Politics in Modern Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Politics in Modern Art - Essay Example The essay "Politics in Modern Art" investigates politics in modern art. The artistic movement against the polity during the 1960s and 1970s is particularly high in California. Here, there is a striking confluence of political agitation and passionately engaged art. The San Francisco Bay area took the lead role nationally with the foundation of the free speech movement.Then, the state gave birth to the Beat and hippie countercultures, which was responsible for many profound social change across the country. In writing about the contemporary art Peter Selz, Susan Landauer observed: While the civil rights and peace movements grew simultaneously in cities nationwide, California played a significant role in their development. In their wake came the Chicano labor movement in the San Joaquin Valley, the revolutionary Black Panther Party in Oakland, as well as some of the most radical manifestations of gay liberation, Red Power, and environmental activism. All of these activities was accompa nied by an outpouring of political art unmatched elsewhere in the United States. Recent commentary of the subject to date has been made by Richard Candida Smith’s Utopia and Dissent: Art, Poetry, and Politics in California. Candida explored and examined the ideological , socioeconomic and historic roots of both political ferment of the recent times and its artistic expression. He pointed out that many of the values of liberty and dissent taken up by the New Left were first articulated by the community of artists and poets.

The Scramble for Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Scramble for Africa - Essay Example 5). The impact of globalization on Africa has illustrated its dangers. Just as capitalism needed to be regulated in the United States and other market economies in the industrial age to protect people from the abuse of companies in the name of profit, a worldwide effort arguably needs to be made to protect the most vulnerable people in the world from corporate abuse when their own governments will not do so. According to Simon Taylor, director of Global Witness, a globalization watchdog, G8 countries need to take the lead in preventing this kind of abuse, as their companies are the most likely to be benefiting from it. He asserts, "Western companies and banks have colluded in stripping Africa's resources. We need to track revenues from oil, mining and logging into national budgets to make sure that the money isn't siphoned off by corrupt officials" (par. 4). The potential for Africa to produce huge profits for foreign investors is undeniable. The continent is shaping up to be the highest potential investment area in the world. "Sub-Saharan Africa may be the poorest region in the world but it is also its most profitable investment destination. According to the World Bank's 2003 global development finance report, the continent offers 'the highest returns on foreign direct investment of any region in the world'" (Wright 2005, par. 7). It is only a matter of time before this fact will influence the behavior of foreign companies. "At the moment only around 1% of the private capital that is sloshing around the globe finds its way into sub-Saharan Africa. But there is an increasing band of intrepid international companies that are initiating a new scramble for Africa. Like the colonial pioneers before them, they have found that the strategy can be risky but the potential rewards are enormous" (par. 8). The African continent's wealth of oil and diamonds is the primary target of this latest "scramble." Oil in particular has led developed nations to eye Africa, particularly given the recent escalation of prices. "Spurred by rising global oil prices and depleting reservoirs nearer home, the world's biggest energy-consuming countries have re-discovered Africa. Oil production across that least-developed continent is set to double by the end of the decade, with the US alone importing more than a quarter of its requirements from there. Africa is expected to supply one-fifth of global output by 2010" ("Oil exploration" 2005, par. 2). Competition for this African resource is fierce, and threatens to inflict serious injury on local populations. "As the world's oil becomes depleted, the energy-intensive developed countries face each other in mounting competition for the remaining resources. This trend could have major economic, political, social and environmental implications for regions such as Africa" (par. 1). Unfettered by the kind of government regulation constraining huge multinational oil companies in developed countries, there is a grave risk that they could fail to implement environmental and other safeguards, thereby risking the health and safety of the local populations. Further, an environmental disaster such as an oil spill or refinery explosion could have tremendous economic

Employment Law in Hungary Problem Question

Employment Law in Hungary Problem Question The difficulties that Andreas and Luka face in this circumstance relate to the fact that where Treaty Articles[1] and Regulations[2] are directly applicable in national courts. Directives are only binding as to the result to be achieved, with it being necessary for the Member State to adopt the national law in such a way as to implement the Directives terms.[3] This means that whilst Andreas and Luka would have been able to rely directly on a Treaty Article or Regulations to enforce their EU rights in the Hungarian courts, they must rely on some alternative method of enforcement in respect of the Directive. It is these alternative methods of enforcement that lie at the crux of the issues here. Although the direct effect for Treaty Articles was not instant, it was developed over a period of time, and Van Gend was the first judgment to expressly state that Treaty Articles could be directly effective.[4] On the other hand, Article 288 TFEU[5] specifically says that Regulations are directly effective. This was confirmed in Leonesio [6] and held that Directives are only directly effective in respect of the aims to be achieved and that the Member States are given discretion as to how these aims are introduced into national law. On the face of it, it could be suggested that because Directives are not directly enforceable in the national courts, Member States would be able to disregard the requirements of the Directive. If as it has happened in this circumstance, it does not suit the current national requirements. This would, of course, make Directives largely irrelevant. This was the view that was taken by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Van Duyn v Home Office.[7] In this judgment, it would be held that, if the Directive was clear, precise and unconditional (the same requirements as exist for the direct effect of Treaty Articles and Regulations)[8], and had a direct effect on the relations between individuals and the Member States. Therefore, the Directive ought to be given direct effect in the national courts. The above position was further clarified in Pubblico Ministero v Ratti.[9] Mr. Ratti was a manufacturer of solvents in Italy, was charged failure to comply with the stricter Italian law. The ECJ made clear that the proper purpose of direct effect for Directives was to prevent a Member State from gaining an advantage by ignoring the requirements of a Directive. In essence, a Member State is estopped from denying an individuals rights based on the contents of a Directive once the period for implementing the Directive has passed. Based on the above, it seems that Andreas and Lukas position is a relatively strong one, but unfortunately, the issue is slightly more complicated. These complications are initially lie in the fact that a failure to implement a Directive into national law is entirely caused by the fault of a Member State. In Marshal,[10] it was recognized that allowing an individual to rely on the provisions of a Directive directly against another individual could have unfair results. This is because the individual expected to comply with the Directives may have no idea of its existence. On this basis, it was further held in Faccini Dori v Recreb[11] that the Directives could only have a direct effect on the Member State itself. This is known as a vertical direct effect. This is clearly a limiting factor and therefore it is essential that it is possible to identify what kind of organization fits within this requirement. The issue of identifying against whom the direct of a Directive could be relied upon was addressed in Foster v British Gas.[12]Here, it was held that an organization would be part of the Member State if it was subject to the authority or control of the State, or had powers that went beyond those that ordinarily exist between individuals. There are two separate approaches that are followed in this respect. In Sozialhifeverband,[13] it was held that private companies owned by a local authority would be considered sufficiently linked to the State purely based on the nature of their ownership. In Vassallo, [14] it was stated that the nature of the role of the organization could also impact on whether it was considered part of the State. In this case, a privately-run hospital was considered part of the State. This is because some of its activities were publicly funded and partly also because it was serving a public function. It can be seen from the above, the fact that Directives can only have a vertical direct effect will have a significant impact upon Andreas and Lukas ability to rely on the Directive. It seems probable that even though Andreass employer receives some of its funding from private contributions, the fact that it is partly funded by the State, and it will be considered to serve a public function. It will mean that it will be considered part of the State and that, Andreas will be able to rely on the provisions of the Directive directly against it. The effect of this will ensure that prior to his dismissal, Andreas will be considered to have held a permanent contract. Therefore, he will presumably be able to rely on Hungarian employment law, at the very least, attempt to assert that he should receive some compensation for his dismissal. However, Andreas will not be able to assert that the Directive means that he should not have been dismissed. This is because the only relevant purpose of th e Directive is to ensure that a permanent contract is granted after two temporary ones have elapsed. The position is very different for Luka. This is because the company for which she is working with is purely privately owned and funded. This is unlikely to be considered to serve as a public function. Therefore, she will not be able to rely on the direct effect of the Directive. However, this is not the end of the matter, because there are further possibilities that may assist her. The first of these possibilities lies in what is known as an indirect effect. In Von Colson Kamann,[15] it was held that national courts have a duty to interpret national legislation in line with EU provisions if this was possible. The approach in Von Colson Kamann[16] was quite limiting in that it only applied to national legislation that was implementing the Directive in question. This approach would not assist Luka, this is because there is no indication that the Hungarian government has taken any implementing steps at all with the regards to this Directive. The position was expanded somewhat in Marleasing[17], that to require national courts to interpret all national legislation in line with EU provisions where possible. It is not possible to comment on the impact of an indirect effect on Lukas position specifically. This is because this will entirely depend on whether there is already in existence any Hungarian legislation that could be interpreted in line with the provisions of the Directive. If this is possible, Luka will be able to rely on the existing national legislation and the Hungarian courts will be required to interpret accordingly. Clearly, if there is no relevant Hungarian legislation exists, of if the existing legislation is written in such a way that an alternative interpretation is not possible, the indirect effect will be of no assistance to Luka. The second possible solution for Luka can be found in the judgment in Francovich.[18] In this judgment, it was held that where a Member State has failed to implement a Directive and if certain other requirements are satisfied, an individual would be able to hold the Member State liable for their losses. In order for State liability to arise, three conditions must be met. Firstly, the Directive must grant rights to the individual. Secondly, it must be possible to identify these rights from the content of the Directive. Finally, there must a direct causal link between the Member States failure to implement the Directive and the loss suffered by the individual. There seems little difficulty in applying the above three conditions to Lukas position. On the fact given, it appears that the very purpose of the Directive was to grant individuals with the right to be placed on a permanent contract and the subsequent employment security that such a contract provides. It is also clear that the nature of the Directive makes its purpose clear. The position in respect of the causal link between the failure to implement the terms of the Directive and the loss sustained by Luka is an interesting one. This is because, taken at a simple level, the non-renewal of Lukas contract would not have occurred if the Directive had been properly implemented. Luka would already have been working under a permanent contract. However, the failure to implement is not necessarily the reason for Lukas loss. This is the downturn in piano manufacture and the subsequent loss of her job. In this respect, Luka may have lost her job even if she had a permanent contract. In order to address this, it would be necessary to consider the steps taken by Kende Pianos in deciding whom to dismiss. However, it seems that even if it is possible to demonstrate that Luka would have been dismissed anyway, even if she would be on a permanent contract. Therefore, on the fact that she will not receive this payment is directly caused by the failure in implementation of the Directive and Luka should be able to claim damages from the State in order to compensate for this loss. In conclusion, Andreas will be able to rely on the Directive directly in the Hungarian courts to ensure that he receives the same employment rights as an individual on a permanent contract. On the other hand, Luka will not be able to rely on the direct effect of the Directive, but she may be able to rely on its indirect effect, or she may be able to seek damages from the Hungarian State. CASES Faccini Dori v Recreb (case 91/92) [1994] ECR I-3325 Foster v British Gas (case C-188/89) [1990] ECR I-3313 Francovich and Bonifaci v Italy (joined cases C-6/90 and C-9/90) [1991] ECR I-5357 Leonesio v Italian Ministry of Agriculture (case 93/71) [1972] ECR 293 Marleasing SA v La Comercial Internacionale de Alimentacion SA (case C-106/89) [1990] ECT I-4135 Marshall v Southampton and South-West Hampshire Area Health Authority (case 152/84) [1986] ECR 723 Pubblico Ministero v Ratti (case 148/78) [1979] ECT 1629 Sozialhifeverband Rohrbach v Arbeiterkammer Oberosterreich (case C-297/03) [2005] ECR I-4305 Van Duyn v Home Office (case 41/74) [1974] ECT 1337 Van Gen en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen (case 26/62) [1963] ECR 1 Vassallo v Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedale San Martino di Genova e Cliniche Universitarie Convenzionate (case C-180/04) [2006] ECT I-7251 Von Colson Kamann v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (case 14/83) [1984] ECR 1891 TREATIES Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union 2012 BOOKS Chalmers, D Davies, G Monti, G European Union Law (3rd edn Cambridge University Press 2014) Craig, P De Burca, G EU Law Text, Cases, and Materials (6th edn Oxford University Press 2015) Schutze, R European Union Law (Cambridge University Press 2015) [1] Van Gen en Loos v Nederlandse Administratie der Belastingen (case 26/62) [1963] ECR 1 [2] Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 288 [3] Ibid [4] Van Gen (n1) [5] Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), Article 288 [6] Leonesio v Italian Ministry of Agriculture (case 93/71) [1972] ECR 293 [7] (case 41/74) [1974] ECT 1337 [8] The van Gend Criteria (van Gen en Loos) [9] (case 148/78) [1979] ECT 1629 [10] Marshall v Southampton and South-West Hampshire Area Health Authority (case 152/84) [1986] ECR 723 [11] (case 91/92) [1994] ECR I-3325 [12] (case C-188/89) [1990] ECR I-3313 [13] Sozialhifeverband Rohrbach v Arbeiterkammer Oberosterreich (case C-297/03) [2005] ECR I-4305 [14] Vassallo v Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedale San Martino di Genova e Cliniche Universitarie Convenzionate (case C-180/04) [2006] ECT I-7251 [15] Von Colson Kamann v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen (case 14/83) [1984] ECR 1891 [16] Ibid [17] Marleasing SA v La Comercial Internacionale de Alimentacion SA (case C-106/89) [1990] ECT I-4135 [18] Francovich and Bonifaci v Italy (joined cases C-6/90 and C-9/90) [1991] ECR I-5357

