any Western society, which accounted for obvious distinctions in both culture and politics. In politics, the most apparent feature of the Western Society was the creation of new political ideologies, resulting in neither an absolute or dictatorial structure. The instability of Latin American politics created a weakened structure, therefore creating limitations to regulate

Buddha’s Brain Free Essays

[in the SPOTLIGHT] Richard J. Davidson and Antoine Lutz Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation I n a recent visit to the United States, the Dalai Lama gave a speech at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting in Washington, D. C. We will write a custom essay sample on Buddha’s Brain or any similar topic only for you Order Now Over the past several years, he has helped recruit Tibetan Buddhist monks for— and directly encouraged—research on the brain and meditation in the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of WisconsinMadison. The findings from studies in this unusual sample, as well as related research efforts, suggest that over the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the long-term practitioners had actually altered the structure and function of their brains. In this article we discuss neuroplasticity, which encompasses such alterations, and the findings from these studies. Further, we comment on the associated signal processing (SP) challenges, the current status, and how SP can contribute to advancing these studies. WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY? The term neuroplasticity is used to describe the brain changes that occur in response to experience. There are many different mechanisms of neuroplasticity, ranging from the growth of new connections to the creation of new neurons. When the framework of neuroplasticity is applied to meditation, we suggest that the mental training of meditation is fundamentally no different than other forms of skill acquisition that can induce plastic changes in the brain [1], [2]. WHAT IS MEDITATION? The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices, ranging from techDigital Object Identifier 10. 109/MSP. 2007. 910429 niques designed to promote relaxation to exercises, performed with a more farreaching goal such as a heightened sense of well-being. It is thus essential to be specific about the type of meditation practice under investigation. In [3], meditation was conceptualized as a family of complex emotional and attentional regulatory strategies developed for various ends, including the c ultivation of well-being Buddhist Vipassan? and Mah? mudr? , a a a and are also implicated in many popular secular interventions that draw on Buddhist practices. FINDINGS OF BRAIN CHANGES IN MEDITATION In what follows, we summarize the changes in the brain that occur during each of these styles of meditation practice. Such changes include alterations in patterns of brain function assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), changes in the cortical evoked response to visual stimuli that reflect the impact of meditation on attention, and alterations in amplitude and synchrony of highfrequency oscillations that probably play an important role in connectivity among widespread circuitry in the brain. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP The experiments described below that measure hemodynamic changes with fMRI require a high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner equipped with the appropriate pulse sequences to acquire data rapidly and with the necessary fiber optic stimulus delivery devices so that visual stimuli can be presented to the subject while he or she lays in the bore of the magnet. For the studies that measure brain electrical activity, a high-density recording system with between 64 and 256 electrodes on the scalp surface is used. FA MEDITATION A recent study [4] used fMRI to interrogate the neural correlates of FA (continued on page 172) THE TERM NEUROPLASTICITY IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE BRAIN CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIENCE. and emotional balance. Here we focus on two common styles of meditation, i. e. , focused attention (FA) meditation and open monitoring (OM) meditation. FA meditation entails voluntarily focusing attention on a chosen object in a sustained fashion. OM meditation involves nonreactively monitoring the content of experience from moment to moment, primarily as a means to recognize the nature of emotional and cognitive patterns. OM meditation initially involves the use of FA training to calm the mind and reduce distractions, but as FA advances, the cultivation of the monitoring skill per se becomes the main focus of practice. The aim is to reach a state in which no explicit focus on a specific object is retained; instead, one remains only in the monitoring state, attentive moment by moment to anything that occurs in experience. These two common styles of meditation are often combined, whether in a single session or over the course of a practitioner’s training. These styles are found with some variation in several meditation systems, including the 1053-5888/08/$25. 