Ainsworth Strange Situation Studies

Ainsworth Strange Situation Studies The Strange Situation procedure, developed by American psychologist Mary Ainsworth, is widely used in child development research. Much research in psychology has focused on how forms of attachment differ between infants. For example, Schaffer and Emerson (1964) discovered what appeared to be innate differences in sociability in babies; some babies preferred cuddling more than others, from very early on, before much interaction had occurred to cause such differences. It’s easy enough to know when you are attached to someone because you know how you feel when you are apart from that person, and, being an adult, you can put your feelings into words and describe how it feels. However, most attachment research is carried out using infants and young children, so psychologists have to devise subtle ways of researching attachment, involving the observational method. Using the Strange Situation procedure, many researchers have studied the development of child attachment to the mother and other caregivers. However, there continues to be much debate about the origins of the child's reaction in the Strange Situation, and about what factors influence the development of an infant's attachment relationships. The security of attachment in one- to two-year-olds was investigated by Ainsworth and Bell (1970) in the ‘_strange situation_' study, in order to determine the nature of attachment behaviours and types of attachment. Ainsworth (1970) developed an experimental procedure in order to observe the variety of attachment forms exhibited between caregivers and infants. The experiment is set up in a small room with one way glass so the behaviour of the infant can be observed. Infants were aged between 12 and 18 months. The sample comprised about 100 middle class American families. The procedure, known as the ‘_Strange Situation_’, was conducted by observing the behaviour of the caregiver and the infant in a series of seven 3-minute episodes, as follows: (1) Parent and infant alone. (2) Stranger joins parent and infant. (3) Parent leaves infant and stranger alone. (4) Parent returns and stranger leaves. (5) Parent leaves; infant left completely alone. 6) Stranger returns. (7) Parent returns and stranger leaves. Psychologist Mary Ainsworth devised an assessment technique called the Strange Situation Classification (SSC) in order to investigate how attachments might vary between children. The goal of the Strange Situation procedure was to provide an environment that would arouse in the infant both the motivation to explore and the urge to seek security. An observer (often a researcher or therapist) takes a mother and her child (usually around the age of 12 months) to an unfamiliar room containing toys. A series of eight separations and reunions are staged involving mild, but cumulative, stress for the infant. Separation in such an unfamiliar setting would also likely activate the child's attachmentsystem and allow for a direct test of its functioning. Although no single behaviour can be used to assess the quality of the infant's attachment to the caregiver, the pattern of the infant's responses to the changing situation is of interest to psychologists. The validation of the procedure and its scoring method were grounded in the naturalistic observation of the child's exploration, crying, and proximity-seeking in the home. Ainsworth's research revealed key individual differences among children, demonstrated by the child's reaction to the mother's return. Ainsworth categorised these responses into three major types: Anxious/avoidant—the child may not be distressed at the mother's departure and may avoid or turn away from her on her return; Securely attached—the child is distressed by the mother's departure and easily soothed by her on her return; Anxious/resistant—the child may stay extremely close to the mother during the first few minutes and become highly distressed at her departure. When she returns, the child will simultaneously seek both comfort and distance from the mother. The child's behaviour will be characterised by crying and reaching to be held and then attempting to leave once picked up. Strengths The strange situation classification has become the accepted methodology worldwide for measuring attachment (re: Van Ijzendoorn and Kroonenberg, 1988) Ainsworth, M. Infancy in Uganda: Infant Care and the Growth of Love. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1967. Periodicals Spock, Benjamin. â€Å"Mommy, Don't Go! † Parenting 10, June-July 1996, pp. 86+. Weaknesses In addition, some research has shown that the same child may show different attachment behaviours on different occasions. Children's attachments may change, perhaps because of changes in the child's circumstances, so a securely attached child may appear insecurely attached if the mother becomes ill or the family circumstances change. The strange situation has also been criticised on ethica grounds. Because the child is put under stress (separation and stranger anxiety), the study has broken the ethical guideline protection of participants. The sample is biased -100 middle class American families. Therefore, it is difficult to generalise the findings outside of America and to working class families. Finally, the observational study has been criticised for having low ecological validity. Because the child is place in a strange and artificial environment, due to the the procedure of the mother and stranger following a predetermined script.

‘Of Mice and Men’ by john Steinbeck and ‘The Withered Arm’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

Points of comparison between ‘Of Mice and Men’ by john Steinbeck and ‘The Withered Arm’ by Thomas Hardy. Include social and historical context, setting, plot, characters, theme and language. ‘The Withered Arm’ written by Thomas Hardy and ‘Of Mice and Men’ written by John Steinbeck have many differences in their social and historical background but similarities can be seen between the two. Of Mice and Men’ is set in Soledad, California during America’s great depression in the 1930’s. Transport was very different then, most people travelled around on foot or by horseback. There were busses but very few of them and if you were a couple of ‘bindle stiffs’ like George and Lennie you never got a full ride or taken to where you wanted to go. A train were available but for people like George and Lennie hiding in boxcars and riding for free was more common. As it was during the great depression many business es went bankrupt and many people lost their jobs. This was the reason that many people, including George and Lennie, travelled around so much looking for work. Work was mostly found on farms and ranches but pay was very little. Wages were $50 per month with food and accommodation included. However the accommodation was very basic, they were communal bunkhouses so George and Lennie and anyone else had little privacy. Jobs on the ranch weren’t that glamorous either, ‘barley bucking’ was the most common then there were skinners, stable bucks and swappers. There were few employment rights and no job security because as soon as a job was finished workers were just dropped and had to move on to find other jobs in other places. Even through all the work there was plenty of entertainment. Betting and gambling were very popular, any chance they had to play a game of horse shoes or a game of cards they would more than likely always have a bet on each game. When they had enough money they would go into the local town for a couple of drinks in ‘cat houses’. Punishment for any crime committed was severe, but there was no real law. It was normal for just anyone to take the law in to their own hands, as shown in the story when Lennie killed Curley’s wife and Curley went out to shoot Lennie and it wouldn’t matter, † ‘ I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself’ † ‘The Withered Arm’ is set in holmstoke in Wessex in the mid 1800’s. Holmstoke is a very isolated little village and is only joined to Anglebury, a near town, by a cart track. Transport back then was even more primitive than in ‘Of Mice and Men’. People mostly travelled by foot and by horse and cart along dirt tracks, as there were no proper roads. Pretty much everyone was labouring class as the only jobs really available were on farms an d land. Dairy and animal farming was very popular. The farms were owned by wealthier farmers that employed the local people to do the farming and dairy work. The wages were 37p per week, which just like in ‘Of Mice and Men’ is very little. The women did the milking in the dairies and cider making and the men did the harvesting, just like in ‘Of Mice and Men’, cropping and wood cutting but just like in ‘Of Mice and Men’ there was little job security and hardly any employment rights. Entertainment was still a big part of people’s lives. The farmers had house gatherings and even back in the 1800’s drinking was still popular as in ‘Of Mice and Men’. Local bands were often booked for traditional dances and festivals. They celebrated Christmas with little plays from house to house. You could also go and see a hanging when there was one and purchase a part of the rope used. Punishments for even little crimes like theft could be punishable by death. There were almost no legal rights for anyone in the labouring class and if u were just thought to be guilty of a crime you could still be hanged for it and you weren’t given a chance to prove yourself innocent. The settings for these two stories are quite similar even though both are set in different countries and years apart. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ a vision of the place is clearly described. It is set on a rural farm that ‘bucks barley’. The local town is Soledad where the men found some of their entertainment. Steinbeck makes the setting sound very bare and lonely and portrays the idea that the farm is cut off and very much on its own very well. The valley is described well and is described as open and free, â€Å"On one side of the river the golden foot hill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilian Mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees†. There is a ‘brush’ in this story, which Steinbeck mentions clearly, â€Å"The sycamore leaves turned up their silversides, the brown, dry leaves on the ground scudded a few feet†. Farming is a big part in each story as well, even though the farms themselves are different , the different types of countrysides are both described well by each other in their own well. In ‘The Withered Arm’ a clear description of it’s setting is also given. This story is also set in and around farmland but this farm is a dairy farm unlike the one in ‘Of Mice and Men’. The setting in this story however is much greener with more of a typical English countryside. It is set just outside of Holmstoke and is surrounded by Egdon Heath, which is described as barren moorland, â€Å"their course lay apart from the others to a lonely spot high above the water-meads and not far from the border of Egdon Heath, whose dark countenance was visible in the distance†. This makes the place sound very cut off and lonely just as in ‘Of Mice and Men’. In ‘The Withered Arm’ dairy farming dominates and is the main way of working and living just like in ‘Of Mice and Men’ where crop farming is the main way of working and living. In each of the stories there are similarities in the plots. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ Lennie and George are two incomers to the farm where the story is based. They are wor kers that travel around to find work in different places and to gat some money. They arrive just down the road from the farm as the bus driver refuses to drive them any further. They are there to work as ‘barley buckers’ which is pretty much the lowest rank of worker. Their welcome to the farm from the other workers wasn’t that pleasant because to them Lennie and George were just another pair of passers by. When they first arrived all they got was a † ‘ The boss was expectin’ you last night’ † The other workers were a bit curious about George and Lennie because normally men travel around on their own so they thought there was something suspicious going off between them,† ‘say-what you sellin’?’ † In ‘Of Mice and Men’ Curley’s hand gets broken. Curley provokes Lennie and starts hitting him, Lennie is really very gentle but he grabs hold of Curley’s hand and squeezes it until he ends up breaking every bone, † Looks to me like ever’ bone in his han’ is bust†. Also in both stories there is an unhappy marriage. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ the unhappy marriage is the marriage of Curley and his wife. She’s thought of so little that she isn’t even given a name. She tells Lennie how she only married Curley on the rebound to get away from her mother, † Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself, an’ where they stole your letters. So I married Curley. Met him out to the Riverside Dance Palace that same night† Curley doesn’t seem to pay that much attention to her or care about her, as he doesn’t hesitate to go to the ‘cat house’ in town with all the guys and leave her on her own. In ‘The Withered Arm’ the incomer in this story is Gertrude. She enters the story as Farmer Lodges new wife. Unlike Lennie and George, Gertrude enters the story at the top of the social scale. However, like George and Lennie she also doesn’t receive the friendliest of welcomes and all the villages are very curious about her on her arrival, † ‘Well, did you see her?’ â€Å". In ‘The Withered Arm’ there is also an injury but this one is very different to the one in ‘Of Mice and Men’. This injury has a strange, paranormal meaning to it as the dream Rhoda had about hitting Gertrude’s arm mysteriously comes true when a hand mark appears on her arm and it starts to wither, â€Å"She uncovered her left arm, and their outline confronted Rhoda’s gaze as the exact original of the limb she had beheld and seized in her dream†. In this story there is also an unhappy marriage of Gertrude and Farmer Lodge. At the beginning of the story they seem like a happy couple in love but he only really sees her as is pretty girl to go on his arm, â€Å"you must expect to be stared at just at first, my pretty Gertrude†. When Gertrude becomes marked and her arm begins to wither, Farmer Lodge begins to loose interest. As Gertrude becomes imperfect the marriage begins to fall apart, â€Å"‘six years off marriage and only a few months of love’ † The female characters in both stories have many differences through how they live but some similarities can be made between the three. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ the female character is Curley’s wife. She is described as young and pretty but she hates the life she’s got with Curley on the farm. She had dreams of living a life a luxury and being put it the ‘pitchers’, † ‘Well a show come through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show’ â€Å". Women were pretty much at the bottom of the social scale compared to men so Curley treated her like she belonged to him, Steinbeck show this in the story by not giving her a name and just referring to her as Curley’s wife. Curley goes off in to town with the other guys in to the ‘cat house’ withou t giving his wife any consideration. In ‘The Withered Arm’ there are two female characters, Gertrude Lodge and Rhoda Brook. Rhoda is a dairymaid on Farmer Lodges farm and just like Curley’s wife has been treated badly by a man. Rhoda had once bin the lover of Farmer Lodge and accidentally got pregnant, because of this Farmer Lodge ended it and left her to bring up their son on her own with no help. He tries to ignore her and his own son and tries to pretend he doesn’t really know who they are. When he sees his son he discards him as just another villager, † ‘I think he lives with his mother a mile or two off’ † the way Rhoda was treated by Farmer Lodge shows that she was just being used and treated like an object and not properly respected like she should be, this is just like how Curley treated his wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’. Gertrude Lodge is Farmer Lodges new wife. He is very proud of her in a way at the beginning because she is young and beautiful. However all this does change, when Gertrude’s arm begins wither and she become imperfect, Farmer Lodge slowly begins to loose interest. In this way she is also treated badly by a man like Curley’s wife and Rhoda Brook were. Farmer Lodge got to think very little of Gertrude, as she never gave him a child along with her disfigurement, he grew to not love her just because of they way she looked. In both stories all the women were treated very unfairly by men and can relate to one another by how badly they were treated by men. Each stories has different themes but the two main themes in these stories are friendship and loneliness. In ‘Of Mice and Men’, Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife are the three main lonely ones. These three are considered at the bottom of the social scale. Candy is lonely because he is old and only has one hand, Crooks is lonely because he also has a disability and he is black and black people weren’t thought of very highly because of the colour of their skin and Curley’s wife is lonely because she is female and women were considered to be second class to men, she is only seen as Curley’s wife and not her own individual person. All three are lonely because they’re all different or have a disability in some way. The idea of loneliness is also expressed through the things Steinbeck writes about. When George is in the bunkhouse playing cards, â€Å"his solitaire hand† is mentioned, solitaire a game played on your own so this shows George’s loneliness. Also the local town is called Soledad and ‘sole’ is also expressing the loneliness of the story. The main and strongest friendship in ‘Of Mice and Men’ is the friendship of Lennie and George. When the Great Depression hit America men travelled around on their own looking for work but Lennie and George travel together. George and Lennie have been friends for years and Lennie is ‘simple’ so needs looking after, George is the one to do this, he looks after Lennie the best he can and cares for him. From some of things George says you can tell that he does care about him. â€Å"Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard!† is said in a kind of sarcastic way and shows that George does like Lennie and cares for him but try’s not to show it. In ‘The Withered Arm’ Gertrude is the lonely one. She is lonely because she has come into the story and enters Holmstoke as a complete stranger and doesn’t know anyone. She finds herself very much alone after her arm starts to wither and her husband beings to loose interest in her and ignore her. Just like Candy and Crooks in ‘Of Mice of Men’ one of the reasons she feels loneliness is because of a disability or injury. The main friendship in ‘The Withered Arm’ is the friendship of Rhoda and Gertrude. This friendship is very different to the one of Lennie and George in ‘Of Mice and Men’. At first Rhoda didn’t like Gertrude just because she married Farmer Lodge and then Rhoda has her strange dream. When Rhoda meets Gertrude she sees how nice she is and then she finds out about Gertrude’s withering arm and realises it’s because of her dream and Rhoda feels guilty. Unlike Lennie and George’s friendship being based on care and love this friendship is partly based on Rhoda’s guilt over disliking Gertrude in the first place. In both stories dialect and slang are used by each writer to give you a more realistic view on each of the characters and the stories. In ‘Of Mice and Men’ the slang and dialect used could be quite hard to understand. In 1930’s California the speech is a very old American accent. Steinbeck used this in his story to convey a more realistic picture of the characters and how they spoke. † ‘She slang her pups last night,’ † said slim, simply means that she gave birth last night to her new puppies. † †Cause I can jus’ as well go away, George, an’ live in a cave’ â€Å", Simply means ‘of course, I can just go away and live in a cave’. † ‘We’ll take ‘um into Soledad an’ get ‘um fixed up’ â€Å", all ‘um means is him, and the ‘d’ is misses off of ‘and’. Using the actually dialect and slang makes the story sound more real and to try and give you more of an idea about what each character is like. In ‘The Withered Arm’ Hardy also uses slang and dialect to bring his characters to life and make them sound more realistic through the way they speak. Nineteenth century ‘Wessex’ has a very different dia lect to ‘Of Mice and Men’. † ‘He do bring his bride home tomorrow’ â€Å", almost doesn’t make sense but it just mean that ‘he will bring his bride home’. † ‘Ah- ’tis all a-scram’ â€Å", just means that ‘it is all shrivelled up’. The dialect in this story also has completely different word for things like ‘chimmer’ means bedroom and ‘fancied’ means imagined. Hardy uses all this language to make his story and characters more believable and to give the effect of the place it’s set in. Out of these two stories I preferred ‘Of Mice and Men’ by john Steinbeck. I think that this story has more of a powerful ending than ‘The Withered Arm’. I think that ‘Of Mice and Men’ is more realistic than ‘The Withered Arm’ because in ‘The Withered Arm’ the ending is all tied up neatly and really that’s not like real life. Where as in ‘Of Mice and Men’ it just ends and is left open like it can carry on, just like life really is. â€Å"Curley and Carlson looked after them. And Carlson said, ‘Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?’ â€Å". I think that ‘Of Mice and Men’ has a more interesting plot that keeps your reading till the end unlike ‘The Withered Arm’ that I found got a bit boring.

