The Characteristics Of Shakespeares Comedies :: essays research papers

The Characteristics of Shakespeare's Comedies Shakespeare wrote many different forms of literary works and one of them is comedy. At the end of his professional life he had written four famous comedies which were later called his "romances". Shakespeare's comedies were not primarily love stories but they all included a love plot. His romances all had the happy ending of a comedy, but in a way they hinted on violence (Prentice Hall Literature). His focus and emphasis was clearly towards the structure and language of his comedies, which made his comedies quite distinct from others. The ideas and concepts also made his comedies designated, as we experienced it in one of his most famous comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. The structure of Shakespeare comedies is common in all his comic drama. The play goes through three phases. In the first stage there is order and discipline. Then it goes through a situation where there is chaos and disorder. Finally in the third stage order is restored again and the play ends in a festive ending. In the beginning of A Midsummer Nights Dream we see that Theseus has entire control over the people in Athens and he is getting ready to wed Hyppolita, queen of the amazons. Then quickly the whole situation changes when Lysander and Hermia flee into the forest and complications start to build up. The play ends with a joyful ending, when daylight has returned, the duke and duchess and the four lovers are united in the bonds of marriage and they are entertaining themselves with dance and music. Their world of love has come to its proper order. The language was evidently the main reason why Shakespeare's comedies were more amusing than other comedies of his time. He used many techniques to illustrate humor, and sometimes we have to know the inner meanings to find it comical. The play of words or puns were very popular in the comedies of Shakespeare. Quince makes a good pun when he mentions the French crown. It is a pun because it could have more than one meaning, it could mean gold coins or also baldness which is often caused by treatments of STD. Another good example of a pun is what Lysander says to Hermia "For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie". This example shows how good Shakespeare was at playing around with words as he uses the word lie in two different ways. Lie could mean both lying down or not telling the truth. Some of these puns show a lot of facetiousness and wit. Lysander says to Demetrius "You have her father's love.

Primo Levi- Pain Retold, Is Pain Redoubled Essay -- essays research p

"Pain retold, is pain redoubled" What prompts someone to write about their suffering, and how do they convey a sense of their emotions to the reader? Primo Levi is a Holocaust war victim, a survivor from Auschwitz, who for years was plagued by guilt because he survived - a feeling that is passed on in Jewish tradition, which I understand being a fellow Jew. Jewish heritage is very important to all Jews; myself included, which is one reason why I can connect with the poet/author, his poems and his other works. Levi decided to write, rather than keep in, his feelings, and subsequently wrote both poetry, and a variety of prose, both fiction and autobiographical. The emotions in two of his poems, 'Shema' and 'The Survivor' are a melange of guilt, anger and sorrow. Levi feels guilt that he is living when so many he knew are dead, he is angry at how people are forgetting what happened less than 50 years ago, and also sad at what has passed. These emotions are portrayed through various means in 'Shema', the two most effective being repetition of certain thought-provoking words, "†¦empty eyes†¦empty womb†¦" "†¦cold heart†¦cold hand†¦" "†¦hard heart and eyes†¦hard like a rock†¦". These words give an impression of what Levi feels for his captors, while invoking numbness that makes it real. The harsh consonant sounds, "creating cages for captivity" invoke feelings of timidness because of the harsh attack from the words, even after it has been translated from the native Italian. Levi wrote other books, and in one (Survival In Auschwitz) it struck me how matter-of-factly he wrote down his observations. Although the subjects of his works are the horrors that he saw during his time in the Death-camps, Levi wrote it so people could learn what it was like, so Jews and non-Jews alike could witness the memoirs of a survivor. The description of the number tattooed on his arm, which functioned as an impromptu meal ticket, is registered as merely one more fact of life. "†¦We became used to showing our number promptly enough not to disorder the daily operation of food-distribution; weeks and months were needed to learn its sound in the German language." Levi documents the mundane life of the camp, a side that is not often seen, laying out his experiences with a reserve... ...te the past into the present and the future, to expand in knowledge. His works not only captivate and interest, but they convey a deeply personal sense of true experience that makes the stories special and real. From reading his works you not only understand the pain, guilt and anger, but also the need for repentance. Levi believes his repentance comes in telling and re-telling his story. His work serves as a reminder to everyone- not to let prejudice blind you against evil, to remind people of the great sorrow that happened, and not only does it educate and inform people, it also expresses feelings that should not be forgotten in case another Holocaust should happen. It serves as to inform people, or also remind them of what happened. It is his catharsis, and our education. Truly, his work is Shema: Listen. Biography: Calling of Kindred IL SISTEMA PERIODICO, 1975 - The Periodic Table SE QUESTO ? UN UOMO, 1947 - If This is a Man / Survival in Auschwitz AD ORA INCERTA- or- L'OSTERIA DI BREMA, collected poems Conversations with Primo Levi by Ferdinando Camon (1989) Quote: Chinese proverb, "The Wisdom of the Chinese Sages" published 1987.

