Effective Classroom Policies and Procedures

In order for your classroom to run smoothly you will need to write your own policies and procedures handbook. This handy guide will help you and your students (and parents) know exactly what you expect of them. Here are a few examples of the types of things that you can put into your classroom policies and procedures handbook. Birthdays Birthdays will be celebrated in the classroom. However, in order to ensure the safety of all students in the classroom and throughout the school with life-treating allergies, no food products may be sent in that include peanuts or tree nuts. You may send in non-food items as well such as stickers, pencils, erasers, small grab bags, etc. Book Orders A Scholastic book order flyer will be sent home each month and payments must be received by the date attached to the flyer in order to ensure the order will get out on time. If you wish to place an order online, you will be given a class code to do so. Class DoJo Class DoJo is an online behavior management/classroom communication website. Students will have the opportunity to earn points throughout the day for modeling positive behavior. Each month students can redeem the points earned for various rewards. Parents have the option to download the app which will allow you to receive instant notifications and messages throughout the school day. Communication Building and maintaining a partnership between home and school is essential. Parent communication will be weekly through notes home, emails, a weekly newsletter, on Class Dojo, or on the class website. Fun Friday Each Friday, students who have turned in all their work will earn the chance to participate in â€Å"Fun Friday† activities in our classroom.   A student who has not completed all homework or classwork will not participate, and will go to another classroom to catch up on incomplete assignments. Homework All assigned homework will be sent home in a take-home folder each night. A list of spelling words will be sent home each Monday and will be tested on Friday. Students will also receive a math, language arts, or other homework sheet each night as well. All homework must be turned in the following day unless stated otherwise. There will be no homework on the weekends, only Monday-Thursday. Newsletter Our newsletter will be sent home every Friday.   This newsletter will keep you updated on what is happening at school. You can also find a copy of this newsletter on the class website. Please refer to this newsletter for any weekly and monthly classroom and school-wide information. Parent Volunteers Parent volunteers are always welcome in the classroom, regardless of the age of the students. If parents or family members are interested in helping out on special occasions or would like to donate any school supplies or classroom items, then there will be a sign-up sheet in the classroom, as well as on the classroom website. Reading Logs Reading is an essential and necessary skill to practice each night in order to achieve success in all content areas. Students are expected to read on a daily basis. Each month students will receive a reading log to track the amount of time spent at home reading. Please sign the log each week and it will be collected at the end of the month. You can find this reading log attached to your childs take home folder. Snack Please send in a healthy snack each day with your child. This peanut/tree nut free snack can be anything from goldfish, animal crackers, fruit, or pretzels, to vegetables, veggie sticks, or anything else that you can think of that is healthy and quick. Water Bottles Students are encouraged to bring in a water bottle (filled with only water, not anything else) and keep it at their desk. Students need to be well hydrated in order to remain focused throughout the school day. Website Our class has a website. Many forms can be downloaded from it, and there is much classroom information to be found on it. Please refer to this website for any missed homework assignments, classroom pictures, or any further information.

