American Creation by Joesph Ellis Free Essay Example, 1000 words

This uniqueness was what President Abraham Lincoln expressed when he called America, â€Å"the last, best, hope of earth†. The two-party System, which then was a novel idea, is the most shining legacy left behind by the founding fathers. A Constitution with virtues of ambiguous sovereignty, a nation without a state religion and the creation of the first geographically large republic are the other legacies. But the inability to abolish slavery and the failure to reach a just settlement with the native Indians are two tragedies, which still has repercussions in the body polity of the United States, according to Ellis. The author’s thesis emphasizes on every thing from the strange strategy that won the Revolutionary war to the great wisdom and genius that made possible a constitution and a large republic. Ellis goes through some historical situations very dramatically and raises some strange questions. How much did the element of luck play in the victory of American Revolution over Great Britain, in Valley Forge? George Washington was commanding an ill trained continental army in 1775. It was with this ill equipped army, of a group of amateurs as generals, that he fought the better equipped British Army for six grueling years and won the revolutionary war. We will write a custom essay sam ple on American Creation by Joesph Ellis or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Fall back slowly and then strike unexpectedly was Washington’s strategy which resembles the modern guerilla war strategy. The war at the Valley Forge was a real turning point during the winter of 1777-78. Outer Philadelphia was a great farming area. But the farmers refused to sell wheat and grains to their army, because they were paid poor. So they were selling food products to the British army who paid them in pounds sterling. About two thousand soldiers died of starvation and cold. But before the whole citizenry ended up siding with the British, lured by pounds sterling, Washington deployed his soldiers in an arc around the country side and took control of the country side. It worked and turned out to be decisive in the victory of the Revolution. Like Washington’s strategy, it was James Madison’s wisdom that made the United States of America possible, argues Ellis. After the war there were separatist arguments for each of the former colonies to go their ways. A big republic was impossible. All republics were small like Swiss cantons or Greek city states. A republic wouldn’t work on a large mass of land. It was James Madison’s wisdom and genius that countered these arguments convincingly in the constitutional convention, argues Ellis.

slaverybel Morrison’s Beloved as Chronicle of Slavery...

Morrison’s Beloved as Chronicle of Slavery?nbsp;nbsp; Stories written in our present time about slavery in the eighteen-hundreds are often accepted as good accounts of history. However, Toni Morrison’s Beloved cannot be used to provide a good chronicle in the history of slavery. While writing about black female slaves and how they were the most oppressed of the most oppressed, Toni Morrison, herself as a female black writer, has a very bias view, as seen by many others. Beloved is written in a completely nonlinear fashion that makes it very difficult to view as a good account of history; the jumping around that it goes through makes it very difficult to place oneself into the story. Due to this jumping around that the book proceeds†¦show more content†¦She writes about how the â€Å"villains† only talk in a perspective that will provide â€Å"self-serving records of their crimes†, and how the victims in the story remain, only to continue to tell their story by forgetting what actually happened (Wolff, 105). Neither the â€Å"bad guys† nor the â€Å"good guys† tell exactly what happened. Stories, or histories, are never correct or exact because they are always passed on. Everybody adds their own two-sense or changes it to fit their interpretation of what really happened. Wolff states that this is the only way of getting to the actual truth, that this communal effort will actually lead back to the real story. She goes on to say that the union of women, specifically Morrison and her reflection on the work of Harriet Beecher Stowe, is what is needed to tell the real account of what happened; â€Å"to liberate the slave woman from the bondage and isolation of her silence† (Wolff, 105-106). How could the story of a woman, let alone the story that is passed on through a community of women, remain unbiased? Obviously, it will be fueled by feminist views. Crouch states that feminism had an influence of writing â€Å"that was charged with corroborating the stereotypes of b estial black men† (Crouch, 39). Beloved is a book â€Å"designed to placate sentimental feminist ideology, and to make sure that the vision of black women as the most scorned and rebuked of the victims doesn’t weaken† (Crouch, 40). Therefore, there is no availability for Morrison’s book to

Understanding Oil and Gas

Question: Describe about following points..The route of your product through the oil and gas industry sectors. The impact, if any, by International Oil Companies (IOCs), National Oil Companies (NOCs) and Government agencies. The factors that may effect the demand and supply of these products. Answer: Introduction Oil and gas industry is known as one of the largest in the world in terms of revenue generation. This report presents a brief overview of oil and gas industry. It presents a discussion about the products derived from natural gas and crude oil such as ammonia and petrol. Additionally, the report focuses on the impact of international oil companies, national oil companies, and government agencies on oil and gas industry. Moreover, this report provides the factors that affect demand and supply of ammonia and patrol, which are selected in this report. Oil and gas industry: It is a well-known fact that oil and gas industry is the biggest sector of the world in term of monetary value. This industry is assumed as a global powerhouse in terms of job creation and in generating revenues (Hilyard, 2012). In this way, the oil and gas industry is a major contributor to the growth of OPEC nations like Dubai, Kuwait etc. Natural gas: Natural gas is a highly flammable product. It is a mixture of methane, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, helium and other higher alkenes. It is used to make fuel, paint, LPG, ammonia etc. Ammonia: Ammonia is an inorganic product that is derived from Natural gas. Ammonia was discovered for first time in 1774 by a chemist Joseph Priestley. It is produced by Haber process from nitrogen and hydrogen (Roney, 2011). Firstly, the natural gas is cleaned from sulfur and then mixed with heated water and supplied it to reactors, where itis passed to catalyst beds. This stage is known as gas vapor conversion. After this stage, a mixture of methane, hydrogen, carbon oxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are produced by the reactor. After then, this mixture is mixed with atmospheric oxygen, nitrogen, and vapor in appropriate proportion. Atthe end of this stage, carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide are detected from the mixture. After this, themixture of nitrogen and hydrogen is passed with high pressure of atmospheres to the high cooling area, and then it turns into liquid form. This form of ammonia is used to cleaning, deodorizing and bleaching activities. It also used for the pr oduction of fertilizer and chemicals (Liu, 2013). Crude Oil: Crude oil is a compound of hydrocarbons and other organic materials. It is processed to produce different products like Petrol, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, kerosene and many more products (Shah, 2011). Petrol: Petrol is a liquid product that is produced by the refining of crude oil. The crude oil is heated to 900 F temperature in a Coker and boiled at 104 F to produce petroleum. This boiling process is conducted at a temperature of 1112+ F. This process uses hydrogen to remove Sulfur products and converts it into naphtha molecule, which is the end product of petrol. At the end of this process, heavy residual oils are converted into end product as petrol by using of delayed coking unit. This end product (i.e. petrol) is used for internal combustion of the engine for cars, bikes, boats, trucks and more. Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream in oil and gas industry: Oil and Gas industry is very big. It can be divided into three key areas such as upstream, midstream and downstream. Upstream: Upstream is also known as EP (Exploration and Production) sector. Upstream tends to identify the underwater and underground fields of gas and crude oil. It also includes exploration of drilled wells and operating the wells to recover oil and gas on the surface. Midstream: It is an operational link between the upstream and downstream units. Examples of midstream unit are Kinder Morgan and Williams Companies, which provide resources to Midstream and Downstream units. Downstream: Downstream tends to filter of raw materials that are obtained from the upstream phase. In other words, it is a phase, in which natural gas is purified and crude oil is refined. It also includes the marketing and distribution of crude oil and natural gas products like petrol, diesel, lubricants, kerosene, heating oil, LPG as well as in other forms of petrochemical products. The impact of International Oil Companies (IOCs), National Oil Companies (NOCs) and Government agencies (GA): International oil companies significantly affect oil and gas industry as well as its products. For example, if these oil companies produce a low quantity of crude oil and natural gas than the prices will hike in the whole world. This way, all the products related to this industry will become expensive. It is because the international oil companies control over all supply of petroleum products of the world. In the same manner, the National Oil companies will also affect the prices of oil and petroleum products in countries, as they rely on IOCs. NOCs will need to increase the price with a hike in crude oil prices by IOCs. In this concern, Government agencies keep high-level control on domestic oil and gas sector. Government agencies frame regulations related to health and environment safety for regulating this sector. These agencies control the trade of oil and gas by enforcement of regulations and taxes. It also designs different rules and waste regulations for controlling this industry. Factors that may affect the demand and supply of the selected products: There are various factors such as; price, the cost of production, natural conditions, technology, transport, government policies, prices of related goods etc, which affect the demand and supply of a petroleum/gas and related products (Moon, 2013). Descriptions of these factors are as below: The price of Crude: If the price of crude oil increases, the price of Ammonia and Patrol will also increase. The increase in the price of these products will affect the demanded quantity of these commodities negatively. In other words, there is an inverse relation between the price and demand. At the same time, from the point of view of oil and gas companies, the increase in the price of oil and gas products will lead to increase in the supply of these products (Mendes, 2011). Because, when prices increases than the suppliers of these products try to earn more revenue. For this, they will increase the supply of these products. The cost of production: If the cost of production of these products increases, then the profitability decreases. In this way, the seller will increase the price of its products. Increase in price will lead to a decline in demand (Ruttan and Thirtle, 2014). Natural conditions: Natural condition also affects the demand and supply of the products. In the rainy season, the demand for fertilizer products increases. The demand of Ammonia will rise because it is used in the production of fertilizer products. Technology: Technology is an important determinant of demand and supply. Advanced and best technologies decrease the cost of production and enhance the quality of the product (Meijer et al, 2012). This will lead to an increase in demand for products. It is because the cheap and qualitative products are more demanded in the market. So, the improved technology will increase demand and supply of these products. Transport: It an important factor, as it directly affects the demand and supply of the product. If there is a good transport facility for transportation of these products, then the supply of the products will increase (Desjardins, 2014). Due to poor transportation condition, the supply of the product will decrease and the demand for the product will increase there. Factor prices of input products and their availability: If the inputs like equipment, raw material, labor, and machines are available in enough quantity at lower prices, then it will increase the production of goods (Zinnert, 2010). This increased quantity of these products will increase the supply of the product. For example, if these factors are available nearby the manufacturing plants of Ammonia and Patrol, then it will be helpful in reducing the cost of manufacturing. As a result, it will increase the production and supply of the product. Government policies: The different government policies like monetary policy; fiscal policy etc. also have a greater impact on the supply and demand. If the taxes and excise duties are increased than the cost of production also gets increased (Nechyba, 2010). In this case, the companies will decrease the supply of the product due to low-profit margin. On the other hand, if the price of the product is increased by the manufacturing firms to maintain its revenue, then the demand for that product will generally decrease. Prices of related goods: This factor refers to the price of substitute goods and complementary goods. If the price of these goods is increased, then suppliers will increase the supply of products to earn more revenue. But, if the customers are switched to lower priced product then, it will decrease the demand for these products, Conclusion From the above report, it is concluded that Oil and Gas industry is an important sector of the economy of every country. Upstream, downstream and midstream are the important areas to recover the oil and gas on the surface. It is also identified from the above discussion that there are different factors affecting demand and supply of oil and gas products like the price of crude oil, change in government policies, change in technology and quality of transport facility etc. Additionally, IOCs, NOCs, and Government agencies also affect Oil and Gas industry in a great manner by the formulation of different policies and tax rates. References Desjardins, R. (2014) Rewards to skill supply, skill demand and skill match-mismatch: Studies using the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills survey. UK: Lund University. Hilyard, J. (2012) The Oil Gas Industry: A Nontechnical Guide. USA: PennWell Books. Liu, H. (2013) Ammonia Synthesis Catalysts: Innovation and Practice. UK: World Scientific. Meijer, M., Haar, M., and Lousberg, J. (2012) The Demand Supply Governance Framework. USA: Van Haren. Mendes, P. (2011) Demand Driven Supply Chain: A Structured and Practical Roadmap to Increase Profitability. UK: Springer. Moon, M. (2013) Demand and Supply Integration: The Key to World-Class Demand Forecasting. USA: FT Press. Nechyba, T. (2010) Microeconomics: An Intuitive Approach with Calculus. USA: Cengage Learning. Roney, N. (2011) Toxicological Profile for Ammonia. USA: DIANE Publishing. Ruttan, V., and Thirtle, C. (2014) The Role of Demand and Supply in the Generation and Diffusion of Technical Change. UK: Routledge. Shah, S. (2011) Crude: The Story of Oil. USA: Seven Stories Press. Zinnert, S. (2010) Integrative Long-Term Supply Chain Demand Planning. UK: Logos Verlag GmbH.

