An Analytical Essay Explaining Why Arthur Miller Wrote The Crucible Es

An Analytical Essay Explaining Why Arthur Miller Wrote The Crucible Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Millers masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950s and 1960s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the Red Scare. Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Millers time that it deals with. Throughout The Crucible, Miller is concerned with conscience and guilt. Through the character Abigail Williams, he shows how people are willing to abandon their firmly-established values in order to conform with the majority and protect themselves. Those who refuse to part with their conscience, such as the character of John Proctor, are chastised for it. For this reason, the Salem witch trials raise a question of the administration of justice. During this time in the late 1600s, people were peroccupied by a fear of the devil, due to their severe Puritan belief system. Nineteen innocent people are hanged on the signature of Deputy Governor Danforth, who has the authority to try, convict, and execute anyone he deems appropriate. However, we as readers sense little to no real malice in Danworth. Rather, ignorance and fear plague him. The mass hysteria brought about by the witchcraft scare in The Crucible leads to the upheaval in peoples differentiation between right and wrong, fogging their sense of true justice. When Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in the early 1950s, the United States was experiencing a modern witch hunt of its own. Senator Joseph McCarthy, provoked by the Cold War, became fearfully convinced that Communists, or Reds, were polluting American government. He intended to hunt them out, force them to confess, and make them name their associates, almost as the Salem judges had done. In fact, the character of Danforth is based on McCarthy himself. There is a great parallel between the witch trials and the Red Scare. Both created a frenzy among the public, involved people going against each other to prove their innocence, and sought to hunt out those who rebelled against the dominant values of the time. Arthur Millers own involvement in the McCarthy witch hunt is very significant in the writing of The Crucible. He himself appeared before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1956, accused of being a Communist. He admitted to having attended a Communist meeting years earlier to learn about their views. He was asked to name the others at the meeting but refused, stating, I am trying to and I will protect my sense of myself. Millers reaction to his cross-examination is similar to that of John Proctor, who represents Millers belief that righteousness is maintained if ones moral sense is kept. In Millers case, he was convicted of contempt, but the conviction was later appealed and reversed. It is evident that he wrote about McCarthyism indirectly to protect himself at the time. The witch hunt in Salem in 1692 and McCarthyism and the Red Scare in the United States in the 1950s are remarkably similar situations. The issues dealt with by Miller in documenting one of these clearly describes almost exactly the issues of the other. Miller masterfully uses the unfamiliar setting of the Salem witch hunt to comment on his own time. It is obvious in all the events represented through the writing of The Crucible that there is a common loss of judgement due to unjustified hysteria. The fact that we see this pattern repeat itself throughout history by reading this play points out that Miller recognizes this as a major concern of society. Though Arthur Miller creates parallels between controversies that occurred in very different times, it is the great universal significance of The Crucible that makes it successful. Millers concern with the shedding of guilt, the loss of morality, lack of genuine justice and the way he deals with these as a theme in the play have a stronger relevance that is striking. He also uses this theme to create a remarkable drama, but more importantly, they are issues that are applicable and crucial to him. Accordingly, The Crucible is far more than a story of the past. Rather, it is an allegory of our

Answer Questions Example

Answer Questions Example Answer Questions – Coursework Example Anthropology Observational Analysis: Option Chimpanzees just like all sets of living organisms embrace specific behaviors that help them adapt to their environments. One outstanding behavior that I have observed is their copulatory success, which is normally high and results into a substantial number of progeny. Primate behavioral ecologists have overtime reaffirmed the opinion that too many offspring routinely harm other primates within the group, for they are normally forced to search for better living conditions because of limited resources. The ecologists attribute the copulatory success of chimpanzees to the fact that they can easily access their mates given the large social groups within which they reside. Option 2 In the past, chimpanzees used to walk on four legs, while current research has pointed towards the fact that a considerable percentage of chimpanzees have begun embracing bipedalism (University of California). Researchers have attributed the need to walk on two legs to natural selection and the need to adapt, as quadrupeds burn numerous calories, hence their cells wear out and die faster while bipedalism provides chimpanzees with the platform to use their calories prudently. Point Make-up optionsQuestion 1: Primatology The submissive and dominant behavior portrayed by apes in the movie Rise of the Planet of Apes is undeniably accurate, as corroborated by research carried out by Yerkes Primate Center researchers and published by the National Academy of Sciences. The investigators argued that apes reside in complex and tightly woven societies, and use gestures to convey countless messages including for compromise and obedience. Consequently, they reaffirmed that the only way through which apes would manage to exist such amicably was by being submissive.Question 5: Biological Anthropologyi. The perpetrator in the case cannot be identified using the standard DNA tests essentially because the key suspects are identical twins, who developed from a so litary fertilized egg, hence have nearly undistinguishable genomes. ii. For the prosecutors to tell the identical twins apart, they will have to carry out the ultra-deep, which is a next generation sequencing procedure that takes closer look at the genetic base pairs. This procedure is likely to work, as it depends on mutations that take place unsystematically in the course of development and it is exceptionally improbable that both twins will go through mutations at a single location. Works-CitedUniversity of California- Davis. Why Humans Walk on Two Legs. Science Daily. Science Daily 2007, July 20. Accessible at: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070720111226.htm.

Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Strategic Management - Assignment Example n and put into adherence through proper and strategically managing of both resources available to the company, that which that the company already possess and taking advantage of it marketing strategy to achieve its goals and those of its shareholders. This paper focuses on strategic management of an organization, its aim and concepts, principles, key factors affecting it such as external, internal and industrial environments. It also describes strategic formulation. Strategic management is the art of making decisions for an organization or company, taking into consideration the competitive market in which the organization finds itself and other factors affecting it in regards to achieving the organizations goals and objectives with the best interest in creating a profitable environment for both the company and its shareholders (Dess, 2005). Strategic management is all about analyses, making choices and seeing that those choices are implemented. Strategies are meant to give the organization or company a focus, direction in which to channel its efforts as per the environment it finds itself in and define major characteristics of the company’s goals. After this analysis, the management group needs to make appropriate decisions, on how to find their place in the market by making great and applicable marketing strategies as to help them gain and a substantial amount of clients, while attracting more for their goods and services in this market regardless of the external competition they face making sure that their ideas of marketing or goods production are not able to be copied by other competitive partners in the market. This means that the company ought to try do everything differently from their competitors in terms of decision making especially due to the constant market competition that they face as this will help them sustain themselves in the market for long as their ideas cannot be copied (Irene M. Duhaime, 2012). After a choice of decisions has been made,

Case Study Computers R Us Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study Computers R Us - Assignment Example In regard to the initiatives set up by the company to boost satisfaction levels of the customers, loyalty rewards came out as the best initiative so far with an average satisfaction level of 5.6452 out of 10 it was followed by the response time at 4.3714, both level of advice and communication level stood at below 4 out of 10. There was however no any association between age groups and the overall satisfaction level. The study could have been limited by the fact that the questionnaires were emailed and there was no direct contact between the researcher and the respondents to verify their answers. Computers R Us, a computer manufacturer and retailer recently launched a service and repair division, CompleteCare, for its portable/laptop/notebook computers. This division promised to provide a rapid response to customer’s technical enquiries and warranty repairs. As a result of this, Computers R Us has been receiving multiple complaints about CompleteCare at the Computers R Us call centre. To address these issues, a study was proposed and the research overseen by the management of Computers R Us. It was found that customer satisfaction was a contributing factor to the issues experienced in the CompleteCare division. Consequently, the management of Computer R Us developed several possible initiatives to improve customer satisfaction to a minimum level of 6 out of 10 To collect this data, a simple random sample of 500 customers was selected from a sampling frame. A sampling frame includes the actual list of individuals included in the population (Nesbary, 2000). Of the 500 customers that were sent surveys, 420 responded. The response rate was computed as follows; Structured questionnaire constructed in English language was used to collect data with a total of eight items six of which touched on customer satisfaction. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: Five ethical concerns as outlined by Crowhurst and Dobson (1993) were

Problem solution report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Problem solution report - Essay Example the risk reward ratio is very high and the results are guided by the factors such as ideas, innovative experiments, freedom of thinking, rate of success, pressure for delivery, unexpected breakdowns in the processes, chances of failures, opportunities to learn new techniques, etc. Therefore, identification of the problem, analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization (here it is the team), providing facilities to achieve the objectives, maintaining communications at all levels, lateral as well as vertical, etc. are very important in this regard. When the above fundamental factors are put in place, motivation, decision making within the frame work, accountability of the members of the team and above all motivation to the team members would yield excellent results considering the potentials of the employees with sound and balanced background in the field. The Australian company Morning Drops Company (MDC) faces similar problems faced by the multinational companies, such as IBM, Xerox, etc., the converging points of different cultures. If we could concentrate on the relevant points without going deeper into the cultural differences, a common platform for the people belonging to various cultures would emerge. It is in this direction the problem should be approached for efficient resolution. According to Hofstede model, there are ‘five dimensions to national cultures: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism, Masculinity and Long Term Orientation†¦ The new factors revealed common problems with which IBM employees in all these societies had to cope, but for which their upbringing in their country presented its own profile of solutions. These problems were: (4) The balance between ego values (like the need for money and careers) and social values (like cooperation and a good living environment). The former were more frequently chosen by men, the latter by women, but there were also country differences.’ (Hofstede, G, 2009). Having

