Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong free essay sample

Close your eyes and imagine a backdrop of densely packed trees in shades of olive and emerald green, a military supply helicopter on the helipad, blades swooshing around stirring up dust, and out steps a beautiful, young, blonde girl. Right in the middle of war-torn Vietnam, at the Tra Bong outpost, Mary Anne Bell arrives at the request of her boyfriend. When first reading â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,† by Tim O’Brien, one might believe it is a love story turned sour, but on closer inspection, it is apparent that this story is about much more than that. This story is about the loss of innocence, personal evolution, and the attempt to define one’s self. A bit tired and out-of-place, a young Mary Anne steps off a helicopter and into Nam. A war is raging beyond the concertina wire, and she is oblivious to the enormous magnitude of the situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mary Anne is a naive, barely 17 year old girl. She is cheerful, wide-eyed, and inquisitive all rolled up into one bundle. She is fresh out of high school with no life experience and no idea of how the world works; how it can tilt and sour one’s perspective. In the beginning, Mary Anne is very fascinated by the country, the culture, and the people. She sees Nam through untainted curious eyes, wanting to experience the customs and feel the culture. She probes the soldiers at the outpost with many questions and listens intently to their answers, consuming all the information given. She learns about claymore mines, trip wires, how to assemble and disassemble an M-16 machine gun, as well as how to cook over a can of Sterno. Like a sponge, she soaks up all the knowledge. She even learns the language; her thought is to take advantage of her situation and learn as much as possible while in Nam. Believing that the locals are safe, ordinary people, Mary Ann wants to venture to a close-by village to interact with them. This shows just how wet behind the ears she is; Mary Anne does not see the threat or danger in heractions, â€Å"It did not impress her that the VC owned the place† (OBrien 214). Some of the other soldiers were impressed with her courage, but not so much with her intelligence. The NCO of the outpost, Eddie Diamond described her best as â€Å"D-cup guts, trainer bra brains† (OBrien 215). However, Eddie knew that eventually she would learn the cold, hard truth like everyone else, and it would change her forever. Rat Riley, one of the medics at the outpost and new friend of Mary Anne’s, makes a direct comparison between her, him, and others, â€Å"†¦like you and me. A girl that’s the only difference† he declared, â€Å"†¦when we first got here all of us we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick† (OBrien 215). Mary Anne would learn as well, she would lose the innocence that came with ignorance of the truth. The change was slow and murky to the untrained eye, but there it was, the progression from a pure untainted soul to one that had fallen into a dark abyss. It started with small things, the lack of emotion when dealing with injured soldiers, all the blood and guts. Not being the least bit frightened or put off by what she was seeing, Mary Anne would jump right into the middle of all the gore. â€Å"In times of action her face took on a sudden new composure, almost serene†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (OBrien 217). A new and different person was immerging; the young, innocent, bubbly, wideeyed girl was disappearing. There were other subtle changes showing how Mary Anne was becoming one of the guys. Just like the men, she cut her beautiful blonde hair short and wrapped her head in an army issue green bandanna to blend in. Gone were the small things that made her Mary Anne-her make-up, taking care of her fingernails, jewelry, and â€Å"hygiene became a matter of small consequence† (OBrien 216). It was, by pure design of nature, she had to adapt to the environment to survive. The softness as well as her exuberance were gone and replaced by rigidity and indifference. She no longer engages in activates with the others, instead; she stares intently into the dark jungle with a look of contentment on her face. Nam was claiming her, sucking her into the abyss. Mary Anne starts going out on patrol in the jungle with the â€Å"Greenies†, the Green Beret soldiers. Eventually, she becomes so comfortable with her surroundings that she ventures out on her own. Mary Anne makes the final transition; the innocent girl disappears within the new person she has become. She is now a war-born soldier. Now, there is no trace of the young girl who stepped out of the helicopter and into Nam for the first time. The girl joined the zoo† Mary Anne became just another animal in the vast Nam jungle (OBrien 221). The naive, innocent girl was gone; she vanished into the shadows. Mary Anne found her true self and was perfectly at peace. The wilderness succeeded in drawing her in, changing her, and making her part of the earth. Mary Anne wants â€Å"†¦to eat this place. Vietnam. I want to swallow the whole country-the dirt, the death-I just want to eat it and have it there inside me† she adds â€Å"I get scared sometimes-lots of times-but it’s not bad. You know? I feel close to myself† (OBrien 223). Perhaps for Mary Anne, she found something that was lurking deep inside her prior to arriving in Nam. Maybe Nam just expedited digging that part of her out. Mary Anne was alive, full of electricity, â€Å"perfectly at peace with herself† she explains â€Å"because I know exactly who I am† (OBrien 223). â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,† shows us all that no one can survive a war and walk away unscathed by it. One can never return the same person that went over to another country on a mission that involved killing. Rat Riley describes it best, â€Å"you come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward it’s never the same† (OBrien 225). This story is not about Mary Anne Bell, but about what she embodies. She personifies all the young, inexperienced boys that went to Vietnam and their stories. Mary Anne represents the loss of purity in the many young men that went by choice or by force to a foreign land. Nam devoured their souls transforming them forever, as if the very country cried out for a piece of them as payment for damages rendered. Nam claimed its price of those that trampled on her soil. Some young men may have found their inner killer and like Mary Anne did in the end, they became content. But on the other hand, many others were forced to become something alien just to endure the war. These are the souls that returned tortured. Oh my soul that I should weep for I no longer close my eyes and find innocent sleep. These haunted souls look in a mirror and ask, â€Å"Who am I? † Perhaps on some days, they see a glimmer of the person they once were when they were young and innocent. Works Cited OBrien, Tim. Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong. World Views Classic and Contemporary Readings. Ed. Macy, et al Felty. 6th. Boston: Pearson, 2010. 210-226.

The Last Stand

In his book, The Last Stand, David Harris vividly documents the events leading up to, and directly following, the hostile takeover of Pacific Lumber. Harris presents the heartrending story of a logging company whose noble ideals were corrupted by the sudden influx of greed. Prior to Charles Hurwitzs company Maxxam gaining control, Pacific Lumber viewed the principles of selective cut and sustainable yield as practically sacred. Afterwards the company reversed these policies that had become almost synonymous with its name, solely for the purpose of maximizing profit. While some might argue that the reversal of these policies, and the transition to modern forestry was inevitable, this viewpoint is extremely fallible. The basic principles of selective cut and sustainable yield are in utter opposition to everything that the logging industry has come to represent over the course of the last century. PL was a different kind of logging company. Selective cutting, a policy first set forth by Albert Stanwood Murphy, meant PL cut a maximum of 70 percent of the mature trees in a stand (Harris, page 16). PLs practice was such a drastic change from the industry standard of leaving hillsides completely barren that, it was often difficult for the untrained observer to realize... that the companys selectively cut acreage had even been touched (pages, 16-17). Sustainable yield, another Albert Murphy implementation, also represented a striking difference between how PL and the rest of the industry did business. While many companies would routinely cut all of their timber and promptly go out of business, PLs annual cut would always be limited and never exceed its timberlands new growth (page ! 17). This way, year after year PLs gross amount of board feet would never decline. PL could continue this mode of production indefinitely....

