The Undefined American Dream

11373 Spicy Cashews English 3 20 May 2008 The Undefined American Dream: Character Analysis in the Great Gatsby â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. And one fine morning [†¦ ] So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. †(172). Nick is the narrator of the novel and analyzes how each character struggles to achieve the American Dream. Gatsby living in the less fashionable side of town moves to the best side of town. Nick and Gatsby just came out of the World War I and are trying to build a better life for themselves. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses the characters of Nick, Daisy, and Gatsby to exemplify false hope that the American Dream is often unfulfill. First of all Nick, the narrator, sees how each character unfolds themselves and how he, himself, is not pulls into the â€Å"American Dream†. Nick’s environment is not like the rest of the people he knows, â€Å"I liked at West Egg the well the less fashionable of two† (5). The West Egg is considers to be inexpensive and simply the wrong place to be. Since it is low class environment, no one ever has money and it is dirty all the time, unlike the white houses I n the East Egg. Many people who live in the West Egg want to move to the East Egg as that is the â€Å"American Dream. † Nick observes how so many people think they will have a better life. Citizens from the West Egg are moving with false hope will be happier living over in the East Egg and having, supposedly, the life they should have. Secondly, Nick is being pulls into the life he least wants, â€Å"Oh I’ll stay in the East Egg do not you worry† [†¦] I’d be two God damm fool to live any where else† (10). While Daisy tries to persuade him to live a different life he does not want fall into it so easily. He observes and knows that it is not the best choice to live over the East Egg. Gatsby knows he would be unhappy living in a society that really does not want him. He knows he should not live there because if he lives there he knows he will not belong. Lastly, one of the observations that he makes when preserving his friends, Gatsby, after his death, â€Å"I have an idea that Gatsby did not believe it [†¦] he had lost old warm world paid a high price for living too long with a single dream† (161). Gatsby wants a life he can not have and therefore will pay a price, costing him his life. Nick observes Gatsby a lot because he uses to live in the West Egg and moves to the East believing it can be the best life he will possibly get but it is all a complete lie and does not gain everything from it. Gatsbys false hopes develop through the novel and show how much he wants to live the life he cannot have. Daisy’s obsession to be on top of the world is fuel with greed and her materialistic attitude in life. Therefore, Gatsby wants Daisy so much that. â€Å"Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay† (26). Gatsby loves Daisy so much and misses her, that he just has to buy the house and he does. Gatsby’s dream of Daisy is corrupt by money and dishonesty, the American Dream of happiness. Daisy thinks too much upon herself and not on how others may react to her judgment. Gatsby is in love with Daisy and knows she loves him back but she wants wealth in her life and so she has to marry Tom, to achieve that Dream. Furthermore, Gatsby and Daisy are together looking out the window, â€Å"‘If it was not for the mist we could have seen your home across the bay,’ you always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock. ’ (92). The green light is symbolic because it symbolizes hope and that some day he might get the love of his life, Daisy, back. Daisy knows she has everything and wants everything, if she can she will be on the top of the world. Looking out the window is just an obvious understandment of the obsession of other men having towards her a nd she absolutely loves that. To end, Daisy has so many men in love with her, â€Å"with every word she was drawing further into herself so he gave that up- and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away——–room† (134). Daisy has let down Tom she only ever thought about herself and on no one else. She is greedy for the American Dream and does not want to share it with anyone. Knowing Tom is rich and wealthy she has to marry him, for the money of course, she sacrifices everything so she will be able to achieve the American dream that so many people want. Daisy’s obsession hurts her at the end by committing a crime and making poor decisions to achieve her dream. Lastly, Gatsby’s American Dream is unfulfills; he concentrates on false hopes and materialism. Firstly, Nick introduces Gatsby in the novel. Gatsby turned out alright at the end, it was preyed on Gatsby, what fool dust floated in the wake dream of his dreams and temporarily closed out my interest. †(44) Gatsby is fills with a single dream and that is to get out of West Egg and move to the East. He buys the nicest house, car, everything because he thought that would make him happy but it does not, it destroys him even more. He has his own little fantasy of what he thinks is expects from him and to get his one true love back, Daisy. Therefore, Nick is stating a fact after Gatsby’s death about how he has hope for Daisy return. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year recedes before us. He eluded us then, but that’s no matter-tomorrow we will run faster stretch out our arms farther[†¦] and then one fine morning-so we beat on, boasts against current , borne back ceasly into the past. †(173). The green light represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams with Daisy in the future after coming back from the war the light is away to guide him into Daisy’s heart and a sense of goal that he has. He has to be able but as it turns out he will not. He will not grasp with the moment of being with Daisy once again. Thirdly, Nick is talking to Gatsby’s closest friend [Wolshiem] â€Å"‘when a man gets killed I never like to get mixed up in it any way I keep out, when I was a young man it was different [†¦] I stuck to them to the end [†¦] let us learn to show friendship for a man when he is alive and after he is dead†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (171). Mr. Wolshiem does not want to talk in his funeral but Nick tries to convince him by telling him he is his closest friend and the only one that truly knows him but refuses to take part in ant way. Gatsby is remembrance will always be taunts by those who said they were his friends. Gatsby’s struggles to have the American Dream end his life. All in all, in the novel The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald emphasizes the belief that the American Dream is an unfulfill dream which is shown by the characters of Nick, Daisy and Gatsby, through materialism and greed. After being kills for the dream, as Gatsby does, none of the characters accomplishes anything at all. A society where greed is present is only going to destroy each character one by one and drive them into a circle of what they believe is true.

Who Has Been the Biggest Influence in My Life

As such, I am charged with the constitutional duty, which I am resolved to carry out, of serving the interests of the members of all groups of our people and doing justice to every man. It is in this spirit that I now come before you. For in administering the affairs of this nation, you and I share the common responsibility of providing the leadership, the guidance and the service that a democratic government owes to the people.You and I must provide for their enjoyment of those basic requisites for decent living and of those adequate opportunities for the attainment of material prosperity and spiritual fulfillment. Only thus will they be able to stand in dignity and freedom in the community of nations. We assume our joint responsibilities at a time when the Nation is faced with many serious problems. The eyes of the world are focused on us, anxious to see how this new Government will face the difficulties confronting it.Our performance will be judged not only by our own people but a lso by the other nations of the world, not only by the present but also by posterity. Because of the impelling and serious problems facing the country today, I should like to depart from the traditional practice of my illustrious predecessors of delivering an all-embracing State of the Nation message. I shall not burden you now with all the details usually embodied in such a message, especially those related to the customary and routinary activities of the government.While it is recognized that such functions deserve equal and proper attention, I believe it would be more in keeping with the exigencies of the moment to submit, at the proper time and in the hour of need, such special messages to Congress on these matters as may be warranted by circumstances. In the interest of priority of purpose, therefore, I beg leave to submit for the consideration of this Congress only the most paramount problems of the Nation which, in my considered opinion, require immediate and preferential att ention. STATEMENT OF OUR MISSIONIn my inaugural address, I set forth the goals of our Administration in the coming years, as follows— 1. The solution of the problem of corruption; 2. The attainment of self-sufficiency in the staple food of our people, namely, rice and corn; 3. The creation of conditions that will provide more income to our people—income for those who have none and more income for those whose earnings are inadequate for their elemental needs; 4. The establishment of practices that will strengthen the moral fiber of our nation and reintroduce those values that would invigorate our democracy; and 5.The launching of a bold but well-formulated socio-economic program that shall place the country on the road to prosperity for all our people. This five-fold mission may be carried out by resolving two major problems, namely—the need for moral regeneration and the problem of economic growth. Democracy on Trial In the accomplishment of our mission, we have chosen the freedom of democracy as the context for the solution of our problems. Democracy is truly on trial along with us in our social and economic travails.By our success or failure in leading the Nation from the abyss of want to the plateau of abundance, not only ourselves but also our way of life will be judged. If we falter, we shall fail democracy as well as our people and thus bolster communism’s boast that it is a superior political system. But if we succeed in laying a dynamic and permanent base for justice and prosperity in this country, we shall vindicate not only ourselves but democracy itself. Therefore, I first invite your attention to the decadent state of our public morality.Our efforts to achieve the goal of economic and social fulfillment will be more effective and the results we obtain more permanent only if we can suffuse them with a pervasive moral regeneration. At my inauguration, I stated that I would seek to strengthen the nation’s moral fiber through formal modes of reform, enforcement of the laws and the exercise of the tremendous persuasive power of the Presidency in setting the personal example of honesty, uprightness and simple living.The enforcement of the law is solely the responsibility of the Executive Department, but I invite all to join the Executive in wielding the potent power of moral example, and I particularly urge the Congress to assist in conceiving those reforms that will contribute to a moral renaissance of our people. Let me, however, add that it is wasted effort to steep the young in virtue and morality only to let them realize as they grow up that their elders are neither moral nor virtuous.We -must, therefore, see to it that the practices allowed by law in government and business, in the professions and labor unions, in field and factory—in every area of national endeavor—conform as much as possible with the moral and the ethical. Such practices can be sustained and upheld only if we can at the same time create a sthrong public opinion that will actively approve them and vigilantly condemn the contrary. In our actions, we should not be guided only by what is legal. We must go beyond legality into the demands of morality. Our acts must not only be legal but must be moral as well.

