Essay Sample on Old Testament Stories

Essay Sample on Old Testament Stories The year of the fall of Samaria was approaching. Hoshea, son of Elah, was ruling over Israel. As most of the kings before him, Hoshea did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Therefore, God put curses on Samaria with the invasion of Assyria. All Israelites had to leave their land and move to Assyria. The king of Assyria took the complete power over the land of Israelites and brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites (2 Kings 17:24). God did this because of Israel’s numerous sins. Israelites did not follow the book of Law written by Moses, but instead acted in opposite way. They worshipped other kings, had a lot of high places, where they burned incense, and even sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. God removed all Israel from his presence, but left only one tribe Judah, as he still was holding to the Covenant he made with David.MoreThis happened to be a warning to the tribe of Judah. Nevertheless, it was not enough for people to stop act against God. Although, Hezekiah, king of Judah, ruled right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done (2 Kings 18:3), removed all high places and even broke Moses Bronze Snake, to which people burned incense, Hezekiahs follower Manasseh made the most evil thing by rebuilding high places erecting altar to Baal and making an Asherah pole, and even sacrificing his own son in the fire. Therefore, this is what the Lord, the god of Israel says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tangle (2 Kings 21:12). During the reign of Josiah, grandson of Manasseh, the Book of the Law was found by Hilkiah, the high priest. Josiah acted in accordance with the law during his life. However, all of his followers including Zedekiah, ignored Gods commandments, so in 586 B.C., Jerusalem was seized by Babylon and all people were made to flee to Egypt. These are the evens that took place at that time period and now we have to find reasons and explanation to these evens and their significance in the Bible. The book of Torah is the primary reason for writing a second edition of DH. This book was written by Moses on the scroll and placed next to the Ark. It was considered to be the Law Code, which people were obligated to carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 26:16). One of the most important points in the book of Law was the centralization of worship. There did not have to be numerous places to worship, but only the one. â€Å"But you are to seek the place the Lord your God, will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name for his dwelling. (Deuteronomy 12:5) The book of the Law also contained special code of laws for kings. A king could not be a foreigner, must not acquire great numbers of horses, must not take many wives, and must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold (Deuteronomy 15:17). However, practice did not comply with the law. Most of the kings until the reign of Josiah acted in the way totally different as it was said in the book. Besides the fact that king Solomon had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3), he was building a lot of high places to worship his wives gods. According to the Law, only Levite priests could perform sacrifices. This point of code was ignored either. For example, in 1 Kings 12:31, Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people even though they were not Levites. Also, in 1 Samuel 1, we can observe Samuel who is non-Levite, worshipping the Lord in his house at Shiloh. The reason to this is the lost Book of the Law after Philistines capturing the ark. Davidic covenant was included in DH1. The God said to David though the prophet Nathan your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.† (2 Samuel 7:16) This covenant was treated as unconditional. However, as we can see, the actions of David’s followers led to eventual cancellation of the covenant. Davids son Solomon, who was predestinated to build of the house for Lord, did not behave as his father did. During his reign, he accumulated a great number of horses, silver and gold, had enormous number of wives and worshipped their gods. Because of his negative performance God decided to tear his kingdom away from him, however, leaving him a piece of land in order to keep to his promise to David. Further, troubles came upon Israel. Most kings of Israel were engaged in fighting, murder and worshipping other gods. As Jeroboam, you [Jeroboam] had done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods , idols made of metal (1 Kings 14:9) Rehoboam, king of Judah, also did evil. He built high places, sacred stones, and Asherah poles everywhere. Asa, king of Judah was one of relatively good kings. â€Å"He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all idols his father has made. (1 Kings 15:12) However, he did not destroy the high places for sacrifices and worship. Both kings of Israel, Baasha and Elah did evil things, that is why, their whole family was killed because of their sins, as it was declared through the prophet Jehu. Ahab, king of Israel was one of the worst kings. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel than did all the kings of Israel before him (1 Kings 16:33). Nevertheless, God decided not to put disaster on him but on his son as Ahab humbled himself before God. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah was one of the kings devoted to Lord, his God. But, anyway, he didn’t remove the high placed it was require d according to the law. Despite of the wrongdoings of the kings Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II, Zechariah, Shallum, Pekah and others, God Was not willing to destroy Judah. He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever. (2 Kings 8:19) The kings Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, and Jotham, did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but they never destroyed high places. Hoshea did more evil that his predicators, therefore God decided to curse Israel by taking away their land and putting them into exile. Hezekiah, king of Judah, was better than all those who preceded him. He is compared to King David. Hezekiah removed all high places and even broke the Bronze Snake, the sign of Moses. Nevertheless, his follower, turned everything the way it was before. He restored high places, built other places to worship and sacrificed his own son in the fire. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord provoking Him to anger. (2 Kings 21:6) The most devoted and righ teous king was Josiah. In Deuteronomy 6:5 it is said Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Of all the kings only Josiah did everything in accordance with the law. He is even compared to Moses. During Josiah’s reign there was the centralization of worship. He introduced the Law to all people and made them pledge to the renewed covenant. In my opinion, Jeremiah is the most probable author of Deuteronomist history. It was written in 622 B.C. during the reign of Josiah. Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, the high priest, who found the book of law. Shaphan was a secretary. Therefore, he decided to write DH1 to show why the kings of that period did not follow the law code and to prove the unconditional status of Davidic covenant. Jeremiah dictated the text to Baruck who scribed it. One more proof of Jeremiah’s authorship is the language used in the books of Jeremiah, Deuteronomy and 2 Kings. We can observe numerous similar verses in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah. For instances, in both Deuteronomy 10:16 and Jeremiah 4:4 it is said circumcise your hearts. In Deuteronomy 4:20 and Jeremiah 11:4 brought you out of iron-smelting furnace. Furthermore, there are numerous similarities in Deuteronomy and 2 Kings. As P author wrote in approximately, 700 B.C. Jeremiah was aware of him. P did not make restrictions about sacrifices i n one place; therefore he was not aware of the book of Law. Although, David was promised that there always be a king on his throne, 586 B.C. Jerusalem fell, and now there was no king on the throne. Jerusalem was captured by Babylon and people were put to exile. During this time, DH2 was written by Jeremiah and Baruch. They needed to find a reason for exile, therefore, after Josiah, there was a shift in focus of DH. Jeremiah revised what God said to David in the covenant with Solomon. God said to Solomon that if he would keep to all Gods commands and laws, be righteous and obedient, God would establish his throne forever. But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, than I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my name. (1 Kings 9:6-7) Here we can see a reference to exile. As for Manasseh, in 2 Kings, he would never be forgiven for his terrible sins: For he had filled Jerusa lem with innocent blood and the Lord was not willing to forgive (2 Kings 24:4). However, in 2 Chronicles 23:13, when Manasseh prayed to God the Lord was moved by his entreaty and took him back to his kingdom. The purpose for including this verse in DH2 is to show that God does forgive his people.

