Saturday, August 31, 2019

“Jane Eyre” as a bildungsroman novel Essay

Bildungsroman is a novel genre that narrates a hero or heroine’s process of psychological maturation and focuses on experiences and changes that accompanies the growth of the character from youth to adulthood. â€Å"The term â€Å"Bildungsroman† was introduced to the critical vocabulary by the German philosopher and sociologist Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1941), who first employed it in an 1870 biography of Friedrich Schleiermacher and then popularized it with the success of his 1906 study Poetry and Experience† (Boes 231). To be a Bildungsroman, the hero or heroine in a novel will experience certain forms of pain or loss that pulls him or her away from either family or home and into the journey of desiring self-identity. At the end of the story the hero or heroine finally succeeds in the society. The plot of Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Brontà «, generally follows this form. The growth of the main character, Jane Eyre, is distinctively divided into phases by places that she stayed at, starting from her tragic childhood to her final destination as Mr. Rochester’s mistress. The changes of emotions and maturation of identities as Jane Eyre goes through her life provide evidence of a Bildungsroman. Through the novel, Jane Eyre grows up, moving from a radical stage to â€Å"a more pragmatic consciousness† (Mickelsen 418). Psychological maturation is a typical trait of Bildungsroman genre. At the beginning, Jane uses the knowledge she learns from the books to defend herself when she is angry: â€Å"‘you are like a murderer – you are like a slave-driver – you are like the Roman emperors!'† (Brontà « 8). Her angry and chaotic emotions have built up since she lost her parents and was adopted unwillingly by Mrs. Reed. Jane cannot find her place in this family. Her anger and desperation becomes more intense each time Mrs. Reed’s family treats her not as a family member but more like a servant. Jane’s burst of emotions against her cousin, John, resulted in her being locked ino the red-room and eventually sent to the Lowood School, where she spends the rest of her childhood and the beginning of her adolescence. When Jane is again treated unfairly and libelled by Mr. Brocklehurst, through the support of her patient friend Helen Burns, and kind-hearted Miss Temple, she is able to release her indignation. Jane Eyre experiences a huge emotional transition when she no longer feels like a wanderer but gains a sense of belonging through the care of Miss Temple and  the support of Helen. After Jane finishes her education at Lowood, she applies and becomes the governess of Adele where she will work at Thornfield. At Thornfield, Jane meets Mr. Rochester and experiences the most powerful emotion – love. Love makes Jane brave and mature. Her relationship with Mr. Rochester makes her fell confused but respected. She feels psychologically equal with Mr. Rochester when he admits how much he loves her. However, Jane still feels insignificant that she has to depend on Mr. Rochester. The strong emotional conflict between love and shame makes Jane run away from Thornfield and go to Marsh End where she meets St. John. The final emotionally transitional state for Jane Eyre happened when St. John asked her to marry him and go to India to serve as a missionary. Jane strongly refused St. John’s proposal and decided to follow her heart and marry her lover, Mr. Rochester. The story concludes when, Jane Eyre, who is a successful Bildungsroman character, finishes her emotional maturation process. Another significant feature of Bildungsroman is that the character will go through a series of challenges and changes in order to finally achieve complete self-actualization. Jane Eyre undergoes a period which she was called â€Å"a mad cat†, or titled â€Å"less than a servant† in Mrs. Reed’s house (Brontà « 9). Deep in her mind, Janestrongly refuses these names; therefore she often hides and reads books in order to educate herself [rep] in order and build up her inner-self. In constructing a sense of inner self, Jane is able to differentiate her identity from the rest of Mrs. Reed’s family members. Jane has similar experience at Lowood School where she is incorrectly labelled â€Å"an interloper and an alien† and also harshly, â€Å"a liar† (Brontà « 56). However, Miss Temple and Helen trust Jane which allows Jane to rebuild her point of view and establish new identity. In Jane’s life, they were the first to acknowledge Janeâ€℠¢s unique identity. Under Miss Temple’s protection and guidance, Jane completes her education at Lowood; however, Jane lives more like a shadow of Miss Temple. Jane then later became the governess of Adele in order to break away the image of Miss Temple and create her own. There in Thornfield, she continues to educate herself by painting and reading to build up the real Jane Eyre identity. When Mr. Rochester asks Jane to marry him and gives e her the title of â€Å"Mrs.  Rochester†, [p_voice] it stunned Jane that she will no longer be â€Å"Jane Eyre† but under the name of â€Å"Rochester†. Losing her self-identity frightened Jane and the shadow of class differences and unfairness from her childhood experience affected her and made her leave Mr. Rochester. Later in the story, Jane finds her relatives in Marsh End and sheinherits a considerable amount of money, which makes herreconnect to family. Moreover, her newfound wealth makes her economically independent; these conditions eliminate Jane’s self-contempt and complete her desired image as an independent woman in society. At the end of the story, she choses to give up her independence and reunite with Mr. Rochester. â€Å"Indeed, Bildungsromane typically conclude with the protagonist making some choice, thereby confirming that the protagonist has achieved a coherent self† The story of Jane Eyre starts from her helpless childhood until â€Å"the last step of [her] maturity when [she] finally finds self-knowledge (â€Å"she† in the original source is â€Å"he† for it was referring to hero)† (Kern 6). After all Jane has experienced, from an adopted orphan to a gentlemen’s mistress, she finally comes to a successful and independent state which she can make her own decision and will not be restricted by anything. The various challenges during Jane’s growing process that educate and change her emotions and identities align with the basic definition of a Bildungsroman genre. Although the story of Jane Eyre falls into a fairy tale ending, the novel Jane Eyre functions as a Bildungsroman.

