Dogs and Worksheet Essay

1. Why is the dog considered to be man’s best friend? * The dog considered to be man’s best friend because dog has a intellectual ability that dog can do tricks, dog can smell anything like bomb and dog can be our savior. They could physically and psychologically help their humans with hearing disabilities, would be more affordable, and would be very loving. They could alert their humans to sounds of doorbells, alarm clocks, electrical machines, telephones, the name of their humans (when someone calls them) car horns, babies crying, and fire alarms. 2. When rizal was executed in bagumbayan, the Spanish army brought a dog as a mascot which they thought would bring them good luck. What could be the breed of their mascot? * It is the * askal (asong kalye or street dog, today called aspin or asong pinoy) dog that was present when was executed. But when Rizal was executed the dog ran circles around Rizal’s body. Some Spaniards took this as a bad omen for the ongoing war for independence. 3. The dog in the execution picture above looks like a terrier, while Spaniards are known to prefer Spanish mastiffs (Mastin de la Mancha). How would you explain the discrepancy? * The dog in the execution not a terrier, I know there are many types of terrier but the dog in execution are maybe a beagle, airdale or a bloodhound dog. Beagle, airdale and bloodhound weighs up to 30 pounds, and can stands about 15 inches high that are similar in the picture of execution. 4. What kind of pet dog do you have? What tricks have you taught it? * I have a collie, named â€Å"lassie†. Collie is one of the intelligent dogs. Lassie can jump, sit, play the ball, sense of smell that is often used to track human beings, and she make good watchdog in our home. 5. Should dogs also be treated as children to be nurtured and protected? Briefly discuss your opinion about those who slaughter dogs for food. * We need to nurtured and protect our dog because dog are intelligence, can do any tricks, obey the commands and work for man. Dogs are affectionate, obedient, and lovable. Dog is not for food because dog has rabies(the most dangerous diseases that can transmit to humans) and dogs aren’t meat. We need to love, protect and nurtured our dog. Worksheet no.77 Martyrs 1. Compare and contrast the martyrdom of the 13 filipinos in cavite in 1896, with that of the La salle brothers in Almeria in 1936. * The comparison of thirteen martyrs and seven of the la sale brother in Almeria are both martyrdom in spain, were same put to death. The thirteen Filipinos martyrs were executed by musketry for alleged conspiracy to overthrow the Spanish government, and after about four decades there are another martyrs, these are the seven of la salle brothers in Almeria were put to death for teaching Christianity. They executed by the Spanish government to disobeying the law or conspiracy to them. They were linked to the conditions then prevailing in the country. 2. Which do you think is more noble, to die for one’s country or to die for one’s faith? Explain your answer. * I think is more noble to die for one’s country with faith to God because before to evade others, we need faith to god for goodluck in battles. Worksheet no.44 charisma 1. Cite an instance in the extant letters of rizal, or of this friends and acquaintances, when rizal took advantage of a woman through his charisma. If you cannot cite any, what does this indicate about rizal? * Blumintritt said Rizal’s â€Å"dozen women†, even if only nine were identified. They were Gertrude Becket of Chalcot Crescent (London), wealthy and high-minded Nelly Boustead of the English and Iberian merchant family, last descendant of a noble Japanese family Seiko Usui (affectionately called O-Sei-san), his earlier friendship with Segunda Katigbak and eight-year romantic relationship with his first cousin, Leonor Rivera. Rizal is a being genius or very intelligent and handsome man, they are charismatic to the women. 2. What should a man do if he feels he is not charismatic enough? (discuss your answer with your partner.) * If a man feels that he’s not charismatic enough, he should consult first his guy friends for some tips on how to be charismatic and secondly, he should improve his personality more as well as his physical appearance. 3. Who do you think is most charismatic: a man who very strong, very intelligent, or very handsome? (again, discuss this question with your partner and explain * Well, nowadays many girls would prefer something a man who is very handsome because looks can be deceiving and with your looks, you will have a great impact in girls because that’s the first thing they will remember on you.

Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services

Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services Maria Delos Angeles Mora HCA460 Research Methods in Health and Human Services Professor TyKeysha Boone April 22, 2013 Program Evaluation as a Key Tool in Health and Human Services In this competitive health care environment, consumers want and expect better health care services and hospital systems are concerned about maintaining their overall image. There is also attention to ways in which patient satisfaction measurement can be integrated into an overall measure of clinical quality. As lots of information is available to be used in a hypothetical evaluation.The American Red Cross is my selection due to that I worked with them for several years as a voluntary and telephonic representative to answer incoming calls that needed to be checked for different parts of the United States and commonwealth territories. The fundamental Principles of the Global Red Cross Network are based on humanity- the Red Cross, born of a desire t o bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavors-in its international and national capacity-to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation lasting peace amongst all peoples, impartiality-it makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavors to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress, neutrality- In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Red Cross may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or deological nature, independence-since the Red Cross is considered is independent. The national societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their govern ments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with Red Cross principles, voluntary service-is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain, unity-is there is a Red Cross society in any one country no one can be turned out as it may be open to all.It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory, and universality-as the Red Cross is a worldwide institution in which all societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other. In the continuing effort to improve human service programs, funders, policymakers, and service providers are increasingly recognizing the importance of rigorous program evaluations. They want to know what the programs accomplish, what they cost, and how they should be operated to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness.They want to know which programs work for which groups, and t hey want conclusions based on evidence, rather than testimonials and impassioned pleas. This paper lays out, for the non-technician, the basic principles of program evaluation design. It signals common pitfalls, identifies constraints that need to be considered, and presents ideas for solving potential problems. These principles are general and can be applied to a wide range of human service programs.We illustrate these principles here with examples from programs for vulnerable children and youth. Evaluation of these programs is particularly challenging because they address a wide diversity of problems and possible solutions, often include multiple agencies and clients, and change over time to meet shifting service needs. It is very important to follow the steps in selecting the Appropriate Evaluation Design. The first step in the process of selecting an evaluation design is to clarify the questions that need to be answered.The next step is to develop a logic model that lays out the expected causal linkages between the program (and program components) and the program goals. Without tracing these anticipated links it is impossible to interpret the evaluation evidence that is collected. The third step is to review the program to assess its readiness for evaluation. These three steps can be done at the same time or in overlapping stages. Clarifying the Evaluation Questions is a design of any evaluation begins by defining the audience for the evaluation findings, what they need to know, and when.The questions used are determine which of the following four major types of evaluation should be chosen such as: The Impact evaluations focus on questions of causality. Did the program have its intended effects? If so, who was helped and what activities or characteristics of the program created the impact? Did the program have any unintended consequences, positive or negative? How performance monitoring does provides information on key aspects of how a system or program is operating and the extent to which specified program objectives are being attained (e. g. numbers of youth served compared to target goals, reductions in school dropouts compared to target goals). Results are used by service providers, funders, and policymakers to assess the program's performance and accomplishments. Process evaluations answer questions about how the program operates and document the procedures and activities undertaken in service delivery. Such evaluations help identify problems faced in delivering services and strategies for overcoming these problems. They are useful to practitioners and service providers in replicating or adapting program strategies.Cost evaluations address how much the program or program components cost, preferably in relation to alternative uses of the same resources and to the benefits being produced by the program. In the current fiscal environment, programs must expect to defend their costs against alternative uses. As the comprehensive eval uation will include all these activities. Sometimes, however, the questions raised, the target audience for findings, or the available resources limit the evaluation focus to one or two of these activities.Whether to provide preliminary evaluations to staff for use in improving program operations and developing additional services is an issue that needs to be faced. Preliminary results can be effectively used to identify operational problems and develop the capacity of program staff to conduct their own ongoing evaluation and monitoring activities (Connell, J. P. , Kubisch, A. C. , Schorr, L. B. , and Weiss, C. H. (1995). But this use of evaluation findings, called formative evaluations, presents a challenge to evaluators who are faced with the much more ifficult task of estimating the impact of an evolving intervention. When the program itself is continuing to change, measuring impact requires ongoing measurement of the types and level of service provided. The danger in formative e valuations is that the line between program operations and assessment will be blurred. The extra effort and resources required for impact analysis in formative evaluations has to be measured against the potential gains to the program from ongoing improvements and the greater usefulness of the final evaluation findings.Performance monitoring involves identification and collection of specific data on program outputs, outcomes, and accomplishments. Although they may measure subjective factors such as client satisfaction, the data are numeric, consisting of frequency counts, statistical averages, ratios, or percentages. Output measures reflect internal activities: the amount of work done within the program or organization. Outcome measures (immediate and longer term) reflect progress towards program goals. Often the same measurements (e. g. number/percent of youth who stopped or reduced substance abuse) may be used for performance monitoring and impact evaluation. However, unlike impact evaluation, performance monitoring does not make any rigorous effort to determine whether these were caused by program efforts or by other external events. The way that we are looking at Design Variations is when programs are operating in a number of communities, the sites are likely to vary in mission, structure, the nature and extent of project implementation, primary clients/targets, and timeliness.They may offer somewhat different sets of services, or have identified somewhat different goals. In such situations, it is advisable to construct a â€Å"core† set of performance measures to be used by all, and to supplement these with â€Å"local† performance indicators that reflect differences. For example, some youth programs will collect detailed data on youth school performance, including grades, attendance, and disciplinary actions, while others will simply have data on promotion to the next grade or whether the youth is still enrolled or has dropped out.A multi-sc hool performance monitoring system might require data on promotion and enrollment for all schools, and specify more detailed or specialized indicators on attendance or disciplinary actions for one or a subset of schools to use in their own performance monitoring. Another look is at the Considerations/Limitations when selecting performance indicators, evaluators and service providers need it is important to consider: The relevance of potential measures to the mission/objective of the local program or national initiative. The comprehensiveness of the set of measures. The program's control over the factor being measured.The validity of the measure and the reliability and accuracy of the measure, feasibility of collecting the data. How much effort and money is required to generate each measure? Practical Issues. The set of performance indicators should be simple, limited to a few key indicators of priority outcomes. Too many indicators burden the data collection and analysis and make it less likely that managers will understand and use reported information. Regular measurement, ideally quarterly, is important so that the system provides the information in time to make shifts in program operations and to capture changes over time.However, pressures for timely reporting should not be allowed to sacrifice data quality. For the performance monitoring to take place in a reliable and timely way, the evaluation should include adequate support and plans for training and technical assistance for data collection. Routine quality control procedures should be established to check on data entry accuracy and missing information. At the point of analysis, procedures for verifying trends should be in place, particularly if the results are unexpected. The costs of performance monitoring are modest relative to impact evaluations, but still vary widely depending on the data used.Most performance indicator data come from records maintained by service providers. The added expense invo lves regularly collecting and analyzing these records, as well as preparing and disseminating reports to those concerned. This is typically a part-time work assignment for a supervisor within the agency. The expense will be greater if client satisfaction surveys are used to measure outcomes. An outside survey organization may be required for a large-scale survey of past clients; alternatively, a self-administered exit questionnaire can be given to clients at the end of services.In either case, the assistance of professional researchers is needed in preparing data sets, analyses, and reports. Process Analysis key element in process analysis is a systematic, focused plan for collecting data to: (1) determine whatever the program model is being implemented as specified and, if not, how operations differ from those initially planned; (2) identify unintended consequences and unanticipated outcomes; and (3) understand the program from the perspectives of staff, participants, and the commu nity.The design variation is the systemic procedure used to collect data for process evaluation often include case studies, focus groups, and ethnography. As strong pressures demonstrates program impacts dictates making evaluation activities a required and intrinsic part of program activities from the start. At the very least, evaluation activities should include performance monitoring.The collection and analysis of data on program progress and process builds the capacity for self-evaluation and contributes to good program management and efforts to obtain support for program continuation-for example, when the funding is serving as â€Å"seed† money for a program that is intended, if successful, to continue under local sponsorship. Performance monitoring can be extended to non-experimental evaluation with additional analysis of program records and/or client surveys. These evaluation activities may be conducted either by program staff with research training or by an independent evaluator.In either case, training and technical assistance to support program evaluation efforts will be needed to maintain data quality and assist in appropriate analysis and use of the findings. There are several strong arguments for evaluation designs that go further in documenting program impact. Only experimental or quasi-experimental designs provide convincing evidence that program funds are well invested, and that the program is making a real difference to the well-being of the population served. These evaluations need to be conducted by experienced researchers and supported by adequate budgets.A good strategy may be implementing small-scale programs to test alternative models of service delivery in settings that will allow a stronger impact evaluation design than is possible in a large scale, national program. Often program evaluation should proceed in stages. The first year of program operations can be devoted to process studies and performance monitoring, the information from which can serve as a basis for more extensive evaluation efforts once operations are running smoothly. Finally, planning to obtain support for the evaluation at every level-community, program staff, agency leadership and funder-should be extensive.Each of these has a stake in the results. Each should have a voice in planning. And each should perceive clear benefits from the results. Only in this way will the results be acknowledged as valid and actually used for program improvement. Reference Connell, J. P. , Kubisch, A. C. , Schorr, L. B. , and Weiss, C. H. (1995) New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives: Concepts, Methods, and Contexts. Washington, DC: The Aspen Institute. Ellickson, P. L. , Bell, R. M. , and McGuigan, K. (1993) â€Å"Preventing Adolescent Drug Use: Long- Term Results of a Junior High School Program. American Journal of Public Health 83(6): 856-861. Engle, R-F and Granger, CW. J. (1987) â€Å"Cointegration and Error Correction: Representation, Es timation and Testing. † Retrieved from: Econometrica 55: 25 1-276. Evaluation Strategies for Human Service Programs. Retrieved from http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/BJA/evaluation/guide/documents/evaluation_strategies. html#p 6. Heckman, J. J. (1979) â€Å"Sample Selection Bias as a Specification Error. † Econometrica 47:153-162. IRB Forum. Retrieved from www. irbforum. rg. Joreskog, K. G. (1977) â€Å"Structural Equation Models in the Social Sciences. † In P. R. Krishnaiah (ed. ), Applications of Statistics, 265-287. Amsterdam: North-Holland; Bryk, A. S. and Raudenbush, S. W. (1992) Hierarchical Linear Models: Applications and Meta- Analysis Techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Kalbfleish, J. D. , and Prentice, K. L. (1980) the Statistical Analysis of Failure Time Data. New York: Wiley. Kumpfer, K. L, Shur, G. H. , Ross, J. H. , Bunnell, K. K. , Librett, J. J. and Milward, A. R. 1993) Measurements in Prevention: A Manual on Selecting and Using Instruments to Evaluate P revention Programs. Retrieved from: Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, (SMA) 93-2041. Monette, Duane R. , Thomas J. Sullivan, Cornell R. DeJong. Applied Social Research: A Tool for the Human Services, 8th Edition. Wadsworth, 2014-03-11. . MREL Appendix A. Retrieved from: http://www. ecs. org/html/educationIssues/Research/primer/appendixA. asp. Program Evaluation 101: A Workshop. Retrieved from: http://aetcnec. ucsf. edu/evaluation/pacific_evaluation%5B1%5D. ppt.

