Marxism in Literature: Conflict in the Classics Essay

Two short stories will be analyzed using a Marxist lens to investigate unresolved conflict among characters and situations where conflict arises to show class struggle in society. Both â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† by Hemingway and â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† by Wright show conflict in their characters lives and in larger society. Those who use Marxist literary theory to explore the characters and their settings in society use both the external and internal conflicts in a character’s life. Sometimes the inner conflict can mirror external problems in a symbolic way, so Marxist theorists must observe the same literary devices as other critics, such as symbolism, personification, metaphor and so on to comprehend how the conflict can best be described. In â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†, there is much symbolism suggesting the war between natural versus unnatural that is both external and internal. In â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† the teenage character illustrates both conscious and subconscious acts of rebellion while living life in poverty and the shame of beatings from his parents and chastising from the white members of his community. It is very significant to look at these parts of the stories to find Marxist themes and modes for thinking in a way that supports Marxist theories. It should be noted that Marxism as an ideology transcends sociological and political realms to support the use of literature by the masses to further the aims of Marxist thought, but literary critics use the tenets of conflict and class to analyze the works without a motive for their study, but instead a simple lens of viewing social problems that are amplified in literature. Some critics, especially those of the Post-modernism school agree that ideology has no place in these works and their criticism should be noted. But the stories that will be used here will be simply analyzed in terms of class and conflict without any ideological preconceptions while ignoring the misconceptions of critics. It is the latter course I pursue here, though in conclusion I shall raise the question how far the concept of ideology can still be fruitfully applied to literature. I concentrate, furthermore, on criticism within the Marxist tradition, because it is here that the most systematic attempts have been made to think literature in relation to the concept of ideology. Of course, a non-Marxist may ask somewhat similar questions of the literary text, without using the concept of ideology, to those asked by a Marxist critic whose analysis relies on the concept. Moreover, not even all Marxist critics make use of the term (Moriarty, 2006, p 43). Though, Moriarty does make reference to the fact that not all Marxist critics use ideology in their criticisms, it may be a common misconception among other critics that ideology must always be a part of review. Instead conflict, such as the problem between the couple in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† have nothing to do with ideology and instead conflict and progress and the themes surrounding this. In â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† a question by the editor of the anthology containing the work is posed, â€Å"What kind of resolution does the story offer† (Pickering, 2001, 681)? A Marxist critic would be concerned with this type of answer. A story without a resolution means that the central theme still exists in society and cannot be resolved by either the characters of the world at large. The story’s main conflict is a choice that the couple has to make between themselves as to if they will chose to have the woman undergo an abortion. But, the conflict of the two is not the central theme, it is the central conflict however. But underlying this is the theme of the contrast between what is manmade and what is natural. An abortion, obviously, is in the manmade category, making it significant. But, there is no resolution in this story and that would leave a Marxist critic to believe that the issue that cannot be resolved is not with the couple, but with the mechanical nature of life and the flight from the natural state of man (and woman). This analysis can be found in the scenery described by Hemingway, with beautiful natural hills outside of one window and on the other side is a train station, tracks, and so-called civilization. In keeping with the idea of the issues surrounding mechanical production and reproduction (especially in literature), it should be noted that the earliest Marxist thinkers did believe that a great deal of good could come from the dissemination of literature to forward a Marxist movement. Walter Benjamin is on Marxist theorist, not a literary critic, but his ideas may have influenced the discourse of other critics into embracing Marxist literary criticism. â€Å"He believes that no matter how revolutionary one’s thoughts, if they were expressed in a conventional, academic writing style, they would be inevitably be swallowed up in the routines of bourgeois culture† (Gardner, 2001, 249). This belief meant that the only hope for works not being swallowed up in the bourgeois culture was to make writing less academic and more creative and to use literary works to further Marxist ideals. This, however, was the root of Marxist ideals aimed to be put in place at least a century ago. So this new lens of Marxist criticism should be separated by politics and ideology of more Communistic times around the world to today and the struggles that are timeless. â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man† provides a timeless look at teenage rebellion, rebellion against society, poverty, and class struggle. The teenager believes that in buying a gun, he will be free from the constraints that are heavily put on him. The essential them is rebellion and freedom, which is a highly Marxist ideal. But, interestingly enough it can be said that there is some closure in this character’s life by him choosing to flee his oppressive environment. However, it is a mystery as to where this utopian life he seeks will lead, making this an unresolved conflict. Pickering asks in his â€Å"Questions for Study† after reading the story â€Å"does Dave’s decision to climb aboard the freight train a convincing conclusion to the story† (Pickering, 2001, 1447)? It is not, as stated before, as the utopia that Dave seeks is unclear and may very well not exist. Michael Delahoyde in his class website reveals that Marxist critics will ask this questions about the stories they read. All of these questions linger in the stories chosen for analysis. What role does class play in the work; what is the author’s analysis of class relations? How do characters overcome oppression? In what ways does the work serve as propaganda for the status quo; or does it try to undermine it? What does the work say about oppression; or are social conflicts ignored or blamed elsewhere? Does the work propose some form of utopian vision as a solution to the problems encountered in the work? In conclusion, the stories chosen here briefly highlight the questions that Marxist critics ask when reading and analyzing literature. There is obvious discourse in other communities of criticism and ideology, politics, and the aims of Marxists in heated Communistic times should not be confused with Marxist criticisms of today. The works analyzed are viewed in a simple lens, asking simple questions that affect society and class struggle. These stories al pose interesting ways in which personal struggles translate to wider questions and the lack of resolutions require deeper thought as to what those resolutions might be. Works Cited: Michael Delahoyde, Class Website for Introduction to Literature, â€Å"Marxist Criticism†, Accessible online : http://www. wsu. edu/~delahoyd/marxist. crit. html. Last accessed 15, November, 2008. Roberta Gardner, â€Å"Walter Benjamin† in Social Theory: Continuity & Confrontation. (2000), Toronto, Ontario, CA: Broadview Press. 249. Michael Moriarty, â€Å"Ideology and Literature† in Journal of Political Ideologies (February 2006), 11(1), 43. James Pickering, â€Å"Questions for Study† in Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Stories 9th Ed. (2001), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 681 & 1447.

Nutrition & Fitness Paper Essay

Nutrition and Fitness play different roles in American’s lives. According to Healthy People 2010 54% of Americans are not regularly active, 15% are not active at all. Americans consume too many calories, often in the form of added sugars and fats, but too few vitamins and minerals, in part because the intake of fruits, vegetables, and milk products is relatively low. (Insel & Roth. 2008 p.367) There is a number of health risks associated with obesity. According to WebMD.com â€Å"Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem, it’s a health hazard. Someone who is 40% overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely as is an average-weight person. This is because obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions†. Some of the health risks that are associated with obesity include: Heart disease and stroke, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Cancer, Gallbladder disease and gallstones, Osteoarthritis, and Breathing problems, such as asthma. (WebMD.com). There are many ways that American’s can incorporate fitness and nutrition in their daily lives. This paper will discuss fitness and nutrition habits, and suggest new habits that will benefit your health and promote healthy weight. My current fitness and nutritional habits include many positive traits. For starters I always try to eat something nutritious every two to three hours each day, by doing this I continually eat healthy foods and I stay fuller longer reducing the chances of having fatty snack foods throughout the day. I try to remember to make sure that each of my meals contains lean protein, like some fish, turkey, or egg whites and the appropriate servings from the food pyramid. I love fruits so I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with each meal or as a snack in throughout the day. On occasions I have a high carbohydrate drink that is high in protein such as soy milk combined with a serving of a nutritional carbo snacks, usually within thirty minutes before a workout. I also try to regularly drink only non-calorie containing beverages, like water or sugar free water based drinks. I try to eat healthy fats on a daily basis, like almonds, nuts, fish, and flax seed oils. I know that I should obtain all of my carbohydrates from fresh fruits and vegetables, but sometimes have limited time to prepare these items due to my hectic schedule and I find myself taking easy shortcuts. In an attempt to better my fitness habits I will attempt to incorporate some  new fitness habits into my daily lifestyle. Three new fitness habits that I could reasonably incorporate into my lifestyle would include eating healthy breakfast, exercising first thing in the morning and obtaining my vitamins and nutrients through foods versus vitamin supplements. It is commonly said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day well this has always been a statement that is hard for me to live by. I often find myself rushing out the door to get my child off to school and make it to work on time without indulging in breakfast first. By the time I get around to having my morning meal it is nearly lunch time. My metabolism is running at the lowest gear of the entire day when I first wake up in the morning. My body is running on pure fumes alone. The second I eat something, my body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. If I could make time to incorporate breakfast into my day my metabolism would kick into gear much sooner and I would have more energy which would result in an overall better day and a better workout. As with eating breakfast getting in a quick workout in the morning will jump start my metabolism for the day. Just quick ten or fifteen minutes of a workout in the morning will give me more energy and prepare me for my hectic day. The later in the day I work out the less likely I will be able to get to sleep on time. Overall I think exercising in the morning makes me feel healthier and gives me a better attitude. I have discovered that I need to try to get my vitamin and nutrients intake through my food supply rather then through supplements. Supplements only provide the vitamins and minerals listed on the bottle. But food supplies a lot more – antioxidants, phytochemicals that are beneficial to the body, and probably even things that scientists haven’t discovered yet. It’s also cheaper to get nutrients this way. A bottle of multivitamins may not be expensive, but if one was to factor in all the other things, such as antioxidants and essential fatty acids, the cost would be quite high. By obtaining my vitamins and nutrients through my food intake I will be receiving additional benefits. In conclusion, I understand that there are several habits that I need to change regarding my nutrition and fitness. I now realize that if I can make the three fitness and nutritional changes and incorporate them into my lifestyle I can greatly improve my nutrition and fitness. I also understand that I am putting myself at a higher risk of developing several health related problems if I do not make and attempt to better my nutritional habits. I hope that in the coming weeks that I can make the necessary changes to not only promote healthier nutrition and fitness habits, but overall health and wellness as well. References Insel, P.M., & Roth,W.T. (2008). Core concepts in health (10th ed.) Chapter 1. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix May 11, 2009Loss: Health Risks Associated With Obesity. Retrieved from the World Wide Web at: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/obesity-health-risksWeight-loss.emedtv.com (2006-2008) May 11, 2009

