Discrimination in fairytales

What do you think about fairytales? Do you think about a pretty little princess waiting for her prince or a dark sensual world of make-believe that revolves around violence? I seriously doubt it's the latter. This is because fairytales have drastically changed over the centuries. The modern versions we know today were preceded by a much darker kind of story, one that played heavily on the ideas of superstition, the devil and violence. Genders weren't as heavily criticised. Heroines used to save themselves and others too, usually with brains or charm opposed to brawn. But at least they were trying. An example of this could be â€Å"Sleeping Beauty†, Perrault's version, where the Princess saves herself and her two children from her husband's evil stepmother, by cooking a goat; instead of one of the children as the ogress requested. Her husband then comes in to save her. She played a crucial part in the story: saving her children from the cannibalism of their father's step-mother. Cannibalism is certainly frowned on in society, but is in fact actually a rather common theme in fairytales: Red Riding Hood also originally included cannibalism. The Wolf left the Grandmother's blood and meat for the girl to eat. After she unwittingly cannibalises her grandmother, she sometimes strips for the wolf and gets into bed with it. He then either eats her or ties her to a piece of string. She usually escapes using her own cunning. This is quite different from the grandma-loving biscuit-carrying Red Riding Hood of today. It actually comes across as a story more about child molesting, or at the very least, lust. The story is sometimes seen as a parable of sexual awakening. The red cloak symbolises the blood of the menstruation cycle or the hymen, although earlier versions of the tale do not state the cloak is red. The anthropomorphic wolf can symbolise a lover, a seducer, a rapist, or a molester. This is clearly a rather different take on the Red Riding Hood than we're used to. It seems to be a rather mature disturbing tale. I don't think it's necessarily something we would want our children exposed to. But that was how they were originally written. At least until they were bowdlerised by the Grimm brothers. Fairy stories were originally gothic tales and scary stories about what might come and take you in the night; they were far removed from the Disney classics. The Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, were born in Germany in the late 18th century. In an effort to preserve Germany's heritage and promote cultural unity, they collected a vast array of folk and fairy tales from their fellow Germans-mostly middle- and upper-class friends. Although their original intent was to preserve the stories exactly as told, one edit led to another, and soon they had given the stories a literary style and released them as Kinder- und Hausmirchen (Children's and Household Tales. ) Because their intended audience included children, the Grimms selectively bowdlerised the tales they published, notably removing evil mothers and replacing them with step-mothers (as in the case of †Snow White†), and removing implications of sex and pregnancy (as in †Rapunzel†). However, because standards of child-friendliness have shifted in the past 200 years, some of the Grimms' stories are now considered family unfriendly and the deaths written in them are considered to be shockingly violent. This was not the view at the time. So basically they took a fornicating girl in a tower, and turned her into a damsel in distress. This was not quite the same idea. This gave rise to the dependent needy princesses and maidens that feature so heavily in today's fairytales. These are characters that belittle everything that women fight and give their lives to achieve. And ironically it is the past stories that show less anti-feminism even though people were actually more sexist in that period. At least those women had some self-respect and the ability to plot, and in rare cases, use weapons. The blonde stereotype of women in modern fairytales is unparalleled. From a young age, it's almost as if we are being trained to indulge in the ideals of vanity and sexual dependence. Well excuse me†¦ but I'd rather not. It seems to me that this is the start of young girls' urge and desperation for ‘the look': this is something that many women will diet and exercise to achieve. Although as girls age they graduate off pretty princesses and onto fashion icons and models. I'm completely against this idea, partly because I'm a perpetrator of wanting ‘the look' myself, and the fact that I will never achieve it. In other fairytales, a heroine is willingly bound by a spell, whereas a male character may be cursed because he has refused to yield something, for example shelter, in ‘Beauty and the Beast'. If the female character is cursed unwillingly, she is cursed by a malignant character that is as ugly as her personality. This is the exact opposite of the maiden who is cursed. This amplifies the idea that beauty is idyllic and good and ugliness is evil and unforgivable. This isn't a very good role model for children and I find this interesting because it seems to reflect our desire for beauty. However, the reality is that women are not all beautiful and if they aren't, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are nasty unpleasant people. Some villains do have a sort of beauty, but this is usually a sharp-featured frightening beauty that terrifies the younger generation. A wronged women in a fairytale may take the form of a particular animal to escape an evil stepmother or an unwanted marriage. The animal they take is usually reflective of their main traits. For example a graceful and delicate woman may take the form of a swan or a doe. These are animals that are considered to be beautiful. Their fellow animals will provide some company and will somehow help the character to regain what they have lost. This animalistic form gives the character a connection to nature and separates them from society. They become wilder and less sophisticated, embracing a more instinctual kind of beauty. So characters have also gone from blonde to beast, the opposite of the current situation-where blondes prevail far more than beasts. Beastly women, however, are often considered to be connected the Devil, like ‘wild woman' who is the devil's offspring. Lots of hair or fur seems to show some relation to evil, perhaps as it isn't very attractive. This can be compared with the Elizabethan saying ‘Bush natural more hair than wit' which means that people with lots of hair or fur are supposed to be primitive, inferior, sexual and beastly. These weren't exactly desirable traits either at the time or now. Nowadays there seems to be a teeming population of blondes in fairy stories. An example could be â€Å"La Belle aux cheveux d'or† who had hair ‘finer than gold' that was ‘marvellously wonderfully blonde' and was ‘curly and fell to her feet'. This is a rather pleasing image: a beauty with long wondrously blonde hair. The story claims ‘you couldn't look upon her without loving her'. A rather amazing claim: that a woman or man may just gaze upon her and find themselves desperately in love with her, whether in a sexual way or not. This seems to be an illustration of the power possessed by mere appearances. The word blonde comes from the Latin ‘blandus' meaning charming. So in the past it had no implications of sex or great femininity. It also comes from the Medieval Latin ‘blundus' meaning yellow, which only serves to describe the colour not the appeal. In the 14th century, Chaucer began to use the word ‘blondinet' or ‘blondin', which was an affectionate diminutive. In fact it was mainly used for boys. Nowadays we don't think of boys being blonde in the same way girls are. Blonde began to become exclusively female and suggested sweetness, charm and youthfulness: everything a young princess would desire. Only in the 30's and 40's did the word acquire ‘hot' vampirish undertones and begin to be desired almost obsessively. The word blonde symbolises femininity and beauty; things that women crave beyond reason. However, the reality is that it's just a hair colour and that there are women of all hair colours- black, brown, red, grey†¦ white, if you count albinos- that are as beautiful as blondes. More disturbingly perhaps, in recent years the word blonde has been yoked with ‘dumb' to depict a particular character type. Not only is the heroine nearly always blonde, but she is always young. This seems rather ageist to me and isn't the sort of idea that we would want our children brainwashed with. Do we want them to idolise the youthful and not respect that the elderly can achieve things themselves? No. They should understand from a young age that you can't use people and that OAP's are not a step of the stairway of success, as people is fairy stories often do. The heroine never possesses great wisdom and seems to get things and assistance by flicking her hair and batting her eyelashes. Wow†¦ that's very useful. I don't think that that should be something that children aspire to be like. Intelligence and knowledge are more important than beauty, and fairytales seem to miss this. So the prince can slay a dragon, but can he win a game of checkers? I wouldn't count on it. It seems to me that in fairytales, only the villains seem to possess a decent IQ, as they're the only characters that use their brains or cunning to conjure up a scheme. Heroes rely on courage. I think it's almost sad that in the stories strength and beauty are idolised and seem to triumph over intelligence. This is similar today, however, if we think about how the bullies of the world act all big and tough, but aren't the brightest bulbs around. They tend to pick on the weak, so in today's world that would be the geek. Rather sad, don't you think? The stereotype of a maiden in fairy stories is dependent, needy and waiting for her happily-ever after. This is not exactly an image to aspire to. After all why would a woman need a man? She could get on perfectly well on her own. As the feminist saying goes, â€Å"A women needs a man, like a fish needs a bicycle. † However, I think this is a little extreme. Perhaps this dreadful stereotype of women could be remedied if half the time the women went out to save the men. Perhaps it would ruin the men's egos, but at least the women could be portrayed with a little self-respect and not a day-dreaming ditz who has the attention span of a goldfish. The 90's Disney movies tried desperately to do this. Ariel, Belle and Mulan who rush to the aid of their lovers are the examples of this. I decided to write about fairytales because there are so many issues surrounding them. I remember them with fondness from my childhood, and I would want to read them to my children and grandchildren. I think gender discrimination is a serious issue. Just because someone has an X and a Y chromosome or two X's, it doesn't mean they are any better than the other. I think feminism is a step too far in the other direction however. Being co-dependent isn't necessarily a bad thing. Men need women too. Fairytales show both sides of this as well. The prince rescues his princess as he can't live without her and the maiden loves the man because†¦ well who can resist a man on a white horse? Not me! They are simple stories that are debated hotly because of the context of them. Are they too violent? Are they too idealistic? Are they too perfect? Fairytales are all about love and romance. They are about good triumphing over evil in a series of unlikely events. They tell us of deeds of valour and bravery in a time that we can only imagine. They show us how a poor little maid can fall in love and become a princess. The characters may be seriously flawed and have many issues, but they are stories. Wonderful stories. Stories that we read time and time again so that we can dream of being that brave knight or that damsel in distress. I think that my childhood would not have been the same without Chicken Licken or the Princess and the Pea. I think that even though they are unrealistic and give people impossible expectations and dreams, they are a part of our culture. To edit them, as the Grimm brothers did, would destroy a time long-forgotten. I think that they still exist today. The royalty of today is the celebrities-actors and models. We look at them and wish we were like them, just as the people of the Renaissance would have looked at a princess and thought ‘I wish I was her†¦ ‘ Dreaming is in our nature and to change that for the sake of a few misconceptions would be unforgivable.

