Plight of the Code Hero in the Works of Ernest Hemingway...

The Plight of the Code Hero in the Works of Ernest Hemingway In his novels Ernest Hemingway suggests a code of behavior for his characters to follow: one that demands courage in difficult situations, strength in the face of adversity, and grace under pressure. Termed the code hero, this character is driven by the principal ideals of honor, courage, and endurance in a life of stress, misfortune, and pain. Despite the heros fight against life in this violent and disorderly world, he is rarely the victor. The code that the hero follows demands that he act honorably in this uphill battle and find fulfillment by becoming a man and proving his worth. Hemingway himself lived his life trying to show how strong and unlimited†¦show more content†¦In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is an unlucky fisherman who has not caught anything in 84 days. Yet he sets out alone on the 85th day to try again. For three days he struggles with a large marlin which he finally kills; but, despite his best efforts, he loses the fish to repeate d shark attacks. Still, Santiago returns to his small fishing village with the skeleton of the fish. He achieves a spiritual victory instead of a material one, surviving the ordeal of battle, and arriving with proof of his struggle strapped to his boat-the skeleton of the fish. Rather than a huge profit from such a large fish, he gains the admiration of the town for his valorous fight. Violence and disorder prevail, but Santiago honorably defends his catch in the midst of what will be a losing battle. Oscar Wilde once said, Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you (n. pag.). Santiago finds fulfillment by proving his manhood and his worth to both the town and Manolin, a local boy who admires him greatly. Hemingways description of Santiago includes symbolism of Christ, aShow MoreRelated Review Of Ernest Hemingway And Writings Essay1503 Words   |  7 Pages Review of Ernest Hemingway and Writings nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelest and short-story writer whose writings and personal life exerted a profound influence on American writers of his time and thereafter. Many of his works are regarded as American classics, and some have subsequently been made into motion pictures. A review of Hemingway reveals many interesting points about his life, about the influences upon his works, and of the the themes and stylesRead More Biography of Ernest Hemingway Essay3737 Words   |  15 PagesBiography of Ernest Hemingway Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter. You will meet them doing various things with resolve, but their interest rarely holds because after the other thing ordinary life is as flat as the taste of wine when the taste buds have been burned off your tongue. (On the Blue Water in Esquire, April 1936) A legendary novelist, short-storyRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagesscheme. Free verse is not, however, loose or unrestricted: its rules of composition are as strict and difficult as traditional verse, for they rely on less evident rhythmic patterns to give the poem shape. Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is a seminal work of free verse. Line and Stanza Poetry generally is divided into lines of verse. A grouping of lines, equivalent to a paragraph in prose, is called a stanza. On the printed page, line breaks normally are used to separate stanzas from one another.Read MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 PagesAny literary work is unique. It is created by the author in accordance with his vision and is permeated with his idea of the world. The reader’s interpretation is also highly individual and depends to a great extent on his knowledge and personal experience. That’s why one cannot lay down a fixed â€Å"model† for a piece of critical appreciation. Nevertheless, one can give information and suggestions that may prove helpful. PLOT The Elements of Plot When we refer to the plot of a work of fiction, then

The Giver by Lois Lowry - 869 Words

Expository Essay Through our society we are all raised up to be independent and unique individuals such as being ourselves and expressing who each of us are to the world. However, in the book The Giver by Lois Lowry, everyone is raised to count on one another and everyone must look and act the same. Our society differs from Jonas’s in many ways, such as the family units, birthdays, and the way we each learn about our past. In the book The Giver, our society and Jonas’s differ in terms of the family units. On page 8, Jonas’s mother tells Lily about the kids in the family units as, â€Å"Two children – one male, one female – to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules.† This quote explains how the parents are only allowed to have one male and one female – no more, no less. This differs from our society because our family unit can consist of many more or less than two children and the parents do not have to have one of each gender in the family. Also, in the quote, mother said, â€Å"to each family unit†, which makes it sound like the children are given to the parents, which is exactly right. The mothers of the family units in Jonas’s society are not allowed to give birth. Instead, there are birthmothers who give birth to the children and those childrenShow MoreRelatedThe Giver By Lois Lowry940 Words   |  4 PagesLois Lowry’s 1993 young adult novel â€Å"The Giver† captured audiences worldwide with its fascinating characters and dystopian society. The book was long due a film adaption, which finally came in 2014 from director Phillip Noyce. While critics remained mixed about the film itself, the movie offers a decent adaption of its source material, keep ing in mind its original themes of pain, pleasure, and memory, but strays away in certain areas. Both the film and novel carry the same themes that have madeRead MoreThe Giver, By Lois Lowry1796 Words   |  8 Pages Memories need to be shared,† words from Lois Lowry in her book The Giver (154). The Giver focuses on the protagonist, Jonas and the world he lives in. In his community everything is perfect and under control, avoiding war, fear or pain. The people are forbidden to make their own decisions as they’re made for them by the community. Throughout the book, Jonas learns the truth on how they are living and his feelings turn. In The Giver, written by Lois Lowry, the theme of the significance of sharingRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1949 Words   |  8 Pagesbeliefs or personal values that they insist on imposing over the surrounding community. Such is the case with Lois Lowry s The Giver, a fictional story of a society without emotions, arguments, or differences amongst people, where equality is the ultimate goal. The story revolves around 12-year-old Jona s, who is chosen to become the Receiver of Memories, which would be given to him by the Giver, a historian of humanity s past. His lessons force him to confront feelings for the first time and the growingRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry784 Words   |  4 PagesTitle: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Illustrator: No illustrator Genre: The genre of the book is scientific fiction. It is scientific fiction because Lois Lowry made a setting where everything is unusual than the things we do now. There are birthmothers, rarely Receivers of Memory ( which Jonas turns out to be ), and other special jobs in the community center. Point of View: The point of view in the story is third person because if there was a first person, the narrator ( which is a person that isRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry884 Words   |  4 PagesGiver Essay Agustin Fitipaldi Bervejillo In the book The Giver, by Lois Lowry. The main character Jonas is not like others in his utopian community. He is a normal 12 year old boy and is living in the same old community of sameness. Until one day he gets selected to be the Receiver of Memory and begins to experience things on a different way because of the memories being transmitted to him. As the changes become more evident, Jonas begins to see flawsRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1334 Words   |  6 Pages Ella Smailn How has the character Jonas from Lois Lowry s book The Giver developed over the course of the novel? Word count: 1311 Louis Lowry’s The Giver, written in 1993 is a captivating, prize-winning novel. It is set in a community, which is first presented as the perfect world, an utopian society. The novel follows a boy called Jonas, who as the novel progresses sees the utopia more like a dystopian. This community has eliminated any pain the society would have byRead MoreThe Giver by Lois Lowry959 Words   |  4 PagesThe giver by Lois Lowry was an interesting book to say the least. In the beginning you are lead to believe these are normal kids and characters, possibly in the future, but in pretty much the same state of mind as our definition of â€Å"human† today. As the book goes on, you are slowly let in on details, like the characters can not see color, and that the parents are not biological parents, and everything is organized and decided for the characters in the book. The author did a great job of slowly bringingRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1554 Words   |  7 PagesBlock 6 Second Independent Project: Book Report 10/5/14 The Giver In this essay, I am going to report about the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy, is the main character of the book. The book describes a seemingly indestructible society, with absolute order and rules. Jonas happens to be chosen as the next Receiver of Memory on his twelve year old ceremony. After receiving part of the memories from the The Giver and discovering the truth behind this â€Å"perfect† community, heRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry1313 Words   |  6 Pagesis no pain, no prejudice, no emotion, and no detestation. Lois Lowry gives a vivid description of a community where everything is equal, everyone is just as important as another, and life choices are made by only one individual. In the book The giver by Lois Lowry, it expresses the exact opposite of Marx’s most important ideas which is a prime example of what people will do if they were forced to live a certain way. In the book The Giver, it tells the story of a perfect world. Everyone there is happyRead MoreThe Giver By Lois Lowry962 Words   |  4 Pages In Lois Lowry’s The Giver the community feel free but they are restricted by the rules of this society. Their individuality has been taken away along with their emotions, precision of language has taken control and the rules have brainwashed the community. Is it worth living in a society with rules and restrictions like these. Throughout The Giver, Lowry attempts to awaken each and every reader to the dangers that exist when people opt for conformity over individuality and for unexamined security

