Silent Suffering – A short Story

In the beginning, the job of an obesity councillor had its perks, I must admit. I used to crave the enjoyment I received from helping someone who needed me, but I never thought that helping myself would be my downfall. My wife, she hates me, I can see it in her eyes every time she dares to look my way. And my children, what use am I to them now? Too fat to even kick a ball! A little support from her wouldn't go amiss I reckon, but of course she has a life of her own. I used to be happy, we used to be happy. Then everything changed. My job was everything to me, but how can a fat pig of a man like me show any kind of encouragement for his patients? I think it happened when my father died, we were close me and him. I took four weeks off from work, the wife was away on business and the kids stopped with her parents. All I could do was eat, I thought it would go away, but even now, almost two years later food is all I think about. I suppose the fact I recognise what I'm doing is a starting point, but what have I got to live for now? I really can't see my marriage making it to the end of the year, they'll take the kids off me, I'm sure. What kind of a dad can I be? They'll say I'm mad, they're probably right too. Look at me! So desperate for someone to talk to that I have talk to the ugly thing staring back in the mirror! Councillor heal thyself comes to mind doesn't it? It never works you know, bottling things up. It only leads to unhappiness. But when you're unhappy anyway there's not really a difference. Sometimes I just want to end it; it's like a physical pain, burning in my chest. I've planned it you know, I'm scared of course, that's why I keep putting it off. Fat coward! Yesterday at work, suicide seemed inevitable once again. For 15 years I've sat at my desk listening to the depressed stories of people like me. Can you imagine what that does to a man? My whole working career has been spent in a cell of depression and my professional mind is telling me it's definitely taken its toll! I remember my daughter's sports day a few months ago. She dragged me up for the parents' race, I tried to refuse but she wouldn't let me. The whistle blew and away we went. Other dads racing like ruddy hares and then there was me, huffing and puffing at the back. I didn't even cross the line before I collapsed in a heap, pains tearing through my chest. Teachers rushing around, determined to phone for an ambulance but I wouldn't have it. I looked up; my wife stood in the distance a scowl on her face as usual. She said later that it served me right, practically calling me a greedy pig in the process! She's right though, as always. You see, what can a man like me give to the world? I'm just another statistic, another middle aged man with no life. Fat and ugly, that's all I am! All I need is some pills; I know we have plenty around the house. Just enough to do the job. I'll take them before I sleep, that way I'll never feel it, just go to sleep and never wake up. She'll be happy, I know it. Free to be with the fancy man I know she has! My eyes are closed now, it won't be long. I left a note in the kitchen telling my kids that I love them. I didn't say anything about the wife mind you. I used to be a good man, with a purpose! How did I come to be this?

Survey Questionnaire Sample

Employability of BSA Graduates of Saint Mary’s College of Catbalogan for the School Year 2009-2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012 (A Tracer Study) Survey Questionnaire I. PROFILE 1. Name of Respondents: _______________________________________________ 2. Age: ______________ Sex: __________ Civil Status: ______________________ 3. Address: __________________________________________________________ 4. Year Graduated: _____________________ II. INTERVIEW PROPER 1.Are you employed? ___YES ___NO 2. How many months/ years are you in service? ____________ 3. What is the nature of your work (position) at the present? ________________ 4. What is your status of employment? ____ Regular ____ Casual ____ Contractual Others: _________________ 5. Does your work apply to your course? ____ YES ____ NO 6. Do you enjoy your work status/ position? ____ YES ____ NO 7. Place of work? ___ Catbalogan ____ Tacloban ____ Cebu ____ Manila ____ Outside of the country: Others: ___________________________________ _ 8. What agency / company’s do you work? ____ Government ____ Private ____ Semi-Government ____ Family Business Others: ________________________________________ 9. What examination have you taken in your employment wither passed or not passed? ____ Civil Service Commission ____ Company Examination ____ CPA Board ExamOthers: ________________________________________ 10. To what degree are the knowledge and preparation you obtained in SMCC to prepare you to the nature of work? ____ High ____ Medium ____ Low 11. What is the nearest reason/s why you are unemployed? ____ I don’t feel like working ____ I want to take first and pass the CPA board examination ____ I just can’t find a job that suits my inclination ____ I just got fired from my job ____ I take up another course instead of degree Others: _____________________________________________

A South African Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A South African Investment - Essay Example On the other hand, there is a reality to the actuality that the jobs provided in that Caltex plant may have been a number of the most excellent means offered for black’s peoples and any of the other minorities that we can see in South Africa to be concerned for their families. At the same time as liberty and complete civil rights are importantly significant to every people so that they can accomplish their complete potential and assert their correct place in the earth, there are some other, extra fundamental requirements that must be fulfilled previous to one can worry regarding intellectual, religious, and other individual constitutional rights and liberties. The Caltex plants do not have any authority to set political stress on the law of South Africa to modify its policies. Monetary investment means a lot to a nation. It is an embarrassment that Caltex plant had no trouble going into a country whose rules was such a disgrace to humanity. On the other hand, the standard of e xistence for South African minorities and Blacks was shocking. They had very poor houses, were deprived of food accessibility, followed poor educational plans, had no right to follow certain jobs, and were provided income that was far less than that of South African White citizens. . â€Å"South Africa the black majority is controlled and oppressed by a white minority that comprises 18 percent of the population† (Case Study 4: A South African Investment n.d., p. 1). A number of South Africans Black people spoke of the necessity for complete liberty, that may not have been the main concern of the average people of South Africa, and it appears evenly disrespectful to suppose that â€Å"we† are right regarding what they require in the â€Å"long run.† * If you were a stockholder in Texaco or Standard Oil (now named Chevron), how do you believe you ought to vote on the three kinds of stockholder's resolutions that were proposed (the first asking Caltex to terminate its operations, the second asking Caltex not to sell to the military or police of South Africa, and the third asking Caltex to implement the Tutu principles)? Justify each of your answers fully. I have voted in support of each of the three stockholder’s decisions. While I consid er that under serviceable attitudes it may not necessarily have been the greatest option for Texaco, or Standard Oil, for Caltex to not open plants in South Africa, as an investor I need to vote according to my individual conscience. Any type of economic reward, for instance, helping to produce national earnings from the withdrawal of building or natural resources a national industry such as petroleum, looks unconscionable given the essential premise on which the administration of South Africa survives. The first decision had Caltex obligatory to stop proceeding with all processes in South Africa until the administration eliminated Apartheid totally. I have voted in support of that decision. A breakdown to create a stand and take a voice against apartheid is an apt method to participate and acquiesce in its survival

Literature review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Literature review - Research Paper Example Consequently, all the 9 conducted studies reported that AHI was significantly lower in OSA patient who practiced exercise as a remedy. Three RCTs reported that exercise independently reduces the severity of OSA, however it is reported to be less effective compared to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliance and surgical interventions. In those studies the participant blindness to the intervention was impossible while the blindness of data collection personnel to participant intervention were not mentioned. Lack of blindness may affect the accuracy of data collection. The two studies that conducted by Kline and colleagues in 2011 and 2012 were counted for only one evidence because the authors published the same article in two different journals, which considered double publication. One RCT study and the five observation studies reported that exercise in combination with the traditional interventions of CPAP and diet reduced the OSA severity. The small sample sizes as well as the reliance on survey and self-reports limit the generalizability of findings. Although all of the studies utilized moderate intensity exercise to treat OSA, the mode, frequency, and duration were diverse. The types of exercise were varied from walking on the treadmill, bicyclic, jogging, and stretching. Both the duration and frequency of exercise were also varied. They were ranged from 1 hour per week to 3 hours per week for a time period range from a minimum of 12 weeks to a maximum of 12 months. These variations in application confused the research’s consumer and unable them to come up with new recommendations for best practice. This concludes that despite having a few amounts of studies that utilized exercise as an intervention for reducing the severity of OSA we still lack of knowledge on the exact exercise dose (mode, intensity, and duration) that is associated with more reduction in OSA severity. Further research is needed to compare and contrast the effect o f those different presented exercise doses in OSA severity. The studies used different kinds of exercise like jogging, cycling and walking on a treadmill among other methods to set some motions on the body muscles. Different people would have different response to such exercise. The study did not categorize the participants in accordance to their body size and weights for more accurate results. Obese kid may take several weeks before the impacts of exercise on OSA are clearly indicated. Different people correspond differently to body exercises. There are those whose muscles are strengthened after a few reps on the treadmill while a few may take more than 3 weeks before their muscles sense the changes in the body movements. The research ought to have considered reports from exercise experts before making verdicts, other than producing generalized results. Although Dr. Kline laments that his study indicated that exercise can reduce the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) by 25% there is a grou p of thought that exercise could have some negative impacts on human health. The research team did not mention consulting the participants’ doctors before subjecting them in the exercise session. This may result in some complications depending on individual health conditions. Participants with heart conditions may worsen their health condition on a sudden body exercise. It is advised that such patients should avoid heavy

