Sociology and Modernity

Modernity is one phrase that is complex to define. This is because no precise definition of modernity that is globally accepted has been decided upon. This is inclusive of the sociology field that has seen so many theories brought about to define modernity. However, we can have a general definition defining modernity as a post-middle age era that is discernible with a drastic change from the pre-modern concept of agrarianism to a world of industrialization, capitalism, urbanization, rationalization and general social change that was tremendously adopted by the entire world, though having its root origins in Europe in the times around 1700. Renaissance was the immediate time that preceded modernity; renaissance in this case referring to the last moments of the middle-aged era. This era was all about scientific and industrial revolution that saw the rise of many inventions that have come to define the modernity of modernization. The social change can be attributed to the enlightenment of human kind as Immanuel Kant stated in one of his famous books. Many definitions have been thus brought up in the field of sociology and by different philosophers. Karl Marx defines modernity as a capitalist revolution. Capitalism is a state of economic status that is based on individualism in that an individual invests in different ownerships or businesses for the sole purpose of personal benefits or for profit motive. He therefore sees modernity as an evil phenomenon and seriously criticizes it. On the other hand, Max Weber defines modernity on the basis of personal beliefs that eventually lead to the social changes that occur in modernization. He sees modernity as a trend that leads to the reduction in traditional values and beefs up rationalization that he so much fears would eventually corrode off humanity. He is so pessimistic on the effects of modernity given the mean definition that he gives to the phenomenon. The last of the philosophers to provide a definition in our essay will be Emile Durkheim. Durkheim at least had an optimistic definition of modernity, though not entirely optimistic. He defined modernity on the basis of labor division. He believed that modernity would bring in the world the concept of diversification of economic activities in the human society. He saw modernization as a shift of change in the way the community operated; the solidarity change from mechanical to organic. On the pessimistic side, he however dreads anomie, a state that describes minimal moral guidance provided to individuals in the society (Calhoun, Gerteis, and Moody 46). As defined in the introductory part, modernity carries along different social changes and cultural values that define a clear-cut difference from the same elements that were experienced in the pre-modern age. Modernity has greatly affected the basis of the family in the world today. The family as an institution, coupled with many other things like marriage, morality and religion have all been compromised. In the pre-modern age, the morality of the society stemmed from the family institution. Thus, the cautiousness that was always involved in the upbringing of a moral family was the number one priority by the family heads at that time (Macionis 4). Politics has undergone dynamic transformation due to the effect modernity. In the pre-modern days, politics was not as dominative as it is in the modern world. Modernity has caused governments to have a very dominative hand by heavily regulating its citizens by very intricate and uncongenial bureaucratic formation. The economy is another entity that has defined modernity. In the pre-modern era, economy was defined by agrarian productivity. This can even be demonstrated by the Feudalist system of government that existed in Europe. This system of a political system involved land being exchanged in turn for services. It was a system where the lords, who were the land owners, gave out land to vassals, who were the tenants. The land in this kind of political system was referred to as fief. However, the economy in the modern society has completely taken a twist, with capitalism being the system. Capitalism centered on the personal interests and profits motive of either an individual or a country. This means no rational prioritization will be taken if at all a country or an individual has the aim of making profit. This is a system that was widely condemned by philosophers such as Karl Marx (Calhoun, Gerteis, Moody, Pfaff, and Virk 122). The different philosophers who came up with the various definitions of modernity had varied expectations and predictions that would come along modernity. Karl Marx had a very pessimistic view of modernity. He highly criticized capitalism, an economy system that he claimed set in with modernity. He sees capitalism as a profit motivated system and therefore a selfish system. He also feared the rise of classes in the society, something that he describes as the baby of capitalism. He abhorrently condemns capitalism as greed and self interest and had very pessimistic expectations of the modern world. He foresees challenges such as extreme poverty while other countries swam in a lot of wealth, all with the advent of a capitalist economy. Max Weber, with his definition of modernity being based on human rationality, had his fears on the degradation of humanity. Weber was also pessimistic on the way modernity would transform the world. He foresaw the alienation of social justice that would set in as a result of the change in individuals beliefs brought about by modernity (Calhoun et al 122). Among these three philosophers, Emile Durkheim at least had an optimistic view of the setting in of modernity. With his definition of modernity being based on the division of labor, he saw modernity bringing in drastic growth of the economy. This would occur due to labor diversification and specialization that would equally distribute human resource to every economic activity. His expectations for the advent of modernity were therefore high. Despite him having these positive expectations, he had a fear of anomie. This is a state where there is slow degradation of morals in the society due to disregard of moral guidance by human who would have all their minds set towards the development of the economy. The subject of modernity has always raised a lot of arguments. Many philosophers have brought up theories trying to define modernity but no articular theory has been globally accepted to define modernity. With this essay though, we have had an overview of the various definitions of modernity by the three philosophers: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. We have also seen their premonitions, feelings and expectations of modernity. Different aspects of modernity and the change of these aspects that affect modernity have been discussed and compared to with the pre-modern age. However, even with all these, it should still be clear that there still exists no precise definition of modernity and the term is open to any belief that any person could come up with.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 15

