Of Mice and Men And American Depression Beginning Essay

In 1930, the American Depression began. It was to become a feature that would affect many people’s lives. Men such as George and Lennie had no literacy skills; therefore their job span was increasingly limited. George and Lennie were unique in the way that they went around the country working on the ranches together. John Steinbeck used George and Lennie’s companionship in these times of hardship to reflect optimism and hope. Steinbeck’s knowledge is mirrored in a vast amount of this book in the way that he produces scenes for the characters to encounter and try to solve. America turned on its people in the Depression, forcing even the severely disabled to work for they had no other options they would not survive if they did not have any capital. Workers used the ranch’s resources to comfort themselves. Workers even came to the ranches on a Saturday afternoon, so they could have all their meals on the day of rest and then depart without doing any intense labour. The book illustrates this fact with the quote. ‘ Guy that wants to look over a ranch comes in Sat’day afternoon. He gets Sat’day night supper an’ three meals on Sunday, and he quit Monday mornin’ after breakfast without turning his hand’. This quote emphasises the ranch workers dependence upon the ranches and in a way lets us into the typical ranch workers pattern of thoughts, therefore this reiterates how the migrant culture worked. Throughout the book, George and Lennie have a pipe dream; this dream has been a goal, a goal to keep them from spiralling into depression. The dream is to be able to afford their own piece of land and live in peace and harmony, however the dream interprets two opposite trains of thought. For Lennie it means that he can look after the rabbits, therefore it creates a childish reality. For George he craves independence to make his individual character content, however George knows that this is a dream, he is not thinking about what will most likely happen. This was the case for many American ranch workers; they fulfilled these dreams by reading magazines with stories such as ‘The Dark Rider’. For example ‘ He went to his bunk and put his head on his shelf. Then he picked a pulp magazine from his shelf and brought it to the light over the table. This emphasises the American Dream and this is why this of magazine was so popular, it produces a play in text about a fantasy ranch worker, who travels majestically about the country on his ebony stallion. For the ranch workers they envisage that it will be them upon the stallion doing deeds to save the country, this reflects the migrant cultures point of convergence with their dreams and how it kept their hopes up high during these times of hardship. Steinbeck selects George and Lennie out of the vast migrant culture, for their unique circumstances and their overpowering friendship. For example: Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦ because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you and that’s why.’ This quote depicts their fondness for one another and how important friendship was. The task for Steinbeck was to create an array of characters who had different characters and attitudes at this time, yet they formed a team who had to work together and cope with each other’s habits. The migrant culture was a population of people from different backgrounds; therefore this point is dissected from the rest of the book very well At the beginning of the novel, we follow George and Lennie through the state of Soledad trying to seek work. To make matters worse the bus driver dropped them off more than four miles from their location. ‘Jes’ a little stretch down the highway,’ he says. ‘Jes’ a little stretch.’ God damn near four miles. George is obviously angry about the bus drivers heartlessness towards these two men, however men like George and Lennie were easy targets, as the man knew he would never see them again and they were lower class civilians, therefore people showed no respect towards them. Travelling these long distances in such isolated conditions was a daunting task and there must have been some murders and fatalities in such solitary conditions. The migrant culture brought the aspect of danger into many peoples lives. On arrival. George and Lennie have to go to the boss office to submit their name and various details. It is vital that they both have a reputation for being hard workers at this early stage or they could be asked to leave. The boss’s suspicions are aroused by Lennie’s lack of communication and he immediately asks questions such as: ‘He ain’t much of a talker, is he? and , I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him?’ These questions show that the migrant culture was untrustworthy and nobody could be trusted. In the migrant culture the vast majority of ranch workers decreased every man’s chances of being noticed and looked after, therefore if the worker was not working up to the average standard they would simply be told to leave. It was a dog eats dog world and the other ranch workers were certainly not sympathetic to your feelings. For example: You was pokin your big ears into our business,’ George said. ‘ I don’ t like nobody to get nosey. Ranch workers had to have a depth of insensitivity and be oblivious to acrimonious comments. Loneliness featured in the novel was the result of bitterness. There were three main characters that represented loneliness in the novel. Crooks was a black man who looked after the stables. During the American Depression, black people were shown little respect and the white people regarded them as slaves making hurtful comments and forcing them into isolation for the insignificant reason of their colour. To add to Crook’s misery, he had a severely bowed back, this limited his work span and his isolation became greater. Crook’s was bitter towards all white people for the way they had mentally scared him and for this reason he showed no feelings towards them either. Crook’s was even a solitary figure at night, for he was not even allowed into the bunkhouse let alone to sleep in there. Crooks confided in books to make up for his social loss, however he could only seek refuge in a book to a certain degree and soon he fell into the bottomless pit of seclusion once mo re. Crooks was even foul to his equals such as Lennie. ‘ Crooks said sharply: ‘ You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.’ This quote reflects Crook’s bitterness and shows that his isolated life has made him selfish. The America Depression and the migrant culture turned on black people and treated them as dirt. Crooks feels this harsh mannerism and understandingly turns against it, which makes him uncivil too. Curley’s wife is another lonesome character, who seeks solace with the workers on the ranch. Her isolation is increased by the fact that she is the only woman on the ranch and the only unemployed person as well, therefore she has far too much time on her hands. Her hasty marriage was a way to conquer loneliness; however it has only stretched her detachment from the world. Other lonesome characters such as Candy and George will not mix with her, as they see her as a troublesome threat. The only person on the ranch who listens to Curley’s wife is Lennie, however the relationship is not true, for Lennie’s mental problems make it infeasible for him to join in any conversation. Lennie’s power is what makes Curley’s wife attracted to him, for Lennie crushed Curley’s hand during a fight. Most women would be furious with the man who had injured her husband, but Curley’s wife laughs saying to Lennie.’ Ok, Machine. I’ll talk to you later. I like machines.’ This implicates how she hates her husband and reveals that she only married him for security. Curley’s wife knows that Lennie is mentally inadequate, therefore she feels as if she has power over him and of course it is unlikely that she has ever experienced this feeling before. The migrant culture has had a great effect on Curley’s wife life. The men who once had time for her, now have to work to survive, therefore they have no time for her inane chatter. George is another solitary character on the ranch. This may sound inaccurate, but as we have discovered Lennie is mentally disabled and cannot participate in sort of conversation. George may be able to have a social life at the ranches, however he will only stay at a ranch for a small duration of time, so close friendships cannot be made. The migrant culture had an immense impact on ranch workers social lives and soon they would have become social outcasts. In chapter three, Lennie brings the subject of the dream into conversation, while sitting down with George one night. George informs him of a reasonably priced farm he has discovered. Candy joined in the conversation still traumatised by his elderly dog’s sudden death asking the details of this house. George is reluctant to tell him for the reason that it has been George and Lennie’s dream from when they started roaming the countryside for work and it would seem immoral for them to invite someone they did not know into it at this stage. Candy is not struck back by these comments and informs them that he has $450 saved up in the bank. ‘ George half-closed his eyes. ‘ I gotta think about that. We was always gonna do it by ourselves.’ George portrays a reluctant character who is unwilling to co-operate, yet inside he is probably celebrating the making of his dream. The sudden scope of this dream that has been released is truly magnificent. George and Lennie have conquered every migrant worker’s pessimistic prospect, to make their dream realistic George is overcome by this unexpected event that he knows will change his life for the rest of his days. In the book he frees his humble and timid character to replace it with an electrifying and bold person who we have not seen before. Quotes to reflect this outburst are: George said reverently: ‘Jesus Christ’! I bet we could swing her.’ His eyes full of wonder. ‘I bet we could swing her,’ he repeated softly and George stood up. ‘We’ll do her,’ he said. ‘ We’ll fix up that little old place an’ we’ll go live there’. George is ecstatic he has finally found a way to make his naturally independent character content and he will be able to make his own money by being the boss, the man he has respected for so long. At last Lennie will be safe from the temptations of the world that he simply cannot handle. George and Lennie have found hope in these mentally painful times, which scarred so many men for life. This scene interprets the fortunes of the human life and after many downfalls they have come to a conclusion, that many migrant workers never found. In novels after optimism comes despondency. The ending of this book is tragic. Lennie, who has become easily influenced by Curley’s wife flirtatious movements becomes too attached to her and when asked to feel her hair he becomes over exuberant and in sheer panic clings on to the delicate framework of this woman, Curley’s wife slumps to the ground like a ragdoll taking the effect of this man’s awesome power with a broken neck to prove the damage, which can not be reversed. The tragedy led to Lennies disappearance and the ranch workers pursue him , however George knew where he was from an earlier plan and went to find him. ‘The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.’ A emotional scene for two people we thought were so fond of each other, however George knew that Curley and fellow friends were going to kill him and in the most brutal manner possible to mankind, which would have been distressing for the two companions. George thought it would have been appropriate for Lennie’s last living moments to be filled with the memory that they loved the most, the dream. The dream would not be fulfilled after Lennies crime and death; therefore he would be of a majority once again working to make his dream reality and this is why so many migrants ended becoming severely depressed and killing themselves as a result of their bitterness and hurt. John Steinbeck creates a novel, which depicts a compelling yet brusque meaning. Steinbeck brings out the truth of these times and does not try to shroud it and keep it away from the human eye, for nothing can hide the truth. Since George came to this ranch in Soledad, we have been through his pain with him and happiness, however we have always had the dream in the back of our minds. Grasping the fact that the dream will never occur has added a touch of realism to this book and made us realise that this is not a imaginary story, instead it is the hard hitting truth. The novel has made it obvious that the typical migrant workers life was a continuous circle, which never changes its shape and that it would be the same for George from now on. Hopes and Dreams have been the ‘backbone’ for this story. Many of the characters have mentioned a dream and at that point their tone of voice changed. For example: She looked up at Lennie, and she made a small grand gesture with her arm and hand to show that she could act. The fingers trailed after her leading wrist and her little finger stuck out grandly from the rest. This quote shows how Curley’s wife sparkles on the inside, when she talks about her illusive acting career. Dreams meant so much more to people during the American Depression as they do to our generation due to the great span of activities we can do today compared to the limited amount in the 1930’s.A number of peoples dreams can be accomplished today for we have the technology. Hopes and Dreams became the great factor in George and Lennie’s relationship, for it gave them something to talk about that they both understood and talking is the key to a good friendship. Lonesome migrant workers did not have a friend to confide instead they constantly thought about the long working hours and their isolation. A dream kept them focused and acted as an aid to comfort them. George has now become one of these lonely souls, who we envisage trekking along dusty roads with a face tangled by his own grief. It would not have been right if Lennie, George and Candy went to the idyllic farmhouse and lived happily ever, as that would have not been reflecting the outcome of so many migrant workers lives and Steinbeck would have been interpreting a false hope to the reader. Characters in the novel such as Candy and Crooks fell into the ‘invalid category’, where they were envisaged as being outsiders who looked up to normal people on the ranch. Crooks was a black man and at the time of the Depression, black people were looked upon as dirt and only being able to do jobs that would not involve them with any human contact, therefore he was very much isolated from the world and felt bitter and resentful towards any human who tried to bond with him. An example of Crook’s bitterness: ‘ Crooks said sharply: You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.’

