Cuba and China Essay

Democracy, or the power of people, is rather old form of rule. While the word â€Å"democracy† originated in the Ancient Greece in 5th century BC, this form of rule had existed even before this, found in ancient India republics before 6th century BC. However, it was the city-state of Athens in the Ancient Greece that presented this word in the sense which resembles, in some features, the modern vision of democracy. In Athens, people had the right to vote, to take the most important decisions, influencing the political situation of their state. Of course, not all the population could vote – women and children could not vote as well as disabled people. In fact, only one forth or one sixth of the citizens of Athens could vote and participate in a political life of their state. However, it was the first form of democracy and it had many aspects in common with today’s notion of democracy. For example, all the citizens of Athens, poor or rich, powerful or powerless, had the right to vote, they were equal in this right. The democracy, in the form in which it existed in Athens and in the Ancient Greece, was not preserved until our time. Moreover, great changes took place in Europe in 18-19th centuries, in the form of revolutions. The right to vote and to participate in the political life of a state directly is not the main factor characterizing democracy in the modern world. Democracy in the modern sense includes such basic postulates as the basic freedoms: of speech, of expression, of the press, of association et cetera. The democracy in the western world is much more associated with the notion of free market and free trade. However, these preconditions are not exactly true for some countries, for example for China, where free market and free trade can coexist with the lack of democracy, where there are no basic freedoms (for example, the freedom of association – the assembly of Falun Gong in China was violently dispersed by police and banished for practicing in China). Cuba which has made some steps toward the free market economy, opening some part of its economy for the US dollars, does allow the internationally recognized organization of the Red Cross to its prisons, where political prisoners are kept in big numbers. The rule of Communist Party as the only party in the country is observed both in Cuba and in China. And this excludes another characteristic feature of democracy – pluralism, the possibility of many political parties to take part in the political life of the state. Before we proceed to explain the lack of democracy in Cuba and China, it is necessary to understand what democracy means and why China and Cuba should become democratic. In the twentieth century, democracy has gained such popularity that most world rulers describe their rule as democratic. However, most countries were not democratic, and some even became totalitarian. Generally speaking, the term â€Å"democracy† is misused in two ways. First, democracy is expanded into a laundry list that contains almost all kinds of good things. Second, democracy is modified by adding an adjective to the term. Since Western bourgeois democracy is the prototype of modern democracy, modifications are made along two lines. Either rulers characterize their systems not as bourgeois democracies, but as â€Å"people’s democracies,† â€Å"proletarian democracies,† or â€Å"socialist democracies,† or they emphasize local characteristics of their system, such as â€Å"Burmese type of democracy† or â€Å"African type of democracy. † What is democracy? Etymologically, the term means rule by the people. Democracy originated in Athens more than 2,500 years ago, when Cleisthenes allowed all citizens of Attica to preside over the affairs of the city. Athenian democracy took the form of direct democracy. Citizens, which excluded women, slaves, and resident aliens, participated directly in making laws. Moreover, regardless of their properties and talents, rulers were selected not by ballot but by lot. Not surprisingly, virtually all famous Greek scholars were no fans of democracy, regarding tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy as corrupt forms of government. Democracy includes two forms: popular sovereignty and individual liberty. This paper defines democracy in terms of political freedom, which involves both positive and negative aspects. Positive freedom refers to a situation in which people have the ability to participate in government; negative freedom means a situation in which people are free from arbitrary interference from government. Modern democracy adheres to the dual principles of popular sovereignty and individual liberty, but has its own distinctive features. Ideal as the principle of popular sovereignty may be, it is technically impossible to let the people in a nation-state decide everything. As a result, modern democracies are representative, not participatory (or direct). The principle of popular sovereignty in modern times hinges on two major mechanisms: the separation of powers and the competitive election. While the ruled choose their rulers during an election, rulers are mutually checked and balanced before and after the election. In determining the nature of a particular political system, the competitive election is more important than the separation of powers. A division of labor is employed in any government, particularly a modern one. Despite the importance of liberalism for modern democracy, popular sovereignty precedes individual liberty. Popular sovereignty talks about the purpose of government; individual liberty comprises the notion of government. The term that means â€Å"people† has undergone great changes in terms of class, education, gender, race, and age. Besides, individual liberty is historically and culturally specific. In the twentieth century, democracy and totalitarianism are regarded as two ends of the political spectrum. To put it in terms of ideal types, a government respecting both popular sovereignty and individual liberty is democratic; a government violating them is totalitarian. Falling somewhere in between, most systems are neither democratic nor totalitarian in the strictest sense of the terms. Some may respect popular sovereignty but violate individual liberty; others may violate popular sovereignty but respect individual liberty. Today’s Islamic Republic of Iran and eighteenth-century Britain are cited as respective examples of these two types. Throughout human history, not many regimes have ever been totalitarian and most have been authoritarian. Compared with totalitarian regimes, authoritarian regimes are less willing and less able to damage people’s rights and interests. The United States of America when compared to China or Cuba, presents the example of â€Å"democratic† democracy towards which China or Cuba should strive. Because now, when we took a closer look at the notion of democracy in the modern world, we are going to analyze the kind of democratic situation and democratic changes that took place in two of the most controversial countries in the world: China and Cuba. To reach conclusions as to the qualitative aspects of Cuban politics in the post-transition era, we will examine aspects of political culture as they relate to the formation and practices of civil society in democracy. From this angle one can interpret some key dimensions of politics in particular settings. Transition to democracy (and its consolidation) depends on a multiplicity of factors, including elite decisions, institutional arrangements, pacts between competing social actors, a constitution and organizations typical of liberal democracies, a favorable moment in world history, supportive international structures, and a measure of good luck. Political and economic factors also impinge on the likelihood of democratic transitions and survival. But political and economic factors determine neither transition to democracy nor democratic stability. The impact of the economy on democracy is not automatic, unidirectional, or necessarily predictable. According to Mattiace and Camp (1996), democracy is the product of multiple causes working together. In contexts where the system confronts unresolved foundational issues and consensus is elusive – on such matters as how the political community is defined, who has authority, what the rules of the game are – political questions become an affair of the heart, lending themselves less to compromise and pragmatism. As a result, democracy tends to be endangered, particularly in places where institutional democratic norms are weak and personalism is high. This is likely to occur in Cuba after Fidel Castro (as it has before and during the socialist years). Though democracy will be established in Cuba sometime in the future, Cuban democracy will not conform to normative models of liberal democracy. Democracy in the way it is in Cuba will be characterized by features of incivility in civil society. The democracy that is most likely to emerge on the island will be far from perfect, will share striking continuities with the past, and will dash the hopes of many who dream of democracy. The cynicism about democracy also has a long genealogy in Cuban intellectual history. As far back as the nineteenth century cultural pessimists on the island have remarked on the frustration that has followed modern projects of independence, nationalism, republicanism, and democracy. Democratic aspirations have a long history on the island, as long as the trajectory of their frustration. The notion is not as alien to Cuban soil as many believe (Dealy, 1996)

