William Shakespeare s The Tempest - 886 Words

In The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, there is a main issue of whether Prospero or Caliban have the better claim to control the island. In act 1, scene 2, we learn that Prospero, Miranda (his daughter), and Caliban are all located on an island. Caliban states, â€Å"This island’s mine by Sycorax my mother, (1.2.331), which means that he has inherited this island from his mother. However, critic Stephen Orgel has argued that â€Å"Power, as Prospero presents it in the play, is not inherited but self-created. . . . it derives from heaven† (208). On the other hand, critic Peter Hulme argues that Prospero’s only response to Caliban’s claim to the island is to call him a liar. This brings us to question who actually has the better claim to the island. In act 1, scene 2, Prospero refers to Caliban as â€Å"Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself† (1.2.319). One who is â€Å"devils-child† should not have the authority over an island. There fore, Prospero seems to be better fit for the job. At the same time, Caliban is pictured as a slave, which makes Prospero the master, or the upper hand. This too boosts Prospero’s argument. Prospero confronts Caliban by stating â€Å"In mine own cell till thou didst seek to violate / The honor of my child† (1.2. 346). Here we come to understand that Caliban had attempted to rape Prospero’s daughter, Miranda. Although Prospero never uses Caliban’s crime against his claim to the island, it is seen as an imperfection that a leader would not have. In act 1, scene 2,Show MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1267 Words   |  6 Pagesaudience. During the Enlightenment Era, William Shakespeare’s writing were a form of social commentary on the English Government. Endorsed by the king, Shakespeare’s works told tales of tragedy and whimsy, incorporating both fiction and nonfiction elements. One trademark of Shakespeare s plays were the subtle allusions to the concurrent events in the English government. This is evident in his well known and final play, The Tempest. The story of The Tempest tells the tale of Prospero, a fallen dukeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Tragicomedy The Tempest1935 Words   |  8 Pagesstand alone, frequently including elements from other influences. William Shakespeare’s tragicomedy The Tempest (c:1611) is a play that uses intertextuality to enhance ideas about natural order. Banished to an island, Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, conjures up a tempest that brings him his usurping brother, Antonio in an attempt to restore his Dukedom. The play’s amalgamation of tragicomedy and the pastoral genre allows Shakespeare to warn his audience about unbalance, criticising the lavish lifestyleRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1256 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespare’s The Tempest introduces a dynamic and colorful protagonist, Prospero. Throughout the play, he establi shes himself as a multi dimensional character. Prospero’s interaction with other characters in the play is vital in uncovering the many different sides of his personality. Prospero displays a different part of his personality when he interacts with Caliban, Ariel, and Ferdinand, all of whom are ploys in his master plan to regain his crown. Prospero assimilates his personality toRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1229 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeare most definitely did not reference Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s Seven Monster Theses when writing his play, The Tempest. One of Cohen’s theses though - thesis four â€Å"The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference† - appears quite prominently in Shakespeare’s work. The thesis articulates that monsters are divisive and often arise in a culture to make one group seem superior to another. Further, societies devise monsters in order to create a scapegoat for social and political inequitiesRead M oreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest Essay1019 Words   |  5 PagesStephen Greenblatt, believes that antagonists such as Caliban from The Tempest represent more than a source of evil. Some theorists argue that Caliban should been seen as a â€Å"colonial other.† I agree, and in this paper I demonstrate and give prime examples as to why Caliban is misunderstood and depicted as a monster when in fact he should be viewed as a native of the island. According to Greenblatt’s argument, in The Tempest, Caliban should be viewed as a colonial other rather than a universal evilRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest947 Words   |  4 PagesIn Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Caliban is the primitive monster who belongs to the bottom of the power hierarchy on the island claimed by Prospero. Caliban, the original inhabitant of the island, unwillingly becomes Prospero’s slave as he uses magic to take control of the island. Prospero sees Caliban as the savage and mons ter who does not acknowledge the order of civilization despite his efforts to educate him. Caliban appears as an inferior and beast-like figure from nature in the eyes of the civilizedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest Essay987 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance† (5.1.35-36). This quote from scene five of the Tempest gives the reader a glimpse of Shakespeare’s message regarding humanity. To be human means more than to have two feet, breathe in your lungs, and the ability to communicate. To be human is a choice. Being human means showing compassion and love for those around you. In the play the Tempest, Prospero struggles with his humanity. He possesses inhuman abilities that cause him to lose sight of theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1499 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s play â€Å"The Tempest† outlines many complex characters. One of which was Prospero, former Duke of Milan and powerful sorc erer. Prospero initially portrays a self-involved personality and God-complex but then throughout the course of the play this personality trait transpires into a more pragmatic approach to his life. All of these traits of this character makes it difficult to analyze the true character of Prospero. In the first Act of the play, we see Prospero using sorcery to drum upRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1469 Words   |  6 PagesThe Tempest brings out the discussion of rule, in this play the theme of rule is prominent, especially in the beginning of the play where the conversation between Prospero and Miranda (his daughter) lead the actions of Prospero, this paper will be analysing the hierarchy of the characters, the definition of justice for Prospero and who’s the king of Milan. Prospero has magical powers which is seen later in the play, the play starts off by the telling the story of the current king and his crew onRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest843 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare was one of the world’s greatest Renaissance era playwrights. His plays were a part of culture in Renaissance England. Everyone from King James to peasants came to see his works. However, his reign was coming to an end. With thirty eight plays written, Shakespeare decided that ‘The Tempest’ was to end his illustrious, prolific career. It is known that throughout this play the word ‘cell’ is used more frequently than in any of Shakespeare’s works. The uses of the word ‘cell’ throughout

Hypertension Monitoring System Business Analysis

Project #2: Hypertension Monitoring System Business Analysis: Hypertension, or high blood pressure (HBP), is categorized by long-term force of the blood against the patient’s artery walls that is substantially high enough that it may lead to health problems such as heart disease. Blood pressure is the measurement of the amount of blood pumped out of your heart and the resistance to blood flow in the patient’s arteries. If the heart pumps out more blood and arteries are narrower, blood pressure will be higher. Symptoms do not always present themselves, but hypertension can still lead to significant health problems. Home monitoring for hypertension is never to be used in place of external doctor’s visits. However, home monitoring can be extremely beneficial to patients with the following problems: patients starting HBP treatment in order to determine the effectiveness, patients requiring closer monitoring than intermittent office visits (especially higher risk patients, i.e. individuals with coronary heart disease, diabetes of kidney disease), pregnant women whom are susceptible to preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension, people who have high blood pressure readings in the office in order to rule out white-coat hypertension (false readings), elderly patients, and anyone suspected to have masked hypertension. People who should not turn to home monitoring include: people with atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias because the home measurements may not be accurateShow MoreRelatedEssay On Big Data1200 Words   |  5 Pages(known as ‘big data’) hold the promise of supporting a wide rangeof medical and healthcare functions, including amongothers clinical decision support, disease surveillance and population health management Reports say data from the U.S. healthcare system alone reached, in 2011, 150 exabytes. At this rate of growth, big data for U.S. Healthcare will soon reach the zettabyte (1021 gigabytes) scale and, not long after, the yottabyte (1024 gigabytes) [6].Kaiser Permanente, the California-based healthRead MoreImproving Health Care Standards Of The United States957 Words   |  4 Pagesobjective evaluation method that can benefit health care organizations through the measurement and monitoring of their achievements. These methods improve upon performance standards. The committee’s focus is primarily on important patient, individual, and organization functions that are vital to providing innocuous, high quality care. The Joint Committee’s ultramodern standards set expectations for business performance that are reasonable, achievable and shown to be equitable. The improvement processRead Moreskaktel Essay2775 Words   |  12 Pagessenior director of marketing for SaskTel was given a responsibility to develop a marketing plan to launch LifeStatâ„ ¢ which is health monitoring system into the Canadian ma rketplace. She has to present to the executive committee and in order to create the plan; Tulloch would need to quickly make some distribution and promotion decisions and conduct a financial analysis of the product’s potential profitability. Tulloch faced a challenging task to get these products ‘of the ground’. She wondered whatRead MoreHypertension : The Silent Killer2523 Words   |  11 PagesHypertension is sometimes referred to as the silent killer (Aycock, Kirkendoll, Gordon, 2013). Today it is a public health problem. According to the American Heart Association 2013 Statistical Fact Sheet (2013), one out of every three adults has high blood pressure, which is estimated at 77.9 million people (AHA, 2013). High blood pressure is also referred to as hypertension. Hypertension is a prevalent medical condition that carries with it the risk factor for increased chances of heart diseaseRead MoreCardiovascular Disease ( Cvd )2244 Words   |  9 Pages2. Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is caused by disorders of the heart and blood vessels, and includes coronary heart disease (heart attacks), cerebro-vascular disease (stroke), raised blood pressure (hypertension), peripheral artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and heart failure. CVDs are the number one cause of death globally. Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure applied by circulating blood upon the dividers of blood vessels. At the point when utilized withoutRead MoreDescription And Summarization Of Two Zip Codes Zip Code 956611649 Words   |  7 Pagesa limited of choices to choose from when compared to the city of Roseville. As a matter of fact, most stores in Grass Valley are not within walking distance of any residential homes. Within the city of Grass Valley, there is a bus transportation system that only runs within the city limits, thus not accessible to those living outside the city limits. Demographics and Health Indicators Zip code 95945 in Grass Valley has a poverty level of 11.7%, which is almost double of zip code 95661 in RosevilleRead MoreStrategic Review of Medtronic Inc.1686 Words   |  7 PagesProject This paper is about a strategic overview of Medtronic Inc. Medtronic is a global leader in medical technology- alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for people with chronic conditions around the world. Medtronic conducts business in more than 120 countries developing and manufacturing a variety of products and therapies with emphasis on providing a complete continuum of care to diagnose, prevent and monitor chronic conditions. Mission Statement The mission statement ofRead MoreA Survey On The Healthcare System Essay1574 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Some believe the healthcare may be the most scrutinized industry out there today (Ashrafi, Kelleher Kuiboer, 2014). As the government continues to reform the U.S. healthcare system away from a fee for service to a value based model, many institutions are turning to business intelligence (BI) and analytics for assistance. Moving forward providers of healthcare are responsible for the overall care of patients from admission, discharge and now if the patient returns for the same issueRead MoreImplications Of Health Economic Concepts Of Health Care.1313 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstand that health economics has a valuable part in healthcare. Health supply and demand is one of the concepts that ought to be scrutinized continuously to reinforce that they meet the requirements of the consumers. According to Hicks (2014), an analysis is essential to determining the number of good or services that are in demand, which provides the ability to increase or decrease the volume based on the cur rent demand. Moreover, this valuable data will ensure that an adequate amount of goods orRead MoreNurse Practice Registered Nurses3962 Words   |  16 Pageshealth. Presented is a business plan for a start-up family nurse practitioner private practice clinic that addresses the importance of the cultural awareness on managing Hispanic population and the market opportunity that this Hispanic market niche represents for Hispanic family nurse practitioners of Illinois who wants to make a difference in their communities. Executive Summary Family Total Care (FTC) will be a startup family nurse practitioner private practice business that plans to open in