In Much Ado about Nothing, what is the relationship between female Essay

In Much Ado about Nothing, what is the relationship between female power and language - Essay Example The researcher states that in the play â€Å"Much Ado about Nothing† Shakespeare uses language to bring out the message passed on to the audience. Power of language is used in the comedy. He uses wooing, destroys, and gives bad reputation then he restores honor. Shakespeare also teaches of the social life and structure. He informs us that there is a gap or conflict between women and men. They do not coexist peacefully at all. In the comedy men treat women differently. Women do not have a position in society. This is seen in the part where a man like Don John who deceives a prince in order to defame the honor of a woman. This indicates or shows the problems in the power status and structure of social co-existence. When the relationship of Beatrice and Benedick is put into consideration in â€Å"Much ado† one of the most crucial themes is around gender, roles according to gender and the dissimilarities between women and men. It is sarcastic that a low ranking member of th e society is the one who exposes the bad habit of Don John and his coconspirators (Wick 4). Don John is totally different from his fellow Don Pedro and Claudio, who are very protective male. When they are exposed to Leonato we are able to see the male pride of Conrad and Borachio. Shakespeare is able to bring to us the reality that those men of high status in society, and full of pride are the ones who treat women. Through Shakespeare, it is seen that most people who have bad behavior hide in the dark thinking that what they do can never be discovered. They abuse other people in the name of securing their pride. Shakespeare teaches the audience to criticize the language, role, and even the misuse of the Queen’s English. It is therefore leant that, those who bare false witness intentionally to hurt others end up being unhappy, and end up taking measure that are desperate in order to cover their naked bad behavior. This is a lesson that encourages people to be morally upright, and not use their powers to demean others. Another teaching is of being a hero. Beatrice still marries Claudio after wrongfully being accused of cheating. In another way this can be seen as she did not only do it though love, but to restore honor and faithfulness. This is considered as restoring her social status. Social status is also seen when Benedick has to kill Claudio in order to marry Beatrice. He accepts the challenge so as not to be considered a coward. Women are portrayed accurately in the play. There is the covering of stereotypes of women in the play. All the characters that are female have personalities that are widely varied. This helps to avoid the woman from being too humorous or patronizing. A range of different relationships are formed in the play. All this is due to a variety of social prominence and personalities. The base of this relationship is on sexes that are different. This is male and female. There are also other battles like relationships, conflict and de ceit. Women are seen to be present in all these themes. Many lines are interpreted in diverse ways that show meaning to reflect what is really happening in society. The female characters who are present in the play are Margaret, Hero, Ursula and Beatrice. All of them have personalities that are different. These personalities differ in one way or another. All of these characters that are female and they do not fit in the society of Shakepeare.They are therefore created to add hilarity, contrast or satire. One of them who does not fit and Shakespeare uses her to maximum is Beatrice. In the first scene of the play ,Beatrice is introduced as a woman who is very clever and humorous. She is known to gamble with words in order to prove her point. She is known to be very argumentative

1. Individualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

1. Individualism - Essay Example Additionally, the process of decision-making must be such that it follows a universal rationality approach. Systemic rationality refers to the occurrences of the majority as defined by traditions, fiscal prices, communal norms, and customs, all of which cause free men to develop things that are superior to their understanding (Hayek 7-8). The implication is that true individualism values ordinary efforts by community or group, and family. Conversely, Hayek (22) the understanding of individuals is done best through separating them from the shared processes since the society and the individuals exist autonomous of each other. According to Hayek, the assumption is that individuals are strictly rational (10) and in order to participate in social processes, individuals are expected to readily and willingly adjust to alterations and remain submissive to standards that are beyond knowledgeable design (22). Additionally, false individualism disregards collaboration and the joint efforts of small groups to acknowledge coercive rules forced by states as responsible for establishing social ties. In this case, the state liberates individuals from forceful powers imposed on them by small groups. Rene Descartes and John Stuart Mill among others expressed this view. Hayek, however, warns that the individual has to be free in order for the society to be greater than the individual, but provided man is controlled and directed, the individual greater than the society (Hayek

The significance of Jerusalem to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay

The significance of Jerusalem to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - Essay Example armed can defend the physical territory which cradled a religion, yet so as the one favored or preferred by people with the authority (thus making it political). One such city, undergoing fierce territorial pursuits in lieu of its three cradled religion -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is the holy city of Israel, the Jerusalem. Jerusalem is central to the religion, Judaism. Geographically and historically, this city bore the city of David and its main Temple, of which existed the Ark of the Covenant (Prior 71). Inherent to almost all religions, the Judaism’s hold for Jerusalem as its holy city is primarily rooted by its being the place of origin and the existence of an important relic, the Ark of the Covenant. Symbolically, the Temple’s destruction and the Jew’s oppression have become events that were to be endured and triumphed over to be able to accomplish the â€Å"return of the Jews to Zion† (Hoppe 22). Indeed, the world had been witnessed to the Jew’s sufferings. Consequently, they view the return to their holy city, Jerusalem, of which they were repeatedly ousted, as the ultimate reward for refusing to give up in this religious-territorial battle. For the Christians, Jerusalem, as its holy city, lies on the fact that the place is the event for Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, as well as the ‘descension of the Holy Spirit on the early Church’ (Prior 71). The Jerusalem City, cradling these important events, naturally marked its place in the Christian history and piety. However, what strengthened the city’s position in the Christian norm is the discovery of Jesus’ tomb in the city (Hoppe 22). The tomb’s existence in Jerusalem sealed its place in the Christian norm that even if pilgrimage was not considered the religion’s tradition, it was nevertheless encouraged. The Muslims consider Jerusalem to be one of its three holiest places, apart from Mecca and Medina (Prior 71). Jerusalem’s holiness in the Muslim context is based

