Monday, September 30, 2019
Isabel Calway Great Expectations Coursework Essay
In this essay I am going to write about how Dickens presents Estella and Magwitch, two key characters in the story, and the purpose of them.à Pip firsts meets Magwitch in a graveyard on Christmas Eve. He has a leg iron, this shows that the story was written when leg irons were still used, in the Victorian times.à Pip firsts meets Magwitch in a graveyard on a cold Christmas Eve. Pip finds him threatening and is scared by him we know this because pip tells us that he was ââ¬Ëa fearful man all in coarse greyââ¬â¢ and when they first meet, Magwitch says ââ¬Ëkeep still you little boy or Iââ¬â¢ll cut your throatââ¬â¢. He asks him to bring him some food and drink and a file He does exactly what Magwitch asked him to do, and brings him all the things he needed. Even through pip is threatened by him he is still intrigued and asks Mrs. Joe and Joe about the ââ¬Ëhulkââ¬â¢ where Magwitch said his was from, even Though every times he asks he gets told off he continues to ask and finds out it is a prison ship and that Magwitch must be a convict. When the police arrive at pips door on Christmas Day pip is scared it is about stealing the pork pie for the convict, but they are just there to get some handcuffs fixed by his brother-in-law Joe Gargery.à Pip makes sure that Magwitch knows it wasnââ¬â¢t him to told the police about his presence on the marshes, and Magwitch sticks up for pip by saying ââ¬ËI took some wittles, up at the village over yonder-where the church stands aââ¬â¢ most out on the marshesââ¬â¢ this shows the reader that Magwitch does have a heart and wants to make sure Pip doesnââ¬â¢t want to get him into trouble and actually has the time to say it, when he didnââ¬â¢t have to and it was inconvenience for him. Magwitch is not very well spoken and has an accent, Magwitch say ââ¬Ëwittlesââ¬â¢ meaning food shows he isnââ¬â¢t an gentleman and hasnââ¬â¢t been taught to speak properly he also says ââ¬Ëlookee hereââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëdyeeââ¬â¢. He pronounces his ââ¬Ëvââ¬â¢ as ââ¬Ëwââ¬â¢. Magwitch comes across as a threatening, strong and violent character but later in the story you find out that he is quite emotional and caring. He benefactors his life saving which he must have worked hard for, he gives them to pip because he lost his daughter.à aPip often refers to Magwitch as ââ¬Ëmy friendââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëmy convictââ¬â¢ this shows there is a real connection, most young child when threatened like Pip was would run away, but pip lingers and tries to engage Magwitch. Magwitch does affect pip he is younger life but only a bit, Pip forgets him when he is growing up, but when he finds out that he is his benefactor all of his memories come flooding back. When Pip is becoming a gentleman thanks to Magwitch he is told Magwitch would be taken to prison and maybe killed, Pip feels that it is his duty to help him and act like a son to him, as it, in a way is how Magwitch treated pip. Pip first meets Estella when he is asked to go and play at Miss Havishams home; from the moment he saw her he thought that she was beautiful when she takes him to see Miss Havisham he say that ââ¬Ëshe shines along the dark passage like a starââ¬â¢, and when he is asked by Miss Havisham what he thinks and feels about Estella the first thing he says without hesitation is ââ¬ËI think she is very prettyââ¬â¢.à Estella follows Miss Havishamââ¬â¢s every demand. Estella is repeatedly told to break pip heart by Miss Havisham and of course Estella does.à She is vulnerable towards Miss Havisham, and Pip is to her, he falls in love with her very easily even though Estella is very honest towards him by telling him not to and that she has no heart, she does allow him to kiss her on the cheek a few times, this keeps Pips love for her alive and it seems she is always present to Pip even absent. It is because of Estella Pip aspires to be a gentleman in his visits to Miss Havisham Estella frequently says things such as ââ¬Ëwith this boy?!, why he is a common labouring boy!ââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ë..And what coarse hands he has! And what thick bootsââ¬â¢ this made Pip feels negative and embarrassed about himself when before he felt positive and comfortable.à Estella plays a big role in Pips childhood she was his first love and only love, Everything he does has a connection to her, he either does it to impress her or to get closer to her and many other things, if Pip had never of met Estella he would not be so determined to do the things he did, this is a good thing because Pip turned out to have a better life then he would of with Joe, but at the same time is heart is broken, which is not positive.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Online Shopping Versus in Store
If a person decides to make the purchases of an item online there are a few facts that should be realized. In the economy that today's society is in savings is a big deal for most. When shopping online the shopper will be required to purchase their items with credit cards. Credit cards can be very convenient a shopper however, they come with payments and interest. When calculated out a shopper can look at 10 percent on purchases made. Knowing this and how long it can take to pay debt off may make a person think twice about the purchases that are made.On average 5,000 dollars will take 10 years to payoff. Once the shopper has ordered the Items shipping will be estimated. One transaction online can cost a person an extra 10 Lars In shipping, followed by at least 10 dollars In a small purchase for Interest on the credit card. The shopper also has the choice to go Into the stores to make the purchases needed. These purchases can be made with a variety of payments including cash, gift car ds as well as credit cards. Most people know how much they are willing to spend on an item and very seldom want to spend more.If a going into a store with cash you are ensured you will not spend more, or incur any hidden fees. When paying with cash it can be asked if a discount is available, a person would be pleasantly surprised at the savings offered. In store shopping offers other means of savings as well, coupons are a big tool that stores supply to have the public come into their establishments. Now if a company like Kohl's for Instance offers additional savings If a credit card Is used, once again the shopper Is saving usually an additional 15 percent.The trick to shopping In stores with credit cards Is to turn around and make the payment right there Is In the store. This would require that the customer had the intention of paying with cash to save money, and in the end this would save a customer even more than thought of in the beginning. More thought should go into why one w ould choose not to shop online versus shopping in the store. Today the country is seeing a lack in jobs, and people needing work. For every purchase a person makes online it is taking more jobs away.Shopping online one does not need a sales clerk, cashier, janitor, supervisor, and manager to make the purchases. All one needs is to have access to the Internet, and fingers. Placing orders online also can take away from local vendors, not Just corporations. If online most likely you will be ordering from companies that purchase teems from overseas, yet again taking money away from the American economy. Now if shopping for electronics Is what a person Is doing corporate shopping will be needed; however, doing It online takes more Jobs away.When thinking about making a purchase for a television most would only think tout want ten Test price Is Tanat can De Taunt. IT ten economy were outing tout a few things would cross the mind of an individual. One big item is if the store wasn't open i t would be an empty building, owner looses money, electric company looses money, and the people that would normally work there are trying to find a Job amongst all the other Americans. Going out shopping in person can offer a great deal of benefits too community. This allows the shopper to purchase locally grown and locally made items.When thinking that corporate gifts are needed for Christmas or birthdays' people can think out of the box and get creative. How many people