Beowulf: The Battle of Good and Evil

Beowulf is one of the oldest and most extensive poems in the history of literature today. It is also considered to be one of the pioneers of the â€Å"good versus evil† theme. While the poem revolves around the adventures and battles of Beowulf, the message of the story consistently conveys the concept that good would always defeat evil. The plot itself is already evidence enough to the theme of the poem. As a warrior, Beowulf helps fight the evil Grendel, his mother, and the dragon to save the people of Heorot.Beowulf clearly believes in goodness as it is the will of God. Several texts from the poem illustrate the theme of good and evil. During his battle with Grendel, he proclaims, â€Å"Whichever one death fells / must deem it a just judgment by God† (lines 440-441). Beowulf is also described to be a man of faith as he declares that, â€Å"the Geat placed complete trust in his strength of limb in the Lord's favor† (669-670). This emphasizes the fact that Beowu lf relies on the guidance of God and believes it to be his strength.Even his friend Hrothgar illuminates this goodness in character when he warns Beowulf about the moral dangers caused by pride. â€Å"O flower of warriors, beware of that trap. / eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride† (1758-1759). On the other hand, evil rests on the characters of Grendel and his mother—the villains of the story. Grendel is introduced in a much darker tone, â€Å"until finally one, a fiend out of hell, / began to work his evil in the world. / Grendel was the name of this grim demon† (100-102).He is also described in the story to be a descendant of Cain which further highlights the evil in his character, as Cain is widely known to be the biblical character who has slain his brother Abel out of jealousy. The story of Beowulf may seem to be just an extensive poem which tackles the never-ending issue of good versus evil. It is like a prolonged epic fairytale of defeating evil ami dst the hardships. Yet, it is a unique literary piece that deserves its length in further reminding people that good really does conquer evil.

Compare and Contrast Three Hostels in Sydney Essay

There are a lot of hostels in Sydney which are attracted because of its price and facilities. However, there are only three hostels that are suitable with postgraduate students, namely Maze Backpackers, Central Station Hotel and Nomads Westend Backpackers. This report will compare and contrast them with regard to location, price and facilities. Firstly, the location is contrasted between all these hostels. Central Station Hotel has the best location. It is near Central Station which is easily accessible by train, taxi and bus. While Maze Backpackers is in 417 Pitt Street and is located 5 minutes walking from this hostel to Central Station, Nomads Westend Backpackers is next to Central Station and its address is 412 Pitt Street. Secondly, the price is the most important feature is considered among three hostels and the price of rooms for each hostels is completely different. Central Station Hotel has only private rooms while Maze Backpackers and Nomads Westend Backpackers have shared rooms and private rooms. The cost of shared room with 4 beds in Maze Backpackers is $20. 58 whereas the cost of shared room whit 4 beds in Nomad Westend Backpackers is $23. 07 so it’s more expensive than Maze Backpackers’s. The private room in Central Station Hotel is the most expensive. It cost $38. 68 whereas a private room at Maze Backpackers and Nomads Westend Backpackers cost $17. 4 and $20. 94 respectively. Finally, there are some similarities and differences in their facilities. All of them have the Internet/Wifi, 24 hour reception; washing machines, safety deposit and credit card accepted but Maze Backpackers and Nomad Westend Backpackers are more convenient than Central Station Hotel because they have lounge area. However, Central Station is suitable with postgraduate students who need to use photocopying machines.

Behaviour For Learning And Management Of Students Education Essay

, 1999 cited in EPPI ) . This has been met by the outlooks set by the TTA via the Qualifying to learn, the new criterions and demands for Qualified Teacher Status ( QTS ) ( TTA,2002 ) . B4L is a construct that has been developed through a reappraisal of effectual behaviour direction schemes. It has been identified that B4L is a consequence of battalion of influences and non simply the desire of a scholar to misconduct and unwillingness to larn. It is of import to place the theoretical rules behind the manner in which scholars manifest themselves in footings of behavior, as identified in the principle for the EPPI systemic reappraisal of how theories explain larning behavior in school context. Behaviour for larning ( B4L ) identifies the nexus between pupils societal behavior and behavior and the manner in which they learn. The schools policy clearly states high outlooks of pupils, â€Å" We expect pupils to reflect this in their visual aspect, attitudes and behavior. We know we are modeling the citizens of the hereafter and will promote them to care for one another, be unfastened, just, honest and merely. We want them to hold a sense of pride in being portion of our school community. † ( School Aims, Staff enchiridion ) . Further to this the school s vision is to raise accomplishment by developing a civilization where ‘learning is at the bosom of the school community ‘ . To accomplish this vision the school identifies whole school precedences for 2010/2011 including bettering behavior and attending. It besides stated that the school will concentrate on integrating SEAL pattern in the schoolroom, which has been identified as an of import key in developing scholar ‘s emotional intelligence ( Coleman, 1996 ) supplying scholars with the accomplishment set to supervise and better their behavior independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for larning needed to be addressed ( appendix 1 ) . This was farther reinforced as a high precedence country during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher ( Appendix 1a ) , which focused on current issues in lessons and the demand to better B4L. Two cardinal issues that arose were the usage of nomadic phones within lessons and consistence of countenances ( Appendix 1a ) . It is interesting to observe that these both encompass the instructor and the scholar. It is refering to observe that usage of nomadic phones within lessons is being flagged as a B4L issue and non a mark of detachment. Intelligibly there is a close nexus between the quality of acquisition, instruction and behavior, and hence raises the inquiry can behaviour be improved through bettering the quality of larning A ; learning? The school clearly identifies that there is a demand to reenforce their school policies on beha vior for acquisition. Through initial observation it was interesting to observe the degree of behavioral issues happening both in and out of lessons. It poses the inquiry is this a school being pro-active in pull offing behavior for larning or re-active to behaviour that had non been managed systematically? This survey will concentrate on the schools current policy on behavior for larning and how this is implemented on a day-to-day footing. Through a reappraisal of the schools current policy and issues this survey will trust to propose future recommendations to better behavior for acquisition. Recent national policy has moved off from a punitory system where pupils were punished for making something incorrect ‘reactive ‘ and are now working towards understanding what causes scholars to be off undertaking and show unwanted behaviour ‘pro-active ‘ . With the recent development of particular educational demands designation and proviso it is no longer acceptable to react in a punitory manner. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diverseness of scholars in schools irrespective of degree of accomplishment or societal behavior ( Department for Education A ; Employment ( DfEE ) , 1999 ) . It is of import for schools to recognize this and develop schemes to advance B4L as over 20 % of SEN proviso are scholars with societal emotional and behavioral upset ( SEBD ) ( Department for Children, Schools A ; Families, 2008 ) . SEBD scholars by nature can expose unwanted behavior unless managed in a positive manner, and would it non be deemed una cceptable from an instruction professional ‘s position for a scholar predisposed to expose hapless behavior as the consequence of a recognized upset, to fall victim to punitory actions. It is hence of import for schools to hold a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. Communication between the SEN section and the remainder of the school is besides indispensable. ( back up with research ) excessively many lessons lack challenge and make non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ single capablenesss or promote independent acquisition. Besides, quality of marker and feedback by and large varies well across the school. However, a little minority of parents expressed positions that the school ‘s communicating with parents could be better, and besides that pupils ‘ behavior was non ever every bit good as it should be. Inspectors found behavior to be satisfactory overall, but variable. In general, pupils have a high respect for their school, bask their instruction and appreciate the assortment of chances on offer to them, both within the course of study and beyond. They are developing a good scope of personal accomplishments that are fixing them good for their instruction and employment after school. Ensure that lesson activities systematically challenge pupils of all ability groups to do better advancement and develop their independent acquisition accomplishments, particularly at Key Stage 4. Behaviour in lessons is satisfactory, although someinstances of students being excessively rambunctious were seen during the review. However, there is by and large non plenty truly disputing learning across the school to guarantee that pupils make systematically good advancement in their acquisition and therefore develop the assurance and ability to work independently. Where learning is less effectual, be aftering does non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ different capablenesss and get downing points, and is excessively teacher-directed. Teachers do supply some clear, detailed and utile written feedback, but this is inconsistent across the school and does non ever give specific advice about what pupils need to make to better their work – a job which persists since the last review. Behaviour For Learning And Management Of Students Education Essay , 1999 cited in EPPI ) . This has been met by the outlooks set by the TTA via the Qualifying to learn, the new criterions and demands for Qualified Teacher Status ( QTS ) ( TTA,2002 ) . B4L is a construct that has been developed through a reappraisal of effectual behaviour direction schemes. It has been identified that B4L is a consequence of battalion of influences and non simply the desire of a scholar to misconduct and unwillingness to larn. It is of import to place the theoretical rules behind the manner in which scholars manifest themselves in footings of behavior, as identified in the principle for the EPPI systemic reappraisal of how theories explain larning behavior in school context. Behaviour for larning ( B4L ) identifies the nexus between pupils societal behavior and behavior and the manner in which they learn. The schools policy clearly states high outlooks of pupils, â€Å" We expect pupils to reflect this in their visual aspect, attitudes and behavior. We know we are modeling the citizens of the hereafter and will promote them to care for one another, be unfastened, just, honest and merely. We want them to hold a sense of pride in being portion of our school community. † ( School Aims, Staff enchiridion ) . Further to this the school s vision is to raise accomplishment by developing a civilization where ‘learning is at the bosom of the school community ‘ . To accomplish this vision the school identifies whole school precedences for 2010/2011 including bettering behavior and attending. It besides stated that the school will concentrate on integrating SEAL pattern in the schoolroom, which has been identified as an of import key in developing scholar ‘s emotional intelligence ( Coleman, 1996 ) supplying scholars with the accomplishment set to supervise and better their behavior independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for larning needed to be addressed ( appendix 1 ) . This was farther reinforced as a high precedence country during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher ( Appendix 1a ) , which focused on current issues in lessons and the demand to better B4L. Two cardinal issues that arose were the usage of nomadic phones within lessons and consistence of countenances ( Appendix 1a ) . It is interesting to observe that these both encompass the instructor and the scholar. It is refering to observe that usage of nomadic phones within lessons is being flagged as a B4L issue and non a mark of detachment. Intelligibly there is a close nexus between the quality of acquisition, instruction and behavior, and hence raises the inquiry can behaviour be improved through bettering the quality of larning A ; learning? The school clearly identifies that there is a demand to reenforce their school policies on beha vior for acquisition. Through initial observation it was interesting to observe the degree of behavioral issues happening both in and out of lessons. It poses the inquiry is this a school being pro-active in pull offing behavior for larning or re-active to behaviour that had non been managed systematically? This survey will concentrate on the schools current policy on behavior for larning and how this is implemented on a day-to-day footing. Through a reappraisal of the schools current policy and issues this survey will trust to propose future recommendations to better behavior for acquisition. Recent national policy has moved off from a punitory system where pupils were punished for making something incorrect ‘reactive ‘ and are now working towards understanding what causes scholars to be off undertaking and show unwanted behaviour ‘pro-active ‘ . With the recent development of particular educational demands designation and proviso it is no longer acceptable to react in a punitory manner. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diverseness of scholars in schools irrespective of degree of accomplishment or societal behavior ( Department for Education A ; Employment ( DfEE ) , 1999 ) . It is of import for schools to recognize this and develop schemes to advance B4L as over 20 % of SEN proviso are scholars with societal emotional and behavioral upset ( SEBD ) ( Department for Children, Schools A ; Families, 2008 ) . SEBD scholars by nature can expose unwanted behavior unless managed in a positive manner, and would it non be deemed una cceptable from an instruction professional ‘s position for a scholar predisposed to expose hapless behavior as the consequence of a recognized upset, to fall victim to punitory actions. It is hence of import for schools to hold a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. Communication between the SEN section and the remainder of the school is besides indispensable. ( back up with research ) excessively many lessons lack challenge and make non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ single capablenesss or promote independent acquisition. Besides, quality of marker and feedback by and large varies well across the school. However, a little minority of parents expressed positions that the school ‘s communicating with parents could be better, and besides that pupils ‘ behavior was non ever every bit good as it should be. Inspectors found behavior to be satisfactory overall, but variable. In general, pupils have a high respect for their school, bask their instruction and appreciate the assortment of chances on offer to them, both within the course of study and beyond. They are developing a good scope of personal accomplishments that are fixing them good for their instruction and employment after school. Ensure that lesson activities systematically challenge pupils of all ability groups to do better advancement and develop their independent acquisition accomplishments, particularly at Key Stage 4. Behaviour in lessons is satisfactory, although someinstances of students being excessively rambunctious were seen during the review. However, there is by and large non plenty truly disputing learning across the school to guarantee that pupils make systematically good advancement in their acquisition and therefore develop the assurance and ability to work independently. Where learning is less effectual, be aftering does non take sufficient history of pupils ‘ different capablenesss and get downing points, and is excessively teacher-directed. Teachers do supply some clear, detailed and utile written feedback, but this is inconsistent across the school and does non ever give specific advice about what pupils need to make to better their work – a job which persists since the last review.

