resistance in the holocaust essays

resistance in the holocaust essays When we think of the quite courage of Miep and Henk Gies, and Oskar Schindler, and all others who refused to turn their backs on the Jews of the Holocaust, we ask ourselves how it happened that these few men, women, and children gathered the courage to face the risks they had to take. Who were these rescuers, and why did they do what they did? Nechama Tec, a well known, sociologist and herself a hidden child, suggests that the Holocaust rescuers were people who acted out of a deep moral conviction to respond to the suffering of another human being. Because of this conviction, the rescuers did what their consciences told them they had to do. And because of this singular act of goodness, more than 2,000,000 people were saved from the gas chambers. Resistance in the Holocaust helped to save many Jews. Three examples of this include Partisan Warfare, non-Jews risking their lives to hide/save Jews as well as people escaping from concentration camps. This helped the Jews by; Nazi Germans d ieing from the partisan warfare, Jews being hidden from Nazis Germans by other German citizens as well as giving Jews hope to keep on living. The first example I will talk about is a very famous story known all over the world. This story is an example of non-Jews risking their lives to save Jews. This is the story of Anne Frank and her family. Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929. She was a German-Jewish teenager who was forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust. She and her family, along with four others, spent 25 months during World War II in an annex of rooms above her fathers office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. During those 25 months two people Miep and Henk kept the Frank family as well as the Van Daans hidden away from the German Nazis. Then on a Friday morning in August of 1944 the Nazis came and captured the two families and arrested Miep and Henk. After being betrayed to the Nazis, Anne, her family, and the Van Daans were...

The Official Instructions to Start a Super PAC

The Official Instructions to Start a Super PAC So you want to start a super PAC. Maybe youre worried that your vote doesnt really matter. Maybe youre tired of other super PACs raising and spending unlimited amounts of cash from corporations and unions to sway elections and youre asking yourself If you cant beat em, why not join em? Not a problem. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court and Citizens United, anyone can start a super PAC. And the best part: It doesnt cost a dime. Never mind the Steven Colbert super PACs Super Fun Pack, which hilariously offers prospective activists, All you need is a burning desire for civic engagement and $99. Heres how to start a super PAC. For free. Just by signing your John Hancock on a couple pieces of paper. Step 1: Pick a Cause or Candidate First things first. Your super PAC doesnt have to target a politician, though it certainly can. Restore Our Future Inc., for example, is the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC that spent considerable sums of cash in Election 2012 going after the former Massachusetts governors Republican opponents, including Rick Santorum. Your super PAC can raise awareness about a particular cause or issue such as hydraulic fracking, abortion, or taxes. Yours can be a liberal super PAC or a conservative super PAC. Got a burning desire for civic engagement, as Colbert would put it, on a particular topic? Go for it. Step 2: Pick a Clever Name for Your Super PAC Youll want to name your super PAC something catchy. Something people will be able to easily remember when they break out their checkbooks. Already taken are Joe Six PAC, a super PAC that proclaims it is for the average Joe; the Sick and Tired of Washington super PAC, whose goals seem pretty obvious; and DogPAC, a super PAC representing Dogs Against Romney. Step 3: Other Essentials for Starting Your Own Super PAC All you need to create and run your official super PAC now are a bank account, a charming personality to raise all that money from corporations and unions, and a friend to serve as treasurer to keep track of your super PACs fundraising and spending. Pick someone who is trustworthy and responsible. Theyll need to file spending reports with the government. Step 4: File the Paperwork To officially launch your super PAC you will need to file whats called a Statement of Organization, or Form 1, with the Federal Election Commission. Check box 5(f) under Type of Committee. Also, write a short cover letter to the Federal Election Commission. Youll want to be sure you make it clear your new committee will be functioning as a super PAC. You can do that by including the following paragraph verbatim: This committee intends to make unlimited independent expenditures, and consistent with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision in SpeechNow v. FEC, it therefore intends to raise funds in unlimited amounts. This committee will not use those funds to make contributions, whether direct, in-kind, or via coordinated communications, to federal candidates or committees. Make sure to include your Statement of Organization your name, address, contact information, and the name of your super PAC and its treasurer. Mail your form to: Federal Election Commission 999 E. St., NW Washington, D.C. 20463 Step 5: What To Do With Your Super PAC As the proud new owner of a super PAC, you are permitted to raise unlimited amounts of money from people including your friends, neighbors, and families. But you can also solicit money from political action committees, corporations, and labor organizations. You can turn around and use all that money to produce and air TV commercials or take out a massive billboard along a busy highway to roundly criticizes a politician you dont like. Have fun and be creative! A Note of Caution: What You Cant Do With Your Super PAC This is pretty simple. You are not allowed to use all that money youve raised from corporations and unions to make direct contributions to candidates or their political action committees. You also cant take out TV ads or billboards in coordination with any of those candidates or their PACs. This is a fairly gray area, so play it safe and steer clear of planning your attacks with any candidate or elected official.