Explanations of crime deviance Essay

The right realist perspective on crime is mainly associated with the American sociologist W.J Wilson. This perspective became very influential on home office policy-making during the conservatives period in office. The right realist approach assumes that human beings are naturally selfish, individualistic and greedy. Therefore ther are ‘naturally inclined’ to further their interest, even if this means comitting crime. They also believe the origins of crime are misunderstood, that is policies aimed at tackling crime by removing social and economic inequalities. Wilson noted that the Great Depression in the USA did not result in a rise in crime. Another right realist explanation is that the welfare state has undermined our sense of obligation to support each other, andthat community controls, i.e. informal controls imposed by neighbours, family and peer groups are breaking down. Right realists stress that attempts to explain the causes of crime should be abandoned and that sociologists should instead focus on finding practical solutions to slow the growth of crime. This developed the control theory. Hirschi argues that crime is opportunistic and anyone would commit crime if the situation was right and there was little chance of being caught. He says that sociologists should not focus on whypeople commit crime but why more people do not. He maintains that most people are rational in their choices and that there are controls that operate to make most people keep their actions within the bounds of the law. They are, Attachment- commitment to family relationships which could be threatened by criminal acts, Commitment- years of education, building a career, buying a home and aquiring a good reputation, all this could be lost by commiting crime, Involvement- some people are activley involved in community life as volunteers, parentgovernors for schools etc. all this would be jepordized by criminal behaviour. Right realists believe the way to control crime is to take practical measures to make sure the cost of crime outweighs the benefits. Left realists such as Lea and Young attempt to explain street crime in urban areas. Theirvictim survey of inner-city Islington showed that working class, black peopleand especially elderly women, had a realistic fear of street crime. Lea and Young argue that despite evidence of police racism, criminal statistics are largely correct as working classes and Afro-Caribbean’s do commit the most crime. They agreed thatwhite-collar and crimes go largely undetected and under punished, they do not point out however that they do not have the same negative impact on society as crimes such as mugging or burglary.Lea and Young maintain the reason why working class and Afro-Caribbean people commit crime is to do with feelings of ‘relative deprivation,’ such as comparing themselves to middle class or white youth with regard to life chances, living standards and income. Such groups feel frustrated with their lack of power. Negative treatment by the police and authorities leave groups feeling hostile and resentful, consequnently they are marginalized. Some mayform subcultures to help copewith the statusfrustration and marginalization. Hughes notes that left realists should be valued for the challenge they posed to radical criminology’s thinking on the issues of intra-class and intra-ethnic crimes. Left realism has drawn attention to the brutalising effects of street crimes in the inner-city and the fact that some theories of crime have romanticised offenders, it has highlighted the effects of crime for victims, a group neglected by most theories of crime. It realistically acknowledges that the police amplify the presence of some groups in the criminal statistics through the use of stop and search, but points out that policing is quite rightly focusing on those groups most likley to commit crime. There is no emperical evidence to support the view that young working class or black criminals interpret their realities in the way described by Lea and Young. Research on the motives of offenders is required. Lea and Young do not really explain why the majority of working class and Afro-Caribbean youth do not turn to crime. Left realism only focuses on collective or subcultural criminal responses and does not explain crimes such as burglary, which are  commited by individuals rather than gangs. It focuses exclusivley on street crime and ignores other serious crimes such as fraud and it fails to account for oppurtunistic crime commited by adults.

Comparison and Contrast between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers Essay

The rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League is a tale of two iconic franchises engaged in a figurative war. No guns or bullets, just pigskin and gridiron. The tussle between these two major leagues has been long going and is one of the longest in the National Football League. While the Bears seem better advantaged with their 92 wins, 88 losses and 6 ties against the Green Bay Packers, Packers have won in all their last six encounters with the Bears since 2011. What reinforces the rivalry even further are the more Superbowls, NFL titles and the Conference titles the Packers have clinched in comparison with the Bears. The rivalry may seem long lasting and is expected to last even longer, but these two rivals share similarities. Both the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers were each established in 1919. The Bears franchise was founded in Illinois in 1919 before moving to Chicago in 1921. On the other hand, the Green Bay Packers is currently based in Wisconsin and was founded in 1919. Together with the Bears, the Packers are among the oldest franchises in the NFL. Considering their location, both franchises are members of the same division of the NFC (National Football Conference) in the National Football League (diffen.com). When it comes to differences both the rivals have a number of differences than similarities. One difference is in ownership. The Bears is privately owned with Virginia McCaskey and her family controlling 80% of the franchise, Patrick Ryan, the chairman of Aon Corp, and Andrew McKenna, Aon director, 19.7% of the franchise. On the other hand, the Packers is a non-profit, community owned team, the only professional sports team with such ownership in the United States. Yet another difference between the two rivalries is with their team colors. Pride of any team is with their team colors. The team colors of the Bears are Navy blue, burnt orange, and white while the Packers are noticed with their Dark green and yellow. It is a law that no two teams in the NFL should have the same team colors for ease of identification and to foster sense of belonging among the team fans. For these two rivals, their team colors are a black and white affair, a sky-earth phenomenon considering that the team colors of the Bears is bright compared with that of the Packers that is rather dull. With such colors, one would understand the rivalry (diffen.com). A final difference between the two rivalries is with regard to their fan base. The Bears are reputed a having the most devoted fan base as compared with the Packers. Research places Bears at the sixth place regarding their Fan Equity rankings, which is basically a measure of brand equity centered on fans enthusiasm to financially support the team. The Packers on the other hand have an equally good Fan Equity rankings, but not as much as Bears, this according to research. While the Packers are highly placed in analysis on the NFL Social Media Equity, the Bears do not appear anyway in the top five. In conclusion, apart from their similarity in terms of their respective founding dates and their placement in the same division, both teams also share the similarity of having a penchant for competition. From their respective successes, it is evident that both rivals are highly competitive in setting records. They would stop at nothing in their bid to outperform each other. This fact makes for a better rivalry that is expected to last and make their meets eagerly anticipated and talked about. References Diffen. Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers. Accessed on 25 November 2014. Retrieved from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Chicago_Bears_vs_Green_Bay_Packers Source document

Influence of the Physical Landscape on the Historical and Recent Term Paper

Influence of the Physical Landscape on the Historical and Recent Settlement Patterns of the Maltese Islands - Term Paper Example Malta’s spectacular landscape and Mediterranean climate have made it a tourist haven. All these factors have affected a shift from the rural to the urban and have led to Malta’s population is heavily concentrated on the east coast. Malta, derived from the Latin name ‘Melita,’ meaning ‘Honey Island,’ is formally called the Republic of Malta. It is an archipelago comprising of six islands and islets in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, ninety-three kilometers South of Sicily and 288 kilometers north from the African coast. The six islands are Malta, Gozo, Comino, Cominotto, Filfla, and St. Paul’s Island. While the first three are inhabited, the others are very small, barren, uninhabited islets. It has a total area of 316 square kilometers, of which Malta comprises 246 square kilometers. The geographical coordinates of the archipelago are latitudes 36 degrees N and 35 degrees S and longitudes14 degrees E and 14 degrees W. Malta enjoys th e typical central Mediterranean climate of long, hot, dry summers with cooling sea breezes, warm and sporadically wet autumns and mild winters with warm westerly winds. An annual average of eight hours of sunshine a day makes it a holidaymakers’ paradise. The mean temperature is 19 degrees C. and the average annual rainfall measures about 560 mm. (The Malta Story, 1998). With a population of about 394,000, which works out to about 1,247 inhabitants per square kilometer, Malta’s population density ranks among the highest in the world (Commonwealth Secretariat, n. d.). A study of the settlement patterns of the Maltese islands over time shows that the distribution of the human population has been strongly influenced by Malta’s unique physical landscape and geographical location as well as its’ historical circumstances through the ages. Malta’s physical landscape derives from its’ being mainly a gradually undulating globigerina (formed by marine protozoa) limestone plateau.     

