The Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini - 1586 Words

Alice Mo Ms. Hoque English 9/ Period 3 10/23/14 First Draft Question: What types of marriages are deemed valid/ acceptable in Afghan society? Topic: Gender According to the new data from UNICEF, fifty seven percent of marriages in Afghanistan involve girls that are under sixteen. In Afghanistan, located in the southern Helmand province, as many as 144 forced marriages were reported. In particular, farmers have been forced to abandon their daughters to the creditor as pay off for his debts. After the daughter is sold, she would be forced into marriage with anyone the creditor chose. This pertained to girls that were six years old or some even younger. These types of marriages were deemed valid in Afghan society and were quite frequent as well. In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, a man named Amir has an arduous time trying to deal with his past as he moves from Afghanistan to America. The text cites several examples of how some types of marriages were forbidden in Afghanistan. Common marriages are comprised of forced marriages, arranged marriages and love marriages in Afghan society. In Afghan society, a forced marriage is when either the man or women is married against one’s will. This includes childhood brides and young women who are sold from their family in order to pay off debt. Adolescents that are forced into marriages in Afghanistan are consistently mistreated and abused in their households. In the article â€Å"Afghanistan: Women, Socially BoundShow MoreRelatedThe Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini883 Words   |  4 Pagesregret from past encounters and usually feel guilty and bitter about the situation. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, revolves around the theme of redemption. Redemption can be used as a cure for guilt. Throughout the novel, the author shows that redemption requires some sort of sacrifice and the only way that is possible is if you can forgive yourself from the mistakes you have made in the past. Khaled Hosseini effectively portrays redemption through motifs such as rape, irony and flashbacks, symbolismRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1651 Wor ds   |  7 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel â€Å"The Kite Runner† by Khaled Hosseini describes the life of a boy, Amir. Amir’s best friend and brother (although that part isn’t known until towards the end), Hassan, plays a major role in Amir’s life and how he grows up. Hosseini portrays many sacrifices that are made by Hassan and Amir. Additionally, Amir seeks redemption throughout much of the novel. By using first person point of view, readers are able to connect with Amir and understand his pain and yearning for a way to be redeemedRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1655 Words   |  7 PagesSarah Singer Major Works Data Form Title: The Kite Runner Author: Khaled Hosseini Date of Publication: 2003 Genre: Historical Fiction Historical information about the period of publication: Since the September 11th attacks in 2001, the United States has been at war with Afghanistan. Their goals were to remove the Taliban, track down those in charge of the attacks, and destroy Al-Qaeda. Biographical information about the author: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. HIs motherRead MoreThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini1098 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, we learn a lot about Amir the main character, and Hassan his servant/brother. In the beginning Hassan and Amir’s relationship was one of brotherly love despite the fact that Hassan was a Hazara and Amir a Pashtun. Back in the 1970’s race and religion played a big part in Kabul and these two races were not suppose to have relationships unless it was owner (Pashtun) and servant (Hazara). Baba Amir’s father had an affair with Hassan’s mother, but it was kept aRead MoreThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini1313 Words   |  5 Pagesis not unique to just J.K. Rowling. Khaled Hosseini also incorporates life experiences into some of his novels. A prime example of this is The Kite Runner. The storyline of this novel reflects his past to create a journey of a young Afghanistan boy, whose name is Amir. This boy changes drastically throughout his lifetime from a close minded, considerably arrogant boy to an open hearted and minded man. This emotional and mental trip is partially based on Khaled Hosseini’s own life. Throughout Hosseini’sRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1908 Words   |  8 Pages​In the novel, â€Å"The Kite Runner†, written by Khaled Hosseini, was taken place in Afghanistan during the 1970’s to the year of 2002. Many historical events happened during this time period and Hosseini portrayed it into his novel. Kabul, the capitol of Afghanistan, was a free, living area for many Afghanistan families to enjoy the life they were given. Until one day, Afghanistan was then taken over and attacked. In the novel, Amir, the protagonist, must redeem himself and the history behind his actionsRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1050 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"There is a way to be good again.† (Hosseini 334). This quote given by Rahim Khan to Amir holds a great amount of force and symbolism. In theory, this quote symbolizes the beginning of Amir’s path to redemption. The eye-opening Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells about the struggles of Afghanistan before and during the Taliban, and one’s struggle for redemption and acceptance. With regards to the opening quote, some see Amir’s actions as selfish. However, others may believe that Amir truly changedRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini1583 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Amir, the main character, shares his thoughts and actions due to his poor decisions. The problems he encountered were all because of the sin committed in his youth. His sins taunted the beginning of his life and gave him a troublesome memory full of guilt. As the novel continued, Amir attempted to disengage the memory of his sin and forget about it. Amir then faced the long bumpy road to redemption. Khaled Hosseini’s novel the Kite Runner is about sinRead MoreThe Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini871 Words   |  4 Pagesthat person is trying to fix that mistake. This also applies to the novel The Kite Runner. The story revolves around the main character Amir, and his childhood friend, Hassan. After Amir came to America with Baba, his father, he still regrets the things he had done to his childhood friend. He left Hassan getting raped by Assef in a small alley in 1975. Thereafter, Amir always feel regret and seeks for redemption. Hosseini -the author, argues that redemption can be achieved by helping others, teachRead MoreThe Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini3402 Words   |  14 Pagestitle â€Å"The Kite Runner† is symbolic as fighting kites and the kite runnings are impacting moments in the novel. Hassan was the best kite runner in Kabul, if not the whole country, after Amir won the kite fighting the running of that last blue kite triggered the monumental changes for Amir. For the beginning of the story the kite running was associated with Hassan’s rape and Amir’s grief. As kites appear throughout the story, they begin Amir’s story and also end it. Amir flying the kite with Sohrab

Essay on The Study of Existents in Sandpiper - 1551 Words

The Study of Existents in Sandpiper In a short story like Sandpiper, where the protagonist does little except move around in her beach-house in an uneventful afternoon, thinking her thoughts, readers must look for an attraction alternative to the plot. Indeed, the writer, Ahdaf Soueif, has chosen to offer to us an interesting array of existents, in place of the story line, as the main focus of this narrative. In the following essay, I shall discuss how existents--the collection of characters and setting--are used to invoke feelings of dispossession and displacement in the story Sandpiper, which are essential in raising the main issue of the story, which is the question of ones identity. Having agreed that the event itself, a†¦show more content†¦I-then exists in her memories. Not only is there an age difference between I-now and I-then, I-thens frame of mind has changed greatly over the span of her marriage and its degradation to become I-now. Therefore, the process of retrospection, in which I-now recalls the deeds and experiences of I-then, serves as a basis for comparison, highlighting mainly a sense of loss. In order to enhance the feeling of dispossession, the protagonist herself must have traits that make such a loss possible in the first place and be someone who feels deeply for the loss. Indeed, traits of characters must be aptly depicted to bring out the desired effect of the story. Certain traits predispose people to react in a specific way to a stimulus. We recall I-thens sentiment, as she walked on the beach six-years ago, in the words I did not want one grain of sand, blown by a breezeI could not feel, to change its course because of me (Soueif 23). This remark, together with the fact that she now stays alone in her room, instead of joining Lucy (and the rest of the family) outdoors however much she misses her, tells us that our protagonist is rather passive by nature. She lacks the initiative to look for her child but waits for her lover to return Lucy to her. Her repeated lament that she should have gone but ironical act of staying behind tells us that she will not actively ch ange her circumstances (27). Such a trait predisposes her to be helpless, bound by inaction and

Should High School Students Have to Complete Community Service Hours to Graduate free essay sample

Nowadays, many people have to learn as many skills as they can, so that they can get the jobs that they are interested in. The government requires students to perform minimum of 40 hours community service to graduate from HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/High_school \o High school high school. Many high school students do not know how to have well communication and organization skills, so I think that students have to complete community service hours to graduate, so that they will become responsible members of our society in the future. Community service assignments can teach students to be on time for a service they are providing for. The place that they are doing the service at may be able to teach them a lesson so that they can use it in the future as experiences they have obtained on the job. You should do the services from your heart and do not give up easily. We will write a custom essay sample on Should High School Students Have to Complete Community Service Hours to Graduate? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Besides, although community services are helping people, and gain an understanding about each other and a sense of human compassion. Students are given responsibility from their volunteer work and can be thought about issues and situations that are taking place in the real world. Moreover, community services can help for your future. Some students may even be interested in a career through doing the jobs. A few months ago, my friends and I went to do the volunteer that helped the campaign team to canvass. During the campaign, we had to distribute flyers and sort different flyers into envelopes. We encouraged them to join the campaign and hope that they can vote for our team, Progressive Conservative. While in the canvassing, we had to communicate with people. It demonstrates excellent organization, communication and good team spirit. People can use previous experiences in the future as they have obtained on the job. Therefore, there are many knowledge can be learnt from doing the community services. While you are doing the community services, you may know different kinds of people that enlarge the social network and that may help you in the future. It may be easier for you to achieve your goals. Also, your friends can introduce you to some of the companies, so they can help you to find the job that are you interested in. In addition, they may also help you to get more information of your career. So that you will have more opportunities to get the job. Therefore, community services can help you to know more friends and some threats for the future. To conclude, communication skills are the most important skills that can help you overall. Community services can teach students responsibility. It can help you for your future and you can meet different people. Therefore, high school students should have to complete community service hours to graduate.

