Invictus Poem Analysis Good Copy Essay

Defiance Human fate, whether predetermined or not, has always been a subject of great debate. Numerous inconclusive arguments have erupted from scientific as well as religious perspectives as to whether or not destiny is controlled by an outside force. Author William Ernest Henley’s poem â€Å"Invictus† is frequently regarded as an eye opening piece of literature that has imitated and facilitated the self reinvention of countless lives. Challenging Christian ideals, Henley elicits a powerful emotional response by supporting the philosophy that man is the sole determinant of his fate. By presenting such a bold and controversial belief, Henley greatly increases the impact of his poem. He titled the poem â€Å"Invictus,† Latin for unbeaten, in order to show that although his spirits were low and mind deterred, they still remained unconquered, demonstrating the retention of control he had over his destiny [Invictus (Meaning of)]. The Christian faith is well known for its belief of having one god who watches over and guides all. Henley begins the poem by thanking â€Å"whatever gods may be† for providing him with his â€Å"unconquerable soul.† Henley purposefully uses the term â€Å"gods† as a passive aggressive challenge to this fundamental Christian belief in monotheism. He also states that his head has remained â€Å"unbowed,† referencing his refusal to submit when times are hard. The â€Å"bludgeonings† that have beat Henley down most surely represents his hardships, while the bowing down represents submission to Christian ideology and to God himself. His refusal to surrender himself to these ideals is representative of his belief that no one but himself can change or affect where he is in life. In a further defiance of Christianity, Henley says â€Å"It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll.† The gate is supposed to be the very same one that leads to Heaven, strait referring to the narrow passage that allows for very little admittance. Meanwhile, the punishments on the scroll reference the metaphorical list of sins that belabor the human soul, challenging the general concept of sin. By invalidating the scale of right and wrong upon which Christianity is so heavily based, Henley attacks the validity of the entire Christian faith.  This assault continues in the poem with the lines â€Å"I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.† The theme of self reliance presented in these lines reinstates Henley’s belief that each person is the only one accountable for their journey, not God or any other omnipresent being. Henley was a strong willed individual that chose to look past his negative experiences in life and continue his journey of personal discovery and self definition. Henley was not the first to come to the belief that man was exclusively responsible for shaping his own destiny. An ancient Korean philosophical idea known as Juche shares this same belief (CITATION). â€Å"The circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are† (Mewtwo). It doesn’t matter where a person’s life begins, it doesn’t matter what that person has been told, in the end, everyone’s soul is their own, and only they are responsible for their fate. Works Cited: Henley, William Ernest. â€Å"Invictus [I. M. To R. T. Hamilton Bruce (1846-1899)].† 12 Dec. 2013 â€Å"Invictus (Meaning Of).† Encyclo. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. â€Å"Juche.† Blue Cottage Taekwon-Do. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. â€Å"Live by Quotes.† Live by Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.

Amul Project

oAmul a brand of success has managed to create a distinct and concrete image in the mind of the consumer. It’s all happens due to sincere, hard work and team effort or amul society, amul was formed in the year 1946 in the form of society by the visionary Dr . kurien with a noble purpose to uplift the village farmers to sustainable position by bringing them into the net of the society. Starting with a few liters of milk per day to millions and millions liters per day indicates the success of the society. t in turn fetches good return to update the village farmers. They comply with strict quality standardization norms and efficient distribution system and also they update themselves as per the changing time. Through forward integration they started producing different milk product which are highly quality product as compared to their competitors despite being a rural organization they did not discount the importance of advertising they advertise heavily through different medias. the punch line the taste of India paused amul as zenith level of popularity.Through amul is the market leader in the category they should not Discount the importance of technology and diversification. Globalization put a major challenge before Amul because number of Competitor’s with their strong R & D technology are entering into India. Therefore, in order to retain its brand image and market share amul has to think strongly in the line of expansion in the form of capacity as well as market i. e. , making Amul a global company. They can capitalize the brand image of Amul by the process of diversification. They can diversify amul in the areas like Agro foods, Pharma etc..