Accounting Earnings and Cash Flows

Question: Discuss about the Accounting Earnings and Cash Flows. Answer: Introduction: Longreach Ltd has adopted the international accounting standard and the objective of the standard in relation to the impairment of assets is prescribing the procedures to ensure that the assets are carried at not more than recoverable amount. Since the assets are described as impaired under this standard, it is required by the entity to recognize the loss arising from impairment. There are several types of assets included in the entity in both the profit and non-profit organization. Such assets are segmented into various section and those employed for carrying out the current operation are deemed as the current assets (Bevis 2013). Fixed assets on the other hand serves the entity for longer period. An entity may comprised of several intellectual assets other than current and fixed assets such as trademark, copyright assets and many more. It also comprised of assets emerged from the acquisition or due to the growing popularity among consumers are also included along with the goodwill and brand. The organization can increase its revenue by directly employing such assets. There are also intangible assets, which are not physical and cannot be measured in units. In the books of account, such assets are maintained at the amount purchased (Briloff 2013). There is a significant decline in the real value of the assets with the time. The company at the real time value applies impairment and the decreased amount is adjusted in the impairment account. Decline in the value of asset leads to loss, which is viewed as loss due to impairment. There are certain common factors applicable to the numerous assets and several factors influences the asset value. Value of machinery, equipment and several tools is based on the manufacturing capability and usage. It is viewed that the upcoming g production capability of these assets might decrease due to their increased usage in the production (Dechow 2012). The older equipment and machineries decreases in the value and eventually it becomes obsolete because of the emergence of modern machineries and equipment. The value of land gradually increase due to various factors such as over population, new cities emergence and transformation of the locality. Due to the alterations in the choice of consumers and modern technology emergence, the trademark along with the patent right tends to fall in value. Goodwill is falsified in the event of acquiring any acquisition and it serves as an additional value (Gray et al. 2013). The goodwill imbibed in purchasing the assets falls significantly when there is the reduction in the value of the assets. There is need to the financial report as per the requirement of the stakeholders because the stakeholders have different interest over the organization. Government and the accounting standards signifies huge importance in the interest of shareholders. It is desired by the stakeholders that financial reports must represent the true and fair value of the asset and liabilities of the listed companies. Due to the emergence of the modern machineries at the lower price, the market value of the machineries has turned out to be half of the real value cost. There can be the case when the organization has acquired the machinery before five years. If the cost price of certain machinery is presented in the financial report, it would indicate that the asset are overvalued. This would not represents the true and fair value of the assets. Valuing the assets of the organization are considered an efficient investment option by the shareholders (Maas et al. 2016). Shareholders of the company may take faulty investment decision if the shareholders rely their investment decisions on the overvalued financial statements, if the organization does not represents the fair and true value of the assets. The accounting board for gaining the shareholders interest has introduced the impairment concept. Introduction of the government policies and the accounting standards outlines the instruction for the impairment of the assets along with the general financial statements. When the carrying amount of the assets exceed the recoverable amount, it is required to carry out the test of impairment at that time. In the books of accounts of the assets, the carrying amount is recorded. The purchasing cost of the assets represents such amount and it is depreciated in relation to the appropriate technique of depreciation (Huian 2013). The asset fair value can be selected as the amount recovered after all the anticipated expenses of the assets are reduced by the organization. Asset value can be regarded as another recoverable amount. The net cash flow of the entity anticipated to be collected from the assets is referred to as the value. The higher value among the two can be chosen in accordance with the IAS 36. If we consider IAS 36, the loss arising from the impairment is measured by reducing the recoverable amount of assets from their carrying amount (Aasb.gov.au 2017). Since the book value of the asset is reduced, the impairment loss attributed to the respective assets are debited. In addition to this, the maintenance of the accounting amount of the assets has decreased the value. Such impairment loss is adjusted in the income statement in the year-end along with the profit and loss account. The loss is representing as the non-operating loss in the income statement. The overall value of the shareholder is decrea sed if the impairment loss is credited in the revaluation surplus account. In case of the assets that are generally considered as the Cash Generating Units that encompasses the goodwill, which has resulted from the acquisition of the assets. The impairment loss is not adjusted accordingly in this case. The impairment loss can be calculated as per the aforementioned method if the overall value of the cash-generating unit requires being impaired. Moreover, the loss is adjusted with the Goodwill account. In the event of making adjustment with the goodwill, certain amount is left, and then the remaining amount is aligned with the CGU assets (Rappaport 2012). This is relied on the book value of the assets. Reference and Bibliography: Aasb.gov.au. (2017). Available at: https://www.aasb.gov.au/admin/file/content105/c9/AASB136_07-04_COMPapr07_07-07.pdf [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Bevis, H.W., 2013.Corporate Financial Accounting in a Competitive Economy (RLE Accounting). Routledge. Briloff, A.J., 2013.The truth about corporate accounting. Harpercollins. Dechow, P.M., 2012. Accounting earnings and cash flows as measures of firm performance: The role of accounting accruals.Journal of accounting and economics,18(1), pp.3-42. Gray, R., Owen, D. and Adams, C., 2013.Accounting accountability: changes and challenges in corporate social and environmental reporting. Prentice Hall. Huian, M., 2013. Stakeholders participation in the development of the new accounting rules regarding the impairment of financial assets.Business Management Dynamics,2(9), pp.23-35. Maas, K., Schaltegger, S. and Crutzen, N., 2016. Integrating corporate sustainability assessment, management accounting, control, and reporting.Journal of Cleaner Production. Paton, W.A. and Littleton, A.C., 2012.An introduction to corporate accounting standards(No. 3). American Accounting Association. Rappaport, A., 2012. Establishing objectives for published corporate accounting reports.The Accounting Review,39(4), pp.951-962. Rennekamp, K., Rupar, K.K. and Seybert, N., 2014. Impaired judgment: The effects of asset impairment reversibility and cognitive dissonance on future investment.The Accounting Review,90(2), pp.739-759.