Reaction Papers free essay sample

After a few daisies, he looks to his side and notices his professor, Dr. Peddiwell, from Petaluma State College. Raymond invites him over, and the Professor continues to establish himself to be superior in statue in comparison to Raymond, continually disrespecting him by forgetting his name numerous of times throughout their conversation. The professor symbolizes all the facets of higher education fixed into one character, both negative and positive. But it wasn’t it until Dr. Peddiwell starting downing the tequila daisies that suddenly his external fixtures that related to his high position as a noted professor where suddenly melted away, a true connection between student and teacher began to develop. CHAPTER TWO: The Saber-tooth Curriculum In Chapter 2,  The Saber-Tooth Curriculum,  New Fist is introduced to reader as a revolutionary thinker who greatly impacted the well being of his tribe through his systematic educational system, which was created by his ability to think beyond the realm of fixated cultural intelligent existence. However, New Fist was quickly reputed by the elders of the tribe, stating education was only to be given by the Great Mystery and not created by man. After New Fists  rebuttal, most of the elders bought into his system of education, which then led to a positive production of growth for the tribe. Three fundamentals marked the first educational curriculum: (1) catching fish with the bare hands, (2) clubbing tiny horses to death, and (3) frightening saber-toothed tigers with torches. By studying those three subjects in their schools the stone-age people got along fairly well until a changed condition came caused by the movement of ice from the north, the forerunner of the ice age. The streams became muddied and fish could not be seen to catch with the bare hands, so someone invented the net, made of vines. The tiny horses fled and the antelope replaced them. The stone-agers invented antelope snares. The saber-toothed tigers died of pneumonia, but the big ice bear replaced them, and the stone-age men dug pits to trap them. So net-making, twisting antelope snares and digging bear pits became the three essentials of life. But the schools continued to teach fish-catching with the hands, horse-clubbing, and tiger-scaring because they had taught them for years. Some liberal wanted to teach net-making, snare-making, and pit-digging but he was met with opposition. Some even wanted to do away entirely with the old subjects, but they aroused a storm and were called radicals. The old subjects must be retained for their cultural value, the school people contended. The proposed new subjects had no place in the curriculum. The conservatives said: Training to catch non-existent fish with bare hands is the best way to achieve muscular coordination and agility; training in clubbing horses that do not exist is an education in stealth and ingenuity; practicing to frighten tigers that do not exist develops courage. Some things are fundamental and sacred in education and must not be changed. And with this belief the cemented unchanging cultural ideals of education were implemented forever. CHAPTER THREE: The Real Tiger School In chapter 3, The Real-Tiger School, we begin to get an insight into the world of schooling and philosophy behind schools as shaped by the educators of the school. The professors of the schools who had been involved for a long period of time created the system and curriculum design which related back to the philosophy of those specific individuals. For example, teacher led and teacher focused. In response to this irreversible issue, a progressive school was created called The Creative Fish-Grabbing school, where the parents wanted the curriculum not to be driven with too much direction from the educator, but allowing the child to naturally learn through their own creative spirit of knowing. Overtime the school was deemed a success, but its practices were still rooted in a fictional reality when students were using fish-grabbing techniques with old tired fish in a small pond, even with true real world practice of fish-grabbing the students were still in a fictional environment that could not allow the growth of new intellect. When students started to use these fish-grabbing techniques in the real-world in real lakes, and streams they were punished, shutting down their true-creativeness. The same was true for the  school  of  The Real-Tiger School. As the children practiced to learn methods of tiger-scaring, the tigers were old and unwilling to participate to represent a real-world event. But still all members of the community believed the teaching practices of these schools were progressive. However, the sad reality was that no true changes were made to curriculum and the belief system of the school help develop a  Real-Progressive  School. I remember a person who once told me that we show who we really are when we are free from restriction. The time Mr. Peddiwell indulges in his daisies he was freed from restrictions and somehow leveled with Wayne. The first chapter somehow demonstrates the idea of superiority and how it was lost for a good reason. The same situation was highlighted in the Paleolithic age of education where universities express superiority than of the other levels of education. They seemed to forget that the true essence of their existence narrows down to one single objective and that is to prepare their students for life. The second chapter of the book which focuses on New Fist’s curriculum sums up the true essence of education which is to prepare the students for life: making them able to provide their needs thus giving them the ability to survive. The curriculum includes fish grabbing, horse clubbing and tiger scaring. However, changes happen. These old practices were no longer applicable to the world they live in but still they taught it in school. Why would they even bother teaching their students useless subjects? That was a very sad picture. On the other hand, while the other members of the tribe are struggling for survival, some of them discovered fish net making, pit digging and trap snares. This was a very effective means of survival during those times. These new found ways of survival didn’t make it to the curriculum. The elders refuted these so called radicals and that these new practices would be just mere training and not education. They rejected the changes which they should have embraced. I think, education should be a response to the changing world. Modern teachers must provide students modern ways to adapt to a modern world. Education must be a response to a changing world and at the same time a tool to change the world. The third chapter’s main focus is progress or being progressive. In this era, the teaching profession was much developed. The curriculum in becoming a teacher was made respectable by making them hard to learn but still they are unable to produce better teacher. As a response to this situation, they made the students do much of the learning activities but with the guide of the teacher. This was very similar to our curriculum Understanding by Design. An incident occurred which gave birth to the Real-fish school. In this school, students were engaged to a resemblance to what is real (a hole filled with old tired fish). Other subjects followed and tried to make their subject realistic as possible and they considered this as the idea of being progressive. This is not progress at all. The mere fact that they are teaching subjects which their students couldn’t use in life has made their education stagnant. Progress as defined in some dictionaries means to step forward or changing for the better. They have improved their curriculum but yet the curriculum doesn’t provide the students information and tools which they could use in real life. Comments: The book shows the predicament of our present educational system. The author used the Paleolithic age to represent our own time. The New Fist’s curriculum represents the Basic Education Curriculum on some ways. The Real-Tiger school represents the UBD (Understanding by Design) where students do most of the learning activities. The problem with the youth of the Paleolithic age and today also shows resemblance. The books ideas are very timely and it somehow suggests the need for a change in our educational system. However there are differences between Paleolithic and modern age. Back then, they learn to survive and keep up with reality. Now, we learn to prepare for a better life. According to Mr. Peddiwell, most of the teachers in the Paleolithic age were taken from those were not really good at horse clubbing or fish grabbing. It hit me, why would they put hire a teacher that doesn’t even have the necessary skills to do the things he actually teaches. This was a tragic situation and to top that up, our educational system too is in the same predicament. Education has continued to stay stagnate in its cultural norms and perspectives for decades, unwilling to compromise to change. In today’s changing world, we must be able to create students who can critically analyze and critique the stimuli provided by their educators, in order to create an original reality that allows students to grow continuously towards their future goals. The intelligently written satire called The Saber-Tooth Curriculum (1939) by J. Abner Peddiwell provides an everlasting insight to the unchanging world of education. Its content is still very relevant in today’s world of education, allowing teachers to begin to find their own unique interpretation of the purpose of teaching and the delivery of its curriculum different from what has been imbedded in the system.

The Crucible By Arthur MillerThe Crucible Is A Dramatic Play Written

The Crucible By: Arthur MillerThe Crucible is a Dramatic play written by Arthur Miller in the early nine teen fifties,depicting the Salem witch trials and the hysteria that surrounded them. The story takes place in Salem Massachusetts in the late seventeen hundreds. The story depicts a small puritan village and the witch hysteria that is mainly created by some little girls. Arthur Miller never tells the reader why the girls start the hysteria but when u read it you get the feeling that its a game that has escalated and is uncontrollable. The main incident that begins the hysteria is when Betty Parris daughter to Reverend Parris goes into a mysterious comma. None of the village doctors can seem to find the cause of the comma, when Reverend Parris questions Betty?s friend Abigail Williams of her mysterious illness Abigail confesses to him that they were dancing in the woods with a slave from Barbados name Tituba. One thing leads to another and words gets around the village and auto matically people start to accuse each other of being a witch.The author does not clearly state the theme of the play, I believe for one main reason. The author wants to let his reader think about the story and think about what it means to him/her. So I believe that the main theme of the book is that a person should not be persecuted for there beliefs no matter what they are or who they worship. This theme can be adapted to fit many situations and can be seen in many events in history. Even though this story took place in the 17th century it still pertains to matters in the 20th century. Even today you will still see people being persecuted because of their beliefs of ideals. I believe that a story like this is universal because until people learn to live with each other and each others beliefs stories like this will always have meaning.The main character of The Crucible in my opinion is Abigail Williams. Abigail William?s is the Proctors servant and also is Reverend Parrises niece. Abigail is involved in the main event leading to the hysteria and she is the unsaid ring leader of the hysteria. Abigail changes from a shy and quiet girl to an emotionally disturbed girl who is in the middle of the witch hysteria. It seems that Abigail controls the other girls who are said to be involved in the events. The other girls seem to follow whatever Abigail does as seen in the court when Abigail says she sees a bird in the rafters of the court house and instantly another one of the girls is scared that the bird is trying to get her. In my opinion Abigail Williams is one of the most important parts of the plot.The Crucible is in the style of play and is pretty easy to read. The vocabulary that is used is for the most part fairly easy, and the sentences are also fairly easy. The most challenging part of reading The Crucible is how the author Arthur Miller uses the language from the seventeenth century. But for the most part the story is pretty interesting and easy to read. I personally would probably not be to quick to read another book written by Arthur Miller only because I find books about history boring. I personally got mostly entertainment from the book but, at some times i found it interesting and after reading it I got a better understanding of the witch trials and the hysteria that surrounded them.

Chem lab Essay

Chem lab Essay Chem lab Essay Results: Part A: 3. 41 mL of HCl was added to 2.01 g of sodium benzoate solution and a thick solution formed with a white precipitate. After the pH of the solution reached 2, the solution with precipitate was separated by vacuum filtration and dried. After the first drying period the mass of the watch glass and solid was 27.50 g. After the second drying, the solid and watch glass weighed 27.38 g. A constant mass was reached after the second drying as the change in mass was 0.44% indicating a change in mass less that 0.5%. The final mass of the recovered solid was 0.97 g, which in comparison to the theoretical yield of 1.25 g showed a 77.6% yield. Melting point of the recovered solid was also determined to be 118.8-122.8 Â °C, which shows there may have been some impurity in the solid. Part B: A -10-260 Â °C thermometer was calibrated using 3 calibration points. The freezing point mark was calibrated using crushed ice and distilled water and a final temperature of 0.15Â °C was recorded with a -0.15Â °C calculated correction factor (see Table 1). For the boiling point, distilled water was boiled and the thermometer was placed in the vapour and a temperature of 102.1Â °C was recorded. The correction factor was calculated to be -2.2 Â °C, taking into account the atmospheric pressure of 757.4 mm Hg. For the 3rd calibration point the melting point of a sample of succinic acid was determined using a melting point apparatus. The melting point range was determined to be 185.4-189.2Â °C, giving an average melting point of 187.3Â °C with a correction factor of 0.70Â °C. See Figure 1. Thermometer Calibration Graph for a plot of the temperatures recorded vs. their correction factors. Discussion: Part A: Sodium benzoate is used to preserve certain foods against bacteria, yeasts and molds and is used to prolong their shelf life. This compound, when ingested has the potential to mix with stomach acid and undergo a chemical reaction. In a lab, sodium benzoate can be combined with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to simulate the stomach environment. The purpose of this experiment is to determine when these two substances are combined, whether a new substance will be formed. It was predicted that a new substance would form from the combination of sodium benzoate and HCl because when combined, a reaction takes place where protons will transfer from the acid (HCl) to the base (sodium benzoate) and will form benzoic acid, which being water insoluble, will precipitate from the solution. If the pH is low enough, this reaction should occur and since HCl is a strong acid, it is predicted this will occur. In the lab, when 2.01 g of sodium benzoate solution was combined with 3.41 mL HCl (which was when a pH of 2 was reached, similar to the pH of stomach acid), a precipitate did indeed form. 0.97 g of solid was recovered and a melting point range was determined to be 118.8-122.8Â °C, which supported the formation of benzoic acid. In conclusion, the lab experiment showed the formation of a new substance, which supported the initial hypothesis statement. The combination of sodium benzoate with HCl forms benzoic acid, a new substance, which may or may not have heath effects on those ingesting sodium benzoate as a preservative in foods. Part B: Lab thermometers differ in accuracy and therefore need to be calibrated. Three points were used to calibrate a thermometer including freezing point, boiling point and melting point. The temperatures measured were compared to literature values and a correction factor for the thermometer was determined accounting for any errors in thermometer temperature measurement. These points were plotted onto a graph so that future temperatures taken by the same thermometer can be corrected according to the determined correction factors from the thermometer calibration. For the freezing point a temperature of 0.15Â °C was measured, which gave a correction factor of -0.15 in comparison to the literature value of the freezing