Free Essays - Criticism of My Antonia :: My Antonia Essays

Criticism of My Antonia       My Antonia by Willa Cather is a novel based on the memories of the protagonist, Jim Burden. Many critics have criticized this novel, and have focused on such literary elements as symbolism, motif, and characterization. The strongest argument however is the one that states that the foundation of every element in the book is based on the personal memories of Willa Cather.    Many critics have discussed the symbolism in this novel. One symbol that some critics have discussed is the plow. It was said that the plow suggests a way of life that not only helps the land to flourish but the individual as well (Brown). Another symbol that many critics discuss is Marek Shimerda. The fact that Marek has webbed hands and feet sets him apart from the other "normal" children who seem to represent creativity and innocence (Shaw). The road that Jim Burden travels on is another symbol that critics focus on quite a bit. It is said that the road symbolizes the "road to destiny" that America itself takes. (Brown). Critics have also pointed out that the red dust that covers everything, the intense heat, the burning wind, the wilting oak groves, and the stifling vegetation represent oppression, paralysis, submergence, and loss of vitality (as in the old ways of life) as opposed to the alternatives of the new world such as discovery and recovery (Holmes).    One thing that many critics have discussed is that the plot of My Antonia revolves around the ideas of childhood and the fact that the structure of the novel is centered around scenes that have to do with children. This shows up in the beginning of the book as ten year old Jim is riding the train from Virginia to Nebraska; and at the end of the book when all of Antonia's children are around (Shaw). A contrasting motif to that of childhood is adulthood. Throughout the book, Cather describes how adulthood has many hardships as compared to the carefreeness of childhood.    Another element of the novel that critics spent a lot of time discussing is characterization. One critic pointed out the fact that many of the characters in My Antonia have imperfections in their physical appearance that seem to bring out the imperfections of society that exist, and put the ideas of "social perfection" on the back-burner (Randall).

Deep Ecology

Whether its watching a whale Jump up in the air and seeing him crashing back into the water, or looking at all of the trees leafs changing colors in the fall time; nature is a beautiful thing. In the past, traditional Native Americans once cared about the land. The grass, trees, rocks, and everything else had value. Nowadays most people are moving away from these ideas and moving towards a capitalist mindset, only caring about their own personal gain. Deep ecology is defined as â€Å"an environmental movement and philosophy that regards human life as Just one of many equal components of a global cosystem† (Google).Arne Naess was a Norwegian philosopher who coined the term Deep Ecology. It may seem very similar to traditional Native American thought, but there are a few differences. In traditional Native American thought, they believe that everything is sacred, has value, and is alive. Deep ecologists do not feel the same way, they believe objects hold value but not all things are living. For example, if you were to pick up a rock and show it to a deep ecologist, he or she would say that the rock is not living. According to traditional Native American thought, they would say hat the rock is valuable, living and is sacred (Professor Bill Weiss).Arne Naess and George Sessions created the eight principles of deep ecology. They are the eight principles that all deep ecologists follow. The fifth principle states, present human interference with the nonhuman world is excessive, and the situation is rapidly worsening (The Anarchist Library). For example, 137 species of animals are becoming extinct each day, which adds up to 50,005 species disappearing every year, because of deforestation (Oocities). If we don't start doing something about this issue he world's animal population will become extinct, and that's only from deforestation.That doesn't include all the garbage and chemicals that we are dumping on the earth. Those also have an effect on animals all acros s the world. And soon this will start to effect the human population. People will start to become sick and they won't have anything to eat because animals across the world were killed off or become extinct, and the vegetables you want to eat won't be edible because the chemicals that were dumped on the earth reached the plants you want to eat and ontaminated them. This could potentially lead to the human population becoming extinct.I'm not saying this is going to actually happen or be an immediate result of our actions but this is what the world is coming to. The companies are the indirect problem in this issue. It's the population's demand that keeps these companies going which makes us the direct source to the problem. Almost everyone is caught up in the capitalist mentality, only caring about themselves and seeing how much money they can make. And when that happens they go out and buy more products which ave negatively affected the environment.

Freedom Essay

Freedom- what so many people wish for. It was summer of the year 2010, a time when I could finally enjoy myself and be comfortable for who I am. Summer was a time that everyone loved but going back to the year 2008 for me it was a time of darkness. All the girls on the beach showing off their new bikinis and all the boys being shirtless and showing off their looks and then there is me†¦. A girl named Page Duncan aged 15 who have no friends because she weighs 70 kg.In November 2007 it was starting to get hot so all my friends and I decided to go to the beach. As we arrived the temperature was getting hot so everyone decided to put on their bikinis for a swim but I didn’t feel comfortable because of my body so I chose to wear a one piece. As I got back from the change rooms some of my friends made comments saying â€Å"oh my god you’re so fat† and â€Å" I didn’t know whales could stay on the sand that long† and as they were saying it they all la ughed. When the girls said that to me it made me cry and be really upset so I decided to ring my mum to pick me up. Whilst on the phone with mum she asked me why I wanted to leave so early so I lied to her saying â€Å"I feel sick† so she wouldn’t know.After this day I no longer had friends, I was no longer comfortable with my self, and I was always upset about my body weight. The next day I went to school, as I arrived the whole school laughed at me and again calling me fat. Clearly this was because of yesterday. As the day went I got bullied time after time again. Finally the day ended where I found my self in my room free from all bullying until I went on Facebook. I opened up my message box and received messages saying, â€Å"You’re so fat†, â€Å"go kill your self†, â€Å"you’re ugly†. When I had read this I found my self in so much pain and anger.Today I don’t want to go to school so I am going to ask mum if I can stay ho me because I am feeling sick. Mum thank God approved so I locked my self in then  room and started crying. After a while I had soaked in so much anger and decided to cut my self. This felt good and I realised it released my anger so I did it again and again and again. Eventually I stopped because I found myself bleeding that much that I had blood on my blankets that was red as cherry.The next day mum calls me for breakfast but I am not hungry so I replied with â€Å"mum I’m not hungry†. Mum then walks into the room and see the scars on my arm and sees the blood on the blankets and asks me â€Å"honey what’s wrong with your arm?† so I reply with â€Å"mum it’s okay I just scratched me arm† so she replied with a â€Å"oh okay be careful next time and go put a band aid on and also come get breakfast†. I chose to stay in my room so I can starve my self so I can have a perfect body.As the days went on I find myself cutting my self more a nd more and also not eating and I love it. I finally am getting happy with my body, as I have lost 20 kg, which means I am now 50 kg.One day in October 2009 mum confronts me because she again notices my scars and notices I have lost weight so she wants to take me to the doctors so we did to find out that there was nothing wrong with me. Mum tells me she is still not satisfied so she decides to take me another doctor but again nothing is wrong.When I got home I decided to cut my self again, whilst doing it I cut a vein all of sudden BOOM I have past out†¦A few minutes later mum walks into my bedroom and finds me passed out with blood everywhere. Mum starts panicking and rings triple zero, she then applies pressure till the ambulance come to slow down the loss of blood. The ambulance finally arrives and takes me to hospital.Page Duncan wakes up†¦ â€Å"Hello there, I’m your nurse, you nearly died with the amount of blood you  lost. You have been unconscious for 2 days. I m also here to tell you that you have been diagnosed with depression† mum then walks into the room and is upset she asks me â€Å"why are you doing this†, mum the reason I am doing this is because I am fat and I have no friends. ‘Mum cries’ Mum please don’t be upset and she replies with â€Å" look I am upset about this but that’s okay know because I am going to fix this†.When I finally get out of hospital mum decides to have a talk. She says, † Look Page back in my day I actually was diagnosed as well but I got through it and so can you. I know this is going to be tough but we are going to get through it. I have arranged an interview with the teacher so that they are aware and can help you, I have got you medicine and also if you are that concerned about your weight you can go on a weight program if you’re interest† okay thanks mum I really appreciate it, I really didn’t know you experienced this. I’m sorry.2010 summer came and I am healthy, I am happy, 2 years later at 60kg, confident and now have friends that appreciate for who I am, I can now put a bikini and not be conscious and most in importantly I owe it all to my mum for getting me through this. After all this time I decided to go to the beach and not be scared about what others think and accept that if people want to bully me they are not true friends.In conclusion you do not have to be skinny or good looking to have fun or put on a bikini or be shirtless, it’s all about appreciating what you have. You don’t need these things to have freedom. Page Duncan was diagnosed with depression because of what other people thought. She then overcame this with the help of others and now realises that you don’t have to be skinny or good looking or smart to be free and happy. Her w eight does not longer get the better of her because she knew if they said hurtful things that they weren’t true friends. The best way to describe is â€Å"if you believe you will achieve†.

Free Essays on Stress And Cardiovascular Disorders

, something that may be stressful for one person may be pleasurable for the next. A roller-coaster is a great example of this. On a coaster there are the people that close their eyes, clench the safety bar for dear life and can‘t wait to get off. Contrastingly, at the front of the coaster there are the thrill seekers that stay wide eyed for the entire time and relish in every steep plunge. And then there are those that are bored with the ride, maybe because they have been on the same ride many times before. In terms of emotional resources, some people are not as equipped as others to deal with the roller coaster of life with its ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns. Besides roller-coa... Free Essays on Stress And Cardiovascular Disorders Free Essays on Stress And Cardiovascular Disorders Stress is an adaptive response to the physical and psychological forces and pressures that challenge an organism (Selye, 1978). Hans Selye was a Canadian researcher who coined the term â€Å"stress† in order to describe a series of responses that were observed in laboratory animals that were subjected to severely disturbing physical and emotional threats. He observed and recorded the animals’ responses and discovered that some of the animals experienced ulcers, heart attacks, hypertension, arthritis, kidney damage, and other diseases. Selye’s experiment demonstrates how unrelenting physical and psychological stress can kill an organism (Rosch, 2002). These findings are applicable to the human condition where protracted levels of stress from a variety of life events eventuate in serious physical pathology. Specifically, this paper will explore the link between stress and cardiovascular disease. The first segment of this paper will describe some common causes of stress and examples of how different individuals cope with it. Next, the issue of stress and it’s indirect influence on cardiovascular disorders and other diseases will be addressed. Stress is experienced at multiple levels by different individuals. In other words, something that may be stressful for one person may be pleasurable for the next. A roller-coaster is a great example of this. On a coaster there are the people that close their eyes, clench the safety bar for dear life and can‘t wait to get off. Contrastingly, at the front of the coaster there are the thrill seekers that stay wide eyed for the entire time and relish in every steep plunge. And then there are those that are bored with the ride, maybe because they have been on the same ride many times before. In terms of emotional resources, some people are not as equipped as others to deal with the roller coaster of life with its ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns. Besides roller-coa...

