Monday, September 30, 2019

Monster Energy Drink Target Audience and Company Objectives Essay

Consumer Behavior Monster Energy Target Market Because the energy drink is still part of a new and developing industry, the energy drink target market is different than in some of the other beverage industries. Monster energy drinks have become a very popular, â€Å"hip† part of society, but the market at which they are aimed is not as wide and expansive, or diverse, as some might think. Early in energy drink history, when they were first being sold in the United States, athletes were the primary consumers. This shows that even initially energy drinks were directed at a select crowd, a group of people with specific interests. Although the consumer base for energy drinks has now expanded beyond that of simply athletes, the target market is still more particular than in other industries. When thinking about the energy drink target market, it is important to consider who is most receptive to the purported effects of the beverages. Although everyone is susceptible to the fatigue of the super-charged, over-worked lifestyle, young people are especially vulnerable to persistent exhaustion and insufficient energy. This group of people, more specifically male teenagers and people in their 20s, are also most likely to believe in the veracity of the energy drinks’ claims. As a result, the majority of energy drinks are developed for and advertised to this younger generation. In addition to focusing on a specific age group, many energy drink companies are even more exclusive in their marketing efforts, gearing their products and advertising to appeal to very specialized groups, such as gamers, extreme sports enthusiasts, and the hip-hop crowd. The effects of this emphasis on such a target market can be seen in the advertising campaigns of the energy drinks. Many of the names of the beverages, such as Monster LoCarb appeal to these specific consumers and the marketing strategies that revolve around sponsoring public events or celebrity endorsements reflect this focus. The design and packaging of many energy drinks also relates to the target market. Although the energy drink industry currently caters to a very specific target market, as it continues to grow and develop, it is likely that marketing efforts and the focus consumer base will be more diverse and expansive. The Monster Energy Drink, distributed by Monster Beverages Co., uses concentrated targeting as a marketing strategy. Strong promotion strategies including product hand-outs by young attractive vendors in powerful trucks blasting music are common ways The Company promotes in cities. The Company also uses Ricky Carmichael, a motocross legend, to endorse their products. 40 foot posters are used to target motocross fans which are a major target market for Monster Beverages Co. (Murr, 2006). Other effective advertisements include using high contrast, recognizable posters in retail stores and high energy, adrenaline rushed TV ads. Advantages of concentrated marketing include concentration of resources, better meeting the needs of the target audience, and strong positioning. Disadvantages include segments being too small or changing, and large competitors such as red bull to more effectively market to niche. According to Rodney Sacks, CEO, the target audience is 18 – 25 year old males (Murr, 2006). This market is focused on a product which offers an energy boost, so any audience that is involved in sports, or high endurance activity is a clear target. The green claw marks resemble adrenaline, power, and testosterone, accompanying its motto, â€Å"unleash the monster within†. High schools and colleges are clear niches for these high energy markets. The demographics for the target market for Monster energy drink are: Major Cities 18-25 year olds Males Athletes/ High endurance activities Income ? middle class According to the 2000 census, there are approximately 10 million males who fall under Sacks’ audience of 18 – 25 year old males. But I believe the target market is expanding to be much wider than that including women and older men. Judging by the effectiveness of free handout promotions in hot locations such as South beach, Florida, I see a target market of males and females ages 12 – 35. According to the census this number is around 80 million (US Census Bureau, 2007). Hansen’s Monster Energy drinks offer giant doses of caffeine and sugar in big black cans adorned with neon-colored claw marks. The scary packaging, plus a bevy of extreme-sports sponsorships, positions Monster as an edgy alternative to Red Bull in the fast-growing, $2 billion a year energy-drink market. Monster’s slogan: Unleash the beast. † Monster has certainly energized Hansen. The company has seen its sales more than double since it introduced the brand in April, 2002. Last year, Hansen earned $20 million on sales of $180 million, up from just $3 million of profits on sales of $80 million in 2001. Sales nearly doubled, while profits quadrupled, in this year’s first quarter. Those results helped Hansen earn the No. 26 spot on BusinessWeek’s annual ranking of Hot Growth Companies. Monster Objectives Hansen has jolted the Monster brand with a dose of guerrilla marketing. Teams of Monster ambassadors† give out samples of the product at concerts, beach parties, and other events. The company also sponsors motocross, surfing, and skateboarding competitions. Hansen representatives in black Monster vans supplement the company’s network of 300 independent distributors by assembling store displays and restocking specially designed racks in convenience store coolers. Hansen now owns an 18% share of the energy-drink category, according to the trade publication _Beverage Digest_. While Red Bull remains the leader with nearly half of the market, Hansen’s energy-drink sales increased 162% last year — more than three times Red Bull’s growth rate. A small subset of consumers is going wild over these drinks,† says Beverage Digest editor and publisher John Sicher. Hansen is really riding a tiger. † It’s a jungle out there, though. Coca-Cola Co. ([**KO**](.. /javascript:%20void%20showTicker(‘KO’)) ) is promoting its new Full Throttle energy drink. PepsiCo Inc. ([**PFE**](../javascript:%20void%20showTicker(‘PFE’)) ) is marketing energy drinks under its SoBe and Mountain Dew brands. And independent entrepreneurs have elbowed their way in with products such as Rockstar and FUZE Mega Energy. Every month we pick up a new product or two,† says George Kalil, who runs an independent bottling company in Tucson. Sacks estimates that the energy-drink category is growing 50% a year and that there’s room in the market for everybody. These are the new soft drinks of the world,† he declares. Sacks and Schlosberg are fending off the attack by diversifying. They’ve launched Joker, an energy drink sold exclusively in Circle K convenience stores, and Rumba, a caffeine-laced juice drink designed to be a morning pick-me-up. And they introduced Monster Assault, which comes in a black-and-gray camouflage can that saysDeclare war on the ordinary! † It’s a slogan that could describe the juiced-up strategy of this formerly sleepy beverage player. It is apparent that Monster has become a major player in the energy beverage market. We hope to be the number one choice of energy drinks among consumers.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Characteristics of Orientalism, Prejudice, and Discrimination

The difference between Muslims and Arabs according to the Schaefer text is; often being confused that they are the same Muslims are a type of religious group where as Arabs are a type of ethnic group. In the beginning of the text it describes and says that â€Å"Most Arab Americans are not Muslim and most Muslim Americans are not of Arab background. Within each group is a significant diversity that can be seen by differences in forms of religious expression, ancestral background, and recentness of arrival in the United States (Axia College, 2006).† A big factor when trying to see the differences between Arabs and Muslims is their religion, in the text it explains that Muslims relate closely to Christians religion wise because, they both worship the same god where Arabic’s worship their own god. Some of the changes that have been made by the United States for Muslims and Arabic’s is; they have made jobs for many of them more available. Since September 11, 2001 many Americans have had a hard time trusting Muslims and Arabic’s in return have treated them poorly. The United States has helped over the years to prove that not every single person in the Arabic and Muslim was involved or had anything to do with it. Over the years people have started to treat Arabic’s and Muslim’s better but it still has been hard for them to be accepted in the United States. Orientalism in correlation to Arabic’s and Muslims has lead to sweeping unity within the societies. â€Å"For many people in the United States, the mosque does not represent religious freedom and diversity or even a curiosity but a foreign threat in yet another example of Orientalism† (Axia College, 2006). Some suggestions to help promote tolerance would be to get to know people. People perceive others a certain way based on what is told to them about a certain person. We only see the â€Å"bad† that the Muslims and Arabic’s have done because of things that have happened in the past. A good suggestion would be to make community groups and get to know others, it’s always nice to get to know people and learn about things.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Globalization - Essay Example It  Furthered stated that the environmental challenges such as  climate change, cross-boundary  water  and  air pollution, and  over-fishing  of the ocean are linked with globalization.  Globalizing processes is affect by the business  and  work  organization,  economics,  socio-cultural  resources, and the  natural environment.  When you are referring to trade and transactions, globalization has led countries to increase their shares in the world trade resulting greater variation among major regions. For instance, the  newly industrialized economies  (NIEs) of Asia prospered due to globalization while African countries as a whole performed poorly. The countrys exports are an important indicator of success. Manufactured goods are exports soared dominated by developed countries and newly industrialized economies (NIEs). Commodity exported such as food and raw materials were often produced by developing countries while commodities share of total expo rts has declined over periods. The interactions amongst states which was on a global scale confined to Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and certain parts of Europe marked their success in the world of trade.  In the early globalization, it was difficult for states to interact with others who were not within close proximity. The advance technology has allowed states to learn from others who existence in trade markets. The third has to do with  interdependency, stability and regularity. When a state is not depending on other states then there is no way they can mutually affected by another. This is the driving force behind global connections and trade. With globalization states can be able to get what they are not able to produce from other state and supply what they produce to other state. Due to globalization approach and its modern forms have resulted to the  industrial revolution. This is though industrialization standard  production