would want to receive a massage, car wash, oil change? These are all options for in store shopping, thus keeping money in the local economy. Shopping online can also bring up a few worries will the item fit will it match, or will it live up to expectations of the purchaser? When ordering clothing online a errors does not get to try on the clothes, this leaves one hoping it is going to fit correctly and the way it was expected to fit.If a person decides that the bathroom needs to be redecorated and spends four hundr ed dollars online doing this, gets the items in the mail to be upset that it does not match as well to the tile. Problems like this can occur at anytime when the items are not seen in person. In order for a one to be sure that what is wanted is what one gets it is best to use the senses in making the purchase. To use senses in making a purchase being present is required. This would even go for purchasing a television, seeing the efferent screens on will help a shopper to decide which one would be best.If wanting to purchase a new dress trying it on will show rather the look is what is wanted or not. The same theory applies to making purchases for a home, the items can be brought in and placed where it is wanted and then decided upon if it should stay or go back to the store for a replacement. Questions can now be asked knowing the differences on the two forms when deciding which form is best for the shopper. When deciding to make a purchase each person will need to decide what matte rs most, convenience or helping to boost he economy, and staying local with each purchase.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Gay Marraige
Please, Just imagine this. You're young, it's the start of summer and you're out with your favorite group of friends, soaking up the sunshine and relaxing. You all decide to leave the park, and go for a stroll down to town. You pass by a brightly lit up bar, it's got music pumping through the doormen and it looks alive. Heart racing, you tell everyone you all should go in and check it out. You slowly walk through the door frame and can see happy people everywhere, men and women dancing to their hearts content.Your eyes scan the room and suddenly your eyes are fixed on a person. Their face is lit up with excitement of the moment, and then their eyes are fixed on you, they smile and call you over to dance. You follow them onto the dance floor and the best night of your life unfolds. It's now been 3 years; you're madly in love with that one person you met at the bar. You're living together, loving every minute you spend with each other.You want to take a step forward, take it to the nex t level and spend the rest of your lives together, officially, legally. But you're denied this opportunity by the government; same sex marriage is illegal in Australia. The bill that my party would like to put forward is to legalize same sex marriage. In my opinion, same sex marriage would be a great opportunity for social progress. Two people who love each other should be able to publicly celebrate their commitment.It does not and should not hurt anybody else if it was allowed, and denying them is a violation of freedom. Denying them this opportunity can cause serious psychological damage and can make them feel little and not a part of the community. By allowing same sex marriage, it helps adoption because there are any problems with gay couples choosing to conceive a child, since 2000 the adoption by same sex couples has doubled.Allowing same sex marriage will almost guarantee that the adoption rate will rise even higher. Gay marriage is recognized, supported and legal in twelve d ifferent countries already. Now it's Australia's turn to Jump onto the band wagon. Introduction of same- sex marriage laws has varied by Jurisdiction, being variously accomplished through a legislative change to marriage laws, a court ruling based on constitutional guarantees f equality, or by direct popular vote.By providing the opportunity of same sex marriage it gives both people in the relationship hospital access during an injury or illness. It will allow them to have family health benefits, taxation and inheritance rights. In all fairness it would benefit us all, as a community in many different ways and should be legalized. It will bring people together, give us all the equal rights we should be entitled to and will end happily in the long run. Help us all close the gap within same sex marriage, bring forward social progress and
Friday, September 27, 2019
Final reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2
Final reflection - Essay Example I thought each and every explanation I made through my words in written was final and there needed no expansion. I therefore always emphasized upon my thesis to be the final. I was however wrong. Today when I have completed my one-year long course in English, I hereby confess that I had no legal grounds behind my claim of being the best. I was just an elementary student of writing. I have completed my course and in the silence of evening standing by the edge of my home-garden, I have to pay thanks to my teachers who corrected my errors and invoked in me the zeal to search out for befitting words while writing. During the introduction of my paper, I had usually no idea that first impression always proves to be the last impression to the reader. I remember that I did not take care for my introductory remarks in my assignment of May 11, 2013 when I used ââ¬Å"hypothesisâ⬠instead of ââ¬Å"thesisâ⬠which my tutor rejected at once. I was, though in hidden words, told to pay ma ximum attention to the selection of words. I noticed that I had de-tracked my reader by de-tracking the introduction of my paper. I wrote: ââ¬Å"The hypothesis quotes that increase in women education has led to increase in their employment currently and in futureâ⬠(Writerââ¬â¢s Letter). ... This is what I came to know after I submitted different assignments to my teacher. In the Writerââ¬â¢s Letter, I was told that providing information in the body of the paper is a sensitive thing to do and deliberate provision of false information is the academic crime. I included ââ¬Å"Johnâ⬠, ââ¬Å"Sir Altonâ⬠andâ⬠Charlieâ⬠amongst the characters which were never there in the novel. This was something rash and irresponsible on my part. But what I learned was my resolve not to commit such crimes again and the next of my papers proves that I presented solid information which was up to the satisfaction. I was able to introduce my inner belief in the paper and to my pleasure, the tutor rewarded me with applause when I wrote: ââ¬Å"Through my socialization, I was made to believe in the almighty God who gives life and thus no human intervention would prolong or shorten the life span of humans unless God does itâ⬠. I was encouraged I must be critical while explaining different aspects of things. Thus I learned that for the best work, one must try not to conceal any information nor provide false data instead be critical and open-hearted. Lot to pay thanks to my teachers; they produced in me the zeal to write better. Due to their timely and again guidance, my phrases got much better than they used to be in the past. In fact my expressions went improving with the continuous attention of my teachers. The same is evident in my academic writings where my errors lessened with every next assignment. I was able to produce in me the capability to shape my ideas and views into an excellent learning piece. I could not imagine I would ever be able to exploit beautiful sentences in support of my view. Earlier I