Queen of the Damned Review Essay Example

Queen of the Damned Review Paper Essay on Queen of the Damned Probably every woman in his life uttered the phrase: All men the goats. And if your life has been going on for thousands of years. Well this is how can get it for a period of time representatives of strong half of humanity? The third book Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice speaks about the Akasha, the queen of the damned awakened, the mother of all vampires, that strictly speaking the same thing. Moving away from centuries of sleep, she obviously got the wrong foot. In the first place, she decided to change the faithful husband to Lestat. And the question of divorce decided quite radically killing ex-husband. As it turned out eternal love lasts 3-4 thousand years, and then companion falls in love with a rock star and leaving the narrowed, not bothering to explaining the reasons for his action. Second, kill all the vampires except for friends of her lover Lestat. Thats certainly better to keep out of the womans eyes when shes not in the mood. We will write a custom essay sample on Queen of the Damned Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Queen of the Damned Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Queen of the Damned Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Well, and, thirdly, comes to the conclusion that all the ills of the earth by men and therefore their number should be substantially reduced, leaving small part to perform the function of reproduction, so to speak. I do not know how the remaining group favorites, but the majority of those sentenced to death, I think, would not be in accordance with its decision. To make matters worse in the Akashic megalomania increased to such an extent that she imagines himself almost god. And now the surviving vampires do not know what to do with this treasure. I must say, they are not hard to please, sleeps poorly, woke up even worse. Taking care of the reader and do not forget to give the heroes of the previous books, the author collects all vampires, who in the previous two parts appeared at least briefly. However, a majority of them spelled out very blurry and taken them to a supporting role. A Lestat, which is undoubtedly one of the main characters practically unrecognizable. He lost against the background of the image of the Akash and looks very confused. Do not get tired of surprising the author, read the third book, but Lestat in each of them completely different. Do not departing from tradition, Rice constantly changing place and time of action, leaving the reader from one continent to the other, throwing through the whole Goals. Like the previous book in the series, it contains the story in history, tells us about the appearance of vampires. It was only thanks to this legend, I put the book 4 out of 5 because versions of the Damned was much more interesting main plot line. At least for the sake of this fascinating ancient Egyptian myth should read the book. Finally it must be said that those who liked the film Queen of the Damned can safely take up a book. The plot in the movie is so warped that it is, in my opinion, can not even be regarded as an adaptation of, rather it is a completely independent work.

Reasons to Keep the Electoral College

Reasons to Keep the Electoral College Under the Electoral College system, it is possible for a presidential candidate to lose the nationwide popular vote, yet be elected president of the United States by winning in only a handful of key states. Should you ever forget this fact, critics of the Electoral College will be sure to remind you of it every four years. What could the Founding Fathers- the framers of the Constitution- have been thinking in 1787? Did they not realize that the Electoral College system effectively took the power to select the American president out of the hands of the American people? Yes, they did. In fact, the Founders always intended that the states- not the people- select the president. Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution grants the power to elect the president and vice president to the states through the Electoral College system. Under the Constitution, the highest-ranking U.S. officials elected by the direct popular vote of the people are the governors of the states. Beware the Tyranny of the Majority To be brutally honest, the Founding Fathers gave the American public of their day little credit for political awareness when it came to selecting the president. Here are some of their telling statements from the Constitutional Convention of 1787. A popular election in this case is radically vicious. The ignorance of the people would put it in the power of some one set of men dispersed through the Union, and acting in concert, to delude them into any appointment. - Delegate Gerry, July 25, 1787The extent of the country renders it impossible, that the people can have the requisite capacity to judge of the respective pretensions of the candidates. - Delegate Mason, July 17, 1787The people are uninformed, and would be misled by a few designing men. - Delegate Gerry, July 19, 1787 The Founding Fathers had seen the dangers of placing ultimate power into a single set of human hands. Accordingly, they feared that placing the unlimited power to elect the president into the politically naive hands of the people could lead to a tyranny of the majority. In response, they created the Electoral College system as a process to insulate the selection of the president from the whims of the public. Giving the Small States an Equal Voice The Electoral College helps give rural states with lower populations an equal voice. If the popular vote alone decided elections, the presidential candidates would rarely visit those states or consider the needs of rural residents in their policy platforms. Due to the Electoral College process, candidates must get votes from multiple states- large and small- thus helping to ensure that the president will address the needs of the entire country. Preserving Federalism The Founding Fathers also felt the Electoral College system would enforce the concept of federalism- the division and sharing of powers between the state and national governments.Under the Constitution, the people are empowered to choose, through a direct popular election, the men and women who represent them in their state legislatures and in the United States Congress. The states, through the Electoral College, are empowered to choose the president and vice president. Are We a Democracy or Not? Critics of the Electoral College system argue that by taking the selection of the president out of the hands of the public at large, that Electoral College system flies in the face of democracy. America is, after all, a democracy, is it not? Lets see. Two of the most widely recognized forms of democracy are: Pure or Direct Democracy - All decisions are made directly by a majority vote of all eligible citizens. By their vote alone, citizens can enact laws and select or remove their leaders. The power of the people to control their government is unlimited.Representative Democracy - The citizens rule through representatives who they elect periodically in order to keep them accountable. The power of the people to control their government is thus limited by the actions of their elected representatives. The United States is a representative democracy operated under a republican form of government, as provided for in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, which states, The United States shall guarantee to every State in the Union a Republican form of Government... (This should not be confused with the Republican political party which is merely named after the form of government.) In 1787, the Founding Fathers, based on their direct knowledge of history showing that unlimited power tends to become a tyrannical power, created the United States as a republic- not a pure democracy. Direct democracy only works when all or at least most of the people participate in the process. The Founding Fathers knew that as the nation grew and the time required for debating and voting on every issue increased, the public’s desire to take part in the process would quickly decrease. As a result, the decisions and actions taken would not truly reflect the will of the majority, but small groups of people representing their own interests. The Founders were unanimous in their desire that no single entity, be it the people or an agent of the government, be given unlimited power. Achieving a separation of powers ultimately became their highest priority. As a part of their plan to separate powers and authority, the Founders created the Electoral College as the method by which the people could choose their highest government leader- the president- while avoiding at least some of the dangers of a direct election. But just because the Electoral College has worked just as the Founding Fathers intended for over 200 years does not mean that it should never be modified or even abandoned completely. What will it take for either to happen? What Would It Take to Change the Electoral College System? Any change to the way in which America chooses its president will require a constitutional amendment. For this to come about, the following will have to happen:First, the fear must become reality. That is, a presidential candidate must lose the nationwide popular vote, but be elected through the Electoral College vote. This has happened exactly four times in the nations history: In 1876, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, with 4,036,298 popular votes won 185 electoral votes. His main opponent, Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, won the popular vote with 4,300,590 votes but won only 184 electoral votes. Hayes was elected president.In 1888, Republican Benjamin Harrison, with 5,439,853 popular votes won 233 electoral votes. His main opponent, Democrat Grover Cleveland, won the popular vote with 5,540,309 votes but won only 168 electoral votes. Harrison was elected president.In 2000, Republican George W. Bush lost the popular vote to Democrat Al Gore by a margin of 50,996,582 to 50,456,062. But after the U.S. Supreme Court halted vote recounts in Florida, George W. Bush was awarded the states 25 electoral votes and won the presidency through a 271 to 266 vote margin in the Electoral College.In 2016, Republican Donald Trump lost the popular vote with 62,984,825. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton received a total of 65,853,516 popular votes. In the Electoral College, Trum p was granted 306 votes to Clintons 232. It is sometimes reported that Richard M. Nixon received more popular votes in the 1960 election than winner John F. Kennedy, but official results showed Kennedy with 34,227,096 popular votes to Nixons 34,107,646. Kennedy won 303 Electoral College votes to Nixons 219 votes. Next, a candidate that loses the popular vote but wins the electoral vote must turn out to be a particularly unsuccessful and unpopular president. Otherwise, the impetus to blame the nations woes on the Electoral College system will never materialize.Finally, the constitutional amendment must get a two-thirds vote from both houses of Congress and be ratified by three-fourths of the states. Even if all of the above were to happen, it remains highly unlikely that the Electoral College system would be changed or repealed. Under the above circumstances, it is probable that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats would hold a strong majority of seats in Congress. Requiring a two-thirds vote from both houses, a constitutional amendment must have strong bi-partisan support- support it will not get from a split Congress. (The president cannot veto a constitutional amendment.) To be ratified and become effective, a constitutional amendment must also be approved by the legislatures of 39 out of the 50 states. By design, the Electoral College system grants the states the power to elect the president of the United States. How likely is it that 39 states are going to vote to give up that power? Moreover, 12 states control 53 percent of the votes in the Electoral College, leaving only 38 states that might even consider ratification. Come on critics, can you really say that in 213 years of operation, the Electoral College system has produced bad results? Only twice have the electors stumbled and been unable to choose a president, thus throwing the decision into the House of Representatives. Who did the House decide on in those two cases? Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams.

