Leadership in History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership in History - Research Paper Example When he came to power, Mr. Putin faced a number of problems, dilemma and obstacles in his presidency. President Putin rose to power when the Chechnya problem was at the peak, high corruption in the government and military, economic meltdown and having to choose between a deal not to criticize the former president and doing whatever he believed was right according to him(Baker and Glasser 117). That time marked the worst time ever for the Russian economy, which required the best leadership skills to maneuver the tide. Putin did not let his citizens down in this one. He made some decisions that though were controversial, ended up saving the Russian economy. In fact, president Putin tried very much to change the governance of Russia from a militarized state to a communist state by moving away from military rule. Most countries believe that by being super-powerful in terms of military might, then their citizens and the country at large can be peaceful. However, this might not be the obvious case going by Gorbachevs new thinking on international relations. He believed that even though not everything can change overnight, people will always have different approaches to certain issues. For peace to prevail is to acknowledge the needs and interests of every person or country and the equality of their equality internationally and then striving to provide them (Gorbachevs). The same sentiments seem to have motivated Putin’s presidency going by some of the decisions he made regarding his leadership. This paper is going to examine the presidency of Putin, the problems he encountered, how he came to power and finally how he dealt with the problems. Mr. Putin’s presidency came at a time when the problem of Chechen rebellion was troubling government and wanted to bring the presidency that recognizes the plight of Chechnya and on the same note not portraying the outgoing President in bad light. This was not the

The Meaning of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Meaning of Life - Essay Example I find this as the most convincing as regarding the question to the real meaning of life. This is surely the greatest way to perceive life-one’s own life, the life of a nation, a species, the world, and all living things. The meaning of life comes to us when we do things that our heart and mind desires, things that seem of importance to us. Otherwise, doing things that draw boredom since they seem not of much interest ton us does not bring the meaning of living into us. We can realize the idea of meaningless existence and the meaningless of life if we keep on doing things that bear no fruits to us and brings nothing (Taylor 433). It surely has no meaning to perform an activity that has been drawn repeatedly but, have no direction and purpose of it. With this, the objective of existence is meaningless. Richard Taylor draws this idea from our lives, and that of the animals, the endless activities that get nowhere. However, he also says that if this is what one is willing to per sue then the idea of meaning of life comes in. At one point, we ask ourselves why we do things repeatedly without getting anything out of it, a perfect image of meaningless existence. ... He also points out something important that we realize in our day to day life, we go through life doing things that which begin to fade into time as the next time is instigated yet it would be no redemption to rest from all this (Taylor 437). It would be a denunciation that would not be redeemed if we gaze at things we have done no matter how beautiful and permanent they are. The meaning of life requires us to create new ideas and perform new tasks each and every new day. All these should be encouraged by our willingness to perform this tasks for living, and it carries on to our children and the generation to come. Epicurus has also created a clear meaning of life as life is driven by the choices, actions, and for us to make correct choices we have to be wise in our decisions. He says that we have to be wise, so as to live pleasantly. It is from this that we gain honor and just. He says that some things happen because of necessity; some happen by chance, others by agency. We should b e wise and take good actions because we are responsible for our own actions. It is from them that we take praise or blames. Epicurus calls for us to believe in God, and affirm to his blessings. He creates the idea that there are gods, but the respect given unto them does not prevail. Living also requires us to believe that death is nothing to us, for both evil and good imply the capacity for sensation, and that death is the privation of all sentience. The meaning of life requires believing that death is a part of life and that it adds the yearning of immortality. We are advised to believe that life does not end after death for not the living or the dead exists no longer. The meaning of life

Religion And Terrorism The World Situation Politics Essay

Religion And Terrorism The World Situation Politics Essay Religion can inspire peoples potential and make them undaunted in the face of death. However, countless disasters have broken out when religious extremism and terrorism combined with each other. Religious- based terrorism has become a major form of contemporary terrorism. Currently, the worlds situation has experienced drastic changes and religion as a supernatural deity worship met the requirements of peoples spiritual sustenance. Therefore, the religious- based terrorism as a type of terrorist activities spread around the world rapidly and it will long exist. This essay will firstly discuss the similarities between terrorism that is primarily religious and terrorism that is primarily secular. Following this, it will discuss the differences between terrorism that is primarily religious and terrorism that is primarily secular by analyzing one act of contemporary religious violence in detail. Finally, it will analyze the reason why it is not possible for terrorists to achieve their ai ms by using violence.. Similarities between terrorism that is primarily religious and terrorism that is primarily secular After experienced the 9 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 11 incident in 2001, a discussion on the so-called fourth wave of terrorism had risen. Unlike the previous several waves of terrorism, religious issue has become the main motive force of this new terrorism (David C. Rapoport, 2001). Religious-based terrorism means for the religious or political reasons, a religious group, organization, government or individuals attacks their religion or other religions and use violence against the innocent civilians or property.  ¼Ã‹â€ Aref M. Al- Khattar, 2003 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Although driving by different forces, the religious-based terrorism and secular terrorism use violence to solve their problem and bring the society a great panic. First, both the religious-based terrorism and secular terrorism are act of violence. They convey their ideas and intentions to certain social groups by those planned violence. They seek political change by the public impact of violence. Second, the religious-based terrorism and secular terrorism are always unpredictable. Organized terroristic activities have a shelter and it is difficult to predict in advance. When and where will the terrorist activities occur? What are their aims? How terrorist activities start on? All of these issues are unknown until the terrorist events happen. Its unpredictability expanding the effect of terrorist violence and terrorism becomes very difficult to deal with. Third, the victims of the religious-based terrorism and secular terrorism have a symbolic meaning. The potential victims of terrori st attacks are not really randomly selected. These targets are the symbol of what the terrorists want to attack because of their status, their location or their activities. Fourth, the religious-based terrorism and secular terrorisms action usually has a specific political purpose. Terrorism has a political purpose which includes two situations: Firstly, some groups or organizations use such means of violent and terrorist to achieve their own political purposes. Secondly, they adopt that means of violent terrorist to change social political thoughts. Differences between terrorism that is primarily religious and terrorism that is primarily secular The religious-based terrorism and secular terrorism are different in those issues of motivation, legitimization and justification. Some Islamic fundamentalist organizations are the typical delegate of religious-based terrorism. They advocate to restore the original form of Islam and to establish a theocracy country. Terrorism is the stock in trade of the Islamic fundamentalist. The Muslim Brotherhood is a representation of fundamentalist. This organization was established in 1928 and its initial aim is to resist Western cultural influence on the Arab world. Since its inception, the Muslim Brotherhood spread its influence in the Arab world, and gradually evolved from a religious organization to a paramilitary terrorist organization. Hamas is an organization which is derived from the Muslim Brotherhood. They put forward a very aggressive struggle aim: destroy Israel with a holy war and establish an Islamic state in Palestine ultimately. After the Cold War, the terrorism activities of I slamic fundamentalist have become increasingly frequent and prove to be the most dangerous terrorism in the world (Bar S, 2004). Take Islamic fundamentalist terrorism for example. Compared with the secular terrorism, they considered violence as a sacred act or duty and terrorist activities have been given a sacred name. Killing is glorious if it is for the sacred religious. Secular moral fetters, struggle of the human nature dissipated in this glorious. Terrorists use murder and they have no limitation on the political impact, moral and practical conditions that limited secular terrorism.  ¼Ã‹â€ Bruce Hoffman, 1993 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° Religious allow terrorists to find a way to legitimize their acts of terror. Many religious doctrines have violent sanctions content to urge their follower filled with admiration to the God. Terrorism is a natural supporter of violence. It captured this feature of religion, misleading those devout followers. These followers believed that violence is an expression of worship and they were taking away the sinners in accordance the will of God. Therefore, they not only will not feel guilty for the murder, but believes their actions are legitimate and sacred (Sedgwick M, 2004). Compared with the other types of terrorism, their enemy is broader and numerous. This fact doomed religious-based terrorism are much bloody than the other types of terrorism. The religious-based extremism terrorists are both victimizer and victim. Piety to the religious is their spiritual motivate of carrying out terrorist attacks, but not the root causes of terrorism. They had lived quietly in the world which many religions exist there like most people. They protected their religion carefully, but their religion gradually declined under the impact of Western culture. Those desperate followers have to take the extreme method of killing to eradicate those who threaten their religious beliefs and it seems that those numerous religions may erode their faith. Those experiences in the real-life, including the power politics of Western countries, economic sanctions, military strikes, made them feel that they are victims and they have the right to retaliate to these people who bring them disaster. Terrorism will not grow up without any reason and no one born a suicide bomber ( Jones JW,2009; Roislien HE, 2005). Analysis of the possibility for religious terrorists to achieve their aims by violence Since the nineteen eighties, various types of worlds religious terrorist organizations developed rapidly. The ravages of terrorism have brought great harm to the international community and undermine the normal social order. Terrorism intensifies various contradictions and becomes a major threat to the peace of the world. Therefore, many governments condemn atrocities of the terrorist and have made it clear that they will fight against terrorism. In recent years, the international community has joint together to act against terrorism. Many countries recognize that anti-terrorism can not be met by one country alone. They must rely on the strength of the entire international community. Contemporary terrorism is more like cancer, which spread and undermined the body health of the community seriously. It undermines the international peace and social stability, which lead the international community into deep fear. So compromise with terrorists is generally refused by the whole world. Recently, many countries have committed to the fight against terrorism and have made remarkable achievements. Therefore, in this situation, religious terrorism is difficult to achieve their goal by violence. Same example can be used to illustrate the above conclusion. Organizations of Islamic fundamentalists, like Hamas, have not achieved its goal by using violence. Although causing great damage ¼Ã…’Hamas suicide bombing attacks do not destroy Israel and have no positive effects on the establishment of an Islamic state in Palestine. Instead ¼Ã…’Gaza as the stronghold of Hamas has been blockaded by Israel since 2007. As a result, Hamas lost the ability to launch large-scale attack in a long period of time. Conclusion Religion is an important component of human civilization and its contribution to mankind is undeniable. The ethical and legal norms it advocates still play an irreplaceable constraints role of peoples behavior for peace and stability of human society. But religious-based terrorism undermined international peace and social stability, which lead the international community into deep fear. Anti-terrorist is imperative, but it is also essential for each country involved in terrorism to rethink what makes them become the targets of terrorist attacks. If people use violence to combat with religious terrorism, this will only lead to more conflict of civilizations and more severe social panic. However, elimination of terrorism is an extremely complex and difficult task. So the religious-based terrorism will long exist. Therefore, all the countries involved in terrorism need to find the root causes of religious-based terrorism .What they can do now is try to prevent terrorism and minimize los ses caused by terrorist activities.