Can social media act as a platform for counter hegemony Research Paper

Can social media act as a platform for counter hegemony - Research Paper Example Social media channels did not cause uprising but played a significant role in sharing information. This paper seeks to discuss the primary role performed by social media during the 2011 Egyptian revolution (Attia, Assaf, El, Kaldas, Mo, & El-Shazly, 2011). It will explore the question whether the social media acted as a platform for counter hegemony. Finally, it will analyze theories discussing the linkage between social media and power, and how social media challenged the authority of Mubarak. Discussion Social media acts as the XXI century pamphlet, a way that individuals who are frustrated and unsatisfied with the status quo can plan and organize themselves and stage or coordinate protest. There are various theories that discuss the relationship between social media and power, for example, Antonio Gramsci and Marxism theory. Hegemony is a term that emanated from Karl Marx writing. It was intellectualized by a Marxist social philosopher, Antonio Gramsci, who lived in Italy. Gramsci subscribed to Marxist idea of the historical dialectic. This implies that based on the classic Marxist theories, communities or societies must change over time from oppressive systems of the economy to highly liberating ones till the society finally attains the Utopian communism state (Sowers & Toensing, 2012). Marx asserted that capitalism was a subordinate system of economy because of the unequal wealth and power distribution among the few powerful individuals. Moreover, he argued that ultimately, the capitalism would be overthrown by the masses and shift to the system that is less oppressive. Gramsci employs â€Å"hegemony† to theorize the fundamental condition for effective overthrow of both the powerful (bourgeoisie) by the proletariat (ruled) and its allies (for instance, the peasantry), and the bourgeois power structures in the Western European states during XIX and XX century. Gramsci’s â€Å"hegemony† is the process of intellectual and moral leadership in which subordinate or dominated classes of post 1870 Western European industrial nations consent to their own suppression by the powerful classes, rather than being coerced or forced into accepting inferior ranks. According to Gramsci, hegemony is a form of control practiced by a dominant or powerful group. In the Marxist idea of a group dominating production means; Gramsci uses â€Å"essential group† to represent the â€Å"ruling class† (Terryn, 2011). For him, the Western European nations dominant class represented the bourgeoisie, who according to the Communist Manifesto are â€Å"the class or group of modern Capitalists, wage labour employers and the owners social production means, whereas, the vital subordinate class represented the proletariat, â€Å"the group of modern wage-laborers, without means personal production means, and thus, must sell their labour power to survive. Gramsci’s hegemony use can only be realized in the light of some of the conce pts he established and those of the Civil Society and the state. Gramsci argues that media promotes powerful or dominant powers structures in his broadly used hegemony theory. In media studies, the term hegemony is defined as ways in which media motivates individuals to consent to the status quo structures of power. In the case of the Egyptian revolution, Gramsci and Marxism theory reveals that the authoritarian leadership did their best to block and cut Internet access by the mass. Unfortunately, despite their efforts,

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business law - Essay Example In public law, the government may either be implicated openly or not. Law is referred to as a private law when the government is not implicated in any way. This paper describes the differences and comparison between private law and public law. Differences between public law and private law There are a lot of differences between private law and public law. It is important to posit that all the descriptions established to define private law leaves out the government. The government is only involved in private law as an intermediary, negotiator, or the judge. The role of the government in public law differs from that of private law. In public law, the government is involved in a case as both the judge and the either complainant or the accused (Kelsen, 2009). There are other significant dissimilarities. Private law is essentially and fundamentally centralized rules and regulations. In contrast, public law is created and implemented by the government. Whereas private law may be similar in many regions, public law only has jurisdiction within the country it was created. However, there are some few private laws that do not fall under centralized rules and regulations on the basis of business. The statutes under public laws and regulations obligatory and compulsory hence are ought to be obeyed by individuals of the particular country they were created. They are also under the prudence of institutions in leadership in a country. According to Kelsen (2009, p. 202), â€Å"As a rule private law provisions are at the disposal of parties and can be derogated from, amended or waived by mutual contractual agreements†. In private law, conformity and obedience of the law is imposed by the acts of the judiciary against an individual or institution. The government and top government officials are mandated by the law of the land to subject directives or ruling as well as give executive directives and instantaneously certify or warrant conformity. These executive directions a re mostly implemented by the law enforcers (Kleinmann, 2005). Conformity of executive directives can also be warranted through fines devoid of the acquisition of an order from the judiciary. In elucidating the differences between private and public law, it is important to differentiate between the conventional parts of private law and those of public law. In public law, conventional parts of the rules and regulations include rules and regulations of the constitution, executive rules, rules and regulations governing levies and tariffs, institutional rules, and rules on delinquency, and social security. Rules and regulations on social security comprise those governing indemnity systems. Executive rules and regulations comprise of rules on law enforcement and business operations. Other additional conventional parts on public law include rewards, environmental regulations, and regulations on biotechnology. Conventional parts on private law on the other hand include national or public ru les and regulations, and rules governing import and export of goods and services, liquidation, employment, unjust competition, personal indemnity, organizations, and manufacturing. Additional categories of private law include consumer protection, involvement of employees in the workplace, and legal responsibility on manufactured goods (Miller, 2011). Studies conducted in the past have however posited that it is very difficult to outline the difference between private a

Human Resource Learning Team Weekly Reflection Essay

Human Resource Learning Team Weekly Reflection - Essay Example The job analysis is done to identify the minimum requirements in terms of qualifications tat a worker needs to possess. This is done by a panel of experts meeting to set a required standard for the job. The experts meet and decide that a specific job requires a minimum set of requirements. The experts then set the job specifications before calling for applications for the job at hand. After the experts have set the specifications, they then analyze the job to distinguish between the required and desirable specifications for the job. The required job specifications refer to the characteristics of the job that are inflexible, meaning that the applicants must possess these characteristics. Conversely, the desirable job specifications refer to the characteristics of the applicant that put them a step above the rest, which are not mandatory but preferred. Once the job analysis is completed, they are then summarized in form of a job description, which provides the type of job to be done, t he qualifications needed from the applicant and the tasks that the worker is required to accomplish. As already stated, a job description is a description of the major job functions that an employee is supposed to undertake when working for a firm. A job description is used by management for several functions, the first function being to outline the tasks that an employee is supposed to perform (Managing Human Resources). This function is important since it informs an employee of the work expected to be done, which indicates whether an employee is qualified for the work. The second function of a job description is to describe the knowledge and critical skills that an employee is supposed to have in order to qualify for the job. As already stated, the requirements for a job are divided into two parts, the desirable and required job skills (Managing Human Resources). The job description