Night World Huntress Chapter 6 Free Essays

Me? Hugh nodded. â€Å"I’m supposed to stop the end of the world? How?† â€Å"First, I ought to tell you that it’s not just me that believes all this about the millennium. It’s not even Circle Daybreak that believes it. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Huntress Chapter 6 or any similar topic only for you Order Now It’s the Night World Council, Jez.† â€Å"The joint Council? Witches and vampires?† Hugh nodded again. â€Å"They had a big meeting about it this summer. And they dug up some old prophecies about what’s going to happen this time.† â€Å"Like?† Hugh looked slightly self-conscious. â€Å"Here’s one. It used to rhyme in the original, I think, but this is the translation.† He took a breath and quoted slowly: ‘In blue fire, the final darkness is banished. In blood, the final price is paid.† Great, Jez thought. Whose blood? But Hugh was going on. â€Å"Four to stand between the light and the shadow, Four of blue fire, power in their blood. Born in the year of the blind Maiden’s vision; Four less one and darkness triumphs.† Jez blinked slowly. â€Å"What’s blue fire?† â€Å"Nobody knows.† â€Å"‘Four to stand between the light and the shadow†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Meaning to hold off the end of the world?† â€Å"That’s what the Council thinks. They think it means that four people have been born, four Wild Powers who’re going to be instrumental in whatever’s coming, whatever battle or disaster that’s going to destroy us. Those four can stop the end of the world-but only if all of them fight together.† â€Å"‘Four less one and darkness triumphs,† Jez said. â€Å"Right. And that’s where you come in.† â€Å"Sorry, I don’t think I’m one of them.† Hugh smiled. â€Å"That’s not what I meant. The fact is, somebody around here has already reported finding a Wild Power. Circle Daybreak intercepted a message from him to the Council saying that hell hand the Wild Power over to them if they make it worth his while. Otherwise hell just sit tight until they’re desperate enough to agree to his terms.† Jez had a sinking feeling. She said one word. â€Å"Who?† Hugh’s expression was knowing and regretful. It’s one of your old gang, Jez. Morgead Blackthorn.† Jez shut her eyes. Yeah, that sounded like Morgead, trying to shake down the Night World Council. Only he was crazy and nervy enough to do that. He was stubborn, too-perfectly capable of letting disaster come if he didn’t get his way. But of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him? And how had he found a Wild Power, anyway? Hugh was speaking again softly. â€Å"You can see why we need you. Somebody has to get to him and find out who the Wild Power is-and you’re the only one who stands a chance of doing that.† Jez pushed hair off her face and breathed slowly, trying to think. â€Å"I don’t need to tell you how dangerous it is,† Hugh said, looking into the distance again. â€Å"And I don’t want to ask you to do it. In fact, if you’re smart, you’ll tell me to get lost right now.† Jez couldn’t tell him to get lost â€Å"What I don’t understand is why we can’t just let the Council take care of it. They’ll want the Wild Powers bad, and they have a lot more resources.† Hugh glanced back at her, startled. His gray eyes were wide with an expression that Jez had never seen before. Then he smiled, and it was an incredibly sad smile. â€Å"That’s just what we can’t do. You’re right, the Council wants the Wild Powers. But not so they can fight the end of the world. Jez†¦ they only want them so they can kill them.† That was when Jez realized what his expression was. It was gentle regret for innocence-her innocence. She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been. â€Å"Oh, Goddess,† she said slowly. Hugh nodded. â€Å"They want it to happen. At least the vampires do. If the human world ends-well, that’s their chance, isn’t it? For thousands of years the Night People have had to hide, to live in the shadows while the humans spread all over the world. But the Council wants that to change.† The reason Jez had been so slow was that it was hard for her to imagine anybody actually wanting to bring on the Apocalypse. But of course it made sense. â€Å"They’re willing to risk being destroyed themselves,† she whispered. â€Å"They figure that whatever happens, it’ll be worse on the humans, since the humans don’t know it’s coming. Hell, some of the Night People think they’re what’s coming. Hunter Redfern is saying that vampires are going to wipe out and enslave the humans and that after that the Night World is going to reign.† Jez felt a new chill. Hunter Redfern. Her ancestor, who was over five hundred years old but looked about thirty. He was bad, and he practically ran the Council. â€Å"Great,† she muttered. â€Å"So my family’s going to destroy the world.† Hugh gave her a bleak smile. â€Å"Hunter says the Old Powers are rising to make vampires stronger so they can take over. And the scary thing is, he’s right. Like I said before, the Night People are getting stronger, developing more powers. Nobody knows why. But most of the vampires on the Council seem to believe Hunter.† â€Å"So we don’t have much time,† Jez said. â€Å"We have to get the Wild Power before Morgead makes a deal with the Night World.† â€Å"Right. Circle Daybreak is fixing up a safe place to keep the Wild Powers until we get all four. And the Council knows we’re doing it-that’s probably why that ghoul was following me. They’re watching us. I’m just sorry I led it here,† he added absently, with a worried look around the room. â€Å"Doesn’t matter. He’s not telling anybody anything.† â€Å"No. Thanks to you. But we’ll meet someplace different next time. I can’t endanger your family.† He looked back at her. â€Å"Jez, if the Night World manages to kill even one of the Wild Powers-well, if you believe the prophecy, it’s all over.† Jez understood now. She still had questions, but they could wait. One thing was clear in her mind. â€Å"I’ll do it. I have to.† Hugh said very quietly, â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, somebody has to. And you were right; I’m the only one who can handle Morgead.† The truth was that she thought nobody could handle Morgead-but she certainly had a better chance than any Circle Daybreaker. Of course, she wouldn’t survive the assignment Even if she managed to steal the Wild Power out from under Morgead’s nose, he’d hunt her down and kill her for it That was irrelevant â€Å"He hates me, and I hate him, but at least I know him,† she said out loud. There was a silence and she realized that Hugh was looking at her oddly. â€Å"You think he hates you?† â€Å"Of course. All we ever did was fight† Hugh smiled very faintly-an Old Soul look. I see.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean?† ‘It means-I don’t think he hates you, Jez. Maybe he has strong emotions for you, but from what I’ve heard I don’t think hate is one of them.† Jez shook her head. â€Å"You don’t understand. He was always gunning for me. And if he found out I’m half human-well, that would be the end. He hates humans worse than anything. But I think I can fool him for as long as it takes to get the Wild Power.† Hugh nodded, but he didn’t look happy. His eyes were bruised and tired. If you can pull it off, you’ll save a lot of lives.† He knows, too, Jez thought. That I’ll die doing this. It was some comfort that he cared-and more comfort that he didn’t understand why she was doing it. Sure, she wanted to save lives. But there was something else. The Council had tried to mess with Hugh. They’d sent a stinking ghoul after him. They would probably send something different tomorrow-certainly, they’d keep trying to kill him. And for that, Jez was going to wipe the floor with them. Hugh wasn’t any kind of fighter. He couldn’t defend himself. He shouldn’t be a target. She realized that Hugh was still looking at her, with pain in his eyes. She smiled to show him that she wasn’t afraid of dying. â€Å"It’s a family affair,† she told him-and that was true, too. â€Å"Hunter’s my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather. It’s only right that I stop him. And if anything happens to me-well, one Redfern less is probably a blessing to the world.† And that was the last part of the truth. She came from a tainted family. No matter what she did, who she saved, or how hard she tried, there would always be vampire blood running in her veins. She was a potential danger to humanity by her very existence. But Hugh was looking horrified. â€Å"Don’t you ever say that† He stared at her for another moment and then took her by the shoulders, squeezing. â€Å"Jez, you’re one of the best people I know. What you did before last year is-â€Å" â€Å"Is part of me,† Jez said. She was trying not to feel his warm grip through her T-shirt, trying not to show that his little squeeze sent a shock through her entire body. â€Å"And nothing can change that. I know what I am.† Hugh shook her slightly. â€Å"Jez-â€Å" â€Å"And right now, I have to get rid of that ghoul. And you’d better be getting home.† For a moment she thought he was going to shake her again; then he slowly let go of her. ‘You’re officially accepting the assignment?† The way he said it sounded as if he were giving her one last chance not to. â€Å"Yes.† He nodded. He didn’t ask how she planned on getting back into a gang that she’d abandoned, or getting information from Morgead, who hated her. Jez knew why. He simply trusted that she could do it â€Å"When you know something, call this number.† He dug in a different pocket and handed her a square of paper like a business card. â€Å"I’ll give you a location where I can meet you-someplace away from here. We shouldn’t talk about anything on the phone.† Jez took the card. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Please be careful, Jez.† â€Å"Yes. Can I keep the articles?† He snorted. â€Å"Sure.† Then he gave her one of those sad Old-Soul smiles. â€Å"You probably don’t need them, though. Just look around. Watch the news. You can see it all happening out there.† â€Å"We’re going to stop it,† Jez said. She reconsidered. â€Å"We’re going to try.† Jez had a problem the next morning. The problem was Claire. They were supposed to drive to school together, to ensure that Jez didn’t cut school. But Jez had to cut school to go find Morgead. She didn’t want to imagine the kind of trouble that was going to get her in with Uncle Jim and Aunt Nanami-but it was crucial to get to Morgead as soon as possible. She couldn’t afford to waste time. At the first major stoplight-and there weren’t a lot of them in Clayton-she smacked her forehead with her palm. â€Å"I forgot my chemistry book!† She unfastened her seat belt and slid out of the Audi just as the light turned green. â€Å"You go ahead!† she shouted to Claire, slamming the door and leaning in the open window. â€Å"Ill catch up to you.† Claire’s expression showed her temperature was reaching the boiling point. â€Å"Are you crazy? Get in; I’ll drive back† â€Å"You’ll be late. Go on without me.† She made a little fluttery encouraging motion with her fingers. One of the three cars behind Claire honked. Claire opened her mouth and shut it again. Her eyes were shooting sparks. â€Å"You did this on purpose! I know you’re up to something, Jez, and I’m going to find out-â€Å" Honk. Honk. Jez stepped back and waved goodbye. And Claire drove off, as Jez had known she would. Claire couldn’t stand the peer pressure of cars telling her to get moving. Jez turned and began to jog for home, in a smooth, steady, ground-eating lope. When she got there, she wasn’t even breathing hard. She opened the garage and picked up a long, slim bundle that had been concealed in a corner. Then she turned to her bike. Besides Hugh, it was the love of her life. A Harley. An 883 Sportster hugger. Just twenty-seven inches tall and eighty-seven inches long, a lean, light, mean machine. She loved its classic simplicity, its cold clean lines, its spare body. She thought of it as her steel and chrome thoroughbred. Now she strapped the long bundle diagonally on her back, where it balanced nicely despite its odd size. She put on a dark full-face helmet and swung a leg over the motorcycle. A moment later she was roaring away, heading out of Clayton toward San Francisco. She enjoyed the ride, even though she knew it might be her last one. Maybe because of that. It was a dazzling end-of-summer day, with a sky of September blue and a pure-white sun. The air that parted for Jez was warm. How can people ride in cages? she thought, twisting the throttle to shoot past a station wagon. What good are cars? You’re completely isolated from your surroundings. You can’t hear or smell anything outside; you can’t feel wind or Power or a slight change in the temperature. You can’t jump out to fight at an instant’s notice. You certainly can’t stake somebody at high speed while leaning out of a car window. You could do it from a bike, though. If you were fast enough, you could skewer somebody as you roared by, like a knight with a lance. She and Morgead had fought that way once. And maybe will again, she thought, and flashed a grim smile into the wind. The sky remained blue as she continued west, instead of clouding up as she approached the ocean. It was so clear that from Oakland she could see the entire bay and the skyline of San Francisco. The tall buildings looked startlingly close. She was leaving her own world and entering Morgead’s. It was something she didn’t do often. San Francisco was an hour and fifteen minutes away from Clayton-assuming there was no traffic. It might as well have been in another state. Clayton was a tiny rural town, mostly cows, with a few decent houses and one pumpkin farm. As far as Jez knew, the Night World didn’t know it existed. It wasn’t the kind of place Night People cared about. Which was why she’d managed to hide there for so long. But now she was heading straight for the heart of the fire. As she crossed the Bay Bridge and reached the city, she was acutely aware of how vulnerable she was. A year ago Jez had broken the laws of the gang by disappearing. If any gang member saw her, they had the right to kill her. Idiot. Nobody can recognize you. That’s why you wear the full-face helmet. That’s why you keep your hair up. That’s why you don’t custom-paint the bike. She was still hyper-alert as she cruised the streets heading for one of the city’s most unsavory districts. There. She felt a jolt at the sight of a familiar building. Tan, blocky, and unlovely, it rose to three stories plus an irregular roof. Jez squinted up at the roof without taking off her helmet. Then she went and stood casually against the rough concrete wall, near the rusty metal intercom. She waited until a couple of girls dressed like artists came up and got buzzed in by one of the tenants. Then she detached herself from the wall and calmly followed them. She couldn’t let Morgead know she was coming. He’d kill her without waiting to ask questions if he got the jump on her. Her only chance was to jump him first, and then make him listen. The building was even uglier inside than it was outside, with empty echoing stairwells and faceless industrial-sized hallways. But Jez found her heart beating faster and something like longing twisting in her chest. This place might be hideous, but it was also freedom. Each one of the giant rooms behind the metal doors was rented by somebody who didn’t care about carpets and windows, but wanted a big empty space where they could be alone and do exactly what they wanted. It was mostly starving artists here, people who needed large studios. Some of the doors were painted in gemlike colors and rough textures. Most had industrial-sized locks on them. I don’t miss it, Jez told herself. But every corner brought a shock of memory. Morgead had lived here for years, ever since his mother ran off with some vampire from Europe. And Jez had practically lived here, too, because it had been gang headquarters. We had some good times†¦. No. She shook her head slightly to break off the thought and continued on her way, slipping silently through the corridors, going deeper and deeper into the building. At last she got to a place where there was no sound except the humming of the naked fluorescent lights on the ceiling. The walls were closer together here. There was a sense of isolation, of being far from the rest of the world. And one narrow staircase going up. Jez paused, listened a moment, then, keeping her eyes on the staircase, removed the long bundle from her back. She unwrapped it carefully, revealing a stick that was a work of art. It was just over four feet long and an inch in diameter. The wood was deep glossy red with irregular black markings that looked a little like tiger stripes or hieroglyphics. Snakewood. One of the hardest woods in the world, dense and strong, but with just the right amount of resilience for a fighting stick. It made a striking and individual weapon. There was one other unusual thing about it. Fighting sticks were usually blunt at either end, to allow the person holding it to get a grip. This one had one blunt end and one that tapered to an angled, narrow tip. Like a spear. The point was hard as iron and extremely sharp. It could punch right through clothing to penetrate a vampire heart. Jez held the stick in both hands for a moment, looking down at it. Then she straightened, and, holding it in a light grip ready for action, she began up the stairs. â€Å"Ready or not, Morgead, here I come.† How to cite Night World : Huntress Chapter 6, Essay examples

