The Father of Gothicism - 1077 Words

â€Å"I grew, day by day, more moody, more irritable, more regardless of the feelings of others. I suffered myself to use intemperate language to my wife. At length, I even offered her personal violence.† This line comes from the story The Black Cat written by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been proclaimed the â€Å"Father of Gothicism† by many due to his grotesque short stories and poems. Gothic writers had their characters be more â€Å"prone to sin and self-destruction† than any other movement had experienced (Poets 2). This mysterious style of writing lasted until the 19th century, and other popular gothic writers and characters include Bram Stokers Dracula, and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Poe along with all gothic writers used disturbing, morbid words as well as supernatural story outlines to catch the reader’s attention, as he was one of the first to introduce the harming of females to the literature world. Gothicism style of writing always keeps t he reader shocked throughout the entire story trying to guess what’s next. Edgar Poe was born in Boston to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr. on January 18, 1809 and experienced an extremely dark childhood. Poe unfortunately never got to build a relationship with his father because he abandoned the family by 1811. Poe’s life changed dramatically after his mother’s death on December 8, 1811 and his father’s passing a few short days after by tuberculosis, which caused his family filled with two siblings to be split up into different homes.Show MoreRelatedEdgar Allan Poe s Father Of American Gothicism1178 Words   |  5 PagesAlba Abreu Prof. Mrs. Beth Ritter-Guth EN-250 June 24, 2017 Poe s father of American Gothicism Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents were actors. After he was born, his father abandoned him and his mother died before he was three. This left Edgar Allan Poe a foster child. Poe s father was an alcoholic and an insovent actor. Thus, Poe had a miserable life, starting with his childhood, he lost his parents since he was a little child, and I would sayRead MoreWuthering Heights By Emily Bronte859 Words   |  4 Pagesyoung Cathy. The main character Heathcliff is influenced with the element of gothicism and romanticism. Gothicism shape Heathcliff appearance and actions. Romanticism portrays through Heathcliff passion for Catherine. Romanticism played a huge part in this English novel. The novel is structured around two parallel love stories. Catherine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, fell in love with Heathcliff, an orphan her father brings home from Liverpool. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love is based on theirRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe s The Light Romantics 1798 Words   |  8 Pages Romantic Gothicism Research One of the most well known and popular English literature movements out of the many that have progressed throughout history, is gothic romanticism. Also known as dark romanticism, it is a movement that rose during the eighteenth century whose origins come from northern Europe, emerging after the ‘light romantics’. This movement consists of gothic writers who prominently focused on phenomenons, melancholy emotions, darker insights and provided elements through theirRead MoreFrankenstein Major Works Data Sheet Essay1125 Words   |  5 Pagesabout the author: Born as Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin to William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft on August 30, 1789, Mary was the only child of her father and mother. Hardly more than a week after having Mary, Wollstonecraft died, leaving William to raise Mary and her half-sister, Fanny, whom William chose to adopt. When Mary was four, her father remarried but resentment was obvious between Mary and her stepmother. Later, following the suicides of both Mary’s older sister and Percy’s wife,Read MoreMary Shelley s Frankenstein As A Gothic Novel1042 Words   |  5 Pagessimilar to his apearance, his actions are extreme. Whether or not The Creature was justified in murdering all of those close to Victor is not the question here; instead, envision his actions as simply absurd and to the utmost extreme. 18th century Gothicism started in art and architecture during the medieval time period. England was in the midst of a societal unraveling throughout the 18th century. The philosophies of Shaftsbury, Adam Smith and David Hume –which for most of the century had providedRead MoreThe Life and Work of Edgar Allan Poe Essay550 Words   |  3 Pagespoverty, moving from one job to the other and from city to city, yet he is still one of the most widely read American authors today. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. Poes home life was very unstable. His father, David, was an alcholic who had abandoned the family shortly after his mothers death. Shortly after, John and Francis Allan took in Poe. After a failed attempt at college and a few years in the military, Poe went to live with his paternal grandmotherRead MoreThe Mother Of The Novel Frankenstein By Mary Shelley1202 Words   |  5 Pagesachieving a philosophical goal. Mary Shelley was unfortunately only to really experience literary expertise through her father, for her mother died due to puerperal fever early within one month of giving birth to Shelley. Seeing as a single father would not suffice for raising a child, Godwin remarried another woman by the name of Mrs.Clairmont. Shelley felt nearly abandoned by her father, forced to spend time with a stepmother that clearly disliked her since she was not her own child. Mrs.ClairmontRead MoreMary Shelley1066 Words   |  5 PagesRomanticism Era. Mary was the only child of Mary Wollstonecraft, a famous feminist, but after her birth, Wollstonecraft passed away (Harris). Similar to Mary’s book Frankenstein, both her and Victor’s mothers die when they are at a very young age. Mary’s father was William Godwin, an English philosopher who also wrote novels that would inspire Mary in the late years of her life (Holmes). Many years later, Mary would get married to Percy Shelley although he had been previously engaged (â€Å"Shelley† Exploring)Read MoreThe Fulfillment of the Definition of Gothic Horror by Chapters 5 and 4 of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1560 Words   |  7 Pagesespecially in the areas of biology and chemistry. Shelley was the daughter of two of Englands most intellectual radicals. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was an established feminist who specialised in education and womens rights. Her father, William Godwin, was a well-known political philosopher and novelist. Shelley never met her mother as she passed away several days after giving birth, but was nevertheless inspired by her works and reputation. While being brought up inRead More The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Essay1057 Words   |  5 Pagessaddle, but no Ichabod. A folk-tale is a quality that governs the overall meaning of Washington Irvings short stories. The folk-tale form imposes sharp limits on character development and has three characteristics, they are 1. Stock Characters, 2. Gothicism, and 3. Humorous Tone. Irving uses all three characteristics in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.; Stocked or stereotyped characters are character types that appear so often, that the reader immediately recognizes their nature. The two stocked or stereotyped

Born Too Short Free Essays

Thirteen year-old, five-foot one Matt Greene has one problem. He also has many talents that go unnoticed. He is very intelligent and can play the guitar. We will write a custom essay sample on Born Too Short or any similar topic only for you Order Now But, he does not get the respect due to him because of his height. He does not play sports, and has gotten rejected by girls he wants to date. They do not want a boyfriend who is the size of a dwarf. Unlike Matt, his best friend, Keith, was the coolest most popular guy. He is everything that Matt is not. He stands a towering six feet three inches tall and is captain of the basketball team. He does not have any problems getting dates with the girls. Matt aspires to be like him, but he just does not have the same effect as Keith. Matt became very angry one day and confessed his jealousy of Keith to himself. He wished that bad things would happen to Keith. He wanted Keith’s girlfriend to dump him. He wanted him to be bad at sports. He also wanted Shania Twain, who was going to star in Keith’s father’s movie, to look like a horse. Suddenly the next day, all of his wishes started coming true. Keith’s girlfriend cheated on him. Keith missed the last point in the championship game, thus causing his team to lose. Shania Twain had a car accident, and had to have plastic surgery on her face, and in the newspaper, she looked like a horse. Good fortune fell upon Matt. He has a scholarship to Paris for music and found himself a girlfriend, named Jose. After realizing what happened to Keith, Matt feels guilty. He feels that his secret envy has ruined his best friend’s life. He wanted to make every thing go back to normal. He had to talk to Keith to resolve the conflict. After a heartfelt conversation with Keith, Matt learns that he does not need to be like his friend. He realizes that every person is different and that is what makes people unique. He appreciates the friendships that he shares with Keith and Jose. Now, Matt is more careful in what he thinks about people without knowing how they may be feeling. How to cite Born Too Short, Essay examples