80s Fashion Essay

80s Fashion! For many, the 1980s was a great time. The creation of MTV revolutionised fashion, the music industry and even how we watched TV. But for others, it was nothing but bad hair, worse clothing and music often had more to do with machines than talent. The clothes worn in the 80s depicted people who were trying to find themselves. They looked fro ways to express their creativity and individuality.Men wore heavy make-up and grew long hair; for example David Bowie or Boy George. Whilst women wore layers of clothing and short hair cuts. The likes of Madonna and Cindy Lauper rocked this look. Both sexes were looking for an identity. Famous Fashion Trends In the 80s: New Romantic Look, Valley Girl, Power dressing, Leotards and Dance wear and Miami Vice Look were just a few famous trends that people in the eighties wore. New romantic Look:New Wave, New Romantic, and gothic fashion at this time was heavily influenced by punk fashion: the streaky eyeliner, the spiked hair, the outrage ous clothing, some of which derived from bondage wear and some of which (New Romantic) was a nod to long-gone eras. Power Dressing: Shoulder Pads, popularised by Joan Collins and Linda Evans from the soap Opera Dynasty, remained popular throughout the 1980s and even the first three years of the 1990s.The reason behind the sudden popularity of shoulder pads for women in the 1980s may be that women in the workplace were no longer unusual, and wanted to â€Å"power dress† to show that they were the equals of men at the office. Many women's outfits had velcro on the inside of the shoulder where various sized shoulder pads could be attached. Leotards and Dance wear: Leotards had been a fashion trend since the early 1970s, when were first used to add colour and texture under the â€Å"layered look† popular in the middle of that decade.By the end of the decade leotards made from shiny spandex had become the standard feminine fashion of the â€Å"disco era†, partly for their form-fitting quality and the fact that they allowed flexibility and ease of movement. With the arrival of the aerobics craze of the early 1980s the classic leotard moved from the dance floor to the gym, accompanied by matching tights, Leg warmers and elastic headbands. Leotards of the early 1980s boasted bright stripes, polka dots, and even elastic belts.

Interpretation of Martin Luther King's Letter from Jail Essay

Interpretation of Martin Luther King's Letter from Jail - Essay Example The central ideas of the letter: love and justice, can be seen from the first lines of Martin Luther King’s letter. He tries to disapprove accusation of not being a Birmingham insider. Martin Luther King claims that he had an invitation to Birmingham and had managerial ties as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s president. In addition, he did not consider himself as Birmingham outsider because of the fact that everyone who live within the territorial boundaries of the United States of America could not be referred to as outsiders. This justifies the justice and love idea of Martin Luther King’s letter. Martin Luther King’s letter focuses on nonviolent resistant defense to racism; Martin Luther King argues in the letter that people have a moral responsibility to resist unjust laws. This shows the commitment of Martin Luther King to advocate love and justice to the people of America. The letter though experienced an early setback; it enjoyed a bro ad publication and was considered the major text for the civil rights movement in the United States in the early 1960s. Martin Luther King responded through his letter to the call for unity and acted as a declaration to fight racial inequality. This again supports the thesis of this paper: the significance of love and justice in using appeals to logic, emotion and ethics. The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King literary puts into terms his life thesis statement. Martin Luther King illustrated meticulously his reasoning through the use of appeals to emotion, logic, and ethics. A logical appeal is that which utilizes facts, reason and documented evidence to drive a point. Martin Luther King makes in his letter a logical appeal where he responds to being referred to as an extremist. King does this by asserting that majority of historical figures that are today considered heroes were perceived as extremist in their time. Martin Luther King mentions people like Thomas Jef ferson, Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ and Abraham Lincoln (549). In this particular aspect, King uses facts and reason to put across a logical appeal to the reader: if he is considered an extremist because of campaigning for freedom, then all the other people are extremists as well. Martin Luther King cites an illustration of this by pointing out the manner in which the police at Birmingham mistreated the protesters (522). Although he does not in particular cite a source, the event was publicized widely. Martin Luther King uses evidence to invalidate the accusations by the clergymen. He also uses firsthand accounts in illustrating his points. King talks about the way he expected the white religious leaders to provide aid, but found opposition and reluctance instead (550). Martin Luther King states his arguments through providing firsthand account of his real experience. This however relies on the perception of the writer in order to be useful. Credibility is needed for this reason. In order to obtain credibility, explanations as to why things are done in a particular way must be given. Martin Luther King begins his letter by informing readers that he is writing the letter (540-541). Informing readers the reason for particular writings gives the readers insight to the real meaning of

A Dispatch from Soviet Uzbekistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Dispatch from Soviet Uzbekistan - Essay Example The aristocratic nature of the rule has been overruled by the Russian bureaucracy. It is true that ideally a shift from a monopolistic rule to a people based leadership must create a socially free living environment. However, the political developments in Samarkand very evidently could not bring forth such changes. A shift of the political capital of Uzbekistan from Samarkand to Tashkent by the Russians created a functional shock in the social system. Though politically Samarkand lost its relevance, the cultural factors still pull the people to be close to Samarkand. It would be right to state that as the political capital moved to Tashkent, Samarkand evolved to be the cultural heart of Uzbekistan. This created a social gap among the people. The corruptive bureaucratic setup is an ideal evidence for this. Corruption is prevalent in almost all of the public based systems. The economic slowdown from which the country is yet to recover is another added contributor towards this cause. Th e new political setup has opened avenues for newer corruptive sources of income. The cultural shock that Samarkand is facing is also quite easily observable at all its nook and corners. The area historically had been known for its well maintained monuments and gardens. These had been the cultural identity of the area. Taking this to account, it is quite disappointing to find most of the formal gardens of Samarkand at the verge of complete destruction. They were heavily infested with weeds and least maintained. It appeared that the plants were crying for water and the grass had lost its vigor. When such cultural icons are left with no attention paid, it refers to the political inefficacy of the prevailed political system. The country was still getting over the aftermaths of the depression and the earthquake. Poverty was clearly notable in and around Samarkand. People are found to be extremely worried of the ways to earn their daily bread and butter. The

Exam Notes - Strategic Management Analysis Essay

Exam Notes - Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example Better Place wants to introduce effective improvements in the mobility of the electronic vehicles by increasing the capacity of the batteries used in these cars. Better Place aims at creating a comprehensive solution for the issues related to the electronic vehicles which would deliver values for different profiles of drivers. The fundamental concept behind the Better Place’s vision is to re-engineer the electronic cars to create efficient vehicles. Better Place is aimed at making the world a better place to live in by supporting the use of electric vehicles as a means to protect the environment. The uses of the fuel powered vehicles are known to create several health issues and environmental hazards. The increasing concerns of the population of the world towards the environmental issues are driving the need for the companies to create products to support the green capabilities (Wery and Derriennic, 2010, p. 91). These factors majorly influence the success of Better Place as i t is likely to fulfil a much required need in the current industrial scenario. The products of Better Place are aimed at increasing the environmental and economic sustainability of the electric vehicles. Better Place and its stakeholders are interdependent on each other. The governments throughout the globe are majorly interested in decreasing the usage of ICE technologies in the automobiles sector. The government is providing different incentives for pool cars, congestion pricing, parking tolls for encouraging the use of public transportation (Etzion and Struben, 2011, p.47). The stakeholders would majorly influence the functioning and success of Better Place. The social communities supporting the environmental benefit causes are also likely to influence the business of Better place. The customers are getting more concerned about the green movements and the conscious people are adopting the electric vehicles as a way to protect the environment as well as a way to add to their socia l image. The suppliers and manufacturers of the electric vehicles and parts would also be majorly impacting Better Place. Thus, Better Place would be highly affected by the changing government policies, buying patterns of the consumers as well as the investment interests of the investors, all of whom are part of the stakeholder group. Shareholder Mapping Matrix The shareholders are individuals or communities that influence the business through their various activities. The shareholders play a critical role in the success of Better Place. It is likely that many shareholders would be eager to invest in the business considering the innovative approach of the business and the probability of the business generating a high return on the investments (Freeman, 2010, p.71). Also, the shareholders would have an interest in the business considering the environmental viability of the business. In the shareholder mapping matrix, both the interest level and the power level are high for the shareh olders of Better Place.

Analyse how 3 complementary therapies (Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Essay

Analyse how 3 complementary therapies (Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Massage) differs from conventional medicine - Essay Example 2003). It is also known as Western medicine or Allopathic Medicine. It follows proven scientific procedures and techniques in treating the symptoms of disease, unlike the former where the root cause of the disease is addressed. Conventional therapy is based on the fact that diseases are caused by Bacteria and Virus. It is very successful in acute conditions, accidents and surgery. Western medicine includes all types of conventional medical treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Nevertheless it is important to know about both possible benefits and potential harms of different system of therapies. †Herbal medicines include herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants as active ingredients† (Traditional Medicine: Definition, 2013). Herbal products are gaining prominence in the recent years due to various developments in analysis and quality control. Herbal products come in the form of capsules, pills, teas, syrups, oils liquid extracts. Simple decoctions can be made at home for common ailments like cough, cold, sore throat, indigestion etc... â€Å"Recently, the World Health Organization estimated that 80% of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some part of their primary health care† (Herbal Medicine, 2011). Acupressure is a procedure involving stimulation of vital nerve points on the body through the penetration of thin metallic needles on the skin. It gives instant relief for pain. It is a traditional Chinese practice. Massage is a technique intended to relax muscles by applying pressure on the f lesh. Generally, medicated oils are used for massage. It increases the flow of oxygen and helps to release toxins. Besides, it also help to relieve the body of any stress. Head massage is very popular to improve blood circulation and gives a general feeling of

Code Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Code Response - Essay Example She could simply have said the treatment with the patients of the attending staff was harsh, but she chose to use words that were more powerful and conveyed the gravity of the situation with a lot more feeling. The writer talks about the points of view of Nagel, Kant, Bloom and others to amalgamate them with her own opinions and thus presents a very concrete take on Sarton’s â€Å"As We Are Now.† I have myself in the past studied the Kantian formulations and I feel Code has made very apt use of these theories. The treatment of Spencer in the nursing home certainly shows that those who take care of her there do not give any value to those in the nursing home. The staff of the nursing home treats its subjects as liabilities who can also be categorized as non-living things for them. The staff feels that those who are at their mercy in the nursing home are either insane or mentally handicapped in some way, which results in their treating them as ends rather than a means to an end.