00 ©2008IEEE IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [176] SEPTEMBER 2007 [in the SPOTLIGHT] y=4 continued from page 176 % T2 Accuracy: Times2 Versus 1 50 40 30 20 10 0 ? 10 Novices Time1 Practitioners PZ P3b to T1 420-440 ms 0 10 1,000 F-Values ms Novices Practitioners r=? 0. 68, p=. 001 Amygdala 0. 2 0. 1 0 ? 0. 1 ? 0. 2 10 20 30 (a) V 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 (d) 40 50 r=? 0. 64 Time2 +5? V ? 5? V ? 200 Blink No-Blink T1 T2 ?5 ? 4 ? 3 ? 2 ? 1 0 1 2 3? V T1-Elicited P3b Amplitude: Time2 Versus 1 (c) (b) F3 Fc5 Cp5 F4 Fc6 Cp6 V2 500 300 100 0 Blocks 50 Resting State 100 Meditative State (e) 150 Time (s) % 100 45 0 Controls % 100 45 * * % 80 Practitioners * * * * * 40 0 Ongoing Initial Baseline Baseline (g) Meditation State * Controls Practitioners * * 0 * 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (f) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [FIG1] Neuroimaging and neurodynamical correlates of FA and OM meditations. (a) Relationship between degree of meditation training (in years) and hemodynamic response in the amygdala (in blue) to distractor sounds during FA meditation in long-term Buddhist practitioners. Individual responses in the right amygdala are plotted (adapted from [4]). (b) The reduction in P3b amplitude (a brain-potential index of resource allocation) to the first of two target stimuli (T1 and T2) presented in a rapid stream of distracter stimuli after three months of intensive Vipassan? meditation [5]. (c) Generally, the greater the reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was a over time, the better able an individual became at accurately identifying T2 (adapted from [5] ). d)–(e) Example of high-amplitude gamma activity during a form of OM meditation, nonreferential compassion meditation, in long-term Buddhist practitioners [6]. (e) Time course of gamma (25–42 Hz) activity power over the electrodes displayed in (d) during four blocks computed in a 20-s sliding window every 2 s and then averaged over electrodes. (f) Intra-individual analysis of the ratio of gamma to slow oscillations (4–13 Hz) averaged across all electrodes during compassion medita tion. g) The significant interaction between group (practitioner, control) and state (initial baseline, ongoing baseline, and meditation state) for this ratio. meditation in experts and novices. The study compared FA meditation on an external visual point to a rest condition during which participants do not use meditation and are simply instructed to adopt a neutral baseline state. The meditation condition was associated with activation in multiple brain regions implicated in monitoring (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), engaging attention (visual cortex), and attentional orienting (e. g. , the uperior frontal sulcus, the supplementary motor area, and the intraparietal sulcus). Although this meditation-related activation pattern was generally stronger for long-term practitioners compared to IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [172] JANUARY 2008 novices, activity in many brain areas involved in FA meditation showed an inverted u-shaped curve for both classes of subjects. Whereas expert me ditators with an average of 19,000 practice hours showed stronger activation in these areas than the novices, expert meditators with an average of 44,000 practice hours showed less activation. This inverted u-shaped function resembles the learning curve associated with skill acquisition in other domains of expertise, such as language acquisition. The findings support the idea that, after extensive FA meditation training, minimal effort is necessary to sustain attentional focus. Expert meditators also showed less activation than novices in the amygdala during FA meditation in response to emotional sounds. Activation in this affective region correlated negatively with hours of practice in life, as shown in Figure 1(a). This finding may support the idea that advanced levels of concentration are associated with a significant decrease in emotionally reactive behaviors that are incompatible with stability of concentration. Collectively, these findings support the view that attention is a trainable skill that can be enhanced through the mental practice of FA meditation. OM MEDITATION Another study [5] recently examined the idea that OM meditation decreases elaborative stimulus processing in a longitudinal study using scalprecorded brain potentials and performance in an attentional blink task. The consequence of decreased elaborative stimulus processing is that the subject is able to better attend moment-to-moment to the stream of stimuli to which they are exposed and less likely to â€Å"get stuck† on any one stimulus. The attentional blink phenomenon illustrates that the information processing capacity of the brain is limited. More specifically, when two targets T1 and T2, embedded in a rapid stream of events, are presented in close temporal proximity, the second target is often not seen. This deficit is believed to result from competition between the two targets for limited attentional resources, i. e. , when many resources are devoted to T1 processing, too few may be available for subsequent T2 processing. The study in [5] found that