The Kingdom of Cambodia | Essay

The Kingdom of Cambodia | Essay The Kingdom of Cambodia, or simply known as Cambodia, is located in South East Asia. It is surrounded by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Gulf of Thailand. The capital city is Phnom Penh which is located in the South. Cambodia has area of 181.035 square kilometers. Its size is about half of Germany. Cambodias flag is the only one in the world to have a picture of building represented on. The building is very well known in the name of Angkor Wat. The flag  has three strips, two colors, and one building in the middle. Blue and red are used on the flag as they are traditional colors. There are approximately 15 million (UN, 2010) people living in Cambodia which is only about 18% of German population. Majority of Cambodian, about 90%, are Khmers. Vietnamese is the second biggest group with the percentage of five. Chinese is the following one with one percentage and the rest is others. Dressing style is similar to other countries nearby. Either cotton or silk shirt with short sleeves is worn by man, together with cotton trousers. Sarong is used by woman to wrap around her waist. It is a long fabric piece which is embellished with silver and gold threading. A scarf called krama is a Cambodian local wear. It is commonly used for multi-purpose such as baby carries, decoration, pillow covers, and drying a work day s sweat. National currency of Cambodia is called riel (KHR; symbol CR). Figure 5 represents some of riel bank notes and coins. Bank notes are varied as follow: CR 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are less varied as there are only CR 50, 100, 200 and 500. The inflation rate is very high but the cost of living is relatively low, compared to European countries. One dish costs about 4000 KHR and the exchange rate between EURO and KHR is about 5415 KHR per one EURO (rate at 16 January 2011). Therefore, one dish in Cambodia is not even one Euro. Another currency which is wildly used as well in Cambodia is US Dollar. In tourism attraction such as Phnom Penh and Angkor Wat, most of the price in goods and service are provided in US Dollar. Riel is used only for a small amount of paying, for example, buying bred. Traditional Food Cambodian food has a lot in common with those from surrounding countries but one big different characteristic is much less in spicy. As same as other Asian countries, rice is served in almost every meal as main dish. The most popuplar Cambodian side dishes are Amok Fish and Lok-lak. Amok fish is made from fish with curry, vegeable, and coconut milk. It is cooked by stream and served with a dipping sauce. The traditional one is to be served with rice in banana leaf bowls, as presented in figure 6. Another mentioned dish is Lok-lak which is a beef with vegetables cooked by stir fried in a lime and black pepper sauce. It is served with either onions or red onion. The dish is bedded by fresh vegetable such as lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Cambodia stir fried is differed from the Chinese one by having dipping sauce made with lime and pepper. Talking about snacks, one of the most famous ones for the adventurous in Northern Cambodia is crispy fried spiders. It is a local snacks and the whole body of spiders can be eaten. A lot of tourism chooses to visit Cambodia because of its unique in architecture and nature. The most famous tourist attractions are Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Temple of Ta Phrom, and Mondulkiri. Angkor Wat, represent in figure 7, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built to be the state temple and capital city for King Suryavarman II, early 12th century. Since the national religion of Khmer was changed according to the king s religion, Angkor Wat had been changed for its purpose as well. The first one was to be the center of Hindu. Then, it became the dedicated place for Vishnu, the Supreme God in Vaishnavite traditional of Hindu. Finally, it has been changed to be the center of Buddhist until the present time. The building itself is constructed with stone and decorated by Khmer architecture with high classical style. It is said to contain even more stonework than the pyramids of Egypt. Lao national currency is Kip (LAK; symbol ?). The bank notes are varies as follow: LAK 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. No coins are provided. Lao monetary is highly inflation. The exchange rate for EURO is 10370 LAK per one EURO (rate at 14 January 2011). One dish of food can be obtained for 10000 LAK. Large amount of purchase can be done by using US Dollar or Thai Baht in many areas. Traditional Lao food are quite hot and spicy, might be too hot for foreigner. The main dish is sticky rice, Khao neo, which is also the symbol of Laos. Hands are normally used for eating this kind of rice. Tam maak houng or papaya salad is very famous as well. Papaya and other vegetables are mixed together. The original one can be very spicy for foreigners. Laap or meat salad is meat mix with some herb and can be very spicy as well. Another dish is Ping kai or barbeque chicken. All the mentioned four dishes are normally served together as one meal. The most attractive points for Laos are its nature and culture. Recommended places are Vientiane, Pha That Luang, Luang Prabang, and Plain of Jars. Vientiane, as mentioned earlier, is the capital city of Laos. Being once a former French Indochinese state had brought this city through various complicated situations and conflicts. However, the pace of life found here is rather slow and laid-back. There are several interesting Buddhist monasteries for those who want to calm down your soul and for those who want to have an experience of bustling life, market is the place to go.