Child soldiers: The role of children in armed conflict Essay

There are hundreds of thousands of children from all over the world who are forced and recruited into paramilitaries, civil militia, government armed forces and other armed groups. This situation is particularly common in Africa and Arabic countries which are constantly in war. In such countries the rate of insecurity is usually so high that the children cannot go school and as a result they voluntarily join the militia groups since it is the only activity they can actively be involved in. Some children are born and they experience the war from tender age, as a result war becomes part of them. In other cases the children are forcefully recruited and trained to be militia men. Thousands of children recruited are abducted from home, streets and schools. Other self recruits do it out of revenge they watched their family members being murdered in cold blood and others being raped and the anger makes them to join the army and militia group t seek revenge for their loved ones(Wessells, 456 ). In the international law, the involvement and participation of children under eighteen years old in an armed conflict is totally unacceptable and prohibited. At the same time the recruitment of those under 15 is regarded as a war crime. Such children have their child hood robbed of and they are exposed to physical and psychological suffering and terrible danger. They are often placed in the combat situation used as messengers, spies, porters, servants to clear and lay the landmines. This is usually dangerous to their lives as in most cases they are usually incompetent and highly disadvantaged compared to the other experienced trained older soldiers. During confrontation they are in most cases put in the front line and they end up being killed the most. The girls in such cases are usually subject to sexual child abuse and rape (Shepler, 165). The war and militia group encounter usually has adverse psychological impacts on the children. They witness and participate in a lot of killings and other inhuman acts which affect their psychological well being. Others run into depression and post traumatic stress because of being exposed to too much human blood. They usually find it hard to erase the sad and inhuman moments from their minds. They witness their colleagues being murdered in the war and they also killed people and these scenes keep flushing in their mind. If such victims don’t find urgent medical and professional help they die from stress and depression related ailments. Others end up committing suicide because of the traumatizing encounters and experiences (Klasen et al, 345). In Somalia for example the children have been denied the access to education. The children are exposed to high level of poverty they are forced to join the militia group so that they can protect themselves. The al-Shabab have denied access to aid thus enhancing the humanitarian crisis. The education has been paralyzed in the country because schools are destroyed in the wars and others are used as hide outs and training ground for the militia men. The children and teachers cant risk going to school because they might be abducted or killed. This situation has caused thousands of children to flee in the neighboring countries such as Djibouti and Kenya as refugees where they face hard living conditions in the camps. The Al-Shabab armed group has imposed restrictions on the freedom and right to education. They prevent some subjects from being taught in school and they use the operating schools to indoctrinate children into taking part in the wars and fighting. The armed group use threaten ing recruitment methods and in some cases they lure the children promising them money and phones if they join them (kohrt et al, 188). Children are used as soldiers they are easier to brainwash and condition. They are easily manipulated and convinced as opposed to the elderly people. They eat less food and they are underpaid. They have underdeveloped sense of danger and as a result they are easier to command In the line of fire. The children are also uniquely vulnerable to recruitment because of their physical and emotional immaturity. They are easily drawn and convinced into violence and wars that they are too young to understand and resist. The recruited children usually find it hard to go back home to their communities and families as they are ostracized from them. They are usually forced to kill a neighbor or family member so that they can’t go back home. For the female child soldiers, many have babies with the rebel soldiers and such children can’t be accepted in their homes making it difficult for them to return home (Achvarina, 132). Since 2001 child soldiers participation in militia activities has been reported in twenty one recent or ongoing armed conflicts in different regions of the world. The advancement in technology in the proliferation of small arms and weaponry has also contributed a great deal to the increased recruitment of child soldiers. The lightweight automatic guns and other weapons are simple and easy to operate, they are easily accessible and they can be used by the children. The guns are more portable and easy to use this provision makes it possible for children to be recruited in the armed activities (Rosen, 345). The children are also more likely to be recruited because of the separation from their families, high poverty levels displacement from homes, having limited access to education or living in a combat zone. Some children have parents who are both soldiers and they are born in the war area. Such children are almost naturally recruited as they don’t find it hard joining and participating in the war. Many children join the militia groups because of social and economic pressure that they are exposed to. others believe that the armed group will offer security and food. In some countries like Uganda, Sri Lanka and Nepal more of the child soldiers are reported to be girls. They are often raped and forced to be wives of the elderly soldiers. This is inhuman as it prevents the girl child from getting her rights and freedoms (Honwana, 287). The former child soldiers should have adequate access to rehabilitation programs which will help them relocate back to their families or get back to school. They should not be treated as outcasts but instead they should receive vocational training in order to have an easy time re entering the civilian life. If the children lack this support they can easily be recruited back to the armed groups because they will find it hard to cope up and blend in the normal society after their extreme experiences with the guns. It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that children safety and rights are safeguarded. The governments should protect all children from being recruited in the militia activities. They should prohibit forced recruitment of children of children under eighteen years old (Bayer et al, 254). References Cohn, Ilene, and Guy S. Goodwin-Gill. Child soldiers: The role of children in armed conflict. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004. Wessells, Michael G. Child soldiers: From violence to protection. Harvard University Press, 2006.Honwana, Alcinda. Child soldiers in Africa. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.Rosen, David M. Armies of the young: Child soldiers in war and terrorism. Rutgers University Press, 2005.Kohrt, Brandon A., et al. â€Å"Comparison of mental health between former child soldiers and children never conscripted by armed groups in Nepal.† Jama 300.6 (2008): 691-702. Bayer, Christophe Pierre, Fionna Klasen, and Hubertus Adam. â€Å"Association of trauma and PTSD symptoms with openness to reconciliation and feelings of revenge among former Ugandan and Congolese child soldiers.† Jama 298.5 (2007): 555-559. Klasen, Fionna, et al. â€Å"Posttraumatic resilience in former Ugandan child soldiers.† Child development 81.4 (2010): 1096-1113. Rosen, David M. â€Å"Child soldiers, international humanitarian law, and the globalization of childhood.† American anthropologist 109.2 (2007): 296-306. Shepler, Susan. â€Å"The rites of the child: Global discourses of youth and reintegrating child soldiers in Sierra Leone.† Journal of Human Rights 4.2 (2005): 197-211. Achvarina, Vera, and Simon F. Reich. â€Å"No Place to Hide: Refugees, displaced persons, and the recruitment of child soldiers.† International Security 31.1 (2006): 127-164. Source document

