Title Essays (2706 words) - Fiction, Literature, British Literature

Title: The End of Utopia: A Study of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" RSPEAK_STOP Author(s): Peter Edgerly Firchow Publication Details: The End of Utopia: A Study of Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World,'. Bucknell University Press, 1984. Source: Contemporary Literary Criticism . Ed. James P. Draper and Jennifer Allison Brostrom . Vol. 79. Detroit: Gale, 1994. From Literature Resource Center . Document Type: Critical essay Bookmark: Bookmark this Document Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1994 Gale Research, COPYRIGHT 2007 Gale, Cengage Learning RSPEAK_START do not remove FT/IMG Full Text: [( essay date 1984) An American educator and critic, Firchow is the author of Aldous Huxley: Satirist and Novelist (1972) and The End of Utopia: A Study of Aldous Huxley's " Brave New World ." One of the chief problems Huxley had with Brave New World , according to Donald Watt, was with the characters. On the evidence of the revisions, Watt concludes that Huxley seems first to have thought of making Bernard Marx the rebellious hero of the novel but then changed his mind and deliberately played him down into a kind of anti-hero. After rejecting the possibility of a heroic Bernard, Huxley next seems to have turned to the Savage as an alternative. According to Watt, there are in the typescript several indications, later revised or omitted, of the Savage's putting up or at least planning to put up violent resistance to the new world state, perhaps even of leading a kind of revolution against it. But in the process of rewriting the novel, Huxley also abandoned this idea in favor of having no hero at all, or of having only the vague adumbration of a hero in Helmholtz Watson. Watt's analysis of the revisions in Brave New World is very helpful and interesting; he shows convincingly, I think, that Huxley was unable to make up his mind until very late in the composition of the novel just what direction he wanted the story and the leading male characters to take. From this uncertainty, however, I do not think it necessary to leap to the further conclusion that Huxley had difficulty in creating these characters themselves. Huxley's supposedly inadequate ability to create living characters, the result of his not being a "congenital novelist," is a question that often arises in discussions of his fiction, and in connection with longer and more traditionally novelistic novels like Point Counter Point or Eyeless in Gaza (1936) appropriately so. But Brave New World is anything but a traditional novel in this sense. It is not a novel of character but a relatively short satirical tale, a "fable," much like Voltaire's Candide . One hardly demands fully developed and "round" characters of Candide , nor should one of Brave New World . This is all the more the case because the very nature of the new world state precludes the existence of fully developed characters. Juliets and Anna Kareninas , or Hamlets and Prince Vronskys , are by definition impossibilities in the new world state. To ask for them is to ask for a different world, the very world whose absence Huxley's novel so savagely laments. Character, after all, is shaped by suffering , and the new world state has abolished suffering in favor of a continuous, soma-stupefied, infantile "happiness." In such an environment it is difficult to have characters who grow and develop and are "alive." Despite all this, it is surprising and noteworthy how vivid and even varied Huxley's characters are. With all their uniformly standardized conditioning, Alphas and Betas turn out to be by no means alike: the ambitious "go-getter" Henry Foster is different from his easy-going friend Benito Hoover; the unconventional and more "pneumatic" Lenina Crowne from the moralistic and rather less pneumatic Fanny Crowne ; the resentful and ugly Bernard Marx from the handsome and intelligent Helmholtz Watson. Huxley, in fact, seems to work consistently and consciously in terms of contrastive/complementary pairs to suggest various possibilities of response to similar situations. So, too, Helmholtz and the Savage are another pair, as are the Savage and Mond , Mond and the DHC, Bernard and Henry Foster. The most fully developed instance of this pairing or doubling technique is the trip that Bernard and Lenina