Criminal Procedure Unit 2 Homework Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Criminal Procedure Unit 2 Homework - Article Example The court, however, adjusted prior interpretations of the clauses, unreasonable search and seizure, to include immaterial intrusion via technology as a search. The court conducted two prolong tests, which required the defendant to indicate whether he had subjective imagination. In this regard, such imagination concerned the surrounding where the search was conducted and whether the society accepts such expectation as reasonable. The court ruled that Mr. Katz had a reasonable expectation of privacy within the telephone booth and that police officers had no exigent circumstance. Therefore, it was essential for them to seek for a warranty before undertaking such an action. The term seizure is used to describe any form of interference to a person’s possessory interest in material goods. Unreasonable seizure implies a circumstance where the chattel owner had a reasonable anticipation of privacy in the items seized. A person or property is said to be seized, when law enforcing officers apply force to restrain the person or property. This situation occurs if the chattel or person does not exercise one’s freedom to leave the situation (Amar, 1994). The case of Terry v. Ohio involved Terry and two other men watched by police officers in plain clothes. The officers believed that the men were ‘casing a job, a stick-up’, and for that reason, they proceeded to frisk the three men (Lichtenberg, 2001). The officers recovered illegal weapons held by the two men. The court questioned whether the search and seizure of the men amounted to a breach of the Fourth Amendment. The court decided that the search performed by the police officers was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. The court determined that the police officers operated on more than a ‘hunch’ and that a reasonable man would have been tempted to believe that

Do you agree with the view that new communication technologies Essay

Do you agree with the view that new communication technologies accentuate gender inequalities in transnational family care-giving arrangements - Essay Example In simple words, transnational families are defined as those families, where the members of the family stay in distinct nations for a long period of the time. The concept of transnational families have emerged on the basis of the notion that migration is a never-ending process and that migration can help obtaining better well-being opportunities. Due to these principle reasons, it is very commonly observed that an increasing number of people are attempting to migrate from one country to the other. However, economic challenges presented due to migration on these individuals often restrict them from taking their entire family to their host country, and thus have to leave behind their family in the country of their origin. In this situation, the families try to keep in touch with their family members through the various forms of digital media communication channels such as Skype, social networking sites, and using the mobile networks. The system of leaving few of the members of the fami ly behind and migrating to some other country or places is determined as a temporary solution of the problem, which may range from personal reasons to the economic reasons, such as need for better job opportunities (Coface, 2012). In the earlier days, it was very commonly observed that the male members of the family used to leave their family behind in the hometown and move on to the other places in search of a better job. However, now with the modern age, it has been observed that the female members are also relocating to the other places, reflecting a distinct trend from that observed in the earlier days. Arguably, it can be affirmed that it is due to the modernisation of the world and the introduction of the new communication technologies, which has brought about changes in the social environment. This popularity of the female members can be asserted as the significant blessing of the transnational families. In order words, the transnational families have introduced a

Poverty Relief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Poverty Relief - Essay Example A weakness of both approaches is their sensitivity to the choice of (necessarily somewhat) arbitrary poverty lines and of peculiar value judgements regarding the social welfare objectives of the government—for instance, that the government cares equally for all the poor, regardless of how far from the poverty line they may be. For instance, the analysis of targeting errors focuses typically on sharp 0/1 indicators, and arguably tends to differentiate too drastically between the poor and the non poor, in particular between those in similar circumstances but who just happen to lie on opposite sides of some poverty line.The working tax benefit is available to anybody aged 25 or over who works sixteen hours a week or more. There is a basic element and a range of additional elements for single parents and couples, for people who work for thirty hours a week or more, and for people with a severe disability; there is also an element to contribute towards the costs of child care. A pe rson earning below a threshold level of income receives the full benefit. For earnings above that, benefit is withdrawn at a rate of 37 pence per pound of earnings. Benefit is normally awarded on an annual basis; thus an increase in earnings, unless large, will not lead to a reduction in benefit until a person is reassessed. Other difficulties in the assessment of program changes come from their differential effects on average deadweight losses. Such differential effects can occur when the programs are funded from different revenue sources.: differences in the cost of public funds that arise from differences in those revenue sources must then be taken into account (Slemrod and Yitzhaki, 1996)2. Differences in the effects on average deadweight losses can also arise from the differential behavioural changes that different program reforms can generate among program beneficiaries. These differential behavioural changes can in general also affect the direct disaggregated welfare impact o f program reforms. None of these categories can readily be dealt with by private insurance; and none except the first can be helped by raising national-insurance benefits or by extending their coverage. Much poverty is associated with children and/or high housing costs, neither of which is an insurable risk. Two conclusions emerge: private insurance is not possible in most of these cases; nor is extending national insurance a complete answer. The state could, of course, do nothing, and let people face the risk of starvation, but, even ignoring equity arguments, this has a range of efficiency costs, including social unrest/ crime among those facing starvation; the death by starvation of dependants including children (the future labour force);

