Commentary on Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owens Essay

The sonnet â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† by Wilfred Owen explores the horrific and tragic conditions of the deaths of World War I soldiers on the Western front. By contrasting the soldiers’ deaths with the customary Christian funeral ceremonies, Owen comments on the dark irony that the young men who gave their lives to serve â€Å"God and their country† were denied the respectful yet superficial rituals that the religious society value so much. The title of the poem well expresses the sentiments Owen conveys throughout the sonnet. The use of the term â€Å"anthem†, which is usually refers to a joyous and often religious song of praise, is in this case referring to the widely held view that fighting for one’s country is joyous and honorable. This anthem, however, is for â€Å"Doomed Youth†, and there is a dark irony that this widely held sense of pride and nationalism about war actually results in futility and death. Owen chooses to describe the young soldiers as â€Å"doomed† because they are destined for death as soon as they enter the army, because of the futility of the strategies used in this war. The soldiers are also referred to as â€Å"youth† to emphasize their innocence and create the image of healthy, fit young men dying for nothing, which arouses pity in the reader. The first stanza is an octave that describes the horrifically violent conditions of these young soldiers’ deaths by contrasting and juxtaposing auditory imagery of the battlefield as the soldiers die with descriptions of customary funeral ceremonies. The first line is a rhetorical question, which forces the reader to truly ponder all that the soldiers lack in terms of acknowledgment and ceremonies of death, and this encouragement to think is further enhanced by the hyphen in the beginning of the second line, which forces the reader to pause. Owen emphasizes the shocking nature of the soldiers’ world, the war, by saying that the soldiers â€Å"die as cattle†, which conveys the manner in which these young men are slaughtered inhumanely as if they are worthless and are treated as if they have no identity. Instead of â€Å"passing-bells†, which is society’s way of acknowledging a death, these soldiers receive the â€Å"only the monstrous anger of the guns†, which indicates that their death goes unnoticed as if they were just cattle. Furthermore, Owen comments on all the rituals and customs that the soldiers fail to receive. The personification of the guns as being â€Å"angry† contrasts to the solemn sorrow the soldiers should have received upon their death. The repetition of â€Å"only† in lines 2 and 3 emphasizes all that the soldiers lack, as we are then told that instead of funeral prayers, the soldiers instead hear the â€Å"stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle†; the alliteration echoes the gunfire and the onomatopoeia allows the reader to hear the harshness and irregular but constant sounds of the guns. By implying that these guns â€Å"patter out their hasty orisons†, Owen points out the irony that these men who have gone to war for God are being killed and must have â€Å"orisons† muttered for them by the deadly machines that are responsible for their death. The â€Å"orisons† are described as â€Å"hasty†, which indicates the rapid pace of the war and the fact that these soldiers have little time to live. Furthermore, instead of church choirs, the soldiers hear the â€Å"shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells†, which seems to suggest a demonic sound, perhaps implying that the soldiers receive no peace even after death. The personification of the shells as â€Å"wailing† is ironic because the weapons that killed the soldiers sound as if they are mourning for them. Further down the stanza, Owen subtly criticizes the Christian religion and its ceremonies as he describes the funeral customs as â€Å"mockeries†. This term suggests the irony in the fact that these soldiers, who have given their lives for God and their country, are not able to enjoy these ceremonies that acknowledge their death, even though they may be the ones that most deserve them. The last line of the first stanza foreshadows the coming volta as it shifts the focus from the conditions of death in war to the sadness that the deaths in the war brings to those who knew the soldiers. The sound of the gentle and beautiful â€Å"bugles calling† is a sharp contrast from the violent noises of the war but the mention of the â€Å"sad shires† seems to imply that this sad calling is coming from anonymous â€Å"shires† far away. The sad, and less violent tone of the last line of the octave is carried onto the second paragraph, in which the tone becomes contemplative and sorrowful. There is a volta as the focus shifts from the violence of the war to the sober yet sincere way in which these young men die at war, with no elaborate customs but with pure, untainted emotion. Owen begins this stanza with another rhetorical question: â€Å"What candles may be held to speed them all?† The term â€Å"speed them all† seems to refer to the passage to heaven, and thus we are made to wonder: without candles or ceremony, will the soldiers be able to find their way to heaven, or will they haunt the battle grounds forever? In the following lines Owen gives us the heartrending but optimistic answer that indicates that although the soldiers are neglected of the traditional funeral ceremonies, nature itself and those who love them give them a metaphorical ceremony that is much more sincere and pure. Therefore, although the candles are not in their hands, they are in â€Å"their eyes†. This metaphor gives the image of sparkling, glittering eyes, as if the soldier’s eyes were brimmed with tears as he died. This pure emotion of sorrow of â€Å"goodbyes† is suggested to be purer and more sincere than artificial and elaborate ceremonies through the use of positive words such as â€Å"shine†, â€Å"glimmer† and â€Å"holy†. Owen suggests that through pure emotions, the soldiers have their own special kind of funeral as the â€Å"pallor of girls brows shall be their pall†, which conveys how the sadness of their loved ones acts as their funeral covering. This substitution of emotions for the ceremonial objects continues in line 13, when the â€Å"tenderness of patient minds† metaphorically become these soldiers’ flowers. The last line of the poem is very powerful as it concludes the poem by showing how the deaths of the soldiers are being acknowledged in a way far superior to the religious ceremonies. Owen depicts the way in which instead of having the â€Å"drawing-down of blinds†, that is a traditional act of acknowledging their death, all of nature is metaphorically drawing the blinds by slowly becoming dark in a â€Å"slow dusk†. The adjective â€Å"slow† conveys the respect that all of nature is paying to these brave men, even as society forgets about them. Ultimately, Owen takes the reader through an incredible journey in this short but deep sonnet. He conveys the the horrors of war and depicts all the religious ceremony that these soldiers are ironically denied off. However, towards the end of the poem, Owen brings us to realize the strength of the emotions and sorrow of those who loved these youth as their raw feelings became the soldiers’ funeral. Although the poem is bleak and dark throughout, the last stanza is poignant and heartrending as we realize that emotions and love are stronger and more important than any customs or traditions.

Naked Economics

The Power of Markets Meandering introduction to markets, utility, market price, etc. Lots of bald statements and glib stories with no evidence or references. 2: Incentive Matter More stories, this time about incentives. Why they matter and why it is hard to fix markets that have bad outcomes because of bad incentive structures. He repeats Steven Levity's story about real estate brokers. On p. 33 (bottom) â€Å"Economics teaches us how to get incentive right. † but the whole chapter is stories about how attempts to change incentives have failed. Government and the Economy Discussion of externalities and how governments can compensate for them. Also the role of government in ensuring fair markets, enforcing property rights, enforcing contracts, regulation, etc. Governments provide â€Å"public goods†. 4: Government and the Economy II The bad side of government. Some good points but mostly stories that don't prove anything. Lots of glib platitudes, like the USPS is way mor e inefficient than UPS or Fed. Some interesting points about regulation and taxes. 5: Economics of InformationSome good points about adverse selection and issues with incentives. Discussion of the economic problems with health care. Good discussions of brands and profiling. 6: Productivity and Human Capital Good discussions of the importance of education and why talented people are paid more. Discussion of productivity, some confused parts. Discussion of income/wealth inequality. 7: Financial Markets Good but shallow discussion of financial markets. 8: The Power of Organized Interests 9: Keeping Score Good Joke on p. 149.Business cycle, growth, GAP. A bit about Keynes. Fiscal and monetary policy. 10: The Federal Reserve Reasonable discussion of the Fed, inflation, and deflation. 1 1: Trade and Globalization Reasonable but shallow discussion of trade, globalization, etc. He repeats conventional wisdom and doesn't get into any of the hard issues. Very weak discussion of comparative ad vantage, which is central. 12: Developmental Economics Generally good discussion of what it takes to develop a country. Epilogue: Life in 2050 Some good questions.