The Latino Complex What Defines Our Culture free essay sample

Growing up in a Latino household, I was taught both English and Spanish, and I was fluent in both. My parents would use English and Spanish in the same sentence, and I developed an ear for thick accents and mixed verbiage. When I entered my teen years, however, I lost that connection to my family. I learned French in middle school and lost interest and fluency in speaking Spanish. I lost that connection to my family, but that does not make me any less Latin. I hear it from my parents all the time: â€Å"You should learn Spanish so you can talk to your grandma;† â€Å"You should learn Spanish; it’s part of your culture.† I feel distanced from them, and I feel like I’m valued less as a member of my family. While not speaking Spanish does create a barrier between me and my family, it does not diminish my connection to my heritage or my experience as a hispanic woman. Heritage is not something that you can lose: you’re born with it, and I was born a Latina. I feel guilty for letting go of something that brings me closer to my family, but my understanding of what it means to be a Latina is still valid. Having this broken link is like being a wallflower at a party. I was invited to the party, so I’m present and involved, but not entirely comfortable socializing. There’s something separating me from the rest of the party, and it’s language. The pillars of Latin culture are rooted in the following: family, community, and tradition. My background with these outweighs the language barrier. Of these, family is number one, every Latin will tell you that. Family teaches you everything you know: if not your mom or dad, then your aunt, or third cousin, or great uncle will gladly step in to instill any missing knowledge, with added Latin flair. Family members are always around to give you advice, even when you don’t want it; ESPECIALLY when you don’t want it. These are the people that invited me to the party, the people that make me feel comfortable and welcomed. I grew up surrounded by the warmth and comfort unique to Latin families. Family means being involved and being available to each other. In any culture, family is important, but Latino families not only include immediate family members, but they invite friends and neighbors to create an extended, invaluable support system. I am lucky enough to be apart of such a family. I inherited the tenderness, compassion, and loving nature that came from being brought up where these traits are valued. When I think of the importance of the Latin community, I think of a congregation of people who share history and core values. A Latin community can be a community of Mexicans, a community of Hondurans or Puerto Ricans, or a community of all these people. I cannot tell you how excited Latinos are to meet other Latinos, no matter where they’re from. When I moved into my dorm, I connected with my roommate almost immediately. We are both Latin women; her family is Mexican while my family is mixed Honduran and Puerto Rican. Regardless, we bond over gossip, television, food, and experiences from our youth. The one thing I can’t relate to her with is Spanish, because she speaks it fluently with her family. Despite this, we identify in our Latin heritage and see each other as supportive, close friends. She is part of my community, and I connect with her beyond our national heritages. Latinos share this connection and bond with each other and use it to build welcoming and excit ing communities wherever they are. Traditions are a central concept in Latin culture. They can be massive like religion, or personal, like Sunday barbeques; the point is, tradition is experienced by every Latin person. We inherit tradition from our family and community, and it is often rooted in religious and social gatherings. I’ve experience older, larger traditions: baptism, going to church with my family, taking communion. I’ve also experienced newer, smaller traditions: learning to cook Sopa de Olla, bonding with tispy aunts and uncles over dinner, yearly christmas parties. Then there are traditions that manage to be both old and new. My Quinceanera, for example, tied the religious importance of old Latin values with the exciting and lax standards of modern Latin-American culture. A compromise between old and new; where a church service proclaiming me â€Å"the salt of the earth† was followed by morally questionable dance moves and elaborately decorated cupcakes. These traditions make me a L atina. The old ones have been passed down over generations, others that are fairly new have been adopted to keep us close together as times change. Another pillar, which most Latinos will likely deny, is pride. Pride is at the core of the Latin identity. Being Latin includes being proud of who you are, and more importantly, where you come from. I could not be more proud of my mother, a Puerto Rican entrepreneur who has taught me about perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. I could not be more proud of my father, a Honduran immigrant who came to the United States to get an education, chase a career opportunity he didn’t have back home, and raised me to value discipline and loyalty. I could not be more proud of myself for accepting my heritage and embracing what it means to be Latina despite losing my Spanish tongue. I understand the value of language and how it can bring me closer to my culture, and losing it adds distance between myself and my family, community, and our traditions. However, I shouldn’t have to defend my Latin identity because I’m missing it. I may be dancing offbeat at thi s party, but I’m dancing to a Latin rhythm.