Literary Analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay In the English Renaissance, identity was an important concern, particularly the construction of identity. As Stephen Greenblatt argues, there is in the early modern period a change in the intellectual, social, psychological, and aesthetic structures that govern the generation of identities that is not only complex but resolutely dialectical (1). The identity of the sovereign was of particular importance: how monarchs shaped their own identities, and how these identities affected their subjects. Taking Greenblatts argument, this paper examines the construction and manipulation of identity in Shakespeares Hamlet: in particular, the ways in which Elizabeth Is self-representations inform the play. In addition, the paper will show how the characterization of Hamlet is shaped by the rule of Elizabeth I, who controlled her public image through elaborately constructed self-representations. Reflecting her use of these representations, Hamlet, who possesses stereotypically feminine attributes, fights to recreate himself as a masculine character to recover his familys and kingdoms honor. The late Elizabethan period was filled with anxiety and dismay over the aging of Queen Elizabeth I. Concern about her impending death was only made worse by her refusal to name a successor. When Shakespeare composed Hamlet in 1600, the playwright was subject to an aging, infirm queen, who at sixty-seven had left no heirs to the English throne. In Hamlet, Shakespeare thus addresses two political problems that England faced at the beginning of the seventeenth-century: royal succession and female sovereignty. As Tennenhouse argues, History plays could not be written after Hamlet, because the whole matter of transferring power from one monarch to another had to be rethought in view of the aging body of the queen (85). The preoccupation of the English public with who would become their new ruler, along with eager anticipation of male kingship, is expressed throughout Hamlet. Although the play is not written as a political allegory, undeniable similarities do exist between aspects of Queen Elizabeth Is public persona and the character of Hamlet. Before further explaining this comparison, however, it is necessary to describe how Elizabeth I shaped her public persona. Elizabeth Is Image As head of the Anglican Church, Elizabeth I was wary to align herself in marriage with a Catholic. Accordingly, Carole Levin argues that Elizabeth I promoted the image of herself as a pristine maiden well into the middle and advanced years of her life: Elizabeth presented herself to her people as a symbol of virginity, a Virgin Queen (64). Whether political or personal, her refusal to marry was in many ways advantageous, for she avoided the disaster of Mary Is match with Phillip II. Yet it also caused a great deal of concern among the populace. As Levin observes, by not marrying, Elizabeth also refused the most obvious function of being a queen, that of bearing a child. Nor would she name a successor as Parliament begged her to do, since Elizabeth was convinced this would increase, rather than ease, both the political tension and her personal danger (66). Elizabeth Is strategy to retain political power may have prevented the usurpation of her authority by a husband, but it did cause disfavor among the English citizens, especially as she grew older without announcing an heir. Anxiety over the succession led to contempt for Elizabeth I, with many people gossiping that she did not marry because she was an unnatural woman. Levin writes, there were rumors that Elizabeth had an impediment that would prohibit regular sexual relations (86). Levin provides an example for these rumors in an excerpt of a letter from her cousin Mary Stuart: indubitably you are not like other women, and it is folly to advance the notion of your marriage with the Duke of Alencon, seeing that such a conjugal union would never be consummated (86). Others claimed that Elizabeth I had illegitimate children who were kept secret (Levin 85). These accusations indicate that English citizens, as well as family relations, perceived Elizabeth Fs prolonged maidenhood as unnatural and even monstrous. Although Elizabeth I was willing to admit to Parliament that she had spent much of her strength, she was careful to cultivate the image of herself as a young woman to the public. One important example of this method is the famous Rainbow Portrait, which Elizabeth I commissioned in approximately 1600, the same period Hamlet was written. Even though Elizabeth I was sixty-seven years old when the painting was commissioned, she appears in the painting to be a young woman (Levin). Elizabeth I created an intricate and diverse image of herself. As an unmarried monarch, she became Englands Virgin Queen. Possessing two bodies, Elizabeth I established masculine authority as Prince and as mother to her subjects. As Elizabeth I grew older, she relied on iconography to deceive the English populace into viewing her as young and vital. These diverse representations of Elizabeth I are complexly reflected in Hamlet. The similarities between Elizabeth I and Gertrude are obvious: both women are perceived as indulgent, sensuous monarchs and are criticized for attempting to act like women younger than their true ages. To Gertrude, Hamlet even states, O shame, where is thy blush? (3. 4. 91). Despite these correspondences, a more interesting analogy exists between Elizabeth I and the character of Hamlet. The paper will compare Elizabeth I, who claimed to have the heart and stomach of a king (Levin 1) with Hamlet, a prince often castigated for acting in a stereotypically feminine manner. Reflections of Elizabeth Is Constructed Identities in Hamlet One attempt by Elizabeth I to maintain her image as the Virgin Queen was a use of heavy cosmetics in an effort to make herself look younger and therefore stronger. Mullaney quotes Jesuit priest Anthony Rivers as describing Elizabeth Is makeup at some celebrations in 1600, when Hamlet was written, to be in some places near half an inch thick (147). Unfortunately for Elizabeth I, this attempt to hide the weakness of her age seems only to have exacerbated her subjects contempt for the assumed weakness of her sex. M. P. Tilley observes that during the late Elizabethan period, there was a strong feeling against a woman using cosmetics (312). Women who used cosmetics, according to popular feeling, altered their bodies, the creations of God, and were therefore not only immodest but blasphemous. According to Mullaney, women who used cosmetics considered to be false women because they created a deceptive face to replace the one given to them by God; altering their natural female appearance made them not truly women. Not only were cosmetics blasphemous and dishonest, they were physically destructive. A woman who painted her face in the Renaissance thus arguably destroyed her person in every way possible: spiritually and bodily. Hamlet displays notable disgust toward painted women, yet critics have overlooked that many of the contemporary Renaissance objections to womens use of cosmetics apply to Hamlets actions. Similar to the way that painted women used cosmetics to disguise the faces that God had given them, Hamlet puts on his antic disposition to disguise the faculties of reason which God has given him (1. 5. 192), faculties which in the Renaissance were an essential aspect of the virtuous man. Whether or not Hamlet is truly mad, he constructs a persona to dissimulate his purpose of revenge. Painted women were disparaged for poisoning their body with dangerous chemicals; Hamlet engages in a dangerous quest to avenge his father, and because of his quest for revenge, he is fatally poisoned. By assuming an antic disposition, a false face, Hamlet is physically poisoned by the bated sword of Laertes. Laertes poison destroys Hamlets body natural and symbolically disrupts the body politic, since Hamlet will be unable to rule Denmark. In addition to putting on an antic disposition, a type of face painting, Hamlet possesses other womanly attributes that would arguably have caused some anxiety. Mullaney asserts that popular opinion in the Renaissance, especially in the final years of Elizabeth Is reign, was against the rule of a female monarch. The English people had always been hesitant to accept a female queen; as Elizabeth I grew older and more infirm, their tolerance for being ruled by a woman diminished. Mullaney further argues that this intolerance was a part of the English subjects realization that Elizabeth I was feeble and politically weakening: for the Renaissance misogyny may in fact be an integral part of the mourning process when the lost object or ideal being processed is a woman, especially but not exclusively when that woman is a queen of England, too (140). As the English publics grief for the decline of their queens strength increased, so too did their contempt for her bodily weakness and inability to govern effectively. Reflecting anxiety about Elizabeths I old age and infirmity, Hamlet displays a stereotypically feminine quality that makes him problematic as heir to the Danish throne. Early in the play, Claudius chides Hamlet for his unmanly grief concerning the passing of his father (1. 2. 98). Elaine Showalter claims that Hamlets emotional vulnerability can readily be conceptualized as feminine (223). Discussing Hamlets creation of a mad persona, Carol Thomas Neely also lists passivity and loss of control among Hamlets feminine attributes during his period of madness (326). Hamlets emotional vulnerability and passivity, when considered in the politically-charged atmosphere of the late Elizabethan period, can even be seen as his downfall. Mullaney, quoting Tennenhouse, argues that Hamlet is a play keenly aware of its late Elizabethan status, in which the impending transfer of power from one monarch to another had to be rethought in view of the aging body of the queen' (149). He goes on to view Hamlet as inhabiting a male-constructed world. Mullaney asserts that like other Shakespearean males, Hamlet achieves a partial if suicidal resolution of the contradictions of patriarchy by constructing a world that is not so much gendered as free from gender differentiation—a world that is all male (158). It is believable that Hamlets true problem is actually the opposite—his world is too female, or rather feminine. Despite the small number of females in the play, Hamlet presents a feminine character in a male body, a twisted reflection of Elizabeth I, who claimed to have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but the heart and stomach of a king (Levin 1). Hamlet possesses the body of a prince, but the heart and stomach of a woman: a fusion which was particularly problematic in the misogynistic environment that prevailed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. As a feminine character in the body of a male, particularly one who, as Claudius observes, is most immediate to the throne (1. 2. 113), Hamlet cannot be allowed to survive and assume the throne. His death, as well as the passage of the Danish monarchy to the quintessential warrior figure, Fortinbras, reflects the transition of the throne from Elizabeth I to James I. James Is ascension to the English throne alleviated some anxiety of female sovereignty, although his reign showed his peevish, cowardly, and self-indulgent disposition. When Hamlet puts on an antic disposition, crafting himself as mad, he evinces natural traits that are usually associated with feminine weakness. Hamlet is beset with passivity and indecision, two qualities often ascribed to women in the Renaissance (Woodbridge 275-99). Passivity and indecision impede and nearly thwart his quest to obey his fathers demand for revenge. Davis D. McElroy claims that Hamlet, in addition to considering the ghosts exhortation to avenge him, contemplates taking no action at all. McElroy examines the opening five lines of the to be or not to be soliloquy: To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether is nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. (3. 1. 64-8) McElroy alleges that these lines, which are generally believed to be Hamlets argument regarding suicide, constitute a different deliberation on revenge: killing Claudius, as the alleged ghost of his father demands, or taking no action at all—a more cowardly decision, certainly, but definitely safer. McElroy compares the two options by examining the rhetoric of chiasmus—claiming that to be refers to taking arms against Claudius and not to be refers to suffering outrageous fortune. He argues that the speech pertains more reasonably to revenge than suicide because killing oneself is more like avoiding ones troubles than opposing them (544). It can be posited that Hamlets indecision concerning his vow to avenge his father parallels Elizabeth Fs refusal to name an heir. As Tennenhouse observes, Where Claudius would be second to Hamlet and Hamlets line in a patrilineal system, the queens husband and uncle of the kings son occupies the privileged male position in a matrilineal system.. . It is to be expected that Claudius could not legally possess the crown, the matrilinear succession having the weaker claim on British political thinking. (89) Hamlets duty is not merely to uphold his promise of vengeance. He also has an obligation to his country to see Claudius removed from the throne and Hamlet, the rightful ruler in patrilineal succession, put in his place. When Hamlet contemplates neglecting this obligation, he endangers the succession to the Danish throne in much the same way that Elizabeth Is secrecy concerning her own succession endangers England. Arguably, Hamlet fails in his responsibility to protect the Danish succession: after Hamlets death, Fortinbras, a Norwegian, assumes the throne. Although Fortinbras is a better candidate than the corrupt Claudius, he is a member of Norways royal line, not Denmarks. Elizabeth Is refusal to marry consigns England to a similar fate regarding kingship and royal lines. James I is a member of the British royal family, but he is a Stuart, not a Tudor. As the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I secures her own power by refusing to name a successor during her lifetime, but she allows her familial line to die with her. Elizabeth I also protected her political authority by crafting several personas. As seen in the Rainbow Portrait, she took liberally from mythological figures, such as Astraea, Flora, and Diana. Just as Elizabeth I appropriated the appearance and femininity of goddesses, Hamlet appropriates the masculine authority he observes in Fortinbras. Hamlet attempts to construct a persona that goes beyond an antic disposition, wanting to fashion himself as a strong son and leader of Denmark. After hearing of Fortinbrass plan to attack a desolate stretch of Poland, Hamlet resolves to emulate the militant Fortinbras by fashioning himself as a bloody avenger: How stand I, then, That have a father killed, a mother stained, Excitements of my reason and my blood, And let all sleep O, from this time forth My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth! (4. 4. 59-62, 68-9) Although Hamlet desires to construct himself as an aggressive and violent fighter, he is never able to attain Fortinbrass forcefulness. Hamlets passivity here shows weakness and debility, not qualities appropriate in a military leader or a monarch. Although Hamlet attempts to assume the masculinity of Fortinbras, shaping himself as a potent agent of revenge, Hamlets attempted emulation of Fortinbrass masculinity is merely another false front. Hamlet recognizes his own passivity, but however much he tries to counter and suppress it, his femininity is too firmly a part of his personality for him to overcome it completely. Even though Hamlet seeks to avenge his fathers murder, he is unable to kill Claudius in Act three, scene three. Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius at his attempted prayer, and he thus does not do what he has resolved to do. At this point in the play, the audience sees a fluid character, one who first fashions himself as mad, then earnestly attempts to mold himself like the soldier Fortinbras. However much Hamlet views himself as mutable, he cannot override his passive nature. Hamlet attempts to put on Fortinbrass masculine disposition after killing Polonius and assuring the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, yet even after returning from his voyage to England, Hamlet is caught in his feminine passivity. Despite his earlier resolve that his thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth (4. 4. 69), Hamlet makes no move against Claudius. He walks with Horatio in the graveyard, where he learns of Ophelias death (5. 1. 253), and he attacks Laertes at her gravesite (5. 1. 273), but he still clings to his false antic disposition. Gertrude calls his behavior mere madness and compares Hamlet to a female dove (5. 1. 302, 304). Hamlets shock and grief at learning about Ophelias death could excuse his distraction from attacking Claudius, but Hamlet delays his task too long. By waiting for Laertes challenge instead of choosing his own time to confront Claudius, Hamlet is forced to fight on the treacherous kings terms and dies at the tip of Laertes poisoned sword. Hamlets struggle mirrors the rule of Elizabeth I, who controlled her public image through elaborately constructed personas. Similar to Hamlet, Elizabeth I attempted to disguise or suppress her feminine weakness. She proclaimed that she possessed a masculine body politic despite her female body natural. Elizabeth I maintained supremacy throughout her reign—no easy task for a woman in the Renaissance—yet her refusal to marry and produce heirs ended the Tudor line of succession. Hamlets plight reflects the anxiety experienced by many English subjects as Elizabeth I grew older with no children to succeed her: as Elizabeth I aged, the question of the sovereigns role or representation to provide for the common welfare became increasingly critical. The Queen was still a mere woman, even though she had the heart and stomach of a king (Levin 1). Equally, Hamlet strives to create a public persona that corresponds with the masculine strength of Fortinbras, but he ultimately succumbs to feminine passivity, even though he is a prince. Conclusion Hamlet reflects the anxiety of many of Elizabeth Is subjects concerning the strength of their Queen and the succession of the monarchy. With no husband and no heir to the throne, the political security of the country was at stake. Furthermore, many citizens were concerned with Elizabeth Is aging body and her undignified attempts to appear younger. This concern developed in many cases into contempt for Elizabeth Is deceptive manipulations of her image. Hamlet has many feminine characteristics that, especially in the climate of Elizabeth Is decline, make him unsuitable as a ruler or potential king. Although he is not naturally suited to the masculine requirements of kingship, Hamlet strives to overcome his feminine nature in order to reinstate the honor and dignity of his family and kingdom. Although he accomplishes this end, his femininity delays him until he is betrayed by Claudius treachery. Hamlet removes Claudius from the throne, but at the cost of many lives, and the Danish monarchy passes to a Norwegian ruler. Like Elizabeth I, Hamlet tries to recreate his identity to gain needed respect and authority, but ultimately fails to protect his fathers line of succession. In Hamlet, readers can surmise some of the feelings Shakespeare may have experienced in the growing misogyny that permeated the final years of Elizabeth Is reign. Like Hamlet, Elizabeth I was not without flaws, and her subjects came to resent her for these weaknesses, anticipating the advent of a more powerful—and masculine—monarch. As Shakespeare demonstrates with Hamlets poignant death and with Fortinbrass triumph, a stronger, more manful monarch is not necessarily a more admirable or worthy one. Works Cited Greenblatt, Stephen. Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1980. Levin, Carole. The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1994. McElroy, Davis D. To Be, or Not to Be—Is That the Question? College English 25. 7 (1964): 543-545. Mullaney, Steven. Mourning and Misogyny: Hamlet, The Revengers Tragedy, and the Final Progress of Elizabeth I, 1600-1607. Shakespeare Quarterly 45. 2 (1994): 139-62. Neely, Carol Thomas. Documents in Madness: Reading Madness and Gender in Shakespeares Tragedies and Early Modern Culture. Shakespeare Quarterly 42. 3 (1991): 315-38. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square P, 1992. Showaiter, Elaine. Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. Hamlet: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays from Five Contemporary Critical Perspectives. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1994. Tennenhouse, Leonard. Power on Display: The Politics of Shakespeares Genres. New York: Methuen, 1986. Tilley, M. P, I Have Heard of Your Paintings Too. (Hamlet III, i, 148). The Review of English Studies 5. 19 (1929): 312-17