BLONDE AND BLUE EYES Essay Essays

BLONDE AND BLUE EYES Essay Essays BLONDE AND BLUE EYES Essay Paper BLONDE AND BLUE EYES Essay Paper Essay Topic: The Hobbit PATRICIA Evangelista. an 18-year-old communications sophomore at UP Diliman. won the 2004 Best Speaker award in the International Public Speaking competition conducted annually by the English-Speaking Union ( ESU ) in London. The petite. poised and reasonably Filipina emerged triumphant in a field of 60 contestants stand foring 37 states that are members of the esteemed international British establishment dedicated to the thought of â€Å"Creating Global Understanding through English. † Evangelista won her topographic point in the finals after clinching one of two slots in her heat during the tension-filled. heatedly contested forenoon preliminaries held at the ESU central office in London. With the eight finalists known by lunch period. the action shifted to the Kinema theatre hall of the enforcing South Africa House on Trafalgar Square for the decisive confrontation in the afternoon. The seven other finalists came from Malaysia. Pakistan. Czech Republic. Argentina. Brazil. Morocco and Mongolia. The â€Å"native speakers† of English - from the USA. England and Wales. and Australia - had earlier been eliminated in the heats. South Africa. ever a strong rival. besides failed to do it to the finals. The subject of the competition this twelvemonth was â€Å"A Borderless World. † with as many readings coming out as there were talkers. The diverseness added exhilaration to the event. Patricia was easy a crowd favourite even during the preliminaries. Her address was praised by one of her heat’s Judgess as â€Å"very good crafted. † Her capable affair was the Filipino diaspora and the parts of the planetary Filipino. every bit good as her ain dreams of going abroad but coming back to assist her state. This. plus the confident. relaxed and prosecuting mode with which she delivered her piece. won the judges’ nod. and for her the award of being the best in a field of outstanding immature communicators from all over the English-speaking universe. There was a stillness in the hall as the president of the board of Judgess – BBC veteran journalist Brian Hanrahan - announced their â€Å"unanimous determination. † He foremost read out the names of the victors of the â€Å"Best Non-Native English Speaker† value - Malaysia - and the runner-up award - Mongolia. At the reference of Patricia Evangelista’s name as Best Speaker. deafening hand clapping erupted. Ambassador and Mrs. Edgardo Espiritu and the remainder of the Philippine embassy deputation congratulated the victor. who was in cryings as she called up her parents in Manila on her cellular telephone. Evangelista accepted her prizes as Best Speaker from Lady Dean of ESU’s board of governors and Dame Mary Richardson. main executive of the HSBC Education Trust and member of the board of Judgess stand foring her bank which is this year’s major patron of the competition. The Best Speaker received a salver. a certification. a dictionary and an encyclopaedia. She will return to London in November to officially accept her award at the Buckingham Palace from Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh who is besides the president of the English-Speaking Union. BLONDE AND BLUE EYESBY: PATRISIA EVANGELISTA When I was small. I wanted what many Filipino kids all over the state wanted. I wanted to be blond. fair-haired. and white. I thought - if I merely wished difficult plenty and was good plenty. I’d wake up on Christmas forenoon with snow outside my window and lentigos across my olfactory organ! More than four centuries under western domination does that to you. I have 16 cousins. In a twosome of old ages. at that place will merely be five of us left in the Philippines. the remainder will hold gone abroad in hunt of â€Å"greener grazing lands. † It’s non merely an anomalousness ; it’s a tendency ; the Filipino Diaspora. Today. about eight million Filipinos are scattered around the universe. There are those who disapprove of Filipinos who choose to go forth. I used to. Possibly this is a natural reaction of person who was left behind. smiling for household images that get emptier with each wining twelvemonth. Desertion. I called it. My state is a land that has perpetually fought for the freedom to be itself. Our heroes offered their lives in the battle against the Spanish. the Japanese. the Americans. To pack up and deny that individuality is equivalent to ptyalizing on that forfeit. Or is it? I don’t think so. non any longer. True. there is no denying this phenomenon. aided by the fact that what was one time the other side of the universe is now a twelve-hour plane sit off. But this is a borderless universe. where no person can claim to be strictly from where he is now. My female parent is of Chinese descent. my male parent is a one-fourth Spanish. and I call myself a pure Filipino-a loanblend of kinds ensuing from a combination of civilizations. Each square stat mi anyplace in the universe is made up of people of different ethnicities. with national individualities and single personalities. Because of this. each square stat mi is already a microcosm of the universe. In every bit much as this blessed topographic point that is England is the universe. so is my vicinity back place. Seen this manner. the Filipino Diaspora. or any kind of dispersion of populations. is non every bit baleful as so many claim. It must be understood. I come from a Third World state. one that is still seeking mightily to acquire back on its pess after many old ages of absolutism. But we shall do it. given more clip. Particularly now. when we have 1000s of eager immature heads who graduate from college every twelvemonth. They have accomplishments. They need occupations. We can non absorb them all. A borderless universe presents a bigger chance. yet one that is non so much forsaking but an extension of individuality. Even as we take. we give back. We are the 40. 000 skilled nurses who support the UK’s National Health Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million mariners manning most of The universe s commercial ships. We are your package applied scientists in Ireland. your building workers in the Middle East. your physicians and health professionals in North America. and. your musical creative persons in London’s West End. Nationalism isn’t edge by clip or topographic point. Peoples from other states migrate to make new states. yet still remain basically who they are. British society is itself an illustration of a multi-cultural state. a runing pot of races. faiths. humanistic disciplines and civilizations. We are. so. in a borderless universe! Leaving sometimes isn’t a affair of pick. It’s coming back that is. The Hobbits of the shire traveled all over Middle-Earth. but they chose to come place. richer in every sense of the word. We call people like these balik-bayans or the ‘returnees’ - those who ollowed their dream. yet choose to return and portion their mature endowments and good luck. In a few old ages. I may take advantage of whatever chances come my manner. But I will come place. A borderless universe doesn’t preclude the thought of a place I’m a Filipino. and I’ll ever be one. It isn’t approximately merely geographics ; it isn’t about boundaries. It’s about giving back to the state that shaped me And that’s traveling to be more of import to me than seeing snow outside my Windowss on a bright Christmas forenoon.

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) Emerald ash borer (EAB), a native beetle of Asia, invaded North America in the 1990s by way of wooden packing material. In a decades time, these pests killed tens of millions of trees throughout the Great Lakes region. Get to know this pest, so you can sound the alarm if it makes its way to your neck o the woods. Description: The adult emerald ash borer is a striking metallic green, with an iridescent purple abdomen hidden beneath the forewings. This elongate beetle reaches about 15 mm in length and just over 3 mm in width. Look for adults from June to August, when they fly in search of mates. Creamy white larvae reach lengths of 32 mm at maturity. The prothorax nearly obscures its tiny, brown head. EAB pupae also appear creamy white. The eggs are white at first, but turn deep red as they develop. To identify emerald ash borer, you should learn to recognize the signs of an infestation. Unfortunately, symptoms of emerald ash borer dont become obvious until two or more years after borers enter a tree. D-shaped exit holes, just 1/8 in diameter, mark the emergence of adults. Split bark and foliage dieback may also portend pest trouble. Just under the bark, S-shaped larval galleries will confirm the presence of EAB. Classification: Kingdom - AnimaliaPhylum - ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – ColeopteraFamily - BuprestidaeGenus - AgrilusSpecies - planipennis Diet: Emerald ash borer larvae feed only on ash trees. Specifically, EAB feeds on the vascular tissues between the bark and sapwood, a habit that interrupts the flow of nutrients and water required by the tree. Life Cycle: All beetles, including the emerald ash borer, undergo complete metamorphosis. Egg – Emerald ash borers lay eggs singly, in crevices in the bark of host trees. A single female can lay up to 90 eggs. Eggs hatch within 7-9 days.Larva – Larvae tunnel through the trees sapwood, feeding on the phloem. Emerald ash borers overwinter in the larval form, sometimes for two seasons.Pupa – Pupation occurs in mid-spring, just under the bark or phloem.Adult – After emerging, adults remain within the tunnel until their exoskeletons properly harden. Special Adaptations and Defenses: The emerald ash borers green color acts as camouflage within the forest foliage. The adults fly quickly, fleeing from danger when needed. Most buprestids can produce a bitter chemical, buprestin, to deter predators. Habitat: Emerald ash borer requires only their host plant, ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Range: Emerald ash borers native range includes parts of China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, as well as small areas of Russia and Mongolia. As an invasive pest, EAB now lives in Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Virginia. Other Common Names: EAB

James Irwin and the history of Colorado Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

James Irwin and the history of Colorado - Essay Example Irwin together with other crew members made three different excursions that helped them in writing the history of astronauts. They surveyed the impressive landing site on the moon surface known as Hadley Rille (Irwin 2004). The landing at Hadley Rille was a historical event in the world of astronauts and scientists. He was also highly recognized for his many achievements as an astronaut. Apart from impacting the science world he also influenced the Christianity world. He was involved with Christianity and created a path that awed many people. After his Apollo 15 mission, Irwin came back with renewed religious beliefs, and he admitted that the assignment had changed his spiritual beliefs. â€Å"To Church groups around the State, Mr. Irwin often talked of the moon mission as an epiphany†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wilford n.d). He admitted that the mission allowed him to feel the power of God. He established the High Flight Foundation, which was aimed at changing people’s perspective of sci ence. In his mission, he emphasized on assisting the Colorado community in realizing that science supported creation defying the claims that it supported evolution. He was also a staunch believer in the great mission of Jesus. He believed that Jesus walking on earth was more significant than a man walking on the moon. He also helped people believe in God the creator and embrace the creation. In his mission of spreading Christianity, he admitted that God was the creator of the laws of science that made it possible for people to travel to space.

Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Research - Assignment Example Research findings, clinical knowledge, knowledge resulting from basic science as well as opinion from expert are all regarded as â€Å"evidence† (Drake and Goldman 32). Practices that are based on research findings, however, have high chances of resulting into outcomes that match the desires of patients across different settings as well as geographic locations. The challenge for evidence based practice is caused by the pressure from health care facility due to containment of cost, larger availability of information, greater sway of consumer regarding care and treatment options. This kind of practice demands some changes in students’ education, more research which is practice-relevant, and a working relationship between researchers and clinicians (Drake and Goldman 38). Evidence-based form of practice also brings an opportunity for nursing care to be more effective, more individualized, dynamic, streamlined and opportunities to maximize clinical judgment effects. When there is reliance on evidence in defining best practices but not for supporting practices that exist, then nursing care is said to be keeping pace with recent technological changes and benefits from developments of new knowledge (Drake and Goldman 49). Although many young professionals have embraced this new approach, it has come with its challenges. A number of researc h studies have indicated that perception of nurses towards EBP is positive and they regard it useful to better care of patients. This research will critically analyze the barriers towards full acceptance of EBP. This will be a descriptive research design. Qualitative research does not, by definition, aim to precisely estimate population parameters or test hypotheses. However, most qualitative projects do attempt. This design was identified as the most convenient and ensured that the data obtained gave answers to the research questions. Descriptive design also offers the opportunity for a logical structure of the inquiry into

What do we mean by navigating another culture Essay - 1

What do we mean by navigating another culture - Essay Example When people from another culture interact with that particular society, they have to understand the cultural behavior of the host society and refrain from offending them by any indication that they do not respect the other culture. For this, they have to examine various characteristics and ramifications of another culture. As per the experts, all cultures share four major characteristics which are common in different cultures (Sarkar, 2010). It includes symbols which reflect on the art, religion, language and finance of that particular culture. When dealing with people from other culture, it is necessary to keep the open mind and learn the nuances of the other culture for a successful social outcome. When navigation of other culture is concerned, it is also necessary for a person to learn the core philosophy of that culture’s values (Hofstede et al, 2010). He or she should also understand various geo-political, socio-economic and cross-cultural factors such as traditions, customs, religious and social values such as taboos and ethos at the time of navigation in another culture. The person while navigating another culture, should always remember that something such as lack of respect, appreciation or ignorance about another cultural milieu can lead to breakdown in communication and goodwill from the people of another culture. In fact, if one tries to understand or imitate their ways while with them, it will lead to wholehearted support as well as enhancement of goodwill. Sarkar, A,N. Navigating the Rough Seas of Global Business Negotiation: Reflection on Cross-Cultural Issues and Some Corporate Experiences, UBIT [Online], Volume 3 issue 2, 48, 2010. Available at: https://commons.esc.edu/globalissues/wp-content/uploads/sites/1354/2014/05/navigating-global-negotiations.pdf [Accessed 07 February

Journal format Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal format - Essay Example I found it difficult to work with the child in that situation because I have an inborn knack for empathizing with people, most specially my young patients. I began to work with the patient by starting the child on 10 lbs. weights and then slowly increasing the weights until we reached the goal of 45 lbs. The child was obviously uncomfortable and in pain but I needed to continue with the task, offering the child words of encouragement and appeasement along the way in order to prod the child not to give up on the task. I also had an opportunity at this point to observe the nurses who were assigned to group and bedside reports. The nurse on duty for the night was quite helpful and did not mind having to teach me how to perform a head assessment on a patient. We spent the night with her teaching and me learning about how to calculate pediatric medication dosages, how to check the link for formularly medication, and other related tasks. I made sure to questions her about the diagnosis of patients but every time I asked about a patient, she would simply tell me to run a Google search. One of the patients was admitted with Jarcho-Levin syndrome, Vacterl syndrome, severe congenital scoliosis with history fa history of fused ribs, spinal bifida, and club feet. His VEPTR (Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib) was removed that day. I found his case quite interesting so I ran a Google inquiry on his illness and then asked my preceptor to clarify certain points pertaining to his case for me. What I did find out on my own however was quite interesting. I learned that the illness also went by other names such as costovertebral segmentation anomalies, spondylocostal dysostosis, spondylocostal dysplasia, spondylothoracic dysostosis, spondylothoracic dysplasia, were all very rare genetic disorders that are characterized by malformation of bones in the

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics Essay

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics - Essay Example Another proof of the theory is that coal deposits usually associated with tropical areas are also found near the North Pole, and that signs of glaciations are evident in the plains of Africa. A third proof is the presence of fossils of exactly the same species during the prehistoric times are located on the earth in the spots where one would find them if the Continental Drift Theory were true. (Sant, 2010) Wegener’s explanation for the Continental Drift Theory is the â€Å"centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the earth† and â€Å"the ‘tidal argument’ based on the tidal attraction of the sun and the moon† (Sant, 2010). In short, Wegener hypothesized that either or both the rotation of the earth and the pull of the tides caused the continents to drift. However, he did not have any explanation for how exactly the continents were able to move. He met with opposition from fellow scientists who said that the centrifugal and tidal forces were too wea k to to move continents (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). However, the reasons for the opposition were perhaps because there was a great anti-German bias in the 1910’s and that his work was discredited because his training was more on astronomy and not geology. (Sant, 2010) Theory of Plate Tectonics (Theory, Evidence) The Plate Tectonics Theory originated in 1915 as an answer to the weaknesses of the Continental Drift Theory (Glasscoe, 1998). However, by the 1960’s, the theory has been widely accepted by scientists. The one principle on which the Plate Tectonics Theory lies is that â€Å"both continents and ocean floor form solid plates, which ‘float’ on the asthenosphere [and thus move]† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). The asthenosphere is the molten, viscous liquid rock on which the plates move and is the one causing all the movements of both seafloor and continent. (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011) Evidence for the Plate Tectonics Th eory include fossils of similar species found in continents that have now separated as well as evidence provided by paleoclimate studies which reveal signs of glacier formation in parts of the world that are now geographically separated (Glasscoe, 1998). Another evidence is the age of the crust. In Plate Tectonics Theory, â€Å"the farther away you travel from a ridge, the older the crust is, and the older the sediments on top of the crust are† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). This is one fact that the Continental Drift Theory was not able to account for. If all land masses separated from Pangaea, then the land must be as old as each other, but how come the ages of these land masses are different from each other? (â€Å"Tectonic Plates,† 2011). Thus, the Plate Tectonics Theory is more plausible than the Continental Drift Theory. Characteristics of Tectonic Plate Boundaries (Divergent Boundaries, Convergent, Transform Fault Boundaries, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mount ain Building) Based on the Plate Tectonics Theory, plates are created through â€Å"rifting† or the separation of a continental crust leading to the formation of a â€Å"diverging plate boundary.† The formation of the divergent plate boundary occurs in four steps. First, the rift valley begins to expand from the pressure coming from the asthenosphere. Second, two continental plates result from the continuous expansion of the rift valley with the molten rock continually pushing the crust apart. Third, water collects in the middle forming a sea. Fourth, the

The Addition of Steroids and Antibiotics in Food Research Paper

The Addition of Steroids and Antibiotics in Food - Research Paper Example This increase in production means a lot of profit for the meat and dairy product industries but on the other hand it is also risking the health of its consumers. FDA and USDA claims that these hormones (steroidal in nature) are free from any harm. Antibiotics which are also used in cattle as preventive measures or to increase the weight of the animal are also producing health concerns in the consumers of the meat and milk. Although the use of antibiotics is banned in Europe it is still legal to inject the low doses of these antibiotics in America and Canada. First we need to be acquainted with Hormones and Antibiotics and to what extent they can affect the health of its consumer. Hormones are the biochemicals produced in the body of human’s as well as animals. Even though they are released in small amounts they control the important body functions such as growth, maturity and reproduction. They are produced by special organs which function to release the hormones according to the requirement and proper timings of its release. This is called the feedback mechanism of the body which manages the amount of hormone released. If body’s requirement of the hormone is fulfilled, by negative feedback mechanism, hormone production automatically stops. Unfortunately, if these hormones are being consumed from any outside sources they can cause serious consequences as there won’t be any mechanism indicating the red alert for the overconsumption. Hormones can be of steroidal or protein in nature. Steroidal hormones remain active even if they are consumed via mouth. Whereas, protein hormones needs to be injected as they are destroyed immediately in the G.I tract (Gastrointestinal tract) by the action of acids and other secretions such as insulin hormone injections by diabetics. Hormones are being used in farm animals to increase their weight and by the use of growth hormones they grow much faster and to a larger extent. They also increase the weight of the animal even if the animal’s food consumption is reduced. In cows, hormones increase the production of milk. Approximately 22% of the Cows are being injected or fed steroidal hormones to get the desired result. Thus, the faster animal reaches to the slaughter weight, the more profitable this procedure becomes for the industries. According to European Union Scientific committee on Veterinary Measures Relating to Public Health, Potential risk to human health can be caused by the use of six types of hormones, including both synthetic and natural hormones. Natural include Oestradiol, Testosterone and Progesterone. Synthetic hormones are Melengestrol, Zeranol, Trenbolone. (Artificial Hormones, 2006). Estradiol and Progesterone are natural female sex hormone and Testosterone is male sex hormone. The other three synthetic hormones are used as growth promoters. FDA approves the use of these hormones in sheep’s and Cattle but not on poultry and Hogs. Recombinant Bovine Growth H ormones (rbGH) is being used in dairy cattle but not on beef cattle.( Consumer Concern about Hormones in Food, 2010) The Committee also put forth questions regarding the issue of such hormone injected animal consumption can cause any imbalance in human hormone system. However, FDA and USDA continuously ensures the consumers that very little amount is

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics Essay

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics - Essay Example Another proof of the theory is that coal deposits usually associated with tropical areas are also found near the North Pole, and that signs of glaciations are evident in the plains of Africa. A third proof is the presence of fossils of exactly the same species during the prehistoric times are located on the earth in the spots where one would find them if the Continental Drift Theory were true. (Sant, 2010) Wegener’s explanation for the Continental Drift Theory is the â€Å"centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the earth† and â€Å"the ‘tidal argument’ based on the tidal attraction of the sun and the moon† (Sant, 2010). In short, Wegener hypothesized that either or both the rotation of the earth and the pull of the tides caused the continents to drift. However, he did not have any explanation for how exactly the continents were able to move. He met with opposition from fellow scientists who said that the centrifugal and tidal forces were too wea k to to move continents (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). However, the reasons for the opposition were perhaps because there was a great anti-German bias in the 1910’s and that his work was discredited because his training was more on astronomy and not geology. (Sant, 2010) Theory of Plate Tectonics (Theory, Evidence) The Plate Tectonics Theory originated in 1915 as an answer to the weaknesses of the Continental Drift Theory (Glasscoe, 1998). However, by the 1960’s, the theory has been widely accepted by scientists. The one principle on which the Plate Tectonics Theory lies is that â€Å"both continents and ocean floor form solid plates, which ‘float’ on the asthenosphere [and thus move]† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). The asthenosphere is the molten, viscous liquid rock on which the plates move and is the one causing all the movements of both seafloor and continent. (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011) Evidence for the Plate Tectonics Th eory include fossils of similar species found in continents that have now separated as well as evidence provided by paleoclimate studies which reveal signs of glacier formation in parts of the world that are now geographically separated (Glasscoe, 1998). Another evidence is the age of the crust. In Plate Tectonics Theory, â€Å"the farther away you travel from a ridge, the older the crust is, and the older the sediments on top of the crust are† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). This is one fact that the Continental Drift Theory was not able to account for. If all land masses separated from Pangaea, then the land must be as old as each other, but how come the ages of these land masses are different from each other? (â€Å"Tectonic Plates,† 2011). Thus, the Plate Tectonics Theory is more plausible than the Continental Drift Theory. Characteristics of Tectonic Plate Boundaries (Divergent Boundaries, Convergent, Transform Fault Boundaries, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mount ain Building) Based on the Plate Tectonics Theory, plates are created through â€Å"rifting† or the separation of a continental crust leading to the formation of a â€Å"diverging plate boundary.† The formation of the divergent plate boundary occurs in four steps. First, the rift valley begins to expand from the pressure coming from the asthenosphere. Second, two continental plates result from the continuous expansion of the rift valley with the molten rock continually pushing the crust apart. Third, water collects in the middle forming a sea. Fourth, the

