Nature of the early republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nature of the early republic - Essay Example This rebellion soon spread to the other colonies and the situation was aggravated by King George's proclamation that the colonies were engaged in rebellion. With this the war of independence commenced. On the 4th of July 1776 the declaration of independence was adopted and with this the United States of America was formed. Initially the British had to contend with only the Americans but gradually other European powers joined the fray. In France there was a great deal of public support for the American cause and it began to provide aid to the American colonies. Further a treaty of alliance was signed between France and colonies. According to this treaty France would support the colonies in their struggle with the British. This resulted in a war between Britain and France in 1778. The beleaguered British proffered the olive branch to the colonies and on the 3rd of September 1783 the independence, freedom and sovereignty of these American colonies were recognised by Britain. Thus, despite several initial hardships the Americans emerged as a strong and coherent nation (THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE: Chapter 3). Subsequent to the achievement of independence Congress passed a resolution on the 10th of May 1776, requiring the colonies to form new governments that would enhance the happiness and safety of their constituents. Accordingly most of the states drew up their own constituents. In order to protect certain rights whose infringement had led to secession from Britain, a bill of rights was incorporated into these constitutions. Some of these were freedom of speech, freedom of elections, freedom of the press and the right to change the government. A major problem faced by this fledgling nation was that of expansion in the western part of the United States.... This essay stresses that a major problem faced by this fledgling nation was that of expansion in the western part of the United States. The pioneers had settled here and these places were highly dispersed. Since, they were isolated by mountain ranges and large distances from the political authorities in the east, they had formed their own governments. Moreover, these far flung lands were claimed by several states and no resolution of this dispute seemed to be in sight. This problem of over lapping claims was resolved by states like New York and Virginia, which ceded all their claims to these territories. In this manner national sovereignty was strengthened. This paper makes a conclusion that the new policy repudiated the time-honored concept that colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country, were politically subordinate, and peopled by social inferiors. Instead, it established the principle that colonies ("territories") were an extension of the nation and entitled, not as a privilege but as a right, to all the benefits of equality. On the 21st of February 1787 a conference was held in which the Virginia plan was proposed by Madison. The Constitution proposed in this convention was sent for ratification to the 13 states of the Union. Delaware was the first state to ratify it on the 7th of December 1787. The Congress is not empowered to decide as to whether a particular person is to be tried or not. This power is vested solely with the executive.

Bats Definition Essay Essay Example for Free

Bats Definition Essay Essay Bats are defined as flying mammals of the order Chiroptera . They have a worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions and have modified forelimbs that serve as wings and are covered with a membranous skin extending to the hind limbs that allows them to fly. The bat’s the only mammal capable of true flight. They use echolocation to find their prey by emitting sound waves that bounce off objects in front of them and echo back to them. By using their highly advanced hearing they can determine an object’s size, shape, location and even texture Bats are good at keeping insect populations in control by hunting Different bats live through the winter in a variety of ways. Some types of bats migrate while others hibernate. Some even go into Torpor (a state of controlled hypothermia). Bats in the wild usually find places like hollow trees or caves to hibernate in, but they also find comfort in man made locations. It’s during the winter that most homeowners need to be aware of bat activity surrounding their homes. It’s not uncommon for bats to move into homes to stay warm, dry and secure during the winter months. They’re especially fond of places like attics, crawlspaces and unused chimneys. Bats are commonly thought of as carriers of rabies. While bats can get rabies the percentage of bats with the disease is less than one percent, so there is no reason to fear a bat more than other animals. However, it is recommended that bats found in houses or bats that come in contact with humans be taken to a local health department vet or police for rabies testing to rule out the presence of