Metaphysical Imagery in the Works of John Donne

Metaphysical Imagery in the Works of John Donne Metaphysical poetry is a blend of passionate feelings and paradoxical style. John Donne is believed to be one of the best of metaphysical poets. There are many examples of metaphysical imagery in the works of John Donne. The metaphysical imagery of John Donne will be brought into view by the examples he used throughout his poetry.Donne begins "A Valediction Forbidding Mourning" by indicating a preference for their departure to be unobtrusive, to be as restrained as possible in their parting, by using an analogy between the couple and "virtuous men." He describes,As virtuous men pass mildly away,And whisper to their souls to go,Whilst some of their sad friends do say,The breath goes now, and some say, no [...]. (1-4)Through descriptions of "mildly" and "whisper" he reveals his wish for their separation to be as temperate as possible. Donne calls for a similar restraint in their passing, for no fuss, tears or sighs, referring to the typical hyperbolic lovers and using them as a vision of how not to act, "So let us melt and make no noise, / No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move [...]"I believe this is a photograph taken of a portrait...(5-6). Here the intellectual begins to take over the sentimentality, or impulsiveness of the scene, "Donne perplexes the minds of the fair sex with nice speculations of philosophy, when he should engage their hearts and entertain them with the softness of love" (Bennett 1).So let us melt, and make no noise,No teare-floods, nor sigh-tempests move,T'were prophanation of our joyesTo tell the layetie our love [...]. (5-8)The word "melt" implies a change in physical state. The bond of lovers will dissolve quietly. "Noise" refers to "tear floods" and "sigh tempests" that the speaker pleads with his love not to leave. He continues by...

What to Know About Zeta Potential

What to Know About Zeta Potential The zeta potential (ÃŽ ¶-potential) is the potential difference across phase boundaries between solids and liquids. Its a measure of the electrical charge of particles are that are suspended in liquid. Since zeta potential is not equal to the electric surface potential in a double layer or to the Stern potential, it is often the only value that can be used to describe double-layer properties of a colloidal dispersion. Zeta potential, also known as electrokinetic potential, is measured in millivolts (mV). In colloids, zeta potential is the electric potential difference across the ionic layer around a charged colloid ion. Put another way; its the potential in the interface double layer at the slipping plane. Typically, the higher the zeta-potential, the more stable the colloid. Zeta potential that is less negative than -15 mV typically represents the beginnings of agglomeration of particles. When the zeta-potential equals zero, the colloid will precipitate into a solid. Measuring Zeta Potential Zeta potential cannot be directly measured. It is calculated from theoretical models or estimated experimentally, often based on electrophoretic mobility. Basically, to determine zeta potential, one tracks that rate at which a charged particle moves in response to an electric field. Particles that possess a zeta potential will migrate toward the opposite-charged electrode. The rate of migration is proportional to zeta potential. Velocity typically is measured using a Laser Doppler Anemometer. The calculation is based on a theory described in 1903 by Marian Smoluchowski. Smoluchowskis theory is valid for any concentration or shape of dispersed particles. However, it assumes a sufficiently thin double layer, and it ignores any contribution of surface conductivity. Newer theories are used to perform electroacoustic and electrokinetic analyses under these conditions. There is a device called a zeta meter its expensive, but a trained operator can interpret the estimated values that it produces. Zeta meters typically rely on one of two electroacoustic effects: electric sonic amplitude and colloid vibration current. The advantage of using an electroacoustic method to characterize zeta potential is that the sample does not need to be diluted. Applications of Zeta Potential Since the physical properties of suspensions and colloids largely depend on the properties of the particle-liquid interface, knowing the zeta potential has practical applications. Zeta Potential Measurements are used to Prepare colloidal dispersions for cosmetics, inks, dyes, foams, and other chemicalsDestroy undesirable colloidal dispersions during water and sewage treatment, preparation of beer and wine, and dispersing aerosol productsReduce cost of additives by calculating the minimum amount needed to achieve the desired effect, such as the amount of flocculant added to water during water treatmentIncorporate colloidal dispersion during manufacturing, as in cements, pottery, coatings, etc.Utilize desirable properties of colloids, which include capillary action and detergency. Properties may be applied for mineral flotation, impurity absorption, separating petroleum from reservoir rock, wetting phenomena, and electrophoretic deposition of paints or coatingsMicroelectrophoresis to characterize blood, bacteria, and other biological surfacesCharacterize the properties of clay-water systemsMany other uses in mineral processing, ceramics manufacturing, electronics manufacturing, pharmaceutical producti on, etc. References American Filtration and Separations Society, What Is Zeta Potential? Brookhaven Instruments, Zeta Potential Applications. Colloidal Dynamics, Electroacoustic Tutorials, The Zeta Potential (1999). M. von Smoluchowski, Bull. Int. Acad. Sci. Cracovie, 184 (1903). Dukhin, S.S. and Semenikhin, N.M. Koll. Zhur., 32, 366 (1970).

