Hong Kong Today

Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today ? Indicators used to understand poverty in HK ? ? ? ? Income Health Education ? ? ? Living conditions Employment Community / family support Section 1—Poverty Disparity / discrepancy between rich and poor ? Gini coefficient – Range from 0 to 1 0 = income distribution is absolute equal 1 = income distribution is absolute unequal ? Challenges faced by poor people ? Employment – usually contract staff, low income, lack labour protection ? ? ? ? Support – limited support channels from government Living standard – X fulfill basic needs (eg. ealthcare service) Intergenerational poverty Relationship no family time ? marital / familial conflicts ? Disadvantaged groups ? Men vs. Women – do housework + child care ? HK citizens vs. New arrivals less assistance from government discrimination (reduces HK citizens’ job opportunities) ? ? CSSA: Comprehensive Social Security Assistance HK government —positive non-interventionist approach ( ) ? ? ? A regulator rather than a provider of welfare programmes Free market / trade policy ? Minimal government intervention Low taxation system Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today Section 2—Quality of Life ?Measuring QoL ? Dimensions—economic; social; political; cultural; environmental ? Objective indicators (statistical data) – Income; wealth gap – Social welfare; life expectancy – Electoral system; voter turnout rate – Variety of cultural activities; museums; libraries – Living space; air pollution index Subjective indicators (people’s feelings) ? Satisfaction with economy / income Satisfaction with public health, freedom of speech, welfare Satisfaction with government’s performance Perceived human rights enjoyed Satisfaction with cultural environment, diversity Satisfaction with living / natural environment Obstacles to better QoL in HK ? HK has a per vasive culture of long working hours ? Stay until boss leaves ? Not much emphasis on importance of work-life balance ? Constant reaffirmation of good working ethics ? ? Life chances are determined by individual efforts Weak collective bargaining power between workers ? Strategies used in promoting labour rights ? ? ? Legislation and enforcement Management and regulation Education and publicity ? ? Public engagement Research ? Organisations and treaties ? International Labour Organisation (ILO) ? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) ?The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – Right of everyone to enjoyment of just & favourable conditions of work – Safe and healthy working conditions – Rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today Section 3—Rule of law ? Rule of Law ? All individuals are equal in front of law ? Government should act in accordance with its established statutes ( ) ? ? ? Both the government and the citizens must act according to such statutes The independence of the judiciary institution is guaranteed to maintain rule of lawHow to ensure judicial independence ( ) ? ? Way of appointing judges should be away from external pressure Constitutions ( ) should be written for and monitored by people ? Rule of law is actualization of constitutional democracy ? Principles of rule of law (remember!! ) ? Everyone is equal before the law ? Government should act in accordance to the law ? The law should not have retroactive effect ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Judicial independence The law clauses should be simple and easy to understand The law clauses should not be self-contradictory Filing an appeal ( ) is allowed Judicial review ( is allowed Legal aid is offered Should go through sufficient public consultation Assume innocence before conviction / proven guilty Law should be the lowest limit to protect individual freedom *** Police p ower should be limited under rule of law ? Functions of LegCo ? Enact ( ) laws ? ? ? Control public expenditure Monitor the work of government Unfairness of District Council elections ? Not all DC members are elected directly by voters ? Some DC members are appointed by Chief Executive ? Presence of ex-officio members ( ) Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today Section 3—Rule of law ?Functional Constituencies ? Rationale for introducing FCs – To use their professional knowledge for the benefit of the public by helping people ? analyse problems Reason to maintain FCs – To ensure balanced participation ? people, government and business sector / FCs should play an equal part in decision-making Contradiction between â€Å"balanced participation† and â€Å"direct election† – Representatives of government and FCs are not directly elected by people Fundamental flaws of FCs – Not directly elected by people – Distrust by p eople at the beginning – Emphasise too much on their own interests ?Often oppose to motions supported by directly elected GC members – An obstacle to motions that are beneficial to general public Corporate votes – Encourage corporate welfare – Represent only interests of certain groups instead of whole sector – Profitability of businesses often depends on government licenses, regulations, subsidies government count on support of business interests in LegCo and CE elections ? ? ? ? ? Not all practitioners working in the sector / industry can vote Split voting system ? Motions supported by GCs are often opposed by FCs ? Promote favouritism towards business sector / government?Criteria for democratic electoral system ? Principle of universality ( ) ? Principle of equality ( ) Electoral Affairs Commission ( ) ? Ensure that elections are carried out in a fair, open and honest manner ? ? ? Geographical Constituency has a broader electoral base (no. of r egistered voters) than Functional Constituency Liberal Studies F4 Second term—Hong Kong Today ? Chief Executive Election ? Term of office: 5 years, renewable once only ? Elected by Election Committee (800 members) Election Committee (2008) 1. Industrial, commercial and financial sectors (200) 3.Labour, social services, religious and other sectors (200) ? Section 3—Rule of law 2. The professions (200) 4. Political sector: members of LegCo, HK deputies to NPC†¦ (200) Article 45 of Basic Law ? The ultimate aim is the selection of CE by universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee in accordance with democratic procedures Latest development ? EC increases from 800 to 1200 ? 75 of 100 additional seats for political sector occupied by DC members ? ? Why EC is divided into different subsectors? ? Ensure balanced participation and broad representation ? Increases the legitimacy ( of government Expansion of EC ? Advantages – Inc lude people from different sectors to elect CE – EC composition resembles diff. sectors in society ? Reflect views of diff. people ? People more contented ? Fairly high legitimacy level of CE Disadvantages – Not all people can cast vote in CE election – People may think that electors in EC cannot fully represent their views – Presence of corporate votes undermines the representativeness of EC ? Represent corporate interests but not general public interests No political competition in some sub-sector elections ? Weaken legitimacy of CE ? ? ? Small circle election

Standing Up For Others

Standing Up believe that you should stand up for yourself, your community, and your country to support various things that can make a major positive impact in your society. Every day, you will see things that are unjust or maybe you don't feel is right. You as a person are given a voice for a reason. Not only for you but also for the people around you too. One example of a person showing what standing up for yourself and others can really do is Rosa parks. She is known as â€Å"the mother of the freedom movement†.This woman refused to eve her seat up on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama to a white person. This time period separated blacks and whites mind you that she was no intellectual or preacher, she felt that the situation was unjust and had protested in a nonviolent manner. She stood up for herself and the others in her position and changed the world for the better. Another example is when a young 13 year old and a group of her friends showed up for school one day. They were w earing black arm bands to mourn the death of Vietnam and all of them including her were suspended.They also faced harassment and many death threats. The UCLA came to her defense, winning a landmark Supreme Court decision in â€Å"Tinker v. Des Monies (19969)†. Lastly, movements can be seen in terms of environment. People are now beginning to expose the notion of and inherit value to natural resources, such as trees. Another is animal protection against cruelty, people that support things like this have already made a humongous impact on the public. It is seen in cosmetic companies that now go to lengths of advertisement to show that they do not est. their products on animals.All of these examples are showing that you can make a difference with your voice. It shows that you are on your community side, the people around you, and the people you care about. It also shows that you are focused on not just your own but, your teams well being and interest. Sticking up for others can help create such a positive working environment, that you are a leader worth following, and that is why it is important to stick up for your rights and the rights of others too!

Response Paper Essay

In Paths of Globalization from the Berbers to Bach, Yo-Yo Ma (2008) states that cultural conventions compose an important organization for personality, social steadiness and compassionate interactions in the globalized world. To support this statement, he came up with several ideas. Although globalization is always thought to make people obey to others’ rule and thus threaten their own identities, the interactions it brought don’t only damage culture, and can produce new culture and strengthen and propagate the old traditions. He also mentions that looking deeply inside the world’s conventions is a good method to discover the world. What’s more, he states that for traditions, a best method to survive is organic evolution, which need to use all available tools. The exhibition of a tradition to other countries can make practitioners in the home country more energetic. Finally, he talked about the four priorities of education that are significant but are uneasy to measure and could be ignored in this competitive hierarchical world driven by exams and measurable sequent, which are memorizing contents with communication, education driven by enthusiasm, the growth of a disciplined vision and sympathy. Among all the ideas, there are two ideas attract me. The first one is that globalization can create new culture, and the second one is that exhibiting a tradition in other country can energize the practitioners in the origin country. Both ideas are interesting to me and I would like to response to them. Response Yo-Yo Ma (2008) indicates that the reactions brought by globalization don’t always damage culture, they can also produce new culture and enhance and spread old traditions. I agree with this issue. A good example can be the American-Chinese food. With the globalization, the American fast food competitions with food in other culture and exposed some shortcomings like unhealthy. However, fast food developed and quickly absorbed the advantages of its opponents, for example, Chinese food, and developed a new type of food known as American-Chinese food. A great example can be the famous dish Beef w. Broccoli. This dish, is a typical American Chinese dish. It combines the convenience of fast food and the balance between vegetable and meat of Chinese food. This is a good example of new culture created by globalization, and no doubt that the fast food culture grown stronger in  this example. Yo-Yo Ma (2008) also mentioned that the presentation of tradition in foreign country can enhance the practitioners in its homeland. I also agree with this idea, since I myself can relate to it. Confucius is an educator in ancient Chin, and his theories is one of the most famous Chinese traditions. However, as time passed many people seem not to care Confucius’ theory. However, when the news shows that the Confucius Institution made huge success in America, the people in China gained passion on Confucius. This shows how the present of tradition could abroad could enhance the development of it in the origin country. Conclusion As a conclusion, in these situations, the globalization have effects such as create new culture and help traditions develop. I highly agree with Yo-Yo Ma’s thesis that globalization have a positive effect on traditions.

