A Character Analysis of Kerima Polotan Tuvera’s The Virgin Essay

A Character Analysis of Kerima Polotan Tuvera’s The Virgin Kerima Polotan-Tuvera’s â€Å"The Virgin† is a short story that is centered on two characters namely Miss Mijares and The Carpenter. The title â€Å"The Virgin† reflects the subject virginity which is an important and cherished value for Filipinos. A Filipina should be proud to have maintained her virginity but in the case of the thirty-four-year-old Miss Mijares, she is ashamed of it. In her thirty-four years of existence, she had never been committed in a relationship. When she was younger, there had been other things to do and she never put love on top of her priorities. She had college to finish, a niece to put through school, and a mother to take care. Her duties became hindrances for her to be in a relationship. Miss Mijares’ childhood experiences and duties affected her personality. Miss Mijares is a thirty-four-year-old woman who works at a job placement agency. The first encounter of the two characters is at the job interview. The way Miss Mijares treat him is as aloof and cold just like the way she treated her other interviewees. She looks at herself as superior which explains the impolite language she uses to communicate with them. According to the text â€Å"When she was younger, there had been other things to do-college to finish, a niece to put through school, a mother to care for.† Her childhood experiences affected the way she is now, it greatly affected her personality. According to the theory of Sigmund Freud namely Psychoanalytic Theory of Freud, a person’s childhood experience and unconscious mind contributes to his or her personality (Cherry). The way Miss Mijares keep her distance from other people and the way she talk to them serve as a defense mechanism. Her unsociable manners coupled with frank and abrupt way of speech is a disguise for her loneliness. For nine years she dutifully looks out for the needs of her mother. For nine years she doesn’t think about her own happiness for she prioritizes her duty to take care of her parent. According to the text â€Å"But it had taken her parent many years to die. Towards the end, it had become a thankless chore, kneading her mother’s loose flesh, hour after hour, struggling to awaken the cold, sluggish blood in her dying body. In the end, she had died-her toothless, thin-haired,  flabby-fleshed mother-and Miss Mijares had pushed against the bed in grief and also gratitude.† We can infer from the way she dedicated her early years to take care of her mother that she valued her family more than herself. She was really affected by the death of her mother whom she loved so much and it triggered the change in her personality. She exemplified her superiority as a woman. â€Å"Miss Mijares did not look 34. She was slight, almost bony, but she had learned early how to dress herself to achieve an illusion hips and bosom. She liked poufs and shirrings and little girlish pastel colors.† According to this text, Miss Mijares knows how to make her look appealing to opposite gender. This is her way to deal with her loneliness. For thirty-four years she has not even touched a man. The way she behaves and deal with other people acts as a defense mechanism. According to the Behavioral Theory, personality is based on the interaction between the individual and the environment which can be learned and unlearned (Cherry). Her bossy and indistinct manner of speech coupled with the way she dress acts as a defense mechanism to hide her depression. The â€Å"girlish pastel color† as stated in the story is also a way to hide her true feelings. She is ashamed of herself for still being a virgin at the age of thirty-four. â€Å"And yet Miss Mijares did think of love.† It is stated in the text that Miss Mijares had short lived fantasies. She is still hoping that love will come her way someday. It suddenly happened when he met the carpenter. She is cold and distant at first but suddenly she is drawn to the man. It all started at the moment she saw the man holding her paperweight. It is a wooden block with a bird poised to flight. The paperweight was damaged with one wing tilted unevenly so the carpenter decided to fix it. The bird symbolizes freedom; it symbolizes the freedom of Miss Mijares. She lived in a system where virginity is something important and should be taken care of. The problem is she is trapped in this system because at the age of thirty-four she is still a virgin who never touched a man. This will change because of the carpenter. She will be free like the bird in her paperweight fixed by the carpenter. She will be unwittingly attracted to the carpenter. She doesn’t like the way he talk without permission but it won’t change her  feelings toward the man. When she learned that the foreman has only given him three peso but he is filling in for a four-peso job, she confronted the foreman right away. It not expected for her to be concerned because of her cold and distant way of treating him. A change in her personality can be seen and it is because of the carpenter. Miss Mijares was emotionally attached to the carpenter. She was surprised and angry when she learned that the carpenter has a son. She thought the he is single and not committed. After learning that he was raising a child by a woman he is not married to, she notice everything else that is wrong with him-his crooked grin and defective front teeth. Her reaction proved that she is really in love with the carpenter. She doesn’t even notice his grin and tooth because of her infatuation. Miss Mijares rode again a jeepney that detoured again to avoid traffic but this time he is with the carpenter. It was raining and all of them were asked to get down the jeepney. She noticed that there are no other people in sight but the two of them. Her emotion has gone wild for her young dreams have suddenly come to life. She turned to him with her ruffles wet and wilted. Out of her free-will, Miss Mijares has grabbed the opportunity for love. According to the Humanist Theory, a person’s free will and individual experience contribute to personality development (Cherry). Her feelings for him have changed her personality. She suddenly becomes more caring and concerned. Her personal emotion is the factor for the change in her personality. The Virgin deals with the life of Miss Mijares. A daughter bounded by her duty. She lived in a society where virginity is something to take care of but at the age of thirty-four she is ashamed that she is still a virgin. Miss Mijares’ childhood experiences and duties affected her personality. The cold and distant personality coupled with a frank and abrupt manner of speech can be traced back in her early years. All of these serve as a defense mechanism to hide her depression. She developed a certain superior mentality that can be seen in the way she talks during interviews but all of these changed when the carpenter came into her life. The paperweight with a bird on it symbolizes freedom. Miss Mijares was now free from all her anxieties because of the carpenter who brought order in her life just like  how he fixed the paperweight. Her loved for the carpenter brought the change in her life.

Literary Analysis Of Black Like Me Essay

Although many people in the 1950s believed that African Americans were inferior to Caucasians, nevertheless their theory was wrong because any flaws African Americans had at the time were due to the way they were treated, not their race. John Howard Griffin discovers this by changing his skin color and living like an African American. John Howard Griffin was an expert on race issues when he darkened his skin and went down south to experience what life was like for an African American. Despite his enlightened view of civil rights, he was fully unaware of what it would be like to become African American. Even though he, like most northerners, was aware of the poor treatment of the African American people in the south, he was unaware of how demeaning it was to be African American and how impossible it had become for African Americans to become successful members of society. When Griffin’s skin was darkened he was treated differently than when his skin was white. He was treated horrifically for no other reason than the color of his skin. He was condescended upon by Caucasians and spoken to vulgarly. On one occasion, he was chased down the street by a Caucasian youth while offensive obscenities were hurled at him. However, the discrimination he endured was not always this obvious. Sometimes it was very subtle. Even before his color change Griffin knew that African Americans were given low paying jobs and were not allowed to work at certain businesses or use some services. He did not know, however, how this treatment made African American life miserable. On page 52, the cumulative effect of the discrimination is explained. â€Å"You take a young white boy. He can go through school and college with a real incentive. He knows he can make good money in any profession when he gets out. But can a Negro- in the South? No, I’ve seen many make brilliant grades in college. And yet when they come home in the summers to earn a little money, they have to do the most menial work. And even when they graduate, it’s a long hard pull. Most take postal jobs, or preaching or teaching jobs. This is the cream. What about the others, Mr. Griffin? A man knows no matter how hard he works, he’s never going to quite manage†¦ taxes and prices eat  up more than he can earn. He can’t see how he’ll ever have a wife and children. The economic structure just doesn’t permit it unless he’s prepared to live down in poverty and have his wife work too.† This lifestyle was forced upon African Americans because of false stereotypes about their race. â€Å"They saw us as â€Å"different’ from themselves in fundamental ways: we were irresponsible; we were different in our sexual morals; we were intellectually limited; we had a God-given sense of rhythm; we were lazy and happy-go-lucky; we loved watermelon and fried chicken.†(162) Sadly, the belief in the secondary status of an African American was widespread. Even intellectuals were misled by scientific studies published in scholarly journals and newspapers. The studies showed that African American people had more illegitimate children, earlier loss of virginity and a higher crime rate than compared to Caucasian people. Because of this, African Americans were discriminated against. This discrimination led African Americans into an ominous standard of living. Griffin, however, explains that the characteristics given to African Americans were not ingrown qualities shared among their race, but rather products of the poor conditions they were forced to live in. Griffin says there is no â€Å"basic difference between black and white†(89) and attributes these characteristics as â€Å"the effects of environment on human nature.† (89) â€Å"You place the white man in the ghetto, deprive him of the educational advantages, arrange it so he has to struggle hard to fulfill his instinct for self-respect, give him little physical privacy and less leisure, and he would after a time assume the characteristics you attach to the Negro. These characteristics don’t spring from whiteness or blackness, but from a man’s conditioning†¦when you force humans into a subhuman mode of existence, this always happens. Deprive a man of any contact with the pleasures of the spirit and he’ll fall completely into those of the flesh.† (90) African Americans were treated poorly because of negative stereotypes associated with their race. However, any truth in these stereotypes was due to their poor treatment, not the color of their skin. If they were treated poorly, they would gain these attributes. They were treated poorly because of these characteristics, the very characteristics that were caused by their poor treatment. This viscous cycle continued until the civil rights movement of the 1960s. In John Howard Griffin’s book Black Like Me, Griffin accurately describes the difference between the way Caucasians were treated and the way African Americans were treated in America’s south during the 1950s. His ability to describe the contrast so accurately stems from the fact that he experienced what it was like to be seen as â€Å"black† and what it was like to be seen as â€Å"white†. Although many southerners at the time believed that Caucasians were superior to African Americans, nevertheless Griffin proves that African Americans are not inferior and that any negative characteristics that exist in stereotypical African Americans are caused by oppression by their Caucasian counterparts.