the disease. Signs of a bat infestation can include the smell of urine or feces (or guano) in strange places (usually near walls or fire places) or maybe even the physical presence of animal waste. Another, more obvious sign includes scratching and squeaking in the walls or ceiling. Occasionally bats may find their way into the inner sanctum of your household. There are many rights and wrongs to getting a bat out of the house First of all, it is important to know your foe and be aware of a bat’s abilities. When trapped indoors bats have the tendency to swoop back and forth through a room quickly. When this happens the best thing to do is to contain the bat in one room and open any doors or screenless windows leading to the outdoors. If this is possible simply stand back and wait for it to land or fly out the window. If you have some sort of net you could try catching it as it swoops by. Bats cannot take off from the ground, so they have to climb and take off from high places like walls or furniture, so when a bat is grounded you have the opportunity to catch the bat. This can be done in several ways. Regardless of how you catch a bat you must always be very careful to not touch the bat to prevent being bitten or scratched. Cornered bats can be quite vicious if provoked. You can use gloves, a thick towel or net to capture the bat. If you prefer not to use your hand you could use a box, can, or Tupperware container by trapping the bat and then sliding a piece of cardboard under it. Regardless of how you choose to approach a bat, it is always a good idea to at least wear thick gloves to avoid being bitten. Any bat suspected of having physical contact with a person should be captured and submitted for rabies testing. Your local health department, animal control office or veterinarian can help you submit the bat to a laboratory for rabies testing. If the bat tests negative, rabies treatment can be avoided. If a bat bites or has physical contact with a person, the wound or contact area should be washed immediately with soap and water. Unfortunately, bat bites and scratches are small and may go unnoticed. In certain situations it may be impossible to know if contact with a bat has occurred. These situations occur when a bat is found in the same room with a sleeping person, infant or young child, a person with a disease that reduces mental capacity, or persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Whenever a bat has physical contact with a person, or is suspected of coming in contact with a person, the bat should be captured and tested, if possible, and the incident should be reported immediately to a physician and local health authority to assess the need for rabies treatment. Bats are good for the environment and should not be feared but respected. Bats good for the environment and keep the mosquito population down preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and West-Nile Virus. Bats are often viewed in culture as evil

Fascinating Ants Essay -- Biology Biological Ant Ants Research Papers

Among the many hundreds of thousands of astonishing organisms with which we must share this earth, there is one seemingly ordinary group of specimens which fascinates many people beyond all others. There is nothing too extraordinary in the proportions or appearance of ants, but it is their history and culture that induces a second look. These insects are about as different from us mammals as two organisms can be, yet it appears that of all the known animals their way of life appears closest to our human way of life. The similarities in the ways in which we organize our lives are astounding. Ants are doubtlessly the most successful of all the social insects of the Hymenoptera, an order also including wasps and bees. The earliest known specimens are found entombed in the Scandinavian Baltic Amber samples which scientists date in upwards of 100 million years old (The Ant Colony Å’89). These primitive samples have evolved into the 5000 to 10000 species known today which vary amongst themselves as widely as the numbers suggest (Social Insects Å’68). These remarkably adaptive creatures are found in some form on all continents and all habitats but the extreme arctics. Their success is manifested in the claim that at any time there are at least 1 quadrillion living ants on earth(Groliers Å’93). All species of ants are social. They live in organized communities or colonies, which may contain anywhere from a few hundred to more than 20 million individuals. These are organized into a complex system which may contain two or more castes and sub castes which can be roughly organized into three groups. Queens, males and workers. The queen is much larger than the other ants, and has wings until mating. Her primary task is to lay eggs for the colony. Some colonies have one queen; others have up to 5000. Queens develop from fertilized ordinary eggs, nobody is exactly certain what causes these to develop into queens but it is generally thought that the process comes from an altered diet in the pupae and larvae stages and as a pheremone