Friday, September 27, 2019

Comparing two business plans Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comparing two business plans - Lab Report Example It also reflects the key elements considered by both the businesses for achieving competitive advantage in the market. The study concludes with an insight into the recommendations provided to both the businesses for overcoming the weaknesses and challenges and maintaining their position in the market. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Analysis 4 Findings 7 Conclusion and Recommendations 9 References 10 Introduction The project deals with the comparison of two business plans. This would help in analysing of their strategic short term and long term strategies followed by their financial accounting control methods. This would further help in finding out the strengths and weaknesses related to the strategic business plans of the two chosen companies and providing suggestions based on the findings. The two businesses that have been chosen for comparing their business plans are Daily perc cafe and Watertower Cafe. Daily Perc Cafe is a beverage retailer. It is a breakfast and lunch cafe providing outdoor concept to the customers for relaxing and having fun (Rope-een, 2011). It implements the system which is very new to the beverage as well as food service industry for providing cold and hot beverages in a time efficient and convenient manner. The setting of this cafe has upscale scenery along with calm soothing tone for offering comfort (Foursquare, 2013a). The cafe provides the customers with a touch of home. The Daily Perc provides its customers with fine cold and hot beverages specially blended teas, coffees and various other custom drinks. The Watertower Cafe is full service cafe/restaurant situated in Sweet Auburn District in Atlanta (Foursquare, 2013b). The restaurant mainly provides moderately priced food which is highly influenced by the French and African traditions. The restaurant specially features a coffee house having desert bars, areas for live performances, magazines etc (Yelp, 2013). Analysis Strategic planning helps in achievement o f competitive advantage in the business operations by the management of all the operational, financial and marketing activities (May, 2010; Lientz, 2010; Hall, 2004). Through this planning process it becomes easier to overcome the challenges and achieve success in the market (Cassidy, 2005). The Daily Perc The Daily Perc mainly focuses on two market segments: a) the daily commuter and b) the captive consumer. The daily commuters are those who are travelling from/to work, out for shopping or drive, offering products and services etc. The captive consumers are those who remain in restricted environment which does not allow favourable departure or return when searching for refreshment because the refreshment is considered an integral element of the environment (Palo Alto Software, 2012). The cafe penetrates in both these consumer segments by means of deployment of the ‘drive thru facilities’ or ‘mobile cafes’ in most accessible locations. The cafe provides pre mium coffees in very little time than needed in order to satisfy its customers. The cafe considers four main points as the drivers which would help in the achievement of success. They are The best locations to attract the customers. Quality products comprising of fresh coffee beans, premium serving containers, clean equipments, consistent flavour etc. Friendly servers Finest Reputation created by means of word-of-mouth advertisements, various public relation and other

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Australian Indigenous Education in Modern Life Essay

Australian Indigenous Education in Modern Life - Essay Example There was also much concern over high unemployment rates in some ethnic communities, largely a result of economic recession and the decline of the manufacturing sector, which had previously provided a substantial portion of migrant jobs (Castles et al., 1986; O'Loughlin and Watson, 1997; VEAC, 1983, 1984). Since the late 1980s, discussions about the apparent success of professional and business migrants have supplanted the discourse of migrant disadvantage. As a result of the Federal government's increasing emphasis on credentials and skills in the migration programme, migrants' human capital endowments have increased, apparently resulting in higher labour force participation rates and better employment outcomes. The government argues that migration is more economically efficient than ever before, with migrants adding to government coffers rather than becoming a drain on the public purse (Ruddock, 2003). Contemporary academic research on migrant employment experiences neatly undersco res governmental discourses on migration policy. It is dominated by studies presenting a 'success story' narrative of recent, mostly highly skilled, migrants achieving increasingly positive outcomes in the Australian labour market. These are generally economic, quantitative studies based on the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia (LSIA) (Cobb-Clark, 2000, 2001; Cobb-Clark and Chapman, 1999; Richardson et al., 2001, 2002; VandenHeuvel and Wooden, 1999, 2000). The LSIA, commissioned by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA), surveyed migrants about their settlement experiences during their first years in Australia. LSIA1 targeted migrants entering Australia between September 1993 and August 1995, surveying them three times: six months (wave 1), 18 months (wave 2) and three and a half years (wave 3) after arrival. LSIA2 targeted migrants entering Australia between September 1999 and August 2000, surveying them twice: six months (wave 1 ) and 18 months (wave 2) after arrival (see DIMIA, 2002, for more information about the LSIA). Weighted data were used in the analyses for this article to offset the attrition rate in the sample over the three waves. These studies continue a dominant tradition within social science research on migration, namely an approach derived from human capital theory. Essentially an 'application of neo-classical economics to labour markets' (Wooden, 1994: 220), human capital theory has become the prevailing wisdom within academic and business circles for explaining the economic success of individuals, firms and nations. Human capital theory emerged in the 1970s in the writings of economists such as Mincer (1974) and Becker (1975) to explain differences in individual earnings. Income was treated as a function of workers' investment in marketable skills, particularly in the form of training. Individuals were seen as making rational choices about investments in education and training that would i ncrease their productivity and thereby deliver suitable returns to them once evaluated on the market (see Blaug, 1976: 830). Applied to immigrants, as Wooden (1994: 220) notes, the theory proposes that 'differences in pay, occupational status, probability of employment, and so forth, between immigrants and natives reflect differences in the average

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Legal Aspects of Health Care Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Aspects of Health Care - Case Study Example Dr. Andrews (doctor) owed the duty to Bobby with regard to treatment of his left hand (amputation). He amputated the wrong hand, thus violating his duty; which also led to Bobby's loss. In addition to elements of negligence, the action by Dr. Andrews is res ipsa loquitur (that is, it speaks for itself). So there can be no two opinions that the doctor committed negligence while treating Bobby; and can be held liable to pay the damages. The actions of Nurse Williams at City General Hospitals can be reviewed using EMTALA (Federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act). EMTALA was passed in 1986 to prevent hospitals from refusing to treat a patient coming to their emergency room; on grounds of not having enough money or insurance to pay for the treatment. The Act places two main obligations on hospitals (Lafferty, 2000): 2. If it can be established that the patient's condition is in fact, an emergency; the hospital must take steps to 'stabilize' the condition before the patient can be asked to contact any other hospital for detailed treatment. In the given case, a screening examination was not conducted to determine the severity of wounds. Although, Nurse Williams attended Bobby immediately and put towels on his wound, probably to stop the flow of blood; and may be this would be presented by the hospital in defense. Yet there is no evidence that any screening examination was carried out to ascertain if the condition can be classified as emergency; and any attempt to 'stabilize' the emergency condition other than above which can hardly be classified as an attempt to stabilize Bobby's condition. The delay thus caused, resulted in deteriora36tion of the injury, which ultimately resulted in amputation. Bobby and his parents can sue

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Tort Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tort Reform - Essay Example The escalating cost of medical bill has been attributed to excessive litigation also; therefore, the bill aims at reducing litigation by promoting patient safety. Hence, â€Å"states that apply for a grant to work on patient safety issues, rather than on other dispute resolution techniques† (Jones, 2010). In the opinion of Barack Obama, the new tort reform would improve patient safety and medical liability terms. According to Thomas Gallagher, an official of University of Washington, the goal of the reform is to improve the culture of health care communication with the objective of mitigating medical malpractices and thereby increasing patient safety. He adds that the proposed changes would provide better communication training to health care workers. Similarly, the J. D. of New York State Unified Court System, Judy Kluger argues that the reform would protect the patients who get injuries by providers’ mistakes. Kluger also says that costs associated with medical malpra ctices can be minimized by the introduction of the proposed tort reform (Point of Law.com). The state of Texas successfully implemented the tort reform in 2003 in order to improve the efficacy of the patient- friendly ‘malpractice laws’ in 2003.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Is Abortion Moral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is Abortion Moral - Essay Example My personal opinion on the matter of abortion was formed under my parents’ influence; they have always taught me that a life of human being is the highest priority; and if an embryo exists, then this is the way it should be, because children come to this world for some reasons. As for the facts, I have always been convinced that an embryo in a woman’s body, even if it is not a human being in the early stages of pregnancy, is a potency of a human. We cannot know when human soul starts inhabiting human body, so making a pro-choice means taking responsibility for a life, which is the hardest responsibility ever. That is why I believe that abortion is immoral, because anyway it deals with a kind of murder of a human being or its potency. Moreover, my current opinion against abortion is based on mere consideration of the fact that I wouldn’t have existed if my mother had had an abortion. Thinking about this is the most decisive argument for me in consideration of this issue. The very first argument on the matter of why abortion is moral concerns the fact that human fetus is a part of a woman’s body, which means that it is up to the woman to decide in which way she wants to dispose her own body and its parts. According to a philosophical consideration of the issue conducted by Francis Wade in his article, as long as an embryo belongs to a female body, it is considered to be its part, as potentiality of human being doesn’t actually mean a complete human being.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Theories of Mass Media and Its Social Impacts Essay Example for Free