three months of intensive training in Vipassan? meditation (a common style of a OM meditation) reduced brain-resource allocation to the first target, as reflected in a smaller T1-elicited P3b, a brainpotential index of resource allocation. This is illustrated in Figure 1(b), which shows the reduction in P3b amplitude. In this figure, the scalp-recorded brain potentials from electrode Pz, time-locked to T1 onset as a function of T2 accuracy [detected (no-blink) vesus not detected (blink)], time (before or after three months), and group (practitioners versus novices) are shown. The scalp map shows electrode sites where this three-way interaction was significant between 420 and 440 ms. The reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was associated with a smaller attentional blink to T2, as shown in Figure 1(c). As participants were not engaged in formal meditation during task performance, these results provide support for the idea that one long-term effect of OM meditation may be reduction in the propensity to â€Å"get stuck† on a target as reflected in less elaborate stimulus processing and the development of efficient mechanisms to engage and then disengage from target stimuli in response to task demands. Previous studies [6] of high-amplitude pattern of gamma synchrony in expert meditators during an emotional version of OM meditation support the idea that the state of OM may be best understood in terms of a succession of dynamic global states. Compared to a group of novices, the adept practitioners self-induced higher amplitude sustained electroencephalography (EEG) gamma-band oscillations and long-distance phase synchrony, in particular over lateral fronto-parietal electrodes, while meditating. Importantly, this pattern of gamma oscillations was also sig- nificantly more pronounced in the baseline state of the long-term practitioners compared with controls, suggesting a transformation in the default mode of the practitioners as shown in Figure 1(g). Although the precise mechanisms are not clear, such synchronizations of oscillatory neural discharges may play a crucial role in the constitution of transient networks that integrate distributed neural processes into highly ordered cognitive and affective functions. An example of high-amplitude gamma activity during a form of OM meditation, nonreferential compassion meditation, in long-term Buddhist practitioners [6] is shown in Figure 1(d) and (e). The intra-individual analysis of the ratio of gamma to slow oscillations (4–13 Hz) averaged across all electrodes during compassion meditation is illustrated in Figure 1(f). The abscissa represents the subject numbers, the ordinate represents the difference in the mean ratio between the initial state and meditative state, and the black and red stars indicate that this increase is greater than two and three times, respectively, the baseline standard deviation. The significant interaction between group (practitioner, control) and state (initial baseline, ongoing baseline, and meditation state) for this ratio is shown in Figure 1(g). The relative gamma increase during meditation was higher in the postmeditation session. In the initial baseline, the relative gamma was already higher for the practitioners than the controls and correlated with the length of the long-term practitioners’ meditation training through life (adapted from [6]). SP CHALLENGES While SP has a unique opportunity to contribute to this novel effort to chart the manner in which the brain may be transformed through the mental practice of meditation, there are several associated challenges. Among these challenges are the characterization of different signatures of brain function that distinguish among different meditation practices, IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [173] JANUARY 2008 [in the SPOTLIGHT] continued the parsing of variance in brain activity that may be due to changes in peripheral physiology such as respiration, and the simultaneous measurement of electrical and hemodynamic signals to harness the best temporal and spatial resolution possible. IMPACT ON BRAINCOMPUTER INTERFACES One of the interesting implications of the research on meditation and brain function is that meditation might help to reduce â€Å"neural noise† and so enhance signal-to-noise ratios in certain types of tasks. In contexts where brain-computer interfaces are being developed that are based upon electrical recordings of brain function, training in meditation may facilitate more rapid learning. This idea warrants systematic evaluation in the future. FUTURE WORK Ongoing and future work focuses on a few distinct directions. One of the crucial areas requiring attention is the characterization of changes in connectivity among the various brain circuits that are engaged by these practices. The development of new methods to probe different aspects of connectivity (both structural and functional) will be extremely valuable in furthering this line of inquiry. The goal of such work is to better understand how different circuits are integrated during meditation to produce the behavioral and mental changes that are said to occur as a result of such practices, including the promotion of increased