Review of Origin of Brunists

Whenever something tragic happens, human beings look for a shelter to take since this is the way of taking away the pain. In addition to this pain, if their lives are dull and bitter, they will feel the need for something brightining to refresh their lives just like it happens in the novel, Origin of the Brunists by Robert Coover. In this novel, a coal mine disaster occurs in which ninentyseven miners pass away and only one miner called Giovanni Bruno succeeds to survive. After his being rescued, he uses phrases such as Mount of Redemption and claims that he had seen Virgin Mary while he had been trapped in the mine. Because of his visions, he becomes a leader of a religious cult named as Brunists and he is viewed as a prophet by some townpeople. As their lives are dull and bitter, they are in need of something to illuminate lives, which is the religious cult named as Brunists. In this novel, the origins of this religious cult and how its popularity are increased take place. The novel begins with Brunists’ pilgramage to Mount of Redemption and their preparation for the End of the World on the weekend of April. What they expect of End of the World is not obvious but might be The Final Judgement . For the preparation to pilgramage, members of the cult are to wear tunics and â€Å"only white garments under the tunics† (Coover 15) of theirs. In the first chapter, events and impressions described are witnessed by the characters, Hiram and Emma Clegg, and there is indefineteness about some events such as Marcella Bruno’s death. Since by miracle, Giovanni Bruno is sole survivor of the mine disaster and has visions of Virgin Mary, he is chosen for cult leadership by the townspeople who need new religious experiences. After Giovanni overcomes poisoning, his phrases such as Mount of Redemption are heard by townpeople. Besides this, there is a rumour among people that a white bird is seen in the mine before the catastrophe. Because of all these, Mrs Eleanor Norton who is a high school teacher asks Giovanni whether â€Å"he is the One who is to come† and he acknowledges this. According to his sister, Marcella Bruno, Giovanni may have been possessed by a divine spirit while trapped in the mine. Therefore, he is chosen as a leader of Brunists cult. One of the characters who needs something illuminating in her life and has an influence over creation of the cult, Brunists is Eleanor Norton who is a high-school teacher. She has been fired from several workplaces and also loses her job at West Condon High School since she cannot give up inducing some of her students consisting of mostly boys to join in religious activities. Therefore, she and her husband, Wylie are compelled to leave many towns that they live in as people in the towns do not approve her interference with young male students. It can be said that Eleanor Nortons’ spiritiual longings take important place in the formation of the cult. After Giovanni’s acknowledging that he is â€Å"the one to come† , the cult starts to form around him. Eleanor practices automatic writing in which she communicates with a spirit, Domiron who gives her secret messages and prophecies. Therefore, she is a dominant member of the group. Since the daily lives of the miners and the merchants in the town are tedious and hard, they believe in anything that offers to make their lives special. As their lives depend on chatting with each other, watching basketball games, submitting to the mine for economic survival, it is not surprising that Brunist movement which offers specialness will have followers. Owing to media, Brunists cult gains popularity and its popularity becomes nationwide. This movement in West Condon attract media’s attention since it is little wonder that any movement waiting for the end of the world is covered by national newspapers and televisions. The person who first reveals actions of Brunists and sells these to national newspapers is the local journalist, Tiger Miller, who is the owner of town newspaper. In order to get the story of Brunists, he joins in the cult without believing it. While succeeding learning the story of them, he also falls in love with Marcella Bruno. Therefore, he tries to rescue her from the cult but cannot be successful since she is killed by a car while awaiting the end of the world with the group. Miller publishes so many things about Brunists that people in the town are split into its supporters and nonsupporters. Many West Condoners are embrassed by the actions of Brunists when they read the news about them on the newspapers. As a result, a group of people forms a group named Common Sense Committee trying to put an end to this cult. As a consequence, Origin of the Brunists by Robert Coover generally tells the story of a religious cult which is formed after Giovanni Bruno, only survivor of the mine disaster, achieves keep alive. Bruno’s visions, a white bird seen in the mine before the catastrophe, dull and hard lives of the townspeople who need something new in their lives are led them to form a eligious group. This novel shows how people believe in something which a person makes up. Without questioning, they even consider someone as a prophet and wait for the end of the world though they do not know when the world ends. When they gather on the Mount of Redemption, they even beat and kick the journalist, Tiger Miller since their story becomes even international because of him. At the e nd of novel, the end of the world does not come and they cannot accomplish killing Tiger Miller.

