Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay

Critical thinking entails the ability to think clearly and rationally. The reason is that even though the conclusion may seem logical every individual has different ethics. For instance, if an individual needs a job in order to acquire money quickly, then it makes sense to do is needed to make the most money the quickest. Let us say the logical job would be to obtain and sell scrap copper because the one can make a large amount of money in a little amount of time. While another individual may say this is a logical way to make money quickly, ethically it is wrong. Critical thinking is one’s form of judgment that has a particular purpose and reflective judgment. When individuals use critical thinking, one reaches a decision or solves an issue. Reaching this conclusion and judging what to believe or what to do in a thoughtful way. Critical thinking is a tool that individuals can use to evaluate incoming information. Critical thinking is being able to learn new material with an open mind and having a heightened level of self-awareness of our biases and how our biases impact the analysis of information. Business ethics are very important when solving moral problems in a business is concerned. I do believe critical thinking can be at odds with moral decision making. One should be good simply because only what is good is to be done. Being good often brings a reward in a way or the other but it is not always the case. This is why sets of rules known as ethics have been created. Critical thinking entails the ability to think clearly and rationally.

Current Events in Business Research Essay

INTRODUCTION There are six basic stages to the research process. Stage 1 is clarifying the research question. This would be the process in identifying the problem that is prompting the research. Stage 2 is proposing research, which would be the act of identifying the resources necessary to do the research. The third stage is designing the research project, or deciding which method to use to gather the information. Stage 4 involves data collection and preparation, which is gathering the data and making it ready to be evaluated. Stage 5 would be the data analysis and interpretation stage. Stage 5 is defining what the data is saying about the problem. The final stage, stage 6 is reporting the results. This is breaking down the interpretation into a presentation that shows the meaning of the data collected. (Cooper & Schindler, 2014) This is the process used by Paramount Pictures recently when it was in contract negotiations with the DVD rental company, Redbox. THE DILEMMA As the major Hollywood studios took sides for and against Redbox, Paramount Pictures was staying neutral. The studio had signed a first-of-its-kind trial deal guaranteeing that its titles will be available from the fast-growing $1-a-night DVD rental company through the end of the year. During that time, Paramount would study the effect of Redbox rentals on its total home-entertainment revenue, examining whether there is any decrease in the sales of its DVDs at stores that house Redbox kiosks. Under the terms of the agreement, Paramount would have the option at the end of the year to trigger a five-year deal with Redbox similar to ones recently struck with  competitors Sony Pictures and Lionsgate. The estimated value of the agreement was $575 million. Redbox President Mitch Lowe agreed because Paramount movies performed better at the box office that year. A Paramount agreement would give the studio a share of rental revenue, meaning it could earn more than $575 million if its movies prove popular. Sony and Lionsgate are selling their discs wholesale to Redbox. Though it doesn’t have a formal deal with the company, Walt Disney Studios allows its wholesalers to sell discs to Redbox as well. (Fritz, 2009) â€Å"There has been a lot of debate in the industry about the impact Redbox is having and will have, and we felt the best way to make a decision is by getting the information,† said Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore. â€Å"Then we can make an informed decision based on what we will have learned over the next four months.† Guaranteed access to Paramount’s movies was important for Redbox. The studio released two of that summer’s biggest movies, â€Å"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen† and â€Å"Star Trek.†(Fritz, 2009) A movie that plays well in the theaters tends to do well when it is available to rent. Rental revenue could also provide a much-needed boost to the bottom line of Paramount. Lowe said he was confident that providing detailed data to Paramount would help resolve the heated disputes in Hollywood about his company’s effect on the entertainment business. Lowe has previously said his company’s research found that DVD sales dropped less than 1% in stores that installed a Redbox kiosk. â€Å"Many studios do their own analysis that we know is not as reliable and is aimed at coming to the answer they want to hear,† he said. â€Å"We find that when we can form a relationship with a studio and share real data, it results in a positive step forward.† Moore said he hadn’t reached any â€Å"definitive conclusions† as to what steps he would take if the data showed that Redbox rentals do in fact reduce overall revenue. So, the dilemma that Paramount has is w hether or not partnering with Redbox will reduce its sales income more than it will increase its rental revenue. THE PROCESS Paramount and Redbox did the research to determine whether or not rentals available the same day to buy decreased the sales revenue any more or less than those studios who decided to wait 28 days to make them available. Despite some content executives recently having touted the benefits of a  28-day window for DVD titles, Coinstar Inc.’s CEO Paul Davis said the company’s own research showed Redbox Automated Retail LLC kiosks have a minimal impact on DVD sales. â€Å"We did a major study, a little over a year ago, with a major studio and a major retailer and we found that the impact on new product sales as a result of our $1-a-night being out there, day and date, was less than 1%,† Redbox worked closely with Paramount, and they did a lot of testing as well, and the fact that they decided to go with day and date (of release) I think speaks volumes.†(James, 2010) CONCLUSION After reviewing the data collected by themselves and Redbox in 2009, Paramount Pictures made their decision. In June, 2010, Paramount exercised its option to extend its revenue-sharing license agreement with Redbox, which gives Redbox access to Paramount’s newly released DVDs and Blu-ray titles on the same day they are released in the sell-through market. Paramount’s extended agreement with Redbox runs until the end of 2014, though the studio will had the option to terminate the agreement early at the end of 2011. (James, 2010) As a result of the research, Davis thought that studios that have the 28-day window might opt to tweak their Redbox agreements to get certain DVD titles out for rental sooner. â€Å"Especially as more and more data gets out there and †¦ as the studios that have opted for the 28-day window, as they have a year or so to look at the data, see how it’s impacted their new product sales †¦ it could move that we get some titles earlier,† he said.(James, 2010) The process that Paramount and Redbox used, and the data they collected, could prove to be useful data to the other studios as to whether or not they should wait the 28 days. Reference Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2014). Business Research Methods (12th ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. Fritz, B. (2009, Aug 26). COMPANY TOWN; paramount to give redbox a spin. Los Angeles Times Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/422289074?accountid=458 James, S. B. (2010). Impact of day-and-date redbox rentals on DVD sales less than 1%. SNL Kagan Media & Communications Report, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/869743836?accountid=458

Alive Book Report

Alive Book Report Piers Paul Read's ALIVE book has several themes, but there are two themes. These two themes are survival and cooperation. Survival plays an important role throughout the story. Most cooling parts of the story were forced to cut to take place to Fairchild, the remaining 28 passengers, where they could survive because they ate friends and families who died. This intense action has caused controversy for a long time. The group ate only a small piece of chocolate and kept eating for two weeks before considering their alternative food source. After all, the words of civil rights leader and Howard Thurman are: Do not ask what the world needs, because the world needs to have a man active ... make you what comes alive Please check. This is my book Material Girl, Mysterious Excerpts from the next chapter titled Your Law, Restoring Your Karma , such as the topics explored in the world in detail . In this book, there are also a variety of tools that will help you find a job bo rn in this process, entering the Dharma path. The story of the public is definitely not my problem, this is the reason. No matter how much I am, when I issue something meaningful to me (I want to talk about thinking, thinking about the majority of the content), my voice breaks the collapse of my face. I start to cry Alive has become a winner of this year 's Accio Books event. Thank you for those who organize book drives and send books to life. Affect the lives of many children in San Diego County, with the time, effort and participation of accio books, they will get through the book and support their literacy development. Thank you, happy reading! Books sent to living languages ​​through the Accio Books event will help to tackle the lack of ownership of books in San Diego's service deficient communities. Many of our children's classes do not have their own books. The donation donated by Accio Books gives personal home libraries, perhaps they will have the opportunity t o start the book collection first. Words Alive also planned Mirage Library (we donated a book of activities to distribute in the community) as a way of summer slide at local schools to prevent moon to raise awareness. This tendency is more complicated due to the lack of ownership of the same book and its cause as low income households, its reason is that past students will lose their accomplishments throughout the school during the summer. According to research, accessing books in the summer can prevent reading skills from becoming 'summer slides' Alive Book Report Alive Book Report Piers Paul Read's ALIVE book has several themes, but there are two themes. These two themes are survival and cooperation. Survival plays an important role throughout the story. Most cooling parts of the story were forced to cut to take place to Fairchild, the remaining 28 passengers, where they could survive because they ate friends and families who died. This intense action has caused controversy for a long time. The group ate only a small piece of chocolate and kept eating for two weeks before considering their alternative food source. After all, the words of civil rights leader and Howard Thurman are: Do not ask what the world needs, because the world needs to have a man active ... make you what comes alive Please check. This is my book Material Girl, Mysterious Excerpts from the next chapter titled Your Law, Restoring Your Karma , such as the topics explored in the world in detail . In this book, there are also a variety of tools that will help you find a job bo rn in this process, entering the Dharma path. The story of the public is definitely not my problem, this is the reason. No matter how much I am, when I issue something meaningful to me (I want to talk about thinking, thinking about the majority of the content), my voice breaks the collapse of my face. I start to cry Alive has become a winner of this year 's Accio Books event. Thank you for those who organize book drives and send books to life. Affect the lives of many children in San Diego County, with the time, effort and participation of accio books, they will get through the book and support their literacy development. Thank you, happy reading! Books sent to living languages ​​through the Accio Books event will help to tackle the lack of ownership of books in San Diego's service deficient communities. Many of our children's classes do not have their own books. The donation donated by Accio Books gives personal home libraries, perhaps they will have the opportunity t o start the book collection first. Words Alive also planned Mirage Library (we donated a book of activities to distribute in the community) as a way of summer slide at local schools to prevent moon to raise awareness. This tendency is more complicated due to the lack of ownership of the same book and its cause as low income households, its reason is that past students will lose their accomplishments throughout the school during the summer. According to research, accessing books in the summer can prevent reading skills from becoming 'summer slides'

