Saturday, August 17, 2019
Politics and Global Warming Essay
Introduction            Every day we go about our own business. Many of us never take the time to look around and see how we are affecting our earth’s atmosphere.  Everywhere you look today you are bound to see some factory or machinery polluting our air. Just think how many times you have seen those large semi trucks or big fossil fuel factories emitting thick dark smoke into the atmosphere. We need to come to reality and realize that all that polluting we have been doing over the last half-century is finally catching up to us. It is very easy to detect through scientific research that our earth’s climate is changing, Time magazine reports in its 2004 issue that the earth’s average temperature is increasing at a steady rate. Yes, we all have heard the term â€Å"global warming†, however many people don’t know in depth what global warming is, or how our actions will affect our earth if we don’t respond to the issue. If we can educate ourselves on what global warming is and how it will affect us in the near and far future, we can then begin to change our old habits of polluting and create new habits and goals to living in a much healthier and cleaner environment. The purpose of this study is to know what global warming is and what the government is doing to resolve the issue as well as what else can be done in short term and long term. Background What is global warming?            Global Warming is an issue that concerns almost everybody worldwide: it is the primary cause for the erratic and sometimes devastating weather that is experienced around the world. Global warming is causing the rise in sea level which in turn causes the flooding of coastal areas and areas with low elevation. Global Warming and doomsday            Will global warming spell doom for our world? Scientists believe this to be so. â€Å"Much depends on what actions we take now and in the coming years.†Meteorologist Jagadish Shukla of the University of Maryland found out that deforestation would cause rainfall in the Amazon River to decline by more than 26 percent from the current 2.5 m. to about 1.8 m. a year (Bellamy, 2000).            At the same time, the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal and oil, produces sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are hazardous to the atmosphere. Findings show that a single smokestack may produce as much as 500 tons of sulfur dioxide a day. When these gases combine with oxygen and moisture, sulfuric acid and nitric acid is formed. The rain will carry the acids to the ground (acid rain) which may cause the depletion of calcium and magnesium in the soil, elements needed by plants for the formation of chlorophyll and wood, or it may cause the release of aluminum in the soil, which are poisonous and can kill the roots of trees (Carwardine, 2000). Discussion            During the earliest times, the life-styles of our ancestors were very simple. The air they breathed was clean. The streams were clear and free of harmful organisms. They used natural fertilizers for their agricultural crops. The surroundings were free of household throwaways.            Today, there has been a tremendous growth in science and technology. Such advances have brought about changes in terms of new products, improved equipment, and more effective methodologies. Unfortunately, this same technology which made life easier for us produced wastes which are now affecting the quality of our surrounding air, water, and land. Factories and motor vehicles send tons of pollutants into our air. Excessive air pollution poses a danger to our health and environment. It can likewise cause stunted growth and even death to our plants. Out streams are polluted by discharges from industrial plants that use chemicals. Garbage and sink wastes are carelessly thrown in our surroundings. Synthetic fertilizers and insecticides pollute our land and farm products (Johnston, 2000).            At the same time, the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal and oil, produces sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are hazardous to the atmosphere. Findings show that a single smokestack may produce as much as 500 tons of sulfur dioxide a day. When these gases combine with oxygen and moisture, sulfuric acid and nitric acid are formed (Jenner, 1999). The rain will carry the acids to the ground (acid rain) which may cause the depletion of calcium and magnesium in the soil, elements needed by plants for the formation of chlorophyll and wood, or it may cause the release of aluminum in the soil, which are poisonous and can kill the roots of trees.            Nitrous oxide or â€Å"laughing gas’ is a colorless gas with a sweet taste and odor that is used as an anesthetic in minor surgery that H2O is responsible for about 6 percent of the human contributes to greenhouse warming. Methane or â€Å"cow gas,†on the other hand, makes up about 18 percent of human contributions to greenhouse effect. Cattle, sheep, goats, and other cud-chewing animals give off methane, in burps and flatulence as they digest (Cairncross, 2002).            CFCs are estimated to account for 14 percent of global warming. Experts said that what is happening right now is not a matter of adding a few degrees to the average temperature of a community. A rise of this magnitude may cause life, for without the environment, creatures on earth cannot survive            Are we all aware of the extent of the damages brought about by modernization? Have we contributed to such environmental dilemma? What have we done to minimize such danger to our lives?            How can we take care of our environment? We must undertake measures to preserve our resources and minimize utilization of energy before it’s too late. Our fight against pollution is an initial step toward conserving our environmental resources and energy. We must all join hands for this common goal.            Furthermore, of all issues affecting humanity, climate change is the most pervasive and truly global, posing a very real and serious threat to our environment. Climate change is the alteration of the pattern of global climate that may be due to human activity that alters the composition of the atmosphere.            