FINAL ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FINAL - Essay Example However, there are possible legal theories that will govern the litigant’s trial strategy. For instance, if the defendant is impecunious and his liability insurance will not cover punitive damages it will not make sense to pursue punitive damages since it is commonly believed that when juror’s award punitive damages they tend to be quire modest in compensatory damages awards. Guided by this legal theory the litigant will likely proceed with a trial strategy that abandons a claim for punitive damages.(Blanchard, p. 502) In Blanchard’s second example, the plaintiff is injured in a car accident in which the defendant driver had consumed alcoholic beverages prior to the accident. While the consumption of alcohol is evidence of the defendant’s negligence the defendant might adapt a legal theory that supports a contention that the plaintiff knew that the defendant had been drinking and therefore voluntarily assumed the risk by getting in the car driven by the de fendant. Based on this legal theory the plaintiff’s trial strategy will involve shifting the focus away from the defendant’s alcohol consumption.(Blanchard, P. 503) There are two methods by which a witness can be compelled to appear at a trial at a specific time for the purpose of cross-examination. One method is by application to the court for a pretrial order requiring the witness to appear for cross-examination. Once the court makes the order the witness is under an obligation to appear or face prosecution for contempt of court. (Blanchard p.510) The second method of compelling a witness to appear at a trial at a particular time for cross-examination is by virtue of a subpoena. Proof of service of the subpoena is necessary following which the court has the authority to hold a non-complying witness in contempt or to delay proceedings until such time as the witness can be brought to court by

Monique and the Mango Rains. Gendered Inequality from an Essay

Monique and the Mango Rains. Gendered Inequality from an Anthropological Perspective - Essay Example Women, however, are not allowed by law of the land to own any property and in case they do, then it is assumed to belong to the immediate male over them. They are not to be listened to since their views are underrated. Traditionally and historically, some chores are considered ‘masculine’ and no woman is allowed into these fields no matter their qualifications. This is male dominance and sexism, which fiercely promotes gender inequality in the society. These are some of the truths that have shaped unspeakable gender inequality. In the book ‘Monique and the mango rains’, Kris highlights on the different areas where women have been discriminated against in the Mali community, bringing about gender inequality. This essay highlights these concepts of inequality and how they have hampered women rise to higher positions in the community. Kris presents a personal encounter of the life situations in the western country; Mali, painting a pathetic picture of what wome n undergo. Women, here, are given less significance by the community as a whole. They are not given adequate maternal care in the case of reproductive health. In the building of the economy, the feminine gender is neglected. Even the little that they earn out of their hard work is planned for inappropriately by the men who control them. They are given no option to choose or decline marriage, whereby, they are mostly forced into it. It is very worrying, how they are multitasked with most of the chores in their homes and community (Holloway & Bidwell, 2007). There are various components that are seen as promoting gender inequality among the Malian women portrayed by Holloway. Some of these components include issues on reproductive health. It is, for instance, mentioned that, among the community of over 1,400 occupants, there is only one midwife; Monique. She is overwhelmed with activities ranging from helping expectant mothers to deliver, advising of health since they are mostly malno urished and even on matters of birth control, which is almost unheard of in this society. This is too much for only one woman; therefore, most of the reproductive health issues are left unattended to. Mortality rate among pregnant mothers is given as very high; every one women out of 12 die out of reproductive related issues (Holloway & Bidwell, 2007). There is the component of gender inequality on the part of economy streamlining. The only salaried working woman mentioned here in the Mali community, is Monique. She is seen working the whole day in a makeshift birth centre under a torn roof. Her salary, however, goes to the extravagant father-in-law and unfaithful husband. She cannot be able to plan for her salary independently. This shows that a woman in Mali is voiceless even in managing her own resources. Outside this clinic picture, the woman is also overworked. There are, however, no accounts of productive use of these funds, which mostly goes to their male relatives. They are left with little, if any, to manage and help in economic growth matters. The Malian women have the most disadvantageous part in forced marriages. It all starts with Female Genital Mutilation (F.G.M.), which to them is universal. This argument is developed from the instance where we are told that Monique thought that this rite was universal, that even Kris must have undergone it. This rite is the first step in developing

Why Sport Sponsorship is important for a company marketing strategy Dissertation

Why Sport Sponsorship is important for a company marketing strategy - Dissertation Example In addition to this, the research work also aims at understanding the influence of sports sponsorship on target audience. In this study, the researcher has selected a mixed research approach for this study, which includes both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Following this approach, the study includes interview with manager of Nike and survey of Manchester United fans. The interview responses are analyzed on the basis of thematic analysis approach, whereas responses from survey are analysed statistically, which include descriptive and regression analysis of the responses. The study has concluded that sports sponsorship has a significant importance for business entities, particularly Nike, which has been considered in this study. The findings of the study have concluded marketers regard sponsorship as a significant marketing tool. In addition to this, an overall positive impact of sports sponsorship of Nike has been observed on its brand identity. In today’s b usiness world, marketers are in continuous search of new avenues which can be used to promote their products and services and therefore gain new customer bases or retain existing ones (Kotler & Armstrong, 2008; Farris et al., 2010). Sports sponsorship is a modern marketing tool, which is nowadays used extensively by a number of large business enterprises (Ferrand et al., 2007). Sports are today regarded as global events and when bearing sponsors they possess the potential to promote brands all over the world. Sponsorship is often viewed as an entirely different activity in comparison with promotion. This difference in viewing these two mediums of marketing is based on the fact that promotions are considered and used as a direct marketing tool which targets specific customer bases, whereas sponsorships are regarded as part of a company’s corporate social responsibility activities. As for instance, in sporting events sponsors pay significant amounts of money to help organizers to successfully arrange the event and entertain general public (Boyle & Haynes, 2009). However, notwithstanding the direct and indirect nature of promotions and sponsorships, corporate entities are always keen to gain from anything they do. Keeping aside the less direct nature of sponsorship, the underlying objectives are purely based on marketing principles. Building brand’s identity, equity, awareness, values, etc. is all what marketers seek through any channel of marketing (Ferrand et al., 2007). Moreover, with fierce competition all over the globe and increase in globalization and its effects, marketers have turned sports sponsorship activities into large scale marketing campaigns (Boyle & Haynes, 2009). 1.2. Research Aim The broad aim of this research work is to determine the

Full Costing and Variable Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Full Costing and Variable Costing - Essay Example Cost Accounting: A 12 Managerial Emphasis. 12th ed. Prentice Hall. 12 Elliott Taylor, 2011. Full-Costing Income Statement vs. Variable-Costing Income Statement. [online] Available at [Accessed 25 December 2011] 13 Jae Shim, Joe Seigel, 2011. Schaum's Outline of Managerial Accounting. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill. 13 John Simms, 2008. The Variable Costing Income Statement for External Reporting. VDM Verlag. 13 Noah P. Barsky, Anthony H. Catanach, 2004. Management Accounting: A Business Planning Approach. South-Western College Pub. 14 Steven M. Bragg, 2011. Cost Accounting Fundamentals: Essential Concepts and Examples. 2nd ed. Accounting Tools. 14 Executive Summary Full Costing and Variable Costing are two common approaches to cost keeping employed at the management accounting level in various firms across the globe. Both approaches have their pros and cons and making a choice between the two is solely dependent upon the practices of the firm, its approach to create shareholder value and the m indset of its employees. In terms of the treatment of different types of cost, there is only one difference between the two approaches under consideration. The Manufacturing Overhead component of cost is treated in a different manner under both the approaches. The fixed component of the Manufacturing Overhead is absorbed by the product as it is treated as a product cost in Full Costing approach while the same component is treated as a period cost under the Variable Costing approach. This different treatment of the Fixed Manufacturing Cost, poses a positive effect on the bottom line of the company in the Full Costing Approach, as the cost incurred on the goods not sold is not deducted from the revenues generated during the relevant period. When it comes to Variable Costing, the costs incurred over the manufacturing of all the produced items are deducted from the revenues of the relevant period. This tends to shrink the company bottom-line for the immediate period. These two approache s thus influence the mindset of the shareholders and stakeholders of the company. The type of approach to costing adopted by the company shall also depend on the industry that it operates in and the shareholder anticipations as well. Introduction The ultimate objective of the commencement of any business is to generate profits. A simple equation that generates the bottom line of any business entails the deduction of costs from revenues of the company. Revenue calculation is not a Herculean task, and thus there are not a lot of distinguished approaches that can be used to calculate the revenue of the company. However costing is a much more complex and complicated component of the formerly mentioned equation. There are various approaches utilized by management accountants and financial analysts across the globe for the computation of the cost components. Each component has its own justification and rationale and this paper will be specifically aimed at discussing two of the most utili zed approaches to costing namely Full Costing and Variable Costing (Garrison, Noreen, Brewer, 2009). Main Findings In general, no matter whichever approach to accounting is used by the accountants for the treatment of the cost factors in the financial

