An Insight Into Dickinsons Portrayal of Death - 2173 Words

An Insight into Dickinsons Portrayal of Death Pale Death with impartial tread beats at the poor mans cottage door and at the palaces of kings. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus, 65-8 B.C.) Throughout the history of literature, it has often been said that the poet is the poetry (Tate, Reactionary 9); that a poets life and experiences greatly influence the style and the content of their writing, some more than others. Emily Dickinson is one of the most renowned poets of her time, recognized for the amount of genuine, emotional insight into life, death, and love she was able to show through her poetry. Many believe her lifestyle and solitude brought her to that point in her writing. During Emily Dickinsons life, she†¦show more content†¦These three stages are recognized by Mary N. Shaw as follows: School, where children strove may represent childhood; Fields of Gazing Grain, maturity; and Setting Sun old age. Dickinson fathomed the incomprehensible progression of life by unraveling its complexity with figurative symbols. Emily Dickinson dresses the scene such that mental pictures of sight, feeling, and sound come to life. The imagery begins the moment Dickinson i nvites Her reader into the Carriage. Death slowly takes the readers on a sight seeing trip where they see the stages of life. The first site We passed was the School, where Children strove. Because it deals with an important symbol, Ââ€" the RingÂâ€" this first scene is perhaps the most important. One author noted that the children, at recess, do not play (as one would expect them to) but strive (Monteiro). In addition, at recess, the children performed a venerable ritual, perhaps known to all, in a ring. This ritual is called Ring-a-ring-a-roses, and is recited: Ring-a-ring-a-roses, A pocket full of posies; Hush! hush! hush! hush! Were all tumbled down. Monteiro made the discovery and concluded that For indeed, imbedded in their ritualistic game is a reminder of the mortal stakes that the poet talks about elsewhere. On this invited journey, one vividly sees the Children playing, laughing, and singing. This scene conveys deep emotions and moods through verbal pictures. The imagery in the final scene,Show MoreRelatedAn Insight Into Dickinsons Portrayal of Death2157 Words   |  9 PagesAn Insight into Dickinsons Portrayal of Death Pale Death with impartial tread beats at the poor mans cottage door and at the palaces of kings. Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus, 65-8 B.C.) Throughout the history of literature, it has often been said that the poet is the poetry (Tate, Reactionary 9); that a poets life and experiences greatly influence the style and the content of their writing, some more than others. Emily Dickinson is one of the most renowned poets of herRead MoreBibliography Relation to Analysis of Emily Dickinson ´s Writings2048 Words   |  8 Pagesaccomplishes the discernment of Dickinson’s poems and their allusions to many classic myths. He denotes the figurative language that Dickinson utilizes in her poetry to relate to her themes. With these key elements in mind, Anderson is then able to compare Dickinson’s works to other authors who have tried to reach the same goals, however, Dickinson is able to better achieve the extrapolation of the myths through her profound and truly exquisite writing. In Dickinson’s A Narrow Fellow In the GrassRead MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pageshold readers attention through dread of a series of terrible possibilities feature landscapes of dark forests, extreme vegetation, concealed ruins with horrific rooms, depressed characters Effect: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · today in literature we still see portrayals of alluring antagonists whose evil characteristics appeal to one s sense of awe today in literature we still see stories of the persecuted young girl forced apart from her true love Historical Context: ï‚ · industrial revolution brings ideas

Literature Marking Scheme - 9477 Words

SYLLABUS Cambridge IGCSE ® Literature (English) 0486 For examination in June and November 2014 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English)* 0476 For examination in June and November 2014 *This syllabus is accredited for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a Cambridge International Level 1/Level 2 Certificate. University of Cambridge International Examinations retains the copyright on all its publications. Registered Centres are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use. However, we cannot give permission to Centres to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within a Centre.  ® IGCSE is the registered trademark of†¦show more content†¦2 Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) 0486 Cambridge International Certificate Literature (English) 0476 Introduction 1.2 Why choose Cambridge IGCSE? Cambridge IGCSE helps your school improve learners’ performance. Learners develop not only knowledge and understanding, but also skills in creative thinking, enquiry and problem solving, helping them to perform well and prepare for the next stage of their education. Cambridge IGCSE is the world’s most popular international curriculum for 14 to 16 year olds, leading to globally recognised and valued Cambridge IGCSE qualifications. It is part of the Cambridge Secondary 2 stage. Schools worldwide have helped develop Cambridge IGCSE, which provides an excellent preparation for Cambridge International AS and A Levels, Cambridge Pre-U, Cambridge AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education) and other education programmes, such as the US Advanced Placement Program and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Cambridge IGCSE incorporates the best in international education for learners at this level. It develops in line with changing needs, and we update and extend it regularly. 1.3 Why choose Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English)? Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) is accepted by universities and employers as proof of real knowledge and understanding. Successful candidates gain lifelong skills, including the ability to:Show MoreRelatedAssessment Methods1351 Words   |  6 Pagesobjective tests (in terms of their marking), this method can sample a wide range of knowledge and memory quickly and has the potential for measuring understanding, analysis, problem solving skills and evaluative skills. There are a wide variety of formats from true/false to reason/assertion. Multiple Choice Questions are easy to mark and analyse results. They are useful in terms of their ease of administration with large numbers of students, especially where marking is to be done by assistants ratherRead MoreQualitative Research Methods1185 Words   |  5 Pagesrespondents). v. Based on the results of the pilot test, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your interview protocol. vi. Improve your interview protocol. You need to provide the original and improved versions of the interview protocol. Marking Scheme Element | Marks | * A statement of the Research Problem | 2 marks | * Research QuestionsThere must be 3 main questions. Each main question must have at least 3 sub-questions. A rationale must be given for each main question and sub-questionRead MoreLearning Experiences And Assessment Opportunities For Their Students Based On Work Programs Approved By The Qcaa Essay1320 Words   |  6 Pagestasks (5.1 - 5.4 AITSL, 2011). In mathematics, in is not uncommon for one or two teachers to do all required marking for a single piece of assessment and in these instances, the teacher or teachers produce an agreed skeleton marking scheme prior to marking to maintain a consistent judgment. To ensure the consistency of judgement in this unit’s assessment, in addition to the marking scheme, I employed two of the three recommended models of moderation, Calibration, Conferencing, and Expert. After anRead MoreEssay On Time Series Forecasting1369 Words   |  6 Pages2nd Objective (MLP) You need to construct an MLP neural network for this problem. You need to consider the appropriate input vector, as well as the internal network structure (hidden layers, nodes, learning rate). You may consider any de-trending scheme if you feel is necessary. Write a code in R Studio to address all these requirements. You need to show the performance of your network both graphically as well as in terms of usual statistical indices (MSE, RMSE and MAPE), based on of course on testingRead MorePersonal Health Record ( Phr )1046 Words   |  5 Pagesfor this problem. The objective of this paper is to bestow secure patient-centric personal health record access and efficient key management as well. Idea here is to introduce a new technology that includes the encryption standards as well as water marking concept in order to protect the privacy of the patient’s health records. Firstly, attribute based encryption concept which provides data encryption by generating private key to the user and gives the user to provide access to the person who they wantRead MoreThe Practice Of Questioning Within Formative Assessment1506 Words   |  7 Pagesyou. He explains three elements underpin teaching; craft, science and creativity. Throughout my first term of placement and the research and literature I have submerged myself in, I have come to appreciate the context he means these three areas in and how they are all interwoven to develop a personal pedagogy. In this assignment I will reflect upon the literature I have digested and explain the strategies an d philosophies I have taken from leading educational academics and their research to developRead More Death in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening Essay679 Words   |  3 Pagesis a powerful theme in literature, symbolized in a plethora of ways. In Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve Robert Frost uses subtle imagery, symbolism, rhythm and rhyme to invoke the yearning for death that the weary traveler of life feels.    When the speaker in Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eve pauses for a moments rest, he does not do so on a simple evening, but on the darkest evening of the year, the winter solstice (474). The winter solstice is the day marking the beginning of winterRead MoreControlled Content Distribution For Peer Networks1186 Words   |  5 Pagesobtained by each receiver. †¢ To make data privacy a striking feature in peer-to-peer applications. †¢ To achieve security and scalability in content distribution. †¢ To provide a fingerprinting scheme that is not susceptible to collusion. †¢ To minimize the storage and processing overhead of logging. Literature Review: Recently, the exceptional prosperity of digital and information technologies has presented significant challenges to safeguard digital content in their creation, use, storage and distributionRead MoreThe Sonnet Is Derived From The Italian Word1662 Words   |  7 PagesThe Spenserian sonnet was the true English sonnet and its even been said Shakespeare was influenced by his work. Sonnet: a fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines that are typically 5-foot iambics rhyming according to a prescribed scheme. The oldest know beginnings of the sonnet are around seven hundred and fifty years old. Born on July 20th, 1304 Francesco Petrarca was an Italian scholar, artist and poet in the Italian renaissance. In 1327, Petrarch allegedly met a womanRead MoreThe Flaws in Our Education System754 Words   |  3 Pageshaving a tougher marking scheme and a more complex course structure, I feel that certain classes are simply a repeat of the previous year. Many students, including myself, begin to detest certain classes by grades 11 and 12 because of the ridiculously high expectations. I have found that in many other courses students are constantly working on their analytic skills. For example, in English class you are forced to read and analyze different texts. Students are still studying literature and developing