If present day emissions of greenhouse gases continue, it is estimated that the rate of increase in global mean temperatures will reach about 0.3o C per decade. This will mean a likely increase of 1o C above the present level by the year 2025, and 3o C before the end of the next century. Resolution            a.) Recycling and Reuse of Solid Wastes            Solid wastes are now viewed as a potential resource which must be recovered and reused whenever possible. Since disposal forest resources are rapidly being depleted, recycling solid wastes offer a solution to both.            Consider the element phosphorus. Mined from phosphate ores, it is manufactured into fertilizers. It enters the plant tissues and we obtain it when we eat plant as vegetable. This is later excreted and joins the sewage system. The sewage system sludge can be used directly as fertilizer or soil conditioner.            Used bottles can be used over and over again. Durable plastic containers can be saved for more household uses. Tires can be recapped and used again. Old clothing materials are used as kitchen towels and bags (see Environment Matters: Industry’s Guide to the Issues, the Challenges and the Solutions, 1999).            If the materials cannot be used over several times, then they can be shredded and converted into a new form. Old newspapers are repulped into new paper. Broken glasses are ground and manufactured into new ones. Tires are processed to raw rubber. Protein leftovers are manufactured into animal feeds.            b.) Conserving our Forests            Every now and then we receive alarming news about our forests being denuded. Big logging concessionaires indiscriminately cut down trees without undertaking reforestation measures. Without trees, the soil is loosened and rapid erosion occurs. As a result fertile topsoil is washed away, which makes growth of other forms of vegetation almost impossible. We suffer great loss of timber, wildlife, and other forest products. But the greatest danger is the occurrence of floods and global warming that cause losses of food, properties, and lives (Davidson, 1999). III. Conclusion            In conclusion,            of all issues affecting humanity, climate change is the most pervasive and truly global, posing a very real and serious threat to our environment. Climate change is the alteration of the pattern of global climate that may be due to human activity that alters the composition of the atmosphere.            I can personally say that as a young individual, I should do something about it before it is too late and must not only depend on our government. Global warming may affect my health, if not resolved, and may take my life at risk if nature starts to avenge of what people doing. I need to recycle and reuse my solid wastes and encourage everyone to conserve our forests by not cutting down trees without undertaking reforestation measures. In addition, burning of fuel must be avoided because it can contribute to the possibility of having a global warming. Â
Main Character Of The Novel Essay
Throughout the book, we see that George Elliot has a distinct pre-occupation and interest with presenting the working class rural community in an authentic light. She writes the book as a social anthropologist, studying the more primitive community of the time. She has a large amount of sympathy towards the poor, although she herself was not a member of the working class. Using the story as a vehicle she aims to expose the plight and indignity of the poor in Victorian England, it was her main motive. Therefore, her focus throughout the book is in fact village life; in this case a fictional village named Raveloe. Focusing on the villagers, their attitudes and their way of life acts as a way of also commenting socially and politically on the injustices they face. Raveloe can easily be regarded as the main character as without it, the narrative following Silas has little significance. The village shapes the narrative, being responsible for most of the major areas of interest in the tale. All the individual characters provide interest and together form the character of the town, from characters such as Dunsey to Dolly. The story begins with a sympathetic description of the ‘honest folk’ of Raveloe. Our first real source of interest in the novel comes from the villager’s hostile reaction to Silas. We are initially told about Silas through the eyes of the villagers. Elliot echoes the villagers process of thought and way of speech throughout the novel, namely at the beginning. The sound of Silas’ loom is described as ‘questionable’ and he is said to have a ‘dreadful stare’. She is mimicking the mannerisms and phraseology of Raveloe as a whole and its reaction to the unknown. Silas’ mechanical method of working on the loom is seen as un-natural by the villagers, who can only judge him on their own experiences, centred round farming and agriculture. Due to this unfamiliarity, they see even pitiful attributes as sinister. His bad eyesight is thought of as a ‘stare’. This reaction of the village acts just as a reaction of a human character. It is typical of the village to think this way. In this respect then, the village can be regarded as any other character would. It has attributes and a predictable nature. It is these collective attributes of the community that make Raveloe one character, with which Silas’ relationships revolve. His relationships and connections with the characters of the community provide the most significant points of interest in the novel. Initially, there is the theft of his gold by Dunsey, then his integration into the community with the help of Dolly and later his confrontation with Godfrey over the fate of Eppie. Dolly represents the warmer, caring part of the Raveloe community, opposite to William Dane, the bitter symbol of Silas’ past. She is described to ‘seek the sadder and more serious elements of life and pasture her mind upon them’. Dolly seems to almost gain sustenance from helping those in need, in this case Silas. She helps him with the upbringing of Eppie, offering clothes and her own time. She fulfils her found role