Is Religion The Controlled Manipulation Of Humanity's Potential To Essay

Is Religion The Controlled Manipulation Of Humanity's Potential To Freely Enter A Relationship With The Transcendent - Essay Example This has in turn resulted into an establishment of transcendental diplomacy in many societies. It is worth pointing out that this type of diplomacy is not founded on ‘power’. As a result, the elements and compounds involved happen to be not a part of ‘power’. Through all the centuries, there exist some slight efforts to fully comprehend this subject matter (Thomas 264). In present time, human beings are yet to decide if they are ready to establish such type of transcendental diplomacy. It will be a long time since we are capable of approaching this end. In all probability, it will take certain individuals to get to this end who happen to have developed evolutionary changes towards such kind of thoughts. With such kind of high expectation, this might happen only if human beings succeed in embracing and taking advantage of science and technology. It is through this that they will be capable of bringing changes to their own body and mind. The result will be a s trengthened transcendental attribute towards them, while been able to grow seeds of improved human beings. Besides, the subject matter has to correspond to the materialization of their expectations in the distant future. There is a belief among all religions that they will be able to achieve transcendental attributes while the messengers appointed while be able to achieve the fore mentioned goals. There has been an order of divine prophets, teachers, and guardians from Adam, Moses, and Jesus to Muhammad. Their presence in the present time is still felt and will continue till the end of time. Additionally, in different times and places, the achievements of their divine manifestations will be enhanced. These divine manifestations will happen to be apostles with divine sense of authority (Thomas 264). Consequently, all these religions will successively lean on the same procession towards transcendence and flawlessness. With many courses of human endeavors to conform within social laws and regulations, the efforts of these prophets and teachers happen to be more noticeable. The messenger (savior) of Christianity happens to be a perfect manifestation of all former religious thoughts and sophisticated inheritance of laws and regulations from previous religions. In the end this happens to be the turning point of this evolution. Disappointed through some wrongful commentaries and interpretations have been made by the so called religious scholars. The valuable commandments have been distorted to the extent that some preachers have been heard insinuating that religions have been decorated and distorted to the extent that if one was to go back a century he won’t be able to recognize his own religion. Christianity point of view to some problems happens to be consistent and integrated, with learned individuals tends to believe that accurate Christianity laws are similar to scientific laws and should stay unchangeable. It should be noted that these same laws were cre ated on the same basis of humankind nature and thus should be compatible with all state and behavior of individuals (Thomas 264). Nonetheless, religious jurists tend to note on the fundamental principles of religions in a detailed manner. In addition, these notes have been the main reason behind the introduction of various decisions in religions and the reason behind their existing differences. Recent jurisprudential methods among various sections of Catholics and Protestants and the mode of reasoning of canon lawyers related to the above sects with regards to reasonability of their sources happen to be quite different. This is the

International Taxation Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Taxation Issues - Essay Example 3) Advise what taxation consideration need to be given if the purchase from the Iberican operations by an Australian company were not for arms' length prices. Explain the reason and the rational of this concept requiring to be addressed for Australian Taxation purposes. In Australia, companies and individuals can be taxable persons. They are tax on income derived inside Australia and/or from outside sources and the tax treatment depends whether or not they are residents or non-residents of Australia. A resident individual is taxable on its assessable income derived from any source, whereas a non-resident individual is taxable only on the assessable income derived in Australia. Taxes imposed may come from business income, or in the payment of interests, dividends, royalties, rent, or capital gains. Taxes can be further classified as withholding tax or taxes on the sale of goods or render of service. A company is resident in Australia for tax purposes if: 1) It is incorporated in Australia (irrespective of where central management and control is exercised). Once a company has been incorporated in Australia it can never lose its Australian residence for tax purposes; 2) Central management and control is exercised in Australia (irrespective of which country the company was incorporated in); and, 3) The company is neither incorporated in Australia nor is its central management and control exercised there but carries on business in Australia and its voting control is in the hands of resident Australian shareholders.1 A company which is a resident in Australia is liable to Australian income tax to all its assessable income which is not specifically exempt, less allowable deductions with a credit for qualifying foreign taxes paid. Assessable income includes the income calculated by the normal accounting concepts, with specified adjustments, and certain capital gains. Normally, tax losses can be carried forward indefinitely or transferred amongst group companies, for offset against future profits. A non-resident company is liable to income tax only on assessable income derived from sources in Australia.2 Double Taxation If a resident company or individual in Australia is doing business outside Australia, the taxes applicable to that country can also be available to it, and vice-versa, even if it already paid the same tax in the country of origin. That is what we call double taxation. Double taxation of foreign income for resident Australian companies has traditionally avoided by entering into a tax treaty with other countries. At present, Australia has entered into tax treaty with more than 40 countries. They prevent double taxation and fiscal evasion and foster cooperation between Australia and other international authorities by enforcing their respective tax laws.3 Income from subsidiaries resident in "unlisted" jurisdictions is taxed a second time in Australia but a tax credit is given for any tax

The Crucible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Crucible - Essay Example Mostly, the little lies are used to spice up the story or achieve a certain effect among the audience. There are various reasons for which people do lie. In many cases the lies are propagated to save certain situations or protect certain interests the individual lying may have. In some instances, people have lied even under oath. This paper seeks to delve into the reasons as to why people lie, even under an oath In the 1953 play by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, he depicts the Salem Witch Trials. The trials are carried out in such a way that the villagers’ testimonies determine the fate of the accused. Several innocent people meet their deaths courtesy of the testimonies. On the other hand, some guilty characters escape death as the villagers’ testimonies save them. Clearly, an accused person’s life balances on what the mob has to say of him or her. For those who get saved yet are guilty, lies do it for them. The villagers simply have to lie on the truth about them for their lives to be saved. Some innocent characters are however not as lucky. The villagers’ false affirmation to their participation in witchcraft leads them to their death. The villagers actually lie big time depending on whom they want to save or crucify. The accused also resort to lying in order to save themselves. Extreme behaviors occur during this time when life or death is made by the differenc e between treachery and truthfulness. Apparently, fear appears to be the reason behind the lying. The characters Abigail William, Mary Warren and John Proctor are the most deceiving. Abigail goes to great lengths to deceive Salem’s townspeople for her selfish gains. Questioned about dancing in company of the other girls in the woods, she puts the blame on Tituba. She quips, â€Å"She made me do it! She made Betty do it!† (187). Apparently, she is willing to sacrifice Tituba’s life so that she can escape punishment. On the other hand, while Tituba

Ip5 program capstone Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ip5 program capstone - Research Paper Example At the GreenHall hotel, promotions are given to the employees by merit. This means that those who have shown exemplary performance in their work are promoted. However, at the BlueShield hotel, employees are promoted whenever they get an additional academic qualification. BlueShield places a lot of importance to the academic qualifications while GreenHall places emphasis on the experiences that the employee has had in the company. Communication at GreenHall is not limited and employees can pass information freely. This means that all the employees can interact and pass information freely regardless of their position in the company. This helps the employees feel free to talk to the top officials whenever they are experiencing problems in the company (Bach, 2013). BlueShield Hotel, on the other hand, communicates strictly in a top-down direction. Both hotels use the SWOT tool to improve the operations of their hotels. They both make use of their individual strengths, recognize their weaknesses and try to improve them, realize the existing opportunities and utilize them. They also identify their strengths and makes use of them. A change in the external environment is likely to affect both companies in the same way. For instance, if there are terrorists’ threats in the area, then the hotels are likely to experience a low season (Burt, 2005). They may need to even close their businesses for a while. Terrorists’ threats are very harmful to the hospitality industry. In conclusion, both the GreenHall and BlueShield hotels operate and function in different ways to accomplish the same goals of getting more clients and thus more profits. The aim of any company is to make profits, and each company has their way of attaining their projected profits (Bou,

The Significance of Storytelling for Children Thesis Proposal

The Significance of Storytelling for Children - Thesis Proposal Example I have chosen to carry out an investigation into the language of books written for young children based on Gordon Pradl’s study of a child’s concept of story development. In ‘Narratology: The Study of Story Structure’, he states:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Applebee describes six stages in children's event-arrangement, a developmental pattern ranging from "heaps" (mere lists of unrelated perceptions) to "true narratives" (complete events that reveal a theme or evaluation of experience). Other researchers have shown that children in the telling of their own stories gradually develop certain literary conventions ("once upon a time...") as they grow increasingly sensitive to the overall aesthetic structure of a narrative.†Ã‚   Reading books to children is an age-old and trusted method of instilling a basic comfort level in the child with a particular language. Barbara Stoodt remarks, â€Å"Reading which does not stir their imagination, which does not stretch their minds, not only wastes their time but will not hold them permanently† (Stoodt, 61) I believe that interacting and reading books with other people is a more natural way for children to learn basic language skills backed up with practice of high-quality phonics (letters and sounds strategy) The point about reading with children is to open up that most vital human interaction: a conversation. I aim to discover how books introduce new words to children and how illustrations play a key part in this. Furthermore, I aim to explore how effective books are in helping children to acquire linguistic and communicative competence by helping them learn the main aspects of language including phonology, pragmatics, semantics, and syntax.

