Political Socialization Essay

Both my parents are independents; and I used to identify myself as independent. However, I believe school was the political socialization agent that has had the greatest impact in my judgments and decisions related to politics. This process began in my country, Venezuela, there I learned about world and Venezuelan history, patriotism, symbols, basic institutions and values of politics in school. I was always taught to stand for my principles and beliefs. Therefore, from seven to twelve grades I got involved with my schools’ Student Government Group. At that time, I was able to make a difference in issues related to students and staff interests; I also made a difference in the community by organizing conservationist campaigns, good neighbor activities, and beautification of our city projects, to mention some. Most of the time I felt that I was not bonded to any of the country’s political parties, but shortly after entering college I began to work and there were the opportunities for involvement within the system. Unfortunately, my country’s political situation started to deteriorate with the intended of a military take over. Later on, it was totally crushed with the actual Presidential election of the perpetrator, current President, Hugo Chaves. My trust and faith in a democracy were shattered until I decided to come to the US. Now, I appreciate and love this country very much for all the opportunities existing to me. I also feel that my opinions in American politics, ethics and other subjects are well-informed and once again school has marked and amplified them. On the other hand, I believe that a person’s knowledge of politics cannot simply come from their own personal experience or through the lessons learned from others directly. For instance, the mass media influences individuals by what they report and what they do not report; and it does not frequently discuss alternatives to the way society is fundamentally structured. In conclusion, I think much of the political knowledge people have comes from a combination of agents, for me in priority basis are: school, my values, and the mass media. I also think that my family has the least impact on me as political socialization agent because they were never inclined to any political party and this was not an important subject of discussion in my house.