response, which will later be discussed. Queens have an extended life span of up to 25 years and can lay millions of eggs in that time (Ant Colony Å’89). Male ants are winged as well, their sole purpose is to mate with the queens. For this reason they are the shortest lived ants in the colony. Hatching in the .. ...ne species over another found in nature aside from we humans is the slave-making species. These raid other colonies and steal worker pupae that they enslave to carry out the work of their colonies. Some species, such as the ants of the Amazon are so specialized for capturing slaves that they can not forage for food or care for their young. Without slaves they quickly perish. Ants are often called the most fascinating insects of all. While they can be vastly destructive, stripping valuable trees bare in the tropics, and a general nuisance marching through kitchens and pantries they are extremely helpful to man as they help to clear the earth of pests like termites. Wood ants clear forests of millions of tree-destroying insects over a single summer. They have been here for approximately 53 million years, and 56 percent of genera represented among the extensive Baltic amber are living today, and show no sign of dying out soon. In our great pursuit of knowledge it is my hope that we can derive something of value from studying the culture and life-style of the hardest working organisms in the world. (With the exception, of course, of the Villanova biology teachers). Fascinating Ants Essay -- Biology Biological Ant Ants Research Papers Among the many hundreds of thousands of astonishing organisms with which we must share this earth, there is one seemingly ordinary group of specimens which fascinates many people beyond all others. There is nothing too extraordinary in the proportions or appearance of ants, but it is their history and culture that induces a second look. These insects are about as different from us mammals as two organisms can be, yet it appears that of all the known animals their way of life appears closest to our human way of life. The similarities in the ways in which we organize our lives are astounding. Ants are doubtlessly the most successful of all the social insects of the Hymenoptera, an order also including wasps and bees. The earliest known specimens are found entombed in the Scandinavian Baltic Amber samples which scientists date in upwards of 100 million years old (The Ant Colony Å’89). These primitive samples have evolved into the 5000 to 10000 species known today which vary amongst themselves as widely as the numbers suggest (Social Insects Å’68). These remarkably adaptive creatures are found in some form on all continents and all habitats but the extreme arctics. Their success is manifested in the claim that at any time there are at least 1 quadrillion living ants on earth(Groliers Å’93). All species of ants are social. They live in organized communities or colonies, which may contain anywhere from a few hundred to more than 20 million individuals. These are organized into a complex system which may contain two or more castes and sub castes which can be roughly organized into three groups. Queens, males and workers. The queen is much larger than the other ants, and has wings until mating. Her primary task is to lay eggs for the colony. Some colonies have one queen; others have up to 5000. Queens develop from fertilized ordinary eggs, nobody is exactly certain what causes these to develop into queens but it is generally thought that the process comes from an altered diet in the pupae and larvae stages and as a pheremone response, which will later be discussed. Queens have an extended life span of up to 25 years and can lay millions of eggs in that time (Ant Colony Å’89). Male ants are winged as well, their sole purpose is to mate with the queens. For this reason they are the shortest lived ants in the colony. Hatching in the .. ...ne species over another found in nature aside from we humans is the slave-making species. These raid other colonies and steal worker pupae that they enslave to carry out the work of their colonies. Some species, such as the ants of the Amazon are so specialized for capturing slaves that they can not forage for food or care for their young. Without slaves they quickly perish. Ants are often called the most fascinating insects of all. While they can be vastly destructive, stripping valuable trees bare in the tropics, and a general nuisance marching through kitchens and pantries they are extremely helpful to man as they help to clear the earth of pests like termites. Wood ants clear forests of millions of tree-destroying insects over a single summer. They have been here for approximately 53 million years, and 56 percent of genera represented among the extensive Baltic amber are living today, and show no sign of dying out soon. In our great pursuit of knowledge it is my hope that we can derive something of value from studying the culture and life-style of the hardest working organisms in the world. (With the exception, of course, of the Villanova biology teachers).

