Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Leaning Tower Of Pisa - 1668 Words

The first time I learned about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I was in grade school. Since my father was an architect, as a child I became obsessed with the idea of architecture and how things were built. I was always curious as to what type of work must be put in to achieve a successfully established building. Gazing upon pictures of the slanted, yet still standing, structure of the Leaning Tower of Pisa intrigued me. The taunting and confusing pictures pulled me in to want to learn more. How was it possible that this building can still be standing? What made it slant in the first place? Was it done on purpose? These were all questions I needed to have the answers too, and that others have wanted the answers to as well. The tower still stands today as a modern marvel of the world, attracting millions of tourists from all corners of the globe. The mystery behind this 741 year old building has plagued the minds of many for centuries and the answer to why this building is not as complex a s one would imagine. The iconic boot-shaped country of Italy is known for its architecture, art, cuisine, and rich culture. These are just a few reasons which make it such a desirable place to travel to, along with its breathtaking geographical beauty. The Italian peninsula is surrounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea on its west side and by the Adriatic Sea on its east side. The Apennine Mountains stretch across the entire length of the country and the Alps create its northern border. This journey willShow MoreRelatedThe Importance and Influence of Architecture in the World of Humanities933 Words   |  4 Pagesphysical qualities such as the significance of a dome can be an important factor that contributes to the building overall. For example the St. Basil’s In Moscow is a â€Å"candy colored cathedral [with] fan of onion domes, sharp spikes, and polygonal towers [that] resemble the flame of a bonfire rising into the sky† (â€Å"20 Famous Buildings†). With so many a rchitectural building all over the world, there is so much to learn about their history, physical qualities and significance, and their contributionRead MoreEssay on Informative Speech1080 Words   |  5 Pagesthe seven wonders that I have choose to visit first and talk about. The seven wonders of the medieval worlds includes the Stonehenge, the Colosseum, the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the Great Wall of China, the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, the Hagia Sophia, the Leaning Tower of Pisa Transition statement: I will be telling you the purpose and details of each wonders Body: I. The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World A. Stonehenge 1. An earthwork surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones,Read MoreSome of the Aspects of Architecture Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pagesintelligence needed to be an architect or design a building. Many also do not take into account that architects are not only responsible for simple structures, such as houses and libraries, but also excessiv e structures, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Opera House. These, and many other structures, are breathtaking visions, designed by supposedly boring architects. Not to mention architects make a sizeable living for themselves. Although on the surface architectureRead MoreSt. Basils Cathedral Essay1390 Words   |  6 Pages Basil’s Cathedral were blinded by the command of Ivan the Terrible, so they could never create a building greater. There is still the question if St. Basil’s is actually the most beautiful cathedral made in its time. Comparing it to the beautiful Pisa Cathedral and Assumption Cathedral, which were made around the same time, one could find it hard to decide which is the most artistic. Looking at the materials, art, and icons of cathedrals are ways to gauge how beautiful the building is. St. Basil’sRead MoreGalileo Galilei1458 Words   |  6 Pages Sponsored Links Free eBook download The role of simulation in Integrating GNSS receivers www.Spirent.com CBSE Class VI to X Entire VIII CBSE Maths Syllabus Study from Home.No Internet Needed! www.LearnNext.com Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. He was the oldest of seven children. His father was a musician and wool trader, who wanted his son to study medicine as there was more money in medicine. At age eleven, Galileo was sent off to study in a Jesuit monasteryRead MoreItaly and Its Popular Landmark Essay1037 Words   |  5 PagesAlong with those sports, volleyball, cycling, and water polo are also popular. Among the Colosseum and Pompeii there are many popular tourist sights. Just as popular are the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Venice. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is leaning because it was built on soft ground that couldnt support the weight. It has been leaning since construction which is over 840 years ago. It leans over 16 feet now. Experts say that it will lean for 200 more years. Also you can view Leonardo da Vincis masterpieceRead MoreRomanesque Architecture versus Gothic Architecture Essay714 Words   |  3 Pages There are also large towers and arcades with great detail located throughout the buildings. Most of the layouts for the buildings were very symmetrical and often appeared very simplistic especially when compared to later Gothic styles. Most windows were small and did not allow a lot of light into the buildings so they were often dimly lit. A great example of Romanesque architecture is the Piazza dei Miracoli which use to be known as Piaxxa del Duomo and is located in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. It isRead MoreGalileo Galilei And The Modern Experimental Method1445 Words   |  6 PagesGalileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564. â€Å"His father, Vincenzio Galilei, was a musician whose originality and polemic talents fomented a revolution uniting practice and theory in music much as Galileo was to unite them in science.†I Galileo is credited with establishing the modern experimental method in a time when most progress made by scientists and thinkers was based on hypotheses alone. He began the practice of testing scientific theories by preforming experiments and observingRead MoreA Different World to Tuscany, Italy1132 Words   |  4 Pagesrecalled the family deciding to do at least some sightseeing rather than lazily spending it at the beach, like we had for the last two weeks. We were en route to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa , I remembered hearing stories about its construction in geography and how it was then abandoned for 5 year s due to the famously pronounced leaning to the north until re-worked. I remember the exhausting three hour car journey we had, stopping four times for toilet breaks. Once we had finally arrived, the mere sightRead More The Life of Galileo and the Effects of his Findings on Faith1719 Words   |  7 PagesThe Life of Galileo and the Effects of his Findings on Faith Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, February 18, 1564. At an early age, Galileo was interested in mathematics and the study of mechanics. His father, a onetime mathematician, pushed him towards the medical profession, which held much greater financial benefits. But the attempts of Galileo’s father were in vein as Galileo soon discovered the works of Archimedes and became extremely interested. Thus, his father reluctantly allowed

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Oil Rally Continues Despite Poor Fundamentals - 1045 Words

Oil Rally Continues Despite Poor Fundamentals Oil Rally Continues Despite Poor Fundamentals Despite some contradictory signs, oil prices have been gaining steadily based on reports that U.S. oil inventories have dropped and concerns about production disruptions in both China and Nigeria. A report from cnbc.com speculates that economic weaknesses and contradictory signals about the dollar s strength won’t significantly impact the trend of rising oil prices. Often linked to inflation and higher interest rates, oil prices have narrow windows for growth where they can exert positive influences on economic conditions but a wider range where economic instabilities occur. This is especially true in the current market where long-term prospects†¦show more content†¦The report suggest that there a direct correlation between oil prices and the inflation rate that became extraordinarily clear after the 1973 OPEC oil embargo when the cost of oil rose from a nominal price of $3 before the 1973 oil crisis to around $40 during the 1979 oil crisis. This extraordinary change caused long lines at gas pumps, gas rationing, massive inflation rates and changes in oil policies and auto manufacturing to favor production of smaller cars. The Consumer Price Index is the key yardstick that measures inflation, and it more than doubled in eight years from 41.20 to 86.30 during the time that oil prices were skyrocketing in the 1970s. It had previously taken 24 years for CPI prices to double. Other key economic benchmarks that rising oil prices affect include: Diverting investment resources away from replacing infrastructure and increasing the costs of oil-based materials like asphalt Generating more expenses for all government agencies and jurisdictions, which include paying unemployment benefits and higher utility costs for heating buildings and steeper prices for gas to operate auto and truck fleets Reducing discretionary spending on travel, luxury goods, automobiles and heating and cooling systems Cutting profits for most businesses that use oil-based products Increasing the costs of plastics that are manufactured using oil resins Creating the conditions for a recession or economic depression Causing wage and salary

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Disrespect in the Military free essay sample

