Monday, September 30, 2019

Clause Worksheet Directions

Underline the adverb clause, labeling the subject and the verb of each clause. 2. Circle the subordinating conjunction in each sentence. 3. Identify the question that is being answered by the clause. 4. Draw an arrow to the word that each clause modifies. 1. I will not go to the movies with you unless you buy me soda, popcorn, and candy. 2. Eric will find the almanacs where the other reference books are shelved. 3. Erin goes swimming whenever she gets the chance. 4. After you have beaten the eggs, slowly add the dry Ingredients to make Mrs..Franken a batch of cookies. 5. The washer will stop if the door is opened. 6. Residents of the quiet suburban neighborhood have been urged by the mayor to conserve water until the shortage ends. 7. His pictures came out badly because the film was torn slightly. 8. We had a good time at the picnic even though we were attacked by an angry swarm of bumblebees. 9. No one may enter the studio while the red light Is on. 10. A tire blew out as the Jet ta xied to the runway. 1 1 . We arrived at the bus station as our bus was beginning to pull away onto the highway. 12.The movie, Spenserian and Superman: Best Friends Reunited, had already started when Mr.. Font arrived. 13. Because we had to get up at 4:30 in the morning, we went to bed before American Idol was over. 14. Whenever It was possible, the guide planted trees. 16. Will you move the couch when you have time? 17. Because the music in the stadium was so loud, Katie got a piercing headache that made her nauseous. 18. No one came to the party since Dave forgot to mail the invitations. 19. Did you see my sister at the mall when you were in Williamsburg? 20. My ride came before I had finished breakfast.

C-Direct Insurance Company

201KM GROUP PROJECT CASE STUDY 3 Case Study 3 The C-Direct- Insurance Company Developed by Peter Race, Henley Management College Call centres have fast become one of the most important channels for organizations and their customers to interact. There are around 4,000 call centres in the UK today,employing over 400,000 people. The direct sell insurance industry is increasingly using call centres to access and service its market. The C-Direct -Insurance Company has its call centre in Newcastle, England. The company itself is just 6 years old and specialises in selling automobile insurance policies direct to customers. The processAdvertising and promotion initiatives attract customers’ interest and generate enquiries to the CD Call Centre. These lead to the provision of quotations for personal car insurance. In order to provide the quotation, CD operators need to collect the customer’s personal and vehicle related data (in total 17 items) and input them to the computer. Th e process is as follows: Customers call the CDCall Centre (the focus of this case) by a freephone telephone number and submit the required information. This is entered directly into a computer terminal during the call, their questions answered, and quotation provided within 12 minutes.Customers can pay by credit card and receive immediate insurance cover. Customers receive their personal insurance offer confirmed in writing by mail, about 23 days after initial contact. Mr Small, the Operations Manager, is responsible for all operations in the Call Centre. The Call Centre employs 105 people in three shifts over a core day between the hours of 0800 and 2000. The resources for the Call Centre are:  · its facilities – for example the buildings and the staff’s workspace/workstations  · the equipment – for example, computers/systems the People who use them. Car insurance is compulsory in the UK, so customers are price sensitive and tend to shop around to compare t he company’s offer with those of competitors. Only about 17% of CD’s offers are converted into policies. The operations management strategies of scheduling, capacity and quality management were reactive rather than proactive; for example, poor forecasting of demand resulted in excess manpower being under utilised. Staffs were inflexible and showed little sympathy or understanding to frustrated and angry customers.The interfaces with support functions such as Marketing or Information Systems Department tended to be confrontational rather than supportive. Fortunately, in the early days, competition was not very tough and Mr Small had no special performance targets or formal control mechanisms – he was literally his own boss. The policy change After five years of high growth, over the last twelve months sales have only grown by 3% and the company is beginning to struggle with diminishing profits. The main reasons for the slowdown have been identified:  · New Entr ants: 15 companies in the last 2 years, producing a wave of ‘direct insurance startups’.These companies have targeted the same customer segment as CD, the market for which has remained stagnant.  · Customers are more price sensitive and new entrants offer extremely low prices.  · Substitute Products are unchanged – customers still require car insurance. The new situation has forced management to review business policy options to provide a competitive advantage. Research has shown that for direct selling insurance products, the key market drivers are to:  · Offer a wider range of insurance products, so minimising the need for customers to deal with many suppliers. Offer low prices  · Provide excellent service. A recent internal report showed that the CD Call Centre still had potential to improve service levels and cost efficiency. The decision was therefore taken to extend the product range and improve service by addressing: Product flexibility CD will res pond to customer’s demand by launching a new product – household insurance – and deliver it via the Call Centre, alongside car insurance. Household insurance is often requested by customers and they have been in the past disappointed not to source it from CD.Furthermore, the product margin for household insurance is high, thanks to low average claims. Since only a few competitors currently offer household insurance, management believed they could generate an above average profit margin in the first year after launch. Responsiveness In order to make the new product successful, it will also be necessary to fulfill customer expectations for ‘time’ response. Consequently, operations management will need to ensure quick access to the Cal Centre and efficient treatment of customers for both products.Quality Improve customer service – at least to match competitors’ standards. Internal analysis has shown that the auto insurance ‘lapse ra te’ (customers not renewing their policies) – which is an indicator of customer satisfaction – was above the market average. To avoid this trap with the new product, significant improvements in service delivery of all CD’s activities is needed (including settlement of claims, which is not part of the Call Centre’s responsibilities). Cost Ensure price decrease of insurance premiums by reducing internal costs.All possibilities for further cost reduction must be exploited to permit a price level lower than the top five price leaders. By launching this policy change, senior management believe a successful implementation will lead to higher customer satisfaction and consequently to profitable growth. Influences on the operations The change in business policy will have an impact on M. Small’s current operations strategies. The policy change has been developed at corporate level but the benefits will have to be delivered by Mr Small, the Operations Manager, in the future.Therefore, Mr Small will need to address the changes to operating systems structures and operations management objectives. The determination of the tradeoff between customer service and resource utilisation will be a key factor for sustainable operation, especially in this competitive environment. The new business policy decision will affect Mr Small’s current practice in two ways. First, he will have to interface with the project setup to manage the launch of the new product and modifications to the delivery processes.Second, Small will have to establish operations management strategies to allow the business to meet the objectives of the policy change. The Project phase Workforce The existing staff will be responsible for the new product, alongside the existing offering. Therefore an intensive training programme on Information Technology (IT); enhancements and new product features will be required. To improve the overall quality and service provision, customer acquisition techniques and friendly handling of difficult customers will be covered during the training.Mr Small will work with the training department to develop a training plan which will take at least four days per group to deliver (each group has about 10 employees). Therefore, he will have to schedule the training so that the normal business will not be hampered by too few staff in the Call Centre. The new training approach will also have a long term influence, because training updates for employees will be held at least once a year. One of the aims of the training is to reshape corporate culture so as to engender a commitment to high efficiency and excellent ervice. This will demand empowering the workforce to focus on customer service, together with better collaboration between staff, by using more teamwork, to raise the overall efficiency levels of the operation. Mr Small will also have to install a feedback process to evaluate the satisfaction level of the staff, to help identify continuous improvement areas. Better motivation will be achieved by introducing a new incentive system, using positive customer feedback as a measure for rewards. Facilities & equipmentThe current workspace/workstation for a Call Centre staff member is a small, open ‘boxlike’ area (less than one square metre), containing a terminal, keyboard and telephone. The boxes are very close together and do not have a proper noise protection. Staff complains about the workstations, because with the background noise of five or more colleagues, concentration is difficult, and the number of data input errors are high. Staff have little space to write notes, so for example, noting down a telephone number to return a call to a customer is very difficult.After looking at the staff’s workspace, Small realised they would have to modify the building in order to create more space and provide noise protection. He thought that only by providing a convenient and ergonom ic workspace would he be able to ensure his staff’s full commitment to performance improvements. A careful forecast of future demand will be necessary in order to install the right number of new workstations and avoid under/over utilisation of resources. Technology A new terminal mask (template or standard screen) for the Call Centre needs to be developed by the Information Systems Department (ISD).This mask must contain all questions that need to be answered by the customer. To ensure service quality, ISD would have to create a flexible IT system, which would enable the Call Centre staff to quickly switch from one screen to another, according to customer’s demand. The competitor benchmark for ‘time to switch’ screens is less than 3 seconds. Furthermore, high IT reliability is vital, because breakdowns in the past have stopped all activities of the Call Centre, (since they depend on online access to the mainframe) and customers could not be served during t hat time. Mr.Small wonders if an ISD/Call Centre staff taskforce should be setup to explore the main historical problems for poor reliability, define development areas and try to find the best possible solution. Organisation Experience in the past has shown that the first few months after a product launch to be critical. Therefore, a new role of a ‘first alert support person’ needs to be established. The ‘first alert’ person will help improve service by patrolling the Call Centre and helping the staff during busy times, in cases of difficult customer questions or with technical problems.Furthermore, they would have a coaching role for new employees and also support staff training. The Human Resource Department (HRD) will need to develop the job description, provide a career plan for that role, manage the necessary recruiting and training process and determine how this new position fits into the organisation. Questions 1. Prepare the Project Definition Repor t for implementation of the policy change. This report should cover: vision; purpose (including a stakeholder analysis); objectives; scope; strategy; project phases; and project organisation. 2. What are the risks for the project and how should they be managed?