Iron Crowned Chapter 24

â€Å"What?† exclaimed Jasmine. I didn't share her concern. â€Å"Damn it. I should have banished you the first time I saw you. I don't have time for this, not with everything else. You should be in the Underworld by now. Kiyo isn't going to kill me.† â€Å"I'm serious!† said Deanna, as frantic as a ghost could get. â€Å"You're in danger!† I shook my head. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry about your husband †¦ really, I am. But not every guy is homicidal. Don't transfer this to me.† â€Å"I'm not! This is real. I was going to move on after †¦ after †¦ well, after my husband was arrested†¦.† There was a mournful pause. Her story had come to a close, but it hadn't had a happy ending. â€Å"I wanted to say good-bye formally and went looking for you †¦ but found Kiyo instead †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I put my hands on my hips, wishing I'd brought my wand. I did not need a delusional ghost, not with everything else right now. â€Å"And then he said he was going to kill me?† â€Å"No. He told that other queen he would.† That cut off my snark, leaving me speechless for a moment. â€Å"What other queen?† demanded Jasmine. â€Å"The blond one. The Willow Queen.† Jasmine and I exchanged looks. Suddenly, Deanna's crazy statements had become slightly less crazy. â€Å"What exactly did you overhear?† I asked quietly. â€Å"He told her you were pregnant and that you'd have an abortion if it was a boy †¦ but that he was concerned. He was worried because you hadn't just done it already.† Deanna looked back and forth between our faces, desperate for either of us to believe her. â€Å"He said it was probably just shock and that you'd ‘do the right thing,' but that if you didn't †¦ well, Maiwenn said they'd have to make you lose the baby. Or †¦ if that didn't work †¦ that Kiyo would kill you.† â€Å"That's insane,† I said. â€Å"Kiyo wouldn't kill me.† â€Å"Kiyo doesn't want the prophecy to come true,† said Jasmine. â€Å"It's not that insane.† I turned on her. â€Å"He loves me. This whole idea †¦ it's ridiculous.† â€Å"Why would I lie?† said Deanna. â€Å"You helped me. I'm helping you by warning you before I move on to the next world. I'm telling you, I heard them. Kiyo swore he'd make sure the prophecy couldn't be fulfilled.† â€Å"Kiyo. Loves. Me.† â€Å"Dorian loves you too,† pointed out Jasmine. â€Å"And look what he did. When you think about it, Kiyo's the type who'd think one tragic loss of life was worth saving many. Or something stupid like that.† â€Å"He would.† Admitting it surprised me, and yet †¦ as the meaning of Deanna's words sank deeper and deeper, I remembered my first meeting with Kiyo. He'd found me on Maiwenn's orders. They hadn't known what kind of person I was, if I'd wanted to fulfill the prophecy or not. He'd never said so explicitly, but my impression had been that both were willing to go to extreme means to stop Storm King's heir from being born. Our relationship had obviously changed since then, but maybe †¦ maybe some things hadn't†¦. â€Å"But he wouldn't go that far,† I finished. â€Å"Do you want to take that chance?† asked Jasmine softly. â€Å"Maybe he wouldn't really kill you, but you heard what he said about Maiwenn's ‘magic' abortion.† What had Deanna claimed? That Kiyo and Maiwenn had planned to make me terminate the pregnancy if I wouldn't willingly? â€Å"We just need to talk,† I said, hoping I sounded convincing. My next words gave me away. â€Å"Somewhere I know I'm safe.† â€Å"Kiyo's in the waiting room,† said Jasmine, seeing that I was finally taking this seriously. â€Å"Is this a safe place?† â€Å"Probably not.† I had finished getting dressed. â€Å"There must be a back door. There's always a back door. We'll go †¦ we'll go home. I'll get my weapons, and then we'll go to the Otherworld. He and I can talk about this reasonably in the Thorn Land. I'll be safe there.† â€Å"You'll never make it there,† said Deanna. I'd practically forgotten about her. â€Å"He can follow you. As soon as you leave here, he'll know and come after you.† â€Å"How could he – â€Å" I lightly touched my upper arm, the spot where Kiyo's nails had barely dug in the other night. I took a deep, shaking breath. â€Å"He marked me,† I said. He'd scratched me the first night we'd met too, leaving a long-healing wound that allowed him to track me wherever I went. This one was smaller but would work just as well. Jasmine was already moving toward the door, so full of tension and purpose that she seemed much older. â€Å"We'll just go straight to the Otherworld then. You'll be safe there. Where's the nearest gateway?† I racked my brain, thinking of our location. â€Å"By Morriswood Park. Farther than I'd like.† â€Å"Well, we have to go soon. If we stay here any longer, the doctor'll come ask what's wrong,† said Jasmine. â€Å"And we can't let Kiyo find us in the parking lot.† â€Å"You'll never make it to the park in time,† wailed Deanna. I scowled, but she was right. Jasmine looked at me questioningly. For a moment, I considered calling Volusian, but he might happily kill Kiyo and claim it was in my defense. I wasn't ready for that. â€Å"I know where we can go,† I said. â€Å"Come on.† We left the exam room, stepping out into the hallway. I turned with purpose, opposite the direction of the waiting room we'd entered from. This took us deeper into the clinic, past more examining rooms and their lab. A couple staff members passed us, but we walked confidently enough that no one stopped us. They probably assumed we'd been directed somewhere. Meanwhile, my eyes were searching for an exit sign. There had to be a back door. Surely hypocritical health professionals had to go somewhere to smoke. â€Å"There.† I nodded toward an exit sign, praying it didn't lead to a fire door, which would be of no use to us. Nope. It was just an ordinary door, one probably used for maintenance or shipments. Someone did notice us then and start to ask what we were doing, but by then, we were outside and behind the building. â€Å"Eugenie, where are we going?† asked Jasmine anxiously. Deanna had faded away, perhaps now finally leaving this world after fulfilling what she believed to be her last duty. As we walked briskly toward my car, some part of me kept wanting to think she'd lied. But why? As she'd said, she had no reason. She'd held true to me before. And with every passing second, I grew more and more conflicted, wondering what I should believe. Kiyo loved me. He'd gone out of his way to win me back †¦ but he was firmly set on protecting the human world. At any cost? We'd see. Deanna was mistaken; she had to be. My worst fate was probably going to be Kiyo's talking me to death. We got in the car, and I did briefly consider trying to make a break for Morriswood Park and its Otherworldly gate. After all, what was Kiyo going to do? Get in a high speed chase with us? The thing was, with that mark, he would be able to track me. He could probably feel me moving away now. If we headed anywhere near the park he'd figure it out. He'd either try to beat us there or just catch up with us on the other side. No, I had to go somewhere else. Somewhere with protection. Somewhere I could be sure I was safe until all of this madness was settled. Jasmine's face grew increasingly troubled as we drove away from the doctor's office. She kept glancing back, as though expecting to see Kiyo right on our bumper. When we turned into a suburban neighborhood, her worry shifted to confusion. â€Å"What is this?† â€Å"Home,† I replied, pulling into the driveway of a well-kept house surrounded by trees and flowers. A fence enclosed the backyard but couldn't hide the efforts someone had made to turn a Tucson backyard into something lush and green. The gate in the fence was unlocked as I'd known it would be. The yard was unoccupied, save for birds and insects. The house's patio door had its glass open, covered only by a screen that let in the afternoon air. It too would be unlocked. â€Å"Kiyo won't really do it,† I muttered, as I jerked the door open. â€Å"Maybe he's upset †¦ but we can talk this out. Deanna overreacted. We're overreacting.† We stepped into a small breakfast nook, and in the adjacent kitchen, a man spun around. My heart leapt when I saw him. The familiar, kind face. The graying hair. The tattoos of whorls and fishes. It felt like a lifetime since our last meeting. Roland. I'd gone to my parents' house. Roland's reactions were those of a man who'd spent years fighting and training, but even that didn't prepare him for the sight of us. Astonishment filled his features, quickly giving way to outrage. â€Å"Eugenie! What are you – â€Å" â€Å"Get your weapons,† I ordered, casting an uneasy glance behind me. Jasmine followed as I strode toward him. â€Å"Whatever you've got in the house.† He didn't move. â€Å"You know you're not – â€Å" â€Å"Get them!† I exclaimed. â€Å"We don't have time for this!† I don't know what look I wore on my face, but it was enough to pierce the walls of hurt and anger he'd built between us since learning of my involvement in the Otherworld. I'd taken a risk coming here, a gamble that no matter what happened, Roland would protect me. And I was right. He transformed before my eyes, suddenly the concerned and caring stepfather I'd grown up with. â€Å"What's – â€Å" Before he could finish, the screen door flew open. Kiyo stood there, face dark and stormy. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† he demanded. â€Å"Why did you take off?† â€Å"You first,† I said, taking a step back toward Roland. â€Å"What are you doing?† Jasmine moved to my other side. My eyes were on Kiyo, but I could sense Roland bracing for battle. Maybe he didn't know what was going on, but anyone could have seen how dangerous Kiyo was. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you, and you disappeared!† Kiyo moved forward a little but stopped, recognizing the united front that Roland and I – and yes, even Jasmine – presented. â€Å"Talk? Is that all you wanted to do?† â€Å"Yes. Of course.† Kiyo glanced between all of us. â€Å"You promised, Eugenie. You promised if it was a boy, you'd get rid of it.† â€Å"There's a girl too!† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can't get rid of one without the other.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† he said. â€Å"The consequences are too big.† â€Å"I can't kill an innocent. She hasn't done anything.† â€Å"Not directly. Letting her live means he lives. And there's nothing innocent there. He can't live. Eugenie, you know that. I'm not trying to be cruel. Please. Do what's right.† Jasmine and Roland remained silent as this drama played out. Meanwhile, I realized how sickened the language of this whole matter continued to make me. Get rid of it. He can't live. â€Å"You're so quick to kill your own children,† I said in disbelief, echoing what Jasmine had said a few days before. â€Å"Don't you feel any remorse? You know better than me what it's like to be a parent!† â€Å"Yes,† he said, clenching his fists. â€Å"I do know. And it's amazing. I wish you could know what it's like†¦.† â€Å"But I can't? I can't have the same chance you and Maiwenn had?† Kiyo shook his head. â€Å"You aren't the same as Maiwenn. You can't ever be.† It was like a gut-punch. I was stunned into silence, and a bit of his fierceness eased. I think he read my reaction as acceptance. â€Å"Look, I don't get this,† he said. â€Å"I don't get why you're resisting all of this after what you've always said! You never wanted a baby – any baby. If you've changed your mind, then †¦ well, try again. You just can't have these.† â€Å"And what then? I just keep having abortions until a girl comes along? What kind of a sick bastard are you?† I moved forward without realizing it, my anger exploding. Roland put a hand on my arm, keeping me back. It wasn't affection. It was a warning. It was defensive strategy, keeping us together. â€Å"I'm trying to protect the human world,† Kiyo said. He hadn't come any closer, but he was as ready as we were, his reflexes even faster. â€Å"And you should be too.† â€Å"And what happens if I don't do what you want?† I asked quietly. Here it was, the moment of truth. He sighed. â€Å"I don't want it to come to that.† â€Å"To what?† My voice rose sharply, the anguish in me ready to explode. â€Å"What will you do?† â€Å"I'll take you to Maiwenn – by force. And then †¦ and then she'll take care of it.† â€Å"The hell you will,† I said. Goddamnit, I wished I had a weapon. I almost always traveled with them – but not to the doctor's office. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Roland's hand rest on the counter and wrap around something. A wand. He'd had his wand in the kitchen. But of course he would. Unlike me, he hadn't become careless. â€Å"I'll never let that happen. You guys aren't going to experiment on me!† Kiyo's face displayed a mix of emotions. There was sorrow and disappointment. He did care. He didn't want this fight between us – but he also believed in his greater good. He believed he had to do anything to stop the prophecy, and I knew then that Deanna had spoken the truth. Ideally, he just wanted the pregnancy to end. If that wasn't possible, then I was what needed to be eliminated. â€Å"How can you do this?† he asked, his voice both a threat and a plea. â€Å"How can you risk all this – just to save one life?† It was only in that moment, as the words left my lips, that I learned the truth about myself, what I'd been holding deep inside. The girl and boy thing didn't matter. Only the heartbeats did – those tiny, rapid heartbeats pounding in my ears †¦ â€Å"I'm not,† I told him. â€Å"I'm saving two lives.† I sealed my fate with that. Kiyo moved so fast that I wasn't prepared for the attack. He sprang toward me, shape-shifting as he did into his giant fox form, fangs out, snarling. A blast of wind slowed – but didn't stop – his leap, providing enough time for Roland to jerk me out of the way. The wind magic hadn't come from me. It had been Jasmine, which was why the power hadn't packed much of a punch. The unaccustomed magic left her gasping, but it had been enough to buy us a brief escape. Roland pulled me out of the kitchen, out to where we had more space to maneuver in the living room. Kiyo followed without hesitation, all brute strength and speed. â€Å"He can be banished,† I gasped out to Roland. â€Å"The same as a gentry.† Roland gave a brisk nod of acknowledgment. He already knew this, but in the sudden flurry, he didn't have the necessary pause to do a full banishing. Kiyo reached us, throwing himself on me and pushing me away from Roland. I fell hard to the ground, Kiyo's weight pinning me there. As quickly as he'd turned fox, he transformed back into a man. Still displaying amazing speed, he pulled me up by the arm. I didn't know if his intentions were simply to cart me out of the house or to attempt a world-jump then and there, but I didn't give him the chance. I'd recovered my senses and took hold of my magic. The air grew thick, and a hurricane-worthy gust blasted him away – along with a substantial part of my parents' furniture. Kiyo grimaced as he regained his footing and agonizingly took one step at a time toward me. â€Å"Damn it!† he yelled over the roar of the wind. â€Å"Stop this!† â€Å"You stop this!† I shouted back. The magic burned in my blood, and no matter how annoyingly weak the pregnancy had made me, my power hadn't diminished too much. â€Å"We don't even know that this prophecy's real! I've already met one fake seeress. It could all be for nothing.† Roland and my mother had once told me that prophecies were a dime a dozen in the Otherworld, and I'd seen that to a certain extent. Until now, I'd never wanted to take the chance that mine wouldn't come true. â€Å"But we don't know!† Kiyo countered. I could see the irritation on his face. I was keeping a storm raging around me, one that held him at bay while hopefully Roland began a banishing. â€Å"We can't risk it. Please. Please come back with me to Maiwenn. We'll fix this.† I didn't answer and instead kept the storm going. My gaze stayed on Kiyo, but I felt the tingle of shamanic magic – human magic – beginning to glimmer. Roland was indeed performing a banishing spell. Kiyo transformed into a fox again, and with that extra strength, he managed to push through the storm-shield around me and knock me to the ground again. He stayed as a fox this time, holding onto that strength. His teeth bit into my shirt, through to my shoulder, and I yelled out in pain. My magic wavered, and to my astonishment, he began dragging me – slowly – across the living room. His progress was halted when a small end table slammed into his back. I tell you, those things are lethal. Instinctively, he reared up against his attacker: Jasmine. He shoved her away, and she stumbled back. Snarling, Kiyo returned to me, and I had the uneasy feeling my odds were getting worse as to whether he'd cart me away or just kill me. He could hold on to human thoughts in fox form, but they became increasingly influenced by animal reactions the longer he stayed transformed. He suddenly looked away from me, gold eyes on Roland, who stood planted firmly across the room with his wand extended. I'd sensed the banishing earlier because of my training. Now, with the spell in full force, Kiyo could feel it too. Abandoning me for the new threat, Kiyo raced toward Roland. I screamed as all that animal power slammed into my stepfather, pinning him against the wall. The wand flew from Roland's hand. The banishing spell disintegrated. Kiyo shifted to human form again, still trapping Roland. Roland was strong but couldn't match Kiyo's strength. Struggling was useless. â€Å"Stop it,† cried Kiyo. â€Å"Both of you.† His arm pressed against Roland's neck. Roland managed a gasp as the grip cut off his air. Immediately, I let the storm magic around me drop. As I did, I felt that Jasmine had been lending her strength to me without me even realizing it. She too ceased her wielding and struggled up from where she'd been knocked down, coming to stand with me once again. The room fell eerily still. â€Å"Let him go,† I growled, moving slightly forward. I knew I couldn't win against Kiyo in a physical fight, but I also couldn't let him harm Roland. â€Å"This isn't about him. Don't hurt him.† â€Å"Believe me,† said Kiyo, â€Å"I don't want to.† His eyes were dark and human again, but there was still some feral glint in there. â€Å"Come with me, and I'll release him.† â€Å"Come with you,† I said flatly. â€Å"To Maiwenn's?† â€Å"You'll thank me later,† said Kiyo. My mind raced frantically. Roland was struggling for breath. How much longer did he have? Would Kiyo really kill him? I wondered if I could get off another blast of magic. Another attack of wind? Lightning? I could create a controlled bolt indoors, but it'd probably kill both men. And if I went with Kiyo †¦ let him take me to Maiwenn †¦ well. There'd be no getting out of that, no escape. Roland looked ready to pass out. His blue eyes were fixed on me, and then, quickly, he glanced toward my feet. I thought it was him about to lose consciousness, but then I saw the purpose in his eyes. His wand was near my feet, within easy reach. I didn't let on to Kiyo that I'd noticed. Roland's eyes returned to me, some message there. â€Å"Please,† I begged, wondering frantically what Roland wanted me to do. â€Å"Let him go.† I couldn't pull off a banishing spell. There wasn't enough time. Kiyo would release Roland, true, but then I'd be the one attacked again. I honestly didn't know how long Kiyo would play it safe. He was attempting â€Å"reasonable† solutions: force me to go to Maiwenn, blackmail with Roland, et cetera. Sooner or later, if he truly believed the prophecy's threat, he would simply eliminate me. Roland was still staring at me, still wanting me to do something he thought would save us. He'd trained me. Surely I could figure it out. I had to. What could a wand do? It cast spells. It banished creatures, sending them out of this world†¦. I felt my eyes widen. I knew what he was telling me to do. Doing it would save him, I was certain, because Kiyo would release him and come after me †¦ into the Otherworld. Roland wanted me to open a gateway for myself. I could do it. It was a fast spell, one I had the power for. Forcing another being through was what took so much time and effort. But opening the gate and stepping through? That could be done quickly. If it could be done. Getting in was easy. Passing through the worlds unassisted was hard, and I'd even had trouble going through fixed, physical gates lately in my weakened state. Making a blind, unaided transition might not even be possible for me. I'd done it once before, and it had required a lot of power. And dear God, had it hurt. If I could do it, though †¦ I'd get away from Kiyo, and Kiyo would let Roland go in order to chase me down. This could buy me the time to flee to safety. The only thing that might make it possible was that I had anchors in the Otherworld to help pull me in. If I jumped with no solid destination, I could end up trapped between the worlds, my essence disintegrated. Hell, that might still happen, but an anchor would reduce the likelihood. I didn't know where I was in relation to the Otherworld's layout, but the closest anchor would pull me in if this worked. Time to find out. With speed that rivaled Kiyo's, I reached for the wand and then grabbed hold of Jasmine's hand. Bringing her only made my task more difficult, but I wouldn't leave her to Kiyo. With the wand, I summoned the necessary magic and ripped open a gate to the Otherworld. Kiyo realized what was happening and released Roland, trying to reach me – but it was too late. I threw myself into the opening, clinging to Jasmine, and knew it would shut immediately behind us, simply because I couldn't hold open a personal gate for long. It felt just as painful as last time, like I was crashing through the floors in a building. Down, down, down. Smash, smash, smash. Each layer was more agonizing than the last, and with each blow, I felt like I was being torn apart. It was likely I was, and I would destroy Jasmine with me, ripping our souls from our bodies. Then, I sensed a tug. My soul turned toward it, and I felt my fractured self coalesce and become whole, even as that falling, excruciating sensation continued. Then – there was only one impact left: a real one. Jasmine and I slammed into a hard stone floor. My body cried out at the pain. True, physical pain. I had already been hurting from the fight with Kiyo, and now, crashing through the worlds had taken that pain to new levels. Nausea welled up in me, and I fought hard not to throw up. I could hear Jasmine whimpering, but the sights around us were a blur as my disoriented mind tried to get a hold of itself. Finally, the world came into focus, the colors and lines growing sharp once more. A faint hum of magic in the air, one that was always present, told me I'd made it intact to the Otherworld. And Dorian was looking down at me.