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay

What microenvironmental factors affected both the first generation and second generation models of the Toyota Prius? How well has Toyota dealt with these factors? When the Prius was introduced in the US, it was quite shocking that it became such a big hit. The US auto market had been dominated by SUV’s for quite some time, and it seemed that a car that was small, slow and lacked power wouldn’t be attractive to American consumers. The advanced technology was very attractive to the â€Å"early adopters† and the consumers were willing to pay over the asking price to get a Prius. When gas prices soared so did the demand for the Prius. Toyota has dealt with these factors well. Successfully introducing a small hybrid into a market dominated by SUV’s is no small feat. Toyota’s success with the Prius is mainly due to their targeting strategy. By targeting the perfect group of consumers, sales and demand grew exponentially, and pricing has and continues to be at a premium. 2.Outline the major macroenvironmental factors – demographic, economic, natural, technological, political, and cultural – that have affected Prius sales. How well has Toyota dealt with each of these factors? Prius sales benefited from a number of macroenvironmental factors. When the Prius was first introduced, Toyota targeted the â€Å"early adopters,† a group of consumers that were interested in the advanced technology of the vehicle. Many of these owners found creative ways to modify and hack the computer system and chatted about it online. Another group of consumers that Toyota targeted were the environmentally conscious and/or consumers that desired more fuel efficiency. Both groups showed high demand for the Prius and were willing to pay premium pricing for the vehicle. Prius sales also benefited from factors such as monetary incentives offered by the federal and/or state governments in the form of tax breaks. Some states started issuing permits to hybrid owners to drive in the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (even if there was only one person in the car), or even free parking. Furthermore, some environmentally friendly companies offered employees money towards the purchase of hybrid vehicles. In 2007-2008 gas prices skyrocketed to 3 dollars per gallon and in some states above 4 dollars per gallon which only made the demand for the Prius greater. Studies about the various hybrid vehicles on the market were published and the Prius was at the top of the list for value. Studies indicated the Prius along with the Civic were the only hybrid vehicles that allowed consumers to recover the initial investment and actually save money after five years and 75,000 miles. Overall, Toyota has dealt with these macroenvironmetal factors very well. It is evident that targeting the right demographics has really paid off. All of these macroenvironmental factors were to Toyota’s benefit. All increased the sales and demand for the Prius. The only problem Toyota was facing was keeping up with the demand. 3.Evaluate Toyota’s marketing strategy so far. What has Toyota done well? How might it improve its strategy? Toyota’s marketing strategy has been focused on forward thinking and targeting the right consumer groups. The first consumer group targeted was â€Å"early adopters† or techies that found interest in the advanced technology of the car. This was a good strategy for the introduction of the vehicle. This group showed high demand for the Prius and spread the word through online sources. The second consumer group was the environmentally conscious, and those who wanted better fuel efficiency. Toyota predicted that gas prices would increase, and when they went through the roof, sales and demand increased. I believe that Toyota has done very well with this strategy. The truth is in their sales and demand for the Prius. An improvement that Toyota could make is better production planning. It seems that so far, this has been the biggest challenge. Though Prius sales are very strong, sales would only increase with more production as long as the demand stays consistently high. 4.GM’s marketing director for new ventures, Ken Stewart, says â€Å"If you want to get a lot of hybrids on the road, you put them in vehicles that people are buying now.† This seems to summarize the U.S. automaker’s approach to hybrids. Would you agree with Mr. Stewart? Why or why not? I agree somewhat with Mr. Stewart. I think that putting hybrids into popular cars and small SUV’s would work, but it would not work with sports cars and trucks. Sports cars and trucks are generally purchased for their power, speed, and towing ability, not their fuel efficiency. The current hybrid technology would diminish the performance of sports cars and trucks, and would eliminate most of the benefits of owning either type of vehicle. On the other hand, introducing the hybrid technology in popular cars and small SUV’s would work well if the option was available at an attractive price. Improved fuel efficiency is desirable when purchasing a car as the average price per gallon of gasoline is only rising. In my opinion, they hybrid technology would be an attractive offer. Not only would it be practical, but it would save the consumer a lot of money in the long run, assuming that they keep the car for five or more years

