The Status of Native Culture and Identity In Contemporary Society Depicted In Thomas King’s Borders free essay sample

Thomas King’s Borders, is a first person narrative designed to represent the continuing loss of identity experienced by the native population in contemporary North America. Borders tells the story of a native family living on a reservation located close to the Albertan-Montanan boarder in Western Canada. The protagonist of Borders is the unnamed mother of the family, who by refusing to properly state her nationality, is not allowed to cross the border with her young son. When asked to state her nationality by the border authorities, the mother answers â€Å"Blackfoot. † This confuses the border guards, who are expecting the general answer of â€Å"American† or â€Å"Canadian. † The mother refuses to generalize her ethnicity as distinctly American or Canadian, which results in the family’s inability to cross the border line. King draws on the use of satire in Borders to comically address the lack of identity attributed to natives in contemporary society. We will write a custom essay sample on The Status of Native Culture and Identity In Contemporary Society Depicted In Thomas King’s Borders or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This essay will critically examine King’s work to showcase the function of figurative cultural borders in modern day society, as well as the concerning issue of native identity in the text. The mother’s proud refusal to equate her racial background with citizenship, Laetita’s attitude toward her cultural identity as a Blackfoot in the text, and the treatment of the narrator and his mother by the border authorities: all illustrate the cultural and political position of King’s text. King showcases the loss of native’s unique cultural identity to the pressures of assimilation, while also providing a political commentary on the treatment of native peoples and native culture in contemporary North America. As the protagonist of the text, the mother’s racial pride and stubbornness comes to the forefront in terms of thematic elements harboured in King’s work. The mother’s conservative attitude creates a significant tension in the introduction of the text. The narrator’s older sister named Laetita is moving across the border to Utah’s capital, Salt Lake City. Laetita is enamoured with the prospects of moving away from her family, while her Mother is noticeably unimpressed with the idea of her daughter living so far away from home. â€Å"â€Å"This is really lousy coffee. † â€Å"You’re just angry because I want to see the world. † â€Å"It’s the water. From here down, they got lousy water†Ã¢â‚¬  (King, 355). This passage showcases the mother’s negative views of America by King’s use of the word â€Å"lousy. † â€Å"Lousy,† is used to describe the coffee the mother and Laetita purchased on the American side of the border. â€Å"From here down† refers to the mother’s opinion of American water being inferior to Canadian water. The mother’s negative attitude towards the American water is indicative of her connection to the simplistic nature of native culture. While Laetita is attracted to the luxuriousness lifestyle of a big city, the Mother clearly advocates a more basic, ruralized setting reflective of native culture. The mother is clearly content with having simple necessities in her life, such as fresh tasting water, opposed to the more glamorous lifestyle Laetita that attracts her daughter. Laetita eventually moves to Salt Lake City and sends her family mail asking them to come visit her. An attempted trip to visit Laetita is thwarted by the mother’s inability to declare her official citizen at the border. â€Å"â€Å"Citizenship? † â€Å"â€Å"Blackfoot,† my mother repeated. â€Å"Canadian? † â€Å"Blackfoot. † It would have been easier if my mother had just said â€Å"Canadian† and been done with it, but I could see she wasn’t going to do that† (King, 357). The confrontation between the Mother and the border guards indicates a duality assiocated with the text’s title â€Å"Borders. † For King, there are two distinct interpretations of the meaning of border in the story. One is the obvious physical border separating the territory between Canada and the U. S. ; while the other is a metaphorical border indicating a difference between an individual’s citizenship and racial identity. The mother will not conform to identifying herself as Canadian or American, because she is content and proud of her ethnical identity as Blackfoot. The mother dismisses the concept of the physical border between the two countries. This is reflective in the opening lines of the story, where the narrator refers to the border between the U. S. and Canada to be nothing more than a â€Å"line† (King, 355). The mother feels no inclination to justify her ethnicity to the government. She is proud of her identity as a Blackfoot, and she feels as if she should be able to cross the imaginary border line as a Blackfoot, not as Canadian or American. The mother represents traditional native culture, and the loss of native identity in contemporary society. Contrastingly, her daughter Laetita is representative of a significant decline in native culture throughout North America. Laetita’s attitude towards her Blackfoot heritage changes dramatically throughout the text. Laetita is not content with her life on the reserve; she decides to make a change in her surroundings and crosses the border into America. â€Å"It was kind of exciting†¦listening to Laetita read all about how Salt Lake City was one of the best places in the entire world. â€Å"That Salt Lake place sounds too good to be true,† my mother told her. â€Å"It has everything. † â€Å"We got everything right here. † â€Å"It’s boring here†Ã¢â‚¬  (King, 358). The conflict in this passage between Laetita and her mother is indicative of the declining influence of native culture on younger generations. Laetita represents this decline, her pursuit of a new life in America shows her willingness to conform, something her mother intensely denies. The decline of native self-identity in the text is also evident in the last moments between Laetita and her mother, before Laetita leaves for Salt Lake City. â€Å"â€Å"You can still see the mountain from here,† my mother told Laetita in Blackfoot. â€Å"Lots of mountains in Salt Lake,† Laetita told her in English† (King, 356). Laetita speaks English while her mother speaks Blackfoot. This contrast accurately portrays the decline of native identity in the text. Laetita is leaving her ancestral home, and therefore discards her native dialect in favour of English, the only major language of the United States. The themes of King’s Borders provide insight to the declining status of native self-identity, as well as the submersion of native culture in contemporary society. It is critical to recognize King’s position as a Cherokee native in relation to the themes of his narrative. The significance of Borders resides in King’s political commentary on the way in which Native Americans are identified and treated in today’s society. â€Å"â€Å"I know,† said the woman, â€Å"and I’d be proud of being Blackfoot if I were Blackfoot. But you have to be American or Canadian†Ã¢â‚¬  (King, 359). The Canadian border guard is portrayed by King as being more friendly and compassionate then the American guards. She shows compassion towards the mother for her stubbornness, and also clearly respects the mother for her racial pride. This showcases the contrast in how Native Americans are viewed in Canada as opposed to America. In comparison, the American guards ignorantly addressed the situation, failing to recognize the Mother’s cultural integrity. The mother is incorrectly addressed as â€Å"Blackfeet† (357). This portrays the American image of â€Å"natives† to be negative. Instead of recognizing the Mother as a proud member of the Blackfoot community, the guard generalizes and pluralizes her identity. Government bureaucracy still reigns supreme, as the Canadian guard cannot let the mother pass the boarder without properly stating her citizenship. â€Å"You have to be American or Canadian. † The mother is finally granted passage to America as a Blackfoot, but only after much controversy and hardship. While her delay at the border was unnecessary, her strong claim to her native identity allows her to travel on her own terms as a proud Blackfoot native. King’s narrative is important to Canadian literature because it showcases the declining status of native identity in North America. Native culture is an integral part of Canadian history, and as a educated reader of this narrative, it is crucial to recognize the negative aspects of native treatment in contemporary society. Works Cited