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

â€Å"Uncertainty of Control† In â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† her name, weatherall, or seen as weathered by it all, shows that she has been through everything, especially through times of doubt oruncertainty. Granny Weatherall is a very controlling woman;however, she comes to realize there are many things that she cannot control. She also believes that she has lived a very happy life, however, when she is starting to die, she realizes that there are many things that she wishes she could change. Granny Weatherall is very uncertain of many things throughoutthe story. One of the main things she is uncertain aboutis whether or not she is dying. She tells the doctor to â€Å"get along and doctor your sick†¦leave a well womanalone† (203). In her mind, she is not going to die because she has not planned or it. She says she still has a ton of things to get done so it cannot be her time to pass away. However, death is something that she cannot control, just like George leaving her at the altar. As she is trying to get some rest, the memory of George comes back to her, â€Å"what does a women do when she has put on the white veil and set out the white cake for a man and he doesn’t care?†¦ but a whirl of dark smoke rose and covered it, crept up and over into the bright field where everything was planted so carefully in orderly rows. That was hell, she knew hell when she saw it. For sixty years she had prayed against remembering him and against losing her soul in the deep pit of hell† (206). This shows that she is still very bitter about George leaving her at the altar and still very confused by it. The main reason for this confusion is because this was something that she did not plan and did not have anycontrol over. When the text says she was dreaming of a â€Å"bright field where everything was planted so carefully in orderly rows,† it shows that she likes to have order in her life, and that George messed up this order. The story uses many literary tools to help the readers realize that Granny Weatherall does not like uncertainty and that she is still uncertain of thingsto come. In the last paragraph, the story uses imagery to describe how Granny Weatherall really feels. â€Å"For the second time there was no sign. Again no bridegroom and the priestin the house. She could not remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them all away. Oh, no, there’s nothing more cruel than this—I’ll never forgive it. She stretched herself with a deep breath and blew out the light† (209). Here she is referring back to her first jilting of when there was no groom and only the priest was there. However, this time she is referring to her death, which she has no control over, and she is now coming to this realization. This imagery of being left at the altar for the second time, shows she is scared that she is being jilted again. However, this time by God, which she is more hurt by than any other thing that has everhappened to her. She now realizes that she has no control over her life, which really scares her. The Jilting of Granny Weatherall â€Å"Uncertainty of Control† In â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† her name, weatherall, or seen as weathered by it all, shows that she has been through everything, especially through times of doubt oruncertainty. Granny Weatherall is a very controlling woman;however, she comes to realize there are many things that she cannot control. She also believes that she has lived a very happy life, however, when she is starting to die, she realizes that there are many things that she wishes she could change. Granny Weatherall is very uncertain of many things throughoutthe story. One of the main things she is uncertain aboutis whether or not she is dying. She tells the doctor to â€Å"get along and doctor your sick†¦leave a well womanalone† (203). In her mind, she is not going to die because she has not planned or it. She says she still has a ton of things to get done so it cannot be her time to pass away. However, death is something that she cannot control, just like George leaving her at the altar. As she is trying to get some rest, the memory of George comes back to her, â€Å"what does a women do when she has put on the white veil and set out the white cake for a man and he doesn’t care?†¦ but a whirl of dark smoke rose and covered it, crept up and over into the bright field where everything was planted so carefully in orderly rows. That was hell, she knew hell when she saw it. For sixty years she had prayed against remembering him and against losing her soul in the deep pit of hell† (206). This shows that she is still very bitter about George leaving her at the altar and still very confused by it. The main reason for this confusion is because this was something that she did not plan and did not have anycontrol over. When the text says she was dreaming of a â€Å"bright field where everything was planted so carefully in orderly rows,† it shows that she likes to have order in her life, and that George messed up this order. The story uses many literary tools to help the readers realize that Granny Weatherall does not like uncertainty and that she is still uncertain of thingsto come. In the last paragraph, the story uses imagery to describe how Granny Weatherall really feels. â€Å"For the second time there was no sign. Again no bridegroom and the priestin the house. She could not remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them all away. Oh, no, there’s nothing more cruel than this—I’ll never forgive it. She stretched herself with a deep breath and blew out the light† (209). Here she is referring back to her first jilting of when there was no groom and only the priest was there. However, this time she is referring to her death, which she has no control over, and she is now coming to this realization. This imagery of being left at the altar for the second time, shows she is scared that she is being jilted again. However, this time by God, which she is more hurt by than any other thing that has everhappened to her. She now realizes that she has no control over her life, which really scares her.