An Assessment of the Impact of Mortgage and Non-Mortgage Loans

Toby Clark a senior financial analyst in MINTEL comments â€Å"There is a major need for financial education and for a drive to prompt borrowers to take a fresh look at their debts. Without a detailed understanding of exactly how much they owe and what rates they are paying, it is easy to see how the situation could spiral out of control†. This statement clearly highlights the position of the average British consumers as far as their mortgage and non-mortgage debts are concerned.It is observed by the report from MINTEL that the British consumers who have outstanding mortgage debts have a better control on the amount of their outstanding than the non-mortgage debt consumers. When the mortgage holders were asked to estimate the amount of the outstanding loan they could estimate the figure at ? 92,200 which matched with the estimation of ? 95,000 made by Bank of England and mortgage lenders. There are different purposes for which the consumers obtain mortgage and non-mortgage loa ns.The purposes also differ between different income earners. The high income earners borrow for paying a house, buying a second home or for paying the university or school fees of their children. Whereas the low income earners have totally different purposes of taking the loans like bringing up their children; paying their tax bills or meeting their regular commitments. Irrespective of the purpose for which the loans are taken the loans do have an impact on the financial soundness of the borrowers.On few occasions and for few consumers the loans become handy to take care of their financial struggle but in most of the cases the loans have had adverse impact only on the lives and finances of the consumers. Especially when the average consumer does not even know the extent of their debts the impact would be still worse. â€Å"Many debt problems are caused by poor decision making, with taking on more debt to pay back what debt you already have not always a wise move, according to the free and impartial debt advice organisation Debt Free Direct.† (Linkroll) In most of the cases the consumers get in to debt traps either due to poor decision making or not being accurately able to assess the impact the debts have on their financial capabilities and standing. This includes the decisions of debt consolidation. Quite often consumers think that debt consolidation is the best solution for solving their debt problems which will only aggravate the burden to the already debt trapped consumers. The loan burden on the borrowers is made to increase by the actions of the lenders also.Luring the customers in tot taking additional loans with the intention of just increasing their lending activities and without assessing the capabilities of the borrowers to pay back the loans often take the borrowers to a point of no return. â€Å"A number of Britons report that their debt problems are causing them difficulties in other areas of their life, according to a new study. In rese arch carried out by R3 – the Association of Business Recovery Professionals – one out of six consumers are said to be unable to manage with repayments on secured loans and credit cards†. (Loan Arrangers)With this background I intend to make an analytical study of the British Loan Market and its impact on the average British consumers. In the process I also intend to study the kinds of mortgage and non-mortgage loans available to the consumers in the UK. 1. 1 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES This study has among other things the following central objectives: 1. Studying the psychological and economical reasons for the British consumers getting in to the debt trap. 2. Analytical study of the impact of the various loans on the lives and financial wellbeing of the average consumers – including mortgage and non-mortgage loans.3. Studying the role of the banks and other lending institutions on extending the debt burden of the average British consumer 1. 2 RESEARCH QUESTIONS This study by undertaking a detailed research in the subject tries to find plausible answers for the following research questions: 1. What are the prime reasons that make the British consumers to get into the debt trap? 2. What are the major impacts that the mortgage and non-mortgage loans have on the lives of the average British consumers? 3. What are the different ways that an average British consumer can manage the debts effectively? 1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION In order to present a comprehensive paper I intend to divide the paper into the different chapters. While chapter 1 introduces the subject matter of the study to the readers along with stating the research objectives and questions, chapter 2 makes a detailed review of the available literature on the subject of the impact of debts on the British consumer. Chapter 3 makes a detailed presentation of the research methodology adopted by this study for conducting the research. In chapter 4 I have included the findings of t he research and a detailed discussion on the analysis of the findings.Concluding remarks recapitulating the issues discussed in the paper and few suggestions which will enable the British consumer to manage his debts are included in the chapter 5. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW CAPM, Bonds, Securities, Economics, Finance This chapter presents a detailed review of the available literature on the debt creation by the British consumers and the impact of such debt creation on the bond and securities market, on the finance and monetary policy and economic situation of the country apart from the life styles and financial status of the individual consumers. 2.1 IMPACT OF DEBT CREATION ON BOND AND SECURITIES MARKET: A latest report from Bloomberg. com says â€Å"European 10-year bond yields held near a three-month low as an Australian hedge fund filed for bankruptcy protection on losses related to a slump in U. S. home loans, prompting speculation global economic expansion will slow. † (Lukanyo Mnyanda, 2007) There has been a widespread skepticism about the future of the bond market because of the higher levels of failure in the sub prime mortgage repayments. This phenomenon has also been felt in the UK which is evident from the statement of the credit rating firm Standard & Poor.â€Å"Standard & Poor's said business conditions for securities firms are worse than in the second half of 1998 when trading revenue slumped 31 percent after Russia's debt default. Revenue from investment banking and trading could fall 47 percent in the final six months of this year, the ratings company said. † (Lukanyo Mnyanda, 2007) 2. 1. 1USE OF OPTIMIZING MODELS IN THE CONTEXT OF CONSUMER DEBT: On the basis of micro economic foundations there are certain models that analyse the likely economic consequences of structural changes in the economy.Though in general these models help the analysts to comment upon microeconomic foundations, sometimes these models are found inappropriat e for analyzing such consequences. â€Å"This is because their parameters are generally complicated functions of an economy’s technology, institutions and government policy, and the preferences of economic agents. Subsequent changes in any of these structural characteristics would mean that those parameters, and hence the relationships between key economic variables, would be expected to change. † (Bank of England)However the optimizing models enable the analysis of the deep structural relationship which is dependent upon the individual variables in relation to the economic shocks and their identification. The optimizing models â€Å"describe the intertemporal optimisation problems facing economic agents. They often try to capture the interactions between the different types of agent in the economy (consumers, firms, government, foreign sector), each of which is assumed to solve well-defined dynamic optimisation problems, subject to certain informational and technolog ical constraints.These models can be used to analyse how economic agents might optimally respond to various demand and supply shocks that have or might hit the economy, or to changes in the structure of the economy. Equally, they can be used to examine likely explanations for observed patterns of behaviour in the data. † (Bank of England) These models are useful in †¢ Modeling consumer behaviour including consumer spending †¢ Applications to financial markets †¢ Analysis of the labour market †¢ Analysis of the role of money One of such models being widely used is the CAPM which can provide useful insights into the reasons behind the financial market changes.However there is a serious limitation of this model is that it does not perform well in the empirical tests. 2. 2 IMPLICATION OF THE RISE ON THE HOUSEHOLD DEBT ON THE MONETARY POLICY: It is observed that the increase in the household debt in the UK over the last three decades was the result of the contin ued increase in the owner-occupied buildings and the number of mortgages created as a proportion of the total households. The rise in the prices till the time of the sub prime mortgage issue was also because of this increased private ownership of the houses.However it is interesting to note that the increase in the household debt didn’t have much impact on the consumption growth. This was due to the fact that the households were focused on the accumulation of financial assets during the recent past. â€Å"Finally, while it is possible that higher levels of debt may make household consumption more sensitive to interest rate changes, this may easily be offset simply by moderating these same changes. † (Stephen Nickell) While there was some contraction in the economies of US and Germany, the UK economy remained strong during the year 2001.There was a significant relaxation in the monetary policies of the country during this period and hence the UK economy witnessed an inc rease in the domestic demand though the situation was different with the world economy which was weak and was suffering a fall in investments. The increase in the domestic demand made the overall growth rate of the economy positive. However some of the economists were of the view that such a growth in the UK GDP as against the widespread recession in other developed countries was possible only at certain implied costs.For Example in an article in ‘The Observer’ dated 27th March 2005 Fred Harrison noted that â€Å"Encouraged by low interest rates, people went on a spending spree. They reduced savings and extracted equity from their homes to fuel a consumption boom† A similar view was expressed by Hamish McRae in his article in the ‘The Independent’ stated â€Å"What is, however, clear is that the credit-fuelled spending boom is, one way or another, coming to an end†. (The Independent dated 16th March 2005). Hence it was observed that booming co nsumption resulted in a rapid expansion of debt.Thus there has been a significant increase in the debt to income ratio which was a matter of serious concern to the analysts and the financial economists. In this context Philip Thornton made the following remark in the ‘The Independent’ issue dated 30th July 2003 â€Å"Britons piled on an all-time record amount of debt last month, triggering fears that consumers have embarked on an unsustainable borrowing binge that will end in a crash reminiscent of the early 1990s† 2. 2. 1 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INCOME, CONSUMPTION AND HOUSEHOLD DEBTS:Generally it is assumed that the macroeconomic policies of the UK government had resulted in a house price bubble coupled with a boom of the consumer spending. Thus the economy got missed out from the impact of the global recessionary trends. However Stephen Nickell argues that over the period 2000 to 2003 which was supposed to be the consumption boom the average quarterly consumption growth was only 0. 77 percent very similar to the average consumption rate of 0. 72 percent that was existed over the last twenty five years.The consumption rate was also below the average consumption rate in the previous period 0f 1996 to 1999. â€Å"From 1998 to the end of 2003, the proportion of post-tax income that was consumed was relatively flat, hardly evidence of a debt fuelled consumption boom. Nevertheless, mortgage equity withdrawal (MEW) plus unsecured credit growth rose from around 2% of post-tax household income in 1998 to over 10% in 2003. So there was indeed a significant rise in the rate of household debt accumulation from 1998 to 2003 despite the fact that the ratio of consumption to post-tax income remained stable throughout.† (Stephen Nickell) With this argument the author proceeds to state the majority of mortgage equity withdrawal leads to increased financial assets accumulation and not to increased consumption. Further it is also argued that there is a strong relationship between the aggregate secured debt accumulation and aggregate financial asset accumulation especially in a period of rapidly spiraling house prices. Similarly there is no strong relationship between the factors of aggregate consumption growth and debt accumulation. In that case the following will be the effect of the household debt on the monetary policy.2. 2. 2 HIGHER LEVELS OF DEBT AND MONETARY POLICY: May et al (2004) observed â€Å"In 1975, household debt was around 38% of household post-tax income. By 2004, this had risen to around 125%. Currently, over four-fifths of household debt is secured on property, ie. consists of mortgages, and around 95% of all household debt is held by mortgagors. † As already stated the important factor causing the rise in the household debt was the increase in the number of owner-occupied buildings and the proportion of the houses carrying a mortgage.Another factor that contributed the increase in secured debts is the ch ange in the mode of financing by leaving the front end loading of the repayment of mortgages. Such a method of financing has lead to higher loan to income ratios. It also resulted in higher mortgages relative to income. Based on these basic premise there are three arguments that can be support the view that the household debt is a predominant factor in the determination of the monetary policies. 1. The first argument is based on the concept that the there will be significant impact on the bahaviour of the economy due to shocks if there is a high level of household debts.As observed by Griffiths commission â€Å"Debt is a time-bomb which could be triggered by any number of shocks to the economy at any time† (The Griffiths’ Commission, 2005, Executive Summary). Though any adverse economic shock will have the impact on the employment and the consumption levels, higher levels of debts will make the conditions worse. â€Å"The excessive debt may still induce greater precau tionary saving and a larger drop in consumption. Overall, it is hard to tell whether higher debt levels will generate a significant additional cut back in consumption which cannot be modified by easier monetary policy†2. The second argument is based on the possibility that the there may be a cut in the consumption due to the sudden realization of the debtors about the real interest on the debts and their extent of exposure to the debts in spite of their efforts to reduce the level of debts. This will create severe macro economic problems leading to large scale adjustments in the monetary policies. However this argument is countered by indicating that the inexperience of the secured debt holders being young and there may be occasions that these people may behave in an irrational way to reduce the consumption.But such phenomenon can not be identified with a majority of debts. 3. The third argument was based on the fear that with more number of people the more will be the trouble when there is a collapse in the housing market. This fear has become true presently with housing boom bubble exploding. â€Å"If house prices fall by 30 or 40 per cent, more people with mortgages means more people in negative equity. Of course, the consequences of this depend to some extent on the behaviour of lenders.If the mortgage debt continues to be treated as secured, even though some is not, then debt service costs remain unchanged. So a lot will then depend on the collateral damage associated with the collapse in the housing market and what caused it in the first place. The issue is, if some disaster happens in the housing market, does the fact that more people have mortgages make the consequences very much worse? So much worse, indeed, that monetary policy should be used to discourage individuals from taking out mortgages. † 2. 3 DIFFICULTIES OF CONSUMERS BECAUSE OF DEBT CREATION – AN OVERVIEWAccording to a research conducted by R3 – the Association of Business Recovery Professionals one out of six consumers find it difficult to manage the repayment of their secured loans and credit card payments. â€Å"Of those struggling the most with their day-to-day finances, 21 per cent of respondents were reported to have encountered debt problems as a result of becoming ill, with a third (33 per cent) highlighting redundancy as the source of their monetary difficulties. † (Secured Loan News) Educational loans taken for higher studies form a major proportion of debts to be repaid by the 50 percent people in the age group of 18 – 24 years.The same is the case with one third of the people in the age group of 25 – 34 years still struggling to settle the loans taken for their educational purposes. A study carried out by Abbey in early 2007 showed that the British consumers had to pay ? 48. 7 billion by way of unexpected bills and charges over the previous year. On an average 79 percent of the British people have spent money on unbudgeted things and the average cost of such spending is estimated at ? 1375. Some of the issues identified with the debt creation in the UK are:? The personal lending figures stood at ? 1,318 billion as of July 2007 signifying that the British consumers are indebted on an average twice as the citizens of other European Countries. The people with serious debt management problem are estimated at 7 to 9 million Britons. ? A majority of the people have no savings or definite plans for savings to meet any unexpected future expenditure. A proportion of less than 50 percent of the people only have made adequate provisions for meeting the exigencies of a drop in their income level or other serious financial difficulties.? Some important statistics indicate that a substantial proportion of the population suffer from serious financial worries and resultant stress due to the increase of their debt burden. These statistics show that â€Å"74% of British couples find money the most diffi cult subject to talk about; 32% lie to their partners about how much they spend on credit cards; 35% are kept awake at night worrying about their finances†. ? According to the estimate from Bank of England around 50 percent of the people who have identified their debts as a serious burden on them belong to the lower income groups.It is the case with those people who live in the housing provided by the loca authorities are likely to live in debt burden at two times the average person has. ? Debts being burdensome on their own are also responsible for several other social problems and debt and these problems are interdependent on each other in terms of their cause and effect. Groups of people like those out of work, school dropouts, people from single parent families or unemployed parents are more likely to have serious debt management problems. 2. 4 REASONS FOR DEBT CREATION Consumers obtain loans for different purposes.Similarly people in different income groups and different strata of life opt for secured and unsecured loans for various purposes depending on their life styles and needs for different purposes. The main reasons cited for increase in the debts of the consumers is the increased availability of the loans, overspending and the desire to ‘buy instantly’ doing major purchases like purchase of cars or spending on a foreign vacation. The debt management problems of majority of the British consumers have arisen due to these and other reasons most of which are emotional spending.However why people get into serious debt problem is a very complicated question to find the answers there for. Though there are several factors responsible for leading the consumers to severe debt problems the following are some of the major causes that create a ‘debt trap’ for the British consumers: 2. 4. 1EASY AVAILABILITY OF DEBT: In recent years the economy of the country was doing extremely well resulting in lower rates of inflation, low inter est rates and low levels of unemployment.This economic buoyancy there had been an increased demand for the credit and the cost of such credit was low. The highly competitive financial services industry had been innovative to find many a number of products to suit the needs of various strata of people. â€Å"Today over 400 mainstream financial institutions compete fiercely to satisfy consumer demand. † (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach) In this background it can be said that the easy availability of credit was the main reason for the creation of more debts by the average consumer.2. 4. 2 DIFFERENT TACTICS OF THE LENDERS TO ATTRACT THE PEOPLE Although the banks do not explicitly solicit or lure the vulnerable people to sell their financial services products, the products themselves have been so designed in addition to the lending practices of the banks to target the vulnerable people. Such practices include â€Å"aggressive marketing; a lack of transparency in calculating the cos t of borrowing; undue care in lending and a lack of data-sharing. † (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach)Though it cannot be said that the banks and other lending institutions purposely target the vulnerable people â€Å"customers are often enticed into over-borrowing with disastrous consequences; research evidence suggests there is a strong correlation between serious indebtedness, drug and alcohol addictions and family breakdown. † (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach) This often leads to a situation where the vulnerable people stand the chances of more likely to get into serious debt problems. 2. 2. 3 LOW FINANCIAL CAPABILITIESIt is observed out of a poll conducted in the year 2004 that 33 percent of the people in the UK are not confident enough to handle money issues and only 30 percent of them even knew the basic interest calculations which forms the basis financial intelligence. If this is kind of financial knowledge that an average British consumer has then there is no doubt that such people may not be in a position to make sound financial decisions concerning their personal finances including availing of secured and unsecured loans.Such lack of financial knowledge will make them drown in serious financial struggle as a result of unmanageable debts they have contracted. 2. 4. 4 LACK OF SAVING CULTURE: The trend of today’s Britain is ‘buy now and pay later’ as against the traditional way of living of saving money to buy assets. This has seriously disturbed the saving habit of the people over the period of time. In the current scenario more than 50 percent of the British pensioners make a cut on their other needs to settle their annual fuel bills.The decline in the habit of saving is one of the main reasons for the increased debt problems. Unless the saving habit of the people change drastically the situation of debt problems is likely to grow into greater magnitude. 2. 4. 5 MATERIALISTIC ATTITUDE OF THE MODERN SOCIETY The attitude of the society towards borrowing and its effects on life has considerably changed over the last few decades. Credit is no more considered as dangerous as it was perceived once upon a time. Now it is considered as more neutral and beneficial to the society.With this change in the attitude people have become more materialistic to obtain loans to buy the things irrespective of the need for such things in their lives. This is evident from the buying habits of British consumers exhibited in the following section. In one of the surveys conducted by Abbey, the financial service provider, it is learnt that â€Å"Britons have spent more than ? 169 billion on items that they rarely, if at all, use. Overall the average consumer has paid out some ? 3,685 through unnecessary objects, which could consequently impact upon their ability to handle their day-to-day finances.† (Secured Loan News) The survey also revealed that half of all consumers own an expensive clothing item which they wear on ly occasionally and over 35 percent of them have unworn shoes. â€Å"However, women were reported to be driving pointless fashion spending. Some 58 per cent of females were said to have unused garments, with this figure falling to 45 per cent for footwear. Meanwhile, spending on such products accounted for 45 and 23 per cent respectively among men. † (Secured Loan News)Electronic items, computer game console or video cameras and cooking equipments, repeated purchase of fine china items, exercise equipments, beauty gadgets that are not frequently used are some of the other items on which the British consumers spend their money and create debts for themselves. â€Å"However, financial problems could be particularly increased for those 288,000 people who have bought a second home in Britain which they claim to make little use of, which as a result may see them to struggle to make secured loan repayments. † (Secured Loan News) 2. 5 LEVEL OF CONSUMER CREDITThere has been a steady growth in the consumer lending in the period during the 1990s to early 2000s. But the growth has been sluggish after the climb in the last decade. According to the statistics released by Datamonitor â€Å"unsecured Loans and borrowing via other forms of consumer credit fell by 4. 5 per cent over the course of last year (2006) to ? 207. 8 billion†. (Secured Loan News) Maya Imberg the financial service analyst from Datamonitor says â€Å"A weaker labour market, combined with high consumer debts and weakened consumer confidence, meant that consumers cut down considerably on spending and aimed to repay more of their debts over 2006.† The study also indicated that the debt outstanding for an average customer stood at ? 4,522 in Consumer credit debt for the year 2006, which is against the ? 4,510 recorded for the year 2005. This outstanding debt figure was corroborated by the statistics released by the financial charity Credit Action which estimated the debt due by an average Briton at ? 4,550 by way of debts obtained on unsecured personal loans, credit cards, overdrafts and other forms of borrowing. This amount was estimated as at the end of March 2007.Credit Action has compiled the following statistics on the UK personal debt as on 1st of September 2007 which is alarming: ? â€Å"Total UK personal debt at the end of July 2007 stood at ? 1,355bn. The growth rate increased to 10. 1% for the previous 12 months which equates to an increase of ? 117bn. ? Total secured lending on homes at the end of July 2007 stood at ? 1,140bn. This has increased 11. 0% in the last 12 months. ? Total consumer credit lending to individuals in July 2007 was ? 214bn. This has increased 5. 3% in the last 12 months.? Total lending in July 2007 grew by ? 10. 3bn. Secured lending grew by ? 9. 2bn in the month. Consumer credit lending grew by ? 1. 1bn. ? Average household debt in the UK is ? 8,856 (excluding mortgages). This figure increases to ? 20,600 if the average is based on the number of households who actually have some form of unsecured loan. ? Average household debt in the UK is ? 56,000 (including mortgages). ? Average owed by every UK adult is ? 28,550 (including mortgages). This grew by ? 210 last month. ? Average outstanding mortgage for the 11.8m households who currently have mortgages is ? 96,560 ? Average interest paid by each household on their total debt is approximately ? 3,700 each year (this equates to 9% of take home pay). ? Average consumer borrowing via credit cards, motor and retail finance deals, overdrafts and unsecured personal loans has risen to ? 4,515 per average UK adult at the end of July 2007. ? Britain's personal debt is increasing by ? 1 million every 4 minutes. † (Credit Action) A pictorial representation of the growth in the UK personal debt is depicted below