Ambulatory Care

Ambulatory Care Essay Ambulatory health care has definitely been a type of health care that has benefited a lot of Americans since it became of existence. There are several health care clinics available in every city that helps the people on a daily basis. Its not as costly as the ER and you can receive just about the same kind of service as if your were going to the Hospital just in a faster time in some cases. There is a need to sometimes get further assistance, meaning that the particular outpatient service was not able to assist the patient fully and needs some additional help in diagnosing the problem. A visit to the doctors office provides someone with a sense of calmness to be able to have a one on one relationship with their private doctor, as opposed to going to the a large place like the hospital to see a doctor, any doctor at that. When I think of Ambulatory care I think of a one and done type of scenario, in some cases. The patient is able to see the doctor get a diagnosis and prescription at one time, without the need of visiting several doctors. In most cases, now there are times when the patient would need to visit different specialists for their care. With the upbringing of ambulatory care systems, there is a less need for someone to have to be in the ER waiting for hours unless it is a real emergency and the regular office is closed. Ambulatory Care. (2018, Nov 06).

Market structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Market structure - Essay Example These include things like the resources of the ocean (for example, fish) and the environment. Both of these resources can be impacted on by the way in which they are used thereby reducing the number of fishes or the quality of the environment. If a good is excludable but not rival it is a natural monopoly. Public goods like common resources are not excludable. They are available for the use of everyone free of charge. Common goods like private goods are rival goods because one person’s consumption reduces other persons’ consumption. Natural monopolies like private goods are excludable because persons’ can be prevented form consuming the good. According to Pashigian (1997) a natural monopoly exists when a given quantity can be produced by a single firm at the lowest cost. Bank of America is a financial institution offering financial services. Some of its financial services are non-excludable because anyone can access them. However, customers can be prevented from accessing loans if they do not qualify in terms of their ability to pay. The services that the bank provides are also non-rival because one person’s use of the service does not reduce other persons’ use of the service. It therefore means that Bank of America is not a natural monopoly because it is non excludable. Neither does the institution provide a private good because its services are non-rival.

Pioneer women by joanna stratton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pioneer women by joanna stratton - Essay Example In the book, â€Å"Pioneer Women: Voices from the Kansas Frontier,† Joanna Stratton gives details some of the astonishing women from the Kansas frontier, one of the toughest region, viewed from any angle, how bravely they fought for the day to day existence and for the welfare of the members of their families. Their heroism was not ordinary. The author begins the book with an argument against men, which is difficult to counter. She writes, (1982, p.12) â€Å" As my father dryly observed sixty years ago in New Viewpoints in American History, ‘ All our great historians have been men and were likely therefore to be influenced by a sex interpretation of history all the more potent because unconscious.† Way back in 1867, Carrie Stearns Smith began the interesting and tough journey from Kansas City, Missouri to her new abode to south of Fort Scott. Since then women have taken giant strides and their contribution for the development of Kansas Frontier Culture has been ou tstanding. The mode of travel was through a stagecoach, through the rough terrain and bumpy roads and difficult mud paths. Stratton created history in literature related to Kansas, by rediscovering the oral histories of 800 Kansas pioneer women collected by her great-grand mother in the 1920s. She classified the mammoth and unorganized collection into 15 themes and 15 chapters to give it the form of historical evidence for the contribution of those women to the Kansas society and culture. She writes, â€Å"So the voices in this book are fresh and new—voices of the marvelous women who survived the bushwhackers and the redskins (and the Kansas men), the blistering sun and the angry wind, pursuing the daily round in quiet heroism without ostentation or complaint.†(p. 12-13) So, the authenticity of the contents of the book is unchallengeable, as they are from the primary sources. With fortitude and by remaining true to the traditions of the societal conditions prevailing t hen, the women tamed the Kansas frontier. The contents of the book will generate strong sentiments amongst the women readers and for valid reasons. The life of the prairie women, their endurance and loneliness makes an incredible reading. It is not only history—it is a profound mystery. If facts are stranger than fiction, they are in abundance in this book. No woman, in any part of the world, should ever be called upon to live that type of life. Their faith in God did play a role in their determination to survive in the tough social and geographical conditions. The endurance capacity of the Indians was much more and the author observes, â€Å"After the draught of 1860 Kansas lost nearly a third of its white population.†(p.12) This means, the white settlers had alternative sources and place to look forward to but the native Indians had to struggle on with the existing situation, with nowhere to go! The challenges of the prairie women were too difficult for the printed p age to capture as compared to the present day standards. They took active part in building their new homes as bull snakes showed up in rafters. Their life was entirely self-made and they got no help from any quarters, all through their struggle. Stratton throws up a meaningful question, â€Å"What was the work of a farm woman in those days?†(57) This is a profound observation. They helped men in plowing and sowing and danger from snake-bites was an open invitation. It was a do or die-situation for them all through their life, as men did not prevent them from

Ecosystem Components Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecosystem Components - Essay Example The sustenance of this park depends on the cooperation of people living in the area, and the activities of the government to protect it (Boarman & Coe, 2002). This paper will examine the characteristics of this ecosystem, and the plans that are in place to ensure that it continues to sustain life in that area. The major structural and functional dynamics The massive dry land that is the Mojave Desert makes the Joshua Tree National Park a beautiful sight. This area is the special habitat for the Joshua Tree, which is also known as Yucca brevifolia. Geological displays, such as hills of unadorned rock, are also part of this environment. The functional dynamics of the ecosystem border on the competitiveness of the living things in the habitat. Living things, for example plants, have to be competitive in their quest to retrieve sunlight. Over some time, the plants in this area have to adapt to the environment to reduce their exposure to sunlight. It is through this adaptation that they a re becoming a part of the ecosystem’s food chain. Ravens stand out with an increase in population in the ecosystem. An imbalance in such may lead to an alteration in the ecosystem’s food chain as there might start being a decrease in the tortoise population (Fontaine et al., 2011). How humans may have affected biogeochemical cycles Over the years, humans have been affecting the biogeochemical cycle that exists in this natural habitat. For instance, the driving of vehicles in this habitat at high speeds has led to the death of a number of animals, for example tortoises. The decomposition of these animals leads to the disruption of the carbon cycle that is present in the area. The carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen cycles are affected as the decomposition of these animals tie to biological matter, causing a release of carbon dioxide gas into the ecosystem. Fires are another way in which individuals affect the ecosystem’s gas cycles. The burning of dry plants makes i t difficult for the ecosystem to sustain itself as the primary producers are being eliminated. Also, the acidic nature of the fumes released into the atmosphere in such an ecosystem may prove challenging to the phosphorus cycle that exists (Fontaine et al., 2011). How knowledge about JT National Park can help or has helped to develop plans for its management and restoration In the 21st century, it is particularly crucial for individuals to help in the restoration and management of national parks. The educational programs in institutions are being re-examined to allow different areas to bring focus to the preservation of national parks, and other natural habitats. Since parks are a place where basic biology can be observed, learners are engaged through visits on a regular basis. By understanding the dynamics surrounding the JT National Park, individuals might be keen on trying to be more cautious as they drive through the desert or its environs. The terrain may be difficult to compre hend and this makes it even more tedious in trying to educate people. However, by having the locals in that area take the initiative to act as guides, it may be possible to avoid some of the human acts that may work against nature (Boarman & Coe, 2002). Forest fires, a thing that is common, should be a thing of the past. People should become more self-aware of the threats they pose. The implication of species interactions in ecosystem management and re

Thomas Paine Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thomas Paine - Research Proposal Example In July 1761, he returned to his native town of Thetford to work as a supernumerary officer for a bit more than one year. After that Paine moved to Lincolnshire and became an exciseman. His service continued until August 1765, when he was fired for "claiming to have inspected goods he did not inspect" (Conway, 1892). In 1767 Paine became a schoolteacher in London, but that occupation was also rather short: the next year he again took the position of exciseman Lewes, East Sussex. His service lasted for the next six years during which Paine serviced as exciseman and simultaneously managed a small tobacco shop. In 1771 he married Elizabeth Ollive and for the first time involved in the political issues: he joined the Society of Twelve, a local group of thinkers that periodically met to politics of the local authorities. In the beginning of 1774, Paine was again fired from his service and his tobacco shop collapsed so that he had to sell his household possessions to rid himself of debts. The second marriage was also childless and not happy. In 1774 he legally divorced Elizabeth Ollive and moved to London where he got acquainted with Benjamin Franklin, and in October same year upon receiving the letter of recommendation from Franklin who administered emigration to colonial America at that time, Thomas Paine traveled to Philadelphia (Ayer, 1990). The travel was very difficult and Paine barely survived it: it took him 6 weeks to fully recover. After recovery, he settled in Philadelphia, changed his birth name to 'Paine', and began to work as a journalist for the Pennsylvania Magazine (Conway, 1892). Strong eloquent style of Paine's articles and pamphlets immediately earned him a reputation of radical uncompromising fighter for the natural rights of man and freedom. On January 10, 1776, one Paine's most famous pamphlets known Common Sense was published. Some historians believe that the pamphlet became arguably the most essential piece of writing that had strong social and political influence on those day's developments that eventually led up to independence (Larkin, 2005). In particularly, Paine stated that: "Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a Government, which we might expect in a country without Government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise" (Paine, 1776). Such very sharp and radical stance was the distinct feature of Paine's writing. Thus, he dismissed the King as a fool (labeled King George III as "the Royal Brute of Great Britain" (Jensen, 1968, p. 668) claiming that heredity is not always and not necessarily related with natural ability, that Britain used the colonies solely for obtaining profits treating the colonists in unacceptable fashion. Paine also urged the colonies to unite as quickly as possible to effectively protect their rights and believed that the only possible way to do so was to become fully independent: "Until an independence is declared, the continent will feel itself like a man who continues