Ethics, Corporate Governance and Social Responsible Investemtn Essay

Ethics, Corporate Governance and Social Responsible Investemtn - Essay Example A number of other major economies have however embraced the adoption of the enabling mode of governance and rejected the mandatory corporate governance. A number of differences exist between these two systems as outlined by Anand, (2005). Mandatory corporate governance is practiced in major states of the United States, a mandatory system provides guarantee that firms in this system will have to implement any reforms that market regulators put in place. This is contrary to the enabling governance where nothing guarantees a fair play and the enforcement of implementation of any changes. Enabling governance has the ability to ensure that there is compliance to regulatory mechanisms especially when it is implemented together with mandatory disclosure of organizations practices. Mandatory system is also slightly more costly to implement when compared to the enabling governance style (Anand, Milne, and purda, 2006). Mandatory corporate governance is majorly practiced in the United States w hile the United Kingdom practices the enabling kind of governance. Canada and Australia are other major countries that also practice the enabling kind of governance apart of the United Kingdom. The United States mandatory governance is however a blend of the two systems. In some states, companies are not compelled to adhere to the requirements but are required to make formal disclosure of the rules they have or have not adhered to. Firms that are cross listed in the United States are required according to the Sarbanes-Oxley act to submit their evidence of compliance to the mandatory governance regulation. The SOX regulation has a prohibition for ‘insider loans’ especially among companies listed under this act. Such companies must also ensure that they submit their balance sheets for each financial year (Anand, 2005). The mandatory corporate governance system of the United States also has a requirement for all companies listed under its stock exchange at the NYSE and NAS DAQ. They are required to include independent directors in the management board of the firms; the same policies are also practiced in Canada. Firms are required to submit their compliance statuses through proxy to the provincial commissions who are also mandated to ensure that there is strict formulation and administration of the guidelines (McCahery and Vermeulen, 2010). Under the enabling system as practiced in the UK, compliance with corporate guidelines is voluntary. Only companies that are listed in the London stock exchange are obligated by law to submit their compliance in their annual reports. The system as practiced in the United Kingdom has been adopted in Australia with a few modifications on the reporting mechanisms. The UK system also applies incentives that are meant to make firms disclose their compliance information; disclosure of information in the enabling system depends on the sensitivity of the information. In situations where firms feel that their competitors ma y benefit from exposure, such firms have the right to withhold their compliance (Anand, 2005). Enabling systems is also known as voluntary governance system, this is majorly because of the free atmosphere that it creates for its firms. Firms in this system can either chose to disclose their information or not to be based on their reasons; this is the system which is practiced in the

OUTLINE HOW AND WHAT TYPES OF RESEARCH METHODS ARE IMPORTANT TO Essay

OUTLINE HOW AND WHAT TYPES OF RESEARCH METHODS ARE IMPORTANT TO CRIMINOLOGY - Essay Example In criminology, most research methods are quantitative, that is methods that record social life variation in attributes or numbers. Qualitative methods focus on the interpretation of observation therefore subject to bias. Quantitative methods include observation, surveys and interviews. This paper aims to discuss research methods in criminological research, their merits and demerits. This is research conducted in a way that a subject’s behavior is monitored without any influence. This can be done by studying criminals in confined places and in the field. Field researchers usually get an in-depth view of the subject matter and reach an unusually comprehensive information. There are many disadvantages in regard to this method. First, most criminal activities will be inaccurately measured since some will go unnoticed or reported by other people. Secondly, observing criminals by pretending to be part of their world is highly dangerous and may not work in most situations. This method is highly involving and time consuming, demanding a lot of time from the researcher. The observer also faces dual dangers of over identification with the group under study often testing the limits of the researcher’s commitment to objectivity (Hagan, 2011). Participant observation method is ideal since a lot of detail is availed to the researcher and is less influenced by prejudgments. This method is highly flexible and less unnatural because it enables the researcher to observe subjects in their natural environment. However, the measurements made by a researcher can be inferred differently by another researcher (McBurney and White, 2011) Surveys can be used as a measurement of crime where people are asked about their attitudes, beliefs, values and characteristics and experiences with crime. This can be done by sampling, where a number of subjects who are

Farming societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Farming societies - Essay Example In simple farming societies economic activities are not separated from religious, political and social aspects (Walrath and Prins 51). The economic system of a farming society largely depends on production, distribution and consumption of goods. However, there many types of economic systems which include: traditional and modern, industrial and non-industrial, and small scale and large scale economies. In the small scale societies that are non-industrial, land and other valuable resources are usually controlled by groups of related people and individual ownership of land is rare to find. The division of labour is done according to gender and age of the members of the society. Simple farming societies also practice specialization of arts and crafts, although, production is carried out only for the quantity required at that moment. Most of the goods produced are consumed by those in the group that produces them. This is different from the economic organization of large scale industrial and post industrial societies (Walrath and Prins 59). ... The exchange of goods and services is also done as a ritual or for prestige purposes (Walrath and Prins 86). This is where distribution of goods is done by the governments or the religious elite who collect and allocate resources. Locations of exchange of goods and services are designated in certain areas. Here, people meet friends and strangers, find entertainment and trade goods. However, in industrial societies, exchange is indirect, impersonal and mediated through money or capital assets in form of shares and stocks. Moreover, in the digital age, trade can be conducted on the internet with personal contact. The major characteristic among farming societies is Cooperative work groups regardless the society’s industrial capability. For instance, in cases the work group involves the whole community a festive mood permeates the work. In most societies, cooperation basically starts at the household level. Through cooperation, farming societies are able to allocate duties of prod uction and distribution, as well as, allocation of goods and resources. There is great diversity in the types of specialized tasks that are performed. However, although specialization has increased in the farming societies, modern technologies have influenced them such that division of labor on the basis of gender has become less relevant. In modern farming societies, each member is knowledgeable on all aspects of work although specialization is still maintained (Walrath and Prins 43). According to Walrath and Prins, Simple farming societies are firmly rooted in the cultures of people in their communities (101). This culture is passed on from the older generation to the younger generation. By doing this, the younger members of the farming society,

Personalized Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personalized Marketing - Essay Example Recent research has confirmed that most firms have several tiers of customers in terms of profitability and that these tiers often have different service expectations and needs. According to Valarie Zeithaml, Roland Rust and Katharine Lemon (2001), it's critical that service firms understand the needs of customers with different profitability tiers and adjust their service levels accordingly. So more and more marketing led organizations are moving towards personalized/customized relationship marketing to know and filfill the actual needs of the customers. This new orientation has its roots in American (Berry, 1982) and Nordic (Gummensson, 1987) concepts. Supporters of this new form of marketing argue that in order to survive in the markets which has become more competitive and more turbulent, organizations must move away from managing transactions and instead focus on building long lasting customer relationships ( Webster,1992). Research by Kevin Gwinner, Dwayne D. Gremler and Mary Jo Bitner (1998) suggests that relationships create value for individual customers through such factors as inspiring greater confidence, offering social benefits and providing special treatment. Piyush Kumar (1999) emphasizes that relationships strengthen in a business to business are dependent largely on the quality of the interactions between individuals at each of the partnering firms. As r elationships strengthen over a period of time, he observes the service provider's personnel often assume the role of outsourced departments and make critical decisions on behalf of their clients. In the process of developing relationship with customers, personalization has been preceded by mass customization. Mass customization emphasized on satisfying a specific segment of the customers from a production perspective (Pine II et al., 1995) whereas personalization specifically depends on satisfying the needs of an individual. So reaching out to an individual customer, knowing the needs of the customer and then providing product or services required is all about personalizing the marketing. In the hyper competitive situation and advent to interest and database about individual customer has equipped companies to customize their product or services according to individual customer. Prior to advent of electronic/internet communication, personalization was available only to selected few for selected product or services at premium prices (Mattilla, 1999). Personalization of marketing has taken place due to emergence of internet technology and providing opportunities to the organization to have one to one relationship with the customer. Riecken (2000) states, personalization is about building meaningful one to one relationship; by understanding the needs of each individual and helping satisfy a goal that efficiently and knowledgeably addresses each individual need in the given context. Personalization of product or services increases the differentiation and helps in positioning of the product or services. Customizing the product or services to the needs of single customer has been facilitated by the modern information technologies. More and more information about customers and their needs of services and products is the basic requirement of personalization. Differe nt methods of data gathering about customers i.e. customers profile give an insight of new

Leading virtual teams in today's workforce Thesis

Leading virtual teams in today's workforce - Thesis Example Virtual team has advantages and disadvantages to both organization and employees who are a part of the virtual teams. There are many different views on how beneficial virtual teams really are. To an outsider looking in on an organizational that currently moved from a virtual team to a non-virtual team, you automatically would think they are just looking for ways to improve their bottom line. But there is more to virtual teams then just saving money. Virtual teams have advantages and disadvantages to both organizations and the employees working for these organizations. Efficient participation of a leader normally involves the employees’ corporation in decision making. That is where the virtual teams would come in handy. Leadership attention in its uniqueness and distinctiveness is always required in an organization. Leading virtual teams involves management of resources available in a traditional office setting. First this will improve the members’ participation as well as support for one another. Throughout our research we found there was many articles that identified ways on how to ensure virtual teams succeed. But one of the most common techniques that were mention in all articles was ‘communications’. Effective communication needs the listening, comprehension of ideas and expressing every member’s opinions by use of the appropriate technology. Effective communication is also necessitated by a careful diagnosis of the matters to be addressed in the team with the help of the leader. It was stressed that leaders and employee must choose the right type and the technology to deliver a clear message. Virtual teams serve to improve communication among team members. There are categories of leadership in virtual teams. They are, effective communication, building community on the basis of mutual trust, respect and affiliation, developing clear, shared goals as well as expectations, leadership by example and

