Polarization Of Political Views And Loss Of Confidence

Polarization in political views and loss of confidence in government? Introduction The main political divisions in the United States are into two parties - the Republicans and the Democrats. A recent (Pew Research study) [http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/12/political-polarization-in-the-american-public/] noticed a growth in ideological consistency within the parties, with the overlap in conservativeness and liberality shrinking between 1994 and 2014. This polarization of political views could have many effects on the politics of the nation - both in the upcoming (2016) presidential election and societal developments in the future. Polarization in political views, while not bad in and of itself, can hinder the actions of the nation as the two sides staunchly bicker over who’s right instead of working together toward an actionable solution. Lack of unified national strategy hamstrings government agencies, as goals are either not clear or a changed with each incoming administration. For example, the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) has received several project mandates in the past ten years, only to find them canceled as political renown required a different arbitrary goal. When an agency’s goals are revised, much of the costs already spent are wasted and unrecoverable. Other policies at stake are about doing anything at all. Questions over how, if at all, to engage emerging extra-governmental threats (e.g. Islamic State), environmental threats (climateShow MoreRelatedPolitical Parties And The American Revolution1024 Words   |  5 PagesPolitical parties, created by the American Revolu tion leaders, emerged in the 1790’s. George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson were the four most prevalent figures in leadership during this time. Even before the creation of parties, there were strong feelings against them. George Washington stated in his Farewell Address to avoid parties because they would create factions. 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Individuals within the team know each other well, thus deploying confidence and trust, which results in cooperation and support. 2. Teamwork promotes and establishes effective communications channels within the members of the team. Daft (1996) considers the formation of teams as critical and immense for the effectual elaborationRead MoreDevelopment Challenges in the Context of Zimbabwe5118 Words   |  21 PagesDISCUSS THE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES IN THE CONTEXT OF ZIMBABWE. Zimbabwe as a developing state has a number of developmental challenges that emanate from different quarters within the parameters of its political, social, economic, technological and environmental set ups. This factors which are both historical and current intermingle in arresting development as to be discussed. To begin with, the past corporate driven global economic policy termed the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme of 1991Read MoreThe Rise Of The Great War2463 Words   |  10 Pageslooking for, soon becoming a symbol of hope for some while sparking absolute terror in the hearts of others. The combination of German desperation, prejudices and Hitler’s political prowess lead to the Third Reich, World War II, and the death of millions of soldiers and civilians worldwide. To most Germans of the early 1900s, the loss of the Great War was a shock and outrage. As though in mockery of the extreme nationalist sentiments of 1914, November of 1919 saw a German revolution. The long standingRead MoreSectarianism: Islam and Pakistan4378 Words   |  18 PagesSectarianism can broadly be defined as divisions within a group, such as different denominations within a religion, based on perceived differences. 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Scarlet Letter and Crucible Letter Free Essays

In 17th century, there was a group of Christians, known as puritans, in Massachusetts. One item that was different about puritans was that they had very strict rules, especially sins. The two famous works, one by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter and second by Arthur Miller, The Crucible, say a lot about puritan lives during this time period. We will write a custom essay sample on Scarlet Letter and Crucible Letter or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Scarlet Letter took place in Boston, Massachusetts, and The Crucible took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Both of his works deal with sin, its effects on different characters, people’s reactions, each character’s conflicts, and their resolution to the conflicts. Dimmesdale, who is one of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, and John Proctor, who is in The Crucible. Dimmesdale is more about his respect than anything, while Proctor respects truth than his respect. We can get evidences by looking at their motivations, conflicts, and conflict resolutions, which differ the same way they do. Both, Dimmesdale and Proctor, are different men, but their external conflicts make them the most different. Dimmesdale and Proctor, are two of the main characters from books The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible respectively, who goes through many external conflicts. The conflicts that both characters undergo are different from each other. For instance, Dimmesdale has an external conflict with Chillingworth, his lover’s husband, who wants to give a lot of pain for committing adultery with his wife, Hester. â€Å"His fame, his position, his life, will be in my hands. † (Chillingworth, Page 65). On the other hand, Proctor has an external conflict with Abigail, his lover, who wants to live with him for whole her life and kill his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. â€Å"Goody Proctor always kept poppets. † (Proctor, Act 2). Both characters have conflicts that led them a series of problems. Dimmesdale doesn’t know that Chillingworth is Hester’s husband, and so keeps him as a doctor for him. Chillingworth takes advantage of this and keep giving Dimmesdale wrong medicines, which results in more and more pain for Dimmesdale. Thus, Dimmesdale have to suffer pain due to Chillingworth. John Proctor, character from The Crucible, however, has a different kind of problem. Abigail tries her best to get Proctor, which also includes accusing thirteen people from the town with Elizabeth Proctor. When he confesses about adultery with Abigail in court, nobody listen to him. â€Å"I have made a bell of my honor! I have run the doom of my good name – you will believe me, Mr. Danforth! My wife is innocent, except she knew a whore when se saw one! † (Proctor, Act 3). Dimmesdale have to suffer the pain of his heart, while Proctor has to go to jail. In other words, Dimmesdale have to go through inner pain, while Proctor has to go through external pain. Dimmesdale’s conflict with Chillingworth and Proctors conflict with Abigail are their primary external conflicts, but they also have some internal conflicts. Dimmesdale and Proctor have their internal conflicts, which are totally different from each other’s conflicts. For example, Dimmesdale is becoming sick day by day due to the internal conflict that, which is the guilt of the sin of adultery. â€Å"It is for the reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart! † (Pearl, Page 148). On other hand, Proctor has an internal conflict over confessing of committing adultery for the good of his wife or not. â€Å"(trembling, his life collapsing about him): I have known her, sir. I have known her. † (Proctor, Act 3). Both of these character’s conflicts led them to problems. Because of Dimmesdale’s internal conflict, he become very sick and at the end died on the scaffold. He was feeling so much guilt that he couldn’t live and so one night he goes to the scaffold and stands with Hester and Pearl. There is one ironic entity about his sickness. As he became sicker, his popularity increased in the town. Proctor, however, doesn’t go through a lot of pain. He have problem with his wife due to Abigail and also during confessing in the court, he became very nervous. Proctor had to choose life of his wife or his own. In other words, if he confessed his wife would be saved, but if he doesn’t than he will be saved from public humiliation. Thus, both had different internal conflicts and also different effects due to those. Dimmesdale’s internal conflict due to his guilt and Proctor’s internal conflict of confessing or not are different, but their motivations in the books are also different. The characters Dimmesdale and Proctor have motivations for acting in a certain way in books, The Scarlet Letter and the Crucible respectively, which are different. For instance, maintaining his respect in the town motivates Dimmesdale. â€Å"Hester, here is a new horror! Roger Chillingworth knows your purpose to reveal his true character. Will he continue, then, to keep our secret? What will now be the course of his revenge? † (Dimmesdale, Page 162). On other hand, Proctor’s motivation is the love for his wife. â€Å"These are my friends. Their wives are also accused-I come not to hurt the court: I only-† (Proctor, Act 3). Both characters are motivated in different ways to act the way they are acting in the book. Because of Dimmesdale’s motivation, he keeps his guilt inside. He doesn’t confess. Pearl even asks him to stand on the scaffold with Hester and her, but he refuses her. Thus, his motivation led him to suffer his pain and not confess. However, Proctor is motivated by the love for his wife. He took evidence with him that proved that Abigail is wrong in saying that his wife is witchcraft, but the judges ignore him. After trying that, he confesses of committing adultery with Abigail, but due to his wife’s attempt of saving him, the court doesn’t believe him this time either. He goes to jail and is hanged at the very end in attempt of saving his wife and of witchcraft. Dimmesdale’s respect and Proctor’s love for his wife are motivations that lead them to act in the way they do are different, and they also have different conflict resolutions. As Dimmesdale and Proctor’s conflicts are different, the ways they resolved it are also totally different. For example, Dimmesdale tries to solve his conflict by confessing on the scaffold, but doesn’t work. â€Å"Then, down he sank upon the scaffold! Hester partly raised him, and supported his head against her bosom. (Hawthorne, Page 209). John Proctor’s way of solving his conflict was different from Dimmesdale’s. He tried by confessing the contraption that was not right, but also didn’t worked. â€Å"†¦. A man will not cast away his good name. You surely know that†¦ A man may think God sleeps, but God sees everything, I know it now. I beg you, sir, I beg y ou – see her what she is. † (Proctor, Act 3). They both have different ways to resolve their conflicts, which came to same result, a fail. Due to Dimmesdale’s confession, he fall down and died immediately. His partial reason for his death is Chillingworth’s torcher and also his internal conflict. He cannot see his reputation going down and so dies. On Proctor’s side, it is different. He goes to the court and tries to save his wife with different ways, but at last when anything doesn’t work, he confesses himself to prove Abigail Williams wrong. After this, the judge called Elizabeth Proctor to conform the statement that his husband said and the first time in her life, she lied. This way, the judges don’t believe him and sends him to jail for practicing witchcraft and going against the court. Dimmesdale’s resolution of dying and Proctor’s resolution of confessing for the good of his wife and children were the last entity proving that they are different. In conclusion, the reader can interpret that Dimmesdale and John Proctor are entirely different men through their motivations resulting in conflicts and the ways of handling their conflicts. Dimmesdale and Proctor both have a great respect in the town, but made mistake of committing adultery. While, they have the similar situation, but handles it with different ways. John Proctor believes that his reputation is because he is a truthful man. â€Å"How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul: leave me my name! † (Proctor, Act 4). He said this after telling that lie of being witchcraft because he doesn’t want people to say him a liar, and want to teach his children a good lesson of saying the truth. While, Dimmesdale thought that it is good to ignore the truth to maintain his respect. He doesn’t confess until the end when he was going to die. So, the reader can conclude that everyone doesn’t think in the same direction by looking at Dimmesdale and Proctor. How to cite Scarlet Letter and Crucible Letter, Papers