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4 Free Essays

The next day, I went to the address on Dante’s business card. It was in Rainier Valley, which wasn’t exactly rundown but wasn’t upwardly mobile either. The directions led to a narrow shop jammed in between a barber and a shady-looking convenience store. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4 or any similar topic only for you Order Now PSYCHIC hung in red neon letters in the window. The â€Å"I† had burned out. Underneath it, a handwritten sign read: PALM READING TAROT CARDS. I stepped through the door, making bells ring. The interior proved to be as barren as the exterior. A narrow counter flanked one wall. The rest of the small, stark space was empty, save for a round table covered in red velvet that had cigarette burns on it. A tacky crystal ball sat on top. This place was a wasteland compared to Erik’s warm, inviting shop. â€Å"Just a minute,† a voice called from an open doorway in the back. â€Å"I’ve just got to – â€Å" A man entered the room and stopped when he saw me. He was about six-foot, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Two days worth of facial hair covered his face, and he wore jeans and a plain black T-shirt. Early forties, maybe, and pretty cute. He looked me over from head to toe and gave me a sly, knowing smile. â€Å"Well, hello. What do we have here?† He tilted his head, still studying me. â€Å"Not human, that’s for sure. Demon? No, not strong enough. Vampire? No†¦not this time of day.† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped, surprised that he’d sensed something in me. He had no immortal signature; he was definitely human. He must be like Erik, I realized. A mortal who could sense the immortal world, though he didn’t have enough skill to pinpoint what I was exactly. Deciding there was no point in subterfuge, I said, â€Å"I’m a succubus.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, you aren’t.† â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"You aren’t.† I was a bit surprised to be having this conversation. â€Å"I am too.† â€Å"No. Succubi are flame-eyed and bat-winged. Everyone knows that. They don’t wear jeans and sweaters. At the very least, you should have a bigger chest. What are you, 34B or something?† â€Å"C,† I said indignantly. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"Look, I am a succubus. I can prove it.† I let my form change, shifting through several different female variations before returning to my usual one. â€Å"See?† â€Å"Well, I’ll be damned.† I had a feeling he was playing with me. â€Å"Are you Dante?† â€Å"For now.† He approached and shook my hand, holding on to it. He flipped it over. â€Å"You here for a palm reading? I’ll show you how to shape-shift your hand to get a good future.† I took my hand back. â€Å"No, thanks. I’m here because I have some questions†¦questions that Erik Lancaster thought you might be able to answer.† Dante’s smile dropped. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter. â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean? Erik’s my friend.† Dante leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"Of course he’s your friend. He’s everyone’s friend. Fucking boy scout. If he could have shaken his holier-than-thou attitude and worked with me, we could have made a fortune by now.† I remembered what Erik had said about Dante being a con artist and a Hell-bound person. I didn’t pick up any evil vibes off him, but there was a definite abrasiveness to his attitude that made Erik’s assessment more plausible. â€Å"Erik has standards,† I declared. Dante laughed. â€Å"Oh, great. A holier-than-thou succubus. This is going to be fun.† â€Å"Look, can you just answer my questions? It won’t take long.† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"I’ve got time – at least until the next rush of customers.† The bitter tone in his voice as he gestured to the empty room indicated that there hadn’t been a rush in a very long time. â€Å"I had a dream the other night,† I explained. â€Å"And when I woke up, all my energy was gone.† â€Å"You’re a succubus. Supposedly. That kind of thing happens.† â€Å"I wish everyone would stop saying that! This wasn’t normal. And I’d been with a man the night before. I was charged up, so to speak.† â€Å"You do anything afterward that would have depleted the energy?† Everyone kept asking that too. â€Å"No. I just went to bed. But the dream†¦it was really strange. I don’t know how to explain it. Really, really vivid. I’ve never felt anything like it.† â€Å"What was it about?† â€Å"A, um, dishwasher.† Dante sighed. â€Å"Did someone pay you to come here and mess with me?† Through gritted teeth, I related the dream. â€Å"That’s it?† he asked when I finished. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Lame dream.† â€Å"Do you know what it means?† â€Å"Probably that you need to fix your dishwasher.† â€Å"It isn’t broken!† He straightened up. â€Å"Sorry. Can’t help you then.† â€Å"Erik said this was your specialty.† â€Å"It is, I suppose. But, sometimes a dream is just a dream. You sure you don’t want me to read your palm? It’s all bullshit, but I can at least make something up so you feel like the trip wasn’t wasted.† â€Å"No, I want to know about my fucking dream. How can it be just a dream if I woke up with no energy?† Dante walked back over to me and flicked a piece of escaped hair out of his face. â€Å"I don’t know. You aren’t giving me enough to go on. How many times has it happened?† â€Å"Just the one time.† â€Å"Then it may be just a fluke, kiddo.† I turned toward the door. â€Å"Well, thanks for the ‘help.'† Hurrying over to my side, Dante caught my arm. â€Å"Hey, wait. You want to go get a drink now?† â€Å"I – what?† â€Å"I’ll risk upsetting the masses and close up shop for the day. There’s a great bar around the corner. Draft Budweiser – only a dollar a glass during happy hour. My treat.† I scoffed. I didn’t know what was more absurd. That Dante thought I’d go out with him or that he thought I’d drink Budweiser. His attractiveness wasn’t enough to make up for his weird personality. â€Å"Sorry. I have a boyfriend.† â€Å"I’m not looking to be your boyfriend. Cheap sex is fine with me.† I met his eyes. They were gray, similar to Carter’s but without the silvery hue. I expected a joke here, but despite the perpetual smirk, Dante appeared to be perfectly serious. â€Å"Why on earth do you think I’d have cheap sex with you? Do I look that easy?† â€Å"You say you’re a succubus. You’re easy by definition. And even without the bat-wings and flame-eyes, you’re pretty cute.† â€Å"Aren’t you worried about your soul?† Even if he was as corrupt as Erik had insinuated – and I still wasn’t really seeing that – Dante would take some kind of hit from sleeping with me. All mortals did. Of course, I’d met plenty of men – good and evil alike – who’d been willing to risk their souls for sex. â€Å"Nope. My soul’s pretty far gone. This would just be for fun. Look, if you want to skip the beer, we can just get right to it. I’ve always wanted to do it on the table over there.† â€Å"Un-fucking-believable.† I pushed open the door. â€Å"Oh, come on,† he pleaded. â€Å"I’m pretty good. And hey, maybe your boyfriend’s poor sexual performance is what’s stressing you out and taking away your energy.† â€Å"Not likely,† I told him. â€Å"We don’t have sex.† There was a moment’s silence, then Dante threw back his head and laughed. â€Å"Did it occur to you that maybe that’s stressing you out? Clearly the dishwasher is a metaphor for your broken sex life, which then forces you to wash dishes ‘by hand.'† I left, heading back to the bookstore where I could get a little respect. Some dream expert Dante had turned out to be. I could see now why Erik didn’t really like him. I was also starting to wonder if maybe everyone was right. Maybe I had mentally burned myself out. Maybe the dream was really just a dream. I was almost at the bookstore when I got a phone call. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† asked a pleasant female voice. â€Å"This is Karen from the Seattle Children’s Alliance, calling to confirm your participation in our auction this week.† â€Å"Your what?† There was a pause. â€Å"Our charity date auction, to raise money for the Alliance.† I was still baffled. â€Å"Um, sounds like a great cause, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.† I heard papers being ruffled. â€Å"We have you listed as a volunteer.† â€Å"For what, to be auctioned off for a date?† â€Å"Yes. It looks like†¦here we are. Your name was submitted by Dr. Mitchell.† I sighed. â€Å"Let me call you back.† I hung up and dialed Hugh. â€Å"Hey, Dr. Mitchell. You volunteered me to be auctioned off?† â€Å"It’s not that different from what you usually do,† he argued. â€Å"And it’s for charity.† â€Å"I buy the peace-on-Earth-and-good-will-toward-men thing from Peter and Cody – but not from you. You don’t care about those kids.† â€Å"I care about the group’s director,† Hugh said. â€Å"She’s a fucking fox. I get some high quality candidates to raise money, and I can probably get her in bed.† â€Å"You’re using a children’s charity to further your sex life. That’s horrible. And why didn’t you ask Tawny? If anyone needs a date, she does.† â€Å"Her? Jesus Christ. It’d be a disaster. We’re trying to make money here. Do you hate kids or something?† â€Å"No, but I don’t have time to do it. I’ll write them a check.† I hung up on his protests, just as I turned onto Queen Anne Avenue. I was a little early for my shift and decided to stop home and grab an apple and a granola bar. Last time I’d worked, we’d been so busy that I’d skipped my lunch break. I figured that this time, I should come prepared. My immortality wouldn’t let me starve to death, but I could still get lightheaded and weak. Halfway down the hall to my apartment, I felt a shock wave of crystalline goodness. Angelic auras. I opened my door and found the whole gang: Carter, Yasmine, Whitney, Joel, and Vincent. None of them spoke; they were all just watching me expectantly. The angels would have sensed me long before I sensed them. They all sat in my living room, casually occupying my sofa and chairs as though they weren’t a host of heavenly warriors. Well, not all of them were casual. Joel sat as stiff and formal as he had the first time I met him. â€Å"Oh, man,† I said, shutting the door behind me. â€Å"It’s just like that They Might Be Giants song.† Vincent grinned. â€Å"‘She’s an Angel’?† I nodded. â€Å"Somewhere they’re meeting on a pinhead – â€Å" † – calling you an angel, calling you the nicest things,† he finished. â€Å"What are you doing here?† demanded Joel, interrupting our jam session. â€Å"Or not so nice,† I muttered. I turned from Vincent and glared at Joel. â€Å"I live here, remember?† â€Å"We’re having a meeting,† he said. â€Å"Hey, when you asked if Vince could stay here, you never said anything about making this your top secret tree house headquarters. I don’t care if you guys hold your choir practice here or whatever, but don’t try to throw me out while you do.† â€Å"Sorry,† said Yasmine. I did a double-take. Apologies from angels were about as rare as from demons. From the look on his face, Joel was about as surprised as me. â€Å"We probably should have asked first. We can go somewhere else.† She leaned over my coffee table and started gathering up newspapers. Interesting. Apparently Vincent’s fixation with the news was more than just a personal hobby. I glanced back up at Yasmine and tried to act like I hadn’t noticed anything. â€Å"No, it’s fine. I’m actually heading right back out. I just came by for some food.† She pushed strands of long, black hair out of her face. They’d slipped out of her ponytail. â€Å"You want Vince to make you something?† He turned to her, startled, wearing an astonished, yet still-amused look. â€Å"What am I, your personal assistant?† â€Å"Not with the kind of respect you show us,† she grumbled. I hid a smile. â€Å"Thanks, but I’m fine. I don’t have the time.† â€Å"Good,† said Joel. â€Å"Then hurry up.† Whitney sighed and looked a little embarrassed – but not enough to contradict him. Yasmine had no such qualms and elbowed him in the ribs. â€Å"What was that for?