Apple Function and Form free essay sample

Apple’s product line extends from iPhone to iPod, from softwares to customer aid programs, and all are directed to seek the maximum customer value for maximum competitive advantage. This report focuses on the case study of Apple Inc. evaluating the importance of competitive advantage, the means of achieving them, the generic strategy used by Apple and the implementation, advantages and limitations of these strategies. In the end, we have also elaborated the recommendations to these limitations. Apple Inc.  is the name of a multinational company, that makes personal computers, consumer electronics, computer software, servers and is a vast distributor of media content. Apple has gone far from being just a company. It has become a company that specializes in almost all computer products all the way from 1976 (Dpnick330. wikidot. com, 2008). Apple found its existence in the year 1976 when Steve Jobs and Steve Woznaik released the Apple I in California (Nostoptechnology. We will write a custom essay sample on Apple Function and Form or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page com, 2014). Since then apple has been flourishing and providing its market with the products of innovation. The creation of the iPhone gave a competitive edge to the company, released in 2001. The very first computer with GUI (Graphical User Interface) was Apple Lisa which was launched by Apple in 1984 (Bellis, 2013). The company with the help of its founder Steve Jobs realized the key to success was to excel in softwares and provide innovation by all means. Jobs, with the help of Wozniak, wanted to create a friendly desktop which would enable the users to use computers not as a hobby, at its very start (Lu? sted, 2012). Apple has been extending its chain of products and now offers longer, broader and bigger Book of Apple Hacks with tactics and tricks to get the most out of iPod, iPhone and Apple Tv (Seibold, 2008). As Jobs took care of the finances, Wozniak was taking care of improving the functionality of the company’s products from the very start. (Linzmayer and Linzmayer, 2004) Objectives: Objectives are the expected outcomes, the report will accomplish. They should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely), corporate, functional, systematic, operational, hierarchical, quantitative, realistic and consistent. The report will encompass the following objectives: †¢The competitive strategy used by Apple Inc. †¢The measures taken to implement this strategy. †¢Examples of using these strategies for giving a competitive edge. †¢Advantages of this strategy by evaluation. †¢Limitations of this strategy by evaluation. †¢Recommendations to improve and enhance the competitive position of Apple Inc. Main Findings: Competitive Advantage: Competitive advantage is the means by which a company can perform better than its competitors and gain higher profits. The ability to create more economic  value than competitors is a company’s competitive advantage. Competitive advantage for any company is accomplished when the company creates superior value for its customers in comparison to its customers (Porter, 1998). One of the hottest trends in the business today is analyzing the best methods of companies to enhance their performance (Boxwell, 1994). When enhancing the company’s performance, innovation must be a main feature and the company should introduce new means of attracting the customers. When the customers are attracted, profit is gained which attracts customers and limits competitors. Competitive advantage is always temporary because the competitors often offer something new/better or imitate the offering. When the firm’s offering is average, customers don’t prefer it. This limits the cost advantage of the company. Sometimes the competitive advantage doesn’t come in handy especially when the offerings made by the firms are not preferable, are outdated, costly or have a negative image in the market. There are two measures to evaluate competitive advantage: the first is accounting measures which include advantage, parity and disadvantage ; the other is economic measures including above normal, normal and below normal. In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage the firm should make offerings which cannot be imitated, should be focusing on customer benefits, and should be sustainable against time, competition and environmental changes. Business Level Strategy: The ability of a company to evaluate systematic environmental changes and its competitors impact of change for enhancing the performance of a company is known as the business or corporate level strategy of that company (Furrer, 2011). Business Level options focus on firms operating as individuals. Corporate Level options concentrate on options available where a firm diversification and different markets, each with its own strategy, business team and profit centre. A corporate level adds up the corporate more and is more than the sum of its parts (Business Community, 2012). Strategic Clock: Business level strategy uses a strategic clock which aims at gaining the maximum competitive advantage on the basis of perception of money from prices. The clock represents different positions referring to the different customer requirements. It helps companies understand the changing trends of  the market and competitors strategies to enhance the performance. There are four strategies under this subject and they are: 1. No Frills Strategy: low priced offering low benefits includingcommodity markets, Price-sensitive customers, High power, low switching costs among buyers and Opportunity to avoid major competitors. 2. Low-Price Strategy: offering lower prices than competitors. This includes, Margin reductions and Inability to reinvest. 3. Hybrid Strategy: seeks at achieving differentiation and low price strategies together. 4. Differentiation Strategy: Seeks at providing the maximum quality with no cost considerations and maximum focus on the value. Apple Inc. uses this strategy to gain the maximum competitive advantage. Other strategies are failures, strategies that include increasing price without the product benefits, reduction in product benefits either by increasing prices or maintaining price-loss market share. Generic Strategies: What exactly is a strategy? Strategy is the direction implemented by the company in order to achieve its long term objectives and gain competitive advantage (Johnson and Scholes et al. There is a direct relationship with strategy is with objectives and tactics. Objectives are the points a company needs to achieve and tactics are the methods of how they will be achieved with the aid of strategies. Strategic choices depend on basis of strategies, strategic directions and finally methods of implementing them. A competitive strategy is the systematic search of competitive advantage of the company through its strategic means (Eldring, 2009). Thinking critically, a competitor is the only action a company has as a way to success (Kossowski, 2007). In the 1980s, Professor Michael Porter argued that there were only four fundamental strategic options the companies usually use and are called as Porter’s Generic Strategy Options. He identified four primary principles as: †¢Cost leadership. †¢Differentiation. †¢Focus cost leadership. †¢Focus differentiation. Apple’s Mission statement: A mission statement of a firm is the goals and objectives confined in a statement which a firm expects to accomplish in a long period of time and thus a broader way. Apple’s mission statement, according to the year 2013, is focused on making the best computers in the world along with their other products which included MAC, OS X, iLife, iWork and professional softwares (Strategic Management Insight, 2013). Apple leads the digital revolution for giving a new innovative idea to the phones of today along with the music industry through iTunes and iPods. Apple’s Strategy: Apple uses differentiation strategy rather than cost leadership strategy because for apple, it is not about making the most out of its products, but it’s about making the best out of its products (Riley, 2013). Apple’s differentiation strategy is a part of Porter’s generic strategy. This kind of strategy offers something that is innovative and new in the market and can be both service and the product itself. Innovations from competitors are striving to defect Apple’s ecosystem, but Apple is giving them a tough competition (Canada, 2012). It is differentiated when it makes and offers more benefits than the core products as an augmented product in a form of customer service, customer support, etc. This strategy offers premium money and focuses on increasing the quality of the product or a service. Generic differentiation occurs when the quality of the products offered by the company are above the expectations of the customers. Such strategies imply to focus on increasing the price of the products compared to the competitors thereby increasing the competitive advantage. Apple uses its differentiation strategy through the following ways. †¢Service: Service must become an efficient means of achieving as a competitive weapon and should not become a damage control function in order to enhance performance with customers (Frei and Morriss, 2012). Apple exceeds the quality of its services by providing customer support through their outlets and on the web. Employees at Apple are told not to sell, but to help customers solve their problems. That is the reason the number of visits to apple sites and outlets are more than that of Walt Disney (Hanselman, 2011). It made a new benchmark for providing ‘unmatched services’ which has made its own customers. The Apple company has scored the highest in PC makers’ customer service survey (Secrets of Apple’s customer success, 2014). †¢Brand: Brand is a type of a product manufactured under a product name (Ibsen, 2007). Apple finds itself at the peaks of the most valuable brands as its competition in the world (Cole, 2013). The brand has extensively increased the bar by introducing innovation again and again in the extension of its product line over the decades (Badenhausen, 2013). As stated in Apples Most Important Branding Lesson For Marketers (Mourdoukoutas, 2013) Out of all the lessons marketers can learn from apple one has an ultimate significance that is branding begins on the demand side. Apple has made its brand image by delivering quality products and receiving customer loyalty in exchange. Apple has raised the bar for its brand, using innovation as a key. For examples the use of Walkmans and music players were terminated when a small and confined iPod was introduced in the market by Apple. Similarly the use of computers was more comforting when technologies like laptops, Macbooks, notebooks etc. replaced desktops. Apple also provided its customers with great technologies in phones and softwares like Microsoft. In short, Apple provides more than the needs and demands of the customers by giving them value and satisfaction and always raising their own standards. †¢Marketing techniques: As stated in Apple’s iPhone Marketing Strategy Exposed, (Mckormack, 2013), Apple has no marketing budget and doesn’t advertise its products anywhere, but uses exclusivity technique. Apple used this technique by not only offering special offers on its products, but also made the whole product line exclusive. For example, iPhone product range is made exclusively. Limiting the availability of the products attracts most of the apple customers. This conformed to the unique nature of the products of Apple, which made its accessibility and demand more. Apple marketing strategy comes under the famous tag line ‘Sell on value, not price’ as the company aims at seeking the customer value as a priority. Apple turns something ordinary into innovative, justify its prices, ignores its critics, extends the experience, easy understanding with the customers, builds the tribe and makes a name. In January 1997 Apple incorporated a three point marketing philosophy which was based upon customer loyalty (Moorman, 2012). Apple has been following this philosophy since thirty five years and this is the reason because it was voted overall winner of the 2012 of CMO Survey Award for Marketing Excellence (Cmosurvey. org, 2014). †¢Online Business: Apple also deals in making e business with its customers. It sells, assists and aware its customers through online websites. Customers from different locations and areas can access the sites for any related problems or information on the products and services of apple. It makes free shipping orders using FOB methods. The App store did $10 billion sales and $1 billion sales in December out of which 65% came from the online business yet alone (Yarow, 2013). Advantages of differentiation strategy: Following are the benefits of the strategy. †¢Customer Loyalty: Apple has the most customer loyalty compared to its competitors. An iPhone customer is hard to debate with an android customer. Apple customers forever stay with its brand and never turn to its customers because of the value it provides to its customers. The extensive customer loyalty of Apple lies in its simplicity to use and reliability concerns (Rogowsky, 2013). †¢An increasing competitive advantage: Being unique and giving extraordinary services makes Apple a leading brand with an increasing competitive advantage. The prices of Apple products are always high, but the quality and the value justify them all. Apple focuses on the value not the price or revenue. Putting every factor together Apple has a differential advantage that is challenging to put forth for any of its competitors (Magee, 2011). Limitations of the differentiation Strategy: Following are the limitations of Apple’s strategy: †¢Difficulty in managing the strategy: It is comparatively hard and difficult to maintain the differentiation strategy as many factors need to be considered in evaluating the value. †¢Higher costs: Apple’s products are always of high costs due to which many of its customers are drifting away. Some of the loyal Apple shareholders believe that Apple is making a huge mistake by blindly focusing on short term profits in the mobile industry and denying the current realities (Blodget, 2013a). Apple is being defeated by Samsung, because of its high prices, which is the leading smart phone company in the market (Kovach, 2014). Recommendations: Following are the recommendations for apple. †¢Introduce reasonable costs and focus b and c type markets. †¢Introduce more innovation in the differentiation strategy. †¢Maintain its strong brand by also providing the advertisements. †¢Keep awareness about its competitors and other external factors. Conclusion: The report envisaged the ways and the importance of competitive advantage prevailing in Apple Inc.  It also elaborated and evaluated the generic strategy used by the company that is Differentiation strategy. This report elaborated the means and the implemented of the strategy under focus along with its advantages and limitations. Furthermore, it contributed in explaining the recommendations.