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Lord of the Flies

In this essay, I will talk about the key points that led to the loss of civilization. â€Å"We did everything adults would do. What went wrong? † -William Gilding, Lord of the Flies The first point, I would like to introduce Is Jack's Impact on the community. Jack Is a very strong individual, who believes that If you can't solve a problem, you should Just avoid it. As well as that he Is the oldest and the strongest, which In theory should make him sensible, despite that, he chooses not to support rules and senselessly. â€Å"Jack's face swam near him. â€Å"And you shut pulp Who are you, anyway? Sitting there telling people what to do.You ant hunt, you can't sing?† â€Å"I'm chief. I was chosen. † â€Å"Why should choosing make any difference? Just giving orders that don't make any sense† Now it is quite obvious, that Jack represents an autocratic government, where power is taken; and Ralph represents democratic governments, where power is given. Moreover , Jack understands mob mentality, and uses physical examples, of tortures to threaten other savages. As a result of Jack's actions, mob mentality starts to grow. Mob mentality, happens when individuals, act as a group. Therefore, they try to hide their personality, which makes them free of all laws and obligations.An example In the book would be how the savages, attacked Rally's shelters and they weren't' even sorry for a bit, but If adults would've been there†¦ â€Å"Someone was throwing stones: Roger was dropping them, his one hand still on the lever. Below him, Ralph was a shock of hair and Piggy a bag of fat. † William Gilding, Lord of the Flies. To Roger, it is literally indifferent, who Ralph and Piggy are. To him, they are Just a ‘shock of Hair' and ‘a bag of fat'. It is impossible that Roger would have pushed the lever, if adults were there and Jack wasn't. This is how mob mentality influences the people.It can also be seen, when all of the characters are present at the killing of Simon. Another important factor, responsible for the loss of civilization, is the death of Simon. It can be described as the watershed moment, because after that they aren't afraid to kill. If he was regarded as the ‘Beast', killing him didn't stop the boys being scared of the ‘Beast'. â€Å"We was [was >were] on the outside. We never done nothing, we never seen nothing. † [Salad Ralph] Lord of the Flies, William Gilding. Ralph tells Piggy; hide the fact, that they were both present at the murder of Simon.Ralph is still ashamed that they hadn't stopped the savages. Above all, darkness and evil of humanity affected the boys, the most. Gilding, himself fought in the WI and saw Hiroshima, AS concentration camps and much more; so he really understands what mankind is capable of. â€Å"Maybe there is a beast What I mean is†¦ Maybe it's only us. † Lord of the Flies, William Gilding Simon and Piggy achieve same-but-different con clusions. Piggy has rational, external, empirical attitude, saying: we're afraid of each other. Simon has a more spiritual believe: it's not each other we need to be afraid of, but us.In Lord of the Flies, Gilding expresses the real side of the human-beings. â€Å"What a man does defines him, not what is done by others. † William Gilding. To conclude my essay, those were the main points that influenced the loss of civilization: Jacks impact, mob mentality, murder of Simon and the darkness & evil of humanity. Those aren't all the point that affected it. I personally didn't like the book- I think it was boring. â€Å"The writer probably knows what he meant when he wrote a book, but he should immediately forget what he meant when he's written it. † William Gilding Lord of the flies Slipping Away William Gilding states â€Å"†¦ The shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the Individual. † In Lord of the Flies when he brings two tribes of boys together to sustain an island surrounded by evil (204). Upon analyzing Gildings characters, we can see that the boys stranded on the island are willing to do anything to anyone in order to survive. Despite the evil in Roger and Jack, the innocence and good in Piggy and Ralph surfaces.When we look at the way Gilding describes the boys on the Island, we can all twice the change within all of them. In the beginning of the novel the kids are innocent British school boys, but later Jack transforms into a child whoso obsessed with hunting. Jack is only interested in torturing and killing the pig when he â€Å"raised his spear and sneaked forward† (135). Just how much one can change because of their surroundings. Ralph and Jack have tension between them most of the time because Ralph can clearly se e the transformation within Jack.Because of the darkness In Jack, it highlights the Innocence In Piggy when he believes â€Å"[they'd] hurt he next telling. ,. And that's [him]† (93). Piggy feels that without any reason no one would survive on the island. Because of the chaos on the island, Piggy's constantly paranoid. In a world of destruction, the worst comes out from the good. As we observe Roger, we can infer the changes he comes across. As Jack and Roger are trying to kill Ralph, they set the island on fire. When the twins are being held captive by Roger, they explain to Ralph how â€Å"they hate [him]† (188).Jack and Roger were childish enough to set their environment on fire Just to get what they want. They want the rest of the boys to be on their side and in order to do that they have to exile Ralph. Clinton 2 While Jack and Roger are trying to find Ralph, Sam n Eric find him first and warn him how â€Å"[Rorer's] a terror† (189). Roger is the one in cha rge of murdering Ralph or Jack would be the one â€Å"sharpening the stick. † The island Is obviously changing more than one of the boys. Not only do bad things happen to good people, but good people can turn bad.When Piggy and Ralph find the rest of the boys, Ralph starts mentally hurting Piggy. Piggy's insecurities show when they talk about him â€Å"being called Piggy† (25). With this Ralph goes behind Piggy's back and tells the tribe his name is â€Å"Piggy. † Ralph is displaying his callousness to Piggy now that the rest of the boys are there. He's trying to come off's the leader type for the first time impression. In the same scene when thieve Introducing themselves, Ralph continues to push Piggy around by telling him to â€Å"go back, and take names. That's your job. So long† (157).Ralph turns bossy and thinks he can tell everyone what to do and how to do it. Piggy feels that Ralph thinks he's better than him to show off for the rest of the tribe. Ralph believes that now he's chief he doesn't have to do any of the hard work and he can make everyone else do it. All Piggy wants is for Ralph to have his back and be his friend. However, Plays being the only voice of reason makes him the weak target. In the speak† (44). The rest of the boys believe they can push piggy around. He feels unwanted and nobody understands him and his needs.He notices Ralph becoming angry when he's constantly shouting â€Å"shut up† at him. Not only does Piggy have ideas to get off the island alive, but nobody acknowledges him. He believes they are turning against each other and attacking. The tribes think being on the island is a lot of fun. Piggy thinks â€Å"rules are they only thing [they've] got† (91). Piggy Just wants to be friends with everyone, but since they pick on him and Hess so gullible, that can't happen. He thinks â€Å"the world is slipping away' when the boys become something they aren't (204).Ultimately, the good in Ralph and Piggy comes out do to the darkness in Jack and Roger. In the novel, William Gilding places two tribes of boy to survive the evil within themselves on an Clinton 3 island. They need to be able to handle themselves and each other in order to get off the island alive. William Gilding discusses how â€Å"the theme is an attempt to trace the defects of human society back to the defects of human nature† (204). He figured that if he put a group of boys in the wild to survive with only the clothes on their backs, they would turn into savages. Lord of the flies Slipping Away William Gilding states â€Å"†¦ The shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the Individual. † In Lord of the Flies when he brings two tribes of boys together to sustain an island surrounded by evil (204). Upon analyzing Gildings characters, we can see that the boys stranded on the island are willing to do anything to anyone in order to survive. Despite the evil in Roger and Jack, the innocence and good in Piggy and Ralph surfaces.When we look at the way Gilding describes the boys on the Island, we can all twice the change within all of them. In the beginning of the novel the kids are innocent British school boys, but later Jack transforms into a child whoso obsessed with hunting. Jack is only interested in torturing and killing the pig when he â€Å"raised his spear and sneaked forward† (135). Just how much one can change because of their surroundings. Ralph and Jack have tension between them most of the time because Ralph can clearly se e the transformation within Jack.Because of the darkness In Jack, it highlights the Innocence In Piggy when he believes â€Å"[they'd] hurt he next telling. ,. And that's [him]† (93). Piggy feels that without any reason no one would survive on the island. Because of the chaos on the island, Piggy's constantly paranoid. In a world of destruction, the worst comes out from the good. As we observe Roger, we can infer the changes he comes across. As Jack and Roger are trying to kill Ralph, they set the island on fire. When the twins are being held captive by Roger, they explain to Ralph how â€Å"they hate [him]† (188).Jack and Roger were childish enough to set their environment on fire Just to get what they want. They want the rest of the boys to be on their side and in order to do that they have to exile Ralph. Clinton 2 While Jack and Roger are trying to find Ralph, Sam n Eric find him first and warn him how â€Å"[Rorer's] a terror† (189). Roger is the one in cha rge of murdering Ralph or Jack would be the one â€Å"sharpening the stick. † The island Is obviously changing more than one of the boys. Not only do bad things happen to good people, but good people can turn bad.When Piggy and Ralph find the rest of the boys, Ralph starts mentally hurting Piggy. Piggy's insecurities show when they talk about him â€Å"being called Piggy† (25). With this Ralph goes behind Piggy's back and tells the tribe his name is â€Å"Piggy. † Ralph is displaying his callousness to Piggy now that the rest of the boys are there. He's trying to come off's the leader type for the first time impression. In the same scene when thieve Introducing themselves, Ralph continues to push Piggy around by telling him to â€Å"go back, and take names. That's your job. So long† (157).Ralph turns bossy and thinks he can tell everyone what to do and how to do it. Piggy feels that Ralph thinks he's better than him to show off for the rest of the tribe. Ralph believes that now he's chief he doesn't have to do any of the hard work and he can make everyone else do it. All Piggy wants is for Ralph to have his back and be his friend. However, Plays being the only voice of reason makes him the weak target. In the speak† (44). The rest of the boys believe they can push piggy around. He feels unwanted and nobody understands him and his needs.He notices Ralph becoming angry when he's constantly shouting â€Å"shut up† at him. Not only does Piggy have ideas to get off the island alive, but nobody acknowledges him. He believes they are turning against each other and attacking. The tribes think being on the island is a lot of fun. Piggy thinks â€Å"rules are they only thing [they've] got† (91). Piggy Just wants to be friends with everyone, but since they pick on him and Hess so gullible, that can't happen. He thinks â€Å"the world is slipping away' when the boys become something they aren't (204).Ultimately, the good in Ralph and Piggy comes out do to the darkness in Jack and Roger. In the novel, William Gilding places two tribes of boy to survive the evil within themselves on an Clinton 3 island. They need to be able to handle themselves and each other in order to get off the island alive. William Gilding discusses how â€Å"the theme is an attempt to trace the defects of human society back to the defects of human nature† (204). He figured that if he put a group of boys in the wild to survive with only the clothes on their backs, they would turn into savages. Lord of the Flies KOURTNIE MCLAURIN ENGLISH 4 DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY: LORD OF THE FLIES MAIN CHARACTER: RALPH Lord of the Flies is a novel by author William Golding. Lord of the Flies story line is about a group of British boys stuck on an uninhabited island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results. The setting takes place on an unnamed island, during a nuclear war. The book sets out their descent into brutality, left to them in an exquisite country, far from modern civilization, the well-educated children regress to a primitive state.Ralph, one of the older boys, is the protagonist of the novel who at first is overjoyed to be on a tropical island free from adult restraints. He is neither the smartest nor the strongest but has a kind of quiet charisma and good looks. He tries to keep the boys focused on trained order and the rules of civilization but loses his authority and almost his life to Jack’s, the antagonist of the story, seizure of power. By nature, he is an innocent, mild- temp ered boy who accepts leadership when it is thrown at him. He portrayed as a democratic leader who tries to keep the boys together on the island.Ralph has courage when the occasion demands it, but he really longs for the secure world of grown-ups, especially when order starts breaking down on the island. He dreams about a rescue and insists the signal fire burn at all times so that they can be seen. There’s conflict. Ralph knows that the main reason for the disorder on the island is Jack, representation of evil in the novel. There is a constant conflict between the two boys. Ralph stands for civilized ideals, while Jack leads a tribe of savages and lapses into primitive rituals. In the midst of the savagery, Ralph holds on to rationality and the hope of rescue.There is only one occasion when Ralph lapses into mild savagery; it occurs when he joins the ritual dance at the feast, the same feast where Simon is killed. The guilt that Ralph experiences as an outcome of his being a part of Simon's death is unbearable. It forces him to totally accept the fallen nature of all mankind. Armed with the truth, like Simon before him, he becomes the hunted animal, full of desperation and despair. Only civilization, which appears in the form of the naval officer, can save Ralph from the savagery that surrounds him. Lord of the Flies Daniel Santana Mrs. Caston English CP9, Period 1 6/6/12 Essay for LORD OF THE FLIES When man is taken or is separated from civilization, man can become primitive. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding addresses what happens to man when they are taken out of civilization. The book begins with a plane that is filled with British school boys that crashes on an abandoned island. Since there are no adults with them on the island, the boys are forced to create their own civil society which slowly falls apart throughout the novel.In the novel Golding states that the boys are becoming uncivilized when they talk about the beast and what it is, the murder of Piggy, and the hunting of Ralph. One way the boys are becoming less civilized is when they start to fear that there is a beast on the island. For example Golding writes, â€Å"In a moment the platform was full of arguing and gesticulating shadows to, Ralph, seated, this seemed the breaking up of sanity. Fear, beast, no general a greement that the fire was all important†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (88).This shows that the boys have lost their sense of worldly reason of the world and their fear has now created the ‘Beast’ that roams within the sea. It also shows that they have so much fear that they have no agreement to have the fire keep going so they can be rescued. Later in the story the children chant, â€Å"‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in! ’†¦The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the abominable noise, something about a body on the hill.The beast struggled forward, broke the ring, and fell over the steep edge of the rock†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (153). This shows that they boys are overcome by the fear of the beast they turn to a primitive state to deal with this fear and they kill the beast without knowing it was Simon. This act shows in their rage against the beast they don’t hear Simon as he tries to tell the boys there is no beast while they are stabbing him. These quotes clearly lay out how the boys become more savage like from their fear of the ‘beast’ on the island. Another way that the boys were becoming uncivilized is when they murdered Piggy.For example, once the boys break into two tribes, â€Å"Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid menace that bristled with spears. The intention of a charge was forming among them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (180). This shows that they are becoming uncivilized because when Piggy is talking he’s saying that if it is beater to be savages than having law and order the hunters are about to attack them. Also it shows that Jack and his hunters have converted to savagery. In addition Golding describes the murderess act, â€Å"High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever† (180).This shows that Roger has no reason for what he is going to do, he’s actin g on impulse. Also its shows that they have lost everything that is good to man and now they have become savages. These examples demonstrate the extreme loss of a civilized behavior. Another example of the boys becoming less uncivilized is when they and hunt Ralph so they can kill him. For example Samneric are talking, â€Å"I dunno. And Ralph, Jack, the chief says it’ll be dangerous—and we’ve got to be careful; and throw our spears like at a pig† (188). This shows that the boys have no sympathy for taking a human life.Also it shows that the boys are going to hunt Ralph as if he was an animal. In addition Ralph talks to Samneric and continue to explain, â€Å"‘What are you going to do—? From the top of the towering rock came the incomprehensible reply. ‘Roger sharpened a stick at both ends,† (180). This shows that the boys have no lost their sanity and now they are complete savages. They transposed from having law and order to be ing savages so they can kill Ralph. In conclusion, the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding illustrates the boy’s loss of civilization.When the boys talk about the beast and fear it, they become less civilized because they would stop at nothing to kill the beast and push back the time of being rescued further. The death of piggy illustrates the boy’s loss of civilized behavior because they have no remorse for taking the life of a human being. The have completely lost their civilized behavior because they hunt Ralph and they would stop at nothing to kill him cause he is seen as a threat to Jacks new, wild society. When human beings are taken from society over time they will become savage like and lose reason for what they do. Lord of the Flies ‘Lord of the Flies’ is frequently read as the story of changing identities. The plot gives an opportunity to trace the process, in which several boys turn into savage beasts on an isolated island. These changes do not occur overnight, but are accompanied by a series of profound implications, which make the story extremely realistic and teaching. In this essay I will turn my attention to exploring this process of losing identity and ultimate human devastation. ‘Lord of the Flies’ is the narration about the three identities, lost through violence, savageness, and inner moral conflict. Identity loss as the leading theme of the book The loss of identity among boys and their ultimate moral devastation is the major conflict of the book. Golding was extremely interested in investigating the inner causes and complications of such identity loss. It is difficult to justify these irreversible changes by external conditions in which the boys found themselves, yet for someone this justification may seem possible. The fight between their freedom and self-control has become the biggest challenge the boys had to face. In this fight self-control was tragically defeated, giving place to wildness, cruelty, desolation and violence. The humans are weak under the rays of freedom which are colored with unreason and the desire to hurt. Those boys have become the brightest depiction of the traditional human identity, regularly exposed to temptations which it cannot stand. Ralph and his changing identity ‘Ralph too was fighting to get near, to get a handful of that brown, vulnerable flesh. The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering.’[1] Ralph’s presence on the island led him to the state when he could not control his premature instincts anymore. The outstanding feature of Ralph’s personality in this story is that he experienced the loss of his identity twice: the first took place when he appeared on the island, and the second occurred after he was elected the leader and could not successfully hold that position. The change which occurred to Ralph could be connected to some magic spell of the island, but unfortunately this change found its reasonable explanation. Ralph was a well-bred and disciplined young boy, but being on an island without any adults significantly contributes into his identity loss. He could not perform the role of the leader and reasonably recognized the difficulties of being without parents. The loss of his leadership identity made him realize his ineffectiveness which he tried to compensate through cruelty and violence. ‘Ralph went for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.’[2] The moment when Ralph sees the officer and realizes that his life is saved, becomes the culmination of his devastation: he simultaneously perceives the irreversibility of his change and the power of evil which exists in every human soul. Jack as the symbol of release from former identities Jack is completely different from Ralph; he is not subjected to reflecting upon the despair of his identity loss. ‘I’m scared of him, and that’s why I know him. If you’re scared of someone you hate him but you can’t stop thinking about him. You kid yourself he’s all right really, an’ them when you see him again; it’s like asthma an’ you can’t breathe.’[3] In his identity loss and devastation Jack has gone beyond reasonable measures, making the other boys afraid of him. He has demonstrated his ill nature to the fullest. Through his example, the reader reveals the tragic truth: human evil does not have any measures. The mask which he used in hunting, in reality was ‘a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.’[4] He was unreasonable enough to call for disregarding his leadership, which broke one of the major human principles, and led to disorder and freedom to fight with each other. Piggy: a tragic victim of his identity loss Out of the three major characters, Piggy is the most civilized, and the biggest victim of the identity loss among the boys. This may put a contradictory tint onto the whole discussion: the reader risks thinking that reason cannot lead to any positive outcomes. Yet, this assumption is deceptive. Piggy’s age and appearance (glasses, in particular) turn him into an outcast from the start. His identity is lost through the efforts of others: he is called fatty, and he is mocked on for wearing glasses. These glasses are inseparable from his identity, as they let him watch the world in its true colors. As soon as they are taken by other boys to make the fire, he realizes that blindness and identity loss are synonymic. The loss of his identity has not led to devastation: it has led to his death which made him the victim of those who had lost their identities earlier. ‘How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?’[5] The tragic character of Piggy’s identity loss is that it did not stem from Piggy’s character but was urged by other’s cruelty. He was the only person who lost his identity through his death. Conclusion The process of identity loss leading to devastation starts from the moment boys appear on the island. They do not display any strivings towards rescuing themselves, but prefer swimming in the lagoon. They hide their faces behind the masks, and hide from consciousness, shame, and reason. Their education is turned into primitiveness – the brightest sign of identity loss. Trying to kill the boar and dancing around it in the blood dance is the scene at which transformation into savages and as a result, identity loss is completed. There is no way back towards being civilized. The gradual degradation which all boys experienced broke all connections with their previous world. The appearance of the officer on the island has indicated total devastation of the boys’ moral identity. BIBLIOGRAPHY GOLDING, William, Lord of the Fli [1] W. Golding, Lord of the Flies, Penguin Non-Classics, 1999, p. 103. [2] ibid.,   p. 184. [3] ibid., p. 83. [4] ibid., p. 55. [5] ibid., p. 38. Lord of the Flies Bianca Adams Ms. Knapp Honors English 16 April 2013 Lord of the Flies: Formal Essay The Bible is the number one selling book in the world almost every year. Christianity has had a huge influence on literature, and music today. A commonly known rapper named Tupac often uses God in his music. For example in his song â€Å"Only God Can Judge Me† he says â€Å"Oh my Lord, tell me what I'm livin for everybody’s droppin got me knockin on heaven's door.Even though American Schools are secular environments, the Bible is still often represented in the curriculum. In the novel there are many ways to show that there’s an allegory towards the Bible. For example, William Golding uses his characters in the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† to symbolize Biblical ideas. In chapter 1 when the plane crashes with the choir boys, Ralph removes his clothes and bathes in the water, which shows an act of Baptism. Baptism is something that happens so your sins can be washed away.Al so the snake thing being referred to all the time in the book can relate to Satan in the garden of Eden. Satan often described himself as serpent. But unlike Adam & Eve the boys from the plane crash were mistaken about the creature. They were even unable to recognize the danger of evil within themselves that propels them to violence. Such as torturing the pigs in such a cruel way just to satisfy their hunger. Simon is the Christ figure Lord of the Flies Daniel Santana Mrs. Caston English CP9, Period 1 6/6/12 Essay for LORD OF THE FLIES When man is taken or is separated from civilization, man can become primitive. In the novel Lord of the Flies, William Golding addresses what happens to man when they are taken out of civilization. The book begins with a plane that is filled with British school boys that crashes on an abandoned island. Since there are no adults with them on the island, the boys are forced to create their own civil society which slowly falls apart throughout the novel.In the