Overview of The Seven Years War (1756 - 63)

Overview of The Seven Years War (1756 - 63) In Europe, the Seven Years War was fought between an alliance of France, Russia, Sweden, Austria and Saxony against Prussia, Hanover and Great Britain from 1756 - 63. However, the war had an international element, particularly as Britain and France fought for domination of North America and India. As such, it has been called the first ‘world war’. The theatre in North America is called the ‘French Indian’ war, and in German,y the Seven Years War has been known as the ‘Third Silesian War’. It is notable for the adventures of Frederick the Great, a man whose major early successes and later tenacity were matched by one of the most incredible pieces of luck ever to end a major conflict in history (that bit is on page two). Origins: The Diplomatic Revolution The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the War of the Austrian Succession in 1748, but to many, it was only an armistice, a temporary halt to the war. Austria had lost Silesia to Prussia, and was angry at both Prussia – for taking the wealthy land – and her own allies for not making sure it was returned. She started weighing up her alliances and seeking out alternatives. Russia grew worried about the growing power of Prussia, and wondered about waging a ‘preventative’ war to stop them. Prussia, pleased at having gained Silesia, believed it would take another war to keep it, and hoped to gain more territory during it. In the 1750s, as tensions rose in North America between British and French colonists competing for the same land, Britain acted to try and prevent the ensuing war destabilising Europe by altering its alliances. These actions, and a change of heart by Frederick II of Prussia – known by his many later admirers as ‘the Great’ – triggered what has been called the ‘Diplomatic Revolution’, as the previous system of alliances broke down and a new one replaced it, with Austria, France and Russia allied against Britain, Prussia and Hanover. Europe: Frederick Gets His Retaliation in First In May 1756, Britain and France officially went to war, triggered by French attacks on Minorca; the recent treaties stopped other nations being sucked in to help. But with the new alliances in place, Austria was poised to strike and take Silesia back, and Russia was planning a similar initiative, so Frederick II of Prussia – aware of the plotting – initiated conflict in an attempt to gain an advantage. He wanted to defeat Austria before France and Russia could mobilise; he also wanted to seize more land. Frederick thus attacked Saxony in August 1756 to try and break its alliance with Austria, seize its resources and set up his planned 1757 campaign. He took the capital, accepting their surrender, incorporating their troops and sucking huge funds out of the state. Prussian forces then advanced into Bohemia, but were unable to win the victory that would keep them there and they retreated to Saxony. They advanced back again in early 1757, winning the battle of Prague on May 6, 1757, thanks in no small part to Frederick’s subordinates. However, the Austrian army had retreated into Prague, which Prussia besieged. Luckily for the Austrians, Frederick was defeated on June 18th by a relief force at the Battle of Kolin and forced to retreat out of Bohemia. Europe: Prussia Under Attack Prussia now appeared to be attacked from all sides, as a French force defeated the Hanoverians under an English general – the King of England was also the King of Hanover – occupied Hanover and marched to Prussia, while Russia came in from the East and defeated other Prussians, although they followed this up by retreating and only occupied East Prussia the next January. Austria moved on Silesia and Sweden, new to the Franco-Russo-Austrian alliance, also attacked. For a while Frederick sank into self pity, but responded with a display of arguably brilliant generalship, defeating a Franco-German army at Rossbach on November 5th, and an Austrian one at Leuthenon December 5th; both of which had outnumbered him greatly. Neither victory was enough to force an Austrian (or French) surrender. From now on the French would target a resurgent Hanover, and never fought Frederick again, while he moved quickly, defeating one enemy army and then another before they could effectively team up, using his advantage of shorter, internal lines of movement. Austria soon learnt not to fight Prussia in the large, open areas which favoured Prussia’s superior movement, although this was constantly reduced by casualties. Britain began to harass the French coast to try and draw troops away, while Prussia pushed the Swedes out. Europe: Victories and Defeats The British ignored the surrender of their previous Hanoverian army and returned to the region, intent on keeping France at bay. This new army was commanded by a close ally of Frederick’s (his brother in law) and kept French forces busy in the west and away from both Prussia and the French colonies. They won the battle of Minden in 1759, and made a series of strategic manoeuvres to tie up the enemy armies, although were constrained by having to send reinforcements to Frederick. Frederick attacked Austria, but was outmanoeuvred during a siege and forced to retreat into Silesia. He then fought a draw with the Russians at Zorndorf, but took heavy casualties (a third of his army); he was then beaten by Austria at Hochkirch, losing a third again. By the end of the year he had cleared Prussia and Silesia of enemy armies, but was greatly weakened, unable to pursue anymore grand offensives; Austria was cautiously pleased. By now, all belligerents had spent huge sums. Frederick was bought to battle again at Battle of Kunersdorf in August 1759, but was heavily defeated by an Austro-Russian army. He lost 40% of the troops present, although he managed to keep the remainder of his army in operation. Thanks to Austrian and Russian caution, delays and disagreements, their advantage was not pressed and Frederick avoided being forced to surrender. In 1760 Frederick failed in another siege, but won minor victories against the Austrians, although at Torgau he won because of his subordinates rather than anything he did. France, with some Austrian support, tried to push for peace. By the end of 1761, with enemies wintering on Prussian land, things were going badly for Frederick, whose once highly trained army was now bulked out with hastily gathered recruits, and whose numbers where well below those of the enemy armies. Frederick was increasingly unable to perform the marches and outflankings which had bought him success, and was on the defensive. Had Frederick’s enemies overcome their seeming inability to co-ordinate – thanks to xenophobia, dislike, confusion, class differences and more - Frederick might already have been beaten. In control of only a part of Prussia, Frederick’s efforts looked doomed, despite Austria being in a desperate financial position. Europe: Death as Prussian Saviour Frederick hoped for a miracle, and he got one. The implacably anti-Prussian Tsarina of Russia died, to be succeeded by Tsar Peter III. He was favourable to Prussia and made immediate peace, sending troops to help Frederick. Although Peter was assassinated quickly afterwards – not before trying to invade Denmark – the new Tsar – Peter’s wife, Catherine the Great – kept the peace agreements, although she withdrew Russian troops which had been helping Frederick. This freed Frederick to win more engagements against Austria. Britain took the chance to end their alliance with Prussia – thanks partly to mutual antipathy between Frederick and Britain’s new Prime Minister- declaring war on Spain and attacking their Empire instead. Spain invaded Portugal, but were halted with British aid. The Global War Although British troops did fight on the continent, slowly increasing in numbers, the Britain had preferred to send financial support to Frederick and Hanover – subsidies larger than any before in British history – rather than fight in Europe. This was in order to send troops and ships elsewhere in the world. The British had been involved in fighting in North America since 1754, and the government under William Pitt decided to further prioritise the war in America, and hit the rest of France’s imperial possessions, using their powerful navy to harass France where she was weakest. In contrast, France focused on Europe first, planning an invasion of Britain, but this possibility was ended by the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, shattering France’s remaining Atlantic naval power and their ability to reinforce America. England had effectively won the ‘French-Indian’ war in North America by 1760, but peace there had to wait until the other theatres were settled. In 1759 a small, opportunistic British force had seized Fort Louis on the Senegal River in Africa, acquiring plenty of valuables and suffering no casualties. Consequently, by the end of the year, all French trading posts in Africa were British. Britain then attacked France in the West Indies, taking the rich island of Guadeloupe and moving on to other wealth producing targets. The British East India Company retaliated against a local leader and attacked French interests in India and, aided greatly by the British Royal Navy dominating the Indian Ocean as it had the Atlantic, ejected France from the area. By war’s end, Britain had a vastly increased Empire, France a much reduced one. Britain and Spain also went to war, and Britain shocked their new enemy by seizing the hub of their Caribbean operations, Havana, and a quarter of the Spanish Navy. Peace None of Prussia, Austria, Russia or France had been able to win the decisive victories needed to force their enemies to surrender, but by 1763 the war in Europe had drained the belligerents and they sought peace, Austria, facing bankruptcy and feeling unable to proceed without Russia, France defeated abroad and unwilling to fight on to support Austria, and England keen to cement global success and end the drain on their resources. Prussia was intent on forcing a return to the state of affairs before the war, but as peace negotiations dragged on Frederick sucked as much as he could out of Saxony, including kidnapping girls and relocating them in depopulated areas of Prussia. The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10th, 1763, settling issues between Britain, Spain and France, humiliating the latter, former greatest power in Europe. Britain gave Havana back to Spain, but received Florida in return. France compensated Spain by giving her Louisiana, while England got all French lands in North America east of the Mississippi except New Orleans. Britain also gained much of the West Indies, Senegal, Minorca and land in India. Other possessions changed hands, and Hanover was secured for the British. On February 10th, 1763 the Treaty of Hubertusburg between Prussia and Austria confirmed the status quo: Prussia kept Silesia, and secured its claim to ‘great power’ status, while Austria kept Saxony. As historian Fred Anderson pointed out, millions had been spent and tens of thousands had died, but nothing had changed. Consequences Britain was left as the dominant world power, albeit deeply in debt, and the cost had introduced new problems in the relationship with its colonists (this would go on to cause the American Revolutionary War, another global conflict that would end in a British defeat.) France was on the road to economic disaster and revolution. Prussia had lost 10% of its population but, crucially for Frederick’s reputation, had survived the alliance of Austria, Russia and France which had wanted to reduce or destroy it, although many historians claim Frederick is given too much credit for this as outside factors allowed it. Reforms followed in many of the belligerent’s government and military, with Austrian fears that Europe would be on the road to a disastrous militarism were well founded. The failure of Austria to reduce Prussia to second rate power doomed it to a competition between the two for the future of Germany, benefitting Russia and France, and leading to a Prussian centred Germany empire. The war also saw a shift in the balance of diplomacy, with Spain and Holland, reduced in importance, replaced by two new Great Powers: Prussia and Russia. Saxony was ruined.