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun Epilogue: Dream

The month after Bella's accident flew by. After Charlie had cooled down and quit blaming me for her ‘accident' ?C which he had every right to do since it was my fault ?C things had been comparatively free of danger†¦besides the obvious danger that I always presented. Regardless of our now quiet and semi-uneventful life, I was quite content. It had only become habit for me to stay in her room every night and each day absorb every word that came out of her mouth ?C sarcastic or not. Looking into the mirror I could see my dark eyes and deep blue circles under my eyes from where I hadn't hunted in a while. It was hard to take myself away from Bella for any period of time, so my hunting habits had become less gluttonous than usual. Before the prom, though I would hunt. In the corner of my eye I caught the black bag with a post-it note with my name written on it. Alice had purchased for me a new tuxedo. Unzipping the bag, I grabbed the coat to examine it. It was made by some famous and outrageously expensive designer. But clothes, no matter what kind of an occasion, were her specialty and you just learned to not argue with her. Putting the black coat back into the closet and making sure all my accessories were there, I decided to give Charlie a call. The phone rang a few times before I heard Charlie's gruff voice on the other end. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Good evening, Charlie. It's Edward,† I said politely, using my smooth voice. â€Å"Ah. Yes.† He coughed and cleared his throat before whispering into the phone. â€Å"She's upstairs right now.† He laughed lightly. â€Å"She has no clue.† I returned his laugh. She sure seemed a little slow about something so obvious. What could she possibly be thinking we were doing tonight? Surely she had noticed all the posters around school with today's date and the words PROM plastered all over every inch of the school building. â€Å"Thanks, Charlie. I will be there in a few minutes.† â€Å"I'll make sure she's downstairs and ready,† he chuckled under his breath, still whispering. When I arrived outside of her house I could hear her complaining to Charlie. â€Å"So, Bells, what do you have planned for the evening? Alice showed me the dress you are wearing tonight.† â€Å"I don't know, dad. Alice wouldn't tell me, and Edward wouldn't budge either. For all I know they could be taking me to the Grammy's,† her voice was clearly irritated at the lack of information we had given her. Honestly, I was probably enjoying this much more than I should be. Usually, she is the one unlocking my secrets and me giving her all the answers. But the past two weeks have been kind of fun, especially every time she gave me her pouty face, which was absolutely adorable and almost impossible to resist. I decided before hand that if she gave me that irresistible face, I would just kiss her pouty bottom lip. â€Å"I don't know about that. I told him to keep it in a fifteen mile radius.† â€Å"Ugh!† Bella groaned. â€Å"Did he tell you?† During their banter I had made it quickly up the sidewalk and was standing outside the door, thoroughly enjoying their conversation. â€Å"Nope. Not even a hint,† I heard him chuckle. â€Å"This is so annoying,† she huffed. I knocked lightly on the door, which was quickly yanked open to a smiling Charlie. Bella was sitting on the couch, her head placed on top of her hands – which were intertwined like she was praying – with a look of pure devastation on her face. I laughed. â€Å"Are you going to tell me now?† Her chin jutted out. I shook my head, chuckling. She folded her arms. â€Å"Fine.† Stepping around Charlie, I brought Bella into a deep embracing hug, like I hadn't seen her in months. Her tiny arms wrapped around me fiercely and she smiled reluctantly. â€Å"Alice is waiting for you,† I kissed her forehead and let her fragrance tingle my throat pleasantly. Alice had become the best friend to Bella that she always envisioned, minus the scarlet red eyes ?C which I continually refused to give her, regardless of Bella and Alice's pleas. Though it pained me to see Bella's delicate leg casted on a daily basis, I knew that my sister was taking care of her during hours I wasn't allowed into the Swan house. I shook my head to try and dispel thoughts of Alice, now, who is planning on entrapping Bella in her gym sized closet for hours today while I go out hunting with Jasper and Emmett. Her not-so-sneaky-way of telling Bella about the transformation process of how to become a vampire was her way of taking the strain of that kind of conversation off of myself by having Bella ask me. What she seemed to not be able to comprehend is that I didn't want to have that conversation, not just because I didn't want to bring it up, but because I never wanted to have that conversation in the first place. â€Å"You take care of my girl,† Charlie commanded. â€Å"Have fun at prom,† he whispered so low Bella couldn't hear. â€Å"Yes, sir.† Charlie shut the door behind us as I let Bella brace all of her weight on me and then helped her into the car. After I dropped a scowling Bella off at my house, Emmett, Jasper and I went hunting. The trip was short lived and desperately needed. It had been almost two weeks, and I was thirstier than I thought. The warm blood of the elk soothed the ache, though it would never fully rid me of it. â€Å"It's prom night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Emmett chuckled on the way back home. â€Å"You know what that means?† Oh, haha. Funny. Jasper laughed along with Emmett. I frowned at them. â€Å"Oh come on, Edward!† Emmett raised his hands in faux exasperation. â€Å"Did you get a hotel room or were you planning on doing it in the car?† Emmett guffawed stupidly for several minutes at his own joke. â€Å"I'm not going to†¦have sex with her, Emmett.† I said through clenched teeth. â€Å"Well what do you do with her all those nights in her room?† Jasper and Emmett were doubled over in laughter now. â€Å"That's it!† I snapped. My foot slammed on the break and Emmett's head hit the roll bar on the jeep, putting a deep dent in it. This time, I laughed. â€Å"Dammit, Edward!† He screamed at me while Jasper continued to laugh insanely loud. I looked in the rear view mirror. â€Å"You're next!† I warned Jasper. He put his lips together in an attempt to stop his laughter, but couldn't hold it in any longer and his breath came whooshing out along with more cackling. Instead of getting even, I couldn't help myself and I joined in on the laughter while Emmett glared at me. Rose is going to kick my ass for this. â€Å"Yup,† I replied and Emmett mock punched me in the arm. The rest of the drive continued like this†¦Emmett making a sex joke, Jasper nodding in agreement and grinning widely at me in the rear view mirror while I swerved once making Jasper's head break through the hard top on the Jeep. When we finally arrived back home, we found Rosalie scowling in the garage in her scarlet dress that fell flawlessly over her body. Emmett jumped out of the Jeep and whistled. He tried to give her a hug but she backed away. â€Å"Ew! Take a shower and get changed. Bella is already ready,† she sneered her name. I frowned at her but she just turned and got into her M3, her dress not covering an inch of her back. â€Å"I'll be waiting!† She shouted at Emmett who was already running up the stairs to their room. When I finally walked inside and up to Alice's closet, I saw Bella. She was leaning against the wall behind Alice, her hair in intricate curls, her silk blue dress clinging just right onto her extravagant body and her free foot in delicate high heels with lace wrapping around her lower ankle. I literally had to put my tongue back in my mouth. She was stunning, though her facial expression was clearly not in league with her appearance. She had a deep scowl on her face and there was a tiny pucker between her eyebrows. â€Å"Get dressed!† Alice demanded, though she was still wearing pants. Kissing Bella lightly on the forehead I shot upstairs to the third floor to quickly take a shower and put on my tuxedo. â€Å"By the way, you're late!† Alice yelled up the stairs. I'll take Bella downstairs. I'm going to get dressed and Jasper and I will meet you there. By the time I was done, Alice and Jasper were gone and Bella was sitting on the couch downstairs talking with Esme. Rushing towards her, I pulled her up into my arms and brushed my hands lightly through her intricate curls. â€Å"This is for you,† I showed her a white lily which Alice had left on my dresser. Blood rushed up her face, coloring it a delicious pink. The scent was spectacular. â€Å"Thanks,† she whispered. â€Å"Here,† I said while pinning it into her hair. â€Å"Now you're perfect.† Her blush turned an even darker shade of pink. â€Å"You're not so bad yourself,† her lips twitched up into a smile. Wrapping my arm around her waist we proceeded to the door. â€Å"Are you going to tell me where we are going now?† She looked sideways at me, anticipation obvious in her eyes. â€Å"Not a chance,† I grinned. Her lips turned down as I helped her into my car. Carefully, I made sure that she was secure, including her dress, before I shut the door. Alice would kill me if I got her dress dirty before we even arrived at the school. â€Å"At what point exactly are you going to tell me what's going on?† She asked tersely. Really? Had she seriously not figure it out yet? I threw her a derisive smile. â€Å"I'm shocked that you haven't figured it out yet.† She took in a deep breath and held it for several seconds before she spoke. â€Å"I did mention that you looked very nice, didn't I?† She double-checked. â€Å"Yes.† My smile deepened. Her musical heart began to pick up in pace. In anticipation or nervousness, I wasn't sure. She looked down at her attire and frowned. â€Å"I'm not coming over anymore if Alice is going to treat me like Guinea Pig Barbie when I do,† she complained. My phone vibrated lightly before it rang. If it's Alice, I'm not answering. I put my hand into my inside jacket pocket, pulled out my phone and looked at the number. It was Bella's number. It was easy to tell who was calling me since Bella was sitting next to me. Curious as to what he was calling for, I answered. â€Å"Hello, Charlie.† â€Å"Charlie?† Bella's frown became more prominent on her face. â€Å"Um. Yeah.† Charlie paused, obviously unsure of how to continue. â€Å"Tyler is here to pick Bella up for prom.† He said the words slowly, delicately. I could feel my eyes widen in disbelief. â€Å"He says that Bella told him ‘yes' when he asked her to go to prom.† A grin slowly crept up my face. It was about time that Tyler get the point that Bella is taken. That she is mine! I laughed. â€Å"You're kidding!† â€Å"No†¦definitely not,† I could hear Charlie's voice cracking. He was trying not to laugh. â€Å"What is it?† Bella demanded at the same time Tyler asked, â€Å"Who are you talking to?† This was like a dream come true. It was bad enough that I had to hear every guys fantasy at school. It was time for payback. â€Å"Why don't you let me talk to him?† I offered. â€Å"Um. Okay, if you think that's best.† Charlie handed the phone over to Tyler. â€Å"Who is it?† Tyler asked curiously. â€Å"Just answer the phone, Tyler,† Charlie demanded. â€Å"Er†¦Hello?† â€Å"Hello, Tyler, this is Edward Cullen.† I used my friendly voice, but it had an undercurrent of threat. â€Å"I'm sorry if there's been some kind of miscommunication, but Bella is unavailable tonight.† â€Å"But†¦prom,† he spluttered. The undercurrent in my voice became prominent as I continued. â€Å"To be perfectly honest, she'll be unavailable every night, as far as anyone besides myself is concerned. No offense. And I'm sorry about your evening.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began, but I snapped my phone shut while I smiled widely at the thought of him standing there, dumbfounded. When I took in a deep breath I caught a concentrated scent of Bella's blood and looked over at her immediately. Her face and neck were the same color as Rosalie's dress. Her eyes were beginning to water slightly in anger. Oops, I hope I didn't upset her, that was not my intention. Of course, she would have handled it with more finesse than me. â€Å"Was that last part a bit too much? I didn't mean to offend you.† She gritted her teeth before staring at me in absolute and utter belligerence. â€Å"You're taking me to the prom!† She shouted. She caught me completely off guard. So it wasn't because of my threatening voice towards Tyler, it was because of prom! Once I took in her angry expression I tried not to laugh at her vicious kitten-y face. My lips pressed together tightly and my eyes narrowed slightly in an effort not to show my humor. â€Å"Don't be difficult, Bella.† She jerked her head to look out of the window as it sunk in. â€Å"Why are you doing this to me?† Her voice acerbic. I raised an eyebrow at her and pointed towards my James Bond tuxedo. â€Å"Honestly, Bella, what did you think we were doing?† The color in her cheeks only turned a darker shade of red as water spilled over her eye lashes and down her cheeks. She quickly wiped under her eyes and looked at her tear stained hand. After watching her reaction I couldn't figure out how the prom – of all the things for tears to be spilt over ?C was bothering her so much. Prom, of course, wasn't on my list of tear worthy subjects. She didn't even have this reaction when she met up with James in Phoenix. Her reactions now were just completely absurd! â€Å"This is completely ridiculous. Why are you crying?† I demanded in frustration. â€Å"Because I'm mad!† She shouted. â€Å"Bella,† I sighed, turning my gaze on her. â€Å"What?† she muttered, folding her arms irritably. Okay, it was time to try the dazzling trick. â€Å"Humor me,† I requested while gazing deeply into her eyes. Her shoulders hunched forward in defeat after a few seconds. â€Å"Fine,† her lower lip jutted out while staring back at me, possibly trying to glare, but the tears were making it hard to read them. â€Å"I'll go quietly. But you'll see. I'm way overdue for more bad luck. I'll probably break my other leg. Look at this shoe! It's a death trap!† She lifted her dress and pointed at her leg in horror. â€Å"Hmmm.† Her soft delicate skin was porcelain white and looked soft, warm and silky. â€Å"Remind me to thank Alice for that tonight,† I teased. â€Å"Alice is going to be there?† Didn't Alice tell her? Didn't Bella see her? â€Å"With Jasper, and Emmett†¦ and Rosalie,† I added. Her eyebrows pulled together before she shook her head. I suppressed a sigh, longing to know what was going on in that head of hers. Then, her lips pursed. â€Å"Is Charlie in on this?† She asked suspiciously. â€Å"Of course.† I grinned, and then chuckled. â€Å"Apparently Tyler wasn't, though.† Her teeth came together with an audible snap. It pleased me that his appearance at her house had a negative effect on her. Finally, we pulled into the school parking lot, parking next to Rosalie's M3. The sun was starting to set and the sky was turning a coppery color as the thin layer of clouds casted shadows down on the ground in odd angles turning the white fluff into red and orange. To the east the sky was showing some stars while turning purplish due to the setting sun. The sunset was beautiful, but when I got out to offer my help to Bella, the sunset was suddenly insignificant in comparison. I held out of hand and she tightened her folded arms and humpfed stubbornly. Her chin was jutting out with a superior smugness in her expression. I would have just picked her up but there were too many people in the parking lot. I sighed. â€Å"When someone wants to kill you, you're brave as a lion — and then when someone mentions dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I muttered while shaking my head. Her expression changed to fear instantly and she gulped. â€Å"Bella, I won't let anything hurt you,† I paused, â€Å"– not even yourself. I won't let go of you once, I promise.† The fear washed away as quickly as it had placed itself on her glorious face. I was relieved at once. â€Å"There, now,† I said gently, â€Å"it won't be so bad.† Without effort I reached out pulled her to my chest, wrapping my arm around her waist and holding her hand in the other. Her warmth wrapped around my body as we walked towards the school. I held her firmly in my grasp, letting her place all her weight on me if necessary. Our progress was slow, but tonight there were no expectations and we were in no hurry. Fork's High School prom was in their gym and as we entered Bella fully took in the decorations of balloon arches, pastel crepe paper and twisted garlands that were covering every inch of the walls. Her whimsical giggle shocked me. After all her anger, fear and constant pouting and shouting she was†¦smiling. â€Å"This looks like a horror movie waiting to happen,† she snickered. Relief washed over me and I joined in with her humor. â€Å"Well,† I whispered as we approached the ticket table, â€Å"there are more than enough vampires present.† She looked over the ladies shoulder at the ticket area. On the dance floor, Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice were floating fluidly around the enclosed circle of admirers as they danced gracefully around in their evening gowns. That family makes me sick, look at how perfect they move. My date probably thinks I'm ugly compared to these women. Man I'd like to†¦ I shoved everyone's thoughts from my mind so I could focus on Bella. Looking down at her, she looked up at me with a look of conspiracy in her thoughts. â€Å"Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk?† She whispered. My brow raised. â€Å"And where do you fit into that scheme?† â€Å"Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course,† she collaborated. Though I was happy she was in better spirits, I was afraid that this conversation would turn into a ‘let's turn Bella into a vampire' argument. Trying to read her face, I smiled reluctantly. â€Å"Anything to get out of dancing,† I assumed. â€Å"Anything.† She smiled. After purchasing the tickets I began pulling her to the dance floor. She literally dragged her feet. Pursing my lips, I stared down at her. â€Å"I've got all night,† I informed her, not in the least bit worried that she wouldn't fold. Finally, her stubbornness subsided and we moved onto the dance floor next to my family. This was my first time going to the prom, though my siblings went every chance they got. Alice loved to dress up and so did Rosalie, mainly because of the stares and compliments she received. Bella stiffened at my side and I looked down at her. â€Å"Edward.† She croaked. â€Å"I honestly can't dance!† Panic was obvious in her tone. I sighed in exasperation. â€Å"Don't worry, silly,† I whispered in her ear. â€Å"I can.† Gently, I pulled her close to my chest, her feet leaving the ground before I placed them over mine, and wrapped her arms around my neck. Without effort we twirled around the dance floor with my family and even though I tried to dispel all thoughts, the boys in the audience were also crooning over Bella. I felt smug with pride. â€Å"I feel like I'm five years old,† she giggled after several minutes of us waltzing. Her hair was blowing around lightly with the slight breeze we were making with our dancing and her cheeks were flushed the perfect pink. â€Å"You don't look five,† I breathed in her ear, hugging her closer to my body. I'm a genius! I mean, just look at that dress on her. Alice thought as she watched us twirl around. Bella caught her eye and smiled back at Alice's grin. I think she might actually be enjoying herself†¦ Before Alice finished her thought another thought burst into my head. He was arguing with himself. As I twirled around to see who it was, I realized it was Jacob Black. I can't believe I'm about to do this. Seriously ?C he's here with her, what does my dad expect me to do? Go up to her and tell her to leave him right here on the dance floor†¦ but my car, I really want my car up and running. Stupid master cylinder. â€Å"Okay, this isn't half bad,† Bella admitted to me, but I was too busy glaring towards the doors where Jacob was leaning. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Jacob chanted over and over in his head. Why did she have to be here? Argh! He hesitated on the dance floor. Master cylinder, he reminded himself. †¦just remember driving around in your car, his lips twitched up. †¦maybe Bella in the passenger seat. The mental image was enough to make him move closer to our dancing forms. Bella and I continued to spin without effort on the dance floor, but my eyes never left Jacob for more than a fraction of a second. My possessive side started to creep up as I watched him walked towards us. Bella noticed my distraction. â€Å"What is it?† she looked at me curiously. I didn't answer. She looked over her shoulder and then continued to try and focus her eyes through our continuous gyrate. Jacob continued to move towards us. His face displayed his thoughts of distress and discomfort. Come on, Jacob. Pull yourself together! He frantically tried to calm himself. He's not actually a vampire. He was wrong about that. Just do it. Ask if you can cut in. I can just relay the message from dad. Jacob looked at Bella. Wow! She is positively the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. He blinked to clear his eyes, trying to get a better visual on her. Man, this is going to suck. I'm sorry, oh man I am so sorry, Bella. A snarl came burning up my throat, but I was able to stifle most of the noise. â€Å"Behave!