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Sociology - Article Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Sociology - Article Critique - Assignment Example There are many questions involved in this article that target the laws and regulations, causes of child labor, working conditions and environment, education and training, consequences of child labor, and so on. However, the author didnââ¬â¢t ask any questions directly, instead Menelievich gathered all the information and statistics in the article and then discussed them and finally summed everything up with own solutions and ideas. This is what makes this article a succinct but well bodied research. The writer talks about the causes of child labor by covering up the most important factors in a very succinct manner. Following are the causes of child labor in a brief manner to make the topic clear: I. Poverty & Ignorance of parents Poverty is of course the foremost reason of child labor. When a family is poor and the guardian is unable to feed their kids, they find no other way but to put their children on work despite of the fact that the childrenââ¬â¢s age is for studying and n ot working. ... not expect to be totally supported by its family and this is what makes the child see no abnormality in missing school and to start working (Menelievich,1979, p. 560). III. Lack of schools and adequate educational infrastructure When there will be less schools and inadequate educational infrastructure, there are fewer chances that the children will be educated. So itââ¬â¢s essentially important that there are enough schools in each country, city and town so the children can get education. When the children will be involved in educational activities, their parents will not consider taking them out from the schools and putting them in on work. IV. Parentââ¬â¢s unawareness about the harms of child labor As mentioned at by Menelievich, ââ¬Å"The age at which children start working varies but in a good many countries there are still children who are working at as early an age as 6. For example, a study carried out in India revealed that 24.6 percent of the children surveyed had sta rted work between the ages of 6 and 9, 48.4 percent between 10 and 12, and 26.9 percent between 13 and 15 (Menelievich, 1979, p. 562).â⬠Furthermore; ââ¬Å"In Bombay it was found that children employed in hotels and restaurants were working an average of over 11? hours a day, while in Santiago de Chile they were putting in between 10-13 hours a day (Menelievich, 1979, p. 562).â⬠Now anyone can realize how an early age labor life can crush a childââ¬â¢s innocence and personality. 6-12 is the age of children when they are growing up and their emotions, personality talents are being built so when they are put on labor; they lose their childhood. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to heat, sun, dust, insects, chemicals, wind etc effects the physical health of the child immensely which can cause skin diseases,
Group Setting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Group Setting - Research Paper Example It discusses the different subjects in the study, their particular type of illness, and how willing they were to make changes in their lifestyles to cope with these particular afflictions. This study takes a look at homeless individuals who presented with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance abuse and some of the different ways that they can be assisted, what resources are available, and how to offer them specific types of support for these afflictions. There is an increasing concern of how best to deal with the members of the homeless population who suffer from mental illness, especially in light of the fact that it is often due to the severity of the mental illness that these individuals end up in a situation that results in becoming homeless in the first place. One possible method of addressing this issue of social concern is to take a group of concerned individuals, comprised of volunteers, doctors, therapists, and social workers who would all work together with these individuals to show them what resources are available to them and how they can best avail themselves of those resources. In the introductory phase of the group, the individuals that comprise the group, the doctors, therapists, social workers, and volunteers would all work together to determine the best target population to start with; a look at the different areas where the homeless congregate, as well as the types of people who make up this population would serve as a way to best address this goal. Once the target area has been determined, the group members would, through the use of their individual specialties, work with the members of the homeless population who suffer from mental illness, and based upon their affliction, determine the appropriate resources they would need in order to best meet the goal of improving the quality of life for the patients as well as working to get them back into
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Cloud Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Cloud Computing - Essay Example By the early 1970s, many mainframes acquired interactive user interfaces and operated as timesharing computers, supporting hundreds of users simultaneously. Data was batch processed at the end of business cycles, usually daily at night; modem speeds were slow and downloads happed when computer were more or less idle. Users gained access through specialized terminals or personal computers equipped with terminal emulation software. By the 1980s, many mainframes supported graphical terminals, and terminal emulation, but not graphical user interfaces. Graphical user interfaces reached mainstream in the 1990s through new operating systems supporting GUIs on personal computers. In the mid-2000s the word timeshare became cloud computing and was sold to new customers as a new network configuration. Cloud computing allows business to work with documents in the cloud such as word processing and spreadsheets. Microsoft office functionality for documents, calendars, and contacts can be accessed through Microsoftââ¬â¢s office 365 for small firms. This office offers all the requirements that may be needed by small firms in terms of word processing. Packages that are also offered by cloud computing are the full desktop version of Microsoft office that the users can download, install and use from their main computer when one is working without internet connection (Defelice 2010). Businesses can exchange accounting information and data through email cloud services, for example firms can simply buy as many mail boxes as it can and then allocate the mail boxes to the employees, and therefore the business do not need to set up and manage an email server from its premises. Google applications for work are some of the most powerful cloud email that is widely used by many companies. Another important mail service is the Gmail which is very powerful and flexible for the vast majority of small firms. Moreover, cloud email services are available from many email service
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Geopolitical Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Geopolitical Paper - Essay Example China has been the third largest trading partner of ASEAN and it accounted for 11.3% of the total trade of ASEAN in the year 2008 (ASEAN Secretariat, 2010). As observed by Dr. Surin, ââ¬Å"Chinaââ¬â¢s economic growth and strong investment expansion is energizing the region and is providing ASEAN with an expanding diversified market in an environment of slowing growth in its traditional partnersâ⬠(ASEAN Secretariat, 2010). There were many rationales behind ASEAN - China FTA (Free Trade Area). ASEAN countries wanted free trade with China for many reasons and the motivation involved both political as well as economical factors. The first reason has been that China is huge economy and the increasing demand for goods and services from ASEAN would lead to growth of all the ASEAN countries. Closer integration with China would facilitate ASEAN to reduce the reliance on other countries like United States, Japan and European Union. Moreover it was found that China has been quite supple with the new ASEAN countries and has been providing developmental assistance. By extending WTO nationsââ¬â¢ benefit to the non WTO member would make it viable for the new ASEAN countries to gain from trade liberalization with China. Besides this, the other reason for choosing China was the temperate agriculture of China and tropical agriculture of ASEAN which was complementary and thus they could have liberalized the agricult ural trade. Again according to ASEAN, the ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA) is the way through which the post crisis can be recovered. Chinaââ¬â¢s enthusiasm for forming the ASEAN-China FTA was also politico-economic. When viewed politically China wanted to maintain friendly relations with its neighboring countries in the south. It has also been noted that ASEAN-China FTA was a confidence building process in order to put to rest the ASEAN distress over Chinaââ¬â¢s economic condition that was a threat. Therefore close
