Shadow Kiss Chapter 1

One HIS FINGERTIPS SLID ALONG my back, applying hardly any pressure, yet sending shock waves over my flesh. Slowly, slowly, his hands moved across my skin, down the sides of my stomach to finally rest in the curves of my hips. Just below my ear, I felt his lips press against my neck, followed by another kiss just below it, then another, then another. †¦ His lips moved from my neck toward my cheek and then finally found my mouth. We kissed, wrapping ourselves closer together. My blood burned within me, and I felt more alive in that moment than I ever had. I loved him, loved Christian so much that – Christian? Oh no. Some coherent part of me immediately realized what was happening – and boy, was it pissed off. The rest of me, however, was still actually living in this encounter, experiencing it as though I was the one being touched and kissed. That part of me couldn't break away. I'd merged too much with Lissa, and for all intents and purposes, this was happening to me. No, I told myself sternly. It's not real – not for you. Get out of there. But how could I listen to logic when every nerve of my body was being set on fire? You aren't her. This isn't your head. Get out. His lips. There was nothing in the world right now except his lips. It's not him. Get out. The kisses were the same, exactly as I remembered with him. †¦ No, it's not Dimitri. Get out! Dimitri's name was like cold water hitting me in the face. I got out. I sat upright in my bed, suddenly feeling smothered. I tried kicking off the covers but mostly ended up entangling my legs even more. My heart beat hard in my chest, and I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself and return to my own reality. Times sure had changed. A long time ago, Lissa's nightmares used to wake me from sleep. Now her sex life did. To say the two were a little different would be an understatement. I'd actually gotten the hang of blocking out her romantic interludes – at least when I was awake. This time, Lissa and Christian had (unintentionally) outsmarted me. In sleep, my defenses were down, allowing strong emotions to pass through the psychic link that connected me to my best friend. This wouldn't have been a problem if the two of them had been in bed like normal people – and by â€Å"being in bed,† I mean â€Å"asleep.† â€Å"God,† I muttered, sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. My voice was muffled in a yawn. Couldn't Lissa and Christian have seriously kept their hands off each other until waking hours? Worse than being woken up, though, was the way I still felt. Sure, none of that making out had actually happened to me. It hadn't been my skin being touched or my lips being kissed. Yet my body seemed to feel the loss of it nonetheless. It had been a very long time since I'd been in that kind of situation. I ached and felt warm all over. It was idiotic, but suddenly, desperately, I wanted someone to touch me – even just to hold me. But definitely not Christian. The memory of those lips on mine flashed back through my mind, how they'd felt, and how my sleepy self had been so certain it was Dimitri kissing me. I stood up on shaky legs, feeling restless and †¦ well, sad. Sad and empty. Needing to walk off my weird mood, I put on a robe and slippers and left my room for the bathroom down the hall. I splashed cool water on my face and stared in the mirror. The reflection looking back at me had tangled hair and bloodshot eyes. I looked sleep-deprived, but I didn't want to go back to bed. I didn't want to risk falling asleep quite yet. I needed something to wake me up and shake away what I'd seen. I left the bathroom and turned toward the stairwell, my feet light on the steps as I went downstairs. The first floor of my dorm was still and quiet. It was almost noon – the middle of the night for vampires, since they ran on a nocturnal schedule. Lurking near the edge of a doorway, I scanned the lobby. It was empty, save for the yawning Moroi man sitting at the front desk. He leafed halfheartedly through a magazine, held to consciousness only by the finest of threads. He came to the magazine's end and yawned again. Turning in his revolving chair, he tossed the magazine on a table behind him and reached for what must have been something else to read. While his back was turned, I darted past him toward the set of double doors that opened outside. Praying the doors wouldn't squeak, I carefully opened one a crack, just enough to slip through. Once outside, I eased the door shut as gently as possible. No noise. At most, the guy would feel a draft. Feeling like a ninja, I stepped out into the light of day. Cold wind blasted me in the face, but it was exactly what I needed. Leafless tree branches swayed in that wind, clawing at the sides of the stone dorm like fingernails. The sun peeped at me from between lead-colored clouds, further reminding me that I should be in bed and asleep. Squinting at the light, I tugged my robe tighter and walked around the side of the building, toward a spot between it and the gym that wasn't quite so exposed to the elements. The slush on the sidewalk soaked into the cloth of my slippers, but I didn't care. Yeah, it was a typically miserable winter day in Montana, but that was the point. The crisp air did a lot to wake me up and chase off the remnants of the virtual love scene. Plus, it kept me firmly in my own head. Focusing on the cold in my body was better than remembering what it had felt like to have Christian's hands on me. Standing there, staring off at a cluster of trees without really seeing them, I was surprised to feel a spark of anger at Lissa and Christian. It must be nice, I thought bitterly, to do whatever the hell you wanted. Lissa had often commented that she wished she could feel my mind and experiences the way I could feel hers. The truth was, she had no idea how lucky she was. She had no idea what it was like to have someone else's thoughts intruding on yours, someone else's experiences muddling yours. She didn't know what it was like to live with someone else's perfect love life when your own was nonexistent. She didn't understand what it was like to be filled with a love so strong that it made your chest ache – a love you could only feel and not express. Keeping love buried was a lot like keeping anger pent up, I'd learned. It just ate you up inside until you wanted to scream or kick something. No, Lissa didn't understand any of that. She didn't have to. She could carry on with her own romantic affairs, with no regard for what she was doing to me. I noticed then that I was breathing heavily again, this time with rage. The icky feeling I'd felt over Lissa and Christian's late-night hookup was gone. It had been replaced by anger and jealousy, feelings born of what I couldn't have and what came so easily to her. I tried my best to swallow those emotions back; I didn't want to feel that way toward my best friend. â€Å"Are you sleepwalking?† a voice asked behind me. I spun around, startled. Dimitri stood there watching me, looking both amused and curious. It would figure that while I was raging over the problems in my unfair love life, the source of those problems would be the one to find me. I hadn't heard him approach at all. So much for my ninja skills. And honestly, would it have killed me to pick up a brush before I went outside? Hastily, I ran a hand through my long hair, knowing it was a little too late. It probably looked like an animal had died on top of my head. â€Å"I was testing dorm security,† I said. â€Å"It sucks.† A hint of a smile played over his lips. The cold was really starting to seep into me now, and I couldn't help but notice how warm his long leather coat looked. I wouldn't have minded wrapping up in it. As though reading my mind, he said, â€Å"You must be freezing. Do you want my coat?† I shook my head, deciding not to mention that I couldn't feel my feet. â€Å"I'm fine. What are you doing out here? Are you testing security too?† â€Å"I am security. This is my watch.† Shifts of school guardians always patrolled the grounds while everyone else slept. Strigoi, the undead vampires who stalked living Moroi vampires like Lissa, didn't come out in sunlight, but students breaking rules – say, like, sneaking out of their dorms – were a problem night and day. â€Å"Well, good work,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad I was able to help test your awesome skills. I should be going now.† â€Å"Rose – † Dimitri's hand caught my arm, and despite all the wind and chill and slush, a flash of heat shot through me. He released me with a start, as though he too had been burned. â€Å"What are you really doing out here?† He was using the stop fooling around voice, so I gave him as truthful an answer as I could. â€Å"I had a bad dream. I wanted some air.† â€Å"And so you just rushed out. Breaking the rules didn't even cross your mind – and neither did putting on a coat.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"That pretty much sums it up.† â€Å"Rose, Rose.† This time it was his exasperated voice. â€Å"You never change. Always jumping in without thinking.† â€Å"That's not true,† I protested. â€Å"I've changed a lot.† The amusement on his face suddenly faded, his expression growing troubled. He studied me for several moments. Sometimes I felt as though those eyes could see right into my soul. â€Å"You're right. You have changed.† He didn't seem very happy about the admission. He was probably thinking about what had happened almost three weeks ago, when some friends and I had gotten ourselves captured by Strigoi. It was only through sheer luck that we'd managed to escape – and not all of us had gotten out. Mason, a good friend and a guy who'd been crazy about me, had been killed, and part of me would never forgive myself for it, even though I'd killed his murderers. It had given me a darker outlook on life. Well, it had given everyone here at St. Vladimir's Academy a darker outlook, but me especially. Others had begun to notice the difference in me. I didn't like to see Dimitri concerned, though, so I played off his observation with a joke. â€Å"Well, don't worry. My birthday's coming up. As soon as I'm eighteen, I'll be an adult, right? I'm sure I'll wake up that morning and be all mature and stuff.† As I'd hoped, his frown softened into a small smile. â€Å"Yes, I'm sure. What is it, about a month?† â€Å"Thirty-one days,† I announced primly. â€Å"Not that you're counting.† I shrugged, and he laughed. â€Å"I suppose you've made a birthday list too. Ten pages? Single-spaced? Ranked by order of priority?† The smile was still on his face. It was one of the relaxed, genuinely amused ones that were so rare to him. I started to make another joke, but the image of Lissa and Christian flared into my mind again. That sad and empty feeling in my stomach returned. Anything I might have wanted – new clothes, an iPod, whatever – suddenly seemed trivial. What did material things like that mean compared to the one thing I wanted most of all? God, I really had changed. â€Å"No,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"No list.† He tilted his head to better look at me, making some of his shoulder-length hair blow into his face. His hair was brown, like mine, but not nearly as dark. Mine looked black at times. He brushed the unruly strands aside, only to have them immediately blow back into his face. â€Å"I can't believe you don't want anything. It's going to be a boring birthday.