teen anger essays

teen anger essays Aggressive Behavior in Children Today; Are We Safe? Aggressive behavior can alter the lives of many, it is evidenced by the horrific stories that propagate the media. Children randomly shooting in schools, fired workers retaliating on their previous place of employment, damaging property or even committing acts of violence not to mention road- rage, a term coined after certain individuals would resort to reckless driving tactics when frustrated behind the wheel, the lists goes on and on. Nevertheless, determining how these acts can be reduced and ideally eliminated, several factors should be taken into consideration. Initially, a parents attitude toward a childs behavior has a significant impact on how a child develops his/her own coping skills. Effects of parental involvement and monitoring of a childs activities often times define how a child interacts with others. Parents who enforce certain rules and encourage communication while providing appropriate feedback have lower instances of aggressive behavior conversely, a child of a parent who has very little parental supervision has more incidences of aggression toward others. What is more, a childs perception of his/her parents view towards an encroachment drives behavior, whether it is positive or negative. Nurturing the parent-child relationship through active participation, guidance, and other options than acts of violence for problem resolution spans the gap of communication. Ultimately, by investigating the various views on parental interaction, hormonal influences, and the biology of the brain, demonstrate significance in developing alternate solutions for coping with stressful situations to prevent aggressive behavior that threatens our safety, such as, violence prevention programs, social awareness and or drug therapy. Can the level of cortisol, a stress hormone secreted in saliva, affect behavior? According to some resear ...

Philosophical Analysis of Terrorism and Torture Essay

Philosophical Analysis of Terrorism and Torture - Essay Example Modern wars are by design, not in alignment with the Just War Doctrine. Justification to initiate and continue a war is dependent upon the propaganda that starts before a war, continues and evolves according to the circumstances during this heinous act and subsides long after the war is over. It is therefore safe to assert that the Just War Doctrine does not in any way provide the control required to limit the violence related to war; instead it functions to guide the powerful forces to seek suitable justifications regarding initiation of the war process; no matter how misaligned the justifications. War conventions fail to substantiate in cases where the powerful forces regard their opponents as being â€Å"less than humans†. US attack on Iraq for eradication of weapons of mass-destruction can be regarded as a recent example of this scenario. Despite inflicting immense damage to the target country, no such weapons were recovered; the justification of war was hence flawed. Judging torture in the light of ethical theories can bring forth variable outcomes. The proponents of torture present it as the only available means for revelation of information that is essential to provide protection to other humans. An example in this regard is the ‘ticking bomb’ scenario that is often presented to convince people about the importance of torture as a means of ensuring the safety of masses. Judging torture from the deontological perspective brings forth the fact that torture should be avoided at all costs (Gordon 62). Since the proponents of deontological approach are inclined towards highlighting the importance of ‘duty’ without regard to the ‘outcome’; this approach demands that the general approach of treating the suspects be in accordance to the ethical principles and hence torture should be avoided at all costs. This is in contradiction to other ethical approaches which take into account the

Art in south afric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art in south afric - Essay Example The information acquired through this research will be shared with the black community in the South African ghettos for the purpose of reminding them of their fight for freedom and peace. It will be shared through community projects that will aim at fostering peaceful relations among the black communities living in Soweto and other ghettos in the country. The information will be vital in promoting their peaceful coexistence and their eventual prosperity. The aspects of the topic that will be interesting for the research are resistant literature, the period’s poems, and dances performed by the Zulu and the Nguni communities. This will be carried out in an effort to determine their influence in the fight for freedom and equality among the different races in the country (Harlow 98). The literature, poems, and dances were previously written and performed in the native languages though this changed in the early twentieth century when some of them were translated into English. Their translations led to the exile of many writers and performers in the country who had been accused by the white’s regime of influencing the black communities into war. During the Mfecane period, many tribes and the Nguni among them were pushed from the country by the Zulu who had become increasingly aggressive. These events are expounded on well by their literature, poems, and their dances which have been documented for future generations (Singh 228). Researching these three issues will help in providing insight into how their literature has affected the current literature and how it helped them in their struggle for liberty. The poems provided by poets like Miriam Tlali and Mothobi Mutloatse who were from the two tribes greatly helped in influencing events like the 1960 Sharpeville which raised the awareness of black suffering (Chandler 47). Their works

Is the USA PATRIOT Act an effective deterrent to terrorism Why, why Essay

Is the USA PATRIOT Act an effective deterrent to terrorism Why, why not What are your suggestions for combating terrorism - Essay Example The Patriot Act freed up international intelligence agencies so that they could share information in order to fight terrorism worldwide. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison stated, â€Å"The Patriot Act has enabled our law enforcement much more capability to capture terrorism than we ever had before† (Ynn, 2004). The Patriot Act has helped the government track a lot of the money that was being laundered to fund terrorist organizations. A lot more has to be done in order to improve our chances in the fight against terrorism. A strategy that could be used to attack terrorism is to improve the diplomacy efforts worldwide. The UN could formulate a special terrorism task force to oversee the efforts of the different intelligence agencies across the world. The agency’s budget would be funded by all the UN allies. The develop nations would have to contribute more money than the developing nations. The Patriot Act help unite the intelligence community, but the efforts of these agencie s are still fragmented. There is a lack of a united front against terrorism. The current war on the Middle East is hurting the image of the war of terrorism because people feel that the war is driven by the desire of the US and its allies to control the petroleum in the Middle East. A new effort lead by the UN would provide legitimacy to the war on terrorism. References Ynn.com (2004). Hutchison says Patriot Act effective in fighting terrorism. YNN.