in the community. Although she can be seen as the prime example of the village’s moral capability, such sentiments are seen universally. When Silas informs the villagers of his lost gold, the villagers group together in order to help him. By entering ‘The Rainbow’, Silas enters the hub of the village community, beginning the process of his integration. After seeing the authenticity and depth of Silas’ grief, any former rumours disappear as the villagers begin to relate him to themselves, seeming anxious to help. The event acts as a rare source of excitement, as the villagers become incapable of distinguishing reality from imagination, fabricating information concerning a pedlar ‘with ear-rings’. However this all represents a symptomatic characteristic of the village – a concern to help others. The villagers’ reaction concerning the pedlar, is an indication of another key characteristic of Raveloe – a belief in superstition. Although the villagers provide lengthy descriptions of this so called thief, we know that no such character even exists. It is an example of how, in such close cut communities, little matters, true or false, can be embellished, escalating into common belief, leading to the creation of new superstitions. Silas is initially associated with the devil and spirit worship. These suspicions are only heightened by his apparent skill with herbal remedies, his strange cataleptic fits, as well as his past home, ‘North’ard’, where wizards, magic and folklore were associated. However his evident massive bereavement following the loss of his gold dispels any former rumours. Much of this superstition originates from the villagers discussions in the ‘Rainbow’, an important focus of the novel. This can be seen in the tale of ‘Cliff’s Holiday’, a well known rehearsed tale. Mr Macey, the apparent head of this specific social community, describes how a tailor, known as Cliff, had tried to ‘ride the tailor’ out of his son, attempting rising up the class system by making a gentleman out of his son. The story however ends with the son dying, and Cliff following him soon after. The story entails much superstition, mentioning ‘old Harry’, a euphemism for the devil, suggesting this unnatural desire to climb the class system was responsible for the death of the boy. The villagers, opposite to Cliff, are in fact very accepting of what they have been given. They feel content with what God has given them. Their pre-occupation is not to rise out of poverty but to merely co-operate with each other in order to make it bearable. This is seen in Dolly’s clear desire to help anyone in need, or at least to do the best she can. None of the villagers seem to complain about their conditions. They support Silas and each other. Another example of this is in Aarons desire to help Silas later on in the novel with his garden. He has no qualms about working in his spare time, he sees it as simply a decent thing to do. These sentiments would largely be a result of his mother, Dolly, and the way she brought him up. The meetings in the Rainbow are an important aspect of the social nature of Raveloe. Like going to Church, it is a social function. This religious aspect of Raveloe is alien to Silas due to his origins of the non-conformist Lantern Yard. He knows nothing of churches, only chapels. This complete lack of knowledge somewhat isolates him from the community; he does not go to church. However Dolly, is adamant that Eppie shall be brought up in the Raveloe faith and at the same time, introduces Silas back into religion. Both the working class are present in such functions as well as the gentry. The gentry are represented by the Cass family. The squire sees himself above the other members of the community, only becoming involved with them at festive, social occasions, such as the new-year party at the Red House. They are differentiated from the poor and, unlike Dolly, Mr Macey or any other members of the lower class community, represent little more than themselves. The Cass family are one of the villagers’ topics of discussion. They perceptively see the faults of the upper class just as they see faults in the lower classes. They take a specific disliking to Dunstan, due to his lack of respect of anyone, especially those below him. Godfrey is also seen as weak, Mr Macey describing him as a ‘slack baked pie’, commenting on his moral flaws. The primitive but nevertheless logical philosophy of, those who do well are rewarded while those who don’t suffer, is apparently proven in both cases. Dunstan ends up dying due his greed, while, although it is unknown to them, because of his rejection of Eppie, Godfrey is seemingly punished by Nancy being unable to conceive. Silas’ innocence on the other hand, is eventually rewarded. He is blessed with Eppie, who changes his life. These conclusions follow the villager’s moral code, maintaining justice. Categorically speaking, the village has a variety of overall attributes and a predictable nature so therefore can be described as a character. Furthermore, being the main focus of the novel, we can go on to suggest it is the main character. We are more aware of the values and nature of Raveloe as a whole than any specific character – even Silas. All the main events of the novel are shaped by the village. Each personality of each character represents a different aspect of the village as a whole. These individual characters amount to create one, main character which dictates the narrative and plot of the novel. Elliot’s concentration on her depictions of the village, indicate that she desired it to be the main focus. Obviously Silas is important, however, it is the events that unfold around him in Raveloe that really influence the direction of the novel.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Ironic Narrative in A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway Essay
