Oedipus Rex †The Conflict, Climax and Resolution Essay -- Oedipus the

Oedipus Rex – The Conflict, Climax and Resolution  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus Rex, presents to the reader a full range of conflicts and their resolution after a climax.    Thomas Van Nortwick in The Meaning of a Masculine Life describes Oedipus’ tragic flaw:    As ruler, he is a father to Thebes and its citizens, and like a father he will take care of his â€Å"children.† We see already the supreme self-confidence and ease of command in Oedipus, who can address not only other people’s children as his own, but also be a father to men older than he is. But beyond even this there is, in the sretched posture of the citizens, the hint of prostration before a deity. We are â€Å"clinging to your altars,† says the priest. . . . That he also exudes a godlike mastery in the eyes of his subjects only strengthens the heroic portrait. . . .(21-22).    The â€Å"godlike mastery† to which Van Nortwick refers is the same mastery which Creon in his final lines designates as the cause of the tragic dimension in the life of the protagonist: â€Å"Crave not mastery in all, /For the mastery that raised thee was thy bane and wrought thy fall.† Oedipus’ total mastery of the investigation resultant from the Delphic oracle’s declaration, yes, his forceful â€Å"railroading† of the investigation against the wishes of Jocasta, Teiresias, the messenger and the shepherd, ultimately spells the downfall of King Oedipus.      Abrams says that the conflict is between the protagonist and antagonist (225). Is the antagoinst within Oedipus in the form of his â€Å"godlike mastery,† as Creon believed? Or is the antagonist weird/wyrd/fate, so that the oracle demonstrated the gods’ power to predestine their creatures? Frank B. Jevons in â€Å"In... ...shers, 1999.    Benardete, Seth. â€Å"Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Ehrenberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Jevons, Frank B.   â€Å"In Sophoclean Tragedy, Humans Create Their Own Fate.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi    Van Nortwick, Thomas.   Oedipus: The Meaning of a Masculine Life. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998. Oedipus Rex – The Conflict, Climax and Resolution Essay -- Oedipus the Oedipus Rex – The Conflict, Climax and Resolution  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Sophocles’ tragic drama, Oedipus Rex, presents to the reader a full range of conflicts and their resolution after a climax.    Thomas Van Nortwick in The Meaning of a Masculine Life describes Oedipus’ tragic flaw:    As ruler, he is a father to Thebes and its citizens, and like a father he will take care of his â€Å"children.† We see already the supreme self-confidence and ease of command in Oedipus, who can address not only other people’s children as his own, but also be a father to men older than he is. But beyond even this there is, in the sretched posture of the citizens, the hint of prostration before a deity. We are â€Å"clinging to your altars,† says the priest. . . . That he also exudes a godlike mastery in the eyes of his subjects only strengthens the heroic portrait. . . .(21-22).    The â€Å"godlike mastery† to which Van Nortwick refers is the same mastery which Creon in his final lines designates as the cause of the tragic dimension in the life of the protagonist: â€Å"Crave not mastery in all, /For the mastery that raised thee was thy bane and wrought thy fall.† Oedipus’ total mastery of the investigation resultant from the Delphic oracle’s declaration, yes, his forceful â€Å"railroading† of the investigation against the wishes of Jocasta, Teiresias, the messenger and the shepherd, ultimately spells the downfall of King Oedipus.      Abrams says that the conflict is between the protagonist and antagonist (225). Is the antagoinst within Oedipus in the form of his â€Å"godlike mastery,† as Creon believed? Or is the antagonist weird/wyrd/fate, so that the oracle demonstrated the gods’ power to predestine their creatures? Frank B. Jevons in â€Å"In... ...shers, 1999.    Benardete, Seth. â€Å"Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Ehrenberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Jevons, Frank B.   â€Å"In Sophoclean Tragedy, Humans Create Their Own Fate.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997.    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi    Van Nortwick, Thomas.   Oedipus: The Meaning of a Masculine Life. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998.