Part III Dors Venabili VENABILI, DORS-The life of Hari Seldon is well encrusted with legend and uncertainty, so that little hope remains of ever obtaining a biography that can be thoroughly factual. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of his life deals with his consort, Dors Venabili. There is no information whatever concerning Dors Venabili, except for her birth on the world of Cinna, prior to her arrival at Streeling University to become a member of the history faculty. Shortly after that, she met Seldon and remained his consort for twenty-eight years. If anything, her life is more interlarded with legend than Seldon's is. There are quite unbelievable tales of her strength and speed and she was widely spoken of, or perhaps whispered of, as â€Å"The Tiger Woman.† Still more puzzling than her coming, however, is her going, for after a certain time, we hear of her no more and there is no indication as to what happened. Her role as a historian is evidenced by her works on- Encyclopedia Galactica 1 Wanda was almost eight years old now, going by Galactic Standard Time -as everyone did. She was quite the little lady-grave in manner, with straight light-brown hair. Her eyes were blue but were darkening and she might well end with the brown eyes of her father. She sat there, lost in thought. Sixty. That was the number that preoccupied her. Grandfather was going to have a birthday and it was going to be his sixtieth-and sixty was a large number. It bothered her because yesterday she had had a bad dream about it. She went in search of her mother. She would have to ask. Her mother was not hard to find. She was talking to Grandfather-about the birthday surely. Wanda hesitated. It wouldn't be nice to ask in front of Grandfather. Her mother had no trouble whatever sensing Wanda's consternation. She said, â€Å"One minute, Hari, and let's see what's bothering Wanda. What is it, dear?† Wanda pulled at her hand. â€Å"Not here, Mother. Private.† Manella turned to Hari Seldon. â€Å"See how early it starts? Private lives. Private problems. Of course, Wanda, shall we go to your room?† â€Å"Yes, Mother.† Wanda was clearly relieved. Hand in hand, they went and then her mother said, â€Å"Now what is the problem, Wanda?† â€Å"It's Grandfather, Mother.† â€Å"Grandfather! I can't imagine him doing anything to bother you.† â€Å"Well, he is.† Wanda's eyes filled with sudden tears. â€Å"Is he going to die?† â€Å"Your grandfather? What put that into your head, Wanda?† â€Å"He's going to be sixty. That's so old.† â€Å"No, it isn't. It's not young, but it's not old, either. People live to be eighty, ninety, even a hundred-and your grandfather is strong and healthy. He'll live a long time.† â€Å"Are you sure?† She was sniffing. Manella grasped her daughter by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. â€Å"We must all die someday, Wanda. I've explained that to you before. Just the same, we don't worry about it till the someday is much closer.† She wiped Wanda's eyes gently. â€Å"Grandfather is going to stay alive till you're all grown up and have babies of your own. You'll see. Now come back with me. I want you to talk to Grandfather.† Wanda sniffed again. Seldon looked at the little girl with a sympathetic expression on her return and said, â€Å"What is it, Wanda? Why are you unhappy?† Wanda shook her head. Seldon turned his gaze to the girl's mother. â€Å"Well, what is it, Manella?† Manella shook her head. â€Å"She'll have to tell you herself.† Seldon sat down and tapped his lap. â€Å"Come, Wanda. Have a seat and tell me your troubles.† She obeyed and wriggled a bit, then said, â€Å"I'm scared.† Seldon put his arm around her. â€Å"Nothing to be scared of in your old grandfather.† Manella made a face. â€Å"Wrong word.† Seldon looked up at her. â€Å"Grandfather?† â€Å"No. Old.† That seemed to break the dike. Wanda burst into tears. â€Å"You're old, Grandfather.† â€Å"I suppose so. I'm sixty.† He bent his face down to Wanda's and whispered, â€Å"I don't like it, either, Wanda. That's why I'm glad you're only seven going on eight.† â€Å"Your hair is white, Grandpa.† â€Å"It wasn't always. It just turned white recently.† â€Å"White hair means you're going to die, Grandpa.† Seldon looked shocked. He said to Manella, â€Å"What is all this?† â€Å"I don't know, Hari. It's her own idea.† â€Å"I had a bad dream,† said Wanda. Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"We all have bad dreams now and then, Wanda. It's good we do. Bad dreams get rid of bad thoughts and then we're better off.† â€Å"It was about you dying, Grandfather.† â€Å"I know. I know. Dreams can be about dying, but that doesn't make them important. Look at me. Don't you see how alive I am-and cheerful-and laughing? Do I look as though I'm dying? Tell me.† â€Å"N-no.† â€Å"There you are, then. Now you go out and play and forget all about this. I'm just having a birthday and everyone will have a good time. Go ahead, dear.† Wanda left in reasonable cheer, but Seldon motioned to Manella to stay. 2 Seldon said, â€Å"Wherever do you think Wanda got such a notion?† â€Å"Come now, Hari. She had a Salvanian gecko that died, remember? One of her friends had a father who died in an accident and she sees deaths on holovision all the time. It is impossible for any child to be so protected as not to be aware of death. Actually I wouldn't want her to be so protected. Death is an essential part of life; she must learn that.† â€Å"I don't mean death in general, Manella. I mean my death in particular. What has put that into her head?† Manella hesitated. She was very fond, indeed, of Hari Seldon. She thought, Who would not be, so how can I say this? But how could she not say this? So she said, â€Å"Hari, you yourself put it into her head.† â€Å"I?† â€Å"Of course, you've been speaking for months of turning sixty and complaining loudly of growing old. The only reason people are setting up this party is to console you.† â€Å"It's no fun turning sixty,† said Seldon indignantly. â€Å"Wait! Wait! You'll find out.† â€Å"I will-if I'm lucky. Some people don't make it to sixty. Just the same, if turning sixty and being old are all you talk about, you end up frightening an impressionable little girl.† Seldon sighed and looked troubled. â€Å"I'm sorry, but it's hard. Look at my hands. They're getting spotted and soon they'll be gnarled. I can do hardly anything in the way of Twisting any longer. A child could probably force me to my knees.† â€Å"In what way does that make you different from other sixty-year-olds? At least your brain is working as well as ever. How often have you said that that's all that counts?† â€Å"I know. But I miss my body.† Manella said with just a touch of malice, â€Å"Especially when Dors doesn't seem to get any older.† Seldon said uneasily, â€Å"Well yes, I suppose-† He looked away, clearly unwilling to talk about the matter. Manella looked at her father-in-law gravely. The trouble was, he knew nothing about children-or about people generally. It was hard to think that he had spent ten years as First Minister under the old Emperor and yet ended up knowing as little about people as he did. Of course, he was entirely wrapped up in this psychohistory of his, that dealt with quadrillions of people, which ultimately meant dealing with no people at all-as individuals. And how could he know about children when he had had no contact with any child except Raych, who had entered his life as a twelve-year-old? Now he had Wanda, who was-and would probably remain to him-an utter mystery. Manella thought all this lovingly. She had the incredible desire to protect Hari Seldon from a world he did not understand. It was the only point at which she and her mother-in-law, Dors Venabili, met and coalesced-this desire to protect Hari Seldon. Manella had saved Seldon's life ten years before. Dors, in her strange way, had considered this an invasion of her prerogative and had never quite forgiven Manella. Seldon, in his turn, had then saved Manella's life. She closed her eyes briefly and the whole scene returned to her, almost as though it were happening to her right now. 3 It was a week after the assassination of Cleon-and a horrible week it had been. All of Trantor was in chaos. Hari Seldon still kept his office as First Minister, but it was clear he had no power. He called in Manella Dubanqua. â€Å"I want to thank you for saving Raych's life and my own. I haven't had a chance to do so yet.† Then with a sigh, â€Å"I have scarcely had a chance to do anything this past week.† Manella asked, â€Å"What happened to the mad gardener?† â€Å"Executed! At once! No trial! I tried to save him by pointing out that he was insane. But there was no question about it. If he had done anything else, committed any other crime, his madness would have been recognized and he would have been spared. Committed-locked up and treated-but spared, nonetheless. But to kill the Emperor-† Seldon shook his head sadly. Manella said, â€Å"What's going to happen now, First Minister?† â€Å"I'll tell you what I think. The Entun Dynasty is finished. Cleon's son will not succeed. I don't think he wants to. He fears assassination in his turn and I don't blame him one bit. It would be much better for him to retire to one of the family estates on some Outer World and live a quiet life. Because he is a member of the Imperial House, he will untie** allowed to do this. You and I may be less fortunate.† Manella frowned. â€Å"In what way, sir?† Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"It is possible to argue that because you killed Gleb Andorin, he dropped his blaster, which became available to Mandell Gruber, who used it to kill Cleon. Therefore you bear a strong share of the responsibility of the crime and it may even be said that it was all prearranged.† â€Å"But that's ridiculous. I am a member of the security establishment, fulfilling my duties-doing what I was ordered to do.† Seldon smiled sadly. â€Å"You're arguing rationally and rationality is not going to be in fashion for a while. What's going to happen now, in the absence of a legitimate successor to the Imperial throne, is that we are bound to have a military government.† (In later years, when Manella came to understand the workings of psychohistory, she wondered if Seldon had used the technique to work out what was going to happen, for the military rule certainly came to pass. At the time, however, he made no mention of his fledgling theory.) â€Å"If we do have a military government,† he went on, â€Å"then it will be necessary for them to establish a firm rule at once, crush any signs of disaffection, act vigorously and cruelly, even in defiance of rationality and justice. If they accuse you, Miss Dubanqua, of being part of a plot to kill the Emperor, you will be slaughtered, not as an act of justice but as a way of cowing the people of Trantor. â€Å"For that matter, they might say that I was part of the plot, too. After all, I went out to greet the new gardeners when it was not my place to do so. Had I not done so, there would have been no attempt to kill me, you would not have struck back, and the Emperor would have lived. Do you see how it all fits?† â€Å"I can't believe they will do this.† â€Å"Perhaps they won't. I'll make them an offer that, just perhaps, they may not wish to refuse.† â€Å"What would that be?† â€Å"I will offer to resign as First Minister. They don't want me, they won't have me. But the fact is that I do have supporters at the Imperial Court and, even more important, people in the Outer Worlds who find me acceptable. That means that if the members of the Imperial Guard force me out, then even if they don't execute me, they will have some trouble. If, on the other hand, I resign, stating that I believe the military government is what Trantor and the Empire needs, then I actually help them, you see?† He mused a little and said, â€Å"Besides, there is the little matter of psychohistory.† (That was the first time Manella had ever heard the word.) â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"Something I'm working on. Cleon believed in its powers very strongly-more strongly than I did at the time-and there's a considerable feeling in the court that psychohistory is, or might be, a powerful tool that could be made to work on the side of the government-whatever the government might be. â€Å"Nor does it matter if they know nothing about the details of the science. I'd rather they didn't. Lack of knowledge can increase what we might call the superstitious aspect of the situation. In which case, they will let me continue working on my research as a private citizen. At least, I hope so. And that brings me to you.† â€Å"What about me?† â€Å"I'm going to ask as part of the deal that you be allowed to resign from** the security establishment and that no action be taken against you for** the events in connection with the assassination. I ought to be able to â€Å"But you're talking about ending my career.† â€Å"Your career is, in any case, over. Even if the Imperial Guard doesn't up an order of execution against you, can you imagine that you will Be allowed to continue working as a security officer?† â€Å"But what do I do? How do I make a living?† â€Å"I'll take care of that, Miss Dubanqua. In all likelihood, I'll go back to Streeling University, with a large grant for my psychohistorical research, I'm sure that I can find a place for you.† Manella, round-eyed, said, â€Å"Why should you-â€Å" Seldon said, â€Å"I can't believe you're asking. You saved Raych's life and own. Is it conceivable that I don't owe you anything?† And it was as he said. Seldon resigned gracefully from the post he had held for ten years. He was given a fulsome letter of appreciation for his services by the just-formed military government, a junta led by certain members of the Imperial Guard and the armed forces. He returned to Streeling University and Manella Dubanqua, relieved of her own post as security officer, went with Seldon and his family. 4 Raych came in, blowing on his hands. â€Å"I'm all for deliberate variety in the weather. You don't want things under a dome to always be the same. Today though, they made it just a little too cold and worked up a wind, besides. I think it's about time someone complained to weather control.† â€Å"I don't know that it's weather control's fault,† said Seldon. â€Å"It's getting harder to control things in general.† â€Å"I know. Deterioration.† Raych brushed his thick black mustache with the back of his hand. He did that often, as though he had never quite managed to get over the few months during which he had been mustacheless in Wye. He had also put on a little weight around the middle and, overall, had come to seem very comfortable and middleclass. Even his Dahl accent had faded somewhat. He took off his light coverall and said, â€Å"And how's the old birthday boy?† â€Å"Resenting it. Wait, wait, my son. One of these days, you'll be celebrating your fortieth birthday. We'll see how funny you'll think that is.† â€Å"Not as funny as sixty.† â€Å"Stop joking,† said Manella, who had been chafing Raych's hands, trying to warm them. Seldon spread his own hands. â€Å"We're doing the wrong thing, Raych. Your wife is of the opinion that all this talk about my turning sixty has sent little Wanda into a decline over the possibility of my dying.† â€Å"Really?† said Raych. â€Å"That accounts for it, then. I stopped in to see her and she told me at once, before I even had a chance to say a word, that she had had a bad dream. Was it about your dying?† â€Å"Apparently,† said Seldon. â€Å"Well, she'll get over that. No way of stopping bad dreams.† â€Å"I'm not dismissing it that easily,† said Manella. â€Å"She's brooding over it and that's not healthy. I'm going to get to the bottom of this.† â€Å"As you say, Manella,† said Raych agreeably. â€Å"You're my dear wife and whatever you say-about Wanda-goes.† And he brushed his mustache again. His dear wife! It hadn't been so easy to make her his dear wife. Raych remembered his mother's attitude toward the possibility. Talk about nightmares. It was he who had the periodic nightmares in which he had to face down the furious Dors Venabili once more. 5 Raych's first clear memory, after emerging from his desperance-induced ordeal, was that of being shaved. He felt the vibrorazor moving along his cheek and he said weakly, â€Å"Don't cut anywhere near my upper lip, barber. I want my mustache back.† The barber, who had already received his instructions from Seldon held up a mirror to reassure him. Dors Venabili, who was sitting at his bedside, said, â€Å"Let him work, Raych. Don't excite yourself.† Raych's eyes turned toward her momentarily and he was quiet. When the barber left, Dors said, â€Å"How do you feel, Raych?† â€Å"Rotten,† he muttered. â€Å"I'm so depressed, I can't stand it.† â€Å"That's the lingering effect of the desperance you've been dosed with. The effects will wash out.† â€Å"I can't believe it. How long has it been?† â€Å"Never mind. It will take time. You were pumped full of it.† He looked around restlessly. â€Å"Has Manella been to see me?† â€Å"That woman?† (Raych was getting used to hearing Dors speak of Manella with those words and in that tone of voice.) â€Å"No. You're not fit for visitors yet.† Interpreting the look on Raych's face, Dors quickly added, â€Å"I'm an exception because I'm your mother, Raych. Why would you want that woman to see you, anyway? You're in no condition to be seen.† â€Å"All the more reason to see her,† muttered Raych. â€Å"I want her to see me at my worst.† He then turned to one side dispiritedly. â€Å"I want to sleep.† Dors Venabili shook her head. Later that day she said to Seldon â€Å"I don't know what we're going to do about Raych. Hari. He's quite unreasonable.† Seldon said, â€Å"He's not well, Dors. Give the young man a chance.† â€Å"He keeps muttering about that woman. Whatever her name is.† â€Å"Manella Dubanqua. It's not a hard name to remember.† â€Å"I think he wants to set up housekeeping with her. Live with her. Marry her.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"Raych is thirty-old enough to make up his own mind.† â€Å"As his parents, we have something to say-surely.† Hari sighed. â€Å"And I'm sure you've said it, Dors. And once you've said it, I'm sure he'll do as he wishes.† â€Å"Is that your final word? Do you intend to do nothing while he makes plans to marry a woman like that?† â€Å"What do you expect me to do, Dors? Manella saved Raych's life. Do you expect him to forget that? She saved mine, too, for that matter.† That seemed to feed Dors's anger. She said, â€Å"And you also saved her. The score is even.† â€Å"I didn't exactly-â€Å" â€Å"Of course you did. The military rascals who now run the Empire would have slaughtered her if you didn't step in and sell them your resignation and your support in order to save her.† â€Å"Though I may have evened the score, which I don't think I have, Raych has not. And, Dors dear, I would be very careful when it came to using unfortunate terms to describe our government. These times are not going to be as easy as the times when Cleon ruled and there will always be informers to repeat what they hear you say.† â€Å"Never mind that. I don't like that woman. I presume that, at least, is permissible.† â€Å"Permissible, certainly, but of no use.† Hari looked down at the floor, deep in thought. Dors's usually unfathomable black eyes were positively flashing in anger. Hari looked up. â€Å"What I'd like to know, Dors, is why? Why do you dislike Manella so? She saved our lives. If it had not been for her quick action, both Raych and I would be dead.† Dors snapped back, â€Å"Yes, Hari. I know that better than anyone. And if she had not been there, I would not have been able to do a thing to prevent your murder. I suppose you think I should be grateful. But every time I look at that woman, I am reminded of my failure. I know these feelings are not truly rational-and that is something I can't explain. So do not ask me to like her, Hari. I cannot.† But the next day even Dors had to back down when the doctor said, â€Å"Your son wishes to see a woman named Manella.† â€Å"He's in no condition to see visitors,† snapped Dors. â€Å"On the contrary. He is. He's doing quite well. Besides, he insists and is doing so most strenuously. I don't know that we'd be wise to refuse him.† So they brought in Manella and Raych greeted her effusively and with the first faint sign of happiness since he had arrived at the hospital. He made an unmistakable small gesture of dismissal at Dors. Lips tightened, she left. And the day came when Raych said, â€Å"She'll have me, Mom.† Dors said, â€Å"Do you expect me to be surprised, you foolish man? Of course she'll have you. You're her only chance, now that she's been disgraced, ousted from the security establishment†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Raych said, â€Å"Mom, if you're trying to lose me, this is exactly the way of doing it. Don't say things like that.† â€Å"I'm only thinking of your welfare.† â€Å"I'll think of my own good, thank you. I'm no one's ticket to respectability-if you'll stop to think of it. I'm not exactly handsome. I'm short. Dad isn't First Minister anymore and I talk solid lower-class. What's there for her to be proud of in me? She can do a lot better, but she wants me. And let me tell you, I want her.† â€Å"But you know what she is.† â€Å"Of course I know what she is. She's a woman who loves me. She's the woman I love. That's what she is.† â€Å"And before you fell in love with her, what was she? You know some of what she had to do while undercover in Wye you were one of her ‘assignments.' How many others were there? Are you able to live with her past? With what she did in the name of duty? Now you can afford to be idealistic. But someday you will have your first quarrel with her-or your second or your nineteenth-and you'll break down and say, ‘You-**† Raych shouted angrily, â€Å"Don't say that! When we fight, I'll call her unreasonable, irrational, nagging, whining, inconsiderate-a million adjectives that will fit the situation. And she'll have words for me. But they'll all be sensible words that can be withdrawn when the fight is over.† â€Å"You think so-but just wait till it happens.† Raych had turned white. He said, â€Å"Mother, you've been with Father now for almost twenty years. Father is a hard man to disagree with, but there have been times when you two have argued. I've heard you. In all those twenty years, has he ever called you by any name that would in any way compromise your role as human being? For that matter, have I done so? Can you conceive of me doing so now-no matter how angry I get?† Dors struggled. Her face did not show emotion in quite the same way that Raych's did or Seldon's would, but it was clear that she was momentarily incapable of speech. â€Å"In fact,† said Raych, pushing his advantage (and feeling horrible at doing so) â€Å"the fact of the matter is that you are jealous because Manella saved Dad's life. You don't want anyone to do that but you. Well, you had no chance to do so. Would you prefer it if Manella had not shot Andorin-if Dad had died? And me, too?† Dors said in a choked voice, â€Å"He insisted on going out to meet the gardeners alone. He would not allow me to come.† â€Å"But that wasn't Manella's fault.† â€Å"Is that why you want to marry her? Gratitude?† â€Å"No. Love.† And so it was, but Manella said to Raych after the ceremony, â€Å"Your mother may have attended the wedding because you insisted, Raych, but she looked like one of those thunderclouds they sometimes send sailing under the dome.† Raych laughed. â€Å"She doesn't have the face to be a thundercloud. You're just imagining it.† â€Å"Not at all. How will we ever get her to give us a chance?† â€Å"We'll just be patient. She'll get over it.† But Dors Venabili didn't. Two years after the wedding, Wanda was born. Dors's attitude toward the child was all Raych and Manella could have wanted, but Wanda's mother remained â€Å"that woman† to Raych's mother.