† Freedom, I thought. That was the only gift I longed for. Freedom to make my own choices. Freedom to love who I wanted. â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said instead. â€Å"What do you – † He stopped. He understood. He always did. It was part of why we connected like we did, in spite of the seven-year gap in our ages. We'd fallen for each other last fall when he'd been my combat instructor. As things heated up between us, we'd found we had more things to worry about than just age. We were both going to be protecting Lissa when she graduated, and we couldn't let our feelings for each other distract us when she was our priority. Of course, that was easier said than done because I didn't think our feelings for each other were ever really going to go away. We'd both had moments of weakness, moments that led to stolen kisses or saying things we really shouldn't have. After I'd escaped the Strigoi, Dimitri had told me he loved me and had pretty much admitted he could never be with anyone else because of that. Yet, it had also become clear that we still couldn't be together either, and we had both slipped back into our old roles of keeping away from each other and pretending that our relationship was strictly professional. In a not-so-obvious attempt to change the subject, he said, â€Å"You can deny it all you want, but I know you're freezing. Let's go inside. I'll take you in through the back.† I couldn't help feeling a little surprised. Dimitri was rarely one to avoid uncomfortable subjects. In fact, he was notorious for pushing me into conversations about topics I didn't want to deal with. But talking about our dysfunctional, star-crossed relationship? That was a place he apparently didn't want to go today. Yeah. Things were definitely changing. â€Å"I think you're the one who's cold,† I teased, as we walked around the side of the dorm where novice guardians lived. â€Å"Shouldn't you be all tough and stuff, since you're from Siberia?† â€Å"I don't think Siberia's exactly what you imagine.† â€Å"I imagine it as an arctic wasteland,† I said truthfully. â€Å"Then it's definitely not what you imagine.† â€Å"Do you miss it?† I asked, glancing back to where he walked behind me. It was something I'd never considered before. In my mind, everyone would want to live in the U.S. Or, well, they at least wouldn't want to live in Siberia. â€Å"All the time,† he said, his voice a little wistful. â€Å"Sometimes I wish – â€Å" â€Å"Belikov!† A voice was carried on the wind from behind us. Dimitri muttered something, and then shoved me further around the corner I'd just rounded. â€Å"Stay out of sight.† I ducked down behind a bank of holly trees that flanked the building. They didn't have any berries, but the thick clusters of sharp, pointed leaves scratched where my skin was exposed. Considering the freezing temperature and possible discovery of my late-night walk, a few scratches were the least of my problems right now. â€Å"You're not on watch,† I heard Dimitri say several moments later. â€Å"No, but I needed to talk to you.† I recognized the voice. It belonged to Alberta, captain of the Academy's guardians. â€Å"It'll just take a minute. We need to shuffle some of the watches while you're at the trial.† â€Å"I figured,† he said. There was a funny, almost uncomfortable note in his voice. â€Å"It's going to put a strain on everyone else – bad timing.† â€Å"Yes, well, the queen runs on her own schedule.† Alberta sounded frustrated, and I tried to figure out what was going on. â€Å"Celeste will take your watches, and she and Emil will divide up your training times.† Training times? Dimitri wouldn't be conducting any trainings next week because – Ah. That was it, I realized. The field experience. Tomorrow kicked off six weeks of hands-on practice for us novices. We'd have no classes and would get to protect Moroi night and day while the adults tested us. The â€Å"training times† must be when Dimitri would be out participating in that. But what was this trial she'd mentioned? Did they mean like the final trials we had to undergo at the end of the school year? â€Å"They say they don't mind the extra work,† continued Alberta, â€Å"but I was wondering if you could even things out and take some of their shifts before you leave?† â€Å"Absolutely,† he said, words still short and stiff. â€Å"Thanks. I think that'll help.† She sighed. â€Å"I wish I knew how long this trial was going to be. I don't want to be away that long. You'd think it'd be a done deal with Dashkov, but now I hear the queen's getting cold feet about imprisoning a major royal.† I stiffened. The chill running through me now had nothing to do with the winter day. Dashkov? â€Å"I'm sure they'll do the right thing,† said Dimitri. I realized at that moment why he wasn't saying much. This wasn't something I was supposed to hear. â€Å"I hope so. And I hope it'll only take a few days, like they claim. Look, it's miserable out here. Would you mind coming into the office for a second to look at the schedule?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Let me check on something first.† â€Å"All right. See you soon.† Silence fell, and I had to assume Alberta was walking away. Sure enough, Dimitri rounded the corner and stood in front of the holly. I shot up from my hiding spot. The look on his face told me he already knew what was coming. â€Å"Rose – â€Å" â€Å"Dashkov?† I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice low so Alberta wouldn't hear. â€Å"As in Victor Dashkov?† He didn't bother denying it. â€Å"Yes. Victor Dashkov.† â€Å"And you guys were talking about†¦Do you mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was so startled, so dumbstruck, that I could barely get my thoughts together. This was unbelievable. â€Å"I thought he was locked up! Are you saying he hasn't been on trial yet?† Yes. This was definitely unbelievable. Victor Dashkov. The guy who'd stalked Lissa and tortured her mind and body in order to control her powers. Every Moroi could use magic in one of the four elements: earth, air, water, or fire. Lissa, however, worked an almost unheard of fifth element called spirit. She could heal anything – including the dead. It was the reason I was now psychically linked to her – â€Å"shadow-kissed,† some called it. She'd brought me back from the car accident that had killed her parents and brother, binding us together in a way that allowed me to feel her thoughts and experiences. Victor had learned long before any of us that she could heal, and he'd wanted to lock her away and use her as his own personal Fountain of Youth. He also hadn't hesitated to kill anyone who got in his way – or, in the case of Dimitri and me, use more creative ways to stop his opponents. I'd made a lot of enemies in seventeen years, but I was pretty sure there was no one I hated as much as Victor Dashkov – at least among the living. Dimitri had a look on his face I knew well. It was the one he got when he thought I might punch someone. â€Å"He's been locked up – but no, no trial yet. Legal proceedings sometimes take a long time.† â€Å"But there's going to be a trial now? And you're going?† I spoke through clenched teeth, trying to be calm. I suspected I still had the I'm going to punch someone look on my face. â€Å"Next week. They need me and some of the other guardians to testify about what happened to you and Lissa that night.† His expression changed at the mention of what had occurred four months ago, and again, I recognized the look. It was the fierce, protective one he got when those he cared about were in danger. â€Å"Call me crazy for asking this, but, um, are Lissa and I going with you?† I had already guessed the answer, and I didn't like it. â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No.† I put my hands on my hips. â€Å"Look, doesn't it seem reasonable that if you're going to talk about what happened to us, then you should have us there?† Dimitri, fully in strict-instructor mode now, shook his head. â€Å"The queen and some of the other guardians thought it'd be best if you didn't go. There's enough evidence between the rest of us, and besides, criminal or not, he is – or was – one of the most powerful royals in the world. Those who know about this trial want to keep it quiet.† â€Å"So, what, you thought if you brought us, we'd tell everyone?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Come on, comrade. You really think we'd do that? The only thing we want is to see Victor locked up. Forever. Maybe longer. And if there's a chance he might walk free, you have to let us go.† After Victor had been caught, he'd been taken to prison, and I'd thought that was where the story had ended. I'd figured they'd locked him up to rot. It had never occurred to me – though it should have – that he'd need a trial first. At the time, his crimes had seemed so obvious. But, although the Moroi government was secret and separate from the human one, it operated in a lot of the same ways. Due process and all that. â€Å"It's not my decision to make,† Dimitri said. â€Å"But you have influence. You could speak up for us, especially if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some of my anger dimmed just a little, replaced by a sudden and startling fear. I almost couldn't say the next words. â€Å"Especially if there really is a chance he might get off. Is there? Is there really a chance the queen could let him go?† â€Å"I don't know. There's no telling what she or some of the other high-up royals will do sometimes.† He suddenly looked tired. He reached into his pocket and tossed over a set of keys. â€Å"Look, I know you're upset, but we can't talk about it now. I have to go meet Alberta, and you need to get inside. The square key will let you in the far side door. You know the one.† I did. â€Å"Yeah. Thanks.† I was sulking and hated to be that way – especially since he was saving me from getting in trouble – but I couldn't help it. Victor Dashkov was a criminal – a villain, even. He was power-hungry and greedy and didn't care who he stepped on to get his way. If he were loose again†¦well, there was no telling what might happen to Lissa or any other Moroi. It enraged me to think that I could do something to help put him away but that no one would let me do it. I'd taken a few steps forward when Dimitri called out from behind me. â€Å"Rose?† I glanced back. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said. He paused, and his expression of regret turned wary. â€Å"And you'd better bring the keys back tomorrow.† I turned away and kept going. It was probably unfair, but some childish part of me believed Dimitri could do anything. If he'd really wanted to get Lissa and me to the trial, I was certain he could have. When I was almost to the side door, I caught movement in my peripheral vision. My mood plummeted. Great. Dimitri had given me keys to sneak back in, and now someone else had busted me. That was typical of my luck. Half-expecting a teacher to demand to know what I was doing, I turned and prepared an excuse. But it wasn't a teacher. â€Å"No,† I said softly. This had to be a trick. â€Å"No.† For half an instant, I wondered if I'd ever really woken up. Maybe I was actually still in bed, asleep and dreaming. Because surely, surely that was the only explanation for what I was now seeing in front of me on the Academy's lawn, lurking in the shadow of an ancient, gnarled oak. It was Mason.