Analysis Of The Setting Fences - 793 Words

American Lit: Choices and Voices Helen Li October 18, 2017 The Setting in Fences Fences written by August Wilson was focused on the life of Troy Maxson, an African American full of harshness towards the society because of the barriers he had to face in life back in the 1950’s. The title ‘Fences’ reflects the book’s story and overall symbol. The setting is used as a frame to the message and metaphorical meaning of the book. Troy struggles to define his rights and responsibilities as a husband, brother, worker, friend and father through the complex symbolism of the settings. August Wilson uses the symbol of a fence in this book on different occasions. Throughout the play, Troy neglects building fences that Rose has reminded him to†¦show more content†¦Troy is not invisible, but he builds himself up to be. He kept saying that he could always hit a homerun off when playing a game when he was younger. Troy uses the idea of baseball to almost taunt death, daring the evil to fight him. Troy is characterized as seeing himself as unhuman and extremely powerful. Troy don’t want to let death come with ease, and always uses his former baseball skill to try to show that he can beat death. Troy relates most of the components in his life to baseball, because he felt baseball makes him more comfortable. This is also the reason why he put the setting of baseball in the back of the yard, it is to remind him that he is strong enough to protect the family and himself, and reinforces his ego using his skill with baseball. The setting of a rundown house in a poor neighborhood gives the impression of their struggle to survive as African Americans. The shabbiness of the exterior suggests their low social status. â€Å"A relatively recent addition to the house and running its full width, the porch lacks congruence. It is a sturdy porch with a flat roof. One or two chairs of dubious value sit at one end where the kitchen window opens on to the porch. An old fashioned ice box stands silent guard at the opposite end† (Wilson, setting description). While the newly added porch may represent an attempt toShow MoreRelatedEssay on An Analysis for the Play Fences1293 Words   |  6 PagesFences - An Analysis James E. May Averett University History of the Theatre TH 220 / BBA 469 Ronal Stepney November 07, 2011 The story line seemed melodramatic throughout the play. The author (August Wilson) has laid the ground work of many themes throughout the play. The play deals with Race, Men and their masculinity, Morality, Dreams and hopes of everyone involved, Family, Duty, Betrayal and Dissatisfaction. The play begins with Troy and his best friend Bono entering the yard chattingRead MoreEssay about Scene Analysis of David Lynchs Film, Blue Velvet637 Words   |  3 PagesBlue Velvet: Scene Analysis The opening scene in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet portrays the theme of the entire film. During this sequence he uses a pattern of showing the audience pleasant images, and then disturbing images to contrast the two. The first shot of the roses over the picket fence and the title track â€Å"Blue Velvet† establishes the setting (Lumberton) as a typical suburban town. The camera starts on a bright blue sky with birds chirping and flying by and then tilts down to brightRead MoreLiterary Analysis the Chrysanthemums1128 Words   |  5 Pagesreality will rise up and keep her entrenched in a subdued role. At the beginning of the story, we encounter loneliness that forces Elisa to dedicate her energies and love to her flowers. The creation and setting of this narrative gives an impression of isolation and a miserable ambiance. The setting is in autumn, a season characterized by dead leaves and chilly whether. In addition, the place where Elisa stays is compared to a â€Å"closed pot† (Steinbeck 175) and it is set apart from the rest of the universeRead MoreFather-Child Relationships in Hamlet and Fences1223 Words   |  5 PagesFather-Child Relationships in Hamlet and Fences In both William Shakespeares Hamlet and August Wilsons Fences, the emphasis placed on parent-child relationship is vital, as family plays an important role in developing a characters values as well as his or her upbringing does. While Ophelia, Laertes, and Hamlet show loyalty to their fathers unconditionally, Cory, even though looks up Troy as a figure, eventually exhibits disrespect to him. The relationship that Ophelia shares with her fatherRead MoreEssay on Art Formal Analysis601 Words   |  3 PagesArt Formal Analysis Examining the formal qualities of Homer Watson’s painting Horse and Rider In A Landscape was quite interesting. I chose to analyze this piece as apposed to the others because it was the piece I liked the least, therefore making me analyze it more closely and discover other aspects of the work, besides aesthetics. The texture of the canvas works very well with the subject matter portrayed in the painting. The grassy hill side and the leaves of the trees are especially complimentedRead MoreFences: White People and Troy Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Fences† August Wilson’s famous play â€Å"Fences† is a drama set in the 1950’s. Being a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the best play of the year, this play has had many positive responses to blacks and whites in this society. It is about protagonist Troy Maxson as well as his african american family that is filled with drama and excitement. In Wilson’s Fences by Joseph Wessling he expresses, â€Å"Fences is about the always imperfect quest for true manhood. Troy’s father was less of a â€Å"true†Read MoreThe Rise