HuckleBerry Finn Essay

â€Å"‘Ransomed? What’s that? ’ ‘†¦ it means that we keep them till they’re dead’† (10). This dialogue reflects Twain’s witty personality. Mark Twain, a great American novelist, exploits his humor, realism, and satire in his unique writing style in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain, born in 1835, wrote numerous books throughout his lifetime. Many of his books include humor; they also contain deep cynicism and satire on society. Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, exemplifies his aspects of writing humor, realism, and satire throughout the characters and situations in his great American novel. Mark Twain applies humor in the various episodes throughout the book to keep the reader laughing and make the story interesting. The first humorous episode occurs when Huck Finn astonishes Jim with stories of kings. Jim had only heard of King Solomon, whom he considers a fool for wanting to chop a baby in half and adds, â€Å"‘Yit dey say Sollermun de wises’ man dat ever live’. I doan’ take no stock in dat’† (75). Next, the author introduces the Grangerfords as Huck goes ashore and unexpectedly encounters this family. Huck learns about a feud occurring between the two biggest families in town: the Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons. When Huck asks Buck about the feud, Buck replies, â€Å"’†¦ a feud is this way: A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man’s brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in – and by and by everybody’s killed off, and there ain’t no more feud’† (105). A duel breaks out one day between the families and Huck leaves town, heading for the river where he rejoins Jim, and they continue down the Mississippi. Another humorous episode appears n the novel on the Phelps plantation. Huck learns that the king has sold Jim to the Phelps family, relatives of Tom Sawyer. The Phelps family mistakes Huck for Tom Sawyer. When Tom meets with Aunt Sally, he â€Å"†¦ [reaches] over and [kisses] Aunt Sally on the mouth† (219) This comes as a surprises to her and Tom explains that he â€Å"[thinks] [she] [likes] it† (219) Later, Huck runs into Tom on the way into town and the two make up another story about their identities. The two then devise a plan to rescue Jim. They use Jim as a prisoner and make him go through jail escaping cliches. While going through these rituals he replies â€Å"‘I never knowed b’ fo’ ‘twas so much bother and trouble to be a prisoner’† (252). In the end, though, Tom reveals that Jim owns himself. Twain uses humor as a way to add realism to multiple situations. Mark Twain employs several examples of realism in the way he wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain explores the gullibility of society when the duke and king go to the camp meeting and collect money from the poor, unsuspecting, church-going people. The king makes up a story about his profession as a pirate who lost his crew at sea, to which the people respond saying, â€Å"‘Take up a collection for him, take up a collection! ’† (128). Twain uses deceit, lying, and hypocrisy throughout the novel, which appear in various chapters. Twain also reveals examples of realism through the dialect the characters use in the novel. In his book, Twain utilizes the real dialect used at the time, which further demonstrates the realist qualities which he possesses. Throughout the book, Twain includes many different dialects including â€Å"the Missouri Negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary ‘Pike County’ dialect, and four modified varieties of the last† (2). Other examples of realism occur throughout the setting. The story takes place in St. Petersburg and on the Mississippi, near Twain’s place of birth. In particular, Mark Twain makes use of the episodes of realism as a way to satirize society. Satire, another element in Twains writing, occurs many times throughout his novel as well. A convincing example of satire occurs in the first chapter when Huck says, â€Å"[b]y and by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed† (5). This pokes fun at the fact that Miss Watson tries to become a better Christian and a better person but still owns slaves and considers them property. Another satisfactory example of satire occurs when Pap becomes outraged at the thought of a black man having the opportunity to vote. However, the black man actually has more education than Pap (27). Twain uses the Boggs-Sherburn event to include more satire. When Boggs enters the story he says he has come to murder Colonel Sherburn. Sherburn then proceeds to shoot Boggs and the townspeople plan to lynch him. Sherburn laughs in their faces and says to them, â€Å"‘you are – cowards’† (142). Finally the crowd breaks up and moves on (142). Huck reflects on this incident and says â€Å"†¦ the pitifulest thing out is a mob† (142). Another prime example of satire occurs when Huck goes to the Phelps plantation and sees the two frauds, the king and the duke, tarred and feathered. He points out that â€Å"[h]uman beings can be awful cruel to one another† (222). Mark Twain includes numerous examples of satire throughout the novel. Through the use of humor, realism, and satire, Twain illustrates these aspects of his writing style. His style portrays the flaws in society and how pre-Civil War people treat each other. Mark Twain, one of the great American novelists of the nineteenth century, uses his books to teach others about life in the 1840s. Huckleberry Finn Analysis Although there are several themes that are apparent in Mark Twain’s The Adventures Huckleberry Finn, there is one theme that is more distinguished throughout the course of the novel than any other. This satirical view of Twain’s is apparent through his story of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain uses satire to convey his views on the failings and evils of society by poking fun at the institutions of religion, education, and slavery. This satirical view of Twain’s is apparent through his story of Huckleberry Finn. Religion is one of the key recipients of Twain’s satire throughout the novel. Huck is forced by Ms. Watson to read and learn about the important people in The Bible, and within the first pages of the book we discover Huck is not fond of the widow or her lectures. Twain uses Huck to reveal his idea that people put so much devotion into the works of long-gone ancestors of The Bible that they ignore other moral accomplishments of the present day. It is shown that religious people seem to be blind to the realities of modern civilization, and are living their lives according to old morals. This is why Huck mentions that the widow does not see any good in his works, and regardless of what Huck feels, his good deeds are not a . . . The youngest Grangerford grows up in a world of feuds, family picnics, and Sunday sermons that are appreciated but rarely followed and never questions the ways of his family. This family lives their lives by tradition, and the fact that the feud is a tradition justifies its needless, pointless violence for them. As Mark Twain once said, â€Å"I believe I have no prejudices whatsoever. Another time, Pap is ranting about an educated black and insists that he is superior to the colored man, even though he himself has no education and, is a drunk. This novel also shows that recognition of a human being is sometimes unintentionally ignored, as seen through religion and education, yet very deliberate through the torment of slavery. After this, Huck begins to truly consider the fact that Jim is smart, â€Å"I never see such a nigger†¦. nything honorable, like biblical events, in the eyes of his elders. By using this feud as an example, Twain shows that people will blindly follow what they have been raised on without stopping to think about the consequences. Huck admires the Grangerfords’ principles, and the interest they placed in good manners, delicious food, and attractive possessions. The reasons for the rivalries between the two families have been forgotten. This idea is brought to the reader’s attention when Col. All I need to know is that a man is a member of the human race. The Shepherdsons done the same† (110). Common topics in this essay: Huck Jim, Mark Twain, Bible Huck, Twain Huck, Grangerfords Huck, Mark Twains, Deacon Winn, Grangerford Shepherdsons, Huckleberry Finn, Ms Watson, huckleberry finn, apparent story, finn mark, mark twain, adventures huckleberry, adventures huckleberry finn, huckleberry finn mark, view twains apparent, view twains, twains apparent, satire throughout, story huckleberry, apparent story huckleberry, beliefs towards, story huckleberry finn, Huckleberry Finn In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain created a character who exemplifies freedom within, and from, American society. Huck lives on the margins of society because, as the son of the town drunk, he is pretty much an orphan. He sleeps where he pleases, provided nobody chases him off, and he eats when he pleases, provided he can find a morsel. No one requires him to attend school or church, bathe, or dress respectably. It is understandable, if not expected, that Huck smokes and swears. Years of having to fend for himself have invested Huck with a solid common sense and a practical competence that complement Tom’s dreamy idealism and fantastical approach to reality (Tom creates worlds for himself that are based on those in stories he has read). But Huck does have two things in common with Tom: a zest for adventure and a belief in superstition. Through Huck, Twain weighs the costs and benefits of living in a society against those of living independently of society. For most of the novel, adult society disapproves of Huck, but because Twain renders Huck such a likable boy, the adults’ disapproval of Huck generally alienates us from them and not from Huck himself. After Huck saves the Widow Douglas and gets rich, the scale tips in the direction of living in society. But Huck, unlike Tom, isn’t convinced that the exchange of freedom for stability is worth it. He has little use for the money he has found and is quite devoted to his rough, independent lifestyle. When the novel ends, Huck, like Tom, is still a work in progress, and we aren’t sure whether the Widow Douglas’s attempts to civilize him will succeed (Twain reserves the conclusion of Huck’s story for his later novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). Mark Twain: Realism and Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain: Realism and Huckleberry Finn Wednesday, August 29th, 2007. Is Mark Twain a Realist, nothing more and nothing less? As well as considering the meaning of Realism in a literary context this essay will critically examine the issues raised by the question with an analysis of Chapter XXXI, in which Jim is â€Å"stolen† and Huck decides that he will help Jim though he believes he will go to hell for doing so. In so doing it will be seen that the assertion is too narrow. One view is that Realism is not attainable: it is simply impossible to represent reality within a literary framework, K. Dauber (1999, p.386), considering Realism, argues that we can only get near to it in the imagination of the reader. The use of metaphors and similes assists us to create, within our own imagination, a landscape within which plausible events occur as part of an understandable and plausible plot. Dauber, strictly speaking, is correct, however Realist texts do exist, in considering them we need a guide as to what it is that makes them Realist. A descriptive term like Realism is useful to the reader. D. Pizer considers that â€Å"descriptive terms† such as â€Å"romanticism, realism and classicism are valuable and necessary† (1961, pp.263 – 269). His starting point is George Becker’s definition. Becker based his definition upon readings of European and American fiction since 1870; dividing realism into three categories: the realistic mode, realism of subject matter, and philosophical realism, Pizer considers â€Å"the realistic mode† based on three criteria: â€Å"Verisimilitude of detail derived from observation and documentation† (1949, pp. 184 – 197). The use of various dialects (discussed in the preface), detailed descriptions of the river and nature are Realist observations. The style fits the first part of this definition. Secondly is â€Å"reliance upon the representative rather than the exceptional in the plot, setting, and character† (1949, pp. 184 – 197). A slave’s escape from captivity and recapture is plausible and thus Realist. Thirdly is â€Å"an objective†¦. rather than a subjective or idealistic view of human nature and experience† (1949, pp. 184 – 197). Observations and descriptions of slavery, life in the South and on the river are objective. In chapter XXXI, Huck must decide between a moral obligation to contact Miss Watson and his debt to Jim for his help on their journey down river. The text of Huckleberry Finn up to, and including, chapter XXXI conforms to Becker’s â€Å"realist mode† definition. On this basis, Twain is a Realist. However, categorisations are just guides as to what we may expect from a text or writer when categorised as Realist, Romanticist or Classicist. Twain explains his style in the preface. From this preface, Twain clearly considered it a Realist book. It is clear and generally agreed amongst critics, that up to and including chapter XXXI, Huckleberry Finn is a realist text. Given the difficulties facing a slave on the run, within the contemporary context of its setting, it is plausible that Jim would face capture and be either lynched, mutilated or at least beaten if caught. However, one cannot consider Twain was â€Å"nothing more and nothing less than a Realist† in the context of this chapter alone. Critics, in the first half of the twentieth century, focused on the ending or â€Å"evasion† for analysis. Since the mid Twentieth Century, attention has focused on issues of race, gender and sexuality. Many view the ending as disappointing: described it as an anti climax, even â€Å"burlesque† (De Voto, 1932). Tom Sawyer’s scheming to set free an already free slave is a betrayal and even â€Å"whimsicality† (T. S. Eliot (although he also argues that this is the only correct ending)). The style of the ending is different from the preceding text, it is more slapstick and humorous. Ernest Hemingway (1935) claimed, â€Å"All modern American literature comes from Huckleberry Finn†, but continued: â€Å"if you read it you must stop where the nigger Jim is stolen from the boys. This is the real end. The rest is cheating†. De Voto (1932) considered the last eleven chapters fell â€Å"far below the accomplishment of what had gone before†¦this extemporized burlesque was a defacement of his purer work† (Cited by Hill, 1991, p 314). Tom Sawyer describes it, an â€Å"evasion†. It certainly detracts from the power of chapter XXXI: Huck’s rejection of Southern values, its belief in slavery and the superiority of whites. The â€Å"evasion† is the missed opportunity to emphasise this rejection by descending in to whimsicality and burlesque. The problem with Hemingway’s advice is that the book does not end at Chapter XXXI. Full analysis requires a complete reading. The whole thrust of the ending, from when Tom returns to centre stage is that of comedy and farce, it is as though Huck is acquiescing in Tom Sawyers pranks and wild schemes. L. Trilling (1948) argues that Huck is simply deferring to Tom by giving him â€Å"centre stage†. Eliot agrees, but then argues that it is right Huck does give way to Tom. The style of the book comes from Huck and the river provides form: we understand the river by seeing it through Huck, who is himself also the spirit of the river and like a river, Huckleberry Finn has no beginning or end (cited by Graff and Phelan, 1995, pp 286 – 290). Therefore, Huck, logically, has no beginning or end: as such he â€Å"can only disappear† in a â€Å"cloud of whimsicalities†. For Eliot this is the only way that the book can end. However, Eliot and Trilling rely on the fact that the River, Huck and Jim are symbolic, that they are allegorical. This suggests that the later chapters of the book are Romantic in style. The entire book must be considered in the context of the ending (however much it may disappoint), it is more a Romance; and to say that Twain is â€Å"nothing more and nothing less than a Realist† is thus incorrect. However, what is Romanticism? In the United States Romanticism enjoyed philosophic expression within the movement known as Transcendentalism, in the texts of Emerson and Thoreau. Symbolic novels of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville emphasized concern with Transcendent reality. Nathaniel Hawthorne in the preface to The Scarlet Letter, The Custom House, writes, â€Å"If a man, sitting all alone, cannot dream strange things, and make them look like truth, he need never try to write romances. † Romance offers a symbolic view of the world and, in that context, a historical representation of current issues is crucial (M. Kinkead-Weekes, 1982, p. 74). Symbolism and allegory are fundamental to a Romanticist text: â€Å"astonishing events may occur, and these are likely to have a symbolic or ideological, rather than a realistic, plausibility† R. Chase (1962, p13). Eliot’s interpretation, when considered in this context, asserts that Twain was not in fact writing as a Realist exclusively or, arguably, at all. Hemingway does receive support in his argument that the ending â€Å"is cheating†. From Leo Marx, in his 1953 article: â€Å"Mr. Eliot, Mr. Trilling, and Huckleberry Finn†. He agrees that the ending does not fall within the realist tradition and offends plausibility in several ways: Miss Watson would not free Jim, the interjection of humour is â€Å"out of keeping† with the rest of the book: Huck’s easy transformation from bravely assisting an escaped slave and agonising over this moral position maturely, to clown; is not plausible. To assist in humiliating Jim, a slave transformed to â€Å"freedom fighter†, when known, by Tom at least, that he is free already (however implausible that may be) is at odds with chapter XXXI and all preceding chapters. The ending reflects a conflict within Twain represented by Huck and Tom, he wanted to criticise Southern society but also to gain its approval. He does this by â€Å"freeing† an already free slave, so of the two white heroes, neither transgresses the law, nor break any moral codes of the South, and Huck is saved from going to Hell. This marks a massive retreat from the powerful, and arguably most dramatic, scene in the text: the decision of Huck to reject that society’s values and go to Hell, rather than betray his friend Jim. Marx may have been critical of the ending of the book in terms of content, but, in his 1956 article, which examines the literary style of Twain in Huckleberry Finn, he considers use of language and the â€Å"book’s excellence†. He concludes the article by eulogising the text as one â€Å"which manages to suggest the lovely possibilities of life in America without neglecting its terrors†. The two articles when read together are a powerful argument in favour of categorizing Huckleberry Finn as a Romance Twain a Romanticist rather than â€Å"Nothing more and nothing less than a Realist. † J. M. Cox (1966) challenges Marx’s assessment: postulating that it is a story about a boy who has found himself, through force of circumstance in a difficult position. The reappearance of Tom in the story is a relief to Huck. By deferring to Tom at this stage, Huck is acting within character as developed earlier in the text: happy to be free of the responsibilities thrust upon him. However, this analysis disregards the moral development of Huck in the text up to and including Chapter XXXI and the maturity of his moral deliberations. Marx, and others, are attempting to impose a political agenda that is not evident from the text; succumbing to the fashion that it is necessary for a hero to have an agenda. Huckleberry Finn is a child’s book. To impose sub texts involving subtle critiques of racial, gender, sexual and political issues misses the point entirely and is an over intellectualisation: blatantly ignoring Twain’s instructions at the beginning of the book (R.Hill, 1991). If following Hemingway’s advice then Twain is no more and no less than a realist, but is not to read the book in its entirety: Chapter XXXI is not the end of the text. Twain has succeeded in creating a work of fiction that engenders precisely the kind of debate that he ironically dissuades the reader from indulging in: a literary masterpiece that stubbornly refuses to fit neatly into any categorization at all. To say, â€Å"Twain is a Realist nothing more and nothing less† is thus inaccurate. Word Count: 1609 Bibliography George Becker, (June 1949), pp. 184 – 197, â€Å"Realism: An Essay in Definition†, in Modern Language Quarterly Richard Chase, (1957), The American Novel and Its Tradition, Anchor Books p. 13 James Cox, â€Å"Attacks on the Ending and Twain’s Attack on Conscience†, in Mark Twain: The fate of Humor, University of Missouri Press (1966); excerpted in Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Case Study in Critical Controversy, Edited by Gerald Graff and James Phelan (1995) St. Martins Press pp. 305 – 312 Kenneth Dauber, (Summer 1999), â€Å"Realistically Speaking: Authorship, in late 19th Century and Beyond†, in American Literary History, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp 378-390 T. S. Eliot, â€Å"The Boy and the River: Without Beginning or End† reproduced in Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Case Study in Critical Controversy, Edited by Gerald Graff and James Phelan (1995) St. Martins Press pp. 296 – 290 Ernest Hemingway, 1935, Green Hills of Africa Gerald Graff and James Phelan Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Case Study in Critical Controversy, (1995) St. Martins Press Richard Hill, (1991), â€Å"Overreaching: Critical Agenda and the Ending of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn†, Texas Studies in Literature and Language (Winter 1991): reproduced in Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Case Study in Critical Controversy, Edited by Gerald Graff and James Phelan (1995) St. Martins Press pp. 312 – 334 Mark Kinkead-Weekes, (1982), â€Å"The Letter, the Picture, and the Mirror: Hawthorne’s Framing of The Scarlet Letter† Nathaniel Hawthorne New Critical Essays, Vision Press Limited, p. 74 Leo Marx, (1953), â€Å"Mr. Eliot, Mr. Trilling, and Huckleberry Finn† The American Scholar reproduced in Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Case Study in Critical Controversy, Edited by Gerald Graff and James Phelan (1995) St. Martins Press pp. 290 – 305 Leo Marx, (1956), â€Å"The Pilot and the Passenger: Landscape Conventions and the Style of Huckleberry Finn†, in American Literature, Vol. 28, No. 2, (May, 1956) pp. 129 -146 Robert Ornstein, (1959), â€Å"The Ending of Huckleberry Finn†, in Modern Language Notes, Vol. 74, No. 8 (Dec. , 1959), pp. 698 – 702 Donald Pizer, (1961), â€Å"Late Nineteenth Century American Realism: An Essay in Definition†, in Nineteenth Century American Fiction, Vol. 16, No. 3 (Dec 1961), pp 263-69 E. Arthur Robinson, (1960), â€Å"The Two â€Å"Voices† in Huckleberry Finn†, in Modern Language Notes, Vol. 75, No. 3. (Mar. 1960), pp. 204 – 208 Lionel Trilling, (1948), in Introduction to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1948 Rinehart edition, excerpted in Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Case Study in Critical Controversy, Edited by Gerald Graff and James Phelan (1995) St. Martins Press pp. 284 – 290 Posted in Mark Twain: Realism and Huckleberry Finn, American Fiction | No Comments  » Huckleberry Finn Sponsored Links Huckleberry Finn Youth Find Deals, Read Reviews from Real People. Get the Truth. Then Go. www. TripAdvisor. com Ernest Hemingway wrote that â€Å"all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. †¦All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since. â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1885, and in that year the public library in Concord, Massachusetts, became the first institution to ban the novel. Twain’s use of the word â€Å"nigger† later led some schools and libraries to ban the book. Huckleberry Finn was first attacked during Twain’s day because of what some described as its indecency; later, it would be attacked as racist. But by the end of the twentieth century, its status as one of the greatest of American novels was almost universally recognized. Huck Finn, the protagonist and narrator of the novel, is around thirteen or fourteen years of age. He is being raised by Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas, both of whom blindly accept the hypocritical religious and moral nature of their society and try to help Huck understand its codes and customs. They represent an artificial life that Huck wishes to escape. Huck’s attempt to help Jim, a runaway slave, reunite with his family makes it difficult for him to understand what is right and wrong. The book follows Huck’s and Jim’s adventures rafting down the Mississippi River, where Huck gradually rejects the values of the dominant society, especially its views on slavery. Bibliography Blair, Walter. Mark Twain and Huck Finn. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1960. Smith, Henry Nash. Mark Twain: The Development of a Writer. Cambridge, Mass. : Belknap Press, 1962. Any new collection of essays on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is quite welcome. With the continuing debates over the novel and its relevance in the classroom, easy access to a variety of viewpoints can only help readers arrive at their own decisions. Katie de Koster’s anthology serves this purpose, offering a range of perspectives from the date of Huckleberry Finn’s publication to the present. In the Series Foreword, the general editors state that the essays for each volume are chosen specifically for â€Å"a young adult audience. † With this audience in mind, de Koster includes brief summaries of each article in the table of contents, and she groups the essays themselves into thematic sections with descriptive headers. Both arrangements will likely help students locate information and ideas relevant to their interests. On the other hand, many of the essays’ original titles have been changed (and this may prove confusing to some scholars), but original publication information is footnoted on the first page of each essay. De Koster has arranged the notably diverse essays into four sections: â€Å"The Storyteller’s Art,† â€Å"Images of America,† â€Å"Issues of Race,† and â€Å"The Problematic Ending. † Each section includes four or five essays. The first section includes opinions by Brander Matthews, Victor Doyno, James M. Cox, Alfred Kazin, and Ralph Cohen. Matthews’ 1885 review provides a practical starting point for understanding the novel as well as its shifting literary and historical significance. Matthews not only praises its realism, the vernacular dialect of Huck, and its humor, but he also admires Twain’s depiction of Southern blacks and Tom Sawyer’s treatment of Jim in the final chapters. Doyno’s selection–excerpted from Writing Huck Finn: Mark Twain’s Creative Process (1991)–focuses on how Twain painstakingly revised the manuscript to shape the individual personalities of each character. Doyno’s excellent and detailed analysis, however, might have served better after Cox’s and Kazin’s more general discussions of Huck’s personality and choices and of Twain’s artistic discoveries and social purposes. In the final essay of this section, Cohen highlights a topic of probable interest to many college-age readers: the games, tricks, and superstitions of Huckleberry Finn. In the second section, â€Å"Images of America,† de Koster chooses essays/excerpts by Horace Fiske, Andrew Hoffman, Gladys Bellamy, and Jay Martin. Fiske’s 1903 appreciation of Huckleberry Finn tends toward summary, paraphrase, and long quotation rather than interpretation, and it seems somewhat out of place in the collection. On the other hand, Hoffman examines Huck as a representative of the nineteenth-century social and political ideals associated with Andrew Jackson. The excerpt by Bellamy purports to discuss Huckleberry Finn as a satire on American institutions, but the section on the institution of slavery has been removed, and the expressed opinions about race often come across as dated. For example, Bellamy writes that Twain â€Å"shows us the African in Jim, imbuing him with a dark knowledge that lies in his blood† (97). Such pronouncements are not well calculated to illuminate young readers’ understanding of Twain’s novel. In the last essay of this section, however, Martin provides a useful and nuanced explanation of Huck’s vacillating position between Nature and Civilization. The third section, â€Å"Issues of Race†, contains essays by John Wallace, Richard Barksdale, Shelley Fisher Fishkin, Eric Lott, and Jane Smiley. Wallace’s oft-quoted essay, in which he describes Huckleberry Finn as â€Å"racist trash,† raises several valid concerns regarding the use of the novel in American high schools, but lacks strength in its textual analysis. Nevertheless, his major concern is taken up effectively by Barksdale, who places the novel within its historical context to show both the ironic intentions of Twain and the difficulty of learning and teaching those ironies in the classroom. Fishkin then explains not only the indebtedness that Twain had toward African American sources, including â€Å"Sociable Jimmy,† black spirituals, and personal acquaintances, but also the impact Twain had on subsequent American writers. Exploring this further, Lott discusses how Twain’s reliance upon blackface minstrelsy both allowed the complex achievement of Huckleberry Finn while simultaneously making it â€Å"perhaps unteachable to our own time. † In the final essay of this chapter, Smiley compares â€Å"Twain’s moral failure† in his characterization of Jim to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s unequivocal anti-racism in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Overall, this section is the strongest. That these complex understandings of Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn often tend toward the negative comes as something of a surprise after de Koster’s preface. De Koster introduces this collection within the context of the current racial controversy, but then offers a rather emphatic but largely unsupported series of statements. For example, after recounting Huck’s famous decision to â€Å"go to hell† and free Jim, she writes, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is clearly antislavery. The reader is supposed to believe Huck made the right choice when he helped an escaped slave† (13). Instead of telling the reader what s/he is supposed to believe, de Koster would do better to explain her reasoning within the complicated matrix of ideas in her collection. On a more positive note, her preface also includes a 20-page biography of Samuel Clemens that provides a useful introduction for students unfamiliar with his life. In the final section of the collection, â€Å"The Problematic Ending,† de Koster includes opinions by Joyce Rowe, Jose Barchilon and Joel Kovel, Carson Gibb, and Richard Hill. Rowe argues that Twain intentionally destroys the â€Å"fictional comforts of verisimilitude† in the final chapters to expose the â€Å"grotesque† values of society, including those of the readers. Barchilon and Kovel offer a psychoanalytic interpretation of the escape, interpreting Jim’s prison as a womb, his chains as an umbilical cord, and the Mississippi River as Huck’s loving mother. Gibb justifies the ending as an intentionally bad joke that reflects the culture that Huck seeks to escape, yet the 1960 essay is most noticeable for the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† without quotation marks. Gibb seems to feels justified in this usage because he has explained that Huck and Tom â€Å"believe niggers and people are two different things† (177). However, its use is unnecessary to his argument and also insensitive to the extreme. Because of this, the essay itself seems inappropriate for a collection aimed at young readers. Finally, Hill presents the most formidable vindication of the final chapters to date, arguing that Huck’s response to Tom is plausible for a boy, and that Jim’s response shows an intelligent manipulation of contemporary stereotypes to exert at least some control over a delicate and dangerous situation. All in all, de Koster’s collection offers a useful variety of opinions. It will doubtless contribute to current debates of Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and its place in our classrooms. About the reviewer: Joe Coulombe grew up in the Mississippi River town of LaCrosse, Wisconsin (mentioned briefly in Life on the Mississippi, ch. 30). After earning his PhD at the University of Delaware in 1998, he began a tenure-track position at the