Gender in the Colonial period Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender in the Colonial period - Essay Example For instance, mothers were trusted and expected to pass along the teachings of the Puritans and Christianity to the children. Husbands could, and often did, entrust their wives to handle various legal and financial matters of the household or family farm but the extent of power the wife possessed always remained at her husband’s discretion. Wives that happily accepted their role and conformed to Puritan societal standards were openly referred to and addressed as ‘goodwife.’ However, the authoritative figure in the family and throughout all facets of Puritan society was clearly the man. The only role that wives served in the male dominated public psyche was caring for children and completing household chores, at all times subordinate to their husbands. Though it was customary for Puritan men to show a general respect for women and they were thought of as handy helpmates in the household, the majority of men were deeply suspicious of women. Thought of as the physica l, intellectual and emotionally weaker gender, they were thus more likely to give in to the temptations of the Devil. Women were the images of Eve, lustful for sexual gratification, power and money. This common view of Puritan men â€Å"made women susceptible to charges of witchcraft, particularly those who stood to inherit large estates that would have endowed them with uncommon economic influence† (Karlsen, 1987: 52). The Puritan ideology included an intense belief that the devil endeavored to tempt Christians from following God’s laws. According to Puritanical beliefs, they are responsible to observe and then eliminate the presence of evil in society. â€Å"The problems that the first... This research paper tells us about the role of a woman during the period of Puritanical system. The authoritative figure in the family and throughout all facets of Puritan society was clearly the man. The only role that wives served in the male dominated public psyche was caring for children and completing household chores, at all times subordinate to their husbands. Thought of as the physical, intellectual and emotionally weaker gender, they were thus more likely to give in to the temptations of the Devil. Women were the images of Eve, lustful for sexual gratification, power and money. The Puritan ideology included an intense belief that the devil endeavored to tempt Christians from following God’s laws. According to Puritanical beliefs, they are responsible to observe and then eliminate the presence of evil in society. In the early days, immediately following the Puritans’ arrival in America, women exercised some considerable freedom, especially if unmarried, to take up professional positions among the colonies. As the educational requirements for these types of positions increased, women’s inability to obtain the proper education prevented them from entering these fields. Because women were not generally sent to higher education centers, typically obtaining only the ability to read among their other subjects which rotated around becoming a good housewife and mother, most women were forced to work in professions that consisted of factory labor, home maintenance (maids), seamstresses or other menial tasks.

Responding to Global Warming Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Responding to Global Warming - Term Paper Example The political factors have an enormous power over the regulations governing the retail business along with the control on the spending power of the consumer, the control over monopoly of a single large retailer in the market and the availability of such retail services to most customers situated across the country. The following issues or political factors can be looked upon as either threat or opportunity for Tesco in the next ten years: Stability of the political environment –Threat and Opportunity - A government in power will formalize rules governing the business of Tesco and the influence that Tesco will have over a government, as an environmentally friendly business. Government’s position on marketing ethics– Threat and Opportunity – The rules laid down by the government to make a business more environmentally friendly will have a profound effect on the money spent to be more environmentally compliant. However, this would also ensure that Tesco gains advantage by advertising its efforts to help global warming cause through advertisements and thus, gain popularity. Trading agreement of Tesco with other countries – Threat – Given the global nature of Tesco’s business, the different laws laid down by different Governments such as EU, NAFTA, ASEAN etc, can hamper the uniformity of Tesco’s policies for being environmentally friendly. The economic factors are the most vital ingredient for the success of a business. Marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy in the short and long terms, especially for planning international marketing. The issues of interest rates, a rate of inflation, employment level per capita, the long-term prospects for the economy Gross Domestic product per capita, etc, can all affect the revenue of a company and thus the budgetary allocation on adopting environmental friendly methods of business. Thus, the economic factors can be looked upon as threats and as well as opportunities.

Anti Legalization Critical Thinking Essay Example for Free

Anti Legalization Critical Thinking Essay The aim of this paper is to logically apply reason to assess the arguments for the legalization of marijuana, and by doing so point out flaws in these arguments. Furthermore, this paper will assess the credibility and the source of these arguments, and present counter arguments to conclude that marijuana should not be a legal drug in California and the rest of the United States. First I will consider The National Organizations for the Reform of Marijuana Laws â€Å"Principles of Responsible Marijuana Use† which is the basis for their argument for the legalization of marijuana, and how this set of principles is flawed. Second I will consider the claim â€Å"that marijuana should be legal in a taxed and regulated manner† and also consider the source of this claim. Third I will emphasize the negative social effects of legalization of marijuana in order to counter the claims for legalization. Finally I will conclude that given these factors, legalization of marijuana would be harmful and detrimental to society as a whole, possessing little or no economic, social, or medical benefits. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law is the leading lobbyist group for the legalization of marijuana in the United States. This organization has made it their commitment to have marijuana legalized in a taxable way as tobacco and alcohol currently are. This organization rationalizes its arguments with a document called the â€Å"Principles of Responsible Marijuana Use† in which is attempts to justify marijuana reform in a socially accepted manner. The very title of the document is ambiguous, the word â€Å"responsible† is a very circumstantial term and is subject to many different interpretations. Furthermore the document assumes that if legalized, citizens will adhere to this unofficial â€Å"code of ethics†, however we can evidently see with alcohol and tobacco that there is abuse regardless of the regulating laws. Despite this, NORML attempts to lay out their interpretation for what â€Å"responsible marijuana use† is ( 4 ); their first point is that marijuana is to be for adults only, and that it is irresponsible to provide marijuana to children. The terms â€Å"adults† and â€Å"children† again are ambiguous, it is not clear where the line is drawn between what defines an adult or a child. This is a concern because many would assume a child is no longer a child after eighteen years of age, thus it can be determined that eighteen and over is considered a â€Å"responsible† user. It need not be said that current alcohol restrictions limit a user to twenty-one and over. According to a 2005 Monitoring the Future Study, â€Å"three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five 8th graders have consumed alcohol†( 5 ), with this evidence it would be wishful thinking to assume marijuana would be any different. To further consider this point 6.8% of children ages 12 to 17 use marijuana on an occasional basis ( 5 ). It would be reasonable to conclude that if marijuana was legalized that number would increase drastically. Second the NORMLs â€Å"Principles of Responsible Marijuana Use† attempts to rationalize legal marijuana use by claiming that if legalized responsible users will refrain from driving ( 4 ). Although an illegal drug, it is not surprising that there are already statistics regarding marijuana impaired driving in many states. California who just recently had a proposition for the legalization of marijuana has some of the most relevant statistics; there are various counties in California that have a 16% or higher marijuana involved traffic fatalities ( 3 ). This number would only increase with the legalization, and that is not to include the the amount of non fatal accidents that would occur annually. A recent study by Alfred Crancer and Alan Crancer projected that traffic fatalities would increase by as much as 300% with legalization ( 3 ). Third NORML claims that â€Å"The responsible cannabis user will carefully consider his/her set and setting, regulating use accordingly†. In this claim there is much room for a line-drawing fallacy, in which it is difficult and conveniently vague and up to the individual to determine what set and setting is actually appropriate for usage. It could be assumed under this principle that its safe to use marijuana while caring for children, elderly, while driving, and also very relevantly while working. Forth NORML claims that a responsible marijuana user will â€Å"resist abuse†. They define abuse by: â€Å"Abuse means harm. Some cannabis use is harmful; most is not. That which is harmful should be discouraged; that which is not need not be.† A clever statement however invalid and illogical. Drug abuse is defined as an uncontrollable urge for constant seeking of intoxicants ( 2 ). Many users would be unaware of their abuse, until the point in which it has destroyed their livelihood, relationships, economic security, and health. Legalization would only increase the numbers of active addicts, and make marijuana readily available for them, and being legal, consequently restraining family, friends, and the courts from restricting an addicts use before to much harm is done. The final claim made by NORML is a â€Å"Respect for Rights of Others† in which they attempt to justify the fact that if marijuana was legal, non users will have to deal with it. Again it is wishful thinking to see that users will have respect for the others who are not users, however while illegal we can see that many still cultivate marijuana, drive under the influence of it, and use it as socially as possible. A strict layout of parameters that must be followed with public and private use of the drug would be acceptable, however advocates for the cause prefer the vagueness, in which there are no absolute lines that can be drawn between legal and illegal use (ie. Driving, social events, age, etc.). The entire document is a rationalization and does not seem to give a valid or true pretense to satisfy desires. The most relevant claim argued against in this paper is the claim that â€Å"marijuana should be legal in a taxed and regulated manner†. This claim by itself has the vagueness and ambiguity of a typical bill or legislation. It is this vagueness and ambiguity that encroach on the freedoms of citizens everyday. The fact is that marijuana is a drug, it was made illegal by the Federal Controlled Substance Act of 1970 to stop the violence and abuse that was common practice. We have seen in other countries failed attempts to regulate and tax drugs, like the Netherlands, and we have seen the damage drugs can have on society as a hole, like the dangerous drug cartels that rule Mexico. In evaluating this claim it is also important to consider the sources, one of the biggest supporters of marijuana legalization is Robert Lee. Lee is president of â€Å"Oaksterdam University† a school that teaches students how to cultivate, grow, process, and cure marijuana ( 3 ). It would seem highly logical to acknowledge that this man is not interested in the social repercussions of legalization. His motive is clearly for the profit that can come from legalization. Legalization would drastically increase the amount of growers and interested parties in his school. Another strong voice in pro-legalization is the company S.K. Seymour LLC which is a Medical Cannabis Provider ( 3 ), who again would see a dramatic increase in profit and sales due to the fact that they can open up their business to the public, and not just medical marijuana patients. It seems that neither of the sources, from the research done, are interested in the negative and adverse affects of legalization and only interested in the lucrative value of legalization. It is also important to analyze the negative social effects of marijuana on society, most notably the economic affects and the medical effects. Recent proposition 19 in California stated that: â€Å"No person shall be punished, fined, discriminated against, or be denied any right or privilege for lawfully engaging in any conduct permitted by this Act or authorized pursuant to Section 11301 of this Act. Provided however, that the existing right of an employer to address consumption that actually impairs job performance by an employee shall not be affected.† Basically stating that employers can no longer regulate marijuana use while working unless it can show that performance is being impaired by use ( 3 ). Proposition 19 also is in conflict with the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 which prohibits the use of marijuana for recreational use. This would be a mistake by California due to the fact that the state would loose billions of federal dollars in the form of grants and aid called for by the Federal Workplace Act of 1988. Not only would government loose money but also schools and medical centers can potentially be affected ( 3 ). The health risks for marijuana usage are as noteworthy as the social repercussions. Marijuana is known to cause A-motivational syndrome, which is a depressed state of the brain in which reaction times and motivation is affected by long term use ( 3 ). Furthermore â€Å"the gateway theory† blames marijuana as the compromise that leads an individual to try harder more harmful drugs. Lastly marijuana has been placed on the California Proposition 65 list of carcinogenic materials, as proven materials that cause cancer ( 3 ). In this paper I argued that the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws definitions and reasoning for a â€Å"responsible legal† user is flawed. Many of their arguments are invalid and lack sound reasoning to a conclusion. That the claim that marijuana should be legal and taxed is not a fully developed claim and that the sources of the claims motives are not sound in reasoning for legalization. Finally I argued that if marijuana is legalized it would be detrimental to society specifically regarding medical and economic problems. The arguments for legalization are not convincing and present many fallacies, Legalization supporters have the wrong idea of controlled use.

