Mental Damages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mental Damages - Essay Example First, the elements of negligence should be established. They are duty, breach, causation, damages. According to Caparo v. Dickman [1990] UKHL 2, if the harm that occurs is reasonably foreseeable, there is a degree of proximity between the tortfeasor and the victim, and if it would be just, reasonable and fair to impose liability, then the duty prong of the negligence analysis is satisfied. In this case the harm was reasonably foreseeable – Maria could foresee that something could go wrong if she defied orders, in that she might be incapacitated, which would leave the children essentially unattended. This is exactly the harm that happened, so this harm is reasonably foreseeable. Proximity is also established, in that the children were in Maria’s care.... Maria did not act as a reasonable person, as a reasonable person would have obeyed the rules set forth by the New Horizons regarding employees acting only with trained support staff. Therefore, breach is established. Causation is the next element. The court’s typically use the â€Å"but-for† test – would the damages have occurred but-for the tortfeasor’s actions? (Barnett v. Kensington & Chelsea NHS Trust [1968] 1 All ER 1068). In this case, the actions of Maria were the cause, because but-for her choosing to drive without supervised help, the damages would not have occurred, because there would have been a trained person to help the children on the bus. Damages are next – do Bonita and Ben have compensable damages? After all, they were physically unhurt, but apparently suffered some type of emotional damage from the incident. In this case, the court would look to the case of Page v. Smith [1995] UKHL 7. In Page, the plaintiff was physically unhurt in a minor traffic accident. However, he suffered other damages, which was that he had myalgic encephalomyelitis, and this disease recurred, although it was previous in remission. The court found that Page was a primary victim, which means that the primary victim must only show that personal injury would have been a foreseeable consequence of the tortfeasor’s actions. If this is established, that the victim was unhurt would not preclude the victim from collecting from some kind of nervous shock or psychiatric injury. Further, another case that establishes that primary victims may recover for nervous shock, if they are in danger of being injured, is Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992] 1 AC 310. Therefore, even though the two

He Desire to Change the Subservient Role Essay Example for Free

He Desire to Change the Subservient Role Essay The Desire to Change the Subservient Role of Women in Old Chinese Society Chinese women stayed in an unequal status with men in old Chinese Society. Shen Congwen’s â€Å"Xiao Xiao† and Ding ling’s â€Å"When I Was in Xia Village† are two stories about village women’s lives during modern time in China. The stories in both of these works present an important traditional Chinese belief that it is profitable to raise geese than to raise daughter. In â€Å"Xiao Xiao†, she is a twelve-year-old girl who is married with a two-year-old husband, Chunguan, and as his caretaker in her youth. While â€Å"When I was in Xia Village† is a period when narrator spends his/her time in Xia village and make friends with a village girl Zhenzhen. She is sent to Japan to spy Japanese government after she is raped by Japanese soldiers. When she goes back village due to her disease, people look down upon her and laugh at her. Finally she runs away from Xiao Dabao’s propose and seeks for a fresh life in city. Xiaoxiao and Zhenzhen have something in common that they are both independent-minded woman; also they are from village and ever desired to live in city to find new life and to have education; they live under the tradition of gender discrimination in old China. While their experiences are different, and, at the end, Zhenzhen is seeking for her new life in another place, yet we see Xiaoxiao and her husband’s family is still within traditions in their small village. In men’s world, women are like a tool which they can use to make their life good, but we see some of women have desire to change their subservient role to become independent in Chinese society. Xiaoxiao and Zhenzhen are independent-minded women compared to other women at that time in Chinese society. They are not afraid of break down the present life and live in their owns. When Xiaoxiao’s grandpa and other relatives make joke on her about figuring out her should become a coed when she grows up. Then she has thinking that how coeds’ life is, â€Å"†¦she felt vague stirrings of unrest, and took to imagining herself as a ‘coed’. Would she behave like the ‘coed’ Grandfather talked about? In any case, there was nothing frightful about these ‘coeds’ and so these notions began to occupy this smile girl’s thoughts for the first time† (Shen 86). Although the author does not mention Xiaoxiao’s desire to become a coed directly in the story, I feel that Xiaoxiao wants to have a different life from her present life as a caretaker in village. She is young and hopes her life to be colorful and meaningful. After her stomach gets bigger, she wants to have a new life in city, â€Å"After a while, Xiaoxiao would finger her snakelike black braid, and, thinking of life in the city, she said: ‘Brother Motley, why don’t we go where we can be free in the city and find work there? What do you say? ’† (Shen 91). She knows if she keeps living with her husband’s family, she would go to dead. No more clearly than herself that she knows her situation is worse. If she elopes with Brother Motley, she could be same as those coeds in the school and live her own life with a normal marriage. Obviously, Xiaoxiao has her idea what her life she wants. In â€Å"When I was in Xia Village†, Zhenzhen is an independent-mind woman as well. Even though she has been raped and treated unrespectable. Zhenzhen does not care about surrounding people’s misunderstandings. For