Should We Expand Our Support of Literacy Programs for Homeless Essay

Should We Expand Our Support of Literacy Programs for Homeless Children - Essay Example There are several causes of homelessness, such as domestic violence, economic hardships and war. Homelessness is bad because it creates chaos and instability in the family and threatens development of children. Researchers have found that homeless children are mostly made to forego literary and language opportunities. It is known in this context that disruption in educational development and stressed family relationships can lead to severe adversities in a child’s later learning environment (Duffield and Lovell, 2008). Communities are now beginning to realize that while addressing the issue of homelessness, it is not merely enough to resolve problems relative to food and shelter. It is imperative to provide children with literary support through which they can get over with the challenges of coping with homelessness. Research has also shown that in general, homeless children stand higher chances of suffering from health and psychological problems and developmental issues and g enerally demonstrate poor performance in school as compared to other children having permanent housing (US Department of Education, 2011). It is for these reasons that society must expand support of literacy programs for homeless children. Main Body Because of homelessness, children are put at strong risks of poor health. Research has indicated that as compared to children having permanent homes, homeless children stand four times more chances of being in poor health. Such children are two times more likely to visit emergency medical centers and to be deprived of the normal immunizations that are necessary for children. Moreover, homeless children have to often go without food and it is because of these reasons that these children perform poorly in academics. Homeless children get poor results in schools because they have to under go immense turmoil and are at constant risk of being shifted from one school to another, in addition to being made to skip school for an indefinite number of days because of the need to meet their basic family needs. It has been established through research that mobility has a devastating impact on children’s achievements and that it significantly reduces such children’s chances of graduating from high school. Schools are known to provide support to homeless children but they continue to face some unique hurdles in education such as not being able to comply with enrollment conditions relative to proof of residence, guardianship, health records etc. They often change their residences frequently, resulting in unstable schooling and continuity in education. These children are considerably constrained because of lack of transport facilities, inadequate clothing and school supplies, hunger, fatigue and poor health. Mostly, these difficulties for homeless children are not addressed and they are not able to attend school, which prevents them from getting an education that is supposed to be guaranteed by law (Iowa Department of Education, 2004). If initiatives are taken by schools to address the needs of homeless children, a sanctuary of support and stability can be created for them. They can be provided opportunities in acquiring skills needed to rise above poverty and to maintain a sound household as

Mercy Killing or Just Killing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Mercy Killing or Just Killing - Essay Example Proponents for euthanasia have passionately defended their position for accepting and adopting its practice. World people are facing ever-growing moral dilemmas. With the advancements in the medical field also come new procedures as well as easier ways to deal with problems. A popular moral dilemma that comes to mind is abortion. Now many people are against abortion for religious reasons. Moreover, just like abortion, many consider assisted suicide as murder. However, it is both ridiculous and irrelevant to argue on whether assisted suicide should be legal. When I was young, my Oma (grandmother) was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. For years, she lingered in the home as her mind slowly decayed over time. First, she could not remember how to speak English. She would be talking and resort to her childhood language at random points. Therefore, she would say a 10-word sentence and a half of it would be spoken in English. Next came the hard memory, she would forget simple tasks and could not be left on her own. She would forget the location of the bathroom was in her own home. Next was perhaps the hardest to deal with, she forgot our names. First came distant relatives but finally, she could not remember my mom’s name, her own daughter. Lastly, she forgot how to do pretty much anything; she could not button shirts, she could not even move at all. When she was in the home, she got bedsores from lack of movement. Moreover, she could not get up to go to the bathroom. Now, this is obviously horrible but the worst was the few mom ents where she had a small amount of clarity where 2 seconds here 3 seconds there she would remember how to talk. I recall one such moment when she simply said to my mom who was visiting her in the home, she simply said, â€Å"help me.† I remember how it crushed my mother and crushed me. Now everyone has his or her own religion and personal belief but I will now ask you a very philosophical question.  