Ethical Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Arguments - Essay Example Organ trade basically involves the sale of the human inner organs like the heart, liver the kidneys and other vital organs for transplant. As of now, there is a worldwide shortage of organs that are available for transplant. Essentially, a lot of wealthy people who unfortunately require organ transplant are capable of paying any amount of money to have the treatments as long as they do not have to wait in line for donated organs. Conversely, a lot of poor people will gladly sell their organs to make a living. However, a large percentage belongs to those who die will waiting for organs due to shortage (Chia, 2009). The sale of these organs has three major implications: ethical, legal and financial implications. Although the sale has had loopholes in a number of issues, there is a need to look at some of the implications since they affect the international market in which we are a part of. ... This is because, thousands of patients die yearly due to shortage in supply of organs, while others undergo painful and pricey dialysis treatments. Consequently, consenting to a commercial market in organs is highly likely to reduce the needless deaths and sufferings that are present as it increases the supply of organs. Moreover, the cash payments will increase people’s enthusiasm to donate their body parts, as well as, contributing to the fall of the same prices and making them affordable to more patients. On the contrary, the opponents for the sale of human organs argue that, although the society may claim to have the obligation of preserving life and easing human suffering, this may not be fully applicable. In particular, they argue that the society in not in a position to assume any practices that would violate the rights of its members or cause injustices. Additionally, the society has the obligation to ensure that each of its members whether rich or poor has an equal ri ght to accessing medical benefits. The issues of having the rich buying organs from the poor appear to benefit the former as compared to the latter, hence inception of unequal allotment of health becomes unjust (Wilkinson, 2011). Needless to mention, individuals have the right to live their lives with much freedom and dignity. Wilkinson, 2011 argues that, the organ market would undoubtedly lead to abuse that entails the violation of freedom and dignity of persons. In essence, they say that such a scheme will give confidence to the most defenseless, who in this case happens to be the poor through treating hemselves and be treated as commodities, as well as, giving others the opportunity to violate their rights in

The Feasibility of a Multinational Manufacturing Organization Assignment - 1

The Feasibility of a Multinational Manufacturing Organization - Assignment Example The current information (if any) is not up-to-date and thus there is the need for such information to be updated on a regular as businesses operate in a dynamic environment which is influenced by factors which include changes in technology in the production of new products and production processes in addition to changes in customer tastes and preferences (Argyrous 2005). Further, when competitor products change, there is also the need to change. Change in economic conditions is also a very important aspect which calls for new methods of production and new products. Such information helps the organization in gaining a deeper understanding of consumer needs and preferences and thus reducing the risk of product failure. Also, such information assists the organization in coming up with future forecasts and trends which are beneficial (Saunders and Thornhill 2003). This market research study will employ the use of 1000 participants. The findings from the respondents will help the organization to develop strategies which will be based on factual data and which will assist in influencing decisions, justifying actions and providing deeper explanations on why certain decisions have been made. The market study will, thus, aim at putting together information and supporting data aimed at; Analyzing market segments which will again assist in the selection of target markets, identification of potential customers and those that plan to consume the proposed products and why they have been using them; Gaining a deeper understanding of the promotion methods used and which target and appeal the perceived market segment. The level of education is very important since the readership of the various print media if key as it will determine the level of promotion and the most appealing promotion methods; Analyzing marketing performance to assist in determining whether customer expectations in terms of service are being met and whether the quality and the aesthetic appeal of the products is realistic.