† Bella hissed at me in reproach. Behave? I wanted to argue but he was only two feet away. Just cut in and get it over with. This is so embarrassing. Jacob's eyebrows pulled together in concentration. ‘Hey, Bella. Just break up with your boyfriend†¦please.' He shook his head. This isn't going to be good. Anger boiled under my cold skin. â€Å"He wants to chat with you.† The severity of my thoughts was obvious in my voice. You made it this far. Just ask. Jacob was now standing next to us. I stopped our dancing, trying to†¦behave. â€Å"Hey, Bella,† Jacob addressed her, completely ignoring me. â€Å"I was hoping you would be here.† Jacob lied as he smiled brightly at Bella. â€Å"Hi, Jacob.† Bella beamed back. â€Å"What's up?† Why did she have to return his smile? She never greeted other males so warmly. What was so special about this†¦Jacob Black? She was just being polite. That was all. â€Å"Can I cut in?† he asked hesitantly, swiveling towards me. I gritted my teeth. Behave†¦behave†¦behave, I chanted over and over in my head in Bella's delicate voice. This planned conversation was angering me and now he was asking me to break my promise to Bella. Refusing to let Jacob see my growing irritation, I kept my face absent of emotion. I knew if I were to open my mouth words not appropriate to say in front of a lady would spill out. So, instead, I just carefully placed her back on her feet and took a step backwards, my teeth still clenched tight enough to crush diamonds. â€Å"Thanks,† Jacob said pleasantly. That was easier than I imagined. Taking a steadying breath, I nodded once and turned to walk away. Moving through the crowd I positioned myself so I could see and hear their exchange. Venom filled my mouth when Jacob put his hands on her waist. Jealousy ripped at me when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Without thinking, I was pushing my way back through the crowd. I was irate. â€Å"Emmett,† Alice nodded towards me. â€Å"Stop him.† He's just a kid, Edward, she reminded me. Before I reached them, strong arms were binding me to the spot. Emmett chuckled. â€Å"Tisk tisk, bro. Here? In this crowd? Can't you pick another time to rip his arms off?† He let go when I froze. â€Å"I'd like to do that now,† I glanced quickly towards Alice's twirling form. You were about to do something really stupid. Trust me on that. Alice explained. A hard laugh came from my left. â€Å"Not a chance.† Emmett smirked. â€Å"Now calm down. What would Bella think?† He looked at me in mock horror. I looked away. It was so odd to feel this infuriated over something as small as a dance. His hands were gripping her on her waist. I wanted to grip him around his throat. I wanted him so far away from her that the wish was a strong flavor on my tongue. I was automatically sorting through the range of tortures I would bring upon him. â€Å"Jeez, Edward. Calm down,† Emmett muttered, his hand on my shoulder ?C restraining me. My face in his mind was showing nothing but a murderous glare. I settled on eavesdropping. Emmett leaned against the wall beside me. â€Å"Wow, Jake, how tall are you now?† Bella looked up at Jacobs towering frame. I growled and Emmett patted my shoulder in understanding. I deal with this kind of stuff all the time, he thought to himself. What's the big deal? â€Å"Six-two.† Jacob's thoughts were smug. In the past months he had grown several inches in height, something he was very proud of. I watched as they swayed on the spot, not really dancing due to Bella's casted foot. â€Å"So, how did you end up here tonight?† she questioned, but her tone was absent of curiosity, like she already knew. Just tell her, just get it over with. He swallowed hard. If I blame it on my dad, she can't really get mad at me, can she? He frowned.†Can you believe my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?† He confessed. That was easy enough, now the hard part. â€Å"Yes, I can,† Bella muttered. â€Å"Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, at least. Seen anything you like?† she nodded to a group of girls lined up against the wall, waiting and willing for their knight and shining armor. Her hint to him sent me a little bit of relief. He was just a friend. Nothing more. â€Å"Yeah,† he sighed. You! â€Å"But she's taken.† He glanced down at Bella's face. Bella looked away, blush rising in her porcelain cheeks. Dammit! She knows I meant her. You idiot! â€Å"You look really pretty, by the way,† he added apprehensively. Oh crap! Did that just come out of my mouth? How embarrassing. He hung his head slightly. Pretty? She is much more than that! Angelic, maybe. Exquisite, yes. But pretty? Idiot. â€Å"Um, thanks.† Bella's forehead creased. â€Å"So why did Billy pay you to come here?† It didn't go without notice, her lack of compliments back to him. Jacob noticed, I noticed†¦ â€Å"Burn!† Emmett bellowed. Emmett noticed. I had almost forgotten he was standing beside me; I was so intent on listening into their conversation. Forget it. I can't do this. Jacob argued in his mind. Master cylinder†¦master cylinder, he chanted over and over. The look of discomfort on his face pleased me. Get it over with†¦ he grimaced. â€Å"He said it was a ‘safe' place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind.† His humorless chuckle was joined with a weak laugh from Bella. â€Å"Is he going to say what I think he's going to say?† Emmett guffawed loudly. I nodded. â€Å"No way!† he continued to chuckle. â€Å"Human's are so hilarious! You sure know how to pick the good ones,† Emmett chuckled in amusement. â€Å"Anyway,† Jacob continued. â€Å"He said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need,† he confessed with a sheepish grin. Master cylinder†¦you can do this. Master cylinder. â€Å"Tell me, then. I want you to get your car finished.† Bella grinned back. There was a faint irritation close by. A young girl, only fifteen, screaming her fantasies at me through her thoughts, my name and face intertwined with them. Only if she knew what it would mean for my lips to be that close to her skin. It wouldn't be a kiss she would receive. I pushed her thoughts from me. I had no time to deal with it. Here goes nothing. Jacob exhaled heavily. Just set it up so you are in the clear. This isn't your fault†¦you were sent by your insane father. She'll understand. †¦right? â€Å"Don't get mad, okay?† Jacob stared down at Bella intently. â€Å"There's no way I'll be mad at you, Jacob,† she encouraged him. â€Å"I won't even be mad at Billy. Just say what you have to.† I didn't deserve to have someone like Bella. She was forgiving, sweet and kind. She had even forgiven me for nearly taking her life. Danger magnet. â€Å"Well — this is so stupid, I'm sorry, Bella –† just spit it out â€Å"– he wants you to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell you ‘please.'† Jacob shook his head back and forth. I can't believe I just said that. A burst of laughter came from Emmett. â€Å"He said it. I can't believe he actually said it.† â€Å"Pay up!† Jasper held out his hand. †¦and I wasn't even here when the wolves were around. He grinned. I hadn't even noticed that he was there until right now, let alone hear them making bet's over the conversation. I tuned out Jasper and Emmett's exchange. â€Å"He's still superstitious, eh?† Bella pulled me back into the conversation. Her brush off was surely just pity. She was kind. That was all. That's it? She's not going to get mad†¦or hit me? What a relief! â€Å"Yeah. He was†¦ kind of over the top when you got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn't believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He believed you were attacked by Edward, he finished in thought. Finally, I saw the first signs of Bella's irritation as her eyes narrowed. â€Å"I fell,† she infused with a little bit of steel in her voice. She's mad. Oh crap. â€Å"I know that,† Jacob said quickly. â€Å"He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt,† Bella said tersely, stating it as a fact, not a question. Bad idea†¦really, really bad idea. Master cylinder? What? They stopped swaying; Jacob's eyes looking away, Bella's eyes alight with fury. It was surprisingly strange to see her be protective over me. It was†¦nice, even though her anger was quite comical. â€Å"Look, Jacob,† Bella began. â€Å"I know Billy probably won't believe this, but just so you know† — Jacob looked up, his thoughts scattering wildly trying to find a way to patch up their little tiff — â€Å"Edward really did save my life. If it weren't for Edward and his father, I'd be dead.† She forgot to add that if it weren't for us, we wouldn't have had to save her in the first place. â€Å"I know,† Jacob claimed. I tried to tell him†¦I'm an idiot for letting him convince me to do this. â€Å"Hey, I'm sorry you had to come do this, Jacob,† Bella apologized. â€Å"At any rate, you get your parts, right?† Forgiveness was her virtue. There was no other meaning behind her words. I don't even think she knows how to hold a grudge. â€Å"Yeah,† he muttered. Maybe you could just leave off the last part, he thought. I mean, she got the gist of what he wanted her to know. †¦right? He frowned. â€Å"There's more?† Bella asked in disbelief, reading his face. Jacob's mouth twisted down further. Why did she have to be so perceptive? â€Å"Forget it,† he mumbled, â€Å"I'll get a job and save the money myself.† †¦bye, bye, master cylinder, his thoughts were chagrined. Bella's cheeks turned red again, but this time in pure anger and not embarrassment. â€Å"Just spit it out, Jacob,† she hissed. â€Å"It's so bad.† He grimaced. â€Å"I don't care. Tell me,† she insisted. I can't believe she is going to make me say this. â€Å"Okay†¦ but, geez, this sounds bad.† He shook his head. â€Å"He said to tell you, no, to warn you, that — and this is his plural, not mine† — he lifted one hand and made little quotations marks in the air — ‘†We'll be watching.'† Please don't scream. He cringed in anticipation. I growled at Billy's words. Bella's response took us both off guard. She stared at him for a second and then laughed loudly. â€Å"Sorry you had to do this, Jake.† she continued to snicker. â€Å"I don't mind that much.† Shew. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now that that is over with†¦ He grinned. †¦maybe I could enjoy a dance with her. His eyes roamed over her body appreciatively. I really like how her dress falls just right on her body. She has amazing curves. Emmett grabbed my arm when he saw Jacob's eyes undressing Bella. I leaned against the wall again, angry I had to stand through this torture. â€Å"So,† Jacob smiled. â€Å"Should I tell him you said to butt the hell out?† he asked hopefully. It would serve him right, mad old man! â€Å"No,† she exhaled. â€Å"Tell him I said thanks. I know he means well.† Gradually the song dissipated and morphed into another song. Bella instantly dropped her arms. It pleased me to see that she didn't want to continue their awkward dance. Jacob, on the other hand, was thoroughly displeased. I made my way through the crowd. But†¦I†¦ His hands hesitated on her waist and his gaze turned toward her casted leg. Well, I can't just leave her here like this, he told himself. â€Å"Do you want to dance again? Or can I help you get somewhere?† he asked uncertainly. â€Å"That's all right, Jacob. I'll take it from here.† I glared at him. Gah! Jacob jumped slightly, and stared wide-eyed at me in surprise. â€Å"Hey, I didn't see you there,† he mumbled. â€Å"I guess I'll see you around, Bella.† He stepped back, waving halfheartedly. †¦bad timing. Bella grinned at him. â€Å"Yeah, I'll see you later.† She was just being courteous. It was only in her nature. â€Å"Sorry,† he said again before he turned for the door. †¦what a freak. As the next song's melody began weaving its way through the crowd I pulled Bella back into my arms. She instantly warmed my body. The music was awful, so I played my own tune in my head, dancing to it instead. Bella's eyes roamed over my face happily before she leaned her head against my chest. I tightened my arms around her and she sighed, content. â€Å"Feeling better?† she teased. â€Å"Not really,† I said through my teeth. â€Å"Don't be mad at Billy,† she sighed, her hot breath seeping through my clothes, down to my skin. â€Å"He just worries about me for Charlie's sake. It's nothing personal.† She had it all wrong. â€Å"I'm not mad at Billy,† I revised in a curt voice. â€Å"But his son is irritating me.† Her head left my chest then. Our eyes met and the intensity of her gaze gave me the impression she was trying to read my mind. â€Å"Why?† Her eyes grew tight in suspicion. â€Å"First of all, he made me break my promise.† Her eyebrows crunched up in confusion. The look of perplexity made my lips twitch up. â€Å"I promised I wouldn't let go of you tonight.† I explained. â€Å"Oh. Well, I forgive you.† â€Å"Thanks. But there's something else.† I frowned. â€Å"He called you pretty,† my previous anger began bubbling to the surface. â€Å"That's practically an insult, the way you look right now. You're much more than beautiful.† She giggled. â€Å"You might be a little biased.† â€Å"I don't think that's it. Besides, I have excellent eyesight.† I lifted her up, bringing her close to my chest. We continued our dancing. Her hair moved slightly with our breeze. Waves of freesia floated in the air around us. â€Å"So are you going to explain the reason for all of this?† What did she mean by that? Her eyes lifted to the crepe paper and her lips pursed. I understood. I decided it was time to move our conversation to a less populated place. Twirling the opposite direction we spun gracefully through the crowd toward the back door. I wish Mike could dance like that†¦ Jessica waved at Bella as we flew by, her eyes green with jealousy. Where are they going? Bella smiled at her. Angela was in Ben Cheney's arms, enjoying my gift to her. She deserved happiness. Finally, we were away from all the stares and eavesdroppers. The sun was beginning to dissipate below the horizon, the sky a brilliant color of pink and orange. Her elegant features were glowing in the coppery color of the sun. Without effort I swept her off her feet. There was a bench under two madrone trees and I walked over and sat down, Bella's delicate arms wrapped around my neck. I held her closer, never wanting this moment to end. It doesn't have to end. We could have each other for eternity. I banished that thought immediately. The moon was already up, visible through the gauzy clouds. I looked up, wishing the sun wouldn't fade to night. â€Å"The point?† Bella prompted softly. â€Å"Twilight, again,† I whispered. â€Å"Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.† â€Å"Some things don't have to end,† she muttered through her teeth. I sighed. I knew what she was thinking†¦what she wanted. But I couldn't give it to her. It was best to just ignore her train of thought. â€Å"I brought you to the prom,† I said slowly, â€Å"because I don't want you to miss anything. I don't want my presence to take anything away from you, if I can help it. I want you to be human. I want your life to continue as it would have if I'd died in nineteen-eighteen like I should have.† She trembled slightly before she shook her head angrily. â€Å"In what strange parallel dimension would I ever have gone to prom of my own free will? If you weren't a thousand times stronger than me, I would never have let you get away with this.† My lips curved into a half-smile at her kittenish anger. â€Å"It wasn't so bad, you said so yourself.† â€Å"That's because I was with you.† I gazed absently back up at the moon. Prom†¦it was the only formal occasion that I could think of this evening. Did she think we were leaving the city? I was curious now. â€Å"Will you tell me something?† I asked, glancing down at her in amusement. â€Å"Don't I always?† â€Å"Just promise you'll tell me,† I insisted, grinning. â€Å"Fine.† She was suspicious. â€Å"You seemed honestly surprised when you figured out that I was taking you here,† I began. â€Å"I was,† she interjected. â€Å"Exactly,† I agreed. â€Å"But you must have had some other theory†¦ I'm curious — what did you think I was dressing you up for?† Her lips pursed, a slight pucker forming between her brows. â€Å"I don't want to tell you.† â€Å"You promised,† I reminded her. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"What's the problem?† This should be good. Her cheeks were red, the blush filling the air with her silky aroma. â€Å"I think it will make you mad — or sad.† Her words held some meaning, yet I couldn't grasp it. My eyebrows pulled together as I speculated the subtlety of her words. It was moments like these I wished I could read her mind. â€Å"I still want to know. Please?† She sighed. I waited expectantly for her answer. â€Å"Well†¦ I assumed it was some kind of†¦ occasion. But I didn't think it would be some trite human thing†¦ prom!† she sneered. The meaning was slowly surfacing. â€Å"Human?† I asked flatly. Suddenly, her blush deepened to a scarlet red and she looked down, her fingers lightly tugging a piece of chiffon. I waited in silence. She would tell me, I just had to be patient. â€Å"Okay,† her shoulders slumped as her breath rushed out. â€Å"So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind†¦ that you were going to change me, after all.† The mingled fury and alarm was present on my face. We had this conversation already. I wasn't going to change her. I refused. First, I was furious. Absolutely irate that she would even think I would take her soul. What did she think me capable of? Second, her blood, beyond delicious, would never be a strong enough siren call to make me†¦change her. What if I tried and I wasn't able to stop? What if I did change her and she forever hated me? Isabella Swan, forever stalking the night for all time, never aging, never changing†¦ soulless. Many emotions filled my head and ran down my veins. Her words replayed in my mind. I assumed it would be some kind of†¦occasion. Was she joking? She had to be, she couldn't be serious. â€Å"You thought that would be a black tie occasion, did you?† I teased, touching the lapel of my James Bond tux in amusement. She frowned. â€Å"I don't know how these things work. To me, at least, it seems more rational than prom does.† Yes. I wanted to say. Because what you wear will really matter when you're burning. I continued to grin at her, despite the image in my head. â€Å"It's not funny,† her frown deepened. â€Å"No, you're right, it's not,† I agreed, my smile fading. â€Å"I'd rather treat it like a joke, though, than believe you're serious.† â€Å"But I am serious.† I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I let out a deep sigh. Could this really be what she wanted? â€Å"I know. And you're really that willing?† She bit her delicate lip and nodded. â€Å"So ready for this to be the end,† I muttered to myself, â€Å"for this to be the twilight of your life, though your life has barely started. You're ready to give up everything.† â€Å"It's not the end, it's the beginning,† she disagreed in a whisper of her warm breath. â€Å"I'm not worth it,† I said sadly. â€Å"Do you remember when you told me that I didn't see myself very clearly?† she asked, raising her eyebrows. â€Å"You obviously have the same blindness.† â€Å"I know what I am.† I stated. A monster. She sighed. A course of action had just occurred to me. â€Å"You're ready now, then?† I asked, my eyes probing hers. â€Å"Um.† she gulped. â€Å"Yes?† It was a question. I smiled at my plan before moving my lips over her soft skin. I breathed softly at the corner of her jaw, letting the flavor burn down my throat. â€Å"Right now?† I whispered, moving my lips down her neck. She trembled under my touch. I wanted to bring our lips together fiercely, but I resisted. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. Her breathing began to pick up, her heart pounding out a jagged rhythm. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed her hands balled up into tight fists. She showed all the signs of distress, yet she didn't move. I chuckled darkly, and leaned away. I was disappointed by her actions. She didn't take any action for self preservation. I was her guardian vampire, though. My protection included keeping her human. â€Å"You can't really believe that I would give in so easily,† I said with a sour edge to my mocking tone. It was with great effort that I didn't yell at her for making it so easy. â€Å"A girl can dream.† What! I screamed in my head. My eyebrows rose. â€Å"Is that what you dream about? Being a monster?† â€Å"Not exactly,† her lips turned down. â€Å"Mostly I dream about being with you forever.† There was a sad ache in her voice. Instantly I understood. Our dreams, per say, were the same. All I wanted was to be with her forever, but for her to wish for this soulless existence to be with me was absurd. It shouldn't be allowed. In that moment I was decided. Leaving wasn't an option. I needed her, and she needed me, too. All previous thoughts of leaving her to her human life, her future, disappeared, like someone popped a balloon. â€Å"Bella.† My fingers lightly traced the shape of her lips. â€Å"I will stay with you — isn't that enough?† She smiled gently under my fingertips. â€Å"Enough for now.† I frowned. For now, I scoffed. She was determined, but I wasn't going to concede to her wishes. I exhaled a low thundery growl. She touched my face. â€Å"Look,† she breathed. â€Å"I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?† Me, too. â€Å"Yes, it is enough,† I answered, smiling. â€Å"Enough for forever.† I leaned down to press my cold lips once more to her throat. The End.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Act of Union Essay Example for Free

