Monday, September 30, 2019

Effects of advertising Essay

Advertisements are everywhere, traveling by all ways possible, infiltrating the privacy that every person holds important to themselves and their family. American Marketing Association defines advertising as â€Å"the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media.† Today, with the development of the technology and the diversity of the mass media, advertising has influenced us pervasively in our daily life. Advertising has been applied in most of fields in society such as economical advertisings, educational advertisings, political advertisings, and healthy advertisings, etc. Advertising is used to promote goods, services, images, and anything else that advertisers want to publicize. It is becoming a major part of mass media. We may view it positively; at other times we may just skip or ignore it. In order to attract audience, advertisers use various techniques on their advertisement to make people aware of the firm’s products, services, or brands. Although the methods used by advertisers are infinitely, they have a common goal to persuade those who may become their customers to buy their products. An excellent advertisement will create a deep impression on its potential customers through particular techniques. They deliver their advertisement through TV, radio, magazines and newspapers, internet, billboards, and other multi-media means. By advertising, individuals or companies are able to get more extra profits from their products, promote their products, and gain the most important purpose – to sell. In many cases, there are some negative effects – some annoying hindrances in our daily lives. It makes our nerves, distorts the truth, and adds to the cost of the product. Advertising is designed for one purpose – to sell. To achieve this goal, advertisers are willing to stretch and distort the truth, just to convince people to buy their products. For example, an advertiser  may convince buyers to purchase their products by stating those have been tested and found superior. In reality, the products are not better than any other – the tests themselves doubtlessly conducted by the promoting company – conducted to ensure at least something is superior about the product, even if it is only the color. These advertisements are worded carefully so that they are telling the â€Å"literal truth† – the truth is exactly what the words say, although people misinterpret the message by using conversational logic as something different – something better. By using ingenious tactics like these, the populace is deceived into buying a product that may not do what is required, or a product that a buyer may have never needed. That is why advertising is not good for our society. First, I would like to discuss about the negative effects to children and youth. One of the most corrupt forms of advertising comes from cigarette companies. According to some investigator, â€Å"Cigarette advertisements are degrading not only because the products behind them are proven to be a health hazard, but also because the advertisements are focused toward younger generations.† Many advertisements use young, attractive, healthy looking models when advertising for a brand of cigarettes or beer. Company promotions have led people to affiliate certain products with feelings of happiness or euphoria. There is no doubt that people smoke the most heavily advertised brands of cigarettes. â€Å"Tobacco advertising increases young people’s risk of smoking by using themes that appeal to them, such as fun times, action, and being popular and attractive.† (Family Education 1). Advertisings that supply the Surgeon General’s warning along with the main body of the message are blatantly contradictive. These advertisings prove that there are many forms of advertising without any morals, and that companies will go to great lengths to have their name and image promoted regardless of the results. The nation’s companies have put themselves before the children. Similar to the case of cigarette companies, Ph.D. Henry Saffer show that spending money to advertise alcohol contributes to increase the rate of students drinking. Alcohol remains popular with American college students, as indicated by the Core Institute Survey (1998). In 1997, 84.2% of college students reported drinking alcohol, an increase of 2% over the prior year. For comparison, there were similar increases in the prevalence of tobacco and marijuana use. Moderate to heavy drinking also increased with corresponding reductions in abstention and light drinking. Nationwide, students reported consuming an average of 5.64 drinks per week in 1997, up about 7% over 1996. The Core Institute also reported that 45.5% of students had consumed five or more drinks in one sitting in the previous 2 weeks. More than 21% of the students reported three or more episodes of this kind of high-risk drinking in the previous 2 weeks. Finally, more than 90% of American college students reported that drinking is a central part of campus social life. (Henry Saffer, Ph.D., Alcohol Advertising and Youth, pg. 173) According to Competitive Media Reporting, more than $1.2 billion was spent in 1998 on alcohol advertising in measured media (i.e., print media, outdoor advertising, radio and television). An additional two-thirds billion dollars was spent on other forms of promotion, including sponsorships, couponing and direct mail. Alcohol advertising had decreased from 1987 to 1996 by 34%, in real terms. However, since 1997, alcohol advertising has been increasing. Part of the recent increase includes the use of cable television by spirits advertisers. (Henry Saffer, Ph.D., Alcohol Advertising and Youth, pg. 173) Second, advertisements can change or impact an individual’s behavior, attitude, expectations, or relationships. The more advertising that a person watches the more that they are influenced by it. The more that they are influenced by advertising the less important their relationships become. Consequently, the behaviors that we display and the influences on our physical environment are directly affected by the amount of advertisements that we see. In the world of advertising, lovers are things and things are lovers (Kilbourne, Can’t Buy My Love: How advertising changes the way we think and feel, pg. 77). Sadly, advertising promotes a corrupt and bankrupt concept of relationships (Kilbourne, Can’t Buy My Love: How advertising changes the way we think and feel, pg. 77). It is unavoidable and extremely damaging to our relationships and especially families. With the divorce rate and domestic  violence rate at the highest it has ever been, it is necessary to evaluate the influences of advertising to our relationships. It has become more and more difficult to relate to our partners in a manner that isn’t objectifying and exploitative. These are images that are forced into our heads and we may have very little control over. Moreover, advertising creates images of what is appropriate behavior in a relationship, using products. That behavior is not always one that is idealistic for real life relationships and generally can be very damaging to intimate and personal relationships. Advertising plays a part in dictating our expectations of our mate, ranging from money and clothing to behavior and attitude. Therefore, when messages and images are repeatedly presented to us they inevitably have an impact on our relationships. Our intimate relationships have been trivialized and our relationships with products have become more important. Another negative effect is that some advertisings use the sexual content to attract the attention of consumers. Consistently, studies have demonstrated that sexual appeals attract attention to the advertising, typically without a corresponding advantage for brand information processing. Sexual content may be eye-catching and entertaining, but it may not be communicative and might distract the viewer from the message. Reichert, Heckler, and Jackson (2001) claim that when sexual stimulus is used in advertising, viewers’ perceptual and processing resources are directed toward the sexual information in the ad rather than toward the brand. Therefore, they will not have a perspicacious decision to buy the products. Recently days, on the television, some company try to develop the crazy adverting project that use women’s belly to advertise. They make some small advertising boards and they paste them on the belly of women and then they ask them to wear short skirt and bikini, after that they will go around some public locations. In this case, it is very stupid that it can promote the women’s body not the products. Finally, use sexual content to advertise is one of the negative effects of advertising that is worse in the society. Throughout history politicians have used various methods, such as persuasive speeches, political advertising and political rallies, to achieve their â€Å"primary goal, the winning votes†. But according to the results of the  research made by Won Ho Chang (Professor and Director of the Stephenonson Research Center at the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism), Jae-Jin Park (Public Relation Specialist with LG Corporation in Seoul, Korea) and Sung Wook Shim (graduate student in the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri) in 1998 â€Å"over the years, politicians have found that it is most advantageous to use political advertising to persuade voters†. For example, the majority of presidential campaigns depend on television advertising. Clinton spent $12 million of his $30.9 million limit on television commercials in the middle of the primaries, $42.4 million during reconvention, and $44 million on television ads in the general election. A total of $98.4 million was used on television commercials. In my opinion, it is not good for the citizens and will influence on the result of voting. The voters will receive much positive information of the politicians and they will be distracting the purpose of vote. Moreover, by using an effective political advertising, a politician can win the other politicians even though he is not as good as the others, and it is unfair to them. There are no a commission to check the information of political advertising that is wring or wrong; therefore, the voters will have no chance to predict what the politicians will do for them. Some politician just tries to get votes by any ways, and when they win they forget what they promise. In short, advertising in voting is not a good method and it also makes some disadvantage to both the politicians and the voters. The last problem is that some activities in our society are wrapped by the advertisings. On the streets of our city, many advertising billboards are built to advertise for some products and it makes he city become uncivilized. On the television, there are many programs of advertising that trouble the audiences. For example, when people are attracted by a wonderful program, some adverting programs are run and distract them. More over, on the Internet, now people get many difficulties to check their e-mail in the inbox because they have seen many advertising letter from some company in their inbox. In short, some of advertisings are now obstructing the process of some activities in our society. Advertising has a strong influence over social behaviors, attitudes, and  expectations of individuals involved in intimate relationships between men and women Companies spend millions of dollars on advertising every year. The companies are very aware of the effect of advertisement on the community. Companies would not spend millions of dollars on advertising if it had little or no effect on the public. We all know that advertising provides a general service of informing us about products. But, does it also unnecessarily affect our behavior, relationships, and environment? How can we avoid the negative effects of advertising, especially in our relationships? Nowadays, in order to promote the products, many companies abuse so much of the advertising. In this case, they do not pay enough attention to the quality and the value of the products. Therefore, although advertising can bring them the profit and promotion from selling their products, they have to consider some bad effects of them on the society. References Family Education Network â€Å"Cigarettes – Don’t Believe the Hype† cited in 18/12/2004 at www.familyeducation.com Henry Saffer, Ph.D., Alcohol Advertising and Youth, National Bureau of Economic Research, 365 Fifth Avenue, 5th floor, New York, New York 10016-4309 Kilbourne, Jean (1999). Can’t Buy My Love: How advertising changes the way we think and feel. New York: Touchstone. Andrea Dworkin, Pornography: Men Possessing Women (New York: Phime, 1989) Reichert, T., Heckler, S.E. & Jackson, S. 2001, the effects of sexual social marketing appeals on cognitive processing and persuasion. Journal of Advertising, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 13-27. Won Ho Chang, Jae-Jin Park, and Sung Wook Shim. â€Å"Effectiveness of Negative Political Advertising.† Cited in 21/12/2004 at http://www.scripps.ohiou.edu/wjmcr/vol02