Hrm and Business Performance. free essay sample

This essay will seek to explore the link between Human resource management and business performance. To be successful in this, a number of resources will be used. To get a sound basis, definitions of HRM and performance will first be made. Once definitions have been made, the essay can then explore the link. High performance work practices (HPWP) will be the main theory examined in this essay and others will be used to be able to provide a critical view. The models will include the AMO model also the best fit and best practice view will also be considered. A range of references will also be used to get the views from a range of studies these include Guest, Sels at el and Huselid. It is important to examine the link between HRM and business performance because more and more organisations are seeking out ways to gain competitive advantages over their competitors and one way of achieving this is to link HRM to performance. To critically explore the link between HRM and performance we first need to look at the concept of HRM. There is not one constant definition for HRM and those that exist encompass similar undertones but may have different approaches. Armstrong amp; Baron (2002) p. 3 define HRM as â€Å"a strategic and coherent approach to the management of organisation’s most valued assets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives†. Boxall amp; Purcell (2003) p. 1 simply define HRM as â€Å"the most popular term in the English-speaking world referring to the activities of management in the employment relationship†. In a HRM context there is no single definition that constitutes to explaining what performance actually means, Huselid concentrated on financial performances while MacDuffie measures productivity and quality. Without a general agreement on the definition of performance it makes the comparisons of any theories difficult. HRM does have impact on an organisations performance, in Patterson, West, Lawthom amp; Nickell’s (1997) study they found â€Å"Human resource management practices explained 19 per cent of the variation in profitability and 18 per cent of the variation in productivity† (Armstrong amp; Baron (2002) p. 12) which clearly show a strong link between HRM practices and performance. The reason why an increasing number of organisations are linking performance and HRM is because is can be rewarding for both the employee and the organisation â€Å"Employers are continually searching for more effective ways to manage labour to gain maximum organisational performance, while workers are keen to increase the benefits from employment, both in material terms and in opportunities for more interesting and stimulating work patterns. † (Marchington amp; Zagelmeyer (2005) p. ) Much of the research presented in this essay supports the view that there is definite link between HRM and performance, especially when looking at the practices the HR department implement, for example when analysing recruitment there is an importance on recruiting the right people in the right way to get the best people and minimise costs, which then contributes to a positive outcome on business performance â€Å"HRM is now often seen as the major factor differentiating between successful and u nsuccessful organisations, more important than technology or finance in achieving competitive advantage† (Marchington amp; Wilkinson (2005) p. ) Increasingly more organisations are using HRM to give them that competitive advantage they are often aiming for. Linking HRM to performance can attract a better workforce as the stronger performing organisations are likely to be more sought after by perspective employees. High performance work practices are a set of practices that can improve business performance regardless of the organisation, industry or strategy which lead it to being a universal practice, there is not one agreed definition but they basically are â€Å"the idea is that a particular set (or number) of HR practices has the potential to bring about improved organisational performance for all organisations† (Marchington amp; Wilkinson (2005) p. 2) rather than focus on individual HR policies to increase performance many researchers are exploring the idea of a bundle of HR policies to increase performance, â€Å"scholars of strategic human resource management (SHRM) have turned their attention during the last decade to a â€Å"bundle† of mutually reinforcing and synergistic HR practices that facilitate employee commitment and involvement† (Hsu, Chaing amp; Shih (2006) p. 32) the philosophy is that when a organisation concentrates on a bundle of polices the level of t he performance is increased when compared to an organisation that only adopts one HR policy. There a number of HR practices, the literature suggest â€Å"In total they are able to list 26 different practices, of which the top four are training and development, contingent pay and reward schemes, performance management (including appraisal) and careful recruitment and selection. † (Paauwe amp; Boselie (2005) p. 9) Examples of high performance work practices can encompass extensive training, recruitment which is based on recruiting a quality workforce who is eager to learn and develop, strong communication and appraisals, however, the exact nature of the HPWP would be designed to suit the organisation so we can call the practices ‘idiosyncratic’. One of the focal points of the HPWP approach is that it is considered to be universally applicable, this approach is also similar to the best practice form of linking HR to performance. The universalistic perspective states that a fixed set of best practices can create surplus value in various business contexts. †(Sels et al (2003) p. 5) Other theories may take a contingency approach â€Å"Contingency approaches, by contrast, start with the assumption that the selection of a combination of HRM practices is determined by the strategy used. † (Sels et al (2003) p. ) this approach looks at the external environment which include the market it exists in, it differs from the best practice approach and focuses on the best fit approach and so looks at fitting HR policies into the situation of the individual employer. HPWP can be argued to fit in the hard HRM category as they are designed to increase performance, efficiency and profitability where-as soft HRM focuses on social an d ethical reasons. HPWP can take the best parts from all the approaches for example they can fit into best fit approach as they both rely on different HR policies to produce high results. The link between HRM and performance can also be put in practice by examining the best fit or the best practice approach. The best practice approach â€Å"identifies a set of HR policies that, it is argued, is associated with improved performance in all types of organisation and, by implication, for all types of employees† while the best fit â€Å"argues that performance is maximised when the HR policies adopted are consistent with the business strategy. † (Kinnie et al (2005) p. ) These approaches argue that they will have the same effect on all the employees in the organisation that it’s introduced in, which could pose doubts due to employees in organisations not being in a homogenous group. The application of best practice HRM being universal fits in with high performance work practices â€Å"all things being equal, the use of High Performance Work Practices and a good internal fit should lead to positive outcomes for all types of firms† (Huselid 1995 p . 644 cited in Marchington amp; Wilkinson (2005) p. 95) Many of the researchers use the AMO model (Appelbaum et al 2000) to investigate the link between HRM and performance, the AMO model argues that for people to perform better the following must be adhered to, people must â€Å"have the ability and necessary knowledge and skills, including how to work with other people (A), be motivated to work and want to do it well (M), be given the opportunity to deploy their skills both in the job and more broadly contributing to work group and organisation success (O)† (Marchington amp; Wilkinson (2005) p. 0) High performance work practices can satisfy the ‘ability’ criteria as they focus on developing employees through self management and decentralised decision making, this gives the employees a chance to gain the ability to gain knowledge and skills. HPWP satisfy the motivation area by having constant performance measures in place that provide a clear strategy to measure people’s progress and they satisfy the opportunit y criteria by having continuing training and learning in all areas of the job. On the other hand it could also be argued that HPWP do not satisfy the AMO model because it is unlikely that organisations are going to tailor their practices to suit the model but more likely to tailor practices to their needs. If the latter is the case then in Purcell’s view then HPWP are unlikely to be successful as workers need to have their abilities, motivation and opportunities to perform well. Guest’s theory (expectancy theory) looks at linking HRM to performance by having a core set of HRM practices that can influence intrinsic motivation, form a positive psychological contract and form a flexible workforce. The model takes a unitarist view on linking performance and HRM. Guest (1999) believes that â€Å"the psychological contract may be a key intervening variable in explaining the link between such HR practices and employee outcomes such as job satisfaction, perceived job security and motivation. † (Legge (2005) p. 32) A limitation to the link between performance and HRM goes back to the actual definition of HRM â€Å"it is easy to find slippage in its use, especially when critics are comparing the apparent rhetoric of ‘high commitment’ HRM with the so-called reality of life in organisations that manage by fear and cost-cutting† (Marchington amp; Wilkinson (2005) p. 4) â€Å"Without a clearly delineated theoretical model of HPWS and their effects on performance, scholars cannot adequately validate the efficacy of such practices, let alone providing useful suggestions to practitioners. (Hsu, Chaing amp; Shih (2006) p. 741) Researchers not only use different definitions of HPWP but also measure the outcomes in different ways â€Å"Dyer and Reeves (1995), proposed four possible types of measurement for organizational performance: 1) HR outcomes (turnover, absenteeism, job satisfaction), 2) organizational outcomes (productivity, quality, service), 3) financial accounting outcomes (ROA, profitability), and 4) capital market outcomes, (stock price, growth, returns). † (Rogers and Wright (1998) p. ) most of the strategic research that exists focuses on organisational outcomes this leads to inconsistent results and so makes it less favourable for practitioners to use. Also, because the bundles that organisations use are tailored to the organisation it is very hard to measure and compare the results however â€Å"the process of linking environmental contingencies with HRM practices may vary across firms, but the tools firms use to effectively manage such links are likely to be consistent† (Mabey, Salaman and Storey (1998) p. 08) so it’s not the actual practices that researchers and organisations should analyse but the way such organisations manage the links. Nearly All the literature that examines the link between HRM and performance arise the issue of the black box â€Å"Even if an association is found between high commitment HRM and performance, questions remain about directions of causality and about the processes that underpin and drive these linkages† (Marchington amp; Wilkinson (2005) p. 1), the black box is where the literature/researchers are unable to explain what the actual link is between performance and HRM â€Å"A primary issue in the development of appropriate conceptual models for research in this area is which variables should be included in making the step from HRM to firm performance† ((Paauwe and Farndale, 2005). cited in Hailey, Farndale, Truss (2005) p. 50) To understand and develop the link the between it is important to be able to measure the impact of HRM when concerned with performance. One way of measuring performance is by looking at the outcomes a business experience once performance theories have been put in place â€Å"performance outcomes can be understood in terms of internal outcomes† (Armstrong amp; Baron (2002) p. 106) these internal outcomes can consist of labour turnover, productivity, quality and employee relations, an external outcome would be the financial performance. â€Å"Based on the overview by Boselie et a1 (2005), we can conclude that financial measures are represented in half of all articles (104) included in their analysis. † (Paauwe amp; Boselie (2005) p. 1) This is supported by Legge (2005) who notes that because much of the research takes place at a corporate level, financial measures of performance are not only favoured but they are also easier to measure than human outcomes. Measuring via financial performance can usually take the form of profit or level of sales; however, this measurement poses implications especially when it comes to examining the full effect of HR policies. For example, an organisation may introduce a strong marketing strategy which increases sales performance but has little do with any HR practices, and so any HR practices involved at the time may be disregarded. Measuring performance by examining the financial route can often lead to positive financial outcomes but negative human outcomes â€Å"The damage caused by these negative aspects can be related to the longer-term damage to the financial performance of the organisation† (Hailey, Farndale, Truss (2005) p. 64) therefore not only can an a business solely rely on financial results but must also allow time for the real results to surface, looking at the results in the short term can be misleading and ignoring the human factor can mean employees commitment and motivation is hindered in the long run. Guest et al (2003) p. 93 agree with this way of measuring performance â€Å"it can be argued that financial performance lies at the distant end of the casual chain, and that outcome measures more closely linked to HRM might be more appropriate†. When implementing HPWP, the issue of costs cannot be neglected â€Å"investing in HPWP is only justified if it pays off in the long termà ¢â‚¬  (Sels et al (2006) p. 320) getting a HPWP right is going to demand a number of costs especially during the implementation stage and so an organisation has to have the funds to not only implement HPWP but also to keep the practices running for a sufficient amount of time. This poses an issue for the research as we are likely to only receive positive results from those organisations that have the money to implement HPWP. It also goes against the view of HPWP being universal, they cannot be universal if the lower funded businesses cannot afford to implement them, however, Sels et al (2006) p. 337 found that in smaller businesses â€Å"despite the lack of effect on the share of personnel costs in value added, we did find a positive total effect on profitability. † When looking at the issue of costs (along with ways of measuring) we cannot only look at financial costs we must also examine human costs. While these human costs undoubtedly roll over onto financial costs they are still an issue on their own. As HPWP are a new area of research, there are still many managers who will be wary of them and even if they are implemented some managers may lack enthusiasm, the whole issue of dealing with change in an organisation is an entirely different essay but essentially all the negatives that occur with change could occur with HPWP, which include absenteeism, lack of motivation and a general resistance â€Å"From an economic point of view, assessments of the cost-generating nature of HPWP – human (e. . higher absenteeism through Stress) or non-human (e. g. the impact of a new training provider on the cost structure) – may reveal potential efficiency gains. † (Sels et al (2006) p. 324) Reservations not only exist in the link between HRM and performance but also the on the concept of HRM itself. â€Å"The HRM rhetoric presents it as an all-or-nothing process that is i deal for all organisations, despite the evidence that different business environment require different approaches† Armstrong amp; Baron (2002) p. 16) To put HRM into practice an organisation requires â€Å"high levels of determination and competence at all levels of management, and a strong and effective HR function staffed by business-orientated people† (Armstrong amp; Baron (2002) p. 16) In strong and traditional cultures it is sometimes hard to introduce HR policies especially the newer and developing concepts, as they are already entrapped in their idea of what is right. Organisations may find it hard to get the full support of all staff when introducing a new HR policy and because HR is constantly developing some organisations may find it hard to keep up with the pace, if this is the case then it gets harder to measure the results of HRM, it also poses doubts for any newer research that may be uncovered in the future. â€Å"However, the existing research on HPWS suffers two significant drawbacks, namely causality between HPWS and performance, and a lack of consensus as to the constituents of HPWS practices. † (Hsu, Chaing amp; Shih (2006) p. 46) Higher performing organisations can invest more capital into HPWP and therefore this can tend to skew the results and this type of causation is often disregarded in some research and so this is one of limitations in the link between HRM and performance â€Å"if higher-performing firms are systematically more likely to adopt High Performance Work Practices, then contemporaneous estimates of the impact of these practices on firm performance will be overstated† (Mabey, Salaman amp; Storey (1998) p. 106) When examining the issues of HPWP in the workplace it is vital to look at what they implicate for the people in the workplace. If we look at Britain we can see that the work ethic is very strong and so the possibility of organisations implementing HPWS is high, however, this implementation can have positive and negative connotations. White et al (2003) note negative impacts of HPWP p. 177 â€Å"Specifically, it seems plausible that high-commitment or high-performance management practices will have a negative impact on the private lives of workers, to the extent that they are designed to evince greater discretionary effort in pursuit of the organisations goals. HPWP are likely to be intense and so in long run can impact on labour turnover and absenteeism. On the other hand HPWP are designed to develop employees and so the form of development it encourages, should go some way in enhancing an employee’s intrinsic and extrinsic needs. HPWP can satisfy intrinsic needs on the basis of work satisfaction and commitment to the job and can satisfy extrinsic needs by supplying employees with the skills they nee d to develop. This essay has concentrated on looking at one area of linking HRM to business performance, and this has been high performance work practices. There is no doubt in the literature about there being an actual link but there are doubts concerning defining the terms, the black box issue and the bias views some of the research may present, â€Å"survey respondents generally self-select into samples, selectivity or response bias may also affect results† (Mabey, Salaman and Storey (1998) p. 106). One disheartening statement concerning HPWP is how Legge (2005) p. 1 notes in Grittleman’s (1998) survey how out of teamwork, TQM, quality circles, peer reviews, employee involvement in decisions and job rotation, that â€Å"58 per cent of firms had none of these practices, earlier in the essay Paauwe amp; Boselie (2005) noted common HR practices used in the workforce (training and development, contingent pay and reward schemes, performance management (including appraisal) and careful recruitment and selection) these practices are not in the Grittleman’s list which could show that when it comes to HPWP these top four are most likely to be in the bundle. Some of the issues that exist with HPWP are concerned with the research itself and its validity. As some of the research cross references industries it is difficult to separate the different industry effects.