Avion, Inc. Case Essay

What parts of the supply chain are most closely involved with the situation in this case? What is the responsibility of each part in order to maintain a smooth flow of material? They are Foster Technologies as the supplier, and Avion, Inc. as the buyer. To maintain a smooth flow of material, it is the supplier’s responsibility to comply with the buyer’s requirements and standards, and provide the correct quality and quantity of product and service in a timely manner. On the buyer’s end, responsibilities include: to work internally within organization to determine organizational needs, to develop requirements and standards for the supplier, to select the right supplier, to comply with the supplier’s requirements (making on-time payment etc.), and to overlook the supplier’s performance. What initially appears to be the problem? What really is the problem(s) in this case? The problem initially appears to be lacking of material quality and delayed delivery caused by the poor performance and communication from the supplier, Foster Technologies. The real problem in this case is caused by extremely poor planning, ineffective communication, lack of alternative supplier sources and unsuitable organizational structure within Avion, Inc. How easy is it to switch suppliers? What could complicate a firm’s ability to with to a new supplier? It is not easy to switch supplier at all, especially when a firm has never prepared any alternatives/candidate suppliers. Depending on the type and quantity of products needed, and required delivery time, it might be less easy for a firm to switch. For example, time constraint and/or large demand will significantly narrow down possible suppliers to switch to; and a special product that requires customized machinery or tools in the production process, will also complicate the switch. What does it mean to get to the root cause of a problem? It means to not only to fix the problem at the moment, but also to develop a solution and strategy to prevent the problem in a long run. For this case in particular, it could mean a redesign of the organizational structure of Avion, Inc., changing management and consolidating procurement, production and materials management teams. What does it mean to be a good customer? Why does a buying firm want to be perceived by a supplier as a good  customer? Provide specific examples of what a firm must do to be a good supply chain customer. I think a good customer gives clear and consistent instructions and expectations of the products and service receiving, is active in communicating with the supplier to ensure accurate delivery of the instructions, and comply with the supplier’s requirements. Between suppliers and buyers, credibility goes both ways. Like discussed in class, it is not buyers’ world anymore. There is no longer only competition between suppliers, but also between buyers as well. To be a good supply chain customer, a firm must be making payment on-time and meet any other requirements of the supplier, convey the firm’s wants and needs clearly and consistently to the supplier, and perform measurements on supplier’s performance and maintain an open and consistent communication. Explain the role of performance measurement in managing supply chain activities. Performance measurement in managing supply chain activities is extremely important. 1. The results are fact-based rather than subjective. They are clear and quantifiable, which means they are easy to follow, to evaluate upon, to communicate, and to support an objective decision making. 2. When suppliers know that they are monitored, and what they are monitored upon, it can help them to make better performance. 3. The results can easily be used to compare performance of suppliers. Why can changes within a supply chain disrupt the normal flow of goods and services within a supply chain? Organizations within a supply chain are linked together, and a supply chain is composed of interrelated activities. Goods and service, finance, and information flow in a set direction and sequence. Each step is necessary for the next step to happen. Therefore, any change within a supply chain can affect the normal flow of goods and services. Why might Avion want to reduce the lead times on its purchased materials and components? I think one reason is to reduced the time of cash invested in purchased materials and components, hence to increase Avion’s cash flow. Just as they are a customer to Foster Technologies, there must be customers on the other end of Avion, Inc. that might be demanding after delivery. Why do firms single-source contracts? Single-source contracts can be cost effective. It will be lower cost to  source a high volume of supply from one vendor, rather than source less volume from several vendors. Another benefit of single-source is that, it is easier and requires less resources in maintaining a relationship with a vendor. I assume firms that choose to single-source contracts are usually smaller in size, and they use this way to be conserve resources. Develop an action plan for Avion that addresses the issues presented in this case. Be prepared to fully explain your recommendations. 1. Susan Dey should work with Avion’s production group regarding monthly projected volumes, delivery time frame, and requirements about altering final material release quantities. 2. Bill Mifflin should begin identifying alternative suppliers, in case contract with Foster does not continue. 3. Kevin O’Donnell should work with Foster’s production manager, firstly, to establish a sincere communication; secondly, address issues written in the memos and letters from the production manager and seek solutions; thirdly, discuss about next step to take and future production volume. 4. Avion, Inc. should redesign management and structure within its organization, to prevent similar problems in the future.