How to Write a University Essay

How to Write a University Essay A lot of university students have troubles in writing university essays. There are a lot of tips on how to write an excellent university essay assigned by professors and teachers. We can provide you with essential university essay writing tips. University and college essays are typical in many ways. They are assigned for the same reasons and in the same forms. However, there is a difference in the degree of complexity. The first four years in College or University when you are studying to get a bachelor degree, students have the same level of complexity. You will be taught to solve different problems and analyze many cases, but it won’t be more difficult than in the College. However, University offers several kinds of degrees in various spheres, such as master’s degrees and doctoral degrees, which requires an additional year of study. When you apply for this other year, the tasks become much more complicated than before. Not only tuitions are higher as well as responsibilities for your education, problems, and requirement for their solutions are higher either. The essay will need more time and efforts to just solving the problem. To be a successful student you will need to be a master of writing and analysis. To complete a successful university essay you should: Apply critical thinking process; Be good researcher; Be good writer; Know the material; Think creatively; Manage your time wisely; Return your essay on time. We have already helped many University students, and we are here to help you as well. Don’t hesitate. Let us become your remote assistant. Be prepared for your classes and receive good grades! With us, it is so simple! Our academic writers entirely know how to write university essay papers. For writing at university level essay, you need to be expert in the language of composition apart from being aware related subjective issues. Some of the areas you need to be aware of are: Details of topic and its academic requirements Prospective criticism on the essay from your teachers and evaluators Awareness of copyrights, proprietary issues, and plagiarism How to Write a University Essay How to write a good university essay is still a mystery for many. Writing an essay for university is more like an intellectual work than a physical labor that is why many are quite upset when given a task to write a university essay by their teachers. For writing at university level essay, you need to be expert in the language of essay apart from being aware related subjective issues. Some of the areas you need to be aware of are: Details of topic and its academic requirements Prospective criticism on the essay from your teachers and evaluators Awareness of copyrights, proprietary issues and plagiarism Good university essay writing skills, ability to explore related issues, an inquisitive mind and willingness to work hard are some additional requirements as well. To write a university essay you need to be more innovative, thoughtful and curious so that you could apply the concept properly without any technical problem. University essay needs an intensive bibliography and in text citation. So when you write a university essay you must have proper information about latest academic writing styles. Some of the writing styles followed by universities these days are APA Style, MLA Style, Turabian Style, Chicago Style, Harvard Style and ASA Style. If you don’t have any information about plagiarism issues, you cannot write a university essay. For any support or guidance on how to write a college, school or university essay; you can visit customwritings.com and find solutions to your essay needs.

