Grant Proposal - Pressing Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Grant Proposal - Pressing Questions - Essay Example Therefore, reintroducing the manufacture and use of these tools and furniture will elevate the standards of living in the society in different aspects particularly the economic aspects will elevated immensely. Different cultures that define our origins and societal orientations can be defined or identified by the shapes and styles of tools that our forefathers used in the ancient years (Lane, and Matthew 71). The tools and wares that were used in the early years help in defining the kind of preferences and livelihood that were embraced. However, in the contemporary world, the same tools and wares can be made in their old nature and be sold to museums and to different cultures as means of appreciating the ancient cultures that such tools and wares originate. In this sense therefore, if we reintroduce the modelling and carpentry work in the society that will deal with making such art tools and wares, there will be increased employment opportunities especially to those who will be involved in making such items as well persons who will be doing sales on the same. Many people often tend to identify themselves with ancient items; thus, they are usually concerned with period through which certain tools and wares were made and used. It is very easy to determine periods and dates that the wares and tools that were used. According to Hirth, technologies such as carbon dating have allowed archaeologists to determine the periods that these tools were used (Hirth 39). Vessels were mostly used to represent the artistic orientation of a particular community. There functional characteristics did not apply to the views of the community. Therefore, in cases where people may be having these ancient tools and wares or items we shall install carbon dating systems to help in determining the years that the presented artefact was made. The older the artefact the more value it will earn and the more

Environmental Kuznets Curve definition and usage

Environmental Kuznets Curve definition and usage The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is a pragmatically, relationship that is assumed to trace the pollution path followed by countries as their per capita gross domestic product (GDP) grows and describes the relationship between per capita income and indicators of environmental degradation (Unruth and Moomaw, 1998). In the infant stages of development, the levels of some pollutants climb with increases in per capita income, while at advanced levels of development, environmental degradation follows a downward trend as income per capita is moving upwards. These results give rise to a bell shaped curve relating economic growth to environmental degradation, redolent of the relationship hypothesized by Kuznets (1995) between economic and income inequality (Nahman and Antrobus, 2005). The concept of EKC came out in the early 1990s with Grossman and Kruegers (1991) path-breaking study of the potential impacts of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Origins of the EKC The environmental Kuznets curve is a hypothesized relationship between different indicators of environmental degradation and income per capita. At first stages of economic growth degradation and pollution increase, but further than some level of income per capita, the movement reverses, so that at high-income levels economic growth leads to environmental improvement. This means that the impact of environmental indicator is an inverted U-shaped function of income per capita (David, 2003) In other words, the distribution of income becomes more asymmetrical in early stage of income growth and then the distribution moves towards greater equality as economic growth continues (Kuznets, 1955). This liaison between income per capita and income inequality can be represented by a bell-shaped curve. This is viewed as an empirical phenomenon known as the Kuznets Curve (Dinda, 2004). The link between per capita income and income inequality is shown on Figure 1(refer to appendix) Criticism and drawbacks of the Kuznets Curve The Kuznets Curve has helped in studying the relationship between environmental pollutants and GDP of countries but it does have drawbacks too. Even Kuznet (1955) himself indicated that the Kuznets Curve Theory is not a perfect one and the relationship between income inequality and economic development cannot be assumed. He also declared that lot information in the paper has been speculated and thus further research work must be carried out. The reason behind the development of the Environmental Kuznets Curve Since the last decades, the increasing threat of global warming and climate change has been of major continuing concern. Organisations such as the United Nations have been trying to diminish the unfavourable impacts of global warming through intergovernmental and binding accords. After immense negotiations, the agreement namely the Kyoto protocol was signed in 1997. This protocol has the objective of reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) that cause climate change. The Kyoto protocol recognises limitations to environmental pollutants and necessitates a timetable for realisation of the emission reductions for the developed countries. During 2008 2012 periods the demands reduction of the GHG emissions to 5.2 % lower than the 1990 level. In 2005 it came into force: 178 states have signed and approved the protocol since April 2008 (Halicoglu, 2008). Greenhouse gas emissions particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, are considered to be the core causes of global warming. Consequently, to pre vent global warming a number of countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol and agreed to diminish their emission levels. Galeotti and Lanza (1999) indicated that some developing states refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol based on the argument that the industrialisation and development process should be subject to no constraints, particularly for energy production and consumption. One probable foundation for this position is the belief that while pollution increases with growth in GDP, it happens a point where pollution goes down. This view calls for a careful analysis of the relationship between economic growth and pollution. This relationship is obviously very complex as it depends on numerous different factors such as: The countrys size, The sectoral structure, including the composition of the demand for energy, The vintage of the technology, The demand for environmental quality, The level and quality of environmental protection expenditures. Shafik (1994) reports that the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality has been a source of great disagreement for a lengthy period of time. On one side it has been observed that greater economic activity unavoidably leads to environmental degradation and finally to possible economic and ecological collapse. At the other side is the view that those environmental nuisances worth solving will be tackled more or less automatically as a consequence of economic growth. Previous to 1970, there was a conviction that the raw materials consumptions, energy and natural resources were growing at the same pace as economy grows. In the early 1970s, the Club of Romes Limits of Growth view (Meadows et al., 1972) was brazen about the concern for the accessibility of natural resource of the Earth. They argued that the finiteness of ecological resources would prevent economic growth and advocated for a solid state economy with zero growth to avoid striking ecological circumstances in the future. This view has been criticised on both hypothetical and empirical grounds. Experimental works shows that the ratio of consumption of some metals to income was falling in developed countries during the 1970s, which brings divergence with the predictions set out in the Limits to Growth view (Maleness, 1978). Natural environment not only provide natural resources important for economic development but also execute the vital function of supporting life, if man persist to exp loit environment recklessly, then it would not be able to sustain life any longer. Environmental Kuznets Curve definition and graphical illustration The EKC follows the name of Nobel Laureate Simon Kuznets who had remarkably hypothesized an inverted U income-inequality relationship (Kuznets, 1955). In the 1990s economists detected this relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. Since then this relationship is known as Environmental Kuznets Curve. According to the EKC theory as a country develops, the pollution increases, but after reaching a specific level of economic progress (Y*) pollution begin to decrease as in figure 2. The EKC hypothesis suggests that environmental degradation is something unavoidable at the first stage of economic growth, so a developing country is forced to tolerate this degradation in order to develop. The x-axis symbolize the economic growth which is measured by GDP per capita and the y-axis represents the environmental degradation which is measured by many different pollution indicators such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, deforestation etc. The shapes of the Environmental Kuznets Curves. The relation between income and environmental pressure can be sketched in a several ways; firstly one can distinguish monotonic and non-monotonic curves. Monotonic curves may show either mounting pollution with rising incomes, as in the case of municipal waste per capita or decreasing. But, non-monotonic patterns may be more probable in other cases and two types have been recommended, namely inverted-U and N-shaped curves. The pattern discovered in experiential research depend on the types of pollutants scrutinised and the models that have been used for inference. Four speculative opinions are presented in favour of an inverted-U curve for (local) air pollutants, which can be listed as: Positive income elasticitys for environmental quality, Structural changes in production and consumption, Rising information on environmental consequences of economic activities as income rises and More international trade and more open political systems with increasing levels of income (Selden and Song 1994). Others, for example Pezzey (1989) and Opschoor (1990), have argued that such inverted-U relationships may not hold in the long run. They anticipated a so-called N-shaped curve which demonstrates the same pattern as the inverted-U curve initially, but beyond a certain income level the relationship between environmental pressure and income is positive again. Delinking is thus considered a temporary phenomenon. Opschoor (1990), for example, argues that once technological efficiency enhancements in resource use or abatement opportunities have been exhausted or have become too expensive, further income growth will result in net environmental degradation. Despite these considerations empirical evidence so far has been largely in favour of the inverted-U instead of the N shaped relationship (de Bruyn et al., 1998). The shortcomings of EKC analysis A number of critical studies of the EKC literature have been published (e.g. Ansuategi et al., 1998; Arrow et al., 1995; Ekins, 1997; Pearson, 1994; Stern et al., 1996; Stern, 1998). Theoretical critique This section discusses the criticisms that were raised against the EKC on theoretical (rather than methodological) grounds. One of the main criticisms of the EKC models is the assumption that environment and growth are not interrelated. In simple words the EKC hypothesis assumes no feedback between income and the pollution of environment. Fare et al., (2001) refer that due to the non-availability of actual data on environmental quality is the major restriction of all EKC studies. Environmental quality is something that is not measured accurately. Therefore, a guide of environmental quality, which could be a better measurement, should be developed and used to examine the EKC hypothesis. According to Ekins (2000), consideration in assessing the strength of the estimation is the reliability of the data used. However, there is little sign that the data problems are serious enough to shed doubt on the basic environment-income link for any particular environmental indicator, but the results in fact imply that this might be the case. Stern (2004) draws his attention to the mean median problem. He underlines that early EKC studies showed that a number of indicators: 2 SO emissions, x NO, and deforestation, peak at income levels around the current world mean per capita income. A hasty glimpse at the available econometric estimates might have lead one to believe that, given likely future levels of mean income per capita, environmental degradation should turn down from the present onward. Income is not yet, normally distributed but very skewed, with much larger numbers of people below mean income per capita than above it. Hence, this shows a median rather than mean income that is the relevant variable. Another problem related with the EKC studies is the little attention that has been paid to the statistical properties of time series. Very few studies in the past investigated the presence of unit root in time series of variables used to investigate the validity of the EKC. 2) Econometric critique Stern (2004) in a survey argues that the econometric criticisms of the EKC fall into four main categories: heteroscedasticity, simultaneity, omitted variables bias, and cointegration issues. Perman and Stern (2003) investigate the data and models for unit roots and cointegration respectively. Panel unit root tests designate that all three series log sulfur emissions per capita, log GDP capita, and its square have stochastic trends. Results for cointegration are less definite. About half the individual country EKC regressions cointegrate but many of these have limitations with incorrect signs. Some panel cointegration tests point out cointegration in all countries and some accept the non-cointegration hypothesis. However, even when cointegration is found, the form of the EKC relationship varies radically across countries with many countries having U-shaped EKCs. In case there is a common cointegrating vector in all countries it will be strongly rejected. Coondoo and Dinda (2002) carried out an analysis for Granger Causality between CO2 emissions and income in various individual countries and regions. In general model that emerges is that causality runs from income to emissions or that there is no significant relationship in developing countries, while in developed countries causality runs from emissions to income. Still, in every case the relationship is positive so that there is no EKC type effect. Data and Time Series Properties To study the relationship between the GDP of Mauritius and the C02 emission in Mauritius the annual data that are being used are; total C02 emission from 1976 to 2008, the real GDP from 1976 to 2008, and the population of Mauritius from 1976 to 2008. From these sets of data it can be clearly seen that while population and C02 emission has been increasing, during these years the real GDP has been fluctuating a bit. In mid 1970s after the independence there has been a lot of development and transformation in our country. Our economy was diversified and more jobs were created. Furthermore we received more foreign aid. By the late 1970s our economy deteriorated a bit mainly due to the increase in petroleum price in the world market and this lead to less government subsidies and devaluation of our Mauritian Rupees. Then by late 1980s the economy experience steady growth and also a high level of employment, declining inflation and more domestic savings. This period was also marked by the boom in the sugar industry. Though the development slowed down in the 1990s there was a gradual development of the local financial institutions and at the same time our domestic information telecommunication industry boomed. By the start of the 21st ce ntury there our financial services sector became a very important pillar of the economy with an increasing number of offshore enterprises. Finally our economy developed a lot due to the seafood processing and export during the last 10 years.