Definition of management

Definition of management Executive summary The constitution of the people in an organization which includes planning, organizing, leading, motivating and controlling at all levels of the management. An introduction to a variety of tools, idea and system that are used to analyze and understand the inside and outside of business environment of a firm. Management In the simple term refers to making things done by others. History The word manage come from the Italian word maneggiare which means (to handle -especially a horse), which in turn derives from the Latin word manus (hand). Later on the French word mesnagement (later menagement) influenced the development in meaning of the English word management in the 17th and 18th centuries. (www.answers.com) (www.encyclopedia.com) FINDINGS:- Definition of management:- â€Å"The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work† By ‘Agha Hasan Abedi Management is defining both science and art but thats not so important, what important is? Management is a method that is used to achieve organizational objective; that is, a method that is used to attain what a firm wants to achieve. A business can be in any field or entity or any group in which people come together to perform their respective task. Managers are the person to whom this task is given. And thus the managers achieve these goals through the key function like (1) planning, (2) organizing, (3) directing, and (4) controlling. Some of them also include leading as a managing role, but leading is a part of directing. Planning: Planning could include setting of organizational aims and goals. This are usually done by the higher management of the organization and as the part of business objective, then the manager build up the same strategies for attaining the goals of the organization. Organizing: Organizing refers to the technique in which the organization distributes it resources, assigns their respective duties, and goes about achieving its goals. It is shown by an organizational chart; with the three main levels starting with top level (ceo) followed by the middle level (managers and executive) and at last the lower level (workers and labor). Directing: Directing is the process which would everyone relate to supervision. It is supervising, or leading workers to achieve the objective of the business. In many organizations, directing involves making coursework, supporting workers to carry out the coursework, interpreting organizational guidelines, and notifying workers to how well they are acting towards the respective goal. To successfully carry out this task, managers must have leadership ability in order to get workers to execute the work effectively. Controlling:- controlling is a function which involves the valuation of activities that the manager should carry out. It is a procedure of shaping the organization goals and objectives to be met. The process also includes correcting the business conditions for which the purpose and objectives are not meeting. There are many more other activities which are a part of controlling process. Managers must know and set some standards of appraisal for workers. PESTEL Analysis Political factor:- Political issues include government guidelines and legal issues and define both formal and informal rules under which the firm must function. Some examples of political factor include: tax policy employment laws trade constraint and tariffs political permanence Economical factor:- Economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customers and the firm ´s cost of capital. The Economic condition is influenced by the political and government guiding principle, being a major influence affecting government assessments. The following are examples of factors in the macro economy: Economic growth Interest rates Exchange rates Inflation rates Social factor:- The Social factors comprises of the demographic and cultural phase of the external macro environment. These factors affect customer wants and the size of potential markets. Some social factors include: health consciousness population growth rate age distribution career attitudes emphasis on safety Technological factor:- Technological factors are those factors that can lower barriers to enter markets, reduce minimum efficient productivity levels, and influence the outsourcing decisions. Some technological factors include: RD process automation activity technology incentives rate of technological transform Legal factor:- These are allied to the legal obligation in which company operates. In latest days in UK there have been many considerable legal changes that have affected firms behavior. The introduction of age discrimination and disability legislation, the increase in the minimum wage and greater supplies for firms to recycle are illustration of relatively recent laws that affect an organization. Legal changes can affect a firms costs for example:- Future legislation European/international legislation Regulatory bodies and processes Employment law Consumer protection Environmentalfactor: Environmental factors include the weather conditions and climatic changes that take place. Changes in temperature can blow on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. There is a major climate change taking place because of global warming and with greater environmental alertness this factor is becoming a major issue for firms to reflect on. Examples:- Ecological Environmental issues Environmental regulations Stakeholder/ investor values Organization structure and its design Organizational design is the process by which managers select and manage various elements and working of organizational structure and culture so that an organization can achieve its objective. Organizational structure is the formal system of work and reporting relationships that controls, co-ordinates, lead and motivates employees so that they work together to achieve an organizations goal. As a manager one should create an organizational structure and culture such that: Which Encourages employees to work hard and encourage them towards their work attitudes. Allows the employee and all the middle n lower level groups to cooperate and work together effectively. Structure and culture affect: Behavior Motivation Performance Teamwork and cooperation Intergroup and Interdepartmental relationships. Hongkong and shanghai banking corporation limited. The HSBC Group has an international history which is unique. Many of its most important companies opened for big business over a century ago and they have a history which is rich in diversity and success. The HSBC Group is named after its founding member and the founder of it was Sir Thomas Sutherland, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and a public limited company, which was established in year 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe. It was started as it headquarters in hongkong and than until 1992 hongkong served as a world headquarter when it was forced to move to London as a condition of completing the acquisition of midland bank. As a public limited company hsbc is listed on different stock exchanges of the world like London, hongkong, Paris, India, Bermuda constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and the Hang Seng Index. (www.HSBC.co.uk/history) INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN USE AT HSBC FOR THE TRADING PORTAL HSBC was a founder member of the ‘FXall software, the leading multi-bank FX trading portal. With increasing competition in electronic FX trading, HSBC wanted to be the first bank to introduce the new QuickFill functionality software. QuickFill enables customers to execute trades based on streaming Prices i.e. using configurable deal sizes for