The Open Source Challenge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Open Source Challenge - Essay Example American elite intelligent team uses OSINT as among the disciplines to combat security threats both at home and outside the country (FBI, 2014). For military officials to manage perfect air strikes and eliminate terrorism, they must have used intelligent Satellites to determine the terrorists’ locations. The intelligent team must have also used direct information from local residents. There is likelihood that the team used internet to acquire the correct photos and information of the targets. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2010). IN Tellingence: Open Source Intelligence. Retrieved September 15, 2014 from https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2010-featured-story-archive/open-source-intelligence.html The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (FBI). (2014). Directorate of Intelligence: Intelligence Collection Disciplines (INTs). Retrieved September 15, 2014 from

What people-management tools can be applied to enhance levels of Essay

What people-management tools can be applied to enhance levels of service quality exhibited by low-budget flight attendants You need to justify your recommendations on theoretical and empirical evidence - Essay Example The productivity of human resources depends on the way human resource managers manage them during their working hours on the job. If human resources are managed effectively, the result is always an increase in their motivation and drive to do work. The work of these managers is therefore to look for ways to enhance their motivation and all other things will fall into place. Managers who are ineffective in their performance sometimes face opposition and rejection by workers, they may face sabotage for those decision and strategies that are implemented in the hope of ensuring increased performance in the organization. The Flight Industry is one of the sectors that are associated with a lot of prestige by many people. Employees joining the industry are always beaming with huge expectations of better pay and flight adventure in destinations across the world. The fact is that like other industries, there are companies that offer low cost flight services to the clients, this means that, flight attendants have to be prepared to cope in such an industry in order to enjoy their work responsibilities and grow their careers. In the flight industry, emotions are a normal part of life; this is the case in any service industry. Workers are expected to keep smiling and showing their clients a happy face even when the flight attendants are experiencing work stress (Suvanto, 1989, p. 23). New employees who are brought on board as flight attendants must learn how to adapt to the demanding work circumstances; they have to understand that smiling is an important thing that has to be maintained. In general, emotions play an important role in any work environment, they tell the kind of experiences that one is passing through, positive emotions elicit increased motivations that increase work performance. Emotional management is one of the most important responsibilities of human

How will basic business skills play a role in your professional life Assignment

How will basic business skills play a role in your professional life - Assignment Example For every input, that loop completes itself while generating an output against every input. In Python, we have for loops, while loops, and nested loops. For loop sets a loop variable and repeats the set of instructions for a set limit. While loop repeats the set of instructions while a certain condition is true. Nested loops contain loops within loops. An example of loops in real world is the expiration of session after a certain period of time. There are some websites that expire the user’s sessions after a set period of time. Hence, for example, the loop is: Answer: Basic business skills enhance a person’s decision-making and problem-solving skills. Without basic business skills, it takes much time and effort for an entrepreneur to come at par with the competitive business world. For example, effective communication is a very basic business skill. It is the key to success as you can better communicate and negotiate with your partners, stakeholders and clients. Other helpful basic business skills include time management, goal setting, relationship building and desire to learn (CBS Interactive, n,d). CBS Interactive. (n.d.). 12 business skills that will never, ever go out of style. The Bulletin. Retrieved February 8, 2015, from

The novel Fahrenheit 451 Essay Example for Free

The novel Fahrenheit 451 Essay Have you ever had a mentor that changed the person you were, and the way you viewed life? The effects of such a mentor can be life-changing . We read about such a mentor in the novel Fahrenheit 451. In the novel, Ray Bradbury writes about Guy Montag and his life- changing journey. Montag begins in the novel as a conformist who doesn’t really think for himself but throughout the novel with the help of mentors he begins to think for himself and doesn’t just conform to society. The title, Finny’s Break, is revealing of not just the physical break that occurs, but also in a deeper sense it is symbolic of the friendship’s emotional and psychological break that transpires. This decision to jounce the limb has many disastrous repercussions which are unremitting upon Gene, his friends and the school itself. The first and probably most significant of the mentors is Clarisse. Clarisse is a free spirit, who claimed to be seventeen, but with her wisdom she spoke as a seventy year old woman. With her sweet, innocent charm, she opened Montag’s eyes to see his life for what it truly was. For instance, when Clarisse says â€Å"Did you look at the stretched-out billboard like I told you.† This illustrates Clarisse influence on Montag to actually analyze his surroundings. She was the first mentor to spark Montag’s curiosity to ask why. Clarisse showed Montag that individuality is important from tasting rain to having a deep conversation with family. Clarisse definitely brought Montag out of his old way and encouraged him to think. When Montag and Faber first met, Montag knew that he would make a huge impact on him one day. Faber taught Montag to take his ideas to a grander scale. For instance when Montag says â€Å"I thought if it turned out that book were worthwhile, we might get a press and print some extra copies†. Faber replies with â€Å"Now, if you suggest that we print extra books and Miller arrange to have them hidden in firemen’s house all over the country†(85). In addition, Faber explained the deeper meaning of books to Montag, â€Å"It’s not books you need, it’s some of the   things that once were in books†(82). Montag needed this wisdom to in order to understand   what he was fighting for. Beatty may not seem like much of a mentor to Montag, however he was, but the way he taught him was in a negative way that it pushed Montag to be bold. For example when Captain Beatty said â€Å"Go ahead now, you second-hand litterateur, pull the trigger.† in which Montag responded â€Å"we never burned right†¦ †(119). This shows how Beatty’s negative influence toward Montag helped him realize that he wasn’t burning the right things in his life. Instead of burning books they should have been burning the televisions and the ignorance that the society had. This push lead to Montag burning Beatty, which is the start of his vendetta. In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury illustrates how a mentor can have a life changing impact. This I sometimes think drivers dont know what grass is, or flowers, because they never see them slowly. This novel illustrates the importance of mutual friendship and that the choices we make will often times follow us throughout our lives.

This Is What I Do Essay Example for Free

This Is What I Do Essay Conformity involves the changing of one’s attitudes, opinions, or behaviours. It causes sound-minded individuals to go against their best judgement, to engage in behaviour which they usually would not engage in, even accept and welcome an idea they internally disagree with, all in order to not be a deviant from the group. When faced with a challenging or trivial task, there are two common ways of handling the situation. One is to do so according to your own personal desires and beliefs. The other is to base the decision on the how others will view and respond to it. Remember that time in class when you thought you had the right answer but changed it because a majority of the class thought different, or that time you made fun of the nerdy kid in your class because it was considered the cool thing to do? Their might have been no problems at the time but when you found out your answer was the correct one and you got in trouble for picking on the nerdy kid, the majority of us would find ourselves saying everyone else was doing it. The main reason for conforming is the guarantee that you will never be left alone. It is so often that people commit wrong acts, then when accused, they retreat into the numbers of those involved. Personal desire, like conformity, is essential to life even though we may not appreciate its value. At one point we want to be different from all the rest in one way or another. So we might dress a bit differently and choose to do things we really like. For once, we might form our opinions based on what we really feel. However, sooner or later we are forced to change our spontaneous desires so that society does not label us as different or weird, simply because we are scared of being alone. It seems though that the more unique and out going individuals make an impression on others in life, people like Martin Luther King Jr. who took a stand for what he believed in even though the majority of people were against him. Maybe one day you stand out as unique to someone of great distinction, a C. E. O. of a major company or a director of a new movie, it could change your life indefinately to be someone offbeat from everyone else. In life we must balance our personal desires with what other people think is right, follow your own path and do what you believe in but do not disregard how others feel or think about you. one day the way you present yourself might just make the right impression on the right person.

