Reaction Paper †Fiction: Short Story

â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† is a small story written by Katherine Anne Porter, the American writer. It was published in 1930 along with other short stories alike, as part of story collection called â€Å"Flowering Judas†. The reaction to this fiction story from a reader’s point of view I’m going to express in this short essay. The whole setting of this story is drawn around the bed of Ms. Weatherall, where she is spending the last moments of her life. The author is focusing her attention on Granny’s thoughts in form of her own self-monologue. The other characters present in the final scene of Granny’s life are: her own daughter, Cornelia, Dr. Harry, the priest, and her grandchildren, who are invited to visit their grandmother before she dies. The fact that Granny Weatherall is having a serious illness is concealed from her by the doctor and the relatives. Being close to death Ms. Weatherall is staying in bright mind and is rehearsing her own thoughts of the past and is fantasizing about present as what she would do if she did not have to stay in bed. The other characters in the story display little action, like quiet talk of Granny’s daughter to the doctor that irritates Ms. Weatherall as she starts feeling more concern about herself. The doctor, on the other hand, is trying to cheer Ms. Weatherall up by telling her that she is looking good and referring to her as â€Å"little girl†, which is inappropriate with ladies of her age. The author is mainly concentrating on Granny’s thoughts in this story. In her memories she goes back into past, sees her husband that died many years ago, and, even against her will, she reminds about events that happened to her when she was a teenager. The author is writing the story the way readers can see not only old woman dying among her relatives but as she watches her own life before her eyes before she passes away. The other people who surround Ms. Weatherall seem not to destruct her from her own thoughts with their actions. The concept of this inner journey is to introduce the reader to Ms. Weatherall’s personality and what her life was about. All the sudden the old lady is seeing things that happened to her many years ago, the memories she either regretted or kept hidden through her entire life. These memories become so lose that she almost experiences them over again after so many years. The author makes it obvious that the old lady has given her heart and soul to being a mother and wife up to her final breath. The whole flow of the story changes as Ms. Weatherall gets close to dying. It seems like the flow of her thoughts is becoming more emotional. Granny starts denying her critical condition and it seems like sh e loses control over the situation. She recalls, once when she thought she was close to dying twenty years ago she did not feel that way and she did not expect death coming. This event has given her the experience of not being afraid of it. She survived that day, and from that point on death has become something invisible to her. Granny almost fell as she could get up of the bed and return to her daily activities. In her own thoughts she acts as she has got things to do tomorrow. She displays incredible stubbornness and will to continue as her death comes closer. The author wanted to make connection between the simple rehearsal of thoughts to almost euphorical state of mind as death comes closer. Ms. Weatherall was always an honest catholic, and her faith in God is inspiring her even now. She remembers, when she was young her faith helped her to overcome any obstacles, and everything she was about to take on could easily be accomplished. â€Å"Thank God there was a little margin over for peace: then a person could spread out the plan of life and tuck in the edges orderly†. Finally Granny Weatherall rests in peace like her long lived father who was her hero and whose image she kept in her mind until her final hour. I personally like the story and how it is told. I found myself relate to this story because a year ago I went through the same period of sorrow when my grandmother was passing away. In this story I felt not only sympathy to Ms. Weatherall as I read it, but I was pleasantly impressed of her courage and will to live even after knowing that she was close to dying. I think this is because she is not only courageous person but she truly has God in her heart. I think this is a really good work by the author as she found a very interesting theme of life and death. I read somewhere that each person before dying sees their own life flashing before them. This was a really good example of interpretations of final thoughts of person and emotional preparation to the end of life.

Languages and Dialects of Spain Essay

With a population of approximately 45 million Spaniards and 3. 5 million immigrants, Spain is a country of contrasts where the richness of its culture blends it up with the variety of languages and dialects used. Being one of the largest economies worldwide, and the second largest country in Europe, Spain is a very appealing destination for tourists as well as for immigrants from around the globe. Almost all Spaniards are used to speaking at least two different languages, but protecting and preserving that right has not been easy for them; Spaniards have had to struggle with war, ignorance, criticism and the governments, in order to preserve and defend what identifies them, and deal with the consequences (some of which are good and some of which are bad) of dealing with this multilingual society they have. Spanish-Town-Guides, 2002-2011) In Spain there are 17th autonomous regions, the official language spoken in each region is Spanish or Castilian, however, there are three other recognized regional languages used throughout the country (Wikipedia contributors, 2011); Catalan (spoken in Catalonia, Valencian Community, and Balearic Islands), Basque (spoken in Basque Country and Navarre), and Galician, (spoken in Galicia) (Wikipedia contributors, 2011). Distributed throughout Spain there are a variety of smaller groups or regions with their own dialects, most of them Latin derivatives (as well as the main languages); Aragonese (spoken in Aragon, Huesca and Zaragoza), Asturian (spoken in Asturias),Calo (known as the language of the gypsies), Valencian and Mallorquin (Both dialects from Catalan and spoken in Valencia and Mallorca), Extremaduran (spoken in Extremadura), Occitan (also considered as a dialect of Catalan) and Gascon (that is considered a dialect of Occitan) (About. com, 2011). Each region? government has put all the efforts to create laws to ensure that people in all regions speak and practice their own language (Council of Europe, 2011); such is the case of Catalonia which is the region where there have been more efforts to preserve language. In Catalonia, there are no places where natives do not know Catalan or any of the dialects from it, and even foreigners living there must deal with this â€Å"handicap† since, in order to find a job, they need to learn to speak Catalan; otherwise, it will be very difficult to get hired, and social life can be limited as well since veryone around uses Catalan to communicate (Abanco, 1998). Spaniards, especially in Catalonia, Basque Country and Galicia have become very protective of their own languages and dialects, since they outright their extinction during Francoist period, which make them fight to ensure their languages remain being an important part, if not the most important part, of their life and their societies (Wikipedia contributors, 2011). Each region, with a language different than Castilian, is an avid defendant of their language; article 3 of the Spanish Constitution (About the Castilian and the other Spaniard languages) states: â€Å"1. Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State. All Spaniards have the duty to know it and the right to use it. †. â€Å"2. The other Spanish languages shall also be official in the respective Self-governing Regions in accordance with their Statutes. † and â€Å"3.  The wealth of the different linguistic modalities of Spain is a cultural heritage which shall be specially respected and protected† (Cortes Generales de Espana, 1978). This decree has helped to repair the damage caused during Francoist period (in which Spain was under the authoritarian dictatorship of Francisco Franco) from 1936 to 1975, when many of the regional languages were almost lost since they were forbidden; an ironic fact since general Franco was born in A Coruna, one of Galicia? s main cities, where Galician is more used than Castilian to communicate (Eric Solsten and Sandra W. Meditz, 1988). When the civil war ended, in 1975, and, in response to the oppression suffered for many years, some regions (especially Catalonia) began their efforts to preserve and enhance their languages. Thanks to those efforts Catalans can be proud to acknowledge that their languages and dialects are the most well-kept, normalized and preserved in the country, their continuous fight since the very end of war and their pride about using their language has giving them the courage to embrace and protect both, their language and their identity in such way that, in Catalonia, Castilian is limited to those who are foreigners and Catalan to natives. Unfortunately, a very different thing has happened in Galicia and Basque Country; since, by the end of war, the governments of both regions were more concerned about political affairs than preserving languages. In Basque Country, the reason for these lack of protectionism towards language was the persecution Basques suffer during the Civil War, they were accused of terrorism whenever they spoke in their own language; they were hunted and killed for this reason, and all of these actions made them a little afraid of protecting language even years after the end of war. Something similar happened in Galicia, where there were no efforts to maintain language after the war. It was years later that governments started to make efforts to preserve and rescue the language and to normalize it and make it mandatory in each school around the region, but the accurate and pure versions of them got lost with time and what new generations speak today is a mixture of old and new words adapted from the original language, but still it is quite far from the original, unaltered version of each language. The dialects in Spain share, in most of the cases, the same origin (most of the times Vulgar Latin), and the same language (for example Valencian is a dialect of Catalan); it can be thought, then, that communication in a language different than Spanish or Castilian is not that hard, and this is true but not entirely; even though these dialects come from the same sources, they differ greatly from each other; for example, in Catalonia, they use Catalan as well as in Val d? Aran; if an Occitan and a Catalan talk to each other, they will understand most of it but some words are very different, and it will take a bit of an effort to fully understand the language from one region to another. Each one of the circumstances explained above, the civil war, the immigration, the language protectionism and the normalization, are reasons to understand why Spaniards have become tolerant with languages and dialects; they have gone a long way in defending their ideals and their identity; all of the Spaniards and immigrants must pay tolerance in return to the rest of the population and accept everybody else? languages. However, not all Spaniards are sympathetic with this language protectionism, Castilian or Spanish speaking regions, such as Madrid are very less tolerant; they do not understand why one country must be separated more for languages than for borders, and this might be a valid premise, but each region has the right to protect what belongs to it. Languages, in one way, have caused separation among regions because, people consider themselves as Catalans, or Valencians, or Basques, or native of any other regions, more than they consider themselves Spaniards, and many regions are currently fighting for their independence (with no positive results so far) since they aim to be free to use their languages and dialects without being criticized and, also, be able to manage their own resources. There are many implications of having one, two or many anguages or dialects spoken in a same country or region, some of them are negative, such as this search for independence that has caused Spaniards to feel divided, not all of them feel part of the same country and many whish they were not part of the same country at all. Another implication is that communication is limited; even when all Spaniards speak Spanish, it is interesting to realize that they have both languages so acquired that they switch from one to the other in just seconds; this happens particularly with old people. As a woman married to a Catalan and having traveled to Catalonia a couple of times, I had the experience of facing this personally, people are so set in â€Å"Catalan-mode† that one minute they are speaking in Spanish, and the next they are speaking in Catalan without even realizing they change back and, in my particular case, I found myself reminding everyone to talk to me in Spanish; it is an awkward situation because you can also feel like an intruder and is tiring to constantly remind everyone to speak in Spanish, and when they did speak in Castilian, it was hard for me to understand them, since it is quite different from the Spanish or Castilian we speak in Costa Rica. Another negative implication is for immigrants; my cousin moved to Barcelona eleven years ago; she got a scholarship to finish her studies in laws at â€Å"Universitat de Barcelona. The first problem she had to face was the fact that all her lessons were taught in Catalan; and being a native Spanish speaker she felt very frustrated and worried, and it took many years for her to be able to understand Catalan (only understand it because she does not speak it); she is now living there and after she finished college it was very hard for her to find a job, once again the problem was the lack of Catalan; it is very challenging for a foreigner to move there since Catalans are so protective of their language that in order to find a job, people must speak Catalan. The last negative implication, from my point of view, is immigration within the country; my mother in-law was born in Galicia; she learned to speak Galician (the very limited kind of Galician that was spoken during the war) when she was little; and, at the age of nine, with almost her entire primary education finished, her family decided to move to Barcelona searching for a better life, where she had to deal with Catalan (even though during war it was forbidden to use it on the streets). The same problem happens with, for example, people with military positions, they move from one place to another during the entire military service, and they drag their families along with them; children are forced to change from one school to another and from one language to another, and this can cause confusion and frustration reflected on the students’ behavior and performance in school. Even when there are so many negative implications or consequences related to all the languages in a society, there are reasons to believe that there are also positive implications and if there are societies with this kind of structure, it is because it works somehow, no matter the problems involved. In contrast to the negative implications mentioned above, there are many other positive implications of being part of a multilingual society, to mention a few, it can be said that, in the particular case of Spain, their citizens have developed the ability to learn new languages very easily; they not only speak their official language (Castilian), they also speak they regional language (both native like) and this has helped them to develop more their listening skills and aptitude towards new languages; children are born and live in environments filled with language stimuli and learn to communicate effectively in more than one language, making things easier for them to acquire another language. Another example of a positive implication is tolerance, the cross-cultural situation Spaniards live has helped them to be more conscious about their differences and to accept everyone? s believes and culture. The continuous use of languages or dialects to interact with each other is another positive implication, since it has made them to be able to switch languages in a conversation without thinking about it; it comes natural to them since being multilingual is not an issue; it is just their reality. Spain is a multilingual society which has faced several obstacles in the way of preserving and keeping their languages and dialects, this protectionism has led to positive, but also negative consequences and implications for its citizens which, day after day deal with it and adjust to this conditions in order to be a part of the society. As challenging as it can be, Spaniards adjust to each situation in order to fit in; but of course there are also rewards involved, they are capable to appreciate and understand (at least most of them) what a long way each region has come to preserve their identity and they can embrace, and be empathetic with the reasons each region has for such protectionism.