Theories of Mass Media and Its Social Impacts Essay Since the invention of technologies such as the telegraph, radio and eventually television, which enabled communications â€Å"produced at a single source [to be] transmitted to an infinitely large audience† (Fearing, F. 1954), the social impacts of communications via mass media have been a subject of intense research by political and social scientists. This literature review intends to examine the major theories and perspectives on mass media with regard to its impact on society, which existed throughout the 1950’s and 70’s. Special attention will be given to the subjects of human social development, distribution of power, and human knowledge. Human social development has, without doubt, transformed since the introduction of mass media technologies. Before mass transmission capabilities were available, humans were very rarely exposed to anything other than the culture of their immediate surroundings. A widely supported view held, as to how communities learn a culture, is through a process of symbolic interaction (Blumer, H. 1969) where humans learn via the sharing of symbols. Fearing (1954) refers to this process as the sharing of â€Å"daydreams†, which are the literary or dramatic manifestations of a community’s symbols and culture. Every ‘daydream’ contains the symbols of the culture that produced it, whether it be a play or story. By passing on and sharing these ‘daydreams’, a community are able to share in the same culture, as they create familiar frameworks with which to reference their social lives. As Gerbner (1967) points out, before mass media, human interaction was almost entirely interpersonal, in relative isolation, meaning human experience and knowledge was limited to their immediate community environment, with information being passed down from person to person. The influence of the mass media begins to become apparent as Fearing (1952) points out the fact that humans, thanks to mass media, were for the first time able to broaden their sources of symbolic interaction, learning the values and symbols of a culture outside of their own localised  sphere of experience. Gerbner later echoed this sentiment when stating that since the industrial revolution, an â€Å"almost simultaneous introduction of information, ideas, images and products† on a global level has taken place. He goes on to claim that this point signalled the turning point with regard to how people became â€Å"humanised†. No longer was acculturation limited geographically. Quite quickly, due to the wide transmission of symbols, beliefs and attitudes, it became possible for regional and even national populations to share the same mental frameworks for perceiving the world around them. A feat that would have been impossible without the means of mass, simultaneous comm unication, made feasible by the mass media. Another contested subject with regards to the potential power of mass media was that that its capabilities place â€Å"a powerful instrument in the hands of a small number of persons† (Fearing, 1954). The ability now existed for a small influential group to communicate their message to a vast number of receivers. With this came the ability to set public agenda, influence social policy and affect the thoughts and behaviours of receivers (Gerbner 1967). There are many incidences for example where radio broadcasts have had a huge influence on the behaviour of its listeners, as documented extensively by Fearing (1954), who incidentally goes on to play down these successes as isolated events in which many variables came together with unintentional effectiveness. Unsurprisingly, governments developed great interest in the potential of the mass media and political scientists were responsible for many advances in the field. The propaganda campaigns propagated during the First, and especially Second World War, are undeniable examples of mass media’s potential for control over a population. However, the idea that media had a one way ‘hypodermic needle’ effect on receivers was beginning to fall from popular view, with a two way communication process being adopted instead. This two way process took into account that an audience doesn’t necessarily simply absorb the information around them, but perceive and interpret it, ultimately selecting whether it’s information they want to absorb. In contrast to the increased power of government, insights provided by Gerbner (1967) document the increased power of ordinary citizens to effectively take part in democracy, by offering and promoting alternatives to policies. The ability to publish and distribute private knowledge he says  transforms the private perspectives of few into broad public perspectives – thus creating a public, which in itself is a form of potential power if communication is maintained. We can conclude from this that mass media has enabled those who would not normally be able to do so, to voice their opinions and perspectives with a broader audience. Those who wield these mass communication capabilities certainly have far more potential power than before. With increased broadcasting of information, the manner and rate at which humans learn has also been irreversibly influenced. The relatively vast amounts of knowledge available via print and broadcast media during this time meant people were exposed to a greater amount of information. People were no longer restricted to the information and experiences of their own communities, but had access to foreign experiences and knowledge on a national and international level. In a general sense this has arguably meant that people, as a result, have become relatively more intelligent. As with most opportunities however, some people are able to take more advantage of them than others, whether it be because they are better equipped or more motivated to do so. P. J. Tichenor, G.A. Donohue and C.N. Olien’s (1970) research documented what they referred to as a â€Å"widening knowledge gap†, especially with regards to more â€Å"general appeal† knowledge areas such as public affai rs and science. Those of a higher socioeconomic status acquire information faster than lower class segments, leading to ever increasing gaps between progressive and â€Å"stagnant† groups (Tichenor, P.J, et al. 1970). Robinson (as cited in Tichenor, P.J. et al 1970) contends that those less informed will â€Å"remain so unless acted upon by an outside force, while those already informed stay in motion†. This leads to the conclusion that while the proliferation of information increases, the knowledge gap can and will only increase, unless measures are taken to effectively inform those of lower socioeconomic classes. A solution to this knowledge gap is offered by Tichenor et al. (1970) when they profess that a â€Å"knowledge gap implies a communication gap.† With the introduction of more easily accessible outlets of information this knowledge gap could potentially be decreased, despite the ever-increasing amounts of information available. Their article ends on an optimistic note as to the role television could play in the future, a  medium much easily accessible to lower socioeconomic classes. Reference List Blumer, Herbert (1969). Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method. Berkeley: University of California Press. Fearing F. (1954). Social impact of the mass media of communications, in, N.B. Henry (Ed.) Mass media and education: The fifty-third yearbook of the national society for the study of education part II, Chicago, University of Chicago. Gerbner, G. (1967). Mass media and human communication theory, in, F.E. X. Dance (Ed.) Human communication theory: Original essays, (pp.40-60.) New York, Holt, Rinehart, Winston. Tichenor, P.J., Donohue, G.A. Olien, C.N. (1970). Mass media flow and differential growth in knowledge, Public Opinion Quarterly, 34, 159-170.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

An analysis of Macbets struggle Essay Example for Free

An analysis of Macbets struggle Essay Violence, blood and death. The quintessential characteristics of war. Shakespeares Macbeth is based on a war, but not your typical one. The real war in the play and the underlining factor leading to Macbeths death, is not fought on a battlefield, there are no swords, and no soldiers to swing them. The real war is fought in Macbeths mind. Macbeths conscience and vaulting ambition alternate in controlling his actions throughout the play. Many critics of the play believe that from the first scene to the last, Macbeths character is unchanging, and that he is always governed by his greed, selfishness and evil. This is not so. Right from the outset of the story, Macbeths indecisiveness is evident. In act I, Macbeth struggles a great deal in deciding whether or not to murder the king and take his throne. When Macbeth is first given the prophecy that he will be king, he dreads the thought of killing a man that has been like a father to him. This shows that Macbeth has a conscience, and that deep down inside, he is a good person. When he arrives home to his kingdom though, he is greeted by Lady Macbeth who reveals her plan to make her husband King when she says: I will pour my spirits into thine ear, And chastise with the valor of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round. (Iv, 24 26) Macbeths conscience tries to fight the constant attacks by his wife who insists that he should kill the king. Finally, Macbeth decides his fate, listens to the poisoned words of his wife and kills Duncan. Immediately after the death of Duncan, Macbeth is completely overcome by guilt. For the moment, he forgets about the now empty throne, and cant comprehend what or why he has done what he has done. When Lady Macbeth realizes that in a state of confusion he has forgotten to remove the daggers from the Kings room, she tells him to go back and get them. He replies by  saying Ill go no more./ I am afraid to think what I have done. / Look ont again, I dare not (II ii, 50 52). This passage outlines the fact that once again, his conscience has taken over control of his mind. Macbeth feels horribly about what he has done to his King. When Macbeth tries to wash the blood from his hands he remarks: Will all great Neptunes ocean wash this blood Clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather The multitudinous seas incardine, Making the green one red (II ii, 60 63) Macbeth believes that what he has done will never be washed away from his conscience. He will always have the death of King Duncan hanging over his head. Unfortunately, this is the last we see of Macbeths conscience. Tormented over the likelihood of being unmasked as Duncans murderer, Macbeth continues his evil ways in an attempt to stay on the throne. His vaulting ambition has surfaced once more to overthrow any spot of good left in him and he shows no more remorse for Duncans murder. Wanting to become safely king, Macbeth plots out the murder of one of his best friends Banquo, the only other person besides Macbeth and his wife, who is aware of the three witches and their prophecy. Again, this shows that his need to succeed in life is overshadowing his conscience. Macbeths last, and most evil deed is the slaying of Macduffs family. Macbeth puts innocent women and children to death in an attempt lure Macduff back to Scotland so he can have him murdered as well. At this point in the play, it seems as though Macbeth doesnt have a good bone in his body. The little voice of reason inside his head has been snuffed out, and he decides that the only way to be a good King is to make drastic and rash decisions. Macbeth unravels before our eyes and is finally beheaded by Macduff in revenge for the slaying of his family. The war between Macbeths conscience and his vaulting ambition is not fought  on a battle field but still had all the exemplary attributes of one that is. Violent acts were carried out, blood was shed, and people died. The struggle going on In Macbeths head was finally over, his ambition the victor, and Macbeth himself the defeated. When the hurly-burly was done, the war in Macbeths mind was both lost and won.