My Functionality as a Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Functionality as a Leader - Essay Example It also involves me working and moving back and forth between aspects of transactional leadership and transformational leadership. Specifically, I work with the finances at a veterinarian hospital, so most of the time I rely on the use of transactional leadership. As a leader in my workplace, the context and conflict caused by diversity is a constant occurrence. Diversity can be defined in my workplace not only by race, but also by occupation, age, upbringing, etc. In order to be an effective leader, I had to learn how to integrate all of these different aspects into one cohesive unit to achieve our collective goals. Sometimes this was difficult and other times it was hard. Differences in occupation are one of the hardest ones to address because of the conflicting nature of each occupation. Some work under me with finance and we have to cooperate with nurses, physician assistants, doctors, maintenance work, etc. Under the terms of the prime minister, he calls for corporate responsibi lity of health care as well as measuring progress and outcome. In my particular area of administration this is what I focus on because it is necessary as a leader to take responsibility for ones actions as well as being aware of the progress being made by not only my department, but also by the university (Department of Health and Social Security, 1972). Because each group focuses on a different aspect of the work we do at the veterinarian university, sometimes when we are forced to work together on a multidisciplinary problem, each person focuses on solving it from his/her perspective rather than trying to find a unified solution. Also, other problems with diversity range from the decreasing of females in the workforce and the increase in males. This sexual inequality sometimes creates tension not only among individual apartments, but also among our workplace as a whole. As a leader, I have to be able to deal with these problems in diversity quickly and efficiently while using soun d judgment and making sure that we stay functional. The first important component in the scheme of diversity is understanding the protocol and policies in which the nature of my work focuses on. The healthcare world is constantly updating and changing. As a leader, it is my responsibility to be adaptable and get these changes out to my subordinates so they are completely informed when they are dealing with their work. This also includes being aware of policies that are not only made by national standards, but also by our work center. By being proactively involved in the creation of better and more incorporating policies, differences in diversity as well as making work more efficient and effective can result (Hughes, 2005). In addition to being adaptable, the nature of my work requires me to be proactive in change. This occurs by me using my political and social influences and knowledge in order to shape policy (Thomas et al., 2004). This requires me to have knowledge of how to know what policies I want to effect as well as the tactics to go about doing it as well as who it will effect (Antrobus et al., 2009). This requires knowing what my vision of my department is and trying to influence it in such a way that I will see the desired changes. While diversity can promote development within the workplace, sometimes it can hinder it was well. In particular, my role as a manager at a clinical hospital often relies on the interaction with not only my staff, but that of others as well. For example, once I had a problem dealing with the payment of insurance for a patient’s pet that was checked in for surgery. This required communication and understanding not only within the hospital as far as clinical staff, but also with the

Capital Mrket Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Capital Mrket - Assignment Example It is arguably better if RBAs maintain the cash rate as compared to the federal government simply setting the cash rate. One of the reasons why it would be better if the RBAs are allowed to maintain the cash rate is because they are better in responding to pressures in their money markets. This is because of the Australian flexibility in frameworks for operating open markets within the country. The bank is therefore best suited to respond to pressures within the market more promptly and seamlessly with minimal alterations within the operating framework. RBAs method of trading in the money market to maintain the cash rate is again better than if the federal government simply set the cash rate because banks carry out their open market operations everyday. This ensures offset of smooth flows between the government and the private banking system. It also ensures that there are enough funds to operate within the market and adequate cash rate to maintain target. This, the bank operates by predominantly employing (repos) repurchase agreements, in which it buys a security with the agreement that it would sell bank in future at an agreed price (Felmingham 1995, p. 114). Unlike the federal government, the bank in this case can, and has been able to operate at a deal of a variety of terms and discriminatorily against a range of collateral classes. The official cash rate is a term that is used in both New Zealand and Australia for the bank rate to refer to the interest rate that is charged by the central bank to commercial banks on overnight loans. This gives the Reserve Bank of Australia the ability to adjust to the interest rates of the country’s economy. An additional advantage of the RBAs maintaining cash rate over the government setting cash rate is that the bank, unlike the federal government, can settle all interactions within banks immediately. The bank is

Answer the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Answer the question - Essay Example Subjects of the research study should be chosen in order to meet the expectation of the other researchers, who will acquire benefit from the study. The researchers should check all the variables of the study and by applying effective strategies; they can minimize the ill effects of the characteristics of the subjects(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). In order to control the threats from the data collector characteristics, the researchers should be efficient to collect the authentic data, which are considerably reliable. Therefore, for the effective execution in the authentic data collection, the effective equipment and tools should be used, which can evaluate the collected data effectively and thereby reduce the threats (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). To control the regression outcome, data should be collected from reliable sources so that the research outcome is highly reliable. The regression data should be flexible enough to adapt the external changes and to prevent data manipulation that would contribute to convenient research study(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). In order to control the threat from the attitude of the subjects in a research study, the researcher should select those kinds of subjects, which have positive attitudes toward the study. The subject should be capable enough to participate in the research process and support the researchers to obtainreliable outcome of the study(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2009). Raw data and related information about the findings, which are provided in research study are collected from the reliable sources and endow with the scientific research. Research studies representing observable factsare considered true and valid(Berg &Latin, 2008). At instances, when the research study conducted by the researcher could establish casual relationships with the study, then it can be said that the study has an internal validity. The subjects of the study are specific and the researcher

Waterlife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Waterlife - Essay Example It depicts some of the most fascinating characters ever. They met various personalities from various places throughout the course of their research for the documentary and came up with this fascinating multimedia based site. The documentary shows its viewers the fascinating Great Lakes as it comes across to the seagulls, to the fish or to water molecules. It has shown a host of other amazing perspectives. It has been filmed during a period of one year, using state of art cameras and techniques. The project presents an epic view of the surrounding eco-system. It is a rare sight for most people living within the vicinity who make the majority of the population living there. The documentary moves from the fountains of Chicago to the clouds on the journey. It was made by one of the most innovative and renowned documentary film makers of all times, Kevin McMahon. The project has been expressed as a multi-media project. It is supported by intense animation, video, audio recordings sounds, flash imaging and a moving canvas. The website opens with a flash graph and a soft music playing in the background. The user on the other end is prompted to enter the site and explore the project further. This is the initial immediate view of the project when it is loading. There is global navigation on the bottom of the page. It is shown in the figure below. There are five options in the menu bar on the bottom left and five options on the bottom right. They are pertaining to Water life home, Resources/Community Action, About the Film, Directors Statement and News Screenings. On the bottom right, there is sharing of the page on various sites. On moving the cursor to the left side of the page after entering the site, the user is shown a huge flash menu carrying the list of things he can walk around and listen to on the site. As shown in the figure below, against â€Å"Water is† there is a list of items that has cropped

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychology - Essay Example Important here to note is that there is no meaning attached to them and no forceful repetition of the same. In case of other the both of them, the stored memory becomes a short term memory that can last with the individual for less than half a minute (Henderson, pp. 115-116, 1999). It is like when a person looks at a word or a picture for a while to recall it after a while. The longest possible recall is of the long-term memory that a person posses which can last from minutes to lifetime. One of the most important aspects of this model is flashbulb memories. Under normal situations, one would move from sensory to short term and from short term to long-term memory, however, there are special circumstances when a sensory memory directly becomes a part of your long-term memory. People who have witnessed the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 9/11 Attacks, flood, fire, murder, robbery or some extra ordinary event in their lives, even if they have witnessed, only a glance of it, they tend to remember it for ages making it a part of their long term memory (Heffernan, pp. 89-90, 2005). For the past few decades, flashbulb memories have been considered as very dynamic and life long memories, however, recent researches have shown that they may not remain with a person for that long, as it was believed previously. Furthermore, during the period of 3-12 months after the events, the memory also starts to rust raising serious questions over its accuracy (Cardwell & Flanagan, pp. 56-57, 2005). Levels of Processing Model and Revising an Exam Craik and Lockhart in 1972 presented their model of memory, which they name as Level of Processing Model. Unlike the Multi Store Model of memory, which argues about eh dual store of memory, this model urges that short term and long-term memory is based on depth or level of processing on the stimuli. Fragile, vulnerable and violate memory traces are in the short-term store, however, memories with durable and lasting elements are placed in th e long-term memory section of the brain. However, important here is to understand that what makes a memory fragile or durable? For example, processing of words based on their pictures and sounds requires shallow and straightforward processing, however, processing of things along which some meaning, logic or rational has been associated, is deeper and thus more durable (Miller, pp. 69-71, 2002). The human brain has complete network of semantic structures and whenever a specific stimuli is recalled, it will tend to have a higher recall value it is line with the existing semantic structures’ of the brain. In this case, the processing of that stimuli or memory would be deep, since many different portions of the semantic structure of the brain would come into action before a perfect meaning for the stimuli comes onto the scene. As mentioned that since it is deep processing, therefore, this stimuli or memory would become a part of this long-term memory section of the brain (Weiten, pp. 6-8, 2008). Without any doubts, the level of processing model offers great insights regarding how to revise for an exam. The basic idea to remember is that in some way or the other, the key to recalling things is associating other things