others’ sneer, she thinks she need to find another life but not surrender to marry Xiao Dabao, so she said to narrator â€Å"I feel that living among strangers and keeping busy would be better than living at home where people know me†¦ It’s better for each of us to go our own separate ways than it is to have everyone stay together in one place. I’m doing this for myself, but I’m doing it for the others â€Å" (Ding 146). Just like Xiaoxiao, Zhenzhen wants a new life in city and to start over. She hopes in a new place where not many people know her, so she could start over, â€Å"A person’s life is not just for one’s father and mother, or even for oneself. Some have called me young, inexperienced, and bad-tempered. I don’t dispute it. There are some things that I just have to keep to myself† (Ding 146). From these two stories, Xiaoxiao and Zhenzhen are two women who have their own thought instead of under control of traditions. Xiaoxiao and Zhenzhen have the same desire which moving from village to city. On one hand, Xiaoxiao wants to escape from her offence, on the other hand, she has desire to have sex with a real man, she cannot wait her little husband to grow up when she is twenty years old. So she cheats on her little husband â€Å"involuntarily† on surface. In addition, her husband’s families take her in but she never drops the idea to be like a coed, â€Å"One day, word spread that the coeds were back again. When Xiaoxiaoheard this, she eyes stared out unseeing, as if in a daze, her gaze fixed on the eastern horizon for some time† (Shen 93). She bent on joining the coeds on their way to the big city in search of freedom, unfortunately she is discovered. I guess Xiaoxiao does not have any ideas about having education in the city; she just has to get away from village. However, from her grandpa’s description on coed, she is interested in coed’s life and she thinks if she becomes a member of coed, she has holidays and does not need to do farm works. Zhenzhen is different. Although she is from village too, she has live in Japan many years. So she knows she goes to city because she wants a bright future and escape the sad village then to be educated in order to get a job with other communists, â€Å"What I do feel is that after I go to [Yan’an], I’ll be in a new situation. I will be in a new situation. I will be able to start life fresh† (Ding 146). Their movements illustrate that new Chinese women are changing people’s views and have sense of education is more and more important. Life in city is realistic and bright for them. Gender roles is very similar between â€Å"Xiaoxiao† and â€Å"When I Was in Xia Village†, they both present that women stand subservient role in society. Starting from Xiaoxiao’s marriage, her marriage is arranged by her uncle when she is only twelve. People at that time set this tradition because they think girl is useless because daughters will be others’ sooner or later, so it is better to send her earlier to save family’s food. To the bride’s family, accept a girl into their family is not only a way to take care of children, but also add a worker to help farming as a free labor. That’s why to be contrast with other female students in town, Xiaoxiao is adulterer. To punish Xiaoxiao’s cheating on her husband and families, Xiaoxiao is arranged to wait for her second marriage but no one come. Nevertheless, Xiaoxiao is lucky that her child turns out is a boy; she does not have to be married off after all. This tradition does not change after Xiaoxiao, then her son who is ten-year-old and have his wedding ceremony. Women in tradition could not hold any position of power. In the other story, people in Xia village are uneducated, so when Zhenzhen came back from Japan, they laughed at her and think she is dirty. Women have physical disadvantage than man, therefore, chastity becomes extremely crucial especially at that time. People in the village can not understand her grievance, this is one of the reason why Zhenzhen wants to go to [Xi’an] where most people are educated, at least not so care about her background. No matter from which aspect, Xiaoxiao and Zhenzhen seems like a tool in men ruled the world. Xiaoxiao is portrayed as â€Å"object† sold from a place to another. She could not have her own happiness because she belongs to her husband’s family. Zhenzhen looks like more freedom than Xiaoxiao physically, but in fact, she is slaved by internal. Something she cannot shake off is her hatred and interiority, â€Å"†¦in a very calm voice, she said, ‘I can’t say that I hate him. I just feel now that I’m someone who’s diseased. It’s a fact that I was abused by a large number of Jap devils. I don’t remember that exact number. In any case, I’m unclean, and with such a black mark I don’t expect any good fortune to come my way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ding 146). Zhenzhen is used to her reputation and body to help Chinese government but at the end, she could not get any sympathy. These things always happened to women, but not men. In conclusion, Xiaoxiao and Zhenzhen are two uneducated women living in old Chinese society where unbalanced gender roles and old traditions exist. They both from village and dream to move to city meanwhile they have â€Å"sins† could not be excused. Through their different experience, they have similarities that they both independent-minded to change their lives to take education in big city. The ending of stories are different that Zhenzhen’s regardless of objection enable her goes to city as she wants, but Xiaoxiao still stays in village and keeps her original life. In old Chinese society, woman is absolutely not profitable than men. So people use women like a functional object to help working or take care of family. I think women are living a hard life and very powerless in society. Even thought they want to take education to change their lives, reality makes them difficult. However, women play many different roles which cannot be ignored. The authors express their thought and show the current situation through these good works.