Friday, September 20, 2019

General Strike of 1926 Causes and Impact

General Strike of 1926 Causes and Impact A general strike is when a group of workers from different industries all stop work in support of each other to win certain demands. This would bring the country to a halt and make it very hard for the Government to resist giving in to their demands. The general strike of 1926 was mainly for the miners; they had low pay and worked long hours. They wanted better conditions and equal rights for all. In this essay I shall assess the events leading up to the strike and have a look at all the short and long term causes of the strike. The coal industry before the war was booming. It was used for nearly everything and during the war the demand for coal increased even more. Because coal production was so important to the war effort the Government took over the ownership of the mines and ran them instead of the private owners. Improvements were made in conditions and pay for most miners. When the Government nationalised the mining industry miners hoped it would continue after the war. But in 1921 all mines were returned to private owners. After the war the coal mining industry went into decline. This was because, oil was used as a fuel especially in shipping, electricity became available, more efficient boilers were made, other countries began to mine coal and British pits had been over mined during the war and owners were reluctant to spend money modernising mines. When men from the war came home they found the promises made by Lloyd George were not met and if men have been fighting for their country for four years they are prepared to fight for their jobs and standards of living at home. There are many long-term factors, these are; conditions and pay of miners, at the time of the General Strike an average of two miners were killed per day. Miners were also suffering from ill health because of their work. Miners argued they deserved higher wages because of the risks they took. Mine owners made millions whilst miners were lucky to earn 50p a day. Miners felt they were being unfairly treated. Another long-term cause was the Sankey Commission. In 1919 the Government formed a Royal Commission to look into the problems of the coal mining industry. Lord Sankey led this commission, but it failed to come up with a solution to the problems of the miners. Most members favoured nationalisation but the Prime Minister, Lloyd George, refused to nationalise the mines. The decline of the coal, mining industry was a major one, during the decline of the mining industry owners had to increase hours and lower wages to maintain profits. Others were, Change of attitude after the war and nationalisation. A popular idea among trade unionists at this time was syndicalism this was the belief that several trade unions should go on strike together to bring the country to a halt and so take over the Government for working people. The Miners Union decided to increase their strength by combining with railwaymen and transport workers in a triple alliance. A strike in one of industries meant the other two would stop work as well, so it seemed sensible for them to join together and increase their strengths. A strike of three industries shall have a greater impact on the country and government than only one industry on strike. It shall be harder for the government to keep the country running, so they shall have to give in to their demands. In theory this was a great plan. In the 1920s in Britain, there was a great deal of industrial discontent. It began with the miners. As already discussed, the coal industry was in decline, since 1918. This meant mine owners had to increase hours and give less pay to keep profits going. They tried not to buy new machinery or improve mines, as this would eat away at their profits. In 1920 mine owners told miners their wages would be reduced. The miners decided to go on a strike with the other members of the tripe alliance (the National Union of Railway Men and the Transport and General Workers Union). It was understood that these two unions would join the miners in a sympathy strike. But on Friday 15th April the two unions decided not to support the miners and refused to go on strike. The miners called this Black Friday. It was a disaster for themselves and other trade unions. The miners went on strike alone but were defeated, they had to go back to work for even lower wages. Later other industries such as shipyards, printers and railway workers were forced to accept lower wages. The unions had learnt their lesson form Black Friday; a defeat for one union was a defeat for all. In the future they pledged to stand together. In 1925, coal prices fell yet again and owners wanted to cut wages just as they had done in 1921 but the miners were ready to strike developing the slogan, Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day. This time the other industries went on strike with the miners. The Government werent ready for a General Strike so they brought themselves time buy giving the mine owners a subsidy of  £10 million, to keep wages at the same level as they were before the wage cuts were made. This event became known as Red Friday (Friday 31st July 1925) and was seen as a total success for the working class. It also showed what could be achieved if the Trade Unions worked together. However, it was announced the subsidy would only last 9 months enough time for the Government to prepare for a G eneral Strike, if there was one when the subsidy ended. The Government set up a commission called the Samuel Commission, headed by Sir Herbert Samuel to deal with the problems of the coal mining industry. The short-term cause of the General strike was the Samuel Commission; the commission rejected nationalisation and said the government should end the subsidy. It agreed to wage cuts and said working days should be 7/8 hours long. The report sided completely with the mine owners since the whole commission was made up of rich industrialists. The Government immediately responded to the Samuel Commission. They declared the subsidy would end on 30th April 1926. The owners increased the hours and reduced wages by 10-25% with the support of the government. Many meetings were held but no agreement was made so on May 1st 1926 the miners went on strike for better pay and conditions. The government had been preparing for the strike for some time. They built coal stocks to last for 5 months, increased the number of special constables from 98,000 to 226,000, drew up detailed instructions for the army, navy and police to guard docks, telephones exchanges and power stations, gave money to the owners of haulage firms to put 200,000 vehicles at the Governments disposal and set up the OMS . The OMS was a group of about 100,000 volunteers who unloaded cargo from ships, drove buses and trains. People joined the OMS for a number of reasons. The middle class thought the strike was a threat to them and an attempt to ruin the country economically. Others joined for financial reasons, the Government paid constables  £2.31 a week plus food. The miners were on strike refusing to accept wages of  £1.58. The TUC (Trade Union Council) wasted their time. They never expected the Government to allow a General strike to happen. The miners made their positions weaker by getting a re cord level of coal output. This made it easier for the Government to stock up on coal reserves. When the General Strike began the TUC decided to bring out the workers in key industries railwaymen, transport workers, dockers, printers, builders and iron and steel workers. Nearly 3 million men were taken out of work. And later others like, the engineers and shipyard workers can be called out. In London, at the headquarters of the TUC, there was far less optimism than the workers who were prepared to stay out as long as it takes. There seemed to be little unity between trade union leaders. The Government were willing to let the strike continue, as they were prepared and confident they could last longer than the Trade Unions. The TUC had promised their support if an agreement was failed to be reached. So great efforts were made by the TUC to reach an agreement with the Government and mine owners to prevent a general strike. The discussions went on late into Sunday evening (May 3rd) and according to the main TUC negotiator an agreement was close when the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, broke off the talks with the TUC. The reason for this action was that the printers at the Daily Mail newspaper had refused to print an article about the strike the Government had prepared. They were sympathetic to the miners. The TUC apologised but Baldwin refused to re-open talks. Baldwin knew he could win, they had prepared for the strike and knew the TUC couldnt last that long. But in response to the breakdown in negations, the TUC sent strike negations to the Transport, Railway, Dock, Print, Electric and Steel and Chemical workers. The General Strike began on Monday 4th 1926. The TUC argued that the miners were facing longer hours with lower pay, imposed by mine owners to keep profits up. They said it was an Industrial Dispute between bosses and their workers. The TUC also believed if the miners were defeated it would lead to lower wages for all workers. It was a struggle for all working class people not just the mining community. The Government argued this was a Constitutional issue and that the Trade Unions were building up their strength to overthrow the Government. The Government did this to worry people and get them to side with the Government and it worked. Historically it can be seen that the TUC only wanted better pay and conditions. They were not calling for a socialist revelation to over throw the government. The General Strike in 1926 started because of the conditions of the miners. Other workers realised if they didnt support the miners their bosses may lower their wages knowing nothing shall be done as they had previously seen in the case of Black Friday. This was the primary reason why the TUC found the idea of a General Strike appealing, they knew if they stuck together their demands should be met The Government did not want nationalisation; they were prepared and ready for the prospect of a General Strike. Time was on the governments side and their excellent preparations for the strike led to the governments victory I feel the TUC should have been more prepared for the strike and built their case more for the general public to see that the workers were being unfairly treated by the business owners together with the support of Government. Additionally, all the unions should have shown greater solidarity if they had any hope of obtaining better working conditions and pay. Although the idea of a General Strike is theoretically unstoppable there were measures the Government could taken to avoid the strike, by the Government breaking off negotiations just when a deal seemed possible it seems that the Government wanted the strike to go ahead in order to break the resolve of the unions and set an example that a general strike could never succeed, and they should have been more aware. How accurate is this interpretation of the General Strike as a violent dispute? Use the sources and your knowledge to explain your answer. The General Strike started on the 4th may and lasted until the 12th May; throughout this time some areas were hit by violence from striking workers, leading it to be an idea of a violent dispute. There is presented evidence which backs up the idea that the strike was a violent dispute in a few areas, especially the docks. This essay will measure how precise source C is at interpreting the violence of the location using evidence obtained from looking at other resources. The restrictions of the source will also be evaluated to decide any omissions or possible uneven analysis. The sight depicted in source C is definitely an aggressive one, there are many policemen with the crowd of strikers and not many of the strikers are being controlled. This illustrates that the circumstances were out of control causing a great deal of force to be required. This is helpful to show how violence was coped with throughout the strike given that 200,000 special constables were under oath to support the police if strikes took place. Similarly the armoured vehicle just before the front of the portrait implies that plenty of force was necessary to put an end to the strikes which took place. Equally to the points mentioned above an equipped officer is illustrated in the image aiming a machine gun. This tells us that the soldiers felt endangered by the amount of violence being used and were prepared to use arms to look threatening- especially with his finger on the trigger showing that he was ready to open fire. On the other hand this could also illustrate that the soldiers used weapons to frighten and irritate the strikers causing further violence, as The British Worker wrote that this was happening. This tells us that violence was used regularly by both sides of the strike. The information given in the source is useful in terms of portraying the strike as violent and with the advent of the machine gun pointing at the crowds the painting shows an image of a brutal state willing to open fire in order to oppress its people. During the period of this paining it was an era of communism and socialism spreading and the pictures tries to draw some parallel in terms of oppression and class war. Nevertheless, there are also several restrictions in the source which cause it not to be completely dependable. For example, the picture depicted is close by a dock; this is exposed by the cranes shown in the surroundings of the image. The London Dock was the only district in which it was essential for soldiers to be called in and maintain order. The docks in general were mainly well-known areas that strike took place in. Consequently, the sources consistency is in subject as it does not correspond to the whole country and in many places there were no strikes at all, for that reason it is an unreasonable judgement of violent disputes. Only 4,000 people were prosecuted for violence or incitement to violence out of the millions of people striking, which is an extremely small number proportionally. It is an image of a food convoy, which were usually violent events; so it is not possible to suppose strikes similar to these took place every day, hence the stability of them is not possible to conclude. An additional unreliable point is that it was painted for the Electrical Trade Union which suggests it can be pro-union and so exaggerating the strength of the soldiers to make it appear if the strikers were being forced. In support of the above reasons we cannot trust the consistency of the image even though it does suggest some helpful information. Even though the image has numerous implications of violence, it does not actually show any real violence. Nevertheless it is acknowledged there were cases of violence and these are mislaid in this source. For instance, there are reported cases of attempts to deflate tyres and of throwing stones to butt in the movement of those who black-legged the jobs. An additional example was noted where strikers tried to damage a railway line. Other examples of violence used in the General Strike are given from source A, so it does not give the full picture of the types of violence being used, which it would also be vital to know when studying violence used in the General Strike. The painting was painted in 1964. So, at the time there was communism in Russia, and the fear of communism taking over in Great Britain was high, so the Electrical Trade Union wanted to make Communism and Socialism look better than Conservatives. Overall, Source C is a precise explanation of violence in some areas and how order was kept by soldiers of armed policemen; yet its consistency should be questioned given that the view shown was at a food convoy near a dock- both were the most ordinary areas of violence during the strike. It could also be questioned whether the artist was biased since he was painting the image for the Electrical Trade Union. There is also a need of information about violence in erstwhile areas of England, and in relation to dissimilar types of violence used; consequently it is helpful in the direction of studying violence in the General Strike alongside with other sources, but not on its own. Lastly Source C is an accurate explanation of the war, but not sufficient information can be drawn for it to be entirely helpful by itself and there is an explanation to consider why it is not entirely reliable. Is There Sufficient Evidence in Sources A to E to Explain Why the T.U.C. Called of the General Strike? The General Strike was stopped by the Trade Union Congress on the 12th May 1926. Whether it was a working class conflict in opposition to the establishment or an uprising of the unthankful lower classes, it was a stepping stone in Trade Union movement, however it did not appear so for a while later when Trade Unions lost value and resources. The Strike pulled the labour class mutually to work for one reason and it proved that the essential ideas of Trade Unions were well stuck. The General Strike was not continued for several reasons which I will summarize in the following essay. I will consider sources A to E and see if there is sufficient evidence controlled within them to make clear why the T.U.C. called off the General Strike. The Government had organized for the Strike extremely enhanced than the T.U.C. which was in excess of confidence after the new subsidy in 1925. The government had used the more nine months to prepare for an all-out strike and they did a number of things. Firstly, they prepared Organisation for the Maintenance of Supplies, where the nation was broken up into regions and every one had volunteers to keep essential services available such as, food supplies and transport. There was sufficient coal to supply electricity. Also, the primary members of the British Communist Party were detained and imprisoned for sentences of 6-12 months, under the Incitement to Mutiny Act. The Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill was in charge of making a certified government newspaper for the duration of the Strike. The British Gazette was extremely biased as it was written by the government. The key aim of the General Strike was to hold-up Britain. Not including a total shutdown of the British nation, the Strike would have had slight impact. Source B can be reliable as it is a photograph from the time, shows us that the nation still had a skeleton transport scheme, only 40 buses from a fleet of 4400 were in operation however necessary supplies were being delivered. Consequently from this source we can see that the Strike was not having a huge impact or the consequence wanted by the T.U.C. Black-leg workers were middle class and jobless people who filled in the jobs of people who were on Strike. E.g. they drove busses and trains. If Britain did not have them, Britain would have totally closed down and the Strike would have been effective, however the majority of the men were pleased to help. The trouble was black-leg labourers were proving to be to some extent excellent at filling in for the strikers who became terrified of losing their jobs eternally and so they returned to work. However, the Source B photo may also be seen as a staged photo as the policeman in the photo appears to be posing for the photo. The government was provoking the strikers to become violent. They had armed policemen and soldiers protecting food convoys and the black-leg labourers, as if daring the Strikers to battle. An extract from English History 1914-1945 says, Churchill tried to provoke conflict by parading armoured cars through the streets. We can see how the government tried to do this from photographs taken during the Strike, though from the photos we can also see the peacefulness of the crowd. In Source C we can see a painting of sturdy, well-fed strikers fighting at the Docks. This was obviously not the real condition the men were in as Britains populations consisted mostly of under nourished, over-worked males-who would have been worse due to the Strike. This source is bound to be unreliable and biased because it was drawn by a member of a Trade Union 28 years after the end of the Strike, even though there was some violence the painting shows just a snapshot of the whole picture and what was happing a cross the country. From Source A we learn that altogether 4000 people were prosecuted for violence or incitement to violence and about a quarter of these received prison sentences. This is an inconsequential number among the millions of strikers and not a major reason to call off the Strike but if there had been aggression the T.U.C might have never recovered. For if there had been hostility the Trade Unions would have lost the sympathy vote and therefore most of their support. Source A is relatively reliable because it is written after the event by a third party. The government could have created far more effective propaganda from a violent strike than a peaceful one. The government also used propaganda to incite brutality. The main line of attack was through The British Gazette, but the strikers had a newspaper too, The British Worker, and they were able to combat the propaganda and broadcast messages, encouragement, warnings and advice to their followers. The sources from both ne wspapers announcing the end of the Strike use words that conjure up images of war, for example, surrender, peace and unconditional. In my view this was a final attempt on both sides to justify the Strike, as wars are thought of as just causes by some and would make the government happy because they had victory and the workers more angry and devoted to their cause due to their losing. The Strike had lost some early support due to a number of peoples believing that the Trade Unions were attacking the British system of government and attempting to overthrow it. They linked it to the Russian Revolution which was known for its violence and brutality (towards the upper classes). The Russian Revolution had begun with widespread strikes and troubled workers, so people were afraid. Also individuals were afraid of syndicalism, the belief that the workers should run the industries as this is rather like communism and would leave many factory and mine owners redundant or in the same circumstances as their own workers. Some early support for the Strike had dried up, perhaps it was going on for too long and people lost interest or perhaps supporters became worried as to how it would affect themselves and their jobs. The Strike could be perceived as a class war and this is illustrated in Source C which shows workers united and fighting for a common cause against a brutal govern ment. Perhaps people believed the working classes were trying to hold the rest of the country to account for its hardships. Others believed it was just two obstinate groups of people on a collision course and assumed they would work out their problems. Unity in the Trade Union Congress might have been fractured. In a source I have seen; a Punch Cartoon from April 1921 An Employers View of the Triple Industrial Alliance there is a three headed dog representing Cerberus-guardian of the gates to the underworld. The three heads, labelled transport, miners and railways are different. Miners looks angry and unsettled whereas the other two look tired and fed up. This shows where most of the turmoil in the T.U.C. was coming from. The miners head is in the middle- as if it is controlling the other parties. Though this is from an employers viewpoint it cannot be ignored as the miners seem, throughout the Strike and even before, to be the angriest, most dangerous of the groups-perhaps the others werent quite so supportive of the Strike and didnt want it to drag on. Another place we can see the miners playing a domineering role in the Strike is Sources D and E. These both state that negotiations are to be resumed in the coal dispute and that t he miners call delegate conference. There is no mention of the other groups of people on Strike-the miners clearly were forthright and more important. So to conclude these sources can tell us opinions and views on the General Strike from both sides but they are mostly biased due to the uses they served. . Source A shows that the strike was mainly peaceful and the government was not able to provoke them which reflects that the strikers were not angry about the strike and hence were looking for a peaceful end to the strike as soon as possible. Source B is vital in explaining why the strike was called off as it shows that the strike was not having the desired effect since goods and services were still being provided by the government. Source C portrays a violent picture but this was not the case across the country. The painting shows that the unions did not have much option but to have a strong, united confrontation with the government but most of the strikers did not have the desire for this and the unions failed to keep the strike going by not being able to have deep unity. Source D shows that the strikers were somewhat glad the str ike was over and tried to show that it ended as they had achieved their aims through negations and there was no need to continue with the strike. This puts on a brave face in the face of what in fact was a defect of the Unions that led to the end of the strike. Source E shows that the government had totally defeated the unions and hence ending the strike, although this was a government paper and can be seen as biased, it turns out to be true as the unions did not achieve any of their aims. However, the two newspaper articles announcing the end of the General Strike are very brief and showed how the government and T.U.C. were trying not to draw great attention to it, as if both sides agreed it was an embarrassment. At the end of the Strike the T.U.C may have hoped that new and unofficial proposals by Sir Herbert Samuel would permit the miners and mine owners to renew negotiations. This was not so. Most men got their jobs back but 3000 men endured recrimination from employers and the railwaymen had to accept pay cuts on return to work. The miners remained on strike for several months. They were ultimately forced back to work after hunger and cold, under the conditions they had neglected in April. All the recommendations of the Samuel Commission, including the ones the government had accepted, were ignored.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