Marketing plan Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Marketing plan - Research Proposal Example While the direct customers are mothers and mothers to be the target retailers are Mothercare, Sainsburys or any retailer that stocks baby products. The aim of this project report is to create a market plan for the project report and structure applications, promotions price and distribution of this product. "The current baby bottle market in the United States is estimated at $154 million. Of this amount, reusable baby bottles hold 55.2 percent, $80 million of the market, while the remaining 48 percent is held by disposables. Disposables are defined as baby bottles that are designed for bottle liners and the liners are discarded after each use. The disposable market had grown to a peak of 53 percent of the baby bottle market in the United States, but had shown a steady decline as a percent of the total market over recent years. The average customer for a baby bottle product is a female in her late twenties who is, or will be again, employed outside the home. Because the majority of customers of baby bottles work outside the home, time and convenience is heating bottle accurately are of the essence" After peaking at a post-baby-boom of 4.16 million in 1990, the number of births in the United States is expected to stabilize at approximately 4 million and remain at that level through the turn of the century. The current baby bottle market in the United States is approximately $154 million, or 73 million units a year. Currently, reusable bottles constitute 52 percent of the baby bottle market, or 38.6 million units a year. Reusable bottles have increased their market share over disposable bottles by an average of 2 percent a year over the last years. The trend of reusable bottles capturing a larger share of the baby bottle market is expected to continue over the net several years.i Competition and Competitive Advantages Although there are several major competitors in the baby bottle industry, none of these are currently marketing a product that indicators the temperature of the liquid in the bottle. Researching the Marketplace Before embarking on the path to retail sales, companies should fully understand the consumer market and how their product might fit into it. That is true for the rainbow bottle as well Differentiation. "If the product category already exists on retail shelves, then the new product should be differentiated from existing competition. A me-too product is unlikely to unseat established brands already selling well. However, if the me-too product has a price advantage, there is an opportunity to displace an established product. Increasingly, private labeling for the retail store is an available option."ii Successful companies seek to differentiate their product by giving it features that are desired by consumers. Also, they make sure that consumers are willing to pay any resulting difference in price. In retail sales, conducting research among potential consumers of a product is necessary for understanding the marketplace and ensuring success. There is a clear cut differentiation with the Rainbow Bottle. It is different from the other baby bottles and satisfies a genuine need for mothers New Product Category If a company seeks to market a new product that is not in an established retail category, its need to conduct market research is even greater. The company

Implementing MBO System in a Burger King Franchise Essay

Implementing MBO System in a Burger King Franchise - Essay Example The Burger King franchise in Maine has one owner, with four permanent staff and 28 part-time employees. The four permanent staff members are assistant managers, two of who are in the kitchen and two who are on the floor. Employees work in two shifts, each shift has a kitchen and a floor manager with fourteen part-time employees as cooks and waiters. Staff turnover is as much as 7 a year and may be contributed to working hours and/or work conditions. When looking at the income statement it is clear that profit is directly linked to sales, minus liabilities. Now firstly looking at sales and taking into consideration that this is a fast food business, we know for certain the profit will depend on the amount of sales, and to sell we need customers. This the first key business goal must be customer satisfaction. Taking our customer into account, we need to find out what will satisfy their needs and make them come back for more, and being in the fast food business with a drive through, we know that speed of food delivery is important. Next customers like to have a choice and as Burger Kings strategic statement implies "Have it your way", it is important to cater for customer's choice. Furthermore customers always appreciate a warm and friendly service from staff, which is one reason they will return. So our first goal of insuring customer satisfaction could be realised by objectives such as reduced turnaround time, offering the custo mer a wide verity of food, delivered in a warm and friendly manner. Customer satisfaction can then be measured by the retention and hopefully increase of customers base by the end of 2006, against past data. Next we need to look at liabilities which also impact the profit margin of the business. Liabilities are expenses that are paid out of the net income of the business and if it can be reduced, the profit margin will be increased accordingly. It must also be realised that expenses such as advertising and promotion if implemented correctly, if increased could result in an increase in sales. Food cost including packaging, is the stock that has to be bought and maintained to ensure the ability of the business to deliver a product to its customers continuously. Is it possible to reduce these costs Yes, by looking at alternative cheaper packaging expenses could be reduced. Then how much wastage takes place during preparation of the food, or during wrong orders. Just by cutting out wastage and through better food ordering and preparation processes food cost could be reduced by at least 5 percent. Improving these processes may also reduce the amount of staff that are needed currently and could result in reducing staff, in turn reducing wage expenses. Our second key goal is this to reduce expenses, and this we can achieve by setting a moderate target of reducing expenses by at

Sociology Investigation Essay Example for Free

Sociology Investigation Essay With the use of covert participant observation and study of secondary data, I will be analyzing and investigation the question â€Å"Why do girls do better at school than boys? † I will come to a conclusion on whether this question is correct and if it is true or not, then explaining the reasons why they do better or why they do not. Hypothesis – We believe that girls do better in school and this is because most girls can multi task and think about their future much more than boys who are trying to â€Å"live in the moment†. Boys are also socialized into being violent and being slightly rebellious so will not concentrate enough in lessons. Girls are however socialized to be respectable and get a good job to help the family and also to be sensible so they can raise children. Finally I feel girls generally can be distracted one day for many reasons but keep quiet and everyone knows not to annoy them, but on the other hand boys if they get distracted tend to disturb everyone around them. Why do girls do better than Investigation Discussion of Secondary Data – In some research it highlights how boys by the age of eight are meant to have adopted these boys by the age of eight are meant to have adopted these perceptions and that from that age the perceptions and that from that age the gap between intelligence is visible. They saw that boys could become products of self-fulfilling prophecy. The research also shows that boys lag behind girls in nearly all subjects at A-level and GCSE. Girls from reception to year 5 said that girls were cleverer, performed better and more focused and respectful. Boys in reception, yr1 and yr2 had an equal split between boys and girls and in yr3 they all said girls were better showing as they get older the gap is bigger and more visible to see. Adults that also believe girls do better the research showed. In a separate investigation two groups we held both full of boys, the first was told that girls performed better than girls and the second were not. The first group performed significantly worse than the second. This could show how their poor performance could be because of low expectations of teachers. Stats – 25. 5% of entries by girls were A/A* compared with 19. 5% for boys. The gap narrows at A-level, with 27. 6% of entries which are girls were awarded A/A* compared with 26. 1%. Method – I am going to use covert participant observation to investigate my hypothesis. This will involve watching a lesson and recording notes on how behavior and attention differ between boys and girls. I will make sure that no one knows I’m doing this so they don’t change their behavior to make them look better or alter what they would do because they know they are being watched. It important to control these to make accurate results are noted down. I will then record my results in a need and structure paragraph using qualitative analysis. I am also going to do a survey asking an equal amount of boys and girls from a range of years asking if they think boys or girls do better in school. This will be good to do as a comparison could be made between my results and secondary data. The pros of this method are that we can easily compare secondary data and also with the survey being quantitative we can make a graph and with the qualitative data we can make a clear and detailed conclusion. The cons are when asking the survey it may be hard to get real opinions as boys may say boys do better in school because of their â€Å"honor† but really they believe girls do better. Ethical issues – Some issues I might face with this investigation is the use of covert participant observation because some people may feel they are being involved with something they don’t want to be involved with and that we are going behind their back as we have not asked them to be involved. They may not feel comfortable with being involved and we have to think about and respect that. Finally if we are watching teacher they may not feel that it appropriate for us to watch them and make notes as they are our elders and they may believe we are judging them. Pilot Study – I made my first pilot study in the first lesson of planning. Something I noticed were that the group behind us of all girls was planning and mind mapping ideas about how they could go about their investigation and started writing the norms. However the group of boys at the back we getting distracted said they would do it after the holiday and were clearly bored so tried to practice the covert participant observation method but were laughing and not doing it properly by as they were laughing and we knew they were watching us In turn automatically changing our behavior towards them. Evaluation of pilot study – From the pilot study we see that our hypothesis was correct and girls are more focused which maybe a reason why they have been shown to do better in school than boys. The study also highlighted how if you are caught using covert participant observation then people will change their behavior distracting them as well from their work also confirming my ideas about how boys distract everyone around them when they are bored. Presentation of results – Notes: * Girls seemed to settle in a lot quicker than boys. * More boys got more penalties than girls * Boys asking for pens and equipment Couples of boys and girls work better than two boys sitting together * Boys seen to distract a lot of people around then and the whole class are disturbed and the teacher had to stop * Boys are always the once making funny comments and trying to be the jokers * Some boys got a bad result in the end of term test they seem to just be fine with it and even use it as something to laugh about, also some girls do that and on one hand they may have struggled and then they get help but on the other they do sometimes use it as an excuse maybe just because they didn’t revise or concentrate in lessons Conclusion and discussion of results – My results strongly collaborate my hypothesis as they indicate that boys’ behavior is a lot worse than those of girls and this I feel is directly related to the lower grades on average that girls get. My results also show how boys have been socialized into being the class clowns and that to be popular they have to make rude or annoying comments that people laugh at. This highlights the idea about some boys just thinking about the current time and not there future, whereas on the other hand girls are thinking about their future. On the whole my results did collaborate with my hypothesis and from the results I got I feel girls are more focused and doing this investigation opened my eyes up to this fact and how boys do seem to be a lot less bothered and this in turn affects their school in terms of grades and results they receive at the end of their schooling lives. Evaluation of method – I used covert participant observation to gather qualitative information, this gave me detailed results that a structured conclusion would be made from. There were no problems with the use of the covert participant observation method and at the end I also spoke to some people and told them they had been filmed, they seemed fine about it but I was weary that some people may have not liked being watched and that is understandable so I was careful. The use of the survey allowed me to compare data that was gathered in research and the results we found out. Although next time I feel I could have asked a wider range of people and also a wider range of ages because students can often lie to make their sex or the opposite sex seem better and have biases because of one reason or another.

