Gilgamesh and Odyssey Essay

Gilgamesh is an ancient poem that significantly marked its name as somehow being the first major heroic narrative in the world literature. Fractions of this literature were discovered uniquely carved in tablets even before the Roman, Hebrew and Greek civilization appeared. Gilgamesh depicts a unique and propinquity story of Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu that transcribed a complex and moving gist of bonds of friendship, of the pursuit for prominence and of the enduring and timeless attempt to escape death, of which considered to be the common fate of humankind. On the other hand, Odyssey, an epic story by Homer, is concerned on the idyllic events proceeded after a war and mainly on the significant return of the heroes who survived the war. The main subject of this written epic work somehow focus on the enduring, drawn-out return of one of the heroes named Odysseus of Ithaca, whose fate is to amble in unknown seas for ten years before he returned to his rocky kingdom. This paper will provide detailed and comprehensive comparison between the two main characters from both epics Gilgamesh and Odyssey. Motivation, goals, self-control, pride, outside influences, behaviors and personal and social relationships will serve as points of comparison being grasped in this paper. Motivation and Goals Gilgamesh, as described in the transcription, was provided with bizarre and astonishing strength, courage, and beauty by his divine and great creator. He is portrayed to be more of a god than a man. These characteristics of him profoundly surpass all circumstances all throughout his journey, a journey that significantly paved the greatest aspiration that probably mankind would have wanted – how to escape the universal fate of the human race. Simply, Gilgamesh wanted to run away from death and have eternal life. One of the tablets inscribed the mere dialogue between Gilgamesh and Utanapishtim (The Distant One). Utanapishtim is descriptively the wisest man who ever lived. Gilgamesh’s search for eternal life led him to ask Utanapishtim the greatest question, how to escape the universal fate of mankind? On a tablet transcribing such meeting, Gilgamesh apparently questions Utanapishtim of how did the latter join the ranks of the gods and find eternal life, though Gilgamesh described him not different; physically indifferent and yet his eart drained of battle spirit. And as response to the wondering question of Gilgamesh, Utanapishtim told him the â€Å"story of the flood†. Utanapishtim profoundly stated that he was commanded to build a boat to save everyone from the wrath of a devastating flood made by a god named Enlil, the chief god living on earth to wipe out human race. This story somehow illustrates events similar to the biblical script â€Å"Noah’s Ark†. The punishment to human race by Enlil gave Utanapishtim the opportunity to have eternal life. Gilgamesh’s greatest achievement though was bringing back to the human race this untold and unknown story. Gilgamesh, by some means, got hold of a plant that can likely grant rebirth to those who eats it, but unfortunately, a serpent stole it from him. With greater wisdom, Gilgamesh returned to Uruk knowing that only the gods are immortal. The goal of seeking immortality is what made both Gilgamesh and Odysseus, from Homer’s epic Odyssey, distinct and divergent with each other. Unlike Gilgamesh, whose goal is to seek and find answers on how to become immortal, Odysseus’s goal, on the hand, is merely the fact that he wants to find his way back home after a long and bloody war. During his voyage towards home, several temptations tested his mental qualities and physical endurance. Circe offered him the Lotus flower that endows forgetfulness of home and family. The greatest temptation however is offered by the goddess Calypso, whom he spent his seven years with – immortality. Instead of accepting such promising offer of immortality, he somehow denied such and still chooses the human conditions in spite of struggles, difficulties, disappointments and even its foreseeable death. Odysseus’s motivational force that drives his willingness to go back home is his wife, Penelope. Self-control Gilgamesh was first described as a king without self-control, rash and violent. People of Uruk, his kingdom, often complained about his absence of self-control towards oppressiveness to the Sumerian gods. Due to this aggressiveness, the gods created Enkidu as counterweight to Gilgamesh. But surprisingly, both Gilgamesh and Enkidu became best of friends; they fought together in every battles and wars, and found in each other the true companion they both sought. In an event where both took an adventure to seek universal fame and immortality pictures out the harsh and uncontrollable oppression to the gods overwhelmingly end the curtain to Enkidu. Enkidu’s death and his continuous and sole journey to seek immortality cause personal transformation. This change and transformation broaden his perception towards greater acceptance and recognition of reality and man’s mortality. On the other hand, Odysseus has extreme sense of self-control. Within the epic story, his remarkable self-control was described and admired. Again, during his adventures on the voyage home, his mental abilities and his physical endurance were tested. Instances occurred that tempted him to descend from his struggle towards home. A Lotus flower is said to suggest forgetfulness of home and family. Circe, goddess of magic, offered a pleasant life in the island of Lotus eaters. In the Phaeacia, he once offered the love and marriage of a young princess. Calypso is an immortal goddess whom Odysseus spent his life with for seven years offered the most significant and most tempting proposal, which probably all of mankind cannot resist. Calypso offered eternal life for Odysseus that will make him immortal. But all of these temptations were single-handedly denied by Odysseus as he preferred more to be mortal and be human amidst varied struggles, disappointments and the predictable end called death. Self-control might be a struggle for every man, but if every man has the drive to hold on to their will and embrace limitation, it will never be too late or too impossible to resist and deny any temptations. Pride The story of Gilgamesh started out as depiction of his arrogance of power. Because of his extraordinary capabilities endowed to him by his divine creator, his egotism of power endangered the relationship between mankind and the Summerian gods. To end Gilgamesh’s arrogance and injustices, gods then created Enkidu. His arrogance and pride concerning his power and unusual capabilities were continuously tested all throughout their journey in quest of rejuvenation of life and immortality. But then again, as mentioned earlier the previous section, after Enkidu’s death changed his perception not only towards man’s mortality but also the perception of one-self. One of the most significant limitations that Odysseus possesses is his pride which Odysseus had much. Part of the story somehow depicted Odysseus’s pride, particularly on the Cyclops’ island. When Odysseus and his men escaped safely from the island, Odysseus surprisingly brags and boasts about his exploit. Cyclops heard him and tossed huge rocks into the ship and some almost sing the ship. Effect of circumstances surrounding the character There are several external influences that bounds and affects the transformation of the once-known arrogant and violent king of Uruk. Due to the egoistic personality of Gilgamesh, it resulted to the discontentment and complaints from his people in which Summerian God interfered. The effect of these external events somehow paved a new path towards the overall impacts of Gilgamesh’s journey that led to his transformation from an arrogant king to a more unselfish and wisdom-filled individual. Another circumstance that greatly affected the character is the death of his supposed and destined enemy, Enkidu. Enkidu was a god-like mortal created by the gods intended to end Gilgamesh’s injustices and arrogance. Both somehow became friends and found a true and deep bond of friendship with each other. Death of his friend allowed him to solely seek answers for mankind’s immortality, which led him to his astonishment that there should no more battle to be fought and needs answers not surpassing violent circumstances. His continuous journey to seek answer guided him to Unatapishtim, the Divine One who could answer Gilgamesh’s wonderings, and which that this Divine One is blessed with immortality and abundance from the gods. Their conversation drew in new and significant events of the Divine One that gave him unending mortality. This occurrence surprisingly influenced and changed Gilgamesh’s perception on man’s mortality and broadens his acceptance to reality. Odysseus’s journey back home from the Trojan War somehow had endowed circumstances that might affect his own beliefs and characteristics. For example, when tempted by different immortal goddesses, most especially on the offering by Calypso to have everlasting and unending existence, he still grasps tightly to his humanity and instead chose to be human than immortal. His faith and dedication somehow proved that every obstacles and disappointments can be surpassed if he is optimistic enough to exceed and outdo every ounce of it. Behaviors In the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh’s subservient behavior is steered by his own self-contentment and self-sufficiency. Arrogant, violent, harsh, and no self-control are self-seeking behaviors and characteristics being affixed to the king, in which all these opened doors to discontentment and dissatisfaction from people. Gilgamesh’s behavior guided him to destruction. This ego-centric manner blinded Gilgamesh from reality that his conscious tried to make him see. For an instance, Gilgamesh tried to strike down on Ishtar during their second adventure to Cedar Forest with Enkidu. Ishtar cannot handle Gilgamesh’s harsh rejection and provoked to send the Bull of Heaven against the people of Uruk. Although they succeeded, it brought terrible damage to his kingdom and brought about the painful death of Enkidu. Unlike Gilgamesh, who is depicted as ego-centric individual, Odysseus has the contrast of this characteristic. Odysseus is optimistic and altruistic as he struggles not only for his own survival during the war, but also for his shipmate’s personal survival. Odysseus is described having versatility which either way compliments his physical strength and courage in battle, skills he showed during the war at Troy. These behaviors somehow resulted from his eagerness to return home to his wife and from his perseverance to preserve and finish the heroic reputation and dignity that he won in war at Troy. The same scene that illustrated Odysseus pride also depicts his care and being concerned to his fellow shipmates. After Cyclops threw boulders to the ship, Odysseus hastily gave his identity to Cyclops and the latter called Poseidon, his father, to punish Odysseus who brought harm to him. That incident hurt Odysseus more than losing his fellow men. This showed Odysseus’s heed towards his fellow shipmen. Personal and Social Relationships The Gilgamesh poem depicted not only ancient Mesopotamian myths and legends, but also endowed diverse and complex relationships and dealings between people involved in the epic story, particularly the main character, Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh’s relationship towards his people as a king is somehow in deep and shaky condition. There have been misunderstandings and lack of sense of unity between the king and its people that hindering a kingdom to flourish due to Gilgamesh’s disturbing and arrogant means of ruling Uruk. Another unstable relationship is with Gilgamesh and the Summerian gods. Gilgamesh tends to oppress the gods which led to the creation of Enkidu. Although Enkidu was created as a counterweight of Gilgamesh, unpredictably, both became friends. Relationship between the king and the supposed enemy is probably the most light and happy relationship made by Gilgamesh. They think of each other as brothers and a true companion in which their common journey indeed deepened their brotherly bond and friendship. There are also different relationship built all throughout the story between Odysseus and other characters in the epic. Again, he built a strong and deep bond and camaraderie with his fellow men. He even risked himself just to keep other from falling in the hands of Cyclops. Odysseus somehow has heart of gold for those who treasure him and appreciate him from his doings. His relationship with his wife, Penelope, also is as strong and sturdy as a diamond which no one can break even through rough and long times of being away from each other. To show his commitment and love to his wife, he even tricks his wife’s suitors and disguised himself as beggar.