Beowulf Good vs. Evil

Reading the poem ‘Beowulf’, many ideas, related to the forces of good fighting those of evil, are present within its structure and within its events. The main character in this story is Beowulf who stands for all that is good in a epic battle against Grendel, the monster, who represents evil, death, and pure darkness. â€Å"They called him Grendel, a demon grim / Haunting the fen-lands, holding the moors / Ranging the wastes, where the wretched Wight / Made his lair with the monster kin† (61-64).In a way, the reader can understand that the poem is simply the reflection of an idea that is old as man himself: God and the devil, one against the other. The poet attempts to explain an idea regarding the powers of good and evil within each one of us, the two powers are not only opposite to one another, but also in an endless fight between them. Beowulf is the one who is able to do good and to perform what is of good nature and to help others without thinking of himself. The poem highlights the idea that evil can cleanse the world of evil.Gendel, on the other hand, along with his mother, and the dragon are those desiring to cause harm (and effectively causing that harm) to people. Beowulf was the only one who decided to save those people who were in need, he went to save the people in other lands and to fight a monster that was causing them the suffering and that was capable of destroying any human being in a few seconds. He chose to risk his life in the face of that monster for the good of the others; this is why we find certain reference to him, such as the Prince of goodness; â€Å"the peerless hero, the honored prince† (89).He was the chosen one to save and protect the world from evil. Beowulf declares himself as the good fighter when he informs King Hrothgar that he wants to kill Grendel. Beowulf says â€Å"With hand-grip only I'll grapple with Grendel / Foe against foe I'll fight to the death / And the one who is taken must trust to G od's grace / If death shall call me, he'll carry away† (342-345). Here, Beowulf declares that he will slay the evil creature and that he is not afraid of death because he is fighting for a good cause against a dark enemy.Grendel, as a symbol of evil, attempts to destroy all people and all things around him. Grendel moves in the dark, in a way to show that he is the dark messenger of evil, before to go to the land of Heorot looking for the warriors. When he finds them, he seizes thirty of the men during their sleep, and then kills them all. The next night, Grendall tries to do the same again; the poem explains how he was determined to commit more crimes because one for him was never enough and because one act of evil is far less than what he desired.He kills everyone simply because he enjoys taking the life of someone, and this is another indication to that fact that the fight was not only between two sides, but between moral and immoral, good and bad, and between darkness and light. Grendel’s main purpose was to enter the land and to eliminate everything that represented the joy and happiness that were one of the qualities of that land’s people. Gendel’s home is portrayed to represent hell, in many ways, and he is described to be the offspring of slime in which he lived in always.Then, After he becomes the king of Geatland, he demonstrates his great skills and agility for a good cause when he pledges to slay the fire dragon. Beowulf, as the story goes, pledged to kill the dragon, which has caused a trouble and misery to many of the king’s people. The selfless actions put forward by Beowulf prove many aspects of the hero’s characteristics in what concerns goodness and love of justice.Another case is evident in the following action of Beowulf: â€Å"The she-wolf bore / The ring-prince down through the watery depths / To her den at the bottom; nor could Beowulf draw / His blade for battle, though brave his mood† (10 01-1004). The side of Goodness is also portrayed by the ability of the hero to eleminate the evil and cleanse the land of Heorot. Not only that, but by destroying both Grendel and his mother, Beowulf has purified the hall of Hrothgar of all evils. The fight is between good and evil because it is stated by Beowulf when he announced that he would rid Heorot of evil.Beowulf says, â€Å"That I may alone with my loyal earls / With this hardy company, cleanse Hart Hall / I have heard that the demon in proud disdain / Spurns all weapons; and I too scorn / May Hygelac's heart have joy of the deed / To bear my sword, or sheltering shield / Or yellow buckler, to battle the fiend† (355-341). The great skill of the good hero must be able to purify the land of the evils left by Grendel. Before Grendall was killed, we find that his previous evil actions and killings allowed hatred hate to triumph.Another evil quality that the good hero should be aware of is pride; in the poem, we find the king Hrothgar warning Beowulf of such a quality: He gives him advices that will make goodness remain with him: â€Å"I wish you wealth to your heart's content / In your days of glory be good to my sons! / Here each hero is true to other / Gentle of spirit, loyal to lord / Friendly thanes and a folk united† (784-788). Other indications concerning the side representing good can be found in different parts of the poem. The poem ‘Beowulf’ clearly describes many elements related to the values that society treasured and believed in.The first value was the courage and bravery that are declared by the same person who claims to have them; this is clear in the statement of Beowulf himself when he said: â€Å"I count it true