Elderly Sexual Activity And Health Health And Social Care Essay

Elderly Sexual Activity And Health Health And Social Care Essay As Lindau et al. (2003) point out, sexuality involves the forming of a partnership and pertains to the behaviors, attitudes, function and activity of sexually active individuals. Sexual activity has been associated with health (Addis, Van Den Eeden and Wassel-Fyr, 2006; Laumann, Nicolosi and Glasser, 2005), and ailment and disease might significantly impair sexual health (Schover, 2000). Elderly people are recipients of a wide array of devices and medications which aim at treating problems of a sexual nature. While the demand for services and medication pertaining to sexual health is increasing, nevertheless not much is known about the sexual behavior of adults over 65 years of age. In the developed countries, the chronological age of 65 years old is largely accepted as a cut-off point for classification of a person as older or elderly. While common definitions of the third age such as this are indeed practically utilized, there exists no general consensus as to the point in time when one actually becomes old. Usually, the time in life when one becomes eligible for a pension is adopted as indicative of old age. The United Nations do not use a standardized criterion, but nevertheless agrees to 60+ years as referring to the elderly (WHO, 2010). A definition of ageing is provided by Gorman (2000): ageing is a highly predetermined biological process which eludes human control. At the same time, ageing is defined in a constructivist world, where different societies assign different meanings to old age. Chronological age is seen as most important in developed countries. The age between 60 and 65 is taken to signify the onset of old age. By contrast, in many developing countries, age by years bears little relationship to the definition of old age. In such countries, the meaning of old age may depend instead on the roles that are been assigned to older people, or even on the loss of previously-held roles, which may come as a result of natural physical decline. In sum, while the developed world defines old age in a manner highly chronological, the same is often not true for developing countries, where people start to be perceived as elderly when their active role involvement is no longer possible (Gorman, 2000). According to a definition by the World Health Organization (2001), sexuality is a natural part of human development through every phase of life and includes physical, psychological, and social components (p. 13). Another definition of sexuality provided by Rheaume and Mitty (2008) states that sexuality is a core dimension of life that incorporates notions, beliefs, facts, fantasies, rituals, attitudes, values, and rights with regard to gender identity and role, sexual acts and orientation, and aspects of pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction and involves biological, psychological, social, economic, religious, spiritual and cultural components (p. 342). Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 2001, p. 8). In turn, sexual health implies a positive approach to human sexuality and is therefore an essential component of reproductive health. It includes the integration of somatic, emotional, intellectual, and social aspects of an individual in ways which positively enrich and enhance personality, communication, love and human relationships (p. 13). Sexual health, not unlike physical health, is viewed as a state of well-being where there is an expectation of pleasurable experiences without the intrusion of negative feelings such as shame, fear, pressure or violence. In keeping with this definition, Calamidas (1997) suggests that home or assisted-living nurses can play a crucial role in the quality of elderly peoples life through helping them attain and preserve a positive outlook toward the expression of their individual sexuality. Historically, a large proportion of todays elderly people grew up and lived during a time when social norms were both conservative and gender-biased. Broadly speaking, sexual intercourse was considered as a pleasurable experience primarily for the men while women were thereby expected to sexually satisfy their husbands and to make babies (Hajjar and Kamel, 2003). People that today are over 70 years old may have actually missed the sexual revolution of the 1960s in the context and social conditions under which it took place, since they were already married and engrossed in their work and family life. This interesting analysis by Hajjar and Kamel (2003) proceeds to argue that the challenges to intimacy and sexuality faced by that age group may be partly due to the adoption of a rather conservative set of values and beliefs about sexuality, a limited availability and access to knowledge on sexuality, and a lack of feeling comfortable with their sexuality. Rheaume and Mitty (2008) suggest that nowadays the traditional stereotypes regarding ageing, intimacy and sexuality are being reexamined; that is, the point of view is promoted that a desire for intimacy and for sexual contact does not have to cease at any point during the lifetime. Knowledge on the sexual activity of the elderly people however is far from complete, especially within a cross-cultural context as well as with reference to educational and financial status. In this light, the generalizability of research findings in this area is rather hindered. Oftentimes, this means that health professionals may be left somewhat in the dark concerning the wants and needs of older adults as to their sexuality (Rheaume and Mitty, 2008, p. 342). Sexuality of the Elderly The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) has taken up the task of gathering data on the sexual activity, behaviors and problems of elderly people (Lindau et al., 2007). The findings of the national American sample of NSHAP show that while sexual activity tends to decrease with age, most older adults continue to enjoy intimate marital or other relationships, as well as consider their sexuality an important aspect of life. The majority of individuals aged 57 to 85 years old, and approximately one in three of individuals aged between 75 85 years old were active sexually. Even in their 80s or 90s, the elderly may practice sex and/or masturbation (Lindau et al., 2007). There is evidence to suggest that some men and women retain their sexual desire and partnership during the whole of their life (Addis et al., 2006; AARP, 1999; Nicolosi, Laumann and Glasser, 2004; Bacon et al., 2003). Some of these studies however have relied on relatively small sample sizes, and have utilized non-random sampling methods. Taking into consideration the above criticisms, Lindau et al.s (2007) study examined the occurrence of sexual activity in sexually active participants and did not find significantly decrease with old age. At the same time, the levels of reported sexual activity in respondents between 60 and 74 years old were comparable to the levels reported by adults from 18 to 59 years old, in a wide US survey (Laumann et al., 1994). Adults aged 65 years and over can retain an active and satisfying sexual life throughout their years (WHO, 2002). Frequent sexual activity is commonly reported after middle age (Janus and Janus, 2003). In the survey of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP, 1999) including 1384 elderly individuals, although sexual activity was reported as being pleasurable, no overarching agreement was reached as to the importance of sex toward maintaining a good relationship. The research by AARP (1999) also found that old adults who have partners tend to feel that a fulfilling sexual relationship is important, as opposed to old adults with no partners. Men older than 75 were more likely to have a spouse or partner and appeared to hold more favorable attitudes or more interest towards sex than did women of the same age. Men, whether they had a partner or not, reported a higher frequency of thoughts, feelings and fantasies related to sex than generally did women. Steinke et al.s (2008) research with healthy elderly people reported that the lesser health restrictions of the elderly helped them to retain their sexual activity throughout the course of their lives. Women in their third age usually demonstrate a larger diminution of sexual activity with time than do same-aged men (Lindau et al., 2007). According to the results of a multinational survey of persons 40 to 80 years of age (Laumann, Paik and Glasser, 2006), women tend to think of sex as a less important facet of life than do men, and they also tend to report more absence of pleasure from it. The determination of the dynamics that are involved in sexual satisfaction are of particular importance here (Carpenter, Nathanson and Kim, 2009). Henderson-King and Veroff (1994) and Sprecher (2002) have found that sexual satisfaction enhances the individuals well-being, while it promotes the stability of a marriage and of other personal relationships. A better knowledge of the factors that promote and lessen sexual satisfaction may help in the development of better-suited clinical and policy interventions against sexual problems (Bancroft, 2002). As populations age, a sound understanding of sexual activity in elderly people is becoming more and more relevant; people now enjoy longer and healthier lives, attitudes toward sexuality are being transformed and the importance of a fulfilling sexual life toward the attainment of personal happiness is being recognized (Seidman, 1991; Calasanti Slevin, 2001). Quality of life A number of authors have suggested that doctors and policy-makers are becoming more and more aware of the importance of human sexuality for health and for good quality of life across the life span (Lindau et al., 2007; Satcher, 2001; WHO, 2002). In his description of the cross-cultural study of the World Health Organization, Quality of Life/Older Adults (including such topics as autonomy, activity, functionality, intimacy, relationships, socialization, death, and dying, Robinson (2007) states that sexuality, health status and personal relationships were all significantly related to quality of life. Many studies have found that sexual activity bears a significant relationship to longevity and positive health outcomes (Palmore, 1982; Davey Smith, Frankel and Yarnell, 1997; Onder et al., 2003). Sexual problems Since the beginning of the 21st century new and considerable attention has been paid to the sexuality of the elderly as a result of the creation of drugs that treat erectile dysfunction. Male erectile dysfunction, if treated effectively, can prolong the active sex life of the elderly of both genders throughout life (Lindau, 2010). As Cambois, Robine and Hayward (2001) point out, in many countries sexual problems comprise a major issue for elderly people; in the United States, approximately one in two 57 to 85 year olds who are sexually active report that they have at least one sexual predicament, and one in three mention at least two such afflictions. Accordingly, the majority of the elderly people in Lindau et al.s (2007) study did report pestering problems of a sexual nature, and approximately one in four sexually active elderly participants of both genders refrained from sexual intercourse as a result of a sexual problem subject to therapeutic intervention. During the transition to old age, changes in physiology can impair the sexual responsiveness of elderly women and men, while they may affect, either negatively or positively, their sexual function (Bachmann and Leiblum, 2004; Rosen et al., 2005). Different aspects of sexuality had been found to have a negative correlation with poor health and age (Laumann et al., 2005; Schover, 2000; Laumann, Paik and Rosen, 1999; Camacho and Reyes-Ortiz, 