How Edgar Allan Poe’s Writings Illuminate His Upbringing Essay

My thesis statement is that Edgar Allan Poe’s writings illuminate his upbringing. His writings illuminate his upbringing because his childhood was very hard, full of darkness, and he never experienced love from a parent. Therefore he thought the world was like his life was, dark and dreary. So that is why his stories are always sad, and full of heartbreak. The writings by Edgar Alan Poe are for the most part sad, dark, dreary, and mysterious, they are just like how his life was. After the age of two Poe never had real parents only people who looked after him after his parents died. He didn’t know if his home was only temporary or if it was for good, for all he knew the people he was living with could kick him out of their house and stop supporting him. He lived his life day by day not knowing what the next day would bring or if he would have a house to live in the next day. His future was never certain, he didn’t have anything in life to look forward to, and he didn’t know where his life was leading him. Just like in his book â€Å"The Cask Of Amontillado† where Montressor leads Fortunato down a dark set of circling stairs, and Fortunato doesn’t know that Montressor is leading him to his future which is his death. That is like Poe’s life because Poe doesn’t know where his live is heading just like Fortunato doesn’t know where he is going walking those dark stairs. Everything in Poe’s future is dark and dreary, not clear as to what is going to be next for him. When Poe was younger he went to the English and Classical School which the sons of upper class families attended. Since Poe came from a relatively poor family, he didn’t feel like he fit in very well. He felt like an outcast, even though he was most likely smarter than most of the other kids he wasn’t brought up the same way. That is the same theme as in another book he wrote called â€Å"Great Expectations†, where the main character, Pip, goes through the same problems that Poe did. Pip’s parents died when he was very young and he was relatively poor. He got a job working with a very rich lady who had a daughter Pip’s age. Pip fell in love with her but he felt different because they were on two totally different social levels. Pip was poor and the lady he worked for was very rich. Also the house that Pip worked in was very dreary, and the curtains were always closed and no light was allowed in the  house except for candles. So that gives the impr ession of sadness and that is just how Poe felt like in his life. Edgar Allan Poe never got any breaks in his lifetime, everything he got he worked very hard for. Since he never got any breaks in his life he never took anything for granted, that is why his writings were always so successful. He put a lot of time and effort into his writings, and they were similar to his own life. Also, since he always had to work for everything he wanted once he was able to write a book he worked even harder so he wouldn’t lose what he had earned, and that is why his writings are still talked about today. That concludes my thesis paper, all of those proof paragraphs prove that Edgar Allan Poe’s writings illuminate his upbringing. Now that I have done research on Poe I understand why his writings are the way they are, and I think that he is probably one of the best writers ever because of everything he overcame to become a writer.

Geographical Transformation of the Caribbean Islands Assignment

Geographical Transformation of the Caribbean Islands - Assignment Example Prior to the introduction of the Spanish our culture had been relatively insular. This is not to say that we did not trade with neighboring cultures and tribes; however, the drive to settle and explore for distant lands, even if we knew they existed, was not part of our cultural legacy. I would say there were many reasons for this; however, the primary cultural reason was due to the fact that our culture had derived from a group of individuals that were keenly aware of the unique demographics constraints that island lifestyle exhibited. Rather than being able to simply expand and colonize a new area, the Caribbean island ecosystem had taught our people how to manage the resources we had, supplement the ones we did not, and seek to find a way to supply the needs of our people without having to expand outwards. This is not to say that wars did not exist. There were numerous examples within our recent history when neighboring chiefs and tribal leaders coveted the position, riches, or sl aves that another neighboring group possessed. As a rsult, these battles were fought in much the same way that the Spanish fought to take control of our way of life, women, riches, and future. It was in October of 1492 that I became acquainted with what would spell the end of our civilization; although at that time, the ominous nature of the encounter was overcast by the sheer curiosity and fear that many of my tribesmen exhibited. What I first saw was a group of hairy-faced, colorful, and shiny men that I took for a type of embodiment of a god; or at the very least demigods. These men strode upon the sand and the thin thatch that covered the interior of the island with a heavy stride that set them apart from any man I had ever seen. I soon learned that the reason for their heavy and seemingly uncertain steps was due to the fact that they had been at sea, on board ships, for a long period of time. Accordingly, their ability to quickly acclimate to the sandy soil of Mamana was severe ly hampered. Although the fear soon gave way to curiosity, there was also a sense of foreboding that is now all too clear with respect to how the tribesmen viewed the Spanish. Upon coming ashore and making contact with the tribes chief and spiritual leaders, the Spanish wasted no time in seeking to find if there was anything that our people could offer them that would profit them. By standards of our culture, it was not common to greet a stranger and immediately make inquiries as to his overall wealth and a firm account of the things he possesses. For this reason, many of our tribesmen became wary of the way that the Spanish behaved and fearful of what type of intentions they harbored with respect to our lands and to our people. Now ten years later, I have grown to resent the way that the Spanish govern our culture. True, their technology has rapidly changed the way we lived; however, it has not improved the overall quality of our lives. Moreover, the effects of their conquest have meant that our culture, our religion, and our language is becoming more and more diminished each and every day that passes. For many reasons this troubles me. However, the single largest concern I have with respect to this is the fact that my children and their children’s children will grow up in a world that does not even resemble the one

