Stopping the Repetition of the Past: Musings of Antebellum America

Stopping the Repetition of the Past: Musings of Antebellum America Author Henry James has said that â€Å"it takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature. † For over one hundred years slavery had crippled the African American people and aided the white man; however, when the Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect it would become a slow catalyst of change that would take over a century for the Civil Rights Movement to be at its pinnacle. Racial limits would be pushed, lasting tension would arise. A great American novel of this time should depict the questionable change in racial demographics of the United States. Set before African American freedom, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain has been incessantly praised by authors and critics of all levels for pushing boundaries. It needs to be placed â€Å"in the context first of other American novels and then of world literature† (Smiley 1). Much like the American way of leaving the old country behind and immigrating to the United States, the novel’s loveable, young country boy of a narrator, Huckleberry Finn, pulls in readers of all kinds and feels the loneliness of being on his own travelling in the south, save for his runaway slave friend Jim. Along their adventures up and down the Mississippi River to free Jim, the reader follows Huck’s moral development, which is built up during different episodes in the story, but ultimately undone in the end. Although the â€Å"roundabout† nature of the end of the novel and Huck’s moral regression has rendered distaste, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn deserves its place in the literary canon of American literature for its variable structure, good-natured narrator, and reflections of Antebellum America. In essence, the ending of Huckleberry Finn is its pitfall. Hemingway claims that if you read the novel, that â€Å"you must stop when Nigger Jim is stolen from the boys. That is the real end. † One must go to where Huck tells Tom of stealing Jim out of slavery, where it is evident that Tom withholds the knowledge that he knows that Jim has already been freed. â€Å"What! Why Jim is – † he begins to say, but then stops talking before he reveals the facts (Twain 235). Tom Sawyer is â€Å"too fanciful, too extravagant,† making it clear that he is ultimately the ending’s drawback (Marx 10). It is clear that Tom Sawyer has begun planning his â€Å"adventure† almost immediately after finding out Jim was captured, and he takes advantage of his â€Å"best friend† Huck. According to James Pearl â€Å"the long and drawn out trick that Tom Sawyer plays on Jim makes the reader doubt if any real development has taken place† (2). After everything Huck does for Jim and the scrupulous opinions he forms, Tom comes back into the picture and pulls him back to his childish shenanigans. Huck allows his â€Å"so called friend† to take control of him, and the â€Å"follower† in him comes back out. He lets Tom boss him around and does all that he can to please him: â€Å"‘Oh, shucks, Huck Finn, if I was as ignorant as you I’d keep still – that’s what I’d do’† (Twain 248). Tom acts as another father figure to Huck: an additional lousy, bully like character. The natural growth of Huck and Jim’s friendship, the â€Å"pursuit of freedom and Huck’s gradual recognition of the slave’s humaneness – [are] rendered useless by the entrance of Tom Sawyer and his machinations to ‘free Jim’† (Peaches 15). Not only is Tom Sawyer unrealistic, but he is also charismatic and a natural leader, unfortunately in this case. At first, Huck questions Tom’s way of doing things â€Å"‘Confound it, it’s foolish, Tom,’† but later he becomes â€Å"Tom’s helpless accomplice, submissive and gullible† (Twain 250, Marx 12). Even Jim, â€Å"he couldn’t see no sense in the most of it, but he allowed we was white folks and knowed better than him† (Twain 256). â€Å"Huck is the passive observer,† who does not tell Tom what he is planning is wrong, and Jim is â€Å"the submissive sufferer of them, who does not fight back (Eliot 3). Tom adds unneeded agitation to a well written, historically reflecting novel. At the very end when Tom wakes up, he is asked why he would want to set a freed slave free and responds â€Å"‘Why, I wanted the adventure of it; and I’d ‘a’ waded neck-deep in blood to-goodness alive,’† behaving as an immature imp (Twain 292). After all that Tom and Huck put Jim through, some sort of reaction from Jim and a well-deserved outburst from Huck are expected; however, the actual response is quite the antithesis of what is expected. Huck still puts the menace on a pedestal, believing that â€Å"Tom Sawyer had done and took all that trouble and bother to set a free nigger free† (292). Jim does not even question Tom’s motives. When freed, Jim receives forty dollars from Tom, and the newly freed man claims in excitement â€Å"‘Dah, how, Huck, what I tell you†¦I tole you I ben rich wunst, en gwineter be rich ag’in, en it’s come true’† (294). While most of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not convincing, the ending surpasses the realm of improbability into ridiculousness. Leo Marx declares â€Å"the most obvious thing wrong with the ending, then, is the flimsy contrivance by which Clemens frees Jim,† which goes to say that although the ending is very humorous, it is quite agitating (9). This novel is a â€Å"masterpiece because it brings Western humor to perfection and yet transcends the narrow limit of it conventions. But the ending does not† (Marx 11). No matter how stirring the conclusion of the book is, there is still an insightful segment. During the â€Å"attempted† freeing of Jim, â€Å"Each shackle, chain, and discomfort applied by the boys to Jim makes Twain’s point that freeing a ‘free’ black man in the postbellum is protracted and difficult† (Godden, Mccay 11). Even after the Civil War ends and the Emancipation Proclamation is still in place, the actual â€Å"freedom† of African American men and women is not in attained. These oppressed people still live under the reign of a struggling, racially suppressive nation. A century after this period â€Å"freedom† is fought for again, yet won day by day. Just when the reader believes that some hope has arisen, Huck lights out for the territory just like he lights out from every other situation. Aunt Sally is â€Å"going to adopt [him] and sivilize [him] and [he] can’t stand it,† and that’s the end (Twain 296). No more to leave the reader thinking about how the narrator has developed immensely or how much struggle he has gone through, James Pearl has to â€Å"ask whether Huckleberry Finn goes in a line, or a circle† (1). Almost as soon as the reader opens the novel, which Hemingway has noted that â€Å"There was nothing before†¦There has been nothing good since,† an explanatory written by Mark Twain is seen. It is written that â€Å"In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods South-Western dialect,† as well as the use of many more speech patterns that have â€Å"not been done in a hap-hazard fashion, or by guess-work: but pains-takingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity† (Twain Explanatory). Right off the bat Twain establishes respectable ethos or credibility, which lays the framework of language in the novel. As its characters speak throughout the book, it is easy to differentiate between the varying dialects that are used. Jim is a prime example of Twain’s â€Å"pains-takingly† written dialect, â€Å"I tuck out en shin down de hill en ’spec to steal a skift ’long de sho’ some’ers ’bove de town, but dey wuz people a-stirren’ yit, so I hid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (55). To the modern day reader this is difficult language to become adept to reading, but it is quote easy to see that it is exquisitely written. â€Å"Twain creates the impression of the American folk culture through his use of dialect and phonetic spelling, which mimics speech, rather than writing† (Pearl 1). Even though many of the adventures are improbable, the credibility of the characters in them are made more convincing by mimicking this â€Å"native tongue† The use of the word â€Å"nigger† in the novel creates a sense of fury in countless Americans. Henry Peaches mentions Fiedler when stating that the racial-slur â€Å"has the odious distinction of signifying all ‘the shame, the frustration, the rage, the fear’ that has been so much a part of the history of race relations in the United States† (Peaches 12). However, Peaches and Fiedler do not put into account the culture in which Huckleberry was raised. Twain â€Å"uses language to show that access to culture and education defines character† (Pearl 1). Huck was raised in the South during the 1800s, before the emancipation of slaves, so naturally he and many others in the novel would use the word without an afterthought. All of the negative racial undertones used by Huck are not simply the thoughts of a young boy, they are reflections of Twain. This is expressed during the King Solomon chapter, where Huck claims that Jim â€Å"had an uncommon level head, for a nigger† (Twain 86). As chapter fourteen unfolds, the question of equality of the American people comes into play. â€Å"The debate about the Americanness of Huckleberry Finn reveals the larger struggle to define American identity† (Pearl 1). This book came at a time after the slaves in the United States were freed, but it is based before that. It was a time when Americans needed to contemplate their country’s history, and define for themselves the difference between right and wrong. When Jim cannot seem to understand why French men and American men do not speak the same language, Twain is inferring that all men should be equal, merely because they are men. Whenever the mix of the Ohio River and the Mississippi River is mentioned, there is a sense of pressure and divided pride. Those who live on the Mississippi River feel their Southern pride, â€Å"The Child of Calamity†¦said there was nutritiousness in the mud, and a man that drunk Mississippi water could grow corn in his stomach if he wanted to† (Twain 101). Although this quote seems very silly, it brings to light the foolish, yet very real northern and southern rivalry Northerners and Southerners had differing opinions about slavery and human rights, â€Å"they talked about how Ohio water didn’t like to mix with Mississippi water† (101). Richard Godden and Mary Mccay point out that â€Å"Twain locates this conversation very specifically†¦ [that] the intersection is political as well as geographical† (10). Later on in chapter twenty-two Huck goes to another town where a lynch mob goes after Sherburn. Sherburn may have just shot a harmless drunkard, but his speech is eloquent. What comes out of the communicative man is an expression from Twain based upon Southern antics â€Å"‘Why, a man’s safe in the hands of ten thousand of your kind – as long as it’s daylight and you’re not behind him†¦Why don’t your juries hang murderers†¦you’re afraid to back down – afraid you’ll be found out for what you are – cowards’† (Twain 162). Twain makes clear once more the way he feels about the south. This town, much like the south had â€Å"to be moving back, and back, and back,† it was still caught in its old ways, unjust and antiquated (156). Even Huck speaks to this â€Å"because the