Determining the Formula of an Unknown Hydrate Essay Example for Free

Determining the Formula of an Unknown Hydrate Essay The final equations that was concluded after the experiment and the calculations are CuSO4 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5H2O and MgSO4 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 5H2O. There are 5 water molecules per Copper (II) Sulphate and 7 water molecules per Magnesium Sulphate. The compounds are all hydrates which is a substance that contains water. This occurs when crystals form from the evaporation of an aqueous solution of a salt and water molecules become included into the crystal. The hydrates were heated and lost its water of hydration and made it possible to calculate how much water was in the hydrate and the water to salt ratio. The percentage error for the Copper (II) Sulfate was 4.61%. It is a large error but the coefficient was correctly rounded to the accepted value of 5. The percentage error for Epsom salts was 5.51% which is also very large but can also be rounded to the accepted value of 7. Errors and Limitations Error Explanation Suggested Improvements No lid Without a lid on the evaporating dish, the powder popped out the dish when heated therefore causing the mass of the remaining substance to be lower Using a lid Imprecise measurements of mass Causing the mass of the evaporating dish, H2O and the remaining hydrate to be lowered or raised and therefore makes the final formula incorrect Making sure the surface of the scale is clean and waiting until the weight displayed has completely stopped No depth in experiment More experiments can be done for comparison and further our knowledge of hydrates Another Sulfate hydrate to compare the hydrates and see if there is a pattern of the different hydrate and the number of water molecules due to factors of periodicity. Also we could have also just used sulfate hydrate to observe how adding another element affect the water and salt ratio. Overheating of the substances The hydrates were heated under the Bunsen burner and were left under the heat for too long. This could alter the result by lowering the mass, which would increase the water to salt ratio. Mixing the powder to evenly distribute the heat to prevent overheating the salt. Not letting the substance cool before weighing it This would raise the mass of the anhydrate because the water molecules would not be entirely evaporated making the substance left heavier. Having more patience and letting the salt completely cool before weighing Oval chunks of CuSO4 remain after burning Not all of the water of hydration has been removed which will throw off the result by decreasing the mole of water and the increase the final water to salt ratio. Break up the chunks before heating or while heating.

Invasive plants Essay -- Native Plant Species, Environment

Since we are accustomed to a life full of modern conveniences, it is important to remember that human survival still depends on the planet's natural diversity. Pennsylvania has 25,000 species of plants and animals, with more than 2,100 being native (IConserve, 2007). It is critical to appreciate the sustainable use of these natural resources that influence our beautiful state’s economic health and quality of life of all Pennsylvanians. Yet many threats to our home’s biodiversity are present. One significant threat is invasive plant species that are eliminating native plant species. Invasive plants are plants which grow aggressively, spreading and displacing other plants (Ball, 2002). Whether it is intentional or not, they are often introduced by humans. On the other hand, native plants are pants that existed within Pennsylvania before European settlement. Because they are meant to grow here, they are quite beneficial to the environment as well as people (Fell 19 95). In order to preserve Pennsylvania’s health and natural beauty, it is essential to control the growth of invasive plant species while supporting the growth of native plant species. When Pennsylvania was first settled in the 1600’s by William Penn, abundant plants covered about 90% of the state (IConserve 2007). All of these plants are considered to be natives because they existed in the area before human settlement. Unfortunately, due to human interactions with nature, the landscape has changed significantly over time. Many plants that once defined Pennsylvania have been lost; however, this problem can be reversed to some extent. By 2000, five percent of Pennsylvania’s native plant species had been lost and another twenty-five percent were in danger o... ...s that are invasive and controlling or destroying any invasive species. These plants are adaptable and grow well under a wide range of conditions and therefore have a much better chance of thriving. It is also important to use fertilizers in moderation because high nitrogen often stimulates the aggressive growth of plants (Fell, 1995). Planning land management is also important. Weekly mowing is important for the maintenance of lawns and weeding is important for gardens. Pennsylvania’s meadows should be mowed annually and woodlands should be monitored for the need to remove invasive plant species (Ball, 2001). Unfortunately, invasive plants are causing problems not only in Pennsylvania, but all across the country (Invasive Plants: Silent Invaders, 2004). It is essential that efforts are made in order to keep this plant crisis from deteriorating further.