novel Golding states that the boys are becoming uncivilized when they talk about the beast and what it is, the murder of Piggy, and the hunting of Ralph. One way the boys are becoming less civilized is when they start to fear that there is a beast on the island. For example Golding writes, â€Å"In a moment the platform was full of arguing and gesticulating shadows to, Ralph, seated, this seemed the breaking up of sanity. Fear, beast, no general a greement that the fire was all important†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (88).This shows that the boys have lost their sense of worldly reason of the world and their fear has now created the ‘Beast’ that roams within the sea. It also shows that they have so much fear that they have no agreement to have the fire keep going so they can be rescued. Later in the story the children chant, â€Å"‘Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! Do him in! ’†¦The beast was on its knees in the center, its arms folded over its face. It was crying out against the abominable noise, something about a body on the hill.The beast struggled forward, broke the ring, and fell over the steep edge of the rock†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (153). This shows that they boys are overcome by the fear of the beast they turn to a primitive state to deal with this fear and they kill the beast without knowing it was Simon. This act shows in their rage against the beast they don’t hear Simon as he tries to tell the boys there is no beast while they are stabbing him. These quotes clearly lay out how the boys become more savage like from their fear of the ‘beast’ on the island. Another way that the boys were becoming uncivilized is when they murdered Piggy.For example, once the boys break into two tribes, â€Å"Jack had backed right against the tribe and they were a solid menace that bristled with spears. The intention of a charge was forming among them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (180). This shows that they are becoming uncivilized because when Piggy is talking he’s saying that if it is beater to be savages than having law and order the hunters are about to attack them. Also it shows that Jack and his hunters have converted to savagery. In addition Golding describes the murderess act, â€Å"High overhead, Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever† (180).This shows that Roger has no reason for what he is going to do, he’s actin g on impulse. Also its shows that they have lost everything that is good to man and now they have become savages. These examples demonstrate the extreme loss of a civilized behavior. Another example of the boys becoming less uncivilized is when they and hunt Ralph so they can kill him. For example Samneric are talking, â€Å"I dunno. And Ralph, Jack, the chief says it’ll be dangerous—and we’ve got to be careful; and throw our spears like at a pig† (188). This shows that the boys have no sympathy for taking a human life.Also it shows that the boys are going to hunt Ralph as if he was an animal. In addition Ralph talks to Samneric and continue to explain, â€Å"‘What are you going to do—? From the top of the towering rock came the incomprehensible reply. ‘Roger sharpened a stick at both ends,† (180). This shows that the boys have no lost their sanity and now they are complete savages. They transposed from having law and order to be ing savages so they can kill Ralph. In conclusion, the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding illustrates the boy’s loss of civilization.When the boys talk about the beast and fear it, they become less civilized because they would stop at nothing to kill the beast and push back the time of being rescued further. The death of piggy illustrates the boy’s loss of civilized behavior because they have no remorse for taking the life of a human being. The have completely lost their civilized behavior because they hunt Ralph and they would stop at nothing to kill him cause he is seen as a threat to Jacks new, wild society. When human beings are taken from society over time they will become savage like and lose reason for what they do. Lord of the Flies KOURTNIE MCLAURIN ENGLISH 4 DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY: LORD OF THE FLIES MAIN CHARACTER: RALPH Lord of the Flies is a novel by author William Golding. Lord of the Flies story line is about a group of British boys stuck on an uninhabited island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results. The setting takes place on an unnamed island, during a nuclear war. The book sets out their descent into brutality, left to them in an exquisite country, far from modern civilization, the well-educated children regress to a primitive state.Ralph, one of the older boys, is the protagonist of the novel who at first is overjoyed to be on a tropical island free from adult restraints. He is neither the smartest nor the strongest but has a kind of quiet charisma and good looks. He tries to keep the boys focused on trained order and the rules of civilization but loses his authority and almost his life to Jack’s, the antagonist of the story, seizure of power. By nature, he is an innocent, mild- temp ered boy who accepts leadership when it is thrown at him. He portrayed as a democratic leader who tries to keep the boys together on the island.Ralph has courage when the occasion demands it, but he really longs for the secure world of grown-ups, especially when order starts breaking down on the island. He dreams about a rescue and insists the signal fire burn at all times so that they can be seen. There’s conflict. Ralph knows that the main reason for the disorder on the island is Jack, representation of evil in the novel. There is a constant conflict between the two boys. Ralph stands for civilized ideals, while Jack leads a tribe of savages and lapses into primitive rituals. In the midst of the savagery, Ralph holds on to rationality and the hope of rescue.There is only one occasion when Ralph lapses into mild savagery; it occurs when he joins the ritual dance at the feast, the same feast where Simon is killed. The guilt that Ralph experiences as an outcome of his being a part of Simon's death is unbearable. It forces him to totally accept the fallen nature of all mankind. Armed with the truth, like Simon before him, he becomes the hunted animal, full of desperation and despair. Only civilization, which appears in the form of the naval officer, can save Ralph from the savagery that surrounds him. Lord of the Flies Bianca Adams Ms. Knapp Honors English 16 April 2013 Lord of the Flies: Formal Essay The Bible is the number one selling book in the world almost every year. Christianity has had a huge influence on literature, and music today. A commonly known rapper named Tupac often uses God in his music. For example in his song â€Å"Only God Can Judge Me† he says â€Å"Oh my Lord, tell me what I'm livin for everybody’s droppin got me knockin on heaven's door.Even though American Schools are secular environments, the Bible is still often represented in the curriculum. In the novel there are many ways to show that there’s an allegory towards the Bible. For example, William Golding uses his characters in the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† to symbolize Biblical ideas. In chapter 1 when the plane crashes with the choir boys, Ralph removes his clothes and bathes in the water, which shows an act of Baptism. Baptism is something that happens so your sins can be washed away.Al so the snake thing being referred to all the time in the book can relate to Satan in the garden of Eden. Satan often described himself as serpent. But unlike Adam & Eve the boys from the plane crash were mistaken about the creature. They were even unable to recognize the danger of evil within themselves that propels them to violence. Such as torturing the pigs in such a cruel way just to satisfy their hunger. Simon is the Christ figure Lord of the flies Slipping Away William Gilding states â€Å"†¦ The shape of society must depend on the ethical nature of the Individual. † In Lord of the Flies when he brings two tribes of boys together to sustain an island surrounded by evil (204). Upon analyzing Gildings characters, we can see that the boys stranded on the island are willing to do anything to anyone in order to survive. Despite the evil in Roger and Jack, the innocence and good in Piggy and Ralph surfaces.When we look at the way Gilding describes the boys on the Island, we can all twice the change within all of them. In the beginning of the novel the kids are innocent British school boys, but later Jack transforms into a child whoso obsessed with hunting. Jack is only interested in torturing and killing the pig when he â€Å"raised his spear and sneaked forward† (135). Just how much one can change because of their surroundings. Ralph and Jack have tension between them most of the time because Ralph can clearly se e the transformation within Jack.Because of the darkness In Jack, it highlights the Innocence In Piggy when he believes â€Å"[they'd] hurt he next telling. ,. And that's [him]† (93). Piggy feels that without any reason no one would survive on the island. Because of the chaos on the island, Piggy's constantly paranoid. In a world of destruction, the worst comes out from the good. As we observe Roger, we can infer the changes he comes across. As Jack and Roger are trying to kill Ralph, they set the island on fire. When the twins are being held captive by Roger, they explain to Ralph how â€Å"they hate [him]† (188).Jack and Roger were childish enough to set their environment on fire Just to get what they want. They want the rest of the boys to be on their side and in order to do that they have to exile Ralph. Clinton 2 While Jack and Roger are trying to find Ralph, Sam n Eric find him first and warn him how â€Å"[Rorer's] a terror† (189). Roger is the one in cha rge of murdering Ralph or Jack would be the one â€Å"sharpening the stick. † The island Is obviously changing more than one of the boys. Not only do bad things happen to good people, but good people can turn bad.When Piggy and Ralph find the rest of the boys, Ralph starts mentally hurting Piggy. Piggy's insecurities show when they talk about him â€Å"being called Piggy† (25). With this Ralph goes behind Piggy's back and tells the tribe his name is â€Å"Piggy. † Ralph is displaying his callousness to Piggy now that the rest of the boys are there. He's trying to come off's the leader type for the first time impression. In the same scene when thieve Introducing themselves, Ralph continues to push Piggy around by telling him to â€Å"go back, and take names. That's your job. So long† (157).Ralph turns bossy and thinks he can tell everyone what to do and how to do it. Piggy feels that Ralph thinks he's better than him to show off for the rest of the tribe. Ralph believes that now he's chief he doesn't have to do any of the hard work and he can make everyone else do it. All Piggy wants is for Ralph to have his back and be his friend. However, Plays being the only voice of reason makes him the weak target. In the speak† (44). The rest of the boys believe they can push piggy around. He feels unwanted and nobody understands him and his needs.He notices Ralph becoming angry when he's constantly shouting â€Å"shut up† at him. Not only does Piggy have ideas to get off the island alive, but nobody acknowledges him. He believes they are turning against each other and attacking. The tribes think being on the island is a lot of fun. Piggy thinks â€Å"rules are they only thing [they've] got† (91). Piggy Just wants to be friends with everyone, but since they pick on him and Hess so gullible, that can't happen. He thinks â€Å"the world is slipping away' when the boys become something they aren't (204).Ultimately, the good in Ralph and Piggy comes out do to the darkness in Jack and Roger. In the novel, William Gilding places two tribes of boy to survive the evil within themselves on an Clinton 3 island. They need to be able to handle themselves and each other in order to get off the island alive. William Gilding discusses how â€Å"the theme is an attempt to trace the defects of human society back to the defects of human nature† (204). He figured that if he put a group of boys in the wild to survive with only the clothes on their backs, they would turn into savages. Lord of the Flies Bianca Adams Ms. Knapp Honors English 16 April 2013 Lord of the Flies: Formal Essay The Bible is the number one selling book in the world almost every year. Christianity has had a huge influence on literature, and music today. A commonly known rapper named Tupac often uses God in his music. For example in his song â€Å"Only God Can Judge Me† he says â€Å"Oh my Lord, tell me what I'm livin for everybody’s droppin got me knockin on heaven's door.Even though American Schools are secular environments, the Bible is still often represented in the curriculum. In the novel there are many ways to show that there’s an allegory towards the Bible. For example, William Golding uses his characters in the novel â€Å"Lord of the Flies† to symbolize Biblical ideas. In chapter 1 when the plane crashes with the choir boys, Ralph removes his clothes and bathes in the water, which shows an act of Baptism. Baptism is something that happens so your sins can be washed away.Al so the snake thing being referred to all the time in the book can relate to Satan in the garden of Eden. Satan often described himself as serpent. But unlike Adam & Eve the boys from the plane crash were mistaken about the creature. They were even unable to recognize the danger of evil within themselves that propels them to violence. Such as torturing the pigs in such a cruel way just to satisfy their hunger. Simon is the Christ figure