Within the pages of A Farewell to Arms, modernist work of the 1920s, Hemingway often blurs the lines between the romantic narrative pattern and the ironic one. Critics argue over the specifics of each case: Do his heroes change and grow? Do they stagnate? Do they fail? Are they initiated into some greater consciousness of the world around them? Are Hemingway’s heroes romantic conquistadors or are they ironic failures? How does an understanding of these heroes’ initiations enhance Hemingway’s meaning in the novel? These are the sorts of questions that must be considered in any effort to determine the necessity of an ironic reading of this important Hemingway work. Paradigms Romance and Irony Although tragedy and comedy have typified many movements and periods of literary history, for the purposes of this essay, it is necessary to focus upon the paradigms of romance and irony. These narrative patterns are not as familiar to many readers. Readers may associate romance with a particular genre of literature, whether gothic or harlequin, or recognize salient ironic details within plots, characters, and/or dialogues, but many fail to realize the archetypal patterns that define the literary paradigms of romance and irony and their relationship to one another. Foulke and Smith lay the foundation for this exploration of romantic hero versus ironic anti-hero and romantic quest versus anti-quest, yet this construction can be explored even more fully if one examines the elements of the hero’s journey as (de) constructed by Joseph Campbell in Hero with a Thousand Faces. In this work, Campbell draws from the traditions of Freud and Jung to illustrate how the â€Å"deeds of myth survive into modern times†(Campbell 4). Because themes of initiation and the related hero’s quest are fundamental to the human condition, tying into universal perceptions of birth, growth, and death, the quest theme itself is always a â€Å"shape-shifting yet marvelously consistent story†that fits into the psychologically prescribed â€Å"checkpoints†of a narrative pattern such as romance or irony (Campbell 3). In the realm of romance, young heroes, generally in possession of some power that transcends the ordinary, are called to adventure, initiated into some sort of knowledge or greater understanding of the universe (in other words, he or she receives the booty or treasure, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual), and returns transformed, armed with some sort of greater understanding about the world around him or her significant enough to improve the plight of humankind or at least improve the lot of society (Foulke and Smith 5). On the contrary, the ironic journey is rooted in, well, irony. Perhaps the ironic hero, plagued by a less than ordinary potency, living in a world of chaos and disorder, ventures upon an aimless journey, and either fails to attain the treasure, or perhaps even more significantly, remains unchanged by his or her quest (Foulke and Smith 5). The narrative modes of romance and irony, then, can best be explored by pitting one against the other. Each pattern illustrates or represents a polarized human experience: romance represents the imagined, idealized world of constancy and order, while the ironic mode represents â€Å"the world of frustrated human desires†(Foulke and Smith 8). Because of the universal significance of such patterns, such paradigms are powerful mechanisms for the exploration of the human condition. Ironic Narrative in A Farewell to Arms From the beginning of the novel, readers immediately sense the ambiguity and uncertainty of hero’s role in an unpredictable world. The book opens with an ironic tone depicting a wilting earth in a drenched autumn: â€Å"leaves all fell from the chestnut trees and the branches were bare,†even the vineyards are described as â€Å"thin and bare-branched†(Hemingway 4). And, even more poetically, Hemingway artfully sets up an ironic tone for the novel by cleverly, though morbidly, emphasizing that with â€Å"the winter came permanent rain and with the rain came the cholera†; though, â€Å"in the end†only seven thousand â€Å"died of it in the army†(Hemingway 4). With this opening, a wilting depiction of nature, Hemingway sets his readers up for an ironic interpretation of his novel. It is within the context of such a pervasive unsettling setting, as typical of the ironic mode, that readers encounter Hemingway’s ironic hero: Frederic Henry. Frederic is initially set into a traditional hero’s role: he is a soldier. And, not only is Frederic a soldier, but he is an American volunteer for the Italian army. Within the context of the traditional romanticized soldier hero, it could be suggested that such action as volunteering for someone else’s war is valiant, brave, and even representative of that larger-than-life archetypal hero depicted in narrative romance. However, Hemingway is certain to emphasize Frederic’s naivetà ©, if not foolishness, from the very beginning of this anti-hero’s journey. Although Frederic technically ranks as an officer, he describes his work to Catherine as â€Å"not really [with] the army,†but â€Å"only the ambulance†(Hemingway 18). As an ambulance driver on the Italian front, Frederic’s innocence is encapsulated in his belief that it is impossible for him to be killed at the front; after all, the war â€Å"did not have anything to do†with him (Hemingway 37). Frederic’s innocence is also depicted and reinforced by his obliviousness to the war; he is able to travel comfortably in convoy if in â€Å"the first car†and appreciate the â€Å"clear, fast and shallow†river and the mysterious looming mountains (Hemingway 44-5). Frederic’s ability to appreciate the â€Å"picturesque†Italian front illustrates his inability to realize the significance of both the â€Å"deep pools†of the river â€Å"blue like the sky†and the reality of life and death shuttled within his ambulance (Hemingway 47). This naivetà © is similarly reflected early in the novel by the fact that Frederic clearly and staunchly believes in the traditional virtues of soldiering: good soldiers are ‘†brave and have good discipline'†(Hemingway 48). When these naive character traits are coupled with the dominant impression presented by the fading, rainy fall, and cholera-struck winter, the stage is set early on in A Farewell to Arms for another Hemingway triumph of irony. However, from the beginning of the book, readers are aware that Frederic is becoming increasingly cognizant of the fact that â€Å"It evidently made no difference†whether he â€Å"was there to look after things or