The Marine Insurance Act 1906 states 'Subject to the provision of this Assignment

The Marine Insurance Act 1906 states 'Subject to the provision of this Act, every person has an insurable interest who is interested in a marine adventure' - Assignment Example Those with insurable interest in marine insurance includes everyone who would suffer loss in the event of the insured risk occurring. Such include the owner of the consignment under shipping, the seller of the goods, the mortgager and mortgagee among others. The paper will discuss when insurable interest exists according to the Marine Insurance Act 1906 and outline hull and cargo interests which define the types of marine insurance. Noussia (1) and Giaschi (1) note that at around 215 B.C., the Lloyds of London developed measures to ensure that they are protected against losses incurred during their trades as they ship cargo to West Indies. Merchants would come together and have each of them bear part of the maritime risk such that they would share any losses occurring during such adventures. With time, the strategy shifted to using individuals who did not have any interest in these adventures where they would pay premiums to them and transfer maritime risks to them. In the modern world, commercial insurers bear the cost of compensation by accepting premiums depending on the magnitude of the risk involved. According to the National Archives, marine insurance refers to the insurer undertaking to indemnify the assured against losses occurring during a marine adventure as per their agreement, in manner and extent. This could be extended through its express terms to cover against losses on land or inland waters as a consequence of sea voyage. According to the UK Marine Insurance Act 1906, referred to as the mother of all statues on marine insurance by Birds (5), everyone interested in a maritime adventure has insurable interest. Such persons could have a legal relation to the adventure or could have property therein that could be insured, of which, its safety or due arrival would be of direct benefit. Loss, damage or detention of such property

The Labor Market Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

The Labor Market Discrimination - Essay Example Also, the reduction of the discrimination from the beginning like in schools and the removal of complete disparity at this stage helps in developing more diverse society and a more effective labor market as well. The focus on skills rather than the creed and culture is also a major factor impacting the reduction of the Labor Market Discrimination. Other factors that also impact the Labor Market Discrimination include the opening up of fewer jobs for people and the acceptance of genders, castes and creed helps in improving the condition of the Labor Market Discrimination. The three movies that have been discussed in this class include Freedom Writers, Rossie the Riveter and Crash. The three movies although are of different genres and come from completely different views and insights have the main theme of gender and race discrimination. For instance, the movie Crash is based on a complete racial discrimination where the police officer is against African Americans and hence takes the step of even sexually abusing here in a routine stop. All actions that the police officer takes are based on complete racial discrimination and have a major impact on the story as a whole. In terms of Rossie the Riveter, it is clear that the discrimination is mostly based on the women and how women are treated like they cannot work. In the normal world, there are a number of jobs that are believed to be a ‘man’s job’ and women are considered to be unworthy of doing the job. This story has brought out how women overcome all the conventional beliefs and s how the world that they can work together and can work as well or in fact better than men in a number of occasions as well. Considering the Freedom Writer the story brings out how a culturally mixed class work together and how a woman is able to bring an unruly class to a more organized and well-behaved class.  Ã‚  

Looking At The Effects Of Online Gaming

Looking At The Effects Of Online Gaming Introduction In order to find out a relation between online games and various aspect of players life such as learning, behaviour, social life, and others, many studies have been done. When considering, how can online gaming effect on the player, we come to the four main domains. These are learning in the game based environment, relation between violent games and aggressive behaviour, minors and inappropriate content and addictive behaviour. Aim of this essay is to focus on game addiction as it itself affects many aspects of the life. What motivates player to play and why some players become addicted whilst others do not? Further, what from psychological point of view makes the games addictive and what addiction is? Also aim is to identify differences between game genres and the amount of time they are being played and to answer question if and why online games are becoming so much more popular then games played offline. Is an interaction with other people the only reason? LITERATURE REVIEW If there is speech about addiction, there is also need to mention a motivation. As these two go hand in hand. There is no game addict, who has no motivation to play. First to mention is Bartles model (Seay, 2006) of types of players. It defines four types of players and their specific motivations. They are : achiever, explorer, killer and socializer [see appendix C for explanation]. Yee later derived five motivational facets as opposed to Bartles player types. (Seay 2006, Yee 2002) They are : relationship, immersion, achievement, grief, leadership. [see