Act of Union Essay ? Assess the causes of the Act of Union of 1800, and consider the ways in which the Articles of Union themselves were intended to solve the apparent problems in Ireland’s constitutional, political and religious relationship with England. Your essay must make reference to the relevant document studied in seminar 5. There were several significant causes of the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1800, most notably, the United Irishmen rebellion of 1798, along with the French landing at Killala in North Mayo. The United Irishmen, a radical mixed religious group, had began a campaign against British rule in Ireland in 1798. This rebellion was centered around Wexford, Wicklow and a protestant linen worker rebellion in Antrim. The rebellion was poorly organized and coordinated, and many parts of the country were left undisturbed. Although it was yet another rebellion by the Irish that was defeated, it fast forwarded the long standing idea that a political, constitutional and military union was needed between the two countries to prevent further war, or even worse, for Ireland to become a stepping stone in a French invasion of The British Isles. The worry about a French invasion starting in Ireland was compounded by a small French landing in north Mayo, that led to two battles, at Castlebar and Ballinamuck. The French landing was requested by Wolfe Tone, a protestant who was viewed as the leader of the United Irishmen. Wolfe Tone was influenced by the French and American Revolutions, and passed this influence onto the United Irishmen. The fact that the American Revolution had occurred so recently also had another major bearing on the Act of Union. the British parliament did not want to lose another colony, especially not one this close to home. This most likely would have being seen as a major weakness by the other European powers of the time. The French revolution, which promised freedom to all religions and races, and equal rights to all men would also have being seen as a threat to George III, the current monarch, who’s Coronation Oath held him to uphold and secure the Protestant faith. Article Fifth of the Act of Union combined the Church of Ireland and the Church of England into one central Protestant Episcopal Church. It also made the protestant faith the official religion of Ireland. The unity of the churches would also have bred the hope that more of the Catholic majority in Ireland would be converted. This would have being a vital cause for the union getting voted through the all protestant Irish parliament, as the protestants were outnumbered by Catholics in the general population at a ratio of 3:11. Should the Act of Union pass, they would be on the opposite side, it would be a 3:11 protestant majority. On a related topic, Robert Peel had earlier being responsible for the ending of several of the penal laws, all since the threat of war began in France. In 1793 Catholics could vote and become lawyers for the first time. He also played a part in the repeal of Poynings Law, which allowed the Irish parliament to enact its own laws without influence from London for the first time since the Norman Invasion. However, vitally, he could not hold his nerve to repeal the Penal law that stopped Catholics from holding a place in parliament and many Irish people would have thought this was the most important, as they could only vote for the entirely protestant government. Pitt had supported the Act Of Union in 1800, but had originally planned to follow it with more far reaching ideas, such as Catholic emancipation. However George III, after signing the Act of Union into law in August 1800, refused to support full Catholic emancipation on the basis that it would be contrary to his Coronation Oath. While the Act of Union was defeated the first time in the Irish parliament, it was passed on the second time of asking. Certain peerages, pensions and certain honors were offered to Irish politicians and Irish critics in return for voting for the act in the second time of asking. The first attempt to pass the law was beaten 109 votes against to 104 votes for, but, on the second time of asking in 1800, the results showed 150 for, compared to 115 against. Also, since the repeal of Poynings law, the Irish had being in charge of their own finances, and had bankrupt the country. When much the same thing had happened to Scotland in the 17th century, a Union with Britain had helped the Scottish overcome their financial difficulties. The Act of Union was intended to solve many of Irelands problems in different ways. Article first stated that Ireland and Britain would ‘be united into one Kingdom, by the Name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland’. This essentially made Ireland a sister kingdom to Britain, with the same laws, religion and parliament. However as time showed, these sister kingdoms were not treated equally, with very little worry being given to the Great Famine of 1845-49. Although it may initially have being seen to calm some insurgency in Ireland, it was not a suitable long-term arrangement unless great measures were taken to assimilate the large Catholic majority. These measures were not taken, and Catholic Ireland still felt like it was being given the short straw without emancipation. Article Second simply stated that the continuation of the Imperial Crown ‘shall continue limited and settled in the same manner as the Succession to the Imperial Crown of the said Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland’. This was to ensure that a protestant was always going to be in power as a monarch in Great Britain, and that the new Union with Ireland would not have an influence on the process of picking a new king or queen. The third article was perhaps the most important in terms of change, as it was the article that fully combined the two parliaments into a single entity. This was the most influential article, as it caused many of the upper class representatives that Ireland would have to move out of Dublin and over to London, to be closer to political affairs. This caused a decline in the importance of Dublin as a major European city, and shifted most of the influential Irish people out of the country. It may also have lead to the idea of Absentee landlords, another thing that was seen by the Irish as a cause of the Great Famine. Article Fourth was simply involved in the representation of Ireland in the new parliament. The election of 28 Electoral Lords for life would have guaranteed a continuation of protestant ascendancy in the British House of Lords. This would not have went well with the catholic majority of Ireland as they would have zero representation in the House of Lords, which had the ability to veto any laws passed by the House of Commons. Any chance of a law hat passed a pro-Catholic law would have being immediately put down by the protestant powers in the House of Lords, so even if George III did not veto the hopes for Catholic emancipation then the House of Lords would surely have. The 8th article was a constitutional article that ensured the continuation of all laws from before the act, in both Britain and Ireland. It stated ‘That all Laws in force at the time of the Union, and all the Courts of Civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within the respective Kingdoms, shall remain as now by Law established within the same’ This was a safety mechanism to prevent any problems with the transition between separate and united kingdom’s. If this article had not being put in place then, theoretically the parliament in London would have had to enact new laws that could potentially damage the political and hostile situation in Ireland. As you can see, the Act of Union was hoped to be a permanent solution to the problems in Ireland, and planned to consolidate the British Isles under one rulership. The Articles in the Act of Union attempted to promote the protestant faith, in particular the Anglican faith, in Ireland, and in the long term hoped to transform the rebellious Catholic majority into equal citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Although it was unsuccessful in the long run, it was a historic event that worked in other parts of the empire, such as Scotland. Act of Union. (2018, Nov 11).