Mutual Funds What Are They free essay sample

Before anyone invest in mutual fund, or even index funds, there are many important things you need to know, like past performance of the fund, investment objectives, investment strategies and others. All these essential information is involving a document called mutual fund prospectus. Mutual fund prospectus is required by Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) to be made accessible by all potential investors (Kennon, 2017)There are two kind of prospectuses; the statutory prospectus and the summary prospectus. The statutory prospectus is the conventional, long form prospectus that most mutual fund investors are familiar. The summary prospectus, which is now commonly used by many mutual funds, a few pages long and recorded the key information about the mutual fund. The information available in summary prospectus will be included at the beginning of statutory prospectus. The only difference between statutory prospectus and summary prospectus is there are more financial highlight information in the statutory prospectus. We will write a custom essay sample on Mutual Funds: What Are They? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The key information appears in the following standardized order: 1) investment objectives, 2) fee tables, 3) investments, risk and performance, 4) management, 5) purchase and sale of fund shares, 6) tax information, and 7) financial intermediary compensation.A prospectus can be very informative and helpful if the investor have a clear mind-set of their investment goals (Stinson, 2014). According to Bob Mecca, before investor read any prospectus, investor should know their objectives of investing and their risk-tolerance is. For example, the investors are low risk taker and have small fund. After they read the prospectus and realized it is aggressive mutual fund and large cap portfolio, they should reject the portfolio and go for other mutual fund. Once the investor found the suitable portfolio that matched with their objectives and risk-tolerance, and then only pay attention to the investment policy and others. Other than that, the prospectus provide huge information about how the fund invests, the amount of assets under management, the internal fund expenses, and more. (McGowan, 2016) As summary, this legal document enables investor to analyse about the mutual fund and to choose the right portfolio that match with their objectives, which, in a way to decrease their risk and increase their confidence towards the mutual fund. Therefore, the prospectus is the way of investor getting information about the certain mutual fund.

Tuberculosis Is The Infectious Disease Example For Students

Tuberculosis Is The Infectious Disease Tuberculosis is the infectious disease, that cause mortality worldwide and is the actual issue for worldwide health system. Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease, that may presented in an active or a latent form. It affects a various body systems, but mostly a respiratory system. This disease is triggered by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is transmitted through the air; therefore, a person gets infected by an inhaled bacterium from a person with active form of TB, and who is presented with cough and sneezing. Person with a latent form usually asymptomatic, whereas the bacteria is inactive in the lungs. On another hand, a person with an active form of TB may show following symptoms: severe cough longer than two weeks, bloody cough and sputum, chest pain, weakness, weight loss, fever, chills, loss of appetite and night sweats. TB diagnosed by tuberculin skin test, X-ray, blood and sputum tests. We will write a custom essay on Tuberculosis Is The Infectious Disease specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This infectious disease may cause the great complications within the whole body. Mostly it causes respiratory system problems, like shortness of breath, Pneumothorax, Pleural effusion; beside it may spread into other sites, causing cardiovascular, bone and joint complications; various kidney diseases; lymph node infections, spine tuberculosis, meningitis and other life threatening complications. Tuberculosis can be treated, latent form treated with Isoniazid, whereas the active form of TB treated with combination of several drugs, which includes antimicrobial and antibiotic. Also, treatment plan should include a good nutrition and extra rest (Badash Horn, 2016). Tuberculosis has impact on international communities. It is on a tenth-place disease causing the death worldwide (WHO, 2017). About 95% of mortality from TB occur in low-income countries. And, about 60% of TB incidents registered in India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa (WHO, 2017). The analysis of a disease involves use of the epidemiologic triangle concept. This concept consists of an agent (TB organism), the environment (demographic overcrowding, poor ventilation, poor sanitation) and host (malnutrition, chronic disease, suppressed immune system). Therefore, any shift in one of the factors causes a change in person’s health status equilibrium (Epidemiological triangle, n.d.). So, access to normal housing, lack of clean water, diseases like HIV and diabetes and other chronic diseases, the prevalence of drug-resistant TB contribute to higher risk of developing the tuberculosis. Additionally, the significant influence on tuberculosis development has the social health determinants. Social determinants of health are the terms in the surrounding settings in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age that impact health, capabilities, quality of life outputs and health risks. Thus, the age, global inequalities in social and economic fields, living and environmental conditions, lack of access to healthy and nutritious food, low financial status, geographic and cultural burdens to health care access contribute to tuberculosis incidents within the international communities (Hargreaves et al., 2011). To promote adequate monitoring and treatment, a population infected with TB has to be isolated if the TB in active form, should follow medication regimen, and be compliant with physician treatment plan. Also, the significance of the community nurses’ role shouldn’t be underestimated in prevention and in controlling TB. According the CDC (2017) 70% of case detection occurs due to nurses’ involvement. The community nurses are primary service in assessing population within the community. After the case was detected, and all appropriate assessment measurements and data collection performed, it gets reported. Next step is when treatment plan established by a physician and the health care plan determined accordingly. 85% of treatment success reported based on nurses’ involvement in treatment plan of TB patients (WHO,2017). Nurses provide physical, psychological and social help; monitor treatment and outcomes; records data and reports to health physicians; advoca te for patients; and educate patients, their family and community about the TB disease, preventive measures, symptoms, risk, complications. Although, there is many challenges the community nurses to meet, like lack of best strategies, lack of study evidences, lack of appropriate training and materials (WHO,2017). .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 , .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .postImageUrl , .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 , .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:hover , .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:visited , .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:active { border:0!important; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:active , .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289 .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u882223e2c1f7ab12394e5317decfe289:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: ARSON EssayIn prevention and protection of the United States, and promote in reducing the tuberculosis morbidity, important role placed on national and international agencies. One of the national agencies is National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA). The aim of this organization is to protect the public’s health by reducing and eliminating tuberculosis in the United States, through focused actions of federal, local and territorial programs (NTCA, 2017). To assist in elimination of TB, NTCA advocate TB control and elimination services in the US; counsel agencies and organizations on affective actions to control and eliminate TB at state, local and territor ial levels; support and advocate for policies, and laws to promote TB elimination (NTCA,2017). In conclusion, it is appropriate to restate that the communicable disease impact the populations health globally. It influences the socioeconomically the countries, as it is costly to diagnose, prevent, treat the tuberculosis, and eliminate the predisposing factors. Besides active cases of TB, there are challenging triggers, that cannot be fixed in a matter of time. Poverty, lack of healthy living environment, economic recession, lack of availability to access adequate health care are still significant issues to be solved. Reference Badash, M. M., Horn, D. F. (2016). Tuberculosis (TB). Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health, Hargreaves, J. R., Boccia, D., Evans, C. A., Adato, M., Pettigrew, M., Porter, J. D. (2011). The Social Determinants of Tuberculosis: From Evidence to Action. American Journal of Public Health, 101(4), 654-662. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2010.199505 World Health Organization. (2017). Tuberculosis: response funding. Retrieved April 2, 2017 from, http://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/gtbr15_main_text.pdf Epidemiologic triangle model of disease causation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2017, from http://www.umncphp.umn.edu/preparedness/site/lesson1/screen4.htm NTCA. (2017). Retrieved April 03, 2017, from http://www.tbcontrollers.org/ntca-2/#.WOHUEYWcFPY

Amazon Value Proposition Essays

Amazon Value Proposition Essays Amazon Value Proposition Essay Amazon Value Proposition Essay Its value proposition was mainly the ease of election and convenience to the book lovers and they translated the same value in the other segments after diversifying. Its revenue model is Sales revenue model as it derives its revenue from selling of goods, information and services. It also derives a majority of its sales from third party sellers who sell product on Amazon. Process followed and issues faced while selecting the company: Before starting with which company to pick for, tried to understand about the history of the e-commerce as discussed in detail in class. Then, searched to find some of the best known e-commerce companies. There were issues like there is too much information on the internet and there is not one particular company which one can find complete to understand at this junction of the course. Have taken this particular company because of its repeated reference in all the books and lectures. Also, another reason for picking up this company is that Amazon does not only act in the ICC domain but also EBB. Along with that it was a first mover in its market place so it will be interesting to know how they managed it. My objective will be to understand its current value proposition and revenue model. Talking about revenue model, noticed one thing that although it is primarily sales revenue model but it also allows companies to advertise their products by paying to be listed as featured products. So, is it purely a sales model or has an essence of advertising model also? This question will try to understand in detail. One other objective which I would like to cover in this course is that in year 201 3, it entered Indian e-commerce market as Amazon. In. The difference in he Indian scenario is that due to regulatory hurdles, it can not own any of the merchandise it sells. So, it primarily acts as a sales channel. Therefore, it will be interesting to study how they will tweak their business model to stay competitive against local and established players like Flippant, Snappers etc.