Whole Foods Market Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Whole Foods Market - Case Study Example WFM’s mission is: â€Å"Whole Foods – Whole People – Whole Planet,† aiming â€Å"to promote the vitality and well-being of all individuals by supplying the highest quality, most wholesome foods available† (WFM Form 10-K, 2013, p. 1) – thus the reference to Whole Foods. It follows, however, that the purity of the food provided WFM’s customers is directly determined by the quality of the environment, therefore the reference to Whole Planet. Finally, the provision of good, healthy food and maintenance of the environment can only be achieved by dedicated individuals working towards a common objective; therefore the reference to Whole People. This analysis explores WFM’s business and control strategies, adopting the paradigms of Porter’s generic strategies and the organisational theory by Coase/Williamson, respectively. It discusses the approach of WFM to substantial changes in terms of technology, products and services, and o rganisational structure, strategy and culture, and explains how change policies have evolved in WFM. Finally, discussion is focused on WFM’s virtual and self-managed teams which are the fundamental organisational units of the firm and the source of its competitive advantage. WFM’s Business and Control Strategies Business strategy of WFM A business strategy, in its simplest definition, is the means by which a business organisation identifies and attains its goals (Porter, 1996). Devising a strategy for business begins with identifying the firm’s goal, and then systematically formulating a plan by which the goal may be achieved. WFM’s purpose is embodied in its mission and core values. Its strategy goes well beyond merely providing fresh foods. The vision emphasises that â€Å"whole people† are as important as â€Å"whole foods† – that is, developing their human component to their fullest potential, allowing them the freedom to create a nd innovate, and the power to decide on matters that affect their sphere of work. Generic strategies based on Porter’s typology (Parnell, 2013, p 184) Emphasis on Entire Market or Niche Emphasis on Low Costs Emphasis on Differentiation Emphasis on Low Costs and Differentiation Entire Market Low-cost strategy Differentiation strategy Low cost differentiation strategy Niche Focus low cost strategy Focus differentiation strategy Focus low cost differentiation strategy WFM’s business strategy emphasises creativity and innovation which create a difference in the stores’ choice of product offerings and the quality of their service delivery, for the entire market. This is the differentiation approach. This is the strategy that is ideal in markets dominated by large market leaders – in this case, Wal-Mart which overshadows all other competitors in the grocery industry. Rather than going head-to-head with Wal-Mart and inevitably lose in the process, WFM could achi eve greater business success if it distinguishes itself along key strategic points. These key attributes are those competitive factors that the smaller grocer can develop but which Wal-Mart cannot easily duplicate, such as less hectic stores, superior selection of certain food products, or greater convenience to the customer (Parnell, 2013). WFM’s favourable employee policies that develop a sense of engagement and ownership among its workers are evidenced by its annual inclusion in Fortune Magazine’