Profiling Foreign Students is Rational and Legitimate Essay -- Septemb

Profiling Foreign Students is Rational and Legitimate Sixty years ago, the United States placed Japanese-, German-, and Italian-Americans in internment camps. Our country has also excluded people of various nationalities simply because we didn't like "their kind." The government's scrutiny of Middle Eastern students in response to September 11 has thus evoked acute suspicions and fears that the Hollywood scenario in "The Siege" will become a reality. Others are concerned that even if internment is a remote possibility, the recent heightened attention toward a group of foreign students amounts to racial profiling. These fears are perfectly reasonable but, thankfully, unsupported by what has happened thus far. As much as Americans today insist on treating people as individuals, there are some regrettable circumstances in which grouping has legitimate purposes. The Supreme Court has recognized the necessity of grouping by subjecting "inherently suspect" classifications like race to a standard of "strict scrutiny," while letting classifications with a reasonable purpose pass with "intermediate scrutiny." Fundamentally, the Court asks whether there is a "rational basis" for a government policy that treats a particular group of people differently. In its recent treatment of foreign students, the government has demonstrated a "rational basis" for measures that group people to meet a pressing state interest while minimizing the violation to individuals' dignity. Without casting aspersions on the people and the culture of the region, we cannot deny that the Middle East is a hotbed of fanaticism. Thousands of militants have been indoctrinated by calls for the violent destruction of entire gr... ...ent has presumed no guilt for the students it has sought records on, and it has neither publicized their names nor allowed universities to notify them because doing so would unduly arouse unnecessary fears of persecution. Educating foreign students is an important instrument of American foreign policy. Foreign students act as dual ambassadors, fostering better understanding between the citizens of their countries of origin and those of the United States. They bring elements of their culture to America while taking elements of our culture home to their societies. However, we must remember that this enlightened policy is open to abuse. Recent government actions with regard to foreign students amount not to racial profiling, but rather to plugging the holes in the system so that we may continue this valuable cultural and educational exchange program.

The pieces in the sacred vocal music section, showing how they reflect different ways or writing for church music

The works in the sacred vocal music section are all written for the Christian religion, some designed to be sung as part of a church service, others have been inspired by religion but are intended to be sung in a concert hall. The works are taken from a wide range of musical styles from Renaissance to Modern. The works I will be analysing are: â€Å"O Wilhelme, pastor bone† (Tavener), â€Å"In ecclesiis† (Gabrieli), Cantata No.48, movements 1-4 (Bach), â€Å"Quoniam tu solus† (Haydn), â€Å"Locus iste† (Bruckner), Symphony of psalms, movement 3 (Stravinsky) and â€Å"The lamb† (Tavener). Tavener's â€Å"O Wilhelme, pastor bone† is written for an all male choir, the top two parts sung by boy trebles. Tavener uses a syllabic setting of the text until the last phrase in which he uses a melisma in the upper parts. This is a renaissance piece so there are no dynamics marked. The piece has been constructed so that the 5 parts do not sing at once. This question and answer technique between the upper and lower parts is known as antiphony and can work well when performed in a church is the different parts of the choir are in different parts of the church to give an echo effect. It also means Tavener can wait until bar 10 before showing off his 5 part harmony. Tavener uses a range of textures, with polyphony at the beginning but then a contrasting homophonic texture later when the parts coincide in rhythm and Tavener makes his piece rhythmically interesting by using ties over the bar line. He also uses devices such as imitation and suspensions and false relation to make the harmonies more interesting too. I believe this piece could work well both in church and concert hall as it is fairly short but interesting enough to use in a concert. Next is â€Å"In ecclesiis† By Gabrieli, another renaissance piece written in Latin. It has a rondo structure built around the central sinfonia and the alleluia as the refrain. It is again for all male voices with the distinct counter-tenor voice on top. Gabrieli uses techniques very much recognised at 16th century, such as the combination of solo voices, choir and instrument supported by a continuo, as well as the ostinato bass figure and various types of sequence. There is interesting use of harmonies (for example juxtaposing chords when everyone sings together) and the echo from the church