Sex in the media (telecommunication) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sex in the media (telecommunication) - Essay Example The issue is a disturbing yet interesting phenomenon that coincides with the growing media expansion and the sexual sophistication of a younger audience who spend unending hours in front of the television. Probably the most divisive subjects when it comes to the media’s responsibility toward society is its powerful control over teens, who, according to a Neilson Study conducted in 2009, â€Å"spends 104 hours a month watching tv† (US Teens Spend...par 7). â€Å"That the media powerfully shapes teens sexual lives to generally deleterious effect is widely taken for granted by politicians, parents, religious leaders, journalists, and even teens themselves† (Carpenter par 2), and according to a Pew Study, â€Å"75% of the 1,505 adults polled...would like to see tighter enforcement of government rules on broadcast content...† (Facts and TV Statistics par 1). One of the major issues involves teen pregnancy and its relationship to sex on television. While there have been many studies done, no one can seem to agree whether the sexual content on television actually has the negative affect some insist. We and network officials can argue the point forever, however there are many who, working with children every day, see the effects in a very concrete way. One of them is Eileen Hart, in whose opinion it is not only true regarding pregnancy, but believes that as a society we should at minimum expect the educational system to counteract the damage. She suggests it be done through the teaching of rhetorical in English education to prepare students to critically evaluate media messages. She cites television as an especially damaging purveyor of inaccurate sexual images in an environment where â€Å"sensory stimuli [combined] with relaxed, non-critical viewing – strongly correlates with negative teen behaviors that result in teen pregnancy† (Hart 1). Along with how teens assess what they see in the media, most of the visual information

Read Chapters Three and Four of your text Corporate Universities and Essay

Read Chapters Three and Four of your text Corporate Universities and respond to the topic questions - Essay Example Meister says that the principle of corporate university is based on flexible approach so that they are able to incorporate the environmental changes within their work paradigms. My company keeps evolving with outside changes through creation of constant learning environment. The company’s well defined hierarchical organizational structure is designed to cater to the wider perspectives of competitive business. Coaching and feedback are top priority that enables us to keep up with the challenges of the time. I agree with Montgomery (2008) that changing times require more dynamic strategic goals to meet the emerging new challenges. My company’s plans and actions in promoting its dynamic business goals are aligned to its values which thrive on change. While corporate university is a recently evolved concept, the imperatives of providing a learning environment for the workers have been consistent with the vision and mission of our company since its inception. I strongly believe that training programs facilitate the acquisition of skills and necessary knowledge to develop a wider perspective towards various issues. Indeed, the company has been able to provide the hierarchy of workers with a wider scope for professional growth in the area of core competencies. Meister believes that the basic goal of the corporate universities is to ensure that the corporate bodies are able to easily adapt to the fast changing equations of the global business so as to maintain market position. They do that through partnership with other businesses and educational institutes. The alliances help to provide a wider database of new resources and knowledge acquisition. It facilitates development of curricula based on real situation and incorporates the demands of the changing times. Thus, the corporate universities are able to exploit the huge

The Aesthetics Of One Cult Film Film Studies Essay

The Aesthetics Of One Cult Film Film Studies Essay This essay will discuss the aesthetics of the cult film, Blade Runner. Firstly we will look at the way in which theorists have set out to define the extensive genre of cult film, looking at in particular, but not limited to, the works of theorists Telotte, Jancovitch and Sconce etc.   