Research Paper on Whipple's Disease (Epidemiology Course) Proposal

Paper on Whipple's Disease (Epidemiology Course) - Research Proposal Example As earlier noted, it was the year 1907 when GH Whipple was able to discover the existence of Whipple's disease. He primarily noted it as a disease that affects the intestinal systems of the body and is caused by the bacterial Tropheryma Whipplei. It could be observed the disease first affects the function of the small intestines as the said part of the body intends to distribute nutrients to the body during absorption. Hence, because of this fact, it could be expected that once the disease develops in the small intestine, it is sure that the entire body system shall then suffer from the said failure. From this point, Whipple recognized that the disease is a fatal matter once it is not given the right attention needed. Although there had been some developed cure, it is still strongly suggested by medical experts that this particular disease be prevented well through regular bowel check ups. It is through the bowel of a patient that the said disease is being recognized. Likely, because of the malfunction of the small intestines, the bowel also becomes loose. With masses of fat present in the bowel, Whipple's Disease naturally is depicted as the (040.2) intestinal lipodystrophy as its ICD description. It could be observed that its name was transformed as Whipple's disease as an honor to the one who was able to state it as a real disease, an epidemic that is dangerous to human kind. II. NATURAL HISTORY The disease usually begins with regular illnesses that might not be easily detected immediately as a part of Whipple's disease. Undoubtedly, this is the reason why the disease only becomes eminent after two years of understanding and diagnosing the situation upon a patient. At some point, it could be said that the major implicative symptoms of the disease may not be easily detected. Because of the prolonged development of the situation, the function of the small intestine begins to weaken slowly, giving a time for the patient to care less about the said matter. However, as noted above, not treating the symptoms early might cause fatal dangers to the patient being affected by Whipple's disease. To understand the different symptoms further, here are the lists of the said events and body-conditions needed to be looked out for: (a)Typical diarrhea: A typical diarrhea usually lasts for three to four days and then ends. Usually, the return of the illness comes along not within three or four months after the previous diarrhea. However, in the case of Whipple's disease, the matter becomes a serious situation, whereas the patient begins to feel awful of diarrhea almost regularly within the first two months of the development of the disease. (b) abdominal cramping: this may happen due to the stressed status of the small intestines. Besides that, diarrhea itself could cause the pain, especially if the situation keeps on recurring between shorter times of relapse. (c)Fast Wight Loss: Because of constant diarrhea along with the maldistribution of the nutrients to the body, the weight of the patient is likely to drop from normal to state of malnutrition.

Contemporary Punk and Rock Bands In Religion Essay

Contemporary Punk and Rock Bands In Religion - Essay Example On the other hand, as science progresses to unparalleled heights, belief in a supreme being soars as well so that in a world of increasing chaos and confusion, the presence of individuals and groups that profess their found peace, calm, and sustenance serve as an oasis, if not an inspiration altogether for those who are in between. In many instances, personal beliefs and interests serve as jumping point for careers such as those who love cuisines putting up their own restaurants, divers serving a diving instructors, and related tasks and forms of occupations. This can be said about musicians, too. It is just a matter of interest and personal inspiration. But to some, it may go deeper, or elsewhere. This essay shall try to establish if faith weighs far more than fame for contemporary punk and rock bands through observation and previous literatures. I myself would have loved to interview bands to find it out but due to time and resources constraints would have to use any available sources. Discussion: Religion and Pop Culture It has been suggested that there was a notable relationship between religion and the construction of the identity of the United States of America as can be glimpsed in literatures (McCloud, 2004; Hendershot, 2004; Chidester, 2005). McCloud (2004) traced news coverage of religious movements from the 1950s banal tone and exoticism to brainwashing and coercion in the 1970s and beyond arguing that these served to reinforce assumptions that traditional Christianity is central in US life. Likewise, it also allowed the perceived "outsiders" of the white, middle class and heterosexual fold to be prejudiced. Hendershot (2004), on the other hand, offered an intriguing rationale traditional adherents engage in the consumption and development of a Christian retail industry, arguing further that "to purchase Christian products is to declare one's respectability in a country in which people are most often addressed by mass culture not as citizens but as consumers," (p 30). She proposed that Christian media have become more ambiguous citing crossover artists Jars of Clay, Sixpence None the Richer, Hansen and Creed in the Christian music industry who attained wider audience using insider language in order to appeal to evangelical supporters. Chidester (2005) suggested that "to recover the religious, creative, and imaginative capacity of America, we need to understand and appreciate the religious work and religious play of authentic fakes in American popular culture," (p vii). Butler's (2003) review on 1970s rock-an-roll band Black Oak Arkansas and their "Lord Have Mercy on My Soul" from the album Black Oak Arkansas had him comment that the "preoccupation with damnation and salvation [] is no aberration in the southern rock movement [] bands [] often expressed a seemingly earnest preoccupation with religious matters. The songs lyrics and personal lives of southern rockers demonstrate a constant struggle between sin and salvation." (p 73). He also noted that the use of evangelical ethos is seemed to be easily camouflaged with the rebellious lyrics. Spiritual Punk Rock But this essay will not look further. The most notable punk rock band Nirvana, or its late frontman Kurt Cobain will be the focus here. Zajicek (2006) quoted lecturer Dennis O'Brien, "I think he was a very religious man. He was very much influenced by Christianity, and if you listen closely enough to Nirvana, you'll find all kinds of religious thematics. You'll find that's true in a lot of rock music," referring to Cobain. In his "Smells Like Teen Spirit" 1991 anthem, Cobain wails, "I'm worse at what I do best With the lights out it's less

How the fashion process has changed in contemporary society Essay

How the fashion process has changed in contemporary society - Essay Example On the other hand, fashion was introduced in the eleventh century to Middle East from Asia and Far East. Europe experienced changes in fashion in the fourteenth century. Fashions vary according to social class, age, generation, geography, occupation, personality and time. In addiction, fashion covers nearly every aspect in lives of people including the clothes and jewelry, household items and vehicles. A person who is fashion conscious and follows it lavishly is referred to as fashionista or a fashion victim. Fashion can be promising and enthralling. It can make some people addicted to some specific designs as well as emulate appearance and lifestyle of celebrity idols. This is because most people are influenced by suggestive messages and images of what happiness and success looks projected by magazine models. Fashion has changed over time since the time of our ancestors. According to Jones (4), German Professors and historians believe that clothes were first worn forty thousand (40,000) years ago; the evidence is based on the lice that existed in the time that could survive only on fabric. The ancestors of humankind (cave dwellers) wore animal hides to protect themselves from cold and wore loin clothes during the warmer seasons in their time. Chinese created silk from the silkworms’ moth cocoons thousand of years ago while Eli Whitney invented cotton in 1972. Both cotton and silk are used to make fashionable styles of clothes. Europe witnessed a great time of change in thought and social change normally refereed to as Age of Enlightenment in the 1700s. The manufacturing machines made people to leave their long time farming activity to work in factories to produce clothing. The breakthroughs in 1700s and 1800s created room for mass production of clothes and changes in the fashion i ndustry. Some of the break through that brought changes in the fashion industry include the invention of flying shuttle by

Torture under International Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Torture under International Criminal Law - Essay Example Facts reveal that it can be committed at times of war and at peace, to a prisoner of war, a suspected civilian or a common criminal. It is defined in various international and regional laws, conventions and statutes in an attempt to curb its practice by numerous states. While originally covered in international human rights and international humanitarian laws, a number of theorists relegated it to another branch international law – that of international criminal law. The prominent definition of torture is embodied in section 1(1) of Convention Against Torture 1, to wit: â€Å"any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions† (Torture and Ill-Treatment n.d., para. 4). Four elements must exist to be considered torture under the definition, which are: a) the act must be done with intent, b) there is extreme pain and suffering , c) done for the purpose of eliciting information or other objectives, and d) consented by a public official (Torture and Ill-Treatment n.d.). The second element poses issues and disagreement as to the determination of pain and suffering, being subjective to the victim (Torture and Ill-Treatment n.d.). The same degree of pain can produce different effects upon a strong young man and an old sickly person (Torture and Ill-Treatment n.d.). While ill-treatment is not properly defined in the conventions, case

A Jazz Song Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Jazz Song Analysis - Essay Example Her vocalization, diction, and delivery are extraordinary, with a slight touch of a Southern drawl; her tenor is slow but steadfast, crude but charming, childlike but sophisticated. The song’s texture is significant all the way through, particularly at the moments when Holiday is chanting. The song starts with a unique sound but moves back when lyrics come out, and the singing of Holiday surfaces to the center stage. Hence the distancing of the arrangement of the vocal and musical components emphasizes the words that are being spoken (Kaplan 78). An instrumental sound dominates at first and then weakens a bit, and then the lyrics and the singer’s voice become the focal point for the listener. The quality of the vocals’ sound and their stable poetic rhythm further strengthen the impact of the words on the listeners. The deep-toned singing of Holiday generates a haunting and gloomy atmosphere. Likewise, the low pitch of the combined sound of the trumpet and piano produces a sad melody. Strange Fruit was composed by Abel Meeropol, a union advocate and Jewish educator, who was resentful after having a glimpse of a picture of a dreadful lynching in a magazine dedicated to the civil rights movement (Greene 58-59; Clarke 163). The photograph was an image of two Black men victimized by lynching and dangling from a tree in Marion, Indiana in the 1930s. These two men are what the ‘Strange Fruit’ symbolizes. This song was performed by a group of black musicians in an antifascist campaign (Margolick 6). In 1939, race relations in the U.S. were as terrible as before. It was nearly two decades before the civil rights movement began to bring about any actual improvement. It was at the most desperate point of the Great Depression and the public pushed Holiday to create a positive atmosphere through her lively attitude (Albertson 21; Pramuk 358). Such is

Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Geography - Essay Example Spain was the first one to establish colonies in Florida followed by other Europeans. England made its attempts to form colonies in the seventeenth century and these attempts were successful. At this time, there was no official intention to form colonies in America but the motivation among the people was to explore and live in a richer environment. The main stage of European settlements was in the eighteenth century when the thirteen fully formed European colonies started a rebellion against the British rule and soon afterwards declared themselves as independent and became the United States of America. The migration pattern, as mentioned above, was as follows; initially Spain formed settlements followed by Mexico, France, Netherland, Sweden, and then England. Short Paragraph 1 Not everyone shares equally in the economic bounties of North America. This fact can be traced back to the colonial period. The European settlers were industrially developed and they had developed different way s of farming and producing goods. All these European cultures brought these techniques with them to America and thus the economy of America developed.

Chaucer creates humour Essay Example for Free

Chaucer creates humour Essay The Merchants Tale is only rarely seen as humorous; most often it is noted for its darkness, its unrelieved acidity; it is said to offer a perversion of the courtly code.1 I disagree with this statement made by J. S. P. Tatlock. Chaucer was successful at creating humour within his narratives, which is partly why his works were, and still are, so popular. Humour can be achieved through a variety of elements including plot, characterisation, language, timing and circumstance. Chaucer used of all these, but largely drew upon the satirical portrayals of both the courtly love genre and religion within The Merchants Tale. The tale opens with The Merchant who is envious and astringent of all people that are of a higher class than he; therefore, in his narrative, he targets and satirizes the traditions of the knightly class, including the romantic conventions of courtly love often attributed to the upper classes.  Another of Chaucers tales is The Knights Tale which is about two knights and close friends, Arcite and Palamon, who are imprisoned by Theseus, duke of Athens. Whilst in prison they fall in love with the beautiful sister of Hippolyta, Emily (Emelye). The sense of competition brought about by this love causes them to hate each other. They eventually get let out of prison and fight each other to win the girl.  Arcite wins the battle, but dies before he can claim Emily, so Palamon marries her. The story introduces many typical aspects of knighthood such as courtly love and ethical dilemmas. The Merchants Tale begins with a description of Januarie who is presented, satirically, as A worthy knight. The Merchant however attempts to display to the audience that this knight is not worthy at all. He contrasts him to the knights in The Knights Tale. Theseus was tough, forceful, confident and young but Januarie is portrayed as old and fading, old and hoor. He is also shown as an exception to many knightly virtues, as he folwed al his bodily delit On women, thereas was his apetite. This portrayal of him shows the audience that he is in fact obsessed with women and sex. In the tale he attempts to gain himself a young wife, despite the warnings of his advisors. Chaucer uses the dialogue of the characters to explain to Januarie that a young wife will be difficult to keep happy at his age. He makes Januarie exclaim that She shal nat passe twenty yeer, certain Thanne shoulde I lede my lif in avoutrye,/ And go straight to the devel whan I die. Chaucer portrays him as a character envious of youth, so much so that if he cannot have a young wife he will have no choice but to sin. In other words, he must have a young wife for his own moral safety. This is not the image of a strong and powerful knight like Theseus. Januarie fails in the area of courtly love and ends up having his courtship mocked by the Merchant. This not only creates humour in the audiences eyes as we see how dim-witted Januarie really is, but it also creates sympathy for the character as he cannot help how he is portrayed. Another example of the use of satire is the whole incident with Damien, May and Januarie and the adultery issue. One could argue that May does not love Damien any more than she loves January. He could perhaps just be a suitable alternative for May to love. When she receives a love-letter from Damien, she disposes of it in the toilet (privy) which could show this lack of love for him. Therefore, her motivation for adultery could be seen as an action of revenge, as January assaulted May by marrying her, and not out of affection for Damien. This is satire on the whole theme of courtly love. This feeling of revenge on her part is further demonstrated in the cuckold scene. May deceives January in the garden and we, as the audience, cannot blame her for doing so. January built the garden so that he can have May sexually in the way he wants her. She feigns pregnancy and then steps onto Januarys back to have sex with Damien in the tree. She has been stepped on by January and now she gets to do the same to him. When Januarys sight is restored by the Gods, he rightfully accuses her of adultery. In response she acts impertinent and insulted: This thank have I for I have maad yow see/ Allas, quod she, that evere I was so kinde!'. This creates humour as the audience knows that Chaucer is satirising the idea of courtly love and cannot believe that Januarie is so dense that he believes Mays excuse.