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Digi Situational Analysis

Situational Analysis Company Profile Analysis DIGI is the first telecommunication to operate and launch a full digital cellular network in Malaysia on 24 May 1995. Besides, DIGI were also become the first to offer GPRS (2. 5G) and later EDGE (2. 75G) in 14 May 2004 in Malaysia. DIGI is a mobile communication services provider in Malaysia. DIGI has provided service to individuals, businesses and other operators which owned subsidiary, DIGI Telecommunication SDN BHD. There are two packages option offers by DIGI to mobile subscribers is prepaid plan and postpaid voice plan.DIGI has provided variety mobile communication service including SMS, mobile broadband and international roaming and calling and WAP services. According to DIGI the first quarter of 2012 of Non-Audited financial statement, their total net operating revenues increase from RM 1,443,428 thousands to RM 1,575,055 thousands, which increases with 9. 12%. DIGI has approximately RM 4. 9 billion with a subscriber base 0f 7. 7 million. Since year 2005, DIGI has returned in excess of RM6. 8 billion in cash to their entire shareholder, it shows a result that DIGI has a strong capital discipline.Moreover, year 2007, DIGI continues perform well which they improve on their commercial focus and it results their annual revenue growth in excess of 5% between year 2007 and 2010. Product Analysis DIGI is simple to pronounce and spell, which it makes people easy to recall. DIGI has distinguishes itself from the mobile services industry by its distinctive brand name. DIGI are using yellow, white and black color to packaging its own product. The combination of this color can connect or develop target audience of the generation who are vibrant, fresh and ambitious.DIGI is a Telecommunication company, so it has provided different type of mobile and internet services. All these services are including SMS, data plans, prepaid and postpaid voice plans, international roaming and calling and WAP services. For their prepaid v oice plan, DIGI latest prepaid voice plan is called DIGI Easy Prepaid. This package is very effective today, this is because it can enable DIGI user to enjoy 24 hour free calls, SMS and free log into Facebook (zero Facebook). DIGI user can interact with their 3 DIGI Buddyz by free calling or free SMS in 24 hour. There are 80% of mobile subscribers in Malaysia are prepaid users, so DIGI s leading this prepaid market by enhance the value in this segment by increase customer needs and richer mobile features that can made DIGI users can truly appreciate. Besides, DIGI also reward their prepaid user by 10 free SMS when customer reloads as little as RM10. Besides, DIGI also provide postpaid plan to DIGI customers. The package that offers by DIGI is DIGI Smart Plan. This package enable customer to enjoy the unlimited internet access services. By the same token, DIGI also offers the Iphone, Samsung and tablet plan to their customers. Now, DIGI has also offers free Nano sim card to the new D IGI users.Moreover, DIGI also launch their Turbo 3G service on year 2009. The DIGI Turbo 3G is located at most urban and populated area in Malaysia. This 3G service is available for prepaid and postpaid voice plan and also for the broadband. IMC Objective Strengthen Image The objective of DIGI is to develop and strengthen the images of their brand towards the youth and business markets. There is fierce competition on the telecommunication market nowadays. With strong images the company is able to have strong awareness in the mind of consumers and can distinguish themselves over competitors.Higher recognition of the brand through good images could provide loyalty of customers toward the DIGI. For the year 2011, DIGI has invest RM9 million to create their brand advertising campaign and positioning DIGI is an contemporary, innovative, lifestyle centric and quality services that would satisfy their customer’s needs. DIGI is tending to offers the better quality of product and serv ices to increase the customers’ mobility. Through the advertising, DIGI evolves with time to interact with customers and it show DIGI is understand the lifestyle need of DIGI customer. Increase SalesThere are another important objective for DIGI to achieve is the sales and revenues. This is because only revenue or profit allows a company to operate its business well. To achieve this goal, DIGI is keep improving their coverage network and quality services. Besides, DIGI also develop a customer service which with quality and efficient. DIGI product and services is user friendly and it is highly personalized. Through the advertising, DIGI is telling the customer they are improving their coverage and services, it will build trust and confident of customer toward DIGI. So, it will help DIGI to increase sales and revenue.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The difference between USA and New Zealand's special education Research Paper