well-being. AUTHORS Richard J. Davidson (rjdavids@wisc. edu) is a director and Antoine Lutz (alutz@wisc. edu) is an associate scientist, both with the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison. REFERENCES [1] A. Berger, O. Kofman, U. Livneh, and A. Henik, â€Å"Multidisciplinary perspectives on attention and the development of self-regulation,† Prog. Neurobiol. , vol. 82, no. 5, pp. 256–286, 2007. [2] R. A. Poldrack, â€Å"Neural systems for perceptual skill learning,† Behav. Cognit. Neurosc. Rev. , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 76–83, 2002. [3] A. Lutz, J. P. Dunne, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Meditation and the neuroscience of consciousness: An introduction,† in The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness, P. D. Zelazo and E. Thompson, Eds. Cambridge, U. K. : Cambridge Univ. Press, in press. [4] J. A. Brefczynski-Lewis, A. Lutz, H. S. Schaefer, D. B. Levinson, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners,† Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , vol. 104, no. 7, pp. 11483–11488. [5] H. A. Slagter, A. Lutz, L. L. Greischar, A. D. Francis, S. Nieuwenhuis, J. M. Davis, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Mental training affects use of limited brain resources,† PLoS Biol. , vol. 5, no. 6, pp. e13800010008, 2007. [6] A. Lutz, L. Greischar, N. B. Rawlings, M. Ricard, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude synchrony during mental practice,† Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , vol. 101, no. 46, pp. 16369–16373, 2004. [SP] I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y †¢ P U R D U E U N I V E R S I T Y †¢ F O R T WAY N E FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) Department of Engineering invites applications and nominations for the position of Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research. Candidates must possess a recognized national reputation for research excellence in the field of wireless communication. Master’s degree required; possession of an earned doctorate in electrical engineering or its equivalent is highly desired. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong history of applied research, industry collaboration, and experience in Department of Defense-funded projects. The initial appointment will be for a period of three years with the option for subsequent renewal based upon performance. IPFW is a regional campus of both Indiana University and Purdue University and is the largest university in northeast Indiana. Serving more than 12,000 students and offering more than 180 degree options, IPFW is a comprehensive university with a strong tradition of service to and collaboration with the region. The Department of Engineering offers B. S. degrees in electrical, computer, civil, and mechanical engineering. The M. S. egree in engineering with concentrations in electrical, mechanical, computer, and systems engineering will be launched during the 2007-2008 school year. The department presently includes 16 full-time faculty members and has approximately 300 undergraduate students. The Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research shall have the following responsibilities: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Establish the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research, emphasizing the practical application of wireless technology for the needs of the regional defense industry. Expand collaboration with industry through sponsored research. Establish a wireless laboratory to support courses in wireless communication. Develop a series of undergraduate courses that would lead to an undergraduate certificate in wireless communication. Develop and teach courses for the Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) – electrical engineering concentration – that would lead to a graduate certificate in wireless communication. Develop and offer credit and non-credit professional development experiences for regional employees. Participate in IEEE 802. X standards development. Coordinate and host conferences on the application of wireless technology with an emphasis on defense applications and emerging commercial wireless technologies. This position offers a unique opportunity to build a Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research and to significantly expand industry-university collaborative research in the fields of wireless networks. IPFW offers a competitive salary and benefits package and an excellent work environment. Fort Wayne is the second largest city in Indiana and is located within several hours of Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Indianapolis. It boasts affordable housing, a low cost of living and a safe environment in which to raise a family. The region is home to seven major defense contractors employing over 1,800 engineers working in the fields of wireless communication, sensor networks, C4, network-centric systems, and defense products. Applicants with extensive industrial rather than university career experience will be given serious consideration and are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates demonstrating extensive contact networks