Historical Geography of North America Journal Review Essay

Historical Geography of North America Journal Review - Essay Example Mann's sources are recognizable experts in this arena and the article cites them prolifically. While many of Mann's points make enough logical and reasonable sense to dispel the widely held romantic version of the early settlements, the author's arguments rely on a connect-the-dots logic in the absence of a complete historical record. The author succeeds in making the point that the early American settlers were not faced with the typically romantic ideal of cooperation with the environment and struggling against Mother Nature. Instead, he paints a stark picture of famine, disease, and constant hardship replete with starvation and cannibalism. His vision of the Europeans being able to stave off hostile attacks from the Natives is based on the theory that the Natives had been severely weakened by Malaria. Mann also dispels the myth of Pocahontas saving the life of John Smith in 1607. However, this is a literary story that is part of America's myth and hardly an historical moving revelation. The real power of the article is the sense the author gives us that, "Much of what we learned in grade school about the New World encountered by the colonists at Jamestown turns out to be wrong". It demands further investigation and invites a more deeply researched debate. The author contends that the ecology of ... s little evidence offered for the damage done by the earthworm purportedly imported in European soil, it has been long held that the agricultural practices of Europe had a profound effect on the New World. The author also magnifies the destruction that domesticated animals did to the native's farmland, and the resulting tensions between the Natives and the Europeans. Here again, the author gives a reasonable view of animal farming in New England of large animals running wild and destroying the crops of the Natives. However, the evidence is anecdotal and does not consider the viewpoint that it may have been more likely that the animals were restrained and managed as they were in England, as that would be in the best interest of the settlers. However, Mann's point that they altered the ecological landscape cannot be refuted. The strength of the article, apart from its intellectual stimulation, is its contention that European farming and agricultural practices forever transformed the landscape. Mann explains why the different approaches held by the Natives and Europeans to the concept of property ownership came at odds and favored the Europeans. The Native culture believed in a constantly evolving landscape where property rights would shift according to need and use. The Europeans believed in private property ownership and were thus able to accumulate property. The introduction of new plants and controlled agriculture invaded the New World and left a permanent change on the face of America. There can be little argument that tobacco and corn changed the soil, the land, the people, and the economy of the New World. In conclusion, this article is a well-written consensus of a number of noted experts. While it may be somewhat shy of hard evidence, the incomplete historical

Nazis and Woodchucks Essay Example for Free

Nazis and Woodchucks Essay Nazi racial ideology has baffled the cultured mind since the atrocities were first made known to the world with the end of WWII. Though the inconceivable horror Jews and other nationalities endured under Nazi reign is common knowledge in our culture and is found in almost any modern history textbook, the mindset that made such atrocities acceptable to Nazis under Hitler’s regime remains a mystery to many. Maxine Kumin admirably conveys the thought process behind this oppressive outlook through the seemingly simplistic poem â€Å"Woodchucks†. The purpose of the poem is to align the readers with the narrator’s apparently reasonable yet somewhat sociopathic view of the woodchucks as an inferior life form while building an allegory to the Nazi’s justification for mass extermination that will shock the audience when made explicit by the poem’s end. In the first stanza, Maxine introduces the narrator’s problem with the woodchucks and how she justifies attempting to gas them. The narrator states how killing the woodchucks with gas â€Å"didn’t turn out right† (1). This phrase emphasizes how the narrator views killing the woodchucks as a mundane and emotionless task, the same way a batch of cookies or pot of coffee may not â€Å"turn out right†. Gassing has connotations of a slow agonizing death, but the poem continues: â€Å"the knockout bomb from the Feed and Grain Exchange / was featured as merciful, quick at the bone† (2-3). This contrast in connotation and given definition is meant to show how the narrator is striving to justify their deaths. The second stanza begins to make the narrator’s view of the woodchucks as lesser clearer to the audience. Maxine uses alliteration to draw attention to the words cyanide, cigarettes and state-store Scotch when