The Constitution of the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Constitution of the United States - Essay Example At the same time, the Constitution is not a book of statutes and so therefore overlapping interests have historically provided the crux of difficulties. As such, the Constitution may be said to be the very model of moderation in politics; it manages to make up for the absence of federal authority sorely lacking in the Articles of Confederation while at the same not avoiding the pitfalls of conferring such authority at the federal level that states have no access to redress grievances. The Constitution managed to achieve this tilting the balance of power into the middle ground between the federal and state levels. At the same time, the framers of the Constitution recognized that the primary failure of the Articles of Confederation was in giving too many rights to the states, leaving the federal government weak. The Constitution guaranteed that the ultimate power would rest in the hands of the federal government through the so-called "elastic clause" found in Article I, Section 8 of th e Constitution which endows the Congress with the power to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper" to carry out its specific rights and responsibilities (Anderson 76). The separation of powers and the system of checks and balances is the single most useful aspect of the American democracy despite the fact it paradoxically seems to place limits upon the powers in charge. The necessity for placing limits on the three branches of government can be attributed expressly to the crucible in which the Constitution was drafted. The danger of not just executive tyranny, but also legislative and even judicious tyranny was ever present in the minds of those who had captured their freedom through the shedding of blood. The very concept of conferring authority upon a national government in which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches were connected and working dependently upon the other would mean too much concentrated power in too few hands. The writers of the Constitution instead looked to exploit the advantages of a fragmentary system of governance in which the three branches of the federal government work independently of each other, while at the same time being unable to act entirely on their own. The brilliance of the division of power within the federal government is that each branch has been given just enough power to make a difference, but not so much power as to be allowed to successfully give into the temptation of tyranny. Even today, in the atmosphere of an imperial President and lack of a strong legislative body, the idea that the President or Congress would actually engage in tyrannical methods seems far-fetched, but the framers of the Constitution who saw firsthand how absolute power could corrupt, it was truly a revolutionary leap forward. The limitations on power given to each of the three branches of government is known as the system of checks and balance and it is precisely the limits on power, rather then the authority given, that oils the machinery of democratic progress. Ambition has been counteracted by the placement of limits upon how much power the legislative, executive and judicial branches enjoy. For instance, the laws of American are created by Congress, but the President can use his veto power if he decides for some reason that the law is not just. At the same time the

Decision Making Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Decision Making Case Study - Essay Example Decisions that may affect these groups of people will affect the entire business leading to poor performance occasioned by the employees, the customers and the suppliers. It is therefore a very vital role to control the effects that each decision made in a company has on these sets of people and ensure that they are considered well in all decisions to avoid causing them reactions that would affect their engagement in the business. In quest to simplify decision making in any organizational setting, a number of business models have come to life to aid the decision-making arms of the organization in evaluating the decisions as a way of ensuring the decisions affect the company positively. These models may not necessarily provide a positive approach but base on the application to result into positive results for the company. Considering the assignment at hand, the company is faced with a dilemma related to take over aspects of a company’s management with a family business aiming at engaging their daughter Joan into the business. The experience that Joan has is not sufficient to run all activities in the company and is therefore faced by a number of challenges in relation to making the decisions in the business. The major decision she has to make is with regard to her father who is viewed as an extrovert that has good management skills though considered difficult by many employees on lower cadres but considered a good manger by his senior colleagues. The assignment aims at applying the PrOACT model in helping Joan make the decision with regard to her father’s position in the company. The PrOACT model provides a well-designed systematic approach to the decisions in a company. The decision model as developed by John S. Hammond, Keeney and Raiffa has worked to provide guidance to the different management positions as a guide to decision making as per their book smart choices. The PrOACT model is developed on

The Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

The Industrial Revolution Essay Railroads should be considered one of the most revolutionary economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Railroads needed to carry as much product as possible to make a profit. This lead to the construction of â€Å"feeder lines† that connected smaller cities to the main â€Å"trunk lines† that serviced the big cities. The growth of the railroads also increased steel production, coal mining, and technological breakthroughs like the air brake and Pullman sleeping car (Hawksworth, 2001). Unionization was one of the major social developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Unions were the workers response to big corporations. Early labor leaders pushed for an eight hour work day, an end to child labor, equal pay, and safer working conditions. Unfortunately these labor unions were not very successful. Our text tells us that â€Å"Ultimately, it was the power of big business that prevented the workers from achieving their goals.† (Bowles, 2011). The government played both positive and negative roles in the social and economic developments of the last quarter of the nineteenth century. On the positive side it provided security from Native Americans as settlers moved west, it gave land grants to the railroads, it gave land to the settlers with the Homestead Act, and it aided higher education by establishing land grant colleges. On the negative side it did not impose any rules on big business regarding child labor, minimum wage, maximum hours, or working conditions. References Bowles, M. (2011). American history 1865–present: End of isolation. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Hawksworth, R. (Producer). (2001). The American industrial revolution [Video]. United States: Media Rich LLC. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47596aid=18596Plt=FODloid=0w=640h=480ref=