Case study11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study11 - Essay Example Audubon Park Zoo's promotions on support and awareness were directed by the Friends of the Zoo, Incorporated. Involved in the funding, operating and governing the zoo, it became the Audubon Institute taking the major share of the administrative functions in the zoo. The Audubon Zoo promotes membership to ensure cash flow. Membership fees significantly augment the income of the zoo along with the admissions and food and gift operations. The self-sustaining operations of the zoo can be linked to its good organizational structure and design. From having conditions in the early 1970's like "animal ghetto", "the New Orleans antiquarium" and "animal concentration camp", the Audubon Zoo had its share of improvement and development plans until its accreditation and was ranked as one of the top three zoos of its size in America. This organization underwent a series of metamorphosis due to lattice organization and core principles. The Audubon Zoo has a dominant horizontal organizational structure designed for learning in which there is shared tasks empowerment, relaxed hierarchy, few rules, face-to-face communication, many teams and task forces and decentralized decision-making. The Friends of the Zoo, Incorporated (FOTZ) turned Audubon Institute has its mission statement anchored on earth's life preservation through awareness and appreciation. Natural world's conservation and enrichment are also part of the mission. It was formed in 1974 for the purpose of increasing support and awareness of the Audubon Park Zoo. This simple task however logically changed as more needs arose due to the zoo's dramatic transformation. From just drawing interest and commitment from the public, the FOTZ were now involved in funding, operating and governing the zoo. At present, the Institute's goals gear toward conservation, education, research, economics and leadership. 1.1.2 Horizontal Information Linkages Horizontal information linkages refer to the amount of communication and coordination among an organization (Daft, 2004). The Audubon Park Zoo's organization as populated by FOTZ members, volunteers, zoo parents, city public, local enterprises, local television companies, city officials, neighborhood, etc. has highly encouraged communication and coordination everywhere in its organization. Such varied and loosely organized groups pose direct and indirect lines of communication between person to person and within and among groups. The advantage of the open lines of communication is improving the quality and efficiency of communication. 1.1.3 External Environment Environmental uncertainty increases

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 6

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example Rotation of auditors has also been argued to facilitate business organisations in developing better transparency in their financial reports. Moreover, auditor rotation is identified as a process assisting in better flow of information. Rotation also ascertains that the financial statements of a business organisation are reviewed frequently. In this manner, auditor rotation develops an increased accountability along with independence amid auditors. However, the policy of auditor rotation is identified to affect the audit quality to a substantial extent, as auditors with time span are aware of the risks and credibility that a business organisation is attached with. It is also ascertained that there are certain business organisations adopting the policy of auditor rotation, which are seemed to increase complexities as well as cost due to rotation during important business transactions (Whitehouse, 2013). In this regard, the essay emphasizes the audit quality and the policy of rotation o f auditors. Moreover, the essay discusses about the issues that are addressed by auditors’ rotation and explains the advantages and disadvantages associated with the policy of auditors’ rotation. Discussion Defining Audit Quality In the present business scenario, financial reports of companies are deemed to be quite essential elements of identifying the performances of business organisations. In this regard, both internal as well as external auditors play effective role in the preparation of financial reports suitably (Arrunada & Paz-Ares, 1997). Contextually, audit quality has emerged as an important aspect in relation to the audited financial reports that are prepared and presented. It is therefore deemed to be the auditors’ responsibility to discover as well as identify the shortcomings in the accounting system of an organisation in order to ensure that financial reports are prepared systematically and appropriately (Velte & Stiglbauer, 2012). Correspondingly , the policy of audit quality is generally argued as based on three important factors, which include disclosure of appropriate financial statements, ascertaining that the internal control system of an organisation is efficient and provide adequate warnings in case of frauds and misrepresentations (PCAOB, 2013). The Issue that are Addressed by ‘Rotation of Auditors’ The policy of rotation of auditors is thereby adopted by business organisations with the objective of ascertaining that financial reports are prepared and disclosed appropriately ascertaining better audit quality. The policy has been adopted in order to minimise the barrier of over-familiarity that may develop amid the management of an organisation and auditors with time. In this respect, business organisations have adopted this policy in order to safeguard and protect the interests as well as confidence of investors by ensuring that quality audited financial reports are disclosed every year, representing a r eliable information reflecting the current financial position of the company. The utmost objective of rotation of auditors is accordingly, to ascertain that auditing operations are performed effectively in order to enhance audit quality (PWC, 2013). In this regard, it can be comprehended

Classroom Game Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classroom Game Plan - Essay Example Good classroom procedures can also be good housekeeping routines. Hand signals can be visual or audio. For example, raising the left hand or placing the index finger of the right hand in front of closed lips to signal the students to keep quiet. Classroom organization refers to the arrangement of furniture and materials. For instance, in a class of fifty learners, arranging the furniture in three straight columns is ideal so that the teacher can easily spot all the students. Marzano, Marzano and Pickering (2003) further say that consequences are measures used to show a student that a certain behavior is unacceptable. Behavior like noise making can be reinforced in several ways. Writing the learner’s name on board the first time the crime is committed shows the learner that the teacher has noticed the behavior. If the behaviour persists, the learner can be asked to go out of class for a few minutes. A teacher’s physical appearance is also crucial. There is a need to dress decently and appropriately, have neat hair, standing straight when addressing the students and maintaining eye contact with them. Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. (2003). Classroom management that works: Research-based strategies for every teacher. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum

In Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

In Economic - Essay Example After losing job, consequently, people lose their sources of income. Therefore, to characterize the degree of the working population, the term "unemployment rate" - the ratio of the number of people to the value of national workforces – is used. One can distinguish three types of unemployment. Frictional unemployment is generated by a constant rate of population movement between areas, from profession to profession. Such unemployment exists even at full employment due to job changing and looking for the best work (it is often regarded as voluntary unemployment). Structural unemployment results from technological changes in the economy, long-term shifts in consumer demand or relocation of jobs from one district to another. In this case, even skilled workers remain jobless. Cyclic unemployment is caused by a generally low demand for labor in all sectors and regions; such type of unemployment is a result of slowdown in economic activity in the country. In general, such involuntar y unemployment negatively affects the morale of man; it is also harmful for the psyche. Unfortunately, this type of unemployment prevails in the United Kingdom nowadays. The country is still getting through the effects of the recent world’s crisis, which occurred in 2008 and resulted in large-scale global economy recession. Suffice it to recollect the strikes occurred against the backdrop of a sharp rise in unemployment in the UK (the strike of workers of a refinery plant in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, 2009; the strike of employees of a steel mill in Corus, Redcar). In 2009, there were nearly 2 million unemployed people in the UK (Trading Economics.com, 2009). It is believed that there is so-called natural (normal) unemployment rate, which determines the maximum possible level of employment. In the United Kingdom it is 4 % (Trading Economics.com, 2011). The downsides of unemployment in the UK are the lag of GNP, compared to the amount that the society would have at its potential, loss of income for lots of people, loss of national output, uneven distribution of the costs of unemployment among different social groups, a great many of workers lose their skills. â€Å"High unemployment has an impact on government expenditure, taxation and the level of government borrowing. An increase in unemployment results in higher benefit payments and lower tax revenues. If any person is unemployed, he or she receives benefits, consequently - pay no income tax. It is obvious that when people spend less, they contribute less to the government in indirect taxes. This rise in government spending along with the fall in tax revenues may result in a higher government borrowing requirement (so-called public sector net cash requirement)† (Davidson, 2009). Office for National Statistics UK unveiled data on unemployment in the country (February - April 2011). The unemployment rate for the three months is to remain at the level of January - March and will make 7, 8%, according to analysts (UK National Statistics, 2011). Past two years, countries around the world pursue a policy of fiscal stimulus package, unprecedented in scope - at least for a time of peace. In Greece, the USA, India, Britain and some other states budget deficit exceeded 10% of GDP (UK National Statistics, 2010). Naturally, â€Å"this is a classic Keynesian response to economic downturn - when demand in the private sector is reduced, the state must fill the gap to prevent economic collapse†

Race and stereotypical attitudes In the United States Research Paper

Race and stereotypical attitudes In the United States - Research Paper Example Stereotype is closely related with the other terms such as discrimination and prejudice but holds a different concept. According to Daniel Katz and Kenneth Braly, stereotyping can give rise to discrimination and racial prejudice among different groups within a society. For example; recently people in America can be seen reporting any activity of terrorism with Muslims. This is a typical example of a stereotypical thinking where any act of terrorism is being associated with a religious group. However, in the past, such acts of terrorism were observed being linked with the Blacks. Blacks were thought as the people who carry a gun or any weapon when they are walking around casually. They were considered as the robbers or buglers. However, this raised hostile behavior for the blacks by the whites and vice versa. Racial Inequality and Behavior in United States Racial inequality in the country has given rise to different societal issues that has adversely affected the behavior and quality of life of the people belonging from different cultural backgrounds in America including the native Americans. Racial inequality has given rise to unequal distribution of wealth, power, resources and other opportunities. This is had not given rise to different societal issues but it has also effected the behavior of Americans. Racial discrimination has outlined numerous cultural, legal, political and economic issues. Even American can be seen having biased against the people of color. According to a poll conducted by Washington Post regarding the incident of Trayvon Martin, who was shot brutally in Florida on the bases of his races. It was found out that 55% of Americans believe that people with different color are given more freedom when it comes to legal accountability as compare to whites. However, on the other hand, 80% of the African Americans believe that the legal accountability system in America holds a discriminative behavior against the people of color. This perception amo ng the people indicates that Americans are divided on the subject of racial issues. Also, it provokes a thought that is the legal accountability system is biased while treating the people of color differently? Racial bias in America has adversely affected the behavior of people and despite what the authorities claim this issue holds a significant position in the American history. During 1940s, African Americans faced a hostile behavior from the white people. The efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr. is an evidence to support to this hostility that how African Americans were deprived of their legal and social status by the majority of white people in America. In another piece of literature, James Weldon Johnson in his â€Å"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man† has explained that how as an African American one was faced with racial discrimination and how that man preferred to live as a middle-class white man. This indicates that the thinking and behavior of that African America n man was changed due to the hostile attitude and behavior he had to face by the white groups. His circumstances led him to change his identity and lifestyle which could be seen how people today are shifting their identity from their roots to a new one. Similarly, he has explained in his story that how the behavior of the blacks were regarded as low as they never put an effort

Research Methodologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6750 words