A Hope in the Unseen

Cedric Jennings, the main character of Ron Suskind’s novel A Hope in the Unseen is an anomaly at Ballou Senior High School, an inner city public school of Washington, D. C. Raised by a single mother on a measly salary from the Department of Agriculture, Cedric is accustomed to working hard for everything he receives in life. An honors student and participant of Ballou’s special science and math program, Cedric dreams of pursuing education as a means to escape D. C. and carve out a better life for himself. Being a star pupil in a poorly performing school that scorns academic achievement is no easy role to play.Viewing the Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science summer program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an imperative step on his path towards a new life, he is shocked to find himself drowning in the work and competition around him. Cedric is surprised to find solace in returning to Ballou. After receiving admission to Brown University, Cedric feels he has finally proven himself to all of his naysayers and earned a ticket out of D. C. In his new Brown environment, Cedric struggles to adjust to the intense diversity and intelligence surrounding him.Although it takes the majority of his freshman year, eventually Cedric finds his own niche at Brown and transforms into a man capable of caring for his beloved mother. A Hope in the Unseen offers itself as a lens through which to examine sociological themes. Specifically, education, social deviance, religion and their respective implications can be thoroughly analyzed through the pertinent events of Cedric’s journey. Living in a credential society like the United States, the institution of education holds immense importance in terms of facilitating social placement and earning potential.Cedric observes his mother, Barbara, and her inability to climb the ladder of society without a strong education. Without the necessary credentials she is destined to remain in her low-inc ome bracket, struggling to make ends meet each month. On her five-dollar-an-hour salary, finances are perpetually tight. One evening Barbara casually reminds Cedric, â€Å"I hope you knew to eat big lunch today? You know, it’s the first week with rent and all. † (Suskind, 41) Cedric responds in the only way he can, â€Å"Yeah, I knew. Got seconds on salad. Ate all I could† (Suskind, 41).This culture of poverty also manifests itself in the school culture at Ballou. Every school possesses a hidden curriculum consisting of the implicit attitudes and rules of behavior (Henslin, 507). At Ballou however, this hidden curriculum reinforces beliefs of solidarity found through gangs, street slang, and repression of aspirations outside of their immediate purview. For example, at an inner-city school like Ballou, teachers accept the use of street slang in formal writing with the belief that refined speech will be unnecessary in their future occupations.This hidden curriculu m exhibits itself in Cedric’s peer, Delante Coleman. His leadership in one of the school’s largest gangs, his reputation as an established drug dealer, and his silver Lexus compose Delante’s status; an ideal status for a large percentage of Ballou students. Delante is â€Å"every bit as driven as Cedric. It’s what each does with his fury and talents that separates these two into a sort of urban black yin and yang† (Suskind, 19). In order to escape absorbing the intense hidden curriculum, Cedric actively works to isolate himself and remain focused on his ultimate goals.James Henslin describes the function of education as a system that sorts people according to abilities and ambitions (Henslin, 505). Barbara raises her son to take pride in his academic abilities and to use them to actualize his ambitions. Ballou High School utilizes a method known as tracking to control the gates of opportunity. â€Å"The idea: save as many kids as you can by separa ting out top students early and putting the lion’s share of resources into boosting as many of them as possible to college. Forget about the rest. † (Suskind, 8) The impacts of such methods are long lasting and affect job opportunities, income, and lifestyle.While, Cedric is fortunate enough to be viewed as one of the college-bound, most students simply cannot conjure up the motivation to succeed in the Ballou environment. Attendance is scanty at best, homework is reduced to optional, and teachers rest satisfied so long as their students show up to class. This learning environment renders even the brightest students incapable of competing with the national pool of college applicants. Cedric is aware of this challenge and fears â€Å"whether any amount of work will be enough to propel him to a new life† (Suskind, 9).Ultimately, education and its effects come down to family background, as Henslin clearly illustrates. The U. S. education system reproduces social cla ss structure and its racal-ethnic divisions (Henslin, 510). Adults without college degrees, in general, tend to work low-paying, dead-end jobs, which further inhibits social movement. With the cost of higher education ever on the rise, inner-city students must work harder still to obtain scholarships if they wish to attend college. â€Å"Acceptance to college is meaningless for many kids at Ballou without financial aid† (Suskind, 124).For Cedric’s friend, James Davis, receiving no scholarship money means the disintegration of his acceptance to Florida A&M, his first choice university. Despite receiving the necessary scholarship to attend Brown, Cedric’s achievement is still spited in the community. By those who know the reputation or even location of Brown, which is not many, Cedric’s decision to attend an Ivy League school is viewed as pretentious and a waste of both time and money. When Cedric arrives at Brown, he becomes acutely aware of how different his family background is from that of his peers.His roommate, Rob Burton, was raised in Massachusetts by two college-educated parents and an older sister who attends Harvard. Additionally, both his parents are doctors. The two boys find themselves at extreme odds in terms of common interests and experiences. For Rob, â€Å"there was never any question about whether he would use his quick mind and good manners to excel. It was assumed in everything that cosseted him† (Suskind, 178). Even these expectations stand in stark contrast to Cedric’s experience as a first-generation college student.When Cedric befriends the only other black student in his dorm unit, Chiniqua, he finds they have much in common in terms of their racial identity and its inherent culture. However, she matriculated through a program called Prep for Prep in New York and was privately educated from seventh grade onward so as to pave her path to the Ivy League. â€Å"Chiniqua, who scored an 1100 on her SATs, received years of counseling – both academic and social – to assist with the collision of cultures she ingested each day crossing fifty blocks of Manhattan† (Suskind, 202).Cedric has had no experiences, other than the MITEs program, in the intense process of racial and cultural mixing characteristic of the university. Intimidated by the impressive SAT scores and credentials of his peers, Cedric elects to take all of his first semester courses as pass/fail. When he returns home for winter break however, he lies to his community claiming to maintain a 4. 