Conflicts Of Interest Between Managers Owners And Creditors Finance Essay

Conflicts Of Interest Between Managers Owners And Creditors Finance Essay Managers, owners and creditors usually have the same fundamental objective that is to see the business prosper in the companies. But when companies are in financial distress, conflicts of interest between managers, owners and creditors arise. The reason to answer this problem is just because managers have different goals from owners and creditors. As we know, managers are usually hired to run a business of companies on behalf of owners. Thus, some problems can arise between managers and owners because interest of ownership is separated from interest of control especially when companies fall into financial distress. Managers may pursue some goals that bring benefits to them but may not be beneficial to the owners. Owners have their own shares and they think that their shares value will be increased. They have right to indirectly control of the operating decisions that influence the companies cash flows and others. Besides, creditors are the party who provide capital to companies at rates based on the riskiness of companies assets and on companies capital structure of debt and equity financing. Conflict of interest between owners and creditors is that owners want to borrow money at the lowest rate whereas creditors decide the rate based on the risks of companies investment projects and companies themselves. The more risks compan ies have, the more required rate on the firms debt will be paid. When a company faces financial distress and may be going to bankruptcy, there are usually two solutions to settle. The first solution is reorganization and continuation as a going concern. Managers usually like this solution as they can exercise control over what goes on during the company. The second solution is liquidation and selling off of the assets of the company. Managers usually do not like this solution and may resist whereas creditors like this solution as they stand to get their money from the liquidation value first. However, managers may not want this to happen and they may seek to bribe the creditors with a promise of getting more money than they should if the latter agree to the first solution. This is not in the interest of the owners. Conflicts of interest between managers, owners and creditors always exist even when the company is profitable. Therefore, the company has a cash surplus. Managers would want this money as a financial bonus and the shareholders would want this money as a stock dividend whereas creditors get paid a fixed amount and they get paid before the owners get paid. II: In a personal financial situation, give an example of opportunity cost. In a personal financial situation, opportunity cost of any investment is the return one could earn on the next best alternative. A simple way, we can understand that opportunity is the benefit you could have received by taking an alternative action. All investments of a company involve opportunity cost. A dollar today is worth more than a dollar in one year because the dollar today can be invested and will increase more than a dollar in one year. The dollar you can get after one year carries an opportunities cost equal to the return on the forgone investment. Thus, opportunity cost is the forgoing cost and when there are a number of business alternatives. The decision makers always select the alternative which has the highest opportunity cost because if the decision maker selects any other alternative he or she has lost the opportunity. Companies usually use opportunity cost to evaluate a capital Investment project. The company can compare between the projected return and the return it would earn on the highest yielding alternative investment involving similar risk. For example, a company has a free amount of money in the bank that earning interest 10% after 1 year. If this company uses this amount of money to invest a project, it will get 15% profit after 1 year. In this example, opportunity costs of this company are 5% (15%-10%). Decision makers of a company always have to consider choosing the way which can give them the maximum benefit that can cover all costs. They use opportunity cost to analyze a project and the simplest way to estimate the opportunity cost is to compare the present choice with the next best alternative that could be made. However, it is not easy to make comparison because many alternatives do not have a market price or very difficult to calculate into money. Question III: In America, Vietnam or any other country, what is appropriate question to ask when evaluating an investment opportunity? Explain why. When evaluating an investment opportunity in America, Vienam or any other country, the appropriate question that company usually concern is what is the discount rate? The discount rate is rate of return that recognizes the time value of money. It is calculated based on cash flow expected in future from the investment. Management of a company always compares the discount rate of many projects to choose which projects with maximum return or wealth for the companys stockholders. The discount rate is also related to a risk factor that recognizes the uncertainty associated with achieving future profit forecasts. The risky projects can bring high discount rate to investors. However, it is not easy to determine the appropriate discount rate because it is calculated by using discounted cash flow techniques. Besides, the appropriate discount rate is influenced by some main factors. The first factor is related to macroeconomic conditions such as inflation, interest rates and country risksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Vietnam has higher country risks than America because Vietnamese policies can be changed very fast. The second factor is matter of the industry such as avera ge of profit ratio in the industry The third factor is the company policy which related to capital structure. Otherwise, there are some factors related to projects themselves. Evaluating the factors helps investors define discount rate and therefore they have an overview of the investment opportunity. Besides, management have to foresee the estimated future benefits are large enough to justify the current expenditure as well as the proposed investment based on capital budgeting. It is the most cost-effective way to achieve their goals. The discount rate to be applied can be based on the facts and circumstances of a particular case as well as the analysis of the likelihood of achieving forecasted lost profits. Companies have to assess the relevant factors in determining an appropriate discount rate that help them build a stronger case in support of their damage position. Question IV: Discuss the true economic cost to Daimler-Benz (Mercedes) when it purchased Chrysler in 1998. How did that workout? In May, 1998, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler Corporation, two of the worlds leading car manufacturers, agreed to combine their businesses. Daimler-Benz purchased the Chrysler Corporation at $37.3 billion. The former Chrysler Corporation was given autonomy to manufacture mass-market cars and trucks while the Germans firm continued to build luxury cars. Thus, purposes of this business for Daimler-Benz is to access to the North American market for automobiles without diluting the image of its Mercedes-Benz brand. Otherwise, with acquiring Chrysler they can get production capacity outside Germany and opportunity to learn from Chryslers envied process of making decisions quickly and bringing new vehicles to market promptly. However, the true cost to purchase the Chrysler is not $37.3 billion because the Chrysler has $15.5 billion in interest-bearing debt that makes the total price to purchase is $52.8 billion ($37.2 million + $15.5 million). Thus, Chryslers assets need to make future cash flow worth at least $52.8 billion. Therefore, the true economic cost to Daimler-Benz when it purchased Chrysler is over $52.8 billion. After purchasing Chrysler, Daimler-Benz firm had to bear many extra expenses related to changes in many factors such as leaderships, business strategy, culture clash and management styles. The Daimler is different from the Chrysler different in businesses. The Daimlers core competency is high-valued, technically advanced cars and focuses on development of luxury cars whereas Chrysler focused on mass market and considered as a very cost effective company. Moreover, European culture is far different from American style and there may appear conflict of management style in a short time. Thus, it is difficult to the business and cash flow for DaimlerChrysler in the future. Therefore, DaimlerChrysler faced failures in operating. Despite significant short and medium term expected synergies, DaimlerChrysler has been negative profits after the deal. In 2001, DaimlerChrysler got loss of $5.8 bi llion which was the biggest loss in German business history. In 2007, The Chrysler was bought of 80.1% (about $7.4 billion) by Cerberus Capital Management LP. This price is much cheaper than the price ($37.3 billon) when Daimler purchased Chrysler in 1998. After 9 years, this deal marked the divorce of Daimler and Chrysler. Question V: A sporting good manufacturer has decided to expand into a related business. Management estimates that to build and staff a facility of the desired size and to attain capacity operations would cost $275 million in present value terms. Alternatively, the company could acquire an existing firm or division with the desired capacity. One such opportunity is the division of another company. The book value of the divisions asset is $140 million and its earnings before interest and tax are presently $30 million. Publicly traded comparable companies are selling a narrow range around 12 times current earnings. The companies have debt-to-asset ratios averaging 40 percent with an average interest rate of 10 percent. Using a tax rate of 34 percent, estimate the minimum price the owner of the division should consider for its sale. Multiple = Market Value / EBIT (1-tax) Therefore, Market value = Multiple x EBIT (1-tax) Market value = 30 (1-0.34) x 12 = $237.6 million Market value = D + E D = 40% x $140 million = $ 56 million. E = Market value D = $237.6 million $ 56 million = $181.6 million. With calculation above, the minimum price the owner of the division should consider for its sale is the value of its equity (E). The minimum price is $181.6 million. b. What is the maximum price the acquirer should be willing to pay? The maximum price the acquirer should be willing to pay is the market value. In this case, it is $237.6 million c. Does it appear that that an acquisition is feasible? Why or why not? Because the companies have debt-to-asst ratios averaging 40 percent with an average interest rate of 10 percent, the price will be: $237.6 million + ($237.6 million x 40%) x 10% = $247.104 million The price above is less than $275 million. If the managements build and staff a facility, they have to pay $275 million. Thus, this acquisition is feasible. Otherwise, the company can utilize staff and facility. d. Would a 25 percent increase in stock prices to an industry average price-to-earnings ratio of 15 change your answer to (C)? Why or why not? In this situation, Market Value = $237.6 million x 1.25 = $297 million. The price in this situation is more than $275 million. If the managements build and staff a facility, they have to pay $275 million. Thus, with 25% increase in stock prices to an industry average price-to-earnings ratio of 15%, my answer to (c) will be changed. e. Referring to the $275 million price tag on the replacement value of the division, what would you predict would happen to acquisition activity when market values of companies and divisions rise above their replacement values? When market values of companies and divisions rise above their replacement value and related to the $275 million price tag on the replacement value of the division, I predict that the company will acquire existing firm or division with the desired capacity instead of building and staffing new facility. Question VI: What does it mean when a companys free cash flow is negative in one or more years? Free cash flow always measures how much money a company generates after deducting maintenance capital expenditure, but before capital expenditure on expansion. Free cash flow is important for any company because it a company can pursue opportunities that increase shareholder value with free cash flow. It is difficult for a company to launch new products, make any acquisition, pay dividends and reduce debt without enough cash. In theory, Free Cash Flow = Net Income + Amortization/Depreciation- Changes in Working Capital Capital Expenditures. Thus, if the free cash flow is negative in one or more years, company may have large investments. If these investments get a high return, profits that a company attains are more than costs to be paid. Otherwise, a profitable business or in some particular industries may have negative cash flow especially in the beginning of investments. In these cases, negative free cash flow of a company can be accepted in a short time but not in a long time. b. Do negative values of free cash flow in way alter or invalidate the notion that a companys fair market value equals the present value of its free cash flows discounted at the companys weighted average cost of capital? Free cash flow is the amount of cash a company has after expenses, debt service, capital expenditures, and dividends. The higher the free cash flow of a company, the stronger the companys Balance Sheet. Free cash flow can affect the value of a firm. Negative free cash flow can not define the value and it has no sense. However, negative values of free cash flow invalidate the notion that a companys fair market value equals the present value of its free cash flows discounted at the companys weighted average cost of capital. Some divisions of a company may accept loss in order to increase free cash flow of a company in the future. c. Suppose a companys free cash flows were expected to be negative in all future periods. Can you conceive of any reasons for buying the companys stock? Free cash flow is the most important number to be needed to know about a company before buying its stock. Big companies usually throw off large sums of free cash flow whereas young or growing companies may have a negative free cash flow. We can buy the companys stock if the companys free cash flow in the short time. However, if a companys cash flow were expected to be negative in all future periods, we should not buy their stock because the companys finance situation is not good. The company may get troubles in sales, heavy debt, ineffective investments or other causes in operation that result to a cash flow with higher expenditures than income. With negative cash flow in all periods, the company may have to bankruptcy. Therefore, there is no reason for buying its stock. However, if we know that the company has some big projects and will get high return in the long time, we can consider buying the companys stock because large investments can make the company having negative cash.

The Overwhelming Emotional States of Hamlet in Shakespeares Hamlet Ess

The Overwhelming Emotional States of Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet Depression, melancholy, disillusionment, and disconnectedness are the burning emotions churning in young Hamlet?s soul as he attempts to come to terms with his father?s death and his mother?s incestuous, illicit marriage. While Hamlet tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered idealism, he consciously embarks on a quest to seek the truth hidden in Elsinore; this mission of Hamlet?s is in stark contrast to Claudius? fervent effort to obscure the truth of King Hamlet?s murder. The question of Hamlet?s sanity is irrelevant, but instead his melancholy disposition is the centering aspect of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Hamlet?s melancholy is prevalent in his unique diction, his conversations with both comrades and enemies, and especially in his soliloquies. Those aspects of the play allow a glimpse into Hamlet?s state of questioning of deception versus truth and illusion versus reality. The constant struggle between the real and the imagined, along with the circums tances of Hamlet?s arrival home, and the tension between the Danish royalty, give rise to extreme melancholy in Hamlet?s personality, and thereby turn him into a stereotypical malcontent. Hamlet?s fear, separation, and mistrust form him into a typical malcontent character. In defining the malcontent from the Shakespearean era, Christine Gomez writes that ?The malcontent mood in late Elizabethan and Jacobean drama may be traced to the political, economic, social and intellectual conditions of the age.?1 Politically, Hamlet feels left down and put aside for the crown. Claudius assures himself the crown by murdering the King while Hamlet is away at Wittenberg. Not only is Hamlet offe... ...ince of Denmark 17.12 (1995): 10-26. Eliot, T.S. ?Hamlet and His Problems.? Discussions of Hamlet. Ed. J.C. Levenson. Boston: D.C. Health and Company, 1960. Gomez, Christine. ?The Malcontent Strain in Hamlet.? Hamlet Studies: An International Journal of Research on The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 14. 1-2 (1992): 67-73. Levin, Harry. ?The Antic Disposition.? The Question of Hamlet. New York: The Viking Press, 1967. Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine, eds. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. William Shakespeare. New York: Washington Square-Pocket Books, 1992. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square-Pocket Books, 1992. Wilson, J. Dover. ?Antic Disposition.? Discussions of Hamlet. Ed. J.C. Levenson. Boston: D.C. Health and Company, 1960.

Character in Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :: The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