Cyrano de Bergerac Quotes - Edmond Rostand

'Cyrano de Bergerac' Quotes - Edmond Rostand Cyrano de Bergerac  is the most famous play by Edmond Rostand. The work is about Cyrano, a marvelous character who is witty, passionate and full of vitality. He is known for his big nose, which becomes a problem when he falls in love with his beautiful cousin, Roxane. Here are a few quotes from   Cyrano de Bergerac: What if she turns out to be a prudeor an intellectual? I wouldnt dare speak to her, I dont have the brains. The way people speak and write nowadays makes my head hurt. Im just an honest, simple, terrified soldier.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1Hes famous for his longsword.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1Cyrano de Bergerac, that specter, that paragon,That terror of trifles from Norway to Aragon,Both genius and monster, unique, unexplainable,He has every quirk and every virtue obtainable.His clothes? As outlandish as his personalityThree huge plumes for his hatTo hell with frugality!Bizarrest of all the birds hatched out of Gascony-Is your cause a lost one? Youve only to ask and heWill rush to defend you with wit and audacity,With valor beyond mankinds normal capacity,This dreamer whose vigor, whose kindness, whose verityAre great as his noseGod forgive my temerity!But truly that nose is the glorious cross he bears,Like some raging sardonic demons emboss he wears .Ive heard strangers cry, Waitand well see it taken off!But that mans nasal destiny cannot be shaken off!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1 Swine! Did I not forbid you to appear?!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1My nose is Gargantuan! You little Pig-snout, you tiny Monkey-Nostrils, you virtually invisible Pekinese-Puss, dont you realize that a nose like mine is both scepter and orb, a monument to me superiority? A great nose is the banner of a great man, a generous heart, a towering spirit, an expansive soulsuch as I unmistakably am, and such as you dare not to dream of being, with your bilious weasels eyes and no nose to keep them apart! With your face as lacking in all distinctionas lacking, I say, in interest, as lacking in pride, in imagination, in honesty, in lyricismin a word, as lacking in nose as that other offensively bland expanse at the opposite end of your cringing spinewhich I now remove from my sight by stringent application of my boot!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1My wit is more polished than your mustache. The truth which I speak strikes more sparks from mens hearts than your spurs do from the cobblestones.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1 Thus I toss my poor hat aside,And shrug off my threadbare cape,The crowds eyes are open wideAnd many a mouth is agape,As I take my sword by the napeAnd draw out its form so fineFrom which there is no escape,For tonight, Valvertyou are mine!Too bad that you chose to derideThis vicious old Bergerac ape(My teeth are as hard as my hide),Yet when you are dead I will drapeYour corpse with the finest of crepe,So that all know your taste was divine,Though you should have avoided a scrapeWith the masterfor now, you are mine!I must find now a sharp rhyme for prideYoure panting, youre red as a grape!Is that ardor or terror inside?What began as a lark, as a jape,Now concludes with a rout, with a rape,With your virginal courage supine,As a puddle on honors landscape-Turn around, little girlyou are mine!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1Its a shame, sir, to alter a shapeAs refined, as expensive as thine,But, to spare you lifes endless red tape,I will edit youThere you are mine!- Edmond Ro stand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1 I know. I outnumber them, but I shall go gently with them at first.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1Does it seem strange: a hundred cutthroats against one poor poet? It is not strange. It is a minimal defense, mademoiselle(Drawing his sword; quietly.)when that poet is a friend of Cyrano de Bergerac.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 1Youre a genuinely good man. There arent many of you left.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2His face is like yours, burning with spirit and imagination. He is proud and noble and young and fearless and beautiful- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2(Hand on the hilt of his sword.) I shall mortalize the lot of you!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2I would die at the stake rather than change a semi-colon!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2Do they? Those large empty machines which twist and turn in every gust of fashion?- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2Beware: they can gather you easily in their lofty arms and hurl you down to the gutter!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2 It is addressed to the bravest, the brainiest, the blondest, the most beautiful woman on earth! How could she think it was meant for anyone but her?- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 2Youre not totally immune to me, are you? (Roxane smiles cryptically.) Why else would you concoct such a delicious revenge? It must be a gesture of love.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 3Yes, it is perfect. Your white gown swathed in the blue-black mantle of night. I am only a voice, and you are a point of light. I may have spoken Beautifully to you in the past- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 3Through the whirlwind which your eyes stir up inside me. But now, in this blessed darkness, I feel I am speaking to you for the first time.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 3And what is a kiss, specifically? A pledge properly sealed, a promise seasoned to taste, a vow stamped with the immediacy of a lip, a rosy circle drawn around the verb to love. A kiss is a message too intimate f or the ear, infinity captured in the bees brief visit to a flower, secular communication with an aftertaste of heaven, the pulse rising from the heart to utter its name on a lovers lip: Forever.- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 3 Gods whiskers! Your face is hideous as the demons in my storybook!- Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 3There. There is our soul. The same reed, the same fingers which have piped us into combat, call us softly home, in our thoughts. This is no longer the shrill call to attack, it is every shepherd who ever inhabited our land, whispering his sheep to fold. Listen. It is your hillside, your earth, your forestyour younger brother, suntanned under his red woolen cap. It is the green solitude of nights you spent beside the  Sordogne.  Listen  my countrymen. It is our country calling.- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 4You saved your life. At the expense of your honor.- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 4From the King of KingsLove- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 4Oh, dont take it so hard. I drove into this madness. Every woman needs a little madness in her life.- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 4Remarkable. Youre as casual about death as if it were the  theatre.- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 4 She said, If you were ugly, I would only love you more.- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 4How obvious it is nowthe gift you gave him. All those letters, they were you... All those beautiful powerful words, they were you!...  The voice from the shadows, that was you... You always loved me!- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 5Ragueneau: Oh, my colleague - we laughed - we laughed-! Cyrano: Well, my greatest victories were won under an assumed name.- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 5Cyrano: I know, you will leave me with nothingneither the laurel nor the rose. Take it all then! There is one possession I take with me from this place. Tonight when I stand before Godand bow low to him, so that my forehead brushes his footstool, the firmamentI will stand again and proudly show Him that one pure possessionwhich I have never ceased to cherish or to share with all- Edmond Rostand,  Cyrano de Bergerac, Act 5

Latin American Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Latin American Politics - Essay Example Trade unions developed under government control in Mexico or Brazil, were managed at the price of ntially increased labour costs which had led employers to adopt capital-intensive, production methods. (Ward, 2006). Specifically for Mexico, Argentina and Peru, the earning capability of the urban poor was held down by their limited talents and work skills, by the limited opportunities for higher paid formal sector work, and by competition from rural immigrants. The self-employed were subjected to political harassment. Small-scale businesses were hampered by their suppliers, and they had to deal with tight credit. Job opportunities in industry were limited, and there was growth of employment in the service sector. Economic development had increased the demand for more service workers. The concept of injustice in Latin America had dealt with the various types of unfair, discriminatory and injurious treatment suffered by the poor in the region. This concept involves a study of the different structures, practices and relationships that involve the subordination, domination, persecution and repression of human beings through the use of violence and intimidation. The Mexican revolution was spearheaded by Lazaro Cardena. Crdenas stated emphatically in a public address that the organization of workers and the organization of peasants were indispensable for the implementation of the laws of Mexico. He regarded organized labor as a superior force which can definitely provide the resistance that had opposed the economic upliftment of the Mexican people.However, Crdenas and his chief labor lieutenant, Lombardo Toledano, had different views on whether workers should unite to form producer co-operatives. The leadership of the central labor federation was open to a mixed form of industrial administration which gave a voice to the state and the consumers. Cardenas had also presented his position at Monterrey in which his speech contained his Fourteen Points. He had advocated the principle that an industry that could only survive on low wages, sweatshop conditions, and evasion of labor laws had no right to live. He had suggested the establishment of wo rker cooperatives. Peru was managed by a special military junta led by Division General Juan Velasco Alvarado, who was then the general commander of the army and chairman of the joint military command at the time of the coup. He was named president of the republic after the Revolutionary Junta gained full control of the government. The October 3 coup was planned by generals and colonels who desired to start a "revolution" that would end the historical predominance of foreign economic interests and the local oligarchy in the political and economic life of the nation. The new regime issued a manifesto in which it sought to reverse the unjust social and economic order which puts the national wealth within the reach of the privileged few, while the majority had suffered poverty. Many Peruvian entrepreneurs had complained that the nation's most profitable businesses were owned and monopolized by the foreigners. To address this problem, the military had implemented expropriations which were aimed to limit o r remove foreign participation in agriculture, services, banking, telecommunications, and the marketing of petroleum and minerals. Thus, Latin American countries had faced a myriad