Country Risk Analysis - Peru Essay Example for Free

Country Risk Analysis Peru Essay SWOT analysis Strengths: Peru is a country blessed with natural resources. In 2010 its exports reached some 23 billion GBP, which was mainly made out of minerals, petroleum and agricultural products. Its mining industry is the largest in Latin America, accounting for 7,7 billion GBP of its total exports in 2010. The climate is also favourable for agriculture, representing 13% of GDP, and employing 30% of the population. In addition, sites like Machu Picchu, Cuscu and Sacsayhuaman make Peru a popular tourist destination for millions of people every year. Weaknesses: Although an advantage when the business climate is favourable, Peru’s heavy dependence upon natural resources and agriculture can prove to be an Achilles heel. Volatile commodity prices and low productivity and fragmented land ownership in agriculture makes the economy susceptible to economic fluctuations. What’s more the country lacks vital infrastructure such as high quality roadways, bridges and flight routes. And as with so many other Latin American countries, high unemployment* threatens the economic and political stability, which in turn affects investor confidence. *Despite a fairly low unemployment rate of 7,9%, the underemployment rate is above 40%, which causes similar effects. Opportunities: In the period between 2000 and 2005 the number of visiting tourists to Peru doubled, and the figure has grown by approximately 11% annually, a trend that is expected to continue. Enforcing the rise in tourism is the announcement that there will be eight long weekends in Peru in 2012, generating some 500 million GBP in extra tourism revenue this year. In 2005, the US and Peru signed a free trade agreement enabling a non-barrier trading relationship between the two countries, which is a huge opportunity as the U.S accounts for 16.3% of Peru’s exports, and 19.5% of its imports annually. Threats: Almost 50% of Peru’s population is poor. This is mainly caused by the extraction industry, where people are oppressed in mining villages and remote communities. Income distribution is extremely skewed, as the richest 10% controls 35.4% of the wealth, and the poorest 10% only control 1.6%. PESTLE analysis Political: Peru is a quite democratic country, after the election of Fernando Belaà ºnde in 1980. However the political environment has been troublesome at best, with several attempts on overthrowing the government, last in October 2000. Alan Garcia, the same man who ran the country into the ditch with four-figure inflation rates in the 1990s, has in his second reign as president (2006-2011) witnessed an amazing economic recovery and growth. Corruption has long been a big problem in Peru, but counteraction was taken in February of 2010 when a dedicated commission was created to deal with the problem, which is especially brought on by the drug cartels. Peru also has a stable relationship with most of its neighbour countries, although their ongoing border conflict with Chile keeps that relationship tense. Economical: The economic environment in Peru has gone from hyperinflation (1991) to deflation (2002) to what appears to be stable growth since 2006. Being an exporting nation they where hit hard by the financial crisis, but kept the growth figure above 0, unlike many other Latin American countries. It regained GDP growth of 8.8% in 2010. In 2011 the credit rating agency Standard Poor raised Peru’s credit rating from BBB- to BBB. In general, Peru has one of the most prosperous economies in Latin America, having tripled in size in the past 11 years. In addition of being a member of the WTO, they also have a non-tariff trade agreement with the US, which has proven most advantageous as the US represents some 30% of both imports and exports. It is worth mentioning that Peru’s economic growth is very much aided by growth in private investment of 13% annually. This is acknowledged by the government, and has led to minor barriers to entry for foreign firms. Social: Since the early 21th century the conditions for Peruvians has improved in many measures. Life expectancy has increased by 4 years to 73 since 2004, and the literacy rate is stable at 90%. However, there is a big split between the rural areas and big cities such as Lima, with 8.5 million people. While people in the cities are lifted out of poverty due to the economic growth, the people living in the rural areas are subject to underemployment and bad infrastructure. The main language used is Spanish. Although some speak Quechua or Aymara, these are mainly spoken by people living in the Andes Mountains. Technological: Peru is known for its substantial bureaucracy and inefficiency, much of which is due to its low amount of technology available. However, more and more people now possess a mobile phone, and Internet usage is increasing steadily. This said these number should be growing as only 10% owns a personal computer, and there are only 3,7 internet subscriptions per 100 people. (http://devdata.worldbank.org/ict/per_ict.pdf) Legal: Although the legal system in Peru appears to lack both independence and efficiency, it has been severely altered to attract foreign investors and aid business. Through removing the requirement for small enterprises to deposit start-up capital in a bank before registration they have made it easier to start a business, and investors are protected through a new law that allows minority shareholders to request access to non-confidential corporate documents. The tax-system has been made electronic, which not only makes it work more efficient, it also makes taxing a lot easier for both parts. It is also legislated that eight-hour days and 48-hour weeks are the maximum working hours, with a minimum wage of $128 a month. Environmental: In August 2010 Peru obtained the Third Programmatic Environmental Development Policy Loan. This money is dedicated to â€Å"strengthen environmental governance, including regulation enforcement, and mainstreaming of environmental sustainability in the mining, fisheries, urban transport and energy sectors.† The funds will also be used to improve parts of the health sector, especially for those exposed to health risks from environmental degradation. This illustrates Peru’s awareness and concern about the environmental issues and their ability to handle them in a way that draws the World Bank’s attention.

Young Americans Must Vote! Essay -- Politics Political Argumentative

Young Americans Must Vote! Why vote? This is a major question among many young Americans today. America's youth, does not take the time to read articles, observe the news, or pay attention to presidential debates and campaigns due to their busy schedules. This creates two problems. First, young voters have little knowledge of current issues in the election. Also as a result, they are unaware of the importance of voting. Each presidential election stirs up an old controversy of whether to vote or not to vote. There are many young people who think that voting is not important; I believe that it is. By voting you are exercising your right as an American to voice your opinion, and young Americans need to become aware of this. One of the many young adults that is against voting in this year’s presidential election is Robert Klassen. Robert Klassen in a member of the League of Non-Voters, which is an organization that â€Å"is the focal point for the idea that political government doesn’t work and, contrary to conventional wisdom, democracy may be the worst form of it of all" (http://www.non-voters.org/). In his essay titled â€Å"Don’t Vote!,† Klassen makes arguments of why people should not vote in this year’s election. Klassen feels as if our government is criminal, the majority rule is unfair, the president is a tyrant, and we do not have freedom. This however is a tragedy, since democracy and our freedom to vote is part of what defines our country. Although I do not agree with Klassen on many of his claims I do agree with him when he states, â€Å"Americans have always been busy people preoccupied with their own lives and they pay remarkably little attention to what our full-time political government is really doing.† Thi... ... position of senator by one vote. Also in the 1960 presidential election, one additional voter per precinct in Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey and Texas would have elected Richard M. Nixon instead of John F. Kennedy as president (http://www.insuredemocracy.com/vote.htm). When you register to vote, the government collects these statistics on what age groups are registered to vote. If they see that a large majority of potential votes come from young people, then politicians are more inclined to focus on what is important to young people. All you need to do is take a little time to educate yourself about the election. For more information on voting and registering to vote, go to www.rockthevote.com or www.declareyourself.com. As young Americans we need to come together and have a say in what happens to the future of our country. Get educated, get involved, and VOTE !!!