We will then analyse the film Blade Runner, dissecting the film and its aesthetics and discuss how, or if, they contribute to making it a cult classic, looking at its appeal to audiences, and what makes it transgressive in its theme and style. Cult film is a diverse and wide-ranging quasi-genre that cannot be attributed to one set of stylistic conventions, as Sconce comments in his study [cult film] would include entries from such seemingly disparate subgenres as bad films, spatterpunk,mondo films, sword and sandal epics, Elvis flicks, governmental hygiene films, Japanese monster moves, beach party musicals, and just about every other historical manifestation of exploitation cinema from juvenile delinquency documentaries to soft core pornography. (Sconce, J (1995)  Cult fictions: Cult Movies, Subcultural Capital and the Production of Cultural Distinctions. p.373). There is one feature that can be attributed to that of all cult films the devout admiration that it receives from its fans, Sconce argues this further it is not defined according to some single, unifying feature shared by all cult movies, but rather through a sub-cultural ideology in filmmaker, films or audiences are seen as existing to the opposition to the mainstream. In other words, cult is largely a matter of the ways in which films are classified in consumption. (ibid p.373).   As there are no clearly defined set of characteristics that define a cult film, I believe it is useful to look at  the etymological root of the word cult, which  comes from the Latin word cultus and means belief and ritual. J.P. Telotte states in his 1991 book Beyond All Reason: The Nature of Cult, that the word  signifies both adherence and mastery and also submission and domination, meaning that the word is steeped in a dual purpose to both worship and control (p.14). Telotte furthers this argument by stating that a film transitions to its cult status by the actions of its fans through a process of reception and conversion a film is transformed into an object of cryptic worship and a supertext is created by the audiences actions with the original text (p.7). Other theorists such as Jancovitch and Sexton also empathise this strong link between cult films and audience appropriation processes. All theorists also argue the process of resurrection is a feature of a lot of cult f ilms that a film takes on cult status when it is resurrected from its critical and / or commercial failures and  takes on a new life through its adoption by this new niche audience. The film is brought back to life within a different cultural context, attracting strong emotional connections from audiences who use it to define themselves in opposition to what is considered as the norm or mainstream at that time (Jancovitch (2003) Defining Cult Movies: The Cultural Politics of Oppositional Taste. p.1). This inference that cult film viewers love their films for aggressively attacking the established quality of cannon cinema  Sconce, J. (1995) Trashing the Academy: Taste, Excess, and an Emerging Politics of Cinematic Style. p.374) and that the text is not always in opposition on its release, is often drawn upon when assessing the cult film. It is this resurrected category of cult films that Ridley Scotts Blade Runner falls into.   Transgression is another feature of many cult films as, as stated, cult fans are often attracted to themes and styles that can clearly be understood as in opposition to the mainstream, ignoring the established conventions and rejoicing in difference. According to theorist Barry Grant, transgression can be understood in terms of content, attitude or style (Grant, B K (1991) Science fiction double feature: Ideology in the Cult Film. p.123). Saturated with cultural visual references and clichà ©s, generic hybridity, collage-like excessiveness, and technical incompetence are all recognised stylistic and aesthetic examples of transgression in cult film. Transgressive subject matter in cult films are the subjects that often are ignored or deemed too taboo for mainstream cinema such as rape, transvestism, social / political critique, incest, dehumanisation, ideas of dystopia and slavery etc. Blade Runner can be seen as transgressive in its style, content and attitude by the way in which is paints a gritty, dystopian vision of the future that explores themes of dehumanisation, slavery, social criticism and crisis and corporate / capitalist greed. The aesthetic aspects of the film present a shadowy, rainy visual style that is indebted to the genre of Film Noir. This helps to reinforce the subversive themes, submerging the audience into a dark, oppressive world that is familiar (through its constant cultural references) but alien at the same time, namely though its captivating special effects. Blade Runner can also be seen as transgressive in its narrative style and pace many viewers criticised the film for its slow-developing storyline and filming style that went against the speedy, action-packed action of sci-fi films of its time. It is also a prime example of generic hybridity, crossing over cinematic styles such as Film Noir, Science-Fiction, Thriller and Romance.   You are no longer simply a fan of Blade Runner: you are part of the world of Blade Runner or even a blade runner yourself. (Brooker, W (1999) Internet Fandom and the Continuing Narratives of Star Wars, Blade Runner and Alien, p.60). Ridleys Scotts Blade Runner, released in 1982 (re-release 1992) by Warner Bros, was adapted from Philip K. Dicks novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Initially it was not well received but went on to achieve cult status with fans dedicating websites and fan conventions to the film. Depicting a dystopian Los Angles in 2019, it is now thought of as the benchmark with which to compare cinematic representations of urban decay. The film has made a lasting impression and long stayed in the minds of countless fans in the 30 years since it was released, justifying its further releases.  