The difference between USA and New Zealand's special education - Research Paper Example "In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education, Special Education (GSE) is responsible at national, regional and district level for strengthening the Ministry of Education’s overall special education direction and for providing special education services to children and young people with educational, social, behavioral, and communication needs.(education counts)This system has been established on the basis of United States of America. The USA is one of those countries that have been an initiator of such programs thus following its footsteps New Zealand has developed its Special education policy. Both these countries lay immense stress on the propagation of education hence free education is provided to all dwelling within the region. Furthermore, the teachers who assist these children which special needs are also provided with pieces of training that are specifically designed according to the task they are responsible to perform. "In the United States of America, state-licensing sy stems set entry-level standards for special education professionals."(Farrell, 2009) A lot has been done in both countries to give such children with equal status hence some schools also provide education to special children in the same environment as normal students so that they get the same status and normal students learn to respect and value people with disabilities.The United States of America has made it a condition for all the states to provide standardized special education to all individuals.... USA is one of those countries that have been an initiator to such programs thus following its footsteps New Zealand has developed it Special education policy. Both these countries lay immense stress on the propagation of education hence free education is provided to all dwelling within the region. Furthermore the teachers who assist these children which special needs are also provided with trainings that are specifically designed according to the task they are responsible to perform. "In the  United States  of  America, state-licensing systems set entry-level standards for  special education  professionals."(Farrell, 2009) A lot has been done in both countries to give such children with equal status hence some schools also provide education to special children in the same environment as normal students so that they get the same status and normal students learn to respect and value people with disabilities. The United States of America has made it a condition for all the sta tes to provide standardized special education to all individuals. (Latham, 2008) Those who fail to do so will not be provided funds by the federal government. One of the most important efforts by the government of America to provide quality, free and equal education to these children is that a team is established which meets the child's parent in order to evaluate and determine the educational needs of the child. Furthermore it is there task to design courses according to their needs, perform placement tests, modify the program, organize counseling programs and cater to any other requirement that the child might have. Also it is the requirement of every school to meet up to the individualized education program IEP and report to the federal state about its implementation.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Slavery in Colonial America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Slavery in Colonial America - Essay Example Once a person bought a slave, he/she was that person’s property and he could do anything with him that he wished. The slaved would be whipped and treated even badly if he made any mistake. If a slave cracked a disease, that was very common in those times, he was not treated with medicines, etc. (Schneider, 2007). Most slaves used to die due to these terrible living conditions and nobody was accounted for the slaves’ death. (Buell, 2004). In short, once a person became a slave, he was treated worse than animals and there was no value for his existence or his life and if anything bad happened to him, nobody would be accounted for it since he was a slave who was worthy of nothing. (Horton, 2006). The process through which people were made slaves and were sold out was very cruel. First, the slaves, usually Africans were captured. These people included both men and women of all ages. If these people had children, they were captured along with their parents only to grow up and become slaves automatically. These captured people were tied together to prevent them from running away, which was the case many a times whenever the slaves got the opportunity. (Buell, 2004). Then these slaves were taken to special places called Slave Factories where they were tested for their health, strength and wellbeing. The stronger and healthier the slave would be, the higher he would be priced for. The slaves were also tested for their appearance and beauty. For male slaves, the more handsome and good-looking they were, the more expensive they got and for female slaves, the more beautiful they were, the higher they were priced at. (Buell, 2004). After the tests were carried out, the weak and malnourished slaves were set free as they were not of much use while the others were then branded with blazing iron brands in order to create a Slave Identity. (Buell, 2004). Once these people were made slaves, they were the property of the capturer and were then

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Reflection (one page) and Workshop related assessment ( 4 pages) Essay

Reflection (one page) and Workshop related assessment ( 4 pages) - Essay Example With their combined varied expertise, experiences and beliefs/principles, they would surely gain Jeremy’s confidence and trust, which are of primary importance for successful therapy. In fact, the educational background of Bentley’s team of counsellors alone (all gained graduate school degree in psychology, counselling and therapy from prestigious universities) is enough to get client’s confidence that they can do their job. Not to say the formal and informal training they had for their over 50 years of combined industry experience. This means that their strong theoretical foundations, rich professional experiences, and varied encounters with clients had capacitated them to deal with mental health issue of their expertise effectively. ... Much more, its amenities (for example, ample parking), and other services (for example, booking and enquiries, workshops and courses) are all meant to give clients better and personalise services. With all these, what more could Jeremy ask for? B. Bentley Family Therapy Centre: Best Clinic for Jeremy My assessment of Jeremy’s mental condition and my appraisal of Bentley Family Therapy Centre make me believe that Bentley is the best clinic there is in Perth for Jeremy. Why I said so is mainly because of the following reasons: 1. Jeremy’s identified risk factors are addressed by the clinic. In fact, his primary risk factors (clinical depression and post-traumatic stress) are Bentley’s focus and trademark. 2. The framework by which Bentley’s therapeutic strategies are designed fits well with Jeremy’s need – holistic approach grounded in the individual’s traits/personality and family background. 3. The therapies that Bentley offers are des igned to address mental health issues similar to Jeremy’s (see question 2) of similar/related stressors (serious accident/physical injury, loss, divorce, discharged from the military) thus these therapies correspond to Jeremy’s need and context. 4. The specialisation, expertise, and beliefs/principles of Bentley’s team of counsellors match Jeremy’s mental health needs and potentials. Aside from their combined expertise on loss, grief, trauma, clinical anxiety, drug abuse, childhood trauma, some of them has experience working with military and male adult clients, and some specialises in Expressive (Creative Arts)