Consumer Culture in the Twenty First Century Essay

Consumer Culture plays a significant role in our everyday lives. The articles In Praise of Consumerism and Needing The Unnecessary; The Democratization of Luxury by James Twitchell show strong arguments in favour of consumer culture. Both articles focus on how important consumerism has become in the modern commercial world and how more people wealthy or middle class are buying luxury items to be accepted by others in society. People in today’s society who buy luxury items find it â€Å"arousal seeking† and it is believed that consumerism will soon be the new world culture. These two articles show similar views on consumerism and hold valid information in favour of consumer culture. Korten shows that the transition from an Empire to Earth Community would be alot easier without the increase in consumerism in the 21st century. James Twitchell wrote an article In Praise of Consumerism about how consumerism is a significant part of everyday life. Commercialism is in practically everything that we encounter on a day to day basis. It is in the water we swim in, the air we breathe, our sunlight and shade. In our society you can’t consume an object without consuming meaning which is a major part of the modern commercial world. People like having things and it has come down to the quality and quantity of what you have as to how you are perceived by others in society. Twitchell states in his article that the American Century will be the next era and that it will likely be the commandeer of the 21st century. So basically American culture is well on its way to being recognized and used by cultures all over the world. It will soon be the new world culture. Korten states that the United States has been the world’s most aggressive national proponent of economic growth and consumerism as the tickets to happiness; however what did clearly increase in the United States over this period were measures of depression, anxiety, distrust and psychological dysfunction. Although this article focuses on consumerism being a positive development for the 21st century, Korten shows that along with consumerism comes many personal and social issues. In the article Needing The Unnecessary: The Democratization of Luxury he talks about how consumerism has changed from the 1950s to the twenty first century. In the 1950’s the wealthy upper class people were the ones who had  the luxury items and they could flaunt what they had. But if you were a middle class person who had luxury items you had to be very subtle about it. If you flaunted what you had you were frowned upon by other people in society because luxury items were lightly tainted with shame. In the 21st century it is completely the opposite. Since the 1980’s more middle class people have been buying more luxury items as opposed to the wealthy. Alot of people are buying things they can’t afford with money they don’t have by using credit cards, loans, mortgages and cash advances. This allows more middle class people to buy more luxury items as opposed to wealthy people, but this doesn’t mean they can actually afford it which in time can cau se many more problems. According to Twitchell to understand the material culture in the beginning of the 21st century, you have to understand the high importance of unnecessary material. It is believed that you are what you consume and practically everything you consume is not needed. Consumer culture focuses on community. People regardless of their class are buying more luxury items to look cool and also to be admired and welcomed by others of the same lifestyles. Earth Community offers an alternative to the alienation and the sorrows of Empire, a way of living that places life values ahead of financial principles of domination. Korten shows that in an Earth Community you don’t need luxury items to be accepted by society. Consumerism focuses on providing society with its unnecessary and necessary needs. Twitchell believes that in this post modern world we have replaced the knowledge of production with the knowledge of consumption. To justify this way of thinking many people feel that nowadays not everyone is a worker but everyone is a consumer. So why not focus on educating society on the area that will be useful for all. Twitchell believes that what you buy becomes more important than what you make therefore luxury is not a goal, it is a necessity. Twitchell believes that Humans are consumers by nature. Consuming luxury has gone from telic (arousal reducing) to paratelic (arousal seeking). Consumerism provides individuals with a temporary â€Å"high on life†. Buying new things makes them feel momentarily happy, powerful and superior. These are all good feelings however they don’t last and many people who don’t have the resources to buy luxury items are buying them. This creates  for them debt, stress, frustration and competitiveness. Those who can’t afford these luxury items show resentment for the ones who can. This causes tension in society and can create an Empire where people are competitive and hostile. The golden rule of Earth Community is do unto your neighbours as you would have your neighbour do unto you as you work together to create a better life for all. Consumerism is focused towards making individuals happy as opposed to everyone. Those people who can’t afford to have the nice things are forced to live with daily reminders through advertisements of things they want but cannot have. Consumerism doesn’t create a better life for all but creates one for those who can afford it. Consumers are fully aware that they are more interested in consuming appearances rather than the object. They enjoy the status that surrounds the objects they buy/own. Korten’s concept of Earth Community is in favour of creating relationships and developing communities by bringing people together. Twitchell makes a good argument showing how consumerism has brought people together. People can now blend into society by simply buying the latest fashions and are no longer being excluded due to their ethnicity, social status, family name, language or religion. High-end items are decreasing the past social restrictions for the 21st century. Twithcell states that high-end consumption promises to do exactly what critics of stuff have always yearned from namely, to bring us together, often traumatically. The transgenerational poor are excluded, as the bottom fifth of our population has not budged an inch in the luxe explosion. Yet more people than ever are entering the much-vaunted global village because of consumption, not despite it. Consumerism is allowing for most people similarities that connect them together and eliminate the previous gaps between social classes. Korten states that relationships, not money are the true measure of well-being. What matters most is our connection to and participation in the life of community. If we were to define human progress by the measure of human happiness we would devote far less of our resources to making money and far more to building community. Korten shows that relationships are more important than money and Twitchell shows that consumerism can help build relationships. As a supporter of David Korten’s concept of Earth Community consumerism makes people more interested in material possessions than community. Consumerism does have some good affects on the community but it restricts people moving away from an Empire towards an Earth Community. If people weren’t so busy trying to get the things they desired they would focus more on meaningful relationships. Korten shows that people who have lots of money are just as happy as people who don’t. When surrounded in a caring community money makes little difference in regards to happiness. Twitchell makes an interesting argument in favour of consumerism and shows that consumerism has an ability to fade the lines between social classes. Consumerism still ignores the extremely poor; however, it can create a larger community of middle and upper class. Works Cited Look Smart; In Praise of Consumerism. James B. Twitchell, Online Edition. Look Smart; Needing the Unnecessary: The Democratization of Luxury. James B. Twitchell, Online Edition. Berrett-Koehler Publishers; The Great Turning from Empire to Earth Community. David C. Korten, San Francisco, CA

Many of the characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ are lonely Essay