Public administration Theories Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public administration Theories - Term Paper Example Principally, theories attempt to explicitly explain and discuss various aspects of the psychological, social, and physical worlds, accurately and successfully predicting the underlying elements (Basu, 2004). This paper discusses the major theories of public administration as envisaged by various scholars, explicitly describing their implications in various settings within organizations or state bodies. Scientific Management Theory According to Farmer (2010), Fredrick Winslow Taylor conducted scientific studies and applied them to management problems. Although he was an engineer by profession, he managed to solve management problems successfully through his scientific studies (Raj, 2005). This is because he believed that management was a science that had specific governing laws and principles, an approach that several management scholars adopted in their studies to improve on his work. Through his scientific approach, Taylor emphasized the essence of partnership between the management and the staff in fulfilling an organization’s objectives through scientific management techniques. Taylor strongly believed that the prosperity of any social organization rested on the success of application and implementation of certain scientific changes whereby scientific training was the major motivating factor towards abandoning the old ways of doing things (Farmer, 2010). With respect to the performance of various workers at different levels, Taylor proposed the use of motion study that involved the evaluation of the workers’ performance against the time they took to accomplish their duties. Some of Taylor’s scientific management principles included solving management challenges through scientific approaches, cordial relationship between workers and management based on scientific methods, and scientific training of workers in order to attain efficiency (Basu, 2004).   Although Taylor made tremendous achievements together with his associates such as Henr y Gantt, Lillian Gilbreth, and Frank Gilbreth, they faced a number of criticisms from various quarters. One major criticism was the fact that the scientific approach to management perceived man as a machine, an issue that some preceding scholars found rather awkward to address. The psychological thinkers such as March and Simon insisted that Taylor ignored the human factor in the scientific management theory, a major aspect in psychological studies. In addition, the opponents of Taylorism theory, such as workers and managers, cited some elements of inflexibility in the approach (Denhardt, 2011).   Classical Theory According to Basu (2004), March and Simon in the mid-20th century professed this theory, terming it as the mechanical theory, the administrative management theory, or simply the structural theory. Later, Henri Fayol together with other scholars suggested through the structural theory that administrative work remained administrative work, the work performed and the circum stances surrounding the performance of the work notwithstanding. They categorically argued that administrative knowledge surpassed other forms of knowledge such as technical knowledge, and various management personnel could apply this kind of knowledge to a wide spectrum such as religion, government institutions, and organizations (Denhardt, 2011).  Fayol, in furtherance of his studies, classified administrative duties into five major categories that included planning, control, coordination,

The Killing of Osama Bin Laden by United States Forces Dissertation

The Killing of Osama Bin Laden by United States Forces - Dissertation Example Only the courts have the right to sentence a criminal or the erring to death or imprisonment. On 2 May 2011 Osama Bin Laden was killed. President Barack Obama’s 2 May 2011 account of the circumstance of the killing is this: â€Å"†¦We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda --- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies†¦.I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network†¦.Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.† British Broadcasting Company’s documentation of President Barack Obama’s 2 May 2011 statement on Osama bin Laden’s death corroborated the version posted in the official webpage of the White House. The British Broadcasting Company’s documentation of Obama’s 2 May statement reflected that President Barack Obama said that Osama bin Laden was killed AFTER and NOT DURING A FIREFIGHT. The 2 May 2011 press briefing provided by the US President Office of the Press Secretary via conference call described the Obama killing in this manner: â€Å"Bin Laden was a sworn enemy of the United State

Wind Technology and Electricity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6250 words

Wind Technology and Electricity - Research Paper Example With regards to tapping of wind energy, the speed of the air in movement defines the potential amounts of energy that can be packed within any unit amount of air in motion. This means that too much speed of the moving air can be destructive to structures or equipment useful in the tapping of the wind energy and too little speed can be a waste of resources and time as there would be no sizeable amount of energy tapped. Therefore, while the consideration of tapping wind energy is a vital input to the energy ministry and the livelihood of various entities, specifics that make tapping wind successful should be in line with the amount of wind speed expected, the equipment used and its specifications, the location of the equipment installation and the support of such equipment, and the consistency and/or sustainability of production of wind energy. In this research paper, the tapping of wind energy is considered a work of engineering and therefore, a sizeable portion of this paper dwells o n the equipment used, the specifications of those equipment, different designs and types, their sustainability for energy conversion, the available brands and their differences, the best locations for placing these equipment, the original inventions and the different versions of the same that exist, and the technical considerations that should be evaluated as support and maintenance of the equipment. The tapping of wind energy is normally and always a task that involves the use of wind turbines. The nature and specifications of wind turbines differs from one type to another with regards to scope of production, the location of the turbines, the standards verified, and the policies that control the production and installation of the same. In this... In this research paper, the tapping of wind energy is considered a work of engineering and therefore, a sizeable portion of this paper dwells on the equipment used, the specifications of those equipment, different designs and types, their sustainability for energy conversion, the available brands and their differences, the best locations for placing these equipment, the original inventions and the different versions of the same that exist, and the technical considerations that should be evaluated as support and maintenance of the equipment. The tapping of wind energy is normally and always a task that involves the use of wind turbines. The nature and specifications of wind turbines differs from one type to another with regards to scope of production, the location of the turbines, the standards verified, and the policies that control the production and installation of the same. In this research paper, the exploration of wind energy production is divided into various parts that answer specific questions related to production and sustainability of wind production with regards to wind turbines. The research takes a holistic review of how wind turbines were invented and what their original purpose besides the production of electricity was. On the other hand, the research focuses on the different uses of wind turbines and the margins of production that can be realized from within a grid or from a large scale production. From the disadvantages’ subsection of this research, it is observed that deaths in the line of duty in maintaining wind turbines are a common place. For uninsured personnel, injuries and deaths to engineers is an added cost of maintenance to wind turbines.

California Travel and Authority Commission Assignment

California Travel and Authority Commission - Assignment Example The greatest challenge posed on the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) is global warming. Its effects on the natural environment are detrimental. For instance, it causes rising of sea level; migration of wild animals; and hurricanes. In spite of the present economic impact tourism has had on California, it faces significant adaptability challenges. Reason being, majority of the tourist attraction sites depend on the natural environment. Efforts meant to sustain the existing environmental condition are very expensive, and their implications are far reaching. A notable example, the United States Congress, has been tasked with the responsibility of protecting tourist sites for the upcoming generation. However, they have yet to establish what it means for the future and present use of large portions of land in the coastal regions and forests (Kahrl & Ronald-Holst, 2012). Next, tourism is regard as being the most taxed industry. This ranges from the airline tickets, accommodation, a nd charges for car hire. Consequently, tourists shifting to destinations that are more accommodating (5 Key Issues Facing Travel and Tourism, 2012). The tourism industries and DMO entirely depend on each other, in the event of challenges; the existence of both is negatively affected.   An elaborate way of administrating tourist destination is through the establishment of DMO. Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) plays a major role towards the success of the tourism sector. However, it also in charge of some other roles, namely: facilitate a broad understanding of the economic and societal dimension of demand and supply in the tourism sector; enable the growth and diversification of existing sectors of tourism. It will ensure increased competitive nature of this sector; develop a joint venture between the public and private participants within the tourism industry.

Education - learning Essay Example for Free

Education learning Essay Education is not only cognitive and intellectual learning, and learning of skills and work-related competences. It is much broader to include moral and ethical issues, values, attitudes, religion, spiritualism, art and more. It is, indeed, important to focus on this when education in schools and universities has become a large â€Å"industry† and when the world, instead of becoming more peaceful, seems to be more confrontational than before. The main reason behind this scenario, that I see, is that students are being taught and not trained and also the fact that teachers do not have any target for teaching instead they teach for the pay they get and sincerity with the profession is waning very fast. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM The educational system that I see should be one that suits all the citizens of the country. It should consider the cultural, ethical, moral, religious and economical norms of the society and should produce respectable and responsible citizens for the society as a whole and a dignified and confident person. |This point arises due to the fact that every country consists of multi-cultural and multi ethical societies with different religious and economic backgrounds. Thus the system should have contents that may not hurt the morals and values of any person and also produce effective results that can be calculated as per the prosperity of that particular society or country as a whole. PURPOSE OF EDUCATION The foundation of our work as educators is moral and ethical education. We must teach the right values and the right ways of analyzing issues. We must seek what is true and act accordingly. Part of that is to learn that we are all responsible for our own attitudes, decisions and actions. We must use education to foster equality between sexes, classes, people of different geographic areas, creeds, colors, cultures and religions. We must learn to understand the importance of solidarity among groups at home and across the borders in order to create peace, development and prosperity. Besides this we are also imparted with the responsibility of teaching science, commerce and arts subjects to the students using latest techniques, information and research to enable our students to prepare themselves to be a productive part of the society and compete with the world in the respective fields of their study. Major areas that a teacher may address are as follows: 1. To help students gain literacy: This is supposed to be the top most priority as if a student is literate he or she may mold in any society and get adapted to its culture and norms without losing its own. 2. To enable students to use and enjoy their learning experiences: Here a student gets in hand expertise to use what it learned during the schooling period to better their social and personal life in a given environment. 3. To teach students to believe and respect others, to contribute to the well-being of their community: A learned person better knows whom to respect and whom not too, who deserves to be valued and who does not, and gets bold enough to express its feelings in a dignified and respectful way in the society. He is able to distinguish between duties bestowed upon him by the community and tries to serve the community within available resources. 4. To give students the opportunity to learn how to inquire and discover new information: When a student learns through experimentation and reasoning he tries to use the same technique throughout his life and does not accepts all and sundry information without analyzing it. 5. To help students develop broader understandings of new information: This enables a student understand and characterize given information and then apply it in his daily life. 6. To help students develop the skills and values they will need to function in a free and just society: Last but not the least it makes sure that a student is made aware of the morals and values of religion and society and to act accordingly not hurting any ones feelings and making progress accordingly in the society individually and as a community as a whole. In the process of enabling the students to get all the above qualities they are supposed to be taught different subjects but should be encompassed under the umbrella of a just religion and that is Islam not because we live in the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan but due to the fact that Islam is the only religion that addresses to all the matters discussed with command and covers all the topics amicably, may it be the moral, cultural, and or ethical values or upbringing, or the contemporary studies of science, commerce and arts. Reference: 1. http://www. intime. uni. edu 2. www. nation. com. pk †º Columns.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION IN WORKPLACE

