The Art of Cooking Rice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Art of Cooking Rice - Assignment Example When measuring rice for cooking, one typically uses a cup for measurement. Decide on the number of cups to cook and then rinse the rice with ordinary water to rid it of starch and any other impurities. Common rice sold in the US is usually fortified with key vitamins and minerals (like iron and niacin), most of which will be washed away if the rice is soaked and washed prior to cooking (Smith and Dilday). However, soaking and washing rice will result in fluffier, lighter cooked rice, with fuller grain that doesn't stick. Either soak the rice in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes or wash the rice around two to three times or until the water is clear rather than cloudy. In washing rice, one technique would be to keep the water running on low while shaking the rice until the foggy white color turns to clean clear. When measuring rice for cooking, one typically uses a cup for measurement. Decide on the number of cups to cook and then rinse the rice with ordinary water to rid it of starch an d any other impurities. Common rice sold in the US is usually fortified with key vitamins and minerals (like iron and niacin), most of which will be washed away if the rice is soaked and washed prior to cooking (Smith and Dilday). However, soaking and washing rice will result in fluffier, lighter cooked rice, with fuller grain that doesn't stick. Either soak the rice in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes or wash the rice around two to three times or until the water is clear rather than cloudy. In washing rice, one technique would be to keep the water running on low while shaking the rice until the foggy white color turns to clean clear. Then, rinsed rice has to be placed in a standard pot. It is advisable to use a heavy pot rather than shallow pans or thinly lined pots because rice needs quite some time to cook and it has to cook evenly. If one uses a thin-lined pot, one would end up with burnt rice at the bottom and uncooked rice on top. Most people also just decide to use a rice cook er to make the job easier. Either way, make sure that the right amount of water is mixed in with the rice. The rule of thumb when cooking rice is usually two cups of water for every cup of long grain rice, one and a half cups of water for every cup of short grain rice, and one and one-fourth cups of water for every cup of sweet rice. These combinations yield three cups of cooked long grain rice, two and a half cups of short grain rice, and two cups of sweet rice, respectively (Compestine). Mixing in the right amount of water is essential to ensure that cooked rice is neither mushy nor gritty. Assuming that a rice cooker is not used, put the pot over a stove and bring the rice and water to a rolling boil over medium or high heat.

Heat of Combustion Lab Essay Example for Free

Heat of Combustion Lab Essay There are many fuels in the world and we use fuel everyday in our life. However some fuels are very useful and some are not. Usually useful fuel means the fuel that is very efficient in a small amount. To know the efficiency of each material, we measured the changes of mass and temperature when we burn them. And we calculated changing energy by using the equation that we learned in the class by using our measurements. And we calculated the heat of combustion to know the efficiency of the material. We also used the data booklet value for the standard enthalpy of combustion of each material to get the errors in our experiment. Errors in our experiment were usually over 20 percent which is quite large. Before we heated the water, we made the temperature of water below than 10à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C with ice to see the changes of temperature more efficiently. If we just heated it in normal temperature such as 20à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, we couldnt see the changes of temperature well, and it could take more time to heat it. We also measure the changes of mass of material to see how much we burned. We put some ice in the water to make the initial temperature of water as lower than 10à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. When the temperature decreased up to 10à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, we took out ice from the water. After we took out the ice and fill the cylinder up to 200ml of water, the temperature was higher than 10à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C because the temperature of the water changed very quickly. We measured the temperature of water and then we hang the tin can on the hanger, so the temperature might increased again during we set up all the experiment systems. So we should measure the temperature of water when we set up all the things. For example we should measure it after we turn the light on the candle wax and hang the tin can on the hanger. We measured the final temperature to see the changes of the temperature. We blew out the candle when the temperature reaches 35à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, and we measured the highest temperature reached as the final temperature. When the temperature reaches 35à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C, we quickly blew out the candle. However we are not accurate as the machine so we might didnt blow out it when it reaches exactly 35à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C. Also it was difficult to measure the highest temperature of it after we blow it out. Even though we