Describe the reasons for their loneliness and explore the different ways they seek comfort. Many of the characters in the novel ‘of Mice and Men’ are lonely because they grew up in an unurturing and unfriendly environment. The reason for this type of negative and depressing attitude is due to the ‘Great Wall Street Crash’. This tormenting economic crash took place at the same time when the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is set, in the year 1929. Families fell apart as the men were forced to leave behind their roots, and seek employment on ranches in order to bring back stability in their lives again. Relationships were never formed on these ranches as no one had any time nor interest in trying to communicate and bond with the other ranch hands or other residents. The only object the ranchers were attracted to was making money and moving on, therefore there was no stability. Tragically, vast amounts of people committed suicide, as they could not bear to live their lives recounting all their losses. Coincidentally the meaning of the town Soledad is ‘our lady of loneliness’. Loneliness is a spreading disease, which has the power to make the most cheerful people dull and gloomy as they begin to feel isolated. There is no direct cure for loneliness; therefore no one knows how to deal with it. This is the stage where the effected people begin to split into two distinctive groups depending on each individual’s character; the two groups are known as introverts and extroverts. The people that are catogrised in the introvert group suffer the most as they keep all their emotions locked up inside, leading in them taking their anger out on themselves. Whereas the extrovert group has a completely different way of approaching loneliness, they begin to take their anger out on other people in such ways as being aggressive and flirtatious to overcome their feelings. There is a vast comparison between the two groups; if you look at it between characters, which are extroverts and introverts, at one extreme you have Crooks a Negro who is partially crippled, and then you have Curley, a cruel, insensitive extrovert. All humans need to be comforted at the time of need as this is the human desire, therefore, it is not surprising that the characters in this novel also require comfort. Some characters similar to Crooks need friendship-based relationships so that they can communicate with other people. Other characters similar to George and Lennie have their future dream to look forward to and work towards that is their target. The definition of a dream is: ‘Dream n. Train of thoughts, images, or fancies passing through mind during sleep; Conscious indulgence of fancy, reverie, thing of dream-like beauty, charm, goodness, etc.’ (Taken from the Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary, Third Edition) A dream is something you indulge in, to escape momentarily from life. This seems to be the context that John Steinbeck intended his characters in Of Mice and Men to dream in. They are all craving for something – in the case of George and Lennie, that something is land. All the dreams in this novel are similar to the Great American Dream, which is that you can achieve anything if you have the mind and desire to do it. However, most of the characters who have dreams know that their dreams may never become reality, but never the less it still provides comfort for them. Crooks is partially crippled, ‘his body was bent over to the left by his crooked spine’, yet self-dependant Negro, he too is very lonely. Crooks’s personality is quite interesting, as he is very defensive and protective of himself: ‘He kept his distance and demanded that others kept theirs.’ Crooks is very cautious about those who approach him, this is as he does not want to be in any more pain than he already is; he is frightened that someone will not only hurt him physically but harm him mentally as well. He is fully aware of his rights, he knows the limitations of what he is allowed to do and what he has not got the right to do. Crooks is lonely as he has not got anyone to talk to due to the colour of his skin, he does not even know how to act around other guys. All he spends his time doing is reading the ‘battered magazines and dirty books’ which were scattered all around his bunk: â€Å"Books ain’t no good, a guy needs somebody – to be near him†¦A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Later on in the chapter we realise that all Crooks is longing for is companionship, however, it is evident to see that Crooks is a bad communicator: â€Å"You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.† Crooks reacts angrily, his anger is and pride is a defense against the harsh treatment he has been subjected to and experienced for most of his years in life. He has been held back without any real conversation for an eminent amount of time, therefore leading to his language being unwelcoming as it is aggressive and defensive. Loneliness has had a negative effect on Crooks as it has made him verbally aggressive and very protective of what is his and his right. In chapter 4, John Steinbeck does a role reverse, instead of a white man tormenting a Negro, a Negro torments a white man, in this case Lennie. Crooks took a lot of pleasure in torturing Lennie the night George went into town, he had pleasure form teasing Lennie by suggesting that George would not bother to return as he better off without the presence of Lennie: â€Å"I said s’pose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more†¦Just s’pose that.† Crooks enjoys having the power over Lennie, he uses persuasive and manipulative language to prove his point, for once in all the time on the ranch he has an advantage over a white man. This inspires him, Crooks is feeling good at this point; he feels self-assured as though he can take on anything: â€Å"†¦Now you jus’ get on out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.† Crooks builds up his confidence to such an extent that he forgets his status on the social hierarchy. However, Curley’s wife coldly reminds Crooks of his unsuccessful position as a black man; a ‘nigger’: â€Å"Well, you keep your place here nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easily it ain’t even funny.† This racist statement reminds Crooks of his old self, leading to him remembering that he has ‘reduced himself to nothing’, he ‘pressed his body against the wall’, in shame. Crooks achieves comfort from remembering his childhood; Crooks came from a background full of love and care for each other, he knows what the true value of companionship is: â€Å"I remember when I was a little kid on my old man’s chicken ranch. Had two brothers. They were always near me, always there.† Crooks past childhood is full of affection and love in contrast to Crooks now, an isolated and lonely man who is referred to as a ‘nigger’. Crooks is in vast emotional pain as he knows what he is missing out on, however, some people may argue that he is actually quite advantaged as at least he has old memories to refer back to. Crooks also gets comfort from asking to be allowed to join the dream, which George, Lennie and Crooks hold: â€Å"If you would want a hand to work for nothing- just his keep, why I’d come and lend a hand.† Crooks wants things to go back to as he was a child, he wants to revisit the happy days of his life that are now just a vague memory to him. Crooks knows that the only way he can do this is by joining the dream that George, Lennie and Crooks share. However, Crooks soon finds out when George rejects him from sharing the dream that he is destined to be an old isolated Negro. George Milton is one of the main characters in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, he is quiet, modest and clearly a good worker. George is considered as one of the fortunate characters in this particular novel, this is as he atleast had a chance to experience the true value of companionship and unconditional value with his best friend Lennie Small. His companionship with Lennie ‘staves of loneliness’, as well as giving George a role in life; a clear task to look after Lennie. It is evident to see that at the beginning of the novel George feels superior with this role as it gives him a sense of power over Lennie: â€Å" â€Å" George has learnt vastly from his past experiences with Lennie; this allows George to have a two-way relationship with Lennie, one that of a best friend, and another that of a parent. George feels a sense of duty and responsibility towards Lennie as a parent: â€Å"Don’t really seem to be running, though. You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie.† However, as the novel progresses George begins to realise what companionship is, ‘we kinda look after each other’, now this role simply makes George feel different from the rest of the ranch hands as it entitles him to a status. Nevertheless, George still recognises that he is still lonely, despite having a companion, it may be more discrete than others may, but he is still lonely. George and Lennie do not interact on an intellectual level; Slim describes George as a ‘smart little guy’, where as Lennie is described by George as ‘dumb as hell’; therefore the comparison on their intellect is eminent. At times George thinks he is talking to himself, as Lennie never really responds to his questions. Therefore Lennie can never really understand George emotionally or physically. George seeks comfort by the companionship with Lennie, they both look out for each other: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world’†¦ Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦because I got you to look after me, And you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† George relies on his companionship with Lennie to get through the unurturing and unfriendly environment of Soledad: â€Å"†¦it’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know’ George values and treasures his special relationship with Lennie, he loves him so much that he can even sacrifice him for Lennie’s own benefit. George also seeks comfort by his simple dream, he wants him and Lennie to have land of their own, and they want to be their own managers and look after each other until they grow old: â€Å"Some day-we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres†¦when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work, and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof†¦Ã¢â‚¬  George’s dream, although extremely similar to Lennie’s, is probably more detailed and complicated. Lennie due to his child-like mentality only thinks as far as ‘tendin’ the rabbits’, whereas George assesses the situation by asking himself if they have got enough money, or when will they be able to achieve the dream, before accepting the dream to become reality. George had made it perfectly clear that the dream that he and Lennie share will only become successful if they both achieve it: â€Å"†¦I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.† George realised that he just got carried away, he knew from the start that the dream was unattainable; all dreams are unattainable in Soledad, as it is such a disturbing environment. Curley’s wife is possibly the loneliest of all characters in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’, throughout the beginning of the novel John Steinbeck gives the readers the impression that Curley’s wife is a ‘tart’: ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe so that her body was thrown forward’ She is portrayed as tarty through her provocative appearance and flirtatious actions. John Steinbeck deliberately does not give her a name, she is only known as Curley’s wife; therefore a possession of Curley. Curley’s wife has been forced to recognise that her sexuality is the only weapon, the only thing that will ever get her noticed: ‘She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up’ This is mainly the reason for why she is dressed in a sexually provocative manner throughout the novel. Curley’s wife’s complaints of loneliness are likely to be sincere, yet she presents them in a manipulative manner that reduces any sympathy for the character. Her ‘craving for contact is immense’, she is longing for someone to have a conversation with her: â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awfully lonely.† However, it seems that everyone is ‘incapable’ of having a faithful conversation with her without it including any ‘sexual content’. John Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife, as so desperate that to experience the true value of a relationship that she would do anything to obtain it: ‘If anyone- a man or a woman- ever gave her a break- treated her like a person- she would be a slave to that person.’ Curley’s wife is prepared to carry out any instructions, or meet any demands for anyone that would for once be able to trust her and become her friend, she would do it to such an extent that she would even follow them as if she was enslaved to them. Curley’s wife has a different type of dream from George and Lennie’s; instead of having something to call her own, she wants fame, fortune and respect: â€Å"Coulda been in the movies, an’ had clothes- all of them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me†¦Because this guy says I was a natural.† Curley’s wife’s dream allows her to escape from her tormenting controlled life and seek comfort from what in her point of view could have happened. Curley’s wife is vulnerable, and innocent, she shows her humanity by consoling in Lennie. However, Curley’s wife seems to have a deep regret that she did not take up either of the men on their offers: â€Å"If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet.† Curley’s wife’s vulnerability shows the most at this point, she is so desperate to get away from her usual lifestyle that she takes the words of a complete stranger to be equivalent of that of a gospel: â€Å"He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural.† Curley’s wife’s dream was shattered when the letter that she was waiting for never came, coldly she blamed her mother, accusing her of ‘stealing the letter’. It is understandable that there never was going to be a letter, the men were just taking advantage of the poor innocent girl. Curley’s wife married Curley on impulse; her hasty marriage to Curley proves to be a failed attempt to escape from her own spiral of loneliness, however, it is now that she has come to realise that what she did was immoral; she feels more trapped now then she ever did: â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.† Curley’s failure to satisfy his wife both emotionally and physically is another reason why Curley’s wife is so lonely and has so much hatred built up towards him. When Lennie kills Curley’s wife in Chapter 5, John Steinbeck offers the readers a disturbing image. He describes her with more life and vitality as a corpse than he did as a living character, her ‘rouged cheeks’ and ‘reddened lips’ now after her death give her the appearance of life. In death the ‘meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention’ have gone from her face. This represents John Steinbeck’s first concrete praise for Curley’s wife; he writes for the first time that she appears ‘pretty’ and ‘simple’, a more commendable character as a corpse than as a living human being, as she is not her manipulative self. Therefore, concluding that in a way, some may say that Curley’s wife has achieved her dream as she won her innocence back. Loneliness is a major theme in the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. It is only the two characters George and Lennie who stave of it by their relationship. However, the disadvantaged characters are the ones who suffer the most, it embitters Candy and Crooks, moreover, it kills Curley’s wife. John Steinbeck describes loneliness as part of a human condition in this particular novel, it is something we as humans are born with leading it to be either something we fight or succumb to all our lives: â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world’†¦ Lennie broke in. ‘But not us! Because†¦because I got you to look after me, And you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† However, throughout the novel John Steinbeck does not offer any answers to get rid of loneliness, it only shows how different characters deal with this problem differently.