Five forces analysis applied to the online auction industry Essays

Five forces analysis applied to the online auction industry Essays Five forces analysis applied to the online auction industry Paper Five forces analysis applied to the online auction industry Paper Essay Topic: Marketing The online auction industry offers marketplaces where buyer and seller meet to trade various products. Advantages of online auctions are: a wide community, broad product range, lower search and transaction costs and, compared to fixed price, a lower price. Therefore, a win-win situation is created, with benefits for buyers, like making a good deal and the auction feeling, and benefits for the sellers, like obtaining a good market price and being able to sell dispensable inventory. Some auction sites list a broad range of products on their site, and other specialize on niche products. Apart from that, the industry can be divided into three segments: Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer and Person-to-Person (Consumer-to-Consumer), with either businesses or consumers as market participants. Online auctions are one of the few profitable E-Business Models, and make up nearly 10% of all revenues created in E-Commerce. Five forces analysis applied to the online auction industry 1. Threat of entry In the industry, there are various barriers: : Capital requirements: Only some hardware (Server etc.) and a software packet are needed, as well as human capital to run an online-auction. In comparison to other industries, overall ramp-up costs are relatively low and no inventory is required. Economies of scale exist: Within a certain range of users, there are fixed costs, but only very few variable costs. For example, two servers and a program adjusted for 1000 users, may also fit 10000 users, so there are declining costs per unit. Because the fixed costs are low, economies of scale are not a relevant barrier to enter the online-auction industry. Product differentiation: Image is important to establish trust, confidence and customer loyalty; these elements are essential for online auctions. Special services, like warranties offered by uBid, and measures to foster community spirit, like special sites that attract a certain community, help to acquire new users and to keep actual users. Switching costs: are high, because sellers who gain reputation at certain online-auction sites cannot transfer this to other sites. If customers would switch from a provider with a huge community to one with a small community, disadvantages caused by smaller audiences, bidding and selling, appear. The result would be a smaller product variety and fewer buyers that can bid for an offer. Learning curve: In order to communicate with the user community and react to their needs, online-auction specific techniques, like online marketing, can be used. The market leader eBay for example, constantly analyses their customer base to be able offer services according to their needs. Certainly, the huge amount of users frequenting eBays site makes it easier to draw conclusions on the services wanted. Community: An online-auction needs a critical mass of buyers and sellers to be attractive. The membership-loop is an example of network externalities, the bigger the community, the more advantage customers gain from an online-auction: buyers only go to a site if they can expect a certain amount of offers, and sellers only go there if a sufficient number of buyers will bid for their products. Entering the online auction market is relatively easy as low start up capital is required. On the other hand network externalities play an important role in the industry. To be successful in the long run it is crucial to build up a critical mass of customers. Customers face high switching costs as they are not able to transfer the reputation gained among one community to a different community. Thus, new entrants face difficulties in attracting new customers. Customer loyalty, company image and community building have to established over time and can not be achieved immediately. To sum up entry barriers are high, thus new potential entrants are not a viable threat to the incumbents. 2. Bargaining power of buyers Buyer concentration differs over the industry segments. In the B2B segment, buyer concentration is high compared to C2C and B2C. With over 40 million customers in the latter two markets, the buyer group is very fragmented and each single customer does not have the power to negotiate on fees. The Internet is a very transparent market that enables customers to select a provider with optimal price-performance ratio. As it is very easy in the Internet to switch from one service-provider to another, providers have to increase switching costs artificially, for example building up a system to measure reputation of customers. Due to the high entry barriers, the risk of backward integration of customers does not exist. Conclusion At least in the C2C sector buyers have low bargaining power. 3. Bargaining power of suppliers Main suppliers of the online-auction industry are companies providing network infrastructure such as servers. Server and other hardware suppliers are operating in an oligopolistic market with undifferentiated products and therefore switching costs are low. To establish the network and web pages IT specialists can be hired or outsourcing partners such as site hosting companies can provide services. Highly qualified personnel are rare thus bargaining power can be exercised by high salary demands. The threat of forward integration is low as entry barriers into online-auctioning are relatively high. Apart from selective cases of high salary demanding IT specialists, the overall bargaining power of suppliers is low. 4. Pressure from substitute products Online: Online retailers like Otto, power shopping agencies, online advertising Offline: Adds in newspapers, flea markets, garage sales, traditional auction houses, liquidators, companies offering catalogue selling Each of these services can substitute only parts of the services provided by online auctioning, depending on the customer segment and the product demanded. The more diversified the customer base of an online-auctioneer the more difficult it becomes to find substitutes with an equal product range and competitive transaction costs. Threat of substitutes poses a low risk to the online auction industry, especially to dominant industry players like eBay. 5. Intensity of rivalry among existing competitors The total number of players in the industry is approximately 2700 with eBay as the market leader with a market share of 65%. The industry is highly concentrated, the largest five companies occupy approx. 90% of the whole online-auction market. Industry growth has been extremely high in the past years and is expected to go on as the Internet will spread further and its use will become more common. eBay did grow since it was started 1996, and uBid, with 14 percent the second biggest player on the market, had an 80 percent increase of revenue from December 1999 to December 2000. Another reason for a low level of rivalry are the unsaturated markets: because there are still customers that dont use online-auctions at all, providers can concentrate on gaining new clients instead of stealing them from each other. Due to the big differences between the online-auction providers, like varying amount of consumers and different communities, the switching costs in the industry are high. Therefore, the rivalry between the various providers is not that strong. There are no high exit barriers in the online-auction industry, because there are no specialized assets and no fix costs of exit. The main reason for low rivalry in the industry is the dominant position of the market leader eBay: It is difficult for potential rivals to compete with eBay`s huge user community. The low rivalry is enhanced by the growth opportunities typical for unsaturated markets. The competitive situation of the online-auction industry consists of the following main elements: High entry barriers deter new potential rivals from entering the market. Bargaining power of buyers and suppliers is low. No substitutes which fully satisfy the needs of the online auction customers are available. Rivalry among incumbents is low. These characteristics lead to a high profit potential of the industry. SWOT analysis of eBay EBay was found in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar. The idea seems to be so simple, and brilliant on the other side: offer a marketplace for a community in order to facilitate C2C trade. Ever since eBay`s customer base and their product range as well as total revenue and finally their market share increases and even a period of economic slowdown, cant thwart eBay. Strengths: Being the first to run online-auctions thereby introducing a new idea of running e-commerce can be named as eBay`s initial strength. Ever since eBay is the market leader in the online auction industry and explored international markets within the last years. The customer base increased rapidly over time and the largest online trading forum was established. The critical mass of participants as well as products couldnt be scored to date by competitors. The trading platform is easy to navigate, accessible from various countries and generally facilitates transactions. The customer needs only a computer and Internet access for the transaction. EBay is a relatively neutral partner, whose job it is to initiate and overview the business, not to control or influence the transaction. The bidding procedure follows certain rules. Offences against these rules can be punished by eBay resp. by the users e.g. with the rating systems or the program Safeharbor. Thus enhances trust, improves customer loyalty and fosters the sense of community. Through constant improvements in customer services, like additional product groups and special sites, as well as through strategic alliances with partners along the value chain, eBay provides additional service to its customers. Good communication with its community through forums and face-to-face discussion facilitates feedback from customers. The skilled human resources, like Meg Whitmann, fostered eBay present position. The reliability of the system was increased by investment in new servers as well as in Maynard Webb, a premier software engineer. Capital requirements were relatively low in the start-up-period and even now fixed cost required to run the business are low, seen relative to earnings. Later eBay raised capital through a public offering of common stock in 1998 and an additional offering in 1999. The strengths listed above fostered the built up of a brand provide a secure starting point for the future development and challenges. Weaknesses: The basic concept of eBay: running online auctions is easy to copy for potential entrants. Weaknesses can be detected in the IT system: Operating online might be dangerous, because the site or a running auction can be disturbed by hackers or external tools (e.g. automatic overbidding tool) It is impossible to prevent system downtimes. eBay has no distribution channel besides the Internet. The size of the community and the variety of customers, which comes along with the size, results in different expectations towards the aim and participants in auctions. As a current problem one can name the growing presence of companies. It can be seen as a weakness that, C2C being the core competence of eBay, it is only in narrow ranges possible to exploit the potential of B2C trading. Turning towards businesses likely will result in loosing customers as well as a loss of potential revenues. Opportunities: With the growing worldwide diffusion of the Internet and the increase of e-commerce, countries like China offer a large market of potential customers. Other areas like South America or Eastern Europe, which are characterized by a high population, could also be attractive for eBay. So the geographical expansion represents a great opportunity to compensate for the saturating market in the US and to continue its growth. In this effort eBay`s brand image and its huge installed base could give it a competitive edge over its competitors. Secondly the alliances of eBay (e.g. with MercadoLibre.com, the market leader in online auction sites in Latin America) and the acquisitions of large or leading regional competitors could help to establish a favourable position in these countries. Another growth opportunity is the expansion of its current product line. One possibility is to increase the number of existing specialty sites. In the past eBay successfully introduced trading categories (e.g. eBay Motors), which were addressed to a particular product or group of products. As the variety of goods traded is almost infinite, there is enough space for more categories of this kind. Another possibility is the broadening of its pre- and post trade services (e.g. shipping service, escrow service etc.). By increasing the service around the auction eBay is enhancing the convenience in the auction and, which is even more important, it is increasing the customers` feeling of security and trust in its site. The increase in trust is extremely important for acquiring new customers, who until now were reluctant to join eBay because of their concerns about security issues in e-business in general. In this task eBay again could capitalize on its alliances with the leading companies in the various services. A third possibility to broaden its product line is the expansion in other segments of the online auction industry. The initial idea behind eBay was to provide a platform where consumers can trade with others consumers. But lately it has entered also the B2C business by attracting corporate customers like IBM for its services. For the corporate customers eBay with its huge customer base represents an ideal additional distribution channel for products (e.g. discontinued products or excess inventory), which could not be sold profitably elsewhere. As we will see in the last section of the SWOT analysis, this kind of expansion can also pose a threat on eBay`s success. Another point is that eBay could use its experience in C2C and B2C in order to also enter the B2B segment. This segment of large ticket items is certainly attractive for eBay, because of the vast amount and the value of products traded in it. A fourth possibility is to diversify into a new industry like the online retailer industry. With the acquisition of Half.com and the introduction of its Buy it now!-feature it has made the initial steps into the online retail business. eBay has gained a lot of knowledge concerning consumer behaviour and has experience in dealing with diverse customers so that it can use these skills in the new industry. This second business segment would be another source of revenue and would decrease its strong dependence on the auction business. One further opportunity for eBay could be the accelerating development of the technological innovations, especially in the mobile business. As the mobile phones and PDA`s etc. become more sophisticated and nowadays already have access to the Internet, the wireless technology offers an additional way of reaching current and new customers. Threats: As the online auction model, especially in the C2C segment, is easy to imitate, there is a permanent threat of new competitors. Online retailers (e.g. Amazon) and other Internet companies are diversifying into the auction market. While most entrants where not successful, one new competitor (uBid) could gain a considerable market share of 15% (of the online auction revenue) within a short time. If new entrants, who have enough financial recourses or who are ready to sacrifice profits, start a price war (by lowering the fees or by offering services for free) in order to win customers then eBay would face substantial losses in this competition. Furthermore, traditional auction houses begin to set up websites and brick-and-mortar retailers try to sell their products over the Internet. Another major threat could be eBay`s expansion in the B2C segment. On the one hand, this segment is very profitable and it is necessary to serve it in order to support future growth. On the other hand small er customers, especially the sellers are threatened by the presence of corporatism, who intensify the competition in the auction. These smaller sellers are afraid of being overlooked among the mass of products offered by corporate sellers. More and more customers express the concern that eBay is being sold out by cooperating with corporatism and that it would slowly lose its neutrality as a marketplace. With its move into the B2C segment eBay could lose the trust of its smaller customers and with it the community spirit, which were the driving forces of its success. Competitors who are aware of this problem can steal the frustrated customers away from eBay or offer auction sites, which focus on the specific needs of different customer segments. There is still a problem concerning the security issue. Even though eBay has installed features like SafeHarbor and the feedback forum to avoid frauds and other illegal activities, the security at online auctions is still not sufficient. Moreover, eBay is still exposed to system outages and attacks by hackers. These problems are not expected to be completely solved in near future. One big threat is the rapid expansion of eBay itself. By moving so fast into news countries and new business segments, problems of coordination and management of these diverse activities could emerge. Especially in its geographic expansion, eBay is facing different legal systems and competitive environments, which could be difficult to deal with. Conclusion: It appears that the strengths of eBay overweigh its weaknesses. It has a market share and a customer base, which cannot be achieved by any current competitor in near future. The network externalities in this industry contributes to eBay`s position as a market leader and make it difficult for new competitors to catch up with eBay. It also has a well-known brand and the image of a pioneer in its business. Some weaknesses of eBay are of general nature (e.g. system outages, hacker attacks etc.) and appear also in other Internet companies, so that they are not eBay-specific. The SWOT analysis reveals that eBay has a broad range of opportunities to be successful in the future. eBay has already taken several steps (e.g. geographical expansion, alliances etc.) in order to continue its success in the past. The decreasing trust of its customers and its fading community spirit represent the major threats to eBay. To sum up, due to its various strengths eBay is a favorable position and enjoys significant growth even in times of economic downturns. Competitive strengths analysis of eBay and its rivals indicate that eBay has a competitive advantage or disadvantage? What are the sources of this advantage or disadvantage? EBay is competing in the online auction industry, an industry that is characterized by high growth. The concept of online-auctioning is easy to copy; nonetheless, eBay is still the unchallenged market leader (64% of revenues in 2001), with the second company following far behind (uBid, 15%). There are various reasons for the competitive advantage of eBay. The most important factors that contributed to eBay`s competitive advantage over its rivals can be traced back to its foundation. Pierre Omidyarà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s vision of a community like efficient online-market place on which people could trade in a peer-to-peer manner, turned out to be very fruitful, as well as his experience in the IT-sector. Both qualities have remained substantial elements of eBay`s business model. The company was founded in the bay of San Francisco and initially focused on the people living there (thats where the name eBay comes from). This location was decisive for its success, too: only in a place near to the most innovative IT-Cluster of the world, Silicon Valley, this business could be established that early. People were open for this kind of technologies earlier than in other locations, and professionals working in IT could be found easily. Additionally, the community spirit that Omidyar wanted, and that is needed for trust base of person-to-person trade, cou ld be found in the tolerant atmosphere prone to the San Francisco Bay Area. eBay`s service was new, and word of mouth spread quickly, so soon it had a critical mass of participants for an auction. This enabled them to make use of network externalities. The self-reinforcing loop of network externalities assured them a steadily growing user community and market leadership. Apart from this, eBay gained from this early foundation by being able to collect more experiences in this industry than their competitors are. eBay`s constant evaluation of service improved techniques belonging to the auction-process (e.g. their Feedback system or automatic bidding) as well as IT for handling a broad audience. They frequently asked customers for feedback, thus keeping in touch with the community and being able to adjust service to its needs. The revenues created by the network externalities after acquiring a critical mass of customers gave them more capital, than most of their competitors had. eBay was able to hire qualified leading personal, to enable a high standard of IT and to finance far reaching marketing efforts, that further increased their competitive advantage. In conclusion eBay`s main advantage is their big customer base that results in a huge product variety and attractive prices. It is very hard for competitors to offer services that compensate customers for not having as many trading partners as eBay can offer them. The company keeps this advantage, by strategically focusing on its core competence, personalized C2C online auctions.