the narrator states the woodchucks are â€Å"No worse / for the cyanide than we for our cigarettes† (7-8). In this comparison, the narrator gives the impression that she considers gassing the woodchucks a favor to them, like giving them scotch or cigarettes. While it is not explicit in the poem by the second stanza, this metaphor hints at the narrator’s unbalanced views of life regarding the woodchucks. Maxine also introduces war imagery in this stanza. The narrator describes how the woodchucks â€Å"took over† the vegetables by â€Å"nipping† and â€Å"beheading† (11-12). These verbs not only personify the vegetables as victims, but turn woodchucks into a force of evil in a war-like manner in the narrator’s mind. It is important to note that the narrator never addresses the woodchucks’ need to eat and survive and only views it as an unjustified invasion. This mindset closely aligns with the anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust. The narrator treats the woodchucks with no right to the garden the same way that â€Å"Jews still carried the burden of proof that they simply had the right to be there† (Hartmann 636). By the third stanza, the Maxine solidifies the narrator’s hatred and blood thirst towards the woodchucks, using a Nazi related scapegoat excuse to rationalize killing them. â€Å"The food from our mouths† (13) starts the stanza; a sentence fragment most likely muttered bitterly by the narrator that fortifies the idea that woodchucks are not simply invading and eating food, but stealing food from the narrator. To the narrator, the woodchucks become the scapegoat for the garden’s ruin the same way the Jews were used to â€Å"blame for the economic collapse of Germany† (Foster 13). However, Maxine also undertones the narrator’s scapegoat claim as unsubstantial and exaggerated. In a vegetable patch containing numerous vegetable types, a small family of woodchucks is unlikely to be as deadly of a threat as the narrator makes it out to be. Similarly, â€Å"The Nazi claim that Germany was being ‘Judaized’ can hardly be substantiated† as Germany’s Jewish inhabitants in 1933 made up a mere â€Å".80 percent of the total population† (Foster 15). The third stanza also starts to unearth the poem’s greater implications towards Nazi ideology with the line â€Å"puffed with Darwinian pieties for killing† (16). The â€Å"Darwinian† aspect is an outstanding piece of the third stanza because it applies a fairly exclusive human social concept to the killing of woodchucks. This is directly related to the Nazi’s ideology which had â€Å"evolved over the previous 80 years from the related notions of eugenics and Social Darwinism† (Erdos 6), but Maxine has not made this relation entirely explicit yet. With the last two stanzas, the narrator degrades the death of the woodchucks. Rather than describe it in detail, the woodchucks â€Å"died down† (18). The evasive language hides any aspects of horror in the killing and gives the deaths a cartoonish aspect when the mother â€Å"dropped† and â€Å"flip-flopped† (19-20). The narrator even portrays their deaths in an eerie sing-song tone when â€Å"O one-two-three / the murderer inside me rose up hard† (22-23). This is linked to the way Holocaust victims were killed systematically (one-two-three) and their bodies were piled up for disposal. The language describing death in the poem and the way killing was carried out in Nazi concentration camps are connected in the way both were dehumanized. The fourth stanza also has a tone shift when the narrator explains â€Å"the murderer inside me rose up hard. / the hawkeye killer came on stage forthwith† (23-24). This part of the poem shifts the tone from the woodchucks as aggressors to the narrator becoming the aggressor. The indirect yet clear tone change indicates that the poem is now less related to the Nazi’s perspective, but the modern view of Nazis as the invaders. The last stanza in this poem brings an ultimate shock to the audience by directly referencing the Nazis in the ending line: â€Å"If only they’d all consented to die unseen / gassed underground the quiet Nazi way† (29-30). Any slight relations to Nazi ideology throughout the poem are now highlighted by this last line. At this point the readers have been carried through an unsteadily reasonable rant by the narrator of the woodchucks as a lesser life form, and then slammed into the allusion to the Nazi’s killings. The entire poem, even the spread-out rhyme scheme, threads into this central idea accented in the last line. Maxine, through the language and design of the poem â€Å"Woodchucks†, ultimately presented how frightening ideology similar to the Nazis is not as uncommon on a small scale as one may think. Works Cited Erdos, E. G. Regarding German Science and Racismroots of the Nazi Holocaust The FASEB Journal 22.6 (2008): 1623. Print. Foster, C. R. Historical Antecedents: Why the Holocaust? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 450.1 (1980): 1-19. Print. Hartmann, Dieter D. Anti-Semitism and the Appeal of Nazism. Political Psychology 5.4 (1994): 635-42. Print.