Since I failed to complete the 2000 word essay on Disrespect to a Non-Commissioned Officer that I was ordered to do I was reordered to write this 3000 word essay on Failure to follow orders and the possible consequences I was told that if I had simply taken what was originally written and reworded it I would have been good as gold . I now have come to realize that my failure to follow orders is not only affecting me but it is affecting others. I am taking up a lot of my sergeants time by them having to wright counseling statements for me. Also I have been using the excuse that I am dealing with a lot of personal problems all at once, one after another etcetera and so forth. I could have avoided this entire situation completely by just bringing in my gear like I was instructed to do and then saying that I did not think I should have my weapon because of the difficulty I am having controlling myself and not being sure of the effects of the new medication on top of all of my personal issues. I had already requested and was given the chance to get out of the army with a General under Honorable conditions. I realize that I have been taking time away from arguably the two best lower enlisted workers in the shop. Instead of not caring about getting negative attention I will be trying to think about the soldiers who may very well be staying in for a carrier and their families. I am pretty much getting exactly what I asked for and will be concentrating on what I need to get in order before going back home to Staten Island with my daughter. Defining the failure to follow an order given by an commissioned officer is simply a commissioned officer giving an order to a subordinate, and the subordinate not fulfilling the task for an unacceptable reason such as a mismanagement of time or the subordinate is just not doing what he or she was ordered to do as long as it is a lawful order. A Lawful Order is an order given to you by someone appointed over you by higher authority which you are legally bound to obey and that does not require you to break the law to obey. A Direct Order can only be given by a commissioned officer, who has received their commission from the President of the United States. A direct order must also not be in conflict with established law which means it must not require you to break the law. Any order which would require you to break the law is an unlawful order and you are duty bound not only to disobey the order, but to report it to competent authority as soon as possible. Any person who violates or fails to obey any lawful order or regulation, having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the military, failing to obey the order which is his or her duty to obey, or is rundown in the performance of his duties shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. When given a order by a Non Commissioned Officer it is to be presumed it is a lawful order. If it is not that is the only time you may refuse to do that order but you must be tactful on how you say that you refuse to do that order. If you do not obey the order or regulation that is given to you by th Non Commissioned Officer it falls under disrespect and it is very disrespectful to not obey the Non Commissioned Officer. You dont have to respect the person just the rank. The Non Commissioned Officer has been in long enough to earn that rank and the responsibility that come with it. By not doing what the Non Commissioned Officer told you may be also holding a mission or you may be wasting the Non Commissioned Officers time to deal with other solider. There are many things that can happen if you don not obey an order or regulation given to you by a Non commissionedOfficer like for instance writing an RBI, giving a class, or possible a article 15, etc. Failure to obey lawful order falls under article 92. Disrespect to a Non Commissioned Officer is a serious offense. It shows lack of military bearing and lack of self control. Which is unacceptable to Non Commissioned Officers and the army values. Article 92 of the uniform code of military justice is when a solider fails to obey an order or regulation given to them by an NCO, officer, or someone pointed above them in section or squad. Article 92 is perhaps the most important article in the entirety of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Any military member, whether in the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, or Coast Guard who fail to obey a lawful order of their superiors risk serious consequences. Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice makes it a crime to disobey any lawful order. It lays down the ground law, the absolute line which may not be Article 92 of The Uniform Code of Military Justice covers failure to follow orders. The consequences for violating article 92 can very depending on rank, time in service, accomplishments, work example, behavioral history, and most importantly the chain of commands opinion of the offending solider. The minimum punishment for failure to follow orders can be a verbal counseling possibly joined with a corrective action such as writing essays or carrying more weight and negative effects such as a written counseling statement probably combined with a corrective action, a letter of reprimand removed upon reassignment, permanent letter of reprimand, or the maximum being article 15. Given factors such as listed previously, the article 15 can have varying degrees of severity. From minimum to maximum, these are