people that’s always the most anxious for to hang a nigger that hain’t done just right is always the very ones that ain’t the most anxious to pay for him when they’ve got their satisfaction out of him,† meaning that those who take advantage of others are raved up to use them but do not want to make an effort to pay the repurcusions of it (288). When Huck speaks â€Å"there is no exaggeration of grammar or spelling or speech, there is no sentence or phrase to destroy the illusion that these are Huck’s own words† (Eliot 3). The use of a child narrator in this scene is key. Humans have a predisposed inclination to care for young children, and these jaded, insightful words that come from Huck evoke a deeper sense in the reader. Coming from a child, these words have a stronger sense of meaning. The language and sentence structure that Twain uses for his characters goes hand in hand with the often abnormal juxtaposition he often forms. One night his pap â€Å"was all tired out†¦[he] said he would rest a minute and then kill me† (Twain 41). This subtly included sentence adds immense effect The predominant use of simple sentence syntax which â€Å"allow(s) him to handle the surfaces of the world as they come at him, or to watch and record others doing likewise† (Godden, Mccay 12). There is neither judgment nor alarm in his tone. When Twain constructs sentences in this way it catches the reader off guard and creates a realization of the cruelty of the world that Huck has become so adjusted to. Choosing right from wrong seems impossible when the person that taught him to delineate right from wrong was a morally clouded father. This is exemplified again during the Grangerford episode when Huck starts out describing Colonel Grangerford, â€Å"He was kind as he could be†¦Everybody loved to have him around too; he was sunshine most always†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and then continues with the unexpected fact that â€Å"the old gentleman owned a lot of farms, and over a hundred niggers† (Twain 125, 126). This is ironic due to the contrast between Huck’s romanticized view of the lovely Colonel Grangerford and the reader’s understanding that the man inhumanely owns over a hundred beings. Huck has a basic, yet growing understanding of how slavery is cruel, but not enough to equate slave owners as unjust people. Then when the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons go to church with their guns â€Å"and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall,† Huck includes then that â€Å"It was pretty ornery preaching – all about brotherly love,† as if the situation was not ironic nor strange in any way (129). The juxtaposition included in this statement as well as the irony exemplifies Twain’s opinion of the ridiculousness of age old vendettas and family rivalries in the South. After everything they leave church with a â€Å"powerful lot to say about faith and the good works,† which exacerbates the foolishness of the feud, they speak of faith, but try to kill of their enemies every chance they get (129). Twain’s opinions are not kept out of his book, but are hidden in some cases. They have created such a lasting legacy for Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The author’s opinions and a wide variety of characters enable the reader to have a wider viewpoint of the people in this period of history. Following the Sherburn incident, Huck goes to the circus. He does not transition whatsoever, â€Å"I could a staid (at Sherburn’s), if I’d a wanted to, but I didn’t want to. I went to the circus, and loafed around†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (162). This sudden change happens a few times throughout the novel to help illustrate the extent of Huck’s age and lack of capability to process life altering situations, such as the death of his dear friend Buck, which symbolizes the death of the boy’s childhood. He immediately goes back to the raft, â€Å"We said there warn’t no home like a raft,† and continues back on his adventures with Jim (134). This action â€Å"leaves room for endless variation and adventures, with the endless variation of America’s inhabitants† (Pearl 1). The reader is never really sure what to expect next in the novel, which leaves room for prediction. The seemingly random episodes are expertly crafted to show Huck’s moral development. America at the time is a big melting pot of different cultures, which come into play with shaping the narrator. Beginning in the first few pages of the novel, the reader gets their first taste of Huck as a narrator. He is goodhearted, and does not judge, which makes him an unbiased storyteller. Beginning with speaking about the author, Mark Twain, Huck says that â€Å"he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth† (Twain 13). Even when referring to his father who abuses him he does not see the wickedness in him, â€Å"but by and by pap got too handy with his hick’ry and I couldn’t stand it. I was all over welts† (37). By being an impartial narrator he allows â€Å"the reader to make his own moral reflections†¦He is the impassive observer: he does not interfere†¦he does not judge† (Eliot 2). T. S. Eliot is spot on when he says this. By being an â€Å"impassive observer†, the reader then takes Huck’s later moral development more seriously. During the Grangerford episode he learned that unique Emmeline Grangerford made poetry about people who had died and felt bad because no one wanted to make poetry about her once she died â€Å"so [he] tried to sweat out a verse or two [himself],† just because he felt that bad for a girl he had never met (Twain 124). This type of mature sincerity is uncommon among preadolescent boys. The development of Huck’s conscience comes a bit later in the novel, however the start of his moral growth begins before this. As soon as Huck and Jim meet again on the island Huck breaks norms of the time, and he chooses not to turn Jim in. â€Å"‘I said I wouldn’t [tell], and I’ll stick to it. Honest injun I will,† and he even claims that he does not care if â€Å"People call [him] a low down Abilitionist† (55). Although this scene is early in the novel it essentially sets the scene for the rest of the Huck’s progress, excluding the ending. Huck’s immediate reaction to help his newfound friend, whom he would be â€Å"incomplete without,† before he becomes well acquainted with him â€Å"is an unforgettable moment in the American experience,† and proves his heart is in the right place (Eliot 3, Marx). When he plays a mean, childish trick on Jim, who was once his slave, he apologizes â€Å"It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger,† and even when he apologized he â€Å"warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards† (Twain 95). T. S. Eliot claims that â€Å"the pathos and dignity of a boy, when reminded so humbly and humiliatingly, that his position in the world is not that of other boys, entitled from time to time a practical joke; but that he must bear, and bear alone, the responsibility of a man† (4). Huck must reason for himself right versus wrong, and act as an adult, even though the role models he has had in his life have consisted o f an alcoholic father and foster parents who try to â€Å"sivilize† him (13). This is where he realizes that he needs to do right from there on forward. He would not â€Å"do him no more mean tricks and [he] wouldn’t done that one if [he’d] a knowed it would make him feel that way† (95). â€Å"Huck learns that Jim has real feelings, recognizes humanity, and vows not to play any more tricks on him,† which is Huck’s first big step in moral development (Pearl 2). However, after this big step, when Jim and he came close to Cairo, Huck becomes nervous. He realizes what he is doing is â€Å"wrong† in society’s terms. It made him feel â€Å"all over trembly and feverish,† this is his conscience playing a role in his life decisions for once. Sacvan Bercovitch believes â€Å"Huck’s desire to fit in is underscored by his inability to do so†¦He believes in racism, class hierarchy, Southern aristocracy†¦,† which is completely inaccurate (14). Huck tries to believe in these things because society has forced him to believe in them, but he is questioning what he has been taught The situation â€Å"got to troubling [him] so [he] couldn’t rest,† then he â€Å"got to feeling so mean and so miserable [he] wished he was dead† (Twain 110). He â€Å"couldn’t get that out of [his] conscience, no how nor way† (110). Stealing â€Å"that poor old-woman[‘s]† slave â€Å"scorched [him] more and more† (110). Huck â€Å"has vision† for the first time in his life that society may not be right and decides that he would do whatever â€Å"come[s] handiest at the time,† and not what is necessarily â€Å"right† (Eliot 2, Twain 113). When contemplating turning his friend in, he â€Å"got to thinking over [their] trip down the river,† and that while they were floating along they talked and sang and laughed (222). This leads to Huck’s decision that he will â€Å"go to hell† if that is what it takes (223). Leo Marx believes that â€Å"this is the climactic moment in the ripening of his self-knowledge. By stating he will go to Hell, Huck â€Å"has surrendered to the notion of a principle of right and wrong (Cox 190). His friend Jim is his father figure and â€Å"the power of Jim’s personality erodes the prejudices that Huck’s culture has instilled† (Peaches 14). When Henry Peaches states that Huck’s â€Å"attitudes extend no fu rther than his love for Jim,† it is not necessarily true (13). Huck does love Jim, he has become â€Å"a surrogate father to Huck,† and he immediately agrees to help Jim as soon as he finds out on the island that Jim is a runaway (Peaches 16). He also claims that â€Å"there is no tangible reason to assume that the regard Huck acquires for Jim during his odyssey down the river is generalized to encompass all blacks† (Peaches 12, 13). Peaches is correct that there is no â€Å"tangible† evidence, but just because Huck saves Jim as opposed to some other runaway slave does not make his motives any less genuine. While the ending of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn arguably is its drawback, the capricious structure and language, delightful narrator, and observations of prewar United States unquestionably give the novel its place in the literary canon of American literature. Once it is accepted that the last twelve chapters of the book are disappointing, it is easy to see the merit in the rest of the piece. Depicting the feelings of southern citizens and African Americans before the Civil War, it gives a glimpse into the past of a torn country. The legacy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will last for many years to come because of the profound impact that is had upon both America and other nations. Mark Twain’s writing has exposed the wrongdoing of slavery to the American people. By writing the novel after the Civil War, he has forced the country to look back in shame on the disturbing act of slavery and to fight for the cause of equality. It will live on because it is a book for everyone. Subtly including dark images with satire offers many interpretations, therefore giving a book that younger children can read and not see more than a story, and mature readers can look at with a deeper understanding. By looking into the past, one can help stop the repetition of heinous acts in the future.