would create a discreet kind of dissonance which is why this piece would be better suited as part of a church service rather than a concert piece. The change in time signatures, contrasting rhythms and sections suggest a slightly more contemporary feel to this piece. Cantata No.48 by Bach is split into four movements that we will be looking at. A cantata is an extended piece of music for one or more voices with an accompaniment. We see two operatic forms- the recitative and aria- as well as two chorales. This piece has been constructed so that the biblical text is in the first movement (a chorale) so that the sentiments are relevant to the congregation and therefore the anonymous texts of the recit and the aria are given to soloists. Movement 1 has a ritornello which is repeated in the first 12 bars. The chorale melody is adapted by the trumpet and oboes which are playing in canon and around this the choir sings the text in a succession of entries, imitating each others parts. The main section ends with a hemiola, a device often found in triple time baroque music. The organist improvises on chords given in the figured bass. Movement 2 has a completely different feel, the text flows at a faster pace reflecting speech and it modulates quickly throughout a number of keys. Some techniques used here are detached melodic fragments which highlight dramatic expression, angular melodic lines, dissonance and modulation. Movement 3 is a chorale played by instruments as well as a four-part choir. Bach uses chromatic harmonisation here and the texture is mainly homophonic. Movement 4 is an aria accompanied by figured bass. He makes sure that the other solo instrument (the oboe) doesn't play whilst the singer is singing. Haydn's â€Å"Quoniam tu solus† is made up of a variety of vocal textures including imitation, fugues, Homophonic and antiphonal textures. The harmony is fairly simple, based around the tonic and dominant chords. Haydn uses short repetitive sequences and suspensions particularly in the top part. I would think that this piece is too short for a concert so it fits in well with a church service with the biblical text clear. Locus Iste is written by Austrian composer Bruckner. It is a motet to sacred Latin text for an unaccompanied choir. It is a piece performed widely in churches and it is relatively easy for choirs to sing. It contains a mixture of conservative and romantic elements although on face it looks as if it could be renaissance as it's a four-part choir with no big dramatic passages. However some of the techniques used by Bruckner clearly aren't 16th century, for instance the harmony (the tonality from C major to B major), the chromatic sequence leading back to C and the fairly extreme dynamics (ff and pp). The piece has a homophonic texture. At the end, there is a pause for dramatic effect and the basses drop out at bar 21 meaning the root of the chord is gone. This piece is better performed in church services and out of context I don't think it would be as effective. The symphony of psalms, movement 3 by Stravinsky is the longest piece we have studied and for this reason I think this piece would work well as a concert piece and as Stravinsky famously said â€Å"It is not a symphony in which I have included psalms to be sung, it is the singing of the psalms that I am symphonising†. Some may say however that the music gets in the way of the understanding of the actual text. The sheer size of the orchestra he uses would make it impractical to be performed within a church service. He chose to use most of the instruments you would find in a full orchestra within, plus a four- part all male choir. In interestingly he doesn't use clarinets, he uses many high and many low pitch sounding instruments and uses the choir to fill in the middle harmonies. Stravinsky uses a variety or timbres and textures within the piece and avoids word painting to set the text on a deeper level. Stravinsky uses a wide range of dynamic contrasts and is very specific wit h them (e.g. bar 24). The movement ends with the return of the alleluia chorus one last time and finishes in the plain C major triad. The final piece is John Tavener's â€Å"the lamb†. This piece is a sacred song written for four-part choir, the words set to an 18th century poem by William Blake making it suitable for performance in church services as the anthem. There is no time signature, however some bars have a 4/4 feel to them. The opening bar is monophonic using only 4 notes giving the expression on innocence. He uses this opening to construct the rest of the piece, inverting the melody in the soprano part. He also uses a retrograde of bar 3 in bar 4. Tavener uses slow free rhythms that avoid regular patterns, and essentially combines diatonic writing and modality with just one bar of melody. To conclude, all these sacred vocal pieces are very different and some would suit being performed in a concert hall more than a church. All the composers use various techniques to write for the church such as antiphony which is a very effective device when used in church.