Article Analysis Essay

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Give Me No Epiphanies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Production system optimization Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Liberalists View of International Relations Term Paper

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Minimalist visual artists and composers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Climate Change in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Climate Change in Nigeria Essay Climate change has always occurred in different Nigeria; however the effects have become more noticeable recently over the years. The effects have affected the daily lives of many for better or worse. A peer reviewed research done by an unknown source, which was accepted by the Journal of Geography and Regional had concluded that the average temperature of Nigeria has increased by 1. 7Â °C in the period of 1901-2005. The increase has however been higher in semi-arid areas and is lower in coastal regions. The paper has also shown that the rate of change has increased in the 1970’s. The consequences of the increase in temperature have resulted into the desertification of the north as well as the coastal erosion in the south. A combination of overgrazing, abuse of woodland for fuel as well as the unreliable rainfall, the Sahara desert is advancing at an estimated rate of 600 metres each year. This means that an estimated 55 million or more would be affected in the northern states such as Sokoto. However in the south, increasing sea levels have threatened the coastal region. A given example is Bar Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos. Bar Beach, once a family spot for relaxation is currently under reconstruction after 100m of the shoreline had been eroded over the past 20 years. Lagos State also teamed up with Chagoury Group to build a 1km sea defence to prevent further damage. Another region is the Niger Delta, which is the source of Nigeria’s oil wealth but however is vulnerable to the flooding due to its low-lying terrain with criss-crossed waterways. The protective mangroves have also been reduced by a drastic amount due to human intervention. Many people may not know but half of the 15 million people in Lagos live less than 6 feet away above sea level. Also in the rural economy, most small farms always assume stable rainfall patterns for their time of seeds and planting. Therefore the Government strategies for poverty in semi arid areas in the north as well as arable regions are at risk due to the variation in the weather pattern. Due to awareness campaigns made by organizations such as NCF, Nigerians are able to relate the disturbing issues of very high temperature as well as the uncertain implication for disease carrying pest and insects. Nigeria’s adaptation to climate change has not received much funding from external bilateral or multilateral sources. This may be due to the Nigeria’s slow moving institutional response to climate change. However locally, adaptation strategies are consistent with existing responses to that of hunger and poverty. For example trees are being planted in order to stop desertification. The use of substitute fuels such as biogas is also being used as well as the adoption of more versatile livestock. In more conventional farming regions, they have been encouraged to diversify their corps and adopt more efficient rainwater harvesting and irrigation techniques. The coastal region has also approached climate change with better management of existing resources. A short film Water Runs Deep talks about the impact of climate change in Nigeria. It gives an insight on how climate change has affected the lives of many for the worst. The movie shows how crops have been destroyed by flooding as well as schools being ruined. Various interviews give tale of their hardship and how they cope with it as well as the predicted change in weather for Nigeria and how adaptation strategies have been used to help the rural communities cope with Climate Change. According to the 2010 MDG progress report, Nigeria’s forest cover has reduced from 18. 9% to 9. 9% in the last two decades. This is one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. The main reason for such is due to the high demand for wood fuel. In the absence of affordable alternative energy sources, charcoal is popular even in cities, which boosts its uncontrolled production