Benefits of Cycling

Bicycling has been a long-time hobby which produces both long and short-term benefits. Its an enjoyable activity which involves being outdoors and away from the less beneficial pursuits such as television, computer and the refrigerator. Its a vigorous interest that not just the young and healthy can participate but kids as young as toddlers and the elderly as well. In addition, provided they have the proper equipment, disabled person can too. Cycling fits into a persons lifestyle easier than many other physical activities because it can be used practically, to go from one place to another unlike, say, swimming which is fun but much more limited by the time of year and availability. Its easier on the bodys joints than jogging while getting from point A to point B much quicker and with less effort. Chief among its numerous benefits, cycling is good for health, both physical and mental as well as good for the environment. One of the main health benefits of cycling is that it strengthens the heart, develops endurance and improves circulation which reduces the risks from coronary heart illnesses, one of the major causes of death. Gaining endurance also lowers the chances of contracting some types of cancers and diabetes. Muscles are strengthened and toned from cycling particularly those located below the waistline such as the thighs, buttocks and legs. Many of those who have weakened or injured joints and cannot run to stay in shape turn to cycling to help keep them active because it is a lower impact exercise. Maintaining a proper body weight is not just good for the ego but benefits health in several, well documented ways. A cyclist burns a great deal of calories especially if they are riding a good distance or at a moderate to fast pace. Cycling also has the benefit of increasing a persons metabolism, their inner engine, even after the ride is finished. Reducing body weight lessens the strain of joints making cycling a duel benefit for those who suffer from weakened knees. Weight loss, like improved cardiovascular function, lowers the risk for strokes and heart ailments. Another duel benefit is that cycling strengthens the immune system which, like reducing the chances coronary heart illnesses, lowers the risk of contracting certain cancers. Eye-hand coordination is greatly enhanced by cycling. Stabilizing the bodys weight while moving both legs in a circular motion and using both hands to steer the bike enhance coordination skills. Improving coordination improves agility, athleticism and reaction time, useful in everyday tasks, especially helpful as a person ages. Speaking of, cycling increases a persons lifespan via the health benefits previously mentioned. Its a fun way to get healthy and stay healthy while adding years to your life. (Markham, 2011). Another health benefit of cycling is improved mental health. Any type of exercise nourishes and builds the brain. Peddling a bicycle not only enhances the amount of blood flowing through the heart and muscles but the brain as well. The more blood that is pumped through the brain the more effectively it functions. As a person peddles it forces additional nerve cells to discharge which increases the formation of proteins and other compounds. This action encourages new brain cells to form. Cycling can double or even triple the number of neutrons produced, actually building brain function. Additionally, exercise encourages the activity of neurotransmitters increasing the efficiency of communication between both old and newly formed brain cells. Think of it as building a 4G network to replace the old 3G by taking a relaxing ride through the country or by getting to school or work on your bicycle. Enhancing and developing brain cells while improving the communication lines between them is increasingly vital as we age because as we grow older the brain contracts and those lines of communication naturally grow weaker. Bicycling protects and restores the brain and to no ones surprise, a larger, better connected brain functions better. Adults who exercise display sharper memory skills, higher concentration levels, more fluid thinking, and greater problem-solving ability than those who are sedentary. (Yeager, 2014). Cycling acts to improve environmental health too particularly if one rides a bike to commute to and from school and/or work. It reduces a persons carbon footprint and has been characterized as a green method of transport especially when compared to driving a fossil fuel burning car for all means of getting around town. Bicycles dont spew air pollutants and reduce the nations dependence on fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Census nearly half live closer than five miles from their place of employment. Total emissions would be reduced by more than five percent, a substantial amount, if those people rode a bike to work instead of driving their car. Vehicles produce nearly one-third of all carbon dioxide and 80 percent of all carbon monoxide emitted into the air each year. Shorter trips are proportionately worse due to engine warm-up factored into the equation. Cycling to work when practical would make a big difference in the reduction of the gasses creating climate change. Cyclists, ge nerally speaking, are in better physical condition than motorists who tend to be more obese which means cyclists use fewer energy resources in a range of areas such as food production and transportation. (Bicycle Buying, 2015) The benefits of cycling are numerous not just for the person peddling but for the environment therefore society as a whole too. Its a heart health hobby that enhances brain activity and reduces carbon gas release. Its also a fun outdoor activity which stimulates the senses which are dulled by staying indoors too close to the television and refrigerator. Unlike both swimming and running, cyclists can enjoy a conversation with a fellow rider. Cycling is easier on the joints than running and can be enjoyed all seasons unlike swimming. All-in-all cycling is a beneficial physical activity and hobby.