Sustainable development of Caribbeans tourism industry

Sustainable development of Caribbeans tourism industry The research topic of this paper is Sustainable Development of the Caribbeans tourism industry through proper environmental planning. The research question is the Caribbeans vulnerability and its ability to survive within a global landscape is an ongoing concern. Research was conducted via the internet and articles. Information was gathered covering the various related topics of this paper. This paper will discuss three main objectives. The first objective will deal with the benefits of the Caribbeans tourism industry making mention to two Caribbean islands. In addition to this it will look at the disadvantages and advantages of the tourism industry in the Caribbean. Next it will look at environmental planning and its impact on tourism. This area will make mention to role of the environment in the tourism industry and ways of preserving and conserving our environment. It will also make mention of the adverse effects of tourism on the environment and actions that have been taken to reduce these negative impacts. Finally, the opportunities for the Caribbean as it relates to tourism with their existing resources and make recommendations that may bring the Caribbean tourism industry to a wider world. The paper is intended to give an overview of the Caribbeans tourism industry and how the Caribbean can reach sustainable development by overcoming all negative environmental problems. The Caribbean on a whole has suffered economically, socially and environmentally. Governments seek to improve the quality of life through the existing industries but how can we reach to a point where we have sustainable development in our islands. The aim is to build this through tourism and the environmental planning. Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Another key term would be that of environmental planning (International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009). Environmental planning as defined as any planning activity that with an aim to preserve or enhance environmental resources. It looks at how society at present can affect the natural environment both current and in the future. Considerations include, water, land, pollution and other natural resources (The Environmental Education Directory, 2004). The tourism industry has been the driving force for most islands in the Caribbean for the past twenty years. In Grenada for instance, Agriculture was once the driving industry but due to natural disasters and damaging of the Agricultural properties, tourism has taken over as the major driving force in the country but how beneficial is this industry really. Tourism has contributed towards the economy, social lifestyle and ecology and the sustainability of each in the Caribbean (World Trade and Tourism Organization and International Hotel and Restaurant Association (WTTC and IHRA, 1999). Tourism has proven to be a good source of income for many islands. The tourism industry is divided into five different sectors namely accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel services all of which plays an important role in the industry. Others include telecommunications, and manufacturing. With this in mind, tourism is a large provider for jobs for the people of the Caribbean. It has been forecasted that in 2010 Tourism will contribute approximately 11.7% of the worlds GDP and employment for approximately 255 million world-wide (WTTC, 1999) The tourism industry has also fostered improved infrastructure in many Caribbean islands which in turn attracts more foreign investments for foreigners. The need for improved infrastructure is to facilitate tourists. The quality of roads and buildings are very important. In islands where both are not at high standards this may pose problems to the many sectors within industry such as accommodation, that is, the hotels and resorts. In addition, there are many tourists that travel to the Caribbean by cruise ships so it is important the ports can accommodate the large numbers at any given time with efficient service as well (Ellen, Karen WTTC, 2009). It has played a significant role in the Caribbeans up bring. For instance, look at Jamaica, Bahamas, and Trinidad. Tourism in Trinidad accounts for 10.6% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product that is, 14,116.9 Trinidadian dollars and 14.7% of total employment that is, 88,000 jobs. These figures are also expected to rise by 2019 (WTTC, 2009). The same applies for Jamaica where tourism contributes 45% of Jamaicas foreign income and employs 300,000 Jamaicans directly and indirectly (Jamaica Economy, 2008). As it relates to Bahamas, one of their biggest drivers is Tourism. In Bahamas, tourism and other tourism driven sectors account for 60% of their GDP. It employs approximately 50% of their population (The Bahamas, 2009). Overall in 2008, Tourism has accounted for 14.8% of the Caribbeans Gross Domestic product and 12.9% of employment (Nurse, Keith, 2008). Whilst accommodating tourism and its benefits to the Caribbean, the impact of the tourism industry on the environment but be taken into consideration. In other words, how are the related on what impacts do they have on each