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 10

Ella I can remember the first time I wanted to kiss Micha as clearly as the day I found my mother dead. Both times were equally as terrifying, but in two different ways. Micha and I had been sitting on the hood of his car at our secret spot tucked away in the trees, staring out at the lake. It was harder than hell to get back to the spot, but the view and serenity made it worth it. It had been quiet between the two of us for a while, which was normal except for the jealousy stirring inside me over Micha's latest hook up, Cassandra. I'd never felt this way before and it puzzled me. It wasn't like the girl was anything special to Micha, but he'd told Ethan that she had the potential to be girlfriend material and it was bugging me. Micha's arms were tucked under his head and his eyes were shut as the sunlight beamed down on him. His shirt had ridden up and I could see his tattoo peeking out. As I stared at it the urge to run my fingers along it drove me crazy. â€Å"I don't like Cassandra,† I abruptly sputtered out, sitting up quickly. Micha's eyebrows knitted as his eyes gradually opened against the sunlight. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"That Cassandra girl you were talking about the other day,† I said, staring out at the water rippling in the gentle breeze. â€Å"I don't think you should date her.† He rose up on his elbows. â€Å"Because you don't like her?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tucked strands of my auburn hair out of my eyes. â€Å"I just don't want you to date her.† The wind filled the silence. Micha sat up and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. â€Å"Okay, I won't,† he said as if it was as simple as breathing. I pressed back a smile, not fully understanding why the hell I was so happy. Micha lay back down and drew me with him. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heart beating, steady as a rock, unlike mine which was dancing inside my chest. The longer I stayed in his arms, the more content I became. I felt safe, like nothing could hurt me, but I was in complete denial that I was starting to fall in love with my best friend. *** It's been a week since the car racing incident and I've been hiding out in my bedroom living on mac n' cheese and Diet Dr. Pepper. Dean still hasn't headed home, but Lila did the morning after the race. She wanted to stay, but I didn't want her to and I think her dad wasn't too keen on the idea either. It's been kind of lonely, though. I still haven't listened to Micha's voicemail, and the constant flashing on the screen torments me. I decide to take a break from the house today and do something I've been meaning to do for a while. I want to sketch my mother's grave because I won't always be close enough to visit it. It's been bothering me the entire eight months that I've been gone. I feel guilty because it was me who put her there and then I just left her. I collect my sketch book and pencils from the drawer of my night stand, slip on my shoes and sunglasses, and head out the front door where I'm less likely to run into Micha. It's a warm day and the blue sky glitters with sunshine. I walk up the sidewalk toward Cherry Hill and decide to make a last minute stop at Grady's. I knock on the trailer door and Amy, the nurse, answers it wearing blue scrubs. â€Å"Oh, hi Ella, I don't think Grady's up for any visitors today, sweetie.† â€Å"But he told me to stop by,† I say stupidly. â€Å"I know it's a little later than I told him and I'm sorry.† â€Å"He's not mad at you, Ella,† she says kindly. â€Å"I've just got him hooked up on oxygen and he's got a cough.† I shield my eyes from the sun and stare up at her. â€Å"Is he okay?† She sighs, leaning against the doorframe. â€Å"He's just having a rough day today, but try back in a few days, okay hun.† I nod and back down the steps as she shuts the door. I stare helplessly at the back window which leads to Grady's room. He's sick and there's nothing I can do. I have no control over this. Micha was right. I can't control everything. As horrid images of my mom's death flash through my mind, I run into the field and throw up. *** The town's cemetery is located up on Cherry Hill, which on foot is quite a hike, but I enjoy the break from the reality of life. There is no one up there – there hardly ever is. I push through the gate and situate by a tree right in front of my mom's headstone. It's a small cemetery bordered by trees and the grass is covered with dry leaves. As I sketch the lines of the fence and the vines that coil it, I angle downward and draw the curve of her tombstone. I become lost in the movements, adding wings to the side of it, because she was always so fascinated with flying. A few weeks before her death, my mother begged me to go on a walk with her. I gave in even though I had plans that day. It was sunny and the air smelled like cut grass. It felt like nothing could go wrong. She wanted to go to the bridge so we walked all the way across town to the lake. When we arrived there, she climbed on the railing and spread her hands out to balance as her long auburn hair flapped in the wind. â€Å"Mom, what are you doing?† I said, reaching for the back of her shirt to pull her down. She sidestepped down the railing out of my reach and stared at the water below. â€Å"Ella May, I think I can fly.† â€Å"Mom, stop it and get down,† I said, not taking her very seriously at first. But when she turned her head and looked at me, I could see in her eyes that she wasn't joking. She really believed she could fly. I tried to stay as composed as possible. â€Å"Mom, please get down. You're scaring me.† She shook her head and her legs wobbled a little. â€Å"It's okay honey. I'll be fine. I can feel it in my body that I can fly.† I took a cautious step toward her and my foot bumped the curb of the bridge. The cement rubbed my toe raw and I could feel blood oozing out, but I didn't look down at it. I was too afraid to take my eyes off her. â€Å"Mom, you can't fly. People can't fly.† â€Å"Then maybe I'm a bird,† she said seriously. â€Å"Maybe I have wings and feathers and they can carry me away and I can become one with the wind.† â€Å"You're not a bird!† I shouted and reached for her again, but she hopped onto one of the beams and laughed like it was a game. I tugged my fingers through my hair and steadied onto the railing. It was a far fall, one that would crush our bodies on impact, even in the water. I braced my hands on the beams above my head. â€Å"Mom, if you love me at all, you'll get down.† She shook her head. â€Å"No, I'm going to fly today.† A truck rolled up and stopped on the middle of the bridge as I edged toward her. Ethan jumped out and didn't so much as flinch at the scenario. â€Å"Hey, Mrs. Daniels. How's it going?† I gaped at him and hissed, â€Å"What are you doing?† He ignored me. â€Å"You know it's not really safe out there.† My mom angled her head to the side. â€Å"I think I'll be okay. My wings will carry me away.† I was mortified, but Ethan didn't miss a beat. He rested his arms on the railing. â€Å"As much as that could be true, what if it's not? Then what? I mean is it really worth the risk?† I glanced back at my mom and she looked like she was weighing the options. She stared at the dark water below her feet and then at the bright sky above her head. â€Å"Maybe I should think about it for a little bit.† Ethan nodded. â€Å"I think that's probably a good idea.† She made a path across the beam and planted her feet on the railing. Ethan helped her down and we got her into the backseat of his truck. She fell asleep within minutes and I slumped my head back against the chair. â€Å"How did you do that?† I asked quietly. â€Å"One of my friends was tripping out of their mind one night and I had to talk him out of jumping off the roof,† he explained. â€Å"It was all about making her realize that there was more than one scenario.† I nodded and we stayed quiet for the rest of the drive to my house. Ethan never brought it up to me, nor did he treat me differently and I was grateful for it. After a doctor's visit, it was determined that my mother had started to suffer from ‘Delusions of Grandeur,' which happens sometimes in bipolar patients. I finally pull away from the drawing when it's nearly dark. I gather my sketchpad and pencils and head down the hill. In front of the arch iron entryway is Micha, sitting on the hood of his mom's car, wearing jeans, and a black and red plaid shirt. His head is tipped down and wisps of his blonde hair cover his forehead as he messes around with his phone. I stop a little ways off from him. â€Å"What are you doing here?† His eyes lift from his phone. â€Å"I'm waiting for you.† â€Å"How did you know I was here?† â€Å"I saw you leave with your sketchpad and head this way, so I came up to check on you.† I take a tentative step forward. â€Å"How long have you been sitting here?† He slides off the hood and puts his phone away. â€Å"For a while, but I didn't want to disturb you. You looked too peaceful.† I press my lips together and stare at him, craving to sketch him like I used to. He would sit on my bed and it was like he owned my hand. â€Å"Look, about the other night, I think – â€Å" He strides across the grass toward me, moving so impulsively that there's no time to react as his finger covers my lips. â€Å"Just let it be for a while, okay?† Uncertain of his exact meaning, I nod anyway. He lets his finger fall from my lips, trailing a line down my chest, finally pulling away at the bottom of my stomach. â€Å"You want a ride home?† His voice comes out ragged. I glance at the grey sky and the birds flying across it. â€Å"That would be nice. Thank you.† Micha She's preoccupied during the drive and so am I. I was so pissed off about my father that I got into the car about to do something reckless, however, then I saw Ella wandering down the street, and I followed her. The way she walked was very entertaining, her auburn hair blowing in the wind, and the way she swayed her ass in the short denim shorts she was wearing. It calmed me down watching her sit up on the hill and draw, but I can't stop thinking about the phone conversation. â€Å"We should go somewhere,† I announce when we drive onto the main road. Ella jolts in her seat and turns away from the window. â€Å"I should probably go home.† â€Å"Come on.† I pout, hoping it'll win her over. â€Å"Just come with me somewhere and we can relax.† She's tempted. â€Å"Where exactly?† I turn the volume of the stereo down and let my arm rest on the top of the steering wheel. â€Å"To our spot by the lake.† â€Å"But it takes forever to get there.† Her eyes rise to the dark sky. â€Å"And it's getting late.† â€Å"Since when have you been afraid of the dark?† â€Å"It's not the dark I'm afraid of.† I sigh and downshift. â€Å"Come on, just you and me. We don't even have to talk. We can just sit in silence.† â€Å"Fine,† she surrenders, tossing her sketchpad into the backseat. â€Å"Just as long as you don't ask me questions.† I hold up my hand innocently. â€Å"Scouts honor. I'll keep my questions to myself.† Her eyes narrow. â€Å"I know you've never been in the scouts before.† I laugh, feeling the pressure lift from my chest. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I'll keep my questions to myself, but with everything else, all bets are off.† She pretends to have an itch on her nose, but really it's to obscure her smile and it makes me smile myself. *** Its pitch black by the time we reach our spot on the shore that's secluded by tall trees. The moon reflects against the water and the night air is a little chilly. I get my jacket out of the trunk and offer it to Ella, knowing she's cold because of the goosebumps on her arms and the way her nipples are poking through her shirt. She slips the jacket on and zips it up, covering up her perky nipples. I sigh, hop onto the hood, and open my arms for her to join me. Hesitantly, she climbs onto the hood, but stays at the front, with her feet propped up on the bumper, gazing out at the water. I scoot down by her and keep my knees up, resting my elbows on them. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† Her eyes are huge in the moonlight. â€Å"Death.† â€Å"What about death?† I wonder if we're finally going to go back to that night. â€Å"That Grady's going to die,† she whispers softly. â€Å"And there's nothing I can do about it.† I brush her hair back from her forehead. â€Å"You need to stop worrying about everything that can't be controlled.† She sighs and leans away from my hand. â€Å"That's just it, though. It's all I can think about anymore. It's like this fixation I have no control over which makes no sense because I'm fixated on controlling the uncontrollable.† She's breathing wildly. Shit. I need to calm her down. â€Å"Hey, come here.† I loop my arms around her waist and lie her down on the windshield with me. She rests her head on my chest and I play with her hair, breathing in her vanilla scent. â€Å"Do you remember when you decided that it would be a good idea if you climbed up the scaffolding in the gym?† â€Å"I wanted to prove to Gary Bennitt that I was as tough as the boys.† She buries her face into my shirt, ashamed. â€Å"Why do you remember everything?† â€Å"How could I forget that? You scared the hell out of me when you fell. Yet, somehow you managed to land on the board just below it.† â€Å"I thought I was going to die,† she murmurs. â€Å"I was so stupid.† â€Å"You weren't stupid, you just saw life at a different angle,† I say. â€Å"I've always envied you for it. Like when you used to dance in a room where no one was dancing or how you stuck up for people. But there was always that wall you put up. You would never let anyone completely through.† She's soundless for a while and I expect for her to push me away. But she sits up and hovers over me, her hair veiling our faces. Her breath is ragged, like she's terrified out of her mind. â€Å"I opened up to you once,† she whispers. â€Å"When we were here in this spot doing this same thing.† I can't take my eyes off her lips. â€Å"I'm not sure what you're talking about.† She licks her lips. â€Å"I told you I didn't want you dating Cassandra.† â€Å"Cassandra†¦ Oh, was that what that was about?† I start to laugh. â€Å"What's so funny?† she asks, but I can't stop laughing. She pinches my nipple and I jerk upward, smacking my forehead against hers. â€Å"Ow.† She blinks, rubbing her forehead and a laugh escapes her lips. â€Å"Tell me what's so funny.† She looks beautiful, trying to be pissed, when deep down she's relishing the moment. I'm enjoying myself, which I didn't envisage tonight, but if anyone can cheer me up, it's her. Like when my dad left and she caught me in the garage, clutching onto his tool box crying like a baby. She gave me her Popsicle and then just sat there with me until I ran out of tears. I eye her over and she fusses with her hair self-consciously. With one quick movement, I flip us over so my body is covering hers. â€Å"When I told Ethan about that day when you told me not to see Cassandra, he told me you had a thing for me. He's usually not right about those things.† â€Å"I didn't have a thing for you,† she argues. â€Å"I just didn't want anyone else to have a thing for you.† â€Å"You're adorable when you deny the truth. You always have been.† â€Å"Micha, I used to have studs on every item of clothing I owned and enough black eyeliner to make an entire sketch. That's not adorable.† â€Å"It is on you.† I wink at her. She shakes her head and pokes a finger at my chest. â€Å"Don't try and use your player moves on me.† We remain silent, frozen in the moment, until I finally speak again. â€Å"I have an idea.† Curiosity slowly takes over her face as I shift over her body. My arms are at the side of her head, barely holding my weight up. My face hovers above hers, our lips only an inch apart, and she lies perfectly still. â€Å"I want to kiss you.† She shakes her head promptly. â€Å"I don't think that's a good idea.† I trace one of my fingers over her lips. I've been going about this all wrong. I can't force myself on her. I have to move slow and think of her as a skittish cat that needs to be approached cautiously. â€Å"Just kiss. I swear to God that's all we'll do.† I move my finger away from her lips. â€Å"And kissing's not that scary, right?† â€Å"With you it is,† she says truthfully. â€Å"If you want me not to, just say it.† Taking my time, I leisurely lower my lips toward hers. She stays stationary, her big green eyes targeted on my mouth. Slowly, so she has time to let her thoughts slow down, I caress my lips across hers. A small gasp flees from her lips and I slip my tongue into her mouth. Her hands glide up my back and into my hair. My body conforms to hers as I explore her mouth with my tongue. She bites down on my bottom lip, sucking my lip ring into her mouth before releasing it. Fuck. She's making this hard. I intensify the kiss as my body becomes more impatient, but I keep my promise and only kiss her, even when she fastens her legs around my waist and rubs up against me. Ella He said just kiss and it seemed okay, but now my body has developed a mind of its own. I'm writhing my hips against him enjoying the pleasure erupting inside me. He's hard between my legs as he kisses me so fiercely that my lips are swollen. His fingers tangle in my hair and his tongue plunges deeper and deeper into my mouth the more I rock against him. My head falls back and my eyes open to the stars shining in the sky. It feels like I'm falling or flying†¦ I'm not sure, but whatever it is I can't seem to control it. For a second, I want to capture the moment, put it in a jar, and always have it with me, but panic seizes my mind and I jerk away from his lips. His eyes snap open and his pupils are vast. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Nothing†¦ It's just†¦ I have to calm down.† I take a deep breath, my skin still tingling in the spots his hands touched. Micha nods, breathless. Carefully, he moves off of me and leans back against the window, securing his hand around mine. We don't speak as we stare up at the sky. He traces his finger along the folds between my fingers and my eyelids drift shut. I feel a wall crumble, leaving behind dust, debris, and pieces that desperately need to be put back together. *** â€Å"Are you okay?† I ask Micha when we pull into my driveway. He's been quiet the whole drive home and I can tell something's bothering him. â€Å"Yeah, I'm fine,† he says with a shrug and then his gaze darts to the back window as headlights shine up behind us. â€Å"Although, you might not be.† My eyebrows furrow. â€Å"Why? What's wrong?† He points a finger at a car parking at the curb in front of my house; a shiny black Mercedes with a familiar blonde-haired driver sitting in it. â€Å"Oh my God, is that Lila's car?† I ask. â€Å"I'm guessing yes, since I doubt anyone around here owns a Mercedes.† Lila climbs out of the car and it's clear that she's been crying. Her eyes are swollen and her cheeks are red. She has her pajama bottoms on and a hoodie pulled over her head. The last time she walked around in an outfit like that she'd just broken up with her boyfriend. â€Å"I think she might have some issues at home,† I tell him, grabbing the door handle. â€Å"She acted like she didn't want to go home.† â€Å"But you didn't ask her about it?† he questions with an arch of his eyebrow. I bite my lip guiltily. â€Å"I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.† God, I'm a terrible friend. Lila heads up the driveway and we get out to meet her around the back. Before I can say anything, she hugs me and starts to sob. I tense, not used to being hugged, except by Micha. â€Å"I didn't want to go back there,† she cries. â€Å"I knew this was going to happen.† I look over Lila's head at Micha for help. â€Å"It'll be okay.† He gives me a sympathetic look and mouths, take her inside. I nod and he waves at me, getting back into his car. I guide Lila into the house holding her weight up for her like she's ill. When I get her into my room, she curls up on my bed and hugs a pillow. I wait a minute before I speak. â€Å"Do you want to talk about it?† She shakes her head. â€Å"I just want to go to sleep.† â€Å"Alright.† I turn off the light and collapse onto the trundle. I need to get into my pajamas, but it's been an exhausting day. â€Å"My dad hates me,† Lila whispers through sobs. I freeze and then sit up, squinting at her through the dark. â€Å"I'm sure he doesn't hate you.† â€Å"Yes, he does,† she says. â€Å"He always says so – that he wished he had sons instead of daughters because they're easier to deal with.† â€Å"Are you going to be okay?† I ask, unsure what else to say. â€Å"I will be. It'll just take some time.† Was that the magical cure? Time. I flop back down and fall asleep to the murmur of her sobs.