Brain based learning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brain based learning - Assignment Example It has also been found that the learning process of a person is dependent on the brain’s capacity to handle a variety of activities in one go (Zadina, 2014). Additionally, research on the brain-based learning explains that the same type of information is likely to be stored in various parts of the brain (Jensen E. P., 2008). As such, the brain-based learning depends on the emotional state of the learner during the learning process, which can be facilitated by factors such as diet, stress and exercise among other conditions. For this, it is evident that the use of brain-based learning technique highly enhances the learning process of the students (Politano & Paquin, 2000, p. 123). In regard to the confidence, brain-based learning has been found to be efficient in reducing anxiety in learners who are struggling with activities such as reading, pronunciation or any other learning-related activities (Sprenger, 2010). As such, tutors can use this technique to seek the right opportunities that can be used to emphasize the ability of the learner towards the achievement of the brain that they would want. Brain-based learning may also employ various techniques such as the inclusion of music and activities, which have been shown (Connell, 2005) to minimize stress, a killer of confidence in

Mitigation and risk reduction (case) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mitigation and risk reduction (case) - Essay Example Despite the wide range of techniques initiated since the Lisbon earthquake, the increased population density in mega cities has impeded the efficacy of all those tactics. In addition to urbanization, there are several other impediments to preventive strategies. This paper tends to explore various elements that hamper disaster prevention programs in mega cities. Although earthquake is a natural phenomenon that cannot be averted, we can take some precautions in order to mitigate the destructive potential of its aftermath. The invention of Richter scale has enabled us for computing the magnitude of earthquakes. Today, it is possible to identify frequently earthquake occurring places and the intensity of every earthquake. Modern facilities such as earthquake alarming systems are some of the advancements in this area. However, lack of improved infrastructural deterrence techniques often affects the effectiveness of disaster prevention in mage cities. According to census reports published by Government of Maharashtra (2000) in 1991, 60% of the registered buildings in Mumbai were made up of non-engineered materials such as informal masonry. It is important to note that Mumbai is categorized under seismic zone 3, which indicates the high vulnerability to the occurrence of devastating earthquakes. The earthquake history of Mumbai reflects that large number of earthquakes occurred across different parts of the city during the last century and even in the last two years. Severe losses had not been reported until 1967 when one attacked Koyna region of Mumbai with a magnitude of 6.3. Large number of buildings was destroyed at this calamity. Damages of such sorts can be avoided to a large extent only if the city employs geotechnical guidelines for the disaster prevention. The Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI) reports that â€Å"poor governance structures, lack of awareness, and poor professional standards and ethics† are some of the major impediments for dis aster prevention in mega cities (cited in Wenzel, 2006). Poor governance implies that different communities and sectors of the society do not cooperate with one another in order to mitigate the impacts of the calamity. Impediments associated with poor governance are reflected in 2004 Indian ocean earthquake. Its magnitude was between 9.1 and 9.3 and it was recorded as one of the deadliest disasters of world history, which killed nearly 230,000 people (Online Colleges, 2010). The death rate would not have exceeded 200,000 if the various social capital of a community such as media, business, and other civil organizations had coordinately involved in rescue activities. Hence, it is advisable to design proper mechanisms for the effective communication between various social sectors as it would ensure disaster effects mitigation rather effortlessly. Similarly, paucity of awareness and poor knowledge about risk factor remain to be the major constraint to disaster prevention in mega cities . Evidently, urban people do not have proper awareness regarding the occurrence of earthquakes, and hence they do not know how to respond to such situations. This lack of awareness amplifies the intensity of the calamity since the people in mega cities get totally confused and distorted during such events. For instance, the impact of 2010 Chile earthquake can be attributed to lack of awareness or poor knowledge. This earthquake continued for three minutes with a magnitude

Risk Involved in Foreign Direct Investment Essay

Risk Involved in Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) is responsible in regulating the telecommunications sector. The political aspect is also explored as it is the political system that drafts the rules that outline how business operations are run. In conclusion, I argue that multinational companies need to strike a consensus with the Sri Lanka government in reference to regulatory conditions. As it will become clear in this paper, the role of multinational corporations in the development of economies cannot be underestimated. However, some risks for example those related to the political aspect of governance may prove to be a big obstacle to multinational corporations seeking to invest in Sri Lanka. It is on this basis that this paper comes up to consider the response options available to multinational corporations that operate in the country. Through the use of questionnaires, data relating to the operation of multinational corporations and the risks involved is collected. Through the use of statistical means the data is compiled and analysed. The study finds out that indeed there are political and regulation risks that define operations of multinational corporations in Sri Lanka. This regulation becomes a critical aspect as the rules and regulations are not applied across the board. Through the use of econometric analysis, it is found that political and regulation risks are statistically significant as they influence investing patterns. The small inflow of FDI indicates the response by MNCs towards such regulation. It is however proposed in this paper that the firms should respond by negotiating with governments rather than such withdrawals. It is concluded on the basis of the findings that there indeed exist a connection between political and regulation risks and operations of MNCs in Sri Lanka (Akram 2003).

Genetic Algorithm (GA) as Optimization Technique

Genetic Algorithm (GA) as Optimization Technique Preference learning (or preference elicitation) is a critical problem in many scientific fields, such as decision theory [1,2], economics [3,4], logistic [ref] and database [5]. When modeling user preference, researchers often model the preferences as a solution to an optimization problem which maximizes some utility function. In reality, however, we are not a-priori given a utility but have only access to a finite historical user choice data. Therefore, the passive preference learning problem, that is, how to learn user preferences using her historical choice data, has gained a lot of attention in recent years. When dealing with preference learning, it is often assumed that user preference over the values of each attribute is independent of the values of other attributes. However, this assumption is not a sound in many world scenarios. For example, as it is shown in Fig. 1 for cloth shopping problem, one might choose the color of her shoes depending on the color of dress she will buy, i.e. her preference over shoes color is conditioned by the available dresses. More formally, we say the preferences induced by the users behavior are intrinsically related to textit{conditional preferential independence}, a key notion in multi-attribute decision theory[20]. Conditional preference networks (CP-nets) have been proposed for such problems [4] and have received a great deal of attention due to the compact and natural representation of ordinal preferences in multi-attribute domains [8-12, 17-19,22]. Briefly, a CP-net, fig. 1, is a digraph, whose nodes correspond to alternative attributes and edges correspond to the dependency between nodes and each node is annotated with a conditional preference table which describe the preferences over that particular attribute (chapter 3). It is sometimes claimed that CP-nets are `easy to elicit [16]. That is, we first explain CP-nets to the user, and then ask her to write down the CP-net that best describes her decision-making process [18,30]. However, it has been shown that when facing the choices, people often act differently from what they described previously as their preferences [39,40,97,103]. As an example, Kamishima and Akaho [53] point out that when customers were asked to rank ten sushi items and then later to assign rating scores to the same items, in 68% of the cases, the ordering implied by the ratings did not agree with the ranking elicited directly only minutes before. Based on these experiments, several CP-net learning algorithms have been developed depend on the users choice data. Some algorithms work on the historical choice data [23,64], a process known as passive learning. Others actively offer solutions in an attempt to learn the users preferences as they choose [23,29,47,58].   The work of this paper falls into the category of passive learning, in which the learner uses the recorded users choices and then fits a CP-net model to the observed data. Formally, we collect the set of samples $S = {o_i succ o_i}$, where   $o_i succ o_i$ means that the user strictly prefers outcome $o_i$ over outcome $o_i$ and then find a model $N$ that can best describe $S$. Such set of samples may be gathered, for instance, by observing online users choices. Table1 shows the number of binary CP-nets up to 7 nodes, i.e. each outcome consists of 7 attributes [A250110]. From the values, it is evident that, even for a small number of attributes, finding the best CP-net is not a trivial task due to the huge size of the search space. textbf{inja np-completo begoo.} To the best of our knowledge, there is no existing approach that can perform well on problem with more than 7 attributes hence they are not practical when facing real world problems, in which the alternatives usually consist of tens or even hundreds of attributes. Another problem that rises when learning preferences from human subjects is the possibility of noise or comparison data that are ultimately inconsistent in the chose data-set $S$. While noise is results of the observation of the users behavior,   inconsistency is the result of randomicity of the users behaviors; that   is, the transitive closure of data-set may result in a cycle in which some outcome $o$ is seen to be preferred to itself. The objective of most CP-net learning techniques is to learn (i.e. rebuild) a CP-net that can describe the whole data-set[ref]. However, since the $S$ is not usually clean,   there is no possibility of finding such a CP-net, that is consistent with every example in $S$. This fact motivated us to frame the CP-net learning problem as an optimization problem that is, to identify a model that maximizes some objective function, $f$, with respect to choice data-set. In this work, we utilized the power of Genetic Algorithm (GA) as an optimization technique. GA is an optimization algorithm inspired from the mechanism of natural selection and natural genetics, which can work without any a-priori knowledge about the problem domain and have received a growing interest in solving the complex combinatorial optimization problems especially for their scalability as compared with the deterministic algorithms [1]. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of implementing the GA to solve the passive CP-net learning problem.

Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essays -- Heart Da

Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Every story has a plot, but not every story has a deeper meaning. When viewed superficially, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a tragic tale of the white man's journey into the African jungle. When we peel away the layers, however, a different journey is revealed - we venture into the soul of man, complete with the warts as well as the wonderful. Conrad uses this theme of light and darkness to contrast the civilized European world with the savage African world in Heart of Darkness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses light and dark to symbolize good and evil, respectively. "It is whiteness that is truly sinister and evil, for it symbolizes the immoral scramble for loot by the unscrupulous and unfeeling Belgian traders in ivory and human flesh; the whiteness of ivory is also contrasted with the blackness of the natives whose lives must be destroyed for its sake" (Gillon 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two central themes occur in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The first is the struggle between the white people and the native tribes, which plays in... ...ok and also provides its title. In Heart of Darkness, there is a real contrast between what is light and what is dark. These contrasts work within a reality of civilized and savage. It appears that light represents the civilized, and dark represents the uncivilized, but truly, white is evil, and the dark is innocent and virtuous. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Middlesex, England: Penguin Publishers, 1983. Gillon, Adam. (1982). Joseph Conrad. Twayne's English Author Series: Number 333. Kinley E. Roby, ed. Boston: Twayne.  