kept watching it, the temperature changes so quickly, so our measurements are not correct 100%. In our experiment we didnt measure the mass of tin can. If we measure the mass of it, we could get more precise measurement compare to the standard enthalpy of combustion. Our errors are quite large, so I think one of reason is that we forgot the measure the mass of tin. So we should study and think more about the experiment before we do it. We could calculate how much heat we got by adding the changing energy of water and the changing energy of the tin can, if we measured the mass of can. At the end of the experiment, we measured the mass of candle to know how much of them were burned. During and after we blow out the candle, some of liquid were might evaporated. Such as ethanol and butanol are volatile liquid, and the fact that the lamp was hot indicates that some of it would have evaporated. So they are burned and evaporated more after we measure the temperature. Another fact that we should consider is that not only the water was being heated, but also the thermometer, stirring rod and the tin can were also being heated. We should consider that they were also heated, so we should measure how much heat were used to heat them. Also some other heat would have been lost round the sides of the tin can, and from the water to the atmosphere. Due to our room temperature are different from the temperature of water. The good thing that we did in our experiment is that we made some space when we set up the large metal can to surround the candle. As we make some space under the large can by putting some flat cylinder under the can, the candle burned more quickly and well. If we didnt make the space for it, air might stuck in there so it would take more time to reaches up to 35à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½C.

Nationalism And Case Study Of Northern Ireland History Essay

Nationalism And Case Study Of Northern Ireland History Essay Introduction The concept of nationalism has been influencing domestic and international politics for centuries in various aspects. The predominant role of nationalism and the high interest in it has led to extensive literature on the topic and many scholars published works and studies on it in a number of other fields besides political sciences such as psychology and sociology. As is the case with many political concepts, there are a number of approaches to the topic of nationalism. The case study shortly discussed here will focus on nationalism in Northern Ireland. Nationalism had a major impact on Northern Irish politics and life during the second half of the twentieth century, a time when the rest of Western Europe did not have to face such problems. In a recent issue of The Big Issue journalist and Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan writes about how growing up in Belfast during the Troubles meant being used to an environment of checkpoints, steel barriers, the army on the street (Murnaghan, 2011). Only after moving to England to study did he realize that the situation in Northern Ireland wasnt normal, it was actually very strange. (Murnaghan, 2011) Nationalist tendencies continue to influence actions, behaviour and policies in many if not all parts of the world. A thorough understanding of nationalism, its sources, workings and possible consequences thus is crucial. In the following, this paper will first discuss the concept of nationalism. The distinction between different usages of the term will be highlighted and the variety of approaches be acknowledged. It will then go on to consider how nationalism influenced the developments in Ireland. In its last part, the essay will conclude with an answer to the essay question whether nationalism is an extremist and exclusivist political ideology that tends towards violence. Nationalism Modern nationalism was born out of anti-enlightenment thought. While ethnic groups have long existed, nations were an invention of a time when big empires gave place to the rise of these and the theory of national sovereignty arouse in Europe. In his very influential book Nationalism Elie Kedourie actually describes nationalism as just that: a doctrine invented in Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century [that] divides humanity into separate and distinct nations and claims that such nations must constitute sovereign states. (Kedourie, 1961: 9, 73) As is the case with every political concept, there are a number of approaches to the topic of nationalism. Arguably the most influential at the moment are the modernization approach, Marxist/neo-Marxist models and postmodernist ideas. The Dictionary of International Relations names two usages of the term nationalism: as a characterization of an ideology and a description of a sentiment or attitude (Evans and Newnham, 1998: 346 ff.). The second usage of nationalism describes a sentiment of loyalty towards the nation which is shared by the people. (Evans and Newnham, 1998: 346) Religion and language may be possible examples for elements that provide such communality. The first aspect of nationalism can further be divided into two connotations: it could either be used as an ideology, a political theory joined to a programme incorporating ultimately attainable goals (OLeary, 1981: 4), or political movements and actions motivated by said ideology. Also acknowledged should be that nationalism is only one form of how ethnic groups may react; other options include but arent limited to assimilation or seeking a place within a political system with distinctive ethnic rights and