0 grade point average. The intense societal focus on grades has stemmed from grade inflation. As Henslin points out, â€Å"Theletter grade C used to indicate average, and since more students are average than superior, high school teachers used to give about twice as many C’s as A’s. Now they give more A’s than C’s. Students aren’t smarter – grading is just easierâ⠂¬  (Henslin, 514). This practiced inflation places increased pressure on students to bring home A’s. Passing or performing â€Å"averagely†, is no longer acceptable. For so long, Cedric has clung to grades and perfection in school as the one thing he could control. He discovers that in order to allow himself to be educated he must let go of the grades and focus on the learning.Realizing he cannot handle a five-lass course load he reflects, â€Å"it doesn’t feel as bad as he thought, not like a retreat so much as a reasonable fallback position. Far different from the swallow-your-pride, lowered bar of the first semester†¦he wouldn’t accept limits or impose limits on himself out of some fear of failure† (Suskind, 308). With new, higher expectations in place at Brown, Cedric is able to adapt and perform on the level expected by professors. This demonstrates the sociological principle that students perform better when they are expected to meet h igher standards (Henslin, 515).In June, when his final grades arrive, Cedric is filled with pride reading his A, B, and two S’s, for satisfactory. â€Å"Full membership in the Brown community, won fair and square† (Suskind, 357). From his position in a higher learning community, Cedric can reflect on Ballou and other schools like it. He voices his observations in a final paper assignment. â€Å"How do we lift poorly educated minorities to an equal footing in the classroom? How do we do this while respected that being singled out for special attention †¦ can result in crippling doubts about one’s abilities?† (Suskind, 338). In asking these essential questions, Cedric truly removes himself from his upbringing and its implications and aligns himself instead with a community of intellectuals. Throughout the novel, multiple characters grapple with the challenges of conforming to the norms of their society and the omnipresent option of social deviance. Hen slin describes deviance as any violation of norms, minor, major, or in between (Henslin, 198). At Georgetown University, located in Washington, D. C. , intellect is valued and being a serious student is the norm.However, at Ballou, truancy and apathetic sentiments towards education comprise the norms. Norms make social life possible as they render behavior predictable. As exemplified in the comparison between Georgetown and Ballou these expectations differ even within schools of the same district. As one of few serious students, Cedric struggles to find his own niche, realizing that he â€Å"simply has no social currency at Ballou† (Suskind, 21). Sociologist Robert Merton would describe Cedric’s state as anomie, lacking feelings of belonging (Henslin, 209). An acquaintance of Cedric, Phillip Atkins, also grapples with deviance.Despite possessing the intellectual capacity, Phillip hides his intelligence in school. He struggles to recognize his true identity. At Ballou h e puts on an act as the popular class clown oozing toughness and coolness. However, at home, he is a well-mannered boy whose dreams of tap dancing have been stifled by his father. He had been a nerd too at one time, but in an effort to conform to the norms of society, â€Å"He began a slow but steady shift in outlook and appearance to creating an identity†¦ He is now a popular member of Ballou’s mainstream†¦He’s earned himself some comfort and security† (Suskind, 67).While Cedric stands by his own morals and commitment to education, Phillip falls victim to the intense societal pressure to conform. After returning from his MITEs summer program, Cedric toys with the idea of conforming to the mainstream culture at Ballou. On the first day of school he dresses for the part which entails a leather jacket and a hat tilted to one side. Almost immediately Cedric is asked to remove his hat, as is the school policy. Trying to play his new role Cedric responds, à ¢â‚¬Å"No way, Dr. Jones, this hat is phat† (Suskind, 102).It takes the honest words of his peer, James Davis, to snap Cedric out of this new act. James, the stereotypical popular scholar-athlete, removes Cedric’s hat adding, â€Å"Boy, keep that hat off. You don’t need to be doing all that. You’re supposed to be a role model. You’re fine, just the way you are† (Suskind, 103). Cedric smiles realizing that he has wanting to hear someone say that since freshman year. In an inner-city school like Cedric’s, Edwin Sutherland’s term of differential association is applicable.As Sutherland explains, â€Å"the different groups with which we associate give us messages about conformity and deviance†¦The end result is an imbalance – attitudes that tilt us in one direction or another† (Henslin, 202). At Ballou, the norm is conformity. Solidarity develops from these conformist communities. In general, society desires conform ity. It simplifies groups when all members are working by the same means to achieve the same cultural goals. By choosing to be a social deviant and pursuing his own goals, Cedric renounces all solidarity.Throughout his life, Cedric is constantly receiving sanctions for his deviant behavior. The negative sanctions range from being mocked and beaten up by his peers in school to being spited by adults for acting â€Å"too good for the community† and attending an Ivy League school. Such negative sanctions contribute to social unity. â€Å"To affirm the group’s moral boundaries by punishing deviants fosters a ‘we’ feeling among the group’s members† (Henslin, 207). However, positive sanctions do come to Cedric from key characters. His teacher, Mr. Taylor, constantly encourages Cedric and pushes him to pursue his goals.Additionally, Clarence Thomas positively sanctions Cedric by inviting him to his office to discuss his recent enrollment at Brown Un iversity and offer guidance. Tired of the countless negative sanctions he receives for pursuing his dreams, Cedric retaliates through his impassioned speech at graduation. He seizes the opportunity to explain how students must â€Å"[learn] to fight off Dreambusters†¦Many of us have been called crazy or even laughed at for having big dreams†¦I will never forget being laughed at for saying I wanted to go to the Ivy League† (Suskind, 136-137).In an ultimate act of deviance, Cedric names his naysayers and asserts that he will follow his abnormal dreams, no matter how hard they try to push him down. In times of hardship and strife, it was God and religion that allowed Cedric to prevail. His mother instills in Cedric a devotion to God and religious services at Scripture Cathedral, to which Barbara and Cedric are devout members. Throughout the constant upheaval the two experience they find solace in God’s word and their faith