Realism in English Literature

Realism in English Literature In general, realism can be defined as the aspect of tending to lean towards being factual and practical on matters of life by representing things, actions, or social circumstances in point of fact, without presenting them in their conceptual form and neither without the influence of feelings or other artistic ideas. However, in order to clearly define or discuss the major distinguishing features of realism, it is best to discuss it under different viewpoints so as to get an extensive description of what this theory of realism in American literature is all about. The theory of realism emphasizes on objectivity and being indifferent, along with unemotional social criticism. By critically referring to minute details and being concerned with petty, insignificant issues. Therefore, through use of literature, realism refers to the attempt of a writer to portray human actions and environment precisely as it appears in every day life. In reaction to romanticism, realists claimed that precise documentation, sociological approach and vernacular diction were the basis of literal realism. The subject matter was sourced from everyday life, and in this case, the people in lower-class life were considered. After the Civil War, it is when realism entered American literature; with authors such as Mark Twain and Henry James being the major initiators of this fictional style of realism in America. The American realistic authors aimed at presenting observations that were objective and without bias. In this light, we can broadly discuss literal realism from the literature point of view. In the school of literature, realism is described as the theory through which fidelity to the natural world or towards life is represented accurately without the practice of idealizing occurrences of life. The works of Daniel Defoe and Henry fielding are some of the earliest cases of realism in English writing, dating back to the 18th century. Through the schools, types and modes of literature, realism can be described as the conformity to accurate literary depiction of real and everyday life without any form of idealization. Through this genre of realism, individuals were just perceived as real people, as opposed to other genres such as romanticism which described an individual as a god and naturalism which perceived a person as a helpless object. (Gray) Realism in American Literature dates back to the 19th century, 1860-1900. In American literature, realism is described as a term that covers the period from the time of the Civil War to the 20th century-an era during which the realism of Twain and James was highly praised. Realism in America was therefore a 20th century idea in literature through which reflections of this era were portrayed. A time in which authors like Mark Twain, Henry James, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, Toni Morrison and others wrote literature that was dedicated to accurate description and a study of how the Americans lived in different situations during that era. After the Civil War, there was a fast growth in the economy and population in the United States. This rapid growth in the rates of industrialization, urbanization, an escalating population base as a result of immigration, general literacy, social equality and a rise in the affluence of the middle-class population presented a rich base for wri ters and readers who had the urge to understand these rapid changes in the American civilization. In defining the realism in the literary history of America, we refer to that period ranging from 1865 to l914, which has been commonly referred to as the Era of Realism in the American 1iterary history. Therefore, in defining Realism as a literary movement, it should be specifically located in history and not simply artistically labeled to escape being dated. Hence, Realism being seen as a literary movement, it should doubtless be limited to the age from the late 1840s to the mid 1860s. This implies that the theory of focus concerning literal realism of the content should be centered on the ordinary, everyday lives of the lower-class preferably. The American realist writers went ahead to build their plots and characters around the ordinary, daily lives that people led. In addition, their fictional works contained local languages and wide-ranging conversations that attached well with the community. Consequently, readers were ideally attracted to the realistic writers because they coul d see their own struggles in print. The American public had advanced socially, economically and politically and so they tended to prefer writers who plainly described the difficulties of every day life for individuals as opposed to the slow paced writings and symbolism of the romantic writers, which the public had come to develop distaste for. The Americans had transformed to a new age, and realism was the only theory that clearly depicted the situation as it really was during that age. (McDonald) Mark uses local colorism as a theme through which he presents life through representing the characters in his novel as locals from a particular region. The way they did things in a native manner, the clothes that they wore and even how they talked described their lifestyle in a profound way. Mark Twain unlike James Henry wrote about people in the lower-class. Being the kind of life he had lived, he understood this class of people better as seen in his novels. Through use of local colorism, Mark was able to i1lustrate and shed light on issues in the contemporary society. The Gilded age, as Mark Twain commonly refers to as the period of American realism, was a time of materialism and political corruption in the United States. These elements formed ideas on which some important works of fiction on political and social criticism were based on. The novel Gilded Age (1873), which was authored by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, presents a clear depiction of Washington D.C. The scene describes fraudulent politicians and insatiable industrialists. The novels of this age characterize the beginning of a new twist in the American literature, with the novel acting as a vehicle of social grievances. In an attempt to describe a contemporary view of how things were in reality; writing was used to portray how the culture of the people and the scenic outlook of New York City had transformed in this age. During this period of time, the writers, journalists, musicians and painters had made a major contribution to the thought of realism in the American setting; they had actually come of age. This was actually a new kind of generation writers, journalists and painters who through their writing and works of art were concerned with representing the usual and common aspects of life in a straightforward and unemotional manner, which was assumed to portray life as it actually was. Their approach of treating matters that portray a careful depiction of daily life, more so by the lower and middle classes was partly influenced by the new city life of a people who were more urban as opposed to leading a rural life and partly by the works of older American writers. These American realists did believe that humanitys preferences and freedom of choice were constrained by the supremacy of outside forces, which influence our ways of thinking and consequently our behavior and personality. This was a new age and it had come with a new style and approach of writing and presenting other works of art. (Patterson) Henry James and Mark Twain are some of the renowned writers in this era and together they achieved to bring out the indigenous style in the realistic description of the land and social activities by using the colloquial speech style. By using this approach they managed to survey and use the fictional potential of the interior life of people living at the time. However, the three writers differed in their perception of what they termed as the truth in reality. For instance, Mark and William gave more emphasis to the general life of the Americans, while Henry gave more attention to the sub conscious elements of a person. Henry was of the opinion that literary artists should use words to explore the deepest extents of the mental and ethical nature of people in addition to examining the exterior of social life in certain circumstances. This made him a realist of both the inner and outer life, while Mark and William were merely realists of the exterior life. The contribution of these five authors; Mark Twain, Henry James, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, Toni Morrison to the American realism through Literature can be viewed as fitting in the realistic period in the American literature in this context. Samuel Clemens, commonly known by his pet name Mark Twain is famous for how he represented realism in his writing (1835-1910). His well-known literary works are Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, his most prominent account of realism, he introduced a character Huckleberry Finn who is a mistreated and neglected thirteen years old boy, whose father is a cruel drunk. From Finns view point, we get to see the world as he tries to make sense of the social world around him. In the story, Mark portrays various societal formalities by representing the double standards of the civilized American society in every day life. Mark Twains style, which was based on a dynamic, practical and slang American language, gave to the American writers and readers an admiration of their speech that represented a new form of American fiction. Despite Mark coming from the interiors of the country, he was actually among the most important authors who managed to capture this unique colloquial language and the aspect of iconoclasm of the Americans in his writing. But in his opinion, realism was not just a literary skill: It was a way of revealing the truth and abandoning old-fashioned principle of life. Like other realistic writers at the time, Mark Twain represents life in a practical way. His mode of writing was hilarious, descriptive and one which incorporated the colloquial language of Americans with both slang and iconoclasm. Mark Twain is regarded as a major writer in the realistic period. Through his literature, Mark created the worlds view of the United States. From how he managed to combine the American peoples h umor and serious writing, he produced a very superb form of literature than the earlier novelists had ever done. Throughout his writing career, Mark Twain used the technique of humorous narration in most of his major works of fiction. In his accounts, he ridicules the pompous, self-indulgent old world in mocking tones. He developed his work by drawing upon the views and sensations of his childhood. He narrates about his boyhood ambitions to be the pilot of a riverboat. The episodic encounters of Huck and Jim present us with an illustration of the world in a social perspective by symbolically using the banks of the river and the river that runs through them it to portray our actions in the world, in a realistic way. In The Gilded Age, he uses social satire to explore individuality in a world of speculation and unsteady values, all in the name of getting rich, whether at the expense of others or not. Twain, who over the years had turned in to a disillusioned pessimist, he cynically described the human race as a lost society, which had become obvious due to individualism. Mark also uses the aspects of vernacular in the realism movement. His use of col1oquial words which are real and express in effect, and use of simple sentence structures makes his work very unique. He also uses grammatical incorrect wording that is characteristic of the spoken 1anguage. He uses this colloquialism to powerfully cast his characters unique in their daily lives in a magical way. The fact that his characters have different cultural settings indicates that they speak differently probably with strong accents, which is the basic ideology of local colorism in his work. Like is the case with Huck and Jim, who talk differently because of their different cultural settings. His use of humor is another element he uses to describe realism in his work. Most of his writings are comical and contain practical jokes. Most of his jokes and remarks are his exaggerated stories of his life experiences. He not only uses this jokes to make people laugh but also as a type of artistic approach of criticizing social injustices and mocking the romanticism genre. In the book Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses the character Huck, a young lad who described as using the local dialect in scene development plays the role of narrator. The illustration of characters and story renditions are both comical and cleverly iconic. Huck is described as being illiterate and superstitious; however, he happens to have native wisdom and concern-instinctive trends that help him reach the right decisions on certain important matters. After running away from his cruel father, he meets Jim, a runaway slave and together they start on a long voyage down the Mississippi River on a boat. This describes how we are at times faced by lifes challenges and we opt to run away, instead of face them. During the passage, Huck meets members of different communities, which helps him overcome his earlier narrow-mindedness and he learns to revere Jim. The book describes the different classes of people that Huck meets symbolically through the river banks on their journey. The thread which runs through exploration after exploration is the aspect of human cruelty to others. The significance of mark as a realistic writer is the literary creativity he employs in his novels. First of all, the language he uses to write his novels is simple and direct colloquial speech. Secondly, the plot and shape of his writings gives his novels both a realistic and symbolic aspect. Thirdly, he describes how the human race is damned following the kind of actions and decisions wee make concerning various issues. Although Mark and Howells shared the same perception in describing the realities of life in the American culture, each of them had a different stress. Howells preferred to base his argument on how the middle class people lived and conducted themselves in life. Twain focused his argument on having people from a certain region take the center-stage in his stories-local colorism, which was a unique style in the American fictitious realism. Local Colorism was an extraordinary approach in the literary realism age. Generally, the writings by the local colorists were focused on the life of some small, distinct regions. This type of literature portrayed the characters from a specific time, which are manifested by its traditions, language, outfit and other odd customs that have failed to come of age through cultural pressure. The writing is done from a personal experience perspective, whereby they committed themselves to minutely and accurately describe the way of life in theses regions. Thro ugh personal experience, they depicted an exceptional environment, which suggested that the life of the natives was greatly influenced by the conditions of the environment. The works of Mark Twain and Hamlin Garland are characterized by this element of local colors of the people. (Railton) Henry James (1843-1916), was a well-known American-born English author and writer of the realism movement. Among his highly attributable works of fiction are The American (1877), The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Turn of the Screw (1898), and The Ambassadors (1903). His works were mostly romantic narrative with well developed characters that were set amongst revealing social observations on political affairs, social class and status. He vastly explored topic on feminism, personal freedom and moral decency. In his novels and short stories, he makes use of the interior monologue technique and approach to ensure the readers delight of character approach and sensitivity. James often compares the lifestyle and perceptions of New World with the Old World. In his writing, Henry James who greatly admired the early European culture portrayed a negative image of the money-oriented and twisted life of the Americans. He became a British citizen through naturalization, arguing that he believed that the Americans lacked a culture, a reason why he preferred the European civilization. In his major works more so the novels and essays made him a prominent figure in the American world of literature. There are three periods in his literary profession, in the first his main interest was in global subject matters. Jamess international theme is also another aspect that he uses in fictional realism. He uses America and Europe as the international environment, which centers on the conflicts between these two very diverse cu1tures. Having diverse moral, Americans are naive, ignorant, unsophisticated and individualistic in comparison with European whose personality was that of cultural erosion, deceit and urbanity, a conflict arises. The American in search of success in Europe would be easily deceived and betrayed by the civilized Europeans. In the same context he also uses love and marriage as central points of the conflicts between these two value structures. The character goes through an agonizing progression of spiritual nourishment and achieving an awareness of good and evil from this confrontation. He regards the conflicts between two diverse societies and the emotional and ethical problems Americans in Europe and Europeans in America experienced. Jamess international theme is also another aspect that he uses in fictional realism. He uses America and Europe as the international environment, which centers on the conflicts between these two very diverse cu1tures. Having diverse moral, Americans are naive, ignorant, unsophisticated and individualistic in comparison with European whose personality was that of cultural erosion, deceit and urbanity, a conflict arises. In The Portrait of a Lady, he describes a conflict between the Old and the New World, through the life of an American girl in a European society and environment. The American in search of success in Europe would be easily deceived and betrayed by the civilized Europeans. In the same context he also uses love and marriage as central points of the conflicts between these two value structures. The character goes through an agonizing progression of spiritual nourishment and achieving an awareness of good and evil from this confrontation. Henry Jamess realistic elements are distinguished by his psychological realism style that he uses to approach the subject matter. His world of fiction is more concerned with the inner aspects of life of an individual in preference to the obvious human acts. He makes individual perception and expression of every moment senses of personal experience to be the dramatic production of puzzlement and great findings. We get to view individuals and actions as they are sorted out in an individuals awareness and involve ourselves in this experience. This stress on psychological realism on the human perception shows that this was a major advancement in the writing of novels and a kind of big influence on future generations. James is commonly considered as the initiator of psychological realism, an idea which he incorporated in his work, whereby the characters are portrayed as having a stream of consciousness. In Daisy Miller, one of his most famous works, Henry James uses Frederick, an American emigrant as the narrator of the story. While on a visit to Switzerland, Frederick meets the Millers. The Millers, who are American, believe in social freedom and individuality unlike the Europeans. Daisy, daughter to Mrs. Miller does not regard the complex policies underlying conduct in European society. Daisys adventurous behavior and lack of concern form her mother leave Winterbourne shocked. She later dies of malaria. The theme of the novel is a comparison between America and Europe, centered on the conflict of these two cu1tures as regards their different social values, the moral decadence in Europe and its repercussion as described through the death of Daisy. Jamess literary criticism, described as the theme of the Art of Fiction. His fictional criticism is a crucial element of his input to literature. It is both apprehensive with outward manifestation and dedicated to personality values. This theme plainly signifies that the plan of the narrative is to present life as it really is. He depicts occurrence such as fantasy, desolation, incentives, agony and encouragement. His narrative standpoint and the language he uses are other themes in his realistic literature. Through this literary skill, he places a psychological emphasis in the story. By making his characters build themselves in the plot, devoid of authorial intrusion, we capture the core story by reading it through the minds of the protagonists and in that respect we get to share in their realistic perspectives of life. For his language, James makes a careful selection of words that is intended to bring out the clear and intended meaning without any ambiguity even though it is not e asy to understand his vocabulary. This made Henry James one of the most important realists of this era through his skilled style of writing. The stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) present the edgy and bold atmosphere of the 1920s, a disappointment that resulted from the war. Fitzgeralds distinctive subject matter is articulated expressively in his novel The Great Gatsby. He argues that there is a propensity of the ambitions that youths yearn for end in letdown and disillusionment. Fitzgerald reveals that the failure of some chief American moral standards such as liberty, social harmony, promoting peace and good governance are elements which were endangered by the demands of the 20th century civilization. Ernest Hemmingway, who was also another author during the time (1899-1961) argued that death, violence in the World War I and the bloodshed influenced him to conclude that conceptual verbal communication was typically empty and as such a misleading element. He left out over emphasized wordings from his works, to simple sentence structure. In some way his writing was inspired by Mark Twain who influenced his style of writing. He dwelt on realistic things and actions. He stuck on to an ethical code that emphasized the essence of elegance under pressure, with his central characters being quiet physically powerful who treated women inappropriately. His novels include: The sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms. He was one a writer who greatly detested this new civilization in which the people were inelegant and their actions were very much individualistic. Through her novels, Toni Morrison (1930-1950) has used a variety of themes and Practices which represent her contribution to realism in the American literature scene. She uses the element of sense of loss to describe how she deeply feels for the Afro-Americans for losses they have experienced in their movement from the rural areas of the south to the urban centers in the north. They are depicted as a people who have lost their sense of living as a society, a disconnection with their past and traditions. Their culture of oral tradition of story narration and folktales was no longer a basis of their strength as a people. Other foundations of their togetherness like music which they used as a healing element, had been adsorbed by their integration into the white community. Hence portraying a society that had completely lost touch with their roots and had sought to live in a more sophisticated and realistic way, as opposed to their traditional way of life that entailed living as a depend ent community and having a shared history. (Baym) She also portrays her characters as people who are in a constant struggle of trying to identify with society and fulfill oneself. Thee elements of having societal roots, and a community to identity with, which implies having a shared history is what these African-Americans have given up to adopt the American culture. Anybody who does not belong to a community is generally regarded as lost, while those who still hold on to their traditions and communities are depicted as having a high chance of surviving. The lack of societal roots and the detachment of an individual from the society lead to their being alienated. According to her, ancestors are also a necessary part of life for they give cultural information and a link to the past. They are supposed to guide and be concerned about our welfare like parents and grandparents. In her novel, The Bluest Eye, ancestors is one of the distinctive uniqueness of the black community literature, which they have actually given up for a more realistic and fulfilling life. The aspect of characters in extreme situations is also another theme Toni Morrison uses in her literature. She sets her characters in intense situations; she then forces them to the edge beyond their points of endurance. These circumstances disclose their basic personality. Even the good people end up acting in some very horrifying ways. Through this induced push, people are described in their real manner and not in their pretentious good self. Other themes in her works include responsibility, freedom and loss of innocence.