Research Methodologies - Essay Example The new media identified is the internet and the possible e-marketing exercises that could be resorted to in order to boost the profitability. Hong Kong is made of 236 islands in all on the South China Sea. Out of this land space, it has been found that only 25% of the land has been commercially developed and used. The rest are green and form a part of National Parks that are protected and reserves (Lonely Planet, 2006). Since it borders the Pearl River and its delta, it also provides some of the best picturesque locations for restaurants and evening sit outs. Most of the people live and work in high rise buildings. The restaurants that cater to the catering business in Hong Kong are on many cases are located next to one another for want of land and place (Time Out, 2006). This led to excessive competition between the restaurants of the region. The sharp increase in the GDP of the province and an economic growth that surpassed 10% year on year on the GDP helped the province to swiftly prosper at the same time pushing the cost of place and hence the rental costs to incredibly high figures. While the rental costs have gone substantial up, it is also found that the cost of food has not gone up to that extent. This has happened due to the fact that most of the food is imported and the imported cost has not gone up in the mainland China from where food is brought in. This meant the cost of the food has to go up for specific areas and not for others resulting in discrepancies of cost even across the small area in the Hong Kong. People could show preference based on the cost of the food as much as the quality of the food that the restaurants served (HKSAR Budget 2006-07). Increasing competition forced the restaurants not to increase the cost of the food at these restaurants for the fear of losing business. Current Marketing Methods The restaurants in Hong Kong promote themselves using any of the traditional methods of advertising on the newspapers and other media. Some of the well known restaurants thrive due to a strong of word of mouth advertisement that they get from their patrons. All these help them in consolidating their market base. However with the rise in the competitive levels the large food market in Hong Kong which is also known as the Food Paradise since the 1980s. A large cross section of the cuisines are also supported and it is found that these restaurants have already carved a niche for themselves by serving specific food varieties starting from Asian or Cantonese or Manchurian and other choices that serve as a differentiator. However, with the increasing level competition even these differentiators get blurred and there happens to be competition within these specific niche markets themselves so much so that these niches are no niche markets that they used to be once upon time. Out of the total area of 1,102 square kilometers of Hong Kong only about 300 square kilometers are occupied by human settlements. There is a large scale exodus of restaurants to move from these established locations and move out to the non established out skirts where the land and the building rentals are pretty cheap but at the cost of the patrons who would find it

Australian Conscription in Vietnam War Essay Example for Free

Australian Conscription in Vietnam War Essay The conscription issue during the second Indo – China war in the 1960’s tore apart the fabric of Australian society and resulted in divisions in all sections of the community. There were many reasons for Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, including the allegiance commitments of South-East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO). The introduction of conscription illustrates the main purpose of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The conscription issues and the war itself caused social division in reaction to the Vietnam War. In 1964 compulsory National Service was introduced under the National Service Act. The Defence Act was amended in May 1965 to provide that National Servicemen could be obliged to serve overseas, a provision that had been applied only once before – during World War Two. Paragraph one The Australian government supported the USA involvement in the Vietnam War, and Australia felt it was imperative that the North Vietnam have a proper defensive treaty, as a number of other countries felt the same way, so SEATO was created to deal with this situation. SEATO was a much stronger agreement to support Australia’s security needs in the Pacific. It also helped to highlight the growing division between Australia and Britain and the new dependence on the United States (US). † (N/A, The ANZUS Treaty and SEATO Alliance, 2013, Skwirk. com. au Interactive Schooling) Australia joined the SEATO because it could support Australia in the Pacific. As America joined in the Vietnam War, A ustralia supported them to join the war as well. The Australian government feared the idea of communism overtaking their nation, this fear lead to the decision of forcing their young men to be conscripted to join the war in South Vietnam. Conscription was a tremendous issue for the families of the young men who fought in the war because many males were being conscripted sent into the Vietnam War without any choice or opinion. As a result of the fear of communism, Australia decided to support the US to join the Vietnam War and fight for the South Vietnam. SEATO was one of the reasons that Australia joined the war, because it was a much stronger agreement to support Australian security of the needs in the Pacific, Australia joined the SEATO to against the North Vietnam. As Australia got involved the war, the conscription has leaded to the depressions and social divisions in the Australian society. Paragraph two The purpose of the second Indo-China war of conscription was to avoid communism spreading to Australia. This caused Australian men and women to become infuriated and create groups against conscription. Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) was keen to get more supporters of his actions in Vietnam, to give them legitimacy. This was during the Cold War, both North and South Vietnam tried to gain the moral upper hand over the other in a way that does not happen today. â€Å"You have in us [the Australian Liberal delegation] not merely an understanding friend but one staunch in the belief of the need for your presence in Vietnam. We are not here because of our friendship, we are here because, like you, we believe it is right to be there and, like you, we believe American forces should stay there as long as it seems necessary to achieve the purpose of the South Vietnamese Government and the purpose that we join in formulating and progressing together. And so, sir, in the lonelier and perhaps even more disheartening moments which come to any national leader, I hope there will be a corner of your mind and heart which takes cheer from the fact that you have an admiring friend, a staunch friend that will be all the way with LBJ. ( Wikipedia, A Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today, 2004, Today In Alternate History) From this speech -‘All The Way with LBJ’, to show that LBJ tried to convince other Australia to join the war with them together, and America knew that Australia would support them, and Australia had training teams in Vietnam before 1965, just as the Am erica did. The main reason that Australia was afraid of the communism was the domino theory, the countries of South-East Asia was like dominoes. If one ‘fell’ to communism, this would lead to the fall of another, and so on until all were ruled by communists. It is evidenced that Australia was very fearful of communism and of growing Asian power, by offering Australia’s full unquestioning support of the United States (US). Australia’s foreign policy is basically to secure protection by cuddling up to a more powerful friend; since World War Two America has been Australia’s powerful friend. Australia supported America by helping them in conflicts such as joining the Vietnam War was one of the prices that Australia paid for the protection. Paragraph three Conscription led to people combining together and creating groups to revolt against the conscription and Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. The social divisions appeared in all sections of the Australian community. Conscription started as choosing 20-year-old males in Australia in 1964, but then it turned into conscripting teenagers. In 1964 compulsory National Service for 20-year-old males was introduced under the National Service Act. The selection of conscripts was made by a sortation or lottery draw based on date of birth, and conscripts were reduced to give two years’ continuous full-time service, followed by a further three years on the active reserve list. Young men who were subject to the conscription lottery also formed their own anti-conscription organization, the Youth Campaign Against Conscription. Like Save Our Sons, it spread to other states – New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. (Wikipedia, 11 March 2013, Conscription in Australia) In 1965 a group of concerned Australian women who had ‘lost’ their husbands and sons joined together and created the Save Our Sons (S. O. S) which was established in Sydney with other branches later formed in Wollongong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Newcastle and Adelaide. In the same year, young men who were subject to the conscription lottery also created their own organization the Youth Campaign Against Conscription (YCAC). One of the social divisions would be conscription affect people’s daily routine, and people were being anti-war and anti-conscription. Overall, the governments’ fear of communism spreading into Australia was why they chose to continue supporting the America. This is most likely because the war and conscription were mostly fused into one without taking account of a nuanced position that addresses the two issues separately. The importance of keeping the two issues separate is that the Government would have been more credible if it had simply pursued the war and not sent conscript. Conclusion In conclusion, conscription issue during the Vietnam War in the 1960’s put Australian society into the social divisions in all parts of Australian community, especially in 1966 people started to stand out and combined into organizations to against it. The reason that they supported and followed the United States (US) to join the Vietnam War would be Australian Government was afraid of the spreading of the communism. Australia supported the defence of the people in South Vietnam and intellectual consistency to accept the use of conscription in a war that was supposed to be fought in defence of freedom; instead the war got extended.