Sociological Explanations for Gender Differences in Crime

Sociological Explanations for Gender Differences in Crime Outline and assess sociological explanations for gender differences in patterns of crime. In recent years, based on the official statistics collected and recorded by the police, the number of people committing crime has increased rapidly. There are striking gender differences in the patterns of recorded crime. Women appear to commit fewer crimes than men and, when they do offend, women tend to commit different kinds of crime from men. The question is, does women really commit fewer crimes than men? Or men were born to have a criminal instinct inside them? From functionalists perspective, women do not commit crime because of sexual theory and differences in the socialisation. For example, women perform the expressive role in the home where they take the responsibility for socialising the children while men are socialised to be tough, rough and risk taking and this mean they are likely to commit acts of violence or take advantage of criminal opportunities when they present themselves. In addition, functionalists argue that gender differences in patterns of crime are due to the control theory. For example, women are controlled and more likely to be at home, they are not in the pubs or clubs getting drunk which makes them hardly exposed to commit crimes. While Interactionists refuse official statistics on crime and believe they are socially constructed. What is classed as crime or deviance is based on subjective decisions by agents of social controls (e.g. police and jury) which is also called as labelling theory. For instance, based on labeling theory, men get labeled as being violent and a criminal while women do not. Feminism, on the other hand, disagrees with both functionalism and interactionism, feminists theory is a radical theory. They accept that women do commit crime but they commit crime because of different reasons in comparison with other sociologists.There are a number of feminist perspectives. First and foremost, according to Marxist feminists, they claim that women are under oppression of a dominant power structure (patriarchal society). Marxist feminists argue that men often take advantage and greater control over women which indirectly reduces women opportunities to commit crime.We can see women are controlled by men not just in a wider society but also at home and work.For example, housewives are required to spend most of their time at home taking care of the children and do all the house chores which impose severe restrictions on their time and movement and indirectly minimise their opportunities to offend.Women who try to reject their role as housewives may find that their partners will force them to do it through domestic violence. As Dobash and Dobash (1979) show, many violent attacks result from mens dissatisfaction with their wives performance of domestic duties. These automatically shows that domestic violence are mostly committed by men. While at work, womens b ehaviour are controlled by male supervisors and managers and keep women in their places as most of them only given the opportunity to be in subordinate position.However, eventhough they are only given the lower position compare to men at work, women reduces their opportunities to involve in major criminal activity at work. Women are also controlled in public spaces by the threat or fear of male violence against them, especially sexual violence.Frances Heidensohn (1996) notes that sensationalist media reporting of rapes add to womens fear and frighten them into staying indoors. For example, Women are more likely to stay at home before night as they are afraid something will happen if they are outside.Furthermore, women are controlled in public by their fear of being defined as not respectable. These eventually prevent women from committing crime such as prostitution as it will deviate them from the norms of the society. In general, these patriarchal restrictions on womens lives mean they have fewer chances for crime. However Heidensohn recognizes that male dominated society can also push women into crime.For example, women are more likely to be poor as they did not get the opportunity to get a job in a higher position due to inequalities in gender. As a result, they will commit crime such as being a dru g dealer or prostitution for them to live in a decent life. Next, based on the results of unstructured interviews carried by Pat Carlen (1988) most convicted serious crime female criminals are working-class. People will turn to crime if they do not believe the rewards will be forthcoming and if the rewards of crime appear greater than the risks.Women are generally led to comform through the promise of two types of rewards or deals.Firstly, women will find a job which will give them material rewards with a comfortable standard of living and leisure opportunities which also called the class deal.Secondly, the gender deal for example, men promises their wives with material and emotional rewards if they conform to the norms of a traditional domestic gender role such as taking care of the children and doing housework. In return, if these rewards are not available or worth the effort women will choose to commit crime to replace the rewards. However in terms of class deal, women in working-class are more likely to offend than middle-class women.So even if working-class women put on efforts more than middle-class women do, they still have a limited way or could not even find an allowed way of earning a decent living and this will bring them to commit crime as a way for them to run from poverty. In terms of gender deal, because of the patriarchal family norms, most of the women either not had the chance to make the deal or saw few rewards and many disadvantages in family. As example, some of them might be subjected to domestic violence by partners.Many women cocluded that crime was the only route to a decent standard of living. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain, which is the reason why they do offend. Carlen conclude that, for these women, poverty and oppressive family life were the main causes of their criminality.In general, Heidonsohn shows that male dominated society which control women helps to prevent w omen from deviating while Carlen shows that the failure of patriarchal society in delivering the promised deals to some women removes the controls which prevent them from offending. Last but not least, according to liberation feminist which is the closest type of feminism to the consensus view of society, nowadays women has become liberated from patriarchy and led to a new type of female criminal and eventually rises the crime rate. As now women get the same opportunities received by men which have become more equal, such as in education, employment, and political activity they are now more likely to commit more serious crime such as violence and white-collar crimes. Women no longer commit traditional female crimes such as shoplifting and prostitution because they now have greater opportunities in the society.However, not all women got liberated, most of female criminals are working class who still commit traditional crimes.Liberation feminist point of view shows us the importance of investigating the relationship between changes in womens role affects changes in patterns of women offending.

John Lennon - Imagine Essay -- essays research papers

Social criticism examines literature in the cultural, economic, and political context in which it is written or received. Keeping this definition in mind, it is necessary to understand the political, cultural and economic environment in which Lennon the above famous words. â€Å"Imagine† was released in 1970. The late 60’s was the time of the Vietnam War and also the time when the peace movement was at its peak. Anti-war demonstrations were a common sight on every street corner. Anti-communist sentiments were at an all time high following the war. The countless lives lost by both sides made plenty realize the fruitlessness of war and prompted them to spread the message of love, unity and peace. Due to ubiquitous demonstrations all over the world, there was social unrest. Compulsory military service added to the social unrest. Fathers and Sons left to fight the war without much hope of returning back alive thus adding to the civil unrest. As always, any period of social unrest has an adverse affect on the economy. Due to the huge war expenses and lack of man power to run the economy, the late 60’s and early 70’s experienced an economic downturn in the United States which was felt throughout the world. By the end of the 60’s, The Beatles had acquired a worldwide fan base and legendary iconic status among the youth of the world. John Lennon, the most prolific and famous of the Beatles, wasn’t averse to making political statements through his music. He knew that he had the power t...

Adapting to Our Environment or Harming It? :: Comparison Compare Comparative Essays

Adapting to Our Environment or Harming It? I went to do my Thanksgiving shopping on Monday. I figured that if I bought the turkey, turkey stuffing, and pumpkin pie at the beginning of the week, I would avoid the long lines that build up in supermarkets the day before Thanksgiving, while not having to freeze and unfreeze the turkey. I was in aisle 4, trying to decide whether my family would prefer microwaveable Stove Top stuffing or the kind you actually insert into the turkey’s insides when I remembered that I also had to get canned cranberry sauce†¦ my favorite! I quickly grabbed the Stove Top and headed to another aisle when, right next to the coconut milk, eagerly waiting for me to notice them, were six cans of tamarind nectar. I just had to grab the 12-ounce cans to read the words: â€Å"Excellent source of Vitamin C!† It is amazing how I had never noticed the tamarind nectar cans, yet every time I go to the supermarket I see the coconut milk. I know that if Dr. Graham had never pointed out the Tamar ind tree in class, the tamarind nectar cans would have never popped out at me. My mind wandered off to last Friday, when I stuffed an unripe tamarind seed in my mouth. It tasted like hard lime candy and I did not like it. How easy it is, I wondered, to go to a supermarket where everything is ripe and ready for you to buy! Even the water comes pre-packaged in attractive bottles. Living on a mangrove island in the Ten-Thousand Islands must have been frustrating. The water had to be collected, drop by drop, in a high-maintenance cistern, the fruit and vegetables had to be gathered after they had taken their time to get ripe, even the sugar had to be grown in canes, collected, and then made into syrup: it did not come in convenient 1-lb or 5-lbs bags. Just imagine how labor intensive a meal such as the one in Thanksgiving would have been! I can just imagine Mister Watson working the land where the sugar cane is growing, while Netta scrapes the salt off the Black Mangrove leaves to flavor the mashed potatoes, and the Frenchman gathers some Agave plants to make te quila. Meanwhile, turkeys brought from Key West are running wild, waiting for their death in a few months.