Monday, September 23, 2019
Marx's concept of alienation and Christianity's concept of sin and Essay - 1
Marx's concept of alienation and Christianity's concept of sin and disordered will - Essay Example We should realize alienation as a means in which, individuality, freedom, and subjectivity develop. Christians should view it as a process of self realization and self development. They should not view it as a way of creating fragmentation and division among people (Harvey 18). The concept of sin and disordered will should not be linked to alienation, nevertheless should Christians take excuse for the hostile alien powers that operate as if they are uncontrollable powers of nature. The remedy for Christianity and the actual meaning still remain debated. It is viewed in other terms as to being interpersonal or personal. We are, therefore, required to have a conscious choice of actions with Christians advised to reject techniques that are incompatible with the Christian world. We should be ready to accept things that promote unified and coherent world. Alienation should not be taken as an excuse for any sinful activity (Fromm
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Explain how Steinbeck describes the differences in character between Lenny and George Essay Example for Free
Explain how Steinbeck describes the differences in character between Lenny and George Essay Explain how Steinbeck describes the differences in character between Lenny and George The author, John Steinbeck described Lenny as the opposite of George. Lenny and George are good friends but mostly have nothing in common except that they both share the same dream, the American dream. Steinbeck described what the characters are wearing at the beginning of the story. Then he started describing the difference in characters between George and Lenny. George is the smart one and Lenny is the one whos childlike. Lenny always depends on George because George is the only friend hes got and George is like the only family of Lenny. At the beginning of the story, Steinbeck first described what George and Lenny are wearing at the beginning of the story as Both dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons. Then he started describing the difference between George and Lenny. First he defined George as small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. Then he described Lenny with no similarity to George as a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes, with wide sloping shoulders. Steinbeck uses a simile to describe Lennie. He tells us how he walk by dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws, he described Lennie by comparing him to an animal. Steinbeck wants us to draw an image in our mind of how Lennie moves. In the next paragraph he compares Lennie to an animal again, when he drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse. The author described Lennie like an animal so that well imagine it clearly by picturing Lennie like the way an animal move. The role of George in novel is like a parent to Lennie whos a big guy but has a mind like a child. Since Lennies Aunt died, George is the one taking care of Lennie. When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin, George said to Slim. Sometimes he tells Lennie the things to do and thing hes not supposed to do. Lennie, for Gods sakes dont drink so much, George told him off like telling off a child. George acts as a parent to Lennie. Lennie imitates George sometimes. He copies George by the way he acts and the way he tells Lennie something to do, as if hes also looking after George. You drink some, George. You take a good big drink, he told George. Steinbeck told us many things that describe how childish Lennie is. For example, when Lennie found out what Lennie had in his pocket. Its only a mouse George, Lennie said nervously. He is afraid that George might take the mouse from him. Lennie love to pet animals like the way a child pets an animal, but Lennie doesnt realise his strength. He accidentally kills the animals he pets because hes stroking them to hard. George and Lennie argue sometimes. And when they did at the beginning of the story, George told Lennie about all the stuff he would do if Lennie was never with him. if I was alone I could live so easy, George described what it would be like without Lennie because George always gets in trouble because of Lennie. George said to Lennie angrily, You keep me in hot water all the time. George would like to be alone, but he doesnt know how it feels to be a loner, he imagines what it feels like to take care of nobody except himself and he wants to know how it feels without the trouble of Lennie. He also wants to know if he would be happy or he might be lonely without Lennie. This is the feeling of George that Steinbeck wants us to know. Although, George is not the only one who would like to have a feeling of being alone. Lennie is a very confused man that cannot think very well. However, Lennie sometimes feel that George hates him because George doesnt want him by his side. If you dont want me, you only jus got to say so and Ill go off in those hills right there right up in those hills and live by myself, Lennie talks like hes defending himself. Hes acting strong and hes trying to show George that he can live and he can take care by himself alone. But then George realises how mean he was when he talked about the things he would do if Lennie wasnt with him. George changed his mind in the end. Then George replies, I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebodyd shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself. George replies to his thinking of living alone. George feels bad about what he said to Lennie. He is still worried about Lennie. He only imagines the bad things that might happen to Lennie if he was by himself. Steinbeck wants us to know that George dont want Lennie to go, not only because Lennie cant take care of himself alone, but its because George and Lennie are also best friends and have already known each other since childhood. Steinbeck tells us that George is the only that describes Lennie the way he is. George is the only one who knows him very well. Hell of a nice fella, but he aint bright. Ive knew him for a long time George described Lennie proudly. When he tells someone, like Slim, about Lennie, he doesnt use the word crazy to describe Lennie because he already know what ways to describe Lennie. He even tells Slim that having Lennie isnt so bad at all because they got each other to take care of. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That aint no good. They dont have no fun. George was sincere when he was talking to Slim about them being friends. I think Steinbeck wants us to know that even though George and Lenny have nothing in common, they always had each other as friends. The author wants us to realise how strong George and Lennies bond. Their friendship cant be broken by anyone, easily. The two characters played a good role to people to show how important friends are. Even though Lennie wasnt bright, George accepted Lennie as he is because he is his friend. Both of them know that they have each other to take care of. Compare to other people who are alone, are the loneliest people. John Steinbeck described each of the character uniquely, unlike any other character in a novel. At the very beginning of the novel, Steinbeck described the surroundings of the Salinas River. He wants us to picture in our mind what the place looks like. He creates an image in our mind that relate to the senses, including sight and touch. The Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too He also uses a metaphor to describe things clearly. the golden foothill. He wants the reader to imagine what its like and because he knows that well understand what it means because its just a metaphor. The writer did all this at the beginning of the novel to make the target audience want to read this novel. And once they become really interested in reading the beginning of the story, theyll plan to read the whole book.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
A Freedom Fighter, or Terrorist?