Requirements Of Managers In Contemporary Business Practices Management Essay

Requirements Of Managers In Contemporary Business Practices Management Essay Topic: Imagine there is a proposed merger between a Chinese company and a South-African company. You are appointed to lead a team consisting of managers from both countries to examine any cultural problems linked to the proposed merger. Applying the work of Hofstede and Trompenaars, how close would the cultural fit be; and how might you seek to improve cultural understanding between the two groups of managers? Introduction In todays business environment, possessing management skills alone is no longer sufficient to be successful. Contemporary business practices require that managers have knowledge and experience regarding the differences between management and leading as well, and how both activities must be integrated for business success. With the importance of International Business environment is raising, understanding the host countrys culture can give managers a competitive advantage. The objective of this assignment is to examine any cultural problems linked to the proposed merger between Chinese Company and a South-African Company, by using Hofstedes dimensions of National culture, and then explore solutions which can improve cultural understanding between the two groups of managers. This assignment mainly has two parts; the first part will give out the cultural problems from two companys side; and the second part is going to find the solutions for the issues. Part One-Cultural Problems China -South Africa team-work As we may realize that the globalization of the world economy, on one hand, has created tremendous opportunities for global collaboration among different countries; on the other hand, however, it has also created a unique set of problems and issues relating to the effective management of partnerships with different cultures. With the increasing importance of the China market in the world economy, many businessmen rushed to enter China to explore business opportunities. Predominantly motivated by the quest for material inputs (oil and other primary commodities) required for its infrastructural investments and booming manufacturing sector, Chinese presence in Africa is rapidly growing (Song Li, 2004). The rapid growth and significance of enhanced Chinese participation in Africa has important implications while talking about cultural aspects. Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions on China and South Africa By applying Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions, the culture difference between China and South-Africa has been displayed in the below charts. Five factors have been discussed on Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede, 1997) Power Distance Index (PDI) that is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Individualism (IDV), on the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are inte-grated into groups. Masculinity (MAS), versus its opposite, femininity, refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) which deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to mans search for Truth. Long-Term Orientation (LTO) which versus short-term orientation. According to Hofstedes Value Dimensions on China (See below chart), it can be concluded that China has a comparatively high long-term orientation. This has a historical relationship with its economy. Commonly, most of Asian countries are belonging to the less developed / developing countries. Suffering bad times taught many Chinese people to think and act on a long-term basis. Prior to Chinas economic reform, the government ruled all strategies, supplies, and financial allocations. Leaders, under the contemporary definition, did not exist, because all organizations had to do was to make sure that the allocated quotas were fulfilled, and that the people assigned to them were cared for. The notion of leaders was fulfilled entirely by Confucian values, aligning allegiance to CEOs with allegiance to the government. However, in 1978, managers of state-owned companies were now responsible for corporate operations and profit-making. Example 1- China Source: Cultural Dimensions on China, 2009 Now looking at the figures of South Africa cultural dimensions, it is easy to find that the South Africa has a comparable high IDV and MAS, and its PDI and UAI are a little bit low. It means that people are tending to work individually and certain of social hierarchy exist which has much relation with its history. Example 2- South Africa Source: Cultural Dimensions on South Africa, 2009 Analysis on different cultural dimensions To clarify the differences between China and Africa, the student will focus on Hofstedes five cultural dimensions: power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, and uncertainty avoidance and long-term/short-term orientation also called Confucian Dynamism(Hofstede, 1997). China and Africa differ greatly with regard to their economic systems, political systems, social values, and laws, despite the substantial changes that have occurred in China during recent years(McCoy, 2005). Some differences can be found according to Hofstede studies on culture differences. Power Distance China is centralized (though it has shown some tendency toward decentralized power) while Africa is relatively decentralized. In high power distance cultures, authority is inherent in ones position within a hierarchy. There are strong dependency relationships between parents and children, bosses and subordinates and a significant social distance between superior and subordinate. In low power distance or power tolerance cultures, individuals assess authority in view of its perceived rightness. Individualism The student notices in both cases that contrary to western countries which have a strong individualism, China and Africa have a strong collectivism. Individualism-collectivism refers to the relative importance of the interests of the individual versus the interests of the group. In collectivistic societies, the interests of the group take precedence over individual interests. People see themselves as part of in-groups and the in-groups look after them in exchange for their loyalty. In individualistic cultures, the interest of the individual takes precedence over the groups interest. Masculinity Africa has higher value than China in masculinity, which indicates that Africa is medium masculinity while China is medium femininity. Masculinity-femininity or goal orientation pertains to the extent to which traditional male orientations of ambition and achievement are emphasized over traditional female orientations of nurturance and interpersonal harmony (Song Li, 2004). Cultures differ on what motivates people to achieve different goals. Cultures of the aggressive goal behaviour type (masculinity) value material possessions, money, and assertiveness whereas cultures of the passive goal behaviour type (femininity) value social relevance, quality of life and welfare of others. Uncertainty Avoidance China and Africa have higher values for uncertainty avoidance the West. This shows that in both sides, people are relatively risk-avoiding while western people are relatively risk-taking. Uncertainty avoidance captures the degree to which individuals in a culture feel threatened by ambiguous, uncertain, or new situations. Cultures are characterized as either high or low on uncertainty avoidance. Whereas low uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer positive response to change and new opportunities, high uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer structure and consistent routine. Long/Short-term Orientation Africa has a short-term orientation while China has a long-term orientation. Also called Confucian dynamism, this last dimension assesses a societys capacity for patience and delayed gratification. Long-term oriented cultures (China and Hong Kong) tend to save more money and exhibit more patience in reaping the results of their actions. Short-term oriented cultures (African countries) want to maximize the present rewards and are relatively less prone to saving or anticipating long term rewards. It has been widely accepted that cultural differences greatly affect human thinking and behaviour and thus business organizations in which people interact on the basis of shared values. Management is embedded in a wider societal setting, and is heavily influenced by local historical and cultural norms (DiMaggio and Powell, 2003). The significant differences between Africa and China seem to affect some aspects of their business management practice. Part two-Solutions Cultural Differences in business Strategies Because entrepreneurs mature within a societal context, their attitudes toward cooperation are likely to be influenced by the underlying values of their society (Weaver, 2000). As discussed above, Africa and China have a strong collectivism. People depend more on groups or institutions to determine what they should do and emphasize loyalty to the group. They are more likely to cooperate with others to avoid risks and reduce responsibilities. However due to the medium masculinity, Africans sometimes are reluctant to cooperate because their masculine culture view cooperation in general as a sign of weakness and place a high value on independence and control. In the process of cooperation, Chinese tend to pay more attention to relationships. The student has to mention the term Guanxi which in English means relation or connection is at the centre of businesses in