Recruitment and Retention

Demand for academic staff in Higher Education has been increasing2 and may be expected to continue to increase given the Government’s intention that participation in Higher Education should increase substantially amongst those aged 18 to 30 years old. At the same time, recruitment and retention problems have been growing in prominence (HEFCE, 2003) and there has been a long-standing concern that the sector faces a ‘retirement bulge’, as academics from the 1960s expansion reach retirement.Consequently, there is concern about the adequacy of the future supply of academics. Other substantial changes in Higher Education in the past 10 to 20 years are likely to have contributed to the tightness of the academic labour market3. Polytechnics were granted university status in 1992, changing their funding regime, their focus and the demands on staff. The number of students has grown substantially, a growth which has not been matched by staff increases resulting in a large i ncrease in the student:staff ratio.Changes in funding have led to much greater emphasis on research output (through the Research Assessment Exercise, the RAE), teaching quality (through the requirements of the Quality Assurance Agency, the QAA) and on academics raising research and consultancy funds. Other changes include tighter contractual terms (affecting holidays and hours worked), an increase in the use of short-term and hourly-paid contracts and the loss of tenure. Overall, these changes have tended to alter the nature of the job, reducing autonomy and increasing the workload, including that of administrative and teaching tasks.At the same time, both the salaries and status of academics are perceived to have deteriorated relative to alternative careers (Halsey, 1992; Keep et al. , 1996). Substantial change in the nature of any job is likely to increase turnover, as a mismatch develops between the nature of the job to which people were recruited and the actual job. If these cha nges tend to reduce the quality of the job, rather than just change it, and if the applicant requirements are not altered (and, probably, lowered), recruitment will also become more difficult.Both turnover and recruitment difficulties will be exacerbated by a relative decline in pay. Overview of the study Against this background, the study was designed to identify the factors which lead to individuals entering and leaving academic employment in the English Higher Education sector. Although the main focus was entry and exit from the sector, recruitment to and retention by individual institutions can shed light on this and was also investigated.For the purposes of the study academic employment was defined as jobs in higher education institutions (Universities and Colleges of Higher Education) whose main function was academic teaching or academic research, irrespective of the contractual terms of the job holder. Thus lecturing (e. g. Professors, and Lecturers) and research staff (e. g. Research Assistants, post-docs and Senior Research Fellows) are included, but academic-related staff (e. g. technicians) are not. Full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary staff within these groups are included4.Two main groups of academics were excluded from the study: those in Further Education Institutions and those on clinical rates of pay. The resources of the study precluded inclusion of these two groups5. Following discussion with the DfES, it was decided to focus on staff at English HEIs. This was done in order to prevent differences in the funding and structure of the HE sectors obscuring the analysis. Two exceptions to this rule are the analysis of the HESA data on research students and the chapter on international comparisons of pay (Chapter 4). These are discussed in more detail in sections 1. . 1 and 1. 1. 2 below (and in further detail in Appendix C and Appendix D). The study had five, inter-related, strands: †¢ a literature review to establish the nature of the recruitment and retention problems and to identify previous evidence on the factors affecting recruitment and retention; this was conducted from March to May 2003; †¢ analysis of HESA staff and student data, 2001/02, to provide a descriptive analysis of turnover in academia, to identify the basic characteristics of employment in the sector and to identify the student supply into academia6; a comparative analysis of pay, using 2001 data, both for comparable employment nationally and for academics in Higher Education internationally, in order to establish the competitiveness of academic pay; †¢ qualitative research within universities exploring human resource policies and practices and factors affecting entry and exit from the sector; the fieldwork was conducted between July 2003 and July 2004; 4 However, the coverage of hourly paid staff is severely limited, owing to limitations in the HESA data (see below) and to practical difficulties of sampling for the survey (see b elow). Inclusion of the former would have extended the study to Further Education Institutions. The latter have different terms, conditions and employment patterns from other academics in HEIs and so a larger sample would have been required to adequately cover this group. Staff on clinical rates accounted for five per cent of academic staff (HESA Individualised Staff Record 2001/2). 6 Analysis of more recent HESA data and of trends over time is contained in HEFCE (2005a) and HEFCE (2005b). 3 quantitative surveys of academic staff and of research students to identify factors which affect recruitment into academia and retention; the fieldwork was conducted between May and July 2004. The research findings are affected by the policies and practices in effect at the time. To assist the reader, the DfES has produced a list of relevant Higher Education initiatives since the survey fieldwork. These are listed in Appendix H. Below, essential aspects of the methods are described. Further deta ils of the methods appear in appendices. Appendix A describes the qualitative research.Appendix B discusses the quantitative surveys of academic staff and research students. Appendix C describes the HESA staff and student datasets. Appendix D describes the data used for the intra- and international pay comparisons. Appendix F describes the model used for the analysis of the likelihood of students entering academia. Appendix G describes the econometric analysis of job satisfaction and intentions to leave academia. 1. 1. 1 HESA staff and student data7 For staff, the HESA Individualised Staff Record for the academic year 2001/02 was used.The analysis was confined to institutions in England and to staff who were not on clinical grades. The sole exception to this is chapter 4, where the focus is expanded to the whole of the UK, to maintain consistency with the international comparisons analysis. For the study’s purposes, the Individualised Staff Record data has two important limit ations. Firstly, they exclude employees8 whose total academic employment is below that of 25 per cent of a full-time academic (i. e. those with short hours or with substantial management and administrative responsibilities are excluded)9.One of the implications is that hourly-paid staff will be substantially under-reported and is unlikely to be representative of hourly-paid staff as a whole. Secondly, the data relating to leavers suffer from a high level of nonreporting: around 60 per cent of leavers’ destinations are missing10. Therefore the findings on movement out of the sector must be treated with caution. For students, the Combined Student/Module Record for the academic year 2001/2 was used. This was combined with the First Destination Supplement (FDS), relating to those students who left in 2001/2.The analysis was not limited to students from English higher education institutions because the appropriate pool of domestic entrants into Higher Education academic post is th e whole of the UK. It is important 7 Note that the University of North London was not included in either the staff or student data supplied by HESA because the university has asked that its individual data is not released. 