How tai chi chuan can help you quit smoking Essay

How tai chi chuan can help you quit smoking - Essay Example â€Å"Originally developed as martial art, Tai Chi looks like a slow graceful dance, but behind the deceptively simple movements is a wealth of Philosophy, Medicine and Science. Tai Chi is about balance and harmony†(About Tai Chi). Tai chi can help a person to refresh his mind and develop a sound personality. Some of the proven benefits of Tai chi are â€Å"Stress reduction, Improving balance, flexibility and muscle strength; Improving sleep quality; Lowering blood pressure; Increasing energy, endurance and agility and Improving overall feelings of well-being etc† (Mayo Clinic Staff). Tai chi training involves elements such as; drills, self defense techniques, weapon use etc. Tai chi training helps to bring a state of mental calm and clarity apart from providing health benefits and stress management abilities to the people who practice it. â€Å"Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing ev idence that this mind-body practice ... has value in treating or preventing many health problems† (World Tai Chi & Qigong Day). Tai chi chuan is gaining popularity in the world not only as a self defense technique, but also as a method to get rid of some bad habits. Since practicing Tai chi chuan can help a person to gain better control over his emotions, it is possible to use it for avoiding some bad habits like smoking, alcohol addiction, drug addiction etc. This paper briefly analyses how Tai chi chuan can help a person in quit smoking habit. Even though everybody knows about the possible health consequences of smoking, for some of the people, it is difficult to refrain from the smoking habits. It is believed that cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, which can cause severe diseases like cancer, obstructive pulmonary disease, heart diseases, stroke and adverse reproductive outcomes. Still many people are addicted to smoking because of different reasons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Smoking definitely creates lot of problems not only to the smoker but also to others who forced to breathe the smoke produced by the smoker. â€Å"Low self esteem and low self confidence are the major reasons for smoking† (Brizer, 2003, p.27). Tai chi chuan can help the smokers to improve their self esteem and self confidence and hence the smokers can manage their emotions more effectively or positively. â€Å"To do tai chi, you perform a series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion† (Mayo Clinic Staff). Smokers usually smoke only when they feel physical or mental fatigue. Practicing Tai chi chuan exercises will help the smokers to improve their physical and mental health and hence they will improve their stamina reduce fatigue. There are many scientific studies which revealed the effectiveness of practicing Tai Chi to avoid smoking habits. According to a study conducted by The University of Miami Division of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in conjunction with the Medical Wellness Centre, â€Å"Tai Chi may provide the ideal mind-body awareness to help you put out that last cigarette†Ã‚  (Tai Chi & Smoking Cessation). Deep breathing is one of the major exercises associated with Tai chi. It helps to reduce the stress normally a smoker experience prior to smoking. Smokers usually experience some kind of stresses before they think of smoking. Smokers have the illusion that smoking may help them in getting rid of their

Housing and Urban Regeneration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Housing and Urban Regeneration - Essay Example Housing reforms were also constant in the market as there was little dissemination of information to the public as Isobel Anderson ( 2010, p9) insinuates. In this paper, the main focus is on housing inequality in relation to the black minority ethnic group and other related groups which Harrison Malcom( 2003, 128) largely explains. This has been largely contributed by factors such as socio-economic and institution groups that are in control in the market platform. Currently market dynamics have emerged providing diverse range of housing that has increased the consumption levels. In contrast there were few choices in the previous past which limited the people from accessing housing. Huang and Clark (2002, p322) state that some housing units in countries such as China were set aside as welfare benefit especially on basis of non-monetary factors such as job rank, job seniority, marital status and household size. However, this situation is changing as privatization is taking ground in th e market corridors. Public housing was previously meant for institution groups such as the political status and those working in government agencies. Individuals working in these sectors had an advantage over the migrants and farmers. They were allocated public houses that were subsidized. It did not matter if they received low incomes. On the other hand the governmental heads and the political elite accessed considerably large housing with the best facilities. This pattern is however changing as market forces are gradually gaining ground. Even though this scenario is taking effect the black minority ethnic groups and asylum seekers cannot still afford better housing (Finney & Peach, 2004, p302). Public housing was privatized through selling at subsidized prices. Privatization also led to new private housing where real estate developers were constructing a wide range of housing to create diverse preferences. Households living in public houses had an advantage over the migrants and f armers as they were able to purchase public houses sold off. They were able to obtain home ownership while the minority such as single women with children could only afford rental housing ( Harrison, 2004, p128). Those working in government and organization agencies earned low income and had retired; they were able to purchase good and large housing. This was made possible by the housing policy reforms that were in place. On the contrary the minority could only enjoy poor housing as they were excluded from accessing these benefits. Therefore they were still constrained to small and poor housing. The political status had considerably great advantages as they used their position to gain control by purchasing public housing and investing heavily in construction of rental housing. The educated and those who had occupations had access to good housing and better standards of living individuals. Housing inequality increased continually due to income inequality. Individuals at top levels su ch as managers and heads of governments enjoyed the top cream. They had huge incomes as compared to those at low levels. This gave them great access to a wide range of varied housing. They had an upper-hand as they could invest in rental housing and developing of real estates. Therefore, they continued to get richer as those at lower levels were subject to rental housing. This was

Women during the Italian Risorgimento Research Paper

Women during the Italian Risorgimento - Research Paper Example However, as Schwegman suggests in the book titled, Amazons for Garibaldi: women warriors and the making of the hero of two worlds, the role of the women in the uprisings are rarely recognized (417). To demystify this perception, Scwegman offers us classical examples on how women participated in the war, starting with the Garibaldi’s first wife Anita and others who joined the Red Shirts (432). The women offered themselves to serve the Italians, despite many hurdles such as lack of support from the male populations. This paper examines ways in which the women population contributed to the Risorgimento, either by participating in the armed struggle or through indirect means. Before going into the main subject area, it will be pivotal to revisit some background information. Background Italian reunification, otherwise known as the Risorgimento, describes the period when the Italian embraced a sense of nationhood. The events that took place during the Risorgimento are inspired the F rench revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, which resulted to the colonization of some of the Italian provinces. While reunification took place in 1870, before then, most of the states were under either the Austrian or French rule. The first attempt to re-unify the states came in 1848, but it failed while second attempt took place in 1859. The Italian leaders relied heavily on the help of Napoleon III to drive out the Austrians in exchange of Nice and Savoy. The war between Piedmont and Austria broke out in 1859. The re-unification of Italy was impeded by many factors, including dominance of the Austrian forces, which ruled Lombardy and Venetia states. On the other hand, the French forces controlled the Southern Italian Kingdoms, and to defeat this powerful army, the Italian forces had to amass substantial foreign aid. Some of the key leaders who played an important role during the reunification include Victor Emmanuel, Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi. In addition, the Italians had to se ize the moment after the French forces were withdrawn during the Prussian war. In May 1860, a small army led by Garibaldi led a revolution, which led to the capture of the island of Sicily. The role of Garibaldi in the re-unification efforts through his small army of Red Shirts is highly recognized. The army, which was mainly composed of volunteers from Romagna, Lombardy, and Venetia, set sail in May 1960 for Sicily. After arrival of the Red Shirts, the army registered huge success within the first two months, although they were ill equipped. The re-unification for Italy would not recomplete without the re-capturing of the province of Venetia, which happened 1866 and thereafter the Papal States. This was made successful through the help of the Cavour, who encouraged riots and uprisings, thus giving the troops an opportunity to capture the Papal States. By the end of 1960, most of the states had been captured except Rome and Venetia, which at the time were heavily guarded by the Fren ch troops. The opportunity to recapture, these remaining areas presented itself in 1870 after the Franco-Prussian war broke out. In 1871, Rome became part of the large Italy and was made the capital city. The role of women in the army The role of women in Risorgimento is well captured in the documentary titled, three women of the Risorgimento, which was created and directed by Alessandra Ciotti. One of the figures that are highlighted in this moving documentary includes Antonietta De Pace, who is recognized as a founder of the Female Poetical Committee of Napoli. The organization helped the Garibaldi’s army in the mobilization of resources and actual execution of the military campaigners against the Austrians. Other key figures whose efforts are

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button | Adapting literature