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION IN WORKPLACE Abstract Benefits and compensation in workplace has been on the lime light since pre-industrialization period. This is due to the oppression that their employees subjected to workers and they were fighting to ensure that they liberate themselves from these filthy working places as they benefit from their toil. Therefore, in the research, the background information will be discussed to show how it involved. Some of the benefits of compensation will be discussed that include boosting of morale, increasing performance, which consequently increases turnover of the business. Internal and external equity achieved and increase in communication. Components of the compensation system that include job description, job analysis, job evaluation, pay structure salary survey as well as the policy governing the compensation scheme will be discussed in detail to ensure that they are well understood. The research will also cover types of compensations and benefits. Such compensation and benefits as base pay, commission, overtime pay, stock option, bonuses, insurances, and medical allowances will be discussed in full giving insight on how they come about and their advantages. The research will also cover give regulation that affects compensation. Finally, for a company to understand the best method on how to come up with the compensation scheme for their employees, compensation plan will be comprehensively covered. This will involve step by step development of the scheme to ensure that the scheme caters for the employees at the best of the company ability and ensure also it conform with the current market salary for each job offered in the company. Benefits and compensation in Workplace Introduction Benefits and compensation in workplace offers a labor friendly condition to the workers to ensure that they give fully their potential. People during the pre-industrial era treated workplace and home place as one place, which change significantly with emergence of the machines and factory. Industrialization thus brought socioeconomic hierarchal that was accompanied with gender role stereotypes (Butler, Park, 2005). This means that men were the one who were able to access the paid jobs while the women worked at home. The quality of the family was affected very much by the socio-economic hierarchy that each family occupied. This is because the wealthy people were the one who drove the industrial demand of goods. During the time of war, the demand for the industrial workers improved as men mostly worked as military. Therefore, women were the other option to be recruited to work in men dominated careers in the industries. However like men, they were neither given enough economic rights nor able to access good work protection for their jobs. According to the industrial employment conditions that were reported in those early times, they showed that men and women received very low wages, succumbed long working hours and poor working conditions as they serve hazardous job places (Repa, 2010). They were also discriminated in terms of sex, race color and gender. Some of them reported sexual harassment. There was rampant child labor reported in the work place. Due to all these problems, laborers formed uprisings that were too used to address the issue of good payment, better working conditions as well as equal and fair treatment in the workplace. This fight got support from all the divides where religious and academicians supported them (Griffin, 2010). This led to formation of unions as well as cooperatives to help the workers acquire better benefits and compensation in the workplace (Rosenbloom, 2005). People behind cooperatives and independent communes were socialist Robert Owen and Charles Fourier in the eighteenth century. Owen advocated for short working hours, formation of unions and self-governing workshop while Fourier fought for equal women rights and good basic income. He also advocated decent minimum payment for the unemployed thus creating benefit for the unemployed. Child labor was abolished as they were forced to go to school and attending other recreation activities (Repa, 2010). These struggles lead to the formation of the International Labor organization (ILO) in 1919. The countries who signed this convention were on their way to promote their employees at workplace, bring about decent employment opportunities, strength dialogue between the employees and the employers as well as handling professionally work related issues. It also offered a platform that there would be possibility of forming labor groups, organizations and they have representative from sate government (Henderson, 1985). These ensured that consultation to come up with ideal working standards and policies were formed. Therefore, this was the birth of good benefits and compensation at the work place. Benefits and compensation in work place According to definition, compensation is an approach that is systematic to ensure that employees are provided with monetary value in exchange of the work performed. The purposes that the compensation is able to achieve include recruitment, job performance and job satisfaction (Muller, 2009). While benefits are a kind of compensation, that are given to employees in additional to what they get as wages and salaries. How compensation and benefits are used in workplace Compensation as a tool is used by the management to further their company existence through achievement of various purposes through its dispensation. It is usually adjusted to cater for various company needs, goals and available resources. Compensation in the company is used in the company to ensure that they recruit employees and retain those who are highly qualified. This ensures that the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s human resource is always competent to undertake the duties in accordance to the postulated goals and objectives of the company (Wilson, 2003). Compensation in the company works as a morale booster in the company as it maintains employeeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s satisfactions in their jobs ensuring that their productivity is increased. Therefore, through good compensation scheme, the business is able to increase its output with minimum resources possible thus making good returns (Thomason, et al. 2001). Compensation ensures that the top performers are also rewarded and the same high performance act is increased throughout the working period. When the company encourages high performance in the business, it increases high returns and due to reward offered to the high performing employees, labor turnover in the business is decreased (Repa, 2010). Through proper compensation, it is capable of achieving internal and external equity of the company. It increases company loyalty by its employees reducing labor turnover (Guerin, 2010). Therefore, when the company offers a good compensation scheme, it reduces its expenses that come from continuous recruitment due to high labor turnover as well as lower employeeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s loyalty. Good compensation ensures good work communication through proper modification of unionà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s practice that offers proper compensation negotiations (Wilson, 2003). This is very important in the company as it offers job satisfaction and increases high morale in the working place. Components of compensation systems For a compensation scheme to be perceived as affair one by the employees, it has to base itself in certain components that should be systematic. Therefore, various systems have been put in place to help develop the value of the compensation positions. In these systems, various components are utilized that include, job description, written procedures and salary ranges as well as structures (Peterson, et al. 1998). Job description This is one of the most important components in compensation and selection systems. It ensures that it gives in writing the requirements, responsibilities, duties, functions, location, environment, conditions among other jobs aspects (Repa, 2010). It usually developed for individual job descriptions or for the whole families of the jobs. The following two ways are used in the process of job description. Job analysis This is the process into which jobs are analyzed to ensure that description of job is brought about. The techniques usually used are questionnaires, interviews and observations (Griffin, 2010). Job evaluation To ensure that a proper compensation scheme is brought into place, the management uses this system where jobs element are put into consideration through comparison to ensure that compensation of each job is critically put in place (Griffin, 2010). The various techniques that are used in the job evaluation methods are ranking, classification, factor comparison and point methods. Through them each jobs is offered the right compensation that fits it. Pay structures To ensure that in an employment place there is a standard compensation practice; job structure should be put in place. In most of the structures that are put in place, they contain different grades that offer a minimum salary or wage. These structure =s provides also the interface that help in the increment of the salary from one grade to the other according to the given range (Griffin, 2010). This is more pronounced in the working place that has a unionized employees system where each job has predetermined pay, which is put in place through collective bargaining. Salary survey Salary survey is a method of collecting salary data from the market. The data collected includes, averages salaries in the market offered to a specific job, inflation indicators that may make the salary market unstable in the near future and an average salary budget. Either the survey can be conducted by the company themselves or they can be from other parties for example survey vendors who do survey of the market for sale. Therefore, the company can decide on the method to obtain these data (Turner, 2001). The best method of obtaining data is through the company carrying their own survey, as they will be more specific in the type of the data they are up to. Otherwise, if they opt to purchase survey from the vendors, the company must be very observant as these surveys are done depending with specific industries or across different industries. They may also be done from one geographical region or from diverse regions geographically. Therefore, to ensure that the company is capable of obtaining the right salary results, it has to ensure that it knows the right geographical region that pertains its salary survey and compare with its company objectives (Rosenbloom, 2005). Policies and regulations For a company to come up with a certain scheme of pay, it should ensure that it is conversant with rules