Organizational Culture and Harley-Davidson Case Study

Organizational Culture and Harley-Davidson - Case Study Example The success of Harley-Davidson as a company can be attributed to its strong organizational culture. Harley-Davidson management strived to rediscover the things their company did best and was gifted with the knowledge of what culture could help achieve its vision of the future. Its leaders consciously re-examined its community roots and undertook actions that served long-term corporate and community purposes (Burack, 1993, p. 78). According to Schuster and Weidman (2006), Harley-Davidson's culture could be described as participatory because it imbues "collaborative decision-making at all levels". Schuster and Weidman (2006) shared that this company applies "collaborative model" because it decentralized the senior management's decision-making down to its salaried-only work groups. Although Harley-Davidson management considers this culture as a "work in progress", it has already attained various success levels throughout the organization. The continued exposure of their leaders and plan t floor employees into working productive teams, the company has gained non-traditional opportunities and it increased the level of employee support for this practice of labor-management partnership. Harley-Davidson's is an epitome of a company's effective approach to people management No doubt, organizational culture... Conversely, failure to comply with cultural norms generates social pressures to conform; thus the individuals would either align with the cultural expectations or face ostracism and ridicule by their peers. Much of this process occurs in an informal and unspecified manner, filling in the gaps left by rational organizational control systems such as reporting relationships and job descriptions. Ultimately, it is the customers that benefits in the application of a We have recommended for Harley-Davidson to establish a website where customers and potential customers can convene, the site will be called "Harley Dreamers" and the goal of this website is to promote Harley-Davidson events and while linking our customers to each other. The site will also offer a "Swap Meet" portion of the website, where subscribers could post ads for motorcycles and parts for sale or for trade. Another feature would be a site like "Bike Log", which could complement the "Swap Meet" site because people purchasing a bike from the site will be able to see where the bike has traveled and users can share their good or bad experiences using Harley-Davidson's motorcycles. "Swap Meet" should be free for all Harley-Davidson customers, since this is the great selling point for getting people to subscribe to this site. Lastly, the "Technical Information Center" is a vital feature of the site where subscribers can obtain answers directly from Harley-Davidson professionals who wo uld answer to their needs 24-hours a day. The GPS system will also enable users to track a bike or they can simply chat with other bike owners about their experiences on our blog. Incidentally, decentralized and collaborative decision-making that already exists in Harley-Davidson culture can work best with

Compare the Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Compare the Economies - Essay Example Examining unemployment levels is one important way of looking at the reason behind the reported high poverty levels in a country. The unemployment level for this purpose shall refer to the number of non-working (and therefore unproductive) individuals who are of working age (usually 15 years old and above). The number of people in a given population without jobs indicates the type of labor force the country has. Unemployment rates may invoke questions such as "Why aren't there enough jobs for everyone of working age" "Are there not enough business enterprises or investments in the country that contribute to job creation" or "If there are available jobs, why aren't the people employed" "Do people choose not to work at all" or "Are there issues in literacy and education as well" In addition, trends in unemployment levels may indicate how a country is progressing in terms of its growth and development. Since Vietnam and the Philippines are still in their developing stages, the unemploym ent level could be an important indicator of how well and how fast they are achieving their development goals. In summary, a country's unemployment rate may provide a lot of insights on its economic growth and development. High unemployment rates could only mean two things:... High unemployment rates could only mean two things: either job seekers could not be given the jobs they are looking for or people simply do not want to work, that is, participate in the labor force. Given the status of the two countries chosen for this assignment as being underdeveloped and having large populations under the poverty line, it is highly unlikely that people in these two nations would not want to work and earn income at all. The latter type of situation is more likely to occur in highly developed countries wherein governments can provide for substantial subsidies for their citizens living allowances. In the case of Vietnam and the Philippines, both countries barely have enough financial resources to offer free education to the public, much less to provide for the daily needs of their poor. Thus, unemployment in this context shall be focused on not having enough jobs for qualified job seekers. A country's economy is usually gauged as positive or negative in terms of what goods and services it produces, how much of these are actually produced, how these goods and services are produced and for whom and how production rates can grow over a period of time. Simply put, a country's economic growth largely depends on its capacity to produce. Productivity in turn is influenced or affected by the availability and utilization of capital, natural resources and the labor force, among others. In order to produce goods and services, there must be work involved in the process and work is done by skillful and knowledgeable workers, which constitute the labor force. Thus, all things being equal, if more people are able to work, more goods and services may be produced and if there is a constant increase in the number of people who work, steady productivity