Friday, September 27, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 13

Marketing - Essay Example My understanding of insurance and reinsurance companies, pension, stock exchanges, leasing and lending companies was also increased. In addition, marketing knowledge enable me to know different ways that I can use to create value, and not just products. In addition to the above lessons, at the end of the chapter I appreciated the role of technology which has shaped marketing and in the end, affected the financial service delivery positively. This happened because the marketers identified essential issues like the product element, place and time, process and productivity and quality. I also learned on the financial service environment. I learnt three main lessons; first I developed knowledge on essential external influences that affect the financial services. These include global financial crisis like high risk lending and US led systematic disaster (Madura, 2010, 31). Second, I learnt to appreciate the roles of the environment scanning in the marketing of financial services. The majo r roles include, encouraging the competitors, avoiding credit crisis, to address the externalities and protecting the investor. I learnt that these can easily be done through systematic methods that are used in the analysis of the macro environment for financial investments. The analysis can only be done on political, socio-cultural, economic and technological variables. Lastly, I gained knowledge on how to integrate a stakeholder perspective into environment scanning. This is because markets are only concerned with coming up with strategies that can ensure success in financial services. Therefore, environmental scanning is essential in establishing the most suitable place for financial investments. These lessons have enabled me to developing coping strategies and skills. For sure, I can now face predicaments and challenges wholeheartedly because I know a change in tactics will be enough to propel me through the course. I can now analyse different situations and give judgment based on the context. Lessons on the market mix and financial services were equally necessary. This is because I gained insight on the management of the customer relationship. This I realized can only be undertaken by managing people, price, product promotion and place. Thus, to the service mix, I got to know that other 4ps of process, people and physical evidence must form part. This knowledge further increased my understanding of the way financial institutions like banks win the trust of their customers. Indeed I learnt that it is only through market mix that they can promote their core and augmented services like internet banking and loans. I have increased my management and leadership skills (Madura, 2010, 35). I now know that, as a good leader, I must be a manager of myself, and a leader of people around me. I have developed strong understanding skills, and now I accept ideas and view of the significant others provided that they are consistent with my standards and values. Indeed I h ad knowledge on branding. However, I did not know how I can build and sustain financial branding. Thus, lectures on the same subject were necessary as part of my course plan. Certainly, I know appreciate how branding theory applies to the marketing of financial services. Secondly, I now appreciate the way branding contributes to the promotion of the financial service

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Shifting Paradigms In The Automotive Industry Essay

Shifting Paradigms In The Automotive Industry - Essay Example The reduction could be due to the combination of an increase in taxes and inflation with a decrease in the income levels. The cars could become less affordable and be perceived as luxury goods (Hubbard, 2004). For the people who have the ability to afford the automobile, they could require tailor made products that meet their needs. This could lead to the reduction of skilled labor with the expertise in the automobile industry. The market share could reduce, skilled labor shortage could occur, and there could be an increase in the demand of tailor made automotive products. The second scenario could be in the manufacturing of high tech automotive products. There could be a need to fit the automotive with devices that could allow drivers to access the internet. The consumers could want the automotive to have the software installed, which could allow them to personalize the interface features of the machine during driving (Ginsberg, 2008). The younger people who form a major part of mid dle-income earners could demand internet connectivity on their automobiles. This could be a compulsory feature for all the automotive if there is a need for a strong and large market share. There could be a need for the development of new business models aimed at the production of high tech automotive products. A valuable strategy for Better Place could better work for the company, in order to gain a large market share and for the production of high tech automotive (Automotive Industrial Strategy).

The Origin of the Moon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Origin of the Moon - Essay Example The earliest theory among them is that â€Å"earth had somehow spawned the moon† out (Schrunk, 1). George Darwin, son of the biological evolution theorist, Charles Darwin, had proposed this theory known as â€Å"fission hypothesis† in 1878 (Schrunk,1). This theory was based on the logic that as moon is gradually moving away from the earth (because the time taken by moon to make one revolution around the earth goes on increasing), logically it can be concluded that this is the continuation of an outward momentum initiated by the fission. Hence it is concluded that once moon might have been â€Å"closer to the earth than it is now† (Schrunk, 1). The reason for the split is also well-explained in fission theory. It is speculated that some kind of gravitational imbalance within the earth caused by its previous shape might have made it spit out a piece which became moon. The fission theory is supported by the fact that the core matter of moon is â€Å"not as massive as the earth’s† and also that same nonradioactive stable oxygen isotopes are found on the â€Å"terrestrial rocks† of both earth and moon (Gergo, 4,5). Thus this theory speculates that it was from the less dense mantle of the earth that moon was broken away as a separate entity. The weakness of fission theory is that there is a scientifically proven minimum distance near to the earth below which moon cannot exist in solid form and can exist only as â€Å"a ring of debris† (Schrunk, 1). Hence moon could never be close to earth within this minimum distance and continue to exist as a solid cosmic body. After proving this in 1873, Edouard Roche contested fission hypothesis and put forth the â€Å"co-accretion† theory (Schrunk, 1). Co-accretion theory said that earth and moon most probably might have been formed â€Å"at the same time, in the same neighborhood of the solar system† (Schrunk, 2). This is an assumption based on the similarities in st ructure between earth and moon like the presence of oxygen isotopes. A third theory on the origin of moon was proposed by Thomas.J.J.See (qtd in Schrunk) who theorized that â€Å"moon was †¦ a captured satellite† (Schrunk, 2). This theory was supported by one fact which came to light in that period. It was proven that at least some of the satellites of Saturn and Jupiter might have been captured ones (Schrunk, 2). See’s theory later came to be called as â€Å"capture hypothesis† (Schrunk, 2). This theory says that owing to the gravitational dynamics within and around the area where now the solar system exists, the orbit of moon (which was then far away from the earth) came near the earth (Schrunk, 2). And earth captured moon into becoming its satellite. The fourth and latest hypothesis on the origin of moon is known as â€Å"planetesimal impact hypothesis† and this theory has evolved combining certain features of all the three theories on the origin of moon that were proposed before it (Schrunk, 2). This hypothesis takes the idea that earth was hit by a â€Å"pre-planetory body† of the size of Mars, from the capture hypothesis (Schrunk, 2). It also brings in the argument that this collision had forced out, a huge quantity of debris which is a proposition put forward by the fission hypothesis (Schrunk, 2). And finally the â€Å"planetesimal impact hypothesis† also concludes that this debris â€Å"condensed into moon,† as was suggested partially by the co-accretion hypothesis (Schrunk, 2). The collision is supposed to have happened around 100 million years after the formation of the earth (Wilkinson, 73). This great impct is also thought to have caused the tipping of the axis of the earth and â€Å"inaugurated the seasons† on earth (Wilkinson, 73). This is the theory on moon’s origin which has gained the maximum approval. This is also in the context of many

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Critical analysis of ralph ellison's discrimination Research Paper

Critical analysis of ralph ellison's discrimination - Research Paper Example learns that the government and society promote and condone racism, and that racism stifles the ability of black people to reach their full potential as human beings. The government creates laws and institutions that promote institutional racism. Schools should be a place for equal learning, but Ellison reveals its true purpose: â€Å"[it was a] new public school †¦exclusively for whites† (Ellison page 66 par. 1). Blacks and whites are equally paying their taxes, but the public systems prefer to serve the whites. Clearly, the education is geared toward the education of the dominant race and aims to leave the poor minorities in a deep level of ignorance. Furthermore, Ellison’s daily experiences toward his school reflect the disparaging gap, not only between the rich and the poor, but between whites and blacks. He talks about the route of a â€Å"viaduct,† warehouses,† and â€Å"docks, even a â€Å"red-light district† on the way to school (Ellison 66.2). This kind of route is not appropriate for young students, but apparently, the blacks are located far enough from school and near their workplaces. The settin g indicates social segregation, where the whites have placed the blacks in their proper place. In addition, the government controls public entertainment spaces. Ellison wants to go to the zoo, but it is suddenly closed to black children. He wants to understand the reason why he cannot see the zoo, while white children can, but her mother says: â€Å"Quit asking questions, it’s the law†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ellison 66.4). The idea of no longer questioning the law indicates the political powerlessness of the blacks. When public spaces are white spaces, the government further entrenches the blacks in poverty and powerlessness. Society condones racism because of its inability to integrate the whites and the minorities as equals. The red-light district symbolizes the peripheral and subordinate treatment of blacks. The black prostitutes feed the white men’s desire, which reflects