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay Example for Free

Beethoven Pastoral Symphony Essay Beethoven was one of the pivotal composers that helped music evolve from the Classical period into the age of Romanticism. When discussing Beethoven’s success in classical compositions, his symphonies are at the forefront of most if not every conversation. However, even within the topic of his symphonies, some are naturally highlighted more than others. For example, one could reproduce the melody from either the opening movement of the Fifth or the finale of the Ninth and a majority of people would be able to recognize them. While these two works were revolutionary in the progression of symphonic music, they were not the only ones to have played important roles in this sense. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is a pivotal work in the expansion of music with programmatic characteristics. However, this symphony is one that sways between the realms of absolute and program music, for it can be identified with both categories of symphonic music. While it is highly unlikely that Beethoven viewed this composition as a truly programmatic piece, the Sixth Symphony has played an important role in the development of the symphony as a genre and influenced future composers of program music as well. In order to discuss the significance of the Pastoral Symphony, one must first shed light on the difference of program music from that of absolute music. Author R. W. S. Mendl describes absolute music as being â€Å"that which gives us pleasure by the sheer delight in sound patterns without having any emotional, pictorial, or literary references† and claims that music with programmatic content â€Å"attempt[s] to represent scenes, objects, or events which exist apart from music.† It is hard to gauge the amount of programmatic works prior to the Pastoral Symphony, simply due to the fact that the term â€Å"program music† was not used as a defining category of music at the time of their release. An estimated eighth of all symphonic works that were presented before Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony were composed with the intent of conveying particular images or scenes. It would seem that with such a small percentage of varying works that were composed to contain prog rammatic ideas, labeling these works with a universal genre proved to be somewhat difficult. With the expansion of this style of writing, naturally the encompassing term â€Å"program music† would become associated with such pieces. Around the time of Beethoven’s composing, music was undergoing a shift from the Classical period into an age of Romanticism. Compositions were expanding in numerous ways regarding form, orchestration, and harmonies that were being implemented. Beethoven has been called â€Å"the innovator who broke through the limitations of Classicism without abandoning them.† This is truly evident through his symphonic writing. While on the cusp of the Romantic era, it became evident to him that the stature of absolute music was on the rise. Lewis Lockwood states that from a compositional aspect, Beethoven looked down upon ‘program music’ for its seemingly shallow representation of actual sounds and lack of originality. In response to this rising style of music, he composed the Pastoral Symphony with the intent of merging illus trative ideas of programmatic music with the structure of absolute music. Beethoven successfully achieved a blend of programmatic and absolute ideas with this symphony, in order to create an overall pastoral feeling of nature rather than depict any specific image. While the symphony and its five movements are labeled with titles that were created by Beethoven himself, he believed that the overall pastoral idea of this work could be perceived by the audience without a description that would usually be necessary with a complete program piece. It is this idea that helped Beethoven create the title as it can be viewed on early sketches, â€Å"Pastoral Symphony or Memories of Country Life: More the Expression of Feeling than Tone-Painting.† It would appear that Beethoven intended to create a general mood that expresses the idea of nature rather than rely on specific images or one precise story to achieve this. Despite Beethoven’s general feelings towards program music and his conscious efforts to claim that the Sixth Symphony was more a collection of overall feelings rather than an attempt at creating one specific image, this piece is neither absolute or programmatic music but a blend of the two styles. The first point in this argument would be the fact that Beethoven attached titles to each of the five movements within this symphony that depict certain scenes associated with pastoral ideas. The headings for the movements are as follow: ‘Pleasant feelings which are awakened in mankind on arrival in the country’, ‘Scene by the brook’, ‘Joyful fellowship of country folk’, ‘Thunder and Storm’, and ‘Beneficent feeling after the storm joined with thanks to the deity’. The mere fact that this symphony is the only one of his nine to contain subtitles attached to each movement that describe a scene of nature favors the thought of the symphony being more programmatic than absolute. However, if one were to look past the movement headings and take into consideration the content of the music, one would observe that the first two movements contain very little defined imagery. From an analytical perspective of the form, the first ha lf of the symphony is rather conventional and resembles the absolute approach to music. These movements hold true to the subheading for the symphony in regards to creating overall feelings rather than one precise painting or story. While there are compositional devices used to help convey the pastoral feeling within the first half of the symphony, it is not until the end of the second movement that Beethoven truly utilizes extra musical associations to convey imagery. This andante movement entitled ‘Scene by the brook’ ends with the flute, oboe, and clarinet engaged in a coda while imitating birdcalls. The composer himself labeled these three woodwind voices as a nightingale, a quail, and a cuckoo, respectively. These birdcalls have led to several debates, discussions, and even complete articles that attempt to analyze the true meaning of their existence in the piece. No matter how they are interpreted, one fact remains still. The birdcalls act as segues from the symphonic first half to the more programmatic portion of the piece. The second half of the Sixth Symphony ventures away from conventional symphonic composing techniques found in the first two movements and includes more programmatic material. A strong indication of programmatic material resides within the later half of the symphony, where Beethoven includes several pastoral elements to enhance the musical imagery. The third movement consists of excited melodies in a compound-meter stylized scherzo representing country-dances. There are several points within this movement that have a drone in the bass that has been viewed as a depiction of bagpipes, an instrument that was frequently associated with the representation of pastoral ideas. This jovial dance-like movement transitions into the fourth movement, which resembles a storm. The storm is â€Å"clearly an example of tone-painting† with its explosive minor chords that represent thunder and lightning and the constant patter of rain in the strings’ lines. Another significant feature added to the symphony that aids the pastoral image is the use of a ranz des vaches in the final movement. The ranz des vaches was an alpine horn call that herdsmen used to summon cattle. Author, David Wyn Jones notes in his book that â€Å"common features of ranz des vaches melodies are: triadic motion, dotted 6/8 meter†¦frequent use of grace notes, all harmonized mainly by the tonic triad.† While looking at the horn call that Beethoven uses within his symphony, one would notice that it meets all of the criteria that Jones listed. The imagery associated with the Pastoral Symphony depicts scenes from nature, which was a subject close to Beethoven’s heart. Through journal entries and letters, one can deduce Beethoven’s love for nature. The following is a letter to Austrian musician and friend, Therese Malfatti in 1810 that depicts his feelings about the outdoors: How fortunate you are to have been able to go to the country so early in the year! Not before the 8th shall I be able to enjoy this delight: I look forward to it with childish anticipation. How glad I shall be to wander about amidst shrubs, forests, trees, herbs and rocks! No man can love the country as I do. For it is forests, trees and rocks that provide men with the resonance they desire. Through this letter and several other firsthand records, one can clearly see Beethoven’s infatuation for the outdoors and the justifiable reason to compose a piece that commemorates this love. It makes sense that the first large-scale work that includes extensive amounts of imagery would reflect the thing that he admired most. Along with the simple beauty of nature, there were other factors that influenced Beethoven while writing his Sixth Symphony. The inclusion of nature and rustic ideas within music was not uncommon to composers prior to Beethoven. Pastoral subjects could be found in several theatrical presentations, operas, and intermezzo from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. One notable work that inspired the development of the Pastoral Symphony was an oratorio written by Franz Joseph Haydn, his teacher and mentor early on in his composing career. Haydn’s oratorio, The Seasons, had an impact on Beethoven while he wrote his Sixth Symphony. Haydn incorporates arpeggiated horn calls in the aria â€Å"Der muntre Hirt† that begin â€Å"a sequence of summer scenes that will [eventually lead] to the storm† later in the oratorio. Similarly, Beethoven opens the fifth and final movement of his symphony with an arpeggiated melody in the French horns that subsequently signify the end of the storm that took place in the previous movement. Another example of musical quotation that Beethoven purposely incorporated is an oboe melody that â€Å"has long been understood as a quotation from Bach’s chorale ‘Birch an, o Schà ¶nes Morgenlicht,’ from the second part of the Christmas Oratorio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is worth mentioning that prior to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, there had been other symphonic works to contain sections that resemble thunderstorms. Several commentaries on the Pastoral and its development discuss the 18th century German composer, Justin Heinrich Knecht and his piece entitled La Portrait musical de la nature. This work seems to contain similar programmatic ideas as that of Beethoven’s symphony, including a thunderstorm that interrupts the overall peaceful feeling of nature that resumes after the storm. In addition to preceding compositions that influenced Beethoven’s writings, there has been the suggestion for the possible influence from the literary writings of Scottish poet James Thomson, mostly that of his well known poems collectively titled â€Å"The Seasons†. While there is no concrete evidence that Beethoven took inspiration from this poem, some scholars feel that the poem possibly had an underlying effect on the outcome of the Pastoral Symphony. The text of the poem discusses nature, progressing through the four seasons starting with spring and ending with winter. The poem was translated to German in 1745 and served as a basis for Haydn’s oratorio that shares the same name. As discussed earlier, Beethoven drew inspiration from Haydn’s oratorio, so it would seem that he was indirectly influenced from the poetry of James Thomson for this reason even if he had no connection to the actual literature itself. So far there have been factors that support both sides of the argument in trying to define the Pastoral Symphony as either a work of absolute music, or one depicting tone painting. The mere fact that the piece contains an appropriate amount of material that justifies both categories, one should agree that this work could be viewed as the perfect synthesis of the two sides of the symphonic spectrum. The next step in understanding the influence that the Pastoral Symphony had on future composers of both absolute and programmatic works would naturally be to look at the general reception of the premiere of this piece. The Sixth Symphony received its first public performance on December 22nd, 1808 along with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Beethoven worked on these two symphonies simultaneously in the years leading up to this concert. At this time however, the symphonies were labeled opposite of what they are viewed as today, which means that the Pastoral was written and performed as Beethoven’s fifth symphony, while the C-minor was viewed as his sixth. Over the course of time it would seem as though the Fifth Symphony has overpowered the Pastoral in the minds of audience members. While this may be true to some extent today, at the time, critics were singing praises to this wonderful portrayal of nature through melody and harmony. A review of the score in the musical journal of the time, Allgemeine musikalishce Zeitung, was typical in saying such things as â€Å"this work of Beethoven, wonderful, original, and full of life, which can be placed without hesitation besides his other masterworks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When comparing it to other compositions that focused on imagery of programmatic material, one critic claimed that â€Å"none of the musical paintings known until now can withstand comparison†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Overall, the piece was welcomed positively and viewed as a representation for composers who desired to use programmatic features. Some of the compositional styles that would soon develop through the Romantic period can trace influence from Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony. When discussing compositions that drew inspiration from the Pastoral Symphony, one should mention Hector Berlioz’s programmatic work, Symphonie Fantastique. As a composer, Berlioz was an advocate for music with more programmatic tendencies and was viewed as a radical composer during his time. At one point in his career, Berlioz wrote critical reviews of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. When discussing the Sixth, he used descriptions such as, â€Å"delightful phrases [that] greet you, like the perfumed morning breeze† as well as â€Å"swarms of chattering birds in flight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With such joyous descriptions that Berlioz gave, it comes as no surprise that he would find inspiration from this piece for his own writing. Author, Owen Jander views the second movement in Beethoven’s symphony entitled â€Å"Scene by t he Brook† as an obvious â€Å"point of departure for the ‘Scene in the Meadows’ in Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique†. As mentioned earlier, Beethoven’s second movement has been the topic of several discussions concerning the Sixth Symphony, specifically, the imitation of birdcalls that can be found at the close of the movement. Jander believes the calls to symbolize Beethoven’s acceptance of his growing deafness and his own fate. If one is to agree with this interpretation, then the connection to Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique becomes one that is easy to accept. Berlioz’s third movement, entitled â€Å"Scene in the Meadows† opens with the English horn and the oboe representing two shepherds that are calling to one another. At the end of the movement, one of the â€Å"shepherds† return once more but is not joined by the other, but is instead replaced by the distant roll of thunder heard in the timpani. Those familiar with the piece and its program know that the concluding two movements that follow represent a personal hell and damnation for the protagonist. The connection between both that of Beethoven’s and Berlioz’s works would be the idea that both composers are aware of their own fate and accept it through the illustration of music. Another composer that was potentially influenced by the Pastoral Symphony was that of the German opera composer, Richard Wagner. As just discussed, it would seem that the second movement of Beethoven’s work is to represent the â€Å"realization of one’s destiny through nature†. In Wagner’s opera, Siegfried, there are scenes within the second act that take place in the forest. In which, the main character, Siegfried learns of his destiny from the ability to understand a forest bird. This situation is the exact opposite from that of Beethoven’s, where the composer realizes his destiny through the discovery that he can no longer hear. Two compositions that were separated by nearly one hundred years, both contain similar imagery that represents a person’s realization and acceptance of their destiny through nature. The chances of this being a coincidence seem rather unlikely. To say that that Beethoven’s Pastoral inspired Wagner’s us e of nature within this opera would be a fair conclusion. When discussing Beethoven, the Sixth Symphony may not be a piece that comes to mind right away; one might rather recall themes from other symphonies by him. However, the importance of this piece in the evolution of the symphony as a genre is too important to go overlooked. The mere fact that out of the nine symphonies that Beethoven wrote, the Sixth was the only one to receive a programmatic title and descriptive scenes attached to the movements is an indication at the significance of this work. It may not have directly influenced several composers in the years that followed as far as content is concerned, but Beethoven’s ability to combine aspects of program music with the absoluteness of a symphony opened the door to possibilities for future composers on both sides of the spectrum. Beethoven Pastoral Symphony. (2016, Dec 08).