Donne and John Donnes poetry Essay Example

Donne and John Donnes poetry Essay Example Donne and John Donnes poetry Paper Donne and John Donnes poetry Paper Essay Topic: Donne Poems Religious or not, everyone at some point in time has wondered to themselves, what happens after we die? What can we do in our current life, to be safe from any dangers after we die? John Donne’s poetry has covered and pored over the themes of humanity, salvation and redemption, and it is made obvious that Margaret Edson’s W;t is nothing without the poems. But what is important to note is how different these two texts explore these main ideas, through the different characters and contexts. Throughout the centuries, the contexts of authors have changed, along with their beliefs on the topics of salvation, redemption and humanity. Since views have changed from religious to more secular opinions on life, the ideas of salvation and redemption may vary as to how each will be obtained, but humanity has stayed much the same. Both Donne and Vivian go through the process of self-reflection and evaluation, forgetting the present misfortunes and attempt to find some form of humanity which wasn’t present in the past. In this lecture, these are the points I will be covering, to show the themes and values that John Donne and Margaret Edson’s play W;t share. Redemption is the act of deliverance from sin and in Christian belief, it was Jesus who God sent as a messenger, and sacrificed himself in order to redeem the human race. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that we are saved. In order to have salvation, one must have faith in God to be saved in their immortal life. Donne achieves salvation through acceptance of Jesus, which was the most common way of being saved in the 17th Century. In modern times, such as the context of W;t, salvation happens more on the level of accepting humanity, and this occurs to Vivian through her relationship with Susie. One thing to notice is that Vivian’s past life lacked the one thing most humans crave, human connection. As Vivian tells us that â€Å"I just couldn’t I went back the library†, we are made aware that she finds her intellect more important than her social life. Donne on the other hand, did have such human connections, and strong ones with his wife. Constantly reminding his wife that they are â€Å"As stiff twin compasses are two;† meaning their love is like the feet of a compass, Donne possesses a strong connection with his wife. An idea that both texts share which is the main focus of both individuals, is death. In Donne’s Holy Sonnet X, he names Death with a capital D, personifying it as his equal, and chastises its existence, making it seem powerless. By saying â€Å"Thou’art slave to fate, chance † he is implying that death is a natural and random occurrence, and doesn’t have any control over when a death happens. He also goes to depict how death is only a short sleep before we enter eternal life, saying â€Å"Death be not proud†. In W;t, Vivian is almost too shocked to process what is going on around her when the news comes out of her doctor’s mouth. This may be because contextual changes have made death have a less immediate presence since there were more public executions and placing multiple bodies in the same grave, so for Donne, death wasn’t as much of a big deal. But for an individual in a post-modern society, the thoughts of death come as a shock, and this is what causes Vivian to reflect back on her life. â€Å"I thought being extremely smart would take care of it. † She finally realises that life isn’t all about being immensely intellectual, but to live a good life, which Donne acknowledges is the key in order to enter the kingdom of heaven; therefore there is some reflection on life, in the same manner as Edson. Although John Donne and Vivian both seek salvation, it is important to note that they have different views on how they want to go about in order to attain salvation. John Donne asks God to drown â€Å"my sins’ black memory. † In his tears, which shows that along with the norm of the 17th Century’s society, he believed that the only way to receive salvation was to accept that he has sinned and has faith in God. In Holy Sonnet VI, he says that â€Å"This is my pilgrimage’s last mile;† and this tells readers that he sees being a Catholic as the only way to save himself, by going on a pilgrimage.

Under the economic globalization, who should take the responsibility Essay

Under the economic globalization, who should take the responsibility to make the music education actually valuable for Chinese p - Essay Example Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. But the situation has changed since 1912, when music education moved into the category of compulsory subjects. Under the economic behavior, also all the parents want their children have a bright future; therefore lots of music teachers became ‘money makers’ because of this policy. The music as a creative art should give more space to students. Nowadays National Entrance Exam forced some of Chinese students study music no longer as an creative arts, they are practicing it for pass the exam with high mark, and they are passing it because of the music skill can give them more 20 credits compare with the others who can’t study music or know music skills as good as they are. Students suffer in the classroom, because music education is not enjoyable anymore. Nowadays students are seeking for material well-being; they do not actually care about arts and music, in particular. Even in an era of globalization such widespread phrase as â€Å"Europe is not America, America - not Asia† is relevant. Especially it seems strange that under the comprehensive globalization, China preserves its national identity. Suffice it to mention the peculiarities of the Chinese mentality, Chinese economy, developing rapidly after the Communist, unique educational system; but the Chinese musical art deserves paying special attention. Besides, the purposes of music education, according to the Ministry of Education in China, are directly connected with the fact that Chinese society still can not reject the idea of communism building. So, the tendency â€Å"Art for Art sake† is obvious. ... It also absorbed elements of the music of people that were part of the Chinese empire (the Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Manchu, etc.), and, in turn, greatly influenced the music of Korea, Japan and some nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Chinese music has evolved since ancient times under the influence of religious, philosophical and ideological doctrines (Reimer, 1989). In Confucian treatises the concept of cosmological nature of music was developed, its social and political role was highlighted. Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. According to the ideas of Taoism, the music was to facilitate the natural expression of psycho-emotional reactions of man, its fusion with nature. 2. The Consequences of the New Education Policy The school music education, which was developed during one of the most complex, saturated with global cataclysms, period in the history of the country, gradually became a public system, marked by both significant achievements and serious shortcomings. Nowadays the assessments of achievements of challenges facing China’s school education are prerequisites for successful reform. Music became a compulsory subject in secondary schools of China in 1912. In accordance with the suggestions for the educational course of the country, made by Education Minister Tsai Yuanpey (1912), the role of artistic education plays the significant role in shaping the personality, thus, particular attention should be paid to music teaching in secondary schools. This document determined a new status of the given

How do UK companies' Mechanisms Affect and Help their Corporate Dissertation

How do UK companies' Mechanisms Affect and Help their Corporate Governance - Dissertation Example Throughout the entire period in fulfilling the objectives of this dissertation, I was greatly blessed with his extensive guidance and supervision over my work. I cannot complete this part without saying ‘thank you, sir’. Subsequent to that, my colleagues and friends who also played their part have extended their hand for my project; the successful culmination of this dissertation has also observed the role of my friends. For such contribution, I am also indebted to them. Abstract The purpose of this paper was to understand and highlight corporate governance mechanisms pursued by the different organizations. For this purpose, the annual reports were used to extract the relevant information. Subsequently, the empirical analysis was carried out the understand interplay between the financial performance and the corporate governance mechanisms. The results indicate that the strongly established corporate governance mechanisms considerably improve the financial performance. Th e results indicate that the companies having strong corporate governance mechanisms were experiencing strong financial performance. However, more focus should be given to cooperation and coordination between executive and non-executive directors. Table of Content Introduction 5 Literature Review 8 Methodology 11 UNILEVER PLC 13 TATE & LYLE PLC 18 TESCO PLC 21 THORNTONS PLC 24 SAINSBURY PLC 27 SABMILLER PLC 32 MORRISON PLC 35 MARKS & SPENCER PLC 38 DIAGEO PLC 41 DIARY CREST GROUP PLC 44 CRANSWICK PLC 47 BRITVIC PLC 51 BOOKER GROUP PLC 55 ASSOCIATED BRITISH FOODS PLC 61 A.G. BARR PLC 65 Conclusion and Recommendation 70 Bibliography 77 Appendices Introduction Board governance mechanism haves experienced the focus of a range of reports in the United Kingdom, especially the Cadbury Report (1992)1 and the Hampel Report (1998)2. However, from these reports along with the support of Green bury Report (1996)3 came the Combined Code of best practice.4 In the United Kingdom, companies are expe cted to understand and implement board structures in accordance with the principles and provisions of the Combined Code. As a prerequisite of listing on the London Stock Exchange, firms are required to include a corporate governance statement in their annual reports. The purpose of this inclusion is to mention the ways in which companies apply the principles and provisions of the Combined Code. Subsequently, this elaborates the concept of the ‘comply or explain’ rule for the companies registered in the United Kingdom. In this regard, it has been provided that the Combined Code mentions three significant corporate governance mechanisms: duality and setting up of board sub-committees and the number of Non-Executive Directors. A considerable amount of literature is available to highlight that boards should include and ensure a balance of Non-Executive and Executive Directors. In this regard, Raheja contended that Executive Directors provide benefit to companies because of the extent of their company-related information.5 In addition to that, various studies provide that Non-Executive Directors have a constructive and positive effect and studies find that boards dominated by the Non-Executive Directors have more tendencies to act in the best interests of the shareholders.6 The UK Combined Code of best practice have recommended that Non-Executive Directors should make up at least one-third of the Board and consequently there have been