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Same-sex Marriage in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Same-sex Marriage in the United States - Essay Example Each and every individual have different views regarding the same-sex marriage. It is very much unfortunate that there are several growing stigmas that are attached to the topic. The identification of same-sex couple is highly established in several countries. Denmark is the first nation who legalized same-sex marriage. Nowadays, the supreme court of US also legalized the same sex marriage concept. According to the new rules and regulations, same-sex couples can adopt a child in their family or they can take a baby through the artificial process. According to the Goldberg’s survey, it is evident that there are three kinds of reactions that are coming up. One respondent group about this topic is addressing that the legalization of same-sex marriage can be harmful to the society (Nagle 34). On the other hand, the other group of respondents has said that in order to save the human rights and moral ethics, the federal government of America needs to pass the demand of same-sex coup le. Both the two groups of viewers have several negative connotations as advocates have framed the issues successfully as one of the critical human rights. It is true that the marriage conflict come under the civil law. Marriage law in the US is more than a state matter. It is considered as the federal matter. According to the oppositions the enlarging marriage rights of same-sex couples can undercut the conservative purpose of marriage. The study has been executed in order to understand the critical issues that are involved in the debate. The study will help to find several reasons by which the study can conclude that same-sex marriage should not be legalized in the US. Opponents of same-sex marriage have argued that altering the conventional definition of marriage as between two opposite-sex individuals will weaken a threatened institution. Legalizing same-sex marriage is a kind of slippery slope that may guide to interspecies and polygamous marriages. It is true that the same-sex couples are not capable to procreate. There is no undeniable interest to subsidize their marriage. It can be argued by several individuals that the happiness of these same-sex couples can be enhanced through the same-sex marriage. Moreover, it can be argued that the federal government of the United States should subsidize the same sex marriage in order to make the same-sex couples happy (Spilsbury 121). It is known to all that the same-sex couples are unable to reproduce themselves. Same-sex marriage is not an issue of civil rights. Same-sex marriage is a question of whether or not the government should encourage and subsidize the same-sex marriage. Looking into the natural instincts, it can be stated that same-sex marriage will affect the balance of a community or a society. According to several studies and research works, the majority of the citizens of America have opposed the concept of same-sex marriage. According to the survey, it is evident that the same-sex marriage is not natural. The children resulting from this kind of marriage are also not natural.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Evaluate what Technological Needs & Barriers do International Students Research Paper

Evaluate what Technological Needs & Barriers do International Students face in accessing the Library Services at Bournemouth Uni - Research Paper Example Assumptions by quantitative purist are in consistent with positivist philosophy. This implies that, social observations should be considered as entities in the same manner physical phenomena are treated by physical scientists. In addition to that, quantitative purists argue that, entities subjected to observation are separate from the observer. Moreover, they write that, inquiries in social sciences need to be objective. Therefore, context-free and time generalizations are necessary and social scientific results real causes should be in a position to be determined validly and reliably (Foley 2010, p.18). On the contrary, qualitative purists are not in support of positivism. Qualitative purists are also referred to as interpretivists and constructivists. This group is in support of idealism, humanism, constructivism, relativism, postmodernism and hermeneutics superiority. Unlike quantitative purists, they contend that, content-free and time generalizations are neither possible nor rel iable. In addition to that, they put across that, any research has a bound value. As a result, it is quite difficult to fully differentiate effects and causes, and the flow of logic follows a particular pattern. That is, from specific to general. For example, through the utilization of the collected data, explanations can be inductively generated. Furthermore, knower cannot be alienated from known. This is because knower being subjective acts as a basis of reality (Johnson and Onwuegbuzie 2004, p.14). There are differences between inductive and deductive logic. In deductive logic, a researcher utilizes large volumes of information and comes up with conclusions. On the other hand, inductive logic generalizes information using a single information piece. Rationale for the Research Methodology Utilization of mixed methods helps in bridging the division that exists between qualitative and quantitative research. The research focusing on an aspect that is specific, it is therefore signifi cant to utilize mixed method. Qualitative research will emphasize on interpretive knowledge. The knowledge is remarkably essential in the public relations and marketing communications field. For purposes of answering survey questions and obtaining of data that is deductive, quantitative method will be of great value (Daymon & Holloway 2002). In addition to that, data collection and analysis in qualitative responses that are embedded can aid in explaining and augmenting survey responses that are contradictory or complex. Moreover, qualitative methods are essential in removing bias. As a matter of fact, they help the researcher in testing or empirically justifying their affirmed hypothesis. Despite the benefits, the mixed method has its own limitations and challenges. For instance, the conversion of qualitative data into quantitative form results to loss of data flexibility and depth. Similarly, data that is quantified is one-dimensional and fixed. This means that, they have a limited response that represents a conceptual group that is determined before data is collected from the field. Research Methodology The research design proposed is that of mixed method. It will be accomplished in twofold phases. The first phase comprises of a process that is qualitative for purposes of data analysis and collection. The second phase will comprise a quantitative process. The process will aid in obtaining data that is

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The history of ligers dates Essay Example for Free