A Freedom Fighter, or Terrorist? The recent surge in Terrorism as a phenomenon has been unparallel in modern history. It now features as one of the top priorities in government agendas for most of the countries around the world. It is debatable whether it has been hyped up to some extent but unarguably has been one of the most unfortunate trends that have made considerable impact on the way of life for all. The security agencies, religious heads, community leaders, experts and such, are all facing a mammoth task of tackling the menace. It is costing governments billions of pounds in loss of lives, properties, trade and importantly confidence. Due to sensitive nature of the issue, involvement of varied drivers, the lethal cocktail of domestic and international politics, the lack of political will to identify root causes, bungled intelligence information and importantly its geographical spread covering all continents are some of the contributing factors that has left the modern world exasperated. The importance of differentiating and defining the legitimate and unlawful has become academic and a matter of statute. This unfortunately has not helped the bigger cause of tackling the issue in a fair manner thus leaving lives of common people at increasing risk. The debate about values of civil society and rights of the oppressed has blurred and can be argued, to such an extent that no common consensus exists in relation to what is acceptable and what is not, leaving ordinary people confused and causing rift between different communities. This however does not diminish the importance of reaching an amicable definition, the need for it is more than ever before, especially to uphold the values of liberty, fairness and democracy in a volatile society. The discussion will elude to some relevant issues in the context of background, causes, and legislation and will endeavour to arrive at a satisfactory definition that hopefully would distinguish the freedom fighter from the terrorist. This discussion would take into account both national and international scenarios on the basis that the phenomenon is not restricted to UK alone and indeed the definitional problems it poses worldwide, as incidentally does the threat of violence from it. Background The Freedom Fighter: To allow this discussion to evolve and formulate, it is imperative to define and differentiate between a freedom fighter and a terrorist. The term freedom fighter can be defined as being for those engaged in a struggle to achieve political freedom for themselves or obtain freedom for othersà [1]à . The common conception of a freedom fighter is that it is someone who opposes a cruel or unfair government by fighting against it, using weapons usually as a part of an organised groupà [2]à or even someone who uses violent action, or threats of violent action, for political purposesà [3]à . These general definitions provided from varied academics, saturate an area which is already filled with many views and opinions on the definition of such word and how it should be classified. The Terrorist The term terrorist has also been attempted to be defined as being the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercionà [4]à . It has also been classed as someone who use violence in order to achieve political aimsà [5]à or a person who uses violent methods to try to remove a government from powerà [6]à . A terrorist in a definitional sense connotates acts of violence being carried out, in order to fulfil aims. The resistance movement can be clearly termed as activities involving conflict of some nature. The conflict mainly against the authorities as the above definitions seems to presume. The purpose of achieving political freedom or aims indicates opposing some political establishment. It also however signifies restriction of liberty and free will and either a violent or non-violent approach to break these restrictions to make inroads for the organisations willing to do something about it. People who are described as freedom fighters are often also called in popular culture as assassins, rebels, insurgents, or even terrorists. This leads to the dictum one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighterà [7]à , which poses the difficulty that governments are faced with when trying to define it. A freedom fighter could be meant to consist of someone who will fight for the cause of freedom but as we thoroughly discuss, traditional use of such terminology in popular media is confined to those who are engaged in violent behaviour and those who fight for freedom peacefully are disregarded for the reason that violence by other groups whom claim to be freedom fighter, cast a shadow over them. This also poses the validity of using term armed rebellion as it is linked to violence outside the sphere of traditional terrorism. Nelson Mandela and Yasar Araafat were initially branded terrorists only to be recognised as diplomats and freedom fighters, even though the factions they were linked to were directly responsible for the loss of numerous lives and creating social disorder. In crude comparison even Osama bin Laden was encouraged and supported by US to fight Russia to protect their strategic interest in the areaà [8]à . It is ironic that he is now the most wanted man on the earth. The perceived transformation of terrorist to freedom fighter and vice versa in context of their roles blurs the definition even further. The term terrorist and freedom fighter has become distorted with the changing times. It is interesting to note that Seymour above has no qualms in making those blurred boundaries more prominent. His emphasis on differing universal values attached to the activities instead of the blanket definition is worth noting and he suggests that they are the same entity and the difference between them both is only a matter of a opinion and a subjective view. International Perspective: The history of resistance movement goes back to from 1 AD to 6 AD according to various historians, even though no concrete evidence exists as to when the usage of the word terrorism came into existenceà [9]à . Various studies have found over 100 definitions of terrorismà [10]à and this coupled with the fact that the term is politically and emotionally charged greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definitionà [11]à . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the United Nations (UN) strived to classify terrorism, but the implementation of such definition concluded to fail as member states found it difficult to verify it, in regards to the use of violence for national liberation and self determinationà [12]à . This was mainly due to Palestine movement which was not only whole heartedly supported by the Middle-East but countries in South Asia, Russia, China and Africa also provided tactical support to the cause as and when it was required. The solidarity groups ac ross the world staged peaceful demonstration on regular basis, mainly to keep the momentum going. The active freedom fighters or comrades of the movement also got involved in violent activities inside and outside of the mainland Palestine. This always posed problems for the countries that hosted such groups and they refrained from making any supporting statements when the activities resulted in loss of lives and destruction of properties. This showed how freedom fighters can immediately become terrorists or undesirables through the actions they undertake. The United Nations General Assembly uses the commonly agreed political definition of terrorism when condemning such actsà [13]à . The declaration reads: Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify themà [14]à . The absence of term violence in the above declaration and its reliance on general criminality of the acts makes it less influential and renders it incapable to deal with modern day trend, which is more complex and extraordinary. It is safe to assume that the criminal laws of any country, irrespective of their political structure must be quite effective in dealing with criminal acts and the declaration ignores variety of internal and external threats the countries may face, such as risk to infrastructure, utilities, national treasurers, technology and others. Due to severity and the new reality that has dawned following 9/11 attacks, then Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, described