The Internet and its Impact on Society Essay Example for Free

The Internet and its Impact on Society Essay The internet has its roots in the space program. When the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite, President Eisenhower formed the Advanced Research Projects Agency. (ARPA). The mission of this agency was to assist the dominance of the United States in technology that would assist the military. By 1968, packets had been developed to facilitate data transfer. These packets are hard to intercept and decode, since the total message is split up among many packets. These packets could travel several different routes, so if one route became unavailable, possibly from a nuclear attack, then the message could still reach its destination via another route. This technology was named Packet Switching Networking (Marsh 2007, p. 1). In 1969 the Department of Defense formed ARPANET. The purpose of this network was to research the upcoming possibilities. The first node was located at the University of California – Los Angeles, with nodes installed shortly afterward at Stanford, the University of California – Santa Barbara, and at the University of Utah. Thus in 1969, there were a total of four nodes on this network. This is considered the birth of the internet (Marsh 2007, p. 2). The 1970s was a landmark decade for the internet. Email was first created in 1971. By now, there were 15 nodes and 23 hosts on the ARPANET. In 1973, the first international node was established on ARPANET at the University College of London. Both Ethernet protocols and File Transfer Protocols (FTP) were developed. The commercial version of ARPANET, named Telenet, was placed in operation in 1974 as the first packet service for the public. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth sent her first Email (Marsh 2007, p. 3). By 1984, there were over 1,000 hosts on the internet. The concept of the Domain Server Name (DNS) was introduced, so that instead of a series of numbers, the user could remember a name of the host. The number of hosts exploded in the late 1980s. By 1986, there were 5,000   hosts. The number increased to 280,000 in 1987 and 100,000 in 1989. In 1991 CERN released the World Wide Web (WWW), and by 1993 the number of hosts had increased to 2,000,000 (Marsh 2007, p. 3). Commercialization of the internet began in the mid 1990s. Shopping malls, the US Senate and House of Representatives, and banks had all joined the internet revolution. By 1997 there were 19.5 million hosts and over 1 million WWW sites (Marsh 2007, p. 7). This extremely rapid growth was at times unregulated. Indeed, the growth outpaced society’s ability to deal with the impact that this technology was going to have. For all the benefit that the information age has provided, there are just as many pitfalls. The dominance of this one technological beast in the world today has made the globe much smaller than aviation ever did. The continued expansion of the internet has brought to the forefront many different ethical questions. These can be grouped into some fairly broad categories. First, there is the criminal element that utilizes the internet for criminal profiteering, exploitation, and hacking. Second, the extreme amount of information available makes research both easier and easily subject to dishonesty. Plagiarism has always been an issue in the academic world. Now with virtually millions of academic articles available at a keystroke, it has never been easier. Thirdly, Corporate America has utilized the internet for bulk mailing, unwanted pop-up advertisements, and other basically annoying retail behavior. They also utilize the internet for corporate spying, invasive employee monitoring, and other questionable activities. Lastly, the internet has provided an environment for pornography, intimate contact, and other ethically questionable behavior. The criminal element of our society has latched onto the internet. With thousands of transactions posted through the internet each hour, identity theft is common. In identity theft, the   perpetrator steals the identity in order to commit some other crime. Most often, this new crime is fraud. The criminal either intercepts the information or, more likely, convinces the individual to provide the information through the email. If the criminal is disguised as a legitimate business, then the activity is called Phishing. The criminal will take the personal information he has received and either open new credit card and other transaction accounts or simply steal out of the account numbers he has received from the unsuspecting victim. The victim may not even realize the theft occurred for months (Arnold 2000, p. 1-8). While identity theft is a property crime, other criminals use the internet to prey on children. The will communicate with younger children in chat rooms, often posing as a child themselves. Commonly, these pedophiles will attempt to lure these children into meeting them somewhere, like the mall. When they meet the children, they then have the opportunity to molest, kidnap, or otherwise harm them. Hacking was seen at one time as harmless fun. Now hackers can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage including lost income, cost to fix the damage done, and loss of customers. Infected computers cause havoc all over the network. Hackers are prosecuted when they are caught, but the methods that they use make identification difficult. There are no easy solutions to the criminal use of the internet. The best defense against identity theft is education. Educating the public on why they should not give there password, social security numbers, and addresses to those they do not know is a start. There are already laws against this. Better and more public enforcement may have an effect. Encryption of data being transmitted over the internet is another way to secure it. This is already being done by the financial institutions and the government, but other businesses could improve their security by encrypting all personal data. Protecting children against internet predators is best done through educating the parents on the use and control of the internet. In our society today, children are left to there own devices more than they were a generation ago. Parents must monitor their children’s use of the internet. Blocking software is available that will prevent children from accessing dangerous areas. Hackers will always be a part of the internet scene. Virus software, like Norton, helps. Again, education is the key. Internet users should only download from trusted sources. Better education on email use is also needed. If no one opened email they did not recognize, computer viruses, phishing, and other scams would be severely reduced. The scholastic integrity has suffered because of the amount of downloadable information and misinformation that is available. Plagiarism has been an issue since universities opened. Now, however, it is everywhere. Students can easily download someone else’s work and claim it as their own. Researches can claim ownership of other people’s research. The detection and prevention of plagiarism is a major issue for higher education. Like internet crime, there is no real absolute solution for plagiarism. Universities have instigated severe penalties, including expulsion, for those who are caught. This type of deterrence will have some effect. Web sites such as www.turnitin.com offer plagiarism detection. If students know that their papers will be checked, they are going to be less likely to commit the act. However, nothing is going to prevent some plagiarism. Education, again, would be beneficial to those who commit unintentional plagiarism, but for those who knowingly do it when they know the risks, education is not going to have an effect. Bulk emailing, or spam, is a very large issue. Corporate America spends lots of money both generating and preventing spam emails. These are a problem because they can tie up server resources, Ethernet gateways, and personal computers. Spam can also harbor viruses that can damage computer systems. Pop-up ads are not only intrusive, they can be damaging. Ads from competitors can appear, without the original business owner’s knowledge, on commercial websites. An example would be a Chevy ad popping up while a person was browsing a ford web site. These ads may be displayed hours later. Along with this, these companies will store files on the user’s hard drive, sometimes without their knowledge, to track what web sites they browse. Tighter regulation on corporate behavior is needed. Unfortunately, the individual states have little they can due since the vast majority of internet traffic crosses state boundaries. Therefore, this type of regulation must come from the Federal Government. Regulations requiring business to notify the user before they store a file on their computer, regulating trespassing pop-up ads, and regulating unwanted Spam are either needed or the enforcement must be better. The issue of pornography is an old one. With the internet, porn is easily accessible. With the free speech guarantees that we enjoy, adult pornography is hard to regulate. Even public libraries have had to face the free speech vs. good for society issue. Like other internet issues, there are no sure answers. Software and hardware that regulates what sites are visited is one way to attempt to keep adult sites in the hands of adults only. But just like â€Å"R† rated movies, kids will find a way to â€Å"sneak in†. The internet has changed our society and has shrunk the world. It happened faster than our society was able to cope. Now we stand in awe looking into a world that we indeed created that has to a real extent got out of hand. The only way to control this monster is through education, enforcement of laws, and stiffer penalties for those who violate these laws. References Arnold, Tom. (2000). Internet Identity Theft. Software Industry Association Marsh, David (2007). History of the Internet. Retrieved June 2, 2007 from NetValley Web site: http://www.netvalley.com/archives/mirrors/davemarsh-timeline-1.htm