The history of ligers dates Essay The history of ligers dates to at least the early 19th century in India. In 1798, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772–1844) made a colour plate of the offspring of a lion and a tiger. In 1825, G. B. Whittaker made an engraving of liger cubs born in 1824.[3] The parents and their three liger offspring are also depicted with their trainer in a 19th-century painting in the naà ¯ve style. Two liger cubs born in 1837 were exhibited to King William IV and to his successor Queen Victoria. On 14 December 1900 and on 31 May 1901, Carl Hagenbeck wrote to zoologist James Cossar Ewart with details and photographs of ligers born at the Hagenbecks Tierpark in Hamburg in 1897. In Animal Life and the World of Nature (1902–1903), A.H. Bryden described Hagenbecks lion-tiger hybrids: It has remained for one of the most enterprising collectors and naturalists of our time, Mr. Carl Hagenbeck, not only to breed, but to bring successfully to a healthy maturity, specimens of this rare alliance between those two great and formidable felidae, the lion and tiger. The illustrations will indicate sufficiently how fortunate Mr. Hagenbeck has been in his efforts to produce these hybrids. The oldest and biggest of the animals shown is a hybrid born on the 11th May, 1897. This fine beast, now more than five years old, equals and even excels in his proportions a well-grown lion, measuring as he does from nose tip to tail 10 ft 2 inches in length, and standing only three inches less than 4 ft at the shoulder. A good big lion will weigh about 400 lb [] the hybrid in question, weighing as it does no less than 467 lb, is certainly the superior of the most well-grown lions, whether wild-bred or born in a menagerie. This animal shows faint striping and mottling, and, in its characteristics, exhibits strong traces of both its parents. It has a somewhat lion-like head, and the tail is more like that of a lion than of a tiger. On the other hand, it has no trace of mane. It is a huge and very powerful beast.[4] In 1935, four ligers from two litters were reared in the Zoological Gardens of Bloemfontein, South Africa. Three of them, a male and two females, were still living in 1953. The male weighed 340 kg (750 lb) and stood a foot and a half (45 cm) taller than a full grown male lion at the shoulder. Although ligers are more commonly found than tigons today, in At Home In The Zoo (1961), Gerald Iles wrote For the record I must say that I have never seen a liger, a hybrid obtained by crossing a lion with a tigress. They seem to be even rarer than tigons. Size and growth The liger is often believed to represent the largest known cat in the world.[1] Males reach a total length of 3 to 3.5 m,[6][7] meaning they are the size of large Siberian tiger males.[8] Imprinted genes may be a factor contributing to huge liger size.[9] These are genes that may or may not be expressed on the parent they are inherited from, and that occasionally play a role in issues of hybrid growth. For example, in some dog breed crosses, genes that are expressed only when maternally-inherited cause the young to grow larger than is typical for either parent breed. This growth is not seen in the paternal breeds, as such genes are normally counteracted by genes inherited from the female of the appropriate breed.[10] Other big cat hybrids can reach similar sizes; the litigon, a rare hybrid of a male lion and a female tiglon, is roughly the same size as the liger, with a male named Cubanacan (at the Alipore Zoo in India) reaching 363 kg (800 lb).[11] The extreme rarity of these second-generation hybrids may make it difficult to ascertain whether they are larger or smaller, on average, than the liger. It is wrongly believed that ligers continue to grow throughout their lives due to hormonal issues.[citation needed] It may be that they simply grow far more during their growing years and take longer to reach their full adult size. Further growth in shoulder height and body length is not seen in ligers over 6 years old, same as both lions and tigers. Male ligers also have the same levels of testosterone on average as an adult male lion, yet areazoospermic in accordance with Haldanes rule. In addition, female ligers may also attain great size, weighing approximately 320 kg (705 lb) and reaching 3.05 m (10 ft) long on average, and are often fertile. In contrast,pumapards (hybrids between pumas and leopards) tend to exhibit dwarfism. Hercules and Sinbad[ Jungle Island, an interactive animal theme park in Miami, is home to a liger named Hercules, the largest non-obese liger, who is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest living cat on Earth, weighing over 410 kg (904 lb).[12] Hercules was featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360, Inside Edition and in a Maxim article in 2005, when he was only three years old and already weighed 408.25 kg (900 lb). Hercules is healthy and is expected to live a long life. The cats breeding is said to have been a complete accident. Sinbad, another liger, was shown on the National Geographic Channel. Sinbad was reportedly similar in weight to Hercules. Longevity[Shasta, a ligress (female liger) was born at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City on 14 May 1948 and died in 1972 at age 24.[citation needed] Valley of the Kings animal sanctuary in Wisconsin had a male liger named Nook who weighed around 550 kg (1,213 lb), and died in 2007, at 21 years old. Hobbs, a male liger at the Sierra Safari Zoo in Reno, Nevada, lived to almost 15 years of age before succumbing to liver failure and weighed in at 410 kilograms (900 lb). Fertility The fertility of hybrid big cat females is well documented across a number of different hybrids. This is in accordance with Haldanes rule: in hybrids of animals whose sex is determined by sex chromosomes, if one sex is absent, rare or sterile, it is the heterogametic sex (the one with two different sex chromosomes e.g. X and Y). According to Wild Cats of the World (1975) by C. A. W. Guggisberg, ligers and tigons were long thought to be sterile: in 1943, a fifteen-year-old hybrid between a lion and an Island tiger was successfully mated with a lion at the Munich Hellabrunn Zoo. The female cub, though of delicate health, was raised to adulthood.[13] In September 2012, the Russian Novosibirsk Zoo announced the birth of a liliger, which is the offspring of a liger mother and a lion father. The cub was named Kiara. Appearance Colour plate of the offspring of a lion and tiger, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire Ligers have a tiger-like striped pattern that is very faint upon a lionesque tawny background. In addition they may inherit rosettes from the lion parent (lion cubs are rosetted and some adults retain faint markings). These markings may be black, dark brown or sandy. The background colour may be correspondingly tawny, sandy or golden. In common with tigers, their underparts are pale. The actual pattern and colour depends on which subspecies the parents were and on how the genes interact in the offspring. White tigers have been crossed with lions to produce white (actually pale golden) ligers. In theory, white tigers could be crossed with white lions to produce white, very pale or even stripeless ligers. There are no black ligers. Very few melanistic tigers have ever been recorded, most being due to excessive markings (pseudo-melanism or abundism) rather than true melanism; no reports of black lions have ever been substantiated. As blue or Maltese Tigers probably no longer exist, grey or blue ligers are exceedingly improbable. It is not impossible for a liger to be white, but it is very rare Ligers in the wild: It is unlikely a mating of this type would ever occur in the wild, for a number of reasons. Firstly, lion and tiger habitats do not meet, though youll often hear claims that they overlap in one area of the world, this being the Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary in Bangladesh. The truth is tigers are not found within 100 miles of Gir Forest. Within the sanctuary itself is the only lion subspecies found outside of Africa. This is the very rare Asiatic lion (only a few hundred remain and they face extinction). The lion rules in Gir Forest and no tigers are found there. Tigers are not found in Africa, and are restricted to Asia. Though it is conceivable that a tiger may cross into lion territory, both species are so rare that it is highly unlikely the two would ever meet. On top of this, the Gir Forest is surrounded by farming and agriculture. The lions within the sanctuary are effectively captive in the wild and tigers do not like to cross large stretches of open ground. What would happen if the two species did meet? The very solitary tiger would be little inclined to join in with the more social pride of lions. Apart from periods of mating, tigers even go out of their way to avoid their own species. The Tigon is a hybrid cross between a male Tiger and a female Lion WHY ARE LIGERS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN TIGONS? The large size of the liger and small size of the tigon is due to genomic imprinting the unequal expression of genes depending on parent of origin i.e. whether certain growth genes are inherited from the male or the female. This is linked to the species lifestyle and breeding strategy whether the female mates with only one male while in heat (non-competitive) or whether she mates with many males (competitive). This results in growth dysplasia. The following explanation is greatly simplified as a number of other genes are contributed unequally by the male and female parents and also affect the general health and longevity of the offspring. Lions live in prides led by several adult males. The lionesses mate with each of those males. Each male wants his offspring to be the ones to survive, but the females genes want multiple offspring to survive. The fathers genes promote size of the offspring to ensure that his offspring out-compete any other offspring in the womb at the same time. Genes from the female inhibit growth to ensure that as many offspring as possible survive and that they all have an equal chance. By contrast, tigers are largely solitary and a female on heat normally only mates with one male. There is no competition for space in the womb so the male tigers genes do not need to promote larger offspring. There is therefore no need for the female to compensate, so the offsprings growth goes uninhibited. When a male lion mates with a tigress, his genes promote large offspring because lions are adapted to a competitive breeding strategy. The tigress does not inhibit the growth because she is adapted to a non-competitive strategy. Therefore the offspring (liger) grows larger and stronger than either parent because the effects do not cancel each other out. Ligers take several years to reach full adult size, but it is a myth that ligers never stop growing. When a male tiger mates with a lioness, his genes are not promoting large growth of the offspring because he is adapted to a non-competitive breeding strategy. However, the lioness is adapted to a competitive strategy and her genes inhibit the growth of the offspring. This uneven match means that the offspring (tigons) are often smaller and less robust than either parent. Growth dysplasia has other effects: the size of the placenta may be affected (causing miscarriage), the embryo may be aborted at an early stage due to abnormal growth, the cub may be stillborn or may only survive a few days. In some rodents, mating Species A males with Species B females produces offspring half normal size, but mating Species B males with Species A females cause the offspring to be aborted as they try to grow to several times the normal size. Because of the impossibility of a gene being inherited from only females, there is a competing hypothesis. This hypothesis (allthough not tested) is that the Lions sperm is damaged somehow during fertilization and that a growth inhibiting gene is typically destroyed. It is impossible for a gene carried on a chromosomes to be passed along only from the mother. The reason for this is there are no chromosomes that only a female can have. Female Tigons and Female Ligers both possess a tiger X chromosme and a lion X chromosome, yet only the female Ligers will grow large, this means something must happen to either alter the genes or that the cause of the growth dysplasia lies at least partially outside of the genes. Another possible hypothesis is that the growth dysplasia results from the interaction between lion genes and tiger womb enviroment. The tiger produces a hormone that sets the fetal Liger on a pattern of growth that does not end throughout his life. The hormonal hypothesis is that the cause of the male Ligers growth is his sterility essentially, the male liger remains in the pre-pubertal growth phase. This is not upheld by behavioural evidence despite being sterile, many male ligers become sexually mature and mate with females. In addition, female ligers also attain great size but are fertile.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Italian Neorealism And Bicycle Thieves Film Studies Essay