Community Engagement Assignment Earth care Packaging Essay

Community Engagement Assignment Earth care Packaging - Essay Example If unchecked, the pollution might ultimately lead to a corruption of the water-supply and sewer systems around the town. The lake cleaning activity was a joint activity of the Michigan county council and the UNEP. The two organizers not only organized the event but also provided the materials to be used during the cleaning. In line with the course emphasis on ethics and social responsibility as relating to environmental issues, the cleaning was a wakeup call to the obvious harm that industrialization had on the environment. The theme of the exercise was one that called on safe industrialization practices, targeted mainly on the big multi-million dollars so engrossed with their business prospects that they pay little heed to the cry to spare the environmental. The address on the ethical decisions and procedures in the disposal of their waste materials should take more into account the impact it has on the general society. As such, the role of social of ensuring the environment is clean or healthy should not be delegated only to the town council or other green world movements but should be adopted as an obligation of every individual. This is the meaning of social responsibility. When applied to the industry, the right term will be corporate social responsibility. The amount of personal satisfaction that I derived from engaging in this activity was really fulfilling. I was able, to not only engage my time in a worthy cause but was also able to gain a wealth of knowledge about how simple acts such as littering the pathways might ultimately lead to such bigger environmental problems as global warming, more often than not resulting in untold misery not only to plants and animals, but also to the human beings. By participating in this activity, I learnt of the immense role and power of an individual in ensuring the preservation of the environment. I learnt that social responsibility starts with an

Leaders in my field of education Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leaders in my field of education - Coursework Example For example, he personally taught all students how to plant trees, importance of planting trees, and how to take care of them. Then he gave all students a task of planting one tree each. Ever since, many students have made it their habit to regularly plant trees. â€Å"[L]eaders need to understand the phenomenon of leadership and learn effective ways of dealing with the chaos that surrounds them – to move forward, to achieve, to make progress – within and outside of their organizations† (Watt, 2009, p. 51); our middle school principal surely fits this definition. Time when leadership can be expressed more powerfully is the time of transition or crisis because these are the times when leadership is mostly absence and thus produces devastating results for an organization (Vogelsang, 2008, p. 3). Our middle school principal remained at the forefront and held himself responsible when our school’s team lost in the match with other schools. Indeed, he took some measures to coach our team better and now our team is performing much

Starbucks Introduction of Kind Bars Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Introduction of Kind Bars Essay â€Å"A Small Player Breaks Into Starbucks,† Starbucks has recently started a campaign to provide more healthy products to its consumers. This is considered quite the change since coffee, Starbucks primary product, is not necessarily thought of as healthy. To help start of this campaign it has agreed to start selling KIND bars, which are â€Å"combinations of dried fruits and nuts bound together by honey (NY Times). KIND bars seem to fit in great with the direction Starbucks is going, but they did not always. It took Daniel Lubetzky, owner of KIND, over five years of promoting his product to Starbucks to even get his foot in the door. 2. ) SWOT Analysis-Starbucks Strengths Coffee industry market leader * Customer satisfaction and strong brand loyalty * Free Wi-Fi available for customers * Innovative operations and a strong financial position * Strong product diversification Weaknesses * Although a diversified company, still strong reliance on coffee products for profit * High operating costs Downsizing * High prices on products * Competition is rising in their growing market Opportunities * Coffee Beans to be sold in stores * Brand Extension * Expansion to South Asian Markets * Provide more cost-and health-conscious products Threats * Competition * Rising number of health-conscious customers * Corporate giant image * Resistance in foreign countries due to political and cultural issues * Variation in coffee price in developing countries 3. ) Identification, Evaluation and Analysis of Alternatives KIND bars are not the only thing Starbucks is going to be offering in its new campaign. They plan to revamp the menu, introducing a variety of lighter and healthier foods such as salads, smoothies and fruit muffins. So why did Starbucks choose to introduce the KIND bar when it could of chosen Clif bars or SOYJOY bars, both more established than KIND. Clif is currently the market leader in nutrition bars and SOYJOY is widely international with distribution from Singapore to Belgium. It could be due to Mr. Lubetzky’s determination, or maybe because of KIND’s marketing mix. 4. )Recommendations and Conclusions KIND would be very appealing to Starbucks consumers for numerous reasons and this makes it obvious to Starbucks that it will be a good investment. KIND donates five percent of its profit to the PeaceWorks Foundation, â€Å"which strives to bring peace to Middle Eastern countries by building commercial food ventures (NY Times). † This makes the consumer feel good about their purchase because they feel as if they are contributing to a good cause. Also, Yale did a pilot study indicating that two KIND bars a day can help consumers lose weight. This is attractive to buyers due to the fact that around two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. KIND also promotes there products to be, â€Å"a brand of delicious, natural, healthful foods made from wholesome ingredients you can see amp; pronounce ®(KINDsnacks). † In a world where it seems that everything you consume has preservatives and who knows what else in them, KIND stands out in the crowd. Finally, with the price of $1. 5 at Starbucks, the deal cannot be beat, especially compared to relative prices of coffee at Starbucks. With all these advantages there is no question that Starbucks made the right decision in choosing KIND. This collaboration with to help offset Starbucks threats such as the rising number of health-conscious consumers, which is the basis of its campaign. An additional threat that may be counterbalanced is its image as a corporate giant because of their acceptance of a small business. Source Links: http://www. nytimes. om/2009/07/01/business/smallbusiness/01snackbar. html? ref=marketing http://www. kindsnacks. com/kind-store/buy-kind-bars Periodical Exercise 1. ) Problem/Decision Statement According to an article in BusinessWeek in 2012, titled, â€Å"Taco Bell introduces Doritos taco shell†, on March 8th Taco Bell introduced Doritos Locos to over 5,600 stores nationwide. Doritos Locos are like regular crunchy tacos but, it has a shell made with nacho cheese Doritos. This is considered one of the biggest product launches in the history of the company. Taco Bell has already confirmed their budget of $75 million to promote their new launch (BusinessWeek). This is over three times more of a budget than for previous new products. Doritos Locos is just the latest of many things Taco Bell has been trying to do to improve their menu. But the question is whether or not this is the right time to be taking on such a big market introduction, with the recent bad publicity caused by lawsuits attacking the quality of their beef. 2. ) SWOT Analysis- Taco Bell Strengths * Huge popular brand name and high brand loyalty Adopted a healthy trans-fat free formula which is a key competitive advantage over other competitors who has not yet switched to the healthier recipes. * Has the acknowledgment as the best Mexican style fast food restaurant in the U. S. * Owns over 5600 restaurants across the nation and 250 outlets internationally * Strong parent company, Yum! Brands, owns Pizza Hut and KFC as well * Open very late Weaknesses * High fat and high calorie food not good for health conscious people * Lost goodwill when customers were hospitalized due to traces of E. oli bacteria * Bad publicity due to lawsuits against quality of beef * Also lost goodwill for human rights protest in ’05 and rodent problem in ‘07 Opportunities * New flavors and recipes should be introduced especially focused on more health conscious ingredients in their menus * Introduce home delivery * Venture into new markets such as India, like Pizza Hut and KFC, that has a growing consumption of fast food Threats * Research and the raised awareness among consumers about the harmful health impacts of fast food consumption. The trans-fats, sugars, oils and salts which are ingredients of the fast foods being offered, are thus consumed in low proportions by the aware and educated consumers * Highly labor intensive which increases the subjectivity involved in the delivery of services * Threats from competitors of Taco Bell such as McDonalds and Subway 3. ) Identification, Evaluation and Analysis of Alternatives Since the Frito Lay Corporation is obviously the market leader in any type of corn chip, tortilla chip or any chip for that matter, there are not really any big alternatives that would be better than Doritos. Even if Taco bell would have gone with Tostitos or Santitas, other tortilla chip brands, instead, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference because they are still owned by Frito Lay. An alternative that Taco Bell should have considered is the Baked Doritos in place of regular fried Doritos. For the reason that many empty calories and trans fat comes from â€Å"hidden† oil and Baked Doritos might help with Taco Bell trying to gain an edge on the competition through the health conscious route. 4. ) Recommendations and Conclusions Doritos Locos would be very appealing to Taco Bells consumers for numerous reasons and this makes it obvious to Taco Bell that it will be a good investment. Honestly I believe that Taco Bell’s decision to launch Doritos Locos is an incredible idea for many reasons but at the same time it does have some drawbacks. Doritos are one of America’s top favorite snacks and to combine that with Americas top Mexican style fast food restaurant just seems like the great idea never before had. Doritos come in many flavors and so should Doritos Locos, such as Cool Ranch, Smoky Chipotle BBQ and Fiery Habanero (Frito-Lay). This new rollout may also shift consumers focus from the negativity of the recent lawsuits and bad publicity to the positivity of this inevitably delicious and profitable collaboration. Then again, because of the large percentage of overweight and obese Americans and a strong desire to switch to health smart ingredients, Doritos Locos may just be perceived as another fattening product line put out by the gluttonous fast food industry.