Spin Cycle Essay Research Paper SPIN CYCLE free essay sample

Spin Cycle Essay, Research Paper SPIN CYCLE With so many different dirt to his recognition and legion ongoing probes pending, President Clinton has been bombarded by the media in a manner non seen since the last yearss of the Nixon disposal. Despite this unwanted attending, Clinton has managed to keep exalted blessing evaluations and successfully debar even the most fervent onslaughts. How does he make it? This inquiry is answered in full in Spin Cycle, a backroom expression at how intelligence is created and packaged in the White House and the methods used to administer it to the populace. In painting a elaborate image of the hand-to-hand combat known as a imperativeness conference, Kurtz shows how the usage of controlled leaks, meticulously worded Jockey shortss, and the straight-out turning away of certain inquiries allows the White House to command the range and content of the narratives that make it to the forepart page and the every night web intelligence. We will write a custom essay sample on Spin Cycle Essay Research Paper SPIN CYCLE or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As Kurtz makes clear, the president and First Lady are convinced that the media are out to acquire them, while the journalists covering the White House are invariably frustrated at the stonewalling and the deficiency of cooperation they encounter while seeking to make their occupations. In the center is the White House imperativeness secretary Mike McCurry, a maestro at defusing volatile state of affairss and walking the all right line with the imperativeness. Though less paranoiac and cynical of the media than Clinton, he frequently finds himself on both terminals of personal onslaughts and blood feuds that veer far outside the sphere of nonsubjective coverage. The anecdotes and carefully buried information that Kurtz has uncovered give this book a alert gait, along with ample priceless information that cuts to the nucleus of this age of media overkill. Kurtz focuses chiefly on White House response to dirt intelligence in 1996 and 1997, and he does non purport to cover most other facets of the relationship between the president and the imperativeness. And within the narrow range of his research, he had merely fragmental entree to of import information. For legal and political grounds, white House Plutos were likely non inclined to volunteer the whole truth. What? s more, the narrative is still unfolding. Though he adds nil to what is known about recent occurrences in the Oval Office, he does shed visible radiation on a topic that remains of considerable importance: the techniques used by the Clinton disposal to determine the manner it is portrayed in the imperativeness. It neer earnestly takes up the issue that seems to lie at its nucleus. Why the imperativeness failed to fix the populace for what Kurtz calls the tabloid presidential term or, for the disclosures that today so rule the intelligence. The fact is that during the 1996 run, most major intelligence organisations did non handle Clinton? s turni ng ethical jobs in any comprehensive manner. In peculiar, the media opted to go through on the Paula Jones instance. This oversight may be explained in portion by the success of the spin-control methods Kurtz describes. But there must be deeper accounts as good. Bill Clinton is the most investigated president since Richard Nixon # 8211 ; confronting enquiries into Whitewater, run fundraising maltreatments, and sexual misconduct # 8211 ; and yet incredibly began 1998 with blessing evaluations as high as those of Ronald Reagan. But the new twelvemonth has brought a bombardment of new allegations, and the president and his advisors face one time once more the challenge of whirling intelligence to their advantage, a challenge they have mastered many times before. In Spin Cycle, Kurtz reveals the inside workings of Clinton? s well-oiled propaganda machine # 8211 ; arguably the most successful squad of White House spin physicians in history. He takes the reader into closed-door meetings where Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Mike McCurry, Lanny Davis, and other top functionaries secret plan scheme to crush back the dirts and neutralize a hostile imperativeness corps through stonewalling, phase managing, and straight-out bullying. He depicts a White House obsessed with spin and pulls back the drape on events and tactics that the disposal would prefer to maintain hidden. The secret study the Hillary Clin ton ordered on a newsman look intoing the Whitewater matter as portion of a program to discredit her. A tense, about paranoid White House ambiance in which the spin doctors do non oppugn the President about the assorted dirts because they don? T want to larn information they might hold to uncover to prosecuting officers or the imperativeness. the secret meeting between a Clinton secret agent and the editor of The New York times that led to a presidential interview in which Clinton knew the inquiries in progress. Bill Clinton? s success in harvesting favourable promotion by in secret wooing selected newsmans and editorialists in off-the-record White House meetings. Al Gore? s feelings of treachery as the scandal-hungry imperativeness turned on him and jeopardized his presidential campaigning in 2000. Spin Cycle is a play in which political secret agents wrestle with their scrupless as the battle to protect the foreman. As the dirt drums round louder and louder, Kurtz shows what it takes for the president and his people to survive, and what happens to the truth along the manner. This is a solid interesting book non merely on the Clinton Administration but on how this disposal has set a class for future politicians that will follow. I am non a Clinton fan by any stretch but he certainly knows how to market the Presidency and Kurtz does a great occupation of exposing some of the elaborate activities traveling on in our White House. Kurtz has some solid inside beginnings and gave me a fantastic position of the spinning of intelligence. Both sides do it but Clinton seems to be the maestro of it. Kurtz efforts to raise the drape to uncover all of the media jokes and whirling that occurs between the White House and the imperativeness. It leaves on inquiring nevertheless, merely how does Kurtz cognize what he? s authorship in this book. How do we cognize if the histories depicted in it are true? There are some parts of the book that go into much item such as exact quotation marks of the president and his advisers, investigations into the heads of the White House Plutos, and even such things as what sort of tie he would be have oning on a peculiar twenty-four hours. when first reading the book, one discovery? s themselves lapping it up like a kitty with milk, but near the terminal you eventually get down to inquire yourself: how in the snake pit does he cognize what he knows.. All American presidents in the modern epoch have had a particular group of political advisers to help the president in his traffics with the media. This International Relations and Security Network? T anything that is new. But the Clinton spin squad has had more than merely an ordinary sum of work on their custodies. This has been a full graduated table exercise from the really first yearss of Clinton? s initial term as president, to the present twenty-four hours, with small clip for remainder. Jest when it appears that the spin meisters can hold some clip to catch their breath, another juicy choice morsel of political misbehaviour reaches the populace, puting the spin rhythm into gesture one time once more. Clinton has neer had a good relationship with the media as a whole. IN the yesteryear, the imperativeness was a little more sympathetic to presidential bloopers. Today, they are grim in their chase of any newsworthy information ; forcing, drawing, writhing, and choking their victims of any last morsel of self-respect. Who is the existent scoundrel here? Is it the president for perpetrating unethical Acts of the Apostless, or is it the media for subjecting to ruthless, tabloid-like tactics? This book leaves you inquiring. Possibly the existent incrimination should be placed on the populace. After all, if the people did non buy the newspap ers and watch the new narratives, they would finally discontinue. We like to fault the imperativeness for go arounding soiled wash. But aren? T we, the people, every bit to fault if we buy these magazines and newspapers and watch these telecasting plans? Whether you like political relations or non, you will bask Spin Cycle. Just sit back and allow Howard Kurtz take you on a journey through the political media circus, where the ringmaster? s on the president? s squad manage to maintain their leader? s blessing evaluation surprisingly high. In malice of the neer stoping parade of dirts.