E-commerce Web site evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-commerce Web site evaluation - Essay Example The words car and audio do not figure independently within the meta tags for keywords. This site would hardly be picked up by search engines if someone is looking for something as specific as ‘car audio systems in Lancashire’. Google did not. At least not in the first three pages of the search results. The basic point is that the homepage fails to convey instantaneously what it is all about, a major lapse in presentation. Not a good first impression. But let us take things one at a time, and try to evaluate the website from the perspective of the most important features that any worthwhile e-Commerce website should possess. The concept of usability, which is concerned with making software systems easy to learn and easy to use, has recently gained increased attention with the development and wide diffusion of end-user interactive software applications (Dray 1995, p. 18). Navigation, hyperlink positioning, clear demarcation of advertisement area from content area, use of colour codes and continuity in design are some of aspects on which the usability of a website depends. The website under evaluation does not distinguish in anyway between hypertext and ordinary text. Though underlining of the hyperlinks is not necessary as they are placed in the conventional left hand navigation bar, the font and colour of the hyperlinks are exactly the same as other text used in the site resulting in the impression that the address of the firm are also hyperlinks. There is also no difference between visited and unvisited links. This goes against the basics of website navigability: The way the website displays its products looks very much like the advertisements or company logo that it carries. Advertisement area and content areas are not demarcated. The danger in this case lies in how users tend to scan web pages: ‘Most famously, users exhibit incredibly powerful "banner blindness." Eye-tracking studies have recorded microseconds-long

Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures - Essay Example For a private disposal system seeking approval by a local authority, the organization must provide FSIS with the approval letter from the authority upon request. 1 A provision of clean running water that abides by the National Primary Drinking water convention(40 CFR part 141), at a required pressure and appropriate temperature must be provided in the necessary areas ( for cleaning rooms and equipment, packaging materials, for processing products and for workers hygienic facilities, etc). If the organization source its water from the Municipal, then it must provide a water report issued under the authority of the local health agency certifying to the portability of the water delivery to FSIS upon request. And if the organization uses water from a private source then it must hand in the documentation to the FSIS upon request, certifying the portability of water supply that has been renewed within a six-month duration. 2) Ice, water and liquid smoke solutions used in food production may be reused for the same function, provide that they are sanitized from fecal coliform organism, pathogenic organisms and also minimization of other chemical, physical, and microbiological infectivity to avoid product adulteration. 3)Water, ice, and solutions used to wash unprocessed products may be recycled for the same functions provided that caution is taken to minimize chemical, physical and microbiological contagion for the prevention of product contamination. Do not use recycled materials that has contacted raw materials in a finished product. 4) Reconditioned water that has no contact with human waste and has been treated by an onsite highly developed sewer treatment unit may be used on raw product, except in inedible and edible production areas, and product formulation provide that caution is taken to ensure that prescribed criteria in National Primary Drinking Water regulations Act

Debating Gloalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Debating Gloalization - Essay Example Joseph Stiglitz is considered as one of the major voices in the world speaking against the potential detrimental nature of the overall process of globalization. His main arguments therefore suggest that globalization can be good if it is executed properly by taking into the consideration of the individual characteristics of each country. (Friedman, 2002). He is of the opinion that the countries should be allowed to embrace globalization on their own terms rather been enforced on them. He also argues that if the pro globalization policies are not being carried out properly, it is quite possible that the countries can become more vulnerable to the external shocks and this can create economic instability as well as resulting into a decline in growth and increase in poverty. (Stiglitz, 2002). This paper will discuss and explore the ideas of Joseph Stieglitz on globalization and will present a critical intellectual biography of Joseph Stiglitz. Intellectual Biography Ideas Stiglitz has wo rked on different issues and presented his ideas on diverse range of ideas ranging from economics to political economy. He is often considered as a New Keynesian for his views on the better role of government in running the overall affairs of the economy. He is therefore also considered as neo-liberal thinker because of his strong opposition of the corporate led globalization. He is often considered as critical of IMF and World Bank- two of the most important institutions advocating the globalization and help fulfilling the overall agenda of globalization. (Stiglitz, 2003). His major ideas on globalization are based on his theory of information asymmetry and how the lack of correct information can result into the development of incomplete markets at the global level. He is therefore particularly of the view that advocating globalization in such economies where markets are not fully developed and information is not available can result into more poverty and economic inequality rather than creating prosperity. He is also considered as quite critical of IMF because of its ignorance that the overall process of globalization may not work in the presence of inadequate institutions as well as the incomplete markets. (Stiglitz, 2003). His ideas on globalization therefore are based on the presence of more transparent institutions and greater role of Western countries in helping the less developed countries to better integrate themselves into the global economy. His economic ideas are also mostly considered as New Keynesian. Trade In order to understand the Stiglitz ideas on the free trade and its role in the globalized world, t is important to consider the overall arguments in favor of free trade. The advocates of the globalized and free trade believe that free markets and trade can actually increase the overall opportunity set for the countries and they can readily benefit from this. What is however, important to consider that as per Stiglitz this is not the case? Tho ugh he believes that this may be a text book approach however, in reality free trade and markets do not necessarily result into the growth. The overall arguments are based upon the notion that the free trade and investment can only result into the growth when they are competitive. Since the markets of the developing countries are still