Hobbes and Locke on the Evolution of the Civil Society Term Paper

Hobbes and Locke on the Evolution of the Civil Society - Term Paper Example Their views are important for international political thought, because they influenced present international political economy theories and helped paved the debate on political ideology, particularly shaping the discourse on the concept of â€Å"civil society† and the rise of nation-states vis-a-vis â€Å"civil society.† Locke and Hobbes have diverging views on the relationship between the government and civil society, as well as the notions of slavery, sovereignty, direction of international politics, and peace, but they share somewhat similar beliefs in the role of education and the state of nature of humanity. Locke and Hobbes have diverging views on the relationship between the government and civil society. Hobbes believes that Europe has changed as a civil society through the evolution of the social contract. The Commonwealth only exists because of the Covenant between the people and the government or the state. Hobbes says in the Leviathan: â€Å"Essence of the C ommon-wealth; which (to define it) is ‘One Person, of whose Acts a great Multitude, by mutual Covenants one with another, have made themselves every one the Author, to the end he may use the strength and means of them all, as he shall think expedient, for their Peace and Common Defense.’† This statement shows that the main goal of the government is to ensure peace and national defense. The covenant or social contract, however, for Hobbes is absolute, where the state incorporates the wills of the individuals; the state is the body and individuals are just parts of it: â€Å"The only way to erect such a Common Power† is â€Å"to confer all their power and strength upon one Man, or upon one Assembly of men, that may reduce all their Wills, by plurality of voices, unto one Will† (Hobbes). This statement underscores that the social contract binds all individuals. On the one hand, it enforces plurality of wills. On the other hand, it means the precedence o f the state over civil society. Locke confirms the same views as Hobbes and argues that Europe also changed because of the need for the social contract. Unlike Hobbes, Locke believes that people take part of social contracts merely to help adjudicate disputes between individuals or groups. He says: â€Å"And this is done, where-ever any number of men, in the state of nature, enter into society to make one people, one body politic, under one supreme government†¦to make laws for him, as the public good of the society shall require†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Locke, Two Treatises on Government). From here, it is clear that Locke believes that it is the people or civil society that legitimizes the state; while for Hobbes, it is the government that legitimizes the existence of a peaceful civil society. My criticism of Hobbes is that he overlooks that the people make the government. The social contract binds the people, but the people can unbind some laws too in order to make the contract fit th eir changing needs and issues. I agree more with Locke, who reminds governments of their servitude to the civil society. It does not mean, however, that the civil society will also abuse its rights and fully void the social contract without due justifications. Locke and Hobbes diverge on the notion of sovereignty. Locke argues that civil society precedes the state. For him, it is society that provides the state its essential source of legitimacy. He contends that when the rulers fail to encourage interests, independence,

IRIS Module FBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IRIS Module FBA - Essay Example I think the function of Kira’s behavior is to bring an interruption to the teacher’s lesson. She answers during the class and makes her classmates laugh. By doing this, she aims at capturing their attention instead of the students listening to the teacher. Sensory Simulation and having a quiet time help Nigel in maintaining his behavior. He feels comfortable by being alone. We can implement an intervention that can help decrease the problem behavior once we identify the function of maintaining the behavior. This intervention did not work well with Nigel. If I were the teacher, I would stop using such kind of intervention. The graph shows increased inappropriate behavior. I would immediately stop the intervention, but if I have a modification to it, I would try it. To identify if the plan is working, the team uses intervention data analysis. This analysis also helps the team to determine whether they need to make any changes. Two factors can help me in knowing if the intervention was unsuccessful. First, the intervention was not effective because the desired behavior did not increase while the undesired behavior increased. Second, to determine success of the intervention, the team will compare the intervention data and the baseline data. The intervention is unsuccessful if the undesired behavior does not improve. The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (n.d.). Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Problem Behavior and Developing a Behavior Plan. Retrieved on 8/1/10, from