Argumentative Essay The Basics

Argumentative Essay The Basics How to Write Argumentative Essays Argumentative essay writing requires that one is able to convince reasonable readers that their argument or position has merit.  The art of argumentation is not an easy skill to acquire. It is one thing to have an opinion and another to be able to argue it successfully. What Is an Argumentative Essay? An argumentative essay is a genre of writing that aims at investigating an issue, taking a stand on an issue, generating and evaluating a multitude of evidence in a logical manner to support the overall claim. An argument essay is therefore meant to persuade people to think the same way you do i.e. convincing the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view. While making an argument in academic writing, we aim at expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with logical evidence. We all use arguments at some time in our daily routines, and you probably have some know-how at crafting an argument. The verbal arguments we occasionally engage in can become unreasonable and heated losing the focus. The goal of an argumentative essay, however, is quite the opposite as the argument has to be specific, reasoned, detailed and supported with evidence. Argumentative Essays by We offer top class argumentative essays, written by industrys top professionals. Whatever the subject, topic, complexity level, we can do it for you. We guarantee you: On time delivery Totally original writing (no plagiarism) 24/7 customer support Clear well-researched arguments Neat essay structure Free references bibliography Visit our order page to submit your instructions and we will start working on your paper immediately. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our customer support they are always happy to assist you! Difference between an Argumentative and Persuasive Essay Well, some confusion may occur between the difference of argumentative essay and persuasive essay. Though both essays aim to present a particular point of view, they are both different in how they get their points across and why. A persuasive essay is mostly one-sided and uses passion and emotion to attempt to sway the reader’s loyalty. Argumentative essays, on the other hand, are more structured and try to look at critical issues from multiple angles. Structure of an Argumentative Assay The only way to writing a captivating argumentative essay is to understand the structure so as to stay focused and make a strong point. 1. The Introduction The introductory paragraph sets the stage for the position you are arguing for in your essay. It’s made up of a hook, background information, and a thesis statement. The Hook A hook is a sentence that is meant to capture the reader’s attention. As a writer, you need a strong hook that should knock your reader’s socks off and set an expectation of what they are reading. For example if I am writing an argumentative essay about why American people should start eating insects as part of their diet, my hook could be, â€Å"For those interested in improving their diets as part of their resolution this year, you may want to reduce your chicken, fish and beef intake and say hello to eating insects.† Background information The next part of your introduction is dedicated to offering some detailed background information about your topic. It gives the reader the necessary information he/she needs to understand your position. This is required to understand the argument by answering questions such as, what is the issue at hand, where is the issue prevalent and why is it important? Thesis statement When making a thesis statement for your argumentative essay, you clearly state your position on the topic and a reason for taking that stance. For example, â€Å"A diet of insects can provide solutions to issues of starvation, obesity and climate change thus Americans should embrace and learn to rely on insects over beef, chicken and fish as their primary source of nutrition.† The reader needs to know what exactly the argument is and why it is important. 2. Developing an argument You now have to back up your argument with credible evidence. This is the heart of your essay and needs to be started off with a general statement that is backed with specific details or examples. Depending on the length of your essay, you will need to include two or three well-explained paragraphs to each reason or type of evidence. The use of opinions from recognized authorities and first-hand examples and scientific knowledge on your topic of discussion will help readers to connect to the debate in a way they wouldn’t with the use of abstract ideas. 3. Refuting opponent’s arguments/claims At this point, you state your opponent’s views then offer a counter argument. A well written argumentative essay must anticipate and address positions in the opposition. This will make your position more convincing and stronger. Additionally, pointing out what your opponent is likely to say in response to your argument shows that you have taken the time to critically analyze and prepare your topic. 4. The conclusion This is the section of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Emphasize why the issue is so important, review the main points and review your thesis statement. Make the reader think about the ramifications of your argument by showing what would happen if people acted as per your position. Closing the argumentative essay with a clear picture of the world as you would like to see it can leave the reader convinced that your argument is valid. What Makes Your Argumentative Essay Successful? To write an effective argumentative essay, you should find a topic that you are interested in and one that offers two sides of an issue rather than giving an absolute answer. For instance, it is impossible to make an argumentative essay about how 4+4=8. However, you could argue for days about contentious topics like GMOs, homosexuality, gun control etc. Further, the topic should be narrow in focus so that detailed, substantial evidence can be presented. For example, writing an argumentative essay on World War II can seem vague as the topic is too broad. Finally, the writer should take a stance and stick with it. The reader should be able to determine easily what position you are advocating for in the essay. The Do’s and Don’ts of Argumentative Essay Writing Do’s Use passionate and convincing language. Illustrate a well-rounded understanding of the topic under discussion. Back up your statements with facts, statistic, examples and informed opinions of experts who agree with you. Address the opposing side’s argument and refute their claims. Demonstrate a lack of bias. Take a stand and don’t confuse your readers. Donts Refrain from using weak qualifiers like ‘I think, I believe, I guess’, as this will only reduce the level of trust the reader has in your opinion. Don’t assume that the audience will agree with you about any aspect of your argument. Don’t use strict moral or religious claims as support for your argument. Don’t claim to be an expert if you are not one. No strong personal expressions must be used as it weakens the grounds of your essay, like saying, ‘Mr. Chris is ignorant.’ Do not introduce new points while making your conclusion. There are lots of argumentative essay topics to write about if you think about it. Choose a topic that matters to you and make a strong case on the topic using the above guidelines.   

All About Most

All About Most All About Most All About Most By Mark Nichol Most is a grammatically versatile word employed in references to amounts, quantities, and degree. This post discusses its use as various parts of speech. Most, deriving from Old English and related to more, serves as an adjective pertaining to extent (as in â€Å"The most support comes from the Midwest†) or the majority (â€Å"Most of his supporters are in the Midwest†). Note the distinction between general and specific discussion: Compare â€Å"Most households have more than one television† (general) with â€Å"Most of the city’s households have more than one television† (specific). As an adjective suffix, it applies to something that most completely or extensively displays a characteristic, appearing in such words as foremost and hindmost, meaning, respectively, â€Å"farthest forward† and â€Å"farthest behind.† As an adverb, most performs a similar function, except that it modifies adjectives. When it means â€Å"to the greatest degree,† it is preceded by the, as in â€Å"He found it to be the most rewarding job he had had to date.† When the meaning is â€Å"to a great degree,† the is omitted, as in â€Å"His current job is most rewarding.† It can also modify another adverb, as in the phrase â€Å"most certainly.† In addition, most is sometimes employed as a variant of almost to modify such words as all, anyone, anywhere, and always, as in â€Å"You will find that happens most everywhere,† but this usage is considered informal. Most is also a noun meaning â€Å"the greatest amount,† as in sentences such as â€Å"It’s the most I can do† and â€Å"You gave him the most of all,† and in the phrases â€Å"at most† and â€Å"at the most† (which are interchangeable), as in â€Å"It will take her two or three days at most.† As a pronoun, it means â€Å"the greatest number or part,† as in â€Å"Most would agree.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. Had80 Idioms with the Word TimeEducational vs. Educative

Letter of Recommendation for a Professor at my school Essay

Letter of Recommendation for a Professor at my school - Essay Example Dr. Everett Shock is also such an engaging teacher that he/she is able to present challenging problems that made us look forward to solve the same and how it is applied in the real world setting. Dr. Everett Shock love for knowledge is contagious. His/her enthusiasm about the subject matter rubbed on us that made everybody look forward for the next class. His/her method of teaching does not only elucidate, but also encourage the students to excel thus attracting the best and brightest people to be better. Dr. Everett Shock is an authority on the subject evident with his many publications in scientific journals. But despite of his academic stature, he/she is very generous to accommodate students in his/her research that allows us to grow in ways that classroom experiences cannot afford. This was evident with my interaction with Dr. Shock’s Geo-Pig lab group in these past two years which was my first undergraduate lab research experience. The experience took me to an adventure in Yellowstone National Park for two summers with Dr. Shock and his research group and work side by side in the field learning about natural systems. The experience was priceless because it did only help me build a resume, but also enable me to have lasting friendship with very interesting people in the labs. This experience was not just exclusive to me, but also with many budding students who wanted to have first-hand experience in the labs which Dr. Shocks also enthusiastically accommodate to satisfy our eagerness to learn more. Such is the kind of teacher that Dr. Everett Shock is. Dr. Shock does not only encourage us to learn about theoretical concepts but also the experimental aspects of the science and its application to the real world. For example, I have always used thermodynamic parameters printed in the back of chemistry textbooks for calculating the free energy changes or the combustion energies of chemical reactions without giving much

Analysis of the Lyrics of Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas Term Paper

Analysis of the Lyrics of Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas - Term Paper Example Hip hop style was mainly popular on the East Coast having been popularized by groups such as The Roots. Given it’s preferences for performing with a live band, the group was mainly considered to be an alternative hip hop group before embracing other musical genres such as RnB, dance and Pop Music exerting a great influence in the music industry in the recent years. Most of their works have had a lot of influence from electronic music which was mainly used on the group’s most recent album, The E.N.D. A bulk of the group’s production is handled by Will.i.am. Despite being formed in 1995, the group rose to prominence in 2003 with their critically acclaimed album, Elephunk. This was the group’s third album and which saw them find an international following as well as achieving massive success from the huge album sales. The group has maintained the spotlight ever since then and according to Nielsen SoundScan, the group has the second best sales for downloaded t racks in the US. The single â€Å"Where is the love?† was released in 2003 as the lead single from their Elephunk album. Upon its release, the single topped charts in thirteen countries across Europe and the US, including in the UK where it remained at number one for seven weeks and went on to be the best selling single in Britain in 2003. The song â€Å"where is the love?† was written by the Black Eyed Peas with significant support from John Fair and Justin Timberlake, who also sun the chorus to the song although he neither appears in the song’s video nor is he acknowledged as a guest artist. Justin Timberlake remained as a â€Å"Ghost writer† for the song because his record company did not want this song to interfere with the sales of his album, Justified, that had just been released. He is rumored to have written the chorus of the song after listening to the song via a phone. The idea for the song came to Will.i.am after he had heard so much about nega tive things in the society such as discrimination, hypocrisy, gang violence, and terrorism. The song has been noted for its social commentary and its positive message, issues with lack in most songs played on the radio these days. The song invites people to critically think about the ills that are happening in the society and urges people to take up more responsibility for their own lives. The lyrics of the song plead for societal healing and speak against misinformation and displaying negative images in the media. â€Å"Where is the love?† addresses issues of social injustice and lack of social cohesion in the American society as a result of racism and discrimination. The song insinuates that the cause of all these negativity in the society is a result of a lack of love among people, hence the question Where is the love? Process The song consists of three verses performed by rappers Will.i.am, Taboo and Apl.de.ap with additional vocals from singer Stacy Ferguson, widely know n by her stage name ‘Fergie’. The song’s hook repeats after every verse and is performed by Fergie. The hook is made up of three parts; the first part begins with the lyrics â€Å"People killin', people dyin', Children hurt and you hear them cryin', Can you practice what you preach, and would you turn the other cheek.†This part talks about violence that has led to many people dying, children becoming victims and also addresses issues