Analysis Interpretation of Antigone by Sophocles Essay

Analysis Interpretation of Antigone by Sophocles - Essay Example In spite of this threat, Antigone is caught when she tries to bury her brother. Creon leaves Antigone to starve in a cave. And when her fianc, Haemon comes to save her, she has already hanged herself. Haemnon dies and his mother and Creon's wife, also kills herself in grief. The play Antigone is based on conflict between two laws, and forces the audience to decide whose law is greater: God's or man's Thesis Facing the characters with moral choice, Sophocles depicts that God's laws are more important for people because they reflect eternal truth and morality while man's laws are based on power and authority of the ruler only. At the beginning of the drama, Antigone breaks the law of her uncle, Creon, and decides to bury her dead brother against his orders. Sophocles portrays that characters of the play follow God's laws as a source of morality and traditions, norms and social values. In spite of the fact that every epoch creates its own values and moral rules changing our understanding about a self and life, there are some universal laws which cannot be broken. For instance, Antigone follows God's laws as the only authority of truth and moral obligations. This funeral rite had been followed for centuries and Antigone could not break this tradition.

Does YOGA and meditation reduce Hypertension and is there a Essay

Does YOGA and meditation reduce Hypertension and is there a possibility of reducing the dosage on meds in Patients - Essay Example In the present study, it is hypothesized that yoga and meditation can be used to reduce blood pressure and can help reduce the dosage of antihypertensive medication in patients with hypertension. This work intends to look into a few research articles to demonstrate and support this hypothesis. An article by Miles, Chou, Lin, Hunter, Dhindsa, Nualnim, and Tanaka (2013) studied the effect of hatha yoga practice on blood pressure and other cardiovascular responses. There were a total of 36 participants in the study, who were apparently healthy, nonobese, sedentary, and recreationally active. The 36 participants in the study were recruited from Austin, Texas. Out of them, 19 subjects had no experience in yoga and 18 were experienced in yoga. In the study, the arterial blood pressure of the subjects was measured throughout the yoga session and in 23 different yoga postures. It included systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressure. Blood pressure was measured using beat-by-beat, finger plethysmography. What is found in the study was a significant increase in blood pressure, especially in standing postures as a direct result of the increase in cardiac output and heart rate. In the case of standing yoga postures, the mean blood pressure increased by 30 mm Hg. In addition, it was found that there was no significant difference between both novice and experienced yoga practitioners in the effect of yoga session on blood pressure. Thus, the study advised medical practitioners to be cautious while prescribing yoga postures to patients with uncontrolled hypertension (Miles et al., 2013, p. 44). However, it is found that in floor postures like Cobra, blood pressure and cardiac output do not increase significantly (Miles et al., 2013, p. 42), and there is a fall in stroke volume but it is uncertain as to what causes this decline in stroke volume. Thus, the study is significant in

Three pieces of legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Three pieces of legislation - Essay Example The safety here does not only include physical safety but it also includes protection and fortification against hostility and mistreatment. This act sets up certain responsibilities for the management (employers) as well as workers. The management is responsible for producing and executing a harassment and violence policy, for providing proper guidance and training opportunities to the workers, for recruiting people of proper age group, for making availability of emergency products and programs. Moreover the management should also have the health and safety program in black and white. The workers on the other hand are also assigned with certain responsibilities which are; they should take appropriate care of themselves and they should be careful that behavior and attitude should not affect others workers in a negative way, they are bound to pursue the protection measures in the organization, they should take part in the training and guidance programs, they should be very precautious and careful while using the machines they should also put on all the safety measures that are required, they should collaborate with the management and health committee in order to solve health and safety problems.

Broom Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Broom Industry - Research Paper Example In the case of the broom-corn broom, it was pointed out that by 1996, there were only about 600 nationwide employees for the broom industry in the United States. Of the total imports in 1991, Mexico supplied 52% or roughly 11% of the total consumption. Panama supplied 14% of the total import or estimated 3% of the total US consumption, Honduras represented 10% of the total import or roughly 2% of total consumed. Hungary held 13% of the total import and represents about 3% of the total 1991 US consumption. In consideration of the presented data, there is a levelling and balancing of market share as an effect of the NAFTA. It is expected that lifting of tariffs allows exchange of goods and services that will give a chance for lower cost products to compete with higher costing product . Below summarises that effect of NAFTA on the broom-corn broom: Imports come from Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Colombia and Hungary. The total import in 1991 was about 20.1% of the apparent consumption, with US supplying about 79%. Import fell by roughly 19% by 1992 with US sourced at 81%. Import rose at 23% by 1993, decreasing US counterpart to 76%. By 1994, total consumption grew but import also grew at 29% while US suppliers were able to ship only about 70%. Likewise, the trend of continued import growth in 1995 had imports garner a total of 36% of the market share as compared to the US shipment of only about 63%. The effects of the The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that NAFTA had a comparatively small but positive effect on US exports to Mexico which ranges from 2.2 percent in 1994 to 11.3 percent in 2001 with a parallel result for US imports from Mexico that grew from 1.9 % in 1994 to 7.7% in 2001. In fact, considering these figures, the US gained more as the balance of trade in goods had been considerably small, of which decline were noted since 1993 attributed to the peso crash in late 1994, the associated Mexican recession in late 2000, and the prolonged US economic boom from 1990s through 2000 (CBO, 2002). Below are the indicative charts presented by CBO: U.S. Goods Trade with Mexico with and Without NAFTA (In billions of dollars) Source: Congressional Budget Office using data from the Bureau of the Census for actual values and projections from CBO's model for other values. Likewise, the trade balance is illustrated in the following table below: Effects of NAFTA on U.S. Goods Trade w

The arguments for human surrogacy Essay Example for Free

The arguments for human surrogacy Essay With reference to both religious and ethical views, explain the arguments for human surrogacy. [35] Surrogacy is when a woman carries a child on behalf of someone else. There are four broad types of surrogacy: partial, full, commercial and voluntary. Partial surrogacy occurs when the surrogate mother provides her egg which is fertilised either in vitro and placed through artificial insemination into the womb or she is artificially inseminated by the intended father’s sperm. Only in very rare cases would sexual intercourse take place. Full surrogacy occurs when the intended parents provide egg and sperm. In some cases a donor sperm/egg may be used. Commercial surrogacy refers to arrangements whereby a woman is contracted and paid to be a surrogate mother and to deliver a baby to the intended parents; in many countries this is illegal. Voluntary or altruistic surrogacy refers to a surrogate arrangement where the surrogate mother voluntarily offers to bear a child for another couple but not for commercial gain. Surrogacy of any kind raises many religious and ethical issues. In examining reasons why people may be in favour of surrogacy, a good place to start is the Christian view. Surrogacy tends to be supported by liberal denominations such as the United Methodist Church in America. Surrogacy could be a way in which an infertile couple could fulfil the Biblical injunction to, â€Å"be fruitful and multiply.† Children can compete a marriage and are a gift from God. Surrogacy could be an act of immense compassion and selfless service, in line with the teaching of Jesus: â€Å"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,† Matthew 9:36. Voluntary or altruistic surrogacy refers to a surrogate arrangement where the surrogate mother voluntarily offers to bear a child for another couple but not for commercial gain. Her motives could be out of love or charity or self-fulfilment. The story of Abraham and Hagar is a Biblical example of surrogacy, although it does not necessarily condone or promote the practice. Christian and secular utilitarians alike support surrogacy. Utilitarians believe that man has a natural desire to reproduce based in human biology. The Utilitarian wishes to maximise happiness and minimise the pain of infertility. Since successful surrogacy will bring an enormous amount of happiness. When considering issues such as infertility we must not look at it in impersonal, philosophical terms. It is a problem that can only be truly understood at human level. Those that have never suffered infertility will not know the true pain these theorists are in agreement with such treatments. In the case of an infertile couple the utilitarian will look at the options available and strive towards to goal of conception. To quote Laura Bush, â€Å"For those who deeply want children and are denied them, those missing babies hover like silent ephemeral shadows over their lives.† Proponents of situation ethics also would support surrogacy, depending on the circumstances. This theory is in favour of reproductive technology if it is the most loving course of action in the particular situation. It is not absolutist. This theory says that individual situations are different. This theory believes that there is only one underlying principle: you do whatever is the most loving thing to do in a situation. Ethical rules are secondary. In the circumstances of an infertile couple you take the line of action which will be the most loving thing for a couple in their unique circumstances. Furthermore, surrogacy is an issue of personal autonomy and reproductive freedom. To a large extent in the western world there has been a tradition of giving couples the freedom to make their own decisions about childbearing and childrearing. The family has historically been a place with a right to privacy and beyond the intervention of governments. To some extent this has changed with the introduction of artificial forms of reproduction e.g. IVF treatment. If a couple deeply desires children, it should not be the government’s role to tell them what they can and cannot do. It could be argued that parenthood is a human right, because according to the UNHRD: â€Å"Parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.† Humans have personal sovereignty, which is to be free of the control or coercion of others. Therefore they should be allowed to make their own decisions about their families. After all, in most cases a surrogate child is a wanted child whose parents are prepared to go to extreme lengths to have them, suggesting that they will make very good parents. This alone could be enough to justify the practice. Surrogacy is generally supported within the homosexual community, because it enables same sex couples to become parents through the introduction of a third party. Ultimately, surrogacy causes us to rethink our views on family, marriage, sex and what makes a mother. Regardless of our views, we should be compassionate towards those suffering from the effects of infertility. You cannot understand their situation unless you have experienced it personally. To quote Elayne Boosler, â€Å"The Vatican is against surrogate mothers. Good thing they didnt have that rule when Jesus was born.†