College students should have complete freedom to choose their own Essay

College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses and create their own curriculums - Essay Example (Robertson & Smith, 1999, p.69) As the system functions today, college students are forced to conform to an educational model that was not designed in their interests. In other words, the existing educational system serves to indoctrinate young minds into obedient servants of the established social order. At the top of the social pyramid are the business and political elites, whose interests are reflected in the design of curricula. Hence, though it might lead to radical social upheavals, allowing greater freedom of choice within college campuses is the right way to go. Let us look at the rationale offered by those against freedom of choice in curricula and identify flaws in their arguments. A prominent advocate for less academic freedom was the sociologist Mortimer Adler, who stated that, left to their own choices, some students â€Å"will ‘downgrade’ their own education; therefore, adults should control these crucial choices so that such downgrading does not occur.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) This fear is overstated, for college authorities can devise ways of ensuring that certain basic standards are met. Moreover, by what criteria are courses judged good and bad? In other words, the notion of ‘downgrading’ is very subjective. As John Dewey noted in his lectures, â€Å"a course in cooking, well planned and well executed, can induce critical thinking, increase cultural literacy, and provide valuable skills - it can be a "good" course. In contrast, a course in algebra may discourage critical thinking, add nothing to cultural literacy, and lead students to despair of acquiring useful skills - it can be a "bad" course.† (Noddings, 2006, p.285) Considering that John Dewey was the most influential educationist of last century, his views have to be heeded to. The essence of Dewey’s argument is that by there is more merit than what is apparent in courses such as

Next-Door Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Next-Door Anthropology - Essay Example The setting of this community did not only ease access, but also the arrangement of homesteads and structures allowed maneuvering into the remote Places. This was very important as the objective of the study entailed larger coverage and an all-inclusive Participation. With all these in account, backed by the willing to respond members of the community, the region Proved to be compatible with the entire needs of this sociocultural research. The community is said to be one of the best master Planned Particularly Popular due to its organized commercial centers and high qualities offered in relation to its residents. It also has well renowned beautiful Parks and lake views that depict the level of interactions and associations within the commonplaces. All these parameters were very important since the ethnographic study majored on social inclusions and exclusion of community members. Moreover, the standards of living in the world class community of the Orange County have inevitably created a social stratification that results to differentials in living standards of the various social classes (Bunyan 56). The community has a unique ethnic background specifically due to their well-structured organizational level. The safety of the community is on the higher note since their members always do not leave the city for outside recreational activities. Every person treasures their own natural endowment that creates a culture of reference to their home resources. The residents have spirited lifestyle of recreation that is not learnt, but pegged on ethnic background. Additionally, the community shows a sense of togetherness and civic pride that leads to social, cultural, and ethnic activities that are shared amongst all members. In essence, this research was objected to study how the ethnic aspect is organized through variables such us age, sex, race, and educational

Transport Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Transport - Assignment Example I also realised that transport enables us to move from one point to another and this increased my interest in this particular subject such that I decided to watch a video and read an article about the importance of transport. 2 What was it about? The video is about the Minister of Transport in India explaining the big project about upgrading the transport system that is currently underway. The Minister also explains the importance of transport in the growth and development of the economy as well as human welfare. The chosen article is also about the importance of transport and describes different modes of transport that are available in India. 3 Did you read or listen first? Why? Do you think the order you chose helped you or not? How many times did you need to read & listen before you felt confident about understanding the topic and vocabulary? How do you feel about this topic, e.g. positive or negative feelings? Do you agree/disagree with the ideas?† I listened and watched th e video once then read the article. After reading the article, I then listened to the video clip again. I repeated this process because I wanted to grasp the meaning of the article and what it was about. I realised that the vocabulary used in the article and the video was simple to understand since I did not discover any new word. After my second listening to the video and second reading of the article, I felt very confident about understanding the topic and the vocabulary as well. I developed positive feelings about this particular topic given that transport affects our daily lives in one way or the other. We need to move from different places to another and our daily needs such as food are delivered to us by transport so it is very important in our lives. I totally agree with the ideas raised in the article and the video clip. 4 Did you learn anything new from this reading & listening? What? I learnt that pipeline can also be classified as transport from the reading and listening activity to the video. Pipelines are used to transport petroleum and gas to different places and this is a convenient way of moving products in the form of liquid or gas. 5 Was this topic connected in any way to your future studies and if so, how do you think you can find out more about it? I do not think that the topic is connected to my future studies though it is very important in our daily lives. 6 What was easy/ difficult about it? The topic was very easy to understand because the author of the article used short and simple words which were very clear. The video was also clearly presented and I could understand all the ideas that were discussed by the presenters of this clip. I imagined seeing a well connected network of transport making it possible to move to any part of the country you can think of using different modes of transport. Since we use transport every day, there was nothing new in this article as well as the video. 7 Which was the more challenging aspect, the readi ng, or the listening? Why? Nothing was so challenging in reading the article as well as watching the video. Both were presented in simple and clear terms that were easy to understand. The article gave more details as well as explanations of different modes of transport as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The articles also outlined all the factors that make transport important

The Sarbanes-Oxley Effect Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Sarbanes-Oxley Effect - Assignment Example Major financial scandals which involved big companies such as Enron and Worldcom gave a strong impetus towards bringing in SOX act. Most of these scandals took place in companies which aggressively pursued all the common principles of accounting, hence scandals in such places were also a big set back for the market investors. Therefore a strong need was felt to bring in a stringent law that would not only keep a tab on financial reporting but also help in rebuilding investor's confidence. The main aim of SOX is to improve the accuracy and reliability of financial disclosures by corporates and to ensure integrity in their financial reporting. The act also imposes severe penalties and punishments for the CEOs and CFOs of the firms which fail to adhere to its requirements. There have been numerous studies and researches on this subject. Keeping in lieu with SOX intention of increasing financial accuracy, Cohen report of 2005 suggests a steady increase in financial accruals before SOX and a reversal in this trend post-SOX. Heflin and Hsu paper (2004) indicates a significant decline in the use of non-GAAP earning measures and a probability that disclosed earnings either exceed or meet expectations post SOX. Â  