Design and the Implementation of Knowledge Management System Research Proposal

Design and the Implementation of Knowledge Management System - Research Proposal Example On the other hand Maier (2007) defined Knowledge management system as a system that integrates knowledge pertaining to culture, information technology infrastructure and employees’ intellect of an organization. The heightened valuation of business entity on basis of their intellectual capital and prevalence of information has made knowledge management system key determinant of the success or failure of a firm. The main objective of this project will be to study the design and implementation of knowledge management system (KMS) in relation to the management of cultural, leadership and technological information of Samsung electronics. The project intends to examine existing conceptual models of knowledge, KMS implementation success factors and potential hindrance to KMS. The paper will employ case study method to achieve the highlighted objectives. Therefore, the methodology will entail detailed contextual analysis of literature review relating to Samsung electronics KMS. The study will thus examine reports and secondary sources of information detailing the design and implementation of KMS by Samsung electronics. In addition, subsequent analysis will identify barriers, strengths and weakness of the system to Samsung electronics. In conclusion, deductions from the evaluation and analysis of the KMS will be employed to prepare a report (Yin,

Breathing underwater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Breathing underwater - Essay Example He had it all – a rich family, plenty of money, a good school and classmates and his beautiful girlfriend Caitlin. He was also popular for being one of the top athletes and students of his school. The author Alexandra Flinn, had undertaken extensive research on the topic of batterers by taking into consideration the different counseling and anger control programs given for such people. The author had always been working with victims of domestic violence and the perpetrators of such crimes. From a literary standpoint, she took the liberty of presenting this incredibly touching story from the viewpoint of the abuser. Alexandra Flinn focuses on the theme of violence within the framework of a love relationship shared between two teenagers, Nick and Caitlin. As the story unfolds, the author vividly explains how love had turned to violence which finally snuffed out a beautiful relationship. She also gives us a clear picture how each made use of the other to get what they needed for the moment. Nick came from an affluent family but did not experience a mother’s love. Moreover, he had a father who was violent and was never there when Nick needed him most. Therefore, Nick craved for love and affection and someone to listen to his hopes and fears. This need was satisfied in the form of his girlfriend Caitlin whom he loved a lot. Caitlin too loved Nick but at the same time got whatever she wanted from him. Though she catered to his whims and fancies, she stood her ground whenever the need arose. As time passed, Nick gradually started acting jealous and displaying violent behavior. He badly needed to release the pressure he faced with his father on the home front and uses Caitlin in an abusive manner to get rid of his pent up feelings. The novel opens with a court scene where his girlfriend Caitlin is seen testifying against him for slapping her. Nick had loved Caitlin for she was smart and beautiful and she loved Nick too. But all that changed after she

Information management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Information management - Coursework Example Management of information in the organization has involved both electronic and physical information. The management has also been able to manage the information throughout the cycle of the organization regardless of source or format of the information (Chaffey and White, 2011). Information management is a managerial decision tool used in the processes and decisions that are made by companies. Information management in organizations is done through recording and documenting all the facts that involve the methods and procedures that it uses. The main function of this is to enable controlling employees and materials of the company. Using information management in an organization is able to establish the hierarchical structure and work-flow of a company. Every employee in the organization through the information has the authority to who is responsible for work. The work then is able to continue without disturbance. The operation and procedures of the company are listed through information management making preparation of audits in a company easy. Information management has the role of satisfying variety of system that the management is exposed. Information management aids clerical personnel in a company to process transactions and answer questions that occur on the data of the organization regarding transactions, the status of particular records, and with reference on a variety of documents. Information management in organizations has the role of controlling the creation and growth of records. The information system is that that ensures there is addressing the limits of generation of records or copies that are not required to operate the business and retention of records. Information management in all organizations is responsible for generation of information, communication problems and helps in the process of decision making. Information management is important in all organization in implementing the goals

Critically review and reflect on the reasons why organizations are Essay

Critically review and reflect on the reasons why organizations are using Project Management to achieve their strategic objective - Essay Example Many organizations term project management as a pre-requisite to meeting the strategic objectives. And before approaching any strategic aspect, it is being ensured that project management rules and been followed and project management structure is in place. It is commonly seen that projects often fail due to improper implementation of project management scheme (Morris & Sember, 2008). While scenarios where project management was implemented to the full, have mostly insured success. Project management is a separate discipline in itself and has a list of activities and procedures to it, along with the tools and techniques that help in making the task easy. The importance of Project management in modern times has been more than ever before and for this reason, nearly all organizations have project management scheme in place. Project management in other words is defined as all those actions, strategies, tools and techniques that lead to achieving the strategic objectives (Tonnquist, 2009 ). Strategic objectives on other hand are defined as those factors that impact the organization and its entities in a direct manner. These can be met through clear definition of the elements that contribute towards their accomplishment. These elements are namely, clear and focused vision about objectives, presence of communication channels, work break down structure, assigning of roles to the suitable personnel, making sufficient use of the resources; prepare a plan for the emergency situations. Focus on objectives: One of the most important factors any organization needs to take into consideration is the clear vision in terms of the goals to be achieved. Deviations are expected any time during the project and organizational activities, with help of clearly defined objectives the chances of deviations can be reduced. Before emphasizing on the need for project management, it is vital to understand and define the elements that constitute strategic objectives. Strategic objectives can be in terms of the overall productivity, budget allocation, social factors, the proper relationship establishment with the stakeholders, maintaining the communication channels, individual personnel that are of high importance to the organization, hence all those factors that have an impact on final result. Customers Aspect: Customers hold the key to the success and failure of any organization. Their response can turn an organization either way. Customer satisfaction is a universal strategic objective that is the front line desire of almost every organization. Meeting the customer demands requires proper planning. The field of project management provides ample guidance towards customer satisfaction (Kerzner & Sponholtz,pg 23, 2007). The scope of project management is very vast and it makes up for an entire discipline, it has few basic elements namely: Planning Organizing Controlling Staffing Leading Every organization needs the above mentioned elements to be in place in order to meet their strategic objectives (Weihrich & Cannice, 2010). Co-relation between planning and Organizational Effectively: A co relation can be established between the organizational functions and project management in many aspects. Planning is one of them. Organizations need planning to be in place while project management provides guidelines for achieving this planning. A famous saying goes about planning that â€Å"Failing to plan is planning to fail† (Hess, et al., pg 454,2011), under the principles of project manage

Discuss the argument that the Irish Potato Famine of the mid 19th Essay

Discuss the argument that the Irish Potato Famine of the mid 19th Centurry was an act of Genocide carried out by the British Empire as a means of religous and c - Essay Example This was only in a time period between 1845 and 1852. Although the famine was caused by the bacteria phytophthora infestans, it had various social political dimensions. Even though most of the damage was done on crops, the damage that was caused on the Irish population remains to be some of the most memorable events in the Irish people. The great famine still remains a major topic of debate in the life of the people. The scar of the famine remains in the minds of most Irish people more that one century later. It still remains to spark memories of the suffering and agony that the people of Ireland had to go thro ugh in the hands of their masters who were the Britons. It still remains them of the long walk to acquire their current social status and equity to the Britons. But the role that was played by this great famine in shaping the identity of the Irish people is still evident even today through the imprint shown by the modern consciousness which equate horror of famine devastation with other tragedies that continue to occur in the developing world. This is because the nature of the Irish nation dependant on the foreign nations was the sole cause of the devastation since the foreign nation had the power to manipulate the famine and control the nation. This is the same fate that holds the developing nation to the control of the foreign nation. (Bluett, 2004) In this case the Irish people dependant and exploitation by Britain can be directly attributed to the devastating effects of the famine. Their reliance on the British government was the main factor that led to their exploitation. There is evident of hidden agenda in the way Britain foreign relief was used to mask the indirect cultural and religious cleansing that was being carried out on Irish people at the time. The only alternative that the Irish people had was either to live as slave or

Joseph Wellington Presentation about Management Fraud Assignment

Joseph Wellington Presentation about Management Fraud - Assignment Example Staff education on the effects of fraud will help reduce or lower fraud. It’s imperative that an organization puts in place fraud auditing measures that should be reviewed regularly and also implement fraud prevention technologies with regard to information systems management and computer systems. Introduction Fraud is a pervasive act that involves but is not limited to unauthorized access to sensitive data and information, using deception and lies to outrightly misuse or fraudulently acquire organizations’ resources and assets or use company information for unintended purposes. The effects on the organization, the individuals involved and customers can range from negative to disastrous. This paper will evaluate the adverse effects of fraud on an organization; individuals and consumers make recommendations and give a conclusion on the effects of fraud. Literature review I. Effects to the consumer a) Fraud in business affects the consumer negatively; the customer is the reason why businesses exist and fraud actually impacts negatively on them. Consumers broadly refer to anyone involved in the dynamics of a business from people that buy from the organization to shareholders. b) Consumers are affected by fraud in business because they do not get their money’s worth; for instance, in a Ponzi scheme, consumers actually end up losing money eventually. A more common type of fraud is when organizations’ lie about the origins and quality of a product; they could, for instance, sell leather items as being handmade in Italy from buffalo hide when in reality the leather jackets are actually made in Vietnam by machines using cheap cowhide. c) Customers also suffer psychologically from a feeling of being cheated or swindled and thus lose faith in business. This tends to hurt expenditure on non-essential commodities like holidays which reduces the quality of life for these customers. d) Suppliers to a business that is shut down lose a customer; whi le customers also miss a product line. If there were some customers that depended on a product and the supplier is closed down due to fraud, these customers are greatly inconvenienced as they have to look for equivalent alternatives. II. Fraud affects a business and its stakeholders (Mongie, 2009) a) Fraud affects a business in that it can be shut down, suffer irreparable legal consequences that greatly erode its assets b) Businesses also lose credibility and suffer a great damage to their image. This causes stigmatization from former associates like suppliers. The blacklisting of a business will lead to its shut down (Mongie, 2009). c) Fraud strains businesses bottom-line by reducing its profits and revenue. It is estimated globally that fraud constitutes seven percent of an organizations’ revenue and this loss could be the difference between a firm making a loss or a profit d) The identities, wealth, assets, and private information of a firm’s employees especially ma nagers are put at risk due to internal fraud threats. Fraud leads to legal consequences that result in loss of career, family assets, and personal liberties in the event of one being jailed. III Fraud affects an economy overall a) Fraud means losses that can cause a business to shut down leading to job losses and for instance contributing to the unemployment rate figures, which give a poor indicator of the state of an economy (Shahabadi, 2007).  