Aboriginal People in the Canadian Military

According to records, more than 4,000 Indians were enlisted during the First World War, and about 35% of Indian soldiers were in the same age. This number does not include people other than Indians, Metis, other local people such as Inuit. In addition, many indigenous inhabitants witnessed more than average admission. 47% of indigenous soldiers in Prince Edward Island State and 53% of New Brunswick's volunteers volunteered. Amazingly, 100% of adult men in the Miku Mak Reserve in Sydney Nova Scotia have volunteered. In most cases, indigenous peoples and non-Earth soldiers shared similar experiences during the war. Some indigenous people initially had difficulty moving to military life. The reason is that many people came from remote areas of the country and followed their own cultural traditions. They have little contact with Canadians outside the area, and they often speak English and French. Most people believe indigenous men quickly adapt to new lives as soldiers and often become p recious members of their company. Like most Canadians, many indigenous peoples serve Canadian Corps of Canadian Expedition (CEF). The military role of indigenous peoples is influenced by traditional hunting and military skills, plus racial stereotypes of recruitment staff and executives. Many indigenous peoples play the most dangerous role in sniper, reconnaissance soldiers, military. The First National Army encountered a double cultural barrier in military: racial prejudice marked the modern non - native world, and the army class was almost completely moved in English. Records and memoirs indicate that most units finally accepted indigenous soldiers and even provided a welcome or progressive environment than other areas of modern society. The first national army left an amazing record of the wartime achievement. Some were appointed to officers, and many served as intensive platoon leaders and battle instructors. At least 50 people are decorated for bravery on the battlefield. Many people have gained a position close to legends as scouts and sniper soldiers, using pre-war hunting techniques and wilderness experience. Ten years ago, the armed conflict between indigenous peoples and the Oka Quebec Oka police and military pushed the relationship between indigenous peoples and non-indigenous Canadians to the forefront. At that time, the committee announced a federal indigenous policy statement named New Commitments. This statement calls for cooperation in redesigning the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada and finding new ways to solve essential problems for our coexistence. Although progress has been seen in the past decade, it is now clear that progress was too late and too late.

The evolution and behavior of a primate species Essay

The evolution and behavior of a primate species - Essay Example A key factor to this argument is that primates relied on sight over smell. They were able to develop a keen sense of depth perception, perhaps because of the constant leaping that was necessary to move about the trees. Their initial adaptation to life in trees set the stage for the subsequent appearance of other primate models ("Paleoanthropology/Primates/Humans"). By "arboreal", we refer to the arboreal theory proposed by Le Gros Clark, claiming that primates evolved from their ancestors by adapting to arboreal life. Primates are thought to have developed several of their traits and habits initially while residing in trees. A key factor to this argument is that primates relied on sight over smell. They were able to develop a keen sense of depth perception, perhaps because of the constant leaping that was necessary to move about the trees. The development of the hands and feet in Primates, which made them capable of grasping, was also believed to be a result of arboreal life, which r equired a great deal of crawling along branches, and reaching out for food, usually fruits ("Arboreal theory").Considered as generalist mammals (species that are able to adapt well in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make the most of a variety of different resources), primates show a wide range of characteristics. Some primates, including humans and baboons, do not live primarily in trees, but all species possess adaptations for climbing trees and the like. The evolution of primates started with the Plesiadapis going back to at least 65 mya. From that time until today, there is a vast difference in the species. In all aspects - behavioral, physical, and cognitive - the primate species have definitely transformed to adapt to its environment. Just as the gist of Charles Darwin's theory on evolution states, it is the survival of the fittest (Darwin). The species, then, transformed because of its need to survive. In the cognitive aspect, the primate's intelligence developed due to reasons that would ensure its survival. Just as apes realized the importance of arboreal locomotion, soon after, some of them have developed the skill in tool-making, and would use them to acquire food and for social displays, especially observed with chimpanzees (Byrne 559). Chimpanzees are also observed to use objects as tools to solve new and novel problems ("Paleoanthropology/Primates/Humans"). By the development of their cognitive element, the physical aspect is too, affected. Primates are particularly large-brained compared to other species, and with the growing cognition, the brain too grows in size. The physical evolution of the primate species, wherein evidences are most apparent in skulls unearthed from the different periods, is very much connected to their behavioral evolution. Also, the bones in the primate's body changed through the different eras. With the increasing intelligence of the primate species , it is then the behavior that changes and transforms. This is then the evolvement of the primates' social behavior. Behavior of primates, in relation to social systems, Richard Wrangham stated that non-human primates' social systems are best classified by the amount of movement by females occurring between groups. He proposed four categories: (1) Female transfer system. It is in this category that the females move away from a group in which they were born. The females in a group are not closely related, whereas the males usually remain with their natal

Compare Vygotsky's and Feuersteins contributions to Educational Essay

Compare Vygotsky's and Feuersteins contributions to Educational Learning - Essay Example Building therefore on this base, Vygotsky developed a theory in which society and culture contribute to the learning process of children and is in large part responsible for their learning. Feuerstein's great contribution has usually been to operationalize the concepts propounded by Vygotsky. Such components as sociocultural mediation and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), identified by Vygotsky, have been further developed and probed by the capable instruments created by Feuerstein for enhancement of mediated learning. The theories of social and cultural mediation as propounded by Vygotsky and Feuerstein will be explored in this essay. It will also consider the ZPD and the instruments that have been developed to enhance learning using these theories. Vygotsky argues that children develop higher levels of cognition through the mediation that occurs in a social context. Lower mental processes are genetic and instinctive; they come naturally to an individual. The higher mental processes, on the other hand, are definitive of a cognitive stage unique in man as a species through which he is able to distance himself from the world and, through the use of various symbols and in conjunction with other men, abstractly manipulate its contents to extract and develop his knowledge and understanding of them (Panofsky, 2003). Because of the meaning these higher mental functions have for society, and because they exist before (and independent of) the individual, they must be learned through mediation. This means that higher levels of cognition are necessarily mediated by society, and it is only once a lesson is learned on the societal level that it becomes internalised and manifests itself on a psychological level. Social agents of mediation ta ke a variety of forms and provide the learner with access to what has been given a variety of names ranging from psychological, to cultural or cognitive tools (Smagorinski). How a human person acts within a given society is dependent on the forms and qualities of interactions available to him as a model. If adequate mediation is provided, learning occurs; if not, learning suffers. This theory then goes on to describe the child and/or learner as limited in his or her ability to acquire knowledge when left on his own. What a child is able to perform when placed in a social setting is almost invariably more than that which he or she is able to do alone, and this additional capability gives the educator an idea of the child's potential (Salomon and Perkins, 1998). This potential (denoted by Vygotsky as the Zone of Proximal Development) cannot be realised, however, unless learning is mediated by another in a social setting. Feuerstein also advocated the theory of mediation in learning. He developed the cognitive map which denotes the dimensions of cognition, and contributed to the mediation theory by formulating an operation that delineates the different stages and participants in the mediation process. The Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) he defined as "The quality of interaction directed towards ensuring meaningful learning by parents, teachers, caregivers and peers, interposed between the child and the stimuli they receive" (Feuerstein). It was his idea that these social mediators

Answer 6 question about deaf culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Answer 6 question about deaf culture - Essay Example Moreover, they recognize the deaf as a minority from a linguistic and a cultural perspective. In addition, they also consider sign language as the first and natural language for application for Deaf people. The pre-lingual deaf is in reference to an individual born Deaf or someone who lost the sense of hearing before they began learning to speak. On the other hand, the post-lingual deaf is in reference to an individual who becomes deaf after acquiring a spoken language. In the book† Train Go Sorry,† the author describes two observations regarding the implications of being deaf before or after acquiring a spoken language. The first observation indicates that there are some educators and parents who believe that children who are prelingualy deaf will never be able to develop speech and language skills in comparison to the children who are postlingually Deaf. This eventually leads to social isolation and minimizes their chance of getting a decent job. For example, when the doctor recommended 17 year old James for a cochlear implant, the consequent evaluation and recommendation was not good for several reasons. The first reason being that James’s deafness was caused by b acterial meningitis when he was at five years of age. Furthermore, after one and half of years of suffering from the illness, the inner ear developed a bony growth which inhibited the insertion of electrodes. The second reason being that James had a significant amount of residual hearing that enable him to benefit from the use of hearing aids. In the regard, the implication drawn was James disqualification as a deserving candidate for cochlear implant surgery. In retrospect, the cochlear implant is not necessarily an appropriate option for everyone. The second observation is that some educators, doctors, and parents believe that cochlear implant will allow the