Blade Runner was released during the same year as big blockbuster hits such as E.T. and Star Trek II. Not only did the film have to compete with such big-budget movies, but these films are almost in direct opposition to Blade Runners gritty disposition, and their up-beat attitude. Unsurprisingly the film was not a box-office success, taking only $14.5m in ticket s ales whilst costing an estimated $28m to make. Critical reception was also disappointing with most reviewers failing to fully understand the film in one sitting, and so dismissing the narrative as muddled and inconsistent. Fortunately Blade Runner was produced around the same time as the arrival of home cable and videotapes and was chosen as one of the first films to be released for home video. This ultimately meant that the film was now made available for people who wouldnt normally go to the cinema to watch sci-fi films and enabled the viewer to watch as many times needed in order to fully understand and appreciate the complex narrative, and it was in rental video and cable TV that Blade Runner found its devoted audience. Since this time the film has been released a further two times once ten years on in 1992 as a Directors Cut and again in 2007 as a five-disc Final cut including deleted scenes and commentary the ultimate collectable for the cult fan. Although there were only tw o official releases, there are several different versions of the film. This enables the cult fan to research the details of the other versions, helping them to better understand and identify the film and fulfil their desires for more.   First, the [cult] phenomenal experience is an aesthetic one. It is an experience that is sought for its own sake- as an end in itself. (Mathijis, E Sexton, J (2011) Cult Cinema p.18).   In Blade Runner, cult aesthetic techniques help to articulate the films critique of capitalism. The shadowy visual style is all-encompassing and supports the films transgressive themes. The set design and narrative use of set spaces create an atmosphere of (frightening) splendour and mystery. The high towers are only accessible by futuristic flying crafts (only available to the police) or by controlled access lifts. Blade Runner contrasts an upper city for the authorities and the wealthy, with a dirty and more chaotic lower city for the masses. The continual darkness and absence of natural light constantly remind us of mans destructive greed and is juxtaposed to the bright neon lights of the commercial adverts placed in every possible space. These mesmerising neon billboards and corporate adverts that dominate the city signify capitalist greed and are the only source of light in what would otherwise be a very bleak and depressing environment. The garish pink and red colours also evok e references to Hell. In their stark contrast to the obscure landscape below, the bright neon colours suggest the links in advanced capitalism, with the sparkling promises of consumption and the cruel realities of production and the mundane. These urban scenes manifest our fears about urban decay, and visualise our anxieties of complete corporate dominance of everyday life. The urban images paint a ruined and devastated natural environment with many buildings abandoned and streets overflowing with rubbish. I would argue that the use of the light in the film enhances the themes of social and political critique and thus helps cult fans to understand it as in opposition to the mainstream and thus identify themselves with it. Camera angles, shadows and the use of smoke are also very important aesthetics in conveying the films dark mood. POV camera angles are used to help the audience identify with the characters who are both humans and replicants- highly advanced cyborg slaves, manufactured by the Tyrell Corporation, that are More Human Than Human (The fictional companys marketing slogan) and eventually become hostile to their creator. Wide sweeping shots with high camera angles, looking either up at the tall imposing buildings or down at the dark streets, convey the enormity of the city and its intimidating atmosphere. This atmosphere of fear and intimidation is also created through the use of filming the city through the glass-bottomed police hover-cars that patrol the streets and see al l there is to offer in this dismal landscape. Scott uses shadow to continue the theme of darkness which, of course, lends from the Film Noir style of using shadow to create mood and enhance drama. The darkness continues even with indoor scenes and as in Film Noir movies, blinds are used to separate light and fragment the narrative visually. Shadowing is often used in the film to convey the underlying darkness in the narrative when it may not be apparent this is evident in a scene in JF Sebastians flat where Pris and Ron Batty (replicants) are hiding out (Sebastian is not aware they are Replicants) and although the characters are being nice to Sebastian, the viewer can sense that something more sinister is going on. Smoke is another feature used heavily in the film to create mystery and fear. Most characters smoke, expressing their paranoia and anxiousness. Smoke also emits from the industrial buildings, polluting the city and again, adding to the sinister tone.   