A Cubist Perspective of Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

A Cubist Perspective of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The great cycle of the ages is renewed. Now Justice returns, returns the Golden Age; a new generation now descends from on high." - Virgil, Eclogues 1.5    As Virgil stated so many years ago, history is a cyclical phenomenon. The experiences of one age tend to be repeated in future generations. Knowing that, we should not be surprised to find the seeds of modern styles and philosophies sprouting in earlier ages.    Elizabethan England was a society undergoing major social changes. In religion the country had recently left the fold of Catholicism to establish the Church of England. While England during this time was a major world power, she also enjoyed a level of security thanks to her easily defended boundaries as an island nation with a powerful navy. The sense of power and security allowed for the growth of a prosperous middle class. Within this milieu of power combined with internal security and economic growth the seeds of change were nurtured#. Intellectual and artistic freedom and growth were fostered in this environment, Elizabethan England provided an envisronment that allowed men like William Shakespeare to find a voice that reached not only his own generation but continues to speak to the modern world.    If we look at the world at the beginning of the 20th century we can find many parallels with Elizabethan England. In both ages Europe was experiencing a great social and political realignment. The growing nationalism that was the precursor to World War I and the Russian Revolution was accompanied by a new sense of self and a new set of allegiances. For artists like Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris these ... ...."   William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.    Schanzer, Ernest.   "_A Midsummer-Night's Dream."   26-31 in Kenneth Muir, ed. Shakespeare: The Comedies: A Collection of Critical Essays.   Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1965.    Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night's Dream, ed. Brian Gibbons. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.    Vaughn, Jack A. Shakespeare's Comedies.   New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1980    Watts, Cedric. A Midsummer Night's Dream. London: Penguin, 1986.    Wells, Stanley & Gary Taylor, General Eds.   _William Shakespeare: The _Complete Works.   New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Young, David P.   Something of Great Constancy: The Art of A Midsummer Night's Dream.   New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966.      