Individual Course Assignment It is increasingly well-established in Essay

Individual Course Assignment It is increasingly well-established in the literature that mostbusiness reporting on sustainabi - Essay Example This is because if an organization fails to retain its sustainability then it may not prosper or enhance its dominancy in this competitive market among other rival players. Keeping this fact in mind, most of the organizations desire to retain its experienced and talented human resources. As they act as the prime resource of an organization (3M) thereby assisting it in the development of varied types of inventive eco-friendly products and services so as to satisfy the changing needs and requirements of the customers. By doing so, the brand image and profitability of the organization might get enhanced thereby amplifying the competitiveness and reliability in the market among others and such a strategy might also act positively thereby amplifying the chances of success and prosperity in the long run among other rivals. Thus, it might be clearly stated that sustainability is the prime criterion of an organization and it might get fulfilled by presenting environmental friendly products a nd services thereby satisfying the needs and requirements of the customers. This report is divided into five phases. ... It also specifies the importance of assurance and its standards along with conclusion and recommendations. What is sustainability? Sustainability is described as the socio-ecological procedure that helps in fulfilment of changing needs and desires of the customers. It is done by presenting eco-friendly products at a competitive price thereby retaining the eminence of the environment. It is done only to retain the quantity of the non-renewable resources of the environment so that it might be used for the future purposes as well. Along with this, development of eco-friendly products also helps in reducing the level of pollution thereby maintaining the uniqueness of the environment. Hence, it might be depicted that sustainability helps in enhancing the economic, environmental and social impacts by developing various inventive products or services to amplify customer base. Description of 3M 3M is one of the most renowned and branded American multinational conglomerate, established in the year 1902. 3M is regarded as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, headquartered in the regions of St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. After starting its operations in the continent of United States, very soon it expanded to the entire globe. So, it enhanced its total assets and revenues by $ 31.6 billion and $ 29.6 billion by the end of the year 2012. Along with this, the operating income also increased by $ 6.1 billion thereby amplifying its reputation and brand image in the market among other rival players. It is mainly due to the development of adhesives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, abrasives, electronic materials, medical products, car-care products, and wax and car shampoo. Other than this, it also presents products for the

Abraham Lincolns Second Inaugural Address Essay Example for Free

Abraham Lincolns Second Inaugural Address Essay The United States Civil War was initially clashed to bring the rebellious South back in to the Union according to Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. In his speech Lincoln says, â€Å"..to saving the Union without war,† he means here that at his first inaugural address, everyone was trying to desperately avoid a civil war, but still would do anything to help their cause. Lincoln then goes on to say, â€Å"..accept war rather than let it perish.† Here is talking about how the North changed in the sense that they would do anything to help their cause, even if it means war. Lincoln’s reason for why the war was originally started was the fact that the North knew war was the only option to preserve the Union See more: Satirical essay about drugs Although President Abraham Lincoln originally said the cause of the war was to defend the Union, he then states that the new purpose of the war was to free the slaves. He says, â€Å"These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.† Lincoln specifically states here that slaves have all always been one of the greatest controversies of his time, and they ended up being the true purpose of the Civil War. Freeing slaves had always been an issue in America, only now, bloodshed was being cast in order to defend or uphold it. Lincoln’s post war plans for the Union are evident in this line, â€Å"let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him†¦to achieve†¦everlasting peace.† Abraham Lincoln brilliantly writes here that even if he beats up or wounds the South, he wants them back, as a part of the country. Also, not only does he want the South back, but he wants them to come back right away. Lincoln’s main goal was keeping the Union together, and he made sure his post-war plans continued this idea.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Essay -- Inter

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers [ICANN] is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1998 to take over the operations of the Internet from the United States government. The main duty of ICANN is to manage and control the domain name system [DNS] which is the main basis for the Internet. ICANN is also responsible for the technical operations of the Internet, the creation of innovative ideas for the Internet and also provides stability for the operations of the Internet. The governance and control of the Internet by ICANN has been a controversial issue mainly because of the United States' influence on ICANN and the way it influences the decisions made by ICANN. An example of this is the decision made by ICANN on the .xxx domain name. This decision is believed to be highly influenced by the United States government. The question now is, â€Å"Should ICANN continue to govern and control the Internet?†. In this essay, I am going to go through what the popular pre ss articles which include newspaper articles and magazine articles say about this question. Also, I am going to talk about the point of view of scholarly articles which include university press journals and books about this question. Byron Holland, the President and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority who wrote a popular press article in the Globe and Mail newspaper, believes the Internet should be left the way it is at the moment. ICANN is doing a good job compared to what any other country or organization would be able to do if they were to take over the affairs of the Internet (Holland, par. 8). He believes that the Internet is better off free and accessible to allow innovations and creativity to take place (Holland, par. 11). T... ...sight - The Globe and Mail."  Home - The Globe and Mail. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. . "EU Admits ICANN Is Doing Fine, But Wants Change Anyway."  Os News is Exploring the Future of Computing. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. . " FCC Commissioner: Ending ICANN Could Lead to "an Engineering Morass"."  ReadWriteWeb - Web Apps, Web Technology Trends, Social Networking and Social Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. . "What ICANN is doing wrong - Stephane Van Gelder." Stephane Van Gelder . N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2012.