Pen Y Bryn The Princes’ Tower :: British History

Pen Y Bryn The Princes’ Tower Wales has long been known as a country of myth and magic. She hides her secrets in her hollow hills. Pen Y Bryn, The Princes’ Tower is the latest treasure that has come to light and one of the most fascinating. In 1992 Kathryn and Brian Pritchard Gibson bought what they believed to be a thirty-six acre chicken farm with a 17th century Elizabethan manor house and it has changed their lives dramatically. The stone manor and out buildings are nestled against a forested hill in Snowdonia. It is just north of Bangor above the shores of Abergwyngregyn, ‘the mouth of the white shell river’ overlooking the Menai Straights with the mountains forming a protective backdrop behind. Kathryn Gibson says, The locals, it seems, have always called the house Twr Llewelyn, or Llewelyn’s Tower. They told us that’s where the princes lived and that below it there’s a Roman settlement and a bronze age fort. When asked how they came by this knowledge they always answ ered, "Nain (Grandmother) told me." It was only the academics who ignored this local lore that had been handed down for centuries. When you first see the house it is obvious the tower is by far the oldest section. You can also see where windows and doors have been blocked up. There is a distinct difference in the stones or the tower and those of the rest of the house but it has only recently been authenticated that the tower does indeed date back to Llewelyn’s time. Shortly after moving in the Gibsons noticed a hollow sound in a part of the living room floor. Pulling up floorboards they quickly discovered secret stairways, hidden rooms, hollow walls, tunnels, tales of princes and prisoners, lovers and war. As Kathryn Gibson says "We live in the middle of a giant historical jigsaw puzzle." In fact Pen y Bryn is the lost palace of the Princes Llywelyn, Llywelyn Fawr (the Great) and his grandson, Llywelyn the Last, dating back to 1211. It is where Joan, King John’s daughter and wife of Llywelyn Fawr lived and died, and it holds the key to the tragic story of Gwenllian, the first and last true born Pri ncess of Wales. Gwenllian was the only daughter of Llywelyn the Last. Llewelyn had reluctantly been granted the title of "Prince of Wales" in perpetuity by the English crown at the Treaty of Montgomery in 1267.

Nutrition and The Journey of Life Essay

Caring for and fueling our bodies requires for the mother to take prenatal vitamins in order to meet us to keep a balanced nutrition. Just as our bodies The nutritional needs of the growing fetus. need the right nutrition’s so does a embryo, futons and baby in order to grow and develop properly. Nutrition and pregnancy The mother must make good nutritional The first eight weeks after fertilization which choices such as eating foods such as the ones is known as the embryonic stage the embryo gets its illustrated above rather then processed foods and nutrition from the lining of the uterus, but after week snacks that will provide little nutrients, these good 9 of development the growing fetus will get its nutritional habits can be practiced after birth and oxygen and nutrients from the placenta. Can be taught to the baby. The fetus is growing everyday which requires a If the nutritional needs of the fetus are not met variety of nutrients such as calcium, copper, folic acid, several health concerns may occur such as iron,vitamins A, B6, C, D and E. The demand for these Complications with fetal development, fetal size nutrients by the fetus will have to be met by having a organs, brain, and may cause a miscarriage and proper and Healthy diet, but it may also be necessary death of the infant and or mother. Post Birth Nutrition Additional Information From conception to birth the process of creating Having the proper knowledge of the nutritional baby requires a lot of energy and nutrient for the mother needs of the body before conception and post and the developing fetus, after the birth of the baby the child birth is very important for the well being newborn will continue to need nutrient in order to grow of the mother, fetus, and baby. The are several and develop. The baby will receive it nutrient from milk resources that people can use to learn more for the first year of its life so it is important to decide about the nutritional needs of the mother and weather the baby will consume breast mil or formula. fetus, listed below are some of these resources. Breast milk VS. Formula 1. Chosemyplate.gov Breast milk is the perfect food for babies it contains all 2. Medline Plus webpage and call center the nutrients that the baby will need to grow and 3. Baby center develop . Unlike formula breast milk contains properties 4. Seek the advice of your doctor that protect against infections such as white blood cells  also breast milk can pass on immune shots that the mother  may receive such as a flu shot. Formula are getting better  through he years to mach the ingredients found in breast   milk such as DHA and ARA. References Choose my plate. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/pregnancy-breastfeeding/pregnancy-nutritional-needs.html Grosvendr, M., & Gmolin, L. (2012). Visualizing Nutrition Everyday Choices (2nd ed.). Retrieved from .

Business, a Practical Introduction Essay

1. Scarcity increases the demand for a product, and increases the price that consumers are willing to pay for it. Scarcity of an item allows a seller to raise prices, while a surplus of an item means prices will decrease. 2. Macroeconomists would be concerned with issues such as job growth and unemployment, growth in industrial production, and the consumer price index. 3. Under a socialist economic system, businesses and industries can be state-owned or privately owned, depending on the country. 4. A downside to capitalism is the issue of income inequality. There is a considerable difference between the highest and lowest incomes, as indicated by the 2010 income information reported in the textbook for this course. Median pay for a chief executive of a company whose stock was listed on Standard and Poor’s index was $9 million. Median pay for private sector workers was $40,500. 5. The model of perfect competition was created by Adam Smith. According to Smith, in perfect competition, the market has many small sellers who sell interchangeable products to many informed buyers, and no seller is large enough to dictate the price of the product. 6. The term consumer sovereignty is the idea that consumers influence the marketplace through the decisions of which products they choose to buy or not to buy. 7. The business cycle runs through a pattern of expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. Expansion, when economic activity speeds up, is triggered by a rise in investment spending, government spending, or exports. 8. Deflation is defined as a general decline in the prices of most goods and services. 9. An economic bubble is a situation in which prices for securities, especially stocks, rise far above their actual value. 10. TARP is the Troubled Assets Relief Program, signed into law in October 2008. This $700 billion program was created to purchase bank assets in order to strengthen the financial sector. This was outgoing President Bush’s last â€Å"screw you† to the people of America. It might have worked to stabilize the banks if the amount was double, and if it offered relief to businesses as well.

Coca-Cola Financial Analysis Paper

Coca-Cola was originally invented by a pharmacist named John Pemberton in 1886. He had tried making several new kinds of drugs but all of them had failed. So that was when he decided to get into the world of soft drinks. Pemberton hired Frank Robinson to help advertise his new product but, Coca-Cola wasn’t very successful in their first year of business. Shortly, after that first year John Pemberton passed away in August 1888.In 1891, Asa Griggs Candler became the new sole-proprietor of Coca-Cola and began to give free samples, coupons and advertised everywhere for his new product. At first it was sold as a medicine to help prevent fatigue and headaches but, after the Spanish-American War congress passed a tax that would be applied to all medicines Coke would no longer be sold as a drug. (Cantwell) From there on Coca-Cola had grown bigger and bigger with the unique shaped bottle to help make them stand out and the idea of selling beverages in six packs were born.Our idea of Sa nta Clause was influenced by their advertisements. Even when Pepsi, one of Coca-Cola’s major competitors, was invented in the 1950’s Coke decided to make different sizes of bottles so they had a better variety for their customers. Things were good for Coke for many years until they decided to try to make a new Coca-Cola formula in the 1980’s in fear that their customers were sick of the original taste.This idea back fired, Coke received several thousands of complaints from their customer and decided to go back to the Classic Coke taste. (Cantwell) Today Coca-Cola has several varieties of flavors in soft drinks and is the world’s largest manufacturer, distributor, and marketer of non-alcoholic drinks and syrups. Coke has mastered the ability to adapt to the changes throughout history and has created a happy, patriotic and traditional feel for their product. This would explain how they are still so successful today. (Giebelhaus)