not†(Hemingway 16). When Frederic returns to the front after his leave time, he realizes that all is as he â€Å"had left it except that now it was spring†(Hemingway 10); the front had remained static, and neither side had advanced or taken new territory. As typical of the ironic hero, Frederic begins to think that perhaps â€Å"the whole thing†runs better without him anyway (Hemingway 16). From Frederic’s perspective, not even the wounded in the hospital are â€Å"real wounded†; rather, true casualties could only result from the action when the war picks back up again (Hemingway 12). Frederic’s dissatisfaction with the world around him represents his call to adventure. As a foreigner in someone else’s war, Frederic Henry is beginning to sense the calculated nature of war as well as his insignificance in this cataclysmic event. For regardless of the supposed honor of military service, Frederic is beginning to question the dignity of his post; he considers his position as an ambulance driver to be â€Å"not really the army,†the Italian salute, a gesture â€Å"not made for export,†begins to make him uncomfortable, and even the steel helmets soldiers are required to wear seem â€Å"too bloody theatrical†(Hemingway 18, 23, 28-9). And, even life at the front is beginning to grow dull: â€Å"The priest was good but dull. The officers were not good but dull. The King was good but dull.†Only the wine, â€Å"bad,†was â€Å"not dull†(Hemingway 38-9). Frederic is beginning to question his role, and his significanc e, within the context of the war, and within the context of his morality. All around Frederic Henry, soldiers much more connected than he is to the war, such as Italian peasants, workers, and citizens, recognize the horror of the war for what it is: senseless fighting for abstract principles that results in the death of innocent soldiers often blindly fighting for these goals. This reality is exemplified in Frederic’s encounter with a soldier suffering from a hernia at the front. The soldier, of course, wants out, but tells Frederic, the ambulance driver, that officers do not find his condition worthy of excusing him from duty. Henry advises the man with the hernia to â€Å"fall down by the road and get a bump on†his head so that he can legitimize taking the soldier to the hospital (Hemingway 35). However, irony permeates this situation. Henry and his compadres encounter the man with the â€Å"rupture†once again, only this time his head is bleeding as two men lift him; â€Å"They had come back for him after all†(Hemingway 36). This anecdote illustrates the fundamentally ironic nature of war: violence, injury, motivation, unpredictable motives and priorities, the inherent irony in fighting for someone else’s cause. Soldiers in war must struggle to choose to fight for arguably noble causes of an abstract nation, ideological principle, or political goal, look out for one another on the front, or simply prioritize their own survival. Frederic must grapple with why he is risking his life in this war at all. Is there more to fighting in a war than simply existing in a particular place at a particular time? Frederic himself suggests that he merely stumbled into the war: he â€Å"was in Italy†¦and spoke Italian†(Hemingway 22). How moral is it to participate in collective violence without a passionate code of ethics that supports the cause? These are the types of concerns plaguing Hemingway’s ironic hero as he is beckoned towards the threshold of adventure. Conclusion After analyzing the impotent nature of the major character of A Farwell to Arms, it becomes clear that the novel do indeed illustrate the futile struggle of a â€Å"lost generation.†Perhaps the most central question that must be explored in the consideration of whether or not this work are examples of the paradigm of narrative irony hinges upon the endings of the works. Does Frederic transform over the course of his literal and symbolic journey? It is clear that he does not. Frederic has learned that life is only meaningful if one lives it according to his or her own values, but he has also learned the lessons of the great irony: that â€Å"the world breaks everyone†¦It kills the good, and the very gentle, and the very brave impartially†and â€Å"The only thing that one can be sure of in this world is that one will be destroyed†(Hemingway 249; Phelan 54). Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms ends in utter irony. When Frederic finally says goodbye to his beloved Catherine, he remarks that it is like â€Å"saying good-by to a statue.†The novel ends as Frederic walks â€Å"back to the hotel in the rain†(Hemingway 332). Left in a post-World War I experience, Frederic is lost, â€Å"bereft, homeless, and a drift†(Donaldson 15); Frederic Henry has learned the ironic lessons of life, and attempted to establish and live by a moral code dictated by his own creation, only to be defeated by the ultimate truth of existence, that is, that stripped of the traditional props of God, country, and tradition, the modern hero must face the â€Å"harsh and irremediable realities of existence†(Gurko 65). Hemingway’s skillful use of narrative irony in this text represents the most appropriate use of the modernist writer’s palette, for within the â€Å"anti-hero†of Frederic Henry readers find universal symbols for the plight of modern man. Because Hemingway stresses this fundamental futility of the human struggle within the confines of life and death, any interpretations that stress the romantic triumphs of this early Hemingway novel, that is, that this hero attain knowledge that can transform his world within his move from innocence to experience, is countered by the undeniable reality portrayed in this novel and that the book â€Å"end in overwhelming irony†(Smith 33). The ironic mode dominates as Frederic, desperate to add meaning to his life through love and experience, emerge as mere humans â€Å"clutching at a straw†(Smith 34). As Philip Young so eloquently argues in Hemingway: A Reconsideration, the fundamental reality of both the ironic mode, as well as Hemingway’s novel, is that â€Å"In the end, man is trapped†(93). Works Cited Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: Princeton University, 1968. Donaldson, Scott. Introduction. New Essays on A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1990. 1-25. Foulke, Robert and Paul Smith. An Anatomy of Literature. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972. Gurko, Leo. Ernest Hemingway and the Pursuit of Heroism. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1968. Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Scribner, 1995 Phelan, James. â€Å"Distance, Voice, and Temporal Perspective in Frederic Henry’s Narration: Successes, Problems, and Paradox.†New Essays on A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1990. 53-74. Smith, Paul. â€Å"The Trying-out of A Farewell to Arms.†New Essays on A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1990. 27-54.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Microeconomics †Summary Essay