Retailing Fast Food Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Retailing Fast Food Industry - Essay Example Fast-Food Industry, Encyclopedia Article, 2007 In 1950 expansion of street network and motor industry exhibited transformation in standard of living to balance it with food provision and first ham burger companies' projected this change of life style. Subsequently, increased mobility and modern way of living gave importance to work and women work force sprouted into power. Thus there was no time left for women to prepare food at home. Money was spent in buying fast food meals instead, as women could not find sufficient time to cook at home, they preferred buying it. As nature and scope of business changed so did fast food industry. It went through recognizable transformation in the last decades. Presentation and preparation of food was linked with technological improvements which enhanced the preservation of uncooked and precooked food. For example introduction of microwave helped prepare food quickly. Presentation and preparation of food transformed with the influence of technological and electrical appliances. Thus the use of cutlery and crockery was replaced by modernized concept of "eat with your fingers ". Another technological influence over the fast food customers was packaging. This trend of packaging allowed disposal of material which was made of plastic, cardboard, and polymers. This paved a channel for uniformity of expectations to ignite. Undoubtedly, Presentation of food and variables became fundamentals of traditional restauranteuring. Schlosser, 2001. Richardson, Aguiar, 2004 pg1 According to Rault -Wack and Bricas 2002 cultural and collective identities can be formulated through the medium of food and its impact on ones lives. Names can be associated with particular products and service to crave corporate identity through symbolism. Primarily brand association and identification targets evolution and consolidation of strong corporate identities. In the UK American hegemony in presentation and preparation of food formulates a model of cultural and collective identity. This ideal provides consumers with uniformity and repeated experience. Richardson, Aguiar, 2004 pg1 Credit of the standardized chain-owned fast-food concept goes to the American subsequent innovations which improved the efficiency of their functioning, leading to their efflorescence through franchising. Emergence of standardized chain can be traced to White Castle Company and the first store opened by Walter Anderson and Edgar Ingram in 1921. Fast-Food Industry, Encyclopedia Article, 2007 Food industry is associated with provision of food in restaurants, outlets or in packed form being available to the customer in the shop or at home in packed shape. It is linked with hotel and catering industry. Fast food retail implies the sale of the end product or completed project with four generic characteristics. Generic quality of fast food puts hamburgers, fish and chips, scooped ice cream, kebabs, fried and broiled chicken, chips or French fries, pizza, Chinese and Indian takeaway food, sandwiches, and drinks and food products into one category. Traditional retail outlets can be seen

Thrasymachus and Justice in Plato's Political Philosophy Research Paper

Thrasymachus and Justice in Plato's Political Philosophy - Research Paper Example Distinguished sophist of ancient Greece Thrasymachus has elucidated the term justice while entering into discussion on the same topic with great philosopher Socrates, which has been elaborated by Socrates’ renowned disciple Plato in his Republic. Book I of the Republic encompasses the debate between Thrasymachus and Socrates, where the former makes two assertions about justice. At first, he declares the notion as mere the ‘advantage of the strong over the weak’; and secondly he views justice as ‘submitting to the prevailing statutes of the state law.’ (Hourani, 111) The powerful governments, according to Thrasymachus, strive to implement their policies by dint of the force they enjoy in comparison with the weaker states; consequently, the policy is expected to be observed and followed by all the weak nations. As a result, it becomes the law, which is unconditionally and unanimously imitated by all. Consequently, it is equally beneficial for the weaker due to the very reality that it would be obeyed by all the weak without discrimination, and hence will become a law for all individuals. The sophist also argues that justice imposes unnecessary restrains on the human desires, and thus it does not turn out to be advantageous for the majority of the people in general. Hence, on the one side, Thrasymachus defines justice as the exploitation of the weak individual(s) or stratum at the hands of the powerful; and on the other side, he declares it as the abiding of the uniform law, which looks at everyone on the foundations of equality and impartiality. Thus, stronger group signifies the elite or ruling stratum of society, while the weak can be compared to the masses at large. Since the stronger stratum not only articulates the rules and laws, but also abides the same rules it has devised for all, these statutes of law are supportive for the protection of the rights of the weaker too. Somehow, Socrates points out contradiction in the very definition of justice Thrasymachus has developed. Consequently, it invites criticism from Socrates because of the contradiction it contains in its very scope. Socrates, during his cross examination of the very arguments made by Thrasymachus, vehemently refutes the validity of his viewpoint. He is of the opinion that since the individuals, even from the strong and ruling classes, are humans, and hence can make mistakes, they cannot be expected to devise error free laws, policies and strategies. On the other hand, even their most sincere efforts can maintain flaws and mistakes while devising the laws; so these statutes, in the form of advantages and privileges for the stronger, are unable to present the real picture of justice in their nature and scope. Somehow, Thrasymachus counters Socrates’ objection by stating that the rulers are free from making errors or committing mistakes till they are at the helm of the power. And even if they commit they same, there is no one to chal lenge or point out their mistakes till they are enjoying the position of rulers. In other words, the weaker strata do not have the power to put even the incorrect rules into jeopardy. Consequently, they remain as the laws of the country till the individuals, introducing the same, are in the power. (Bloom, 25) Being one of the greatest logicians the world has ever produced, Socrates could not submit to the Thrasymachus’ claim that rules and laws are devised for the benefit of the rulers only. On the other hand, he clarifies his objection with the example that the artwork is created for the consumers and public, and not for the use of the artisan. Similarly, the shopkeeper involves into trade and merchandise by bringing commodities for the people. It is therefore, justice carries advantages for the common man at first, and hence cannot be attributed to the dominant political group only. Socrates also cites the professional abilities and proficiencies of the