that I had more courage, more strength in swimming than any other man† (508-509). Then comes altruism when Beowulf decides to fight the monster without his sword just to be able to save the others: â€Å"With hand-grip only I'll grapple with foe against foe I'll fight to the death, and the one who is taken must trust to God's grace† (342-344).In this last statement, we can find another value which is the strength of the belief in fate in the culture of that society. Another value was that honor comes as result of someone's actions and good doing during his life, while in Christianity, for example, honor and glory can only be received in the life after death. In another element that can be contested according to today’s values is that Beowulf represented a warrior culture which stated that it was better to get revenge than to grieve those who died: â€Å"Sorrow not, brave one!Better for man to avenge a friend than much to mourn: All men must die; let him who may Win glory ere death† (896-899). One of the most important factors that are clear is the great value that was placed in kinship. Those who are considered related through family were of a certain importance and closeness that if one of them was kil led, it should become a duty for his relatives to vindicate his death and punish the perpetrator. Other values of Beowulf’s society are loyalty, honesty, justice, and generosity.Even though Beowulf and Achilles had many common heroic qualities such as courage and strength, there were many differences between them. To understand the differences we must take a closer look at the motivations of each of them; Achilles was a great warrior that sought glory and fame through revenge, social status and through the pursuit of power, while Beowulf sought glory through a different path; his main concern was to save and protect his people and his soldiers. Achilles was capable of anything to reach his goals, while Beowulf followed his higher values in all cases; those values were loyalty, pride and courtesy.The evil character presented by the story is the typical one that possesses tremendous powers and that has the most horrendous of looks. It is the one that can be found in many ancien t stories (and in some cases, many fairytales) that aim at giving a clear image of evil and of its deeds and of its objectives, which are mostly to cause harm and pain to everyone around him. The evil character, in this story, has no further goals to obtain through the killing and the terror caused, because those means are the same as the ends.While the good character, Beowulf, is pure and courageous. He is willing to do anything to prevent any more harm and to stop the evil forces that are working in the world around him. He chooses to kill the monster, not because of the joy of killing, but to save the people and the city. And he does not choose to do so because he wants to be considered a hero, but because he is really a hero who does not expect anything in return for his actions. The confrontation, as portrayed throughout the poem, is the one that is mentioned in different stories (in some cases, religious stories).Evil, no matter how powerful and no matter how fearless, will ha ve to face the powers of good and only the chosen one, who has all the required physical and mental tools, will be able to stop and defeat the powers of evil and to purify the world and will bring justice, love and happiness. In his attempt to give us a clear idea of the various factors related to the fight between good and evil, the poet manages to describe the whole story in a way that can be used in any time and for any culture; because this specific fight is always valid.The dreams and aspirations of people are the same as they have never changed, and most probably, they will never change: To be able to have a peaceful life, to be able to offer good life to their children, and to be able to have justice and equality. Beowulf is simply the hero that everyone wishes to have in order to realize those dreams and aspirations. Reference Beowulf. Translated by Charles Kennedy. Retrieved July 7, 2006 from the world wide web: http://www. wise. k12. va. us/dlp/English/beowolf. htm

Gender Equality Essay

Irrespective of the country and the cultures people live in, it is next to impossible to keep the question of gender equality hidden in the modern society. When the word gender equality was voiced in the 19th century what was been sought was political rights. Not only then but also today inequality between men and women has been evident in our society. Discrimination against women is an act that has had a lot of negative impact in our society and to the women themselves. This has been demonstrated through gender violence, economic discrimination, reproductive health inequalities and harmful traditional practices. It is a concern to the whole world to a point of making the affirmative action to fix this problem. Gender equality first and foremost is a human right; women are entitled to live in dignity and in freedom from fear and want (Tomasevski, 1993). Should men and women be equal in the modern society? Men and women are equal; only that women are victims of pervert social progress. Gender discrimination between men and women leads to unequal access to the resources and benefits of development. see more:gender discrimination short essay Gender inequality affects all people; sustainable gains in development and poverty reduction are only possible when men and women are full and equal participants in society. Men and women are different but they are equal in that whatever men can do their