Question Bank Essay Example for Free

Question Bank Essay What is Software Development Life Cycle? (SDLC) (2 mks) System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is the overall process of developing information systems through a multi-step process from investigation of initial requirements through analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. b) Draw a diagram for pure waterfall life cycle. (5 mks) [pic] c)Explain the different phases involved in waterfall life cycle. (8 mks) Phase I – Modeling Phase In this phase we view the software product as part of a larger system or organization where the product is required. This is basically a system view where all the system elements are created. Phase II – Software Requirements Analysis Here we have a phase where the requirements are gathered. The information domain for the software is understood. The function, behaviour, performance and interfacing of the software are determined. The requirements of the software and the customer are decided upon. Phase III – Design This determines the data structures, the software architecture, the interface representations and the procedural (algorithmic) detail that goes into the software. Phase IV – Code Generation Here the actual programming is done to obtain the machine code; it is an implementation of the design. Phase V – Testing The testing is a process that goes hand in hand with the production of the machine code. There are a number of testing strategies. First unit testing is done and then integration testing. Alpha testing is to see if the software is as per the analysis model whereas beta testing is to see if the software is what the customer wanted. Phase VI – Installation The software is released to the customer. Phase VII Maintenance This is the largest phase of the software life cycle. Maintenance can be of different types: to modify the software as the requirements of the customer evolve, to remove the residual bugs in the software etc. 2)What is feasibility study? What are the contents we should contain in the feasibility report? (5 mks) A feasibility study is an initial look at an existing information processing system to decide how it might be computerized or improved. The contents that a feasibility report are: †¢ A statement of purpose of the system. †¢ A definition of system scope. †¢ A list of deficiencies of the current system. †¢ A statement of user requirements. The cost and benefits of development. †¢ A conclusion and recommendations. 3)What are the purposes of Data Flow diagrams, Entity-Relationship diagrams? Give an example diagram of each. (10 mks) Data Flow Diagrams Data Flow diagrams are a means of representing a system at any level of detail with a graphic network of symbols showing data flows, data stores, data processes, and data sources/destinations. The purpose of data flow diagrams is to provide a semantic bridge between users and systems developers. The diagrams are: †¢ Graphical Eliminating thousands of words; Logical representations Modeling WHAT a system does, rather than physical models showing HOW it does it †¢ Hierarchical showing systems at any level of detail; and †¢ Jargonless allowing user understanding and reviewing. [pic] Entity Relationship Diagram E-R Diagram is a graphical representation of the data layout of a system at a high level of abstraction. It defines data elements and their inter-relationships in the system [pic] 4)What is data modeling? Give 5 examples for data modeling. (5 mks) Data modeling is the act of exploring data-oriented structures. Like other modeling artifacts data models can be used for a variety of purposes, from high-level conceptual models to physical data models. From the point of view of an object-oriented developer, data modeling is conceptually similar to class modeling. With data modeling you identify entity types whereas with class modeling you identify classes. Data attributes are assigned to entity types just as you would assign attributes and operations to classes. Examples for data modeling include: †¢ Entity-Relationship diagrams †¢ Entity-Definition reports †¢ Entity and attributes report †¢ Table definition report Relationships, inheritance, composition and aggregation. 5)What is the difference between SRS document and design document? What are the contents we should contain in the SRS document and design document. SRS Document SRS document is a contract between the development team and the customer. Once the SRS document is approved by the customer, any subsequent controversies are settled by referring the SRS document. SRS document defines the customer’s requirements in terms of Functions, performance, external interfaces and design constraints. SRS Includes: †¢ Functional †¢ Non functional User †¢ Interface †¢ System Design Document The purpose of a design is to describe how the enhancements will be incorporated into the existing project. It should contain samples of the finished product. This could include navigational mechanism screenshots, example reports, and component diagrams. Design Includes: †¢ E-R Diagrams †¢ Data flow diagrams †¢ Data Dictionary 6)Explain all the phases involved in the implementation phase. (10 mks) Conduct system Test In this test software packages and in – house programs have been installed and tested, we need to conduct a final system test. All software packages, custom- built programs, and many existing programs that comprise the new system must be tested to ensure that they all work together This task involves analysts, owners, users, and builders. Prepare Conversion Plan On successful completion of system test, we can begin preparations to place the new system into operation. Using the design specifications for the new system, the system analyst will develop a detailed conversion plan. This plan will identify Database to be installed, end – user training and documentation that needed to be developed, and a strategy for converting from the old system to the new system. The conversion plan may include one of the following commonly used installation strategies 1)  Abrupt Cut-over 2)  Parallel Conversion 3)  Location Conversion 4) Staged Conversion Install Databases In the previous phase we built and tested the database. To place the system into operation we need fully loaded databases. The purpose of this task is to populate the new systems databases with existing database from the old system. System builders play a primary role in this activity. Train Users Converting to a new system necessitates that system users be trained and provided with documentation that guides them through using the new system. Training can be performed one on one; however group training is preferred. This task will be completed by the system analysts and involves system owners and users. Convert to New System Conversion to the new system from old system is a significant milestone. After conversion, the ownership of the system officially transfers from the analysts and programmers to the end users. The analyst completes this task by carrying out the conversion plan Recall that the conversion plan includes detailed installation strategies to follow for converting from the existing to the new production information system. This task involves the system owners, users, analysts, designers, and builders. 7)List and explain different types of testing done during the testing phase. (10 mks) Unit Involves the design of test cases that validate that the internal program logic is functioning properly, and that program inputs produce valid outputs. All decision branches and internal code flow should be validated. Unit testing involves the use of debugging technology and testing techniques at an application component level and is typically the responsibility of the developers, not the QA staff. Integration As the system is integrated, it is tested by the system developer for specification compliance. †¢Concerned with testing the system as it is integrated from its components †¢Integration testing is normally the most expensive activity in the systems integration process †¢Should focus on: †¢Interface testing where the interactions between sub-systems and components are tested †¢Property testing where system properties such as reliability, performance and usability are tested System Testing the system as a whole to validate that it meets its specification and the objectives of its users. The testing of a complete system prior to delivery. The purpose of system testing is to identify defects that will only surface when a complete system is assembled. That is, defects that cannot be attributed to individual components or the interaction between two components. System testing includes testing of performance, security, configuration sensitivity, startup and recovery from failure modes. Involves test cases designed to validate that an application and its supporting hardware/software components are properly processing business data and transactions. System testing requires the use of regression testing techniques to validate that business functions are meeting defined requirements. Black Box This is testing without knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested. For example, when black box testing is applied to software engineering, the tester would only know the legal inputs and what the expected outputs should be, but not how the program actually arrives at those outputs. It is because of this that black box testing can be considered testing with respect to the specifications, no other knowledge of the program is necessary. For this reason, the tester and the programmer can be independent of one another, avoiding programmer bias toward his own work. White Box Also known as glass box, structural, clear box and open box testing. White Box is a software testing technique whereby explicit knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested are used to select the test data. Unlike Black Box testing, white box testing uses specific knowledge of programming code to examine outputs. The test is accurate only if the tester knows what the program is supposed to do. He or she can then see if the program diverges from its intended goal. White box testing does not account for errors caused by omission, and all visible code must also be readable. 8)List and explain all the phases involved in the construction phase. (10 mks) Build and Test Networks †¢ In many cases new or enhanced applications are built around existing networks. If so there is no problem. †¢ However if the new application calls for new or modified networks they must normally be implemented before building and testing databases and writing or installing computer programs that will use those networks. This phase involves analysts, designers and builders †¢ A network designer and network administrator assume the primary responsibility for completing this task. Build and Test Databases †¢ This task must immediately precede other programming activities because databases are the resource shared by the computer programs to be written. If new or modified databases are required for the new system, we can now build and test those databases. †¢ This task involves system users, analysts, designers, and builders. †¢ The same system specialist that designed the database will assume the primary responsibility in completing this task Install and Test New Software Packages †¢ Some systems solutions may have required the purchase or lease of software packages. If so, once networks and databases for the new system have been built, we can install and test the new software. †¢ This activity typically involves systems analysts, Designers, builders, vendors and consultants. Write and Test New Programs †¢ In this phase we are ready to develop any programs for the new system. Prototype programs are frequently constructed in the design phase. However, these prototypes are rarely fully functional or incomplete. This task involves the system analysts, designers and builders. 9)What is data conversion? Why is it necessary? Data Conversion is the changing of the data structure to accommodate new or different needs for the data. Different operating systems have different application software, and each application normally has its own internal way of saving data. There are some standards such as CSV files for databases and RTF files for word processing text, however, these are few and far between and often only save the basic information rather than the full structure. 10)What is change management? Computer based systems are dynamic. As the business Environment changes, there is a need of some changes to the information system. The changes occur not only during the study, design, and development phases of the life cycle of the system. In this process there are two elements that are essential to the management of change. †¢ The performance review board, which can make management–level decisions about system modifications. †¢ Baseline documentation, which can be referred to, to determine the extent and impact of proposed modifications. 11)What is user acceptance testing? Explain different testings in user acceptance testing. Why is it necessary? User Acceptance Testing is a phase of software development in which the software is tested in the real world by the intended audience. Different testings are: Alpha Testing Alpha testing is the software prototype stage when the software is first able to run. It will not have all the intended functionality, but it will have core functions and will be able to accept inputs and generate outputs. An alpha test usually takes place in the developers offices on a separate system. Beta Testing The beta phase of software design exposes a new product, which has just emerged from in-house (alpha) testing, to a large number of real people, real hardware, and real usage. Beta testing is not a method of getting free software long-term, because the software expires shortly after the testing period. User acceptance testing is used to know if the system is working or not (both clients ; in-house) 12)What are functional and non-functional requirements? Functional †¢ How the system should react to the particular inputs †¢ How the system should behave to the particular situations †¢ What the system should not do Non functional †¢ Constraints on the services or functions †¢ Time constraints †¢ Constraints on the development process 13)Explain the steps involved in the prototyping 1. Define the goal and purpose of the prototyping. 2. Make plans for iterations (number, range) and evaluations (dates). 3. Transform the conceptual design to a first outline of the user interface and a first synopsis for the users’ information. 4. Design the paper prototype. 5. Let domain experts review the paper prototype regarding completeness and correctness. 6. Test the prototype’s usability.