China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

China - Essay Example Moreover, he also believed that everything in nature has two sides and that opposite sides complement each other i.e. the dialectical nature of things (Hansen, 2000). Therefore, Laozi emphasized on the fact that emptiness or nothingness is not emptiness or nothingness, but complements certain objects. Zhuangzi further emphasized on the issue of dialectic ism that was recognized by Laozi. He recognizes the nature as a movement, which has a different phenomenon in the world that is derived from and manifestations of nature (Hansen, 2000). In addition, Zhuangzi can be described as a renowned philosopher who praised human ambition, as well as imagination, which facilitated everyday thinking in order to understand how things interact in nature. Zhuangzi influenced the development of Daoism by emphasizing further on Laozi’s position on dialectic ism. By doing so, he introduced a new notion of self-transformation as the key precept in the Taoist process (Hansen, 2000). He also stated that it is essential to transcend all the dualities of existence. According to him, the way nature worked and reconciled the opposite sides showed how the Tao dualities were resolved in unity. On the other hand, Laozi influenced the development of Daoism by advocating for humility in leadership. He also promoted the development of anti-authoritarian movements that stressed on giving power to the weak (Hansen,

Benefits of a Private School Education Research Paper

Benefits of a Private School Education - Research Paper Example According to the research paper "Benefits of a Private School Education" findings, many public schools which are located in affluent areas can be just as focused and just as well funded as private schools; it is in the urban areas where the most differences can be seen. Private schools also generally have fewer incidences of drugs, dropouts, and violence, most possibly due to the increased level of commitment of parents who send their children to private schools to have every advantage. Private schools have far fewer disciplinary issues to contend with, and the number play a very significant role. With fewer students, there are going to be fewer problems, but there are other reasons as well. Since private schools are not required to accept students or retain them, they can simply expel disruptive students. Only those unerringly meeting their standards both academically and behaviorally are benefited to stay. Public schools are not as privileged since public education is considered an entitlement. Further, since parents are aware that they pay for their children’s tuition, then they also play a part in making their children behave and do school work. Students in private schools are more focused on particular projects and school activities because of the diversity in the curriculum and so they tend to become well-balanced individuals. There are far fewer reports of drug abuse and violence per student in private schools. Public schools also tend to deal with students as a whole, rather that on an individual basis.

Management coursework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management coursework - Assignment Example Starbucks is attempting to meet ____ needs. 7. (TCO 8) Adam felt neutral toward his Management class after the first week. However, after he made an A on this first exam, he said the class was great. This is an example of which of the following? Training is program covered under human resources development wherein personnel undergo a process involving increased acquisition and honing of knowledge, abilities and skills to improve performance. Development, per se, is the function of management that registers, traces, and insures individual progress through continued job proficiency, career growth and individual guidance (Martires, 2004, p. 269). The three methods companies use to teach employees are training and education, career planning, and counseling. Training is needed when there is substandard work performance, decreased productivity, high wastage, larger than expected reject rate, high accident rate, or untapped potentials. Career planning is used to make the employees accept responsibilities for whatever achievement is planned to be perceived. While through counseling, professional guides employees to better solve organizational problems. There is the commanders who manifest authority and the need to control others with the strength of exemplifying high ability to implement strategies towards identified goals. Commanders could intimidate other workers due to their demanding stance and could cause conflict depending on the type of personalities they could possible clash with. Another type is the drifters defined as â€Å"free spirited and easy going, disorganized and impulsive, drifters are virtually antithetical to commanders† (Dalton, 2010, 1). Drifters â€Å"though wrapped in personal warmth and friendliness, causes extreme exasperation among their colleagues, making the drifter one of the most difficult subordinates to manage effectively† (Dalton, 2010, 1). Finally, pleasers are easy to get along with as

MGMT499 U4 DB Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGMT499 U4 DB - Research Paper Example Proper management is also essential in enhancing business success (Wright, 2014). Apple Inc. has embraced proper management through teamwork in order to increase their sale capacity. Through their dedicated teamwork, Apple Inc. has become a leading company in the world. Increase in the cost of acquiring new and innovative technology is a major event that could cause a negative impact to the company. Increase in the production cost leads to a decrease in the profit margin. Low-profit margin is a major factor that affects business success (Long, 2014). If there is a negative effect due to the high cost of purchasing innovative technology, the company can respond through increasing the price of their products. Change in leadership is another event that could happen leading to a negative impact to the company. Vertical form of leadership prevents teamwork in the company. In this case, subordinate employees are denied chances to engage in decision-making processes of the company. This approach lowers the capacity of the company to become successful. If there is a negative impact due to lack of teamwork, the company can allow workers to engage in decision-making in order to enhance business success. Teamwork allows the company to change it strategies in order to acquire higher market share. Staff members in the company participate in the production of high-quality product and offering standard services, which boost their success (Long, 2014). Wright, F. (2014). Factors Impacting on Business Success. Retrieved September 17, 2014, from Entrepreneur:

The New Leadership Challenge , Creating The Future of Nursing Essay

The New Leadership Challenge , Creating The Future of Nursing - Essay Example The managerial leadership of the firm promotes flexible approach to the changing dynamics of the organizational management. The myriad aspects of leaders and leadership facilitate and influence human behavior for greater achievement of mutually negotiated targets with greater enthusiasm. Indeed, the many challenges of good leadership takes into account the changing environmental factors and translate them into opportunities of growth. The paper would be looking at the various facets of leadership and how it impacts the role of nurse managers. Nature of leadership Organizational leadership assumes special meaning because it motivates and encourages others to strive towards common goals with renewed enthusiasm. It tends to empower people with knowledge and influence their behaviour, attitude and feelings towards important issues so that they are better prepared for changes and become more accommodating in their approach. The traits and styles of leaders within organizations therefore b ecome hugely crucial elements that inherently help exploit new situations and inculcate a sense of stability amongst the followers or workforce especially in adverse situations. The various leadership theories support the varying perspectives of leaders and how they impact the behaviour and attitude of others. The leadership traits and styles become integral part of leaders within organizations. Leadership traits. The four most important traits of effective leaders are: honesty; forward looking; inspiring; and competency (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). These are critical paradigms of that help the leaders to gain the trust of the followers who willingly follow them. Honesty is one of the most desirable traits of leaders that inspires committed following. They set high standard of ethics and moral integrity which inculcates trust and gives them a distinct credibility in the eyes of their followers but also gives credence to their ideological perspectives of issues. Leaders are also forwar d looking because their vision ensures that followers are well equipped to handle changes. With strong communication skills, they are able to communicate with their followers and inspire them towards visionary goals. They have the ability to’ read emotions in one’s self and in others, and to be able to use this information to guide decision-making’ (Ashkanasy et al., 2002: 317). Indeed, their capacity to look forward to the future is highly pertinent issue as it is able to anticipate and exploit new avenues of opportunities. In the current environment of globalization and changing format of society, they help provide intangible stability among the diverse workforce through cross cultural understanding and facilitate their integration with the system. With strong ideals, indomitable will and highly creative disposition, leaders are hugely inspiring. They challenge the status quo and explore new dimensions to overcome tough situations. Hence, followers tend to imi tate and imbibe qualities to move forward. An effective leader therefore empowers followers and motivates them to make decisions based on informed choices. The leaders are very competent individuals which is reflected in ‘leader’s track record and ability to get things done’ (Kouzes and Posner; 35). The leadership competency relies on experience that provides the leaders with necessary knowledge to act aptly under different situations. They understand the hidden

Mahatma Gandhi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mahatma Gandhi - Essay Example It is true that Imam Hussein adhered to his righteous denial to submit to the unjust authority of Yazeed Ibn Muyawia and sacrificed his own and his people’s lives for what he thought to be right, he never excluded the option of using arms against Yazeed’s army. Here, Gandhi’s leadership significantly differs from that of Imam Hussein. There are other differences too. Gandhi had been able to establish the model of his goal and successfully shared his vision with the Indians. This success further enabled him to challenge his own model in numerous sociopolitical movements, and subsequently to bring some minor changes in his way. Thus, taking lessons from those challenges, he had been able to encourage others to act effectively against the sociopolitical evils. But the question is whether Hussein himself used this tactics and traits of effective leadership successfully. In fact, a critical analysis of Hussein’s and Gandhi’s leaderships will necessarily reveal that Gandhi took the only lesson of adhering to one’s righteous claim nonviolently from the example of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom. In other cases, Hussein was not a successful leader at all. If he were a successful leader, he would possess all of the characteristics of effective leadership. Necessarily, he could convince more people and take them with him to the Battle Field of Karbala. In that case, he might not have faced such a tragic end. Mohandas K. Gandhi was one of the most influential sociopolitical leaders of modern history. He is famous for his contribution to the fate of Modern India, a country which is, to a great extent, indebted to him for her freedom in 1947. In fact, this association of Gandhi with the emergence of India made him a political figure. He passed a considerable part of his life as a political campaigner in the Congress, a political party of India under the British rule. Even if Gandhi was an active political activist, his activities in volved innumerous social and political reformations in his country. It successfully brought him the landslide popularity among common Indians. Indeed the question whether he was primarily a political figure or a social will continue to engender debate till one fails to pursue the true Gandhian nationalist zeal. The son of a senior British Government clerk, Gandhi adamantly believed in the soul of democracy and the formal democratic politics.1 Once he was a devout British patriot who motivated the Indians’ to support the British Army against Zulu Kingdom in 1906. Anticipating the Indians’ weakness to confront the British Empire militarily, he chose to play the game of dissenting against the British tyranny within the British-induced political system in order to avoid the path of bloodshed and wanted to provoke his nation to be aware politically and then to oppose it from within.2 In this regard, his early experience of successful civil-disobedience or non-violent protes t against the segregation Act of the Transvaal Government in 1906 helped him a lot to developed and adopt the ‘Satyagraha’ as an effective nonviolent demonstration against the British while causing mass sociopolitical awarneness among the Indians.3 Indeed Gandhi’s political insight and experience urged him to assume the role of a social reformer. His stance as a social reformer helped him greatly to attain his political goal of uniting the Indians to turn into a strong political force. Indeed Gandhi was a

Benefits of Mobile Business Intelligence Research Paper

Benefits of Mobile Business Intelligence - Research Paper Example From the report it is clear that Mobile BI should be considered because it enables data that is captured by the mobile devices to be integrated on- the -fly hence enabling the mobile workers to get current reports and make important decisions on time.According to the discussion findings the Mobile BI should be considered because many individuals have the access of the tablet devices and Smart phones that are simple, affordable, and practical and provide strong analytics and features with functionality of forecasting algorithms in intuitive, user-friendly and browser environments that are customizable to many users and provide views that are meaningful. The new Mobile BI should be considered because it is cost effective and can be accessed anywhere so long as individuals have mobile phones. The technology improves knowledge sharing that supports organizational cohesion and collaboration. The business value for Mobile BI is that it enhances the organization’s customer satisfacti on and productivity and enables the business to succeed by adapting to the market, customers, and the competitive changes quickly. Mobile BI enables information technology organizations and businesses to evaluate business intelligence using mobile devices and examining software vendors’ offerings hence enabling the customers to assess products based on deeper understanding of how the new technology addresses their own business requirements.