The Role of AI Personality in the Game Diplomacy Essay

The Role of AI Personality in the Game Diplomacy - Essay Example The latest version, created by Paradox Interactive, is visually stunning but shackled with an inhuman AI. (Ocampo) This AI is superior to Paradox's. An AI with realistic personality traits is more effective at playing Diplomacy than the logical versions that excel at games like chess. Video Game AI design began almost 50 years ago. Great AI victories, like IBM's Deep Blue defeating world chess champion Gary Kasparov in 1997, were the result of massively powerful computers out muscling their opponents. (Spice) These tactics won't work for PC and video games. Computers and game consoles greatly limit the computational resources available to programmers. A logic based AI makes the same move whenever the same situational parameters arise. A game AI needs more than logic to compete with gamers. A player's emotional state influences how he plays a game. If he is in a bad mood, he will be more aggressive in his actions in order to release tension and frustration. The next generation of computer AI need to include personality variables in its design. (Gambotto-Burke) The Diplomacy AI's personality has 4 components: Emotional Temperament, Risk Attitudes, Aggressiveness and Contempt for Rules. For the two 50 game tests, these parameters had boolean operands. An AI driven by Emotional Temperament ignores larger tactical strategies and other dangers in favor of a "gut" response. It looks at the all of the possible moves in Diplomacy and chooses the one it likes the best. The Emotional Temperament boolean departs from the cold logic of most AI programming. An AI lead by Risk Attitudes takes a defensive posture. Its primary focus is to defend its borders and ot will only attack another country when risk factors are at their lowest. This AI emulates a person with a "Playing it Safe" attitude. When Risk Attitudes is set to "no," the AI will attack more often and focus less on defense. The Aggressive boolean governs how the AI responds to enemy actions. When this boolean is active, the AI is more likely to attack its enemies. This continues for as long a s the AI is in enemy territory. When "Aggressive" is set to no, the AI is more logical and values its allies less. Contempt for Rules is the last personality component. A country using this AI accepts diplomatic requests but refuses to fulfill them. The country "backstabs" it's ally. Risk Attitudes, Aggressiveness and Emotional Temperament affects the Tactics List. Contempt for Rules affects support acceptance. Contempt for Rules and Emotional Temperament AI does not change when boolean is set to "no."The game series begins in 1901 and ends in 1930. Russia begins the game with 4 supply centers and all other countries have 3. Starting army and fleet pieces are determined randomly. No country achieved the 18 centers required for a standard Diplomacy win in either test series. For this test series, the country with the most supply centers by 1930 is the winner. At the end of the AI with personality series, France averaged 6.30 supply centers, England had 5.0, Italy had 4.8 and Germany had 4.54. France also lead the countries in the AI test series. It averaged 5.86 centers, Austria 5.30, England 5.24 and Italy 4.0. France and Turkey (averaged 4.5 centers) were the only two countries to win more supply centers with the AI personality active. Out of the 50 games, France only

E-business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-business - Essay Example ainst this background, this report seeks to critically explore some of the measures that can be put in place by Friendly Supermarket which has underscored to transform from the traditional use of price tags at the tills while processing a transaction to a modern and sophisticated system that uses scans to detect the bar codes which in turn detect the product and its price. Friendly supermarket is developing this system from scratch and this report seeks to outline the major requirements as well as the benefits of adopting this new system to the top management of the group of supermarkets in Port Elizabeth. Revamping the traditional method of using price lists at the tills or price tags on all products as the only source of getting the correct price for the product at Friendly Supermarket requires a holistic approach since it will certainly bring about various changes to the infrastructure. The traditional method meant that more people would be on the floor sticking prices to each single product in the supermarket using the rivet stickers. However, the new system would see a dramatic shift from this traditional way to a sophisticated method aided by the use of computers and scanners. The major change to the infrastructure would be the introduction of computers in many departments including the till areas and these would be connected to a single server so as to ensure a smooth network. This would also require a system that is capable of holding large quantities of data and can process it at a tremendous speed so as to ensure effectiveness and efficiency compared to the traditional way of sticking price tags on each single product. This system would require all the bar codes on the products to be captured where all necessary details about the product would also be recorded. In this case, the name of the product, quantity as well as price would be recorded against the barcode of that particular product. Scanners connected to the computer servers in the supermarket

Faces of Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Faces of Power - Essay Example the destructive power – a structure involving threats and this is clearly depicted by how the defensive forces of any country act, Productive power – structure that entails making and creating e.g. exchange and trade, and the integrative power that involves creating of new relationships that encourage togetherness (Dahl, 1961, 7). Significantly, any face or form of power has its advantages and disadvantages and it is up to the people in power to identify them and weigh on both sides to ensure that negativity does not have a greater impact more than the positive side. The social structures connection with power is seen when for instance; in an organisation the power is distributed among the different employees or in a state where power is divided from the head of state down to the governors or senators (Ball,1992, 5). In such situations, communication and the decision making processes are the core factors required since everything is done through a hierarchical structure . Many political scientists have come up or rather tried to elaborate the different faces of power on the verge of making people comprehend the power structure more and thus due to the different notions and theories sometimes there is a lot of confusion. However, the most common structures of power include; institution of property, nation-state, knowledge structure, financial structure, production structure (Productive power) and the security structure (Susan, 2004, 64). With these many structures, some of which are not related or similar in any way, it is quite hard for most people to lean upon two or three forms/faces of power alone. However, out of all the faces of power established, Lukes’ seem to have had a great impact and they still are today; reflectively, between January 1975 and June 2006, more than 1200 journal articles cited his article, an impressive figure by any standard and surprisingly after this Lukes was asked to do a second edition. It has been over thirty years since the publications and scholars agree that he wrote the articles on other bases and not to make money; concurrently, analysis of both editions provides readers with both recent literature and original insights on power. Basically, in the second edition (2005), the 1974 (1st Edition) essay was not altered but instead a substantive introduction and other two new chapters were added (Power, Freedom and Reason and Three-Dimensional Power); moreover, a little bit more attention was given to some writers like James Scott and Michel Foucault, all of which are also in the social context of power. Power is typically a concept where a ‘first’ person (entity A) exercises power over the ‘second’ person (entity B) when A affects B in a way that is divergent to what the second person wants or would like (Lukes, 2005, 19). In the final edition Lukes discusses three dimensions of power and terms the third one to be as a personal view based on the shortcomings of other people’s views but and a more apposite way on how to evaluate power. First Face of Power (One Dimensional Power) This face of power focuses on behavior when making decisions, particularly on the core issues and fundamentally only in transparently in situations where can make observations; these often take the structure of prejudiced interests like policy preferences that are mainly demonstrated through political power. Through the concept of power individuals are able to modify or change the behavior of others when it comes to the process of making decisions, which is why it is considered to be a behavioral aspect; however, the person in power in different situations prevails in the decision making process. Principally, this first face of power, which is one-dimensional, focuses on behavi

Financial Crisis and Their Possible Solutions Essay

Financial Crisis and Their Possible Solutions - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that financial crisis affected most parts of the world. It began in the US after the Difficulties in the US submarine market that had rapidly rocketed and spilled all over the world. Bordo et al find that the frequency of the financial crisis is higher than the previous one and can be comparable only to the Great Depression. It had detrimental impacts on different sectors of the economy in all countries. Reinhart, Reinhart and Rogoff have, in the past years documented the effects of the banking crisis that are typically proceeding by credit booms and asset price bubbles. They note that on average 35% real drop in housing prices stretch over a to almost six years. Equity prices fall over 55% over a period of 3 years, while output in those countries fall by 9% in two years, unemployment increases by 7% in four years while an 86% debt increase based on the pre-crisis level. Many models have documented the effects of the financial crisis. Adrian and Shin, Brunnermeier have documented a thorough review of the events preceding the financial crisis in late 2007 and early 2008. They note that the seeds of financial crisis can be traced back to the low interest rates policies adopted by the Federal Reserve and other world central banks after the collapse of the technology stock bubbles. The need for the debt securities by Asian banking institutions aided in fuelling the economic crisis. Acting as financial intermediaries, banks channel funds to potential investors. Through the process of borrowing and lending, they benefit from a diversified portfolio of risk sharing. They also act as monitors (Diamond, 1984) and streamline loans to well-organized customers (Gorton and Kahn, 1994) and other vital roles in maturity transformations. This implies that in crisis, every banking institution becomes concerned. For instance, Dell Aricia and Rajan (2008) provide that banks’ grief contributes to a decline in credit and low GDP .Fur ther evidence provides that those sectors, which heavily depend on external financing, perform relatively dismal during the banking crises. These effects are stronger and severe in developing countries. In addition, the report note that over the last two decades, banking sector continues to be complex in its modes of operations. For instance, banks use various instruments to hedge risks. However, despite the complexity banks have remained sensitive to the panics and runs. Gorton (2008) note that holders of short-term liabilities feared to fund banks as they the anticipated losses in the sector could have in their securities. The recent research proposes two theories to give a tentative explanation on the causes of the bank panics and runs. One argues that panics are undesirable events caused by random withdrawals unrelated to the changes in the real economy. Bryant (1980) and Diamond and Dybig (1983) note that agents have uncertain needs that relates to consumption. If other deposit ors believe and can even further establish the slightest of evidence, then all the agents will find it rational and imperative to redeem their claims from banking institutions and will cause the panics and banks’ runs. Another theory explains that banking crises are natural outgrowth of the business cycle. An economic slump will reduce the value of the bank resources, heightening the possibility that banks are unable to meet