“Dreamland” & Islan Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Dreamland† Islan Essay In the book, â€Å"Dreamland† (Baker, 2000), the author Kevin Baker tells about Coney Island and the lower eastside of New York City, where there are rough individuals, such as gangsters who roam the area. I liked the main character, Kid Twist is a European immigrant, and he comes to the rescue of an individual when a gangster, by the name of Gyp the Blood is prepared to kill a small boy delivering newspapers in New York City. The sad part of the story was that this gangster wanted to kill this child for fun. It was strange that the small boy wasn’t really a boy; he was a man. He was Trick the Dwarf; a small midget who only dresses up like a young boy and in behind a hotel, Trick the Dwarf hides Kid Twist and that is where he discovers another character, by the name of Esther Abramowitz who is a poor seamstress. Kid Twist falls in love with this woman This story, which was quite amusing, takes place during the turn-of-the-century and creatively introduces many fascinating characters that make this story so memorable. There are women who go on strike, which fits in nice with Esther Abramowitz, who is a labor agitator and Trick even tried to seduce Mad Carlotta, who was only three feet tall but he found her to be very attractive, when she said that she was the Empress of Mexico. Esther Abramowitz is rebelling against her Russian-Jewish ex-rabbi parent and she is set on the idea of being a union organizer. Esther Abramowitz seemed like a great leader and one that had a remarkable imagination. The author is very descriptive with words when he tells us about Freud’s trip to America and about the Triangle Factory Fire in this tale about immigration, and it was interesting to discover the hope that was available in America from many different types of personalities. The author is able to describe various traits in individuals from all sorts of backgrounds in their quest for â€Å"Dreamland† which is of course, The United States of America. Big Tim Sullivan was extremely aggressive. He was the Irish-American State Senator who was a corrupt Tammany Hall boss and he seemed very crooked when he used bribes and many other undesirable ways of gaining what he wanted in order to rule in his position, in New York City. Lazar Abramowitz is Esther’s brother and he tries to have his sister’s boyfriend, who is Kid Twist, murdered by a thug. In â€Å"Dreamland†, it seemed like a place to relax and fantasize, which is an amusement park in Coney Island and a place that symbolizes a better and happier place to be. Trick the Dwarf is in his favorite land, where he is free to be likened unto Romeo with his clever charm and personality, while he continually seeks out the love of a woman to cure his loneliness. â€Å"Dreamland† focused on many different ethnic cultures and events and talks about the Jews and the Irish in their pursuit of the all American dream, of finding wealth, success and happiness in a better land in an uncontrollable era that takes place around the year 1910. There’s a nice touch of comedy in this story that keeps it interesting, while it still is able to tell a story of tragedy. Kid Twist was quite the amusing character who is an enforcer for the gangster, Gyp the Blood and when Kid Twist leaves Gyp the Blood, his boss is wounded from a shovel that leaves him bleeding in a dark basement on the Lower East Side of New York City. Kid Twist had no other choice, I guess, but to flee the area and hide away in the city of Brooklyn, New York with his friend Trick the Dwarf. I found this story to be interesting but morbid, at times. The characters made me feel sorry for them because some of them just seemed terribly hopeless in their venture at finding the American dream. The author was successful in making me feel thankful for the American dream that I already possess and I did have to sympathize with some of the immigrants from Ireland and other countries in this story, who lived such a rough life, while trying to gain something more in life, including power, love and money, while using murder and corruption as some of their tools. The story emitted a carnival atmosphere throughout the reading, and it was impossible to determine what new kind of character possessing some kind of personality or appearance flaw, would appear. The bowery bars and opium dens were depressing and it gave me a bad outlook of New York City in that time frame. It made New York City seem like a terribly dangerous place to live. The story really did come together in the end, and although I was shocked and awed by some of the crazy events that took place in this book, it was never boring or unclear about the meaning behind the story. The author was able to entertain me with his vivid imagination and his insight on a group of diverse people, all coming together in New York City, all looking for something that they needed, like Esther Abramowitz, who fell in love with a gangster and she was able to get something important from a criminal which was someone to love her back. I feel that this story focused on many different categories, such as economic exploitation, corruption and racism in our society of a mingled mix that makes up the melting pot of our nation. I learned so much about history and Geography from this story as the author described different locations and events that took place in that era of time. I got a better impression of what gangsters were like, back then, as well. It was hard to believe that so much criminal activity took place in the year 1910. The author was very successful at describing the criminal underworld with the prostitution and gang activity that surrounded the area. This story did prove that people are capable of doing almost anything in able to survive and it was quite clear that most wanted to do live in America, the land of hope and dreams. Reference Page Baker, Kevin. (2000). â€Å"Dreamland†. Harper Perennial.

Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Research Proposal

Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN) Research Proposal SYNOPSIS Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is a serious public health problem and occurs in varying proportions or magnitudes, resulting from burden imposed on children by parents or adults. Most adults often impose their wishes on children without any recourse on their feelings. This flagrant (deliberate) imposition more often than not instilled so much fear in the minds of thechildren(such as fear of early marriage, child labour, allegation of witchcraft and so on). Statistics indicate that, there were an estimated 896,000 substantiated cases of CAN in the United States (US) in 2004. Cases involving approximately 4.5 million children were referred to Child Protective Services throughout the country each year for investigation into allegations of abuse and neglect. Of these reported cases 30 per cent concluded were abuse and neglect of children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). Studies conducted by World Health Organization and International Society for Prevention of Child Ab use and Neglect (2006) showed that CAN has been and continues to be a major public health problem in the United States, Africa including Nigeria. Similarly, a study in Bauchi State showed that 59.8 per cent of schoolgirls were neglected from being enrolled in school (Targeted States High Impact Project- TSHIP, 2012). From the foregoing statistics, there is evidence of CAN, but the prevalence or extent may not have been determined. Child is a valuable asset to a good parent that needs to be protected. The Child Right Act (CRA) in UNICEF-Nigeria (2011)defined a child as a person below the age of 18 years. In this study, a child is a person between the ages of 10-20 years. These children at this age may be vulnerable to CAN because they may not have known their rights, of which these rights are supposed to be protected by parents and caregivers, but, unfortunately, mostabuse and neglect of children is carried out by people the children know and trust, such as parents, foster parents or parents’ partners, schoolmates, teachers, caregivers and employers. Following from above, children who fall victims are mostly abused by people they know and these CAN is either overtly or covertly. Such cases may not even be reported. This worrisome and unprecedented trend is more profound in developing nations of Asia and Africa including sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, 2009). Abuse, is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that encompasses a broad range of behaviours, events, and circumstances, unlike random acts of violence or exploitation (National Academies of Sciences (NAS, 2009). NAS described child abuse as all intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk or harm (whether or not harm is intended) to a child by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trusted relationship to the child. Child abuse is of different forms, namely: physical, sexual and psychological (emotional and/or verbal aggression. Therefore, physical, emotional and sexual abuse will be examined in this study. Another core concept in this study is child neglect. Child neglect means failure of caregiver to provide for a child’s basic needs. Child neglect manifests in various forms, namely: physical, emotional, educational and medical neglects, which will be examine. Demographic factors may be implicated in the perpetration of CAN. Demographic is the attributes or characteristics that define vividly the children’s population in Bauchi State in relation to abuse and neglect which may be use to predict an occurrence of certain behaviour. In this study, predictors refer to potential attributes or characteristics that can be used to foretell the occurrence of child abuse and neglect by means of special knowledge or inference. Examples of predictors in any given population may include: Age, gender, religious affiliation, marital status, location, family income/economic status, educational attainment and occupation. The current study uses the term â€Å"predictors† to describe potential variables contributing to child abuse occurrence, but makes no assumption as to the causal role of these variables. The respondents of this study are the children(secondary school ), whom acts are perpetrated by the parents. The reason for using children is that, parents may be reluctant to admit abuse or neglect. More so, children at the secondary school age are at the receiving end; they experience it, feel the impact and above all suffer the consequences of CAN. However, parents may be part of those who will provide information on the quantitative data. Prevention refers to actions that make something impossible or very difficult to happen. In this study, prevention refers to the systematic, coordinate actions taken by health personnel, social workers and others to reduce, delay or eliminate child abuse and neglect in society especially in Bauchi state, Nigeria. There are majors for preventing child abuse and neglect. Masures may be a plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose .These may include: Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention measures, which will be examined in this study. This study will anchor on three theories; Developmental-ecological Model (DEM), Caregiver Stress Theory (CST) and Cumulative Risk Model (CRM). In Nigeria, Child Rights Act 2003 (CRA) incorporates all the rights and responsibilities of children; consolidate against physical, mental or emotional injury, abuse or neglect, maltreatment, torture among others. Regrettably, parents in Bauchi State sent children to hawk, farm for longer period of the day, girls are given out for early marriage, and children are treated with herbs when they fall sick instead of going to the health facilities for proper diagnosis and treatment. Parents regard these as means or acceptable ways of instilling discipline in children. Literature reveals that there is child abuse and neglect in Nigeria including Bauchi State. However, the prevalence or extent has not been ascertained. This is supposedly the situation in Nigeria and Bauchi state in particular. The question, therefore, arises and that is: what is the prevalence of child abuse in Bauchi state. This prompted the researcher to investigate the demographic predictors of CAN by parents and prevention measures in Bauchi State. The purpose of this study is to investigate demographic predictors of CAN and formulate preventive measures against its occurrence. Eleven objectives and eleven corresponding research questions and eight hypotheses where postulated to guide the study. The study will be of great benefit to Lawmakers, parents, public health educators, in-school and out- of-school children (youths) and the public in general. The result may likely reveal that girls suffer CAN than boys. This result will benefit social welfare workers, government and health educators. This will provide adequate knowledge and information to the government; social welfare workers and health workers on how to protect children against CAN in Bauchi State. The study will be conducted in Bauchi state, Nigeria. The study will cover demographic predictors of CAN and prevention measures against child abuse and neglect by parents in Bauchi State. The study is also delimited to forms of child abuse and neglect. These will be studied along side Predictors such as age, gender, religious affiliation, academic level, location, marital status parity and occupation and also be delimited to three theories Developmental-ecological Model (DEM), Caregiver Stress Theory (CST) and Cumulative Risk Model (CRM). The Literature will be reviewed under the following headings, Conceptual Framework;Theoretical Framework; Empirical Studies; and Summary of Review of Related Literature. The study will employ the descriptive survey design. Nworgu (2006); described this design as that permits the description of conditions as they exist in their natural setting. Adalio (2010) used descriptive survey design to conduct a study on demographic predictors of corporal punishment endorsement University of Florida. The descriptive survey research design, therefore, is most appropriate for this study. The successful applications of the design by the aforementioned investigator in her study suggested a possible success for use in this study. Bauchi state was created in 1976 out of the defunct North East state. Bauchi states have twenty Local Government Areas (LGA’s) and have six Emirates. The state spans two vegetation zones namely the Sudan Savannah and Sahel savannah. This made the state to be predominantly farmers. In addition, Bauchi state is endowed with a range of tourist attraction (Yankari game reserve and Sumu wildlife park) that captures and satiates the pleasure and sensibilities of visitors, therefore the â€Å"motto† : â€Å"Pearl of tourism† The population of the state is projected at 4.5million. Like all other ethnic groups in Nigeria, the state operates strong form of social organizations. These organizations (ethnic groups) have cultural similarities and share similar social occupational practice, festivals, naming ceremonies and a high degree of ethnic interaction especially in marriage. Culture and poverty play a key role in CAN in Bauchi state, because most parents give out their daughters in marriage as early as nine years, on the assumption that it prevents sexual promiscuity. The children more often than not, may not know their rights such as right to education, right to life, or even right to be protected. Even if they know their rights, they may not be able to stand for it for the fear of parental punishment. Besides, they still depend on their parents for the provision of their basic needs. This, therefore, makes them vulnerable to CAN in Bauchi State. The population for the study will consist of secondary school children students in Bauchi State which is estimated at 550,421(public and private). The sample size for this study will consists of one thousand five hundred and eleven (1511) secondary school students in Bauchi State Nigeria. This is in line with the suggestion of Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2011), that when a population size is five hundred (500,000.) and above at (95%) confidence level at (5% interval), the sample size should be six hundred and sixty three (663) and above will be the sample (see Appendix II). The multi-stage sampling procedure will be employed to draw up the sample size for the study (see appendix IV). The instrument for data collection will be the researcher structured questionnaire called Demographic Predictors of Child Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire (DePCANQ). The questionnaire will consist of 75 items consisting of four sections: A,B,C, and D, The validity of the instrument will be established by giving the draft instrument, the specific objectives and research questions to five experts, three from Department of Health and Physical Education and one each from Department of Sociology and Science Education (measurement and Evaluation Unit), all of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. They will be requested to determine the suitability of the items and also to determine whether the items are in line with the purpose, and check for appropriateness of the items in terms of language used, objectives, research questions and hypotheses of the study. The experts’ corrections, inputs, and suggestions will be used to produce the final instrument that will be used for the study. To establish the reliability of the instrument, split half method will be used. Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias (2006) explained split half as a method of assessing the reliability of an instrument by dividing the items into two equal parts and correlating the scores in one part with scores in the other. In this study, twenty (20) copies of questionnaire will be administered to twenty (20) respondents in Dengi, Kanam LGA Plateau state who will not be included in the study but who have the same characteristics with the study population. The reason for using split half is to estimate the internal consistency and to exclude some error arising from psychological disposition, fatigue, and health (Gall, Borg, 2007). The reliability of the instrument for section B will be established through the use of Cronbach Alpha technique, since the items of the instrument are polychotomously scored (Nwogu, 2006). The results of the reliability estimates will be shown in the appropriate Appendix. Cronbach Alpha K-R-20 according to Mohsen and Reg (2011) can be used to determine internal consistencies of the instrument. Reliability correlation coefficient of 0.70 and above will be accepted for the instrument. Ellen (2011) explained that if the correlation coefficient attains 0.70 and above, the instrument should be considered reliable for the study. But if the correlation coefficient obtained is not up to 0.70 and above, the instrument will be revalidated to make it reliable for the study. In order to gain access to the respondents, a letter of introduction will be obtained from the Head, Department of health and Physical Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and will be presented to the respective school principals who will introduce the research to the heads of department, and class teachers (see Appendix). The researcher will administer copies of the questionnaire to the respondents with the help of two assistants. The two assistants will be briefed on the modalities of completing the instrument (DPCANQ). The research and the two assistants will supervise the respondents to ensure that there will be no exchange of ideas during the process of completing the questionnaire. The completed copes of the questionnaire will be collected on the spot to ensure high return rate. Research question 1 and 2 will be answered using frequencies and percentages while research 3-11 will be answered using mean and standard deviation. The entire hypothesis (1-8) will be analyzed using ANOVA statistic at .05 level of significance