SWAT Team Exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SWAT Team Exercise - Assignment Example Keywords: satellite, maps, SWAT, Google, information, law, features. SWAT Team Exercise Part I: Assessment Figure 1: Satellite Map of the Target Residence 1. How many stories does the residence have? The residence appears to have one story. 2. What direction is the residence facing? B. North 3. Are there any residence located near the target location? A. Yes Describe the residences In figure 1, the first residence appears to be a two-story residence located east of the target location and it has white walls with a grey roof top. It has the main Forest Road passing in front of its large compound that has no fence, but at its backyard, it has trees surrounding it. The residence has no vehicles in its compound. In figure 1, the second residence is a one-story residence that has a football pitch size field with a commercial garage located south of the target location. There are vehicles including trucks, pick-ups and saloon cars at what appears to be a garage. There is a narrow access ro ad to this garage from left that leads to the main Forest Road. In figure 1, the third residence is a one-story residence located northwest of the target location near the main Forest Road. It has no fence, but has scattered dry trees everywhere in the compound. The color of the roof of the house is dark grey with black shadings. The residence has no vehicles in its compound. In figure 1, the fourth residence is located southwest of the target location. The residence has no fence, but has dry trees with a distinct green tree in its compound just beside the main residence. The residence is small with a grey roof. Beside the residence on its left there is a small house that looks like it is under construction with a white car besides it. Beside the residence on its right there is a blue structure bordering the target location. 4. Where are these residence located? E. In figure 1, there are four residential houses. One residence is located northwest of the target location bordering the main Forest Road, while the other residence is located southwest of the target location bordering the main Forest Road. The other residence is located east of the target location bordering the main Forest Road. The last residence is located south of the target location with narrow access road. 5. Does the residence have a fenced backyard? A. Yes 6. Are there any odd or unique entities about the backyard worth noting? (Example are swimming pool, a lot of trash in the yard, vehicles in the yard). In figure 1, the targeted residence has entities in the backyard worth noting. These are described as follow. In front of the garage, there is a red car parked in the driveway in front of a black car. Right of the red car about one meter, there appears to be a small green garden mower. Behind the black car, there appears to be a garage which is in close proximity with the servant’s quarter to its right. On the right of the servant’s quarters, there is a small garden with a whit e fence. About two meters from the servant’s quarter to the right, there is what appears to look like a dog’s kernel. Further to the right about three meters, there appears to be a slightly bigger garden. In the middle of the compound at the backyard, there is a circular concrete structure with about three small monuments. Part II: Narrative Introduction Crime analysis and mapping in law

A Region in Europe Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

A Region in Europe - Term Paper Example 2. Location 3. 3. Sicily’s Physical Geography Sicily is famous for its unique geographical features such as its topography, rivers, climate and vegetation that distinguish it from any other European region. 3.1. Topography and Landscape Figure 3 – Contrasting Landscapes in Sicily 3.2. Rivers and Catchments The longest river in Sicily is the Salso. Its tributaries start in the Madonie Mountains in Central Sicily, and flow southwards through the providences of Enna and Caltanissetta into the Mediterranean near the sea port of Licata. It’s Sicily’s longest river at 89 miles, and its drainage basin covers an area of 819? miles (Wikipedia: Salso, 2010). Sicily’s rivers are usually fast flowing with irregular volumes of water. Flash flooding in the winter months contrasts with the drying up of rivers in summer. Figure 5 – The River Salso Other notable rivers include the Simeto, Sicily’s second longest river at 68 miles, which channels waters from the Caltagirone, Gornalunga and Dittaino catchments (Wikipedia: Simeto, 2010). It flows into the Ionian Sea, on Sicily’s eastern coastline, south of the populated region of Catania. It’s regarded as Sicily’s most important river in terms of its watershed and the number of people who rely on it for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses. 3.3. Sicily’s Climate Sicily’s weather is dominated by its Mediterranean climate, consisting of hot dry summers and mild wet winters. The city of Catania is the ‘sunniest’ place in Europe, with 2492 hours of sunshine per year (6.8 per day) (Peter Sommer Travels). 3.3.1. Temperature June to September are Sicily’s hottest months, were temperatures regularly exceed 25Â °c (World Reviewer). Sicily’s coolest months are December to February were temperatures range from 10Â °c-16Â °c (Peter Sommer Travels). Despite Sicily’s small geographical size, there are also climatic diff erences between locations of the island, ranging from an annual average of 19Â °c on the coastline, to 13Â °c in mountainous regions (Sicily: Italian Marina). Figure 6 – Sicily’s Average Annual Air Temperatures (Cited from Worldreviewer.com) 3.3.2. Precipitation Sicily has an annual mean precipitation rate of 24 inches (611mm), in which 75% of rainfall occurs from October-March. Less than an inches worth of rain falls between June – August (World Reviewer). Figure 7 also highlights that Sicily’s rainfall is not evenly distributed, and low lying ground such as the plains of Catania receive far less rainfall than mountainous regions. Figure 7 – Precipitation Rates in Sicily (Cited from BestofSicily.com) 3.3.3. Sea Temperatures As an island, the temperature of the sea surrounding Sicily has a bigger effect on its climate than inland regions in mainland Europe. Sicily’s average sea temperatures are hottest during the summer (24Â °c) and coole st from January-March (14Â °c) (Peter Sommer Travels). 3.3.4. Vegetation Sicily’s temperate Mediterranean climate has played a major role in determining its vegetation. The typical evergreen Mediterranean shrub is widespread in coastal areas and much of Sicily’s wild vegetation consists of papyrus, palm trees and stone pines. Numerous trees, shrubs and flowers are native to Sicily, including wild olive trees and manna ash (a medium size deciduous tree, which contains a sugary extract in its bark used as a natural sweetener). Citrus and fruit orchards, grape vines and

Crime and persistence of drugs in American Society Essay

Crime and persistence of drugs in American Society - Essay Example Criminologists supporting the conflict tradition argue that the inevitable process of capitalism is the main cause of crime. That is to say, disputes emerge between those who embrace the society in a pluralistic view and those who do not. Pluralists believe that groups in the society exercise power with an objective of furthering their own influence and power within that society. These criminologists, or conservative conflict theorists, argue that difference in economic status, and culture or the struggle in ideology, morality, status, race, ethnicity, or religion are the sources of crime. These theorists believe that such groups that gain allegiance to the mainstream culture obtain control of the necessary resources that allow them to criminalize those conflicting individuals who do not observe the same cultural values and moral code. According to Siegel, therefore, crime has its root in the instrumental or symbolic conflicts that occur at different sites of a fragmented society. Cr itical theories concerning crime base their arguments on group difference on the larger social environment; some highlight class difference, others gender difference, and others societal difference. In this regard therefore, there are different critical arguments and theories on crime, but all focus on group difference in power. The theories include Marxist theory, institution anomie theory, and feminism theory. The capitalist class (those who have means of production like businesses and factories) advocate for laws that criminalize and prohibit low-class street crimes, but merely restrict or prohibit some harmful actions resulting from their factories and business. ... The theories include Marxist theory, institution anomie theory, and feminism theory. According to Marxist theory, the capitalist class (those who have means of production like businesses and factories) advocate for laws that criminalize and prohibit low-class street crimes, but merely restrict or prohibit some harmful actions resulting from their factories and business (Siegel 2011). These individuals use power to their advantage, and their main aim is to make profits. The theory on institutional anomie borrows from social learning and control theories to argue that the high rates of crime in the US result from the emphasis on the â€Å"American Dream†. People are encouraged to achieve success in monetary terms, but with no emphasis on the legitimate means of obtaining such success. Lastly, the feminist theories base its argument on crime because of gender difference in power. They try to explain why men engage in most forms of crime in comparison to women. Structural argument s on crime try to use a structural methodology in developing theoretical perspectives on delinquency and crime. Theorists supporting this approach focus on the study of social structures with emphasis of power relations between groups or individuals. The common approach in the study of these social structures is the concern of vertical, hierarchical relations among the members of the society (Siegel, 2011). The structural approach to criminology embraces the study of power relations as the centre of criminology research. In essence, the approach studies both power relations to criminal behavior and other people’s reactions to criminal behavior. The main theory in structural criminology arguments is the power-control theory. According to the