resources. (OSullivan, 1986: 6) Furthermore, the manifestation of nationalist tendencies differs from the social status of said group. Whereas in an already existing nation-state a nationalist group would work towards maintaining strong boundaries, nationalist movements such as the Irish Republican Army work towards separation and independence (OSullivan, 1986: 5). While in earlier times nationalist tendencies regularly ended in wars, the expression of radical nationalism in the Western world of today has become terrorist attacks, much as the IRA used to operate in Northern Ireland; the potential of gaining much public attention with bombings and similar attacks is high. As mentioned before, nationalism has been the object of much scrutiny. To name only one of many critics of the notion of nationalism, Sir Lewis Namier wrote that nationalism, from the outset, was the expression of social and political maladjustment and has since been at least as much the vehicle as the source of destructive passions (Namier in Kenneth, 1960: 499). However, considering its nation-building process and its quest for self-determination, in its chapter on nationalism the Dictionary of International Relations describes nationalism as not only the most potent force in world politics, it is also, judging by mere numbers, the most successful. (Evans and Newnham, 1998: 349) The case of Northern Ireland To understand the current situation in Northern Ireland it is absolutely essential to consider the impact of historical events and developments on the Irish island. English invasion of Ireland can be dated back to as early as the twelfth century. Bringing the island both progress but also suppression, opposition to English occupancy can be traced back to these times as well. In the centuries to follow a number of wars strained the region and while most of Britain converted to the Church of England under the rule of Henry VIII, many Irish men and women remained Catholics. Up until the Troubles and possibly sometimes today the religious split of the Northern Irish society is partly to blame for the extent to which attacks were committed. This long history of contact, conflict, and accommodation between the two major ethnic groups (OSullivan, 1986: 2), here the English and Irish, is crucial to acknowledge because it lay the groundwork for nationalist feelings that would result in radica lism responsible for the violent clashes and attacks of a time that today is called the Troubles. Struggle for freedom from English intervention highly influenced developments on the island ever since the beginning of the last millennium. The long on-going struggle had also hardened the fronts on both sides; on the side of the Unionists that would prefer to stay loyal to the Crown and whose nationalist feelings are for a future as part of the United Kingdom, but also on the sides of the Republicans fighting for a separation from the UK and a subsequent reunion with the Republic of Ireland, their nationalist feelings being for a united Ireland. In her book First World Nationalism, Katherine OSullivan See writes that neo-nationalism movements among Ulsters working class Protestants and the separatist efforts of the Irish Republican Army [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] belie any claims that increasing modernization and secularization of the state and economy will moderate ethnic cleavages. (OSullivan, 1986: 102) A little more than a decade after the publication of this book, however, the Belfast Good Friday Agreement was considered by many to have ended the Troubles. Although violence sporadically still shocks the nation, most paramilitary forces that had previously been involved in violence ceased armed fighting. Conclusion In answer to the essay question whether nationalism is an extremist and exclusivist political ideology that tends towards violence it seem of great importance to mention that under the term nationalism much can be understood. There is no such thing as one single ideology of nationalism; each nationalist group is characterized by certain historical backgrounds and other factors that have an influence on their goals and proceedings. In terms of being exclusivist, it can be said that even though the idea of nationalism is supposed to embrace the people of one nation, the whole concept of it is without a doubt aimed at achieving at least a certain degree of separation from another ethnic group, either building up boundaries or focusing on maintaining them. With reference to extremism, for an incident to make front page and come to the attention of many, it has to have reached a certain degree of tragedy. Much more rarely do meetings of peaceful nationalist groups get covered in the media . However, it is undisputed that in a great number of cases in- and outside of Europe nationalist movements led to violence and loss of innocent lives. Nationalism seems to be an ideology more prone to the use of brute force than other political believes are. But as with every ideology, eventually the degree of commitment to and the exclusive belief in the ideals proposed by the ideology and the readiness to use violence of group members decide the outcome. As to the case of Northern Ireland, the Stormont Assembly has been back in legislature for a couple of years know and although not all violence has ceased, the situation definitely has improved greatly compared to a couple of decades ago. Also, devolution processes in the United Kingdom are ongoing and the Assembly in Northern Ireland has a considerable amount of executive and legislative power today.