Cases of Greece and Sweden Working Conditions Essay

Cases of Greece and Sweden Working Conditions Introduction            The essay has three major parts. The first part analyses Greece working conditions and how government officials respond to the issue. This is accompanied by a moral assessment of the issue presented in this section. The second part discusses Sweden working conditions, a country which is said to have one of the best working conditions around the world. This part analyses the policies passed by the Swedish government and all ethical issues arising from such policies. The third part is a personal assessment of the two issues presented parts one and two. This section employs virtues of ethics framework to come up with ethical implications of the issues presented. Working Condition in Greece            Greece working standards are relatively lower compared to those of other European countries. Different studies that support this argument have been conducted. From the data provided by the Social Insurance Foundation and Labor Inspectors in Greece, 35.8 percent of the participants in a survey conducted in 2011specified that there were no health and safety provisions in the firm they worked. 48.7% stated that, to their knowledge, there was no physician assigned to them. In the construction sector, 53.5% had a health and safety provision document while 58.9% in the manufacturing sector had the same. 66.1% of the respondents in the public sector said they lacked such a document (Alexopoulos 2012, p.115).            In its efforts to raise labor standards in Greece, the Greece government initiated several reforms. The reforms aimed at improving working conditions in the country and protecting people’s welfare. Greece is of the countries which experienced the wrath of European crisis. The aftermath of the crisis required tremendous changes in the labor markets. However, these reforms led to limited protection of workers in the labor market. This aspect violated business ethics and essential social rights. Law number 3863/2010 introduced fundamental changes in the labor market. Some of the unfavorable reforms were; shortening the period given as a notice to the termination of white-collar workers, reducing white-collar workers reduced by a half, keeping operational costs must between 5% and 10%, which led to layoffs. However, the minimum wage rates for workers under the age of 25 years reduced to 84% of the set minimum wage. For underage workers, the minimum wage rate set at 70% of the set minimum wage.            Apart from the labor market reforms, the government instituted in 2010, service cuts in pension and other important reforms in the social security regulations. The regulations include; zero increase in the current pension over the next 3 years. For the uninsured persons over the age of 65, their basic pension criteria underwent reforms. The amount of the pension is set at â‚ ¬360. The national budget will finance the pension from the year 2018. Salary cut for employees between 25 years was set between 22% and 32%. The employer can impose this cut without the consent of the employee (Matsaganis 2012, p.450). Analysis of Ethical Implications of Greece Work Policies            Greece policy makers seem to employ utilitarian principle, which states that one determines what is right by contrasting the outcome of all related agents of alternative policy for a particular condition (Bentham 2000, p.70). This principle does not take into account all the people in the society. Undesirable policy can be passed which does not benefit the society at large. Greece labor laws and polices does not seem to benefit the entire society. On the contrary, they benefit a section of the community.            According to (Daluka 2001, p.20) it is right to exercise what is good for the largest population of people. The study reveals that the greatest number of people in the work environment had the health and safety document. Companies in Greece seem to value policies that yield the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. However, James Rachel, critic of the utilitarian rule, would have argued otherwise. In his criticisms, he points out that, everyone is equal and that everybody’s happiness is important. The group of people who lack the document in this case can claim that businesses in Greece did violate business ethics. This means that utilitarianism is not the best framework to formulate rules and regulations which affect the entire society. Labor markets affect the whole economy in several ways .This means that if there is a fault in formulation of labor laws, the economy will experience problems arising from shortage of labor, a crucial factor in the production process (Rachel 2007, p56). Greece labor reforms further show how the government violates ethics. A salary cut without the consent of employees is unethical, and violates ethics. However, according to utilitarianism, this might not be a big issue so long as it yields maximum benefits to the largest number of people. According to (Goodin 2007, p.245) utilitarianism as a principle should guide political leaders while making decisions that affect the society at large. He points out that leaders must take into account the impacts of the policies they pass on the entire society, other than focusing on a small group of people. Working Conditions in Sweden            Working conditions in Sweden are one of the best on the planet. This is the case because the government has introduced strict worker-safety and environmental regulations. Its manpower of 4.3 million is disciplined, instructed, and experienced in the most current technologies. About 87 percent of Swedish laborers have a place with a worker’s party, ostensibly the world’s most astounding rate. In addition, unions are active accomplices with organizations in actualizing more proficient projects. Swedish enactment accommodates work representation on the board of directors of large organizations and obliges administration to arrange with the unions prior to actualizing significant changes. Management-labor cooperation participation is customarily non-conferential, meaning labor strikes are rare in the country (Cox 1950, p.390). There is no fixed minimal wage, and all wages are determined through collective bargaining. Since 1991, the real wage increments h ave surpassed those of most EU nations. As the EMU civil argument picks up force, worker’s parties are calling for buffer funds, like those made in Finland, as a â€Å"cushion† for benefits funds and other laborer benefits throughout the shift period to the euro, in cases where there are huge currency fluctuations (Hammarstrà ¶m 2013, p.142).            Many business spectators, including those from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have suggested some crucial labor market changes, including wage differentiation (to reduce labor costs for unskilled jobs). These reforms are an incentive to raise individual competence, reduction of income taxes, making labor unions bears the costs of unemployment in the insurance system, as well as liberalization of labor protection legislation. These measures are believed to increase efficiency and competitiveness. Labor representatives in Sweden complain that such measures would burden workers.            On the major Sweden’s labor- related issue is high levels of unemployment. Within a very short time in the early 1990s, the unemployment rate rose from a level which was considered the lowest in the industrialized world to the normal EU levels, where it stayed until the business cycle improved in 1998-99. By 2000, the unemployment rates were less than 5%. However, the rate was 8.7 percent for those workers included in training programs. Sweden’s government has a plan to reduce the unemployment rate to 4 percent and to guarantee that 80 percent of the working-age populace has a full-time work by 2015 (Drobnic 2012, p.205). Assessment of the issue and its ethical Implications            A careful examination of Sweden’s labor laws and policies shows that the policy makers employ social justice. This is clearly depicted the way polices have been formulated. According to (Betham 2000, p.80) social justice theory asserts that people should exercise fairness in their when dealing with one another. Rawl’s theory of social justice postulates that the society consists of free and equal persons who must be treated equally in political and socio-economic affairs (Blocker 2000, p.30). Swedish government seems to take into account social justice principles before passing labor regulations.            First, the government has come up with strict anti-discrimination laws, contained in Swedish Antidiscrimination Act of 2009. One of the rules of social justice theory is protection against any form of discrimination. By passing the Act, Swedish legislature took into account the rights and freedoms of workers. Therefore, their rules and decisions are in line with the social justice framework. The Act aims at eliminating discrimination in all places of work. It applies to all employees, employers, and job applications irrespective of whether or not the discrimination is intentional. This means that people expect to be treated with dignity, regardless of their appearance or beliefs. If an employer in Sweden is found discriminating his/her workers, he or she is required to pay damages. Failure to this, he/she may end up in prison, and this acts as a lesson to all others who practice discrimination.            On the other hand, Swedish government has made it mandatory for all workers to belong to a labor union (Blau and Khan 1999, p130). This is aimed at protecting the welfare of all workers in Sweden. This is another dimension of social justice. If a member of the union faces a problem, the union is supposed to take care of him/her. All members of the unions are treated equally. This ensures that all of them have equal representation. Rawl’s theory disallows unequal representation in political and social matter.            Swedish Work Environment Authority is governed by the Work Environment Act, which requires employees, employers and equipment suppliers to share responsibility in maintaining safe working conditions. According to this Act, these parties should restrict workplace hazards and prevent accidents. This clearly shows that the policy makers take into consideration the importance of social cooperation. Social justice principles require each person in the society to benefit others, and to prevent harm. This way, social justice is said to prevail in the society. Individual Moral Assessment of the Issue            To better understand moral implications of the cases presented above, a careful analysis using a different ethical framework is necessary. This section discusses how the issues presented above relate to the ethics of virtue framework.            According to Martha Nussbaum arguments, a just society must be characterized by conditions that promote fundamental entitlements for all people. The entitlements include; bodily health, normal life, bodily integrity, senses and imaginations, as well as practical reason, just to mention a few. Failure to recognize these entitlements constitutes unethical behavior (Nussbaum 1993, p 89) . Greece law makers seem to deviate from this moral framework. Some of the policies do not take into account virtues of ethics. For example, cutting an employee’s wage without his/her consent is morally wrong. It hurts one’s feeling and violates virtues of ethics such as kindness, prudence, integrity, and more importantly respect. Passing laws that lower people’s welfare is not consistent with the virtue ethics framework.            On the other hand, Sweden takes into consideration virtues of ethics framework. The laws and polices discussed above clearly show how that policy makers in the country are very much concerned with people’s welfare. Being mindful of others welfare is a crucial virtue. It ensures respect in the society and promotes justice. Moreover, Swedish government promotes fairness in worker’s representation. Again, this is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to promote virtues which promote people’s moral excellence and their well-being. Conclusion            From the analysis presented in this paper, it is clear that governments across the world employ different ethical frameworks when formulating their policies. The distinction between Greece and Sweden working condition reveals that different countries value different policies. However, the paper points out several unethical practices in Greece. On the other hand, Sweden government seems to follow ethics when drafting their laws and regulations. In addition to this, the paper reveals that people and companies’ ethical understanding across the world tend to be influenced by government’s actions. This means that Swedish citizens tend to practice ethics more than Greece citizens. References            Alexopoulos, E. (2012), ‘Sickness absence in the private sector of Greece: Comparing shipyard industry and national insurance data, International journal of environmental research and public health , Journal of Social Affairs, Vol. 34, pp, 1171-1181. Betham, J.(2000), ‘Principles of Morals and Legislation,’Principles of Morals and Legislation. Newyork: Botache Books, pp.78-85. Blau, F., and Khan, L. (1999), ‘Institutions and laws in the labor market’ Handbook of labor economics, vol.3, pp.130-140.Blocker, G. and Elizabeth S. (2000), ‘John Rawls’ theory of social justice’, Sages Journals ,pp. 24-34. Cox, A.,(1950), ‘Regulation of Collective Bargaining by the National Labor Relations Board’ Harvard Law Review, pp.389-432. Daluka, F. (2001), ‘Global Ethics and Business: A Philosophical Approach’, Global Ethics and Business: A Philosophical Approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 17-20. DrobniÄ , S.(2012), ‘Good job, good life? Working conditions and quality of life in Europe’, Social indicators research, pp.205. Gordin, S. (2007), ‘Utilitarianism as a public philosophy,’ Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., Hammarstrà ¶m, A. (2013), ‘Higher education and psychological distress: A 27-year prospective cohort study in Sweden’, Scandinavian journal of public health. Pp.140-145.Matsaganis, M..(2012), ‘Social policy in hard times: The case of Greece’, Critical Social Policy, pp.406-421. Nussbaum, M. (1993), ‘The quality of life’, NewYork: Oxford University Press. Rachel, J.(2007), ‘Utilitarianism; for and against’, Havard Journal Of Business Affairs, pp. 56 Source document