other. For most tourist destinations, what attracts tourists to the country is the quality of the environment, the many reasons existing in the Caribbean. For this reason, the environments sustainability and preservation is vitality important to the industry. The environment usually provides attractions and sight-seeing for tourists. The resources available in a country both natural and man-made are essential to industry. Combined with infrastructural developments such as roads and airports, the hotels, resorts and marinas, the environment plays a very significant role in the tourism industry. A country lacking proper tourism facilities may negatively impact the economic growth in this industry. In eco-friendly Caribbean islands the marina which is home to many sea creatures must be preserved (WTTC, 1999). Water as a natural resource is highly demanded by the tourism industry in aid of facilitating and accommodating tourists. Tourists rely on water for consumption and personal use. Restaurants use water for cooking and many resorts have pools as an enhancing feature for the tourists. Land area is utilized as well for building hotels and restaurants. Despite the fact that tourism seems to rely heavily on the environment, there are many adverse impacts that tourism has on the environment. Tourism attracts many tourists to the islands of the Caribbean and in effect leads to the overuse of the resources of the environment. For instance, in order to facilitate tourists, accommodation must be provided. One negative impacts of this is deforestation where forests are cut or burnt down to facilitate the building of the hotels and resorts. Another negative impact would be that of increased pollution. Tourist travel around the island sight-seeing increases the chance of land, air, sea and noise pollution. Often times waste is improperly disposed off harming the surroundings and in many cases marine life. In addition to this the marine life as it relates to the coral reefs have been greatly affected by tourism. They are often overused and damaged as a result (WTTC, 1999) Another impact is the increase in diseases. Many of the tourists come to the islands with air-borne diseases from their environment posing a threat to the Caribbean (Anonymous, 2009). In many instances some natural resources are depleted. This occurs when there is an increase in the consumption of any particular resource that is scarce. Water is one of the many resources that when overused results in shortages and possible degradation. This can also increase water pollution since more and more water is able to settle allowing for static water and possible growth of bacteria contaminating the environment. In order to reduce the negative impacts that tourism is having on the environment considerable planning must take place. The hotel industry has implemented certifications in their hotels. One main certification on stream is the Green Globe 21 certification. With this certification hotels are required annually to conduct their business practices in such a way that the environment is being protected. They aim at reducing the amount of water consumed through recycling and conserving energy. Introducing awareness programs about the endangered environment is very important. Many persons are unaware of the consequences of their actions and educating the public on these will give them that drive to protecting the environment. One example of how the public can help protect the environment is through car pooling where persons group up and travel using one vehicle as opposed to the three individuals vehicles. This would help reduce the amount of gas emission into the atmosphere (Sapayan, Maria, 2009). In 2005, Antigua Barbuda, the Sustainable Island Resource Management Mechanism (SIRMM) project was introduced to reduce the problems they experience with over exploitation of the natural environment. It covers are land degradation, poor water quality, loss of biodiversity and many other factors and areas affected (SIRMM Project, n. d.). In many islands, actions have been taken against over harvesting of the marine life. Fishermen often times remove to many of the marine animals in their quest to make a profit, hampering further growth for the future. This has been a threat to the ecosystem of the Caribbean. Governments have implemented close seasons for hunting and fishing in many of the islands. There is need for improvement in this area since many fishermen use this as their source of income by providing fish for hotels and restaurants (Anonymous, 2006). Ecotourism is another means of eliminating the negative impacts of tourism on the environment. Ecotourism is a tourism aimed at preserving the environment. Any island that focuses on ecotourism as their income earners places more emphasis in the preservation of their environment (Mader. C, Pemberton. K Carlisle. A, 2005). The Caribbean aims at expanding and finding a place in the Caribbean and there are many opportunities in doing so. One major opportunity is diversity. The Caribbean for many years has focused on their beautiful beaches, their warm weather, and their white sand. In other words, the three Ss, Sun, sand and sea, the main resources available on the islands. Diversity will not only