Blade Runners generic hybridity is a recognised transgressive aesthetic within Cult film, with Telotte arguing that the generic mish-mash is a defining element (Telotte (1991) Beyond All Reason: The Nature of Cult  ). As discussed, Blade Runner embodies the visual style and aesthetics of many different film genres, such as Film Noir, Thriller, Romance, and of course Science-Fiction. Sci-Fi as a generic style is displayed in many cult films the groundbreaking special effects and visuals present the possibilities of new worlds with strange creatures and previously unimagined landscapes. This becomes the perfect breeding ground to explore the transgressive and subversive themes mentioned above.  If generic hybridity and collage-like excessiveness are recognised cult film aesthetics, then Film Noir and Thriller are perfect genres to lend from, for their roots in formal complexity are articulated through aesthetic and ideological ambiguity. According to Nicole Rafter Film Noir and cr ime films provide ways for viewers to enjoy fantasies of violence and law-breaking by offering forbidden pleasure and its chastisement, they offer viewers both transgression and the return to conformity, thus alleviating their anxiety about social norms (Rafter, N (2000) Shots in the Mirror: Crime Films and Society  p.153-154). This can easily be related to Telottes ideas on transgression in cult films that they allow the viewer to embrace the other within them and that this is a gesture or a feeling of being transgressive without actually being transgressive (Telotte, J P (1991) Beyond All Reason: The Nature of Cult  ). As mentioned above, the themes and narrative structure of Blade Runner are complex and the average viewer may find they need to watch the film many times in order to fully appreciate and understand it (which in itself encourages cult viewing). In conclusion I cannot deny that Blade Runners aesthetics are what set it aside from the popular movies of its time and so encouraging fans to read it as in opposition to the norm, and identify / align themselves with it. There is also no denying that the aesthetics and mis en scene come together to help narrate the story and support the films transgressive themes, again helping it to achieve its cult status. Fans can surround themselves in this strange but magical world and rejoice in its difference. Ultimately I believe that it is not solely a films cult aesthetics that establish it as cult film or encourage a cult following. Instead they support and encourage the cult themes and subject matter helping to visualise the films sub-cultural ideology (Sconce, J (1995).  

Free Huckleberry Finn Essays: From Conformity to Manhood :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

From Conformity to Manhood  Ã‚      In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is the narrator. The character of Huck Finn was very different than the society that he was born into. Mr. Twain uses Huck’s open mindedness as a window to let humor and the book’s points and morals shine through. Huck always takes things very literally. This not only adds to the humor of the book, but it also lets some of the books deeper messages come through.  Ã‚   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, traces the story of a young man, Huck Finn, from conformity to the Southern way of thinking, to his own ideas about religion, wealth and slavery. In the first scenes of the book Huck is struggling to understand the concepts of Miss Watson's heaven and hell. He finds her harp strumming view of heaven boring and he wants to be in an exciting place. When Miss Watson tells Huck that he will get anything he prays for, he takes it very literally and decides to pray for fishing line, which he gets. But praying for fishing hooks didn't seem to work, when he asks her to pray for him to get some fishing hooks she calls him an idiot. These are both gentle pokes at southern religion. Christianity practiced a people so very pious, like Miss Watson, who can still treat their human slaves like property. This is an ongoing theme in the book. Twain points out some of the absurd incongruences between Christianity and the lifestyle of most of the south. Huck has not conformed to societies general way of thinking. When he is with the widow and Miss Watson, he begins to change, but Pap steals him away and he reverts back to a much more practical l ifestyle. Huck places very little value on the large sum of money that he has in the bank, while he finds smaller sums more important. Six thousand dollars was a fortune in the time that the book was written, but Huck, unlike the rest of his society wasn't impressed by it. This is again because of his literal mindedness. What could he use six thousand dollars for? He could use ten cents to buy some food, or five cents to buy some fishing line, but he had no use for huge sums of money. Society put value on wealth and property and book learning.