Sports Management :: essays research papers

Sports Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Someone once said, â€Å"There are those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.† I consider myself one of those rare people who really knows how to â€Å"make things happen.† I have gone from being a follower to being a leader, from being someone who was shy and uncertain to a person who is self-confident and assertive. It has been a remarkable metamorphosis, and it has changed my future professional plans and personal goals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The awakening of my independence happened during the end of my softball season my freshman year in college when my head coach had cut my scholarship because of lack of funding. I was faced with making my first mature decision into what my future was to hold. The following year I transferred to Thomas College hoping to play ball again which did not materialize because there were not enough players recruited to start the softball program. At Thomas College, I realized that I was going to school for the wrong reason -- to play ball. The idea hit me that being at Thomas College was not going to get me where I wanted to go in life. I then transferred to the University of Charleston, where I am presently. I wanted to pursue a sport management degree, while using my athletic abilities to participate in softball. I have no regrets on the decisions I have made, because I would never be the person I am today or have met all of the key people along the way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout my college career, I have attempted to learn as much as possible about the field of sports management through various work experiences with many different types of sports organizations. Through my experiences with people in a minor league baseball association, fitness club, public relations department, athletic departments, and various recreation centers, I have had the opportunity to develop and hone my communication and public relation skills in several different areas. These experiences have helped me gain a better understanding of my career goals in the sports industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to the time spent out in the field, my education at University of Charleston has further developed my skills and knowledge of sports management, specifically in the areas of marketing, promotions, public and media relations, and management. I have also had the opportunity to be involved in various extracurricular activities that have provided me with the skills and knowledge that I have employed in my work experiences. Many concepts that I have learned from these activities were not taught in the classroom, but were

Middle East

This narrative proved to be overblown and ultimately the clash of civilizations thesis has been discarded. However, a decade on, the fast-paced events of the Arab Spring have once again revived the question as to whether we are witnessing a clash of collocations Does the Arab Spring reflect a clash of civilizations On the face of it, the Arab Spring appeared to be heading into clash of civilizations territory as Western-backed dictators fell like nine pins, and the revolts appeared to be pre)-lilacs, anti-Western and anti-liberal.Recently, a violent string of protests across the middle east against a us-made film, which was held to denigrate the prophet Mohamed, culminated in a deadly arson attack that killed the US ambassador to Libya. Once again, some commentators have framed these events as a clash of cultures and a pivotal moment in Western and Islamic relations. However, the evidence suggests that the clash of civilizations thesis is exaggerated.So in relation to the Arab Spring , it is more helpful to see it as a clash between people and governments within the Arab world, caused in large part by incompetent governance and an inability to listen to what the people want. Contrary to the clash argument, the Arab Spring is not a clash between Islamic radicalism and the west. Looking closely at the region reveals that each upheaval has Its specific characteristics, each country its own history and ethnic mix. In Bahrain, for example, the Arab Spring has manifested itself in an explosion of long-held tensions between Sunnis and Shih Muslims.There Is some interesting polling that popular concerns about democracy In Bahrain have decreased since the start of the troubles, while encores about Iran have increased. In Egypt, people simply wanted a change Embark was self-evidently time-expired and the longer the military try to hold on to power (prompted in part by their large stake in the economy), the lower their popular support becomes. Similar, although more extrem e, concerns apply In Libya, exacerbated by the tribal nature of Libyan society (a really big determinant).Its also instructive to note what is happening in Tunisia, which seems to be providing a very Arab/North African take on democracy but which seems to be working nonetheless. So In essence, the Arab Spring Is not really clash of civilizations territory at all. The role of Islam in the Arab Spring Jane Simonton, Chatham Houses middle east expert, comments in relation to Tunisia and Egypt that The vague, catch-all term Salamis belies the diversity of movements that seek to draw inspiration, values and legitimacy from Islam. There are enormous differences In thinking both between different Salamis groups, and wealth them.Crucially, this diversity Is likely to Increase as a result of the new-found political opening in the Arab world. Salamis movements OFF uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia succeeded precisely because they avoided the divisions of ideology, class and, in Egypt, religion t hat have traditionally fractured and weakened opposition movements in the Arab world. Certainly Salamis movements were more successful than any other parties in the recent parliamentary elections in Egypt and Tunisia, prompting some observers to accuse them of stealing the revolutions.The protests that drove political changes in 2011 hoisted slogans with universal appeal calling for freedom, dignity, social Justice more than they referred specifically Islamic slogans. They were not Salamis, anti-legalist or non- Salamis protests Psalmists participated alongside secularists, liberals and leftists and there were striking images of Muslims and Christians guarding each others prayers in Their Square. Neither Salamis movements nor other existing political parties can claim credit for these youth-led, spontaneously swelling street movements.Thus, what we are seeing is far from the rise of a monolithic civilizations identity, but rather an intra-civilizations splintering over political and economic ideas. Conclusion clash within the Arab world The Arab Spring is not so much to be seen as a clash of civilizations but rather a power struggle motivated by pollarded sectarian differences within Arab countries. TTY McCormick in the Huffing Post argues It is clear that a clash within civilizations helps to explain the Arab Spring more than a clash between them.William Misacts writing in the Journal, Foreign Affair, also questions the clash of civilizations thesis On 9/1 1, the global Jihads movement burst into the worlds consciousness, but a decade later, thanks in part to the Arab Spring and the killing of Osama bin Laden, it is in crisis. With Western-backed dictators falling, al Qaeda might seem closer than ever to its goal of building Islamic states. But the revolutions have empowered the groups chief rivals instead Salamis parliamentarians, who are willing to use ballots, not bombs.Activities (1) Follow on discussion To what extent is does the Arab Spring constitute a clash of civilizations Given that this topic is in many ways Just a footnote to the wider debate over the clash of civilizations thesis, it might be worth asking groups to draw up precise lists of points both for and against this action. (2) Arab Spring mint-presentations allocate members of the class to one of the Arab Spring countries (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria etc. ) and ask them to do a one-slide presentation outlining key events etc.