Fiction and Literature Outdoor Literature

â€Å"When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language. â€Å"- James Earl Jones The major types of literature across the world are English, Greek, Latin, Roman, African, Indian, American, French, Irish, Spain, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Sanskrit, Nepali, Russian and Canadian literature. Literature is a well-considered form of a language that influences the minds of readers of all age.Italian Renaissance is the age of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, whereas Greece Literature mostly comprises the literature of Greek Gods and Goddesses. Romanticism of Wordsworth is the literature which is oriented towards nature and can be considered to be reverse of classicism. Today's era of Modernism and Post modernism uses artificial language based on ambiguity, satire and parody. Some authors choose long composition methods to link more than one story. Moreover, literature being a part of scientific language is also used to analyze grammar, usage, lexis and semantics. Kinds of Literature Fictional LiteratureDrama: Drama is the theatrical dialog performed on stage, it consists of 5 acts. Tragedy, comedy and melodrama are the sub types of drama. e. g William Shakespeare, an Elizabethan dramatist composed the plays Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear that are famous because of its combination of tragedy and comedy. Problem play, farce, fantasy, monologue and comedy of manners are some kinds of drama. Tragedy: It is a story of the major character who faces bad luck. Tragedy, elements of horrors and struggle usually concludes with the death of a person. The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer are the two famous Greek tragedies.Comedy: The lead character overcomes the conflicts and overall look of the comedy is full of laughter and the issues are handled very lightly. The elements used in the comedy are romanticism, exaggeration, surprises and a comic view of life. Melodrama: Melodrama is a blend of two nouns – ‘melody' and ‘drama'. It is a musical play most popular by 1840. Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the most popular plays describing cruelty of labor life. It has happy ending like comedy. Tragicomedy: The play that begins with serious mode but has a happy ending is tragicomedy. Prose LiteratureHistory, journalism, philosophy, fiction and fantasy writings, scientific writings, children's literature authors and writers are included in Prose Literature. Myth Myths are the fairy tales with lots of adventure, magic and it lacks scientific proof. Nursery rhymes, songs and lullabies are forms of myths that strike the interest of children. Creative and nature myth are stories of the stars and moon. Magic tales are wonderful tales of quests and fantasy. Hero myths are ideal heroes of adventure. Short story The small commercial fiction, true or imaginary, smaller than a novel is known as short st ory.Short stories are well-grouped that followed the sequence of easy and no complexity in beginning, concrete theme, some dialogs and ends with resolution. They are oral and short-lived which have gossip, joke, fable, myth, parable, hearsay and legend. Novel Novel can be based on comic, crime, detective, adventurous, romantic or political story divided into many parts. The major kinds of novels are: Allegory: The symbolic story revolves around two meanings. What the writer says directly is totally different from the conveyed meanings at the end. Political and Historical allegory are two forms of Allegory.Comedy: Satire is very common form in comedy novels and tries to focus on the facts of the society and their desires. Epistolary: The collection of letters or mails is the epistolary novels. Samuel Richardson's Pamela and Henry Fielding's Joseph Andrew are the few examples of Epistolary novels. Feminist: These types of novels are written by women writers around the world to describ e the place of women in a male dominated society. E. g Virginia Woolf's â€Å"A Room of one's Own†. Gothic: Gothic fiction is the combination of both horror and romance. Melodrama and parody were grouped in the Gothic literature in its early stages.Ironic: Ironic novels are known for excessive use of narrative technique. It is satire on the contemporary society about cultural, social and political issues. Realism: The realistic novels are based on the truths of ordinary society and their problems. It focuses on the plot, structure and the characters of the novel. Romance: Love and relationship topics are handled optimistically in the romantic novels. It originated in western countries; basically the story revolves around love affairs of main characters. Some popular sub categories of romantic novels are paranormal, erotic, suspense, multicultural and inspirational romance.Narration: In narrative style, writer becomes the third person who narrates whole story around the charac ters. Naturalism: Naturalism is based on the theory of Darwin. Picaresque: It is opposite to romance novels as it involves ideals, themes and principles that refuse the so-called prejudices of the society. Psychological: It's the psychological prospective of mind with a resolution. Satire: Satirical novels criticize the contemporary society. The most famous novels are Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726), Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim (1954), George Orwell's Animal Farm and Randell Jarrell's Pictures from an Institution (1954).Stream of Consciousness: James Joyce's stream of consciousness is all about the thought coming up in the minds of the readers. A novel also constitutes categories on social and political aspects like proletarian, psychological, protest novel, government, didactic, materialist novel, allegorical novel, novel of engagement, naturalistic novel, Marxist novel, radical novel, revolutionary novel, anti-war novel, utopian novel, futuristic novel, anarchist novel, p roblem novel, social philosophy novel, novel of ideas, problem play and