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Need a marketing plan outline- daycare owner and operating business Essay

Need a marketing plan outline- daycare owner and operating business - Essay Example o one of their major undoing is the fact that it targets even the low earning or poor consumers by producing as low as one hundred and fifty liters which cost very little. The products have been moving at a faster rate and consumers really like it. The Softer Company has a very wide target market as it satisfies the needs for various consumers that range from those that are healthy diet conscious or concerned through Died Softer to the average individual via its best selling drink called Peck. Most products of the Softer Company satisfy all the age groups since it is proven that several individuals of different age groups actually consume the Softer product. Softer has a long standing commitment to the protection of the consumers whose confidence and trust in its products is the basis and backbone of its success. For the purposes of ensuring that consumers are updated on the global quality of all the products of Softer that are sold, the products have a seal of quality assurance. Softer consumers are purchasing a wide range or variety of soft drinks. They buy one product line or another due to the high quality and standards of products produced by the company. The company also provides complaint phone service and help line for clients who are not contended with the product or even would like to give feedback or comment on the products. This is the process of the creation of the image that is held by the product in the customers’ mind, relative to the competing products. Both Softer and Afia make soft drinks; however, even though Afia might attempt to compete, we find that they will still be considered as lower market from Softer. Positioning assists clients in understanding what is unique or exceptional about the products in comparison with the competition (Kerin & Peterson, 2007). The company uses the Individual brand strategy in marketing since its major products have their own brand names. The products operate under the same brand name of Softer, although

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Police Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Police Administration - Essay Example Secondly, both of them emphasize on police-community relationship, whereby there is emphasis on communication through mutual understanding, even though such communication is practiced and projected on different levels in both programs. Thirdly, both programs deploy target hardening together with augmented community participation as part of their crime prevention initiative. This is evident through the assignment of specific officers and patrol officers in conducting security surveys (McElvain, Kposowa, & Gray, 2013). The major difference between NYPD Crime Control Model and the Community policing is that, community policing initiative focuses more so on the three Rs of decentralized policing (McDonald, 2002). That is rapid reactions, random patrols, as well as reactive investigations. However, NYPD Crime Control Model focuses on the refined three Rs principles, and which entails directing police resources to modern crime-control strategies, rather than just observing the three Rs pri nciples alone (McDonald, 2002). In other words, the NYPD Crime Control Model key mission and duty of the police is to prevent crimes, while the key mission and responsibilities of police under community policing is to respond to crimes and which is pegged on numbers of arrests, clearance rates, in addition to response time. (McDonald, 2002). CompStat emphasizes on risk taking instead of risk adversity through an accountability-focused strategies and management principles. Community policing has feel-good collaborative frameworks through its watered-down departmental versions, as the objective is to lessen policing to just standard regulations and routines (Walsh & Vito, 2004). Thus, the community-relation specialists under community policing are tasked in performing uncomplicated and repetitive functions, which requires no discretion. As such, the police role is to be law enforcers instead of also entailing crime prevention. In particular, success under community policing is measure d by number of arrests made rather than the level and number of crimes being committed (McDonald, 2002). However, the NYPD Crime Control Model acknowledges long-term service delivery with specific objectives, like decreasing drug sales by a certain percentage of the in general crimes. Furthermore, the model focuses on attaining precise and timely intelligence, so as to direct resources and personnel to crime areas. Hence, the police officers, patrol officers and detectives are deployed more efficiently compared to community policing (McDonald, 2002). On the contrary, Community policing does not place a huge emphasis on crime data or even communication between principal law enforcers, but on making the public to feel that the police are existing. It is this difference that community policing is known for making police leaders together with their units to operate independently. As a consequence, the patrols are not held liable for crimes within their geographic regions since investiga tions are conducted by specialized units separately, in order to attain their own individual objectives (McDonald, 2002). However, NYPD Crime Control Model ensures that patrols are held accountable for crimes in their region, and that, investigators and specialized units support them in patrol activities, so as to attain a common objective under an accountability framework. The assumption in community policing is that commanders are better able to conduct decisions solely, as they are filled with wisdom and creativity in fighting crimes compared to their line officers (McDonald, 2002).

Monday, August 26, 2019

Reverse Discrimination Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reverse Discrimination - Term Paper Example Reverse Discrimination The claim of reverse discrimination linked to affirmative action has become a leading argument against the affirmative action policy (Beauchamp, 2007). â€Å"The charge of reverse discrimination rests on the implicit premise that whites are denied access to advantages to which they are entitled, and which they would have obtained had not preference been given to minorities† (Livingston 1979, 40). Reverse discrimination was the basis for Barbara Grutter's lawsuit against the University of Michigan Law School. Grutter maintained that because she had higher scores than the minorities that were accepted into the program, the law school discriminated against her on the basis of race. Reverse discrimination advocates argue that by favoring minorities, the affirmative action plan discriminates against the majority. In Grutter, a qualified member of the majority was denied admission while a less qualified minority was admitted which depicts the perfect illustrat ion of how affirmative action is reverse discrimination. ... Those who defend the premise that affirmative action serves as reverse discrimination adduce that discrimination is unconstitutional. If past discrimination is unjust, so is discrimination against whites (Livingston 1979). Preferential Treatment Critics of affirmative actions content that preferential treatment is not necessary to eliminate discrimination since existing protection prohibiting discrimination will suffice. Moreover, affirmative action creates further injustice through what critics contend is actually reverse discrimination. Vocal critics of race based quotas point out that such policies undermine American ideological notions of individuality and personal responsibility, treating the group as the measure of significance and not the individual (Berry 1996). The concept of a "colorblind" society originated in Justice John M. Harlan's dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896). Justice Harlan wrote, There is no caste here. Our Constitution is color-blind and neithe r knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved (Berry 1996, 138). In Plessy, â€Å"the Court upheld a Louisiana statute, passed in 1890, which provided for separate railway carriages for white and colored races† (Goring 2000, 4). Through Plessy and other Supreme Court decisions, the notion of a "colorblind" society has become an integral argument against affirmative action. Advocates of a "colorblind" society maintain that Because race really is, and properly only would be, a matter of unchosen appearance