Linear demand curve: Q = a – bP Elasticity: E d = (ÃŽâ€Q/ÃŽâ€P)/(P/Q) = -b(P/Q)E d = -1 in the middle of demand curve (up is more elastic) Total revenue and Elasticity:Elastic: Ed < -1↑P→↓R (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 20%) Inelastic: 0 > Ed > -1↑P→↑R (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 3%) Unit elastic: Ed = -1R remains the same (↑P by 15%→↓Q by 15%) MR: positive expansion effect (P(Q) – sell of additional units) + price reduction effect (reduces revenues because of lower price (ÃŽâ€P/ÃŽâ€Q)/Q) 1. Monopoly – maximizes profit by setting MC = MR Monopolist’s Markup = price-cost margin = Lerner index: (P-MC)/P = -1/ Ed (the less elastic demand, the greater the markup over marginal cost) 2. Price Discrimination Perfect price discrimination – the firm sets the price to each individual consumer equal to his willingness to payMR=P(Q)=demand (without the price reduction effect), no consumer surplus,find profit from graph Two-part Tariffs – a fixed fee (= consumer surplus) + a separate per-unit price for each unit they buy (P = MC) 2 groups of customers – with discrimination: inverse demand function for individual demands → MR → MR=MC * without discrimination: sum of not-inverse demand functions = one option for aggregate demand. Other option is the â€Å"rich†people demand function. Compare profits to find Qagg. * max fixed payment F (enabling discrimination) = ∆À; max d added to MC1 = ∆À/q1 (with discrimination) Quantity-dependent pricing – one price for first X units and a cheaper price for units above quantity X. profit function = À = Pa*Qa+Pb(Qb-Qa)-2Qb Qb includes Qa, so the additional units sold are Qb-Qa. Example: P=20-Q. Firm offers a quantity discount. Setting a price for Qa (Pa) and a price for additional units Qb-Qa (Pb). Pa=20-Qa Pb=20-Qb. ÃŽ =(20-Qa)Qa + (20-Qb)(Qb-Qa) -2Qb = 18Qb-Qa^2 – Qb^2 +QaQb derive Ãۉ۪a=-2Qa+Qb Ãۉ۪b=18-2Qb+Qa compare to 0. 2Qa=Qb. Plug into second function: 18-2(2Qa)+Qa=0. So Qa=6 Qb=12 3. Cost and Production Technologies Fixed costs: avoidable – not incurred if the production level = 0; unavoidable/sunk – incurred even if production level = 0, don’t exist in the long run, for the short run typical Efficient scale of production – min AC: derivative of AC = 0; MC = AC Production technologies – production method is efficient it there is no other way to produce more output using the same amounts of inputs Minimization problem – objective function: min(wL+rK), constraint: subject to Q=f(K,L) → express K as a function of L, Q (from production function)→ plug the expression into objective function (instead of K)→ derive with respect to L = 0 → express L (demand for labor) → plug demand for labor into K function → express K (demand for capital) → TC=wL+rK Marginal product ratio rule – for f(K,L)=KaLb – at the optimum: MPL/w = MPK/r : find MPL, MPK from production function → find relationship bet ween K,L using marginal product ratio rule → plug K/L into production function → find K/L for desired level of production – for f(K,L)=aK+bL: compare MPL/w, MPK/r → use production factor with higher marginal value, if equal – use any combination 4. Perfect Competition Short run – 1. Quantity rule – basic condition: MR = P = MC → 2. Shut-down rule: P(Q) ËÆ' AC(Q) produce MR=MC, P(Q) Ë‚ AC(Q) shut down, P(Q) = AC(Q) – profit = 0 for both options * shut-down quantity and price: min AC (derivative of AC = 0); AC=P=MC (profit = 0) * when computing AC ignore unavoidable/sunk fixed costs (not influenced by our decision) – market equilibrium: multiply individual supply functions (from P=MC example TC = 4q^2 so MC = 8q compare to p so 8q=p so q=p/8) by number of firms = aggregate supply function Qs → Qs=Qd (demand function) → equilibrium price and quantity Long run – profits = 0 → P=AC, equilibrium: MR=P=MC=ACmin * in the long run, unavoidable/sunk cost don’t exist → fixed costs are avoidable → take them into account – market equilibrium: find individual supply function (MC=P), quantity produced by 1 firm (MC=AC =price → plug price into demand function â⠀ ’ total quantity demanded → number of firms in the market = total quantity demanded/quantity produced by 1 firm 5. Oligopolistic Markets Game Theory – Nash Equilibrium: each firm is making a profit-maximizing choice given the actions of its rivals (cannot increase profit by changing P or Q); best response = a firm’s most profitable choice given the actions of its rivals Bertrand Model – setting prices simultaneously; 1 interaction: theoretically max joint profit when charging monopoly price (MC=MR) but undercutting prices → P=MC, À= 0; infinitely repeated: explicit x tacit collusion (when r is not too high) Cournot Model – choosing quantity (based on beliefs on the other firm’s production) simultaneously → market price – market equilibrium: residual demand for firm 1 from the inverse demand function → profit 1 as a function of q1, q2 → derivative = 0 → best response function for firm 1 → same steps for firm 2 → find q1, q2, market quantity → price, profits Stackelberg Model – choosing quantities sequentially ; firm 1 not on its best response function → higher profit, firm 2 is – market equilibrium: find best response function of firm 2 → plug into profit function of firm 1 → derivative = 0 → q1, q2 (from BR2 function) → price, profits
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Analysis of Arthur Miller’s Presentation of Abigail Essay