Shakespeare And Catholicism Essay -- essays research papers

By researching the life and writings of William Shakespeare, it can be shown that many Christian values and beliefs are displayed through his literary works. In order to understand the religious content in Shakespeare's work it is helpful to first understand what the religious environment in England was like around Shakespeare's time. England, ever since it was ruled by the Romans, had been a Catholic nation. Before Shakespeare's lifetime, a drastic change occurred that completely upended the existing Catholicism of the English people. During King Henry VIII's reign, the English people were, for the most part, content with Catholicism. Through a series of very complex political maneuvers, Henry eventually seized power of the English church. The benefits of this control were enormous for the state. First of all, Henry obtained his divorce from his first wife. Second, the state received the tithes and taxes from church property, thus making the break very profitable for the state. Finally, with the closing of all of the monasteries, England gained large tracts of land to sell to land owners and tax heavily. The break with the Church of Rome, on the other hand, was not welcomed by the people. Through various laws and ordinances the monarchy effectively closed down the Catholic church in England, but this did not stop the people from being loyal to Catholicism in their hearts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the effects of the break from Rome was the welcoming of an English translation of the Bible. One of the first English translations of the Bible was written by William Tyndale. Known as Cranmer's Bible or the Great Bible, this Bible along with the Geneva Bible would have been the two translations used widely during Shakespeare's lifetime (Milward 85). With the invention of the printing press before this time, the Bible was becoming a household item. Access to Scripture was at it highest point in history to that time. The accessibility of the Bible greatly impacted the work of Shakespeare because he had such a resource at his disposal. Along with these two translations of Scripture already available to Shakespeare came a new translation authorized by King James I. Today this translation is known as the King James Authorized Version (Milward 86). At this point in time, the climate was right for Shakespeare to learn a great deal about Christianity direct... ...gedy with a good ending, making the eventual happiness found better appreciated. In conclusion, Shakespeare's plays ranged from light-hearted comedies to gut-wrenching tragedies. Characters of the highest character as well as the most immoral persons to grace the stage appeared in his works. The scope of Shakespeare's work seemed to cover almost all aspects of life. Through all of these tales, the theme that occurred consistently was the spiritual longing of every individual for love (Knight 69). Shakespeare's plays move from a hope in political salvation to a desire for spiritual salvation, just like the Bible does. All of his plays end with some hope that life will go on and things will get better, just as Christianity hopes for a perfect world to come. His works emphasized the common beliefs of both sects of Christianity as well as some distinctly Catholic ones. This in no way makes Shakespeare a Christian or, more specifically, a Catholic. At its most fundamental point it does mean that Shakespeare had knowledge of the Bible and the Christian religion. The bizarre religious circumstances of Shakespeare's world played a large role in molding his works into what they became. Shakespeare And Catholicism Essay -- essays research papers By researching the life and writings of William Shakespeare, it can be shown that many Christian values and beliefs are displayed through his literary works. In order to understand the religious content in Shakespeare's work it is helpful to first understand what the religious environment in England was like around Shakespeare's time. England, ever since it was ruled by the Romans, had been a Catholic nation. Before Shakespeare's lifetime, a drastic change occurred that completely upended the existing Catholicism of the English people. During King Henry VIII's reign, the English people were, for the most part, content with Catholicism. Through a series of very complex political maneuvers, Henry eventually seized power of the English church. The benefits of this control were enormous for the state. First of all, Henry obtained his divorce from his first wife. Second, the state received the tithes and taxes from church property, thus making the break very profitable for the state. Finally, with the closing of all of the monasteries, England