Lowry’s The Giver

Character isolationism and the struggles surrounding solitude are recurring themes in many great pieces of literature. Lowry’s The Giver is an excellent work of contemporary fiction whose main character, Jonas, struggles with such a burden. In order to properly identify character relationships of isolation, I will compare and contrast The Giver with two other well-known pieces of adolescent literature: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Jonas, in The Giver, views his hometown as the perfect place, a utopia that is self-contained and free of ruinous element such as conflict, illness, divorce, and inequality. He comes from a loving, demonstrative family unit: father, mother, one brother, one sister. Everyone in his hometown fits this perfectly balanced poster-family mold. It’s a gift-wrapped location to raise a family, or so we are led to believe. His family, as are all families in this utopia-like society, has good communication methods and are supportive of one another. Lowry creates such a background to impact his theme of a protagonist teetering into the realm of isolationism. The author uses the omniscient point of view of Jonas throughout the story. As the reader envisions the story solely through Jonas, we see his family is supposed shares their feelings and emotions when issues arise. It’s almost too perfect. Yet perfection diminishes when we discover, through foreshadowing, that a certain pilot who was in a plane crash was to be â€Å"released from the community. † The speaker’s voice takes the situation lightly, even with a hint of humor—a marker that something is amiss. One of the main themes in The Giver is individuality verses conformity. This parallels Jonas’s struggles with isolationism. Lowry leads us to believe in this utopia. Yet, as Jonas and other children freely choose jobs to increase their own knowledge base, it becomes apparent that the Elders have another purpose for them. The Elder will be choosing what direction their future will go once they are twelve years-old. Later, Jonas shares a provocative dream he had about Fiona. Jonas is pleased with the pleasure his dream brings to him. Lowry wrote, And the nakedness, too. It was against the rules for children or adults to look at another’s nakedness; but the rule did not apply to newchildren or the Old. (p. 30) This statement speaks volumes about the sexual racism and tensions that were prevalent in the society of The Giver which can be compared to the pressures that revolved around the status of wealth in The Outsiders and Catcher in the Rye. The Giver’s protagonist accepts this rule as Lowry responds to the rule against seeing other people naked. Jonas was glad. It was a nuisance to keep oneself covered while changing for games, and the required apology if one had by mistake glimpsed another’s body was always awkward. (p. 30) The author gives us subtle hints of Jonas’s isolation that is to come. He liked the safety here in this warm and quiet room (p 30) According to the Elders ‘touching’ other people outside of one’s immediate family was deemed rude and inappropriate behavior. His mother informs him that he’ll be taking a pill to help him. This is one more way for the Elders to control their youth. In event, this leads to Jonas into isolationism. Jonas begins to feel sad. When Gabe is actually allowed to live with Jonas’s family, the community sets boundaries. Gabe can stay but they are not allowed to become emotionally attached to him. The communities’ means of controlling its people sinks Jonas further into isolation. Jonas speaks with the Chief Elder in chapter eight, bringing to light the impact of his isolation. The Chief Elder says, â€Å"But you will be faced now,† she explained gently, â€Å"with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it’s beyond our experience†¦. So, because the Elders, hid their true motive, children are torn emotionally from what was to be a perfect life. When we consider the novel, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton we find many parallels with The Giver. Both have themes centered on isolationism and what sort of grave effects it can have on an individual, a family, or a town. There are also contrasting differences in these two novels. Both of w hich will be discussed in detail. The Outsiders is a story of two teenage gangs: the socs and the greasers. This novel is a classic East versus West scenario in a small Oklahoma town in the 1960’s. The soc’s—which is an abbreviation for socials—is a gang of affluent teenage hoodlums that drive fast cars, get the pretty girls, and have the social markings of upper class due to their family’s economic status. The greasers are the gang of teenage boys that come from the lower class, most being raised in broken homes where mom or dad—or sometimes neither parent—is around to provide guidance. One contrasting difference here is the fact that The Giver opens with families living in a utopia-like geographic area where every single family fits the perfect family unit of a father, mother, and two siblings. This family unit is structured with communication skills as well where issues are discussed on a daily basis. There are no racial tension or inequality issues to speak of in The Giver, either. S. E. Hinton, on the other hand, creates a real-life scenario that parallel’s lifestyles in Oklahoma in the 1960’s—which is when the book was written by an actual teenager. Thus, The Outsiders displays how dysfunctional families operate. There is constant conflict among siblings and taunting between the greasers and the socs. Being in a gang instantly offers the teenage-societies an extended family. They trust one another and wound die for each other. The families within the gang understand one another because they can relate to one another’s pain and suffering. Even when they are faced with such constant emotional struggles, physical entanglements, and trouble with law enforcement, the gang members are on the same wave-length and follow one another. In The Giver, the families live in an apparent pristine environment that directly opposes this. The parents and children form proper communication channels by discussing issues at dinnertime. Some of the characters in the Outsiders are lucky if they get dinner every night. Yet, the path of isolationism for Jonas is the genesis for the character’s circumstances. He cannot free himself of this downward spiral, even when he’s placed in such a positive environment. S. E. Hinton, on the other hand, displays characters coming together in the worst of times. Another parallel, in The Outsiders, ties into the issue of separation from family. Here, teens are often led to see things as only right or wrong. But, as we know, circumstances in life are rarely black and white. Too many intricacies are involved when teens are struggling to survive and discover their way to be viewed as simply all-right or all-wrong. The protagonists in both Hinton’s and Lowry’s novel have underlying subplots of youths trying to discover their place in life. Another comparison is the fact that both authors play into the common-knowledge ideal that says, life isn’t fair. Whether life is fair to the soc’s or the greasers is seen differently. The soc’s desire the glamour and status that goes along with their affluent upbringing. The greasers, on the other hand, desire a different image. They don’t want to be associated with the upper crust of society. According to a greaser, the money, clothes, and cars, are the last thing they’d ever view as a priority in life. In fact, they despise them, mainly for how society treats the lower class. However, both gangs are products of a lifestyle where parental upbringing doesn’t show respect to their children because parents are unwilling to listen to the youth’s ideas, desires, and needs. These are the precise components that led to Jonas’s separation from the family unit. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, we find similar connections in the background of each story. Both novels depict a protagonist coming from an affluent upbringing. Salinger’s novel is set in a post World War II time when the nation was trying to make a financial recovery. Holden goes to a private school and money is of no concern to him, his family, or his immediate peer group. The breadwinner in Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s father, is a corporate attorney that is only interested in money, golf, and fancy toys such as classy cars. Freedom from financial concerns is a comparative attribute for Holden and Jonas. Holden and his father don’t understand one another which can be compared to Jonas and a discussion he has with the Elders in Chapter 20. â€Å"What about you? Do you lie to me, too? † Jonas almost spat the question at The Giver. â€Å"I am empowered to lie. † This grave scene in The Giver brings to light how painful an entire childhood can be. It’s the parents and Elders were not true to their children and thus impacts the life of our protagonist. Holden’s father is also blinded by money and his status as a corporate lawyer. This puts barriers up between him and his son. These barriers are like lying to Holden, causing him harm as he tries to find his place in society. Just as Jonas is the protagonist and narrator, Holden is also the narrator and protagonist of Catcher in the Rye. The impact of the stories theme and character relationships in both stories can be felt on a deeper level when we experience the story solely through the protagonist’s eye. Another contrasting element between the protagonists for S. E. Hinton and J. D. Salinger is how the characters are introduced to the story. It is very clear that Holden is struggling with life. He is 16 years-old with partially gray hair, thin, and out of shape. He smokes cigarettes as well. Jonas, on the other hand, is raised in this Eden-like village where everyone moves through life free of stress and ailments. Furthermore, Holden is an angry teen who is very confused and depressed. He also displays characteristics of bigotry which contrasts Jonas’s lifestyle of equality. Holton, however, is an evil person but he can be kind and even thoughtful which matches the characteristic expectations of the children in The Giver. In fact, almost every person had similar physical features as can be seen in the following citation: Almost every citizen in the community had dark eyes. His parents did, and Lily did, and so did all of his group members and friends (p. 20). Yet a distinction is drawn in Jonas as the author followed the above citation with this: But there are a few exceptions: Jonas, himself, and a female Five who he had noticed the different, lighter eyes. Thus, we are given hints of Jonas’s differences. This contrasts the obvious struggles that are in Holton’s persona. As I looked collectively at the comparisons and contrasting differences between The Giver and the two other novels, I found the likenesses to be more apparent than the differences. Each of the novels under study all had a theme of isolationism. On top of this, the protagonists and most of the minor characters in all the novels were children and young adults who struggled with loss, depression, conflict, and illness. Each story brought the reality of separation and isolationism to light as the youth banded together to overcome obstacles. The stories display how great an impact deceit, control, and lack of compassion can have on individuals growing into adulthood. People can shut down and sink into isolation. The burden of all this can either lead people away from following their dreams—sometimes destroying themselves into a pit of isolation. The strong-willed, however, find a way to learn from these challenging situations and discover ways to help themselves so that they, in turn, can help friends and loved ones.

Initial Marketing Plan Essay

Initial Marketing Plan Essay Initial Marketing Plan Essay Initial Marketing Plan MCS*1000 Gazelle Chike Inoma 0759596 Jack Battagalia 0888873 Marie Pineault 0876871 Lauren Murphy 0872759 February 13, 15 At Gazelle, we make computers that appeal to the average individual. Computers today can be expensive, and majority of the working population are unable to buy one. Our main objective is to deliver quality computers with an affordable price tag. By focusing our efforts primarily on the computer’s internal components, we guarantee that our computer’s potential can be fully maximized by our customers. For this vision to occur, we came up with different strategies for production. Firstly, we hired few employees to reduce costs and stationed our head office in Shanghai. This allows us to reach a large portion of our target market, while saving on costs. However, we’ve also made plans to expand our offices in order to reach out to a larger target market and increase demand of the â€Å"Gazelle One†. We will eventually branch off into the Chicago office in an attempt to capitalize on the greater demand that is associated with opening two sales offices. With the larger market, it is easier to produce our computers in bulk and reduce the major production costs. After completing this expansion into Chicago, we plan on training and hiring more employees to give our customers the best possible customer service. As this shift occurs, we’ll continuously come up with new ideas to improve our computers features. To do this, we will adjust how funds are allocated within the business. By allocating funds towards improving our computer’s design, it would give us the opportunity to service a different target market, while keeping our core market satisfied with functioning internal components. This leaves a lot of room f or growth and gives us a larger potential then we had in the past. Secondly, our main marketing strategy was to create an ad that highlighted the following mission statements; Gazelle Computers aims to fulfill the needs of the everyday employee. We want to provide these working consumers with an easy-to-use, user-friendly computer while still providing them with the best experience possible. We offer our customers efficient computers at a low cost. It is capable of running the best quality software programs while maintaining a large amount of data storage. We recognize that our working target market is not interested in a computer for leisure or luxury, but rather for getting the job done. As a result, affordable quality is crucial to our company. We firmly believe in offering the best quality products at the best prices possible. Gazelle Computers has focused its efforts on making the internal components of the computer the most valuable part. However, we did want our computer to look as good on the outside as it operates on the inside; therefore we designed our computer with a sleek and simple exterior, offering a unique and distinct look. At Gazelle Computers, our only operating brand is the Gazelle One. At this time we are solely focused on getting our worker oriented desktop computer into the market but hope to expand in the near future. We have priced our product at $2500, matching what the average consumer is willing to pay for their computer. Currently our office headquarters are located in Shanghai. We strategically chose this specific location as it contained the highest demand for worker-orientated computers. This location also offered us the lowest office expense costs allowing or our company to better invest the extra money further into our product. With this ad, we have been able to generate a large deal of recognition and business. We plan in the future to expand our marketing capabilities in order to showcase our product to more consumers. Showing the internal and external factors that could affect our company’s success can summarize our company’s competitive environment. The internal factors of our company, with emphasis on the strengths are our marketing

Compare 3 Stories essays

Compare 3 Stories essays The storeys that I will be righting about all have children in. The pieces I have decided to Wright about are The living, Through the tunnel, A message from the pig man. Through the tunnel is written by Doris lessing it is about a young boy of eleven how goes on holiday with his mum. This piece is also about the boy struggling to be accepted and grow up. The living is written by Mary Lavin it is about two boys how try to prove to each other how grown up they are by visiting a wake. The story is about boys trying to out do each other. A message from the pig man is written by Jhone Wain and it is about a young boy of age about six trying to come to terms with his mother and father braking up and how his imagination runs wild and how he learns to face all his fears. All three pieces are about young boys and how they face a problem and childhood. The boys in each piece seem to have loving parents and they also seem to love them a lot this is shown by each character. As in A message from a pig man you can see the boy loves his father as he says so long as it left the spare room free for dad to sleep in. He says this as he wants his dad to stay with him and his mum but his parents are getting divorced so his dad is moving out but Eric loves him and does not want him to leave. This shows us that Eric is to young to understand why his dad must move out. Erics father also loves him, as he wants to make him happy so hey bys him a train set. This is also shown in Through the tunnel as you can see that the mother loves her son as she tries to let him grow up by letting him go to a beach on his own. You can see that see worries by the way see thinks to her self and the questions she asks for example of course he is old enough to be safe with! out me and have I been keeping him to close. The boy also loves his mum as he checks on her regale to see that see is still there and that she is safe. The lo...