the terrorist attack on USA as an attack on humanity as a whole, without definition, all terrorism to be condemned whatever the political originsà [15]à . This was a progressive step forward and highlighted the need for rigorous definition and a zero tolerance approach. There was also an acknowledgement and underlying message of not getting too wrapped up with the legal clarity about the definition and instead to tackle the issue at hand in a non-negotiable but effective manner. It is also worth noting the usage of term whatever the political origins, as a conflict of any political nature was considered as a trigger point that may result in terrorism and a battle for self determination. It must be observed that since the rise of terrorism in the west, the Patriot Act 2001 was enacted in the United States of America (USA), which attempted to define terrorism as being premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audienceà [16]à . This definition has no consideration of the social factors for the cause of terrorism and attempts to infer that political pressure is the only aim . The Act was described as a pendulum reaction to 9/11 event by Lord Carlileà [17]à . The act was scrutinised by both major parties in the USA as it encroached upon and showed scant regard for liberties of the individualà [18]à . The UN has made several resolutions to allow uniform adoption of counter terrorism measures. The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373à [19]à (2001) was seen as a response to 9/11 and since as become a pillar of the global legal framework for the prevention and suppression of terrorism.à [20]à The introduction of such resolution meant that countries such as Japan took steps in order to freeze the assets of many individualsà [21]à . However it must be noted that although the counter terrorism measure in this resolution were adopted, the resolution failed to define terrorism and persisted to include Al-Qaida and Taliban within the framework of defining terrorism. Further attempts have been made from the UN to understand the growing threat of terrorists. UN Security Council Resolution 1566 defined terrorism as being:- criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.à [22]à This definition takes into consideration of the wide scope of damages that terrorism could cause such as in taking the lives of civilians and does not restrict it to just political aims or in times of war. The further need for a strict definition was attempted also by Tamar Meisels whom advocates a consistent and strict definition of terrorism, which she defines as the intentional random murder of defenceless non-combatants, with the intent of instilling fear of mortal danger amidst a civilian population as a strategy designed to advance political endsà [23]à . This definition seems in include an aim again and shows that violence and instilling fear are the key components of the behaviour of a terrorist. The history of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and African National Congress (ANC) is riddled with violence, kidnapping, civil disorder, threats, incitement in order to achieve the aims of these organisations, which in effect was self-determination, freedom, justice, equality, fairness and so on, similar aims of the freedom fighter. The rights of the Palestinian people to self determination has been recognised by the many organisations around the world including the security council and the international court of justice and most importantly even by Israel as well. About 100 nations recognize Palestine as a stateà [24]à . In 1990, the successful negotiations between the government and ANC resulted in ending apartheid, culminating in multi-racial democratic elections in 1994, which were won by the African National Congress under Nelson Mandelaà [25]à . In both the above cases the uprising was internally and externally supported by individuals, organisations and governm ents across the world. The campaign highlighted the injustices, segregation, and deprivation of basic human rights of indigenous people that became magnet for people to protest against it. It also gave platform for other people and groups internally and sometimes externally to participate in the struggle in a non-violent way. The justification of methods within an organisation is met with the internal wrestling between the political arm and the branch that deals with rebellion by way of force. This has meant that disputes within groups stagnate further development for their cause. There has been an increasing interest at the international level in supplementing traditional human rights principles with rights for minorities within in each group. For example, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe adopted a declaration on the Rights of National Minorities and established a High Commissioner on National Minorities in 1993à [26]à , this being significant as within the international framework, the rights of minorities are being protected in reaction to terrorism diluting their rights in certain states. Similarities and Differences The above definitions and backgrounds provide useful information on making an informed decision on the similarities and differences between the two. The overlapping of some triggers and factors are inevitable and readers are urged to be cautious when taking a stand for and against the issue. Most of the formal definitions of terrorism and freedom fighter have some common characteristics mainly a fundamental motive to make political or societal changes through use of violence or illegal force. The terms have stark differences as well. The use of violence perpetrated by terrorist is random and does not take into account the destruction of lives and properties of innocent people. The freedom fighter on the other hand, targets governmental and military installations with a view to bring them to the negotiating table. This is in contrast to terrorists who aims to create fear and terror and instead issues orders and demands to surrender and may lack diplomatic channels, resulting in the approach taken by militants, both can command support. The terrorists support comes from clandestine organisations and rouge states. The freedom fighter cause is celebrated and may get support from all sections of the society including democratic institutions. UK Context There is no single definition of terrorism that commands full international approval. It remains the subject of continuing debate in international bodiesà [27]à . Lord Carlile arrived at this conclusion after carefully researching the current terrorism laws that exists in 60 countries. The majority of countries selected for the study had either too broad or too narrow scope of definition and importantly were designed to reflect specific political situation and threat of the individual country. Only few European countries had some similar features to UK legislation and context. The Terrorism Act 2000 was aimed to establish a sound definition of terrorism in the law with a view to introduce entirely new set of police and investigatory powers to deal with incidents that would be deemed beyond the ordinary violent offences. It also superseded and repealed some of the previous acts and provisions. Since 2000, the UK has enacted five main pieces of legislation to deal with terrorismà [28]à . Following the events of 9/11, legislation and security measures from the Government were under threat of not going far enough to deal with the issues raised by violence, such as terrorism. Following the events of 9/11, legislation and security measures from the Government were under threat of not going far enough to deal with the issues raised by violence, such as terrorism. In response to this the government initiated CONTEST (I and II) as the main authority for counterterrorism strategy for the UK. It was designed to take account of the evolution of the threat and of our understanding of the factors which are driving ità [29]à . The latest conception of CONTEST attempts to deal with issue that foreign policy concerns breed violent extremismà [30]à . It endeavoured to define how foreign policy in the UK could act as a catalyst for people to turn to extremism. Real or perceived grievances, some international and some local, including in particular: a perception that UK foreign policy in the Muslim world (notably military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan) is hostile to Islam; the experience of wider conflict in the Muslim world and conflict involving Muslims (often attributed either to western intervention or to western indifference); and a range of domestic issues, including racism, inequalities and the experience of criminality and migration.