and regulations that underlie the salaries and wages in the country. They should ensure that they comply with them to ensure that they offer good background for their company existence or otherwise it will be subdue d by the non-compliance consequences (Butler, Park, 2005). Types of compensation and benefits Various compensations offer incentives to the employees of the company. The first one is base pay. Base pay is a form of compensation that is fixed that an employee is offered after performing a specific job or after undertaking a certain responsibility. It is usually paid in as a monthly salary, hourly or as piece rate. This type of compensation does not include any additional pay. The other type of compensation is commission. This compensation is the one offered for service that have been rendered based on the amount of a percentage that has been agreed upon by both parties depending with the amount sold. This is usually an incentive given to sales people to ensure that their sales morale is increased as the more the sales, the higher the commission offered. Overtime pay is another compensation that is offered to the employees. After working four the normal working hours, overtime sometimes may be introduced to various reasons. First, one employee may have fallen sick and he/she has not been replaced; therefore creating a vacant shift that requires someone to work extra hours. The company might be in the transitional period of expanding their functioning time and the recruitment of extra employees is underway. Therefore, the created time is counted as overtime to the regular employees as they will be forced to work for extra hours (Griffin, 2010). The other way that overtime is created is when some of the employees are on leave. These hours are paid extra money on top of the normal salary to compensate the person undertaking the responsibility. Most of the overtimes are calculated with a given percentage over the base salary per hour worked after normal time. Employee stock option is a form of incentive that employees are offered by the corporation. This is through being given an offer to buy stock in the corporation at a bargained price. This bargained price is made to run at a specified period. Most of the companies will offer such incentives to their executives to ensure that they feel the ownership of the company. Other compensations that the employees are able to enjoy include bonuses, profit sharing, merit pay, travel, meal as well as housing allowance. Benefits including insurances, medical, vacation, leaves, retirement and taxes. Regulations affecting compensations Compensation is regulated through the laws that are given in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) chapter 676 of 1938. This is also known as Wages and Hour Bill. This is a U.S based federal law that establishes minimum requirements for an employees number of hours for working, wages, payroll and premium overtime records (Turner, 2001). Compensation plan To ensure that the compensation is well disbursed to the employees and all the factors that affect the compensation are put in place, compensation plan will be of paramount use. Therefore, the company should ensure that the following is done. Developing program outline A program should be put in place to set an objective for the program. The company should ensure that they establish the target dates for implementation and completion of the program. Then determine a budget for the program to ensure that the amount to be used is known. Designating individuals for overseeing compensation programs To come up with this position the company should ensure that they determine if the position will be based there permanently or temporarily. Afterwards, they select the person to oversee the program once it is completely established (Thomason, et al. 1998). The cost of going outside and getting one from the inside the company should be established. This will make sure that the most cost effective method is used. The other part that should be determined is the cost of consultants review. Developing compensation philosophy The company is required to form a compensation committee that is required to oversee the development of the scheme. This committee may include officers from the company depending with the number that will deliver a quick and quality compensation scheme. They are required to ensure that they offer differences that will exist in the pay structure depending with the level of the job. That is the executives, professional employees a swell as other employees in the company. This committee will ensure that they bring about company set salaries at, above or below market level. The final thing that the committee should determine is whether the extent to which the benefits to be offered to the employees will supplement or replace cash compensation. Conducting job analysis of all position Major departmental analysis should be conducted to ensure that general analysis is given showing who to accomplish what. To ensure that the committee comes up with the primary function of each department, inputs from each senior departmental head should be offered to ensure that organizational structure is formed (Thomason, et al. 1998). Interviews are to be conducted to the senior departmental heads to ensure that roles and function of each job is given to ensure that when rating the compensation such functions are considered. Decision should be generated on the job classification that will be exempt and the ones that will nonexempt (Griffin, 2010). After coming up with such classifications, job description methods are developed for both exempt and nonexempt positions. Afterwards, the models that have been put in place are distributed to the departmental head for reviewing where adjustment is done where necessary. After reviewing the models, final draft is therefore generated having jobs deceptions. At this stage, the committee is required to meet with departmental mangers to ensure that they finalize necessary reviews of the job description. From here, the job description document will be finalized. Jobs evaluation In evaluating the jobs, the ranking will be done from the top most senior job and in the interdepartmental stages depending with the function of each employee and other postulated factors. The ranking is then compared afterwards with the market data that was previously obtained to ensure that error deviations are suppressed. The deviations are suppressed through necessary adjustment. After verification is complete, an organizational review matrix is generated to show how compensation will be done. Still in the developing of the matrix, jobs cross lines, departments are developed based on the task required, and forecasted business plan. To ensure that the matrix is standard, the matrix data is then compared with the company structure and the industry market. Flow charts of the ranks for each department are prepared afterwards to ensure that interpretation and assessment is done. Data and charts prepared are then presented to the compensation committee where they are reviewed and adjus ted accordingly (Turner, 2001). Grade determination The number levels of each job are established and a grade assigned for all the job families. It is from here the pay grade is generated through use of the position at each particular level within the department. This is done to ensure that fair compensation and benefits are offered to employees in all the employment levels. Grade pricing and salary establishment The first thing that is supposed to be done is to establish the benchmark of the references job. This job will ensure that the compensation is disbursed well throughout the established grades (Irving, 2011). This benchmark job price should be reviewed to conform to the market price within industry. Finally, a trend is established depending with the company philosophy. That is the position that the company requires to be in the industry range. Appropriate salary structure determination Through this, the difference is made between each salary step. Minimum and maximum range is determined and the remaining jobs slotted in. Jobs description is reviewed at this stage while verifying the purpose of maintaining certain positions in the company (Thomason, et al. 1998). To ensure that policies are well generated, compensation review committee is met to ensure that adjustments and approval are made. Developing salary administration policy General company policy document is generated at this stage. This is followed with a document showing specific policies for each selected groups and a strategy for merit document. The merit document will show all the benefits that will be enjoyed by the employees as well as pay increases. This includes annual reviews, bonuses, and promotions among others. A document is also generated showing the procedures required and justification of the policies given like performance appraisal forms, merit schedules among others. Then the relevant committee does reviews finally for adjustment. Communicate the final program to the employee and managers After the approval of the program by the top executives, the compensation program is then presented to the employees for feedback, review and consequently adjustments. Then it is presented to the executive staff managers for approval, change and incorporation of all necessary measures to ensure that it is effective before being adopted (Turner, 2001). A plan on how this will be communicated to the employees is devised to ensure that they are well versed with the whole idea. Slideshows, movies, literatures among others can be used depending with the most appropriate method. The best form of the compensation and benefit plan is printed as specification for all re-ports are developed. Tests runs are executed to human resources information systems as the program is adopted for execution. Program monitoring To ensure3 that the program is up to the required standard, feedback should be monitored where they will lead to necessary changes. Monitoring will also offer ways in which problems in the program are noted and adjusted wherever necessary (Butler, Park, 2005). Conclusion Good benefits and compensation program will always make the employees of the company to feel company ownership. Their production will always be at per and will ensure the company objective and goals are always met. This is because, a company may have good objectives but the driving force to meet them is through human resource. Therefore, whenever the human resource is satisfied, the company will always address their issue and meet their basic objectives. This is through offering incentives to the employees through good benefit and compensation practice. The higher the job satisfaction in the company, the higher the morale in the job and the higher the production rate in the company thus increasing sales turnover.