China. In Weavers studies (2000), the student found that entrepreneurs from societies that are masculine and individualistic h ave a lower appreciation for cooperative strategies as compared to entrepreneurs from societies that are feminine and collectivist in nature. Cultural Differences in Conflict Management In order to solve conflicts, Chinese and Africans have different ways. For Chinese where harmony and personal relationship are very important, they dont like open conflict; therefore they use indirect ways to work out problems. Anytime there is conflict, they use the authority to end up with it or settle things in private. Negotiation and compromise are determinant for them in this case. Contrary to them, Africans managers like Europeans or Americans, will directly confront problems and bring them out in the open (Richmond and Gestrin, 2008). To resolve problems, everybody is involved in order to bring rational arguments and ideas to suggest solutions. We can notice that Chinese avoid this method because for them that will create disagreement which is very undesirable. African managers are reluctant to devote their time and efforts together in solving business conflicts. Other peoples help is needed. In contrast, according to Bond (2001), the strong collective orientation and uncerta inty avoidance values in China encourage Chinese managers to use indirect forms of influence that involve the assistance of a third party. Indirect forms are used by Chinese managers to deal with a difficult or controversial request. In this way, they avoid losing face or damaging guanxi. Cultural Differences in Decision-making Risk-taking/Risk-avoiding Chinese and African managers differ from in the attitudes toward risks when they make decisions for their different values in uncertainty avoidance. Chinese managers with a high uncertainty-avoidance have a lack adventurous spirit and the sense of risks. Immediate decisions which make them lose the opportunity to compete in a market are avoided in the case they feel the circumstance is uncertain. Most of the time, they want to be safe by taking less risky decisions. For African managers, it is almost the same. Middle and lower level supervisors are less willing to make decisions without deference to superiors. The result is that decision-making takes much longer than anticipated and requires more input from players at various social and professional levels. Uncertainty Avoidance measures for Africa indicate low risk taking and a resistance to change which can further delay projects which encounter problems mid-cycle. Levels of Participation in Decision-making The decision-making process involves making sense of ambiguity and taking risks (Jackson, 2003).The decision maker is working on the information available about what has already happened, what is assumed to have happened or is happening. The second aspect is future oriented (Brady, 2000). A risk is being taken because one is applying a perspective based on knowledge of the past, and projecting this to what might happen in the future if a certain course of action is followed. Chinese managers or African managers have different level of participation in decision- making. In China, decisions are participatory. Employees accept decisions handed down by their supervisors. Because of their unquestioning attitudes towards their supervisors, they resist participation in decision-making. In Africa, managers make individual decisions. They dont consult with others but can defer to their supervisors. They value personal equality. To summarize, the student can say that Chinese managers adopt the no participatory approach to decision-making. The decisions come from the higher superiors to the subordinates. However, since the reforms in China, things are changing. More and more, participatory decision-making is starting to be used in a certain number of companies. Cultural Differences in Work-group Characteristics The first difference about the work-group characteristics is the concept of brotherhood, network, family feeling which is at the heart of all Chinese interactions. In African business style which is quasi the western business style, managers focus on the deal, the possibilities, the risks and so on. There is less focus on the people they are doing business with. They may encourage their group members to learn from each other, to focus on task rather than on social and interpersonal relations, and to build the confidence required for superior performance. They make difference between personal relationship and work. In China, it is the opposite. Chinese managers may initially focus more effort on building social and interpersonal relations (Guanxi) before entering into business or contractual relationship. They would like to spend time developing and maintaining guanxi during the process of interaction and consider it as a prerequisite to do business. A good deal of time is spent exploring peoples characters. People want to know your background, your family situation, your likes and dislikes. A good deal of business is conducted in banqueting halls. Chinese believe a persons true character comes out during these moments. The only purpose during these meetings is to see a persons other side, the human side. If they are comfortable with you, and if they think they can trust you, that you can be invited to join the family, you and your business are made. Chinese managers are not interested in short term; they want long, life-long business relations. However, as the economy has become increasingly marketized, privatized and competitive, the value and effectiveness of the Guanxi system has greatly deteriorated. In industries that have been substantially deregulated or privatized, or where there is vigorous competition, business is business, and Guanxi has been neutralized or marginalized. Relationships or connections now resemble that which we find elsewhere. Cultural Differences in Motivation Systems In business contexts, the motivations of employees, partners, superiors, social associates, and members of a society spring from cultural values, or what people think is important. In order to understand how to do business with members of another culture, it is necessary to understand what motivates them, to know where to begin and what you need to cover all necessary bases. According to Aguinis (2002), employees can be rewarded according to their performance, equally, or based on their needs. In general, the equity principle is common in individualistic cultures while the equality principle is widely used in collectivistic cultures. Pay for performance and pay equity are the two main differences in motivation systems. From the 1950s until the 1980s, every aspect of Chinas economic activity was planned, controlled and operated by the government (Helen, D. 2008). There was no private ownership of any property or asset, and, consequently, no profit motive for individuals or enterprises. The government would allocate everyone a pre-defined slice of the big pie. If anyone wanted more than what was allocated to him/her, it meant circumventing that system and getting someone in that allocation chain to provide a special favour. People were obliged to sacrifice their individual interests for those of the society. Cooperation, interdependence, group goals that create group harmony are applied in China. The sense of belonging and devoting to the group are important for Chinese people. Focusing on the view that ones success is mainly based on group work; they believe that one cannot claim the reward just for oneself. Contrary to what some Chinese researchers argued on this part, the student can say while setting salaries Chinese managers will not pay more attention to the working experience and academic qualifications of employees. In that case, the equality principle is reflected in the motivation system. For African managers, individual achievement is important. They are expected to achieve success only by their individual efforts. Value competition, achievement and personal goals are their main motivations in order to have plans to recognize their individual contributions. Their success relies on their own efforts. Talents and work performance of the employees will be considered by their superiors for salary increases and promotion. Conclusion As a result, understanding other cultures is more important than ever. If we consider that people from the same economic, political, and cultural background have problems communicating effectively; we can appreciate the difficulties and challenges that people from diverse cultures face when trying to communicate. Misunderstandings will always be a part of cultural aspects. Companies need to think outside the proverbial box when formulating their business strategies and when collaborating and forming business partnerships. As sometimes companies move to do business in other countries, a greater sensitivity to culture will be required and an understanding of cultural realities should facilitate business transactions. Knowing another culture is a legitimate concern of businesses. More than that, it is essential. Those who make effort the effort to understand another culture gain knowledge about how to behave in that culture. Otherwise, if you know what people value and understand their attitudes, you wont unintentionally do something that offends and diminishes your chances for business success. In todays global businesses context, the winners are not those who study the markets they deal with even if its important but those who study people they deal with.