Discuss the role of the world trade organisation (WTO) in the 21st Essay

Discuss the role of the world trade organisation (WTO) in the 21st century in global trading - Essay Example The world trade organization is a global international body that deals with the rules of trade between countries. It was established in 1995 with the Marrakech agreement, which was signed by 123 countries (Jones, 2015). Its main objective is to provide the framework for negotiation between participating countries during the trade. It also regulated trade rules and regulations between member states to ensure smooth running of trade activities. It is run and managed by its member governments and the members normally make all major decisions as a whole. The member states send their representatives who help in making decisions on behalf of their countries. The representatives of the member states meet after every two years to make major decisions regarding the running of the organization. The ambassadors and delegates of the member states are expected to meet regularly for decision making whenever necessary in Geneva. The world trade organization is managed by the Secretariat, which has skilled experts in all sectors of the economy who assist in the smooth running of sector’s specific tasks (Schefer, 2010). The world trade organization has many roles, objectives, and functions, which make it important in international trade (Ahearn & Fergusson, 2010). The first role of this noble body is to conduct and manage implementation, operation, and administration of the agreements covered in their constitution. The world trade organization is supposed to oversee the formation of trade agreements, their implementation, their administration, and their operation (Sampson, 2005). It also ensures that member states lower their tariffs and remove other barriers that restrict free trade between countries. This helps countries to conduct trade freely without many challenges. The next role played by the world trade organization is to provide forums for business negotiations and settling of disputes between member states (Alexander & Andenà ¦s, 2008). Although

Personal project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal project - Assignment Example Such countries include Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (GDA 1). Their vision is to bring together top-tier research organisations, for companies (both profit and non-profit) from the Front Range in order to synchronise the exceptional strengths of every Consortium member along with the entire multi-disciplinary expertise so as to improve knowledge awareness of need, inform research and science efforts and eventually offer real-time and location-specific information globally to inform choices that ensure the development of agriculture, as well as public health (GDA 1). The current projects being run by GDA are West Africa Weather Station Installation and Agriculture RE-Analysis of Precipitation Data both in Africa. These projects begun on July, 2014 and still run to date. They are meant to enhance the broader goal of the organisation and that is enhancing food security (GDA 1). The project that I intend to aid is the Weather Station Installation project, which seems to be more fascinating. With the proper kind of research, it would be worthwhile to involve myself in such a

Argue for a ban on texting while driving Research Paper

Argue for a ban on texting while driving - Research Paper Example Studies conducted have shown that texting while driving could be more dangerous than speaking or drunk driving (Richtel). More than a dozen states in the United States have passed laws against texting while driving with the current Obama administration taking more efforts to ban the practice across the country (Crawley; Stateline). However, despite the increased arguments raised in favor of the ban, studies carried out by certain institutes have shown that such bans have really had no impact on the accident rate in the country (Lohr). But given the many potential risks involved in practicing this, increased awareness is being created by legal experts, transportation and government officials and vehicle manufacturers to bring out a country wide ban for texting while driving. The executive order issued by the President in 2009, has referred to distracted driving as an epidemic and has hence banned all federal employees from texting while driving. The favorable arguments raised in this regard is that there has been several car crashes involving drivers who were distracted and tempted by text messages while driving as they had to release at least one hand from the steering in addition to taking their eyes off the road (National Highway Traffic; Crawley; Stateline; Executive order). The government has issued this order as it believes that officials should first set an example by following the ban and thence enforce it. There are several government employees who use vehicles daily for commutation or transportation purposes and by following the ban they can also prevent any unwanted accidents and injuries. The federal government employees and contractors were expected to comply with the order since December 2009 as it would help save lives, reduce injuries an d unnecessary damage to property (National Highway Traffic; Executive order). The order also includes that these officials should comply with the order even during non-working hours and that authorities can

Financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Financial management - Essay Example This presents that fact that the company has been able to maintain its cost of sales and made sure that it remains in constant proportion with the revenue. The company has been able to manage the impact of inflation in the cost of material and labor. The operating profit margin follows the same trend. Net profit margin, on the other hand analyzes the profitability of the company before deducting the taxation and finance charges from the earnings. The ratio is calculated by dividing the profit after interest and tax with the sales revenue of the current financial period. The ratio highlights how well the company is managing its selling and administrative expenses it also highlights the other income generated by the company during the course of its operations. The net profit increased significantly in the financial year 2012 as compared to the financial year 2011. ... ital employed (ROCE) is, according to the analyst, is considered to be the most significant ratio in order to evaluate a company’s performance from an investor’s point of view. ROCE measures a company’s ability to earn a return on all of the capital that is being employed by the company. The ratio is calculated as net income upon total capital employed, which is the sum of debt and equity financings. The return on capital employed is showing a fluctuating pattern as presented in the tabular representation. If we evaluate the tabular information, the ROCE increased sharply from the financial year 2010 to financial year 2011. The net profit of the company increased by a staggering ? 100 thousand during the financial year 2012 which resulted in an incline in the return on capital employed. Earnings per share (EPS) are considered one of the most important financial ratios from the investor’s point of view. The ratio highlights the average earnings from the sha res transacted and is calculated by dividing the profit attributable to the common share holders and multiplying them with the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. The earnings per share trend follow the same pattern as that of the net profit margin. The liquidity ratio measures the company’s ability to pay its short term liabilities. The ratio illustrates that how quickly a company can convert its assets into cash and cash equivalent in order to pay off its short term liabilities. The most commonly used liquidity ratio, the current ratio, which is calculated by comparing the current assets and current liabilities. The strengthened the current ratio the more ability the company has to pay its debts and short term obligations over the next 12 months. As apparent from the above

Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands Essay Example for Free

Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands Essay Johnny Depp, also known as Edward Scissorhands is the main focus of this movie. Edward being an invention â€Å"monster† as some might say, but he also has a kind heart for others. After the inventor â€Å"Father† of Edward died he stayed inclosed in the house, leaving him unfinished him having scissors for hands, he had become socially disconnected. Looking into Edwards eyes you can tell he’s lost soul being in trapped in a unwanted body. Deserted in this House he calls home all alone until one day, Peg, a woman who sells avon, barges in and takes him with her. Edward gentle but frightened doesnt know what the world had in store for him. Being alone for as long as Edward was he desired the attention Peg gave him. i honestly think Tim Burtons main focus of this film was to show that you cant judge a book by its cover, by showing off Edwards unique qualities showing his fascinating personality loving heart towards others. While easily amazing the neighbors with his shrub trimming and hair cutting skills. Edward falls drastically in love with Peg’s daughter Kim, but, KIm is dating the Jim who is just very hateful to Edward. Jim always pointed out that he could never hold hands with Kim without hurting her, also Edward being so socially disconnected from society.