8 Strictly, they exclude contracts whose total academic employment is below that of 25 per cent of a full-time academic, as the record reports contracts rather than individuals.For more information see Appendix C. 9 However, there are staff in the Individualised Staff Record with their FTE recorded as less than 25%; the majority of these records relate to staff who arrived or left during the year. 10 Internal work by HEFCE that matched the 2001-2 survey with that for the following year using staff code, data of birth and sex, found that 20% of those for whom the destination was not known remained at the same institution, 5% were found at a different institution and the remainder could not be matched with a record in the second year.This latter group are made up of those who left the sector and those who remained but whose record in the second year did not match with respect to one of the three criteria. 4 to note that the destination of postgraduate research students in the FDS has a particularly low level of response (38%). Further details are given in Appendix C. 1. 1. 2 The comparative analysis of pay The comparative analysis of pay uses data from national labour force surveys (and censuses in nine countries. These were chosen to illustrate the types of countries to and from which most international movement with UK academia occurs.They include the main English–speaking countries to which UK academics move (the USA and Australia), together with other English-speaking nations (New Zealand and Canada), three European countries (Denmark, France and Sweden) and Japan. The analysis of the labour force survey data used in the international comparisons used data from the whole of the UK. This was to increase the sample size. However, we w ould not expect to find significant differences within the UK. Identifying higher education academics was done using information on occupation and industry where available.In most countries we were able to obtain a sample group that matched the UK sample. Exceptions to this were the US, where the sample also included academic staff at state colleges, who also conduct teaching undertaken in the FE sector in the UK, and Australia and New Zealand, where it is possible that our sample excludes some researchers who have no teaching responsibilities. We discuss the implications of this in Chapter 4 and Appendix D. Comparisons were made in both nominal and real terms. Earnings were converted using exchange rates to make nominal comparisons.In order to account for differences in the cost of living, purchasing power parity exchange rates developed by the OECD were used to make real earnings comparisons. Further details are given in Appendix D. 1. 1. 3 The qualitative and quantitative survey research Qualitative research was conducted in thirteen English universities and quantitative research conducted in a subset of these. A structured sample of universities was selected to ensure coverage of different types of universities (new, old and colleges of Higher Education), universities in London and elsewhere and universities with differing research ratings.Institutions with fewer than 200 academic staff and most specialist institutions11 were excluded. Small institutions were excluded because economies of scale in setting up the quantitative survey meant that their inclusion would have led to a smaller survey, as the project resources could not increase the sample through an increased number of institutions. Specialist institutions were excluded for similar reasons. (This did not reduce the subject coverage, as subjects taught in specialist institutions are also found in other HEIs. The purpose of the qualitative research was to identify factors which might affect recruitm ent and retention, including human resource practices and staff preferences. Qualitative interviews were held with senior staff with responsibility for 11 ‘Specialist institution’ is a classification developed for funding purposes and refers to institutions where 60 percent or more of funding is allocated to one or two cost centres. 5 human resourcing and, in eight of the universities, interviews were conducted with heads of two departments, and a sample of their academic staff and research students.A survey of academic staff was conducted in ten12 of these universities. The survey covered both research and lecturing staff. Full-and part-time staff were included, but hourly paid staff were excluded (see Appendix B). The questionnaire collected data on personal characteristics, employment history, views on aspects of the job and career intentions. The survey was web-based. A total of 2805 staff responded, a response rate of 32 per cent. Survey data have been re-weighted to be representative of university academic staff in English HEIs.For more information on the weighting and other issues relating to the staff survey see section B. 1 of Appendix B. A survey of research students (full-time and part-time) was conducted in nine of the universities, where research students were those undertaking a Masters degree mainly by research or a doctorate. The questionnaire collected data on personal characteristics, employment history and career intentions. The survey was web-based. A total of 1330 research students responded, a response rate of 29 per cent. Survey data have been re-weighted to be representative of research students in English HEIs.For more information on the weighting and other issues relating to the staff survey see Section B. 7. Further details are given in Appendix B. 1. 2 Nomenclature Throughout this report the following nomenclature is used: †¢ Student when referring to the student survey refers to research student. †¢ ‘Ac ademic’, ‘academic staff’ refers to those employed in higher education institutions on either the research grade or the lecturing grade. †¢ University is used to refer to all higher education institutions, whether a university or a college. New and old universities. New13 universities are those that received university status in 1992 (when polytechnics and many colleges of Higher Education converted to university status) or later; old universities are those which had university status before this date. 1. 3 Report layout The structure of the report is as follows. The next chapter sets the scene by presenting evidence on turnover and recruitment and retention problems in higher 12 The aim had been to survey staff and students in twelve universities.Unfortunately, not all the universities were able to supply the sample, either due to data protection considerations or due to difficulties providing an email contact list. 13 This nomenclature is in common use now , but, previously, ‘new university’ was used to denote universities established in the 1960s and early 1970s. Perhaps the term was also used in the nineteenth century to refer to the redbrick universities when the sector was expanded in the Victorian era. 6 education. It also presents evidence on the factors affecting recruitment and retention of academics.Chapter 3 then describes the structure of academic employment in Higher Education, including the grade structure and contractual status, and the main characteristics of academic staff. This description is used to raise some of the factors which might affect recruitment and retention. Chapter 4 continues with the theme of structure, focusing on pay, and examines relative pay to investigate whether pay differences may be a cause of recruitment and retention difficulties. Both domestic and international comparisons are made.