Character in Katherine Anne Porter's â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† a short story by Katherine Anne Porter, describes the last thoughts, feelings, and memories of an elderly woman. As Granny Weatherall’s life literally â€Å"flashes† before her eyes, the importance of the title of the story becomes obvious. Granny Weatherall has been in some way deceived or disappointed in every love relationship of her life. Her past lover George, husband John, daughter Cornelia, and God all did an injustice by what Porter refers to as â€Å"jilting.† This unending cycle of wrongdoing caused Granny to be a mixture of strength, bitterness, and ultimate fear as she faces her last moments in life. Granny gained her strength by the people that she felt jilted by. George stood Granny up at the altar. He never showed at all and it is never stated that she heard from him again. The pain forced Granny to be strong as is proven by her thoughts when she is asked if anything could be done for her. â€Å" I want you to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had my husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman†¦ Tell him I was given back everything he took away and more† (Porter 584). Granny did marry a man named John, but her strength was again tested when he died at a young age, leaving her to raise their children on her own. â€Å"Sometimes she wanted to see John again and point to them and say, well, I didn’t do so badly did I?† (582). She had been strong enough to carry the burden of two lost loves and raise good children at the same time. It was one of these children, Cornelia, who made her act somewhat bitterly in her last days. With her daughter whispering about her and saying she should be humored at her old age, Granny felt like she had been in some way betrayed. â€Å"It was strange about children. They disputed your every word† (584). She felt like Cornelia was treating her like a child. â€Å"The thing that most annoyed her was that Cornelia thought she was deaf, dumb, and blind. Little hasty glances and tiny gestures tossed around her and over her head saying, ‘Don’t cross her, let her have her way, she’s eighty years old,’ and she sitting there as if she lived in a thick glass cage† (582). Character in Katherine Anne Porter's The Jilting of Granny Weatherall :: The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Character in Katherine Anne Porter's â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† a short story by Katherine Anne Porter, describes the last thoughts, feelings, and memories of an elderly woman. As Granny Weatherall’s life literally â€Å"flashes† before her eyes, the importance of the title of the story becomes obvious. Granny Weatherall has been in some way deceived or disappointed in every love relationship of her life. Her past lover George, husband John, daughter Cornelia, and God all did an injustice by what Porter refers to as â€Å"jilting.† This unending cycle of wrongdoing caused Granny to be a mixture of strength, bitterness, and ultimate fear as she faces her last moments in life. Granny gained her strength by the people that she felt jilted by. George stood Granny up at the altar. He never showed at all and it is never stated that she heard from him again. The pain forced Granny to be strong as is proven by her thoughts when she is asked if anything could be done for her. â€Å" I want you to find George. Find him and be sure to tell him I forgot him. I want him to know I had my husband just the same and my children and my house like any other woman†¦ Tell him I was given back everything he took away and more† (Porter 584). Granny did marry a man named John, but her strength was again tested when he died at a young age, leaving her to raise their children on her own. â€Å"Sometimes she wanted to see John again and point to them and say, well, I didn’t do so badly did I?† (582). She had been strong enough to carry the burden of two lost loves and raise good children at the same time. It was one of these children, Cornelia, who made her act somewhat bitterly in her last days. With her daughter whispering about her and saying she should be humored at her old age, Granny felt like she had been in some way betrayed. â€Å"It was strange about children. They disputed your every word† (584). She felt like Cornelia was treating her like a child. â€Å"The thing that most annoyed her was that Cornelia thought she was deaf, dumb, and blind. Little hasty glances and tiny gestures tossed around her and over her head saying, ‘Don’t cross her, let her have her way, she’s eighty years old,’ and she sitting there as if she lived in a thick glass cage† (582).

John Updikes A & P Essay -- John Updike A & P Social Class Wealth Ess

John Updike's A & P At first read, John Updike's 'A & P' contrasts old and new; the old manager in his settled life conflicting with the new age of girls wearing bathing suits in buildings. All the while, the narrator stuck in the middle, finally deciding to join the side of new, or youth. Instead of old vs. new, an observation closer to the heart of the story is conflict between the worlds of the rich and the middle class. ?A & P? is the setting for one man to decide in which way he will seek to follow his life, standing on his own two feet and treating everyone as equals, or bowing before the wealthy, and searching for his own riches above all else. In walk three girls into a grocery store in bathing suits. They?re far enough away from the beach that it is customary for them to be wearing more clothes. Their actions are deliberate and exaggerated; they came in the store to buy one item, but that was not their purpose for being there. It?s easy to extract from the story that the girls stood out in many ways, money being an important one. Updike presents Sam the cashier as thinking, ?Her father and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big glass plate and they were all holding drinks the color of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them.? Sam?s impression of the girls was obviously that they came from wealth, something that he could not claim of himself. And although he outwardly admired their bodies, he was really admiring their wealth. The girls walked in and by the lack of conformity of their dress, immediately they set a different tone within the store. They walked the wrong way down isles and paid no att... ...o become what they are, so that he can walk around and have others treat him with respect above others. In ?A & P? John Updike gives a story of a man faced with two choices for his life in a seemingly unimportant circumstance. He can stand up for himself and for his rules, as his manager encourages him to do so. But as the story goes, he remains oblivious to the forces at work, and decides to bend his will to three girls in bathing suits, or more generally, to those who have the power and nobility of wealth behind them. Sam makes the wrong choice, and subsequently, makes the rest of his life more difficult, as he admits that he must life his life under another class of people, the wealthy, as though he is less than them. By admitting that he is less than them, Sam has started to live his life not for the happiness he can obtain, but for the wealth he can obtain.

Prisons and Jails Essay

Almost all nations and cultures have made laws to protect their citizens. From the early years and over the decades these laws have been kept in force to prevent the societies from experiencing situations of anarchy. Different punishment has been provided for in different countries to prevent its people from adopting a path and practice of criminal activities. The world of today is characterized by the presence of criminals who are brought to book and punished in a variety of ways depending on the culture and values of any country or society. Prisoners have been locked up in prisons and meted out with terms that include punishment by way of a rigorous regimen of hard labor while undergoing the term as also milder ones that may include a stint in reformatory homes. Historically punishments have ranged from corporal punishment to death penalty, Several countries have for long been awarding the death penalty for committing heinous crimes that were executed in several forms that included, hanging, guillotine, by firing squad, lynching and now electric chair. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi is the oldest record available to ascertain that a egal system existed to award punishment in the Middle East. Western countries were influenced by and followed the laws enacted in ancient Rome whereby each city had a court that worked under the Law of Twelve Tables so as to protect citizens and to make the rulers and governments effective. The Justinian Code is considered to be the most logical and effective legal system that was most effective in ancient times whereby punishment was meted out by the process of Law. In due course people began to realize the value of a legal system that protected citizens and each country began to appoint heriffs to deal with punishments and the justice system became a major part of society although they were never fool proof and were always characterized by shortcomings that put a question mark on the efficiency of the judiciary. In ancient times the justice and reform system was often misused when criminals were hung on crosses, sometimes tortured to death or placed in dungeons to die. Those citizens who protested were also treated as criminals and tortured or put behind bars. It was during this time, in the 19th century and mainly in the Roman Empire that civil justice was effectively implemented nd more prisons were built to punish criminals humanely. This soon had effect on the rest of the world and with the emergence of the modern world more prisons were built and departments set up to manage them effectively. With the widespread maturing of the legal system over the decades, more and more criminals were brought to book and the law abiding citizens heaved a sigh of relief especially during the time of the Queen of Britain at the turn of the 19th century. Under the new system the criminal was given an opportunity to prove himself innocent and the overnment had to prove a person to be guilty of crime within the prevailing provisions of law, before he could be sentenced to a term of punishment and imprisonment. Although capital punishment continued to prevail but it was awarded in the rarest of rare cases. Over the years with the influence of Human Rights Organizations and Civil Rights Movements, the trend has set in to rather reform the wrong doers than to award extreme penalties by giving sentenced criminals opportunities to amend themselves and to come back within the mainstream of society. Under the system convicts are put on probation or parole under the watchful eyes of probation officers appointed by courts to ensure that such people remain disciplined and strictly follow the code of conduct as outlined by the court. The view of punishment taken by society has changed dramatically over the years. Initially punishment comprised of physical torture, maiming, death by burning, hard labor, deprivation of food adequate clothing and shelter, but attitudes of the society have changed now and the belief is to punish by way of imprisonment of varying periods epending on the severity of the crime. Imprisonment today is considered punishment for one’s wrong doings, which is also consistent with the society’s objective of keeping such people aloof until they are reformed to lead a normal life within society. To insist that a person is sent to prison so that he is punished is wrong in today’s context since after he completes his term he has the justification to return to his old ways. Hence prison authorities today have a duty to fulfill by way of reforming the convict during his term so as to transform him into a more responsible citizen. It is for this reason that in most countries modern society is characterized by a prison and punishment system that strongly believes that the most effective form of punishment is to deprive the convict of his freedom until he is reformed. In this context the composition and diversity of prison population in America has been examined and found that presently over two million people are in American prisons. This does indicate that modern society has now been characterized by a pattern, which clearly indicates that the government is duty bound to ensure freedom to criminals once their 4 rison terms are over and that they gel back into society with a tag of respect and positive aspirations. The changing attitudes and trends have seen a constant inflow of inmates in the Federal, State and local prisons. The Federal government held a majority of 63% of the inmates while local municipal and county jails held 30%, and the remaining being accounted for in other prisons.. Most states have been experiencing a 5% increase in the number of inmates over the last three years. Private prisons held about 86626 prisoners which accounts for about 7% of the inmates in American prison. A private prison is a place in which convicts are physically detained by a private organization for profit at the instance of the legal authorities. These companies enter into an agreement with the federal government to take care of and reform and motivate prisoners and claim from them a fixed fee amount per prisoner. There are about 264 private prisons/correctional facilities in the United States that take care of about 110000 offenders. The concept of private prisons was floated to reduce government expenses in the long run, but the scheme has not worked effectively due to private sector neffectiveness with convicts, and having realized this the federal government is not encouraging further addition to their numbers. The number of private prisons is now set to decline gradually. Rates of imprisonment have greatly increased due to increase in the rate of criminal offences, which is considered a consequence of the fast track development that is taking place in the modern world. More delinquencies resulting from human inadequacies to tolerate inequalities have resulted in people taking the course first towards minor crimes and then graduating to bigger ones and then ultimately falling into legal traps that lead to their conviction and further imprisonment. In America imprisonment is the most common sentence in legislation for serious offences in terms of dealing with criminal activities, which explains the high number of prisoners in jails. Only effective and well targeted correction measures and programs can reduce criminal offending and over time there is good reason to target investment in preventive approaches for the betterment of those undergoing prison sentences. As discussed earlier, in the modern world the biggest punishment for a criminal is to urtail his freedom for the duration of his sentence and during this time it is the duty of the jail administration to make him undergo a rigorous regimen of correction and transformation into a more responsible and law abiding citizen. The American government has an arrangement in place whereby all jail administrators are to undergo a training program to specialize in dealing with and reforming convicts and to encourage them in displaying their creativity and interests so that when their prison term is over they can lead the life style that is in keeping with that of a responsible and respectable citizen. The American judicial and correction system is such that it is considered to be one of the most liberal in terms of providing guarantees of human rights and opportunities for misguided people to reform themselves. There are several government sponsored programs that provide for opportunities for such people to reestablish themselves for a better means of livelihood. The punishment part for their wrong doings gets over the moment they finish with the duration of their prison sentence and after that they can look forward to a happier life free of the stigma that attaches to a person of such background.