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Roald Dahl Essay

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf by Roald Dahl - Essay Example Roald Dahl takes this story and narrates it in his own way. According to Dahl, the wolf after feeling hungry, reached grandma’s door and after knocking, ate her up. However, he was still hungry due to which, he waited took the clothes of grandma and posed to be her. But in this story, Dahl not only saves the little girl but also kills the wolf with the hands of the little girl. Lastly, the girl is shown wearing a furry coat of the wolf’s skin, leaving her red hood and cloak (Orrell & Jones, 2004). The most significant change that the writer makes to the traditional tale is modernizing the tale by giving the little girl a pistol and showing her interest in the wolf’s skin for her coat. There are many other changes such as there is no introduction as to the mother of Little Red Riding Hood, she was out of grandma’s house for a walk in the forest. At reaching the juncture where the girl asks the wolf about his big teeth, she omits this question on which, the wolf gets upset and tells her that he would eat her even then. This upsetting of the wolf and then the girl’s whipping a pistol from her knickers and finally shooting the wolf with a â€Å"bang bang bang†, everything is quite humorous and adds color to the story. In the traditional tale, the wolf not only kills the grandma but also the little girl giving a moralistic ending while in the modern tale, there is comedy and indication of the intelligence that human beings keep. The message that is hidden in the newly developed Little Red Riding Hood is that human beings whether they are young or old can make use of even the wildest creatures for their own benefit. In addition, this message can also be taken from the story that nowadays, the little children are not as innocent as the Red Riding Hood of the old times was. Today’s children are much sharp and smart and know how to defend themselves. However, the grandma’s gets eaten by the wolf because of her negl igible resistance power and her age. The little girl is no more coward, she is intimidating for those who are troublesome for her. In Dahl’s story, wolf was himself aware of the grandma’s house and did not ask it while in the traditional tale, the address was asked technically from the little innocent child who gave the address explicitly. The wolf also prepared to be grandma by combing and curling his hair, putting on grandma’s shoes and his clothing along with hat while in the traditional tale, the wolf just got into the grandma’s bedding. The little Red Riding Hood of the traditional tale is unable to identify the wolf in her grandma’s bed due to which, she becomes the wolf’s eatable while in the modern tale, the little child after asking only two questions, identifies the wolf from his furry and hairy skin and also finds some interest in him as her future coat. After recognizing his proposition, she at once, draws her pistol to shoot the wild animal at his head. The girl is also shown skilled at using the pistol as she not only fires it but fires it perfectly in the head of the wolf. Her fire does not go useless as she successfully kills the wolf. Even the girl changes her outfit by showing that the old outfit was silly and new one is furry and lovely. After noticing a lot many changes in the newly written story by Roald Dahl, it is quite clear that the little Red Ridi

HCM367-0801B-01 The Health Care Organization - Phase 1 Individual Essay

HCM367-0801B-01 The Health Care Organization - Phase 1 Individual Project - Essay Example We have managed to tackle the hurdle of offering better health care at affordable prices to our beneficiaries. Our associates and staff are working relentlessly on the guiding principles set by the Senior Leaders of VPP and VH. Over the period of time, we have been able to develop a strong network of physicians, business owners, health care suppliers and beneficiaries. Now, we need to think ahead and bring some transitions by bringing technological support and integration of VH and VPP for changing times. We need to redesign some of our business plans and health care delivery system without harming the core values of the organization. Health care industry is amongst world’s most advanced sectors, both, scientifically and technologically. Advancement in technologies provides long term benefits for our beneficiaries, associates and us. At the level of care delivery, the technological support can built better patient management plans - Evidence based medicine. It will also support us in promoting better health and decreasing mortality rates. With the help of technological support, we can venture into clinical venues by bringing changes in physician practice, ER Department and Other Departmental requirements and long term care. The technological support can help in sustaining the Revenue Cycle at better pace by Audits at regular terms, access to patients’ financial management and accounts receivable. (2). The success of VPP and VH is due to the outstanding business planning of the senior leaders and also the staff and associates. In this changing time, we need to develop ‘Participative Management’. In the words of John Schuyler, â€Å"A culture of trust where there is ready access to information needed to do one’s job; not necessarily all company information, but sufficient for employees to gauge company performance.† (3) The dynamic role of CEO and CFO will be to initiate and evaluate effectiveness of participative management. Other Senior

Effects on Wealth in Lopburi Province Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Effects on Wealth in Lopburi Province - Essay Example Disparities occur when some areas experience rapid development and progress but some areas do not. Thus, the under-developed area has to experience a significantly lower standard of living. In recent years, there have been many international organizations and trading blocs that have become the main source of support and aid in the development of the economy. This paper is dedicated to research the effectiveness in the reduction of disparities in wealth that the operation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) organization provides to Thailand. This is a country where there are significant disparities between standards of living. The GINI coefficient index in 2009 showed that 42.6% of Thai people had a lower standard of living compared to 36% in the UK1. This interested me about what has been done to reduce this global issue. In order to find out how beneficial the scheme of the ASEAN Free Trade Area is, I chose to focus on the local scale of exports of agricultural products produced and traded in a local province of Thailand. I decided upon Lopburi, which is a province the central part of the country. I will begin by giving an overview of the principles of ASEAN and AFTA. Next, I will move to an analysis of the Thai economy. Finally, I will prove the benefits it provides to the farmers, especially those who live in Lopburi, by analyzing the statistical social and economic information on the reduction of disparities in income.

Freedom of Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Freedom of Religion - Essay Example The research paper investigates the stand of the judicial system of the US and the federal government in the interpretation of the free exercise clause when confronted with different aspects of the freedom of religion as enshrined in the US Constitution. The Free exercise clause explicitly prohibits the US government from interfering with the religious choice of each individual. The Clause also bars the US government from invading various religious practices that do not pose security threats to the country. The free exercise clause forbids the US government from forceful recruitment of citizens into particular fields believed to contradict individuals’ religious standing. The clause further allows individuals to make their own decisions and choices regarding the type of religions in which they desire to belong. The Supreme Court of the US applied the principles of the free exercise clause to grant the Amish community the request of terminating the education of their children a t the eighth grade of education. The Amish in their status felt satisfied and tended to derecognize the needs for furthering the education of their children. In this case, the Amish community was granted request on the basis of their religion, which deemed it unfair for states to sponsor their children’s education while they were economically stable. The Free Exercise Clause also accredits parents the right to choose and decide on the appropriate schools that comply with their individual religious beliefs.

Portfolio 2500 words Gymnastics-outdoor activities-Dance Essay

Portfolio 2500 words Gymnastics-outdoor activities-Dance - Essay Example This was a challenge for me, as it took both thought and action. But once I honed in on a plan, I was able to successfully and consistently do a cartwheel. I even had to make the cartwheel more difficult, by incorporating it into a routine and also training on a variety of terrains. Outdoor and Adventurous Activities embodies and expands upon my cartwheel example by using physical activity to promote learning, health, and a positive self-image. There are a variety of other resources that use dance to promote education, like a professional dance team, the American Dance Therapy Association, and the Interdisciplinary Learning Through Dance curriculum. Performing a cartwheel requires a certain level of strength, dexterity, and skill. It is seen as a basic tenant of gymnastics, the foundation for more complicated moves. Given the proper training, I think most people could perform a cartwheel. But receiving proper training is not always easy. The technique involved in performing a cartwhe el is not all obvious, so for a first timer it is often necessary to be under some instruction. Even for people who are able to do a cartwheel, being trained by someone more skilled can improve their form. Of course, not every can have a trainer at all times, so often we must depend on the information we can find ourselves to aid our cause. I wanted to look into a variety of ways to do cartwheels, so I found three different learning methods and tested them out. The first method, found on Cheerleading.about.com, was somewhat vague. The sum of the instructional part is, â€Å"stand in a lunge, knee bent slightly, arms up by your ears†¦reach forward with your right arm, kicking your left leg up†¦ the left hand should follow†¦ as it touches the ground, your right let should be off the ground also.† While there were some additional tips, the article concluded by saying the best way was to go to a gym and get professional help. While it seemed simple enough, I wasnâ €™t able to do a cartwheel with this resource’s instructions alone. This article lacked depth, and seemed more of a definition of a cartwheel than an explanation of how to do one. The next article I found on the subject, on the Robbins Sports Blog, was much more helpful. Rather than just explain doing a cartwheel as the limb movements, this article touched on the subtleties that make a cartwheel work. It establishes the lead foot and starting positioning, then tells you to â€Å"put your weight on your back foot and point your toes on your lead food. Rock back on your back leg; then lunge forward into your front foot. Your front leg will bend, but your body should form a straight line with your back leg, body, and arms.† I found this to be a much more descriptive instructional segment for the beginning of the cartwheel. The article then explains the continuation of process, including bringing your arms to the ground, turning your body, placing your hands on the gro und, and then pushing with your back leg to bring your body airborne. It even adds that a clean cartwheel should end with the body in the mirror image of the starting position. Even with the main description of the cartwheel explained, from starting position to what you should end up like, the article included additional tips. It suggested drawing a line on the ground to ensure you move in a straight line. It also added â€Å"your arms and legs should be completely extended.† One piece of additional advice I found especially