community.In fleshing out the functions of religion, Henslin touches on the need for religion in lives of individuals like Barbara and Cedric. He explains, â€Å"the answers that religion provides about ultimate meaning also comfort people by assuring them that there is a purpose to life, even to suffering† (Henslin, 525). With the constant worry of how she can pay the bills and feed her son, faith in God is Barbara’s method of coping and getting from one day to the next. She is willing to give twenty dollars she cannot afford to do without in the church offering each week.However, this offering is essential to Barbara’s faith. As Pastor Long preaches in church one week, â€Å"Faith is taking the last $10 from your checking account and saying, ‘God, I give this to you, because I have nothing but faith, I live on faith, and I know in my heart that you’ll bring it back to me† (Suskind, 30). Many religions emphasize that money and material belongings are of no importance to God and t hat all money should go to helping those less fortunate. Barbara lives by the words of the Gospel even when her checkbook cannot afford her kindness.She thrives on the social solidarity of religion; for her it is enough. Having returned to the church herself at around thirty years of age, Barbara consciously decides to raise Cedric with a strong grounding in faith. â€Å"It’s faith, all about faith, she decides. If she can just keep [Cedric’s] faith in God and in righteousness living intact for a little longer, blessings will come† (Suskind, 30). In many instances, it is Cedric’s faith that gives him the power to persevere and actualize his dreams. He places his acceptance to Brown in God’s hands praying, â€Å"God, this is where I want to be†¦I worked so hard.I deserve it. Yes, I believe this is it. This is the place I want to be. Bless me, Lord. Let your will be done. If this is where I’m supposed to be, let your will be done† (Suskind, 109). This prayer exemplifies the influence of religion in everyday life. Believing his life is part of God’s greater plan, Cedric places decision-making power in God’s hands. Individuals who lead lives grounded in reason would place decision-making power in the hands of Brown admissions officers who undoubtedly read all applications.His speech at the graduation ceremony reads like a sermon itself. Starting by thanking God for giving him the strength and courage to be where he is today, Cedric proclaims, â€Å"THERE IS NOTHING ME AND MY GOD CAN’T HANDLE† (Suskind, 137). This quotation epitomizes Cedric’s ultimate confidence in God. He concludes his speech with a quote from the Bible. The language of the Bible is crucial to the social solidarity of religion. It creates a culture, made up of language, values, symbols, goals and norms that pious people can share.Throughout the novel, both Cedric and Barbara reference biblical passages. The B ible possesses the ability to capture the complexity of life and beliefs in God. Henslin touches on this concept explaining, â€Å"the shared meanings that come through symbols, rituals, and beliefs unite people into a moral community. People in a moral community feel a bond with one another†. Henslin goes on to address the power of community. â€Å"Not only does it provide the basis for mutual identity but also it establishes norms that govern the behavior of its members.Members either conform or they lose their membership† (Henslin 530-531). For Cedric and Barbara, who build their identities on religion, no action or possible outcome is worth defying God’s word. They lead their lives by God’s word. Barbara’s final words to Cedric after moving him into Brown are, â€Å"Trust in God, let Him guide you† (Suskind, 165). Bishop Long leaves Cedric with the final words â€Å"Yes, all you find students must ask your questions and get your good gr ades†¦But, never forget – never- that the only real answers lie with God† (Suskind, 153).As Cedric adapts to Brown, he finds religion inefficient in providing answers to his many complex questions. Overwhelmed with his schoolwork and social struggles, Cedric makes no attempt to attend religious services in Providence. When he returns to Scripture Cathedral during winter break and is asked whether he’s found another church at school, Cedric responds â€Å"I just know there’s no way I could ever replace Scripture Cathedral† (Suskind 263). While his faith remains strong, Cedric falls away from the active practice of his religion.Over thanksgiving, which he spends at his mentor, Dr. Korb’s home, Cedric overhears a conversation about religion versus reason. Speaking to a small group of people, Dr. Korb remarks â€Å"The ultimate egotism, more broadly, is a belief in the existence of God†¦Faith, in a way, is egotism. I know it’s a t the center of Cedric’s life, what keeps him going. But ultimately, it can’t get him where he needs to be†¦he needs to find his place through reason, not faith† (Suskind, 256). Unable to understand this Cedric brushes off the comment. However, Dr.Korb touches on a relevant debate in society. Henslin explores this secularization of religion and its ability to splinter a group into those who live by reason and those who live by religion. Henslin argues that for individuals who have had less worldly success, this shift in focus from spiritual matters to worldly affairs represents â€Å"a desertion of the group’s fundamental truths, a ‘selling out’ to the secular world† (Henslin, 550). In the scholarly community of Brown, it is challenging to compartmentalize religion and reason and people today so often do.This debate comes to the forefront of the mind for Cedric. The two can certainly exist together, however, it requires some sacrif icing on the side of strict religious believers. Cedric speaks to Bishop Long about his conflict explaining, â€Å"I feel I’ve outgrown the church† (Suskind, 359). Long tells Cedric that as long as he carries God along for those times when he will need Him, then he can venture out into the world. Despite his questioning, Cedric’s faith in God never wanes.Even at the conclusion of the novel though â€Å"more than anything else, mustering that faith, on cue, is what separated him from his peers and distinguishes him from so many people it these literal sophisticated times. It has made all the difference† (Suskind, 365). Reading A Hope in the Unseen through a sociological lens allowed me to access the course material and its presence in daily interactions through Cedric’s experiences. I was raised in an affluent, predominantly white community with a strong public school system.As a result, I lack the experience to relate to Cedric and the intense adve rsity he overcomes. The text acted as both a sociological document, and a novel with adept language and development of literary themes. I found this paper immensely helpful in rendering the sociological themes and theories applicable to one individual’s life in such a wide spectrum of ways. I would highly recommend the use of this novel as an additional sociological perspective for the course next semester.The novel contains countless sociological themes, which allows any individual to draw upon what he or she finds interesting or worthy of further exploring. I chose to draw on religion although we have not yet covered it in class because I have personal ties to religion and connected with Cedric’s religious motivation and support throughout his journey. As many Georgetown students come from privileged backgrounds and become involved in the D. C. public school system throughout their four-year experience, A Hope in the Unseen is a pertinent text for all sociology stude nts.