The Shame of Paying College Athletes free essay sample

A salary should only be given to athletes that are at a professional level. Young college athletes don’t yet know the value of money and should be treated as such. College athletes should not be paid, due to the fact that most colleges would not be able to afford paying every player in their program, schools already provide free education and scholarships for athletes, and paying athletes is against NCAA regulation. First of all, athletes should not be paid because most colleges (besides big name schools) would not be able to afford paying all their players in their programs; not just football and basketball players. Out of the 120 FBS (formerly named Division 1) schools, only twelve broke even or made a profit after an athletic season†(Bokshan) If only twelve broke even how are these schools expected to cough up enough money to pay their players. They are not. If the National College Athletic Association or NCAA changed their rules, and forced all colleges to pay their athletic players; most would quickly fall into dept, and have to cut their entire sports program just to save their schools from having to close down. Leaving the college no choice, but to cut into their general funds; meaning cutting back on funding for cademic education. Many Universities like Miami of Ohio are going through huge budget problems, because of all the expenses from their college sports program (Northern Star). Miami University and many other schools can barely afford running a sports program, let alone paying all their athletes. Paying colleges would cost at least $200 million a year for Division 1, and that’s not including Division 2, and 3. (USA TODAY) $200 million dollars is an insane about of money, and â€Å"There are just to many important issues that schools need to address, and speeding oney on already spoiled athletes isn’t one of them? † (Northern Star). Therefore; colleges could never afford paying their athletes because of numerous reasons. In addition, colleges already provide free education and scholarships. â€Å"Full athletic scholarships cover a student athlete’s tuition, any fees, room, meal plans and required course related books†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Bokshan). What else does a young student athlete attending a college need? They are already getting a college education for free. Their room and board is fully paid and study from books that can cost up to $500 dollars each. Student athletes also get erks other than the scholarship itself, like free tutors and special classes to help the player stay eligible to play (Daugherty). Most colleges already have systems set but to ensure that all there players have enough money to have cloths and other necessities. (Eagan, Mike). College athletes are already pampered enough. They don’t need a pay check to g with their already free- education (Cassavugh). Players also have the advantage of study with other members of their team that are most likely in the same free classes. Example of a pampered player- Star Kentucky freshmen Anthony B. Lavis already has a free-education, and an audition for the NBA (Daugherty). Actors don’t get paid for auditioning for a play, so why should a basketball player audition be paid? These college players are selfish, and should be honored that schools have offered them to play. They shouldn’t expect a salary to go with their scholarship. They can wait until the pros to get their $8 million dollar signing bonuses. Lastly, college athletes should not be paid because it is against NCAA regulation. The rule of colleges not being able to pay their players should be theft untouched, and for good reason. The NCAA is based off of amateurism and if players were paid they could no longer be considered amateurs (Crowley) and the whole NCAA foundation would be broken. College players are not professionals and should be treated as such. NCAA is about fairness and by paying players would be extremely unfair to smaller schools that would have no chance to pay for the highest caliber players. Division 1 would be treated with the most care and money leaving division 2, and 3 with also n money to pay their players, this is also unfair. Colleges couldn’t just pay their football and basketball teams. They would have to pay there acrosse, track, soccer, swimming etc. ; including all the women’s teams. If the college were to only pay the means teams the would be involution of one of the most important section of the NCAA rule book Title IX- A clause in the 1972 in the Education act stating that on one shall be denied the benefits of any educational program or activity that receives di rect federal aid because of their Gender (dictionary). College is a privilege that is earned, and income from that privilege can’t be bestowed only of some of the men (Daugherty). By paying college athletes players it will single handedly arnish not only the entire way NCAA college sports are run, but also infect it with politics and favoritism. College athletes shouldn’t be paid, due to the fact that most colleges would not be able to afford paying every player in their program, schools already provide free- education and scholarships for athletes, and paying athletes is against NCAA regulation. Money can and will destroy the college athlete program; there are too many things that can go wrong when it comes to distributing a pay check student athlete. The NCAA has its flaws, but enforcing the rule of not paying college athletes is not one of them. (Porto)

Red Lake High School Shooting Essay Essay Example

Red Lake High School Shooting Essay Essay Jeffrey James â€Å"Jeff† Weise was an Ojibwe Native American stripling. and a pupil at Red Lake Senior High School in Red Lake. Minnesota. He killed nine people and wounded five others in a shooting fling on March 21. 2005. when he was merely 16 old ages old. Weise foremost murdered his gramps and grandfather’s girlfriend at his dawdler place in Red Lake. He so shot and killed an unarmed security guard. a instructor and five pupils at Red Lake Senior High School. The shot ended when Weise committed self-destruction. Research shows that Jeff was a unusual immature adult male. interested in Gothic things black vesture and Nazism. but a expression a small farther into his yesteryear led to a few interesting disclosures. Jeff’s parents were neer married. because his female parent was merely 17 when she gave birth. She was forced to give Jeff to his male parent when he was three months old. Then when he was two his female parent took him back. She was reportedly an opprobrious alky with a inclination to both physically and emotionally mistreat her first born boy. In 1997 Jeff’s father committed self-destruction after a two twenty-four hours draw with constabulary. We will write a custom essay sample on Red Lake High School Shooting Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Red Lake High School Shooting Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Red Lake High School Shooting Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Then in 1999 his female parent suffered encephalon harm after a auto accident in which she had been imbibing and driving. Jeff was so placed in the attention of his grandma at the Red Lake Reservation. Jeff did non hold the right start in life. His parents should hold been older and more ready for a kid when he was born. They besides should hold been married. Jeff besides should hold had a more stable place life as an baby. It is dubious that he had a steadfast fond regard with his female parent or male parent sing that he was passed between them at 3 months old and 2 old ages old. He besides should non hold been physically or emotionally abused. His female parent failed him in that facet and the fact that she was an alcoholic makes it even worse. It is besides dubious that Jeff dealt with his father’s self-destruction in a healthy manner. He did non hold the support that he should hold had from his female parent. By the clip he got to his grandmother’s attention he had already led a really hard life. This ties in to every chapter that we have discussed so far. It refers to attachment. maltreatment. adolescence and everything. It all goes back to the first thing we talked about that said when parents fail to give their kid a good start in life everybody suffers. as is the instance with the households of Jeff’s victims.

Brief history of film essays

Brief history of film essays The great movie event of 1972 was The Godfather, the top-grossing film of the year and possibly of all time. In a nation apparently worried about violence in motion pictures, on television, and in its streets, the popularity of The Godfather made ironic commentary on American attitudes and values. The year began with angry outcries against the blood and gore of A Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs, released in December, 1971; and the publication in March of the Surgeon-General's Report on Televised Violence further upset the public. Nevertheless, Americans paid well over $125 million to witness a three-hour testimony to the glories of gangsterdom. Concerned chiefly with power struggles among rival gangland "families," which are, implicitly, units of the "Mafia" or "Cosa Nostra," The Godfather has two central themes: first, in the words of Balzac, that "Behind every great fortune there is a crime," and second, that beneath the bravado and butchery, gangsters are warm and loving human beings, good friends, good husbands, good fathers, and good sons. The public did not complain about the brutality of the film; significantly, the cruelty is not sex-linked as in Clockwork Orange and Straw Dogs. Nor did the community of critics, who are often hostile to big, expensive movies ( The Godfather cost $6 million to produce). They praised the film highly, and gave kudos to all concerned director Francis Ford Coppola; scenarists Coppola and Mario Puzo, who wrote the best-selling novel on which the film is based; and stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. New Direction in Film Musicals. The Godfather was not 1972's only blockbuster. Cabaret, an adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical of 1971, showed a domestic gross of more than $20 million. Liza Minnelli, daughter of film director Vincente Minnelli and the late Judy Garland, and evidently heir to her mother's charismatic gifts as a performer, stars in the film. The film was based on Christo...

How to Convert Liters to Milliliters

How to Convert Liters to Milliliters The liter and the milliliter are both key units of volume in the metric system. The method for converting liters to milliliters is demonstrated in this worked example problem. How Many Milliliters in a Liter? The key to working a liter to milliliter problem (or vice versa) is to know the conversion factor. There are 1000 milliliters in each liter. Because this is a factor of 10, you dont actually have to break out the calculator to do a conversion. You can simply move the decimal point. Move it three spaces to the right to convert liters to milliliters (e.g., 5.442 L 5443 ml) or three spaces to the left to convert milliliters to liters (e.g., 45 ml 0.045 L). Problem How many milliliters are in a 5.0-liter canister? Solution 1 liter 1000 mL Set up the conversion so the desired unit will be cancelled out. In this case, we want mL to be the remaining unit. Volume in mL (Volume in L) x (1000 mL/1 L) Volume in mL 5.0 L x (1000 mL/1 L) Volume in mL 5000 mL Answer There are 5000 mL in a 5.0-liter canister. Check your answer to make sure it makes sense. There are 1000 times more milliliters than liters, so the milliliter number should be much greater than the liter number. Also, since we are multiplying by a factor of 10, the value of the digits wont change. Its only a matter of moving the decimal point.