David Cronenbergs A History Of Violence Film Studies Essay

David Cronenbergs A History Of Violence Film Studies Essay In my presentation about Cronenbergs A History of Violence I discussed the human relationships, the importance of recurring scenes and the question of genetics, parental example and conscious choice. Cronenbergs movie is extremely complex and there are still plenty of topics which can be further analysed, so this time I would like to examine topics like the question of identity or the nature of violence. Furthermore, as A History of Violence is said to be no typical Cronenbergian movie, I would like to compare it with one of his earlier, more characteristic movies, eXistenZ, and demonstrate with it the above statement. When we first meet the Stall family, we have no idea that violence will have something to do with one of the members. Cronenberg uses very professionally a kind of diverting action by introducing first the two mob guys whose appearance will have such vital consequences. The Stall family seems to be a model family with a happy life in a small town. Tom Stall is running a successful, little diner, has two model children and a beautiful, clever wife, with whom their relationship is just as content and intimate as it was 20 years ago in the beginning of their marriage. His wife is certainly satisfied with their life together and thinks that her husband is the best man in the world. Their life changes significantly as the plot develops. One evening the two mob figures, which can be seen in the first scene arrive in Millbrook and go into Toms diner. When they attack the staff, Tom Stall transforms in no time into a local hero and killing the two assaulters saves the lives of those present. Of course, these events put Tom immediately into the limelight; his picture appears in the newspaper and reporters arrive in Millbrook to make an interview with him. The family hopes that this curiosity will soon wane, however it rather leads to the turning point in their life. In a few days time some more mob guys appear in the diner under the leadership of a certain Carl Fogarty, claiming that they know Tom, who is indeed not Tom but Joey and is from Philadelphia. Although Tom denies everything they are not willing to take notice of it and get off the family even after the warning of the local sheriff. There is a turning point in Toms attitude when Fogarty and his man catch Jack after a quarrel between him and his father. They offer to let Jack go if Tom is willing to go with them to Philadelphia for a trip down Memory Lane. Although with Jacks help Tom manages to kill all the three mob guys, this is the point in the movie when it becomes clear both for Toms family and for the viewers that he must have been Joey once. Later we learn that most probably he was born into a gangster family and naturally he also became a violent figure, however when he grew older he decided to give up the way he lived before and spent three years becoming Tom. He decided to take on the name Stall, simply because it was available. It was his meeting with his future wife Edie that helped him to take leave from Joey and adopt a normal lifestyle. Tom seems to be able to draw a distinct line between the two periods of his life when he says that it was Joey who did those violent actions and never Tom. When we watch the events Tom has already spent almost as many years being Tom as being Joey. But is it possible to leave behind everything and become a completely new person from one day to another? Watching the film, it is, however i n Toms case it had an influence not only on his life but also on his familys. It is especially interesting to examine this question from Edies and the childrens point of view: What do you do when you discover that your husband or father has concealed everything about his early life? Was he lying to you, or protecting you? Did you love someone who didnt really exist? (Roger Ebert, 2005). Looking at these question the confusion and shock of the family is easily understandable, but on the other hand, we have to mention that on the evening when the two criminals showed up in the diner it was Joey who saved Tom. If Tom hadnt been Joey earlier, most probably he would have been killed in that incident. It is also interesting to observe how Tom transforms back to Joey when he returns to Philadelphia. The two characters are absolutely different: Tom is a classical, stoic American patriarch while Joey is an active, strong, effective anti-hero (Beaty, 2008.). Going back to Philadelphia and transform once again into Joey is necessary und unavoidable for Tom as he wants to protect his family from the fatal consequences of his brothers visit into Millbrook. This way, he has no other choice than to go but it is also important to mention that his only motif is to get back safely and repair his life with his broken family. It is well-known that A History of violence is not a typical Cronenbergian film, it is difficult to establish even its genre. It can easily be a thriller, action-movie, or a family drama containing horror elements. According to Beaty (2008), the movie is about disguises and a network of lies. Its core story is about a man masking his true identity. Tom Stall isnt what he first appears to be and the film isnt what it first appears to be.(p.12). This leads us to ask two main question during and after the film: 1. Who is Tom Stall? 2. What really is this film? For the second question David Cronenberg gave the following answer: A History of Violence is a kind of inside-out version of what I normally do (Beaty, 2008, p.15). Last but not least, it is also important to mention that playing such a double character is no easy task. Viggo Mortensen made a very good job and it was not by accident that Cronenberg fixed his choice on him: I need a kind of eccentricity that is more typical of a character actor than a leading man and yet still has a leading man presence and charisma. (Beaty, 2008, p.21). David Cronenberg had to find an actor who could play with equal skill both a small-town man and a violent criminal and as Beaty mentions it was Mortensen who combined both traits of the leading man and the character actor (p.21). Violence Already the title of Cronenbergs movie contains the keywords of its story. The title A History of Violence lets the viewers to suspect a number of things about the film. This title can mean at least three things. It can refer to the historical custom of settling disputes by using violence (e.g. war, duals), but it can also refer to a person having a history of violence, that is, a past full of violent actions. In addition, it can refer to the fact that throughout the evolution violence was carried on from father to son, from generation to generation (Ebert, 2005). I think at least two of these topics can be found in the movie. Throughout the history of humanity, violence was always present. We are all naturally partial to violence even if in our day committing violence is no more acceptable except for some good reasons. Such reasons are, for example, when we want to defend ourselves, someone else or our property. In the US, for example, you are allowed to defend your property with a gun. Another acceptable however still controversial reason for committing violence is war and wartime situations and a third one is when we use violence as a punishment, although this is not everywhere an acceptable form of punishment (for example, death penalty is in practice only in some countries of the world). Even if acting violently is not acceptable in a number of situations, we cannot break away from it and more or less we all have a propensity for it. We watch it in the cinema, in television, there is a whole movie industry built on it with innumerable action, thriller and horror films (at this point I have to mention that A History of Violence is also one of them). Throughout the history before the emergence of the movie industry such events as bloody executions and torturing of convicts served as public entertainment. Warfare and duals were another examples. As Desson Thomson (2005) writes, A History of Violence forces us to confront this Pavlovian conditioning to violence. According to scientist, this attachment of ours to violence comes from our animal past, our need to find food and defend ourselves by killing the enemy if we want to survive. Genetically this propensity for violence is still in us and it is carried over from generation to generation (Baumgarten, 2005). However, even if violence is in connection with our animal past and animal instincts we have something else that makes us different from animals and this is the ability to make conscious choices and say no to our instincts. This ability together with a good family example can lead to the right path. As David Cronenberg put it: Genetically, I have to say yes, it is obvious that people have a propensity for violence. It comes from our animal past, our need to survive. But we also have that other thing, that imagination to abstract and say: well we can imagine a world in which we dont do these things that we find abhorrent by negotiation, by diplomacy, by compassion, by empathy. (OHehir, 2005) Toms/Joeys and Jacks example illustrates very well the above idea. From the movie it becomes clear that most probably Joey was born into a gangster family where violence was an everyday thing. On the one hand, this served as an example for him; while on the other hand, violence was also in his genes. This way, it was almost unavoidable for him to become just the same as his family. However, as he grew older he became able to make a conscious choice and decided to leave behind his previous lifestyle. As opposed to this, Jack, his son was born into a normal family and had a normal parental example. As a consequence, he could avoid becoming violent even if it was also in his genes via his father. But the importance of example is very well demonstrated by the events in the film if take a closer look on them. Jack is still very young and therefore easy to influence. So when he sees what a hero his father becomes after he kills those two criminals his attitude towards violence changes radically, although until then he tried to avoid confrontation and violent situations. This is what Cronenberg said about him and about the question of our propensity for violence in an interview: You have the story of the son who avenges himself against a bully () When we first meet him, the boy seems to be a pretty good politician. he can talk his way out of a violent confrontation. He uses his wits, he uses his humour and () therefore he avoids violence. () Then he sees the celebrity his father attains after his acts of violence and hes intrigued by that. () Are we talking about a genetic propensity to violence or is it a cultural one? He feels that he wouldnt mind some of that celebrity on his own level. Therefore, the next opportunity he has, he ends up committing violence. Hes unrepentant afterwards and does connect it to his father (OHehir, 2005). According to Beaty, Cronenberg used the violent scenes in a conscious way. It is not by accident that we see mutilated bodies and faces but rather because the director wanted the viewers to see the brutal consequences of violence. This is not characteristic of every action film. Cronenberg wanted us to realize what we see in those films is only half the truth, that action films build on our desire to see violence in an attractive way. As opposed to those films, Cronenberg wanted to show us what real violence looks like and what the real consequences of it are. As Renà ©e Rodrigues put it: he forces you to consider what it means exactly, to shoot someone in the face and how once that line is crossed, it becomes much easier to do it again (Beaty, 2008, p.7). As violence is a crucial point in the movie, mob figures have a very important role in it. The two such figures are Carl Fogarty, played by Ed Harris and Richi Cusack, played by William Hurt, both of them famous and highly acclaimed actors. Although they spend only very short time on screen, both of them have a critical role. According to Beaty, for the role of Richi Cusack Cronenberg did not need a typical gangster or a clichà © mob figure but a character that can be taken seriously. He had to be compelling, convincing, charismatic, scary, profound and ironic at the same time (2008, p.24). William Hurt was a perfect choice. A History of Violence versus eXistenZ, a typical Cronenberg movie If we take a closer look on the list of Cronenbergs previous films, it is clear that A History of Violence is not a typical one. Before 2005 Cronenberg made mainly abstract, weird films, the topics of which dealt with scientific, psychological, medical or virtual issues. Although a slight minority of the viewers praised loudly these films, most of them were no box-offices. In a way, this is understandable as these films were not the typical Hollywood movies. They were difficult to apprehend, had multiple layers and needed the viewer to think hard if he wanted to understand the message. Of course, this is also characteristic of A History of Violence, in which we can find a number of topics relevant for discussion, for example the nature and the consequences of violence, genetic heritage, the changing nature of personal relationships, the question of identity or the importance of parental example, just to mention a few. Cronenbergs 1999 movie eXistenZ is a very good example for his earlier and more characteristic style. There are huge differences between eXistenZ and A History of Violence. eXistenZ is taking place in a dark future where people are no more contented with their real life, instead they are obsessed with playing virtual games. These virtual games are not the nowadays fashionable mechanical computer games, but instead organic virtual reality games. According to Howe (1999), In this society, people get bioported, so they can plug in to the largest game system of ecstatic hyper-reality. They tap directly into their nervous systems, by connecting their bioports to flesh-textured pods (containing the game software, as it were) by means of an umbilical-like Umby-Cord'. In this near future there are two big video game companies competing with each other and Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh) became a kind of superstar by inventing the latest world famous game, called eXistenZ. The opening s cene of the movie takes place in a church where a small group of people is testing her game, when Allegra is attacked and has to flee with the help of security guard Ted Pikul (Jude Law). The movie becomes weirder and weirder when they find out that Allegra was shot with an organic pistol made of bones and teeth and this is why it wasnt detected by Ted. A bit later Allegra discovers that most probably her pod containing the only copy of her game was damaged. She wants to test it by playing the game with Ted when he admits that he has no bioport saying: I have this phobia about having my body penetrated surgically. After Allegra convinces him that getting bioported will change his life they head to a gas station where a service station operator performs the bizarre procedure (Howe, 1999). After overcoming some more difficulties there is nothing to prevent them from playing. From this point it becomes more and more difficult to decide what is reality and what is game and in the virtua l world Ted and Allegra discover new characteristics of their personality. At the end of the film it becomes clear that the viewer was intentionally mislead when we find out that we have seen the world of the virtual game right from the beginning. The world of eXistenZ is altogether different from the world of A History of Violence. Not knowing it as a fact, the unsuspecting viewer would never presume that both of these films were directed by one person. While A History of violence mainly concentrates on issues like violence, identity and the family in a moment of crisis, eXistenZ examines the individual in transformation and the question What is reality?. (Beaty, 2008) As opposed to eXistenZ, A History of Violence is taking place in these days, the events follow each other in strict chronological order, it shows the real world and we do not have to suspect what is reality and what is not. Compared to eXistenZ, the plot is easy to follow and understand. There are major differences in visual and sound effects, too. On the one hand, while in A History of Violence music plays an important role in many decisive scenes (like the closing one), it is not characteristic of eXistenZ. On the other hand, while the first is characterised by colourful, clear images, the second one has mainly dark and dim pictures as a lot of events happen at night. But why is A History of Violence so different from the characteristic movies of Cronenberg? As I have already written above, even if some people praised his earlier works, these became almost never box-offices. By 2005 already two decades passed since his last big success and according to Beaty (2008, p. 19), Although critics and film festival audiences were more and more fond of his work the commercial cinema audience turned away from him. By this time Cronenberg was very short of money and he knew that he was desperately in need of a hit to raise funds. Basically, that is why he decided to direct A History of Violence. I needed the money- he said. (Beaty, 2008, p. 19). A History of Violence is a radical break from the past (Beaty, 2008, p. 11). Compared to eXistenZ, it was made in Cronenbergs most realist style and according to Beaty, it is not only Tom Stall/Joey Cusack in the film who is playing a role but also David Cronenberg who is playing the role of a Hollywood filmmaker: In the end we are left with a film in which a maker of some of the most grotesque films in history suppresses the grotesqueries of the plot in order to tell the story of a man who is suppressing his true (and rather grotesque) nature. It is striking that, in playing to Middle America, Cronenberg hided his true self in a film about a man hiding his true self in the middle of America. (Beaty, 2008, p. 12). Conclusion In my essay I wanted to demonstrate that Cronenbergs A History of Violence is a very complex film, having many topics fit for discussion and debate, of which I wrote now extensively only about three: the nature of violence, identity and the differences between A History of Violence and other films of Cronenberg. I hope that with my presentation and my essay together I could illustrate that although David Cronenberg is not a common film director, he deserves to be called one of the most important Canadian film directors, whose aim is not only to entertain but also to raise significant topics and make his audience think about them.