different currency pairs as opposed to a request for quote (RFQ) system where a deal is executed against the best available quote in the market. QuickFill allows customers to see a price and simply â€Å"hit† it. The system provides a 24/7 operation base with rates being managed globally from a range of HSBC financial centres. This software enhances functionality to enable streaming prices, rapid implementation within an infinite timeframe, and transfer of required details over multiple levels and minimized the risk by strict project planning. Structural and contextual dimensions of HSBC Structural dimensions: Centralization:- This means the extent to which functions are dispersed in the company, either in the terms of integration with other functions and geographically. Since HSBC is a worldwide banking corporation all functions are dispersed into different departments under different heads. In such conditions centralization is not possible and so the entire organization functions are de-centralized so as to make the functioning easier and smoother. Formalization:- This concept is regarding to the extent of policies and procedures in any organization. HSBC being a highly accredited name all over the world, it is very important for the management to upkeep its name and standard in the world wide market place and so for this reason it is essential that formalization levels in the company be very high. This company deals with high profile clients and so every employee must be aware of all the rules and regulations of the company so as to avoid reduction of reputation in the eyes of the customers. Hierarchy:- This concept is regarding the extent and configuration of levels in the structure of the organization. Hierarchy of a bank at the stature of HSBC is very complicated as it involves both a flat as well as tall structure hierarchy and level of management. Basically, the bank tries to follow a flat structure and has decentralized all its departments so as to increase efficiency and productivity of the organization. Specialization:- Specialization refers to the extent at which activities are refined in the organization. Like any other multi-national corporation even HSBC has a high amount of specialized employees working under different departments from different fields and educational backgrounds. The company advocates a policy of well defined tasks and roles for each employee so as to avoid overlapping job portfolios. Training:- Training is the extent at which activities to equip organizational members with knowledge and skills are carried out, about their roles. Before an employee can be sent onto the floor to handle customers each employee has to undergo various trainings so as to be fully equipped with complete knowledge over all the queries that a customer might have. This training is highly professionalized so that no errors are made on the side of the employee who would result in the loss of a potential or existing customer. As this is in the banking sector low professional training standards are not advised and harmful for the company. Contextual Dimensions: Culture:- The values and the beliefs shared by all employees in the organization should be maintained in decorum. Culture is often explained by examining the norms and behaviors of employees in the workplace. HSBC has a multilingual culture where persons from all over the world come together and work in a single workplace as a team. So, its said that ‘HSBC- THE WORLDS LOCAL BANK. Environment:- Environment refers to the nature of external influences and activities in the political, social, technical, and economic areas of business. A stable environment is very essential for any business to survive and function smoothly in a way as per norms written down in the memorandum of association. Being a world wide bank it is very difficult to say that HSBC has a stable environment as it might have a stable environment in one of its branches but that is not the same with each and every one of its franchised branches. Goals:- The unique overall priority and preferred end-states of the organization is known as its goal. The goal of the bank is â€Å"To be the Bonding Company that guarantees continuance in the market to satisfy appropriately and professionally the bonding needs of our obligors and the assurance of timely fulfillment of our bond to our beneficiaries† (www.hsbc.co.uk). Size:- The number of people and resources in the organization and their span of control in the organization. HSBC is a highly resourceful bank and has the most number of employees in comparison to any other bank. Basically, we can say that HSBC is a large multinational corporation with around 8500 offices over 119 countries which consist of more than 1 million employees and workers. Technology:- The unique activity needed to reach organizational goals, including nature of activities, specialization, type of equipment/facilities needed, etc. HSBC provides their customers with both products as well as services. The main technologies includes computer softwares and banking instruments which have made modern life un-livable without. SWOT ANALYSIS â€Å"Situation analysis in which internal strengths and weaknesses of an organization, and external opportunities and threats faced by it are closely examined to chart a strategy.† (www.businessdictionary.com) STRENGHTS:- Competitive market and brand name. High standard regulatory environment Flexible work permit system and good quality staff offering personal client service WEAKNESSES:- Tough competitors Retail and staff affluent customer proposition Lack of legitimate access to all markets Rigid laws that prohibit development OPPORTUNITIES:- Brand expansion Unified trade body to lead finance sector program change Active and aggressive targeting of private and corporate clients Co-ordinate business relationships thus investing in the ecosystem THREATS:- Changing scenario which makes investors hard to invest. Outsourcing to cheaper jurisdictions Downsizing and reduction in banking operations Regulations in foreign trade capital markets Impact on the service sector ecosystem Conclusion Service sector management is an important factor for any business organization and with the rapid growth of these sector people are keener to develop the habit of providing services with all the necessary means available to them. Due to high competition in the service market people are scared to invest in banking sector, hsbc have always arrived up with various schemes to hold the interest of its customers. As mentioned: High competition in the banking sector, hsbc has to increase the confidence in the mind of their customer about the reliability and security of their investment compared to other banking service provider. Best service compared to the other providers. Hsbc should be more concentrative in after sales service, There is opportunity but no security; it should emphasis more on service than any other thing. Hsbc should give some more sound strategies to trap more customers giving more comparison with other investment center. Due to uncertainty of market hsbcs security investment are subject to market risk and there is no guarantee that the objective be will achieved. The growth of retail financial services sector has been a key to the development on the market front. Both the public and the private bank will not only keen to tap the domestic but also to hold the international market of financial services. Now foreign banks will be more likely to gain foothold in prospective global market. Therefore the future will belong to them who develop good and strong service strategies, internal controls cost effective services and instruments and innovating new evolution in the SERVICE SECTOR market.