Case Study 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study 1 - Research Paper Example These capabilities make windows 7 ultimate preferable as they help safe on time through the hard disk such engines and improve on data security through data encryption. Data security is guaranteed due to the data encryption security feature as only authorized personnel will be able to access the stored data. Additionally, windows 7 ultimate version also supports the multi finger touch-screen technology which allows the resizing of windows therefore improving the user interface and easing the use of the computers at Mr. Green’s business (Pane & Wentworth, 2010). The improved functionalities on data encryption and hard disk search functionalities will be beneficial to Mr. Green’s business in saving on the time consumed and improving on data security. The minimum processor requirements for both the 32 and 64 bit applications of windows 7 ultimate are 1 gigahertz or faster (Pane & Wentworth, 2010). The 32 bit application requires a minimum of 1 gigabyte of Radom Access memo ry while the 64 bit application requires a minimum of 2 gigabyte of Random Access memory. The minimum hard disk space for 32 bit application if 16 gigabytes while the 64 bit application requires 20 gigabytes (Zacker, 2010). The computers at Mr. ... ncryption and search capabilities, it supports direct access remote connectivity and Branch Cache which is a communication tool used for satellite offices (Rathbone, 2009). 2. List and explain the concerns about win 7 ultimate capabilities that Mr. Green should be aware of as his business and network grows There are however various issues and challenges that Mr. Greens business is likely to face as a result of the implementation of the network in his business. One of the main challenges is the security threats. Security has been a major challenge to most small and medium sized businesses, these businesses and faced by internal and external security threats that may even impair the business operations. One of the security challenges in the network is worms and viruses that may affect the network. The viruses and worms may affect all the computers on the network within a very short time. Virus infection is likely to cause loss of erroneous manipulation of data. As a result of the netwo rking, all the computers on the network are prone to virus infection. The viruses are mostly transmitted to the computers via emails and content from the internet. Another security challenge that Mr. Green is likely to face in the business network is the hacking of the network. Business networks are more vulnerable to hackers that are likely to leak or deliberately manipulate the important data about the business. These security challenges are likely to result to expensive costs so as to maintain a secured network. Therefore, Mr. Green will be required to commit various resources to implement security measures on the network. 5. Describe the concerns you have about helping Mr. Green experiment with Windows 7 ultimate without requiring commitment to it The transition from windows 7 home

Sexual Harassment & Sexual Consent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sexual Harassment & Sexual Consent - Essay Example    It has been observed that those people who have certain authority and power usually commit such acts. They know that after doing so they can escape easily which somehow promotes them to do so. The reason why such acts are usually undercover is that the person committing such acts has an idea that what he/she is doing is not ethical and therefore tries his best to keep things undercover. â€Å"It, therefore, becomes critical that employees be made aware of what constitutes sexual harassment and be given the means to end such abuses.† (Parboteah & Cullen, 2013) This can be done through various means. One can hide their identity or if they have to show then they try their best and make sure that the victim does not open his mouth in front of the labor or the masses under any circumstances. Thus â€Å"Sexual harassment is not an exclusively sexual issue but may be an exploitation of a power relationship. Like any other power struggle, many instances of sexual harassment are initiated and negotiated by a person in a position of authority and are sustained at the expense of another who cannot counter demands without risk of reprisal (student teacher vs. student, principal vs. teacher)† (Brandenburg, 1997 ). Lastly one of the most prominent reasons which I believe is the concept of liberty and freedom in society. Today mostly the young generation has forgotten their values, culture, and ethics. The promotion of activities like consumption of alcohol, drugs etc. has given individuals the right to choose this path for themselves. Furthermore, the mingling between the opposite sexes, nudity, and openness is another reason. Kissing, touching and such activities are so common that they motivate the opposite sex to opt for such activities which in turn results in an increased ratio of sexually explicit crimes. (Hynes, 2011). Hence in a nutshell sexual harassment has increased tremendously over the passage of time. Many factors contribute which together results in popularity. Firstly one should know what sexual harassment is so that they can express their reservation.

The Safety net and layoff Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Safety net and layoff - Essay Example Well, there are two economic perspectives on this issue. The first perspective argues that by increasing the support for people without jobs those with low incomes will decrease their incentive to find jobs. Others argue that more generous the government is the more incentive for the unemployment to find jobs. Government has become more generous with social safety net in many ways. A bonus was added to unemployment checks, people were offered subsidies to pay for their health insurance, food-stamp benefit levels were increased, and were available in situations in which they were formerly unavailable and states were granted waivers from program work requirements. This perspective is in line with the Keynesian school of thought which is based on the concept that in order for an economy to grow and be stable, extreme government intervention is required. This will make people have less motivation to find a job, and will shift the aggregate supply of labour to the left as shown in the diagram below. The advantages of unemployment benefits affect everyone. Benefits help individuals and family to have the necessities to live and help them throughout periods of unemployment. The unemployment benefit will result in an increase in consumption and that affect the general economy shifting the AD to the right as shown in the diagram below. The disadvantages of benefits are for business and the society as whole. As unemployment increase, government will need to give more unemployment benefits, and the government get the money for increasing taxes and/or reallocating their spending from one sector to another. Thus businesses and society will not be in favor of the unemployment benefits. While economists seek to find whether or not the government should be generous with social safety net and what is the effect of that on unemployment job seeking they often fail to notice the effect of the safety net on the

Compare The Story of an Hour and Shiloh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare The Story of an Hour and Shiloh - Essay Example Mallard, Norma Jean’s behavior in Shiloh is observed and reflected by her husband representing a totally different perspective on the issue. This essay will argue that the combination of female point of view represented by Chopin and male point of view from Shiloh allows seeing the full picture of traditional patriarchal family relationships. Mrs. Mallard, the main character of The Story of an Hour, perceived the news about her husband’s death with tears. However, the picture changes quickly when she goes to her room and reflects on her feelings. First she experiences emptiness and indifference; step by step she recognizes her real feelings in her heart. She finds herself full of â€Å"monstrous joy† and feeling of freedom; she perceives the death of her husband as a relief from her unhappy marriage where she was supposed to sacrifice her life and interests for the sake of her husband (Chopin). Mrs. Mallard does not see any positive sides in her marriage; she even does not know whether she loved her husband of not. Sitting in her armchair, she prepares to start her life from scratch. There are hints in description of the settings that Mrs. Mallard is not going to mourn. On the contrary, everything looks pleasant and even joyful. Ironic title of the story indicates that she does not have much time for the transformation. In an hour, her husband comes back home. Unwilling to get back to old life and shocked by this sudden coming back, Mrs. Mallard dies either because of her â€Å"hear trouble† or, as it is said by the doctor, â€Å"the joy that kills† (Chopin). Alongside with this inner transformation of the main character, Mr. Mallard is not visible in the story. As a result, the story shows only one side of the coin. The other side of this coin is fully represented in Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason. The story is narrated from the point of view of Leroy Moffitt, a former truck driver, who spends all days and night at home after a serious road incident. Leroy

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Finance - Essay Example This is because when an employee cannot be understood, making good use of that employee will be hard (Arthur, pg 15). From my own perspective, communication skills play a very important role in moving the organization forward. It is through this quality that issues such as conflict, stress in the organization, and also good relationship between senior and junior employee can be managed. From the point of a new employee, it may be different. This is because individuals come from different background and what say to be a good communication skill may be different from their perspective. Problem solving skills, most employers currently are looking for employees who are motivated to handle challenges arising in the work place with little direction being offered to them. Such kind of people are able to know what kind of actions they are suppose to take when there are challenges or problems. For instance, employer don’t expect to tell their employees what to do when there is fire bre ak out but rather they expect employees to know that they need to take action to rescue the situation (Arthur, pg 24). In my own opinion, I think that having skills to solve problems is very important because it helps one to handle certain issues on their own. An advantage of this is that it helps an individual to think on solutions to the given problem. Loyalty, this is a key quality most employers do look for when hiring new employees. The issue of trust between employer and employee has to exist. Employers do not require employees who cannot be trusted while representing the organization. From the point of an employee, it may be challenging to be loyal due to conflict of interest. An employee may realize later on that the employer is dealing in illegal business such as drugs and so it may be hard on the part of the employee to be loyal (Arthur, pg 26). Competency, some occupations require skills in order to perform a task e.g. in accounting, and legal fields. When looking for a n ew employee, the employer must consider the job in offer and the level of competency of the new employee. For example if the job on offer is accounting job then the new employee must possess accounting knowledge from college, university. With this the new employee stands a chance in getting the job (Arthur, pg 30). This is a quality that must be considered in my own opinion. This is because when you hire a person who has a background of what he is expected to do, then I believe that the output of that employee will be high. Team player, most employers consider this quality because it plays a very important role in increasing productivity of the organization. This quality enhances the ability of people to work together towards achieving the organizations goal. From my perspective, team building is a factor that should not be overlooked while hiring a new employee. The aspect of having individuals working as a team normally increases their productivity and hence helps in working towar ds the organizations goal (Arthur, pg 34). To the new hiree, this will help him or her to get along with fellow employees in the organization. I think it should not be emphasized so much especially where we have a big company since other employees will take advantage over other fellow and they will not give all their input in the realization of the

The underground chamber of the Colosseum and the functions it was put Essay

The underground chamber of the Colosseum and the functions it was put to use during the first throughout the sixth century. Also - Essay Example This proposal aims at unearthing numerous facts concerning the Coliseum. This architect was initially known as Flavian Amphitheater, one of the biggest amphitheaters that the genius Romans ever constructed. It is indeed the largest in the world. The paper will discuss some facts concerning the Roman Collosseum, which was constructed in the ancient Roman emperor. Presently, the Coliseum represents an exceptional talent, which stands in a somewhat ruined condition. This partial ruin is because of various factors such as human intervention; it still remains one of the popular architects that attract huge numbers of tourists. Colosseum is a good example of an architectural structure in which its form and function are linked inextricably (Maya 1). To demonstrate this, this paper will look at some of the orders, the wall-like structure and the varied intersections of the Colosseum as part of its form and functions. Below is the architecture that will form the basis of my research. (The Col iseum: The gladiators’ bloody Circus stands). 1.2 Small Description of the Roman Colosseum The Roman Colosseum is amongst some of the most extraordinary pieces of architectures in the history of Roman Empire. Most people recognize it for its wicked past of bloody, yet amusing entertainment. Tourists and many other individuals would come on a regular basis to cheer on gladiators taking part the brutal fights against each other and the killing of animals. Many animals were brutally killed and most of these animals were imported from countries like Syria and Africa. It is noteworthy that the Coliseum had death written all over it since a fight would not end if something or someone died. Other spectacles included boxing matches, chariot races, archery contests, and any other type of gruesome episode. Preparation for any event requires time, effort, and space; therefore, I will write about the dissident chamber of the Colosseum and the functions it was put to. Gladiators, imported animals, criminals, and other constructive materials needed for each event were located beneath the ground floor (Wilkinson 145). Gladiators were held in rooms, while the animals were locked up in cages. Also, criminals were executed in the amphitheater, so they were held in cages underground as well. Due to the fact that there were ramps leading to different levels in the underground warren, we can conclude that it was a very deep and spacy area. In addition, I will cover the use and structural architect of trapdoors in the floor that opened at regular intervals to carry animals and people to the arena floor. During and after the second half of the fifth century, the underground chambers had a new function for the Colosseum: it stocked up pieces of the building that had crumpled throughout the years. Ordinarily, the Roman Colosseum is a incredibly attention-grabbing structure that has a barbaric history to it, but the better part of this paper will focus on researching about the m any functions of the underground chambers from the first century to the sixth, where it was entirely destroyed. 1.3 Facts about the Roman Coliseum In this part, this research will focus on the time when the Roman Coliseum was constructed. It will further highlight on the individuals who were behind the construction. The emperor during the time will also be highlighted upon in this section. Many people talk of the Flavian dynasty, but they rarely understand all about the ideas that led to the formation of this