Of mice and men-Discuss the importance of the American dream Essay

Dictionary: the American dream An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: â€Å"In the deepening gloom of the Depression, the American Dream represented a reaffirmation of traditional American hopes†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Dictionary: dream a cherished desire The American Dream is a dream of success, fame and wealth achieved in the United States of America. It’s thought to be achievable by â€Å"hard work, courage, and determination†, or by â€Å"getting rich quick†. The concept often involves moving upward in the social classes, and may involve icons such as car, house, partner and pet. This definition of the American dream is universal, but it can have a different meaning for different classes of people. People have dreams The novel of mice and men, written by John Steinbeck, is set in 1930’s California during the Great Depression. The two main characters called George and Lennie are migrant workers travelling from ranch to ranch just to get by and make a little money so that one day they can live their own American dream. Throughout the book, Lennie always asks George to tell him and re-tell him their dream of someday owning their own land. ‘Someday we’re gonna get our jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs.’ The use of the word someday shows a sense of longing and uncertainty; he doesn’t know if it will happen soon or even at all. Because of the time the book is set or George and Lennie’s lifestyle, their dream is not the exact definition of the ‘American dream’. It is more to do with freedom and the amount of land owned which equals a higher status in society the more land you owned. George and Lennie’s dream is motivated by the fact that they have no stability in where they live or work. Being migrant workers, they have a very unsettled lifestyle because they don’t know how long they will be needed to work there. After they aren’t needed or if they get fired, it could take a long time to find another job. Their dream of owning a rural house on their own in the Salinas valley is a comforting thought of stability and not having to worry about nowhere to live. The Salinas valley is not a typical rural setting of America, but as George and Lennie have not traveled far, it is their idea of perfect. There are no comfortable houses, but vast orchards, vineyards, and ranched thoroughly tended. In the book, the Californian countryside is described in vast detail at the beginning and end of every chapter. Steinbeck uses description of the surroundings as he, like Lennie developed a close bond with nature. In my opinion, this is Steinnbeck’s dream Other characters living on the ranch also have similar dreams. The migrant worker candy for example is afraid of being alone and dreams of living out the rest of his life with company. When he hears about George and Lennie’s dream asks them if he can join them so he wont be lonely. ‘S’pose I went in with you guys. How’d that be? When they can me I wont have no place else to go an’ I can’t get no more jobs.’ He is desperate so he pleads with them even though he hasn’t known them very long. Another person on the ranch with a dream is Curley’s wife. Her dream is of fame and fortune †Nother time I met a guy-he was in the pitchers. He said he’d put me in the movies. Said I was a natural. Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it. I never got that letter. I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.’ She has this dream as an escape from her husband who is very sexist and discriminatory against women. At the time the book is set, women were treated poorly and only thought of as housewives for bringing up children and were used commonly for sex purposes. Curley treats ‘Curley’s wife’ poorly so she dreams about being rich and famous being a movie star. Ironically, this is the dream of many American people nowadays; to be rich and famous as they aspire to be the everyday celebrities we see today. Another dream of hers is also not to be lonely. She explains to Lennie ‘ I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.’ This shows that she is lonely because she confides in him about her problem and she doesn’t know him at all. Crooks is the Negro stable buck. He has a separate room away from the white people living and working on the ranch. This also shows the amount of racism at the time the story is set. It seems his dream is to not be treated differently because of his skin colour. He says ‘ I ain’t wanted ’cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.’ It is obvious that he doesn’t agree with these comments by the way he speaks. He ‘speaks sharply’ showing he is angry about these comments. He talks about everyone else except for him playing cards implying that he would like to play cards too, along with everyone else. In conclusion, I think that the American dream is important to different characters in different ways and different interpretations.