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Like Water for Chocolat

Separation between lovers, sisters, or close friends can instill vivid emotions from characters in a novel. Emotions are often evoked through the sense-impressions, thoughts and memories of principal characters. At the same time, departure develops characterization, placing emphasis on a medley of styles and voices employed by writers. Both The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea (hereafter referred to as Sailor) by Yukio Mishima, translated by John Nathan, and Like Water for Chocolate (hereafter referred to as Chocolate) by Laura Esquivel, translated by Carol Christensen and Thomas Christensen, reveal a stark contrast between characters’ departures. In Mishima’s novel, departing is an emotionally painful affair between Ryuji and Fusako; whereas through magic realism in Chocolate, departure acts as a release from a tyrannical household, taking readers to a more personalised understanding of characterisation and gender stereotypes central to the narratives. This essa y will compare the importance and consequences of departures in both novels. The dramatic and emotional effect of Ryuji’s parting from Fusako in Sailor insinuates the incompetence and hollowness of women in a post-war Japanese society. Although Fusako accepts that Ryuji’s departure is temporary, she is positively traumatized. Fusako is in desperate need of a masculine figure, as she muses, â€Å"tomorrow, the thick fingers twined in her own would plunge over the horizon† (Mishima, 1965, pg. 73), allowing us to acknowledge the full extent of Fusako’s fear of abandonment. Ryuji’s, â€Å"thick fingers† symbolises his protective and dominant nature, while the hyperbole, â€Å"plunge over the horizon† is suggestive of Ryuji forgetting her over the vastness of the sea. The use of col... ...ama Elena in Chocolate, and departures influence women to display an honourable degree of strength – birthing, reanimating, and recovering – in the novel. The departure of characters in Sailor, however, enables Mishima to explore Japanese in a moral and cultural decline when Emperor Hirohito surrenders. The misery that washes over Fusako after Ryuji’s departure projects her character as an epitome of the artificiality and absurdity of life in post-WW2 Japan. Nevertheless, Fusako’s development as the powerful and oppressive breadwinner of the household establishes recognition of the invincibility of women. In the eyes of this analyst, I can conclude that in times of hardship, female characters are the ones advocating values of their own with utmost control, and to that extent, successfully approach and react to the event of departure with determination and empathy.