Current Trends in Technology Essay

School is no longer limited to simple reading, writing and arithmetic. The use of technology has expanded the prospect for education, giving us never-ending possibilities. Therefore, technology deserves significant school attention in order for students to possess technological survival skills. The positive effects of how it can be used in the classroom to enable learning for teachers and students will be explored as well as the need to ensure job stability in the future. What lesson ideas can teachers do using technology? Assign a digital presentation. Students can express themselves more clearly using technology. Technology can be used extensively for language arts. Student reports no longer have to be limited to a written report. Students now are able to have access to unlimited books online. Therefore, teachers are only limited by the student’s ability to access a computer. Web quest is also a tool used for literature exploration. Teachers are able to use media clips to show in class. Videos are available online that help many teachers provide a visual aid to the lesson that they are teaching. Power point presentations enhance instruction in the language arts classroom by storing daily objectives in a PowerPoint presentation and begin each class session by sharing the daily objectives. Creating PowerPoint presentations for essential notes and providing students the slides using the â€Å"handout† option will prevent students from focusing on simply copying the notes from the board or overhead. They will listen to teacher comments and make meaningful notes in the spaces provided. The amount of information on each slide should be limited to one or two important bullets. Students should be encouraged to use PowerPoint presentations when they are required to present to the class. Their self-expression and creativity can be explored with the program’s design options. Reading strategies can be done with the use of technology. During reading teachers can help students activate prior knowledge and generate predictions in order to comprehend text. Teachers can do this when they introduce a reading lesson or topic. Using a multi-media approach, the teacher shows pictures, slides, or clips that is similar to the story concept. Real life connections can also be made with the help of these visuals, as well as helping them create mental images. Students can be asked to make predictions on what they think the story is about. Their answers and responses can be recorded and played back to them after the story is over. This stimulates their interest in the current reading lesson. They will be keener to paying attention and listening. They will be eager to hear their responses played back to them to see if their predictions were correct. Internet provides access to public domains. It also gives students the freedom to read some of the greatest written books and materials. Using websites provides students with a greater knowledge of historical and social foundations in which many pieces of literature rest upon. Printouts of short stories found on line can be distributed to the class. They can be required to read the text and highlight the story concepts such as setting, characters and etc. Teachers and students can also set up a blog that is viewed by their class only. This allows the students to express their ideas and thoughts with the teacher and vice versa. Students can share ideas with classmates and also read one another’s post. This helps tighten the bond between teacher and student and bring classmates closer together. They will all have something in common that they are a part of. There are a number of strategies that can be used in the teaching of reading for students. If a teacher is uncertain how they can integrate technology into their reading instruction, there are many websites that gives lesson plans and ideas. Technology also can be used with writing. Teachers are able to have advance writing instruction with the help of technology. Projectors can be used for students to see the writing process modeled by their teachers. This gives students a chance to see how the procedure works from rough drafting to final revisions. There is a lot of software available that help kids make their story come alive. Programs are available that read their story back to them. How awesome is that? Kids can hear what their writing sounds like and this offers a chance for them to critique it even farther. Microsoft Word is a poplar application program that is used widely in education. This program allows and helps students recognize grammatical and spelling errors. This provides students with guidance on writing a correct composition. It also guides students as well as help them overcome and accomplish the task of terminology difficulty. They are provided with a vast selection of terms. Websites are available that demonstrate proper organization and correct format for writing. It helps with the building and organization of thoughts for a paper. These websites serve as a learning tool. They assist teacher and students in recognizing rational and well thought-out writing ideas. Researching these web sites inspire students with many writing ideas they may have been blocked from. Not to mention, the expansion of the writing curriculum for students with disabilities have greatly been expanded. These students are now able to use voice and touch screen programs as a way to express their ideas. This method is much more effective than the use of paper and pencil. These programs assist these students in developing language skills as well as writing skills. The internet allows for the publishing of student’s work. This procedure makes the idea of an audience more real to them. It can motivate students to become authors and possibly encourage a future in the writing field. There are many websites that offer contests for student’s writing. Teachers should take time to find challenges for their students and inspire them to write for profit. There are many schools that don’t have the privilege of having available reference books. Many publishers have made their reference books available online. Another way to get students to write is student produced newspapers. This is a great practice for their writing skills. It also allows them to be creative, productive and organized. Technology can be used as a written language convention. Students reinforce their grammar skills with online games and activities. This is a way students can have fun with dry material. Oral language can be improved with the use of technology. PowerPoint presentations allow students to organize their speeches and make the audience follow along with the presenter and the teacher to assess a student’s performance. Project based learning can greatly be increased with the use of technology. This is a way students can use technology in proportion to real life situations. Students are able to make decisions in small groups based upon their design, problem solving, resolutions, and analytical measures. This allows students the freedom to be n charge and have full control over their own project. They will be digging deep into those critical thinking skills in order for their project to run smoothly. It gives them more creative independence. This serves as a hands-on learning experience in order for students to answer and relate to the main ideas and standards of the subject area. These encounters are related to e veryday life. Students will be able to take what they’ve learned and apply it in their own life. Students are also able to get involved with projects which connect classes together around the world. The internet provides structure and resources for students to do research on an international level. The use of technology broadens student’s horizons, their goals and beliefs. They can actually connect to another part of the world. They can learn cultural information about places they’ve only heard about. It gives them a chance to explore what’s out there in the world from inside their classroom. What better way for a child to learn about new things than being in a school environment? This is safer for our kids. It takes down the risk of them exploring outside of school on their own. A lot of children don’t know what’s out there because they’ve never been exposed to new surroundings. Children tend to stray away more so out of being curious. Why not fulfill that curiosity by exploring it in class? Project based learning allows children to feed their curiosity by allowing them to choose and have control over what they want to learn. What about drugs, sex and weapons? These are all subjects that kids can explore using technology as a guide. They can research the most harmful drugs in the United States and compared it to the harmful drugs in another country. Teenage pregnancy rate and STD’s can be compared or examined around the world. Weapons that are used to kill children and or our soldiers can be brought to the student’s attention. These subjects are also crucial one’s that need to be discussed with our youth. Students can present their information and their results to the class. They can also come up with a way they feel these problems can be solved or minimized. There might be a student who’s considering having sex, once they research and see the effects of sex up close and personal (i. e. regnancy and STD’s) maybe their mind will be changed. Another one might be interested or all ready taking drugs. They will gain knowledge about what drugs really do to your body. Guns are growing more and more poplar. Students can see first hand the consequences of these weapons. The innocent lives that is lost due to carelessness. As a result of the use of technology, project based learning can be upgraded trem endously and provide a whole new level of learning experiences, which will be beneficial to the student in the long run. Technology can be used to provide visual learning. Digital storytelling challenges students to take their written ideas and translate them into a visual medium. They could write a script then produce a video. Teachers can create rubrics for assessing students, writing and speaking. Teachers can use projectors in the classroom to show photographs, videos or slides. These visual aids keep students engage in the instruction they are receiving. A teacher can integrate a video to go along with the lesson they are teaching. A student can only get so much from a lecture. Most people are visual learners. A video can reemphasize the information that the teacher is trying to convey. That allows those students who weren’t able to grasp the understanding or the concept of the lesson an alternative measure. Teachers can also use technology as visual aids by printing out statistical information for students to see. They can make printouts of graphs and charts to reiterate a particular subject. There are many websites available that provide many resources and tips teachers can use to create hands-on visual aids in their classroom. This will be a great way to allow students to work together as a team. It will decrease isolation among students. They all can work in teams to research a project on the internet. Teachers can also ask students to use the internet to come up with an audio visual project they can share with the class. Students have fun and learn more when they can see what they are learning. Point blank students will be excited and eager when they are able to participate and contribute to their own learning. Shouldn’t they be able to donate and feed their own minds? Technology as visual aids is a way they can connect their interest to learning. Another visual aid that the teacher can use is handouts. Handouts are a way to reinforce the instruction that is given. It gives students a general overview of the material as well as identifying the key points. This will cut down on confusion and students will be clearer on the focus points. Visual aids, especially audio visual help many students that have different learning styles. This strategy brings mode of students who don’t have the so called, â€Å"norm† learning style. In history this can be used for students to see some of the places they are iscussing. Students can view pictures and artifacts through the web that will really make the lesson come alive for them. They will be like, â€Å"Wow this really happened! † or â€Å"Wow this really did exist! † There are many websites that provide simulations for certain subject areas for students. Science is a subject where there is no limit to what students can explore and research with the help of the i nternet. Students can look up all types of animals and insects. This will be much more fun than just reading about them in their textbooks. They can even print out certain information they have found, with teacher approval of course. Visual aids are an awesome way to turn a classroom into an adventurous experience instead of a place. Teachers can benefit tremendously from the use of technology. Technology can help boost the relationship between students and teacher. It affects the way teachers instruct and give a lesson. Technology is a level where students and teachers can relate and identify on. Teachers can use computer tools to reorganize record keeping and clerical tasks, in order to free up time for instruction or professional development. Teachers are able to keep track of grades, behavior and other classroom information with the use of a computer. This information can be saved and always be available for the teacher to pull up at the demand of a parent. This cuts out paper work that can often be misplaced. Teachers can input their lesson plans and goals on the handout for parents to have a record as well. Therefore isolation will be decreased by using e-mail and the Internet to communicate with colleagues, parents, and the outside world. What grown up doesn’t have an e-mail? E-mail is a great way for parents to communicate with teachers effectively when face to face is not possible. Teachers are so busy; often they don’t have the time to call each individual parent. Simple questions and information can be exchanged through e-mail. This mode also help out working parents who can’t often answer a phone call when their busy. A click in their e-mail and this problem can be eliminated. Professional development activities can be increased by taking distance education courses, accessing educational research, and accessing classroom materials such as lesson plans. Teachers will be able to take courses that their principal may suggest through the use of the internet. They can also take classes that can help further their education online. Also, teachers will not have to leave their classroom when they are looking for additional activities for their students. They can search the internet for educational ideas that will help productivity in their classroom. Teachers can find video clips and other materials that will go hand in hand with their lesson plans. These can serve as great visual aids and teaching tools when giving instruction. If a student poses a question that the teacher may be unclear of the answer, they can look it up together. There are a wide variety of tools that are available to help teachers transform their classroom into a more exciting place for learning. Smart boards are growing more and more poplar. These non traditional boards are a way for teachers to transmit information from their computer screen to the class. Their also software available that help teachers set up websites for their class. Teachers can create websites that are designated specifically to the concept they are teaching, for the purpose of helping their students. This eliminates those web sites teachers are not comfortable with their students exploring. The teaching of technology to our kids will help secure them a successful career in the future. In a demanding economy, technology skills are required to stay ahead. Jobs are being lost everyday. Why not ensure our children a spot in the years to come? Technology is used even in the simplest profession. Students not only need to learn the skills that are evident in the workforce today, but also be ready and prepared for the technology changes that will happen in the future.