the article 15s one can get for failure to follow a lawful order. Summarized Article 15: Oral reprimand or admonishment; 14 days extra duty; 14 days restriction, Company Grade Article 15: 1 grade reduction; Forfeiture of 7 days pay; 14 days extra duty; 14 days restriction, Field Grade Article 15: 1 grade reduction (E5 E6); Multi-grade reduction (E4 below); Forfeiture of half a months for 2 months; 45 days extra duty; 60 days restriction (45 days if extra duty is imposed), Summary Court-Martial: 1 grade reduction (E5 and above); Multi-grade reduction (E4 below); Confinement for 30 days (E3 below); Forfeiture of two-thirds pay for 1 month; Hard labor without confinement for 30 days; Restriction for 60 days, Special Court-Martial: Bad Conduct Discharge; Reduction to E1; Confinement for 6 months; Forfeiture of two-thirds pay for six months. Any Article 15 that effects rank and or pay are the most effective due to the impact on the soldiers life as well as their family’s if the soldier has dependents. A good old fashioned smoking was greatly proffered by almost any soldier. But do a few different reasons, smoking soldiers is apparently not allowed any more. Reasoning behind this may be that some soldiers are simply Physical Training (PT) studs and look at it more of a motivated work out rather than a punishment. Although not an excuse, few soldiers have compounding personal problems or even mental issues that make smokings and verbal counselings less effective. Some soldiers although not PT studs, get smoked all the time because they are just thick or stubborn. Another and unfortunately more likely, there is a Political Correctness (PC) movement in the United States Military, and leaders are simply not allowed to even try these proven methods of corrective training. It instills discipline, respect, and strength in most soldiers, but hurt feelings, damaged self-esteem, and all such nonsense destroying the army from the inside. Before ranting about that I should get back to the reason I am typing away in the first place. Disrespect to a Non-commission Officer. About a week ago or so I was ordered by Sergeant Johnson to bring in my gear for a weapons qualification range. I expressed that I was on an anti-depressant and didn’t think I should have my weapon. Sergeant Johnson acknowledged what I said and reissued the order. I ignored that order and did not bring in my gear rather then bring in my gear and restate and further explain my concern. The consequence for ignoring that order was me having to write a 2000 word essay about disrespecting and NCO and the consequences. As I am terrible at writing papers I only got out about 775words, about half I got off an essay website. My first essay was as follows. The portion I got from the internet is marked (((Example))). I am supposed to write a 2000 word essay because Sergeant Johnson feels that I disrespected him when I willingly disobeyed a direct order to bring in my gear to attend a qualification range after I expressed concern about carrying a weapon while taking anti-depressants. The reason I chose to disobey this order is because at the time I felt it was more important to ignore this order then to even possibly have the chance for something irreversible to happen regardless what any one may believe my capabilities are. I appreciate that no one thought anything would happen, but it is still not worth the risk. The definition of disrespect is lack of respect, discourtesy, or rudeness. In the United States Military, there are rules and regulations you must follow, one of them being respect to a noncommissioned officer. No matter the circumstance, whether you agree or not, you are not allowed to talk back, physically fight back, or question judgment. If this does happen, there are consequences and repercussions from the actions taken on your part. Uniformed Code of Military Justice states that you can ultimately be separated, honorably or dishonorably for actions taken on your part. You can also receive an article fifteen, which takes your hard earned money away from you and your family. It also will take any free time you may have, and can also limit your travel by telling you where you are allowed to go. The importance of maintaining correct protocol and Military bearing on and off duty, is essential because to show disrespect to an NCO when in uniform could cause disrespect among civilians about the military in general. Any disrespect towards my leaders, from team leader on up to Sergeant Major of the Army, along with the Platoon Leader on up to the Army Chief of Staff, or the President of the United States, can have a negative effect on the Morale and Welfare of those around me, junior or senior. If a Soldier who is junior to me sees my behavior, he may believe that I, being a Privet First Class with three years in service including a deployment, am right because I outrank or have more experience then him. Then this soldier is also doing the same things I am because he thinks he can. Now because this behavior has been passed on, the leaders will have a harder time dealing with their soldiers. This should include leaving non work-related issues at home, and