Hedy Lamarr

Now I wish to talk about barriers that women amateurs face in working in science and technology. Lamarr is a great example of how an amateur can both overcome and be stopped by barriers. Just a little background info, Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian –American actress who was also known to be the most beautiful woman in Hollywood in her time. You might think what does she have to do with what have been said before this. Well, she was the brains who basically started it all, the spread-spectrum technology which enabled Wi-Fi and cellular networks to be available to us today!Lamarr knew about a real problem. It was during World War 2 when she thought, how can one safely control a torpedo with a radio signal? This was important, since torpedoes were not very accurate and the ability to remotely control them could be immensely valuable. The difficulty in using a radio signal to control a torpedo is essentially the problem of jamming. If you tried to control your torpedo by a signal, ev entually the enemy will find out the frequency you are using.Once this is known they could jam your control signal by putting out a strong noise signal on the given frequency. Lamarr had a solution. Her brilliant idea was to use frequency hopping—her invention. Lamarr also found a co-inventor, George Antheil, who was also an avant-garde composer, who laid out a system based on 88 frequencies, corresponding to the number of keys on a piano, using perforated paper rolls which would turn in sync with one another, transmitting and receiving ever-changing frequencies, preventing interception and jamming.They then submitted the frequency hopping device to the national inventors council where they went on to file a patent application. Unfortunately, she did not succeed to release this idea to help during the war. There were other priorities faced by the US military, along with the decreasing number of resources that were being used to make other equipments and atomic bombs. Also, sh e isnt your usual inventor. Who would believe a Hollywood actress could help invent something useful for the war? Furthermore, she was ahead of technology.Spread-spectrum requires a fairly powerful digital computational ability. The technology that was available in 1940? s was very crude, and it is likely that it was essentially impossible to make her ideas work. BUT twenty years after its conceptualization, during the Cuban missile crisis, the first instance of large-scale military deployment of Lamarr and Antheil's frequency hopping technology was implemented– not for the remote-controlled guidance of torpedoes, but to provide secure communications among the ships involved in the naval blockade.Lamarr’s brilliant idea is used today in wireless communication. Not exactly as she envisioned in her original patented work, but nevertheless in ways that are clearly traceable to her ideas. Lamarr eventually got the recognition she deserved but 3 years before her death. She and her co-inventor Antheil won the 1997 Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award. She also won the BULBIE that is called the â€Å"Oscar† of inventing. Hedy Lamarr had proved to being more than just a â€Å"pretty face†. My resources: http://rjlipton. wordpress. com/2010/07/25/hedy-lamarr-the-inventor/