Lawsuite against Target- court cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lawsuite against Target- court cases - Essay Example unds that the charges against it could be dismissed because it was only a nominal defendant, exerting no significant control over the design and manufacture of a defective product. However Tabish filed a motion to remand the case to the Hannepin County District Court. The decision in this case was in support of the Plaintiff. The Court held that Target’s argument that it was a non-manufacturer defendant and therefore entitled to dismissal of the charges against it, would not hold good because Tabish had also filed for damages against implied warranties of fitness and mercantibility. Dismissal is required only in cases where the suit is filed on the basis of only strict liability claims. As a result, the ruling of the Court effectively held that the charges against Target would not be dismissed and Target remained a viable defendant rather than a nominal party and Tabish was entitled to seek relief from Target. Kenneth Tabish, Plaintiff, v. Target Corporation, Huffy Corporation, Impact Resource Group, Inc., National Product Services Acquisition Corporation, and John Does I-X, Defendants.Civ. No. 07-2303 (RHK/JSM) CORE TERMS: bicycle, removal, nominal, amount in controversy, manufacturer, strict-liability, in-state, defective product, subject to dismissal, non-manufacturer, implied-warranty, contravened, diversity, removable, diversity jurisdiction, principal place of business, front For Impact Resource Group, Inc., an Ohio Corporation, National Product Services Acquisition Corporation, a Delaware Corporation, Defendants: Jessica R Wymore , LEAD ATTORNEY, Stich, Angell, Kreidler & Dodge, P.A., Mpls, MN US. Plaintiff Kenneth Tabish commenced this personal-injury action in Minnesota state court   [*2]  against (among others) Huffy Corporation ("Huffy") and Target Corporation ("Target"), the manufacturer and distributor, respectively, of an allegedly defective bicycle. Target removed the action to this Court on May 15, 2007, asserting diversity jurisdiction.