How does hitchcock create Essay Example for Free

How does hitchcock create Essay Hitchcock produced Psycho in 1960. It was a groundbreaking film as it was the first American motion picture to feature a toilet being flushed. Also, Janet Leigh was shown in her underwear on more than one occasion, and, during the famous shower scene, its possible to see hints of flesh. Hitchcock used the media to sell his film to a younger, fresher audience. The poster for this movie, at that time was sexually explicit. Hitchcock started a policy whereby viewers would not be permitted into the theatre once the film had begun, a measure, which had never before taken. Hitchcock wanted to manipulate his audience into fear and loathing so he reverted the film to black and white instead of colour. The story concerns a psychopathic murderer; its technique reveals the dark side of all mankind; the inner secrets, deceits and guilts of all human beings. And as this is so true of even the most ordinary situations in life, nothing is as it really seems and that is how the play opens. Showing the ordinary life of her going to work and getting jobs to do. Marion had been given $40,000in cash to deposit in a local bank. When Marion decides to run away with the money the viewers feel quite tense and want to know what will happen next. The psycho is not yet introduced so the viewers focus is on the money. We see Marion with the money, packing a suitcase. It is obvious that she plans to flee with the money but the sympathy of the audience remains with this apparently harassed woman. Throughout the scenes, we have seen reflections of her in mirrors and through windows, all suggest the split personality aspect of the plot. As she makes her escape to leave with the money, she is stopped at a traffic light, her boss pass by in the crosswalk in front of her; the camera angle changes from showing his face to Marions. He at first smiles and nods when recognising her, and leaves the frame of the windshield. Likewise, she smiles nervously. But then he stops, turns and furrows his brow at her. Mr. Lowery is puzzled and concerned to see her in her car when she was supposed to be home sick. Likewise, her face turns frozen after realising that she has been caught. The audience becomes more terrified and nervous to whats going to happen next. Marion is pulled over by a mysterious policeman; the appearance of him with his sunglasses made him look inhuman. He follows her many miles to a car dealer, where Marion cleverly trades her current car in for a used junkie to camouflage herself from peering enemy. Marion then continues to drive along the busy highway until a shielding rainstorm persuades her to stop to rest at The Bates Motel. When Marion arrives at the motel, it immediately tells the viewer that its unusual. The appearance of the motel makes you feel isolated because no one was around. The lights were off it was very disturbing. The gothic image of the house on hill is positioned above the motel, which is very effective and also menacing. The camera angle shows both the motel and the house in one shot. The fact that when she arrives its dark and theres silence the connotations with these factors make you feel unsure. The viewers feel petrified, as something is to happen out of the blue. She meets a shy-but-kind manager, Norman Bates, who offers her a room, a meal, and a sympathetic ear. During her conversation with Norman, when he speaks about the traps that life places everyone in, Marion resolves to return on the following morning and give back the money. Events of the night, which involve violence and the jealous rage of Normans twisted mother, put an end to Marions plans. Norman is dressed plainly and appears normal. The camera zooms into his face making the audience question whether Norman is all that he seems. This close up invites the audience take a closer look at him. Norman hesitates when choosing which cabin to put Marion in. He puts his hand by the key to cabin three; he stops and gives Marion a sneaky look out of the corner of his eye. He then decides to give Marion the key to cabin one. The way in which he hesitates about the key suggests that he has a hidden motive, which the audience later find out is the spy hole in the wall of cabin one. When showing Marion around her room, Norman hesitates when talking about the bathroom. He will not even say the word bathroom and when he has to turn the bathroom light on he quickly puts his hand in and then pulls it back out. This makes the audience think that something may have happened in the bathroom before or Marion may die in the bathroom. Norman seems quite forceful when asking Marion to have dinner with him; this creates tension. When he brings her tray of food, which he suggests she eat in his office because it is more comfortable, he comments, Motherwhat is the phrase? Isnt quite herself today. While shes eating he watches her eat extremely closely which is not typical behaviour this unnerves the viewer. Norman bates has a fascination with death you can see this by the images of the dead birds its like his hobby of taxidermy and also there are birds of prey on the walls which give an idea of killing. After seeing this, the audience becomes all tense and frightened thinking of murder. Their conversation includes references to death and entrapment. He says to Marion you eat like a bird (when there are dead birds on the wall) and he also says that were all in our private traps. This makes the audience know that something is to happen. He also mentions his mum well not directly but he refers to we which implies there is someone else at the house but the viewers dont no who so it leave it as an answered question which is very effective. His conversation show his conflicts with his mother the feeling of hate for her illness this implies hidden secrets. This brings a lot of tension to the audience. The shower scene is one of the most famous sequences ever captured on film for two reasons. As violent as it is you never see the knife go into Marions body and it was the first time the film in history that a major movie star was brutally killed of in the first thirty minutes of the movie. The famous shower sequence, which runs only a minute, took a week to film. Seventy cameras were set up for this scene and more than ten different scenes were used. The scene starts of very calm and peacefully. She opens up a bar of soap, and turns on the overhead shower water from a high up showerhead nozzle that sends arched needles of spray over her like rainwater. There in the exposed privacy of her bathroom, she begins to bath, visibly enjoying the luxurious and healing feel of the cleansing water on her skin. Marion is relieved as the water washes away her guilt and brings energising, reborn life back into her. Large close-ups of the showerhead, that look like a large eye, are shot from her point of view they reveal that the water bursts from its head and pours down on her and the audience. She soaps her neck and arms while smiling in her own private world unaware for the moment to the problems surrounding her life. With her back to the shower curtain, the bathroom door opens and a shadowy, grey tall figure enters the bathroom. Just as the shower curtain completely fills the screen with the camera positioned just inside the tub, the outline figure whips aside the barrier. The outline of the figures dark face, the whites of its eyes, and tight hair bun are all that is visible she uses a scary butcher knife high in the air at first, it appears to be a stab, a stab, stabbing us the victimised viewer! The piercing, shrieking, and screaming of the violin strings play a large part in creating sheer terror during the horrific scene they start screaming before Marions own shrieks. Marion turns, and screams (her wide-open mouth in gigantic close-up), and stands firm as she shields her breasts, while the knife repeatedly rises and falls. The music tenses up the audience and the audience are now very shocked. The murderer appears to stab and pierce into her, shattering her sense of security and escape. The savage killing is kinetically viewed from many angles and views. She is standing in water mixed with spurts of blood dripping down her legs from various gashes symbolic of a deadly and violent rape. She turns and falls against the bathtub tiles, her hand clawing and grasping the back shower wall for the last shred of her own life as the murderer (resembling a grey-haired woman wearing an old-fashioned dress) quickly turns and leaves. With an unblooded face and neck/shoulder area, she leans into the wall and slides, slides, and slides down the wet wall while looking outward with a fixed stare the camera follows her slow descent. The audience is left terrified; the main character has died. As Marion collapses on the floor the cameras slowly tracks the blood and water that flows and swirls together counter-clockwise down into the deep blackness of the bathtub drain Marions life has literally gone down the drain. The drain dissolves into a memorable close up of Marions right eye with one tear drop (or drop of water). The camera pulls back up from the lifeless, staring eye, which was the last shot of the scene. Through out the film music was used to reflect the viewers feeling and, where needed, to heighten them. This was the first time this technique was used. The pace of music changed quite a bit through out the movie. The pace builds up from a slow pace to a faster pace in both scenes when Marion plans to escape with the money and the stabbing in the shower scene. When Marion arrives at the motel there is minimal background noise other then the rain this is very effective because it makes you that shes alone in an isolated place where no one is around. The silence makes the natural/unnatural hesitations in the speech more disturbing and therefore builds tension. The camera angles in psycho were somewhat experimental. It used a wide range of camera shots varying from straightforward long shots to iris shots. Hitchcock was the first person to experiment with this wide range of camera angles. Seeing as this was the first film to use these new techniques, they were used relatively effectively. The use of long shots of the house and then the medium shots of Norman Bates kind of connect the viewers association with the gothic house to Norman making him just as intimidating as the building. One of the most effective shots in the film was the extreme close up of Bates eye when he was looking through the peep hole at Marion getting changed. The only thing in the shot was his eyes and the wall. A beam of light shone through the hole onto Bates eye and this was very effective. This was effective because the scene stood out as his eye appeared through the hole. Psycho was a terrifying film in its day, and still makes the viewers tense with anticipation of whats to come. Many different and subtle innovative techniques were adopted to manipulate its audience and these techniques are very effective. I think this film was very good even though its quite old and its in black and white.