à [31]à This brings the paradoxical argument that, grievances such as the foreign policy of a country could lead to the radicalisation of those aggrieved, who in turn could result in fighting for the cause, and ultimately for the minority the perceived freedom fighter could become an instrument of terrorist activities. It must be mentioned that he report conducted by Lord Carlileà [32]à where he defined terrorism and reviewed all legislation in relation to this topic, has now become a fundamental part of terrorism legislation Terrorism Act 2000 The introduction of the Terrorism Act 2000 signified a huge step in the right direction in the attempts to define such violent acts. The act defined it as being an action which is designed to influence the government through a threat or to intimidate the public and threats made for the purpose for progress of a political, religious or ideological cause can be seen as terrorism, for the purposes of the act. These attempts show that the UK government had stretched the boundaries and attempted to define it. The act also cleared up discrepancies in regards to what type of damage or threats are caused. Section 2 of the Act also defines what type of actions can be inferred to be that of terrorists and includes actions which involve serious violence or serious damage to property. An action which endangers a persons life or a deed which creates serious risk to the public can be also be deemed as actions of terrorism. The act also attempted to cover the rise of technological warfare by includ ing attempts to disrupt electronic systems can also fall under the heading of terrorist activities. It is imperative to mention that the act also considered terrorist activities committed outside of the UK would still be classified as terrorist actions for the purpose of the act. This is important as the scope for actions is wide thus allowing such actions to be classed as terrorist activities. However, this act even with the attempts and inroads it has tried to make in regards to defining terrorism, has been met with criticisms chiefly from Lord Carliles paper. He suggested that the act should include the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar caseà [33]à . If the section 1 (1) (c) was to be amended in the 2000 act, it would provide a positive message by enhancing the legal clarity of the act. The Terrorism Act 2006 also extends the range of offences which can be classed as terrorism and included the term glorifiesà [34]à , which can be meant as a novel word for a criminal offence. The amendments made by the 2006 Act, such as, glorification and mere preaching cannot be seen as terrorist actions, Lord Carlile was content with the protection that was in place in regards to the misusing of the clause preaching and glorificationà [35]à . Like the Patriot Act in the Unit ed States, the current UK law has been scrutinised due to the slow dissolution of key human rights such as right to privacy which allows the police excessive powers, which could result in misuse of them. The Terrorism Act has been wrongly exploited by authorities such as the Police force and Customs as they have often cited the Terrorism Act when combating terrorism when in fact in various cases these events are not connected to those of terrorism. Another contentious issue arising from the act is section 44. This section involves the authorisations available to senior police officers if they believe that it is expedient for the prevention of acts of terrorism, they can confer powers to other police officers to search people and there is no requirement that the officers to do so on reasonable grounds. Stop and searches have been taken advantage of as those with no connection in terrorism can be targeted, such as protestersà [36]à , however the police must have reasonable suspicion that the person pursued is operating as a terrorist, according to the Home Officeà [37]à . In many states across the world which breed terrorist organisations, the experience that they have such as poverty and hardship lead to the radicalisation of the masses. Recent research suggests that poverty and illiteracy as well as the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq are key factors leading to religious extremismà [38]à . This has led to the school of thought that freedom fighters and terrorist have not always derived out of the same background and it is the ideology that they pursue which is different from one another. Summary The discussion on the said topic was approached with a view to define Terrorist and Freedom Fighter, and includes researching various understanding of these terms and the views as expressed by national and international experts, including relevant legislations. The unique characteristics or commonality that compares and distinguishes both terms are vital in critically considering its legitimacy and legal status. The rapidly diminishing boundaries of terrorist and freedom fighter has not only left ordinary people confused but authorities struggling to provide legal clarity as well. The discussion also ask the questions to ponder on the necessity to define these terms to the hilt at the expense of ignoring such a sensitive issue and in turn giving secondary preference to tackling the issue. The Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation that followed like the Terrorism Act 2006 which made amendments to the 2000 act such as creating new offences in reference to the encouragement of terrorism which deals with the root cause of ità [39]à , provides an insight into the UKs context and how counter-strategy with all its teething problems and weaknesses remains at the heart of providing protection and stability to UK. Conclusion The exclusion of religious causes from the definition of terrorism is controversial and there is no discourse as it stands that political cause may be excluded from the definition, this also applies to an ideological cause. Can there be a religious cause which is neither political nor ideological? If so, should it be under the terrorism umbrella?à [40]à The above questions bring the debate about root cause to the fore. The counter-terrorism strategy identifies the importance of the role specific community should be playing. The Prevent strand aims to tackle the issue through community involvement. It is hoped that by identifying the underlying issues such as foreign policy, discrimination, deprivation etc the authorities would be in better position to address the issue through various community based and led initiatives. This however must not underestimate the importance of containing and eliminating the menace of terrorism through policing and judiciary means mainly via legislation. The international community it seems are still divided over defining the term freedom fighter. The thin line that separates it from terrorist is too risky to be crossed. It also depends on individual countrys foreign policy, e.g. The Middle East whole heartedly supports Palestine movement and some countries also give tactical support in form of funding, promotion etc. The argument with some of the western countries is that the funds can be easily channelled to terrorist causes and openly promoting the cause can have adverse effect on their relationship with Israel, not to forget the wrong message it would send to those elements who could resort to violence and derail the campaign. The current definition of terrorism as it stands now in UK has been rigorously designed and implemented through proper policy making mechanism. The inherent weaknesses and the lessons learnt of abuse of powers since 2000 have either been amended or eliminated. The process of treating each case on merit and trying to identify the root cause can only exasperate the situation. The sensible approach route however would be to look at the end result. Did the activities result in illegal and random violence? Did it cause loss of lives of innocent people and destruction of properties? Have the perpetrators got legitimate concerns that can be resolved through