Integrating Design and Production Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7750 words

Integrating Design and Production - Coursework Example The intense competitiveness in the market has caused a rapid increase in the demand for integrated design and production tools and techniques. However the modern manufacturing firms have been known to offer new products to the customers at a lower cost but with high quality. Thus, integrating design and production can be considered on three different theoretical concepts, such as ontological (metaphysical) assumptions, a theory of production and a theory of management in order to manage and integrate of design and production of projects. It was Ohno, a production engineer at Toyota, who for the first time broke through the conventional barrier between design and manufacturing and introduced the concept of production design in the manufacturing industry as a useful tool. Project process or life span is defined as "the sequence of phases through which the project will evolve" (Monden, 1992). The project process matters in design planning and final execution phases. The time cycle is directly associated with the life span of the project so that from the time of design the project till its final phase of full implementation the life cycle will evolve from one phase to the other. However the life cycle is directly related to the structure of the project and therefore some projects require approval at the end of each phase. Thus planned sequences or phases involve corporate operations of the new project and therefore management should focuses on the significance of skills, resources and organizational controls in managing the project.Lean construction is a method applied in the process of project delivery and is based on a waste-minimizing and value maximizing production management principle. The phrase "Lean Construction" was first coined by the International Group for Lean Construction at its inaugural meeting in 1993. In the construction industry this principle acquires a still lager dimension in that the approach is adopted through the whole process of manufacturing process design, planning, supply management and assembling (Shingo, 1989). Lean production as associated with management is a systemic approach to minimizing losses or waste and maximizing value creation so that the subsequent techniques are refined to achieve a degree of sophistication in preconceived management settings. The following four aspectual phases have been suggested in modern literature on the subject as more perceptive in terms of design, performance, delivery and control. The construction facility and its delivery have to be designed and planned in a manner that takes into consideration the customer's purpose and need. The rationale for positive iteration is emphasized so that negative iteration is minimized as far as possible (Brookfield, & Skaysbrook, 2004). Designing the structural perimeters of the project in a manner to achieve value at the highest possible level and minimize waste at the delivery stage. This is essentially associated with the process facilitation because when construction projects are designed processes become complex as the delivery phase comes closer. Total performance concept is emphasized as a measure aimed at improving the qualitative outcomes. Thus project performance as a whole is much more important than cost reduction measures and relative speed. Controlling processes and systems is central to the monitoring task in lean construction. Thus there is

Human Rights and English law (LLB) Without security there can be no Essay

Human Rights and English law (LLB) Without security there can be no liberty Discuss, with particular reference to the legislative measures on terrorism since - Essay Example Today, terrorism has become almost part of our lives. People are simultaneously worried about security and individual freedom. Politicians are worried about both too. We can see the contrast between the Labour Party Manifesto and the aftermath: â€Å"Citizens should have statutory rights to enforce their human rights in the UK courts. We will by statute incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law to bring these rights home and allow our people access to them in their national courts. The incorporation of the European Convention will establish a floor, not a ceiling, for human rights. [emphasis added] : 1997 Labour Party’s General Election Manifesto. Erosion of Human Rights started with the fight against terrorism. There is also an added fear that erosion of human rights could be counter productive. People detained under harsh conditions, on the basis of secret accusations, which they could not refute, harassed or tortured could create a backlash in the society. But can the country risk its security in the name of freedom? If so, how far can it go without endangering itself? How much protection can security agencies offer without additional powers and how safe are these draconian powers? Which is more important, liberty or security of the nation? Since September 11th, 2001, Government passed many laws, even though there were toughest laws in place already. Crime and Disorder Act of 1998, Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act, 1999, Regulation Investigatory power Act, 2000, Terrorism Act 2000, Anti Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, 2001, Criminal Justice and Police Act, 2001, Proceeds of Crime Act, 2002, Criminal Justice Act, 2003, Asylum and Immigration Act, 2004, and Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2005 are the various laws made for the security of citizens and properties of United Kingdom and there is no doubt that they infringe on the personal liberty of citizens. â€Å"We are particularly

The effects of war and technology on the apocalyptic genre Essay Example for Free

The effects of war and technology on the apocalyptic genre Essay The apocalyptic genre centers on theme of prediction of disaster or warning of havoc in future, involving widespread destruction and devastation. Global warming can be a good example of apocalyptic scenario. In fact man is afraid of himself and more so what he has created. War is a disaster of man’s actions that has always had devastating effects on his life. With advancement of technology, war has taken a notch higher and so is the destructive effects which are to be accounted by sophisticated weapons used. This is compared to the fear of gods as in the Greek culture of 5th century in Athens (Ford 72). In those time one could not defy the gods and succeed in his or her endeavors because guided by hubris, one met fate he or she was destined, as depicted in the classical literary works. Supernatural forces The gods represented the divine powers controlling fate of man. Sophocles presents these powers of the gods in dramatized play in the story of a man unwitting moving closer to the unhappy fate he has been all along struggling mightily to avoid. The child Oedipus is born to a royal couple, Jocasta and Laius but a grim prophesy deprive this child the royal upbringing. Outcasted to be killed Oedipus is rescued and brought up by Corinth King. As he grows up the issue of his real parents comes up and Oedipus seeks the oracles to know the truth about his parents (Markantonatos 26). The quest to know his real parents in Corinth takes him to oracle Delphi who told him he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus leaves Corinth but on the way kills a stranger-his father because of his pride and ignorance. Had he been conscious of what the oracle had told him? He should have avoided all confrontations like that at the crossroads and would not have succumbed to killing. His investigation to know the killer of King Laius exemplifies the height of his ignorance as he accuses Tiresias of lying on behalf of Creon, his great opponent for kingship of Thebes (Markantonatos 39). Oedipus rebukes Tiresias for his lack of sight but it turns out, he himself is blind to the truth. When the truth dawns on him he is so angry that he gouges out his eyes. The hubris and hamartia are achieved is this play as Oedipus, through his pride and ignorance, guided royalty to know the truth leads to his fate, and draws the readers sympathy. Although the divine powers are blamed for what happened to Oedipus much of his ignorance is attributed to hubris which brings him the catastrophe that befalls on him. In Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles depicts the end of the tragic hero’s life and his mythic implication for Athens. Oedipus undergoes the transformation from an abject beggar, outcasted from his city because of his deeds, into a personality of enormous power, proficient of extending divine blessings. Markantonatos (39) reminds us that the play expresses the Greek mythology belief of supernatural forces that define the destiny of man. Oedipus and Antigone seek refuge in Athens after they are banished from Thebes. A conflict arises in Thebes where Creon and Eteocles, Oedipus’ son want Oedipus to return in Thebes to bless them to avoid a curse foretold by the oracle. Oedipus greets Polynices with the curse of mutual fratricidal murder. As the play ends the curse has been fulfilled for Polynices and Eteocles are engaged in battle where the prophesy of the curse is fulfilled as they kill each other (Ford 51). The effects of war in this case led to the death of brothers and curse finishes the whole family. According to Ford (59) the gods in ancient Greek culture of 5th century B. C were feared because of the influence over the lives of the people for destiny could be shaped in the punishment of ones sins and the punishment came on ones life and mostly at the height of success which was more embarrassing. On responding to the lives of the characters in Oedipus at Colonus shows war has on brought disastrous effects on the life of man. Due to his war-like attitudes, Oedipus kills his father and the curse is fulfilled in his life where he moves from grace to grass and his lineage also falls because of war. This although point on the supernatural forces at work, war has been brought by the characters hubris and hamartia which contributes to devastating effects on their lives in fulfillment of the predictions of the oracles. War and the supernatural forces in apocalyptic genre have generally contributed to the catastrophes that affected the Greek society. Man can only marvel at the wonders and fears brought by the divine forces at work but war is his creation and can be avoided by opting to solve the issues at hand amicably. Had Oedipus been patient after the oracle’s Delphi prophesy, he would have found the truth that the assumed parents in Corinth were not his real parents. His anger at the crossroads made him kill his real father despite the fact that it had been prophesied that he kill his father (Markantonatos 60). Had he controlled his anger would he have avoided the fulfillment of the prophesy on him? Much is blamed on the gods of man’s destiny but what is clear is man leads himself to his fate. Is it belief that leads man to his destruction or is it entirely on the part of the supernatural forces? Man can on his part prevent what is happening to him by exercising caution and trying control his actions that bring disaster to him. Effects of war and technology The effects of war and technology in the world of literature are dramatized in science fiction which makes man afraid of his own creation. In the world today many wars are being experienced that have devastating effects on the lives of people. According to Wells and MacAdam (37) the technology of man has led to the manufacture of the most sophisticated weapons the world has ever witnessed. Cases of these weapons used against mankind have produced disastrous and mass deaths that have shocked the world and might take many years to forget the Holocaust of Jews and the Hiroshima. In actual representation of these effects in apocalyptic genre has left man guessing what the technology and war can bring to man: mass deaths and effects that threaten man’s existence. This has been exemplified science fiction novels and produced in movies that have been very touching and arousing to the psychic of man. The War of the Worlds H. G. Wells’ The War of the World is a masterpiece literary work detailing the effects of technology and war on man. The book evokes details of the British countryside and a city under siege and Wells succeeds in the way he depicts the sequence of events in the melodrama tragedy which is fun but leaves the reader with something to think about. The novel recounts the meaning of invasion and in this case alien from other planets. The aliens are more armed than people could have imagined with lethal weapons that threaten life on earth. Arrogance is to blame for more aliens land on earth and more havoc increases caused by the aliens (Wells and MacAdam 40). The image depicted by the narrator of people fleeing the city is really shocking for it points to the effects of war which are projected to cause displacement of people and destruction of properties. Due to activities of war sanity is lost and the world goes mad over the effects hovering on land. Everything is in frenzy as people try to fight off the menace threatening people’s lives, and fortunately the aliens succumb to exposure to common terrestrial bacteria. Interpretation of The War of the Worlds In apocalyptic genre, the work predicts the outcome of future incidences that have disastrous effects on lives of the people. The War of the Worlds predicts the use of sophisticated weapons that can cause mass deaths as depicted by the invasion. It may not happen as predicted but the continued advancement of technology on weapons we may in future experience wars that employ these weapons, bringing havoc to the same people who made the same weapons (Wells and MacAdam 28). For this reason man has to be worried not of the ancient gods and the supernatural forces as depicted in the classical Greek plays, but because of his actions to create weapons via the advanced technology. Supranational agreements on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are today being tightened to avoid the wars these weapons may be used. But for how long shall these agreement hold before defaulters emerge and these weapons reach the hands of terrorists? How long before nations start rising against each other? These are the fears man has of weapons he has created and what effects they can have to the world. In the Greek culture, man worried about the gods and how they affected his life, but man today is more worried of the wars and technology that has enabled him create weapons which have devastating effects on life (Wyndham and Francis 98). Not to say that gods do not influence his life but mainly because he has understood his actions are to blame for the pathos and bathos befalling on him. The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham science fiction depicts a world where man has to struggle against the odds to brave the reality that is phasing out humans into extinction. A plague is out to wipe the human race and only two people are remaining sane on the world: Bill and Josella. The community is being devoured to extinction by combination of the triffids which are carnivorous man made plants that can walk, talk and are in revolution to take up the world from man. In fact the seeds of the plants have scattered around the world after a plot to steal them from Russian laboratory (Wyndham and Francis 81). Bill finally meets Josella whom they had been separated but have to fight off the triffids which are proving to be resilient. Wyndham novel is about what might be explained as the impeding doom of human race after the Cold War. Reflections on the novel fit in apocalyptic genre where the humanity may slip-off the agreements on nuclear weapons in to an abyss of nuclear holocaust. Overpopulation and inadequate resources are posed to be the sources of wars that may at one time find the biological and nuclear bombs being unleashed into the world so that some nations may have control over the world and gain access to these scarce resources (Wells and MacAdam 34). Interpretation of The Day of the Triffids It is not a joke when it is said that resources are diminishing at a fast rate. The effects have been felt on the environment, and when scientists talk of global warming we should believe every word. With every nation being polarized on the issue to ensure that its large population gets the basic resources we may find ourselves in a kind of war like activities to get these resources at whatever costs. Wyndham and Francis speculate that greed may take over many nations and invasions to get these resources rise bringing wars fought using all sorts of weapons (86). That biological weapons and virus are being manufactured in labs is not new. In fact most viral infections that are adversely affecting the world at large are as a result of lab processes that go wrong resulting to mutations forming deadly virus that are a threat to the world. There are those who spent sleepless night trying to come up with the most lethal biological weapon that can upon use wipe a whole nation. Although most of what we read is fiction work, nations and terrorists organizations are upbeat in their act to harm mankind in every way using the latest technology. The novel is a thoughtful reflection on morality, where the devil is in man (Ford 65). Wyndham and Francis (92) argue that every scary part reveals the triffids were eventually conquered and destroyed but technology is in action today and many tests in experiment. Wars are brewing everywhere and the threat remains great and the relentless militancy of man still lurks underneath. Biological weapons remain a great threat to the world because it is the most undetectable unlike other weapons which is not a speculation as it has been experienced in the world and many world hate. This serves as an eye-opener to the thinking man and there is need to worry over what might happen if the hell broke loose. In Greek tragedy plays worry was eminent and people took caution not to rub the gods the wrong way because something bad may happen to their lives (Wells and MacAdam 37). Today man has his worry pegged on wars and technology, his own creation, which are proving to bear their toll by causing mass deaths. Conclusion The apocalyptic genre has most of themes projected on prediction to future disastrous effects on man’s life. The Greek culture had the fear of gods which brought the tragedy to the hero in the play and mostly the people had to seek the oracles (supernatural forces) to know their fate which they could not change due to hubris. Man today is afraid of his own creation, wars and technology, which are bringing devastating effects. The apocalyptic genre in this case predicts the volatile situation we are living in amid the nuclear weapons which if reach in wrong hands like terrorists can be hazardous to humanity. Work cited Ford, James E. Rationalist criticism of Greek tragedy: the nature, history, and influence of a critical revolution. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2005. Markantonatos, Andreas. Oedipus at Colonus: Sophocles, Athens, and the world. Berlin; New York: De Gruyter, 2007. Wells, H. G and MacAdam, Alfred J. The War of the Worlds (Barnes Noble Classics Series). New York: Barnes and Noble classics, 2004. Wyndham, John and Francis, Pauline. The Day of the Triffids. London: Evans, 2003.