Friedrich Nietzsche Essay Example for Free

Friedrich Nietzsche Essay Existentialism provides a moving account of the agony of being in the world. The spirit of existen- tialism has a long history in philosophy. But it be- came a major movement in the second half of the 20th century. Existentialism is not a systematic body of thought like Marxism or psychoanalysis. Instead, it is more like an umbrella under which a very wide range of thinkers struggled with ques- tions about the meaning of life. Much of the appeal and popularity of Existential- ism is due to the sense of confusion, the crisis, and the feeling of rejection and rootlessness that Euro- peans felt during World War II and its aftermath. Existentialism’s focus on each person’s role in cre- ating meaning in their life was a major influence on the Phenomenological and Humanistic traditions in psychology and on the â€Å"human potential† move- ment that emerged from them. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) said, â€Å"Conquer your- self rather than the world. †. To modern existential- ists this means that the World itself has no real meaning or purpose. It is not the unfolding expres- sion of Human Destiny or a Divine plan, or even a set of natural laws. The only meaning is that which we create by acts of will. To have a meaningful life we have to act. But we should act without hope. Acting is meaningful but it doesn’t create meaning that lasts beyond the acts themselves or beyond our own lifetime. You are what you do – while you are doing it – and then nothing. (Very depressing. ) In The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus (pronounced â€Å"Kam-moo†) (1913-1960) describes life as a kind of hopeless, endless, uphill labor. Hence, the only true problem is that of suicide. Yet, he rejects nihilism; for the human being must fight and never accept defeat. The problem is to be a saint without a God. The last judgment takes place everyday. The human being must do his best, try for what he can within the confinements of his situation. Camus describes Sisyphus condemned by the gods to push a stone up a hill over and over, only to have it roll back down each time he reaches the top. A task that can never be completed. But he finds meaning in the fact that Sisyphus at least gets to decide each time whether to carry on or end it all. Camus says, The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a mans heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy. Although there can never be any meaning in Sisy- phus’ task, there is meaning is choosing each time to continue. Despite encompassing a staggering range of phi- losophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are simple: Mankind has free will. Life is a series of choices, creating stress. Few decisions are without any negative conse- quences. Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation. If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. Notes on Existentialism by Tanweer Akram. The fundamental problem of existentialism is con- cerned with the study of being. The human beings existence is the first and basic fact; the human be- ing has no essence that comes before his existence. The human being, as a being, is nothing. This nothingness and the non-existence of an essence is the central source of the freedom the human being faces in each and every moment. The human being Notes on Existentialism Compiled for PSY 345 (Fall 2004) Existentialism Notes 2 has liberty in view of his situation, in decisions which makes himself and sets himself to solves his problems and live in the world. Thrown into the world, the human being is con- demned to be free. The human being must take this freedom of being and the responsibility and guilt of his actions. Each action negates the other possible courses of action and their consequences; so the human being must be accountable without excuse. The human being must not slip away from his re- sponsibilities. The human being must take deci- sions and assume responsibilities. There is no sig- nificance in this world, this universe. The human being cannot find any purpose in life; his existence is only a contingent fact. His being does not emerge from necessity. If a human being rejects the false pretensions, the illusions of his existence hav- ing a meaning, he encounters the absurdity, the fu- tility of life. The human beings role in the world is not predetermined or fixed; every person is com- pelled to make a choice. Choice is one thing the human being must make. The trouble is that most often the human being refuses to choose. Hence, he cannot realize his freedom and the futility of his existence. Basically existence is of two types: authentic and inauthentic forms of existence. Authentic existence is contrasted with dynamic and is the being-for- itself, rising from the human beings bad faith, by which the human being moves away from the bur- den of responsibility, through this beliefs in dogma and by regarding himself as subject to outside in- fluences and his actions to be predetermined. There is a striking contrast between the authentic and the inauthentic forms of being; the authentic being is the being of the human being and the inau- thentic being is the being for things. Yet, authentic being is only rarely attained by the human being; still it is what the human being must strive to gain. The inauthentic being-in-itself is characteristically distinctive of things; it is what the human being is diseased with for his failure to see himself as and act according as a free agent and his impotency to reject bad faith. Things are only what they are. But the human being is what can be. Things are deter- mined, fixed, and rigid; the human being is free; he can add essence to his life in the course of his life and he is in a constant state of flux and is able to comprehend his situation. The human being does not live in a pre-determined world; the human be- ing is free to realize his aims, to materialize his dreams; hence, he has only the destiny he forges for himself because in this world nothing happens out of necessity. The human being hides himself from freedom by self-deception, acting like a thing, as if he is a pas- sive subject, instead of realizing the authentic be- ing for the human being; this is bad faith. In bad faith, the human being shelter himself from re- sponsibility by not noticing the dimensions of al- ternative courses of action facing him; in bad faith, the human being behaves as others demand of him by conforming to the standards of accepted values and by adopting roles designed for him; in bad faith, the human being loses the autonomy of his moral will, his freedom to decide; in bad faith, the human being imprisons himself within inauthentic- ity for he has refused to take the challenge of re- sponsibility and the anxiety that comes along with his freedom. Anxiety ascends from the human beings realiza- tion that the human beings destiny is not fixed but is open to an undetermined future of infinite possi- bilities and limitless scope: The emptiness of fu- ture destiny must be filled by making choices for which he alone will assume responsibility and blame. This anxiety is present at every moment of the human beings existence; anxiety is part and parcel of authentic existence. Anxiety leads the human being to take decisions and be committed. The human being tries to avoid this anguish through bad faith. But the free human being, in his authenticity, must be involved; for his own actions are only his, his responsibility is to himself, his being is his own. The human being must be com- mitted. To be committed means not to support this in place of that, but to attach a human beings total- ity to a cause; it is the human beings existential freedom that leads to total commitment. Existentialist thinkers begin from the human situa- tion in the world; the condition of despair, the modes of existence, the human beings tendency to avoid authentic existence, his relation to things, his own body, and to other beings, with whom he can- not come into genuine communication, and the sufferings of life. Starting from the study of being, each existentialist thinkers originate their own doc- trines, with their own emphasis on particular as- pects. Very often their viewpoints is conflicting and sometimes contradictory; yet this philosophi-cal attitude of being, as a whole, can be described as the existentialist movement, which stresses upon the being of the human being. Existentialism Notes 3 Additional Notes on Existentialism Existentialism, philosophical movement or ten- dency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice, that influenced many diverse writers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Major Themes Because of the diversity of positions associated with existentialism, the term is impossible to define precisely. Certain themes common to virtually all existentialist writers can, however, be identified. The term itself suggests one major theme: the stress on concrete individual existence and, consequently, on subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. Moral Individualism Most philosophers since Plato have held that the highest ethical good is the same for everyone; inso- far as one approaches moral perfection, one resem- bles other morally perfect individuals. The 19th- century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself existential, reacted against this tradition by insisting that the highest good for the individual is to find his or her own unique vocation. As he wrote in his journal, â€Å"I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die. † Other existentialist writers have echoed Kierkegaards belief that one must choose ones own way without the aid of universal, objective standards. Against the traditional view that moral choice involves an objective judgment of right and wrong, existentialists have argued that no objective, rational basis can be found for moral decisions. The 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche further contended that the indi- vidual must decide which situations are to count as moral situations. SubjectivityAll existentialists have followed Kierkegaard in s tressing the importance of passionate individual action in deciding questions of both morality and truth. They have insisted, accordingly, that per- sonal experience and acting on ones own convic- tions are essential in arriving at the truth. Thus, the understanding of a situation by someone involved in that situation is superior to that of a detached, objective observer. This emphasis on the perspec- tive of the individual agent has also made existen- tialists suspicious of systematic reasoning. Kierke- gaard, Nietzsche, and other existentialist writers have been deliberately unsystematic in the exposi- tion of their philosophies, preferring to express themselves in aphorisms, dialogues, parables, and other literary forms. Despite their antirationalist position, however, most existentialists cannot be said to be irrationalists in the sense of denying all validity to rational thought. They have held that rational clarity is desirable wherever possible, but that the most important questions in life are not accessible to reason or science. Furthermore, they have argued that even science is not as rational as is commonly supposed. Nietzsche, for instance, asserted that the scientific assumption of an orderly universe is for the most part a useful fiction. Choice and Commitment Perhaps the most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice. Humanitys primary dis- tinction, in the view of most existentialists, is the freedom to choose. Existentialists have held that human beings do not have a fixed nature, or es- sence, as other animals and plants do; each human being makes choices that create his or her own na- ture. In the formulation of the 20th-century French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, existence precedes essence. Choice is therefore central to human exis- tence, and it is inescapable; even the refusal to choose is a choice. Freedom of choice entails com- mitment and responsibility. Because individuals are free to choose their own path, existentialists have argued, they must accept the risk and respon- sibility of following their commitment wherever it leads. Dread and Anxiety Kierkegaard held that it is spiritually crucial to rec- ognize that one experiences not only a fear of spe- cific objects but also a feeling of general apprehen- sion, which he called dread. He interpreted it as Gods way of calling each individual to make a commitment to a personally valid way of life. The word anxiety (German Angst) has a similarly cru- cial role in the work of the 20th-century German philosopher Martin Heidegger; anxiety leads to the individuals confrontation with nothingness and with the impossibility of finding ultimate justifica- tion for the choices he or she must make. In the philosophy of Sartre, the word nausea is used for the individuals recognition of the pure contin- gency of the universe, and the word anguish is used for the recognition of the total freedom of choice that confronts the individual at every mo- ment. Existentialism Notes 4 History Existentialism as a distinct philosophical and liter- ary movement belongs to the 19th and 20th centu- ries, but elements of existentialism can be found in the thought (and life) of Socrates, in the Bible, and in the work of many premodern philosophers and writers. Pascal The first to anticipate the major concerns of mod- ern existentialism was the 17th-century French phi- losopher Blaise Pascal. Pascal rejected the rigorous rationalism of his contemporary Rene Descartes, asserting, in his Pensees (1670), that a systematic philosophy that presumes to explain God and hu- manity is a form of pride. Like later existentialist writers, he saw human life in terms of paradoxes: The human self, which combines mind and body, is itself a paradox and contradiction. Kierkegaard Kierkegaard, generally regarded as the founder of modern existentialism, reacted against the system- atic absolute idealism of the 19th-century German philosopher G. W. F. Hegel, who claimed to have worked out a total rational understanding of hu- manity and history. Kierkegaard, on the contrary, stressed the ambiguity and absurdity of the human situation. The individuals response to this situation must be to live a totally committed life, and this commitment can only be understood by the indi- vidual who has made it. The individual therefore must always be prepared to defy the norms of soci- ety for the sake of the higher authority of a person- ally valid way of life. Kierkegaard ultimately advo- cated a â€Å"leap of faith† into a Christian way of life, which, although incomprehensible and full of risk, was the only commitment he believed could save the individual from despair. Nietzsche Nietzsche, who was not acquainted with the work of Kierkegaard, influenced subsequent existential- ist thought through his criticism of traditional metaphysical and moral assumptions and through his espousal of tragic pessimism and the life- affirming individual will that opposes itself to the moral conformity of the majority. In contrast to Kierkegaard, whose attack on conventional moral- ity led him to advocate a radically individualistic Christianity, Nietzsche proclaimed the â€Å"death of God† and went on to reject the entire Judeo- Christian moral tradition in favor of a heroic pagan ideal. Heidegger Heidegger, like Pascal and Kierkegaard, reacted against an attempt to put philosophy on a conclu- sive rationalistic basis—in this case the phenome- nology of the 20th-century German philosopher Edmund Husserl. Heidegger argued that humanity finds itself in an incomprehensible, indifferent world. Human beings can never hope to under- stand why they are here; instead, each individual must choose a goal and follow it with passionate conviction, aware of the certainty of death and the ultimate meaninglessness of ones life. Heidegger contributed to existentialist thought an original em- phasis on being and ontology as well as on lan- guage. Sartre Sartre first gave the term existentialism general currency by using it for his own philosophy and by becoming the leading figure of a distinct move- ment in France that became internationally influen- tial after World War II. Sartres philosophy is ex- plicitly atheistic and pessimistic; he declared that human beings require a rational basis for their lives but are unable to achieve one, and thus human life is a â€Å"futile passion. † Sartre nevertheless insisted that his existentialism is a form of humanism, and he strongly emphasized human freedom, choice, and responsibility. He eventually tried to reconcile these existentialist concepts with a Marxist analy- sis of society and history. Existentialism and Theology Although existentialist thought encompasses the uncompromising atheism of Nietzsche and Sartre and the agnosticism of Heidegger, its origin in the intensely religious philosophies of Pascal and Kierkegaard foreshadowed its profound influence on 20th-century theology. The 20th-century Ger- man philosopher Karl Jaspers, although he rejected explicit religious doctrines, influenced contempo- rary theology through his preoccupation with tran- scendence and the limits of human experience. The German Protestant theologians Paul Tillich and Rudolf Bultmann, the French Roman Catholic theologian Gabriel Marcel, the Russian Orthodox philosopher Nikolay Berdyayev, and the German Jewish philosopher Martin Buber inherited many Existentialism Notes 5 of Kierkegaards concerns, especially that a per- sonal sense of authenticity and commitment is es- sential to religious faith. Existentialism and Literature A number of existentialist philosophers used liter- ary forms to convey their thought, and existential- ism has been as vital and as extensive a movement in literature as in philosophy. The 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky is probably the greatest existentialist literary figure. In Notes from the Underground (1864), the alienated anti- hero rages against the optimistic assumptions of rationalist humanism. The view of human nature that emerges in this and other novels of Dostoyevsky is that it is unpredictable and per- versely self-destructive; only Christian love can save humanity from itself, but such love cannot be understood philosophically. As the character Alyo- sha says in The Brothers Karamazov (1879-80), â€Å"We must love life more than the meaning of it. † In the 20th century, the novels of the Austrian Jew- ish writer Franz Kafka, such as The Trial (1925; trans. 1937) and The Castle (1926; trans. 1930), present isolated men confronting vast, elusive, menacing bureaucracies; Kafkas themes of anxi- ety, guilt, and solitude reflect the influence of Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky, and Nietzsche. The in- fluence of Nietzsche is also discernible in the nov- els of the French writers Andre Malraux and in the plays of Sartre. The work of the French writer Al- bert Camus is usually associated with existential- ism because of the prominence in it of such themes as the apparent absurdity and futility of life, the indifference of the universe, and the necessity of engagement in a just cause. Existentialist themes are also reflected in the theater of the absurd, nota- bly in the plays of Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco. In the United States, the influence of exis- tentialism on literature has been more indirect and diffuse, but traces of Kierkegaards thought can be found in the novels of Walker Percy and John Up- dike, and various existentialist themes are apparent in the work of such diverse writers as Norman Mailer, John Barth, and Arthur Miller. Conclusion Existentialists make endless claims. They never bother to show how they reached their claims or if these are, indeed, true. The existentialists when he pretends to present a representation of reality pro- vides no cognition; unverifiable assertions may well express powerful and even necessary emo- tions and passions, but thats best left to the arts and literature. Existentialism is a highly passionate philosophy and, from the outset, seems to aim at a dynamic and fashionable life-style. Also it is mostly unsys- tematic and pays little attention to logic or science. Whatever one makes of its metaphysical claims, one cannot deny that existentialism was able to provide a moving account of the spirit of the con- temporary world and the nausea and frustration of survival. Indeed, it is basically for its richness in psychological insight and its impact on culture that existentialist philosophy will continued to be stud- ied.