Stereotyping Women In The Media :: Gender Papers

Throughout history when we think about women in society we think of small and thin. Today's current portrayal of women stereotypes the feminine sex as being everything that most women are not. Because of this depiction, the mentality of women today is to be thin and to look a certain way. There are many challenges with women wanting to be a certain size. They go through physical and mental problems to try and overcome what they are not happy with. In the world, there are people who tell us what size we should be and if we are not that size we are not even worth anything. Because of the way women have been stereotyped in the media, there has been some controversial issues raised regarding the way the world views women. These issues are important because they affect the way we see ourselvesÂâ€"contributing in a negative way to how positive or negative our self image is. In the media there are people who view women a certain way, and if we don't hold to the standard that we are not as good as other women who are the size the media says we have to be. In an article it said that "Large women in America are to all intents and purposes invisible in today's thinness-obsessed culture. A big women is neither seen nor heard, and is defined purely in terms of her weight and other people's prejudice." (Goodman par 1) This is a hard thing for women that a heavier to understand because they want the person to think that they are heard. This plays into the way that they think and the way that women look at their bodies. You can see this happening with different types of televisions shows, which put on the show thinner women. "Practically the only television programming that addresses her directly consists of weight-loss ads, the message: lose weight. You're not real women unless you're thin (Goodman)". It is hard to think that this statement could be true, but 2

Christian Values and America’s Historical Documents Essay

While socially networking, a person will run into many different opinions on all topics. People have their own beliefs and ways of looking at things, so when I was expounding on my ideas, the inevitable topic of religion was brought up. As much as the Golden Rule flows through most religions, there are people who are not able to put their ego aside and open their minds to the simplest possibilities. The specifics of this topic were of such that the United States was founded on Christianity. Religion and politics are highly volatile topics and most people will only argue emotionally instead of stopping and critically thinking about any information they may be given on these two subjects. Many people believe that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were founded on Christian values, but in closer examination, they both have vague wording and Deist beliefs. Counterarguments There are several reasons that people believe that the historic documents of the United States were written with Christian values in mind. One reason is, in the 19th Century, a movement started which believed that the settlers were led here by the hand of God (Allison, 1998). This was a popular belief and many people still hold true to this belief. It is taught in public schools that the colonists came over from England because of religious persecution. Another argument for this way of thinking is that, because of the belief that God showed the settlers where to go, that He also must have had led the Founding Fathers to write the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States (Allison, 1998). This lead to the belief that God is needed to preserve not only religious institutions, but also democracy. Human rights are seen to be given by God, which, in a nation that was intolerant of non-Christians, meant the Judeo-Christian God (Cherry, MD, 2011). Our Founding Fathers separated Church and state, but not God and state. Church and state and God and state are sometimes seen as  the same idea, which can be confusing, even to a Christian. In addition to this, many believe that this country was founded with Christian values because of a statement that was made in Madison’s Federalist Paper Number 37 where it states, that only, â€Å"†¦ a finger of that Almighty hand† could have shown him the insight to write the Constitution (Ferguson, 1987). United States Constitution The United States Constitution was written in such a way as to be intentionally vague and without Christian values, but Deist values instead. The Constitutional Convention had many problems in coming up with this historic document. Every man that attended this convention had their own ideas and ways to convey what they believed needed to be included in this document. Vague Wording Ben Franklin’s ambiguous wording in the Declaration of Independence led Madison to exaggerate the wording even further in the Constitution. The intentionally ambiguous wording that Madison used in the Constitution was used â€Å"to bring conformity within a divided country,† (Ferguson, 1987, p. 159). In the 14th Amendment it states, â€Å"Any person†¦,† but when this document was written African-Americans were not considered people, so Jim Crow Laws were kept in place in many areas of the country. In the convention meetings leading up to what the Founding Fathers wrote to become the Constitution, compromises were made. In the second amendment, it states that people have a right to keep and bare arms. What makes this vague is that most of us take this to mean any, and all people, but what the Constitutional Framers meant was to indicate those that were in the militias. So, those â€Å"people† that were in the â€Å"militias† could keep and bare â€Å"arms,† not just anyone could. Deist Beliefs The Constitution forms a secular document and is in no way related to God (Walker, 2004). God was not forgotten in the writing of the Constitution. This omission was purposely done to keep the government and religion separate from each other. The Constitution’s preamble starts out â€Å"We the people†¦,† and clearly states the intention of the men who framed the Constitution, including â€Å"establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility,  provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity†¦.† Nowhere in the Constitution is the word God, so there would be no mistake as to the thoughts of Madison. The First Amendment to the Constitution even states that, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof†¦,† which means that the government is not supposed to support any one religion or to stop any individual from practicing their religion or lack thereof. Religionists and atheists are able to equally practice their belief system because of this. This alone is a contradiction to the First Commandment, which demands fealty to a specific god (Trent, 2012). The Constitution’s confusion stems from the ambiguous wording of the Declaration of Independence. Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence’s wording and belief system is not only vague, but also Deist. This historic document did not take sides and was intentionally meant in an unbiased way. This can be shown in several different ways. Vague Wording Ambiguity in the wording of this document by Ben Franklin tends to give many the misunderstanding by using phrases such as, â€Å"Nature’s God† and â€Å"their Creator,† which leads people who are Christian, by default, to the thought that this is a Christian-based document. Wording such as this is intentionally vague, because it comes from the belief in a higher power; whatever that may be to each individual as opposed to strictly Christian beliefs. The intentionally vague wording, such as, â€Å"unalienable rights† and â€Å"laws of nature,† transcends the political, and even the religious, arguments of from where these rights came from and by whom they were given. One of the words in the introduction is necessary and when this document was written, this word had a much more significant meaning than we have today for it. Back then, it meant that it was something that was made in association with fate and was beyond control of human agents. An example of this meaning is the Revolutionary War was going to happen and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The division of the people between England and the settlers could not have been repaired by anyone or anything. Deist Belief System As it is stated in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Deism is a movement or system of thought advocating natural religion, emphasizing morality, and in the 18th Century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe. The Founding Fathers, such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and several others, were only strictly Christian in appearance, but Christian-Deist in belief. These men followed the works of philosophers, such as Descartes and Voltaire. This led these men to question Christian beliefs. Believing in what the classic philosophers wrote, had the Founding Fathers put the test of reason to every idea and assumption. When they put this test to religion, they found they needed to strip away revelation, which led to Deism (Johnson, 2004). The Founding Fathers were very closed-mouth about their personal religion, but encouraged religious tolerance and a belief in God. When writing the Declaration of Independence, they were in reality writing the reason of their actions to the rest of the world for why they did what they did. In short, it was a foreign policy document. The second and most famous paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states that the Founding Fathers believed that it was self-evident that all men are created equal. The Creator, as is believed by any one person, granted all men with certain rights; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which is given by the universe’s natural laws. This one belief shows that at least some of the Founding Fathers were Deists, as this is a Deist belief. The Declaration of Independence is interpreted many different ways to fit neatly into everyone’s individual belief system, when it should just be read the way it is, and not try to make more of it than it is. The Declaration of Independence is a statement of why everyone deserves liberty and freedom. Conclusion The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were written without Christian values because when the settlers came to America they were trying to get away from a government that was telling them what to do and how to believe without the â€Å"voice of the people† reaching those in power. If the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written with Christian values, the Founding Fathers would not have put in  the segments about religious freedom into these documents. I believe that if Christian values were used to write the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, that religious freedom would not have been a part of these historic documents. Everyone has their own way at which they look at and perceive things, and they will make things fit into their belief system to make it easier for them to understand. Sometimes, this is not necessarily the way that things in history were meant to be interpreted, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. We are taught this in school through text books, at home with taught beliefs, and political affiliations see this topic differently, but if we break out of the mold, and try to think for ourselves, we can learn and enjoy from the simple beauty in which these documents were written. With an open mind, we are more apt to realize the original intent of historical events and documents. References Allison, J. (1998). Declaration of Independence: It’s Purpose. Retrieved from http://candst.tripod.com/doipurp.htm Cherry, MD, R. R. (2011). American Judeo-Christian Values and the Declaration of Independence. Retrieved from http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.9876/pub-detail.asp Ferguson, R. A. (1987). Ideology and the Framing of the Constitution. Early American Literature, 22(1987), 157-165. Formisano, R. P., & Pickering, S. (2009). The Christian Nation Debate and Witness Competency. Journal of the Early Republic, 29(Summer), 219-248. Johnson, R. L. (2004). The Deist Roots of the United States of America. Retrieved from http://www.deism.com/deistamerica.htm Rubicondior, R. (2012). Founded on Christian Principles? Retrieved from http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2012/04/founded-on-christian-principles.html Trent, B. (2012). First Amendment or First Commandment. Up Front, May-June (N/A), 10-11, 37. Walker, J. (2004). The Government of the United States of Am erican is not, in any sense founded on the Christian religion. Retrieved from http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm

Alexander Ii- a True Reformist

Ebba Henningsson2/09/2010 History Why and with what success did Alexander II impose so many reforms? Alexander II (1818-1881) has on several occasions been referred to as â€Å"Alexander the Liberator† due to the emancipation of the serfs, which was one of the many reforms he imposed during his reign as Tsar of Russia. The emancipation, along with the reform of the military, the installation of a judicial system, an educational reform, combined with his other â€Å"smaller† reforms, are all reforms which created a more democratic Russia; liberal to a further extent, if you will. Alexander II was however the head of an autocracy in which he had absolute power which leads one to ponder as to what his incentives for these reforms were and how successful he was in imposing these? Alexander was the successor of his father Nicholas I who passed away during the Crimean war, and it can be argued that Russia’s defeat in this war, which was fought in Russia herself, is one of the main reasons for many of Alexander’s reforms. This defeat was a hard one for Russia who had been one of the leading military powers in the previous century as well as the personal loss it presented for Alexander. These defeats may very well have been the reason for the military reform, one problem that the Russian army had was the age of the average soldier who would be considerably older than those of the western powers. Alexander changed this by reducing the years of service a soldier faced from 25 years to 6. Conversely, a soldier who had served these 25 years returned as a free man. This meant former serfs, who constituted most of the army, would return younger with full military training creating two social classes on the country side, resulting in more peasant revolts. In order to prevent this Alexander found that he would have to remove the order that made them into free men, however to do this he would have to present some other enticement or solution to keep the army conscription rate up. Alexander’s solution to this became the, most probably, reason for the reform of the constitution of serfdom; the emancipation. This meant that all serfs would become free for a period of two years with their own land, something that had not occurred before where serfdom had been much like slavery. Introducing the emancipation meant that Alexander could carry out his military reform whilst keeping the peasants under control. The land that the peasants now got was that previously owned by the nobility and to compensate the latter the peasants had to pay redemption dues to the state which would then be given to the nobility. Alexander relied heavily on the nobility to keep his rule intact in even the country side and therefore it was important for him that these remained loyal and at good peace with him and his reform scheme. However with all these new free citizens some sort of order system had to be presented. The zemstvo seemed to be Alexander’s solution for this, which along with the new legal body of Russia assembled Alexander’s judicial reform. These new bodies created a lot of question about Alexander’s goals with the reformation as a whole as this was creating a much more liberal society for the common Russian. To mayhap calm the nobility Alexander said â€Å"The existing order of serfdom cannot remain unchanged. It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below†. This quote has moved to become quite important when judging whether Alexander wanted to move towards a democracy or keep his autocracy intact. However another reform which, too, brought Russia further towards a democratic liberal state, was the education reform. A reason for this reform could be to educate the people of Russia seeing as the literacy rate was very low in the country side, additionally to , perhaps, integrate Russia more into Europe and the other western states society. New foreign school books were introduced along with more open universities where both women and men were allowed. This educational reform could have been inspired by Alexander’s possible wish to industrialize Russia. The emancipation of the serfs would also have helped improved that industrialization, seeing as the serfs would now be able to chose to do something other than what the nobility had ordered them to do previously. This industrialisation could have been desired due to the fact that Russia was falling behind the other European states economically. Additionally one of the major problems that had caused Russia to lose the Crimean war had been the malfunctioning railway system along with the deficiency of arms. It is often easier to draw conclusions in retrospect but when judging how successful something was there are several different aspects that ought to be considered, the emancipation of the serfs was indeed successful in its immediate goal, to free the serfs. However with the redemption dues and the shortage of land the everyday life of a serf did not change very much and in fact their economical situation decreased, hence this reformation was not good long term for neither the serfs nor for Alexander who now had the ill wishes of the serfs against him. The military reform was nonetheless very successful. Alexander managed to reduce the amount of time a soldier spent in the army, additionally he created a reserve army which was ready to step in if needed. This resulted in a much stronger and younger army, so in his military reform Alexander was very flourishing. Alexander’s judicial reform was also very thriving, both as a short term and a long term development. Short term it provided the Russians with a judicial system that was independent from the government and therefore incorrupt, furthermore the zemtsvo kept control in the country side and kept Alexander’s orders intact. This reform was therefore both beneficial for both Alexander and his Tsardome as well as for the common population of Russia who got a just law system. The educational restructuring is hard to judge as a matter of success. Even though the conditions of the students and the universities significantly improved it was not advantageous for Alexander himself. As he allowed the students to access outside information they learnt about other governmental systems which eventually, introvertably lead to his death. Hence, in itself the reform was successful however its consequences were, most likely, not those wished for by Alexander. If Alexander wished to reform Russia’s economy and industrialise her one could argue he was not very successful in doing so. The industrialisation never thoroughly commenced during Alexander’s reign and the now freed serfs kept at the new land they had gotten from the nobility. So this aspect of his overall reformation was not very triumphant either. All things considered, Alexander the second was a great reformer who managed to impose several different reforms in a large country without creating a sever debacle which would have harmed the already weak Russia. Several of his reforms were not only successful short term but also long term. Most of the reforms seem to have been brought forward due to the Crimean war, and the realisation that the Russian state was down falling. However seeing as it is unbeknownst what his objectives with these reforms were it is hard to state whether he was successful or not, he did manage to change Russia for a more liberal democratic state but he brought his own demise upon himself. Considering the reforms in themselves he was very successful in imposing them however their consequences were not favourable for himself, as well as the peasant population of Russia.

The Model Society Essays - Economic Ideologies, Economic Liberalism

The Model Society Essays - Economic Ideologies, Economic Liberalism The Model Society Lisa Pepper Professor Black CES Final Summary of the Model Society Goals of the Model Society Chart comparing aspects of different countries Comparisons between the Model Society and other major societies and theories Triangle Graph Comparisons Survey Bibliographic Information A Utopian society does not exist in any country in the world. The perfect system has not yet been developed. Certainly the United States and the Soviet Union have been two of the most admired systems OF the past, but they to are far from an ideal model of a just society which has been desired by many persons throughout the ages. This just society, is hard to define, nevertheless, this is what I propose. In the model society, all industry is nationalized and all citizens between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five are required to serve in an industrial army. This industrial army is divided into ten branches of industry, each department being under the control of a lieutenant general. Each lieutenant general is elected by a vote of all the retired members of the department he heads, thus avoiding the undesirable effects of having the workers select their own bosses. The general-in-chief of the army is the President, and all the men in the nation not involved in the industrial army elect him. No wages are paid, but all citizens, be they active or retired, receive an equal share in the national income. At the beginning of each year, every citizen is given a credit card marked off in dollars and cents, and every time he makes a purchase the amount is subtracted from his card. If any surplus is left over at the end of the year, it may be used the following year, or returned to the commo n fund. In this model society education is free and the old are provided for. And if any man who is capable of working refuses to do so, he may find himself in solitary confinement until he sees the light. 1. The provision of employment for all persons who are able and willing to work. 2. An equal distribution of money and real income among all citizens so that economic and social deprivation will not exist. 3. An increase in the level of real gross national product from year to year so that the standard of living for all citizens continues to rise. 4. An emphasis on the quality as well as the quantity of life. Full employment is in itself a desirable economic goal. It is the prime function of economy to enable everybody willing and able to work to earn a living, and only a fully employed economy performs this function. Maximum output is desirable given the communitys willingness to work, and here again full employment is a necessary condition. A more equitable distribution of income is one of the major goals of a model society. The major uncertainties of an industrial society are those of unemployment, premature death or disability, prolonged illness, and old age. These uncertainties can be taken care of through social security programs. It is necessary to provide some minimum standard of living for these families through family allowances, housing subsidies, and free medical care. An increase in the standard of living depends on the per capita income. Economic growth in this situation requires an increase in the actual output of goods as well as an increase in an economys capability to produce goods. That is why this is a fundamental goal of a model society. To an extent there is a contradiction between economic growth and the quality of the environment. Economic growth often results in smoke and fumes from more cars, litter, and pollution. In the model society emphasis would be placed on those things necessary to the environment. Although there is no such thing as a utopian society today, there are countries, which appear to have done well in providing the greatest good for the greatest number of people, and others which have done nothing to accomplish this goal. Following is brief synopsis of several different countries or theories as compared to the Model Society. Sweden is an excellent example of one such country. It displays a willingness and ability to correct problems that arise in its society today. The model society would hope to imitate