speculative novel. Folk TaleFolk Tales are traditional stories that have been creating interest since ancient times. The children and old persons like religious story, magic and superstition as well. Fable, tall tales, cumulative, trickster and proverbs are the sub categories of folk tales. Mythology or legend is the ancient religious stories of origin and human civilization such as story of Robin Hood. Types of poetry Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in the tranquility. Greek poetry is found in free verse and we have rhymes in the Persian poem. Are you wondering how to write a poem, here are the followings forms of poem?Sonnet: Sonnet is the short poem of 14 lines grouped into Shakespearean and Italian sonnets. Ballad: The poems that are on the subject matter of love and sung by the poet or group of singers as telling readers a story. Elegy: This type of poem is the lamenting of the death of a person or his near one. Elegy Written in Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray is one of the famous poems marked as sad poems of the ages. Ode: Ode is the formal and long poem serious in nature. Allegory: Allegory is the famous form of poetry and is loved by the readers because of its two symbolic meanings.One is the literal meaning and another is the deep meaning. Epic and Mock epic: Epics are the narrative poems that convey moral and culture of that period. The Odyssey and Iliad are one of the largest philosophical epics written by Samuel Butler. Rape of the Lock is the great mock epic focusing on the minor incident of cutting of a curl. Lyric: It has Greek origin that gives a melody of imagery. It is the direct appeal of a poet to the readers about any incident or historical events. Lyrics are most of the time similar to ode or sonnets in the form. Nonfiction Literature:Nonfiction Literature is opposite to fiction as it is informative and comprises the interesting f acts with analysis and illustrations. Main types of Non- fiction literature Autobiography and Biography An autobiography is the story of the author's own life. ‘Family Life at the White House' by Bill Clinton is focused on his life and achievements. ‘Wings of fire' by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Mein kampf of Adolph Hitler are the autobiography books on real life. Essay Generally the authors' point of view about any particular topic in a detailed way is an essay.Essay has simple way of narrating the main subject; therefore they are descriptive, lengthy, subject oriented and comparative. Different types of essay: Personal essay, expository essay type, response essay, process essay, persuasive essay, argumentative essay, critical essay type, interview essay, reflective essay type, evaluation, observation essay, comparison type of essay, application essay, compare and contrast essay and narrative essay type. Literary criticism It is the critical study of a piece of literature . Here critics apply different theories, evaluation, discussion and explanation to the text or an essay to give total judgments.Plato, Aristotle, T. S. Eliot, Saussure and Frye are some of the famous critics. Travel literature It is the narration of any tour or foreign journey with the description of the events, dates, places, sights and author's views. Francis Bacon's natural philosophies in the middle of Seventeenth century is one famous example of travel literature. Diary Diaries are the incidents recorded by the author without any means of publishing them. It is the rough work of one's daily routine, happenings, memorable days or events in their life. E. g.Anne Frank's ‘Diary of a Young Girl' was published by her father in 1940s; it's a story of a girl trapped during German invade Amsterdam. Diaries consists of business letters, newsletters, weather listing. In today's world of Internet, writers write in blogs, forums, polls and social networking sites to convey their thou ghts. This also is a form of diary writing. Some profound forms of diaries are online diary, travel, sleep, tagebuch, fictional, dream and death diaries. Journal Journal is one of types of diaries that records infinite information. They are of following types:Personal: It is for personal analysis. In this journal one can write his goal, daily thoughts, events and situations. Academic: It is for students who do research or dissertation on particular subjects. Creative journals: Creative journals are the imaginative writing of a story, poem or narrative. Trade: Trade journals are used by industrial purposes where they dictate practical information. Dialectical: This journal is use by students to write on double column notebook. They can write facts, experiments, and observation on the left side and right side can be a series of thoughts and response with an end.Newspaper It is a collection of daily or weekly news of politics, sports, leisure, fashion, movies and business. Magazine Mag azines can be the current affairs or opinions well collected covering various content. Frame Narrative The psychoanalysis of human mind is present in a frame narrative. Here we find another story within the main story. Some of the popular narratives are Pegasus, Wuthering Heights, The Flying Horse, The Three Pigs, A Time to keep and the Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays. Outdoor literature Outdoor literature is the literature of adventure that gives whole exploration of an event.Exciting moments of life such as horse riding, fishing, trekking can be a part of literature. Some outdoor books are ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' by Mark Twain, ‘Treasure Island' by Robert Louis, ‘Voyages' by Richard Hakluyt and ‘A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush' by Eric Newby. Narrative form of Literature Today we find movies, audio and video CD's and Cassettes that present current literature in use. Digital poetry is an upcoming trend too. Comic books, cartoons, eBook and Internet games are the learning methods for children. Literature includes centuries, human nature, cultures and souls. Isn't it?

