Moby Dick Essays (2102 words) - Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab, Ishmael

Moby Dick Melvilles Symbols in Moby-Dick Herman Melville began working on his epic novel Moby-Dick in 1850, writing it primarily as a report on the whaling voyages he undertook in the 1830s and early 1840s. Many critics suppose that his initial book did not contain characters such as Ahab, Starbuck, or even Moby Dick, but the summer of 1850 changed Melvilles writing and his masterpiece. He became friends with author Nathaniel Hawthorne and was greatly influenced by him. He also read Shakespeare and Miltons Paradise Lost (Murray 41). These influences lead to the novel Melville completed and published in 1851. Although shunned by critics after its release, Moby-Dick enjoyed a critical renaissance in the 1920s and as assumed its rightful place in the canons of American and world literature as a great classic. Through the symbols employed by Melville, Moby-Dick studies mans relationship with his universe, his fate, and his God. Ahab represents the league humans make with evil when they question the fate God has willed upon them, and God is represented by the great white whale, Moby Dick. In Moby-Dick, Herman Melville uses a vast array of symbols and allegories in the search for the true explanation of mans place in the universe and his relationship with his fate and his God. The focus of cruel fate and evil symbols is placed on the head of Ahab, captain of the Pequod. Ishmael, though narrator of the story, is not the center of Moby-Dick after Captain Ahab is introduced onto the deck of the ship and into action. The focus of the novel shifts from the freshman whaler to experienced Ahab, an ungodly, god-like man (Melville 82). Having been a whaler for many years, he is a well respected captain, yet his previous voyage has left him without a limb, and in its place is a peg leg carved from whale ivory. Ahab remains below decks shadowed in obscurity for the initial stages of the Pequods journey into the Atlantic. Ahab soon reveals his devilish plan to his crew, however, in a frenzied attack of oratory he wishes to seek, hunt, and destroy the White Whale, the fabled Moby Dick. It was the white whale Moby Dick which had, on Ahabs prior voyage, ravenously devoured his leg, and Ahab harbored a resentful revenge on his persecutor. Any mention of Moby Dick sent Ahab into a furious rage (Melville 155). He riles against Starbuck, the first mate and Starbuck replies, vengeance on a dumb brute! . . . to be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous (Melville 155). It is through Ahabs speech and his subsequent dialogue with Starbuck that a second major symbol is introduced into the story, Moby Dick. Blasphemy is irreverence toward God or something sacred, not irreverence toward a dumb brutish whale. Yet Starbuck accuses Ahab of blasphemy. Melville places this rather harsh accusatory word in the mouth of the Christian-minded Starbuck, directed at a devilishly revengeful Ahab. The only way actions taken against Moby Dick could be blasphemous is if he is sacred. Through indirect descriptions of Moby Dick and direct rantings of an insane man, Melville peppers Moby-Dick with hints and clues at the true essence Ahab sees behind the symbol of Moby Dick. According to sailors stories and legends, Moby Dick is seen in two places at once at different places around the globe. In this trait Melville is suggesting omnipresence, a godlike trait (Melville 172). The sailors think he is immortal, another godlike trait, because he has been harpooned many times and still lives (Braswell 152). Ahab himself believes Moby Dicks power is outrageous, like Gods omnipotence. Ahab states in Chapter XXXVI, that inscrutable thing [Moby Dicks power] is chiefly what I hate (Melville157). In addition to the godlike characteristics of omnipotence and omnipresence, Moby Dick has garnered a reputation for tearing through sinners. He shows godlike justice and mercy in saving Steelkilt and killing the unjust Radney, as the crew learns from the sailors of the Town-Ho (Auden 11). Melville uses many other symbols to make the white whale a symbol of divine power (Braswell 151). His awful austere beauty is godlike, as is his titanic power and his pyramid-like white hump. His color, white, has

Essay on Notes for TOK PRESENTATION

Essay on Notes for TOK PRESENTATION Essay on Notes for TOK PRESENTATION Real Life Situation A Muslim woman expected to enter an arranged marriage in Phoenix was raped, beaten and sexually assaulted by her groom-to-be after she refused to marry the man Conflict The report said that the families agreed on a "Nikah," a formal Islamic marriage. A’idah,who had no desire to be with Abdullahi, the man she was being set up with, ran away but returned about 15 days later to finish school. One neighbor said that she saw the woman shaking and crying as she was dragged onto the sidewalk. She said she would have called police if she was aware of the situation. Once in the apartment, police reportedly said Abdullahi placed a mattress in front of the door to prevent A’idah from leaving. Abdullahi managed to send a message to her friend from her tablet saying she was safe because her friend was texting her repeatedly and was getting no response and was extremely worried. Leading up to the arranged marriage A’idah’s father was up at night on arranged-marriage Websites and the result came to A’idah receiving strange e-mails from boys and going to random dates with strangers. A’idah says â€Å"getting random notifications from men has become so much a part of my dating life that I’ve lost sight of how bizarre it once seemed.† Abdullahi was just a random boy that A’idahs parents chose for her because his profile online seemed impressive and he had a well-paid job. A’idahs parents were struggling financially and their main priority was to look for someone that could support A’idah and eventually her family. What caused A’idahs parents to arrange her marriage A’idah’ parents have had a long, healthy marriage and are confident that their happiness will pass down from generation to generation. A’idahs mother said â€Å"Our prospective husbands have to be rich and socially conscious, hip but down-to-earth,† but this is defiantly not the case for A’idah. How A’idah is dealing with the conflict A’idah tried speaking to her father about her feelings and how she really did not want to marry this man but her father would not accept this idea because it would go against their â€Å"family tradition.† A’idah told her father that she wanted to go to college, however her father was completely against this as she was expected to start having children and tending to her husband's needs. This caused all of her life options and opportunities to be removed from her by her father. Continuation†¦ As it can be seen, love and emotion do not come into play and this makes it extremely difficult to leave the marriage. A’idah was being sexually abused and assaulted by the man she was forced to be with. A’idah showed many forms of resistance, as she would often stay at her friends house to avoid both her parents and the man she was being forced to marry. The abuse and violent threats from Abdullahi not only caused her to live in complete fear, however it also caused her to eventually take her own life Knowledge Question From reading several examples of arranged marriages I believe that indigenous knowledge systems conflict with the contemporary needs of women Claim Arranged marriages are the preferred choice of Islamic youth Islamic Rulings say that if a woman is married off without her parents consent, then the marriage contract is invalid, because it was not validated by the parents. Arranged marriages are the cultural norms for many Muslims across the world. Muslims do not â€Å"date† in the popular Western cultural sense, and many couples look to arranged marriages as a means to wedded bliss. Their expectation is that the seed for love is planted and will continue to bloom after the marriage. Indigenous Knowledge Relating this back to the knowledge question the indigenous knowledge that A’idah’s parents had was passed down from generation to generation. The notion that A’idahs parents arranged marriage was successful caused her parents to be confident A’idah’s marriage would be just as great and that they