† he exclaimed. â€Å"You have no manners,† she scolded. Grinning broadly, I went to the kitchen and found an apple. When I opened the cupboard to look for my granola bars, I found the box empty. â€Å"Hey,† I said, carrying it out to the living room. â€Å"Did somebody eat these? I had two left this morning.† Carter spoke up for the first time. â€Å"I was hungry.† I stared at him, incredulous. â€Å"You ate both of them?† â€Å"I was hungry,† he repeated, not looking contrite in the least. â€Å"Does it ever stop with you?† I exclaimed. â€Å"First the Christmas tree, now this? You didn’t even throw the box away!† â€Å"I was hoping you’d forgotten about the Christmas tree. That was an accident, and you know it.† I sighed loudly and put the apple in my purse. â€Å"I’m going to the grocery store later,† said Vincent helpfully. Aubrey jumped up and settled herself between him and Yasmine. Both their hands instantly moved to pet her. Aubrey gave me a smug cat look at the attention. â€Å"I’ll pick you up some more if you want.† â€Å"Pick him up some more so that he doesn’t go rob the food bank next. See you guys later. No wild parties while I’m gone.† Carter, Yasmine, and Vincent laughed; Whitney and Joel didn’t. When I’d shut the door behind me, I paused in the hall, wishing there was some way to spy on angels. There wasn’t, unfortunately. I couldn’t even hide from them. They could mask their signatures from me, but not vice versa. In fact, they all knew I hadn’t left yet. Annoyed, I headed downstairs, curiosity burning in me. Why were they all here? Why did they need a human? And what role did the newspapers play? Figuring out what angels did with their time was always difficult. With my side, it was pretty straightforward. We were always looking to commit souls to Hell and did so in a well-monitored, micro-managed manner. Heaven’s forces moved in mysterious ways, though. Carter’s purpose in Seattle was a continual puzzle for my friends and me since none of us ever saw any evidence of him doing anything particularly noble, aside from sharing his cigarettes. He did always show a lot of interest in my love life and was quick to dispense cryptic pieces of advice, but I suspected that was more curiosity than altruism. Work was only a few blocks away. Since it wasn’t raining, I simply walked down there. As soon as I entered Emerald City, Maddie approached me, an uncomfortable expression on her face. â€Å"Hey,† she said uneasily. â€Å"I, um, need your advice. I’m going to a wedding tomorrow and don’t know what to wear. This is so stupid†¦but could you take a look at my options?† Peering around, I decided the store could function without us for ten minutes, particularly since it had taken Maddie a fair amount of courage to broach this subject. I’d never actually seen her dress up before. â€Å"Okay. Let’s see what you’ve got.† We went back to my office, and she tried on three different dresses. No doubt Seth would have been amused to know she was changing clothes while I was in there. When she’d finished, I gave my honest opinion. â€Å"They don’t do you justice.† â€Å"Which is a nice way of saying they look awful on me.† Maddie balled one of the dresses up and tossed it to the floor. â€Å"I hate this sort of thing. How can I write about women’s issues and not be any good at them?† â€Å"Well†¦you write about different kinds of issues. The problem here is that you’re wearing clothes that are too big for you.† Her dark eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"I’m big. They’re loose. They hide it.† Maddie wasn’t big, not really. She was a size ten or twelve, if I had to guess, and her short height emphasized that a little. But her curves were all proportioned correctly, and she had a very pretty face. Of course, compared to the anorexic models so popular among humans today, I could understand her attitude. â€Å"You are not big. But those dresses make you look it. Something smaller’s going to make you look better.† â€Å"I can’t wear tight clothes.† â€Å"They don’t have to be tight. They just have to fit.† Maddie sighed and ran her hands down the sides of her thighs. â€Å"You don’t know what it’s like,† she said, the slightest accusatory note in her voice. â€Å"You’re beautiful and tiny. Not all of us have the luxury of looking perfect all the time.† â€Å"No one looks perfect all the time,† I argued. â€Å"I certainly don’t.† Okay, I kind of did. â€Å"You’ve just got to find the right things. And really, half of beauty is attitude. You feel sexy, then you are sexy.† Maddie looked dubious. â€Å"I don’t think it’s that easy. Guys aren’t exactly chomping at the bit to ask me out. You know how long it’s been since I was on a date?† â€Å"That goes back to attitude,† I said. â€Å"Look, I don’t mean to sound harsh, but you don’t always give off friendly vibes. I mean, you do to me. And to Doug. Sort of. But really, that’s it.† â€Å"I know I’m not the best with people,† she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. â€Å"But I just can’t do meaningless small talk.† â€Å"Yeah, but you still have to do some talking. It’s a fact of life.† â€Å"Well, if guys came and actually talked to me, maybe I could try. But they aren’t really lining up.† She gestured at her body. â€Å"Because of this. And now we’ve come full circle.† â€Å"What if I could guarantee you a date?† I asked, suddenly inspired. Her lips quirked into a smile. It instantly transformed her face. â€Å"Are you asking me out?† â€Å"No, but someone else will, I’m certain of it. You just have to let me pick out your outfit.† â€Å"I’m not wearing anything slutty.† â€Å"It won’t be,† I promised. I stood up from my chair. â€Å"Look, I’ve gotta run. Wear the yellow dress to the wedding. With a belt. I’ll give you details later about the date plan.† She left, looking skeptical, and I threw myself into work. The rest of the day flew by. I never saw Seth in the caf? ¦ and presumed he was working at home today. We had a date later on, so I knew I’d see him then. Since becoming manager, I spent a lot of time holed up in my office, which was hard on the social part of me. But, every once in a while, I got to escape to cover someone’s break or arrange a display. While near the self-help section, a guy carrying some books stumbled near me and dropped the stack. Hoping he hadn’t tripped on a bump in the carpet and was planning a lawsuit, I hastily knelt down to help him. â€Å"No, no,† he said, cheeks burning. He was the age I looked, late twenties. Early thirties at most. â€Å"You don’t have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was already stacking them, though, and quickly understood his discomfort. They were books on all sorts of fetishes – in particular, exhibitionism and voyeurism. â€Å"Oh God,† he said, as I handed him the books. â€Å"I’m so embarrassed. I feel like such a pervert.† â€Å"It’s okay,† I told him. â€Å"It’s your business, and we’ve all got our†¦ah, preferences.† He looked mildly reassured but still clearly wanted to bolt. There was a wedding ring on his hand, and I expected I was dealing with a fetish he probably didn’t share with his wife. Honestly, I was surprised he’d resorted to actual books when he could find a hundred times more sources on the Internet. Most likely he and his wife shared a home computer, and he feared discovery. It was Georgina the succubus, not Georgina the bookstore manager, who asked the next question. Georgina the bookstore manager would have gotten fired for it if caught. â€Å"You like the watching or the doing?† I kept my voice low. He swallowed, studied me for mockery, and must have decided I was serious. â€Å"The, um, doing.† For half a breath, I considered going for it with him. I needed the energy, badly. He’d be an easy mark, consumed with a secret obsession he couldn’t fulfill anywhere else. But, it’d mean doing it in this body, and I didn’t like that. This was my preferred, everyday shape. I didn’t want to sully it with business. So, I smiled and sent him on his way, silently wishing him well in fulfilling his sexual desires. I called Seth later while I was walking home from work to confirm our date. We were going to meet over at the Pacific Northwest Ballet to see The Nutcracker. While he appreciated the performing arts, getting him to go out while his book’s ending loomed had been a Herculean task, and I still couldn’t believe he’d agreed. He’d only conceded after I’d promised he could show up at the last possible minute. Only, we apparently had different definitions of â€Å"last possible minute† because when the lights went down, he still hadn’t surfaced. The ballet started, and I craned my neck each time I heard one of the doors open. The chair beside me stayed empty, unfortunately. It was a sign of my agitation that I missed a lot of the performance and couldn’t appreciate Clara’s dream – a dream as vivid for her as mine had been for me. I loved the ballet. I’d danced in a few shows over my lifetime and never got tired of watching graceful muscles and elaborate costumes. At intermission, I turned on my cell phone and saw that Seth had tried to call. I dialed him back without even listening to the voice message. When he answered, I said, â€Å"Please tell me a crazy fan kidnapped you and broke your legs with a sledgehammer.† â€Å"Um, no. Didn’t you get my message?† â€Å"Well, no, seeing as my phone said it came in a half-hour ago. I didn’t have it on because I was busy watching this thing. You know, The Nutcracker?† He sighed. â€Å"I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave. I was too wrapped up. I thought if I, uh, gave you enough notice†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Notice? This was more like a belated birthday card. Six months after the fact.† Silence fell, and I felt some satisfaction in knowing he was quietly acknowledging his wrongdoing. â€Å"I’m sorry, Thetis. It was†¦I shouldn’t have done it, busy or not. I’m really sorry. You know how I get.† Now I sighed. He was so damned sincere and adorable that I had a hard time holding a grudge. This wasn’t, however, the first time he’d stood me up or otherwise neglected our social life. Sometimes I wondered if I allowed him too much indulgence. I spent so much time worrying about my transgressions taking advantage of him; maybe I was the one being walked over without even realizing it. â€Å"You want to meet up after the show?† I asked, trying not to sound mad. â€Å"Cody invited me out to the bar with them. We could hang out there for a while.† â€Å"Um†¦well, no.† â€Å"No?† The annoyance I’d tried to quell shot its head back up again. â€Å"I just forgave you for standing me up and wasting the money I paid on your ticket, and now you’re turning down my conciliatory offer?† â€Å"Look†¦I really am sorry, but watching you and your friends get drunk isn’t exactly appealing.† I sat for a moment, too stunned to respond. He’d spoken in his typically mild way, but I’d heard the slightest bit of derision underscoring his words. Seth didn’t drink. He always tolerated my excesses good-naturedly, but I suddenly wondered if they irritated him after all. His meaning came through as haughtiness to me. â€Å"Sorry we’re not up to your standards. God knows we can’t expect you to do anything outside of your comfort zone.† â€Å"Please, stop. I don’t want to fight with you,† he said with exasperation. â€Å"I’m really, really, really sorry about all this. I didn’t mean to stand you up. You know that.† The lights flashed, signaling the end of intermission. â€Å"I’ve got to go.† â€Å"Will you†¦will you please come over tonight? Go out with your friends, let me finish, and then I’ll make things up to you. I promise. I†¦I have an early Christmas present for you.† The hesitancy in his voice softened my heart. A little. â€Å"Yeah. Okay. It might be really late when I get there.† â€Å"I’ll wait up.† We said our good-byes and disconnected. I watched the rest of the show in a grumpy mood and decided drinking and bitching with the gang couldn’t come a moment too soon. How to cite Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 4, Essay examples