Desorption Ionization Methods Essay

Desorption Ionization Methods Essay Pharmaceutical science Desorption ionization methods owning a powerful capability in pharmaceutical field in which the ionization sources provided by the respective mass spectrometers was able to minimize the damage causing any variations in molecular structures of the samples (Monagas, Quintanilla-Là ³pez, Gà ³mez-Cordovà ©s, Bartolomà ©, Lebrà ³n-Aguilar, 2010). The prevention can be done by using ideal matrix mixed with the analytes, owning properties of strong absorption, good mixing and having low vapor pressure. With these properties the mass spectrometer are able more accurate in determine the intact molecular m/z value of the analytes. MALDI-TOF MS Huge numbers of researchers was reported a species that associate with various benefits in health known as proanthocyanidins , a polyphenols compounds which having properties of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases prevention (Aron Kennedy, 2008). Several authors were characterized proanthocynidins in both plants and non-plants foods by the application of MALDI-TOF MS in term different mode of detection and mass species. Two different mode of detection, reflectron mode and linear mode, have been well applied in proanthocynidins analysis. By using MALDI-TOF MS applying on proanthocynidins analysis owning a great advantages in minimize the difficulty in interpret the spectra in which it used single-charged molecular ions for detection that can eliminate those impurities peak that generate by other sources (Monagas, Quintanilla-Là ³pez, Gà ³mez-Cordovà ©s, Bartolomà ©, Lebrà ³n-Aguilar, 2010). The proanthocynidins are essential in food plants and non-food plants sample. This review was provides three example for both plants that are available in journal article. For the food plants, apple juice procyanidins was detected by MALDI-TOF MS in linear mode by both [M+Na]+ and [M+K]+ had been well studies by Shoji, et al. (2006). The authors were concluded that the apple juice procyanidins was exit as B-type procyanidins and the observed mass of the species reported as [M+K]+ are higher than [M+Na]+. Other foods plant, Grape seeds, was reported by Krueger, et al. (2000) as [M+Na]+ in both reflectron and linear mode. The type of proanthocyanidin was being detected are B-type procyanidins and galloylated (esterified form) in various range of degree of polymerization (DP). It was found that the linear mode can be detected up to DP 11 while reflectron mode only can detect up to DP 9. Besides, Krueger, et al. in 2003 was reported another foods plant, Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moen ch), as [M+Cs]+ in the reflectron mode was able to detect A- and B-type procyanidins and prodelphinidins. Due to the complexity of this food plant, the authors enable the detection up to DP9 containing up to 5 A-type linkages and confirming the abundance of the linkages in Sorghum (Krueger, Vestling, Reed, 2003). On the other hand, non-food plants proanthocynidins can also applied by MALDI-TOF MS. However, in the application of non-food plants, unlike application in food plants, Hedqvist, et al. (2000) was reported the Lotus corniculatus (var. Fargus) have presented B-type procyanidins and prodelphinidins by the application in both reflectron and linear mode were detected as [M+Na]+. By establishing reflectron mode, B-type procynanidins and prodelphinidins in acetylated form in bark of Pinus radiata were reported by Ku and Mun (2007). Besides, profisetinidins and prorobinetinidins in heartwood of Quebracho (Schinopsis balansae) were reported by Vivas, et al. (2004). Table 1: Characterization of proanthocyanidins from both food plants and non-food plants by MALDI-TOF MS analysis Materials Substrate Mode Mass specie Observed mass Proanthocynidin type Reference Food plants Apple juice Liner [M+Na]+ [M+K]+ 1754-2907 1770-2923 B-type procynanidins Shoji et al. (2006) Grape seeds Reflectron Liner [M+Na]+ [M+Na]+ 601-2618 600-3349 B-type procynanidins, galloylated Krueger et al. (2000) Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Reflectron [M+Cs]+ 1285-2759 A- and B-type procynanidins and prodelphinidins Krueger et al. (2003) Non-food plants Lotus corniculatus (var. Fargus) Linear and reflectron [M+Na]+ 1177-1817 B-type procynanidins and prodelphinidins Hedqvist et al. (2000) Bark of Pinus radiata Reflectron [M+Na]+ 1020-4067 B-type procynanidins and prodelphinidins (acetylated form) Ku and Mun (2007) Heartwood of Quebracho (Schinopsis balansae) Reflectron [M+Na]+ 841-2237 Profisetinidins and prorobinetinidins Vivas et al. (2004) FAB-MS The application of FAB-MS in pharmaceuticals sector was baring an importance role in analyzing those nonvolatile compounds in yields abundant ions and detailed fragmentation data (Bartner, et al., 1997). Everninomicin-6 (EV-6) was reported as an oligosaccharide antibiotic by Bartner, et al. (1997). The authors were using previous studies, Everninomicin-D (EV-D), by comparing their fragmentation m/z value in order to well analyze the fragmentation. Besides, the paper also operated by using various types of matrices in order to illustrated more structurally informative fragment ions such as glycerol, thioglycerol, glycerol/thioglycerol, 3-nitro-benzyl alcohol (3NBA), and 3NBA+NaCl. In the studies, the FAB spectra were yields a very weak protonated and a relatively low-abundance sodiated molecular ions at m/z 1335 and 1357 respectively. The authors were emphasize that the matrix, NaCl doped 3NBA was producing the best result among the matrices that they were used. The spectra were able to shown a clearer enhancement of the sodiated molecular ion at m/z 1357 and the authors also able to determine several series of the molecular fragmentation. This make the spectra more essential in define the structurally informative ion constituent. However, negative-ion FAB-MS had been investigated by the authors for the structural analysis perform by using DMSO-3NBA matrix and produced abundant molecular ion at m/z 1333 and a series of cleavage of ions peak. Table 2: The relatively abundance molecular ions peak of the Everninomicin-6 (EV-6) in DMSO solvent Matrices Mass specie Observed mass Assignation 50:50 glycerol/thioglycerol (gly/thio) [M+H]+ 1335 1357 -very weak protonated molecules ion -low-abundance sodiated molecular ion 3NBA + NaCl [M+Na]+ 1357 -abundant sodiated molecular ion 3NBA [M-H] 1333 -abundant molecular fragment ion SIMS Applications of SIMS in pharmaceutical sector are used to detect the surface morphologies of the analyte. In order further improve the detection limit, Chen, et al. (2011) research was using C60 cluster ion sources. The studies were done by the event-by-event bombardment/detection mode and providing benefits which allowed the detector very narrow length (~10nm) molecules. Chen, et al. (2011) were reported that this mode was increased the sensitivity of the detection toward the closer distances between nanoparticle probe and amino acid sites of an antibody. It was reported that the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was modified in which the antiCD4 cooperate to the AuNPs and immobilized on the cell for analyze. It was reported that the negative ions that cleavage by the molecules in the range of m/z 30 to 120 were indicating the present of the antibodies on the cell. Besides, m/z 197 and m/z 223 corresponding to Au and AuCN respectively, were shown the importance of the peak which indicating the immobilization was successful. On the other hand, the ions source of C60 caused the impact on the lipid membrane region where the fragmentation palmitate (C16H31O2) and oletate (C18H33O2) at m/z 255 and 283 respectively had occurred. Table 3: The co-emitted secondary ions and observed mass of AuNPs-antiCD4 labeled cell surface analyzed with C60 ToF-SIMS Detected species Co-emitted secondary ions Observed mass AuNPs-antiCD4 conjugates Au AuCN 197 223 Cell lipid membrane C16H31O2 C18H33O2 255 283

A Violent Message in the Art of Popular Culture Essay -- Pop Culture R

A â€Å"Violent† Message in the Art of Popular Culture Many people believe that present-day music cause division, tension, and sometimes violence. However, it is acknowledged as art in popular culture. Art in popular culture revolves around action movies, television sitcoms, and provocative song lyrics, which have themes centered on explicit sexuality. Art in popular culture is embodied in music, dance, photography, and other artwork that embraces the ills of the world and acknowledges that they are appealing to the senses of people who live in a not so perfect world. Many critics say that popular culture is a product of generation X. A messed up group of people. What is wrong with popular culture? Why do the baby boomers regale this era of popular culture an era of madness? The answer is blatantly clear. Popular culture accepts the flaws of all its admirers and participants. For example, music in popular culture is generally deemed as negative. However, a positive consequence is that it has an international language and every one around the world can relate to what it communicates. Art in popular culture encompasses a common language, especially the art of music. This language rejects the sophisticated, civilized, intellectuals. For instance, popular culture inhibits the old, boring, classical music that operated out of the same musical dictionary and responded to the same chords. Whereas, music in popular culture rejects harmony as being important and values improvisation that breathes life-giving rhythm in non-structural chords. Music in popular culture is a genre distinct from both folk and classical music genres. According to The New Harvard Dictionary, it differed from the former being composed and notat... ...lent in this country. Some examples of Manson’s music, which can influence youth of today or could have taken the life of the young teenager previously mentioned are Dried Up, Tied Up and Dead to the World; Get Your Gun; Cake and Sodomy; Organ Grinder; Snake Eyes and Sissies; and etc. It is funny how rap and hip hop is essentially the only thing deemed violent, but popular culture stems from chaotic and violent factors. The two examples above can vouch for the previous statement. When looking at other outcomes of popular culture such as slasher movies with explicit sex scenes; talk shows that depicts American women as housewives or whores; or people like Monica Lewinsky who shows her bloomers to married men, popular culture music genres are just artistic expressions that mirror societal values in popular culture. Sometimes people do not like the reflection.