away from the workplace because they can get in the way of performing my duties as a soldier, especially when the disagreement is with another soldier, or an NCO. NCOs feel good and feel like they have the power when they are respected and tend to be less disrespectful to their fellow soldiers. There’s an old saying among Army leaders which goes as follows, â€Å"Take care of your people, and they will take care of you. † The army strength lies in its people, more than any other single factor of combat readiness. A former Chief of Staff of the army once noted that it’s the way soldiers feel about themselves, their fellow soldiers and their outfit that is most likely to carry the battle. ))) I feel that I was not properly taken care of when I noted my concern with me having a weapon in my state of mind. I admit that I did not come right out and said that I am afraid that I may hurt someone, but I should not have to go that far. I expressed concern about me holding a weapon. In my mind and the minds of some of my fellow soldiers, if a soldiers mental ability to restrain himself may come into question at all then it is enough to forgo something like a qualification range in garrison when compared to the safety of other soldiers. NCOs are quick to pull Article 91 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or the failure to obey a direct order, but most NCOs are completely unwilling to admit that when they order a soldier who may have the ability to lose control at a live fire range are themselves putting soldiers lives at risk rather then think that a lower ranking soldier with less experience was getting over on them.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Krapps Last Tape and the Futility of Human Existence Essay Example

Krapps Last Tape and the Futility of Human Existence Paper Question: Absurdist drama is often said to be a critique of the human existence, that the situation is often meaningless and absurd. Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape is a typical absurdist drama. How does Beckett, through the use of language, setting and the character Krapp, highlight the futility of the human existence in this particular drama? Absurdist drama originated in the 1950s and follows Albert Camus’s philosophy that the human situation is meaningless and absurd (Culik). As such, absurdist drama is, in a sense, absurd. It follows none of the typical rules of modern drama, and that is in fact its true intention, to go against the norm so as to surprise or shock readers out of their comfort zone, to force people to confront the weaknesses and hopelessness of mankind. Many components of an absurdist drama will be seen as illogical, ridiculous or mundane. Samuel Beckett’s drama, Krapp’s Last Tape, is an excellent example of an absurdist drama. Perhaps the first thing that the audience is drawn to, when reading the play at least, is the setting itself. Beckett goes to great length to describe how he wishes the setting to be, right down to the last trivial detail of Krapp’s clothes. â€Å"Rusty black narrow trousers too short for him. Rusty black sleeveless waistcoat, four capacious pockets. Heavy silver watch and chain. Grimy white shirt open at nick, no collar. † Beckett further describes Krapp’s slow, laborious actions in a lengthy and monotonous manner. â€Å"Krapp remains a moment motionless, heaves a great sigh, looks at his watch, fumbles in his pocket, takes out an envelope, puts it back, fumbles, takes out a small bunch of keys Indeed, Krapp himself is a source of ridicule, for he is poorly dressed, slow, clumsy and even almost trips on a banana skin that he tosses on the ground. One must note, however, that despite Krapp’s frailties, Beckett constantly reminds the audience that Krapp is a â€Å"thinker†, from his constant pacing to his â€Å"meditative† way of eating banana. Hence , by putting together both messages, Krapp epitomizes the proverbial unsuccessful scholar, the intellectual who tries to survive on idealism but soon realizes that cold hard truth of reality. We will write a custom essay sample on Krapps Last Tape and the Futility of Human Existence specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Krapps Last Tape and the Futility of Human Existence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Krapps Last Tape and the Futility of Human Existence specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Indeed, Beckett has foreshadowed the later parts of this drama with this initial hint of who Krapp is as a person, and the reader learns much later that Krapp is in fact a failed writer bemoaning the mistakes he made when he was young. In essence, Beckett’s portrayal of Krapp is as a symbol of ridicule, and made even more ridiculous from the fact that Krapp is supposed to be of considerable intellect. Hence one sees the first example, right from the beginning, of an absurdist piece. Beckett further uses a minimalist setting for a reason. The stark empty space present in a minimalist setting serves to highlight to the audience that there is no one else in the room, for Krapp is there, alone in his own solitude. The audience focuses on Krapp and only