An Analysis Of A Thousand Splendid Suns English Literature Essay

An Analysis Of A Thousand Splendid Suns English Literature Essay At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what the word harami- bastard meant. Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whos only sin is being born. Mariam did surmise, by the way Nana said the word, that it was an ugly, loathsome thing to be a harami, like an insect, like the scurrying cockroaches Nana was always cursing and sweeping out of the kolba. (P.) As I read this passage, it elucidated the faulty mother-daughter relationship held between Nana and Mariam. While I was reading this passage, I predicted that regardless of what happens, this relationship will end up in betrayal and fear. What mother or guardian would call her child a bastard, something completely out of their control and decision? Mariam neither chose nor decided that she would be an illegitimate baby or an accident. Nanas insecurity is evident as she tries to place the overbearing guilt and anger she has in her own daughter. Although Nana may love Mariam, her failure to communicate a caring facet of her personality will ultimately, in my opinion, cause the failure of a loving relationship. Youre afraid, Nana, she might have said. Youre afraid that I might find the happiness you never had. And you dont want me to be happy. You dont want a good life for me. Youre the one with the wretched heart. Pg. 27 (C.) Throughout our lives, we often fuel our hatred toward our parents or guardians because of ignorance, disappointment, or failed expectations. In our adolescence, we fail to see how much parents sacrifice for us. We say things we regret out of frustration and anger. Much like Mariam, I have also doubted my parents intentions, and how miserable they were making my life. As I matured I began to realize many things lost to my parents by making the choice to have children: freedom, commitment to jobs, time. It would seem absurd to have children, but the chance that they may give the unrivaled unconditional love found nowhere else is a worthy cause. When Mariam left Nanas side, it was not only a physical abandonment but also an emotional one. Nana may have been cold and callous, but the love and care she offered Mariam were unrivaled. You go on and cry, Mariam jo. Go on. There is no shame in it. But remember, my girl, what the Koran says, Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He Who has power over all things, Who created death and life that He may try you. The Koran speaks the truth, my girl. Behind every trial and every sorrow that He makes us shoulder, God has a reason. But Mariam could not hear comfort in Gods words. Not that day. Not then. All she could hear was Nana saying, Ill die if you go. Ill just die. All she could do was cry and cry and let her tears fall on the spotted, paper-thin skin of MullaFaiuzullahs hands. Pg. 36 (E.) Mariam undergoes an extreme change in this passage. This initial conflict acts as a foundation for a series of complications that ensue, progressively destroying the little security Mariam has after this tragic experience. Through each emotional trauma Mariam encounters, she grows stronger. Her persona depicts a strong, independent individual, evident from the beginning of the novel where she often questions authority and dreams of a bright future with war, poverty, and death hovering in silence in the area around her. Mariam had so openly walked into Jalils empty gifts with high hopes, leaving behind the only love she would ever receive in this world. Consequently, as reality set in, Mariams hope is crushed: she is unwanted, alone, and guilt-ridden.Hosseini seems to reflect upon the endless cycle of hope and crushed dreams, similar to that of real Afghan women oppressed by sexist regulations. Mariam thought of Jalil, of the empathetic, jovial way in which hed pushed his jewelry at her, the overpowering cheerfulness that left room for no response but meek gratitude. Nana had been right about Jalils gifts. They had been halfhearted tokens of penance; insincere, corrupt gestures meant more for his own appeasement than hers. This shawl, Mariam saw, was a true gift. Pg. 68 (Q.) Gifts are always meaningful to me whether it is for self-appeasement or gratitude. I do not comprehend why Mariam would think any less of Jalils gift than Rasheeds. While Jalil was bounded by guilt, Rasheed too was bounded by marriage and love. Both gifts through Mariams perspective would be insincere. Every gift has a reason, why would Jalils be an exception. The same way Jalil tried to buy Mariams forgiveness through these gifts, Rasheed was trying to buy her love. Although Rasheeds deed seems nobler, in my perspective they are relatively the same. Mariam seems to be in denial about Jalils character and role as a father. As portrayed in the passage, she tries to exact her reasons to hate him by finding fault in his gifts and other things. Mariam lay on the couch, hands tucked between her knees, watched the whirlpool of snow twisting and spinning outside the window. She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how women life us suffer, shed say. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us. Pg. 82 (P.) Throughout the book, Nanas stringent words seem emphatic as the novels universal theme. Mariams life begins to be the perfect definition of endurance, and the reader eventually sees how she grows to be the spitting image of Nana. In the passage, Mariam immediately recollects experiences with Nana following her death. The way Hosseini chose to particularly note female struggles and prejudice foreshadows the imminent future of abuse Mariam soon ensues. Another clue of foreshadowing is seen in the repercussions of Nanas words, especially endurance, which impacts Mariam greatly as she often associates Nana with it. It was Gods fault, for taunting her as He had. For not granting her what He had granted so many other women. For dangling before her, tantalizingly, what He knew would have her thegreatest happiness, then pulling it away. Pg. 84 (E.) Mariam, in her state of weakness, seems to need some reassurance that there is reason or fault behind her miscarriage. She feels the unbarring need to justify why her happiness had so easily been stripped away. Accusations were haranguing in her head, until eventually she reached the conclusion that Allah had been responsible. The way Hosseini makes Mariam question her own religion truly illustrates the extent of the scenario, where she would go as far as to question her own faith. This passage also portrays the desperate nature of Mariam. She believes that salvation can be found in the baby that had slipped away; Rasheed would be satisfied and she would be granted the privilege of being a mother. Her tower of security crumbles with this as her security and confidence idles away along with the baby. I know youre still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now, he said. Marriage can wait, education cannot. Youre a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila. I know this about you. And I also know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men, maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance. Pg. 103 (R.) Hosseini provides excellent insight of a postmodern Afghan family with this passage. Although Laila is an adolescent at the time, her fathers beliefs prove to influence the many decisions throughout her life. As the plot progresses we see Laila mature into a strong, persevered woman with the bulwark of her fathers aspirations. Hosseini brilliantly initiates this flashback to contrast the solidity of sexist attitudes portrayed by Mariams life, to provide as a beacon of hope that one day soon education will be the deciding factor of power rather than gender. A child of the revolution and the Soviet invasion, this passage foreshadows a bright future by characterizing Laila through this dialogue. Hosseini furthers his purpose beyond the plot to inspire readers to purse a future of education. Even in modern society, sexism is still an overbearing factor that continues to assault the security of women everywhere. Despite the antediluvian setting in which A Thousand Splendid Suns takes place, Hosseini exemplifies how hope still exists not only from women amidst female oppression. Sometimes Laila wondered why Mammy had even bothered having her. People, she believed now, shouldnt be allowed to have new children if theyd already given away all their love to their old ones. It wasnt fair. A fit of anger claimed her. Laila went to her room, collapsed on her bed. When the worst of it all had passed, she went across the hallway to Mammys door and knocked. When she was younger, Laila used to sit for hours outside this door. She would tap on it and whisper Mammys name over and over, like a magic chant meant to break a spell: Mammy, Mammy, Mammy, MammyBut Mammy never opened the door. She didnt open it now. Laila turned the knob and walked in. Pg. 107 (E.) This passage displays a critical point in the novel. Much like Mariam, Lailas self-worth had constantly been depreciated by Mammy, who failed to live up to the motherly figure that she was to her sons. Although Laila was too young to understand, Mammy was disillusioned by the past, lingering in memories rather than reality. The more Mammy continues to grieve about her two sons, the further away she pushes Laila. The emotional trauma Laila underwent is evident from the passage. As Mammy becomes less and less of a motherly figure, Laila too becomes less and less of a daughterly figure. I felt that throughout Lailas adolescent, she had tried to earn the respect and love of her mother. When Mammy failed to provide the care and love to quench Lailas desire for attention, Laila simply gave up. With this, Laila and Babis relationship flourished in ways Mammy and Lailas could not. In Tariqs grimace, Laila learned that boys differed from girls in this regard. They didnt make a show of friendship. They felt no urge, no need, for this sort of talk. Laila imagined it had been this way for her brothers too. Boys, Laila came to see, treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly. Pg. 119 (C.) More than once have I been in the situation Laila places Tariq in. The awkward silence between two close friends that are not exactly in a legitimate relationship. Although Lailas realization is stereotypical and a double standard, it does shed some truth for certain circumstances. I do not feel the need to express or display the obvious. I find that some girls feel insecure about friendships and constantly need clarification on the status of the relationship while boys just categorize most simply as friends. Rather than get complicated and over dramatic, boys simply enjoy the friendship as it is without labeling and categorizing. I personally do not enjoy public displays of affection mostly because I find that the constant need to satiate a girls desire grows to be a near impossible task. Women have always had it hard in this country, Laila, but theyre probably more free now, under the communists, and have more rights than theyve ever had before, Babi said, always lowering his voice, aware of how intolerant Mammy was of even remotely positive talk of the communists. But its true, Babi said, its a good time to be a woman in Afghanistan. And you can take advantage of that, Laila. Of course, womens freedom- here, he shook his head ruefully-is also one of the reasons people out there took up arms in the first placeGod forbid that should happen!Babi liked to say sarcastically. Then he would sigh, and say, Laila, my love, the only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself. Pg. 121 (C.) This passage poses a very controversial issue plaguing the world today, religious practice versus feminist struggles. As portrayed in the story, religion has often sparked many complications when poised against more new world thinkers. Babi exemplifies revolutionist ideas, the same ideas being fought over in many parts of the world. Religion has enormous influence upon societies even in the present. Sexism still pursues the daily lives of many women even in modernized societies like America. Variegated by perspective, remnants of sexism may still exist in fundamental readings such as the Bible. Sexism has grown to seem inescapable because of ignorance that has stemmed from years and years of male superiority. Well take care of her, Lailajan, one of the women said with an air of self-importance. Laila had been to funerals before where she had seen women like this, women who relished all things that had to do with death, official consolers who let no one trespass on their self-appointed dutiesSome days, Mammy said in a hoarse voice, I listen to that clock ticking in the hallway. Then I think of all the ticks, all the minutes, all the hours and days and weeks and months and years waiting for me. All of it without them. And I cant breathe then, like someones stepping on my heart, Laila. I get so weak. So weak I just want to collapse somewhere.' Pg. 124-129 (Q.) The way in which Hosseini illustrates this funeral perfectly describes the supercilious nature of people. I fail to understand why these women feel so inclined to only take part of Mammys life when they are invited to do so. Furthermore, why is it that Mammy continues to neglect Laila even in her time of weakness? As Hosseini described it, these women were official consolers who let no one trespass on their self-appointed duty. Laila had tried to be there during Mammys moments of weakness, only to be pushed further and further away from any chances of a legitimate relationship. While Mammy mourns for her sons, she is completely unaware that Laila is her child. She laments how horrid life will be without taking into account of her only remaining child. What truly bewilders me is why Mammy insists to be so unaware of her own childs palpable state of depression. Mammy was soon asleep, leaving Laila with dueling emotions: reassured that Mammy meant to live on, stung that she was not the reason. She would never leave her mark on Mammys heart the way her brothers had, because Mammys heart was like a pallid beach where Lailas footprints would forever wash away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed, swelled and crashed. Pg. 130 (CL.) Hosseini further elaborates upon the complications developing between Mammy and Laila. The figurative language justly describes the anguish subjected to Laila. Despite Lailas efforts to leave an impression on Mammy, Mammy remains lost in the memories of her deceased sons. Laila had been devoid of a motherly figure throughout her childhood, and still so even after the sole attention of Mammy had passed on. The dueling emotions Laila feels signifies one of the first internal conflicts Laila undergoes. This internal conflict ultimately clarifies the abandonment that Mammy had so long initiated. Faced with the harsh reality, this passage elucidates Mammys insecurities. When stripped of her very pride and glory, Mammy returns to the safety of her memories, longing for the impossibility of seeing her sons again. With the passing of time, she would slowly tire of this exercise. She would find it increasingly exhausting to conjure up, to dust off, to resuscitate once again what was long dead. There would come a day, in fact, years later, when Laila