Aqualisa Quartz Low Sales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Aqualisa Quartz Low Sales - Essay Example The shower industry in the UK has three channels of distribution. Trade shops, showrooms, and DIY sheds are the channels of distribution for the Aqualisa products.   Trade shops carry plumbing supplies for plumbers.   Trade shops normally only carries what will sell, or in essence what is in demand. Showrooms are supplied by distributors. This channel is for high end customers. When an individual buyer comes to a showroom, they tend to not be concerned with price. DIY sheds are supplies for do-it-yourselfers. B&Q is like Home Depot. This market is for bargain hunters and home improvers. These three channels of distribution are where Aqualisa Quartz will be marketed. The best channel of distribution for the Aqualisa Quartz is the showroom. The reason for the good showroom sales for the Aqualisa Quartz is the digital features on the showerhead. Individuals walk into the showroom and see the red light that stops blinking when the shower is the right temperature. This novelty alone sells most of the units in the showroom. Aqualisa Quartz is easier to install and more efficient than other showers, but plumbers are skeptical of using new products. This lowers the sales in the trade showrooms. Aqualisa Quartz has been marketed properly for the DIY sheds, due to the fear that it would lessen the product value. All of these factors have led to lower sales than expected for the new innovative Aqualisa Quartz. In order to raise sales, the key factors must be looked at. Since the Aqualisa Quartz is an innovative new product, Aqualisa priced the product higher as a premium item. The Quartz Standard is 850 pounds and the Quartz Pumped is 1,080 pounds.1 This makes it the highest product sold by Aqualisa. It also makes it the highest money maker for the company, but only when sold. If Aqualisa Quartz was marked down, consumers might feel they are getting a bargain and quality.

Considering all the legal developments of the last few years, what is Essay

Considering all the legal developments of the last few years, what is there left to improve in the field of Employment Law in th - Essay Example The Pope does not come down from his thrown very often. No one would ever deny that the Papacy has not wielded some influence in secular politics through the course of Western History. At the same time, that it is true that Pope's oppose fairly infrequently. Pope's don't hang around chambers after Question Period in the Commons trying to pitch stories to the media. It is in this sense, that it is being emphasized that Pope's do not come down from their pillar''s very often to directly make political statements. As was articulated in 'Pope Benedict attacks government over Equity Bill' [BBC, 11:30 GMT, Tuesday, 2 February 2010]: Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the Pope's comments were a "coded attack on the legal rights granted to women and gay people" [BBC, Feb. 2, 2010]. The Equity Bill envelopes a number of arguably diverse legislation's that preceded it. While the Pope did protest The Equity Bill, he did not oppose Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, and the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003. By no means was this the only context or situation where employee rights were overlapping with human rights. Thus, what influenced the constituent parts of the Equity Bill might also include some legislation progressions dating at least back to 1970 which was the date of the Equal Pay Act. Between the tripartite components of 2006, 2003, and 2003, was also the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Race Relations Act of 1976, and finally, Disability Discrimination Act which was introduced in 1995: As it was described in the BBC News Magazine in 2007: â€Å"It is not a piece of legislation welcomed by all and it was bitterly opposed by parts of the Catholic Church† [Geoghegan, BBC News Magazine BBC, April 30th 2007]. As is consistent with principals and practices of equity under the British legal system, basic rights have been extended by acknowledging that same sex-partnerships have every right to be recognized. It is a form of legal reform that is prevalent through Europe and in North America. While the Equality Bill is â€Å"for the purposes of anti-discrimination legislation, The Government considers that it is important to maintain current models of disability, which draws on different models for different purposes† [The Equality Bill: Oral and written evidence, p. 210]. Another significant body of legislation that has impacted employment law in recent years, was the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations in 2006. This was a legal challenge to the Default Retirement Age [Davies, Ed., 204]. While the judge did not find that any of the regulations had been breached with regard to the Default Retirement Age in accordance with the European Union's Equal Treatment at Work Directive. It is important to employment law because of the obvious connection with work-related retirement, but also because of the human rights issue involved with the legislation. Age discrimination has been one of the strong arguments made against the Default Retirement Age. It has been argued in court, that forcing someone to retire at any one particular age, is a form of discrimination: â€Å"this term encourages the perception that age discrimination is less important than other forms and can obscure discrimination arising from multiple intersecting identifies of people of all ages† [Meenan 290]. Just as an employer cannot legally tell someone that they are too old for a

Genzyme Summary Essay Example for Free

Genzyme Summary Essay Genzyme was founded in 1981, Sanofi purchased the company in 2011. They went public in 1986, raising 27 million dollars. Genzyme startet as a start up Company by scientists studying genetically inherited enzyme diseases. Their strategy didn’t focus on the â€Å"blockbuster drugs† like other biotechnology companies but drugs for rare diseases. To developing a drug, it takes 10-14 years at the cost of around 800 million. But the blockbuster drugs had 1 billion dollars revenue. Genzyme has received several honor awards like â€Å"national medal of technology†. The food and drug administration established in 1983 the â€Å"Orphane drug act† giving seven years market exclusivity to developers of drugs for rare diseases. This gave Genzyme big advantage when it comes to clinical trials, advertising and sales, it does not requires a lot. Their first success was the â€Å"Ceredase† drug- to treat the Gaucher`s disease. It was sold to over 4000 patients, with annual revenue of 800 million dollars. They had different way of manufacturing and sales compare to other companies. They did not do licensing to large pharmaceutical company. Genzyme was the worlds third largest biotech company in 2006 only profiting of rare diseases. Reflection of the case * Avoided â€Å"blockbuster† market and good management Good strategic to focus on a niche market instead of the †blockbuster† market. The degree of existing rivalry and entry barriers was low. Henri Termeer took a risk in moving to a start up company but with his experience and expertise, the company went stronger and independent. * First ones to market and the exclusivity Genzyme entered a small, untapped market. Being the first biotech company that focus on rare diseases and having the market exclusivity made them leading biotech company. They had the ability to identify almost all customers. They had big advantage when is comes to clinical trials, restrictions, FDA and small numbers of test patients required.

Crime Rate in Centervale Essay Example for Free

Crime Rate in Centervale Essay If one was to compare the crime in Centervale to that of Alaska or Alabama it would be clear that Centervale has the highest crime total. If one was to compare the crime rate it would be clear that Alabama has in fact the highest crime rate with Alaska and then Centervale sitting very close in numbers. Alabama has the highest population and Alaska has the lowest, but this would mean that Alabama would not be the safest place to live. In fact an individual would want to live in either Alaska or Centervale. Centervale has a lower aggravated assault rate than that of Alaska, but Alaska has a lower robbery rate that that of both Centervale and Alabama. When looking for a new place to locate its always a great decision to check out how a city, county, suburb, or state hold up against that of other similar places when it comes to crime. No one wants to live in a place where they are afraid to leave their homes. When looking at the actually numbers Centervale is the highest followed by Alabama and then Alaska, but if an individual was to look at the crime rate then it would appear that Alaska has the highest followed by Alabama and then Centervale, but both Alabama and Centervale are very close in rate percentage. Alaska has a problem with alcohol related crimes, whereas in other locations in the United States drugs and alcohol are secondary to the crime. Information Importance This kind of information is important due to the growing concern that most individuals and families have about the crime not only in their local neighborhoods, but also in places that they may be considering locating too. It’s also important to find out what programs are in place to keep the crime rate reduced. Each neighborhood has some sort of program in place to help keep children and adolescents occupied so they are less likely to go out and commit a crime, but crime doesn’t always involve children and adolescents. Crime can and is often committed by adults. Read more:  India Crime Rate Most communities have an early childhood development program in place. It’s been stated by Paul Leighton (2007), that children enrolled in this program have â€Å"half as many criminal arrests, less likelihood of going to jail, higher earnings and property wealth, and a greater commitment to family†. There are also drug treatment, recreation, gang- prevention, education, special curricula, job training, and the labor market (Leighton, 2007). When moving to a new community an individual can call around to find what programs have been put into place to reduce the crime rate and what else can be done to help reduce the crime. Parents with small children wish to make sure that they are bringing their children to a safe environment with programs set in place to help the children and adolescents occupied after school. Definitions of Crime Crime is defined as â€Å"the act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law† (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Alabama and Alaska differ when it comes to crime punishment. Alaska abolished its capital punishment in 1957, but has since then tried to reintroduce it to no avail. Alabama on the other hand does have capital punishment and certain crimes can lead to the death penalty. These crimes are capital murder charges, rape, robbery, and burglary. Alaska imprisons their convicted criminals for either short period of times to life. In both states children and adolescents are charged as juveniles unless found to have committed an adult crime such as murder (non-accidental), robbery that ends up with loss of life or assault or rape. Rape charges can be difficult to try depending on the age of the child or adolescents and how much understanding of the charges and their understanding of right and wrong. Charging children in an adult court can be difficult to do since their understanding and reasoning is far different and underdeveloped than that of an adult. Recommendations Recommendations to help reduce the crime rate would to beef up the police and special crime units to help get a grasp on the crime in the state. Have better programs put into place within the prisons/jails. This will give a positive opportunity and outlet for the prisoners so they will not wish to reoffend. Allow employers that wish to hire ex-convicts the opportunity to sit down with the convict prior to their release. This will give the individual something positive to look forward to and a better outlook on life. Have programs set up for ex-cons along with programs set up for those who may need a positive outlet. Ex-cons need the structure to help them adapt better to outside life than to be just â€Å"dumped† on the streets after their sentence with the hopes of not reoffending. Many individuals feel they have nothing â€Å"outside† so why even try. In many cases this is true, the individuals family and or friends have given up on them or they have a difficult time finding a job, so they do what they believe is the only thing left and this causes them to reoffend. Conclusion In conclusion crime is a scary thing for any family or individual, but with careful consideration and knowing the facts needed one can make the correct decision. Many criminals that are within the prison/jail system are those who have reoffended, but due to the unknown these individuals tend to end back up within the system. Families and friends of those ex-cons need to be there for the individual for emotional support. Those who don’t have the proper support feel alone and often believe they need to be back where they were. References Crime in the United States. U.S. Department of Justice (2009). Retrieved from http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/data/table_05.html What Every American Should Know About the Criminal Justice System. Leighton, Paul (2007). Stop Violence. Retrieved from http://stopviolence.com/cj-knowledge.htm Merriam-Webster. Crime (2013). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crime