How to Get Into an Ivy League School

How to Get Into an Ivy League School If you are hoping to attend one of the Ivy League schools, youre going to need more than good grades. Seven of the eight Ivies made my list of the most selective colleges in the country, and acceptance rates range from 6% for Harvard University to 15% for Cornell University. Applicants who are admitted have earned excellent grades in challenging classes, demonstrated meaningful involvement in extracurricular activities, revealed leadership skills, and crafted winning essays. A successful Ivy League application is not the result of a little effort at application time. It is the culmination of years of hard work. The tips and strategies below can help make sure your Ivy League application is as strong as possible. Develop the Foundation for Ivy League Success Early The Ivy League universities (and all universities for that matter) will consider your accomplishments in 9th through 12th grades only. The admissions folks will not be interested in that literary award you got in 7th grade or the fact that you were on the varsity track team in 8th grade. That said, successful Ivy League applicants build the foundation for an impressive high school record long before high school. On the academic front, if you can get into an accelerated math track while in middle school, this will set you up to complete calculus before you graduate from high school. Also, start a foreign language as early as possible in your school district, and stick with it. This will put you on track to take an Advanced Placement language class in high school, or to take a dual enrollment language class through a local college. Strength in a foreign language  and completing math through calculus  are both important features of the majority of winning Ivy League applications. You can get admitted without these accomplishments, but your chances will be diminished. When it comes to extracurricular activities in middle school, use them to find your passion so that you begin ninth grade with focus and determination. If you discover in middle school that drama, not soccer, is what you truly want to be doing in your after school hours, great. Youre now in a position to develop depth and demonstrate leadership on the drama front when youre in high school. This is hard to do if you discover your love of theater in your junior year.   This article on college preparation in middle school can help you understand the numerous ways in which a strong middle school strategy can help set you up for Ivy League success. Craft Your High School Curriculum Thoughtfully The most important piece of your Ivy League application is your high school transcript. In general,  youll need to take the most challenging classes available to you if you are going to convince the admissions folks that you are prepared to succeed in your college coursework. If you have a choice between AP Calculus or business statistics, take AP Calculus. If Calculus BC is an option for you, it will be more impressive than Calculus AB. If you are debating whether or not you should take a foreign language in your senior year, do so (this advice assumes that you feel you are capable of succeeding in these courses). You should also be realistic on the academic front. The Ivies dont, in fact, expect you to take seven AP courses in your junior year, and trying to do too much is likely to backfire by causing burn out and/or low grades. Focus on core academic areas- English, math, science, language- and make sure you excel in these areas. Courses such as AP Psychology, AP Statistics, or AP Music Theory are fine if your school offers them, but they dont carry the same weight as AP Literature and AB Biology.   Also keep in mind that the Ivies recognize that some students have more academic opportunities than others. Only a small fraction of high schools offer a challenging International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Only larger, well-funded high schools can offer a wide breadth of Advanced Placement courses. Not all high schools make it easy to take dual enrollment courses at a local college. If youre from a small rural school without many academic opportunities, the admissions officers at the Ivy League schools take your situation into consideration, and measures such as your SAT/ACT scores and letters of recommendation will be even more important for evaluating your college readiness. Earn High Grades Im frequently asked which is more important: high grades or challenging courses?  The reality for Ivy League admissions is that you need both. The Ivies will be looking for lots of A grades in the most challenging courses available to you. Also keep in mind that the applicant pool for all of the Ivy League schools is so strong that the admissions offices are often not interested in weighted GPAs. Weighted GPAs play an important and legitimate role in determining your class rank, but the reality is that when  admissions committees are comparing students from around the world, they will consider whether or not that A in AP World History is a true A or if it is B that was weighted up to an A. Realize that you dont need straight A grades to get into the Ivy League, but every B on your transcript is lessening your chance  of admission. Most successful Ivy League applicants have unweighted GPAs that are up in the 3.7 range or higher (3.9 or 4.0 is more common).   The pressure to earn straight A grades can sometimes cause applicants to make bad decisions when applying to highly competitive colleges. You should not  write a supplemental essay explaining why you got a B in one course in your sophomore year. There are, however, a few situations in which you should explain a bad grade. Also keep in mind that some students with less-than-stellar grades get admitted. This can be because they have an exceptional talent, come from a school or country with different grading standards, or have legitimate circumstances that made earning A grades extremely challenging. Focus on Depth and Achievement in Your Extracurricular Activities There are hundreds of endeavors that count as extracurricular activities, and the reality is that any of them can make your application shine if you have demonstrated true depth and passion in your chosen activity. This article on the best extracurricular activities shows how any given activity, when approached with enough commitment and energy, can become something truly impressive. In general, think of extracurriculars in terms of depth, not breadth. A student who acts a minor role in a play one year, plays JV tennis one spring, joins yearbook another year, and then joins Academic All-Stars senior year is going to look like a dabbler with no clear passion or area of expertise (these activities are all good things, but they dont make for a winning combination on an Ivy League application). On the flip side, consider a student who plays euphonium in County Band in 9th grade, Area All-State in 10th grade, All-State in 11th grade, and who also played in the school symphonic band, concert band, marching band, and pep band for all four years of high school. This is a student who clearly loves playing her instrument and will bring that interest and passion to the campus community.   Show That You Are a Good Community Member The admissions folks are looking for students to join their community, so they clearly want to enroll students who care about community. One way to demonstrate this is through community service. Realize, however, that there is no magic number here- an applicant with 1,000 hours of community service may not have an advantage over a student with 300 hours. Instead, make sure you are doing community service that is meaningful to you and that truly makes a difference in your community. You may even want to write one of your supplemental essays about one of your service projects. Earn High SAT or ACT Scores None of the Ivy League schools are test-optional, and SAT and ACT scores still carry a bit of weight in the admissions process. Because the Ivies draw from such a diverse pool of students from around the world, standardized tests truly are one of the few tools the schools can use to compare students. That said, the admissions folks do recognize that financially advantaged students have an advantage with the SAT and ACT, and that one thing these tests tend to predict is a familys income. To get a sense of what SAT and/or ACT scores youre going to need to get into an Ivy league school, check out these graphs of GPA, SAT and ACT data for students who were accepted, waitlisted, and rejected: Brown  | Columbia  | Cornell | Dartmouth | Harvard | Penn | Princeton | Yale The numbers are rather sobering: the great majority of admitted students are scoring in the top one or two percentiles on the SAT or ACT. At the same time, youll see that there are some outlying data points, and a few students do get in with less-than-ideal scores. Write a Winning Personal Statement Chances are youre applying to the Ivy League using the Common Application, so youll have five options for your personal statement. Check out these tips and samples for the Common Application essay options, and realize that your essay is important. An essay that is riddled with errors or focuses on a trivial or clichà © topic could land your application in the rejection pile. At the same time, realize that your essay doesnt need to focus on something extraordinary. You dont need to have solved global warming or saved a bus full of 1st-graders to have an effective focus for your essay. More important than what you write about is that you focus on something important to you, and that your essay is thoughtful and self-reflective.   Put Significant Effort Into Your Supplemental Essays All of the Ivy League schools require school-specific supplemental essays in addition to the main Common Application essay. Dont underestimate the importance of these essays. For one, these supplemental essays, much more than the common essay, demonstrate why you are interested in a specific Ivy League school. The admissions officers at Yale, for example, arent just looking for strong students. They are looking for strong students who are truly passionate about Yale and have specific reasons for wanting to attend Yale. If your supplemental essay responses are generic and could be used for multiple schools, you havent approached the challenge effectively. Do your research and be specific. The supplemental essays are one of the best tools for demonstrating your interest in a specific university.   Be sure to avoid these five supplemental essay mistakes. Ace Your Ivy League Interview Youre likely to interview with an alum of the Ivy League school to which you are applying. In truth, the interview isnt the most important part of your application, but it can make a difference. If you stumble to answer questions about your interests and your reasons for applying, this can certainly damage your application. Youll also want to make sure that you are polite and personable during your interview. In general, Ivy League interviews are friendly exchanges, and your interviewer wants to see you do well. A little preparation, however, can help. Be sure to think about these 12 common interview questions, and work to avoid these interview mistakes. Apply Early Action or Early Decision Harvard, Princeton, and Yale all have a single-choice early action program. Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Penn have early decision programs. All of these programs allow you to apply to just a single school through the early program. Early decision has additional restrictions in that if you are admitted, you are obligated to attend. You should not  apply early decision if you are not 100% sure that a specific Ivy League school is your top choice. With early action, its fine to apply early if theres a chance you will later change your mind. If youre on target for Ivy League admission (grades, SAT/ACT, interview, essays, extracurriculars), applying early is the best tool you have for improving your chances significantly. Take a look at this table of early and regular admit rates for the Ivy League schools.  You are four times more likely to get into Harvard by applying early than applying with the regular applicant pool. Yes- four times more likely.   Factors That You Cant Control Everything Ive written about above focuses on factors that you can control, especially if you start early. There are, however, a couple factors in the Ivy League admissions process that are outside of your control. If these factors work in your favor, great. If they dont, dont fret. The majority of accepted students do  not  have these advantages. First is legacy status. If you have a parent or sibling who attended the Ivy League school to which you are applying, this can work to your advantage. Colleges tend to like legacies for a couple reasons: they will be familiar with the school and are likely to accept an offer of admission (this helps with the universitys yield); also, family loyalty can be an important factor when it comes to alumni donations. You also cant control how you fit into the universitys efforts to enroll a diverse class of students. Other factors being equal, an applicant from Montana or Nepal is going to have an advantage over an applicant from New Jersey. Similarly, a strong student from an under-represented group will have an advantage over a student from a majority group. This may seem unfair, and its certainly an issue that has been debated in the courts, but most selective private universities operate under the idea that the undergraduate experience is enriched significantly when the students come from a wide range of geographical, ethnic, religious, and philosophical backgrounds. A Final Word Perhaps this point should have come first in this essay, but I always ask Ivy League applicants to ask themselves, Why the Ivy League? The answer is often far from satisfactory: family pressure, peer pressure, or just the prestige factor. Keep in mind that there is nothing magical about the eight Ivy League schools. Of the thousands of colleges in the world, the one that best matches your personality, academic interests, and professional aspirations is very likely  not  one of the eight Ivies.   Every year youll see the news headlines heralding that one student who got into all eight Ivies. The news channels love to celebrate these students, and the accomplishment is certainly impressive. At the same time, a student who would thrive in the bustling urban environment of Columbia would probably not enjoy the rural location of Cornell. The Ivies are remarkably different, and all eight are not going to be a great match for a single applicant. Also keep in mind that there are hundreds of colleges that deliver exceptional educations (in many cases better undergraduate educations) than the Ivies, and many of these schools will be much more accessible. They may also be more affordable since the Ivies do not offer any merit-based financial aid (although they do have excellent need-based aid).   In short, make sure you truly do have good reasons for wanting to attend an Ivy League school, and recognize that failure to get into one is not failure: you are likely to thrive at the college you do choose to attend.