The UK Construction Industry: Impact of the Recession

The UK Construction Industry: Impact of the Recession INTRODUCTION Chapter 1: Background Information According to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the UK construction industry has 250,000 firms employing 2.1 million people, and contributes 8.2 percent of the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Construction companies provide employment for every skill level from labourers to architects as well as the opportunity to work for every size of firm from family run businesses, to major contractors. Its efficient operation and competitiveness is also essential to the fulfilment of the Governments commitment to improve public services and infrastructure. The delivery of new schools, hospitals, affordable housing, eco homes, all depend on the success of the construction sector to deliver. Key issues the construction industry is facing in 2009 With cut-backs, uncertainty and more red tape it looks as if 2009 will be a challenge. To say the year has been one of turmoil and change is an understatement. The reeling financial markets and the swelling sense of gloom overshadowing the general economic outlook have, naturally, a corollary in the construction industry always a lag barometer for the economic climate. And the uncertainty is far from over. If some experts are correct, we may be witnessing just the initial battering of the storm. Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, has admitted it is likely that the country is heading for a â€Å"prolonged and painful recession†. In the last twelve months, the national and global situation has worsened. So in this light, below are the authors predictions for the biggest issues that UK construction will face. Skills The recession is forcing employers to look at restructuring and, ultimately, redundancies. For an industry that has enjoyed a boom for years, this is going to be a massive change of mindset employers need to be very careful they manage any redundancies properly or we will see an increase in litigation in this area. However, and perhaps perversely, the industry will continue to suffer major skills shortages, particularly in the South-east, where 2012 is a tremendous opportunity, but one which casts a skills shadow. This time, project management skills will be in short supply, due to lack of training facilities or lack of investment in education sponsoring from construction companies, rather than labour, where the situation regarding migrant workers who may be returning to their native countries will continue to remain unclear into 2009. Sectors like caring, which still needs a lot of people will attract all the labour force. Temporary workers Agency workers are soon to be given similar rights to permanent staff. It is proposed that the law will change in 2010. The new law will mean that after 12 weeks on assignment, an agency worker will be entitled to ‘equal treatment meaning the same basic working and employment conditions as a comparable permanent employee, including equal pay, notice and holiday entitlement. For an industry that employs a large volume of temporary workers, this is going to be an administrative and financial challenge that will really make itself felt in 2009. Health and safety The recent downward trend in construction-related injuries may well be over, and 2009 could see a significant increase since contractors will be looking to cut down costs on training and overlooking basic safety measures. There are suggestions that considerably different levels of adherence to health and safety rules are due to the rapid influx of migrant workers. Different people behave and act in different ways although all working for UK construction companies. There are some people who are very meticulous about their work and adhere to each and every smallest safety precautions while there are others who can consider petty measures as time wasting. If evidence of this emerges in 2009, we could expect the industry to experience a crackdown from the HSE. We expect to see increasing postponement of Local Authority maintenance work, which will hit small contractors and subcontractors the hardest. The Government is talking about major investment in new schemes. The consequence is that, even allowing for more lending, spend will have to be clawed back from somewhere. It seems inevitable that this will be from maintenance. This will be counter-productive, as maintenance work which puts money into the pockets of smaller contractors, quickly is usually the fastest way to stimulate the economy. House building For what seems like forever, the Government has been hugely vocal about its target for three million new homes by 2020 and 10 ecotowns by 2020. As Construction News reported, housing minister Margaret Beckett is already re-articulating these as â€Å"ambitions† and â€Å"hopes†, rather than firm commitments. (from www.cnplus.co.uk/story.aspx) It would seem inevitable that â€Å"ambitions† might be downplayed further and become â€Å"future aspirations† before long. This will provide more worry for subcontractors who rely on the house-building sector for some of their work. The fact that the UK is still suffering a major shortage of housing particularly affordable housing, regardless of falling house prices does mean, however, that this semantic juggling will only be a 2009 phenomenon. Top 20 Construction Companies Q2 2009 The Top 20 construction companies league table, by construction news, ranks the UKs 20 biggest construction companies by turnover and profit, as follows. The table is updated quarterly, and was last updated inJune 2009. New Infrastructure New infrastructure output in the 12 months to the first quarter of 2009 was 7 per cent higher compared with the previous 12 months and the first quarter of 2009 was 2 per cent higher compared with the previous quarter. The outlook is becoming increasingly gloomy as the worsening economy hits the capital. London escaped the worst of the construction slowdown for much of 2008. Indeed, the value of underlying work starting on site fell by just 3 per cent in 2008. But construction starts in London fell sharply in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the worsening economic conditions took hold. The value of underlying construction starts has continued to slide during the opening months of 2009, with starts during the three months to February 35 per cent down on a year earlier. With financial and property related firms reducing their workforces, many developers have put planned construction projects on hold. The value of underlying office starts, which accounted for about a quarter of the value of underlying construction starts during 2007, fell 21 per cent last year. That said, some developers are still pressing forward with major office projects. Tighter mortgage conditions and sustained pessimism in the residential housing market are now severely impacting private housing construction in London. Having held up well during the first half of 2008, sector starts in the capital are now following a similar trend to the rest of the country. The value of underlying construction starts was  £150 million in the fourth quarter 2008, down 73 per cent on a year earlier. Construction prospects in London are becoming increasingly gloomy. The value of projects in the pre-construction pipeline has fallen away sharply, with underlying planning approvals falling by 36 per cent in value during the fourth quarter of 2008. Large projects are a significant feature of construction activity in London. At first glance the preconstruction pipeline for large projects looks promising. However, given the current economic climate, there is likely to be a higher than normal proportion of planned large projects to be either delayed or abandoned. This is due to the fact that the government is planning to spread its restricted allowable budget across several other vital sectors such as education and health. Nonetheless we should breathe a sign of relief when looking at big projects such Cross rail where preliminary works have begun this year and construction starting in 2010. We should also be looking at temporary relief projects such as the Olympics which need to be completed by mid 2012. These important projects are acting like a lifeline for major construction companies, while waiting for the bad economic climate to change a bit. Overall, construction starts has significantly deteriorated in 2009, which has affe cted small contractors a lot but there is still a glimmer of hope for major firms with very few massive projects. Chapter 2: History of recession The word recession has several meanings. The simplest one could be, a recession happens when our neighbour losses his or her job, and it is a depression when we are made redundant. Economic textbooks tell that a recession is what happens when the economy shrinks for six months on the trot. GDP is used to measure the size of the economy, and when the figures go negative for two successive three months periods (or quarters) the technical definition is met (from http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5753844.ece). When recessions are prolonged past several months, they become depressions. Unlike recession there is no widely accepted textbook definition of a depression, although some say it comes when GDP shrinks by a total of 10 per cent. It will feel distinctly like a depression if a recession goes on for more than a year. After two years, talk of recessions is sure to be replaced by ultra-glum references to depression. Credit crunch timetable Year 2007 In February HSBC gives an early sign of the crisis to come when it warns of higher than expected mortgage defaults in its US business. In August BNP Paribas suspends three funds exposed to sub-prime mortgages. European Central Bank pumps â‚ ¬95 billion into the markets. In September Northern Rock seeks emergency funding. First run on a UK bank for more than 140 years. In October UBS, of Switzerland, is the worlds first major bank to announce losses from sub-prime-related investments, totalling $3.4 billion. Year 2008 In February Northern Rock is nationalised. In March Bear Stearns, the US investment bank, seeks emergency funding and is sold to JP Morgan in a cut-price deal, sparking week of turmoil in stock markets. In April Nationwide records first annual house price fall for 12 years. In September Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank, goes bust. Bradford Bingley is nationalised. In October The Icelandic banking system collapses. Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS are partly nationalised. Year 2009 In January UK officially enters recession. In March Base rate cut to 0.5 per cent. The credit crunch refers to a sudden shortage of funds for lending, leading to a resulting decline in loans available. A Credit Crunch can occur for various reasons: Sudden increase in interest rates (e.g. in 1992, UK government increased rates to 15%) Direct money controls by the government (rarely used by Western Governments these days) A lack of liquidity in the capital markets The recent credit crunch was driven by a sharp rise in defaults on subprime mortgages. These mortgages were mainly in America but the resulting shortage of funds spread throughout the rest of the world. Steps to 2007 / 08 Credit Crunch US mortgage lenders sell many inappropriate mortgages to customers with low income and poor credit. It is hoped with a booming housing market, the mortgages will remain affordable. Often there was lack of controls in the sale of mortgage products. Mortgage brokers got paid for selling a mortgage, so there was an incentive to sell mortgages even if they were too expensive and high chance of default. To sell more profitable subprime mortgages, mortgage companies bundled the debt into consolidation packages and sold the debt on to other finance companies. In other words, mortgage companies borrowed to be able to lend mortgages. The lending was not financed out of saving accounts, for example. These mortgage debts were bought by financial intermediaries. The idea was to spread the risk, but, actually it just spread the problem. Usually subprime mortgages would have a high risk assessment rating. But, when the mortgage bundles got passed onto other lenders, rating agencies gave these risky subprime mortgages a low risk rating. Therefore, the financial system denied the extent of risk in their balance sheets. Many of these mortgages had an introductory period of 1-2 years of very low interest rates. At the end of this period, interest rates increased. In 2007, the US had to increase interest rates because of inflation. This made mortgage payments more expensive. Furthermore, many homeowners who had taken out mortgages 2 years earlier now faced ballooning mortgage payments as their introductory period ended. Homeowners also faced lower disposable income because of rising health care costs, rising petrol prices and rising food prices. This caused a rise in mortgage defaults, as many new homeowners could not afford mortgage payments. These defaults also signalled the end of the US housing boom. US house prices started to fall and this caused more mortgage problems. For example, people with 100% mortgages now faced negative equity. It also meant that the loans were no longer secured. If people did default, the bank couldnt guarantee to recoup the initial loan. The number of defaults caused many medium sized US mortgage companies to go bankrupt. However, the losses werent confined to mortgage lenders, many banks also lost billions of pounds in the bad mortgage debt they had bought off US mortgage companies. Banks had to write off large losses and this made them reluctant to make any further lending, especially in the now dangerous subprime sector. The result was that all around the world, it became very difficult to raise funds and borrow money. The cost of interbank lending has increased significantly. Often it was very difficult to borrow any money at all. The markets dried up. This affected many firms who had been exposed to the subprime lending. It also affected a wide variety of firms who now have difficulty borrowing money. For example, biotech companies rely on ‘high risk investment and are now struggling to get enough funds. The slow down in borrowing has contributed to a slowing economy with the possibility of recession in the US a real problem. Credit Crunch in the UK UK mortgage lenders did not lend so many bad mortgages. Although mortgage lending became more relaxed in the past few years, it still had more controls in place than the US. However, it caused very serious problems for Northern Rock. Northern rock had a high percentage of risky loans, but, also had the highest percentage of loans financed through reselling in the capital markets. When the subprime crisis hit, Northern Rock could no longer raise enough funds in the usual capital market. It was left with a shortfall and eventually had to make the humiliating step to asking the Bank of England for emergency funds. Because the Bank asked for emergency funds, this caused its customers to worry and start to withdraw savings (even though savings werent directly affected) As a result of the credit crunch, the UK has seen a change in the mortgage market. Mortgages have become more expensive. Risky mortgage products- like 125% mortgages have been removed from the market. UK Banks continue to face problems. HBOS (Owner of Halifax) struggled to finance its balance sheet. Like Northern Rock, it financed an