Existentialism in Camus and Kafka Essay

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Albert Camus’ The Outsider, both feature protagonists in situations out of which arise existentialist values. Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts. In The Metamorphosis the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, realizes his existentialism towards the end of the novella. In contrast, Monsieur Meursault, the protagonist in The Outsider, knows of his existentialism, only realizing his life’s lack of meaning moments after he is sentenced to death. Despite the somewhat absurd nature of The Metamorphosis, and the realistic nature of The Outsider, similar values are communicated to the reader. The easiest to pick out being that it is up to the individual to create his/her own life, and that the inhuman behaviour presented by both protagonists will eventually lead to very bad things; namely death in both novellas. These deaths are, however, very different, as are the methods through which Kafka and Camus have made each novel nothing but `a philosophy put into images’. Meursault (the narrator) in The Stranger only sees and only wants to see the absolute truth in society. The reader’s first encounter with him†¦ Mama died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: â€Å"Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. † That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday. †¦ immediately gives an impression of a lack of emotion towards the demise of his mother. This lack of emotion highlights the existentialist ideal that we all die, so it doesn’t matter what life we have while we are alive. We simply exist, as did Meursault. It becomes apparent, as the novella unfolds, that Meursault has acquired an animal like indifference towards society. His interactions with his neighbour Raymond are an example of his indifferences. It never dawns upon Meursault that society does not condone his interactions with the pimp, avoided by his community. Meursault simply acts to fill his time. Being a single man, he has a lot of time to fill, and finds the weekends passing particularly slowly. While the scene passes slowly before Meursault, Camus’ text flows quickly. He uses short sharp sentences to convey an atmosphere devoid of emotion or feeling. This is especially effective between pages 21 and 24, at the end of chapter two, when Meursault is giving a descriptive narrative of the life outside his window on a typical Sunday. He ends the chapter saying `†¦ one more Sunday was over†¦ nothing had changed. ‘ Existentialism is present in nearly all of Meursault’s interactions with society. One such piece of evidence supporting Meursault’s existentialism is his interaction with Marie. His association is merely sexual and physical. Meursault uses Marie to help him pass his time: he spends an entire Saturday with her. When questioned about love and marriage, Meursault’s replies show indifference through their nothingness. Meursault is existentialist to the extent that he couldn’t care less about the path his life (or lack of one) takes. The reader is constantly bombarded with short phrases revealing ever more Meursault’s worthless outlook on a worthless existence. Examples of this come in the form of Meursault confining himself to only one room in his apartment, his ignorance to social expectations, his mindless identification with old Salamano and his dog, and most importantly his disregard for human life and the consequences for the removal of it. As mentioned in the above definition of existentialism, it stresses the responsibility for ones own actions. When Meursault comes to trial for killing the Arab, he finally realises that he can’t take the responsibility. This is the main turning point as far as existentialism is concerned in The Outsider. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is equally as philosophical. The novella is written as a metaphor, with a very strong sense of vivid realism. The metaphor is for any situation in which someone tries to break free form a social norm, only to fall; failing to convince the society that his/her action is just. The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, brought society against him when he questioned his life as a travelling salesperson. Social expectations had put him in his place, but he decided, although the reader may assume quite subconsciously, that it was not the place for him. His wish to remove all social burdens from his shoulders is first illustrated to him through his transformation into a `monstrous vermin. ‘ The protagonist was the narrator in The Outsider, a man who told the story of his demise from existentialism, only to find he needed a life just before his chances were taken away. The Metamorphosis, on the other hand, is narrated on the third person, where the reader receives an unbiased view of Gregor Samsa’s attempts to become existentialist. Where Camus used short `to the point’ statements to show existentialism, Kafka has filled his novella with colourful descriptive literal language, in an attempt to point out the depth in any situation, such as Gregor’s many squirming legs, his visualisation of his room becoming ever smaller and ever more bland, and the descriptive nature with which the fatal apple becomes lodged in Gregor’s back and eventually allows him to die. The Outsider’s Meursault is existentialist, finding a need for a meaning to life only when his is about to be taken. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa, on the other hand, has a meaning to his life, and wishes it away. The gradual move towards existentialism in Kafka’s novella runs throughout, from the moment Gregor wakes up as a bug; until the moment he breaths no more. Gregor shows that he knows his life has meaning when at the beginning of the novella he is more concerned about how he will fulfil his social purpose than what he will do about being a bug. Albert Camus said that `we get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking. In that race which daily hastens us towards death, the body maintains its irreparable lead. ?In The Metamorphosis, Gregor thinks about his position, throwing his body into dismay, eventually leading to his death. As Gregor is further shunned by society for not conforming, represented in the novella quite dramatically by Gregor being a dung beetle among humans, he starts to forget any shred of meaning his life can have. He searches beyond his room for a meaning to life, but the further he ponders, the harder society hits him. `You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. ?Gregor realized his existentialism taking him over, as he gave his life to the destiny he had for it created. Having read both novellas, a reader could come to the conclusion that both feature a definite theme of existentialism, while The Outsider is centred on a protagonist who recognises the need to change from existentialism, and The Metamorphosis around one that recognises existentialism’s presence in society. At the end of each, the protagonist either dies or is awaiting death. The deaths are brought about by a destiny the Meursault thought he couldn’t change, and Gregor brought upon himself. Meursault realised too late that he wouldn’t be able to take responsibility for his actions. It was only when he was forced by the trial to delve into his memory (something that he had little use for as an existentialist) that he recognised how he had shaped his own end. Life did have meaning to him then, and his was: †¦ only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. Gregor Samsa allowed his life to end upon realising that he was free from society, but also that existentialism rendered him useless. Before his death, his `indifference to everything was much too deep for him to have gotten on his back and scrubbed himself clean†¦ ?From Gregor’s point of view, Franz Kafka was correct in saying `A first sign of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. ‘ The end of The Outsider sees a man ready to start again, but ready too late. The conclusion of The Metamorphosis, however, serves not only to allow the Samsa family a chance to start again, but also to highlight that even following Gregor’s horrific ordeal his family will put Gregor’s sister through the same process that lead Gregor to his death. Gregor’s sister’s life is given a meaning, and the reader often hopes that she recognises it and respects it. The Metamorphosis highlights that one must engage in social interaction to have a meaning in life, while portraying the grim hopelessness of a life determined by social interaction. The Outsider, on the other hand, follows an idea that quietly not conforming will only hurt oneself. An existentialist might argue that to hurt oneself would not matter, in hurting oneself (especially the way in which Meursault did by killing the Arab); one is giving one’s life a meaning. Even if that meaning is sufferance, the agony will still end one day, as it is destined to, removing all meaning from all life. The two novellas give an honest outline of existentialism, and give, in both cases, existentialism the negative property that it leads to death. The authors were both highly regarded by their respective peers. Camus was existentialist, and Camus referred to Kafka as an absurdist-existentialist. Both have produced works bringing to light the grim reality of existentialism, yet neither has created an advertisement for it. It could even be said that the novellas where written to give meaning to the lives of the authors, and to stop society taking the roads of the protagonists. After all, who wants their indifference to change only when they’re threatened with lawful murder? And who wants to die a worthless bug? words:1668.