McDonalds Opportunities for Growth in Saudi Arabia

McDonalds Opportunities for Growth in Saudi Arabia Introduction There exist a number of global chains of restaurants that are known all over the world, and McDonalds is one of them. In this paper, we will analyze the situation that McDonalds has been facing in the market, and then we will consider the companys growth opportunities specifically in Saudi Arabia. Based on our discussion, we will offer some recommendations for the enterprise to develop in the mentioned country.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on McDonald’s: Opportunities for Growth in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Analysis Nowadays, McDonald’s is one of the largest global chains of fast food restaurants. It operates as a franchisor, selling local businesspeople the rights to open a restaurant under the brands name and providing them with what is necessary to meet the companys standards (Our Business Model n. pag.). Even though McDonald’s is one of the most well-know n brands in the world, the company suffered a major decline in its profits over the last few years. In 2014, the operating income of the fast food chain accounted for only 90.7% of its operating income in 2013 (â€Å"MCD Income Statement† n. pag.). In 2015, the company suffered even more setbacks. But it was able to recover later in the year; its net income rose to $1.21 billion in the fourth quarter of 2015, in comparison to $1.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014 (CNBC n. pag.). Therefore, it is crucial for the company to use the momentum to continue its recovery and turn it into a growth. It is possible for the business to do that in two main ways: to open new restaurants, and to modify and improve the services it offers. Regarding the second way, the company needs to better adapt to local cultures while operating in countries other than the U.S. It already does to some extent; for instance, in the Arab world, McDonalds proposes food made from halal meat, and provides r espective certificates (â€Å"Our Ingredients† par. 2), and offers some meals that are more typical of the local cuisines (â€Å"McArabia† par. 2). One of the countries where the company might develop further is Saudi Arabia. This country has the population of approximately 30 million people, whereas the total number of McDonalds restaurants in this country is nearly 120 (â€Å"International Saudi Arabia† n. pag.). Therefore, there is approximately one restaurant for every 250,000 people in Saudi Arabia. It means that some potential customers might simply not visit McDonald’s often due to the remoteness of the nearest restaurant. McDonald’s also has a different image in Saudi Arabia than it has, for instance, in the U.S. The restaurant does not only propose food; it also provides the customers with the information about what the food consists of, offers a friendly atmosphere, free Wi-Fi, and so on. While this is common in the USA, it is not always the case in restaurants in Saudi Arabia (â€Å"McArabia† n. pag.).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, some political issues arise around McDonalds as around an American company from time to time. For instance, when in 2000 Saudis were indignant about the USAs support of Israel, they started boycotting American companies, which included McDonalds. McDonalds responded by a charity campaign; they began donating 26 cents from each meal they sold to children’s hospitals in Palestine (â€Å"Saudi Burgers to Help Palestinians† n. pag.). In 2002, another boycott campaign against American companies was on a rise; however, in the case of McDonald’s, more harm was done to the local franchisors than to the global corporation (Mroue n. pag.). On the whole, McDonalds tries to respond to the boycotts in a placating way, showing the local custom ers that the company is not to be blamed. Discussion As we have seen, there are some opportunities for McDonald’s development in Saudi Arabia. The fact that there is only one restaurant for 250,000 people in the country means that the company can grow by opening new restaurants. Apparently, that the network of locations in Saudi Arabia is not dense, which means that many potential customers would gladly visit McDonald’s if a restaurant was not so remote. Consequently, opening new locations should enable them to buy the foods McDonald’s has to offer much more easily, and, therefore, more frequently. It is also a possibility to adapt the menu to the local culture more, and to organize events and attractive offers related to the local special occasions. We have already stressed that McDonald’s in Saudi Arabia has a rather good reputation; therefore, for example, proposing to celebrate a holiday in McDonald’s might be a worthwhile offer to some of the locals. The menu can also be further diversified by including foods that are enjoyed by the Arabian population, for instance, by adding falafel burgers to it. Recommendations Based on the considerations above, we would offer McDonalds to take the following three main steps to develop further in Saudi Arabia. First, some new restaurants should be opened, so that the customers would be able to visit them more often instead of simply not doing it because of the remoteness of the nearest McDonalds. Second, the menu should be diversified by the foods that are very popular among the population (for instance, the falafel burger). And third, the company should provide the clients with more opportunities to celebrate special occasions in the restaurants.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on McDonald’s: Opportunities for Growth in Saudi Arabia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion To sum up, it should be noted th at McDonald’s had suffered setbacks over the years 2014-2015, but started recovering at the end of 2015. It is important for the company to use the momentum, and one of the countries where there exist opportunities for growth is Saudi Arabia. To develop further in this country, we recommend opening more restaurants, to diversify the menu to adjust it even better to the local culture, and to provide the clients with additional opportunities to celebrate special events in the restaurants. CNBC. McDonalds Beats Earnings on Surging US Sales, China Demand. 25 Jan. 2016. Web. cnbc.com/2016/01/25/mcdonalds-reports-fourth-quarter-2015-earnings.html. Company Profile. n.d. Web. aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/investors/company-overview/company-overview-segment-information.html. International Saudi Arabia: McDonald’s Operator to Hire 1,000. 23 Jul. 2012. Web. recruiter.co.uk/news/2012/07/international-saudi-arabia-mcdonalds-operator-to-hire-1000/. McArabia: McDonald’s in the Arab World. 29 Apr. 2009. Web. http://everything-everywhere.com/2009/04/29/mcarabia-mcdonalds-in-the-arab-world/. MCD Income Statement. 2016. Web. http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=MCD+Income+Statementannual. Mroue, Bassem. Arab Countries Boycott U.S. Goods over Mideast Policies. 29 July 2002. Web. http://articles.latimes.com/2002/jul/29/business/fi-boycott29.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Our Business Model. n.d. Web. aboutmcdonalds.com/mcd/our_company/business-model.html. Our Ingredients. n.d. Web. mcdonaldsarabia.com/ksa-jeddah/en/our_food/quality_ingredients/our_ingredients.html. Saudi Burgers to Help Palestinians. 28 Nov. 2000. Web. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1044998.stm.