bring a new look to the experience for tourists but it will boost the Caribbean economy. Many larger tourist destinations have diversified their products and services. They have utilized many of their resources and stepped away from traditional. In the Caribbean stepping away from the traditional is an opportunity for further growth in the tourism industry (Hoschtialek. R, Nov 24 2009). In Grenada for instance, we advertise our white sandy beaches with clear blue waters but what about our ecosystem. How often is our coral reefs made mention of in the Caribbean. For the past decade or so there have been improvements in the products and services which have proven to cause an increase in the number of visitors to the islands (Hoschtialek. R, Nov 24, 2009). There are however many more areas to tap into for instance in Grenada, Levera beach is the Caribbeans third largest turtle nesting area. The tourism industry can develop more into these areas as added attraction for tourists visiting the islands. Also in Grenada, an underwater sculpture museum was built being the first of its kind in the Caribbean. This opens up to diversity. Tourism can use their many resources to introduce innovate ways of entertaining their visitors (Hoschtialek. R, Nov. 24, 2009). Another opportunity lies in Montserrat where the islands volcanic background can be used as a sight-seeing attraction where tourists get the opportunity to see the volcanoes and the remnants of it (Hoschtialek. R, Nov. 24, 2009). Dominica is one island that have tapped into the opportunity of making their environment more eco-friendly. They have invested much into eco-tourism more so than any other island. They place emphasis on enhancing the marine life and use that to their benefit for tourists visiting the island. This is an opportunity present for all islands and is sure to increase the number of investors in the islands since more and more persons are becoming environmentally friendly. This can therefore boost our economy with the foreign direct investments that these may offer (Caribbean Land and Property, 2008). From this report, when looking at the vulnerability, sustainability and the Caribbeans place in the World it is evident that through the tourism industry and environmental planning that the Caribbean can engage into a wider world. The tourism industry has proven to pose both advantages and disadvantages to the Caribbean. In many cases it has been beneficial to the Caribbean by creating job opportunities and boosting the economy. However, with it relying so much on the environment, it has had some negative impacts on the environment. With aims of improving the ways of preserving and conserving the environment, the tourism industry can invest in actions that would bring the environment to a more stabilized one. Environmental planning will decrease the risk associated with tourism because all of the negative impacts are addressed before hand. With this combination of the tourism industry in the Caribbean and proper planning in preserving the environment the Caribbean can have sustainable development and bring a brighter and safer future for individuals all through the cooperation of those now. The Caribbean will grow into a more open place and reap from the benefits while seeking more opportunities for further development. References Anonymous, (2006). Environmental Planning: Educational and Career Outlook. Retrieved on November 24th, 2009 from http://www.enviroeducation.com/majors-programs/env-plan.html Anonymous, (2006). SIRMM Project, A step forward in conserving the environment. Retrieved on November 24th, 2009 from http://www.environmentdivision.info/?q=node/168 Anonymous, (n.d). Caribbean Ecotourism Yields Economic Rewards for Investors, Real estate for ecotourism Supports Caribbean Sustainable Development. Retrieved on November 22nd, 2009 from http://www.prlog.org/10127079-caribbean-ecotourism-yields-economic-rewards-for-investors.html Babu, N. (n.d.). Environmental planning as a tool for environmental protection the need and the possibilities. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from (http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/environment/overview/envo0002pf.htm Charles. M, Pemberton. K, Carlisle. A, (2005). Ecotourism as a Means of Conserving Wetlands. Retrieved on November 22nd, 2009 from http://www.allbusiness.com/finance/1166294-1.html CTV Canada am. (2009). Loren reveals why you should reconsider the Caribbean. Retrieved on November 24th, 2009 from http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091123/loren_blog_091123/20091123/ Ellen. K (n.d.). EHow, What are the Benefits of tourism in the Caribbean? Retrieved on November 20th, 2009 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5234349_benefits-tourism-caribbean.html FAS Productions, (2008). Jamaica Economy. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.all-jamaica.com/jamaica/economy.html Hoschtialek. R, personal communication, Nov. 24th, 2009 Nurse, K, (2008). International Centre for Trade and sustainable development, Climate change, tourism and services in small islands. Retrieved on November 19th, 2009 from http://ictsd.org/i/news/bioresreview/34826/ Sapayan, M. (n.d.). Ezine articles, Ways in Preserving the Environment. Retrieved on November 22nd, 2009 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ways-in-Preserving-the-Environmentid=2463133 Schultz. E, (2009). Caribbean Construction Digest, Preserving our environment. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.cariconstruction.com/?p=174 U.S Department of State, (2009). Background Note : Bahamas. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1857.htm World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Our common future. Retrieved on November 23rd, 2009 from http://www.iisd.org/sd/