President Theodore Roosevelt Proclamation and First Inaugural

President Theodore Roosevelt Proclamation and First Inaugural Address: The Use of Ethos and Pathos Lisa Weber ENG 530. 020 Dr. Mollick December 5, 2012 Inaugural addresses usually follow a farewell address given by the outgoing President. In the book Presidents Creating Presidency: Deeds Done in Words, Campbell and Jamieson’s chapter on â€Å"Farewell Addresses† explain that â€Å"[a] farewell address is an anticipatory ritual; the address is delivered days, sometimes weeks, before an outgoing president â€Å"lays down† the office, an event that does not occur until a successor is sworn in† (308).This was not the case for Theodore Roosevelt for there was no pending farewell speeches planned. Vice-President Roosevelt became president after the unexpected assassination of President William McKinley on September 14, 1901. In Campbell and Jamieson’s chapter on â€Å"Special Addresses: The Speeches of Ascendant Vice Presidents,† they state that in history there have been only nine times where a vice president moved up to president (57). Eight of these incidents involved a president being assassinated and one involved impeachment.Campbell and Jamieson also acknowledge that â€Å"[t]he death of any person creates the need for a unique form of symbolic response: the eulogy† and that â€Å"need for a eulogy even more urgent† (57). They affirm that â€Å"[t]he community is threatened because it has lost its leader; the citizenry needs reassurance that communal institutions will survive† (57). The unexpected death of McKinley left Roosevelt with the responsibility of comforting the nation. Roosevelt was able to reassure the citizens through the process of his First Proclamation.This proclamation could be seen as his first inaugural address to the nation, with the second official inaugural address coming on March 4, 1905. In this paper we will be looking at two different appeals, pathos and ethos, being used in two totally different addresses. In order to comprehend the use of these rhetorical approaches we need to look at some important information behind the man Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt was a man of many words as well as ideals. He was a well educated man; more than some of the presidents before him and those who came after him.While attending college his first year studies consisted of: Classical Literature, Greek (Plato), Latin (Cicero, Horace), German Language studies, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. In his sophomore year he studied Rhetoric, History, while taking the following electives: German IV, German V, French IV, Natural History III and Natural History VIII. The junior year brought him to studying six themes in English, Philosophy with elective courses in German VIII, Italian I, Philosophy VI, Natural History I, and Natural History III.Roosevelt’s last year consisted of classes in the four forensic themes in English, Italian II, Political Economy II, Natural History IV, and Natural History VI. With all these courses any person could see how strongly educated Roosevelt was and how knowledgeable he was in all areas of academia. With his classes in English and Rhetoric he became eloquent with his linguistics allowing him to compose his own speeches and books. In Speeches of the American Presidents, Janet Podell and Steven Anzovin believed that Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Jefferson were naturally gifted in writing (355).They assert that Roosevelt saw himself as a â€Å"professional man of letters, and his total output of words, which numbers in the tens of millions, dwarfs that of any other president† (355). Through research, many individuals believe that Roosevelt was the main author of all his speeches. Podell and Anzovin believe that Roosevelt had been known to have â€Å"dictate[d] them in outline form† and that he used his â€Å"confidants such as Henry Cabot Lodge† to look at his speeches and other messages before presenting them (355).In Politics as Performance Art: The Body English of Theodore Roosevelt, H. W. Brands states that â€Å"[h]e wore out the stenographers dictating letters, and he wore out clerks reading his messages to Congress† and he continues with informing the reader in parentheses that â€Å"his first message, drafted before McKinley was cold in the grave, weighed in at twenty thousand words† (121). In the biographical material that Podell and Anzovin have compiled they inform the reader that Roosevelt was once a Sunday school teacher and saw the political platform as a â€Å"bully pulpit† (356).They also express that Roosevelt’s tendency in speaking and writing resembles that of a Protestant preacher, as he stresses the importance of walking â€Å"towards the paths of righteousness and virtue† (356). Many people did not like the manner to which Roosevelt would present his speeches because he would be seen as bei ng very loud in volume. While walking back and forth he can be seen waving his speech around like a maniac man screeching his voice in tones that were unbearable to some listening.Podell and Anzovin describes William Roscoe Thayer observations to the manner of which Roosevelt dramatized his speeches; that some of the â€Å"listeners were fascinated by â€Å"his gestures, the way in which his pent-up thoughts seemed almost to strangle him before he could utter them, his smile showing the white rows of teeth, his fist clenched to strike an invisible adversary† (356). Theodore Roosevelt loved the attention and enjoyed the art of oratory for he looked for many opportunities to speak in public, especially on issues that he was passionate about.For Roosevelt, speechmaking was a means to â€Å"educate the public and to inspire it† (356). One of Roosevelt’s closest friends, Henry Cabot Lodge gives credit to Roosevelt’s dominance â€Å"over his listeners to the â€Å"force of conviction† with which he preached his vision of the just society† (356). Henry Cabot Lodge describes and esteems Roosevelt in his article â€Å"Why Theodore Roosevelt Should Be Elected President† when he reminds the public of all of Roosevelt’s accomplishments when he says â€Å"[h]e has carried on the policies of his predecessor; he has been loyal to Republican principles† (329).He continues his list of accomplishments when he states that Roosevelt â€Å"has fearlessly enforced the laws in regards to trusts. His prompt and courageous action has given us the Panama Canal. He has raised the prestige of the Monroe Doctrine to a higher point than ever before and brought the great nations of the earth to the Hague Tribunal, a signal service to the cause of peace† (329). Cabot wanted the citizen’s to remember all the good that Roosevelt had accomplished since taking the helm.In Roosevelt’s speech â€Å"The Strenuous Life,† he believed that a man’s character and America’s character was what set us apart from others. He stated in this speech that he â€Å"wish to preach not the doctrine of ignoble ease but the doctrine of the strenuous life; the life of toil and effort; of labor and strife, to preach that highest form of success which comes not to the man who desires mere easy peace but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph† (357).Roosevelt was one to utilize vocabulary enabling people to remember what he stood for and what his vision was for every man; for with these words he became a man of magnetism. In Images in Words: Presidential Rhetoric, Charisma, and Greatness, four authors (Cynthia Emrich, Holly Brower, Jack Feldman and Howard Garland) analyzed â€Å"two sets of U. S. presidents’ speeches to determine whether their propensities to convey images in words we re linked to perceptions of their charisma and greatness† (527).As a result of this study they came to the conclusion that the presidents’ who in their inaugural addresses used more image-based language were deemed greater in the area of charisma. They also found that the presidents’ that used these image-based words in their speeches were considered and graded higher in the area of â€Å"charisma and greatness† (527). As a result of these findings, the four authors decided that with the proper approach and verbiage any leader would be able to convey his/her vision with verbal/visual illustrations.The verbal and visual imagery would help the listeners paint a picture in their minds to help them remember what was the subject matter was and was more apt to commit it to memory. In this article, Emrich, Brower, Feldman and Garland believe that â€Å"leaders who use words that evoke pictures, sounds, smells, tastes, and other sensations tap more directly into followers’ life experiences than do leaders who use words that appeal solely to followers’ intellect† (529).This study also looked at the other side of the spectrum where leaders used concept-based rhetoric and as a result â€Å"both charisma and greatness failed to reach significance† (549). Taking all this into consideration, Roosevelt knew what he was doing in each of his speeches and how he could reach his audience. With proper preparation, Roosevelt crafted some of the most monumental speeches and phrases that history will always remember. Roosevelt took careful consideration as to the mode and manner of his language that he would use to be able to comfort and console a grieving nation.In Theodore Roosevelt’s â€Å"unofficial† inaugural address, which was really his First Presidential Proclamation, he took all the necessary precautions to soothe the pain and grief of the nation’s mourners through his words. On the Theodore Rooseve lt Center website it displays the statement that Roosevelt made in Ansley Wilcox’s library. Ansley Wilcox was a close friend of Roosevelt and was a prominent lawyer. He also worked closely together with him as well as New York State Governor Grover Cleveland. Vice President Roosevelt was sworn in (without a Bible) as President of the United States in a non-traditional manner.The unexpected death of McKinley affected many; for the loss brought a sense of uncertainty in the national affairs. It was Roosevelt’s job to convince the nation that he was worthy of fulfilling the duties of William McKinley. In Andrew Carnegie’s introduction for Roosevelt’s book â€Å"The Roosevelt Policy† he believes that â€Å"[t]he man of destiny comes to nations, as we know, just when he is most needed† (ix). Carnegie believes that the untimely death of McKinley was ordained in a sense. In Roosevelt’s statement that was printed in the Buffalo Sunday Times h e stated: I shall take the oath at once in accord with the request of you members of the Cabinet, and in this hour of our deep and terrible national bereavement I wish to state that it shall be my aim to continue absolutely unbroken the policy of President McKinley for the peace, the prosperity and the honor of our beloved country. † It is here that we see a man who is grieving with the nation, but also realizing that he had to assure the nation that President McKinley’s work and vision would continue. When Roosevelt was sworn in he had a very private ceremony with little attention.He did not want the funeral as well as the swearing into office to become a circus of journalists. He only allowed McKinley’s cabinet, Ansley Wilcox and several other advisors. With the pressure of crafting a eulogy style proclamation with the use of pathos, Roosevelt allowed others to help him in the process for reassurance. In this proclamation he would try to reach out and make the situation personal to all when he stated â€Å"[t]he President of the United States has been struck down—a crime committed not only against the chief magistrate, but against every law abiding and liberty-loving citizen† (Buffalo Sunday Times).In the second part of his proclamation, Roosevelt elaborates on the goodness of William McKinley and what he stood for as a human, as a citizen and as a Christian who would â€Å"remain a precious heritage of our people† (Buffalo Sunday Times). After he sings the praises of McKinley, Roosevelt joins in with grief and with sorrow by stating â€Å"[i]t is meet that we as a nation express our abiding and reverence for his life, our deep sorrow over his untimely death† (Buffalo Sunday Times).The proclamation comes in the last portion of the entire eulogy when he when he commits September 19th as a day of â€Å"mourning and prayer† and encourages people to go to their own personal place worship in honor, respect an d love of the untimely death of President McKinley. These spoken words are different than those that were spoken at Roosevelt’s second (first as an elected president) Inaugural address. On Saturday March 4, 1905, Theodore Roosevelt gave his very first Inaugural Address as an elected President of the United States. This was not the same style of address that he had given six months after William McKinley was assassinated.Many doubted Roosevelt and several left their positions under his command; so the election of 1905 was crucial for Roosevelt to continue his plan. Roosevelt’s character, morals had a major role in him getting elected in 1905. Roosevelt lived out what he preached about in regards to having just morals and an upright character within society. People respected him and knew that he was genuine and forthright in everything he accomplished and believed. In the book â€Å"The Roosevelt Policy† there is an Introduction section where Andrew Carnegie infor ms the reader the positives of Theodore Roosevelt.Carnegie compares the critics of Lincoln to those of Roosevelt where they judge them on their mannerisms and traditions. He continues to acknowledge some of Roosevelt’s attributes when he states â€Å"we accept Roosevelt for what he is and would not have him different—an able, courageous, honest, democratic man of the people acting himself out just as the spirit leads him without one particle of pretense† (ix). we read Roosevelt's Inaugural Address where he illustrates that he was thankful, humble, responsible, reliable, blessed by the â€Å"Giver of Good,† sincere, generous, and friendly (245).He believes that Roosevelt’s â€Å"finest qualities shine resplendent in his relations with his principal colleagues around him† for these qualities involve Roosevelt’s loyalty to his close friends who have become â€Å"first friends and after that colleagues† (xx). One of Theodore Roosev elt’s goals as President according to Carnegie is â€Å"to develop in the average man of affairs a keener sense of personal and official responsibility than ever existed before† (xv). When we delve into the actual Inaugural Address itself we can see through the eyes of Roosevelt a great nation, a nation striving to live with all humility and dignity.Roosevelt states that he believes that â€Å"[w]e have become a great Nation, forced by the fact of its greatness into relations with the other nations of the earth; and we must behave as beseems a people with such responsibilities† and that â€Å"our attitude must be one of cordial and sincere friendship† (246). Here we see that Roosevelt is making it all personal and including the citizens as part of that greatness. The need to show with our actions and not just with our words is the premise of desiring the acquisition of others goodwill by demonstrating a â€Å"spirit of just and generous recognition of al l their right† (246).One of the greatest statements from the Inaugural Address involves the expectancy of within and without our nation and Roosevelt believes that â€Å"[m]uch has been given us, and much will rightfully be expected from us. We have duties to others and duties to ourselves; and we cab shirk from neither. We have become a great nation, forced by the fact of its greatness into relations with the other nations of the earth, and we must behave as beseems a people with such responsibilities† (246). Roosevelt wanted to enforce the positives of the importance of being a nation of character.Throughout Roosevelt’s address he talks about responsibility, and the importance of having â€Å"high traits of character as that people which seeks to govern its affairs aright through the freely expressed will of the freemen who compose it† (248). He was also an advocate to leaving a proud heritage within the personal family and as well as the nation. Rooseve lt thought about the future and the future of his children, and our children today. He wanted to be able to give them the hope that all our past, present and future presidents will want to give.In Politics as Performance Art: The Body English of Theodore Roosevelt, H. W. Brands conveys his insight by stating that Roosevelt had an â€Å"enormous ego† and that â€Å"he simply loved the limelight† (121). Theodore had to prove himself and to the nation after McKinley was assassinated because he was considered â€Å"the foe of the bosses† and that â€Å"it was a necessity† (121). In David Greenberg’s â€Å"Beyond the Bully Pulpit† one area that Roosevelt remained faithful to was his faith in God for he â€Å"saw political questions as spiritual ones: His advocacy of social improvement was high-minded and hortatory† (25).Roosevelt understood that the problems and issues the country was facing was unlike the ones of his predecessors and ackn owledges that fact when he states in his address that â€Å"though the tasks set before us differ from the tasks set before our fathers who founded and preserved this Republic, the spirit in which these tasks must be undertaken and these problems faced, if our duty is to be well done, remains essentially unchanged† (248). He continues by stating that we need to uphold the highest character for it is with this character that we can continue in â€Å"self-government† (248).He believes that in order to maintain our freedom we need to continually demonstrate â€Å"not merely in crisis, but in everyday affairs of life, the qualities of practical intelligence, of courage, of hardihood, and endurance, and above all the power of devotion to a lofty ideal, which made great the men who founded this Republic in the days of Washington, which made great the men who preserved this Republic in the days of Abraham Lincoln† (248). Throughout this research many influential people recognized Theodore Roosevelt’s giftedness in writing and in oratory.He knew how to reach individuals and make them feel as if they were part of the solution and that they mattered to him. Theodore Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address was unlike majority of our Presidents, past and present. There was no farewell address from a reigning president but instead there was a eulogy. The transition from Vice President to President was abrupt even though they all tried to make the transition smoothly. Roosevelt knew that his words and deeds were going to either make him or break him.One area that stayed consistent throughout his life was his character for that was strong and did not waiver. He was a trusted man and a man of his word who wanted the best for the nation in such a trying time period. Theodore Roosevelt has become a role model for many people and has been one who people will remember for years to come. Works Cited Brands H. W. Politics as Performance Art: The Body English of Theodore Roosevelt. eBook Collection. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov 2012. Campbell, Karlyn. , Jamieson, Kathleen. Presidents Creating the Presidency: Deeds Done in Words.Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2008. Print. Emrich, Cynthia G. , Holly H. Brower, Jack M. Feldman and Howard Garland. â€Å"Images in Words: Presidential Rhetoric, Charisma and Greatness. † Administrative Science Quarterly 46. 3 (2001): 527-557. JSTOR. 22 Oct 2012 http://www. jstor. org/search Gelderman, Carol. â€Å"All the Presidents’ Words. † The Wilson Quarterly (1976- ) 19. 2 (1995): 68-79. JSTOR. 22 Oct 2012 http://www. jstor. org/search Greenberg, David. â€Å"Beyond the Bully Pulpit. † The Wilson Quarterly 35. 3 (2011): 22-29. JSTOR. 22 Oct 2012 http://www. jstor. org/searchLodge, Henry Cabot. â€Å"Why Theodore Roosevelt Should Be Elected President. † The North American Review 179. 574 (1904): 321-330. JSTOR. 22 Oct 2012 http://www. jstor. org/search â€Å"President’s Pr oclamation. † Buffalo Sunday Time, New York, 15 Sept. 1901. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. http://www. theodorerooseveltcenter. org/research/digital-library/record Podell, Janet. , Anzovin, Steven. Speeches of the American Presidents. eBook Collection. EBSCO. Web. 29 Nov 2012. Roosevelt, Theodore. The Roosevelt Policy. New York, NY, The Current Literature Publishing Co. , 1908. Google Web. 29 Nov 2012.