Cruel World :: essays research papers

Cruel World During the twentieth century, many Haitians lived a life full of poverty and terror; do to the many wars and epidemics that were established in the country. Throughout her novel Krik? Krak!, Edwidge Danticat depicts the violence, brutality and cruelty her people suffered during that time. In her first two stories, we get a glimpse of the horror in which the Haitian culture had to endure. Whether it was a group of protesting students getting gunned down, a young women being gang raped, or an innocent women being sentenced to life in prison because she was believed to be a witch, the terror and horror seemed endless. How could a human being treat another in such a manner? How could a Haitian treat another Haitian with so much cruelty and have that kind of malice for his own people? Danticat shows us the pain of her people through her words and demonstrates their healing power through her various short stories. In her first short story, "Children of the Sea" we are introduced to two young adults who are in love with one another but who are separated because of the terror which existed in their Haitian society. Because they feared for their lives, they had to part in hopes that they would stay alive to see each other once again. The society in which they lived was became incredibly violent due to the Haitian army trying to rid the country of anyone who was against the government or who they thought was a traitor. The army or macoutes, as they were referred to, were cruel and ruthless. One of the young narrators in the story wrote in her journal "a group of students got shot in front of fort dimanche prison today†¦. our neighbor madan roger came home with her son's head†¦. the macoutes by the house were laughing at her. they asked her if it was her dinner" (p.7). The mascoutes mocked and laughed at helpless women carrying around the head of her dead son, who they had previously shot. They shot him because he didn't agree with the government and its policies. But the mascoutes did not stop at just taunting Madan Roger, they also severely beat her. "the soldiers came looking for her son. madan roger was screaming, you killed him already †¦. he hated you like I hate you criminals. you killed him.