Importance of the Nitrogen Cycle

Importance of the Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen cycle is the central to the biogeochemistry of the Earth, which occupies 79% within the air. Nitrogen is an essential element for plants and animals to grow and to survive. (Soetan, Olaiya Oyewole, 2010). There are 7 atoms number of symbol of N. The life time of reactive nitrogen in atmosphere and in terrestrial are a few weeks and a few decades respectively. (Fowler et al., 2013) This essay would be focusing on the nitrogen cycle, human activity and impact on environment. Nitrogen cannot be bio-used directly, which needs to be transferred by different process such as nitrogen cycle include fixation, assimilation, ammonification, nitrification, denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation. Nitrogen fixation is to turn atmospheric nitrogen into a usable fixed form for plants. (Mior, JWB(editor)2011) Assimilation is the process of how plants absorb nitrogen from soil. (Smil, V. 2000) Ammonification is the process of converting organic nitrogen from expels waste to ammonium. Nitrification is the conversion of ammonium to nitrate. Denitrification is the process of turning nitrates to nitrogen gas, which is the final stage of completing the nitrogen cycle. The biological process of anaerobic ammonia oxidation is to convert nitrite and ammonia to molecular nitrogen. (Nitrogen cycle, 2017). For instance, nitrogen gas would process nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil or root nodules or lightning, hence to become nitrate compounds. Ammonia can also be converted to nitrates after being converted to ammonia(NH3) (Nitrogen fixation) by the Haber process and converted in the soil or break down and return nitrogen to the air. Proteins would be built up after the plants absorb nitrates from the soil and wait for being eaten by animals, and become animal protein. The nitrogenous wastes in animal urine would become ammonia (process of decomposers or ammonification) and back into soil. Furthermore, the bead bodes of organisms would also being beak down to ammonia and back into soil. (BBC, 2006) In addition, human activities would change the nitrogen cycle base on different factors. Nitrogen would increase with the increases of fossil fuel combustion. Due to the process, would transfer fixed nitrogen from long-term geological reservoirs to the atmosphere. ( Vitousek, P, et al., 1997) Vitousek, P, et al. in 1997 state that human activities increased the quantity of organic carbon stored within terrestrial ecosystems; accelerated losses of biological diversity, especially losses of plants adapted to efficient use of nitrogen, and losses of the animals and microorganisms that depend on them; and caused changes in the composition and functioning of estuarine and nearshore ecosystems, and contributed to long-term declines in coastal marine fisheries Eichner (1990), Schlesinger and Hartley (1992) state that human has impacts on atmosphere and the concentration of volatile NH3 in soils by the agricultural fertilization increases, thus, increase the process of fixed nitrogen and the release more nitrogen gases from soils and groundwater. Nitrogen is a key element that controlling different facets of the earth. Different level of available nitrogen would affect many original plant species and their predators. Therefore, combustion of fossil fuel and many other human activities that increase the level of nitrogen would have environment consequences. Nitrous oxide(N2O) are contributing to climate change. Nitrous oxide is naturally present in small quantities in the atmosphere, however, human activities are increasing the amount in the atmosphere. Nitrogen occupies a important position on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Although nitrogen can cool the effect on climate change, however, the contribution of aerosols makes greater carbon dioxide due to nitrogen fertilization. Furthermore, N2O is a powerful greenhouse gas that causes stratospheric ozone layer depletion. (The nitrogen cascade excess nitrogen in the environment. 2014) In conclusion, ecosystem have own adjustment function to maintain the conditions pre cedent of organism. However, human activities, such as fossil fuel combustion, increase the level of nitrogen, thus, cause the influence of biodiversity and damages of ecosystem. Chain reaction occur after a significant rise of biosphere N2 emissions, for instance: greenhouse gases, accelerated losses of biological diversity and losses of plants adapted to efficient use of nitrogen. Due to human growing population, decreasing the fixation of nitrogen will be a difficult challenge situation in the future. One the other hand, serval ways that can stop the loss of nitrogen from farmland and protect water courses, thus, contributes to plants eutrophication. This type of methods can contribute to the nitrogen-limited waters area. Furthermore, the improvements of the efficiency of burning fossil fuel can also reduce the emissions. The most important factor is to transfer knowledge to developing country. Reference list: BBC. (2006, September 15). GCSE Bitesize: Nitrogen cycle. Retrieved from BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_gateway_pre_2011/greenworld/recyclingrev2.shtml Fowler D et al. 2013 The global nitrogen cycle in the twenty-first century. Phil Trans R Soc B 368: 20130164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0164 Nitrogen cycle. (2017, February 15). Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle Schlesinger, W., Hartley, A. (1992). A global budget for atmospheric NH3. Biogeochemistry, 15(3), . doi:10.1007/bf00002936 Smil,V (2000(. Cycles of life. Scientific American Library, New York Soetan, K. O., Olaiya, C. O., Oyewole, O. E. (2010). The importance of mineral elements for humans, domestic animals and plants: A review. African Journal of Food Science, 4(5), 200-222. Retrieved from http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380713863_Soetan%20et%20al.pdf The nitrogen cascade excess nitrogen in the environment. (2014). . Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/yearbook/2014/PDF/chapt1.pdf Vitousek, P. M. et al. (1997). HUMAN ALTERATION OF THE GLOBAL NITROGEN CYCLE: SOURCES AND CONSEQUENCES. Ecological Applications, 7: 737-750. doi:10.1890/1051-0761(1997)007[0737:HAOTGN]2.0.CO;2

Yukio Mishimas The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea - Existent

Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea -   Existentialist Views On Death    Cultures all over the world have different convictions surrounding the final, inevitable end for all humans - death. In the United States, and in most Westernized cultures we tend to view death as something that can be avoided through the use of medicine, artificial respiration machines, and the like. To us, death is not a simple passing, and usually, we do not accept it as a normal part of life. Death, to Westernized folk, is not celebrated, but is rather something to be feared, something that haunts us all in the back of our minds. However, this mentality is not held through all cultures -- in Mishima's The Sailor, a Japanese novel steeped in traditional Eastern values, death is a very proud, honorable part of life. Its inevitability is accepted and, at many times, even celebrated and brou~ht about willingly. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case meaninglessne ss. This is what Noboru and his gang attempt to construct through causing the death of the kitten, and more importantly, of Ryuji. Throughout the Sailor, our Western convictions concerning death are brutally challenged. Death, in the Sailor, was something to be proud of, something to look forward to. Our first look at death is through the eyes of a child, our absurdist hero, Noboru. He, with his gang, proceeds to kill a kitten with his gang, an attempt to find meaning in what they believed to be a meaningless, fleeting existence. "How are we going to do it?" he asked. After he killed the kitten, and the boys performed a type of twisted surgery on the corpse, ... ... end, if Ryuji had remained an "authentic person" and died as he wanted to, in a glorious death on the sea, he would not have been killed by a gang of young boys. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case, meaninglessness. With Ryuji's death, the boys attempt to find meaning, but instead, they find revenge against Ryuji for the cnme he committed - against himself. Bibliography 1. Heuscher, Julius E., M.D. Existential Crisis, Death, and Changing "World Designs" in Myths and Fairy Tales," The Journal of Existentialism, 1966. 2. Heuscher, J. Existentialism. Vol V., N. 20, p. 371, 1965. 3. Feifel, H., ed "The Meaning of Death." Mc-Graw Hill Publications, 1959. 4. Grimm, J. and W., Grimms' Fairy Tales. Ch. Thomas., Publ. Springfield, Ill., 1988.    Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea -   Existent Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea -   Existentialist Views On Death    Cultures all over the world have different convictions surrounding the final, inevitable end for all humans - death. In the United States, and in most Westernized cultures we tend to view death as something that can be avoided through the use of medicine, artificial respiration machines, and the like. To us, death is not a simple passing, and usually, we do not accept it as a normal part of life. Death, to Westernized folk, is not celebrated, but is rather something to be feared, something that haunts us all in the back of our minds. However, this mentality is not held through all cultures -- in Mishima's The Sailor, a Japanese novel steeped in traditional Eastern values, death is a very proud, honorable part of life. Its inevitability is accepted and, at many times, even celebrated and brou~ht about willingly. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case meaninglessne ss. This is what Noboru and his gang attempt to construct through causing the death of the kitten, and more importantly, of Ryuji. Throughout the Sailor, our Western convictions concerning death are brutally challenged. Death, in the Sailor, was something to be proud of, something to look forward to. Our first look at death is through the eyes of a child, our absurdist hero, Noboru. He, with his gang, proceeds to kill a kitten with his gang, an attempt to find meaning in what they believed to be a meaningless, fleeting existence. "How are we going to do it?" he asked. After he killed the kitten, and the boys performed a type of twisted surgery on the corpse, ... ... end, if Ryuji had remained an "authentic person" and died as he wanted to, in a glorious death on the sea, he would not have been killed by a gang of young boys. Throughout existentialist literature, the belief is held true that death, in and of itself, is a most crucial determinant of life's meaning, or in this case, meaninglessness. With Ryuji's death, the boys attempt to find meaning, but instead, they find revenge against Ryuji for the cnme he committed - against himself. Bibliography 1. Heuscher, Julius E., M.D. Existential Crisis, Death, and Changing "World Designs" in Myths and Fairy Tales," The Journal of Existentialism, 1966. 2. Heuscher, J. Existentialism. Vol V., N. 20, p. 371, 1965. 3. Feifel, H., ed "The Meaning of Death." Mc-Graw Hill Publications, 1959. 4. Grimm, J. and W., Grimms' Fairy Tales. Ch. Thomas., Publ. Springfield, Ill., 1988.   