A Late Encounter with the Enemy by Flannery OConnor

An analysis of this short story that delves into questions of truth and illusion and how people prefer to live by illusion when the truth is too prosaic. This paper examines this short story and delves into questions of history, the meaning of history, the meaning of time, the way human beings shape their lives from whatever material they can find or assume, the way society at large reacts to certain events and the void that often exists at the center of a family. The story revolves around a grandfather and his granddaughter who both need some glorious past to justify their existence. The paper describes the two characters as well as the other characters that appear in the book. The paper analyzes the themes found in the story. Flannery OConnor develops her story using a comic tone and building on a series of ironies around the distinction between reality and illusion in terms of the glories of the Old South and those in the present who need some glorious past to justify their existence.The story involves two major characters and several peripheral characters, but only the two major characters are developed in any significant degree.

Response to classmate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response to classmate - Essay Example 144). Rules and regulations should not just apply to particular individuals but everyone. I agree with you that individuals are not homogenous and are bound to behave contrary to the set moral obligations. I agree with your point of view because I believe that moral principles are binding to everyone in the society irrespective of status or religion. I agree with the utilitarian theory which states that humans are bound by the moral ethics to understand the consequences of their actions (Boss, 2015, pp. 282). The essence of duty is moral decision-making. It is important to note that some actions are morally essential regardless of the inherent consequences. Boss (2015) notes that performance of duty should be based on goodwill. I agree with this point of view because some people act based on a reward system or some form of punishment (Boss, 2015, pp. 288). Rights ethic is the defining standard through which humans derive protection of dignity and