would no longer bewail his loss. Or not as relentlessly; not nearly. There would come a day when the details of his face would begin to slip form memorys grip, when overhearing a mother on the street call after he child by Tariqs name would no longer cut her adrift. She would not miss him as she did now, when the ache of his absence was her unremitting companion- like the phantom pain of an amputee. Pg. 168 (E.) Hosseini uses a flash-forward technique to drastically contrast how much Laila truly misses Tariq. Tariqs departure alters Lailas progressive thoughts about the future and replaces them with dismal illusions. This event symbolically marks when the repercussions of war finally reach Laila, as her life is slowly but surely destroyed by violence and terror. Throughout the first half of the novel, Tariq had always acted as hope and the very reason why Laila bothered waking up every morning. As Tariq and Laila split paths, the hopes and aspirations slowly disipate into a struggle for survival. She realizes now that forgetting Tariq is inevitable and prolonging will leave her with regrets, but cannot bring her to do so. Mm. He smiled sadly.I cant believe Im leaving Kabul. I went to school here, got my first job here, became a father in this town. Its strange to think that Ill be sleeping beneath another citys skies soon. Its strange for me too. All day, this poem has been bouncing around in my head. Saib-e-Tabrizi wrote it back in the seventeenth century, I think. I used to know the whole poem, but all I can remember now is two lines: One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.' Pg. 172 (C.) As Babi departs, he cannot help but mention the most prominent and significant lines in this novel. Hosseini brilliantly initiates these lines from the poem Kabul as a resolution for Lailas childhood, a subplot in the novel. The two lines flawlessly capture the essence of nostalgia, a feeling most readers are familiar with. While reading this, I remembered departing from Taiwan with the same feeling of nostalgia illustrated in this passage. At first view, Taiwan was just a mundane rural country infested with people; however, the memories I shared with my family here cannot be denoted by words. An authors job is to successfully build a relationship with the reader as Hosseini successfully does. Hosseinis choice in using figurative language allows for more imagination and understanding rather than a blatant perception of nostalgia. Laila wasnt listening anymore. She was remembering the day the man from Panjshir had come to deliver the news of Ahmads and Noors deaths. She remembered Babi, white-faced, slumping on the couch, and Mammy, her hand flying to her mouth when she heard. Laili had watched Mammy come undone that day and it had scared her, but she hadnt felt any true sorrow. She hadnt understood the awfulness of her mothers loss. Now another stranger bringing news of another death. Now she was the one sitting on the chair. Was this her penalty, then, her punishment for being aloof to her own mothers suffering? Pg. 188 (E.) Laila had already felt the repercussions of war before when Tariq had left her. Now, however, as the war scene shifts towards Kabul, she feels the overwhelming influence war has upon her and those close to her. The news of Tariqs death stabbed at Lailas old wounds. Hosseini draws a clear line between death and abandonment with this passage. This passage clearly defines the relationship in which Tariq and Laila had shared, one that was far greater than any other relationship. Despite how the war had killed all of her family members, Lailas security, that had remained untouched for so long, had finally broken. It is evident that Tariq was more than a mere friend or brother. Tariq was an unrivaled lover that Laila knew could never be replaced. A love that had blossomed as children, Lailas childhood had finally collapsed upon her. Why have you pinned your little heart to an old, ugly hag like me? Mariam would murmur into Azizas hair. Huh? I am nobody, dont you see? A dehati. What have I got to give you? But Aziza only muttered contentedly and dug her face in deeper. And when she did that, Mariam swooned. Her eyes watered. Her heart took flight. And she marveled at how, after all these years of rattling loose, she had found in this little creature the first true connection in her life of false, failed connections. Pg. 226 (CL.) Hosseinis use of dialogue in this passage truly makes for a heartaching moment in the novel. Never before has Mariam understood what unconditional love felt like. Mariam matured expecting the worse in people after having been surrounded by lies and deceit throughout her adolescence. Those she cared about were either guilt ridden or stripped away by the war. She was insecure, callous, and alone. When Aziza is introduced, Mariam finally realizes she is not alone, or rather; she does not have to be alone anymore. She tears down her walls that had so long prevented her from forming any true heartwarming relationships. Most of all, however, she learns how to forgive and forget, no longer grieving over what had happened by rather hoping for what has yet to happen. This passage clarifies very well the personality and persona of Mariam. Seasons had come and gone; presidents in Kabul had been inaugurated and murdered; an empire had been defeated; old wars had ended and new ones had broken out. But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared. She had passed these years in a distant corner of her mind. A dry, barren field, out beyond wish and lament, beyond dream and disillusionment. There, the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion. And whenever those twin poisonous flowers began to sprout in the parched land of that field, Mariam uprooted them. She uprooted them and ditched them before they too hold. Pg. 229 (R.) Hosseini augments the distinction between marriage and true love. Mariam, although forced into marriage, had remained optimistic, hopeful, that perhaps what had been simply a coincidence would blossom into contentment and what she believes to be true love. As disappointment after disappointment occur, this dream shatters and dissolves into torment. A prospect of human nature that Hosseini seems to instill into the reader is how emotional pain cannot be simply mitigated or eradicated. Moreover, such pain, if continually nurtured, will embody a permanent scar in ones beliefs, aspirations, and ultimately personality as witnessed in Mariam. The connotation of the figurative language used to describe Mariams feeling reflect the anguish and insecurity subjected to her, for example, She had passed these years in a distant corner of her mind. A dry, barren field, out beyond wish and lament, beyond dream and disillusionment. Hosseini elegantly words this passage to truly allow the reader to relate to the callous state Mariam has slipped into as a result of an arranged marriage. Love and hope, once regarded greatly by her, are simply whisked away. The security she once had with her loved ones had devolved into a void of self-pity. It wasnt the fear of bleeding to death that made her drop the spoke, or even the idea that the act was damnable- which she suspected it was. Laila dropped the spoke because she could not accept what the Mujahideen readily had: that sometimes in war innocent life had to be taken. Her war was against Rasheed. The baby was blameless. And there had been enough killing already. Laila had seen enough killing of innocents caught in the crossfire of enemies. Pg. 253 (E.) Hosseini captures the true essence of developing Lailas character as the protagonist of the novel. When faced with the realities of war invading every aspect of her life, Laila is lost, confused, and much like Mariam, alone. She attempts to cope with all the problems that shortly ensue after losing her beloved parents, but only manages to avoid them. Thoughts, opinions, and ideas were all things Laila could escape with perseverance and determination, however, reality soon catches up with a tangible breathing being. The moment Laila makes the distinction between politics and her personal life is when she fully matures into an adult. Shortly after this realization, Laila makes a connection with the baby- much like herself, he was the result of being caught in the crossfire of enemies, where in this instance are her and Rasheed. Laila begins understanding the true value of human life, and how easily it is taken away. Clearly against the mindless violence, Laila chooses not to stoop down to the Mujahideens method of murder. Death from starvation suddenly became a distinct possibility. Some chose not to wait for it. Mariam heard of a neighborhood widow who had ground some dried bread, laced it with rat poison, and fed it to all seven of her children. She had saved the biggest portion of herself. Pg. 272 (C.) Poverty and world hunger are two critical issues plaguing many parts of the world. Hosseini distinctly provides an example of how torturous life is in indigenous third world countries, where death is a plausible option of starving. Things we take for granted such as food, shelter, and family are scarce and near extinct in war-torn places such as Afghanistan. Hosseini instills a powerful image into the reader by bringing children into the equation rather than adults. Children that have been deprived of education, friendship, and other fundamental things such as fun are not given the opportunity to live life to the fullest extent. The most compelling aspect of this, however, is how the widow had chosen to take the lives of seven children, all of which were too young to make an adequate decision, in addition to her. It isnt your fault. Do you hear me? Not you. Its those savages, those wahshis, who are to blame. They bring shame on me as a Pashtun. Theye disgraced the name of my people. And youre not alone, hamshira. We get mothers like you all the timeall the timemothers who come here that cant feed their children because the Taliban wont let them go out and make a living. So you dont blame youself. No one here blames you. I understand. He leaned forward. Hamshira I understand.' Pg. 283 (R.) Zaman, the orphanage director, is one of the few characters that understands and relates to Laila. Often times people fall into a deep state of disillusionment when reality has grown too real, per se. As reality hits a breaking point where fault is found in near everything and no one takes blame, people begin blaming themselves. Bystanders that are powerless to make a change find fault in themselves for not having enough money, enough control, or enough courage. It is an innate behavior to always want to help whether you do or do not have the ability to. Finding someone who understands this, however, is rare in war torn countries like Kabul. The world is not fair; power does not directly correlate with hard work and perseverance. People will blame others for events that are completely out of their control, while others will take the effort to actually take part in the resolution. Mariam wished for so much in those final moments. Yet as she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her. She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Mariam thought, that she should die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings. Pg. 329 (R.) Mariam had throughout her life expected the worst in people and herself. Faith, hope, and trust had all withered along with each new chapter of her life. At these last moments of her life, Mariam finally begins to see the positive aspects of her life rather than the negative. People in general always bury themselves in a pit of self-pity when cornered, confused, and in their moment of weakness. They try to run away from realitys responsibilities through lies, rejection, and solitude. However, eventually, reality catches up to them and they realize the only person to blame is themselves for not taking a chance, the opportunity to love and trust again. Mariam took a leap of faith by extending her hands as a gesture of friendship toward Laila. Hosseini seems to have intended this passage to leave an everlasting mark on the reader: despite all of the things he or she was not able to complete, all the aspirations and motives he or she did try to achieve are what truly defines him or her as a person. Im sorry, Laila says, marveling at how every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief. And yet, she sees, people find a way to survive, to go on. Laila thinks of her own life and all that has happened to her, and she is astonished that she too has survived, that she is alive and sitting in this taxi listening to this mans story. Pg. 350 (E.) Laila beings to realize how narrow minded she had been thinking ever since the ripples of war had destroyed the very essence of Kabul. She sees how the repercussions of war have simply augmented the problems of everyone including her. No longer is she in her own circle of torment when she realizes almost everyone is struggling for survival, some worse off than her. The belief that there are still people alive and trying to reconstruct their lives gives Laila hope that is not directly stated by Hosseini. This taxi driver, a seemingly insignificant character, introduces Laila to hope for Kabul and most of all herself. Before Laila had only taken into account her own life rather than Kabul in general. Laila watches Mariam glue strands of yarn onto her dolls head. In a few years, this little girl will be a woman who will make small demands on life, who will never burden others, who will never let on that she too has had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that have been ridiculed. A woman who will be like a rock in a riverbed, enduring without complaint, her grace not sullied but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her. Already Laila sees something behind this young girls eyes, something deep in her core, that neither Rasheed nor the Taliban will be able to break. Something as hard and unyielding as a block of limestone. Something that, in the end, will be her undoing and Lailas salvation. Pg. 355 (E.) This scene follows shortly after the death of Mariam as Laila visits Mariams old home. Laila has a flashback and sees Mariam mature progressively, however, rather than seeing the negative, she notes all the positive aspects of her life. This passage is critical in the story as it is one of the few scenes marked by salvation and generosity; one where a character is defined by her personality and traits rather than her tragedies and losses. This passage acts as Lailas show of gratitude without a direct statement. The most prominent quality Laila seems to emphasize the most is Mariams unfaltering loyalty to those she loves and cares about. Hosseinis use of figurative language and imagery makes this passage graceful and justified as a reminiscent of Mariam and her sacrifice. The interpretations of this passage are endless, as the figurative language invokes a more abstract definition of Mariam rather than direct characterization. I hope you do not think that I am trying to buy your forgiveness. I hope you will credit me with knowing that your forgiveness is not for sale. It never was. I am merely giving you, if belatedly, what was rightfully yours all along. I was not a dutiful father to you in life. Perhaps in death I can be.Now all