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 1. ENGAGED

No one is staring at you,I promised myself. No one is staring at you. No one is staring at you. But, because I couldn't lie convincingly even to myself, I had to check. As I sat waiting for one of the three traffic lights in town to turn green, I peeked to the right – in her minivan, Mrs. Weber had turned her whole torso in my direction. Her eyes bored into mine, and I flinched back, wondering why she didn't drop her gaze or look ashamed. It was still considered rude to stare at people, wasn't it? Didn't that apply to me anymore? Then I remembered that these windows were so darkly tinted that she probably had no idea if it was even me in here, let alone that I'd caught her looking. I tried to take some comfort in the fact that she wasn't really staring at me, just the car. Mycar. Sigh. I glanced to the left and groaned. Two pedestrians were frozen on the sidewalk, missing their chance to cross as they stared. Behind them, Mr. Marshall was gawking through the plate-glass window of his little souvenir shop. At least he didn't have his nose pressed up against the glass. Yet. The light turned green and, in my hurry to escape, I stomped on the gas pedal without thinking – the normal way I would have punched it to get my ancient Chevy truck moving. Engine snarling like a hunting panther, the car jolted forward so fast that my body slammed into the black leather seat and my stomach flattened against my spine. â€Å"Arg!† I gasped as I fumbled for the brake. Keeping my head, I merely tapped the pedal. The car lurched to an absolute standstill anyway. I couldn't bear to look around at the reaction. If there had been any doubt as to who was driving this car before, it was gone now. With the toe of my shoe, I gently nudged the gas pedal down one half millimeter, and the car shot forward again. I managed to reach my goal, the gas station. If I hadn't been running on vapors, I wouldn't have come into town at all. I was going without a lot of things these days, like Pop-Tarts and shoelaces, to avoid spending time in public. Moving as if I were in a race, I got the hatch open, the cap off, the card scanned, and the nozzle in the tank within seconds. Of course, there was nothing I could do to make the numbers on the gauge pick up the pace. They ticked by sluggishly, almost as if they were doing it just to annoy me. It wasn't bright out – a typical drizzly day in Forks, Washington – but I still felt like a spotlight was trained on me, drawing attention to the delicate ring on my left hand. At times like this, sensing the eyes on my back, it felt as if the ring were pulsing like a neon sign: Look at me, look at me. It was stupid to be so self-conscious, and I knew that. Besides my dad and mom, did it really matter what people were saying about my engagement? About my new car? About my mysterious acceptance into an Ivy League college? About the shiny black credit card that felt red-hot in my back pocket right now? â€Å"Yeah, who cares what they think,† I muttered under my breath. â€Å"Urn, miss?† a man's voice called. I turned, and then wished I hadn't. Two men stood beside a fancy SUV with brand-new kayaks tied to the top. Neither of them was looking at me; they both were staring at the car. Personally, I didn't get it. But then, I was just proud I could distinguish between the symbols for Toyota, Ford, and Chevy. This car was glossy black, sleek, and pretty, but it was still just a car to me. â€Å"I'm sorry to bother you, but could you tell me what kind of car you're driving?† the tall one asked. â€Å"Urn, a Mercedes, right?† â€Å"Yes,† the man said politely while his shorter friend rolled his eyes at my answer. â€Å"I know. But I was wondering, is that†¦ are you driving a Mercedes Guardian?† The man said the name with reverence. I had a feeling this guy would get along well with Edward Cullen, my†¦ my fiance (there really was no getting around that truth with the wedding just days away). â€Å"They aren't supposed to be available in Europe yet,† the man went on, â€Å"let alone here.† While his eyes traced the contours of my car – it didn't look much different from any other Mercedes sedan to me, but what did I know? – I briefly contemplated my issues with words like fiance, wedding, husband, etc. I just couldn't put it together in my head. On the one hand, I had been raised to cringe at the very thought of poofy white dresses and bouquets. But more than that, I just couldn't reconcile a staid, respectable, dull concept like husband with my concept of Edward. It was like casting an archangel as an accountant; I couldn't visualize him in any commonplace role. Like always, as soon as I started thinking about Edward I was caught up in a dizzy spin of fantasies. The stranger had to clear his throat to get my attention; he was still waiting for an answer about the car's make and model. â€Å"I don't know,† I told him honestly. â€Å"Do you mind if I take a picture with it?† It took me a second to process that. â€Å"Really? You want to take a picture with the car?† â€Å"Sure – nobody is going to believe me if I don't get proof.† â€Å"Urn. Okay. Fine.† I swiftly put away the nozzle and crept into the front seat to hide while the enthusiast dug a huge professional-looking camera out of his backpack. He and his friend took turns posing by the hood, and then they went to take pictures at the back end. â€Å"I miss my truck,† I whimpered to myself. Very, very convenient – too convenient – that my truck would wheeze its last wheeze just weeks after Edward and I had agreed to our lopsided compromise, one detail of which was that he be allowed to replace my truck when it passed on. Edward swore it was only to be expected; my truck had lived a long, full life and then expired of natural causes. According to him. And, of course, I had no way to verify his story or to try to raise my truck from the dead on my own. My favorite mechanic – I stopped that thought cold, refusing to let it come to a conclusion. Instead, I listened to the men's voices outside, muted by the car walls. â€Å"†¦ went at it with a flamethrower in the online video. Didn't even pucker the paint.† â€Å"Of course not. You could roll a tank over this baby. Not much of a market for one over here. Designed for Middle East diplomats, arms dealers, and drug lords mostly.† â€Å"Think she's something?† the short one asked in a softer voice. I ducked my head, cheeks flaming. â€Å"Huh,† the tall one said. â€Å"Maybe. Can't imagine what you'd need missile-proof glass and four thousand pounds of body armor for around here. Must be headed somewhere more hazardous.† Body armor. Four thousand pounds of body armor. And missile-proof glass? Nice. What had happened to good old-fashioned bulletproof? Well, at least this made some sense – if you had a twisted sense of humor. It wasn't like I hadn't expected Edward to take advantage of our deal, to weight it on his side so that he could give so much more than he would receive. I'd agreed that he could replace my truck when it needed replacing, not expecting that moment to come quite so soon, of course. When I'd been forced to admit that the truck had become no more than a still-life tribute to classic Chevys on my curb, I knew his idea of a replacement was probably going to embarrass me. Make me the focus of stares and whispers. I'd been right about that part. But even in my darkest imaginings I had not foreseen that he would get me two cars. The â€Å"before† car and the â€Å"after† car, he'd explained when I'd flipped out. This was just the â€Å"before† car. He'd told me it was a loaner and promised that he was returning it after the wedding. It all had made absolutely no sense to me. Until now. Ha ha. Because I was so fragilely human, so accident-prone, so much a victim to my own dangerous bad luck, apparently I needed a tank-resistant car to keep me safe. Hilarious. I was sure he and his brothers had enjoyed the joke quite a bit behind my back. Or maybe, just maybe,a small voice whispered in my head, it's not a joke, silly. Maybe he's really that worried about you. This wouldn't be the first time he's gone a little overboard trying to protect you. I sighed. I hadn't seen the â€Å"after† car yet. It was hidden under a sheet in the deepest corner of the Cullens' garage. I knew most people would have peeked by now, but I really didn't want to know. Probably no body armor on that car – because I wouldn't need it after the honeymoon. Virtual indestructibility was just one of the many perks I was looking forward to. The best parts about being a Cullen were not expensive cars and impressive credit cards. â€Å"Hey,† the tall man called, cupping his hands to the glass in an effort to peer in. â€Å"We're done now. Thanks a lot!† â€Å"You're welcome,† I called back, and then tensed as I started the engine and eased the pedal – ever so gently – down___ No matter how many times I drove down the familiar road home, I still couldn't make the rain-faded flyers fade into the background. Each one of them, stapled to telephone poles and taped to street signs, was like a fresh slap in the face. A well-deserved slap in the face. My mind was sucked back into the thought I'd interrupted so immediately before. I couldn't avoid it on this road. Not with pictures of my favorite mechanic flashing past me at regular intervals. My best friend. My Jacob. Thehave you SEENthis boy? posters were not Jacob's father's idea. It had been my father, Charlie, who'd printed up the flyers and spread them all over town. And not just Forks, but Port Angeles and Sequim and Hoquiam and Aberdeen and every other town in the Olympic Peninsula. He'd made sure that all the police stations in the state of Washington had the same flyer hanging on the wall, too. His own station had a whole corkboard dedicated to finding Jacob. A corkboard that was mostly empty, much to his disappointment and frustration. My dad was disappointed with more than the lack of response. He was most disappointed with Billy, Jacob's father – and Charlie's closest friend. For Billy's not being more involved with the search for his sixteen-year-old â€Å"runaway.† For Billy's refusing to put up the flyers in La Push, the reservation on the coast that was Jacob's home. For his seeming resigned to Jacob's disappearance, as if there was nothing he could do. For his saying, â€Å"Jacob's grown up now. He'll come home if he wants to.† And he was frustrated with me, for taking Billy's side. I wouldn't put up posters, either. Because both Billy and I knew where Jacob was, roughly speaking, and we also knew that no one had seen this boy. The flyers put the usual big, fat lump in my throat, the usual stinging tears in my eyes, and I was glad Edward was out hunting this Saturday. If Edward saw my reaction, it would only make him feel terrible, too. Of course, there were drawbacks to it being Saturday. As I turned slowly and carefully onto my street, I could see my dad's police cruiser in the driveway of our home. He'd skipped fishing again today. Still sulking about the wedding. So I wouldn't be able to use the phone inside. But I had to call___ I parked on the curb behind the Chevy sculpture and pulled the cell phone Edward had given me for emergencies out of the glove compartment. I dialed, keeping my finger on the â€Å"end† button as the phone rang. Just in case. â€Å"Hello?† Seth Clearwater answered, and I sighed in relief. I was way too chicken to speak to his older sister, Leah. The phrase â€Å"bite my head off was not entirely a figure of speech when it came to Leah. â€Å"Hey, Seth, it's Bella.† â€Å"Oh, hiya, Bella! How are you?† Choked up. Desperate for reassurance. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"Calling for an update?† â€Å"You're psychic.† â€Å"Not hardly. I'm no Alice – you're just predictable,† he joked. Among the Quileute pack down at La Push, only Seth was comfortable even mentioning the Cullens by name, let alone joking about things like my nearly omniscient sister-in-law-to-be. â€Å"I know I am.† I hesitated for a minute. â€Å"How is he?† Seth sighed. â€Å"Same as ever. He won't talk, though we know he hears us. He's trying not to think human, you know. Just going with his instincts.† â€Å"Do you know where he is now?† â€Å"Somewhere in northern Canada. I can't tell you which province. He doesn't pay much attention to state lines.† â€Å"Any hint that he might†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's not coming home, Bella. Sorry.† I swallowed. â€Å"S'okay, Seth. I knew before I asked. I just can't help wishing.† â€Å"Yeah. We all feel the same way.† â€Å"Thanks for putting up with me, Seth. I know the others must give you a hard time.† â€Å"They're not your hugest fans,† he agreed cheerfully. â€Å"Kind of lame, I think. Jacob made his choices, you made yours. Jake doesn't like their attitude about it. ‘Course, he isn't super thrilled that you're checking up on him, either.† I gasped. â€Å"I thought he wasn't talking to you?† â€Å"He can't hide everything from us, hard as he's trying.† So Jacob knew I was worried. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Well, at least he knew I hadn't skipped off into the sunset and forgotten him completely. He might have imagined me capable of that. â€Å"I guess I'll see you at the†¦ wedding,† I said, forcing the word out through my teeth. â€Å"Yeah, me and my mom will be there. It was cool of you to ask us.† I smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice. Though inviting the Clearwaters had been Edward's idea, I was glad he'd thought of it. Having Seth there would be nice – a link, however tenuous, to my missing best man. â€Å"It wouldn't be the same without you.† â€Å"Tell Edward I said hi, ‘kay?† â€Å"Sure thing.† I shook my head. The friendship that had sprung up between Edward and Seth was something that still boggled my mind. It was proof, though, that things didn't have to be this way. That vampires and werewolves could get along just fine, thank you very much, if they were of a mind to. Not everybody liked this idea. â€Å"Ah,† Seth said, his voice cracking up an octave. â€Å"Er, Leah's home.† â€Å"Oh! Bye!