The Great Gatsby | The American Dream

The Great Gatsby | The American Dream Compare and Contrast The Great Gatsby with the American Dream. Discuss how Gatsbys extravagances compare to the American Dreams ideals. There is no strict definition of the American Dream though early in the twentieth century and in many ways still today it has become the term which describes an inherent faith in the promise of the new world. As a country, America has no far stretching history to forge and enrich its culture. Instead a nations character was flavoured with hopes and anticipation of the future, of a better life of more opportunity and purpose. People fledged to the Americas to start afresh, to experience modern luxuries and new technology. To become a part of the rat race and exploit the age of capitalism and materialism overall to become rich through ones own means. To realise the great American Dream therefore was an extension of Benjamin Franklins maxim of the perfectibility of man. Franklin was a great emblem of American ideology and a founder of much of its deepest held attitudes and beliefs. Franklin was one of the first self-confessed entrepreneurs and his many written works became great incentives for Americans to become pro-active and to try and be the best one could be. He founded his ideas on the prevailing optimism that with the right motivation and activity anyone could become a solvent, well-respected individual. Perhaps no time in Americas history quite demonstrated the peoples obsessive preoccupation with the American dream than the 1920s. In the post-war period, it became an incredibly affluent country, rapidly industrialising and developing the quality of life. It became a time when gross extravagances were commonplace. The American president Herbert Hoover said in 1925 We will root out poverty and put two cars in every garage. On the surface of it, the nation was thriving with its own successes. People were elated by the possibility of continued happiness through material wealth. However, this atmosphere of striving relentlessly towards the future in the promise of rewards had a bitter flipside. Many authors found the new attitude of American people overly conceited. This idea in particular is explored in metaphor in many of Herman Melvilles works together with Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, but demonstrably so in the novels of Evelyn Waugh, J.D. Salinger and of course, F. Scott Fitzgerald. These authors tried to show that the people of America were changing becoming superficial and self-consumed and misconstruing happiness as wealth and materialism. On the face of it, Fitzgeralds wonderful creation of Jay Gatsby appears a champion of the then climate of profligacy and carefree living. He has as many beautiful shirts to make Daisy swoon and not two motor cars as Hoover would advise, but five. From his mansion in West Egg he holds wild parties every night mixing in the highest social circles. But the grand irony is that of all the characters in the book, Gatsby is perhaps the least inspired or objectively absorbed by the lifestyle he defines. And it is also perhaps precisely this reason that Gatsby is also the most likely to win our affections. As Nick points out he has an exceptional quality that separates him from typical Americans much less than exemplifies them: If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life,an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again. Gatsbys gift for hope which Nick talks about certainly seems true of Franklins vision but there is a crucial contrast with the American dreams personality of hopefulness and Gatsbys personality and it is this: while Franklin advocated the importance of the individual, the hopefulness that one might successfully improve ones own self and ones own means, Gatsbys greatest hope is to find Daisy and rekindle her love for him. We are endeared to Gatsby because he is the only character who quite clearly values human affection above wealth and recreation. He unlike any of the other characters has a firm belief in the good of humanity. In this way he is set in stark contrast with the narrator Nick who seems a born cynic, passive, sardonic and judgemental of other people though he claims otherwise. Jordans half-baked advances fail to woo him; indeed he seems genuinely disenchanted by the possibility of a loving relationship and finds friendship only in Gatsby. For Nick, Gatsby must seem the only warm, good hearted human being in New York and yet even so, the previous quote shows he is quick to qualify this questioning whether personality is a true reflection of a person or indeed an unbroken series of successful gestures a comment which suggests Nick is hung up by the idea that all human interaction is a faade or an act rather than a true reflection of real feelings. Nick has a severely disillusioned view of 1920s socialite America yet his pessimism is invariably astute proving to be sound by the end of the novel. It is by contrast Gatsbys irrepressible optimism and his rose-tinted sentimental view of the world that is revealed to be mistaken. So The Great Gatsby is a novel which sees a character try and exploit the American Dream to win the love of a woman. Fitzgerald tells us that Gatsby was overwhelmingly aware of the youth and mystery that wealth imprisons and preserves, of the freshness of many clothes and of Daisy, gleaming like silver, safe and proud above the hot struggles of the poor it is this misconstrued impression of wealth as a timeless vessel of hope, as the preserver rather than the destroyer of mystery, which brings about his downfall. In this sense Gatsbys end is not reflective of his means his real end is finding love, his means is to buy it with displays of grandeur and extreme wealth. But such affection by definition cannot be real love and Daisy subsequently cannot give herself over to him with the intensity of feeling he had hoped for. Fitzgeralds novel is saturated in themes of illusion, and deception. The great swathes of noveau riche self-made Americans, success stories of the great American dream, are undermined by a superficiality and emptiness. The characters have founded their wealthy, though vacuously glamorous life-styles by capitalising on an identity which is bereft of morals. Mr. Gatsby himself has become incredibly rich in a short space of time because he absolves himself of moral responsibility and trades in the trafficking of alcohol. And yet his wealth breeds distrust and intolerance, his magnificent parties attract only insincere people who exploit his generosity. Similarly Tom Buchanan cannot count on the fidelity of his wife Daisy because he makes no effort to make sure of his own. In a climate of greed, relationships are no longer based on trust or affection but self-interest. The false, self-fulfilling nature of the relationships forged in the novel is made painfully clear for Nick who notices that only three people turn up to Gatsbys funeral a genuine surprise given his perceived popularity. It is this sense of hypocrisy and discovery of relationships which are feigned through mutual advantage rather than real emotion that brings about Nicks gloomy disillusionment with 1920s society and his realisation that he will never meet anyone who shares Gatsbys sentimentality. Gatsby, the iconic hero of the American Dream, uses it simply as a means to a very different end. He avoids social interaction at his parties, skulking in the inner chambers of his house and his great displays of wealth give him no more pleasure than in their perceived potential to bring Daisy back to him. Gatsby is only dubiously Great. He is flawed because he tries to find belonging in a society bereft of the most fundamental human morals like trust and fidelity. In an idealistic society governed by a striving impetus towards the acquisition of wealth and power, moral fibre begins to break down The impact of the great American dream has only a physical, external effect on Gatsby whereas it has shaped the very consciousnesses of the other characters Tom and Daisy Buchanan, Jordan, Myrtle and Gatsbys corrupt work colleagues all display a fickle self-serving hedonism that echoes the then climate of quick-living, profligacy much more than Gatsbys meticulously planned, romantic endeavour to win back Daisys heart and his nostalgia upon reflections of the past. Gatsby is in reality then, far removed from 1920s American lifestyle, he has simply become extremely good at mimicking its symptoms. It seems then that Gatsby is both the champion and the antithesis of the American Dream. Gatsby invites the glowing optimism of the American Dream to appease his anxiety to earn the love of Daisy. By surrendering to the ideals of a forward-looking, hopeful American life he somehow convinces himself that the unlikely is a very real possibility. However, Gatsbys grand scheme is doomed because wealth and social standing are not qualities which he cares to evince they will not earn him a membership in Americas great society. Gatsby is quite clearly inspired by Franklins autobiography. In chapter 9 Nick discovers a treasured old book of Gatsbys which shares the same assiduous attention to routine and self-discipline in the form of daily schedules. Gatsby buys into Franklins ideals of self-improvement, resolving to practice elocution, poise and how to attain it; read one improving book or magazine per week; and be better to parents.  Such an empty list of instructions towards self-help are listed here with comical irony. What indeed can such qualities give Gatsby that will make him any more accomplished in finding love? Gatsbys great delusion and one of Fitzgeralds most important messages is that the acquisition of material successes does not naturally enrich a person or society spiritually or emotionally. This is played out in Gatsbys attempts at courting Daisy he tries to woo her with his shirts rather than more heartfelt displays of real affection and yet surprisingly the scrolls and plaids in coral and apple green and lavender and faint orange win him just the response he hopes for it makes me sad because Ive never seen such beautiful shirts before. Again the moment is half comical. Throughout the novel Fitzgeralds characters are most genuinely stirred to emotion or touched by the mundane, by materials, extravagances or assortments of fancy shirts. Fitzgeralds America often appears so superficial as to be funny. For instance, characters like Tom and Myrtle are two-dimensional and self-motivated to point of seeming unrealistic, but it is such cartoon-like, narrative extremes that allows Fitzgerald to make his most crucial point which is the severe loss of what are perhaps the real, spiritual qualities of human life in all the excesses of self-seeking capitalism. In the relentless race towards modernisation, traditions, heartfelt beliefs and the spiritual side of human culture is lost in a dead expanse; a valley of ashes. All the while Fitzgerald uses symbolism to represent this decay, like T.S. Eliot in The Wastelands, old fashioned values are lost in an atmosphere of moral corruption , of the tacky and kitsch. Quite wonderfully even God himself has become redundant in Fitzgeralds America, replaced by the watchful eyes of Dr. Eckleburg a huge billboard and the pinnacle of commercialism and spiritual dissemblance. An even more prevalent symbolic theme in the novel is the intensity of heat. Fitzgeralds emphasis on the sun and dazzling brightness is exceptional. It makes up a huge contingent of the narration setting scenes and on many occasions dictating the flow of events. Heat is used much as Camus uses glaring light to imply the burden of truth in Letranger or Shakespeare uses a storm to echo the madness and moral corruption of Lears world. In The Great Gatsby it intensifies the growing discomfort of the characters landscapes. The falseness of the world they inhabit becomes a harsh and oppressive glasshouse, melting well-meaning facades. Heat and sunlight become more and more an aspect of the storyline in the novel climaxing on the day of Gatsbys denouement; the next day was broiling, almost the last, certainly the warmest day of the summer. At the characters final group meeting in the restaurant, the sweltering heat amplifies the feelings of resent and bitterness behind their interactions. Sunlight might then be seen as Fitzgeralds way of projecting natures grip on a humans actions and the impossibility of defying the spirit of the world around you. Perhaps the most crucial distinction between Gatsby and the ideal of the American dream is a temporal one. The American Dream is built upon the anticipation of a more modern, more advanced future. Gatsby does await the future with baited breath but only in the futile expectation that it will one day recreate his memory of the past. Indeed Gatsby lives entirely in the past clinging to the nostalgia of his youth. That he might relive an exquisite moment of love which he still cherishes between himself and Daisy becomes his one motivating objective. But as Nick astutely points out, human elation is invariably short-lived and cannot be recaptured and critically Gatsby misconceives what is possible in Franklins vision of the present. Franklin did not embrace the wonder of the past, or treasure the history of human emotion life was rather a progression continually in flux. It is no surprise that Gatsby is piqued by Nicks refutation of his dream Cant repeat the past? he cried incredulously. Why of course you can! Gatsby clings to the traditions of history. It is implied by his position in West Egg as opposed to East as indeed the Eastern fringe of America was then considered to be the seat of its prosperity and the Western frontier the links to its older heritage. Real evidence of Gatsbys devotion to a dissolving past is his well stocked library, filled with books, which surprise his guests at being Absolutely real have real pages and everything and not made from nice durable cardboard. Books have become empty non-durable objects to the guests at Gatsbys parties, just like themselves who are soulless, lacking content of character, or the oranges and lemons which leave Gatsbys parties via the backdoor in a pyramid of pulpless halves. But Gatsbys reminiscent, uniquely mysterious disposition is best expressed in Nicks fleeting impressions of him: Through all he said, even through his appalling sentimentality, I was reminded of something an elusive rhythm, a fragment of lost words, that I had heard somewhere a long time ago. Nicks language is characteristically vague and whimsically unsure of itself an elusive rhythm, a fragment of lost words, what part of Gatsbys appalling sentimentality he is referring to is an intangible and incomprehensible thing. And that is the point, Gatsbys sentimentality has no solid meaning in the mundane rational of the present he is mysterious and abstract memory of something that is no more. The story of Gatsby is ultimately a tragic one because he cannot bend the careless frivolity of the society around him to the romantic solemnity of his intentions. Affection is an impotent virtue in a fickle misunderstanding world. And the past cannot be brought home to the characters of a social climate which cares only for the future: Oh, you want too much! she cried to Gatsby, I love you nowisnt that enough? I cant help whats past. I did love him oncebut I loved you too. Daisy cannot reconcile Gatsbys need to recapture what is gone. The love Daisys confesses she bears for Gatsby is different forged in the present in her awe of his wealth. Unlike Gatsby, she severs the experiences of the past as moments which are lost forever and have no tangible bearing on the future. Daisy and Toms dilution of guilt, and thoughtless fleeing at the end of the novel is the true psyche of the American dream the self-centred belief that one lives in the present and what has happened in the past is irrelevant They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. Gatsby is great because he is unlike the dirty pretty things of modern America. He is simply doomed in the world he finds himself upon because his great longing for real human feeling cannot be reconciled with the real social longing for wealth and status. The Great Gatsby does explore the effect of the American dream upon a national consciousness but with the implication that it is rather a pipe-dream or an empty sentiment. Gatsbys obsession with the green lantern glowing promisingly at the bottom of Daisys garden inspires him with hopes of acquiring her love. But the green light plainly represents the great torch of the Statue of Liberty that greets voyagers off the ships In Manhattans harbour filled with hope and inspired by the promises of America. And the Stature of Liberty in turn is an emblem of freedom and truth the once treasured principles of an American identity. Fitzgeralds novel discounts these principles with this rather touching metaphor: Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no matter tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further And one fine morning And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. The language is fragmentary because new optimism inspires another thought before the futility of the present becomes a reality. And this language, jumping interminably ahead of itself is indeed Fitzgeralds view of the American character: in the rush to produce a rich and extensive character and history for itself, America lost a lot of the clarity which comes from a slower progression. It became in many respects a nation based entirely on ideologies of hope and optimism and the promise of self-development. But while a nation was wrapped up in these exciting prospects writers such as Fitzgerald pealed back the veil and revealed the inconsistencies in an outlook of liberty tainted by the constraints of greed, capitalism and materialism. Bibliography Fitzgerald, F, Scott, The Great Gatsby, 1989, Penguin, London.