Target Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Target Marketing - Term Paper Example Target marketing is not all about breaking a market into various small segments and attracting the attention of the marketers confining their focus on a few key sections of the market. The implication of target marketing suggests that various considerations should be taken into account with the purpose of identifying the customer groups who are to be targeted. It is worth mentioning that ‘Marketing’ is termed as the art of creating wants among people who gradually turns out as the potential customers of the product and/or services rendered. According to Smith (1956), segmentation of markets is focusing on customers with similar interest to that of the marketer, so that it becomes easier for the organization to develop beneficial communication and thus satisfy the customer need effectively. Target Marketing Approach Customers’ demand varies from one group to the other. Thus, the identification of these demands emerges to be quite challenging for the marketers imple menting the target marketing approach. After identifying customer demands, marketers develop the product and various marketing strategies to satisfy the demand of the particular customer group(s) targeted. Thus, target marketing helps the company to identify their most potential customers. With this concern, marketers tend to emphasise on various aspects of market and human psychology which define the satisfaction and demand of targeted customers. Furthermore, with the assistance of target marketing, strategies are developed to offer the products and/or services according to the customers’ demand which in turn boosts customer satisfaction. Therefore, target marketing assists the organisation to attain additional customer satisfaction rewarding higher loyalty and competitive advantages, although it initially deals with a concentrated group of customers (Smith, 1956). The motto of target marketing is to identify most viable segments focussing on which the organization can attra ct maximum number of customers and retain the valuable customers by satisfying their demands. It is in this context that target marketing can assist organisations in gaining sustainable growth (Bragg, 2005). The main reason for focusing on certain specific customer groups who have been targeted is to develop a marketing mix strategic alliance that can satisfy the customer needs in the best possible way. Marketing mix is so prepared that it supports the strategies of target marketing. Target marketing approach can be highly beneficial if marketing mix is prepared with great attention which also helps in enhancing the competency of the organisation to a large extent. Thus, supreme customer value is ought to be achieved with the benefits provided by the marketing mix which further can prove to be very crucial for target marketing approach (Bragg, 2005). It is worth mentioning that customers’ interests are given the maximum preference while preparing target marketing strategies. Marketers pay keen attention in selecting the target market. The process is initiated when marketing experts analyse different characteristics such as demographic and psychographic qualities possessed by the potential customers. Demographic analysis consists of age, geographic location, gender, earning capacity, education level and relationship status that can influence the demand of the customers. Similarly, psychographic analysis includes offering price of the products; convenience provided by the product, how safe the product can prove to be, availability of the product i.e. how far the customers need to travel to make the product available and so on which defined the satisfaction level of the customers (Restrepo, 2008). Target

Environmental Issues Essay Example for Free

Environmental Issues Essay The environmental issues in India become more serious every day and she is turning into a bit of a mess on this front but with over 1 Billion people most of which in dire poverty, its hardly surprising. The recent boom in its industries, little or no environmental education, infrastructure nearly at bursting point not to mention the huge deforestation thats going on. If you think your country has some problems then you are about to be a bit of a shock because Im sure nothing compares to some of the environmental issues in India. A whopping 65% of the land in here is degraded in some way, shape or form and the endless government policies do little to curb the damage. In fact, there is no shortage at all of government legislation protecting the environment but unfortunately it is never enforced due to flagrant abuse of power, corruption and lack of resources. If you have ever been to India you have undoubtedly noticed the serious little problem that they have in India. No, its not like here in the UK where a can of coke and crisp packet on the floor are a litter problem. Indias litter problem is almost a bit disturbing. The attitude is to just throw it on the floor, there are no bins, just drop it. Thats 1 Billion people disposing of their rubbish on the floor, every day. The scope of the problem is almost unimaginable and of course, it takes generations to change a habit like that but no one is starting. What they need here is education and that is what is seriously missing. With regards to environmental issues in India, India appears to be digging its own grave deeper and quicker than the rest of us, nearly 30% of Indias gross agricultural output is lost every year due to soil degradation, poor land management and counter productive irrigation. The wetlands and lakes are also being hit hard. Mainly by the industrial boom that hit India a decade ago, the main problems being improper disposal of industrial waste like chemicals etc. Indias 7516 km of coastline have also come under attack from this environmental sabotage, overfishing remains a huge problem due to lack of legislation enforcement. Raw sewage from an awful lot of people is pumped endlessly into the ocean along with other industrial waste and chemicals. Hundreds of miles of coral and other sea life are slowly being destroyed due to offshore drilling. Tourist centres such as Goa suffer due to badly managed development and excessive tourism, again resulting from the lack of legislation and policy enforcement. The main environmental issues in India The Environmental issues in India are huge. Whether its the rapidly dropping water tables, mass deforestation, land degradation or river contamination, India has it all and on a massive scale. Water resources Perhaps the largest of the environmental issues in India facing the people of India is inadequate or lack of access to vital fresh water resources. As Indias industries get bigger so will the amount of water they require and the amounts are already beginning to spiral. As an example I use the Coca cola factory which was accused for years of messing up an entire eco system. By simply diverting all the water to their factory, millions of people went without. The company are also accused of causing huge droughts and contamination to a massive area by exploiting an excessive amount of ground water and then replacing it with toxic discharge. Of course, Coca Cola is a big famous company and that is why this came to news but I have no doubt that there are a million examples of similar things happening all over India. Years of exploitation and extraction of groundwater in India has caused the national water table to suddenly and very dramatically drop. Considering that 85% of rural drinking water and 55% of urban water comes from underground sources, this seems to me a very urgent problem as literally hundreds of millions of people could be left without water does it even bear thinking about! The rivers are on the front line of pollution in India. Millions of people depend on them for their livelihoods but they are slowly being polluted and destroyed by sewage, chemicals and other agricultural and industrial waste. These are some of the most polluted rivers in the world but little seems to be to stem the incessant destruction. Deforestation The story of deforestation is another of the highly serious environmental issues in India. It is predicted that almost 5. 3 Million hectares of forest have been destroyed since the independence. Most of it being chopped down for housing, industrialisation and river projects. It is estimated that the number of Mangrove Forests have more than halved in the last 20 years. The government soon recognised the importance that these forests hold for the conservation of soil and put forward a range of polices trying to curb the destruction; of course, nothing has really changed and thousands of acres are destroyed every year with nothing in the way of replacement. Poor management and abuse of power are again the increasingly sad cause behind the mass deforestation of India, some call it greed. Protected areas are largely declassified so that commercial activities can take place but new areas are not reclassified. Poaching is another factor, people actually coming in and steeling trees and one of the final blows to the forest of India who already seem to have lost the battle is the invasion of foreign tree species such as Eucalyptus etc. Air Pollution India now has one of the worst qualities of air in the world. Without a doubt the main contributor of air pollution in India is the transport system. In the big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, millions of old and very dirty diesel engines churn out millions of tonnes more sulphur than their western equivalents partly because of being old and partly because of the diesel. As a result, the asthma rate for children in some of the larger cities is now at %50 and rising fast. Because of the varied causes and consequences surrounding this topic, Ive devoted a whole page to India air pollution. Plastics and other waste I have already touched on the massive problem of waste disposal but I intend to go into it more here. It seems that some areas are simply fed up with the lack of Government intervention and are using there initiatives. As an example I use some of the towns and villages in Kerala who are seeing a return to the old paper bags from plastic ones. As I am sure you know, plastic isnt in any urgency to degrade but the people of India dont seem to recognise this as they throw every unwanted item onto the floor wherever they are. Of course, the victims of this environmental issue in India are the future generations and the animals. The holy cows that are so integral to Indian life are slowly being killed from the huge amount of plastic bags they consume that eventually rap around their insides.