Character Identification in Drama Essay

One of the most powerful aspects of theater is the way that dramatic expression encourages the viewer to participate in the drama by identifying closely with one or more of the characters depicted on stage. In actuality, the measure of a play’s success depends on the degree to which the playwright is able to convincingly develop and exploit the audience’s identification with the dramatic characters and, in some almost ineffable way, allow them to experience the play’s themes and ideas in an intimate way. Most people probably identify more with a single character of any given play than with the other characters. Obviously, the protagonist of a play is expected to engage the audience’s identification and sympathy, but it is not always the case for every viewer that a given play’s protagonist will supply the most expedient method of sympathy and identification. For example, in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the character of Horatio seems to me, for reasons which I hope to explain shortly, a more sympathetic character and one with which I can closely identify because Horatio is the good-hearted friend who tries to offer actionable advice to Hamlet, only to have his advice ignored and for tragedy to win the day. From the beginning of the play it is clear that Horatio is meant to serve as a psuedo-narrator of the play and his relationship with the audience is established as quickly and as innately as is possible without s direct appeal to the audience. Although Horatio’s simple lines may seem as though they play little role in the overall development of the play, they are, in fact, rich with meaning. By assuring Hamlet that he should not follow the beckoning form of his father’s ghost in the second part of Act 1 Scene 3, Horatio fully expresses his bond with Hamlet, and in doing so, begins to shift the audience-identification and audience sympathy he has established up to that point with the audience to the play’s true protagonist, Hamlet. When Horatio says â€Å"†Do not, my lord. † (Hibbard 183) he is informing the audience that Hamlet faces true danger and that he is concerned for him; so, too, should the audience be concerned. The essence of the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet is consistently portrayed as a genuine friendship. Horatio’s loyalty is important to the play’s climax at the end of Act 5 Scene 2. He cautions Hamlet, again, to avoid his tragic fate: â€Å"If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit. † (Hibbard 344) By now, accustomed to Hamlet’s denial of his friend’s advice, the audience will recall the previous scene when Hamlet, against Horatio’s advice, sought conversation with ghost of his father. They will understand that when Hamlet chooses to disregard the advice of the single character in the play who has demonstrated friendship and loyalty to him, that Hamlet, again, embraces tragic fate. Horatio’s loyalty is â€Å"good† while Hamlet’s loyalty to the ghost of his father is destructive. Horatio represents an â€Å"existential connection to the living moment, whereas the ghost of the King represents the ambiguities of the Christian afterlife† (Holzknecht) and religious dogma as well as cultural tradition and social conservatism. My ability to identify with Horatio comes from the fact that I have also given advice to close friends who opted to ignore that advice and came to ruin. I think most people have probably faced that situation in their lives and the character of Horatio is therefore a good character to encourage audience identification. The same principle is at work in Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† where Hansberry challenged deep cultural ideas about African Americans. By focusing her play on realism, Hansberry created a theme which was radically different than the presentation of America typically seen on Broadway stages. The play’s impact on American audiences was very controversial. Hansberry relied on depicting extreme emotional states and conditions for her characters, as well as enticing her audience to experience the world of her characters with as much empathy as possible. In order to engage the audience, and to cause them to identify with the Youngers, Hansberry uses the device of realism, which extends to the character of Mama who is depicted as a well-meaning and hard-working person who faces insurmountable odds. One important reason why I feel an identification with Mama is because of the very beautiful language Hansberry developed for this character. Hansberry delivers the dialogue of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† in colloquial language and this aspect of them play enhances the play’s realism. The realism of the play then causes the audience to more closely identify with the play’s characters and plot, and each of these aspects of the play helps to communicate the important sociological and racial themes that drive â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † Hansberry’s dialogue, in fact, becomes a key driving force of the play’s ultimate revelatory impact on the audience. As the play progresses and the characters become more clearly defined with motivations that the audience can identify with (or despise) the dialect of the play begins to attain a lyrical uniqueness — a vocal music which was unlike any other play on the Broadway stage of the time. Lines such as â€Å"Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams†¦. ’† (Hansberry, 29) or â€Å"â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing†¦. † (Hansberry, 135) attain the status of aphorism in the context of the play and divulge important social and racial realities that, for most Americans in the mid-twentieth century, existed, if at all, as merely si-debar newspaper articles or in some other abstract realization. My identification with Mama extends to her empathy for others, such as in the case of the abortion which is alluded to in the play: â€Å"Mama realizes how close the other members of the family are to despair when Ruth reveals that the â€Å"doctor† she has seen is not a conventional physician but a woman who has the capability of performing an abortion, an illegal procedure at the time that could subject Ruth to severe criminal penalties† (Domina 8). I think most people have faced situations where they were meant to do what appears to be â€Å"wrong† in order to do what is essentially right. This is the magic of Hansberry’s characterization. In plays such as Antigone which are ancient plays, identification with the characters can sometimes be more difficult for modern audiences. However, the deep identification with Creon which I experienced while reading the play emerges from the timelessness of certain â€Å"faults† of character, namely pride, which I feel is as much a part of modern life as it is â€Å"common† life, or that is, the lives of people who are not kings or royalty. The damaging impact of pride can be felt over trivial matters as well as great issues as those depicted in the play, Antigone. For my own part, I felt an extreme identification with Creon because I have personally experienced the nature of pride and arrogance in relation to my own life and my own social relationships. One of the most important aspects of my identification with Creon is the fact that — by identifying with Creon — one also, indirectly — identifies with the Chorus of the play which, in the long run, serves as a counterpoint to Creon’s increasingly egomaniacal behavior. While I can abstractly connect my own â€Å"trivial† indiscretions with personal power to Creon’s obviously near-mythic exploits, I doubt that most modern readers would necessarily be able to make that connection because the seeming influence of their â€Å"small lvies† would not seem, to them, comparable to the life and actions of a great man. However, the portrayal of â€Å"great men† in classical tragedy was used in order to exaggerate the qualities and personality traits which were viewed as being connected to tragedy. That means that the aspects of Creon which seem near-mythic in Antigone are near-mythic precisely because they are universal and can, in fact, be applied to everyday lives. This is the power of theater: to span time and culture and find universal identification through the portrayal of archetypal characters. Work Cited Domina, Lynn. Understanding a Raisin in the Sun A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, New York. 1959 Holzknecht, Karl J. The Backgrounds of Shakespeare’s Plays. New York: American Book, 1950. Hibbard, G. R. , ed. Hamlet. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998. Sophocles. Sophocles Antigone. Trans. Richard Emil Braun. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.