Organizational Structures and Air Force Recruiting Service Essay

The rimary advantage of this type of organization is the ability to focus on customer needs and provide faster, better service (Bateman & Snell, 2009). If there was not a divisional separation, the flatness of the hierarchy of management would lead to an overwhelming number of subordinates supervised by each level of management. Under its current organization Headquarters Recruiting Service is responsible for the direct management of three mid-level organizations known as recruiting groups. Each of these groups has the responsibility of managing eight front-line recruiting squadrons. Headquarters Recruiting Service has complete responsibility for the establishment of strategic goals for the recruiting service. It establishes the annual requirements that each group must meet in to satisfy the minimum need the Air Force has for new recruits. Headquarters Recruiting Service will also determine the operating budget for each group based upon its assigned objectives. Development of all marketing strategies is also the responsibility of Headquarters Recruiting Service. Once the strategic plans are approved and passed down tactical planning will take place at the group level. Based upon the propensity for success each squadron is given the number of new recruits they need to assess to be successful. The group will also allocate budgets to each of the recruiting squadrons and pass down the allotted marketing plans as determined by HRS. Squadron commanders will follow a similar to it. A recruiting flight is the lowest level of management in Recruiting Service and typically consists of between four and twelve recruiters who will operate semi- autonomously in the field. Each flight will determine the individual recruiter’s goals nd provide continuing training, mentoring, and management of the recruiters. Managers at the flight level are known as Flight Chiefs. Each flight chief will also be responsible for establishing control procedures to insure the recruiters achieve their established goals. Whereas many people view the armed forces as organizations that pass orders from on high down to the lowest ranking individuals who will follow them blindly tha t is anything but the case. The Air Force places incredible value upon the men and women who complete the many missions ecessary to maintain this nation’s freedoms. To ensure airmen are properly equipped to deal with their day-to-day responsibilities there are many organizational resources put into place for support. Recruiting Service implements a form of human resources that provides for all the necessary elements of any corporate human resources program. The primary mission of Recruiting Service notwithstanding, there are training programs, regular evaluations, mentoring programs and a plethora of other resources put in place to give recruiters the support they need to be successful. Air Force recruiters will not only complete an initial training program that lasts more than seven weeks but also attend annual and quarterly training sessions as well. Each of these training sessions are three to five days long and cover a variety of training topics from marketing and sales skills to counselling and leadership techniques. This training provides recruiters the capability to handle all manner of situations that may arise. Every level of Recruiting Service conducts evaluations on a regular bases. Flight chiefs conduct telephonic debriefings with ndividual recruiters on a weekly basis. They also conduct a monthly office visit and perform a standards inspection to verify the recruiter is following established procedures. Monthly flight meetings are held to allow recruiters to come together and discuss issues and challenges as well as successes

First World War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

First World War - Essay Example However, the concept of Empire and Imperialism were strong driving factors for the First World War. The great powers of Europe wanted to expand and maintain their spheres of influence in Europe. The rise of nationalistic sentiments among the different ethnic populations led to the strengthening of imperial influence. For instance, Russia supported Serbia since both belong to the Slavic people. Being a foot soldier during this period of war can range from depressive to horrific. Since static trench warfare was the predominant strategy during this time, the soldiers on each side were either on the offensive or the defensive stance. It was usually a gruesome act for armies from each side to come out of the trenches for an offensive push just to be blasted by artillery or shredded by machine gun and rifle fire. Still, many soldiers were willing to do so out of either patriotic feelings or because of a great deal of imperial propaganda. Women took part in the war mainly as field medical aid or support units. The war ended with the defeat of the German and Austrian-Hungarian Empires against the British, American, and French. The Russians were forced out early from the war due to the rise of the Bolshevik communists. The Treaty of Versailles was passed to the humiliating detriment of both the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires. Both states lost their holdings and status as imperial powers, and their military capabilities reduced. The face of Europe changed after the First World War as the Balkan states that were under the Austro-Hungarian Empire became independent. Germany lost its imperial influence, while Russia became the Soviet Union after the communists took over the Tsarist

Discourse Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discourse Analysis - Case Study Example The author further illustrates ‘islandness’ as a â€Å"construct of the mind,† which facilitates the islanders a â€Å"singular way† of looking at the world (192). Thus, the Island Institute has begun to publish the Island’s Journal, to create awareness in the general public about the islanders. The article draws research evidence from a wide variety of literature published in this journal, which the author has reviewed and he also uses his personal experience with island life. The author has supported and validated his thesis through an array of evidence from the island culture as well as referring to certain island qualities that â€Å"transcend local culture† (192). This becomes apparent in his illustration of the â€Å"self-consciousness about islandness† among the inhabitants of different islands (193). He also refers to the â€Å"cellarhole melancholy† that defines the sense of loss that permeates every inch of the island space and reflects on the islanders (193). The intended audience for this type of an audience may include scholars and teachers of geography, anthropology, literature and other humanities as well as people who have an interest in these subjects. The Geography Review, in which the article has been published, is a suitable publication for an article that contains such a topic. The author has taken a judicious stance in presenting the topic and there are not apparent bias on his part, except for his specific affini ty for the Islanders and his keen interest in informing the world about them. Similarly, Conkling also identifies many attributes that are common in islanders across the archipelagos different islands such as: a sense of freedom, loyalty and honor, frugality, â€Å"polydextrous and multifaceted competence† as well as the oral traditions, canny literacy and ability to tolerate eccentricity (192). The author’s use of language and style has been appropriate to the topic

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public Relations - Essay Example Framed by experts as an election of a lifetime, the high stakes enmeshed in the waning economic prospects up for challenge by a more aggressive China combined to smash the historical barriers of racism, religion, class and gender to the very most coveted seat in the land of opportunities. An underdog brand with tags considered negative in the history American politics—a junior Democratic senator of African roots— Obama ignited the country with a well-organized campaign that has gone into history books as a standard benchmark in marketing excellence. Although the 2008 presidential race attracted an impressive array of individuals with known credentials in foreign policy and/or national political experience, Obama’s candidature carried a special burden over and above the nation’s leadership qualities; proving that he had what it takes to break through the virulent barricades of American racism (Balz and Johnson 13). From the very beginning, Obama fashioned h is candidature with a brand of change; a position emphasized at every turn with lucid communication tactics. A candidate with flawless oratory skills, Obama knew that the success of a â€Å"product† begins with nature given attributes. Obama inaugurated his candidature for the top seat with a democratic bent that had marks of inclusivity; the fact that American people were stakeholders in his lifelong career was never hidden from his very first limelight speech. As such, any further breakthrough endeavors had to incorporate them [the American people]. His able approach on the doubts surrounding his religious affiliations, his unique biracial background and the attacks questioning his allegiance to the United States more than gave Americans the feelings of knowledge of a next-door neighbor. With a baggage of confidence crisis that swept through the financial system; a stark reminder of the darkest days of the Great Depression, plus failures of the Bush’s presidency to c ontrol a national debt hovering at its highest, framing Obama as a candidate of change was inevitably a killer jibe to McCain’s prospects of rallying the public behind his bid (Balz and Johnson 11-12). Consistent with change-wrapped messages that were eloquently delivered to the very comfort zones of the American population, Obama’s brand offered voters something different. Change being the centerpiece of the Obama’s campaign strategy, McCain, though experienced enough to lead Americans in a new direction, caught himself in a cage of the status quo, a tag framed by the opponents-the Obama camp (p. 291). By integrating change as the dominant theme to America’s future, Obama’s disadvantages defined by history became no more. At a time in history when the public literally demanded to know more about the government’s handling of a crisis, the Bush’s administration had few answers to offer with little leadership. With the media largely rel iant on the government for public policy information that were plainly scanty, the presidential candidates were worthy sources for an explanation to the state of the economy. For the first time, a rare opportunity to showcase presidential decision-making abilities presented itself at an opportune time; and a vulnerable media was

How the globalization of industry has led to the deterioration of the Essay

How the globalization of industry has led to the deterioration of the position of women in Third World countries - Essay Example The fact that these percentages are indicative of the importance of women for the increase of performance of firms in Third World countries does not seem to have been taken into consideration by legislators in these countries – the same assumption can be made regarding the behaviour of the members of International Organizations that have the obligation to examine the respect of rights of women and children globally. In accordance with the study of Nanda (2000, 25) ‘literate but unskilled—and largely female—labor has thus far fuelled the tremendous increase in manufactured exports of garments and micro electronic products from the Third World to the industrially-advanced economies of the North’. In the above study, it is made clear that women have a critical role in the development of industrial activities in most countries around the world – not only in these belonging in the so-called Third World. From another point of view, this study could lead to the assumption that in the future women in those countries would need to be appropriately trained in order to meet the demands of market globally (development of technology used in all industrial sites, improvement of communication among employees and managers, increase of daily performance and so on). The above projects – if attempted - could meet a series of obstacles; more specifically, as it is noticed al so by Nanda (2000) – women in firms in Third World countries are likely to be non-skilled - at an extremely high percentage.