Satire in Gulliver’s Travels

Jonathan Swifts Gulliver's Travels is an elaborate concoction of political allegory, moral fable, social anatomy, and mock Utopias set within a parody of both travel fiction and journals of scientific exploration. When it was finally taken as satire, critics began insisting that Swift was mad; they did not like what they saw in the satirical mirror. Swift knew that people would see everyone's likeness but their own in this glass, so he wrote the character of Gulliver in a certain way in order to prevent the writing off of his actions as quirks. Gulliver visits four different societies in his travel, and upon his return home at the end, he cannot bring himself to rejoin society. The character of Gulliver will be examined in this section. Swift created him in such a way that the people of England could identify with him easily. He is a typical European: middle aged, well educated, has no overly romantic notions, is sensible, and conducts his affairs prudently. This section will look at the satirical aspects of the first book, where in Gulliver visits the land of Lilliput. Gulliver is a normal human being visiting a recognizably European society, but he is twelve times bigger than the lands inhabitants. The Lilliputians are as small morally as they are physically. They are petty and have arguments over aspects of life such as upon which end to break an egg: ?the king seemed to think nothing †¦ of destroying the Big-Endian exiles, and compelling that people to break the smaller end of their eggs; by which he would remain sole monarch of the world. ?.The Lilliputians are ordered to stand fifty feet away from Gulliver s house, unless they have a license whereby the secretaries of state got considerable fees. It is clear that the main satiric target in the first book is the pride Europeans take in public ceremonies and celebrations of power and magnificence: There's an obvious silliness to the obsessions with these matters when the figures are only six inches high. Gulliver returns home and promptly sets out to sea once more. He comes across the island of Brobdingnag, and this section will deal with the various satirical aspects of that society. He has left a land of small people and has now found himself in the role of a Lilliputian: he is now twelve times smaller than those around him. This entire book serves to reflect on the obsession with physical beauty which has grabbed Europeans of Swift's time. He is nauseated when he sees a woman with a cancerous breast; he notes that the flesh is full of holes into which he could have easily crept. When he is in a bedroom with a few maids of honor, he is disgusted when they begin to undress in front of him because of their size and physical grossness. The voice of Swift, behind Gulliver, is saying ?look at yourself, especially if you are a girl, and most especially if you think yourself lovely; excepting your size, in what way are you less vulgar than these Brobdingnagians The king of the Brobdingnagians also provides straightforward commentary on the Europeans Gulliver describes to him. Gulliver is the first to explain away the king's criticisms. He says that the king cannot help thinking in such ways because he has been isolated his entire life and has certain prejudices and a narrowness of thinking. Because of this, Swift allows he to write the king openly criticizing the European way of life; to the untrained reader, the passage is taken as Gulliver takes it, which is as the product of a closed mind. The fourth book is perhaps the most important. This section will deal with the views expressed in Gulliver s journey to Houyhnhnmland. The Houyhnhnms are extremely rational horses who co-exist with entirely irrational human-monkey hybrids known as Yahoos. Swift uses the conflict between the actions of these two species to set forth the fact that humans tend to describe themselves in terms of Houyhnhnms but act more like Yahoos. This book deals with more philosophical issues such as the nature of man's thought and the purpose of living. Again, Swift allows Gulliver to reveal the characteristics of Europeans. The reply he receives from the king of the Houyhnhnms is crushingly unflattering:?he looked upon us as a sort of animals to whose share, by what accident he could not conjecture, some small pittance of Reason had fallen, whereof we made no other use than by its assistance to aggravate our natural corruptions, and to acquire new ones which nature had not given us.?Through his inter actions with the people of Houyhnhnmland, his objective perspective on society from the previous books is shattered; he begins to realize facts about human nature. This time, he agrees with the king of the Houyhnhnms about his countrymen: ?When I thought of my family, my friends, my countrymen, or human race in general, I considered them as they really were, Yahoos in shape and disposition, perhaps a little more civilized, and qualified with the gift of speech, but making no other use of reason than to improve and multiply those vices whereof their brethren in this country had only the share that nature allotted them.? Gulliver's perspective and entire life are changed because of his episode with the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. The fate of Gulliver is just as important as his journey in supporting Swift's critical view of European life. This section will deal with what happens to him and why it occurs the way it does. When he returns home, he faints for over an hour after being embraced by his wife. He describes her as an ‘odious animal,' decides that her presence is morally unbearable, and describes her as a Yahoo. He cannot bear the company of Europeans anymore. Gulliver shuns the culture which bred him: ?the many virtues of the Houyhnhnms placed in opposite view to human corruptions, had so far opened my eyes and enlarged my understanding, that I began to view the actions and passions of man in a very different light, and think the honor of my own kind not worthy managing.?From this realization on, he walks around trotting like a horse and spends four hours daily speaking to horses, trying to force himself to be thought of as a horse. So although he comes to understand humanity bett er than any of his peers, he actually loses his grip on reality. In other words, the Houyhnhnms' society is perfect for Houyhnhnms, but it is hopeless for humans. Houyhnhnm society is, in stark contrast to the societies of the first three voyages, devoid of all that is human.