Italian Neorealism And Bicycle Thieves Film Studies Essay It is evident that Italian Neorealism and the life of post-war shaped DeSisas film Bicycle Thieves (1948). However, with much debate, one can argue that the sentimental nature of the film overwhelms the films potential to make a powerful political statement. With reference to important scenes from the film, Italian neorealist principles focused on; location, lighting, typage, dà ©cor, loose camera shots, eye-level angles, invincible editing and reportage, as well as and the usage of sentiment One can justifiably claim that the powerful political statement is not overwhelmed by sentiment, and in fact enhances the message the film aims to give off. The uniqueness of the Italian works, vise-a-visa other relevant cineamas, lies in their stylistic organization of elements of apparent rawness, their emotional intensity, and their focus on current political and social problems. (P. Adams Sitney, 1995) Thus, one is able to identify Italian Neorealism as the harmonizing of sentiment (emotional intensity) and awareness of political and social problems through Neorealist principles, which inevitably feeds off from an happening that affected the world, and specifically as we see in the history influence in this film; Italy. This change in society brought about characteristics and principles which became noticeable in cinema during this time period. These principles not only molded the film Bicycle Thieves, but were used to bring about a message to the audience. A message which was not overwhelmed by emotional rawness but a message of a social movement awareness reflected through cinema. Neorealism was not only what I came to see as a propaganda device, but an influential and significant movement in film history, which occurred in Italy at the ending of World War II. (John Stubbs, 2010: pg 1) Italy moved from fascism and dictatorship, whereby much was revolved around a single-party position as one can clearly see in the Holocaust, to an equal and democratic society. Here we see this so effectively reflected through Bicycle Thieves when converging neorealist principles, the idea of sentiment to enhance the political statement and the apparent rawness which adds power to the social conditions Through the overall statement to justifiably prove that sentiment was not a downfall to DeSicas focus. The filmmakers and directors clearly believed they had an ethical task to use cinema and film as a means to promote the social amendment that had just occurred post the war. Ideally, it wasnt so much about the storyline of the film and its characters, but more about making the public aware of the difficulties that working people had to face. Here we see a Marxist approach on the rebuilding of Italy whereby unlike the mythology of Classic Hollywood, no single person can change the world and the ultimate society would inevitably be a classless society, as Leo Tolstroy (1882) successfully explains; Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself, for when everyone changes themselves, the world will change.   Neorealisms origin of strength lies in the documentary excellence which is used to portray the realism of the story as realism can only occupy in art from a dialectal position. (Andrà © Bazin, 1971) One might speculate what Bicycle Thieves would be like in colour, however the black and white aspect highlights the tone of the film being a bleak, depressing emotion contrary to the usage of colour which would highlight liveliness and energy and go against the tone of the film. Black and white not only attaches an emotion, but is a form of rebellion to genre and movements that found success in colour. Thus, clearly showing that the sentiment brings about the tone of the film which enhances the message of presenting the gloomy conditions of poverty in post-war Italy. Andre Bazin (1971: 20) describes this through referring to the term reconstituted reportage. Reconstituted reportage is seen through how the every day events are shown, and the daily happenings which would have and did happen in Italy at that period of time. This adds, as discussed above, far more truth to the film and is not the making of a documentary but rather shown and seen in a documentary-type way through with which Bazin (1971) refers to as a journalistic style. Bicycle Thieves has gives off a documentary experience to the audience which could not be removed from the script without thereby eliminating the whole social setting into which its roots are so deeply sunk (Bazin, 1971: 20). Bazin (1971) points out that realism and truth in film is a product of artifice. Truth is an important principle of neorealism, as truth brings realism; the more believable the film is to the audience, the more truthful it is thus, it is seen as realistic. We see this through DeSicas film techniques extensively set out to enhance the opportunity for the audience to live in the story. The real location shooting aids far more freedom and looseness for mise-en-scene, to such an extend that the camera-man is unsure what to look for. An example from the film can be seen when Antonio and Bruno walk away from a car in the street, meander in the streets for a bit heading in the same direction and then suddenly they both go the opposite way. As a viewer, the focus of the camera comes across somewhat as uncertain as the viewer experiences when watching a film for the first time. Here we see how such a camera technique can enhance realism and the opportunity for the audience to experience it. Another technique which is so different to Eisensteins Battleships Potempkin (1925) is that montage is avoided due to jump cutting, removing a sense of truth and realism, with noting that montage is, if anything, modifies realism. This can be seen through the truth of the characters the aesthetics of realism; lighting, location, dà ©cor, camera shots, camera angles and editing. This not only brings about authenticity but also creates a much stronger message for the audience. In Bicycle Thieves, there is a correlation between truth and sentiment, and truth and the political statement Which are justifiably both used in this film without over powering one another (balance) in order to positively enhance the films message. Inevitably, in order for a director to get an actual event (post-war) understood by his audience truth and realism is the most effective approach. Neorealism focuses on the characters and themes without much focus on the plot itself as the plot is seen to warp the truth about people if focus is too much on the execution statement and not the input which is the reasoning for the statement and the very focal point the viewers need exposure to (John Stubbs, 2010: pg 4) Thus, the film wouldve not only been monotonous if there was no sentiment (due to there not being enough material if there was no storyline about characters and a central theme), but to know and understand a situation, one must be put in a stance where one has the opportunity of learning a huge amount about the faith and frustrations of a human being. Equally, a monotonous film due to no sentiment from characters and a central theme, is inevitably a failed film. Through this, neorealists are able to portray truth to a greater extend through bringing about simplicity yet a means of understanding the real life through everyday characters and a central theme (getting t he bicycle back); a main appeal in films even today. Likewise, without sentiment, we wouldnt be exposed to a equilibrium between objective shots of each of the characters and subjective shots showing the audience the characters point-of-view in the social and political conditions they are experiencing. One can also agree that the sentiment aids the whole use of Neorealism principles. Without characters, loose shots wouldnt be blatant to the audience (also in comparison to the few novelty used close-up shots) as loose shots show freedom, which thus emphasizes truth and realism. The storyline being as simple as the search for a bicycle, doesnt take the political statement too far away from the message. Likewise, the actual characters in the film are everyday normal people. We can see this through the workman being found in the factory, the child being found wondering around the streets and the wife being found through her writing. (Andre Bazin, 1971) This is known as Typage whereby there is no star system which immediately creates a far more realistic/truth approach and feel. Similarly, the locations and dà ©cor are real and not built-up or made-up, the lighting is natural which attempts to present reality as it is, the editing is invincible which enhances truth and the camera is free which is unrestricted and brings about a far more convincing viewing. Neorealists not only conformed to such techniques for that these techniques best suited execution of maximum realism in cinema, but is a cinema movement which brought about much rebellion too. Italian Neorealism had already provided a cinematic model for rebellion, both against the conventions imposed by the political and social states ideology (Mark Mesaros, 2010) and past cinema movements such as the success seen in montage in German Expressionism. With the storyline of the characters and the truth which is by principle brought about, I fully agree that it brings sentiment to the screens. However, it puts you (the audience) in a far more heart-felt and understanding position which I believe brings about the political statement in a far more expressive way, rather than a theoretical and cold approach. And as some agree, its not even sentimental its just painful. (The Internet Movie Database, 2010: retrieved 28 April) Instead of a cold theoretical approach which would entail no sentiment, we are introduced to a family who are ordinary and by no means are glamorous heros which is commonly seen in Classical Hollywood. Quite frankly, if we werent introduced to characters and the sentiment they bring, which play a role in this film, I personally dont think much of a political statement would be made as one needs interest to grasp a statement. As we see in Classic Hollywood, the emotional character identification influences the message of the film and is a central characteristic, contrary to Italian Neorealism where characters are everyday individuals who are put in a equal light which intention, also enhances the message this movement wishes to portray. The character of Ricci is the focus of the film, however we are not interested in him but rather what will happen next in the films sequence of events. And even though characters bring about sentiment and the viewer starts becoming attached to the ro le the characters plays, in Bicycle Thieves, Bruno the son unsentimentally still criticizes and looks down on his father. Noticeably very different to what we see in Classic Hollywood. In response to the representation of the political statement made in this film, we are clearly able to see this in noticeable scenes in the film. In the first scene, the camera follows Ricci from the unemployment gathering to his wife where the housing project is in the background, which is fully exhibited to the viewer showing the bleak conditions. We see the men and woman arguing about employment and shortage of water. This emphasis on long and medium shots which appeals to the truth in the film enhances the political message due to the events getting exhibited on a whole Whereas close up would bring more sentiment. Long and medium shots show the actor loosely framed in his environment and allow the viewer opportunity to look around in that environment with the added enhancement of the shots taken at eye level. As well as minimized jumps and shifts through editing to bring more real life to the cinema audience. Thus we see here that sentiment is not overwhelming the political statement, but rather the political statement is actually taking dominance in the shots. Of course DeSica did move in for close-up shots every now and then which becomes a novelty and is in effect very strong and holds the base to string along the story of the characters and the central object, which is needed to (as mentioned earlier) keep the audience interested and not bored. The central object being the bicycle. They are everywhere and yet treasured, and the shortcoming of the Ricci familys position is enforced when Antonios bicycle is stolen. Here, the object brings sentiment to enforce the political statement, and what I find even more interesting is how the title changed from Bicycle Thief to Bicycle Thieves as ultimately it becomes a vicious cycle of survival as one has to steal their own bicycle back from the thief, therefore becoming a thief resulting in thieves. This therefore constitutes to the message of the film, for the continuous battle of the haves and have-nots. Through the character of Antonio, it is the faith that drives him and allows him follow within his quest to find his stolen bicycle. Although DeSicas bleak realism of the post-war gives purpose to the central theme of the film, it is ultimately the conflict of human-optimism which gives the film and its political statement its power and without human sentiment, one can argue that the film would not produce affective power. If we look at three scenes, we are able to see how sentiment brings power to the political statement. In one scene we see Antonio and Maria trade in their bed linen. The camera moves away from them (long shot) and we see the heaps of bed-linen behind the counter-table. This immediately becomes a somewhat gloomy reminder of the extensive nature of unemployment while recognizing its effect on the heart of families household lives. Again we see how realistic the lighting is and how the framing is loose to incorporate the environmental conditions to promote the political message. In another scene we see Ricci reporting his bicycle stolen and is directed by the policeman to the piles of alike reported cases. His account and circumstances are not singular, and we see here how it is not only this family that is going through this but also a lot of people. (Note the title: Thieves and not Thief) Thus portraying the political message that goes beyond this familys personal sentiment. Here we are also shown how humanitarianism prohibited Ricci from pressing official charges anti the thief, and the same moral fiber that became apparent after he stole the bicycle. (Paul Baxa, 2011) He did what the thief did to him. One can argue that such a film was essential in Italy as through this family we have the opportunity of being a bystander to the horrendously forceful civil war amoungst fascists and its ongoing of killing and reprisals through seeing how this effects one, and how not only effecting this family but many others. Italy in post-war was in desperate need of healing and compassion even at the cost of a perceived injustice. (Paul Baxa, 2011) Like art, theatrical drama, writing and poetry cinema had the same power to reach to the masses, into their hearts and minds, and make them aware of the political and social conditions. Healing does not come from the government and leaders of the country, but comes from within the everyday man on the streets you and me. Thus, from the Riccis, those being affected by the war and living within such conditions as well as the audience viewing this film who can in many ways relate. In another scene, arguably the most sentimental scene yet what I believe portrays the political message more powerfully than any other- we see the father and sons relationship come to a mend. It is understood with looking into the Italian family lifestyle, that the father and sons relationship is by far the strongest and most special. Little Brunos appearance when taking his fathers hand in the last scene is merely a realistic point of life and is a means of facing life with your father an important part in Italian culture. With Bruno being the witness of the tragedy and finally coming to realize his father is not a hero after all (contrary to Classic Hollywood), much like the audience being a witness too, this scene gives off a sense of aggravation, mortification, paradox and most of all acceptance to survival. These sentimental feelings therefore expresses the political statement as this ending of when the father and son take hands, expresses manhood and the hardship of survival one needs to go through with still looking for a sense of acceptance. Bazin (1971) explains this father/son scene as reaching puberty. Up to that moment the man has been like a god to his son and their relations came under the heading of admiration. By the fathers actions of becoming a thief, the father has in doing so compromised all heroism that his son had seen in him. However, this scene is seen as acceptance not only in survival, but also acceptance of ones father and supposed role model. He will love him henceforth as a human being, shame and all. (Bazin, 1971: pg 54) This scene inevitabely becomes a deceptive one, as the truth and reality of this acceptance and now found happiness through the fathers wrong doings, depends all on the central object the bicycle. Bicycle Thieves therefore inevitably portrayed the political statement through expressing the social conditions without expressing solutions. One might argue that this is a downfall, however at this moment in time solutions were not theoretical and if healing was going to occur it was going to have to come from the people. Thus, this film is inevitably awareness that needs to be found in each individual, which will create its own solution. Much like the theme and characters inevitably creating a plot on its own in Neorealism. The neorealist approach doesnt have an inbuilt political statement solution, as the most widespread attribute of neorealism is; on location shooting and the feeling of truth. (John Stubbs, 2010) Exactly what Bicycle Thieves so effectively does. One must also remember when viewing this film in the 21st century that twenty-five percent of the Italian workforce was unemployed at the time (William Heuvel, 2008) and if you were employed, getting to work was with th e use of a bicycle. The object of the bicycle thus symbolized survival. In conclusion, one can therefore justifiably argue that the sentimental nature of Bicycle Thieves does not overwhelm the political statement but essentially enhances it. If the political statement made in the film was to feed off a means of a solution, and the solution could only be found in the common individual like the Riccis family then one needs to understand the individuals situation as well as have an opportunity to walk in their shoes. Through sentiment that is not overly used in this film, one can see the hardship for survival through the story of these characters in order to become aware, as well as stay intrigued. Without focalizing power of the central character but rather the political statement through the characters, this film uses The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic. (Joseph Stalin, 1953) to its advantage by effectively showing the tragedy of individuals with indication to the masses statistic through apparent rawness and emotional intensity focused on such political and social problems. (P. Adams Sitney, 1995)