The Cause of Macbeths Destruction in William Shakespeares Macbeth Ess

The Cause of Macbeth's Destruction in William Shakespeare's Macbeth      Ã‚   In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth was a well-respected man of noble birth, but his fortune was reversed after he turned to darkness. He plummeted endlessly into a chasm of evil until his corrupt life was ended on the edge of Macduff's blade. Whose actions opened up the path of darkness to Macbeth? Whose actions led to Macbeth's demise? The answer is threefold. The weird sisters set Macbeth's fate into motion. Lady Macbeth goaded her husband towards the acts of evil that doomed him. Macbeth himself made the choices that cemented his dreadful end. The weird sisters, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth himself all served to bring about Macbeth's downfall.    The weird sisters where a malevolent trio that were bent on destroying Macbeth. They initiated the series of events that destroyed Macbeth and tormented the land of Scotland. With the prophetic greeting, "All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter", the weird sisters gave Macbeth the confidence to fulfill his scheme of regicide (Shakespeare 184). Without the sisters' prophecy that his plans would succeed, Macbeth may never had the temerity to assassinate the King of Scotland and force his way to the throne. Without the confirmation of the witches, Macbeth would have remained an honorable thane and would have averted the path of darkness. Besides simply initiating Macbeth's destruction, the weird sisters helped cement it. An apparition summoned by the weird sisters told Macbeth, "Be bloody, bold, and resolute, laugh to scorn / the power of man, for none of woman born / shall harm Macbeth" (Shakespeare 226). This prophecy gave Macbeth a sense of security because all me n are ... ...beth, the weird sisters plotted and initiated the downfall of Macbeth. Lady Macbeth helped move along the process of her husband's damnation. The flaw-filled Macbeth chose a path marked with signs of evil, murder, and mayhem. All parties contributed their own integral elements to the downfall of Macbeth. All were partly to blame for the climatic downfall of the treacherous Macbeth. All were responsible for spreading that most ruinous peculiarity known as evil.       Sources Consulted:    Schlegel, August Wilhelm.   Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Lectures on   Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul  Ã‚   Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. New York: Penguin Books, 1987 Wills, Gary. Witches & Jesuits. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.  

Physics of the Theremin Musical Instrument :: physics theremin

The theremin is an electronic musical instrument that is played using electrical fields. When it was first introduced, people were shocked to see this instrument that could be played without even touching it. The theremin unsually is tuned so that it has a range of three and a half octaves. The theremin's operation is based on the theory of beat frequencies. Two antennas stick out on each side. Usually a vertical antenna is located on the right which controls the pitch. The closer the players hand is, the higher the pitch. A horizontal loop antenna is located on the left and controls the volume. The closer the hand is, the louder the volume. Patented in 1928 by Leon Theremin, the theremin has not escaped its original status as a novelty instrument. Most people have heard the theremin, even though they may not recognize it. The theremin is a staple of sci-fi films, particularly classic ones. It is not as prominent today but it has featured in recent movies such as Mars Attacks and Ed Wood. The theremin was invented in 1921 by Leon Theremin (nee Lev Termen). It is one of the most important musical instruments of the twentieth century because it is the first electronic intsrument. Leon Theremin first came up with the idea for the theremin when in high school. He noticed depending on how close a person stands to a Tesla coil, the coil hums in different pitches. After its inveiling in 1921, Theremin toured his instrument around Russia, sparking the curiosity of almost everybody who saw it. The theremin made its way to America in 1928, where it gained more popularity. In 1929, RCA bought the rights to manufacture the instrument. Leon Theremin stayed in America, where he met Clara Rockmore, the theremin's first virtuoso. Theremin worked on many variations of his original instrument including the Terpsitone (controlled by the entire body), an electric cello, and a theremin controlled only by the eyes. In 1954 Robert Moog (famous for his synthesizers of the same name) started production of the theremin. His company, Big Briar Inc., still produces them today. It also produces kits for those who wish to build their own theremin. The popularity of the theremin started to rise again and it was included in several movies (The Day the Earth Stood Still, Spellbound, and Lost Weekend). The Beach Boys and Led Zeppelin both used it in their hit songs "Good Vibrations" and "Whole Lotta Love," respectively.

Analyzing Shakespearean Sonnet Essay -- William Shakespeare Sonnet Ess

Analyzing Shakespearean Sonnet William Shakespeare's sonnet, That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold emphasizes that death is upon us stressing on the importance of love. By using metaphors he relates death to nature. Using symbolism of autumn leaves, twilight and glowing fire evolving to one conclusion awaiting death. By using Iambic meter he is showing a rising effect to get to the climax of the sonnet. Shakespeare shows how his character is weighed down by torment that his life is coming to an end. He is in search of sympathy saying if you see me like this you will love me even more. Therefore saying, love me now before I am gone or it may be too late. That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In quatrain one, Shakespeare has come to the understanding that death is upon him by describing the changes of autumn leaves, bordering on the aging process and his hair turning gray. The boughs which shake are the tremors his body is having reminding himself once more that he is not as young as he use to be and ageing has left him feeling like he has lost the power to write. By focusing on the fact that ageing is a slow and discouraging process he is building on the hopes that someone will feel sorry for him and acknowledge the fact that he may die soon. In me thou see'st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in...

Essay 2

The Changes of Life Love, relationship, and sacrifice are very common in a relationship between two people. In the short stories of â€Å"Tommy† by Kelly Ruth Winter and â€Å"The Night of Oranges† by Flavius Stan shows these themes that the characters go through. However, there are also differences between the two stories and how they interact with their loved ones. For instances, Winter continued in love with Tommy throughout her life and Stan shows his love for his brother by buying a gift for him on Christmas.It shows their sacrifice they made to prove their love for them. Winter and Stan both expresses their love and sacrifice yet they displayed it in a different way. The stories â€Å"Tommy† and â€Å"The Night of Oranges† are about love and relationships. However, in both stories the characters have a different relationship. In â€Å"Tommy† the relationship between the characters are a boy and a girl love. When Tommy was eight years old, he e xpresses his feelings toward Winter by tapping his shoes to make the sound â€Å"I love you† (Winter 27).In â€Å"The Night of Oranges† the relationship between the characters are fraternal. Stan shows his love for his brother by buying oranges for him as a gift for Christmas. When Stan hears that there were oranges that are selling at the market he thought he wanted to do something important and give his brother a big surprise (Stan 31). The characters in both stories are very loving towards their loved ones and would do anything to make them happy.