Data Mining Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Data Mining Questions - Essay Example These searches contain documents, information about documents, data about data, text, audio, images and etc. Like information retrieval, data mining also involves gathering information. With data mining query, it is inquiries on trends on the information gathered from large databases or large amount of data. Data mining query uses software or web analysis services in sorting through large data and picking pieces of relative information to show patterns or relationships that are embedded, waiting to be discovered and possibly constructive. A database's performance is measured according to its design, effectiveness when used to inquire 'information', constantly updated and of course the amount of data available for which it was constructed for. Metric measures of performance are available to quantify the effectiveness of the information retrieval. These are precision, recall, F-measure and Mean-average precision. Precision is the proportion of the relevant documents to all documents retrieved and recall is the proportion of relevant documents that are retrieved to all relevant documents available. ... A database's performance is measured according to its design, effectiveness when used to inquire 'information', constantly updated and of course the amount of data available for which it was constructed for. Metric measures of performance are available to quantify the effectiveness of the information retrieval. These are precision, recall, F-measure and Mean-average precision. Precision is the proportion of the relevant documents to all documents retrieved and recall is the proportion of relevant documents that are retrieved to all relevant documents available. Consecutively, F-measure is the weighted harmonic mean of precision and recall and the mean average precision; where average precision refers to the average of the precision after each relevant document is retrieved. For data mining query, its measure of performance can be measured in the exactness of the outcome of the data mining to the intended inquiry and if there other possible usable discoveries produced in that query. 3.) Clearly explain the concept of summarization with an example. Reference: Wikipedia, Online Free Encyclopedia Data mining is centered on determining patterns from data. Queries often lead to a collection of patterns which can be regarded as a summary of data. Since pattern collections summarizing the data are often very large, it is then difficult to summarize pattern collections. Some of the proposed and studied methods of summarizing pattern collections are: 1) Quality value simplifications. 2) Pattern orderings. 3) Pattern chains and antichains. 4) Change profiles. 5) Inverse pattern discovery. For quality value simplifications, pattern collections are

UK Music Retailers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

UK Music Retailers - Assignment Example Businesses operating in any industry are bound to experience changing fortunes in so far as trade is concerned. There are several forces that play in the economy thus influencing the fate of each of the entities in a given sector. With this in mind, it is the sole responsibility for individual business organizations to examine factors within their environment and identify the interventions to keep it competitive. I further use interaction matrix to analyze how the business has changed over time. Finally, I conclude by comparing two players in this music sector and offer some appropriate recommendations. Just like in any other economy of the world, the UK economy also suffers from quite a number of challenges. Being an important component of the economy, UK retailers have not been spared from the difficult moments that occasionally characterize the economy. Therefore, some traditional UK retailers such as music retailers who deal with the selling of music CD and VCD have been critically affected. In the past few years, some famous music retailers went bankrupt one after another. Cases in point include the Towers, KPS, and Virgin. Whilst some of the aforementioned retailers were troubled by the market changes, the likes of Find-CD, which is an online music company, were flourishing (Traynor, 2013). According to the findings of Traynor (2013) in his research, nearly 140 music retailers are prone to the perilous economic period in the near future. A case in point is the HMV music retailer. HMV is credited for having been one of the longest-serving players in the music industry with a history of music retailing of approximately 91 years. It deals with the sale of CDs/DVDs containing music, movies, or video games.  

Ethics and Values Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics and Values - Case Study Example Confidentiality is an imperative standard in nursing ethics; however it might be overruled in certain situations. Generally, revelation of confidential information with the consent of the patient is not deemed to be a violation of confidentiality. However, the quandaries of safeguarding confidentially occur in those circumstances when the patient does not provide the approval to disclose. In such cases, the ethics of confidentiality clashes with a rationale of harm prevention (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, & Bower, 1998). Case in Question: Application of Ethical Theories and Principles The case under discussion presents a quandary in terms of maintenance of confidentiality and prevention of harm to the patient. In such a situation, on one hand the physician owes the obligation of confidentiality and on the other he has to shelter the patient from harm. Since the patient belongs to a culture where the males make the decisions regarding health care, the physician should try to persuade the patient about the necessity of disclosure of her disease to her family. If in case, the patient does not agree for the disclosure, the physician would have no other option than to disclose the matter to the patient’s family. ... The ethical theories and decision-making models attempt to characterize the boundaries of morally satisfactory actions and clarify the guiding principles for making resolutions within those boundaries. The two most common approaches in the process of ethical decision making are the utilitarianism theory and the deontological theory. The utilitarianism theory also known as the ‘consequentialism’ was formulated by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. This theory characterizes the ethical goodness of acts by their outcomes (Jamieson, Smart, and Williams, 1973).  The utilitarianism theory differentiates between good and bad act on the basis of the contentment produced by the outcomes of the acts. According to this theory those acts are considered to be correct that generate maximum contentment for the utmost number of people. Thus, the utilitarianism theory prescribes that, once in a while, certain good be forgone for the overall good of larger number of people. The deonto logical theory is often referred to as the theory of duties and was formulated by Immanuel Kant. This theory differentiates between right and wrong by accentuating on the observance of duty as the chief indicator of moral rightness (Frankena, 1973).  The actions and behaviors are considered to be right or wrong on the basis of the intentions behind those actions and not by the end results. Thus, as opposed to exploring the outcomes of actions as in the case of utilitarianism theory, as per the deontological theory the selection of the act is examined. The belief of respect for another individual is intensely entrenched in the deontological theory, which results in the notion

Law AS - causation model answer Essay Example for Free

Law AS causation model answer Essay There are two types of causation which are necessary to establish criminal liability. These are factual causation and cause in law (also known as legal causation). Factual causation means that the defendant can only be found guilty if the consequence would not have happened ‘but for’ the defendant’s conduct. This was seen in the case of Pagett (1982). Similarly, a defendant cannot be found guilty if the victim’s death was unrelated to the defendant’s actions (as in White, 1910). Legal causation, where the actions of D must be found to have caused the consequence, can be established as long as the ‘chain of causation’ (between the act and the consequence) has not been broken. There are a number of ways in which this chain can be broken,: Firstly, through the act of a third party, an example of which is medical treatment that is deemed to be ‘palpably wrong’ such as that seen in Jordan (1956); Secondly, where the victim’s own act is so daft as to not be reasonably expected, as seen in Williams (1992); Finally, as a result of a natural but unpredictable event, such as a flood or an earthquake. Despite external factors, the chain of causation is not deemed to have been broken as long as the D’s actions are more than a ‘minimal’ cause of the consequence. Similarly, the defendant must also take the defendant as they find them. This is known as the ‘thin skull rule’ (as seen in Blaue 1975), meaning that there is legal causation even if D’s actions would not have caused those consequences in a regular or normal person.