The Importance Of Taiwan To Us China Relations Politics Essay

The Importance Of Taiwan To Us China Relations Politics Essay Does Taiwan Matter? An Analysis of the Strategic Importance of Taiwan to the U.S.-China Relations. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Abstractà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœThere is no doubt that the relations between Peoples Republic of China and the United States is crucial to the world. In economic aspect, China and America are so intertwined that their symbiotic relationship is described as Chimerica; however divergence always emerges between the two on political issues, in particular, the Taiwan issue. This essay analyses the strategic importance of Taiwan to the Sino-U.S. relations by answering the question- what role Taiwan plays in the relations of the PRC and U.S.? and the essay covers four points: 1) Taiwan issue is at the core of this bilateral relations, 2) it is an intractable issue, 3) it is also a contentious and most potentially dangerous issue, 4) but it is not always the most important one troubling the two countries at ALL times since common economic interests between the three still exist. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Key Wordsà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœTaiwan; China; the United States; strategic importance; U.S.-China relations; Taiwan issue; the rise of China INTRODUCTION There is no doubt that the relations between China (PRC)the largest developing country and the United Statesthe largest developed country is crucial to the world. In economic aspect, China and America are so intertwined that their symbiotic relationship is described as Chimerica; however divergence always emerge between the two on political issues, in particular, the Taiwan issue. On January 29, the U.S. pass of a $6.4 billion weapons sale to Taiwan followed Chinas furious response froze the bilateral relations. Does Taiwan matter? Of course, it does and it is the core issue in the Sino-U.S. relations. What role Taiwan plays and how it influences the two countries relations? This essay will assess Taiwans strategic importance to the U.S.-China Relations by answering those questions. WHAT ROLE TAIWAN PLAYS IN THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS? Assessing Taiwans Strategic Importance to the U.S.-China Relations Taiwan matters a lot to both China and the United States who have common interests but also divergence. In this part, the author analyses three roles it plays in the two countries bilateral relations. It is one of the core issues in the U.S.-China relations Taiwan issue could not be avoid or overlooked as it is the central question in almost every meeting between Chinese and American officials, in every academic gathering that includes Chinese scholars, and in many private conversations with Chinese visitors to the United States (Halloran,2003). Why both countries attach so much importance on this issue? This section offers some explanations of why Taiwan issue lies at the core of the U.S.-China relations from the perspectives of both the PRC and the U.S.. à ¢- The PRC: Taiwan question touches the core interests of China The PRC never ceases its effort to reunify with Taiwan which is regarded by mainlanders as part of their sovereign territory. Following four factors amplify why Taiwan has such a strong hold on the Chinese leaderships psyche. Taiwans historic importance and Chinese nationalism Taiwan is the island off mainland Chinas southeastern coast and was long a backwater of the Chinese empire for over a thousand years before it was colonized by Japan in 1894. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the Republic of China (ROC) acquired sovereignty over Taiwan under Cairo Declaration. Although recently, the advocates of Taiwan independence claim that the Cairo Declaration was not a legal document, and Taiwan has not been officially returned to the ROC, it is neither a part of Japan nor China, most Chinese elites still believe it is a province of China even after the Chinese Communist Party seized power and Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan in 1949. Moreover, some Chinese scholars who place great emphasis on history as a barometer for Chinas future think the reunification of Taiwana former colonial possession and a relic of the Cold Waris the strong demand of the whole Chinese nation (Thompson and Zhu, 2004). Chinese scholar Chen (2002) also notes that it is hard for Americans, wh o have a shorter history than China, to appreciate its {Taiwan} importance to the Chinese people. The view that taking Taiwan which is the last vestige of the humiliation by Japan and the West during the colonial period would complete the trilogy after China has reclaimed Hong Kong and Macau in 1997 and 1999 respectively is widely shared among Chinese mainlanders (Halloran, 2003; Business Monitor, 2010). And some mainlanders even see continued arms sales to Taiwan by the United States as an example of foreign powers trying to hinder Chinas rise as they did before. Taiwans political importance to the mainland Due to a large majority of the Chinese people hope to reunify the motherland, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not have any route of retreat regarding the Taiwan issue. The CCP has placed Taiwan issue at a high place on its agenda, linking the Partys success or failure to reunification. As Thompson and Zhu (2004) have noticed no Chinese leadership group can afford to be the one who lost Taiwan since Taiwan problem could potentially disrupt the first peaceful, institutionalized transfer of power in China. Furthermore, the loss of Taiwan could spur dissent in other provinces with separatist tendencies, such as Xinjiang and Tibet. Thompson and Zhu further argue that losing Taiwan could upset the regional long-term plans for incremental integration that have been relatively successful to date and foreign influence in Taiwan also sets a dangerous precedent for Xinjiang and Tibet. Additionally, Taiwan issue could exacerbate domestic social and political tensions, as some analysts bel ieve that CCP plays up the Taiwan issue to divert attention from Chinas political struggles and social instability such as the corruption and unemployment (Halloran, 2003). In essence, Taiwan could become an excuse for dissidents and activists in China to oppose the ruling Communist Party. Economic significance of the island Absorbing Taiwans vibrant economy and technological prowess, especially in electronics, would be a plus for the Chinese economy (Halloran, 2003). China has already benefited from Taiwanese investment and trade, and the economic ties between the two are strengthened: since the mid-1980s, Taiwan companies have come to regard the mainland as their key lower-cost production platform and a potential market; for the PRC, Taiwan companies bring capital and management experience and create a lot of jobs. According to Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs, more than three-quarters of Taiwans companies have an investment on the mainland, reaching $60 billion in more than 50,000 ventures (Bush, 2002). The islands geo-strategic importance According to Halloran (2003), Chinese leaders see Taiwan as a crucial link in a chain of the U.S. containment that begins in South Korea and Japan and runs south through Taiwan to the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia, nations with which the United States has security treaties. If Beijing seeks to break that chain and to project power into the Pacific, controlling Taiwan would be the best way. A similar view is shared by Thompson and Zhu (2004), as they believe that Beijing worries about the U.S.s intention of integrating Taiwan into a de facto alliance with Japan and South Korea to contain its rising power in Asia since Taiwan could be used as a perfect foreign military base. Furthermore, China has become increasingly dependent on energy resources in the Middle East. In this case, a hostile or even independent Taiwan has the ability to cut off Chinese energy supply lines, and that also worries Chinese leaders. à ¢- U.S.: Taiwan is important to maintain its hegemony in Asia Since the PRC puts Taiwan issue at such a high position, the United States could never ignore its importance when interacts with China. More importantly, the U.S. attaches great importance to Taiwan because the island could help to maintain its hegemony in this region. According to a RAND (2001) report, the U.S.s pivotal long-term objective to East Asia is to prevent a worsening of the security situation in this region. Central to this objective is to preclude the rise of a regional or continental hegemon that could challenge the U.S.the current hegemon of East Asia (Khalilzad et al., 2001; Bush, 2005:255). At the moment, no nation in Asia is close to becoming a regional or continental hegemon as the U.S., but there do exist some potential rivals that could challenge the U.S.s dominance and China is number one on the list. And the Taiwan issue which not only could be a tool to contain China but also could be a bomb to harm the regions stability attracts much of the U.S. attention. In this section, Taiwans strategic importance to America will be further analyzed from three perspectives: Taiwans geo-strategic importance to the U.S. Taiwans geo-strategic importance lies in maintaining American hegemony in East Asia. Early in mid-1850s, on his way to Japan, Commodore of the U.S. Navy-Matthew C. Perry anchored off in Formosa, to investigate the potential of mining the coal deposits in that area. Later he emphasized in his reports that Formosa provided a convenient mid-way trade location and it was also very defensible providing a good base for exploration for America. Though his suggestion was declined by the president, his point of view that occupying Formosa, controlling Asia was inherited by generations of policymakers in the U.S. (Zhao, 1997; Zhou, 1995). In the East Asian security context, Taiwan becomes the focal point of clashing strategic interests between the United States and some East Asian countries. Its geo-strategic significance arises from its lying astride the Western Pacific sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) which run from the Straits of Malacca to Japan, South Korea and eastwards, and its being adjacent to the Taiwan Strait which connects the South China Sea to East China Sea in the northeast(Kapila,2006). Taiwan therefore commands the East Asia waterways and also the Chinese domestic waterway linking South China Sea to East China Sea. These waterways are the most strategic waterways in the world and witnessed competing strategic interests of super powers like U.S., Japan and former Soviet Union (Kapila, 2006). If Taiwan were under Beijings control, these transportation routes would become vulnerable to be interrupted by China (Tucker, 2002). In precise, occupation of Taiwan means control of the northern entrance of the South China Sea. Then, the large part of the South China Sea would become a kind of Chinas inner water, and which particularly worries the U.S. ally-Japan who sees the SLOCs as its lifelines. Also, as for China who once lacked deep waters on its East China Sea coastline where its important naval bases are located, it could utilize Taiwanese ports for submarines to operate freely throughout the Western Pacific after controlling the island (Okazaki, 2003). Furthermore, as for the United States who once views Taiwan as its unsinkable aircraft carrier off the coast of China (Taiwan along with Japan and the Philippines provides the outer shield of defense of mainland for the U.S.), the control of Taiwan by China seriously influences its military capability in East Asia (Kapila, 2 006). In a word, Taiwans geo-strategic location offers United States and Japan an option to block China at its gates. As Taiwans President Chen Shui-bian once declared: Taiwan is the key locking in Chinas military and preventing any westward expansion. So as U.S. ambassador to China James R. Lilley has noted that Taiwan is the cork in Chinas bottle (Tucker, 2002). 2) Taiwans political significance On one hand, after years of political reform and democratization, Taiwan has shifted from hard authoritarian regime (since 1949) to soft authoritarian regime (since 1970s) and finally to a democracy (since late 1980s) (Halbeisen and Ferdinand, 1996). And as a vibrant democracy, in Kapila (2006)s view, Taiwan is a powerful alternative model to the Communist political model of mainland China, and a beacon and reminder of democracy for the over one billion Chinese on the mainland. Some American scholars, such as Bush (2005:246), point out that the islands democratization in the late 1980s and early 1990s closed the gap between congressional liberals and conservatives in the U.S. over islands political system and thus created a broad and sympathetic coalition. Thus as an established democracy, Taiwan gains the U.S. congresss support as Americans feel that they must support democratic nations or it would severely undermine the U.S. position as a defender of democracy if it failed to save democratic Taiwan from the invasion of authoritarian China(Bush,2005:246). On the other hand, if PRC controlled Taiwan, a significant change of international relations might take place in Pacific regime. Under Okazaki (2003)s hypothesis, there would be important political impact of PRCs annexation of Taiwan on Southeast Asian countries who have vital interest in the South China Sea. Okazaki further argues that the entire control of the regional nations outlet to the sea would be one of Chinas useful tools of finlandizing these nations. There still exists a more important question: the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia are now divided into pro-Beijing, pro-Taiwan, and neutral groups. Chinas control of Taiwan would make this division which is utilized by some Southeast Asian governments to govern the oversea Chinese disappear. Also in his point of view, finlandization of Southeast Asian nations by China will undermine not only Japans vital interests, but also the U.S.s. The economic importance of Taiwan For one thing, Taiwan is one of the major buyers of the U.S. arms. Under a 1979 treaty in which the U.S. switched recognition of China to Beijing from Taipei, Washington is obliged to sell the island defensive weaponry and Beijing gets furious every time the U.S. president passed the arms sales to Taiwan. One current issue mentioned at the beginning of this essay is the announcement of the $6.4 billion U.S. arms sales package to Taiwan by president Obama and it marks a low point of the Sino-US relations(Cooke, 2010). According to a congressional report this year, the value of deliveries of U.S. defense articles and services to Taiwan totaled $3.7 billion in the 2001-2004 period and $3.9 billion in 2005-2008. Among customers worldwide, Taiwan ranked 3rd (behind Egypt and Saudi Arabia) in 2001-2004 and 4th (behind Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia) in 2005-2008. In 2008 alone, Taiwan had agreements for arms purchases that totaled $1.3 billion from the U.S. (Kan, 2010). For another, Taiwanthe major producer of electrical requirements and information products in the worldis one of the major suppliers of the U.S. IT industry. If China tried to control Taiwan by force, for the Western companies that have built their fortunes on the mainland or in Taiwan, the damage would be a direct hit to the global economy and the Digital Age (Einhorn et al., 2005). To conclude this part, as for the PRC, Taiwan holds historic importance, both stemming from the civil war and the legacy of foreign intervention. Chinese leaders see bringing Taiwan into the PRC as a crucial step in strengthening the Chinese Communist Partys leadership in China and establishing Chinese influence over East Asia and in driving the United States from the Western Pacific. In addition, Taiwan has economic importance as it could be a plus for the Chinese economy, and it holds strategic importance, straddling sea lanes and potentially serving as a base for foreign military forces. As for the U.S., from an optimistic perspective, Taiwan could be a partner in the engagement of China and foster China to play a modest role in shaping a new structure in East Asia. If, on the other hand, the more negative scenario takes hold, the Taiwan Strait issue likely becomes the main arena for the contest between the U.S. and China for supremacy in Asia. Therefore, the U.S. also attaches gr eat importance on Taiwan. It is one of the most difficult issues to solve in the U.S.