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Reflection - Essay Example They are basically essential in communicating effectively and efficiently. For example, directives coming from the headquarters can be cascaded faster and clearly with the use of emails, texts fax and telephone calls. This is possible even if the receiving parties are located overseas at real time and costs almost nothing. Emails for example vitually shrunk the world into a small village because organizations can interact regardless of distance. The synergy betweent effective communication and information technology is inseparable. Communication is the content while information technology is the medium to dispense the information (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001). These information are critical to the organization because it affects not only on how the organization should act or react, but also on how it should create and place its products and services in the market which is essential in running a business. The interaction between the two is aimed towards a highly effective operations management that actually delivers the product or service to the customers that will satisfy the customer and make the organization more competitive in the

Corporate social responsibility and customer satisfaction in the Dissertation

Corporate social responsibility and customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry - Dissertation Example Business operations matching with the sustainability standards has turn out to be a significant issue for organizations and their stakeholders on a global level and is today the part of conventional business framework. Well-known as CSR, the concept requires a principled and dependable position in business operations to take account of the community’s well-being. Idea for a novel trade framework combining the ethics and business, lucidity, the surrounding, stakeholders and society are now widespread, needing dialog between society, government regulators and businesses. The significance of CSR within the travel and tourism sector has grown, especially, in the prevailing years along with the ecological issues of climate change, depletion of natural resources, degradation, fair trade, and human rights issues (Sheldon and Sun-Young, 2011).From the present study the tourism sector can gain relevant insight about the latest trends of the hospitality industry and thus they can formul ate their upcoming strategies keeping in mind the needs and wants of the consumers. On the other hand the consumers who wish to avail such services can get to know about the corporate social responsibility of this sector and can also get access to other relevant information. Moreover this study would prove to be helpful for the stakeholders related to the industry who will get an idea about the future prospect of the industry and accordingly they would plan their investments into the sector. Research Aim The main aim of the current study is to explore the significance of Corporate Social Responsibility within the industry. Research Objectives The various objectives of the study are listed below- 1. To explore the impact of CSR on hospitality organizations and customer satisfaction 2. To analyse how hotel uses the CSR as a marketing tool 3. To investigate the barriers to CSR in hotels 4. To suggest recommendations for hotels regarding their CSR practices Initial Review of Relevant Li terature Definition of CSR The term Corporate Social Responsibility represents a management notion whereby the firms combine the environmental and social aspects within their business activities and dealings with their shareholders and investors. It implies a scenario by the means of which the firm gains a balance between the environmental, social and economic necessity whilst at the same time meets the expectations of the stakeholders and shareholders (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, n.d.). The concept has received growing attention during the earlier decades, both amongst the academic fiction and practioners. The initial focus of the firms was on the â€Å"social† duties and responsibilities for instance community based programs, paying fair salary to the employees. However a recent inclusion to this concept is the responsibility towards the environment for instance the elimination of the carbon-dioxide emissions from the surrounding. The concept of â₠¬Å"environmental CSR† has become an essential area of CSR and acts as an extremely important element in the corporate world (FLAMMER, 2013). According to the

Discuss the link between the current account and changes in a countrys Essay

Discuss the link between the current account and changes in a countrys net foreign wealth - Essay Example Factor Income is the return or income of a particular asset an example of which are the income derived from land or the rent paid by its occupant. Net Transfer Payment is the liability of the government in financing its operation or the difference between the required payments needed to finance social services or other similar government function and the availability of funds coming from the income of the government. Before giving illustrations and meaning to each of the economic phrases, it is imperative to state that the link between the two sides of the equation reflects the Balance of Payments of a country. The Balance of Payment is the record of all the fiscal transaction of a nation with the rest of the world. Balance of Payments ideally should always be zero to ensure that nations are not spending beyond their means or on the opposite side, not hoarding its fiscal resources that could lead to a regional or global financial crisis. Spending beyond a country’s means could result to increasing its local or external debts which would counter-act or zero out its Balance of Payments. An unchecked increase in external and local loans could result to an economic collapse starting with its monetary system after a short duration spiral. The domino-effect would then ensue, affecting inflation for consumer items, interest rates for banks, closure of manufacturing plants dependent on imported raw materials that lead to the loss of jobs. Hoarding, on the other hand, results to the shortage of the amount of money being circulated in the global or regional economy. Since the US dollar is considered as the de facto international currency, the absence of the dollar in international circulation could lead to the collapse of some economy due to the spiralling devaluation of its monetary system against the dollar. The absence of available money for institutional short term loans from international sources could prompt government to look inward to finance its US dollar requirements. The absence of money in circulation on a regional or global economy would result to government controlled banks to lower their interest rates. Rational Expectation Theory would then dictate the momentum. Lower interest rates from government controlled banks translate to lower income for money in the bank which will lead to the exodus of money from the banks to high yield instruments such as bonds and government loans. On the other hand, a Balance of Payment from all countries is indicative of a progressive and healthy world economy. In essence, the amount of goods produced is equal to the goods required by the market, the amount of money in circulation needed to purchase the goods are in the hands of the population transacting for the goods. Net Foreign Asset – as articulated earlier—is the net asset of a country abroad. This would include the assets of its industries offshore or overseas that earn revenues that will redound to the benefit of the country in general and the country’s citizen in particular. To illustrate: The United States although has a much publicized deficit that runs into billions of dollars has a substantial holding in other countries that earns for it some revenue to maintain its Balance of Payment. Resolving the value of these investments abroad to current valuation enables it to achieve Balance of Paymen

Expository research paper Essay Example for Free

Expository research paper Essay Minority students have been discriminated against for a very long time; many people think that minorities don’t have the same opportunities as others, but in reality they have many advantages. Minority students have opportunities to get into good colleges and getting more scholarships than other non-minority students. Colleges look for the obvious things like grades, and extracurricular activities and all those things but what most really want is to have diversity in the college and therefore colleges need minority students. Colleges read students’ applications thoroughly, so colleges’ look for stuff that sticks out, stuff that makes a student different than the rest one thing that might sticks out is race. In the article is says, â€Å"An applicants final determination of what to say about race is often made consultation with a college counselor. Many counselors may convey to families that a multiracial applicant has a better chance of being admitted to a highly selective college than those in any other racial or ethnic category. †(Saulny). This tells how a multiracial student may have a better chance of getting into a good college than those in other racial or ethnic categories. â€Å"Many private scholarships are geared toward minorities because they are looking for something in particular†(Borowski). The author talks about how private colleges seek at minorities, which tells that they consider race are when choosing students. Molina 2 Scholarships are used to help students get into college, but some scholarships are targeted to specific students, most likely minority students. This also could equal disadvantages to non-minority students. In this article the author says, â€Å"Some private scholarships are based on a students characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and religion, and some are based on professional affiliations or future career choices†(Borowski). Private scholarships look for very specific things in students which show how much of a disadvantage some students have in. The article talks about one student’s problem, â€Å"As Johnson found, private scholarships can extremely selective. â€Å"When I research all the grants and scholarships out there, they are all really specific, targeted towards everyone but me, he says, Are you a Pacific islander who plays tuba? There is a scholarship for you. Or a woman from an inner city who works with animals? There’s a grant for you. But a hard working boy from the suburbs? Nothing. †(Borowski). The author shows how very specific scholarships can be and how they affect other people who do not fit the description of what that scholarship wants. Another reason why minorities have an advantage is because of stereotypes even if it doesn’t apply to that student. In an article a student says, â€Å"I just realized that my race is something I have to think about,† she describes herself as having an Asian mother and a black father. â€Å"It pains me to say this, but putting down black might help admission. †(Saulny). This states how putting down a specific race might better or worsen someone’s chances depending on that particular race. A mother states, â€Å"My 17 year old son is a high B student and an excellent athlete, but we’ve been unable to find any scholarships for him because he’s white. † Elizabeth says, Johnson also says â€Å"We aren’t wealthy. We don’t take on fancy vacations and we do without a lot of things. Yet because I’m white, I don’t get a hand. There are all kinds or nationalities at Molina 3 my high school, whose families have a lot more money than we have, and yet they are getting scholarships. †(Saulny). This tells how stereotypes can give minority students an advantage by colleges stereotyping and giving help to those who don’t really need it instead of to the ones that do. Minority students also think that it is a disadvantage being a minority but in reality it can be an advantage against non-minority students. Minority students are what colleges look for. There are scholarships targeted towards minorities, and due to stereotypes there are advantages. These affect more than just minority students, it basically affects everyone because being a non-minority is at a disadvantage of getting a scholarship or getting into a good college. In today’s society someone’s race could affect their future. Saulny, Susan, and Jacques Steinberg. On College Forms, a Question of Race, or Races, Can Perplex. New York Times 13 June 2011: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. http://www. nytimes. com/2011/06/14/us/ 14admissions. html? pagewanted=all_r=2. Borowski, Susan. Scholarships and the White Male: Disadvantaged or Not? Insight into Diversity. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. http://www. insightintodiversity. com/ scholarships-and-the-white-male-disadvantaged-or-not-by-susan-borowski.