The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines Essay In a world where competition gets tougher and tighter, it does not pay to play around and settle with typical and average situations. It is not valuable that we settle for anything less. Hence, it is necessary that we improve on what we got and acquire some assets that we do not possess. However, looking on the Philippine context, statistics prove that we lag behind some countries; more disappointingly, behind some countries which were once at the bottom before. How did this happen? History may give the answers but what matters is how the government approached the dilemmas the country was facing few years back. Chapter Six of the book, â€Å"The Anti-Development State: The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines† by Walden Bello talks about â€Å"unsustainable development.† Sustainable development; what could this mean? As defined in the book, â€Å"sustainable development† is the development that meets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The chapter then discussed about environmental concerns in relevance with the economic policies. Economic activities cannot be separated from the environment since we get resources from the environment in order to produce goods or services that we use up for economic purposes and to supply the necessities of people. Walden Bello takes up the mining and logging industry when both were at their peak. On mining industry, the government was almost over-the-top generous on offering various incentives to multinational corporations for them to extract the country’s vast mineral resources. However, the side-effect of this, on the other hand, was that the indigenous people living within the area of the mine sites involved were eventually out of the government’s concern, consideration, and protection. The situation sets the fact that the indigenous people’s community and welfare were unmercifully ignored. The government focused on improving and strengthening the mining sector for future capital inflow that the benefit and well-being of the indigenous people were disregarded. Would the inflow of money really be used for public necessities? Or would it be kept in the pockets of some few privileged elites? Going now to the logging industry, there was a time when this sector boomed and the Philippines had become the fifth-largest exporter of timber in the world market. Of course, the government was obviously overwhelmed when some logger-turned-politicians gained control over the logging industry and granted special considerations, and exemptions to â€Å"legitimized illegal logging† (as referred to by former DENR Sec. Victor Ramos). Soon after, more and more trees were cut and abused. Although the Department of National Resources (DENR) tried to secure and protect the trees, their power was not enough. Illegal loggers became aggressive to the point where they would kill DENR rangers that would stop them. Loggers got off delirious because the government tolerated the act of cutting trees that had become widely â€Å"legitimately illegal.† As said in the chapter, â€Å"environmental equilibrium and economic strategy were simply in contradiction.† Sustainable development needs balance. Implementing economic policies for economic interests is a necessity; but having them to tolerate environmental degradation could get things worse. That instead of sustaining development, abuse of natural resources may mean halting of progress. Speaking of progress, there are several causes that brings a country to the bottom; or worse, to a downfall; although there is this one popular factor affecting and/or hindering development which is the trendy corruption. Whether be it a petty one, or ratchet corruption, still they contribute to the economic stagnation of the country. But can we really blame our slow growth with this factor? Chapter seven tackles about corruption and poverty with the idea that it is not corruption per se that causes poverty and economic stagnation. With the latter, the chapter brings up the cases of crony capitalism evident in some administrations especially during the presidency of Joseph Estrada. The bottom-line of the chapter lies with the idea that underdevelopment of the Philippines must not be blamed wholly on corruption; but it is with the ruling elite groups having control over the market, resources, some people, and others. Specifically, crony capitalism enters the scenario. During the reign of Joseph Estrada, transactions involving him and some wealthy personalities and public officials were the reasons that brought his supremacy down. Discussed in the chapter were Estrada’s four notorious cronies namely: Lucio Tan, Mark Jimenez, Dante Tan, and Danding Cojuangco. Obviously, these four people were Estrada’s friends; and what do friends do? They support and help each other. Just like what these cronies did for Estrada, they gave him support through providing him cash, campaign arrangement, political connections, and other contributions for his campaign. Of course, for a friend that has been given big things, the debt of gratitude comes next, or what we call, â€Å"utang na loob†. True enough, we cannot really get rid of that attitude of ours since we Filipinos value â€Å"pakikisama†. Back to Estrada, as a great friend, he gave them something in return. Estrada used his powers as a mortal supreme being to repay his crony friend s. He gave them what they wanted. Just like what happened to his first listed friend, Lucio Tan. Lucio Tan, back then, was charged with a tax evasion case. It was one of the biggest tax evasion case in the Philippine’s history. Yes, talk about Php 25 billion. Hearing this, Estrada declared his intention on abolishing the government agency responsible for going after the people with ill-gotten wealth. Getting away with your wrongdoings because of a connection; smart thinking, Mr. Lucio. Another issue involving Lucio Tan, as the owner of Philippine Airlines (PAL), was when he suspended the flights between Philippines and Taiwan because of his accusation that Taiwan’s China Airlines and EVA Airways are stealing the passengers of PAL by implementing lower prices. Lucio Tan accused them of violating the passenger quotas in a bilateral air-services agreement. With the suspension, PAL was able to acquire more passengers. Well, good for PAL. But on the other hand, the suspension meant some diplomatic argument between PH and Taiwan. Just so happened during that time, PH depended on Taiwan for jobs, trade, and tourists. Unfortunately, the suspension was not really of a well-timed move to exasperate the country that we rely upon. Another friend was Mark Jimenez. Mark was charged of several accounts of fraud, tax evasion, and illegal campaign contribution in the US. As he heard of the news, Mark pushed himself in the circle of Estrada. As a friend, again, Estrada said he would take care of the situation; a friend to the rescue, indeed. At some point, Mark Jimenez was also a great broker back then. He was described as a â€Å"corporate genius† by the former president. Surely, they did things for each other; whether be it legal or illegal, right or wrong. Dante Tan, however, was one of the identified depositors in the famous â€Å"Jose-Velarde† account. Dante got caught up with issue on Best World (BW) controversy. BW experienced a strange share-price increase that led for an investigation. However, the very good friend himself, Joseph Estrada, became a hero once more from saving the face of Jimenez. Estrada told the investigators to clear the name of Jimenez; and that was it, another name saved. It was another getaway from a transgression. Lastly, the final friend and crony listed was Danding Cojuangco. During Marcos’ regime, he made Danding as the director of the Philippine Coconut Administration (PCA), meaning, as appointed in a powerful position, Danding could make use of the funds from the said government agency. Danding used the funds of PCA to be able to invest to few corporations making the public funds turn into private ones. He successfully managed to own one of his precious possessions, the San Miguel Corporation, which was allegedly bought through the PCA funds. Another issue with Danding was the matter on land reform. Cojuangco tried to control various lands while assumingly giving up his claims as a landowner; all of these possible because of Estrada’s lavish support to his friend. Tying and combining all of the cases above, it is safe to assume that Estrada has been a corrupt official. Tolerating all the bribery and fraud, shamefully as the most powerful public official whom must be the one showing examples as a good citizen. Cronies of Estrada were undoubtedly good friends to him; and so was he. He received praises as an outstanding friend; of course, from the four cronies he had. He might actually get an award as the â€Å"Best Friend of the Year† award, if there is one. Being a great, helpful, and generous buddy is totally superb and fantastic. Helping is not bad, nor is being generous kind not either. But there are limits that one must know upon giving in to something immoral and illegal. True enough that the cases above were brought about by cronyism and corruption; few factors adding up to the causes of underdevelopment. Philippine’s stagnation has been heavily acquainted with corruption; a fact. Even so, corruption has been the evil word being associated with the country’s poor description. Ask anyone on what causes Philippine’s underdevelopment, I would not even put the effort on asking since I know that almost everyone would answer, corruption. Truth is, corruption cannot be removed in a snap, nor it cannot be eradicated at all. Corruption is not some litter that can be swept off and be dissolved forever, but corruption is somewhat a permanent phenomenon. The only way to fight it is probably to minimize it and prevent it from happening. Nonetheless, we are not living in a perfect world. We cannot monitor everyone in this country if they are doing anything illegal and if they are being corrupt. My point is, petty corruption may be almost anywhere and somewhat unnoticeable. The important thing is we must be able to minimize and control ratchet corruption, as it is being associated with big sums of money that will have an effect over the country’s growth. Whatever it may be, still, corruption is illegitimate as for it promotes interests only for private gains. And whatever Estrada and his cronies did, they contributed to the country’s economic underdevelopment. Although we always blame corruption for poverty and economic stagnation, is it fair enough that we point to corruption per se as the whole sinner for this tumbled economy? In the same chapter, Bello also points out that economic stagnation cannot just be attributed to corruption and cronyism. He brought up cases linked with our country’s neighbors as being developed even though they have high statistics on corruption cases. An example given was South Korea. South Korea also experienced extensive corruption and yet their country grew and grew until now. The argument is, if some corrupt countries are able to attain growth and development, maybe corruption is not the key cause of economic stagnation. As stated, Jens Chr. Andvig and Odd-Helge Fjeldstad, Brunetti, Kisunku, Weder in 1997, and Paldam in 1999, surveyed econometric studies testing the relationship between corruption and economic growth. In their survey, they found out that GDP growth is insignificant. Although some of them said that a country is corrupt because it is poor. Going back to basics and as stated in the chapter, corruption is generally defined to be the misuse of public resources by a public agent for private gains. The view taken from the chapter says that wrong behaviors of the elites are the primary reasons why the Philippines remains to be a weak state. Our country seems to be experiencing â€Å"anarchy of families† (as stated by Alfred McCoy and termed by anthropologist Robert Fox). Due to the ruling class and other abusive and opportunistic elites, they have been dominating the state using their social power and money. As the elites being influential in the country, they have their ways on protecting and getting their interests against the public interests of the state. The disappointing part is that the state has been continuously tolerating and serving these elites through providing them their private interests. As a result, the state’s autonomy weakened because the public resources were privatized and benefitted elite families. The government could no longer fight against these families due to the fact that a weak state has already been existing and elites are the ones being strengthened. It is an awfully bad combination that the country has strong elite families and a weak state wherein few elite families are enjoying the privatization of public resources while the state’s resources are weakening. Now, as to connect the latter with the pointed out root of the state’s stagnation which is corruption, it all trickles down to the idea that both of these are the factors why the Philippines lags behind neighbor countries. But as to slightly defend corruption, Walden Bello suggests and emphasizes that corruption is not the real cause of poor Philippines; rather it is the weak state and the abusive elites. The thing is, people tend to not consider the underlying cause of the state’s problem. Some ignorant people are likely focusing on the proximate causes and not on the ultimate cause which is why the approach on the problem has not been pretty much pragmatic and somehow progress is not really achieved. Walden Bello again pressed the issue on corruption vis-à  -vis the ruling elites when he stated in the chapter that these elite families are using corruption as an escape goat and weapon with the hope that they may take over the power of the public officials and to have something to blame for the country’s economic stagnation. As a result, we keep on blaming corruption as the sole problem of our state’s underdevelopment. Our minds are focused on this target that we do not consider anymore the root cause of our problem. It is stated in the chapter that â€Å"the idea that we are poor because we are corrupt is conceptually and empirically flawed.† That idea has been used to strengthen the power of local elites and empower the neoliberal thought including privatization and deregulation, which are in favor of the ruling elites. In conclusion, Bello stated that what the state needs for development is â€Å"not less, but more state.† This is to give importance of the state’s supremacy over the elites. This means that the weak state must be transformed to a strong state by realizing the greater autonomy of the state than the little prowess of the elites. Strategies on attaining sustainable development must be done accordingly. Taking in consideration some of the points given above, it is strongly clear that the state must act on the emergence of the upper class. Given the fact that the Americans have inculcated in the Philippines their pattern of a weak central authority which in turn gives power to the upper class and prevented, eventually, a developed state, this means that the Philippines had adapted a system in what we call, the â€Å"EDSA System,† as described by Bello. EDSA System is democratic in the sense that it makes the electoral procedure as its weapon for political success. Still, politics in the Philippines are well-dominated by the elite and upper class people and somehow manipulating and sabotaging the Philippines’ developmental system. Lessons from reading the chapters given above have brought about the idea that the political and economic development of the Philippines was worsened over the past years especially through the EDSA System. However, the very fact this book was published is to bring together some analysis supported with historical facts that would create some valid suggestions on letting in development in the Philippines. In the end, Philippines’ developmental plans must proceed to its maximum ability and have an alternative political economy that would boost the political and economic sectors. Build up the strong state and minimize the elites’ powers. The way out of national impasse is not far from possible; that is, unless, if we move the EDSA system out of the Philippines’ political economy.