-China relations The Taiwan problem has been existing since the founding of the PRC, and it has always been the single most important and sensitive issue at the core of China-U.S. relations and it will still be one of the most intractable issues in the bilateral relations. The reasons for this can be perceived in three factors: firstly, the PRC will never cease the effort to reunify Taiwan since it is its core interest as mentioned in last section. The pass of the Anti-Secession Law in 2005 shows Beijings resolution; but, secondly, as for Taiwan, a sense of Taiwanese identity or Taiwanese nationalism is increasing among new generations, which might result in a strong demand for independence; lastly, the U.S.s strategic ambiguity which turned out to be quite successful in maintaining the stability of the Taiwan Strait for the most part of last century, has become the major cause of some Taiwan leaders aggressive actions that threaten the peace of the region. The following section will focus on the las t two factors: à ¢- Taiwans rising Taiwanese nationalism After more than half a century of self rule and democratic evolution, popular support for political reunification among the islanders is declining, and the proportion of Taiwan residents who think of themselves as Taiwanese (not Chinese) is increasing. Copper (1999:116) explains this phenomenon by saying that, in the twentieth century, Taiwan was part of China for only four years therefore in terms of its economy, society and political system, the gap is growing larger [and] divergenceis the trend. Rigger (2006:4, 57) calls this phenomenon the rise of Taiwanese nationalism which means the islanders lose of their sense of connection to mainland China and their growing tendency to identify Taiwan as their homeland.And this is assumed to be particularly common among young Taiwanese. Some current surveys on Taiwanese nationalism also indicate that there is a rising proportion (nine out of ten) of Taiwan residents who call themselves Taiwanese as opposed to Chinese. However two decades ag o, surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Taiwan residents called themselves Chinese, while this percentage fell sharply during the 1990s (Rigger,2006:4,6). Because Taiwan is a democracy, the profound shift in public opinion on the island of 23million could seriously influence the decision of its government. Therefore, a more assertive posture of its authorityeven a declaration of independenceif that is what the voters demanded could be possible. For example, Taiwans former President Chen Shui-bians Democratic Progressive Party has long advocated Taiwans independence. Even the pro-unification Kuomintang has muted at that point since it could not resist the opinion of the majority Taiwan residents; it began to regard independence as one of the possible future for Taiwan. And Taiwanese nationalism has become the focus of so much anxiety in Beijing and Washington because for Beijing, it means its reunification course is more difficult; and as for Washington, the more provocative actions of Taiwan seriously challenge the relatively stable status quo of Taiwan Strait. à ¢- U.S.s strategic ambiguity Strategic ambiguity marked American policy which is intended to keep Beijing and Taipei guessing about how the United States would respond to hostilities across the Taiwan Strait (Halloran, 2003). The essence of this concept is that the U.S. does not state explicitly whether it will come to Taiwans defense in the event of an attack by the PRC. The uncertainty about U.S. intentions shapes the intentions of the other two actors: it constraints China from making an unprovoked attack by raising the possibility that Washington will intervene, and it constrains Taiwan from taking provocative steps by suggesting that Washington would not intervene (Bush,2005:256;257). However, ambiguity was sometimes a tool for ensuring dual deterrence but sometimes an obstacle. As Yang (2004) has stated that the self-contradictory U.S. dual policy is the major cause of Chen Shui-bian and his aggressive action of pushing Taiwan farther and farther to independence during the Bush administration. Two reasons may explain the adoption of this strategic ambiguity policy by the U.S.: first is the contending views in the U.S. toward China. As stated by Halloran (2004), there are four schools among U.S. decision makers: panda huggers who assert that America must accommodate Chinas emerging power, even at the expense of Taiwans freedom; entrepreneurs, who pursue the age-old dream of selling toothbrushes to 1.2 billion Chinese and most of who are care little about what happens to Taiwan; balancers who say the United States should engage and deter China at the same time and Taiwans fate is to be determined by the Taiwanese; and demonizers who demand that China be confronted at every turn. Therefore, when refer to the rise of China; there are contending views in the United States. On one hand, panda huggers have hoped sincerely that through economic interdependence and political engagement, the PRC will become a great power that accumulates national power not for its own sake but to us e it, as the United States does, to preserve international peace and security. On the other hand, there is a growing concern in the United States represented by those balancers and demonizers (some also call them the blue team(Jia, 2008)), that China is accumulating power, including military power, not to serve an internationalist agenda but in order to make China the dominant power of East Asia, instead of the U.S., and a change of a hegemon may lead to regional instability. Further, a more powerful China will inevitably be more assertive about its interests regardless of whether they are compatible with those of the United States (Tucker, 2002). These different views toward China make a clear policy of the U.S. toward the Taiwan issue to be impossible. Second reason is that ambiguity could be a retreat for the U.S. to avoid a war. Layne (2001) points out that the U.S. does not actually want to get involved in a war for defending Taiwan. Because for one thing, if Washington goes to defend Taiwan and against Beijing, it almost certainly will do so alone since its European and Asian allies have no interest in picking a quarrel with China over Taiwans fate. For another, by defending Taiwan, the United States runs the risk of armed confrontation with China who holds nuclear power. And it would be, as he believes, a geopolitical act of folly for the United States to risk nuclear war with China for the purpose of defending democracy in Taiwan, which at stake simply would not justify the risks and costs of doing so. In sum, Taiwan issue typifies the complexity of Sino-U.S. relations. Because Beijing has showed its determination of taking Taiwan back; while in Taiwan, Taiwanese nationalism is rising and it seems that the island has no intention to reunify with the mainland and will not cease its effort to be independent in short-term; and some shortcomings of U.S.s strategic ambiguity policy are also emerging. All these factors demonstrate that an acceptable solution of Taiwan issue (here the author means the reunification or independence) is impossible in the short-term. 3. It is the most potentially dangerous issue in the U.S.-China relations The Taiwan issue is also the most contentious problem in the bilateral relationship. Although there are quite a few disputes between the two countriesincluding disputes on human rights, trade imbalances, currency controls and so onit seems that no dispute except the Taiwan issue is likely to lead to confrontation that may trigger a war between the two countries with nuclear powers. In retrospect, there were three Cross-Straits crises: namely, the 1955, 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis and 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis. During those crises, intimidating military exercises such as firing missiles were conducted by the PRC, and U.S. aircraft carrier groups were dispatched to the Strait. Though every time the two governments managed to handle the crises, the Taiwan Strait crises, observed by Jia(2008:49), still highlighted the potential for military conflicts between the two countries in the future. To some extent, the Taiwan issue is just like a ticking time bomb as no one is sure when it will exp lode (Chen, 2002). Its sensitivity can be further perceived from the following three aspects: First is the increasing provocative actions of Taiwans pro-independence, and the reason for this has mentioned in last section. The Taiwan authorities began to change their previous policy stance of reunification to an independence course when Lee Teng-hui administration was in power in 1990s (Jia, 2008). Lees successor-Chen Shui-bian and his government has pursued even more aggressive policies, such as de-Sinification, the once proposed independence referendum in the 2004 presidential election as well as the planned constitutional revision before 2008 which tried to bolster Taiwans independent identity in the world(Zhang, 2008:87).These provocative actions or policies of Taiwans leadership and policy-makers come from the belief that the United States is on its side, although these policies have invited criticism from the U.S. which sees them a potentially threat to stability in the Taiwan Strait. Rigger (2006:2) points out that the U.S. policymakers are worried about the possible mi sunderstanding of Taiwans leadership toward the U.S.s intention and its negative effect that may provoke a military response from the PRC. Second is the PRCs incremental national defense spending and its growth military power which worry the U.S.. Taiwan problem generates security dilemma: infuriated by the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and their joint military exercise and also worried by the increasing military power of the island, Chinese government decisively reprioritized national defense development and began to make effort to develop its military means in order to prevent independence by force if necessary, after the 16th Party Congress in 2002 (Yang, 2003). Since Beijing has stated its willingness to pay any price to resolve the Taiwan issue on terms favorable to Chinese interests, or at least to prevent a worsening change in the status quo, Chu and Guo (2008) suggest that the Chinese government has made preparation for conflict over Taiwan the fundamental task for military development in the early 21st century, and to this end, the government has increased national defense spending for now over five years. Some Chinese strategists suggest that China has been pursuing a systematic modernization of its strategic nuclear forces that will enhance its second-strike capability versus U.S. in the next 10 to 15 years(Zhang, 2008:98). In particular, China has had some significant breakthroughs with its nuclear modernization in recent years, include its successful tests on the sea-based JL-2 strategic missile in 2005; the 094 Class strategic submarine launched in 2004. Zhang (2008:98) mentioned in his article that this new strategic weapon system will increase the number of warheads capable of striking the U.S.A. from the current 20 to 30 to a much higher level. Whats more, in recent Chinese discussions of the Taiwan issue, the No First Use nuclear doctrine which refers to a policy not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary using nuclear weapons is increasingly under criticism especially from the hawks in the Chinese leadership. Many of those believe t hat due to its vast conventional disadvantage against the U.S., China has to rely more on its nuclear weapons to prevent American intervention in the Taiwan Strait, and China could even launch a preemptive war on this issue. Washington has noticed these changes and has become increasingly alarmed by Chinas military modernization. In the Pentagons 2006 report, the US government shows its serious concerns for both Chinas emerging strategic capabilities and the potential changes in Chinas nuclear doctrine. Also according to the last annual reports of the U.S. Department of Defense on the military power of the PRC, the U.S. thought that China was elevating capabilities in sea, land, and air ballistic missile, space, and integrated command systems and so on, and the growth of Chinas military power could pose a credible threat to other modern militaries operating in the region(Chen Xiaodong, 2008:65). Third, historically U.S. has intervened to protect the island, so there is a great possibility Washington will join in the conflict if a hot war happens between the PRC and Taiwan. Though its still ambiguous policy makes it unclear how the United States response to a China-Taiwan conflict, as mentioned in last section, it is safe to predict that there would be strong domestic political pressure in favor of American intervention since ideological antipathy toward China and support for a democratizing Taiwan would be powerful incentives for American intervention (Layne,2004). One example may offer some clue for this is what the U.S. did in the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis: the United States displayed its resoluteness when in 1996 China fired ballistic missiles over Taiwan. The United States immediately dispatched two aircraft carrier battle groups into the Taiwan Strait, forcing China to back off (Bush, 2005). And with the rise of the blue team who believe the U.S. should start to contain China rather than facilitate its development in the U.S. government, it is likely that the U.S. could behave tougher when handling the Taiwan issue (Jia, 2008). CONCLUSION This essay analyses the strategic importance of Taiwan by answering the questionWhat role Taiwan plays in the Sino-U.S. relations? And it offers the answer by saying that the island has three roles in the two countries relationsfirstly, it is one of the core issues in the U.S.-China relations; secondly it is one of the most difficult issues to solve in the U.S.-China relations and last but not the least, it is the most potentially dangerous issue in the relationship. Although the Taiwan issue is the most sensitive, divisive problem in Sino-U.S. relations, it is not necessarily the most important one troubling the two countries at ALL times. Besides differences and disputes, China and the United States still shared some common interests. For instance, in the 1970s, they shared common strategic interests against Soviet expansion. Since the end of the cold war, they have shared common interests in the maintenance of stability in the East Asia and they also promote economic cooperation (Chen, 2002). Echoing the general theme of the extended hand in his inaugural address, the current U.S. president Obama struck a tone of cooperative engagement in his initial approach to China, inviting Beijing to join Washington in global co-leadership in the field such as climate change and counter-terrorism (Cooke, 2010). And the recent global economic recession has also bound the two together again. As for the relations between Taiwan and the mainland, these same global tectonics have been reshaping relations between the two across the Taiwan Strait. With Chinas emerging economy having roared back with around 10 percent projected GDP growth rate per year since 1990s, Taiwan businessmen have began to seek opportunities on the mainland. This mainland fever has been strengthening the economic ties between China and Taiwan for more than a decade, recently have multiplied and deepened. On Cross-Strai