Comparing the Stars of Bright Star and Choose Something Like a Star Ess

Comparing the Stars of Bright Star and Choose Something Like a Star Keats "Bright Star" and Frost's "Choose Something Like a Star" although similar in their address to a star differ in form, tone and theme. The latter contains an illusion to the former that brings Keats' themes into the poem. In order to compare these poems it is necessary to look carefully at their themes and constructions. "Bright Star" is a sonnet in traditional iambic pentameter. Its tone is elegiac as it celebrates the woman's beauty and his love for her in his plea for steadfastness. The poem opens with an apostrophe to the star which calls our attention to his plea. The verbs "would" and "were" indicate his wish to be like the star whom he addresses as "thou." The star is "hung" in the night, a pleasant image, and he uses a simile to compare it with Eremite, a hermit, who presumably sat apart from the world watching. The eyelids of this star (the star is given anthropomorphic qualities) are eternally apart -- always watching, "patiently" and "sleeplessly." Keats then enumerate s what this star watches. It watches water -- which is also steadfast as indicated by the comparison "priest-like." The waters that surround the land Keats says are performing ablutions or cleansings and blessings on the land. The star also gazes upon the snow. He uses the metaphor of snow as a "mask" (more personification) as it hides the mountains and moors. The "m" alliteration emphasizes the falling of the snow. The repetition of "of" underlines the parallel structure and idea of the two scenes the star regards. The rhythm of this 2nd quatrain is slow and peaceful like the scene. Then Keats puts a "No -- " w... ...t not only continues the "poetic tradition" but adds all the depth of meaning of Keats' poem to his own. The star doesn't want much of us -- only to stay above us. He says that "when the mob is swayed" or when social, political, or moral upheaval takes place and the norm is to be radical, the star likes being above it all, condescendingly regarding the earth. When this happens, we should "choose something like a star" and concentrate on it. In the final line the similarity between "stay" and "staid" emphasizes that we must emulate the star in being constant and moderate while society may revolve around us in social or political turmoil. This "staidness" is our key to survival like the stars'. Therefore, one can see that these poems although similar in their title and central image of the star differ in their themes, form and treatment of the author's ideas.

Beyond Suffrage: A Book Review Essay examples -- essays research pape

The book, Beyond Suffrage; Women in the New Deal, presents the role of women in the 1930’s in a much different light than many people think of it. The goal of this book is to enlighten the reader as to what role women played in politics during the New Deal. Because of it’s broad view I have taken several specific examples from the book and elaborated on them in order to give you a better understanding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The author, Susan Ware, begins by laying the groundwork for the women’s network. During the 1930’s, many different organizations began to evolve to include women in their decision-making. The backbone to this movement seems to lie deep within the White House. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, held a great deal of influence in decisions regarding women and their role. Ware writes of Mrs. Roosevelt as the â€Å"foremost member of the women’s network in the 1930’s,† and throughout the book Roosevelt’s influence seems to be everywhere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moving on, the twenty-eight women discussed in this book are all linked through a complex network, which made them very strong in a time where women had no real strength. Almost all of them held top federal jobs in Washington DC. They were all educated women, born in the same generation. A sisterhood, supporting each other and encouraging each other after every victory, no matter how small, linked them very closely. These women gave each other the moral support and mentorship that seems abse...