The Korean War: A Turning Point in Canadian History Essay -- Canada Wo

The land of the morning calm, this was what Korea was called many years ago. Unfortunately, circumstances have changed. Korea is now no longer a single country but has been split into two parts; North Korea and South Korea. Korea had been united as one country for many years. Japan took control of Korea and made it part of its empire. After World War II, Japan was defeated and its empire fell. Korea was left without a leader or a system of government. This provoked the United States troops to occupy the southern half and Soviet troops to occupy the northern half. The United States and its allies favored democratic government, while the Soviet Union and China favored a communist system of government. June 25, 1950 marked the day in which fighting between the North Koreans and South Koreans started. 135,000 North Korean troops crossed the border into South Korea while others attacked by sea. In several hours North Korea had successfully detained the South Korean city of Kaesong and in the next couple hours South Korea’s capital, Seoul, was under attack. Things were not looking good for Korea. The war in Korea is often referred to as the â€Å"Forgotten War† because it is not mentioned often and is often argued that it was meaningless and unnecessary. The Korean War was significant to shaping Canada’s military and foreign politics though. It has shaped us into a peaceful nation with concerns for the well being of people in foreign countries. The way we engage in future conflicts was changed as well. Canada would no longer get involved as a British colony or single country, but rather under the United Nations. We exhibited ourselves as leaders and role models. In the Korean War Canada asserts itself as a world power but under th... ...ociation of Canada Inc. http:// www.kvacanada.com/canadians_in_the_korean_war.htm (15 Nov. 2010) â€Å"Canadians in Korea, 1950 – 1953.† Veterans Affairs Canada. 20 October 2008. Canada. http://www.korean-war.com/canada.html (21 Nov. 2010) â€Å"Chronology of the Canadian Advance in Korea.† Veterans Affairs Canada. 15 June 2008. Canada. http://www.vacacc.gc.ca/REMEMBERS/ sub.cfm?source=history/KoreaWar/chronology (23 Nov. 2010) â€Å"Facts on Canada’s Involvement in the Korean War.† Veterans Affairs Canada. 21 October 1999. Canada. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/ youth/sub.cfm?source=teach_resources/korfact (20 Nov. 2010) â€Å"The Response – The Canadian Contribution.† Native Soldiers – Foreign Battlefields. 30 June 2005. Veterans Affairs Canada. http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/ remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/other/native/korea_response (20 Nov. 2010)

Tony Earley :: essays research papers

Memory and Imagination within Human Experience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tony Earley delves into his own memories in his book, Somehow Form a Family. In the introduction, he instructs the reader on the purpose of narrative form, defines a personal essay, and reveals the true nature of creative nonfiction. In the ten essays that follow, he provides sketches of the events and people who shaped his life. Earley focuses on a different bit of common ground in each story, giving his readers everything they need to know within a relatively short span of pages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The uses of discernable facts, such as actual places, names, past events and past conversations, add elements of authenticity to Earley’s writings. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the name Bill Ledbetter, to the numerous shows he watched throughout his adolescence, Earley presents these facts to the reader in order to tether the woven script to a tangible source. He repeats these facts over and over within each story, reflecting again and again on personal memories. Memory and imagination, Earley states, â€Å"seem to me the same human property, known by different names.† Earley makes this important point as he reflects on the individual’s ability to perceive an event uniquely due to imagination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Miracles are not uncommon within Earley’s vivid memories. The imagination prevalent within his work reflects his own willingness to accept the supernatural into his reality. Earley relishes in his memories, now infused with the essence of his own imagination:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first time I attended the Episcopal Church in my hometown with a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  girlfriend, I was shocked by the complexity of the melodies the organist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  played, by the sheer, tuneful competence of the singing. Until then I don’t   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  think I knew it was possible to worship God in cadences and keys actually   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  indicated in a hymnal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the years since I left, Rock springs has added air-conditioning and a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sound system and a fellowship hall, but has changed little in one important   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  way: the congregation still sings out of green, dog-eared copies of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1940 Broadman Hymnal. Though I heard the songs in the Broadman sung   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  well only once a year, on Homecoming, the third Sunday in May, when   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the church overflowed with visitors and our musical shortcoming were   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  hidden inside a joyful noise, they have always been the songs I love best.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would be hard-pressed to recall even a single sentence from the hundreds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of sermons I heard growing up

A Memorable Event

Steps to Writing a Memorable Event Essay X Elliot Quimby Elliot Quimby has been a freelance writer, editor and proofreader since 2008. Quimby has written, edited and proofread grant proposals, press releases, cover letters, resumes and website content. Quimby earned a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and literature as well as linguistics at the University of Michigan. Quimby has contributed to a blog on Urbanministry. org. By Elliot Quimby, eHow Contributor The memorable event essay is a common assignment in writing classes and can also be part of a college application.The exercise helps you practice your writing and narration skills. The advantage to you as the writer is that you don't need to do a lot of research because you will write from experience. 1. Brainstorm * List memorable events worthy of your essay. These may include births and deaths of loved ones, rites of passage and turning points in your life. Sometimes something simple can be especially memorable, like going t o a concert or playing outside with your family. Begin several days before your essay is due, if possible.Choose from your list an event that is complex enough for the length of your essay. If you can't describe the event in detail, it may not have been very memorable. Choose an experience you don't mind sharing with your audience. 2. Identify Theme * Think about why your event was memorable. What about it was different from your daily routine? How did the event affect the rest of your life? Identify the main reason you remember this experience. This will be your theme. * Sponsored Links * Free GRE Practice Test Take our 20 minute practice test and get your results right away. www. estden. com 3. Outline * Create a general outline of what happened. Include details that relate to your theme. Remember to include an introduction and conclusion. Add any background information your reader needs to know to understand what happened and why it was important. If you get stuck, consider Willi am Strunk's suggested structure for a narrative of a historical event: â€Å"A. What led up to the event. B. Account of the event. C. What the event led up to. † Write * Write your first draft based on your outline. Create a separate paragraph for each major point in your outline.Concentrate on the content of your essay rather than grammar, spelling and mechanics. Remember to explain what you were thinking when your memorable event happened. Why did you react the way you did? What did or didn't you know about what was happening? Did you realize right away that this was something you would always remember? Use language that will help the reader feel the way you did. Edit * If possible, leave your essay alone for an hour or a day before beginning to edit. Read your essay as if someone else had written it. Does anything seem confusing?Did you clearly explain why your event was memorable? Are there details that do not support your theme? Sometimes you will need to re-write a para graph or more. You may need to delete unimportant paragraphs. Fix any grammatical, spelling or mechanical errors. Run a spell-check. Read through your essay several times before turning it in. If you can, get someone else to read it and give you feedback. Read more: Steps to Writing a Memorable Event Essay | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/way_5682169_steps-writing-memorable-event-essay. html#ixzz2Ooj9885U