What was new about Darwin's theory of Human Nature Essay

What was new about Darwin's theory of Human Nature - Essay Example (Mayr) Darwins theory, although successful in profoundly shaking scientific opinion about the development of life, could not explain the source of variation in traits within a species, and Darwins proposal of a hereditary mechanism was not compelling to biologists. Although the occurrence of evolution of some sort became a widely-accepted view among scientists, Darwins specific ideas about evolution—that it occurred gradually by natural and sexual selection—were actively attacked and rejected. Darwins theory nearly shattered the traditional Christian notion that humanity, poised between beast and angel, was literally formed in Gods image. Darwin pointed out, long before we knew that we share 98.5 percent of our genetic material with chimpanzees, that what looks back at us in the mirror is not the face of God but is kin to the earthbound apes. As the Edinburgh Review warned at the time, "a revolution in thought is imminent, which will shake society to its very foundations by destroying the sanctity of the conscience and the religious sense." (Zimmer) Darwins theory created a revolution in thought. It took over 100 years for the shock of our humble origins to wear off and for scientists to begin to address the serious implications that Darwinian evolution has for understanding human nature. During that time, greatly due to Darwins contribution, Western cultures faith in science grew, as faith in a Supreme Being guiding our destiny diminished. Something fascinating seems to happen when human beings begin to ponder the process of evolution. Something that calls forth awe at diversity and recognizes unity in life. Even Darwin, in The Descent of Man, used his own godless logic to envision a greater human unity that borders on the spiritual: "As man advances in civilization and small tribes are united into larger communities, the simplest reason would tell each individual that he ought to extend his social instincts and sympathies to all the members

The crisis in the French wine industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The crisis in the French wine industry - Essay Example (Donald and Petie, 2001) However since the end of the Second World War the wine industry in France has undergone a lot of changes notable the introduction of quality of French wine which was passed in 1935. Since then the industry has developed to become the second largest exporter of wine in the world behind Spain. It has curve a niche in the market to compete with other countries like Italy which are traditionally known as wine house. Since the end of the Second World War, the industry has undergone several changes to become one of the leading industries in the France and an identity for the country. France is still considered to be one of the best producers of wines in the world. The Bordeaux region ahs since then developed to be one of the leading wine producing regions of the world. Wine producers from the region have traveled to the regions of the world including Rioja in Spain and have been able to carry out culturing of vines to make Bordeaux vines some of the leading and the best vine in the world. Since the need of he second world war, French wine industry has seen the establishment of hundred of vineyards owned by multination company. (MacNeil, 2001) The remarkable development of French wine industry has been the emphasis on the quality of wine produced. This has been though the development of the appellation system which classify French wine into quality. The Appellaion d'Origine Controlee system is governed by a powering national bound which ensures that all the wine that it produced in the region is of quality. France is produce of owning the oldest world appellation system that has helped it to have some of the world renowned quality wine brand. With time the industry has become more specific with various companies specializing in production of different white and red wines and other wine varieties. French has provided the modeling appellation system on quality which is being used by the EU to come up with a wine assessment framework along that to France. (Desmond, 1999) But in the recent past, the industry has been hit by several crises ranging from competition from the new vine grower region like Australia and America to a decrease in local consumption of wine. This paper will discuss the crisis that the industry is facing currently and the solution that have been proposed to address the issue in order to revive the industry to its former self. The nature and magnitude of the crisis facing the French wine industry There are several areas in France that have been hard hit by the crisis. The Bordeaux region which is traditionally known for producing quality wines. Although the region has been able to deal with the wine crisis, it is facing rounds of crisis as far as distillation is concerned. Even if this crisis has been experienced in other regions, Bordeaux region has faced the worst crisis in France because of its capacity of production. It has been experiencing wine lake effect for a long time. Producers of generic Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superior have been worst affected Traditionally, France has been a wide consumer of wine produced in the country. This made many producer of wine in the region to rely on the domestic market alone since all the wine produced was

An Ethical Issue Essay Example for Free

An Ethical Issue Essay Euthanasia is a hotly debated ethical issue these days, and there are certain arguments for and against its practice. Arguments against euthanasia are usually based on the sanctity of life, and such arguments are often compatible with religion, but arguments for euthanasia concern individual liberty, and a desire to prevent more suffering than is absolutely necessary. In this paper, I intend to address arguments for and against euthanasia, and explain why it is an ethical issue, and conclude that euthanasia, in some cases, should be permissible. Euthanasia is defined as the painless termination of someone’s life, but the ethical dilemma surrounding the topic has to do with whether or not it is alright to euthanize someone who is in a vegetative state, and can no longer think for him or herself, and whether or not assisted suicide is morally acceptable. The first of these scenarios would entail someone, such as a family member or physician, ending the life of someone who is in great pain following an accident, but cannot express their own wishes (whether or not they wish to remain on a feeding tube, or on life support) because of physical body damage, and this is known as passive euthanasia. The other issue, the one of physician assisted suicide, entails someone like a physician assisting someone who is in great pain, but not in need of life support, in committing suicide, maybe by administering a lethal dose of medication, to alleviate the patient’s pain, and this is known as active euthanasia. Both active and passive euthanasia are highly debated ethical issues, as they concern the value of life, and whether or not people are justified in prolonging a life of anguish, or terminating a life of misery. Recently, there have been many controversial cases of euthanasia, or its possibility in cases where it seems necessary to some, such as the cases of Doctor Kevorkian, and Terry Schiavo. The main ethical issues in the cases where Dr. Kevorkian euthanized (performed physician-assisted suicide on) some of his patients regards whether or not a patient should have the potential to decide his or her own fate, and then whether or not a physician should be held accountable for supporting, and aiding in a patient’s decision to end his or her life. This fundamentally boils down to the question of whether or not someone can choose to end their life when that person is in constant pain, but the issue would be complicated by the efforts needed in determining who is in enough pain to be permitted to actively end his or her life, which brings up the question of why everyone cannot choose to terminate their lives. And patients in hospitals do have the right to passively kill themselves, by starving, or refusing treatment, so in some cases, when a patient is prepared to take such measures to end his or her life, it would seem morally permissible for a physician to painlessly facilitate that patient’s suicide. In the case of someone’s euthanasia by the pulling of a feeding tube or the termination of life support, the ethical dilemma surrounds the family, or physician’s authority, when it comes to forcing the person who has brain damage to forfeit medical attention. A patient who is not in a vegetative state can refuse treatment, as that is not actively killing him or herself, but the question in the case of passive euthanasia is whether or not anyone other than the patient who might or might not refuse treatment due to severe pain if he or she were not in a vegetative state would have the authority to pull the plug on that person’s behalf, if the patient had not made his or her desired wishes clear. Religion plays a huge roll in helping people to believe that euthanasia should not be morally permissible, as most religions include some aspect about the sanctity of life, and based on that, they discourage suicide or killing in any form. Christianity in particular regards suicide as a sin, and that makes it difficult for people who wish to die because they are in too much pain, but their religion preaches against suicide. It is even against the law to commit suicide, but lately there have been questions coming out about whether people who are intensely pained by there illness should be exempt from this law, and whether or not doctors would be allowed to aid these suffering patients by providing them with lethal pills, or putting them to sleep by giving them extra doses of their medication. This is active euthanasia, where a patient, or doctor, or the combination of the two, take action to terminate life, rather than let it painfully continue for a long time, as the patient takes medicine and food, or making it drag on for a short, immensely painful period in the case where a patient refuses medication and food. For the most part, any argument against euthanasia must somehow be based on a view that life is sacred, and should never be sacrificed, at any cost, even when there is great pain to be dealt with if the life is prolonged. â€Å"Religious people dont argue that we cant kill ourselves, or get others to do it,† a BBC article about religion and ethics reports. â€Å"They know that we can do it because God has given us free will. Their argument is that it would be wrong for us to do so. They believe that every human being is the creation of God, and that this imposes certain limits on us. Our lives are not only our lives for us to do with as we see fit. To kill oneself, or to get someone else to do it for us, is to deny God, and to deny Gods rights over our lives and his right to choose the length of our lives and the way our lives end. † This summarizes a religious viewpoint that holds that euthanasia is not morally permissible. But for people who are not religious, a more basic argument in favor of euthanasia seems to arise, and that is simply whether or not people should be allowed to forfeit their lives if they are completely unsatisfied with them, or are severely pained by them. So, that might concern a simple case where someone is slowly dying of a terrible disease, and his medication deters the pain to some degree, but he is still miserable. Should that person be allowed to actively (or request that a physician actively) end his life, because he would rather forfeit his life than live on in pain and suffering? That seems to be a highly controversial issue, and from this perspective, it seems that euthanasia should be supported, at least to some degree. This could easily be a pro-euthanasia argument, as the person in pain has the right to forego medication, and refuse food and other life-sustaining attributes, which would lead to the patient’s death after a period of maximal pain, but the patent, without euthanasia, would not have the right to forfeit his life without enduring the pain from the scenario where he refuses treatment if active euthanasia is not permissible. â€Å"Some experts are gunning for a compromise. Zhu Tiezhi, a media commentator,† A China Daily article reports, â€Å"suggests the right-to-die prerequisites: the applicant must have a terminal illness that causes agonizing pain, and the diagnosis must be verified by at least two doctors; the applicant must be in a clear state of mind when he applies for it, and the application process should be repeated at least twice to make sure it is not a spur-of-the-moment thought. † This article was written after a patient who had throat cancer jumped out of a window to end his life after he was told that physicians were unable to assist him in doing so. So it seems that in certain cases, euthanasia is a more humane way for one to end his or her life than to manufacture a way him or herself. Our job is to save lives, and we dont have the right to mercy killing, said an official at the Changsha hospital,† an official at the hospital in the Hunan Province of China, where the man committed suicide, stated. But in certain cases, lives may only be prolonged, painfully, for a short time, so euthanasia would then represent a painless way of alleviating a suffering patient’s agony. â€Å"Chantal Sebire knows shes forcing people to make an agonizing decision, but agony is something she knows far too much about,† Bruce Crumley includes in his article, entitled Making a Case for Euthanasia. â€Å"The 52- year-old Dijon schoolteacher suffers from a rare disease that has left her disfigured by facial tumors, which will also damage her brain over time and eventually kill her. Her demand that French political leaders loosen laws against euthanasia has been rebuffed, so Sebire now awaits a judges decision on whether existing legislation allows doctors to assist her in ending her pain-racked life. ‘I no longer accept this enduring pain, and this protruding eye that nothing can be done about,’† Crumley writes. And unfortunately, the legal system of most countries do not recognize euthanasia as a permissible alternative to prolonged suffering, which causes many to live on in pain, wishing that they could terminate their lives instead of continuing on in agony. This seems like a reasonable right that everyone should be entitled to exercise if the time is right. People should not be forced to, because of the legal issues surrounding the issue, and anyone (such as a physician) involved, be forced to live on in agony when they could end it all by euthanasia. It seems that laws forbidding active euthanasia, or mercy killings, is based on the principle that all life is sacred, and that even extreme suffering should be fundamentally imposed on people if it could occur without their death. So death is legally regarded as impermissible when it is in any way caused by man. But what about the death penalty? There is a scenario where the government does not view life as the most sacred institution, so if exceptions are allowed, why not provide one that alleviates the constant suffering and agonies that plague people who have certain medical conditions, but are not allowed to self-terminate? â€Å"A French woman suffering from an incurable and disfiguring cancer was found dead on Wednesday, two days after a court rejected her request for medical assistance to help end her life, a source close to the government said,† an article from reuters. com reported of the woman who had petitioned to have a physician assist her in suicide. â€Å"Chantal Sebire, 52, whose face was swollen and distorted by a rare tumour in her sinuses, won heavy media coverage and the compassion of many French people in her bid to set a legal precedent for patients like her seeking to end their suffering. A court in the eastern city of Dijon ruled on Monday that Sebire could not have a doctor help her die because it would breach both the code of medical ethics and the law, under which assisted suicide is a crime. † But it seems that the code of medical ethics should make exceptions in certain cases of euthanasia. Forcing someone to die slowly in accordance with some debilitating disease is in no way more ethical or more humane than permitting that person to terminate his or her life painlessly. â€Å"After nine years, 130 deaths, and six trials, ‘Dr. Death’ Jack Kevorkian finally faces jail time for killing a desperate man who came to him for ‘help’ and found only death,† Liz Townsend writes in her article, Kevorkians Nine-Year Euthanasia Crusade Leads to Murder Conviction. â€Å"Thomas Youks death by lethal injection, administered directly by Kevorkian and nationally televised on 60 Minutes, led to a second-degree murder conviction March 26, but Youk was only one of many people who died to advance Kevorkians euthanasia crusade. ‘We believe the verdict should have been premeditated murder, but were very elated by the second-degree verdict,’ said Diane Coleman of the disability-rights group Not Dead Yet, according to the Associated Press. ‘We want to see Jack Kevorkian imprisoned for life. Its clear he has no respect for people with disabilities. ’ But is assisted suicide really a violation of the rights of someone who is disabled? In cases of physician-assisted suicide, the patient would not think so. A violation of the rights of the disabled would be ignoring a plea for assisted suicide, which would end pain and suffering. But perhaps the most basic argument for permissability of euthanasia, in at least extreme cases, should be in regards to everyone’s personal liberty. By that argument, people may say that everyone should have the right to do as they please when it concerns their own body. But an argument against personal liberty might state that similar arguments would allow drug use and other impermissible activities. So What is to be done? It seems that the best thing to do would be to, when physician’s can gauge someone’s mental aptitude, allow them to actively euthanize themselves, or assist him or her in doing so, if the patient is mentally competent, and wishes to end his or her life. And in the case of a family pulling the plug on someone (passive euthanasia) it should be permissible at all times if the patient had previously expressed a desire to die rather than remain on life support. Works Cited Appleton, Michael et al. At Home with Terminal Illness: A Family Guide to Hospice in the Home. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. Barnard, C Good Life, Good Death a Doctors Case for Euthanasia and Suicide. Hbk 146pp Prentice-Hall 1980. Bold and provocative work by the famous heart surgeon. Battin, Margaret P. The Death Debate: Ethical Issues in Suicide. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996. The Law Society the British Medical Association. Assessment of Mental Capacity Guidance for Doctors Lawyers. Pbk 152pp British Medical Association 1995. Randall, F, Downie, R. Palliative Care Ethics A Good Companion Pbk, 202pp Oxford University Press 1996.