Alliance Nissan & Renault Essay

Founded in 1999, the Renault-Nissan Alliance has become the longest-lasting cross-cultural combination among major carmakers. This unique partnership is a pragmatic, flexible business tool that can expand to accommodate new projects and partners worldwide. In the past half-decade, the Alliance has emerged as a buffer to protect partners during regional downturns, and it has accelerated Renault and Nissan’s momentum in some of the world’s fastest growing economies. Renault holds a 43.4% stake in Nissan. Nissan holds a 15% stake in Renault. The cross-shareholding model ensures that both partners have a mutual selfinterest and encourages each to pursue â€Å"win-win† strategies that benefit both. Formed on March 28, 2002, Renault-Nissan BV is a company incorporated under Dutch law and equally owned by Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., responsible for the strategic management of the Alliance. The Alliance has helped Renault and Nissan outperform historic regional rivals, elevating both companies into an elite tier. Together, Renault and Nissan rank in the top three car groups globally.  Based on cross-shareholding and mutual self-interest, the Alliance business platform maximizes synergies without destroying brand identity. In order to achieve competitive economies of scale, many automakers are embarking on collaborations similar to the groundbreaking partnership that Renault and Nissan established 13 years ago.

Center850009088120 Essays - Family Law, Social Programs, Government

Center850009088120 Essays - Family Law, Social Programs, Government center850009088120 1000000 Task 1 - Awards Review Job: Legal Services - Clerical and Admin Condition Award Response Wages There are numerous levels which indicate the weekly wage of a Legal clerical and administrative employee. The weekly wages for an entry level employee (level 1) are; Level 1 = $733.00 Allowances (entry level employee) Meal allowance Uniform allowance Vehicle allowance T ransport of employees-overtime Living away from home allowance Protective clothing Adjustment of expense related allowances District allowances Ordinary Hours of Work Day workers/continuous workers/non-continuous workers: 38 hrs per week (Mon-Fri), however cannot exceed 152 hrs in 28 days Overtime Applies to any work done outside of ordinary hours (38hrs) on any day or shift, or in excess of 38hrs per week. Overtime Rate: -time and a half (first 3hrs) -double time (time after) Summary of a dditional Overtime Rates : Payment for working Saturdays and Sundays - double time for Sat (after 12pm) and Sun (all day) Payment for public holiday work - double time and a half for min. of 3hrs Meal breaks Each day employees are given a meal break of not less than 30 minutes , however no more tha n 60 minutes. This meal break may be taken no later than 5hrs after commencing work and after resumption of work from a previous meal break. Annual leave Prior to commencing a period of annual leave, employees are paid a sum equal to the wages they would have received from the ordinary time the employee would have worked, had the employee not been on leave. The e mployer can allow an employee to take annual leave before the leave has accrued E mployer may require an employee to take annu al leave by giving at least 4 wks notice in the following circumstances: - as part of a close-down of its operations, or part of its operations, where the request is reasonable; or - where more than 8 wks leave is accrued Sick leave An employee (except casual employee) is entitled to paid sick leave when they are unable to work because of a personal illness or injury. This can also include stress and pregnancy related illnesses. Employees may be required to give notice or evidence to be eligible for paid sick leave Full-time employees receive 10 days each year for paid sick leave Maternity leave (Parental leave) Maternity/Parental leave can be taken by employees when an employee gives birth, an employee's partner gives birth, or an employee adopts a child (16yrs and under). Entitlements include; -maternity leave -paternity and partner leave -adoption leave -special maternity leave -a safe job and no safe job leave -a right to return to old job Employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid leave, they can also request an additional 12 months of leave if necessary Task 2 - Living Away from Home Budget (A) Overview of Excel Calculations: Figures Justification: Income Net Income: In order to calculate the net income, the gross income must first be calculated. Note: refer to Task 1 to see the weekly pay Gross income (fortnightly) = weekly pay x 2 = 733 x 2 = $1466 per fortnight 0302260 15382881824355 https://www.ato.gov.au/Calculators-and-tools/Tax-withheld-calculator/TWC-results.aspx Using the Tax Withheld Calculator' t he Net Income (Pay) per a fortnight was calculated to be $1286, when the Gross Income equals $1466. Expenses Note: some of the following expenses are divided by 3 as the costs are equally shared amongst the 3 people Rent: 324612015030450 https://www.realestate.com.au/neighbourhoods/coorparoo-4151-qld Using the average weekly cost from realestate.com for a 3-bedroom unit allowed the for tnightly rent to be calculated and divided amongst the three people. Calculation s : Fortnightly cost = Average weekly rent x 2 3 = 480 x 2 3 = 960 3 = $320 per fortnight 1 person Electricity: 998738518259 Using the average cost of an annual electricity bill in Australia from Bill Republic,' the for tnightly cost can be calculated and divided amongst the three people. Calculation s : Total Fortnigh t ly cost = yearly cost 26 = 1690 26 = $65 total per fortnight Fortnightly cost per person = total fortnightly cost 3 = 65 3 = $21.67 per fortnight (1 person) Water and Sewerage: -66261233004 urbanutilities.com.au/residential/accounts-and-billing/how-your-bill-is-calculated Using the total calculated from Urban Utilities'

America and the Cold War essays

America and the Cold War essays Americans have always wanted the "best" of things. Brand new cars, big houses, and flashy clothes have historically been an American way of life. Even in the face of extreme hardships, Americans being Americans, go to extreme measures to preserve their way of life. Of course, we Americans have our liberties, our freedom, and our democracy, but other Nations do as well, but our version of democracy has a certain allure to it. Rock and Roll, Hollywood, and muscle cars were not discovered by the French. That being said, with this "American" state of mind comes with a strong sense of paranoia that someone is going to take all these things away from you. In a post war America, paranoia was the new enemy. After suffering through the Great Depression, and winning the biggest war the world has ever seen, you would think we would have been caring free and relax. Not the case at all, Americans were first concerned about entering into another Depression with the return of millions of out of wor k soldiers. The economy boomed when our soldiers came back, and people had savings that they earned during the war and went shopping. So a quick summary of events in the United States, we enter a depression, come out of a depression and go to war, win the war, have the atomic bomb, and the economy is starting to boom. Life is good, but wait for a second, what about that communist? Thus begins a forty-five-year struggle of political ideals, Capitalism versus Communism, between two Nations, the United States versus the Soviet Union. This struggle is known as the Cold War. In 1945, the "Big Three" (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) met in the Yalta conference to discuss post war diplomacy and peace. One major issue between Roosevelt and Stalin was the state of Eastern Europe. To Stalin controlling Eastern Europe was important for Russia's national security. Roosevelt agreed that Poland and other Eastern European countries would fall under the Soviet "sphere...

'English Criminal law fails to deal with the drug supplier whose Essay

'English Criminal law fails to deal with the drug supplier whose client dies after voluntarily self-injecting or ingesting in a consistent and principled manner Discuss - Essay Example This is a question English criminal law seems to provide us with inconsistent answers. In some cases such as R v. Kennedy2this has been considered as unlawful act manslaughter, while in other cases, such as R v. Evans3this hasbeen considered as gross negligence manslaughter. It is however rare to have drug supplier charged with murder. According to Mitchel4, it is not possible to charge a drug supplier with murder because their actions do have the mensrea(guilty mind) needed to prove murder. The English criminal law are however clear on that the supply of drugs is unlawful act. The unlawfulness of supplying drugs is specified in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 specifies that it is an offence to be in possession of controlled drugs5; to have the controlled drugs with intention to supply it6; supplying unlawful drug7; and allowing your premise to be used for supplying drugs.8 Therefore, if someone dies from the drug supplier’s unlawful act of supplying drug, the drug supplier should be charged with unlawful act manslaughter. The criminal law on unlawful manslaughter or constructive manslaughter, requires sufficient prove of unintentionallinkbetween the supplier’s act and the death of the client for the supplier to be held liable9. Therefore, for the supplier to be held liable of manslaughter, it must be proved that the death of the drug user is attributed to the actions of the supplier10. The court needs to determine that were it not for the drug supplier’s act, the deceased could not have died (factual causation). Further to that, the court needs to prove that the act of the supplier was sufficiently significant in the death of the user(legal causation).English courts have failed to apply the principle of causation in a consistent and principled manner in most cases involving involuntary manslaughter11. It seems that, at

The Developing Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Developing Child - Essay Example An understanding of a child’s development is significant since it gives an insight into the cognitive, bodily, emotional, social, and educative development that a child undergoes. The major theories attempt to describe every aspect of development using models. The theory shares a school of thought that children are born with a hereditary aptitude to learn any human language. He further maintains that particular linguistic configurations, which children use so perfectly, are already embossed on the child’s intellect (Socha, 2010). Child A understands the use of different objects that he is familiar with. He even uses sound effects for his car during their play with Child B, mainly because he understood the particular configuration of a car including the sound it makes when in motion. It was evident that Child A went ahead to add two big pieces to his model and alerted Child B about his new model, the airplane. Clearly, Child A is so accurate in his design and uses previous experience to affirm his involvement. Secondly, Chomsky’s theory explains that there exists a language acquisition device or LAD in every child’s brain, which is responsible for encoding the major principles of a language, and its grammatical structures. Every child uses LAD to form simple sentences during a conversation (Saxton, 2014). In the context, it is evident that Child A can use simple sentences when speaking, and does use link words in his sentences. The ability to use simple sentences confirms that the child is already aware of the basic sentence construction, and therefore, uses it to instruct Child B to run away from the monsters. This confirms the child’s grammatical understanding. Thirdly, Chomsky informs that a child doesn’t probably learn a language through mimic only, because the language that people around them speak is extremely lopsided.