appendix C for explanation]. These were further modified and are being referred to as Facets ÃŽÂ ± (Seay, 2006) They are : Achievement players place an emphasis on feeling like and being regarded by others as accomplished players. Escapism players value gaming as an opportunity to get away from the pressures of the real world. Role playing players enjoy the fact that gaming allows them to become part of a fantasy world. Manipulation manipulation players are characterized by a desire to annoy and exploit other players. Relationship Relationship players are attracted to the social aspects of gaming. [for full description see Appendix] Challenge and skills are interrelated and the diagram below helps to understand difference between online and offline games in relation to addiction. (Hernà ¡ez, 2006) used this diagram based on the study of psychologist Csikszentmihalyi, to demonstrate relation between skills and challenge. According to Csikszentmihalyi (1990) flow is the state in which people are so intensely involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it. If applied on video game, it is clear that game should increase challenge equally to players skill, to keep the player within the flow. According to annual report (Nielsen 2008) 56% of light gamers and 78% of heavy gamers play online games. In most offline games the difficulty is set at the start and will remain on the same level till the end of the game. What leads to player moving from flow to control and eventually to boredom, when he losing interest. Whereas online games, particularly massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) are designed to keep player in the flow by increasing challenges accordingly to abilities. MMORPGs are most often connected to the game addiction. Yee 2002 wrote about attraction and motivation factors of MMORPG games. Motivations are mentioned above, so lets explain attraction factors. There are three main attraction factors of mmorpg that encourage time investment and personal attachment. Briefly these are : Inherent reward cycle player is always close to some reward, whether it is level, skill or quest Network of online friends that player accumulates over time. They encourage playing to remain at the same level so they can keep playing together Immersive nature of virtual environment which encourage players to become attached to their virtual characters and tries to enchant player with a fantasy, and make him feel that he is part of something grand and extraordinary Parker 2009 defines addiction as : psychological disorder that affects the way the brain functions by impacting chemical processes related to motivation, decision making, learning, inhibitory control, and pleasure seeking. Behavioural addictions like gambling and sex are forms of psychological dependence; addictions to substances like drugs and alcohol are forms of both psychological and physical dependence. [ for full description see appendix B] When it comes to particular effects as a consequences of addictive behaviour these can be divided into two categories. First is the one which contain physiological consequences, which are mostly the same as with general excessive use of computer whatever the reason (work, games, internet..) and these count back problems, dry eyes, repetitive stress injuries, negative changes in sleep patterns, irregular eating, leading to starvation or obesity, and drowsiness and depression of immune system from lack of sleep (Grabianovski, 2010). These are the same for everyone. The second category represents psychological effects. These are mainly connected to change in the social life of the player and may be various for every player, depending on what type of player it is and what are his motivations for playing. Seay 2006 assumes that players driven by achievement and escapism are most likely to get addicted. Low ability of self regulation is another factor contributing to addictive behaviour. Bandura (1999 cited in Seay 2006, p. 44-45) defines in his social cognitive theory term self-regulation as : the ability of an individual to manage his own behaviour through observation, evaluation, and consequation. Increased amount of play hours leads to loneliness, decreased social support and decreased size of social network (Seay, 2006. p. 54) and these factors contribute to development of depression. Freeman 2006 defines massively multiplayer online role-playing games as : a particular genre of online games in which players from around the world create their own characters that interact with other players in the games virtual world. Players gain points with which to buy powers and advance in the never ending game played in real time. As all players are consistently improving the challenge for others remains on high level even when playing for long time. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Data were collected for the research through questionnaire, because aim was to get a larger amount of quantitative data rather than smaller amount of qualitative data. Twenty five participants (six women) aged in range between eighteen and thirty one years participated. Questionnaire was made anonymous and self-administered in order to maximize rate of honest answers, since some people may feel embarrassed for their answers and thus prefer to answer not honestly if identity is known or when talking face to face on interview. Care was taken to avoid questions, which could cause embarrassment, anger, sadness or frustration. Idea of using observation seems to be not appropriate at all, since it is very time consuming and natural behaviour of observed participant is very questionable. The questions used are closed except