A Look at the Different Opinions Concerning Abortion

A Look at the Different Opinions Concerning Abortion Being a subject that is never taken lightly in society, abortion is a wildly controversial issue. With a nation full of many diverse ethics and values, the issue of abortion has been divided into two opposite positions of pro-life or pro-choice. The pro-life stance is in opposition of legal abortion and against the termination of unborn fetuses. Overall, in the eyes of pro-life believers, life is a precious miracle and no matter how far along a fetus has developed, every aborted fetus has indeed been murdered. On the other hand, the stance of pro-choice supports the action of abortion and believes that women should have the legal right to terminate their pregnancy. No matter what position is taken on this crucial issue, abortion will always have lasting impact on people. For example, who can blame anyone who defends a pregnant mothers right to make a life and death decision by her own free will when assuming she completely understands all ramifications? By whatever way she arrives at her final heart- tearing decision to kill the fetus, should anyone have the right to force her to bear a child? Or, in contrast, who can fault someone who wishes to prevent the termination of a teen pregnancy in order to save the life of the innocent unborn child? Questions like these not only help conceive the importance and value of abortion but also raise much curiosity about this year’s election and the candidate’s beliefs. Although many of this years election policies are based on issues that encompass our devastating economy, the often neglected issue of abortion has become a ruthlessly exploited topic in this years presidential debates. The candidates, Governor Mitt Romney and President Barrack Obama, have very differentiating views of pro-life and pro-choice. Usually shown as an issue that favors pro-life candidates, this election has shown a historical change due to President Obama taking charge in a recent Gallup Poll (Dannefelser). Although there are some appealing arguments about the pro-life choice, I believe the policy of abortion should be terminated in our society, as it takes the lives of approximately 115,000 innocent and defenseless children daily. Of course, there is a population that doesn’t believe that the act of abortion is wrong and feels that women should have the right in whether they want to bear a child. Supporting this view, President Obama believes in the policy of pro-choice and holds the opinion that woman should bear the constitutional rights to their personal health and reproductive freedom. Within his campaign, Obama has shown his complete support of Planned Parenthood and given much funding to abortion and contraception advertising through his recent video known as â€Å"Yes We Can† (Yarrow). Through this tactic, Obama establishes the message that the women of America are capable of making their own choices. Disagreeing with parental notification, he states that he feels that abortion is an act that needs to have much thought and consideration and if â€Å"a young women becomes pregnant they should talk to their parents†. Moreover, he realizes that all girls do not have parental guidance a nd â€Å"in those instances, we should want these girls to seek the advice of a trusted source. Many feel this campaign tactic will be helpful in gathering support for abortion because â€Å"according to NARAL’s model and an extensive survey that shows there are over 5.1 million women pro-choice†(May). Claiming how Governor Romney â€Å"has gone to more extreme place†, by completely getting rid of funding for planned parenthood, President Obama claims that if he gets elected for a second term this crucial social issue will get resolved (May). Although President Obama makes some crucial arguments about this serious policy, there have been criticisms’ about his policy of abortion. President Obama constantly mentioned the topic of federal funding of planned parenthood numerous times and consistently made sure to bring up Romney’s vow to defund the nation’s largest abortion provider that also delivers an array of other productive services (Yarrow). Furthermore, Obama states in all three of his presidential debates that not only does his funding of planned parenthood help women in need, but it also can act like any other health care provider or OB/GYN by providing breast examinations and referring women to outside technicians (Viebeck). In reality though, Obama has recently been proven wrong, though, due to a recent fact check that verified that Planned Parenthood does not perform mammograms or even possess the necessary equipment to do so. The truth is actually revealed; â€Å"they do hundreds and thousa nds of abortions and not a single mammogram†(Dannenfeiser). According to the Washington Times â€Å"Planned Parenthood is even reportedly dropping what little prenatal care it offers† (Dannenfeiser). Moreover, the Congressional Research Service report stated that the federal government gives Planned Parenthood about $66 million to a unreliable service (Viebeck). In general, this shows the amount of money that is being taken out of the American’s pockets (Viebeck). Furthermore, pro-life candidate Mitt Romney claims that his opposing candidate, Barack Obama, needs to critically consider that abortion is a social issue and not an economical issue (Dannenfeiser). In general, Romney feels the most important thing should be fully trying to recover America from economic stress and this current devastating recession. Now completely behind the policy of pro-life, Romney’s policy of abortion has three exceptions of â€Å"cases of rape, incest, or pregnancy that endangers a women’s life† (Romney). His belief of pro-life advocates the legal protection of human embryos and fetuses and outlaws abortion. Throughout Romney’s debate he claims his first action he will take will be to defund Planned Parenthood in America. In addition, he he plans to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which states the legalization of abortion, due to over â€Å"fifty million abortions have been performed since 1973†. Through this plan, Romney claims that on ce overturned, abortion will be a matter of state decision and not a matter of federal decision. It will â€Å"finally allow the states to have authority† that they were initially intended to have (Blodget). In addition, Romney indicates that he will reverse the Mexico City position of the President and â€Å"reinstate the Mexico City policy which keeps us from using foreign aid for abortions overseas†(Weiner). Feeling that abortion is more of a social issue and not economic issue he plans to instead help the 17 million women that are currently living in poverty today (Weiner). Romney states I’m going to help women in America get good work by getting a stronger economy and by supporting women in the workforce.(Bennett). In general, much of this topic is subject to opinion and perspective and that is just the nature of this argument. Overall though, I find myself mostly behind Governor Romney and his choice of pro-life within America. Influenced by my morals and religious back ground, I believe that there are no exceptions for abortion. Living in a society that finds murder as a morally wrong act that deserves punishment, I believe the policy of abortion should be ended because I feel that there is no difference between murder and taking the life of an innocent and defenseless child. If a mother does not want a child or rape has occurred, adoption or other measures should be considered. Unfortunately, this is not a popular stance to many Americans due to the belief that woman should possess their constitutional rights. In reality, the act of abortion is legal before three months because the fetus is still in the embryo stage. In contrast, facts show that â€Å"More than 90% of the body structures found in a full-grown human are present after 9 weeks.† Overall I feel that today we live in a morally wrong and depraved society that is unwilling to accept their wrongs. We end up exonerating others for our mistakes. I understand that fear indeed is a powerful motivator, but as we accept these self-centered acts we underestimate both the intelligence and priorities of women. The women of America can use their brains, not solely rely on other parts of their body, to move ahead in society and achieve their goals.

Nowruz and My Husbands Mother Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nowruz and My Husbands Mother - Essay Example The Nowruz holiday marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the New Year within Persian culture. The holiday itself is an ancient holiday, dating back nearly three thousand years. The holiday itself has many traditions, perhaps most notably a large-scale feast. Another specific traditional is the importance of entirely cleaning the home in a sort of ‘spring cleaning’ process. In addition to these traditions, it is important for family to visit and re-establish relationships and connections. It was in this context that my husband’s family first visited. While I had been married for over a year at the time, I had yet to meet my husband’s family. His parents lived in Iran and were not able to make it to the United States for our wedding ceremony. We had made plans to meet many times, but because of mutual complications they had been canceled time and time again. This resulted in a growing amount of anxiety over meeting my husband’s family. Whi le my husband and I had a strong relationship and were madly in love, I was not sure how his parents would respond to me. I was only slightly familiar with Persian culture, and added to this confusion was my husband’s stories about growing up in a strict household and frequently being punished for misbehaving. With these stories in mind I had developed a perception of his family as a dark and caustic group of individuals. My husband’s family was about to arrive. We had done a large-scale cleaning of our house and become prepared for the large Nowruz feast for the evening. As their rental car pulled into the driveway, followed by his sister’s car with her husband and children, deep dread grew in my stomach. The doorbell rang and suddenly they were inside and we were introducing ourselves to each other. While I had dreadful expectations I soon came to realize that my preconceptions were completely off-based. His family turned out to be as natural and understanding as any group of individuals I had encountered. It was not long before the group of individuals and I was sharing jokes and stories. They had arrived at noon, and at 5:00 PM we sat down to eat the traditional New Year’s meal of Sabzi Polo. While I had quickly grown fond of his family, the meal --- a collection of coriander, parsley, chives, and dill – left much to be desired. Still, the dinner was a memorable experie nce. Another reason my experience on this Nowruz was so memorable was because what occurred after the meal. When we finished putting the dishes away, my husband and his father settled into a television show, and his sisters’ family left for their hotel. My mother-in-law asked me to take her to the store so she could buy ice cream. On the way to the store we began to talk and I expressed to her the anxiety I had before meeting my husband’s family. I can’t recall her exact words, but she had a very welcoming way of receiving my fears. She then began to express to me how she felt before meeting her husband’s family over thirty-years earlier, and we recognized that we shared many of the same thoughts. As we pulled back into the driveway, she gave me a gift and told me to open it. Inside was a necklace that she had received from her mother-in-law – a family heirloom. She then expressed how she wanted me to have it, as she knew