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay What Picture Of Childhood Does Charles Dickens Create In The First Section of Great Expectations?  In 1861, when Dickens embarked upon telling the novel Great Expectations, the country was riveted. Theyd hasten to read the next weekly instalment which was full of drama and, more importantly, the issues which Dickens urged to convey throughout the novel. Strong feelings were rooted to his childhood where he was forced to work in a blacking factory and even give up his education at one point. When he did receive an education it was poorly taught, like Pips own experience. In comparison, our society today and its compulsory education is a striking contrast to Victorian childrens life. Treatment during childhood is also an important theme and most interestingly how Pip is treated by his sister Mrs Joe and her husband Joe Gargery. Whereas Joe supports and encourages Pip, Astonishing! You ARE a scholar, he remarks when Pip writes something on the chalkboard to him, Mrs Joe treats Pip extremely differently. Despite being only a sister to Pip, Mrs Joe acts as his mother as she has raised him by hand. Literally this describes how she raised him alone, but also symbolises how Pip seemed to be raised by Mrs Joes violence. She is firm and cruel and uses the tickler, a whip, on Pip when she sees that he has misbehaved. This sounds childish and fun to our ears, which is ironic seeing as it causes Pip so much pain throughout his childhood. Another severe and strict method of control is force feeding a disgusting dose of tar water. This treatment for a naughty child, which is used on Pip, was also used on Joe. This could be a possible reason for why Joe and Pip act brotherly and are on equal terms as seen here: get behind the door old chap, as they are united against Mrs Joes cruel punishments and severity despite the social rules that your elders are your betters. Therefore, although Joes behaviour towards Pip seems more natural to us nowadays, it is in fact Mrs Joes treatment of Pip, which Dickens writes to give us a picture of childhood, which was more common in Victorian times. The classic seen and not heard view of children, which was meant quite literally at the dinner table on Christmas day where Pip was not allowed to speak., is also portrayed in the character of Mr Pumblechook. He tells Pip over dinner he should be grateful to them which brought you up by hand, because if he had been born a Squeaker he would not have received such care. Mr Pumblechook uses every chance, like testing his arithmetic, to belittle and insult Pip. However, when Pip gains his fortune Mr Pumblechook hypocritically claims that it was well deserved and they have always been old friends. We can see that Mr Pumblechook, in seeing that Pip is now of a higher status and so has to respect and try to gain favour of him, whereas before young Pip as a child was of a very low status. Miss Havisham looks down on Pip for another reason as her wealth makes Pip feel even more common. She invites him to play in Satis House, which has been neglected since her failed wedding day. She is blunt with Pip, for example: I hope you want nothing. Youll get nothing. She has a frighteningly manipulative influence on those around her. She teaches Estella to break mens hearts and encourages Pip to think she is his mysterious benefactor. It could be because she spends too much time alone with her bitter thoughts, which allows her to be so cunningly manipulative. She expects people to follow her wishes, especially Pip as he is common. You are unwilling to play, then are you willing to work? In contrast, Magwitchs treatment towards Pip is regardless of class. When he first meets him he is desperate, shaking, ill and in pain. We can see that this makes him desperate, and even threatening to Pip. However, later on in the novel we can see that Magwitch treats Pip with great respect in affection in return for his help seeing himself as Pips second-father, whereas Mr Pumblechook tries to leech of Pip when hes older. It is difficult to tell whether Pips deed or Magwitchs nature lead Magwitch to treat someone so kindly like Pip, but as he was desperate on the marshes we can assume he isnt only kind to Pip. Friends on the desolate marshes are a fortune Pip does not possess in his childhood. Interacting with children your own age plays a vital role in growing up as we can see from Pips reactions to his meetings with Estella. Her condescending manner is very apparent in the scornful tone she refers to Pip as boy despite being the same age as him. Once again, it is because of class that she mocks him. She laughs at him for calling the Knaves Jacks. However, Pip falls in love with her even more despite her cruel actions and wishes to change and better his life in the hope of wooing Estella. She has caused a huge impact on Pips life because of the way she has been brought up to break their hearts and because she is the first pretty girl Pip has set his eyes upon. Pip first meets Herbert Pocket in the grounds of Satis House where he is challenged to a fight. Not knowing his name, Pip refers to him as the pale young gentleman. He was secretly afraid of him despite that he did not look very healthy. It could be that his fear is from being treated badly by those of higher status; however, Herbert treats him as an equal by playing and even returning Pips good will by saying same to you. This shows how he treats Pip more fairly unlike Estella. This gives us an insight that class is not an issue to all children. Another person similar to Pips age is Biddy. She comes to look after Joe, Mrs Joe and Pip and at once Pip recognises her intelligence. However, we can see a slight snobbery in the way Pip looks at her. He does not understand how she can learn quicker than Pip. From this we can see he acknowledges Biddys intelligence, but is also confused why he is not superior in that aspect which is rather snobbish. Although Pip and Biddy do not see each other in the same way (Pip did not know back then that Biddy loved Pip), Pip trusts Biddy immensely and tells her that he wants to be a gentleman on Estellas account. He has told no one else this, but still looks down on Biddy and thinks she is envious and grudging of his new wealth. He does not treat her as an equal in this aspect so it is difficult to see if we could call her a true friend. And as friends are important in childhood, its clear to see that Dickens is saying that Pip did not have much of one. Unlike today, Pip doesnt play any games nor is he allowed as much freedom to go out. He is whipped for visiting the graveyard, so he certainly wouldnt be able to go out with friends like children his age today. He is expected to learn from Joe in the forge and become apprenticed (PRENGTD) to him. Before receiving the fortune he has no choice, and at the beginning wants no other career; however we are now encouraged to consider many career options from a young age. This may have been because back then, you didnt have much chance other than to follow the family trade unless you had money. In Satis House he is expected to play in front of Miss Havisham, walk her and keep her company. Even though he is there to play, it is not by choice and he does not have fun by it. His games, for example cards, are very formal whereas today children would play informally and with children their own age, and so once again Dickens shows Pips lack of fun in childhood.