Illinois Employers Essay

The Illinois WARN reduces the number of employees required for an employer’s notification, which should be done 60 days advance, in case of layoffs or closing. It reduces from 100 (as set by the federal WARN) to not less than 75 full-time employees who has a combined working time of 4,000 hours or more per week. Also, 33% and at least 25 full-time employees or at least 250 full-time employees are required for mass lay offs which is half the requirement of the federal WARN. Other government officials must also be informed in case of reallocation. Noncompliance with the Act can be brought in the federal court by the concerned employees. COMMENT 1: Indeed, theses laws will have good impact in the community and may also decrease the unemployment rate. However, it will also trigger a fear on the side of the employer. Upon receiving a notice 60 days before the closing or lay off, the employees will surely look for a job. There, they may be times when the employees will leave their job even before the closing period once they find a new job. However, notification in such cases (closing or lay off and reallocation) will surely benefit the community will surely benefit the community as a whole for unemployment is sure to decrease. WARN really secures the employees interest by taking away the fear of being fired all of a sudden. Thus, employees will really feel secure as long WARN is in place since there is a law that protects their interest and work security. They are also more secure because noncompliance to the laws imposed by WARN can be brought to the federal court in which employers can be required to pay for the 60 days of non-notification. ESSAY 2 Almost all members of the community will be affected by the decision especially the smokers or costumers as well as the tobacco growers, manufacturers and the stores. The store has no obligation to not hurt tourism since every business is free to offer what product or services that they want provided that they didn’t violate the law. Neda does not set aside business ethics since even business ethics does not impose compulsory selling of tobacco. It is more like being responsible to the community since they aim to prevent lawsuits and criminal penalties due to unavoidable selling of tobacco to minors. COMMENT 1: Smokers and non-smokers are the ones that are truly affected by the decision to ban tobacco selling within the community. Neda does have the right to sell whatever she see fit thus, business ethics was not violated. Neda also have no responsibility on the tourism industry since what the decision she had made was meant for her own store only and not for the whole community. It just so happen that more and more agreed to her decision. However, there are times that business and personal ethics does not go hand in hand. There are times that in order to protect your personal ethics, you must violated business ethics and vice versa. Personal ethics is not a requirement of business ethics although most of the time, personally ethical are also business ethical. COMMENT 2: The stake holders that are mentioned are indeed the affected people by the decision. However, the most affected remains the consumers of the product, the smokers. They are the most affected because they are the ones that really depend on the use of the product. Regarding Neda’s decision, it is also right to say that both personal and business ethics had been taken for consideration. Another proof that showed that business ethics was also considered is that Neda protected not only the citizens but as well as the workers who are legally punished for selling tobacco on minors. It is also the concern of business ethics to ensure that their employees are doing legal jobs. Also, rather than decrease in tourism, the decision may also serve as a ground to increase tourism because of the good image that the community is able to portray. The tourists do not visit the community to smoke in the first place. It is also natural there are people that will accommodate those smokers who are suffering from the decision. Reference Craft, M. & Diljohn, J. (2005). New Illinois WARN Act Imposes Additional Requirements on Illinois Employers. Retrieved July 19, 2008 from http://library.findlaw. com/2005/Mar/10/163974. html Employment and Training Administration United States Department of Labor. (No Date). Workers Guide to Advance Notice of Closing and Layoffs. Retrieved July 19, 2008 from http://www. doleta. gov/layoff/pdf/WorkerWARN2003. pdf. Federwisch, A. (June 2006). Assessing for Ethics. Retrieved July 19, 2008 from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/assessing. html. White, Maj Gen Jerry. (1996). Personal Ethics Versus Professional Ethics. Retrieved July 19, 2008 from http://www. airpower. maxwell. af. mil/airchronicles/apj/apj96/sum96/white. html.

Globalization & world Essay

In general terms, globalization refers to the economical, cultural and societal changes, which are experienced in the whole world as a result of integrated and common trade, transport and communication network systems. The whole issue of globalization is complex with potential debates on its causes and effects ranging from technological to social- cultural and political factors. Although globalization has been associated with many positive impacts to the society and the world at large, the negative consequences cannot be ignored because of their far reaching effects to the people in the world. This paper seeks to discuss the health problems caused by globalization. It also gives some of the solutions to this problem. As the whole world is increasingly becoming interconnected, human health is becoming more complex. For instance, globalization has changed the lifestyle of people. It can be appreciated that modern behavioral changes such as the smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activities and increasingly high use of illegal drugs, which are factors attributed to globalization, are risking human health and hence increasing the chances of low lifespan (Guindon, & Pang, 2004). Globalization has also resulted to the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases. This is evidenced in the recent out break of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and its rapid spread in the modern world hence imposing a risk of global pandemic (Guindon, & Pang, 2004). Further to this, the enhanced global movements of goods and people have contributed amicably to the spread of diseases. For example, the advancement of canned food production, trade and increasingly high consumption has facilitated the spread of food born diseases. Behavioral changes associated with global worming such as sexual immoralities (increased sex tourism) in the modern society have contributed to the spread of HIV and AIDS which has been declared as a global epidemic (Huynen, et al 2005). In addition to this, modern society is experiencing high teenage pregnancies which results to health complications. One of the solutions to the negative impacts of globalization to health is by promoting health education in the society. Education will empower people to understand the effects of different lifestyles, which include foods consumed. (Wamala & Kawachi 2007). Further to this, the society should discourage unhealthy behaviors through appropriate legislation and public awareness. In conclusion therefore, globalization has far reaching effects to health which should be addressed at international levels for the common good of all people in the world. ? Bibliography Guindon, E, & Pang, T 2004, Globalization and risks to health, viewed 21 August 2010, Huynen, et al, 2005, Globalization and Health, viewed 21 August 2010, Wamala, S, & Kawachi, I 2007, Globalization and Health, Oxford University Press, New York.

Miranda Priestly OB

Locus of control: It can be observed throughout the movie how Miranda tried to control ever thing around her. Every decision taken by her was considered to be final. There is a dialogue â€Å"Her opinion is the only opinion that matters†, it show how she controlled everything around her. Self Esteem: (Tendency to rate one very high) Miranda rated herself above everyone. She likes to believe that, if it's for her then anything is possible. She never allows anyone to ever ride lift with her. A person leaves lift as soon as Miranda enters lift for her and waits for the other en to arrive.Lack of emotional Intelligence: Miranda lacks emotional intelligence. During many of the incidences she tends to ignore the emotions of the people around her. For instance when her assistant fails to book flight for her, she makes her feel very bad even though it was not her mistake. In one of the incidences even though she knew her first assistant was looking forward for the trip to Paris, and h as been dieting and planning for over months, even though she neglects her and takes a new assistant with her. She never cared to learn the name of her employee and called by any name she felt .Job Fit: She is the most job fit for her job. She has knowledge of her domain and she makes sure job is done at all cost. A famous designer displays his designs before Paris show to Miranda. He thinks it was his best work but Miranda directly rejects the collection and the designer changes his collection to receive applaud during the main show. Pygmalion Effect: The process of bringing the best out of others. Miranda always expected the best out of each and every of her employee. When a new assistant joins, Miranda pushes her to extreme always expecting the result out of her.She sometimes gave impossible task to her employee like booking flight during storm or procuring an unpublished Harry potter book. Due to her constant supervision she always brings out the best in people. Andrea â€Å"An dy' Cash land an interview with an fashion industry magazine which is names as a job â€Å"a million girls would kill for†. The job is as junior personal assistant for editor of Runway fashion magazine. Andrea is a fresh out of college and is looking for a job to jump start her career, even though he dislikes fashion industry, she accepts the job.

Representations of Illness and Recovery in ‘the Secret Garden’