James Wright’s A Blessing Essay

â€Å"A Blessing† by James Wright Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota, Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass. And the eyes of those two Indian ponies Darken with kindness. They have come gladly out of the willows To welcome my friend and me. We step over the barbed wire into the pasture Where they have been grazing all day, alone. They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness That we have come. They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other. There is no loneliness like theirs. At home once more, They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness. I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms, For she has walked over to me And nuzzled my left hand. She is black and white, Her mane falls wild on her forehead, And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear That is delicate as the skin over a girl’s wrist. Suddenly I realize That if I stepped out of my body I would break Into blossom. James Wright composes â€Å"A Blessing,† by introducing a narrator who recalls a memory about an experience he had with a friend on a trip around Rochester, Minnesota. On this trip, the narrator and his friend encounter two Indian ponies, one of which appears to make a pronounced impact on the narrator. Rather than describe what the scenery may look like or how his friend is feeling about the trip, the narrator instantly speaks of the ponies and continues to speak of them for the remainder of the poem. However, â€Å"A  Blessing† leaves many questions to be asked. Why does James Wright decide to only sex one of the two ponies his narrator encounters? Why does he fluctuate between the physical and the mental, which divides the themes in his poem? What does Wright try to accomplish by packing â€Å"A Blessing† with alliteration, assonance, and consonance? Is there any identity to be found within his carefully placed lines and what does the reader take away from t he varying tenses throughout Wright’s poem? Wright fills several lines of â€Å"A Blessing† with assonance to create varieties of structure for his poem. Wright believes that the moment between his narrator and the ponies is precious and delicate. Therefore, he used one stanza to craft his poem because he does not want to interrupt their meeting. If the poem would have been constructed into varying stanzas, the poem would be broken rather than one conscious thought or action. By keeping the poem as one stanza the narrator’s interaction with the ponies is untouched. It is kept whole and beautiful. The structure of the poem is a direct comparison to the spiritual relationship between the narrator and the ponies. Wright begins with this delicate theme with the soft â€Å"o† sound in â€Å"softly† and â€Å"ponies† in lines two and three. The soft sound connects softly and ponies and by doing so sets the scene for the reader that the kindness the ponies display to the narrator and his friend is the beginning of the impact they make on the narrator. Wright provides textual evidence of this compassion by telling the readers, â€Å"And the eyes of the two Indian ponies / Darken with kindness† (3-4). Wright continues with alliteration in lines five through eight with the â€Å"w† at the beginning of â€Å"willow,† â€Å"welcome,† â€Å"we,† â€Å"wire,† and â€Å"where.† When spoken aloud, the repetition of the â€Å"w† sounds like the snorting a horse makes, which can be displayed as a greeting towards the narrator and his friend. The alliteration continues in lines nine through twelve with repetition of the â€Å"th† sound in â€Å"they,† â€Å"that,† â€Å"there,† and â€Å"theirs.† The â€Å"th† sounds like the thumping on the ground of the pony’s hooves while they move towards the narrator. The movement of the ponies is a sign of openness and welcome. Nearing the end of the poem, Wright comes back to the â€Å"o† sound again in â€Å"forehead,† long,† and â€Å"over.† This sound softens the moment between the female pony and the narrator. This distinction helps the reader comprehend the intimacy the narrator feels with the female pony. The soft â€Å"o† sound also imitates the sound of someone sighing; an action that often  displays an emotion of tenderness or care. In the same lines, Wright uses both alliteration and consonance with the repetition of the â€Å"f† and â€Å"l† sounds, â€Å"falls,† â€Å"forehead,† â€Å"light,† â€Å"long,† and â€Å"delicate.† The alliteration and consonance reflect the gentleness that was created by the â€Å"o† sound. Wright uses alliteration one last time in his concluding lines with the use of â€Å"b† in â€Å"body,† â€Å"break,† and â€Å"blossom.† The â€Å"b† used in Wright’s concluding two lines, â€Å"That if I stepped out of my body I would break / Into blossom.† (23-24). â€Å"B† as a sound is explosive when it comes out of a speaker’s mouth. This movement of the mouth parallels the narrator’s explosion of excitement and realization of his discovery. Throughout the poem, the narrator expresses his enthusiasm towards this meeting with the ponies. It was important to Wright to end of the poem on this explosive note so that it parallels the narrator’s excitement in the beginning. The alliteration, consonance, and assonance create an emotional arc through â€Å"A Blessing.† Each of the sounds created throughout the poem help the reader better comprehend the emotions the narrator is feeling during that given time. â€Å"A Blessing† begins in the present tense. By using the present tense, the reader can imagine the actions in the poem as the narrator does them. In different tenses, certain words carry different connotations. The present tense makes the reader feel as though they are watching the eyes of the ponies darken or as if they are stepping over the barbed wire with the narrator and his friend. By describing the beginning of the poem in present tense, the narrator seems more reliable to the reader. The emotions and actions appear real because they are being done as the audience reads them. The present tense creates a sense of intimacy between the narrator and the reader because they are in tune to the actions he is performing or the effects he is seeing. In line sixteen, Wright changes the tense from present to past. Up until that point, the poem is written in the present tense as Wright describes for his audience what actions the narrator takes as he approaches the horses. In line sixteen, rather than describing the moment as it is happening, Wright chose to say that the pony walked over to him, in the past tense: â€Å"For she walked over to me† (16). The tense change is abrupt and grabs the reader’s attention. The reader’s attention is drawn deeper into the relationship between the narrator and the ponies. The narrator also seems less reliable for he is recounting the ideas rather than  speaking of them as they are happening. The reliability also plays in effect towards to relationship between the narrator and the ponies. The past tense and the reliability make the last half of the poem light and flighty. This flighty atmosphere relates to the otherworldly connection between the narrator and the ponies. Line sixteen not only begins the tense change but it is also the climax of the poem. Wright and his friend had been waiting the entire poem to make contact with the Indian ponies. Wright displayed their eagerness throughout the first fifteen lines of â€Å"A Blessing† by building the anticipation within his narrator and the audience. Wright wants his readers to realize how critical the moment shared between the female pony and his narrator is. â€Å"A Blessing† is composed of two divisions, the physical and the mental. The beginning ten lines describe physical actions performed or things physically seen by the narrator. Wright’s narrator mentions that, â€Å"And the eyes of those two Indian ponies / Darken with kindness† (3-4). These two lines describe something seen by the narrator. By describing what Wright’s narrator is seeing as he draws closer to the ponies allows the reader to understand and visualize for themselves what is being felt by the ponies and how their physical appearance and demeanor changes. To the ponies, the narrator and his friend are strangers. For most animals it is instinctive when strangers enter thei r territory they become territorial and act in aggression towards the unknown. For the ponies to not act in their natural instincts towards the narrator and his friend shows compassion. This compassion hints at an unseen bond between the four characters. â€Å"We step over the barbed wire into the pasture / Where they have been grazing all day, alone† (7-8). Wright uses lines seven and eight for the narrator and his companion to take physical action, where they cross the boundary between themselves and the Indian ponies. The narrator watches a physical action taken by the ponies as their eyes darken and they became more excited as the narrator and his companion draw nearer. When a person or animal feels excited, their eyes naturally widen, allowing more light into their eyes causing their pupils to widen and their eyes to appear darker. Directly preceding line four, Wright’s narrator says, â€Å"They have come gladly out of the willows / To welcome my friend and me† (5-6). The eyes of the ponies show this natural attraction which is then directly followed by them coming to greet the narrator. The ponies are naturally attracted to the  narrator and his friend. In lines eleven and twelve, Wright begins his first emotional division. Line eleven shows a physical action taken by the ponies, â€Å"They bow shyly as wet swansâ €  (11). However, Wright follows that sentence immediately, in the same line, with an emotional one, â€Å"They love each other† (11). Line eleven is the only line where Wright formatted two sentences on one line. This is a development to draw attention to the importance of the ponies’ actions. Love is an emotion and therefore is not something that can physically be seen. However, actions between two participants are used to display affection, which is often interpreted as love. Wright also describes the loneliness of the horses, another emotion that cannot be physically seen but is often portrayed by the one who is feeling lonely. â€Å"There is no loneliness like theirs† (12). The horses bowing their heads can be seen as a sign of loneliness because by bowing their heads they are hiding their faces, which shield their emotions. If the ponies were happy, they would have no need to protect their delicate emotions. To be in love but to be lonely are not two emotions one would typically place together. Love is an emotion that is shared between two companions. If two people are present, one would assume t hat there should be no sense of loneliness because two people are together. However, Wright puts these together successfully which draws the reader to become invested in the emotional state of the ponies and it shows that the narrator himself is invested in the ponies. From lines fourteen to twenty, Wright begins to drift back into the physical division by describing the female pony, her actions towards the narrator, and his actions against her. The horse nuzzles the narrator’s left hand and a light breeze moves him to pet her. â€Å"For she had walked over to me / And nuzzled my left hand† (16-17) and â€Å"And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear† (20). Each of these actions shows emotion, presumably love or lust, which Wright described in earlier lines. By creating actions that exude an emotion Wright ties action and emotion together as if they are one entity. The relationship that Wright shows between the narrator and the ponies is spiritual in that humans cannot physically have relationships with animals. However, the na rrator continues to emphasize the emotional draw he has towards these beautiful creatures. The narrator is becoming all the more entangled in this special encounter with the ponies. In the concluding sentence which consisted of lines  twenty-two, twenty-three and twenty-four, Wright comes full circle and ends with a mental or emotional division. He leaves the narrator thinking to himself that if he was able to step out of his body that he would blossom. Wright uses blossom as a term of development for his narrator that his experience with the ponies has so greatly affected him that he feels he has now grown and grown so much so that he can have an out of body experience. â€Å"Suddenly I realize / That if I step out of my body I would break / Into blossom† (22-24). Blossoming can also be used to describe the freedom the ponies have of being outside free to roam their pasture and belong in nature. By nature, ponies are wild animals, free of any responsibilities. The nature of the ponies and the nature of the narrator are direct contrasts to each other. The ponies are unrestricted and the narrator is looking for this freedom which is why he is so fascinated by them. Wright’s use of emotional and physical divisions throughout his poem illustrates the narrator’s inner turmoil between what he wants and what h e physically has. The narrator wants to be free to roam around, like the ponies, but rather he is human and therefore possesses daily responsibilities. He is straining to find what he is looking for and finds beauty in the freedom that the ponies are allowed. Wright uses the divisions to alter the attention of the reader and divide his one stanza poem. â€Å"A Blessing† has an understated identity, one in which the speaker is hoping for a chance to join the ponies in another life. Wright mentions on several occasions breaking or crossing a barrier. He begins in his first line, â€Å"Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,† (1) where the narrator is bridging the gap between manmade â€Å"the highway† and nature â€Å"just off.† He then continues to â€Å"We step over the barbed wire into the pasture.† (7). In this line, the narrator and his companion are physically stepping over the barrier between themselves and the ponies. Nearing the end of the poem, Wright breaks the physical barrier between the narrator and the ponies when one of them touches his left hand, â€Å"And nuzzled my left hand† (17). Each of these barrier crossings can be viewed as passages to an afterlife. Each of these barriers must be crossed in order for him to be effectively revitalized. Wright mentions reawakening in the last two lines of his poem. â€Å"That if I stepped out of my body I would break / Into blossom† (23-24). The narrator mentioned earlier in the poem that the ponies were of Indian descent. It is common belief in many Indian  or Native American tribes that rebirth or reawakening is a part of their religious philosophies. This reawakening contributes to the narrator’s relationship with the ponies. The relationship shared between the narrator and the ponies is spiritual and in the last two lines the narrator expresses his need of wanting to be as close with them as possible. Therefore, he desires to step across these borders and join the ponies so that they can be together. Wright’s narrator is searching for himself in the ponies and within the nature around them. He hopes that these events will transcend into a rejuvenating experience. He also gives only one of the ponies an identity. He describes one of them as female and personifies her with human characteristics. In line fifteen he describes her as â€Å"the slender one† and in line eighteen he calls to her coloring â€Å"black and white.† In lines nineteen and twenty-one he talks about the way her hair falls and how delicate her skin is. By giving the pony human characteristics, the reader can see that this pony was possibly someone the narrator had known in another life. The ponies cannot greet the narrator as the narrator would greet a fellow human. To bridge the gap between animal and human, the narrator personifies the ponies. James Wright composed a poem of enlightenment and curiosity. Wright draws his readers in by creating vivid images. He developed a new way to entertain the idea of love. The relationship between the narrator and the ponies is one of endearment which is commonly seen between two humans rather than an animal and a human. Th e spiritual relationship held between the narrator and the ponies, especially the female pony, is the basis of everything the narrator does and describes before and after the encounter. Wright has created new interpretive descriptions of crossing into another lifetime. He developed a life where animals and humans can walk as one and where humans can walk as freely as animals. He also incorporated the common human need for rejuvenation and created â€Å"A Blessing† as a new way to fulfill that human need. James Wright developed a poem that touched on several topics, bringing them all together to create a coherent and fulfilling new life.