Comparing Satire in Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis and The Simpsons Essay

The Power of Satire in Babbitt and The Simpsons      Ã‚   Sinclair Lewis used his writing to promote the enrichment of American society by attacking the weaknesses he perceived in his era.   His most notable work, Babbitt, is a satire on the middle class lifestyle and attitude of the 1920s.   Lewis' satirical style and voice is comparable to the modern television series The Simpsons, written by Matt Groening.   Babbitt and The Simpsons contain numerous similarities in satirical writing, presentation and commentary.   Matt Groening satirizes many modern situations with his style and characterization in The Simpsons that are similar to the conditions in Babbitt.   The Simpsons represent the pinnacle of how Lewis' opinions are still alive in today's world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lewis uses both the effects of direct and indirect satire.   Lewis is a realistic satirist who, like many others, can "...utilize their vast firsthand knowledge of the material they describe and their sensitive ear for dialogue to support the illusion of reality" (Feinburg 61).   Lewis' firsthand knowledge is seen through the use of the minister Mike Monday in Babbitt, which is a satirical poke at the minister Billie Sunday of his time which would be unknown to him unless he knew the current events of his era.   Lewis first presents an obviously dead end idea through a foolish character, then has it refuted by an outside voice of reason, only to have the original character praise and defend the idea until he likely fails or realizes his blunder (Feinburg 92).   This type of interaction can be seen in Babbitt through a conversation between George and Myra. Babbitt begins by defending his new found liberalism and denounc ing the Good Citizens Leagu... ...to the greatest ongoing modern satire of our time" (Whitbourn and Kim 1).   The two shall never be forgotten as their sayings, "Oh by gee, by gosh, by jingo," and "D'oh!" will continue to ring out of America's middle class forever (Lewis 13).   Works Cited Carlisle, Henry C., ed. American Satire in Prose and Verse. New York:   Random House, 1962.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feinburg, Leonard. Introduction to Satire.   Ames, Iowa: The Iowa State University Press, 1967. Groening, Matt. The Simpsons A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family. Ed. Ray Richmond. New York: HarperPerrenial, 1997.   Kim, James, and Cade Whitbourn. The Simpsons. "Matt Groening." 1998. School of Media and   Communication. 23 Nov 2002. <http://mdcm.artsunsw.edu.au/Students98/WhitbournC/innovate1/creator.html>. Lewis, Sinclair. Babbitt. 1922. New York: Signet Classic, 1998.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comparing Satire in Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis and The Simpsons Essay The Power of Satire in Babbitt and The Simpsons      Ã‚   Sinclair Lewis used his writing to promote the enrichment of American society by attacking the weaknesses he perceived in his era.   His most notable work, Babbitt, is a satire on the middle class lifestyle and attitude of the 1920s.   Lewis' satirical style and voice is comparable to the modern television series The Simpsons, written by Matt Groening.   Babbitt and The Simpsons contain numerous similarities in satirical writing, presentation and commentary.   Matt Groening satirizes many modern situations with his style and characterization in The Simpsons that are similar to the conditions in Babbitt.   The Simpsons represent the pinnacle of how Lewis' opinions are still alive in today's world.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lewis uses both the effects of direct and indirect satire.   Lewis is a realistic satirist who, like many others, can "...utilize their vast firsthand knowledge of the material they describe and their sensitive ear for dialogue to support the illusion of reality" (Feinburg 61).   Lewis' firsthand knowledge is seen through the use of the minister Mike Monday in Babbitt, which is a satirical poke at the minister Billie Sunday of his time which would be unknown to him unless he knew the current events of his era.   Lewis first presents an obviously dead end idea through a foolish character, then has it refuted by an outside voice of reason, only to have the original character praise and defend the idea until he likely fails or realizes his blunder (Feinburg 92).   This type of interaction can be seen in Babbitt through a conversation between George and Myra. Babbitt begins by defending his new found liberalism and denounc ing the Good Citizens Leagu... ...to the greatest ongoing modern satire of our time" (Whitbourn and Kim 1).   The two shall never be forgotten as their sayings, "Oh by gee, by gosh, by jingo," and "D'oh!" will continue to ring out of America's middle class forever (Lewis 13).   Works Cited Carlisle, Henry C., ed. American Satire in Prose and Verse. New York:   Random House, 1962.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feinburg, Leonard. Introduction to Satire.   Ames, Iowa: The Iowa State University Press, 1967. Groening, Matt. The Simpsons A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family. Ed. Ray Richmond. New York: HarperPerrenial, 1997.   Kim, James, and Cade Whitbourn. The Simpsons. "Matt Groening." 1998. School of Media and   Communication. 23 Nov 2002. <http://mdcm.artsunsw.edu.au/Students98/WhitbournC/innovate1/creator.html>. Lewis, Sinclair. Babbitt. 1922. New York: Signet Classic, 1998.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