Ethical Issue Presentation in the Elderly Do Not Resuscitate/Do Not Intubate Essay

The persistent use of the DNR/DNI order proves to be very perplexing to health care staffs. Even though ethics committees could help in explanation, and the use of developed orders could further identify the patients’ wishes, patient as well as family education is still crucial to determine what the patient actually desires. As technology progresses, nurses would carry on to be showered with ethical concerns regarding the DNR/DNI orders. This paper aims to tackle how nurses could be practical in getting answers to the difficult question and find out how to deal with the issues concerning the DNR/DNI orders (Belcastro). What exactly is DNR/DNI? Nurses often get a chance to face such an order. To begin the paper a detailed explanation of what DNR/DNI is needed. Do Not Resuscitate/Do Not Intubate is a written order which came from a doctor. Do Not Resuscitate orders entail that if a patient experiences a cardiac arrest, he should not be given a CPR or electric shock treatment. Do Not Intubate on the other hand is an order which states that no breathing tube should be placed on the patient when he experiences a breathing difficulty or respiratory seizure. Although DNR and DNI orders often go hand in hand, the presence of one does not necessarily entail the presence of the other, meaning to say that they could be given separately (a doctor could give DNR order and not give DNI order in the process). The presence of DNR/DNI order does not necessitate that the hospital staff would stop all treatments for the patient. Medical as well as nursing care would still be given up to the point when the patient experiences a cardiac or respiratory seizure (Belcastro). The nurses and the doctors always discuss the possibility of ordering a DNR or DNI to the patient’s relatives. Although it is hard to accept, one should try to get used to the idea or at least be open to the possibility that your loved one is in a situation which could not be reverse and that to continue the patient’s treatment would only produce further discomfort for the patient which would only delay the dying process. It is understandable that people shrink from the possibility of death however, whether humans want it or not, death is the ultimate conclusion of every human life. Prior to the discussion of the DNR/DNI order the patient’s relatives ought to cautiously consider everything the physician and the nurses would tell you. The ultimate decision to issue a DNR/DNI order would be decided by the patient’s relatives. The decision regarding the issuance of DNR/DNI order is reversible depending to what necessity requires. Before deciding whether the DNR/DNI order would be issue, the patient’s relatives usually ask nurses if there is a possible chance the patient would recover. Nurses, having faced the situation a number of times would be liable to give you honest opinion. In deciding DNR/DNI the quality of life over the quantity of it should be considered. One should take into consideration the pleasantness available for the patient should he chance a survival. Would his survival be solely dependent on the machine sticking on every part of his body, would he be forever mentally incapacitated? These are only some of the questions a relative should take into consideration especially since the abovementioned scenario is liable to produce only pain and discomfort for patient and relative alike. One should weigh if living would really be best for the patient or if dying a quiet and painless death is much preferable. Financial burden should also be taken into consideration. One should analyze if the patient would really be happy for the financial burden forced upon his family when the overall result of the treatment is not really good (Eckberg). One should also accept the fact that unless one has a power of attorney, the patient is still the one to choose if he would like to have a DNR/DNI order (unless of course if problem such as the patient being mentally incapacitated arises). Numerous standards direct the decision-making process of the DNR/DNI orders. Beneficence and autonomy often comes into consideration. Beneficence is the tenet that orders one to do right to other people and stop from doing harm. Autonomy, on the other hand could supersede beneficence when a choice is needed to supply or remove life support. Under situations in which it could be rationalized to try CPR on the patient under cardiac or respiratory arrest, and the patient made a choice concerning life-sustaining procedures, autonomy must reign. The basic notion of futility is also categorized as the directing belief behind the DNR/DNI order. A treatment could be categorized as futile if it could not benefit the patient or if it could not end a reliance on intensive medical care. If the physician make use of the principle of futility to decide if a DNR/DNI order is to be retained, the physician should ascertain that he have thoroughly consulted the patient or the patient’s relatives. (Belcastro; Eckberg) Freedom on the other hand includes the belief of human life and dignity, and in a way it also takes into consideration the principle of autonomy. Freedom gives consent to the patient to make his own decision based on his personal beliefs. This freedom ought to be given to the adept patient and his decision must be upheld even if it is contrary to the wishes of his relatives. Ethic committees also play a role in DNR/DNI orders. Ethic committees are available for discussion about life support necessities. They deal with discussion and education, advanced procedures and principles. Through these committees, concerns taking place in the society are brought about for debate. Case studies are made accessible to determine whether a certain state of affairs was managed in the most efficient way. If a problem arises the said committee is ready to make rational and well-supported plans which avoid the existence of rushed decision (Eckberg). To conclude, DNR/DNI orders does not necessarily entail that one would allow murder of the patient. Rather, considerations which are mostly centered on the patient’s welfare were taken into account before issuing such an order. In cases of difficulty the ethical committees could help in solving the problem. Factors such as beneficence, autonomy, futility, and freedom must be taken into consideration before issuing the DNR/DNI order.