Influential and Sociological Aspects of Gangs Essay

Abstract The purpose of this research is to identify the sociological aspects and means in which individuals may use in order to affiliate themselves within a gang and their practices. The following research uses statistics and information given by police departments and the Department of Justice. I have searched for reasoning behind an individual’s decision to join a gang from a sociological perspective. It begins by defining a gang and what leads young individuals to a lifestyle and choice of joining these gangs. Sociological approaches are made in order to accompany these people’s decisions and to make sense of their judgment. Taking this information and research into consideration may direct future research on the aspects and decisions of social citizens in which influence them to join and be a part of a street gang. What is a Gang? In both, everyday life and the sociological world, the term â€Å"gang† is defined in many different ways; however, every altered definition is fairly similar or related to one another. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2011), a gang is defined as â€Å"a group of persons working to unlawful or antisocial ends; especially: a band of antisocial adolescents.† The U.S. Department of Justice’s survey analysts Egley and Major (2004), though, define a gang as a group of three or more individuals who involve themselves in criminal activity and identify one another with a shared and mutual name, sign, or symbol. On a governmental point of view, several states have passed their own gang-related legislation; this is including each state’s different definition of a street gang. The presence of these street gangs brings several anti-gang activities into play for every community, for example, curfews and home raids. According to Robert Walker (2011), writer for Gangs Or Us, gang members are those who conform to one or more of the visible gang traits. These traits include a shared group name, common symbols, tattoos, or graffiti, style of dress, geographic location or association in a group form on a consistent basis. It is easy to see that gangs and their members highly appreciate their symbols and strongly practice symbolic interactionism. Members of the National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations (NAIGIA) believe that there is no untouched region by gangs in the United States. They also consider gangs to have a high effect on society at many levels; this increases citizens fear for safety, violence, and eventually increased cost to the economy ( NAIGIA 2005). Sociological Approaches There are up-to-date, contemporary explanations for the behaviors humans choose to act upon in which could be clarified as either a result of the individual’s choice or their overall response to environmental, or any other, forces. According to Michael K. Carlie (2002), there are those who believe in free will and those who could be categorized as determinists. Individuals who believe in free will are certain that people choose to behave the way they do; they are hedonistic, meaning they choose how to behave in order to establish pleasure over pain, and these individuals believe people are rational and may choose from a variety of choices in which how to behave. On the other hand, determinists believe the complete opposite. They feel as if human behavior is determined by forces outside of the individual’s control. Determinists believe that biological make-up, psychological states, and socio-cultural situations determine how the person will behave (Carlie 2002). Along with these two approaches comes differential association. This assumes that criminal behavior and its techniques are a part of the learning process. The individual’s perception of law and crime determines how that person will behave in society (Walsh & Hemmens, 2008). This theory unmistakably explains the outcome of gang violence due to an individual’s exposure of existing gangs and their actions within their society. Components of Cultural Deviance Another theory that many like to refer to would be social disorganization. This philosophy concentrates more on the circumstances in the inner city that affect crimes. They include, but are not limited to, the destruction of homes and neighborhoods, lack of social control, and the presence of gangs or groups who violate the law (Siegel 2010). Other than this theory, there is such thing as the strain theory. This suggests that crime is brought upon communities and individuals by the overwhelming strain that people are feeling when they aspire to reach their personal ambitions but have no way to grasp them. According to Featherstone and Deflem (2003), strain theorists believe that money and power are spread throughout economic classes unequally. They feel as if this frustration and strain built by individuals who are not able to achieve their goals is what influences a person’s choice to commit a crime. Believing this, strain theorists feel that the youth are certain that the only way to obtain what they desire is to join gangs, because they see other gang members in the community prosper with money. However, it is due to a life of crime and unfortunately, the youth feel as if joining the gang will benefit them in the same way. A combination of the social disorganization and strain theories brings a new concept, which is considered as the cultural deviance theory. These theorists believe that criminal behavior is the result of social isolation in urban environments as well as the strain they gain from their neighborhoods or environments, too (Siegel 2010). A follower of this cultural deviance theory would consider the combination of being raised in a deteriorated neighborhood and the strain of knowing no other option out for reasoning towards an individual’s choice in joining gangs as true (Siegel 2010). The theorists believe that it would take both negative factors to push a person far enough to a point where they feel the need to take part in a gang’s violent behavior. American Youth Wanting to Join Gangs First and foremost, each individual case varies; however, many similar reasons are tied into a young adult’s decision and need to join a street gang. The so-called common denominator of why youth memberships of gangs increase is the alienation and profound identity loss in which they are looking to regain through the presence of an accommodating peer group (Barnhart 2008). A Pittsburgh Youth Study indicated that 20 percent of the African American youth enter a gang by the time they have reached the age of 15. It also illustrates that gang entry begins as early as the age of 9 (Lahey, Gordon, Loeber, Stouthamer-Loeber & Farrington 1999). The reasons for such rapid rates of entry may include the individual’s feeling of gaining security, protection, and a sense of belonging. Many may agree, when stated, that these could be seen as the main apparatuses of a young person’s decision to join. It is known that the lack of family, community, or youth support systems is respectable reasoning behind their decisions as well. According to the OJJDP Bulletin (2003), the fact that the youth who are living in a lower class are raised in decrepit, run-down neighborhoods is a key aspect in which why these people choose to participate in the violence and danger associated with gang involvement. Other factors that play a role in a young individual’s decision to join a gang include the need for a surrogate, or substitute, family. These young people join gangs to receive love, attention, and approval in which they feel are lacking at their actual homes. Also, according to the Edmonton Police Service (2011), American youth turns to gang affiliation because of low self-worth and low self-esteem that they gain due to unemployment or academic failure. It is also noted that many street gang members wish to carry on a family tradition of gang involvement established by family members, such as parents, siblings and cousins, in which they portray as role models (Edmonton Police Service 2011). Unfortunately, misconstrued members of society believe that many positive opportunities come out of being coincided with street gangs. These thrill seeking individuals, which share a similar characteristic of defiant behavior, wish to financially gain profits from illegal, life-threatening activities (Gang Awareness Guide, no year, pg. 3). Tracy E. Barnhart (2008) mentions that these misunderstood participants of social order join because they are tired of being picked on and are seeking power and respect among peers. Symbolic Interactionism Within Gangs According to Dictionary.com (2011), symbolic interactionism is the â€Å"theory that human interaction and communication is facilitated by words, gestures, and other symbols that have acquired conventionalized meanings† (1). This is something that gang members all over the nation practice on a daily basis. One component of a gang’s symbolic interactionism would be hand signs. According to the San Antonio Police Department’s Youth Crime Service Unit (2011), the use of hand signs is one of the most popular forms of communication for street gangs across the United States. They also continue to state that each gang uses an identifying sign which shows what major gang they are in affiliation to. This method of language is not only an identifying factor but also a process in which a gang member may show disrespect to rival gangs (6). Along with speech, similar phrases, and hand signs being indicators of gang association, it is also noted that graffiti, colors worn, and tattoos are indicators of gang affiliation, too (Gang Awareness Guide, page 3). Such symbolism is an individual’s self-definition more complete due to visually communicating within his or her gang members and rival gangs. Symbolic interactionism among gangs is somewhat easy to identify and has become a part of the average gang member’s life. Methods of Research The above research was based from secondary data analysis and reviews from government published documents. By stating that secondary data analysis was done, this illustrates that primary sources were used, gathered, and translated by myself. In order to sustain as much credibility as possible, I have used official government and police department issues, such as bulletins and informational guides published by them. Along with these documents, the works of gang-related articles were used as well. The criteria for using these two methods of secondary data analysis and documents should be plain to see. They were the two methods of gathering information that I saw would be most necessary, or essential. Along with choosing the topic of gang affiliation and aspects of gangs, I have instantly decided that these two methods must be used due to the fact that case studies and other methods would include me, the author, putting myself in dangerous circumstances among passionate, violent individuals and geographical areas in which they reside. However, every credible article and document has been cited accordingly throughout my works, research, and literature review. Results This research has somewhat opened my eyes to the world of sociology among other things. The information established from several different sources all have the same idea and impression on gang affiliation. Their main focuses were similar due to the fact that almost all of them took sociological approaches to answering the question of why individuals join street gangs. For example, both the Edmonton Police Service and Tracy Barnhart agree that these individuals are struggling with their identities, have grown up in gang-related environments, and wish to join a street gang in order to establish a monetary gain. Also, a couple of the sources were police bulletins, and they all showed common signs of a gangster and what signs to look for to identify them. This information was used in order for me to understand the symbolic interactionism that most members share. For instance, the 2005 Threat Assessment and the Gang Awareness Guide both explain that gangs utilize symbolic interactionism to an extreme; they both commonly state that graffiti and tattoos are a major factor in gang symbolism. Unfortunately, I had some sources that contradicted one another when it came to the social theories for explaining a child’s mentality towards gang membership. For example, NCJRS believed in the social disorganization theory. This explained that the community played the major role in an individual’s action of joining a gang. On the other hand, author Mike Carlie believed that there were two different theories that answered this phenomenon. His theories were free will versus determinism. Unlike NCJRS, he believed that people may either choose to behave the way they do or biological and psychological make-up of an individual decides for them. Although there were slight differences, none of the sources disagreed with the idea of individuals joining gangs for acceptance, power, raised social rank, ect. By discovering similarities within most of these sources, I have decided that each source has a likeness and resemblance with the others. Several of them share the idea that cultural deviance has been highly effective in the growing matter of gang memberships. They also agree that these misunderstood and misguided individuals are influenced by the idea of having to gain social power throughout society. My findings have given me much insight and knowledge of influential and sociological aspects of street gangs. Conclusion To conclude this research that was constructed, I would like to state that every resource shared the common idea that our young adults join gangs for acceptance among other things. I agree with what I have taken in from these sources. My understanding from all of them was that if these struggling, gang infested communities worked together to make their children feel accepted within positive groups and programs then the percentage of gang memberships would decline. There is a large scale of those individuals looking for acceptance and a way to raise their social status. I believe this should be accomplished by other means, such as afterschool programs and community sports, rather than partaking in a life of crime and violence. Nonetheless, every source was valuable to my research and they showed that, although there is a problem with gang activities, the communities do not have to struggle with the rapid increase. Most of the sources stated that if these young adults received more attention and love, not only from their primary group but the entire community as well, then their mentality and reasoning for joining street gangs would deteriorate; these individuals would have an equal opportunity to strive towards their personal goals of money and raised statuses. Limitations There were both strong and weak points, or findings, that came along with the research of sociological aspects of gangs. A very durable and strong factor that I feel aided my examination and exploration of the subject was the fact that authorized police bulletins and statements were used. However, along with these great sources I found myself feeling somewhat limited due to the fact that I could not personally speak with a gang member to see how their thought process worked on the subject of joining a gang from a sociological view. I also found myself having a slight issue with finding credible, primary articles to go along with the bulletins and guides in which I have discovered and put to use. Recommendations for Future Research In order to further research, or make the above research better, I believe that other sources and methods of obtaining these sources should be used. I would have liked to construct a case study or have been able to find a completed case study that was already accomplished from a reliable source. I seem to find an interest in this subject matter and may consider researching this topic more in depth for the future. Along with finding a credible case study, I have also thought about using visual sources, such as the History Channel’s Gangland, in order to find a better understanding on the subject. Although it was not done in this particular research, I believe I may use my own advice in the recommendations for my future research. References Barnhart, T. E. (2008, April 7). â€Å"Why do youth join prison gangs?†. PoliceOne. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://www.policeone.com/corrections/articles/1681985-Why-do-youth-join-prison-gangs/ Bureau of Justice Assistance. (2005). 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment. National Alliance of Gang Investigators Associations. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://www.bja.gov/what/2005_threat_assesment.pdf Carlie, M. Chapter 21: End Note. Into The Abyss: A Personal Journey into the World of Street Gangs. Missouri State University, 2002. Updated: 5 July 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://people.missouristate.edu/michaelcarlie/SOLUTIONS/THEORIES/theories.htm Dictionary.com. (2011). Definition of: Symbolic Interactionism. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/symbolic+interactionism Edmonton Police Service. (2011). Traits of Gang Members. Gangs. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/CommunityPolicing/ OrganizedCrime/Gangs/TraitsofGangMembers.aspx Egley, Jr, A., & Major, A. K. OJJP Fact Sheet. Highlights of the 2002 National Youth Gang Survey. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: J. Robert Flores, Administrator, 2004. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs200401.pdf Featherstone, Richard, and Mathieu Deflem. 2003. â€Å"Anomie and Strain: Context and Consequences of Merton’s Two Theories.† Sociological Inquiry 73(4):471-489, 2003. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from