Nursing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Nursing research - Essay Example In this regard, this process of dissemination will include submission of an abstract to the members of the audience three days prior to the presentation in order to give them an opportunity to scrutinize the contents of the presentation before the actual presentation. In effect, providing the audience with an overview of the presentation will be effective in providing them with an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation. My workplace setting relies on the process of a combination of publications and posters to disseminate a solution. I find these two processes ineffective since they fail to provide the target audience with an opportunity to scrutinize the solution and ask questions regarding the solution’s effectiveness in the workplace. On the other hand, it is evident that these two processes are not interpersonal in nature. In this regard, the two processes only inform an individual about a solution without providing the individual with the opportunity to scrutinize the solution, which makes the two processes

Supply Chain and Demand Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supply Chain and Demand Model - Essay Example Notably, the supply chain eliminates unsuitable suppliers and consumers that demean effective supply chain management. In a demand driven supply chain, consumers control the supply chain since the supply must provide everything that the consumer needs. Indeed, a demand-driven network forces the supply chain to produce new products at a speed defined by the demand model (Versloot, 2013). To enhance sustainable profits, an organization must ensure that its supply responds to demand. Since the supply chain is nonlinear, suppliers focus on the actual demand and purchase patterns as defined in the demand model (Versloot, 2013). Supply meets demand forecast in lead times. However, there is a need to adjust the supply at each level of the supply chain since actual demand is different from forecasted demand (Versloot, 2013). Notably, the relationship between supply chain and the supply and demand model determines the prices and quantities of products in the

Changes in marketing of beer Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Changes in marketing of beer - Assignment Example but now it is primarily made from barley (Hornsey, pg. 14). Hops are another ingredient which imparts a characteristic flavour to beer. Beer usually has a low level of alcohol (7-13%) compared to hard liquors like whiskey, gin or rum and is usually taken undiluted and in a chilled state which makes it convenient as well as easy to drink without the risk of high inebriation. This is the reason of its popularity hence making it a popular product both for the manufacturer as well as the consumer. During the 1950-60s the world was in a rebuilding process after the Second World War and countries in Europe were re-establishing their economic and business infrastructure. In fact the whole world was affected by the aftermaths of war and businesses including the brewery industries had not spread beyond the national boundaries. The United States of America was the only country where business had thrived up to some extent during the war. Hence most of the advertising campaigns seen for beer mostly come from that part of the world. Some of the popular advertisements were in the form of short television clips which correlated beer drinking with hard work (video.google.com). The video site shows a number of popular beer advertisements and jingles of that era. Most of the videos incorporate glamour, adventure, outdoor life and humour in the advertisements and eulogise the quality of different brands. Some of the popular brands of that era include Budweiser, Altoona, Old Tavern, Lone Sta r, Falstaff, C.I.O., Golden Gate, Coors, etc. (www.vintagedepotdirect.com). Product designs were though quite creative and impressive even in that era and showed a lot of ingenuity with liberal use of glamour which went into beer advertising. A lot of memorabilia like badges, crockery, souvenirs’, etc. were put up on sale which promoted particular brands and kept reminding the collectors about the qualities

Photography Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Photography - Coursework Example The image sensor featured in CMOS is smaller than the 22.3 mm Ãâ€" 11.49 mm area of the image in 35 mm full frame cameras (Guncheon 12), which results in a narrower view angle. The EOS 550D’s rear display is a 3-inch LCD widescreen and sports an aspect ratio display of 3:2. It has a standard definition 4:3 mode of aspect ratio that captures 640 Ãâ€" 480 pixel movies with fifty frames every second in PAL mode and 59.94 frames every second in NTSC mode (Guncheon 18). Moreover, shooting movies in VGA mode allows for an effective zoom of 7. With regards to exposure, the EOS 550D uses evaluating metering with more close to +/-5 values of exposure to choose from. This allows the camera to assess the position of the subject on the viewfinder and record the camera’s orientation, rear and front lighting conditions, and the general scene’s brightness. Based on this information, it will set the right exposure and adhere to the general 15-18% grey scale for white balance and metering (Guncheon 19). In general photography under natural light, this is the best setting because it is possible to tweak dark and light areas afterwards. The image output choices for this camera is RAW, JPEG, and RAW+JPEG and can capture thirty four fine/large JPEG or six RAW frames in a burst. The camera creates JPEG using 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion, which makes for better, and smoother color transition and 14-bit files to store RAW files (Guncheon 20). The camera also has various special features, including the inclusion of a stereo microphone jack and full HD movie recording (1080p) combined with exceptional still shooting. HDMI connection allows for HD playback of images and footage on HDTV, while one also has full control over shutter speeds and apertures (Guncheon 20). With regards to the camera lens being used, the Canon EF-S 18-55 mm IS, has an EF-S lens mount, and it is a mid to

A Farewell to Arms Summary and Critical Analysis Essay Example for Free

A Farewell to Arms Summary and Critical Analysis Essay Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in suburban Oak Park, IL, to Dr. Clarence and Grace Hemingway. Ernest was the second of six children to be raised in the quiet suburban town. His father was a physician, and both parents were devout Christians. Hemingway had an aptitude for physical challenge that engaged him through high school, where he both played football and boxed. Because of permanent eye damage contracted from numerous boxing matches, Hemingway was repeatedly rejected from service in World War I. Hemingway also edited his high school newspaper and reported for the Kansas City Star, adding a year to his age after graduating from high school in 1917. After this short stint, Hemingway finally was able to participate in World War I as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross. He was wounded on July 8, 1918, on the Italian front near Fossalta di Piave. During his convalescence in Milan, he had an affair with a nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. Hemingway received two decorations from the Italian government, and he joined the Italian infantry. Clarence Hemingway had been suffering from hypertension and diabetes. This painful experience is reflected in the pondering of Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls. In addition to personal experiences with war and death, Hemingways extensive travel in pursuit of hunting and other sports provided a great deal of material for his novels. Bullfighting inspired Death in the Afternoon, published in 1932. In 1934, Hemingway went on safari in Africa, which gave him new themes and scenes on which to base The Snows of Kilamanjaro and The Green Hills of Africa, published in 1935. In 1950 he published Across the River and Into the Trees, though it was not received with the usual critical acclaim. In 1952, however, Hemingway proved the comment Papa is finished wrong, in that The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. On July 2, 1961, he died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. He was buried in Ketchum. Papa was both a legendary celebrity and a sensitive writer, and his influence, as well as some unseen writings, survived his passing. In 1964, A Moveable Feast was published; in 1969, The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War; in 1970, Islands in the Stream; in 1972, The Nick Adams Stories; in 1985, The Dangerous Summer; and in 1986, The Garden of Eden. Hemingways own life and character are as fascinating as in any of his stories. On one level, Papa was a legendary adventurer who enjoyed his flamboyant lifestyle and celebrity status. However, deep inside lived a disciplined author who worked tirelessly in pursuit of literary perfection. Being married before or after doesn’t effect the child physically or delays its birth. Marriage in this sense is the outward form of their love. Marriage in the physical sense before or after the fact means nothing as with Catherine’s early comment of â€Å"I couldn’t be any more married. † Henry and Catherine surely learned that they were in love no matter married or not. Having a ring on the finger doesn’t make the love any stronger it just a psychical representation of their love. Henry ignores the temptations of the outward forms of religion, love, and symbols as he achieves becoming authentic. The conclusion of â€Å"A Farewell To Arms† with all its death is marked by a rebirth. Henry looses his child and his lover. He finally achieves the status of being authentic in the final scene â€Å"It was like saying good-by to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain. † Henry prior to Catherine death was seeking hope. During Catherine’s final hour Henry prayed to God once more only to go unanswered: Please, please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. Dear God, don’t let her die. Please, please, please, don’t let her die. God please don’t make her die. I’ll do anything you say if you don’t let her die. You took the baby but don’t let her die. That was all right but don’t let her die. Please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. He now knows all the things around him are false. Henry now knows the true forms of religion, patriotism, and love are empty forms of hope. He know knows that any hope must only come from within. Henry is now an authentic in that â€Å"He walks quietly back to the hotel in the rain. † and knows that only he can shape his destiny.

The Future Of Education Essay Example for Free

The Future Of Education Essay Students nowadays used to communicate with people because they are expecting the continuous connection of information. Against the way, they live their lives to put away their personal technology during a class session because there are a few reasons for student expect what they learn at school have the connection with the real world(Kelley, 2009). Besides that, the student can easily access the information by search from Google and a lot of relevant websites will recently produce. Students today grow up with gadgets and everything is on fingertips. That’s how technology conquers student mind and the way they think. This evolution of the study can lead to the generation of innovative students. Live in twenty-century era fully change the ways of working in all area of life. Modern technology hundred percent influenced the changes in education system. This revolution era needs a concrete development plan in education, but over time it must have some factor that will defect the plan which is can be a factor that limits of the contemporary role of education management. The educational institution that applied this new environment will be more modern and successful where people in there does not look like having a traditional way of teaching and learning such as only using the book as their available sources of knowledge.Innovative happen when the people have a creation of ideas, can do something that is outside of the box and keeps the task to be practice. Creativity and innovation are more important in the twenty-first century whereby the knowledge society has been developed so well(Mishra, 2014). One of the factors that people can reveal their creative and innovative skill i s by education. It shows because in education have a learning process where it is can help especially student to hit the road by showing what they have. The nature of online instruction does not allow an instructor to perceived important non-verbal cues that signal in order to be understanding. Other than that, a successful online student can be describe self-motivated, self-directed, exhibiting an internal locus of control with above average executive functioning, communication, interaction and technological skills(Kauffman, 2015). When new idea has been generated, created and developed it show that hat how the innovative behavior been described and the process of a student learning. According to research done by (Thurlings, Evers, and Vermeulen (2015) state that there are a few reason that lead to the changes of teacher behavior because form teaching it can affect the creation of innovative student. Firstly is keep up to date with a quickly changing especially with the community of people. This is because it will lead to demands in knowledge where in fact will increasing for both students and teacher. The next reason is upcoming ne w technologies and understanding of deep things about the teaching require. It is important because it will lead to have a creative idea by apply it with the connection of technologies. Third is the school itself need to show a good example and act which is as the starting point for more innovative behavior of people who is lawfully live a country so they can stay competitive. Education is extremely important in order to help student showing their ability in order to create interesting new things and creative ideas. All technologies are a group of people or devices that are made up of smaller parts of other technologies. That is how the change tries to get better and how they are built through combination and recombination. Some of those technologies in the assembly will be harder and more pre-decide, some softer and open to change by the end users. Softer technologies are those that combine humans in their design and putting into law, where allowing tools to be used in any ways(Anderson Dron, 2014). Social technologies are basically and mostly soft. Other than that, the application of social technology is unable to be separated from the processes, rules, normal behaviors and ways of doing things that are grouped together with them. The technologies provide opportunities and the users as a people, groups, and networks decide how the best use for selfish reasons.