Animals for food and clothing | Debate

Animals for food and clothing | Debate Living things throughout the world have been abused by loved ones and strangers for no reason at all. Abuse has been apart of our world for as long as we can remember. It is a common thing to hear about in the news and is something that should not be so common. There are many types of abuse in the world, such as emotional, physical, and verbal. It is common to think that only humans suffer from those types of abuse but it is not exactly true. Animals in this world suffer from emotional, verbal, and physical abuse just as much as humans do. It is even safe to say that in some cases they suffer much more then humans do from the abuse they deal with. One thing that humans have over animals when it comes to abuse is the ability to ask for help. Humans can ask family members, or any one else to help them get through the abuse they are dealt with. Animals, on the other hand, have no way to communicate and to ask for help. They have to put up what they dealt with which is truly upsetting an d wrong. This paper is designed to broaden ones perspective on the things animal go through when being raised for food, clothing, and in slaughterhouses. It is also designed to explain how places such as factory farms pollute the world. A. Animals Raised for Food Throughout time animals have been seen as companions and a source of food. The only hope of survival for many, especially in the winter, was to eat meat. Meat gave them protein and was a source of food that was always readily available to be hunted. The days of animals being hunted in their natural environment for food are long gone. For the purpose of this paper it is important to understand how animals were killed for food back in the day and now. Animals are going from living in the wild the way they want to before being killed for food to being mutilated and treated poorly so that the best piece of meat can be obtained. Raising animals for food has become a cruel and wrongful event. These animals are put on special diets where they do not get all the nutrients they need to survive. They are neglected and mutilated. They are genetically manipulated, and put on drugs that cause chronic pain and crippling. These animals live in broken down, disease-ridden and filthy sheds. They live in such confined areas that it is impossible to move or get comfortable. They have to travel long distances in any kind of weather imaginable to get to the slaughterhouses. They have to travel these gruesome trips without food or water because it is too much trouble for the owner of the factory farms to supply food and water for the animals before they die (PETA). Cows are one of the animals that are killed most often for their meat. Dairy cows, for example, have to deal with being pregnant for their whole life so that they will always be able to produce milk. They have to basically go through a never ending cycle of being pregnant and giving birth. They are kept chained to the barn stall for the entire time that they are able to give milk. Once they are emptied of all their milk they are sent to the slaughterhouse so that their meat can be used for hamburgers (Global Action Network). Calves have a different fate. Veal calves have the worst life of them all. They have to stand in a 22 by 54 crate which is their permanent home. In this cage they cannot turn around or lay down. The purpose of these crates is to prevent movement so that the calfs muscles are tender. The more tender the muscles, the more gourmet the veal is. These calves are also put on special diets. They are fed milk substitutes that do not contain iron or other essential vitami ns. Up to fourteen weeks after birth these calves are slaughtered and the veal is sent to stores so we can eat it(veal: a cruel meal). Horses are an animal that we humans would never think would be abused for food. Yet people around the world are taking an animal that is meant to be a companion to humans and slaughtering them for their meat. In the United States of America (USA) it is against the law in most states to slaughter horses, but there is still some states that are allowed to do it, Texas and Illinois are examples. These horses are kept in extreme conditions and not cared about. They are sent to the slaughterhouses in trailers that should fit four horses but are stuffed with so many more. The horse meat is used for humans to eat, and is used in dog food. Horses also used to be killed to be used to make glue. Most of the people that live in the areas where slaughtering horses is legal think it is wrong to murder horses and do not want to take part in it. They also find that eating horse meat is repulsive and just wrong (SHARK). In Canada today there is about 18 million pigs being raised for pork. Sows, which are mother pigs, live a life like those of a dairy cow. They endure constant pregnancies and births, reaching a number of about 8 to 10 births in their life time. They live their entire life in farrowing crates which are just bigger then them and that have no bedding. They live on a concrete floor and have to deal with birth and pregnancy on that cold dirty floor. The piglets live in the farrowing crates for 2 weeks then are moved to a feeder pen. Some of the piglets, about 15%, die off due to the poor living conditions they have to deal with. The others are sent to be castrated and have their tails cut off, teeth ground, and ears notched, which is all done without any pain medicine used. The piglets live in stalls that have manure pits underneath them; this means they are basically living in their own feces for their entire life. They live up to they reach market weight which is 250 pounds and then are shipped to slaughterhouses (Global Action Network). Chickens are also commonly raised for food and by-products. Chickens raised for eggs are kept in wired cages measuring 40cm by 45 cm. These cages are not just to hold one chicken, but up to six chickens. The lack of space prevents the chickens from doing anything such as moving or stretching out their wings. Due to the conditions they live in, 1 in 5 chickens die. The other hens are killed after close to 2 years. Broiler chickens live in dark sheds that are extremely crowded. Living in these conditions cause most of the chickens to have hysteria, which causes stampeding and suffocation. The stress the chickens are put under can even bring upon cannibalism. These chickens go through this life for a few years before being sent to the slaughterhouses. (global action network) B. Animals Raised for Clothing Animals have been used for clothing for as long as one can remember. The pioneers of this nation once hunted and killed animals but when they did this they used every part of the animal possible. They ate the meat and they took the fur and used it to make clothing so that they could stay warm. It is important to understand that those days are sadly over. Now animals are being raised just for the purpose of their furs and/or leathers. Millions of animals are killed every year for the clothing industry (PETA). These animals endure great suffering so humans can have that nice leather jacket or fur coat to wear. Fur farms are not a four star place for animals. The animals are kept in wire cages with four to five animals in each cage. These animals live in filthy cages and live lives not much better then those that live in factory farms. The owners of these fur farms do not want to put much money into them. They tend to want to keep the money for themselves and leave all the barns to ruin and fall apart. They also tend to pick the cheapest and cruellest ways to murder the animals for their fur (PETA). There are many fur farms in Canada that have been around since the beginning of the 1900s. These farms raise fox, mink, racoon, marten, and lynx. (Canadian Encyclopedia). Canadian fur farms have to operate under certain Codes of Practice developed by the Provincial and Federal Government. (appendix) (candianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The most common and valuable Canadian fur bearer is the mink (The Canadian Encyclopaedia). The mink is a member of the weasel family and was first raised in the Canada during 1866-67 (Canadian Encyc. P.1). Mink are aggressive and have to be held with a certain care because they tend to bite often and have thick leather mitts. At first the mink are housed in wire cages with two or three of them per cage. Once they become adults they are housed one mink per cage (ency p.2). These minks are properly fed their meat based diets and also the vitamins the need to survive (Ency. P. 3). They also receive proper bedding and nesting to survive (ency. P.4). When the time comes the mink are killed by carbon monoxide poisoning and then skinned for their furs. This type of practice, where the animal is given some dignity, is only given in Canada and not all animals are as lucky. Animals in China are not so lucky. Most of the fur that is found in stores comes from Chinese fur farms due to the fact that China is one of the largest distributers of furs. Back in 2005, an investigation was done by the Human Society International in the Hebei province of Eastern China. The investigation by the Human Society International (2005) brought about the following evidence Investigators witnessed a significant number of animals that were still alive when the skinning process began-starting with a knife at the rear of the belly and ending with the fur being pulled over the animals head. After the skin was removed, investigators taped animals being thrown on a pile of other carcasses. These animals were still breathing, had a heartbeat, and continued moving and blinking for between five to ten minutes after their skin had been ripped from their bodies. Before these animals even go through the skinning process they are forced to live in cramped cages with more then one animal in each cage. These cages are tiny enough and the more animals that are in it the more anxiety that builds up in the animals. They pace, nod, and circle their heads in such a way that shows they are helpless and scared.(human international). These animals are forced to live outdoors in all types of weather conditions. The mothers that give birth often kill their litters before they have the chance to live the life that she is going through.(PETA) Leather is one of the most common clothing elements that all humans have. Leather made in Canada and the USA is made in conditions that are healthier for the animals then the farms in India. India is a larger supplier of the worlds leather. Cows in India go through the process of having their throats cut and the skin ripped off their bodies while still alive (PETA). Leather is not a by-product of cows. It is a way of adding to the value of a dead animal at the slaughterhouse and adds support to the industry.(animal equality). Humans do not really understand how much leather is apart of their lives and the pain and anguish that the cows go through to give them that leather, if it is from India that is. Wool is another common element used in clothing from animals. Most people think that the wool from sheep is obtained by shaving the sheep down. That is the proper safe and proper way to take care of the sheep and get the wool but is only done in countries such as Canada. Most of the wool that is used in clothing is from countries such as Australia. The domestically raised sheep are bred in such a way to allow them to produce more wool then needed which causes illness to the sheep (animal equality). The sheep then undergo mulesing which is a form of shearing that causes large amounts of skin and flesh to come off the body with the wool. This is all done without the presence of pain killers for them. These sheep are packed onto ships to from Australia to places such as East India. If they survive the voyage they are dragged off the trucks by their ears and legs and beaten until they dead and then skinned for their wool. (PETA) C. Slaughterhouses The slaughterhouse is the last stop on the journey of life for an animal being raised for food and clothing. It is the end to their suffering in some ways but brings upon a horrific experience for them as well. The animals that painfully made it through the hardships in the factory/fur farms and then the journey to the slaughterhouse without food or water are dealt their last leg here. They go through being skinned and dismembered alive so that their meat and furs can be sold for human use. Slaughterhouses pick the easiest and cheapest ways to kill the animals. These ways include suffocation, electrocution, slicing of throats, and beating. After they go through these methods they are then hung upside down so that all the blood can drain out of their bodies, this is sometimes done even when the animal is still alive. Slaughterhouses have employees quitting left and right because the conditions are so bad and they dont want to torture the animals like that. Because of this there are lo w-paid workers with no experience at all killing the animals. This means the animals are going through more pain then ever because the employees do not clearly know what they are doing (Global Action Network). D. Pollution Caused by Factor Farms Factory farms do a great deals harm on the environment and communities surrounding them. Due to living in small confined areas and having so much live stock in one barn the owners do not want to clean our the manure caused by the animals. Therefore it is funnelled down below into a holding tank until emptied. These holding tanks are usually poorly made and break often leaking the feces into the water system which then harms the citizens in the neighbouring townships (NRDC para1). These factory farms also emit harmful gasses, such as ammonia, into the air so that surrounding townships breathe it in. Factory farms emit greenhouse gasses into the air which cause the ozone to deteriorate and put harm on the whole world. It has been found that towns around factory farms have shown an increase in chronic sickness, brain damage, cancer, poisoned waterways, and death plagues. In conclusion, there is so much that needs to be done to help stop and prevent the terrible things that animals have to go through. It is understandable to wear leather shoes or eat meat but there is an alternative to everything. Having two days a week where meat is cut out of daily meals saves a few more animals and brings down the pollutants released into the atmosphere. Even getting furs and leathers from places such as in Canada where the animal is treated with the dignity they deserve is a step up. When purchasing meats and clothing made from animals be sure to read the labels and know where you are getting it from before purchasing it. Humans can ask for help when being abused, animals cannot. Just looking into what you purchase to make sure the animal was treated with dignity is giving a voice to that animal who could not speak for itself and making a difference. Antigone and The House of The Spirits | Analysis Antigone and The House of The Spirits | Analysis An analysis of the portrayal of social conflicts and political conflicts in Antigone and The House of The Spirits. A conflict is a dispute between thoughts, ideas, principles or people that arises from a difference of opinions. It has been seen throughout the history of this world that there have always been political conflicts and social conflicts amongst people to bring a change in their lives or nation. This is partly the reason why many authors have portrayed political and social conflicts in their books for example in The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Antigone by Sophocles. In this essay my aim is to explore how political and social conflicts characterize and develop the themes of both the books. Starting with the book The House of the Spirits, we can clearly see from the beginning that there is a struggle between social classes for example we see conflicts between the patrà ³n and the peasants of Tres Marà ­as since the patrà ³n thinks the peasants are not worth anything and cannot take responsibility of any work. This is shown when Esteban once says, What they dont realize is that poor people are completely ignorant and uneducated. Theyre like children, they cant handle responsibility. How could they know whats best for them? (The House of the Spirits Society and Class quotes) This shows us that there was a social conflict between the two classes namely, the upper class and the lower class. This kind of social conflict was mainly brought out by the author in the book through omniscient narration where the author communicated to the reader about the thoughts and feelings of the characters at a certain point in time. This helped us to understand the feelings and views of t he character better. Another social conflict was Trueba family versus the Garcia family. This conflict is brought out as the cycle of violence in the book. As it is seen in the book that the patrà ³n rapes Pancha Garcia whose grandson rapes the granddaughter of Esteban. This is shown when Alba says; Afterward the grandson of the woman who was raped repeats the geture with the granddaughter of the rapist, and perhaps forty years from now my grandson will knock Garcias granddaughter (Allende) We also see the portrayal of social conflicts in Antigone through the clashes between the family members that is to say the family conflicts. As we know they are differences in opinions between Antigone and her sister, Ismene and also between Antigone and Creon. We also see clashes between Creon and his son Haemon. Firstly the conflict between Antigone and Ismene brought out two contrasting women of that time. Ismene who was portrayed by the author as an ideal woman of that time and while Antigone was portrayed as the exact opposite of Ismene. This can be shown in one of the dialogues where Ismene says, If we break the law and die for it, Our shame will last forever. Women are not made to battle men. (Sophocles) To which Antigone responds by saying, Youve made your choice but I will bury him, And I will welcome death in doing it. (Sophocles) From this we can clearly see that Ismene is timid and is scared to break the laws made by the men who she thinks are superior to her. Whereas Antigone is of an assertive nature and is not scared to break the laws so as to obey the gods and respect the dead. The conflict between Ismene and Antigone was brought out through the structure of the dialogues. Throughout the argument we mostly see long speeches from Antigone while Ismene just speaks her point in one line. This shows us that Antigone was confident of her stand and was not going to back out of her plan but on the other hand Ismene was not interested with what Antigone said and thought she inferior and therefore should not break the law. Likewise we are also aware of another family conflict between Creon and his son Haemon. Haemon who wanted to save Antigone but is opposed by his father Creon and I think this conflict foreshadows the death of Haemon in the play and also it brings pot the theme of love since Haemon goes against his father to save her life. The foreshadowing of Haemons death is brought out through the following quotes in Antigone, Creon: She will die before you marry her. Haemon: If she must die, she will not die alone. (Sophocles) This shows us that Haemon was actually threatening his father, Creon that if he killed Antigone then he would kill himself. According to me the result of this conflict was actually the death of Antigone and eventually Haemon. This is shown when Creon says; Enough. No words. Youll pay for taunting me. Bring her out. Bring the woman here. The bridegroom waits for her to stand beside him. Here she will stand. To die. And we will let you watch. (Sophocles) I believe Creon at that point was angered by Haemon and decided to punish Antigone as soon as possible which eventually also led to the death of Haemon as a result of the conflict. Furthermore there was another social conflict in Antigone which was the dispute between Antigone and Creon. According to me this conflict brought out theme of male chauvinism since Creon couldnt admit that a woman had broken the law and was going against the men. Also I think this conflict brought out the fight between the laws made by Creon and the laws of god. This can be seen in the play when Antigone says; Your law. Not the sacred law. The gods. That rule among the dead have issued no Such proclamation. A man cannot erase The laws unwritten. Cannot change the unchanging (Sophocles) Similarly there is a portrayal of a male chauvinist environment in The House of the Spirits which also brings out a social conflict. As we all know that Nivea used to hold rallies with other fellow women to fight for the right of women. The fact that it was a male chauvinist environment is be proved when Fà ©rula say in the book that, I would like to have been born a man, so I could leave too (Allende) The portrayal of this conflict (male chauvinism) in both books brings out two similar characters in both books and they are Creon and Esteban Trueba. They both believe that women are supposed to look after the house and raise children and should not be include in the so called matters of the men. The authors of both books bring out this conflict through the use of strong emotive language for example; Creon: If I must fall, a man will bring me down, Let no one say, Creon gave his power to a woman (Sophocles) Sophocles brings out strong emotions of Creon through this quote and it shows us that Creon cannot accept defeat from a woman. Their where also political conflicts in both books for example the use of in Antigone the brothers of Antigone died while fighting with each other for power. Also in The House of the Spirits we see a lot of attention drawn towards political conflicts. In The House of the Spirits we see a political conflict between the Conservative party and the socialist. The writer seems to bring out the coup dà ©tat that took place in Chile through this conflict. Political conflicts in The House of the Spirits begin to appear in the second chapter and soon take the central plot in the book. (The House of the Spirits Theme of Politics) The political conflicts in the House of the Spirits were sometimes in the book brought out through the songs of Pedro Tercero for example the song of the hens getting united to defeat the fox which Pedro Tercero used to sing to tell people of Tres Marà ­as. He used this song to explain to the people the power unity has; If the hens can overcome the fox, what about human beings? (Allende) I think the political conflicts in The House of the Spirits led to the family conflicts in the Trueba family because we see Jamie and Alba supporting the socialists and going against their father Esteban. This can be seen when Jamie says, The socialists are going to win (Allende) even after knowing that his father is in full support for the conservative party. In the same way the thirst for power goes back many centuries and can also be seen in Sophocles book Antigone which starts with a background of two brothers dying for power. This brings out the theme of death from the beginning and somehow this foreshadows the tragic end to the lives of the characters in Antigone. According to me another political dilemma was that Creon had to choose between his family members and his political duty. But it can also be argued that Creon was arrogant to accept his mistake and welcome the law of the gods but instead he did not do that and made it a man versus a woman quarrel. Creons arrogance can be shown when he says; Then join them there and love them both in hell. No woman rules this kingdom while I live To sum up I think political and social conflicts both lead to families falling apart in both books and resumes the cycle of violence in both books which bring out the theme of death in both books.