The Death Penalty and Race Essay -- Capital Punishment Essays

The Death Penalty and Race To look closely at many of the mechanisms in American society is to observe the contradiction between constitutional equality and equality in practice. Several of these contradictions exist in the realm of racial equality. For example, Black s often get dealt an unfair hand in the criminal justice system. In The Real War on Crime, Steven Donziger explains, There are so many more African-Americans than whites in our prisons that the difference cannot be explained by higher crime among African- Americans - racial discrimination is also at work, and it penalizes African- Americans at almost every juncture in the criminal justice system.1 This paper focuses in on one of those "junctures" - the death penalty. The racial disparities that Donziger finds in the prisons can also be found in death row. To be exact, African-Americans are 12% of the US population, but they make up 40% of the death row population.2 I, like Donziger, believe something more is at work; and in the tradition of Ture and Hamilton, I believe that this something works in covert ways. It would almost be better if we could place the blame on blatant racial discrimination. But the death penalty does not serve the explicit purpose of oppressing Blacks. Racism persists, but it has taken on more implicit, more subtle, and arguably more harmful forms. The death penalty is a timely lens through which to observe the covert racism that operates in institutional settings. This topic can be overwhelming, and this paper is in no way comprehensive. Rather, it is an opportunity to string together some soci ological and legal concepts with personal analysis in the d esire to demonstrate that the death penalty and the institutions surrounding... ...ziger, 100. 13 Chambliss, 250. 14 Chambliss, 248. 15 Donziger, 127. 16 Donziger, 109. 17 Donziger, 110. 18 Campaign to End the Death Penalty (pamphlet). 19 Leon Higgenbotham, Shades of Freedom (Oxford University Press, 1996) xxv-xxvi. 20 Donziger, 109. 21 David C. Baldus, et al, "Comparative Review of Death Sentences: An Empirical Study of the Georgia Experience," The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 74 (1983): 663-664. 22 Baldus, 664. 23 Donziger, 109. 24 U.S. General Accounting Office, "Death Penalty Sentencing: Research Indicates Patterns of Racial Disparities," The Death Penalty in America, 271. 25 Hugo Adams Bedau, The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) 250. 26 Donziger, 113. 27 Ellsworth, 90. 28 Ellsworth, 92. 29 Chambliss, 243. 30 Ellsworth, 92.