Immortal Characteristics in the Iliad and the Aeneid Essay Example for Free

Immortal Characteristics in the Iliad and the Aeneid Essay Although written in two distinct eras, The Aeneid and The Iliad offer views of the Trojan War, which have been studied for centuries.   The Iliad, written by Homer in 750-650 BCE, portrays the tale from the Greek point of view.   Sometimes thought to have been a mythic person himself, the telling of The Iliad is attributed to him nonetheless.   The story, written originally in ancient Greek, speaks from an omniscient narrator who can share all details encountered in the main character, Achilles, involvement in the war. Achilles has refused to fight in retribution for Agamemnon stealing his war prize, Briseis.   The Aeneid, on the other hand, is known to have come from the Roman poet, Virgil.   Although the main character, Aeneas, tells portions of the story, Virgil himself narrates the majority of the tale.   Aeneas is traveling to Italy to build a race of Romans.   Juno, who is still angry with the Trojans, sets Aeneas off course and the story begins with a recounting of the war itself. In the way the tales themselves offer varying illuminations on the same setting in Greece, the Gods portrayed share differing characteristics.   In The Iliad, Zeus stands as the king of the Gods.   He refuses to take sides in this war of men, although his favor moves to the Trojan side after Achilles’ mother begs him to intervene.   We find Zeus bothered by the request.   He is involved with domestic disputes already with his wife, Hera, and is reluctant to do any further damage to his solitude.   â€Å"Here is trouble.   You drive me into open war with Hera sooner or later: she will be at me, scolding all day long. Even as matters stand she never rests from badgering me before the gods: I take the Trojan side in battle, so she says,† (Homer, I.593-599).   He does go on to promise he will do as she has asked, although the reader can sense his foreboding in doing so.   His foresight is strong though, as Hera’s reaction is as he said it would be – biting and harsh.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Who is it this time, schemer?   Who has your ear?   How fond are you of secret plans, of taking decisions privately,† (Homer, I.620-622).   Zeus is portrayed as a beaten God, one who is verbally assaulted by his own wife and appears to be weary of her scorn. One can sense the laughter as the words are written, the hidden personalities that are so similar to common man. Jupiter, however, does not worry over what he will go through personally in order to grant the wish of the goddess who has appealed to him.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"With the serenity that calms the weather, and lightly kissed his daughter.   Then he said: No need to be afraid, Cytherea.   Your children’s destiny has not been changed,† (Virgil, I.345-348).   Jupiter has granted what she sought, and promises that her progeny will found the great kingdom of Rome, named after one of the twin sons to come from Aeneas.    The reader can already discern favoritism for the Romans by this issuance of Jupiter.   He is not a hen-pecked God as Zeus is, although Jupiter’s wife is not a timid creature.   Much like Hera, she is vastly upset and carried a grave distaste for the Trojans.   Jupiter, however, feels Juno will eventually relax.   â€Å"Juno, indeed, whose bitterness now fills with fear and torment sea and earth and sky, will mend her ways, and favor them as I do, Lords of the World, the toga-bearing Romans,† (Virgil, I.376-379). The reader gets the sense that the Greek Gods as told of by Homer are seen as folly.   Zeus is not the almighty master, as one would suspect the king of the Gods to be.   He is stuck between caring for his subjects, the minor Gods, and listening to the gripes and complaints of his wife, the telling is almost comical.   Virgil, however, tells the origination of a great race of people, his own Romans.   The Jupiter is patient and assured of the greatness to come.   His caring ways with his daughter and sincere belief that all will be as he said indicate his power and greatness, showing him to be a true King of the Gods. The physical separation between God and mortal man is great.   In the eleventh book of The Iliad, we find Zeus directly interfering with the battle on hand.   â€Å"Now Zeus, the son of Kronos roused an uproar along his host, and sprinkled bloody dew from highest heaven, being resolved that day to crowd great warriors in to the undergloom,† (Homer, XI,58-61).   The battle between Greek and Trojan forces allowed yet another display of Zeus’ great power over man. Zeus demonstrates this power while protecting Hector. â€Å"Hector moved forward with his round-faced shield.   As from night clouds a baleful summer star will blaze into the clear, then fade in cloud, so Hector shone in front or became hidden when he harangued the rear ranks – his whole form in bronze aflash like lightening of father Zeus,† (Homer, XI.67-72).   The soldiers recognize the ability of Hector to shadow himself as the protection of the Gods.   Zeus’ otherworldly display of power and support for the Trojan cause signifies the justness of their cause, yet as we already know, his might is not good enough.   Troy will lose the battle and the God is not all-powerful in the end. The Aeneid however, shows the true power and wisdom of Jupiter is not only just, but up to the task as well.   Aeneas will reach his destination, and Rome will become the great power it is meant to be.   Jupiter sees that Aeneas has fallen sedentary with his love for Dido and remains with her rather than fulfilling his duty as Jupiter told him.  Ã‚   The scourge of the earth is not brought down on his head to force him off the island.   The all-powerful Jupiter simply sends a messenger, Mercury.   â€Å"From bright Mount Olympus he that rules the Gods and turns the earth and heaven by his power – he and no other sent me to you, told me to bring this message on the running winds: what have you in mind?   †¦the land of Rome are due,† (Virgil, IV.365-375). Aeneas is reminded of his family fortune and honor, which are on the line.   True to his word and loyal to his God, Aeneas leaves Dido to fend for herself.   Her misery and subsequent suicide are not given any thought by Jupiter, the mission is at hand and the great Roman peoples are far more important than a single female.   â€Å"Beating her lovely breast three times, four times, and tearing her golden hair, ‘Oh Jupiter! will this man go, will he have mocked my kingdom, stranger than he is and was,’† (Virgil, IV.816-820)?   Jupiter pays her no mind; the Roman Empire is at stake.   Again, it is in silent action, verbal mandates that Jupiter issues his power.   He is not forced to resort to mortal measures to ensure his will is done. Zeus is portrayed as the mover, the God who has to physically partake in things to get anything accomplished.   The stronger God of the two, Jupiter, simply asks and gets what he wants.   The fear of retribution is fierce amongst not only the people, but also the Gods.   He does not take pity on the fallen as Zeus does.   In terms of masculine strength, Jupiter is by far the strongest.   Of course, such an amazing group of warriors, philosophers and artisans could never have come from so slovenly a King as Zeus. As the war wages on in The Iliad, Zeus is once again shown to be a weaker form than the mighty Jupiter.   Achilles has lost his best friend, Patroclus, in battle. Heartbroken, he vows to return to the battle immediately to slay Hector in revenge.   Although Zeus has long since gone to help the Achaeans in fighting this war, â€Å"Zeus took pity on them, saying quickly to Athena: Daughter, you seem to have left your fighting man alone.   Should one suppose you care no more for Achilles?   The he sits, before the curving prows, and grieves for his dear friend. The other soldiers flock to meat; he thirsts and hungers.   Come, infuse him sweet nectar and ambrosia, that an empty belly may not weaken him,† (Homer, XIX.374-382). Athena then goes off to give the poor warriors some nourishment so they may fight bravely in their final battles.   His heart still belongs to the losing side.   We see his weakness again with the interference into the battle.   In calling the Gods to Mount Olympus, Zeus tells them, â€Å"You know what plan I have in mind and why I called you, why you are here. Men on both sides may perish, still they are near my heart.   And yet, by heaven, here I stay at ease upon a ridge.   I’ll have an ample view here.   But you others, go into action, side with the men of Troy or with Achaeans, as each has a mind to,† (Homer XX.22-29).   Zeus lazily tells the other Gods that the people are dying and it breaks his heart.   However, he will sit on the mountaintop and watch the spectacle.   They should go down and help whichever side they feel is just, but he will just watch.   Homer again makes fun of the God.   He is a couch potato during the war he was powerless to stop in the first place.   His wife is constantly meddling in the affairs of state, and Zeus will not step in to act according to his heart. Jupiter does not have this problem toward the end of The Aeneid.   When fighting has broken out in Italy and the great Romans are fighting amongst themselves, Jupiter is asked his opinion.   He responds in a regal and self-assured manner.   When he opens his mouth to speak, all of the earth responds in kind. â€Å"The almighty father then, chief power of the world, began to speak, and as he spoke the great halls of the Gods fell silent, and earth quaked, and silence reigned in the highest air, the west-winds went to rest, the deep sea stilled his waters to calm,† (Virgil, X.137-142).   He has decided that fate will serve each man his own plate.   Jupiter no longer condones divine intervention.   This surprises virtually everyone present, as they have interfered in these matters right from the start.   Yet, the King of the Gods has spoken and it cannot be any other way.   â€Å"He took oath nodding, making all Olympus tremble at his nod.   There was an end of speaking.   Jupiter form his golden throne arose, and lords of heaven on either hand escorted him to the threshold of his hall,† (Virgil, X.160-164). Although the King of the Gods in each depiction of the Trojan wars and its eventual outcomes acted in extremely different ways, the act remains that they were in control the entire time.   The main protagonists for each tale are not afforded this same luxury.   In The Iliad, Achilles never has control over his bloodlust for Agamemnon.   His search for glory and the switching of sides is beyond his control so to speak.   The usurping of his prize from the war damaged his pride and it is the sole driving force for him.   When his best friend is killed, he appears to have devised a higher purpose for his rage, yet the reader notes he is still guided for his own gratification throughout. Aeneas, blindly does as he is bid to do.   He leaves his heart behind when he leaves Dido on the island.   Jupiter is not concerned with the trivial matters before him, and concerns himself only with the Roman creation.   Aeneas cannot simply believe that Dido will eventually understand what he must do, unlike Jupiter feelings for Juno.   The foresight the Gods portray separate them greatly from humanity, making the people seem as though they are simply pieces of a chess game, there for the amusement of creatures bored with eternity. Although Homer pokes fun at the God from the past and uses the tale to tell of the heroism of the Greek people, he fails to place his own God at the forefront as a just and caring ruler.   Virgil at least shows the God of the Romans as one who delights in the magnificence of the race. Physically the gods are far superior to the men they control, but in the case of Zeus, he is far from being above the simple human frailty of emotion.   Homer instills a sense of commonality between the people and their God, one in which the playing field is an equal one.   The Gods are affected by this war almost as much as the people are.   When interfering in the matters of men, the Gods are shaken to the core in some instances, harmed in others, and heartbroken other times still. For Virgil, the people end on the positive note.   The great anti-hero is dead, and the true hero does not turn out to be Aeneas, but the Romans themselves.   The reader sees throughout the epic poem, that Virgil had them in mind all along.   The creation myth of the great empire seeks to solidify their place in the world and by showing that that creation came from a just and powerful authority he accomplishes just that. Works Cited Homer.   The Iliad. Trs. Robert Fagles.   New York, NY: Penguin Classics, 1998. Virgil. The Aeneid. Trs. W.F. Jackson Knight. New York, NY: Penguin Classics, 2006.