Glenmark Pharma Private Limited

Glenmark Pharma Private Limited Case Study Introduction * The company is headquartered in Baroda. * Mr. Ranjit Deshmukh holds the position of the Vice President. * Plants set up in Tamilnadu, Hyderabad and Gurgaon. * Markets bulk and cancer drugs and formulations. * Strong sales force of 700 people, supervised by 85 sales managers. * Salespeople have to compete with multiple competitors in different markets. * Competitors are from local manufacturers to large multinationals. Factors affecting sales effort * Sales effort is largely affected by the personal attitude of sales force towards the organization, job and the profession. In pharma sector, success largely depends on the growth in market share. * A negative attitude is more detrimental to the organization rather than to the individual. * Moreover it leads to low morale- this creates more problems to the organizations and also to the sales managers.Results of low motivation level * Such salespeople are mere order takers. * They d o not think creatively to increase sales. * They have a tendency to blame the marketing programme for poor sales. * They will never accept the lack of effort on their part. * They talk against the company. * They hardly give confidence to customers on the company’s products. Become argumentative with supervisors. * Also start giving credit to the competitor’s firm for their own sales failure. * Highlight the products of the competitor as being far better than that of their firm. * Complain that the salary paid to them is low. * Sales expenses are lower than other companies and it is restricting them from their goal achievement. * Some of them even quit the company and join other firms in the same sector.Problem Identification * Sales policy was altered considerably by the time product reaches to the customer level. * Sales people were not able to give their best to the company. People felt that there is something rotten happening in the field. * There was something tha t was grossly wrong with the sales staff. Means to identify the problems * Conducting a formal study to identify the problems of the sales staff. * They agreed upon hiring an independent consultant who can really talk to the salespeople to identify the problem. * They prepared a questionnaire containing 115 items covering 26 attitude areas. * Respondents had to give their opinion on a five point agreement scale. To make any remedial plan it is very essential to know what went wrong. 1.Issues related to security- I. Not a satisfactory compensation package. II. Fear from competitors. III. Inferiority Complex. IV. Below average attitude towards the company. 2. Issues related to achievement- I. No recognition or rewards for path breaking ideas II. No response on suggestions 3. Issues related to approval- I. Low status of job II. No rewards or recognition from higher management. III. 4. Issues related to advancement- I. No plan for growth or advancement from company’s side. II. In sufficient salary structure- lower than industry average. 5. Issues related to leadership- I.Dissatisfactory leadership. II. Failure of middle management to lead the salespeople and to give creative ideas. III. Higher management doesn’t want to listen to the problems of salespeople. IV. No cross functional co-ordination in the organization. 6. Issues related to Human Behaviour- I. Very high dissatisfaction among employees. II. Less coordial relationship with finance and account departments as the problems related to advances & expenses are knowingly created by these departments. REMEDIAL ACTION- 1. A compensation package directly related to the performance should be developed. 2.The training should be given regarding superiority of the products over competitor’s products 3. The Need Hierarchy Theory should be followed by sales supervisors where they access the need of every salesperson and motivators can be provided by deciding at what level of need hierarchy the s alesperson lies. 4. Sales managers should follow a role of motivator. 5. Middle management and top management should act as faciliatator for growth and self fulfillment. 6. A clear carrier path should be developed. 7. Proper communication of growth prospectives should be mentioned. 8. Appreciation of sales force on achievement of sales targets. . Proper training has to be imparted from time to time. 10. Disputes related to advance & expenses should be solved as quickly as possible. 11. There should be more inter-departmental coordination. LONG TERM MOTIVATIONAL PLAN FOR THE ORGANIZATION- SECURITY RELATED ISSUES:- 1. A compensation package directly related to the performance should be developed 2. The training should be given regarding superiority of the products over competitor’s products 3. An induction of new joinees should be conducted explaining the culture of the organization. ACHIEVMENT RELATED ISSUES:- 1.Non financial motivators should be used more. 2. The Need Hie rarchy Theory should be followed by sales supervisors where they access the need of every salesperson and motivators can be provided by deciding at what level of need hierarchy the salesperson lies. 3. Appreciation of sales force on achievement of sales targets should be done. APPROVAL RELATED ISSUE:- 1. Sales managers should follow a role of motivator. 2. The middle management should take a keen interest in providing approval of good work. 3. A strong communication policy oriented towards employees should be followed. LOYALTY RELATED ISSUE:- 1.A strong organisational culture backed by equity an opportunity for all should be followed. 2. Middle management and top management should act as faciliatator for growth and self fulfilment. 3. Aim at binding employees with organization ADVANCEMENT RELATED ISSUE:- 1. A clear carrier path should be developed. 2. Proper career anchors should be developed. 3. Proper communication of growth prospectives should be mentioned. LEADERSHIP RELATED ISS UE:- 1. Top management should emerge as role model to employees. 2. A conducive culture has to be followed where each employee is free to say what he feels & have a trust on leadership. . A right path should be shown to employees to have a pride on their leadership & their company. HUMAN BEHAVIOUR RELATED ISSUES:- 1. Employees should be treated as resource to the company rather than just a revenue generation tool. 2. Proper training has to be imparted from time to time. 3. Problems regarding sales pitching & sales presentation should be heard & resolve by experts. 4. Disputes related to advance & expenses should be solved as quickly as possible. 5. There should be more inter-departmental coordination.

Rubella Virus Essays - RTT, Rubella, Pediatrics, Vaccines

Rubella Virus Essays - RTT, Rubella, Pediatrics, Vaccines Rubella Virus (German Measles) Biology 201A Anatomy & Physiology I Professor Debra Dutton August 1, 2012 Introduction Rubella infections in the United States are reported in people who are all mostly foreign-born or unimmunized. These reported rubella cases are right now at a record low levels; however, outbreaks and cases have struck, mainly between the unvaccinated foreign-born adults. This is the one of the reasons why Filipinos traveling abroad and or back to their native homeland of the Philippines should use precaution by getting vaccinated with the rubella vaccine prior to traveling to the Philippines. The Philippines is still a rising and evolving country that lacks a basic healthcare access in most of the rural areas, which also generally lacks a rubella vaccination program. History The Rubella virus is the causative agent of the disease rubella. The earliest possible description of rubella dates back to when the clinical manifestations of the disease were described by two German physicians, de Bergan in 1752 and Orlow in 1758. During that period of time, the disease was considered to be an outgrowth of measles. They were also known as German measles. German physician George de Maton, documented the disease as distinct from measles in 1814. Henry Veale, a British Army surgeon later renamed rubella (from the Latin word red) after the distinct red, rash-like symptoms. In 1881, rubella was formally recognized as a distinct individual entity. Etiology Rubella Virus is the only member of the genus Rubivirus and is from the family Togaviridae. The typically only known hosts of this virus are humans. The virus is covered by a lipid membrane and has a positive-stranded single RNA genome. Chemical agents, low pH, heat, and cold readily inactivate the Rubella virus. Cell-mediated immunity develops 2 to 4 weeks after infection and hemagglutination inhibition. Neutralizing antibodies directed against the virus peak at approximately 4 weeks. After infection to rubella, immunity usually persists for life. Transmission Rubella is transmitted from human to human only by direct or droplet contact with infected body fluids. Most commonly are nasopharyngeal secretions. Patients cam shed infectious virus from 7 to 30 days after infection (from 1 week before to 2 weeks after the beginning of the rash). The average incubation period for the virus is about 14 days (ranges from 2 to 23 days). During this period, the virus replicates in the nasopharynx and local lymph nodes and then spreads hematogenously throughout the entire body. Most women who contract rubella during the first trimester of pregnancy, have a greater risk of passing the virus on to their baby congenitally. Babies who obtain the rubella virus congenitally are at risk for Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) and may result in serious birth defects. Diagnosis The most common method of confirming the diagnosis of rubella is through a serological titer. Acute rubella infection can be serologically confirmed by a significant rise in rubella antibody titer in acute and convalescent serum specimens or by the presence of serum rubella IgM. Rubella virus can be isolated from throat, nasal, urine, blood and cerebrospinal fluid specimens from rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome cases. Symptoms Children and adults with the rubella infection may begin with 1-2 days with a low-grade fever (1010 or lower), swollen glands behind the ears or in the neck, and can possibly have upper respiratory infection before they start developing a rash. The red rash usually starts at the face and works its way progressing towards the extremities. Children with rubella usually exhibit just the red rash starting at the face progressing down the body. Adult women with the red rash exhibit stiffness and pain in the wrist, knee joints and finger, which usually lasts a month. Other symptoms in adults include: headache, tiredness, pinkeye, and muscle and body aches. Symptoms of rubella may not be present at all, even if infected with the rubella virus. A pregnant woman who develops rubella, but has no rubella symptoms, may still pose a threat for her baby developing serious Congenital Rubella Syndrome symptoms. The Consequences of rubella infection include: Stillbirths, abortions, and miscarriages. Problems that can occur because of CRS include: cataracts, deafness, mental retardation, pneumonia, heart defects, and spleen and liver damage. Treatment Treatment of rubella generally consists of fluids, rest, and medication. No treatment will shorten the course of rubella infection.