women counter parts can do it well. Men and women are equal what brings the discrimination is the socialization that men and women get. The notion that women are weak has denied many women with the ability to exploit the abilities they have (Tierney, 2007). Men and women are equal in so many aspects and should be equal. Politically, financially and academically no much difference that can be noted, it is insignificant. In the political realms there are women who are doing extemporal well. Taking the example of the just concluded US election Hillary Clinton had good support and motions that would be bought by the rest of the candidates. In the world of business we have Oprah Winfrey; an indicator of what women can do. She is competing among the men in that field and still her success is a threat to many. In the modern society women have been known to take responsibilities of raising the families. Women have come up so well in that their dependency level is going down even though they are discriminated in salaries. This is a proof enough that if women are given equal opportunity with men they can do much well. In the employment sector women are taking those opportunities which were thought to be for men (Kramarae & Spender, 2000). Women are managers of big companies and also owners just as men. They are also well represented in the government sectors and in the government. They have become career makers. Men have the initiative of sharing the household responsibilities. It is a common occurrence that couples can choose whether it is the woman or the man who will get a leave to take care of their new borne baby. Men and women are equal in the eyes of the law; they are subjected under the same law. Women are equal to men in all aspects hence in the modern society they should get the right to basic needs, education, job training and employment as men do. Empowering women is a great tool for reducing poverty and advancing development. Empowered women contribute to productivity and health in the families and communities and hence improved prospects for the next generation (Cross, 2001). The idea that men are stronger physically is just a preference of a few. If women are given similar opportunities as men they can perform equally well. Denial of opportunity has contributed to decreased performance of women in various areas. On the other hand both women and men should not forget their roles though sharing of responsibilities is taking root in the modern society. References: Cross, P. L. (2001): Women’s Rights are Human Rights; Human Rights are Women’s Rights. Retrieved on 29th Dec, 2008 from: http://www. pinn. net/~sunshine/essays/w_rights. html Kramarae, C. , Spender D, (2000): Routledge International Encyclopaedia of Women: Global Women’s Issues and Knowledge. ISBN 0415920906, 9780415920902, Routledge Tierney, J. (2007): Men and Women, Different but Equal: What’s the Problem? Retrieved on 29th Dec, 2008 from: http://tierneylab. blogs. nytimes. com/2007/09/09/men-and-women-different-but-equal-whats-the-problem/ Tomasevski, K. , (1993). Women and Human Rights. ISBN 185649120X, 9781856491204, Zed Books

Personal Development Plan Essay

I have always been interested in the financial and investment sector. The movements of the stock market and the forces driving the stock values hold considerable degree of interest. I realize that a stockbroker needs to add value to financial information in order to satisfy the customer queries and investigative requirements of the companies being dealt. The consumers today have easy access to a vast range of financial knowledge and data available on the Internet coupled with company specific details that provides extensive information on the current and projected financial trends. The stock broker under such circumstances needs to be highly alert and aware of the market trends and fluctuating stock values in order to meet the needs of an increasingly knowledgeable customer. (Asia One Business Article, Sep 2007) A career as a stock broker requires a complete understanding of the financial markets and environmental forces that drive the stock trading market. A stock broker is an individual responsible for a business deal on a stock exchange. This primarily involves buying and selling of securities on behalf of people and institutions. Usually, a negotiation is made between two authorised members of the exchange. (Eduquity.com) For the purposes of convenience, an ordinary person is no longer needed to walk into the premises of any institution, for instance, the New York Stock Exchange, to enquire on the trade stock. This exchange is done through a broker. However, a stock broker is not just confined in such plain participation in a transaction as there are other stock broking opportunities such as execution-only, advisory dealing, and discretionary dealing, and other related services. Execution-only stock broker involves the implementation of the client’s instructions to buy or sell. A stock broker who focuses on advisory dealing informs and gives important information to the client on which shares to buy and sell, but leaves the task of final decision-making to the jurisdiction of the investor. Meanwhile, a stock broker who is in-charge with discretionary dealing determines the client’s investment intentions and serves as the mainly involved person in all transactions and decision-making functions done on the client’s behalf. In general, stock brokers provide relevant and useful information on trading stocks, for instance on the cases of which stocks or mutual funds to be bought. (estockwise.com) Keeping in mind