Daughters of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country where survival is a fight. Poverty, diseases, poor health care, and starvation is an everyday struggle in daily life. If you are an Afghan woman these issues are compounded by the fact that women are seen as being objects. Women are not worth as much as a man. Women in Afghanistan are seen as inferior. Women can be put to death for the slightest insinuation of an insult to a man. These are just a few of the issues that the women and girls of Afghanistan face every day. The sad fact of the matter is that a lot of the hate and violence comes from male family members. Honor killings are allowed in Afghanistan. A woman does not even have to do anything wrong to be killed. If there is any inclination that the woman has embarrassed her family, she can be killed. Women in Afghanistan are very rarely given medical treatment. There are so many obstacles that Afghan women face that the majority of women here in the United States cannot even imagine. I know I cannot imagine being set aside just because I could not bear a son or children. I do not want to even try to think of the violence that these women face if they show any sign of disrespect. Afghan women are seen as mindless broodmares. Not all men see them this way but the majority of the male population does. Many men say that their religion teaches that women are not as smart as men and those women should be meek and obey what their husbands and fathers tell them to do. In 2004 a Canadian journalist traveled to Afghanistan to learn about Afghan women’s rights. The trip ended up being the base for her movie, Daughters of Afghanistan. In the movie journalist Sally Armstrong talks too many women. She listens to their stories of their bravery and courage. In September of 1996, the Taliban took over Afghanistan. The Taliban forced women into their homes. The Taliban would not even allow women to have health care or schooling. An Afghan woman could not even think of asking about birth control. Women’s’ rights activists in Afghanistan look forward to the day that women can walk around outside without consequences. There are some places like in Kabul where this can be done. However, in the rural areas many of the old ways still have hold and women are not allowed to be out of their houses. In the rural areas animals are still seen to be worth more than a woman or girl. In Daughter of Afghanistan, one of the most important women in Afghanistan today are Dr. Sima Samar. Dr. Samar was born on February 4, 1957. After the fall of the Taliban, the Afghan government promised that life would get better for women and girls. Dr. Samar agreed to an arranged marriage so that she could go to college. In 1982, she received her degree from Kabul University. Shortly after Dr. Samar had started practicing, she she had to leave to save her life. She fled back to her home village. She practiced medicine there until 1984. In 1984 her husband and son were arrested. After the arrest Dr. Samar and her family fled to Pakistan. From 1984 until 2002 she lived as a refugee. In 2002 she decided to return to Afghanistan. Dr. Samar has built clinics and shelter for women and children in Afghanistan. She has also opened a school for women. Beside the schools and shelters Dr. Samar has also built clinics so that women and girls can receive medical treatment. After the fall of the Taliban, the government made a lot of empty promises. Dr Samir was made Deputy Prime Minister and Minster of Women’s Affairs in the first government after the fall of the Taliban. Unfortunately, the Islamic fundamentalists came out. They made sure that she was seen as an enemy to the state, not someone that was trying to help . Because she was brave enough to question practices that had been taking place for many generations soon after the fundamentalists spoke up she started receiving death threats. Doctor Samar is just one of the million women and girls that suffer in Afghanistan each day. Another woman who has face issues is Hamida. Hamida is the principal of one of Dr. Samars high schools. Hamida also faces death threats for being brave enough to teach women how to do tasks like using a computer and how to drive, so that they can get jobs and support themselves. Women are treated like pawns in a game. A good example of this is a woman named Camellah. She is not allowed to say no to her husband when he wants sex. She is pregnant and doesn’t always feel like having sex. This baby will be her ninth baby. Camillah is afraid that she will not survive this childbirth. She is not allowed to even think of using birth control. Birth control in most of the culture is unthinkable. Dr. Samar is one of the women that is trying to change that view. Another girl in the movie is Lima. Lima is not even sure how old she is. She thinks that she is 13. She acts like a mother to her younger siblings. If it is hard for an older woman with children to survive, imagine how old it is for a child to try to raise other children under this type of repression. A fourth woman in the movie is Soghra. She is a widow and pregnant with her seventh child. She was brave enough to walk for nine nights to avoid the Taliban so that she could find shelter in Dr. Samar’s refuge. Her husband did turn out to be alive but they are very poor. Even though the Taliban has fallen, the Islamic fundamentalists have resurfaced in a bad way. If a woman walks on the street even wearing her burqah, she is insulted and given hateful, angry, looks. Some things have changed but a lot has not changed for women. Yes, now some women do go to school and receive medical care, for the majority of women and girls, unfortunately this is not the case. Women and girls are still forced to marry, they still have to obey their husbands, they cannot make their own decisions. They are still seen as less than human in their culture. Yes the Taliban has fallen and thanks to brave women like Dr. Samar some women and girls are getting an education. Unfortunately there are not enough shelters or safe places where women and girls may go in order to be safe. Safe from their own family. That is one of the most horrible things that I think goes on. Women cannot even feel safe with their husbands, fathers, uncles, or sometimes even brothers. The human rights disasters that took place under the Taliban were front page news. Now since the fall of the Taliban, the western world seems to have forgotten about these women and children of Afghanistan. They are the forgotten daughters of Afghanistan. Change may be slow to come to Afghanistan but as long as people like Dr. Samar and other women stand up, there is always hope. When a person has hope there always seems to be a way to make a better tomorrow. Change may be too late for some women but for Afghan daughters and granddaughters, they may be able to have a better life than what their mothers and grandmothers did.