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment The Enlightenment History Essay Example The Enlightenment History Essay Example The Enlightenment (the Age of Enlightenment/Age of Reason) was purely a cultural movement of intellectuals in the mid 17th and 18th centuries. This began first in Europe and later found its way into the American colonies. Its main purpose was to alter the way of thinking using reason and challenge ideas in tradition and faith. It also played the role of advancing knowledge using scientific methods. It promoted scientific way of thinking, intellectual interchange and skepticism. The Enlightenment opposed all forms of intolerance, superstition and some abuses of power by the state and the church. The provenance of the age of reason lies in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries. This unique, revolutionary way of living had the backing of many philosophers. Most these philosophers included Baruch Spinoza, Isaac Newton, John Locke, Pierre Bayle and Voltaire. Most ruling princes often supported and made attempts of applying the ideologies in the Enlightenment revolution in their own governments. This had the identity of Enlightened Despotism. To a large extent, the Scientific Revolution has very close ties with the Enlightenment. Its discoveries did overturn various traditional concepts and brought different perspectives on man’s place and nature within it. The Enlightenment blossomed until about 1790–1800.   After this period, the emphasis on reason led to the Romanticisms emphasis on emotion. In this manner, Counter-Enlightenment garnered further support (â€Å"The Enlightenment† n.d.). Among the new political philosophies of the Enlightenment was that of the Englishman, John Locke. He expressed the contract theory of governance. Locke said that there was a contract between the government and the people; that the people were sovereign and had fashioned government in so as to meet certain political needs. As long as the government served those needs, it was worthy of the support of the citizens. However, when the government failed to fulfill its promise, the people had no obligation of supporting it. The people should replace that government with another. This Englishman expressed his ideas following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The philosophy appears to be a justification for those political actions. Similarly, the political circumstances in France gave motivation to Montesquieu to write the â€Å"Spirit of the Laws†. In his writing, he advocated   Ã‚  for separation of powers as a way of preventing power abuse. This man was an aristocrat who viewed the power exercised of regional parliaments as a superb way of controlling the power monarchical powers. In a unique way, Voltaire provided one of the most outstanding representations of the Enlightenment. His political philosophy offered much support to absolute monarchy. He, however, wrote in favor of an â€Å"enlightened† style of  absolutism. Voltaire is also famous for his advocacy of dissident ideas and tolerance for different people. He supported strongly the idea of freedom of expression and religious freedom. After years of flourishing and significant, there came a time when the Enlightenment elicited sharp reactions from different philosophical minds. They challenged the ideologies in the context of the Enlightenment way of thinking. Many people, including David Hume, questioned the Enlightenment faith in reason as the sole means to progress.  He suggested that the driving force for people to exercise had its firm anchor within their desires and needs. In another skeptical analysis of the Enlightenment, Jean Jacques Rousseau blankly departs from this perspective, suggesting that civilization is largely corrupting to the minds of the people. This diminishes any optimism in the Enlightenment faith and brings a serious challenge to the fundamental pillars of the movement. There is a perception that the Enlightenment undermined the general will of the people.  Although, it started well, the end was a concoction of bitter skepticism and diverse opinion about the movement (â€Å"The Enlig htenment† n.d.). Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon was a French, political and military leader who soared to prominence in the final stages of the famous French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he reined from the year 1804 to the year 1815. People fondly remember this legendary ruler of France for his spirited fight against different coalitions that waged wars against France during his time. The wars had the prominent recognition of Napoleonic wars. To a large extent, Napoleon is a child of the French Revolution. He set up hegemony over most of the continental Europe and purposed to advocate for the embracing of the ideals and ideology of the French Revolution. When he took the leadership mantle of the nation of France, Napoleon did commendably well by keeping some of the revolutionary reforms. They included the upholding of the people’s right to keep the land that had been grabbed from the Church, for instance.   He also fostered the idea of â€Å"career open to talents† and people’s equality before the laws of the land (Schom 1998). Napoleon’s legal reform, the famous Napoleonic Code, has always been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions universally. However, many people around the world give napoleon the sole credit for his successful, courageous fight against his foes in a series of fierce wars. As a result of his immense success in those wars, often against numerically superior adversaries, people generally regard Napoleon as one of the leading military commanders of all time. His campaigns have found adoration in many military academies not only in Europe but also the entire world. At the same time, he made tremendous efforts of consolidating an imperial monarchy that rebuilt aspects of the ousted ancient regime, or simply, the pre-revolutionary era. He reintroduced the unbearably strict censorship and the nasty imprisonment without trial. During napoleon’s tenure as France’s top leader, the elected, legislative bodies existed for that virtue of existing. However, he withdrew all the powers of such bodies and amassed all of it to himself. His upheld the imperial rule which made him more or less the same as the pre-revolutionary leaders of France. He conferred full authority to the male individuals as heads of their families. He withdrew the women’s rights that the Revolution secured for them. He did this in totality, leaving female members of the society under the mercy of the male counterparts. This tarnishes his image as a man who had lost track of the intention and of his course to nurture and safeguard the ideals of the French revolutio n. Napoleon’s Goals Napoleon fought relentlessly against the enemies of France, and ruled his country almost totally, by imperial decree. He ensured he had a firm grip on the affairs in his own backyard while trying to spread the influence of the French Empire in the continental Europe. He had the powers in his hands, and made sure there was little or no anti-Napoleon force that could derail his international missions of conquest. Therefore, what were his goals? Napoleon did not fight blindly. He had goals in mind. Generally, he wanted to build France in the same manner as the Roman Empire. He desired to have an empire full of greatness, national pride, many colonies and a massive territory. He also had the noble goal of living to the expectations and ideals of the French Revolution (Harvey 2006). live CHAT

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II

Battle of Monte Cassino in World War II The Battle of Monte Cassino was fought January 17 to May 18, 1944, during World War II (1939-1945). Fast Facts: Battle of Monte Cassino Dates: January 17 to May 18, 1944, during  World War II  (1939-1945).Allies Armies and CommandersGeneral Sir Harold AlexanderLieutenant General Mark ClarkLieutenant General Oliver LeeseUS Fifth Army British Eighth ArmyGerman Armies and CommandersField Marshal Albert KesselringColonel General Heinrich von VietinghoffGerman 10th Army Background Landing in Italy in September 1943, Allied forces under General Sir Harold Alexander began pushing up the peninsula. Due to the Apennine Mountains, which run the length of Italy, Alexanders forces advanced on two fronts with the Lieutenant General Mark Clarks US Fifth Army on the east and Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Montgomerys British Eighth Army on the west. Allied efforts were slowed by poor weather, rough terrain, and a tenacious German defense. Slowly falling back through the fall, the Germans sought to buy time to complete the Winter Line south of Rome. Though the British succeeded in penetrating the line and capturing Ortona in late December, heavy snows prevented them from pushing west along Route 5 to reach Rome. Around this time, Montgomery departed for Britain to aid in planning the invasion of Normandy and was replaced by Lieutenant General Oliver Leese. To the west of the mountains, Clarks forces moved up Routes 6 and 7. The latter of these ceased to be usable as it ran along the coast and had been flooded at the Pontine Marshes. As a result, Clark was forced to use Route 6 which passed through the Liri Valley. The southern end of the valley was protected by large hills overlooking the town of Cassino and atop which sat the abbey of Monte Cassino. The area was further protected by the fast-flowing Rapido and Garigliano Rivers which ran west to east. Recognizing the defensive value of the terrain, the Germans built the Gustav Line section of the Winter Line through the area. Despite its military value, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring elected not to occupy the ancient abbey and informed the Allies and Vatican of this fact. First Battle Reaching the Gustav Line near Cassino on January 15, 1944, the US Fifth Army immediately began preparations to assault the German positions. Though Clark felt the odds of success were low, an effort needed to be made to support the Anzio landings which would occur further north on January 22. By attacking, it was hoped that German forces could be drawn south to allow Major General John Lucas US VI Corps to land and quickly occupy the Alban Hills in the enemy rear. It was thought that such a maneuver would compel the Germans to abandon the Gustav Line. Hampering Allied efforts was the fact the Clarks forces were tired and battered after a fighting their way north from Naples (Map). Moving forward on January 17, the British X Corps crossed the Garigliano River and attacked along the coast putting heavy pressure on the German 94th Infantry Division. Having some success, X Corps efforts forced Kesselring to send the 29th and 90th Panzer Grenadier Divisions south from Rome to stabilize the front. Lacking sufficient reserves, X Corps was unable to exploit their success. On January 20, Clark launched his main assault with the US II Corps south of Cassino and near San Angelo. Though elements of the 36th Infantry Division were able to cross the Rapido near San Angelo, they lacked armored support and remained isolated. Savagely counterattacked by German tanks and self-propelled guns, the men from the 36th Division were ultimately forced back. Four days later, an attempt was made north of Cassino by Major General Charles W. Ryders 34th Infantry Division with the goal of crossing the river and wheeling left to strike Monte Cassino. Crossing the flooded Rapido, the division moved into the hills behind the town and gained a foothold after eight days of heavy fighting. These efforts were supported by the French Expeditionary Corps to the north which captured Monte Belvedere and assaulted Monte Cifalco. Though the French were unable to take Monte Cifalco, the 34th Division, enduring incredibly harsh conditions, battled their way through the mountains towards the abbey. Among the issues faced by Allied forces were large areas of exposed ground and rocky terrain that precluded digging foxholes. Attacking for three days in early February, they were unable to secure the abbey or the neighboring high ground. Spent, II Corps was withdrawn on February 11. Second Battle With the removal of II Corps, Lieutenant General Bernard Freybergs New Zealand Corps moved forward. Pushed into planning a new assault to relieve pressure on the Anzio beachhead, Freyberg intended to continue the attack through mountains north of Cassino as well as advance up the railroad from the southeast. As planning moved forward, debate began among the Allied high command regarding the abbey of Monte Cassino. It was believed that German observers and artillery spotters were using the abbey for protection. Though many, including Clark, believed the abbey to be vacant, increasing pressure ultimately led Alexander to controversially order the building to be bombed. Moving forward on February 15, a large force of B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25 Mitchells, and B-26 Marauders struck the historic abbey. German records later showed that their forces were not present, through the 1st Parachute Division moved into the rubble after the bombing. On the nights of February 15 and 16, troops from the Royal Sussex Regiment attacked positions in the hills behind Cassino with little success.  These efforts were hampered by friendly fire incidents involving Allied artillery due to the challenges of aiming accurately in the hills. Mounting his main effort on February 17, Freyberg sent forward the 4th Indian Division against German positions in the hills. In brutal, close-in fighting, his men were turned back by the enemy. To the southeast, 28th (MÄ ori) Battalion succeeded in crossing the Rapido and captured the Cassino railroad station. Lacking armor support as the river could not be spanned, they were forced back by German tanks and infantry on February 18. Though the German line had held, the Allies had come close to a breakthrough which concerned the commander of the German Tenth Army, Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoff, who oversaw the Gustav Line. Third Battle Reorganizing, Allied leaders began planning a third attempt to penetrate the Gustav Line at Cassino. Rather than continue along previous avenues of advance, they devised a new plan which called for an assault on Cassino from the north as well as an attack south into the hill complex which would then turn east to assault the abbey. These efforts were to be preceded by intense, heavy bombing which would require three days of clear weather to execute.  As a result, the operation was postponed three weeks until the airstrikes could be executed. Moving forward on March 15, Freybergs men advanced behind a creeping bombardment. Though some gains were made, the Germans rallied quickly and dug in. In the mountains, Allied forces secured key points known Castle Hill and Hangmans Hill. Below, the New Zealanders had succeeded in taking the railroad station, though fighting in the town remained fierce and house-to-house. On March 19, Freyberg hoped to turn the tide with the introduction of the 20th Armoured Brigade. His assault plans were quickly spoiled when the Germans mounted heavy counterattacks on Castle Hill drawing in the Allied infantry. Lacking infantry support, the tanks were soon picked off one by one. The next day, Freyberg added the British 78th Infantry Division to the fray. Reduced to house to house fighting, despite the addition of more troops, Allied forces were unable to overcome the resolute German defense. On March 23, with his men exhausted, Freyberg halted the offensive. With this failure, Allied forces consolidated their lines and Alexander began devising a new plan for breaking the Gustav Line. Seeking to bring more men to bear, Alexander created Operation Diadem. This saw the transfer of the British Eighth Army across the mountains. Victory at Last Redeploying his forces, Alexander placed Clarks Fifth Army along the coast with II Corps and the French facing the Garigliano. Inland, Leeses XIII Corps and Lieutenant General Wladyslaw Anders 2nd Polish Corps opposed Cassino. For the fourth battle, Alexander desired II Corps to push up Route 7 towards Rome while the French attacked across the Garigliano and into the Aurunci Mountains on the west side of the Liri Valley. To the north, XIII Corps would attempt to force the Liri Valley, while the Poles circled behind Cassino and with orders to isolate the abbey ruins. Utilizing a variety of deceptions, the Allies were able to ensure that Kesselring was unaware of these troop movements (Map). Commencing at 11:00 PM on May 11 with a bombardment using over 1,660 guns, Operation Diadem saw Alexander attack on all four fronts. While II Corps met heavy resistance and made little headway, the French advanced quickly and soon penetrated the Aurunci Mountains before daylight. To the north, XIII Corps made two crossings of the Rapido. Encountering a stiff German defense, they slowly pushed forward while erecting bridges in their rear. This allowed supporting armor to cross which played a key role in the fighting. In the mountains, Polish attacks were met with German counterattacks. By late on May 12, XIII Corps bridgeheads continued to grow despite determined counterattacks by Kesselring. The next day, II Corps began to gain some ground while the French turned to strike the German flank in the Liri Valley. With his right wing wavering, Kesselring began pulling back to the Hitler Line, approximately eight miles to the rear.  On May 15, the British 78th Division passed through the bridgehead and began a turning movement to cut off the town from the Liri Valley. Two days later, the Poles renewed their efforts in the mountains. More successful, they linked up with the 78th Division early on May 18. Later that morning, Polish forces cleared the abbey ruins and hoisted Polish flag over the site. Aftermath Pressing up the Liri Valley, the British Eighth Army immediately attempted to break through the Hitler Line but was turned back. Pausing to reorganize, a major effort was made against the Hitler Line on May 23 in conjunction with a breakout from the Anzio beachhead. Both efforts were successful and soon the German Tenth Army was reeling and facing being surrounded. With VI Corps surging inland from Anzio, Clark shockingly ordered them to turn northwest for Rome rather than cut off and aid in the destruction of von Vietinghoff. This action may have been the result of Clarks concern that the British would enter the city first despite it being assigned to Fifth Army. Driving north, his troops occupied the city on June 4. Despite the success in Italy, the Normandy landings two days later transformed it into a secondary theater of the war. Selected Sources BBC: Battle of Monte CassinoHistory: Battle of Monte Cassino