Machines Are They Helpful Or Too Much Trouble Essay Example For Students

Machines: Are They Helpful Or Too Much Trouble? Essay The historiography and various phases of the Industrial Revolution werevery important. Population increase and the expansion of capital, credit andcommerce were one of the phases. The role of entrepreneurs, workers andinventions in boosting production were another phase. Textiles, coal, transportand public services started becoming of value to people. The social consequencesincluded women and children working in factories and mines. Hard livingconditions, crowded rooms, and many diseases. There were many positive effects, new inventions, that helped madeliving comfortable, and saved many lives. A vaccination was created saving manylives, telephones helped people to communicate, light bulbs gave light at nightand when rain was falling. As people needed employment, they traveled to Londonto find work, which caused the population to increase. Developers built multistory building(apartments), and row houses making streets less crowded, and gavethe people a newfound wealth and security. Steam engines made it easy totransport goods, the cotton gin made it easier to clean cotton, and made moremoney. Then technical schools began to develop, helping young people finishgrammar school. Women also started working, they were very obedient and menstarted giving them more respect. Along with positive, were also negative. Most people worked twelve tofourteen hours a day, six days a week, they had to pay constant attention to themachines and risked losing limbs in the machines. Child labor was anotherproblem, they usually worked from 6 am to 7 p.m., getting paid only 10 percentwages of men to children. They would be severely beaten, and usually wasdeformed from machines. Many working-class children were not able to attendschools, because they couldnt afford clothes. Women usually spent long hoursaway from home and were unable to take care of children. They usually had adeformed chest or rib from the machines, and sometimes their hair and long skirtwere caught in the machines. Some people had to work in mines, the mines weredamp and ark, workers risked suffocation from the dust and drowning fromunderground floods. As population grew, people moved into urban areas. This wasa very big problem, crimes and diseases increased, sometimes twenty families hadto share th e same toilets and water pumps. The industrial revolution had many problems, but here are some solutionsI would propose. I would have limited work, better wages, and more windows, thepeople sometimes got lung cancer and suffocated from too much smoke. Thechildren, well, I would probably say they couldnt work until they were 11 or 12,but if they had to work before 11 or 12 I would give them less hours and morebreaks. For women, better pay and hours. In the coal mines, they shouldvebuilt better support, and at least warn the people of explosions. Schoolsshouldve been built for poor children and paid by the government. More housesbuilt and trees cut. Category: Social Issues

Psychoanalysis of Medea free essay sample

The movement of the unconscious of Medea has been highlighted. Her libido transforms into ego when her libido object is taken from her. She loses the ability to judge right from wrong. This perspective of Medea brings out the unique dramatic art of â€Å"Euripides† in the ancient Greece. Ahmad Aqeel Sarwar Professor Ayesha Classical Drama 31st March’2012 Libido: Medea’s Real Force Medea is a domestic tragedy by Euripides depicting the psychological implications because of grief that inflate the misery of a barbarian woman Medea. A close study of the mind of Medea shows that there are certain psychological constraints which play a vital role in all of her actions. The extremist actions of Medea are not driven by her rage and grief but by her libido. Freud explains libido as: â€Å"libido is a term used in the theory of instincts for describing the dynamic manifestations of sexuality. It is difficult to say anything of the behavior of Libido in thee id and super-ego. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychoanalysis of Medea or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Everything that we know about it relates to the ego, in which the whole available amount of libido is at first stored up. Libido participates in every instinctual manifestation, but not everything in that manifestation is libido. † (Freud, Dictionary of Psychoanalysis) It shows that libido is related to ego and its manifestation is instinctual. A strong libido can be observed in the character of Medea which manifests itself in her actions driven by her extreme ego. In order to get a true picture of Medea, the myth of Medea should be examined. Ovid has given a picture of Medea in his Metamorphoses. Patricia B. Salzman Mitchell describes the psychology of Medea, as portrayed in Ovids Metamorphoses: When her story begins in Book 7, she is no more than a girl, but a girl who promptly falls in love and would give it all to gain her beloved. Her desire springs from an image of Jason. The text first describes how she became passionate for the hero (concipit interea validos Aeetias ignes/ â€Å"In the meantime, the daughter of King Aeetes was ignited by the overpowering fire of love,† (Met. 7. 9); shortly thereafter we realize that she has just seen him: â€Å"cur, quem modo denique vidi,/ ne pereat timeo? /† Why am I afraid that he whom I have only just seen may die? † (Met. 7. 15-16). The visual impression proceeds in a double edged-way. Medea Struggling with her own emotions between duty and desire, states: sed trahit invitam nova vis, aliudque cupido, mens aliud suadet: video meliora proboque, deteriora sequor â€Å"But a new force derives me against my will. Desire persu ades me one way, my mind another. I see the better course and I approve of it, but I follow the worse. † (Met. 7. 19-21) These formulae utterances have profound inter textual echoes, serve as a defining trace of Medeas character, and hint at womans libido and inability to do the right thing. At a surface level, video meliora seems to refer to Medeas knowledge of the right path to follow. Her previous comment that she has just seen Jason bears the hidden sense that what is melora may well be Jason, in her eyes. In addition, the monologue presents a key problem in the story: why does Medea burn for a foreigner? (Met. . 21-22). Medeas barbarism and the problems of treason against ones own land have been widely explored and they remain central in the issues of movement and immobility that are here discussed. Medea knows that her proper role is to stay on land and safeguard her family, but love is more powerful. As Carole Newlands points out __ though perhaps stretching Medeas transformation too far__ the heroine undergoes a change from dutiful daughter and innocent girl to rebellious woman, and finally mon ster. Patricia) This transformation in the person of Medea occurs because she is in danger of losing her libido object. She can go to all extremes to preserve this new feeling which she relishes now. Medeas actions are now derived by this new force and she is unable to act reasonably. She is ready to make the unwomanly move to kill her brother in order to get a safe passage for Jason and her. She acts unreasonably and unwomanly because she is unable to control the newly felt feeling of libido. This strange force of libido resides in her unconscious and inspires her actions. According to Freud â€Å" it (libido) manifests itself in irresistible attractions exerted by one sex upon the other and that its aim is sexual union or at least such actions as would lead to that union. † (Freud, The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud) It is no doubt her overpowering libido which takes control of her consciousness and she acts as her libido dictates her. It is worth noting that all of her actions are violent now. This is explained by Freud as,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the libido is regularly and lawfully of a masculine nature, whether in the man or in the woman. (Freud, The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud) Its instinctual manifestation is quite clear. Here we come across a young woman, Medea, who can do anything to get hold of her libido object and her force lies in her libido. Let us now examine Medea when the drama starts. The violent Medea burning in the fire of love is not to be seen now. Her lover has married a royal woman Glauce. She is very much upset by this act of her lover. She is in a state of melancholy lamenting the deceit of Jason. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Melancholia as: â€Å"a mental condition and especially a maniac-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions. †(Merriam-Webster) Medea is suffering from this very condition. She is unable to think reasonably because of her depression. This situation has been portrayed by Euripides, â€Å"Medea (within). O misery! The things I have suffered cause enough for deep lamentations! † (Euripides) Her condition can be further explored psychologically. Ilit Ferber explains Freudian concept of mourner and melancholy, â€Å"Both Freud’s mourner and melancholic begin with a basic denial of their loss and an unwillingness to recognize it. But soon enough, the mourner, who is reacting in a non-pathological manner, recognizes and responds to the call of reality, to let go of the lost-loved object and liberate libidinal desire. This is the point of divergence with the melancholic who remains sunken in his loss, unable to acknowledge and accept the need to cleave and in a self-destructive loyalty to the lost object, internalizes it into his ego, hus furthermore circumscribing the conflict related to the loss. † (Ferber) This concept of Freud is fully synonymous with the condition of Medea presented by Euripides. She is unwilling to accept the reality; in fact she wants to mould reality by violence. Her object of libido has been taken away and this has made her depressed and she acts as a maniac. The deprivation of libido-obje ct has resulted in the repression of libido. The repression of libido disturbs the unconscious and the conscious life of Medea. The pain of separation from libido-object is in the unconscious of her mind. She herself, perhaps, does not know the real problem with her. The excessive repression of libido results in her mental stress beyond her capacity. She becomes a patient of psycho-neuroses. Freud describes psycho-neuroses as: â€Å"it (paranoia, psychoneuroses) regularly controls some portion of the social behavior (of the patient). The transformation of love into hatred, tenderness into hostility, which is characteristic of a large number of neurotic cases and apparently of all cases of paranoia, takes place by means of union of cruelty with libido. (Freud, The Basic Writings of Sigmund Freud) The same is the case with Medea now. Her extreme love for Jason now transforms into extreme hate. Her tenderness, as a lover and mother, changes into her cruelty. She does not care for anything now, not even for her children. She is now ready to break the conventions of society to satisfy her mind which has been disturbed by the pain inflicted upon her by her lover. Here again, she is unable to judge right from wrong. The barbarian Medea is again in action. The repressed libido here shows itself in the form of ego. The ego of Medea, which was not observed at the time of her elopement, now begins to take shape. The relation between ego and libido is explained by Freud in these lines, â€Å"we infer that under normal conditions ego-libido can transform itself into object-libido without difficulty and that this can again subsequently be absorbed into ego. † (Freud, A General Introduction to Psycho-analysis) The libido of Medea here transforms into her ego. The overwhelming libido gives birth to overwhelming ego. She can do anything for the sake of her ego as she did for the satisfaction and preservation of her libido. Freud further says in the same essay, â€Å"A man may be absolutely egoistic and yet have strong libidinal attachments to objects, in so far as libidinal satisfaction is an object is a need of his ego: his egoism will then see to it that his desires towards the object involve no injury to his ego. † (Freud, A General Introduction to Psycho-analysis) It follows from this that if the object goes out of reach the person considers it an injury to his/her ego. The ego of Medea now comes to play. She does not lament for the loss of her lover now but talks about the deceit of Jason. She says, â€Å"Great Zeus and Lady Themis, see you how I am treated, for all the strong oaths with which I bound my cursed husband. † (Euripides, Medea) She begins to think in the same manner as she did in her homeland when she experienced the fear of separation from Jason. She finally thinks of taking her revenge and inflicting the same pain on Jason which she herself suffers from. She has suffered psychologically and she wants Jason to feel the same psychological agony. She does not think of killing Jason but she plans to take away his libido-object by killing Glauce. To attain success in her motive she does not act madly but tactfully. She requests Creon to give her one day to go away from the country. In this time she architects a plan to kill Glauce. Her libido has now absorbed in her ego as we have noted earlier. The intensity of libido results in the intensified ego. Her ego now drives all her actions. She plans to kill her children as well because she does not want her enemies to inflict pains on her children. She also thinks that if she leaves her children behind, her enemies will laugh at her. She is fully aware of the horror and cruelty involved in her plan. She says, â€Å"My misery overwhelms me. O I do realize how terrible is the crime I am about, but passion over rules my resolutions, passion that causes most of the misery in the world. † (Euripides, Medea) This passion is not inspired only by her ego but also by her libido because she has in her mind the violent way she followed at the time of her elopement and it is perhaps towards this misery she refers in the cited lines. She decides to kill her children and the reason behind her action is, â€Å"I can delay no longer, my children will fall into the murderous hands of those that love them less than I do. In any case they must die. And if they must, I shall slay them, who gave them birth. † (Euripides, Medea) This also implies that Medea’s love is not complacent_ it is quite violent. She lives on extremes. Her love is extreme and her hate is extreme. This situation of her mind again refers to lack of balance common in patients suffering from psychoneuroses. She loses sense of choosing the right way and sense of guilt is never seen in her. Her final dialogue with Jason is worth noting. Here she fully claims what she has done and her real motive. She says, â€Å"You could not hope, nor your princess either, to scorn my love, make a fool of me and live happily ever after. (Euripides, Medea) She has deprived Jason of his libido object and she is now satisfied because she has served her ego properly and has inflicted the same psychological stress as she suffered herself. She now feels herself victorious. She further says, â€Å"Call me tigress if you like, or Scylla that haunts the Tuscan coast. I don t mind now I have got properly under your skin. † (Euripides,Medea) Her ego now served she has no worries. She even does not care now what society says about her. She has taken her revenge. This psychoanalysis of the character of Medea shows that her overpowering libido is behind all her actions. The help she offered to Jason during the campaign, her elopement with Jason, the murder of her brother, the painful death inflicted upon Glauce __ all these actions were carried out for the satisfaction of her libido and then her libido transforms into ego. The repression of libido results in the formation of ego with greater intensity. Her heightened ego results in the murder of her own children. She even denies them burial. This not only disrupts the natural order but also intensifies the misery of Jason. The killing of blood relations is revolting in terms of Aristotle. She kills her blood relations twice and this shows that her mind is not balanced. The problem behind her psychological imbalance is not that she is unable to control her libido. It is because her libido is overwhelming and it is beyond her power to control it. The intensive libido is quite obvious in the unconscious of Medea forcing her to take steps that disrupt the natural order. Works Cited Euripides. Ten Plays by Euripides. Trans. Moses and McLean,John Hades. New York: Bantam Books, 2006. Ferber, Ilit. E-rea. 15 June 2006. 30 March 2012 lt;http://erea. revues. org/413gt;. Freud, Sigmund.