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button | Adapting literature Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18. This quote from Mark Twain inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to write his short story à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 1922. Just recently, in 2008, it has been adapted as a motion picture movie directed by David Fincher with great success. There have been many adaption of literature into film and the quality of the outcome as well as the number of parallels to the original work often differ greatly. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a very extreme example and for a long time the nouvelle wasnt even considered to possibly be turned into a movie due to the lack of techniques to have the reversed aging process of Benjamin Button seem real. I found the idea of living life backwards and the difficulties and experiences which are linked to such an extraordinary phenomenon very appealing. Therefore I wanted to find out more about it and read the short story The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Even though book and film differ in several ways, the main idea is the same and so fascinating that I decided to do my research paper on comparing the book with the movie. B: I As we will see, the movie is a very loose adaption of the book, basically, the only consistent occurrence in both the movie and the book is Benjamin Buttons unusual, reversed aging process. Yet not even this is completely similar: while the book ´s character of Benjamin Button has the mental age of 80 at the end of his life, the movies version gives Benjamin the mindset of an infant trapped in an 80 year old body. Film: The story starts at the day when Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans. At this very day Daisy Williams is waiting in a New Orleans hospital on her deathbed for her end to come. There with her is her daughter Caroline, who stands by her and reads to her mum out loud of a diary given to her by a man called Benjamin. His mother died by giving birth to him. Now the difference to all the other newborn babies is that he was old and wrinkled. Thomas Button, his father, horrified of his son leaves him on the doorsteps of an elderly care-home. Where Queenie a black NANNA? Takes him in and treats him like her own son. Benjamin fits in well even though of his young age he looks as old as most of the residents. Soon Benjamin realizes that he is physically growing younger not older. SZENE . Early in his life, he meets Daisy, the woman of his life which he first meets when shes a young child. Both lives go different ways and sometimes their paths even cross each other. Until they finally can manage to make a life together, which however because of there different fates isnt of a long duration. (QUELLE) Book: Benjamin Button was born in 1860 in a hospital in Baltimore. But not as a baby, he had the mind and appearance of an old man in his 80s. Mr Roger Button, Benjamins father, is member of a eminently respectable family and the president of Roger Button Co., Wholesale Hardware. Because of his high social status he has difficulties accepting his son for who he was. He tries to build up the illusion that his son is in no aspect different from any other person. The times society cared a lot for conformity and therefore had very little tolerance for this curious case of Benjamin Button. Benjamin still lives a very full live just in a different kind of way. He ages backwards at the same rate as everybody else is getting older. In 1880 Benjamin Button is twenty years old (but appears approximately 50) and meets and falls in love with Hildergarde the beautiful daughter of General Moncrief. Hildegarde turns out to be attracted to older men and six month later against all moral standards becaus e of their great age difference the get married and even have a son called Roscoe. While Benjamin is getting younger Hildegarde is getting older, and he soon looses interest in her à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾He wondered what possible fascination she had ever exercised over him.(p.37) Benjamin goes off to fight in the Spanish American War, as he returns home he appears about the same age as his own son, Roscoe. Growing younger everyday he attends Harvard University at the age of 18. After Benjamin graduates he is young enough to go to prep school, until he ends up beeing playmates with Roscoes son. Without being able to stop the reversed ageing process he goes to kindergarden until he finally is even too young for that. As he grows younger and younger he looses the memory of his entire past life until ..it was all dark(p.52) While the plotline is a complete different one when comparing book and film, there are however obstacles Benjamin Button has to overcome during his lifetime. In the book mainly because of the nonacceptance of society and in the movie because of II b ; One main theme in the book is how a new born baby, physically and mentally in his 80s, is accepted into society. In the short story, which plays in 1860(first few lines), Benjamin is born in the hospital and right from the beginning one can see how Benjamin is considered to be beneath social standards of that time. When Mr Button arrives at the hospital, the doctor even worries about his own reputation : Do you imagine a case like this will help my professional reputation? One more would ruin meruin anybody. (Page 4). Mr Button still unsuspecting of what happened has to realize, that the doctor who brought himself into the world and had been the family ´s physician for over 40 years, has no interest in seeing any of the Buttons ever again as he makes clear by saying : à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Im through with you! I dont want to see you or any of your relatives ever again! Good-bye! (Page 4) It is not only the doctor who is upset and hostile. It seems like the whole hospital is worried because of this unusual event.. The hospital will never regain its flawless reputation after-(Page 6) complaint the nurse seconds before she showed Mr Button the way to his new born child. The fact that his new born baby actually is an old man outrages Mr. Button to a degree, that he even calls his own son an imposter and lier (page 8). This shows very well how the society back then reacts to phenomenons which do not fit their norms and believes. From this moment on, Roger Button does everything in his power to threat Benjamin appropriate to his age. He wants to keep the old age of Benjamin a secret and even thinks further what the best solution would be to do so. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾If, say, he could only find a very large boys suit, he might cut off that long and awful beard, dye the white hair brown, and thus manage to conceal the worst, and to retain something of his own self-respect not to mention his position in Baltimore society . Roger Button is determined to keep his illusion alive and deny the obvious which is made very clear by the following words :Benjamin was a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾baby, and a baby he should remain(page 15) What the mishap would have cost the Buttons and their kinsfolk socially cannot be determined (page 17) But the citys attention is very soon drawn onto other things the outbreak of the Civil War. By the age of twelve Benjamins parents got used to him and even felt that he was not any different from other children. This was the time when Benjamin was not troubled by society because of his appearance. Later in the book though he has once again troubles to find his place in society. This occurs when Benjamin Button who just passed his entrance examination to Yale college is called into the Yale registrars office to receive his schedule. Benjamin cant die his hair before he enters the office and therefore cant hide his elderly appearance. The registrar first thought hed be talking to Mr Roger Button. As Benjamin made is case clear and insists on his age of eighteen, once again Benjamin meets with his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾curse he has to deal with since his birth. The idea! the registrar shouted. A man of your age trying to enter here as a freshman. Eighteen years old, are you? Well,Ill give you eighteen minutes to get out of town. (Page 23) Being unable to gain a proper education at college because of the social inacceptance of his case he starts working for his fathers company Roger Button Co. During this time, Benjamin also starts to mingle with society and meets the daughter of General Moncrief, HildegardeIt whom he marries 6 months later. The story of Benjamins birth is being remembered again but many stories were made up such as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Benjamin was really the father of Roger Button, that he was his brother who had been in prison for forty years(page 31) Therefore the real story is forgotten or just so unbelievable that nobody believes it, not even his own wife. Many years Benjamin is able to life a happy life without having to worry about his physical aging process which makes him appear younger by the day, until he comes back from the Civil War to his wife and has to face that his ever younger appearance drives his wife nuts, she honestly believes its his way of annoying her and she is in the illusion that he could stop his aging process any time he wants. But, Hildegarde, I cant help it. You can too. Youre simply stubborn. You think you dont want to be like any one else. (page 37) After that point, the gab between them begins to widen. Benjamin keeps getting younger until he is a young boy. He receives a letter from the army asking him, since he served as an officer with a higher rank during the Spanish-American War to go back into service. He sees this as an opportunity to go back in time and do the duty he once enjoyed so much. Again society does not comply with his intentions. He arrives at the headquarters where he is turned down and sent home considered a little boy who wanted to play soldier. This also is the last conflict concerning the aspect of society and Benjams process of becoming younger. From that moment on Benjamin continues living his life backwards going back to kindergarden then under a nanny ´s custody getting younger and younger until hes finally gone. The skit of Benjamin Button is that the need for social self-preservation plays such a big role,that it blinds everyone from seeing Benjamins fate for what it is, and for accepting him for the person he is. Fitzgerald criticizes the community of the upper class whos reputation mainly is secured throughout conformity and their status is determend by their wealth. The social aspect or concerns about someone ´s reputation and how its influencing the book however is almost absent in the whole movie. In the film, Benjamin appears like a child, but his appearance still is so shocking to Mr. Button (PHOTO) that he grabs the baby wanting to get rid of him. It seems like he even attempts to throw the little baby into the river. (9:57) The appearance of a police officer stops that thought and he leaves Benjamin with 18 Dollars on the steps leading to a New Orleans boardinghouse for the elderly , the Nolan House (QUELLE), where Queenie, takes him in and raises him like he was her own child, hes accepted right away. There is no hint in the movie that Mr Button gave his son away for any other reason than his outer appearance .Mr Button:I thought you were a monster (1:43:23) c; In the movie, Benjamin Button has to overcome several obstacles linked to his reversed aging process such as witnessing people constantly dying in front of his eyes during his earlier time in the Nolan House, where à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾death was a common visitor. (25:03) When Benjamin talks about his process about getting younger with one of the residents living in the Nolan House. Its made pretty clear by the words of the resident what heavy burden he has to carry upon his shoulders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾Well I feel sorry for you, you have to see everybody you love die before you do, its an aweful responsibility(52:47). In the movie theres a love story which helps to understand what it means to live a life backwards like Benjamin does. He meets Daisy who is the grandchild of Miss Fall and sometimes comes to visit her over the weekends at the Nolan House. Benjamin falls in love with Daisy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾ from the first time he saw her (36:47) But her being only 10 and him physically in his 70s and the mentally young age of both makes a romance impossible at least for this moment. It turns out to be a love story which develops slowly, over the course of many decades. At the age of 17, Benjamin goes on a long intense trip on a tugboat. Even though Daisy and Benjamin write each other constantly, many years pass until they meet each other again in the Nolan House in 1945 when Benjamin is 26 years old. Even though Daisy makes strong suggestions to sleep with Benjamin, he turns her down for the reason that she is to be leaving the next morning. This incident though is not important for the aspect which is discussed here. Its mentioned here only for the better understanding of the plotline. However in spring 1962, 19 years later Daisy and Benjamin meet again in New Orleans at the Nolan House where they both fall in love with each other at once. The fact that Daisy is many years older than Benjamin seems to be irrelevant for quite a long time until the reality of his curse pops back into his life. Daisy gets pregnant and Benjamin asks himself the question :How can I be a father when Im heading in the other direction? Even though his wife knows the consequences she gives him words of encouragement and insists that they will somehow make it work. But life doesnt always go according to one ´s wishes, therefore not long after the baby is born Benjamin realizes that his son needs a father and not a playmate. He makes a very tough decision and goes away, leaving his wife and daughter with enough money to live a good life. Giving up the love of his life is probably the biggest obstacle Benjamin has to overcome because of his reversed aging process. SETTING: III a;Charactere In the short story Benjamin is born as an old man apparently about seventy years of age.(p.7) He has almost white hair and a long smoke-colored beard(p.7) Benjamin starts out with a lot of demanding and complaining. Just born and still in the hospital he announces This is a fine place to keep a youngster of quiet tastes. With all this yelling and howling, I havent been able to get a wink of sleep. I asked for something to eat.(p.9) He also doesnt act anything like a baby. When he is alone he secretely smokes cigares and finds more interest in an encyclopedia than in kids ´ toys.(FOOTNOTE) Instead of playing with children of his age he finds more pleasure in sitting and talking to his grandfather. Benjamin occassionally breaks things on purpose to create the illusion beeing a normal baby just to delighten his father. he only did these thing because they were expected of him, and because he was by nature obliging.(p.18) This is also the reason why he dies his hair and shaves his bear d, he tries to please everybody around him even if hes not comfortable with it. Aging backwards for Benjamin means to overcome many obstacles as shown above and still Benjamin always keeps his dignity and never complains about his faith. Benjamin, once he left the hospital, took life as he found it.(p. 17) As Benjamin gets older, or younger for this matter, he turns out to be very intelligent and succesfull in what he does. Not only did he graduate from Havard University but also made his fathers company way more profitable due his new ideas. He also becomes an expert in dancing and great in playing golf. During his army time in the Spanish-American War in 1898 he becomes a lieutenant-colonel. He was slightly wounded, and received a medal. Benjamin also becomes more and more attracted by the gay side of life. He was dancing with the prettiest of the young married women, and chatting with the most popular of the dà ªbutantes.1912 though is a turning point in Benjamins life. His glor y years seem to be over now- as his physical appearance now is the one of a sixteen year old teenager his mental ability grows back as well. And therefore his social status is following the same process, he finds himself much alone, except for the companionship of three or four fifteen-year-old boys in the neighborhood. Now at the end of his life he behaves and thinks the way he was supposed to during his early years. He reads little boys stories and for him now playing with little stripes was the most fascinating game in the world.(p.49). He is a little boy now and he was very happy(p.49) Slowely he starts to forget no token came to him of his brave days at college, of the glittering years when he was flustered the hearts of many girls. And then he remembered nothing. In the movie Benjamin starts his life by looking like a normal baby except for his skin which is heavily wrinkeled, just like the skin of an old person. He cries like any other baby but after a closer examination by the doctor they find out that his health condition is rather in a state which can be found by elderly people than by a newborn child. Details then bookaccommodating Father: In the story Benjamins dad is very present right from the beginning. He is a succesfull man and helds a high position, both social and financial. And therefore is always concered about other peoples opinions of him. He seems to not be very open for things he doesnt understand or he doesnt believe in. Which is shown by his attempt raising his son Benjamin the normal way, which is only made possible through illusions he built for himself to avoid the confrontation with the truth. He has a hard time accepting Benjamin as his son until he gets older which is either because of Benjamins trumendous success with the company (It was mainly due him that the family fortune was doubled chpt. 7) or due to the fact that Benjamin finally appears younger than his dad. In the movie however his name is Thomas Button. He also is the head of a successful Button company, but he doesnt seem too concerned about what other people think about him, he even seems like a man without any scruble by abondoning his son just because of his appearance. Later in the movie it accured that Mr Button is sick and his time on earth is very limited. He wants to make up for everything and regrets his mistakes. He tells Benjamin that he was his father and furthermore tells him that he should never have abondoned him (1:34:37). Though the apolgy was long overdue and what he did unforgivable this small move still makes him a sympathic character at the end. Mother: While in the book the mother is alive there isnt anything else mentioned about her. In the movie however Benjamins biological mother dies giving birth to Benjamin. At her place steps Queenie, his black surrogate mother. This character is very strong and independant, its basically her who runs the whole Nolan House with all its elderly residents. Which also shows how responsible and caring she is. Her joyfull acting and her supportiveness towards Benjamin thouroughout the movie makes her a loveable character.