White Collar Crime And Society

White Collar Crime And Society Theres no such thing as white-collar crime. And theres definitely no such thing as black-on-black crime. Crime is crime. Let me explain something to you. I dont care if you have a white collar or a tank top. If you rob me, Im gonna whup your ass. -Mitch Gilliam, Head of State, 2003 Many people dismiss White Collar Crime as a criminal offence, for many reasons they feel they do not fit the category and therefore do not view them as illegal. They are in all respects criminal offences, just like any other offence. Gilliam states that he does not care what your wearing, whether it be a white collar or tank top, you are still a criminal regardless if you are stealing something that is not rightfully yours to take. White Collar Crime has been newly introduced into society within the past one-hundred years. The first major case happened around the mid-1920s, and has continued to escalate from then on1. As society has slowly become more fixated on money, greed begins to overpower civilians views on honesty and hard work. People are now dismissing White Collared Crime as a criminal offence due to difficult issues surrounding it, due to the fact that it is less hazardous to society compared to violent, Blue Collar Crimes. OR As society slowly begins to revolve around money, the honesty of the business world has slowly been degenerating, which in forth has lead to White Collar Crime. The Canadian Government and the Criminal Code of Canada are frequently faced with these types of criminal cases, they continuously either respond to the crime too leniently or too extremely. Due to the unmodified laws, society does not acknowledge White Collar Crime to be a serious criminal offence. SUBTOPIC 1: Area of discussion 1 What are White Collar Crimes Society usually does not acknowledge or underestimates the severity white collar crimes have on the population as a whole. They do not grasp the effect a sum of money can have an individuals life or on a communities economy. Usually these types of offences are non-violent, but that does not mean they do not have a detrimental impact on the people victimised. White Collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his/her occupation.2 Sutherland also mentions that the dollar loss to specifically white collar crime is greater that the dollar lost from all other types of crime. The American business community lost fifty-billion dollars in 1980 to white collar crime which is almost ten times more than the fiscal value of all forms of street crimes.3 According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); White Collar Crime has continued to cost the country excessive amounts of money. Today in the U nited States, more than three-hundred billion dollars is wasted on white collar crime each year. The FBI defines these types of crimes as, those illegal acts which are characterized by deceit, concealment, or violation of trust and which are not dependent upon the application or threat of physical force or violence.4 White collar crimes closely parallel corporate crime, as the opportunities to commit criminal offences of fraud, bribery, insider trading, embezzlement, computer crime, identity theft and forgery are all available and the possibility for success is significantly higher for employees already working within the company. White collar offences typically involve some form of mistrust, and result in momentary gain for the perpetrators. The punishment for white-collar crime is often less severe than for crimes of violence. However, an allegation of fraud, embezzlement, and so on, is often embarrassing and can carry a lasting social stigma enabling/rendering the perpetrator to continue their previous legitimate career. Through their criminal offense they have lost trust in all their clients and their credibility is deemed meaningless within the business world. White collar crimes go largely undetected, as it is very difficult to identify as they are low-profile and it is usually not reported. White Collar Crime is non-violent crimes, usually performed by members of the upper classes. They differentiate from blue-collar crimes because they lack physical violence or threat of violence towards the victim. Blue Collar Crime is any crime committed by an individual typically from a lower social class, as opposed to White Collar Crime which is associated with crimes committed by individuals of a higher social class. People employed in relatively unskilled environments and living in poor, inner-city areas have fewer opportunities to develop compared to those who, work in situations where large financial transactions occur and live in areas where there is relative prosperity. Due to lack of opportunity available which correlates with location, most crimes occur in poor, inner-city areas and are not linked with their occupation. Usually areas of high crime rate are immigrant areas or low income housing areas, where the people are un-educated, unemployed and have nothing to do with their time, thus resorting to crime. Blue collar crime tends to be more obvious and attracts more police attention. Blue Collar Crimes of violence include; murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and rape, while property Blue Collar Crimes include; vandalism, burglary, motor vehicle theft or shoplifting, where physical property is damaged and violent demeanour is often involved.5 In Blue Collar Crime, there tends to be fewer chances to use skill and thus, force and violence is usually used in order to assure the task is completed. Since more people end up getting injured, the victim is more likely to report it to the police. White Collar employees can easily perpetrate criminal behaviours due to their supposed integrity within the business world, thus making themselves less obvious when committing the crime. Blue Collar Crime usually involves repeat offenders with a questionable background, whereas in the business world, it usually involves people who have not previously been involved in criminal history. The identification of the -corporate confidence- victim is reluctant to report -share holder value- crime hard to prove and unproven allegation can be highly damaging to a company. Area of Discussion 2: Types of White-Collar Crime White Collar Crime is a broad term that overlooks many types of non-violent criminal offences; it is associated with acts of dishonesty, manipulation and negligence. It usually involves fraud and illegal financial transactions that occur within a company by unreliable employees. White-collar crime is usually performed by those with particular admittance to information or resources, making their non-violent crime possible. These crimes are usually performed electronically by the computer, but can also be done through paperwork. White-collar crimes normally occur within the superior positions in government and business as leverage is necessary in order to gain access to even commit these crimes. White Collar Crime refers to the category of crime that usually is committed by professionals, the crimes most often recognized as White Collar include: fraud, bankruptcy fraud, bribery, insider trading, embezzlement, computer crime, medical crime, public corruption, environmental crime, pension fund crime, RICO crimes, occupational crime. White Collar Crime has been significantly influenced by the arrival of new technologies, such as the internet and cell phones, which has in turn brought upon more opportunities for crime. It has also changed the manner in which the crimes are committed, their frequency, and has increased the difficulty in order to arrest perpetrators. Fortunately, these technological advances can also be used by law enforcement officials to aid in tracking illegal activities. However, the elimination of this type of crime depends morally on an individuals attitude and relationship of loyalty, friendship, and trust that one human being inflicts upon another human being, instead of the legal provision and work of law enforcement made by the Government or Police. Most White Collar Crimes are committed with the goal to attain a financial gain. The perpetrators issuing these crimes tend to not have a criminal background, but when presented with the opportunity for simple enrichment through some action that appears morally indefinite at the beginning, quickly turns into a crime. White Collar crime is crimes committed by respectable people, during the course of their occupation, and therefore defeats the notion that poverty breads crime. Fraud is the most popular white collar crime out of the list of offences. It is the intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual. Fraud is not only a crime, but also a civil law violation. Defrauding people of money or valuables is the most common purpose; it can also include the sale of fraudulent goods, false advertising, filing false insurance claims and false billing. It can be committed through many different outlets such as, mail, phone, and internet. It is difficult to check the identity and legitimacy online, the simplicity for the hackers to divert browsers to dishonest sites and steal credit card details like pin numbers is unbelieveable. Some examples of fraud are; counterfeit, false advertising, forgery, identity theft, securities, and tax evasion. When looking for fraudulent activities they can easily be identified by nine elements being; representation of an existing fact, its materiality, its falsity, the speakers knowledge of its falsit y, the speakers intent that is shall be acted upon by the plaintiff, the plaintiffs ignorance of its falsity, their reliance on the truth of the representation, their right to rely upon it and their damages suffered because of it. Fraud can include the sale of fraudulent goods, false advertising, filing false insurance claims, or false billing Bribery Though often seen as the price of doing business in some countries, the practice of bribery gives unfair advantages to certain individuals and distorts the efficacy of markets Insider trading Like bribery, insider trading gives an unfair advantage to certain individuals who are privy to private information that affects the value of stocks or bonds Embezzlement Embezzlement occurs when someone with access to company or government funds siphons some for their personal use. This crime is a prime example of white collar crime as usually it is only privileged members of society or a company who even have access to company funds to begin with Forgery Forgery is most threatening when considering the sale of counterfeit goods, but is also relevant to the production of false insurance claims Most of these crimes are committed with the goal of financial gain. The people who commit these crimes do not necessarily have a history of crime, but are usually presented with some opportunity for enrichment through some action that appears morally indefinite at the beginning, but quickly transgress into a crime. The initial gain of money presents an unavoidable attraction to those who commit these crimes. Though normally carried out for money, white-collar crime can also be committed as an act of sabotage.http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destUrl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif White-collar crimes come in many different forms, including money laundering; credit card, health care, insurance, securities, and/or telecommunications fraud; intellectual property and computer crimes; and identity theft. POSS PUT IN 3*The major difference between White collar Crime and Blue Collar Crime is that, very rarely white collar criminals occupy prison cells. Although White Collar crimes inflicted the most harm to the United States and Canada, the justice systems still continue to treat them with more lenience and less consistency than street criminals.* Area of Discussion 3: Society does not feel these types of offences are criminal, statistics prove that one in three American households are victims of white-collar crime, yet only 41% actually report it. Out of the vast majority of reports, only a low of 21% has actually made it safely into the hands of a law enforcement or consumer protection agency. This means that approximately less than 8% of white collar crimes have had the opportunity to reach proper authorities according to the National Public Survey on White Collar Crime, conducted by the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), a non-profit, federally funded organization that supports local and state police in their efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute economic and high-technological crime. According to the National Fraud Center statistics, economic crime cost the nation $5,000,000,000 in 1970, $20,000,000,000 in 1980, and $100,000,000,000 in 1990. As businesses and financial transactions become more and more computer and Internet aut omated, the reality of increased economic crime grows exponentially, fueled by the rapid growth of technology. As of 2010, white collar crimes continue to invade our new, high-tech society faster than we are able to stop it. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2680_130/ai_82012998/ Statistics conclude that one in three Americans fail to report these crimes that are costing the nation hundreds of billions of dollars a year. Reasoning for not reporting the offences can be seen by; not initially considering the offenses toward themselves as being criminal acts, they may have been uncertain about which agency to contact for assistance and guidance, or they may have a lack of faith that the offender would be apprehended. Most times, offenders get off with very little punishment if any at all. White Collared offences tend to usually be pushed under the table and hidden from the public through a variety of opportunities available to hide the evidence of the crime committed. Society and the Canadian Justice System feel White Collar offences are not a priority in the legal system, as their attention is directed to dangerous criminals that are going to harm/injure and kill people. Murderers do seem to be more dangerous in society compared to a few business men stealing company profit, but in fact, manufacturing companies that sells a faulty item or product before the safety check is mandated are just as guilty of manslaughter or injury occurs due to their product fault. The company may be aware of this impurity but are willing to risk the safety and well-being of their costumers to avoid their product being put on recall. At what point do these everyday businessmen become criminals? *Do they fit the criminal attributes? Are they truly criminal or are they just greedy. -talk about personal life, how people would never expect them. Hence the reason why white collar crime is not taken as seriously as it should be -handout of criminal personality (lack of quilt, lier, etc.) Sutherland embraced the Interactionist Theory of Deviance, focusing on how people learn to be criminals. He believes criminal behaviour is learned from interpersonal interaction with others. *Family difficulties or financial debt would increase the chance of them getting involved in fraud. The characteristics of the criminal mind are; Self-Centeredness- greed of wanting more money to themselves, dont care who they hurt in order to achieve it (movie in class, MR. GETKO) Resentment of Authority dont care about anyone above or below them, they want money and are willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Usually they are of higher authority, which makes it easier for them to steal large sums of money without being caught Search for Power want all the modern technology, new house, new car. Want to rise up in the business so they can make money. They fall into the pressures of crime trying to achieve their goal life; rich and luxurious. Lying will cheat there accomplices, business associates, etc. Feed them lies or promises that they will never keep in order to get money out of them Lack of Guilt with money on their mind and all the perks it gives you, they do not have time to care that what they are doing at achieve all of that is wrong and criminal Poor Ability for Love their love becomes money, they usually loose their family or have multiple wives because they are married to their job. Money and their business position overrides their family. Hence why most marriages fail Excitement- the joy of all the new things the extra money can buy them Bad, but good- although they are lying and cheating (doing bad), they are making money and living the good life (good). The good usually tends to override the bad Non-arrestable Criminality businessmen of superiority, friendly to family friends and neighbours, do not seem like the type to be involved in criminal offences