Different Scientific Theories For Drugs And Crime Criminology Essay

Different Scientific Theories For Drugs And Crime Criminology Essay There are many different social scientific theories about the ever debated issue of the relationship between drugs and crime. The book highlights a few of the major social scientific theoretical perspectives. Although there are many different arguments as to the nature of the correlation, the one thing that is certain is that there is a significant relationship between drug use and crime. The first group of perspectives are from ethnographic and role theory analyses. They see the drug and crime relationship as being associated with subcultures more than directly causal of each other. Society would term these subculture behaviors as extremely deviant. This includes high frequencies of drug use, high crime rates, and high-risk sexual behavior. These are viewed as an integral part of the societal role of a typical street level drug-user. This perspective argues that drug use and crime are mutually reinforcing, not directly linear in cause. Another perspective comes from the ecological theoretical analysis. It argues that the relationship between drugs and crime are because the two activities happen in similar environmental conditions. These conditions include lack of social control, poverty, and economic opportunity. This perspective argues that crime is spuriously related to drug use. The final interpretation is the radical theory. This perspective says that the relationship between drugs and crime is a production of governmental legal policy since 1914, which criminalized many drug using behaviors. These theorists argue that the drug-crime relationship can be fought with the decriminalization of drugs, as well as treating drug use and addictions through social help programs. It is impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of the drug-crime relationship. But by using several different theories, such as the previous mentioned ones, it is possible to begin to develop an idea of the root cause. It is important to remember that one theory may not fit every single situation, but a group of well thought out theories can help us better explain the overall relationship of a particular problem. Chapter 1: Question 3 The Goldstein model is a framework for the linkage between drugs and crime. It attempts to explain the three different causes of violence that is linked with drugs. These three different classifications are; the psychopharmacological explanation, the economic-compulsive explanation, and the systematic explanation. Drug use is proven to be a major factor in crime in many cases. The majority of prisoners in the United States are there because of drugs, whether that be selling or using. The Goldstein model gets down to the bare minimum of how drugs affect violent crime. The first classification is the psychopharmacological violence. In this group, the violence that is committed happens because of the direct effects of a psychoactive drug on a user. This is not motivated by anything except for the compulsive effects of the drug. Drugs cause the body to act differently than normal. Some drugs cause the body to become mellow and calm, while others cause the body to lash out in fits of rage. The majority of people view psychopharmacological violence as mainly due to alcohol rather than any other drugs. The next classification for the drug-crime connection is the economic-compulsive violence. This happens when offenders commit an offense for the purpose of raising money to support their drug habit. Studies show that this classification is especially true for heroin addicts, but that it can be prevalent in other drugs as well. One of the major economic crimes committed for these drug addicts is drug dealing. Drug dealing is an easy way for the addicts to make enough money to support their habit, and at the same time they can keep some of the drugs for themselves. The final classification is the systematic violence. This violence happens in the course of struggles for market power. These drug markets have a high propensity for violence, whether that be from other dealers (turf war) or the buyers. A more in depth view of the violence in drug markets reveals that there are four factors that contribute to the violence. These are: the youth of the participants (youths are naturally more violent), the value of the drugs themselves (killing the buyer allows you to keep their money and still have your drugs), the intensity of law enforcement (potential police informants), and the indirect consequence of drug use (drug users are inclined to more violence due to the drug use). Chapter 2: Question 3 According to Andrew Golub and Bruce D. Johnson there are four phases of epidemics. They argue that drug epidemics usually will follow predictable steps. Their model was originally used to study the Crack Epidemic, but has gone on to be used to study the Heroin Injection Epidemic and the Marijuana Epidemic as well. The four steps are: the incubation phase, the expansion phase, the plateau phase, and the decline phase. The incubation phase is based on the idea that drug epidemics usually grow out of an individual social context (heroin from the jazz era and crack from inner-city drug dealers). During this incubation phase, the new drug practice is developed and perfected among a small group of adult drug users. Research suggests that the new fascination with marijuana was because of the youth inner-city hip-hop movement. They praised marijuana use in songs, clothing, and other venues. The next phase is the expansion phase. In this phase, the drug use spreads rapidly among subcultures. These subcultures are usually newly emerging who embrace the new drug use as hip and their thing. In the crack and heroin epidemics, this expansion phase took place among adults. Only after it spread through the adults was it embraced by youth. In contrast, the marijuana epidemic was first spread among youth. Next is the plateau phase of the drug epidemic. This stage is defined by youths becoming adults and wanting to get involved with the widespread drug of choice, currently that is marijuana. The rate of use of the drug of choice would be at high levels. The rate would be stable at this high rate and even slowly increasing. The final phase is the decline phase. This is just how it sounds. The rate of use for the specific drug would be declining overall, even rapidly declining. These four phases give an outline for the life of a drug epidemic. It is not necessarily a rule, but a general guideline for these epidemics. Chapter 2: Question 4 The gateway theory is a popular theory of drug addiction. It is widely accepted as true in many circles. It is based on the fact that a lot of research has shown that many American youths, who are involved in substance use and abuse, usually have a progression to their substance abuse. This progression of substance use involves four stages: the nonuse stage, alcohol/tobacco stage, marijuana stage, and finally harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The research shows that youths who do not use certain substances in one stage, rarely use the harder drugs in the later stages. However it does not say that every single user at one stage will necessarily progress to the next. This theory has produced the label of gateway drugs for substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and even tobacco. Current policies seek to prevent, or at least delay as long as possible, the youth from using gateway drugs. This is in hopes that if youth do not use gateway drugs, they wont move on to harder, more seri ous, drugs. This theory is not necessarily a strong theory. There have been several studies suggesting that this gateway progression may not be very relevant to mainstream youth of today or to inner-city populations. A study from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that youths coming of age during the 1990s were highly unlikely to progress from the gateway drug, marijuana, to cocaine (powder and crack) or heroin. This was compared to youths born previously in decades before. This leads researchers to believe that substance abuse among youth reflects cultural, or even subcultural, norms among the youth. It suggests that substance abuse is acceptable or unacceptable among youth cultures, and that this cultural norm will reflect substance abuse. These cultural norms vary over time and locations as well. This theory has some credibility, but it is important to realize that theories may be strong one year, but may be weakened by cultural influences the next. Cultures progress and change over time, so it is impossible to assume that trends and patterns will not change as well. Chapter 3: Question 2 According to Lisa Maher and Kathleen Daly, the basic structure of New York City crack markets is an organized system of distribution. This is in contrast to the commonly characterized unregulated markets of individual crack dealers trying to get rich by themselves as crack entrepreneurs. The research suggests that as soon as there is a high enough demand for the crack, the individual freelancers are taken over by a more organized system for distribution. This is evidenced by the crack epidemic in New York City during the late 1980s. During that time many of the neighborhoods had highly organized street-level drug markets. These markets were dependent on each other and they had a hierarchical structure of organization. The organizational structure is much like that of the mafia, a highly organized street gang, or a Fortune-500 business. The drug business owners had many different crew bosses and managers or lieutenants. These managers were in charge of relaying orders from the owners to the street-level employees. They had the responsibility to organize and deliver all the necessary supplies and also for collecting the money made by the street-level workers. These managers could hire, fire, and pay the workers as they saw fit. They also handled problems the lower level employees had with each other or even the upper management. The next level down in the organizational structure, after the managers, crew bosses, or lieutenants; was the street-level drug dealers. These dealers had a specific area that they were in charge of selling to. The dealers were assisted in any way needed by the lower-level members; such as the runners, look-outs, and enforcers. The runners are responsible for having a continuous supply going to the dealers. The look-outs were in charge of warning the dealer of immanent threats (i.e. cops). And the enforcers were in charge of maintaining order, whether by force or presence. This system of drug dealing was extremely organized and sophisticated. It made it a serious problem for law enforcement officials to fight the already impossible war on drugs. This system made it possible for the drug companies to run smoothly and efficiently. Chapter 4: Question 3 In the article Street Youth and Criminal Violence Stephen W. Baron and Timothy F. Hartnagel offer three possible theories that explain youth violence. It is important to understand different possible explanations of youth violence because the criminal justice system needs to know the root cause in order to develop prevention strategies. The theories are the street subculture and lifestyle theory, the economic deprivation theory, and the routine activities theory. The street subculture and lifestyle theory is a popular explanation for violence among youths. It says that peer groups and role models glorify violent behavior rather than shunning it. The highest rates of violence are located in neighborhoods where violent role models are everywhere, such as inner-city neighborhoods with high rates of gang violence. This perspective argues that criminal acts are almost essential to the cultures and subcultures of the street, which slowly make violence more and more acceptable in youths. The economic deprivation theory argues that violent behavior is rooted in inequality, uneven distribution of wealth, and the deprivation of the have-nots compared to the haves. The degree of inequality is all a matter of perception by the individual. If the individual has a negative view of others compared to himself, this will create feelings of resentment and bitterness. These feelings can be manifested in expressions of violence and crime. The routine activities theory suggests that just presenting someone with the opportunity to commit crime can lead to increase in crime, completely dependent of social or structural conditions. This perspective says that violent street crime is merely a product opportunities that are presented to individuals in the daily life on the street. These perspectives differ because they each attribute the root cause of crime to different factors. In the street subculture theory, the crime is attributed to cultural norms, role models, and peer influence. In the economic deprivation theory, crime is attributed to financial unhappiness. In the routine activities theory, crime is attributed to the availability to commit the crime. All three of these perspectives probably are mostly truth, so it is wise to look at all three of them from a broad encompassing perspective. Chapter 4: Question 1 There are many etiological factors that predict young adult drug use and delinquency. These factors are not 100% accurate all of the time, but they serve as a means to help direct prevention and detection efforts. The causal factors are concluded from survey data taken of youth in high