Case 93,Electro Technology Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

93,Electro Technology - Case Study Example The present value of the cash flows could then be calculated. Benefits of using this method are that it takes into account the growth potential of the business. The assessment obtained is also based on timing and size of cash flows and risks involved. They directly relate to the debt servicing ability of the firm and hence the amount that should be lent by the bank. The shortcoming of using this method is that it is grounded on expectations on productivity, threats and market circumstances. The extreme hypothesis is that the workshop test could be altered to a mass plant engineering process. From the data offered, there is no material on how statistics on the balance sheet or the discount rate were arrived at or rules behind the figures. A liquidation value could be obtained from these assets and used in deciding the amount of the loan. This curtails the risk for the bank as very few assumptions are made. It also avoids the difficulty and risks in including a value for intangibles (Brigham and Daves, 2010). The drawback of using this method is that it disregards the growth potential of the firm. The key value of Electro-Technology Corporations is the potential of capitalisation of its patented rights. The tactic here involves adjusting the book values for market values for all assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. Intangible assets not included in the balance sheet are added onto the net market value to obtain the adjusted tangible book value (Brigham and Daves, 2010). This may give a fairer value of the companys worth. In addition, it includes intangibles such as patent, which is a significant component of Electro-Technology Corporation assets. The drawback of this process is that intangibles are hard to value. The value of the patent that Electro-Technology Corporation owns lies in its contribution to the firms growth potential. However, there is great subjectivity involved in valuing the patent. The adjusted tangible

Hispanic American Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Hispanic American Diversity - Essay Example Hispanics share the heritage of the Spanish language but many do not speak Spanish at all. Among the Mexican Americans, 23 percent speak English, 26 percent are bilingual and 51 percent are Spanish dominant. The society is concerned about their immigrant status and is often confused whether their stay is legal or illegal. The Mexican Americans comprise of the affluent as well as poor peasants. They usually come from low income background and have less formal education. They have made gain in formal schooling but still lag behind most Hispanics. Family and religion are a great source of strength to the community. They have religious preference for the Catholic Church. The court of law does not provide protection for the poor, Spanish-speaking. The community has a culture of poverty as they have no future planning, no commitment to marriage and no work ethic. They prefer to adhere to their Mexican culture. As the number of Mexican Americans is growing, they have become conscious voters . Thus subgroup is politically conscious and when they did not get any response from the established politicians, they set up their own party. The Mexican Americans are eligible for dual nationality. Even if their children are born in America, they can claim Mexican nationality, although dual nationality does not give them voting rights in Mexico. They can be found in large number in New York. Puerto Ricans are English-oriented with about 39 percent being English-dominant and 40 percent of the population being bi-lingual. Only 21 percent of the Puerto Ricans are Spanish-dominant. This subgroup too, is challenged by the immigrant officials but they have the same voting rights as other Americans. Puerto Ricans are no longer concentrated in New York but are dispersed throughout New Jersey, Illinois, Florida and California. They are more familiar with the US culture and the English language. Unemployment among the mainland Puerto Ricans is high. They have a vibrant

Negative Impact Of Outsourcing On Economy Research Paper

Negative Impact Of Outsourcing On Economy - Research Paper Example Companies contemplate on various ways in which they would reduce on the output of their money and intern saves on cost. Therefore, the main idea that comes across is outsourcing of some of their work. There is a notion that outsourcing has the ability of saving on cost of employment. The fact is that most of outsourcing companies work on a low budget their workers are not provided with benefits and most of their employees do not require overhead expenses (Olga, 2003). Moreover, cost can also be reduced if the company offering outsourcing services is from a different country. This is because of differences in economic stature, which will lead to high differences in currency value. The other reason why some companies outsource their work to experts is that they want to involve themselves on other business issues. This is due to the urge of concentration by individuals in a company (Lazarus, 2004). The experts will ensure that work is done, and the contracting company will leave everything to them as they concentrate on other things. The management will also give out work, which will not require their attention and resources, as they will have an easy time managing a company from within. On the other hand, companies involved with outsourcing can maintain their professionalism by operating on a streamlined direction of acquiring excellent technology, which could not be available in locally (Olga, 2003). Outsourcing helps in globalization of a company, as it is a cost-effective way of building branches and franchises in other countries. The manner in which outsourcing affects cost is indicated in the graph below.  is indicated  in the graph below. It is clear that outsourcing is an  event, which has gone beyond the whole  ideology  of employment and working from one position as a team (Ryan, 2004). Therefore, it would best if the paper examines some  negative  effects related to outsourcing in the education sector, society, companies, neighborhoods, and communities (Michelle, 2004). Moreover, the  paper  will also  determine  some hidden costs incurred by companies in terms of reducing cost of  productivity  and decreasing support  from customers. Effects of outsourcing According, to some business scholars such as Olga Kharif (2004) argue that companies prefer outsourcing because of low cost associated with it and they will save wages they would give to employees working from within the company. However, with  cost  of IT increasing every day, companies will realize that they sometimes use more than what they expected to use (Olga, 2003). The industry is always  competitive, and most companies prefer offshor e outsourcing. However, frustration  is drawn  back to local  employee who would be rendered jobless due to another  person  elsewhere  being given  same job. Outsourcing has also created  insecurity  in the job market as workers can lose their positions as other people can  offer  their expertise from  elsewhere  at a cheaper price (Ryan, 2004). The other  predicament  caused by outsourcing is and associated with joblessness  is increased  crime rate. People need to survive, and they would do anything to survive. Therefore, people who lose their jobs will  turn  to crime (Michelle, 2004). Crimes include cyber crimes where people hack into the