Arthur Miller wrote the play â€Å"The Crucible†in 1953 which was in the middle of the McCarthy political ‘witch-hunt’ in America. However the story had appealed to the playwright for many years, therefore ‘The Crucible’ can be described as a political parable as it was inspired by the decade of McCarthyism. Miller wrote the play set in an area of Massachusetts called Salem in 1692 where some adolescent girls were dabbling with supernatural powers and witchcraft. They were eventually jailed and the jails were filled with men and women accused of witchcraft. Ultimately twenty people ended up hung. The inhabitants of Salem were rigid in their interpretation of the Bible, believing in witches and the Devil. They believed also that the Bible instructed them that witches must be hanged. This relates to the McCarthy trails that were happening in the USA during the 1950s as the trails were about the admission of adherence to communism, consequently witnesses were brought before the committee to name names. This naming approach was very similar to the process of witch trials; Miller then began to relate this to the public confessions as parallel with the naming of names at Salem in 1692. Subsequently Arthur Miller wrote a play in relation to this and uses Abigail to convey similar ideas to the McCarthy Trials in the 1950s. In the McCarthy trails the only way to clear your name was to name members of the extremist party, but even still a person’s reputation would be extremely tarnished. Therefore I will be looking at the presentation of Abigail and how it conveys this idea, in relation to the McCarthy Trials. During the beginning of Act One we discover Abigail is a girl who can’t be trusted and people don’t believe her. Paris refers to her as a ‘child’ so she is assumed as being young and questioned over how she can make up so many lies. From being referred to as a ‘child’ the audience makes an assumption that Abigail acts younger than her age and there is immense significance of this quote as she is referred to as a ‘child’ more than once and by different characters. Abigail has endless capacity for dissembling so she is a brilliant liar and doesn’t know when to stop. Her lies in this particular scene appear not to be very convincing as she is worried and anxious; hence she is lying for a way out. From this Abigail could be presented to be small and weak as she is forced to sit in a chair while Parris towers over her and doesn’t take any action of rejection. Parris is threatening Abigail to tell the truth as she is a compulsive liar; consequently it is extremely hard to get her to tell the truth. Our impression of Abigail develops later on in Act One as she loses her innocence since she becomes no longer believable to the audience, her lies are over looked by them as they realise she is withholding the truth. When Proctor enters Abigail starts to become nervous which is highlighted from her reaction whilst she is alone with him and he says ‘Ah, your wicked yet, aren’t y’! ‘ Abigail reacts with a nervous ‘laughter’ and becomes frightened of Proctor. Consequently Proctor acts powerful and continues to act powerful and dominant towards Abigail by forcefully saying ‘child’ to Abigail to give recognition of her still being a child, this is the second time that Abigail has been called a ‘child’ by different characters highlighting the importance. While Abigail does react angrily and infuriately to appear powerful and gain control over Proctor, her reactions are childish, she moans when she doesn’t get her own way, so she acts like a little ‘child’ which is why she is being called a ‘child’. This part of the play is foreshadowing events to come, we know that she is going to eventually turn wicked and evil so her innocence is lost as we realise that she will later turn wicked as the wickedness can be used as a way out. When Abigail is alone with the girls she takes control of them and becomes the leader of the group and the girls begin to look to her for an answer so they look up to her. They follow her lead so she has the power of the group. She gains this power of the girls by saying ‘I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. ‘ Abigail threatens the other girls so they are so frightened of her that they follow her lead, this becomes clear nearing the end of Act Three. The word ‘shudder’ is onomatopoeia and this adds dramatic affect and gives you a real sense of the word and makes it come to life and sound real. It is this word order which Miller uses that makes you really think that this is going to happen if the other girls do not obey her. The adjectives used during this statement from Abigail are ‘black’ then ‘terrible’ and ‘pointy’ these are all threatening adjectives and are the type of words that you would visualize when a murder was taking place so this intensifies their anxiety. During this scene the audience discover just how devious and manipulative she can be, in this instance she shows this by being threatening and dangerous to the other girls. Danger changes sides towards the end of Act One during Abigail’s questioning as she starts to become frantic. She begins rushing out excuses as quickly as possible to conceal her lies, as she comes dangerous close to being exposed. Abigail is scared of the fact that if people don’t believe her, then she will be caught in the act of lying, she is anxious about this. Furthermore Hale says ‘perhaps some bird invisible to others comes to you’ thus implying an insight to the deviousness of Abigail. This provides inspiration later for Act Four; therefore implying Abigail is not innocent and is an untrustworthy character with a deeper meaning, perhaps Abigail is lying. Abigail proceeds out of this situation by catching on to the circumstances there are in hand and uses them as weapons to propose the excuse of making herself look like the victim in this entirety. Consequently people can’t accuse her, which because of her selfish behaviour leads her on to accusing Tituba by saying ‘She makes me drink blood! ‘ This describes Abigail’s destructive nature and the deviousness of Abigail’s thinking put into practice. From this I can call Abigail opportunistic as she has seen a way out; she has explored it and taken it. While this is selfish behaviour, it is certainly a very clever move by Abigail to relieve some of the pressure from her and give her a chance to think about what she is going to say next. The audiences’ response from this action taken by Abigail is that it is ludicrous that she can accuse somebody and say a few words and make the court believe her. This links in with the McCarthy trials because all the court was interested in was names and they were so desperate for a name that once one was named with a motive they seized it.