Mindfulness and the SAT

Mindfulness and the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In this article, we'll discuss how to use mindfulness to crush the SAT (and everything else that stresses you out!). On Test Day â€Å"Our mind is constantly evaluating our experiences, comparing them with other experiences or holding them up against expectations and standards that we create, often out of fear.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are When you walk into the gym/classroom/cafeteria on test day, it’s likely that you’ll be feeling anxious and scared. Even though you might have prepped for the SAT with all kinds of courses, you may be nervous. All kinds of important, but unpredictable, life situations produce these feelings. But here’s the thing: anxiety and fear actually impede (get in the way of) your ability to perform your best on the SAT. In fact, they impede almost everything we try to get done in a day. To boost our performance, the best thing we can do (besides personalized SAT prep) is try to minimize our anxiety, but most people have no idea how to do this. There is a simple solution: mindfulness. What’s mindfulness? â€Å"You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are Mindfulness, according to the Oxford New American Dictionary, is: 1: the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something; 2: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. So, it’s possible to be mindful in any given moment, not thinking about anything but the present time and place. But the practice of mindfulness is cultivating the ability to be mindful more frequently and more easily, and is the secret to the inner peace of Buddhist monks, among others. However, while monks meditate for hours every day to cultivate their mindfulness, it is possible for high school students (and, in fact, anyone) to use the power of mindfulness. Given any amount of time, but especially if you start well ahead of test day, you can harness the power of your own inner strength using mindfulness to get your best possible score. // What can mindfulness do for me? Life is stressful, especially for teenagers. There’s school, sports, extracurriculars, social life, family time, andon top of it alltest prep. Mindfulness is a scientifically proven, thoroughly researched way to reduce stress and provide a calm state of mind that can help you get through any situation, especially one as potentially anxiety-producing as the SAT. Read on for details of what exactly this means. Practice: how and when? Meditation, or mindfulness practice, is nothing but sitting, standing, laying or even walking while focusing only on the present momentwhat you see, hear, and feel right now. There are a million websites and books that discuss when, where and how to do it. But the great thing about mindfulness practice is that, while 30 minutes or an hour of daily practice can do wonders, even 5 minutes of intentional mindfulness every day (or even every few days, or every week) can seriously improve your ability to stay calm, focus, and perform better. If you follow our recommendation to do 100 hours of focused online SAT prep (it’s not as bad as it sounds!), you’ll end up with 250-500 minutes, or 4-8 hours, of mindfulness practice. That’s more than enough to boost your emotional and psychological readiness for the SAT, as well as the crazy stuff college is going to throw at you. We recommend that, before you start your SAT prep session, sit (on the floor, ideally) or lay down and focus on nothing but the present moment. Many people find that it helps to focus on the breath moving in and out of their body. Try to do it for 5 minutes, even if it is difficult or frustrating. By associating your mindfulness practice with your SAT practice, you’re training yourself to be mindful on test day. Discipline concentration â€Å"Discipline provides a constancy which is independent of what kind of a day you had yesterday and what kind of a day you anticipate today.† -Jonathan Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are In addition to its other benefits, regular meditation improves discipline and concentration, which are key for any academic pursuit. You don’t have to do anything to gain this benefit: just do nothing for 5 minutes before every session of SAT prep you do, the more often the better. Try it out Right now, just sit cross-legged on the floor, close your eyes, and focus your attention on your breathing. Count the breaths, if that helps. When other thoughts pop up, acknowledge them and let them go, bringing your attention back to your breath. Try it for 5 minutes, and see if you don’t feel calmer and more centered afterward. If you found this helpful or interesting, please take a moment to sign up for our email list at right: we’ll never sell your email address, and we crank out great posts on SAT-related topics every week. Also, check out our Free SAT Guide:

voices in the city essays

voices in the city essays Voices in the city(Anita Desai) Voices in the city is a pessimistic novel like Cry the peacock.The protagonists of this novel are detached , self-centered and remain aloof from others just as Maya in Cry the peacock, who alienates herself from the rest.What they always wanted was shadows,silence and stillness and that was what they were left with. Nirode the main character is an editor of a newspaper. The novel begins with the scene at the station when nirode comes to see his brother off. When the train departs he starts introspecting , compares his capabilities and achievements with Aruns. He broods over the way he has grown up with his shortcomings and laidback attitude.Wonders the way he has whiled away his time since childhood and has been a looser always.This thought (realization) makes him envy Arun who has always been the winner. In this novel the life of Calcutta has been portrayed . The characters of this novel especially Nirode and his sister Monisha feel themselves detached from this city.They find it difficult to cope up with its busy life where people are so ambitious and rapacious.Their mother who lives in Kalimpong is also like any of the calcuttians and that is the reason they dont approve of certain things about her.Nirode never replies to her letters never feels the need of her embrace and shelter because he thinks she is having an affair with Major Chaddha. He finds her lusty at this age and fels that she is no more concerned about her childrens feelings and emotions.Even the company his friends dosent excite him and he becomes a loner. Thinking that after reaching lofty heights there is no other way than to descend to the bottom , Nirode feels why not to take a shortcut and remain at the bottom since this is the ultimate destination.Because he has never achieved anything in his life , he starts living revelling in the f...