Death of a Salesman Essay -- essays research papers fc

Death of a salesman The Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller is a controversial play of a typical American family and their desire to live the American dream â€Å"Rather than a tragedy or failure as the play is often described. Death of a Salesman dramatizes a failure of [that] dream† (Cohn 51). The story is told through the delusional eyes and mind of Willy Loman, a traveling salesman of 34 years, whose fantasy world of lies eventually causes him to suffer an emotional breakdown. Willy’s wife, Linda, loves and supports Willy despite all his problems, and continually believes in his success and that of their no good lazy sons, Biff and Happy. The play takes place in 1942, in Willy and Linda’s home, a dilapidated shack on the outskirts of a slum. Willy has spent his whole life teaching and believing that you can achieve success by your appearance and by making yourself as amiable as possible. Eventually Willy begins to fabricate stories at himself to be able to live with himself be cause he can’t meet his own expectations. He falls deeper into his lies, making himself and his family suffer for it. (Thesis). In the play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller proves he is America’s social critic when he criticizes Willy’s relationship concerning his family, his lack of success in achieving his goals and his dreams along with his inner turmoil and personal collapse which result in suicide. In the onset of the play, Willy told Linda that you â€Å"work a lifetime to pay of a house. You finally own it, and there is nobody to live in it† (Cohn 56). This quote shows how Willy strives his whole life to make a home for his family and by the time he sees the realization of that one dream, his family has drifted apart and he is alone with his haunting thoughts and his ghosts. Willy has such high expectations for himself and his sons, and when they all failed to accomplish their dreams, they were unable to accept each other for what they truly were. Willy raised Biff with the idea that success depends on whether or not a person can sell himself and not how smart a person is. Biff’s tragic flaw is his acceptance of Willy’s values and not creating any of his own. When Biff realizes his father is a fake, he becomes a lost individual and he does not speak to his father for 14 years. In Willy’s family it is always Biff who receives recognition, however, H appy strives for attention too... ...sm CLC.2 . Detroit: Indiana University press. 1971. 68-96. Bibliography Bloom, Harold. Major Literary Characters: Willy Loman. New York: Chelsea House, 1991. Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations: Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. Cohn, Ruby. â€Å"The Articulate Victims of Arthur Miller†. Contemporary Literary Criticism CLC.2 . Detroit: Indiana University press. 1971. 68-96. Driver, Tom F. Saturday Review. Contemporary Literary Criticism. CLC.2.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Detroit: James Brown Associates. 1970. Magill, N Frank. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Vol.4 of Magills Survey of American Literature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York: Salem Press. Inc, 1991. Murray, Edward. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Contemporary Literary Criticism.† Vol.6.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Detroit: Gak Research, 1987. Perkins, George, Barbara Perkins and Phillip Leiniger. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Readers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Encyclopedia of American Literature. 1991. Simon, John. â€Å"Arthur Miller.† Contemporary Literacy Criticism. Vol.2. Detroit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NYM Corp. 1972.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Computer Illiteracy :: Computer Illiteracy

Society is currently in a period of rapid technological change. Computers are becoming a household item as well as a highly advanced tool for most every workplace. The entire world is interlinked through the Internet and information is being transferred across the globe in a matter of seconds. Computers are getting smaller and quicker and the amount of information they can store is getting larger. In this information society that we are becoming, a new advanced form of literacy threatens to debilitate anyone who refuses to step into the computer age. Computer illiteracy endangers not only the individual but our nation’s economy. Whether you like it or not, computers are the new language and those who refuse to accept this will be left in the dust . Computer illiteracy must be addressed now or there will be a whole new population of specialized illiterates in America. There is no doubt that computers are firmly implanted in our nation’s daily existence. Everyday I use a computer at least once, either writing a paper, surfing the Internet or checking my e-mail. On a recent trip to the library to do research I was quickly escorted by a librarian to the variety of computer databases, which are the fastest and most current source of information I found a survey in Statistical Abstracts of the United States comparing students use of computers in kindergarten through college from 1984 to 1993. A total of 27.3% of students used computers in schools in 1984, while a total of 59.0% used computers in 1993. This shows a steady rise in scholastic computer use and these figures are probably greatly inflated by now in 1997. Sadly, many people refuse to face the onslaught of computer technology. A 1994 survey conducted by Dell Computers indicated the 55% of Americans are phobic or resistant to computers (Column). In addition, many important people, including CEOÕs of major companies, are rumored to be computer illiterate (Column). The former CEO of IBM even admitted to never using a computer (Column). Fortunately, PC’s are becoming more and more user friendly as the technology improves. Fewer errors, less maintenance and quicker functioning should encourage many reluctant people to finally step into the new era. Computer literacy requires that an individual be able to word process and have a basic knowledge of CD-Roms, database and the Internet. These are the basic objectives of computer literacy, just as composition may be the objective of regular literacy.