Bone Growth And Remodeling

Bone Growth And Remodeling Ossification and osteogenesis are two processes deemed necessary in bone. Bone growth, maintenance, repair and remodelling are a continuous process, even throughout early adulthood. Compact bone tissue provides support and protection in attempt to resists the stressors we place upon them. As we grow or encounter a traumatic experience our bones deteriorate allowing new bone tissue to be replaced (McGee-Lawrence, Westendorf, 2010). The metaphysis (mature bone region) is where the bone shaft and the distal or proximal ends of the bone join. A layer of hyaline cartilage is within each growing bone to allow the diaphysis (long bone) to grow in length (Walker, Lovejoy, Bedfford Yee, 2006). When the length of the bone has fulfilled its length, the cartilage is replaced by a bony epiphyseal (bony structure). With its thin layer the articular cartilage reducing resistance to absorb joints that have free movement. The repair of articular cartilage is minimal because it lacks irregular tissue, perichondrium (McGee-Lawrence, Westendorf, 2010). If the articular cartilage is not covering bone surface, the periosteum is put in replacement. The periosteum, acting as a tough sheath of dense irregular tissue is able to serve as an attachment point for ligaments and tendons. This gives them the ability to also assist in bone tissue nourishment and assist in fracture repair (Tortora, 2005). Bone Growth The extracellular matrix is where cells, collagen fibre and crystallised mineral salts are held. Crystallisation is where minerals combine to create the tissue hardness, the beginning of bone formation (McGee-Lawrence, Westendorf, 2010). Within the microscopic spaces of collagen fibres, an abundant amount of inorganic mineral salts such as calcium phosphate, magnesium hydroxide, fluoride and sulphate are deposited. An amalgamation of minerals allows crystallisation to occur within the framework formed by collagen fibres, initiated by osteoblasts. This is the process of calcification. A profuse amount of mineral crystals surround the collagen fibre creating the hardness and characteristics of bone. The hardness of a bone is dependent on the crystallisation formation whereas collagen fibres are responsible for the flexibility (Walker et al., 2006). Mesenchyme stem cells are the foundation of bone formation during embryonic development and have the capability of transformation into a range of cells: osteogenic, osteoblasts, osteocytes and osteoclasts cells. Osteogenic cells are located within the periosteum and within bone containing blood vessels. Their only role is to undergo cell division resulting in osteoblasts (McGee-Lawrence, Westendorf, 2010). Osteoblasts synthesize and secrete collagen fibres in combination with organic components to build extracellular matrix of bone tissue, also responsible for calcification (Tortora, 2005). Plasma proteins bring new bone formation via the synthesis of osteoid, a non-mineralised bone matrix. When osteoblasts trap themselves with an excess amount of extracellular matrix, they are then called osteocytes. Within the Osteoblasts, many receptors are found in bone marrow assisting in regulating osteoclastic bone remodelling. The amount of osteoclast formation is determined by the level of receptor activator of nuclear factor KB-ligand (RANKL). If there is a defect of RANKL, a patient may suffer Paget Disease. This is when bone abnormality can occur; both resorption and formation (Walker et al., 2006). Osteocytes, also known as mature bone because of their function are located in a hardened bone matrix (lacuna). They are the key cell in bone tissue, maintaining daily metabolism (exchange nutrients and waste in blood) and secrete protein such as sclerostin to reduce bone formation (McGee-Lawrence, Westendorf, 2010). They have the capability to communicate with each other to exchange nutrients from capillaries containing nutrient-rich fluids. Osteocytes also communicate with osteoblasts and osteoclasts, signalling both when and where to resorb and form new bone (McGee-Lawrence, Westendorf, 2010). Osteoclasts are the major resorptive white blood cells containing lysosomes or digestive vacuoles filled with hydrolytic enzymes. The release of enzymes digests protein and mineral components in the extracellular matrix of bone, as part of the maintenance, repair and growth of bone. This process is called resorption. Once completed, they revert to their parent cell or become inactive (Walker et al., 2006). Bone remodelling Bone remodelling is an ongoing procedure from new bones at with to healing period of fractures. The strength of a bone is determined by the stressors placed upon it whilst in the remodelling phase. The most common fractures paramedics face on road is:  · Compressed most common in old age, osteoporosis  · Spiral ragged break, mostly seen in sports injuries  · Depressed pressed inwards, skull fracture  · Greenstick Incomplete break, most common in children First action to take place in a fracture is formation of hematoma. Blood vessels are broken, resulting in a leakage from the torn ends (Walker et al., 2006). A blood clot around the site of the fracture usually within 6 to 8 hours following the injury is called hematoma. As clotting continues and fracture hematoma forms, blood flow to the site of injury becomes minimal, causing bone cells to die. Swelling and inflammation is the result of dead bone cells, producing additional cellular debris. This allows phagocytes and osteoclasts to eliminate damaged tissue. This process should take 2 to 3 weeks to conclude (Tortora, 2005). The help of new blood capillaries in the fracture helps growing connective tissue called procallus. Fibroblasts (producing collagen fibres) and osteogenic cells attack the procallus to assist in connecting ends of the broken bones. Osteogenic cells transform into chondroblasts where healthy bone cartilage are developing and become fibrocartilage. Within 3 weeks, signs of bone tissue repair begin to show. This action is successful when the procallus is transformed into a fibrocartilaginous. Whiles this is occurring, phagocytes continue to remove any debris surrounding the fracture (McCance, Heuther, Brashers Rote, 2010). Osteogenic cells are later converted into osteoblasts to produce spongy bone trabeculae, a microscopic tissue. Trabeculae join the living and dead portions of the bone. After 3-4 months, Fibrocartilage changes into bony callus, a spongy bone (McCance et al, 2010). The final phase of bone repair is remodelling. Osteoclasts gradually resorb original fragments of broken bones as compact bone replaces spongy bone. If all cells are working in a healthy patient, detection of fracture line under radiograph is unseen. As the stressor on the bone increases, signs of thickness may later show (McCance et al, 2010). Bone remodelling is a slow process of removing old tissue and producing new bone tissue. As we grow, bone tissue goes through maintenance, repair and development in order to cope with the stressors. The remodelling of bone tissue only occurs when a patient has gone through a traumatic injury; this is where the housekeeping phagocytes are active and inflammation to ensure bacteria do not enter blood vessels, causing further damage.

Saudi Arabia: History of Relationship to US :: essays research papers fc

Although the United Sates and Saudi Arabia present the United States and Saudi Arabia’s relationship as excellent, there are actually two nations who have bitter disagreements but who allies through oil. The only thing that has held this alliance together is the US dependence on Saudi oil. The United States has felt and still fells that it is a necessity to have bases present in the Middle East to protect oil, and silently to protect Israel. The relationship began in 1933 when Standard Oil of California signed an agreement with the Saudi government. In 1943 FDR affirmed that the defense of Saudi Arabia was a vital interest to the United States and moved troops into the region. Future presidents would emulate this declaration and mobilization of troops to Saudi Arabia. Again in 1945 Abd al Aziz, the Saudi king, and FDR would cement this alliance, on a US warship in the Suez Canal. Soon after, airfields were constructed at Dhahran and other spots over Saudi Arabia; beginning a long tradition of US military facilities in Saudi Arabia. Abd al Aziz was the first of his line of successors to meet with US presidents. The relationship was only strengthened with the onset on the Cold war, as the US used the bases in Saudi Arabia as potential air force launch sites to the USSR and constructed more military facilities. In 1941 Harry S. Truman made another assertion of Americas protection and alliance with Saudi Arabia to Abd Al Aziz. Truman stated that â€Å"support for Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and political independence was a primary objective of the United States.† (Countrystudies.com) Another stipulation of this pact was that the US established a permanent military training mission in the Saudi Arabia. That mission lasted until 1992. Soon after the pact between Truman and Aziz was agreed upon the US-Saudi relationship would endure its first major disagreement. On May 14th, 1948 Israel was declared an independent state in the former Ara b dominated Palestine. Israel’s independence was backed the United States. Saudi Arabia refused to acknowledge the country of Israel and to engage in any relations with them. The Saudis concerns of the Israel-US relationship were reinforced in the 1970’s and 1980’s when the US sold arms to Israel, but refused to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. In some cases congressional leaders refused to sell arms to Saudi Arabia on the grounds that Saudi Arabia might use them against Israel.

Romeo and Juliet - Act III, Scene V :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet - Act III, Scene V Act III, Scene V of Romeo and Juliet is significant for it is the most pivotal scene of this tragic play. Although prior scenes present extreme circumstances, this scene reveals the results of past activities and begins a series of tragic misunderstandings and fatal reactions. Transformations occuring amongst characters and their relationships with one another and the tone of the play are revealed in this scene. Through language, Shakespeare presents these changes as well as foreshadowing the eventual tragedy Romeo and Juliet's death. From this point on in the play there are no more comedic or romantic scenes. The following scenes are of extreme actions, mishap and tragedy. The "star-crossed lovers" cannot escape their fate. One of the many transformations presented in this scene is that of Romeo and Juliet's love for one another. Romeo and Juliet's love makes the transition from infatuation to a deep and sincere love. In earlier scenes they used overly romantic language and metaphor, whereas, now they speak to one another of their love in a mature and tender way. They will do anything to be with one another, for their love surpasses any emotion for their familial or community ties. They are willing to make any sacrifice in order to have their desire for one another fulfilled. Both Romeo and Juliet enjoy each other's company on their first morning together following their marriage and they do not want to part. Juliet's first visible transformation to adulthood is revealed here. In Romeo's desire to be with Juliet, he is willing to risk capture, and most probably death, in being found within the Capulet walls. Romeo, although maturing in his feelings of love and intimacy is still young and reckless in his behavior. In contrast, upon rationalizing the circumstance of daylight and their being found, Juliet eventually pleads for Romeo to leave "O, now be gone! More light and light it grows." (III, v, 35) To which Romeo responds, "More light and light- more dark and dark our woes." (III, v, 36) The metaphors associated with light (i.e. the sun, the moon, the day) which previously protected their affair is now their enemy. Nature itself has turned upon them

School Violence Essay -- Bullying in Schools

School violence has become a matter of increasing concern in recent years. With the occurrence of incidents such as Columbine, more schools are becoming aware of and concerned with a rise in teenage/school violence. Violence is a broad term to define but in it’s simplest terms, can be defined as â€Å"a verbal, visual, or physical act intended to demean, harm, or infringe upon another’s civil rights,† (Kopka, 175). In 1977, the National Alliance for Safe Schools was founded by Peter Blauvelt. This organization was formed with the intent of providing technical assistance, training and research to school districts concerned with increasing incidents of â€Å"serious, disruptive student behavior,† (Kopka, 36). The NASS conducts seminars, workshops, and school security assessments to help schools prevent and deal with violence in our schools. These security assessments are useful to schools as they provide school administrators with an accurate assessment of their preparedness to deal with a security issue. Then in 1983, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention began working in violence prevention by coordinating activities and programs for Public Health Service. They first seek to define the problem through surveillance and assessment methods. Then they develop and test intervention methods for their effectiveness in dealing with the problem. In the mid-1980s, violence was first defined as a public health issue. â€Å"As violent acts become increasingly prevalent in our nation’s schools, violence among youth is now recognized as a major public health issue that must be addressed by administrators, educators, family and community members, lawmakers and health care professionals,† (Kopka, 1). This declaration sparked the... ...ontinues intervention through the 12th grade,† (Kopka, 18). Many schools implement programs to assist in violence prevention and counseling such as: peer-mentoring, conflict resolution, early intervention, dating-violence intervention, gang and drug prevention and peer leadership and mediator programs. School violence is becoming more and more of a serious issue in our nation’s schools. It interferes with a healthy learning environment and only has negative effects on both it’s victims and perpetrators. And although no school is immune from violence, schools can better prepare themselves to deal with incidents by educating themselves (both students and staff) and offering prevention programs as well as assistance for victims. School violence is an issue that effects the whole school and community and the first step to dealing with it is recognizing it.