Adobe and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act :: Hackers Hacking Computers Technology Essays

Adobe and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1. The Background. In July of 2001 a Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov , an employee of ElcomSoft arrived at DefCon9 hacker conference which was held in Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas. DefCon conferences were designed for hackers from around the world to meet in Las Vegas and display their skills, while checking the innovations and techniques of other hackers (www.defcon.com). ElcomSoft is a privately owned software development company with headquarters in Moscow, Russia which specializes in Password Recovery software, Advanced Disk catalog, Advanced Registry Tracker and E-Book Processing software. (note: the e-book processing software is still advertised on the company's website: www.elcomsoft.com). Dmitry Sklyarov gave a speech, titled "eBooks security - theory and practice" about ElcomSoft's software which was designed to crack protections on Adobe Systems' eBooks. Here is what the software was doing: "Advanced eBook Inscriber, or simply AEBIN, is a program to convert Sealed eBooks in Microsoft Reader (.LIT) format to Inscribed ones. Sealed eBooks can be created with Microsoft Reader Content SDK (available for free) or various 3rd party tools; AEBIN allows to add any purchaser-specific information (such as purchaser's name or order number) to the Sealed eBook, so that information will be shown on the cover page of the book when it is opened in Microsoft Reader. This reinforces honest usage by consumers." 1. Adobe charged Sklyarov and ElcomSoft with violating a 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act. "The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) was the foundation of an effort by Congress to implement United States treaty obligations and to move the nation's copyright law into the digital age... Key among the topics included in the DMCA are provisions concerning the circumvention of copyright protection systems, fair use in a digital environment, and online service provider (OSP) liability (including details on safe harbors, damages, and "notice and takedown" practices). Resources on these and other topics are included below." 2. (note: while I was opening an Adobe PDF format document with DMCA, my computer froze twice, causing me to loose most of my essay). FBI agents arrested Sklyarov on July 17, 2001 after his presentation and charged with distributing a product designed to circumvent copyright protection measures (the AEBPR) (www.freesklyarov.org). He was booked in jail and then released on $50,000 bail, but was not allowed to go back to his family in Russia, or leave United States for that matter.

The Impact of Blood Sugar and Insulin on Dieting :: exploratoty essay research paper

The Impact of Blood Sugar and Insulin on Dieting People, who support weight loss plans, believe that isolating the different causes of obesity and overweight will guarantee weight loss in a short amount of time. By isolating the different causes of weight gain, the supporters of the weight loss plans believe that losing weight will be made simpler for people, who would want to lose weight without devoting too much time for exercise and dieting. The causes of weight gain are determined by a person’s consumption of food and production of hormones. The supporters of weight loss plans feel that limiting the production of certain hormones through the regulation of food consumption can significantly reduce weight lose in comparison to exercise and dieting. Insulin is a hormone that significantly contributes to weight gain (Hertzler & Kim, 2003). Insulin is a hormonal substance that is produced and dispersed within the body for regulation of blood sugar. The flow of blood sugar is regulated converting sugar into energy. The energy converted from the sugar by molecules is either needed immediately by the body or converted into fat cells for later use during times when the body needs more energy to function. A large build up of fat cells within the body can contribute to weight gain (Eades & Eades 1996). Since fat cells are created from insulin, proponents of the weight loss plans believe that controlling the concentration of insulin within the body can guarantee immediate weight loss. By controlling the level of insulin through the consumption of food, the level of insulin production can be controlled at a level that can help with weight loss. By eliminating the consumption of foods that have high levels of sugar can guarantee an immediate weight loss. People could achieve a desired body weight in a short amount of time. Even though people on the weight lose plans can achieve weight loss in a short amount of time. The quick loss of weight can be harmful for the body. The elimination of sugar from someone’s diet can have negative affects on their body. One of the negative affects of eliminating sugar from someone’s daily consumption of food is the potential risk of having a low blood sugar level.

Hamlet Essay :: essays research papers

Death can be harsh. Death can be punishing. Death can be for the most, sad. As most people see death, it brings tough and hard emotions to their minds. Most don’t understand that death should be celebrated. They believe that once they die they never see them again. This idea that death is the end, has haunted the human life for all of eternity. Death brings cold thoughts to a person, which makes them miserable. The passing away of a beloved person, can be extremely dangerous through the different ideas and attitudes that come with death. This is what came to be in the play Hamlet. The characters put their emotion into death and some of the different out puts toward death were surprising. Throughout Hamlet, the attitudes toward death are astonishing between the characters the Ghost, Claudius, and Hamlet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ghost had an obvious approach towards death. For instance, when he visited Hamlet telling him how he was murdered, he states, â€Å"Doomed...till the foul crimes done in my days are burnt and purged away.† (I:v:15-18) Suppressed by death, the Ghost felt abhorrence of the harsh evilness that he had to go through. He also showed his anger for the process of passing away, and death’s backstabbing ways. In addition, when he explained to Hamlet his murder, he exclaims, â€Å"...by a brother’s hand of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched...O horrible, O horrible, most horrible!†(I:v:81-87) Here, the ghost implied that he loved life, and tells how easily death, in general, can bring you down to an all time low emotional state. An analogy to prove this is that the ghost felt his life was complete, so in the analogy he is sitting around a room with all of his goods around him. Then a glass box falls on top of him and he cannot have hi s goods anymore, although he can see them all and want them so much. There is no doubt that the feelings of death of the ghost were quite low and hated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  King Claudius had an uncertain view on what he thought death of. For example, after the king sees the play, he admits that he killed Hamlet’s father for, â€Å"My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.† (III:iii:59) Claudius felt that death was his only way to power, and power, to him, was like being a god. He just saw death as a little spec in the way, thus meaning he believes deceasing isn’t that big of a deal.