Visual Rhetoric in Persepolis

Nils Tangemann Josh Holland English A SL C-Code Section: Part 3 Works read: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon. New York. 2003 Question: How and why is a social group represented in a particular way? The Display of Revolutionists in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis there are several important social groups that all play a role towards creating the whole picture that describes little Marji’s everyday life in 1970s Iran. The nature of the revolution during that time created a huge divide between the different social groups.This was dominated by different opinions that were expressed using violence, intimidation and other mental and physical threatening methods. Satrapi uses visual representation and plot devices in her graphic novel Persepolis to expose the hypocrisy of the Islamic revolution. First of all, the author displays all members of the army and Islamic revolutionary groups without any distinction from each other; they are o ne homogenous group. Secondly, a story about the corruptness of policemen and government officials is used to demonstrate how detached those people act towards their fake values that they preach to other people.Lastly, the fact that the army is recruiting new soldiers through a method that is obviously aimed at non- or less-educated youth shows that the regime is scared of the higher educated population knowing that they will not have a chance in recruiting this social group because of their opposition. An aspect of the novel that comes to mind immediately when reading the text is Satrapi’s choice to display the members of the revolutionist Islamic regime in a different way than the family or friends of ten year old Marji.While the individuals that are a direct part of Marji’s social life are displayed in great detail, the revolutionists are always shown in a more general fashion, therefore not distinguishing those characters. An example of this can be found in the cha pter â€Å"The bicycle† when the burning down of a cinema by police forces is described (Satrapi 14). Using this technique, the followers of the regime are displayed as individuals that do not have an individual opinion, but rather blend into the crowd of people and go with the mainstream ideology hat is prevalent during the current political situation. This makes this social group stand out in such a way that the reader considers them generally as less educated and unable to question the political views that society has. The fact that Satrapi shows the persons that lean towards the more communistic political opinion in greater detail than revolutionists shows her political beliefs, therefore furthering the idea that this novel can be considered a memoir. In addition, the policemen of the revolutionary regime are depicted as corrupt and detached from their values.When the family almost gets caught having alcohol in their house, the policemen accept money from Marji’s f ather and leave again without checking his flat (Satrapi 10). If the actual religious core values of the regime were important to those policemen, they would not have left the site without checking, since the possession of forbidden substances is obvious to them. This depicts how separated the followers of the regime are from their own values that they promote.Satrapi tells the reader this story because she wants to expose the hypocrisy with which the government officials and therefore also the police operates. In this case, the author uses a plot device to express her political opinion. She makes the conscious decision to include this memory in her novel because it illustrates her opposition to the government and demonstrates a strong reason why using these policemen as bait. Similarly, in Marji’s description the army uses techniques that clearly aim for the less educated and poor people to join the military.A plastic key on a chain is distributed to the less educated in ord er to convince them that they will go to heaven if they fight for their country. Satrapi uses the dialogue between her mother and their housekeeper to indicate how upset the upper social class us about the strategy that the government uses to persuade the innocent youth of Iran (Satrapi 99). The government clearly aims for the young adults that do not have much of a choice other than joining the army and dying at a young age.On top of that, they are also naive enough to believe that the key will bring them to heaven. Mrs. Nasrine tells the story of how her son is being convinced to go to the army (Satrapi 100). The family helps to convince Mrs. Nasrine’s son that the government is spreading lies (Satrapi 101). Marji’s mother is debunking the myths of the government in front of everyone’s eyes. The author uses this technique to express her own, negative opinion for the government and the manner in which they treat the young adults and not caring about their lives .In conclusion, certain techniques of visual rhetoric and plot devices can be detected in the novel and are utilized to express the personal opinion of the author whilst displaying the revolutionary government as incompetent and unqualified. The followers of the regime are displayed homogenously without distinct characteristics or an individual opinion. The police that is associated with the government is corrupt and the methods of recruiting new soldiers for the army are only intended for uneducated and naive people because others cannot be tricked into the belief of going to heaven.The author makes great use of this technique not only when describing the revolutionists, but also when she is delivering her own opinion about how women were treated in Iran during her childhood. When deciphering these methods and finding the hidden comments on the social structure we really see the author in her mid-forties who is writing. The novel far expands from the view of a ten year old and is n ot only a story of a childhood, but also a critical commentary on moral issues and personal opinion. [Word count: 958] Citation: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon. New York. 2003.