Native Dye Plants of the United States :: Botany

Native Dye Plants of the United States The first to use native dye plants in the United States were the Native Americans. Their culture was totally dependent on what the land produced. This is reflected in the wealth of information Native Americans possessed about useful plants, from medicinal to ceremonial and dye plants. This is reflected in the types of houses they built and the names of places (often after the plants that grew there). Early European colonists foolishly ignored the wisdom of the Native Americans and modern Americans are not much wiser. Americans need to learn about the plants and animals in our own country and how they can be useful to mankind. Instead of bringing non-adapted species of Europe to North America we need to learn what native adapted species can fulfill our needs and wants (Gilmore 1977). For example, we spend thousands of dollars feeding, sheltering, and caring for European cattle when we have native bovines, bison which are naturally adapted to the climate and environment. Melvin Randolp h Gilmore sums this idea up well in the following quote: "The country can not be wholly made over and adjusted to a people of foreign habits and tastes. There are large tracts of land in America whose bounty is wasted because the plants which can be grown on them are not acceptable to our people."(Gilmore 1977). Native Americans learned about the plants in their environment through general trial and error and through communication with other tribes (Gilmore 1977). Some of the dyes used by Native Americans of the Missouri River region are discussed below. Far more plants were used for medicines, shelter, and tools than dyes. Various green dyes came from pond scum probably Protococcus, Ulothrix, Chaetophora, and Spirogyra. Another green dye that was used for bows and arrows came from lamb's quarter, Chenopodium album. Yellow dyes came from a variety of places including smooth sumac, Rhus glabra, roots, the lichens Parmelia borreri and Usnea barbata, and young cottonwood (Populus sargentii) leaf buds collected in early spring; this particular yellow dye was used for coloring arrow feathers and quills. An orange dye also used as a feather dye was boiled out of the vines of dodder (Cuscuta paradoxa). Red dyes came from pokeberry (Phytolacca americana) and were used to paint horses and people. The familiar bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) was also used as a skin dye or to dye articles that were boiled with the roots.