The Similarities Between Victor And The Monster English Literature Essay

The Similarities Between Victor And The Monster English Literature Essay Throughout the development of English literature there are often times when rival enemies inadvertently share striking similarities between one another, a situation clearly analyzed between Victor and the Monster in Mary Shelleys  captivating novel, Frankenstein. The vivid similarities between the two tragic characters are driven by their dreary isolation from the secluded world, which refuses to accept those who are different into society, by hatred, and most importantly by the absence of motherly figures in both Victors and the Monsters lives. As Victor had stated, I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit. (Shelley, 38) as he described that he lost all touch with the world due to his work. Perhaps even the old saying like father, like son can inevitably describe the flawless resemblances between the two seemingly lost characters. However, regardless of even some of the slight differences the two may portray, when comparing their experiences and human-l ike actions, it is clear that their similarities are undoubtedly proven and reflected upon throughout the novel. The ironic isolation with the rest of the world that the two characters undergo plays a major role in contributing to their powerful comparison. Both figures seem to strongly despise one another yet strangely enough, they both also despise themselves for their wrong and disastrous actions. The isolation began with Victors decision to separate himself from the rest of society when he become enthralled with his scientific research and experiments. And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time. (Shelley, 40) As for the Monster, he detaches himself and becomes a frantic outsider when he realizes his appearance only drives those who he cares for most, further away from him. However, the Monsters isolation is based more on appearance rather than his decisions and work, for his deformed structure and frightening face are his greatest agonies. When I looked arou nd I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, a Monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned? (Shelley, 98) Lastly, looking past the text one can see that both characters desire to play their own cards on life, taking it away and bringing it back whenever they want. Victor is prepared to bring life to the dead while the Monster on the opposite hand, is willing to take away life from the living out of rage and misfortune. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. (Shelley, 37) In a tragic twist, both of these deprived characters have been isolated, abandoned, and have simply became outcasts of present society.   Family ties and vengefulness are truly one of the most significant aspects affecting the resemblance of both Victor and the Monster. At a young age, Frankenstein was left without his mother after her death and as a result, he never got to experience the true feelings of a mothers warm touch and love. She died calmlyit is so long before the mind can persuade itself that she whom we saw every day and whose every existence appeared a part of our own can have departed forever and the sound of a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed, never more to be heard. (Shelley, 29) Just like Victor, in his own time, the Monster never got to experience not only the love of a mother but the love of a father as well. Without these two feelings the Monster was never able to understand what happiness might have truly meant. As a result, the lack of these feelings in their lives caused the two to be driven with more rage then patience and love. Another likeness between Victor and the Monster is them both being very resentful. The Monster shows his dark-side when he decides to demolish the cottagers house, the only thing that expressed in him his affectionate human-like feelings. Moreover, Victor shows the same anger when he refuses and rejects the attempt to connect and understand the life of his creation. Perhaps it truly was the lack of love from ones mother and that from both of ones parents that caused the similarities in loneliness, anger and strive for revenge between the two main characters. Victor and his creation are two characters which despite of their differences still resemble a strong and vivid connection. These driven characters thrive for the same goals, feed of similar pain, and feel the same loneliness, remorse and isolation as one another. These similarities are so extreme that it is for no reason that most of the world recognizes the creature by the name of Frankenstein himself. Isolated by society, abandoned by their childhood figures, and driven by rage, Victor and the Monster may be more alike than we can simply prove.

Importance of Stretching and Warming Up

Importance of Stretching and Warming Up Stretching Fitness. The Importance of Warming up. Why do Gym teachers at school or college, personal trainers or sports coaches, have you warm up your body and do stretching techniques before exercising? It is for exactly the same reason that career athletes and sports professionals take their time to stretch and warm up before a practice or a match. The stretching will help greatly to prepare your body for the exercise that it is about to experience. However, before one stretches, it is usually vital, or at the least preferable, that you warm up first. Warming up does imply that you are preparing to exercise, just like getting ready. For example, in cold weather a car needs to be started and warmed up, before you move off in the car down the road. Manufacturers advise us to do this because starting up and immediately driving off is potentially damaging to the engine – the same logic applies to your body. Warming up will help to increase the temperature of your body to an optimum state while also preparing your muscles to be ready for exercise. Thus, warming up will actively help to prevent injuries to muscles, which may otherwise occur if you just start from cold and exercise. Warming up properly will also increase your heart rate, this will deliver more blood and therefore oxygen to your muscles while readying the body to burn more energy. Ideally five to ten minutes of warming up should be sufficient. You can warm up while doing the same movements that you will be doing for exercise, but just at a slower pace, like slow-motion. If you are going to run, then simply jog for those minutes to warm up, before building to your maximum and sustained effort. Preferably for all sports activities, after your body has warmed up, it is time to stretch. It is important to get into this habit because if you stretch cold muscles it will lead to injury, even a debilitating injury. But if you have prepared your muscles and they are warm, stretching correctly will reduce injuries and long term stress while also delivering to you improved flexibility, a greater range of motion, of posture and of coordination. The benefits are important and long term for you overall musculature. What is happening when you stretch the muscles? What does stretching actually do, and why can it sometimes hurt? What should stretching actually be making you feel? You do know that it is important to stretch, and that you feel the benefit after having stretched, but why is this, what happens to your muscles (and overall to your body) after a stretch session? It is all to do with flexibility. Your inherent ability to flex will come from many factors, i.e. the joints, the ligaments, your tendons and the muscles of your body. Some people, are simply born with loose ligaments and with more mobile bone joints. This is not something which you need to work on altering, for the ligaments connect the bones and are vital for the overall stability of the body. If you try to lengthen the ligaments, you will certainly face problems. Your attention in stretching is actually on the muscles, and equally on where the tendons and the muscles meet (the tendons connect the muscle to your bones). The tendons and the muscles are the important main physical structures for your flexibility efforts. It is that interface which you are concentrating upon. As well as the bone joints and the ligament structures, the muscle mass (i.e., what strength you have) will affect how supple you are and how far you can stretch. Training and conditioning affects greatly your flexibility. Focus on your muscles. How do they Work? Muscles vary greatly in their shape and their size, and they serve many different functions. Most of the larger muscles, such as the hamstrings and the quadriceps, control your motion. The other muscles, such as the heart, and muscles of your inner ear, perform different functions. However, at the microscopic level, all of the muscles of the body do share an intrinsic basic structure. At their highest level, the (whole) muscle is made up of so many strands of tissue known as fascicles. You see these strands of muscle when red meat or poultry is cut. Each fascicle is made up of fasciculi, these are bundles of muscle fibres. These muscle fibres are in turn made of several tens of thousand of thread like myofybrils, these contract, relax, or elongate. The myofybrils are also made up of several millions of bands laid end to end and known as sarcomeres. Each individual sarcomere is composed of overlapping thin and thick filaments known as myofilaments. The thin and thick myofilaments are in turn composed of contractile proteins, which are primarily actin and myosin. Your nerves connect your spinal column to the muscle. The point where the nerve and muscle connect is known as the neuromuscular junction. When electrical signals cross the neuromuscular junction, this is then transmitted deep inside your muscle fibres. Subsequently and inside your muscle fibres, the electrical signal stimulates a flow of calcium which then causes the thin and thick myofilaments to slide across each other. When this happens, it signals the sarcomere to shorten, and this generates force. Therefore when the billions of sarcomeres of the muscle shorten simultaneously, then it results in a contraction of the whole muscle fibre. If a muscle fibre contracts, it completely contracts. There is no event known as a partially contracted muscle fibre. The muscle fibres are not capable of varying in intensity during their contraction, relative to the load against which you are imposing. How then does the force of a muscle contraction result in a variance of strength from weak to strong? What occurs is that the more of the muscle fibres that are recruited, as and when required to perform the work requested of them, then the more those muscle fibres that are recruited by your central nervous system, the stronger is the force being generated by the muscular contraction. Fixator Muscles This may be a little technical and term heavy, but it will give you a better idea as to the complexity of what is actually happening in your body when movement of the body is under way. Fixators, are the muscles that provide you the necessary support that assist in holding the rest of your body in place, while movement happens. Fixators are sometimes also called stabilizer muscles. When you flex a knee, your hamstring will contract, and also, to some extent, your calf (gastrocnemius) and your lower buttocks. Meanwhile, your quadriceps are being inhibited (somewhat lengthened and relaxed) in order not to retard the flexion. In this example, the hamstring serves you as the agonist, or the prime mover and the quadricep serves you as the antagonist. The calf and lower buttocks serve you as the synergists. The agonists and the antagonists are generally found on opposite sides of the affected joint (such as your hamstrings and your quadriceps, or your triceps and your biceps), The synergists are generally located at the same side on the joint and near the agonists. Larger muscles will regularly call upon their smaller neighbours to function as synergists. The muscles are by nature extremely pliant, and they can stretch up to one and a half times their own length, whereas your tendons may be damaged permanently if they are stretched by just four percent beyond their natural length. When you are stretching a muscle, this means that it stretches out from the centre of the muscle belly, out to the point where the muscle and tendon meet. Overstretching means tissue damage. A gentle stretch will relax your muscles, allowing them to release and grow longer, yet too intensive a stretch can actually produce an inflammatory response. This means that your body is trying to repair some damage. Any time you cause yourself pain, then you are actually causing tissue damage. You do not want to create any form of pain or discomfort when you are trying to become increase your mobility while also enhancing your flexibility. Let your mind and body relax. In order for a stretch to reach the complete length of a muscle and reach deep into the muscle-tendon connections, then it is preferred that you hold each stretch for about one minute.. but don’t push it, work up to this optimum. Your stretches should be gentle. Try not to bounce when stretching, as this can damage your muscles. Stretching must never hurt you, so be sure to stop if you start to feel pain. Holding a stretch for 10-30 seconds will help your muscles lengthen. Your flexibility work, if done correctly, will produce a calming effect and even stretching before bed will help your mind and body relax, and produce a better sleep too equally your gentle stretching, will aid the body to recover and regenerate. Do not stretch if you have any injuries. Keep breathing during your stretches. Correct breathing ensures that your muscles get the oxygen required during stretching. Ensure that both sides of your body are equally stretched. It might feel natural to you to focus on a dominant side, yet one’s focus should be to stretch all muscles equally. Some propose that water is important to drink regarding your flexibility as an increased water intake is thought to contribute to better mobility, as well as enhanced total body relaxation. Stretching your neck. Tilt your head forward, but don’t rock it from side to side as this may be dangerous. Alternatively, stretch your neck to the left, then the right, go forward and backward, and return to centre. Angle your head with the ear towards a shoulder, then tilt your head backwards and roll it from left to right, then the right to the left in a 30 degree motion. Ensure that when the head is tilted backwards, you keep the jaw relaxed and even let your mouth fall open a little. Stretch the shoulder. Put an arm on the chest. Grasp your forearm with the other arm. Pull the arm until you feel your shoulder is stretching. Push the arm that you are stretching the opposite way so to contract the muscle if you notice that the chest is stretching instead of the shoulder. STATIC STRETCHING Static stretching is a traditional type of stretching that most people are more familiar with. For example, bending over and touching your toes is a great static stretch for your hamstrings and your lower back. With static stretching you will want to go to just at the point of discomfort and then hold this stretch if possible for 30-60 seconds. Go slowly at first, do not push yourself to the point of excruciating pain and so risk pulling or tearing any muscles. As you become more habituated to stretching, your pain threshold will increase and you will be able to maintain any stretches for longer and then to stretch deeper. Here are some static stretches that you can do easily. Chest. Shoulders and Biceps. Extend an arm and grasp a pole or other sturdy stationary object with one hand. Then slowly rotate the body away while keeping your posture upright. Keep going until you feel a good stretch in the chest, shoulders, and biceps. Hold this and then repeat it with the other arm. Try to do this stretch at least twice for each side. UPPER BODY STRETCH This stretch is quite easy, grasp a chin up bar and hang from it for as long as your strength will hold. You will probably feel the stretch throughout your entire upper torso. This can be repeated several times with different grips (e.g. wide, underhand, narrow, overhand). LATS/CHEST STRETCH Grab a bar or machine handle that is about waist high. Simply extend back as shown in the picture until you feel a good stretch in the lats and chest. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and then repeat again. QUADS STRETCH Using a leg extension or seated leg curl machine, set the foot roller pad so that it is just lower then the height of your butt. Put the pin in the full weight stack so that the pad doesnt move. Then hook your foot over the pad as shown in the picture. And lean back and down until you feel the stretch throughout the quads. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with the other leg. Do this stretch at least twice for each side. HAMSTRINGS STRETCH Extend your leg on a weight machine, rack, or some other object that is a bit higher then waist height. Straighten your leg and lean forward until you feel the stretch in the hamstrings. Try to grab your toes if you flexible enough, if not then just reach out as far as you can. Hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat with the other leg. Do this stretch at least twice for each side. LOWER BACK/HAMSTRINGS STRETCH This is pretty straight forward, just bend over with your legs straight and touch your toes. Hold this for 30-60 seconds, take a quick rest and then repeat again.