Causes of the Egyptian Revolution

Causes of the Egyptian Revolution CHAPTER II Literature Review Revolution is a process of rapid and fundamental change of the social, economic, and political systems, leading to collapsing an old regime and its associated elite. By studying concepts and historical examples of revolutions, we can find some valuable points common for all revolutionist movements, thus helping analyze the motives of the Egyptian Revolution. Ted Robert Gurr defines revolution as, â€Å"highly organized political violence with wide spread general participation, designed to over-throw the regime or dissolve the state and accompanied by extensive violence.†[1] The term revolution can be used differently in many contexts; however, it usually means a violent overthrow of a regime or social structure or a great sudden change in social principles. A revolution typically characterizes a complete change from one way of doing something to a different way that is usually represents the reverse. Gurr writes, men are quick to aspire beyond their social means and quick to anger when those means prove inadequate, but slow to accept their limitations.[2] He also states, â€Å"people act out their frustrations if they believe that they stand a chance of relieving some of their discontent through violence.[3] He explains this, however, by signifying that angry people are likely to be more open to arguments that violence would help, so emotion eliminates the calculation, making acts less than rational. Jeff Goodwin gives two explanations for revolution. He defined revolution in one definition as any and all instances in which a state or a political regime is overthrown and thereby transformed by a popular movement in an irregular, extra-constitutional and/or violent fashion. He made also a narrow definition and points out â€Å"revolutions entail not only mass mobilization and regime change, but also more or less rapid and fundamental social, economic and/or cultural change, during or soon after the struggle for state power.[4] Both definitions tell us that revolutions are instruments for changing a system. From another perspective, Jack Goldstone defines revolution as an effort to transform the political institutions and the justifications for political authority in society, accompanied by formal or informal mass mobilization and non-institutionalized actions that undermine authorities. [5] He does not talk about large mobilization movements. He simply mentions revolutions as an effort to change political institutions. Proponents of Marxist thought use the term revolution in a very particular way. While reforms are changes in existing social and cultural system, social revolutions cause a sudden shift from one social order to another. For example, Theda Skocpol described revolution as rapid, basic transformations of a societys state and class structures; and they are accompanied and in part carried through by class-based revolts from below,†[6] attaching revolutions to a combination of several conflicts between state, bourgeoisies and the lower class people. She also states, â€Å"revolutions are not just extreme forms of individual or collective behavior. They are distinctive conjectures of socio-historical structures and processes,†[7] attributing revolutions to social elements. What observable political conditions ought to prevail before a revolution begins? Charles Tilly states that three conditions appear to be necessary, and a fourth strongly facilitating. The three apparently necessary conditions are as follows: Alliances or coalitions of contenders, bringing forward claims to the control the state that is currently being controlled by the members of the regime. A significant part of the given population’s commitment to those claims Reluctance or ineffectiveness of the government to put an end to these alternative coalitions or people’s commitment to their claims. Establishment of alliances or coalitions between members of the regime and the contenders bringing forward alternative claims.[8] From a different of view, James Defronzo explains conditions that make revolutions possible in terms of five factors: mass frustration, divided elites, unifying motivations that unite different social groups in support of revolution, a severe political crisis for the government including legitimacy loss and loyalty of armed forces, and a permissive or tolerant world environment in which other nations do not intervene to stop a revolution from developing.[9] He argues that a high amount of mass discontent usually stems from three steps independently or a combination of them: a decline in living situations; a change in the moral tolerability of current conditions involving people feeling that their lives can and should be better; or a period of betterment in the people’s living conditions followed by a severe decline.[10] Displeasure previous to an outburst of a revolutionary movement is often deepened by sensational events that stir up many people such as violent government suppression of challengers. According to Jack Goldstone, revolutions rarely triumph because the conditions rarely coincide. Monarchic states are able to sustain popular support through making appeals respect for nationalism and royal tradition. Privileged elites, who are often enriched by such governments, will only abandon them if their conditions or the doctrine of the rulers changes radically. It is difficult for a general mobilization to triumph because it requires reconciliation of the different interests of the rural or urban poor, students, the middle class people, and many ethnic or social groups. There are many events in history such as student activists, workers strikes, and peasant uprisings that were quickly suppressed because they were a movement of one single group, rather than of a large one. Other international states have often gotten involved in these uprisings to support authoritarian rulers in order to preserve balance and make the international system stable.[11] Even if revolutionary efforts fail, they can possibly result in significant social change. Government or dominant groups will make concessions so as to settle down the protestors, when people try to make an important change in society. Even if these concessions do not satisfy the people’s demands of a total change, they can indicate significant progress. At times, social change can take place step by step because unsuccessful revolts gradually lead a society into a different way, until a new lifestyle is finally achieved. Not all turbulence should be labelled as revolution. Political turmoil is highly possible during the process of modernization. In Samuel Huntington’s words â€Å"it is not a lack of modernity rather the efforts to achieve it that causes political turmoil.†[12] Social mobilization and economic development may be disruptive. For example, economic development results in high economic inequality and social mobilization causing that inequality to be less legitimate.[13] A discrepancy between the public wellbeing and private interest becomes apparent when a culture improves, resulting in the rise of corruption as a problem. This problem can lead to the entrance of new groups to the current political system, or it can promote economic growth if government creates it through the expanse of government regulation. Though corruption may weaken the current regime, it can make political parties stronger, and in fact promote political development in countries where the regime has too much authority.[14] Theda Skocpol states that social revolutions are rapid and basic transformations of a societys state and class structures. What makes Social Revolutions important is that basic changes in social and political structure occur and these changes take place by means of intense sociopolitical conflict.[15] In the end, these changes lead to the collapse of one system and the erection a new one. The French Revolution was a social and political one that supplanted feudalism with capitalism. People did not just get rid of the monarchy, but also they killed thousands of aristocrats who had taken advantage of people for centuries. Peasants made up most of the people and the feudal relationship between those peasants and landlords was eradicated. It paved the way for capitalist relationships of manufacture and trade. In â€Å"Comparative Revolutionary Movements,† Thomas H. Greene argues that if economic conditions of a state worsen, they can lead to a revolution.[16] The reason for the economic downturn, which led to the overturn of the government in Ghana, was the worsening agricultural production that caused great trade imbalance, a huge overseas loan, and extremely high unemployment rates.[17] Likewise, the economic crisis between 1970s and 1980s in Poland exploded enormous revolts and high rates of discontent.[18] Neil Smelser states that economic issues, such as unemployment, food scarcities, rising food prices, and decreased earnings are related to the upsurge of violence between Mexico and England in a situation similar to what was seen before the French Revolution.[19] One of the most important factors that gave rise to the Mexican revolution in 1911 was the economic crisis that the country experienced at the end of Porfirio Diaz’s rule. High levels of inflation and unemployment rates in the last four years of Diaz`s reign, causing Mexico to experience deterioration and stagnation. Decline in the price of sugar, which was the country’s chief export product, was the main reason behind the decline in the Mexican economy. Likewise, in Cuba, the over-dependence on sugar as an economic incentive brought about high levels of unemployment rate and worsening economic conditions when exports to the U.S. diminished. The economic crisis of the late 1950s was only credited to sugar plantation and following unemployment. This over-dependence on single business, together with widespread corruption and nepotism by the Batista government also brought about increasing unemployment rates, particularly during non-growing seasons. The living standard in Cuba decreased dramatically because Cuban wages were unable to contend with high inflation levels during the 1950s. [20] History of revolutions in Egypt Making revolution is not something new for Egyptians because they have had three momentous revolutions in their history. One of them was he 1881 Urabi Revolution which dethroned a crooked and comprador monarchs. Another one was the Revolution of 1919, which almost overthrew British military hegemony, and the other one was 1952 revolution, which initiated the military despotism of Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak for sixty years. Creating the second parliamentary regime on the African Continent, the first revolution turned out to be successful before foreign military intervention changed the form of government. After the defeat, the British formed a colonial rule in Egypt for more than seventy years. The second revolution was a persistent, widespread revolt controlled by a range of pro-democracy protestors from many different civil societies. Although violently suppressed, it did compel the British to make some concessions. The third revolution in Egypt is different from the first two becau se it was a revolution that went out of its way to restrict popular involvement. [21] Anyhow, in 1881 it finally ended the regime of the royal family and started a course of British removal from Egypt. Views on the Causes of the Egyptian Revolution What are the causes that gave rise to this important synergy and resistance? Three main reasons have emerged to explain this mystery: technology, Tunisia, and discomfort.[22] It is obvious that Tunisian unrest was a catalyst, motivating Egyptians to rush out into the streets. The Tunisian government was even more oppressive than the government of Egypt. So if the Tunisians were able to get rid of their ruthless dictator, why could the Egyptians not manage? Tunisian upheaval might have been the starting point, but there are many other important changes in Egypt’s political and social background that also give rise to an explanation for the revolution. Egyptians had increasingly resorted to protests and street politics to claim their demands and disrupt the position of their monarchs. Since 2004, Egypt had seen an increasing number of protests and rallies led by textile and health workers, judges, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, transportation workers and even property tax collec tors. These workers wanted better salaries and working conditions, and relief from the harsh poverty that has distressed most of the people, whereas the rich became obviously richer and public organizations that in the past delivered service for poor Egyptians descended toward disrepair and jobs decreased as well.[23] People fell into a miserable situation where there were no hopes, nor dreams left for a better future for their children. There are many other assessments regarding the origins of the Egyptian 2011 Revolution. Political thinker and strategist Dr. Tarek Heggy, one of Egypt’s more famous authors on the subject of political reform in Egypt, states that the Egyptian people’s desire for democracy, the ruling system and legal elections were the main motives for the revolution. Another specialist Mohammed Fadel states that bribery and corruption in the government were the most important reasons behind the revolution.[24] Mona El-Ghobashy expresses in her article that the 2011 revolution occurred because there had been an unexpected change in the equal distribution of resources between ruled and rulers.[25] She also provides three reasons for the revolution: â€Å"technology, Tunisia and tribulations.†[26] Moreover, Ursula Lindsey has argued that social media, whereas it did not directly bring about the upheaval, shared a spectacular role in connecting the people who would join latter in the protests.[27] The Bank Information Center (BIC)[28] in 2007 reported that the World Bank had shown the following problems as among the most tenacious challenges that Egypt faced in fighting poverty and maintaining sustainable development: high unemployment, increasing poverty, social and economic inequality, high budget deficit, and net public debt. Every problem, whether it was corruption, the country’s foreign policy, economic conditions or social problems, played a role in motivating Egypt’ s people to revolt. The people, particularly young people, had important access to use of information and communication networks, such as mobile phone services, new social media and TV were important as events blossomed. While the government used the state information, disseminating systems to spread propaganda against the rebellions, the protesters dispersed their message by using means that was creative, disciplined, and revolutionizing. The victory of the revolution, at least for its main demand, resignation of Mubarak, was associated with defamation of state-controlled newscast, a blossoming of home-produced media of all kinds.[29] While social media did not create the Egyptian uprising, they played an immense role in getting together many of the young people who would ultimately join the demonstrations. We Are All Khalid Sa‘id was one of the Facebook groups that was created in 2010 to honor a young man beaten by police and died, having more than half-million members in the protests on January 25, 2011. These groups were instrumental in organizing the protests and a new expression has come into the Egyptian language. The internet-led generation that organized the initial protests is known as the Facebook Kids.[30] In general, street politics and in particular, the Arab street politics were more complicated. The Arab street is chiefly an appearance of public sentiment, but it has experienced important changes in its style and way of expression. Street politics is the contemporary theater of discontent people. It has played a great role in such massive political events as the French Revolution, anti-colonial fights, nineteenth-century industrial movements, the velvet revolutions in Eastern Europe, and various anti-war protests. For ordinary people, the street is the main site of politics, or and it is the chief place to spend time for those who do not generally have positions of power. It is at the same time social and cultural, continuous and present, a home of the strange and the familiar, the visible and the verbal, the street symbolizes a complex place where opinions and attitudes are formed, spread and voiced in a unique way.[31] Economic inequalities and poverty among different groups of society are important precursors for many revolutions. Welch and Taintor mention those concepts in addition to rapid economic worsening, poverty and inequalities between manufacturing and the distribution of that merchandise.[32] Cynthia McClintock argues that the inconsistency between global and domestic markets causes the latter to depend on the former concerning reliance on industrialized states for technology and money.[33] Schultz and Slater state that this dependence essentially triggers the separation of society and diminishing of rural population.[34] The chronic structural problems affecting the Arab world came to a head prior to 2011 through a combination of persistently high unemployment, especially among youth (and educated youth at that), rampant corruption, internal regional and social inequalities, and a further deterioration of economic conditions because of the global 2008 financial crisis and food price increases. Even the initial event in Tunisia that exploded into the Arab Spring upheaval was related to economics. The Tunisian street seller,  ­Mohamed Bouazizi, burnt himself because of his conditions of poverty. [1] Ted Robert Gurr, Why men rebel, Princeton, N.J.: Published for the Center of International Studies, Princeton University [by] Princeton University Press, 1970, 11. [2] Ibid., 58. [3] Ibid., 210. [4] Jeff Goodwin, No Other Way Out: States and Revolutionary Movements, 1945-1991 (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 9. [5] Jack A. Goldstone, Toward a Fourth Generation of Revolutionary Theory, Annual Review of Political Science 4, no. 1 (06, 2001), 142. [6] Theda Skocpol, States and Social Revolutions: A Comparative Analysis of France, Russia, and China (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1979), 4. [7] Theda Skocpol, France, Russia, China: A Structural Analysis of Social Revolutions, Comparative Studies in Society and History 18, no. 2 (Apr., 1976), 177. [8] Charles Tilly, Does Modernization Breed Revolution? Comparative Politics 5, no. 3, Special Issue on Revolution and Social Change (Apr., 1973), 425-447. [9] James DeFronzo, Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2007), 12. [10] James DeFronzo, Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements, 13-14. [11] Jack A. Goldstone, Understanding the Revolutions of 2011: Weakness and Resilience in Middle Eastern Autocracies, Foreign Affairs 90, no. 3 (May/Jun 2011, 2011), 8-16. [12] Samuel P. Huntington, Political order in changing societies, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968 41. [13] Samuel P. Huntington, Political order in changing societies, 59. [14] Ibid., 69-70. [15] Theda Skocpol, States and Social Revolutions, 3. [16] Thomas H. Greene, Comparative Revolutionary Movements (New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publishing, 1990), 19. [17] Greene, Comparative Revolutionary Movements, 96. [18] Ibid., 97. [19] Neil J. Smelser and Richard Swedberg, the Handbook of Economic Sociology, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994), 73. [20] Brian H. Pollitt, Sugar, Dependency, and the Cuban Revolution (Glasgow, Scotland: University of Glasgow, 1985), 196-197. [21] Jeannie Lynn Sowers and Christopher J. Toensing, The Journey to Tahrir: Revolution, Protest, and Social Change in Egypt (London; New York: Verso, 2012), 48. [22] Ibid., 21. [23] â€Å"The Architects of the Egyptian Revolution,† The Nation, Saba Mahmood February 14, 2011 [24] Mohamed Fadel, Public Corruption and the Egyptian Revolution of January 25: Can Emerging International Anti-Corruption Norms Assist Egypt Recover Misappropriated Public Funds? Harvard International Law journal, volume 52, April 2011, 293. [25] El-Ghobashy Mona, The Journey to Tahrir, The praxis of the Egyptian revolution, 22 edited by Jeannie Sowers and ChrisToensing, 22. [26] El-Ghobashy Mona, The Journey to Tahrir, 21. [27]El-Ghobashy Mona, The Journey to Tahrir, 54. [28] Bank Information Center (BIC).http://www.bicusa.org,accessed on (October 19, 2013). [29] Jeannie Lynn Sowers, Christopher J. Toensing, The Journey to Tahrir, 53. [30] El-Ghobashy Mona, The Journey to Tahrir, 54. [31]Jeannie Lynn Sowers, Christopher J. Toensing, The Journey to Tahrir, 75. [32] Claude E. Welch and Mavis B. Taintor, Revolution and Political Change, (California: Wadsworth Publishing, 1972), 149. [33] Cynthia McClintock, Revolutionary Movements in Latin America: El Salvador’s FMLN and Peru’s Shining Path, (Washington DC: United States Institute of Peace Press, 1998). [34] Schultz and Slater, â€Å"Revolution and Political Change in the Third World,† 34.