school. There are some obvious causal factors to youth delinquency and drug use and some not so obvious ones. There is a gender gap that is noticeable in this data as well. In the data, one of the obvious results was that a significantly smaller proportion of youth had committed a delinquent act in the twelve months prior to the survey than compared to their lifetimes. It also found that women were less likely to get involved in delinquent activities initially, but that after they were involved they were just as likely as men to remain persistent in delinquent acts. Another interesting finding was that about 50% of the individuals who admitted to committing an offense in their lifetime also did so in the previous twelve months leading up to the interview. One consistent finding was the persistence of participation in delinquent acts. If an individual committed an act once, they were much more likely to commit more delinquent acts in the future. The trend of committing delinquent acts differs from the trend of involvement in illegal drugs among youth. For example, persistent use of illegal drugs is much more likely than persistent commission of delinquent acts. Also, the proportion of continual illegal drug users is much lower for women than for men. Women are also much less likely to become initially involved and then to remain persistent users of illegal drugs than men. The disparity between men and women has always been large when it comes to crime. This can be due to a number of reasons. The first potential explanation for the disparity could be that the Criminal Justice System is more lenient on women than on men. Another possible, and statistically proven, explanation is that men are just proportionately over involved in crime compared to women. Whatever the reason, we know for sure that women are less likely to be involved in crime and illegal drugs. Chapter 5: Question 1 An interesting phenomenon has developed over the past twenty to thirty years in the Criminal Justice System. The prison population has more than tripled since the 1980s, while the crime rate has gone down drastically. It has especially dropped significantly since the early 1990s, yet the number of prisoners has steadily grown. There are a few different explanations for this seemingly out of control trend. Lana D. Harrison offers a well researched explanation of this phenomenon. She suggests that this wild rise in prison numbers can be attributed to policy changes and the war on drugs. In the early 2000s, over 2 million people were imprisoned in the United States. This is more than three times the number of prisoners that the United States had in the 1980s. Harrison argues that the majority of these drug prisoners were incarcerated in the 1980s at the beginning of the war on drugs. By 1996, 60% of the federal prisoners were imprisoned for drug offenses, 23% of state prisoners, and 22% of jail prisoners. The changing criminal justice process and new policies have contributed to this rise, including mandatory minimum sentences and the three-strikes laws. In the 1980s, the moral drug panics caused lawmakers to pass extremely strict drug laws. This in turn caused the dramatic increase in the numbers of drug prisoners across the board at all levels. Drug users who were incarcerated because of these stricter penalties went into prison addicted to drugs, and many times they also left prison addicted to drugs. These drug addicts returning to the communities returned no better than when they had gone to prison, still the same person, just older. Since these drug addicts had been to prison beforehand, they were much more likely to be convicted again for crimes they committed. This is a self perpetuating cycle which may be another explanation to the rising prison population. The rising prison population coupled with the decreasing crime rate is a much studied phenomenon in the criminal justice world. Harrison offers the explanation that it is due to the changing policies and the changes that took place in the criminal justice system itself. The war on drugs had far reaching consequences that caused a major crack down on drugs of all kinds, from the lowest of users to the most organized cartels. Chapter 5: Question 3 Douglas Longshore and his colleagues pose five different dimensions of the conceptual framework of drug courts. These dimensions include leverage, population severity, program intensity, predictability, and rehabilitation emphasis. Longshore suggests that the first two dimensions (leverage and population severity) of drug courts are structural characteristics. He says that the final three dimensions (program intensity, predictability, and rehabilitation emphasis) are characteristics of the process, which describe what occurs while offenders are processed through the drug courts. Leverage refers to the seriousness of penalties that offenders face who do not meet the requirements of programs and are dismissed from drug courts. When the participant completes all of the program requirements, the charge is reduced and even sometimes dropped completely. If the offender fails to complete the program, he or she may be sentenced and possibly incarcerated. Longshore suggests that the outcomes will be better when drug courts have more leverage (whether that be actual or just perceived) over the participants. The next structural characteristic is population severity, which refers to the difference in drug courts which are established to handle serious offenders as opposed to minor offenders, or the other way around. Other indicators of severity may include age, gender, or even employment history. Longshore says that courts set up to handle the more serious offenders will have less favorable outcomes. He does say however that there might be other less obvious dimensions that impact population severity as well. Program intensity refers to the requirements set out by the court for the completion of the drug court. These include urine tests, appearing in court, drug abuse classes and treatment. Optional requirements may be imposed as well such as employment, suitable living quarters, education, and paying fines. The next process characteristic is predictability, which refers to how the participant thinks the court will respond to their compliance or noncompliance. Predictability indicators may be drawn from court statistics and records. The final characteristic is rehabilitation emphasis. This is important when viewing the criminal justice system as rehabilitative instead of punishment focused. Rehabilitation is the focus of most drug courts. This emphasis can include how often the judge talks directly to and listens to the participant, time spent with the participant by all parties involved, and how close the participants sit in relationship to the bench. Longshore suggests that outcomes are better when drug courts are emphasized more on rehabilitation. Chapter 6: Question 1 Harm reduction is a goal for some policies and programs concerning drug abuse and other criminal issues. It is not a program in and of itself, but simply a goal of the programs. The two conflicting goals that divide peoples opinions are harm reduction and prohibition (demand and supply reduction). While prohibition seeks to completely do away with the illegal activity (alcohol, drugs, prostitution, etc.), harm reduction seeks to make those activities safer for the people who choose to participate in them. Harm reduction is seen by some people as the lesser of two evils. Peter Reuter and Robert J. MacCoun discuss the attempt at harm reduction with illegal drugs. People who hold the harm reduction point of view believe that it is more beneficial to reduce the harm done by illegal drugs than to try and do away with them altogether. The belief is that people will always be harming their bodies with drugs. The idea of harm reduction accepts this fact that people will always do drugs, and thus tries to make it safer for the people who choose to do so. This is a controversial policy, but may have more merit than it seems to have at face value. For example, in some countries public health services provide prescriptions for heroin users to obtain heroin legally. In some places, there are designated locations where heroin addicts can obtain and use heroin in a controlled and safe environment. Another example of harm reduction is needle exchange programs. These programs allow heroin addicts to exchange dirty needles for clean ones. This is in hopes of reducing the spreading of diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis C, from one user to another. Proponents of harm reduction policies argue that it is much cheaper to provide these drug services to every single addict than to imprison the addict. They also say that by providing the drugs for the addicts, they reduce crime that the addict would need to commit in order to purchase the drugs for themselves. Opponents of harm reduction policies argue that making it safer (and thus easier) for addicts to use drugs will cause an increase in drug use. Chapter 6: Question 6 According to Philippe Bourgeois there are many different regional variations in using methadone as treatment. Methadone is a drug that is used to treat opiate (such as morphine or heroin) addicts. The addicts are given the methadone in small doses to help reduce withdrawal symptoms, and in large doses to block the high that opiates give the user. This method of treatment is not accepted 100% in the United States. For example, in eight states methadone is illegal to use in the treatment of opiate addicts. Even in the rest of the states where it is legal, there are still many divergent opinions about the treatment. Bourgeois argues that this difference in opinions depends on the focus of medical and criminal justice establishments in an area, the amount of street addicts in an area, and the overall culture and politics of the region. Along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, the overwhelming cultural view is that substance abuse is a biological disease that requires medical intervention. Methadone treatment is fairly easy to obtain in these areas. It is also a multi-million dollar industry (for both treatment and research) and has dozens of locations throughout the region. Many of these methadone clinics and research facilities are paid for by the government. San Francisco is in stark contrast to the Eastern Seaboard. This city is dominated by a more New Age type thinking. This culture honors a healthy and drug free person. Some people (conspiracy theorists) even argue that methadone treatment is genocide against non-white people. Because of these viewpoints held by a majority of the culture, methadone clinics are few and far between. The few clinics that are in this region have very strict entrance requirements to be admitted into their programs. Some of the facilities require proof (from medical, police, or other record) that the user has been addicted for over a year with previous failed detox attempts. They fear that some people who really arent addicted to opiates will sneak their way into the program, and consequentially become methadone addicts. Chapter 7: Question 7 According to Lise-Marie VanNostrand and Richard Tewksbury, individuals desire to operate illegal drug enterprises for three reasons. They discovered these three motives by interviewing 20 dealers who were in drug court program. The three reasons are financial need, greed, and addition to the lifestyle. Most of the drug dealers interviewed in this study began their dealing career with a single one of these motives, but slowly over time the three motives began to overtake them. Financial need is a very motivating need. This is what motivated some of the individuals to begin their life of dealing drugs. Many people feel like they have no other option to provide for their responsibilities than drug dealing. Some of the people interviewed said that they had a job, but that it just wasnt able to pay for all of their needs and so they began dealing drugs. The majority of people who said that financial need was their motivation to deal drugs had kids and a family to take care of. These individuals saw drug dealing as the fastest and sometimes the only way to provide their familys needs. Greed is also a strong motivation in some people. These people do not necessarily need more money to take care of their needs, but they crave more money to take care of luxuries. Many of the dealers in the study conducted said that drug dealing appealed to them because of the opportunity to make fast and easy money. They often had legitimate employment or even ran businesses, but the desire for money overtook them and led them down a road to drug dealing. These individuals usually did not need to maintain normal jobs for the money, but they maintained normal jobs as a front or sometimes just to have something to fall back on. An addiction to the drug dealing lifestyle is a unique motivation. Some dealers simply want to live a fast paced lifestyle or have popularity and power. These desires seemingly cannot be filled by legitimate jobs. Many of these individuals believe that they cannot achieve recognition or respect due to their perceived lack of skills or respectable attributes, and so they turn to dealing drugs as a means to earn that respect. After they begin their drug selling careers, they begin to have a self perception that everyone respects and admires them. This, coupled with the immense financial gains, is a self perpetuating cycle that leads them farther and farther into a life of drug dealing.