A Thousand Splendid Suns Journey

This intriguing story is set on the outskirts of the city Herat situated in Afghanistan where a young girl Mariam is born. The story is later moved on to the capital city, Kabul where another young girl Laila is given birth to. Hosseini depicts an image of women’s suffrage that is truly heart filled and effectively shows the inner strength, courage and bravery women had in order to survive and live to fulfill their many hopes and dreams. The author does this through the effective use of characterization, narrative style, the themes and issues portrayed within the text, relationships and emotions. Khaled Hosseini has used strong characterization and use of the technique narrative style in order to depict Mariam and Laila who are the two main characters in Hosseini’s inspiring yet heartbreaking story a thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini has written this story through the technique of third person in order to effectively show the true feelings of the characters Mariam and Laila. The strong use of third person as the narrative style is a very important part of this text as it clearly emphasizes the emotions and feelings that Mariam and Laila experience whilst they face the many hardships placed upon them. She lived in fear of his shifting moods, his volatile temperament, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies, and sometimes not. †Mariam’s thoughts are so clearly depicted in the above lines that it giv es the reader a full insight on how she fears each and every day as to how and what her husband’s mood will be when he arrives home and according to that how she will be treated. This illustrates the unjust behaviour she faces in her married life. The narrative style also is an excellent feature that engages the reader as it is a truly inspiring experience to be able to understand and comprehend what a woman is going through and how many things endlessly roam a mind when overcoming issues in life that we would never even think of let alone need to face in our lifetimes. A Thousand Splendid Suns also incorporates many themes and issues in Afghan society that effect women up until the present day. Hosseini shows the harsh reality of many women whose lives are filled with injustice and cruelty. He illustrates the cultural distinction between marriage and true love. The marriages in the novel are forced arranged marriages that have no likelihood to love. Mariam’s mother, tells her child that marriage cannot hold love, that men are cold heartless creatures, yet later after Nana’s unexpected death Mariam’s first instinct when she was being forcefully married to an elderly man Rasheed, thirty years her senior was of despise but later she thought with an open mind and knew she wouldn’t want to be a burden on anyone as a young unmarried women. Mariam therefore had hope that her marriage would lead to contentment and possible love, but unfortunately the marriage delves into abuse and oppression. At this time she remembers her mother’s words â€Å"A man’s heart is a wreched, wreched thing. It is not like a mother’s womb, it will not bleed for you, it will not stretch to make room for you† these words fill her mind with truth as she looks upon her one sided, disastrous marriage filled with hate and inequity. Another aspect that is shown quite clearly in Hosseini’s text is that of multiple marriages. In this novel Mariam’s husband finds young Laila buried under rubble after a torpedo strikes her street and instantly kills her family. He takes her home and says to his wife to care for her. Once she is recovered he gives her an ultimatum that in order for him to take care of her and live with them she must marry him as she has no other way to live in such a war torn city. She agrees and later in time joins the oppression, abuse and injustice placed on Mariam. Hosseini illustrates the true colors of what these women go through and how life itself becomes a nightmare for them. There are many relationships displayed in Hosseini’s novel, relationships of hate, love, youth, friendships, siblings, marriages and family, but there is one very unique bond formed in this text. Hosseini at first portrays the obvious jealousy Mariam has towards the young girl Laila, as she must share her husband with such competition. Rasheed, husband to two, purposely points all of Mariam’s flaws out to his new wife. He tells her all of Mariam’s deep secrets, and most importantly that she is a harami (illegitimate child) and that she is of no respect in society. Hosseini illustrates the hurt and pain Mariam endures when she realizes all those years of slaving endlessly to please her husband were of no use as he disrespects her in such a demeaning manner. Although Mariam tries her hardest to despise Laila, she realizes that Laila endures the same pain, oppression and hardships she does. Therefore Laila and Mariam begin to bond, share the work load of cleaning and cooking, have an occasional tea together which thus makes them realize that with such a bond anything is possible. Hosseini therefore suggests that women have an extremely strong ability to find strength and support within one another in order to help them overcome the impossible. This bond becomes more than just friendship; to them it seems like an inseparable tie of hope that god created for them through such hardships in life. This relationship effectively gives a positive view on the upcoming events in the novel and illustrates Hosseini’s positive depiction of support in relationships. This novel also shows the emotions used in order to create hope and the reality of which destiny unfolds. The people in this novel strive to believe in hope when going through the harsh realities forced upon them by political and personal oppression. Both Laila and Mariam depend upon somebody in their lives to overcome their problems and give them hope. For Mariam she looks upon the wise and elderly- Mullah Faizullah who taught her every aspect of knowledge of her religion. He never looked down upon her as a harami (illegitimate child) but as a child who was not even in a single way at fault and said to her â€Å"Behind every trial and sorrow that He makes us shoulder, God has a reason. †Ã‚  These simple words gave Mariam the courage to believe and follow her faith as she knew no matter what life threw at her she’d always have her faith. Laila also has her childhood best friend Tariq as her savior, who treats her as his equal. Laila feels that no oppression is laid upon her when she is with Tariq and that he only urges her to follow her hopes and dreams through the roughest of times. When these rough times finally arrive Hosseini shows a cycle where dreams that once were fulfilled are crushed and where hope and success in the near future, which were once visible- began to crumble instantly. In this point of the novel â€Å"Laila has moved on. Because in the end she knows that’s all she can do. That and hope.   This creates suspense and emotional attachment with the characters as those hopes and dreams are flattened in moments just like the Afghan women’s suffrage portrayed through Mariam and Laila’s life, time and time again. As they both raise their hopes and see happiness through all the grim darkness in the war filled Afghanistan, they are only lead to disappointment. Hosseini truly illustr ates the moments of hope and faith in these women’s lives but also gives the reader a thorough depiction on destiny, and how anything can change no matter what hopes and dreams you have. Khaled Hosseini has written a truly heartbreaking yet inspirational novel that any women would be empathetic towards. A thousand Splendid Suns is a story filled with multiple issues that will be present in society forever, it illustrates oppressions placed on women, hardships war-torn countries such as Afghanistan face and the relationships that are torn apart and can never be fixed and are therefore forever estranged. Hosseini truly inspires people to never lose hope even through the worst of times and to hold on to your faith, be true to yourself, think with an open mind and take one step at a time. A Thousand Splendid Suns Journey This intriguing story is set on the outskirts of the city Herat situated in Afghanistan where a young girl Mariam is born. The story is later moved on to the capital city, Kabul where another young girl Laila is given birth to. Hosseini depicts an image of women’s suffrage that is truly heart filled and effectively shows the inner strength, courage and bravery women had in order to survive and live to fulfill their many hopes and dreams. The author does this through the effective use of characterization, narrative style, the themes and issues portrayed within the text, relationships and emotions. Khaled Hosseini has used strong characterization and use of the technique narrative style in order to depict Mariam and Laila who are the two main characters in Hosseini’s inspiring yet heartbreaking story a thousand Splendid Suns. Hosseini has written this story through the technique of third person in order to effectively show the true feelings of the characters Mariam and Laila. The strong use of third person as the narrative style is a very important part of this text as it clearly emphasizes the emotions and feelings that Mariam and Laila experience whilst they face the many hardships placed upon them. She lived in fear of his shifting moods, his volatile temperament, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies, and sometimes not. †Mariam’s thoughts are so clearly depicted in the above lines that it giv es the reader a full insight on how she fears each and every day as to how and what her husband’s mood will be when he arrives home and according to that how she will be treated. This illustrates the unjust behaviour she faces in her married life. The narrative style also is an excellent feature that engages the reader as it is a truly inspiring experience to be able to understand and comprehend what a woman is going through and how many things endlessly roam a mind when overcoming issues in life that we would never even think of let alone need to face in our lifetimes. A Thousand Splendid Suns also incorporates many themes and issues in Afghan society that effect women up until the present day. Hosseini shows the harsh reality of many women whose lives are filled with injustice and cruelty. He illustrates the cultural distinction between marriage and true love. The marriages in the novel are forced arranged marriages that have no likelihood to love. Mariam’s mother, tells her child that marriage cannot hold love, that men are cold heartless creatures, yet later after Nana’s unexpected death Mariam’s first instinct when she was being forcefully married to an elderly man Rasheed, thirty years her senior was of despise but later she thought with an open mind and knew she wouldn’t want to be a burden on anyone as a young unmarried women. Mariam therefore had hope that her marriage would lead to contentment and possible love, but unfortunately the marriage delves into abuse and oppression. At this time she remembers her mother’s words â€Å"A man’s heart is a wreched, wreched thing. It is not like a mother’s womb, it will not bleed for you, it will not stretch to make room for you† these words fill her mind with truth as she looks upon her one sided, disastrous marriage filled with hate and inequity. Another aspect that is shown quite clearly in Hosseini’s text is that of multiple marriages. In this novel Mariam’s husband finds young Laila buried under rubble after a torpedo strikes her street and instantly kills her family. He takes her home and says to his wife to care for her. Once she is recovered he gives her an ultimatum that in order for him to take care of her and live with them she must marry him as she has no other way to live in such a war torn city. She agrees and later in time joins the oppression, abuse and injustice placed on Mariam. Hosseini illustrates the true colors of what these women go through and how life itself becomes a nightmare for them. There are many relationships displayed in Hosseini’s novel, relationships of hate, love, youth, friendships, siblings, marriages and family, but there is one very unique bond formed in this text. Hosseini at first portrays the obvious jealousy Mariam has towards the young girl Laila, as she must share her husband with such competition. Rasheed, husband to two, purposely points all of Mariam’s flaws out to his new wife. He tells her all of Mariam’s deep secrets, and most importantly that she is a harami (illegitimate child) and that she is of no respect in society. Hosseini illustrates the hurt and pain Mariam endures when she realizes all those years of slaving endlessly to please her husband were of no use as he disrespects her in such a demeaning manner. Although Mariam tries her hardest to despise Laila, she realizes that Laila endures the same pain, oppression and hardships she does. Therefore Laila and Mariam begin to bond, share the work load of cleaning and cooking, have an occasional tea together which thus makes them realize that with such a bond anything is possible. Hosseini therefore suggests that women have an extremely strong ability to find strength and support within one another in order to help them overcome the impossible. This bond becomes more than just friendship; to them it seems like an inseparable tie of hope that god created for them through such hardships in life. This relationship effectively gives a positive view on the upcoming events in the novel and illustrates Hosseini’s positive depiction of support in relationships. This novel also shows the emotions used in order to create hope and the reality of which destiny unfolds. The people in this novel strive to believe in hope when going through the harsh realities forced upon them by political and personal oppression. Both Laila and Mariam depend upon somebody in their lives to overcome their problems and give them hope. For Mariam she looks upon the wise and elderly- Mullah Faizullah who taught her every aspect of knowledge of her religion. He never looked down upon her as a harami (illegitimate child) but as a child who was not even in a single way at fault and said to her â€Å"Behind every trial and sorrow that He makes us shoulder, God has a reason. †Ã‚  These simple words gave Mariam the courage to believe and follow her faith as she knew no matter what life threw at her she’d always have her faith. Laila also has her childhood best friend Tariq as her savior, who treats her as his equal. Laila feels that no oppression is laid upon her when she is with Tariq and that he only urges her to follow her hopes and dreams through the roughest of times. When these rough times finally arrive Hosseini shows a cycle where dreams that once were fulfilled are crushed and where hope and success in the near future, which were once visible- began to crumble instantly. In this point of the novel â€Å"Laila has moved on. Because in the end she knows that’s all she can do. That and hope.   This creates suspense and emotional attachment with the characters as those hopes and dreams are flattened in moments just like the Afghan women’s suffrage portrayed through Mariam and Laila’s life, time and time again. As they both raise their hopes and see happiness through all the grim darkness in the war filled Afghanistan, they are only lead to disappointment. Hosseini truly illustr ates the moments of hope and faith in these women’s lives but also gives the reader a thorough depiction on destiny, and how anything can change no matter what hopes and dreams you have. Khaled Hosseini has written a truly heartbreaking yet inspirational novel that any women would be empathetic towards. A thousand Splendid Suns is a story filled with multiple issues that will be present in society forever, it illustrates oppressions placed on women, hardships war-torn countries such as Afghanistan face and the relationships that are torn apart and can never be fixed and are therefore forever estranged. Hosseini truly inspires people to never lose hope even through the worst of times and to hold on to your faith, be true to yourself, think with an open mind and take one step at a time.