Buddhism (The Buddha)

The Buddha sought to show us how to overcome suffering by attaining Nibbana. Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world today. Its history that now span some two and a half centuries began from the birth of its founder, Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Most scholars agree that Siddharta who became known as Buddha was an actual historical persona. He began the religion and philosophy of Buddhism when he reached Enlightenment in 535 BCE while meditating under a Bodhi tree following his abandonment of the life of luxury (The Buddha).Beliefs and Ethics Central to Buddhism is the understanding of the nature of humans and the causes of human suffering or dukkha. The Buddhists hold the viewpoint that human suffering lays in ignorance, concluding that it is a condition brought about by conflict and stress inherent in human existence and the interaction with the world (Buddhist Ethics 2005). There are various schools of Buddhism such that it has no one bible or sacred texts but instead, a vast collection of authoritative texts from different traditions.Theravada Buddhism has the Tipitaka or Pali canon; Mahayana Buddhism has the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka, and the Tibetan branch has the Kangyur and Tengyur, among others (Strong, 2008). In sum, the following constitute part of the basic beliefs in Buddhism: A. The Four Noble Truths 1. Life is suffering or dukkha; 2. The origin of suffering is attachment or craving; 3. Attachments can be overcome, and this cessation of suffering is called nirvana; 4. The way to accomplish the cessation of suffering is the Eightfold Path (Boerre).B. The Eightfold Path – consists of eight elements that can be grouped into the three categories, as follows: †¢ Wisdom or prajna – right view and right aspiration or intention †¢ Morals – rights speech; right action and right livelihood †¢ Meditation or samadhi – right effort; right mindfulness, and right concentration (Strong, 2008). C. Karma  œ all of human actions bear consequences within a cycle of human craving and suffering, such that our lives are always conditioned by our past actions (Buddhist Teachings). D.Buddhist ethics or precepts termed as sila – made up of the four conditions of chastity, calmness, quiet and extinguishment. According to the Karmic Law, keeping sila is meritorious and serves as good cause to bring about happy or peaceful effects (Buddhism 2008). E. Rebirth – consciousness continues beyond death, finding expression in another life or reincarnation in the future (Buddhist Teachings). F. Enlightenment – through the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, one is liberated from karma towards Enlightenment, the state of being that transcends suffering (Buddhist Teachings).Customs and Festivals Because there are many schools of Buddhism that have emerged throughout the centuries, the rituals and practices of Buddhists vary according to tradition in different parts of the globe . Significant Buddhist customs include the following: A. Veneration of the Buddha – refers to the honoring of, and meditation, on the qualities of the Buddha. B. Pilgrimage – the main purposes of the pilgrimage to the many Buddhist centers is the fostering of spiritual discipline or the fulfillment of a vow.C. Ordination – the rite of passage of anyone wishing to be a Buddhist monk involves the renouncing of secular life and accepting life in the monastic sangha as a novice (Venerating). Buddhist festivals are important holy days celebrated in various traditions, which include: †¢ Dharma Day, which marks the beginning of the teachings of Buddha; †¢ Losar, the most important Tibetan holiday that marks the New Year (lunar); †¢ Parinirvana, a Mahayan Buddhist holiday marking Buddha's death;†¢ Wesak festival, the most important festival in the Buddhist calendar, celebrates the birthday of Buddha on the full moon of the month of May. Sangha Day th at celebrates the spiritual community (Holy days). The divisions of Buddhism have sometimes been called sects or schools, but in this book I have used the word lineage, as it seems to fit better with Buddhist experience. A Buddhist is one who has taken refuge, and he or she has taken refuge in a specific tradition whose teachers stretch back, or are claimed to stretch back, in an unbroken line or lineage to Shakyamuni Buddha.There is one over-arching principle in the effective spread of Buddhism: skillful means. As Buddhism asks the individual, so it asks a culture: What is it, do you think, that will bring you the most happiness? When it has heard the response, Buddhism says, under its breath, But that will only bring you samsaric happiness, and continues, out loud, That is good, the Dharma can help you. Then, starting from that samsaric desire, it seeks a way of assisting the individual or culture to break out into extra-samsaric joy.Most countries into which Buddhism spread were what we might call low cultures, that is, they had rich local traditions but little sense of nationhood or broad cultural identity, and did not have a national religion or philosophy. Buddhism was able to supply this lack. It provided a Great Tradition perspective, encouraging local customs to coalesce into national polities and incorporating them in a supra-national worldview. The price was the downgrading of the local customs.Indigenous deities were said either to have converted to Buddhism, becoming Dharma Protectors (dharma-pala), or foolishly to have rejected it, thus being demoted to demons. The only country in which this did not happen smoothly was China. It had already developed, in Confucianism and Taoism, sophisticated national systems, and so was not the â€Å"pushover† that, for example, Tibet was. Buddhism had to be more humble as it approached the Chinese, and it has often smelled, to good upstanding Confucians, of foreigners and their nefarious plots.Even so, t he cultural blending was such that Buddhism came to be counted as the third religion of China, and the eirenic phrase ‘The three religions are a harmonious unity’ was coined. No other foreign system, other than Communism, has been able to penetrate Chinese culture so completely. Buddhism says that it can be said that since the human problem is essentially one of ignorance, and since this is a phenomenon that exists in varying degrees of intensity, it is always worth examining any claims to truth.This is especially the case when the Absolute Truth attested by Buddhism is beyond perfect verbalization, for another religious or philosophical tradition, despite apparent conflict of ideas, may actually be trying with different terms to express the same ultimate perception which is enshrined in Buddhism itself. Rival truth claims are, then, not necessarily hostile and the Buddhist should feel it possible to engage in interested discussion with advocates of other ideologies. Fu rther, it is always possible that other religions may be able to suggest useful techniques for the attainment or apprehension of Absolute Truth.Yet the Buddhist knows that the propositions which attempt to approximate Truth must be submitted to the light of the ultimate Buddhist experience, and if they cannot be seen to lead toward this, they are in genuine and decisive conflict with Buddhism. Each religion, then, is open to dialogue, but each presents a touchstone by which authority is to be tested – the experience which suggests the U+016nyatA concept for Buddhism, and for Christianity the experience of God as he expresses himself in Christ.Interestingly enough, this emphasis on a decisive experience or intuition of Truth means that ardent adherents of both recognize the significance of Kierkegaard’s dictum about subjectivity being truth and know that there are important respects in which a man committed to another religious experience may yet understand mine far bet ter than a purely objective observer can ever hope to do. To study and record the observable data of a religious tradition is utterly useless for the purpose of understanding what the religious man considers important about it.Thus the dialogue between Christians and Buddhists may well be more productive of sympathetic understanding (even with strongly affirmed disagreement) than that between either Christians or Buddhists with disinterested social scientists. Resources Strong, John. Experience of Buddhism. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from Shippensburg University Site: http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/buddhawise. html. Buddhism. (2008, April 7). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:38, April 10, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title= Buddhism&oldid=169957239. Buddhist Ethics and Social Criticism. (Updated 21 June 2005). Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from Image India Site: http://india_resource. tripod. com/buddhism. htm. Buddhist Teachings. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/buddhism/beliefs/buddhateachings. shtml. Holy Days. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/buddhism/holydays/.‘Religious text. ’ (2008, October 23). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:44, April 9, 2008, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title= Religious_text&oldid=166613250. The Buddha. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/ religion/religions/buddhism/history/history. shtml. Venerating the Buddha, Pilgrimage and Ordination. Retrieved 07 Apr. 2008 from bbc. co. uk Site: http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/buddhism/ customs/customs. shtml.