Use Bingo to Teach Any School Subject

Use Bingo to Teach Any School Subject Bingo is a wonderful teaching tool to have at your fingertips no matter what you are teaching. You can even make it up as you go along! The basic premise of Bingo is simple: players start with a grid filled with answers and they cover up spaces as the corresponding item is called from the Bingo caller. Winners make a complete line going vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Or, you can play Black Out which means the winner is the first person who covers all of the spots on the card. Preparation There are a few ways you can prepare for playing Bingo in your classroom. Buy a Bingo set from a teacher supply store. Of course, this is the easiest way, but we teachers don’t make too much money so this option may not make too much sense.A cheaper option requires you to prepare all of the Bingo boards ahead of time, making sure that all of the boards are configured differently from each other.For older students, you can hand over some of the preparation to them. Prepare one Bingo board with all of the options filled in. Also, keep a copy of a blank board. Make copies of each page, one per student. Give the children time to cut apart the pieces and paste them wherever they want on the blank boards.The most teacher-friendly way to do Bingo is to give each child a blank piece of paper and have them fold it into sixteenths. Then they get to write the terms into their bingo sheet from your list (on the chalkboard or overhead) and voila! Everyone has their own unique Bingo board! You can play Bingo with virtually any subject. Here is a rundown of some of the different ways you can play Bingo in your classroom: Language Arts Phonemic Awareness:  Kindergarten teachers can use this type of Bingo to help students learn the sounds that correspond to the letters of the alphabet. On the Bingo chart, place single letters in each of the boxes. Then, you call out the letter sounds and the students put a marker on the letter that  makes  each sound. Or, say a short word and ask the kids to identify the beginning sound. Vocabulary:  In the Bingo chart boxes, put the vocabulary words your class is currently studying. You will read out the definitions and the kids have to match them up. Example: You say to find and bring back and the students cover up retrieve. Parts of Speech:  Get creative with using Bingo to help kids remember the parts of speech. For instance, read a sentence and ask the kids to place a marker on the verb in that sentence. Or, ask the kids to look for a verb that begins with a g. Make sure there are all different types of words that begin with that letter so that they really have to think about it. Math Subtraction, Addition, Multiplication, Division:  Write the answers to applicable problems in the Bingo boxes. You call out the problem. This is a great way to reinforce the math facts that kids must memorize. For example, you say, 6 X 5 and the students cover 30 on their game sheets. Fractions:  In the Bingo boxes, draw various shapes cut into portions with some of the parts shaded. Example: draw a circle cut into fourths and shade one of the fourths. When you read out the words one fourth, the students will have to determine which shape represents that fraction. Decimals:  Write the decimals in the boxes and call out the words. For example, you say, forty  three  hundredths and the kids cover the square with .43. Rounding:  For example, you say, Round 143 to the nearest 10. The students put a marker on 140. You may want to write the numbers on the board instead of just saying them. Place Value:  For example, you say, place a marker on a number that has six in the hundreds spot. Or, you can put a large number on the board and ask the students to place a marker on the digit that is in the thousands place, etc. Science, Social Studies, and more! Vocabulary:  Similar to the vocabulary game described above, you say the definition of a word from your unit of study. The children place a marker on the corresponding word. Example: You say, the planet closest to our sun and the students mark Mercury. Facts:  You say something like, the number of planets in our solar system and the children place a marker on 9. Continue with other number-based facts. Famous People:  Focus on famous people associated with your unit of study. For instance, you say, This person wrote the  Emanicaption  Proclamation and the students put a marker on Abraham Lincoln. Bingo is a wonderful game to keep in mind when you have a few extra minutes to fill in the day. Get creative and have fun with it. Your students surely will!