Life of a Sensuous Woman Essay

Throughout the story the narrator describes several intimate moments she has shared with men in her past, which is seemingly braggadocios, but as it continues, it’s actually about a woman who desires to love herself. She begins by explaining how she is not from a low class family because her dad descended from middle ranking, stated on page 594, but by the age of 13 years old she had experienced many lovers. How ironic, because aristocrats are held in such high regards, and would never be caught being so promiscuous, but she somehow seems to blame the reason for her tenacious desire for lovemaking on the aristocratic woman and men she witnessed. Another proud moment for the narrator was when she spoke about being the only woman, in a village of 170 attractive women, that was thought to be pretty enough to be taken back to the domain lords attention. As stated on page 598,†When I got there, the old retainer thought I was even better than the woman in the painting, so the search was called off. She continues to emphasize her abilities regarding lovemaking with the monk on page 601, the man she wrote letters for on page 605, and finally the 500 disciples on page 610. Ultimately, the narrators decides to abandon her commitment to be of pure mind and heart to meditate and enter the way of the Buddha, as stated on page 611, because she is overpowered by her eminent desire to relive all o f the adventures she experienced though her lovemaking, the proudest moments of her existence.

One-pager

Washington was raised by a single mother and is the youngest of eight children. All of her older siblings and her mother were teen parents. Growing up, she learned what kind of person she wanted to be – pretty much nothing like her siblings. She was determined to break the stereotype of being a young Hispanic woman who came from a family where teenage pregnancy was the norm. Many of her siblings did not graduate high school and none of them had attended college.As a student who loved school, Gabby as In the top five percent of her graduating class. So when she decided to pretend she was pregnant for six months for her final senior research project, most of her slings were disappointed that she had â€Å"ruined her life. † Cabby's mother, her boyfriend Jorge, her sister Sonny, and her best friend Salad knew about her project, along with a couple of school administrators and experts who gave her advice on how to have a believable pregnancy.She writes, â€Å"My mall goal was to make my peers take teen pregnancy seriously – if it could happen to me, it could happen to them – and encourage them to make responsible decisions about their bodies and sexuality. † I agree with that statement because it could happen to anyone if they don't know how to take responsible decisions of themselves. â€Å"Every single one of you has the power to go to college and graduate, and I challenge each of you to take this as an example. You have to fight for what you want in life. You can't live your life under a stereotype. This quote basically explains the picture I drew in the front. I drew a girl that is a pregnant because Gabby Rodriguez faked a pregnant for her Enron project to teach others not to stereotype others Just by a mistake they have done, and just because that person made one mistake doesn't mean that person wont continue to fight for what they want in life and achieve their goals they have set lust cause of a mistake, which everyone do ne plenty of times, so don't judge or stereotype others if you haven't been in their shoes.My personal statement about this book is it was actually a really good book. It taught me not to Judge others in any circumstance and also to be bless of what I have in my life because others have it reader and might not have the things I have so I shouldn't take it for granted. Also it taught me to believe in myself and don't let anything in the way of what I'm trying to succeed In life. One-pager By denial 113 was in the top five percent of her graduating class.So when she decided to pretend siblings were disappointed that she had â€Å"ruined her life. † Gabby mother, her boyfriend Jorge, her sister Sonny, and her best friend Said knew about her project, to have a believable pregnancy. She writes, â€Å"My main goal was to make my peers take Greer with that statement because it could happen to anyone if they don't know how this as an example. You have to fight for what you want in l ife.You can't live your life done, and Just because that person made one mistake doesn't mean that person won't continue to fight for what they want in life and achieve their goals they have set just cause of a mistake, which everyone done plenty of times, so don't Judge or stereotype others if you haven't been in their shoes. My personal statement about harder and might not have the things I have so I shouldn't take it for granted. Also it succeed in life.

Racism and To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, racism proves to be a major theme. The touchy subject of racism has hung around the world for practically forever and has not ever fully ceased to exist in any society; it has only been toned down over time. Judging people on just the color of their skin, is a huge roll in this book just as it was in the 1900’s when segregation was flooding throughout the United States, as it is shown in the picture on the cover page. Racism mainly occurs towards the end of the book and surrounds the trial of Tom Robinson, a black male accused of raping a white female. However, in chapter 8, Harper Lee explores the theme of racism through the symbol of the snowman that Scout and Jem build. The snowman consists of mud to begin with and Scout comments on it by saying, â€Å"Jem I ain’t never heard of a nigger snowman† (Lee, 72). Scout may not have realized she was doing it, considering that in that time it was common to refer to people of color in this way, but she was using a toned down version of racism by using the offensive word ‘nigger’. Racism tends to occur because people like to stick to cliques, if you will, of others who are more like they are. For example, girls who have pale or slightly tan skin, dress quite similar, and have the same interests or hobbies in common tend to stick to hanging out with one another and form a bias towards people who are not like them. This is what creates the unacceptance of others into social groups. To Kill a Mockingbird is such a successful book because â€Å"Lee’s famous and only novel†¦ [shows] the way things have been, not only in real life, but also in the artistic treatment of the era† (Parker). This statement shows that Lee was just trying to prove the point of what society was like growing up and showing the dislike towards others in a person’s community just because they have a different ethnicity than that of themselves. People are affected everyday by racism and the harsh effects it has on them. It not only affects them mentally, but also emotionally and physically. Many people were beaten, and killed from harsh racism. The only reason racism has come around and still lingers is because people feel the need to make  themselves feel more superior than another human and to make themselves seem like they are of more importance than anyone of a different race than them. It is just like what Atticus tells Scout, â€Å"nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything – like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain – ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It’s slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.† (Lee, 107 – 109). He tells her this when he is giving her a lesson about how Racism works; as he is also teaching this to the audience. He informs us of the power of language and how it gives the person being affected, a feeling of shame. Although Atticus does point out that he, as everyone else should, is fighting for everyone, no matter what race they are, to have equality and feel loved by everyone in society. Racism has always been a malicious disease throughout the world. It exists, as said by one man, because â€Å"At the heart of racism is the religious assertion that God made a creative mistake when He brought some people into being† (Hertz). He is stating that many people believe that God made them perfectly and that people of any other race, are screw ups and don’t deserve to be considered equal. This is why it got so out of hand when America was just forming. The whites coming into America would buy, trade, and sell African-American slaves to work on plantations. Many of these slaves were malnourished, lived in poor conditions such as twenty or more people sleeping and living in a small shack, and were treated like animals. A good majority of these slaves died because of the harsh treatment they received all because the whites who â€Å"owned† them did not believe that they could be considered humans or deserved to have the same privileges and rights that they did in that time period. Thankfully, it has toned down from that, but there are still random outbursts of racism throughout the country and world. It will not go away until people learn that every single person on this planet is a human being and that being of a different ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation does not matter. To Kill a Mockingbird is an amazing book to see the full view of how racism affected those in one’s society as they were growing up. It also makes a  person realize how much of a big difference it can make in a human’s life being treated so poorly by others based solely off of the color of their skin. It brought the subject out in communities when people read the book and many finally realized what impact this had on everyone. Harper Lee’s message was spread and is still continuing to be spread today when students, teachers, and anyone else read the book. Although not everyone will take into consideration what it could do to a person when you make them feel guilty about being a different race, this book helps to remind them and engrains the message into their brain forever. Bibliography Hertz, Friedrich O. â€Å"Racism Quotes.† Thinkexist.com. Web. 5 Dec. 2012 Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1960. Print. Parker, Kathleen. â€Å"‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Exposed Racism.† Newsmax. Newsmax, 12 July 2010. Web. < http://www.newsmax.com/Parker/Parker-Mockingbird-Lee-Harper/2010/07/12/id/364362> 5 Dec. 2012.

What Makes Us Human

Anthropologists say that we are humans because of evolution. The portion of DNA that is responsible for the structure of proteins is 99. 4% common in humans and chimpanzees. Anthropologists say that we are humans because of evolution. The portion of DNA that is responsible for the structure of proteins is 99. 4% common in humans and chimpanzees. The dictionary says that human beings are individuals of the genus Homo, or more specifically, Homo sapiens. That only answers the anthropological aspect of what makes us human.Paul Bae also takes the anthropological stance on humankind saying that â€Å"Changes caused by evolution and time make us human. † When asked what separates humans from animals, he replied saying â€Å"human minds are more developed than animals, allowing humans to be at the top of the food chain. † Psychologists say a distinctive quality in humans is the cognitive process. The cognitive process is a demonstration of the central ability humans possess th at define us. More simply, it is our ability to think and make decisions. The brain plays the most crucial part in the cognitive process.The part of the brain that differentiates the human brain from brains of other species’ is the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex controls senses, thoughts, language and memory. The brain plays the most crucial part in the cognitive process. The part of the brain that differentiates the human brain from brains of other species’ is the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex controls senses, thoughts, language and memory. Aaron Marentette agrees with psychologists and says â€Å"The thing that makes us humans is our ability to make smart choices and just choices in general. When he was asked the question of what difference there is between humans and animals, he responded, saying â€Å"The difference is that we have undergone evolution and therefore, have become more civil. † Finally, sociologists say that the factor that makes humans human is culture. Culture is simply the ideas, abilities, and behaviours people have acquired to become members of society. Culture is always evolving in society and the world and it mainly unique to the human species. Above: Culture plays a huge part in shaping humans.Culture affects how we treat each other and interact. Above: Culture plays a huge part in shaping humans. Culture affects how we treat each other and interact. Below: Culture is specific to humans. Animals indicate SOME aspects of culture but it is ingrained by genetic programming. Humans can change their environment and pass the changes onto their children. Below: Culture is specific to humans. Animals indicate SOME aspects of culture but it is ingrained by genetic programming. Humans can change their environment and pass the changes onto their children.Max Nascimento believes that we are human because â€Å"humans have free will and have the ability to conquer anything we envision. † His thoughts on th e variation between humans and animals are that â€Å"animals walk on four legs, act on instinct, and don’t have a conscience. † All three answers to what makes us human are correct. Evolution made us human through changes in DNA. The cognitive process made us human through our ability to problem solve and think. And finally culture shaped us into the social beings we are. They are all factors that affect humans and differentiate us from any other living species on this planet.