Employee Handbook Essay Example for Free

Employee Handbook Essay When employers are putting together the employee handbook, they need to include some legal issues that may apply when there are any disputes or how go along with some procedures. The handbook is used to familiarize the employees with the policies and procedures that are to be followed in the organization. Employers may include certain provisions that dictate how the employees may carry out certain activities without putting the employer’s business in jeopardy. The employers should ensure that they use the right language that will be later be interpreted by the employees in the right manner and that may not be violating employee organizational rights. Most employers ensure that the employee handbook has certain restrictions that prevent employees from sharing the employer’s confidential information with outsiders. Such information is not usually available to the public and if it happens that it is leaked out, it would cause some damages to their business. However, it is under the National Labor Relations act (NLRA) that the employees are free to discuss details about their compensation or conditions against which they have been employed with other people who are not part of the organization. The NLRB prohibits employers from giving policies of this nature. One of the Sections in the NLRA states that employees have a right to join or form unions or even be engaged in concerted activities. However another section states that there are unfair labor practices that may be faced by an employer if employees join or form these unions or engage in other concerted activities. There may be problematic employee organizational rights that are under the NRLA but the employers can draft them in such a way that they are lawful according to the Act. The employers may include some anti-union statements that may be used when employees engage in unfair labor practices. Whatever provisions are included in the handbook about legal considerations such as how the employer may violate the rights of the employees and generally how each party should conduct its activities without hurting each other. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS With many and different types of employees from different parts of a nation or even region, there is always a need for the employers to have certain considerations concerning the ethical culture of the organization. The ethical culture of an organization defines how the employees are to carry out all the operations in the organization. Employees are supposed to treat customers with much respect since they are the major source of profits for the organization. They are supposed to take care of the interests of the employers and at the same time take care of their own interests. These interests should not be in conflict since they depend on the employer and the employer also depends on their efforts. The ethical considerations may also involve how to pass information to their core workers or the line managers or even to the top management. They are supposed to use a certain communication channel that has been specified in the employee handbook. Communication is one of the important aspects in a business and therefore employers may consider this as one of the elements that determine the public image that they depict to the general public. Privacy is also a matter of ethical consideration whereby the employees are obligated to keep information about their employer to themselves and not discuss their terms and conditions of their employment. Each organization and employer will have their own considerations to include in the employee handbooks but they should conform to the Acts of the National Labor Relations Act. Roger K. G. , Bankovich, C. Browning,J. (2005). What’s in Your Employee Handbook? Some Provisions May Be Harmful Rather Than Helpful Under the National Labor Relations Act. ASHHRA/IRI 24th Labor Activity Report. Papademetriou, L. (2003). Employee Handbook: We Scare Because We Care. London: Random House Publishers.

Disputes with Completion Dates

Disputes with Completion Dates As mentioned in the introduction, disputes associated with completion dates often become complicated due to association with different legal concepts. To fully comprehend the research subject matter, it is important to give a brief overview of such principles, as detailed further below. Most commonly the Contractors obligations in respect of time for completion of the works are expressly defined [OV1]within the terms of contract, it is yet not uncommon for the extent of such obligations to be described less definitively. While the time for completion will be expressly defined as a fixed date or a fixed period and can be easily identified, it is also essential to for the contract to provide for the mechanism of establishing completion: e.g. commencement date where completion is determined by a fixed period. Where the time for completion is ill-defined to such extent that the contracting parties intentions cannot be established or are non-existent, then the law considers time to be at large [OV2]and implies a requirement to complete the works within reasonable time. The principle of reasonable time under English Law goes back to 19th century[1], where it was established that for if a delay is not attributed to causes within a partys control, nor such party acted negligently, it will be considered that obligations are duly fulfilled. Reasonableness cannot be given a strict definition and is assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration circumstances prevailing during the period of performance[2]. Some authors on the subject view that both ordinary (e.g. site access, government permits, resource availability, etc.) and extraordinary circumstances (e.g. strikes, client variations, etc) should be taken into consideration when establishing reasonable time[3]. Occasionally, some bespoke contracts may contain time is of the essence terms. In contractual context, it has stricter meaning than its everyday application: i.e. if something isnt done swiftly, it will be too late[OV4].[4] Inclusion of such terms in a contract significantly elevates the rights and obligations to the contract, whereby failure to meet the completion date will be treated as a fundamental breach of the contract[5]. While the contract may be found repudiated, the existence of a time is of the essence provision alone may not be sufficient and qualifying rules should be applied in such circumstances[6]. Another area of significant importance in establishing whether completion date has been adhered to, is the meaning of completion itself. Ordinary meaning of completion[OV5] requires fulfilment of all obligations, which when applied in the context of entire contracts[OV6], may result in harsh consequences. It is extremely rare for construction contracts to be considered in the same manner and courts will generally take a practical view as to what constitutes completion within construction industry[7]. To reflect that position, standard construction contracts have developed various definitions for use in the industry, such as: practical[8] or substantial[9] [OV7]completion, which irrespective of the words used to describe it, are intended to reflect the courts position as summarised by Judge Newey QC[OV8]:[10] In my opinion there is no room for completion as distinct to practical completion. Because a building can seldom if ever be built precisely as required by drawings and specification, the contract realistically refers to practical completion and not completion but they mean the same. Eminent legal writers on this subject[11] concur with this view: Usually it will mean bona fide completion free of known or patent defects so as to enable the owner to enter into occupation. The words practical or substantial in the English standard forms do no more than indicate that trivial defects not affecting beneficial occupancy will not prevent completion (the more so, of course, if the contract provides for a maintenance or defects liability period) [12] Irrespective of exact term used, completion can be summarised as a significant gateway, which signifies: the transfer of risk for the care of the works from the Contractor to the Employer repossession of the site by the Employer the start of the period during which the Contractor will be liable for defects in the works the end of the Contractors liability for late completion release of retention monies from the Employer to the Contractor the end of Contractors obligation to insure the works Understanding of the above has a clear importance in resolving any disputes arising out of delay, extension of time and other time related matters. In addition to an obligation to complete the works by a specific date or within a specific time period, most contracts make specific provision for the contractor to proceed with the work and make progress with due diligence. Understanding of this term may, in first instance, appear to have only a remote connection to the subject matter. However, as shown in the next chapters, it is of significant importance when it comes to establishing the contractors responsibility when the time of completion is set at large. The courts have held that the assessment of what constitutes diligence must be based on the surrounding circumstances of each case. For example, per Lord Justice Parker[13] what is due diligence and expedition depends, of course, on the object which is sought to be achieved, who went on to explain the relation between diligence and specific contract object, time scales, complexities, etc. Similarly, in the separate Court of Appeal case of West Faulkener Associates v London Borough of Newham (1994)[14] the court found that literal interpretation, commercial logic and common sense required the contractor to proceed both regularly and diligently.[15] In the absence of an explicit due diligence obligation within a contract, some authors consider that common law implies such a term on the grounds of business effic[OV9]acy[16]. [1] Lord Watson in Hick v Raymond and Reid [1893] AC 22 [2] British Steel Corporation v Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co. Ltd [1984] 1 All ER [3] I.N.nDuncan- Wallace in Hudsons Bilding and EngineeringÂÂ   Contracts, 11th Edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd, p.119 [4] Oxford Dictionary of English 2nd edn., 2008, Oxford University Press [5] Carr v J.A. Berriman Pty. Ltd. [1953] ALJ 273 High Court of Australia [6] United Scientific Holdings Ltd. v Burnley Council [1977] 2 WLR 806 [7] E.g. Emson Eastern Ltd v EME Developments Ltd [1991] 55BLR 114 [8] JCT [9] ICE [10] Emson Eastern Ltd v EME Developments Ltd [1991] 55BLR 114 [11] For example B. Eggleston in Liquidated Damages and Extensions of Time, 3rd edition, 2009,ÂÂ   Wiley-Blackwell, and I.N. Duncan-Wallace in Hudsons Building and Engineering Contracts, 11th edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd. [12] I.N. Duncan-Wallace in Hudsons Building and Engineering Contracts, 11th edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd. p1109 [13] Greater London Council v The Cleveland Bridge Engineering Co. Ltd [1986] 34 BLR 50 [14] West Faulkener Associates v London Borough of Newham [1994] 71 BLR 1 [15] B. Eggleston in Liquidated Damages and Extensions of Time, 3rd edition, 2009, Wiley-Blackwell, p 24 [16] I.N. Duncan-Wallace in Hudsons Building and Engineering Contracts, 11th edn., 1995, Sweet Maxwell Ltd., p1125 [OV1]Insert ref. to one of the standard contracts [OV2]Insert ref. [OV3]Could expand slightly to beef up [OV4]Check later ed. Of the dictionary. Also check single or double parentheses throughout [OV5]Insert ref [OV6]Ref. [OV7]Full ref. [OV8]Pp location [OV9]Link to the next chapter?