Changing Dialect of Singapore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Changing Dialect of Singapore - Essay Example Tan has made it a point to continue to work with the original language of Singapore to keep the memory of the past alive and to embrace the past through the use of speaking. Tan has made an effort with the younger generations to continue to speak in the main language of Malay. â€Å"If we lose our culture through language, then what do we have left? I believe it is important to continue to remember what we speak, where we are from and what the ancient history is of this land,† says Tan. To him, the idea of keeping the language alive is also a part of keeping the memories and heritage and of his world as a part of the everyday lifestyle. For Tan’s children and grand children, understanding the language isn’t one that they rebel against and often find that the extra dialect helps them to stay ahead in their own thinking. â€Å"Even though we learn English in school, we like having the Malay dialect as a part of our upbringing. It makes us feel unique and like we a re truly from Singapore,† says Tan’s grandchild. This attitude is one that many who are able to speak in two dialects carry with them as they progress forward with the understanding of different dialects. The languages of Singapore have undergone changes through every generation, even though they are kept alive through stories such as Tan. English is now recognized as the main language of the land, specifically because of the colonialization that took place in the 1820s by James Cook. However, there is also an influence of Mandarin, Chinese and Indian dialects, all which have come from the several who have migrated to Singapore through time. This is combined with the main dialect of Malay which is spoken by those who are considered as native to the land. The mixture of languages has led to the four main dialects of English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil becoming the main dialects of the island. It is not only the recognition of the four main dialects that influences the dive rsity of Singapore. While it is a small island, the influx of immigration into the land and the philosophies, such as what Tan has, continue to alter the dialects which are spoken in various regions. For instance, the recognition of Mandarin Chinese as a dialect is only one of several ethnic ways of speaking that are in the region. When visiting Singapore, you will note that Hokkien, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese and Cantonese are also spoken among households. No more than 10 -20% speak these languages and most is recognized in the home; however, the strong traditions keep the dialects such as these strong and alive (Chan, 2009). The alterations of dialect have also led to a creation of mixtures of each of the languages. A combination of English and Malay, for instance, is commonly heard among locals when they are working to converse among others who know more English. This is a common practice of those in the region, specifically with older generations who have not been educated with t he formal applications of English in the nation. The split of languages is known to have occurred specifically with waves of immigration which occurred from the 1800s. The beginning of the Malays and the structure of Singapore as a country was one which was noted as the dominant culture through this time. Ancient beliefs were kept during this time as well as patterns for economic trade and village life. While there were some fluctuations in Arabic and immigrants from other lands, most adapted to the Malay traditions and way of living. It was from the 1800s –

Facility Planning-Part I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Facility Planning-Part I - Essay Example d.). 9.1% and 6.2% of the population are persons above 65 years and under 5 years respectively, which are the age groups most susceptible to lifestyle and infectious diseases (‘Lee County, Alabama’, 2012). The community takes pride of its education, with a well-supported K-12 system and a successful Auburn University (‘About Us’, n. d.). In fact, 85.2% of persons above 25 years are high school graduates, and about 30% of this population has college diplomas. It is a very good residential location, as it is close to major markets in Atlanta, Birmingham and Montgomery (‘Lee County Tourbook’, n. d.), although 19.2% of the population are below the poverty line (‘Lee County, Alabama’, 2012). Local businesses also flourish in the area (‘Lee County Tourbook’, n. d.). Meeting more than 100 patients a day and 45, 000 visitors a year (Andrus, 2012), the emergency department of the East Alabama Medical Center needs to meet the varied complaints of its numerous patients. In fact, the number of patients of emergency departments in United States hospitals increased dramatically (26%0 in ten years since 1993 (Versweyveld, 2006). The most common emergency situations involve injuries, cardiac cases, as well as chest and abdominal pain (Otto, 2011). The changes in emergency room implemented most recently were motivated by the desire to hasten the turnover time among hospital departments, to decrease mortality from sepsis and to minimize hospital expenditures (Andrus, 2012). Because of the vast number of patients that visit the emergency room each year, the administration of EAMC wanted to increase the efficiency of health care in the emergency department by decreasing the number of patients that should be attended by a health care provider at any one time. One of the ways that this was done was through the establishment of a remote