Literacy in the Modern World

Literature In the Modern World When exploring what it means to read and write, it is easy to forget how valuable the knowledge of literacy is. People take for granted the fact that our whole world revolves around communication and that our main sources of communication are reading and writing. Whether I’ve realized it or not, involvement in reading and writing comes into play for all different scenarios. It is used for everyday tasks such as reading directions, writing a grocery list, interpretating an email, or checking Facebook.Through this I have noticed how much reading and writing I actually do. In effect, it plays a huge role in how I communicate with others as well. Since current perceptions on literacy are typically schoolwork related I want to begin to rethink what it actually means to read and write. I want to explore the different types of literacy that have shaped who I am and what perceptions I have of myself when it comes to the knowledge of literacy. Throughout high school I strictly thought of reading and writing as a school related burden.I always viewed it with a narrow mind set because the fun of reading and writing was always overshadowed by the amount of mandatory work I had. Therefore, I typically had a poor attitude and struggled when it came down to writing a paper. Papers such as argumentative, persuasive, and research were just a few of the different kinds I was required to do. When getting started, I always had a tough time coming up with topics sentences and a thesis statement. I generally knew what I wanted to say, but getting it out into words was the hard part.I also had a hard time with transitioning paragraphs and concluding my papers. Reiterating what I had said in my introduction was always difficult. This could be part of the reason writing for school never excited me. It wasn’t until college application time that I found a school related writing type that made me see that writing could be enjoyable. After writi ng essay after essay I noticed how fun this type of creative writing was. I really enjoyed the creativity that was required and how you could use stories and personal examples to get your point across.Creative writing broadened my way of thinking and for the first time ever I was proud of my own writing. Aside from my struggle with school writing, school reading was not as bad. The reading I did was not by choice but I usually ended up appreciating the things I had to read. From Newsweek articles to history books, I always seemed to learn something new. Also by studying different types of literature through English classes I was able to understand different writing styles and appreciate how they relate to different time periods.Some memorable readings that I enjoyed from school were Frankenstein, the Scarlett Letter, Pride and Prejudice, to Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby. All of theses books were so different and I learned something new from each one. Reading got difficult when it would drag on. Fortunately I always seem to get through them even when the reading is not the most interesting. For example, I had to really focus when reading, â€Å"Creating a world without Poverty† but after I got through it I appreciated the knowledge I now know and have found it to be really eye opening.I feel that school literacy through its ups and downs has really expanded my critical thinking level. Aside from the school related reading and writing, I find that my attitude towards literacy becomes more positive as the readings get more interesting. Reading and writing for fun is so different because there is no stress and there is no one to grade you on it. I encourage myself and others to read for fun and learn at the same time without all the pressure. Fun reads for me consist of fashion magazines or celebrity news articles. These are what interest me and can be read without all of the pressure.I also like being able to choose what books I would like to rea d. The Twilight series were fun books that I chose on my own and I could sit there and read without worrying about finishing it. My most recent book was called The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which again, I read for my own preference. I also enjoy reading when it comes to communicating though text messages, Facebook, twitter, or Gmail. On these Internet and technology sites I am constantly reading and writing but without stress. Therefore my approach on outside of school literacy is much more positive.Although it can be tedious and time consuming, literacy is important in the world we live in today. After exploring the various types of reading and writing. I have come to find that it is a much larger spectrum than just associating it with school related work. Without it, communication would be almost impossible. I have come to find that I have a lot more experience in reading and writing than I thought. I now, must work harder to hone my skills and become more experienced so that I have a limitless amount of knowledge for the future. My perception of my writing can only improve the more I do.

Liberty, Property, Security, and Resistance to Oppression Essay

In recent times, France has experienced monumental events that foreshadow quite a different future for France, and the beginning of a new revolutionary regime. Disorder and theft have unfortunately accompanied violent events and in response: the formation of the National Guard. The Guard is composed of professional soldiers, foreign mercenaries, merchant and shopkeepers’ sons, and sons of the most comfortable master workers and journeymen, and other â€Å"active† tax paying citizens of the middle class. With such an important role as to maintain order and law in France and to protect the Constitution, it is presumed that the Commander General of this Guard must be one whom is well versed in commanding a large force. I, Marquis de Lafayette, have this experience. Having been granted the position of Major General and forming close relations with General George Washington in the American Revolution, I performed to the best of my ability on the terms of no pay and as a volunteer. I received a formal recognition from the United States Congress for my services in the Rhode Island expedition, have gained much respect for my tactics in battle, and ensured the Revolution was all but won with my success in the Battle of Yorktown. As a key component in the success of the American Revolution and as a General in the French Army, I ask of you all to now grant me the position of Commander General of the National Guard of Paris. Furthermore, I ask for your support of an important piece of legislature, The Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen. This document sets forth â€Å"in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind [you] continually of [your] rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all,† (Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen). Do not let France devolve into anarchy, and let us continue to exercise our universal and natural rights for the benefit of and all and the future of France!

Fireweed Case Study Essay

Introduction Fireweed is a short story written by Skye Brannon about a special day in Baluta’s life. Baluta is an uneducated carpenter in U.S.A, and lives with his brother Jato and the brother’s wife Sama. Baluta has had a rough background, he was witness to his father and sisters death, and had to flee to America, from Libya from war and hate. Main Theme There are several themes in the story, such as, culture difference, racism and poverty, but all these, are sub-themes. The overall main theme of this short story must be to cherish the present, and take nothing for granted. The fact that Baluta saw his dad getting killed and his sister raped and killed, is a view into an absurd world of violence and hate, described without many feelings. â€Å"He saw his father, swinging from a tree, on a rope†[1], and â€Å"He saw little Alonso’s ten-year old body, limp, naked in the sun, being passed from one soldier to another, his pants mingling with the dust.†[2] This is a matter of course that he will never take anything for granted, because he has learned that he will never know when it’s going to stop. A more positive sign on the main them, of this short story, is that he is actually having a better life now, in America. And he won’t take that for granted even though, there are a lot of other people with muc h better conditions, like Tiffany. The way the story is structured Fireweed is written with a third person narrator who is omniscient. All the actions are seen from Baluta’s point of view. â€Å"Cold like Kpatawee Falls back home, Baluta thought. Yes, today would be a remembering day† page 9, line 9. In this quote it’s clear that the narrator is omniscient since he knows what Baluta thinks. The story is told in the past tense, except for the quotes which are in present. The short story is simple to read, because of the uncomplicated language that is being used. It also makes it easier to read when something in the text that catches your attention, like the dialogs between the two brothers, Baluta and Jato, because they speak with an African accent. â€Å"†Dese Americans,† Jato said, â€Å"if you tell dem your mandika name, dey look loke you’ve given dem a riddle†Ã¢â‚¬ .[3] The story also contains a few flashbacks which might get a bit confusing. It is not possible to figure out the story before the end, because a lot of important details are revealed that you won’t be able to guess. It keeps the author’s attention, and helps out to keep the story exciting and interesting. A Characterization of Baluta/Joel Baluta/Joel is a person that doesn’t seek conflicts or controversies with other people which you can see on page 9, line 17 â€Å"Baluta felt awful for this, but he had to work to get a car, and needed a car to get to work† and again at page 10 when Tiffany asks Baluta to smash down some dirt which in the theory isn’t his job, but he just says â€Å"Sure, miss† because he is a nice person. â€Å"Could you please smash down that pile of dirt?† Another example of Baluta trying to fit into the new society that he is in, is shown by him changing his name from Baluta to Joel, just so he won’t be a victim of racism. The fact that Baluta fled from Liberia to a country where he has all these opportunities, that U.S.A provides, makes him not take anything for granted, and I think that Skye Brannon took Tiffany into the story on purpose because she is the exact opposite of Baluta, a rich, white, lady. â€Å"†This has got to be fixed.† She looked at Baluta for confirmation. Baluta nodded, but saw nothing wrong. The cabinet was of beautiful hardwood.†[4] This quote helps to characterize both Baluta and Tiffany. The Setting The story is built up around three environments; the first one is in America, where Baluta lives with his brother and the sister in law. They live very poorly, with cold water in the shower and a car in bad condition, which they don’t have enough money to fix. â€Å"When he was several numbers away, he took his foot off the gas. He hoped he could glide to a stop in front of the correct house, otherwise, the Swiss Chevy would let out a loud squeal when he hit the brake.†[5] This quote shows that they have to take a lot of alternative methods in use, to make it through the day, like saving money on the car. The next environment is even poorer, we hear about his life in Libya. â€Å"When they would get back to their hut, a square in the shanty-town quilt shadowed by a mountain, Alonso would always tell Grandma Awa that Baluta had caught some fish.†[6] Even though Baluta lives in the lower economic class in the U.S, it’s still far better than what he would have obtained in Libya. The last environment is at Tiffany’s house, where Baluta has a job to do. She is a rich woman with a big house, big lawn, and apparently also big signs of prejudices against African people. â€Å"When he got out of the car, he noticed a frightened look on her face and that she clutched a phone in her hand†.[7]In this quote it is easy to see that, because she belongs to the upper-class, she feels that poorer people might only be here to steal. This is important because it proves the point of one of the story’s theme, racism.