Stephen Blackpool in Charles Dickens Hard Times :: Hard Times Essays

The book Hard Times is a book written by Charles Dickens a man that Dickens described as a man with great integrity, is introduced in this book his name is Stephen Blackpool. Stephen Blackpool lives in the town of Coketown Dickens describes this town: â€Å"In the innermost fortification of that ugly citadel where nature was as strongly bricked out as killing airs and gases were bricked in†. I think most people would agree that this is not a nice place to live in and it does not bring a nice town were the glissading sun rays were shining over every house, also the grass nourished and bright green as if it was just cut. No this is not the picture that comes to mind what this town looks like is a dark and damp place to live in were nobody would love to live only tramps living on the sidewalk and the air thick and poisons and pitch black as coal this was not a good place to live in not a place Dickens liked. Dickens hates the industrial revolution as it created a bad habitat also his father used to work in a factory which he died because of toxic fumes so you can tell that Dickens does not like this town. Stephen Blackpool is not a young man he is about in his forties and gray hair, he was not a clever person they would not call him smart he even had problems with speaking. Dickens starts of describing Stephen Blackpool by saying â€Å" It is said that every life has it’s roses and thorns there seemed however to have been a misadventure or mistake in Stephens case whereby somebody else has been possessed of his roses, and he had become possessed of the same somebody else’s thorns in addition to his. This clearly states that Stephen Blackpool does not have good luck on his side he has twice as much thorns, thorns being the mistakes in life and he has no roses, roses being the correct decisions in life. So what Dickens is saying what ever this man does it will be the wrong decision to make. Stephen could not be described as a clever person as he is not and intelligent man he barley can make a speech but Dickens calls him a man of perfect integrity, what I want to do here is tell you the definition of integrity what integrity means is truth or honesty so is what Dickens is calling Stephen is he is a man with perfect truth or honesty in his heart . Stephen has a friend called Rachel she is what keeps him together