these specific requirements and my interest in the financial market I aspire to be a stock broker. In order for me to be a full-pledged stock broker, I must be involved in activities and related opportunities that will increase my competencies, particularly those that I need to be a successful stock broker. Of course, it is necessary to finish my studies first. I will begin by providing assistance to a certified stock broker. This is my short term aspiration. By being an associate, I will have direct exposure to the business transactions that my employer deals with. Gaining experience is my key motivation. My medium aspiration is to get promoted or trusted with bigger responsibilities. For example, my employer will ask me to do things that are similar to his/her functions, allow me to decide on important things, expect me to be reliant to classified tasks, and the likes. After staying on this position for a significant period of time, I will try to evaluate myself if I am already capable of entering my long term aspiration – that is – being a stock broker. This can be achieved once I qualify the preconditions to obtaining a stock broker license. I will immediately take up the needed examinations and eligibility requirements. My career goal is to provide my clients with the necessary guidance and direction towards investments that meet their specific needs and requirements. (estockwise.com) Skills Required For the Chosen Role A stockbroker can offer three types of services depending on their individual capabilities and interest.  · Discretionary stock broking service constitutes management of client investments and making financial decisions on their behalf. This type of service requires building of huge trust and confidence within the customer.  · Advisory stock broking service that involves advising the clients on various investment options available and the desirable course of action with predictive impacts on finance. The client needs to decide on the action or alternative that suits his needs best.  · Executing stock broking service where the stock broker is only involved in buying and selling of stocks as per client’s instructions. In this case the advice or knowledge of market expertise is not required. He merely acts as per the client’s instructions. The basic essential job responsibilities of a stock broker are –  · Managing and reviewing investment portfolios for their clients  · Research the financial market with the cooperation of investment analysts who can provide actual and factual information on the performance of companies and markets  · Provide accurate information on stock market performance and stock values to the customers  · Provide various advisory and specialized services to the clients In view of the type of service and role specific needs of the stock broker the skills or competencies required to fulfill their responsibilities have been identified as follows:  · excellent oral communication  · self-confidence and decision making ability  · Persuasive nature  · Professional approach  · Numeric ability  · Logical reasoning  · In-depth market knowledge and attention to detail  · knowledge of current socio, political, and economic trends  · good judgment of risks  · honesty and a trustworthy attitude In addition to the above mentioned competencies an individual aspiring to be a stock broker needs to keep his cool and have the ability to work under pressure. The drive and urge to succeed and excel in their work is a primary requisite to achieve career objectives as a stock broker. (www.Learndirect-advice.co.uk) Personal Strengths A review of my personal strengths and abilities reveal communication as one of the strongest points that can work to my advantage in career management. Petit, Goris and Vaught (1997) noted communication’s function is essential for cases like allowing employees to conduct meetings, make memos, provide feedback and share corporate-wide information. I believed that the previous exposures and experiences that I gained has greatly assisted me in acquiring this core competency. Good communication skill was gained from giving presentations at seminars, supplier and customer service transactions (e.g. issuing clear and concise instructions, advising and assisting customers, etc). I am also used at working on team projects particularly during my course. As a member of the team projects I have proved my abilities as a good and empathetic listener that has enabled me to judge the situation and present effective solutions to the issues in hand. My team leader noticed my natural sense of persuading others in the team to coordinate and cooperate better and agree to the objectives and milestones that were vital for the success of the project. This particular observation was quite helpful since I was given the team coordinator responsibilities in the subsequent projects. My involvement in the capacity of a team coordinator greatly improved my skills of communication and persuasion. Considering the significant role of communication in stock broking, coordinating is among the basic ingredients of my professional success. I also believed to the spill over effects of effective coordinating function like the development of teamwork and successful working relationship. Teamwork is also attributed to the positive effects upon the psychological health and well-being of organisations member (Carter and West 1999). Through effective communication, people are motivated to work in unity and towards the achievement of individual and organisational goals alike. Personal Weakness In my previous job I had landed into an