Abolishing the Death Penalty Essay -- Capital Punishment Justice Essay

Abolishing the Death Penalty When taking a human life in response to a crime, a state is acting on behalf of all of its citizens. Capital punishment is an expensive procedure with permanent ramifications. It is therefore very important that the matter of capital punishment be seriously reconsidered. In order to protect all of America's citizens, I recommend that congress approve a constitutional amendment that reads: The states and the federal government shall not under any circumstances execute anyone. All prisoners currently under sentence of death shall have the right to a new trial. The reasons for such an amendment include the inherent immorality of capital punishment, its inconsistent application and its unjustified costs. The moral foundations followed today by nearly every nation were laid in 1949. With the horrors of World War II fresh in the minds of every government, nearly all of the world's nations sent delegates to San Francisco and formed the United Nations General Assembly to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These rights, it was reasoned, "are inherent in every human being. They are not privileges that may be granted by governments for good behavior and they may not be withdrawn for bad behavior" (Amnesty International 1). Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." This right to life cannot be abridged by any government because the treaty states it is one of the "inalienable rights of all members of the human family." Furthermore, Article 5 declares that no person shall be subjected to "inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." It is not difficult to assume that killing someone is regarde d as degrading... ...Evolving Context of the Post-Furman Era." 1988. Social Forces: vol. 66. Porter, Phil. The Economics of Capital Punishment. 1998. <http://www.mindspring.com/~philporter/econ.html> Scalia, Antonin. A Call for reckoning: Religion and the death Penalty. Speech delivered 25 Jan. 2002. Sherrill, Robert. "Death Trip: The American Way of Execution." The Nation. 8 Jan. 2001. Thompson v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 815. 1988. Trombley, S. The Execution Protocol: Inside America's Capital Punishment Industry. New York: Crown Publishers, 1992. U.S. Bishops. "Statement on Capital Punishment." Nov. 1980. <http://www.osjspm.org/cst/cappun.htm> 21 Feb. 2003. U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics. Capital Punishment 2001. 2001. <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/cp01.txt> Weisberg, J. "This is Your Death," The New Republic, July 1, 1991.

What I Expect From a University Education Essay -- Essays Papers

University Education Expectations "Sarah Dalton...," I heard my name called. My new professor requested that I stand up to present my speech, and the entire class turned to focus on me. With my hands shaking and body trembling in fear, I made my way to the front of the room. I could feel 30 strange pairs of eyes burning into me like hot needles, and the first words of my professor reverberated in my head. "This isn't high school. You're a college student now!" I stared back into my new classmates' faces, and it finally hit me. I was now at a point in my life where I could make my own decisions. This inspired me to further contemplate my realization. I began to ask myself, "Now that I'm in college, what type of education do I expect from SOU in terms of a higher education?" My thoughts eventually focused on three main points: professors should present themselves as equal guides and learners, rather than simply dictating information to passive learners; students should have the ability to learn in an unprejudiced envir onment; and the university should provide opportunities for ind... What I Expect From a University Education Essay -- Essays Papers University Education Expectations "Sarah Dalton...," I heard my name called. My new professor requested that I stand up to present my speech, and the entire class turned to focus on me. With my hands shaking and body trembling in fear, I made my way to the front of the room. I could feel 30 strange pairs of eyes burning into me like hot needles, and the first words of my professor reverberated in my head. "This isn't high school. You're a college student now!" I stared back into my new classmates' faces, and it finally hit me. I was now at a point in my life where I could make my own decisions. This inspired me to further contemplate my realization. I began to ask myself, "Now that I'm in college, what type of education do I expect from SOU in terms of a higher education?" My thoughts eventually focused on three main points: professors should present themselves as equal guides and learners, rather than simply dictating information to passive learners; students should have the ability to learn in an unprejudiced envir onment; and the university should provide opportunities for ind...

Is the Survival of a society dependent on Fate or Human Choice?

There is no doubt that some societies are more fragile than others. The subjective observation of a societies ability to succeed or fail can sometimes be misleading when not all possible factors leading toward a societies outcome, are considered. When an observer does not scrutinize a societies success or lack there of, chances are, the observer will endlessly grapple over whether the outcome of a society was a result of fate, or human choice. Needless to say, through resources such as, Jared Diamonds book Collapse, and his movie Guns, Germs, and Steel as well as, Jeffery Sachs' book The End of Poverty, it is inevitable that both authors are confident in their revolutionary theories on a society's ability to succeed or fail. There is no question that the environment is the foundation for a societies future; however, it is the human choices of how and what should be built on that foundation, which determine whether it will be stable and succeed or not. Jeffrey Sachs and Jared Diamond have contrasting ideas on the significance of the environment and how it affects societies. While Jeffery Sachs seems to underestimate its significance, Diamond gives it too much credit. Jeffery Sachs gives six reasons in his book, The End of Poverty as to why societies â€Å"takeoff† and develop, or, lag on and remain in their poorly developed state. Some of the reasons mentioned by Sachs include: social mobility, political factors and fertility rates. Sachs did include physical geography as one of the factors as well; although, wouldn't one say that geography is at the root of all six of those revelations? At least, Diamond might agree. When faced with harsh environmental conditions solely based on where you live in globe, poses a question. Does ones survival purely depend on where they are born in the world? Sachs does address geography as an important factor in a societies success; however, he states that you can still have societal changes even if the geography does not allow for it. This is evident in chapter three of Sachs book as he discusses eight points that determine whether a society will thrive or not, and the role that humans are playing in failing societies. Some of these points include technology, trade, natural resource decline and population growth. When people die from extreme poverty, it is because they literally had nothing. They don't need a lot to survive, but they do need a lot to start a process of economic development; and that's where Sachs and I would differ. There's a reason societies who are under extreme poverty, have not been able to rise and be successful; environmental barriers. The environment can easily wipe out humans basic needs, which is the first step to survival in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It is evident that environmental determinism does play an important role in a societies ability to thrive or not based on where you are on the globe? However, does is it location and the environment that comes with it purely determine whether a society will last? Easter Island is a society that virtually collapsed in isolation due to environmental damage. A perfect example of whether the success of a society depends on lack of human choices or environmental barriers. Jared captures his insight of the phenomenon in his book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed with concrete evidence. Jared mostly recognizes the geographical and environmental barriers that support the analogy that Easter was doomed from the beginning. From his reading, it seems that even if the people of Easter Island had made the most suitable and sensible human choices as far as working with the environment to obtain their basic needs, they soon would have been doomed to failure. Jared gives an example of how something so vital for survival such as water, would immediately seep into the island when their only water resource, rainfall, would come. Although I strongly believe that the environment plays a large role in a societies ability to thrive or not, Jared overlooked and underestimated the severity of human choices, (culture) and its impact on Easter Islands failure. Deforestation was unfortunately one of the main contributing factors in Easter Islands failure. Jared states that Easter Island is covered with an abundance of substantial statues due to an aggressive competition between chiefs of the island that were built to honor them. This way of culture proved to work against its society because many trees were deforested in order to transport the massive statues. The history of Easter Island helps to reconfirm my opinion that a society is destined to failure or success through mostly geographical and environmental state and a pinch of a societies ability to make wise decisions. Jared Diamond believes that there are three things that determine the outcome of a society: Guns, Germs and Steel. The main conclusion I gathered from watching this film was that societies developed in different parts of the world because of differences in environments. Jared struggles to answer a provocative question to a Papua New Guinean, â€Å"why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brought it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own? Jared sets geography as the dominant factor, emphasizing, that, it is not the biological aspect of people that determine human history but rather the environmental context, which we have no control over. Diamond discusses his opinion on whether he believes in the old presumption that the reason European civilizations were able develop and come up with advanced economies so fast, was because of their innate superiority. Jared believes we all moderately have the same intelligence in every society, and that it is not based on genes or race. He was unable to accept the possibility that New Guineans are inferior intellectually to Europeans. I agree with Jared. I believe that the reason European society became more technologically and politically advanced was the fertile environment that these people were born into to. This environment would allow them to have food production, tamed animals, and all other advantages that the New Guinea people did not have. Once basic needs are met in a society, it is easier for a society to climb up the ladder of success. It is therefore evident that the survival of a person is pure luck, based on whether you were born in an area where the environment works for you, and some human choices that are made to work with tte environment effectively. In conclusion, I wonder if developing counties in the world are doomed to failure and whether it is hopeless trying to make a sustainable society in those regions, and whether they should just be abandoned. The only advantage of having a co-operative environment is that it allows you to have all your basic needs, but will not necessarily help a society to advance further. Once the foundation of a good environment is laid out, only then can human choice help a society climb up the ladder towards success.