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 2

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 2 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If The Great Gatsbywere college, Chapter 2 would be the drunk frat party that gets way out of control, with Tom Buchanan as that guy yelling at everyone to chug. That’s because this chapter is all about Tom’s double life: Nick meets his mistress, gets wasted at her small apartment party in Manhattan, and gets an up close and personal view into Tom’s violent tendencies. Read on for a fullThe Great Gatsby Chapter 2summary, plus explication of connections to the book’s main themes and analysis of important passages! Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 2Summary Nick describes the â€Å"valley of ashes† that is the area between the rich suburb of West Egg and Manhattan. This is the gray and dirty part of the borough of Queens that you drive through to get from Long Island to NYC. Above this bleak, smoky, unpleasant landscape is a giant billboard advertising Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, an eye doctor. The billboard is a set of giant eyes that seems to be surveying or judging everything below. Tom’s mistress lives in this â€Å"ash heaps† area. One day, when Nick takes the train with Tom to Manhattan, Tom suddenly makes him get off at a random stop to meet her. They go to a garage owned by George Wilson, who seems to be in the middle of buying a car from Tom.Myrtle Wilson, George’s wife, comes down to the garage. She isn’t beautiful, but is attractive because she is plump and lively. Tom quickly makes a plan to meet her in the city. He and Nick leave, and Tom explains that George has no idea that Myrtle is having an affair with Tom. Tom insists Myrtle meet him in Manhattan, so she boards the same train as Tom and Nick, but she sits in a different car to be discreet, and they then meet up at the station. Myrtle decides she would like a dog, and Tom buys her a puppy from a condescending passing salesman. Nick tries to leave Tom and Myrtle, but they insist he come up to their apartment very far uptown. The apartment is small, gaudily decorated, and uncomfortable. Tom brings out a bottle of whiskey. For the second time in his life (or so he claims), Nick gets drunk, so his memory of what happens next is somewhat hazy. Nevertheless, we get the sense that Tom and Myrtle have sex while Nick politely reads a book in the other room. Then some guests come over: Myrtle’s sister Catherine, as well as a photographer named McKee and his horrible wife.Myrtle lords it over her guests. The McKees fawn over her and Tom, complimenting her dress and devising ways of photographing her artistically. Tom plies them with alcohol.Meanwhile, Catherine tells Nick that she’s been to a party at Gatsby’s house. According to her, Gatsby is so rich because he is Kaiser Wilhelm’s cousin. Catherine then tells Nick that both Tom and Myrtle hate the people they’re married to; she wonders why they don’t divorced and marry each other instead. When Myrtle overhears, she says something obscene about George Wilson. According to Catherine, these divorces don’t happen because Daisy is Catholic. Nick, who knows that Daisy is not Catholic, is shocked by what has obviously been Tom’s lie. Nick then remembers Mrs. McKee using an anti-Semitic slur to talk about a failed suitor.Myrtle responds that her own mistake had been to marry the suitor that she should have ignored. Nick keeps trying and failing to leave the party. Myrtle tells him the story of how she first met Tom on the train. He picked her up by pressing himself against her when they got out on the platform. Later that night, Myrtle and Tom have an argument about Daisy and Tom hits her so hard that he breaks her nose. Nick leaves the party and goes home with McKee, the photographer. The narrative gets harder and harder to follow as Nick’s inebriation really catches up with him. Nick somehow ends up at the train station, waiting for the 4 am train to get back to West Egg. One interpretation of Nick going home with the photographer is that Nick is actually gay. We delve into this theory on NIck's character page. Key Chapter 2 Quotes About half way between West Egg and New York the motor-road hastily joins the railroad and runs beside it for a quarter of a mile, so as to shrink away from a certain desolate area of land. This is a valley of ashesa fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. (2.1) Every time anyone goes from Long Island to Manhattan or back, they go through this depressing industrial area in the middle of Queens. The factories located here pollute the air and land around them - their detritus is what makes the â€Å"ash† dust that covers everything and everyone. This is the place where those who cannot succeed in the rat raceend up, hopeless and lacking any way to escape. Check out our focused article for a much more in-depth analysis of what the crucial symbol of â€Å"the valley of ashes†stands for in this novel. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantictheir retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose. Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens, and then sank down himself into eternal blindness or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. (2.2) There is no God in the novel. None of the characters seems to be religious, no one wonders about the moral or ethical implications of any actions, and in the end, there are no punishments doled out to the bad or rewards given to the good. This lack of religious feeling is partly what makes Tom’s lie to Myrtle about Daisy being a Catholic particularly egregious. This lack of even a basic moral framework is underscored by the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, a giant billboard that is as close as this world gets to having a watchful authoritative presence. Mrs. Wilson had changed her costume some time before and was now attired in an elaborate afternoon dress of cream colored chiffon, which gave out a continual rustle as she swept about the room. With the influence of the dress her personality had also undergone a change. The intense vitality that had been so remarkable in the garage was converted into impressive hauteur. Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air. (2.56) This chapter is our main exposure to Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s mistress. Here, we see the main points of her personality - or at least the way that she comes across to Nick. First, it’s interesting to note that aside from Tom, whose hulkish physique Nick really pays a lot of attention to, Myrtle is the only character whose physicality is dwelt on at length. We hear a lot about her body and the way she moves in space - here, we not only get her â€Å"sweeping† across the room, â€Å"expanding,† and â€Å"revolving,† but also the sense that her â€Å"gestures† are somehow â€Å"violent.† It makes sense that for Nick, who is into the cool and detached Jordan, Myrtle’s overenthusiastic affect is a little off-putting. But remember this focus on Myrtle’s body when you read Chapter 7, where this body will be exposed in a shocking way. Some time toward midnight Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing in impassioned voices whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy's name. "Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!" shouted Mrs. Wilson. "I'll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai" Making a short deft movement Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand. (2.124-126) This bit of violencesuccinctlyencapsulates Tom’s brutality, how little he thinks of Myrtle, and it also speaks volumes about their vastly unequal and disturbing relationship. Two things to think about: Why doesn’t Tom want Myrtle to mention Daisy? It could be a way of maintaining discretion - to keep secret her identity in order to hide the affair. But, considering everyone in town apparently knows about Myrtle, this doesn’t seem to be the reason. More likely is the fact that Tom does actually hold Daisy in much higher regard than Myrtle, and he refuses to let the lower class woman â€Å"degrade† his high-class wife by talking about her freely. This is yet again an example of his extreme snobbery. Tom is a person who uses his body to get what he wants. Sometimes this is within socially acceptable boundaries - for example, on the football field at Yale - and sometimes it is to browbeat everyone around him into compliance. It’s also interesting that both Tom and Myrtle are such physically present characters in the novel - in this moment, Myrtle is the only character that actually stands up to Tom. In a way, they are a perfect match. In my fanfic reworking of this scene, Myrtle would get to really go to town on Tom, MMA-style. Chapter 2 Analysis So how does this chapter contribute to our understanding of the novel's themes? And what are the most significant character beats to remember? I'llanswer those questions in this section. Themes and Symbols Love, Desire, and Relationships. At the party, the guests discuss love and marriage. Two separate threads in this conversation stand out: In Catherine’s eyes, the situation between Myrtle and Tom couldn’t be clearer: both don’t like their spouses, both are into each other, so the obvious solution would be for the two of them to run off together. Of course, we see that Tom would never leave Daisy for Myrtle - she is just someone he can feel free to abuse, since he can always buy her compliance with more cheap gifts. Myrtle describes her decision to marry Wilson as a case of mistaken identity. She thought he was a gentleman, but his veneer of class - exemplified by the fact that he â€Å"He borrowed somebody's best suit to get married in and never even told me† (2.6) - was almost immediately dispelled after the wedding. This is very reminiscent of both what happens to Daisy, as Tom cheats on her during their honeymoon, revealing his MO; and what almost happens to Daisy and Gatsby, who is yet another man who seems like a gentleman but is actually living in a borrowed â€Å"suit† and a borrowed identity. Society and Class. After seeing the heights of the upper classes on East Egg and the lows of the factory workers in the valley of ashes, this chapter shows us what life is like for a segment of the middle class. Myrtle is desperate to get as far away from her depressing life with Wilson at the gas station as she can, surrounding herself with the material trappings that Tom can provide: an apartment, clothes, and an accessory dog. The American Dream. In a novel that is all about the American drive to get ahead, Myrtleis one of the strivers, willing to put up with terrible treatment in exchange for a chance to climb higher. So are the people hanging on her coattails, like the McKees and Catherine. Seeing her with this shows us just how striated (separated into layers) society is, as Myrtle grabs every tiny opportunity to demonstrate her slightly higher status to her entourage. The Eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg.This world is defined by its lawless amorality, and there is no voice of moral authority to pass judgment on the bad behavior of the characters. All we get is an inanimate object that hints at the possibility of a divine watcher. But, even though these disembodied eyes do make wrong-doers feel uncomfortable under their gaze, they can't actually prevent anything. For example,Tom is entirely comfortable lying. He maintains a mistress, lying to Daisy about his phone calls. And it turns out that he is lying to Myrtle as well, telling her that the reason he can’t divorce his wife is that Daisy is a Catholic. He winces under the eyes of the billboard, but it doesn't deter him in any way. The Valley of Ashes. There are those who live in palaces in West and East Egg. There are those who party in apartments in Manhattan. But this chapter shows us what happens to the people who get left behind, and who can't muster up the luck and energy needed to "win." They end up in the gray wasteland of industrial Queens, enabling the rich to get richer through their depressing, polluted, and monotonous labor. Are there any happy marriages in this book? Like, how are Nick’s parents doing? Or that random horseback riding couple we’ll see later? Anybody? Crucial Character Beats Tom drags Nick to meet Myrtle at Wilson’s gas station, in the middle of the â€Å"valley of ashes† that is industrial Queens. They arrange to meet in Manhattan, where Myrtle hosts a little party in her apartment. Myrtle lords it over her guests and reveals how miserable she is in her marriage. It’s also clear that Tom has been lying to Myrtle about his own marriage in order to string her along. The party breaks up after Tom punches Myrtle in the face and breaks her nose. He does it because she mentions Daisy’s name. What’s Next? Get deeper into the characters of Tomand Myrtleto really dig into what function they play in the novel. Draw comparisons between Myrtle and Daisyto see how these two almost diametrically opposed women actually have some important things in common. Also, explore how each perceives her relationships with men. Move on to thesummary of Chapter 3, or revisit the summary of Chapter 1. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Polimeni's article (Week 1),Provine's article (Week 2),Panksepp and Essay