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Strange Points of View of Dostoevskys The Brothers Karamazov :: Brothers Karamazov Essays

The Strange Points of View of Brothers Karamazov The novel, The Brothers Karamazov written by Fyodor Dostoevsky was first published in 1880. This book is unique because it is effectivly written in a combination of third person omniscient and first person point of view. The author seems to be a character in the book but also seems to know all. Parts of The Brothers Karamazov is in the third person omniscient point of view. Third person omniscient is when the author is all knowing. This is shown when the author is able to read the thoughts of all of the main characters. A good example of this is when Mitya, one of the main characters, is observing two Polish men that he just met. Mitya’s thoughts are displayed when he decides that "it was the little pipe-smoking Pole who was in charge" (pg. 507). This shows what is going through Mitya’s mind when he meets the Poles and is a good example of the third person omniscient point of view. The author also knows what is going on in other towns while he seems to always be at the monastery in the main town in the book. This is shown when Mitya goes to the village of Sukhoi in order to see a man about a business deal. Mitya gets a priest to go with him and the priest "suggested they go on foot, for, he assured Mitya, it was only a miles walk..." (pg. 452). This is information that could only be known to someone who was at Sukhoi at that time while the character of the author was still at the monastery that is in another town. This also shows third person point of view. The author seems to also know what is going on in the privacy of people’s homes. This is shown on page 483 when Mitya is at his friend Perkhotin’s house and they are the only two people there and yet the author is able to describe exactly what is going on. He explains how "the washing operations began" when he had no way of actually knowing. This adds to the third person point of view. The third person omniscient point of view aspect of the book makes it so that the story keeps going even though the author is not there. The thoughts and the actions of the characters are always known so that the story is more complete and therefore more effective.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Green Engineering

Date 11/17/11 | | Name: Manuel Tejada Activity: Sustainable Architectural Design Course: Materials and Processes (CD220) Instructor: Paul Debashis Green engineering is a much-needed approach to transform existing engineering disciplines and practices to those that promote sustainability. The concept of sustainability is to develop and implement technologically and economically viable products, processes, and systems that meet the needs of humanity, while protecting the environment.Green engineering is governed by the following principles: Use the least amount of energy to achieve any given task. Generate as much energy as possible using renewable resources. Generate the least amount of pollutants and by-products during energy generation. Use renewable and biodegradable materials to a maximum extent for building structures and fabricating products. Reduce waste during construction and fabrication. Design structures and products to maximize their life spans and minimize maintenance.De sign for easy deconstruction and facilitate the reuse of components and materials from obsolete structures and products in new construction and fabrication. Make the least impact on the environment. The obvious question is: Why are these principles not followed? The answer is: Because of economics, convenience, ignorance, and affluence, with economics playing the major role. For example, thermal power plants are still a more economical source for electrical energy compared to solar energy.However, the depletion of raw materials and the cost of controlling pollution and by-products are resulting in a steady increase in the cost of electricity produced by thermal power plants. This, in combination with the improved efficiency of solar cells, is making solar cells a viable alternative. In the area of energy production, the fraction of energy produced by renewable resources is still very small. The popular sources are coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear. Hydroelectric power plants are a long-standing renewable source.The growing sources of energy production are solar and wind. Fossil fuels generate carbon dioxide and large amounts of residues, such as fly ash and bottom ash. Philosophically, most of the energy we are using came from the Sun. For example, coal, oil, oil shale, and tar sand were produced over millions of years from forest growth. If we could harness solar radiation, then most of the world's energy needs could be met. To achieve this, the efficiency of solar cells has to be increased considerably.It is estimated that the Sun provides about 120 quadrillion watts of energy daily, while worldwide consumption is about 13. 5 trillion watts per year. In the next paragraph I will present the proposed of solar panels for a small business in Dominican Republic (Karina supermarket), which spends about 2160 kwh every month (0, 35 usd/kwh) $ 756 us monthly. For this project we are going to use solar panel that contains 4 cells, and each of them can produce 0. 45 volts and 100 milliamps, or 45 milliwatts. Each cell measures 2 inches by 0. 5 inches.In other words, with these solar cells you can generate 45 milliwatts in one square inch (6. 45 square cm). For the sake of discussion, let's assume that a panel can generate 70 milliwatts per square inch. To calculate how many square inches of solar panel you need for a Supermarket, I need to know: * How much power the supermarket consumes on average. * Where the supermarket is located (so you can calculate mean solar days, average rainfall, etc. ). This question is possible to answer because I have the specific location in mind.Considering that in the tropics the days are longer and the sun shines more. We'll assume that on an average day the solar panels generate their maximum power for 6 hours. Now we are going to do some calculation of how much solar electricity I need to power this supermarket. This means that what I would be powering with solar electricity are things like the refrigerator, the lights, the computer, the TV, stereo equipment, motors in things like furnace fans and the washer, etc. Let's say that all of those things average out to 3000 watts on average.Over the course of 24 hours, you need 3000 watts * 24 hours = 72,000 watt-hours per day. From our calculations and assumptions above, we know that a solar panel can generate 70 milliwatts per square inch * 5 hours = 350 milliwatt hours per day. Therefore you need about 205,000 square inches of solar panel for the supermarket. That's about 5 solar panel that measures about 285 square feet each one (about 26 square meters). The cost for each unit, including battery bank and installation $16,000-$20,000 us. Now we are going to compare the annual cost of both system solar panel Vs regular energy.Solar Panel Total energy peer year: (2160kwh/m) (12m) = 25,920kwh/y Total installation cost: (5panel) (20,000us) = $100,000us Total cost kwh: Total cost/Total energy peer year = $3. 858 us/kwh Regular energy Total ener gy peer year: (2160kwh/m) (12m) = 25,920kwh/y Total Cost: (25,920 kwh/y) (0, 35 usd/kwh) = $9,072 us Assume no change in the cost of the electricity and base in the calculation, this system will likely pay off in about 11 years. The average lifetime of solar panels is 40 years, so your investment will reap about 3 times the initial cost.