Music in the Baroque Era Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music in the Baroque Era - Research Paper Example Before getting into details about the factors that shaped the development of Baroque music, it is significant to know the basics of Baroque music. First of all, one must know that the Baroque music, as agreed upon by most researchers and critics, is used to refer to music that was composed during the time period of â€Å"1600 to 1750† (â€Å"). This cultural and artistic movement originated in the Western European region, mainly Rome, and then extended to other parts of the world such as baroque art in â€Å"Latin and South America† as well as architecture in â€Å"Ethiopia and America†. Basically, Baroque music can be defined as music that aims at evoking â€Å"emotional states† by the process of â€Å"appealing to the senses, often in dramatic ways†. Although Baroque music primarily refers to the music that was developed during the Baroque era, it is characterized by several other qualities in addition to the time period of its origin. These qual ities include â€Å"grandeur, sensuous richness,† drama expressed through movement and tension as well as â€Å"emotional exuberance† (1). Furthermore, this artistic style of movement often tended to â€Å"blur distinctions† between various artists, thereby uniting all kinds of musicians through the divine atmosphere generated by music. The origin as well as the development of this type of music finds its roots in the movements based on â€Å"Catholic Counter- Reformation,† thereby using its prime characteristics of â€Å"overt rhetoric and dynamic movement† in order to express the â€Å"self-confidence†.

Pharaonic Civilization Essay Example for Free

Pharaonic Civilization Essay Pharaonic Civilization Civilization of the ancient Egyptians is the civilization that Egypt lived under the pharaohs with 30 different families. The pharaohs began ruling Egypt in 3000 B. C. , they considered themselves to be living gods who ruled with absolute power (Pharaohs, 2010). The ancient Egyptian excelled in building. They built pyramids as testimony of their greatness. Also, they left a significant cultural momentum in science, art of embalming and symbols for gods and goddesses they believed in. The Egyptian Pyramids  The pharaohs believed that death on the earth was just the start of a journey to the next world, and all the evidence referred to that the pharaohs worked in their life preparing for the afterlife. As so, they built the pyramids to be their tombs, to keep their jewelries and their bodies to take it with them to the other life. Booth (2010) stated that it was believed that if the discarded body were preserved, it would remain a focus for the spirit that had left it, exerting an attraction that pulled it down to earth (para. 1). Pyramids of El-Giza  There are many pyramids have found in Egypt, but the most famous three are those which found in El-Giza, couple hundred meters south from Cairo. The three pyramids are Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Khufu pyramid also known as the Great Pyramid is considered as the tallest pyramids and the oldest wonder of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Great Pyramid needs more than 10. 000 laborers working in three-month shifts took around 30 years to build the pyramid (Egyption Antiquities Organization, 2001). All the three pyramids of El-Giza contain corridors led to the chambers inside each one. For example, according to Romer (2007), There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The Queens Chamber, Kings Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. Not only the magnitude of the pyramids which make it famous and great, but also the archaeologists have found many mysterious about the pyramids. For instance, the sides of all three of the Giza pyramids were astronomically oriented to the north-south and east-west with no any small fraction of degree. In addition, they found that the pyramid of Menkaure contains a small hole in one side of the pyramid does not exceed 20 cm in diameter. The secret of this hole is that the sunlight enters through that hole only one day a year to the tomb of the pharaoh completely, the odd thing is this day is the Pharaohs birthday, according to Kamal (2000). The Sphinx The largest and most famous sphinx is the Great Sphinx of El-Giza. The sphinx is located in the north and below the pyramids. The ancient Egyptians believed that lions are symbolism for power. So, the king Khafre symbolized himself in a lion body with his head. Also, some researchers said that he considered himself as the guard of the pyramids. Mummification Preservation of human bodies after death is usually known by two expressions, Embalming and Mummification. Undoubtedly, mummification is the most distinctive technique or art which developed in Ancient Egypt. As I said at first, the pharaohs believed that keeping their bodies will help the spirit to find its body when its the time to join the afterlife journey. Mummification Process  According to Alchin (2012), the embalmers used a range of tools during the mummification process (some of which were left inside the mummies). The embalmers tools included bronze hooks, knives, tweezers, needles and awls (a small point tool used for making holes) for opening, emptying and closing up the corpse. The mummification process which included the removal of organs were conducted on a special slightly slanted table which allowed the blood and bodily fluids to drain into a built in basin. The removal organs was placed in 4 jars as follow: * The container with the human head protect the liver. The container with the Baboon(kind of Monkeys) head protect the lungs. * The container with the falcon head protect the intestine. * The container with the fox head protect the stomach. The embalming processes were accompanied by rituals stand for more than two months. Specifically, the process lasted for a period of 70 days divided into 15 days spent on cleansing and purification, 40 days drying period, and 15 days wrapping, bandaging and paintings. Then, the wrapped body was put in more than one coffin. Sometimes, up to five coffins, and the last one must have the buried pharaohs face.

Indian Culture And How It Translates to America Essay -- Culture

India is a captivating country full of humble traditions, lively festivals, and honest beliefs. With over 2 billion people, India has a vast array of religions and languages with Hindi being the most popular. The Hindu culture is a culture of love, respect, honoring others and humbling one's own ego so that the inner nature, which is naturally pure and modest, will shine forth (Mailerindia Infotek Limited). Hindi is a kind and peaceful religion. It is only fitting to combine a temperate religion with a humble society of people. Indians were raised to treat their elders with respect and to always be humble to guests. Strangers will great you with the utmost benevolence and friends will invite you into their home and make sure you are treated like royalty. However, once families have decided to immigrate to America, these traditions and customs can become endangered. People of all different religions and races find that America is the best place to immigrate to so they can earn a better education and more money for their hard work. Indians are among the most educated and wealthiest subgroups in America so most don’t have a hard time finding jobs and earning good pay. In a study of the impact of emigration from India, Mihir Desai of Harvard University found that 1 million Indians lived in the United States in 2001 (Gerdes 14). Since 2001, there have been reports that this number has more than doubled though still the majority of all Indians practice Hinduism. Hinduism is the practice of worshipers who continuously strive to be liberated from evil spirits while practicing the worship of deities. Hinduism refers to a vast array of religious movements. Unlike religions â€Å"of the book,† there is no single authoritative text and no re... ... Immigrant Soul.† Writing On The River, Ed. Jessica Portz. Second Edition Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 112. The quote that I chose from this story helped me to prove that all morals and beliefs are endangered when you move into a different environment that you aren’t use to. Rishi. â€Å"The Meaning Of Culture.† Mailerindia.com. Mailerindia Infotek Limited. MAILERINDIA.COM. , n.d., 2 April 2012. . This website gave me a really good quote to use in my essay pertaining to the genuine nature of the Hindi culture. Williams, Amy and DePaul, Amy. â€Å"The Rise Of Arranged Marriage In America.† AlterNet. n.p. 9 August 2008. Web. 3 April 2012. â€Å"The Rise Of Arranged Marriage In America† was an interesting article in which I obtained valid points on how arranged marriages can be beneficial within specific cultures.

The Story of Hamlet in Hamlet Essay -- Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

The Story of Hamlet in Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet has one outstanding character, namely the protagonist Hamlet. His character is so complex that this essay will scarcely present an adequate portrayal of his character.    John Russell Brown in â€Å"Soliloquies and Other Wordplay Let the Audience Share Some of Hamlet’s Thoughts† explains the interplay of dialogue, soliloquies and narrative in Hamlet’s role:    By any reckoning Hamlet is one of the most complex of Shakespeare’s characters, and a series of soliloquies is only one of the means which encourage the audience to enter imaginatively into his very personal and frightening predicament. The play’s narrative is handled so that a prolonged two-way chase is sustained between him and the king, during which the audience knows more than either one of them and so thinks ahead and anticipates events. In interplay with Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius, and perhaps with Claudius, Gertrude and Ophelia, Hamlet has asides to draw attention to what dialogue cannot express(55-56).    Marchette Chute describes the opening scene of the drama: â€Å"For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. [. . .] The hour comes, and the ghost walks† (35). Horatio and Marcellus exit the ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet. There is a social gathering of the court, where Claudius pays tribute to the memory of his deceased brother, the former king, and then conducts some items of business. Hamlet is there dressed in black, the color of mourning, for his deceased father. His... ...World of Hamlet.† Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Rev. ed. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. New York: Oxford University P., 1967.    Rosenberg, Marvin. â€Å"Laertes: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.      