Global Tales - Stories From Many Cultures :: essays research papers

Compare and contrast the two stories by R.K. Narayan. Which story do you prefer and why? In all the stories and authors featured in "Global Tales", R.K. Narayan is the most respected and well-known author. From the short description of him at the end of the book, he created a space for himself called "Malgudi" and developed his own characters, like a puppet master making his own puppets from cloth and giving them life when he does the show. His stories are universal, probably because the themes and characters of the stories are easy to identify with. He should be ninety-seven this year (year 2000). From what I know, his other books include " Malgudi Days", where " An Astrologer’s Day" is taken from. Narayan is a very observant man, sharp and sarcastic at the same time. His sarcasm become humour and it is not very obvious sometimes. We have to read between the lines to catch the joke. He is very descriptive in his writing and his world comes alive with the mood through the informative and colourful description, the characteristics and the internal thinkings of the characters, the suspense and the dialogues used. I especially admire the way he brings the story to a close, not too dramatic, yet satisfactory. Some writers often leave an unfinished ending where it is up to the reader to decide, treating this as their style and adding a sense of mystery to the story. However, these are sometimes the most horrible kind of ending, not only irritating, but also annoying. The ending is the element that wraps up the whole story, yet the writer left it out, like a jigsaw piece went missing. It is not a complete piece of writing. Lastly, I find R.K. Narayan to be naughty at times, from the w ay he phrased his sentence, and the sarcasm, but we like it. In " An Astrologer’s Day", an astrologer meets a stranger and tells his fortune. Surprisingly, the "fake" astrologer managed to tell what was true for the stranger. Then, it is only when the astrologer reveals his secret, did we know how his "magic" worked. We are brought into the world of the streets of India where there is little lighting but "a bewildering cris-cross of light rays and moving shadows". The in-depth description gives us the setting, which can be seen in our minds. Not

From Pilate to Pilate and Song to Song Essay -- essays research papers

Toni Morrison presents various different allusions to the Bible in her novel Song of Solomon. The most apparent examples of this are represented within the parallels between Pontius Pilate and Pilate Dead, along with the thematic plot of love present in the novel and in the biblical book Song of Solomon. Morrison shows a great deal of correlation between the Bible and Song of Solomon. She uses her creativity to present familiar characters in a new and different light. She is able to present the same characteristics in an original story that has a vast amount of biblical similarities in love, strength, and power. There are several circumstances that demonstrate Morrison’s creativity in the parallel aspect of the story. Pilate, for one, is a strong and independent character determined to live the way she sees fit. Fascinating is how Pilate got her name. Macon remembers after their mother dies during child birth, their father must point to a name out of the Bible, but unfortunately, he cannot read. â€Å"How his father, confused and melancholy over his wife’s death in childbirth, had thumbed through the Bible, and since he could not read a word, chose a group of letters that seemed to him strong and handsome; saw in them a large figure that looked like a tree hanging in some princely but protective way over a row of smaller trees† (18). Even more interesting is the description of Pilate cooking when Macon is spying through the window as â€Å"Pilate swayed like a willow over her stirring† (30). This is a representation of what Pilate Dead will be and what the biblical Pilate was; strong like a willow tree. There is clear evidence from scripture that Pilate was a strong man that primarily did what he thought would be best for him. In the book of John, after Jesus is sent to be crucified, â€Å"Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS†¦and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written† (Holy Bible, John 19.19-22). This is unmistakably a description of the dominance enveloped in his character. The chief priests of the Jews did not want it written out for all to see that Jesus was considered a king, but Pila... ...ffection for his lover, in the novel they kill or act irrationally, in a conventional sense, for love. In their minds every action is justified by the love that they feel, whether it is for power and wealth, closeness, or maintaining the race. Love is all around them and drives them to be the people that they are. In all cases, including biblical, they cling to the love that inspires even the most absurd of actions and live their lives to fulfill their needs. Works Cited Bryant, Cedric Gael. "Every Goodbye Ain't Gone: The Semiotics of Death, Mourning, and Closural Practice in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon." MELUS 24.3 (1999): 97+. Buehrer, David. â€Å"American History X, Morrison's Song of Solomon, and the Psychological Intersections of Race, Class, and Place in Contemporary America.† Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 25.1 (2004): 18+. Glickman, Craig. â€Å"Solomon’s Song of Love: Let a Song of Songs Ispire Your Own Romantic Story.† Publishers Weekly 250.47: 60-61. Holy Bible: Authorized King James Version. Michigan: Zondervan, 1994. Life in the Spirit: Study Bible. Donald C. Stamps, gen. ed. Michigan: Zondervan, 2003. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Vintage, 2004