Indian Boarding School Essay -- essays research papers

"Compressed emotions," that is the explanation a teacher once gave to the ongoing question, "What is poetry?" He said it was someone's deepest emotions, as if you were reading them right out of that person's mind, which in that case would not consist of any words at all. If someone tells you a story, it is usually like a shell. Rarely are all of the deepest and most personal emotions revealed effectively. A poem of that story would be like the inside of the shell. It personifies situations, and symbolizes and compares emotions with other things in life. Louise Erdrich's poem Indian Boarding School puts the emotions of a person or group of people in a setting around a railroad track. The feelings experienced are compared to things from the setting, which takes on human characteristics. Louise Erdrich was born part German, part American Indian. Since the title and other references in the poem refer to Indian people, it is most likely that this poem was very personal to her. The boarding school may have been a real place she went to, or where mistreatment of her people was not uncommon, or it could simply be a tool she used to express racism towards them in general. With that fact, the reader must remember that although the words are from the runaways' point of view, there are not necessarily any real runaways. From the point of view at which this is told, the runaways are eager to find their way home. They do not necessarily really try to runaway, it may just be in their fantasies, "Home's the place we head for in our sleep." (line 1). The first use of personification is in the line, "The rails, old lacerations that we love,"(line 4). It is not yet quite clear why Erdrich would compare the train tracks with old lacerations until the lines, "shoot parallel across the face and break just under the Turtle Mountains." (lines 5-6). Mountains are definite things that are physical in nature. Train tracks on a face are hard to imagine, so it leads us to believe it has some deeper meaning. This reveals that the children want to run away from the boarding school for more serious matters than just good old home-sickness. The "old lacerations" may represent wounds on their own faces, internal or external. Visually, train tracks look like wounds that were stitche d and scarred. The Turtle Mountains must relate ... ...d when it dried. That was the time when they remembered "delicate" injuries. Injuries that a child gets while playing or falling, not from bigotry or violence. Now those things are only memories. It is very likely that Louise Erdrich experienced some kind of racism or prejudice in her lifetime. Segregation laws were still in use while she was growing up in the fifties, and in the sixties, many of the same people still felt racist, with or without the laws. Boarding schools were not an exception to this fact either. School authorities probably did take advantage of the fact that boarding schools are away from home and not under the watchful eye of any parent. This poem demonstrates the truth of what it really felt and feels like to have lived through such bad treatment. It is disturbing to think that instead of just learning at school, Louise Erdrich, amongst other children, may have learned what it felt like to be hated. At such early ages, they taught these children that the way they were treated was how the world was supposed to be. It displays the painful scars embedded so deeply into a child, from a time that should have been the most nurturing part of his/her life. Indian Boarding School Essay -- essays research papers "Compressed emotions," that is the explanation a teacher once gave to the ongoing question, "What is poetry?" He said it was someone's deepest emotions, as if you were reading them right out of that person's mind, which in that case would not consist of any words at all. If someone tells you a story, it is usually like a shell. Rarely are all of the deepest and most personal emotions revealed effectively. A poem of that story would be like the inside of the shell. It personifies situations, and symbolizes and compares emotions with other things in life. Louise Erdrich's poem Indian Boarding School puts the emotions of a person or group of people in a setting around a railroad track. The feelings experienced are compared to things from the setting, which takes on human characteristics. Louise Erdrich was born part German, part American Indian. Since the title and other references in the poem refer to Indian people, it is most likely that this poem was very personal to her. The boarding school may have been a real place she went to, or where mistreatment of her people was not uncommon, or it could simply be a tool she used to express racism towards them in general. With that fact, the reader must remember that although the words are from the runaways' point of view, there are not necessarily any real runaways. From the point of view at which this is told, the runaways are eager to find their way home. They do not necessarily really try to runaway, it may just be in their fantasies, "Home's the place we head for in our sleep." (line 1). The first use of personification is in the line, "The rails, old lacerations that we love,"(line 4). It is not yet quite clear why Erdrich would compare the train tracks with old lacerations until the lines, "shoot parallel across the face and break just under the Turtle Mountains." (lines 5-6). Mountains are definite things that are physical in nature. Train tracks on a face are hard to imagine, so it leads us to believe it has some deeper meaning. This reveals that the children want to run away from the boarding school for more serious matters than just good old home-sickness. The "old lacerations" may represent wounds on their own faces, internal or external. Visually, train tracks look like wounds that were stitche d and scarred. The Turtle Mountains must relate ... ...d when it dried. That was the time when they remembered "delicate" injuries. Injuries that a child gets while playing or falling, not from bigotry or violence. Now those things are only memories. It is very likely that Louise Erdrich experienced some kind of racism or prejudice in her lifetime. Segregation laws were still in use while she was growing up in the fifties, and in the sixties, many of the same people still felt racist, with or without the laws. Boarding schools were not an exception to this fact either. School authorities probably did take advantage of the fact that boarding schools are away from home and not under the watchful eye of any parent. This poem demonstrates the truth of what it really felt and feels like to have lived through such bad treatment. It is disturbing to think that instead of just learning at school, Louise Erdrich, amongst other children, may have learned what it felt like to be hated. At such early ages, they taught these children that the way they were treated was how the world was supposed to be. It displays the painful scars embedded so deeply into a child, from a time that should have been the most nurturing part of his/her life.