Lack of Mother and Reunion in Victorian Times

LACK OF MOTHER AND METAPHORS OF REUNION IN OLIVER TWIST AND JANE EYRE The aim of this paper is to discuss the psychological effects of being motherless and orphanhood and metaphors of reunion under social class distinction observation on the characters of two well known Victorian novels; Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist. Orphanhood means having no parents but in Victorian society this term also refers to â€Å"one who has deprived of only one parent† as Laura Peters states. As a result of this, motherlessness and orphanhood were considered the same in the Victorian Era. To write a life, in the Victorian period , is to write the story of the loss of mother† says Caroline Dever. In other words, Victorian fiction mostly tells us the piteous stories of little motherless,orphan children who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. The importance of family and blood relations are significant aspects of Victorian Era. So these little orphans should have defend themselves against disadvantag es of being alone in this material world, also they had to get over their psychological traumas mostly by themselves. According to Dever, mother is the symbol of the unity,safety and order in a child's life. Within the death of mother, the hero/heroine finds himself in a very dangerous , chaotic situation. In addition to that, the female protagonist has to face with erotic danger. Mostly in Victorian novels, maternal lossis used a path to set the young protoganist free to construct selfhood independently of parental constraint. The lack of parents leads the protagonist to start his quest in a disadvantaged position and he finds his inner strength to assert his personality. Orphans are in search of identity in social, psychological and personal dimensions. Lacan's â€Å"mirror phase† is the very first step of being a person. When a baby first sees himself on the mirror, at first he tries to control and play it. When the baby understands that this is a reflection,he realizes that he is not a part ofmother, on the contrary, he has another personality. Until now,the baby thinks himself like a body part of his mother. With the mirror stage, he sees himself as a whole being and this realizationis very important for his identification. On the other hand,this realization creates alienation. Understanding her mother is a seperate object makes him realise that this object is not under his control. Starting from now,he searches identificatory images to fill this lack,such as representations,doubles and other. In order to understand and achieve the main goals of Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist, we should have a glance at Charles Dicken's and Charlotte Bronte's early lives. Charlotte Bronte was born in 1816, the third daughter of the Rev. Patrick Bronte and his wife Maria. Her brother Patrick Branwell was born in 1817, and her sisters Emily and Anne in 1818 and 1820. In 1820, too, the Bronte family moved to Haworth, Mrs. Bronte dying the following year. In 1824 the four eldest Bronte daughters were enrolled as pupils at the Clergy Daughter's School at Cowan Bridge. The following year Maria and Elizabeth, the two eldest daughters, became ill, left the school and died: Charlotte and Emily, understandably, were brought home. In 1826 Mr. Bronte brought home a box of wooden soldiers for Branwell to play with. Charlotte, Emily, Branwell, and Ann, playing with the soldiers, conceived of and began to write in great detail about an imaginary world which they called Angria. In 1831 Charlotte became a pupil at the school at Roe Head, but she left school the following year to teach her sisters at home. She returned returns to Roe Head School in 1835 as a governess: for a time her sister Emily attended the same school as a pupil, but became homesick and returned to Haworth. Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. John Dickens was a clerk in the Naval Pay Office. He had a poor head for finances, and in 1824 found himself imprisoned for debt. His wife and children, with the exception of Charles, who was put to work at Warren's Blacking factory, joined him in the Marshalsea Prison. When the family finances were put at least partly to rights and his father was released, the twelve-year-old Dickens, already scarred psychologically by the experience, was further wounded by his mother's insistence that he continue to work at the factory. His father, however, rescued him from that fate, and between 1824 and 1827 Dickens was a day pupil at a school in London. At fifteen, he found employment as an office boy at an attorney's, while he studied shorthand at night. His brief stint at the Blacking Factory haunted him all of his life — he spoke of it only to his wife and to his closest friend, John Foster— but the dark secret became a source both of creative energy and of the preoccupation with the themes of alienation and betrayal which would emerge, most notably, in David Copperfield and in Great Expectations. Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist both grew up as orphans. They both struggled with poverty. Growing up in misery, because they were lower class, both Jane and Oliver did what they needed to do to survive. Oliver joined the pick-pocketers to earn money to live. Jane went through school and applied herself, so she would not end up unhappy and in poverty. Jane and Oliver had similar obstacles while trying to basically survive. Both Jane and Oliver, as children, were lower class. The plot of Jane Eyre follows the form of a Bildungsroman, which tells the story of a child’s maturation and focuses on the emotions and experiences that accompany and incite his or her growth to adulthood. In Jane Eyre, there are five distinct stages of development, each linked to a particular place: Jane’s childhood at Gateshead, her education at the Lowood School, her time as Adele’s governess at Thornfield, her time with the Rivers family at Morton and at Moor House, and her reunion with and marriage to Rochester at Ferndean. From these experiences, Jane becomes the mature woman who narrates the novel retrospectively Jane has no real parents and family, but only her dead uncle's wife and her cousins. Jane's childhood focuses on who she is and where she belongs to. She always looks for someone to identify herself because she faces the world with the â€Å"primal â€Å"lack† The psychologist Carl Jung was interested in the â€Å"collective unconscious† or the primordial images and ideas that reside in every human being's psyche. often appearing in the forms of dreams,visions and fantasies , these images provoke strong emotions that are beyond the explanation of reason. In Jane Eyre, the bounds of reality continually expand, so that dreams and visions have as much validity as a reason,providing access to the inner recesses of Jane's and Rochester's psyches. Their relationship also has a supernatural component. Throughout the novel, Jane is described as a â€Å"fairy†. Sitting in the red-room, she labels herself a â€Å"tiny phantom,half fairy,half imp†. As a fairy, Jane identifies herself as a special,magical creature. Her dreams have a prophetic character, suggesting their almost supernatural ability to predict future. In a dream foreshadowing the direction of her relationship with Rochester, she is â€Å"tossed on a buoyant but unquiet sea†. Jane's dream warns her that their relationship will be rocky, bringing chaos and passion to her life. Not only Jane is a mythical creature, but the narrative she creates also has a mythic element, mixing realism and fantasy. We see the first instance of this as Jane sits nervously in the red-room and imagines a gleam of light shining on the wall; for her,this indicates a vision â€Å"from another world† As Jane's departure from Gateshead was marked by her pseudo-supernatural experience in the red-room, her movement away from Lowood also has a paranormal component. Meditatingupon the best means for discovering anew job, Jane is visited by a â€Å"kind fairy† who offers her a solution. This psychic counsellor gives her very spesific advice: Place an advertisement in the local newspaper, with answers addressed to J. E. , and do it immediately. The fairy's plan works, and Jane soon discovers the job at Thornfield. As a gypsy woman, Rochester aligned himself with mystical knowledge. During his telling of her fortune, Rochester seems to have peered directly into Jane's heart, leaning her deep into a dram-state she likens to â€Å"a web of mystification†. He magically weaves a web around Jane with words, and appears to have watched every movement of her heart, like an â€Å"unseen spirit†. During this scene, he wears a red cloak, showing that he has taken over the position of Red Riding Hood that Jane held earlier. The position he gives Mason also has mystical powers, giving Mason the strength he lacks for an hour or so, hinting at Rochester's mysterious possibly supernatural powers. In emphasizing the uniqueness of Jane and Rocester's love, Bronte gives their meetings a mythical feel, so that they are depicted as archetypes of true lovers. Her association of Rochesters's horde and dog with the Gytrash places their initial meeting in an almost fairytale-like setting. Later, Rochesters reveals that at this initial meeting, he thought Jane was a fairy who had bewitched his horse. The lovers' reunion at the end of the novel also has a psychic component. As she is about to accept St. John's wishes, Jane experiences a sensation as â€Å" sharp, as strange , as shocking† as an electric shock. Then she heards Rochester's voice calling her name. The voice comes from nowhere,speaking â€Å"in pain and woe,wildly,urgently†. So powerful is this voice that Jane cries, â€Å"I am coming† and runs out of the door into the garden, but she discovers no sign of Rochester. She rejects the notion that this is the evilish voice of the witchcraft, but feels that it comes from benevolent nature, not a miracle , but nature's best effort to help her, as if the forces of nature are assisting this very special relationship. She introduces the ideal of a telepathic bond between the lovers. This psychic sympathy leads Jane to hear Rochester's frantic call for her,and for Rochester to pick her response out of the wind. In fact, he even correctly intuits that her response came fromsome mountainous place. Through the novel's supernatural elements, Jane and Rochester become archetypes of ideal lovers, supporting Jane's exorbitant claim that noone â€Å"was ever nearer to her mate than I am†. These mythic elements transforms their relationship from ordinary to extraordinary. The ending of Jane Eyre is perhaps the most obvious â€Å"happy† ending of the books in Victorian Era. The ending, which is like a beginning when Rochester and Jane are reunited at the house at Ferndean , details the manifold ways in which Jane and Mr. Rochester's lives and souls evolve and change after their reunion, through their own work and by the hand of God. They mature as individuals, but also grow exceptionally close as a couple, coming to work together with â€Å"perfect concord† (Bronte, 384. ) As the novel concludes, miracles are worked, love and sight are restored, a child is born and a new haven of domestic bliss is established in Jane and Rochester's home. Emerging as an ideal Victorian companion, wife and mother, Jane stands as the perfect woman that Bertha, the mad woman in the attic and Mr. Rochester's first wife, could never be. She and Rochester establish the domestic bliss that could not found with Bertha, and come to prize it above all else but God. The end of Jane Eyre starts with a beginning: Jane, who calls Rochester â€Å"master,† and Rochester, who calls Jane â€Å"darling,† come together once more, and this time for good. Seeing him for the first time in years, Jane is in â€Å"rapture† (367), although she initially keeps her presence concealed from Rochester. When she finally presents herself to Rochester, the couple is together once more, It is an ideal reunion. With her return, Rochester's life is instantly changed: Rochester's heart renewed, the couple goes on to define themselves a new as companions, and then lovers. Jane Eyre is critical of Victorian England’s strict social hierarchy. Bronte’s exploration of the complicated social position of governesses is perhaps the novel’s most important treatment of this theme. Like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, Jane is a figure of ambiguous class standing and, consequently, a source of extreme tension for the characters around her. Jane’s manners, sophistication, and education are those of an aristocrat, because Victorian governesses, who tutored children in etiquette as well as academics, were expected to possess the â€Å"culture† of the aristocracy. Yet, as paid employees, they were more or less treated as servants; thus, Jane remains penniless and powerless while at Thornfield. Jane’s understanding of the double standard crystallizes when she becomes aware of her feelings for Rochester; she is his intellectual, but not his social, equal. Even before the crisis surrounding Bertha Mason, Jane is hesitant to marry Rochester because she senses that she would feel indebted to him for â€Å"condescending† to marry her. Jane’s distress, which appears most strongly in Chapter 17, seems to be Bronte’s critique of Victorian class attitudes. Jane herself speaks out against class prejudice at certain moments in the book. For