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Worldcultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Worldcultures - Essay Example In fact, some of their great architectural works still stand strong in major towns and cities across the globe. However, one is left wondering whether the modern architectural works would withstand the test of time and last long as the structures build in the ancient Rome. The great work of the Romans can still be seen and emulated because of the superior architectural ideas and engineering skills they used and the kind of reputation they built put of their great work that certainly made them conquer the world, influence and rule it for this long. Jenkins reveals that the Romans did their architectural works with a lot of dedication and professionalism with the aim of producing a useful architecture3. To ensure that this is accomplished, they ensured that thorough planning was done before starting any construction works. It is for this reason that buildings, bridges, marketplaces, cities and harbors contracted by the Romans are still admirable to much architecture to date and are adopting their styles in the construction according to Jenkins4. Brown notes that the Romans employed different styles in their building, which influenced many architectural pieces5. The arch is a perfect example, which is a structure made using a mixture of the bricks, stone, and concrete. The arch was meant to give strength to or support buildings. The arches were mainly blocks, which are wedge-shaped and were to be supported using wooden materials during construction. The arches created by the ancient Romans were very strong and could withstand a lot of weight. To ensure that this is so, they used a mixture of volcanic sand and lime to create a strong and durable concrete. The strong concretes made from these mixtures were then be used to build strong and beautiful structures like the aqueducts used for supplying water to the major cities as noted by Brown6. Immediately after this remarkable accomplishment, other

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Evidence from Privatization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evidence from Privatization - Essay Example However, due to limited budgets, governments have been unable to develop all part of the economy equally. Further problems like inadequate use of knowledge, experience and specialization in the management of the various sectors occur and citizens may not receive goods and services from the public enterprises effectively. Lack of competition in the public sector contributes a great deal in the inefficiencies, corruption and lack of motivation in public enterprises (Khan et al., 2012). The main reason governments have opted for privatization is the belief that private firms can make a more efficient and effective use of available resources than governments and at the same time profit the government from the higher revenues privatisation creates. It is also believed that privatisation may result to increased efficiency productivity and liquidity in the financial markets but on the other hand, lead to unemployment and dependency on foreign capital from multinational companies hence decli ne in a nation’s wealth and social welfare (Han, 2012). Full privatisation may have occurred especially in the services sector but it is generally not ideal for governments to conduct a full privatisation. Where natural resources and sensitive goods and or services for instance nuclear energy, partial privatisation is preferred. In this case, the government gives part of the ownership to a private firm, so that it can still have active control in the operations. Privatisation can take place either through share issue privatisation (SIP) which involves selling shares on the stock market or selling the whole firm or part of it to a strategic buyer by auction, asset sale, voucher privatisation or shares of ownership distributed to all citizens (at a low fee or even for free). SIP is the most common and it extends the domestic capital markets and increases the investment opportunities which in turn will stimulate economic growth though some risk is involved. Finding enough buyers could be a problem and as a result the prices drop and the capital gains become insignificant, in turn the transaction costs become high. Asset sale privatisation is common in developing countries. Voucher privatisation was common in the former socialist economies during the transition process. Asset sale and share privatisation are usually beneficial to the government as bidders normally compete and hence offer a high price which makes more money for the government (Walailuck and Christian-Oliver, 2011). Evaluation of privatisation should be from a point of view of the society’s well-being, not from the profit maximisation of the firms. The welfare of the people and the country in general and the state of its economy should be continually improved. There is a general view that all government involvement in the market represents some restrictions to business liberty so it has become intrinsically detrimental. Privatisation is a form of withdrawal of government involvement in business. Since 1980, many European countries have launched privatisation programs with the Great Britain being referred to as the origin of modern privatisation (Ioannis, 2012). Privatisation leads to enhanced economic performance.  

Monday, September 23, 2019

Question 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Question 2 - Assignment Example While there are reported some positive trends during the recent years including enhancement of the entrepreneurial environment in the country (Roberts 2012), there still are some critical zones that make business environment less attractive. Thus, for example, based on the infrastructure, red tape, corporate governance, corruption and crime criteria, Philippines is ranked in the last position comparing with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand (Escribano et al, 2009). Moreover, Philippines fail to protect the investors and there are more difficulties in obtaining credits than in its Asian neighbor countries. In terms of attraction of foreign direct investment to the economics of Philippines, there also exist some formal and informal barriers imposed by government combined with weak judicial system and corruption (Roberts, 2012). All these factors make Philippines less desired destination for multinational corporations and foreign direct investments. Based on the recent World Bankâ€℠¢ survey results, Philippines fall toward the bottom of the ranking of business-friendly environment (Lesher, & Plummer 2011). However, despite even its unfavorable investment climate, according to the UNCTAD, in the first half of 2013 there was recorded the second biggest FDI inflow to the Philippines among ASEAN countries (Malinao, 2013). Escribano, A., Guasch, J., de Orte, M., & Pena, J. (2009). Investment Climate Assessment in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand: Results from Pooling Firm-Level Data.  Singapore Economic Review,  54(3),

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Brother Sebastian in the novel Lamb Essay Example for Free

Brother Sebastian in the novel Lamb Essay In the novel Lamb by Bernard Mac Laverty, written in 1976, I cannot but feel sympathetic towards the main character Brother Sebastian (Michael Lamb). I feel that he was a victim of circumstances. He was brought up in a farm in Ballycastle where he was taught by his father to put animals who were suffering out of their misery. In the novel Mac Laverty describes how his father had pulled chickens necks so fast and expertly that they never felt a thing. To Sebastian Owen Kane was just like an animal with no future and the most humane thing to do was put him out of his misery. Throughout this novel there is a recurring theme of a father and son relationship. The killing was ritualistic as Sebastians religious beliefs would have meant that he believed that the boy was going to eternal happiness with God in heaven. It was motivated by love. It would be a pure. Of this he was sure. From the much protected environment with his mother and father on the farm he entered the Irish Christian Brothers the year he was due to leave school which would have been about sixteen. In the Brotherhood he had no real adult life as he was restricted by the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. When the novel opens Sebastian is a wood work teacher in a Home (which is situated in the south of Ireland Galway) for delinquent boys, which was run by a sadistic, cruel Brother called Brother Benedict. The relationship between the two men was hostile as Benedict was an academic snob who looked down on Sebastian for his lack of formal education. He uses the simile and the metaphor: A man with one language is like a man with one eye. I myself have four good eyes and a few lesser ones which could be polished up Both Brother Sebastian and Benedict disagreed with each other on how to discipline the boys in the Home. Benedicts attitude was If they do not conform we thrash them. We teach them a little of God and a lot of fear. He criticised Sebastian for his Soft centred self centred idealism. Owen Kane was put into the Home by his mother for always mitching school. Owen suffered from epilepsy and was the youngest boy in the Home. It is true that Owen had been put away because he had continually mitched school and had run away from home frequently the Gardai had been informed on four occasions at least. God knows how many times they had not been informed. His father would beat him often: When he came home he would get drunk and whip Owen with whatever came into hand. His mother would often be absent from his company but he preferred all that than living in the Home. He had a neutral/positive relationship with Sebastian and a negative relationship with Benedict. Owen Kane and Sebastian both have the same views on the Home. In the novel Brother Sebastian father dies and he is left a sum of money from the farm in which his father owned. Brother Benedict is lecturing about Obedience Obedience, Brother, is a very rare virtue and with no doubt wants Brother Sebastian to stay so the Brotherhood gets the money. From the novel we get the Atmosphere of what the Home was like The walls were painted throughout a pale hospital green and The place was scrubbed and clean and dead Like a corpse. First instinctive impressions of the Home are lifeless cold miserable and absolutely unpleasant which do not relate to a home at all. Bernard McLaverty uses his scenes to describe the Home and they have a similar description of a hospital The air was full of disinfectant and polish. The surrounding environment of outside the Home gives a bizarre welcome to inmates. Surrounding the whole complex was a high wire fence that screamed and whistled in the constant wind from the sea A great use of personification is used in this quote and it works to make you feel anything but nice feelings, it makes you feel the Home is more like a Prison and the boys were not there to be reformed but there for Punishment. At the beginning of this novel I admire Sebastian for being nice to the inmates and especially to Owen who is the youngest of the boys in the Home, suffers from epilepsy and experienced a hard life with his parents. I feel sympathetic for Owen Kane as I believe he wasnt given the opportunity at life before he was entered the Home. Benedict gets all my negatives as I see him for more evil than good. He is a bully to Sebastian, Owen and all the other boys. Brother Sebastian wants to leave because he doesnt believe in by Benedicts duct rue of Kill and cure. He plans to run away and decides to take Owen with him. I believe Sebastian wanted to take Owen with him because he had sympathy for Owen and wanted him to have a better chance at life and he thought he could provide in the manner of a father and son relation Personally I think this was the best decision to make for Owen and him self as both of them were miserable and living in the Home seemed like a dead end, an everlasting punishment to both of them. He is given the chance to abandon the Home when he receives the money from his fathers farm. With free will Owen agreed to leave.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Reasons for European Exploration to the Americas Essay Example for Free