Should Smoking be Banned? J.S Mills Harm Principle

Should Smoking be Banned? J.S Mills Harm Principle Should Smoking Be Banned? Discuss In Relation to J.S Mills Harm Principle Smoking has held a social stigma for many years, yet has generally been protected from being prohibited due to the principle of a freedom to smoke. However, freedom comes in many forms and means different things to different people, and with some concepts of freedom it may be seen that smoking should be banned. This essay will focus on one particular idea of freedom, J.S Mills Harm Principle, and will look in depth at how this relates to smoking. The essay will look at whether smoking should be banned, either partially, as is the case in Britain today or completely. The essay will also look at ideas such as Paternalism and consent and how this relates to J.S Mills Harm Principle and a smoking ban and concludes on whether smoking should be banned. J. S Mills Harm Theory is an idea based on the instrumental value of freedom. Instrumental value of freedom is concerned with the outcome, as opposed with the intrinsic value which is more concerned with freedom itself being fulfilled, the outcome desired usually being one with the most utility. Mills Harm Theory is the principle that a person should be restricted from committing an act that will cause harm. There are however restrictions to this rule. Acts are divided into two categories, other regarding and self regarding. Other regarding cause harm to others, such as assaulting another person, self regarding only harms the actor. Mills argues that only other regarding actions should be prohibited. N. Barry states the only grounds for interfering with an individual is to prevent harm to others; over action that affect only himself the individual is sovereign.1 Thus, under Mills Harm Principle actions that affect only the actor should not be prohibited. Mills did not think that all self-regarding acts are morally indifferent, and the principle supports persuasion against self regarding acts that are deemed immoral, however it is not persuasion, and coercion, that should be used.2 The reasoning behind Mills principle is that he believed in maximum freedom of the person. With regard to expression and thought, Mills Harm Principle does not place the same restrictions he places on actions. Other regarding actions that only cause offence and not injury should not be prohibited, no matter how much offence is caused. Clearly Mills had placed restriction on other regarding actions, as causing injury to others should not be defended in the name of freedom. None the less J. S Mills clearly thought that state authority should be markedly limited so as to leave as much room for liberty.3 The Harm Principle can be applied to the concept of smoking; however there are several interpretations and criticisms of this. Smoking in public is generally seen as an other regarding action as it causes harm to others. Second hand smoke (SHS) contains 4000 toxic chemicals4 and the Smoking in private however is usually seen as a self regarding action as the only harm caused is to the smoker. Thus, following the J. S Mills Harm Principle smoking should be banned in public places, but not banned entirely. The UK government introduced a ban on smoking in all public places in 20075 and this seems like the appropriate action if you were to follow J.S Mills Harm Principle. There are however many criticisms of the Harm Principle that actually suggest a ban on smoking in public places does not go far enough. It can be argued that smoking privately in your own home is not merely a self regarding action. Political theorists, notably James Fitzjames Stephen and Lord Delvin, have argued that there is not such thing as a self regarding action as all actions have some effect on others. Garner summarises this argument stating that there is no such thing as private immortality in the sense that even our private behaviour will have public consequence.6 It seems unlikely that even the most trivial private action would affect society, however there is a strong case that smoking does. Firstly smokers are likely to have their health affected later in life due to their smoking, which could ultimately lead to seriously health problems or death. It is argued that this would cause financial harm, through funeral costs or being left without a financial provider, and emoti onal harm to the smokers family. It is also argued that smokers harm society as tax payer money is spent on providing NHS treatment or social benefits if the smoker is left unable to work due to his habit.7 It can be argued then that smoking privately is not a self regarding action, is in fact an other regarding action, and thus following J.S Mills harm principle should be banned completely. D.D Raphael states however that this objection is not to the principle of Mills position, but to its unreality, its lack of application.8 In theory there are self regarding actions, but in reality they rarely, if at all, exist. Paternalism counters J.S Mills idea that a self regarding act, presuming they exist, should be allowed. Paternalism, with regard to smoking, would argue that the state ought to be concerned with the moral welfare of the individual agent.9 Paternalism would support the state prohibiting smoking in order to protect the individual, and thus would support an absolute ban on smoking. This is the same principle behind that of controlled drugs, of which the consumption is illegal if done so privately. Mill would obviously reject this principle as it goes against what is set out in the Harm Principle. Mill advocated the freedom of action, even if it is self harming as he believed it was both character forming, and humans are the best judge of their actions.10 Professor H. L. A Hart was a keen supporting of the idea that criminal law is to prevent harm to other people however even Hart accepted that the propriety of some paternalistic legislation e.g on the control of drugs.11 Smoking is as h armful clearly harmful to the user, with 25% of smokers dying from the habit12, then surely it is the states responsibility to prohibit the action. This is certainly the paternalistic viewpoint. Goodin makes an interesting point in The Ethics of Smoking. A supporter of Mills may argue Paternalism prohibition of smoking stops the individual from being free. However, if the smoker is trying to quit then by banning smoking completely, we are simply using coercion to enable people to carry out their own goals.13 Consent is an issue that is commonly found when discussing the banning of smoking, and has been used by both pro and anti ban theorist. It may be argued that non-smokers choose to visit public places where smoking is prevalent such as pubs or clubs. The harm they receive then from second hand smoke has been consented to as they choose to visit said public place. This would seem to conclude that smoking in public is only an other regarding action if it has been consented to, and therefore that smoking should be allowed freely in all public places. However, non-smokers if they sought to visit non-smoking pubs and clubs would have very limited choice. Even more importantly individuals who work in areas where smoking is allowed will suffer even greater health risks due to their constant interaction with second hand smoke. Goodin argued that passive smoking generally occurs as unavoidable consequence of being in proximity to smokers and thus they are involuntarily smoking.14 Therefore, it can be argued, there is actually no consent, so this cannot be used as a defence against ban of smoking in public places. If consent is not an argument for allowing smoking in public places, then it is certainly used when countering a complete smoking ban. Anti-Smoking ban individuals state that they have consented to smoking, and thus to the harm itself. Therefore they did not require any paternalistic state intervention. Dworkin summarises this stating the incurring of harm requires the active co-operation of the victim.15 This supports Mills idea that an individual is the best judge of their own actions, and they want to smoke and know the consequences it is their right to do so. However Goodin makes an interesting contradiction. As tobacco is addictive due to chemicals such as nicotine then the individual only consents to the first cigarette, as they cannot help but smoke after this. Goodin argues if the product is truly addictive, then we have no more reason to respect the persons voluntary choice (however well informed) to abandon his future validation to an addiction than we have for respecting a persons voluntary choice (however well informed) to sell himself to slavery.16 There are more practical objections to a complete ban on smoking however. Barry, amongst others, points out a utilitarian view supporting smoking. If smoking was to be banned, and tobacco was to be made an illegal substance society would see many negative consequences. There would be an increase in crime, both of the users and dealers of tobacco, and a gangster culture would develop around tobacco just as it has with controlled goods. As tobacco would be very expensive to (illegally) purchase, crime rates would increase that way as users may commit crime to fund their expensive habit.17 This can easily be related with the criticism of Mills Harm Theory that smoking is not an other regarding action due to its cost to society. If smoking was to be banned completely the increase in crime because of this would have a larger detrimental cost than would be saved through the decrease in NHS and social spending. The question remains, should smoking be banned? Strictly following the Harm Principle it would seem that smoking should be banned in public, but in private, as then it is only harming the user. However, this is only the case if you agree that smoking in private is a self regarding action. We have seen arguments both for and against classify smoking as a completely other regarding action and if this is the case then in theory smoking should be completely banned. Smoking should also be banned completely if you believe the state should play a paternalistic role in protecting its citizens from the harm of smoking. Consent obviously plays a role in this topic and we have seen how it has been argued that a smoker who consents to the harm should be allowed to continue smoking, although there have even been contradictions to this. Practicality should not forgotten, and a complete ban in smoking raises some serious concerns about the social effect this would have. It seems then that a compromise is needed in order to decide whether smoking should be banned. A ban in public places seems to be best solution to the problem; it protects passive smokers yet eliminates the danger to society that would occur if smoking was completely banned. Of course, some would argue we are still letting individuals harm themselves, however adult humans know the risk of smoking, and on a whole the cost to the individual is less than the possible cost to society. It seems J.S Mills Harm Principle is ideal for addressing the question of a smoking ban, and a ban on public smoking, as seen in the UK and states around the world is the best solution. 1 N. Barry, Modern Political Theory 4th ed. (Basingstoke; Macmillan Press Ltd, 2000) p.211 2 Ibid. p.211 3 D.D. Raphael, Problems of Political Philosophy 2ND ed. (London; Pall Mall Press Ltd, 1990) p.78 4http:/smokefree.nhs.uk/why-go-smokefree/secondhand-smoke/ accessed December 5 2009 5 R. Garner, Introduction to Politics (Oxford; Oxford University Press, 2009) p.100 6 Garner (2009) p101 8 Rapheal (1990) p.66 9 Ibid. p66 10 Barry (2000) p.101 11 Rapheal (1990) p.81 12 R.E Goodin, The Ethics of Smoking, Ethics, Vol.99, No.3, (1989) p.588 13 Goodin (1989) p.586 14 Ibid. p.586 15 Goodin (1989) p.579 16Ibid p.586 17Barry (2001) p.219