Soldier’s Home Analysis

â€Å"Soldier’s Home† Literary Analysis It is an undeniable fact that war changes people, and this change becomes especially apparent when soldiers return home to their families. In the short story â€Å"Soldier’s Home†, Ernest Hemingway paints a picture of a soldier’s state of mind after arriving home from the war and shows the difficulties of trying to live a normal life, fit in with society, and start over. Hemingway introduces Harold Krebs as he returns home from World War I much later than the rest of the soldiers.It is very evident from his behavior that he is traumatized, confused, and feels very much out of place. He doesn’t know where to begin to pick up where he left off and truly feels confused about his purpose in life, which can be very much related to the way many soldiers feel in our generation. Things such as fitting in with the society, getting a job, and starting a new relationship become a lot more complicated, and Krebs ex presses this several times throughout the story.He especially focuses on the subject of starting a relationship with a girl and his inability and lack of interest of even introducing himself. He likes to observe women, and even desires to be with one; however, the idea of courting and investing time into it completely turns him off. Hemmingway never explains why Krebs feels this way but gives enough hints that perhaps Krebs once suffered heartbreak. â€Å"Now he would have liked a girl if she had come to him and not wanted to talk, but here at home it was all too complicated.He knew he could never go through it all again. † The reader is focused on the words â€Å"again† and â€Å"It all†, allowing the audience to assume that he might have done this once before. The word â€Å"complicated† is repeated a numerous times when it’s associated with girls; â€Å"the girls live in a complicated world, â€Å" â€Å"they were too complicated†, â₠¬Å"it is too complicated† and â€Å"He had tried to so to keep his life from being complicated. †Ã‚  which is another clue that Krebs might have gone through a rough break-up.Whether this happened during his time away or before the war, Hemingway never explains. Another reason for Krebs’ lack of interest to date could be assumed that he developed different outlook on women in his time in Germany. During any war women usually become victims of sexual and physical assault and it is safe to assume that maybe Krebs experienced this during his time in Germany. â€Å"His acquaintances, who had heard detailed accounts of German women found chained to machine guns†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"Vaguely, he wanted a girl but he id not want to spend a long time getting her are statements that can allude to him having interest in getting a girl just for a short time, for pleasure, but nothing more. With all the disconnect Krebs feels, the reader is forced to question â€Å"Wher e is home for Harold Krebs? † It is obvious that he doesn’t feel home, even though he comes from a great small town in Oklahoma, has a supportive and loving family, and has others praying for him. This, however, is not enough for Krebs to compensate for all the horrors he witnessed during the war.His mother encourages him to talk about it but never truly pays attention, which results with Krebs feeling like he cannot express himself without being misunderstood. During breakfast, his mother asks him to pray with her to what he responds, â€Å"I can’t. † This signifies that Krebs lost his faith. He truly doesn’t care what happens to him and proceeds to speak apathetically. When his father says â€Å"don’t you love your mother, dear boy? † and Harold replies, â€Å"no† â€Å"I don’t love anyone†. His mother instantly starts to cry, to which Harold realizes.He knows he hurt her feelings even though it doesn’t se em like he meant to do it on purpose. Many can presume that Krebs cannot make his parents understand everything he went through in combat. Statement such as â€Å"I don’t love anyone† almost sounds as if he is showing his parents he is all grown up and not the little boy he used to be. It is safe to say that Krebs is probably going through many emotions at once. There are things in which he says that he probably doesn’t mean, but doesn’t know how to express them otherwise.One example of this is toward the end of the story when Harold’s mother tells him she held him close to her heart when he was a baby, to which he replies, â€Å"I know, Mummy, I’ll try to be good for you. † He contradicts himself by calling his mother â€Å"Mummy†, which shows he does indeed love her. He proceeds to tell himself that his conversation with his mother didn’t touch him and moving away to Kansas City would be a good escape from his family s ituation. His thinking shows that he could possibly be lying to himself, trying to convince himself that life would be better away from them.Maybe he doesn’t want his mother to love him because he feels ashamed and nauseated for all the things he’s done during the war. Hemingway leaves much of â€Å"Soldier’s Home† to the reader’s interpretation. The story doesn’t have a set plot and the main character Krebs is not better off in the end of the story or at the beginning. A lot of Krebs’ behavior can be paralleled to our modern day soldiers’ who come home from war in Iraq and Afghanistan. From personal experience, most of them never truly talk about everything that happened there, and if they do they never express their true emotions about the events.Many have trouble coping with day-to-day lives and sometimes even express violent behavior toward their loved ones. It’s hard to make judgments on their condition because the subject of killing another human being is rather incomprehensible to someone who has never been at war. It is something so abstract for us that the only way for us to understand is to be there physically and mentally and no cinematic movie will ever truly capture those feelings. Unfortunately during Hemingway’s era PTSD was something that wasn’t discussed or even treated.The society and culture at the time was very much removed from the realities of what war was really like. It wasn’t broadcasted over the internet, and people were not exposed to explicit documentaries that showed all the horrors that happen to people. I personally believe Hemingway, who also served briefly in World War I, could relate a lot to Krebs and his environment. It is something that could have been a way for him to cope with his own personal demons while trying to make the readers understand the feelings of apathy, emptiness and the state of mind of soldier upon his return home.

Not What it Seems Essay

The quote, â€Å"Things are not always as they seem when you are looking from the outside in† is a perfect example of how we might think the world is perfect but in reality our life is a spider web. Playwright, Arthur Miller, captured this idea in his play, The Crucible. Miller focuses on the idea of image versus the reality in Salem. The purpose of Salem was to be a sin-free town; however, it was plagued with adultery, greed, and deceit. There is one sin that, because of its selfish and evil ways, causes the destruction of John Proctor and his image; this sin is adultery. In the Bible it is said that we are to lead a sin free life, and, more specifically, we are not supposed to commit adultery. Mentioned in Exodus 20:14 â€Å"Thou shall not commit adultery†, it clearly states that if anyone commits adultery then they have committed a sin. Salem, as mentioned, was created to be a â€Å"perfect† town, and Abigail and John’s affair goes against that philosophy. Not only is this a sin in the Bible, it also creates tension between John and Abigail. More importantly, it created an untrustworthy marriage for Elizabeth and John. However, John Proctor willingly admits to committing adultery with Abigail, and sees Abigail as a child and says, â€Å"Abby, I may think of you softly from time to time. But I will cut off my hand before I’ll ever reach for you again. Wipe it out of mind. We never touched, Abby† (Miller, 23). This shows us that John knows what he did was wrong and wants to gain forgiveness from God, but Abigail stands in his way of doing so. Since John said this to Abigail, she has been trying to get rid of the one person that stands in her way. Abigail thinks that if Elizabeth is out the picture then John will fall for her again; but this is not true, and she does whatever it takes to make John hers. In addition, Salem did not live up to its â€Å"image† is in greed. Greed can be a very destructive part of everyone’s life, and some people let their greed get out of control, which was exactly what happened in Salem during the witch trials. Two people’s greed brought up the whole tragedy of the trials, convictions and hangings; these individuals were Thomas Putnam and Reverend Parris. Unquestionably, Thomas Putnam was a hard-handed, landowner. He valued his land probably more than his marriage, or his possessions. He used his land as a power source to get anything that he wanted, he also used this power to get his neighbors accused and convicted of being witches. â€Å"He states that you coldly prompted your daughter to cry witchery upon George Jacob’s that is now in jail† (Miller 96). Putnam would convince his daughter to falsely accuse people of witch craft so once they were convicted; he would be able to purchase the deceased’s land, just giving him more land and power. He alone got others to start believing that some people among them were witches. The second greed-filled person is Reverend Parris; he felt that he was underpaid for his services. At one time he said to Giles Corey, â€Å"I regard that six pound as part of my salary†¦ You will look far for a man of my kind at sixty pound a year! † (Miller, 45) This shows us that Reverend Paris wants more material wealth; another case where this is present is when he preached for twenty weeks about having golden candlesticks on the altar until he finally got them. As the story progressed, he became greedier for his life and the life of his friends. When Proctor was about to be hanged, Paris begged and pleaded for Proctor’s life so that he would not be blamed for killing one of Salem’s â€Å"upper class†. Greed can make a person grow far from the lord and that is exactly what was going on in Salem. Without a doubt, deceit was the final and most important ingredient to Salem being filled and over-ran with the devil. The first example of deceit was found with Abigail Williams; she was the first person who was caught dancing in the woods and realized that if she turned on the others, her own life would be spared. She started making things up so that she would be in the center of life in Salem. Abigail threatened to kill anyone that told on her for witch craft and yet she went ahead and accused innocent people. â€Å"And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! † (Miller, 20) She accused many innocent people of being witches for her own personal good. She was worried about her image and did not want to get in trouble, but she thought she had the authority to accuse others for her own personal gain so she would not be considered of performing witch-craft. The best example of this would be when she accused Elizabeth Proctor of being a witch. Meanwhile, Abigail and John Proctor had an affair, and she perceived this to mean that John wanted to be with her instead of his wife. Then, she realized that the only way for the two of them to be together would be to kill Elizabeth in some way. The only â€Å"legal† way to do this would be to accuse Elizabeth of being a witch and making sure that she was convicted of this crime. Abigail knew that the punishment for the crime of witchcraft was hanging, and carried out her accusation so that she and John could â€Å"dance upon her grave together† (Miller, 110) With her saying this shows us that she cares for nothing more than her happiness and that she has devilish thoughts. This lie was a major sin and shows us that Abigail is: mean, selfish, backstabber. Since being condemned with adultery, greed, and deceit, the so-called â€Å"sin-free† town of Salem was everything but that; it was filled with the devil and evil. With Abigail and John committing adultery, Mr. Putnam’s obsession with wealth, and finally all the lies and backstabbing of Abigail, we can see Salem is not so perfect after all. Salem is a prime example of something looking good from the outside, but once you get inside, one can see the dirt and grime.