expansion of lending by borrowing. Now money markets have frozen up, they couldnt raise enough money to maintain liquidity. Falling House prices. Now that mortgages are difficult to get, demand for houses has slumped. Therefore, house prices have fallen. Lower house prices mean many face negative equity. Therefore, mortgage defaults now cost banks even more (because they cant get back the initial loan. Bradford Bingley was nationalised because it couldnt raise enough finance. The BB had specialised in buy to let loans, which are particularly susceptible to falling house prices. How long will the Credit Crunch Last? The credit crunch could last a long time. This is because: House prices are still falling in the US, reducing the value of mortgage loans Many homeowners still face rising interest rates, when their introductory periods come to an end It can be difficult to regain confidence in the financial markets A recession in the US and global downturn could cause a further rise in bad loans The cheerfully named Profile of Depression shows the fall in UK economic growth, as measured by GDP, following some ofthe key slumps of the past century. It compares these to todays crisis. It illustrates the level of fear among experts about the financial hurricane that has disabled Britain -the ‘Noughties bust had, until very recently, actually been worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s (although it was less ‘Great in Britain than it was in the US, where GDP shrank by more than 25%). LITERATURE REVIEW Chapter 3: Effects of recession on UK construction Industry First of all, some uncomfortable facts and figures: 4,500,000 people on council house waiting lists 300,000 construction jobs in danger across the sector 90,000 predicted job losses for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) builders 71 percent fall in workload for the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) private house builders 61 percent FMB companies expecting lower workloads in 2009 quarter one 60 percent FMB companies reporting fall in workloads for fourth consecutive quarter 52 percent FMB builders warning they will be making staff cuts over the coming months 16 percent house price fall to date 8 construction companies going into insolvency every day 7.5 percent fall in building prices in the last quarter of 2008. The construction industry has been particularly badly hit as a result of the credit crunch and the down turn in the housing market. The industry is facing its biggest challenge for many years. The indicators are that many will struggle to survive in the current market, with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) predicting the loss of over 300,000 jobs within the industry and with 52 percent of FMB members warning that they will be making staff redundant over the coming months. There is currently a crisis in the housing market with many first time buyers unable to get a mortgage let alone afford a first home. Alongside this there are more than 90,000 families living in temporary accommodation and 1.6 million families on council house waiting lists; the case for building new homes is therefore very clear. However, news from the National House Building Council shows new home starts being at their lowest level since 1924. The authors feel that current proposals to deal with this desperate situation dont go far enough in tackling the real problems affecting the UK construction industry and the wider housing sector. If the UK construction industry is to have any realistic chance of surviving this recession, these 10 key issues need to be addressed to kick start the building industry. The effects of the recession are affecting all aspects of the UK national economy. In December 2008, the construction sector shrank at its fastest pace since records began. The most considerable decline was registered in house building, while the civil engineering and commercial sub-sectors also fell at record rates during that month. As well as the decline in the housing construction sector, the housing market has also slumped. According to the Halifax, house prices fell 16.2% in 2008, the biggest annual decline since it began keeping records in 1983. This has made buying a home more affordable when set against earnings than at any time since April 2003. However, getting a mortgage is difficult for many. Data from the Bank of England showed the number of mortgage approvals fell to 27,000 in November 2008, representing at least a nine-year low (from BBC News, 2 January 2009, www.news.bbc.co.uk). Roy Ayliffe, Director of Professional Practice at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, said: Once again, the housing sector bore the brunt of the crisis as purchasing managers reported significant reductions in new business. Amidst a climate of doom and gloom, firms were forced to axe more jobs in preparation for what is set to be another year of trouble and turmoil. (from Times Online, 5 January 2009, www.timesonline.co.uk) The UK government has plans for public spending and it is hoped that these will include major construction projects, such as roads, schools and other public buildings. This would help the construction industry and those companies that supply the construction industry to ensure continued employment for many. Businesses in the construction industry therefore need to ensure they remain competitive during this difficult economic climate. At the same time, they need to prepare the business to be able to take advantage of any future upturn in the market. Everyone knows the downturn has hit the industry badly. But research commissioned by The Construction News from Emap Glenigan shows the true extent of the contraction, how it breaks down by sector and region, and what the likely outcome for the rest of the year will be. Parts of the industry private housing, offices and industrial are badly affected by the deteriorating economic conditions and the credit crunch. The situation is brighter for those with jobs in infrastructure and the Olympics, although neither of these will be enough to sustain overall industry activity. Historically, economic growth below two per cent has been associated with falls in construction output. Last month, GDP growth for the second quarter was revised down to zero. Consensus forecasts suggest prospects for growth will slow even further in 2009. The gloomy economic conditions have led to a sharp fall in the flow of new projects in the pre-construction pipeline. Glenigan expects construction starts in the UK will fall by five per cent in value during 2009. Private housing has been most affected by the credit crunch. The reappraisal of risk by the banking sector has arguably led to more appropriate criteria for accessing credit. However, as a result the asset price bubble in the housing market has burst. This is causing a long-term contraction in demand since prospective buyers can no longer borrow as much to finance house purchases. Inevitably, those in private housing construction will have to find a way to either cut per unit costs or, more likely, adjust to a new, much lower, level of housing demand. The impact of the credit crunch on other private sector parts of construction industrial, offices, retail and hotels is different. These sectors have not suffered from the asset price bubble evident in private housing. However, investment in each of these sectors is affected by the prevailing economic conditions. As such, the immediate outlook is bleak but, with the Olympics on the horizon, construction prospects for the sector should start to improve in the latter half of 2009, when all major works will need to be started in order to be ready for 2012. The Government has had an ambitious construction-related spending programme across a number of sectors. Education and health in particular will benefit from an increase in the value of construction projects this year. But the Government is not immune to the economic slowdown. The absorption of Northern Rock has already put the Governments finances under pressure. Falling retail sales, rising unemployment and a decline in the profitability of UK firms will reduce tax receipts and add to its difficulties. Looking forward, the poor state of Government finances may jeopardise some of its proposed construction schemes. Major infrastructure projects will continue to help buoy the UK construction industry. Projects such as the widening of the M25 motorway and Crossrail are set to provide a boost to the sector. Ongoing projects such as Thameslink and the Edinburgh tram line will continue to contribute to the sectors workload for some time yet. Outside transport, the sector should also benefit from increased capital expenditure by water and electricity utilities. At present, the macroeconomic and sector-specific conditions are having a much bigger impact on the UK construction outlook than regional factors. Regional variations Differences in the composition of construction sectors within each region explain much of the variation in the regions respective prospects. For instance, regions where industrial construction is relatively significant, such as the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside, will see the value of construction starts contract this year. The North-east, which has relatively less exposure to private housing than other regions, is faring better. Construction orders down 9% as property market slumps New orders in the British construction industry have continued to plunge as building firms are battered by the credit crunch. The Office for National Statistics said that orders fell by 9% in the three months to November, compared with the previous three months. They were 27% down on a year-on-year basis. The figures showed that new construction orders were particularly weak in November itself, diving 38.6% year-on-year. The private housing sector was a major casualty, with new orders down by 55% compared with a year ago. All the UK house builders have dramatically reined in their activity and cut jobs as the housing market has slumped. Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said the data showed that the construction sectors recession deepened markedly in the fourth quarter of 2008. He sees little prospect of conditions improving soon. â€Å"With housing market activity and prices likely to remain depressed for some considerable time to come and the commercial property sector in dire straits, the construction sector looks set for extended weakness, despite some support from the government bringing forward some public construction activity and infrastructure spending as part of its fiscal stimulus package,† Archer said. Accountants Grant Thornton said that the construction and property sector was set to be the worst casualty of the economic downturn in 2009, plummeting by 75% in profitability and 71% in turnover from the same period last year. Clare Hartnell, head of property and construction at Grant Thornton, said: â€Å"Profitability and turnover within the construction and property sector are significantly driven by sales and market value; 2008 was a turbulent year as credit dried up and confidence plummeted, causing house prices and the number of properties sold to fall sharply. The decline in the residential market consequently has had a knock-on-effect on the construction sector, where problems have been exacerbated by huge debts as many proposed developments have been put on hold.† http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tnuPqsRPvjute_-qBacPptQoid=4output=image The year 2009 is set to be a trying year to say the least. Part of the reason for this is the current state of the economy. Lack of available credit will have an adverse effect on the ailing construction and property sector. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tnuPqsRPvjute_-qBacPptQoid=6output=image The June Glenigan Index reveals that promised government funding has finally begun to filtering through to project starts. In particular a rise in educational, health and social housing projects starting on site have helped steady the Index, cutting the year-on-year decline to 20%. Workload trends: Infrastructure Infrastructure saw the value of underlying planning approvals (covering schemes under  £100M) fall sharply last year. Whilst the fall appears to have dampened the flow of project starts, with the value of underlying project starts during the first five months of 2009, 13% down on a year earlier, the overall prospects for the sector are bright. With the help of the new infrastructure planning commission, it is hoped that new planning consents for key projects can be accelerated. Impact of the recession on supply chain The construction industry has got the largest supply chain, compared with other industries. It ranges from mere nails to large modular constructions. It has been a major contributor since the dawn of this industry and has risen in vigour and strength over the years. Its integration with our industry has created a revolution that triggered the rise of new technologies powered by their contribution. This general introduction, gives us a fair knowledge of the value of supply chain to the construction industry. When this unexpected recession struck the markets with tremendous force, the construction industry felt the tremor, and its repercussions were felt throughout its branches. As the properties and developments went down, demand dropped, which in-turn left the developers with no option but to suspend majority of their works. The great â€Å"feeders† supply chain took its toll. Demand for their products vanished. Then the only rule of law that applies is â€Å"Survival of the fittest†, i.e. the one who could bring best deals could survive (both in price and Quality) and others would go bust. By and large the prices soured. Illustration with an example would clearly explain what the authors are trying to convey. Major components of our industry are cement, ready-mix, rebar and structural steel. Their price variation could indicate the trail recession took. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tnuPqsRPvjute_-qBacPptQoid=2output=image All major supply resources have dropped in price dramatically one or the other time, to merely survive this recession rather than making profit. One of the major suppliers, now are for the ODA. Even they are experiencing the crunch. All the pre-allocated works, which assured definite return, are re-examined to align with the new prices. This has created friction, and even few of them moved on for adjudication. ODA has awarded contracts to around 1036 suppliers, most of which are small to medium sized businesses. This is a government initiative to prop up the middle class players, and there-by securing best deal contracts. Similar public investments could be seen in the health and education sectors, which form large part of the construction order-book and keep the pressure off. The main issue here is the growing trend of irresponsible pricing to win the scarce bids. That is, pricing below the cost. Many experts have warned of the return of industrial dispute culture of the 1980. This could ruin the objective. Recessionary impact was clearly felt when private investments dried up and forced the government twice to dip into the contingency budget. Due to this ill demand, there has been deterioration in construction product manufacturing. All heavy side manufacturers and 91% of light side manufacturers reported that sales had fallen; unprecedented results have been collected, research shows