Locke’s Second Treatise of Government Essay

Introduction In this essay, I would like to discuss Locke’s Second Treatise of Government section 131. This essay is divided into four parts. In the first part, I would like to interpret what Locke’s position is developed in section 131 and in the next part, I would like to discuss how Locke supports this position by tracing back to the origin of government. Then in the third part, I would like to point out some flaws in this position by arguing evidences provided by Locke to support his position. The last part of my essay is the conclusion. Locke’s Position in Section 131 In section 131, Locke explained that the ultimate aim of uniting a society is to protect the security and property of the people and developed the position that the society should never extend its power farther than the common good of citizens because its supreme power is originated from the consent of people. In a word, according to Locke, the society is obligated to secure their property and is limited by the consent of people. In order to prove the limits of the government, Locke traces back to the origin of government: why man is willing to give up his freedom and subject himself to the dominion of a commonwealth instead of staying in the state of nature where he has right to everything. Three Inconveniences in the State of Nature According to Locke, for a rational man, the reason why man is willing to surrender their rights, though man has right to do anything without being affected by the will of others within the law of nature in the state of nature is the uncertainty of his preservation. The enjoyment is unsafe. Because man is partial to his own interest and is lacking awareness of the law of nature ‘That being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions’ (Chapter 2, Section 6) and there are probably continual invasions of others. As a result of this, there are three inconveniences under those circumstances. The first inconvenience is that there are no such established and well-known laws which can be used as the standard to judge what is right and what is wrong so that everyone is uncertain about their future and their property including their security, estate and possession etc. Or if there is a united society, The second one is that there is no popular and indifferent judge to rigidly distinguish between right and wrong by the established law. Everyone can be the judge himself in the state of nature, but they always tend to bias to themselves, their friends and families. The third one is that there is no power to ensure the punishment. In the state of nature, everyone has the right to punish whoever breaks the law of nature. According to Locke, it is executive power. But that may put them in a dangerous situation so that the punishment is hard to be carried out. The origin of the Government According to Locke, due to all these defects in the state of nature, people were thinking about uniting a commonwealth. Surrendering their rights to a sovereign which can use the supreme power to protect them is a remedy. The right of government comes from its subjects, and the government can never override them. Locke’s Solutions to Restrict the Power of the Government and My argument From my perspective, I think Locke’s position on the limits of government seems kind of idealistic. The biggest question is how citizens can ensure that after the government gains the supreme power, it does what it is expected to do as original intention. Political power has a character to expand itself. If there is no limit of power of the sovereign, even though he is a man who has a good virtue, it is still uncertain that he governs the society following the law without any extemporary decrees all the time. Hence, Locke provides three solutions to restrict the power of the government. There might be some fIaws in them. I would like discuss all of them below step by step. The first solution that Locke provides is that the government is limited by the law established by the consent of the majority. When the sovereign rules the state, he must obey the laws which made by the majority rather than govern it by his own will. â€Å"And so whoever has the legislative or supreme power of any commonwealth, is bound to govern by established standing laws, promulgated and known to the people, and not by extemporary decrees† (Chapter 9, Section 131) From my perspective, obviously there is no coercive power to guarantee that the government is run by the law except revolution (I will it discuss in the third point.) Moreover, it is also questionable whether there exists such kind of law which is able to represent the common good indeed. Even in our times when the legal system is more developed than the times when Locke lived, a large number of flaws can be found in our laws. Locke argues that laws can be updated. But no matter how up-to-date the law is, it still cannot cover everyone’s interest. The universal of controversy cannot be avoided as long as people are in the different situation. Locke himself admitted that when man enters into a society, he gives up his equality â€Å"when they enter into society, give up the equality†. (Chapter 9, Section 131) As there are different classes of citizens, they must have some different interests, which make them in different statuses of society. There is no contradiction unless there is no difference among people. Even that we are equal before the law, we cannot be protected by the laws equally. For instance, is a person is too poor to afford a lawyer, when his right is impaired, he cannot protect his right by law means and if a person has not studied laws, his property might be invaded without knowing it. If the inconvenience is caused by the ignorance, there is no distinct difference between the state of nature and the commonwealth. Furthermore, if there are conflicting interests between a person and the government, it will be in a dilemma. In this situation, if the person protects his own interest by law, interests of government will be impaired. And in the long run that may lead to the impairment of interests of more  people even include the first man who tried to protect his interests by law. Locke may argue that in his second method that he advocates the division of political power and that he divides supreme power into three: legislative, executive and foreign power. What the government has is just executive power. The parliament has right to making law. And the government is run by the law. How can it do beyond the law? Moreover, the legislative power which belongs to citizens is always higher than executive power. It is one of the greatest contributions of Locke that he advocates to make legislative and executive powers apart, but in comparison to three individual powers: legislative, executive powers and judicial review in political system today are employed, like the United State of America, It is not hard to find out the lack of judicial review in Locke’s theory. Locke only divided legislature and executive branches. It seems that the structure of the government created by Locke is less developed than that of today. Without judicial review, the balance of power is weaker. Even our modern society in which there judicial system exists, the administration tends to gain power from time to time. For example, under the circumstance that judicial review exists, it seems that the strength of the president becomes stronger and stronger in the US. Moreover, Locke thinks that legislature could be formed of not only representatives but also the noble or a single hereditary person who has an executive power. â€Å"Let us suppose then the legislative placed in the concurrence of three distinct persons. 1. A single hereditary person, having the constant, supreme, executive power, and with it the power of convoking and dissolving the other two within certain periods of time. 2. An assembly of hereditary nobility. 3. An assembly of representatives chosen, pro tempore, by the people.† (Chapter 16, Section 213) That weakens the strength of legislative further. Even though those two solutions cannot completely ensure the government is run in the right way, Locke provides the third solution that people can take back their rights that they gave to the government by revolution and transfer rights to another sovereign if the government breaks the law of  nature. However, another problem may rise. There is the limit of revolution that Locke provides. According to Locke, the revolution could be legimate only carried out by the majority. What if what the government did is just harmful to the interest of the minority? Can the government united with the majority benefit from the minority by abusing their rights? The only thing that they can do is bearing subject themselves under the exploit. I do not think that Locke himself would like to become one of the minority members in that situation. Sometimes the good of the majority is not necessary the good of the minority. That is also an action of beyond the common good. It can be imagined that the consequence of benefit from doing harm to a small group of people is no difference with a political system of tyranny. In conclusion, Locke supports his statement that the government can only do the common good and never override citizens by tracing back the origin of the government. Because of three inconveniences in the state of nature, people are willing to transfer their rights to a government. The right of government comes from the consent of people, so it can never extend farther. And Locke provides three means to limit the power of government. However, I suggest that there might be some difficulties to carry out these measures. There is no such coercive power to compel the government to play its role by laws. Furthermore, there is a doubt if such kind of laws representing the common good existing. And there is no judicial review to decide whether and when actions break the law. The action of revolutions does not working all the time. The rule of revolution Locke provided may be the legitimate basis of putting the minority in the tyranny of the majority. But in any case, Locke’s theory shows us the end of the society and the idea, the balance of power, and directs us to think about the way to improve the political system and make it more democratic.

Philippine Prehistory: Lessons from the Historical Past Essay

Throughout the weeks of this course, I’ve learned a lot more about the Philippines as a place, as well as the people themselves and about the things they do. Before, I just went with the stereotypes that everyone says about Filipino’s, they’re all short, they’re poor, etc. In some cases, that remains true, but not for all of them out there. They also seem to be more advanced in technology than I thought they were. There is a lot more to the people, the country, the culture and their rich history. Some things I didn’t know about the Philippines were that they had established their own writing system before they had any contact or knowledge about other people or languages in the world. Baybayin or Alibata consisted of 14 consonants and 3 vowels, while using dots on the tops and bottoms of characters to distinguish consonants with certain vowels and a cross beneath character which takes out the vowel, leaving just the consonant. They also had technology of tools, using them to engrave the Baybayin writing into bamboo poles and creating the Angono Petroglyphs and the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI). The LCI was found and nobody knew what it was, nor did anyone want it. But it held important information about how society was back then. The inscription was about the forgiveness of a debt. It was linked to several cities that still exist now. The Angono Petroglyphs exist in a cave in the province of Rizal. They contain images on rock walls of animals and humans that date back to 3000 B. C. Now days, due to erosion of the walls and defacing of the walls, some images have become indistinguishable. Another thing about the Philippines that I didn’t know about was the Tabon man. The Tabon man is reported the oldest known set of bones found in the Tabon Caves said to date back 30,000 years making it the oldest remains found in the Philippines. Some also believe it to be a woman. Some geologic things I didn’t know about were that the Philippines have three sections; Palawan, Mindanao, and Visayas. Within these areas, there are over 100 different languages spoken, although the national language is Filipino. In Mindanao, it is the place where the Islam religion is most prominent. It was introduced 100 years before Christianity. The Philippines consist of 7,100 Islands, but some of them only being above sea level in low tide, and under sea levels in high tide. There are only around 500 islands that are larger than 1 square mile and only 800 of the 7,100 are inhabited. The Philippines, as a whole, is about 194 times larger than Hawaii. There are two pronounced seasons, wet and dry, where June – November is wet and December – March is dry. Manila is the Capital of the Philippines and the Philippines has the 2nd largest mall in the world, the Mall of Asia. The Philippines is different than how I had looked at it before, and now I know more about their culture and how they live. This history is important because it shows where these people have been and where they are going. Although there might be some bad things throughout history here and there, it’s what brought the country to where it is now. This Country has more to offer than what I previously had thought and in my eyes, it seems like a pretty nice place to visit or live in.

The Tracker

– Code’s and conventions essay The tracker (sic) is an Australian art house film that represents Australia’s history through the stereotypical associations of the 5 men: the tracker, The Fanatic, The Veteran, The Follower and The Fugitive. Rolf DeHeer’s film uses a broad range of feature film conventions, which help represent the Indigenous culture, in both a negative and positive lines of light. Traditional values of Indigenous culture dictate the culture as both un-knowledge and uncivilised with no right to power. While the colonist culture was viewed as a civilised society, which could control the actions of others, but as times progressed the Indigenous culture was given more right to power and is now viewed as an equal to the European society by the minority of the country. Indigenous Australians were highly regarded to as the lower class citizens of Australia’s settlement, because their values and views were different to the Europeans as they could not read and write in English, but through time many aspects of the culture have grown in values of knowledge, language and rituals. These changes are represented through the film in varying scenes and chapters. The film is said to represent not individuals, but the whole of society (this is represented by the use of historical, metonymic characters). In a close up shot of the tracker’s hand, holding a mixture of bush tucker represents the idea of the knowledge the traditional Indigenous culture actually held. The close up shot of the tracker’s hand filled with flowers, bugs and insects intertwined with the native bushes of South Australia reinforces the knowledge of the Indigenous culture. It represents the idea of the tracker being a strong, wise individual with the knowledge and persistence to create an anaesthetic to drug the follower at a safe level, causing no harm. The need to keep the follower uninvolved in the murder of the fanatic, illustrates the tracker as a cultural character as he doesn’t want to be defined as ‘the villain’. In society this relates to an individual’s desire to be loved by other members of society and their acts to be viewed as ‘heroic’ and positive. As the film progresses, the men travel through the bush further away from civilisation and further away from the colonist power. As they travel toward their destination acts of betrayal, knowledge and connection to the land are displayed. In a shot the tracker is seen in the foreground, with the 2 remaining European men behind on horseback. The tracker walked at a steady, loping pace leading the way. His eyes only left the ground to search the surrounding cliffs of the bush filled gullies around him. The tracker comes to a stop after noticing the damp soil of where a rock once stood. To the tracker this was enough evidence to estimate how far ahead the fugitive was. In the dialogue of the shot the follower is heard questioning the wisdom of the tracker as he claims that he is leading the fanatic and the follower, but after explanation the follower is proven wrong and says ‘sorry’ to the tracker. The shot represents the cultural desire for an apology from the European culture to the Indigenous people, for the manslaughter, acts of violence, mockery and the stolen generation. At this point in the film the progression of the power change is seen immensely as all hope is brought back into the trackers face. The director has used the soundtrack ‘all men walk the path they choose’ to dictate the importance of being an individual and standing up for what is right. The diagetic soundtrack is an important piece in the film, as it contrasts all the metonymic characters together. As a counterpoint to the stereotypical role is the powerful song ‘all men choose the path they walk’. The song is is lyrically appropriate, which underscores the rhythm of the men’s walking pace as they walk/ride and each man has a featured verse that dictates their mood’s and feelings towards their journey. Apart from the soundtrack the director has used many appropriate patterns of progression to illustrate the growth of the character throughs; lose of power, removal of uniform, the chain, the separation at camps and the paintings symbolizing acts of violence, these are just some of the more obvious codes and conventions used within the film. Throughout the film the tracker is seen removing his uniform, at first his hat is thrown off into the bush after leaving the colonial civilisation, his shirt and shoes are also removed after the fanatic has lost his power, and by the end of the movie the tracker is seen getting up on horseback. These shots represent the idea of the loss of colonial power within the group. Traditional values wouldn’t accept the idea of the fanatic being over powered and the tracker being wiser then a white man. Within the film there are countless acts of violence portrayed towards the Indigenous Australians. Out of respect oil paintings were produce to display the massacres and torture. Peter Coad was commissioned to paint 14 landscape and figurative works of art for inclusion in the film. The paintings were used ingeniously to display violence in the film, a method that works to both soften the impact of the actions, and also make them so much more powerful. The works are portrayed beautifully into the landscape of the film, using dramatic and bold colour to depict the shocking and harsh nature of the Australian bush land. The director has used codes and conventions to accurately place the tracker as an Indigenous man that undoubtedly combines the best of both cultures, in his sense of what is appropriate. The characters that were capable of changed have done so while the others have perished in their journey. In today’s society the chicken twisties factory sell most of their products to penguins. _____ By Jaime Martens