Literary Analysis on Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Literary Analysis: The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis By Agatha Xaris Villa A. Introduction & Rationale It is said that among the major literary genres recognized today, the ‘novel’ is the most accessible to the majority of the readership. However, in terms of stylistic analysis, novels are the most difficult subjects to analyze. However, a trend that has been observed for the bulk of the twentieth-century is that literary criticism conducted on the genre of narrative texts (i. e. novels) have primarily focused on narrative point of view (Short, 1996, pg. 56) and this is not without cause. Among the literary genres, the novel, prototypically, has the most complex narrative discourse structure. In contrast to the prototypical poem and play, the novel has at least three levels of discourse –the author-reader, character-character level, and the narrator-narratee level (Short, 1996, pg. 256-257). The complexity of the novel’s discourse structure is why it has the most number of viewpoints and why it is believed to be the most ideal literary form in which to study viewpoint (Short, 1996, pg. 257)In light of this premise, I shall be attempting to objectively conduct a literary analysis on an extract taken from The Screwtape Letters (1942), the popular satire written by C. S. Lewis with a focus on point of view. When I first read The Screwtape Letters, one of the aspects which I found most refreshingly original and creative about the text was the way in which this age-old story of â€Å"good VS evil† was presented by the author. While there are certainly other creative aspect in the text, C. S. Lewis’ creative manipulation of viewpoint is what I believe provides readers with that distinct sense of creativity and originality.To support this thesis, I will be exploring viewpoint from both macro-level (describing the general discourse relations in the novel) and micro-level (giving an account of the linguistic indicators of view point that show how the author manipulates viewpoint through smaller-scale linguistic choices). B. Basic Information about the Story The Screwtape Letters is what is known as an epistolary novel –a narrative that is told through a series of documents (usually journal entries or letters) from the pen of one or more characters from the story.A characteristic of such types of novels is its ability to provide a very intimate and in-depth view of the writers giving the story a good dose of realness. In all, The Screwtape Letters is comprised of a series of 31 letters written by one of hell’s own ‘undersecretaries’ – a high-standing demon by the name of Screwtape, who is writing to his nephew, Wormwood, who has only just received his first ‘patient’. Throughout the letters, Screwtape passes to Wormwood techniques on temptation and basic devilry – all to secure the eternal damnation of this one soul in the courts of their â€Å"Father Below†.From his own morally-reversed ‘demonic’ perspective, Screwtape explains (to Wormwood) and unveils (to the reader) a new perspective on the spirituality of ‘everyday life’ – something that ordinary men and women are unaware of. He also shows a very vivid contrast between the ways of ‘The Father Below’ and ‘The Enemy’ (God). Of course, as a demon, he speaks of ‘The Enemy’ and his ways with disdain and disgust but to the Christian reader, these are mere affirmations of faith. The story ends as the worst of Screwtape’s own ‘bad scenarios’ is indeed realized – in the death of ‘the patient’ in an air-raid.As mentioned, there are often several levels of discourse to be considered to understand what is going on. In the case of The Screwtape Letters, I believe there are three: a novelist-reader level, narrator-narratee level and the character-character level (as illust rated below). Level 1 Addresser 1 (C. S. Lewis) –> MESSAGE –> Addressee 1 (Reader) Level 2 Addresser 2 (Screwtape: narrator) –> MESSAGE –> Addressee 2 (Narratee) Level 3 Addresser 3 (Screwtape: character) –> MESSAGE –> Addressee 3 (Wormwood: character)There are several interesting things to note in this story’s discourse structure. First of all, it can be argued that all 3 levels on the ‘Addresser’ side may collapse together whenever Screwtape speaks. As a demon, he obviously has a different purpose and aim with regards to the human race and his letters reflect that view. He even describes certain perceptions held by humans which are the direct result of demonic manipulation and propaganda. While he is not, in fact, addressing us humans, as narrator, it feels like he is talking directly to us – effectively fulfilling the role of narrator.Furthermore, even though he is a demon, he is able to give vivid and even impa ssioned descriptions of some of the Enemy’s (God) plans and intentions – to the point that it sounds like treachery on his part. This, I believe is a way in which the author’s own point of view may be heard through Screwtape himself. On the other hand, levels 1 and 2 of the ‘Addressee’ side collapse together. The role of narratee (the person who is addressed by the narrator) in this narrative is more an abstract rather than a solidified concept simply because of the very nature of the letters themselves – ‘private letters’ between uncle and nephew.As the reader reads, he or she takes up both book and role of narratee. In this way, the author is able to reel us into the diabolical mind. As the narrative continues, the more we know of how demons operate the more we ‘understand’ their side but it also further heightens our awareness of their perverseness and evil. For the most part, the book follows the discourse struct ure outlined above (first-person narration) but this is not always the case. However, the fact that a large part of the discourse structure is ‘collapsible’ further strengthens the argument that novels (and this particular story) are ideal for analyzing viewpoint.C. Analysis of the Extract Based on Short’s work (1996), there are several different linguistic means available to the author to indicate and manipulate point of view. In this portion of the paper, I will evaluate and account for significant instances of these indicators or lack thereof to substantiate the claim that viewpoint is a stand-out characteristic of this particular piece of text. 1 Schema-oriented language The study of cognitive science asserts that for comprehension to be achieved; relevant background knowledge must be available and activated. This ‘background knowledge’ is known as schema (i. e. generic information about objects, people, situations and events)(Semino, 2006, pg. 3 8). The author has the ability to manipulate viewpoint by choosing to describe things from one particular point of view – that is, schema-oriented language. The title of the book (The Screwtape Letters) as well as the continued use of the ‘letter’ format in each chapter would have clued the readers to the main viewpoint featured in the text – that of Screwtape. In our extract (the 28th letter), Screwtape himself reveals the disparity between our perception about how demons see things and how they really perceive things.The opening of the extract would have had readers activating and using their schema related to ‘demons’, ‘demonic activity’, ‘war’ and ‘death’. However as they continue reading, it becomes clear that the textual input actually deviates from their pre-existing expectations and causes schemas to be modified (Semino, 2006, pg. 40). This experience is what is referred to as ‘schema refres hment’ (Cook, 1994). The text begins to deviate from the norm when we read of Screwtape chastising his nephew for his naive way of perceiving ‘death’.In a strange move, he advises his nephew (lines 22-24) to pay close attention to the physical safety of his ‘patient’– because ‘if he dies, you lose him’ (line 25). Overall, this seems contradictory to our own conventional thinking about what demons think about ‘death’ and Screwtape is fully aware that it is. In lines 20-21, he explains to Wormwood that humans ‘tend to regard death as the prime evil and survival as the greatest good,’ and continues by citing that this is little more than the fruit of the devil’s own propaganda.Yet another part of the extract which seems to depart from our general assumptions regarding demonic activity is when Screwtape explains the opportunities that adversity, prosperity and long life bring to demons. Naturally, peop le are especially averse towards suffering of any kind – however, to think that prosperity lends an even better opportunity for the demon’s cause may come as a shock for readers – especially those that are not particularly verse in biblical teaching. Indeed, it is important to note that whether or not the reader experiences ‘schema refreshment’ is entirely dependent on his or her personal schemata.Perhaps one of the reasons why this book has been well-received by those in the Christian community is because they have the necessary schemata regarding demons and biblical teaching to help them grasp and appreciate the subtleties of C. S. Lewis’ satirical writing. One interesting thing to note is that Screwtape’s worst-case scenario does come to pass in the end—the patient does die and is thus forever loosed from the demon’s clutches in the same way that Screwtape had described – an air raid. Of course, Screwtape (the c haracter) was not actually intending to predict the future. Value-laden expressions Viewpoint may also be controlled and manipulated by the author through small-scale linguistic choices regarding how to describe particular elements of the story. A character’s viewpoint may be identified by highlighting their feelings or attitudes regarding something. For example, at the beginning of the chapter, Screwtape describes his nephew’s excitement of the oncoming air raids as being ‘infantile’ and that he is ‘singularly obtuse’ in not providing him with the data he really wants.He repeats, ‘do you not know’ (line 8-9) as if to further criticize his nephew for not referring to what should be common knowledge. Later, Screwtape says that he is ‘ashamed’ to even have to explain it (lines 7-8). In all, all these value-laden expressions indicate that Screwtape is upset over his nephew’s incompetence and lack of common sense. 3 Given VS new information In writing a story, the author must make certain assumptions regarding the type of schema or ‘common knowledge’ available to readers and use them to improve the communicative ability of his writing.Traditionally, whenever characters/1st person narrator/author want to introduce new information, they will need to use an indefinite article such as ‘a’. For example, in the extract, Screwtape mentions (for the first time) ‘a great human philosopher’ (line 53) into the letter-exchange. As the story continues, characters may make references to things and events that have already been mentioned in the past and thus refer to them using the definite article ‘the’ which is an indicator of given information.The extract, which is taken from the 28th chapter of the series, is actually a few chapters close to the end of the story and features a small summary of some of the things that Wormwood has tried. In lines 9-17, he refers to ‘the worldly friends’ that Wormwood has tried to introduce to his patients, ‘the girl’ (line 14) whom the patient has fallen in love with and ‘the various methods’ Wormwood has used to corrupt the patient’s spiritual life.All these refer to events and entities in earlier chapters of the book. It is possible that even events and entities that have not been mentioned earlier receive definite reference because the author believes it to be ‘general knowledge’ for readers or he is deliberately positioning readers in a position called ‘in medias res’ (or already ‘in the know’ (Short, 1996) – a technique which is used to further intensify the readers closeness to the events of the story.Take for instance, the references made by Screwtape regarding the characteristics that are being referred to as known characteristics of human mid-life crisis: ‘the long, dull, monotonous years of middle aged prosperity or†¦adversity’ (line 27), ‘the routine of adversity, the gradual decay of youthful loves and youthful hopes, the quiet despair of ever overcoming chronic temptations†¦, the drabness which we create in their lives and the inarticulate resentment†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (lines 27-32). 4 Indicators of character’s thoughts or perceptions The very nature of the extract’s format is indicative of whose thoughts and perceptions we are reading.However, this also means that everything that is told in the narrative is limited to the perceptions of one character. To this end, the author does give some clues as to the level of factivity of Screwtape’s views. In line 5, Screwtape writes that Wormwood ‘seems singularly obtuse’. While ‘seem’ is not a popularly recognized ‘factive’ verb, its inclusion in this sentences tell us that there is a level of uncertainty. In line 17, Screwtape says with some lev el of certainty that if the patient died on that night, ‘he will almost certainly be lost’ to them. And ironically, in the end, that is exactly what happened. Deixis One way in which the author may indicate particular or changing viewpoints is by using deictic expressions (i. e. , expressions which are indicative of the positioning of certain objects in relation to a deictic focal point – the speaker) which may come in the form of demonstrative determiners or pronouns (e. g. this and that), deictic adverbs (e. g. here and there), deictic verbs (e. g. come, go, etc. ) and even tense (e. g. now and then)(Short, 1996, pg. 269). There is relatively little use of deictic expressions to indicate changing viewpoints however, there are instances wherein deictic expressions indicate istance of certain objects from the position of the speaker. Consider lines 20-21 wherein Screwtape writes, â€Å"They, of course, do tend to regard death as the prime evil and survival as th e greatest good. † The use of the pronoun ‘they’ indicates Screwtape’s attitude and perception towards humans – that they are deictically remote from his ‘physical position’ and ‘psychological position’ (because they are not part of the conversation and do not share the same perception regarding death). However, this sentence may make readers feel a distinct sense that they are ‘eaves-dropping’.Furthermore, the author is talking about the readers (us), through the character/narrator in the third person – a round-about strategy that C. S. Lewis employs extensively for the purpose of teaching readers. Another type of deixis which may be found in the extract is the use of ‘social’ deixis which refers to the use of different naming terms that indicate differences or similarities in social status and standing. Just as in every chapter of the book, Screwtape insists in using the greeting ‘My Dear Wormwood’ and the closing remark ‘Your affectionate uncle’ which tells of the close relationship between the two demons.While he is superior in rank and does reserve the right to strongly criticize Wormwood, he seems to be doing so as a mentor to a beloved student – an uncle to a nephew. That is, if familial love is even possible between demons. 6 The sequencing and organization of actions and events In novels, the way in which events are sequenced and portrayed is a means through which we can see the impressions and viewpoint of a particular character. In fact, this way of psychologically sequencing events is often used to present the perceptions of the I-narrator/character during the time of the events.The extract does not attempt to recreate any moments but seems to either be recalling past events or giving the viewpoint of someone who sees the human life from a higher vantage point – allowing him to see a bigger picture. He cannot see the e ntire picture since he has neither hold nor distinct knowledge of the future. In conclusion to this segment, let us move from analyzing viewpoint simply from the point of view of spatial-temporal viewpoint onto examining viewpoint in terms of ‘ideology’ or ‘world-view’ – the generalized mind-set our outlook that a person, often a group representative, on the world. Ideological viewpoint In a way, there is no better, simpler or more logical way to be able to see simple complexity of C. S. Lewis’ use and manipulation of viewpoint in The Screwtape Letters than to analyze it from an ideological standpoint. It is interesting all in itself to find a human attempting to realistically enlighten readers about the truth behind human life from the point of view of a demon especially when that human is an unabashed and staunch follower of the Christian faith and makes no concessions regarding his own ‘ideological point of view’.Screwtape, in being a demon, obviously sees the world differently than humans or the good/God side. Human life is important to him only so far as it gives ‘his side’ the opportunity to secure yet another soul for the fires of hell. Also, being a higher-ranked demon with more experience on the field, Screwtape’s ideological point of view is different from that of Wormwood in that he has the benefit of resources and information that his inexperienced, first-time tempter nephew would not have access to. Thus, as was noted in the extract, he is not excited about the same things Wormwood is excited about – e. . the war, death, etc. and he is rather forthright with the evaluations, judgments and advice he passes onto his nephew. However, Screwtape does have the propensity towards describing the Enemy’s position in quasi-fashion. As a demon, he is supposed to be in opposition to the Enemy however whenever he describes the Enemy, he becomes a puppet for the author to spe ak of the truth thus sounding like a completely different person at times. It is ironic because Screwtape himself does not agree with all the things that he says. For example in the last two chapters of the etter (lines 40 – 65), he describes how the Enemy protects humans from the full brunt of demonic temptation by exercising His sovereign power over time and even them and his plan for humans in heaven. In his own demonic way, he sings praises to the work of the Enemy. D. Evaluations regarding literary analysis On the whole, it would seem that I have been able to support my initial interpretation regarding this piece of text. I have been able to describe the viewpoint of my extract from a macro and micro view as well as have found instances of most, if not all, of the linguistic indicators of viewpoint.However, there are limitations that I foresee both in my attempt and the practice and process of literary and stylistic analysis in general. First of all, for the purpose of m anageability, I could not carry out an extensive analysis on my chosen piece of text. I was restricted to the analysis of an extract. In addition, I had to choose to concentrate on only one aspect of the text which means that I could not take into account other aspects of the text that may have given me a more rounded interpretation of the text.There is a great possibility that my objectivity in analyzing the text has been compromised from the very beginning since I began with an initial interpretation regarding the text. Furthermore, my personal schemata regarding the subject matter affects the way that I interpret texts and therefore the output of my literary criticism and analysis; making it almost impossible to arrive at a completely unbiased and objective analysis. Being a Christian myself, I share the same ‘ideological viewpoint’ as C. S. Lewis and interpreted the text with the same assumption.This is not to say that my beliefs are actually on the same page as the author’s and truthfully, there is no way of knowing. This means that certain aspects of the text that appears outstanding to me may only be significant for me personally. Finally, an important thing to note is that stylistic analysis is in not a ‘static’ output but may be subject to change in relation to the availability and status of resources available to analysts at any given time. As Short admits, ‘no analysis is entirely objective it he sense that it is true for all time. ’ With new forms of analysis come new findings and new or modified interpretations (1996, pg. 58). E. Conclusions on literary analysis While some may argue that the systematic way in which literary analysis studies literary texts may hinder analysts from simply partaking of the joy of reading, this has certainly not been the case for me. The Screwtape Letters has always been one of my favourite books of all times. After having analyzed one chapter, specifically with point of v iew as a theme of analysis, I now have a renewed sense of respect and admiration for the narrative skill of its creator and with the complexity of the creation itself.Overall, I believe that I have done my best to attempt to systematically and objectively analyze the text and have managed to come to some conclusions that are both expected and unexpected. And while I am sure that there are certainly some aspects I have missed out on or even overworked, I am quite satisfied with my attempt and hope to continue putting the practices of literary analysis to practice to enhance and deepen my understanding of other literary works of interest. References Cook, G. (1994).Discourse and Literature: The Interplay of Form and Mind, Oxford, Oxford University Press. Lewis, C. S. (1942). Chapter 28 The Screwtape Letters. C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. Semino, E. (2006). Reading C: Cognitive poetics. Chapter 1 Literature and creativity in English in Goodman, S. and O’Halloran, K. (eds) The art of Eng lish: literary creativity. Palgrave Macmillan/The Open University, pg. 37 – 40 Short,M. (1996). Chapter 9 Fictional prose and point of view. Exploring the Language of Poems, Prose and Plays, London: Longman. pg. 255 – 279 Short,M. (1996).Chapter 12 Fictional prose and point of view. Exploring the Language of Poems, Prose and Plays, London: Longman. pg. 354 – 358 Short, M. (2005). Topic 8 – Discourse structure and point of view. Ling 131 Language & Style is a Stylistics course. Retrieved on December 2008. Retrieved from: http://www. lancs. ac. uk/fass/projects/stylistics/topic8/begin8. htm ———————– Addresser 1 (C. S. Lewis) MESSAGE Addressee 1 (Reader) Addresser 2 (Screwtape: narrator) MESSAGE Addressee 2 (Narratee) Addresser 3 (Screwtape: character) MESSAGE Addressee 3 (Wormwood: character)