Slow Dancing with Skeletons Essay -- Literary Analysis, Jerome Denucci

What role do memories serve? How do a person’s dreams influence the decisions he must make in life? What are in the messages that people receive from their inner voices? In â€Å"Slow Dancing with Skeletons,† Jerome Denuccio writes that one of Sherman Alexie’s characters, Thomas Builds-the-Fire observes, â€Å"Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you, and your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you†¦ these skeletons are made up of memories, dreams and voices.† (280). This passage interpreted could allude to the fact that a person’s dreams and memories will always be there for him, whether times are good or bad. These skeletons become a part of the human trinity, and unable to be extracted from considerations and decisions made with each step taken. Additionally, Alexie is saying that what happens in the past ultimately stays in the past; there is no altering what has already occurred. The use of memories, dreams , and voices are intricate and influential in allowing readers to understand the minds and motives of Alexie’s dynamic characters. â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,† centers on the death of Victor’s estranged father in Phoenix, and Victor’s attempt to recover the ashes and meager fortune that lies there. Moreover, the story builds on the memories that Victor and Thomas recollect as they journey to and from Arizona. At one point, Thomas recalls a dream that he has at the age of thirteen; the voices and visions in his dream summon him to travel to Spokane Falls over fifty miles away to wait for a sign. He expects to see a vision at the falls, but only encounters Victor’s father who feeds him and takes him back home. The memories, dreams and voices Thomas has are important, because the... ...ation of the old-world Indian with a more updated identity of a Neo Native American. In another instance, Junior recalls a time when Norma and he are sitting in the Powwow Tavern and Victor comes in drunk yelling, â€Å"’Somebody out in the parking lot kept saying powwow. And you know how I love a good goddamn powwow.’† (270). This memory is crucial, because it humorously depicts the importance of alcoholism and the damaging tolls it takes on the reservation. The constant drinking on the reservation also has a detrimental effect on the traditions and culture of the Native Americans. These Indians, so consumed with their drinking, lose all sense of themselves and their traditions. All of Alexie's characters are continually searching for the right way to balance their skeletons. The Native Americans of the Spokane Indian Reservation live in a world of lost dreams.

Spreading the Message: The Nature and Paradox of Christian Broadcasting :: Essays Papers

Spreading the Message: The Nature and Paradox of Christian Broadcasting Sit down on any given Sunday morning, turn on your TV, and you are bound to happen upon a religious program of some sort. It was the 1980’s that saw the powerful phenomenon of the religious broadcast emerge. No longer were game shows, soap opera’s, and Billboard Top 20 the biggest draw to the family television set and radio, but rather Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell. With their joyful church choirs, clean-pressed preacher suits, and booming messages of hope, protection, and salvation, religious broadcasts of church-services, evangelism rallies, and other such events and programs became popular and powerful television and radio fare. Over 130 million people were drawn to their radio and television sets, which together reached more people than all of the nation’s churches combined. This phenomenon continues today into the 21st Century, as the religious broadcast has come to find its staple and permanent place in both the consciousness and the home. The relationship between broadcasting and religion has become increasingly complex, and many books have been written on the subject. Media scholars such as Peter G. Horsfield and Quentin Schultze have dedicated their lives and careers to researching and understanding the religious broadcasting phenomenon, and there are other innumerable supporters and critics. While I am personally largely supportive of religious broadcasting, there are some specific points and relationships with which I have come to be concerned about. In this essay I shall focus on the relationship between the religious television show and its presentation, both aesthetic and suggestive. From there I will also be asking some questions, such as, what is the nature of the religious broadcast in light of and in comparison to secular television? How does the entertainment factor affect the viewers experience and understanding? What secular connotations are suggested through religious broadcasting, and how do they affe ct the viewer’s religious experience? These questions and other will be addressed as I delve into the complexity that is religious television. Many scholars, theorists, and clergymen are positive and optimistic about the current importance of religious broadcasting and what the future holds for this type of media. Religious broadcasting involves a new approach to a problem as old as the Bible, in that it is the revolutionary way in which to introduce un-reached individuals to the messages of redemption, hope, and salvation generously offered by a loving God.

Comparing How Two Women Find Their Identity :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Comparing How Two Women Find Their Identity Two women born in the United States, and raised in a small town, both have become important role models of today. They each write wonderful and strong essays describing what they believe in and finding out who they really are. Winona LaDuke and Pythia Peay both come from different backgrounds. LaDuke is a Native American Indian who wrote the essay on â€Å"Reclaiming Culture and the Lands.† Pythia Peay also wrote an essay on â€Å"Soul Searching.† They both share their ideas and experience of how and where they grew up. LaDuke is a mother of two children and lives on the White Earth reservation in Minnesota. She is part Jewish and part Ojibwe. Her parents are two very important people in her life. She was one of the few who grew up around people fighting for what they believe in. In her essay she writes about her religion and culture while trying to make it in the real world. She writes about how her people are there for one another and how they take care of each other’s children. In her essay she states, â€Å"We operate in extended families, and that is how we parent†, (10).She is stating that this is not common among the â€Å"White American Culture†, but among the Native Americans. She tries to teach them the value of life and keeping the tradition of their culture and how important it is to know where they come from. She talks about children learning from experience, having the need to be involved within their community, which will make them better understand their culture. In a way she is saying that seeing is believing! She talks strongly about how Native Americans are â€Å"deculturalizing† (12). She is saying that her people are slowly being pulled away from their native culture and being pulled into the white mans culture. This is what makes her even more determined to keep her culture and religion alive. Peay writes her essay on â€Å"Soul Searching†. She writes about finding her soul after leaving her home town in Oak Grove, Missouri where she grew up. Stepping into the new world full of opportunities is what she has always dreamed of. She traveled from city to city, and within each city she began to discover who she really was. In her essay, she lists some opinions and explains what she thinks of them.

Tennyson Speech

Alfred Lord Tennyson was the poet laureate of the United Kingdom from 1850-1892. His duty as poet laureate was to reach out to the common folk of the time by raising issues/concerns with society and life through his poems meanings that they could relate to. His ability to use the context of his poems to provide a greater meaning to the reader is what made him valued as a great poet. Although the way he manages to transcend the themes of his poems such as unrequited love, passing of youth and patriotism to suit and relate to a modern day society is why he continues to be valued as one. These themes are present through Tennyson’s poetic masterpieces such as ‘The Lady of Shalott’, ‘The Eagle’ and ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ in which he uses poetic devices and techniques to compare and contrast the deeper meaning of the poem to real life concerns and issues. Unrequited love is love that is not returned or is unnoticed. This theme is prominent throughout Tennyson’s poem ‘The Lady of Shalott’, as in the poem the Lady of Shalott dies from a curse which is triggered when she leaves her tower because of her love for Lancelot. The Lady of Shalott’ was first published in 1833, when the romantic movement was at its peak, so Tennyson writing about the journey of a women in love makes ‘The Lady of Shalott’ a prime example of Tennyson’s romantic poetry. The poems plot metaphorically represents the pain of unrequited love and the risks involved in sharing your feelings. An example o f unrequited love within the ‘Lady of Shalott’ is when the lady’s dead body floats in the boat to Camelot and Lancelot says â€Å"She has a lovely face†. This shows how oblivious Lancelot is in regards to the lady’s feelings for him and that the love she gives is not returned. Passing of youth is a theme that associates with Tennyson’s poem ‘The Eagle’. The first line of the poem; ‘He clasps the crag with crooked hands’, illustrates to the reader that the creature is holding on to life, and inevitably in the last line ‘And like a thunderbolt he falls’, it has died. In contrast with real life Tennyson uses personification like ‘crooked hands’ and context throughout the poem, to compare an Eagles daily doings to the mortal life of a human being. The last line in particularly implies how quick and sudden death is, with the comparison of an Eagle catching its prey. Also structurally the poem is only six lines long; Tennyson uses this shortness to reinforce (like an Eagle catching its prey) how quickly life goes by. ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, is another one of Tennyson’s masterpieces in which contains the theme ‘patriotism’. This theme is exploited throughout the poem as the poem is a tribute to all of the lives lost at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. To reinforce the patriotism of the soldiers in the poem, Tennyson uses the repetition of the phrase ‘valley of death’ which implies that the death of the soldiers is inevitable but yet they still approach it patriotically. In the poem where it says ‘Cannons to the left of them, Cannons to the right of them, Cannons in front of them’ is an example of imagery which also illustrates to the reader that the death of the light brigade is inevitable and that they are walking straight into it. The final line of the poem ‘Noble six hundred’ is used to portray the soldiers as highly respected because of the deeds that they have committed to on behalf of their country. In conclusion Tennyson’s poetic works are highly valued among society for Tennyson’s ability to pinpoint a specific audience for each of his poems by using the themes like unrequited love, passing of youth and patriotism as found within the ‘The Lady of Shalott’, ‘The Eagle’ and ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’. Although these themes intertwine to make a greater theme in which a majority of Tennyson’s poems relate to, and this is the preciousness of life. This is the sort of ideology of romanticism where Tennyson critiques society’s traditional values and expectations of living and fulfilling traditional gender roles, and promotes the idea of following your heart and make the most out of life. Tennyson’s ability to transcend these themes from suiting the people of the Victorian era to suit and relate to a modern day society is what continues to make Tennyson be valued as a ‘great poet’.