Video critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Video critique - Assignment Example stand why these drug cartels spend large sums of money in hiring huge numbers of men and buying weapons that would help to safeguard the drugs, the reporter highlights the economic value the drugs have to the cartels. It is estimated that the drug lords amass billions of dollars every year from drug trafficking. The reporter mentions the role that the police department plays in trying to deal with gangs in the country. Police use either excessive force or are reluctant to fight the drug scourge, and this is well-detailed in the documentary. Some interviewers reveal that police are reluctant to assist in cases involving the citizens and the different gangs, and this has led to a lot of suffering to families whose relatives are innocently murdered by the gangs. One of the strengths possessed by the video is that the reporter has tried obtaining information from the key players in the drug syndicate, which is the police, citizens and some drug dealers. Going to the mountainous parts of the country where the drugs are planted with army troops is also a strength of the video as from it; an individual can tell how dangerous it is for people to access the place. Any information given by the common person is the most reliable as they represent the whole society and the reporter’s decision to interview the local people is a strength of the video. From the interviews, it is clear that the financial gain is the main reason people get into the drug syndicate. A major limitation of the video is the reporter’s choice to concentrate only on one town where the drug lord is highly respected and loved. The drug lord either buys or threatens the people of the city and this makes them become very loyal to him and his group members. It would have been better for the reporter to go to the other towns and cities that are not run financially with money got from the drug business as people may not be speaking so highly of the drug lord. It is easy for an individual to discern that

Marketing Report for the Library of Birmingham (E- Marketing) Essay

Marketing Report for the Library of Birmingham (E- Marketing) - Essay Example 7). The institution has a good reputation within the industry, which aids it in matters of competition. Besides, the institution runs under the framework of strategic mission and vision, which identifies with the local government, which places it in a position to participate actively in matters of development and growth of the city and region at large. Besides, the institution enjoys sound leadership by the board who champion the vision and objectives of the institution. Sound governance structures aid in ensuring the resources of the institution are effectively utilized. The existence of active marketing department has been very instrumental in revolutionizing the operations of the institution through the transition from the traditional methods of service delivery to the modernized digital systems of service delivery (Department for culture, media and arts, nd, para 1-2). Introduction The education and research sector in the modern day living has evolved greatly with high competitio n being noted in such services as the library services, teaching techniques as well as learning modes. Library services in particular have faced much revolution within the technological age. Changes are noted in shift in use of electronic materials for learning as compared to print materials/modern day era (Sridhar, 1989, p. 1; Balasubramanian et al, 2012, p. 1). Competition in the institutional or public library services has been notable in matters relating to the facilities in use, the building structuresthemselves as well as the learning materials available. Moreover, security, ease of access, the cost implications in utilizing the library services as well as the level of modernization in terms of adopting technology in offering the services. Digitization of learning materials such as books as well as other publications has shaped the direction of the modern day library services. The use of technology to search and retrieve the study materials from physical as well as online libr aries have greatly revolutionized the research and learning in the modern times. This therefore implies that competition within library services has concentrated more on standing out in terms of offering more modernized services. People have adopted digitallearning where unlike in the past where people carried print material while learning from the library services, the modern day learners and researchers are using digital media suchascomputer systems, and other digital gadgets to access and read from a library. Online hosting of library services has helped increase the ease of accessibility of library learning materials overcoming the limitations of physical location, the time barrier where a person can now easily access specific library materials at the convenience of one’s location and at whatever time (24 hours). Other dimensions notable in the evolution in library services has been in marketing strategies within libraries. New dimensions in marketing the services of libr aries have been revolutionized where modern day advertizing strategies such as through websites and through digital modes in social media platforms have been greatly acknowledged and adopted. Subscription to personalized alerts of services

Using Recycled PCC as Aggregate in New PCC Research Paper

Using Recycled PCC as Aggregate in New PCC - Research Paper Example However, these recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) have to meet NJDOT’s quality needs in case they are to be used in PCC. Only 11 states permit use of RCA in PCC, while all but 13 states allow the use of it in base aggregate. Some states also permit its use as miscellaneous aggregate and in HMA. Through the crushing / grinding of concrete pavements or any waste concrete, RCA is produced, after the removing any reinforcing steel. In the same way the production of aggregate from virgin materials is, production of required gradations is too- through screening and crushing (PCA 1). However, significant differences between virgin aggregates and RCA have led officials in state transportation in Muchials and New Jersey in adopting RCA as aggregate for PCC acceptably (PCA 1). The presence of mortar adhering to the Recycled aggregates or cement paste reduces density, increases drying shrinkage, and increases porosity in PCC. The presence of contaminants as well as the quality of the being recycles original concrete are all problems that should be taken in concern additionally (PCA 1). The two primary sources for use in PCC, of stockpiled RCA are precaters who are interested in reusing surplus materials and class B recyclers who crush and accept concrete waste. Before RCA is implemen ted, those are the issues that must be addressed. Another important component of the project is the preliminary review that has been provided for the expansion of this work, as a part of this proposal As the proposers believe, an extensive field installation plan is likely to result to open-ended and long research projects, which address the use of Recycled Concrete Aggregates in PCC. Due to this reason, proposals have been made to include field installation as part of part of the work. The field installation be limited to applications of lower risks that permit the recommendations and

Compensation Plan Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compensation Plan Outline - Essay Example Hence, companies try to adopt different compensation plans as per prevailing industry standards, work environment and employee expectations. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., under the brand name ‘Wal-Mart’ is an American multinational retail corporation. Being one of the largest retailers in the world, it runs chains of departmental stores and discount stores with large discounts. It can be declared as the world’s biggest private employer with 2.2 million associates worldwide. Hence, they ought to have a well planned compensation plan so as to motivate each associate to give their best. The competitive compensation package of Wal-Mart touched $5.2 billion last year in the United States. The employee wages are classified and structured depending on experience, skill set, problem-solving abilities and job accountability. Every associate is qualified to receive a ‘performance bonus’, based on the performance of their stores. A full - time employee is eligible to re ceive bonuses up to $1,800 at Wal-Mart per year. Also, the company is known to reward hourly associates and assistant managers who have completed 20 years of service in the company, thus motivating employees to give their long term service to the company. It is vital for a company to develop a broad minded outlook while making compensation plans for its employees. It is essential to consider health benefits and various saving plans for the associates apart from their regular weekly / monthly wages. These health benefits include the spouse and all children of the associates, hence taking care of the employee and his family. They also provide varied coverage, ranging from $5 per month to $8 per month depending on the region of work. Wal-Mart provides various ‘Profit share plans’ and ‘Stock purchase plans’ to help their employees earn money in a faster way (â€Å"Wages and Benefits†, 2007). However, Wal-Mart’s compensation strategy has been widel y debated and severely criticized for its low worker’s compensation, which is believed to be influential in its ability to sustain its low prices. There is no doubt that the low product prices greatly benefit Wal-Mart’s consumers, especially from lower to middle class families. Wal-Mart’s strategy has been observed to focus on opening stores in ‘lower income’ areas. This indicates the company’s intention to minimize on worker compensation, along with other factors such as retail and merchandizing. The opening of Wal-Mart stores in a new locality is seen to lower the general wages on an average by 0.5 – 0.8% per worker in the merchandizing sector and by 0.8 – 0.9% for grocery workers (Bernstein, Bivens and Dube, 2006). The compensation plan has been slammed for charges that female employees are paid less than their male counterparts despite their achievement of greater performance ratings. The compensation plan at Wal-Mart is str uctured in such a way that hourly jobs are paid less while management positions are paid better. The process of promotion is defined in such a manner that an employee must complete a ‘Management Training Program’ in order to be appraised to the position of an Assistant Manager. It has been noticed that the other big retailers are found to pay more wages compared to that of Wal-Mart. There have been reports of employee grievances that show wage increments of as low as 20

Procter & Gamble Paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Procter & Gamble Paper - Case Study Example This became rather beneficial for the P&G to improve its brand image and position in the market among others. In the year 1890, Procter & Gamble integrated extra funds so as to enhance the business process of the P&G. Moreover, innovative machines and analytical labs were also introduced so as to improve the soap making procedure of P&G. It was the first research labs in the American industry which augmented the status and the corporate image of P&G in the market among others and marked the company as a market leader (Eugene, 2005). After that the company continued to expand and develop for the next 120 years with the help of extensive research and development, modernization and global expansions. Apart from this, P&G also developed new products such as Tide detergent and Crest toothpaste, which became quite famous in the market. This ultimately facilitated P&G to become a global market leader by 1993 resulting in the enhancement of the sales by US$30 billion. At this time, P&G was n ot only a market leader but also an innovator of new product lines which were highly appreciable among the other competitors. This helped to improve the market share and the brand identity of the company in the international market. This as a result improved the turnover of the company to a wide extent. Still, P&G continued its pace of movements and in the year 1999, it purchased a pet food producing company Iams. At that time, Iams was also one of the reputed brands in the sector of pet food manufacturing in the US. Hence, this helped P&G’s endeavor to become a multinational corporation working worldwide. Iams was a company developed by an animal nutritionist with the vision to improve the welfare of the dogs and cats by offering them with eminent quality of foods and care. As P&G deals with animal well-being which is one of the significant responsibilities of ‘PETA’, so its role is mandatory. PETA refers to ‘people for the ethical treatment of animalsâ₠¬â„¢ which was established in 1980 so as to defend the rights of the animals and maintain the interests of the animals. However, unfortunately certain unethical conducts of P&G on the animals hampered its brand image and marked the beginning of the investigation by PETA (Eugene, 2005). Question 1 Due to unethical treatment of animals, Procter & Gamble had faced risk of reputation damage (Eugene, 2005). Therefore, damage in reputation can impact upon the communication of stakeholders with the company. It is uncertain that how the stakeholders will react in the reputation crisis of Procter and Gamble. The stakeholders can be any group which can impact or can be impacted by the performance of Procter & Gamble, such as advertisement agencies, financiers, wholesalers, traders, community groups, competitors, customers, clients, employees, franchises, global managers, investors, law administration officers, licensers, media, politicians, suppliers and salespersons. Among them the most sign ificant stakeholders that will be affected most are customers, clients, suppliers, financiers, law administration officers, licensers and investors. Protecting reputation is vital for any organization in order to retain a position in the market and to avoid poor status in the industry. Managing the reputation is the way about how an organization is satisfying the expectations of stakeholders on the basis of past performances. Reputation is extensively acknowledged as a worthy intangible resource which helps to entice more customers and investors,