of two. Because of the nature of questions, three of them contain option of multiple answers. Reason is to make it easier for participants, by listing the most expected answers and add field for other__ answer, for the case appropriate answer was not included in the list, rather than make question opened. Likely participants would instead of writing full list of their reasons just leave some out. Open question is No.5, which asks for reason why participant prefer online games as this may be more very specific reasons. Also question No.8 is open, asking participant for three favourite games. Purpose is to determine favourite games genre in relation to playing time. To confirm that online MMORPG are most popular among heavy players. To get a further information relating to motivations, it would be useful if participants filled out a online test for Bartles types. DESIGN METHODOLOGY Idea was to prove that mmorpg games are most popular among heavy and hard-core players, as they cover motivation elements of all four player types defined in Bartles model. Further to identify what are the factors, that lead player to addictive behaviour. RESERACH RESULTS Three quarters of participants stated they prefer to play online games. More than one third play video games for more than 15 hours a week. More than half of them consider main reason to be higher challenge and nearly the same number stated the reason to be socializing with people online. Other reasons occur only marginally. See appendix A for charts. EVALUATION OF RESULTS The main reason for playing online games in general is higher challenge, what matches with Csikszentmihalyis diagram and adds credit to its validity. The most popular game played online is first person shooter, but when it comes to hardcore players the mmorpg games become dominant. MMORPG offer open end gameplay in virtual world which is virtually endless, that is the reason why, heavy (more skilled) players are more engaged in online games. Half of the participants for this research, play for less than 8 hours a week, so it is hard to demonstrate relation between playing time and mmorpg online games based on data gathered. But comparison was done to demonstrate what part of these occasional or light players play MMORPG games online. Not surprisingly very small part [see chart 4, appendix A]. On question what aspects of life are most affected by playing, the mostly affected are other hobbies and sleep. This was also predictable, when taken to account that number of heavy players FINDINGS AND RECCOMMENDATIONS Increasing popularity of online games is related to Csikszentmihalyis diagram, which defines the flow (challenge/skill). This is what players look for in games and find mostly in online virtual environments (mmorpg). CONCLUSION Game addiction is very dangerous and may lead to social isolation, broken relationship, divorce, job loss, health problems and depression. Well designed MMORPG contain elements for every player type so, whoever plays it, whatever the motivation is, it is somehow included, that is why these games are most addictive.

Douglas Macarthur :: Biography Biographies Bio

Douglas MacArthur, the son of the high-ranking military figure, Arthur MacArthur, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 26th January, 1880. Although previously a poor scholar, in 1903 MacArthur graduated first in his 93-man class, at West Point Military Academy. Commissioned in the Corps of the Engineers, MacArthur was sent by the United States Army to the Philippines and by 1904 had been promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. Later that year he joined his father who was serving in Far East before becoming aide-de-camp to President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. MacArthur was assigned to general staff duty with the War Department and was an official observer with the Vera Cruz Expedition. On the advice of General Leonard Wood, MacArthur was promoted to major. In the First World War MacArthur commanded the 42nd Division on the Western Front and was decorated 13 times and cited seven additional times for bravery. Promoted the the rank of brigadier in August, 1918, three months later he became the youngest divisional commander in France. After the war MacArthur returned to the United States where he became brigadier general and the youngest ever superintendent of West Point in its 117 year history. Over the next three years he doubled its size and modernized the curriculum. In 1922 MacArthur was sent to the Philippines where he commanded the newly established Military District of Manila. At the age of forty-three MacArthur became the army's youngest general and in 1928 was appointed president of the American Olympic Committee. MacArthur was appointed chief of staff of the US Army in 1930. Once again he was the youngest man to hold the office and over the next few years attempted to modernize America's army of 135,000 men. MacArthur developed right-wing political views and at one meeting argued that: "Pacifism and its bedfellow, Communism, are all about us. Day by day this cancer eats deeper into the body politic." In June 1932, MacArthur, controversially used tanks, four troops of cavalry with drawn sabers, and infantry with fixed bayonets, on the Bonus Army in Washington. He justified his attack on former members of the United States Army by claiming that the country was on the verge of a communist revolution. Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton also took part in this operation. The radical journalist, Drew Pearson, was highly critical of MacArthur's actions. MacArthur's ex-wife, Louise Cromwell, provided Pearson with confidential information about her former husband.