Mr Bowditch essays

Mr Bowditch essays Sphere is about a futuristic sphere that gives a group of scientists a special and unusual power- the power of being able to turn fantasy into reality. The group of scientists are kept in total wonder as to why they were being sent to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The scientists consisted of Norman Johnson, a psychologist; Beth Halpern, a zoologist and biochemist; Harry Adams, a mathematician; and Ted Fielding, an astrophysicist. Each scientist played an important role- Norman was to watch the team because no one had ever seen an alien and they didn't know how people would react. Beth was to assess any life form that the team might come across. Harry was there because math is the universal language and Ted was there to determine where in the universe the aliens came from. The story begins as Norman is being transported in a Sea Knight. After Norman arrives at the site, he is directly escorted to his quarters until Captain Barnes came and retrieved him. On their way to the submersible, he explained to everyone in the group what was going on. He told them that there was a titanium fin found 1,000 feet under the ocean and that it is over 1/2 mi. long. He also informed them that the spacecraft had been in that location for almost 300 years (they could date the time because of the coral growth- coral grows at 1 in. a year). When they all arrived at the underwater habitat, they were sent to a compression chamber to bring them to the right pressure. The reason for the habitat is that it has the weight of air plus the weight of water pushing down on it. If the habitat had the same pressure as the surface, it would implode. After compression, the team was sent to their quarters for some rest before they set out to the spacecraft. When the crew was all rested and refreshed, they suited up into insulated suits and jumped into the water. They then proceeded to the airlock. After passing through the airlock and into...

Compare and Contrast 2 American poets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compare and Contrast 2 American poets - Essay Example Many scholars and poets consider Walt Whitman as one of the most influential American poets who sought to use transcend traditional epics and eschew normal aesthetic form to define the nature of the American experience and its democracy. On the other hand, Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet born in 1886 in America. Notably, the two poets had unique writing styles although they were both American. Many people consider them as the founders of modern American poetry. Indeed, modern poets borrow from their works although the prowess of the two poets stands out. A careful consideration of their works shows numerous differences in terms of writing styles. From the physical inspection, Emily Dickinson’s poems are short and seemingly simple while Walt Whitman’s poems are long and seemingly complex to read and understand. The poems, â€Å"To a stranger† by Walt Whitman and the poem, â€Å"I am alive-I guess† by Emily Dickinson confirms this assertion. Indeed, Walt Whitman’s poems use extensive descriptions to elongate his ideas. This portrays him as an outgoing, social, and talkative poet. For example in the poem â€Å"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,† each line and word insinuates a picture in our minds and the poem goes on for a long time (Lehman 131-136). On the other hand, Emily Dickinson uses compact and concise words and lines to describe her works. Indeed, we can derive so much meaning from just a few words in her short poems. The short lines and phrases in her works allow the audience to derive their ow n meaning from her poems. It is thus clear that she uses few words to create diverse meaning. The poem, â€Å"Much Madness is divinest sense† uses the terms â€Å"Much Madness is divinest sense-to a discerning eye-Much sense-the starkest madness-Tis’ the majority† to derive a deeper and diverse meaning. Nevertheless, although their writing styles are different, the two poets

Globalization Questionnaire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization Questionnaire - Research Paper Example Because of globalization, international market or global market came into existence. International or global market then is composed of different countries trading products and services with each other. Companies have been going out of their home countries and starting to build their names in other countries. This is basically the reason why we see imported products being displayed in supermarkets and department stores such as wines from Italy, gadgets and cellular phones from Asia, and shoes from Germany. Some of the international trade theories that support globalization are mercantilism, free trade, comparative advantage, absolute advantage, Heckscher-Ohlin theory, the product life-cycle theory, new trade theory, and Porter’s theory or the national competitive advantage. Rugman (2009) argued that globalization has four major drivers: market, government, competition, and cost. Market globalization drivers are factors that usually affect the demand for a specific product or service such as consumers’ common preferences, increasing consumers from different countries, and global market distribution. Governments had taken the initiative to take off international trade and investment barriers and establish free trade. They also reduced trade tariffs and eliminated restrictions in the quantity of products and services to be imported or exported. Globalization is greatly influenced by competition. For instance, a company might consider establishing a satellite office in another country to deliver their products to foreign consumers. Because of this act, other competitors would also want to go global and promote their companies to diverse markets. Other examples of competitive drivers are increasing number of alliances between multinational companies and increasing globally-centered companies. Almost all companies would want to maximize profit thereby minimizing their costs. There are countries where production and

English literature Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English literature - Term Paper Example In the 18th century American literature, the autobiography as a literary genre has attained immense popularity which is illustrated by the notable 18th-century autobiographies in English such as Edward Gibbon’s autobiography and Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography. During this period, a more intimate form of autobiography which explores the subject’s emotions came to being, due mainly to the influence of Romanticism, which greatly emphasized the role and the nature of the individual, and Rousseau’s Confessions. From the writer’s perspective, an autobiography is the best means to express one’s individuality in all its components and it helps one in establishing one’s ideas and concepts explicitly to the readers without any mediocrity. The â€Å"self-life-writing† qualifies of an autobiography offer great scope for the writer’s role in literary activity and these qualifies also bring out the advantages and disadvantages of th e autobiography genre. Thus, from the writer’s perspective, autobiographies offer the writer the scope to include anything from human geography to reproach, leave out anything they wish, etc and they can turn their books into a litany, a confession, an apology, a cathartic act, an anthology of anecdotes or gossip, or a space to wash polluted laundry. From the reader’s perspective, the autobiography is an important literary genre which offers the possibility of realizing the inner aspects of a writer without confusion and it helps the readers understand the concepts and ideas that the author emphasizes in his writing. Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography offers one of the best illustrations of the meaning, characteristics, purpose, advantages and disadvantages of the autobiography as a literary genre and this paper makes a reflective analysis of the autobiography. Autobiography as a literary genre has been a popular means to express one’s emotions and