Sunday, August 25, 2019

A 'middle class, quasi scientific, technocratic or mangerial form of Essay

A 'middle class, quasi scientific, technocratic or mangerial form of collectivism very different from the ambiguites of social d - Essay Example Fabian society is popular for its achievement during nineteenth century proceeding into First World War. The movement formulated a stolid base for the Labour Party. It also subsequently influenced policies of nations rising from the decolonization of the British Empire, particularly India. Presently, the Fabian Society constitutes one of the communalist groups affiliated with the Labour Party and its presence can be felt and seen in nations such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand (Blackburn 2007). The Fabian Society, a London based movement, was formed in 1884 as a budding from The Fellowship of the New Life of 1883. The Fellowship Society’s main objective was to transform society through leading by example by demonstrating a simple lifestyle for others to emulate. However, because of varied thoughts, some affiliates of the society were focused on involving politics to assist in transformation process of the society. Consequently a decision was reached that a distinct societ y was to be founded. This was the rise of the Fabian Society. After its establishment, the Fabian Society campaigned for restitution of Western European Renaissance principles and their propagation globally. The Fabian Society was named after a Roman general, Fabius Maximus popularly known as â€Å"Cunctator† to connote â€Å"delayer.† According to theGuardian (2001), the Fabian Society preferred a gradual change approach to radical change. Fabius adopted the tactics of harassment and attrition as opposed to one-on-one combats against the Carthaginian army led by General Hannibal. The Fabian Society attained great heights of influence, especially through their publication of Fabian Essays of 1889, in which Webb and other Fabian authors made great contributions. The Fabians idea of social reforms and transformation were based on the concept of â€Å"permeation† of already established political systems or institutions. Their argument was that the infiltration of t he existing political organisations was the main way of achieving natural socialism. The Fabian Society was opposed to Marxist revolutionary approach to social change (social democracy). Renouncing the need to have aggressive and brutal class struggles, the Fabian Society affiliates embraced the idea of developing trade unions as well as other labour movements up to the time when Beatrice Potter, latter referred to as Beatrice Webb because of her union with Sidney Webb, became a member of the society. Webbs in 1900s assisted the group to establish Labour Representation Committee, from which the Labour Party was born. After its inauguration, the Fabian Society lured many famous figures into its socialist foundation. The central figures of the Fabian Society were Sidney Webb and Beatrice Webb among other key members. The two key pillars of the movement published numerous articles on property ownership under capitalism in industrial Britain. In the wake of 1900, majority of affiliates of the Fabian Society took part in the formation of the Labour Party and the establishment of its constitution, in which Sidney Webb extensively applied the principles in the initiating documents of the Fabian Society. As unbelievable as it may look, the Fabian Society started as a mere nine-member movement, who endorsed an executive committee of three members. A former chairman of British Fabian Society, Mrs. Cole, pointed out on the group’s success in instilling its socialist ideologies in the entire society and nurturing the schemes to flourish and change

Film analysis on the movie Pulp Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film analysis on the movie Pulp Fiction - Essay Example Thus, the movie is merely a cinematic rendition of a shapeless storyline about bad people acting out their roles in a most realistically cruel world. Pulp Fiction presents a story that connects the lives of different people with different evil agenda acting their roles in a society with no values. The film is partly a story of exoneration of evil in an evil society. The movie opens with a scene at the diner, where Pumpkin and Honey Bunny decide to rob the customers and the diner itself. The significance of this scene though can only be known at the end of the film where everything goes back to the diner. At the end, Vincent and Jules get involved in the robbery but when Pumpkin tried to seize the briefcase from him, it resulted in a matter of life and death where all four people were pointing a gun at the next one beside him. Eventually, Jules let go of Pumpkin and Honey Bunny. The characters in the movie are a mixed breed, thus attesting to the senseless pulp fiction quality of the movie. The main characters of the movie include the hired killers Vincent and Jules, upon whom the bulk of the movie is based. Other major characters include Marsellus and Butch, since it was they who both concluded the movie and somehow added some humor to it because of the sodomy scene. Other minor characters include Honey Bunny and Pumpkin, and Brett and his friends. These minor characters, however, added much to the degree of senseless violence in this real pulp fiction. However, although it is pulp fiction, the setting is far from fictitious. It is in fact a setting that is very realistic. As the characters move around the city, they visit a diner, a bar, an apartment, a club, and a pawnshop. These are the major places in an urban area where violence wrought by the characters has transpired. These are the very places, however, where modern-day senseless violence may always take place. Thus, these places are perfect for a

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Regression [Use R program] Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Regression [Use R program] - Statistics Project Example There have been numerous studies that attempted to quantify the value people have placed on the quality of schools by analyzing the features and prices of houses that are around these schools in various districts. This paper is meant to study the factors that contribute to the sales prices of single family houses which are located within the school district in Goleta, Southern Santa Barbara in California. This research is applied, descriptive and it is developed from a quantitative point of view. The population of the study is formed by thirty six (36) home sales transactions recorded from the last three years. It represents a sample of possible sales and transactions that could be appearing in areas within the Goleta city. This data consists of six variables which are the price of a house in thousand dollars, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, the size of the house, size of the lot and the year in which the house was built. Thus, the sales price is the dependent variable which is determined by the other variables in the data. The number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, the size of the house, size of the lot and the year in which the house was built are the independent variables. In this research, regression analysis is used to accomplish the intended task. Various models are developed to determine the one which is the most appropriate in determining the sale price of houses within Goleta. The following models are considered: In this model, the number of bathrooms is dropped. It considers the number of bedrooms, size of the house, lot size and the year built. The codes used to obtain the summary of this model are as follows: This model considers the number of bathrooms, size of the house, the lot size and the year built as the only predictor variables. Thus, the number of bedrooms is dropped. The codes used to create this model are shown below: To identify the appropriate model, the analysis uses extra

Friday, August 23, 2019

An investigatin into the brand identity of fashion concessions in UK Essay

An investigatin into the brand identity of fashion concessions in UK department store - Essay Example This research, using primary and secondary data analysis shall use extensive research on fashion, retailing, host and concessionaire relations, branding design, and factors that inter-relate in all these aspects. The data to be gathered shall try to answer brand identification of fashion concessions in UK department store. Other related data shall also be presented. This study shall unravel the making of an association of quality service and products in a prestigious London department store with the stores design aspects, consumer behaviour as well as the concessionaire and host relationship built. Branded products are in demand. The brand-consciousness of consumers is continually growing within the fashion industry. (Gretz, 2000) Many fashion brands have been considering setting up department store concessions to fulfill the brand demand of their customers. Concessions are a way of allowing a retailer to extend the product range offered within the outlet without experiencing some of the risks associated with buying merchandise. The basis of a concession, which may be referred to as a ‘shop-in-shop’, is that a retailer allows a supplier of a particular brand of merchandise a designated amount of space within an outlet from which those goods are sold. (Varley, 2001, p112) With this study, researcher was able to gain in-depth knowledge on the relations between fashion branding and host-concessionaire as may be both perceived in visual store and product design or display. Among other things, the research also found out these attributes are not surprisingly absent in the chosen department store or retail outlet for this study. In fact, the department store have presented more than what is necessary or has been studied about the subject matter, or that, it exceeded expectation to a certain degree, it being a premier and prestigious

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Eriksonian Perspective Essay Example for Free