Johannes Vermeer: the Procuress and Woman Holding a Balance

Johannes Vermeer: The Procuress and Woman Holding a Balance Johannes Vermeer was born in 1632 in the Dutch city of Delft where he lived his whole life. His early childhood has not been documented; however, he was the son of a silk worker. It is suspected that at an early age, Vermeer took apprenticeship under a man named LeonartBramer, a local artist. Vermeer created his first painting in 1656called, The Procuress,Oil on Canvas,which appears hanging on the wall in some of his later paintings(Wheelock).In his twenties, Vermeer was wealthy enough to own a large house with an attached inn, he probably sold paintings here. When his father died in 1952, it is assumed that Vermeer inherited his father’s business (National Gallery of Art). Vermeer was married in 1653 to a woman of the Catholic religion, Catharina Bolenes. It is suggested that Vermeer might have converted to Catholicism in order to marry the young woman. Vermeer was raised as a protestant by his parents as he was bapt ized in 1632 in the Reformed Church of Delft (Konig).It might have also been a possibility that the parents of the maiden convinced Vermeer to become Catholic in order to marry their daughter to him. A particular painting called, The Allegory of Faith. Oil on Canvas, was a very religious painting made by Vermeer in approximately 1670. Having 14 children by his wife, four of them died at birth(Wheelock). Vermeer painted approximately 35 paintings his whole career. Most of his paintings were interior style paintings with people portrayed in them. His first paintings were mainly historical paintings.Later on in his life, he produced mostly interiors with just one or two people contained in them, mostly women. Most of these paintings featured either a woman alone by herself completing some sort of everyday task or a very symbolic painting such as Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas, which will be discussed later. Often the light enters Vermeer's paintings from a window. He w as quite a well-organized artist when it came to the way light is depicted as bouncing off of the objects contained within his paintings(National Gallery of Art). Vermeer became a member of the local guild in 1653; a guild is a sort of lub or apprenticeship program for painters in the early modern Europe region. Some of Vermeer’s first works were historical or religious in nature when he first joined the local guild (Wadum). It seems that Vermeer’s style changed a few years after joining the guild into what we now know his works as, interior paintings of figures. Vermeer was highly recognized in Delft as a well-established artist, however, he was sparsely known elsewhere while he was still alive(Scottish National Gallery). In the final stages of Vermeer’s life, he was heavily in debt.This was probably attributed to the invasion of the Dutch Republic, in which, Delft was located, by the French. This sent the economy into a downward spiral and many people did not have the money or the need to buy art. The lack of sales of his artwork made Vermeer and his wife become heavily indebted. In 1675, probably induced by the rough economic times, Vermeer died and was buried in Delft, he was 43 years old (National Gallery of Art). Vermeer’s wife auctioned off a couple of his paintings after his death in order to pay for the debts that the family owed. Mrs.Vermeer also filed for bankruptcy so that she could recover from the heavy debt burden which was left from her husband. The ending to Vermeer’s life seems like a sad story, however, centuries later his work went recognized globally(Liedtke). Many of Vermeer’s paintings were not even credited to him until 200 years after his death. A French critic in 1866 declared most of the 35 paintings we know to be created by Vermeer today as his originals. It seems that Vermeer’s paintings never left the small town of Delft until a couple hundred years after his death(Wheelock).Today, one may recognize Vermeer’s paintings all around the world and we celebrate his delicate balance of light and tones to create mostly quiet and peaceful paintings. The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas,was one of Vermeer’s first paintings and it is also one of the most controversial because many scholars believe that Vermeer himself is pictured in this painting because of the style in which the smiling young man is inserted into the painting. The figure of a smiling young man seems to be inserted into the left hand side of a sort of provocative scene, this figure is assumed to be Vermeer.The setting seems to be in a dimly lit room with the background having a cave or tavern like appearance to it. The background is gray and sort of blurred with one dimly lit light that radiates out of the background from behind a person. One person is dressed in black with a hood wrapped around his head and appears both between the background and in the foreground adding the feel of dept h to the painting. It is hard to tell what this person’s gender is except that he seems to be gawking at a woman across the painting, therefore, one may assume the person must be male.There are four people that appear in this painting. The people, starting from the left side of the painting are: first, the supposed Vermeer himself, second, the man dressed in black in the background behind everyone else, third, a man who may have been in the military and lastly, a woman upon whom all the men, except Vermer, are gawking. The theme of the painting seems to be a drunken scene in which men are paying a woman to perform provocative things. The man dressed in red appears to be in the military because of his hat and the fact that most people in the military during this time wore red.His long brown hair is covered by a hat which appears either dirty or is colored brown. The hat seems to have a ribbon wrapped around it and a feather sticking from it; it seems to be one of the typical D utch hats of this era. The man’s long flowing red coat has a gold stripe which runs down each sleeve. As one’s eyes follow down this man’s sleeve, which seems to be the natural flow of the painting,one may reach the center or focal point of the painting. The man in the red coat is holding out a golden coin in the kind of hand gesture that indicates that he is about to flip the coin out of his hand.Then, one may follow the view down below the centered coin and see a woman, who is sitting in front of the red coated man, holding out her hand as if she is about to receive the golden coin that the red coated man is about to flip out of his hand. Looking at the woman, she is wearing a bright yellow sweater and a white bonnet. Her right breast is being handled by the man wearing the red coat. The man is either paying the woman to fondle her breast or for some kind of later services. In the woman’s right hand she is holding a glass, probably containing some kind of alcohol, due to the nature of the scene.Immediately next to the woman’s glass, sits a fancy looking vase or pitcher of some sort. In the foreground, is a fancy carpet with painted leaves of gold, flowing red lines and black symbols appear to be draped over a rail which covers all of the figure’s legs. Over this carpet, on the left side, directly in front of Vermeer is someone’s long overcoat draped over the rail and the carpet. As we come back to the supposed figure of Vermeer, appearing on the left side, we notice in his hand a glass filled with alcohol.We can come to the conclusion that the glass contains alcohol because he is holding his glass up as if giving a toast. His smile seems to be like that of happy drunken man. He must be enjoying the company of the woman pictured across the painting and also his alcoholic beverage. He seems to be the narrator of the painting as he is the only figure starring directly at the viewer (Wheelock). All lines and shape s of this colorful, yet dark back grounded painting seem to be flowing outward in all directions from the center point or core of the painting.The core of the painting is the golden coin being transacted into the woman’s hand as all objects seem to flow from it. As Vermeer’s first painting, The Procuress. c 1656. Oil on Canvas, is very flowing and action-packed. The last painting the writer will discuss is also by Johannes Vermeer. Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas, contained in the text book on p. 65 (Getlein). This quiet, sort of still, painting seems very simple at first glance. A woman in a dark room appearing to play with a scale and the only light coming through a small window makes for a sort of calm, peaceful painting.However, it is not as quiet and peaceful as it appears at first glance. The jeweler’s balance is the core of the painting as it is in the dead center of the painting with a small amount of light reflected off its metal edges f rom the window. The jeweler’s balance is also the object of the theme of the painting which is a question of life’s vanities balanced against the coming judgment(Getlein). After taking one’s eyes off of the jeweler’s balance,one may follow down to the table beneath and see the light reflected off of golden or pearl necklaces and other types of jewels.On the left side of the painting,one may see a mirror with light reflected from it directly, in front of the woman. If she looked up she would be able to see herself. Than we see the window’s light flow in onto the woman, and also a painting hanging on the wall behind the woman. The painting is very dark looking, but upon further examination, it is the seen to be the Last Judgment and Jesus in the painting is depicted as directly over the woman’s head. The woman is either fat or pregnant. According to Getlein, her form is that of a pregnant woman and the writer agrees. Her face and arms are oo s kinny in proportion to her body, if she were just overweight. She is wearing a black and white garment that looks similar to a winter coat with a hood over her head. She is wearing this coat over her long, flowing dress. The lines of this painting flow from the window to the jeweler’s balance, down to the jewels, up to the woman’s face and beyond to the painting of the Last Judgment. The background of this painting contains a grey wall with the painting of the last judgment contained on it and the light from the window shining across both the wall and the painting.One may barely notice the painting contained within this painting at first glance, except for, the slight glimmer of light upon the right side of the frame. The darkness of this painting may indicate to the viewer that the coming judgment encroaches upon a person quickly and that one may do well to notice the object of the painting, within the painting, which is the coming Savior. The foreground of the painti ng is the pregnant woman; a table and jewelslayingon the table and in front of it, represent the objects of vanity.The idea of the painting is supposed to be birth, death and the balancing of objects of vanity against things that matter like one’s ultimate judgment by Christ. The mirror also reveals a personal evaluation. This mirror is symbolic of one’s self-knowledge, the writer supposes that this self-knowledge is the knowledge of what a person knows is right and wrong and their choice between the two. The writer believesthe ultimate message of this painting to be that one must balance their everyday lives and not get too caught up in the everyday riches of life.Things which are eternal and unseen matter more than the objects one sees glimmering in the sunlight of the window, at any given moment. The way that the room appears totally dark, except for, the small amount of sunlight shining through the window, the way that the light reflects upon the woman and shines o ff of the jewels and the frame of the Last Judgment, the way that the light scatters throughout the painting makes this one of the most interesting and captivating works by Vermeer.The way Vermeer makes the picture appear dark at first glance, but then, gently and with flow, one is able to see all the objects contained within. A delicate balance of light and dark truly brings the theme of this painting to life out of its overall gloominess. In conclusion, the writer has chosen this artist because he was impressed with Vermeer’sWoman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas. He was impressed with the symbolism of the painting, the flow of it and the realistic nature it presents.He then chose another interesting work by Vermeer and analyzed it and became impressed with Vermeer’s The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas. Upon further study of Vermeer, the writer is glad he has chosen such a talented artist of this era. The writer is amazed with the progression of skill that Vermeer seemed to have accomplished from his first painting, The Procuress. c. 1656. Oil on Canvas to one of his latter day paintings Woman Holding a Balance. c. 1664. Oil on Canvas. The progressions of symbolism as Vermeer’s life had matured are reflected in his paintings.The writer has noticed that in the early stages of Vermeer’s career, he tended to paint more provocative styled works, whereas, as he matured his paintings became gentler, quaint and often had religious themes. It is interesting to note that like Vermeer’s life, one often finds their own life to be progressing into maturity as the years move on. The writer is glad that Vermeer has documented his maturity, unknowingly, through his works of art. Works Cited Getlein, Mark. Living with Art, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. pp. 64-65 Koning, Hans. 1977. The World of Vermeer.Time-Life Books, New York Liedtke, Walter. â€Å"The Cambridge Companion to Vermeer (Cambridge Companions to the History of Art). † 2001. Essential Vermeer. com. 11 September 2012 ;http://www. essentialvermeer. com/cat_about/christ. html;. National Gallery of Art. Vermeer- Biography. n. d. 04 September 2012 ;http://www. nga. gov/feature/vermeer/bio. shtm;. National Gallery of Scotland. Johannes Vermeer Biography. n. d. 01 September 2012 ;http://www. artbible. info/art/large/169. html;. Scottish National Gallery. â€Å"The Young Vermeer. † n. d. National Galleries. org. 05 September 2012