Method of Radical Doubt

The method of doubt that is used to attain certainty was formulated by famous Western philosopher Rene Descartes (Burnham & Fieser). It was initially formulated to be a method for religion, science, and epistemology (Burnham & Fieser). He lived in the 16th to 17th century, and created works on mathematics and physics (Burnham & Fieser). His method of radical or hyperbolic doubt was a product of his being a radical skeptic. This position means that Descartes did not readily accept anything as true. Moreover, he did not immediately classify anything as knowledge. Thus, contrary to the inclinations of philosophers and thinkers of his time, he never believed in anything unless they passed his test of indubitability (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes vehemently denied the prevailing concepts of his time, as put forward by the Aristotelian, Scholastic, and Medieval traditions (Burnham & Fieser). This gave birth to his determination to be a radical skeptic, which for him allowed him to start anew in his quest for a philosophical foundation (Burnham & Fieser). However, it is important to note that Descartes’ radical skepticism is different from the position of other skeptics, which is doubting for the sake of doubting. Feature Article Relative Rates:  Free-Radical Bromination Being a radical skeptic, Descartes desperately searched for true knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). For him, knowledge is based on truth and indubitability (Burnham & Fieser). A certain proposition would only be accepted as knowledge if it were true and does not entertain doubt (Burnham & Fieser). For example, one’s knowledge of a table is brought about by his belief that it is true and real. Descartes formulated a criteria of knowledge based on clarity and distinctness, which gives a person confidence in his determination of whether a statement is worthy of being accepted as true knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes’ radical skepticism is characterized by his comprehensive rejection of the reliability of accepting ideas as truth or knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). He is known for the wide-ranging premise that truth is not represented by a person’s ideas (Burnham & Fieser). For him, ideas cannot be automatically classified as truth (Burnham & Fieser). Quite the contrary, ideas obscure a person’s perception of the truth. (Burnham & Fieser). Thus Descartes rejected all ideas that are susceptible to doubt. In this connection, he likewise excluded mere wishes or opinions from real knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). For him, such dubitable ideas could not serve the purpose of determining the foundation for philosophy or knowledge (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes’ method of hyperbolic doubt was explained in detail in his work published in 1641, entitled Meditations on First Philosophy, wherein he discussed issues regarding the existence of God and the distinction between mind and body (Burnham & Fieser). In this book, Descartes concluded that there is at least a doubting being whose existence is independent of its body; namely, himself (Burnham & Fieser, 2006). Descartes’ method of hyperbolic doubt consists of several stages (Burnham & Fieser). First, it involves the identification of a class of knowledge that is unreliable because it is not credible (Burnham & Fieser). This class of knowledge refers to sensory information, or those gathered from sensory stimuli (Burnham & Fieser). Descartes’ choice of doubting sensory knowledge is based on his stand that sensory knowledge has been known for failing in the past (Burnham & Fieser). Furthermore, Descartes claims that there is a distinct possibility that it will still fail in the future. Moreover, he referred to optical illusions, which are sensory knowledge that is based on deception. They make a person believe that his perceptions differ from what truly exists in the world (Burnham & Fieser. For Descartes, therefore, sensory knowledge cannot be trusted. Descartes next subjected his own ideas to radical doubt (Burnham & Fieser). This he did by imagining that there exists a God who deceives him into thinking his thought, beliefs, and perceptions. (Burnham & Fieser, 2006). However, due to Descartes’ strong belief in God, he later replaced the idea of God as the deceiver to avoid disagreeing with his Christian belief, and conjured the idea of a malevolent demon who deceives him (Burnham & Fieser). Under this test, Descartes was able to conclude that even his own ideas cannot be trusted because they can still be doubted, since they could have been implanted in his mind by the malevolent demon (Burnham & Fieser). Finally, Descartes settled with the conclusion that he exists (Burnham & Fieser). This conclusion he reached through mental intuition, because he noticed that there were statements that are presented to his mind with sufficient clarity and distinctness that there is no reason to doubt them (Burnham & Fieser). This gave rise to his famous phrase, â€Å"I think therefore I am,† or â€Å"Cogito ergo sum (Burnham & Fieser).† This cannot be doubted, because the fact that he doubts shows that there is an existing entity who performs the doubting (Burnham & Fieser). If he did not exist in the first place, then there is no being whom the malevolent demon would be deceiving (Burnham & Fieser).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In sum, Descartes arrived at one conclusion using his method of radical doubt. This conclusion is that it is the indubitable truth that he is a thinking entity that exists (Burnham & Fieser). Works Cited Burnham, D. & Fieser, J. â€Å"Renà © Descartes (1596-1650).† The Internet Encyclopedia of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Philosophy. 2006. 1 Apr. 2007 .      

Macbeth Term Paper

Macbeth Term Paper Macbeth is a story that demonstrates profound change in human character in times when a strong belief becomes the focal point or reason for existence. In extreme cases, as in the story of Macbeth, he becomes so in tuned in his beliefs that he went through remarkable changes both mentally and spiritually. Macbeth is a character who puts himself in a life or death situation and from this a whole new persona comes out of him.Macbeth is a prime example of a man that opts to will his way to power in the most daring and deceiving ways possible without any regard for his actions. Under dyer needs it is within human nature to adapt to surrounding and do what ever becomes necessary to continue on living. Throughout the story Macbeth adapted a new personality because of his thirst for the thrown, his undeniable disregard for others’ well being, and the immense pressure bestowed upon him by the people close to him. â€Å"If it were done when ’tis done, then â⠂¬â„¢twere well. It were done quickly.If th’assassination, could trammel up the consequence, and catch with his surcease success: that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all, here, But here upon this bank and shoal of time, We’d jump the life to come† (act 1, scene 7). This quotation demonstrates Macbeth and his struggle with his new personality trait: greed. Macbeth’s greed begins to take over his train of thought early on, after his visit with the witches. After visiting