Differences and similarity of living at home and living away from home Essay

In western world, people tend to move out from their domicile home from the age 18 because it is part of their culture which they must learn to live by themselves. For eastern world, some people slightly change their way of culture to the western culture whereas the other people still follow their traditional path; to live with family. Home is a place of domicile where people live together in a group of family. At some moment in life, for any reasons, living away from home is inevitable situation. For example, some students who live away from home by living in dormitory or rent house because they have to study beyond their homeland or they want to live near their college for conveniences. For workers, in order to save time of transportation, they choose to live near their workplace. For some people, they just want to live away from home because they want to live independently from family. As you can see, there are many reasons to live away from home. Living beyond home can be both co nvenience and inconvenience. One way to decide between both living styles is to compare them on your differences and similarity point of views. The first difference you can notice is living condition. Most of your own home is the most comfortable place to live mentally and physically. Living at home creates a feeling of security, relief and family. For example, if you cannot deal with any problem, you can share with your family and they might suggest a quick solution to you which help you feel less stress. If you have siblings, you can have activities with them such as, playing games, cooking or sharing life experiences. Sitting on a Sunday morning watching TV with family , helping your dad organizes his things or having a nice chat with your mom makes you realize how valuable your family really is because these activities can provide you to feel lively without lonely. In contrast, if you live alone beyond your home, you might need some good suggestion from them to help you feel more secure. Otherwise, you might encounter some difficult situation or loneliness. Of course, living at home is not only for a pleasure of feeling but also make you feel physically more convenience. At home you have plenty of home facilities and foods. You never worry about the washing day for your clothes because you might have someone else to do that or you just throw it in your washing machine. You will have a comfortable bed at your own home for relaxing in some exhausted day. For foods, you can  eat your favourite foods as much as you want because your parents will take a responsibility to provide foods for you. On the contrary, living away from home is a little bit inconvenience. For example, if you feel hungry you have to go out to the supermarket to get some food. Moreover, in order to balance your time for daily routine, you have to plan for your foods shopping day and estimate your own consumption. As a consequence, living at home can be different in living condition compared with living away from home. By the way, living away from home does not mean yo u will feel less convenience and less lively. At your own life, you can have your necessary facilities or you will have friends, colleagues, boyfriend or girlfriend to share your emotion. You might never feel lonely from being alone; instead, you might feel more enjoyable with friends. The second difference is independence. It is precisely clear that living away from home is living by your own destiny, you have to steer your own life; that is, you have a freedom. For some family, freedom is limited by parent’s rules; as a result, you have to obey all their rules because it is part of life lessons that they want to provide you. For example, you have to come back home or sleep on time when you live with family. Other rules are such as, table manners, using mobile phone at home and house manners. On the other hand, living on your own far away from family gives you a lot of experiences toward organizing your life. If you live by yourself, you can come back home whenever you want without telling or asking permission from your parents. You can go out for a whole night party and have some drink or enjoy eating fast food as much as you want because of living without parents. It is predictable that you must have a good and strong meaning of responsibility to live by yourself. Otherwise, if you indulge yourself too much, your life can be difficult from being disorganized. The third difference is environment. This factor can be varying which depends on the place you move to, so you might experience the new place where culture and weather are difference from your homeland. This factor can be easily noticed among both foreign students and workers. Some people who live away from home; they don’t culturally familiar with people, fashion and foods; as a consequence, they might encounter some cultural shock, embarrassed outfit or lose weight due to strange foods. Weather is another factor for environmental difference. Living away from home can be different and sometimes uncomfortable for some people who immediately move their residence in the different biome. Some people might consider as an excitement moment, whereas another people can be suffered from unfamiliar climate. Therefore, culture and weather differences are environmental factor which you do not forget to consider before moving. In my opinion, adaptation is the key; that is, to stick to your most important values that according to things or situations and changes those things that you believe they can be improved yourself. The last difference is finance. People who live away from home have difference in financial status from people who live at home; thus, people who live at home might be better in financial situation from people who live away from home. For example, if you are a student who lives at home, you never worry about paying bill for public utilities, renting, mortgages or foods; therefore, you can save money and have a good finance; thus, you can indulge yourself by shopping luxury goods or going out for a foreign trip. On the contrary, people who live away from home have to balance their finance in order to live until the next payment comes out. However, for students, living alone does not mean it difficult to live. There are many organizations which provide you a good financial recommendation; alternatively, you can do a part-time job to earn more money for your living cost. As mentioned earlier, in spite of these differences, there is similarity among living at home and living away from ho me. One similarity is responsibility. If you live at home, you also have responsibility to fulfill, just as people who live away from home; that is, housework. At least, you have to tidy up your bedroom, cleaning up your family’s room if they ask for help unless you have a housewife. Similarly, if you live away from home you will have the same duty as you are at home. Moreover, you have to plan and organize your cleaning day for balancing your schedule. Therefore, two styles of living are similar in responsibility; however, living away from home seems to need more organization for your routine. In conclusion, if you think to move out, you should consider the difference of living condition, independence, environment and finance from your domicile  residence. Moreover, adaptation is the key for success for living by your own. However, responsibility is the one similarity in both styles of living which you should maintain the habit. Otherwise, your life can be out of track.