India and Pakistan Essays

India and Pakistan Essays India and Pakistan Essay India and Pakistan Essay It was in the year 1947 that both India and Pakistan were granted independence on the midnight of August 14-15 but Pakistan celebrates its independence on August 14 and India on August 15. Ironic but interestingly, Pakistan first independence day was celebrated as August 15 and later on it became August 14.Another reason was that British Viceroy Mountbatten, who chose August 15 symbolizing the surrender of Japan to Allies two years ago as the date, preferred to transfer power to Pakistan on August 14 so he could attend the ceremony in Karachi and be in New Delhi the next day to oversee India’s birth as an independent nation. Since the power of transfer took place on the midnight of 14 and 15 August, the Indian Independence Act 1947 clearly stated that 15 August was the birthday of both Pakistan and India. As from the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan, the act stated. Even Mohammad Jinnah, who became the first governor general of Pakistan, declared August 15 as the independence day of Pakistan in his opening speech. Jinnah in his first broadcast to the nation said: August 15 is the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan.It marks the fulfilment of the destiny of the Muslim nation which made great sacrifices in the past few years to have its homeland. So, Pakistan celebrated its first birthday on 15 August but in subsequent years 14 August was marked as the independence day. Even the first commemorative postage stamp of the country that was released a year later stated 15 August 1947 as the independence day of Pakistan. But in 1948, Pakistan decided to celebrate its Independence Day on August 14, a day before India’s Indepndence Day due to 27 Ramadan that fell on August 14, 1947.