English Imperialism and Representations Essay

In William Shakespeare’s The Tempest Prospero, an exiled Naples duke, and his daughter, Miranda, are marooned on a remote island with the lone indigenous[1] inhabitant, a beast man named Caliban. Through his sorcery Prospero is able to enslave Caliban, the indigene, who toils for the benefit of Prospero and Miranda, the usurping colonial powers. While it is unclear if Shakespeare intended The Tempest to mirror English imperialism during the late 16th and 17th century, there are many congruencies between events in the play and events around the time of the play’s first performance in 1611. To begin with, in order to analyze these congruencies a brief overview of England’s New World[2] exploration and colonization is necessary. Next, Gonzalo’s interest in the island and his â€Å"plantation† scheme illustrate the English imperial yearning for the New World. In addition, the first exchange between Caliban and Prospero encapsulate the conflicts of indigenous people and the colonizers in an imperial relationship. Finally, the question remains if Caliban represents specifically Native Americans or broadly represents subjugated indigenous people by English colonization. Shakespeare’s The Tempest metaphorically represents English imperialism and encapsulates English sentiments towards the New World during the time of its cultural production. During the life of Shakespeare, especially around the time of the first performance of The Tempest, Europe engaged in imperialistic activities throughout the New World. In addition, during Shakespeare’s lifetime, England’s imperialistic activities would play a larger role in the country’s interests and developments. In Alden T. Vaughan article â€Å"People of Wonder: England Encounters the New World’s Native,† Vaughan describes how English perceptions of the Native Americans developed over the course of the 16th century. The English, while interested in the New World, did not play an active role in its initial exploration: â€Å"English people in the Tudor era lagged noticeably behind other Europeans in learning about the Americas. For nearly a century, English interest in the New World was surprisingly tangential, more a matter of curiosity than of conquest and based primarily on foreign rather than on English observation† (Vaughan, â€Å"People,† 13). For a majority of the 16th century the English received second hand accounts (writings and illustrations) of the New World. However, the English did make limited forays into developing first hand knowledge of the New World. Vaughan states, â€Å"The first document contact between the English and the Indians occurred in about 1502, when Sebastian Cabot†¦brought back [three men taken from Newfoundland]† (â€Å"People,† 14), but he continues, â€Å"Not until 1530, apparently, were other Indians brought to England, and not until 1553 did an English publisher issue a book with appreciable attention to America’s inhabitants† (â€Å"People,† 14). While slow to capitalize on exploring and colonizing the New World, the English â€Å"[became] actively involved in the exploration and conquest of the [Americas] and its peoples. Thereafter, England’s image of American natives reflected uniquely English experiences and expectations† (Vaughan, â€Å"People,† 13). One of the significant imperialist ventures around the time Shakespeare wrote The Tempest was the Jamestown colony. The English founded Jamestown in 1607, four years prior to the first performance of The Tempest. While a contemporary critic can only speculate the extent which the New World tantalized and influenced the English during this time, it must have had some sway on the popular imagination of English society, including Shakespeare’s. In The Tempest, the character Gonzalo demonstrates an interest with the pristine island setting that represents English imperial yearnings. After being shipwrecked on the island, Gonzalo first notices the natural beauty of the island. He exclaims, â€Å"How lush and lusty the grass looks! How green! † (2. 1. 53). From his initial observation of the health of the island, Gonzalo’s interest in the island soon becomes opportunistic: â€Å"Had I plantation of this isle, my lord –† (2. 1. 140). When Gonzalo says â€Å"plantation,† he means colonization. Gonzalo initial admiration for the island transforms into a scheme to start a colony; he envisions his colony as the antithesis of industry, a utopic society of idleness. Gonzalo describes his â€Å"plantation† in the following manner: â€Å"I’ the common wealth I would by contraries Execute all things; for no kind of traffic, Would I admit; no name of magistrate, Letter should not be known; riches, poverty, And use of service, none; contract, succession, Bourn, bound of land, tilth, vineyard, none; No use of metal, corn, or wine, or oil; No occupations; all men idle, all, And women too, but innocent and pure; No sovereignty—† (2. 1. 144-52) In Gonzalo’s colony people just lie around with no one telling them what to do; in addition, the women all stay virgins. Gonzalo’s companions quickly point out the impossibility of his Eden-like scenario. Sebastian indicates, â€Å"Yet [Gonzalo] would be king on [the island]† (2. 1. 153) to which Antonio adds, â€Å"The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning† (2. 1. 154). From the comments by Sebastian and Antonio, it is clear Gonzalo’s scheme is not practical, but certainly Gonzalo’s sentiment must have appealed idealistically to English and Europeans tired of the social turmoil in the Old World. Benjamin Bertram notes in The Time is out of Joint: Skepticism in Shakespeare’s England contemporaneous to Shakespeare’s life, London’s mercantile interests, unemployment, overpopulation, and â€Å"[i]mmigrants from the province† all made colonial ventures appealing (58). Gonzalo’s fantasizing might tap into the socioeconomic conditions contemporary to the time of cultural production of The Tempest. For some Europeans the social turmoil of the Old World was a sore spot, yearning like Gonzalo for a fresh start and for a better society in the New World. French courtier Michel De Montaigne in his essay â€Å"Of the Cannibals† (1580) argues the New World inhabitants are no more barbarous or savage than the Old World denizens, suggesting things might be better in the case of the former. De Montaigne establishes, â€Å"I find (as far as I have been informed) there is nothing in that nation [the American Indians], that is either barbarous or savage, unless men call that barbarism which is not common to them† (119). De Montaigne alludes to the social problems of 16th century Europe in pointing out the hypocrisy of the Old World labeling the New World as â€Å"barbarous† or â€Å"savage. † Moreover, De Montaigne sees the New World inhabitants as closer to a natural state and less tainted by â€Å"human wit† when he observes, â€Å"It is a nation†¦that hath no kind of traffic, no knowledge of letters, no intelligence of numbers, no name of magistrates, nor of politic superiority; no use of service, of riches, or of poverty; no contracts, no successions, but common, no apparel but natural, no manuring of lands, no use of wine, corn, or metal† (120). Curiously, both Gonzalo and De Montaigne evoke the idea of unfettered idleness and non-use of wine, corn, and metal as a more natural society. Also, in painting an idyllic picture of the social items supposedly absent from the New World, De Montaigne overlooks that corn is a New World vegetable and that American Indians were familiar with the practice of fertilization, although maybe not â€Å"mannuring. † While a lot of De Montaigne’s generalizations of the New World inhabitants are arguable, he calls the readers attention to a litany of social items as evidence of the Old World tainted by â€Å"human wit. † However, De Montaigne sarcastically concludes that what the American Indians, supposedly, do with their dead is no more barbaric than what the Europeans do with the living by torturing people, stating â€Å"there is more barbarism in eating men alive than to feed upon them being dead; to mangle by tortures and torments a body full of lively sense, to roast him in pieces, to make dogs and swine to gnaw and tear him in mammocks†¦than to roast and eat him after he is dead† (120). De Montaigne’s relativistic view of transatlantic cultural practices demonstrates culture in the Old World was not necessarily better than culture in the New World. Some Europeans might have yearned for a reprieve from the rigid trapping of the Old World; the New World to them might have represented an opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to create a utopic society. The only problem was what to do about the indigenous people already there. The English public had a growing interest in the New World during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and The Tempest almost predicts the course of English imperialism would take. The exchange between Caliban and Prospero in Act 1 Scene 2 metaphorically represents the underlying conflicts plaguing indigenous people and English colonizers. Caliban represents prototypical native Other[3] as he argues against Prospero, the colonial master. Caliban’s articulation that he is the rightful owner of the island sounds like the universal grievance of many colonized people: â€Å"This island’s mine, by Sycorax my mother, / Which thou tak’st from me† (1. 2. 335-6). Caliban’s ownership stems from his mother, a witch, who bore him on the island, and this claim is reminiscent of many indigenous people who trace their social beginnings through a creation myth fixing them to the land. As Caliban goes on, his description of the initial friendly relationship he had with Prospero, parallels the prototypical dealings between indigenous people and colonizers. Often this friendly period includes an exchange of items and information between the two parties. Caliban describes the following: When thou cam’st first, Thou strok’st me and made much of me, wouldst give me Water and berries in’t, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night. And then I loved thee And showed thee all the qualities o’ th’ isle, The fresh springs, brine pits, barren place and fertile. (1. 2. 337-43) Caliban attests he â€Å"showed† Prospero â€Å"the qualities† of the island, and in essence, Caliban taught Prospero how to survive on the island. This detail interestingly parallels the situation in Jamestown. B. J. Sokol in A Brave New World of Knowledge points out that â€Å"sojourning Europeans almost entirely depended upon the services of native inhabitants for material survival, and especially for food† (83). This grace period between indigenous people and colonizers, however, does not last forever. Sokol continues, â€Å"In both [The Tempest] and Virginia these services had at first been voluntarily offered [by Native Americans], then they were purchased or extorted, and finally there was refusal, resistance, and rebellion† (83). Soon the colonizer presses for more resources, more control over the land, and more control over the indigenous people: soon the indigenous people become the colonized. Caliban describes himself from the position of the colonized, â€Å"For I am all the subjects that you have, / Which first was mine own kin; and here you sty me / In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me /The rest o’ th’ island† (1. 2. 345-7). Caliban’s central grievance is how Prospero has stripped Caliban of his autonomy and his control over the island. The central grievance for many colonized people is how the colonizer strips self-direction and control over ancestral lands from the colonized. Richard Hakluyt in his essay â€Å"Reasons for Colonization,† written in 1584 about the Virginia colonial project (125), succinctly describes the intentions of the English imperialism: â€Å"The end of this voyage [to North America] are these: 1. ) To plant Christian religion. 2) To traffic. 3. ) To Conquer. Or, to do all three† (129). As demonstrated earlier, Caliban is unhappy with his conquered status, a status Prospero confirms when he rebuts Caliban’s grievances, â€Å"Thou most lying slave† (my emphasis, 1. 2. 347). Prospero interestingly goes on to indicate his own inherent superiority and Caliban’s inherent inferiority, a privileging central to any colonial situation. Prospero states, â€Å"I have used thee, / Filth as thou are, with humane care† (1. 2. 348-9). Prospero ascribes the quality of â€Å"filth† to Caliban and â€Å"humane†-ness to his own actions. As the Hakluyt states, the first objective of the colonizer is â€Å"to plant Christian religion† or bring morality to the heathen indigenous people. Prospero’s ultimate argument for supplanting Caliban evokes the moral order the colonizer supposedly brings, for Prospero states the reason he has enslaved Caliban is because Caliban sought â€Å"to violate/ The honor of [Prospero’s] child† (1. 2. 350-1). From the perspective of the colonizer Caliban attempted to rape Miranda; however, from the perspective of the lone indigenous person Caliban attempted to propagate his culture: â€Å"O ho! O ho! Would’t had been done! / Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else / This isle with Calibans† (1. 2. 352-4). While this relativism does not absolve Caliban of attempting to forcefully procreate with Miranda, it does not absolve Prospero of enslaving Caliban either. Unfortunately, Prospero uses one crime to justify another crime: Caliban’s attempted rape leads to his enslavement at the hands of Prospero. Furthermore, when Miranda tries to instill Caliban with a sense of guilt over his attempted rape, she states she â€Å"endowed [Caliban’s] purposes / With words that made them known† (1. 2. 360-1). However, by endowing Caliban with the language of the colonizer, Miranda has merely indoctrinated Caliban in the ideology of the colonizer in which Caliban, the colonized, occupies the margin. The colonizer’s language is a burden upon the colonized, for in order for the two groups to communicate the onus is on the colonized to learn the colonizer’s language. Caliban concurs with this onus when he says, â€Å"You taught me language, and my profit on’t / Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you / For learning me your language! † (1. 2. 366-8). Another privileging in the imperial situation is the language and culture of the colonizer over the language and culture of colonized. For instance, Thomas Harriot spent time in the Virginia colony and wrote about the Algonquian people in Brief and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia; his English contemporaries criticized him for learning the language of the Algonquians (Bertram 59). Bertram notes, â€Å"the English feared much more than foreign languages, as contact with foreign cultures inspired probing questions about cultural identity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (59). Miranda’s effacement of Caliban’s language demonstrates her fear of foreign language and culture. Just as Caliban threatens Miranda’s physical sanctity, he also threatens her cultural sanctity by not communicating in the controlled discourse. Clearly, the conflict between Caliban and Prospero in The Tempest metaphorically represents the imperialistic conflicts between the colonized and the colonizer. Lastly, although Caliban can metaphorically represent the colonized Other, did Shakespeare intend Caliban to represent Native Americans specifically? Alden T. Vaughan in his article â€Å"Shakespeare’s Indian: The Americanization of Caliban† examines the history of The Tempest analysis which attempted to see Caliban as representative of Native Americans. Vaughan concludes, â€Å"If an intentionalist reading is insisted upon, and if early interpretations of Caliban are taken into account, his principal prototype was probably the European wild man of Renaissance literature and iconography† (â€Å"Shakespeare’s,† 153). In addition, Ronald Takaki offers in â€Å"The ‘Tempest’ in the Wilderness† the context surrounding the first performance of the play; also, he explains how Shakespeare’s audience might have perceived the character of Caliban. Takaki explains the following: [T]he timing of The Tempest was crucial: it was first performed after the English invasion of Ireland but before the colonization of New England, after John Smith’s arrival in Virginia but before the beginning of the tobacco economy, and after the first contacts with Indians but before full-scale warfare against them. This was an era when the English were encountering â€Å"other† peoples and delineating the boundary between â€Å"civilization† and â€Å"savagery. † The social constructions of both these terms were dynamically developing in three sites—Ireland, Virginia, and New England. (143) If Shakespeare’s audience saw Caliban as more man than monster, they likely conflated all known savage Others in their perception of Caliban. When Prospero says, â€Å"This thing of darkness [Caliban] I / Acknowledge mine† (5. 1. 275-6), Caliban could seem more monster than man, â€Å"darkness† meaning evil, or Caliban could seem more man than monster, â€Å"darkness† referring to skin color. It is unclear what Shakespeare intended; however, how people interpret Shakespeare is entirely another matter. Although Vaughan dismisses the notion Shakespeare intended Caliban to be Native American, he supports the notion that Caliban can metaphorically be seen as Native American, stating, â€Å"metaphoric readings of The Tempest have had equal legitimacy with the older literal approach† (â€Å"Shakespeare’s,† 153). There are scholars who have a stake in seeing Caliban as solely meant to be Native Americans. An immediate thread of their inquiry is Caliban’s name, which might be an anagram from a variant spelling of the word canibal. John F. Moffitt and Santiago Sebastian in their text O Brave New People: The European Invention of The American Indian describe how the lurid European popular perception quickly associated cannibalism with the inhabitants of the New World. Moffit and Sebastian describe the following: Cannibalism was also the specific subcultural attribute of the aborigines of the Other World that, as might be expected, some European illustrators found most noteworthy. In a crude woodcut†¦, a German print of 1505†¦representing the earliest European depiction of American Indians†¦cannibalism becomes the foremost collective characteristic of the newly described peoples†¦. (264-5) While Europeans, according to Vaughan, were familiar with the concept of anthropophagi, or eaters of human flesh, such people were considered mythical (â€Å"People,† 15). Vaughan goes on to note, â€Å"So prominent did some accounts make the eating of human flesh that the word cannibal, from the Carib Indians who presumably practiced the vile custom, gradually replaced the older, more awkward, term for eaters of human flesh† (â€Å"People,† 15). Curiously, if Shakespeare meant to evoke the sensational trait of cannibalism ascribed to Native Americans by Europeans in his character Caliban, he does not develop the trait in the play. Conversely, if Caliban does not represent Native Americans, certainly the European characters within the play perceive his usefulness like Native Americans during the early 17th century. The play mentions dead or alive a Native American is profitable for displaying in England. Additionally, Trinculo notes, â€Å"[the English] will / lay out ten to see a dead Indian. (2. 2. 31-32). Later, Stephano schemes to capture Caliban, or as Vaughan euphemistically refers to Native Americans kidnapped by Europeans, â€Å"coerced American envoys† (â€Å"People,† 12). Stephano states, â€Å"If I can recover him [Caliban] and keep him tame and get / to Naples with him, he’s a present for any emperor that / ever trod on neat’s leather† (2. 2. 65-7). Although Caliban might have the same display value as a Native American in England, this fact does not necessarily make Caliban Native American. Within The Tempest, there is not enough strong evidence to support the reading that Shakespeare meant Caliban to be Native American. If Shakespeare intended Caliban to represent Native American then Leslie Fieldler notes, â€Å"Caliban’s attempt on Miranda’s virtue makes him ‘the first nonwhite rapist in white man’s literature’; his freedom song is ‘the first American poem’; and when he guzzles too much of Stephano’s wine, Caliban is ‘the first drunken Indian in Western literature’ (Vaughan, â€Å"Shakespeare’s,† 148). Native Americans struggle enough with poor representation in American society; there is not a pressing need to demonstrate Shakespeare intended Caliban to be solely Native American if it results in additional derision. In contrast, Jeffrey L. Hantman in â€Å"Caliban’s Own Voice: American Indian Views of the Other in Colonial Virginia† summarizes the 20th century importance of Caliban as a universal indigenous voice, â€Å"He is African, and he is Caribbean. He has been a native of Madagascar, Quebec, Cuba, Nigeria, Kenya, and Zambia. Today, he is sometime enslaved, and psychologically dependent, but he is also a guerilla, a revolutionary, and a hero† (71). Who Shakespeare intended Caliban to be is a non-issue for those who identify with Caliban. If people find an entryway into identifying with Caliban, then certainly Caliban becomes them as much as they become Caliban. Although it would be erroneous to claim Shakespeare meant The Tempest as an allegory for English Imperialism in the New World and Caliban solely represents Native Americans, the play does metaphorically represent English imperialism and encapsulates English sentiments towards the New World during the time of the play’s cultural production. A brief overview of England’s New World exploration and colonization demonstrates how the English perception of the New World and Native Americans transformed during the development of English imperialism. Within the play, Gonzalo’s interests in the island and his â€Å"plantation† scheme illustrate the English imperial yearning for the New World and an opportunity to develop a society closer to a natural state. Furthermore, the first exchange between Caliban and Prospero encapsulate the conflicts that mar imperial relationship between indigenous people and the colonizer. Moreover, although Caliban does not represent specifically Native Americans, he can broadly represent all subjugated indigenous people. There are many congruencies between events in The Tempest and events during the late 16th and 17th century English imperialism. The Tempest is an example where Shakespeare was not necessarily predicting a future outcome but more likely articulating the trajectory of a present English course. Works Cited Bertram, Benjamin. The Time is out of Joint: Skepticism in Shakespeare’s England. Newark, NJ: University of Delaware Press, 2004. De Montaigne, Michel. â€Å"From Of the Cannibals. † William Shakespeare The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Ed. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 119-20. Hakluyt, Richard. â€Å"Reasons for Colonization. † William Shakespeare The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Ed. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 125-34. Hantman, Jeffrey L. â€Å"Caliban’s Own Voice: American Indian Views of the Other in Colonial Virginia. † New Literary History 23. 1 (1992): 69-81. JSTOR. Winona State University, Darrell W. Krueger Lib., Winona, MN. 3 Mar. 2007 . Moffitt, John F. , and Santiago Sebastian. O Brave New People: The European Invention of the American Indian. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1996. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. William Shakespeare The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Ed. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 10-88. Sokol, B. J. A Brave New World of Knowledge: Shakespeare’s the Tempest and Early Modern Epistemology. Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, 2003. Takaki, Ronald. â€Å"The ‘Tempest’ in the Wilderness. † William Shakespeare The Tempest: A Case Study in Critical Controversy. Ed. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 140-172. Vaughan, Alden T. â€Å"People of Wonder: England Encounters the New World’s Natives. † New World of Wonders: European Images of the Americas, 1492-1700. Ed. Rachel Doggett, et al. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1992. – – -. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Indian: The Americanization of Caliban. † Shakespeare Quarterly 39. 2 (1988): 137-153. JSTOR. Winona State University, Darrell W. Krueger Lib. , Winona, MN. 3 Mar. 2007 . ———————– [1] Throughout the paper instead of simply using the term â€Å"natives,† I use indigenous people because the term â€Å"natives† carries negative imperialistic connotations. [2] I use the term New World provisionally in order to describe the dichotomy between Europe, the supposed Old World, and their realization of the Americas, which they dubbed the New World. [3] While some scholars have argued that Shakespeare intended Caliban to be representative of Native American, this intentionality is problematic. I will examine this later in the paper.