Eriksonian Perspective Essay Greene (1991) described Eriksonian perspective on human development from the idea of epigenesis, in which each developmental stage depends upon the resolution and completion of the previous one. This idea proposed that anything that growth has a concrete map, from which it is understood that each stage has its time of passing. The Greene’s description advocates that human development is biopsychosocial and it is present throughout the human life. It is driven by a biologically set plan with the social identity being conditioned by a social factor. Erikson argued that the human ego strives to improvement that is toward mastery of its environment. Thus personal effectiveness being promoted by the social organization becomes the driven mechanism behind the progression of each stage. Erikson derived eight developmental stages with each the pitcome of the resolution serving as the first step toward the next progressively superior stage (Greene, 1991). Although each and different culture resolves the unique requirements for the development differently, such progression is said to be universal in all cultures and human organizations. Thus we can observe a common denominator that according to Erikson (Greene, 1991) is a biological program toward improvement. Baltes, Lindenberger Staudinge (1999) supported Greene’s view but attempted to view the stages of development from the practical perspective. They saw the personality’s progression through the life stages as adaptive mechanism formed and guided with the needs and pressures of the environment. In other words, they inclined more to the point of view in which the environment rather than biology was the major player in the human development. Based on this assumption, the authors suggested to view at lifespan psychology from the individual’s standpoint suggesting that two different people would develop differently even under exactly the same environmental stimuli. Ontogenesis or the study of individual development (Baltes et al. , 1999) appears to be more practical and functional. It considers the individual’s concern of â€Å"acquisition, maintenance, transformation, and attrition† (Baltes et al. , 1999) adaptive processes throughout the lifespan. However, such â€Å"Westernized notion† is not eagerly shared by some researchers (Coughlan Welsh-Breetzke, 2002). They, in particular, suggested that Eriksonian perspective is male-dominated and was presented in the Westernized context thus making individualized and masculianized human development as the blanket for the theory. According to them, such propagation of â€Å"individuality, competition, self-interest, comparative judgment, and value imperialism† devalues other life systems and steps away from the diversified views of human development. As Erikson argued (Greene, 1991) the child’s personality is first affected by the mother and then transformed through the developmental stages within and by small groups, large groups, organizations, governments, religions, and the mankind at large. The child in infancy was thought to obey inner laws of development; the inner drives that lead the child toward realization of the full potential through interaction with the environment. Such interaction with the environment causes inner restructuring of personality traits, which, through integration and synthesis, leads toward the full and complete realization of that particular stage. From Greene’s work (1991) we learn that stage 1 which is called â€Å"Basic Trust Versus basic Mistrust† lasts through two years of age and involves the establishment of trust by the infant toward the members of the family. The most illustrative of such can be little Michelle, the character from the Full House. Her interactions constantly bring the development of new personality that can be characterized by newly developed psychosocial strength (i. e. higher degree of confidence in her communications). The second stage, â€Å"Autonomy Versus Shame† is characterized with developing of self-control and not loosing the â€Å"face† in the process. Such emphasis on self-esteem is important because the children of this age easily become shamed and can develop psychosocial issues of holding on and letting go (Christiansen Palkovitz,1998). The successful resolution of this stage manifests in the child’s ability to become more independent, with some gender differences. For example (Christiansen Palkovitz, 1998) argued that male infants on his stage of development are more individualistic than their female counterparts. Coming back to Full House characters, we indeed, see that the little Michelle (once she became a little older) tends to gravitate toward her sisters and continuously seeking their approval. The child on the stage three, Initiative Versus Guilt, develops the sense of purpose, especially noticeable during the playtime. The sense of purpose drives the child toward the active exploration of the environment and according to Erikson (Greene, 1991) brings her to the discovery of the lack of a penis. Contrary to the Freud, Erikson believed that such and inevitable (in some societies) discovery of â€Å"inequity† is driven more so socially than biologically (Greene, 1991). The successful resolution of this stage is uninhibited involvement in play with other playmates. The children on the stage four, Industry Versus Inferiority, start school. This is a major transition in their lives and involved changing of perspective from the small family-based group to the larger social groups. According to Eriksonian perspective, the main drive for children on this stage is to become industrial which involves developing skills and competence through meaningful performances. The crisis on this stage may occur when the child’s self-efficacy is undermined. Learning collaborative skills and experiences can be critical at this stage of development. Stacy in Full House was often intimidated by collaborative involvement trying to achieve the performance of tasks independently. Her father and uncles often taught her that learning how to collaborate and contribute would make things easier and more effective. Almost each episode suggested how Stacy (and her sisters) put a lot of effort toward performing any task. The child experiencing successes at creating and producing some value together with his or her peers (or parents) is critical toward the stage resolution (Greene, 1991). From the age of 12 through 22, the adolescent experiences Identity Versus Identity Confusion. This is the stage when adolescent develops into the young adult and is seeking personal and unique identity. The stability of self-representation is crucial and is manifested in the desire to develop autonomy from parents, individuality of opinions, acceptance of his or her sexual preferences, and commitment to the career choices. The struggling with the issue of selfness often causes to name such stage as the most difficult. During the stage, the influence of peer groups become most consuming and focuses of interaction. The ability to sustain loyalties is the desired outcome of the resolution for this stage. Either polarity we can see in characters of the movies like Girl Interrupted, Mean Girls, Even Stevens, and others. It is an uninterrupted parade of searched identities and strive for the independence in opinions and attitudes. When the young adult enters stage six (22 through 34) he or she enters Intimacy versus isolation. The focus of his or her life becomes developing of the meaningful relationships and seeking the intimacy experiences. This is the stage when most adults develop meaningful relationships to start a family. Becoming a loner and shutting down others is a crisis to compare to a resolution of this stage. Many film features exhibit important characteristics of selfless love, on one side, and ruined families on another as picturesque illustration of this stage’s characteristics. One of the features that come to mind is Click, in which the main character is taught a lesson that commitment to family is more important than personal comfort. Even the legendary Casanova in the feature with the same name shows that final offering of commitment to start a family was an only choice. When a person advances in years and through the stages of development on to the stage 7, Generativity Versus Stagnation, he or se is concerned with teaching and guiding the next generation. The proficiency of this stage is usually takes in an ability of taking care of others (Christiansen Palkovitz,1998). The crisis may result when the person feels stagnated without being able to share personal expertise to others, especially the younger generation. This is tremendously visible in Full House as the father of the girls is trying his best to teach and guide his children. He is visibly content and happy when his instructions and guidance are accepted. The final stage, starting at about 60 deals with Integrity Versus Despair. This is when the person is concerned of personal usefulness to others during his or her lifetime. As Greene wrote in his book, â€Å"Integrity is achieved by individuals who have few regrets, who have lived productive lives, and who cope as well with their failures as they do with their successes. † There is an appreciation of the life as the whole and a content of the life well lived. People with full resolution of this stage are not afraid of death, thus develop what we call wisdom. The feature Bicentennial Man shows that quite vividly. The android becoming a human develops wisdom through the personal choice of growing old and dying in the course of the old age, although as android he could live forever. In conclusion, it is worth noticing that despite the fact that the study examines the idea of epigenesis, one can find that the transition from one developmental stage to another is not always exactly predetermined by age. For example, fro Erikson’s argument, each stage has a certain age limit. However, we are aware that not everyone fits exactly in to such age limitation and depending upon the unique characteristics of personality, micro-culture (i. e. family), group culture (i. e. school), and macro-culture (i. e. government) the age boundaries for each stage might be different. The idea that everything that growth has a concrete map from which it is understood that each stage has a certain time of passing has been observed empirically on many living species. However, we cannot claim that each species has exactly the same time passing for each stage of growth. There will be some differentiation. In such, experimental results that examine the life cycle of one species will weaken the above-discussed theory due to the fact that it is very difficult if not impossible to determine the exact age boundaries between the developmental stages from one representative of the species to another. My personal opinion lies in parallel with this conclusion. Observing my own developing in contrast with Eriksonian perspective, I find that stage four, for example, and in my case, extended before age six and way after age 12. My stage five began at age 14 rather than according to Erikson’s perspective, age 12. Many a time, the stage six begin after the age of 24 (not 22) and continues through early 40s (at least with my acquaintances). Thus, the exact map of stage development is not so exact, after all, and depends upon numerous factors I already have mentioned. Penuel (1995) in his article put the focus on identity formation. According to him, although this research primarily was based on Eriksonian perspective, there is a clear notion that each and single individual develops his or her identity not necessarily in agreement with concrete time schedule of Erikson’s stages of development. Penuel made a point that despite the fact that Vygotsky offered theoretical foundation of identity formation, the specific guidelines behind sociocultural influence on identity were not set. Penuel urged not to replace Vigotsky’s view on the identity development by Erikson’s theory but to integrate both. Thus, the main study point in Penvue’s article would be strong but not mechanistic influence of sociocultural processes on the identity formation. The discussion presented in this work strengthen my ideas that the development of an identity is more affected by external factors, like micro-culture, group-culture, and macro-culture and is not always follows the strict age-set boundaries. Observing my own and my friends’ identity formation support this notion. Stevenson-Hinde (1994) looked at human development from the different perspective. It is more systemic as in the behaviors are interconnected within the specific system, and in thus if one component is affected others are affected as well. Such perspective deviates even more from he straightforward Erikson’s theory. It is not anymore the stage development but the systemic organization of behaviors, according to Stevenson-Hinde. This study weakens the theory and my idea about the identity formation. Although and without argument some behaviors are interrelated, this fact is not necessarily the cause of identity formulation. The effect comes from the external environment thus the sociocultural characteristics affect the identity development more than the resulting set of behaviors. This conclusion s supported by self-observation. Examining my own interrelated behaviors I clearly see that those are the effect not the cause of the environmental influences. Thus environmental influences affect my behaviors that in turn help in identity formation. Horst (1995) argued with the general notion that the Erikson’s perspective did not consider accurate depiction of development through the lenses of gender. According to her claim, contrary would be more accurate. Careful study of Erikson’s stages of development does consider the gender identity in which gender is relational to components of identity formation. The point of her article is thus, to consider that the gender has an influence on identity formation. This study strengthens my views on the theory in its notion of the gender influence. Certainly, male and female would not develop equally and would not manifest the same identity formation. The differential depends upon their own perspective of self as either male or female. Even more so, how their external environment views them on the gender scale: from less feminine to more feminine and from less muscular to more muscular. Thus, their identity is formed not only from the point of view of being a human but also being a male and female and its specific location on the gender scale. My personal observations support this viewpoint. External attitudes, first from my immediate family and then from my friends) confirmed and helped me develop my identity IQ and specifically my gender identity IQ.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Getting into Shape Essay Example for Free

Getting into Shape Essay Fitness is the quality or state of being fit. (Merriam-Webster, 2011) On September 26th, 2011 I took a physical fitness test. The fitness test measured four areas of my wellbeing, cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and body composition. After taking the test I was really interested in how I scored related to the standard set by other Men of my age. Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the heart, lungs and circulatory system to supply oxygen and nutrients to working muscles efficiently. Having good cardio fitness allows you to enjoy life to the fullest. Cardio fitness reduces your risk of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol and helps you look and feel better. On the fitness test I scored a Maximum oxygen consumption of 58. This score placed me in the 95th percentile of males between the ages of 14-19 and at the low end of the very good category. Scoring high in this area did not surprise me since I do cardio for 3 hours a week. Yet, to improve my fitness and get in to the elite category I am going to incorporate more interval training in my cardio workouts. Strength is the second area that was tested during my fitness test. Muscular strength is the amount of force that your muscles can exert against resistance. (Healthy Flesh, 2011) To measure strength I was asked to bicep curl a bar for twenty seconds. At the end of the twenty seconds I scored 99 pounds and was in the upper end of the good category. If I would have curled 1 more pound I would have been in the excellent category. To get into that excellent category I am going to incorporate a new bicep regimen. The third test was the flexibility test. I knew going into the test that I wouldn’t do well since I do not stretch often. On the test I score 12. 4 inches. Compared with other males aged 14-19 I scored fair. To increase my flexibility I plan on stretching, by stretching after my warm-up, holding each stretch for 10-60 seconds and doing 2-6 repetitions per muscle group. (Liguori Carroll-Cobb, 2012) If I incorporate this stretching plan into my workout routine I should be able to get my flexibility level up to average for my age. The fourth and final test of my fitness was a body composition test. A three site skin fold test was used to determine my body composition for the test. The measurements were chest 3. 5mm, abdomen 12mm, and thigh 11mm. My body weight at the time of the test was 189 pounds. This combined with the skin fold measurements resulted in giving me a body fat percentage of 6. 5. The level of body fat I am at is low for men ages 14-19; it is also the optimal body weight for athletes. I plan on keeping my body fat percentage low by keeping up with my exercise routine and incorporating more cardio. The fitness test measured four areas of my wellbeing, cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and body composition. In the cardiovascular portion I scored very well. For strength I scored well, while in flexibility I scored fair. My body composition was 6. 5%. Overall, according to the fitness test, I am in excellent physical condition. I plan on continuing to work out, while improving on areas of flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. If I improve on those two areas while maintaining my strength and body composition, I shall live a long healthy life.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A Child Labour In India Children And Young People Essay