Sucsessfull Students Essay Example for Free

Sucsessfull Students Essay Abstract This literature review includes the meaning of a successful students, it tells us the qualities of a blooming students, it tells how an average student can become a successful student, what qualities should an average students adopt to become a successful student, what type of difficulties an average student feel in their daily life in becoming a perfect student, how a successful student effects their environment. This work tells us that what people think about successful student and what is the actual meaning of it? It tells us that true successful student work hard to get knowledge but today students work hard to get money. Successful students 3 Successful students: Everyone likes to be a successful. Getting a scholarship, making money, to have a car, and a beautiful house or being popular are very common accomplishments for everyone. These accomplishments are only the immediate rewards. Long term success is a journey. There is no destination for that magic we all call success. Education is a magic it can open many doors that were deviously closed, so get the best education you can. And if you have decided to go with education than do work hard as more as you can. In this research paper you will become familiar with the various learning strategies and be shown how some of these techniques can be applied to educational success. Researcher will provide you simple effective and dynamic tools to use every day as you must do to succeed. Whether techniques or golden rules are really important for us? To answer this question researcher tells a story. Once there was a ship it was out of order, many engineers were trying to start the ship but they were unable to start it they do many techniques but all in vain, then there came a person he started examine all over the ship about 2 times, than he put a spanner and start tighten a small nut and he said please start the ship and ship started working. After one week he received a cheque of $ 20,000 he was really shocked to see that he received $ 20,000 for just tightening a small nut and then he found a statement written on back side of the cheque â€Å" $ 2 for tightening the nut and $ 19,998 for finding which nut†. From this story it can be learnt why techniques are so important? And the techniques which researcher is pointing out are important and every student should follow it. 1. Manage time and set priority 2. Responsibilities 3: Effective study Successful student 4 Time management and set priority John (1998) states that about time management â€Å"Make time your friend not your enemy. † (lin. 23). Time management is very important skill for student. It enables to identify your priorities and using these priorities to manage time. Successful student must not create impossible situations for themselves. Prepare a suitable timetable list of the courses, work, study time, recreations, meals, TV, relaxation, your friends’ activities and follow this timetable strictly. Most of the students make a timetable but do not follow it. Avoid distractions and lack of focus. Time is precious. Yet many might waste time by getting stuck in one or more stupid habits. Responsibilities Everyone knows that reading, writing, listening and speaking are basic to education without this education is nothing. But what about responsibilities? How would you like to work for an in irresponsible boss, or be known as an irresponsible parent, or take a class from an irresponsible teacher? It does not sound very good. However we don’t care our responsibilities. According to researcher the most important point is responsibility because without this we can’t do anything. Iif you are responsible you will do your assignment in time if you are responsible you will punctual if you are responsible and will do every work in time and better others that’s why this habit teaches very much things. Donna (1923) states that â€Å"the path of success lies on the road of responsibility† (p. 4). Successful student 5 Affective studying Affective studying has some requirements like creating favorable conditions, generate positive attitude, and develop good techniques. Create a schedule. Plan to study specific times each week. Breakup times as much as possible. Use a location where you can concentrate. Avoided or remove distractions. Made the subject meaningful to use in some way, if you are funded difficulty than consult someone. And always try to avoid from lack of consideration. Lack of concentration is like a lack of fuel. Without consideration the mind has little power. And it will harm you much Successful student a word of honor for every student in this world. Whenever we hear this word and image of a student comes in our mind. Who always stood 1st in his class, takes full marks and is a role model for all students. Is that is enough for a successful student? No, absolutely no, a successful student is not only good in their studies, he is a good son, a good brother, a good friend and also a good neighbor. Almost every kind of goodness present in them. Also he is a true Muslim. Researcher says that now these days we cannot find such students whose aim of life is to gain knowledge, who study to increase their knowledge, who study for the welfare of humanity . But we can find number of students who study only for their own benefits like to get good jobs and to earn money. According to a research there are 87% People study for their own benefits. If we want to become a successful student we have to follow some steps. Successful student 6 References Colna,R. D (1985). where is your success? Thopwr Review, 6,1997–1999. Roconar, G. Wine, Q, kreber, E. J. (1966). Starvation university of madin? , 1996, 1994–1996. A. Grandued, G. C. (1996). New methods . Hunter in jungle , 57, 1985. Jeff Haden (Nov 7, 2012) 8 Things Remarkably Successful People Do. 2009-2012 Heidi Grant Halvorson (Dec 13, 2012) Nine Ways Successful People Defeat Stress. 2011-2012 Kevin PurdyWhat (jan 22, 2009) Successful People Do With The First Hour Of Their Work Day. 2008-2009.