Hasbro in Brazil

With 41. 9% of Hasbro sales revenue being generated internationally, it is essential that they work to maintain positive relationships with countries throughout the world. The international arena is becoming increasingly important to their revenues. Brazil is one of several international markets that Hasbro has expanded into over the last 5 – 10 years. Not only are they shipping products to Brazil, but in around 2007 they also opened an office in Brazil.Even with this being the case, Brazil has taken governmental measures to promote and strengthen the national traditional toys and games industry and stimulate further local production. In 2010, Brazil approved the reduction of import taxes from 20% to 2% on components to produce traditional toys and games such as electronic mechanisms and later the government increased import taxes on manufactured products from 20% to 35% to inhibit further imports, mainly from China (Toys and Games in Brazil, 2011). In a bid to remain competit ive and increase market share, seven large domestic companies considered the possibility of merging to form the largest toys and game manufacturer in Brazil. While the project is still under consideration despite the challenges involved merging seven companies, three other companies, Baby Brink, Rosita and Acalanto, merged in April 2010 to create the group BBRA† (Toys and Games in Brazil, 2011). With measures such as these in place, it causes a disfavor to companies such as Hasbro.It requires them has to work twice as hard to gain acceptance in a country that is promoting growth for their national companies. Hasbro identified one opportunity for the locals of Brazil to view them in a light other than one of an â€Å"outsider. † In 2011, Hasbro partnered with Operation Smile Create Smiles to provide free medical treatment and toys and games for children born with cleft palate. â€Å"The medical mission in Brazil was made possible because of Hasbro. Our patients and fami lies in Brazil are incredibly warm and vibrant, and yet the laughter and smiles of these children were hidden behind their clefts.Today, their futures are full of hope and opportunity, and they will always remember that Hasbro helped make that happen†, said Dr. Bill Magee, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Operation Smile (Kraft, Jessica, 2011). By taking steps to increase their social responsibility in Brazil, Hasbro is promoting themselves in a way that will allow them to gain an increased acceptance rating and hopefully, not only make 100 children’s smiles brighter but also their bottom line.

Interview a manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interview a manager - Essay Example The procedural dimension of ethical leadership includes problem-solving and decision-making practice within the circle of ethics. For instance, ethical leadership demands that the leaders, before practicing their decisions, discuss them with parties that are going to be affected by their decisions, so as to make them feel respected. The substantive aspect of ethical leadership includes knowledge, tough standards and guts to pursue ethical directions regardless of opposition. When I asked him if he had faced any ethical conflict in his career, he told me something. Last year, when his company announced vacancies, he was appointed to interview the candidates for selection. Mr. Harrison was obese. He selected him on the seat of disabled persons. Title I of Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 states that all employers, who have at least fifteen employees working under them, must give equal chances of employment to qualified disabled persons (U.S. Department of Justice 2005). When he discussed the matter with the managing director, he said that an obese person was in no way a disabled person. He stated Carrier (2000) who affirmed that â€Å"although courts initially were reluctant to recognize obesity as a qualifying disability for purposes of ADA protection, courts are increasingly willing to consider obesity as a disability giving plaintiffs status to raise ADA claims.† Finally, Harrison was selected. To my question about employee development, he answered that he totally believed in the concept. According to him, flourishing employee development programs and strategies guarantee improved employees’ performance, which leads to higher productivity and overall organizational success in the competitive market. Employee development leads to employee motivation and job satisfaction. A growth-oriented workplace culture works on improving small occurrences so that

Roles of regulatory, and accreditation agencies Essay

Roles of regulatory, and accreditation agencies - Essay Example Other than education, they also facilitate social changes among the people they are targeting. The social change ensures that the people are able to live a better lifestyle which ensures and enhances quality health care for themselves and their offsprings hence securing even the future generation. They also team up with the government in providing greater access to quality healthcare through health programs that they initiate and follow up to ensure their success to the people at all levels be it local, national or global (Skolnik, 2012, p. 196). Politics in especially African countries is very influential and enables get together a lot of people. The organizations and agencies use the politicians to gather large crowds of people in the target area especially the grassroots level and they teach them about healthcare. The same politics is in-charge of making legislation and policies and hence by teaming up with them, the agencies are sure to influence them to pass health care policies that will be beneficial to the population. The policies are passed at both the state and national level and their success is adopted and replicated globally. Politics come into play also because people are more likely to listen to political leaders they elected and whom they believe hold the power to assist them and will, therefore, most likely follow to the letter what the politician advice. The politicians are therefore in this case used as lobbyists for the health care agencies (Silviu, 2010, pp. 4-6).

Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Smart Companies Do Dumb Things - Essay Example The desire to stay ahead of Pepsi and to be able to meet the taste of what Pepsi produces made the strategy of New Coke compelling to the executives of Coca Cola. In the early 80’s coke lost its market share to its rival Pepsi by two share points which represented to about $960million sales of Coke production. Coke real marketing problem was its advertisement and not its product. With a change in the soft drink consumer market, coke was not able to match up with the thought process with its commercials ads. Coca Cola had lost generation of young people with its bland advertising style. Coke advertising had a stodgy look and feel in comparison to Pepsi. Coke did not have any relevant statement for the youth in the 80’s. It was being positioned as a beverage preferred by senior citizens in comparison to Pepsi ads which targeted the youths. As a result the company did not pay any attention in improving the advertising rather focused on the product as marketing problem. Coke advertising strategy was no longer matching with the youth culture. Coke had researched every number and projection before the launch of its New Coke and the figures were accurate but it mis-leaded the company as it allowed the company to chase the wrong problem. The problem was in advertisement strategy the executives thought it to be the product. The executive of Coke got carried away with fragile and funky numbers. It ignored the issue that impacted the quality of the numbers such as research design, problem definition, how to ask questions and the analytical skills which helped to interpret the meaning of the numbers. Numbers have always been accepted blithely and so did New Coke before its launch. New Coke marketing research lacked validity as it did not communicate to its consumer that its flagship brand would be replaced with new sweeter product and its research was one dimensional. It was based only in sip testing which took place at central locations and was