Historical Allegory and Symbolism in Animal Farm

Haley Pruitt Mrs. Blount AP Literature and Composition 12 November 2012 Symbolism and Allegory in Animal Farm When George Orwell wrote his literary masterpiece that has been acclaimed for many years by critics everywhere, Animal Farm, there were many world events shaping the future of all of Europe and the world that impacted his views, which therefore influenced his writing and opinions. His background and values help to shape the glasses through which he views these events.George Orwell is put into positions of warfare and diplomacy and handles both eloquently as he allows them to mold him into the person that writes the masterpieces that he goes on to produce. Animals are implemented to retell the story of Marxism, the Russian Revolution, and the downfall of utopian views and societies. George Orwell uses symbolism and allegory in his novel Animal Farm to show the social issues of the Soviet Union in the time period of 1917 through 1943.The background of George Orwell must be unde rstood before one can go deeper into his literary works. George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair who was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bihar, India. He was born into an upper middle class family and went to Catholic school. He moved to Burma where his grandmother lived, and this is where he later wrote Burmese Days, â€Å"A Hanging†, and â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†. â€Å"In Burmese Days, he resigned to ‘escape not merely from imperialism but from every form of man’s dominion over man’† (â€Å"Orwell† 748).When George Orwell moved to London, he began to explore the slums and the poorer parts of the city so that he could learn to understand them and the context of the many books that were written about them. Orwell became interested in the Spanish Civil War and decided to take part in it; because of this, he was asked to be a part of the Spanish Embassy in Paris and he wanted to eliminate fascism throughout the world. G eorge Orwell was married to and adopted a son with Eileen O’Shaughnessy. She died in 1945 during a surgical procedure. Right before he died, he married Sonia Brownell in 1949. Orwell died at 46 years old from tuberculosis.He was in and out of many hospitals for the last three years that he was alive. The author was buried according to Anglican Rite in the All Saints’ Churchyard. At the outbreak of World War II, George Orwell was deemed unfit for service so he began to write for newspapers. Orwell wrote a column of the Tribune and he was a major contributor/writer of The Observer. â€Å"By this stage, Orwell saw himself primarily as a political writer, a democratic socialist who hated party labels, hated totalitarianism, and was to become more and more disillusioned with the methods of Communism† (â€Å"Orwell† 748).Orwell wanted to expose Communism and eliminate it from Europe. Through his writing for various newspapers, he saw himself as making a differe nce, but not quite as much as he would have liked so he began a novel to show the ugly truth of Communism once and for all. Before the end of 1944, Animal Farm was ready for publication, but a publisher could not be found as it was considered an attack on the Soviets. No one wanted to accept that kind of responsibility and punishment if something where to reach the Soviet Union regarding his use of allegory and symbolism using animals against them and their ideas.Eventually Jonathon Cape agreed to tackle the controversies that Orwell discussed and he published it. Jonathon Cape founded Jonathon Cape Ltd. with Wren Howard in 1921. It was one of the leading literary publishers in London during the time period. Jonathon Cape also published works such as T. E. Lawrence’s The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, and the first of the James Bond books. Another historical issue that must be dealt with before a further understanding of Animal Farm can be reached is what exactly happened in the Soviet Union with the Russian Revolution and Marxism.Two German philosophers, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles, coined Marxism. â€Å"The  Communist Manifesto  (1848) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels provided a theoretical basis for the revolutionary movements springing up in Europe in the latter part of the nineteenth century,† (Meyers). Marxism is a way to look at socioeconomics that is based on a more materialistic view of the development of history, a view of social change that has a lot to do with location, and an examination of the relationships of social classes within society and the way that capitalism is wrong and should be looked down upon.It fights for the self-discovery and freeing of the working class and making everyone equal to a certain degree. The Bolsheviks adopted these ideals of Marxism when they took over Russia in the Russian Revolution. World War I did not make things any easier on the peasants. Now they w ere forced to fight for a country they did not like in the first place and they were being simply slaughtered because they were not trained soldiers. Originally, it served to quiet the peasants because everyone was united against one enemy, but it wore off once the initial benefits were gone.Russia’s first major battle of World War I ended in over thirty thousand Russian troops were killed or wounded and the revolutions began. Tsar Nicholas began to make poor military choices and the Russians, particularly the lower class people as they had to fight and send their family and friends off to fight, began to think that there could be something better out there if they could find the right type of government to suit them. The February Revolt was the first of these revolts in the city of Petrograd.The tsar abdicated the throne because he was frightened and knew that he did not possess enough military power to defeat the revolts. After this, there was a period of dual power where t here was a provisional government that was loyal to the Soviet Socialists. The Bolsheviks were a group in Russia that began to revolt when the provisional government chose to continue to fight in Germany. Vladimir Lenin and the workers’ Soviets led the Bolsheviks. They quickly removed Russia from World War I with the Treat of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918.This resulted in a civil war between the Bolshevik (red) and anti-Bolshevik (white) factions of the government, lasting for several years, with the Bolsheviks eventually pulling out a victory. The way that this happened, it allowed for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to rule later. The way that the Bolsheviks ruled the Soviet Union can be compared to the way that the Catholic Church was run (Frye 11). These are comparable because both were totalitarian and rigid with little thought into the people that followed them.People followed long sets of rules and did not really know why and there was no reward for them e xcept to keep their lives/not be excommunicated from the church. The Russian Revolution describes the mini revolutions that happened in Russia in 1917 that rose up against the monarchy of Russia of which tsar Nicholas was the head. The causes of the Russian Revolution pertaining to society came from the oppression felt by the lower classes in the autocracy of the tsar. They had been emancipated, but life was no better for them.The industrialization of Russia led to overcrowding and very bad conditions in the cities for the urban industrial workers. This made the peasants more likely to go on protest and go on strike than in previous years. Some critics view the literary work of George Orwell to be creating a utopian society and to praise that idea of the â€Å"perfect society†. â€Å"Orwell particularly valued the vigorous, colorful and concrete style of pamphlets and wanted to revive the genre,† says Valerie Meyers of Orwell’s Animal Farm (Meyers).This is not w ell thought-out because he was making fun of the way that people thought of utopias and he made the utopian society of the farm animals in Animal Farm fail miserably. If he had been praising the utopian societies and genre, then he would have written things differently and not had the society end in failure and death which is ultimately where he believed it would end. â€Å"Orwell's  Animal Farm, like Swift's Lilliput and Blefuscu, is a coded satiric portrait of a real society, an anti-utopia which, by castigating real evils, suggests what society ought to be like† (Meyers).George Orwell uses satire and allegory to show an intended utopia failing and Meyers puts it well when she says that he â€Å"castigates real evils† because Orwell legitimately shows the evils of what was happening in Russia and tries to simplify them into something of a â€Å"fairytale† that the normal person could digest and understand. . It is written as a fable though with the moral bei ng to â€Å"teach a political lesson† (Meyers). He is trying to show the common person the effects on the people and the seriousness of the controversies that he chose to write about.The ultimate goal of writing Animal Farm was to destroy the Soviet myth (Patai). Orwell wanted the myth that everything was going great in the Soviet Union to be dismissed because people were not taking things seriously. The rest of the world did not think anything of the terrorism that was taking place because they simply did not even know that it was happening. Concerning Russian Communism, George Orwell did not take into account the â€Å"underlying reasons for its transformation from a proletarian dictatorship into a kind of parody of the Catholic Church,† (Frye 11).Orwell simply went through the process of what happened and didn’t ask the questions like â€Å"Why did Old Major feel the way he did? † or â€Å"Why did the animals blindly believe the pigs and not question them? † The characters that are used in the literary work of Animal Farm are animals. Some critics say this is because it is written in a fable-style and some, like Daphne Patai say that this is because, â€Å"It was apparently easier for Orwell to identify with the animal kingdom, exploited at the hands of ‘humans,’ than to note that buried in class and race divisions in the human orld lay the issue of gender oppression,† (Patai). Orwell could more easily wrap his mind around the cruelty shown to animals because then he wouldn’t have to relate it back to himself and his responsibility and role in the cruelty of human treatment to other humans. Also, it allowed him to disregard race and gender in the characterization of the animals that lived on Manor Farm. When he wrote about the pigs taking over and all the other animals numbly following them he tried to show that â€Å"the class struggle among humans is ‘pure illusion’—which i s itself an illusion,† (Patai).George Orwell was trying to show that we don’t have to blindly follow authority and that it is not in our best interest, but in the same respect, he proved that it can be dangerous if you do not, therefore contradicting himself. â€Å"Orwell’s concern is that no matter what viewpoint rulers adopt it is no guarantee that they can solve the ‘central problem’ of revolution—indeed, of life—namely, the abuse of power† (Slater 241). George Orwell believed that whether it was Communism, Fascism, or Marxism, the leaders failed to do what they took over to do in the first place.His philosophy was that it doesn’t matter the type of government, government cannot fix the problem of revolution no matter the strength. The characters that exemplify the symbolism and allegory make up the main plot of the masterpiece that is Animal Farm. The pigs represent the upper class Bolsheviks that took power, Boxer is the common man, the dogs are the secret police, and so on. Also, the symbols used throughout the book such as the hoof and horn flag, the Order of the Green Banner, and the part song entitled â€Å"The Beasts of England† directly parallel symbols common in Russian society at the time.Even the battles have their own parallels of historical revolutions taking place in Russia (Meyers). Orwell wanted to blatantly make a point and leave no room for question as to what this was specifically allegorizing. â€Å"He says that he will not attempt to speak for the work: Either it speaks for itself or it is a failure† (Quinn). Orwell made everything so clear because he felt strongly about this issue of Marxism and the totalitarianism happening in Russia. If a critic had a question about what this was about, it would have defeated the purpose that it was meant to serve and so he wrote it in a way as to leave nothing to assumption.The character that most of the people struggling in this time feel that they can relate to is the character of Boxer, a workhorse. He buys into the lies that are fed to him by the pigs and believes all of the propaganda. Boxer truly believes that the pigs are doing what is best for him and even is found encouraging other animals to go along with their decisions. â€Å"I will work harder† and â€Å"Napoleon is always right† are the mantras that he developed to help himself keep going and accomplish the work he was assigned by the pigs.Eventually, the pigs decide that he cannot work any harder and Boxer is deemed useless; he is sent to the glue factory much to the chagrin of the other animals that looked up to and admired him for his work ethics and motivation. The fact that he was sold for alcohol and food for the pigs shows just how the system of totalitarianism works. It shows the way that people blindly follow orders, and even those who follow orders are not rewarded. As for the pigs, Napoleon represents Stalin and Sn owball represents Trotsky; they supervise and keep the best of everything, including food such as apples and milk.Napoleon prefers a harsher take on everything: defensive buildup of armaments, increased food production/work, and finally, eliminating Snowball from the equation altogether. Snowball is mellower, wanting destabilization by propaganda, building of the windmill (reducing work hours), and an eloquent way to run things. Because they come to a head on all of these governmental matters, the more brutal animal, Napoleon, finally wins by driving Snowball off with the pack of dogs being used as secret police.Napoleon, like Stalin, turns Snowball, like Trotsky, into a criminal and an enemy of the animals; his victory and bravery at the Battle of the Cowshed is diminished piece by piece and his memory is degraded. The dogs are tricked into acting against their fellow â€Å"comrades† with offers of food and other treats. They mirror the KGB in that they do the bidding of tho se in power and even turn against their leader when they see a reward for themselves (Gardner 103-104). Orwell’s Animal Farm is taught in schools all over the country, though the immediate need for the piece of literature is now gone because there is no more Russian Communism.Many critics say that it was written as a fable or a fairy tale, and though Blair agrees, he also says: â€Å"Still, the narrative of Animal Farm is ingenious, and its twists retain a certain charm† (Blair). Though the author is in the opinion that Animal Farm is simply a children’s book, there is a simple agreement that it was written â€Å"ingeniously†. The teaching of this literary masterpiece will continue throughout the years because of its use of historical allegory and symbolism to teach the reader simply what happened in the world events of the time period that George Orwell lived in.