† The phone went dead. I left it on the seat and prepared myself mentally to go inside the house, where Charlie would be waiting. My poor dad had so much to deal with right now. Jacob-the-runaway was just one of the straws on his overburdened back. He was almost as worried about me, his barely-a-legal-adult daughter who was about to become a Mrs. in just a few days' time. I walked slowly through the light rain, remembering the night we'd told him___ As the sound of Charlie's cruiser announced his return, the ring suddenly weighed a hundred pounds on my finger. I wanted to shove my left hand in a pocket, or maybe sit on it, but Edward's cool, firm grasp kept it front and center. â€Å"Stop fidgeting, Bella. Please try to remember that you're not confessing to a murder here.† â€Å"Easy for you to say.† I listened to the ominous sound of my father's boots clomping up the sidewalk. The key rattled in the already open door. The sound reminded me of that part of the horror movie when the victim realizes she's forgotten to lock herdeadbolt. â€Å"Calm down, Bella,† Edward whispered, listening to the acceleration of my heart. The door slammed against the wall, and I flinched like I'd been Tasered. â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Edward called, entirely relaxed. â€Å"No!† I protested under my breath. â€Å"What?† Edward whispered back. â€Å"Wait till he hangs his gun up!† Edward chuckled and ran his free hand through his tousled bronze hair. Charlie came around the corner, still in his uniform, still armed, and tried not to make a face when he spied us sitting together on the loveseat. Lately, he'd been putting forth a lot of effort to like Edward more. Of course, this revelation was sure to end that effort immediately. â€Å"Hey, kids. What's up?† â€Å"We'd like to talk to you,† Edward said, so serene. â€Å"We have some good news.† Charlie's expression went from strained friendliness to black suspicion in a second. â€Å"Good news?† Charlie growled, looking straight at me. â€Å"Have a seat, Dad.† He raised one eyebrow, stared at me for five seconds, then stomped to the recliner and sat down on the very edge, his back ramrod straight. â€Å"Don't get worked up, Dad,† I said after a moment of loaded silence. â€Å"Everything's okay.† Edward grimaced, and I knew it was in objection to the word okay. He probably would have used something more like wonderful or perfect or glorious. â€Å"Sure it is, Bella, sure it is. If everything is so great, then why are you sweating bullets?† â€Å"I'm not sweating,† I lied. I leaned away from his fierce scowl, cringing into Edward, and instinctively wiped the back of my right hand across my forehead to remove the evidence. â€Å"You're pregnant!† Charlie exploded. â€Å"You're pregnant, aren't you?† Though the question was clearly meant for me, he was glaring at Edward now, and I could have sworn I saw his hand twitch toward the gun. â€Å"No! Of course I'm not!† I wanted to elbow Edward in the ribs, but I knew that move would only give me a bruise. I'd told Edward that people would immediately jump to this conclusion! What other possible reason would sane people have for getting married at eighteen? (His answer then had made me roll my eyes. Love. Right.) Charlie's glower lightened a shade. It was usually pretty clear on my face when I was telling the truth, and he believed me now. â€Å"Oh. Sorry.† â€Å"Apology accepted.† There was a long pause. After a moment, I realized everyone was waiting for me to say something. I looked up at Edward, panic-stricken. There was no way I was going to get the words out. He smiled at me and then squared his shoulders and turned to my father. â€Å"Charlie, I realize that I've gone about this out of order. Traditionally, I should have asked you first. I mean no disrespect, but since Bella has already said yes and I don't want to diminish her choice in the matter, instead of asking you for her hand, I'm asking you for your blessing. We're getting married, Charlie. I love her more than anything in the world, more than my own life, and – by some miracle – she loves me that way, too. Will you give us your blessing?† He sounded so sure, so calm. For just an instant, listening to the absolute confidence in his voice, I experienced a rare moment of insight, i could see, fleetingly, the way the world looked to him. For the length of one heartbeat, this news made perfect sense. And then I caught sight of the expression on Charlie's face, his eyes now locked on the ring. I held my breath while his skin changed colors – fair to red, red to purple, purple to blue. I started to get up – I'm not sure what I planned to do; maybe use the Heimlich maneuver to make sure he wasn't choking – but Edward squeezed my hand and murmured â€Å"Give him a minute† so low that only I could hear. The silence was much longer this time. Then, gradually, shade by shade, Charlie's color returned to normal. His lips pursed, and his eyebrows furrowed; I recognized his â€Å"deep in thought† expression. He studied the two of us for a long moment, and I felt Edward relax at my side. â€Å"Guess I'm not that surprised,† Charlie grumbled. â€Å"Knew I'd have to deal with something like this soon enough.† I exhaled. â€Å"You sure about this?† Charlie demanded, glaring at me. â€Å"I'm one hundred percent sure about Edward,† I told him without missing a beat. â€Å"Getting married, though? What's the rush?† He eyed me suspiciously again. The rush was due to the fact that I was getting closer to nineteen every stinking day, while Edward stayed frozen in all his seventeen-year-old perfection, as he had for over ninety years. Not that this fact necessitated marriage in my book, but the wedding was required due to the delicate and tangled compromise Edward and I had made to finally get to this point, the brink of my transformation from mortal to immortal. These weren't things I could explain to Charlie. â€Å"We're going away to Dartmouth together in the fall, Charlie,† Edward reminded him. â€Å"I'd like to do that, well, the right way. It's how I was raised.† He shrugged. He wasn't exaggerating; they'd been big on old-fashioned morals during World War I. Charlie's mouth twisted to the side. Looking for an angle to argue from. But what could he say? I'd prefer you live in sin first? He was a dad; his hands were tied. â€Å"Knew this was coming,† he muttered to himself, frowning. Then, suddenly, his face went perfectly smooth and blank. â€Å"Dad?† I asked anxiously. I glanced at Edward, but I couldn't read his face, either, as he watched Charlie. â€Å"Ha!† Charlie exploded. I jumped in my seat. â€Å"Ha, ha, ha!† I stared incredulously as Charlie doubled over in laughter; his whole body shook with it. I looked at Edward for a translation, but Edward had his lips pressed tightly together, like he was trying to hold back laughter himself. â€Å"Okay, fine,† Charlie choked out. â€Å"Get married.† Another roll of laughter shook through him. â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But what?† I demanded. â€Å"But you have to tell your mom! I'm not saying one word to Renee! That's all yours!† He busted into loud guffaws. I paused with my hand on the doorknob, smiling. Sure, at the time, Charlie's words had terrified me. The ultimate doom: telling Renee. Early marriage was higher up on her blacklist than boiling live puppies. Who could have foreseen her response? Not me. Certainly not Charlie. Maybe Alice, but I hadn't thought to ask her. â€Å"Well, Bella,† Renee had said after I'd choked and stuttered out the impossible words: /Worn, I'm marrying Edward. Tm a little miffed that you waited so long to tell me. Plane tickets only get more expensive. Oooh,† she'd fretted. â€Å"Do you think Phil's cast will be off by then? It will spoil the pictures if he's not in a tux – â€Å" â€Å"Back up a second, Mom.† I'd gasped. â€Å"What do you mean, waited so long? I just got en-en . . .† – I'd been unable to force out the word engaged – â€Å"things settled, you know, today.† â€Å"Today? Really? That is a surprise. I assumed †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What did you assume? When did you assume?† â€Å"Well, when you came to visit me in April, it looked like things were pretty much sewn up, if you know what I mean. You're not very hard to read, sweetie. But I didn't say anything because I knew it wouldn't do any good. You're exactly like Charlie.† She'd sighed, resigned. â€Å"Once you make up your mind, there is no reasoning with you. Of course, exactly like Charlie, you stick by your decisions, too.† And then she'd said the last thing that I'd ever expected to hear from my mother. â€Å"You're not making my mistakes, Bella. You sound like you're scared silly, and I'm guessing it's because you're afraid of me.† She'd giggled. â€Å"Of what I'm going to think. And I know I've said a lot of things about marriage and stupidity – and I'm not taking them back – but you need to realize that those things specifically applied to me. You're a completely different person than I am. You make your own kinds of mistakes, and I'm sure you'll have your share of regrets in life. But commitment was never your problem, sweetie. You have a better chance of making this work than most forty-year-olds I know.† Renee had laughed again. â€Å"My little middle-aged child. Luckily, you seem to have found another old soul.† â€Å"You're not†¦ mad? You don't think I'm making a humongous mistake?† â€Å"Well, sure, I wish you'd wait a few more years. I mean, do I look old enough to be a mother-in-law to you? Don't answer that. But this isn't about me. This is about you. Are you happy?† â€Å"I don't know. I'm having an out-of-body experience right now.† Renee had chuckled. â€Å"Does he make you happy, Bella?† â€Å"Yes, but – â€Å" â€Å"Are you ever going to want anyone else?† â€Å"No, but – â€Å" â€Å"But what?† â€Å"But aren't you going to say that I sound exactly like every other infatuated teenager since the dawn of time?† â€Å"You've never been a teenager, sweetie. You know what's best for you.† For the last few weeks, Renee had unexpectedly immersed herself in wedding plans. She'd spent hours every day on the phone with Edward's mother, Esme – no worries about the in-laws getting along. Renee adored Esme, but then, I doubted anyone could help responding that way to my lovable almost-mother-in-law. It let me right off the hook. Edward's family and my family were taking care of the nuptials together without my having to do or know or think too hard about any of it. Charlie was furious, of course, but the sweet part was that he wasn't furious at me. Renee was the traitor. He'd counted on her to play the heavy. What could he do now, when his ultimate threat – telling Mom – had turned out to be utterly empty? He had nothing, and he knew it. So he moped around the house, muttering things about not being able to trust anyone in this world___ â€Å"Dad?† I called as I pushed open the front door. â€Å"I'm home.† â€Å"Hold on, Bells, stay right there.† â€Å"Huh?† I asked, pausing automatically. â€Å"Gimme a second. Ouch, you got me, Alice.† Alice? â€Å"Sorry, Charlie,† Alice's trilling voice responded. â€Å"How's that?† â€Å"I'm bleeding on it.† â€Å"You're fine. Didn't break the skin – trust me.† â€Å"What's going on?† I demanded, hesitating in the doorway. â€Å"Thirty seconds, please, Bella,† Alice told me. â€Å"Your patience will be rewarded.† â€Å"Humph,† Charlie added. I tapped my foot, counting each beat. Before I got to thirty, Alice said, â€Å"Okay, Bella, come in!† Moving with caution, I rounded the little corner into our living room. â€Å"Oh,† I huffed. â€Å"Aw. Dad. Don't you look – â€Å" â€Å"Silly?† Charlie interrupted. â€Å"I was thinking more like debonair† Charlie blushed. Alice took his elbow and tugged him around into a slow spin to showcase the pale gray tux. â€Å"Now cut that out, Alice. I look like an idiot.† â€Å"No one dressed by me ever looks like an idiot.† â€Å"She's right, Dad. You look fabulous! What's the occasion?† Alice rolled her eyes. â€Å"It's the final check on the fit. For both of you.† I peeled my gaze off the unusually elegant Charlie for the first time and saw the dreaded white garment bag laid carefully across the sofa. â€Å"Aaah.† â€Å"Go to your happy place, Bella. It won't take long.† I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. Keeping them shut, I stumbled my way up the stairs to my room. I stripped down to my underwear and held my arms straight out. â€Å"You'd think I was shoving bamboo splinters under your nails,† Alice muttered to herself as she followed me in. I paid no attention to her. I was in my happy place. In my happy place, the whole wedding mess was over and done. Behind me. Already repressed and forgotten. We were alone, just Edward and me. The setting was fuzzy and constantly in flux – it morphed from misty forest to cloud-covered city to arctic night – because Edward was keeping the location of our honeymoon a secret to surprise me. But I wasn't especially concerned about the where part. Edward and I were together, and I'd fulfilled my side of our compromise perfectly. I'd married him. That was the big one. But I'd also accepted all his outrageous gifts and was registered, however futilely, to attend Dartmouth College in the fall. Now it was his turn. Before he turned me into a vampire – his big compromise – he had one other stipulation to make good on. Edward had an obsessive sort of concern over the human things that I would be giving up, the experiences he didn't want me to miss. Most of them – like the prom, for example – seemed silly to me. There was only one human experience I worried about missing. Of course it would be the one he wished I would forget completely. Here was the thing, though. I knew a little about what I was going to be like when I wasn't human anymore. I'd seen newborn vampires firsthand, and I'd heard all my family-to-be's stories about those wild early days. For several years, my biggest personality trait was going to be thirsty, it would take some time before I could be me again. And even when I was in control of myself, I would never feel exactly the way I felt now. Human†¦ and passionately in love. I wanted the complete experience before I traded in my warm, breakable, pheromone-riddled body for something beautiful, strong†¦ and unknown. I wanted a real honeymoon with Edward. And, despite the danger he feared this would put me in, he'd agreed to try. I was only vaguely aware of Alice and the slip and slide of satin over my skin. I didn't care, for the moment, that the whole town was talking about me. I didn't think about the spectacle I would have to star in much too soon. I didn't worry about tripping on my train or giggling at the wrong moment or being too young or the staring audience or even the empty seat where my best friend should be. I was with Edward in my happy place.