Project Time Management Of Burj Khalifa Economics Essay

Project Time Management Of Burj Khalifa Economics Essay Burj Khalifa, a single place where tourism, hospitality, professionalism and leisure come together. Home to more than 1000 residences, Burj Khalifa accommodates a hotel, an observation deck, a restaurant, fitness and recreation club and also 37 floors of corporate offices. It brings in a concept of a vertical city with all the luxurious amenities made available on the top of the world. For the tourists and visitors coming to see this marvel, it is a long and a memorable journey of a lifetime (www.burjkhalifa.ae). Burj in Arabic means Tower and Khalifa stands for the name of the President of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, his highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al- Nahyan. The initial name given to this tower was Burj Dubai but was changed to Burj Khalifa in the honour of the President for bailing out $10 billion during Dubais financial crisis. The completion of this tower has broken numerous world records. At over 828 meters (2716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa ho lds the following records: Tallest Building in the world Tallest free standing structure in the world Highest number of stories in the world Highest occupied floor in the world Highest outdoor observation deck in the world Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world Tallest service elevator in the world (www.burjkhalifa.ae) Fig 4.2 and 4.3 showing Burj Khalifa from different angles and shades of natural day light. Emaar Properties have developed this project of Burj Khalifa. Skidmore, Owings and Merril (SOM) have designed this beautiful structure and Samsung Engineering and Construction along with BeSix and Arabtec gave out the final product by constructing this tower. Turner Construction of the United States of America was responsible for the project management of this whole undertaking. This project estimated a cost of $1.5 billion for completion. At the staggering height of 2717 feet (easily more than two Empire State Buildings), this shimmering, spiralling mixed- use tower inevitably raises the question: When is big too big? (Kamin, 2010 p.78). The design of this building has been adapted from the Islamic architecture and has been inspired from a regional desert flower, the Hymenocallis. Adrian Smith was the sculptor for this design heading this project on behalf of SOM. Constructing the Burj Khalifa required more than 22 million man hours from about 12,000 professionals and skilled workers, and more than 60 consultants and contracting companies from around the world (Skidmore, Owings Merrill, 2011 p.23). In a true sense this project was a global venture to showcase the feat of ultimate engineering and the technological advancement which the human beings have achieved through dedication and hard work all these years. Burj Khalifa was truly an international collaboration between more than 30 on- site- contracting companies from nations around the world. At the peak of construction, over 12,000 workers and contractors were on site every day, representing more than 100 nationalities (www.burjkhalifa.ae). Project time Management of Burj Khalifa: There is no doubt that the time management of this project might have been one of the most challenging tasks that the team must have faced during its construction. The size and scope of this project was on such a large scale that some problems were inevitable, irrespective of any measures taken. First we shall have a look at the construction timeline which will be analysed further. Also we will discuss the problems that the project management team had to go through and how well they were able to deal with it controlling the schedule of this project with minimum delays. Fig 4.3 Burj Khalifa Construction Timeline: January 2004 Excavation started February 2004 Piling started March 2005 Superstructure started June 2006 Level 50 reached January 2007 Level 100 reached March 2007 Level 110 reached April 2007 Level 120 reached May 2007 Level 130 reached July 2007 Level 141 reached worlds tallest building September 2007 Level 150 reached worlds tallest free standing structure April 2008 Level 160 reached worlds tallest man-made structure January 2009 Completion of Spire Burj Khalifa tops out September 2009 Exterior cladding completed January 2010 Official launch ceremony Source: www.burjkhalifa.ae The total time taken for the construction of this building was 2,192 days with the average height built per day was 37 centimetres or 1 feet and 2.88 inches (www.theatlanticcities.com). If we carefully interpret the construction timeline as shown in figure 4.3, we can understand that the work was speeding up when the project started. There was a steady growth during 2005-06 till level 50 was reached. Since then it took a long time to construct another 50 levels as the building was rising higher and the crew might be dealing with challenges arising due to it. From January 07 to July 07 the construction again picked up some speed as they were nearly building 10 floors every month. This was remarkable as the construction was reaching the heights where any construction worker might not have gotten. The construction was again slowed down in September 07 when level 150 was reached. After that it took 7 months to complete the top most floor of the building. The average height built per day might look small but considering the construction at 838 meters above ground is an achievement. Let us now move on to the actual problems faced by the project management while erecting the worlds highest structure. Issues affecting the Project Time Management of Burj Khalifa: Listed below are some of the complications that had an adverse effect on the Project Time Management of Burj Khalifa. Emaar properties had plans to throw open this building in December 2008. Chairman of the Emaar Group Mohammed Alabbar announced the delay of about nine months scheduling the opening ceremony in August or September 2009 (www.arabianbusiness.com, 2008). However the opening was further delayed and this mega structure was finally released on 4th of January 2010. The project took 5 years and 4 months for completion. There were several problems during the course of construction of this building which lead to a delay of more than a year in delivering the project. Some of them were Pumping the concrete: According to the officials pumping the concrete to the record height of 828 meters was the toughest part of constructing this tower. Two of the worlds largest pumps manufactured by Putzmeister, were used to supply concrete for the construction of this building. These pumps unified with 150 mm pipeline could supply a massive 350 bars of concrete pressure. Above level 127 of the tower, a modified mix of concrete was used to account for changing pressure requirements due to height (Skidmore, Owings Merrill, 2011). In addition to that the climatic condition of Dubai was also a factor that delayed the construction process. Work at Burj Dubai is carried out in three shifts. Due to high day time temperatures up to 50 ° Celsius the concrete works are usually carried out during the slightly cooler night time hours(www.pmw.co.in, 2007). The effects of Dubais fluctuating seasonal temperatures made it a challenge to properly pump, pour and set concrete (Skidmore, Owings Merrill, 2011). This could cause considerable delays as no concrete work was carried out during the day time. Fig. 4.4 showing the massive pipelines of the concrete pump and Fig 4.5 showing the councrete pouring process. Fig 4.4 Fig 4.5 Source: www.pmw.co.in Labour Strikes: Workers constructing the Burj Khalifa went twice on strike during the whole span of its construction. In March 2006, 2500 workers rioted at the Burj Khalifa site, demanding a raise in their pay (www.migrant-rights.org, 2010). The labourers complained of being paid as low as $4 per day and were asked to work 12 hours a day and for 6 days a week. Riots broke out and the workers vandalized various offices, cars, construction several machineries and equipment. Construction of what is expected to be the worlds tallest building was halted after 2500 workers in Dubai rioted over pay and conditions, causing damage estimated to  £ 500,000 (www.guardian.co.uk, 2006). The protest was also sympathised by the workers at the construction site of Dubais New International Airport laying aside their tools. The second protest was held in November of 2007. This protest was for their demands of pay rise as well as to provide better living conditions for the workers. The latrines are so filthy we canno t use them, we are so disgusted. The roads are full of garbage and waterlogged. Living and moving around is a great problem, an occupant reported (www.migrant-rights.org, 2010). At both the instances the government threatened the workers to return back to work or face the consequences of mass deportations. This lead to unrest and the labourers were not satisfied which directly or indirectly have affected the construction. Yet the sources claimed that this protest had no effect on the construction of Burj Khalifa. This can be considered as one of the biggest issue which might have contributed to the delays in the construction. Fig 4.6 showing the riots in 2006 and Fig 4.7 where labourers are on strike in 2007 Source: www.bbc.co.uk Dubai Economic Crisis: In the year 2009, Dubai saw a downturn in its ever booming economy. People lost massive amounts of money as they saw the economy and the glittering real estate market go down. No doubt it was a tough situation for everyone. But it was even tougher for the building projects going on at that time. One of them was the all famous and glamorous dream project of Burj Khalifa. Half of the UAEs construction projects, totalling $582bn ( £400bn), either have been put on hold or cancelled, leaving a trail of half-built towers on the outskirts of the city stretching into the desert(www.guardian.co.uk, 2009). Not just in the case of investors and developers, the credit crunch had affected the construction workers lives too. As the projects were postponed or delayed, the workers were sacked leaving them no choice but to return back to their countries. Many of these workers were from South Asia belonging to countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. Burj Khalifa was one of the mo st expensive projects in the history of the UAE. Undoubtedly it had a lot to do with this financial crisis. The worlds tallest building, the Burj Dubai, officially opens its doors, leaving a colossal reminder of the hubris that brought the emirate crashing in November (www.guardian.co.uk, 2010). Analysis: The project of constructing Burj Khalifa was awarded to a team of experienced construction companies. The principal developer of this project Emaar Properties is a very popular Joint Stock Company developing projects all across the world in countries like United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, China, Canada, etc. and also some joint ventures in North America, Europe, Pan-Asia, North Africa and the Middle East (www.emaar.com). Giving shape to many projects in UAE, Emaar has a major contribution in Dubais Infrastructure development. It has developed much of downtown Dubai. Construction of the world biggest mall (Dubai Mall) and the worlds tallest tower (Burj Khalifa) is associated with this company. The company is led by its president Mohamed Ali Alabbar who was also in-charge of the decision making process of the Burj Khalifa. The company follows a decentralised structure of its organisation resulting to which the decisions were made customer oriented a nd quicker. The authority was delegated to the managers of each department which made it easier to save time. This project was directly under the supervision of the ruler of Dubai, his highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Rashid Al Makhtoum and had a lot of expectations of the people across the world. Turner Constructions was responsible for the project management of the Burj Khalifa. This company is also a renowned name in the industry based in the United States of America. This organisation was constantly monitoring the progress of this project to ensure practice of good standards of project management to deliver efficient and satisfactory project outcome. Skidmore, Owing and Merrill were designing and Samsung Engineering and Construction and BeSix were constructing the project. Arabtec was involved in supplying man power to this project. The assignment was in the hands of well-known experienced professionals as they strived to achieve a dream to build the highest building in the world. In spite of having a team of best people at work, there were some problems which were hard to prevent. Some of the issues related to the delay in the construction of this project are discussed above. Unfortunately it was found that all these problems were unavoidable. The time consumption of pumping the concrete high above the ground was very much anticipated and accounted for. But in the end it took a bit more time than it was expected to finish. The fluctuating temperatures in Dubai made it much more difficult for the workers to finish the task. The problems of Labour Strikes and the Economy prices came as a surprise to the initial planning of this project. But indeed the matter was way much serious than what was just reported. There have been speculations of workers dying during the construction of this building but the whole issue was suppressed and there have been no confirmed reports for the same. In a country like UAE, which is a kingdom ruled by the kings, there is very much little of what is known as democracy. Human Rights Watch reported numerous exploitations that construction workers suffer in the UAE, including unpaid or very low wages, many years of monetary obligations to the recruitment agencies for fees, seizing of employees passport and dangerous working conditions that result in apparently high mortality rates and injuries (www.migrant-rights.org, 2010). As a result of these conditions, strikes and protests were obvious. Formation of Labour unions is also prohibited in UAE but the labour ministry promised to set a minimum wage rate on the basis of which the strikes were withdrawn and work resumed. Fig 4.8 Dangerous Work being done at the Burj Khalifa Source: www.gulfnews.com The construction was getting back to normal and shortly after couple of years of this incident, Dubai experienced major financial crisis. Once again the smooth going construction was affected and delayed the project in return. The consolidated efforts of the companies involved tried their level best to continue the work and not let the schedule be affected but it was not possible until the President of UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi helped them bail out the indebt city of Dubai. The whole process of constructing this tower was complex and painstaking. But Emaar properties and all other companies did a very good job in the end to complete this unique project in mere less than five and a half years time and setting many world records. Undoubtedly it was a great effort from each and every individual involved which made it possible to fulfil this dream and deliver a marvel of its kind. Fig 4.9 a picture of some of the team members involved in the