Democracy vs Communism essays

Democracy vs Communism essays Democracy and communism are two of the most different, yet important systems of government ever to be set into motion. While total democracy and total communism are not widely spread, the effects of both can be seen in the countries that adopted these forms of government years ago. This is done by the practice of the more modern forms of these two governing systems, liberal democracies and CPC states. Both communist and democratic governments have benefits and disadvantages; therefore many disagree about which may be best. One of the greatest distinctions between a communist and a democratic government are their conflicting economic systems. In a communist government, the goal is to abolish private property and class systems. The public owns the major resources and the means of production. Power is also held in common. The goal of the system is to hinder any individual person or group from becoming extremely wealthy, while others become excessively poor. By giving everyone equal pay and ownership, the system attempts to balance wealth between the previously rich and poor. Over time, the outcome became an increased lower class. However, in a democratic government, the economy prospers by allowing free enterprise. People can work hard for more money and profits. Money is most certainly a driving force in a democracy. Though, a downside might be someone that works just as hard and makes a minimum wage. But, democratic systems seem to be more economically successful that other forms of governmen t. . On the other hand, in a communist society a person can work infinitely harder than a coworker and receive the same pay by the end of the day. This fact has contributed to the downfall of communism. When employees have no incentive to work hard, they become lazy at their jobs which, in turn, drags down the economy. The success of democratic governments may be contributed to the fact of how ...

King Cobra Snake Facts

King Cobra Snake Facts The king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a snake known for its deadly venom and impressive size. Its not truly a cobra (genus Naja), although both species belong to the famiy Elapidae, which includes venomous cobras, sea snakes, kraits, mambas, and adders. Its genus name, Ophiophagus, means snake eater. It is the king because it eats other snakes. Fast Facts: King Cobra Scientific Name: Ophiophagus hannahCommon Names: King cobra, hamadryadBasic Animal Group: ReptileSize: 10-13 feetWeight: 13 poundsLifespan: 20 yearsDiet: CarnivoreHabitat: India and Southeast AsiaPopulation: DecreasingConservation Status: Vulnerable Description The king cobra is the worlds longest venomous snake. Adults typically measure 10.4 to 13.1 feet in length, but one individual measured 19.2 feet. King cobras are dimorphic in size with males larger than females (the reverse of most snake species). The average adult of either sex weighs about 13 pounds, with the heaviest recorded individual weighing 28 pounds. The snake is brown or deep olive green with black and either yellow or white crossbands. Its belly is cream-colored or yellow. King cobras can be distinguished from true cobras by its two large scales on the top back of the head and chevron neck stripes instead of eyes. A king cobra may be identified by the two scales on the back of its head and the chevron pattern on the back of its neck. gaiamoments, Getty Images Habitat and Distribution King cobras live in India, Southeast Asia, and southern East Asia. The snake prefers forests near lakes or streams. Diet and Behavior A king cobra hunts using its eyes and tongue. Because it relies on keen eyesight, it is most active during the daytime. The snakes forked tongue senses vibration and transfers chemical information to the Jacobsons organ in the snakes mouth so it can smell/taste its surroundings. King cobras primarily eat other snakes, but will take lizards, rodents, and birds if necessary. When the snake is threatened, it tries to escape. If cornered, it rears its head and the top third of its body, extends its hood, and hisses. A king cobras hiss is lower in frequency than that of most snakes and sounds like a growl. Cobras in threat posture can still move forward and may deliver multiple bites in a single strike. Reproduction and Offspring King cobras breed between January and April. Males wrestle each other to compete for females. After mating, the female lays between 21 and 40 leathery white eggs. She pushes leaves into a pile over the nest so that decomposition provides heat to incubate the eggs. The male remains close to the nest to help guard it, while the female stays with the eggs. While normally not aggressive, cobras readily defend their nests. The eggs hatch in autumn. Juveniles are black with yellow bands, resembling a banded sea krait. Adults leave the nest after the eggs hatch, but may mate for life. The average life span of a king cobra is 20 years. A baby king cobra hatches from its egg. R. Andrew Odum, Getty Images Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the king cobra conservation status as vulnerable. While its difficult to gauge the number of remaining snakes, the population is decreasing in size. King cobras are threatened by habitat loss from deforestation and are heavily harvested for skin, meat, traditional medicine, and the exotic pet trade. As venomous snakes, cobras are often killed out of fear. King Cobras and Humans King cobras are well known for use by snake charmers. Cobra bites are extremely rare, but most cases of bites involve snake charmers. King cobra venom is neurotoxic, plus it contains digestive enzymes. The venom can kill a human within 30 minutes or even an adult elephant within a matter of hours. In humans, symptoms include severe pain and blurred vision which progresses to drowsiness, paralysis, and ultimately coma, cardiovascular collapse, and death from respiratory failure. Two types of antivenom are produced, but they are not widely available. Thai snake charmers drink a mixture of alcohol and turmeric. A 2012 clinical study verified turmeric confers significant resistance to cobra venom. The mortality rate for untreated cobra bites ranges from 50 to 60%, implying the snake only delivers venom about half the time it bites. Sources Capula, Massimo; Behler. Simon Schusters Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of the World. New York: Simon Schuster, 1989. ISBN 0-671-69098-1.Chanhome, L., Cox, M.J., Vasaruchapong, T., Chaiyabutr, N. and Sitprija, V. Characterization of venomous snakes of Thailand. Asian Biomedicine 5 (3): 311–328, 2011.Mehrtens, J. Living Snakes of the World. New York: Sterling, 1987. ISBN 0-8069-6461-8.Stuart, B., Wogan, G., Grismer, L., Auliya, M., Inger, R.F., Lilley, R., Chan-Ard, T., Thy, N., Nguyen, T.Q., Srinivasulu, C. Jelić, D. Ophiophagus hannah. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T177540A1491874. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T177540A1491874.enWood, G.L. The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats. Sterling Publishing Co Inc., 1983 ISBN 978-0-85112-235-9.