Strategic Essentialism In Reducing Gender Inequalities Sociology Essay

Strategic Essentialism In Reducing Gender Inequalities Sociology Essay A position of strategic essentialism is important in ensuring that gender inequalities are reduced. Discuss with reference to the evolution of feminist theory and action in the Global South. A central issue in feminist debates over essentialism is whether there are any shared characteristics common to all women that unify them as a social group other than their biological and physiological predispositions. Many feminist theorists of the 1980s and 1990s (Scott, 1988; Fraser, 1989; Spelman, 1990) rejected essentialism on the grounds that human phenomena cannot be reduced to essentialist monolithic categories, and that universal claims about women presuppose an essential womanness (Spelman, 1990) that all women share, despite the racial, class, religious, ethnic and cultural differences among them, emphasizing instead questions of difference and identity. Essentialism was presumed to be a negative aspect of feminism: One use of a theory of discourse for feminist politics, then, is in understanding social identities in their full socio-cultural complexity, thus in demystifying static, single variable, essentialist views of gender identity. (Fraser, 1991, p. 99). To maintain that femininity predisposes women to certain (nurturing) jobs or (collaborative) styles of work is to naturalize complex economic and social processes and, once again, to obscure the differences that have characterized womens occupational histories. An insistence on differences undercuts the tendency to absolutist and essentialist categories. (Scott, 1988, p. 47). At the same time, an anti-anti-essentialist argument was raised (Stone, 2004), arguing that anti-essentialist claims denied women the motivation to work together as a collectivity. Within this current, strategic essentialism has been an influential strand. While it recognizes that essentialism is descriptively false as it denies the real diversity of womens lives and social situations, it defends essentialist claims in the sense that they are politically useful (multilateral organizations such as the United Nations tend to treat women as if they comprise a unitary group) and socially influential. This argument is especially relevant regarding (womens) social movements, which many believe require a deep notion of shared position and identity. Oppressed groups can deploy essentialism strategically as it enables them to organize common forms of identity and sustain a sense of solidarity. Throughout this essay I will use case studies from the Global South to argue that the emphasis on co mmonalities is especially useful when tackling gender inequalities, but that the possible solutions must adapt to local conditions (taking into account a countrys history and culture), and that the ideological neoliberalism has played an important role in fragmenting the representation of women as a homogenous unit of analysis. Mohanty (1998) argues that western feminist scholarship has produced an image of third world women as a homogeneous and powerless group, often represented as victims of particular socio-economic systems (women as victims of war crimes, women as refugeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦), on the basis of a shared oppression. The focus should instead be on the common differences (the common experience of social exclusion, for instance) as the basis for solidarity and collective mobilization, which are achieved through an active engagement with diversity. Issues like poverty and (gender) inequality require collective bargaining despite the involvement of actors polarized along caste, class, gender, linguistic and ethnic lines (Emmerij et al, 2009), as is the case in the case study that follows. The Sangtin (literally meaning friendship in Awadhi, a language spoken in parts of Uttar Pradesh) writers, a group of seven female village-level NGO activists from the hierarchical state of Uttar Pradesh, in India , put forward a collective critique against institutional patriarchies, thus enacting a politics of solidarity among themselves, despite the differences within womens collectives the activists come from diverse caste and religious backgrounds. Their critiques are directed at Nari Samato Yohana (NSY), a donor-funded NGO and a World Bank Initiative that works to empower poor rural women. The writers highlight the paradoxes of NGO politics as these organizations can be both empowering in theory (through the encouragement of grassroots activism) and elitist in practice (in the form of donor-driven priorities and evaluations). They analyze processes of hierarchical character of donor-driven womens empowerment organizations that often disregard rural womens knowledge and expertise. Womens NGOs in Uttar Pradesh are being increasingly pressured by funding agencies, which attach no value to grassroots work until that work is measured by the standards of the funders. Furthermore, these NGOs that are aiming to empower poor women in rural communities are staffed and dominated by Hindu and upper-caste grassroots workers, while rural-based, less formally educated workers find themselves at the margins of institutional spaces, with little say on the running of the organization (Nagar Sangtin Writers, 2006). More generally, the activists challenge the popular perception that NGOs are potential agents for diffusing development and enabling empowerment, because hierarchical processes within NGOs can impede their stated goals of empowerment, class differences reinforced through the hierarchical structures of NGOs (male- and upper-caste-dominated). Thus, the Sangtin writers are not mere victims of the hierarchical processes as Mohanty would argue they are represented by some western feminist texts as they resist and challenge. The role of global initiatives and institutions in addressing gender inequalities is significant. Although the UN Decade for Women and the four global womens conferences held in Mexico, Copenhagen, Nairobi and Beijing between 1975 and 1995 did not find as much common ground between women worldwide as anticipated, the conferences elevated gender equality to the center of the global development agenda and internationalized the issue of womens equality (unless development is engendered, it is endangered). The consensus was that women should lead development rather than the earlier view, in which women were seen as being affected positively or negatively by economic development policies, and were integrated into the development process as victims. Both views, however, assume that all third world women have similar problems and needs. Despite this shift in the development discourse that has moved women from the periphery to the center and acclaimed them as the holders of solutions to glob al problems, the poverty of the worlds women has increased and intensified. Global economic and political processes (i.e. globalization) have exacerbated economic, racial and gender inequalities. Jain (2005) points to a restlessness within the womens movements that has led to a partial failure of the movement to reach the next stage of development. Differences of location, race, class, sexuality, and religion have at times been emphasized at the expense of the commonalities that can build strength to move forward. It is important to emphasize, however, that the existence of gender inequalities have radically different, historically specific explanations as the next case studies will show. Thus, superficially similar situations cannot be treated as identical. Furthermore, as Lourdes Arizpe argues, the construction of gender in every society is a cultural phenomenon. The way in which these differences are constructed will depend on the culture of every society, and it is through the use of cultural analysis that gender inequalities can be understood (Arizpe, cited in Jain, 2005). The case studies (based on Chant McIlwaine, 1998) involves analyzing the challenges women face in two very different countries Malaysia and Zimbabwe and to specifically see how gender inequalities need to be tackled and addressed in each case. On one hand, Malaysia has experienced high levels of economic growth in the last few decades, mainly due to export-oriented industrialization. It is an ethnically heterogeneous and pluralistic society. Social indicators reflect relatively high levels of human development, but when these are differentiated by gender it appears that men have made greater gains than women in most areas. The adult literacy rate among women is 75.4% compared with 87.8% among men. In terms of political participation, in 1994 women represented only 10% of seats at local and parliamentary levels and 7% of ministerial posts. Employment opportunities have increased and diversified in the context of rapid industrialization, but the ethnic Malay have been granted preferential access to opportunities. On the other hand, Zimbabwe is an ethnically homogenous country, in a transition from a white-dominated British colony to a democratic black republic. Although the government has focused on post-colonial restructuri ng and nation-building, gender issues have not been entirely sidelined. Women were of significant importance in the liberation war for Zimbabwe, by proving food, shelter, clothing and paramedical and intelligence services. Their active participation led to the new independence government to take active steps towards gender equality by setting up, in 1981, a Ministry for Community Development and Womens Affairs (MCDWA). Zimbabwe is still a predominantly rural country, with only 30% of its population residing in urban areas in 1992, and remains a patriarchal society. In the case of Malaysia, womens issues are then seen through the lens of political representation, and addressing gender inequalities should be put in the context of ethnic inequalities. A specific solution would be to introduce quota systems to increase the number of women in political office and to enable women to fully participate in and influence decision-making. In the case of Zimbabwe, land access for women is a maj or problem given the patriarchal nature of society where most of the land parcels are owned by men. As such, land redistribution should be incorporated into the debate on how to reduce gender inequalities. A countrys history, culture and ethnic diversity, among others, should be taken into account when addressing gender inequalities, because while women might share a common experience of oppression -whether in Malaysia or Zimbabwe the specific policy measures needed will vary significantly. Women in the Third World have had to bear the brunt of globalization this is not an essentialist claim, but a generalization based on statistical evidence. Poor women are hardest hit by the degradation environmental conditions, wars, famines, privatization of services and the dismantling of welfare states (Mohanty, 2003). The structural adjustment programs many poor countries have had to adapt in order to receive loans from the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have disproportionately squeezed women out of public sector employment, for example. Amy Linds (2002, 2003) research on Ecuador, however, challenges monolithic and globalized representations of women as victims of the globalization process, which have been made more difficult by a shift to neoliberalism and local women organizations most of which of a working-class and rural in nature becoming the new targets of development policy. Since the early 1980s successiv e Ecuadorian governments have received loans and implemented IMF/World Bank inspired structural adjustment programs (SAPs), which have had gendered impacts in the economy. These neoliberal policies affect women differently, the impact of which depends largely upon womens class, race, ethnicity and geographical location. As stated above, women in general have tended to lose out in this process, but this is particularly true for poor, rural indigenous women. Some women (especially women working within the state) have gained as a result of privatization policies and decentralization. Neoliberalism has had two opposing effects. On the one hand, it has provided the framework under which diverse political movements and actors have converged to challenge and reflect dissatisfaction with the neoliberal economic model and the lack of democratic progress under Abdalà ¡ Bucaram Ortizs presidency. A visible womens movement emerged as women activist in political parties, NGOs, rural and community based organizations, in political parties and in human rights organizations became increasingly frustrated with their marginalized roles under the new politico-economic system. They all invoked a form of strategic essentialism in an attempt to challenge the state and remake the nation in order to give women a greater voice in state policy affairs, and participated in the national strike leading up to President Ortizs removal from office. At the same time that women (as a unitary group) were rising to challenge President Ortizs policies, neoliberalism has exacerbated the differenc es between the women movements and fractured them. In the neoliberal context, economic and social disparities between women working with the state (state feminists) and poor, rural indigenous women who are the targets of state policies have become more apparent. This may contribute to a further fragmentation of a unified feminist movement, Lind (2003) argues, which is now characterized more by separate struggles than by any unified notion of a social movement, in the process of becoming a remnant of the past. Since neoliberalism positions women as clients for the states resources they are positioned in competition with each other for such resources. In short, while there is overlap between all the feminist strands, there is growing disagreement between feminist policy makers and activists regarding where women fit in the development arena, and whether there speak with a single, or multiple, fragmented voices. In conclusion, essentialist and anti-essentialist positions are located at the extreme ends of a spectrum. Addressing inequalities from these extremes does not represent a viable position. In order to move away from the essentialist/anti-essentialist dichotomies it is important to understand women not as completely different from each other, and at the same avoiding to assimilate them into a single dominant identity. Therefore, we need to look to the middle ground between essentialism and gender skepticism to find ways of talking about women that neither do violence to our diversity, nor represent us as inconsolably different (Heyes, 2000). Furthermore, women should neither be portrayed as victims to be rescued or heroines that hold the key to lift their countries and communities out of poverty. These extreme stances do not help in understanding the solutions that are needed to address women discrimination and inequalities. It seems that the best way forwards is for the struggle for gender equality to be channeled at various levels and through a variety of initiatives from the involvement of local womens groups, to NGOs at local, regional and international levels, governments and multilateral institutions and by not homogenizing their experiences. There will always be a framework of collective solidarity through which women can address the issue of gender inequality. Word count: 2302