Literary Minimalism and Jean François Lyotard :: Free Essays Online

Literary Minimalism and Jean Franà §ois Lyotard 1. Anne Beattie has been called a writer of minimalist fiction. Jean Franà §ois Lyotard’s theories concerning postmodern expression have many similarities to this style. In this paper some of Lyotard’s philosophical contributions to postmodernism will be presented as mission statements for, and/or an explanations of, the minimalist style. 2. First, minimalism as a style will be explained through examples from Anne Beattie’s story "Girl Talk" along with other commentary. To begin, minimalism, as Madison Smart Bell wrote . . . may fairly be described as a school because its representative work contains, as if by prescription, a number of specific elements: A trim, ‘minimal style, an obsessive concern for surface detail, a tendency to ignore or eliminate distinctions among the people it renders and a studiedly deterministic, at times nihilistic, vision of the world’ (Rebein 34). 3. Indeed, the minimalist style of writing is one that lacks distinct amounts of color. It is this tedious pen that writes stories such as "Girl Talk," by Anne Beattie, in which a pregnant woman narrates her experience at her boyfriend’s mother’s birthday party. The attention to surface detail that Bell notes can be seen Beattie’s almost page long description of each of the characters’ toes sitting at a table after dinner. The narrator describes each person in detail: "The twins that are not twins have baby toes that curl under" "Craig has square toenails" "Barbara has long toenails" (31). In this segment there does not seem to be anything below the surface --such as social commentary or opinion of humanity--just feet. This devotion to almost pointless description without commentary fits the minimalist style, as Robert Rebein says in his book Hicks, Tribes, and Dirty Realists that minimalism "is neither insightful nor even reasonably articulate" (37). 4. This lack of articulation can also be seen in the opening lines of the story, "Barbara is her chaise. Something is wrong with the pool. . ." (Beattie 28). These lines merely describe things lazily and without meaning, not even using the description that is devoted to toes later in the story. 5. Bell also mentions an aspect of nihilism in regard to minimalism. Among its definitions, Webster’s Dictionary defines nihilism as the belief that "all existence is senseless and there is no possibility of an objective basis for truth." This definition can be applied to minimalism in that the writing style never purports to reveal a truth about the world it creates.

College Course Preference Essay

Months from now, senior high school students will be graduating and will be entering a new chapter of their lives—college life. In line with this, the incoming college freshmen should have decided on what program they should take in college. Unfortunately, senior students nowadays are facing a dilemma on their college course preference. This quandary made the researcher conduct a study regarding the factors that influence seniors’ decision making in their college course preference. Information Technology, Nursing, and Hotel and Room Management are the usual courses that are taken up by many students because of the popularity. Some of them are constrained by their parents’ desire while some based their choice to one’s mental capacity. Some are hindered by their family status and there are those who still pursue their dreams. Some are undecided and end up taking a course which doesn’t fit them. The seniors are loaded with a pile of school works, their theses, and basic accountancy. On weekends, some still find time to spend it with their friends in malls, computer shops, play basketball or just dillydally despite their busy schedule while some make use of these days to study their next lessons or prepare for their incoming thesis defense. These things made them forget that soon, they will be leaving this school and they need to pick a course and find a university or college. They even missed to search for courses and universities they might want to apply to but instead they arrive applying for a course they don’t even like. The researcher desires to help the seniors and the next batches in deciding on what course to take in college by determining the factors that may influence them. The researcher wanted them to have an easier way to make a choice through presenting the respondents options that will determine the factors influencing their college course preference. This may also help the guidance counselor of the school in advising the students who are experiencing dilemma regarding their college course preference.