gained large tracts of land to sell to land owners and tax heavily. The break with the Church of Rome, on the other hand, was not welcomed by the people. Through various laws and ordinances the monarchy effectively closed down the Catholic church in England, but this did not stop the people from being loyal to Catholicism in their hearts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the effects of the break from Rome was the welcoming of an English translation of the Bible. One of the first English translations of the Bible was written by William Tyndale. Known as Cranmer's Bible or the Great Bible, this Bible along with the Geneva Bible would have been the two translations used widely during Shakespeare's lifetime (Milward 85). With the invention of the printing press before this time, the Bible was becoming a household item. Access to Scripture was at it highest point in history to that time. The accessibility of the Bible greatly impacted the work of Shakespeare because he had such a resource at his disposal. Along with these two translations of Scripture already available to Shakespeare came a new translation authorized by King James I. Today this translation is known as the King James Authorized Version (Milward 86). At this point in time, the climate was right for Shakespeare to learn a great deal about Christianity direct... ...gedy with a good ending, making the eventual happiness found better appreciated. In conclusion, Shakespeare's plays ranged from light-hearted comedies to gut-wrenching tragedies. Characters of the highest character as well as the most immoral persons to grace the stage appeared in his works. The scope of Shakespeare's work seemed to cover almost all aspects of life. Through all of these tales, the theme that occurred consistently was the spiritual longing of every individual for love (Knight 69). Shakespeare's plays move from a hope in political salvation to a desire for spiritual salvation, just like the Bible does. All of his plays end with some hope that life will go on and things will get better, just as Christianity hopes for a perfect world to come. His works emphasized the common beliefs of both sects of Christianity as well as some distinctly Catholic ones. This in no way makes Shakespeare a Christian or, more specifically, a Catholic. At its most fundamental point it does mean that Shakespeare had knowledge of the Bible and the Christian religion. The bizarre religious circumstances of Shakespeare's world played a large role in molding his works into what they became.

Enzyme Lab

Purpose and BackgroundThe purpose of this lab is to explain how enzymes act as catalysts for biological reactions in different temperatures. This lab relates to enzymes, proteins, and substrates; that we learned in class. The union of the enzyme and the substrate is called the enzyme-substrate complex. The make-up of an enzyme is proteins and made up of chains and amino acids.Enzymes are considered to be organic catalysts, they speed up chemical reactions that might otherwise take too long to occur and be of use in the body. They also allow reactions to occur in regions of the body that are unfavorable because of the level of pH or the lack of heat. HypothesisA reused and ground enzyme will have the greatest reactions compared to the other types of enzymes. Materials 1. Avocado 2.Petri Dish 3.Hydrogen Peroxide 4.Vinegar 5.Vinegar SubstrateProcedure1.Place a small piece of cooked avocado/avocado/soaked avocado in a Petri dish. 2.Place 10 drops of hydrogen peroxide/vinegar substrate on the avocado 3.Observe for enzyme activity by looking for bubbles4.Rate the amount of oxygen bubbles produced on a scale of 1-5 5.Record your data in the chartDataConclusionAfter placing 10 drops of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar substrate in the different forms of avocado, the results were interesting. The ground and reused enzyme had the most evident reactions. It also shows me that enzymes can be reused, because of the reaction rating. Enzymes can be affected by temperatures because the regular enzyme reaction is low. Also enzymes aren’t affected by pH because it had a low reaction. Enzymes are specific because different types of enzymes work for different substrates.DiscussionMy hypothesis was supported and proved in the lab. I predicted that the ground and reused enzyme would have the greatest reaction rating, and they did. Evidence that occurred in the lab would be the hydrogen peroxide and vinegar substrate dropped onto the different forms of enzymes. I don’t thi nk any improvements can be made, the lab was straight forward and proved what needed to be known

Franz Kafkas The Judgment Summary