Gendered Language of War :: Free Essays Online

Gendered Language of War The ways in which we have come to understand, explain and react to the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 are coded by our linguistic system and the meanings it constructs. Words mediate between internal, cognitive responses to war and external, behavioral responses (Beer 9). These words, and the complex system of meaning and power that they constitute, are gendered: "in this symbolic system, human characteristics are dichotomized, divided into polar opposites that are supposedly mutually exclusive†¦[and associated] with a gender" (Cohn 229). In this paper, I will explore how this gendered and dichotomized discourse has unfolded in the dominant discourse of war, shaping and limiting our response to the September 11th attacks both militarily and on the homefront. In this process I will seek to answer several questions: How has the gendered discourse of war been understood historically? What is different about the present conflict and what is being revisited? What are we as a nation saying and not saying in our response to the events on September 11th? How is gender constructed in ideas about war? How are men's and women's experiences of and feelings about war articulated through language? What are women's roles purported to be during wartime? From Vietnam to Desert Storm: Remything American Military Prowess The United States' involvement in the war in Vietnam fundamentally changed our national, historical and political understanding of war. The women's movement and the peace marches that accompanied it left an indelible mark; the "loss" in Vietnam emasculated the American consciousness, and the former mobilizations bore the brunt of the blame. 1980s Cold War politics attempted to reinstate American masculinity and nationalism by combating communism. The U.S. military and national security rhetoric of the eighties "depended on segregating the residual anti-war discourse along often unconscious but deeply culturated associations of gender" (Boose 70). The pacifist, antiviolence ethos of "bleeding heart liberals" and Congressional "doves" that had "lost us the war" was identified with the "feminine." Anti-war consciousness was demonized and Vietnam was reconceived: "the problem was no longer the excessive deployment of militarized values but the failure to deploy them strongly enough" (Boo se 72). George H. W. Bush attempted to see that this would not happen again through the escalation of Desert Storm. Once George H.W. Bush had set a deadline for military action against Iraq for its invasion of Kuwait, discussions about the potential conflict shifted from whether the U.

Health Professions :: College Admissions Essays

Health Professions At age ten, I left everything behind in China to start a new life with my parents in United States. It was not long before I realized that I was, in many ways, different from all the other kids in school. Gradually, I became less confident and more isolated. One day in the schoolyard, while I was playing hopscotch alone, a girl named Becca walked up to me and asked if she could join in. Although we had difficulty understanding one another's speech, we had no problem communicating through gestures and expressions. We soon realized that we had different ways of playing hopscotch. I watched her way and she watched mine; presently we came up with a brand new version of the game. Others soon joined us, and I found myself playing and laughing with kids whom I had thought I had nothing in common with. I have learned so much from Becca, but most of all I learned to not be afraid to build relationships with people who differ from me. Over the years, I have tried to live by this rule, and, as a result, have enjoyed many memorable and enriching relationships which have contributed to my desire to work with others in the practice of medicine. One such relationship is with a woman named Jeanette. Our relationship began when I became Jeanette's reader through the Pittsburgh Vision Center, where I work as a volunteer. Before meeting Jeanette, I had never interacted with a blind person. At our first meeting, she was excited to tell me about the new computer she had just purchased and a movie that she had recently seen, making no reference to her blindness. I soon forgot that she was blind myself. "Did you see that blue jay that just landed on the tree outside?" I blurted. There was a moment of awkwardness, as I tried desperately to come up with a way to explain my thoughtlessness. Jeanette saved me by requesting that I describe the scene to her. As I did so, a smile appeared on her face, and she responded, "I see it now." Later, it occurred to me that just as Jeanette had benefited from my way of perceiving the world, I could benefit form her way of "seeing" as well. For example, I have jogged in the park for years, but until

Flannery O’Connor: The Southern Catholic Essay -- Authors

To many critics, Flannery O’Connor was aâ€Å"very devout catholic, [of the] (thirteenth century, [O’Connor described] herself),† suggests Mark Bosco a Jesuit priest, professor of Theology and English studies at Loyola University Chicago (qtd in Bosco 41). Along with being a native Georgian, O’Connor experienced life, albeit short lived, during an era of racial conflict. Although, she considered herself from another century, she was acutely aware of her twentieth century southern world, and furthermore she expressed it through her short stories. As Robert Drake a writer and Prof. at the University of Texas explains â€Å"[she wrote of what she] knew [to be] at her own doorstep† (Drake, â€Å"Apocalyptic Perception† 32), meaning that her strong religious values, southern roots and the societal issues of her times influences her writing. The aspects of O’Connor’s life that are prevalently revealed as influences, are her strong rel igious values, southern roots and societal issues which are portrayed, in â€Å"Good Country People† and â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge,† through her characters. One aspect of O’Connor’s life that is revealed as an influence, in writing the characters, in both short stories, is her strong religious values. As Drake points out, â€Å"she was catholic in the oldest and truest sense of the word†¦ [And was] faithful† to her Christian principles, which was evident in the redemption of the protagonists (Drake 32). For example in â€Å"Good Country People,† the point of redemption comes for Joy when she realizes that instead of her seducing Manly, as she had planned, he has made her suffer by stealing her wood leg, mocking her intelligence, then leaving her helpless in a barn. Joy thought herself to be intellectually superior to Manly,... ...isiana State University Press.1980. xxvii. Print Drake, Robert. â€Å"Apocalyptic Perception.† Flannery O’Connor: A Memorial. Ed. J.J. Quinn, S.J. Scranton: University of Scranton Press, 1996. 29, 32-33. Print Hyman, Stanley. â€Å"Flannery O’Connor.† Seven American Women Writers of the Twentieth Century: An Introduction. Ed. Maureen Howard. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1977. 323. Print Meyers, Sr. Bertrande. â€Å"Ways of Interpretation.† Flannery O’Connor: A Memorial. Ed. J.J. Quinn, S.J. Scranton: University of Scranton Press, 1996. 19. Print Paulson, Suzanne. â€Å"Racial Conflict.† Flannery O’Connor: A Study of the Short Story Fiction. North Dakota: Minot State University. 1988. 69. Print Shackelford, D. Dean. "Flannery O’Connor." Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition (2001): 1-7. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Apr. 2012.