The Scarlet Letter: Governor Bellingham And Hypocrisy :: essays research papers

Governor Bellingham is the leader of the Boston Colony. He is therefore supposed to be one of the most pious and upstanding members of the community. As he â€Å"makes the rules†, he is supposed to follow them to the letter. This is why, when Hester visits his house to deliver his gloves, she is so surprised at its state. Instead of a humble abode tastefully decorated in the muted pastels and earthtones of the Puritan lifestyle, she was slightly amused (but not particularly surprised) to find very near the opposite. Before they even enter, she is struck by the opulence of the house. It had walls which were â€Å"overspread with a kind of stucco, in which fragments of broken glass were plentifully intermixed; so that, when the sun fell aslant-wise over the front of the edifice, it glittered and sparkled as if diamonds had been flung against it by the double handful. The brilliancy might have befitted Aladdin’s palace rather than the mansion of a grave old Puritan ruler . It was further decorated with strange and seemingly cabalistic features and diagrams, suitable to the quaint taste of the age, which had been drawn in the stucco when newly laid on, and had now grown hard and durable, for the admiration of after times.† This was not in accordance of the laws of hard work, sacrifice, and the â€Å"swearing off† of earthly pleasures that the Puritans abided by. In fact, it was garish and nearly gaudy, and not fitting for a man of his rank. These descriptions in The Scarlet Letter further illustrate the hypocrisy and pretense of virtue of the Bostonians. Inside, Hester is confronted with more show and splendor. Not only is the house itself well made and well decorated, but the pair is greeted at the door by one of Bellingham’s bond-servants. For a Puritan who is taught (and teaching) that each should be compassionate to his fellow man, owning one as property is fairly misleading to the rest of the colony. The house is fashioned after those of the lords and ladies of England, and contains lofty ceilings, steepled arches, and knickknacks of all shapes, sizes, and purposes (including a tankard for the purpose of swilling ale). A leader of a community as â€Å"committed to the Lord† as Boston should be spending his time reading his Bible and praying rather than imbibing, should he not?

Shakespeares Ambiguous Hamlet Essay -- Free GCSE Coursework

  Ã‚  Ã‚   That ambiguity exists within the Shakespearean drama Hamlet is a fact accepted by literary critics. Ambiguity of both word and action occur in the play. Let us examine the problem. Ruth Nevo in â€Å"Acts III and IV: Problems of Text and Staging† explains the ambiguity present within the hero’s most famous soliloquy: The critical problem arises from the perception that the speech apparently confuses two issues. Since we know what Hamlet’s obligatory task is, we cannot but register the possibility that the taking of arms and the â€Å"enterprises of great pitch and moment† refer to the killing of Claudius, though the logic of the syntax makes them refer to the self-slaughter which is the subject of the whole disquisition. And conversely, because self-slaughter is the ostensible subject of the whole disquisition, we cannot read the speech simply as a case of conscience in the matter of revenge – Christian revenge and the secular sanctions and motivations of honor. Whether Hamlet is talking of his revenge or of his desire for death, or of both, one substituting for the other as mask for truth (or truth for mask) therefore becomes the problem that this speech poses. (46)    Other examples of ambiguity are found in this tragedy by the Bard of Avon. D.G. James says in â€Å"The New Doubt† that the Bard has the ambiguous habit of charging a word with several meanings at once:    â€Å"Conscience does make cowards of us.† There has been, I am aware, much dispute as to what the word means here. For my part, I find not the least difficulty in believing that the word carries both its usual meaning and that of â€Å"reflection and anxious thought.† It is a platitude of Shakespeare study that Shakespeare could, with wonderful ease, charge ... ...es: An Impulsive but Earnest Young Aristocrat.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Masks of Hamlet. Newark, NJ: Univ. of Delaware P., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.