Zoloft

Zoloft Jessica Torres Herzing University Medical Terminology January 14, 2010 Abstract ZOLOFT is a prescription medicine used to treat depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (also called OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (also called PTSD) in adults. ZOLOFT is also used to treat OCD in children (ages 6-12) and adolescents (ages 12-17). ZOLOFT is supplied for oral administration as scored tablets containing sertraline hydrochloride equivalent to 25, 50 and 100 mg of sertraline and the following inactive ingredients: dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, D & C Yellow #10 aluminum lake (in 25 mg tablet), FD & C Blue #1 aluminum lake (in 25 mg tablet), FD & C Red #40 aluminum lake (in 25 mg tablet), FD & C Blue #2 aluminum lake (in 50 mg tablet), hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, sodium starch glycolate, synthetic yellow iron oxide (in 100 mg tablet), and titanium dioxide. Zoloft ZOLOFT is supplied for oral administration as scored tablets containing sertraline hydrochloride equivalent to 25, 50 and 100 mg of sertraline and the following inactive ingredients: dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, D & C Yellow #10 aluminum lake (in 25 mg tablet), FD & C Blue #1 aluminum lake (in 25 mg tablet), FD & C Red #40 aluminum lake (in 25 mg tablet), FD & C Blue #2 aluminum lake (in 50 mg tablet), hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, sodium starch glycolate, synthetic yellow iron oxide (in 100 mg tablet), and titanium dioxide. Sertraline hydrochloride is a white crystalline powder that is slightly soluble in water and isopropyl alcohol, and sparingly soluble in ethanol. Sertraline is the generic medication for Zoloft. ZOLOFT oral concentrate is available in a multidose 60 mL bottle. Each mL of solution contains sertraline hydrochloride equivalent to 20 mg of sertraline. The solution contains the following inactive ingredients: glycerin, alcohol (12%), menthol, butylated ydroxytoluene (BHT). The oral concentrate must be diluted prior to administration. Zoloft come in different colors some witch are white, green, and blue. Some of the manufactures imprint their logo on the pills so they know which is theirs. Zoloft is sometimes good to treat symptoms of depression but it varies from person to person. Make sure you always consult with your doctor if symptoms worsen. References www. drugs. com www. pdrhealth. com

Human and American Scholar Essay

Transcendentalism in America The transcendentalist movement hit America full force by the mid 19th century, crafting a passionate spiritual idealism in its wake and leaving a unique mark on the history of American literature. Transcendentalism stems from the broader Romanticist time period, which depends on intuition rather than reasoning. Transcendentalism takes a step further into the realm of spirituality with the principle that in order to discover the divine truth that the individual seeks, he or she must transcend, or exceed, the â€Å"everyday human experience in the physical world† (â€Å"Elements of Literature: Fifth Course† 146). Nature, the physical world, is seen as a doorway to the divine world; beings can cross over into this divine world by not only observing nature, but also looking within themselves. As a result, individuality and self-assurance are seen as virtues, since they come from the heart of the individual. William Cullen Bryant and his poem Thanatopsis, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s The American Scholar, and Walt Whitman’s A Noiseless Patient Spider all display fundamental characteristics of Transcendentalism. William Cullen Bryant was a famous American poet of the 1800s, integrating major themes of transcendentalism into his poems and short stories. Thanatopsis is one of Bryant’s most famous works, and combines the themes of nature, death, and the unity of these two with humanity. He starts by personifying nature, and claims he has a unique relationship with â€Å"her† and all her different â€Å"forms†, referring to sights that adorn the landscape. Valleys, brooks, and plant life are all her different forms. Bryant explains that nature speaks differently to an individual according to their mood: â€Å"Communion with her visible forms, she speaks/A various language; for his gayer hours/She has a voice of gladness, and a smile† (2-4). When that individual’s attitude changes, so does nature’s character: â€Å"and she glides/Into his darker musings, with a mild/And healing sympathy, that steals away/Their sharpness, ere he is aware. † (5-8). Nature seemingly heals the individual’s pain before they are conscious of it. Bryant then transfers