Creationism vs. Evolution Essay -- Science vs Creationism

â€Å"Life has no meaning. Jesus gives our life meaning, we must accept him to give meaning to our life. It futile to ask about the meaning of life when you are the answer.† ― Rob Geis Creationism and the study of evolution has been a controversial debate for decades now, leaving many people on one side or the other. Creationism argues that faith should take precedent over science, basing its beliefs on one book for guidance, the Bible. God created the earth and everything on it, taking six days. Evolutionists believe that the earth is much older than the Bible describes, and that plants, animals, and humans are a result of a natural progression called evolution. There were no common ancestors (Adam and Eve) from whom we came; it was a natural selection process, stemming from inorganic compounds and nature. For many people in the scientific world, it is hard to take a final stance on this issue since there is evidence of evolution, but that is where faith in God and what God has done comes into effect. According to a great medieval philosopher, Moses Maimonides, â€Å"conflicts between science and the Bible arise from either a lack of scientific knowledge or a defective understanding of the Bible†(Schroeder, 3). This paper will reveal some topics that these two groups debate about, along with their viewpoints. The Beginning The beginning of the earth, along with the birth of humans is one of the biggest and most contentious issues among creationists and evolutionists. Scientific theory holds the opinion that the universe is eternal, while the Bible states that there is a beginning. It has been proven that there was an official beginning; the question that arises is when that exact beginning took place, a time... ...Rapids, MI. 2013. Print. Kitcher, Philip. Abusing Science: The Case Against Creationism. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA. 1982. Miller, Kenneth R. Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution. Cliff Street Books: New York. 1999. Montagu, Ashley (Ed). Science and Creationism. Oxford University Press: Oxford. 1984. Pitman, Michael. Adam and Evolution. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, MI. 1984. Ruse, Michael. Can a Darwinian be a Christian? Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. 2001. Schroeder, Gerald L. The Science of God. The Free Press: New York. 1997. Toumey, Christopher P. God’s Own Scientists: Creationists in a Secular World. Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, NJ. 1994. Zetterburg, J. Peter. Evolution versus Creationism: The Public Controversy. Oryx Press: Phoenix, AZ. 1983.

lucid dreaming :: essays research papers

Lucid dreaming means dreaming while knowing that you are dreaming. The term was coined by Frederik van Eeden who used the word "lucid" in the sense of mental clarity. Lucidity usually begins in the midst of a dream when the dreamer realizes that the experience is not occurring in physical reality, but is a dream. Often this realization is triggered by the dreamer noticing some impossible or unlikely occurrence in the dream, such as flying or meeting the deceased. Sometimes people become lucid without noticing any particular clue in the dream; they just suddenly realize they are in a dream. A minority of lucid dreams (according to the research of LaBerge and colleagues, about 10 percent) are the result of returning to REM (dreaming) sleep directly from an awakening with unbroken reflective consciousness. The basic definition of lucid dreaming requires nothing more than becoming aware that you are dreaming. However, the quality of lucidity can vary greatly. When lucidity is at a high level, you are aware that everything experienced in the dream is occurring in your mind, that there is no real danger, and that you are asleep in bed and will awaken shortly. With low-level lucidity you may be aware to a certain extent that you are dreaming, perhaps enough to fly or alter what you are doing, but not enough to realize that the people are dream representations, or that you can suffer no physical damage, or that you are actually in bed. 1.2 IS LUCID DREAMING THE SAME AS DREAM CONTROL? Lucidity is not synonymous with dream control. It is possible to be lucid and have little control over dream content, and conversely, to have a great deal of control without being explicitly aware that you are dreaming. However, becoming lucid in a dream is likely to increase the extent to which you can deliberately influence the course of events. Once lucid, dreamers usually choose to do something permitted only by the extraordinary freedom of the dream state, such as flying. You always have the choice of how much control you want to exert. For example, you could continue with whatever you were doing when you became lucid, with the added knowledge that you are dreaming. Or you could try to change everything--the dream scene, yourself, other dream characters.

Importance of Health Care

In the early 1800, public officials were making collective efforts to control communicable diseases such as smallpox, yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, and measles. In order to reduce the presence of communicable diseases, quarantine measures often became law. People who were contaminated were placed in isolation in order to avoid spreading the disease. The education and training of health care workers during this time lacked strong controls and regulations. The hospitals were not cleaned and they were considered of a place to go to die. By the late 1800, a number of vaccines and serums were developed in order to protect the public against contagious disease. Many health professionals have attempted to define health, which is very broad. Physical health is perceived as the normal functioning of the body†s cells, organs, and systems. Mental health is characterized by an ability to deal constructively with reality. Social health has to do with education status, crime rates, poverty, and divorce. Spiritual health is giving and receiving love, trust, joy, and peace; having a sense of selflessness, honor, integrity and sacrifice for others. Several factors must be considered in dealing with health problems in a community. Geography, topography, social and cultural factors along with tradition and social norms have significant impact on the community. Despite marvelous advances in medical technology, health care is limited or even nonexistent for many Americans. That†s the reason why in 1977, the World Health Organization recognized the need for Health for All by the Year 2000†³ an unusually optimistic goal. Poverty keeps individuals from obtaining needed health care services. The United States is the only major western country that does not have comprehensive health care for all its citizens.