Biography Of Rachel Carson

A zoologist, biologist, environmentalist, writer, ecologist and a champion of nature conservation- Rachel Carson was all this and much more. From writing radio scripts during Depression to being the author of the best selling â€Å"Silent Spring† her journey was long, illustrious and motivational. The way she battled all odds, struggled with financial troubles and then later suffered all the indignities thrown at her after the publication of â€Å"Silent Spring† teaches us a lot about life and makes us look up to her with respect and admiration.Her early life was instrumental in making her the person she was. Her interest in nature was kindled during her childhood. Rachel Carson was born on May 27, 1907 of a father who was an ambitious real estate developer and a mother who was a teacher. Her father’s plans for their estate in Springdale, Pennsylvania did not quite materialize and thus from the very childhood, Rachel was no alien to financial difficulties. Her mo ther instilled in Rachel her own love for nature and books.Hence the training of a future environmentalist and a best selling author began early in life. Rachel started writing at a very early age and her publication was for a children’s magazine at the age of ten. Thus the die was cast and she was to follow this course till the very end of her life. After passing out from Parnassus High School, she enrolled in the Pennsylvanian college for Women (now Chatham College). She majored in English but later changed her subject to zoology.In 1932, Carson received her master’s degree. Her financial condition took a turn for the worse during the Depression and especially after the death of her father in 1935. Desperately trying to make ends meet for her family, she accepted the job of a radio writer for a programme on fishery and marine life produced by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. There seemed no end in sight to her miseries on the personal front. Her sister died in 1936, leaving behind two daughters.Carson took the girls in as part of family and they shifted to Silver Spring, Maryland to counter problems like her commutation to her job, the girls’ education and her mother’s old age. Following her excellent performance in the civil services examination, Carson went out to become the first ever female biologist to work at the Bureau. This was the beginning of a career that would see her influence the whole world with her writings.Her essay â€Å"Undersea†, published by Atlantic Monthly in September 1936, was the much needed and richly deserved breakthrough for her dual career. Bringing in rave reviews from scientists as well as literary circles, it lent weight to Carson’s belief that she could synchronize both her interests- of writing as well as nature- successfully. Impressed by her writing flair and lyrical style, famous author Hendrik William Van Loon (â€Å"The Story of Mankind†) persuaded his publisher to contact Rachel Carson who agreed the â€Å"Under the Sea Wind†.Presenting a naturalist’s picture of oceanic life, this book was a beautiful and sensitive description of the struggle for life of aquatic species. Her writing prowess succeeded in making an extremely engrossing reading out of scientific facts. The book was well received in both scientific and literary circuits. However it was not a commercial success as the release clashed with Pearl Harbor and consequently sales dipped.During World War II, she worked in the capacity of the Assistant to the Chief of the Office of Information in the Fish and Wildlife Service. Food was in short supply and her four pamphlets involving information on fish as food served multiple purposes of information source for print as well as radio media. Her series of twelve booklets, four of them authored by her, called â€Å"Conservation in Action† came out in the post war years.They propagated her ideal views of co- existence o f nature and humans and sought to inspire in people a respect for nature and an attitude for conservation. In 1948, she was appointed the editor- in- chief of the information Division- a noteworthy achievement in a male dominated profession. Meanwhile her research on the oceanic world continued in all the leisure time that she could afford. This research was what made the â€Å"The Sea Around Us† the bestseller that it was.