Human Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cell Line Essay -- Chemistry, Cell

Introduction There are many different cell lines that have been used in order to examine genotoxicity exposure of agents such as human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line - TMK1, human colon cancer - COL2, particularly human B lymphoblastoid cell line - TK6 is more often used. TK6 is a cell line heterozygous at the thymidine kinase locus from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in T cell lineage blast crisis which included Philadelphia chromosome t(9;22)(q34;q11), an abnormality in chromosome 6 (a deletion of the long arm), and chromosome 7, for example, del(6)(q21); ins(1;-)(q21;-); del(1)(q21;q32); dic(7)(:p13ïÆ'   cenïÆ'   q32:11.2ïÆ'   cenïÆ'   pter) (Watanabe et al., 1995; Tomita et al., 1998). These cells are relatively stable p53-normal immortal, have low mutation frequencies in gene and chromosome, and are proficient in mismatch repair (Tomita-Mitchel et al., 2000), from these properties TK6 cell line is applied in this study for assessing toxicity of anti-cancer agents. Polyynes containing triple bonds which are presented in many natural sources, have been considered in medicine with a variety of biological activities such as antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiHIV, and anticancer (Dembitsky et al., 2006). Previously, there were many researches about the diyne-structure-related-capability of polyyne, especially ene-diyne, these investigations suggested that enediyne compounds include two triple bonds (diyne) seperated by a double bond (ene) can cleavage DNA via cross linking to several positions, interacting with minor groove or abstracting hydrogen atoms as well as arrest cell cycle, inhibit proteins required for initiation replication stage (Chin et al., 1988; Sugiura et al., 1989; Walker et a... ... nuclei, and should be separated with clear nuclear boundary. Timescale involved Along with the proposal, the RAGS system will be completed and approved in week 18. After that, the first step is synthesis of two chemicals in 4 weeks from 16th January to 13th February 2012. Once the chemicals are produced, TK6 cells will be treated in control medium and in medium containing these compounds, separately, and measure LD50 ¬ of TK6 cell line, statistic analysis LOEC, NOEC and thereby comparing cytotoxicity of these compounds. This process will take around 6 weeks from 13th February to 23rd March 2012. Later on, micronucleus assay will be applied to study genotoxicity on TK6 cells via clastogenic behaviour for 7 weeks and finish laboratory practical on 1st June 2012. Finally, writing up and project draft will be completed within 4 weeks.

Analysis of McDonalds Essay -- Strategic Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 VISION, MISSION AND STATEMENT VALUES 1 INTERNAL AND EXTENAL ANALYSIS 3 Strength and weaknesses of McDonalds Opportunities and Threats Five Force Analysis COMPETITIVE AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES 6 The cultural web CONCLUSION 8 REFERENCES 9 INTRODUCTION Strategic management is the way of implementing different business strategies and plans to attain certain specific aims and objectives. It involves collection of decisions and different rules and policies that tend to define the results that are generated in the form of better business performance. For undertaking these activities, management should possess an in depth understanding and be able to assess the general and competitive external and internal business environment to take proper business decisions (Cornelis, 2010). McDonalds is an organization that offers a range of products and services in a very effective manner that makes it a market leader in providing fast food services all over the world. By enforcing suitable strategies, McDonalds can increase its level of sales and will also help in upgrading as well as sustaining the market by acquiring competitive advantage (Schoenberg, Collier and Bowman, 2013). Vision statement of McDonalds McDonald’s vision statement can be said that it wants to be the world’s best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best for McDonald’s means that it needs to provide the best of the quality of food products, services, and cleanliness and value so that it can make everyone of its customer smile (Schmitt and et.al, 2011). A vision statement of the company is an idea for how business can be eventually perceived and what actions it will be taking for coming 5, 10 or 15 years for i... ...rnational Strategic Management: Challenges and Opportunities. Taylor & Francis. Valdani, E., and Arbore, A., 2013. Competitive Strategies: Managing the Present, Imagining the Future. Palgrave Macmillan. Witcher, B., and Chau, S. V., 2010. Strategic Management: Principles and Practice. Cengage Learning EMEA. Online McDonalds and Ethical Issues. 2009. [Online]. Available through: . [Accessed on May 14th, 2014]. Peyeti, J., 2011. Porter's Five Forces - Analysis of the Daily Deals Market. [Online]. Available through: . [Accessed on May 14th, 2014]. The Cultural Web Aligning Your Organization's Culture with Strategy. 2013. [Online]. Available through: . [Accessed on May 14th, 2014].

El Cid and Kracauer’s Mass Ornament :: Medievalism Kracauer Film Cinema Movies

The numerous historical films that merely illustrate the past are attempts at deception according to their own terms. Since one always runs the danger, when picturing current events, of turning easily excitable masses against powerful institutions that are in fact often not appealing, one prefers to direct the camera towards a Middle Ages that the audience will find harmlessly edifying. The further back the story is situated historically, the more audacious filmmakers become. They will risk depicting a successful revolution in historical costumes in order to induce people to forget modern revolutions, and they are happy to satisfy the theoretical sense of justice by filming struggles for freedom that are long past.1 Kracauer’s analysis of the historical film culminates in a dismissal of historical, and thereby factual, efficacy. In this circumstance, the period piece can assume an earlier time frame as a departure from the burden of accuracy rather than an acceptance of it. Academic records indicate that El Cid (dir. Anthony Mann, 1961) ignores much of Rodrigo Dà ­az de Bivar’s factual exploits as a warrior for hire, fighting more often for compensation than any religious or moral certitude. Why, then, was this character’s story so appealing as a platform for a historical epic film? El Cid’s historical ambivalence suggests that it’s story is more appropriately detailed for potential aesthetic achievement than realism. Kracauer begins describing the aesthetic condition of the mass ornament as a reference to the Tiller Girls, a performance group based on visual uniformity. He focuses on their performance of emulation and repetition, through which they are â€Å"no longer individual girls, but indissoluble girl clusters whose movements are demonstrations of mathematics.... One need only glance at the screen to learn that the ornaments are composed of thousands of bodies, sexless bodies in bathing suits. The regularity of their patterns is cheered by the masses, 1 This passage is taken from Siegfried Kracauer’s essay â€Å"The Little Shopgirls Go to the Movies.† themselves arranged by the stands in tier upon ordered tier.2† Already, there is an allegory bridging this performance art with the cinema. The masses are clearly the film’s intended audience gathered in a theater, which composes the modern medium for the cinematic ornament. The film’s actors become the performative aspect of this equation, wherein their acting and involvement in a character role, no matter how important, is meager and unnecessary without the remainder of the operative whole. The film opens with a revelatory glance at this phenomenon, as Rodrigo carries a cross through an empty landscape. In retrospect, his great battles and leadership are abstract and ineffectual without the massive army of followers. As the stand-in Christ figure, he showcases the absence of the epic’s ornament: a solitary figure,