Eudora Weltys The Ponder Heart: A Romance Parody :: Eudora Welty The Ponder Heart

Eudora Welty's The Ponder Heart: A Romance Parody Jennifer Lynn Randisi's book, A Tissue of Lies, explores several of Welty's works. Chapter III of this book takes a close look at the Southern Romance in Welty's novel, The Ponder Heart. In her essay Randisi writes that Welty's novel can be seen as an "ironic myth or romance parody" (57). This idea of ironic myth or romance parody comes from Northrop Frye's definition of"myth as an imitation of ritual (e.g. plot)" (57). Randisi continues to say that the events of the story comprise a quest, but one that recounts events leading to isolation rather than reconciliation, revealed through what the reader comes to know and what Edna Earle cannot see (that is, what she has edited from her perceptions). (57) The distance, or isolation, Edna Earle finds at the end of her quest, which is the telling of her and her family's story, is the alienation of her audience. This alienation is more thoroughly explained by examining different elements of Southern Romance. These elementsare, regional myth surrounding the Southern character, geographic legend [historical legend], family myth (here incorporating a preoccupation with identity in relation to name), acceptance of the authority of the narrative voice, repetition of incident, belief in the ability of language to order chaos, and the ultimate need to create a romance. (58) Randisi makes a very well articulated argument that the novel contains elements of a declining Southern Romance through this "romance parody" (57) theory. She brings to light elements of Edna Earle as a "respectable Southerner" (60), and elaborates on the family myth, which also plays its part in the "respectable Southerner" (60) motif. She successfully demonstrates how the appearance of being a wealthy and generous family is important to the Southern Romance tradition. She then goes on to show that for Edna's story to be believable, readers (listeners) first must accept Edna Earle as a voice of authority; and then readers must recognize that by retelling the story, Edna Earle recreates the ideal version of reality. Randisi helps Welty's readers read between the lines. She shows Edna Earle to be a person who will manipulate her language in order to protect the family name. "The narrative is, in fact, a composite family portrait taken over time, but one stylized, or edited, by its Edna Earle is, to paraphrase Emily Dickinson 'telling all the truth but telling it slant'" (77).

The O.J. Simpson Trial Essays -- Simpson Trial Murder Case Essays

The O.J. Simpson Trial On June 12,1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered. Their bodies were discovered outside Nicole Simpson's condominium. Nicole Simpson was the estranged wife of the famous football player and T.V. star O.J. Simpson. The people directly involved with this case are Judge Lance Ito, the prosecution lawyers, Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden, the defense lawyers, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Shapiro and Robert Blasier , the jury and the defendant, O.J. Simpson. The families of the victims have also been present in the courtroom, as well as other spectators and news media. This case has heard one hundred and twenty witnesses over a nine month period. The prosecution's physical evidence includes a bloody glove, bloody socks, hair, and fibres and a trail of blood drops connecting the crime scene and O.J.'s estate. Defence lawyers say this physical evidence means nothing because it was either purposely tainted or contaminated. Kenneth Berris testified that two laundry bags are still missing from Simpson's Chicago hotel room. The bloody clothes and murder weapon have never been found. The prosecution says DNA tests place Simpson's genetic markers on the drops of blood leading away from the bodies. There were also blood samples, similar to Simpson's and the victims, found on O.J.'s Bronco truck. Simpson's blood was also found on his driveway and his foyer. The prosecution says Simpson cut his hand during the murder. The defence says Simpson cut his hand when he reached for his phone in his Bronco and later cut his hand on a glass. The main focus of the defence is the contamination of physical evidence. Roger Martz testified, for the prosecution, that the blood he tested contained no significant amounts of EDTA. He said the blood found at the crime scene didn't come from a test tube with special preservatives used at a crime lab. Defence lawyer Robert Blazier filed papers stating that Roger Martz has a habit and custom of changing F.B.I. reports, removing helpful defense information and has falsely testified in a number of cases. Microbiologist, John Gerdes, testified that he found sloppiness so serious at the LAPD lab that it could have allowed foreign DNA to be introduced into evidence samples. He showed pictures of the lab where test tubes were touching each other which could cause the contamination. Gerdes also... ...s claimed " I did not, could not and would not have committed this crime." My opinion about this case is that O.J. Simpson is guilty. The defence tries to say there was all this conspiracy to frame O.J. but I don't think they proved any of this happened. The defence said Furhman was a racist but this does not prove that Simpson didn't commit the crime. They say the blood samples were contaminated but I don't think every single one was. The prosecution proved he was an abuser and I think something finally snapped inside him and he killed Nicole and Goldman. The gloves the killer wore were the same type O.J. wears. When they say O.J. tried on the gloves and they didn't fit I think he tightened his hand up so the gloves would be hard to put on. The shoeprints at the crime scene were the same style and size he wears. Bloody clothes or a murder weapon have never been found but neither has the missing laundry bags from O.J.'s hotel room. I have to wonder why O.J. lead the police on a big chase if he is so darn innocent. My opinion is that O.J. Simpson would have been found guilty a long time ago if it wasn't for all the publicity surrounding the case and the fact that he's famous.