Reasons for European Exploration to the Americas Essay There were many reasons for European exploration. As Europes demand for Eastern goods grew Europeans began to search for new trading routes to reduce the expenses. Another reason for exploration was the arrival of Marco Polo. When he returned from China, he came back with stories of the East. In addition, each empire wanted to expand its empire and acquire colonies and gold in order to fulfill the imperialism principle, which stated that a strong empire must have the most bullion or silver. Moreover, Europeans also set off to explore the land in order to spread Catholicism. In other words, God, gold, and glory stated and summarized the Europeans motives for exploration. The Portuguese and Spanish empires were one of the first to start exploring the New World. The Portuguese exploration was one of the first European explorations. The Portuguese started sending voyages to find new trading routes. The Portuguese also established trading posts along the African shore for the purchase of gold and slaves. The Portuguese established plantations on the African coastal islands of Madeira, the Canaries, Sao Tome, and Principe. The Portuguese pushed farther southward in search of the water route to Asia. DÃ ­as was the first to get to the southernmost tip of the African continent in 1488. Ten years afterwards Vasco da Gama reached India, making him the first to first to find a route to India by going around the tip of Africa or the Cape of Good Hope. Other Portuguese explorers included Magellan, who was the first to sail around the world. At the end, Portugal discovered an eastern route to India that doubled the Cape of Good Hope. Since the Portuguese set trading post and controlled the only trade route then, the Spanish set out to find their own trade route. Because the Portuguese controlled the eastward route, Columbus believed that it was possible to reach the Spice Islands by heading westward since the Earth was round. Columbus persuaded the Spanish king and queen and they granted him three ships. Heading westward, Columbus discovered a New World. He discovered the Caribbean Islands and then the Americas, but he thought he reached the Indies. This was the greatest accomplishment or rather the best failure in the Spanish exploration. The news of a New World spread like a forest fire throughout Europe and the race for colonies between Portugal and Spain began. Each country started to conquer the ancient civilizations and exploit the continents raw material; this often caused disputes over colonies and territories. In order to end disputes, Spain and Portugal formed the Treaty of Tordesillas. This treaty divided South America into two vertical divisions; the lion share went to Spain, but the Portugal received compensating territory in Africa and Asia, as well as the title to lands that one day would be Brazil. The Americas after 1492 would never be the same. In conclusion, the Portuguese exploration found a new route around the southern African tip. The Spanish exploration found the New World, which was considered a new source of raw material. After the discovery of the New World, the Spanish and Portugal raced to establish new colonies; the New World would never then be the same after 1492. www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/exage.htmAmerican Pagent 13e