Communication Between Parents and Children Essays

Communication Between Parents and Children Essays Communication Between Parents and Children Essay Communication Between Parents and Children Essay The causes of the lack of communication between parents and children can have several causes: personal characteristics, distances, traumas, addictions etc. In the case of the story read, A Day s Wait, little Chats is sick: He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ache to move; his father reacts Like any parent would react by asking if the child is not feeling well: Whats the matter, Chats; son responds by saying that he Just has a headache. A dad that Is more sensitive to the feelings of the son would have Insisted upon noting that the son does not appear to be feeling well. There Is parents who do not have facility to handle and deal with their childrens feelings, perhaps because he himself has gone through a salary situation, a trauma. The alcoholism can disrupt for obvious reasons: If the father cannot deal with their own feelings Imagine with other people. Distance and also Intuitive, depending on the availability of technologies. However these are not cases of history. In dealing with the consequences of the lack of communication between parents and children, these may vary between fights, more trauma, family breakdown, separation, misunderstandings, dislikes etc. In the case of this reading, one of the major consequences was the anguish in which the child spent all day: He lay still in the bed and Seemed very detached from what was going on. So, to avoid these situations, the best thing to do to and try to understand the other persons feelings, try to imagine what the other person is going through, insisting because sometimes when people go through bad situations they may find it difficult to express their feelings and end falling in a zone of bitterness. In the case of this story, the resolution left the question of the child: About what time do you think l m going to die?

Meaning and History of the Term Robber Baron

Meaning and History of the Term Robber Baron Robber Baron was a term applied to a businessman in the 19th century who engaged in unethical and monopolistic practices, utilized corrupt  political influence, faced almost no business regulation, and amassed enormous wealth. The term itself was not coined in the 1800s, but actually dated back centuries It was originally applied to noblemen in the Middle Ages who functioned as feudal warlords and were literally â€Å"robber barons.† In the 1870s the term began to be used to describe business tycoons, and the usage persisted throughout the rest of the 19th century. The late 1800s and the first decade of the 20th century are sometimes referred to as an age of robber barons. The Rise of Robber Barons As the United States transformed into an industrial society with little regulation of business, it was possible for small numbers of men to dominate crucial industries. Conditions which favored vast accumulations of wealth included the extensive natural resources being discovered as the country expanded, the enormous potential workforce of immigrants arriving in the country, and the general acceleration of business in the years following the Civil War. Railroad builders, in particular, needing political influence to build their railways, became adept at influencing politicians through the use of lobbyists, or in some cases, outright bribery. In the public mind, robber barons were often associated with political corruption. The concept of laissez faire capitalism, which dictated no government regulation of business, was promoted.  Facing few  impediments to creating  monopolies, engaging in  shady stock trading practices,  or exploiting workers, some individuals made enormous fortunes. Examples of Robber Barons As the term robber baron came into common usage, it was often applied to a small group of men. Notable examples were: Cornelius Vanderbilt, owner of steamship lines and railroads.Andrew Carnegie, steel manufacturer.J.P. Morgan, financier, and banker.John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil.Jay Gould, Wall Street trader.Jim  Fisk, Wall Street trader.Russell Sage, financier. The men who were called robber barons were often  portrayed in a positive light, as â€Å"self-made men† who had helped build the nation and in the process created many jobs for American workers. However, the public mood turned against them in the late 19th century. Criticism from newspapers and social critics began to find an audience. And American workers began to organize in great numbers as the labor movement accelerated. Events in labor history, such as the Homestead Strike and the Pullman Strike, intensified public resentment toward the wealthy. The conditions of workers, when contrasted with the lavish lifestyles of millionaire industrialists, created widespread resentment. Even other businessmen felt exploited by monopolistic practices as it was virtually impossible to compete in some fields. Common citizens became aware that monopolists could more easily exploit workers. There was even a public backlash against the lavish displays of wealth often exhibited by the very wealthy of the age. Critics noted the concentration of wealth as evil or weakness of society, and satirists, such as Mark Twain, derided the showiness of the robber barons as â€Å"the Gilded Age.† In the 1880s journalists such as Nellie Bly performed pioneering work exposing the practices of unscrupulous businessmen. And Blys newspaper, Joseph Pulitzers New York World, positioned itself as the newspaper of the people and often criticized wealthy businessmen. In 1894 the protest march by Coxeys Army drew enormous publicity to a group of protesters who often spoke out against a wealthy ruling class that exploited workers. And the pioneering photojournalist Jacob Riis, in his classic book How the Other Half Lives, helped to highlight the great gap between the wealthy and the suffering poor in New York Citys slum neighborhoods. Legislation Aimed at Robber Barons The public’s increasingly negative view of trusts, or monopolies, transformed into legislation with the passage of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in 1890. The law did not end the reign of robber barons, but it signaled that the era of unregulated business would be coming to an end. Over time, many of the practices of the robber barons would become illegal as further legislation sought to ensure  fairness in  American business. Sources: The Robber Barons.  Development of the Industrial U.S. Reference Library, edited by Sonia G. Benson, et al., vol. 1: Almanac, UXL, 2006, pp. 84-99. Robber Barons.  Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, edited by Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk, vol. 2, Gale, 2000, pp. 879-880.