with the withes he finds that he is going to be named King if he goes through with various acts. Instantly his worldview changes and he begins to go through changes.Macbeth begins to loath the idea of doing anything other than capturing the thrown. This scene shows how Macbeth is contemplating the act of killing Dunkin (King of Scotland). As he explains in this quote, he realizes there are great consequences if he should be caught and he also believes that the benefits in his mind are very worthy as well, should he succeed in killing the king. This is a monumental change in his attitude or personality because before he was just a noble man, who happened to be legitimately respected. Undoubtedly Macbeth would never have considered killing King Dunkin before he saw visions of himself as king.This is especially true due to the fact that Macbeth and King Dunkin have a courteous and well-known relationship as cousins (Bates, Alfred). Very little evidence would show Macbeth as a careless and murderous man. Greed and passion however lead him to contemplate murder. â€Å"Yields to that suggestion, Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, And make my seated heart knock at my ribs† (Act 1, scene 3, 133-135). Undeniably, at this point in the story, Macbeth is rapped up in greed and the power he yearns to grasp. This is the tipping point for Macbeth.He knows that he will not be the same person should he go through with the act of killing King Dunkin however his urge to put himself in a better position is eating away at his conscience (Bates, Alfred). This is a good example of how Macbeth cannot control his desires when he describes his â€Å"heart knocking at his ribs†. He is indirectly holding his life above others as his conscience is telling him to take power over the thrown, in any way possible. This shows that not only the personality trait of greed is taking over, but also the traits of becoming egocentric and self-centered are coming out of Macbeth.There is not a time in this part of Macbeth where he describes reasons for taking power other than the sheer fortunes that come with being king. In other words, Macbeth never states that he can do better as king than King Dunkin had done, rather he only wants to become the most powerful man in Scotland. Macbeth is in the middle of developing a self-centered personality trait because his thoughts do not consider anyone other than himself when he contemplates murder as a means to be come king. Before Macbeth even thought of taking control he was a strong soldier who had the personal qualities to become king in a more natural way.However, he proved to fall into the trap of questioning his own self-confidence. Macbeth was completely influenced by his wife Lady Macbeth. â€Å"The raven himself is hoarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, Under my battlements. Come, you spirits, That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood, Stop up th’access and passage to remorse† (Act 1, scene 5, lines 36–52). This quote from Lady Macbeth has tremendous importance. The quote shows how Lady Macbeth had her heart set on killing King Dunkin and how she was totally behind her husband in doing so.Macbeth did not feel as though it was a good idea for a lot of reasons however his wife Lady Macbeth begins to make him feel like he is a coward. Lady Macbeth explained, in the q uote above, how much ambition she had in favor of the act of killing King Dunkin. Within the quote Lady Macbeth calls Macbeth’s gender or man hood into question, which will cause Macbeth to alter his emotions and change his beliefs. She elucidates how she cannot commit the act of killing the King because of her nurturing and female genes however if she could change herself and be a man she would do so in order to kill Dunkin (Coriat, Isador).The idea that Lady Macbeth would kill King Dunkin in order to take power, essentially transforms Macbeth and his personality in a whole new way. Macbeth could not let his wife threaten his strength as a man and this pressure from Lady Macbeth proves to push him over the top. After this Macbeth feels a new urgency to fulfill his desires along with his wife’s wishes. This passage illuminates how easily Macbeth changes his mind because of the pressure his wife has presented him. The original personality that Macbeth expressed before t his passage is much different than the one seen after he meets with the witches.Before we see a resilient militaristic man with a strong willed personality but after this point Macbeth seems to be greatly influenced by his wife (Coriat, Isador). This becomes a key point in his personality change because after this point he begins to totally become enwrapped in the insensitive decisions that appoint him king. Greed over comes all other traits and in turn makes him act upon his wishes. Macbeth experiences genuine and true personality changes when his actions lead him too far to cover up his act of killing King Dunkin. Banquo was Macbeth’s true best friend before he had gained power after killing King Dunkin.They worked together under the king and they were often seen together in the beginning of the play. Banguo is even present when Macbeth received the prophecy from the witches. This proves to be the major problem that Macbeth recognizes after he fulfilled the prophecy.  "We have, scorched the snake, not killed it. She’ll close and be herself whilst our poor malice, Remains in danger of her former tooth†(act 3, scene 2). This quote explains how Macbeth recognizes that Banquo is a major threat to him. Macbeth believed that Banquo would reveal his secret because Banquo had been an advocate for Dunkin before.Banquo also knew that Macbeth had good reason to kill Dunkin after he heard the prophecy of the witches. This passage shows that Macbeth allows fear to influence his actions and take over his life. Macbeth had gone from having Banquo as a good friend to contemplating killing him because he knew too much about what he had done. The trait of fear truly started to take form is Macbeth’s life after this point since he began to always have to cover up his previous actions. Macbeth is no longer even remotely a good or a noble man after this point since he decided to kill his friend Macbeth.After this point he becomes vastly self-cente red and wrapped in his fears that control his life. â€Å"Macb: Both of you Know Banquo was your enemy. Murderers: True, my lord. Macb: So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life† (Act III, scene 1). Macbeth proves, within this conversation with the murderers, that he does not see Banquo as his friend anymore. He convinces the murderers that Banquo is their enemy along with his. Macbeth is very clear about his word use and how he feels about Banquo, which in turn shows how he has totally changed his mind about Banquo.This is a worthy example of a personality change in Macbeth’s makeup. Macbeth has completely changed his feelings towards a very important person in his life with no feasible purpose or reason other than the reason that Banquo was a liability towards him and his goal of staying king. Lastly Macbeth states that the blood of Banquo is better off on the murderers rather than in Banquo. The pass age clearly shows a changed man who, because of fear, makes major changes in his character and personality. Macbeth is