Aristotles Definition of Nature :: essays research papers

Aristotle’s Definition of Nature Nature, in its essence, is the cause/effect relationship offered to things with ascertainable objectivity, occurring without cause. From this we can logically state that the nature of something (something being an object with "thinghood", as humorously described in class) is its beginning, purpose and stereo-type. There are two debatable definitions of nature, which under scrutiny are seemingly very similar. On the left hand, we have nature described as "the first, inchoate, thing belonging to it". Simply, an object’s nature is it’s core material – i.e., the nature of my couch would be polystyrene foam. On the other, we have nature described as "the shape or look". This statement points to nature as the stereo-type of an object, that is, my couch dose not have the nature of a couch until it assumes the look of a completed, stereo-typical couch. When examining these definitions it is hard to find a large degree of difference as the stereo-typical couch is not only composed of those parts generally used to construct a couch, but also its acceptance and appearance as a couch. For further clarification we can examine Aristotle’s example of a doctor healing himself. A artisan of medicine dose not have the nature of a healer, as that would imply that he came about this skill naturally, which is not the case. For something to have nature, that nature must come into being without cause. Therefor we can assume that the healer, being an artisan of medicine, is a healer but has the nature of a stereo-typical human being. What then, causes differences amongst couches and people, even between healer A and healer B? This question is answered by exploring the idea of chance. By chance variations are made upon things (with thinghood) not to it’s nature, but to it’s physical or otherwise growth from it’s nature. For this reason we must assume that all things have a categorical nature, with variations to it’s structure.

Great Expectation Essay

Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form in the publication All the Year Round[1] from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. It has been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times. [2] Great Expectations is written in the style of bildungsroman, which follows the story of a man or woman in their quest for maturity, usually starting from childhood and ending in the main character’s eventual adulthood. Great Expectations is the story of the orphan Pip, writing about his life and attempting to become a gentleman along the way. The novel can also be considered semi-autobiographical of Dickens, like much of his work, drawing on his experiences of life and people. The main plot of Great Expectations takes place between Christmas Eve 1812, when the protagonist is about seven years old (and which happens to be the year of Dickens’ birth), and the winter of 1840. [3] On Christmas Eve of 1812, Pip,a boy aged 7, encounters an escaped convict in the village churchyard while visiting his mother and father’s graves. The convict scares Pip into stealing food for him and a file to grind away his leg shackles. He threatens Pip not to tell anyone and do as he says or his friend will cut out Pip’s heart. Pip returns home, where he lives with Mrs. Joe, his older sister, and her husband Joe Gargery. His sister is very cruel and beats him and Joe regularly, while Joe is much more kind to Pip. Early the next morning, Pip steals food and drink from the Gargery pantry (including a pie for their Christmas feast) and sneaks out to the graveyard. It is the first time in Pip’s life he’s felt truly guilty. This is an important event in the book because the convict will never forget the kindness (albeit forced) that Pip showed to him. The convict, however, waits many years to fully show his gratitude. During Christmas dinner with the minister, Mr. Wopsle, Mr. and Mrs. Hubble, and Uncle Pumblechook, Pip and Mrs. Joe’s moderately wealthy uncle, no one notices the missing food or brandy until Uncle Pumblechook drinks some brandy and spits it out. Pip realizes that he filled the brandy jug not with water, but with tar water. Pip sits at the table being told how lucky he is by all the relatives and holds on to the dining table leg for dear life, scared that someone will notice the missing pie. When Mrs. Joe gets up and goes to the kitchen for the pie, Pip bolts to the door. However, his way is blocked by police officers. They ask Joe to repair their handcuffs and invite Joe, Pip and Mr. Wopsle to come with them to hunt for some escaped prisoners from the local jail. As they hunt through the marshes outside the village, they accost the two convicts while engaged in a fight. One of them is the convict helped by Pip; however, when questioned about where he got the food and file, he claims he stole the items himself in order to shield Pip. The police take the two to the Hulk, a giant prison ship, and Pip is carried home by Joe, where they finish Christmas dinner. A while after Pip’s encounter with the convict, Pip’s life returns to normal. He goes to school, run by Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt, and becomes friends with Biddy, an orphan who was adopted by the Wopsles. He still feels guilty for the theft. Pip’s Uncle Pumblechook gets Pip invited to the house of a rich old woman named Miss Havisham, who lives in the village in Satis House. Miss Havisham is a spinster who wears an old wedding dress with one shoe on and has all the house clocks stopped at 20 minutes to nine. She hasn’t seen sunlight in years and claims to have a broken heart and just wants to see Pip play cards with Estella, a young girl she has adopted. After this first meeting, Pip frequently visits Miss Havisham and Estella, for whom he harbours a feeling of obsessive attraction. He begins to tenaciously learn everything he can from Biddy in school, in an effort to impress Estella who called him a common labouring boy. One day, when Pip goes to the town pub to pick up Joe, they are approached by a messenger sent by Pip’s convict. He mixes his drink with the stolen file and gives Pip two pounds before leaving. Pip visits Miss Havisham on her birthday where she shows him her wedding cake, which is being eaten by mice, and where she will be laid out when she is dead, a death she looks forward to. He also meets the Pockets. Pip works with Joe for a few years in the forge, doing work that he hates. In an agreement with Joe, he visits Miss Havisham only on his birthday, when he receives a half-holiday. He and Joe work with a journeyman named Orlick. When he returns home, he discovers that Mrs. Joe had been attacked. She becomes a horribly brain-damaged invalid. Pip feels guilty again when the police believe escaped criminals attacked Mrs. Joe. The detectives from London are inexperienced and do not discover anything. Mrs. Joe spends her days calling for Orlick and draws a capital â€Å"T† on a slate. Biddy thinks that the â€Å"T† represents a hammer and that Orlick is the attacker. When Orlick arrives, Mrs. Joe tries to please him and shows him the slate. Biddy moves in with the Gargerys and Pip confides in her about his feelings for Estella. When Pip and Joe are listening to Mr. Wopsle read a murder trial from a newspaper, a London lawyer, Jaggers, approaches Pip, revealing very startling news: Pip has inherited a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor. The conditions of the receipt of said money require him to leave for London immediately, buy some clothes and become a gentleman. Pip behaves badly in society (mostly over jealousy of Estella) and squanders his allowance, running into debt. He is rescued on his 21st birthday, when he is notified by Jaggars that he is awarded 500 pounds and an increased steady allowance, until such a time as his benefactor will appear. Pip originally believes Miss Havisham is his benefactress (and so the reader is led to believe, as well) for several years as he begins to learn to be a gentleman, helped by the now grown Herbert Pocket, who is assigned as his companion. During this time, Mrs. Joe dies. However, in one of Dickens’ patented plot twists, Pip’s benefactor turns out to be instead Magwitch, the convict whom Pip helped, who had been transported to New South Wales, where he had eventually prospered and become wealthy. Magwitch left all his money to Pip in gratitude for that kindness and also because Pip reminded him of his own child, whom he thinks is dead. The revelation of his true benefactor crushes Pip. He’s ashamed of Magwitch’s criminal past, however, Magwitch now expects to spend the rest of his life living with Pip. Pip, very reluctantly, lets Magwitch stay with him. There is a warrant out for Magwitch’s arrest in England and he’ll be hanged if he’s caught. Eventually, because Magwitch is on the run from the law, a plan is hatched by Herbert and Pip which involves fleeing the country by boat. During these events, it is revealed to Pip that Estella is the daughter of Jaggers’ housemaid, Molly, whom he defended in a murder charge and who gave up her daughter to be adopted by another of his clients, Miss Havisham, in return for his service in allowing her to be acquitted of the charge. Pip later realizes Magwitch is Estella’s father. Pip has an encounter with Orlick, who admits he was the one who attacked Pip’s sister. Meanwhile, Estella has married Bentley Drummle, a marriage that will be an unhappy one. Before Pip flees with Magwitch, he makes one last visit to Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham realizes that she created a monster out of Estella, who broke Pip’s heart, and asks him for forgiveness. Pip confronts Miss Havisham with Estella’s history and present circumstance in an unhappy marriage, blaming Miss Havisham for teaching Estella to be cold and unloving. In the heat of the confrontation, Miss Havisham stands too close to the fire and ignites her dress. Pip heroically saves her, but she later dies from her burn injuries. Pip, Herbert and another friend, Startop, make a gallant attempt to help Magwitch escape, but instead he is captured and sent to jail. Pip is devoted to Magwitch by now and recognizes in him a good and noble man. Pip tries to have Magwitch released but Magwitch dies shortly before his execution. Under English law Magwitch’s wealth forfeits to the Crown, thus extinguishing Pip’s â€Å"Great Expectations†. After an extended period of sickness during which he is looked after by Joe, he returns to good health and returns home to ask Biddy for forgiveness and for her love. However, when he arrives, he finds that it is Biddy and Joe’s wedding day. Thankful for not mentioning his interest in Biddy to Joe while he was sick, Pip congratulates the happy couple. Afterwards, Pip goes into business overseas with Herbert. After eleven relatively successful years abroad, Pip goes back to visit Joe and the rest of his family out in the marshes. Finally, Pip makes one last visit to the ruins of Miss Havisham’s house, where he finds Estella wandering. Her marriage is over, and she seems to have children and wants Pip to accept her as a friend. In the book Dickens says â€Å"There was no shadow of them parting† which is led the public to believe that Estella and Pip ended up together. ‘After over 50 chapters of Pip longing for her, they ended up together in the end of the book’ is the basic logical explanation for why people believe the book was ended as them being â€Å"more than friends†