Photojournalism Analysis of Hong Kong Protest

Photojournalism Analysis of Hong Kong Protest Mohammad Aqdas Qasem Photojournalism and Organizational Analysis of Hong Kong Protest Photojournalism is an ideology that many journalists now use to manipulate pictures to tell a story in a specific way (Schwartz 223). Photojournalism is used as â€Å"a medium that ‘captures’ news† and they â€Å"must insist on the objectivity of their pictures at the same time they attempt to demonstrate the mastery of the craft† (223). Photojournalism portrays a given news story, giving an illusory look of reality, whereas truly, they are manipulating various aspects of the image (such as angles, focus, and etc.) to make the story be perceived a certain way (223). An important feature of photojournalism is the simplicity of the picture; the power of the photograph is positively correlated with its simplicity (Schwartz 224). By creating an illusion of naturalism, the photojournalist is able to maintain their objectivity, which is an important aspect of the photo because they are aware that the audience relies on their â€Å"objective record of realityâ₠¬  (231). Figure 1 is a prime example of the way photojournalism is used to give details about the current news in a simplistic manner. Figure 1. A male alongside his group of protestors sitting outside a government headquarter in Hong Kong Figure 1 displays a group of people sitting outside a government headquarter in front of a fence in an evening protesting rally in Hong Kong (Wong and Buckley 2014). The protestors are dressed in protective gear as a cautionary procedure to protect themselves from the guards’ pepper spray (2014). They are protesting for their rights to change the way that China determines who their leader is starting in 2017 (2014). By applying an organizational perspective, the various methods used by the photojournalist can be understood. Organizational analysis explains the exploitations of certain items in the image and the distortions of others and how these alongside the rules and conventions of photojournalism influence the final product/image, ultimately disturbing the objective portrayal of reality in their depiction of a story through an image. It is evident that the photojournalist relied on a common practice to retrieve this picture: journalistic beats. Journalistic beats are regions in which news is expected to occur regularly, so journalists attend to these respective areas waiting to capture the news when it does occur (Blackwell 67). Figure 1 was taken in front of government headquarters (Wong and Buckley 2014), and any place of government is a regular news producer (Blackwell 67). Figure 1 exemplifies the use of informational biases to structure the story. The photojournalist used the informational bias of personalization to â€Å"emphasize human-interest angles and emotional impact† (70). Using personalization, the photojournalist allows the audience to view the story in an individualistic manner rather than one that generalizes everybody at a societal level (70). This bias is very effective because, according to Schwartz, the audience wants to see â€Å"the human side of the tragedy† (226). The use of dramatization alongside personalization further exacerbates the photojournalist’s manipulative technique in trying to emphasize the emotional aspect of the story (Blackwell 71). Although the story is about a group of protesters fighting for democracy, Figure 1 focuses primarily on one protestor (the male in protective gear) to dramatize and â€Å"heighten the audience interest† (Blackwell 71). Figure 1 shows the ‘dirty’ part of the story and this helps grab the readers’ attention because readers want to see pictures of the tragedy (Schwartz 225). The photojournalist also plays with the informational bias of authority-disorder. This bias represents a tension between one of authority (the government) and one of disorder (protesting) (Blackwell 71). By personalizing the story then exacerbating it with dramatization, it allows the photojournalist to emphasize the greater bias: the tension between authority and disorder. Figure 1 also illustrates different manipulations of the form of the image to portray the story in a certain way. According to Schwartz, â€Å"the aesthetics of photojournalism require the active manipulation of form in order to maintain the illusion of naturalism† (228). This is evident through the use of framing, selective focusing, and the use of leading lines. The ‘rule of thirds’ is the method in which framing is used as a manipulation of form. The rule of thirds is a division of the picture into three equally divided sections, both horizontally and vertically (Schwartz 229). In this division, there are four points of intersection between the lines (229). To make an image seem more dynamic and of more interest to the reader, the main purpose or subject of the image is placed within proximity of one of these four points (229). Figure 2 shows the four points of intersection surround the man wearing protective gear and he takes up a third of the whole image, making him the primary focus of the image. Alongside the informational bias of dramatization, the rule of thirds allows viewers to focus on the scandalous nature of the event (how the man is wearing protective gear) by putting the man as the primary focus. Figure 2. The image of Figure 1 divided using the framing method of the rule of thirds Using selective focusing further manipulates the way the reader perceives the story in the image. Figure 1 shows the background is not in as much focus and not as sharpened as the main subject of the image, the man in protective gear. Although, the other group of protestors are not completely taken out of focus of the image, probably to further emphasize the personalization of the protesting and to exacerbate the event, they are not the primary focus. Also, the photojournalist blurs the fence or gate that the protestors are sitting in front of and this has a strong effect towards the overall story and picture. The blurring of the gates that the protestors are sitting in front makes it look like the protestors are in a prison. This selective focusing emphasizes the authority (government) and disorder (‘criminals’) tension and seems to favour the authority side of the pull. By portraying the protestors as prisoners, through selective focusing, the photojournalist resolves the authority-disorder tension by edging towards the direction of authority. Figure 3 shows the photojournalist’s use of leading lines as a manipulation of the image to shift the focus. The photojournalist uses the method of leading lines to further emphasize the main area of interest of their image/news (Schwartz 230). The lines in this image, as shown in Figure 3, are portrayed through the bars of the gate in the picture. These lines of direction or leading lines put further attention the center protestor, strengthening his focus in the image. Figure 3. The use of the gate bars as leading lines to direct the audiences’ attention In conclusion, through an organizational analysis perspective, photojournalism attempts to convey a story through an image while trying to maintain a sense of objectivity. However, because photojournalism is an organizational culture itself, the profession follows a set of conventions and rules (Blackwell 59), thus it is not possible to maintain a sense of objectivity. Although photojournalists are taking real life pictures, they do manipulate the ways in which the photographs are taken, as explained above, and this further distorts reality for the viewer, guiding their belief in the story the image is telling in a specific direction. This is an example of a consequence of news conventions within photojournalism (76) and is shown using the above example. Ultimately, drawing on the codes of objectivity in photojournalism, as discussed by Schwartz, the photograph presents reality subjectively, guiding the audiences’ view towards a specific direction, in this case authority-drive n, that portrays the protestors as criminals that are trying to go against the government. Works Cited Ott, Brian L. and Robert L. Mack. Critical Media Studies: An Introduction. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell, 2014. Schwartz, Donna. â€Å"To Tell the Truth: Codes of Objectivity in Photojournalism† in Visual Communication and Culture: Images in Action, Jonathan Finn, ed. Oxford, 2012: 222-233. Wong, Alian, and Buckley, Chris. â€Å"Police Arrest Dozens of Pro-democracy Protesters in Hong Kong.† The Globe and Mail 27 Sep. 2014. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/police-arrest-dozens-of-pro-democracy-protesters-in-hong-kong/article20819174/ >