Bank and Fidelity

In the ever changing banking industry, First Fidelity Bancorp had grown to be one of the largest holding companies of eight financial institutions and over 500 branches. Their growth has been through the acquisitions of other smaller institutions and internal growth generated by strong relationships with customers. This growth has come at a cost and First Fidelity has been left with a complicated mix of systems, operations, and organizational culture. First Fidelity allowed the eight financial institutions to operate totally independent of each other and the corporate office solely managed the integration of the financial reporting responsibilities. The non-integration of systems and operations has also left First Fidelity with higher costs and the need to make changes which will allow them to be competitive in the future. By the early 1990’s First Fidelity had begun to integrate some of the operational functions, but had yet to connect them further. Due to changes in banking regulation, the US government had begun cracking down on new rules on financial reporting, asset quality, and capital requirements for the banks. The government wanted better controls from upper management and the only way First Fidelity could accomplish this was to integrate systems, management, and combine all eight financial institutions into a more consolidated with less autonomous feel. Management made this their highest priority and put a strict deadline of 18 months on this task. This deadline put two major decisions directly ahead of First Fidelity, organizational structure and method of achieving the full integration. In order to evaluate the full impact of their decision on organizational structure changes, First Fidelity looked at the following criteria: †¢ Cost Effectiveness †¢ Responsiveness to Business Needs †¢ Responsiveness to Individual Needs †¢ Ability to Standardize Products and Service Offerings †¢ Ability to Support Outsourcing Options †¢ Ability to Support Acquisitions †¢ Service/Quality Orientation/Incentives While these criteria would decide what organizational structure First Fidelity would have, they also had to decide how the rationalization and consolidation plan should be conducted, internally, through the use of consultants, or through outsourcing. First Fidelity saw outsourcing as the most viable solution to their problem and felt it would best serve the company by achieving the goals in the desired time frame. First Fidelity has recognized several potential outsourcing vendors and determined the advantages and disadvantages of each vendor. Their decision now must be to select the proper vendor who will provide them not only with the services needed to move them through the rationalization and consolidation process, but one which will provide quality services and cost savings to First Fidelity for years to come. Changes to Organizational Elements The major change First Fidelity will be forced to deal with is the change to their organizational structure and hierarchical relationships within the firm. Prior to the rationalization plan, First Fidelity operated as eight separate financial institutions. Decisions were made independent from each other and there was no single person to oversee all operations from the holding company point of view. When Don Parcells was put in charge of all operations, and improvements were needed immediately, he put a plan in place to consolidate functions and make First Fidelity a more cost efficient organization. In order for this to become a success, First Fidelity was going to first have to restructure their separate cultures into a single unified culture. Parcells was planning on consolidating the separate operations and systems which the eight banks used. To make this a success, all parties need to be thinking in the same direction and accepting of the upcoming changes. Parcells task of unifying First Fidelity under these same systems would not be a success if the current management did not understand the reasoning behind the changes and understand the â€Å"big picture† of increased profits and long-term sustainability of First Fidelity. Current management would also be forced to deal with changes in management structure. This will give the First Fidelity corporate office more control over the eight banks and ensure the banks operate in a consolidated manner once the initial changes are implemented. Systems Integration The importance of systems integration goes well beyond the cost efficiencies First Fidelity hopes to experience. The system changes will put one face on the eight financial institutions and will provide them with the ability to accomplish many of the goals mentioned before under the criteria for organizational structure changes. First Fidelity should also take this opportunity to take advantage of the best practices which can be found through their analysis of their own internal operations and systems, external competitors, and the potential third parties they are analyzing for outsourcing opportunities. As the 25th largest bank holding company, First Fidelity has the potential to take advantage of improvements in technology. By decreasing their transaction costs through technology, First Fidelity’s high volume will allow them to take advantage of economies of scale. An integration of systems will also make First Fidelity a much more attractive candidate for merger activity. They will either be able to expand and make new acquisitions integrate more smoothly into the First Fidelity family, or make themselves more attractive as an acquisition target. Outsourcing at First Fidelity First Fidelity is in a very difficult situation. The short time period in which First Fidelity has to turn around its operations and systems does not ffer First Fidelity many options. They are seeking a simple solution to a problem which should have been addressed a decade earlier when they had begun merging the banks under one holding company. When considering the use of outsourcing, businesses should not rush this decision and should analyze what functions and how important these functions are to the business. As a general rule, core functions should not be outsourced to third party vendors. Only non-core functions should be considered, and only when significant cost savings will be made and the vendor offers a long-term, high quality service which will not have a negative impact on the customers of the outsourcing firm. First Fidelity needs to consider whether their systems and operations are part of their non-core functions and will truly add value through cost savings. Long Term Implications of First Fidelity Decision First Fidelity’s decision to outsource will have long term implications on the future of their banking operations. When First Fidelity began investigating the decision to outsource in 1990, one important variable would be the future of banking and which technologies would be the future of bank operations. The upcoming jump in the use of technology in banking will have a major impact on the systems necessary to be successful in banking. This offers even greater risk for outsourcing, since First Fidelity will be giving up much of their control of their technology. The Decision and Future of First Fidelity. First Fidelity did decide to use EDS as the company which will handle their software systems and data center operations. The contract was valued at $450 million over ten years and was considered the largest outsourcing contract for financial institutions at that point in time. In 1996, First Fidelity merged with First Union, in what was then considered one of the largest mergers in the banking industry, and made First Union an imposing force in banking along the east coast of the United States. One of the major factors for the merger was to add additional economies of scale to First Union’s operations and to decrease the high costs of technology which banks were experiencing. First Fidelity’s decision to integrate their systems in 1990 came at an integral point in time for the bank holding company. It provided them with cost savings and made them a strong acquisition target by un-complicating their systems and making their operations more efficient.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essay

   At first, Frankenstein agrees (after being convinced), but then is afraid of what could happen if two creatures like the first one were alive, therefore destroys the creation he has not yet finished. Henry is killed by the creature, in which Frankenstein is blamed, who again falls terribly ill again; there he gets acquitted of his crime. He marries Elizabeth who gets murdered by the creature on her wedding night. Frankenstein dies and therefore the monster commits suicide as his creator has died. The creature is grotesquely described, mainly in chapter five, a main scene in the novel. Words such as â€Å"his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of arteries and muscles beneath† are used, which give the reader horrific images of how this creature must look, Shelly then contrasts the image created with nice images, such as â€Å"teeth of pearly whiteness†, juxtaposition is used here because after the reader is made to believe the creature looked lovely, the view rapidly changes, â€Å"but these luxuriance’s only formed a more horrid contrast with the watery eyes, that seemed almost the same colour as the den white sockets in which they were set†, showing how horrific this creature truly looked. This description is that of an adult, however the creatures mind has been reborn so he must now be pure and innocent, therefore shouldn’t be described in such horrible ways, making us feel sorry for him. The creature is seen as a child, this is because he has never been born or seen the world before, so couldn’t possibly have an adult mind, he did not know how to speak, read or write when born, and had to teach himself this knowledge, as Frankenstein did not help. Frankenstein should of treated the creature as if he was a new baby, and help him, because he had not done anything wrong at this point, until he had abandoned him, so he was lonely and confused. He tried to befriend Frankenstein during the beginning of his life by muttering words to him in a friendly manner, although Frankenstein took this as though he was going to attack him, â€Å"He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"but I escaped and rushed downstairs†. The grin was taken by Frankenstein as an evil grin, signifying that the monster did not like Frankenstein, but in reality, the creature was just trying to be friendly. However, Frankenstein was disgusted with his creation, and decided to leave the apartment, not to return, therefore the creature was abandoned and lonely, also he wouldn’t have known what to do seeing as he could not understand the world, and they could equally not understand his hideous looks, therefore making the reader feel sorry for the monster as he hasn’t done anything, â€Å"I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited†, this also shows he is scared to return. The perception created by Shelley of the monster, is one that he cannot possibly be friendly because of how ugly he is, therefore people shout abuse and refuse to talk to him in a civilized way without mocking him or commenting on how ugly he looks. Other people may be scared of him, so try to run away when he gets close, this will make him feel angry with all the people who judge him by first impressions, without taking the courtesy to get to know him. He could of easily been a good man but society cast him out so he rapidly became the opposite, which makes us feel sorry for him as he cannot help being ugly and never gets a chance to show his nice personality, such as saving children from drowning. He is a victim of Frankenstein’s ambitions and then abandonment, as Frankenstein was very eager, almost too eager, to create him, but after he saw what he had made, quickly despised him, left him alone, with no easy way of living, thus upsetting the creature because he never did anything wrong, just wanted to be loved. Frankenstein should of looked after his creation because it is his responsibility, or should of never even created him if he had thought of the possibilities/consequences that could of happened, creating sympathy for the creature because no one wants him, not even his own father. The creature uses religious imagery when speaking to Frankenstein, such as; â€Å"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel† and he is telling Frankenstein that he has just been born and is inquisitive like Adam and Eve were when venturing into the garden, but now he has fallen because of his abandonment, so perceives himself as a fallen angel. Also, relating to Adam, shows he believes he must have an ‘Eve’, such as a bride. Frankenstein uses questions at their meeting on the glacier, such as â€Å"Do you dare approach me? And do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wretched on your miserable head? † trying to intimidate and draw the creature in, also he uses the word, â€Å"Devil†, to explain how much he hates the creation and thinks he is pure evil, this is also relating to religiousness. Then the creature explains to Frankenstein about how he feels about being alive and looking the way he does, which makes Frankenstein feel quite sorry for him, although the monster had admitted he murdered his family, but only because he wanted to get back at Frankenstein. The creature reasons with Frankenstein and asks him to create a lady creation, â€Å"Still thou canst listen to and grant me thy compassion†, Frankenstein agrees to do this as long as he leaves him alone and does not harm any more people. Frankenstein beings working on his creation on the second creation, but one night he sees the creature and realises what destruction has already took place, which frightens him about the destruction that two creations could do, creating devastating consequences. We then feel sorry for the creature because he has no friends and will carry on being lonely, but our feelings drastically change when the creature threatens to be with him on his wedding night, making the reader feel angry with the creature for creating such havoc in Frankenstein’s life, although in the back of the readers mind, they still feel sorry for the creature because he is forever lonely. We can see the creature as romantic, as he would like a bride, this relates to Frankenstein when he is calm and peaceful in the mountains, acting almost romantic towards the scenery; â€Å"The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day, restored me to some degree of tranquillity; and when I considered what had passed at the cottage†. Frankenstein should of acted like a father to the creature because he created him so should take care of him, show him what’s right and wrong, how to read/write/speak and general life skills. Instead, Frankenstein does none of these and does the opposite, abandoning him, leaving him to fend for himself. He also created the creature out of different body parts from other people’s bodies making him look disproportional and abnormal, as well as looking ridiculous. He had been designing and creating this creation for so long and wanted to create him over such a long period, that when the creature was finally created he truly repulsed it, â€Å"I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into inanimate body. For this I deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that for exceeded moderation†, showing that he desperately longed for a great creation, we then feel sorry for him as he had spent so much time and effort, just for it to turn out in a catastrophic way. He was very careless when creating him, which would obviously cause problems for the creature when setting foot in the public eye; this was not fair on the creature. He also talks about the creature in a grotesque way, making the reader feel afraid of him, and at the same time, sorry for Frankenstein for having to live with the consequences of this disgusting thing, therefore having to either look after him or find a way of getting rid of him. He then becomes afraid about what he has created and the consequences that would arise from doing so, so therefore being seriously mentally ill, as he cannot cope with the fact that he has created something so ridiculous and destructible. The reader feels sorry for him because he has become ill and this isn’t fair. Frankenstein challenges the creature to a fight, â€Å"Be gone or let us try our strength in a fight, in which one must fail†, this is because he is so angry and repulsed with the creature for ruining his life that he wants to settle this finally and this makes the reader believe how upset he is, wanting to clear the creature out of his mind and life. His anger spirals out of control as he vulgarly insults the creature; â€Å"Relieve me from the sight of your detested form†, showing how much he truly dislikes the creature, therefore he must be causing pain to him in some way, mentally or physically. However finally Frankenstein decides to give the creature a chance and reasons with him about creating a lady monster, which is a good deed, making us honour him because he is trying to treat the creature well. Frankenstein then becomes afraid of what two creatures would cause and destroys his creation, at this point, the creature promises Frankenstein he will be with him on his wedding night. On the wedding night, the creature carries out his ultimatum and murders Frankenstein’s wife, which shocks and devastates Frankenstein because he was not expecting him to murder his bride, and rather killed himself instead. This upsets the reader because this would really harm Frankenstein, and was truly an act of pure evil. Also, earlier in the novel, the creature had killed his younger brother and his best friend to get back at him, which truly devastated Frankenstein, also a very horrific type of payback. Frankenstein could be perceived as a hero of modern day science because he went to extraordinary lengths and research to create human life, using science, which no one else before him had ever successfully done. He was also portrayed as a villain for playing with nature and God because people should take life how it is and not try to create more complex designs that God did not want to happen. However I do not believe that Frankenstein was a victim of the time he lived in because he simply shout not have created life without considering the drastic consequences that would happen. I think the perspective of this novel is that Shelley had lost the three of her four children and also her mother, during labour, possibly reflecting as a feeling of abandonment and loss due to death, she can therefore relate to the creature and Frankenstein because his close family and friends were murdered. I have sympathy for the creature more than Frankenstein because he was abandoned when he was first ‘born’, this was unfair because he hadn’t done anything wrong and could not help the way he looked. Frankenstein should not have created him if he had thought properly about what he was doing; he had acted selfish for leaving the monster behind and abandoning him. Also, Frankenstein gets the creature’s hopes up by saying he will create a companion for him, but then destroys his dream, which upsets the monster greatly. He has no friends, family etc. and this is not fair on him. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Marketing Plan New Product Essay