How far is it true that the play ‘The Duchess of Malfi’, presents a moral world of Webster’s that is different from the conventional mores? Essay

The Machiavellian qualities seen in the villain’s, along with the pragmatic of even existentialist attitude to life displayed by the good as well as bad characters may give a first impression that the world Webster presents in The Duchess of Malfi, is a chaotic world, but for a closer and deeper look at the play will show that the world is influenced by a moral order though this order cannot be universally enforced. Though the moral presence exists, this world remains mysterious, incomprehensible and the future of worldly creatures is unpredictable. The growing immortality and sensuousness, which the court displayed, made the citizens sympathise with the Puritans. People began to criticize the court and religion more vocally. This critical temper had its effect in literature of the time too. Times were running out and pessimism and satire arose out of the dissatisfaction among the people. The melancholy mood found in the literature of the late 16th and early 17th century was not affection, but a natural expression of the gloom and frustration that people of the time felt. The preoccupation of Webster with decay, disease sickness and death can be explained in the light of the social history. Webster excels in the sudden flash, in the intuitive but often unsustained perception. At times he startles us by what may be called the ‘Shakespearean’ use of the common word. In the dark night of ‘The Duchess of Malfi’ at the high point of tension when the Duchess is about to die her last words are: â€Å"Go tell my brother, when I am laid out They then may feed in quiet†- The bareness of ‘Feed’ increases the force of the line, for it suggests animal’s engrossment. It has too, that kind of authority peculiar to the common word unexpectedly introduced. Its impact is that of ‘bread’ in Hamlet’s skill. [â€Å"He took my father grossly, full of bread, With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May:†] They too often remain isolated and detached from the main stream of thought. In his manner of writing such sentences come too often though they may not have a direct relation with the texture of the play. Such lines as: â€Å"O, this gloomy world: In what a shadow, or deep pit of darkness, Doth womanish and fearful mankind live! Let worthy minds never stagger and distrust To suffer death or shame for what is just; Mine is another voyage†, stand out as detached expression of Webster’s sententious wisdom. Many of Webster’s lines in The Duchess of Malfi have become almost proverbial and can be quoted like proverbs without consideration of the text in which they occur. Tragedy according to Aristotle should ‘arouse pity and fear leading to the catharsis of such emotions’. Webster, an Elizabethan and a Jacobean, possibly could not have written plays according to Aristotle’s cannons. However, there is plenty in the play that arouses pity. And surely there is fear too in abundance arising out of all pervading horror in the play. As it is generally understood, a tragedy deals with sufferings and misfortunes of the protagonists of the play. â€Å"That I might toss her palace ‘bout her ears Root up her goodly forests, blast her meads, And lay her general territory as waste As the hath done her honours.† The Duchess of Malfi, like any good tragedy teaches us to know the world and its ways better. There are plenty in the play that are sensational and horrifying making it melodramatic to some extent, and they appeal to the morbid instincts of the playgoer. However, the principal victim of this play is not merely the sufferer, the Duchess, but the unconquerable and unsubdued human spirit of hers. In this the Duchess comes close to Shakespearian heroes and heroines. She keeps up her dignified spirit of defiance towards the evildoers, but is remarkably humble before heaven. She displays her sensuality not only in her marriage but also in devouring the apricots with evident greed. She becomes blind in her passion for Antonio and is credulous in taking Bosola’s words at face value. Her shirking of her responsibility, as a ruler of Malfi is a glaring flaw. Still the resigned dignity with which she faces the spectacle showing her dear ones as dead and her own impending strangling make us respect her unbreakable spirit. That enduring spirit ennobles us and uplifts us. Our faith in the essential nobility of human beings is reinforced, despite the damaging effect on that faith caused by the evil and villainy of others. In the case of Bosola, it is an intellectual failure. He fails to understand his personal identity and his responsibility for his actions. The play suggestively tells that sin is inherent in man and that the corruption of the body will find its way into corrupt action. The drift towards an error is natural and it eventually arrives at the natural consequence: retribution. This appears to be the meaning of the play. â€Å"Right the fashion of the world: From decay’d fortunes every flatterer shrinks: Men cease to build where the foundation sinks:† The Duchess, Antonio and Bosola share the focus of tragic issues in the play. The tragic flaw (hamartia) in the Duchess is the ‘madness’ which Cariola identifies at the end of the first act. That of Antonio, mainly is ambition- â€Å"Ambition,madam,is a great man’s madness, That is not kept in chains and close-pent rooms, But in fair lightsome lodgings, and is girt With the wild noise of prattling visitants Which makes it lunatic beyond all cure.† Along with the realism may be mentioned the meditative energy and the capacity to realize the irony, the mysterious nature and the pathos of life. The meditative energy Webster displays is an essential part of his dramatic genius. Sometime he introduces fables or parables even when by doing so inconsistencies in character portrayal creep in. Duke Ferdinand’s parable or Reputation, Love and Death and the Duchess’s fable of the salmon and the dog-fish belong to this area. â€Å"Though we are eaten up of lice and worms, And though continually we bear about us A rotten and dead body, we delight To hide it in tissue:† Webster presents a moral world that is some mysterious ways that ultimately bring punishments for the crimes one commit. The devilish Arragonian brothers and their equally devilish instrument, Bosola, feel the pangs of conscience and meet ignoble death. Remorse touches Ferdinand the most, and makes him lycanthropic. His presenting a dead man’s hand to the Duchess is another indication. The sight of the dead Duchess indeed acts as a trigger in turning him fully mad. Finally he is killed by Bosola. Bosola is struck with remorse, when he finds that his much expected ‘preferment’ does not come to him. He declares that if he was to live once again he would not commit his crimes, â€Å"For all the wealth of Europe’ Further looking at the dead Duchess he says, â€Å"Here is a sight As direful to my soul as is the sword Unto a wretch hath slain his father.† Later he mortally stabs the Cardinal and the Duke and himself, is killed by the Lycanthropic Duke. Even the Cardinal, who is a cold and calculating Machiavellian, feels the pricking of conscience. He goes to the religious books for consolation but finding it futile, lay it aside. He expresses his mental agony clearly when he soliloquizes: â€Å"How tedious is a quality conscience: When I look into the fish –ponds in my garden, Methinks I see a thing arm’d with a rake, That seems to strike at me.† True, the Duchess and Antonio do have their flaws but the sufferings they face appear to be out of proportion to their sins. Really their mistakes are minor and the punishment too great. Webster illustrates that the moral order he visualizes does not mete out reward and punishment equitably. The intense suffering that is heaped upon Duchess and to a lesser extent on Antonio , is determined by the forces of evil that exist in her devilish brothers and their villainous tool Bosola. The three appear to be mentally diseased people, sadists who enjoy inflicting of pain on others. Bosola, despite his occasional moral meditations and occasional show of sympathy for the plight of the Duchess, inflicts subtle mental torture on the Duchess. â€Å"Who would be afraid on’t. Knowing to meet such excellent company In the other world?† The dramatist’s fondness for bloodshed, violence and horror can be seen from his preoccupation with the morbid and the macabre. The world he presents is one of corruption, immortality, cruelty, dishonesty, greed and Machiavellianism. â€Å"This is flesh and blood, sir; ‘T is not the figure cut in alabaster.† Altogether ten murders take place, on the stage, in The Duchess of Malfi. Tortures of the most repulsive and shocking kind are released on the Duchess. The presentation and the dead man’s hand, the spectacle of the waxen figures of Antonio and children, shown as dead, the letting loose of the lunatics on to coffin, the strangling of the Duchess, Cariola and the children, the lycanthropia of the Duke, the killing of Antonio and the servant and the final Carnage, all show the preoccupation of the author with the murky and the morbid. Further, he seems to show disappointment when he finds the Duchess unbroken in spirit, despite her effort to break it. In Webster, like in Shakespeare, the good people with minor flaws seem to suffer deeply. Revenge is not a sacred duty in ‘The Duchess of Malfi’. Thus the play defers from the traditional ones. Revenge in its most grotesque form is presented here. Both the brothers, who seek revenge, are beastly villainous beings. In their rage they lose their sense of judgment and behave as depraved human beings, which they really are. Their resentment at the Duchess’s marriage below rank is natural, but it makes them commit inexplicably monstrous atrocities. Their revenge is not even a wild justice but very unnatural and bestial cruelty born out of perversion. In presenting this changed kind of revenge Webster has moved away from the beaten path. â€Å"Would I could be one, That I might toss her palace ‘bout her ears, Root up her goodly forests, blast her meads And lay her general territory as waste As she hath done her honours.† Webster does not believe that human suffering is caused by a supernatural agency- God or Fate. The events in the play show that human suffering is caused partly by the flaw in the sufferers and partly by the devilish qualities that exist in other villainous people. The Duchess, who suffers most in the play, is not a blemishes person. She has her flaw, her hamartia which is her sensuousness that makes her marry beneath her. She does not care for the damage of reputation her marriage could bring to her illustrations brothers, a Cardinal and a Duke. â€Å"He and his brothers are like plum-trees that grow crooked over Standing-pools: they are rich and o’erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies and caterpillars feed on them. Could I be one of their flattering ponders, I would hang on their ears like a horseleech, till I were full, and then drop off.† The Duchess of Malfi is one of the John Webstar’s finer plays. Several images are in the play which brings in tempests, thunder and earthquakes. Perhaps the best that belongs to this group is found in the Duke’s answer to the Cardinal’s question why the former behaves like a tempest. Very pungently he satirises the courtiers and courtly life of the time. The corruption of the court and the rewards the princes extended for devilish services is one of the major themes of the play. In the very first scene of the play we find Bosola making fun of the courtiers, and the evil patrons. Webster’s skill in stagecraft is displayed in several episodes of the play. The whole of Act IV is a theatrical tour de force. The Duchess wooing of Antonio leading to the secret marriage in Act I also shows equally great dramatic skill. The sudden appearance of Cariola from behind the arras gives a shock to Antonio. The meeting of Antonio and Bosola in the courtyard of Malfi palace, with its ‘sense of the theatre’ resembles the courtyard scene in Macbeth (Act II, Sc.I). Also dramatic is the Duke’s stormy appearance at the residence of the Cardinal with a letter in hand, fuming with rage. The Duke’s secret entry into the Duchess’s bed chamber gives a dramatically arresting episode. The Duchess s surprised at the continued silence of her husband, hears footsteps behind and turns expecting him coming back, but sees her brother the Duke advancing to her with his hand on his poniard. Another, theatrically very effective scene is where the Duke suffering from lycanthropic appears on the stage muttering ‘strangling is a very quiet death.’ The Duke, stealing across the stage in the dark, whispering to himself, with the devastating appearance of mad man is a figure one may not forget. Despite the existence of definite flaws in the nature of the Duchess and Antonio the sufferings and misfortunes they faced would not have arisen but for the evil present in the Cardinal, the Duke and Bosola. Webster appears to believe in the predominant existence of evil in this world. The various references to the devil and Machiavellianism stand testimony to it. Such references help to emphasize the evil nature of the Cardinal, the Duke and their tool-villain, Bosola. They are responsible for most of the sufferings and the ten deaths shown in the play. The tyrannous brothers become indignant at the news of their sister giving birth to a child, which they think to be illegitimate. The Duke is affected more and loses all self-control: He shouts in anger that he would become a storm: â€Å"That I might toss her palace ‘bout her ears Root up her goodly forests, blast her meads, And lay her general territory as waste As the hath done her honours.† In Elizabethan drama scenes of madness used to be shown on the stage, but they were episodic and did not contribute to the play at a psychological level. Webster too presents the chorus of madmen according to the revenge tradition. It creates, mostly a grotesque atmosphere with the antics and lunatic dance of the mad men. However there is some psychological interest too present in it. The Duke devises the scheme to torture the Duchess with the intention of turning her mad, but ironically he, not the Duchess, becomes mad. The lycanthropic madness of the Duke has still greater psychological significance. his madness is shown not only as an instrument to create horror, but to show that his crime has knocked him out of his sanity. Human beings inflict untold sufferings on his fellow beings prompted by ambition, envy, hatred, greed and lust for power. In Webster’s world it is the natural lot of man that he endures decay, disease and death. The Duchess and Antonio, the good characters of the play meet their death; one after a long suffering, the other by simple accident. Even the blameless Cariola, and the innocent children meet death by strangulation. Virtue, innocence and other good qualities appear to offer no assured safety against suffering and premature death. â€Å"If all my royal kindred Lay in my way unto this marriage, I’d make them my low footsteps.† Webster’s world is one where suffering embraces all, the good and the wicked. Suffering and death are inevitable. They result sometimes from deliberate contrivance as in the case of the Duchess, Cariola etc; sometimes from compulsive action as in the case of Antonio; and they can take place quite arbitrarily as in the case of the servant whom Bosola kills. Though he is a villainous person perpetrating some of the most heinous crimes, but he is also portrayed as a meditating malcontent who occasionally appears to act as a mouth-piece of the author’s view of life. Seeking happiness in the world, Webster seems to say is a futile effort for pleasure and is only momentary, but suffering is inevitable and profound. The dying Antonio makes it clear, â€Å"Pleasure of life, what is ‘t?only the good hours Of an ague: merely a preparative to rest, To endure vexation.† Webster could have been influenced by a few contemporary incidents to make the play what it is. One of them is the story of the fate of Torquato Tasso at the hands of Alfonso d’Este, an Italian Duke, because of his love for the Duke’s sister. Another was the imprisonment of Lady Arabella Stuart, as a punishment for het marrying Lord William Seymour against the wishes of King James I, her cousin. Lady Arabella became mentally deranged while in person. Though Webster followed Painter’s line, he made many noticeable additions. This can be found not only in the plot construction but also in characterization. In the play we find the Cardinal and the Duke warning the Duchess against a remarriage. There is nothing of the sort present in Painter. So also are the part played by Bosola, the secret entry of the Duke into the bed chamber of the Duchess and the sub plot of Julia’s adulterous relationship with the Cardinal. Further most of the incidents of Act IV especially the tormenting of the Duchess, by presenting the spectacle of the waxen images, the Duke’s presenting a dead man’s hand to the Duchess, the antics of the lunatics, Bosola’s entry as a tomb maker and a bellman etc., are all Webster’s inventions. Antonio’s visit to the Cardinal, the Echo-scà ¨ne, the lycanthropia of the Duke, Bosola’s decision to turn against his master and the final death of all the three, too are Webster’s additions. â€Å"I have ever thought Nature doth nothing so great for great men As when she’s pleas’d to make them lords of truth: Integrity of life is fame’s best friend, Which nobly, beyond death, shall crown the end.† The Duchess of Malfi has an admirable exposition in the first act. All the major characters are introduced sufficiently well. Antonio, knowledgeable in the fashion and manners of French Court, the Duke and the Cardinal who are like plum trees that grow crooked and right noble Duchess’ whose ‘discourse it is so full of rapture’ are painted with a few thick strokes . Later the Duchess shows her independence, vivacity and passionate nature by declaring her defiant attitude to the advice of the brothers and wooing Antonio abruptly and marrying him secretly. This may apply not only to the virtuous Duchess, but also to the wicked Bosola, who with determination kills the two characters. Bosola’s statement, â€Å"Let worth minds ne’er stagger in distrust To differ death or shame- for what is just:† makes this point amply clear. Whether virtuous or wicked, all should boldly decide not to compromise or surrender, but persist in being what they have it in themselves. Bosola by declaring: â€Å"I’ll be mine own example-â€Å" And the Duchess by asserting, â€Å"I am Duchess of Malfi still† He realizes that he has to ‘die like a leveret’. He does so and we feel as if he has faced the ultimate punishment for his crimes. Nemesis reaches all the three villains giving the impression that there is some moral -order that in some unknown way mete out punishments to the evil doers. The Duchess ridicules Cariola for her respect for religion and calls her ‘a superstitious fool’. However she displays her belief in God by kneeling before her death. We have to conclude that, Webster does not openly negate the existence of God in the play. However, the turn of events in the play makes one think that Webster’s moral world is an extentialist one. â€Å"Whether the spirit of greatness or of woman Reign most in her, I know not; but it shows A fearful madness: I owe her much of pity.† Bosola’s telling that â€Å"I will be mine own example† is a typical extentialist statement. The Duchess taking firm personal decision about her marriage, Duchess’s disregarding the opinion of her brothers and her accepting the consequences of that action with a resigned courage too is an existentialist attitude; so also is the detachment with Antonio faces his fate. One of the basic requirements of that philosophy, negation of God, however is not emphasized in the play. Antonio is an extentialist as far as his attitude to religion, but nothing is said to show that he does not believe in God. The fables, the Duchess and the Duke relate, too are significant for their moral worth. Bosola, though a dark and villainous tool in the hands of the equally dark brothers, during his meditative bouts brings out worthy moral; truths. About gold coins he says, â€Å"These cur’d gifts would make You a corrupter, me an impudent traitor:† He has other philosophic comments too. â€Å"Since place and riches oft are bribes opf shame: Sometimes the devil doth preach.† Musing over the ruins of the Abbey near the Cardinal’s palace he says: â€Å"But all things have their end: Churches and cities, which have diseases like to men, Must have like death that we have† To show the transcience of happiness he says, â€Å"Pleasure of life, what is ‘t? only the good hours Of an ague:† The moral message of the play comes out frequently through pithy statements. It is interesting that almost all characters utter some universal truth, some statement significant to human life, displaying the moral undertone of the play. Antonio moralizes from the beginning till his last moments. Even minor characters are often found to express moral ideas. Cariola comments on the Duchess’ marriage thus: â€Å"Whether the spirit of greatness or of woman Reign most in her, I know not; but it shows A fearful madness:† The first pilgrim has this to say about the fall of the great. â€Å"Fortune makes this conclusion general. All things do help the unhappy man to fall.† Julia, the trumpet too utters a pithy statement â€Å" ‘T is weakness, Too much to think what should have been done.† Delio has something moral to state very often â€Å"Though in our miseries Fortune have a part, Yet in our noble sufferings she hasth none:† He winds up the play with a statement pregnant with philosophic truth: â€Å"Integrity of life is fame’s best friend, Which nobly, beyond death shall crown he end.† All these moral statements may appear out of place in a tragedy to a modern reader, but an Elizabethan play goer would have taken it as a sign of the Author’s moral consciousness. â€Å"I am Duchess of Malfi still†, brings out Webster’s view of life. There is an amount of self-centered thinking in her. Further she is a credulous person and susceptible to flattery. We see her gloating over the praise Bosola showers on Antonio and reveals her secret of identity of her husband to Bosola. Then, pleased with his flattering comments on her marriage she takes him as a confidant decides to accept his advice and to go to Loretto on a feigned pilgrimage. Both the actions lead to disastrous consequences. Antonio too, faces his fate partly because of his flaws. Though he despises ambition as ‘a great man’s madness’, it is his ambition that makes him succumb to the desires of the Duchess and marry her. His passivity too led to his downfall. He does not show any inclination it out with the Arragonian brothers though he knows that justice is on his part. Many of the opinions expressed by the various characters of the play betray Webster’s extentialist leanings though, the word ‘extentialism’ as a philosophy evolved only in the nineteenth century after Kierkgoard. Extentialism rejects metaphysics and concentrates on the individual’s existence in the world. It is a pragmatic and psychologically realistic philosophy that negates the existence of a God. There is some inherent absurdity in man’s existence. For ‘all human activities are equivalent, all are destined by principles to defeat†, but a man is responsible for his effect on others, though only his existence is real to him, and he is ultimately his own judge. Among all these apparently chaotic happenings in this world one wonders what a man should aim at. Are there some values he should cherish? Webster answers, surely, through his unmistakable esteem for the virtuous characters in the play. He apparently advocates two qualities to be cultivated among humans: they should persist in being what they are and they should face calamities with fortitude. The closing speech of Delio may be Webster’s message to humans. â€Å"The weakest arm is strong enough that st rikes With the sword of justice† Webster presents in his plays, a view of the world where the destructive forces unleash their power on the individual. The inner reality one sees in Shakespearean characters is absent in Webster. He portrays only their outer nature, and even that is often absorbed into the general forces. This results in their losing even the exterior marks of individuality. After sketching their traits through narration, Webster shows them behaving in conformity with that narration. They become types, their characteristics being shared by many others in this world. The soliloquy of Webster does not give any deep insight into the character, which Shakespeare very well provides. Webster’s soliloquies only throw light into a plot and action. Further Webster removes the inner dimension of man from his tragic picture he presents. As a result development of character, as is seen in Shakespeare, is not possible in Webster. â€Å"I am puzzled in a question about hell; He says, in hell there’s one material fire.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ************************************************************************************ EXCEPT IDEAS AND SETTINGS AND REFERENCES, WORDS AND SENTENCES FROM DR.S.SEN.