Despotism: Political Philosophy and 14th Century Essay

The Renaissance developed a new and unique form of politics referred to as Despotism. Despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. The single ruling entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy. The great Renaissance historian John Addington Symonds refers to the 14th and 15th Centuries in Italy as the â€Å"Age of the Despots. † It was under the tyrannies, in the midst of all the wars and revolutions, that the Italians were given the chance to develop their peculiar individuality. This individuality determined the qualities of the Renaissance and affected Europe as a whole. Italy, due to their unique form of politics, was able to lead the way in the education of Western races, and was the first to distinguish Classical and Medieval life. The conditions that led to this new form of Political government were distinctive to Italian urban life. By the 14th Century, Italy was divided into many principalities surrounding city-States. The cities were an integral part of life in Italy due to commerce, and Italians were the first to reap the benefits of new and increasing trade due to their favorable geographic position in the Mediterranean Sea. Because there was a constant political and class struggle in the cities, Italy lacked a central authority of power. In cities such as Florence, Pisa, and Milan, the age-old rival between Pope and Emperor played itself out. The Guelph party supported the Pope, while the Ghibbiline party supported the Emperor. Civil wars were fought in the cities and ended with a despotism system of ruling, either with an oligarchy or an autocracy. The forming of these authorities was crucial, because peace is essential for trade, and the surplus wealth from commerce is what led to the growth or art and literature, which began the Renaissance. The despots, who were the powerful rulers during despotism, were not from traditional dynasties, and therefore they reached their positions of power in various other ways. Some were appointed by the Holy Roman Emperor to assert his rule, as was the case for the Visconti of Milan in the 14th Century. Other despots were hired soldiers, who later became rulers of the cities they were hired to protect, as was the case for the Sforzas in Milan in the 15th Century. Some despots were elected Mayor of their towns, some controlled their town’s elections- as the Medici family in Florence did, and some despots ruled solely because they were the sons and nephews of Popes. Due to their various ways of gaining power, the despot was usually not from a traditional dynasty, and therefore they did not have the traditional loyalty of the people. Each despot had to gain the loyalty of the people either through a winning personality, or by being clever in the political game. The Despotic court had to set its own rules, which were eventually written down in the Book of the Courtier, which became the guide book for the courts of Early Modern Europe. The most important and the most influential work dealing on Despotism is Machiavelli’s The Prince, and Machiavelli is considered by some to be the father of modern Power Politics. The Italian Renaissance was essentially a mind-set, a collection of powerful attitudes and beliefs. The development of despotism pacified the country from the chaos of their constant civil wars, and allowed them peace, which was essential for trade. As commerce reopened, people began traveling freely, and the level of education began to rise as well as the amount of books that were read. This soon led to an overwhelming growth of literature and art, of which the Renaissance is famous for.

What Makes an Act Sexually Perverse

UWI Maurice Layne 620008086LecturerSimeon Mohansingh. CoursePhilosophy of sex and Love. | What makes an act sexually perverse? | | In a recent discussion, the subject of perversion was raised; the question was asked what makes an individual a pervert, or what kinds of acts could be considered perverted? The answers received were numerous to say the least. My first response was paedophilia which I still hold firm to; what follows are a few of the other answers; Bestiality; Homosexuality; Necrophilia; Oral sex (which was hotly debated); and Sexual sado-masochism.The list could continue but let us use this list and ask the question in another way; what makes these acts sexually perverse? What do we mean when we say something is sexually perverse? Is it divergence from what is sexually natural or a departing from what is considered standard morality? If so, what is natural? Who defines morality? The question of sexual perversion is of no little importance, for a start the question raises a number of interesting philosophical issues. Moreover, the issue is not solely of academic interest.Many have been, and many still are, stigmatised by the label ‘sexual pervert'. For them the issue of whether their actions justify this epithet may have a profound effect on their lives. Our purposes here are to simply attempt an answer to the question. We should note, at the start, that the notion of sexual perversion is not a simple descriptive concept. To call someone a pervert is not like calling them a Doctor or a Teacher. It is to denigrate their moral status in some way. Sexual perversion, therefore, is a concept, part of whose content is to carry a negative moral evaluation.The Oxford Dictionaries defines the verb pervert as to alter (something) from its original course, meaning, or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended; or to lead (someone) away from what is considered right, natural, or acceptable; and it defines the noun pervert as a person whose sexual behaviour is regarded as abnormal and unacceptable. (â€Å"pervert†. Oxford Dictionaries. 2010) Since sexual perversion is a morally negative concept, it might be thought that one could define it simply as a ‘morally wrong sexual act'.In a similar way, one might attempt a definition of ‘murder’ as a morally wrong human killing. This, however, will not do. The simple reason is that there are many morally wrong sexual acts of a very ‘straight’ kind which, all can agree, are not perversions. For example, an ordinary sexual act may be done by one of the partners in a way that is unkind, deceitful, inconsiderate or cruel, and so morally wrong. Rape and adultery may be examples of this. One would not, on this account, want to call such acts perversions. Though there are some persons who do view rape as a perversion. ) One of the things that makes it hard to get a grip on the concept of perversion (its intension) is that there is strong d isagreement even over its extension. People disagree, for example, over whether homosexuality and masturbation are perversions. Still, let us start with a look at the extension of the concept. Genital sexual activity is of many kinds. The following is a list of categories; these are not necessarily exclusive; no doubt they are not exhaustive either.I give the acts in what seems (to me) to be roughly decreasing in order of ‘naturalness’ (in traditional terms). Heterosexual intercourse in the missionary position (straight sex). Heterosexual intercourse in other positions. Oral sex (cunnilingus, fellatio). Masturbation. Homosexuality. Group sex. Anal sex (buggery, sodomy), heterosexual or homosexual. Voyeurism. Exhibitionism. Frotteurism. Sexual sadism and/or masochism. Paedophilia. Fetishism. Transvestism. Zoophilia (bestiality). Urophilia Necrophilia. Coprophilia.We can be safe in saying that it is highly unlikely that any two people would produce exactly the same orderi ng, my assumption is that there would be general agreement on the rough ordering, at least as to whether something was near the top, middle or end. Where perversion begins on the list is much more contentious, however. Sexual conservatives often draw the line after the first instance. More ‘open minded’ people might draw the line after say group sex. The items listed after group sex may get in on nearly everyone’s list.So what should count as a perversion, and why? Let us start with what is perhaps the best known account of perversion in the contemporary philosophical literature, that of Nagel. I start with it, not because it is close to the truth (I think that it is a long way from this), but because it illustrates clearly a central shortcoming that will keep recurring. â€Å"Nagel proposes that sexual interactions in which each person responds with sexual arousal to noticing the sexual arousal of the other person exhibit the psychology that is natural to human sexuality.In such an encounter, each person becomes aware of himself or herself and the other person as both the subject and the object of their joint sexual experiences. Perverted sexual encounters or events would be those in which this mutual recognition of arousal is absent, and in which a person remains fully a subject of the sexual experience or fully an object. Perversion, then, is a departure from or a truncation of a psychologically â€Å"complete† pattern of arousal and consciousness. † (Soble and Power 2008, 13) It is difficult to do full justice to Nagel’s account in a few words.But for present purposes, let’s hope the following will suffice. According to Nagel, a sexual act is not perverted when it involves two (or maybe more) people; each is sexually aroused by [the other]; each is sexually aroused by [the other's being sexually aroused]; each is sexually aroused by [the other's being sexually aroused by the other's being sexually aroused]; a nd maybe so on ad infinitum. Any other sexual act is perverted. Now, one problem with Nagel's account is that it draws the line in a very strange place.Homosexuality, sadomasochism and paedophilia may all be non-perverted if done in the right way; whilst masturbation, rape and even straight sex of a very bored kind – e. g. , by a prostitute, or an uptown wife who during the act of coitus is thinking of travelling to Manhattan for ‘black Friday’ as perverted. Granted, any division is going to be contentious, but this classification is just too counter-intuitive: no one (unless in the grip of Nagel’s account) would divide things up in this way?The more important failing of Nagel's account is that if this is what sexual perversion is, there is absolutely no reason why perversion should be a morally loaded concept. There is nothing in itself immoral about being aroused by someone who is not them self aroused. Maybe it is more exciting, more complete, or fulfil ling, if they are; but it is hardly wrong if they are not. A more plausible and, in fact, more common account of perversion is that perverted acts are those that are unnatural. This is not a bad start, but it does not get us very far until we have said what ‘natural’ is to be taken to mean here.For the notion of naturalness is a very slippery one indeed. What, then, is the natural in this context? â€Å"Natural sexual acts, to provide merely a broad definition, are those acts that either flow naturally from human sexual nature, or at least do not frustrate or counteract sexual tendencies that flow naturally from human sexual desire. † (Soble and Power 2008, 11) An obvious suggestion is that what is natural is what happens in nature. But such a suggestion would rob the notion of perversion of all content. People are, after all, part of nature. Hence, nothing they do is unnatural in this sense.A fortiori there would be no perversions. It makes a bit more sense to s uppose that the natural is what happens in non human nature. This would draw the line in a very odd place, however. It makes paedophilia, masturbation, homosexuality, and bestiality (or at least intercourse with a different species) natural, while at the same time making straight sex unnatural. Given that then one might want to redefine what straight sex equates to in non human animals. Another suggestion as to what ‘unnatural’ means here is simply unusual (abnormal) in the statistical sense. Goldman 1977) It should be noted that the frequencies of various sexual practices like, homosexuality and paedophilia vary from society to society. Hence, perversion, on this account, becomes a socially relative concept. With ‘natural’ interpreted in this way, the definition of perversion has two major problems. Perversion does not seem to be linked to statistics in the way it requires. If bestiality became very common, for example, it would not cease to be a perversio n. There would just be more perverts around.More importantly, there is no reason why something that is unusual statistically should be morally bad; merely consider heroism, having an IQ of 200 or higher or being able to make love for 3. 5 hours without a break. In the context of the definition of perversion, Donald Levy takes an unnatural act to be one that denies someone a basic human good, such as life, health, control of mind or body, or the capacity to know or love (without providing some other basic human good in compensation). (Velasquez 2010, 454) This account at least has the advantage that it becomes clear why perversion is morally wrong.Its failings are rather different. According to this, virtually nothing that is traditionally counted as perversion is a perversion. None of homosexuality, buggery, sadomasochism would seem to fall into this category. Moreover, those sexual acts that involve the individual alone (masturbation, fetishism, transvestism, bestiality and necroph ilia) would not seem to require the actor to deny anyone including him or herself anything. We noted a certain amount of flexibility as to what one might classify as a perversion, but this flexibility hardly extends to ruling out paradigm cases wholesale.It would seem that for Levy Paedophilia and Rape would be the only activities that could or would count as sexual perversion. Another suggestion, as to what ‘natural' means in the context of perversion is this. It is often said that biological processes have some well-defined goal or function. What is natural is using the process for that function; what is unnatural is using it for something else. That this suggestion is on the right lines is supported by the following considerations. We speak of things other than sexual acts as being perverted.For example, we speak of someone perverting the course of justice. In such a case, it is clear that what this amounts to is the person using the judicial process for something other tha n its proper end. Thus, perversion in general is using something for other than its proper end as a matter of fact, as stated earlier this is how the Oxford English Dictionary defines the verb ‘to pervert' and sexual perversion, in particular, is using sex for something other than its proper end. Were doing well so far right? But what exactly is the proper end of sex?A common view, most strongly represented in traditional Catholic pronouncements, has it that the function of sex is reproduction. â€Å"Based upon a comparison of the sexuality of humans and the sexuality of lower animals (mammals, in particular), Aquinas concludes that what is natural in human sexuality is the impulse to engage in heterosexual coitus. Heterosexual coitus is the mechanism designed by the Christian God to insure the preservation of animal species, including humans, and hence engaging in this activity is the primary natural expression of human sexual nature.Further, this God designed each of the pa rts of the human body to carry out specific functions, and on Aquinas’s view God designed the male penis to implant sperm into the female’s vagina for the purpose of effecting procreation. It follows, for Aquinas that depositing the sperm elsewhere than inside a human female’s vagina is unnatural: it is a violation of God’s design, contrary to the nature of things as established by God. For this reason alone, on Aquinas’s view, such activities are immoral, a grave offense to the sagacious plan of the Almighty. (Soble and Power 2008, 12) Reproduction here is interpreted as conception. Therefore, any sexual act that cannot result in conception is a perversion which clearly draws the line very high up on the list. † If this view is right, the orthodox Catholic Church has drawn the correct conclusions concerning masturbation and homosexuality; contraception, too, makes sex perverted. But the definition also makes many sorts of straight sex perver ted: sex for an infertile male known to be infertile; sex for a woman after menopause or a hysterectomy; sex during the so called ‘safe period' of a woman’s menstrual cycle.It would appear that orthodox Catholic thinking has not been consistent in these areas, since it does not condemn such acts; though some of the church fathers such as Augustine did in a roundabout way. â€Å"Sexual intercourse with lower animals (bestiality), sexual activity with members of one’s own sex (homosexuality), and masturbation, for Aquinas, are unnatural sexual acts and are immoral exactly for that reason. If they are committed intentionally, according to one’s will, they deliberately disrupt the natural order of the world as created by God and which God commanded to be respected†¦In none of these activities is there any possibility of procreation, and the sexual and other organs are used, or misused, for purposes other than that for which they were designed. Although A quinas does not say so explicitly, but only hints in this direction, it follows from his philosophy of sexuality that fellatio, even when engaged in by heterosexuals, is also perverted and morally wrong. At least in those cases in which orgasm occurs by means of this act, the sperm is not being placed where it should be placed and procreation is therefore not possible.If the penis entering the vagina is the paradigmatic natural act, then any other combination of anatomical connections will be unnatural and hence immoral; for example, the penis, mouth, or fingers entering the anus. Note that Aquinas’s criterion of the natural that the sexual act must be procreative in form, and hence must involve a penis inserted into a vagina, makes no mention of human psychology. Aquinas’s line of thought yields an anatomical criterion of natural and perverted sex that refers only to bodily organs and what they might accomplish physiologically and to where they are, or are not, put in relation to each other. (Soble and Power 2008, 12-13) If this is the case what is the rationale for the clitoris being positioned the way it is? At any rate, any account of perversion according to which straight sex between a loving couple at the tender age of 60 years, who have been happily married for over 40 years, is a perversion, in my humble opinion must be wrong. It is plausible to suppose that what makes this account of perversion wrong is its identification of reproduction with conception. There is, after all, a lot more to reproduction than conception. In particular, there is gestation, birth, the rearing and education of children, and so on.And sex may have important biological functions in these areas too. To begin with, a secure family is usually reckoned to be important in the upbringing of children. And one factor making for a secure family is a happy and fulfilling sexual life between the adult partners. Hence, a function of sex could be for two people each to give the other pleasure. In this case, only those forms of sexual activity that involve just one person could be perverted. More generally, a stable and functioning society is necessary for the reproduction of people. An important role of sex might be to help people to live together and cooperate.And who knows what sexual practices might serve that end? Without a lot more socio-biological research, it is highly unlikely near an impossibility to say what constitutes a perversion on this account probably very little.