becoming a man who does not care about who he hurts or what he does as long as he stays King.This shows how he completely changed his makeup as he went from being thoughtful and careful to insensitive and irresponsible. Macbeth’s spinning relationship with Banquo is not the only time when he changes his feelings towards someone or a group of people. Throughout the play Macbeth has changing feelings towards the witches. In the begging of the play Macbeth has a great deal of trust in what the witches have told him through their prophecies. He goes as far as committing murderous acts because of the witches prophecies. Later on however, Macbeth begins to change his feelings towards the witches.Macbeth begins to loose trust in them and develops a loathing emotion for the witches. His new feelings towards the witches develop after he committed the murders and reali zed that he had put himself in a dangerous situation (Lou Ching). Macbeth knows he must go back to find out the rest of his destiny. When he returns to the witches he demands them to tell him what will happen. In act 4 scenes 1-3 Macbeth meets with the witches and demands to see his fait. The witches show him three visions. The first vision is of a floating head, which was a symbol of Macduff.After this the witches warned him of Macduff. The second vision was of a bloody child, which was a metaphor or symbol proclaiming that no man who was born of a woman would kill Macbeth. After these symbols the last and most important because he saw himself walking with eight kings who were all in the form of ghosts. Once Macbeth had seen this he knew something was wrong however the witches would not explain it. Macbeth becomes very angry with the witches and begins to worry about his future. Macbeth exclaimed â€Å"Infected be the air whereon they ride, And damned all those that trust them! â €  (Act 4, scene 1).The quote shows how Macbeth has become enraged with the witches because he believed that they had been toying with him. The witches made Macbeth feel very uneasy after this point because he was still unsure about his future. Unlike the beginning of the play, Macbeth clearly looses trust in the witches as they left Macbeth with no clear sense about where his fait would rest. This shows how Macbeth had gone from a person who had trust in people to a man who could trust no one. This personality trait of never keeping faith in himself or anyone around him is a trait that continually comes up throughout the play.Macbeth had become a vicious and insensitive King. Murderous acts require a man who is unstable. Killing an innocent person to obtain benefits demonstrations a self-centered inhumane characteristic. By the time the murders of Banquo and King Dunkin had been committed Macbeth had completely turned into a new man. In no possible way was the Macbeth who did no t kill anyone, in the beginning of the play, the same man as the Macbeth who murdered two close friends (Wykes, Walter). Macbeth was a murderer, which became a personality trait in that he no longer feared murdering a man.Macbeth continued to have murderous thoughts as he told the witches that he would murder Macduff if he needed to. Murder became a way of life or a means to live for Macbeth, which proved to be his most significant characteristic throughout the play. Often tremendous traumas will change a person, usually in a negative way. Murdering someone is a trauma that puts great amounts of guilt as well as other conscious thoughts in ones head. Throughout the play Macbeth becomes a totally new person because of the stresses that a murderous act puts on a man (Ross, Julia).Murderous actions and hard to deal with ordeals also change Macbeth and his ways of suppressing bad memories. Macbeth clearly accepts the idea that he has become a murder especially after he commits the secon d murder. This is a monumental change in his personality because the idea that Macbeth is completely accepting of the idea that killing someone is tolerable, is without a doubt, an insane thought (Wykes, Walter). â€Å"If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well, It were done quickly†(act 1, scene 7). This quote comes from the time before Macbeth killed King Dunkin.It shows how he is explaining the importance to get over the murder quickly. Macbeth shows how his conscious is very weak and how the act of the murder will not bother him because he will make sure to get over it quickly (John Boe). It is clear that the witches become a main focus for Macbeth and the trust he has in remaining king. The built up of insecurities and fear inside of Macbeth however create a new personality trait in order to contemplate the idea of trusting the witches. Rash impulses and hasty thoughts allow Macbeth to trust the witches.If Macbeth had a clear mind and realized the rig ht thing to do would be to ignore the witches and their prophecy, Macbeth would have never even contemplated the idea of killing Dunkin with his wife. Greed and impulsive decisions take total control over Macbeth and in turn make him do things that he would not have normally done. The witches clearly are the source for Macbeth’s decisions and because of this he does not trust his own thoughts rather he trusts the visions of the witches (Lou Ching). Macbeth is a proven story of a man with many psychological problems, which truly come out of him because he sees and opportunity to be King.Macbeth shows a side of him, which he may not have even known about, however under the immense pressure of the act of murder his personality and human characteristics change. The people around him become mere objects he moves like chess pieces within his selfish efforts to remain in power, because of his dominate personality trait of greed. Murderous acts become second nature actions for Macbet h, which is a proven example of how he had become insane and developed new personality traits. Bates, Alfred. â€Å"Macbeth. †Ã‚  TheatreHistory. com. London: Historical Publishing Company. Web. 6 Apr. 2012. ;lt;http://www. theatrehistory. com/british/macbeth001. html;gt;. Boe, John. â€Å"John Boe, The Tragedy of Macbeth: Character Studies | Open Shakespeare. †Ã‚  Open Shakespeare. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. ;lt;http://openshakespeare. org/2011/03/22/john-boe-the-tragedy-of-macbeth-character-studies;gt;. â€Å"Character of Life in Macbeth. †Ã‚  The Mother's Service Society. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://www. motherservice. org/content/character-life-macbeth>. Chou, Lou Ching. â€Å"Witches in Macbeth. †Ã‚  Web Hosting Provider. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://www. mseg. info/ib/essays/witches. tm>. Coriat, Isador H. â€Å"The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth – An Analysis of the Sleepwalking Scene. †Ã‚  Shakespeare Online. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http:/ /www. shakespeare-online. com/plays/macbeth/macbethsleepwalking. html>. Ross, Julia. â€Å"TuftsRoss. †Ã‚  Meredith College : Raleigh, NC. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://www. meredith. edu/english/walton/TuftsRoss. htm>. Wykes, Walter. â€Å"The Personality of Murder in Shakespeare's Macbeth. â€Å"Http://ezinearticles. com/. 30 Aug. 2007. Web. <http://EzineArticles. com/? expert=Walter_Wykes Article Source: http://EzineArticles. com/709816>.