Economic Inequality and African American Kids Essay

Throughout the short story â€Å"The Lesson,† Toni Cade Bambara uses a first person writing style, as well as specific characters to emphasize her ideas, and further prove her point. Bambara illustrates what it is like for African American kids growing up, and the overall issue of class, and inequality that African Americans are still facing today. The author successfully states her claim, and by writing in first person, through the character Sylvia, the reader can make a more in depth analysis of the thoughts, behaviors, and interactions of inner city African American kids. Sylvia, the narrator in this story, reveals the true nature of a kid growing up. Sylvia is often found going off topic, making grammar and spelling errors, and complaining with inappropriate language. Within the first paragraph the reader finds Sylvia complaining and swearing about her new neighbor, Miss Moore. Sylvia even goes of topic enough to compare Miss Moore to a garbage man. When describing the setting in the second paragraph, Sylvia states that it is â€Å"puredee hot. † It is obvious that she made a grammatical error, in which she meant â€Å"pretty hot. † Though it may seem strange for grammar errors, and irrelevant stories being told, it further emphasizes that Sylvia is an ordinary inner city kid, with a lack of discipline, and education. Miss Moore decides to have a teaching moment with the kids about the social inequality and uneven distribution of wealth. She proclaims to the kids that the live in poverty, and that they are in the slums of society. Sylvia in her own thoughts does not agree with Miss Moore’s statement. So Miss Moore decides to take Sylvia and several of her friends to a toy store further out of town. When the children enter the store, they quickly find out that everything is out of their price range, so they move onto another store. This is when more is revealed about Sylvia. When she reaches the entrance of the next toy store, she hesitates to go in. It’s at this time she feels shy and shameful about going into this toy store. This is considered the turning point in the story, in which Sylvia is beginning to realize that she does live in poverty, and that many others are more fortunate than she is. Though she knows she has the right to enter the toy store, she feels as if she doesn’t belong here, and she does not feel welcomed. But in the last sentence in the story, Sylvia states â€Å"But ain’t nobody gunna beat me at nothing. † This is Sylvia’s claim that she will not stay in the lower end society, and that she is not going to leapt her class be a barrier. This is exactly â€Å"The Lesson† that Miss Moore is trying to teach. She is suggesting that just because there is an equality of race, does not mean that there is an equality of class. And though it may seem that â€Å"The Lesson† is directed towards Sylvia and the other children, the real lesson is being direct towards the audience. This is a successful attempt by the author to make greater awareness of uneven distribution of social classes. In conclusion, Sylvia is depicted as a young undereducated African American who is exposed to a whole other spectrum of the social ladder. When this occurs she feels unwelcome in this higher end society, and is shy and shameful. It is at this time she realizes that she does live in poverty, and that she will not be held back because of it. Toni Bambara used the character Sylvia to spread her ideas about the differences found in social classes. Though it may have seemed as if Sylvia was the one receiving â€Å"The Lesson,† the audience is actually the one being taught.

My Mom is My Hero Essays

My Mom is My Hero Essays My Mom is My Hero Essay My Mom is My Hero Essay Essay on My Mother Where would I have been without you mother? Destiny gives us opportunities to meet new people in our lives. Each one bringing a unique flavor, molding us into what we will become. There is always that one person who will walk in when the rest of the world walks out, the person that wont sleep if I dont sleep, the person that will run up and down looking for something for me to eat, the person that will pray to God to take her life instead of mine when I am sick: my sweet mother. A mother of eight, a woman shaped with strength, wisdom, experience, honesty, faithfulness, a caring wife and mother. She gathers from her soil, minerals and natural resources and equipped her children for survival. Her life of honesty, wisdom and strength inspires me with confidence and great motivation to achieve success. My mother: a woman from Abaft, a land with exotic beaches equipped with Ana blue waters and surrounded by anchors of Joy and laughter which enveloped you in the rhythm of its music and the sensational taste of its food that left you craving more. My mother, a mi-light skin tone, flawless skin, a narrow, not so much fat facial shape, plump lips, dark brown eyes with thick eyelashes, high cheekbones, a straight, narrow nose, a big booty and a long straight hair extending to her cheeks. Her life was full of misfortune and unexpected troubles following her divorce to my dad. They divorced in the year 2000 because the beauty of another woman charmed my dad. At this time, I was Just two years old and had no clue as to what was going on. I was Just another unfortunate product of an unsuccessful marriage; Just another case to be brought up by a single woman whose Joy had always been my pain. Because I knew deep in my heart, she did not deserve what had been done to her by the forces of this world. After the divorce, my misery began. I was sent to live with my uncle and his family because I was the only son and my dad wanted to protect me. He needed an heir according to our rich strong values, which said: a man is a man if he has an heir to his throne and must be a male child. While at my uncles house, I was treated like an orphan. My uncles wife had always wished that, my fathers wealth were her husbands. She used this as an opportunity to release her build up Jealousy. The worst of it all was when she started calling my mother names saying, mirror mother is a lazy woman, a prostitute, a careless and unfaithful woman. She was mean to me because she wanted my fathers wealth to be her husbands. Imagine at the age of three; a child had to go through all that. Now as I think about it, I realized she taught me: patience and how to survive in hardship. A week after my uncles wife called my mom names, I was her next victim. She took me to the farm and showed my own portion and a time limit to work on it or else there will be no food and place for me in ere house. She then went to the market and bought new water Jars and commanded water. In addition to that, I had to check my uncles traps every morning. After a year of intense domestic chores, I got sick and needed medical attention which never came. I nursed the abscess for months which later on lead to a big scare. This scare reminds me of the hardship I received from my own uncles wife, a human and a woman who is still giving birth, not knowing what will happen with her own children. The wound later exposed me to other diseases that were unknown to the doctors and even to me. I was in real pain and no one in my uncles house really paid attention to me. I was left uncared for, abandoned as though I had no family. It was a Good Samaritan that heard my cry, who shared my pain and look for possible avenues I could get help. It was a radio announcement by this Good Samaritan that I am able to be here today. She called and informs my mom about my condition. Two days later, I felt the arms and warm embrace of a true woman, a loving and caring mother. It was not easy coming over because she was not working at the moment and could barely afford the cost of transportation to where I was. But when it came to me, the case was far different. She sold her clothes, Jewelries, and other valuable belongings she had owned for years. When she arrived, she was directed to my cold and lonely room, no lights and no mattress. I was laid on a wooden floor; no clothes, no food, no water and above all no medication to even help my fever. The room was like a devils den. Tears flow from her eyes like a river, as soon as she walked in. She grabbed me in her soft-gentle hands, soft as the petals of a rose. I felt a new found affection. And this was when my healing began. Taking me back with her to our hometown was a matter of kidnap. My uncle could not let her take me from them and this was the only thing she had in her head. She had a plan and asked me to cooperate. This was what I was willing to do any time any day. She planned on asking my uncle if she could take me for a short walk. With her wisdom and strength, we successfully fled from that den and from that moment, I knew I was going to be healed not by taking medications, but because of the love and affection I will be getting from my sweet mother. To keep me happy and healthy, she used her experience and tried many works for earning: she sold cooked food by the roadside, opened a mint-vegetable store and also leaned houses. This was to see that we survive. Despite the hardships, she never gave up. Unfortunately, she continued to suffer from tons of work to do every day. I remember days where she woke up from 6 am and worked continuously until AMA, in an effort to afford for eight of her young children. She usually ended her day with great fatigue and could not keep her eyes opened as soon as she came back home. One thing I admire about my mother is her positive spirit. In spite of the hardship that we were going through, she was always optimistic about the future, smiling and saying softly in her prayers I know all will be well. She will turn to me and say my boy, when sickness, trouble, sadness and temptation comes your way, you can cry as much as you want but know that you were born to win and I believe you will change my story someday. This has been my motivation; this has been the only phrase that keeps me going every day. We got to my hometown late and I couldnt sleep. I lay in bed trying to get some rest from the stressful Journey, but all I could do was staring at the ceilings. Rather than tossing and turning in bed, I got up and walked the dark- silent hallway, walking restlessly and thinking about what I had gone through, the eve when we practice it. My mother is Just a normal woman like every other in the world. In my world, she is my hero. She sacrifices her life to make me happy; from her is where I got my strength, love and support to go forward in life. Without her by my side, I could not be what I am today. There is one lesson I learned from my mother: We need to give our best in anything we do in life. We need to know and appreciate the people who care about us. For me, my mother is my superhero. I promised her to be boy she sacrifices her life for me to be and I will do anything in the world to keep her happy even in death.