â€Å"Explore The Secret Garden’s representation of illness and recovery. † The Secret Garden, written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is a children’s story that has endured enormous popularity since its publication in 1911. The novel centres round a young and lonely protagonist, Mary Lennox. Mary’s journeys in The Secret Garden- both physical and spiritual- have been followed by child readers and often remembered long into adulthood.The text communicates to readers themes such as death, sickness, and recovery and it is largely because of this addressing of serious and sometimes relatable issues that the novel has been considered such a significant contribution to children’s literature. The notions that illness and unhappiness of all kinds can be ‘cured’ by positive thinking is a concept that runs through the text and is generally attributed to the authors own belief in Christian science.Burnett was known to have found comfort in spirituali ty and this ‘New thought’ ideology whilst dealing with the deaths that occurred in her own life and the resulting depression from them. By exploring the representations of illness and recovery within The Secret Garden readers are able to recognise the messages and lessons Burnett as an author was attempting to portray to children. From this, readers can also gain a greater contextual understanding of the kind of society Burnett- and in turn, her characters- would have existed within.In many works of children’s literature, it is common for parental figures to either not be present or to be removed from the story in some way, to allow the child protagonist to have their own ‘adventure’ without adult supervision. The Secret Garden is an example of this, but what stands apart from other children’s texts is the harshness of the situation that Mary as a character is immediately faced with. By the end of The Secret Garden’s first chapter, both Mary’s parents and any servants that provided care for her have been killed by an outbreak of cholera.Mary Lennox is instantly surrounded by death at the beginning of the story, and her sudden physical loneliness only draws attention from readers to the fact that Mary was very much alone and uncared for in the first place; as Burnett writes, as soon as there is an outbreak, â€Å"†¦She was forgotten by everyone. Nobody thought of her, nobody wanted her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  . Death and sickness are the themes that open The Secret Garden to readers and in turn give readers the first impression that these hemes are what largely define Mary Lennox as a protagonist. Before Mary is taken to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, she first stays in India with an English Clergyman and his family. What is interesting about where Mary is taken when she must leave her first home is that she is only seen as safe and away from disease when taken into a British setting- even if it is only made British by the people she is living with.It is decisions like this one made by Burnett that affirms to readers that India is seen to her as a ‘sickly’ place; the novel in fact opens with a paragraph stating Mary â€Å"had been born in India and had always been ill in one way or another. † It is important to consider that the first outbreak of Cholera is seen in the servants- those who are native to India- which is the cause of Mary’s parent’s death. India is frequently suggested to be an unhealthy place, especially in comparison to England, which as The Secret Garden progresses is shown to be the place where character’s health improve.This apparent view of an English writer seeing England as a place of good health, whilst a foreign place to be somewhere that produces sickness and death, puts forward the question to readers of whether they are being presented with an accurate perception of settings, or if they are reading the descriptions of s omeone who is significantly biased. Understanding this, adult readers should consider if child readers could be negatively influenced by the writer’s own opinions.The locked away and hidden garden in Burnett’s The Secret Garden is seen to be the symbolic centre of the novel even before its discovery. It’s introduction through Martha, who tells Mary after some hesitation â€Å"One of th’gardens is locked up. No one has been in it for ten years. † is one that creates the first real mystery of the text, something to occupy Mary’s thoughts while she begins life in Yorkshire and stir curiosity in readers, suggesting to them that there are more secrets to be discovered than just the many shut away and forbidden rooms of the old manor house.Although Burnett claims the garden at Mary’s first sight of it to be â€Å"The sweetest, most mysterious place anyone could imagine†, the first description of the setting is decidedly centred round the fact that all the trees and flowers that were once there seem to no longer be alive. Like the opening scenes of The Secret Garden, this new scene is one largely defined by death. The garden has been hidden away and unwanted, much like Mary herself in the beginning of The Secret Garden, however, the situation is different in that pon discovery, someone wishes to care for it. Mary claims â€Å"Is it all a quite dead garden? I wish it wasn’t. † These words from the protagonist could be seen as a kind of positive development in character; Mary is learning to feel compassion for other things. It could be argued that Mary’s wish to look after this garden stems from an innate desire to ‘get better’ herself. Despite Mary’s interest in caring for the garden, it is believed to be lifeless until Dickon is introduced into the text.Mary confides in him and brings him to the garden, and almost immediately he is able to find traces of life in the other wise decaying surroundings, telling Mary it is â€Å"as wick as you or me. † Dickon as a character seems to represent both nature and health; Mary finds him surrounded by animals and the author describes him have â€Å"Cheeks as red as poppies†. The way he seems to portray both health and a close bond with nature suggests to readers that Burnett herself sees a strong connotation between contact with nature and good health.Nature is often used throughout The Secret Garden to describe healthy traits; The doctor at one point claims Dickon to be â€Å"as strong as a moor pony†. Nature even outside of the garden or Moors is seen to be intrinsically linked with being healthy in the text; both Mary and Colin’s wellbeing seems to depend on the changing of the seasons. It is only when spring arrives that Colin feels strong enough to sit up for breakfast with his cousin, claiming â€Å"I am breathing long breath of fresh air. It makes you strong. † The two c hildren’s health and progress seem to rely heavily on the matching progress of nature and the seasons outside.Considering this, readers could ask themselves if Burnett has intended this to be because of how she may see nature and health intrinsically linked- the two children must ‘bloom’ with the seasons and the flowers in the garden- or whether it is because she creates two characters so dependant on nature for their happiness. In the lonely, remote manor house with barely any other children around to play with, nature and the garden are some of the only things for Mary and Colin to build an attachment to. Colin is a character who is introduced to the text after much mystery; he is the cause of the crying Mary has been hearing every night.His character of the ‘invalid hidden away’ is one that has been seen before in other works of fiction- a notable example to draw parallels to is the character of Bertha in Jane Eyre. Colin and Bertha represent the kind of characters that were created in a â€Å"Victorian fascination with the â€Å"imaginative potential of disease† . Sickness was something that could define a character and make it interesting to readers; a kind of morbid fascination with things that were not yet entirely understood. Being unwell in the Victorian period was itself not seen as an entirely negative experience.Diane Price Herndl states in Invalid Women that â€Å" Invalidism has historically offered women a way . . . to achieve a kind of power when no other means opened up†. This in theory could apply to Colin as a child character. Children, like women in the Victorian period, gained a kind of power from being unwell, as others are forced to attend to them and oblige to them for fear of sickening them further. Certainly, being treated for being unwell is the only kind of attention that Colin is able receive until later in The Secret Garden.The way Colin is treated for his illness seems to resemble t he ‘rest cure’ treatment, a method that was developed in the 19th century. He is confined to his bed and isolated from other people, told to rest and never over stress himself, isolated from anyone around him. Until Mary meets him, there seems to be no foreseeable time when he will ’get better’. Colin says to Mary when they first meet â€Å"If I live I may be a hunchback, but I shan’t live. †. Colin has essentially resigned to waiting in his room to die.Whilst Mary as a character strikes readers as having a fierce will to live, and a kind of innate desire to become more healthy, at this point in the novel Colin seems to contrast against her in that he does not see himself living past childhood- as he has been told his entire life. However, hope for his improvement is created through the situation that he and Mary are first introduced to each other. Mary meets Colin at a point where she herself is starting to improve in behaviour and become mo re like a normal, healthy child.She is confused by the way that Colin acts, telling Martha later â€Å"I think he’s a very spoiled boy. †; scarcely recognising that she herself was not very different to him before she came to Yorkshire. The fact that Mary has found Colin whilst in the process of becoming more healthy herself is encouraging to readers, as if Mary can improve from being a spoilt, ‘sickly’ child, then it seems likely that Colin is able to as well. In addition, Colin appears in the text as Mary is slowly learning to want to are for things and nurture them, implying that Mary can in turn look after and help Colin become more healthy. Colin’s actual state of health in The Secret Garden seems debatable. There is never an assigned name to the illness that keeps him from being mobile, other than being told that he may one day develop a hunchback like his father. His bouts of cold and fever seem to be directly related to how hysteric he becom es in his ‘fits’, his weakness seemingly due to the fact that he has barely ventured outside of his bedroom during his lifetime.It is Mary who is the first character to dismiss the idea of his ‘sickness’ and in turn his unavoidable premature death, telling him â€Å"There’s nothing the matter with your horrid back- nothing but hysterics! †. It is almost as if Colin’s own belief in his ill health has been created through the negative beliefs of others, and Mary as a character who is new and unfamiliar with these negative presumptions if the only person who can see past them.This concept that Colin is not truly unwell, but made to think he is and therefore acts as if he is disabled in some way, seems to align itself with Burnett’s own beliefs in Christian science and New thought ideology. It also suggests to readers at this point in the novel that Colin is a character who can become better; he has willed himself into ill health, so there is no reason why he cannot similarly will himself into becoming more healthy.Despite the authors own apparent perceptions of sickness being based on Christian Science beliefs- that sickness can be cured through positive thinking- it has been suggested by some that real forms of illness are present in some of the characters in the text. Mary and Colin are seen as neurotic figures; Mary’s indifference to death and her solitary games have seen her diagnosed as pre-schizoid, whilst Colin’s obsession with his own imaginary hunchback has been seen to class him as a hysteric.Burnett admits herself that â€Å"Perhaps they were both of them thinking strange things children do not usually think†. She as an author seems to understand that the child characters she has created do not act as normal, healthy children would. Though the possibility of Mary and Colin’s mental illnesses are just theories, it brings the question to readers of whether the treatment, or rather lack of treatment, being provided to each child is entirely appropriate. After all, each child has dealt with a great deal throughout their short lifetimes.Mary has practically witnessed the deaths of all that she first knew, whilst Colin has been confined to one room for his entire life; perhaps most importantly, neither of them have ever had loving parental figures present, so would surely be psychologically affected by this in some way. Modern day readers must consider that treatment of illness was in the time Mary and Colin would have existed in, very different to what is used now- for example, the ‘rest cure’ of enforced confinement and bed rest has since been discredited as a treatment to any condition.Whilst contact with nature and other children obviously shows signs of improvement in Colin and Mary’s wellbeing, readers might ask themselves if this would be the case of ‘real’ children in the character’s places, and if by the fi nishing chapters of The Secret Garden, Mary and Colin can be considered entirely ‘cured’ of their past problems. Word count: 2,383 Bibliography * Lawson, Kate, The Victorian Sickroom in L. M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle and Emily's Quest : Sentimental Fiction and the Selling of Dreams, Volume 31, Number 3, 2007 (http://muse. jhu. edu/login? auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/v031/31. lawson. html) * Gohlke, Madelon, Re-reading The Secret Garden, vol 41 no 8 (JSTOR) * Carpenter, Angelica, In the Garden: Essays in honor of Frances Hodgson Burnett (http://chapters. scarecrowpress. com/08/108/0810852888ch1. pdf) * Hunt, Peter, An introduction to children’s literature, 1994, Oxford University Press * Hodgson Burnett, Frances, The Secret Garden, Puffin Classics, 1911 * (http://www. sciencemuseum. org. uk/broughttolife/techniques/restcure. aspx) (definition of rest cure) ————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ [ 1 ]. Gohlke, Madelon, Re-reading The Secret Garden, vol 41 no 8 [ 2 ].