to the melancholy thoughts of death. He states that when we die, we will become one with nature. He describes all the ways the earth will reuse us in the soil, for the trees, and we will become as indifferent as rocks that scatter about the world. Therefore, we should not feel disheartened towards death. He continues to persuade the reader not to worry, for everyone will one day lie down â€Å"in one mighty sepulcher† (37) together. He ends on the note that we should not greet death with hopelessness, as if entering a prison, but embrace it as if it were just an opportunity to lie down and sleep dreamily. Transcendentalism is a sector of romanticism, and therefore, like romanticism, can be said to encompass the philosophy of â€Å"reverence for nature† (Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia). Many transcendentalist believers took to nature to gain inspiration and descend into a state of divinity. Wildlife was connected to God, and by embracing the wild you embraced spirituality itself. Living in an untamed environment and functioning in the works of nature was the essence of transcendentalism. Bryant perceives the personified Nature as a celestial being that takes many forms in the world, and he calls out to those who see her similarly. In his first line he addresses â€Å"To him who in the love of Nature holds/ Communion with her visible forms†(1-2). He is calling out to those who hold a special relationship with Nature’s various spectacles. He continues to admire nature’s wisdom, urging readers to â€Å"Go forth, under the open sky, and list/To Nature’s teachings, while from all around/ Earth and her waters, and the depths of air/Comes a still voice† (14-17). One author notes â€Å" ‘Thanatopsis’ then exhorts anyone overcome with morbid thoughts of human mortality to venture into Nature for the sake of uplifting lessons to be derived from the elements of air, earth, and water that constitute the universe† (Curley). Another characteristic of the transcendental literary time period is human mortality, and this is the main concern in Thanatopsis, which literally translates into â€Å"a meditation on death†. As one critic puts it, Thanatopsis grants â€Å"consolation for human mortality through mankind’s unity with nature† (Curley). Death, no matter what time period it is observed in, can be daunting to an individual. Since death is a part of nature, transcendentalism embraces it as a cycle of life. Thanatopsis is intertwined with the perspective of nature, it is Nature’s lessons that ease the fear of death: â€Å"Nature then begins to speak, and does so for the remainder of the poem, directly addressing the person oppressed by human mortality with a reminder that while the body will dissolve in the grave, one’s identity will be lost in its commingling with the elements. † (Price). Many transcendentalists like this idea of the human body becoming one with nature, giving back to the place from where it originated, such as in Bryant’s words: â€Å"Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim/Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again/And, lost each human trace, surrendering up/Thine individual being, shalt thou go†(22-25). The main reason transcendentalists do not dread mortality is the solace that â€Å"the body will dissolve in the grave, one’s identity will be lost in its commingling with the elements† (Curley). Additionally, Bryant offered further explanations as to why death should be accepted, rather than fled from. Humanity itself is not permanent, and no man has ever been immortal; Bryant amplifies this truth: â€Å"All that breathe/Will share thy destiny. The gay will laugh/When thou art gone, the solemn brood of care/Plod on, and each one as before will chase/His favorite phantom; yet all these shall leave† (60-64). To this, one critic comments â€Å"an individual’s death merges with the mortality of the entire human race anywhere in time, anywhere in place, and therefore, merely fulfills the universal human destiny†¦The living may be carefree or sad, but in the end they share the same mortal fate† (Curley). Ralph Waldo Emerson also exemplified various themes of transcendentalism in his work. Emerson’s The American Scholar encourages individualism, nonconformity, originality, and reliance on the inner spirit. He discusses different sources that the human mind should rely on, such as nature, literature, and action. He embraces an understanding of oneself. Emerson criticizes those who focus too much on the great minds of the past, rather than being inspired by them, and don’t actually think for themselves. He explains that work leaves an individual empty, almost becoming a simple machine, like