Get the full guide for commentary writing

Get the full guide for commentary writing Help in Writing a Commentary When you face with new kind of writing, you need a detailed guide to follow. Exactly such an approach helps the writer to make the text exciting, readable, and informative. The same is fair for commentary. What is this, how to write it, using actual requirements – you would get your answers in the following guide. The Definition of Commentary Commentary is a kind of paper that means in-depth analysis of another text. It differs from other similar tasks, such as thesis, essay, etc., so has its own rules in writing. Commentary is useful for different companies which publish short news and articles, such as newspapers. With this kind of paper, you can make a place for discussion of different topics by opposite points of view. As a result, commentary belongs to critical tasks but has a respectful tone of voice at the same time. There are several particularities of the process of commentary writing according to its origin. Proper Style and Tone of Voice So writing commentary means making a critical analysis of the primary source. Your text must contain the description of the current situation and potential consequences in the nearest future. The writer cant use only his fantasy because the document must be fair and relevant. So prefer facts, events, and other pieces of evidence from the original paper. Only such approach allows reaching readable and exciting commentary. Besides, the author should use his knowledge and skills in the exact field to make new paper based on the focal article. As a result, you can start an interesting and constructive discussion for your topic. Note, that you cant change the focus of your commentary. Make sure that your paper is concerned on the main subject of the original text, but not minor facts of the authors personality. Such mistakes are very spread among young writers. Of course, your aim is a critical analysis of someone elses job, but keep it respectable. Use the only constructive tone of voice and writing style to let your readers make conclusions on their own. The Guide for Making Commentary Be sure to highlight all the important points from the original text. According to this material, you can collect, sort, and finish important ideas in one document. Thats why you will make a draft, write an outline, proofread, and finish your commentary. In general, you aim to prepare the main aspects and share them in your text. So you will pass the following steps in your writing. Preparation Stage You must make all the preparations beforehand so there would be no misunderstanding in the future. Read the original text for several times. Such an approach guarantees getting all important facts. You must remember and understand each sentence, not to miss any vital point of view. Make notes with the most important facts and write your ideas while getting acquainted with the text. Such highlights will be a base for your commentary and text outline. Create an Outline An outline is the next part of the preparation stage of your commentary. You can start writing this block of text only after reading a primary text for several times and making highlights. This is like a basic preparation for outline preparation. To make a great outline, you need to review the original article structure. According to its particularities, you can create your bullets. Each one sentence should be relevant to your future text and primary source. Your outline will contain an introduction, several pieces in the body, and small conclusions. This is a simple example of an effective outline that will be great for your commentary. Collect Data for Introduction The introduction cannot be overvalued because this block of the text creates the first impression of your commentary. It would be great if your introduction will be not only interesting and readable but also catching and exciting. Make sure you did your best to make this block. So, first of all, you should identify the most important information. You should read and note the title of the paper, its genre, author, and date of publication. Be attentive to find there anything interesting for your paper. Remember, that commentary essay requires from the writer to add such information at the beginning of the text. Besides, you can use interesting facts connected with your primary source. For instance, explain the whole collection of writing, where your text for the analysis belongs. But you must distinguish interest and unimportant details, such as the authors favorite color. Such a mistake can cost you a lot because no one likes to waste your own time on third rate content. Identify Subject and Target Audience With such elements, you will start your body. It is created to explain all facts, data, events, etc. exactly in this part. You can create a list of questions for yourself and answer them in the body. Such a simple method helps to identify constructive parts in original text and share them in your commentary. Also, you may find the main accents in the primary source, highlight them, and rewrite in your essay. So remember your general aim: to share the main ideas and the focus of your primary source in the body. This section is called to explain the basic information for your readers: the main points of view, the authors purposes, etc. It is okay to share only the main ideas, but not all of them, so keep ranging all highlights according to your taste. Explain the Text This is a place to observe the structure of the writing (for example, poetry, prose, type of essay, etc.). Usually, writers have requirements in the structure, but also they can get a free blueprint. Thats why you can feel free and share your expressions in a commentary in any structure you are comfortable with. The most popular is prose. It is a simple note without any additional requirement. Just use your plan and dont think about special rhythm or text melody. Additional advice: dont push yourself into the unusual structure of the text, if it is not obligated. Yes, sometimes you need to risk gaining the best results. But experience shows that a good job is based on your skills and abilities. So experts in prose shouldnt risk it all and write poems. Choose the Text Presentation Then you need to identify the type of the voice (the first or second person) and the tone (friendly/official). To identify the type of person, you need to check who speaks the text. If you note the words like you and we, then you will describe all characters in the article. If there is only I, then using the first person is obviously. All such particularities