Personal Org Ethics Case Study Four: A South African Investment Assignment Essay

The field of business is one of the areas in society wherein people involve in it have to make important decisions almost everyday in their jobs. Most of the time, decisions have to be made immediately especially with the competitive nature of the business industry. In relation to this, since most companies is a source of employment to thousands and sometimes even millions of people, the decisions made by the administration of organizations affects numerous people. Moreover, the influence of companies especially of multinational corporations has tremendous impact in the society that could actually inflict change upon them. This situation is greatly applicable in the case of the South African Investment. Texaco and Standard Oil, presently known as Chevron are the two major stockholders in the Caltex Petroleum Company. Each company owns 50 percent of the total stocks of Caltex. The company has dealings with the South African Government as the country is the primary source of oil that allows them to produce various petroleum products. In the same manner, South Africa also largely benefits from foreign investors because they contribute a huge portion to the country’s income. Caltex is the largest American company that invested in the country. Being the case, the company has a vital position in the economic robustness in the company and their decisions and actions would greatly affect the situation of the country. In line with this, advocate groups wants to use this strategic position of the company in order to further their cause of eradicating or at the very least addressing the issue of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid allows the white minority of the country to dominate the majority of the citizens, which are mostly blacks. In this situation, the whites hold the advantageous position with the resources and power at their side, which leaves the blacks as second class citizens that have to suffer unfair and unjust treatments (â€Å"A South African Investment†). In 1977, the administration decided to expand the operation of Caltex in South Africa. They planned on building a plant that would further enhance the production of the company. However, this was met by protests coming from some members of the board that belong to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. This group greatly advocates anti-apartheid causes and one way in order to reach this objective is by convincing the Texaco and Standard Oil to pull out its investment in South Africa. Based upon my judgment, the utilitarian benefits of the expansion of Caltex is more important during that time as compared to the possible violation of moral rights. Utilitarianism focuses on the outcomes of an action. A decision or action is perceived to be ethically justifiable when it gave greater amount of benefit for the most people concerned (National Endowment for Financial Education, 2006). In the case of the Caltex plant expansion I deem that this would have more benefits rather than costs. First of all, the establishment of foreign companies in South Africa also helped improve the situation of the black population. This is observable in the improvement of the real earnings of black industrial workers that also aid in the lessening the gap between the white and black incomes. The expansion of Caltex would actually further enhance these benefits for the black people. Furthermore, if Caltex would removed its investment from the country it would hardly effect the black majority since all the benefits they from the foreign company would be lost. On the other hand, there is still a possible violation of moral rights as well as injustices against the blacks. This could be proven by the fact that even though adhere to the Sullivan code that would further improve the situation of blacks and uphold their rights it is still not binding since it still have to work within the South African law. The government of South Africa implements laws that have separate facilities for whites and blacks as well as the unequal pay among their citizens. Even though there are possible violations of human rights against the blacks from the expansion of Caltex, not pursuing the plan would even make life difficult for the blacks because even their source of livelihood coming from this company would no longer exist. Not only would they cease to have equal political rights but they will no longer have the means to sustain their everyday needs that is also essential for them to live. If I were in the position of one of the stockholders of either Texaco or Chevron, I will have different positions on the three resolutions that were presented. My decision would be guided by the maximum amount of benefit that my stocks and the company would gain from the decisions. Moreover, I would also think of the welfare of the majority of the stakeholders involved. On the first resolution, I would vote against the proposal of terminating Caltex operations on South Africa. I deem that ceasing operations in the country would bring detrimental effects to the company because the oil obtain from the country has an important role in the robustness of the company. In relation to this, it would also affect numerous people who would lose their jobs, which includes the black workers in South Africa. Moreover, such action would not make any substantial change in the issue of apartheid since there are still other foreign investors in the country and the government has other means to survive even if Caltex terminate its operation. I would also vote against the second resolution that requires Caltex not to sell its oil products to the police and military of South Africa. Based upon the South African law, refusing to cater petroleum products to the armed forces of the country is a clear violation of the law. As such, violating this rule would clearly put Caltex in a disadvantageous position that could threaten the operation of the company in the country as well in other nations. It could also be the cause for the unemployment of large numbers of its workers. Another reason is that doing so might only put the blacks’ citizens in a bad situation because the government might further exploit the blacks especially during such time of crisis for the country. Contrary to my previous positions, I would vote in favor of the third resolution that would ask the South African government to implement the Tutu principles. Caltex has established its important role in South Africa especially during the time when OPEC established an oil embargo in the country. As such, Caltex has the capability impose demands upon the South African government and they could do so by asking the implementation of the Tutu principle. This is a good way to improve the situation of the blacks in a sound and legal manner. There is a huge possibility that the South African government would grant it especially if they would analyze the situation that they are in. South Africa has a lot to lose if they would have conflict with Caltex while they are facing a challenging situation. By approving this resolution, many stakeholders would benefit from it, not only the blacks but also the company since they would have better relationship with those who advocate anti-apartheid issues and this could also boost their image of addressing societal issues. The managers of Texaco and Chevron should respond to these resolutions in a manner by which they would take into account the maximum benefit that all stakeholders could achieve from the decision. Being the case, they should also vote against the two resolutions and approved of the last. The managers should respond in such way because doing so would be beneficial to the majority of the people involve and this would also address the social issue of apartheid. Lastly, the management has a responsibility in making sure that the whole operation of its business is running smoothly. Their concerns should not solely be based upon the high income returns because they would not achieve such if they do not address the problems that are affecting their business. In line with this, they should not only look at the law and the rate of returns in deciding where to put their investments. They should also give due importance to the social and political situations of the country or a certain place that they would invest in. This is due to the fact that these factors play an important role in the overall success of a business. The important role that most companies have, not only in the business field but also in the society should be use properly so that they could also be agents of positive change in the world.