Life Is Beautiful Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay

Life Is Beautiful Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay When a symbol is displayed people react to it according to how they have seen that symbol before. This is explained with Saussures theory of the sign where the sign/ symbol has a portrayed meaning that is conveyed and carried with it. Through the use of Signifier and Signified people constantly (without noticing) see signs and relate to them without actually paying too much attention to the message that sign has to give. If the sign does not have an item/symbol within it that goes against their own unconscious knowledge of that sign therefore they will not notice it. Roberto Benigni uses Saussures theory of the sign to convey Guidos sudden realisation that taking a shower ultimately means death he comes to this conclusion through noticing that only the children and the old are being sent to the showers and not the fit, because they are not fit to work they are being send to the showers to be removed as a problem. Through the subtle use of Saussures theory of the sign the main charact er Guido is seen as saving his son from the harshness of the concentration camp for the first time during the movie. Through the use of ideal / fantasy worlds one can escape the harsh reality of the world.Guido creates fictitious worlds. He calls Dora princess and claims to be a prince himself. Though they both know the truth, they both are more than willing to entertain the fantasy and play the game. In this way, Guidos fictions are a form of escapism, a way for him to cope with reality and imbue it with beauty. Guido also cultivates a series of coincidences so that he can appear to have manipulated fate or performed magic. Though he knows that he is simply manipulating someone else, he is not reveling in the deception; he is interested in creating another world for someone else. This underscores the idea that a persons perception is intrinsic to his reality. Guido changes the way those around him perceive the world with his manipulations, and thus he affects how they deal with the rest of the world. When Guido rides up on a horse to rescue Dora, he is entertaining the fantasy of the knight rescui ng the damsel in distress. However, he actually is rescuing her from her surroundings and actually is whisking her away on a horse. Similarly, when he tells Giosue that everything in the concentration camp is a game, he is creating a fiction to keep Giosues spirits up. However, at the end of the film, Giosue has survived the concentration camp with perseverance and bravery, and his life and the lessons he has learned are very real. In Life is Beautiful, it appears, fantasy can become reality. Through the use of fantasy the harsh world is forgotten and replaced with a ideal reality. Roberto uses fantasy to overcome reality and thus through this semiotic way Guido can save his son from the truth. Changing of the truth can make the direst moments into fun games. During the moments The movie life is beautiful is directed by Roberto Benigni and is based in two main parts, before the holocaust and during it. Guido realises taking a shower is a term for Gassing people; he decides to keep his son with him. Guido tells Joshua that the entire point of being dressed they way they are, and to hide from the guards is so that they could win a tank if he is the last one found. Guido makes out the entire experience to be a game by doing funny actions to make his son feel like this is a game instead of a concentration camp , he does this up into his own bitter end. Roberto Benigni uses the film Life Is Beautiful to show how the use of semiotics can make Guidos humorous actions during the holocaust unique in saving his son from the harshness of the holocaust. Through the use of semiotics the title of the film can be seen through the sons eyes. By the time life is beautiful was filmed many young people were too far from World War II to completely appreciate the horrors of the war and the beauty of survival Signifier 1 this is where Guido makes up the tank game. The signifier is claiming to understand German. This is signified by Guido raising his hand. By Guido doing this he protects his son from the harshness of the holocaust by making up a set of rules for the competition to win a tank. Roberto uses the simple hand raising to signify that even though he does not understand nor speak German he will pretend to in order cover the truth from his son. Again Stuart halls encoding and decoding theory is shown here as the audience knows that this is what Guido is doing even without Guido having to say it. This is Guidos death scene. In this scene Roberto displays that Guido will do anything to save his son from the harshness of the holocaust, Guido is caught looking for his wife Dora and is being marched to his death , previously he hid Joshua in a metal mail box so he would be safe. Through Stuart halls encoding and decoding theory the viewer sees this as saving his son from the harshness of the holocaust instead of just being funny for Joshua. Roberto uses winking between Joshua and Guido as a link to the imaginary game they are playing this creates a sense that he is safe and is only knocked out of the game. While marching past his son he acting as a marching toy soldier. The signifier is Guido marching like a toy soldier. Through the use of filming Guido marching as a toy soldier it shows the viewer that this is what Joshua is seeing, and nothing else before or after is seen by Joshua there for he believes fully that he will win the tank and his father is out of the game. To the audience that knows what the German concentration camps where he will be killed. The main signifiers include life is beautiful, winking marching and making up the tank game. This signifies that life is beautiful in Joshuas eyes, and that he is saved from the real truth of the holocaust. Thank you for your time and attention REFRENCE (http://changingminds.org/explanations/critical_theory/concepts/signifier_signified.htm)

The Third Bank of the River :: Third Bank River Essays

The Third Bank of the River Beginning shortly before the turn of the last century, there was a noticeable trend towards the ambiguous in modern Brazilian literature. Writers such as Machado de Assis and Jorge Amado have both explored the use of the unstated and the forced compromise between extremes that have grown to be so crucial to the modernist movement. No Brazilian author, however, has mastered the compromise quite like Joà £o Guimarà £es Rosa, a man who was once described as not only leading, but preceding the reader "to a place where there is discord and cacophony under which there is a strange harmony†¦the third bank of the river†¦the land every soul craves for." In his collection of short stories, Primeiras Està ³rias (1962), Rosa pays particularly close attention to ambiguity as a main theme in Brazilian backland writing. First translated to English in 1968 under the title First Stories, Primeiras Està ³rias, and in particular, "The Third Bank of the River," is in many ways the defining work of the Brazilian short story. Carl Jung once said "the confrontation of the two positions [of opposites] generates a tension charged with energy and creates a living, third thing."1 In "The Third Bank of the River," Joà £o Guimarà £es Rosa does just that by first exploring these separate, symbolic opposites in the lives of members of the narrator’s family. He then crafts, out of the conflict, a third position which can be, at best, described as a compromise between the two extremes. Often times, these extremes are the very definitions of characterization we come to expect in a short story, and, by blurring these lines, Rosa is able to also blur "The Third Bank of the River" into a work of ambiguous and allegorical nature. By never exactly defining the third essence that is created, the author is able to explore this clearly important topic in greater depth. The importance of the crossing is that, in every case the author presents, it represents the journey from one position to its opposite, continuing un til the characters reach their final destination: the third, intermediate situation. It is in this way that father’s crossing has a profound effect on the family (most notably the narrator) and the way they conduct the rest of their lives. The important thing to recognize immediately about "The Third Bank of the River" is that it can either be read as a literal retelling of the events or as a metaphor concerning the death of a loved one.

Perspective in The Outsiders, and A Squatters Tale Essay -- Outsiders

Webster's online dictionary of the English Language defines outsider as follows: Outsider n. 1. A person or thing not within an enclosure, boundary etc.   2. A person not belonging to a particular group, set, party, etc. 3. A person unconnected or unacquainted with the matter in question.   4. A racehorse, not classified among the best or among those expected to win. Considering these definitions of the word, "outsider," one is struck by the eclectic array of meanings.   Sometimes words have multiple meanings that are ironically linked. Are people as multifaceted as words?   The fundamental laws of social relations call upon humans to attempt to fit in and belong.   So, striving to fit in to one's family, peer group, community, and the world at large is an ongoing battle that most humans face to one degree or another.   On a larger scale, bloody battles are fought between countries, governments, and races in an effort to co-exist on the planet.   The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and A Squatter's Tale by Ike Oguine are stories that tell of this battle to fit in, and both have characters that personify these four definitions of the word, "outsider."   These tales have dramatic themes and stylistics that in some ways are similar and in other ways unique, but they all have significant effects on the readers.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a common theme of violence in both stories. Obi, the protagonist in A Squatter's Tale, depicts how Nigeria has had its own history of violence.   There are sharp divisions between the rich and the poor, those in power and those being manipulated. Corruption in the government was at an epidemic level in the mid nineties.   Bribery, extortion and strong-arm tactics have become the norm.   The... ...ey are not expected to win in life.   However, one is left at the end of these stories with an undeniable feeling of optimism and assurance that Obi and Ponyboy will persevere in their struggle to overcome the obstacles in their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Coming to America. Dir. John Landis.   Perf. Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   James Earl   Jones, Madge Sinclair.   Paramount Pictures Video,1988   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Class Film. NJIT. LIT 350-102. Spring Semester, 2002. Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Penguin, 1967. Oguine, Ike. A Squatter's Tale.   Oxford: Heinemann, 2000. Vitullo-Martin, Julia and J. Robert Moskin. The Executive's Book of Quotations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New York: Random House. 1989.      

Culture Shock in Japan Essay

Culture is a condition of confusion and anxiety affecting a person suddenly exposed to an alien culture or milieu. There are many different ways to experience culture shock. It can be experienced across the world or as near as one’s backyard. Many Americans would venture that they consider themselves very culturally accepting. Often, when these same Americans travel abroad, they experience culture shock. It is not always a negative thing. Often to some American coming to Japan and adjusting to life in Japan can be difficult, since even the most mundane things could be done differently than they would have been done in the U.S, so here are some basic facts of Japan. And remember be patient. Home. When entering a Japanese home you are expected to remove your shoes before stepping up from the entry area into a Japanese home known as the genkan. There in the genkan you must change from outdoor shoes into indoor slippers. When entering the genkan, you have to remember to step out of your shoes, and step into the house proper. Then you must turn around, kneel or bend down, and turn the outdoor shoes around so that they face the door, ready to be slipped into again when they leave. This custom is also required in many traditional Japanese restaurants, all department store dressing rooms, temples, and a few other businesses. On an extra note it is wise to buy clean socks since you will be taking off your shoes when you enter homes or some resteraunts. And you don’t want to embarrass yourself with dirty socks. Food. In the U.S many people carry their lunches in lunchboxes, but in Japan people use Bento boxes which are pre-prepared lunches, sold in every convenience store in Japan or brought from home. Usually a bento box consists of a box divided into several sections, containing perhaps, noodles, rice, pickles,  meat or fish, and maybe a little fruit. If there is a need to heat their lunches almost all stores also have a microwave so that you can heat the bento in the shop. When traveling to Japan one must be aware of the proper way to eat. In the U.S slurping is generally considered rude, so it is useful to know that the Japanese people consider it correct to slurp whenever eating noodles, ramen or soup etc. By making slurping when one eats their soup or noodles is considered to be polite, also by slurping you compliment the person who cooked it. More than that slurping serves a practical purpose, as noodles, ramen etc, are often served very hot, slurping draws air into the mouth which helps to cool the food as well as bring out the flavor. Knowing how to use chopsticks can make life in Japan a bit easier, but you have to remember the certain etiquette that concern using chopsticks. Just as there are good manners when it comes to using a knife and fork in the west, the Japanese have definite rules of thumb when it comes to using chopsticks. Don’t point at people with your chopsticks, move plates with them or wave them or stick them. Do not stick chopsticks into your food, especially not into rice. Only at funerals are chopsticks stuck into the rice that is put onto the altar. Education. Education in Japan is similar to that of the education system in the U.S, since it was adopted based on the U. S education system by the Japanese after World War II. But some things are quite different. If you are a parent sending your child to school in Japan, there are some key facts you must know In Japan competition for entering a good University is fierce, for that reason many student start at a young age go to Juku, which are cram schools, parents send their kids to, so that they have a better chance of doing well on University exams. In Japan if you are able to go to a good University than the chances of a good and stable job is quite high. It quite common for kids to finish school then go at night for 2 to 3 hours to a cram school. Hygiene. When bathing Japanese style, you are supposed to first rinse your body outside the bath tub with some water from the tub, using a washbowl. Afterwards, you enter the tub, which is used for soaking only. The bath water tends to be relatively hot for Western bathing standards. If you can barely enter, try not to move much, since moving around makes the water appear even hotter. After soaking for a while, leave the tub and clean your body with soap. Make sure that no soap gets into the bathing water. Once you finished cleaning yourself and rinsed all the soap off your body, enter the bath tub once more for some more soaking. After leaving the tub, do not drain the water, since all household members will use the same water. There are three types of toilets commonly found in Japan. The oldest type is a simple squat toilet, modern Western-type toilets and urinals and the state of the art is bidet toilets However traditional toilets are usually the most common type in most public places, universities, restaurants etc. The tradition toilet is known as the squat toilet, it essentially looks like a miniature urinal rotated 90 degrees and set into the floor. Most squat toilets in Japan are made of porcelain, though in some cases (like on trains), stainless steel is also used. Instead of sitting, the user squats over the toilet, facing the wall in the back of the. A shallow trough collects the waste, instead of a large water-filled bowl as in a western toilet. In Japan, being clean is very important; the bidet toilet is like the western flush toilet. While the toilet looks like a Western-style toilet at first glance, there are a number of additional features, such as blow dryer, seat heating, massage options, water jet adjustments, automatic lid opening, flushing after use which are included either as part of the toilet or in the seat. These features can be accessed by a control panel that is either  attached to one side of the seat or on a wall nearby, often transmitting the commands wirelessly to the toilet seat. For an American coming to Japan for the first time, the squat toilet or the bidets could be quite a shock and could take some time getting used to. Gambling entertainment. If you want to gamble in Japan you must remember that gambling is illegal so to compensate there is the wildly addicting game known as Pachinko a type of vertical pinball machine. The winnings are in the form of more balls, which the player may use to keep playing or exchange for prizes such as pens or cigarette lighters. Cash cannot be paid out according to Japanese law, but players can then exchange certain prizes for cash at small centers located nearby, but separate from the parlors. In America there are cartoons and comic books in Japan there are manga and anime. Remember when reading manga or any Japanese book, guide for the matter, you must start at the â€Å"last† page and work â€Å"backwards†. The same applies to the panels within the pages. They should be read right to left, not left to right. Transportation. In Japan, cars drive on the left side of the road and have the driver’s seat and steering wheel on the right. And unlike the U.S which has a minimum driving age of 16, the legal minimum age for driving in Japan is 18 years. While you are waiting for the train to arrive, you stand in politely in neat rows, calmly waiting for your train. When the train arrives, the first rule you must bear in mind is that no matter how crowded it looks, there will always be room for one more. If you have any doubt about the above rule, there’s a white gloved attendant ready to shove you in. Then, once you get one the train, you must remember certain rules. Don’t drink coffee in the morning, save drinking anything for the ride back home. The morning rush hours peak on weekdays between 8am and 9am, while the evening rush hours are more spread out and commence around 5pm. Rush hours are most extreme in Tokyo, but also pretty heavy in Japan’s other major cities. So if you plan on riding the train it is best to go before rush hours. As you stay in Japan you as individual can learn to grow towards multicultural perspectives and develop alternative futures for his or her self, thus making his or her self a more culturally accepting person.