Monday, September 16, 2019

The Miracles of Jesus Christ

Table of Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Miracles of Jesus Christ 1. Cures a. The Miracle of the Centurion’s Servant Healed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. b. Jesus Cleanses a Leper†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ c. The Healing of Ten Lepers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. d. Healing a man with dropsy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. e. Healing a woman With Internal Bleeding†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. f. Healing two Blind Men†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦. g. Blind bartmaeus Receives his sight†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2. Exorcism a. Healing a Mute Demoniac†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. Power Over Death a. Raising Jairus’ Daughter†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . Controlling Nature a. Water turned wine†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ b. The Miracle of Jesus Walking on the Sea†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. c. The Feeding of the Four Thousand†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Appendices†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Introduction According to the canonical Gospels, Jesus worked many miracles in the course of his ministry, which may be categorized into cures, exorcisms, control over nature, power over death and various others. Miracles may very well be considered a thing of the past, however, the miracles of Jesus Christ as illustrated in the Bible attest to the significance of His physical presence while on earth. The miracles He performed were not restricted to those who only needed His very special touch to be healed or desired to be fed but were used to teach His followers the love God had for his people. Today, those same miracles can be used as lessons from which our lives should be guided as God remains the perennial symbol of hope. MIRACLES OF JESUS CHRIST CURES The Miracle of The Centurion’s Servant Healed (Matt. 8:5-13) â€Å"And Jesus entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, go, and he goeth; and to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Isreal. And I say unto you, that many shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom off heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, go they way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. † There is a spiritual palsy as well as a natural one. The spiritual palsy consists in some spiritual obstruction in the mind and life, whereby the free circulation of heavenly love and wisdom is impeded, so that the mental faculties are not able to perform their proper functions, which functions consist in opposing evil and false principles, and din cherishing such as are in agreement with the supreme good and the supreme truth. We are instructed further, that no radical cure is to be found for this spiritual palsy but the Incarnate God, or in the Great Saviour, Jesus Christ in His Divine Humanity, and not even, in this God and Saviour, unless he be approached in a right faith, that is to say, with a faith grounded in love and charity producing right arrangement in all subordinate power and principles of the natural mind. The miracle further shows that let the obstructions to heavenly life and love be ever so formidable, and the divine circulation of blessing be ever so much impeded, yet if Jesus Christ in His divine humanity be believed in and pproached with a sincere heart, and in the spirit of true repentance, every obstruction will be removed, which prevents free circulation of His blessed influence, until at length the whole mind and life be restored to their proper health and strength, by being enable to comply willingly and freely with the Divine Operation. It is prudent for us whenever we feel our mi nds affected with a spiritual palsy, to apply immediately, like the faithful Centurion, to our God and Saviour for his healing virtue, and to apply to him with that living faith in His Diviine Omnipotence, for which the Centurion was so eminently distinguished. Jesus Cleanses a Leper (Matthew 8: v. 1-5): â€Å"When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him. And behold, a Leper came to Him and knelt before Him, saying ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. ’ And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him saying, I will, be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, see that you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the Priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded for proof to them† And the great crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. Leprosy like all other bodily diseases was prevalent at the time. It was a representative figure of the spiritual disease called profanation of good and of truth which prevailed in the Jewish church at that time. Profanation means those acts that were not considered to be biblical and sacred, thus the Leper was guilty of profanation, because he had knowledge of what was true and good but acted contrary to this and he there, became a spiritual Leper. In the miracle, he is therefore, a representation of all those who once accepted Christ as their saviour, but were nonetheless allowed the temptation of the world to overcome them. The Lord in his merciful providence exercises care over mankind because He is always a forgiving God. The utterances of the Leper â€Å"Lord, if you will, you can make me clean†. This implies the acknowledgement of Christ’s Divinity. Such acknowledgement is the necessary qualification to draw from Him the operation of His Divine Virtue for the cure of disease whether mental or bodily. When Jesus touched Leper, this symbolizes His power and omnipotence, because the hand is formed to execute the determination of the will in which all power originates. In so doing, God our Father is demonstrating His love and care for His children. The Healing of Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19) â€Å"Now it happened as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as he entered a certain village, there met him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off† Leprosy was the most feared disease of its time. The closet emotional equivalent today would to be told that you have AIDS. The disease of leprosy was a painful disease but the physical pain was not the most terrible part of the disorder. It first meant they had to face isolation. They were shut off from their family. They were shut off from their friends. They were shut off from God, in the sense that they could no longer enter the temple to worship. Lepers were swept into isolated colonies and required that when anyone ventured too close to cry out in humiliation, â€Å"Unclean, Unclean!!! † Leprosy was an especially humiliating disease because; those who had leprosy were thought to be unclean, and incapable of having a right relationship with God. They made to feel that they were even isolated from God. Leprosy also meant a total loss of your way to life. You had been left to die. Which brings us to the final effect of a diagnosis of leprosy, you are dying, a slow and horrible death. They kept their distance as prescribed by law, but they certainly did not keep quiet. These lepers only hope is Jesus and his mercy does not let them down. In verse thirteen, we told, â€Å"And they lifted up their voices and said â€Å"Jesus, master, have mercy on us†! They asked for mercy. They were not asking for what they deserved they were pleading for mercy. The Old Testament law required that a person who was healed of leprosy was to go to the priest for inspection and proclamation that the person was healed. In fact it is the exact reversal of the way in which they were declared lepers in the first place. No healing words were spoken, yet the lepers apparently understood that when Jesus said â€Å"go to the priest† it is implied that they will be healed. By obediently making their way to the priest, the lepers were demonstrating that they had faith in the words of Jesus. All ten place faith in Jesus’ power to heal. Healing a man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-6) One Sabbath Day while Jesus was at the home of one of the chief Pharisee leader’s home to eat bread he noticed that there was a man there who had dropsy. Jesus then turned to the lawyers and Pharisees who were also having bread and asked â€Å"is it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? (Luke 14:3). To this neither the Lawyers nor the Pharisees answered. Jesus then took the man with the dropsy and healed him and let him go. Jesus then turned to them and asked â€Å"which of you would have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? † (Luke 14:5) To this the y could not reply. Jesus did what any parent would do for their child or children should they find themselves in a dangerous situation. Therefore, I say this to say that regardless of the Sabbath day if we can render assistance to someone who is in need we should because even Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour did it. Healing a woman with internal bleeding (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, Luke 8:43-48) While Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years, and had spent all that she had on many physicians, and was no better, but rather grew worse, had heard about Jesus, and came up behind Him in a crowd and touched His cloak. For she said â€Å"If I but touch His clothes, I will be made well†. Immediately her hemorrhage stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Jesus was aware that power had gone forth from Him, turned around and asked â€Å"Who touched My clothes? The woman knowing what happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth. Jesus said to her â€Å"Daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace, and be healed of your disease. † Healing two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31) After Jesus left Jairus’ house, two blind men followed Jesu s, crying loudly, â€Å"Have mercy on us, Son of David! † Jesus said to them â€Å"Do you believe I am able to do this? † They said to Him â€Å"Yes, Lord. † Then He touched their eyes and said â€Å"According to your faith let it be done to you. † And their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly ordered them â€Å"See that no one knows of this. † But they went away and spread the news about Him throughout that district. Blind Bartimaeus Receives his sight (Mark 10: v. 46-52) â€Å"Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and His Disciples, together with a large crowd were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is the son of Timaeus) was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout â€Å"Jesus, son of David have mercy on me! † Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, son of David have mercy on me! Jesus stopped and said â€Å"Call him† so they called to the blind man â€Å"Cheer up! On your feet! He is calling you. Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus . â€Å"What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asked him. The blind man said,† Rabbi I want to see†. â€Å"Go†, said Jesus, â€Å"your faith has heale d you†. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. It was the Passover season and may were travelling in the same direction with Jesus-that is toward Jerusalem. Bartimaeus, a blind beggar say by the wayside hoping to receive charity form passersby. Bartimaeus had heard that He was the reputed Messiah who, according to the Scriptures would eventually bless the whole world and do away with sin, sorrow and pain. He had heard already that Jesus was performing cures, healing the sick, casting out demons and opening the eyes of the blind. When heard that Jesus was passing, his faith and hope flamed and he shouted â€Å"Jesus thou Son of David, have mercy on me†. Despite attempts to keep him quiet, he persisted because he felt that it was now or never and so he lifted his voice above that of the multitude and shouted loudly. Jesus heard the voice and responded as he was ever ready to be gracious to those who call on him for mercy. He bade the blind man to come to Him. It showed Bartimaeus’ faith and thus signifies a more important lesson to the multitude. His request of Jesus to received his sight became a reality immediately and the blind became one of the followers of Jesus, praising his Divine power and acknowledging Him as the Messiah. â€Å"Jesus thou Son of David† had special significance to him and to the Jews of the his day. The Jews knew that Messiah as the great High Priest was in a measure prefigured by Aaron and as the great Law giver. EXORCISM Healing a mute demoniac (Matthew 9:32-33) After the two healed blind men in left, a demoniac who was mute was brought to Jesus. And when Jesus cast the demon out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed and said they had never seen anything like this in Israel. POWER OVER DEATH Raising Jairus' daughter (Matthew 9:18-19, 23-25; Mark 5:22-24, 35-43; Luke 8:41-42, 49-56) A leader of the Synagogue named Jairus came to Jesus, and begged Him to come and lay hands on his little daughter who was near death. As Jesus went, the crowds pressed in on Him and He felt power had gone forth from Him. It was at this point He healed the woman who had been hemorrhaging for twelve years . While He was still speaking to the woman, someone came from Jairus' house and told him his daughter had died. When Jesus heard about this He replied â€Å"Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved. † Jesus entered the house with Peter, John, James, and the child's father and mother. The people in the house were all weeping and wailing for her, but Jesus said â€Å"Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping. † He then took her by the hand and called out â€Å"Child get up. † Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then He directed them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astounded, but He ordered them to tell no one what happened. CONTROLLING NATURE Water turned wine (John 2:1-11) Jesus returned from Jordan to Galilee to attend a wedding for family members at Cana, a little town not far for Nazareth. The he would meet his mother who he had not seen in a while. This was a very joyous occasion for her as she found comfort in his sympathy had been very unhappy since the passing of Joseph. It was the custom of the times for marriage festivities to continue for several days. On this occasion, on the third day it was found that the supply of wind had failed. This discovery caused much perplexity and regret. As a relative of the parties, Mary had assisted in the arrangement for the feast, so she said to Jesus â€Å"they have no wine† To this Jesus answered, â€Å"Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come (St. John 2:4). † This answer, abrupt as it seems to us, expressed no coldness or discourtesy. Every act of Christ’s earthly life was in harmony with the precept He Himself had given, one of which is â€Å"honour they father and they mother. (Exodus 20:12). Mary then told the servants that â€Å"whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. † Jesus then ordered them to them to fill size (6) water pots that were there with water which they did to the brim. Jesus then told them to draw out of it and give to the governor. When the governor tasted it to his surprise it was wine. He then called the bridegroom and said unt o him â€Å"every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good win until now (St. John 2:11). This miracle manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. The Miracle Of Jesus Walking On The Sea This miracle illustrates additional proof of the divinity of Jesus Christ, confirmed by His walking on the sea, and calming its disturbed waters. The miracle further shows the great necessity of acquiring the knowledge of what is good and true from the Word of God, which necessity is made known by Jesus constraining His disciples to go into a ship. It also brings to the fore the impure principles of the natural mind, in exciting disturbance, trial and temptation, expressed in the history by the ship being tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. However, of great consolation is that Jesus is ever present in the midst of such disturbance, compelling it to make more manifest His Fatherly Mercy and Divine Omnipotence. From the miracle, it is illustrated that the apostle Peter, was afraid when he saw the boisterous wind which shows the weakness of human faith. However, we can take comfort in the fact that if we believe I Jesus, all thins are possible to us and if human faith connects with omnipotence, it also can walk on the water, and go to Jesus. We also learn that the Great Redeemer is ever stretching forth the hand of His Divine Omnipotence to succour His children in all their dangers, and to relieve them in all their fears, whilst at the same time He leads tem to a diligent exploration of the causes of their alarms, by thee friendly expostulation, O you of little faith, wherefore did you doubt? Lastly, we observe in the ship, which contained the Blessed Saviour and His disciples, a figure of the true church, an of every individual of the church, tossed on the boisterous waves of trial and temptation, yet riding in perfect safety and security, under the rue and government of Him, who sits above the water-floods, and remains a King forever be thee earth never so unquiet. The Feeding of The Four Thousand The Feeding of the four thousand was not the only miracle of its kind Jesus performed, as being the teacher and preacher He was, it was the norm for him to officiate at many of these sermons where He provided refreshment for the people who came to listen to Him. However, the feeding of the four thousand was of great significance as Jesus used it not only to illustrate how great a miracle worker He was but also in a special way to explain the spiritual meaning of the miracle. St. Mark 8: 1-9 gave an account of the miracle in the wilderness when Jesus expressed His concerns to His disciples on the wellbeing of the people who followed Him to hear His words. They were with Him for three (3) days and had not eaten during that time and was worried that should they return home unfed, they would become ill on the journey. His disciples did not share Jesus’ compassion as they questioned Him on how He planned to satisfy the hunger of four thousand people. This of course was not new to Jesus as He was previously faced with a similar situation when He fed five thousand persons with five (5) loaves of bread and two (2) fishes. In that instance twelve (12) baskets were left over after the people were fed. On the occasion of the four thousand, Jesus once again enquired of the disciples on how many bread and fish they had and they handed him seven (7) loaves with some fish. Interestingly, among the people following Jesus were scribes and Pharisees who were only there to cast aspersions as they regarded every act of Jesus as suspicious. Their presence did not hindered Jesus from doing God’s will and so He ordered the four thousand to sit before He blessed the loaves and fish from which He fed them then sent them on their way. At the end seven (7) baskets remained uneaten. Feeding of the multitude on these two (2) occasions were not just miracleaous acts, but denotes important spiritual lessons Jesus sought to teach His people. The twelve (12) baskets of leftovers from the first miracle represent the twelve (12) tribes of Israel as well as the commandments which mankind were to be guided after Jesus left the earth. The basket of seven (7) loaves left over from the feeding of the four thousand, signified His seven (7) main attributes i. love, patience, meekness, forgiveness, perseverance, self-sacrifice and mercy. These attributes were to be used by men in the physical absence of Jesus to strengthen them and serve as their guiding principles. Jesus realized that some of His hearers only consumed the bread and fish to satisfy their physical hunger while their spiritual hunger remained un-sated. The essence of the miracle was lost on those who had not grasped the content of Jesus’ sermon, the attribute s representing Jesus’ teachings, parables and miracles were to open the eyes of the people. The essence of God’s teachings can be lost if we only grasp the contents superficially Conclusion In concluding, Jesus performed over thirty-five miracles while he traversed the earth in his human form. Miracles were performed on the rich and the poor alike. The common thread that ties these miracles together is the fact that most, if not all persons required a miracle exercised great faith; that is, they believed and as such they were able to receive. The lesson to be learnt is that through Christ all things are possible [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Fact and Fancy in Hard Times Essay