Krapp, which is the essence of absurdist drama; for the audience to focus on the human so as to realize, throughout the course of the drama, the futility of the human existence. Interesting too, is Beckett’s use of lighting in the drama. He specifies, above all, that: â€Å"Table and immediately adjacent area in strong white light. Rest of stage in darkness. † Light and darkness has often been used as an allegory to success and failure, knowledge and ignorance. By putting Krapp in the light and the rest of the stage in the dark, it would appear that Beckett is attempting to portray Krapp as having had the knowledge to succeed in life, hence Beckett’s choice to have light and darkness on the stage as a stark comparison as opposed to having the stage fully lighted. However, one soon suspects, and later realizes, that Krapp is anything but successful. Hence, the audience realizes the irony of the situation; Beckett’s use of light to portray Krapp’s dark life shows a yearning for a success that never came, and this is in fact the case, which the audience sees later. The themes of light and darkness are shown repeatedly throughout the entire play, as shall be discussed later. With regards to the drama itself, reminiscence on the part of Krapp is a major theme. The audience is introduced to a total of three Krapps, all different from one another. Hence the audience is able to view each Krapp as being detached from one another, in an intense separation of self (Lagier). Sixty-nine year old Krapp listens to a tape made by his thirty-nine year old self, in which his thirty-nine year old self muses on his actions when he was twenty-nine. To deduce exactly what Krapp is reminiscing about, the audience must listen closely to the content of the narration, as well as the present day Krapp’s reactions to it. Twenty-nine year old Krapp, as recounted by his thirty-nine year old self, was living with a woman named Bianca, whom twenty-nine year old Krapp described as â€Å"hopeless business†. Thirty-nine year old Krapp derides his twenty-nine year old self for being â€Å"young whelp†, for making aspirations and resolutions like to drink less and to have a â€Å"less engrossing sexual life†. Thirty-nine year old Krapp believes that Bianca and the above resolutions are silly, for he â€Å"sneers at what he calls his youth and thanks to God that it’s over†. Twenty-nine year old Krapp then talks about the â€Å"shadow of the opus magnum†, which in essence belies his desire to be a great and successful writer, to publish an amazing and impressive piece of work that none will rival. This, thirty-nine year old Krapp appears to concur fully; in fact, he describes a moment of epiphany that he has when he is thirty-nine. â€Å"What I suddenly saw then was this, that the belief I had been going on all my life, namely-† â€Å"The dark I have always struggled to keep under is in reality my most-† Once again the theme of light and darkness emerges, and Krapp believes that he has seen the light, seen the truth of what must be done in order to achieve the â€Å"shadow of the opus magnum† that he talked about when he was twenty-nine. To do so, Krapp must accept the darkness that is manifest in him, instead of trying to keep it under wraps, as seen when he says â€Å"my dissolution of storm and night with the light of the understanding and the fire-†. The audience, however, should be wary, as is Beckett’s intention in portraying enlightenment through the acceptance of darkness. This blatant contradiction stands in fact for the irony of Krapp’s situation; he believes that by giving up love and companionship, and hence embracing darkness, he will be able to attain success. It should be evident to the audience that such logic is clearly absurd, and Krapp realizes this much later when he is sixty-nine. Hearing his thirty-nine year old self talk about his visions of grandeur disgusts the present Krapp, as is seen by his swearing and fast-forwarding of the tape. â€Å"Krapp switches off impatiently, winds tape forward, switches on again. † Later, as is customary of Krapp’s birthday, he makes a fresh tape and curses himself for being a fool. â€Å"Just been listening to that stupid bastard I took myself for thirty years ago, hard to believe I was ever as bad as that. The scene poignantly reminds the audience of the thirty-nine year old Krapp mocking his twenty-nine year old self, much like the present day Krapp is mocking his thirty-nine year old self. What is starkly different, however, is that sixty-nine year old Krapp is now mocking his thirty-nine year old self for something his thirty-nine year old self derided himself for doing at twent y-nine; for being with Bianca, or perhaps, for the companionship and humanity that Bianca symbolizes, for what his thirty-nine year old self swore to give up. In essence, the present Krapp realizes that he has spent thirty years pursuing a dream of writing, with little achievement of speak of. His â€Å"shadow of the opus magnum†, his great literary vision, is nothing more than â€Å"Seventeen copies sold, of which eleven at trade price to free circulating libraries beyond the seas. Getting known. One pound six and something, eight