The continued discrimination against homosexuals

The continued discrimination against homosexuals Homosexuality is very common in society. However many individuals still discriminate against them. Their prejudgments are based on stereotypes, and lack of information. Due to our social perception, people who are different from them is deem to be threatening. In this report, discrimination against homosexuals will be discussed, with facts, different supporting examples and cases from Singapore and the United States, with Singapore being the more traditionally conservative one. Ways to reduce discriminations against them is also mentioned and explored. The issue and who are involved? We can fall in love, but why cant they? Homosexuality is romantic and/or sexual attraction or behavior among members of the same sex or gender, making up around 10% of the population. Sadly, they continue to be one of the least protected by the government and discriminated against by the society. Homosexuality was categorized as a mental disorder until 1973. The words gay and lesbian are used to refer to homosexual men and women and bisexual refers to those that are attracted to both men and women. Brief History on Homosexuals in Singapore In 1960s, Homosexuality was categorized as a condition in a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Before enlistment, all enlistees would undergo a medical checkup and asked to declare their homosexuality status. Those declared will be downgraded to a Public Employment Status of 3 and were assigned to be clerks. In 1998, Senior Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew , live on CNN International, said, what we are doing as a government is to leave people to live their own lives so long as they dont impinge on other people. I mean, we dont harass anybody. these words helped set the tenor for official policy on homosexuality for many years. His comments is said to be one of the most significant events relating to gay rights. Before 2003, homosexuals were forbidden from being employed in sensitive positions in the Singapore Civil Service. Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong abolished this in a widely publicized statement. In 2006, Liberty League, an organization that promotes gender and sexual health for the individual, family and society, was granted $100,000. Brief History on Homosexuals in the US After W.W.11, thousands of homosexuals were dishonorably fired from the armed services and jobs, due to public display of homosexuality, and were ostracized from families and communities. In early 1953, homosexuality became by a necessary and sufficient reason fire any federal employee from ones job. In the 1970s, in some cities, anti- discrimination for homosexual laws was placed. California had its first openly gay elected official; Harvey Milk. Compared to Singapore, the US has a richer and more open homosexuality culture. In recent years, the US has slowly begun acceptance for homosexuality. Several television programs with elements of homosexuality, Will and Grace, Glee, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Greys Anatomy were aired. As the popularity of these shows increases, the gay community is closer to acceptance and justice by the society. They have gay pride parades and homosexual marriages supported by many areas of US, unlike Singapore. Discrimination against Homosexuals With the laws placed and the better recognition of the homosexual community, the situation in both countries seems favorable. However, homosexuals still face rampant stereotypes from the world and may worsen if deeper understanding of homosexuals is not being promoted and measures are not taken. This topic has been chosen because this is a very important issue in this society, and feels that they should have the same rights as heterosexuals. There have been many incidents of bullying and victimizing homosexuals that led to deaths in the US. Many have gone into depression. These should not be tolerated and something has to be done. Homosexuals do not come out for many reasons, the most common being that they are uncomfortable to declare to any society that is perceived to be homophobic. Negative stereotyping is often a result of homophobia, which refers to an irrational fear, prejudice or discrimination towards homosexuals, and can be name-calling and teasing to serious crimes like assault and murder. Positive stereotypes, or counter-types, also exist but may be no less harmful, as they are still oversimplified views of the group being stereotyped. Some examples of the common stereotypes that gays are described to be expressing too much of his feelings, very vulnerable and sensitive, likes touching himself and other people. They are also stereotyped to love talking about feminine things; the use of cosmetics, very concerned with their lips, skin and hair protections. Why this prejudice and discrimination affect society and is important. Current situation in Singapore Although being homosexual in Singapore is not illegal, performing any homosexual acts in public or privately, is. Section 377 of the Singapore Penal Code records the penalty for indecency between individuals which includes consensual, private, adult homosexual acts; imprisonment is up to 2 years. A gay group was denied permission to hold a forum on the role of homosexuals in society. The local media avoids homosexual issues in fear of getting their licenses suspended. In schools, sexuality courses focus more on heterosexuality-the only mention of homosexuality reminds students that it is illegal. Moreover, homosexual couples in Singapore, cannot rightfully own a home through the public housing scheme, thus many rent as private housing is unaffordable to them. Unsurprisingly, this shows that Singaporean society remains deeply conservative and the governments are still not as open to discussions about gay rights. Attitudes towards homosexuality are also tied up closely with the different religious values in this multi-racial society, like Muslims and Christianity which considers it as a sin. In Singapore, the government uses Confucian readings to create a certain amount of ideological coherence in its version of Asian Values and to give it some academic respectability. From an interview, 68.6% of the surveyors expressed negative attitudes towards homosexuality. Christians and Muslims were found to be least tolerant, older people are less tolerant and more educated people are more tolerant. Therefore, Singapore who is a traditionally conservative society may not be ready for a change. Current situation in United States Recently, there have been many news on homosexual bullying leading to suicides, for example , Tyler Clementi, a 19 year old student from Rutgers University. After his college roommate lived-streamed Tyler having sexual relations with his boyfriend, Tyler threw himself off a bridge. Asher Brown was a 13-year-old was tormented for the way he dressed and being gay. His bullies acted out mock gay sex acts in classes. His parents repeatedly contacted school officials on his bullying. Nothing was ever done. He shot himself in the head. Policy on lesbian, gay, bisexual, in US has evolved over time and varies between different regions. Five states and one district have legalized same-sex marriage. President Obama announced that he will work with Congress and the military to repeal the dont ask, dont tell policy that forbids homosexuals from openly serving in the military. However, there is still much opposition, commenting that homosexuals identities should not be made known. However, there have been many interviews and surveys that show that the US is slowly accepting homosexuals. For example the graph below shows that attitudes towards homosexuality in the US, over the years seem more positive. Source: http://www.norc.org/GSS+Website/Browse+GSS+Variables/Subject+Index/ Why is it important? A continuation of homosexual discrimination is detrimental to their mental health, which may increase suicidal tendencies or other mental afflictions. There are many websites contending that homosexuality is a sin, stating that it is entirely up to choice, easily changeable, and giving excuses to put down homosexuals, using reasons like God hates fags. People tend to associate HIV and AIDS as a gay related disease, thinking that as long as they avoid having sex with homosexuals, they are safe from HIV. This ignorance can cause them to practice unsafe sexual intercourse. Stereotyping them to be rapist, pedophiles are very common and these send a wrong message to the public, causing fear. This increases the fear in homosexuals for being discovered to be gay, causing them to feel immense stress and pressure, doubling the chance of depression and suicidal tendencies. The rejection and misinformation results in homophobia causing them to bully other people , verbal assaults, causing other people psychological stress and pain. Homosexuals may also face family and friends rejections. The result is a vicious cycle of prejudice and discrimination. Where can we start to fix the problem? How such prejudice and discrimination creates inequality to the society. The law, sec 377a, criminalizing sexual acts between homosexuals, encourages Singaporeans discriminate against homosexuals indirectly. Other countries have accepted same sex marriage and have laws to protect them. Homosexuals should also have the same benefits as heterosexuals. In Singapore, some teachers were being forced to quit because of their sexuality like Otto Fong, and Alfian Saat. In national service, they are downgraded to positions like clerks, and disqualified from some sensitive areas. All these are deemed to be discrimination and homosexual inequality. Workable solutions for individuals and institutions From what I have found out, these prejudice and discriminations comes from ignorance and misinformation. Unbiased sex education can help to change mindsets of people about homosexuality at large. Singaporeans are consistently taught that sexual acts between homosexuals are illegal but do not talk about why and how we should learn to accept them in our society. This is an important issue, thus this topic should be in Civic Moral Education where students can learn about it. The society can also educate homosexuality in the media, television shows, or host public homosexuality talks and events. For example, in the US, they have a Wear a Purple Shirt Day in honor of homosexuals that committed suicides due to bullying. We as individuals have to learn not to stereotype and listen to peoples misconceptions, but taking initiative to learn more about homosexuality from places like, internet and books. We are more than capable of making our own decisions, and more than capable of being accepting and inclusive. We should create an environment of diversity and acceptance for both heterosexuals and homosexuals. http://socyberty.com/issues/prejudice-and-discrimination-on-homosexuality-in-singapore/#ixzz174Rz1JxF http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_gay_history:_2000_to_2009_A.D. http://www.sgwiki.com/wiki/Singapore_gay_history http://knol.google.com/k/discrimination-against-homosexuals-in-singapore# http://www.norc.org/GSS+Website/Browse+GSS+Variables/Subject+Index/ http://articles.cnn.com/2010-01-27/politics/obama.gays.military_1_repeal-policy-that-bars-gays-servicemembers-legal-defense-network?_s=PM:POLITICS http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/stats-on-human-rights/statistics-on-discrimination/statistics-on-discrimination-of-homosexuals/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_States

A Guide To New Zealand Vacations

A Guide To New Zealand Vacations New Zealand is a country situated in the southern hemisphere close to Australia. New Zealand is basically made up of two islands. One is the North Island and the other South island. There are many smaller islands that are a part of the country. It enjoys a temperate climate due to which there is a variety of flora and fauna. Europeans barring a minority of Maoris mainly inhabit it. Its favorable climate has made New Zealand a destination of choice to people across the world. It is accessible to Europe and America by air. Many tourists travel here during vacations and various airlines offer competitive rates to travelers. Flights operate from major cities in New Zealand and are well connected with major cities of the world such as London, New York and Tokyo. These flights offer economy class and executive class bookings that suit the budget of various travelers. Some of the airlines offer special packages for vacations. These packages may include a free hotel booking at the destination for a specific period. They may also offer discounts on group bookings. There are some airlines that offer cash back facility if bookings are done through a credit card. Online bookings are usually granted a good discount. Many of the airlines guarantee lowest prices. If travelers find something cheaper, the fare is refunded by some airlines as a policy decision. The flight itinerary can be planned and booking for all the places can be made at the starting station. Another additional feature that includes the fare is travel insurance. Such Insurance schemes may cover cancellations at last moment due to unforeseen events. Accident and baggage loss are some other insurance covers offered by airlines. Long haul flights offer bookings without service fees. The flexibility of return dates and economic costs are major attractions of booking long haul flights for both domestic and international travel. Information about airfares of major airlines is easily available on the Internet. A tourist can make vacations cost effective and affordable by researching this information. New Zealand Vacation Costs New Zealand is often termed as a country of Gods. There is dramatic variation in the terrain of New Zealand. It ranges from geyser to glaciers, from rainforests to meadows. The range in variety in a limited area is the cause for many tourists to opt for New Zealand as tourist destination. Vacations to New Zealand can be planned at costs affordable to the travelerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s budget. The cost depends upon the travel destination and mode of transport. The first step of vacation is finding cost effective airfares. The duration of stay at particular destinations calls for hotel bookings. New Zealand offers accommodation at affordable cost. Travelers can opt for package tours that arrange for all travel and hotel bookings. Some of these include meals in their costs. This effectively reduces costs and the effort to find appropriate restaurants. Flexibility pass is offered to package tour travelers. This helps the tourist to break off at a required destination from the main tour and rejoin at a later stage. For the elite traveler there is an option to avail of exclusive services. Cars of choice can be arranged through the travel desk of the resort for sightseeing. This comes with an extra cost. Executive rooms or suites can be obtained with panoramic view of beaches or mountains. Specialized services such as usage of spa or pool are also a part of service for customized travel. Sight seeing tour operators mostly arrange sightseeing tours. Some of the tour operators arrange accommodation in tents. They have trailers that cater to food and luggage locker facilities. These tours are extremely popular for experiencing wilderness. Cycles or mopeds can be rented for traveling to nearby places. These tours include canoeing for free and serenity of lakes can be experienced at no extra costs. Costs of these vacations can be ascertained by logging on to the net. Various websites provide information on travel and tour options. A combination of best service with reasonable costs can be obtained through a little research. Planning Your New Zealand Vacation New Zealand is a land of contrasting terrain and weather in a compact area. This is the feature that helps the traveler to experience varied ecological terrain without having to travel long distances. The diversity in wildlife has helped New Zealand carve a niche in the tourism world market. New Zealand offers a variety of tours and packages to travelers. Tour operators can help in planning a vacation tailor made to suit the requirement of tourists. There are coach tours and independent tours that provide adventure and sight seeing tours. The offers vary from budget hotel accommodation to boutique hotels. Camper vans give a different experience to tourists. Options on the mode of transport used during the tours can decide the cost of the tour. It is recommended that accommodation bookings be made well in advance to avoid last minute disasters. Many tour operators provide information about the rich natural beauty of New Zealand that may help in planning the tour. The options may range from going on adventure tours, wildlife encounter tours to cultural tours. If traveling from a foreign country, the documents required for travel such as passports and visas need to be carried along throughout the travel. It is advisable that tourists, who are under medication, take details of medical care and medical formulas of prescribed medicines before starting on the trip. The kind of clothing to be carried will depend on the weather of the choice of destination. Information about the temperature and weather of a particular place can be obtained from websites of resorts or hotels. Standard itineraries are a safer option for travelers who do not want to take a risk during their vacation. In this way, tourists may find it easier to plan their holiday tours that cater for their budget. Additionally, they would also know exactly what to expect from the trip. A well-planned holiday to New Zealand can be an enjoyable experience. A Guide to New Zealand Vacations Tourists all round the world increasingly favor vacations to New Zealand. This country is known for its ecological diversity and for its varying climatic conditions across the country. Most places have sunny weather throughout the year. It would be beneficial to take suggestions from a professional travel planner if going on vacation to New Zealand, especially from a foreign country. Information can also be sourced online. It is important to know about the place and its history before planning a vacation. There are many websites that provide information about the history, wild life parks and natural beauty of New Zealand. Travelers are also informed about the time zones and exact season to visit these places. It also enlightens travelers about its origin and cultural heritage. Most of the web sites also provide information that may help tourists to plan their program. New Zealand offers a choice of tourist spots and tours. Glaciers with skiing grounds, geysers with hot springs can be visited in a short span of travel time. A choice can be made between a wide variety of tours involving camping, visit to nature parks, adventure tours, wildlife sightseeing or cultural tours. Every country has a set of regulations for foreign travelers. Information about formal documents such as passport and visas are necessary to avoid legal implications. Information about exchange rate of currency will help in planning expenditure. Places that offer currency exchange are also indicated on websites. Medical and emergency facilities that are offered to the tourists can also be known from websites or travel planners. Information about accommodation and their availability is also available with agents. Cost effective airfares and the airlines offering them can be accessed online. Many places in New Zealand have accommodation guides to help first time travelers. Additionally, maps and travel routes can be used while planning a trip to New Zealand.