argument with my team member while discussing the feasible alternative that can be adopted to complete the task objectives nullifying the associated risks. The heated argument was not seen in a favorable light by my managers. Indulging in the process of self introspection I realized that I tend to be quite dictating and adopt a more commanding tone while communicating with other people. Though I can persuade and coax people into agreeing to my views and observations the commanding tone that I use to communicate the message is not liked by most people. This is not a favorable attitude and causes problems in development of harmonious relationships with fellow colleagues. This weakness is more a form of autocratic leadership that has become outdated and irrelevant in today’s business world. People and institutions do not favor this style of leadership anymore and this can pose serious limitations to career growth and development prospects. The current management style prefers a softer approach to people in order to develop a productive and effective team. As stated by a few authors (e.g. Cohen and Brand 1993; Hyde 1992), management requires leader’s full participation and involvement instead of designating individual groups who will shoulder all the responsibilities. Furthermore, this also helps in creating a sense of commitment and loyalty (Hill 1991). In the business point of view, good leadership proves to be quite beneficial as aids in effectively meeting job-related demands, creating higher-performing teams, fostering renewed loyalty and commitment, increasing motivational level, and reducing absenteeism and turnover of employees (Drucker 1995).   I presumed that I am the opposite of a favoured leader. I am autocratic which means I tend to be overly manipulative and domineering. This attitude hinders the development of harmonious relationship or esprit de corps among colleagues and most importantly on the part of potential clients. I recognised the need to learn a leadership style that will be instrumental on the achievement of my intended career role as well as the development of other important values useful in my future as stock broker and person as whole.

God Grew Tired of Us Essay

God Grew Tired of Us documents the journey of three Sudanese men who were part of the â€Å"Lost Boys of Sudan†, a refugee camp home to thousands of young men who fled Sudan amidst the wars that went on since the 1980s. The three young men were one of the few who were invited to live in America and the documentary follows the men on their journey of adapting to the North American culture, customs and the new found freedom they never had back in Sudan. Throughout the film, the audience witness their struggle of feeling a sense of belonging and also their strive to find the family members they lost when they had to flee the country during the war. The men began their journey to the United States when they got on their very first airplane to Belgium for a connection flight to New York. There we witness the men embark on their first cultural shock. At the airport, the men are obviously amazed at the diversity of races since they’ve grown up only knowing one, African. Most North Americans grew up with a diverse culture around them so walking down the street and seeing someone who isn’t the same skin tone as you is never really a shock to anyone. For the men it was a first glance of what it’s like to live in the United States, where you’d have to learn to live amongst and get along with people who are of a different race and have different beliefs than you. When the lost boys arrive in America, they are presented with their very own apartment, something they’ve never seen in their lives. Now the men need to adapt with living a modern North American lifestyle with electricity and plumbing. A guide takes them through the house and demonstrates how to use basic everyday appliances. This was particularly amusing because the men were learning basic skills such as using the toilet and using toilet paper, something that North Americans learn in the early toddler years. Also, now that the men live on their own, they’d have to cook for themselves, something that men are not supposed to do in Africa because it is seen as a woman’s job. In North America it is not seen as a humiliating task for men to be seen cooking. Instead, chefs and cooks are stereotyped as a man’s job. As new citizens of America, the lost boys have left behind their extended families back in Africa. In a sense of loneliness they lean on each other for comfort. It makes sense that they travel together to help each other out, but unfortunately locals filed complaints to police that because the men travel in pacts, they’re intimidating. This was a totally absurd and racist accusation. Just because the men are tall and black doesn’t mean they are a threat to society. North Americans tend to stereotype people to segregate certain groups. The men experienced their first account of discrimination, an act that ultimately pushed them to run away from their home country in the first place. At the end of the film, the lost boys have lived in America for over 3 years and have adapted to the North American culture. Two of the three lost boys were lucky enough to locate their family members. The men went on to live separate lives and even got college/university degrees. The documentary ends with a short note about each of the three men and what they did after the film was done. Daniel, John, and Panther, the once lost boys with no future planned ahead are now striving to make a difference for their country.