Individual Reflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Reflective Report - Essay Example The report refers to areas the group performed very well while others it required to improve. The plan has ensured that the location and date are secured. In the plan, the venue for the event has been established at the University of Greenwich Council Room. The place has extra benefits it can host all the participants and provide for an allowance for additional participants. The room has also been booked to avoid inconvenience when the event starts. The date has also been set to be held on 10 June 2014, and the event runs from 2-7pm. In addition, all speakers have been contacted to confirm availability. The planners have also obtained catering and accommodation facilities to the participants, who are fifty. The plan has also ensured that there is flexibility in increase in the number of participants and allocated an additional budget of ten people (Bramwell, 1997, p.67), (Allen, 2009, p.180). The plan has also detailed on who is responsible for the budget as GOPIO and the stakeholders. It has established the site of potential expenditure and income, and then they created a framework to monitor the budget. A control mechanism was set maximize revenue but minimize costs. The selection of members was done according to abilities and competence on managing and planning (Ash and Dabija, 2000, p.35). The group initially comprised of inexperienced people that inconvenienced the event planning because the event is large and was a high profile event that required high expertise in planning. However, a selection of experienced group members was made to allow easier planning and members had to resolve their differences in order to continue with the work (Abbott and Geddie, 2000, p.77). In the planning committee, the members acknowledge the importance of unity in the process. A disunited planning committee has conflicts that may lead to the process to collapse (Shone and Parry, 2004, p.7). Group members learn to listen, understand each other, and respect the

Four components of an information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four components of an information system - Essay Example Software consists of the programs and manuals written to run the hardware. Software process the instructions issued by humans and relay them to the hardware. Data is what is entered into the information system (Hurson 36). It can consist of numbers or words fed into the system through typing or other means. Humans are the people who issue commands and manage the system, while processes are the steps followed in running information system. For instance, when using a computer there is a defined procedure for switching it on or off, or performing other standard operations that help to run it. It is important to consider all the aforementioned components when designing an information system because they are the fundamental parts that make it work. It cannot run without any of these components, so it is quite obvious that they must feature in its design (Stair and Reynolds 13). For example, it would be useless to design a car without a steering wheel or a fuel tank because such parts make it what it is. Information systems are probably the most common aspect of human activities in the 21st century. People use information systems to make processes easier to execute, as well as to enhance their quality of life. It is expected that information systems will become more complex as time goes, embedding themselves deeper in our lives (Stair and Reynolds

Emerency Sevices Managment - Advaced Interactions of Hazardous Case Study

Emerency Sevices Managment - Advaced Interactions of Hazardous Materials IV - Case Study Example T2 laboratory was a manufacturer of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MCMT). MCMT being a toxic and a highly inflammable liquid, it is classified as extremely hazardous substance (EHS) (United States & Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 2009). A chemical recipe serves as a guide during the manufacturing process. Metalation is the first step where metallic sodium that was previously melted is reacted with methylcyclopentadiene (MCPD). This reaction occurs in the presence of diglyme (diethylene glycol dimethyl ether). Heat is applied before the reaction can occur, and this may be necessary to enable overcome the activation energy required for initiation of the reaction. Besides, the heating converted sodium to its molten form increasing the surface area and reduced the MCPD dimer into two molecules. These two changes are necessary for the reaction to occur. Two products are obtained from this reaction; hydrogen gas and sodium methylcyclopentadiene. The hydrogen gas produced is released into the atmosphere. Substitution is the second step during which dry powder of manganese chloride was added and reacted with sodium methylcyclopentadiene forming sodium chloride and manganese dimethylcyclopentadiene. The final step involves the addition of carbon monoxide, a process called carbonylation. It leads to loss of one methylcyclopentadiene, and its place is replaced by three CO molecules forming the famous methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl. Through the distillation of the mixed final product, you obtain clean methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl. During metalation energy was being lost in the form of heat, cooling was necessary for the reaction to proceed regularly. The rate of reaction also increases with the rise in temperature. It is evident that a 100C increase in temperature causes a two-fold increase in the rate of

Four components of an information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Four components of an information system - Essay Example Software consists of the programs and manuals written to run the hardware. Software process the instructions issued by humans and relay them to the hardware. Data is what is entered into the information system (Hurson 36). It can consist of numbers or words fed into the system through typing or other means. Humans are the people who issue commands and manage the system, while processes are the steps followed in running information system. For instance, when using a computer there is a defined procedure for switching it on or off, or performing other standard operations that help to run it. It is important to consider all the aforementioned components when designing an information system because they are the fundamental parts that make it work. It cannot run without any of these components, so it is quite obvious that they must feature in its design (Stair and Reynolds 13). For example, it would be useless to design a car without a steering wheel or a fuel tank because such parts make it what it is. Information systems are probably the most common aspect of human activities in the 21st century. People use information systems to make processes easier to execute, as well as to enhance their quality of life. It is expected that information systems will become more complex as time goes, embedding themselves deeper in our lives (Stair and Reynolds

Social Organization and Kinship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Organization and Kinship - Essay Example As the paper discusses the social relationships are quite important in the society. Some of the social ends that are involved in the social set up of the society are socialization of the children and the constitution of the basic political, economic and religious groups. The kinship involves the people who are sharing the same lineage are in the categories of the descent group, affinity, cognate and the fictive kinship. The kinship associated with the marriage is referred to as the affinity related. Kinship is the centre of the social organization in various societies, and people understand that the kinship should be relevant to the social cognition. Kin is organized around binary distinctive features and is linguistically marked.This essay stresses that the type of the society where one is living influences the person’s interactions and the activities that the person can involve them. The type of the society has great influence on the different areas of the female’s eg os life as the society determines the amount of the social support they get.  In Native America, cultures allow the matrilineal approach where the family lineage is traced through the mothers and not the fathers. The women in the American culture they possess great power as they are treated as the center of the family and home.  In the communities that practice the matrilineal approach of the family make up the males would live with the women after marriage at woman's home.