I have little doubt. † On a higher level, one may perhaps see this as Beckett’s warning to society about the frailties of mankind, and how one will fail more often than succeed. Human beings are selfish and self centred, and are forever striving to achieve ever greater heights, resulting in ever greater failures, which is clearly illustrated in the case of Krapp. The Absurdist Theatre, as such, paints this thoroughly pessimistic picture of the existence of human kind. A second major theme present in the drama is that of solitude and isolation. This isolation can be considered a self-imposed one, a result of Krapp turning away from the women in his life when he was younger. There are two instances of this, one when Krapp was aged twenty-nine and the woman was called Bianca, and one when Krapp was aged thirty-nine. It is clear that Krapp regrets his situation. Both sixty-nine year old Krapp and thirty-nine year old Krapp jeer at his younger self, and one can consider these Krapps ‘‘emotional bananas†, in which Krapp attempts to ‘‘stop up’’ any regrets he may feel through mockery (Moran). However, his actions give him away, for Krapp cannot forget the women, or rather, the symbol of humanity he gave up. â€Å"Krapp switches off, winds tape back, switches on again. Whereas Krapp impatiently fast-forwards the parts of him musing about his epiphanies, he listens intently and repeatedly to his memories of the woman he used to have. He then belatedly muses what could have happened if he had not chosen to turn her away. â€Å"Could have been happy with her, up there on the Baltic, and the pines, and the dunes. Could I? † He realizes that he has made a horrible mistake, choosing his delusions of grandeur over love, and is now left with nothing except superficial sex from the whore Fanny, which he once again mocks. I told her I’d been saving up for her all my life. † Also present are many literary obscurities that Beckett uses throughout the play. The presence of bananas, for one, plays a bigger role than being a mere food. Beckett chooses to add an element of physical degeneration in the play to complement that of Krapp’s spiritual degeneration; Krapp’s fondness for bananas causes him to suffer from a bowel problem. Twenty-nine year old Krapp had â€Å"unattainable laxation†, thirty-nine year old Krapp ate â€Å"three bananas and only with difficulty refrained a fourth†. At the beginning of the play, sixty-nine year old Krapp had eaten two bananas already. It is easy to see that the bananas are symbolic. Krapp eats so many bananas even though they make his constipation problem worse as a form of escapism; he wishes to bury his emotions within him even as his stool stays stubbornly within his body. This is similar to the way thirty-nine year old Krapp resolves to bury his emotions, end his relationships with women and retreat into a life of solitude with the false hope that doing so would allow him to achieve his â€Å"shadow of the opus magnum†. Ironically, or perhaps aptly, Krapp’s last name sounds remarkably similar to the word â€Å"crap†, which means to defecate. This is yet one more example Beckett utilizes to make Krapp an object of ridicule; he cannot achieve laxation even though his name suggests the very same thing. Krapp also appears to place special emphasis on the word â€Å"spool†. While it is entirely possible that Beckett has Krapp repeat the word over and over, drawing it out, in order to make Krapp seem even more absurd so as to fit the character he is playing, the word â€Å"spool†, and even all the tapes in Krapp’s boxes, may in fact have special significance to Krapp. Indeed, it appears that Krapp has been documenting his life every birthday in an individual spool, perhaps in hope that in the future, he would be able to look back and reminisce about the evolutions of his success. The real reason for Krapp’s documentation of his past, however, may be the simple fact that he has become so detached from the others that the only way he may hear a voice speak, is to hear his own voice. Hence, Krapp guards his tapes and boxes zealously, labelling them carefully, because they are the only connection he has left to humanity, the only method he has to break the monotony of his solitude. In retrospect, Krapp’s Last Tape does an excellent portrayal of a very real fear that society, caught up in fulfilment of never-ending wants and desires, will result in a generation of people who lead a meaningless existence, finding all too often that instead of achieving their desires, they not only fail to do so, they also lose whatever speck of humanity they had in them. All too often, they find themselves alone in their old age, having turned away or denied companionship in the mistaken thought that it would prevent them from attaining their ideals. Overall, this presents a powerful issue for one to consider. Still, one should note that while Absurdist Theatre is thoroughly pessimistic, it may not always be representative of the real situation. Hence, cone can disagree that the human situation is always meaningless and absurd, but concur to the possibility of one leading a meaningless existence as a result of misjudgements.