And Fall Of Troy Maxon1278 Words   |  6 PagesThe Rise and Fall of Troy Maxon: An Analysis of August Wilson’s play Fences In Fences, August Wilson, the playwright, provides a believable and powerful examination of the African American experience in the late 1950’s. It provides an apt portrayal of the mentality of African American men going into the civil rights movement, as well as a well-developed account of the friction that occurs between a father and a son, and a husband and wife in the face of conflict. According to Wilson, his play providesRead MoreChanges Brewing For African American History1708 Words   |  7 Pageshas written many plays representing each of these decades. Fences is one of such plays about African American in the 1950 s. It began in 1957 and ended in 1965; however, the 1950s marks the time period when the struggle against segregation and racial discrimination became strong in the mainstream of American life, showing that the wind of change was blowing. Bringing to consciousness events taking place prior to civil right movement in fences, Wilson s characters attest to the fact that the UnitedRead MorePoem Analysis of Mending Wall1121 Words   |  5 Pages***** ******** October 20, 2011 Professor ****** Poem Analysis Mending Wall I chose this poem because the wall reminds me of my personal struggles with other people. When people annoy or bother me I instantly put up an imaginary wall between me and that person. They ask me to stop ignoring them and I just shrug their request, just like in this poem. I decide that the wall between us is better up than down because I was afraid of getting mad and saying things that I would regret later on. 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Define the rule of the employers during the Industrial revolution Free Essays

string(57) " could meet and discuss working conditions and pay only\." At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, employers were in virtually complete control of their employees and employees lives’. Government intervention to make the work place safe would not occur for several decades and factories were little more than slave shops under a different term. Typically, employees would have no rights at all regarding their employment and were forced to work in deplorable conditions: factories with insufficient light and unsafe work conditions. We will write a custom essay sample on Define the rule of the employers during the Industrial revolution or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many had no ventilation and were fire hazards because of the combustible materials that were used. Employees were forced to work long hours based on production needs and no thought was given to employee health or well-being. In many instances, the employer would create company towns in the region near their factories. The company would own all houses, markets and goods in the community. The company would then charge exorbitant rates for rent, food and goods making it virtually impossible for employees to get ahead. In many cases, the employee would work for a year only to owe the company money at the end of the year. This was done as a means to keep people from moving to other factories or other communities.   In addition, the law allowed people to be sent to prison for their debts and the debts of the parents to be passed on to the children, so often several generations of a family would be virtually enslaved by their employer. Wages that were paid were insufficient for a family to be fed and often parents and children worked in these sweatshops as a method of maintaining the family life. Children did not attend school or have any hope of a better life as they were sent in to the factories at very young ages. Women were often forced to leave children at home with an older sibling while they worked or were unable to work at all because of an infant or toddler in the home. Very young children placed a severe burden on the family because of the loss of wages and many children were abandoned to state-run orphanages in hopes that they would end up in a better life or to simply prevent a drag on the family’s income. This was not a benevolent dictatorship. The employer often ruled with an iron-fist and lived in the lap of luxury while his employees died of disease and malnutrition brought on by his greed. Employers were also allowed without repercussion to discipline employees as they saw fit and often took great liberties with female employees who were afraid of losing their jobs if they did not comply. Employers profited greatly during this time because labor was plentiful and they could make it cheap. Employers did not provide health care or disability for employees hurt or killed on the job.   Instead, the financial burden on their families was increased by the lack of income. And, people were hurt or maimed regularly by substandard equipment and poor conditions. Another favorite tactic on employers early in the Industrial Revolution was to pay people according to the number of pieces that they could produce.   