Cuban missile crisis Vietnam war

The most dangerous passage to Cold War was the Cuban Missile crisis during the 1960’s. This is a confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States in Cuba. Robert F. Kennedy’s Thirteen Days is the portrayal of the tensions surrounding the Cuban Missile crisis and the analysis of the said conflict. Two sides of the conflict was presented during the conflict between Union Soviet and United States. One side of the ordeal was the Communists of the Soviet Union desire to bring entire European countries under their supremacy and conquer the world.The other side of the conflict was the goal of Americans to the vindication of right and to stop the spead of Communism. During the Cuban Missile crisis, two significant people played important roles. They were America’s president John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev. Both leaders were pressured with what is happening that time. They performed different tactics and strategies on how to deal with the sc enario. Drama took place and a lot of negotiations were arranged for the Cuban Missile crisis.The pressure was triggered after Berlin and Germany were separated and divided among the victorious countries, Allies were formed and three different blocs occured. Nations that has been established after the war remained neutral while western countries which were governed by America and Soviet Union together with their new allies had formed the other two blocs. Soviet Union established allied countries around them and spread and imposed communism to each and every country.America was alarmed and imposed the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan to control Soviet Union in spreading communism. However according to Robert F. Kennedy’s Thirteen Days; two things came to pass that sent threat and tension through the U. S. First was, the Chinese government was overthrown by Communism, which is a big alarm for the threat of superiority of Communism. And the second was the â€Å"CUBAN MISSILE C RISIS† â€Å"page # 2† knowledge and ability of Soviets when it comes to nuclear and atomic issues. There was a fear in the U. S. because of the threat of a nuclear war.The crisis began when Soviet Union Leader Nikita Krushchev plans to install missiles in Cuba because of the American’s Missile were installed in Turkey which is adjacent to Soviet Union and he did not want that America would take over Cuba and overthrow Fidel Castro’s communist government. The Soviet Union leader also considered newly elected John F. Kennedy’s reaction to his plans. Krushchev conclude that Kennedy was a weak, faulty and could not bear pressures and tensions. He (Krushschev) was a leader who based his premises on hasty generalizations because he pre-judged Kennedy because he was a newly elected president.On the other hand, John F. Kennedy was reluctant about what is happening around him. His administration issued a warning about the impending crisis in Cuba. This is t he Memo 181; it states study of probable military, poitical and social impacts in the installment of missiles in Cuba which could reach the United States. Kennedy made a decision which was effective because he first consulted people around him and querried for facts so that his plans would be perfect and would not lead onto decisions which will lead to more seroius problems like a world nuclear war.He also kept the informations for himself first before broadcasting it to the American nation because he wanted that his administrations plan would be a secret and would not leak for the enemies. When National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy learned a bad news that Soviets were constructing an offensive missile in Cuba was positive. He did not first told the president about what’s taking place in Cuba. Instead he gets more information and he wanted the president to have a rest for a more challenging decisions for America. On October 16, the Thirteen Days had began, Bundy told the p resident about the construction of missiles and theâ€Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS† â€Å"page # 3† president immediately ordered a meeting for the senior officials which he termed as Ex Comm. They planned secretly and develop their strategies on how to destabilize the construction of ballistic missiles. John F. Kennedy was a leader who wants everything to be clear and concise. After the deliberations and discussions were done, strategies were finally made and ready for execution. But first Kennedy briefed his people and made his first decision: to hold all military military equipment under ship to Cuba.This was the Proclamation 3504 known as the quarantine order. And during his speech on October 22 he said to the Soviets, â€Å"And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. † JFK exudes a leader whose strong and tough with his decisions which Krushchev miscalculated when he planned to test Kennedy with his plans. Then the crisis even worsens each day passed. Secret negotiations were made. And trying to avoid the war the two leaders resorted by changing of letters. A naval blockade was implemented by America in the Carribbean and Cuban coast which triggered the Soviet nation.Because of it, on the 26th day of October, Krushchev seemed to be willing to remove the missiles in Cuba in exchange for America’s commitment not to invade Cuba. But on the next day, Krushschev proposed a different argument and that is if Soviets will remove their missiles in Cuba, it follows that US must also remove their missiles in Turkey. This proposal from Krushchev was just, but he is so demanding about this matter. He was insistent about the matter because of the loss of arms and military equipment in Cuba which disband their operations and still he remained confident with his decision.Thus, Kennedy made the right decision. Kennedy did not support Krushchev’s second proposal, instead he wrote Krushchev and made a de al to remove the blockade and agree not to invade Cuba if Krushchev would remove the missiles in Cuba. JFK also secretly proposed the dismantling of US missiles in â€Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS† â€Å"page # 4† Turkey. The Soviet leader agreed and the crisis ended. The result was Krushchev lost prestige while Kennedy gained. Cuba remained under communist dictatorship and US left it.Both Leaders were good leaders and have their own political and social will. They both fights for what they know what is right for their country and beliefs. I can say that John F. Kennedy was one of the best presidents of US because of his courage and making rational decisions. While Nikita S. Krushchev fights for what he believes in and his people but he failed. Essay2 (Vietnam War) United States played a big role in the Vietnam War and it was the biggest and longest military conflict of the nation. Many lives were affected not only in Vietnam but also in America.US army troops were sent to S outh Vietnam to fight against North Vietnam and National Liberation Front because they want to unify the North and South Vietnam to become a Communist Republic. And protesters from the US were greatly affected. The main issue during the Vietnam war was the opinion of the american people toeards the issue which had caused a lot of speculations in the government and also the US academic institutions. According to Turley (1986), even at the start of US escalatory moves in the beginning of 1965 there were limits to American public and congressional tolerance of the war's expenses and duration.Turley (1986) moreover explained that these limits were worsen by the administration under Johnson: its refusal to arouse popular emotion on the war's behalf, its failure to make an effective strategies for massive US intervention, its public misrepresentation of the war's denelopment and of its own political and social intentions, and its refusal to make solid and tough political choices. American s treated Vietnam War as unpopular and insignificant and yet it is the longest war americans fought for. To sum it all it is the most disastrous war that involved the Americanâ€Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS† â€Å"page # 5† people. Many soldiers have lost their lives during those time. Many people in the United states protests on the intervention of US in the said war and also many americans supported the war for Vietnam not to be under a communist government. During those times US was so divided and turmoil and chaos happened, wounds that Vietnam caused will never heal for many of the more than two million American veterans life from the war was given to fight against communism in Vietnam (Herring, 2002).More or less sixty thousand Americans lost their lives in fighting for the war. The United States spent about $150 billion dollars. American got involved in the war during 1955 when the first american advisors arrived in Vietnam. Then, American combat troops arrives in 196 5 and had finished fighting for the civil war in Vietnam up to the end when cease-fire was ordered and reconciled on January of 1973. I can say now that Vietnam War was a story of the olden times for the new generation americans.Cambodian Invasion was a played a big scene in the Vietnam this is when President Richard Nixon ordered an attack against North Vietnam and NLF (National Liberation Front), the main goal why Nixon ordered an attack, according to Turley (1986), was to demolish bases of communism and provide arms and military support to the war in Vietnam, for the protection American troops, and to make sure of the withdrawal of America from Vietnam.Students and faculties in different universities in US that time who were not in favor of the Vietnam War felt that President Nixon had deceived them, that the hated war was to be expanded and be pursued (Turley, 1986). Students from Oberlin, Princeton, and Rutgers demonstrated against Vietnam War and Nixon that very night. Many ac ademic institutions had closed and a lot of organizations who opposed Vietnam war had formed demonstrations all over the country. â€Å"CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS† â€Å"page # 6†Different ways of expressing their sympathy for the Americans who catered their lives for Vietnam and dismay for the decision of the president was obvious by that time. Many protest across the country took every possible form and were carried out under every ban, slogan and chant. Strikes, boycotts, and shutdowns were carried out together with rallies in the campus, marches and convocations; across the country there was massive flag lowering, wearing of black armbands, several memorial services, portrayal of funerals and vigil; there were seminars with workshops, and research projects.Vigilant students have also had an interaction with the public especially with the residents and invited each and every household to come in their campus and talk about the issue of Vietnam War. American students and a cademic institutions played a big role in protesting against the Vietnam War. The heart of the young american people was awaken for the love of their country and countrymen. They displayed brotherhood, camarraderie and oneness during the Vietnam War protests.America stood as one in fighting for each and every american whose fighting for the right for Vietnam and all nations as well. Many lives were transformed during the war. And still many lives were taken. Vietnam War was an untold story for Americans. But it made United States a country with strong people and united nations. References: Herring, George C. (2002). America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950–1975. retrieved April 21, 2007 from http://www. vietnamwar. com/ Kennedy, Robert F. (1969).Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis; ISBN 0-393- 31834-6. retrieved April 20, 2007 from http://www. lawbuzz. com/movies/thirteen_days/thirteen_days_ch1. htm Pope, Ronald R. , Soviet Views on the Cuban Missile Crisis: Myth and Reality in Foreign Policy Analysis; University Press of America, 1982. from http://www. lawbuzz. com/movies/thirteen_days/thirteen_days_ch1. htm Turley, William S. (1986) The Second Indochina War: A Short Political and Military History, 1954–1975.. Retrieved April 21, 2007 from http://www. vietnamwar. com/politicalprotests. htm.