Effects of Emotion in Eyewitness Recall and Recognition

Effects of Emotion in Eyewitness Recall and Recognition Aaron Glogowski Houston, K. A., et al. (2013). The Emotional Eyewitness: The Effects  of Emotion on Specific Aspects of Eyewitness Recall and Recognition Performance. Emotion, 13  (1), 118-128. doi: 10.1037/a0029220 In the world of criminal science, there are several factors that can interfere with the accuracy of eyewitness reports. This article, by Kate Houston and her team, delves into the effects of emotion on eyewitness encounters. The main argument that they are looking at focuses on negative emotion enhancing central memory while impairing the peripheral memory, where central memories are the main details that occurred, likely relating specifically to the action of the crime, and peripheral memories are the smaller details that were happening around the crime. Houston notes that in spite of all of the writings on eyewitness memory, very few studies attempt to show a correlation between it and memory. She goes on to hypothesize that negative correlations will indeed enhance the central memory of the event, further exploring details like the crime itself. In her observations of other studies however, she does note that high stress scenarios tended to cause subjects to forget details about the perpetrator of the situation, at least in the case of a previous study on soldier’s interrogations. In order to test their hypotheses, Houston and her team set up two different experiments designed to test recall memory performance, as well as the participant’s ability to identify the perpetrator of the crime, both associated with negative emotional response. In their first experiment, the team hypothesized that a negative emotional response would allow the participants to more easily describe details about the perpetrator. They gathered a participation group of 101 students from the University of Aberdeen (30 males; 71 females) to engage in the study. They divided the group into two subgroups. The group of 51 was shown a video that was meant to induce an emotional response, and the group of 50 was shown a video intended to illicit a neutral response from the participants. Both videos used the same actors and scenarios up to the point in which the story deviates to the emotional induction. Once the participants had watched their respective videos, they were asked to answer a brief survey about how the video made them feel. They were given several different emotions, as well as a neutral â€Å"I feel nothing† option, and were asked to rank all of these emotions on a scale of 0-3 (0 being not at all, and 3 being very much). After they rated what they were feeling, the results were collected and the participants were given a 20 minute wait period in which they had to fill out a questionnaire on likes and dislikes, though this questionnaire was truly only present to provide a distraction for the next part of the experiment. The participants were then asked to write down as many details about the video that they could remember. In the results of the experiment, Houston’s team discovered that the emotion-inducing video tended to cause much higher responses to negative emotions than the neutral video did. They also noticed that the group viewing the emotional video recalled the events of the emotional moment in much more clarity and complete detail than the neutral video control group, however, they could not recall details about the perpetrator as well. Their data also shows that there is not a significant correlation between the negative emotional responses and the amount of information given about the perpetrator and the critical moment. This data concludes that those experiencing negative emotions tended to focus their attention directly on the perpetrator, however, there was no significant difference in their ability to describe the perpetrator when compared to the results from the neutral video control group. While the idea that focus is altered in a critical moment coincided with the evidence, t he data could not identify any significant difference in memory and recall. The second experiment was designed to test whether or not negative emotions and stress impair the individual’s ability to identify a perpetrator when they are presented with a series of options (in this case, a photo line-up). Houston’s team used two separate photo line-ups for the experiment: one in which the perpetrator’s photo was present, and another where the perpetrator’s photo had been replaced by one that looked very similar to them. The team made sure to select alternates for the replacement photo based on resemblance to the perpetrator according to a method recommended by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act used to identify criminals in the United Kingdom. They split up a group of 233 participants into relatively even subgroups at the beginning of the study. They began the study in the same way as the first experiment: two separate videos were shown, one emotional, one neutral, then the participants were asked about their emotional responses to the videos, and given time after the emotional response portion. Once the period after the emotional response survey had passed, the participants completed a recall survey about the videos, then they divided the groups again into two separate subgroups. One subgroup was shown the picture line-up containing the perpetrator’s image, while the other was shown the line-up with the face double’s image. The results of the second experiment confirmed the team’s previous theories that the video was successful in eliciting an emotional response, and that emotional responses were similar to the previous experiment, based on their initial observations. The second set of findings turned out to be in accordance with the initial hypothesis of the second experiment. Participants who watched the emotional video were much more likely than those who watched the neutral video to incorrectly identify an innocent target as the perpetrator. Around 25% of the time, participants in the group in which the perpetrator’s photo was included would claim that the perpetrator’s picture was not among those in the line-up. Those who saw the neutral video were much more likely to identify the real perpetrator (40.4% as opposed to 27.1% from the emotional video group). In the group in which the perpetrator’s photo was absent however, there appeared to be no significant correlation between emotional response and the answers given. The recall results for this experiment were very similar to the recall results for the first experiment. In collecting their results from the second experiment, Houston’s team arrived at several conclusions based on the data that had been collected. Their data further supported the idea that people exposed to negative emotional experiences focused more on the perpetrator, but less on the rest of the situation, but they no longer had any sense of improved environmental detail. They both however showed the same level of accuracy in describing the target. The photo line-up tests show very different results however, showing that those exposed to negative emotional experiences would more likely identify the wrong target when the target’s picture appears along with others similar in appearance and features to them. When the target was not shown however, the emotional video groups tended to have similar results to those in the neutral video group. In the team’s conclusion to their article, they discussed the probable reasoning behind the discrepancies in their experimental results. They note that the environmental results differ between the experiments, showing that it may be unreliable. The data as a whole shows that negative emotional responses may have different results on eyewitness testimony, depending on the situation.