Impact Of Woolf Reforms On Civil Justice System Law Essay

Impact Of Woolf Reforms On Civil Justice System Law Essay The Woolf reforms have successfully increased access to justice for litigants despite being confronted with extensive variables and multifaceted difficulties. However, the reforms have failed in some major aspects, ultimately falling victim to the notoriety and reality of legal reform. The civil justice system and the Woolf reforms will firstly be discussed, moving into an analysis of the prominent areas of the Civil Procedure Rules, with the essay concluding with an overall analysis of the reforms, exposing the reasons for its failures, in reference to the reality of the civil justice system. The Civil Justice System and the Emergence of the Woolf Reforms and Access to Justice The civil justice system has the dual function of serving the public good and acting as a private means. Its social purpose is to provide the machinery for giving effect to the rights of citizens, whilst contributing to the social and economic well being of the community and regulating the exercise of executive power under the democratic principle of the rule of law. For these purposes to be fulfilled, there must be effective access to justice with an awareness of every citizen of their rights, entitlements, obligations and responsibilities, and of the procedures for redress. The underlying basis of the Woolf reforms is therefore to ensure that the justice system provides opportunities for the public to make good their rights. An unambiguous aspiration to overhaul the justice system culminated in 1994, when the then Master of the Rolls, Lord Woolf, was appointed by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay, to assess the practices and procedures of the civil courts in England and Wales. There was a four year, all-embracing inquiry and extensive consultation process that made over three hundred recommendations designed to improve the limitations of civil litigation. There were two reports, published in June 1995 and July 1996, that revealed the findings of the wide-ranging inquiry and provided the foundation for the subsequent Civil Procedure Rules 1998. It is widely accepted that the perceived deficiencies of the civil justice system were met by proposals of radical change and the Woolf reforms were far more than a modification or clarification of the justice system. This investigation into the countrys legal system was required to maintain the integrity and political legitimacy of the system, preventing it from being brought into disrepute. The impact that the competency of a nations justice system can have on considerations such as the economy and political presence in international affairs was also recognised. This is especially the case when identifying London as a prominent dispute resolution centre in the world, attracting litigants from across the globe. The reputation of England and Wales was assessed and the pre-Woolf litigation landscape was in need of reform if this historic justice system was to maintain its standing as one of the most competent providers of justice. Findings of the Woolf Reforms The perceived deficiencies revealed by Woolfs inquiries were readily agreed by the users of the civil justice system. In essence, litigation in England and Wales was too slow, too expensive and too uncertain. These injustices were predominantly identified to be the result of the English adversarial tradition and allowing parties to assume the proactive and dominant case management role, leaving the judiciary to perform simply a reactive role. Too Slow The pre-Woolf landscape contained too much delay that crippled the efficiency of the system and provided a disincentive to those seeking to enforce their rights. This introduced an additional cause of stress, such as through making it more difficult to establish the facts and leading parties to settle for inadequate compensation.  [1]  Lord Woolf identified delay to be the direct result of the adversarial culture of litigation that lawyers practised within and thrived upon. The time taken to progress a case from an initial claim to final hearing was a matter of concern, especially in making litigation expensive. Too Expensive The ever-increasing cost of litigation was found to limit access to justice. However, for some academics, high costs do not automatically entail that low income citizens are prevented from participating in the justice process because of the existence of what Michael E. Stamp  [2]  has named the fiscal illusion, where a belief arises that legal services are becoming unaffordable because they have increased in relative price. Stamp argues that society must alter the proportion of income devoted to different goods and services and rely upon increasing the productivity of legal services to match the increasing costs rather than solely aiming to decrease costs whilst maintaining current levels of efficiency. The Woolf reforms took on the dual approach of aspiring to increase the output of the justice system and endeavouring to strip away unnecessary costs. Stamps comment is an understatement of how low income citizens are being priced out of litigation and fails to stress the importan ce of access to justice for every citizen, irrelevant of social or financial status. Despite the above debate, it is accepted that the cost of a claim is a barrier to some and a problem for all litigants  [3]  and in more direct opposition to Stamp, Sir Thomas Bingham  [4]  robustly describes costs to be a cancer eating at the heart of the administration of justice. The system was too expensive with patterns of costs being higher than the claim was worth. High costs act as a deterrent to those making and defending claims and a number of businesses say that it is often cheaper to pay up, irrespective of the merits, than to defend an action. For individual litigants the unaffordable cost of litigation constitutes a denial of justice.  [5]  The primary intention to provide justice for individuals and businesses was being undermined by the inefficient cost of the machinery. This begins to expose the cruel reality of accessing justice that will run throughout this assessment of the Woolf reforms. Too Uncertain Uncertainty for litigants was a simple but significant limitation of accessing justice arising from unpredictable costs, timings and timetabling, and the uncertainty of judicial decisions. Uncertainty constituted a strong deterrent for litigants and must not be minimised as an issue. The English Adversarial Tradition There was a definitive intention to shift the litigation culture from that of adversarialism to compromise, co-operation and settlement. Woolf described the adversarial system as likely to encourage an adversarial culture and to degenerate into an environment in which the litigation process is too often seen as a battlefield where no rules apply.  [6]  There was a determination of lawyers to manipulate court procedures, delay and disrupt the opposition counsel, increase the costs of the litigation for personal profit and impose professional protectionalism. Woolf identified that main procedural tools for conducting litigation efficiently have each become subverted from their proper purpose  [7]  and the powers of the court have fallen behind the more sophisticated and aggressive tactics of some litigators.  [8]  Lawyers were accused of abusing the disclosure of information, disputing unquestionable points, making tactical appeals and deploying tactics to drag out litigati on, thereby driving up costs. Any analysis of this tradition identifies that the burden of this abuse falls on the client. Woolf disclaimed any potential shift towards an inquisitorial system and abandoning adversarialism in its entirety, in order to maintain its benefits, such as its impartiality compared to inquisitorial techniques. The proposed reform of case management (as set out below), was therefore created to be compatible with the adversarial tradition, establishing conditions where it could survive the transfer of control from the parties to the judiciary. Conclusion on the Findings of the Woolf Reports The justice system was essentially failing the litigant, on and for whom the whole system should, in principle, focus and deliver. Fairness, speed of process, reasonable results and the availability of appropriate procedures were all found to be lacking within a system which promised all these goals. The impression of litigation is a fragmented, inefficient and incomprehensible system failing to fulfil its function and its potential, to promptly distribute affordable and certain justice. It is difficult to take issue with Lord Woolfs findings and the principles of reform that emerge from his conclusions. The reliability and diligence of the access to justice reports are uncontested and the research element of the reforms will continue to act as a valuable identification of the positives and, importantly, limitations of the civil justice system. In this facet of investigation and assessment, Woolf was undoubtedly successful. However, the means and choice of initiatives that Woolf proposed to remedy the exposed limitations are open to debate and critique, particularly when commonly identified as being radical and controversial in their nature and the direction in which they attempt to guide the justice system. Objectives of the Woolf Reforms The aims of the reforms can be condensed into one overriding objective, set out in Civil Procedure Rules 1.1, which was to increase the competency of the civil justice system to decide and deal justly the cases set before it. This includes such considerations as reducing excessive costs, ensuring cases are dealt with expeditiously, honestly and in a manner that is proportionate to their nature. This would create equal footing for parties, guaranteeing that there is a reasonable allotment of resources per case by the court. The vision of Woolf and the principles of his report were reinforced in the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) which came into force on 26th April 1999. The CPR established a common set of procedures and rules for both the county courts and High Court to follow and gave effect to the three hundred plus changes, amounting to the most radical change to procedure in the last one hundred years. The Woolf reforms did not tinker with the existing system; they rewrote it.  [9]  The CPR are extensive, but some elements are considered to be more prominent than others. It is these that I will focus on in my assessment of the CPR as the implementation of the Woolf reforms. The following six elements of the CPR were, and continue to be, considered to have had the most effect on the English civil procedure. Case Management Technique Lord Woolf believed case management to be vital in solving the key problems of cost, delay and complexity, identifying that the three are interrelated and stem from the uncontrolled nature of the litigation process. In particular, there is no clear judicial responsibility for managing individual cases or for the overall administration of the civil courts.  [10]  The transfer of control from the parties to the judge was designed to improve the pace and efficiency of litigation through imposing tighter timeframes and reducing case duration. Woolf recommended that in relation to case management, the complexity of rules should be eased through modernising terminology and eliminating the distinctions between procedure and practice. Woolf not only sought to change the legal culture of the parties and their counsel, but also the role of the judiciary within an organised court service. Case management was an interventionist approach, imposing a more dominant role for the courts whilst not dismissing the English adversarial tradition in its entirety. The judiciary were equipped with wide discretionary powers, for example, imposing early trial dates and refusing any plea to delay the start of a trial. The governing role of the judge is a common aspect of other continental legal systems and its introduction constituted a shift of the English legal system towards the majority.  [11]   Positives Case management has improved access to justice through increasing the speed of litigation. This initiative determined that it was the judges rather than the lawyers who dictate pace. No longer are the larger claims allowed to fester in the do not touch drawers of solicitors filing cabinets.  [12]  Lawyers were too often judged to slow down litigation, Woolf himself regarding that in the majority of cases the reasons for delay arise from failure (by the lawyers) to progress the case efficiently, wasting time on peripheral issues or procedural skirmishing to wear down an opponent or to excuse failure to get on with the case.  [13]  Many academics view the shift in management from the lawyers to the more responsible and non-partisan judiciary to be an effective reform. For example, 98% of respondents to the 2001 Woolf Network Third Survey considered that the newly introduced Case Management Conferences worked well in their case.  [14]  The increase of discretionary power and control has meant that time-wasting and tactical applications have not been tolerated, and breaches of judicial instruction in relation to the final hearing can result in claims being struck out. Limitations It is argued that a judge does not necessarily or automatically possess the skills or know-how to manage cases competently, reducing the predictability of a claim. The concern is that competency levels are suggested to decrease down the ranks of the judiciary whilst the levels of discretion are maintained. Case management has also been argued to constitute judicial over-involvement, where lawyers who have obtained a deeper knowledge of the case are prevented from deciding how the case should progress. This not only places the responsibility irrationally with the judge, who has only briefly assessed the claim, but also could be construed as reflecting a mistrust of the professionalism of counsel to the dispute. Case management is predicted to fail as a permanent solution because the institution of judicial case management represents a one-time productivity increase where the immediate effect may be lower costs of obtaining justice, but, over the long run, the cost savings will evaporate as a direct result of the cost disease.  [15]  This educated prediction of unavoidable failure of case management, and the Woolf reforms and CPR as a whole, must be treated with care, because it is in essence a prediction. However, this calculated forecast of the reform process suggests a negative outcome of case management that cannot be ignored. The necessary technological advances within the system have also been insufficient to support the implementation of case management. The increased judicial use of computers and telephone conferences, the acceptability of email correspondence in many courts and the advantage of claims beginning online, have all been beneficial, but this is the limit of any technological input. This is not due to the lack of technology available, but rather the justice system barely tapping into the phenomenal potential of technology. It is characteristically a lack of resources and allocated funds that have limited the use of technology, thereby failing to adequately complement the reforms. Conclusion It is apparent that there should not be an outright restoration of the responsibility to manage cases back to the parties and their lawyers. The wholesale rejection of judicial case management does not emanate from a fair evaluation of an initiative that has speeded up litigation and, as a direct result, decreased costs. There must be a reassessment of this reform, with the aim of improving the ability of the judiciary to effectively administer and control cases, essentially through a development of training judges in management techniques. In combination with this training, it is vital that there is an increase in the availability of technological support. This initiative seems to be a clear example of the dangers of such an interventionist approach. Pre-Action Protocols Pre-action protocols constitute strict procedures and sensible codes of practice which are dependent upon the facts and nature of a case, which parties when confronted with the prospect of litigation are expected to follow. The original two protocols in the CPR, for example, concerned personal injury and clinical negligence respectively. The aim overall was to encourage the early settlement of claims and avoid litigation, such as through an early exchange of full information of the dispute. The protocols follow a similar pattern as the encouragement to participate in alternative dispute resolution, in that compliance with the protocols is not compulsory, but an unreasonable refusal to participate will affect the awarding of costs. Positives The success of the pre-action protocols is clear from their expansion from the original two to the current ten, in March 2010. The protocols have increased the structure and organisation of claims, creating certainty for litigants of the pre-trial steps that they are expected to take, such as the effort to settle. This sequentially has stimulated increased levels of dispute resolution and early settlement through the improvement of the pre-action investigation, earlier exchange of information and the enhancement of the relationship and understanding between parties through more pre-action contact. The protocols have also been credited with ensuring that disputes which are litigated are done so on the foundation of detailed preparation and consideration. Further positives include the decrease of nuisance ill-founded claims and the success of the attached code, which categorises disputes which do not fall within the protocols. Limitations The protocols have been criticised solely for their burden and lengthy requirements. The obligation to perform tasks such as writing letters, disclosing information and exchanging expert reports all combine to duplicate the process of the claim to follow. A dispute is essentially fought twice, unnecessarily increasing time and costs. Conclusion The protocols were a strong success only falling foul in the adverse effect of the burden of administration. They represent the strength of the reforms and suggest that radical reform can be effective if implemented correctly. The Track System Under case management, a track system was proposed to assign different procedures to different cases that are separated on the merits of complexity and financial value. The CPR classifies cases into one of the three tracks of small claims, fast track and multi-track.  [16]  The small claims track is for cases of less than  £5,000 in value and the fast track including claims that are more valuable than  £5,000, but fall below  £15,000, or that fail to fit within the small claims criteria. Fast track cases are deemed to be simpler disputes, and on a slight variation, include landlord-tenant disputes and personal injury cases that are valued between  £1,000 and  £5,000. The multi-track includes all the cases over  £15,000 that fail to be placed in the fast track and small claims. Positives The fast track arrangements have been successful in having cases heard quicker, with it being claimed that this guarantees a final hearing within 30 weeks from soon after the defence has been sent to court.  [17]  The track system overall is merited for recognising that cases of different size and complexity should be dealt with in different ways with it having been noted that the criticism that such distinctions will condemn many claimants of small sums to second class justice is wholly misconceived.  [18]  This initiative has increased certainty of timetabling and improves efficiency by ensuring that judicial time is spent proportionately to the issues in claims. Limitations The track system is highly controversial because of its technique of the early classification and has struggled to contend with the extensive variables that determine the costs awarded to a party.  [19]  The most influential variable that has hindered success is the unpredictability of the length of a dispute.  [20]  In some cases it is close to impossible to balance and account for variables, such as complexity and financial value, in the early stages of a case. The track system must also contend with all the disadvantages of going to court, regardless of which track, including the common problems of cost and time. Conclusion The immediate defence of the track system that the analysis and clarification of costs is an ambitious and difficult task is not sufficient to excuse its failure. The system has fallen victim to the overload of variables and has failed to present itself as a competent antidote and controller of excessive costs. This initiative is a disappointment and current calls for its removal are justified. The concerns of the track system once again support the use of Alternate Dispute Resolution processes to reach a settlement, rather than proceed to trial. Costs Most of the descriptive guidelines of the overriding objective set out in the CPR concern the costs of litigation. High costs are often magnified by the issue of delay which acts as drag or friction upon the economy by reducing the ability of individuals and corporations to increase productivity and fully utilise capital.  [21]  At a minimum, costs must be more predictable and affordable, despite the difficulties of quantifying and identifying the sources of abstract costs not directly related to the litigation process. The objective must be reducing delay that creates excessive costs and constructing an initiative to reduce any influx in costs if a claim is inhibited by delay. The general rule of costs that the losing party must pay those of the successful party still remains. However, CPR 44.3 has modified this long-standing rule by introducing exceptions to it and giving the court discretion in the allocation of costs in certain cases. The rules of paying costs also can require the losing party to pay on account before the final sum of costs is decided by the court. This scheme, coupled with the ability to order costs or a proportion of costs which have been summarily assessed to be paid within fourteen days has established in todays litigation system a concept of what one learned commentator has described as pay as you go system for costs.  [22]  The early and continuous payment of costs promotes early settlement as the parties assess their cases earlier and can make calculations as to whether their costs will exceed their revenue. This scheme communicates the reality of a claim directly to the parties, encouraging them to rationally manage their fi nances and clarify and target their personal goals within the claim. Parties also have an incentive to adopt a more co-operative approach because of the threat of court imposed financial penalties for unreasonable conduct. This is an example of the court utilising a more forceful, realistic and arguably manipulative technique in the practical application of a reform through costs. Positives Michael Bacon identified that several long established principles relating to legal costs have either been modified or disappeared completely as a result of the Woolf reforms, and one or two totally new concepts and procedures have been introduced.  [23]  This dramatic reform has increased the predictability and certainty of costs and balanced unequal financial means between litigants through orders for the party with greater financial resources, but with the weaker case, to pay interim costs. There has also been increased enforcement of procedural rules, and action taken in respect of unreasonable conduct, by the court through automatic costs sanctions. Limitations The new costs regime has been criticised predominantly for failing to sufficiently reduce and control costs. Costs have been front loaded and perceived decreases in costs have been shown to be cancelled out by adverse effects of other reforms. In addition, cost sanctions have been criticised for being oppressive and punitive instead of preventing non-compliance with court convention. Conclusion Costs have not been successfully reduced and only minor reductions can be identified. The reasoning that costs are difficult to control because of their dependence upon a high number of variables, and the reality that there cannot be a sole recommendation targeting the financial burdens of litigation, are not justification for the failure of a multifaceted scheme designed to reduce costs. The only positive is that the emphasis on costs has raised the profile and importance of costs overall. This awareness has instigated a new outlook on reducing costs that may develop into a culture. The costs scheme constitutes the major criticism of the reforms overall. Alternative Dispute Resolution Reform of the justice system was required to promote more cases to an earlier, controlled settlement as opposed to an untidy, pressured one at the door of the court. The encouragement for early settlement follows Woolfs vision of litigation as the last resort for disputing parties, with the view that any settlement is better than proceeding to trial. This has allowed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to take a fundamental role, and information on the sources of ADR is provided at all civil courts and legal aid funding is made available for ADR processes. ADR is the umbrella term for a group of techniques used to solve disputes other than through the traditional court adjudication. However, proceedings should not be issued or commenced if settlement is still being explored. The competency of the Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR) which nominates mediators, liaises with both parties and prepares the mediation agreement, also became relevant. In theory, ADR prevents the limitations of the court process from proceeding to fruition. If a claim is settled in mediation, the costs, complexity, adversarialism, time and ineffectiveness of the court procedure are all circumvented. The reduction of cases progressing to trial also reduces the burden on the courts, allows for a more efficient and better resourced procedure and, ultimately, better access to justice. The court was therefore equipped with the power to direct parties to attempt ADR under CPR 26.4 and to order a months postponement, facilitating parties to secure a settlement. In combination with ADR processes, offers to settle, known as Part 36 offers, provide yet another stimulus to settle before court action. Part 36 offers departed from the traditional structure of settlement, allowing both the claimant and defendant to make an offer to settle before the issuing of the claim or during the actual proceedings. If an offer has been made then this will be taken into consideration by the court when awarding costs. Positives There has been a clear cultural change and increased numbers of settlements through the vigorous promotion of ADR. There now exists a regime that encourages and obliges parties and their lawyers to consider settlement and utilise ADR processes. The largely aggressive adversarial behaviour associated with disputes has been softened with a more co-operative and collaborative approach. This culture immediately decreased the number of claims reaching court, with a 19.6% fall in the number of proceedings issued from 2000 to 2001 in the Queens Bench Division.  [24]  ADR has offered willing litigants the opportunity to participate in a quicker, cheaper and more specific and flexible technique for resolving their dispute. ADR also has many personal advantages for the participants as it can be creative, reduce stress and repair relationships. Limitations The essential limitation of ADR is its reliance upon the original participation in mediation. A settlement then relies upon the facts of a case and the parties approach to ADR. Many parties take a half-hearted approach to mediation and have no real intention to negotiate for a settlement. They intend instead to avoid the financial implications of unreasonably refusing to mediate. It is argued that as a result of both failed settlement attempts and indifferent participation in mediation, ADR does not necessarily reduce costs. Mandatory mediation is argued to constitute the greatest failure of ADR. Professor Dame Hazel Genn,  [25]  through the voluntary pilot mediation scheme of the Central London County Court (CLCC), identified that the Woolf reforms have motivated parties to mediate in order to avoid financial penalties for unreasonable refusal and create the appearance of following judicial direction. There was also the 2004 Automatic Referral to Mediation Scheme (ARMS) run at CLCC, where one hundred cases a month were selected at random and sent to mediation before any court hearing. Parties unwilling to partici