Informative essay on obesity and weight loss surgery Essay

Weight loss surgery or ‘bariatric surgery’ are procedures which change the manner in which the digestive system functions, helping to limit the food consumed and in this way lower the weight of the individual along with lowering the risk of associated medical problems (NIDDK 2009). In certain cases, bariatric surgery also interferes with the manner in which nutrition is absorbed into the body. Individuals who undergo bariatric surgery may also have to ensure certain changes in their lifestyle such as regular exercise, dietary changes and avoiding certain other risks. One of the most frequently performed bariatric surgeries is gastric bypass in the US. Compared to other bariatric surgeries, gastric bypass is much safer, has lesser complications and can provide long-term results. However, there are also certain risks associated with the procedure, along with changes in diet, lifestyle and behavior. A lot depends on the patient for the success of the treatment (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). Indication Gastric bypass surgery is required in obese and overweight individuals who are unable to reduce their weight through diet and physical activities. As the BMI ratio is between 35 and 39 (obesity) and above 40 (severe obesity), the health related risks are higher and the individual can be affected with diabetes, hypertension, heart disorders, etc. However, gastric bypass surgery may not only be required alone, but along with it, exercise, dietary changes and lifestyle changes to ensure that the results of the gastric bypass are satisfactory (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). Bariatric surgery can also be performed if other methods of conservative treatment fail for obesity. The patient has to be properly informed about the details of the procedure, along with the benefits, risks and alternatives, so that an informed decision can be made (Medline Plus, 2010). The patient would have to give an informed consent for the procedure. The patient should also be committed to lifelong changes with diet, physical activity, behavior, medical monitoring and medication therapy. Insurance would be applicable for Bariatric surgery only if it has been medically indicated due to an obesity related cause, rather than cosmetic. Bariatric surgery may be indicated for adolescents only if other conventional methods have failed for about 6 months. Newer studies have demonstrated that gastric bypass may actually be ideal for adolescent obesity (NIDDK 2010). Procedure The entire procedure is done under general anesthesia, and the patient would require preparing for tests, dietary changes, X-rays (for planning the surgery), medications and hospitalization (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). In the US, 4 types gastric bypass are performed. These include biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch (BPD-DS), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable gastric band (AGB), and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). AGB involves placing a band around the top portion of the stomach to reduce the size of the stomach pouch to ensure that the food intake is reduced. In RGYB, involves placing a gastric band and also by bypassing the food directly from the pouch to the small intestine. In BPD-DS, a large portion of the stomach is removed, bypassing the food from the stomach to the small intestine and re-routing the bile and digestive tract juices, so that food is not absorbed and digested properly. In VSG, a portion of the stomach is reduced to ensure that the quantity of food consumed is reduced (NIDDK 2009). After the procedure, the individual should not consume anything for the next 24 hours. Following this, a special diet needs to be consumed, which includes liquids, soft foods and slow progress towards solid food. Following this, the indvidiaul needs to consume reduced quantity of food. There may be certain side-effects of the procedure (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). Results Weight loss surgeries basically work by reducing the amount of food being consumed or the amount of food being digested. Some surgeries bypass a majority of the food consumed resulting in reduced amount of absorption of nutrients. Along with dietary and lifestyle changes, loss of body weight can be achieved. However, there are also a few risks associated with weight loss surgeries. The individual may lose about 50 to 60 % of the excess body weight within 2 years of the surgery. However, exercises, lifestyle changes and diet need to be included in the plan (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). The risk of several health disorders such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, heart disease, infections, and cancer can be reduced (Daniel Jones, 2010). Complications In recent years with improvement in the surgical technique, there has been a reduction in the rate of complications from the year 2006, by about 21%. The rate of readmissions has also been under a decrease (NIDDK 2009). Some of the early complications related to gastric bypass include bleeding, infection, leakage of intestine, damage to the intestines, heart attacks, blood clots in the legs, emboli, etc. The other complications that can develop include malnutrition, (such as beri beri, pellagra, etc), strictures, hernias (includes internal hernias and intestinal hernias), pneumonia, nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, gallstones, kidney stones, dehydration, etc. If the contents from the stomach move very quickly, it can result in dumping syndrome causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In patients with poor general health and with serious medical conditions, fatal outcomes may be a risk, but very rare (Mayo Clinic Staff 2009). In some patients further surgery may be required (Daniel Jones, 2010).

Awareness about the Energy Sources of the World Essay

Energy supply refers to the process of combining resources through natural or artificial means in order to manipulate energy and use it for several human applications. Energy simply describes the ability of a matter to perform work. From an economist point of view, energy dictates the evolution of industries and civilizations in the world thus, a country’s economy largely depends on its production and utilization. Some of the common energy sources are the geothermal energy, the wind energy, the solar energy and the water energy. Geothermal energy is the heat that came from the earth’s core. This large amount of energy is usually collected through drilling of wells beneath the earth’s surface and converted to electricity by turbines and generators. Wind energy is described by the power produced by blowing winds which is collected by a spinning rotor and converted into mechanical energy. Solar energy is the heat radiation that came from the sun travels to the Earth in the form of photons. Water energy is the power generated by hydraulic turbines from the extensive fall of water from a higher surface to a lower ground (Yergin, 2007). Energy sources can primarily be classified as renewable and non-renewable. Renewable sources refer to the resources that can be easily replaced by natural processes after using them while the non-renewable resources are those that can be depleted since they can only be replaced after a very long period of time. Examples of renewable sources are the solar energy and water energy. Petroleum that comes from the fossil fuels and mineral deposits are examples of non-renewable sources. Due to extensive use of our non-renewable sources of energy, such as petroleum from fossil fuels, energy crisis in most part of the world is badly experienced. Such crises are described by the extreme inflation of the international oil price in the world market (Yergin, 2007). This effect is primarily due to the depletion of some sources of petroleum due to uncontrolled extraction of some major oil suppliers. These problems are associated with high demand of oil by large companies due extensive usage of fuels and rapid growth of industrial civilization. Due to this, the governments of different countries are trying to promote sustainable developments that will ease problems in conservation of the energy sources of the world. Reference: Yergin, Daniel, et al. â€Å"World Energy Supply. â€Å" Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007.

Climate Change as a Moral Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Climate Change as a Moral Issue - Essay Example Climate change has tremendous effect on humanity and it is nowadays the most significant moral challenge that people face. Mother Nature is morally neutral considering the fact that each year natural catastrophes like global warming, tsunami, devastating earthquakes result in millions of casualty. The moral issues lie within the humans by the ways in which we prepare ourselves in defending such disasters and help the victims (Carter n.d.).The change in climate and the environmental challenge as a moral issue deserves a significant amount of discussion (Crompton & Kasser, 2009, p.2) considering the fact that nowadays it is the prime global concern. This paper deals with different aspects of the climatic change as a moral issue and elaborates the role of politics and public in meeting this challenge. Climate change and moral issue The climatic change is inculcated with complex moral troubles, which the present political system is not well adapted to address properly. Many societies are unaware and not well tailored with the variability in climatic change. As a result they are more vulnerable to the devastations of the climatic change that will adversely affect their economic and political indicators which in turn will bring a spillover effect in the international scenario. The climatic change can be viewed as a striking challenge to our moral self. It can be viewed as a paradigm moral problem, however much more multifaceted in nature. The characteristic of a paradigm moral problem is that an individual will harm or make another individual worse off and both the individuals and the damage done that way are identifiable. Again the individuals and the concerned damage are closely linked in terms of time and space. In this case an example may be considered; suppose David intentionally stole James’s bike, in this example the notion of above discussed concept is clear. Here both the individual and the damage are identified and they are also closely linked in tim e and space. But the moral problem related to the climatic change is not so simple and another example will illustrate that, suppose ‘Jack and a large number of unacquainted people set in motion a chain of events that causes a large number of future people who will live in another part of the world, from ever having bikes’ (Jamieson 2007, p.2). In this particular example the identification of the agents causing damage or generating negative externality is not properly identifiable. This refers to the fact that damage caused this way transmits through time and affects future group of people whose numbers can be predicted but cannot be exactly determined at present time frame. Similar to this the climate change affects different groups of people over various time frames and both of them can not be identified with pin point accuracy. More interestingly people are often indifferent or even at dark regarding the future loss incurred through climatic change as that do not dir ectly affect them. Owing to these facts and minimal difference in characteristic with the usual moral problem; the climatic change often does not get considered as a moral problem, which has resulted in common negligence in responding to this problem with utmost urgency (Jamieson 2007, pp. 1-2). Climate Change as a challenge to the Political System Political concerns

