How much power do ours gmail institutions (church, gov etc) have in our society? Support with specific examples.

Depending on the size of the community or population be it in a metropolitan area or a town area, only then can we determine or form opinions of how much power a particular institution has. For example, in a small community, a church would have more power in not only convincing more percentage of the population to conform to the beliefs of that church but also in running activities and volunteer work which citizens of that area would participate in. Same goes for the government as it is more likely that more people participate in government activities or go to government run events as there are less activities to pick from.

In a metropolitan or big city area such as New York City or Massachusetts, there would be many more churches, government activities and also more non-governmental organizations. The percentage of people adhering to those formal institutions lifestyle or recognizing that power over them is slimmer.

Having said that, delegated powers and reserved powers have a big impact and influence and power in our society. States power include schools which determine the education of the younger generation. Though parents are widely acknowledged as the teachers and role models for children, due to peer pressure and school children as friends, lots of children get influenced by friends. Therefore the environment and discipline in schools are elements that are vital and have a lot of power over the society.

Formal institutions also have the power to block or edit movies and sites that are deemed inappropriate. Though these institutions are more active in Asian societies such as China and Malaysia, this still occurs in more liberal societies particularly in ratings for movies in cinemas. Though American societies are far more liberal and allow religion-based channels which differ from countries such as Malaysia where religion is considered a sensitive issue, lots of shows are regulated.

Other such examples include organizations that regulate medicine, food and prices for goods such as sugar, salt, oil and others in some countries. Singapore also has a policy in which the government can delegate more money towards families that have more than one child and offer benefits for those families. On the flip side, China maintains its strict one-child policy.

Depending on the amount of power agreed by the people in a democracy to offer the government or how much power a dictator takes in the social contract theory, this will determine the amount of power that a formal institution has over the people. Though the power may be by law in terms of the government or a given power in the case of the Vatican and preachers, all power is envied, respected and coveted and this power is used carefully so as not to abuse it.

Melville's character, Captain Ahab, is determined to the point of obsession. While Americans tend to admire persistence, can one be too determined?

The definition of persistence by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is that persistence is the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people. On the other hand, obsession is defined as a state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal. There is a clear difference between the meaning of these two words as is evident by the definitions.

Persistence is continuing to try to overcome hard obstacle, to do a hundred sit-ups or to run four miles consistently under 10 minutes but there is a point where persisting too much can be considered obsession. Though it is difficult to draw the yardstick and there may be many gray areas that vary from individual to individual, usually one can be considered obsessed with doing something if it is constantly on their mind and they practically drop everything for one person or one thing.

One can be too determined when one starts losing sleep over track training or not doing their homework in order to beat their personal best. If everything one thinks about is track track track and they cease to have a life outside of track then that can be considered obsession. Though it is good to have determination and while many agree that one needs determination in order to succeed, it ceases to be positive determination and becomes something negative like obsession if one is not careful.

Obsession over studies, spotting, is not good neither is obsession over weight which causes individuals to begin to have eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Many negative effects can happen because of too much determination so while it is a good thing, we should be careful to not go overboard.

What do you think is the most important quality of Gothic stories? Is it the ability to shock and frighten or the ability to create suspense and mystery? Explain.

I think that the ability to create suspense and mystery is far more important than creating shock and the ability to frighten people today. After watching several horror movies or even normal movies, the scenes in which people are going to be shocked by a ghost or a supernatural being can be easily predicted. When the music gets soft and quiet and the lights get dimmer, you can just predict that something or someone is going to come out to shock you. In these circumstances, the shock is no longer a surprise but an expected event which then loses its quality.

On the other hand, creating suspense and mystery is way more important in Gothic stories because it allows your mind to play tricks on yourself. You start imagining possible scenarios and frightening yourself before you have even finished the plot. Unless you skim or rush through a Gothic story, even people with the least vivid imaginations will get more scared than if it is just a shock as then you yourself imagine your worst fears and those fears start to become reality to you even though it is not. You will try to solve the mystery or think of a likely ending or outcome after the suspenseful moment and it will be all the worse when it is Gothic horror because your imagination plants scary images and ideas which no matter how surprising a moment of shock is or how scary that frightening moment is, that moment is never as scary as your own imagination.

Do you agree that there is darkness within us all? Explain.

No man is perfect. No man is without sin. No man can claim to be free of the Seven Deadly Sins some of which include greed, lust and hate. All those deadly sins are full of darkness and since no man is free of them, no man can be free of darkness. Darkness blinds our eyes and covers our ears and prevents us from loving one another.

Darkness brings temptation. Everyone has succumbed to temptation before and we know how that feels so having darkness is nothing new to any of us. From speaking out of turn in class, to not finishing given class work to taking drugs or drinking underage or drinking and driving, these are all examples of common temptations which most of us are unable to get rid of. If I were to stand up and put this question to the floor, 'Has anyone lied before? Raise your hand,', I am sure that everyone's hand would be raised. If they did not raise their hand then they would be lying once again.

There is no way to be fully rid of darkness while we are living. Darkness will perpetually follow us and be sly and conniving to try to get us to succumb to that darkness. All we can do to be good and humans worthy of living on this beautiful, picturesque Earth with a vast variety of flora and fauna is to strive to live in the light and shy away from the snarling tendrils of darkness that so easily tempted one of God's angels and in doing so, created the Devil. We should think before we speak, listen keenly, observe with our eyes and follow our consciences.

Why can dreamlike settings be powerful in literature and film?

Most people like to see happy endings or happy scenes in a film or in a novel. To reach the pinnacle of an amazing film and novel and then to read that the main character dies and the ending is as sad as can be would be a let down. Despite some novels doing exactly that like 'My Sister's Keeper', the epilogue contains a beautiful dreamlike ending and beautiful scenes in the pages of the novel. Most people dream of having such a good ending and to give that ending to them would encourage their pursuit of happiness which brings them easily to Cloud Nine.

This perpetuates the idea that everyone can have their own happiness which is what all individuals want and would love to have. To be immersed in such a scene and to truly believe that you can have the dreamlike quality which could be throughout the film can sometimes have tremendous effects on the readers.

A good film can make you laugh, cry and smile during that one to three hours that it captivates you attention. A good book can do the same. Great actors, actresses and writers can easily create a believable atmosphere and transport the reader or audience into the time frame. If people can cry at sad scenes which they do not want to happen, can you imagine their feelings during a dreamlike scene in which they yearn for themselves?

Some readers may begin to emulate their favorite character in that particular scene or act differently as they are in that dreamlike state. These settings are so powerful simply because people yearn to have that setting in their lives and easily believe that this could happen. There are some skeptical individuals but optimism and to be lost in a book or a film can easily override that pessimism and those practical ideas.

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