Social, Political and Economic Impacts of Thatcher

Social, Political and Economic Impacts of Thatcher There is little doubt that the Thatcher administration had a social, political and economic impact on Britain during its years of reign. The push for privatisation of the public sector, the subsequent unemployment, and the drive to divert housing away from the control of the state and into the control of private parties are, among others, the key events that shaped the influence that Thatcherism had on the British public. It has often been argued that the concept of Thatcherism goes against the grain of traditional Conservative political thought since the end of the Second World War in 1945, and that Thatcher’s â€Å"New Right† set out challenge the elements of classic liberalism that were traditionally embraced by the Tory’s up to her victory in 1979.[1] However, others have also argued that Thatcher’s New Right still embraced one key factor of traditional Tory political thought: the concept of tradition.[2] The most accurate definition of the New Right s chool of thought is the fact is combines elements of both liberalism (the need for freedom) and traditionalism (the preservation of concepts of heritage) into a new form of ultra-conservative thinking, which is said to have first come to prominence during Ronald Reagan’s election to the White House in 1980.[3] Thatcher’s foreign policy embraced the US as a close ally during Reagan’s presidency, and as such they shared political thoughts and ideas on certain issues.[4] The Thatcher government is attributed as being responsible for the reformation of the labour market during the 1980’s. One main method of achieving this was through the reformation of the income tax system, which dropped the top marginal tax rate for the extremely wealthy.[5] The basic tax rate was cut from 33% to 25%, and the top tax rate was reduced from 83% to 40%.[6] This reduction in taxes is said to have lead to an increase in big business and skilled workforce interest in Britain, rather than having to shift their operations offshore to avoid the high taxes. Having large business back in Britain, set up through the encouragement of a foreign skilled workforce to set up in Britain through lower income tax, meant that the economy would subsequently strengthen due to an increased import/export market and foreign trade deals, regardless of the fact that the government would initially lose up to half its revenue from the top marginal tax bracket. The labour market also faced a shake-up in terms of union involvement, with Thatcher legislating extensively to restrict their involvement in industrial relations, and effectively disabling their ability to call strikes.[7] This meant that the common man’s rights at work were severely challenged by the Thatcher legislative agenda, thereby effectively distancing government from the middle to working classes of British society. This is somewhat contradictory to her proclamation that, upon arriving to Downing Street, her vision was of an â€Å"open, classless Britain†.[8] Rather it could be argued that, in some areas at least, her agenda has somewhat reinforced the class system in Britain, and created a breed of ‘working poor’ class, where encouragement to own property and shares has lead to the inability to create free capital, on which a family can survive. Thatcher also believed that state ownership of many companies was hampering growth in other sectors. Famous firms such as Cable Wireless, British Aerospace, British Petroleum, Rover, British Airways, and British Telecom are now quite largely owned by the public, as well as basic suppliers of gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, road and rail.[9] With the transfer from public to private enterprise meant subsequent deregulation of those companies, allowing them to make changes to the company as their respective boards of directors saw fit. This also could be argued to mean that many employees would no longer be government employees that were provided with government benefits, such as generous superannuation contributions. Rather, superannuation would be at the discretion of the employer, and those that did not receive such benefits would be reliant upon the welfare of the state come unemployment or retirement. This is especially relevant where a mandatory retirement age is enf orced. Again, this further demonstrates the position of the Thatcher administration in terms of providing for middle to lower classes of British society, and only looking out for those that are wealthy enough to own stock in such privatised companies (20% of Britons in 1990, compared with 7% in 1979).[10] Interestingly, under Thatcher in 1980, the Royal Family was given an increase in its allowance from the British government by several million pounds, while cuts in expenditure were being made in most other areas![11] Britain began to pay a price for Thatcher’s cost cutting and privatisation during the 1980s. While the Thatcher administration had inherited high inflation from the preceding Heath Labour government,[12] methods still had to be put in place to control this. Within a few years, inflation was down to 5%, however as a result of strict money control as a method of control, unemployment had risen to around 3 million (or 6%) in the mid 1980s.[13] However, 70% of the British public now owned their own homes, which promoted Thatcher’s importance of personal wealth as a fundamental policy.[14] The economy was favoured over infrastructure and social welfare, with roads and railways showing â€Å"signs of neglect† and homelessness having â€Å"visibly increased†.[15] An example of Thatcher’s favouritism towards the economy is demonstrated by the Local Government Bill 1988, which would have made it illegal to promote homosexuality, or to promote the teaching of homosexuality in any school.[16] It could be argued that this Bill was introduced in the wake of a perceived AIDS epidemic that was striking Britain at the time[17] and, rather than spending money to combat this problem through social welfare programs, it seemed much more economically sound to eradicate the problem at a political level. This again demonstrates the distance between the Thatcher government and the social sphere of Britain, also considering proposals in terms of their ‘pounds-and-pence’ value, and not at a grassroots social level. Upon considering various commentaries and statistical data on the issue, it become clear that the success of the Thatcher administration from 1979-1990 can only best be judged in a two-pronged sense: economically and socially. From an economist’s (and upper class) perspective, it is clear that the Thatcher government achieved success in stabilising the British economy and made life in Britain generally more appealing for those of a higher socio-economic status. This was highlighted by the push for people to own their own homes, own stock portfolios and the ability for people in the highest tax bracket to retain 43% more of their earnings. This is in stark contrast to those of middle to working class populations, where the basic tax rate was cut by a mere 8%, union representation was cut and state-owned enterprise was sold to the public, creating a deregulated corporate anarchic sphere. This meant unemployment rates rose, due to the government having less ability to undertake r emedial programs in the formerly state-owned companies, such as job placement. Rather these people became reliant upon the welfare of the state, which was lacking due to the â€Å"classless† approach of the Thatcher government. In short, Thatcherism is critical of any form of post-war political thought in Britain up until the victory in the 1979 election, due to the ‘one nation’ approach of the New Right. From an economic perspective, it was a godsend. From a socialist’s perspective, it has its flaws. But there is no disputing the fact that Thatcher has left a lasting legacy in British political thought, one which continues in part today through Tony Blair’s New Labour. So what of the future? With the rise of big business, one would assume that corporate deregulation and denationalisation will continue in the future, putting more peoples’ jobs at risk. However, the Labour government have traditionally taken a kind view towards the working man and their union representations. So will this mean more rights for the common man? Only time will tell Bibliography Books Barker, R, Political Ideas in Modern Britain: In and After the 20th Century (1997, 2nd ed), Routledge, London. Hickson, K (ed), The Political Thought of the Conservative Party Since 1945 (2005), Palgrave MacMillan, Hampshire. Marquand, D and Seldon, A, The Ideas that Shaped Modern Britain (1996), Fontana Press, London. Robertson, D, The Penguin Dictionary of Politics (1993, 2nd ed), Penguin, London. Journal Articles Hitchens, C, ‘This Thatchered Land, This England’ (1980) 231 Nation 3. Nelan, B, ‘A Legacy of Revolution’ (1990) 136 Time 24. Stelzer, I, ‘What Thatcher Wrought’ (1992) Public Interest 107. Legislation Local Government Bill 1998 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880009_en_5.htm Footnotes [1] Kevin Hickson (ed), The Political Thought of the Conservative Party Since 1945 (2005), 28. [2] Rodney Barker, Political Ideas in Modern Britain: In and After the 20th Century (1997, 2nd ed), 224. [3] David Robertson, The Penguin Dictionary of Politics (1993, 2nd ed), 348-9. [4] Ibid, 460. [5] David Marquand and Anthony Seldon, The Ideas that Shaped Modern Britain (1996), 154. [6] Bruce Nelan, ‘A Legacy of Revolution’ (1990) 136 Time 24, 66. [7] Nelan, as above n 6. [8] Ibid. [9] Irwin Stelzer, ‘What Thatcher Wrought’ (1992) Public Interest 107, 33-6. [10] Nelan, as above n 6. [11] Christopher Hitchens, ‘This Thatchered Land, This England’ (1980) 231 Nation 3, 72-3. [12] Hickson, as above n 1, 42. [13] Ibid. [14] Nelan, as above n 6. [15] Ibid. [16] Local Government Bill 1988 (UK), s 2A. [17] Stelzer, as above n 9, 49.

Female Suicide Bombers Essay -- essays research papers

Female Suicide Bombers Suicide bombers have become today’s weapon of choice. Middle Eastern terrorists are using suicide bombers because they are low cost, low technology, and a low risk weapon. Suicide bombers have also become readily available, requiring little training, leaving no trace behind, and strike fear into the general population. The success of suicide bombers depends upon an element of surprise, as well as acceptability to targeted area or populations. Both of these required fundamentals have been enjoyed by women suicide bombers. Female suicide bombers were used in the past; however, the recent spat of them in different venues and for different terrorist organizations has largely increased. In order to understand what propels a woman to engage in violence during war, it is imperative to first understand the complexities of terrorism in the Arab – Israeli conflict, including its prehistoric history, and the roles women have played in warring relative to their cultural norms. There are several reasons that make women engage in this horrific act of violence but they can be counted down as being only a few. Hardly anyone would disagree that war is a heart-wrenching ordeal and that it brings dark anguish upon the people of the society being defended. Yet, war also has a flip side for those engaged in direct fighting as well as those witnessing it. War brings on feelings of exhilaration and states have come to view it as a natural and necessary endeavor that must be undertaken in order to maintain the survival of the nation (Elshtain 24). Oddly enough, the emotions felt by militant Middle Eastern women as they do battle have been described as seductive, rebellious, exciting, sense of purpose, sense of freedom (Elshtain 42). Moreover, there is no shortage of romance for even during warring, women’s femininity continues to lie deep within their spirits. Still they must project a strong persona, one who is just as capable as the men are. Repeatedly, combative women respond to their calling and they do it with remarkable charm and valor. Women’s roles in societies have customarily been distinguished from those of men. Their roles in warring also have been clearly delineated and boundaries unmistakably demarcated. Society, through its body of rules and its numerous institutions, has conventionally dictated their boundaries of militancy. Assisting in... ...ty of Tulkrm. Although profiling suicide bombers may be a fascinating academic challenege, it is less relevant in the real world struggle against terrorism than understanding the people that operate as terrorist leaders. It makes much sense to then be more concerned with structural issues: almost nobody does this as an individual. The need is pointed out to counter terrorist organizations since suicide organizations is an organizational phenomenon, the struggle against it can not be conducted on an individual level (Stern 203). Most important, organizations only implement suicide terrorism if their community approves of its use. Research shows that terrorist organizations will continue to use suicide bomber tactics and employ female suicide bombers. A comprehensive counter terrorism plan should recognize the increasing potential for the use of female suicide bombers. The struggle then must continue to lead the way against this terrible way of thinking. With more time and research, it will be easier to understand the real motives and truth behind the thinking of these Middle Eastern women, since they have now gotten to the point in also believing that dying is greater than living.

An Economic Approach To Surfing :: essays research papers fc

An Economic Approach to Surfing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The following represents a specified depiction of a typical day of surfing for me, in a manner described using economic terminology. Although there are many definitions of surfing these days, including surfing the internet, surfing departments stores, magazine surfing, etc., we will focus on the meaning of surfing as it was originally intended, defined as â€Å"The water sport of riding the surf into shore† (Webster’s New World Dictionary, p.739) Using this, I will recount a surf trip a friend and I made to the beach a few years ago, beginning and ending at my home in Valley Center California. The Events I experienced will be depicted using primarily economic concepts. What would seem like ordinary events will be portrayed using an economic microscope of interpretation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is five A.M. on a scorching Saturday morning in the summer of 1998, and I am awakened by the unpleasant sound of my alarm clock. Now you may be wondering why I am crazy enough to wake up this early on a Saturday, but for the dedicated surfer it is a necessity that one must take in order to maximize utility. Utility is defined as â€Å"A measure of the satisfaction, happiness, or benefit that results from the consumption of a good† (Arnold, p. 849). The good in this case being surfing, and in order for me to be fully satisfied, receive happiness, and benefit optimally from this good, I must awake early. By awaking at five A.M., I can prepare for surfing without other members of my family inhibiting me because they will all be asleep. Everything is quiet and peaceful, and this factor alone allows me to start my day in a sort of positive and spiritual mode.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The roads at this time in the morning are virtually empty, which enable me to arrive at the beach in approximately 20 minutes as opposed to 35 minutes during regular hours. The main concept explaining this circumstance has to do with supply and demand. At five A.M. the amount of traffic in relation to spaces available on streets and freeways is relatively small. At eight A.M. however, the amount of traffic in relation to spaces available on streets and freeways is relatively large, often causing extremely congested circumstances. Granted, my surf trip is on a Saturday, and most people have the weekend off from work, but the same economic concept applies on the weekend as it does during the week, but not as drastically.