within the business and governmental sectors will be preferred. To apply for this position, please visit our Web site at www. ipfw. obs. Applicants should submit a cover letter addressing wireless communication and DoD knowledge and experience, resume/vita, statement of research and teaching experience, and the names and contact information for at least three references. The committee will begin review of applications immediately and the search will remain open until the position is fi lled. For additional information regarding IPFW and the Department of Engineering please visit the Web sites at: www. engr. ipfw. edu and www. ipfw. edu. ,3): LV DQ (TXDO 2SSRUWXQLW(TXDO $FFHVV$IILUPDWLYH $FWLRQ (PSORHU IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [174] JANUARY 2008 How to cite Buddha’s Brain, Papers

Discovery Essay free essay sample

Discovery is uncovering what is not known. The core text ‘Away’ written by Michael Gow and related text The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabrielle Muccino simply implies that every significant discovery brings change, growth, and strong relationships. The characters that are present in these two texts face conflict, and learn how to overcome their problems through their support of family and friends. Therefore, they are able to evolve as a person and although the texts differ in their contexts, they both illustrate discovery as a product of self-actualisation, and an appreciation for our environment. Away’ and The Pursuit of Happyness gives us an insight into how a character changes and grows as a person once they are faced with an obstacle. In ‘Away’, Coral is a woman who experiences the loss of her son during the Vietnam War. She believes in her mind that he will come back for her. We will write a custom essay sample on Discovery Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the last act, she mentions, â€Å"I’m walking. I’m walking. I’m walking.. † this is repetition and she discovers that her son will never come return to her, and how she will continue to live life without him, showing how acceptance of the inevitable will allow us to be happy. You know what you’re becoming? Snide. A nasty, snide girl. No one likes a snide girl, always arguing. † Gwen is rude, and is not accepting her daughter for who she is, because she would like her to follow her rules. She is seen as dominating, and unknowing. This quote is an exaggerated quote. It is conveyed to the audience as Gwen exaggerating too much about the issues she has with Meg. In The Pursuit of Happyness, Chris Gardner is a man who struggles to support his family. As a result, his wife leaves him and his son to fend for themselves. â€Å"Hey. Dont ever let somebody tell you You cant do something. Not even me. All right? † This truncated sentence demonstrates that Chris loves his son, and does not want his son to go through the hardships he is faced with. He wants his son to work for his goals and achieve them. At the end of the film, Chris makes a connection with the audience when he says, â€Å"This part of my life this part right here? This is called ‘happiness. ’† after he had gained his stockbroker job. The long shot of his face conveys symbolism and creates an impact on the audience as he realises how far he has come on his journey to the discovery of his job, which ultimately makes him content with his life, revealing how discovery is a product of hard work and diligence. The characters in both texts discover how strong their relationships are with their families. In the phrase, â€Å"You worry too much. † The emotive language is emphasising that Meg’s mother needs to give her comfort instead of condemnation. In Tom’s family, there is his mother and father, Harry and Vic. Tom always bonded with his family, but when he is faced with Leukaemia, he does not know how his parents will react. At the end of the play, Tom recites a speech from King Lear and he mentions, â€Å"Unburden’d crawl toward death. † This is a descriptive quote which conveys that Tom has finite time, and won’t have the happy ending of others. The audience would convey this as having a relation to ‘Away’ because it explores the dilemma that Tom is faced in; how he will not be living for much longer. In The Pursuit of Happyness Chris maintains a strong relationship with his son and his wife. â€Å"You got a dream You gotta protect it. People cant do somethin themselves, they wanna tell you you cant do it. If you want somethin, go get it. Period. † This is a meaningful quote. It is interpreted in a way which tells us that Chris wants his son to aspire to the best level, and he also wants him to learn from his mistakes; that making mistakes is okay. By convincing his son what he needs to accept and achieve, Chris is able to maintain a strong relationship. ‘Away’ and The Pursuit of Happyness both complement each other when discovering strong relationships and the growth of oneself as a person after facing obstacles. The significance of how discovery can bring about change is evident in all the characters. They have different view points towards their life, but are able to discover how they change as a person. This therefore has an effect on how they develop as a character.