How Gorbachev's regime come to an end, collapsing the Soviet Union Research Paper

How Gorbachev's regime come to an end, collapsing the Soviet Union - Research Paper Example There are a variety of reasons why the Soviet Union collapsed, bringing the era of Communism with it. Wohlworth (1994-1995) states that the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War is a complex event that has no easy answers. He also states that the theories which have been put forth to explain the end of the Cold War have been weak, and that it is necessary to disaggregate the end of the Cold War to get to a theory which might be plausible. He states that there were three keys to understanding what happened with the Soviet Union at the end of the Gorbachev era. The first key is that the â€Å"decision-makers' assessments of power are what matters† (Wohlworth, 1994-1995, p. 97). In particular, Wohlworth states that power is complex and it can be thought of either in terms of capabilities or influence. Capabilities are reassessed according to new and different information about non-material elements of capability, even when there is only a slight change in the mater ial measures. He also states that expectations inform policy, as all policies are future oriented. Therefore, a decision to reform, go to war, or retrench is contingent upon an assessment of what the future may hold. For instance, a nation may look and see that it is in decline. If this decline is reversible, then the nation may decide against a risky decision, such as warfare, and opt instead of a less-risky course of action, such as reform or retrenchment. The second key, according to Wohlworth (1994-1995), is that if the nation in the decline is a challenger, as opposed to a hegemon, that nation is more likely to retrench and reform instead of opting for war. This would help explain the end of the Soviet Union, as it was not a declining hegemon, but, rather, a declining challenger. The Soviet Union, while chafing against the American-dominated system of global influence, knew that it was not the predominant influence in the world. Therefore, as the Soviet Union was aware of its s tatus on the world stage – that it was not the dominant influence in the world, but, rather, a challenger, it did not want to go to war to preserve the status quo of its country. This theory is in contrast of an early theory of hegemonic war, put forth by Thucydides, that war may occur when there is a dynamic challenger and a moribund hegemon. In Thucydides' theory, the Soviet Union would have to have been dynamic, which means that it was in the process of transitioning to a hegemon, and the United States would have to be a moribund, which would mean that it was on the decline. While Wohlworth acknowledges that, at one point, the Soviet Union was a dynamic challenger, in the 1950s and 1960s, by the time the Soviet Union collapsed, it was a moribund challenger. In contrast, at this same point, the United States was a dynamic defender and hegemon. Therefore, the Soviet Union could not, rationally, have chosen to go to war to protect itself, because it saw the end

Western Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western Art - Essay Example Classical architecture is based on the ‘symbolism’; a unit which is designed by categorization is mainly by the type of column used. Each order use to designed from the column, plus its base, plinth, or pedestal (if any), the crowning feature of the shaft, and the attractive horizontal member that triumphs of column, divided into three bands—architrave, frieze, and cornice. The Greeks used to have three orders, to get progressively slimmer and more ornately decorated: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, named after regions of Greece in which they are said to have been first used. The Romans later added two more orders—Tuscan, a starker form of Doric, and Composite, the richest of all. It was the combination of the features of Ionic and Corinthian—but Corinthian was the representation of the great order of the imperial Rome. Vitruvius discussed the orders, and from this resulted in the revival of the idea which represented their proportions and detailing which were codified and demonstrated in countless architectural treatises. Neolithic architecture appeared around 5500 to 8000 BC but there has been some evidence indicating that early Neolithic architecture appeared as early as 10000 BC in Syria and Iraq. Early Neolithic people especially in Mesopotamia were great builders who primarily used mud bricks to raise houses. More often than not these houses were painted with intricate landscapes of humans and animals probably depicting the way life were led in those times. These people also made elaborate tombs for their dead, a very good example of which is the Mane Braz megalithic tomb in Brittany, France. Stonehenge  is a  primitive  monument  located in the  English  county of  Wiltshire, which is the most famous prehistoric sites of world; Stonehenge is  earthworks  surrounded with large standing stones in a circular setting.  Archaeologists  believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC. Now if we