Business Ethics and Virtue Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Business Ethics and Virtue Ethics - Essay Example In this context, it is unfair for a person to embezzle anything material or not to give people what they are privileged to receive. It is also unreasonable if somebody distributes something without a proper reason. "Individuals should be treated the same, unless they differ in ways that are relevant to the situation in which they are involved." For example, if Jack and Jill both do the same work, and there are no relevant differences between them or the work they are doing, then in justice they should be paid the same wages† (Valesquez et al 1990). A virtue like honesty or generosity is not merely doing things that honest or generous manner. It is specific as a â€Å"desirable† or â€Å"ethically valuable† personality attribute. It is, certainly a moral trait—that is, a character which is well established in a person. It also concerns with numerous other aspects as well, with emotion and associated reactions, selection, principles, wishes, perceptions, attitudes, safety, prospects and sensibilities. To be virtuous is to possess certain characteristic traits with a positive complex attitude. â€Å"An honest persons reasons and choices with respect to honest and dishonest actions reflect her views about honesty and truth—but of course such views manifest themselves with respect to other actions and to emotional reactions as well. Valuing honesty as she does, she chooses, where possible to work with honest people, to have honest friends, to bring up her children to be honest† (Virtue Ethics 2003 Para 6). This mainly focuses on how reasonably or arbitrarily one’s actions entail benefits or burden for a specific individual or group. Benefits and burdens may be circulated supported on what an individual requires, deserve, donate, etc., It may also depend on how it series a specific group." By inspecting the GMP’s of the Mattel Inc, it is crystal clear that the

A Rationale for Integrating Arts in Education Essay

A Rationale for Integrating Arts in Education - Essay Example What makes this approach simultaneously traditional and revolutionary in nature is that it proposes a wider sense of self-development and expression of being in human nature and the conception of self than is traditionally permitted in institutions focused on discipline and social control of large and diverse masses of students who must be managed efficiently and coerced into behavioral patterns. The possibility exists that the â€Å"discipline and punish† mentality operating overtly and subtly in academic institutions publicly and privately may be more related to social hierarchies, engrained power structures, systems of status, and the needs of capitalist production facilities than a genuine valuing of the human being as a unique and free individual, as the work of the French Philosopher Michel Foucault suggested. If in recognizing this deeply engrained structural bias, educators feel the need for systemic reform in education institutions, one possible methodology to impleme nt on a theoretical basis in managing educational institutions is an Integrated Arts approach. This methodology relates also to extensive research in Humanistic and Integral psychology, which additionally posit a fundamental paradigm change in education that represents a broader and multi-dimensional conception of the human being and the respect for the essential freedom of human life found in Natural Law and Human Rights theories. Critical to the success of the Integral Arts approach is the cultivation of creativity in all aspects of life, problem solving, learning, and self-development. Encouraging Learning Styles and Multiple Perspectives Public institutions in a democratic and egalitarian society should be tasked with protecting the interests of all of society’s members equally. In education, this should fundamentally apply to serving the needs of all students equally. It can be further argued that the ranking, grading, evaluation of students, and distribution of grades o perates on a standardized model that contains both cultural biases and discrimination against students who have different learning styles or forms of self-expression. Integrated Arts methodologies in education management can theoretically eradicate these engrained structural biases by eliminating or changing the way students are tested, â€Å"valued†, promoted, etc. As Gallas (1991) wrote in â€Å"Arts as epistemology: Enabling children to know what they know,† â€Å"they [the students} will show you what they know and how they learn best, and often that is not the teachers way.† (Gallas, 1991) In forcing the students to conform on a fundamental level to the authority and rules of the class, a type of bias in education may arise that teachers and educators should address through education theory. An Integral Arts approach is designed to address this bias by de-emphasizing the authority structures that are presented in traditional models of classroom

Annunciation of Mary A Significant Image in the Christian Theology Essay

Annunciation of Mary A Significant Image in the Christian Theology - Essay Example This article will discuss in detail  the image of Annunciation of Mary, starting from the story as given in "Protoevangelium of James" and moving on to later time periods. This writing will take a look at this particular picture of Mary as it gradually develops through the ages and represents her gradual rise in the minds and beliefs of Christian theology. It will also focus on the aspect of representing the perpetual virginity of Mary through this image of ‘Annunciation of Mary’ to allay the fears in the minds of the orthodox creed. Early Christian literature that is of the imaginative type and tells us stories of a religious nature are known as the apocryphal gospels. These were first written in the second century and a certain variation of these apocryphal scriptures are known as ‘proto-gospels’ which give us the first pictures of Mary, right from her birth. One of these proto-gospels, known as the â€Å"Protevangelium of James†, is supposedly written by James, son of Joseph, from his first marriage, and dates even prior to that of Luke’s gospel. Here in James gospel, we get a beautiful picture of Mary’s Annunciation with the archangel Gabriel, described by Knight, as, â€Å"And she took the pitcher, and went out to fill it with water. And, behold, a voice saying:  Hail, you who have received  grace; the  Lord is with you;  blessed  are you among  women! And she looked around, on the right hand and on the left, to see whence this voice came. And she went away, tre mbling, to her house, and put down the pitcher; and taking the purple, she sat down on her seat, and drew it out. And, behold, an  angel  of the  Lord  stood before her, saying:  Fear  not,  Mary; for you have found  grace  before the  Lord  of all, and you shall conceive, according to His word. And she hearing, reasoned with herself, saying: Shall I conceive by the  Lord, the living  God?