Importance of a Warm Up Essay Example for Free

Importance of a Warm Up Essay A warm up helps to prepare the body for the physical exertion to come. It gently raises your pulse rate and therefore, your cardiac output increases and also your rate of ventilation. Your vasomotor centre makes sure that more blood is being distributed to the working muscles. This combined affect is to increase the amount of oxygen that is delivered to the muscle cells. This helps to reduce the oxygen deficit when you start carrying out the actual activity. A Warm up is very important as it helps to reduce the possible chances of injury. It raises your body temperature in your muscles as there is an increase in the blood flow which raises your body temperature in your muscles, making them more responsive. The elasticity of muscle tissue is increased and more oxygen can be carried to the working muscles. This will help to prepare the body for the activity to come. Throughout a warm up routine, it consists of stretching exercises and this increases your flexibility and so directly reduces the risk of injury. The reason for this is that; a muscle or tendon group with a greater range of motion will be less likely to experience tears when used actively. Stretching also helps to improve recovery and may enhance the participants performance. Additionally, increased flexibility of the neck, shoulders and upper back may improve respiratory function. The nervous system becomes stimulated which makes sure you more alert and aware and therefore it gets you psychologically prepared. This will help to increase your levels of motivation and determination to carry out your dance sessions. The benefit of a warm up is that the muscles torn most frequently from the neglect of a warm up are the antagonists (such as the hamstrings- Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus, biceps femoris) to the strong contracting muscles (such as the Quadriceps- Vastus medialis, Vastus lateralis, Vastus intermedius, rectus femoris). Cold antagonistic muscles relax slowly when the agonists contract, therefore free movement and accurate co-ordination is retarded. At the same time, the force of the contraction of the agonists and the momentum of the moving part exert a great strain on the unyielding antagonists. Without a warm up, this may lead to the tearing of the muscle fibers or the tendons. Stretching exercises I will stretch, moving a joint to just beyond its point of resistance. Flexibility is limited by the joint itself, ligaments and tendons acting upon it. I cannot change the bony structures or the type of joint, but I can stretch the soft tissue surrounding the joint. Neck (Sternocleidomastoid and scalenes) * Turn head to the left, then to the right. * Look up and then down. * 5 Neck rolls to the right and then 5 neck rolls to the left. * Shoulders, back and arms * I will Circle arms 10 times forward, 10 times backward and then rotate arms alternating. This will mobilise my shoulder joint. * I will Stretch my Trapezius by pulling one arm that is kept straight across the chest with your other arm supporting it in its position. This is a horizontal flexion movement. * I will stretch my triceps brachii by flexing my elbow and placing my hand behind my head on by back and my other hand puts pressure on the flexed elbow joint. Wrists and fingers * I will rotate my wrist joints, clap my hands together rapidly and then bend and mobilise my fingers. Hips * I will mobilise my hip joint by placing my hands on my hips and doing 5 hip rotations to the left and then 5 to right. Rotate my hips by raising my leg (with a bent knee so it is at 90 degrees to my body) then I will turn my leg outwards to the side of my body. Spine * I will stretch my vertebral column by crouching down onto my knees and placing my hands on the floor reaching as far as I can. Legs * I will Stretch the Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Intermedials, Vastus Medialis and Rectus Femoris by pulling the ankle with your hand on the same side of the body keeping the knees together while maintaining the correct spine alignment. My hips should be square (I will make sure they do not twist.) If I find it difficult to keep my balance I will hold onto my ear with my other hand and focus. * I will stretch the Semitendinosus, Biceps Femoris and Semi Membranosus by placing one foot in front of the other; bend your back knee while keeping my front leg straight. Raise the hips and lean your body slightly over. After holding this stretch for 10-15 seconds, I will slowly raise the toes of my front foot so that they point towards the ceiling (I will keep my heel firmly on the ground.) Doing this will produce a full stretch down the back of the leg, i.e. Semitendinosus, Biceps Femoris, Semi Membranosus and Gastrocnemius. * I will move my legs apart (wide stance), I will then bend forwards with my hands flat to floor. * Right foot behind left at 90 degrees right leg flexed, left leg straight, bend forward to left foot. Left foot behind left at 90 degrees left leg flexed, right leg straight, bend forward to right foot. * To stretch the Adductors Longus, Brevis and Magnus both feet will be flat on the floor and facing forward. I will lean over to one side keeping the other leg straight, bend the knee at the side you are leaning over to increase the intensity of the stretch. * To stretch my Gastrocnemius I will put one foot in front of the other and bend youre your front knee. The back leg will be kept straight and the rear heel will be kept firmly on the floor throughout the stretch. This stretch is often carried out against a wall. The Gastrocnemius is stretched by flexing your elbows and moving your body weight forward. Stretch forward until you feel a gentle pull in the lower leg. * To stretch the Soleus, the front knee is bent and is pushed towards the ground, while staying over and just in front of the foot. A gentle pull should be felt in the lower one third of the leg. The knee can then be directed medially and laterally to stretch different areas. Ankles * To mobilise my ankle joint I will move the sole of the foot inwards (inversion) and then turn it outwards (eversion). * I will then move the foot downwards (away from the tibia) which is known as plantar flexion and then I will move it upwards (towards the tibia) and this is known as dorsi flexion. This mobilises the Tibialis Anterior, Gastrocnemius and Soleus.

American Television In The 1950s And 1960s

American Television In The 1950s And 1960s The televisual representation of black people had been a highly contested phenomenon since the television broadcast of Amos n Andy in June 1951. It is believed that Amos n Andy defined for the first time the side that television was to take in the postwar to represent Black people in America. In Amos n Andy, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll created and fixed an image of blackness, black people believed, which made racist Americans fight against them more and more. The program lasted just two years and was cancelled in the midst of growing protest by the black community in 1953. Because The Jeffersons not only was the first TV programs which featured African-Americans in leading roles since the cancellation of the infamous Amos n Andy show in 1953, but also the first television program to feature black couples. Because it was the first time television showed a rich, successful African American family, many people believed that the appearance of The Jeffersons was the first positive image of a new role model of Black African American families on television. However, John D.H.  [1]  pointed out that this television show may have been just a typical of American television fare because media image of American of African descent have ranged from the blatantly to the latently racist. Father knows best was, the first white family television sitcom and popular around 1950s-1960s. Therefore, I would like to use both The Jefferson and father knows best as examples to examine how race was constructed by American televisual representation. Just a few years after the Second World War, how to attain and live the American dream became one of the most prominent themes of the 1950s .Therefore, for helping Americans rebuild their dream, television program in 1950s was made as a creation of American dream rather than a reflection of society.  [2]  The television producers believed when people conformed to the ideal of beneficial families bring those family audiences stand up to the same level and made people more enjoy the sitcom and their life.  [3]  According to Census, in 1950, families with both the head and his wife present, were apparently the norm, accounting for 87.1%. A non-couple household was counted for 3.6%. The figure of independent female household just was 9.3%. it mean, during that period, most Americans demanded to see a family television shows which defined a household in patriarchal and nuclear terms, with the centre assumed to be a male breadwinner heading a household of his dependent wife and chi ldren. Therefore by adopting that idea, in Father knows bests world Andersons family has an upper-class, white-collar fathers, a stay-at-home wives, and two or three children whom lived in suburban. The television show offered viewers a comforting unified vision of the American family. In most episodes of Father knows best the stories were all about how the father helped the family find out one or two beneficial social formations from their everyday life. Moreover, by showing a special episode the importance of a strong American democracy in school, churched, civic organization , United State Treasury Department promoted U.S. Saving Bones. Given the sitcom show title father who knows best, the television producers hoped that the way of lived in father who knows best would made the majority of Americans understood what real meaning of beneficial family was. Some contemporary historians argued, although the show suggested that the white-middle upper class nuclear family may be the most naturally beneficial for all,  [4]  many women in particular still experienced the detrimental aspects of and expressed a high level of frustration with this isolated, suburban nuclear unit.  [5]  Moreover, some other historians and sociologists made commented on how unfulfilling suburban life could be and how impossible its contradictory, gendered demands could seem. Early social scientist, Franklin Frazier  [6]  , unwittingly used the idea of beneficial family to argue a social perspective of Black families on legacy of slavery and he believed slavery culture had left many Black families weak and female-dominated. Later, his ideas had been highly developing by Senator Moynihan at the height of the civil rights movement, which became the most politically-charged Black family issue of the century. By the end of the 1960s some revisionist scholars  [7]  challenged the point of view from early social scientist on African American families. The revisionist believed this perspective was narrow and they reclaimed the cultural heritage of African Americans, and rejected that notion that viable families had to conform to the male/breadwinner-female/homemaker structure. They described the adaptive nature and functionality of Black families  [8]  and documented their strengths and survival strategies  [9]  . At the same time, revisionist historians analyzed archival data from large plantations and argued that enslaved Black families often enjoyed relatively vibrant and stable family lives, that men participated in and contributed to those families, and that Black people embraced the two-parent, patriarchal family ideal as much as they could  [10]  . People could found some reflections of revisionist scholars opinions in The Jeffersons . Because the show was the first television program which feature black couples and created by independent producers, Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin during the 1970s to early 1980s, it may helped people understand the real culture of African Americans. The Jeffersons did superficially seem very different from Father knows best in many ways. Meanwhile both Father knows best and The Jeffersons adapted the same idea of nuclear family and both set the story in upper-middle class families. Neither family was wealthy; neither family was threatened by poverty or the continuing financial problem. The two programs seemed to go beyond male solidarity to centrality and superiority. This could be seen in their titles, the title father knows best speaks for Paternity. The Jeffersons did not make the statement very clearly through the title, but giving the family name of the breadwinner. Different from Father knows best, the story lines of the Jeffersons more focused on the lives of George and his wife Louise Jefferson rather than their children. In The Jeffersons , George was a successful businessman, millionaire; however his wife -Louise just was a former maid who was attempting to adjust her life from poor to rich. When they moved to a ritzy penthouse apartment on Manhattans fashionable and moneyed East Side with their son, Lionel, they try to fill their house with expensive furnishings. For quickly adapt the rich life, they even hired their own black housekeeper, a wise-cracking maid named Florence. Compared to Jim Andersons kindness and politeness, George Jefferson was rude and selfish. He frequently called white people as honkies. and attempt to rebel against the rich upper-middle class which he was in. An article in Ebony magazine in 1979 referred to him as bombastic, frenetic, boastful, ill-mannered, prejudiced, and scheming. Even his wife, Louise, saw George as Wheezy and spent most of her time apologizing for him. Moreover, the funniest moments came with the repartee between George and his maid Florence. She always called him Shorty and humiliated George but did not miss a chance to put him in his place. This attitude was very hard to see in Father knows best. I may argue that this could be seen as fragment of idea of the patriarchal family in African American culture, because women still in dominate position in family as old time. From the title, people should see George not only was a millionaire businessman- breadwinner of the family, but also the centre attention of the family. However in the show he often positioned himself as the buffoon of everyones joke. No one, not even his maid took his words seriously. As the Ebony article described,  [11]  He was often the victim of his own acts: a put-down that backfires, a contrivance that goes astray, an ego-filled balloon suddenly deflated. Patricia Mellencamp  [12]  believed that the ideal of beneficial families in tradition sitcoms portrayed the comic containment of women in traditional domestic roles-the angel in the house. Margaret Anderson in Father knows best was in such role; she was always on duty, preparing meals, cleaning the house, attending to the childrens need. However, someday, the angel in the house in Father knows best could rebel against her role and take a day off. But the situation of The Jeffersons was different; Louise Jefferson was a housewife with maid. Although she did not need to do any housework, she demands to work as slavery. When I first time watched The Jeffersons, I was not sure why Georges behaviour in such rude manner and why Louise demand work as slavery. But the second time, I had a different opinion that this may be the slavery culture of African American. Morgan  [13]  argued that in order to understand such African American culture, one must procure more than a superficial understanding of American enslavement of Africans, as slavery was the birthplace of African American culture. Conrad  [14]  made the argument in The Invention of the Negro; he believed that in many respects, White Americans created what became known as African American culture. Researchers insist that those interested in understanding and addressing the challenges faced by African American communities today. It must investigate the origin of those African American communities. This investigation would necessarily begin in the era of American institutional slavery. Ogbu  [15]  made the argument more Profound. She suggests that African American culture is similar to that of other American minority subcultures; Jones  [16]  argued every subculture was different. African American culture was not similar to any other American subcultures. Jones emphasized that African American culture was the only minority culture in the United States that was founded and created in slavery. Sue  [17]  insisted that, Slavery was one of the most important factors that shaped the social, psychological, economic, educational, and political development of Black people. Van Deburg  [18]  maintained that the root cause of the present sociocultural differences in American society. However I believed the Slavery culture could be change by education. In later black family sitcom cowboy show, it was very hard to find any phenomenon of Slavery culture. The CBS took a conservative view in the black civil right movement to represent the black in 1970. As watching Amos n Andy twenty years ago, Americas black community remained divided in their assessment of this television program-even It brought a slight change in society . Many critics complain that The Jeffersons was too idealized and too exaggerated and failed to fully represent African American life. The television programs slightly changed the view of African American over the decades, but the way shot and fix images of African Americans had not progressed very far at all. Nevertheless the show was highly popular both in Black America audiences and white America audiences. It could be seem as not only the CBS want to representation of African Americans in general white American way; but also black community appeal to adapt the traditional white families value and crossed lines of class and gender. Word account: 1900