Titles Page No 1) Executive Summary 4 2) Current Marketing Situation 5-6 3) Threats and Opportunities 6-9 4) Objectives and issues 9-13 5) Marketing Strategy 13-19 6) Action Programs 19-21 7) Budgets and Controls 21-23 8) References 24 Executive Summary on Apogee Apogee is a shoe which is completely made from old, unused soccer balls. After using a soccer ball for quite sometimes it becomes unworthy to use. So people throw out the old soccer ball to buy a new one. But what they don’t realize is how harmful this plastic material can be for our environment. To remove this problem and also to make brand new merchandise we are going to produce trendy shoes from these unused soccer balls. These shoes can be worn by the people of all ages. These are also going to be stylish so fashion concerned people can feel attractive in them. Next comes the huge issue of environment safety. There are many products in the market which are very useful but there deathly for our environment. But this shoe is completely made from recycling old soccer balls. So it does no harm to our environment. In fact it works to protect the environment. The third issue is price. People want to wear new and fashionable shoes. But most of them can’t afford such expensive products. As apogee is made from old soccer balls it is really cheap to produce. So we can offer people new and trendy shoes at a minimum price. Reviewing all the features of apogee we can assertively say that this product is going to be popular, environment friendly and last but not the least inexpensive. Current marketing situation We are planning to produce shoes from recycled soccer balls. In the current market people of all classes need shoes. They want more trendy & sturdier shoes. Furthermore people are now more conscious about the environment they live in. So we choose this idea of making shoes from recycled soccer balls keeping in mind the environment as well as the customers both at international and domestic level. Our customers: In today’s modern world there is a craze about sports, particularly about football.Soccer mania is here and everyone seems to be riding high on the popularity wave. Everyone watches football now a days, so what if they could use a product that not only served their purpose but also indicate their love for the game and that’s how we came up with the idea of making shoes from recycled soccer balls. Football is popular around the  globe , specially in Europe and south america. As we are planning for a global launch of our product we will concentrate particularly on these region. The youths of Bangladesh are quite interested about sports and of course football, so we are developing our product keeping in mind their taste and preferences. We are hoping we can go global with our product after we are successful in making it a success in our domestic market. Market segmentation: We are planning to divide our market on the differences of our customers trend,styl e and fashion. We will develop these shoes for both boys and girls. For Boys and girls who are aged from 10 to 15, we will asses their current demand for new shoes and also we will customize them according to their needs. We will use the same strategy for customers aged 16 and above. Thinking internationally, we may think about the international preferences of our global customers. We will also give our customers the alternative to customize their product according to their need and taste. Current market competitors: currently adidas and nike are dominating the sports accessories business by providing state of the art merchandises specially sports shoes. But what we want to do is we want to create an positive image of our product by creating the ultimate soccer shoes that is available and most importantly affordable for the customers. Furthermore we are using recycling material to make this product that will also create a positive image. As they say â€Å" first impression is the last impression† and that’s exactly what we are planning to do. We wan to make a global impact. Opportunity We cannot sustain our consumerist lifestyle without getting inundated by garbage and exhausting the earth’s resources. Solid waste disposal experts engage in an uphill struggle to contain this virtual avalanche of garbage we produce every day. It is apparent that digging a hole, a landfill, is clearly not the answer. Sooner or later, the waste becomes uncontainable and will spill into our farming areas, forests, and water sources. Here we have shown some opportunities of producing shoes from recycling football soccer – Good raw material: As football is an international game and it is produced for international purpose, we are getting almost best quality of product. If we recycle the  soccer and if we produce shoes from this waste material, ultimately we are getting good quality material for producing shoes. Less expensive: Many of we have the tendency to buy pure leather shoes. Sometimes we desire to buy but we step back when there is a question of money. If we use the useless soccer we will be able to reduce the cost of soccer and so ultimately we will reduce the purchasing price also. Save animals life: As we are using football soccer as our raw material which people consider as wastage, we are helping our environment to keep sound. When we are using animal leather, animal lives are in danger. So if we use the soccer we will be able to protect the life and it will be environment friendly. Proper utilization of resources: We are using the proper use of resources which is also good for environment. Environment friendly: Football is made with plastic, synthetic paper, leather and rubber. We know plastic, synthetic paper, plastic are discomposed material. When we get the utility, we throughout the ball in the dustbin that may causes problem to the environment. It may stick in the drain and can create problem in drainage system. Objectives and Issues of APOGEE: Marketing plans are written documents that help us communicate our marketing efforts for the following year. One of the most important parts of the marketing plan is the objectives and issues section, which helps internal employees or external stakeholders understand the marketing goals. 1. To save our Environment Our main objective is to save our environment through recycling. We will prepare shoes by recycling footballs. In recent years, scientists have been carefully examining the ways that people affect the environment. They have found that we are causing air pollution, deforestation, acid rain, and other problems that are dangerous both to the earth and to ourselves. With the help of recycling we can protect our environment to some extent. Recycling is a process using materials (waste) into new products to  prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from land filling) by reducing the need for â€Å"conventional† waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to plastic production. When a football gets old and rusty, it has no use. We often throw it into the dustbin or somewhere else. It is polluting our air and land. With the help o f recycling we can convert these footballs into shoes. We hope it will reduce air and land pollution and thus we can protect our environment. 2. Sell quality shoes with low price: Another objective is to sell quality shoes with low price. People now are very concern about quality and price. They want high quality product with low price. So we will sell high quality products with low price. 3. Increase market share: Another objective is to increase our market share. With the help of marketing strategy we can increase our market share. In this case we have to invest a lot of money in promotion and distribution of the product. We are expecting to increase our market share up to 10% in the next year. 4. To be the number one in the existing market One of the most important objective is to be the number one in the existing market. For these reason we have to implement our market strategies properly which have been discussed later. Issues that can affect our objectives: 1. Environmental issue: Environment means everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the earth. Today environmental issue is very important. There are many organizations who are working to protect the environment. They are creating pressure on the companies. So we will sell environment friendly product. We will not use any synthetic leather or any other chemicals that may cause harm to our environment. 2. Health issue: Today people are very health conscious. They want to know everything about the product. If they feel that  the product they are using are not safe, they will not use the product. APOGEE shoes are really safe because it is a green product. We will not use any chemical product in producing the shoes. 3. Social issue: We have to work in our society. So we have some social responsibilities. We have to think about our society and produce products according to their needs and wants. We should keep a friendly relationship with the people of our community. 4. Child labor issue: Another important issue is child labor issue. According to the labor act policy in 2006 child labor has been banned from all the industries. Showing respect to the law we will not use any child as our labor. 5. High quality with low price issue: People now are very concern about quality and price. They want high quality product with low price. So we will sell high quality products with low price. We will also give some discount to our customers. Marketing Strategy Of Apogee : Introducing a new product to the market can be a challenging task for a business. No matter how much confidence you have in the value of the product or how unique it is, there are still things to consider before unleashing it on the public. The marketing concept of building an organization around the profitable satisfaction of customer needs has helped firms to achieve success in high-growth, moderately competitive markets. However, to be successful in markets in which economic growth has leveled and in which there exist many competitors who follow the marketing concept, a well-developed marketing strategy is required. Such a strategy considers a portfolio of products and takes into account the anticipated moves of competitors in the mark. Customer Driven Marketing Strategies for Apogee : Making strategy decisions need to be customer driven as your end customers are the ones who will be making purchase to our products and services. The topic of Customer Driven Marketing is how to divide up the identified market into meaningful customer groups, choose which customer groups to serve, create market offerings that best serve targeted customers and position the offerings in the minds of customers – referred to market segmentation,  targeting, differentiation and positioning. The reason for having customer driven marketing strategies is companies today cannot appeal to all buyers in the marketplace. Buyers’ behaviors are difficult to predict, too widely scattered and too varied in their needs and buying practices. Companies must design customer driven marketing strategies that build the right relationships with the right customers. Why Customer Driven Marketing for Apogee : In a nutshell, with proper application of a customer driven marketing strategy, the we can focus our efforts on meeting distinct needs of individual market segment & to target segments in which it can profitably generate and sustain customer value. It can then communicate & deliver the chosen position with its resources available for an effective strategic marketing plan. With a customer driven marketing approach, the company has clearer direction to maintain its desired marketing position on targeted market segment(s) through consistent performance & communications. Nonetheless, for larger companies such as Unilever and P&G, they can offer complete range of products to serve all market segments to meet customers’ needs. We must divide up the total market ,choose the best segments and design strategies for profitably serving chosen segments. This process involves market segmentation ,market targeting , differentiation and positioning . Market Segmentation : As we are making shoes from recycled soccer balls and its for everyone ( Boys,girls,Childrens) we can divide our markets into 2 types – 1. Customers Aged 10-15. 2. Customers Aged 16 and above. Market Targeting : Footwear sales have been falling in developed countries and slowing in emerging countries due to lower income levels; and therefore, less spending on apparel and footwear. Consumers are  focusing increasingly on value for money, looking for simple, hard-wearing shoes that last . As children and young people are passionate about stylish shoes we are focusing them as our target market . Positioning : We will make our shoes more attractive than our market competitors . We will sell our shoes at a reasonable price . We will give them longer lasting shoes and will guarantee them for a certain period. We will use our distinctive shoe logo or Brand name so that we can hold our market for a long time. At the beginning we will give advertisements to acknowledge them about our products .We will give discounts for our special customers . Our shoe logo Differentiation : We will serve our customer a different service compared better than our competitors on the following basis : I. We will make our Shoes attractive. II. We will sell our shoes at reasonable price. III. We will give discount to our customers . IV. Will give them guarantee for our products . V. Will take orders from customers to make customized shoes . Marketing Mix : This section outlines how we will make strategies for each marketing mix element of our Apogee shoes and how each responds to the threats , opportunities and critical issues . Product : In order to outdo our competitors we will take specific strategies for our product .The strategies will be – 1. We will make a variety of products on some specific categories such as for boys shoes ,Sandals , Sport shoes for girls we will make clogs ,lace ups, heel shoes etc. 2. We will always promise them  100% best quality for our product . 3. We will follow Fendi ,DIESEL ,Armani , Burberry ,Moschino designs to make our shoes . 4. We will use clear shoe box, ,paper shoe boxes in packaging our shoes . 5. We will make it eco -friendly. paper shoe boxes plastic shoe box clear shoe box – Price : We will always try to give customers good quality shoes at a reasonable price .For this we need to take some sort of incentives , they are – 1. We will give price tag on each of our shoes. 2. We will give 5% discount on our shoes at the starting of our business in order to get consumer attention on our shoes. Place : 1. We will open our branches in home and abroad. 2. We will try to open our branches in U.S.A , Canada , South-Africa .So we will obviously try to make an influence on consumers to buy our product. 3. We will always try to sell the shoes that were produced first. 4. As shoes will be produced in Bangladesh we need to transport them across national boarder and in home .We prefer to transport shoes to abroad by air and in home by our private transport . Promotion : 1. We will advertise our shoes on newspaper, magazines , and on t.v. 2. We will open our own branch in home and abroad . 3. We will show the positive sides of our products such as its durability, comfort ability , up to date with latest designs and customer choices . ACTION PROGRAMES A Marketing Action Plan is a way of putting in place a structured series of activities to get a predictable result. Here are the basic steps: 1. Define the service we want to offer. 2. Define our Target Market for the service. 3. Define additional outcomes 4. Plan the resources required 5. Plan of costing Financial Plan Our financial plan is based on receiving several loans to purchase/fabricate the production equipment, provide initial operating capital, and establish the customer value. We will achieve profitability early in the first year and due to the expected high growth rate, we will realize strong profits on sales by net year. APOGEE shoes are made with recycled soccer ball and produced in fair-trade factories. We also sell only to independent retailers worldwide in order to cycle money back into local economics. Our hope is that people with similar philosophies will be inspired by our experiment in grassroots capitalism and start their own business ventures. This company pretty much focuses on one thing: recycled material. In making shoes, we use 80% recycled material and other things. Our principles underlie on low cost, but effective marketing strategies. Budgeting Apogee develop and make use a effective budget plan that will make sure to achieve expected profit rate. The following is an estimate of the sources of our principal costs: Capital costs †¢ Land fees †¢ cost of special equipment and †¢ Cost of set-out containers. Operating Costs †¢ Labor; †¢ Supplies; †¢ Administrative and Overhead; †¢ Truck Maintenance; †¢ Fuel, Maintenance; †¢ licenses, insurance, registration fees; Cost of Production WE will establish a minimum cost estimate for producing hoe. As we use the useless soccer ball for producing hoe the cost will not be high than using the material. Recycling less energy and generate less pollution than using less material. So here we have low energy cost. Promotion cost Our budget include marketing cost. Because e need to advertise.issue pre release, and make calls to potential customer. We will determine the cost of each marketing element. Labor cost In Bangladesh, the labor cost is not high. Here at first e hire some labors who are expert in this work. We analysis that this cost will not exceed our budget. We will make sure that we can get maximum output from labor. Distribution cost Apogee first launch some testing product and when it reached at higher growth rate then it ill export it product to other country. Controlling Apogee practice a constant marketing control process. First it set specific marketing goal. Then we will measure it performance in the marketplace and then evaluate the cause of any difference between expected and actual performance. Finally it takes corrective action to close the gap between it goal and it performance. This may require changing the action program or even changing the goal. (RESOURCES) Recycling Benefits – A Recycling Revolution www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-benefits.htm Threats on scrap sources accessibility: the loss of access and a new †¦ www.institut.veolia.org/†¦recycling†¦/recycling†¦/recycling-threats.as†¦ Photos – National Geographic Kids kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/