Organisational Behaviour Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organisational Behaviour - Coursework Example The control policies should respond to the changing business environment. Our seminar question dealt with analyzing the control activities of News International-News of the world. The organisation was established in 1843 and is the largest selling English Language newspaper in the world. It is a subsidiary company of News International and the chief executive officer is Rebekah Brooks. The organisational behaviour has made the organisation lose its public image due to poor control procedures and numerous complains from the public (Williams, 2011). The control environment encompasses the overall attitudes, awareness and actions of the management regarding the importance of control in the organisation. The management styles, values and organisational culture will provide the platform on which controls in the organisation are operated. The organisation can implement either centralized or decentralized control strategies (Griffin 2012). A centralized control strategy entails a high hiera rchy, many formal rules and procedures and standardized policies. On the other hand, decentralized control strategy is characterized by less formal procedures and decentralized decision making. Some of the control strategies include market control, bureaucratic control and clan control. News International relied mainly on gossip in exposing celebrity scandals, and the target market was the younger generation. They used unethical means in obtaining information like hacking mobile phones and stalking the celebrities. The organisation soon attracted a negative image by being nicknamed News of the Screws. Control measures usually focus on the output and behaviour of employees in the organisation. Acceptable behaviours will improve organisational outputs while output controls will maintain the quality of outputs through minimizing errors and customer complaints. The agency theory of control asserts that the â€Å"principal will determine the work the agent performs† (Pfister 2009: 23). The agent should act in the best interests of the principal. News of the World was an agent of the shareholders. The management ignored the interests of the shareholders by conducting their business activities in an unethical manner. News of the World experienced a conflict of interest since the journalists were also under pressure to satisfy the needs of the customers thus increasing the market share of the newspaper. The management should have provided the employees with more meaningful jobs and not hacking celebrity phones. The organisational culture should also respect people rights to privacy. The cybernetic model of control is geared at aligning the individual goals with the organisational

Business Ethics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Business Ethics - Article Example In this way they make money. The SEC put out a warning that they will be looking closing at hedge funds that make over 3%. Is it right for the SEC to do this? There are a bunch of moral questions involved in this issue. One could place moral questions on the role of hedge funds. Is it right for hedge funds to purchase stocks expecting to make a profit because they know the stock's value is overly price. 2. The SEC should not put out such warnings because they will be capping the profit initiative, the ability of people to make a profit whenever they see it. This sounds more like a right under our free market system. Another argument is that it is not possible to truely regulate the market without be unfair to those who have made an earnest buck in the market. Some investors may be lucky, or some hedge fund operators may have done good due diligence research and they should be awarded whatever profit that comes their way. 3. The SEC should put out such warnings. Hedge funds have been known to create create market changes based on pure speculation, resulting in market busts where a lot of people lose their money.