Citizen Action and Policy Process: The Case of Disney’s America and Pri

Citizen Action and Policy Process: The Case of Disney’s America and Prince William County, Virginia Introduction Regardless of point-of-view, the events surrounding Disney’s America theme-park provide compelling lessons to policy makers, business interests and citizen activist groups. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Disney’s America controversy through the lens of public policy process. I first analyze the core issues of the case. Second, I identify predominant actors and stakeholders. Third, I point out policy instruments and processes germane to the case. Finally, I discuss the outcome and lessons to be gleaned from the case. Issues Haymarket, a community with a population of 375, is located approximately 30 miles southwest of Washington D.C., in Prince William County, Virginia. It is situated in an area characterized by farmland in view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Nearby is a Civil War battlefield site, now a National Battlefield Park administered by the National Park Service, where 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died during two battles fought at Bull Run: the first land battle of the Civil War in 1861, and in 1862, when Robert E. Lee defeated Union forces as he led the Confederate toward the Potomac River. In the early 1990s, Chairman Michael Eisner of Disney, envisioned an American history theme-park to be called Disney’s America. Colonial Williamsburg in southeastern Virginia initially provided inspiration for Disney executives. Prior to 1993, Disney officials surreptitiously acquired land-options in Prince William county using false names in order to avoid increases in land prices in anticipation of the project. The theme-park, estimated to cost $650 million, would be con... ...on’t sugarcoat history." Washington Post, The 12 Nov. 1993: A-1 Spayd, Liz, and Paul Farhi. "Eisner ended Disney plan; chairman saw park fight harming company’s image." Washington Post, The 30 Sept. 1994: A-1 Tolme, Paul. "Five years after Disney fight, sprawl still creeps toward Civil War sites." Associated Press State and Local Wire 29 Sept. 1999 Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) "Virginia not the place for Disney’s America." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) 26 Feb. 1994: A-13 Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk). "Disney’s second site: retreat from Manassas." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) 30 Sept. 1994: A-18 Washington Post, The. "Disney foes take protest to airwaves." Roanoke Times and World News 15 April 1994: B-1 Washington Post, The. "Feds warn against plan to widen battlefield roads for Disney park." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) 10 Sept. 1994: B-7

Dr. Faustus Essay -- essays papers

Dr. Faustus In Christopher Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus, the idea of repentance is a reoccurring theme with the title character. Faustus is often urged by others to repent his decision to sell his soul to the devil, but in the end he suffers eternal damnation. Faustus was resigned to this fate because he lacked the belief in his soul of God. He was once a moral and devout man, but greed led him to sin. Although Faustus has signed a contract with the devil in blood, it is obvious that it is still able to repent. The good angel in the play is trying to make Faustus realize this. Throughout the play the angel encourages Faustus to stay away from dark magic, â€Å"Oh Faustus, lay that damned book aside, and gaze not on it lest it tempt thy soul and heap God’s heavy wrath upon thy head.†(p. 26, line 69-71) Faustus’ growing interest in necromancy leads him to give the Lucifer his soul in return for twenty four years of luxurious life. The good angel is always accompanied by an evil angel who supports Faustus’ choice. Both spirits try to advise him on a course of action, with the evil one usually being more influential. The evil angel speaks of the power, which Faustus thirsts after. Faustus does not want to be a servant to God. He was become disillusioned with the idea of heavenly pleasures when he realizes he can profit immediately from service to the d evil. In an exchange with the good angel he shows his lack of interest in having to work for rewards: Good Angel: â€Å"Sweet Faustus, leave that execrable act!† Faustus: â€Å"Contrition, prayer, repentance, what of these?† Good Angel: â€Å"O, they are means to bring thee unto heaven† With this display of lackadaisical attitude toward God, the likeliness of Faustus repenting be... ... but for Faustus’ weak soul it is impossible. The old man in the play is the opposing character to Faustus. The old man is a devout Christian soul, who in spite of all of the devil’s tortures, begs Faustus to repent. He clings to his faith to the very end and even Mephostophilis is wary of harming him because of his good soul. Mephostophilis says in response to Faustus request to kill the old man, â€Å"His faith is great. I cannot touch his soul. But what I may afflict his body with I will attempt, which is but little worse.† In comparison, throughout the play Faustus is unable to repent. His weak soul is not true to God. He would have to truly belief in the supreme power of God in order to be saved. He does not repent because his faith has changed, he repents because he fears death. All of Faustus’ decisions are made through a weak, greedy, power hungry mindset.

The Difficulties of Implementing the Good Friday Agreement Essay

The Difficulties of Implementing the Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement was voted on by a relatively large turnout of 68.8% in 1998 and was rejected by a significant 29% of people in Northern Ireland. For the past six years it has proved to be difficult to implement and there are a number of reasons for this. The emphasis on issues raised in the agreement has changed over the years and some are proving to be more difficult to implement than others. A major area within the Good Friday Agreement is the setting up of an Assembly. Hard line Unionists such as the DUP refuse to accept the Assembly. They refuse to sit at a table with Sinn FÃ ©in in cross party talks while they argue that Sinn FÃ ©in still have links with the IRA. The DUP's mindset has been created by fifty two years of unionist rule. They do not wish to accept principles contained within the agreement which they feel they have already rejected in the 1974 power sharing executive. The DUP are now offering a full re-negotiation of the agreement and their slogan for the last elections was, 'It's time for a new deal.' There are deep divisions within the official unionist party. There is continual disagreement over how many concessions can be made to nationalists. David Trimble the party leader has remained committed to the agreement despite bitter criticism from fellow unionists and himself also feeling uneasy over some elements of it. He has faced leadership challenges and recent defections to the DUP by Geoffrey Donaldson, Arlene Foster and Norah Beare have reduced the number of seats held by the UUP. David Trimble must have ... ...ng to have it raised again. The flying of paramilitary flags particularly around the marching season upsets and provokes nationalists who feel threatened by such and obvious display of paramilitary strength. The agreement could now be said to be more difficult to implement than before due to the recent election results. The middle ground lost out while extremists at the opposite end of the political spectrum gained votes. The DUP have a majority of 33 seats and Sinn FÃ ©in has 27. This perhaps suggests that more moderate voters have become disillusioned and no longer believe in the capabilities of their politicians to do their job. There could be a feeling of apathy towards the peace process. However this does not mean that peace is not obtainable in Northern Irelandand with hard work and co-operation it is achievable.