The Sweater Essays

The Sweater Essays The Sweater Essay The Sweater Essay The hockey sweater, loyalty One of Quebec’s leading writers Roch Carrier, in his short story, â€Å"The hockey sweater†, tells of a boy’s loyalty to a Montreal Canadians hockey player Maurice Richards. Carrier’s idea is to deliver a theme of loyalty by establishing a sentimental tone in order to appeal similar feelings or experiences in his audience. Carrier begins by acknowledging the desire the young boy and his friends have to be exactly the same as there hockey idol. He writes â€Å"We all wore the same uniform as he, red, white and blue uniform of the Montreal Canadians, the best hockey team in the world; we all combed our hair in the same style as Maurice Richards† and â€Å"you’ll never put it in my head to wear a Toronto Maple leafs sweater†. Carrier describes the boys loyalty using everyday diction to allow for an array of audiences to be entertained. Shifting to Carriers outstanding use of punctuation he directs the reader’s attention to the words that follow by using colons. For example â€Å"with tears in my eyes, I found the strength to say: I’ll never wear that uniform†. Carrier is able to support his them of loyalty with his use of complex-compound sentences like: â€Å"Wearing my Toronto maple leafs sweater i went to the church, where I prayed to God, I asked him to send, as quickly as possible, moths that would eat up my Toronto maple leafs sweater†. In conclusion, Carrier’s strategy of neutral diction, passionate tone, complex-compound sentences and punctuation, Carrier is able to support his them of loyalty throughout his short story.

Professional Design Helped Me Through the Wild West of Indie Publishing

Professional Design Helped Me Through the Wild West of Indie Publishing How Professional Design Helped Me Through the Wild West of Indie Publishing Adam Bender's debut novel takes place in the Wild West. According to him, the landscape of self-publishing bears some similarities with that setting. In this article, he talks about how professionals  helped him design his book and successfully navigate this new territory. Mark sent me a draft of the interior and asked me to scan for problems. It looked great, but we went through a few rounds weeding out little imperfections. He responded quickly and in days we had a PDF ready for printing. He then helped me convert the print book into an eBook fit for a Kindle. This isn’t as simple as sticking the print version into an app and clicking â€Å"Change to eBook.† Some elements had to be simplified to work for digital reading. There were a few bugs, including some issues related to page breaks and spacing, but Mark quickly sorted them out. I was just glad it wasn’t me poring over the code!The pride you feel when your book looks 100% professional? PricelessThe Wanderer passed a big first test when I received the proof of the paperback. The first thing I thought when I saw Ben’s cover was, â€Å"Hey, this actually looks like a book I’d want to read!† And when I opened it up, it looked like a real book too! I could se e that the work of my diligent editors, Rachel Gluckstern and Jim Spivey, and Mark’s clean layout had been worth the investment.Soon afterward, I scored a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and five-star ratings from five separate critics who reviewed the novel early on Readers’ Favorite. I couldn’t have done that without my gang of Reedsy collaborators. "This new frontier of self-publishing can often feel a little like the Wild West."  @WatchAdam Not only did using Reedsy pay off for this novel, but the professional relationships I’ve built will continue to be valuable down the road. Even after finishing their jobs, my collaborators have been available for advice, and they’ve helped spread the word. Next time I venture out into the self-publishing frontier, it’s heartening to know I won’t be riding alone.The Wanderer and the New West is available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle!  Please share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions for Adam Bender in the comments below!

Prevalence of HIV in United States Research Paper

Prevalence of HIV in United States - Research Paper Example I was curious about this issue because U.S is one of the most developed countries that I know about. I wanted to find out if the rate of HIV infections in the U.S are rising or declining. Every day I come across so many brochures on HIV and this creates some interest in me to find out the rates of HIV infection and if they are rising or declining. Since the epidemic was discovered, so many people have died in the entire world. With the discovery of ARVs, that can help the affected individuals in surviving for long, the rates of death have drastically reduced in most countries. I was curious to find out if the same case applies to the United States and by what percentage the decline has taken place. I was curious to find out the methods that the United States uses to prevent the spread and infections of HIV. The U.S is known to have all types of people inclusive of the bisexual and homosexuals. HIV prevalence is known to be higher amongst the gay and lesbian groups and thus I am curious to know if these groups are adversely affected by the spread of HIV. I was curious to see the data on HIV prevalence in the U.s and compare it to data from other places in the world. I already know that U.S has taken several steps in mitigating the spread of HIV. There are different organizations that have come in fighting against spread of HIV. I would like to find out how effective the steps that have been taken have been.

Essay on Horizontal Recruiters Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Horizontal Recruiters - Essay Example It is the only cemetery that is under the Armys jurisdiction while the other 113 are under the Veterans Administration. He notes that although these men and women who are buried there were once regular citizens like the people who come to read their names, they are seen as heroes. The Army has glorified these corpses as something that should be revered and that it is something that people should be humbled by because these soldiers laid down their lives for their country. The author also suggests that President Kennedy also became a heroic entity within the walls of Arlington because of his assignation and the fact that he is the most visited grave in the cemetery. He talks about the fact that although he was under court martial his father was able to get him out of it and this act led to him being elected president later. All of this information made the author angry about what he was seeing how the Arlington Cemetery as a tribute to the militarys need to emulate its victims. Another historical fact that he brings to light is the fact that Arlington was once named "Freedom Village" and it served as a place where free slaves were living just after Lincoln freed them. This was a place where they could receive permanent housing and community service. This was an established village for them for over 30 years. Unfortunately because it was under the jurisdiction of the Army, many residents complained that the living conditions were like living in slavery. After the war it was more difficult for the ex-slaves to get the help they needed and the federal assistance they were receiving was reduced. He makes the point that the Arlington National Cemetery brought this about and created a welfare state before there was welfare available to the nation. Another travesty that this young man is upset about is the fact that in Arlington National Cemetery blacks and whites could not be buried together. This created another way for the slaves to be separated within the