Immigration and the challenges associated with socio-political Essay

Immigration and the challenges associated with socio-political integration in the European Union - Essay Example While the government has framed policies aimed at diluting specific differences that hamper active social participation and economic inclusion, differences associated with cultural identities have been fashioned into new processes of delineating and being a ‘true’ European. The governmental policies that aim at resolving differences between the native population and immigrants face major challenges owing to the large number of immigrants entering the EU from various developing nations. There are growing concerns about the immigration policies in both receiver and sending countries, wherein there are speculations about a large-scale increase in migration flows in the near future. According to various reviews, calculations on future flow of immigration from developing nations to the EU show that there may be 13.5 million immigrants within the EU, from the year 2000 until 2050 (Mansoor and Quillin, 2007). The calculations that give an average estimate are based on various e conomic and demographic factors significant in determining immigration flows. Along with these numbers, one must also take into consideration political, social and cultural aspects of the immigrants, owing to the intricate nature of the issue, closely related to human trafficking, irregular migration, and shifting borders. The demographic framework of a nation is greatly affected by migratory  movements, and owing to the inherent differences   in  socioeconomic and   demographic   structure   of  the immigrant   populations   in regard to   the   host   population,   migration   flows   significantly influence public expenditure, income distribution, demographic  evolution,   social  stratification  along with economic development (Amin,  1995).   With rising economic challenges emerging from a steady increase in elderly the population within  European  societies,  the  European  Commission  regards the  entry  and  integra tion of immigrants  within the EU  an added demographic challenge  that involves providing better living and working conditions, employment,  and education  for the immigrants and  working out a long-term, sustainable  budgetary plan (Linz and Stula, 2010). Immigration  may be triggered due to various reasons that may vary from political, economic, or personal  reasons,  while migration may also be  voluntary  or  even forced, and the later often involves human trafficking  (Kraler, Kofman, Kohli and Schmoll, 2011).  From a historical  perspective,  Europe  has always faced  migration  from different parts of the world. Prior to WWI,  during  the era of industrialisation,  there were large-scale transatlantic  labour migrations. Post WWII, during the period of severe economic crises and reconstruction,  Europe  became  an  important  destination for many immigrants.  This  was  mainly  due  to  large numbers of la bourers migrating  to the European continent from  various  parts  of  the  world  due to  work  shortage in their own countries (Castles and Miller,  2010). At this time, there were also intra-European  migrations, where  labourers  from  south  Europe  moved to various west European nations.   Subsequently there were  settlements  established, and  families brought over for reunification. Besides labour migration,  there were war refugees and  natural disaster  refugees that came  to  Europe  from the former USSR, Africa and the  Balkans, thus further adding to the social and cultural diversities within the EU population. In this context, the essay will review various research papers and analyse the different challenges associated with

MULTINATIONAL CORP-EVOL & CUR ISSUE Movie Review - 2

MULTINATIONAL CORP-EVOL & CUR ISSUE - Movie Review Example As the financial crisis got worse, the Federal Reserve took unusual and unparalleled actions to re-establish financial stability. Unemployment rate continued to rise until mid-2003, as the United States economy was rebounding from a small recession in 2001. The Federal Reserve was worried that the economy would slide into recession so they kept the federal funds rate very low. The rate reached 1 percent by mid-2003 (Labonte and Makinen 9). As the economy began to expand and prices began to increase, the federal funds rate was increased to 5.25 percent by mid-2006. According to Labonte: It is now argued by some economists that the financial crisis was, at least in part, due to Federal Reserve policy to ensure that the then-ongoing expansion continued. In particular, critics now claim that the low short-term rates were kept too low for too long after the 2001 recession had ended, and this caused an increased demand for housing that resulted in a price bubble (Labonte and Makinen 9). The economy was more and more susceptible to changes in short-term interest rates largely due to the move to floating interest rate mortgages from fixed interest rate financing for housing. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve Benjamin Bernanke stated that the low home mortgage rates were largely caused by a glut in global savings. Bernanke went on the say that the Federal Reserve had little control over these savings due to constraints in the regulatory framework. The Federal Reserves later policy of tightening monetary policy was to burst the housing bubble, claim critics. The critics further suggest that lax lending standards, which were regulated by the Federal Reserve, also contributed to the crisis. The subsequent increase in bank leverage ratios meant that they could borrow more overnight and create collateralized debt obligation (subprime loans) in the securitization chain. When the housing bubble burst, it led to a

Organizational Support for Creativity Part II Assignment

Organizational Support for Creativity Part II - Assignment Example ate Education (2012) noted about the impact of the size of organizations on the support for creativity, I am convinced that your organization can do even better in supporting creativity if there was a way of categorizing the potentials of different people within the organization. This way, the organization would have a relatively smaller quantum of creativity to support than supporting individual creativity in the manner that currently exists for your large organization with 6000 employees. Hoever, I., van Knippenberg, D., van Ginkel, W., & Barkema, H. (2012). Fostering team creativity: Perspective taking as key to unlocking diversitys potential. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(5), 982–996. In terms of the room given to employees to be creative, I find that your organization is very different from mine because in my case there is so much room for people to explore their individual creative skills. But analyzing your organization critically, I find that one crucial factor that influenced creativity was the nature of organizational structure you have where the top seem to be so much apart from the down. This is because Ekvall (1996) notes that in such situations, there is much likely to be absence of support for creativity because the top hardly knows what is taking place downward (Kim, Kim and Wilde, 2008). I am therefore of the opinion that if there was a frontline management system, a lot more would have been seen of employees in terms of what they have to offer to the organization and so they would have been given the freedom to create (Ekvall, 1996). I would therefore conclude by saying that the importance of leading from all levels of the organization is to ensure that leaders are close enough with subordinates so that they can promote them to be

ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY REPORT PowerPoint Presentation

ANALYSIS OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY REPORT - PowerPoint Presentation Example In this design, the behavior of a subject is observed without affecting it in any way. This design was appropriate because it is often used as a tool of both qualitative and quantitative designs of research since it gives a common outline as to what variables should be tested quantitatively. This makes the design less expensive and less time-consuming as compared to other designs. Internal validity is the truth in the inferences of a cause-effect relationship. In this research, one threat to the internal validity is history. This occurs when repeated experiments of the research done by researchers earlier affect the participants’ response to the procedures in the experiment (MCQuarrie, 2005). Another threat is maturation, where subjects change during the cause of the study. For instance, with time, a patient may develop complications that are not as a result of the cardiac catherization during the time of the study, hence non-valid results are obtained. Threats to external validity explain how wrong a person might be in making specific conclusions. One of the threats to the external validity is aptitude treatment interaction, where the independent variable may relate with certain features of the sample. Another threat is the situation, which includes all situations that limit the generalization of a study. The sample size here can be chosen based on the quality of the findings and the cost of the collection of data. The sample size is also based on the hypothesis’ strength. The sample representative of the population is the small group of individuals who have undergone cardiac catherization and are interviewed in order to represent the larger population of the patients recovering from it (Griffiths, 1998). The representative sample is obtained by identification of the population being sampled by researchers. The setting in which data was collected is appropriate because it enabled the researchers to calculate the descriptive statistics, to