Airline Differentiation

Airlines Differentiation In the world of airlines there is a huge market for varies airlines that offer different services to the customers to gain the competitive advantage. In the following article we will outline the differences between airlines like: â€Å"Emirates airline†, â€Å"Qatar† and â€Å"Air Arabia†. Those airlines will mainly differ in following criteria’s: †¢ Price is one of the most important differences that airlines would have among each other. Looking at Emirates that has competitive pricing to the rest of its rivals in similar service quality we can say that services of the airline would affect the difference in price among the airlines.This example shows us that Qatar Airlines as it is the first Five Star Airline that offers premium services would differ in price compare to Emirates. Customers can choose what quality of service they would receive according to the price they want to pay. That’s why we thing that airlines ca n be split in to three separate press categories according to the service they offer. Emirates would fit in the middle price category compare to Qatar Airlines which offers superior service for a superior price.The last category of price range we would consider Air Arabia as it has the minimum possible service but also has the lowest price range for varicose destinations (An example: Emirates offers return flight to Bangalore from 20th December till 23d December for 2640dhs. , Qatar offers the same flight for 2350dhs, Air Arabia offers for 790dhs). †¢ In flight service would show the biggest difference among the three airlines. Looking at Emirates and Qatar airline we can see that inflight service at Qatar would be Five Star class compare to Emirates four star.For example Qatar would offer its Five Star Award winning wines and champagnes to attract customers with is superior inflight entertainment system while sited in De Luxe seat. Looking at Emirates which service would diffe r as Emirates sets out lower standards for its guests compare to Qatar. However Emirates still can compete with is good dinning quality on board that offers maximum possible value for money accommodated by friendliness from the inflight crew well established entertainment system. One of the main differences of Emirates compared to the rest of the airlines is that Emirates has on board inflight shower system which none of ther airlines have in the world. Looking at the basic service that is offered by Air Arabia we can see that this Airline mainly offers flight to the final destination without any extra in price services. There is no entertainment system on board seats are very small and food has to be paid extra if wanted. So as we can see Air Arabia would fit in to the lowest service range as it offers it services to economic class passengers. †¢ Looking at convenience we can say that Emirates and Qatar airlines try to offer maximum possible comfort for its passengers that inc ludes pick up and drop service for its premium passengers.Emirates airline has a slight advantage in convenient offering worldwide lounges for its premium class travelers which Qatar Airways doesn’t. For the convenience of the passenger airlines like Emirates and Qatar offer online check in that allows the customer to print out its boarding pass and just hand in the luggage in the airport. Compare to the big airlines Air Arabia has to offer its availability for smaller destination types that are not served by the big airlines (Example: Destination range of Emirates over 100 destinations same as Qatar, however Air Arabia currently fly to 65 destinations only). Safety plays an important role for all three airlines as all of those airlines above want to create a good reputation with high safety standards for its travellers. There is minimum any safety regulations among the three airlines as they don’t spare any cost when it comes to keeping its customers safe. Only Emirat es has additional insurance policy which provides 1 million dollars in case of death. Reference: http://www. airarabia. com/crp_1/pr-faqs&stitle=pr-faqs&pid=127 http://www. emirates. com/ae/english/destinations_offers/route_maps/route_map. aspx http://www. qatarairways. com/ae/en/ceo-message. page

Is Christmas Pagan?

As every year draws to an end, so the atmosphere of Christmas starts to fill the air. The 25th of December is a day that has caught the heart of most Christians and filled it with gratitude- for it is said – that it is the day that Jesus Christ was born. It is marked on calendars as a public holiday, but it is written on hearts as a celebration of the birth of our savior. It is the time when families and friends gather together, bearing gifts for one another and where feelings of love are evident and friendships are strong. But, what if Christmas is not what it appears to be? What if we just imagine it to be this great celebration of Jesus birth, but in reality Jesus Christ was not in Christmas at all? There is a snare inside this honeycomb we call Christmas. It lays dormant, unseen, it appears harmless, and when one partakes in it, it tastes sweet in the mouth but is really bitter in the spirit. The following essay will emphasis the pros and cons of what hides behind Christmas, and will explain the roots of the traditions, rituals and celebrations that people practice over Christmas. If Christmas is not the birth of Christ, then where did it come from and what does it mean? Allow me to show how and where it all started. The celebration of Christ’s birth was not even a consideration until the third century. It was only about AD 350 when a Roman Catholic, Pope Julius I, decided to introduce the celebration of Christmas as the birth of Christ, and then the thought of honoring Christ’s birth materialized into a documented festival. Why would a Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, choose December the 25th to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ? Scripture reveals that Christ was not even born in December, as shown In Luke 2:8 when the three shepherds saw the star signaling the place of Christ’s birth they were â€Å"abiding in the field keeping watch of their sheep by night†. If it had been December, they probably would not have been sleeping in the field because of the severity of the winters in Palestine at that particular time of year. Pope Julius I also knew that the transition of Paganism to Christendom was hard. He decided to find a compromise – a gray area. He knew that if only he could chisel away at the righteousness of the Christian faith, then he could bridge the gulf between Paganism and Christianity. So herein he found an answer. Pope Julius I strategically set Christ’s birthday on the 25th of December so that the Babylonians would feel accepted as they worshipped the birth of their messiah, Tammuz. The Romans would feel able to participate for they too were worshipping Saturn, and the Egyptians would feel comfortable as they worshipped the rebirth of Mithra. This was the only way that Christians would not feel excluded from their surrounding community but be able to participate in the celebration and festivals. Were they right? Christmas traditions bear their roots in Babylon, as I will explain a little futher. As the Babylonians would worship and honor the son of the Babylonian Queen of heaven, Tammuz (the Babylonian Messiah) they used certain rituals, which later were adopted by the church and established as Christmas traditions. In Babylon their celebration was known as the winter solstice festival. It was recognized by the thrill of having parties, feasts, and the privilege of giving gifts to one another. Every family would cut down an evergreen tree – they would kill the tree and decorate it as a way of commemorating the premature death of Tammuz. The Catholic Church adopted this Pagan tradition of cutting trees as well as decorating them. This act being contrary to scripture, as described in Jeremiah 10:1-5, â€Å"Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: thus says the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workmen, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with hammers, that it move not†. One of the other traditions that were held during the Babylonian celebration was the burning of candles on the night before the celebrations began, in Catholicism one of the watermarks of Christmas is burning candles around the house on Christmas Eve. Babylon was not the only nation that contributed to the forming of Christmas and its traditions, but Rome also played a considerable part in this merge. The Romans used the 25th as a time to honor their agricultural god, Saturn. They called their holiday Saturnalia. The purpose of Saturnalia was to celebrate, and thank the god’s for the coming summer. Every year when the days shortened, Romans, had no way of knowing if the days were going to lengthen again. When the days lengthened in December they saw it as a sign of the end of winter – the mercy of Saturn, the god of agriculture. This lengthening would allow them to prepare for the planting season. They had decided to use the time to commemorate and celebrate the mercy of their god – thus festivities began. Saturnalia’s practices such as dancing and singing naked in the streets became caroling and singing house to house on Christmas evening. Merrymaking and feasting, became the Christmas lunches and dinners practiced by so many Christian families each Christmas. The exchanging of good-luck gifts in Rome are the gifts we see under the Christmas trees today. Romans would deck their homes and doors with boughs of greenery and candles and today the Christmas practice is the decorating of our homes with lights, wreaths and mistletoe. The mistletoe was considered a sacred plant. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe began a ritual to bring fertility to the couple. Holly berries associated with Christmas cakes and also in the decorations were really thought of as the food of the gods. In northern Europe the pagans celebrated their own winter solstice, which they called Yule. The word Yule means â€Å"wheel,† which is a pagan symbol for the sun. Yule was symbolic for Mithras (the sun god’s) birth, which was believed to be on the shortest day of the year. The thought was as Mithras grew so the days because longer, and his ability to warm them became stronger. In all hopes to encourage Mithras to reappear the following year, it was customary to burn Yule logs to represent the warmth that the sun gives. In modern day Europe they still burn logs on the fire. It was also traditional to light candles to signify the light that the sun produces. The question that looms over this essay is, â€Å"Is Christmas a truly Pagan Festival? I will say a definite yes! It is clear, that because Christmas has been a worldwide tradition for so long but the clarity of its roots have long been forgotten The very thought of the celebration of Christ’s birth was not an idea that originated from any form of scriptural background at all, but it materialized from a Pope seeking to dilute the pureness of the Christian faith with Pagan trad itions. This is a pure compromise – a huge compromise! I have shown the heresy of Christmas and the detachment that Christians should have from it. Anything that tries to reduce the magnitude, r detract from the holiness of Christ, cannot be from the spirit of Christ and therefore it must be the spirit of the antichrist. If something is held up by the pillars Paganism, supported by the beams of the spirit of antichrist, then it cannot be for Christians to partake in. The scripture in Jeremiah 7:17-20 says â€Å"Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the father’s fondle the fire, and the woman knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke to anger? † says the Lord. â€Å"Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces†? The refusal of Christians to recognize the importance of relinquishing demonic association is a powerful indicator that the Christian world has gone astray, and forsaken the truth that once burned in the hearts of men. The Lord says, â€Å" My spirit will not always strive with a man†. We should not fight God, but rather be quick to submit to his word lest we do not see ourselves start to fall away. We must be careful that by taking part in Christmas we are not paying tribute the false gods that birthed this tradition.