This was yet another manner of ruling with an iron fist. Employers could assign employees to good machines, which produced fast and accurate pieces, or old and worn out machines at their discretion. Young people had an advantage of being able to work faster and often would have made better wages, except that employers seized on the idea that children had fewer responsibilities and used this as an excuse to pay children less even though they were expected to carry the workload of an adult. Children who failed were often beaten. During the American Civil War, proponents of slavery pointed out the inequities in the system and argued that Southern landowners often treated their slaves better than many employers treated their employees. They argued that a slave owner saw his slave as an investment and valued its contribution to his success and a business owner viewed his employees as an endless, replaceable commodity and took no personal responsibility for their safety, health or well-being. What is and was the right of existence for the unions? The UK was not initially a good place for unions to be. In 1799 and 1800, British Prime Minister William Pitt had a pair of acts passed called the combination acts which made it illegal for people to band together to try to get shorter working hours or more pay. Then, in 1817 Parliament against acted, this time making it illegal for a group of more than 50 people to meet together and order the arrest of anyone accused of spreading seditious libel, any untoward remarks regarding the Parliament or the Crown.   This severely hampered efforts for parliamentary reform as people were afraid to speak out. Two years later, nearly 50,000 people gathered at St. Peter’s Field to hear subversive, pro-union newspaper editors and other union leaders talk about the need for reform and the local magistrate, backed by the British Army, attacked, purportedly in an effort to arrest one of the speaks. Several accounts say many of the soldiers were drunk when they attacked the crowd with their sabres. As a result, Parliament instituted the Six Acts, which expanded the definitions of seditious libel and allowed permanent ceasing of a publication as means of punishment. It also changed the newspaper and stamp act so that even publications of purely opinion were subjected to the tax and provided local authorities with the right to seize people and arms accused of participating in a union gathering. In 1824, the combination acts were repealed and met with a national outbreak of strikes, resulting in Parliment’s decision to pass a new combination act in 1835. This was the first significant legislation o legalize trade unions, though it made their scope very narrow. Trade unions could meet and discuss working conditions and pay only. You read "Define the rule of the employers during the Industrial revolution" in category "Essay examples" Any other activities were considered a criminal conspiracy to restrict trade. The law also forbade unions from doing anything to obstruct or intimidate others. This was viewed as problematic as it gave the judiciary an unprecedented leeway in determining what activities violated the law. The act remained the law of the land until 1867 when Benjamin Disraeli and others banded together to have the law changed so that a striking union could be charged only with breach of contract and the government in power created the Trade Union Congress. Though calls to allow a union member into the Congress were rejected, the move proved to be an advancement in the cause of unionism. Four years later, the government finally made trade unions legal. In 1875 when Disraeli was named Prime Minister, as promised, he passed legislation making it legal for a union to do anything that an individual could do. This began the age of unionism and in 1880, Parliament passed legislation making management and employers responsible for the safety and well-being of the employees as long as their injury was not the result of actions by fellow workers. In 1906, legislation as passed to prevent employers from suing unions when they had a loss of income as a result of a strike and in 1913 legislation made it clearly legal for the labor unions to contribute to the political party of their choice as determined by union leadership. In 1927, legislation was passed to prevent civil servants from joining unions affiliated with the Trade Union Congress and outlawed the use of sympathetic strikes and general strikes. That is, with minor revision, the state of the trade labor union today. On which roles does the Globalization of the economy depend? Globalization of the economy is a tricky business and highly dependent on the ability of workers and employers to adapt to the changing international labor market and the changing role of the industrialized world in the age of technology. There has been some effort made within the last two years to update the trade union system and encourage union modernization so that the workers can quickly be retrained with skills more appropriate to the emerging labor market. As with other parts of the world, the concern among trade unions is that jobs traditionally left to them are now being outsourced to cheaper labor environments worldwide. If we are to adjust to this availability of cheap labor elsewhere, we must do so by changing the way we look at labor unions and evaluating the new markets that could be the modern labor frontiers. One example of this might be to examine computer workers and administrative positions traditionally viewed as white collar work. These areas are the new growth industries and in recent years, the site of the most abuse of employees. In addition, these more advanced positions have traditionally had to negotiate salaries for themselves resulting in huge disparities person to person and based on gender, age, and other discriminatory factors. For globalization to work the economy must be revitalizes and the United Kingdom must adjust its perceptions at home and abroad about the things that it will produce. No longer will mining and textiles be a major portion of the economy. Instead, if we are to accept our part in a global economy, we must identify new areas in which we can develop an unrivaled