Friday, September 20, 2019

Effect Of The Multiculturalism In Europe Politics Essay

Effect Of The Multiculturalism In Europe Politics Essay The establishment of nation-state political systems has always recognized the need for coherence between different cultures and the definition of a nation as territorially united groups. However, cultural differences pose a major threat to the continued unity of many European nation-states. The political demand for acknowledgement of cultural plurality by groups of citizens, especially those who consider themselves to be minorities culturally or ethnically, has grown due to increased interest in multiculturalism in recent years. When analyzed at both scholarly and public levels, the growth of demand for governments to recognize multiculturalism stems from two origins. The first one is based on liberal theories that perceive multiculturalism as a way of protecting individual and cultural rights through the recognition of cultural and ethnic plurality. Social and political agitators of pluralism seek to retain the definition of cultures as closed units and still hope to use the concept of cultural differences as to find solutions to inequalities both politically and socially. The second one is the origin of multiculturalism based on cultural relativism which is a liberal concept that proposes that nation-states have long ignored the fact that cultures are comprised of multiple relations that go beyond political boundaries and are intended to co-exist side by side.  [1]   However with the current rise in terrorism, decreasing relevance in civic and national identity, and the likelihood of some cultural practices being against the principles of liberal states, multiculturalism has become redundant. Liberal governments of the west are gradually finding themselves unable to keep on recognizing and upholding multiculturalism especially in concepts that call for special treatment for minorities and still retain equality for all citizens. The question is why has accommodation of multiculturalism in Europe changed over the past 20 years? Addressing the dilemma of implementing equality in pluri-cultural societies of liberal nation states of Europe, this paper argues and elaborates how multiculturalism become redundant by the liberal democratic western states. Definition of Multiculturalism In political philosophy, multiculturalism is a concept that basically addresses the most appropriate way of responding to diversity in culture and religion within the society. Multiculturalism goes beyond the simple act of tolerating group differences and seeks for the treatment of minority groups as citizens on an equal level with the majority group by recognizing and positively accommodating cultural or traditional differences through the recognition of group-differentiated rights (Kymlicka, 1995). These group-differentiated rights are espoused by minority groups for example people who are exempted from certain rules or laws due to their cultural or religious beliefs or those seeking for language accommodations in public institutions like schools or voting procedures.  [2]  The group-differentiated rights are also sought by indigenous groups or minority nations for the sake of self determination. This is parallel to nationalism. In its precise definition, multiculturalism is an umbrella term that involves moral and political recognition of disadvantaged and frequently discriminated groups like African Americans in the United States, women worldwide, and other groups like gays, and the disabled. However, multiculturalism theorists have always emphasized on immigrants of a country who make up ethnic or religious minorities because of their differences. Some examples of such groups include Muslims in most Western Europe countries and minority nations in some European countries like the Catalans, Romans and the Basque in Spain. Young (1990) identifies three aspects associated with multiculturalism. These are identity, difference, and recognition politics aimed at bringing back value to formerly disrespected identities and altering patterns of representation and communication that had previously marginalized minority groups.  [3]  The concept has also a lot to do with economic interests besides political motives. It is a platform used to remedy political and economic injustices that people claim to have suffered because they belong to a minority status. Blum (1992) differentiates antiracism and multiculturalism by stating that the former deals with victimization and resistance and the latter deals with cultural life, cultural expression, achievements, and the like (Blum, 1992, p. 14)  [4]  . Some of the accommodations sought by multiculturalists include exemptions from certain laws on religious grounds, special treatment in issues that the majority do unassisted, funding for language schools and associations, special quotas of representation in government bodies, recognition of their cultural codes and practices in the legal system, and some form of self government rights. Inability of the Liberal Democratic Western States to Recognize Multiculturalism Parvin (2009) gives a concise description of debate on multiculturalism and minority rights that begun in the 1990s and how this debate continues to raise important questions in matters concerning the role of the liberal states in citizenship and community.  [5]  From the 1970 to early 1990 was a period when many academics and public opinion drivers gave full support to multiculturalism as the way forward towards a more cohesive and tolerant Europe. It was a period when philosophical literature had gradually become multiculturalist as most of the western European states adopted multiculturalism in an attempt to include minority marginalized groups into the mainstream liberal culture. Multiculturalism was also seen as the only way to protect minority groups from undue pressures of the dominant cultures. As is expected with such philosophical movements that later become political issues, multiculturalism became a liberal political theory and is gradually losing recognition in most European governments. The causes of the waning recognition of multiculturalism by western European states range from crucial ambiguities associated with preferential treatment of minorities to extremist threats to security occasioned by terrorist activities perpetrated under the appearance of multiculturalism. The emergence of terrorist atrocities globally, increased anxieties over the decreased popularity of civic and national identities, and the potential for cultural recognition to pave way for practices that go against liberal principles have made many academics and policy makers to steer clear from everything associated with multiculturalism. It has now become apparent that most liberal European governments do not want to offer special treatment to cultural minorities. The emphasis has been shifted to promoting common bonds that unite rather than divide citizens of democratic states. This argument can best be understood through an analysis of philosophical literature about multiculturalism and the ch anges taking place in the political landscape in most European countries (Parvin, 2009)  [6]  . The rise in cases of terrorism, decreasing relevance in civic and national identity, and the likelihood of some cultural practices being against the principles of liberal states, have made multiculturalism redundant. Liberal governments of the west are gradually finding themselves unable to keep on recognizing and upholding multiculturalism especially in concepts that call for special treatment for minorities and still retain equality for all citizens.  [7]   There was a time when multiculturalism made sense in liberal democracies the world over. There was a mutual agreement between those involved in matters of liberal traditions on how a united Europe, and the whole world by extension, was supposed to look like and how it would best be politically portrayed. It was imperative to acknowledge the fact that every individual possessed the right to live a meaningful and appreciated life, have the freedom of expression, and be free from constraints of belief and activities imposed by other members of the society from the majority groups. It was also important to mutually agree that no group could claim to be morally significant or commanding more respect than others. The state was expected to uphold and protect the constitutional and legal rights of every member of the society and to ensure that all were treated justly. There was a broad consensus among libertarians and even liberal egalitarians on the importance of respecting individual freed om and equality. The aim was to make the world as free as possible from governmental interventions and impositions. The emergence of communism changed the way multiculturalism was perceived in liberal democratic states of the west. The impact of communism on multiculturalism can be traced to social theory theorists like Charles Taylor who came up with social thesis as a critique of liberal political theory.  [8]  Conservative thinkers on the other hand foresaw a break up of national unity and took steps to differentiate between the pursuit of self-respect through isolated individual cases and as minority groups bearing distinct identities. The conservative thinkers were of the opinion that the need for self respect should not be an individual pursuit but it should rather be a pursue for ties that bind the society together. Individualistic concerns were perceived as an impoverished conception of freedom (Parvin, 2009, p. 352)  [9]  . The debate over group versus individual recognition has become a major concern for political theorists and liberal thinkers as well. The importance of groups is seen in the role they play in shaping peoples identity and political affiliation. There have also been deliberative democrats, including Amy Gutmann and Joshua Cohen who propose that group diversity be accepted through a continuous process of deliberating over the policies and institutions that address citizen rights.  [10]   Minorities in most of Europe are declaring their position, and what was sparked off by a need for recognition by the Jewish community has generally spread to other groups which are marginalized because of their lifestyle, race or gender. The themes of the threats posed by the intense debate on mutliculuralism are worrying the majority populations in Europe. The main aim of policy over most of the last centuries have been to assert the position of the majority and their dominion over the minority groups. This segregation is worrying at the least and the culture of victimization is the main reason why the struggle for equality and multiculturalism is so powerful. The dying sentiment about multiculturalism in Europe is best exemplified by French President Nicholas Sarkozys expulsion of Romanian immigrants which was against the EU laws because Romania is an EU member. The action would have warranted the need to take action against Sarkozy but the EU simply turned a blind eye and did nothing. This implied that even the EU feels that the liberal states have reached a point where they can not afford to keep on giving special attention to minority groups in their countries. Modern philosophers so far agree on the fact that multiculturalism and political correctness are important elements in a liberal democracy. Just like the American Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, equality, and pursuit of happiness, the European Court of Human Rights forbids elected governments from interfering with principles aimed at bringing about progress to the citizens. Sarkozys expulsion of Romanian immigrants, and the EUs failure to take action, however shows the decreasing popularity of the European Court of Human Rights. This is mainly because of the dying appeal of advanced elite values that are unworkable. Most people would prefer to be their own judges of what is right and what is wrong. Politically correct liberal consensus is seen as naive and Marxist. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders who heads the Dutch Nationalist party is known for calling on the government to evict Muslims because, as he alleges, they are destroying the country just on the basis of naive decrees from the European Court of Human Rights.  [11]   Liberal democratic nation-states of the west can longer afford multiculturalism when they address the question about how far they can continue to accommodate immigrants who do not make any attempts to accept their host countrys principles. In most European countries the reluctance of immigrants to weave into the social fabric by adopting the progressive principles poses a threat of disintegrating the society. The situation is even made worse when these immigrants go ahead to agitate for recognition of their cultures at the expense of progress. However governments in European countries are obligated to accept and integrate immigrants who come with different cultural principles and religions.  [12]   When equality is promised to immigrants it leads to a situation where they create resistance whenever they are excluded from welfare policies. This is because the immigrants perceive democratic values as a guarantee for equal representation in decision making processes. The problem comes in when this equality is not well defined leading to a situation where the demands for equality surpass democratic principles. The issue of multiculturalism is most clearly explained using Frasers analogy that the struggle for recognition and the spread of the resources as two mutually interconnected but distinct and irreducible paradigms of justice (Fraser 200, p.125)  [13]  . The two issues focus on two different things. Governments in most liberal nation states of the west today perceive the adoption of multiculturalism as an obstacle to their concerted efforts of forming universal standards of co-existence and integration with different cultures. This makes multiculturalism difficult to maintain in view of the fact nation states are formed and expect to maintain a single dominant culture. The contradicting positions that result from this debate have been developing over the years to an extent that most liberal nation states in Europe are opting to adopt a stand based on moral evaluation of cultural groups rather than cultural equity within a society. The question of cultural identity and recognition has become more complex as nation states start regarding and evaluating moral values of cultures they are supposed to accommodate. The only solution lies in addressing the issue without overemphasizing the importance of one culture over another and by concentrating on how different cultures can be integrated into the current social and public movements. Acceptances of Multiculturalism Most theorists agree on the fact that transnational migrations are gradually eroding the cultural composition of nation-states in the form of citizenship. Rights are being pursued on residency status rather than on citizenship making the distinction between citizen and alien statuses quite unclear. Primarily this is an issue with migrant, or in a politically correct name, guest workers in most liberal democratic countries of Western Europe. This is the first group that agitates for acceptance of multiculturalism. They were originally recruited during the labor shortages of the 1950s that stretched to the 1970s. Their descendants have continued to grow in population in Western Europe over the years even after the recruitment of guest laborers ceased. The termination of recruitment was occasioned by the 1973 oil crisis.  [14]  They have become permanent residents together with their spouses and children. Most of them have never sought for citizenship mainly because they have the sa me civil and social rights as the citizens of these countries and hence consider naturalization processes as a waste of time. They however lack political rights like full citizens. Blum (1992) differentiates antiracism and multiculturalism by stating that the former deals with victimization and resistance and the latter deals with cultural life, cultural expression, achievements, and the like (Blum, 1992, p. 14)  [15]  . Some of the accommodations sought by multiculturalists include exemptions from certain laws on religious grounds, preferential treatment in issues that the majority do unassisted, funding for language schools and associations, special quotas of representation in government bodies, recognition of their cultural codes and practices in the legal system, and some form of self government rights. The other group that supports multiculturalism is those who propose that the noncitizens deserve to be given those rights because they are entitled to universal rights of personhood as stipulated by the international human rights conventions. Proponents of multiculturalism further propose that these rights have a supremacy over national citizenship. Rights increasingly assume universality, legal uniformity, and abstractness, and are defined at the global level. Identities, in contrast, still express particularity and are conceived of as territorially bounded. As an identity, national citizenship . . . still prevails. But in terms of its translation into rights and privileges, it is no longer a significant construction (Soysal 1998, p. 208)  [16]  . Challenge of multiculturalism of citizenship on liberal democratic nation-states Multiculturalism poses a challenge to nation-states basically because of the fact that transnational migrations are gradually eroding the cultural composition of nation-states in the form of citizenship. Rights are being pursued on residency status rather than on citizenship making the distinction between citizen and alien statuses quite unclear. Multiculturalism goes against the foundation of nation-states of the west since most of them were formed by a single dominant culture and expect to maintain this status in order to effectively compete with other states. The contradicting positions that result from this debate have been developing over the years to an extent that most liberal nation states in Europe are opting to adopt a stand based on moral evaluation of cultural groups rather than cultural equity within a society.  [17]   When immigrants take collective action they end up eroding and transcending the nation-state boundaries. This happens against the background of advances in technology, international communication and means of travel which make it possible for immigrants to stay in touch with their homelands. Soysal (1998) sums the effects of transnational migration by stating that: In a world within which rights, and identities as rights, derive their legitimacy from discourses of universalistic personhood, the limits of nationness, or of national citizenship, for that matter, become inventively irrelevant (p. 210-211)  [18]  . . EU and the acceptance of multiculturalism The way forward in the acceptance of multiculturalism in Europe is in negotiating and transcending cultural differences politically. The current scenario is best described by Modood Werbner (1997) who state that the political theatre in which these cultural, ethnic, national and ideological differences must be negotiated is that of the so-called New Europe, a mass of land delimited by cultural and historical enmities and exclusions, frequently of the most barbaric kind (p. 261)  [19]  . Such an analysis is made necessary because, as Modood (1995) state: Critics of multiculturalism have argued à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that the culture of multiculturalism is not the vital, gradually changing, creative, mimetic, unreflective, unbounded and hybrid culture that anthropologists study. It is a far more reified and politicised imagined entity, the object of representation by elected and self-appointed group spokespersons who stress its inviolability as a sacred domain of collective sovereignty. This assumption is what makes the negotiation of difference so difficult: finding common cultural and political grounds requires the pooling not only of political but also of cultural sovereignty, embodied in public respect for the symbols and values of the other, the incoming stranger with the promotion of anti-racism a central goal (p. 262)  [20]  . The growth of multiculturalism in Western Europe has not gone unchallenged. Most governments have taken steps to check on the development multiculturalism lest it seriously challenges the prerogatives of the nation states. However there is still more to be done especially on the common EU policies on migration and ethnic relations. These EU policies should be well coordinated with those of member states to oversee the necessary restrictions. A good example is the 1995 Schengen Accord that brought about a well coordinated system of implementing stricter controls on illegal immigrations. The 1992 Maastricht Treaty created a common system that could be used to give European citizenship to immigrants from other countries. This treaty offers a control on freedom of movement and the rights of residence in EU member states. Goodwin-Gill (1985) describes these treaties by stating that: Their generality accommodates many shades of opinion, and what really counts is how the scheme of protection is worked out at the local level, particularly with regard to subsidiary rights and procedural guarantees. . . . Even under the European Convention on Human Rights the jurisprudence adopted . . . and the interpretation of civil rights has sanctioned serious limitations upon non nationals entitlement to substantive and procedural due process. Deportation, termination of a residence permit, and the grant or refusal of entry, have all been found by the European Commission not to involve civil rights (p. 566-68)  [21]   It is hard to determine how immigrants and minority dispute a liberated nation and state as it is required by an integrated nationality.  [22]  When comparing this aspect between German and Britain in the early 1990 we find that it is unenthusiastic in the sense that the immigrants and the other cultural minorities challenge as liberated nation. It is clear that the being identified by the nation and state one come from is very important. Being identified by the state and the nation a person comes from is relatively crucial to an individual particularly the immigrants and the cultural minority people. A good example of the minority demands to be identified by their country of origin and location of origin is the Kosovo Albanians in German. Despite being the immigrants and staying in German for many years and acquired the citizenship of the country. Their demand to be identified as natives of their original country still stands. They feel as if they do not belong anywhere that is they cannot be identified as Germans at the same time they are immigrant in Germany. This confusion has attributed to the demands for an allocation of a state where they could identify themselves with. This according to the Albanians will give them a haven to be identified with.  [23]   These particular groups have backing up motives to their claims, for instance the Albanians claims to have an upper hand in the building of Germany. They claim to have a say in the country and therefore the need to be identified not only as immigrants but Kosovo nationality immigrants. By their reorganization, the immigrants will acquire a more legal way to contribute to the building of the inhabited country.  [24]   In German it has been seen that the immigrants have gone to the extent of interfering with the politics of the country. They amount to the biggest group of people who fail to vote in any election. This interference has brought to delays in passing of motions and the general integration of the country. This is one of the factors that has led to failure on growth of many European countries particularly German. Majority of the immigrants and minority cultures contribute little or nothing to the growth of the country yet claim to be recognized. . Conclusion Multiculturalism when taken positively is a good concept as it leads to moral and political recognition of disadvantaged and frequently discriminated groups like African Americans in the United States, women worldwide, and other groups like gays, and the disabled. Europe should continue to accommodate issues of pluri-cultural equality. There will always be challenges in every imaginable form from increase in terrorism to decreased relevance of civic and national identity but the liberal governments of the west should find ways to cope with the demands of multiculturalism instead of closing their doors to other cultures.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Free YGB Essay: Genre and Plot of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