must be described in your commentary. Dont think that amount of heroes is not important. It is as vitally important, as the main goals and ideas of the article. Understand the Proper Tone of Voice The tone of voice is a style of expression of the authors points of view. He can do it in any manner he is comfortable. Also, the choice of voice depends on the target audience and tasks which the writer had. For instance, the friendly tone of voice is extremely popular among youth in entertainment and job. They prefer sharing any information with strangers as they are friends. In other situations, you may need a serious tone of voice to highlight the particularities of the issue. Be sure that the tone of voice can change the impression from any situation. Even the choice of exact words can play a great role in the text destiny. The authors mood and experience cause the proper tone of voice, so such characteristics are unique for all types of content. There is also no special requirement for writers, so choose the most proper tone and type of voice for you. Most authors tend to use a neutral tone of voice, which looks like a smart combination of friendly and official language. But on special topics, you cant rely on a neutral impression. For instance, serious historical facts require more logical structure, and the story of the exact piece of art needs an emotional background. Highlight Important Language Tools Language tool is a special element which is used to increase the power of exact meaningful sentence or word communication. You can add metaphor and impress someone with your in-depth understanding of the subject or choose strong quotation to support your own point of view. In any case, such elements are strong tips for your text. All such language tools mean a lot for your commentary. Thats why you should note the literary tools in the text. You may highlight metaphors, conclusions, hyperbolas, alliterations, and so on. It is highly recommended reading special guidelines to identify tools and their meaning literally. Sometimes such elements in the text can mean more than a simple language tool. Besides mentioning these elements, you also must explain the meaning for the writer and his paper. Never make a mistake with the meaning of the language tool. It is worse than to skip this part at all. Add Quotes to Your Commentary Quotations are not obvious parts of your commentary, but they can bring it much more weight. The phrases from the original text will support your ideas and make your readers excited. There is no situation which cannot become better with the relevant quote. For instance, if you discuss the role of religion for the famous scientist in his researches, you should find his point of view with the keyword religion or other thematic words. Use his direct speech in quotation marks to support the exact fact. This would be the best evidence for your commentary. So choose the relevant sentences and take them in quotation marks in your essay. Such a simple tip will bring you great advantages in writing a commentary. Make a Summary The summary is the final conclusion for your commentary. This part is small, but it means a lot for writer, readers, and the text in general. To make a great summary, you should remember all the details of your text and use them as briefly as you can to share the last words. So write the final sentence to conclude the primary source and your job with absolute calm. Make several samples of summary and choose the best one. Try to put yourself in your target audiences shoes and make this paragraph exactly for them. Remember that this part shouldnt present new information, but support all previous facts and ideas in the commentary. Your body is a place for new facts, but not the conclusion. If you place here anything that was not mentioned before you will make a serious crime in the academic writing field, so let your summary be just a summary with your final words and nothing else. Keep Your Text in Presentable Form Presentation is very important for any job. You can create the best content but make weak presentations. Such a situation will cause only issues and will not bring any advantage. Or the writer may hide the weak content under the mask of impressive presentation and get more chances for success. But the best way is to keep both elements awesome. Your text must be excellent, and the presentation should be logic, nice, and pleasant. Prefer traditional writing styles and improve them with modern tips like pictures or scales. The tone of voice, writing manner, and paper quality are also important. Keep the balance of facts, descriptions, humor, information, and other elements in your commentary. Ask for a Feedback The feedback is an opportunity to hear the thoughts of your target audience. If you read your commentary in front of other people, you can get their first impressions and pieces of advice. Besides, you are also able to post your commentary online and get users comments. Their points of view can help you improve your content, its structure, tone of voice, and other particularities. So always give final proofreading to your friends and ask your audience for feedback. Get all advantages from peoples criticism and analysis. It is quite simple to encourage them to share their thoughts, so keep your voice friendly and let people support you. Proofread and Improve Your Paper The proofreading is a key to good commentary. There is no way to finish your material and do not polish it in several days. This is a very important rule among all editors, so always prepare time for such stage. Usually, proofreading requires from several hours to several days. The more time you have, it is better. The best way is to proofread your commentary in several days after you finish writing. The point is the author can be blind for his own text because he spends so many time on it and even can play by memory each sentence. In several days your brain will rest and be able to make independent proofreading. Also, remember the traditional requirements for all kinds of papers. Keep out mistakes and misprints, make the text readable, pleasant, and exciting. Of course, you are not a machine and can miss misprints, but your commentary will be damaged. Try to use the help in proofreading, for instance, special online tools or professional editors. Let`s Start It! Commentary isnt so simple as you can think for the first time. But you have all chances to execute such job on the highest level. Just keep these guidelines and follow all recommendations while making commentary. If you feel you need help, then just ask for professional support right now.