Invincible

It's taken over 30 years to make its way to the big screen but the Cinderella story of ex-teacher/bartender Vince Papale's triumph in the world of professional football came to life on the big screen in Invincible in 2006. Papale captured the attention of Philadelphia Eagles fans when he made it onto the team after Coach Dick Vermeil held open tryouts. The film version stars Mark Wahlberg as the lifelong football fan who just wanted his hometeam to play with heart – and maybe win a few game. Invincible follows the rules of the football film genre very closely but also added a couple of innovations to popular sport genre. The movie followed popular cliches of football films with the â€Å"new coach† who has radical new ideas and during the final game of the movie the starring team is down at halftime. One major cliche that Invincible innovates is the cliche that the star actor is the leader on the team; instead, he is the low man on the team and actually doesn’t make any great contributions to the team. In Invincible, the new and young coach Dick Vermeil is new to town and has a whole lot to prove. As much like most football films with a new coach, he has huge radical ideas for the teams operation. This is represented in the theme that he opens tryouts to anyone in the community to wants to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, mostly as a publicity stunt to bring fan support back up. This theme is also seen in â€Å"Remember the Titans† and â€Å"We are Marshall. This cliche often leads to a sub-cliche that the new coach has several obstacles to overcome and receives some sort of negative criticism in the early scenes of the film. This again is also shown in Invincible when the coach heavily gossiped about in the local pub where Papale works at. A second major cliche that is seen in numerous football films is the dramatic â€Å"final game† where the starring team is losing at halftime only to win in a last minute victory. In Invincible’s case, the final game is against the Dallas Cowboys in a conference championship game. The team is of course down and out about to lose it all when all of the sudden Papale forces a fumble on a punt return that gives the Eagles a bit of hope. The Eagles go to score on the returning drive with a crucial kickoff to the cowboys. Paple who only plays special teams sprints down the field to recover the kickoff and run the ball into the endzone for a touchdown puts the Eagles in the lead for a victory. The fact that Paple score a touchdown symbolizes the message that of the film which is that anyone can do anything they desire as long as the put forth the effort and determination. Often in football films the star player is hero of the team or the most talented. In Invincible the star play, Paple, is actually one of the less talented players on the team. Paple isn’t even one of the leaders on the team, for most of the film the rest of the team doesn’t like Paple because they think he doesn’t belong on the team nun the less the NFL. During practice the other players’ intensely try to hurt him so that he may quit or be unable to play. Paple turns out to be a hero for his community rather than a hero for the team. His motivation to keep going is his teammate’s disapproval and his friend’s support, which I sends a message that one must always pull forward even if his peers or colleges are against them. Invincible is a great football film that relies on the classic under-dog story that for some reason never gets old. The movie sends us messages that perseverance and determination lead to great things, which is very satisfying and compelling to witness. While this film follows most of the popular football film cliches, it still has its own key elements that make it unique. Football films such as Invincible and other renditions will always be cranked out of Hollywood on a regular basis for decades to come, but there’s just something about watching the beloved characters run down the field in slow-motion and jump high in the air for a dramatic last minute win, that never gets tiring to watch.

Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address, Facts and Myths

Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address, Facts and Myths On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a few appropriate remarks at the dedication of Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. From a platform set some distance away from the ongoing burial operations, Lincoln addressed a crowd of 15,000 people. The president spoke for three minutes. His speech contained just 272 words, including the observation that the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here. Yet Lincolns Gettysburg Address endures. In the view of historian James McPherson, it stands as the worlds foremost statement of freedom and democracy and the sacrifices required to achieve and defend them. Over the years, historians, biographers, political scientists, and rhetoricians have written countless words about Lincolns brief speech. The most comprehensive study remains Garry Willss Pulitzer Prize-winning book Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America (Simon Schuster, 1992). In addition to examining the political circumstances and oratorical antecedents of the speech, Wills dispels several myths, including these: The silly but persistent myth is that [Lincoln] jotted his brief remarks on the back of an envelope [while  riding the train  to  Gettysburg]. . . . In fact, two people testified that Lincolns speech was mainly composed in Washington, before he left for Gettysburg.Though we call Lincolns text the Gettysburg Address, that title clearly belongs to [Edward] Everett. Lincolns contribution, labeled remarks, was intended to make the dedication formal (somewhat like ribbon-cutting at modern openings). Lincoln was not expected to speak at length.Some later accounts would emphasize the length of the main speech [Everetts two-hour oration], as if that were an ordeal or an imposition on the audience. But in the mid-19th century, a talk of several hours was customary and expected.Everetts voice was sweet and expertly modulated; Lincolns was high to the point of shrillness, and his Kentucky accent offended some eastern sensibilities. But Lincoln derived an advantage from his high tenor voic e. . . . He knew a good deal about rhythmic delivery and meaningful inflections. Lincolns text was polished, his delivery emphatic, he was interrupted by applause five times. [T]he myth that Lincoln was disappointed in the result- that he told the unreliable [Ward] Lamon that his speech, like a bad plow, wont scour- has no basis. He had done what he wanted to do. Above all its worth noting that Lincoln composed the address without the aid of speechwriters or advisers. As Fred Kaplan recently observed in Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer (HarperCollins, 2008), Lincoln is distinguished from every other president, with the exception of Jefferson, in that we can be certain that he wrote every word to which his name is attached. Words mattered to Lincoln- their meanings, their rhythms, their effects. On February 11, 1859, two years before he became president, Lincoln delivered a lecture to the Phi Alpha Society of Illinois College. His topic was Discoveries and Inventions: Writing- the art of communicating thoughts to the mind, through the eye- is the great invention of the world. Great in the astonishing range of analysis and combination which necessarily underlies the most crude and general conception of it- great, very great in enabling us to converse with the dead, the absent, and the unborn, at all distances of time and of space; and great, not only in its direct benefits, but greatest help, to all other inventions. . . .Its utility may be conceived, by the reflection that, to it we owe everything which distinguishes us from savages. Take it from us, and the Bible, all history, all science, all government, all commerce, and nearly all social intercourse go with it. Its Kaplans belief that Lincoln was the last president whose character and standards in the use of language avoided the distortions and other dishonest uses of language that have done so much to undermine the credibility of national leaders. To re-experience Lincolns words, try reading aloud his two best-known speeches: The Gettysburg AddressThe Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln Afterward, if youd like to test your familiarity with Lincolns rhetoric, take our Reading Quiz on the Gettysburg Address.

How Societal Factors Influence Divorce in America Essays

How Societal Factors Influence Divorce in America Essays How Societal Factors Influence Divorce in America Paper How Societal Factors Influence Divorce in America Paper Discuss how societal factors influence divorce In America, based on research. Can you Identify additional factors that you think lead to divorce? Societal factors affect marriages and Influence divorce in America In many ways. Divorce Is legal separations of duties and responsibilities of marriage between couples. Divorce has many types to suit each situation some types are contested divorce, At-fault divorce, and No-fault divorce. Divorce and many its many forms affect the children some way or other. In America studies done by Jenifer L. Barrater and Roseland of the Education Resource Information Center found that the 1 percent increase unemployment rate affected the decrease of 1 percent of divorce rates in America in 2011. This finding of this research makes a lot of sense because people were financially challenged to afford the legal cost. Age of marriage affects divorce in America research been by Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield Missouri stats that when a couples that got married under the age of 25 as a higher chance of getting divorce than those who got married after that age. I read somewhere In the class book allowing the world wars that Divorce was greater social acceptance which Influence greatly In Americas today. One more factor I did wanted to add was Dual-worker Marriages. Dual-worker marriage couple usually has no or little time for relationship. Factors that I think that lead to divorce are cheating, abuse, financial stress, family. Cheating includes physical, emotional, or online cheating is relatively a new form of cheating online cheating involves lusting after someone or having an emotional connection with someone other than a spouse. Financial stress factors into divorce in any ways in can dispute peace and harmony in the home and it can cause blame games causing a couple to battle each other instead of battling the problem. Abuse like cheating comes In different forms like physical, emotional and Just like cheating It comes In patterns and cycles. Other factors I think that leads In divorce are education finished, social class and family stability, fading romantic Interest and leftover from a prior relationships. All those factors In one way or other contribute to divorce In some way other. Society has always impacted the way we live: the traditional family who ere farmed for food has gone away to the model families buying whatever they need in the urban areas. Divorce is no except to those changes. Stats show that divorce and marriage are effect by the same society we live in from depressions to wars to recessions. In my opinion I think its good that Americans are waiting to get married. According to the book The Marriage and Family Experience before 1974, the view of marriage as lasting till death do us a part reflected reality but today approximately 35 percent to 45 percent of all new marriages are likely to end in divorce. My dad has been married to my step mother for 14 years, at one point I suggest they should get divorce, neither one had any comments but as I looked back know I understand that part of the reason for staying together had a lot to do with me and my brother. I believe that divorce Is acceptable If the marriage cant be repaired after seeking help from multiple professionals and those professionals me the divorce is like a burning building and you and your family is on the highest floor with one fire escape but only one person if going to make it out alive. You may be divorced and happy but everybody else is affected for life.

Sources of Stress and Anxiety in Adolescent Students Study Assignment

Sources of Stress and Anxiety in Adolescent Students Study - Assignment Example Stress is the response or the reaction that a body shows when faced with disturbances that may be external or internal in nature and is actually a process by which one meets the challenges and threats in our daily lives (Myers, 2005). In an adolescent, if stress enhances the learning abilities it is known as good stress (â€Å"Eustress†), but if it inhibits or suppresses the capabilities and inherent potentialities of the adolescent, then it is bad stress (â€Å"Distress†) and must be avoided. An adolescent may face stress owing to parental pressure to excel in their studies, poor time management while organizing studies, while planning for their future which may often be hampered by parental interference, and also often due to impending school report cards and the parental reaction thereafter. This article will examine these causal factors for ‘adolescent stress related to studies’, and will explore its outward manifestations in various ways, like psycholo gical, physiological and social dysfunction in adolescents, and interventions to lessen stress. â€Å"Children are constantly being subjected to stress and conflict in their external environment: from family school and work, and nature; and in their internal environment: from their feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness and loneliness† (Arnold, 52). Stress may manifest itself in various ways, which may in effect cause our bodies to function differently as a reaction to the stressful situation. Khalid in his research papers on adolescent students has shown that over one-third (35.5%) of adolescents have had stress (Khalid, 33-37) while Bawens and Jack in their papers have concluded that adolescent stress comes mostly from school and are related to disproportionate amounts of assignments amounting to huge workload, frequent class examinations, biased behavior of the school teachers and the indignity of lagging behind the school peers in class studies.