Literature Contrast Essay

Compare between A Clear Well-lighted Place and A Rose for Emily Abstract: Hemingway and Faulkner both were winners of the Nobel Prize in literature, and had world-wide fame. Although they were close friends, they created rather distinct literary world for their readers. A Clear Well-lighted Place and A Rose for Emily are rather typical of their works. This essay aims to reveal the differences and uncover their unique appeal through analyzing these two novels from four perspectives: theme; character; characterization; writing style. Key Words:Hemingway;Faulkner; theme; character; characterization; writing style. Introduction: A Clear Well-lighted Place expresses an old man’s loneliness and despairs for life. The old man wanted to stay up in the bar and kept drinking, while the young waiter complained a lot and drove him away, but the older waiter showed more sympathy. A Rose for Emily is also a sad story about a girl named Emily who was raised by her father and forbidden to contact with outsides. she poisoned her boyfriend and kept his corpus beside her till death. . Theme The theme of a novel is its controlling idea or its central insight. Being an idea or an insight, the theme should be capable of unifying the whole novel. A Clear Well-lighted Place is the one of early works of Hemingway. The depression and hopelessness left by the world war were not easy to be erased. People may be rich, like the millionaire, but when night dawned, his loneliness and despair for this world force him to find a clear well-lighted place, for light symbolized hope. Faulkner’s work mainly depicted life in Southern slavery-based society, and try desperately to reproduce a south town around the civil war and focused on people’s stubbornness: they refused to admit the original south was gone. This story spanned about 74 years telling a life being restricted and isolated and in return try to isolate others. Character The old man’s character is complex, being depressed and wearisome, but still kept his dignity; rich, but unhappy; mature, but lost his belief. For example, â€Å"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. †(A Clear Well-lighted Place. Ernest Hemingway) This paragraph is at the beginning. He would rather spend the time sipping alone. Besides, he chooses to sit under the shadow instead of the light, and the shadow symbolize the gloom and despair. However, in the William Faulkner’s novel, A Rose for Emily , arrogance, mental confusion, stubbornness and a nature passion for love have all together shaped Emily, and have eventually led to her doom. Her loneliness accompanied her for her whole life. â€Å"I want some poison,† she said. â€Å"Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? For rats and such? I’d recom–† â€Å"I want the best you have. I don’t care what kind. † The druggist named several. â€Å"They’ll kill anything up to an elephant. But what you want is–† â€Å"Arsenic,† Miss Emily said. â€Å"Is that a good one? † â€Å"Is . . . arsenic? Yes, ma’am. But what you want–† â€Å"I want arsenic. â€Å"(A Rose for Emily. William Faulkner) This is a conversation about Miss Emily. From the dialog between Miss Emily and druggist . when the druggist did not finish, Emily interrupted in and say she did not care. We can see her arrogance. When the druggist asked many times about her want, Emily pay no attention and repeated the word arsenic again and again. It showed her stubbornness. Characterization In the dramatic Characterization method the author form our opinion of the characters from what they do and say, from their environment, and from what other characters think of them. Just like the story in A Clear Well-lighted Place, Through the monologue of the older waiter, we know the old man’s loneliness and desire for light and hope. Through the old man’s own behaviour, like staying up under the shadow, we know his despairs and gloominess. In the analytic method the author comments upon the characters, explaining their motives, their appearance, and their thought. The narrator of A Rose for Emily is called â€Å"first person† . The author uses much comments upon the characters. For Emily, he shows more sympathy than blame, and he owe her tragedy to the unjust doings of her father. Writing Style Their images in A Clear Well-lighted Place are shown vividly with concise and plain words, and refined rhetorical skills. Ernest Hemingway advocates using the simplest and fewest words, direct description and short sentence. For example,In the daytime the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. (A Clear Well-lighted Place. Ernest Hemingway) In this excerpt, few adjectives and no difficult words are used. Also there are no long sentences and compound sentences. While Ernest Hemingway pursues the beauty of simplicity, his friend William Faulkner become a master of a rhetoric, highly symbolic style . which will employ many long complex sentences. For example, When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument , the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant—a combined gardener and cook—had seen in at least ten years. (A Rose for Emily. William Faulkner) Notice the dash, commas and the clauses. In fact, clauses found in the sentence are in opposition of each other, and so Faulkner successfully depicts a sound scene within one sentence. Conclusion We have studied two classical novels from the four perspectives: theme; character; characteristics; writing style. Both novels told sad stories, but their theme are distinct. The first story lasted for one night while the second one spanned for 74 years and covered much more content. The old man and Emily shared the loneliness, but the other features varied a lot. The first story was short, simple and full of philosophical meanings, nevertheless, Faulkner’s lengthy and obscure. Despite of all these differences, they made good impression on reader. One is like the sharp mountain, clear, simple, but not easily to climb, while the other is a lengthy river, twisted, obscure, and need you to dive in to feel it. References: [1]  ·. [M]. : ,1983: 32. [2] ,. â€Å" †[J]. ( ) ,2010,( 7) : 105 – 107. [3] . [M]. : ,2002: 6. [4] Justus,James H. Hemingway and Faulkner: Vision and Repudiation [J]. The Kenyon Review,New Series,1985,7( 49) : 1 – 14. [5] Philip M. Weinstein. ———  · [M]. : ,2000. [6]  ·. [M]. : ?,2006.