example, in Chapter 23 she asks Rochester: â€Å"Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! —I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. † However, it is also important to note that nowhere in Jane Eyre are society’s boundaries bent. Ultimately, Jane is only able to marry Rochester as his equal because she has almost magically come into her own inheritance from her uncle. Jane struggles continually to achieve equality and to overcome oppression. In addition to class hierarchy, she must fight against patriarchal domination—against those who believe women to be inferior to men and try to treat them as such. Three central male figures threaten her desire for equality and dignity: Mr. Brocklehurst, Edward Rochester, and St. John Rivers. All three are misogynistic on some level. Each tries to keep Jane in a submissive position, where she is unable to express her own thoughts and feelings. In her quest for independence and self-knowledge, Jane must escape Brocklehurst, reject St. John, and come to Rochester only after ensuring that they may marry as equals. This last condition is met once Jane proves herself able to function, through the time she spends at Moor House, in a community and in a family. She will not depend solely on Rochester for love and she can be financially independent. Furthermore, Rochester is blind at the novel’s end and thus dependent upon Jane to be his â€Å"prop and guide. In Chapter 12, Jane articulates what was for her time a radically feminist philosophy: Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffe r; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex. Dickens sets Oliver Twist in early 19th-century England, a time when long-held ideas and beliefs came under serious scrutiny. Profound changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution, religious uncertainty, scientific advancement, and political and social upheaval caused many Victorians to reexamine many aspects of their society and culture. Industrialization drove many farmworkers into the cities, where poor labor conditions and inadequate housing condemned most of them to poverty. The unprecedented increase in urban population fostered new and overwhelming problems of sanitation, overcrowding, poverty, disease, and crime in the huge slums occupied by impoverished workers, the unemployed, and the unfortunate. London slums bred the sort of crime Dickens portrays in Oliver Twist. The novel is set against the background of the New Poor Law of 1834, which established a system of workhouses for those who, because of poverty, sickness, mental disorder, or age, could not provide for themselves. Young Oliver Twist, an orphan, spends his first nine years in a â€Å"baby farm,† a workhouse for children in which only the hardiest survive. When Oliver goes to London, he innocently falls in with a gang of youthful thieves and pickpockets headed by a vile criminal named Fagin. Dickens renders a powerful and generally realistic portrait of this criminal underworld, with all its sordidness and sin. He later contrasts the squalor and cruelty of the workhouse and the city slums with the peace and love Oliver finds in the country at the Maylies’ home. Oliver Twist The novel’s protagonist is an orphan born in a workhouse, and Dickens uses his situation to criticize public policy toward the poor in 1830s England. Oliver is between nine and twelve years old when the main action of the novel occurs. Though treated with cruelty and surrounded by coarseness for most of his life, he is a pious, innocent child, and his charms draw the attention of several wealthy benefactors. His true identity is the central mystery of the novel As the child hero of a melodramatic novel of social protest, Oliver Twist is meant to appeal more to our sentiments than to our literary sensibilities. On many levels, Oliver is not a believable character, because although he is raised in corrupt surroundings, his purity and virtue are absolute. Throughout the novel, Dickens uses Oliver’s character to challenge the Victorian idea that paupers and criminals are already evil at birth, arguing instead that a corrupt environment is the source of vice. At the same time, Oliver’s incorruptibility undermines some of Dickens’s assertions. Oliver is shocked and horrified when he sees the Artful Dodger and Charley Bates pick a stranger’s pocket and again when he is forced to participate in a burglary. Oliver’s moral scruples about the sanctity of property seem inborn in him, just as Dickens’s opponents thought that corruption is inborn in poor people. Furthermore, other pauper children use rough Cockney slang, but Oliver, oddly enough, speaks in proper King’s English. His grammatical fastidiousness is also inexplicable, as Oliver presumably is not well-educated. Even when he is abused and manipulated, Oliver does not become angry or indignant. When Sikes and Crackit force him to assist in a robbery, Oliver merely begs to be allowed to â€Å"run away and die in the fields. Oliver does not present a complex picture of a person torn between good and evil—instead, he is goodness incarnate. [pic] Even if we might feel that Dickens’s social criticism would have been more effective if he had focused on a more complex poor character, like the Artful Dodger or Nancy, the audience for whom Dickens was writing might not have been receptive to such a portra yal. Dickens’s Victorian middle-class readers were likely to hold opinions on the poor that were only a little less extreme than those expressed by Mr. Bumble, the beadle who treats paupers with great cruelty. In fact, Oliver Twist was criticized for portraying thieves and prostitutes at all. Given the strict morals of Dickens’s audience, it may have seemed necessary for him to make Oliver a saintlike figure. Because Oliver appealed to Victorian readers’ sentiments, his story may have stood a better chance of effectively challenging their prejudices Throughout Oliver Twist, Dickens criticizes the Victorian stereotype of the poor as criminals from birth. However, after a strident critique of the representation of the poor as hereditary criminals, he portrays Monks as a criminal whose nature has been determined since birth. Brownlow tells Monks, â€Å"You . . . from your cradle were gall and bitterness to your own father’s heart, and . . . all evil passions, vice, and profligacy, festered [in you]. † Monks’s evil character seems less the product of his own decisions than of his birth. Oliver Twist is full of mistaken, assumed, and changed identities. Oliver joins his final domestic scene by assuming yet another identity. Once the mystery of his real identity is revealed, he quickly exchanges it for another, becoming Brownlow’s adopted son. After all the fuss and the labyrinthine conspiracies to conceal Oliver’s identity, it is ironic that he gives it up almost as soon as he discovers it. The final chapters quickly deliver the justice that has been delayed throughout the novel. Fagin dies on the gallows. Sikes hangs himself by accident—it is as though the hand of fate or a higher authority reaches out to execute him. Mr. and Mrs. Bumble are deprived of the right to ever hold public office again. They descend into poverty and suffer the same privations they had forced on paupers in the past. Monks never reforms, nor does life show him any mercy. True to Brownlow’s characterization of him as bad from birth, he continues his idle, evil ways and dies in an American prison. For him, there is no redemption. Like Noah, he serves as a foil—a character whose attributes contrast with, and thereby accentuate, those of another—to Oliver’s character. He is as evil, twisted, and mean while Oliver is good, virtuous, and kind. Oliver and all of his friends, of course, enjoy a blissful, fairy-tale ending. Everyone takes up residence in the same neighborhood and lives together like one big, happy family. Perhaps the strangest part of the concluding section of Oliver Twist is Leeford’s condition for Oliver’s inheritance. Leeford states in his will that, if his child were a son, he would inherit his estate â€Å"only on the stipulation that in his minority he should never have stained his name with any public act of dishonor, meanness, cowardice, or wrong. † It seems strange that a father would consign his child to lifelong poverty as well as the stigma of illegitimacy if the son ever committed a single wrong in childhood. In the same way that the court is willing to punish Oliver for crimes committed by another, Leeford is ready to punish Oliver for any small misdeed merely because he hated his first son, Monks, so much. One contradiction that critics of Oliver Twist have pointed out is that although Dickens spends much of the novel openly attacking retributive justice, the conclusion of the novel is quick to deliver such justice. At the story’s end, crimes are punished harshly, and devilish characters are still hereditary devils to the very end. The only real change is that Oliver is now acknowledged as a hereditary angel rather than a hereditary devil. No one, it seems, can escape the identity dealt to him or her at birth. The real crime of characters like Mr. Bumble and Fagin may not have been mistreating a defenseless child—it may have been mistreating a child who was born for a better life. Yet Dickens’s crusade for forgiveness and tolerance is upheld by his treatment of more minor characters, like Nancy, whose memory is sanctified, and Charley Bates, who redeems himself and enters honest society. These characters’ fates demonstrate that the individual can indeed rise above his or her circumstances, and that an unfortunate birth does not have to guarantee an unfortunate life and legacy. Oliver Twist is a story about the battles of good versus evil, with the evil continually trying to corrupt and exploit the good. It portrays the power of Love, Hate, Greed, and Revenge and how each can affect the people involved. The love between Rose and Harry in the end conquers all the obstacles between them. The hate that Monks feels for Oliver and the greed he feels towards his inheritance eventually destroys him. The revenge that Sikes inflicts on Nancy drives him almost insane and eventually to accidental suicide. Dickens' wide array of touching characters emphasizes the virtues of sacrifice, compromise, charity, and loyalty. Most importantly, though the system for the poor is not changed, the good in Dickens' novel outweighs the evil, and the main characters that are part of this good live happily ever after Poverty is a prominent concern in Oliver Twist. Throughout the novel, Dickens enlarges on this theme, describing slums so decrepit that whole rows of houses are on the point of ruin. In an early chapter, Oliver attends a pauper's funeral with Mr. Sowerberry and sees a whole family crowded together in one miserable room. This ubiquitous misery makes Oliver's few encounters with charity and love more poignant. Oliver owes his life several times over to kindness both large and small. The apparent plague of poverty that Dickens describes also conveyed to his middle-class readers how much of the London population was stricken with poverty and disease. Nonetheless, in Oliver Twist he delivers a somewhat mixed message about social caste and social injustice. Oliver's illegitimate workhouse origins place him at the nadir of society; as an orphan without friends, he is routinely despised. His â€Å"sturdy spirit† keeps him alive despite the torment he must endure. Most of his associates, however, deserve their place among society's dregs and seem very much at home in the depths. Noah Claypole, a charity boy like Oliver, is idle, stupid, and cowardly; Sikes is a thug; Fagin lives by corrupting children; and the Artful Dodger seems born for a life of crime. Many of the middle-class people Oliver encounters—Mrs. Sowerberry, Mr. Bumble, and the savagely hypocritical â€Å"gentlemen† of the workhouse board, for example; are, if anything, worse. Oliver, on the other hand, who has an air of refinement remarkable for a workhouse boy, proves to be of gentle birth. Although he has been abused and neglected all his life, he recoils, aghast, at the idea of victimizing anyone else. This apparently hereditary gentlemanliness makes Oliver Twist something of a challenging tale, not just an indictment of social injustice. Oliver, born for better things, struggles to survive in the savage world of the underclass before finally being rescued by his family and returned to his proper place—a commodious country house. In both novels,the protagonists managed to survive in spite of their lack of disadvantages. Jane,who never saw her parents,finds herself positive role-models and with the inspirationof these models she manages to reach her happy ending even there is a strict class distinction. Some critics say, Jane's success comes from her motherlessness. Marianne Hirsch explains this and says â€Å"The heroine attemping to cut herself off from a constraining past, to invent a new story, her own story, and eager to avoid the typically devastatingfate of her mother (Hirsch 44) Oliver, who suffered a lot and managed to stay pure and clean, got the divine judgement and possesses a family now and he is away happy with his family ———————– Throughout the novel, Jane is described as a â€Å"fairy. † Read more: http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/literature/Jane-Eyre-Critical-Essays-A-Jungian-Approach-to-Jane-Eyre. id-23,pageNum-725. html#ixzz0ogTEssy5