Mtv And The Madonna Phenomenon Essay -- essays research papers

MTV and The Madonna Phenomenon "Madonna's intuitive grasp on the televisual world in which we live- of the medium's possibilities for engaging spectators in diverse ways- that in part accounts for her success. She is the supreme television heroine." (E. Ann Kaplan 271) "What are the main theories which we have studied so far and how have they affected how you view television?"-This is the question which this paper is supposed to answer. Obviously there is not enough time or space in which to discuss every theory which we have touched on. As a compromise I decided to write about a topic to which almost every theory that we have discussed can be applied: MTV and the â€Å"Madonna Phenomenon†. As E. Ann Kaplan stated in her article on feminist criticism, Madonna is truly the ultimate television heroine. A discussion on contemporary popular culture and especially on media culture could never be complete without bringing up Madonna. She can be discussed in terms of feminism, ideology, hegemony and commercialism as seen in both Kaplan's as well as in John Fiske's article on British Cultural Studies. In order to properly explain how the â€Å"Madonna Phenomenon† has become such an important concept in media studies, one must look first at how influential MTV (music television) has become in the last decade. MTV addresses the â€Å"desires, fantasies, and anxieties† of young people(Kaplan 270) who have, like myself, grown up in a decade when all the traditional institutions and theories that were always respected, are being questioned. It has become the center of discussions of many young people who have grown up idolizing the figures shown on the network. MTV is a culture in itself. With it's own news, fashion and music programs it can easily be the considered the basis for the formation of thought of an entire generation. The images depicted in music videos, of androgynous stars and situations have aided in rendering the clear line between the genders rather blurry. This makes MTV an important aspect in the study of post-modern theories. Videos are often quite abstract and it is hard to figure out their true meanings. Unlike other television programming, videos are usually not made up of clear parts or scenes which produce an easily identifiable and readable image... ...nd in particular those in music videos) quite differently. I would see them,, as I had in the past as victims of the dominant ideology and the patriarchal society which we live in. Madonna proves that women can fight against the regulations which are forced onto women: that if they are sexual beings than they are nothing more than sex symbols, and that society determines how women are portrayed on television. If I could go as far as to describe Madonna in one word it would be â€Å" strong†. I not only enjoy her work but admire her ability to do what she feels like doing, even if she completely disregards society's definitions of decency. She is one of the few women in history who has never asked others to accept or like what she does. To conclude I would like to quote Madonna herself in order to demonstrate her atypical way of thinking which has brought her such undeniable success: â€Å"Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another† -Madonna â€Å"Justify my Love†

Genetically Modified Foods Cause Autism Essay -- GMOs Essays

Question: Through the use of genetically modified foods, are humans becoming more prone to abnormalities? Introduction I have chosen to do my Life Science research project on genetically modified food as it is a topic that interests me. I have formulated a research question which is â€Å"Through the use of genetically modified foods, are humans becoming more prone to abnormalities?† Genetically engineered organisms (GMO) are becoming so advanced and a large variety of food that we eat has been genetically modified, such as maize, cotton, potatoes, wheat, sugarcane, strawberry, and soya. (Appel, 2008) With the increased advancement of GMO, many people are unaware of the complications that can occur. In my project I will be researching whether or not GMO are an addition to the cause of cancer and autism, but first in order for us to understand the effects of genetically modified organisms, we need to gain an in depth knowledge of the basis of genetics. DNA and Chromosomes Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a â€Å"hereditary material in humans and many other organisms† (Education, 2014). DNA is found in the nucleus of the cell. DNA forms an important part of the chromosome. DNA is a molecule that contains all the genetic information to make up an organism. DNA is a double helix structure made up of deoxyribose sugar, a phosphate and a nitrogenous base, there are four nitrogenous bases, Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and cytosine. Base pairing is specific. DNA carries genetic information in each cell, DNA can also replicate itself, so that the genetic code is passed on to each daughter cell that is formed during mitosis. â€Å"A chromosome is a thread-like structure of nucleic acids and proteins that are formed in living cells† (Anon., 2014).... ...3 Feburary 2014]. University of Nebraska , 2001. Ag Biosafety. [Online] Available at: http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/education/summary.htm [Accessed 16 March 2014]. University of Nebraska, 2005. Ag Biosafety. [Online] Available at: http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/basic_genetics.shtml [Accessed 03 Feburary 2014]. Unknown, 2011. Siyabonga Africa. [Online] Available at: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-2-6-genetically-modified-foods-19358.html [Accessed 01 May 2014]. Walia, A., 2013. Collective Evolution. [Online] Available at: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/05/10/new-study-links-monsantos-roundup-to-autism-parkinsons-and-alzheimers/ [Accessed 20 February 2014]. Wang, P., 2013. Autism Speaks. [Online] Available at: http://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2013/10/11/are-children-born-autism-or-does-it-develop-later [Accessed 05 May 2014].

Arthur Millers Comparing of Similarities in The McCarthy Era and The S

â€Å"She thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave! And well she might, for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whore’s vengeance, and you must see it, I set myself entirely in your hands.† John Proctor says this to Danforth in the movie â€Å"The Crucible,† which is a fascinating, and disturbing story based on an important event in history. This event was the Salem Witch Trials. The author Arthur Miller wrote this story in response to the major event the McCarthy Era. The Crucible showed the similarities between the McCarthy Era and the Salem Witch Trials. In 1956 Arthur Miller was subpoenaed by HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee) and refused to identify writers that were believed to hold communist sympathies. Due to his refusal he was convicted of contempt of congress. The next year, however, the United States Supreme Court overturned this conviction. Under the leadership of McCarthy the committee had so much power that just knowing someone who was suspected of having ties to the communist party was a danger. The lives and careers of hundreds of Americans were ruined because of being blacklisted. Prison, bankruptcy, passport revocation, unemployment were threats made against people for them to testify and â€Å"name names.† The McCarthy Era was a period of history that began in the late 1949s and ended in the mid late 1950s. This was also called the Second Red Scare in the United States. The McCarthy Era had many innocent victims and many of them were imprisoned. Several authors, actors, civil rights activists, and physicists were among the many victims that were blacklisted. Due to McCarthy’s witch-hunt many victims’ reputations were destroyed and their families ... ...I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!† Besides similarities between â€Å"The Crucible†, Salem witch Trials, and the McCarthy Era there are differences. The Crucible/ Salem witch trials had people being hung that were believed to be witches compared to people just being put in prison when they were accused of being a communist in the McCarthy era. Also, anyone was able to charge someone else in â€Å"The Crucible† where during the McCarthy Era Joseph McCarthy was the one charging people, and no one else had any say about who was charged. In conclusion Arthur Miller saw the similarities in The McCarthy Era and The Salem Witch Trials, and portrayed them in â€Å"The Crucible.† The lives of many people were destroyed during these times in history.

Research Paper: Marjane Satrapi Essay

Beset with the unthinkable, the Islamic Revolution defines turbulent times for many Iranians (Tehran). Numerous females including Satrapi were robbed of their social rights due to westernizing and secular efforts (Tehran). In turn, the Islamic Revolution undermined the younger Satrapi’s ability to come to terms with her own identity; nevertheless, she now writes to share her experience with oppression and her later journey towards cultural integration. It is a historical dispute that woman did not have their share of say in the revolutionaries’ political agenda (Mouri). In the months following the Revolution, obligatory hijabs were decreed (Mouri). Girls of every age rank were forced to wear a veil. Several active Iranian female revolutionists discharged into the street protesting what soon became the law of the land. Their male comrades did not offer support believing that the time was not appropriate. Instead, they simply encouraged solidarity with the new government in order to display a united front before their international enemies (Kar). Consequently, wearing hijab became mandatory, and the lack of it was disciplinary (Kar). Satrapi was 10 at the time, experiencing her first instances of Iran’s social and political transformations. (Kutschera). The compulsory hijab eventually assumed a government-sponsored and aggressive position (Kar). Various female and liberal minded organizations were marginalized and stripped of their supremacy. The regime suppressed these crowds through methods such as coercion, enticements, deportation, and brutal force. Years later, Satrapi was spared the oppression of an Islamic regime at the peak of its worst (Leith). Her lack of unwavering obedience and expressive nature would have caused her immense trouble with government. Thus, afraid she’d be a victim of the regime’s repression and prejudice, her parents sent her to Vienna (Kutschera). Unfortunately, she was challenged with preconceived notions held by Europeans (Leith). While attending a boarding school ran by nuns, Marjane was expelled for calling the chief mother a prostitute when she claimed that Iranians were â€Å"uneducated† (Hattenstone). Marjane’s life eventually plummeted leading her to homelessness, bronchitis, and drug abuse (Hattenstone). Defeated, she escaped the havoc by   home, ultimately surrendering herself to the lifestyle she once rejected (Hattenstone). Unfortunately, the hijab and restricted style options weren’t Satrapi’s mere concern. Upon her arrival home, Satrapi dealt with more prejudice than she had originally anticipated. She was known as the Western Iranian, which made her cultural transition in Iran especially difficult. Her later diagnosis with depression fostered even more mayhem within her life resulting in suicidal attempts. Her early 20’s were indeed tempestuous times as she struggled to establish and integrate herself into foreign customs. The end of the Islamic Revolution didn’t necessarily mean that the essence of corruption and repression were eradicated. In fact, the bitterness lingered for another 30 years shaping a void for many Iranian women. The marriage age for females was lowered to nine, and they lacked the rights to obtain divorce. Meanwhile, their male counterparts were able to assume full custody of their children, obtain unilateral divorce, and have as many wives as they desired. In all, females received a lot of harsh treatment if they failed abide by the restrictive nature of Islamic rule. For a female foreigner like Satrapi, simply bearing a different style of clothing or thought was enough to galvanize unwanted attention. It was remarkably problematic having to assimilate into a culture she had to escape from in the first place. In the end, Satrapi realized that although Iran is her home, the social oppression outweighed that one factor. She eventually returned to Europe to pursue an art degree and take on the next chapter of her life, Persepolis. Persepolis was written in efforts to share her experience regarding the Islamic regime. It is often a misconception that Iranians were religious fanatics versus being traditional, and for that, Satrapi wrote to bring light and understanding into the situation. She wanted to clarify that what people saw in the news didn’t bear the whole picture. Her other renowned writing projects such as Chickens and Plums and Persepolis II also entail political elements along with personal experiences. It is ultimately her way of preserving an evolutionary truth that could have succumbed had she not taken the time to share. Consequently, Satrapi’s story is now one of the most popular books known for embodying a realistic coming of age story during the Islamic Revolution. She undertakes a realistic portrayal of how private life and public life can be drastically assailed by political upheaval.