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) by Victor Hugo Count Frollo, Quasimodo, and Esmeralda are quite possibly the most twisted, most bizarre, and most unexpected love-triangle in literary history.  And if their problematic involvement with one another is not enough, throw-in Esmeralda’s philosopher husband, Pierre, and her unrequited love-interest, Phoebus, not to mention the self-isolated mother-in-mourning with a sad history of her own, and Frollo’s younger, trouble-making brother Jehan, and finally the various kings, burgesses, students, and thieves, and suddenly we have an epic history in the making. The Leading Role The main character, as it turns out, is not Quasimodo or Esmeralda, but Notre-Dame itself.  Almost all of the major scenes in the novel, with a few exceptions (such as Pierre’s presence at the Bastille) take place at or in view of/reference to the great cathedral. Victor Hugo’s primary purpose is not to present the reader with a heart-rending love story, nor is it necessarily to comment on social and political systems of the time; the main purpose is a nostalgic view of a diminishing Paris, one which puts its architecture and architectural history in the forefront and which laments the loss of that high art.   Hugo is clearly concerned with the public’s lack of commitment toward preserving the rich architectural and artistic history of Paris, and this purpose comes across directly, in chapters about the architecture specifically, and indirectly, through the narrative itself. Hugo is concerned with one character above all in this story, and that is the cathedral.  While other characters have interesting backgrounds and do develop slightly over the course of the story, none seem truly round.  This is a minor point of contention because though the story may have a loftier sociological and artistic purpose, it loses something by not also working completely as a stand-alone narrative.   One can certainly empathize with Quasimodo’s dilemma, for instance, when he finds himself caught between the two loves of his life, Count Frollo  and Esmeralda.  The sub-story relating to the mourning  woman who has locked herself in a cell, weeping over a child’s shoe is also moving, but ultimately unsurprising.  Count Frollo’s descent from learned man and upstanding caregiver is not entirely unbelievable, but it still seems sudden and quite dramatic.   These subplots suit the Gothic element of the story nicely and also parallel Hugo’s analysis of science versus religion physical art versus linguistics, yet the characters seem flat in relation to the overall attempt by Hugo to re-instill, through means of Romanticism, a renewed passion for the Gothic era. In the end, the characters and their interactions are interesting and, at times, moving and hilarious.  The reader can engage with and, to a certain extent, believe them, but they are not perfect characters. What moves this story along so well, even through chapters such as â€Å"A Bird’s Eye View of Paris† which is, literally, a textual description of the city of Paris as if looking at it from on high and in all directions, is Hugo’s great ability at crafting words, phrases and sentences.   Although inferior to Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misà ©rables (1862), one thing the two have in common is richly beautiful and workable prose.  Hugo’s sense of humor (especially sarcasm and irony) is well developed and leaps across the page. His Gothic elements are appropriately dark, even surprisingly so at times. Adapting a Classic What is most interesting about Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris is that everyone knows the story, but few really know the story.  There have been numerous adaptations of this work, for film, theater, television, etc.  Most people are probably familiar with the story through various retellings in children’s books or movies (i.e. Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame).  Those of us who are only familiar with this story as told through the grapevine are led to believe that it is a tragic Beauty and the Beast type love-story, where true love rules in the end.  This explanation of the tale could not be further from the truth. Notre-Dame de Paris  is first and foremost a story about art, mainly, architecture. It is a romanticizing  of the Gothic period and a study of the movements which brought together traditional art forms and oratory with the novel idea of a printing press. Yes, Quasimodo and Esmeralda are there and their story is a sad one and yes, Count Frollo turns out to be a downright despicable antagonist; but, ultimately, this, like Les Misà ©rables  is more than a story about its characters; it is a story about the whole history of Paris and about the absurdities of the caste system.   This may be the first novel where beggars and thieves are cast as the protagonists and also the first novel in which the entire societal structure of a nation, from King to peasant, is present. It is also one of the first and most prominent works to feature a structure (the Cathedral of Notre-Dame) as the main character. Hugo’s approach would influence Charles Dickens, Honorà ©Ã‚  de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, and other sociological â€Å"writers of the people.† When one thinks of writers who are geniuses at fictionalizing the history of a people, the first who comes to mind might be Leo Tolstoy, but Victor Hugo certainly belongs in the conversation.