Needs Analysis Essays

Needs Analysis Essays Needs Analysis Paper Needs Analysis Paper Essay Topic: 8th Grade Needs Analysis Name: Course: Date: Survey question was introduced by creating a baseline of how often teachers believed students should be checking their work. By first understanding this, it would allow a determination If there was In fact a difference between students actual reviewing would be if students are unfamiliar with how to check their work. By determining which skills the teachers deem to be the most productive when practicing their computation, the teachers will then be able to create a vertical alignment where instruction is built on those review skills. This would provide students with a foundation where their knowledge can be increased without the troubles of having to learn a new way to review. Typically the reverse operation would be done in order to check for the correct answer. However, if there is an issue in the basic computation it would hinder students being able to check their work. This was the reason why students were also given survey questions and were interviewed. Students would be asked how often they check their work and they would also identify their self-efficacy in computation of problems with decimals. If there is a need in that students do not check their work and if they do not feel competent in completing the problems with decimals, then it would dictate a need to retrace the material. Surveys and interviews were given to students due to their speed and their ability to quickly assess where a need was. Data Analysis Techniques Used The first survey question asked the students about the percentage of the time they reviewed their work after completing a math problem. The answer choices included: teen 0-20 percent, between 20-40 percent, between 40-60 percent, between 60-80 percent, and between 80-100 percent. Table 1 Percentage of Time Students Reviewed Work Percentage of Time Reviewing Work (%) Respondents 2 3 4 5 0

FINDING TIME WITH TOO MUCH TO DO

FINDING TIME WITH TOO MUCH TO DO I find it amazing that the more I have on my plate, the more productive I become. People ask how I accomplish what I do, and I never have a good answer. This week, however, I seemed to have caught up to myself. No signings or conferences for the entire month of July. No immediate deadlines since the manuscript for book two of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series is in the hands of the publisher. And I caught myself piddling more than ever. Some psychologist types might say it was my schedule catching up to me, that I needed the down time to go into idle-mode for a spell. Maybe. The problem is, idle to me means getting outside to garden, weed, or create some new wing on a chicken coop, and its too friggin hot to do all that. So Im seated at my computer, finally, with time to breathe, and I slow down. Back in my day-job years (geez that sounds old), I ran wide-out with kids, writing, jogging, and serving as administrative director for a small federal agency, answering to a politician. I fell into bed and rose tired, but once I had my coffee, I counted the juggling balls and prioritized which ones to handle first. I firmly believe we perform relative to the degree in which we are challenged. And the first people to argue this are those who are seeking reasons for not being productive. Go ahead. Throw tomatoes. But just think about it before you do. Athletes who perform the same routine, without challenging their limits, do not excel. Intellects who quit challenging the status-quo, do not find break-throughs. Doctors who treat the norm instead of seeking answers to anomalies, turn their backs on patients. Its the challenged who make a difference. And when we stop to ponder that, we can reply in one of two ways: 1. We can complain about our limitations, or 2. We can keep fighting to make a difference. Really, it IS that simple.

Stock Price and Trading Volume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stock Price and Trading Volume - Essay Example Wood, McInish, and Ord (71), had found contradicting evidence, in the price-volume relationship. For they established the ratio between the price change and trading volume to be greater for the share prices downticks. Smirlock and Starks (64) had found that the relationship could only be supported during the time intervals when they could distinguish when the new information ex ante had reached the financial market. Due to the lack of the delivery of information to the financial market and the upbeat transaction costs, small amounts of evidence found that the relation had been lower for the up-ticks in the price than for the downticks. Data collected over an hourly basis from an extensive market index by Jain and Joh (38), had discovered the trading volume relates positively to the enormity of the price change. Findings have shown though, that the volume is more sensitive towards the positive price changes in contrast to the negative price changes. Epps, Hanna, Jain, Joh and parts of Smirlock and Starke's findings shown an implication of a positive correlation between the price change and trading volume per se. Ying's items (1) and (2) and a numerous number of researchers had found a similar positive correlation as found above. Rogalski (60) had... tedly found a positive correlation as well as Richardson, Sefcik, Thompson (58), Comiskey, Walkling and Weeks (12) all had found through tests on annual volumes of turnover and the price change to have positive traverse correlations. No such correlation had been found however by James and Edmister (39). So by looking at the empirical evidence summarized in Table 2, the two features discussed are, all the findings are from data collected from stock and bond markets, unlike previously mentioned empirical correlations between the price change and trading volume, and the data collected has not been collected from any futures markets. The statistical results found are weak, certain correlations found by Rogalski were found to be low for example and there were a couple findings that were inconsistent with a positive relationship to be found. Theoretical explanations by several authors of their findings, say the association of volume with the methodical risk through to stock returns, suggested by Morgan (51). A positive correlation between the price change and trading volume had been implied by the 'mixture of distributions hypothesis', only if the conditional indication of the stock price procession is in proportion to the quantity of new information into the market. There is however an unclear sense as to how the above could actually work. For the MDH with indicating minority is inconsistent with the markets equal balance, since it implies that the price change expected is from the arrival of new positive information into the market. Epps (20) found that a positive price change is cause for a larger volume on share transactions than for the negative price changes. His assumption that the 'bull' investors are optimists about their asset value at the close of the

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Research Paper Example However, the highest number of students was found to spend averagely, having their clothes purchasing expenditure between $150-450, which is the category that exceeded half the number of female students sampled in the study, at a 55%. However, the statistics for the male students gives a totally different picture, with a substantial 14% of the male students spending between $0-50 per semester, a number that is also equal to the male students who spends above $450 per semester. The male students spending pattern is interesting, considering that those spending between $50-150 and those spending between $150 to 450 were also equal, at 36% in each category. The statistics of the students with a favorite brand for clothing was however peculiar, since the male students seemed to have a higher rate of preference for brand clothing, compared to female students. 45% of the female showed a brand preference, compared to 55% who did not, while the male students who had a brand preference stood a t 48%, while 42% did not show any interest for brand preference. Nevertheless, the overall number of students who indicated a preference for a certain brand was higher, standing at 52%, while 48% of the students did not show any brand preference. Do you have favorite brand for clothing? Female Male Total Yes 15 21 36 NO 18 15 33 Among the sample of 69 students, 33% seemed to have a brand preference from a company that utilized animal fur, wool or leather in manufacturing clothing, while 31% did not prefer brands from a company utilizing animal products for cloth manufacturing. Nevertheless, 33% did not seem to know the materials used by the company from which they have a brand preference. 22% had a brand preference from a company that utilized renewable materials, while 25% had a preference for a company that did not utilize renewable resources. However, the majority did not seem to know whether the company from which they have a brand preference utilized renewable or non-renewable materials, accounting for 55% of the students with a brand preference. Even with the knowledge that the company from which the students had brand preference

Industrialization After the Civil War Thesis and Outline Assignment

Industrialization After the Civil War Thesis and Outline - Assignment Example In this regard, industrialization was high in the North America region than the South America region (Boyer, 2011). In the North, growth in industrialization accompanied growth of many cities. The growth in the cities encouraged rural-urban migration of many American citizens. Entrepreneurship enabled many American to utilize the opportunities that arose from industrialization. For instance, the massive production of consumer goods was an opportunity for people to devise ways of differentiating products in order to gain returns. According to Dubofsky (2006), Americans indulged in the establishment of retail business to supply the products produced in bulk. The product supply chain enhanced the value of products. Legislative representation changed during the industrial revolution period. The restructuring led to the control of many American corporations by the business class rather than the political class. The move led to liberalism in the product markets because there was a creation of a free market economy. The business class lobbied for many members in the House of Representatives to advocate for bills that could improve the economy of the nation. The industrialization era affected the group because of racial prejudices. The Native Americans discriminated the American Indians. The group settled in the American soil in search of resources such as land. Intermarriages between the Native Americans and the Indians did not guarantee the parties the right to the use of American resources. The industrialization process negatively affected the middle class group. According to Scranton (2010), the middle class people lost lucrative business of consumer goods because the era led to flooding of the markets with consumer products. The monopolistic advantage for the group was lost. As a result, there was a loss of revenue and source of livelihood for the group. Industrialization

Two new species of Chelus from the late tertiary of Northern South America Essay Example for Free