The Amish Culture

The Amish Culture The Amish are a fascinating people. They live surrounded by cities full of technology. Yet they live without automobiles, electricity, and most modern comforts that are taken for granted by many. Donald Kraybill asks the question â€Å"How is it that a tradition-laden people who spurn electricity, computers, automobiles, and higher education are not merely surviving but are, in fact, thriving in the midst of modern life? † Though they do not have all of the technology that we take for granted, they live richer lives than many non-Amish people. ecause gender relations are accepted amongst others in the community, they have strong beliefs, traditions and values, and kinship is important. In the Amish community, they rely heavily on their agriculture as a mode of subsistence. This is known as being an agrarian society. Though they have other means of sustenance, they recognize the importance of agriculture to the community. Amish culture does not use electricity or other modern conveniences. This makes the farming a longer process, as this is their means of survival. They have other means for livelihood but farming is their main job. Some build furniture to sell to the surrounding communities. Others will farm for non-amish employers. â€Å"Some stereotypes of Amish life imply that they reject technology and live in a nineteenth-century cocoon. Such images are false. The Amish adopt technology selectively, hoping that the tools they use will build community rather than harm it. In short, they prefer technology that preserves social capital, rather than depletes it. †(Kraybill, 2001). In the technology laden world today, it makes sense that a culture that only uses certain technologies selectively would rely heavily on the land to provide. The Amish have traditions that are considered strange to many people, in addition to the lack of technology. The baptized members of the Amish church marry other baptized members of the church. This does not mean necessarily that cousins marry cousins. While this does happen, some Amish women may choose to leave one community for another. This is often done because the men inherit the family land. The men inherit the land because the Amish culture is a patriarchal culture. The marraiges are not arranged but the parents must give approval. Right before the marriage, the couple is â€Å"announced† and the preparations for the wedding begin. After the wedding, the man will start to grow out his beard to signify his marital status. Another well known tradition is the Amish barn raising. A barn raising is a gathering of men in the community to build a barn for a fellow member of the community. It is used as a way to not only accomplish a task but to also socialize. The Amish community is known for their desire to help one another and reinforce the sense of community. The barn raising is known as a â€Å"frolic† in the Amish culture. There are many men assisting in the building. In addition, the families know that in the future, if there is ever a time they need assistance with something, the community will be there to help. Frolics are not only reserved for the men. The women in the community get together for quilting, shucking, or canning. The traditions and core beliefs were founded in Europe by Jacob Amman based on the writings of Menno Simons, the founder of the Mennonite movement. These beliefs are held fast by every member of the Amish community. The basic religious beliefs are Christian in nature, such as a belief in Heaven and Hell. The Amish believe, however, that salvation is not guaranteed. Upon death, God weighs the deeds and life of the person to determine their worthiness for Heaven. Baptism is done when an adult in the Amish community decides to give themselves wholly to the church. It is symbolic of their commitment. â€Å"Amish youth decide if they want to join the church in their late teens and early twenties, and if they choose to be baptized, they submit themselves to the order of the church for the rest of their lives. In doing so, candidates make a confession of faith and agree to comply with the order of the Amish community, or the Ordnung, an unwritten tradition that spells out expected behaviors and regulations. Church members who break the commitment and refuse to repent and confess their sins are excommunicated and â€Å"shunned. † The Pennsylvania Amish try to persuade the wayward to cooperate with the church, but those who continue to be disobedient must be banned from fellowship in order to maintain the purity of the church. The shunned are prohibited from engaging in any social interaction, cut off from all close friends and associates. Shunning happens infrequently, although it serves as an effective form of social control for the Amish that preserves their spiritual purity. † (http://www. padutchcountry. om/towns-and-heritage/amish-country/amish-religious-traditions. asp) The youth in the Amish communities make this decision by participating in Rumspringa. This translates to running around. Around the age of sixteen, the Amish adolescent participates in activities that are not allowed by a baptized member of the church. These are typical â€Å"English† behaviors s uch as drinking alcohol, wearing â€Å"English† clothing, and not have a requirement to attend the church. Not all youths choose to have a Rumspringa. Some, on the other hand, choose to leave the community for the year and experience life outside of the community. Most return to the Amish culture and devote their lives to the Amish way. Most Americans would not be able to live without the modern conveniences to which they grown accustomed. The Amish are simply fascinating with their plain living and culture rich with tradition. Though they do not have all of the technology that we take for granted, they live richer lives than many non-Amish people. because gender relations are accepted amongst others in the community, they have strong beliefs, traditions and values, and kinship is important. References Hurst, C. E. , & McConnell, D. L. (2010). Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies : Amish paradox : Diversity and change in the world's largest amish community. Baltimore, MD, USA: Johns Hopkins University Press. Kraybill, Donald B.. â€Å"Amish. † Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. 2000. Retrieved November 28, 2011 from Encyclopedia. com: http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-3405800016. html Kraybill, D. B. (2001). Riddle of amish culture (revised edition). Baltimore, MD, USA: Johns Hopkins University Press. Mackall, J. (2008). Plain secrets : An outsider among the amish. Boston, MA, USA: Beacon Press.

Odysseus †admirable character Essay

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, son of Laertis and Anticleia. He is a hero from the Trojan War and becomes famous for his intelligence and cunning mind – he is the one to make up the Trojan horse. So far Odysseus seems to be incredible, resourceful and even godlike, but â€Å"The Odyssey† presents him in new light, reveals his true character and shows both – his good and his bad side. Truly, Odysseus is among the greatest Greek heroes, together with Heracles and Achilles. The similarity between three of them is that they are supported by at least one god. Athene is the one who likes the king of Ithaca; she calls him â€Å"admirable King†, who ruled â€Å"like a loving father. The goddess of wisdom always helps her favorite disguised as daughter of ship’s captain or just little girl. That is why Odysseus â€Å"looks godlike†, â€Å"enveloped in mist† or â€Å"invincible†, surrounded by magic. However, not all of the gods like Odysseus. Poseidon, the sea god, tries to prevent him from going back to Ithaca – â€Å"he roused the stormy blasts of every wind†. No human being would sustain the god’s anger, but Odysseus overcomes the storm. Poseidon sends him â€Å"mountainous† waves and â€Å"tremendous gust†; the power of the god overflows the Trojan hero who is just about to die when Ino, The White Goddess takes pity on him. At the end Poseidon is made to give up and Odysseus is the winner of their fight. Odysseus has both internal and external qualities. He is described as â€Å"courteous† in Book 6 when he begs for help first Nausicaa and later her mother – Arete. Despite being overtired, hungry and powerless Odysseus does not forget his good manners – â€Å"I should be ashamed to stand naked†, â€Å"it would be better to keep distance†. Courteousness is quality common for heroes, kings and noble men especially in similar circumstances. Being 7 years on Ogygia most people would look rude and arrogant, but not the king of Ithaca. Furthermore Odysseus is â€Å"looks like the gods who live in heaven†, he is â€Å"handsome† and â€Å"admirable†. Nausicaa is immediately attracted by â€Å"the stranger’s† appearance – â€Å"I wish I could have a man like him for my husband†. It is not the first time a woman wants to marry him – he has just got rid of the Nymph Calypso. But Odysseus remains faithful to his wife Penelope and keeps her in his thoughts, a testament for their strong relation. He is ready to endure anything to reach Ithaca – â€Å"It’s my never-failing wish† – and to hug his wife and son, a proof for his loyalty towards his family and people. Odysseus is not only well-mannered and handsome but strong and skillful, as well. Firstly, he makes a raft by himself on Ogygia and secondly he throws the biggest discus at enormous distance. The Phaeacians are amazed by his power and strength; no one dares to challenge him in any kind of sport. That is the place where Odysseus’ supremacy is shown. He is not only incredible but he totally dominates over all Phaeacians – something common for hero or even god. Finally Odysseus is an amazing orator – he is not just good, but he deceives and attracts people with his words. In Book 6, 7 and 8 there are some moments when everybody â€Å"stood still and silent† after Odysseus has finished speaking. Firstly, he knows how to draw attention and make compliments – e. g. Book 6 the meeting with Nausicaa – â€Å"Are you some goddess or a mortal woman? † â€Å"It is Artemis†¦ your beauty reminds me. † Secondly, Odysseus is very good at begging, he knows the right way for everything – e. g. the meeting with Arete and Alcinous in Book 7 – â€Å"They all applaud his speech and agreed the stranger should be escorted home. † Thirdly, Odysseus is persuasive and makes people like him – Alcinous is ready to give him â€Å"a house and riches† if he marries Nausicaa. Lastly, he knows how to defend himself when he is challenged or offended – Book 8 Odysseus â€Å"talks sense†. On the other side in Books 5-8 Odysseus is often described as weak and not perfect at all. The first time when we meet him in Book 5 he is â€Å"sitting disconsolate †¦ with steaming eyes†. So despite being a hero and a tough man he weeps and he misses home, wife and son. He seems heart-broken and lost far from his people and emotionally weak. When Calypso informs him that he is to leave Ogygia, Odysseus can’t believe – he feels a mixture of excitement and desperation, showing his broken spirit. Later Odysseus overcomes the battle with Poseidon, but on the other side Ino helps him to do so. Indeed when the wave crashes down on him his â€Å"knees shook and his spirit failed†. It seems that his death is inevitable and Odysseus almost â€Å"give up†. He wishes really strong to have â€Å"met his fate† in the Trojan War. That is not the way one king and hero should think – Odysseus lacks braveness and toughness. The storm is not the only place where Odysseus is helped by a god. Actually, most of the time Athene organizes the things to happen the right way. It seems as Odysseus doesn’t need to do anything – he just should sit and wait for something to happen – e. g. â€Å"At this they all gave a shriek. † Then Odysseus awakes and sees the Nausicaa sent by the disguised Athene. The real hero always makes the decisions by himself and acts bravely. This behavior continues in the Palace of Alcinous. Firstly, his heart is â€Å"filled with emotions†. Secondly, Odysseus looks pathetic – he begs and kneels. It is normal for stranger to do so, but Odysseus is the most famous hero from the Trojan War and King of Ithaca. At first he does not behave as a noble man, but this changes quickly. Odysseus starts to speak more and more bravely and in Book 8 he seems rather arrogant and bold – â€Å"I claim to be by far the best† and he is ready â€Å"to compete with the men of the past† like Heracles. The change is quite sudden – it happens once Odysseus has assured himself a bed and food. To sum up, Odysseus has a lot of admirable qualities – he is clever, strong, handsome, courteous and a good orator. However, he is not a god but rather a mortal man. That is why sometimes he looks sad, weak and arrogant. What makes him hero is that he overcomes his negative characteristics (sometimes with Athene’s help) and continues his struggle to reach home – â€Å"It’s my never failing wish†.