Whelk Facts and Information

Whelk Facts and Information Whelks are snails with beautiful shells. If you see something on the beach that looks like a seashell, its probably the shell of a whelk. There are over 50 species of whelks. Here you can learn about characteristics common to these species. What Does a Whelk Look Like? Whelks have a spiraled shell which varies in size and shape. These animals can vary in size from under an inch in length (shell length) to more than 2 feet. The largest whelk is the trumpet whelk, which grows to over 2 feet. Whelk shells vary in color. Whelks have a muscular foot that they use to move and hold prey. They also have a hard operculum that closes the shells opening and is used for protection. To breathe, whelks have a siphon, a long tube-like organ which is used to bring in oxygenated water. This siphon allows the whelk to burrow in the sand while still getting oxygen. Whelks feed using an organ called the proboscis. The proboscis is made up of the radula, esophagus, and mouth. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: GastropodaOrder: NeogastropodaSuperfamily: BuccinodeaFamily: Buccinidae (true whelks) There are additional species of animals that are called whelks but are in other families. Feeding Whelks are carnivores, and eat crustaceans, mollusks, and worms- they will even eat other whelks. They can drill a hole into the shell of their prey with their radula, or may wrap their foot around the hinged shells of their prey and use their own shell as a wedge to force the shells open, then insert their proboscis into the shell and consume the animal inside. Reproduction Whelks reproduce by sexual reproduction with internal fertilization. Some, like the channeled and knobbed whelks, produce a string of egg capsules that maybe 2-3 feet long, and each capsule has 20-100 eggs inside which hatch into miniature whelks. Waved whelks produce a mass of egg capsules which look like a pile of egg cases. The egg capsule allows the young whelk embryos to develop and provides protection. Once they have developed, the eggs hatch inside the capsule, and the juvenile whelks leave via an opening. Habitat and Distribution The question of where to find a whelk depends upon what species youre looking for. In general, whelks may be found in many parts of the world, and are usually found on sandy or muddy bottoms, from shallow tide pools out to waters several hundred feet deep. Human Uses Whelks are a popular food. People eat the mollusks muscular foot- an example is the Italian dish scungilli, which is made from a whelks foot. These animals are also collected for the seashell trade. They may be caught as bycatch (e.g., in lobster traps), and they may be used as bait to catch other marine life, such as cod. Whelk egg cases may be used as a fishermens soap. The veined rapa whelk is a non-indigenous species that have been introduced into the U.S. The native habitat of these whelks includes waters in the western Pacific Ocean including the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Bohai Sea. These whelks were introduced into the Chesapeake Bay and may cause damage to native species. Sources Conley, C. Whelks. Edible Vineyard. Issue 6, Early Summer 2010.Whelks. Maine Department of Marine Resources.Save the Bay. Whelks.Shimek, R. L. Whelks. Reefkeeping, Vol. 4, No. 10. Nov. 2005.Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Knobbed Whelk.Wilcox, S. The Unknown Life History Characteristics of the Channeled Whelk.

Younger Bus Lines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Younger Bus Lines - Research Paper Example Kelm Company purchased a new machine on October 1, 2008, at a cost of $120,000.The company estimated that the machine will have a salvage value of $12,000. The machine is expected to be used for 10,000 working hours during its 5-year life.Brainiac Company purchased a delivery truck for $30,000 on January 1, 2008. The truck has an expected salvage value of $2,000, and is expected to be driven 100,000 miles over its estimated useful life of 8 years. Actual miles driven were 15,000 in 2008 and 12,000 in 2009.Journalize all entries required on the above dates, including entries to update depreciation, where applicable, on assets disposed of. Ingles Company uses straight-line depreciation. (Assume depreciation is up to date as of December 31, 2007.) (List multiple debit/credit entries in descending order of amount.)Beka Company owns equipment that cost $50,000 when purchased on January 1, 2005. It has been depreciated using the straight-line method based on estimated salvage value of $5,0 00 and an estimated useful life of 5 years.In recent years, Juresic Transportation purchased three used buses. Because of frequent turnover in the accounting department, a different accountant selected the depreciation method for each bus, and various methods were selected.For the declining-balance method, the company uses the double-declining rate.

Assessment and Evaluation in the Work Place Essay

Assessment and Evaluation in the Work Place - Essay Example It is in the light of this that recruiters in such organizations must be conscious of the need for these diversity of skills and abilities and the most effective means of developing and utilizing them in the achievement of the aims and objectives of institutions such as the open and distance learning system (David). The present object of the study is to critically analyse and reflect upon your learning styles, skills, strengths & weaknesses, plan how you can develop them and learn from the experience. The study aims is to enable learning from the whole experience of work including a focus on learning generic skills and knowledge from the workplace. These include: understanding organisational structures, induction programmes, personal development and lifelong learning through reflection and critical analysis. The stakeholders of workplace include consumers, workers, managers, supervisors, and union officials, etc. who each bring their own perspectives and expectations. There are different types of workplace regarding various corners of life and various corners of working. The Coordinator position must be supported by the grant and/or match funds from the business and/or labor union. There are work places where students work for their academicals, workplace for workers who work for their profession. Our present concern is the workplace regarding students. 3. Difference of Assessment philosophy in the World Assessment methodology is differed in various regions in various respects in the world. Teachers often differ in the way they like to collect data. Some prefer to have a single checklist, naming all the students in the class (or in one work group) across the top and listing the criteria to be assessed down the side. The students' columns are then marked if a criterion is met. In this case some information would have to be transferred later to a student's individual record. Other teachers prefer to have one assessment sheet per student, which is forms part of the student's record. That sheet would list the factors for assessment down the side, but along the top might be a series of dates indicating when assessment took place. Such an individual file would illustrate development over the year. In this case, information might have to be transferred from the record to the official class mark book, as required. 4. Assessment in the Work Place Much research in education around the world is currently focusing on assessment and evaluation. It has become clear, as more and more research findings accumulate, that a broader range of attributes need to be assessed and evaluated than has been considered in the past. A wide variety of ways of doing this are suggested. Assessment and evaluation are best addressed from the viewpoint of selecting what appears most valid in allowing students to illustrate what they have learned. Time management in the workplace is great resource for employees to help manage their daily activities. This article