Development in Language Learning Essay Example for Free

Development in Language Learning Essay Language educators in mono-linguistic societies world-wide face a commonly held myth: children are only able to handle one culture and one language at a time. No doubt this is due to the fact that these perceptions are largely formed by adults who have been brought up and conditioned to think in the modes of a one-language, one-culture society. Yet research has shown that children are much more flexible in these areas than most adults would give them credit for. Children world-wide learn two, three and more languages in their early years and while there may be some short-term developmental delay the long-term benefits from learning other languages is considerable. In the great majority of cases parents are the principle teachers of one or two of these languages and as the children’s main caregivers are ideally suited for the job. Parents, the most prestigious people from a child’s perspective, are the most important factor in molding a child in the pre-school years. The purpose of this paper is to take lessons learned from bilingual homes and apply them to second language learning at preschool. The core elements discussed will be the benefits of bilingualism and pre-literacy programs in the preschool years. There is no doubt that early literacy gives a marked advantage to children entering into primary school. It follows that the advantage would be double if literacy was promoted in two languages. What this paper seeks to show is that this can be done by using methods taken from successful bilingual households and mimicking them in second language education for preschoolers. Additionally, by providing early reading and listening activities linking the home and the second language, schools can make use of the one of the most powerful factors in the learning of a second language by preschoolers, parental support. Before these activities are outlined it is essential that we summarize the benefits of pre-reading skills in bilingual households. Discussion and Summary of Research 1. Benefits of Early Reading in Diverse Languages There is no doubt that given the environment and the proper motivational tools young children show an interest in reading and being read to. Parents who incorporate the reading of stories into a preschooler’s daily activities will see the increased chance of literacy at a young age. Theorists for years have been telling us about the benefits of reading to our child. Mackler (1997) claims that the more enjoyable a child’s experience with early reading the greater is the possibility that they will read with frequency in the future. She states that, â€Å"Young childrens self-initiated interactions with print at home are important behavioral indexes of emerging motivations for reading. Shared storybook reading plays an important role in promoting reading motivations; when the socioemotional climate is positive, children are more interested in reading and more likely to view it as enjoyable† (p. 69). Andersson (1977) concludes that â€Å"Parents who read, study, and discuss interesting or important subjects in the presence of their children and who answer their childrens questions create a close relationship with their children, a relationship which older children are quick to adopt with their younger siblings. † It only follows that if reading in one language to a child is profitable to the child’s future education reading in two languages is even more profitable. Andersson (1977) claims that early reading for children and their parents is an experience that brings joy and self-esteem to a child and that this is doubly so for children who have the opportunity to enjoy literature in two languages. In his study on family reading in two languages Andersson (1977) researched the early reading process of three families. He concludes that, â€Å"far from being a double burden, learning to read in two languages is a double joy, leading to a positive self-image. † Meier (2003) adds that children being read to in two different languages tend to learn about the distinctive cultures of the two languages. She claims that â€Å"From these book reading experiences, many children acquire an extensive book-based vocabulary and absorb important cultural lessons about things like gender roles, family relationships, and the nature of friendship† (p. 242). She also claims that these early reading experiences help children adapt to the school environment by teaching them to listen quietly and attentively, raising their hand when they wish to speak and remembering their questions until the end of the story (p. 243). One study done on low-income Spanish speaking immigrants and their children showed that reading done within the family helped considerably in expanding vocabulary of Spanish at home with a group of three-year-old children (Akers, Boyce, Cook, Innocenti, Jump Roggman, 2004, p. 371). Forty-seven mothers and their three year old children were analyzed while they shared reading time. The conclusions were that their children’s attention was expanded and that conversation and interaction within the family were enhanced (Akers, Boyce, Cook, Innocenti, Jump Roggman, 2004, p. 383). The most significant change was that the children’s vocabulary was significantly broadened (p. 384). Yet it is important to emphasize that investigation shows that while literacy can improve upon second language learning, bilingualism does not necessarily improve upon literacy. Bialystok (2002) contends that much of the literature surrounding literacy and bilingualism in fact argues that bilingualism promotes literacy and that this is not necessarily the case. She concludes that the relation between bilingualism and literacy depends to a large extent on certain skills developed by teachers and parents and that in this sense bilingualism at the time literacy begins can result in â€Å"an advantage and sometimes a disadvantage for bilingual children. Bilingualism clearly affects childrens development of literacy, but its effect is neither simple nor unitary† (p. 159). 2. Bilingual Families: What We Can Learn Although there is a great deal of literature on the benefits of learning a second language the deep grained fear in mono-linguistic cultures is that learning two languages at the same time is trying for that child. But some theorists claim that language learning for bilingual children is in fact quite the same for monolingual children (Paneque, 2006, p. 171). What is more important for authors such as Paneque (2006) are other factors such as â€Å"who provides the language input, or when the second language is introduced† (172). She adds that while some children may start the process of becoming bilingual at birth other start in their preschool years but that â€Å"Either way, both methods of becoming bilingual can be effective† (p. 172). Other studies claim that the fear of slow development caused by bilingualism causes children to know neither of the languages well. Mclaughlin (1995) claims that, in fact, it is uncommon that both languages be in balance. He claims that, â€Å"One language typically predominates in use and exposure. When this happens, elements of the other language can quickly be lost. The child can forget vocabulary and even rules of grammar† (p. 4). The author concludes that it is only a question of time before the other language catches up and evens out the results (p. 4). Genesee, Paradis and Cargo (2004) conclude that children are more than capable of learning more than one language, either at the same time or one after the other. While many people focus completely on teaching methodologies authors such as Walqui hold that the psychological side of second language learning is in fact just as important. Stresses and fears brought out in the home and school environment can result in problems for the bilingual child. Walqui claims that, â€Å"While many discussions about learning a second language focus on teaching methodologies, little emphasis is given to the contextual factors—individual, social, and societal—that affect students’ learning. There is no doubt that the success with which bilingual children develop both languages depends largely on two factors: school support and home support. While at home a child may speak one language at school they may speak another. In order for them to become proficient in the home language they must have the support of their family. Walqui (2000) claims that support from family is essential to second language learning. She states that â€Å"Some educators believe that parents of English language learners should speak only English in the home. However, far more important than speaking English is that parents value both the native language and English, [and] communicate with their children in whichever language is most comfortable. † There are a couple of important conclusions to make on the research done up until this time. The first is that the literature has shown us that the natural process of becoming bilingual can lead to inequalities in the learning of one language or the other at certain times. The second conclusion is that given the right support by the family and education institutions children can learn both languages to the satisfaction of both. The third is that communication through conversation and shared reading can greatly enhance a child’s vocabulary in either language. What we can take from these three points of bilingualism in preschoolers is that if the same circumstances of sharing and reading with bilingual children are applied to children learning a second language out of the home the possibilities of success would be enhanced. Application of Research Activities That Use the School and the Home to Promote a Second Language Playschool support, home support and shared reading are the three elements of the program this work will propose to use to develop the second language abilities of preschoolers at an age in which they may learn the basics of literacy in their second language at the same time they do so with their first language. Although there is debate on the language learning window and when it closes Paneque (2006) concludes that early childhood does seem to be the optimal time for language learning. She claims that it is â€Å"when the childs mind is still open and flexible, and not cluttered with all sorts of other learning, not to mention the societys views on which languages are prestige languages, and which ones are regarded by the society as of little or no importance† (p. 171). Before we go into the particulars of the proposed program first we should mention that it works around the presumption that the first priority to the family of a second language learner is to push their maternal language and excellence in that language. Indeed, Fortune (2003) states of English speaking students in immersion programs that parents must provided an atmosphere which will enhance their development of the English language. She claims that principally they should read and play games with them that will develop their literacy and vocabulary in English. She concludes that â€Å"Research shows that the stronger the development of the native language, the greater the proficiency in the immersion language, so children who enter an immersion program with a strong base in English will succeed more easily than those whose English skills are not as strong. † What is proposed here is that parents simply use one of the tools of promoting that language, pre-reading skills, to incite their preschoolers to open their mind to another language. So how can pre-reading be incorporated into a family that may not even understand the basics of the language being learned by the preschooler? This can be done by organizing a pre-reading program which connects the home and the preschool. Throughout the year teachers will choose a variety of simple word books that incorporate vocabulary the children have already learned in class. The teacher will read the story to the children and attempt to encourage their participation on discussing its characters, ideas and plot. Over the course of time they will do various activities that will work with the stories vocabulary and plot. These types of activity will obviously be dependent on the age group the teachers are working with. When the teacher is finished working with the story they will send the project on to its second stage – home discussion. The story will go home with the preschooler where it will be incorporated into family reading but it will not be the parents reading the story but rather the preschooler. The preschooler will be required to re-tell the story or act out the story as they remember it but by translating it into the families language. The family will be encouraged by the school to ask the child to instruct them on new vocabulary in the outside language. It is through activities like this that parents can help to support the second language by showing pride and accomplishment in what their child has learned up until that moment. Preschoolers in particular will be pleased that they have the opportunity to teach their family. Bilingual books may be used to further help the parents with the activity. Meier (2003) also provides an outline for choosing and presenting the chosen books that would help preschool and kindergarten teachers gain more interest from their students. She recommends that first and foremost a teacher choose a book that â€Å"relates to children’s lives† (p. 248). Secondly she recommends that teachers ask â€Å"creative and open ended questions† to stimulate interest in the story (p. 248). Lastly Meier believes that if a teacher makes a book come a live by using props it will garner a far greater interest in the story (p. 248). Summary It is through pre-reading programs like this that playschool teachers teaching a second language might harness the most powerful factor in a young child’s life, parental support, without disrupting the important mode of communication that is the maternal language. It is undeniable that both the reading and the acquisition of languages are of great educational importance. By combining the two and providing the right support at preschool and at home teachers and parents may be creating an atmosphere where these young children can take advantage of the flexibility their young minds allow them in language learning. References Akers, J. F. , Boyce, L. K. , Cook, G. A, Innocenti, M. S. , Jump, J. F. Roggman, L. A. (2004). Sharing Books and Learning Language: What do Latina Mothers and Their Young Children Do? Early Education and Development, 15 (4), 371-386. Andersson, T. (1977). A Guide to Family Reading in Two Languages The University of Texas at Austin Evaluation, Dissemination and Assessment Center, California State University, Los Angeles, http://www. ncela. gwu. edu/pubs/classics/preschool/iii. htm Bialystok, E. (2002). Acquisition of Literacy in Bilingual Children: A Framework for Research Language Learning, 52 (1), 159–199.

Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry Essay Example for Free

Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry Essay Biblical reference within the story Cry the Beloved Country Many times in literary pieces, allusions are put in novels, used to foreshadow the ending of a book. The most common types of allusions are those from the bible. This is probably because many are familiar with the bible and its stories. The goal of foreshadowing is to provide a way for the reader to think more about the big picture, rather than what is happening page by page. In the novel, Cry the Beloved County, allusions to the Bible are very apparent and hold high significance in the story. The character Absalom shows tremendous similarities to the Biblical Absalom and almost seem to be made out of the same mold. Steven Kumalo from the novel and the simple man Job from the bible are tested in the same way and come out in the end in the same way. Biblical Absalom is essentially wronged by his half-brother Amnon, when his half brother forced his sister Tamar to sleep with him. Similarly Absalom Kumalo is wronged by his fathers, brothers, son, Matthew, when he will not admit to the court that he was an accessory to murder. Basically, both are wronged by a close family member, Biblical Absalom by his brother, and Absalom Kumalo by his cousin. In both stories, though not shown in depth, the men show a close trusting relationship with the one whom have wronged them. Before Amnon slept with his sister Tamar, Biblical Absalom would have no reason not to trust his brother, just as Absalom Kumalo would not doubt his cousin whom aided him in the murder. Later on, both men find out that, Amnon and Matthew are in it for themselves, not unlike both Absaloms. Absalom Kumalo shot Arthur Jarvis with the intentions of becoming richer. Even though Biblical Absalom killed his brother for sleeping with his sister, with Amnon dead, Absalom would inherit his fathers throne. (Bible p372-380) (Ward pp.188-189) In retrospect, both men were ultimately driven to commit the murder. Absalom Kumalo probably felt that if a white man can underhand him, and deny him money, then he deserves some of his fortune. So because whites men, kept blacks unskilled and did not allow them the same rights, many rebelled against the whites. In the same frame of mind, biblical Absaloms hatred for his brother was built up until he decided to go through with his murder. Even though Absalom Kumalo shot the white man on accident, he was doing it for his own gain. He went into the  house with the intention of stealing and instead shot a white man out of fear. Though it may seem that he regretted what he had done, which he in some ways did, his crime could not be fully repented. More than anything he probably wishes for Arthur Jarvis to be alive. He doesnt feels bad about killing him, he simply does not want to deal with the consequences. Biblical Absalom plans out the murder of his brother when he has him over for dinner. Neither men regret killing a man that was as family to them. (Bible p372-380) (Davis p184) Biblical Absalom murdered his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar two years earlier. Absalom Kumalo, on the same note, accidentally murdered a white man, while attempting to rob him. Absalom Kumalo, like biblical Absalom essentially murdered his own brother. Arthur Jarvis, the man Absalom Kumalo shot, was like a brother to the black men. He devoted his life to make a difference in blacks rights in South Africa. For both men, the act of murder on their part, ultimately led to their own demise. Biblical Absalom killed his brother Amnon and when king David found out that Absalom had indeed killed his brother Amnon. After the murder, both men flee the scene. Absalom Kumalo, runs because the price for killing a white man is high. Biblical Absalom flees because he also knows, that if he stays, hash consequences will be enforced. (Bible p372-380) Eventually, both man are captured and die in an unusual manner against both their fathers wishes. Absalom Kumalo is hung for his crime, so as to set an example. Though, the hanging of Absalom is not so strange in itself, its almost foretold in the biblical story of Absalom. After biblical Absalom flees his home on a horse, his head gets caught in a tree while passing under. This act is almost too familiar. As biblical Absalom dies with his body off the ground, struggling to get down, Absalom Kumalo dies with his head in a noose, and body dangling above the ground. (Bible p372-380) (Davis p184) In the bible, Job is developed as a man whom would never speak ill of god. Job is tested by Satan, who believes that Job will curse God if his prosperity is taken away. Satan kills Jobs children and all of his livestock, but Job does not lose his faith. Satan then takes away Job health by planting boils all over his body. Job eventually become very disappointed with his life and curses the day he was born. This is a classic example of how no man is perfect and when  Steven was introduced into Cry, the Beloved Country, he seemed to strive for perfection just as Job had in the bible. Job in theory seemed perfect but, Satan proved Job not to be, just as Stevens family proved him not to be. (Davis pp.265-272) (Bible p572-600) When brought into the story, both Steven and Job seem to be perfect and upright men. Steven, as a simple black parson and Job, as a upright man whom has shown no flaws. Though Stevens flaws are shown early on the novel, Cry, the Beloved County, he is still seen as a good man. Both men are examples of how bad things sometimes happen to good people. They both try to be the best men they can be, by fixing others mistakes and trying to be good people. Job offered burnt offerings to god everyday for his children who may have cursed god in their hearts and Steven prayed everyday to repent the sins of others and his own. The main thing that made these men eligible to lose so much, was because they had gained so much earlier in life. Though Steven want a rich man, he was far better off than any man in his village, and Job was a very prosperous man and looked well upon by god. (Davis pp.265-272) (Bible p572-600) Since Job was thought so highly of by God, he was tested by Satan in order to see if he would lose his faith. Steven Kumalo is tested in the same way as Job. Steven receives a letter from a priest informing him with the news that his sister, Gertrude, is sick. He leaves his normal life in the valley and travels to the city, with the intentions of bringing her home. When he arrives there, he is confronted with the horrifying news that she is selling herself to men. Steven goes in search of his son Absalom, and eventually finds him. Absalom had shot a white man and is sentence to be hung. Everything that went on in Jhonnaneburg hurt Steven and just like Job, he is tortured to the point where he will break if anything else were to happen. (Bible p572-600) (Ward p.222) In the end, though both men had lost practically everything they cared about, Steven his son and sister, and Job all his children and his prosperity, but then things got significantly better. Steven loses a son but gains a daughter carrying baby, and his sister Gertrudes son. Job loses all his children but gains ten new children and all his livestock back. Its an interesting coincidence how both men lose their child or children, but as they regain faith, new children are restored to them. (Davis pp.265-272)  (Bible p572-600) Paton used the name Absalom as an allusion in the story. His goal was probably to allow people to see into the future of Absaloms mortality. When I first read the story of Absalom, I didnt any definite similarities but as the stories start intertwining, I understood why he used the name Absalom for Stevens son. Absalom in general was a greedy boy, who really thought he deserved more and makes the mistake of killing a man which ultimately leads to his own death. Job and Steven, on the other hand, are generally men who strived to be good men. They were tested with their faith and both men failed, but they do gain their faith back, and their happiness along with it.