Final persuasive memo prsentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final persuasive memo prsentation - Assignment Example This is water that members of the aforementioned community needs for purposes of drinking, domestic use, and industrial use primarily. A recent test conducted on water sources from major water bodies such as beaches, rivers and residential areas in the area revealed a disturbing pattern. This is whereby water pollution scored up to 35.71% on the pollution index. (MDEP, 2012). The following is a pictorial representation of pollution statistics in the area. Figure 1: Pollution Statistics in Boston Area As is clear from the graph, noise pollution is the highest in the region, followed closely by the pollution of water. The memo explains that some of the waste products discovered in the tested water included chemical effluent, plastics and sewage water. The chemical effluent was highly concentrated with some of the waste product that is typically from breweries. Proposed CSR program This is where Boston Beers CSR comes in. Boston Beers needs to participate in ensuring clean and safe wate r for use in the community. This is because of a number of reasons. First, the water tested was high in effluent from breweries, characterized by nitrogen, carbohydrates and cleaning reagents (Natural Resources Defense Council, n.d.). These destroy plant and animal life in rivers and bring about many ailments. Secondly, Boston Beers ranks poorly on the scales rating measures taken to reduce on water pollution. Finally, the company needs water to stay in operation. This is impossible with rampant pollution. Implementation of the Program In order to ensure that water in the community is safe for use, the company should embark on treating waste water from production. One of the ways in which the company can protect the community is by treating water on-site for recycled use, as opposed to letting it flow into the primary water sources in the community. This project is considered to be of low cost to the company. First, various authorities on the subject have analyzed the treatment plan . It is not capital-intensive like other alternative treatment plans are. For example, the cost of equipment for this method is up to 50% less than that used in the CIP treatment (Fillaudeau ,Blanpainavet and Daufin, 2006). (CIP stands for Clean-In-Place. It is a method that focuses on cleaning the interior surfaces of brewery equipment, for example the filters and pipework. Using this method, water containing acid and caustic soda from the brewing process is flushed out and the enzymes broken down using a chemical process before being released into water bodies. The proposed treatment plan is, first, better and cheaper given that it entails recycling of water while CIP does not. Secondly, CIP treatment is more expensive (Hanovia, n.d.). In addition to this, a report produced by the National Resources Defense Council indicated that breweries using this system incurred minimal costs. Lastly, wastewater costs Boston Beers at least $200,000 annually. This can be reduced significantly b y treating water. Benefits to the Company The project holds endless potential for Boston Beers. First, the program reduces costs incurred due to pollution of water by way of taxation, because authorities tax the brewery based on units of pollution. Secondly, methane, which is by-product of the treatment, can be used to power generators used in production in the breweries, which could drastically lower the cost of powering the plant. Thirdly,

Substitution and Income Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Substitution and Income Effects - Essay Example Substitution effect pertains to the substitution that a consumer resorts to by substituting one product for other owing to the change in the relative prices of the two products (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1993). Usually the shrinking in the price of a commodity is accompanied by an enhanced demand for it. A fraction of this increased demand occurs owing to the substitution effect. For instance, a fall in the price of gasoline, considering that the price of some alternate fuels like ethanol or LPG remains the same will make gasoline more attractive to me, thereby inducing me to substitute gasoline for the relatively more expensive fuel options. My choice of fuel for my auto also depends on the income impact effect by the change in the price of a fuel option. For instance, a fall in the price of gasoline will make me purchase more of it owing to a rise in my real income (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1993). If my budget for auto fuel is $100 and say the price of gasoline is $10 per gallon, I can pu rchase 10 gallons of gasoline. Now, if the price of gasoline falls to $5 per gallon, I can buy 20 gallons of gasoline from the same budgetary allocation of $100 or in other words I can buy 10 gallons of gasoline for $50. Hence, I am left with an extra $50 to spend on purchasing more of gasoline or other goods I need. It is the substitution effect combined with income effect that explain as to why demand curves are mostly downward sloping. For instance, I can explain the substitution effect and income effect for a price increase in gasoline (X) on my fuel purchasing preferences by the below given graph. An increase in the price of gasoline causes my budget line for fuel to shift from B1 to B2. Suppose that my auto could run on both gasoline (X) and ethanol (Y). So I change my fuel consumption from the bundle of gasoline and ethanol represented by A to the bundle of gasoline and ethanol represented by B. This shift from A to B is indicative of the total effect of the change in the pri ce of gasoline. This fall in the amount purchased of gasoline from X1 to X2 occurs owing to two reasons. First it is the substitution effect because gasoline is now costlier than ethanol. Second it’s the income effect because my real budge

Foreign enterprise Manage the JV Company with state owned background Dissertation

Foreign enterprise Manage the JV Company with state owned background -Veolia water's business model in china for its long ter - Dissertation Example Research Methodology 30 3.1 Type of methodology chosen and its justification 30 3.2 Data Collection and Compiling the Empirical Material 31 3.3 Data Analysis Strategy 32 3.4 Research method Analysis and evaluation of limitations 34 3.5 Reliability and Validity 35 4. Veolia Water: Business Model in China 37 4.1 History of Veolia Water in China 37 4.2 Establishing Joint Venture in China 39 4.3 Business Model in China 41 4.4Organizational Culture 43 Reference 45 1. Introduction 1.1 Background of the Study International joint ventures can be described as a fresh, autonomous business body created by two or more autonomous business organizations having different national origins. The underlying principle for the formation of joint ventures is to attain competitive benefits by amalgamating the strengths and unique characteristics of two or more dissimilar companies. The different stages involved in the process of joint venturing comprise of partner selection, contracting and structuring the new entity as well as management of the joint venture (Bilas et al, 2007). The significance of international joint ventures has amplified during the past ten years owing to the rising number of fresh business establishment as well as the boost in the strategic importance of the joint ventures created (Geringer & Herbert, 1991). Though the number of joint ventures taking place across the world has been increasing, simultaneously, the evidence regarding their survival and sustenance is very poor. Various studies have concluded that a large proportion of international joint ventures eventually get dissolved (Hennart & Zheng, 2002). This contradictory position has resulted in numerous researchers, as well as authors, focusing their attention to the aspects that impact the accomplishment, or dissolution, of international joint ventures on the whole, and Chinese-foreign joint ventures specifically. 1.2 Aim and Objective of the Study Over the years it had been observed that though there h as been large number of joint venture establishments between foreign organizations and Chinese State Owned organizations, eventually many of them have been considered to be unsuccessful. This study aims to diagnose the factors necessary for determining the success or failure of the Chinese-Foreign Joint venture. The goal of this study is to comprehensively study the management of a Chinese Joint venture in terms of its cross culture management, human resources management, organizational culture, financial performance. Such a thorough study would be helpful in recommending a solution for such Joint Venture entities so that they meet the altering external environment and can maintain a sustainable business. In order to accomplish the aim of the study, the objective would be to focuses on the Case Study analysis of Veolia Water and its business operations in China. The history of the company in China and its formation of several joint ventures with State Owned Organizations across Chin a would be assessed. The study would further examine the business model of Veolia Water, its organizational culture and its performance in order to examine the effectiveness of its existing business model. With the intention of expansively assessing all the aspects of Veolia Water’s business in China; its organizational

Usage of space in shell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Usage of space in shell - Essay Example ssay aims at examining how the Shell Oil Company has utilized its operational space, particularly office space, to increase operations and profits as a result, in the United States. The Shell Oil Company is a subsidiary business of the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company, located in the United States. In 2011, the Shell Oil Company leased a total of about 1.3 million feet squared of office space at the One Shell Plaza and the Two Shell Plaza in Houston (Hines, 2011). In the One Shell Plaza; Shell Oil Company occupies the largest percentage of office space. For instance, on the first floor, the Shell oil company has a small museum which illustrates the company’s history. The whole of Shell’s head office is located at the One Shell Plaza, while most of the other floors serve as corporate offices for the company. The Two Shell Plaza, on the other hand, plays the purpose of a parking lot as well as other Shell Oil Company offices. From 2011, the lease is set to expire after 15 years, thus making the Shell Oil Company a tenant at the Hines-owned property for over 55 years. According to Hines (2011), Shell renewed the lease in accordance with the latter company’s plan of consolidating more office space at Houston downtown. According to Cook (2012), the lease was the largest office space contract in the world that year. The acquisition of this office space is a significant leap from the 650, 000 square feet that the Royal Dutch Shell started with in 1970 (Cook, 2012). Over time, Shell has made progressive steps towards ensuring that there is enough working space for the thousands of people working in the company. In the 1990s, for example, Shell made major renovations to the Shell Plaza buildings aimed at easing operations and maximizing the output of the workforce (Cook, 2012). For instance, modern elevators were installed, electrical and mechanical upgrades were done, and architectural lobbies were upgr aded, in addition to other changes. In 2011, after Shell signed

Substitution and Income Effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Substitution and Income Effects - Essay Example Substitution effect pertains to the substitution that a consumer resorts to by substituting one product for other owing to the change in the relative prices of the two products (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1993). Usually the shrinking in the price of a commodity is accompanied by an enhanced demand for it. A fraction of this increased demand occurs owing to the substitution effect. For instance, a fall in the price of gasoline, considering that the price of some alternate fuels like ethanol or LPG remains the same will make gasoline more attractive to me, thereby inducing me to substitute gasoline for the relatively more expensive fuel options. My choice of fuel for my auto also depends on the income impact effect by the change in the price of a fuel option. For instance, a fall in the price of gasoline will make me purchase more of it owing to a rise in my real income (Pass, Lowes & Davies, 1993). If my budget for auto fuel is $100 and say the price of gasoline is $10 per gallon, I can pu rchase 10 gallons of gasoline. Now, if the price of gasoline falls to $5 per gallon, I can buy 20 gallons of gasoline from the same budgetary allocation of $100 or in other words I can buy 10 gallons of gasoline for $50. Hence, I am left with an extra $50 to spend on purchasing more of gasoline or other goods I need. It is the substitution effect combined with income effect that explain as to why demand curves are mostly downward sloping. For instance, I can explain the substitution effect and income effect for a price increase in gasoline (X) on my fuel purchasing preferences by the below given graph. An increase in the price of gasoline causes my budget line for fuel to shift from B1 to B2. Suppose that my auto could run on both gasoline (X) and ethanol (Y). So I change my fuel consumption from the bundle of gasoline and ethanol represented by A to the bundle of gasoline and ethanol represented by B. This shift from A to B is indicative of the total effect of the change in the pri ce of gasoline. This fall in the amount purchased of gasoline from X1 to X2 occurs owing to two reasons. First it is the substitution effect because gasoline is now costlier than ethanol. Second it’s the income effect because my real budge