construction of this project put up in the building as an appreciation for their contribution. Source: Self 4.2 Delhi Metro: Delhi, a capital city of a country ranked second in the worlds total population. Along with its population, the country is also going through a lot of economic, social, political and technological developments. Various plans and projects are been chalked out for the future to meet the needs of the ever growing population of this country and compete with other nations of the world to provide exquisite facilities. Work is in progress in few metropolitan cities which have been undergoing through a pressure of urbanisation. Delhi is one of them. According to the census of 2011, Delhi has a registered population of 16.7 million people and a growth rate of 20.96% as compared to the previous decade (www.cencus2011.co.in). With a remarkable growth in population and with limited space to accommodate, it is necessary to provide an equally capable infrastructure system which can ease the problems of its citizens. These infrastructure developments include convenient transportation facilities. Fig4.10 displaying phase I and II of Delhi Metro Project National Capital Territory of Delhi covers an area of 1486 square kilometres and is a Union Territory with all powers of State Government (www.delhimetrorail.com). The city limits are extending to fit in the size of population. It necessitates a robust transit system to transfer people from one place to another.The need to travel is a consequent need i.e. people do not travel just for the sake of it but do so only when the necessity to transfer exists. The necessity to move is dictated by peoples requirements like work, study, leisure, medical, etc. In the background of inadequate urban capacity, global warming, increasing salaries and resulting motorization, it is commonly agreed among urban planners and city building professionals that safe and efficient public transport is the best way for the future to make cities more sustainable. With these intentions in mind, the Delhi Metro was foreseen in the city of New Delhi and started its operations in 2002. Fig. 4.11 Representation of the Traffic Congestion in Delhi (Source: www.ndtv.com) Fig. 4.12 Funny but true, a crowded bus in Delhi (Source: www.ibnlive.com) The original planning for a rail based transport system in Delhi started in 1970s when the government projected that a similar system would be required for mass public transportation in the future. Since then government appointed various committees to study the scope of development of mass rapid transport system (MRTS). At that time Delhi was perhaps the only city in the world, with such a huge size of its population depended on the over-crowded and insufficient bus services as the only public transport alternative. This situation has led to the proliferation of personalised vehicles, so much so that Delhi has more registered vehicles than total number of vehicles in Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai put together (www.delhigovt.nic.in). Similar to the present situation in Mumbai, Delhi was also tackling with problems like traffic congestion, environmental pollution, rising number of road accidents, fuel wastage, etc. Kolkata introduced a Metro railway system in the 1980s but the project e xceeded its budget and completion schedule, seriously undermining the confidence of the Government and the people in Metro systems (Sreedharan, 2008 p.57). During that period when the countrys development was sluggish, it was a gamble to once again trust a system that had failed miserably in the last attempt. Calcutta (now renamed to Kolkata) was a 17 kilometre long metro line which took 22 years for completion and the budget was overrun 14 times than what was initially planned (Sreedharan, 2008 p.3). It was a tough decision to make especially when the available technology was inadequate and the time was running out. In such circumstances, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was established in the year 1995 which was a joint venture of Government of India and Government of Delhi. Soon after its formation, the team began planning for one of the biggest projects in India. They had a tough task ahead. The DMRC received majority of its funding from Japan Bank for International Co-operation. Th e rest of the funds were raised by the State Government of Delhi and the Central Government of India. Fig 4.13 DMRCs Profile Picture (Source: www.dmrc.com) One name that is prominently associated with DMRC and Delhi Metro is Dr. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan. Famous for his contribution as a CMD of Konkan Railway project along the western coast of India, this 760 kilometre long railway line joins three states of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka through criss-crossing rivers, plunging valleys and mountains that soar in to the clouds (www.konkanrailway.com). This challenging project marked the beginning of infrastructure development in India from 1990 onwards. Dr. E. Sreedharan took over as a Managing Director of DMRC in 1997. DMRC is responsible to develop and maintain Metros in Delhi. The Delhi Metro Project is designed to cover 400 kilometres across the city in four phases by the year 2021 (Sreedharan, 2008). The time plan of the project is as follows: Fig. 4.14 Table showing the project outline of Delhi Metro Phase Initiation Date Length covered (in kms) Expected End Date Actual End Date Status Phase I 1998 65 2008 2006 Fully Operational Phase II 2007 128 2012 2011 Fully Operational Phase III 2011 112 2015 On-going Phase IV 108 2021 Queued Source: adapted from DMRC website and Sreedharan, 2008 The table itself is enough to tell a tale of successful project management and an impeccable feat of construction carried out by the entire team of DMRC. Dr. Sreedharan shot to fame overnight, being the first Indian to carry out such a difficult task with ease. Various Management Institutes and professionals wanted to know the secrets of his flawless management techniques which enabled him to deliver the project proficiently. Certainly this journey would not have been easy, but Dr. Sreedharan has set up a model of an efficient mass rapid transit system and at the age of 72 years and is wanted by every transportation authority board. The Delhi Metro Project instigated similar metro railway projects in different metropolitan cities across the country. His time and cost management skills grab everyones attention. Further in the study we shall focus on time management aspects and try to analyse two main questions: What were the problems in getting this project done on time? What did he do that no one else could? Issues that could have affected Project Time Management of Delhi Metro: The Delhi Metro project was efficiently delivered on time. We look in to some of the problems which the project management team had to overcome to give out the best results. The below mentioned problems are commonly seen in Mumbai Metro Project too. There are not many differences in context of factors as both are government projects undertaken by the authorities to build an advanced commuting system. The only difference is that of the organisations building it and their management skills and structures. This single difference makes them stand apart. Following are some of the problems which the Project Management team at DMRC had to go through during the course of construction of Delhi Metro: Technology: During the early years of 1990s, India had just begun taking steps towards technological advancements. After its economic reforms in 1991, India adopted three main policies of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation. In effect of these policies, trade regime and the regulatory framework was liberalised. Some of the industries were privatised and the country also hailed foreign investment in its economy (Sarvanakumar Kim, 2012). India has been an agro-based country and during these economic reforms there was not much technological advancement happening. India had to import all the technical know-how needed for the Metro Project. In such circumstances, building such a big project was a huge risk. All credit to Dr. Sreedharan and his team for acquiring quality engineers and building such a magnificent project. The engineering team brought in many new technologies to this project like better telecommunication, automatic fare collection, advanced signalling, etc. Initially the ma terials were imported from foreign countries as per requirement but are now assembled in the country itself and have encouraged many local vendors to absorb these new technologies. A showcase of the latest in railway technology, the Delhi Metro trains run on ballast less tracks on the elevated viaduct and the underground corridor, thus minimising the need of tract maintenance and also reducing the running dimensions on the structure (Sreedharan, 2008 p.59). Moreover, these tracks have proven to be safer and provide a smooth ride to its commuters. Tunnelling: This procedure was necessary to construct the underground passage of the Delhi Metro. Tunnelling below the historic old Delhi area posed a major challenge, as the buildings there have weak foundations. It was therefore, decided to construct a tunnel at a depth of more than 20 meters (Sreedharan, 2008 p.58). With the available technology it was a big challenge to build a tunnel this deep. Vehicle and Pedestrian traffic also posed as an obstacle in the tunnelling process. It was also a risk factor for the management team as mishaps could easily occur at a place with an extensive public access. There were also difficulties in tunnelling at some sections because of hard rock. For this purpose the project had obtained special cutter heads for their tunnel boring machines (Sreedharan, 2008). The team put in tremendous efforts to resolve the oncoming problems by finding and implementing solutions without any delays. Fig. 4.15 4.16 Pictures of Tunnelling for Delhi Metro Source: www.hindu.com Substandard quality of work/ materials: This is one of the most shocking revelations of the Delhi Metro Project. Poor quality of work, no regulations for standards of safety and substandard material used to build one of the finest projects which is going to be useful in the future for at least a century. What is more shocking is that these were not just one or two incidents which happened unfortunately. These are series of accidents which were taking place one after the other in recent past. Following table shows the accidents in detail: Fig. 4.17 List of Incidents occurred at the construction site of Delhi Metro Date Incident No. of people killed/ injured 28.08.2007 A crane driver died as a concrete block fell on him due to technical failure 1 killed 21.01.2008 A construction worker died while carrying out burrowing work 1 killed 18.07.2008 A malfunctioning crane dropped 4 tonne iron beam on a passing car 2 injured 19.10.2008 An under construction flyover collapsed due to mechanical failure 2 killed and 30 injured 12.07.2009 Portion of under construction bridge collapsed as its launching girder lost balance while being erected 6 killed and 15 injured 13.07.2009 Three cranes toppled while lifting the entangled launcher under the debris of the collapsed bridge 4 injured (Source: Mid-day, 2009 The Times of India, 2009) After all these mishaps which killed 10 people in all and injured around 50, the chief project manager and managing director of DMRC, Dr. Sreedharan sent his resignation from the post which shuddered all the concerned authorities related to this project. He said, I take full moral responsibility for the accident. As head of the organisation, I have to take the responsibility (www.ndtv.com, 2009). The investigation revealed that the accident occurred on 12th of July 2009 was a design flaw in the pillar holding the structure (www.indianexpress.com, 2009). The honourable chief minister of Delhi, Mrs. Sheila Dixit inspected the site after the accident and immediately rejected Dr. E. Sreedharans resignation. She said We respect his sentiments. But we also know that the Delhi Metro and the country need him. Not only has he done good work for Delhi but also for the country (www.ndtv.com, 2009). Following this incident there has not been any other such incidents which exhibit the influence a nd power Dr. Sreedharan has on his team of members involved in the project. Mumbai is nothing different in comparison with Delhi in context of quality of work carried out. In fact the organisation, MMRDA carrying out the work on Mumbai Metro was not wise enough to learn from the mistakes of Delhi Metro. Recently, a 50 feet long concrete slab collapsed from the Metro Railways under construction fly over. This incident killed 1 person and injured 16 more (The Times of India, 2012). This cannot be considered a mistake as it was a matter of sheer negligence by the authorities. Such incidents not only cost financial losses but also result in loss of valuable time. Considering the importance of time management factor it is necessary to deploy personnel to ensure that all the safety standards are maintained at the construction site so as to prevent mishaps happening and also save a lot of time. Moving ahead we analyse the decision making of Dr. Sreedharan and its impact it had on the construction of Delhi Metro. Fig. 4.18 4.19 showing the disaster of 12th of July. Source: www.indianexpress.com Fig 4.20 toppled cranes amongst the tangled debris was the scene on 13th of July Source: www.zeenews.india.com Analysis: Every major project has to through a series of difficulties. No one has a plan of how to deal with them. Because no one knows what kind of problem they might be dealing with. But an effective project manager has the capability of solving the problems with ease and importantly, he delivers the project within its scope. Delhi Metro too had to go through numerous obstacles in each phase of its construction. Some of them are mentioned above. But it was for the project management team who took up the initiative to keep the project within its planned time and cost. In the case of Delhi Metro, it was not just a single factor that led to a certain problem. There were events which summed up to become a bigger problem. For example tunnelling was not a big issue as many transport systems these days use this method. But adding to the outdated technology present in the country it became difficult to get the process done. Similarly the amount of population in Delhi is so much in excess that restri cting public access was not possible. Therefore it became even more difficult to excavate during tunnelling and also maintain safety which resulted into many unfortunate mishaps. Undoubtedly this was the first massive project of its kind in India. Therefore this can provide a lot of valuable learning both positive and negative, to the project managers of the future. Fig. 4.21 The Metro Man of India in action. Source: www.ibnlive.in.com By the end of Phase I of this project Dr. Sreedharan was an idol and inspirational leader to many management professionals and students. Everyone wanted to know what his secret behind his flawless management techniques was. He discusses the corporate values of Delhi Metro during one of his speeches at a management institute to the aspiring management professionals. Punctuality, Integrity, Transpar