Benjamin Franklin: Man Of Manytalents

To say that Benjamin Franklin was a jack-of-all-trades is an understatement. Franklin, a notable polymath, excelled in politics, diplomacy, writing, printing, math and science. His inventions, both physical and social, subsist in modern societies worldwide. But Franklin influenced no country more than the land he fathered, the United Sates of America. His signature is on our Declaration of Independence, but Franklin’s influence does not stop there. His signature is also on the lightning rod, glass harmonica and bifocal glasses.His signature graces the abolition movement, republicanism and the Franklin Institute of Boston. Franklin’s contributions to the advancement of the United States of America were diverse and long-standing. Verification lies in Franklin’s involvement with the American Revolution and abolitionism, as well as his lasting legacy in American society. To understand a person and his contributions, it is important to know the man behind the ideas. B enjamin Franklin was born in 1706 to Puritan parents Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger. Benjamin was one of Josiah’s seventeen children, ten of which were born of Abiah Folger.From a young age, Puritan values were instilled in Benjamin’s daily life. Hard work and equality are two such values that followed Franklin through his professional career. At twenty years of age, according to his autobiography, Benjamin penned a list of thirteen virtues by which he should conduct his life. The list includes common Puritan values, such as humility, moderation and chastity. Franklin also added a few of his own principles, including resolution, order and justice. â€Å"These names of virtues, with their precepts were: 1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. 3. Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself, i. e. , waste nothing. 6. Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 8.Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9: Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. 11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 12. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation. 13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates. † This diverse list would prove invaluable throughout Franklin’s career.Be it his diplomacy during the American Revolution, the abolition movement after the war, or his lasting contributions to American society, Franklin rarely saw a dichotomy between personal beliefs and public persona. Our first glimpse into the mind and times of Franklin came via his 1733 publication of Poor Richard’s Almanack. Under the pseudonym Richard Saunders or â€Å"Poor Richard,† Franklin composed an abstract almanac. The publication included conventional information such as calendar, weather astronomical and astrological information.It was abstract, however, in that Poor Richard’s Almanack contained proverbs composed personally by Benjamin Franklin. The same pages that included temperature fluctuation and moon cycles also housed some of the most recognizable maxims of modern history. â€Å"Fish and visitors stink in three days,† warned Franklin in Poor Richard’s Almanack. Some sayings have changed slightly over time. For example, we know â€Å"a penny saved is twopence dear† as â€Å"a penny saved is a penny earned,† but both hold true in modern society. The mere compilation of information and statistics was commendable in Franklin’s time.Poor Richard’s Almanack was notably accurate and popular among American citizens. The annual publication ran without interruption from 1733 through 1758. Franklin sold roughly 10,000 copies of Poor Richard’s Almanack per year, an amount comparable to nearly three million copies by today’s standards. Franklin was not content publishing a traditional almanac. In 1750, Franklin reported what would prove to be our country’s first unofficial demographic. Franklin continually redefined and remolded Poor Richard’s Almanack throughout its tenure.However, it would be Franklin’s proverbs of Puritan virtues that proved most noteworthy of Poor Richard’s Almanack subject matter. Nowhere are Franklin’s virtues more apparent than in his supp ort in the abolition of slavery. It was not until after that American Revolution that Franklin declared himself an abolitionist. However, it goes without saying that Franklin’s Puritan morality had been leading him there for some time. It is also interesting to note that Franklin’s maternal grandmother, Mary Morrill, was an indentured servant prior to marriage.It could be said that abolitionism ran through Franklin’s veins. Franklin’s first public exposure to slavery and abolition came during the American Revolution via a British court ruling by Lord Chief Justice Mansfield. Mansfield presided over the case of James Somerset, a British-owned slave who ran away from his master. After much deliberation, Mansfield ruled in favor of the runaway slave. Mansfield determined that since slavery had never existed as an institution under British law, Somerset was free. This marked the beginning of the end of slavery in England.While abolition was a giant step for h uman rights in England, Franklin and the other colonists viewed the ban on slavery as contempt toward America. The end result was an increase in revolts among American-owned slaves. Franklin finally stepped in after the British downplayed America’s call for human rights. The British labeled the Americans hypocritical for preaching human rights while many of their leaders still owned slaves. Franklin responded publicly by mocking England’s so-called attempt toward abolition.Franklin pointed out that freeing one slave, yet still permitted the Slave Trade is also hypocritical. After the war, Franklin led by example, freeing both of his slaves. In 1787, Franklin accepted the presidency of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. As outspoken as he was on the issue of slavery, Franklin understood the dangers of premature abolition. â€Å"‘Slavery is such as atrocious debasement of human nature that its very extirpation, if not performed with solicitous care, may sometimes open a source of serious evils,’ Franklin wrote in a November 1789 address to the public from the society.† Franklin still fought for the abolition of slavery. He also took special precaution by establishing a twenty-four-person committee divided into the following subcommittees: â€Å"Committee of Inspection, who shall superintend the morals, general conduct, and ordinary situation of the free Negroes, and afford them advice an instruction. Committee of Guardians, who shall place out children and young people with suitable persons, that they may (during a moderate time of apprenticeship or servitude) learn some trade or other business.Committee of Education, who shall superintend the school instruction of the children and youth of the free blacks. They may either influence them to attend regularly the schools already established in this city, or form others with this view. Committee of Employ, who shad endeavor to procure constant employment for those free Negroes wh o are able to work; as the want of this would occasion poverty, idleness, and many vicious habits. † Franklin’s petitions for abolition were strongly denounced, especially in the South.Still, Franklin dedicated the latter part of his life to anti-slavery lobbying in the form of essays and actions. Franklin is best known for his involvement in the American Revolution and subsequent drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Ironically, it was Franklin, a plain-clothes politician who never stepped foot on the battleground, that made as lasting an impression as any on the American Revolution. â€Å"Franklin had been instrumental in shaping the three great documents of the war: the Declaration of Independence, the alliance with France, and the treaty with England.† Franklin used the pen instead of the sword to fight for his country. Franklin was unanimously chosen as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, which was to meet amidst the battles of the American Revolution. Franklin would prove quite useful in the Continental Congress. â€Å"In the Congress, Benjamin Franklin accepted every duty thrust upon him. After all, he had more experience, more intimate knowledge of British intentions and wiles, more accumulated wisdom than most of the other delegates. † Ironically, Franklin never made a Congressional speech.He left that to the orators. Instead, Franklin stuck to his strong points of organizing, writing and committee regulation. At the time, he was a silent leader in Congress. But history writes him in a different, more honorable light. Today, Franklin is perhaps best known for his patriotism and dedication to the advancement of his homeland during the American Revolution. Temperance was a virtue that made Franklin’s list of Puritan ideals to live by. He practiced temperance, along with humility, chastity and the other virtues in his personal and professional life.Franklin was diligent in his beliefs, but fortunately f or his fellow patriots and the future of our country, Franklin knew when to shift hears. In his autobiography, Franklin published the following letter written to his British companion, William Strahan, on July 5, 1755: â€Å"Mr. Strahan, You are a member of Parliament, and one of that majority which has doomed my country to destruction. You have begun to burn our towns, and murder our people. Look upon your hands! They are stained with the blood of your relations!You and I were long friends: You are now my enemy, and I am, Yours, B Franklin† It should be noted that Franklin never sent the letter to his companion, William Strahan. The letter was, however, used to rile up his fellow American patriots during the early part of the American Revolution. The war had begun; the war to end all wars, according to Franklin’s beliefs. The British had become domineering and inhumane toward Americans. It was time, according to Franklin, to stand our country’s ground.â€Å"It was a true old saying that make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you: to which I may add another, God help them that help themselves. † Friendship and pacifism were put on hold starting April 19, 175 at Lexington and Concord, the first battle of the American Revolution. The battles would not cease until July 4, 1776 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. â€Å"This is the greatest revolution the world has ever seen,† Franklin wrote in his autobiography. Attacks and counterattacks plagued these two countries for over two years.Franklin, his mind leveled upon the cease-fire, understood the severity of such conflict. â€Å"The extreme cruelty with which we were treated extinguish’d every thought of returning to [England], and separated us forever. England thereby lost limbs that will never grow again. We too suffered greatly, but our losses would soon be repair’d by our good government, our industry, and the fertility of our country. â₠¬  In hindsight, we can acknowledge the progress made by both countries in the years following the American Revolution. Nothing stands out as much as liberty and justice for all.The Benjamin Franklin legacy exists worldwide, but it is especially strong in Franklin’s homeland, the United States of America. Many of his inventions, including the lightning rod, bifocal glasses and the flexible urinary catheter, are used daily in modern American society. His aphorisms of civic duty and personal virtue are instilled in modern American thought. A positive image of Benjamin Franklin exists in the hearts and minds of most Americans. It is safe to say, however, that Franklin’s most noticeable legacy is his monetary investment in the United States of America.Franklin donated ? 1,000 each to the cities of Boston and Philadelphia. Rather than being put to immediate use, Franklin requested that the funds be invested in a trust to gather interest for 200 years. The trust resulted fr om a parody of Poor Richard’s Almanack written in 1785 by Charles-Joseph Mathon de la Cour called Fortunate Richard. Mocking the spirit of American optimism, the story told of Fortunate Richard’s small donation to the United States of America only to be used after a 500-year investment.Franklin was able to put a positive spin on the parody by accepting the Frenchman’s arrangement in a literal sense. Franklin donated ? 1,000 to his native cities, Boston and Philadelphia, with instructions to invest for 200 years. The trusts grew beyond the million-dollar-mark before the investments came due. The money has predominantly been spent on mortgage loans and scholarships. A portion of Boston’s trust was used to establish a trade school that became the Franklin Institute of Boston. Although Franklin was a man of many talents, he was not a man of many faces.The most noteworthy aspect of Franklin’s life is that he compromised little to none of his values when shifting duties. Be it the transition from personal to political or political to scientific, Franklin carried his Puritan ideals throughout his life and career. It can be seen in his diplomacy during the American Revolution, the abolition movement after the war, and his lasting contributions to American society. Franklin rarely saw a dichotomy between personal beliefs and public persona. Franklin was quoted as saying, â€Å"fear not death; for the sooner we die, the longer shall we be immortal.† Franklin surely was not fearful; not during his tenure as a politician, or an inventor, or a family-man. Americans are fortunate to have been preceded by such a dedicated man. His patriotism and promise shine all the way through to modern society. ? BIBLIOGRAPHY Aldridge, Alfred Owen. Benjamin Franklin: Philosopher and Man. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1965. Ben Franklin Institute of Technology. http://www. bfit. edu. Gaustad, Edwin. Benjamin Franklin. Oxford: Oxford Unive rsity Press, 2006. Independence Hall Association of Philadelphia.http://www. ushistory. org. Isaacson, Walter. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003. Jennings, Francis. Benjamin Franklin: Politician. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996. Medicolegal. http://medicolegal. tripod. com. New York Times. http://query. nytimes. com. Skousen, Mark. The Completed Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin. Washington DC: Regnery Publishing, 2006. Virtual Library. http://www. vlib. us. Wikipedia. http://www. wikipedia. org. Wright, Esmond. Franklin of Philadelphia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1986.