Old Messages Brought To Life Essay -- essays research papers

Old Messages Brought to Life Today's world needs to be taught the old messages of life. We have so many different religions that preach the same things. All are of one or more supreme beings and their teachings. Across this world it is the same messages and yet we fight one another, because my god of love is better then your god of love. The basic human problems are even the same we all call these situations sin. Is it possible to change the world and it beliefs? One must start with their self and realize that the basic rules for life. Laws condition the manifest universe and life on earth. There are inviolable laws of life that govern all aspects of earthly life and determine the destiny of each individual. Understanding the first three or four help you to understand the rest. They cannot be ignored without inviting negative consequences. It is therefore important that one understands these laws and observes them. The whole universe is permeated with divine presence. Therefore one should deal with every object in it as if one is dealing with oneself or with "God". Everyone's god is omnipresent and omniscient in each religious person's eyes. Everything in this universe is sacred because it is filled with the presence of this Supreme Being. Everything in this universe is therefore a divine entity and should be treated as such. Those who seek harmony and peace in life understand this principle very well and treat every thing in the worl...

Position Paper 1 :: essays research papers

Quarter 1 Position paper 1 The people who came to America were only considered losers by the narrow minded thinking of European countries. The hardest time during colonization was when the colonists stuck to the European ideas and were governed by the mother countries . American society had and continues to have the most success by using there own ideas and building an independent society. The so called losers who moved to America were only losers by the narrow minded ideals of the old world countries. The pilgrims had to leave England or face arrest for following there religious beliefs they where considered outcasts in England not because what they were doing was wrong but because it was different. Puritans and Quakers also faced similar persecution for there beliefs. However religious reasons were not the only ones for moving to America some people left because of political unrest, many people left because of the autocratic rule of Charles I. After Charles defeat many of his followers left to go to the new world. The people who left England and other countries to journey to the new world weren’t necessarily losers but still out casts of there societies. (An Outline of American History pp.1-2) The unrest and problems created during the colonial period were a result of the lack of English governing of the colonies even though there rule prevented the formation of local governments. Although true power over the colonies laid in the hands of the English king and parliament they were to distracted to pay attention to what went on in the colonies leaving power in the hands of local men who were perceived to be powerful because of there social status. When England stepped in and tried to apply strict mercantilism to govern the colonies discontent grew and led to the revolution.(AR pp. 128-184) American prosperity grew from the abandonment of the old ideas and the beginning of a new country. The problems escalated until violence broke out on April 19, 1775. After the Americans won the revolutionary war and severed ties with England the leaders of America began to build a new government.

The Many Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana Essay -- Argumentative Persua

The Many Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana When the religious leaders of Nicholas Copernicus' time excommunicated him for his radical studies, they ignorantly dismissed a brilliant idea. The idea that the earth revolved around the sun inherently brought controversy upon the traditional styles of science. A controversy our leaders need to examine is the medical use of marijuana. Instead of banning marijuana and ignoring the public voice, our representatives need to examine the facts and effects of marijuana for medical use. Like Copernicus' idea that revolutionized science, changing the way we treat our sick and suffering will benefit our society. The effects of legalizing marijuana for only medical purposes will stop unnecessary legal action and it will change the way doctors treat a number of serious ailments. At the turn of the century, rumors equated marijuana "as a substitute for the opiates and alcohol", thus leading to The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. It was instated with little public notice and without research on the effects of the drug. The Act led to further myths such as the "gateway" term, which describes marijuana as a drug that leads to more dangerous drug abuse. Since the time our representatives took the uneducated initiative to ban the drug for medical purposes, it has been tested and found innocent of addictive qualities (Bonnie and Whitebread 4). "The best established use of smoked marijuana is an anti-nauseate for cancer chemotherapy. During the 1980's, smoked marijuana was shown to be an effective anti-emetic in six different state-sponsored clinical studies involving nearly 1,000 patients" (Randall 217-243). According to Peter McWilliams, an AIDS and cancer patient, marijuana gave him the most rel... ...nd Consulted Bonnie, Richard and Whitebread, Charles. The Genesis of Marijuana Prohibition. Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. Available: http:www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/vlr/vlr2.htm IOM report sends mixed signals on use of marijuana as medicine. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly: LEXIS NEXIS. Available: http:web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_ansset=GeHauKO_ Marijuana is a Medicine English Medical Marijuana Flyer. Avaliable: http://medicalmarijuana.org/engflyer.htm ON THE RIGHT; political update. National Review. Available: http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_ansset=GeHauKO- The Medical Use of Marijuana NORML. Available: http:natlnorml.org/medical/index.html Woodward, Wc. C. American Medical Association Opposes the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. Available: http://www.pdxnorml.org/AMA_opposes_1937.html