expertise and global reliance. In a 2005 report, HM Treasury argued that the UK is in an unrivaled position worldwide to make the most of globalization in that we have the economic and trading ties to the entire world. In addition, we have a strong business, technology and macroeconomic base from which to begin our quest. Not only must we train employees in the fast-growing areas of technology which will present the best opportunity for our people, but we must also reward innovation and creativity. The report calls for the support of workers who need to be retrained to join the global economy and the wise and efficient use of energy and resources as a means to prevent reliance on other countries for our energy needs. Most importantly, we must rely on the well-established international trade that helped build and strengthen the economy in the first place. It is vitally important that the country not turn to isolationism as a manner of dealing with the threat of international competition. The problem is that many people promote the idea of protectionism as a way to avoid the international competition, but we know that this approach will only lead to a need to rejoin the world economy at a later date when we are less strong and able to do so. We must move forward now and implement change instead of hiding from it. What is mundialism or anti globalization? Mundialism is the process of building interconnected word governing bodies rather than integrating the existing nation-states into an interdependent global world. Proponents of mundialism argue that entities such as the International Court and a one-world government should be created rather than relying on the concept of nation-states. Mundalism promoted the concept that what is right for the world as a whole is right for the individual citizens and the individual nations of the world. It argues that by working together for the common good, we can overcome economic, social and ideological differences for the betterment of all humankinds. Anti-globalization can encompass a number of different policies, but largely it is the idea that the governments, economies and societies of the world should not be interdependent and that they should remain separate by distinct barriers including borders and cultural boundaries. Anti-globalization proponents are perhaps the most extreme opponents of mundialism. They believe that the world is already too interconnected and that it would be better if we could simply draw the curtains up around our countries and keep the rest of the world argue. Many argue that the world can never be as interdependent as promoted by mundialism and that it will always be divided by was and ideology. The idea, they say, is that human nature is competitive and that we cannot make all faiths and all political viewpoints get along. Some would even argue that the only way that mundialism could work would be with a strong world ruler, that someone would have to get the final deciding vote on right and wrong. Mundialism supporters argue that if the nation’s of the world all expressed a true desire to work together in harmony the major strife points of the world could be eliminated and wars and border disputes could end. Anti-globalization proponents call that pie in the sky nonsense. There will always be a competition for resources and for power. Those without it will strive for it via any means necessary and those who have it will seek to retain it. Somewhere in there middle is where we actually are. There are some world organizations, like the International Criminal Court and there are some opponents to those organizations, like the United States. There are growing disputes worldwide over everything from economic gain to religion to claiming the land that sits beneath the polar icecaps. And, neither theory adequately addresses what should be done about global problem areas like Rwanda and Darfur, places where the massacres keep happening, the land is destroyed and the people are unable to subsist, much less contribute to a world economy. Describe the Trade union s structure and state why the unions are losing members. Trade unions are designed to be very specific in their membership and then are loosely affiliated with the Trade union Congress. However, this specialization is contributing to the decline of the unions and the loss of members nationally. Unions are supposed to be local, with members choosing a regional representative to speak to the specific concerns of their company or community. Then, the locals are affiliated with a national organization which is in turn affiliated with the national congress. But in recent years, with declining employment in regions once covered by the trade unions, even the largest of the unions are beginning to shrink or disappear entirely.   This is a factor of the changing work environment within the UK, as more and more people are working in quasi-professional positions not covered by the trade unions. Furthermore, even locally, unions do not represent the universal political opinions that they once did. Neighbors now may agree on matters of union employment, but have vastly different opinions with regards to national politics and how the union should be influencing them. This diversity in the union has caused a loss of political power and a loss of interest within the membership. In addition, the major concern facing trades people in 2007 is not something the union can do much to change.   