â€Å"The Sea Around Us† was a bestseller beyond everyone’s imaginations. The pre- publication release of the first chapter by Yale Review was just the beginning of the fanfare. Carson won the George Washington Science Writing Award. When it was finally released by Oxford University Press in 1951, it was already a bestseller and topped charts for the following 81 weeks. In th euphoria created by â€Å"The Sea Around Us† , her publisher decided to re release â€Å"Under the Sea Wind†.This book also got the success it deserved, tho ugh a little belated. The phenomenal success of both the books helped Carson get her finances in order and she was able to quit her job at Fish and Wildlife Service to devote all her time to writing. â€Å"The Edge of the Sea† was published in 1955 and instantly became a huge success and remained so for the twenty- three weeks to come. It was a straight- from- the- heart account of the aquatic life on the sea shores.Again her writing capability and the deep seated feelings for oceanic species made it much more than a mere collection of scientific data and a dull set of guidelines. Around the same time, her article â€Å"Help your Child to Wonder† written for the women’s Home Companion, was another mover and shaker. In this article she gave directions to the parents to make their children aware of the wonders of nature and make them conscious of their natural environment.The personal touch that made the article strike a chord among the readers came from her own a ffection for her nieces and her grandnephew who she later adopted legally. An unmarried woman, with no children of her own, wrote the piece with all the nuances of a mother inspiring her children to look around with curiosity. In 1962, came the book that made the world sit up and notice. â€Å"Silent Spring† attracted many opinions; not all of them were flattering.Based on her research on the ill effects of pesticides on animal and human world, it brought a deluge of savage comments from those whose interests clashed with the ideas expressed in the book. Agricultural and trade journals, pesticide producers and owners of chemical factories- all attacked Carson and generated a lot of negative publicity. But nevertheless, â€Å"Silent Spring† appealed to the public and became a best seller. It generated a wave of environmental concerns. Even President John F.Kennedy was moved by the book and appointed a special panel to examine the various points the book raised. All the research, investigation and hard work that Carson had put in the book bore results and even the Presidential Committee confirmed Rachel’s concerns about the pesticides. The book raised genuine concerns about the concentration of DDT in the food chain and these timely concerns led to early action and averted what could have been a catastrophe after a few years.But what Carson had to suffer for making her views public was unbelievable. Her health failed her and yet she endured the barrage of ill meaning comments thrown at her after publication of â€Å"Silent Spring†. Breast cancer finally took its toll on her life and Rachel Carson died o April 14, 1964. Many laurels were bestowed on her during her lifetime and she deserved each one of them. She was presented with the Schweitzer Medal of the Animal Welfare Institute.She was also given the National Wildlife Federation’s â€Å"Conservationist of the Year†. But perhaps the greatest award was the response her readers gave her. Their admiration, adulation and their applause made her into an icon, a status she richly deserved. Her ideas of environmental concerns became really famous and common after her death. She was never against technology and development; it was only indiscriminate and reckless progress that irked her.She campaigned for controlled and calculated use of pesticides through her book â€Å"Silent Spring† Rachel Carson was responsible for environmental concern becoming the household term that it is now. Her revolutionary ideas set the trail for others to follow. Now the whole world has woken up to the harmful effects of pesticides to food chains. At that time, however she had been saddled with negative comments and personal humiliation. Her personal life was also littered with losses throughout.A spinster till death, she had to suffer a lot of speculation over her long and intimate friendship with Dorothy Freeman. A lot can be learnt from her life which was a roller coaster ride with many twists and turns. A rich and true tribute to her persona will be our waking up to the damage being done to our fragile eco- system and our efforts to rectify that. WORKS CITED â€Å"Breaking Nature’s Silence: Pennsylvania’s Rachel Carson† Lisa Budwig â€Å"Rachel Carson Dies of Cancer: ‘Silent Spring’ author was 56† Obituary, The New York Times. .