Two new species of Chelus from the late tertiary of Northern South America Essay Testudines Introduction            This is a group of animals widely known as the turtles. The order testudines has over 250 known species of turtles. Testudines are a very unique group of animals due to their shells. The shell is a modified ribcage and vertebral column. All testudines are placed in the order chelonia. (Keith p.5). They can be divided into different categories depending on where they live. Sea turtles and terrestrial turtles. Terrestrial turtles are mostly termed as tortoises while aquatic turtles are known as terrapins. Those that live in salty water oceans are referred to as sea turtles. Apart from Antarctica, testudines can be found in all other continents of the world. They are characterized by a shell. The upper side of the shell is known as the carapace while the lower side is known as plastrone. The shell is normally part of the skin. Evolution history            The first testudines are believed to have lived in the late Triassic periods. This is about two hundred and twenty million years ago. Over two hundred species represented by thirteen group exist today. Since Triassic period, turtles have evolved little by little though it is likely that the modern turtle could resemble the ancient ones with remarkably stable body plan. Testudines are believed to have evolved from body extensions of their back bones and broad ribs that enlarged and grew together to form the protective shell that offered protection at every stage of its evolution even when the components of the bones were not complete( Rieppel 1996 pg453). This is proved by the fossils of freshwater turtles; the odontochelys semitestacea dated back at Triassic period. This species display a complete bony plastrone and an incomplete shell which resembles that of a turtle at embryonic development.            There is no study that shows an exact ancestor for turtles. A molecular analysis of about two hundred and forty eight genes of sixteen vertebrate taxa suggests that testudines could be a sister to birds and crocodiles. (The Achosauria pg35). The separation dates of birds, crocodiles and a turtle is estimated to be two hundred and fifty five million years. The recent common ancestor of the modern turtle is estimated to have occurred about one hundred and fifty seven years ago and corresponds to the separation between cryptodira and preurodira.            Proganochelys is the earliest known fully shelled turtle of the late Triassic period. This genus had so many undisputed traits of the modern turtle. However it lacked the ability to pull its head back into the shell and had a long spiked tail ending in a club. This body form resembles that of ankylosaurs is believed to have resulted from convergent evolution.            Testudines have two extant suborders; pleurodira and cryptodira. Cryptodira is the larger of the two and include all terrestrial turtles, marine turtles and most of the freshwater turtles. Pleurodira is the smaller suborder and consists most of the freshwater species. Taxonomy            Testudines are commonly referred to as tortoises, turtles or terrapins. . There are fourteen extant families of this order. The order has more than three hundred known species though others may have been extinct with time. Ninety seven genera of testudines are also known. These genera are split into two suborders which are cryptodirans and pleurodirans in which the distinguishing factor is how the animals fold their neck to pull their head back into the shell. Pleurodirans have long necks and which they fold sideways while cryptodirans have short ones and they fold them straight back to pull their heads back into the shell. Pelomedusidae and cheidae are the only known extant families of the pleurodires.            The cryptodirans the following known families: carettochelydae, cheloniidae, Testudinae, Dermochelyidae, Chelydridae, kinosternidae, Emydidae and Trionychidae. (Romer 1933 pg 5)            Testudines are placed in a subclass known as Anapsida. Generally, testudines are placed in the following scientific classification.            Kingdom- AnimaliaPhylum- ChordataClass- SauropsidaOrder- Testudines (Linnaeus, 1758 pg 40) Diet            The diet of the testudines varies with the environment as well as the age. Adult turtles’ main diet is aquatic plants, invertebrates such as warms, insects and snails but sometimes they can eat dead marine animals. Some freshwater turtles are carnivals and are reported to feed on small fish and other aquatic small creatures. Young turtles are purely carnivores and feed on crab and snails. This is because proteins are essential for the formation of the carapace and other body features.            Sea turtles feed on sponge, jellyfish and other and other soft bodied sea creatures. Turtles that have stronger jaws have been reported to feed on jellyfish. Some turtles such as green sea turtles are purely herbivores and feed on mainly algae. Behavior            Turtles are extant reptiles and therefore are all of their species endotherms. With this they are seen basking in the sun especially in morning either on rocks or bare soil for terrestrial ones or floating on water for sea turtles. Turtles breathe through the lung and lay their egg on dry ground and not in water. A turtle will fold its neck and pull its head in the shell if it notices any form of danger. Turtles have good night vision due to large number of rod cells in their retina therefore most of them prey at night. They have a great color vision with sensitivities ranging from the near ultraviolet to red. Testudines have poor pursuit movement especially the terrestrial ones. However, carnivores ones can move their necks very fast to catch their prey.            All turtles have rigid beaks and use their jaws to catch, cut and chew their food. Testudines are social creatures and sometimes switch between promiscuity and monogamy in their sexual behavior. The rigid carapace of the turtle is dome-shaped which is difficult for any prey to crush and it is also used for camouflaging in case of danger or when preying. (Laurin 1999 pg65)            Turtles live for long and take long before they reach breeding age. They do not have any parental care so ones they lay their eggs, they leave them to hatch on their own and the young ones are left to find their way to their natural habitat. Habitat            Testudines resides in different environments ranging from freshwater, salt water, coastline and tropical reefs. They inhabit almost all non-arctic terrestrial region which include deserts, mountains, prairie and mountains. (Alderton, 2012 pg15) Interactions of turtles with human beings Some turtles such as red-eared sliders are considered pests where they are not native. The flesh of turtle’s calipii is used for food in some cultures. In the Island of Grand Cayman, turtles are a traditional diet. Fat from turtles is used in cosmetic industry in Mexico and Caribbean. Chinese use turtle plastrons as traditional medicine. Small sized Testudines are mostly used as pets in most parts of the world. References Alderton, David, and Susan Barraclough. Amazing snakes and reptiles. New York: Sandy Creek, 2012. Print.Fogel, David. Matamatas: the natural history, captive care, and breeding of Chelus fimbriatus. Ada: Living Art Publishing, 2011. Print. Wood, Roger Conant. Two new species of Chelus (Testudines: pleurodira): from the late tertiary of Northern South America. Cambridge, Mass.: Museum of Comparative Zoology, 1976. Print. Source document

The Baroque Period Essay -- Music Western Music Baroque Essays

The Baroque Period The Baroque Period (1600-1750) was mainly a period of newly discovered ideas. From major new innovations in science, to vivid changes in geography, people were exploring more of the world around them. The music of the baroque period was just as extreme as the new changes. Newly recognized composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi were writing entirely new musical ideas and giving a chance for new voices to be heard that were normally not thought of sounds. Their musical legacy is still recognized today, and is a treasured discovery of outstanding compositions being reiterated with every performance of them. Baroque which came from the French word barroque and the Portuguese word barroco originally meant deformed and misshaped. In a sense baroque is an appropriate term to describe this new for of ideas in time. On the other hand, no real word can describe the richness of this time period. Baroque music, just like any other music, reflects the time period that it was written in. The baroque era opened with the Thirty Years War, which included the siege of Vienna by the Turks in 1683, and ended with the development of independent nation states throughout Europe. The face of Europe was completely changed during the baroque period. Most music in the baroque era ended up being predominantly vocal, and its biggest factors were the opera and its styles. Most composers of the baroque period shared the same ideas of how their music should...

Employers Essay

What should Paul do to determine how Plastec compares with other area employers in terms of wages and benefits? When determining how Plastec compares with other area employers in terms of wages and benefits, Paul should first find out what his organization’s philosophies, strategies, and approaches are to the compensation system followed by an in depth analysis of where his organization is positioned in the labor market. Our text mentions three compensation quartile strategies in which employers can position themselves, first there is the minimum or the first quartile which is below market strategy. In the first quartile, you will find employers who are experiencing a shortage of funds and just cannot afford to pay their employers more money. Generally, great deals of illegal immigrants are hired in organizations positioned at this level because of their desire to work in the United States. In the first quartile, employer positions pay scales so that 75% of other firms pay above and 25% pay below. The median or the second quartile is considered the safe zone for employers. Most employers choose to position themselves here because it balances the employer cost pressures and the need to attract and retain existing employers. Lastly, the maximum or third quartile leads the market. In the third quartile, employers are able to attract and retain sufficient workers who are fully qualified. Employers at this level are able to be more selective as to who they hire as well. Paul should find out which quartile his organization currently falls in and decide if that is where they should remain for the better good of the organization and the employees (Mathis & Jackson 2008).