Discuss the significance of Fact and Fancy in Hard Times with particular reference to Dickens’ presentation of the worlds of Sleary’s circus and Coketown. You should focus closely on techniques used and effects created and how both of these things shape our response, as readers, to the text. Dickens uses a range of techniques to present the idea of the importance of and contrast between Fact and Fancy, such as the settings of the contrasting ‘worlds’ in the novel, imagery, and the very language he uses. Dickens lived in an era of growing industrial powers, where the ‘hands’ inside ravenous factories were many and depersonalised. With such an economy rapidly expanding, it could be considered the only logical that the value placed upon emotion, leisure and human compassion was hastily replaced by a focus on work ethic, greed and a strong class segregation. The rapid changes of the time benefited some people long before others. Dickens is concerned with those still waiting for improvements and raises key moral and social questions in his writing, mainly focusing upon the need for schooling, the cruelty to and corruption of children, the problems arising from rapid industrialisation and the problems created by emphasis on social class and newly acquired wealth. All of which can be seen in Hard Times. Dickens was, however criticised in his time. Gissing said that he â€Å"did not know the North of England† and that the character of Blackpool was a â€Å"mere model of meekness†. So this perceived representation of the industrial town and working class characters could be looked at sceptically by readers. To present the differences between fact and fancy Dickens uses setting: an important technique at his disposal to instil in the readers mind a clear visualisation of the differentiating places using imagery not just simple description. In this case the contrast between harsh industry and the compassion of human nature. Dickens describes Coketown as â€Å"a town of machinery and tall chimneys†, instantly giving the reader the image of an industrial Northern town, similar to the representation of Victorian industry towns and cities in modern media adaptations of Victorian novels. With its â€Å"black canal† and a river that â€Å"runs purple with ill smelling dye† the reader is instantly aware of the unpleasant setting Dickens’ creates. The bricks of the buildings here â€Å"would have been red if the smoke and ashes  allowed it†: the smoke is conditioned to be connected with the very name of Coketown. Using the colour â€Å"black† further emphasises the darkness of the industrialised Coketown, and ‘purple’ a show of contrasting fact and fancy. That is, purple in the canal being artificial yet a factual occurrence and even a product of the philosophy of fact practiced in Coketown. Ironically, Dickens uses creative metaphors in his representation of this world of facts, such as the comparison between the imagery in Coketown – the â€Å"painted face of a savage† where the reader could infer a contextual meaning – Dickens attempt to portray a supposedly civilised society truly being a savage and cruel society. The â€Å"interminable serpents of smoke† where one could consider a religious aspect – the serpent leading human kind into sin in the Garden of Eden, representing Dickens view of society of his time being led astray by the ever increasing industrialisation. The steam-engine working up and down like â€Å"an elephant in a state of melancholy madness† which supplies the reader with a depressive visualisation of the heavy, monotonous and slow industry and how it must feel to be seemingly trapped in this factory; the feeling of slowly going ‘mad’ with the repetition. Comparing these uses of imagery to Slearys circus, the reader becomes aware of a great deal of care on Dickens part from the carefully placed contrasting images. The Pegasus, the winged horse that wouldn’t be accepted in the Fact philosophy of Coketown, appears twice in the chapter titled â€Å"Slearys’ Horsemanship†. The second occurrence of which is described as â€Å"theatrical†, covered with â€Å"golden stars† with a harness of â€Å"red silk†. These all directly contradict the metaphorical animals used in Coketowns description, and the monotonous smoke stained effect given to the reader. The horse – a grand, proud â€Å"Quadruped† animal, fast, strong and agile, comparatively to the slow mad elephant of Coketown is metaphorically symbolic of not only the contrasting people of the two settings, but the places themselves and the community each possess. Contrastingly to the use of colours in the description of Coketown, the circus is filled with colours such as ‘golden’ and ‘red’, these colours being of royalty and leisure, ironically to the supposedly lesser setting of the novel. The very fabric of silk itself is a luxurious commodity. Slearys’ circus can be seen  as a place where the reader can finally ‘breathe’, away from the smoke and industrialisation that compresses them while they read of Coketown. The reader becomes aware of the significance of the difference between the two by careful detail Dickens includes and the techniques he uses. The contrast between fact and fancy is also presented in theme of education, and its characters. The school is there to instil â€Å"nothing but facts† into the children. The class room is bare, no colours or imagination, and the teachers equally stern and monotonous (almost the point of â€Å"madeness†). The use dialogue at the beginning of the novel gives Dickens the opportunity to ridicule one of the philosophers of fact in Coketown, Mr Gradgrind. The specific choice of language is worth noting as an important example of the mocking of the coldness of fact in both the world in Hard Times and contextually the Victorian era. The phrase â€Å"root out everything else†, more specifically â€Å"root†, Dickens may be presenting his dislike of the coldness towards imagination and the emotional response in the Victorian era itself by referring to the supposedly ‘non-factual’ parts of the self comparatively to weeds amongst the theoretical crop of what the Victorians classed as the intellect. The description of the other character presented in the beginning chapters, the schoolmaster Mr M’Chokemchild, is also an important example of character differences: â€Å"(†¦) some one hundred and forty (†¦) turned at the same time, (†¦) same factory, (†¦) same principles, like so many pianoforte legs†. He describes them as being made all the same, namely with the same principles, mocking the Victorian rigid beliefs. Once more, the language Dickens choses- this time he depersonalises them to emotionless characters by comparing them to mere â€Å"pianoforte legs† – to be at the foundation of and hold up the body of the fraudulent founders of the philosophy of Fact. Dickens also subtly shows the uselessness of the philosophy by the way the children, whom are supposedly â€Å"educated†, appear. For example, Louisa, who is educated by Mr Grandgrind: â€Å"(†¦) a fire with nothing to burn, a starved imagination keeping life in itself somehow(†¦)† A strongly repressed passionate young girl who through education has become depressed and cold. And Blitzer, who eagerly adhered to Grandgrinds’ teachings as a child growing up to become a uncompassionate egotist: he becomes the light porter at Bounderby’s bank, spies on Tom and the other clerks, and only follows the  economic principle of complete self-interest. Dickens tries to show how education so greatly shapes a person’s character by using the space of time that passes in the novel to show the growth of the children. More importantly to show how the forced factual education has a damaging effect on individuals – innocent individuals. This ‘killing’ of compassion in the children could be considered to be Dickens way of presenting the damage caused by ‘fact’ in society. The reader could infer that the presentation of the battle between fact and fancy, or even the mere existence of it, is significant because Dickens is presenting a contextual view into the society he is living in. Dickens was rebelling against the way imagination and compassion was viewed and the way knowledge was defined, by reflecting to readers this world and the battle between Fact and Fancy. Bibliography Dickens, Hard Times, Penguin Classics (July 2007) George Gissing â€Å"Dickens and the Working Class† (1898)