Usage of space in shell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Usage of space in shell - Essay Example ssay aims at examining how the Shell Oil Company has utilized its operational space, particularly office space, to increase operations and profits as a result, in the United States. The Shell Oil Company is a subsidiary business of the Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company, located in the United States. In 2011, the Shell Oil Company leased a total of about 1.3 million feet squared of office space at the One Shell Plaza and the Two Shell Plaza in Houston (Hines, 2011). In the One Shell Plaza; Shell Oil Company occupies the largest percentage of office space. For instance, on the first floor, the Shell oil company has a small museum which illustrates the company’s history. The whole of Shell’s head office is located at the One Shell Plaza, while most of the other floors serve as corporate offices for the company. The Two Shell Plaza, on the other hand, plays the purpose of a parking lot as well as other Shell Oil Company offices. From 2011, the lease is set to expire after 15 years, thus making the Shell Oil Company a tenant at the Hines-owned property for over 55 years. According to Hines (2011), Shell renewed the lease in accordance with the latter company’s plan of consolidating more office space at Houston downtown. According to Cook (2012), the lease was the largest office space contract in the world that year. The acquisition of this office space is a significant leap from the 650, 000 square feet that the Royal Dutch Shell started with in 1970 (Cook, 2012). Over time, Shell has made progressive steps towards ensuring that there is enough working space for the thousands of people working in the company. In the 1990s, for example, Shell made major renovations to the Shell Plaza buildings aimed at easing operations and maximizing the output of the workforce (Cook, 2012). For instance, modern elevators were installed, electrical and mechanical upgrades were done, and architectural lobbies were upgr aded, in addition to other changes. In 2011, after Shell signed

The Effect of Feminist Revolution in my Life Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Feminist Revolution in my Life Essay The feminist revolution in the 1990’s may be considered as one of the turning points in world history. From most countries that have been purely patriarchal in nature, the world evolved and suddenly man is no longer the entirely dominant sex in the society. As time passed, women acquired voice, will-power, and independence. The traditional women slowly dissolved and have been replaced by stronger women, in control, and no longer man’s subordinate but his equal and oftentimes his opponent (Badinter, 2006). This part of history has affected not only the women of those times but even the ones who came after them. I am part of the batch that came after the 90’s women and as a woman, I am grateful for the change that was brought by the feminist revolution. Because of it, I am not merely a shadow of a man, nor a doll that may be manipulated. I am a woman, who has her own mind, decides for herself, and defend it as much as she wishes. If the women of the 90’s did not revolt against the existing system, which had men dominated in the important aspects of society and perhaps life as a whole, there is a probability that my ideologies today are different. This is more potent due to the fact that I live in a country where Latin culture is dominant and my parents were raised under the strict rules that the culture dictates. This is actually where the feminist revolution has affected my life. It is undeniable that Latin culture dictates that men are the heads of the family. In the days before the 1990 feminist revolution, men ruled over almost every aspect of life with the justification from both religion and the government legislation. As the revolution opened more minds, pressure on branches of the state has forced it to gradually have modifications. Some rules that were not allowed before were given chances and observed for unwanted results. Women’s rights have been expanded. The effect of this are clashing opinions of both sexes (Htun, 2003). Since I am one of the liberal minded women, the problem that serves as an effect of history in my life is that my parents and I do not quite find a commonality in viewing some aspects of certain matters. First and foremost reason, I was born later than they were. The culture I have grown into is not the culture in which they were raised. My mother is very traditional and my father is very strict on imposing the same rules the he has grown into. Although I understand that generation gap should be bridged rather than widened, this becomes very difficult for me. I am a child of modernity and I go by the rules of it. I please my parents as much as I can. Despite this, there still seems to be lacking. The problem I find is that the changes that were brought about by the feminist revolution were good for some people, but to others, it has destroyed a tradition, a trademark of the culture. For instance, the Latin world, dominated by male suddenly had women with their own voices and will power, even ability to defy. It was good for the women because it somehow freed them of some men’s oppression. However, to the patriarchs of the family, whose life he devoted to keep his lineage together and standing, this is in a way hurtful. Perhaps it may be considered as ego-eccentric thinking; however, others view it as a means of preserving what has been prevailing from the start. The patriarchal families may have oppressed some of the women, but most families owe their stature from this setting. For this, people must be considerate. It should be taken to mind that their actions are surely, also results from another part of history. As I am, my parents are also effects of a past action. As such, I try to understand them. The gap between me and my parents maybe considered as an effect of history. I am grateful for to the pioneers of female revolution – for my way of thinking, my female strength and independence. It is somehow damaging to those who believe patriarchy so strongly. However, it should be noted that this same mind that the revolution has freed can understand the grief they may be feeling from suddenly losing total control. This same mind, which the revolution has fought for, can see through their anger. The revolution was not fought for vengeance, it was started for equality. And with that, women understand better. I know. I see. The effect of history to me is not only to be man enough not be oppressed, but to remain woman enough to be sensitive. References Badinter, E. (2006). Dead End Feminism. United Kingdom: Polity. Htun, M. (2003). Sex and the State: Abortion, divorce, and the family under Latin American Dictatorships and democracies. New York: Cambridge University Press.