Comparing a play to two poems

Comparing a play to two poems A play, a lyric poetry and an epic poetry are some of the kinds of literary works. A play is normally written by a person known as a playwright, it usually consist of scripted conversation among characters who aims at performance rather than reading. Hence, play can be used to refer to both playwrights written work as well as to their whole theoretical performance. A play can either be a comedy (Designed to be humorous), farce (Generally nonsensical form of a play), a satire (Generally meant to poke fun at current situations, issues, places and people), tragedy (These generally involve death or tragic events meant to make people feel sad) and historical (Focus on actual historical events and may include all other play types.) A poem is simply a composition in verse form. Poems depend strongly on precise word choice, metaphors, and symbolism. One cannot readily characterize poetry precisely. Typically though, poetry as a kind of literature makes significant use of the real properties of the words it uses All these literary works make use of different elements which include; plot, setting, theme, character and style. These elements therefore become the basis by which these literary works are differentiated from one another. Analyzing the element of character in these three categories of genres will show how similar they can be and to the extent they differ. A play has three major categories of characters i.e. the protagonist, the antagonist, and the foil characters. The protagonist is the main character in a play. The word protagonist means the one who plays the first part, the chief actor. The terms leading role, major character and hero are differently and sometimes not so well defined and, depending on the origin, the theme, the setting and the style may denote different concepts of a story, for example, in fiction protagonist story might be narrated from the viewpoint of a various character. This character may be but not necessarily the narrator. An example would be a narrator who relates the fate of a protagonist, perhaps as a famous figure recalled in a historical perspective. The chief rival of the leading role is a character known as the antagonist, who represents and creates barriers that must be overcome by the protagonist. As with a protagonist, there might be more than one antagonist in a story. Sometimes, a play may take a particular character as a protagonist in the early stages of a play only to dispose off that character in the later development of the play as a dramatic device to make the play interesting. Such a character is known as a false protagonist. Where a play contains sub plots, these sub plots may contain different antagonists from the main plot. In some plays, characters might not be easy to identify, since multiple plots in the plays do not allow clear identification of one as the major plot. Such characters are illustrated in Alexander Solzhenitsyns The First Circle, showing a variety or different characters imprisoned and live in a gulag camp, or in Leo Tolstoys War and Peace depicting 15 major characters involved or affected by a war. The antagonist in a play is the opponent, competitor or the rival of the protagonist character. This character presentments the opposition in the play for which the protagonist must fight to overcome. In other words, a person or a group of individuals opposing the protagonist i.e. the protagonist is or are the antagonist or the antagonists. In the storys classic style whereby the in the action involves a hero fighting a villain, the two parties can be considered respectively as protagonist and antagonist. The antagonist is not constantly the bad character, but simply those who oppose the major character unlike popular belief. The antagonist is in no way in any play the good guy. Play writers have as well formed more complex situations. In some situations, a story is told from the wicked persons point of view, and any protagonist trying to stop the wickedness can be considered as antagonist. In the story K-19: The Widowmaker an American movie of the Soviet Cold War submarine group, United States enemies as portrayed as protagonists, creating a paradox, as always the American film industry tries to portray the forces of the America as the people fighting for good and justice, which is contrary to Russia (particularly the former Soviet Union) being as the antagonists who always have maniacal intentions (like world control). Characters of that kind are typically police officers or other law enforcement bureaucrats. Antagonists and protagonists can overlap at a time, in regard to what their final objectives are considered to be. A foil is a character that contradicts another character (in most cases the protagonist) so as to bring out the different features of the chief characters personality and to throw the trait of the main character into sharper relief. A halt always posses some significant personality in common with the other character, frequently, superficial traits or personal history. A corresponding task of the foil might be accentuated by physical differences. For instance Don Quixote the dreamy and impractical in Cervantes is thin in comparison to his cohort, the practical and realistic Sanco Pansa who is fat. Sherlock Holmes is tall and lean thus becoming additional popular illusory character; Dr. Watson is always described as middle-sized, strongly built. However, the straight man in a comedy pair is a comic foil. The other illustrates a humorous, dumb, or just unconventional one while the straight man presents a practical and serious character. The funniness in these affiliations results from t he relations among these drastically different personalities. In some other cases, a subplot can always be used as a halt to the major plot. This is particularly true in the case of Meta-fiction together with the story within a story motif. The style with which poetry is written by the poet depends on the various elements of literary works including the purpose and the message it is meant to deliver. Poetry also has characters as a play(Alexander, 1988). This is one major similarity between a poem and a play, however, while the characters in a play are categorized into three major ways depending on the role taken by each of the characters, a poet is one major character in a poem who principally centers the theme of the poem to another character which includes both the living and non -living things. In a play the characters are majorly human beings or living things associated with supernatural being. In a poem, the characters various greatly from places, people, objects, super naturals, etc. As we are aware, both the play and poems are of various categories. A play focuses on love, praise, politics, gods and ancestors and so on. Poetry is also categorized into the following depending on the topics as highlighted above. It is therefore only imperative that the kind of characters in both the play and a poem therefore depends on the category within which these literary works belong. Poems in some cases can be categorized into more than one category and therefore one need not to focus on this classification too much. In analyzing characters in a poem, lyric poetry is a form of poems that expresses personal feelings of the poet. For example, romantic lyric poetry consists of first-person accounts of the opinions and approaches of a definite moment; feelings are tremendous, but personal. As opposed to a play Wright, the poet becomes the central attention in a lyric poem because of these personal feelings and not the characters themselves as seen in a play. The character in such a poem for example becomes the lovers, the moments shared by the duo, the features of a place or the feeling of one lover to another. One of the lovers might be the poet in which case expresses a personal feeling. This is similar to a play in the sense that both have characters but totally different from the viewpoint that in a play, the characters has particular roles such as overcoming the obstacles presented by the other character while in a poem the characters becomes the centre from which the theme and the message of the poem is derived. As noted, a play has stages where the conflict is developed, where it is at its maximum and fully developed and where finally a solution as a result of such a conflict is reached (Alexander, 1988). The role of characters in a play is therefore one of bringing out such conflicts, developing the conflicts and finally availing a way of solving the conflict. This is different from the poem where majorly the poet praises, or generally gives a particular description of one character to emphasize his personal feelings towards such a character. In general, the poem may be regarded as a mere prose however, in deeper form it quiet intensely and appealingly brings o ut and expresses the personal feelings of the character (usually the poet) towards the other character (e.g. love). In the poem Wedding Eve by Dr. Everett Standa, Should I Or should I not Take the oath to love For ever this person I know little about? To love without hope? The poet here is in conversation with himself. In this poem, the poet introduces dialogue and achieves a conversational tone with himself. He is expressing his fears about marriage and the uncertainty with which man and woman take each other to the altar for matrimony. But Standa is doing it in an enquiring or questioning way. In other words, he is posing rhetorical questions which do not necessarily require immediate answers but which gives the reader an opportunity to reflect upon the issues the poet is raising including his feelings. The characters in this poem are the poet and the woman who is to take him to the altar (Everett, 1999). The poet expresses his feelings and doubts towards this marriage. The woman is brought out as the centre of analysis. She is the reason the poem is composed because the poet keeps on wondering whether the woman is truly and sincerely in love with him or his riches. An epic poetry is a long narrative poem. It is mostly concerned with a serious subject with details of the heroic actions and happenings important to a culture or a country. However, the first epics were the products of pre literate communities and traditions. In these times, the epics were transmitted to the viewers and from the actor to actor purely by oral means.epics try to be constructed in the short episodes, all of equal status, interest and significance. This facilitates easy memorization as the poet recalls every episode in turn as well as using the whole episodes in recreating the complete epic to be performed. Epics present characters of high position in adventures creating a natural whole via their interactions to a major heroic figure and also through their episodes development that is important to the history of a country. The main character is the hero. The hero takes part generally in a repeated journey or mission, encounters opponents that try to defeat him and retu rns home considerably reformed by the journey. The epic hero shows characteristics, actions and exemplifying some morals that are greatly valued by the community from which the subject comes. Most heroes are repeating characters in their native cultures legends. An epic poetry is different from the lyric poetry in the sense that while the former is a long narrative poem concerned majorly with legends, the latter is a poem expressing the individual attitude of a poet. The character in an epic poem is usually a person, object, or a thing associated with some supernatural power which forms cultural and beliefs of a community. The poets articulate a peoples collective experience; it must enrich the precious safe in which the sinews of the collective group are preserved (Everett, 1999). The character therefore, offers an opportunity for shared experiences since it consists of spontaneous recollections which stir the emotions of the community. While a play might also convey the same legends, the protagonist character is helped by other characters to attain the appraisal status which the community sees as being of supernaturalism and hence contains some cultural associations. This therefore brings out clearly the difference in terms of characters b etween a play and an epic poem. The poem Nyalgunga by A. D. Amateshe, .. you led selfless life Now you return home, a hero, Crowned in silent casket Your speech and sight embalmed. You will need a guide, our son,.. This poem talks about a hero who died fighting for the freedom and liberty of a community known as the Luo in Kenya. It brings out the ways and the styles of the community on burying a hero and the warm send off the Hero receives during burial (Amateshe, 2004). He becomes a memory and a mentor of the young boys in the community who holds his name high and usually strives to be like him. The poet showers the character with praises bringing out in details the characters personality and journey that makes the members of the community view him as a hero. In conclusion therefore, the character as brought out in these three literary works shows some similarities and differences. All the three literary works makes use of characters in building and bringing out their story. In a play the characters convey the message to the audience in the same way the character in a lyric poem conveys the feelings of the poet to the audience. In an epic poem, the character usually a hero associated with supernaturalism conveys either a moral lesion or a strong warning by which the ways of a particular community lives and is shaped forming a major basis of their culture and beliefs. Of the three, however, the various characters depend on the style, the setting, the message or theme of the literary work. The number of characters varies in a play with its length and the message while in the other two literary works, the character is usually one. This one character becomes the centre of analysis by the poet. In a play, the main character is helped to fight against the obstacles presented by the antagonist to solve the conflict as brought out in the play. In the other two literary works the character becomes the only attraction and the centre from which the story is developed. References Alexander S. (1988). The First Circle. New York: Harvill P Amateshe D. (2004). Nyalgunga. Franklin Watts: American Library Association Everett S. (1999). Wedding Eve. Oxford University: Oxford University Press

Importance of Character in Jan Beattys Poem, A Waitresss Instructions on Tipping or Get the Cash :: Waitresss Instructions on Tipping

Importance of Character in Jan Beatty's Poem, A Waitress's Instructions on Tipping or Get the Cash Up and Don't Waste My Time Jan Beatty's waitress teaches us that no amount of money can make up for poor character. The poem "A Waitress's Instructions on Tipping or Get the Cash Up and Don't Waste My Time" is a plea from a waitress, tired and overworked, to us, her customers. Throughout the first twenty-nine lines, she gives commands on how to tip and stresses the importance of money in the relationship between waitress and customer. At the end of line 29, we would describe the waitress as cold, materialistic, and unattached from her customers. Then, in the final line, she tells us, "If you're miserable, there's not enough money in the world." After reading this final line, we realize that the entire poem exists just to prepare the reader for the climax of that last line. To show the importance of a person's character, she builds up the importance of money throughout the entire poem, and then says that character is more important. Beatty uses rhetorical schemes throughout the poem to achieve different purposes. The most visual of these is the anaphora that she repeatedly uses, both to highlight the themes in those lines and to stress the line that that follows. Lines 7-9 all begin with "Never." The repetition of such a strong word reminds us of a scolding parent or teacher and serves to grab our attention. Also, as all three lines are closely related in meaning, the anaphora makes the meaning of the lines more apparent; if we missed the point on the first line, we still have two more chances. Following those three lines, the waitress says, "Overtip, overtip, overtip" (10). The repetitive sound of the anaphora in a way lulls us, only to be jolted back by the important command to overtip. Line 10 could sum up the theme of the majority of the poem; its placement following the anaphora helps us to realize its significance. Beatty again uses anaphora in lines 26-29 which all begin with "Don't say." The purpose of t hese lines is almost identical to that of lines 7-9. They repeat an important point (not to say inappropriate things to the waitress) and, more importantly, create a lulling, repetitive sound that will be shattered by the important line following them. Similarly, the use of parallelism stresses the importance of lines throughout the poem.

Why are computers important in todays world :: Computer Science Technology

In todays world computers are very useful because there is weather forcasting and many other things. People can forcast weather by this process by computers . Advertising is one of the most progressive field these days . Computer animation is the art of creating moving images by this use of computers . We can use use internation network (internet) to check mail, play games, find other's addresses , etc. Scientists also use computers for their experiments . There are some documents to type. For example MS Word , MS Exel , etc . We can do our school project also by using computers. There is one thing which is very conveinient for us it is that we can talk or chat with people who are in another country by using google talk , yahoo messenger , etc . It is not at all expensive . It is better than using a telephone or a mobile . We can also send voicemails through google talk , yahoo messenger , etc . We can play many games using a computer . For example pinball , soltaire , spider soltair e , etc . Believe it or not, but the age of computers is upon us. I believe Computers are not only here to stay, but in my opinion computers are the wave of the future. Only a device like the computer can change the way we work, live, and think. I see computers taking us places where no man has gone before. students can receive an education from their own home Taking classes online is an option that a growing number of students are taking advantage of. These classes are making a college education available for students who are not able to attend a traditional university or college. Computers are taking us places where a lot of us thought was not possible. Truly it is my belief and opinion, the computer is one of the most incredible inventions of this time period or any other.