Individual vs. the Society in “The Scarlet Letter” Essay

In The crimson Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the theme of the individual(a) versus edict is prevalent. One of the most interest characters in the novel is Hester Prynne, who is ostracized by the society around her. Hawthorne uses symbols to accentuate how Hester chooses to accept her brand punishment as a honourable cartel rather than a go d avouch of shame. Her individualism is achieved through with(predicate) a loose conscience and accepting the fact that she is unique, distanced from the Puritans meet her.Immediately, The Scarlet Letter sets up a clear contrast between Hester and the separate ladies in Boston, Massachusetts. Hester emerges from the prison as a gorgeous woman who was,tall, with a framing of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the susnhine with a gleam, and a face which ,beside being beautiful from geometrical regularity of feature and richness of complexion was ladylike, too, afterward on the manner of the feminine gentility of those years characterized by a certain produce and dignity. (Narrator, p. 46-47)Mean slice, the other women in Boston ar portrayed as gossiping quacks who chaff Hester out of jealousy and spite. Hester is further distanced from the plurality throng through her elegant do and her skill of needle-work.While on the scaffold, and later when she moves into a cottage distanced from everyone else, Hester remains defiant. She asserts her quasi(prenominal) rebellious personality by non wavering amid the penetrating st ars of the townspeople. In addition, she chooses to dumbfound in Boston rather than lend the opportunity to escape and start a new life. By running away, Hester would be acknowledging societys power of her. Instead, she confides to give her own identity and not make believe society determine it for her. If Hester were to succumb to foreign pressure, it would further undermine what little right the townspeople see in her. Howev er, the brutal taunts ar meaningless to her, because Hester is adamant in her convictions she has a genuine purpose in life.Her daughter Pearl is an important start up of Hesters life. Much more than a living embodiment of the sin that Hester is reminded of through the scarlet garner, Pearl allows Hester to have a solid ground to live and a reason to detain. Pearl acts as a world check, for she daily reminds her mother of her sin. Yet, Pearl is a miracle child, by proving that beauty can flinch from sin. She offers Hester a mirror of herself, and an enduring stipulation for which to uphold. In addition, Hester feels an obligation to stay in New England because she feels morally bound to stay with Pearls father.The scarlet letter in a sense defines who Hester is. high decorated in fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, (Narrator, p. 46) the letter A binds Hester to serve her due atonement for the wrongs she has comm itted. However, her shining skills at needle-work and uniqueness of individuality are frowned upon by the society. Out of malice and jealousy, they verbally abuse both her and Pearl, degrading them to wasted figures while they themselves are hypocrites in their own right. Ironic takes its finest form when the skillful flora of Hester are adorned by those highest officials that are punishing her.Despite the ridicule, Hester stands tall. She knows the expectations that are set on her, and that the shame incurred by her result extend for possibly generations to come. Hester is not unbidden to mold herself to the eager hands of others so that they may satiate their cruel desire to see her torture in her intellectual prison. She strives for compassion and well-being amid all the irate words. This is evidenced in her intercession of Pearl, who is elevated far beyond the other children. She is togged up in the most extravagant attire, while being taught heavenly virtues. Motherl y sleep with defies all pressures, and Hesters undeniable erotic love for Pearl is the quintessence of this.In the tight morals of Puritan society that are delineated in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne undergoes umpteen tribulations. Her wrongdoing helps provoke the angry sentiments of the townspeople, who are determined to see her suffer to the fullest extent. However, Hesters attitude is one of moral obligation and compassionate defiance. She retorts with nothing but love, as beautifully demonstrated in her treatment of Pearl. Hester is unique, and sois her unwavering attitude heedless of what the rest of society thinks of her. She answers to a higher(prenominal) order and never relents her conscience to the grasping hands of others.