Exploring the Issues behind Patient-Assisted Suicide Essay

Death is as much a part of human existence, of human growth and development, like birth. All humans need to undergo all these processes as they journey through life. However, death sets a limit on our time in this world, and life culminates in death. However, when we intervene with some of these natural processes, problems arise because it intrudes in life’s natural processes. This is why, suicide is not just perceived as a medical problem because it also involves legal, ethical, social, personal, and financial considerations. It is not just morally reprehensible for a physician, or any medical practitioner, to assist the patient to conduct this procedure because it negates their responsibility to preserve life, suicide also devalues the life of the patient as its fate is put entirely in the hands of a human being to intrude with the natural process of things. For this reason, the debate over euthanasia (or patient-assisted suicide) involves many professionals, as well as the patients and their families. The arguments now have to do with the dignity of the patients, the quality of their lives, their mental state, and sometimes their usefulness to society. For example, the patient who is in a vegetative state is considered dead by some but not by others, and this case presents substantial ethical and logistical problems. The Oxford Dictionary of English (2005) defines euthanasia as â€Å"the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma†. However, euthanasia means much more than a â€Å"painless death†, or the means of procuring it, or the action of inducing it. The definition specifies only the manner of death, and if this were all that was implied a murderer, careful to drug his victim, could claim that his act was an act of euthanasia. We find this ridiculous because we take it for granted that in euthanasia it is death itself, not just the manner of death. How can someone administer a medical â€Å"procedure† to the one who dies in the end? If a person requests the termination of his or her life, the action is called voluntary euthanasia (and often also assisted suicide). If the person is not mentally competent to make an informed request, the action is called non-voluntary euthanasia. Both forms should be distinguished from involuntary euthanasia, which involves a person capable of making an informed request, but who has not done so. Involuntary euthanasia is universally condemned and plays no role in current moral controversies. A final set of distinctions appeals to the active–passive distinction: passive euthanasia involves letting someone die from a disease or injury, whereas active euthanasia involves taking active steps to end a person’s life. All of these distinctions suffer from borderline cases and various forms of ambiguity. The focus of recent public and philosophical controversy has been over voluntary active euthanasia (VAE), especially physician-assisted suicide. Supporters of VAE argue that there are cases in which relief from suffering supersedes all other consequences and that respect for autonomy obligates society to respect the decisions of those who elect euthanasia. If competent patients have a legal and moral right to refuse treatment that brings about their deaths, there is a similar right to enlist the assistance of physicians or others to help patients cause their deaths by an active means. Usually, supporters of VAE primarily look to circumstances in which (1) a condition has become overwhelmingly burdensome for a patient, (2) pain management for the patient is inadequate, and (3) only a physician seems capable of bringing relief (Dworkin, Frey & Bok, 1998). One well-known incident that VAE came into the headlines was when it was provided by the bizarre activities of Dr.  Jack Kevorkian in early 1990s (or â€Å"Dr Death† as the media have dubbed him) in the USA. Dr. Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, assisted over forty people to commit suicide in recent years in circumstances which were somewhat removed from regular medical practice. These people travelled to Kevorkian from all over the USA to seek his assistance in suicide. He assisted them, sometimes by attaching them, in the back of his rusting Volkswagen van, to his ‘suicide machine’, which injected them with lethal drugs when they activated it. Despite being prosecuted for assisted suicide on several occasions, Kevorkian escaped conviction and continued his personal campaign for relaxation of the law in his peculiar way. It was only when he moved from assistance in suicide to euthanasia that he was finally convicted. He filmed himself administering a lethal injection, and the film helped secure his conviction for murder (Keown 2002, p. 31). Of course, his actions provoked discussion of the thin line separating passive euthanasia, which is legal in this country, and active euthanasia. Opponents of Kevorkian’s actions state that he is practicing assisted suicide, which is illegal. Proponents of Kevorkian’s actions argue that the patient’s right to control his or her medical treatment is sufficient justification for assisted suicide. Euthanasia is Not Ethical According to Somerville (2006), there are two major reasons why people should not allow euthanasia to be legalized. One is based on principle: it is wrong for one human to intentionally kill another (except in justified self-defense, or in the defense of others). The other reason is utilitarian: the harms and risks of legalizing euthanasia, to individuals in general and to society, far outweigh any benefits. While Mak, Elwyn & Finlay (2006) reasoned that â€Å"most studies of euthanasia have been quantitative, focusing primarily on attitudes of healthcare professionals, relatives, and the public†. Pain is usually identified as a major reason for requesting euthanasia; other influences included functional impairment, dependency, burden, social isolation, depression, hopelessness, and issues of control and autonomy. This is why, Mak, Elwyn & Finlay (2006) thought that legalizing euthanasia is a â€Å"premature† move when research evidence from the perspectives of those who desire euthanasia is not yet proven to be necessary. They said â€Å"more qualitative patient based studies are needed to broaden our understanding of patients†. What needs to be done, they deemed, should be the â€Å"inclusion of medical humanities, experiential learning, and reflective practice into medical education should help ensure doctors have better communication skills and attitudes†. By examining ways to improve care at all levels, healthcare professionals can eliminate the side effects of poor end of life care, then euthanasia would not be needed anymore. In 1988, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a statement on its take about patient-assisted suicide when a gynecology resident agreed to conduct assisted suicide to a young woman, dying of cancer, whom he has never seen before. Horrified by her severe distress, and proceeding alone without consultation with anyone, the doctor gives her a lethal injection of morphine. The publishing of this gynecology resident’s letter caused media hype and was featured in the previous issue in JAMA, where it was titled as â€Å"It’s Over Debbie† (1988). This is how the JAMA took its position regarding the matter: 1. ) On his own admission, the resident appears to have committed a felony: premeditated murder. Direct intentional homicide is a felony in all American jurisdictions, for which the plea of merciful motive is no excuse. That the homicide was clearly intentional is confirmed by the resident’s act of unrepentant publication. Law aside, the physician behaved altogether in a scandalously unprofessional and unethical manner. He did not know the patient: he had never seen her before, he did not study her chart, he did not converse with her or her family. He never spoke to her physician. He took as an unambiguous command her only words to him, â€Å"Let’s get this over with†: he did not bother finding out what precisely she meant or whether she meant it wholeheartedly. He did not consider alternative ways of bringing her relief or comfort; instead of comfort, he gave her death. This is no humane and thoughtful physician succumbing with fear and trembling to the pressures and well-considered wishes of a patient well known to him, for whom there was truly no other recourse. This is, by his own account, an impulsive yet cold technician, arrogantly masquerading as a knight of compassion and humanity. (Indeed, so cavalier is the report and so cold-blooded the behavior, it strains our credulity to think that the story is true. ) Law and professional manner both aside, the resident violated one of the first and most hallowed canons of the medical ethic: doctors must not kill. Generations of physicians and commentators on medical ethics have underscored and held fast to the distinction between ceasing useless treatments (or allowing to die) and active, willful taking of life; at least since the Oath of Hippocrates, Western medicine has regarded the killing of patients, even on request, as a profound violation of the deepest meaning of the medical vocation. The Judicial Council of the American Medical Association in 1986, in an opinion regarding treatment of dying patients, affirmed the principle that a physician â€Å"should not intentionally cause death. † Neither legal tolerance nor the best bedside manner can ever make medical killing medically ethical (Baird & Rosenbaum 1989, p. 26). Indeed, the laws of most nations and the codes of medical and research ethics from the Hippocratic Oath to today’s major professional codes strictly prohibit VAE (and all forms of merciful hastened death), even if a patient has a good reason for wanting to die. Although courts have often defended the rights of patients in cases of passive euthanasia, courts have rarely allowed any form of what they judged to be VAE. Those who defend laws and medical traditions opposed to VAE often appeal to either (1) professional-role obligations that prohibit killing or (2) the social consequences that would result from changing these traditions. The first argument is straightforward: killing patients is inconsistent with the roles of nursing, care-giving, and healing. The second argument is more complex and has been at the center of many discussions. This argument is referred to as the wedge argument or the slippery slope argument, and proceeds roughly as follows: although particular acts of active termination of life are sometimes morally justified, the social consequences of sanctioning such practices of killing would run serious risks of abuse and misuse and, on balance, would cause more harm than benefit. The argument is not that these negative consequences will occur immediately, but that they will grow incrementally over time, with an ever-increasing risk of unjustified termination (Dworkin, Frey & Bok, 1998). Refusal of Treatment When a patient refuses treatment, the physician is faced with a great dilemma. Doctors maintain that if the patient does not want treatment, physicians do not have a duty to start it. Once treatment is started, however, physicians have a duty to continue it if discontinuing it would lead to the patient’s death. They are not required to force a patient to go on a respirator if the patient refuses, but once the patient has gone on the respirator, doctors have a duty to keep him on it, even contrary to the patient’s wishes, if taking him off would result in his death. Suffice it here to point out one important limit: a doctor is not ethically bound to assist a refusal of treatment which is suicidal, that is, made not because the treatment is futile or excessively burdensome but in order to hasten death (Keown, 2002, p. 253). Actual suicide has been a felony in England in the past but today, suicide has been decriminalized in most part of the world. Attempting to take one’s own life, however, remains criminal in some jurisdictions. In these as well as in those states where it is not a crime, the state has intervened in some cases to order life-sustaining treatment in the face of objection by a competent adult. The most widely cited case in which this was done is John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital v. Heston (1971), where a twenty-two-year-old unmarried woman refused a blood transfusion because she was a Jehovah’s Witness. She was forced to have one anyway on the theory that there is no difference between passively submitting to death and actively seeking it. The state regards both as attempts at self-destruction and may prevent them. Since this case, however, the trend of cases has been away from this reasoning and toward subordinating the state’s interest in the prevention of suicide to the rights of patients to forgo or have withdrawn life-sustaining treatment (Berger 1995, p. 20). However, when the patient is terminal and death is imminent, no treatment is medically indicated, and the competent patient’s rightful refusal of treatment does not conflict with the health provider’s form of beneficence. There may be an emotional problem in admitting defeat, but there should be no ethical problem. It should be noted that, although the patient may not be competent at the end, refusal of treatment may be accomplished through a living will or a surrogate, especially through a surrogate who has durable power of attorney for health matters. In the case when the patient is terminal but death is not imminent, for example when the disease or injury progresses slowly, and granted the consent of the patient or surrogate, it appears ethical to omit treatment on the ground that nothing can be accomplished in thwarting the progress of the disease. But it is not ethical to omit care, since human dignity is to be respected. To solve this dilemma, the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (1996) takes a clear stand on the issue: E-2. 20 Even if the patient is not terminally ill or permanently unconscious, it is not unethical to discontinue all means of life-sustaining medical treatment in accordance with a proper substituted judgment or best interests analysis. The treatments include artificially supplied respiration, nutrition, or hydration. In its recent opposition to physician-assisted suicide, the AMA has strongly endorsed a program to educate physicians to the appropriateness of switching from therapeutic treatment to palliative care. The group has gone from a tentative, negative position (â€Å"not unethical†) to a much stronger positive stand (AMA, 1996). On the other hand, we should also consider the reasoning behind the ethical correctness of not beginning or of stopping treatment in the case of the consenting patient who is terminally ill. First, the health care provider has no obligation to prolong dying merely for the sake of prolonging it. That is, it makes no sense to prolong life when the true result is the prolongation of the dying process. Furthermore, when treatment is only prolonging the agony of the patient, its continuation is unethical as an insult to human dignity (Cahill, 1977). In such cases, the health care provider would be ethically justified in discontinuing treatment, except when the patient insists on treatment. Even in this case, however, there can be exceptions. When there is a severe shortage of medical resources, the physician might be justified in stopping nonindicated treatment even over the protests of the patient. We say â€Å"might be justified,† since justification would depend, among other things, on a new social consensus about the duties of health care professionals and on a reasonable certainty that a shortage exists. There are also problems in discontinuing treatment when the patient’s surrogate(s) objects. It should be noted that cessation of life-sustaining treatment does not always bring about a swift and painless death, even though it may speed up the process of dying. For example, if kidney dialysis is discontinued, the person remains conscious and suffers vomiting, internal hemorrhage, and convulsions. The removal of a respirator does not lead to death immediately, and the patient suffers the pain and panic of suffocation. The obligation to care for the patient demands that every ethical effort be made to alleviate these sufferings with drugs and other methods that will not prolong life. Much recent research suggests that physicians are particularly deficient in their willingness and ability to provide adequate pain palliation for dying patients (SUPPORT, 1995). This could be one of the main concerns that drive the interest in physician-assisted suicide. Beyond this, when such pain relief is not possible for the patient, or when the harm is not the pain, but the insult to dignity, there arises the difficult problem of actively cooperating in the suicide of the patient. Religious Issues Several religions have a negative take on any form of suicide. Those who oppose active euthanasia on religious grounds, the basic concern seems to be the view that our lives are not ours but gifts from God. In this view, humans hold their lives as a trust. If this is true, then we are bound to hold not only the lives of others inviolate but also our own, since to take our life is to destroy what belongs to God. For Christians, in Exodus 34:7 and Daniel 13:53, scriptures taken from the Old Testament, the doctrine of the sanctity of life principle is upheld, except in rare instances of self defense. Judeo-Christian precepts generally condemn active euthanasia in any form, but allow some forms of passive euthanasia. The difference is that of omission and commission: While the Judeo-Christian philosophy might tolerate the allowance of death, acts that permit death, it draws the line in regard to acts that cause death. For Buddhists, they perceive it as an involvement of the intentional taking of life. This is why euthanasia is contrary to basic Buddhist ethical teachings because it violates the first of the Five Precepts. It is also contrary to the more general moral principle of ahimsa. This conclusion applies to both the active and passive forms of the practice, even when accompanied by a compassionate motivation with the end of avoiding suffering. The term ‘euthanasia’ has no direct equivalent in canonical Buddhist languages. Euthanasia as an ethical issue is not explicitly discussed in canonical or commentarial sources, and no clear cases of euthanasia are reported. However, there are canonical cases of suicide and attempted suicide which have a bearing on the issue. One concerns the monastic precept against taking life, the third of the four parajika-dharmas, which was introduced by the Buddha when a group of monks became disenchanted with life and began to kill themselves, some dying by their own hand and others with the aid of an intermediary. The Buddha intervened to prevent this, thus apparently introducing a prohibition on voluntary euthanasia. In other situations where monks in great pain contemplated suicide they are encouraged to turn their thoughts away from this and to use their experience as a means to developing insight into the nature of suffering and impermanence (anitya) (Dictionary of Buddhism, 2003). Nonreligious arguments against active euthanasia usually follow a slippery slope or wedge line of reasoning. In some ways the arguments recall the parable of the camel who pleaded with his owner to be allowed to put his nose into the tent to keep it warm against the cold desert night. Once the nose was allowed, other adjustments were requested, and the owner found himself sleeping with his camel. Is there something so persuasive about putting others to death that, if allowed, would become gross and commonplace? The Nazi â€Å"final solution,† which brought about the death of millions of Jews, gypsies, and other eastern Europeans, could be traced to compulsory euthanasia legislation that, at the time of its enactment, included only mental cases, monstrosities, and incurables who were a burden of the state. Using the Nazi experience as a guide, critics of active euthanasia do see some seductiveness to killing that humans do not seem able to handle. Perhaps Sigmund Freud (1925) was right as he wrote: What no human soul desires there is no need to prohibit; it is automatically excluded. The very emphasis of the commandment â€Å"Thou shalt not kill† makes it certain that we spring from an endless ancestry of murderers, with whom the lust for killing was in the blood, as possibly it is to this day with ourselves. The religious take on euthanasia often focus on the sanctity/inviolability of life. In Western thought, the development of the principle has owed much to the Judaeo-Christian tradition. That tradition’s doctrine of the sanctity of life holds that human life is created in the image of God and is, therefore, possessed of an intrinsic dignity which entitles it to protection from unjust attack. With or without this theological underpinning, the doctrine that human life possesses an intrinsic dignity grounds the principle that one must never intentionally kill an innocent human being. The ‘right to life’ is essentially a right not to be intentionally killed (Keown, 2002, p. 40).