Unions have had little impact in corporate decisions to close factories or move operations to other nations where the labor costs are more favorable. The days of the union being able to protect its workers and provide for a safer work environment, better benefits and a happier way of life are gone, Instead, the unions continue to take dues from members, reducing their overall take home pay, but add no benefits. The days of the sweatshop are long gone and virtually every worked is provided the same protections under the law that a union worker can get in a union shop.   That is not to say that the union has outlived its usefulness, but rather that unions have accomplished their original goals of workplace safety and equal treatment for workers. If unions seriously want to reverse the trend of losing membership, they must realize that they play an important role in the globalization process and update themselves to meet that need. Unions must be actively involved in retraining workers and helping them to find new means of gainful employment.   Unions must work in conjunction with business to find better ways to improve global competitiveness and to make employers understand the value of well-educated, highly-trained workers over cheap labor in an unregulated state. How to cite Define the rule of the employers during the Industrial revolution, Essay examples

Inrony In Pride Prejudice Essay Example For Students

Inrony In Pride Prejudice Essay Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen. This romantic novel, the story of which revolves around relationships and the difficulties of being in love, was not much of a success in Austens own time. However, it has grown in its importance to literary critics and readerships over the last hundred years. There are many facets to the story that make reading it not only amusing but also highly interesting. The reader can learn much about the upper-class society of this age, and also gets an insight to the authors opinion about this society. Austen presents the high-society of her time from an observational point of view, ironically describing human behavior. She describes what she sees and adds her own comments to it in a very light and easy way. She never seems to be condescending or snubbing in her criticism but applies it in a playful manner. This playfulness, and her witty, ironic comments on society are probably the main reasons that make this nove l still so enjoyable for readers today. Some rules and characteristics depicted in the story seem very peculiar and are hard to conceive by people of our generation. Nevertheless, the descriptions of the goings-on in that society are so lively and sparkling with irony that most people cannot help but like the novel. Jane Austen applies irony on different levels in her novel Pride and Prejudice. She uses various means of making her opinion on 18th century society known to the reader through her vivid and ironic descriptions used in the book. To bring this paper into focus, I will discuss two separate means of applying irony, as pertaining to a select few of the books characters. The novel is introduced by an omniscient narrator, unknown to the reader, who describes and comments on the given situations throughout the novel. The narrator serves to represent and speak for Jane Austen, enabling her to aim her criticism not only through the characters, but also in a more direct fashion. She uses this unspecified person, who is outside of all the novels action and gives explanations, as a medium of communication to present her own opinion in an allusively open way. This narrator is the first means of making ironic remarks. Through the narrator a certain mood is created that prevails throughout the novel. The very first sentence of the novel shows this with the following sentence, It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife (Pride and Prejudice, p. 3). The irony of this statement is the universal validity with which assumptions are made in that upper-class society. It is assumed that there is n othing else for a man of high rank to want but a wife to complete his possessions. Along with his money, land, riches etc. she acts as nothing more but another piece of property, which was a common attitude in those days. Austen manages to make the attitude towards matrimony upheld by this upper class look rather ridiculous and incredible. Another ironic description is given, for instance, when Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst take care of the sick Jane, who stays at their house. They present themselves as very affectionate and caring friends to Jane. However, that does not stop them from talking very bad about Janes relations. The real ironic comment is that the narrator lets us readers know that after those two ladies have finished bad mouthing Janes sister Elizabeth and the rest of her family, they return to Jane (w)ith a renewal of tenderness (p. 27). These high-society women are well versed at putting others down and whimsically, and as they think wittily, insulting the characters o f those who are of a lower class and Austen comments on it ironically by describing their behavior with irony. Through the narrator, Austen shows us how fickle this society is; being based on class and rank. The narrator exposes the vanities and its stupidity rather drastically. The comment on Aunt Phillips who would hardly have resented a comparison with the housekeepers room (p. 56) of Rosings with her own living-room is so ironically bitter that it even borders on being mean. These are only a few examples to show how the general ironic mood of the novel is created. The second means of creating irony in the novel is through the particular use of the characters involved. Elizabeth Bennet is the main character of the novel and she happens to be an acute observer, who likes