The Civilized and Self-Cultured Black Man Essay -- Narrative Life Fred

The Civilized and Self-Cultured Black Man In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, Frederick Douglass faces the problem of detailing his transformation from slave to man in a manner which is acceptable to both his audience and his own authorial purpose. Douglass must walk the thin line between being powerful and being threatening to his white audience. He attempts to avoid becoming a threat by appropriating the image of a self-made man, as defined in William E. Channing's essay entitled "Self-Culture." Douglass constructs his manhood in terms of civilization, a tactic later employed by Ida B. Wells in her anti-lynching campaign. Although physical strength and the escape from civilization into the wilderness was an equally popular construction of manhood at the time, Douglass follows Channing's belief that true manhood is achieved through knowledge, the mastery of letters and cultivation of manners. This conception of masculinity centers around moral uprightness and self-control a s a means of suppressing passions and desires, the latter being something that most of Douglass' masters lacked. If civilization indicates manhood, then the brutal masters described in Narrative are not men at all. This reversal makes Douglass, the slave turned self-cultured man, a representation of true manhood. According to Channing, every man has the potential to be a great man. Through self-culture, and the resulting moral and intellectual growth, men can expand and live up their potentials, becoming ideal men. Channing understands moral sense as the suppression of passions and desires that are inherent in human nature, but are not good for soul. When a man looks into himself, he discovers...d... ... image of this civilized man is reinforced by Douglass' narrative voice which takes on the Harvard style tone, that sounds much like Channing's voice in "Self-Culture." This tactic may have been to support his use of Channing's ideas, but it also gave Douglass the unique position of speaking in the same style as his audience. This would perhaps be unexpected by his white Northern audience, but nevertheless reinforces Douglass' civility. By taking popular conceptions of civilization, self-control and literacy, and applying them to himself, Douglass invents in himself the representation of true manhood. Works Cited: Channing, William E. The Works of William E. Channing. Boston: American Unitarian Association, 1875. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written By Himself. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1968.

Pollution Essay examples -- Environment

Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in America and as well as the world. Pollution not only damages the environment, but damages us also. It has cause many problems ranging from lung cancer to the greenhouse effect. It is all among us but we continue to live in our own filth. What is the reason behind this flawed logic? In this paper I will examine the problems and solutions for this issue. Automobiles are undeniable the greatest source of pollution. The noise pollution created by cars is immense. Another polluting effect of cars is the heat it creates. This heat makes it unpleasant to be near the car while its running. And of course the most famous of the automobiles evils is the exhaust. The toxic fumes given off as a byproduct of the combustion engine are slowly deteriorating our lungs and our atmosphere. The exhaust is extremely toxic to human beings. But why do we do continue to drive these walking time bombs. Some people will say it is progress, but the majority drives it for the convenien...

Mary-Beth Hughes Israel †Glorifying the Common Occurrence :: Mary-Beth Hughes Israel Essays

Mary-Beth Hughes' Israel – Glorifying the Common Occurrence  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mary-Beth Hughes' short story titled "Israel" is a rich literary piece. Every detail within the story has some sort of meaning and is there for a reason. When analyzed, this story has a lot to say, however, when summarized, the storyline is rather simple. The story contains five characters, the mother, the father, their daughter, and the mother's friends, Dr. Derek Duncalf and Dr. Dan Ovita. The time period is unknown, except that it is during a time when Isralies are fighting to keep their homeland. The narration of the story is first person persona told by the daughter throughout. The setting is a house in London in which the mother is living with her daughter. The father lives in a bachelor pad just down the street. The storyline is that of a dysfunctional family in which the mother lives with her daughter, and the father has resorted to a separate house down the street. Dr. Duncalf is motivated to have a relationship with the mother, while Duncalf's friend, Dr. Ovita, is a pleasant man who is able to fix the daughter's problems by letting her come to Israel with him. The daughter communicates with her parents by mail, and in each reply her father signs it saying, "our love." The short story summarized above illustrates that life is not perfect, and people must make hard decisions in order to make their life happy, satisfying, and acceptable to them. The characters in this short story all show verisimilitude, making them major characters. Each one has his or her own personality, therefore making them round characters and not minor characters. This story, like most literature, contains more than just the details on top. Within the basic story lies oppositions, paradoxes, symbols, conflicts, complexities, ambiguities, tensions, as well as ironies; and each one contributes to what the reader can make of and associate with the story. The title of the story, "Israel," is relating to where the daughter moved to. The country of Israel is also where Dr. Ovita is from, and where he doctors the soldiers. Israel in itself represents a country that is currently fighting. They are fighting for themselves and fighting for their freedom. This associates with the story in a way that each character is doing what ever he or she has to do in order to be happy.

Are We Free Within Society Essay

One can never be completely free within society. Society places demands and forms what people do and even what they think and feel. In order to survive in society people must conform to what is acceptable, this is not freedom. Further constraints are placed on members of society because of gender, race and class differences. True equality can never exist, and therefore neither can freedom. One of the most powerful things contributing to conformity in society is persuasion. All sorts of ideas and ways of living are forced upon all members of society. Persuasion is everywhere, turn on the TV, read a magazine, use a computer, drive along the highway, read a newspaper, just opening your eyes and ears is enough to be made aware of society’s views. Whether you choose to go along with them, or reject them, they are still affecting you. There are differences between males and females and their freedoms in society. However contrary to the popular belief that society affords more freedom to males than to females, I believe the opposite. I think in the current society paths have been paved for females where they now have just as many opportunities as males and even beyond. Society seems to be more accepting and protecting of women’s freedoms than men’s. It is no longer acceptable to view women as inferior to men. However in social situations it is still custom for men to cater to the women, such as opening doors, and paying the bill. Women’s choices and actions seem to be more accepted, such as style of dress and career choice. It is acceptable in society for women to dress feminine or masculine, it is acceptable to be timid and weak, or loud and strong, it is acceptable to be a housewife or have any career. All of these things are encouraged. However, the same is not true for men. It is not nearly as socially acceptable for a man to dress feminine, or to be weak, or to not have a career. More freedoms are awarded to women in our current society as they are more protected and their choices more accepted. Many countries outside the US have considerably less freedoms and even more class and gender barriers. An extreme example of this is women in Afghanistan where women are treated as sub-humans, fit only for household  slavery and as means of procreation. They basically have no freedom whatsoever. They are deprived of the right to an education and the right to work, they aren’t even allowed to show their faces in public, but must cover themselves from head to toe. This demonstrates the extremely different societies and freedoms that go along with them throughout the world. An understanding of sociology can increase your freedom. Just opening your eyes and being aware of your surroundings and the workings of society allows you more freedom to your own thoughts and feelings. Society is constantly pushing you to conform to its standards, but if you are aware of what is going on then you are more able to make your own decisions regarding what you agree with and what you do not. It may not be possible to completely free yourself from the barriers of society, but with an understanding of sociology and that extra insight into the workings of society, you can increase your freedom and individuality.