Jesus Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jesus Film - Essay Example After His baptism and temptation, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and reads from the book of Isaiah. Several other times, references are made to other books of the Bible, especially as prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. Jesus: Fact or Fiction? is based on the Gospel of Luke. What is the significance of the Bible for understanding who Jesus is? Referring Jesus to the other books of the bible, more so the Old Testament seeks to reveal his divine nature, and purpose of restoring man’s relationship with God. It also helps in demystifying who he was to the Jews who expected a â€Å"liberator† of an earthly nature. The most-significant parable of Jesus is that of the Prodigal son. This parable refers to the relationship between man and God. From the parable, God can forgive and restore once man realizes his faults, confesses his sins and seeks God again. Jesus death in the film signifies the consequences of sin as death. He sacrifices himself, dying on behalf of man, and so the price has been paid, and man has been made free. Jesus resurrection reveals his godly nature. He is no longer human as only God has the power over death. In comparing the film to the Gospel of Luke, it is surprising that the film has revised, expanded, altered, and fictionalized, in some instances the Gospel of Luke. Even with these modifications, the message about Jesus according to the Gospel of Luke is delivered home. Jesus’ person and deeds are important to a Christian worldview in the sense that he bridges man and God. It is through Him that a man shall see God. Jesus is portrayed as the â€Å"friend of man† even in man’s sinful state. He is man’s vindicator before God. Jesus person is simple and likable by the pure, destitute and hopeless in the societies who often are discriminated against. Jesus is the second member of the Holy Trinity, and therefore God the son

Compare two finacial statmetns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare two finacial statmetns - Essay Example The BP financial statements reflect the FIFO methodology, which is first-in, first out when considering recognition of inventories. The first-in cost is represented by the cost of inventory at the start of the fiscal year and then a transfer to the cost of goods sold represent the oldest costs incurred, based on the volume of inventories sold, leaving the most recent costs of inventoried merchandise that was purchased or produced in-house. BP did not have to choose the FIFO method, they could have selected from a weighted average option, which â€Å"calculates the average cost of the items in the beginning inventory plus purchases made throughout the year† (McManus et al, 155). Under this option, the average is calculated in order to derive a cost of goods sold figure and the value associated with ending inventory at the end of the fiscal year. BP could have also chosen the LIFO method, which is last in, first out. The calculations show more recent merchandise costs as cost of goods sold after the items have been sold with the on hand inventory at the end of the year costed to the oldest costs associated with the inventories. Stakeholder-orienting reporting standards are issued by the SEC, the Securities and Exchange Commission. The purpose of filing these financial reports to the SEC are to â€Å"provide investors a full and fair disclosure of the securities being issued and the issuer’s business activities and financial position† (Marshal, McManus & Viele, 385). The basic premise of SEC guidelines ensures that the information being presented in the financial reports is congruent to the actual business activities of the organization and is an accurate representation of real-life financial status for the company. This organization acts as a monitoring agency to ensure that companies are not inflating earnings or

Macbeth Blind Ambition Essay Example for Free

Macbeth Blind Ambition Essay The tragedy, ‘Macbeth’, composed by William Shakespeare is a play of manipulation and blind ambition. This is clearly depicted through the character of Macbeth, a great man fallen from God’s grace. Initially, Macbeth’s is presented as a character with noble qualities, who earns himself the trust of King Duncan and admiration of his people. However, the meeting with the weird sisters takes a toll on his personality for the worse, as they ambiguously prophesise that Macbeth will become King of Scotland. Upon hearing this, Macbeth takes fate into his own hands and embarks on a journey of blind ambition. Ultimately, Macbeth’s character deteriorates and is destined to fall. Therefore, through the dramatic elements of the play, we anticipate the downfall of valiant Macbeth as a ramification of the fatal flaw of blind ambition. Blind ambition comes at the cost of our humanity. Macbeth aligns himself with the supernatural elements, which are associated with darkness and evil. Originally, Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as a great man, as depicted through the similes of Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion and â€Å"Signs of nobleness, like stars, shall shine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This reflects Macbeth’s bravery, as he is bequeathed the gift of stars by King Duncan. Quite soon, however; we witness how he morphs into a two-faced, conniving snake, as illustrated through this simile â€Å"Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under it. † The audience immediately recognises the disparity between the dark supernatural elements and the elements of goodness and light. We expect the power play will be evoked through the illusions and half-truths through the paradox of â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair. † A strong illusion that Shakespeare evokes to dramatise the mental state of Macbeth is the dagger soliloquy, â€Å"Is this a dagger which I see before me. † Whilst we see him in inner conflict over his intention to assassinate King Duncan, we recognise that he will not deviate from the path of darkness as he calls on the stars as seen through the apostrophe â€Å"Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires’. This establishes that Macbeth represents darkness and this contrasts to Duncan, as he is a symbolism of light. Through the apostrophe, â€Å"Come spirits, unsex me†, we perceive that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth align themselves to the supernatural world for power, and in return they are stripped off of their humanity. Shakespeare dramatises these events to challenge us to consider of ramifications of blind ambition. Taking destiny into one’s hands for self gain may lead to self annihilation, and unnatural chaos ensues. Once regicide is committed, Macbeth is overwhelmed by nausea, as he has â€Å"murdered sleep. He then realises the magnitude of his sins, as it is emphasised through this hyperbole â€Å"Will all Great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? † This imagery is juxtaposed with the litotes of â€Å"A little water will clear us of this deed. † Therefore, pathos is established between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as they are anointe d by blood through the act of regicide, â€Å"My hands are of your colour†. Dramatic irony is established as we know that this couple can never be extricated from guilt. With little remorse, he embarks on a journey of self destruction and mass murder. There is no salvation for him, and this is clearly demonstrated through the metaphor â€Å"Stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more. † He repeats his mistakes as he continues the assassinations of the innocent, and his sins further escalate when he slain Macduff’s family. However, the further they continue on the path to darkness, the more plagued they are by the blood seeping from their hands, â€Å"Out, damned spot! † Macbeth also hallucinates and is haunted by Banquo’s ghost. This can be demonstrated through the imagery â€Å"Quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee† Unnatural chaos ensues as a result of King Duncan’s death and Macbeth’s unnatural deeds due to blind ambition. This is evoked through the disorderly image of and â€Å"Unnatural deeds do breed unnatural troubles. † Until another great being can overthrow tyrannical Macbeth, then the violation of nature’s order will not be restored. Shakespeare invites us to consider the law of ‘cause and effect’. Blind ambition overrides Macbeth’s rational mind and any sense of inherent moral sensibility. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are left tormented as they cannot sustain inner peace and sleep, â€Å"Sleep no more! which leads them to the brink of insanity. Furthermore Macbeth acknowledges that Duncan is at peace in the liberation of death, and he dramatises the inner conflict and insecurity through the paradox â€Å"To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. † This foreshadows the downfall of Macbeth and soon he will be released from his torment. Blind ambition robs Macbeth’s foresight and without realising it, it puts a strain on his and his wife’s marriage. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s mental deterioration is emphasised through their severed relationship. As a result of blind ambition, Lady Macbeth resorts to suicide. She lives in fear, as she is constantly plagued from the murder. Therefore, death is her release. Shakespeare invites us to evaluate our behaviour and challenge us to take responsibility for our own actions. As a result of blind ambition, Macbeth is trapped in an illusion of perception versus reality. He consolidates his relationship with the supernatural elements. The witches present three apparitions, which include the â€Å"armed-head†, â€Å"bloody child† and the â€Å"boy with a crown and a tree from his hand. This directs Macbeth to the road of self-annihilation, and through the half-truths, dramatic irony is established and this serves to heighten tension, as the audience expects the downfall of Macbeth. Macbeth is struggling to find the purpose to live, as exemplified through litotes of â€Å"Out, brief candle†. He compares his life to a â€Å"brief candle† that is easily blown out by the wind and it connotes that human life is uncertain. â€Å"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,† Macbeth laments on the loss of his future, as he comes to term of his inevitable demise. Therefore, Macbeth is associated with pathos, and as an audience, we do pity his pathetic being. In the climax of the play, Macbeth is confronted by noble Macduff and it is revealed that the witches’ ambiguous prophecies were half-truths and Macbeth was so wrapped up in his own illusion that he could not see through it. As a result, it led to his downfall. The catharsis is established when Macduff defeats Macbeth and claims justice to Scotland. Shakespeare writes to raise awareness that some things are not what they appear to be. By the end of the play, we witness the downfall of Macbeth as a result of blind ambition. Blind ambition robs Macbeth of his humanity and foresight, and because of this, Macbeth’s character has deteriorated, as his deterioration is manifested through acts of massacres. In the end, Macbeth does not fully redeem himself, although he does hold regret for the heinous deeds he has committed, and therefore, he dies an undignified death. Hence, Shakespeare invites us consider the natural cycle of ‘cause and effect’ and how acts of blind ambition can lead to deadly consequences.