the growing factories in America. Emerson directs this speech at a particular issue: America’s influence from European literature. This came to bother Emerson, who believed in inspiration from oneself. The individual is so special. This speech directly targets America’s unknown identity during this time, which he wishes to establish by inspiring each and every â€Å"American scholar†. An important aspect of transcendentalism in The American Scholar was individualism and self-confidence: â€Å"If the single man plant himself indomitably on his instincts, and there abide, the huge world will come round to him† (The American Scholar). Individualism is what spins the planet of creativity; to Emerson, without it human beings would not be able to achieve their full potential. In order for a person to free their individuality, they would have to first disengage from society itself. Emerson believes that society limits an individual’s capacity. One critic notes that Emerson sees the American scholar as a reformation project, where one must have â€Å"an idealized portrait of intellectual life rooted in the liberated humanity of the individual thinker. In practice this means an outright rejection of conformity and groupthink, including the uncritical acceptance of established creeds and dogmas† (Yang). Before the transcendentalism period hit America, industrialization had taken a toll on the American people; work was the central focus, and it left many tired and empty. Emerson observed, â€Å"Equated with their occupational function, people become tool-like, with a corresponding social arrangement that reinforces this state of affairs. He views this deformation as inherent in the mercantile and manufacturing culture then emerging in the United States. This social fragmentation not only inhibits human potential†¦ its soul-destroying consequences are dehumanizing† (Matuozzi). Another more obscure issue that Emerson dealt with was America’s tendency to hang on to past great writers and philosophers, rather than coming to revelations with their own minds. As Emerson put it, â€Å"Books are written on it [the world] by thinkers, not by Man Thinking, by men of talent, that is, who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles. Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given; forgetful that Cicero, Locke and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books† (The American Scholar). One critic explains this quote: â€Å"Emerson criticizes those scholars who allow themselves to be dominated by the past great minds to the extent that they think for the historical figures rather than for themselves, thereby becoming bookworms instead of â€Å"Man Thinking† (Yang). While looking to historical figures is oftentimes needed to understand what a person needs to do in their life, it does more harm than good to sculpt yourself into that exact person. It is confidence in oneself that is needed for transcendentalist philosophy to prevail. A central theme in The American Scholar is striving for wholeness. Since this private aspiration is linked with an individualist ethic and often clashes with social norms and public institutions, Emerson’s project would seem to require a powerful will†¦ the harmonization of will, intellect, and soul is difficult, perhaps the chief impediment to the full realization of self-reliance and self-trust†¦In the end, Emers on’s espousal of self-reliant individualism in The American Scholar is an unwavering rejection of whatever blunts creative human potential. Wherever circumstances threaten the value of autonomy, the outspoken message of The American Scholar will offer encouragement, proving a clear alternative to debilitating conformity and spiritual alienation. † (Matuozzi) Emerson also expands on the idea of action. Without it, transcendentalism would be nothing but talk of reformation. It would do no good to anyone in the world. Transcendentalist ideas were based on constantly living, rather than constantly contemplating. Emerson sees that action is relevant to human potential. The scholar immerses him- or herself in the world rather than fleeing it. The world is an occasion to gain valuable knowledge through focused, mindful participation. † (Matuozzi). The critic is directly stemming from a statement made in The American Scholar by Emerson: â€Å"Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential. Without it he is not yet man. Without it thought can never ripen into truth. Whilst the world hangs before the eye as a cloud of beauty, we cannot even see its beauty. Inaction is cowardice, but there can be no scholar without the heroic mind. (The American Scholar). A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman has a key trait of the characteristics of transcendentalism as well. The first stanza of the poem starts out by describing one isolated spider. Whitman describes the actions of this spider, as it flings its filaments, or silk webs, into the air. The arachnid is doing this in the hope of latching on to some sort of solid, stable surface. This would ensure it an easy groundwork for setting up the rest of its web. The observer in the poem remarks that he can see this spider as it repeats this tedious task over and over again. In the second stanza, Whitman changes perspectives, instead focused on a human mortal. In the first stanza, the poet saw the desolate world the spider resided in. â€Å"I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated/Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding† (2-3). In the second stanza, the poet takes this lone spider and turns the creature into a metaphorical form of the human soul. He describes how his own soul is â€Å"Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them† (8). Just like the spider, uncertain of its future, the human soul also wanders about aimlessly, hoping to grasp something stable that it can cling to. It is just as lonesome. This literary piece adds to the transcendental theme of the unknown. Oftentimes, people find themselves drifting along in life, not knowing where they are headed. â€Å"A miniscule spider, attempting to chart a boundless vacuity with grossly inadequate equipment, becomes a living symbol of the pathetic plight of human mortality. The human soul, too, must deal with the unknown. (Scherle). We search for a purpose, a meaning in our lives that will stabilize us. â€Å"The experience of the spider becomes a metaphor symbolizing the soul’s quest for the unification of earthly and heavenly existence†¦the person visualizes in the spider’s action a reflection of the pathetic yet heroic struggle he is waging to find immortality. † (Scherle). Without purpose, a person can stray from a better path; tr anscendentalists found comfort in knowing that the unknown is connected with some mystical higher being. As one critic notes, â€Å"The sense of human insignificance is monstrous† (Scherle). Along those lines, Whitman shows that finding that sole purpose can be a long and tiresome task. Oftentimes it is repetitive and dismal, and the outcome is unspecified. â€Å"Everything (immortality) is hanging on a silken thread, which is being tossed tentatively and figuratively into an unidentified, undefined ‘somewhere’† (Scherle). Whitman sees his soul in â€Å"Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space† just as the spider â€Å"stood isolated† in a â€Å"vacant vast surrounding† (2-7). What the critic realizes is that â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider is a poem about loneliness†¦this is a loneliness that grows out of an inherent tendency of the body and soul to attempt to unite with an elusive divine entity in order to gain immortality† (Scherle). Whitman uses the transcendental â€Å"concept of nature as a wayseer for human truth† (Scherle). Transcendentalism is portrayed through the literary works of William Cullen Bryant and Thanatopsis, Ralph Waldo Emerson and The American Scholar, and Walt Whitman and A Noiseless Patient Spider. Thanatopsis exemplifies themes of nature and death. Transcendentalists immersed themselves in the natural world to connect with the divine otherworld. The American Scholar argued that in order to transcend the human body into a spiritual realm, you must first disengage from society. A Noiseless Patient Spider explains the isolation and uncertainty we have throughout our lives. We search for purpose and reason, never knowing what to expect. Transcendentalism was a unique literary time period in America that consisted of a love for nature, the divine, and the individual human mind. Works Cited Page * â€Å"Romanticism. † HarperCollins Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. 1996). ebscohost. Web. 18 Mar 2013. * Price, Victoria. â€Å"Thanatopsis, Poems. † Salem Press Masterplots. (2010). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Curley, Thomas M. â€Å"Thanatopsis, Poems. † Salem Press Masterplots II. (2010). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Scherle, Phillis J. â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider, Leaves of Grass. à ¢â‚¬  Salem Press Masterplots II (2002). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Matuozzi, Robert N. â€Å"A Noiseless Patient Spider, Leaves of Grass. † Salem Press Masterplots (2010). ebscohost. Database. 18 Mar 2013. * Yang, Vincent. â€Å"The American Scholar. † Salem Press Magill’s