Polimeni's article (Week 1),Provine's article (Week 2),Panksepp and Burggdorf's article (3), Martin's article (4),Berger - Essay Example Provine’s article is a 30 year research on what he considered as the fundamental of behavior, the pillar of human nature. He followed the behavioral neuroscience route in his quest for search in laughter. He researched neurological mechanism that make muscle contractions and direct laughter behavior. He claimed that in the past research on laughter has established claims such as laughter helps people snap out of common cold, it increases creativity and even lifts depression. While these insights into laughter are welcome, Provine’s research was done more on tactical grounds. He felt that laughter presented him with significant â€Å"scientific leverage† that helped him address different related questions. One doesn’t fare any better than another person on the reasons behind which the laugh. Laughter and logic don’t go hand in hand. Logic fails when laughter says coming. Laughter speaks for itself through objective measurements and descriptions. We s hould not try to impose our designs or our logic on the cryptic message behind laughter. (Provine) Panksepp and Burdgoff’s article: This article is titled ‘‘Laughing’’ rats and the evolutionary antecedents of human joy? It begins with an insight into Paul MacLean’s concept of epistemic. The latter was a neuroscientifc study of a subjective experience. It required animal brain research that correlated with the internal experiences of humans. In this study robust relationships emanating out of affective processes and sub cortical brain systems has been discussed. The paper moves around a working hypothesis that justifies why rat vocalizations project a positive effect on evolutionary relations to the joyfulness of human childhood laughter that commonly accompanied social play. The study also discusses the neurobiological nature of human laughter. The importance of such lucid processes for understanding various clinical disorders has also been di scussed. Some of the these disorders include Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, addictive urges and mood imbalances. The research concluded that fundamental neural homologies between the laughing response of rodents and the playful laughter of children remain to be assessed. They cannot be evaluated accurately right now but may eventually be evaluated if one analyzes cross species contrasting of pharmacological manipulation. At present only limited data is available on the issue and there is little information to substantiate it. (Burgdorf) Rao Martin’s article: Martin’s article sums up the fact that humor is a universal human activity. It is experienced by many people during a typical and can be exercised in different contexts. The article presents evidence suggesting that humor and laughter are both evolutionary as far as their origin is concerned and offer their own kind of benefits. However, culture has an important role to play in the use and manipulation of humor in various circumstances. The context in which humor may be considered appropriate for laughter may vary in different situations. In the psychological context, humor is correlated with a positive emotion called mirth. Mirth is often spoken about in social context and is known to conceptualize vocal and emotional expression of laughter. Humor takes various forms in different situations. In social interactions it is named as canned jokes, spontaneous victim and unintentional funny utterances and actions. The article also explains the

How income inequality effects teen pregnancy Research Proposal

How income inequality effects teen pregnancy - Research Proposal Example (Rich, 2012). According to a survey conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, â€Å"nearly 330,000† girls of an age group from 15 to 19 are reported to be pregnant in a year (Ipatenco, 2014). Inspite of a decrease in American teen childbirth for the last 10 to 20 years, among the most developed countries, the United States have the highest level of pregnant teenagers than other developing countries (Rich, 2012). Scientist have been trying for years to â€Å"untangle† the mixed complication among different aspects like education, economic, culture and contraception which cause pregnancy during teenage (Rich, 2012). Scholarly studies reveal that there is a direct â€Å"connection† between teenage pregnancy and income inequality (Oakes & Jolicoeur, 2012). This study intends to find out the relationship between income inequality and teenage pregnancy as this is becoming the most discussed public problem in present day. Teenage childbirth has a big risk on mother as well as the child. Many studies have identified a relation between â€Å"income inequality† and teen pregnancy. Researchers contemd that the teens living in a place where the income inequality is greater, in such a situation they are not able to grow up to their needs of life, such teenagers tend to lose their hope and get on the path of depression, which forces them into a carefree life style (Oakes & Jolicoeur, 2012). The authors say that not only income inequality can be stated as a reason for teen childbirth but this is a â€Å"topic† which needs more studies (Rich, 2012). To overcome this problem , various aspects that lead to the problem need to be identified and accordingly solutions for the same must be found out. Hence through this research the reasons and preventive measures for this issue will be discussed. The rate of teenage pregnancy was