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Leadership Profile PART II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Leadership Profile PART II - Essay Example All sorts of leaders, be it a political leader, group/team leader (for a project), leader in any field or discipline(s) and any n' every leader; they, despite being unique by several of their attributes, they have a few similarities (Gareth & Charles, 2005). They show some of the similar patterns which can be integrated into a few categories or types of leadership styles as per the leadership theories given by renowned observers and theorists. These include several theories which have provided exceptional guidance to assist people over the whole globe and to help out leaders in leading their subordinates effectively as per the prevailing conditions and situation of an organization. Some of those world renowned theories are discussed briefly below. It will be pertinent to note here that we have already looker at the reasons and chosen the transformational leadership style to explain the behaviour of our chosen leader namely Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra. Fred Fiedler was the one who developed a contingency or situational theory of leadership. Leadership theories may be of great help in molding the behaviors of leaders but they also need to be effective enough to assist leaders in different situations. Now that many theories are there, a lot of researchers have agreed on the point that actually no "one" style of leadership is always right for every person, who is a leader. Therefore, for different conditions and circumstances, these conditional theories were developed to be applicable in different cases with respect to the task at hand, the type of organization and the people involved (G. Northouse, 2006). In this theory, the developer i.e. Fiedler emphasized on three main things that were the structure of the task, the relationship between the leaders and the subordinates, and the power that the leader has and is entitled to exercise on his own discretion. Transformational Leadership: James MacGregor Burns wrote in his book 'Leadership' about the concept of "transforming leadership" (G. Northouse, 2006). According to him, transformational leadership actually takes place when a leader changes his subordinates or followers in three important styles. He inculcates a feeling of cumulative and/or shared gains in the employees i.e. to work not only for their selves only but also fro the sake of the organization's benefit. This results in the subordinates having more trust in their leader, performing at higher levels of productivity and effectively contributes to the achievement of the organizational goal and objectives that are the target for any organization. (Bernard M. Bass, 2005) Path-Goal Theory of Leadership: This theory emphasizes on the leaders to motivate their employees by clearly stating them the means of achieving high. This includes guiding them as to how they should achieve the organizational goals, controlling their performance and monitoring their output results, lauding them for good work and respecting what they did and then further guiding them how to improve on the mistakes that were made and also how to achieve new and higher benchmarks. Leader-Style Theory: Leader style, also known as "Trait Theory" is another way of identifying and analyzing the key characteristics of a successful leader. This approached was used for actually separating the critical leadership traits of born-leaders so that
Monday, August 12, 2019
Transfer pricing case Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Transfer pricing case - Coursework Example The company’s management decided to expand its product line and consequently many new and innovative products were developed. As a result a broad array of cell phone products developed among which the Energy Saving System or ESS was most significant. The company’s growth enabled it to reach the broader markets including international markets and diversification. In 2003, the company’s management decided to diversify internationally into Asia-Pacific markets which were expected to experience the highest growth retain cell phone usage in near future. The management team at Prime Co. decided to discuss the possibility of expanding into international markets. They decided to enter the Asian-Pacific market as it was expected to experience the highest growth in cell phone usage in near future. Some of the strategies that were being considered by the Prime Co’s management team include exporting, licensing, contract manufacturing, strategic alliances, or starting a wholly owned subsidiary. Exports mean to transfer goods and services outside domestic borders. Exports can be favorable when the domestic market’s demand has stabilized and there is huge demand in the developing countries for the target products. The benefits of exports can be reduced by the foreign government by introducing trade and tariffs which act as barrier for importing foreign goods in developing countries. The foreign governments generally adapt such policy to protect the domestic markets from foreign competition. In these kinds of situations the company does not have direct control. Licensing is the granting of permission by licensor to the licensee as an authorization for carrying out activities by the licensee and also use the licensed material of licensor. The biggest advantage of licensing is that it involves less cost of investment on R&D with limited financial risk. So, if the product fails in foreign country
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