Consciousness As Determined Th Essay examples -- essays research paper

Consciousness is understood in a variety of ways. In one belief, a person is conscious when awake, but unconscious when sleeping or comatose. Yet people also do things requiring perception and thought unconsciously even when they are awake. A person can be conscious of their physical surroundings, pain and even a wish or fantasy. In short a creature is conscious if it is aware of itself and that it is a physical and emotional being. Consciousness is a psychological condition defined by the English philosopher John Locke as "the perception of what passes in a man’s own mind".1 Consciousness is defined and perceived differently in many psychological view points. For instance the earlier views around the 19th century was diversely considered. Most perceived consciousness as a substance or "mental stuff" unlike an object from the physical world. Others deferred that the conscious mind was what separated man from lower forms of life. It is an attribute characterized by sensation and voluntary movement which described the difference between normal waking state of animals and men and their condition when asleep.2 Other descriptions included an analysis of consciousness as a form of relationship or act of the mind toward objects in nature, and a view that consciousness was a continuous field or stream of essentially mental "sense data." The method believed by most early writers in determining consciousness was introspection—looking within one’s own mind to discover the laws of it’s operation. This belief was limited when it was apparent when observationalists could not agree on observations. Obviously due to the differences in one’s own idea of introspection and the underlying views they possessed. The failure of introspection to reveal consistent laws led to the refection of all mental states as subjects of scientific study and thus psychology attached consciousness to its diversity. The term consciousness is most often used by philosophers and psychologists as meaning "attention to the contents or workings of one’s own mind." This notion had little significance for the ancients, but it was emphasized in the 17th century by John Locke and Rene Descartes. Contemporaries of ... ... physical framework of reality.6 Smythies presents that everyone has a private space in addition to the shared, public version. Each individual’s personal framework intersects with the familiar dimensions while remaining distinct from them, and it provides an arena for all conscious sensations that have spatial extension or location–objects discernible by sight or touch.7 To understand Smythies’ theory see Appendix A. In conclusion one can determine a variety of theories in the evolution of consciousness. As cited earlier, consciousness is viewed as being physical or material in some cases and yet in others it is viewed as a function of the inner mind or the minds eye. These theories have even been as radical as Smythies’ philosophy that the state of consciousness is a sort of physical plane. If we were to collaborate these theories to form a conclusive view point, individuals would possibly be able to understand consciousness and the workings of consciousness. Perhaps the mystery of consciousness is to remain a mystery. Possibly this mystery is the key to cognitive thinking. And perhaps the key to our personal evolution.

Explain how Golding establishes the main themes of The Spire through his portrayal of Jocelin in the first five chapters of The Spire

The bent and twisted hunchback Jocelin is the cornerstone for interpreting and bringing forth the multitude of interesting themes within the novel. Through Golding's experience of World War II, he established many scathing criticisms of humanity in his literature. In The Spire this is represented by the character of Jocelin, a Dean of a nameless cathedral obsessed with the vision of erecting a four-hundred foot spire. Jocelin is the penultimate antihero, the introduction of the story tells us how â€Å"He was laughing chin up, and shaking his head. God the father was exploding in his face. † It defies the expectations of what context a Dean would place God into, especially in humour, so very early on into this novel are these very slight and gentle implications of corruption, this is also exacerbated when the slight phallic pun of â€Å"Eighteen inches† is joked by Golding, and we get a sense of†¦ â€Å"expecting the reverse† in the chapters to come. Jocelin later lustfully examines Goody Pangall, what is interesting to note is to note is how Jocelin refers to her while looking at her, he mentions her only as â€Å"Pangall's wife† which is incredibly reminiscent of Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men where the female of the story is only referred to as â€Å"Curley's wife† and her actual name is not specified, names are quite symbolic in terms of how much value the other characters revere her, and over here in The Spire, Jocelin only seems to associate her as a nameless object, devoid of human definition. When you take away the name of the character, you disassociate that character from the main frame of other characters who actually do have names, and Jocelin plays up further on this, â€Å"She is entirely woman, he thought, loving her;† shows also his frame of mind early on, his definition of the characters is placed onto a spectrum, with women this is shown as either â€Å"Girl† or â€Å"Entirely woman†, this then can be taken further to show how Jocelin categorises people around him according to how much pleasure and pain they cause him. The presentation of Jocelin up to this point is a sexually repressed Dean, and we have the theme of obsession rising for the first time, however expressed in a Freudian shell that Jocelin's initial sexual innuendos of The Spire is in reality, behaviour stemming from his sexual repression of Goody Pangall. This is just one of many forms of Jocelin's twisted obsession, and that his obsessive thoughts is expressed in many facets of his metaphoric ideology and associations of events and people in the cathedral Golding portrays this shapeshifting obsessive compulsive behaviour in the actual narrative of the story as well, there is a constant shift of narrative within the novel, between Third person and First person, â€Å"Then he dared to think again, in the warmth at his back†¦.. It is my guardian angel,† the narrative is unstable, much rather like the mindset of Jocelin himself, and also implies that Jocelin may interpret and view himself in Third person while in his mind, since the form of the narrative is shapeshifting from several perspectives to another, and also occasional parenthesis â€Å"and two men posed so centrally in the sundust with their crows (and what a quarry noise and echo as they lever up the slab and let it back),† to indicate more First person narrative but in a more personal and reflective manner, and its through this First person narrative that we can note the use of archaic language, † I do Thy work; and Thou hast sent Thy messenger to comfort me,† this shows us the biblical self highlighting of Jocelin to make himself seem more important than he really is. Almost, justifying his work of the spire by expelling all qualms. Another frequent theme that Golding has presented in The Spire is immaturity and the role of childhood in the motivations of character. â€Å"to think how the mind touches all things with law, yet decieves itself as easily as a child,† Childhood here represents stupidity, and its from the immaturity of our actions that cause us to do stupid things, Jocelin touches upon this when examining Goody Pangall, â€Å"She is entirely woman, he thought, loving her; and this is foolish, this childish curiosity shows it. † surprisingly this is the rare times where we see Jocelin refuting himself rather than justifying himself. Its also worth noting that this is not the first time that Golding has used children to carry his critique of humanity, in Lord of the Flies we are shown the adult behaviour's and faults reflected in children, Golding uses this as a metonym to describe that the entire faults of human behaviour are the attempts to recreate childhood and to be free from responsibility, that we give birth to the belief that anything is possible and everything is allowed. When the ground underneath the â€Å"Pit† starts moving, and later on in the book when the stone of the tower starts â€Å"singing†, Jocelin has brought the cathedral to such a position by allowing and justifying every absurd suggestion. Its this very childish frame of thought which sets his imagination loose and Jocelin believes he is comforted by â€Å"an angel sent from God† yet ironically this is only the burning sensation of his spine by tuberculosis, this is an important metaphor, since it conveys the theme of the corrupting tendency of arrogance, that Jocelin's own arrogance is the cause for his own physical deformation is a very powerful axiom that Golding relays, since Golding's seeming objectives behind his work are to tell the story of humanities own arrogance by glorifying the evil of his characters in his literature, incredibly similar to John Milton's Poem Paradise Lost where the evil of Satan is intensified by his devious and intelligent planning, is similarly reflected in Jocelin, where his evil is intensified by his metaphoric interpretations of events and arrogance, ironically arrogance was the sin of Satan himself, even more so that Jocelin is supposedly a religious Dean of a cathedral. The main characteristics of Jocelin so far are, a hungry curiosity for women and sex, Self glorification, Childish immaturity, farfetched imagination which creates a metaphorical perception, and arrogance. These are essentially ramifications of one main theme so far, the notion of Escapism. Through these acts and mindframes Jocelin creates an alternate world to ignore the current reality, the idea of escaping or rather creating, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Victor creates the creature as a trophy almost to credit his own scientific intellectualism, and Jocelin's view of his seperate reality is still incomplete, and he feels he needs to create The Spire to serve as a metaphor for his seeming â€Å"closeness† to God, â€Å"I am about my father's business,† it almost seems that some part of Jocelin's twisted psyche is not fully dedicated to his dream, and this is perhaps the flaw in Escapism that Golding tries to present, more implied that if Jocelin represents the extreme borderline of human naivety, how can the rest of humanity practice Escapism when it clearly does not work for the rather vacuous Jocelin? In Jocelin's insensitivity to the truth, we find his sensitivity for lies. In the bigger picture we find Jocelin's hunger for power â€Å"I never guessed in my folly that there would be a new lesson and every level, and a new power† and that building a path or a tower to God, will imbue you with the power of God, and with his treatment of other characters, for instance Roger Mason, he tries to invite Roger Mason further into the messianic visions of the spire, â€Å"God revealed it to me, his unprofitable servant. † claiming these own visions as his own, and more relatively, attempting the to grasp the power of God in his own spindly hands. That is not the holiest prophecy; that is the most devious heresy. Its through Jocelin's arrogance does the issue or theme of pride arise, Its when we place ourselves above other people and see ourselves as higher, that we try to recreate our image into some sort of powerful deity or demigod which cannot be dominated, which Golding has shown to have a very ironic sense of humour by using Jocelin to represent religion; the very thing expected to fight pride, becomes the very thing to personify it. Perhaps its inevitable to become the thing you pretend to be. The ultimate Theme of this book is humanity, Golding's written account of the faults in humanity is found clearly in The Spire through Jocelin, its only through relating to Jocelin, and placing ourselves within his persona, can we really understand him deeply The biggest point however, is that when you explain behaviour and people by relating it to yourself, you can no longer hate them or fear them, you will always respect them neutrally, because you can always find the same desires in your own h eart.