REsearch Paper on Bike Safety Essay

A. â€Å"The loss of 630 lives in bicycle crashes in 2009, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S., is a terrible toll† (â€Å"Bicycle Crash Facts†), states the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. B. Due to the lack of education in bike safety, Elementary Schools in the U.S. do not provide, children are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents, have an increased risk of death, and the rate of people riding bikes is rapidly decreasing. II. Body Paragraph Children are not informed properly about the different traffic signs, the importance of a helmet and other topics, which are fundamental for a person to be able to ride a bike. III. Body Paragraph In addition, Teachers and parents should encourage their children and students to ride their bikes more frequently, what could prevent them from obesity and pollution. IV. Body Paragraph Besides the positive change the use of a bicycle can have on a human body and even mind as they relax on their way, they help reduce pollution, as they do not create any carbon emissions. V. Conclusion A. Clearly, elementary schools in the United States of America do not satisfy the deficit of the bicycling information in the education system in order to prevent their students from eventual traffic accidents, perhaps even death and to encourage the next generation to use their bicycles more frequently. B. Summarize Body Paragraphs C. Saving 630 lives of sons and daughters in a year should not be a topic to discuss, but to be set immediately in action and support the greatest invention a human ever made, the bicycle. A Ride to a Better World â€Å"The loss of 630 lives in bicycle crashes in 2009, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S., is a terrible toll† (â€Å"Bicycle Crash Facts†), states the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Nowadays people live ignorantly with the idea of bicycling being too dangerous, forgetting that it is a healthy, alternative and effective form of transportation that provides a fascinating way of exercising. Not only do bicyclists have to be educated, but also every user of a public vehicle has to be informed about bike safety; every vehicle user has to be aware of bikes exactly as they are for other vehicles. In order for a cyclist to be safe, car drivers and motorcyclists have to treat cyclists as a vehicle exactly as they are. Due to the lack of education in bike safety, Elementary Schools in the U.S. do not provide, children are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents, have an increased risk of death, and the rate of people riding bikes is rapidly decreasing. Children are not informed properly about the different traffic signs, the importance of a helmet and other topics, which are fundamental for a person to be able to ride a bike. John Pucher, a professor of urban planning, has been conducting much research on transport policies, transport systems, and specially bicycling behavior in Europe, Canada, and the USA. Considered an expert on the topic planning and public policy, he informed; â€Å"Freiburg, Germany reported the largest increase in bicycling, almost doubling the bicycle share of trips from 15% in 1982 to 27% in 2007. These data suggest that it may be difficult to increase bicycling beyond already high levels† (Putcher, John). Without a doubt, the reason for the increase in bicycling in this country is education. In Germany, children in 4th grade have to obligatory take a license test for bicycles. Basically, it is the same as a driver’s license; for a month children are taught by their teachers about traffic signs and how to react in different traffic situations. After the theoretical lessons, they bring their already inspected bikes to school and start with practical lessons, riding on miniature traffic lines and obeying traffic signs previously installed. To make the situation seem more formal, children nervously take the theoretical and practical test, supervised by two police officers. Enthusiastically, every child wants to impress their parents by riding as good as they can. Tzirath Perez, a thirteen-year old girl, describes her experience in fourth grade: â€Å"Thanks to the bicycle lessons I had in Germany, now, when I ride my bike with my friends, I feel more secure, confident and I am glad I already know most of the traffic signs† (Perez). Because of the early encouragement for children, they are more willing to use their bikes and are prepared to ride through traffic safely on their way to their destination. By wearing a helmet and knowing exactly how to behave on the street when riding their bikes to school, German children help to reduce their parent’s car use because these young cyclists can travel safely without an automobile. Because these children ride their bikes to school in the morning they save their parents from the stress of hurrying to get ready in the morning for school and from spending time stuck in car congestions trying to get to school. Due to the bike lanes, which the U.S government has introduced to the streets, it is safer for children to ride their bikes and they will arrive faster at their destination. After school, when children ride home they relax their body and mind, enjoying the beautiful nature and breathing fresh air. While riding their bicycles between school and home, children have a little bit of time for themselves to calm down by forgetting about the stressful school and agitated parents. Jennifer Dill, a professor at the Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning, states in her research paper: â€Å"An extensive and rapidly growing literature suggests the need to facilitate bicycling through appropriate infrastructure (such as bike paths and bike parking), traffic calming, training and education programs, and other supportive measures† (Dill, Jennifer). Obviously, the key word to this entire issue is education; schools are forming the values of the next era of humanity. If the following generation is not capable of understanding simple traffic signs, how to drive safely nor the daily impact the use of a car is having on our planet, they are slowly taking steps toward a world full of ignorant people, who will fail in their attempt to make our planet a better place. Surprisingly, teachers sometimes do not take their jobs as educators seriously and do not see the bike topic as an important factor in our society. America could experience a decrease in traffic accidents, where children are involved, not by reducing cyclists, but by educating properly America’s youth. In addition, Teachers and parents should encourage their children and students to ride their bikes more frequently, what could prevent them from obesity and pollution. â€Å"Obesity and physical inactivity among younger people is a major issue we have to tackle and biking has proved a very popular after-school activity with the youngsters† (Milford, Lynne), noticed Chris French, a senior public health specialist at NHS North East Essex, about the biking-program he has done in various schools as an extracurricular activity. Indeed, Chris French is setting a fabulous role model for us to follow, but our final goal is to incorporate bicycle education in our official education system, so it is obligatory for every single child who goes to a public school. In this way we can encourage them to do more exercising and learn from an early age on most of the important traffic signs to be better prepared when they have to do their license test in the future. If parents cannot afford to pay their children some kind of extracurricular activity outside from school, bicycling is a cheap alternative way that can be extremely pleasant for children in every age and adults in its various forms of use, such as â€Å"†¦mountain bicycling, racing bicycling, touring bicycling or BMX biking† (Baxamusa, Batul); fortunately, the numerous diversity of using a bicycle can appeal to all kinds of different people. Also, the excessively use of videogame is harming the next generation, because they entertain themselves for hours by not moving any body part, but their fingers making the burning of calories almost impossible. Besides the violence of this inadequate videogames reflects on the children, which start being disrespectful towards their parents and not obeying their restrictions. The routine would become eventually a vicious cycle, because the children keep disobeying their parents and playing more videogames. Although â€Å"33 percent of children and teens are obese in the United States† (Stein, Cherie), the majority of parents lamentably do not distinguish nor accept the overweight of their own children; due to the discriminating society we live in. A combination of lack of physical activity, genetic factors and unhealthy eating patterns is the major cause of obesity in children, enforced by their unwillingness to do exercise and outside-playing activities. Fortunately, two of these causes, physical activity and eating patterns, can be controlled closely by educators and parents, if they have a strong initiative toward their children. Children are easy to manipulate; if a parent or a teacher enthusiastically encouraged children to ride their bikes at least once a week and combined it with a healthy diet, the number of obese young people in the United States could easily be reduced. Also, bicycling cannot only decrease heart and lung diseases, but also asthma and overweight related diseases. Not only are the children in danger of healthy risks, but also in danger to the exposure of peers bullying them for their overweight. Eventually this type of harassment can lead to lower self-esteem and even mental harm. If a person has the tool to prevent and solve a serious problem with horrible consequences, this person should not waste a minute more on thinking this problem through, but solve it instantly. Most children in the United States have enough money to buy a videogame console, thus they should have enough money to buy at least a second-hand bicycle, making the issue of missing money irrelevant. Riding their bicycles to school, and in general as a common way of transportation, would surely prevent them from serious health problems and from loosing their self-esteem because of bullying by some of their peers. Besides the positive change the use of a bicycle can have on a human body and even mind as they relax on their way, they help reduce pollution, as they do not create any carbon emissions. â€Å"Based on the mechanical energy used †¦ the bicycle is roughly 10 times more efficient [than a car]† (Lawyer, David). David Lawyer has been studying for several years how much energy a vehicle of transportation needs and how much pollution it causes. Worthwhile, he calculated from the energy to produce a car and a bicycle, to the pollution they cause in a total and general view. Undoubtedly, the comparison turned out, as expected, to be favoring the bicycles, but now official by showing all his research to the public in his website. Providentially, SanFrancisco was performing a massive plan to improve the bicycle-conditions in this enormous, populated, urban city. Conscious officials wanted to create more bike parking, bike lanes and other cycling incentives, but one man, Rob Anderson, stopped the whole process by arguing â€Å"By eliminating some car parking spaces and traffic lanes to make room for more cyclists, the biking plan would create more traffic jams and more pollution† (Dvorak, Phred), and he demanded an environmental impact study before anything could be continued. Lamentably, a Californian superior court judge agreed with him, and so by stopped all pro-cycling activities until the study was done. Obviously, his argument did not have a certain point, because â€Å"a bicycle does not have any carbon emissions† (Forester, John), thus a bicycle is not harming the environment in any way and if a solution to pollution really existed, it would be to limit the car use instead of the bike use. Furthermore, every cyclist stands for one less car on the road and is amiably helping to â€Å"reduce approximately 31.37 pounds of carbon dioxide† (McNamara, Melissa), which will not pollute our atmosphere. The whole juristic issue took two years plus two years of studying the environmental impact, thus San Francisco had to wait until 2010 for the whole process to start where it had left. It is incredible how an insignificant individual could harm a whole city and part of the solution to a worldwide problem in such an arrogant manner. Instead of questioning the benefits of cycling, responsible citizen should consider all the consequences and detriments the excessively use of automobiles has been having on our atmosphere for the last couple of decades. Easily, a person can contribute to prevent the humanity of catastrophic after-effects, but teachers and parents could emphasize more the importance of a change in our society by improving the education on their students and children. Altruistic, individually contribution is required to make a significant change on the issues of global warming, acid rain, ozone thinning and other negative effects of air pollution, which the destructive impact of cars has been having in our world. Clearly, elementary schools in the United States of America do not satisfy the deficit of the bicycling information in the education system in order to prevent their students from eventual traffic accidents, perhaps even death and to encourage the next generation to use their bicycles more frequently. Instead of reducing bicyclers by persuading them bicycling is too dangerous, the American education system should rather implement rules and signs of bicycling to their students. Higher self-esteem and better health, mentally and physically, could be important benefits in children’s live in result of bicycling. An enormous change in our atmosphere and living customs would happen if the present and next cohort of humans learned to appreciate the extraordinary activity of cycling. Saving 630 lives of sons and daughters in a year should not be a topic to discuss, but to be set immediately in action and support the greatest invention a human ever made, the bicycle. Works Cited Baxamusa, Batul N. â€Å"Ride You Weight off.† Easy Health and Living Oct. 2008: 31-32. Print. â€Å"Bicycle Crash Facts.† Bicyclinginfo.org. University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. Dill, Jennifer. â€Å"Editorial Board.† Preventive Medicine 37.1 (2003): 24-25. Print. Dvorak, Phred. â€Å"San Francisco Ponders: Could Bike Lanes Cause Pollution?† Wall Street Journal (2008): A1. Print. Forester, John. Bicycle Transportation. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1983. Print. McNamara, Melissa. â€Å"Air Pollution Facts – CBS Evening News – CBS News.† Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment and World News – CBS News. 31 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. . Milford, Lynne. â€Å"Bike Plan to Tackle Childhood Obesity.† The Daily Gazette. 12 May 2009. Print. Lawyer, David S. â€Å"Compare to an Automobile.† Bicycle Energy. L.A. Free Net, July 2010. Web Perez, Tzirath. Personal interview. 09 Dec. 2010. Putcher, John. â€Å"Infrastructure, Programs, and Policies to Increase Bicycling: An International Review.† Rev. of Increasing Bicycling Policies. Mar. 2010: 15-17. Print. Stein, Cherie. Your Child: A Recipe for Healthy Happy Children. Burleigh, Qld.: Zeus Publications, 2008. 16. Print.

Joseph Conrad Essay

Joseph Conrad was born Joseph Teodor Konrad Korzenioski in 1857 in Berdichev, Ukraine. He officially changed his name to Joseph Conrad in 1886, when he became a British citizen (Liukkonen). Although Conrad discouraged people from interpreting his literature through analysis his life, his life did shape his writing. Much of his anti-imperialistic views could have sprouted in childhood, when he was under the rule of Russians the Ukraine. His father Apollo Korzeniowski was arrested for suspicious involvement in revolutionary activities (online-literature). Apollo spent much time writing plays and social satires. Although his works were not well known, they gave Joseph an early appreciation for literature. Apollo died of tuberculosis in 1869; four years the same disease claimed his wife, Conrad’s mother. Joseph, only 11, was sent to live with his uncle in Switzerland (online-literature). He went to school for a few years before convincing his uncle to let him go to sea in the mid 1870’s. In that decade he made three trips to the West Indies as an apprentice on a French merchant ship. He continued his career for 16 years on British ships, slowly rising in rank from common seaman to first mate. By 1886 Conrad held the command of his own ship, Otago. Heart of Darkness is based on his four month journey through the Congo in 1890 (Liukkonen). Years of work at sea gave him back problems from which he never recovered, and a unique, if ugly, view of the world. In an 1897 letter he explained his view: â€Å"What makes mankind tragic is not that they are victims of nature, it is that they are conscious of it. To be part of the animal kingdom under the conditions of this earth is very well – but as soon as you know of your slavery, the pain, the anger, the strife, the tragedy begins (Liukkonen).† In 1894, at the age of 36, Conrad gave up the sea life to focus on writing. He had started to care more about writing five years earlier, and carried a journal on his journey into the Congo which served as inspiration for Heart of Darkness (classic notes). When his uncle died, he left Joseph with enough money to live comfortably while he got started in literature. His first novel, Almayer’s Folly, was published in 1895. Charlie Marlow, the protagonist in Heart of Darkness first appears in Lord Jim, as the narrator. The novel is based loosely on the true story of a British steamship which, after springing a leak, was abandoned by her crew, leaving Muslim pilgrims aboard (Liukkonen). The protagonist, Jim, is one of the British officers who abandoned the ship. Conrad married an Englishwoman named Jessie George in 1896 and moved to Ashford, Kent, where he resided until he died of a heart attack in 1924. He was an influential, yet humble English author. He declined honorary degrees from five universities, and shortly before his death he refused an offer of knighthood (Liukkonen) . Joseph Conrad’s works were published years after his death. In 1983 a collection of letters and a diary of his experience in the Congo was published in five volumes. Conrad’s influence is seen in an array of acclaimed literature, including the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and T.S. Eliot (online-literature).