Research preparation Essay

Child abuse is maltreatment of a child either psychologically, physically or sexually. There are different child abuse definitions from different sources (Main, & Hesse, 1990). According to the (CDC) the center for Disease and Control Center, child abuse is defined as a series of mistreatment to the child that may cause harm that are committed by either the parents, caregivers or any other person (Jacobvitz, 1999). Most of the child abuse issues happens at the child’s home and are mostly committed by the child’s close relatives while others happen in organizations, schools and in the community at large (Hansen, 1993). In most cases there are four major categories of child abuse namely; physical, psychological or emotional, sexual and neglect abuse (Braunwald, 1995& George, 1999). There are different jurisdictions that have been developed and have their own distinct definitions of child abuse and what constitutes the abuse. This is all done with the sole purpose of removing the child from the hands of parents and the abuser and also to protect the child from the abuse (Solomon 1999). According to the journal mental health, child abuse is regarded as any failure to act that may result to child’s death, harm physical or psychological harm by the parents and the care givers (Hoyano, 2007& Arnaldo, 2001). The relevance given as why silence is not preferred as far as the child abuse is concerned. The author describes the relevancy and the importance of breaking the silence so as the abused children would have their rights as other children. The child’s right should be recognized and realized as a human right. (Braunwald, 1995). The articulated importance of having an order that will tackle the issue that regards the child abuse. He on the other hand emphasizes on the reasons as to why there should be a notable difference between the exercising of the child’s rights and maltreatment (George, 1999). This great disorganization of the child’s right as there are many organizations that are out to fight for the rights of the children but fails to meet their goals for they divert their missions from fighting for the child to fighting for their position in the issue as far as their recognition are concerned (Hansen, 1993). According to the author there has been lots of suffering faced by children from different backgrounds and there had never had a lasting solution that would address the issue so as the there may be set some governing policies that would help in curbing the problem (Hoyano & Keenan, 2007) The author’s article also emphasizes much on the issue of having a policy that will fight for rights of the child. There have never been strong policies that can manage the issues that are brought about by the abuse as well as what would be done to the offenders (Jacobvitz, 1999). There are issues that are raised by the society in regard to the gender of the child that brings about the abuse of the child’s right; some of these issues are like the genital mutilation of the girl child. These addressed issues by the author so as there may be a uniform fight for the child’s right (Main & Hesee, 1990). Reference Arnaldo, C. (Ed. ). (2001). Internet of the Child Abuse: Ending the Silence. New York: Berghahn. George, Davie. (1999). Attachment Disorganization. New York: Guilford Press Hansen, D. (1993). Psychological Bulletin. New York: Guilford Press Hoyano, L. & Keenan C. (2007). Child Abuse Policy and Law across Boundaries. New York: Oxford University Press. Main, M. & Hesse, E. (1990). Parents’ Unresolved Traumatic Experiences are Related to Infant Disorganized Attachment Status. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Jacobvitz, D. (1999). â€Å"Attachment Disorganization: Unresolved Loss, Relational Violence and Lapses in Behavioral and Attentional Strategies. New York: Guilford Press. Solomon, J. (Eds. ). (1999). Attachment Disorganization. New York: Guilford Press. Hoyano, L. & Keenan, C. (2007). Child Abuse: Law and Policy across Boundaries. New York: Oxford University Press. Braunwald, T. (1995). â€Å"Finding Order in Disorganization: Lessons from Research on Maltreated Infants’ Attachments to their Caregivers. † New York: Cambridge University Press.

Essay Sample on Osteoporosis Research on Its Prevention

Essay Sample on Osteoporosis Research on Its Prevention Osteoporosis was responsible for fractures in approximately 1.5 million Americans in 2004, and this number grows each year due to longer life spans and the aging of the Baby Boom generation. The costs for treating advanced osteoporosis are currently a staggering $18 billion every year, which breaks down to $38 million each day (Surgeon General, 2004). Osteoporosis, defined as â€Å"a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing a person to an increased risk of fracture† (Surgeon General, 2004), is also insidious in that most people do not know they have it until the disorder is advanced. For these reasons, both prevention and treatment of this disorder are becoming ever more critical. Obviously, prevention is preferable. The good news is that prevention is possible through nutrition and exercise. The loss in bone density which characterizes osteoporosis is due to low calcium levels in the bone. Certainly, then, calcium supplements or increased calcium through foods do help in the prevention of osteoporosis, but calcium supplements alone are inadequate. Studies also show that magnesium plays an important role in the absorption of calcium into bones so that without adequate magnesium levels, increased calcium supplements will be ineffective (Abraham, 1991, 170). Without proper levels of magnesium, ingested calcium is likely to be deposited in arteries rather than bone (Abraham, 1991, 172). Some foods inhibit the absorption of calcium and should be moderated or mitigated by the consumption of other calcium rich foods. For instance, a connection has been established between low amounts of protein in the diet and a weakening of the bones. Conversely, high intakes of protein also translate into a higher risk of osteoporosis (Murray, 2004, 753). Caffeine, alcohol, and salt are also detrimental to bone density. The foundation of this connection is in the pH levels of the body: the higher acidity in the body, the higher the risk for osteoporosis over time (Abraham, 1991, 165). A low pH indicates acidity whereas a high pH is considered alkaline. The body attempts to maintain neutrality in the body, at around a pH of 7. In order to maintain this pH when many acidic foods and beverages are consumed, the body releases minerals from the bones, which results in lower bone density (Abraham, 1991, 165). More specifically, protein over 46 grams per day for women and over 56 grams per day for men is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis. Interestingly, a nutritious vegetarian diet lowers the risk of osteoporosis in the later decades of life, though little difference is seen in the middle decades of life (Murray, 2005, 753). For the most important of other minerals, the following list can prove useful: Folic acid 20-60 mg Boron 6-12 mg Calcium 800-1,600 mg Vitamin D 400-800 IU Magnesium 400-800 mg Vitamin K 150-300 mcg Silicon 100-300 mg Lysine 500-1,000 mg B Complex 50-100 mg(Atkins, 1998, 353) These nutrients can be taken as supplements or, better yet, they can be found in green leafy vegetables, soy foods, and healthy proteins while reducing refined sugars, soft drinks, and caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. An interesting note about Vitamin K is that in the body its function is to convert inactive osteocalcin to its active form (Murray, 2005, 754). Yogurt can be a good source of Vitamin K as well as green leafy vegetables (Deglin Vallerand, 2007, 1358). Another important direction of current research is in a nationwide study of 77,761 women, researchers found a relationship between drinking milk and increased fracture incidence. While calcium intake does increase bone density, drinking milk did not reduce the likelihood of fractures, by as much as 45 percent (Murray, 2005, 754). More research in this area is important to understand and confirm this dynamic. It is also clear that exercise is critical to preventing osteoporosis. The body is ever adaptive, and when a person exercises, not only are the muscles stimulated, but the bones are also encouraged to become more dense in order to handle the increased work load (Surgeon General, 2004). Exercise also has the benefit of decreasing the risk of falls, because it increases a persons sense of balance. Exercising three times a week for one hour is the ideal program. The type of exercise is less important than the regularity (Murray, 2005, 755). Another element in prevention is to address the decrease in estrogen of a womans body when she becomes post-menopausal. Estrogen is one of the hormones that regulates calcium levels in the bones. This is why many women become vulnerable to osteoporosis after their change in life (Siris, 2004, 1110). Likewise, in men, testosterone has this effect, and there is a clear connection between lower testosterone and increased risks of developing the disorder. Since people are not usually aware of the presence of osteoporosis in their bodies until symptoms are pronounced, superior treatment of the disorder is also vital. Treatment is most often a combination of medication, nutrition, and exercise. The exercise and nutrient values listed above are necessary during treatment as well, so in the following pages, pharmaceutical solutions will be addressed, including any contraindications they present to the patient. The pharmaceuticals used to treat osteoporosis are classified as biphosphonates. These drugs have been developed with the idea that to build bone density, the agents which build up bone, osteoblasts, should be increased while those that remove bone, osteoclasts, should be reduced. One of the most common biphosphonates is Fosamax. Fosamax is an inhibitor of osteoclast function, distributed first to soft tissue and then to bone (Deglin Vasserand, 2007, 102). Dosage is usually 10 mg per day or 70 mg once per week. For prevention, Fosamax can be taken at half this dosage. Fosamax is contraindicated in renal insufficiency and pregnancy, so this must be considered individually. Furthermore, food and drug interactions do exist. Calcium supplements and antacids reduce the absorption of Fosamax into tissue and bone. Food itself significantly reduces Fosamaxs effectiveness, so it should not be taken around the time of a meal. Also, caffeine, mineral water, orange juice, and other highly acidic substances reduce its effectiveness (Deglin Vasserand, 2007, 102). Actonel is another pharmaceutical available for treatment. Actonel is also a biphosphorate, though it acts a little differently than Fosamax in that it binds with enzymes in the bone to prevent osteoclast activity (Deglin Vasserand, 2007, 1040). It is fairly inefficient, because at its best absorption only 40% makes its way to the bone. Nevertheless, it can be effective in reversing the effects of osteoporosis by helping increase bone density and reduce the chance of fracture. The third most prescribed drug for osteoporosis is Boniva. The Boniva which is absorbed rapidly binds to bone, reducing the action of osteoclasts immediately. 50 to 60 percent is not absorbed, however, and is excreted. Calcium, milk, and other foods reduce its absorption, as is the case for the other biphosphorates (Deglin Vasserand, 2007, 621). The development of a regime to prevent osteoporosis is important in all older individuals and must also be considered by people of all ages. Although osteoporosis is most common in postmenopausal women and senior citizen age men, it is a disorder that can happen at any age. It is especially probable in people with eating disorders or those with poor diet and exercise habits. The seriousness of preventing and/or treating this disorder cannot be understated. Recent studies show that 20 percent of seniors who suffer a fracture die within a year of the break (Surgeon General, 2004). For those that live, the reduction in their quality of life is often permanent. As it has been shown here, good nutrition and exercise regimes can make a tremendous difference to vulnerable individuals.