Benedict Arnold :: American History

Benedict Arnold No other American is remembered quite the same as Benedict Arnold. He was a brave soldier, a patriot- and a traitor. Benedict was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. When he was 14 years old, Benedict ran away from home to fight in the French and Indian War, but he was brought back by his mother, who apparently was driven insane later in her life. If I had a son like Benedict, I might have gone insane too! After his mother insisted that he return home, he ran away for a second time. After he was finished playing boy hero for awhile, he learned the apothecary (pharmacy) trade and then in 1762, he opened a book and drug store in New Haven. Benedict was also involved with trade in the West Indies. By 1774, he was one of the wealthiest citizens in New Haven. It's a good thing that he had money, because he was one of those people who like to ride around in their Mercedes and wear expensive clothes, even if he couldn't afford them. Benedict then got hooked up with the sheriff's daughter Margaret Mansfield, and they hit it off. They decided to get married in 1774. But this marriage was short lived because the next year Margaret caught a disease and died. When the Revolutionary War began that year Arnold was already an experienced soldier. He had helped Ethan Allen capture Fort Ticonderoga. Then Benedict came up with a great idea to capture Quebec. This idea failed, but Benedict had already proven his bravery. He was then commissioned as a colonel in the patriot forces. He was one of General George Washington's most trusted officers. Benedict led his troops to the siege of Boston and Valcour Island and proved once again to be a bold and skilled officer. At the battle of Valcour Island he was wounded severely in his leg. His bravery won him the respect of many people. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Arnold felt that his services were not properly rewarded. In 1777, Congress promoted five officers, who were junior to Benedict, to major general. Only a personal plea from General George Washington kept him from resigning. He did receive a delayed promotion to major general, but he was still angered that he was not promoted to a rank above the junior officers promoted earlier. Then to top things off, a fellow Benedict Arnold :: American History Benedict Arnold No other American is remembered quite the same as Benedict Arnold. He was a brave soldier, a patriot- and a traitor. Benedict was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. When he was 14 years old, Benedict ran away from home to fight in the French and Indian War, but he was brought back by his mother, who apparently was driven insane later in her life. If I had a son like Benedict, I might have gone insane too! After his mother insisted that he return home, he ran away for a second time. After he was finished playing boy hero for awhile, he learned the apothecary (pharmacy) trade and then in 1762, he opened a book and drug store in New Haven. Benedict was also involved with trade in the West Indies. By 1774, he was one of the wealthiest citizens in New Haven. It's a good thing that he had money, because he was one of those people who like to ride around in their Mercedes and wear expensive clothes, even if he couldn't afford them. Benedict then got hooked up with the sheriff's daughter Margaret Mansfield, and they hit it off. They decided to get married in 1774. But this marriage was short lived because the next year Margaret caught a disease and died. When the Revolutionary War began that year Arnold was already an experienced soldier. He had helped Ethan Allen capture Fort Ticonderoga. Then Benedict came up with a great idea to capture Quebec. This idea failed, but Benedict had already proven his bravery. He was then commissioned as a colonel in the patriot forces. He was one of General George Washington's most trusted officers. Benedict led his troops to the siege of Boston and Valcour Island and proved once again to be a bold and skilled officer. At the battle of Valcour Island he was wounded severely in his leg. His bravery won him the respect of many people. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. Arnold felt that his services were not properly rewarded. In 1777, Congress promoted five officers, who were junior to Benedict, to major general. Only a personal plea from General George Washington kept him from resigning. He did receive a delayed promotion to major general, but he was still angered that he was not promoted to a rank above the junior officers promoted earlier. Then to top things off, a fellow

Common Misconceptions of Sports Suppluments

Common Misconceptions In today’s society, many people have started to develop misconceptions about sports supplements. Because people started this mentality, they have tried to make their own misconceptions about them and telling other people to avoid them. Sports Supplements, also known as ergogenic aids, are products to enhance athletic performance. These products contain minerals, herbs, vitamins, amino acids, and botanicals. (TeensHealth 1) One of the common misconceptions of sports supplements is that they don’t help the human body gain muscle, but instead fat. The 1) In reality, some people have and see results of the supplements within a week, like enhances the person’s workouts by going for longer reps, reduces the time of recovery, and gains muscle mass. (The 1) Another known common misconception of sports supplements is that will sports supplements cause me to get muscle cramps and or get injured. Most of the sports supplements well cause you to cramp u p during athletic events, but the leading sports supplement that well cause you to cramp up easily is creatine. Bodybuilding. com 1) If any athlete who uses creatine gets a cramp, they well get told it’s the side effect of creatine usage, but in reality it’s the lack of dehydration, improper electrolyte balance, or variety of other factors that can result in cramping. (Bodybuilding 1)Even though some athletes think that sports supplements well make them cramp, they also think that the supplements well make their injury risk increase. However, not any sports supplements increase the ability of injuries. Bodybuilding 1) â€Å"Quite to the contrary actually; a study conducted using 72 NCAA division 1 football players as subjects found that the athletes supplementing with creatine experienced less muscle cramps, muscle tightness, muscle strains, dehydration and total injuries. † (Bodybuilding 1) Will sports supplements make me a better athlete? That’s another common misconception of sports supplements. Many companies say that their supplement well make you a better athlete or stronger, but in reality it won’t give you the ability to make you a better athlete or the strengthness to lift more weights for more reps. TeensHealth 1) Ads for sports supplements often use persuasive before and after pictures that make it look easy to get a muscular, toned body. But the goal of supplement advertisers is to make money by selling more supplements, and many claims may be misleading. (TeensHealth 1) Instead, sports supplements helps the person who is taking it, it doesn’t give any potential ability to the person whom is taking it.They’re many different types of factors that go into a person’s athletic body like diet, how much sleep they get, genetics and heredity, and their training program. (TeensHealth 1) Another common misconception of sports supplements is that they are illegal, like consuming drugs, in reality theyâ €™re not; they are just banned in some organizations such as the Olympics and others more. (The 1) Other than steroids being illegal in the US, There’s a possibility of another type of sports supplement of getting banned or in others words, illegal.DMMA, also known as dimethylamylamine, a stimulant that Department of Health has categorized to be in the same category such as heroin, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine has been banned in many countries like Canada, New Zealand and several European countries due to two possible deaths in the US and is thought to cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems including shortness of breath and possible heart failures like heart attacks. (Sports 1) Sports supplements have lots of side effects that’s one other common misconception.But really, there only a couple of supplements that have a couple of side effects like ephedra, caffeine, carnitine, and creatine do to the human body. (Sport 2) Ephedra, named after contain ing ephedra alkaloids, a dietitary supplement. The use of ephedra is for weight loss and with the goal of enhancing their performance, increasing energy. Due to the extremely side effects of this supplement, FDA have banned it for a while now on the sale of high dose ephedrine, but the doses of 10 mg or less are legal.The side effects of this supplement are headaches, rapid heart rates, increased blood pressure, insomnia, strokes, heart attacks, and death. (Sport 2) Commonly found in sodas, coffee,and energy drinks, caffeine, which provides energy and burns fat. When taken caffeine, it attacks the in the centeral nervous system, increases the awareness, and the perception of less effort used. The side effects of caffeine are increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and insomnia.In addition, a person who’s constantly consuming caffeine in their diet can lead into headaches. (Sport 2) Needed in the body for the transportation of fatty acids to mitochondria to be used for energy, carnitine. Thought that it decreases muscle pain, increases endurance, promotes weight loss, and improves cardiac function. (Sport 1) Bieng one of the most popular sport supplements, creatine, is used as a form of phosphocreatine by the body to gain muscle energy.Once used, creatine increase strength, endurance, and muscle gain. While creatine may help out on athletics, it can also help you gain weight, causing a huge impact for athletes. (Sport 2) Lastly, â€Å"If I take sports supplements, I well just gain weight and get fat†. Most of the people that say that are wrong in some way and right at the same time. Even though most of the sports supplements have enough proteins to complete a serving of meal a day, people need to know how to balance their meals while using sport supplements.Especially when using whey protein and creatine, the user can easily gain a couple pounds if not more than expected within a few weeks if not managed his or her diet carefully. Because many of professional athletes use sports supplements on a regular basis, they have managed to control their own diet, but some can eat more than a normal person is expected to due to the intense hardcore workouts that they do.But some just hire dietetics, (The 1) a person practical application of diet in relation to health and disease. (Dietetics 1) In today’s society, many people do not understand sports supplements and the benefits they can bring to the athlete who is serious about increasing their level of performance for his or her sport. Most supplements have little or no side effects, and can seriously help and improve the athletes ability at his or her own sport.