Love in the Time of Cholera

How does novel, â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera† define Love and Marriage? The novel â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera,† basically defines love as a curse or sickness rather than simply a feeling. This best exemplified by Florentino Arizam one of the main characters in the novel, as he is seemingly cursed with an obsession for his love, Fermina Daza. Generally, throughout the entire story, it was depicted that Florentino loved Fermina so much that it nearly drove him insane. It basically began when Florentino and Fermina were still young. Everyday Florentino would watch Fermina as she walks to her school. When Florentino was able to muster enough courage to approach Fermina, he did so very aggressively as he insisted that she asked permission from her father in order for him to be able to court her. Even though Fermina showed no interest in him, Florentino still persisted and even went as far as saying that his need for her and his desire to be with her was a matter of life and death. This basically shows that from the start, Florentino was already determined to get Fermina. In addition to that, Florentino’s obsession for Fermina could be not hindered by Lorenzo Daza, the latter’s father who forbade his daughter from marrying him. Even when Lorenzo took Fermina away on a journey, Florentino still found a way to secretly send telegrams to her, which basically stresses the fact that his feelings towards her were more of an obsession. However, although Florentino’s expressions of his unfaltering love for Fermina can be initially viewed as admirable acts, it also showed the damages that love can do to a person. Basically, Florentino’s obsession towards Fermina can be likened to a disease called cholera, which was shown as an epidemic in the story in the story. Basically, like cholera, Florentino is â€Å"lovesick† as he resorts to doing unusual things just to satisfy his desire for Fermina. In addition, when the two were away from each other, Florentino ate grass and drank cologne simply because he wanted to be familiar with her scent. Moreover, when he was away from Fermina, Florenino would engage in sexual intercourse with several women just to satisfy his need for her. Although he promised to himself that he would reserve his virginity solely to Fermina, he was forced to break that vow because he felt that resorting to sexual intercourse would somehow alleviate the pain of being unable to be with her. In addition, as he was having sex with Rosalba, he was also thinking of his tormented love for Fermina which shows that sexual intercourse was a temporary antidote for his incurable sickness or obsession. In other words, although in the modern world, love is generally perceived as a positive feeling, in the story it was depicted as both a physical and mental illness which is why it can be closely likened to cholera, which is a disease characterized by severe dehydration and vomiting. Florentino was so obsessed with Fermina that he was no longer able to function normally without thinking of her first. In addition, this also showed that his love for her not only physically ill but also mentally disturbed. Furthemore, in the story, marriage was perceived as something that can be simply forced on someone instead of something that is governed by freedom of choice. This was basically shown when Lorenzo refused to allow her daughter, Fermina, to marry Florentino even though she had already accepted his proposal. Moreover, even though Lorenzo knew that his refusal to allow her daughter to choose whom she wants to marry was similar to the disapproval of his wife’s family of their marriage, he still forced his will on Fermina which shows that he did not learn from his past mistakes. He still allowed history to repeat itself as he forced Fermina to marry Dr. Juvenal Urbnino. Furthermore, in the novel, marriage was characterized as a means to commit infidelity as Dr. Urbino himself had an affair with a woman named Barbara Lynch. In addition, it was shown throughout the story that both Dr. Urbino and Fermina were not a happy with their marriage as they would constantly argue over the simplest things such as a little bar of soap. This basically showed that since the two did not truly love each other, they were unable to live a happy and normal marriage. Moreover, this also supports the traditional definition of marriage which states that both the man and the woman must willingly agree in order for the bond to be successful and long lasting. In short, the novel basically defined love and marriage as mere compulsive obsessions. The novel’s definition of love and marriage deviates from the dogmatic and traditional definitions which basically state that the two are sacred and long lasting bonds between two people that are governed by divine laws. Basically, in the novel, love was defined as a feeling that can drive a person insane to the point that it becomes similar to a disease that cannot be simply cured which is best illustrated by Florentno’s obsession for Fermina.On the other hand, marriage was defined as a bond in which one cannot freely choose whom he or she would like to marry but rather as something that can be forced on a person by anyone.                      Love in the Time of Cholera The setting for the novel â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera† is during the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century in a Spanish city somewhere in South America.   This is much like the authors country of origin which is Colombia.   Much of Gabriel Garcia Marquez writings were shaped by his own life experiences along with his life in Columbia.   Marquez incorporated much of Columbia’s cultural strife and society in his novels.   The large gap between the rich and the poor, along with the injustices is a way of life in South America, and social class is always incorporated into his writings. He was born in 1928 in the small town of Aracataca and was raised by his grandparents until he was eight and his grandfather passed away.   He is often quoted as saying â€Å"that it was during this time that all of the most exciting things happened in his life and after this period nothing really exciting ever happened† (McNerney 16).   When Marquez responded to an interview that he saw stories and created them from a single image and his image of this story was, â€Å"two old people dancing on the deck of a boat dancing a bolero† (Matuz 55: 135).   He was true to that image. In researching the author and the novel I noticed that many references were made towards his grandmother’s influence in his writings and especially when looking at the mystical aspect of his writings.   His grandmother, Tranquilina Iquaran Cotes believed in the supernatural and it was incorporated into their daily life, â€Å"many of the tales he heard during this period find their way into his fiction, it is the matter of fact tone with which his grandmother said the most outrageous things that characterized his work† (McNerney 7).   Many of his female characters mirrored his grandmother’s attitude and beliefs.   Female characters were fundamental in his writings, just as they were to him in reality. Women were strong, but knew their place.   With Fermina Daza her duties were to her husband up until his death.   When an event happened to a character it was usually on a grand scale, such as the love Ariza has for Daza, this was said to mirror Marquez’s life he would say, â€Å"Everything that happened to me in the street had an enormous resonance in the house.   The women in the kitchen would tell the stories to the strangers arriving on the train, who in turn brought other stories to be told† (McNerney 24). Marquez said his first contact with the written word was when he was five by way of his grandfather. And it was on a trip as an adult to his grandparent’s home that gave him the inspiration to be a writer.   His use of symbolism was probably because of his grandmother and is blended with all of his writings.   The novel â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera†, revolves around a strange love triangle between a husband and his wife who through the course of fifty years showed how another man loved the woman enough to wait until her present husband would die then he could replace him having the woman for himself. As the story unfolds Fermina Daza, the female character and wife of Urbino’s the doctor, only married him for security but after awhile began a love for him.   The man who had loved her all during this time, Florentino Ariza, believed his love was beyond this realm, spiritual making it indestructible and forever.   Florentino believed that love constituted his entire reason for being.   With Marquez’s writing of Florentino he linked love and suffering very well.   Marquez’s grandmother would say, â€Å"Take advantage and suffer all you can now that your young things like this won’t last your whole life† (McNerney 89). The reflection of Florentino’s mother underestimation of her son’s ability to love was probably the same with Marquez’s grandmother.   When asked what was the creation of â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera† Marquez replied that â€Å"it came from two sources the first was the love affair between his parents†, which he compares to his parents and the other was a story he had read about the death of two Americans who for forty years had meet in Acapulco, but on their last trip they had taken a boat ride and was killed by the boatman and robbed.   It was because of their deaths and how their romance was found out that intrigued him (Matuz 55: 134). The novel begins with de Saint-Amour’s suicide and Urbino is called as a doctor to come to investigate.   Saint-Amour has taken cyanide because of his getting older and his belief that his mistress doesn’t really love him Urbino believes â€Å"the fate of unrequited love† (3).   His getting older was truly the core of his own suicide.   Urbino is saddened by his friend’s suicide and reflects on his own aging self. This part ends with Urbino’s death.   Then the story really begins to unfold with Florentino, who loves Urbino’s wife and has been waiting for her for exactly fifty-one years, nine months, and four days can now re-profess his love to her.   After the funeral Florentino tells Fermina how he feels, he tells her of his â€Å"vow of eternal fidelity and everlasting love† (50).   She becomes angry at Florentino and tells him to leave her house forever because of cursing her husband’s memory by just saying that.   But strangely she dreams that night are of Florentino, a love she passed on so many years ago. The middle of the novel tells a tale of love between Fermina and Florentino, but also chronicles Fermina’s long marriage to Urbino.   Fermina and Florentino were forced apart by Fermina’s father and how they kept in contact, by telegraph, was the same as Garcia Marquez’s parents.   In reading this part of the book I found that his devotion is moving.   Once during the years apart he happened to see Fermina’s reflection in a restaurant mirror, and he had to buy it from the owner and persuaded him to sell it so he can take it home, this was a good representation of the mystical realism the book had. He believed that her reflection was captured in the mirror and having the mirror gave him a sense of having her.   By the time they are able to be together because of Urbino’s death Ariza is seventy-six and Daza is seventy-one.   He was not an attractive man but he also was not faithful to his love on this earthly plane, but was only faithful on the spiritual plane.   Florentino’s drive for writing, which mirrors the authors, has him writing of his hundreds of sexual encounters.   He estimated it at 622 encounters that were of a long term status.   He had written them in twenty-five notebooks that he gave the title of â€Å"Women†. Florentino has a romantic belief in love and would do anything even total devotion to his love.   He loves writing love letters and that is how he won the love of Fermina when they were young.   It took almost two years to win Fermina’s heart back again.   Florentino persuades Fermina to take a cruise with him up the Magdalena River on a boat that was named New Fidelity. Their love grew and eventually they consummated their love on this cruise.   How Marquez describes their aging bodies as time that had passed between them is kind of sad.   On the first night of the trip Fermina finally allowed Florentino to touch her hand they realized how different than when they first touched, but soon realized how really it was the same, â€Å"the hands made of old bones were not the hands they had imagined before touching. In the next moment, however, they were† (329).   Their love making was too hurried at first and not as satisfying as they would have hoped by still they are â€Å"satisfied with the simple joy of being together† (341). The title of the novel is because of the many aspects the novel has.   Urbino first met Fermina because she became ill during a cholera epidemic.   Fermina’s father thought that possibly she had cholera, but she just had the stomach flu instead.   In another part of the novel Florentino becomes ill and believes his symptoms mean he has cholera, but his was because of his suffering because of his love.   He had two episodes like this one when he was a young fellow and another when Fermina allowed him back into her house after banishing him a year before when her husband had died. At the end of the novel Florentino also has the boat captain fly a cholera flag to have privacy.   It works because of the bodies in the river could be victims of another cholera epidemic.   But they have problems when they can’t dock because of the flag and Florentino vows to protect her with his love and under the cholera flag â€Å"forever†.   When Gabriel Garcia Marquez was interviewed by Marlise Simons he was asked what intrigued him about plagues he replied, â€Å"They make people want to live more. It’s that almost metaphysical dimension that interests me† (Matuz 55: 134). The novel is very complex and should not be interpreted literally.   It allows the characters Florentino and Fermina to claim their age but to still explore life with vigor.   Author S.M.J. Minta wrote, â€Å"It is a novel about commitment and fidelity under circumstances which seem to render such virtues, absurd, about refusal to grow old gracefully and respectably, about the triumph sentiment can still win over reason, and above al, perhaps, about Latin America, about keeping faith with where, for better or worse, you started from.† (Matuz 55: 143).   Marquez’s writing of love is truly heart felt and inspiring. His love and imagination for writing is clear in this novel.   The mystical realism in his novels flows so easily because it flows so easily in his own life.   Galen Strawson wrote, â€Å"Garcia Marquez’s insight into human turpitude and pettiness is inseparable from and amusement and forgiveness, and from intense affections† (Matuz 55: 144).   This is a good description of what the novel was all about. Works Cited Bell-Villada, Gene H. â€Å"Garcia Marquez: The Man and His Works†.   Chapel Hill:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University of North Carolina Press.   1990 Jones, Anne H. â€Å"Literature and Medicine: Garcia Marquez ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’†. Lancet; October 18, 1997 v. 350 Issues 9085 Marquez, Gabriel G. â€Å"Love in the Time of Cholera†. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall. 1989 Matuz, Roger (Ed.) & Gills, Mary K. â€Å"Contemporary Literary Criticism†.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Detroit: Gale    Research Co. 1988 v. 55 McNerney, Kathleen. â€Å"Understanding Gabriel Garcia Marquez†. Columbia, S.C.:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University of South Carolina Press. 1998.