Climate Change Biodiversity And Ecosystem Loss Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Change Biodiversity And Ecosystem Loss Environmental Sciences Essay Climate change is a problem that is having a big impact in biodiversity and ecosystem loss, this is a problem that comes from decades and it is getting bigger and bigger and unstoppable, climate change is having a big impact in some parts of the ecosystem, like arctic zones, oceans, and other parts of the ecosystem, but climate change is now by the humans as Global Warming. Global Warming have a simple meaning, the climate is changing, the earth is warming up, the habitats of some species are changing this causes their extinction, the temperatures around the world are increasing causing that the glacier-melt, the oceans level increase. The climate change occurs because the increase of greenhouse gases that are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), this gases are produces by the humans and globalization, the greenhouse effect is when the energy from the sun drives the earths, In turn, the earth radiates energy back into space; Some atmospheric gases trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse. The Humans are the reason why the biodiversity and the ecosystem is loss, we are the ones that produces this gases, and we are the only ones that can stop the Global Warming, this is a problem with the past of the years is getting every time bigger and its time to the humans stop this problem, a 39% of species around the world all in danger of extinction, and the ecosystem in which the animals and we (Humans), are leaving is in danger, the increase in temperatures in the last years, are melting the poles, and increasing the level of the ocean, the effect of the increase of the temperature, causes natural disaster, that affects the environment and killing many peoples, but this have many solutions. Chapter 1: Why biodiversity is important? Why is important dont lose it? Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example: A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters. And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife. While there might be survival of the fittest within a given species, each species depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on mutual survival and is often what a balanced ecosystem refers to. Chapter 2: Climate change impact on arctic an oceans biodiversity: The link between climate change and biodiversity has long been established. Although throughout Earths history the climate has always changed with ecosystems and species coming and going, rapid climate change affects ecosystems and species ability to adapt and so biodiversity loss increases. The climate change have more impact in some areas likes the arctic and the oceans. The Arctic, Antarctic and high latitudes have had the highest rates of warming, and this trend is projected to continue, as the above-mentioned Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 notes, In the Arctic, it is not just a reduction in the extent of sea ice, but its thickness and age. Less ice means less reflective surface meaning more rapid melting. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010 The extent of floating sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, as measured at its annual minimum in September, showed a steady decline between 1980 and 2009 according to National Snow and Ice Data Center, graph compiled by Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010. They are some species that need this sea ice like the polar bears. Other problem is the increasing of ocean acidification, Although it has gained less mainstream media attention the effects of increasing greenhouse emissions, in particular carbon dioxide, on the oceans may well be significant. Scientists are finding that on the one hand oceans have been able to absorb some of the excess CO2 released by human activity. This has helped keep the planet cooler than it otherwise could have been had these gases remained in the atmosphere. However, the additional CO2 being absorbed is also resulting in the acidification of the oceans: When CO2 reacts with water it produces a weak acid called carbonic acid, changing the sea water chemistry. As the Global Biodiversity Outlook report explains, the water is some 30% more acidic than pre-industrial times, depleting carbonate ions the building blocks for many marine organisms. In addition, concentrations of carbonate ions are now lower than at any time during the last 800,000 years. The impacts on ocean biological diversity and ecosystem functioning will likely be severe, though the precise timing and distribution of these impacts are uncertain. (See p. 58 of the report.) This change is also occurring rapidly, so some marine life may not have the chance to adapt. Some marine creatures are growing thinner shells or skeletons, for example. Some of these creatures play a crucial role in the food chain, and in ecosystem biodiversity. Chapter 3: Human impact in biodiversity. 3.1 Massive extinction. For a long time , human activities has been causing massive extinctions, A major report, released in March 2005 highlighted a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), notes that many species are threatened with extinction. In addition, 75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost 75% of the worlds fisheries are fully or over exploited Up to 70% of the worlds known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5 °C 1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction Every second a parcel of rainforest the size of a football field disappears Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity Extinction risks out pace any conservation successes. Amphibians are the most at risk, while corals have had a dramatic increase in risk of extinction in recent years. 3.2 Declining ocean biodiversity: In the past century, commercial whaling has decimated numerous whale populations, many of which have struggled to recover. Commercial whaling in the past was for whale oil. With no reason to use whale oil today, commercial whaling is mainly for food, while there is also some hunting for scientific research purposes. Japan is the prime example of hunting whales for the stated aim of scientific research while a lot of skepticism says it is for food. Greenpeace and other organizations often release findings that argue Japans whaling to be excessive or primarily for food, other example is almost in japan the trap the white shark only for get his tail. 3.3 Loss of forest. A 20-year study has shown that deforestation and introduction of non-native species has led to about 12.5% of the worlds plant species to become critically rare (An example is the Amazon damage), A report from the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development suggests that the forests of the world have been exploited to the point of crisis and that major changes in global forest management strategies would be needed to avoid the devastation. There are somes species that haven been discover, if this problem continues, the habitat of this species would be loss and they would been extend. Brazil, which is estimated to have around 55,000 species of flora, amounting to some 22% of the worlds total and India for example, which has about 46,000 and some 81,000 animal species (amounting to some 8% of the worlds biodiversity), are also under various pressures, from corporate globalization, deforrestation, etc. So too are many other biodiverse regions, such as Indonesia, parts of Africa, and other tropical regions. Graphic 2. Comparing actual area of Brazilian portion of the Amazon deforested each year between 1990 and 2009. Source: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010, p.33 The significant decline noted in the Brazilian Amazon is not enough to prevent the World Bank worrying about the future. The Global Biodiversity Outlook report notes that According to a recent study co-ordinated by the World Bank, 20% Amazon deforestation would be sufficient to trigger significant dieback of forest in some parts of the biome by 2025, when coupled with other pressures such as climate change and forest fires. Furthermore, some of the reversals in deforestation is because of reforestation, but the report raises the same concerns as also noted further below. Namely, Since newly-planted forests often have low biodiversity value and may only include a single tree species, a slowing of net forest loss does not necessarily imply a slowing in the loss of global forest biodiversity. Between 2000 and 2010, the global extent of primary forest (that is, substantially undisturbed) declined by more than 400,000 square km, an area larger than Zimbabwe. Conclusion The animals habitat are disappearing because human, nature give all to humans but humans never gave him back, this is why the biodiversity is disappearing, climate change is altering all the habitat, the temperature are increasing, the pollution on is increasing every day, but the reason why all of this is happening is because humans, the environment is increasing in a 100%, and the humans dont take care about the forest or the animals. This would affect the humans in a future, an example is the water, without forest, no water, and if humans dont have water, it would be a several problem, like conflicts by countries looking for water, this is why I take climate change and biodiversity loose, Because this is a problem that affects humans all the days. Sources Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010 Our choise, Al Gore, 2010 An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore, 2006 Human Impact Triggers Massive Extinctions, ST. LOUIS, Missouri, August 2, 1999 (ENS) Jaan Suurkula, World-wide cooperation required to prevent global crisis; Part one- the problem, Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology, February 6, 2004 [Emphasis is original] Index Chapter 1: Why biodiversity is important? Why is important dont lose it?PG3 Chapter2: Climate change impact on arctic an oceans biodiversity:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦PG3-5 Chapter3: Human impact in biodiversityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦PG5-9

The Existential Hero: Hamlet Essay -- truth, understanding, downfall, d

To be without value or meaning permits the violation of norm behavioral standards. Existentialism is championed in the responsibility and free will of man. The world is utterly â€Å"worthless, meaningless, empty, and hopeless, †¦ to use a favorite Existentialism, absurd†(Ross 1). A man must become unconventional by supplying an authentic meaning to life. Shakespeare’s character Hamlet in the play Hamlet, explores these existential principles as he seeks truth and understanding after his father’s murder. He attempts to establish order in a chaotic world full of betrayal, spying, and death. This leads to Hamlet’s inevitable downfall and the death of those close to him. Hamlet rises as the existential hero in Shakespeare’s Hamlet through his confrontation with moral responsibilities and the purpose of life. The existential ideal gives structure and meaning to the action of Hamlet. Hamlet is a conflicted character. He is maddened by his father’s, the King of Denmark, murder and his mother’s, Queen Gertrude, untimely marriage to his uncle, King Claudius, who is also his father’s murderer. It is a tangled web of lies, death, and duplicity that Hamlet lives in. â€Å"Denmark [certainly] is a prison† for him (II.2.262). Hamlet becomes withdrawn in the play, no longer having an enthusiastic and playful demeanor. His relationship with his mother is destroyed, he denounces Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Ophelia, and he becomes estranged with society as he feigns insanity. He is the quintessential character for Jean Paul Sartre’s existential principle that â€Å"Hell is other people.† Ultimately, Hamlet’s nature completely changes. He states to Guildenstern that as â€Å"of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises, an... ...in England 23 (2010): 34+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Meron, Theodor. â€Å"Crimes and Accountability in Shakespeare.† The American Journal of International Law. 92.1 (Jan.,1998): 1-40. JSTOR. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. . Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012. Print. Snider, D. J. "HAMLET." The Journal of Speculative Philosophy. 7.1 (Jan.,1873): 71- 87. JSTOR. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. . Williamson, Claude C. H. â€Å"Hamlet.† International Journal of Ethics. 33.1 (Oct., 1922): 85-100. JSTOR. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. . Ross, Kelly L. "Existentialism." The Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series. Kelly L. Ross, Ph.D., 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Representations Of Masculinity And Femininity In Miguel Street Essay

Representations of Masculinity and Femininity in Miguel Street It has been said about V.S. Naipaul's novel Miguel Street that "One of the recurrent themes... is the ideal of manliness" (Kelly 19). To help put into focus what manliness is, it is important to establish a definition for masculinity as well as its opposite, femininity. Masculinity is defined as "Having qualities regarded as characteristic of men and boys, as strength, vigor, boldness, etc" while femininity is defined as "Having qualities regarded as characteristic of women and girls, as gentleness, weakness, delicacy, modesty, etc" (Webster). The charcters in Miguel Street have been ingrained with the pre- conceived notions of the roles that Trinidadian society dictates for men and women. Naipaul not only uses these notions to show the differences of the sexes, but takes another step in telling anecdotes of characters showing their anti-masculine and anti- feminine features. This will lead to the discovery that our definitions of masculinity and femininity prove that those characteristics apply to the opposite sex in which the women often act like men, and the men often act like women. All of this will be discussed through looking at both male and female characters in the book as well as the boy narrator of the book. Finding examples of manliness are found with great ease considering that 12 of the 17 stories in some way deal with the theme of manliness (Thieme 24). It doesnt take long before the first example, a carpenter named Popo, is introduced. In the chapter titled "The Thing Without A Name" we are told that "Popo never made any money. His wife used to go out and work and this was easy , because they had no children. Popo said ' Women and them like work. Man not made for work" ( Naipaul 17). This attitude immediately makes Popo stand out from the rest of the men of Miguel Street. Hat (a character that will be discussed later) deems Popo as a "man- woman. Not a proper man" (Naipaul 17) because Popo's wife makes all the money. From this brief description of Popo, the reader quickly learns as to what makes a man manly on Miguel Street. Popo has no children which questions his virility. It is also important to notice that Popo's wife has no identity except that of being P... ...42). I think a lot can be looked into that matter. We expect how men and women should act, but yet in Miguel Street it ends up being all about illusion. This doesnt apply to the secondary characters of the novel, as they serve their purposes of being the stereotypical men and women of Trinidad and in this case, Miguel Street. But the main characters never turn out to be who you initially think they are. Laura, Emelda, Mrs. Morgan and the narrator's mother are examples of women who take charge in their homes. They work, they beat and raise their children, and take on the roles of being the masters of their homes. Hat, Popo, Morgan, Man man (who only acts like he's crazy), and Big Foot (who as big as he is, is really a wimp inside) are examples of the illusion that men are the superior ones of Miguel Street. Only a shallow read could see that otherwise. When all is said and done it is the women who carry the qualities of "strength, vigor and boldness" while the men have the qualities of "gentleness, weakness, delicacy" although definitly not "modesty". On Miguel Street, the only male quality the men have is the lack of modesty, the rest is all illusion.