life :: essays research papers

Through out history man has always tried to find ways to explain the ways of life. Were do we come from, why are we here, are we alone, so may different questions but yet we still have no answers. Is there there a reason why we do not know?, can we truly comprehend the real answers of life? No one really knows. Some people try to find there answers buy relaying on mans creations. They look to science for answers and believe that there is a reason hidden behind everything and that all things come about by chance. Many other look towards religion to find there answers in hoping that they can gain accurate knowledge of the universe and believe that all things DON’T come about by chance but happen because there were pre-determined and could not be any other way. In order to understand life we must be willing to give up life in order to obtain it because the only real way to understand it would take thousands of years. What is life? Is it something that just happens to be or something that should be? Many people view life as something that is easy to obtain and take it away, to others life is as precious to them as there 1st born. How is it that we can question life itself? Man has tried for so long to figure out how to control it. Scientist spends years and years calculating formulas and equations trying to harness what they can never achieve.Many come to believe that they are higher then god himself. â€Å"The universe must have had a beginning†, Dr.Gish from the institute for creations says. According to the bible god created the earth in seven days but according to scientist the earth and all other things in our universe were created with a huge explosion (Big Bang Theory). To some people the bibles taking of this makes more sense to them but many modern day people are beginning to accept the more scientific approach when it comes to the creation of the universe. Why is this? One reason is because man has become very self-absorbed and believes that they can find a solution for anything. Another reason is because people just don’t believe that god created the universe and that the universe has always been and always will be. So how then do you know?

Physical Development and Health in Middle Childhood

Physical Development and Health in Middle Childhood Rosibel CastroPhysical Development in Middle Childhood The hidden changes in children's bodies that enable the movements so familiar to us-riding bikes, climbing, jumping, skipping (p.289). Between the ages of 6 and 12, children grow 2 to 3 inches and add about 6 pounds each year. Girls age range are head of boys. Girls also have more body fat and less muscle tissue than boys (p.290). Bones mature in such a regular and predictable way that physicians use bone age as the best single measure of a child's physical maturation. The process of bone development gives us a powerful argument in favor of increased exercise or physical activity for children. The endocrine system strongly influences physical growth and development. During the middle school years, the glands of the endocrine system change gradually in ways to prepare the body for the momentous changes that will occur during sexual maturation, or puberty. A muscle mass increases in middle childhood, so does strength. Boys and girls differ in strength in two ways:Boys outperform girls on measures of strength, including tasks that involve using the muscles to apply pressure to a device used to measure muscle force.The ratio of strength to body size is greater amongst boys, thus boys require less effort to move their bodies through space than girls do. Both boys and girls become stronger during middle childhood.Children's capacity for extended physical activity (stamina) rises steeply across the middle childhood years as well. (Gabbard,2008). If we observe children at the playgrounds, we will notice that preschoolers display short bursts of physical activity followed by periods of rest. Changes in stamina are linked to growth of the heart and lungs, which is evident during later years of middle childhood. These changes enable children bodies to take in more oxygen and to distribute it throughout the body more efficiently. Two major growth spurts happen in the brain during middle childhood. (Spreen, Risser, ; Edgell, 1995). In most healthy children, the first takes place between the ages 6 and 8, the second between the ages 10 and 12. Both spurts involve development of new synapses as well as increase in the thickness of the cortex. Some of the first motor skills infants use are eye movements, and slowly this expands to movement of the arms, legs, and hands (even though they're uncoordinated). Eventually, the child begins crawling and walking. Gross motor skills involve activities like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and walking. These allow the child to gain new perspectives from which to evaluate their surrounding environment, enabling them to begin learning social skills and rules. Fine motor skills involve more intricate tasks like touching, grabbing, and manipulating objects, enabling learning about the details of different objects and people. Advances in both gross and fine motor skills interact to allow children to develop sports skills such as hitting a baseball. About one-quarter to one-third of children in the united states suffer from allergies, immune reactions to substances called allergens. Children who have respiratory allergies experience sneezing, stuffy noses, and more frequent sinus infections. Food allergies can affect the respiratory system as well. The most frequent cause of school absences is asthma. Asthma is a chronic lung disease in which individuals experience sudden, potentially fatal attacks of breathing difficulty. An acute illness has the following characteristics:Onset is usually abrupt and from a single causeDevelops quickly and worsens rapidly, such as an infection, trauma or injuryUsually isolated to one bodily areaCan be diagnosed and responds to treatmentAcute pain stops when the illness is healedMay heal by itself or can be treated and returned to normal within a few days or up to three monthsIf it lasts longer than three months, it may be the start of a chronic illnessThe following are generally descriptive of chronic illnesses:Onset is commonly gradualDuration is lengthy and indefiniteCause is usually multiple and can be a combination of genetic and environmental factorsDiagnosis is often uncertain; getting an accurate diagnosis can be a long, difficult processThere is no cure and requires management over time In my opinion, we do most of the learning about our bodies during middle childhood, the reason I say this is because, we learn about ourselves, the environment around us, this i s the time when we are truly exposed to everything out there. Children are aware that they have allergies, they know they need their asthma pumps if they start having trouble breathing. During this time children know what kind of sports they want to play and they know what limits to push their bodies too. If a child is obese he will not want to join any sports not only because he might be â€Å"fat shamed† but also because he knows his body is not prepare to be put into the sports routine.ReferencesThe Growing Child, Denise Boyd, Helen Bee 2009.https://study.com/academy/lesson/perceptual-motor-development-definition-components.html https://www.navicenthealth.org/service-center/health-associates-general/acute-and-chronic-illnesses