All About Suicide By Luisa Valenzuela

Suicide: something that occurs among all age groups except newborns obviously. Although suicide occurs among all age groups there has been an increase, specifically among teenagers. Some would say that suicide is not preventable. However, that is not the case. Teenagers give off warning signs that can be noticed by those around them. Parents, teachers, and guardians need to take action and bring a stop to this increase in teenage suicide by cutting down the stress they put on teens. According†¦ Assisted Suicide I examine the ways in which our cultural expectations with respect to death may be transformed by the legalization of assisted suicide. I suggest the inadequacy of the philosophical framework currently taken as the basis for discussing the advantages as well as the dangers of legalizing assisted suicide. I do not believe that individual autonomy is any sort of possibility for dying patients, regardless of the social policies that surround death in a society, insofar as our individual†¦ Olesen February 25, 2015 Our Fate in Our Hands Assisted suicide is a controversial topic, sparking up questions and debates on whether it should be legal, or not. I argue that it should be legalized, it would be beneficial to some individuals because it would allow people with terminal illnesses to plan and prepare for their deaths, rather than go through pain and suffering, and the fear of not knowing when you could die. Assisted suicide, also commonly known as death with dignity, was created so†¦ Over a time span of one year, 2003 to 2004, suicide amongst children, especially teens has risen drastically. Contemplating suicide at any age is horrible. When a teenage, who has the ability to make informed decisions and has all the potential in the world, considers committing suicide, this is a tragedy. The tragedy suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. This paper attempts to list theories†¦ Doctor-Assisted Suicide Suicide is the act or instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially if that person is of sound mind. Euthanasia is the act or practice of killing individuals who are hopelessly sick or injured for reasons of mercy. Doctor-assisted suicide is a term used to describe the act of a doctor or physician providing direct or indirect means of assisting someone in taking their own life. There are 2 types of euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is withholding†¦ That 's the thing about suicide. Try as you might to remember how a person lived his life, you always end up thinking about how he ended it. (Cooper). Suicide is a life changing event, not only for the person who commits suicide but also for the surviving family members and friends. Family members might turn to each other in search of answers wanting to know what drove their loved one to commit such an atrocious thing, and subsequently begin to blame themselves or each other for not realizing that†¦ Assisted suicide is a very contentious topic in the world today. Everyone has their own opinion on this subject and it is a socially debated subject that involves a person making a choice, whether it is a choice to continue on with their life or give up hope and end their life. This should be a choice a person should make for themselves. While in the United States only one state has legalized assisted suicide. I agree with assisted suicide and this paper will support my feelings on this subject.†¦ The Significance of Suicide in Hamlet The concept of suicide is one that is greatly contemplated and discussed by Hamlet and other characters in William Shakespeare's play. It can be seen through two of Hamlet's soliloquies and his overall demeanor throughout the play. Hamlet has many issues that he must deal with such as the death of his father and the marriage of his uncle and mother. These two incidents led Hamlet to consider the extreme act of suicide to escape the fate that he had been bestowed†¦ assisted suicide this is a controversial subject, in this case there is a young cancer patient who has declined quickly who may be asking for help in ending their life. It may be argued that this is one of the choice a patient may make in the way that they seek to determine their own treatments; furthermore that allowing fully competent patients to make this decision is respecting autonomy. However, the patient bill of rights does not enshrine any right for a patient to seek assisted suicide. They†¦ â€Å"Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain† (I-10). Ending a life is a big step in the wrong direction for most. Suicide is the killing of oneself. Suicide happens every day, and everyday a family’s life is changed. Something needs to be done to raise awareness of that startling fact. Suicide is a much bigger problem than society will admit; the causes, methods, and prevention need to be discussed more openly. Committing suicide probably sounds like a foreign†¦

Introduction to managerial accounting Case Study

Introduction to managerial accounting - Case Study Example Fixed expenses divided by the CM ratio calculates breakeven in terms of dollars. The profit of a company at the breakeven point is cero dollars (Peavler). Hacker Gulf has variable costs of $40 ($28 + $12) per unit. The monthly fixed expenses of the company are $24,000 per month. The fixed expenses of the company yearly are $288,000. The current sales price of the company is $70 per gulf club. The calculations below show the current breakeven point of the company in units and dollars. Fixed costs = 288000 Sales = 70 Variable cost = 40 Contribution margin = (70 – 40) = 30 Breakeven in units = 288000 / 30 = 9600 units CM ratio = 30/ 70 = 0.428 Breakeven in dollars = 288000 / 0.428 = $672,000 The breakeven point of Hacker Gulf is 9,600 units or $672,000. Based on the assumption that the company raises its sales price to $80 instead of $70 the breakeven point of the firm would change. A higher sales price will lower the breakeven point due to the fact that the contribution margin i s larger. The calculation below shows the breakeven point of the firm under the assumption of a sales price at $80. ... rget profit = (fixed expenses + target profit) / unit contribution margin Dollar sales to attain target profit = (fixed expenses + target profit) / CM ratio The company has the target of obtaining $50,000 in profit selling its gulf clubs at $80. The calculations below show the units and dollars needed to obtain a target profit of $50,000. Fixed costs = 288000 Sales = 80 Variable cost = 40 Contribution margin = (80 – 40) = 40 Sales to target profit = (288000+50000) / 40 = 8450 units CM ratio = 40/ 80 = 0.50 Sales to target in dollars = (288000+50000) / 0.50 = $676,000 The sales needed to obtain a target profit of $50,000 are 8,450 units or $676,000. The data used to obtain a target profit of $50,000 can be used to create an income statement for the company. An income statement using the contribution margin approach is illustrated below. Sales 676000 Variable costs 338000 Gross margin 338000 Fixed costs 288000 Net income 50000 The income statement shows that the company obtained a net income of $50,000. The purpose of the income statement is to show the profitability of a company. The net margin of the company is 7.40%. The variable expenses of the firm account for 54% of its costs, while the fixed expenses cover the other 46% of the costs. A way to increase the profitability of the firm is by sourcing its materials from cheaper suppliers located in China or another developing nation. Increasing the sales price to $80 is the correct strategy for the company. The increase in the price of the gulf clubs to $80 helped the company reduce its breakeven point from 9,600 units to 7,200. A higher sales price also improved the overall profitability of the company as illustrated by the increase in contribution margin of the firm. The managers have to take an in-depth look at the