Communication via SMS:

The British Journal of Social Psychology published an article in 2007 entitled â€Å"Interacting via SMS: Practices of social closeness and reciprocation†.This paper deals with the sequential structure of communication via short message service (SMS), also known as text messaging, among adults and young adults, aged 25-35 and 50-65.   A collection of 173 SMS exchanges for personal communication, spontaneously composed by participants, was gathered.   Each exchange was photographed from the display of the participant's mobile phone and then analyzed with the approach of conversation analysis.A questionnaire was also administered during the collection procedure. The analysis of the practices organizing the action sequence reveals that exchanges frequently lack openings and closures, show an effort towards reciprocation and use implicit or anticipated actions. Social presence seems then characterized by a sense of constant availability, symmetric commitment and shared underst anding.The article concluded that the sequential structure of mediated communication may give insightful details on the nature of the social presence thereby constituted and may provide a criterion to compare different communication modes (2007).   This paper will attempt to analyze the strength of the evidence presented in this article.Communication via SMS: An Article ReviewThe article entitled â€Å"Interacting via SMS: Practices of social closeness and reciprocation†argues that SMS has developed into a recognizable social place, with its own practices and affordances for establishing social presence and that it is characterized by â€Å"persistency, reciprocation and familiarity† (Spagnolli, 2007).They also found, through conversation analysis that SMS communication is designed around the turn, with very frequent multiple-action turns. The first question one may consider when presented with this article is was this research necessary?   Although not quite neces sary, this research does provide some interesting insights into the ever more popular communication method of text messaging.This research was in supplement to previous research on the same subject.   Some practices of SMS usage are already known, as ethnographic and linguistics studies have been carried out on teenage users.   Some researchers have investigated the communicative setting and its social norms (Grinter & Elridge, 2003).They show that SMS exchanges can be initiated in situations where other modes are forbidden, such as in class or at night, and that their intersection with other activities requires practices of participation management and context messages (Thurlow, 2003).In particular, a group of researchers has collected large numbers of messages and illustrated how SMS writers make the most out of a limited set of the available alpha-numeric characters well beyond the mere use of ‘emoticons’ whose actual rate is often quite low (Ling, 2005).The func tions and topics of an SMS exchange have been categorized and their communicative style identified as a peculiar mixture of morality and writing, spontaneity and care, supporting strategies of self-presentation and linguistic play (Ling, 2005).However, the kind of practice that has been less considered, if at all, is the one responsible for inner structure of an SMS exchange.   That is where this research comes into play.   Since a communicative exchange is a form of interaction conducted through discourse, these practices can reveal important aspects of the social presence created (Spagnolli, 2007).The goal of the research behind this article was to â€Å"investigate the interactional and pragmatic resources that five cohesion to a series of otherwise discrete contributions, and by allowing the sequential organization of these exchanges, create the coordinates along which the encounter is organized† (Spagnolli, 2007).   In contrast to other studies on SMS, which have c onsidered individual messages, this study analyzed each message with reference to the previous and subsequent one in sequence.   It was the exchange of messages that was most important to these researchers.   Another point of originality of this study also relies on the kind of participants involved.   Prior, SMS literature focused on teenagers, who could be considered as ‘core’ users.However, if using this medium is participating in a social place as is argued, then even peripheral users like adults should follow shared practices instead of totally idiosyncratic ones.   Therefore, the researchers chose to study young adults and adults.Next, it is important to determine whether the methods the authors implemented for their research were the proper method and whether they were effective.   According to the authors, given the need for exploring a poorly covered phenom, i.e. SMS exchanges between adults, they looked for natural data, while at the same time, tryin g to collect a fair number of exchanges (Spagnolli, 2007).According to the authors, diaries would have offered a richer, contextualization of the exchanges collected, but they could have also decreased spontaneity during the message exchange and required a more limited number of participants with a longer commitment with the research (Spagnolli, 2007).   Therefore the authors chose to collect 180 exchanges using the following system.They asked people for one series of sent and received messages still present in the memory of their cell phone, regardless of who initiated the exchange, but with the requirement that the series be complete with all messages exchanges (Spagnolli, 2007).   In this way, messages were not composed for the sake of research and the length of the exchanges were naturally defined.   This was very intuitive on the part of the authors as the data they collected was natural and not skewed because of the research method.

The Yellow Wallpaper and the Swimmer

Denial is the refusal to recognize or acknowledge information. Charlotte Perkins Gilman and John Cheever intriguing stories display the struggle of two characters through imagery and symbolism. In the yellow wallpaper, Charlotte Gilman demonstrates the oppression of women by society while showing the struggle to be set free. Alternatively, John Cheever conveys the ignorance of a man’s downfall through time. However, the yellow paper and the swimmer both show gradual loss of reality as the characters oppress their problems while they strive to fit in with the norms of society.The yellow wallpaper takes the readers on a journey that captures the mind through the powerful and vivid imagination of the narrator written diary showing imagery through her words and thoughts. Suppressed by her dominant husband, the creative narrator finds escape through her writing, which she uses to tell her story. The story begins when a socially accepted husband, a physician, tries to â€Å"fixâ₠¬  his wife to fit the standard of society; nevertheless, it only leads to her destruction.Forced to be normal, â€Å"so I take pains to control myself†, she puts on a facade to retain her marriage and social standing by acting as though her depression has not won the struggle. (Gilman) The swimmer, a journey of time that indicates the life of a man living in denial as the days or possibly years goes by. Living in a high classed suburbia, â€Å"†¦had a vague and modest idea of himself as a legendary figure†, Ned thinks highly of himself and less of others. Cheever) He feels as though he could do anything, a brave explorer he was, set on an adventure to cross the county of swimming pools or as he called it Lucinda River. As he embarks on his journey he encounters various people of who was or is close to him. Although motivated by alcohol through the story, it served as an escape from reality and social acceptance. From pool to pool Ned gets weaker and less relucta nt to go on as the season changes. The characters of Charlotte Perkins and John Cheever, both suffering from denial of their situations, each find coping methods to release their anxiety.Through creative writing the narrator of the wallpaper, was able to release her thoughts and tell her story, â€Å"I did write†¦ in spite of them†, her only method of feeling as though she was being heard by someone or something in the yellow wallpaper. (Gilman) While Ned mastered the art of denial and heavy drinking of alcohol, willed his mind to forget and distort his unhappy thoughts. Living in a world of bliss, he forgets about his friend’s illness, moving away of friends and family, and his own misfortune. Depression, Loneliness, and confusion engulfed the narrator of the wallpaper, confinement broke her.During the time of Charlotte Gilman, Postpartum depression was said to be â€Å"†¦temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency†(Gilman). Wit h her illness, she was unable to perform her role as a mother nurturing her child or as wife tending to her husband needs, rendering her useless. Set in these roles, women at the time were seen as domestic and unable perform any other task. The yellow wallpaper clearly evinces the oppression by her husband, â€Å"I am absolutely forbidden to â€Å"work† until I am well again†¦ Personally, I disagree with [his] ideas . . . , although she disagrees with the treatment, she has no say whatsoever when it comes to the matter of her illness, John does what he thinks is right for her. (Gilman) John decided that the best cure was the â€Å"rest cure†, meaning no brain stimulating activities while lying in a room confined. The narrator of the wall paper, having had to go through the resting cure, began to find comfort with inanimate objects. As a man in John Cheever time, a man was said to be the head of the household who provided for his family. Ned as a man and husband w as unable to perform his duties as a family provider; therefore didn’t fit to the standards of society.Through his mastery of denial, he began to lose friends, his wife, mistress, and kids. Those who he thought would always be there, moved on with their lives without the realization of Ned. Swimming from swimming pool to swimming pool he encounters a lot of his neighbors as he uses his trip as a distraction. Indeed it gave him comfort but also made him realize that he has been out of touch with reality. Not only does he see the changes as he goes from home to home, he experiences the full impact when he comes home to any empty house he expected to be filled with his family.The yellow wallpaper and the swimmer share similar characteristics. With the characters both suffering from mental illness and addictions, both prove to be on a mission to be accomplished: The yellow wallpaper narrator seek liberty to do as she pleases, as the swimmer sought after absolutely bliss in life w ith no consequences. With both wants unattainable, they began alone and end up alone with no one to truly care for them, each being dissatisfied they turn to inanimate objects for their source of attention.The narrator only source of excitement was the yellow wallpaper she despised so much, which shows her loneliness. She describes the wallpaper as having a smell â€Å"a peculiar odor†¦ I have spent hours to analyze it, to find what it smelled like† (Gilman). She claims that john doesn’t know how much she suffers, which shows how little time he spends with her. Her loneliness only gets her more infatuated with the yellow wallpaper, which day by day she seems to find something new and creepy. The yellow wallpaper in a sense seems to describe her in a way.She describes a woman behind the walls, who is trapped and unable to break through or maybe many women who have tried to climb out but had been strangled by the pattern. The woman behind the wallpaper in a sense de scribes the narrator. The wallpaper symbolizes her husband and family members holding her trapped, trapped with their words and confinement of the room. She describes the woman as wanting to break free, meaning she is looking for a way out, a way to free herself and show who she really was.The many heads she describes the many times she has tried to escape but failed or for the many other women who have tried but failed. Her final decision to break the woman free was an expression of herself saying that she has had enough and it was time to become who she really was. Ripping the wallpaper was an expression of tearing away the heavy shackles put upon her to free her mind, to free herself mentally and physically from her husband and her facade of happiness. Ned journey through the county displayed his whole life.The swimming pools and weather change was an expression of time as it flowed by quickly. At the beginning of the story he describes it as being warm but as the story ends it b ecomes chilly. The weather describes the way he felt, being warm was his high point of happiness, when it became chilly it showed that he has finally seen the reality that he lives in; time stops for anyone. The attitudes of the people he visited as he swam their pool changed as he went from pool to pool, from welcoming to trying to get rid of him, he showed a moment of loneliness as realization followed that he would be forever alone.Charlotte Gilman and John Cheever intriguing stories showed the reader a side to their times and ages, showing the ideal male pride and female oppression. Charlotte Gilman character gradual loss of reality due to the characters around her, shows that one should be left to be free. John Cheever conveys the gain of reality as Ned sees the life of loneliness built around him. Furthermore, one cannot always fit the ideal of society.