A Study of Corporate Failures

It is said that a company will only last if it practice good governance to its employees and customers providing them all of their needs and satisfying their expectations in terms of product quality and good management. This brings out a good working relationship between the management and employees that builds trust and loyalty among them which in the end will result in a favorable output contributing to the good name of the company. The reputation of a certain company has been always important for their marketing and growth.Thus in order to have a good impression to the customer and employees, the company’s management tend to bring out the best that they can bring to give a good impression to their customers and people. Since good governance gives a harmonious working relationship between the management, employees and customers, people may seem to like the company more and as the days goes by, they might learn to ask more than the company can provide. The company may become bigger, but expectations will always be present from suppliers, customers and employees.Because of a higher demand for quality management, the top management of a company may do some changes to their usual managing practice to cope up to the demand that their company is facing like higher product outputs, client concerns, supply procurement and more. Change is always permanent. For companies, certain decisions must be done to acquire a certain expected result for the benefit of all but there are also some decisions that were made by the company which they think is the best strategy for a certain issue but only resulted to conflicts and problem.This paper’s aim is to give an insight of what a bad corporate management or governance is and its effect to a company, its employees, and their customers and to other business as well. We examine the different reasons why a company fail and the different things that a management can do to avoid it. Included also in the paper are some e xperiences of different companies that had gotten through bad management strategies and how they cope up from it. Introduction Change Management is one tool to measure the performance of the overall productivity of a company.If a kind of management strategy being implemented is not good to handle a company’s requirement, it is very obvious that it will cause problems in the end. As stated a while ago, competition is very tight in the market and demands are very high. This however, takes the management in a decision to take one step forward for improvements. Changing a workflow, product standards or even the salaries of employees are very crucial. If not monitored well, this may result to conflict and quality issues. Decision making has been a big task for managers to make new guidelines that will be followed in order to achieve a certain goal.Yearly, numerous meetings and agreements are being made by both top management and employees that change the usual work flow of the com pany that sometimes gives discomfort to other workers because of they are used of the usual work that they do. Aside from decision making, changes in the market demands, economy, quality expectations, information technology, business structure and manpower can give great pressure to the business. As change is permanent, the risk of managing a business gets sensitive as time goes by resulting complicated scenarios and threat of failure.Management Management is controlling a group of people to achieve a certain goal. In business, the top management is concerned in doing the most important decisions that are to be followed by all employees of the company including its policies and strategies. Because of the different issues that the business encounters, strategic decisions are made to solve the different problems that the company has. Hoping that those decisions would give a positive result in the end, the management is also responsible for any negative result that their decisions may give.Decision making is never easy. It takes a lot of patience, teamwork and courage to come up with a set of strategies that the company will use. Certain decisions are made for one department only and some are for the whole company. Either way, they still give a big effect to the overall performance of the organization. Since that decision making is very crucial, there are still some companies that made their way in doing and implementing the best decision strategies that helped their company to be the best that it can.On the other hand, not all companies shares the benefits of a good decision implementation as there are some companies that also shares the effect of a bad decision implementation made by their top management. Approach Governance Governing is a process of implementing decisions, rules and regulations in a group of people. Its concept has been widely used by companies to make their workers comply a set of agreed actions that were done and ordered by the management. T he management’s ways of doing rules and policies has a big effect in a company’s performance as a whole.As decision making is vital to a company, the management should be equipped with the knowledge of how they are going to make their decisions every day. Study of Good and Bad Governance Good Governance Good governance will surely give benefits to the company, employees, customers and suppliers. Its implemented decisions had considered the characteristics of Participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Responsiveness, Consensus Orientation, Equity and Inclusiveness, Effectiveness and Efficiency and Accountability that if complied well, it will bring good feedbacks and result to the company.Bad Governance Mismanagement has always been a problem in all companies which is a start of bad governance. Bad governance emerges when conflict rises among people who are involved in the company. It includes conflict of interest, political issues among members of the company, social pr oblems, discrimination, lack of participation and more. When employees or the people concerned to the company starts to ask questions about the decision of the company’s management, then there is an unclear part in that certain decisions being implemented that employees do not understand or agreed.

Supply and Management

__† .. _ _~~ w† t'HlI~ln †Ã¢â‚¬ '110111'1;/1'1 gllls! les)7 h. If another person Wasadded, where is the logical place'? c. What effect would a mail order lab (where the glasses are made off site and returned in 5-7 days) have on the process? 10 A quoting department for a custom publishing house can complete 4 quotes per day, and there are 20 quotes in various stages in the department. Applying Little's Law, the current lead time for a quote is how many days? 11 A small barber shop has a single chair and an area for waiting, where only one person can be in the chair at a time, and no one leaves without getting their hair cut. So the system is roughly: Entrance —+ Wait —+ Haircut —+ Exit Assume customers arrive at the rate of 10 per hour and stay an average of 0. 5 hour. What is the average number of customers in the barber shop? ADVANCED PROBLEM 12 Remember Mr. Rockness in Problem 2? He now retrains college professors. It is a much more challenging task but still involves five steps. He has worked hard to balance the line; however, there is a lot of variability. Each stage in the process now handles between one and six faculty members er hour depending on how bad the case is. If there is some inventory available for every position (do not worry about the start-up), what is the expected output per hour? (Assume that each stage is independent and that it is equally likely that one. two, three, four, five, or six faculty members get processed each hour at each stage. )† 5/'IEJ ::l-#1-1 ~ i4. * MAil, S$ _:. II. CASE: II ANALYZING _ _ â€Å"†l&'l;~R CASINO ,'† â€Å"ll~ RIfj~_I _ WlI'_W I† MONEy-HANDLING ~_m~~_>

Fast Food Restaurants Essay

Fast Food restaurants are great for the price at which one can obtain the food you want at a fast pace. With so many different food choices there are many opinions about the different varieties of food places and which one is the best. Chickfila, according to Business Insider’s, won the â€Å"best overall† category in the Business Insider’s fast food Reader’s choice awards over restaurants like Chipotle and McDonalds. I believe that Chickfila’s quality of food, their company, and the employees in the company is what makes Chickfila the best in the fast food industry. Chickfila is known for their quality of food. Compared to most fast food restaurants who used processed meat and sometimes their â€Å"meat† does not actually contain real beef or chicken. For example, Chickfila’s nuggets are whole meant and the chicken sandwiches are boneless, hand-breaded, and cooked in 100% peanut oil. Their waffle fries are different from other fast food restaurant which makes them unique and better. Also, their milkshakes make them stand out because of the homemade, handspun ice-dream, ice-cream; and Chickfila also offers seasonal flavors. Compared to most restaurants that have condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, BBQ, etc. Chickfila has an even wider variety of different condiments like honey BBQ, buffalo, Chickfila sauce, honey mustard, spicy mustard, and many different salad dressings. Lastly, food wise, another major thing Chickfila promotes is a healthier option. Though fast food in general isn’t healthy Chickfila offers a more specific menu to tend to a healthier diet. McDonalds for example, their Big Mac and Salad are no different in their healthiness. Chickfila over the past few years made healthy, healthier; they spent over $50 million dollars perfecting the grilled chicken recipe. Not only is the quality of food excellent compared to other fast food franchises but the company and their policies exceed great expectations. One  unique thing about Chickfila is they are closed on Sundays for rest and worship. Though people that run Chickfila do not have to be Christian but they are required to have: humility, passion for service, compassion, and geniuses. Chickfila exemplifies great character and has an â€Å"everyone welcome† policy which occurred because of a comment Dan Cathy, the CEO of Chickfila made, about gay/homosexuality, but he apologized for these comments and said that everyone is welcome. Chickfila is known for its high quality food, great company values and lastly the employees that work there. Most fast food restaurants are about speed but Chickfila is all about being swift and assertive. There manners are exquisite and make you feel helped and welcomed when they say â€Å"my pleasure† after you have been helped. Another reason their people and company are better than most fast food places is because they spend around $1million dollars every year evaluation service and do quarterly phone survives with customers in exchange for a free chicken sandwich. Though I assume most restaurants also do these kinds of surveys, Chickfila is really the only one I have seen effort and change and promotion of what people are saying. The employee’s standards are held higher standard which focuses on â€Å"servant leadership†. Chickfila is the best fast food restaurant in the fast food enterprises because of their high quality fresh and healthy food choices. Their company demonstrates great qualities and good moral standards and is consistent throughout each restaurant chain. Also, their employees are held to a higher standard than most employees at other restaurants. There company exemplifies true respect, leadership, and high quality food that in my opinion make Chickfila the best fast food restaurant chain in the business.