A Child Labour In India Children And Young People Essay Child labour is undoubtedly a human rights issue. It is not only exploitative but also endangers childrens physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and moral development. It perpetuates poverty because a child labour, deprived of education or healthy physical development, is likely to become an adult with low earning prospects.[1]This is a vicious cycle which apart from ruining the lives of many results in an overall backwardness in the masses. Moreover, conceptualising child labour as a human rights issue gives the victim with the authority to hold violators liable. Human rights generate legal grounds for political activity and expression, because they entail greater moral force than ordinary legal obligations. Children are right holders with the potential to make valuable contributions to their own present and future well being as well as to the social and economic development of the society and thus they should under no circumstances be perceived as passive and vulnerable. Today, traditionally prescribed interventions against child labour which were welfare based like providing a minimum age for work are being replaced by rights-based approach. A rights-based approach to child labour needs to be adopted which puts internationally recognized rights of children to the center while utilizing UDHR, ICCPR and ICESCR as a supportive framework. Child labour is a condition from which the children have a right to be free and it is not merely an option for which regulating standards must be devised. In this paper we shall firstly trace the slow orientation of child labour laws to include human rights perspective internationally, and then evaluate current Indian laws and policies from a human rights perspective II. A Human rights approach to child labour Initially, scholars were unsure over extending human rights to children.[2] For instance, the 1948 Universal declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) emphasises that everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms set forth in the declaration but makes no age qualification to the same. So it is unclear whether it extends to children. However, Art.4 of UDHR has been interpreted as prohibiting exploitation of child labour by interpreting servitude to include child labour.[3] In addition, Articles 23 and 26 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights seek to guarantee just and favorable conditions of work and the right to education, both of which are violated constantly and globally through the exercise of the worst forms of child labor. In 1966 the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights (ICESCR) and International Covenant on civil and political rights (ICCPR) took significant preliminary steps towards modifying human rights according to age, by defining childhood as a state requiring special protection, with rights distinct to those of adults.[4] Even so it was not until 1989 that the Convention on Rights of Children (CRC) clearly spelt out the rights of the child while giving them a special status apart from the adults. Thus, it should not be surprising that early international legal efforts to address child labour tended to be abolitionist in tone and treated as an aspect of labour market regulation.[5] Next, a prioritization approach was adopted where concentration was on the more abusive forms of child labour. So the ILO adopted Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, 1999, aimed at the immediate elimination of intolerable forms of child labor. The convention requires signatories to work with business groups to identify hazardous[6] forms of child labor and introduce time-bound programs for eliminating them. Conventions 138 and 182 are recognised as core International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions but unfortunately human rights groups have done much to criticise it. They argue that this artificial division of hazardous and non-hazardous forms of child labour is artificial and made only for the benefit of labour regulations. Child labour in any form is very harmful and exploitative for the children.[7] Secondly, child labour, as defined by ILO is work done by children under the age of 12; work by children under the age of 15 that prevents school attendance; and work by children under the age of 18 that is hazardous to their physical or mental health. It is an economic activity or work that interferes with the completion of a childs education or that is harmful to children in any way.[8]Such an age based classification is incongruous and is behind time.[9] The right to a childhood cannot be replaced by placing such age barriers which imply at least some work could be done by children at even age 12! Where is the best interest of child seen in such laws? Fortunately, a human rights approach to child labour was soon adopted by Convention on Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. Such rules focus not only on the avoidance of harm to children but as well, on regulation of employment relationship in which working children find themselves and beyond that, on rights of children to education and to participate in decisions that affect their lives, including those related to their employment. This holistic view of child labour as only a part of a childs life is principally what sets human rights approach apart from the labour regulation approach.[10] However, some critique of CRC feel that categorizing child labour as a special category has trivialized their rights and have made them weak and in need of an adult advocate. Conversely, the defenders of CRC argue that it is through this classification that children gain more rights with legally recognized interests which are specific to their stage in life cycle. The slavery convention, 1926 and Supplementary convention on abolition of slavery, the slave trade, institutions and practices similar to slave trade, 1956 entered into force in 1957 prohibits slavery like practice under Art 1. In recent times Child labour has been read as a slave like practice as it involves economic exploitation. Since children are more vulnerable than adults and are dependent on their parents, it can be assumed that when they are economically exploited by their parents or by their consent, the decree of dependency necessary for work to b qualified as slavery like practice will be attained in most cases. In the light of ICCPR (art 8(2)) and Supplementary convention on abolition of slavery, the slave trade, institutions and practices similar to slave trade, 1956, Art.4 of UDHR should be interpreted as prohibiting exploitation of child labour as child labour comes under servitude. Child labour also comes under the term forced or compulsory labour in Art.8(3) of ICCPR. The obligations of state parties under art 8 are immediate and absolute. Thus state parties have to prevent private parties from violating child labour norms. Art 24, ICCPR obliges the state to protect children from economic exploitation. III. Convention on rights of child United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate a full range of human rights such as civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights for children. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing childrens rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child. The Convention under Art.32 speaks of economic exploitation of children by making them perform work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the childs education, or to be harmful to the childs health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. The Convention spells out a childs right to education[11], as well as identifying the forms of harm to which children should not be exposed. Other rights given to children include right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to abolish traditional practices that are prejudicial to childrens health (Article 24), a right to a standard of living adequate for the childs physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development; parents have the main responsibility for this, but governments are required within their means to assist parents, as well as to provide material assistance and support in case of need(Article 27) and a right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activi ties appropriate to the age of the child. Article 22 specifies that refugee children have the same rights as all other children. Article 6 of the convention makes it the obligation of the governments to ensure that children are able to survive and develop to the maximum extent possible while Article 11 urges governments to prevent the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad. Under Article 19, Governments must take action to protect children against all forms of physical or mental violence, injury, abuse, neglect, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse[12] and must provide special protection and assistance to children who are deprived of their own family environment under article 20. Article 35, requires governments to take action to prevent children from being trafficked while articles Article 36 and 39 requires governments to protect children against all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to any aspects of the childs welfare and to help children recover from exploitation, neglect or abuse (particularly their physical and psychological recovery and return and reintegration into th e communities they come from). Two other provisions in the Convention are also vitally important for working children. Article 3 says government agencies and other institutions taking action concerning a child or children must base their decisions on what is in the childrens best interests. Article 12 emphasises that when a child is capable of forming his or her views, these should be given due attention, in accordance with the childs age and maturity. Other conventions of interest include Optional protocol to the convention on rights of child on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and Optional protocol to the convention on rights of child on the involvement of children in armed conflict both adopted in May, 2000. IV. India and its International commitments India has ratified six ILO conventions[13] relating to child labour but have not ratified the core ILO conventions on minimum age for employment (convention 138) and the worst forms of child labour, (convention 182) recognised as the core conventions at the international labour conference which makes it mandatory for the international community to follow certain standards in their crusade against child labour. Nevertheless, India has taken commendable steps to eliminate child labour. The recent right of children to free and compulsory education Act, 2009 and the preceding 86th amendment exemplifies the same. Furthermore, the passing of Juvenile Justice (care and protection) Act, 2006 shows Indias commitment to a human rights approach to child labour. The Act emphasises on looking into the best interests of the child and allows for social reintegration of child victims. In such a scenario India not signing the core labour conventions does not make a difference in the fight against child labour. India is a party to the UNdeclaration on the Rights of the Child 1959. India is also a signatory to the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children. More, importantly India ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 12 November 1992.[14] Other important international initiatives against child labour include the adoption of the first Forced Labor Convention (ILO, No. 29), 1930, Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action: States that a crime against a child in one place is a crime anywhere, 1996, establishment of 12 June as the World Day Against Child Labor in 2002 by ILO and the first global economic study on the costs and benefits of elimination of child labour.[15] V. Indian laws on child labour The present regime of laws in India relating to child labour are consistent with the International labour conference resolution of 1979 which calls for combination of prohibitory measures and measures for humanising child labour wherever it cannot be immediately outrun.[16] In 1986 Child labour (Prohibition and regulation) Act was passed, which defines a child as a person who has not completed 14 years of age. The act also states that no child shall be employed or permitted to work in any of the occupations set forth in Part A or in the process set forth in Part B, except in the process of family based work or recognised school based activities. Through a notification dated 27 January 1999, the schedule has been substantially enlarged to add 6 more occupations and 33 processes to schedule, bringing the total to 13 occupations and 51 processes respectively. The government has amended the civil service (conduct) rules to prohibit employment of a child below 14 years by a government employee. Similar changes in state service rules have also been made. The framers of the Indian Constitution consciously incorporated relevant provisions in the constitution to secure compulsory primary education as well as labour protection for children. If the provisions of child labour in international conventions such as ILO standards and CRC are compared with Indian standards, it can be said that Indian constitution articulates high standards in some respects The constitution of India, under articles 23,24, 39 ( c) and (f), 45 and 21A guarantees a child free education, and prohibits trafficking and employment of children in factories etc. The articles also protect children against exploitation and abuse. Equality provisions in the constitution authorises affirmative action policies on behalf of the child. The National child labour policy (1987) set up national child labour projects in areas with high concentration of child labour in hazardous industries or occupations, to ensure that children are rescued from work and sent to bridge schools which facilitate mainstreaming. It is now recognised that every child out of school is a potential child labour and most programs working against child labour tries to ensure that every child gets an education and that children do not work in situations where they are exploited and deprived of a future. Similarly, there are other programmes like National authority for elimination of child labour, 1994 (NAECL) and National resource centre on child labour, 1993 (NRCCL). Recently, government of India notified domestic child labour, and child labour in dhabas, hotels, eateries, spas and places of entertainment as hazardous under the child labour (prohibition and regulation) Act, 1986, effective from 10-10-2006. National human rights commission has played an important role in taking up cases of worst forms of child labour like bonded labour. In 1991 in a silk weaving village of Karnataka called Magdi it held an open hearing which greatly sensitised the industry and civil societies. It also gave rise to new NCLP programmes.[17] VI. Judicial reflections Judiciary in India has taken a proactive stand in eradicating child labour. In the case of M.C. Mehta v. State of Tamil Nadu and Ors[18], this Court considered the causes for failure to implement the constitutional mandate vis- ¿Ã‚ ½-vis child labour. It was held that the State Government should see that adult member of family of child labour gets a job. The labour inspector shall have to see that working hours of child are not more than four to six hours a day and it receives education at least for two hours each day. The entire cost of education was to be borne by employer. The same was reiterated in Bandhua Mukti Morcha v.UOI[19] and directions were given to the Government to convene meeting of concerned ministers of State for purpose of formulating policies for elimination of employment of children below 14 years and for providing necessary education, nutrition and medical facilities. It was observed in both the case that it is through education that the vicious cycle of poverty and child labour can be broken. Further, well-planned, poverty-focussed alleviation, development and imposition of trade actions in employment of the children must be undertaken. Total banishment of employment may drive the children and mass them up into destitution and other mischievous environment, making them vagrant, hard criminals and prone to social risks etc. Immediate ban of child labour would be both unrealistic and counter-productive. Ban of employment of children must begin from most hazardous and intolerable activities like slavery, bonded labour, trafficking, prostitution, pornography and dangerous forms of labour and the like.[20] Also, in case of PUCL v. UOI and Ors[21] children below 15 years forced to work as bonded labour was held to be violative of Article 21 and hence the children were to be compensated. The court further observed that such a claim in public law for compensation for contravention of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the protection of which is guaranteed in the Constitution, is an acknowledged remedy for enforcement and protection of such rights. However, Human rights experts criticise the scheme of payment of compensation envisage in Child labour act and further adopted by the Judiciary with gusto.[22] They say that monetary compensation is like washing away ones conscious which still believes that if a child labour is sent to school he must be compensated for the amount which he might have got if he had worked instead. This only confuses the already divided opinion of the society today which still thinks that poor and needy children are better off working. VII. Conclusions India has done well in enacting suitable legislations and policies to combat child labour. Nonetheless, its implementation at grass root level is very much lacking. The child labour laws today are like a scarecrow which does not eliminate child labour but only shifts it geographically to other places, to other occupations like agriculture which may be less paying or it might be still continued clandestinely.[23] The lack of a specialised enforcement officer leads to lesser attention being given to child labour legislations. Furthermore, many of the child labour programmes remain poorly funded. Child labour is a complex problem which cannot be eliminated without first attacking it at the roots. Thus, poverty, unemployment, lack of social security schemes, illiteracy and the attitude of society need to be tackled first before any progress can be made. A starting point can be to treat Child labour as a human rights problem and discouraging its manifestation in any form. If the society as such sees child labour as a social malaise, we will be much closer at achieving success. Lastly, there is a lot of debate over the age from which child labour should be banned. The ILO conventions do not give a definite age, 14 years seems to be the general understanding but CRC defines a child to be below 18 years. Right to education is for children below 14 years and Child labour is prohibited till age of 14 years. This brings the question as to whether children of age 14-18 years are to be denied basic human rights and are to be left vulnerable.