Franz Kafka's The Judgment Summary Franz Kafka’s â€Å"The Judgment† is the tale of a quiet young man caught in an outrageous situation. The story starts off by following its main character, Georg Bendemann, as he deals with a series of day-to-day concerns: his upcoming marriage, his family’s business affairs, his long-distance correspondence with an old friend, and, perhaps most importantly, his relationship with his aged father. Although Kafka’s third-person narration maps out the circumstances of Georg’s life with considerable detail, â€Å"The Judgment† is not really a sprawling work of fiction. All the main events of the story occur on a â€Å"Sunday morning in the height of spring† (p.49). And, until the very end, all the main events of the story take place in the small, gloomy house that Georg shares with his father. But as the story progresses, Georg’s life takes a bizarre turn. For much of â€Å"The Judgment†, Georg’s father is depicted as a weak, helpless man- a shadow, it seems, of the imposing businessman he once was. Yet this father transforms into a figure of enormous knowledge and power. He springs up in fury when Georg is tucking him into bed, viciously mocks Georg’s friendships and upcoming marriage, and ends by condemning his son to â€Å"death by drowning†. Georg flees the scene. And instead of thinking over or rebelling against what he has seen, he rushes to a nearby bridge, swings over the railing, and carries out his father’s wish: â€Å"With weakening grip he was still holding on when he spied between the railings a motor-bus coming which would easily cover the noise of his fall, called in a low voice: ‘Dear parents, I have always loved you, all the same,’ and let himself drop† (p. 63). Kafka’s Writing Methods As Kafka states in his diary for 1912, â€Å"this story, ‘The Judgment’, I wrote in one sitting of the 22nd-23rd, from ten o’clock to six o’clock in the morning. I was hardly able to pull my legs out from under the desk, they had got so stiff from sitting. The fearful strain and joy, how the story developed before me as if I were advancing over water†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This method of rapid, continuous, one-shot composition wasn’t simply Kafka’s method for â€Å"The Judgment†. It was his ideal method of writing fiction. In the same diary entry, Kafka declares that â€Å"only in this way can writing be done, only with such coherence, with such a complete opening out of the body and soul.† Of all his stories, â€Å"The Judgment† was apparently the one that pleased Kafka the most. The writing method that he used for this bleak tale became one of the standards that he used to judge his other pieces of fiction. In a 1914 diary entry, Kafka recorded his â€Å"great antipathy to The Metamorphosis. Unreadable ending. Imperfect almost to its very marrow. It would have turned out very much better if I had not been interrupted at the time by the business trip.† The Metamorphosis was one of Kafka’s better-known stories during his lifetime, and it is almost without a doubt his best-known story today. Yet for Kafka, it represented an unfortunate departure from the method of highly-focused composition and unbroken emotional investment exemplified by â€Å"The Judgment.† Kafka’s Own Father Kafka’s relationship with his father was quite uneasy. Hermann Kafka was a well-off businessman, and a figure who inspired a mixture of intimidation, anxiety, and grudging respect in his sensitive son Franz. In his â€Å"Letter to My Father†, Kafka acknowledges his father’s â€Å"dislike of my writing and all that, unknown to you, was connected with it.† But as depicted in this famous (and unsent) letter, Hermann Kafka is also canny and manipulative. He is fearsome, but not outwardly brutal. In the younger Kafka’s words, â€Å"I might go on to describe further orbits of your influence and of struggle against it, but there I would be entering uncertain ground and would have to construct things, and apart from that, the further you are at a remove from your business and your family the pleasanter you have always become, easier to get on with, better mannered, more considerate, and more sympathetic (I mean outwardly too), in exactly the same way as for instance an autocrat, when he happen to be outside the frontiers of his own country, has no reason to go on being tyrannical and is able to associate good-humoredly with even the lowest of the low.