Young Goodman Brown:Â   Genre and Plot Young Goodman Brown is a short story; that is, it is a relatively brief narrative of prose fiction (ranging in length from 500 to 20,000 words) characterized by considerably more unity and compression in all its partstheme, plot, structure, character, setting, moodthan the novel. In the story we are considering, the situation is this: One evening near sunset sometime in the late seventeenth century, Goodman Brown, a young man who has been married only three months, prepares to leave his home in Salem, Massachusetts, and his pretty young bride, Faith, to go into the forest and spend the night on some mission that he will not disclose other than to say that it must be performed between sunset and sunrise. Although Faith has strong forebodings about his journey and pleads with him to postpone it, Brown is adamant and sets off. His business is evil by his own admission; he does not state what it is specifically, but it becomes apparent to the reader that it involves attending a witches' Sabbath in the forest, a remarkable action in view of the picture of Brown, drawn early in the story, as a professing Christian who admonishes his wife to pray and who intends to lead an exemplary life after this one night. The rising action begins when Brown, having left the village, enters the dark, gloomy, and probably haunted forest. He has not gone far before he meets the Devil in the form of a middle-aged, respectable-looking man whom Brown has made a bargain to meet and accompany on his journey. Perhaps the full realization of who his companion is and what the night may hold in store for him now dawns on Brown, for he makes an effort to return to Salem. It is at best a feeble attempt, however, for, though the Devil does not try to detain him, Brown continues walking with him deeper into the forest. As they go, the Devil shocks Goodman Brown by telling him that his [Brown's) ancestors were religious bigots, cruel exploiters, and practitioners of the black art --- in short, fullfledged servants of the Devil. Further, the young man is told that the very pillars of New England society, church, and state are witches (creatures actually in league with the Devil), lechers, blasphemers, and collaborators with the Devil. Indeed, he sees his childhood Sunday School teacher, now a witch, and overhears the voices of his minister and a deacon of his church as they ride past conversing about the diabolical communion service to which both they and he are going.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Progress of Displacement in Mad Dog, Black Boy, and Seventeen Syllables

Progress of Displacement in Mad Dog, Black Boy, and Seventeen Syllables Heinrich Bà ¶ll’s â€Å"The Mad Dog† seems to stress that emotional attachments to human beings can prevent an individual’s separation from society’s orders and execution of possibly violent desires. With the Second World War as its backdrop, the tale realistically depicts the hardship of the time period in which Bà ¶ll has lived. Two other authors who have subtly woven their personal and cultural backgrounds into their fiction are Richard Wright in Black Boy and Hisaye Yamamoto in â€Å"Seventeen Syllables.† Raised in the South or a Japanese-American community on the West Coast, the protagonists in both works experience similar progressions of disconnection from home or society as the Mad Dog does. The narrator in Bà ¶ll’s story is a physician examining the cadaver of the Mad Dog, Theodor Herold. He is accompanied by a chaplain who was with the Mad Dog during the last few hours of his life. The chaplain, who has become emotionally attached to the cadaver, repeats Herold’s life story to the physician. Raised in a hostile environment, â€Å"he never knew† (73) his mother who was a constantly â€Å"abused woman† (73) or his father who was brutal and â€Å"perpetually†(73) intoxicated. An abusive childhood was the first step toward his inevitable negligence of the natural order. In addition, his unusual intelligence and superb achievement in school created excessive arrogance and self-confidence which further led to his â€Å"contempt for all† his patrons]† (74). Then Herold has his first and only taste of love when he meets Becker, a fellow classmate, who supports him financially as they attend university together. This friendship is the only true emotional connection that exists betwee... ...uctive rage, Rosie also experiences this feeling with the Mexican worker, Jesus, as he kisses her for the first time. Although her vulnerability is caused by joy instead of despair, the lack of emotional stability could lead to further mental breakdowns. By and large, Herod, Dick, and Rosie are a trio of exiles, feeling dislocated in what supposedly to be their home or community or country. Works Cited Bà ¶ll, Heinrich. â€Å"Mad Dog.† Mad Dog: Stories. Trans. Breon Mitchell. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1997. 67-85. Wright, Richard. â€Å"Looking for a Job.† Black Boy. The HarperCollins World Reader: The Modern World. Ed. Mary Ann Caws. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers, 1994. 2438-2444. Yamamoto, Hisaye. â€Å"Seventeen Syllables.† The HarperCollins World Reader: The Modern World. Ed. Mary Ann Caws. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers, 1994. 2456-2465.