Internal Management Essay

1.0 Introduction I am a second year student of Applied Languages and Information Technology. I have been assigned an Internal Management Report on the recruitment, selection and induction training methods of a company. I have chosen Hertz International Reservations Call Centre in Swords, Co. Dublin as I recently completed a week on work placement there. While on work placement there, I learnt about how the call centre operates and the selection and training procedures. In my assignment I will give a report on my findings. 2.0 Recruitment Methods in Hertz The main part of recruitment in Hertz is done through recruitment agencies. The agency in which Hertz use is ‘Richmond Recruitment’. The other means of recruitment is by accessing applications on file. These present application forms may be postal CV’s, emailed CV’s or Internet applications. Applications can be made directly to Hertz on their website at www.hertz.com or www.hertz.co.uk. From time to time newspapers are also used as a way to recruit staff. Internal recruitment, i.e. positions for Team Leaders/Market managers is also popular within Hertz call centre. 3.0 Selection Methods 3.1 Curriculum Vitaes All CV’s which are received by Hertz are screened by the recruitment team and/or Team Leaders. The qualities and competencies in which they look for in a CV are: * Customer service skills and experience, including an ability to work well with the public and an ability to adopt a customer perspective. * Technical skills, including proficiency with computers, systems and keyboarding skills. * Strong verbal communication skills, including good voice quality, diction and articulation. 3.2 Interviews After the process of the selection and elimination of CV’s, the unsuccessful applicants are sent a letter within weeks. The agencies are also notified. The accepted candidates are notified with a date and time of interview. There are usually two interviews given. The recruitment team does the first interview although depending on the position and CV. The second is performed by a Team leader/Manager with a recruitment panel. The same questions are asked of all candidates (so that valid comparisons can be made). The interviewer emphasises the demands of the job e.g. shift hours, weekend work etc. It is then up to the candidate to decide whether they can commit to the job or not. Education, why Hertz appeals, greatest achievements are just some of the questions which are asked in the interview. If the candidate is good, the interviewer asks about notice period, holidays booked, if a work permit is required and salary expectations. The candidate is then asked if they have any questions, the contract conditions are explained and they are thanked for attending the interview. Notes are taken by the interviewer to help asses candidates more effectively after the interview. They also help to communicate to human resources department and other managers. They clearly state the outcome of the interview and an offer/rejection is then made. 3.3 The interview assessment At the end of a panel interview, each member of the panel compares the attributes of the candidate against the criteria laid down in the job description. This type of analysis helps ensure objectivity and enables the reason for selection/non-selection to be identified. After the 2nd interview, references are carried out prior to offer. The recruitment team then offers the position, and a contract is sent to the successful candidate. When the contract is returned, an employee file is set up. 4.0 Induction 4.1 Customer Service Training On the issue and acknowledgement of a position offered, Hertz Swords, notifies the employee of the commencement of their position. All new employees must complete a four to six week intensive training course. (Depending on hours of training per day). This begins from day one. A timetable is issued to each employee to show the programme of Induction training. On the first day photographs are taken for access cards which are needed to enter and exit the building and to eat lunch. The new employees are then introduced to trainers and each other. A presentation on the history of Hertz and overview of the company is then given. Health and safety, HR and payroll are explained followed by a tour of the building, customer services and fire safety. Coffee breaks and lunch are timetabled in between. Staff handbooks are given out which includes many important issues on being an employee at Hertz. It provides the employee on important information such as canteen facilities, computers, discipline procedures, drug policy, security, absence, equal opportunities, bullying & sexual harassment and more. During week one of training the employee is given the opportunity to become familiar and relaxed within Hertz. Week two of training consists of shadowing calls. This is done by sitting with a Team leader or customer service agent and listening in on their incoming and outbound calls. This is taken place in the market language of the position of the trainee. The purpose of this is to give the employee an insight into what their job initials. The trainees see how the agent enters the information into the computer. In week three and four the trainee is then thought how the system is used which is Escalibre. Country, city and airport codes are learned. There are also codes for the car type. Each car has four codes. Each position in the four-character vehicle code represents a definable characteristic of the vehicle. They are given a list on the imput codes and must learn them off. The trainee is also trained in sales, i.e. how to sell a car reservation and how to take a call. Here are some guidelines in which they are trained to follow: * Try to answer the telephone promptly * Greet the caller with a clear, cheerful voice * Identify yourself * Listen closely and offer assistance. * Act with speed and courtesy * Offer our customer a satisfactory conclusion to his/her call. * Create a good image of Hertz They are trained as to how to deal with an angry caller: * Firstly, don’t take the problem personally * Stay calm and listen! * Be patient. * Avoid interrupting until the caller has let off steam. * Avoid being rude yourself * Use careful questioning to sort out the problem * Offer positive assistance where possible. * If you are unable to deal effectively with the problem, make sure you pass the call on to someone who can. * Never make false promises to get rid of the problem Further training in week four consists of make mock calls i.e. practising with other trainees, reversing roles as the customer service agent and customer. Customer’s name is always Mr. Test! Additional training is given on the special offers, Hertz # 1 club gold card, Le swap magique and other packages. The trainee is thought about the benefits and terms and conditions, which must be explained to the customers. After the four weeks of training the new employee is ready to start their new position. Further on the job training is given during the duration of their new employment. 4.2 Prevention of strain/injury Training must follow legal compliance. Without training agents are exposed to significantly increased risk of aches, pains, stress and debilitating injury. Information alone is very rarely effective as staff tend to dismiss it. Staff need to understand how to make the most of their workstation (chair, desk and equipment), how to take responsibility for their own comfort and safety and what to do if problems arise. Managers and IT personnel need to be familiar with policy of workplace and equipment and safety to ensure planning and maintenance are correct. 5.0 Conclusions/Recommendations I feel Hertz International Call Centre in Swords has a very up to date and efficient Recruitment, Selection and Training procedure. The interviews are intense by non-discriminatory. The selection procedure is justly as it is essential for the company to choose the right candidate suitable for the position. The internal recruitment is also very successful as it gives the current staff of Hertz to progress within the company. Their training is very skilful and intense. The on-going training within the company is very successful and professional. I feel Hertz benefits from the procedures in which they have in place for the recruitment, selection and training of staff. 6.0 Bibliography I would like to thank all the staff working in Hertz. Without them this report would not be possible. I received most of my knowledge and information on the company from them. I would also like to thank my auntie Ann for sitting down to talk to me about her work in Hertz.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Essay

Teen deaths for any reason are tragic losses of life and potential. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five teenagers in the U.S. seriously considers suicide annually, and approximately 1,700 die by suicide each year. Both the CDC and the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) point out that suicide rates for teens have tripled since 1960 — making it the third leading cause of adolescent death and the second cause among college students. Yet, according to the American Psychological Association, teen suicide is preventable, and they identify possible warning signs. They also note that more than 90 percent of suicide deaths are from mental illness and substance-abuse disorders. Not letting facts stand in their way, activist groups continue to claim, based on a flawed 1989 study that has been completely discredited, that 30 percent of all teens who attempt suicide are homosexuals. Instead, teen suicide reports from the major psychological and pediatric associations either do not even mention sexual identity or mention it near the bottom of a long list of other risk factors associated with teen suicide. Other teen suicide factors — family breakup through divorce, alcohol or drug abuse, and family dysfunction — are mentioned in all the major health organization publications as main factors in teen suicide. Research from Columbia University Medical Center, published in APAM, cites different reasons for girls’ and boys’ suicides. The researchers collected data from over 8,000 students in New York City high schools in 2005. For females, recent dating violence is a primary cause of attempted suicide. For teen males, a lifetime history of sexual assault is associated with suicide attempts. Dr. Elyse Olshen, lead researcher for the study, reported that girls who have been physically abused by a boyfriend are 60 percent more likely to attempt suicide than those who have not. For boys, sexual abuse over an extended period of time is more likely to be the determining factor for male teen suicide. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) identified the strong risk factors for teen suicide as depression, alcohol, or drug abuse and aggressive, disruptive behaviors. They also mentioned family loss, instability, and unplanned pregnancy. Suicidal teens, they reported, feel alone, hope less, and rejected and are especially vulnerable when they have experienced a loss, humiliation, or trauma, such as poor grades, breakup with boyfriend or  girlfriend, argument with parents, parental discord, separation, or divorce. The APA declared that 53 percent of young people who commit suicide are substance abusers. NMHA identifies feelings of anger and resentment and the inability to see beyond a temporary situation as the main factors in teen suicide attempts. KidsHealth quotes Dr. David Sheslow, a pediatric psychologist, who identifies drugs and alcohol as leading causes of suicide in teens. Further, KidsHealth reports, â€Å"A teen with an adequate support network of friends, family, religious affiliations, peer groups or extracurricular activities may have an outlet to deal with his everyday frustrations. A teen without an adequate support network may feel disconnected and isolated from his family and peer groups. It’s these teens who are at increased risk for suicide.† Other problems identified by KidsHealth are divorce, alcoholism of a family member, domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse, repeated failures at school, substance abuse, and self-destructive behavior. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry publishes a fact sheet about teen suicide. Causes they list? Stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, fears about growing up, divorce, formation of a new family with step-parents and step-siblings, and moving to a new community. They clearly identify suicide feelings as a â€Å"mental disorder.† The American Academy of Pediatrics, in their publication about preventing teen suicide, identifies the â€Å"long term impact of child abuse† as the leading cause of attempted suicides among women. They emphasize the greater pressures of modern life, competition for grades and college admissions, and increased violence in the media as contributing factors. They also cite the lack of parental involvement because of divorce, parents’ work schedules, and limited family life. One study reported that 90 percent of suicidal teenagers believed that their families do not understand them. Viewing teen suicide through the distorted, single-vision lens of the homosexual activists puts large numbers of teens at risk. Those who insist that the problem of teen suicide is primarily among teens who struggle over their sexual identity overlook the vast majority of potential teen suicide victims — those who have other emotional or psychological issues, those who abuse drugs and other substances, and especially those who have suffered sexual violence and abuse. The problems of emotionally and physically battered teens must be  faced and their minds and bodies healed; otherwise, the rate of teen suicides will continue to rise. Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D. is executive director and senior fellow of Concerned Women for America’s Beverly LaHaye Institute.