An Analysis Of A Thousand Splendid Suns English Literature Essay

An Analysis Of A Thousand Splendid Suns English Literature Essay At the time, Mariam did not understand. She did not know what the word harami- bastard meant. Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whos only sin is being born. Mariam did surmise, by the way Nana said the word, that it was an ugly, loathsome thing to be a harami, like an insect, like the scurrying cockroaches Nana was always cursing and sweeping out of the kolba. (P.) As I read this passage, it elucidated the faulty mother-daughter relationship held between Nana and Mariam. While I was reading this passage, I predicted that regardless of what happens, this relationship will end up in betrayal and fear. What mother or guardian would call her child a bastard, something completely out of their control and decision? Mariam neither chose nor decided that she would be an illegitimate baby or an accident. Nanas insecurity is evident as she tries to place the overbearing guilt and anger she has in her own daughter. Although Nana may love Mariam, her failure to communicate a caring facet of her personality will ultimately, in my opinion, cause the failure of a loving relationship. Youre afraid, Nana, she might have said. Youre afraid that I might find the happiness you never had. And you dont want me to be happy. You dont want a good life for me. Youre the one with the wretched heart. Pg. 27 (C.) Throughout our lives, we often fuel our hatred toward our parents or guardians because of ignorance, disappointment, or failed expectations. In our adolescence, we fail to see how much parents sacrifice for us. We say things we regret out of frustration and anger. Much like Mariam, I have also doubted my parents intentions, and how miserable they were making my life. As I matured I began to realize many things lost to my parents by making the choice to have children: freedom, commitment to jobs, time. It would seem absurd to have children, but the chance that they may give the unrivaled unconditional love found nowhere else is a worthy cause. When Mariam left Nanas side, it was not only a physical abandonment but also an emotional one. Nana may have been cold and callous, but the love and care she offered Mariam were unrivaled. You go on and cry, Mariam jo. Go on. There is no shame in it. But remember, my girl, what the Koran says, Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom, and He Who has power over all things, Who created death and life that He may try you. The Koran speaks the truth, my girl. Behind every trial and every sorrow that He makes us shoulder, God has a reason. But Mariam could not hear comfort in Gods words. Not that day. Not then. All she could hear was Nana saying, Ill die if you go. Ill just die. All she could do was cry and cry and let her tears fall on the spotted, paper-thin skin of MullaFaiuzullahs hands. Pg. 36 (E.) Mariam undergoes an extreme change in this passage. This initial conflict acts as a foundation for a series of complications that ensue, progressively destroying the little security Mariam has after this tragic experience. Through each emotional trauma Mariam encounters, she grows stronger. Her persona depicts a strong, independent individual, evident from the beginning of the novel where she often questions authority and dreams of a bright future with war, poverty, and death hovering in silence in the area around her. Mariam had so openly walked into Jalils empty gifts with high hopes, leaving behind the only love she would ever receive in this world. Consequently, as reality set in, Mariams hope is crushed: she is unwanted, alone, and guilt-ridden.Hosseini seems to reflect upon the endless cycle of hope and crushed dreams, similar to that of real Afghan women oppressed by sexist regulations. Mariam thought of Jalil, of the empathetic, jovial way in which hed pushed his jewelry at her, the overpowering cheerfulness that left room for no response but meek gratitude. Nana had been right about Jalils gifts. They had been halfhearted tokens of penance; insincere, corrupt gestures meant more for his own appeasement than hers. This shawl, Mariam saw, was a true gift. Pg. 68 (Q.) Gifts are always meaningful to me whether it is for self-appeasement or gratitude. I do not comprehend why Mariam would think any less of Jalils gift than Rasheeds. While Jalil was bounded by guilt, Rasheed too was bounded by marriage and love. Both gifts through Mariams perspective would be insincere. Every gift has a reason, why would Jalils be an exception. The same way Jalil tried to buy Mariams forgiveness through these gifts, Rasheed was trying to buy her love. Although Rasheeds deed seems nobler, in my perspective they are relatively the same. Mariam seems to be in denial about Jalils character and role as a father. As portrayed in the passage, she tries to exact her reasons to hate him by finding fault in his gifts and other things. Mariam lay on the couch, hands tucked between her knees, watched the whirlpool of snow twisting and spinning outside the window. She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how women life us suffer, shed say. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us. Pg. 82 (P.) Throughout the book, Nanas stringent words seem emphatic as the novels universal theme. Mariams life begins to be the perfect definition of endurance, and the reader eventually sees how she grows to be the spitting image of Nana. In the passage, Mariam immediately recollects experiences with Nana following her death. The way Hosseini chose to particularly note female struggles and prejudice foreshadows the imminent future of abuse Mariam soon ensues. Another clue of foreshadowing is seen in the repercussions of Nanas words, especially endurance, which impacts Mariam greatly as she often associates Nana with it. It was Gods fault, for taunting her as He had. For not granting her what He had granted so many other women. For dangling before her, tantalizingly, what He knew would have her thegreatest happiness, then pulling it away. Pg. 84 (E.) Mariam, in her state of weakness, seems to need some reassurance that there is reason or fault behind her miscarriage. She feels the unbarring need to justify why her happiness had so easily been stripped away. Accusations were haranguing in her head, until eventually she reached the conclusion that Allah had been responsible. The way Hosseini makes Mariam question her own religion truly illustrates the extent of the scenario, where she would go as far as to question her own faith. This passage also portrays the desperate nature of Mariam. She believes that salvation can be found in the baby that had slipped away; Rasheed would be satisfied and she would be granted the privilege of being a mother. Her tower of security crumbles with this as her security and confidence idles away along with the baby. I know youre still young, but I want you to understand and learn this now, he said. Marriage can wait, education cannot. Youre a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila. I know this about you. And I also know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men, maybe even more. Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance. Pg. 103 (R.) Hosseini provides excellent insight of a postmodern Afghan family with this passage. Although Laila is an adolescent at the time, her fathers beliefs prove to influence the many decisions throughout her life. As the plot progresses we see Laila mature into a strong, persevered woman with the bulwark of her fathers aspirations. Hosseini brilliantly initiates this flashback to contrast the solidity of sexist attitudes portrayed by Mariams life, to provide as a beacon of hope that one day soon education will be the deciding factor of power rather than gender. A child of the revolution and the Soviet invasion, this passage foreshadows a bright future by characterizing Laila through this dialogue. Hosseini furthers his purpose beyond the plot to inspire readers to purse a future of education. Even in modern society, sexism is still an overbearing factor that continues to assault the security of women everywhere. Despite the antediluvian setting in which A Thousand Splendid Suns takes place, Hosseini exemplifies how hope still exists not only from women amidst female oppression. Sometimes Laila wondered why Mammy had even bothered having her. People, she believed now, shouldnt be allowed to have new children if theyd already given away all their love to their old ones. It wasnt fair. A fit of anger claimed her. Laila went to her room, collapsed on her bed. When the worst of it all had passed, she went across the hallway to Mammys door and knocked. When she was younger, Laila used to sit for hours outside this door. She would tap on it and whisper Mammys name over and over, like a magic chant meant to break a spell: Mammy, Mammy, Mammy, MammyBut Mammy never opened the door. She didnt open it now. Laila turned the knob and walked in. Pg. 107 (E.) This passage displays a critical point in the novel. Much like Mariam, Lailas self-worth had constantly been depreciated by Mammy, who failed to live up to the motherly figure that she was to her sons. Although Laila was too young to understand, Mammy was disillusioned by the past, lingering in memories rather than reality. The more Mammy continues to grieve about her two sons, the further away she pushes Laila. The emotional trauma Laila underwent is evident from the passage. As Mammy becomes less and less of a motherly figure, Laila too becomes less and less of a daughterly figure. I felt that throughout Lailas adolescent, she had tried to earn the respect and love of her mother. When Mammy failed to provide the care and love to quench Lailas desire for attention, Laila simply gave up. With this, Laila and Babis relationship flourished in ways Mammy and Lailas could not. In Tariqs grimace, Laila learned that boys differed from girls in this regard. They didnt make a show of friendship. They felt no urge, no need, for this sort of talk. Laila imagined it had been this way for her brothers too. Boys, Laila came to see, treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly. Pg. 119 (C.) More than once have I been in the situation Laila places Tariq in. The awkward silence between two close friends that are not exactly in a legitimate relationship. Although Lailas realization is stereotypical and a double standard, it does shed some truth for certain circumstances. I do not feel the need to express or display the obvious. I find that some girls feel insecure about friendships and constantly need clarification on the status of the relationship while boys just categorize most simply as friends. Rather than get complicated and over dramatic, boys simply enjoy the friendship as it is without labeling and categorizing. I personally do not enjoy public displays of affection mostly because I find that the constant need to satiate a girls desire grows to be a near impossible task. Women have always had it hard in this country, Laila, but theyre probably more free now, under the communists, and have more rights than theyve ever had before, Babi said, always lowering his voice, aware of how intolerant Mammy was of even remotely positive talk of the communists. But its true, Babi said, its a good time to be a woman in Afghanistan. And you can take advantage of that, Laila. Of course, womens freedom- here, he shook his head ruefully-is also one of the reasons people out there took up arms in the first placeGod forbid that should happen!Babi liked to say sarcastically. Then he would sigh, and say, Laila, my love, the only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself. Pg. 121 (C.) This passage poses a very controversial issue plaguing the world today, religious practice versus feminist struggles. As portrayed in the story, religion has often sparked many complications when poised against more new world thinkers. Babi exemplifies revolutionist ideas, the same ideas being fought over in many parts of the world. Religion has enormous influence upon societies even in the present. Sexism still pursues the daily lives of many women even in modernized societies like America. Variegated by perspective, remnants of sexism may still exist in fundamental readings such as the Bible. Sexism has grown to seem inescapable because of ignorance that has stemmed from years and years of male superiority. Well take care of her, Lailajan, one of the women said with an air of self-importance. Laila had been to funerals before where she had seen women like this, women who relished all things that had to do with death, official consolers who let no one trespass on their self-appointed dutiesSome days, Mammy said in a hoarse voice, I listen to that clock ticking in the hallway. Then I think of all the ticks, all the minutes, all the hours and days and weeks and months and years waiting for me. All of it without them. And I cant breathe then, like someones stepping on my heart, Laila. I get so weak. So weak I just want to collapse somewhere.' Pg. 124-129 (Q.) The way in which Hosseini illustrates this funeral perfectly describes the supercilious nature of people. I fail to understand why these women feel so inclined to only take part of Mammys life when they are invited to do so. Furthermore, why is it that Mammy continues to neglect Laila even in her time of weakness? As Hosseini described it, these women were official consolers who let no one trespass on their self-appointed duty. Laila had tried to be there during Mammys moments of weakness, only to be pushed further and further away from any chances of a legitimate relationship. While Mammy mourns for her sons, she is completely unaware that Laila is her child. She laments how horrid life will be without taking into account of her only remaining child. What truly bewilders me is why Mammy insists to be so unaware of her own childs palpable state of depression. Mammy was soon asleep, leaving Laila with dueling emotions: reassured that Mammy meant to live on, stung that she was not the reason. She would never leave her mark on Mammys heart the way her brothers had, because Mammys heart was like a pallid beach where Lailas footprints would forever wash away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed, swelled and crashed. Pg. 130 (CL.) Hosseini further elaborates upon the complications developing between Mammy and Laila. The figurative language justly describes the anguish subjected to Laila. Despite Lailas efforts to leave an impression on Mammy, Mammy remains lost in the memories of her deceased sons. Laila had been devoid of a motherly figure throughout her childhood, and still so even after the sole attention of Mammy had passed on. The dueling emotions Laila feels signifies one of the first internal conflicts Laila undergoes. This internal conflict ultimately clarifies the abandonment that Mammy had so long initiated. Faced with the harsh reality, this passage elucidates Mammys insecurities. When stripped of her very pride and glory, Mammy returns to the safety of her memories, longing for the impossibility of seeing her sons again. With the passing of time, she would slowly tire of this exercise. She would find it increasingly exhausting to conjure up, to dust off, to resuscitate once again what was long dead. There would come a day, in fact, years