to ponder about what she sees and who dares to make judgements. She usually speaks her mind but covers up the meaning of her statements with irony, in order not to offend the rules of conduct in her society. Elizabeth likes to play with peoples expectations, which she openly admits to Mr. Darcy in a scene where he wants to invite her to dance. She declines his offer to dance with him with the following sentence: You wanted me, I know, to say Yes, that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. She admits that she likes to upset peoples plots, in order to disappoint them and in turn derive pleasure from their disappointment. This mocking is a form of irony up setting the expected with a counteractive action. This example also shows very well how different simple sentences sound to the different characters. Darcy merely asked Elizabeth if she felt like dancing a reel and thought it to be a very nice and gentle offer. However, Elizabeth expects him to be hateful and condescending, therefore she always hears an implication of condescension etc. in conversations with Darcy. Many dialogues between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy seem to be full of implications: they both have formed an opinion of the other and only view the others statements only through their premeditated opinion. Those implications can give the reading of their conversations a very ironic and amusing touch, depending on what point of view the reader takes. There are so many different ways in which every single sentence can be interpreted that it is hard to tell whether some sentences are really meant to be ironic or whether they are simply normal sentences. If one takes Elizabeths point of view, some of Darcys statements can certainly be interpreted as very ironic, meaning in this case ironic with the intention to humiliate. If these same statements are viewed, however, from Darcys perspective, they can also be very harmless or even nice. One example for this is the argument between Elizabeth and Darcy about Darcys character. Elizabeth slights Darcy by saying that he is very earnest and not one to be laughed at, which is something pitiful to her because she loves to laugh. His answer is The wisest and the best of men nay, the wisest and the best of their actions may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke. (p. 42). This statement could be seen as derogatory of Elizabeth, but if viewed from Darcys point of view it can as well be his honest opinion that one should not make fun of and take lightly everything that goes on in life. It does not necessarily have to be a personal attack, which Elizabeth perceives it to be. Because Eli zabeths attitude towards Darcy is so much prejudiced in the first part of the book, one is inclined to see allusions and implications in everything they both say. This general mood of suspicion makes the reader of course much more alert and ready to discover ironies in the conversations, sometimes even when they might not be intended. The Presidential Election Of 1972 Essay ThesisMr. Bennet is certainly ironic about people and their behavior, but his irony has an almost bitter undertone. One of his statements shows this when he says about his neighbors, who are friends of his family, ?some of the good-natured, gossiping Lucases. (p. 261). It becomes apparent, that he does not approve of the spreading gossip about his family. He shows this by opposing the character description of the Lucases as good-natured and gossiping, which is of course a negatively loaded word. He is quite scornful about their behavior, and expresses his feelings covertly instead of speaking his mind frankly. It is when Lydia elopes with Wickham, that he loses his calm ironic mood. He admits to Elizabeth that she was right when she warned him not to be too liberal with his daughters, and that he had been too careless in their upbringing. He says: Who should suffer but myself? It has been my own doing, and I ought to feel it. (p. 215). For a moment he loses his ironic mask and admits his own faults. But he knows himself well enough to also add, No, Lizzy, let me once in my life feel how much I have been to blame. It will pass away soon enough. (p. 215). At that point it becomes obvious that he usually guards himself with sarcasm simply to tolerate the behavior and the foolishness around him. Only by being cynical, can he survive in this household of silly and nerve-wrecking women like his wife and his two youngest daughters. His fault, however, is that he never realized that by allowing himself to simply be amused by peoples behavior, he has indirectly encouraged and reinforced their behavior. Nevertheless, Mr. Bennet recovers soon from his moments of revelation and remorse and goes on with his usual way of life. He even finds his humor again, so much as to write a letter to Mr. Collins, when it is resolved that Elizabeth will marry Mr. Darcy. He writes: I must trouble you once more for congratulations. (p. 277). This is clearly ironic, because congratulations for the marriage of Wickham and Lydia must have been perceived as sheer mockery, or as congratulations for having reduced the embarrassment as much as possible by legitimating their relationship. His comparison of this marriage with Elizabeths pleasant marriage is his cynical way of looking at the world. These are only a few examples of how Austen uses irony in Pride and Prejudice. There is much more to say about this topic: this serves only as a brief discussion. My references are made to this edition:Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Modern Library Edition, Random House Inc., 1995. English Essays