Great Gatsby Criticism Essay

In Marilyn Roberts’ criticism of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby she compares the main character Jay Gatsby to another main character of another novel and movie, Tony Guarino of Scarface. Marilyn Roberts states in her criticism that the writers of Scarface used Jay Gatsby as a model to represent the rise of their own protagonist, Tony Guarino. Scarface is much like The Great Gatsby, a classic rag to riches stories by means of not so legal practices. Affluence, power, and lives of luxuriant ease are what these two men portray. With money and power these men also need high-status women in their lives. For Jay Gatsby the woman he chases after is Daisy Buchannan, the wife of Tom Buchannan. In the world of Tony Guarino the woman in his life is named Poppy. Influence from The Great Gatsby is shown here and throughout the two stories, the name Poppy is a flower like Daisy’s name also is a flower. Poppy and Daisy are also much alike asides from both their names originating from a flower. Both Poppy and Daisy are shallow, self-absorbed, and deceitful. Another comparison brought up is that both women are in their own relationships not with Tony or Jay. Jay Gatsby and Tony Guarino are determined to take these women out of their relationships so that they can be together with them. Tony uses his wealth to try and win over Poppy buying her clothes and even a home, Jay also uses his immense wealth to try and win Daisy over which is not successful. To show their characters immense wealth the writers of both Scarface and The Great Gatsby used shirts as symbols. These shirts are used as symbols to represent the American Dream, limitless freedom, wealth, and ambition. The men also use the shirts to try and win over their love interests. In The Great Gatsby, Jay pulls out his shirts collection to show Daisy, â€Å"They’re such beautiful shirts,† she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. â€Å"It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such–such beautiful shirts before. â€Å"(Fitzgerald). Jay does this to show off his wealth, throwing expensive and high quality shirts onto the floor. The writers of Scarface made their own rendition of the scene. While touring Tony’s house Poppy seems unimpressed but when Tony takes her to his bedroom he pulls out his shirt collection and throws them on the floor, Poppy eases up when shown the shirts. Both men are also considered as gangsters in Roberts’ criticism. Jay runs an illegal alcohol bootlegging ring and Tony runs a drug cartel. Along with Gatsby’s death Tony is also killed for pursuing the woman he thinks he loves and not by a fellow gangster. Tony’s death like Gatsby’s is rooted in jealousy. Jay Gatsby is killed by a jealous husband (Wilson) thfdafa at thought Jay killed his wife (Myrtle).