Einstein's Ideas on Science and Religion Term Paper

Einstein's Ideas on Science and Religion - Term Paper Example The story begins thus, "I tell myself I am not looking for God. I am looking for an elision that is nevertheless a contour." (175) He travels to the desert, a solely deserted place devote of significant life to find the only sole God that all people and religions have believed in, to this the author says, "I have come to the Holy Land because the God of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims-a common God revealed Himself in the desert." (176) this is indeed a logical reasoning that the author believes that there is some religion truth in this place. Quite contrastingly, this land that is supposed to be holy is marred by blood and no human life. Einstein critically presents his arguments and points out the limitations of the human intellectual ability as individuals entangled in ‘religion fear’ (1) to secure favor in solving the human miseries. In Einstein’s Personal god, religion beliefs and science are presented as antagonists, but he further suggests that serious sci entific workers are also the most profoundly the most religious people. The most outstanding feature of Einstein’s characteristics is his language about religion and science. The desire to experience the cosmos as a single whole sprouts from human’s perspective of the world as some kind of prison to him. This thought already brings forth the idea of cosmic religion which emanates from mans fear of uncertainty. To limit dogma and lots of theology, Einstein does not rule out the prospects of a future cosmic religion. He foresees a religion that goes beyond personal God. This religion majorly based on sense of emanating from the encounter of all spiritual and natural things that when combined form an ideal and meaningful unity. From his perspective, science brings to life religion and those who accept it internalize it. Einstein argues that humans are usually driven by some sort of internal needs as they seek religious interpretation. The main force for human would be in most instances for a ‘feeling and longing’. (1) It is the fear of these that tend to provoke human emotions throughout religious life. This religion concept where one fears sickness, death or hunger is what Einstein describes as a ‘religion fear’ by constantly using the word ‘religion fear’ the author implies that human beings do not go to church to seek spiritual guidance but rather they attend church from the fears that emanate deep within. The author generally groups these religion fears into hunger, pain or comfort. Moreover, Einstein describes a second type of religion belief that emanates from social impulses. He attempts to justify that ‘the desire for guidance, love, and support prompts men to form social conception of God.’ (3) God who the human race believes to provide, protect and even offer rewards and punishments; this ‘personal god’ as the author describes is able to even provide ‘life and offer com fort during difficult times of sadness and ‘unsatisfied longing’ and ‘he who is also able to preserve the soul of the dead.’ (3) A common religious orientation with the above types of religion is what Einstein describes as ‘anthropomorphic character of their conception of God’ (4) exhibited by low level individuals. It is therefore based on these two low level of human understanding and belief about religion that Einstein expunges a new religion dimension which he also admits is ‘rarely found in pure form’ (4) this is what he calls ‘Cosmic religion’ (4) which is characterized by human desires and personal quest to ‘reveal themselves both in nature and in the world of thought.’ By using the word â€Å"Anthropomorphic cha

Cost of Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Cost of Capital - Essay Example ls as far calculating the actual cost of capital of Pfizer, but it does point out that Pfizer has more equity than debt because the firms prefers to keep its interest payments low in order to maintain good liquidity and cash flows. Pfizer operates in industry that has very high risk. Every year hundreds of new medicines project fail for a variety of reasons. Sometimes these medicines do not work as the company expected or even when they work the new drug often is not able to comply with the strict protocols to achieve FDA approval. Whenever a medicine is not able to reach market the total costs that the pharmaceutical company incurred in becomes a sunk cost. A sunk cost can be defined as a cost that cannot be changed by any present or future decision (Weygandt, Kieso, Kimmel, 2002). Sunk cost are a major financial challenge for companies such as Pfizer. Minimizing projects that do not provide a positive stream of cash flows is imperative for the success of a company in the pharmaceut ical industry. Pfizer faces other financial challenges that are unique to its industry. For instance the company has to invest billions of dollars each year in research and development costs. The average out of pocket cost to develop a new drug is $1.4 billion (Mullin, 2014). Another financial challenge Pfizer faces is that it also takes a long time for a new drug to reach market. While a new drug is being developed the company does not obtain any inflows of cash from that project. Despite the challenges associated with developing a new drug when a company succeeds in creating a new product the law protects firms such as Pfizer. Patent protection allows Pfizer the ability to create a monopoly market on the new drug. Patent protection in the pharmaceutical industry can last eight to ten years. During that time Pfizer would face no competition for its new drug. Another challenge that Pfizer faces is a shortage of talent in many technical fields. In order to recruit new talent the firm