Snow White Movie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Snow White Movie - Essay Example There are differences, in that the heroine in this effort is passive, a bit stupid and disloyal. This is in contrast to later heroines, in particular Belle from Beauty and the Beast. These are just a few of the similarities and differences between the early efforts put forth by Disney and the later ones. This paper will examine these similarities and differences, as well as many more. Discussion The imagery surrounding Snow White is considerably different than the imagery surrounding princesses in later Disney incarnations. The first, considerable difference between this animated feature and later features, such as The Little Mermaid is that the animals are less anthromorphized in this feature than in later ones, and the inanimate objects do not come to life, as they do in later features. For instance, in this feature, the animals do not talk. Thus, there is no talking, singing crab like in The Little Mermaid, and the dishes do not come to life and sing, such as in Beauty and the Beast. This aspect gave the movie a bit less of a fantasy quality than later movies, and lent a slightly more believable air to the proceedings. The story could have possibly happened in real life, except that the animals would not be as accommodating as they were in the feature, and, of course, the magic pr acticed by the Evil Queen would not be possible. But, since the animals and inanimate objects stay mute, the cartoon is not as much in the realm of the fantastic as the later Disney efforts. Because the animals did not talk, nor did the inanimate objects, the feature also seemed to be missing much of the humor which marked the later efforts. Some of the funnier characters in Disney films were the different animals that populate the worlds – such as the crows in Dumbo and Thomas O’Malley Scat Cat friends in The Aristocats. Another aspect to these characters, specifically the crows in Dumbo and O’Malley’s friends in The Aristocats is that these characters were unmistakably based upon African-Americans. The crab in The Little Mermaid was unmistakably Hispanic. In this way, the later features were able to subtly introduce characters of color, even though the main characters were white, or, as in the case of The Aristocats and Dumbo, animals who are based upon Caucasians. Snow White did not have any characters whom were indisputably based upon different ethnicities, as could have been the case had the animators decided to inject a few animal characters into the story, therefore the story is considerably less multi-cultural then later efforts by the studio. Another curious aspect of the story was the way that the dwarfs were introduced and handled. When the dwarfs were first seen in the diamond mine, and in their trek to their home, they were indistinguishable from one another, for the most part. The exceptions to this were Doc, who was set apart by the fact that he wore glasses; Dopey, who was set apart because he was bald and had no facial hair; and Grumpy, who was well-defined from the beginning as a grump, therefore he stood out. The others did not embody their respective names – Happy, Sneezy, Bashful and Sleepy. It would have been more effective if the viewer could have more of an introduction to these dwarfs to show exactly why and how they got their name. For instance, if Sneezy would have been sneezing in the mine and on the way home, he would have been more easily distinguished from the others. If Happy would have been seen doing a â€Å"happy dance,† then he would have been better defined. If Bashful would have been turning red early on, the viewer would have known who he was. And, if Sleepy would have been

History of Business Ethics and Ethical Theory Essay

History of Business Ethics and Ethical Theory - Essay Example The current business environment is highly competitive, organisations are encouraged to practice fair trade and avoid foul play so as to have a competitive edge over its rivals. Corporate social responsibility is a major ethical consideration in a company since it shows that the entity is mindful of the peoples’ welfare. Other important ethical principles in an entity include truth, honesty and justice. These principles have to be in line with the business environment in which the firm operates in to ensure long term success. It is important to understand the company’s ethical value so as to manage it appropriately. Firstly, there should be an assessment of the efficiency of ethical value in the organisation. Secondly, the leadership and senior management have to show commitment towards the program (Maignan and Ferrel, 2004:34). Thirdly, there should be formalisation of the code of ethics through proper training and communication (Maignan and Ferrel, 2005:34). Fourthly, there should be codification of the ethics and proper communication within the entity (Maignan and Ferrell, 2005:45). Finally, the code of ethics should be integrated into the organisation’s culture. In order to achieve this, the leadership should be on the forefront in ensuring the company’s ethics are maintained. Various stakeholders have the power to influence the attainment of ethical values and norms in a given entity. They are encouraged to do vigilantly so as to keep the company’s ethics in check. There are various challenges affecting ethics in an entity including, defiance by some employees and failure to keep up with the stated code of ethics (Maignan and Ferrell, 2005:45). This results to the practice of... It is important to understand the company’s ethical value so as to manage it appropriately. Firstly, there should be an assessment of the efficiency of ethical value in the organization. Secondly, the leadership and senior management have to show commitment towards the program. Thirdly, there should be a formalization of the code of ethics through proper training and communication (Maignan and Ferrel, 2005:34). Fourthly, there should be a codification of the ethics and proper communication within the entity (Maignan and Ferrell, 2005:45). Finally, the code of ethics should be integrated into the organization’s culture. In order to achieve this, the leadership should be on the forefront in ensuring the company’s ethics are maintained.Various stakeholders have the power to influence the attainment of ethical values and norms in a given entity. They are encouraged to do vigilantly so as to keep the company’s ethics in check. There are various challenges affec ting ethics in an entity including, defiance by some employees and failure to keep up with the stated code of ethics. This results in the practice of unethical behavior in businesses including foul play among the employees, unfair trade practices, poor time management and poor customer service. These are some of the unethical issues common to businesses in the contemporary world. In a nutshell, ethics are important in the daily activities of a business since they determine the relationships within the entity and with interested parties.

Harvard Business Case-Pitney Bowes Inc Assignment

Harvard Business Case-Pitney Bowes Inc - Assignment Example The email overload is one of the discovered stresses of the workplaces. It is evident that the founders of Stamps.com did identify the same jobs to be done (Cefkin and Melissa, 2009, p.57). Q 2). The reason that caused the Pitney Bowes team to lose focus on something that did this job, and instead end up with a postage meter at a price point can be discussed below. The reason is when the experts of the company began to predict the advent of the letter less and paperless, Pitney Bowes replied by investing heavily in measures of diversification. The diversification includes the leasing and acquisition of aircraft fleets and trucks. Then the CEO, who came up established postage meter at a price point (Cefkin and Melissa, 2009, p.57). Q 3). The ability of a new business growth can be enhanced by relying on substantial acquisitions to achieve the strategic goals of the enterprise. The reason is that the purchases are cheaper, faster, and less risky than expansion that is organic (Cefkin and Melissa, 2009,

Enterprise Resource Planning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Enterprise Resource Planning - Research Paper Example The software enables the integration of each and every aspect of operation within the organization including manufacturing, storage/inventory control, sales and marketing etc. The Enterprise Resource Planning software consists of several modules available to a given enterprise based on its needs and the level of technical capability within the enterprise. Each of the said modules is designed for a specific area of the enterprise such as marketing, distribution, product development etc (Nathan 60). No matter which module that an organization has decided to purchase, there are several factors that an organization wishing to successfully implement an ERP should consider (Leon 66). In explaining the success and failures of implementing an ERP system, we are going to take a look at two companies, one that has successfully implemented its ERP system and the second one that was not so successful in its implementation of the same. Starting us off, we will look at how Pratt and Whitney, a large Canadian aeronautics company that successfully implemented its ERP system known as SAP R/3. The implementation of this system took two and a half years to complete. Due to the expansive nature of the company (having customers in more than 170 countries and having over a dozen plants across the globe), the company decided to develop a centralized information processing system to improve on its customer satisfaction. This system was to be named SAP/R3 and through it the company intended to fully i ntegrate its information system through the application of the technology that was available at the time. In particular, this system was aimed at improving customer experience, reduce the amount of work in progress, increase turnover in inventory and finally ensure closer monitoring of inventory and the operating costs (Harwood 120). One of the factors that ensured that the development and implementation of SAP R/3 as a success was the inclusive nature of the project team that was behind this development and eventual implementation. This team was divided into groups and it included employees from all the relevant departments including sales and distribution, information technology, production, planning, materials management and finance. This all inclusive approach ensured that the proposed system would cater for everyone’s needs and desired hence its acceptability across the board. The second factor that led to the success of SAP R/3 was the importance that was placed on trai ning of the employees on how the new system works. Training was undertaken across the departments and nearly all the employees whose functions would require knowledge of the system were accorded this training. The training covered general understanding of how the system works and technical aspects of the system such as basic navigation and how to accomplish the desired tasks. The third factor attributed to the success implementation of SAP R/3 was the effective data migration strategy that was used by the company in transferring data from the old system to the new one. The data was first ‘cleansed’ before being transferred to the new system hence ensuring its correctness and reliability. Finally, the company had adequate capacity in terms of operational activities and technical capability (through its experienced staff) and financial ability to undertake this shift (Wallace 58). Having looked at the success story that is Pratt and Whitney in implementation of its ERP sy stem, we will flip the coin and consider a company that was not as fortunate in its implementation of its ERP system. Target Group is a UK based investment firm that tried to implement an ERP system but due to a number of reasons, this implementation was not as effective as was with the