† Revolutionary Russia Throughout â€Å"The Judgment†, Georg mulls over his correspondence with a friend â€Å"who had actually run away to  Russia some years before, being dissatisfied with his prospects at home† (49). Georg even reminds his father of this friend’s â€Å"incredible stories of the Russian Revolution. For instance, when he was on a business trip in Kiev and ran into a riot, and saw a priest on a balcony who cut a broad cross in blood on the palm of his hand and held the hand up and appealed to the mob† (58). Kafka may be referring to the Russian Revolution of 1905. In fact, one of the leaders of this Revolution was a priest named Gregory Gapon, who organized a peaceful march outside the Winter Palace in  St. Petersburg. Nonetheless, it would be wrong to assume that Kafka wants to provide a historically accurate picture of early 20th-century Russia. In â€Å"The Judgment†, Russia is a perilously exotic place. It is a stretch of the world that Georg and his father have never seen and perhaps doesnt understand, and somewhere that Kafka, consequently, would have little reason to describe in documentary detail. (As an author, Kafka was not averse to simultaneously talking about foreign locations and keeping them at a distance. After all, he began composing the novel Amerika without having visited the United States.) Yet Kafka was well versed in certain Russian authors, particularly Dostoevsky. From reading Russian literature, he may have gleaned the stark, unsettling, imaginary visions of Russia that crop up in â€Å"The Judgment.† Consider, for instance, Georg’s speculations about his friend: â€Å"Lost in the vastness of Russia he saw him. At the door of an empty, plundered warehouse he saw him. Among the wreckage of his showcases, the slashed remnants of his wares, the falling gas brackets, he was just standing up. Why, why did he have to go so far away!† (p. 59). Money, Business, and Power Matters of trade and finance initially draw Georg and his father together- only to become a subject of discord and contention later in â€Å"The Judgment†. Early on, Georg tells his father that â€Å"I can’t do without you in the business, you know that very well† (56). Though they are bound together by the family firm, Georg does seem to hold most of the power. He sees his father as an â€Å"old man† who- if he didn’t have a kind or pitying son- â€Å"would go on living alone in the old house† (58). But when Georg’s father finds his voice late in the story, he ridicules his son’s business activities. Now, instead of submitting to Georg’s favors, he gleefully reproaches Georg for â€Å"strutting through the world, finishing off deals I had prepared for him, bursting with triumphant glee and stealing away from his father with the closed face of a respectable business man!† (61). Unreliable Information, and Complex Reactions Late in â€Å"The Judgment,† some of Georg’s most basic assumptions are rapidly overturned. Georg’s father goes from seeming physically depleted to making outlandish, even violent physical gestures. Georg’s father reveals that his knowledge of the Russian friend is much, much deeper than Georg had ever imagined. As the father triumphantly states the case to Georg, â€Å"he knows everything a hundred times better than you do yourself, in his left hand he crumples your letters unopened while in his right hand he holds up my letters to read through!† (62). Georg reacts to this news- and many of the father’s other pronouncements- without any doubt or questioning. Yet the situation should not be so straightforward for Kafka’s reader. When Georg and his father are in the midst of their conflict, Georg seldom seems to think over what he is hearing in any detail. However, the events of â€Å"The Judgment† are so strange and so sudden that, at times, it seems Kafka is inviting us to do the difficult analytic and interpretive work that Georg himself seldom performs. Georg’s father may be exaggerating, or lying. Or maybe Kafka has created a story that is more like a dream than a depiction of reality- a story where the most twisted, overblown, unthinking reactions make a kind of hidden, perfect sense. Discussion Questions Does â€Å"The Judgment† strike you as a story that was written in one impassioned sitting? Are there any times when it doesn’t follow Kaka’s standards of â€Å"coherence† and â€Å"opening out†- times when Kafka’s writing is reserved or puzzling, for instance?Who or what, from the real world, is Kafka criticizing in â€Å"The Judgment†? His father? Family values? Capitalism? Himself? Or do you read â€Å"The Judgment† as a story that, instead of aiming at a specific satiric target, simply aims to shock and entertain its readers?How would you sum up the way Georg feels about his father? The way his father feels about him? Are there any facts you don’t know, but that could change your views on this question if you did know them?Did you find â€Å"The Judgment† mostly disturbing or mostly humorous? Are there any times when Kafka manages to be disturbing and humorous at the same moment? Source Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis, In The Penal Colony, and Other Stories. Paperback, Touchstone, 1714.