2005). Isselbacher et al. (1994) and Rosen et al. (2005) state that problems of a sexual nature may act as precursors or as epiphenomena to significant infections or diseases such as diabetes or cancer. Sexual problems that go unnoticed and/or untreated may lead to or co-occur with depression and social withdrawal (Nicolosi et al., 2004; Morley and Tariq, 2003, Araujo et al., 1998). Medication prescribed to the elderly may have an adverse effect on sexual life (Finger, Lund and Slagle, 1997); even medication which treats sexual problems may have adv erse health effects (Lindau et al., 2006; Gott, Hinchliff and Galena, 2004). Steinke et al. (2008) also found that elderly participants who were not active sexually showed a worsening of sexual self-concept, self-efficacy, and satisfaction. In Konstam, Moser and De Jongs (2005) research, a heightened self-efficacy was demonstrated to improve on both sexual function and emotional functioning, not excluding depression. Health and sexuality Lindau et al.s (2007) study found sexual activity to be positively related to the physical health of the elderly, particularly in elderly men. In general, healthy individuals of all ages were more likely to engage in marital or other intimate relationships and to be more sexually active. Furthermore, physical health was found to be related to different facets of sexual function, as well as sexual problems, regardless of age; similar findings have been reported by other researchers (Laumann et al., 1999; Bacon et al., 2003). It is advisable then that, when specific conditions apply, elderly people who have health problems or who are to receive treatment which may influence their sexual functioning may need to be evaluated based on their health status instead of their age (Laumann et al., 2005). In a representative national analysis, Lindau (2010) assessed the relationship between sexuality, as measured per sexual activity and quality of sex life, and global self-reported physical health in mature and elderly adults. Lindau (2010) found that especially for older women, self-rated health was closely related to having a partner. Overall, participants who were of very good or excellent physical health were about 1.7 times more likely to show an interest in sex than did participants of less than good health. As Lindau (2010) puts it, when compared to women, men tend to spend significantly more of their life being sexually active but, at the same time, miss out on significantly more years of sexual activity as a consequence of less than good health. This strong relationship between mens health and expected duration of a sexually active life may be partly attributable to chronic diseases but also to treatment received for erectile dysfunction (Westlake et al., 1999; Solomon, Man and Jackson, 2003; Burke et al., 2007). The United Nations (2007) have proposed that in the developed and developing nations, a projection of peoples sexual activity as they become older can be useful in predicting health needs and resources, sexual function-related services, the recovery from sexual dysfunction due to illness, as well as the treatment for commonly occurring health conditions in the third age. At the same time, the wish to prolong the duration of their sexual life can modify older peoples important health behaviors; mature adults may for example quit smoking or take their medication more seriously if they expect that their action will promote a lengthy and fulfilling sexual life (United Nations, 2007). ΒΠ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬  ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± Addis IB, Van Den Eeden SK, Wassel-Fyr CL, et al. Sexual activity and function in middle-aged and older women. Obstet Gynecol 2006;107:755-64. American Association of Retired Persons. Modern maturity. Sexuality study. Washington DC: AARP; 1999. Araujo AB, Durante R, Feldman HA, Goldstein I, McKinlay JB. The relationship between depressive symptoms and male erectile dysfunction: cross-sectional results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. Psychosom Med 1998;60:458-65. Araujo AB, Mohr BA, McKinlay JB. Changes in sexual function in middle-aged and older men: longitudinal data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2004;52:1502-9. Bachmann GA, Leiblum SR. The impact of hormones on menopausal sexuality: a literature review. Menopause 2004; 11:120-30. Bacon CG, Mittleman MA, Kawachi I, Giovannucci E, Glassser DB, Rimm EB. Sexual function in men older than 50 years of age: results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Ann Intern Med 2003;139:161-8. Bancroft, J. (2002). The medicalization of female sexual dysfunction: The need for caution. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 451-455. Burke JP, Jacobson DJ, McGree ME, Nehra A, Roberts RO, Girman CJ, et al. Diabetes and sexual dysfunction: results from the Olmsted County study of urinary symptoms and health status among men. J Urol 2007;177:1438-42. Calamidas EG. Promoting health sexuality among older adults: educational challenges for health professionals. J Sex Educ Ther 1997;22:45-9. Calasanti, T. M., Slevin, K. F. (2001). Gender, social inequalities, and aging. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press. Camacho ME, Reyes-Ortiz CA. Sexual dysfunction in the elderly: age or disease? Int J Impot Res 2005;17:Suppl 1:S52-S56. Cambois E, Robine JM, Hayward MD. Social inequalities in disability-free life expectancy in the French male population, 1980-1991. Demography 2001;38:513-24. Davey Smith G, Frankel S, Yarnell J. Sex and death: are they related? Findings from the Caerphilly Cohort Study. BMJ 1997;315:1641-4. Finger WW, Lund M, Slagle MA. Medications that may contribute to sexual disorders: a guide to assessment and treatment in family practice. J Fam Pract 1997; 44:33-43. Gorman M. Development and the rights of older people. In: Randel J, et al., eds. The ageing and development report: poverty, independence and the worlds older people. London, Earthscan Publications Ltd.,1999:3-21. Gott M, Hinchliff S, Galena E. General practitioner attitudes to discussing sexual health issues with older people. Soc Sci Med 2004;58:2093-103. Hajjar RR, Kamel HK. Sexuality in the nursing home, part 1: attitudes and barriers to sexual expression. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2003;4:152-6. Henderson-King, D. H., Veroff, J. (1994). Sexual satisfaction and marital well-being in the first years of marriage. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11, 509-534. Isselbacher KJ, Martin JB, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Wilson JD, Kasper DL, eds. Harrisons principles of internal medicine. 13th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994:262. Janus SC, Janus CL. The Janus report on sexual behavior. 1993. Cited in M. Wallace. Sexuality and aging in longterm care. Ann Long-Term Care 2003;11:53-9. Konstam V, Moser D, De Jong M. Depression and anxiety in heart failure. J Card Fail 2005;11:455-63. Laumann EO, Gagnon JH, Michael RT, Michaels S. The social organization of sexuality: sexual practices in the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994:88. Laumann EO, Nicolosi A, Glasser DB, et al. Sexual problems among women and men aged 40-80 y: prevalence and correlates identified in the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Int J Impot Res 2005;17:39-57. Laumann EO, Paik A, Glasser DB, et al. A cross-national study of subjective sexual well-being among older women and men: findings from the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Arch Sex Behav 2006;35:145-61. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA 1999;281: 537-44. Carpenter LM, Nathanson ÃŽ-CA, Kim YJ. Physical Women, Emotional Men: Gender and Sexual Satisfaction in Midlife. Arch Sex Behav (2009) 38:87-107. Lindau, S.T. (2010). Sex, health, and years of sexually active life gained due to good health: evidence from two US population-based cross sectional surveys of ageing. BMJ, 340, 810 Lindau ST, Laumann EO, Levinson W, Waite LJ. Synthesis of scientific disciplines in pursuit of health: the Interactive Biopsychosocial Model. Perspect Biol Med 2003;46:Suppl 3:S74-S86. Lindau ST, Leitsch SA, Lundberg KL, Jerome J. Older womens attitudes, behavior, and communication about sex and HIV: a community-based study. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2006;15:747-53. Lindau ST, Schumm L, Laumann E, Levinson W, OMuircheartaigh C, Waite L. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States. N Engl J Med 2007;357:762-74. Morley JE, Tariq SH. Sexual dysfunction in older persons. In: Hazzard WR, Blass JP, Halter JB, Ouslander JG, Tinetti ME, eds. Principles of geriatric medicine and gerontology. 5th ed. New York: McGraw- Hill, 2003:1311-23. Nicolosi A, Laumann EO, Glasser DB, et al. Sexual behavior and sexual dysfunctions after age 40: the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Urology 2004;64:991-7. Nicolosi A, Moreira ED Jr, Villa M, Glasser DB. A population study of the association between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and depressive symptoms in men. J Affect Disord 2004;82:235-43. Onder G, Penninx B, Guralnik JM, Jones H, Fried LP, Pahor M, et al. Sexual satisfaction and risk of disability in older women. J Clin Psychiatry 2003;64:1177-82. Palmore EB. Predictors of the longevity difference: a 25-year follow-up. Gerontologist 1982;22:513-8. Rheaume, C., and Mitty, E. (2008). Sexuality and intimacy in older adults. Geriatric Nursing, 29, 342-349. Robinson JG, Mohlzan AE. Sexuality and quality of life. J Gerontol Nurs 2007;33:19-27. Rosen RC, Wing R, Schneider S, Gendrano N. Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction: the role of medical comorbidities and lifestyle factors. Urol Clin North Am 2005;32:403-17. Satcher D. The surgeon generals call to action to promote sexual health and responsible sexual behaviour. US Department of Health and Human Services, 2001. Schover LR. Sexual problems in chronic illness. In: Leiblum SR, Rosen RC, eds. Principles and practice of sex therapy. New York: Guilford, 2000:398-422. Seidman, S. (1991). Romantic longings: Love in America, 1830-1980. New York: Routledge. Solomon H, Man JW, Jackson G. Erectile dysfunction and the cardiovascular patient: endothelial dysfunction is the common denominator. Heart 2003;89:251-3. Sprecher, S. (2002). Sexual satisfaction in premarital relationships: Associations with satisfaction, love, commitment, and stability. Journal of Sex Research, 39, 190-197. Steinke, E.E., Wright, D.W., Chung, M.L., and Moser, D.K. (2008). Sexual self-concept, anxiety, and self-efficacy predict sexual activity in heart failure and healthy elders. Heart Lung, 37, 323-333. United Nations. World population ageing 2007. UN, 2007. Westlake C, Dracup K, Walden JA, Fonarow G. Sexuality of patients with advanced heart failure and their spouses or partners. J Heart Lung Transplant 1999;18:1133-8. World Health Organization (2001). Definitions and indicators in family planning, maternal child health and reproductive health used in the WHO regional office for Europe. Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health European Regional Office. Revised March 1999 January 2001. Accessed on 25 April 2010 at: http://www.euro.who.int/document/e68459.pdf World Health Organization. Defining sexual health: report of a technical consultation on sexual health, 28-31 January 2002. Geneva, 2002. www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/gender_rights/defining_sexual_health/en/index.html. World Health Organization (2010). Definition of an older or elderly person: proposed working definition of an older person in Africa for the MDS Project. Accessed on 25 April 2010 at: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/index.html.