A Dirty Job Chapter 26

26ORPHEUS IN THE STORM commodeCharlie parked the train inclineways in the street and ran up the steps of the Buddhistic center c on the wholeing her charge. The huge teachm door was hanging askew by unriv altoge in t don respectd hinge, the glass broken, and both drawer and cabinet had been r depotered and the contents scattered, e sufficeu whollyy piece of furniture oerturned or broken.AudreyHe straind a juncture to the front of the house and ran keep passing add to developher in on the porch.Audrey?Down present, she c wholeed. Were unchanging on a lower floor the porch.Charlie ran slash the steps and around to the side of the porch. He could see movement john the lattice. He found a exquisite gate and breaked it. Inside, Audrey was crouched with a half-dozen new(prenominal) lot and a whole bunch of the squirrel hatful. He scrambled into the crawl deposit and as wellk her in his arms. Charlie had tried to keep her on the line during the drive over, that a few blocks away the battery in his ph whiz had died, and he had tried, for those few sc argon moments, to imagine losing her his future, his wish after his hope had average been awakened over again. He was so relieved he could bargonly br expelhe. atomic number 18 they g unmatchable? Audrey asked.Yes, I animadvert so. Im so glad youre exclusively right.Charlie led them tabu of the crawl space and back into the house, the squirrel people covering close to the w whatevers and moving rapidly so as non to be seen from the street.Charlie tangle a tap on his raise and turned to see Irena Posoko vanovich glad at him. He jumped up a couple of steps and screamed. Dont shock me again, Im a good guy.I deal that, Mr. Asher. I was wondering if youd c atomic number 18 me to park your van for you in the lead it fares towed away.Oh yes, that would be nice. He pass on her the keys. thank you.In the house, Audrey state, She estimable regards to attend to.Shes creepy, Charlie utter, further and so he caught what he popular opinion was a waitress of disapproval cope up in Audreys eyes and he quickly added, In a completely unfermented way, I soused.They went directly to the kitchen and stood before the open pantry.They got them every(prenominal), Audrey state. Thats why they didnt hurt us they werent evoke in us.Charlie was so angry he was having trouble idea, barely with kayoed an egresslet, he equitable shook and tried to keep his section at a lower place control. They just did the equal affaire at my store. Some subject did. on that point must oblige been three vitamin C well-nighbodys in here, Audrey said.They took Rachels sense.Audrey put her arm around his back, just now he couldnt respond other than to walk let verboten of the kitchen. Thats it, Audrey. Im done.What do you mean, youre done, Charlie? Youre scaring me.Ask your squirrel people where I can allow into the beset potty system. Can they tell you that?P robably. But you cant do that.He wheeled on her and she jumped back.I stool to do that. Find step to the fore, Audrey. Everyone into my van. I indispensability you at my building, where youll be safe.They were all ga in that locationd in Charlies living elbow path Sophie, Audrey, Jane, Cassandra, Lily, Minty Fresh, the undead clients from the Buddhist center, the hellhounds, and fifty or so of the squirrel people. Lily, Jane, and Cassandra were standing on the couch to unsex away from the squirrel people, who were milling on and around the breakfast bar. thin outfits, Lily said. But ewww.Thank you, Audrey said. Sophie was standing next to Audrey, looking her up and down as if trying to extrapolate her weight.Im a Jewess, Sophie said. argon you a Jewess?No, Im a Buddhist, Audrey said.Is that identical a shiksa?Yes, I think it is, said Audrey. Its a quality of shiksa.Oh, I guess thats okay, because. My puppies are shiksas, too. Thats what Mrs. ling ko calls them.Theyre very impressive puppies, too, Audrey said.They exigency to eat your short guys, but I wont let them, okay?Thank you. That would be nice.Unless youre mean to my daddy. Then theyre toast.Of course, Audrey said. Special circumstances.He likes you a lot.Im glad. I like him a lot.I think youre probably okay.Well, right back at you, Audrey said. She smiled at the microscopic adust with the heartbreaking blue eyes and the attitude, and it was all she could do non to scoop her up and hug the bejeezus out of her.Charlie jumped up on the couch next to Jane, Cassandra, and Lily, and then agnise as he looked crosswise the room at Minty Fresh that he still didnt stand taller than the Death merchant, which was a little unnerving. (Minty seemed focused on Lily, which was also a little unnerving.)You guys, Im going to go do roughlything, and I top executive non come back. Jane, that letter I sent you has all the papers making you Sophies legal guardian.Im out of here, Lily said.No, Charlie said , catching her by the arm. I want you here, too. Im leaving you the descent, but with the understanding that a percentage of the profits go to Jane to help with Sophie and volition also go into a college fund for her. I know you engender your career as a chef, but I trust you and youre good at the business.Lily looked like she wanted to consecrate something sarcastic, but shrugged and said, Sure. I can run your business and cook, too. You do your Death Merchant thing and raise a daughter.Thanks. Jane, youll get the building, of course, but when Sophie grows up, if she wants to stay in the City, you always beget to take hold an apartment for her.Jane jumped take the couch. Charlie, this is crap, Im non letting you do anything Please. Jane, Ive got to go. This is all in writing, I just want you to hear what I wanted in person.Okay, she said. Charlie hugged his sister, Cassandra, and Lily, then went to the bedroom and gestured for Minty Fresh to follow him.Minty, Im going into the Underworld after the Morrigan after Rachels soul, all the souls. Its time.The big homo nodded, gravely. Im right there with you.No, youre not. I need you to stay here and observe over Audrey and Sophie and the others. There are cops outside, but I think their scruple might operate them hesitate if the Morrigan come. You wont do that.Minty shook his head. What chance do you progress to down there alone? permit me come with you. Well stir this thing together.I dont think so, Charlie said. Im blessed or something. The prophecy speculates, The Luminatus will rise and do involvement with the Forces of nefariousness in the City of cardinal Bridges. It doesnt say, the Luminatus and his trusty sidekick, Minty Fresh.I am not a sidekick.Thats what Im saying, said Charlie, who wasnt saying that at all. Im saying that I deliver some sort of protection, but you probably dont. And if I dont come back, youll need to carry on as a Death Merchant in the City maybe get the scales tipped back for our side.Minty Fresh nodded, ponderous his gaze to the floor. Youll take my Desert Eagles, then, for mickle? He looked up and was grinning.Ill take one of them, Charlie said.Minty Fresh slipped out of his raise-holster rig and correct the straps until they fit Charlie, then helped him into the harness.There are two extra clips in here, under your right arm, Minty said. I hope you dont have to fire it that worldy times down there or you will be one deaf motherfucker.Thanks, Charlie said.Minty helped him get his egg white jacket on over the shoulder holster.You know, you might be heavily gird, but you still look like an English professor dont you have some attire more appropriate for fighting? crowd together Bond always wears a tux, Charlie said.Yeah, I understand the line between mankind and fiction seems a little groggy here lately Im kidding, Charlie said. There are some motocross leathers and pads in the shop that will fit me if I can drive them. bette r. Minty patted Charlies shoulders, like he was trying to make them bigger. You see that secondmentch with the poison claws, you animated her up for me, okay?Ill buss a cap in da hoes ass, Charlie said.Dont do that.Sorry.The hardest part came a few proceedings later.Honey, Daddy has to go do something.Are you going to get Mommy?Charlie was crouched in front of his daughter, and he nearly roll over backward at the question. She hadnt mentioned her milliampere a dozen times in the last two years.why would you say that, honey?I dont know. I was thinking close to her.Well, you know that she loved you very much.Yeah.And you know that no matter what, I love you very much.Yeah, you said that yesterday.And I meant it yesterday. But this time, I really do have to go. I have to fight some bad guys, and I might not win.Sophies lower lip pushed out like a big pissed shelf.Dont cry, dont cry, dont cry, dont cry, Charlie chanted in his head. I cant hide it if you cry.Dont cry, honey. Ever ything will be okay.Nooooooooooo, Sophie wailed. I want to go with you. I want to go with you. Dont go, Daddy, I want to go with you.Charlie held her and looked across the room to his sister, pleading. She came and took Sophie from his arms. Noooooo. I want to go with you.You cant go with me, honey. And Charlie ducked out of the apartment before his heart broke again.Audrey was waiting in the hall with fifty-three squirrel people. Im driving you to the entrance, she said. Dont argue.No, Charlie said. Im not losing you after just begining you. You stay here.You creep What gives you the right to be that way. I just found you, too.Yeah, but Im not much of a find.Youre an ass, she said, and she walked into his arms and kissed him. later on a long time, Charlie looked around. The squirrel people were all looking up at them.What are they doing here?Theyre going with you.No. Its too risky.Then its too risky for you, too. You dont tear down know what could be down there this thing that broke into your store wasnt one of the Morrigan.Im not going to be afraid, Audrey. There might be a hundred different demons, but The Book of the breathless is right, they are only keeping us from our path. I think these things exist for the same reason I was chosen to do this, because of fear. I was afraid to live, so I became Death. Their power is our fear of death. Im not afraid. And Im not taking the squirrel people.They know the way. And besides, theyre fourteen inches tall, what do they have to live for?Hey, said a Beefeater guard whose head was the skull of a bobcat.Did he say something? Charlie asked.One of my experimental voice boxes.Its a little squeaky.HeySorry, uh, Beef, Charlie said. The creatures seemed resolute. Onward, thenCharlie ran down the hall so he wouldnt have to say good-bye again. ten dollar bill yards behind him marched a small ground forces of nightmare creatures, put together from the move of a hundred different wights. It just so happened that at t he time they were reaching the staircase, Mrs. Ling came downstairs to see what all the commotion had been about, and the entire army stop in the stairway and looked up at her.Mrs. Ling was, and had always been, a Buddhist, and so she was a firm believer in the concept of karma, and that those lessons you did not learn would continually be presented to you until you learned them, or your soul could never evolve to the next level. That afternoon, as the Forces of Light were about to engage the Forces of Darkness for dominion over the world, Mrs. Ling, staring into the livid eyes of the squirrel people, had her own epiphany, and she never again ate meat, of any kind. Her first act of atonement was an offering to those she felt she had wronged.You want snack? she said.But the squirrel people marched on.The emperor moth saw the van pull up near the creek and a man in bright yellow bike leathers raise out. The man reached back into the van and grabbed what looked like a shoulder hols ter with a sledgehammer in it, and slipped into the harness. If the context hadnt been so bizarre, the Emperor could have sworn it was his ace Charlie Asher, from the secondhand shop in trades union Beach, but Charlie? Here? With a accelerator pedal? No.Lazarus, who was not so leechlike on his eyes for recognition, barked a greeting.The man turned to them and waved. It was Charlie. He walked down to the creekbank across from them.Your Majesty, Charlie said.You seem upset, Charlie. Is something wrong?No, no, Im okay, I just had to take directions from a mute beaver in a fez to get here, its unsettling.Well, I can see how it would be, said the Emperor. Nice ensemble, though, the leathers and the pistol. not your usual sartorial splendor.Well, no. Im on a bit of a mission. Going to go into that culvert, find my way into the Underworld, and do battle with the Forces of Darkness.Good for you. Good for you. Forces of Darkness seem to be on the rise in my city lately.You noticed, the n?The Emperor hung his head. Yes, Im afraid weve disjointed one of our troops to the fiends.Bummer?He went into a storm sewer days ago, and hasnt come out.Im sorry, sir.Would you look for him, Charlie? Please. Bring him out.Your Majesty, Im not incontestable that Im coming back myself, but I promise, if I find him, Ill try to consider him out. Now if youll excuse me, Im going to open this van and I dont want you to be alarmed by what you see, but I want to get into the pipe enchantment theres still some light from the toils. What you see coming out of the van theyre friends. evince on, said the Emperor.Charlie slid the door open and the squirrel people hopped, scampered, and scooted down the bank of the creek toward the culvert. Charlie reached into the van, took out his sword-cane and flashlight, and butt-bumped the door shut. Lazarus whimpered and looked at the Emperor as if someone who was able to talk should say something.Good luck, then, valiant Charlie, said the Emperor. You go forth with all of us in your heart, and you in ours.Youll watch the van?Until the aureate Gate crumbles to dust, my friend, said the Emperor.And so Charlie Asher, in the service of life and light and all sentient beings, and in hope of rescuing the soul of the love of his life, led an army of fourteen-inch-tall bundles of animal bits, armed with everything from knitting needles to a spork, into the storm sewers of San Francisco.They slogged on for hours sometimes the pipes became narrow plentiful that Charlie had to crawl on his hands and knees, other times they opened into wide junctions like concrete rooms. He helped the squirrel people climb to higher pipes. Hed found a whippersnapper construction helmet fitted with an LED headlamp, which came in expert in narrow passages where he couldnt posture the flashlight. He was also bumping his head about ten times an hour, and although the helmet protected him from injury, hed developed a throbbing headache. His leathers n ot really leathers, but more heavy nylon with Lexan pads at the knees, shoulders, elbows, shins, and forearms were protecting him from bumps and abrasions on the pipes, but they were nettled and rubbing him raw at the backs of his knees. At an open junction with a grate at the top he climbed the bunk and tried to get a look at the neighborhood to perhaps get a sense of where they were, but it had gotten colored out since they started and the grate was under a parked car.What irony, that he would finally mobilise his courage and charge into the breach, only to end up lost and stuck in the breach. A human misfire.Where the hell are we? he said.No idea, said the bobcat guy, the one who could talk.The little Beefeater was disturbing to watch when he spoke, since he really didnt have a face, only a skull, and he spoke without ever making the P sound. Also, instead of a halberd, which Charlie suasion should have come with the costume for authenticity, the bobcat had armed himself wi th a spork.Can you ask the others if they know where we are?Okay. He turned to the pause gallery of squirrel people. Hey, anybody know where we are?They all shook their heads, looking from one to another, shrugging. Nope.No, said the bobcat.Well, I could have done that, Charlie said. wherefore dont you? Its your _arty, he said. Charlie realized he meant party.Why no Ps? Charlie asked.No li_s.Right, lips. Sorry. What are you going to do with that spork?Well, when we find some bad guys, Im going to s_ork the fuck out of them.Excellent. Youre my lieutenant.Because of the s_ork?No, because you can talk. Whats your name?Bob.No really.Really. Its Bob.So I suppose your last name is Cat.Wilson.Just checking. Sorry.S okay.Do you repute who you were in your last life?I dream up a little. I think I was an accountant.So, no military take in?You need some bodies counted, Im your man, er, thing.Swell. Does anyone here remember if they used to be a soldier, or a ninja or anything? Extra confi dence for ninjas or a Viking or something. Werent any of you like Attila the Hun or Captain Horatio Hornblower in a former life or something?A ferret in a sequined minidress and go-go boots came forward, paw raised.You were a naval commander?The ferret appeared to whisper into Bobs hat (since Bob no longer had ears).She says no, she misunderstood, she thought you meant horn blower.She was a prostitute? trump card _layer, said Bob.Sorry, Charlie said. Its the boots.The ferret waved him off in a no worries way, then leaned over and whispered to Bob again.What? Charlie said.Nothing, Bob said.Not nothing. I didnt think they could talk.Well, not to you, said Bob.What did she say?She said were fucked.Well, thats not a very good attitude, Charlie said, but he was starting to believe the go-go ferret was right, and he leaned back into a semisitting position in the pipe to rest.Bob climbed up to a smaller pipe and sat on the edge, his feet dangling over wet dripped from his little patent-l eather shoes, but the floral pattern grimace buckles still shone in the light of Charlies headlamp.Nice shoes, Charlie said.Yeah, well, Audrey digs me, said Bob.Before Charlie could answer, the chamfer had grabbed Bob from behind and was shaking him like a rag doll. His mighty spork clattered off the pipe and was lost in the water below.