Analysis of the Short Story: Super Toys Last All Summer Long Essay

What is real? I have been trying to answer this question since we started our project about robots. It’s a very complex question. The classical sense of what is real is something natural, something that is not man-made, for example the nature or the universe. But the world isn’t the same as it was for hundred years ago and the reality concept has moved in time with the technology. For instance I read an article where computers had been taken over the stock trading instead of real manpower. The robots are mechanical artificial agents and because of the advanced technology they’ve become much more real. They become more and more like us, and if computers can take over the stock trading what can robots, who look and act like humans, do to the world? But there must be a limit to how much robots can do if they’re still being seen as machines. In my point of view you are only real if you can feel and think on your own. In that way a robot isn’t real even though they’ve been supplied with human abilities like thinking and feeling by the aid of a programming from a computer. Having said that the robots are still in power to create real emotions in the recipient. This is demonstrated in form of Paro who is a little robot seal designed with the purpose to comfort lonely people. The problem with my definition of real is that love and feelings are artificial as well because it is a chemical reaction in our brain. So what if the robots were added the ability to feel and think would that make them just as real as us? The short story is written by Brian Aldiss in 1969. The story is fiction and an imaginary story of future time in an overcrowded world. The literary genre is science fiction, which is characterized by a fictive environment that has experienced innovations in science or technology, which has a big impact on the society and the individuals in it. This definition is consistent with the short story. There are two places of action and the structure is a pendulum composition because it swings back and forth between the two physical settings. The one setting is at home with Monica Swinton, David and Teddy, and the other setting is at lunch where Synthank celebrates the launching of their new developed and improved robots â€Å"The directors of Synthank were eating an enormous luncheon to celebrate the launching of their new product†, where Henry Swinton makes a speech. These crossovers from the one setting to the other are shown with a star â€Å"*†, which makes it clear for the recipient that we are having a change of place. The story begins with a presentation of Mrs. Swinton’s garden and afterwards we get a presentation of the involving characters. The short story’s many events happen in a chronological order and it follows the common thread through the story from the beginning to the end. The story is told in past tense and the narrator is a third person narrative. The narrator is an omniscient narrative because the narrator knows everything about the characters and their surroundings. The narrator creates sympathy for David because the omniscient narrative makes us identify with the robot and we get inside of his head and can see his good â€Å"heart† and understand his love, the love that know one else can see and understand. The language creates a very detailed description of the events and the surroundings. The language describes the surroundings with the use of adjectives â€Å"The lovely almond trees stood about it in perpetual leaf. Monica Swinton plucked a saï ¬â‚¬ron-colored rose and showed it to David. â€Å"Isn’t it lovely?† she said† and the events by using verbs, which creates thrill and excitement. The excitement is for example seen in line 7 – 10 on page 1 â€Å"Seizing the ï ¬â€šower, he ran with it across the lawn and disappeared behind the kennel where the mowervator crouched, ready to cut or sweep or roll when the moment dictated. She stood alone on her impeccable plastic gravel path. She had tried to love him†. The sudden action makes you believe that he’ll destroy the beautiful rose. This reaction from David is the reason why Monica is so despairing and disappointed. Further more the language isn’t readily accessible but manageable. There is in between some difficult words, which is an obstacle for the understanding of the text, for example â€Å"Lambent, engrossed, moist and mowervator†. The short story is written in 1969 so the choice of words is old and not always so familiar â€Å"Henry, Henry – oh, my darling, I was in despair . . . but I’ve just dialed the afternoon post and – you’ll never believe it! Oh, it’s wonderful!†. The environment in the story is very beautiful, almost perfect. The garden is described with positive words and it makes associations to paradise, for example â€Å"In Mrs. Swinton’s garden, it was always summer†. The Swintons’ house lies in a rich part of the city with no windows. The house and their belongings are very advanced and technical, and it’s clear that there has been a big technological development, for example Monica has her phone on her wrist â€Å"She punched the Post Oï ¬Æ'ce number on the dial on her wrist but nothing came through† and â€Å"The Swintons lived in one of the ritziest city-blocks, half a kilometer above the ground. Embedded in other apartments, their apartment had no windows to the outside; nobody wanted to see the overcrowded external world. Henry unlocked the door with his retina pattern-scanner and walked in, followed by the serving-man†. It seems like they don’t really have contact to the outside wo rld and live in a small bubble of isolation. The humans are described so stunning that they almost seem inhumane, which is quite ironic. â€Å"Their wives were elegantly slender, despite the food and drink they too were putting away. An earlier and less sophisticated generation would have regarded them as beautiful people, apart from their eyes†. Eyes are the human sign of a soul and if there is no life in their eyes is there life at all? In this quote the question about who is real yet appears. The atmosphere in the first setting, the home, is filled with unspoken words and questions, â€Å"â€Å"If she loved me, then why can’t I talk to her?†. They also seem very shallow because they do everything to look good; they use a machine that makes them slender no matter how much food they’ve eaten. There is a tense atmosphere between Monica and David because they aren’t able to communicate with each other and something in their mutual understanding has broken down. Monica misunderstands David’s intensions for example the episode with the rose and the fact that she thinks David is hiding away from her and avoiding her but when David comes down in the living room to see her she is the one who turns away and avoids David â€Å"His mother stood in the middle of the room. Her face was blank; its lack of expression scared him. He watched fascinated. He did not move; she did not move. Time might have stopped, as it had stopped in the garden. At last she turned and left the room. After waiting a moment, David tapped on the window†. David and Monica are both shortcoming because they can’t find a way to express their caring for each other, which makes them unable to reach each other. They are suffering from loneliness and isolation even though the world is overpopulated and the technology is more advanced than ever before â€Å"She remained alone. An overcrowded world is the ideal place in which to be lonely†. The robots are partial developed to avoid this loneliness but instead they increase it. â€Å"You’re being silly, David. Mummy’s lonely. That’s why she had you†. â€Å"She’s got Daddy. I’ve got nobody ’cept you, and I’m lonely†. David is three years old â€Å"At the age of three, he showed no fear of the ultrasonic dryer in the kitchen†. David’s verbal communication is malfunctioning and he has a hard time finishing his sentences and expressing his love. In spite of the defection he loves his mother very much which is expressed in the text several times, for example David’s letters â€Å"Darling Mummy, I’m your one and only son and I love you so much that some times –†. In these messages David also expresses a hate for Teddy because he feels that Teddy is taking his place as the Swintons’ son. Even though David has feelings like a human and other human abilities such as talking, thinking, painting and running, he is a robot, which is told in the ending. I assume David is one of those robots Henry is talking about with synthetic flesh and a mini computer for brain. David tries to define what is real but even though he feels like a boy of flesh and blood he ques tions it because his surroundings make him feel unreal â€Å"I hate that old psychiatrist—he makes me feel like I’m not real†. The other robot in the family is Teddy. The name Teddy gives associations to a little bear. There are many signs that indicate that Teddy is a robot for example â€Å"The speech pattern of his master’s voice activated him† and â€Å"Why waste time talking to this machine†. Teddy sees Monica as his mother but when she refuses this relation he doesn’t seem hurt like a human would have been. Teddy is very helpful when David needs him, for example when writing the letters to their mother. Teddy is also patient, kind, attentive, comforting and listening â€Å"The bear’s eyes regarded the boy unï ¬â€šinchingly. â€Å"You and I are real, David.† It specialized in comfort†. Teddy’s abilities are properly the abilities he is programmed to have; therefore the circuits of teddy’s brain and its capacity are limited. In the text Teddy is categorized as a super toy which is a robot with a computer for brain and without life â€Å"There have been mechanicals on the market with mini-computers for brains—plastic things without life, super-toys—but we have at last found a way to link computer circuitry with synthetic ï ¬â€šesh† Monica Swinton is married to Henry Swinton and is twenty-nine years old, has lambent eyes and a grace full shape. Monica paints â€Å"She could take up her painting†. She desperately wants a child and when Teddy and David haven’t satisfied her needs she is still very lonely and the desperation for a child of her own is even bigger. This desperation finds expression in the choice of replacing her robot child with a biologically child. She has tried to love David but she has given up because he can’t reciprocate her love, and when she can’t understand him and his way of loving she can’t find a way to love him. Monica doesn’t like time very much because it goes by her because she feels it is a waste of time living in this world and it seems like the only thing that can save her is a baby. â€Å"I don’t think Mummy likes time very much. The other day, lots of days ago, she said that time went by her. Is time real, Teddy?†. Henry Swinton is Monica’s husband and the managing Director of Synthank. He is very successful and he only cares for the development of the robots, not the ethics or the consequences of his development. His relationship with David doesn’t seem very strong because David only talks about his mother and Henry appears as a career father who is very busy with his work. He wants, like his wife, a child of their own. The most important symbol in the short story is the rose. The roses appear several times and have a common importance â€Å"Monica Swinton plucked a saï ¬â‚¬ron-colored rose and showed it to David. â€Å"Isn’t it lovely?† she said†, â€Å"Roses occasionally suï ¬â‚¬er from black spot†. â€Å"These roses are guaranteed free from any imperfections† and â€Å"First I’m going to have another rose!† Plucking a bright pink ï ¬â€šower, he carried it with him into the house. It could lie on the pillow as he went to sleep. Its beauty and softness reminded him of Mummy†. A rose symbolizes love, which is the feeling David and Monica can’t show to each other, and the key to the shortcoming. Love is also of crucial importance when defining what is real. The quote from line 42-43 on page 4 the rose symbolize the robots because it says roses occasionally suffer from black spot, meaning they aren’t perfect but Henry replies â€Å"These roses are guaranteed free from any imperfections†, meaning the new developed robots are perfect. But for me this perfection is artificial. The people at the luncheon with Henry also seem artificial because their eyes are without life and they wear plastic face-masks to look pretty â€Å"Some of them wore the plastic face-masks popular at the time†. So maybe the humans have become just as artificial as the robots. Another symbol is the crayons, which Teddy suggests David to use on his letters â€Å"Why not do it again in crayon?†. The crayons help David coloring his letter in a figurative sense and when David can’t express his feelings verbally he can express them in the aid of colors. It also symbolizes that life isn’t in black and white but much wider. The theme of the story is not only one thing but several things. In my point of view an appropriate theme is unreal vs. real because the story’s main focus is on the question: What is real and what isn’t. Another theme is love, which plays a big role between the characters and in the story in general. Technology and the future are also themes in this story because the plot criticizes a possible future where the technology is very advanced, and instead of making the world better it makes it worse and depressing. This brings us closer to the author’s messages. Brian Aldiss criticizes the society for being to technological, which makes the society and the individuals artificial and shallow. It takes away the focus on the things that matter, for example love and caring for each other. Brian Aldiss doesn’t believe that we should have relationships with robots because they’ll never replace the connection between two humans. I don’t believe that there is one definition on what is real but many definitions. In this story the scientists have found a way to develop a robot with intelligence by having a computer working just like a human brain and synthetic flesh so it also looks like a human. These robots are invented with the purpose to reduce the loneliness and isolation that are raging the overcrowded population. â€Å"Personal isolation will then be banished forever!†. I’m a bit skeptical about robots and their future role in our society for example the possible unemployment, an artificial lifestyle and what the advanced robots’ existents will do to the individuals in the society as seen in the story. The fact, that in Japan they have already developed these robots, which look like us, really creeps me out. But will robots ever be able to replace another human being and the connection there exists between two humans? I think the situation with Monica and David is a clear example of this is not the case even though the robots are added human abilities.