Case study Response Case of the Rotary Compressor Essay

Case study Response Case of the Rotary Compressor - Essay Example Another factor that caused the disaster was lack of expertise for successful design and implementation of the venture. While suggestions were made for outsourcing, and an experienced personnel offered services besides proposals for joint ventures with experienced organizations, General electric resorted to using its personnel that turned out to be inefficient. Reducing the testing period for the product from the proposed two years to two months is another cause of the disaster as flaws could not be adequately detected (Evans, 2007). Responsibility over these failures lies with both the line supervisor and the company’s top management. The line supervisor failed to recognize the potential threats to the project’s success and to enlighten the top management for informed decision making. The management is also responsible for its decision to use internal human resource for the project instead of the proposed outsourcing (Evans, 2007). The disaster might have been prevented by the management implementation of suggestions and recommendations at lower level of the organization’s structure. These included the expressed opinions of the company’s engineering technicians as well as a consultant’s opinion that called for extra measures in undertaking the project. Respecting the proposals would have designed an efficient product, free from the later identified faults. Another possible initiative that could have prevented the disaster is competence in decision making among the organization’s top management. Similarly, adherence to the originally stipulated ‘two-year’ testing period would have identified the project’s problems for either corrective measures or alternative projects (Evans, 2007). The major learnt lesson from the case is the fact that operational efficiency is a very important aspect in a production process. Such efficiencies require focus from a project’s first step, which is preliminary research on feasibility, up to evaluation of a

Income and Substitution Effects of a Price Change Essay

Income and Substitution Effects of a Price Change - Essay Example Complete, reflexive and transitive are the axioms of consumer theory. The theory of consumer preferences can be formulated on the basis of the above axioms (Samuelson, 1956. p.3). The two axes represent a typical consumption of a consumer of goods 1 and 2. A consumption bundle (x1,x2) is taken along with the other consumption bundles that are preferred weakly to the selected bundle. This is what we mean by a set that is weakly preferred. The indifference curve is formed by the bundles forming the boundary of the selected set i.e. the bundles that will provide the consumer as much satisfaction as the selected bundle. The indifference curve can be drawn through any consumption bundle. One of the disadvantages in using indifference curve analysis is that it shows only the consumption bundle perceived by the consumer is indifferent. It fails to capture the bundles which are better or worse. One of its characteristics is indifference curve that represents distinct preferential levels cannot cross. The rate at which the consumer likes to substitute goods is called the marginal rate of substitution. MRS is derived from the slope of the indifference curve The budget constraint of the consumer is p1x1+p2x2=m. The consumption of good 1 is taxed at a rate of t. The new budget constraint will be (p1+t)x1+p2x2=m. The effect of the change in price on the demand conditions is shown in the figure below. The set of bundles that are preferred by a consumer to the optimal choice is above the indifference curve and the set of bundles that is against the affordability is above the indifference curve. Hence the optimal choice is the best bundle that can be chosen by the consumer. Now, an income tax is taken into consideration which raises the revenue by the same amount as the tax. The form of that budget constraint will be p1x1+p2x2=m-tx1*, where tx1* is the rise in revenue because of tax.

Olympic games in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Olympic games in China - Essay Example est import trading partner and the 11th export partner to the USA but by the year 2005, China had become the second largest import and the fourth largest export partner and the third largest trading partner overall next to Mexico, Canada and Japan. China has emerged as the main strategic partner to the USA. The USA has identified China as one of its top ten emerging markets. Just like commodities, capital requires high capital markets, and hence the USA has heavily invested in the Chinese markets, and this is a clear demonstration that China has become the largest overseas market for the USA capital. China and the USA have recorded remarkable achievement in terms of financial cooperation and by the year 2005, China was holding US$254.4 in US treasury bonds as well as a considerable number of US private securities and stocks. Consequently, by 2005, the foreign reserve of China reached US$810 billion and 60 percent of this was USA capital. The trade between the two countries has been, however, faced with numerous challenges emanating from the increasing friction and conflicts like RMB exchange rates, Intellectual Property Rights, market access and trade balance. Trade wars have had the tendency of ruining the trade and economic ties between the two countries and are not acceptable. This has been exemplified by the restrictions and the counter restrictions that was involved the textile trade between the two countries that involved up to seven rounds of negotiations that culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the trading of apparel and textile. This ref lected the settling of frictions and trade-based disputes in Sino-US economic ties. The USA imports a lot of daily necessities from China and these goods have been established to be of a good quality and of low or reasonable pricing that can easily satisfy the US market. The Chinese products are of great benefit to the US consumers, and they help ease inflation and facilitate the

Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Andrew Jackson Essay

Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Andrew Jackson - Essay Example presidents Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, since the time the Constitution was drafted. Jefferson is well known to advocate governance of the country by common people whereas Hamilton believed in the ‘rule of the few’ or that the country be run by the elite who he argued could be trusted for being selfless as opposed to the greedy brutish trait of the common ones (Trey, 2009). In a way, this had extended to their positions regarding the issue of government centralization wherein while the Federalist Hamilton expressed belief in a strong central government, Democratic-Republican Jefferson perceived weakness in it yet imagined strength and solidarity in public control at its height. By the time certain economic decisions and policies were deliberated upon, taking foreign affairs to account, these revolutionary U.S. leaders further acquired opposing perspectives on addressing how the national debt should be managed. According to Hamilton, national debt ought to be kept permanent for the sake of a healthy economy for the nation and that such debt must be paid off by the government to the party in current possession of the certificate at the time. On the other hand, Jefferson contradicted the permanence to national debt and asserted that it should be the original bearer of the certificate who must get paid off, knowing that this would be advantageous to the common citizens. However, the following enactment approved the proposition made by Hamilton instead and the affluent became even wealthier, having purchased the certificate from their common counterparts (Trey). Similarly, the two greatly differed in terms of financial principles concerning the U.S. Bank. To Hamilton, the federal bank would help the Constitution to take in relevant effect as the country progressed in terms of debt settlements. Most merchants from the north highly complied to this view for their benefit but the ordinary people of the south and several others were unable to fi nd worth in a centralized bank especially for the case of the farmers. Thus, Jefferson earned their favor by supporting the philosophy that incorporation of a central bank is beyond sensible necessity. As another president who committed himself to being a ‘common man’ or man of the people, Andrew Jackson established policies for which his leadership received either revering loyalty of the mass or reviling hostility of those who could not take their intended advantage of his principles and relation. Such treatment of his regime may be attributed to policies where drawn for particular aspects as the spoils system, the nullification, the removal of Indians, and the ‘Bank War’. While Jacksonian democracy emerged to promote the rule of the ‘mass’ and the ‘common’ of America, the policies that substantiated Jackson’s regime and their impact apparently became the chief determinants that aid in the assessment of his presidency and t he truth of its underlying ethics. The crisis on nullification which became a sensationalized conflict in South Carolina is one of the areas through which his policy on tariffs may be evaluated. For Jackson, modest decisions in favor of tariffs are necessary to ensure national security and the stable production of commodities. This would also establish better commercial relations with European manufacturers, to be able to adjust revenue to the level that paid the nation’s debt. Jackson himself was against the philosophy of nullification, seeing how this had every tendency of dissolving the Union and violating the rule of majority. The tariffs imposed upon taxes on imported goods in the early 1930s, however, anguished the leaders and people of the state of South Carolina. Imposition of tariffs was treated with