Shanghai Business Environment

Enterprises that want to invest in China can stumble over an array of regulations that do not give them free choice of where they wish to locate. This situation has been changing, and China's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) should act as another catalyst to make the investment climate freer in several industries. Enterprises can look forward to making decisions on where to locate within China based on factors that they would use in the more-familiar open environment. To appeal to businesses, cities need a good IT infrastructure, strong leadership, incentives, and â€Å"livability† (see Figure A).Figure A The size of China's market and Western enterprises' desire to get close to it means that Chinese cities do not generally compete for foreign investment with cities in other Asia/Pacific countries. Outside the manufacturing sector, most enterprises locate in China because they want to sell to China. Of all China's cities, Shanghai has gone furthest toward the s uccess factors for a global â€Å"smart city. † Its ambition to become a major financial center and player on the international stage by 2015 has fueled this drive. History has also given Shanghai many advantages.It is probably the most outward-looking of any Chinese city and has a strong political voice in Beijing. The latter has allowed Shanghai to lead the way in many initiatives because China's political leaders often use the city to test out new ideas. As a result, many initiatives that started in Shanghai have now spread elsewhere in China. Shanghai's characteristics Livability To most Western expatriates, Shanghai is perhaps the most livable of Chinese cities. The city continues to make strides to improve (e. g. , announcing new rules to allow foreigners to buy property for the first time).Measured against other big cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, or Sydney in the Asia/Pacific region, Shanghai still scores low. From a global perspective, livability is one of Shang hai's weakest areas. However, livability has a large subjective component, and what appeals to Western tastes may not rank as important to the skilled Chinese workforce that an enterprise might what to attract. Incentives Shanghai has traditionally enjoyed a sizable chunk of foreign investment into China, in part because of its position as a testing ground for reform.In some cases, China has forced foreign investors to set up in the city first. This advantage will diminish, and Shanghai will need to learn to play on a more-level playing field. The city has committed to spending, by 2005, 150 billion yuan (one-third of its total industrial investment) on expanding its high-tech sector. This investment targets software and integrated circuit manufacturing, and the city will provide some tax breaks for new operations and help for self-employed software designers. Keeping costs low is key in attracting new business.Shanghai will have to balance the inevitable rise in labor costs with su itable business incentives. Leadership Shanghai's leaders know where they want to go during the next 10 or 15 years and what basic things they need to do to get there. However, they did not develop this vision in partnership with business or the community. Rather, as a command economy, decisions have been made by a select few behind closed doors. Thus, its leaders have greater ability to get things done quickly than leaders in democratic societies often have.Cities such as Shanghai can complete projects without long internal or public debate over infrastructure projects that might take years in the planning stages in other countries and involve a myriad of agencies. Shanghai has benefited tremendously (certainly compared to the rest of China) from the pedigree of its leaders. President Jiang Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji are former leaders of Shanghai and have strongly supported the city. However, Shanghai knows that spending does not necessarily produce results.Ten years ago, it sta rted pouring money into redeveloping the riverside Pudong district into an area of towering skyscrapers, designed to be China's version of Manhattan. Within a city of 16 million people, Pudong ended up as a ghost town. Slowly, occupation levels have risen, but largely because the central government has â€Å"twisted the arm† of foreign enterprises rather than use real incentives. Infrastructure Many of the city's hopes revolve around an ambitious project to link all of Shanghai to a giant high-speed data network, known as the Shanghai Infoport.Scheduled for completion in 2010, the project stands out not just for its scale but also for its attempt to bring together many strands of existing infrastructure (telecommunications and cable television especially) into one cohesive network. If it succeeds, Shanghai will be among the few cities in the world to have achieved such a feat. Five main projects will rely on the Infoport's high-speed infrastructure: 1. Shanghai Information In terchange Network: A â€Å"giant intranet† for Shanghai with links to many kinds of information 2.Shanghai Society Security Network: Designed to offer e-payment and checking and to facilitate the use of smart cards 3. Social Electronic Data Interchange Network for Foreign Trade: An export/import data exchange for foreign trade 4. Social Community Service Network: Focused on the residential community 5. Gold Card and Commercial Value-Added Network: Linking banks' automated teller machines (ATMs) and payment systems With 3. 2 million users, Shanghai claims to have the largest cable TV network of any city in the world, and this local-access network has a central part in Infoport.Shanghai's connections in national government played an important role in keeping the project on track. Although cable TV networks in the rest of China were barred for a period from offering Internet or telecommunication services, Shanghai received a special dispensation to upgrade its cable TV networks to do just that. The municipal government claims that 1 million residents can now reach interactive services through their televisions. It wants the entire network to be interactive by 2004.In addition, Shanghai Telecom (part of China Telecom) is rolling out digital subscriber line services and installing the necessary in-building cabling to offer Ethernet broadband access. Mayor Xu Kuangdi talked recently of every home having broadband access by 2004. At the same time, Shanghai Telecom has worked on improving the quality of the core network to be ready for the deluge of new data traffic the Infoport will bring. By year-end 2000, it completed work on what it claims is the world's largest local ATM network. Shanghai now uses a total of 320,000 kilometers (198,848 miles) of fiber-optic cable, with more than 4,000 optical nodes.Shanghai Telecom says it has deployed optical fiber in more than 90 percent of the city's residential areas. Shanghai's challenges Building an infrastructure re presents only part of making the Infoport work. The real test is whether people will use it. Only in the last few months have the first real customers logged on, so it's a little early to tell what the response will be. Cost may prove one prohibiting factor, and the local government may have to consider deep subsidies to encourage more than just the wealthiest people to sign up. Content also remains a question.Experience from elsewhere in the world, especially Singapore, a world-class smart city where government has tried to link itself to all the people, shows that the bulk of a city's population generally does not have much interest in such projects. They may want video-on-demand, but filling out tax documents online doesn't really excite them. Bottom line Other Chinese cities, notably Beijing, have begun some of the initiatives under way in Shanghai and are rapidly improving their information infrastructure. Shanghai will likely continue to stand out as China's smartest city, acc ording to Gartner's success factors.Shanghai's early start and its ability to exploit openings created by the central government's policies will likely keep the city at the forefront of innovation for some time. Shanghai's advanced, if incomplete, IT infrastructure makes it a good place for Western enterprises to locate central operations in China. In addition, Shanghai is a good place in which to experiment with business-to-business and business-to-consumer projects requiring advanced IT infrastructure in hopes of rolling them out to the rest of the country when the infrastructure permits.