Salamander Surgery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Salamander Surgery - Essay Example Utilitarian philosophy upholds the principle of equal consideration of interests such that all things being equal utmost consideration should be given to that which would bring the most happiness and benefit and would cause less pain and suffering. This assumes that creatures of equal characteristics should be given equal consideration. Australian philosopher Professor Peter Singer in 1975 in a landmark article "All Animals are Equal" (475) argues that discriminating against animals as different from humans is nothing different from racism and sexism. There is a lack of consideration for others who may be different in some aspects but are similar in some. He calls this "speciesism", originally quoting Dr. Richard Ryder, referring to the attitude of bias towards the interest of members of one's own species and against those members other species. Citing Jeremy Bentham, founder of the reforming utilitarian school of moral philosophy, Singer contends that the capacity for suffering and enjoyment forms the basis for equal consideration of humans and animals. ... If racists violates the principle of equality by their prejudice against those of other races, and a sexist violates this same principle by favoring the interests of the members of the same sex, similarly speciesists, without considering that both animals and humans are capable of experiencing pain and suffering, allows the exploitation of other species for their own species' benefit. However, the utilitarian perspective may also be used to justify the use of animals in research to some extent. This opinion considers the benefit of animal research in the scientific field over the cost imposed on animals. Ironically as opposed to anti-speciesist stance of Singer, it is the significant differences between humans and animals such as higher cognition and language ability that forms the basis of this justification. Critics of this variation of utilitarian view maintain that it is unjust to justify animal research with that argument as it supposes that animals are willing participants in research oblivious of the real costs of their involvement (Kimmel, 251). The Rights Argument The main argument against the use of animals in research as articulated by Tom Regan in his article "The Case for Animal Rights" (1985) is that all beings "equally" share an "inherent value" as living creatures. Recognition of this inherent value as individuals can lead to recognition of animals of their right to be treated with respect and not inflicted with any pain or anguish. Regan as a self confessed animal rights advocate calls for the following goals (481): The total abolition of the use of animals in science; The total dissolution of commercial animal agriculture; The total elimination of commercial and sport hunting and trapping; Regan attacks the

Quantitative Analysis of a Glucose Solution Essay

Quantitative Analysis of a Glucose Solution - Essay Example The coordinates (0.318, 0.2), (0.519, 0.4), and (0.755, 0.6) are plotted on a graph. The line of best fit cuts the absorbance of 0.250 at a point y. The y-reading of the point y gives the concentration of unknown solution. A line of best fit gives y=0.14. Thus the unknown concentration = 0.14mM. A straight line of best fit of the plotted points gives the standard curve upon which concentration of the substance in the solution is determined. The Blank cuvette is a tiny test tube with a diameter of about 12mm and length of 100mm that holds solutions containing all experimental constituents except the substance under investigation. In this case, the Blank cuvette contains all the other components other than the substance with absorbance of 0.250. The Blank is a cocktail containing specific concentrations of buffer, ABTS/HRP stock and glucose oxidese stock (Bongler, 2012) Quantitative test of glucose is useful in monitoring level of diabetes. Glucose is a major energy source for most body cells. Diabetes is manifested by hyperglycemia. Through quantitative test of glucose in the blood, health practitioners are able to determine the extent of inability of one’s body to produce insulin. Thus, quantitative tests of glucose helps nullify the chances of further diabetic complications. In constructing the standard curve, the line of best fit is used because it reflects the substance concentration-absorbance mean. It conveys the coordinates of the variables that best provide the approximate concentration of the substance under study. In the experiment, a point (0.250, y) gives the solution of concentration of glucose, where y=unknown glucose concentration. If the unknown sample had a reading that was too high and went off the scale despite doing all the measurements and procedure correctly, it is imperative to consider the count of readings that have gone off-scale. If the number of unreasonable readings is few, the investigator assumes them in