later, when Laila would no longer bewail his loss. Or not as relentlessly; not nearly. There would come a day when the details of his face would begin to slip form memorys grip, when overhearing a mother on the street call after he child by Tariqs name would no longer cut her adrift. She would not miss him as she did now, when the ache of his absence was her unremitting companion- like the phantom pain of an amputee. Pg. 168 (E.) Hosseini uses a flash-forward technique to drastically contrast how much Laila truly misses Tariq. Tariqs departure alters Lailas progressive thoughts about the future and replaces them with dismal illusions. This event symbolically marks when the repercussions of war finally reach Laila, as her life is slowly but surely destroyed by violence and terror. Throughout the first half of the novel, Tariq had always acted as hope and the very reason why Laila bothered waking up every morning. As Tariq and Laila split paths, the hopes and aspirations slowly disipate into a struggle for survival. She realizes now that forgetting Tariq is inevitable and prolonging will leave her with regrets, but cannot bring her to do so. Mm. He smiled sadly.I cant believe Im leaving Kabul. I went to school here, got my first job here, became a father in this town. Its strange to think that Ill be sleeping beneath another citys skies soon. Its strange for me too. All day, this poem has been bouncing around in my head. Saib-e-Tabrizi wrote it back in the seventeenth century, I think. I used to know the whole poem, but all I can remember now is two lines: One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.' Pg. 172 (C.) As Babi departs, he cannot help but mention the most prominent and significant lines in this novel. Hosseini brilliantly initiates these lines from the poem Kabul as a resolution for Lailas childhood, a subplot in the novel. The two lines flawlessly capture the essence of nostalgia, a feeling most readers are familiar with. While reading this, I remembered departing from Taiwan with the same feeling of nostalgia illustrated in this passage. At first view, Taiwan was just a mundane rural country infested with people; however, the memories I shared with my family here cannot be denoted by words. An authors job is to successfully build a relationship with the reader as Hosseini successfully does. Hosseinis choice in using figurative language allows for more imagination and understanding rather than a blatant perception of nostalgia. Laila wasnt listening anymore. She was remembering the day the man from Panjshir had come to deliver the news of Ahmads and Noors deaths. She remembered Babi, white-faced, slumping on the couch, and Mammy, her hand flying to her mouth when she heard. Laili had watched Mammy come undone that day and it had scared her, but she hadnt felt any true sorrow. She hadnt understood the awfulness of her mothers loss. Now another stranger bringing news of another death. Now she was the one sitting on the chair. Was this her penalty, then, her punishment for being aloof to her own mothers suffering? Pg. 188 (E.) Laila had already felt the repercussions of war before when Tariq had left her. Now, however, as the war scene shifts towards Kabul, she feels the overwhelming influence war has upon her and those close to her. The news of Tariqs death stabbed at Lailas old wounds. Hosseini draws a clear line between death and abandonment with this passage. This passage clearly defines the relationship in which Tariq and Laila had shared, one that was far greater than any other relationship. Despite how the war had killed all of her family members, Lailas security, that had remained untouched for so long, had finally broken. It is evident that Tariq was more than a mere friend or brother. Tariq was an unrivaled lover that Laila knew could never be replaced. A love that had blossomed as children, Lailas childhood had finally collapsed upon her. Why have you pinned your little heart to an old, ugly hag like me? Mariam would murmur into Azizas hair. Huh? I am nobody, dont you see? A dehati. What have I got to give you? But Aziza only muttered contentedly and dug her face in deeper. And when she did that, Mariam swooned. Her eyes watered. Her heart took flight. And she marveled at how, after all these years of rattling loose, she had found in this little creature the first true connection in her life of false, failed connections. Pg. 226 (CL.) Hosseinis use of dialogue in this passage truly makes for a heartaching moment in the novel. Never before has Mariam understood what unconditional love felt like. Mariam matured expecting the worse in people after having been surrounded by lies and deceit throughout her adolescence. Those she cared about were either guilt ridden or stripped away by the war. She was insecure, callous, and alone. When Aziza is introduced, Mariam finally realizes she is not alone, or rather; she does not have to be alone anymore. She tears down her walls that had so long prevented her from forming any true heartwarming relationships. Most of all, however, she learns how to forgive and forget, no longer grieving over what had happened by rather hoping for what has yet to happen. This passage clarifies very well the personality and persona of Mariam. Seasons had come and gone; presidents in Kabul had been inaugurated and murdered; an empire had been defeated; old wars had ended and new ones had broken out. But Mariam hardly noticed, hardly cared. She had passed these years in a distant corner of her mind. A dry, barren field, out beyond wish and lament, beyond dream and disillusionment. There, the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion. And whenever those twin poisonous flowers began to sprout in the parched land of that field, Mariam uprooted them. She uprooted them and ditched them before they too hold. Pg. 229 (R.) Hosseini augments the distinction between marriage and true love. Mariam, although forced into marriage, had remained optimistic, hopeful, that perhaps what had been simply a coincidence would blossom into contentment and what she believes to be true love. As disappointment after disappointment occur, this dream shatters and dissolves into torment. A prospect of human nature that Hosseini seems to instill into the reader is how emotional pain cannot be simply mitigated or eradicated. Moreover, such pain, if continually nurtured, will embody a permanent scar in ones beliefs, aspirations, and ultimately personality as witnessed in Mariam. The connotation of the figurative language used to describe Mariams feeling reflect the anguish and insecurity subjected to her, for example, She had passed these years in a distant corner of her mind. A dry, barren field, out beyond wish and lament, beyond dream and disillusionment. Hosseini elegantly words this passage to truly allow the reader to relate to the callous state Mariam has slipped into as a result of an arranged marriage. Love and hope, once regarded greatly by her, are simply whisked away. The security she once had with her loved ones had devolved into a void of self-pity. It wasnt the fear of bleeding to death that made her drop the spoke, or even the idea that the act was damnable- which she suspected it was. Laila dropped the spoke because she could not accept what the Mujahideen readily had: that sometimes in war innocent life had to be taken. Her war was against Rasheed. The baby was blameless. And there had been enough killing already. Laila had seen enough killing of innocents caught in the crossfire of enemies. Pg. 253 (E.) Hosseini captures the true essence of developing Lailas character as the protagonist of the novel. When faced with the realities of war invading every aspect of her life, Laila is lost, confused, and much like Mariam, alone. She attempts to cope with all the problems that shortly ensue after losing her beloved parents, but only manages to avoid them. Thoughts, opinions, and ideas were all things Laila could escape with perseverance and determination, however, reality soon catches up with a tangible breathing being. The moment Laila makes the distinction between politics and her personal life is when she fully matures into an adult. Shortly after this realization, Laila makes a connection with the baby- much like herself, he was the result of being caught in the crossfire of enemies, where in this instance are her and Rasheed. Laila begins understanding the true value of human life, and how easily it is taken away. Clearly against the mindless violence, Laila chooses not to stoop down to the Mujahideens method of murder. Death from starvation suddenly became a distinct possibility. Some chose not to wait for it. Mariam heard of a neighborhood widow who had ground some dried bread, laced it with rat poison, and fed it to all seven of her children. She had saved the biggest portion of herself. Pg. 272 (C.) Poverty and world hunger are two critical issues plaguing many parts of the world. Hosseini distinctly provides an example of how torturous life is in indigenous third world countries, where death is a plausible option of starving. Things we take for granted such as food, shelter, and family are scarce and near extinct in war-torn places such as Afghanistan. Hosseini instills a powerful image into the reader by bringing children into the equation rather than adults. Children that have been deprived of education, friendship, and other fundamental things such as fun are not given the opportunity to live life to the fullest extent. The most compelling aspect of this, however, is how the widow had chosen to take the lives of seven children, all of which were too young to make an adequate decision, in addition to her. It isnt your fault. Do you hear me? Not you. Its those savages, those wahshis, who are to blame. They bring shame on me as a Pashtun. Theye disgraced the name of my people. And youre not alone, hamshira. We get mothers like you all the timeall the timemothers who come here that cant feed their children because the Taliban wont let them go out and make a living. So you dont blame youself. No one here blames you. I understand. He leaned forward. Hamshira I understand.' Pg. 283 (R.) Zaman, the orphanage director, is one of the few characters that understands and relates to Laila. Often times people fall into a deep state of disillusionment when reality has grown too real, per se. As reality hits a breaking point where fault is found in near everything and no one takes blame, people begin blaming themselves. Bystanders that are powerless to make a change find fault in themselves for not having enough money, enough control, or enough courage. It is an innate behavior to always want to help whether you do or do not have the ability to. Finding someone who understands this, however, is rare in war torn countries like Kabul. The world is not fair; power does not directly correlate with hard work and perseverance. People will blame others for events that are completely out of their control, while others will take the effort to actually take part in the resolution. Mariam wished for so much in those final moments. Yet as she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her. She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Mariam thought, that she should die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings. Pg. 329 (R.) Mariam had throughout her life expected the worst in people and herself. Faith, hope, and trust had all withered along with each new chapter of her life. At these last moments of her life, Mariam finally begins to see the positive aspects of her life rather than the negative. People in general always bury themselves in a pit of self-pity when cornered, confused, and in their moment of weakness. They try to run away from realitys responsibilities through lies, rejection, and solitude. However, eventually, reality catches up to them and they realize the only person to blame is themselves for not taking a chance, the opportunity to love and trust again. Mariam took a leap of faith by extending her hands as a gesture of friendship toward Laila. Hosseini seems to have intended this passage to leave an everlasting mark on the reader: despite all of the things he or she was not able to complete, all the aspirations and motives he or she did try to achieve are what truly defines him or her as a person. Im sorry, Laila says, marveling at how every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief. And yet, she sees, people find a way to survive, to go on. Laila thinks of her own life and all that has happened to her, and she is astonished that she too has survived, that she is alive and sitting in this taxi listening to this mans story. Pg. 350 (E.) Laila beings to realize how narrow minded she had been thinking ever since the ripples of war had destroyed the very essence of Kabul. She sees how the repercussions of war have simply augmented the problems of everyone including her. No longer is she in her own circle of torment when she realizes almost everyone is struggling for survival, some worse off than her. The belief that there are still people alive and trying to reconstruct their lives gives Laila hope that is not directly stated by Hosseini. This taxi driver, a seemingly insignificant character, introduces Laila to hope for Kabul and most of all herself. Before Laila had only taken into account her own life rather than Kabul in general. Laila watches Mariam glue strands of yarn onto her dolls head. In a few years, this little girl will be a woman who will make small demands on life, who will never burden others, who will never let on that she too has had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that have been ridiculed. A woman who will be like a rock in a riverbed, enduring without complaint, her grace not sullied but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her. Already Laila sees something behind this young girls eyes, something deep in her core, that neither Rasheed nor the Taliban will be able to break. Something as hard and unyielding as a block of limestone. Something that, in the end, will be her undoing and Lailas salvation. Pg. 355 (E.) This scene follows shortly after the death of Mariam as Laila visits Mariams old home. Laila has a flashback and sees Mariam mature progressively, however, rather than seeing the negative, she notes all the positive aspects of her life. This passage is critical in the story as it is one of the few scenes marked by salvation and generosity; one where a character is defined by her personality and traits rather than her tragedies and losses. This passage acts as Lailas show of gratitude without a direct statement. The most prominent quality Laila seems to emphasize the most is Mariams unfaltering loyalty to those she loves and cares about. Hosseinis use of figurative language and imagery makes this passage graceful and justified as a reminiscent of Mariam and her sacrifice. The interpretations of this passage are endless, as the figurative language invokes a more abstract definition of Mariam rather than direct characterization. I hope you do not think that I am trying to buy your forgiveness. I hope you will credit me with knowing that your forgiveness is not for sale. It never was. I am merely giving you, if belatedly, what was rightfully yours all along. I was not a dutiful father to you in life. Perhaps in death I can be.Now all