Presentation of the Gospel to Christianity Essay

Every person in this world is inherently under question about his future state of life. Some are trying to answer questions pertaining to the true essence of their existence. People want to know about the life that they were living before they came here on earth. With all these queries in their minds, it was engraved in their hearts that there must be a universal being that governs their life. It will lead to the idea that men were created by a Supreme being called God. In the idea of creation, we tend to realize that everything in this world was created with a purpose. There must be a very important rationale of our existence. In connection with these, it is crucial for us to know why we are here on earth. It is inherent upon man to believe that we are really created by God who is our Father in heaven. Jesus Christ is our brother who was the chosen son of God to save us. We need to experience myriad things for us to know the essence of our relationship with the Savior. Then eventually, we will answer the question on what will happen to us in the days after tomorrow or after we die. Salvation is the most important goal a man should have for the reason that our future life after we die depends on it. This time is our preparation for the next life. Therefore, we must carefully utilize this mortal life to attain salvation. Why is that so? Because when we die, there are so many things that we cannot do that are vital for us without our physical body. Needless to say, any wise man will come to think of it on how lucky we are to be given a chance to live here on earth. So we must enjoy this life and do good in return to the One who brought us here through our dear parents. In this paper, we will delve into the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our life. It will help us appreciate His divine presence in everything that we do. With that, we will strengthen our relationship with Him and follow His example to gain eternal life. It has been promised by Him that we will gain eternal life if we follow God’s will. 2 Presentation of the Gospel to Christianity The gospel is the good news that we receive in order for us to be saved. It is the word of God for man to know and apply in their lives. In this paper, we will discuss how can we attain salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ: The Savior The birth of Jesus Christ was so known all over the world. Stories about His birth was present in every corner so that His life was the most influential to any one. About 2,000 years ago, an angel appeared to Mary in Bethlehem and to Joseph who is a carpenter informing them that   Mary will conceive a baby by the power of God (Palmer 1). That started the life of Jesus Christ that was sent by our father in heaven for one special mission: that is to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ lived in this world as a human being although He possesses extraordinary characteristics of a God. He experienced that a man will do when living a life. His earthly life involved His ministry to the people. He teaches the gospel to them with divinity and humility. His matchless life includes his service to the poor, to the sick and to the needy. He teaches everyone through parables guided by principles that until now, was studied and interpreted by many people. He was the one who exemplified most of the power of prayer as He always teaches His disciples in its principle. One thing that we owe to Jesus Christ is His obedience in performing the most important sacrifice that He did for us when He was crucified. That only sent us a message that even the chosen son of God experienced trials and difficulties as an example for us. Knowingly, he has all the qualities of a savior that He was able to do the will of our Heavenly Father. As He had been mocked and looked down by other people, some are alarmed by the fact that He was able to prove that indeed He was the son of the Father when He was resurrected after His death. He left a remembrance for us to always remember Him through the sacrament. 3 As the life of Jesus Christ was so impressive and influential, it is surely a good start in believing that His infinite being displayed so much power. We surely can secure our life in His grace. We only have to do the things that He wanted us to accomplish in this life. The Gospel of Jesus Christianity It is respectfully submitted that we belong into a universal family under heaven. Our father in heaven is so wise in creating us under a family for us to enjoy life. The family is the basic unit of society. It gives us happiness and security. As children of God, it is possible that we should not experience pain and problems in life and we should only be happy eternally. But God is so full of wisdom that He gave us the opportunity to experience earthly life for us to progress. Come to think of it, is it possible for us to value happiness when we do not know the feeling of sadness? Of course not. Our life will be dull in that case. Besides, no one will ever come to attain something without being tested. Each one of us should be given the right to choose. We should have freedom. It is the idea of our Heavenly Father to send us to earth to be tested if we are really worthy to live in His presence when judgment will come. In this mortal life, we were given the freedom to choose between good and evil. We have our conscience to guide us, our ability to distinguish between right and wrong. The goodness comes from God, He is light, love and eternity. The choice of being evil is an act of opposing the will of God and that is destructive to man. However, it is up to him if he will choose darkness. The idea of sin came along. Doing something that is against the will of God is sin. Our freedom to choose between good and evil results to doing sinful things and we should be responsible for the consequences which was not lodged into our discretion. Because man is sinful, there should be a Redeemer to save us. It was the mission of Jesus Christ to save us from darkness. In our probationary earthly life, we should follow His example in order to be saved. We must do our part because He had done his. 4 Salvation is a topic that will enlighten us how essential it is to gain eternal life for progression. Darkness is very scary and no one will ever want to live in that state. Basically, when we do not follow the Savior, we will live in darkness and not in His presence. We should be grateful of our faith and belief in Jesus Christ and work through the guidance of our prayer that all men will gain eternal life (Pulvermacher 1). As the will of God is to save us with our family, we must work hand in hand with family members to attain this goal. It is not the will of our Savior that our families will disintegrate. We are responsible for each member of our family. If this will be followed, then all people in this world will live in harmony. There are so many Christ-like attributes that we need to follow in order for us to be saved. In the presence of our God, He wanted that His children will love one another. Love will result to happiness and harmony. Peace will be attained. These attributes are inherent in man for the reason that we are created in the image of God. We are heirs of His being as we are His children. However, we may not give heed to it because we were given the freedom to choose between right and wrong. The attributes that I am talking about are charity, obedience, service, humility and endurance. If a person is willing to practice all these virtues, he will surely do good things. By faith and prayer, it is not difficult to practice all of these. It will start with our love of the Savior because if we love Him, we will not do things that will hurt Him. But before we come to know about these attributes, we must know first some principles that we need to follow. It include baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, offerings and scriptures. Baptism is very important because it will allow any person to have a close relationship with the Savior. It comprises of covenants that we want to do for Him. In baptism, we tend to take the name of Jesus Christ as the savior, we can always remember Him, keep His commandments that are written in the   Bible and endure to do good things until the end of life. Baptism is immersion in t o exemplify that we are born again in His name and that our sins are left in the waters when we rise. 5 That was a simple idea of baptism but it will give us an impression that it is relevant because we know that the Savior Himself was baptized in the waters of Jordan. We should also offer our tithes and offerings in the Church so that we can please God. Ironically, we can think God do not need money. He is all powerful and as such, He can even create money. But, this offerings that I am talking about can be used primarily to aid the poor and the needy. Reading the scriptures is the most important means of communication between man and God. It is in the scriptures that we know about His teachings and principles. Parables of the Savior are written in the scriptures for us to emulate and apply in our lives. Without the scriptures like the bible and other readings on Christianity, salvation will be hard to attain. It has been the basis of studying and knowing the Savior better and with our labor spread the good news to all the people. Charity is very impressive to practice as it comprises of all good works that a man needed to attain eternal life. It involves patience in everything that happens in life, not being envious to the things others are into, not being easily provoked by any one and not to think bad things about other people. A charitable person knows how to approach a very unkind person. He is very God-fearing as he should leave everything to God when something bad was done against him Being obedient is very hard as naturally, man do not want to be ruled by any one. He wants to do things in his own way. However, God is the maker of wisdom . He is the inventor of knowledge. As such. There are so many things that we do not know that He knows. Why cant we trust Him instead? Like Jesus Christ, our Father in heaven sent here on earth to minister His children and save them also. Knowing the pains of crucifixion, Jesus Christ did not decline to the order of His father. It has been the most difficult task God has asked for a person under His power and truly it was more than we are to experience in life. Thus, we can do good things in this life no matter how difficult the situation we are into. 6 In this world, service is the balancing act of survival. There are things that we cannot do at a time that others will do for us. If we know how to serve, we can be saved. In the Kingdom of God, service is the source of faith because through it, we tend to exercise our love to God. We serve other people because we love them and the one who created them. We want things to be easy for all of us. Being selfish is like living in an island. Even the slightest need of overcoming any state of life needs service. We serve by means of helping in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by helping the poor and the needy, by serving our country where we belong, by serving the sick and taking care of the aged. These are basic things to accomplish but are remarkable to do. Remember that Jesus Christ lived in this world by helping the poor and the needy, the sick people and helpless children as He was fond of them. Service cannot be fully achieved without exercising humility. It is not necessary of who we are in order to serve. Jesus Christ came into the world as a servant even if He was indeed the Prince of Peace as the son of God. Ironically, we are supposed to serve Him. However, the wisdom of the Lord teaches us that being humble is the foundation of a blessed service. Hence, we should serve with humility in order to be noble before the eyes of God. Such service should come from our very hearts. As all of these things are hard to practice, we must endure. Should the Savior choose to decline the mission given by God to Him, our salvation would not be possible by now. The sacrifice that He gave us is a result of long suffering and endurance Now, as discussed earlier we knew that people can commit sin because of the freedom to choose between good and evil. It has a connection with repentance as being taught by Jesus Christ to the people. We must repent of our sins. When we pray we must tell God and admit to Him that we sinned. We must express our intention not to repeat the same mistake again. Our God is full of mercy and He will surely forgive us of our sins if only we are sincere in asking forgiveness. 7 Conclusion In my presentation of the Gospel to Christianity, I am so aware that people have different beliefs in their lives. Normally, they will believe what they know from the teachings of their parents and then to the Church where they belong. I do not blame this people because they are entitled to their own beliefs. However, in this paper, I am also concerned of the opportunity that I can share important points of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and convince any one that we are indeed in the mercy of our Redeemer. No matter how righteous we are, if we do not accept Jesus Christ in our lives through baptism and the corresponding commandments that is part of it, we cannot be saved. Salvation is something that we need to work on. It is not given in a silver platter. The sacrifice that Jesus Christ gave for us to be saved will complete our efforts to be saved. The idea of heaven is very fulfilling because in essence we all want to live there. It is up to us if we truly want to prepare in this life to attain it. If we do not work while we are dominating our physical body, we might lose the opportunity when we die. It is respectfully recommended that we study the scriptures often. It is our constant guide in the gospel. We should pray every time we feel like praying for that is a very special invitation that we feel in our hearts to come closer to Jesus Christ. Finally, I salute those righteous people who are already keeping Jesus Christ in their hearts and already following His gospel. We should not forget that in everything we do in His name, there are oppositions lurking behind it that we need to overcome. Temptations to do bad should not hinder us in living with Jesus Christ through eternity. Eternity would only be a long time if we do not know how to endure to the end. Together with our families and friends, let us freely live the gospel of Jesus Christ. 8 Works Cited Palmer, Ken. 11 November 2007. Life of Christ. 20 November 2007. < http: //www. lifeofchrist. com/life/lifescan/. Pulvermacher, Luclan. 8 December 1978. The Catholic Church and Salvation. 20 November 2007. < http://www. truecatholic. org/cathsalv. htm.