The Inflexibility and Hubris of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall

The Inflexibility and Hubris of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart This novel is the definitive tragic model about the dissolution of the African Ibo culture by Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo, a great and heroic leader, is doomed by his inflexibility and hubris. He is driven by fear of failure. He had no patience with unsuccessful men. He had no patience with his father. Unoka, for that was his father's name, had died ten years ago. In his day he was lazy and improvident, and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow. (Achebe,4). The reader gets a rare and exotic understanding of a totally foreign and ancient culture experiencing the growing pains of colonial expansion during the British domination of Nigeria in the late 1800's. Okonkwo's ferocity is demonstrated in the carrying out of his personal "dread" to the letter within his family, his community, and the invaders. His ferocity, born of fear, is his evil. During the Week of Peace, one of Okonkwo's wives, Ojiugo, has left the compound, ignoring her children and domestic duties, to "plait her hair." And when she returned, he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace. His first two wives ran out in great alarm pleading with him that it was the sacred week. (Achebe, 29) But Okonkwo was not a man to stop beating somebody half-way through, not even for fear of a goddess. (Achebe, 30) Being unable to bend, he loses self-control and eventually all he has once stood for. The novel examples rites, initiations, and tribal customs whose images can be disturbing to western mentality, but also stresses the parallels and need in all cultures to have such ceremonies acknowledging important events in... ... make interesting reading. One could almost write a whole chapter on him. Perhaps not a whole chapter but a reasonable paragraph, at any rate ... He had already chosen the title of the book, after much thought: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes On The Lower Niger. (Achebe, 208-209) Achebe suggests that colonialism has led to this entire tragedy, but the seeds of dread and self-will are obvious in Okonkwo. He is not a survivor. Our goal is to survive. In our journey through this life of good and evil influences, we purposefully choose our own end by the choices we make along the way. Success can be defined as the acceptance of all of our experience that has led us where we are today. Acceptance of ourselves is the key to acceptance and tolerance of others. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Oxford, Eng.: Heinemann Educational Pub., 1996.

Media Violence Essay

Television, magazines, radio, movies, and music are all forms of today’s modern media. Is it possible that our modern media could be causing crime rates to rise? Back in the 1920’s, these media’s came out so that people could stay connected with what was going on around the world. Soon, the media became a form of entertainment. Over the last five decades, the rules and guidelines of media have changed dramatically. When the media first came out, it was completely prohibited to even say something small like â€Å"pregnant† on TV, or cursing in music. However, eventually the new entertainment became old, and the producers of the media had to find ways to keep our interest. Therefore, the media starting making the previous prohibitions, non-prohibited so that they could keep our interest. In result, today the producers the media are showing mass murders and other violent things on TV, like showing murders and crimes. Music artists sing about violent actions. In many people’s eyes, the world we know as media has left a state of innocence and entertainment, to a world of violence and indecency. A plethora of people would say that change in the media has created new issues. Often times, people blame our media for crime rates that have been skyrocketing in the last five decades, especially in adolescences. In fact, violent crimes in adolescence living in America have more than doubled since the 1990’s. For this reason, we must ask, is media violence the reason for this aggressive behavior? After reading many essays, such as Mike Males essay, â€Å"Stop Blaming Kids and TV,† and Sissela Bok’s essay, â€Å"Agression:The Impact of Media Violence,† I realized that people cannot just pinpoint violent media as the cause of this new epidemic, because in reality the environments that kids live in nowadays plays a much bigger role. Therefore, through these essays, it became very clear that media violence is not the biggest issue for violence, but perhaps these children’s homes and families. The first essay I read, â€Å"Stop Blaming Kids and TV,† by Mike Males, explains to the reader that the new profound aggressive behaviors of children have little to do with our new media and more to do with their home environments. To begin Males’s essay, he starts by stating that many people believe that media violence is the cause of the new crime rate increase. Males then starts to list various groups that are strong believers of media violence being bad for kids and gives us many examples such as, â€Å"Progressives are no exception. Mother Jones claims it has proof that TV makes kids violent. And the institute of Alternative Media emphasis, the average American child will witness 200,000 acts of (TV) violence by the time that child graduates from high school† (253). Males then goes on to argue that point by stating, â€Å"None of these varied interests not that during the eighteen years between a child’s birth and graduation from high school, there will be fifteen million cases of real violence in American homes grave enough to require hospital emergency treatment† (253). He then continues by telling us that the Department of Health and Human Services said that there are over 500,000 cases of abusive parents reported each year. After the Department reported this fact, this report disappeared from the news completely after only one day (253). Another point that Males argues is that the Japanese and European kids have media just as violent as ours here in America and yet their crime rates are not nearly as high as ours. In fact, it is said that their crime rate are so low that their 17 year olds create less crime than our 77 year olds in America. Furthermore, Males then tells about his own personal experiences and what he has watched over his years of working with children. Through his own studies, he found that many of the kids who showed any acts of aggression or violence had an unstable or bad home life. For example: kids who have parents in jail or kids who have alcoholics in their families. Next, he tells us about the survey that he conducted in los angles from 400 middle school students. From this study he got that most kids’ parents are there biggest influence. Thus, when a kid sees his/her parents doing something, or acting some way, they are far more likely to act just like their parents did. To back this statement, he provided us with yet another study from the Centers for Disease Control, where they found that â€Å"75 percent of all teenage smokers come from homes where their parents smoke† (255). Males then goes on to conclude his essay by stating, â€Å"Millions of children and teenagers face real destitution, drug abuse, and violence in their homes†¦. Yet these profound menaces continue to lurk in the background†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (256) Males’s main purpose of this essay was to persuade the reader that violent media such as TV is not the only cause for why kids are violent. This essay was very effective because he used many outside sources besides himself. He used a lot of logical appeals and even a few emotional pieces throughout his essay. For his logical appeals he used university, departments, and programs that deal with the youth. These sources tend to be very credible and reliable. As the reader that makes us feel like what he is saying is very factual because he got his information from good sources. In addition He researched other countries and media violence in their countries, which was really good because what he found in those countries, was that even though those countries play the same violence and aggression on their TV’s, they have a lower crime rates which really helps back up Males’s point. Thus, for these reasons this essay was very effective in persuading the reader that TV is not to blame for this aggression. The second essay that caught my attention, â€Å"Aggression: The Impact of Media Violence,† by Sissela Bok, also explains how there is not just one thing that affects why kids are so violent but a myriad of things. As Bok begins her essay she states, â€Å"Even if media violence were linked to no other debilitating, it would remain at the center of public debate so long as the widespread belief persists that it glamourizes aggressive conduct, removes inhibitions toward such conduct, arouses viewers, and invites imitation. † (224). Next, she goes on to tell about how 21 percent of the American public blames television more than any other factors for teen violence. It is said that the media makes up for 5-15 percent of the societal violence. Furthermore, she then writes about Centerwall’s study which was published in 1989 which states that if television had not been created he believes we would have 10,000 less homicides each year (227). However, Sissela fights back to this statement by addressing that Mr. Centerwall did not take into consideration of other things that were going on at the time, like shifts in policy and population. Therefore, she persuades us that media is not a for sure topic to blame for the increase homicide rate. She continues her argument against blaming media violence by writing, â€Å"We may never be able to trace, retrospectively, the specific set of television programs that contributed to a particular persons aggressive conduct†¦. How can anyone definitively pinpoint the link between media violence and the acts of real life violence? †(228). Nevertheless, Mrs. Bok tells about her research on homicides in America and how the children homicide rates have escalated greatly, and then concludes her essay by saying: America may be the only society on earth to have experiences what has been called an â€Å"epidemic of children killing children,† which is ravaging some of its communities today. As in any epidemic, it is urgent to ask what is it that makes so many capable of such violence, victimizes so many others, and causes countless more to live in fear. Whatever role media are found to play in this respect, to be sure, is part of the problem. Obviously, not even the total elimination of media violence would wipe out the problem of violence in the United States or any other society. The same can be said for the proliferation and easy access to guns, or for poverty, drug addiction, and other risk factors. As Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith puts it not an either or. It’s not guns or media or parents or poverty. (228-9) Bok’s main purpose was to persuade the reader that media violence is not the only contributing factor into this new profound violence in children. She explains that there are many other factors like these kids’ home environments. This essay was effective because Bok used a lot of really good sources such as associations, psychologists, and studies, as well as many statistics that she provided for us. She also made it very clear that she had researched this topic quick deeply by going way back into the history of children’s violence in previous decades. She provided us with a very well displayed argument and even showed some of the opposing side. However, she always fought back with the opposing arguments with a better argument really building her argument into a good one. In consequence, Bok’s essay was a very effective essay and does persuade the reader into believing that media violence is not the main cause of aggression in children. Overall, Mr. Males and Mrs. Bok both had very good arguments. They both expressed their opinions and the found facts and proof to help back there thesis. While these essays did not completely take the same stand, these authors had similar views to an extent on media violence. In both of essay’s they uses logical and credible sources. In addition, in Mr. Males essay he also included a few emotional pieces, about his work with the children. Both of these essays specifically focused on the outcome of the kids and how media violence has affected them. However, both essays would like to say that media violence is not the pinpoint cause of why kids are being more violent nowadays, as opposed to in the recent decades. After reading these essays I do have to say that now I don’t believe that media violence is the may cause for aggression in adolescence. Furthermore, so who is to say that media violence is causing this aggression since there is no evidence? Better yet, why aren’t we looking at other oppositions such as children’s home environments? Either way this is an epidemic now, and it’s time we learn how to change it. It’s time for the community’s to get involved in helping to stop this epidemic. Perhaps this could be through offering more rehab programs for parents, or counseling to the children with deep levels of anger and hatred. Maybe it’s through offering anger management programs through schools, or spreading awareness, because in any situation, no matter the cause, this violence is happening, and we can’t stop it until we try. So like Sissela Bok and Mike Males, let’s look at other oppositions, and learn how to stop this violence before it gets even more out of control.