negotiations? Is the issue of persecution, human rights visible and quantifiable? The concept of Freedom Fighting is alien to current UK scenario. The robust laws and legislations in place, the mechanism of transparency and implementation of these laws, the equality and human rights, democratically elected local and central government, rights of citizen, checks and balances of political and judiciary system etc are antithesis to the path of violent struggle for freedom. It is also equally true that any widely accepted and legitimate freedom struggle outside UK such as Burma, Palestine etc must not be underrated. The UK citizens should have right to protest within the boundaries of UK law, including marching, publicity, awareness campaign, funding raising etc. Developing a Successful Corporate Strategy: Examining Volkswagen Developing a Successful Corporate Strategy: Examining Volkswagen A business strategy is an organizational plan with long and short tem purposes of achieving set business goals and objectives. Its a management plan aimed at strengthening the performance of a company through provision of quality products and services and maintaining market share and successfully containing competition (Aaker, 2001). A business strategy can be developed and implemented at three levels of an organization structure; the corporate level, the business level and the departmental level. Developing business strategies at corporate level involves maintaining the business positive performance while ensuring long term success of all business units through improving compatibility among the units. Companies develop corporate strategies to manage their operations, departments, products, services and staff to make the company competitive and ensure that every component contributes to the success and achieving organizational goals. The development and implementation of a business strategy or model involves the use of organizational design which is the process of deciding how a company must form, utilize and combine organizational structure as well as control systems and organizational culture to pursue a business goal (Hill and Gareth 2008). This essay will focus on developing and implementing business strategies at corporate level based on the Volkswagen Group which is a motor manufacturing company. Factors to Consider when Developing a Successful Corporate Strategy Well developed business strategies must address the strategy choice, organization structure, primary people concerns and organizational culture dimensions. Volkswagen Group has identified differentiation as it major market strategy. This strategy involves positioning the group on top of motor manufacturing by the year 2018 with increased service delivery and customer satisfaction. Developing this strategy has been practiced through provision of quality products, new designs and always improving and expanded services that go beyond the normal automobile manufacturing standards. Volkswagen Group therefore focuses on a quality strategy which is a subset of a whole differentiation strategy so that it can outstand among the many competitors in the industry. However, the current increase of many players in motor industry has gone into Volkswagen group strategy plan and implementation because of the greater efforts needed to maintain revenue, market share, reduce costs and most importantly keep customers who seem attract to other cheap car models from other manufacturers. Volkswagen Group management assigns employees to particular value creation tasks and roles that are linked together to create a framework that will increase quality provision, effective service delivery, innovation and responsiveness to customers to increase competitive advantage. This motor manufacturing group has succeeded in integrating the efforts of all employees across all company structure, functions and business sections so that specific set of strategies are achieved. The Volkswagen organizational structure is very flexible with all duties clearly spelled out together with the staff who should undertake them. The structure of the Volkswagen Group organizational structure has been one of the contributing factors to effective implementation of previous strategies because every employee knows his/her job description and expectations. The development of any corporate business strategy must take into account the primary concerns of all the people involved by ensuring production of good quality products and quality services to guarantee customer satisfaction. To achieve this, Volkswagen Group has installed programs to train all its human resources prior and after a strategy is devised and implemented. This assures the company that the staff is capable of turning the business strategies into business values. The choice of its staff is very complete because only staff with great quality combinations for a motor manufacturing industry is considered. Organizational culture is a collection of values, norms, beliefs and attitudes that are common among people and groups in an organization. Volkswagen group has organizational standards that control how the employees interact with each other, with the customers and stakeholders outside the company. Just like many other international companies, the top management of Volkswagen group has the upper hand in ensuring that employees work towards achieving the company strategies and goals because they can influence the kind of beliefs to be exercised in the company. Developing a corporate strategy is therefore a very complex process that is primarily concerned with selection of business area where the organization should operate and compete as well as developing and coordinating business profile through stipulation of objectives, aims and goals (Checco 2005). In developing business strategies organizations must address key strategy components that usually determine the long term performance of such strategies. These components include; strategy reach, competitive contact, managing resources and business relationship and management practices. The corporate strategy reach involves defining corporate mission, vision, objectives and goals. The strengths and opportunities as well as weaknesses and threats are considered in this component. The definition of these management components enables execution of the strategy while ensuring business units are integrated into each other for easy management. The competitive contact is more concerned with speculating the future competition environment and developing products and services that will be able to compete favorable with those of the competitors. Opportunities and threats are more addressed at this point. Coordinating the use of company resources, both material and intellectual across the business units forms the other component of managing corporate activities and relationships. Developing a business strategy dictates that all business units in harmony and compatible with each other such that communication and business instructions can flow from unit to unit (Porter 1998). The effective use and management of corporate resources should be stressed in the strategy since the success of a corporate strategy is dependent on how the resources are utilized. The choice between centralization and decentralization of a corporation needs more considerations such as the external factors that may face business activities, the level of compe tition as well the available resources and the benefits expected to be accrued from such resources. However, every organization should look carefully at its intended corporate strategy as compared to that of its competitors to see if it can better leverage its internal strengths and potential for operational efficiencies because development and implementation of a poor strategy may be the ultimate downfall as many competitors are finding ways to incentivize customer value through lower prices, additional options or more product for the same price to maintain customer base. This could be a battle that Volkswagen group could fail at if it does not keep pace or find a way to show consumers its value. Conclusively, strategic choice, organizational design, culture and principal people concerns shape employee beliefs, behaviors, values and norms and this determines how they will implement the business models and strategies.
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