A Revolution In Perception English Literature Essay

A Revolution In Perception English Literature Essay Speaking of modernist literatures revolutionary project, Maren Linett correctly states that writers had to break with convention and show how life was experienced rather than as it was conventionally recorded.Such a notion is highly relevant in elucidating how writers such as George Egerton and Katherine Mansfield strove, through their revolutionary use of the short story, to expose the failure of the Victorian novel’s dominant male perspective at accurately rendering the reality and ‘terra incognita’ of mothers and wives.   [ 2 ]   This essay will therefore argue that, in Egerton’s ‘A Cross Line’ (1893) and Mansfield’s ‘Bliss’ (1918), the use of a ground-breaking female perspective allows them to facilitate the reader’s gaining of ‘new eyes’ on the commonplace subject matter of motherhood and matrimony; a purpose that will be shown to be far more concerned with revolutionizing the Victorian percepti on of these roles as idyllic and harmonious destinations for women, than with creating ‘some new particular thing’.   [ 3 ]   The first half of the essay will consider the ‘new eyes’ that Egerton and Mansfield give to motherhood and will demonstrate that each writer revolutionizes the reader’s perception of maternity by exposing what Nicole Fluhr confirms was the inadequacy of inherited nineteenth-century ideologies and symbols, and also by subverting the eugenic perception of motherhood, meaning highly nurturing or affectionate, provided by their Victorian antecedents.   [ 4 ]   Firstly considering ‘A Cross Line’, I will analyse how Egerton achieves her reversal of Victorian beliefs in an innate maternal instinct through a realist aesthetic and focalized narrative which exposes Gypsy’s repugnant reaction to the bucolic image of the chicks, before demonstrating how this revolutionary perception is reinforced in an aposiope tic statement. Secondly, an examination of ‘Bliss’ and Mansfield’s critical use of the symbolic pear tree will demonstrate that this inherited symbol provides an invaluable framework for exposing Bertha’s aesthetic, rather than eugenic, approach to motherhood that is then explicitly reinforced in her interaction with ‘little B’.   [ 5 ]   The second half of the essay will then move to Egerton’s and Mansfield’s depictions of matrimony, and reveal that each writer adapts this subject to their purpose of providing ‘new eyes’ by revolutionizing two components of the Victorian marriage plot: the elision of female sexuality within marriage, and the predominating perceptions of adultery provided by omniscient narrators in sensation novels.   [ 6 ]   In my analysis of ‘A Cross Line’, I shall illustrate that the psychological moment of Gypsy’s Salomà ©ic dream-vision provides an elucidating frame of reference through which to reassess Egerton’s illustration of the marital union from an unexplored and eroticized female perspective. The final examination of ‘Bliss’ will then demonstrate that Mansfield revolutionizes an omniscient narrator’s perception of the subject matter of infidelious marriage by mediating it through Bertha’s female perspective in two of her psychological moments, which expose its stagnant and adulterous reality as a rejection of the Victorian ideology of marriage as a sacred institution.   [ 7 ]   Ultimately, by appropriating commonplace and eternal subject matter, rather than ‘new particular thing[s]’, within the most appropriate form for exploring and revealing the inner lives of women, Egerton and Mansfield refashion their reader’s normative view of motherhood and marriage and succeed, as Jenny McDonnell confirms, in presenting excellent examples of ‘mak[ing] it new’; in accordance w ith Ezra Pound’s summation of the modernist project.   [ 8 ]

American experience in Vietnam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American experience in Vietnam - Essay Example But as it is with politicians they give their citizens what they want to hear. This is what Kennedy was doing to convince his listeners and lure those who were not in his support. The vice president by then, though it took them long to notice and admit admitted that they had been ignorant of all that had happened in Vietnam. All those taking part in war had their own reasons for fighting, but did not include lands, resources nor dominations but freedom was the justice they were seeking in their quest neither did their want to lose their colonies in the southern east Asia. Greed and selfishness is a much greater drive for to those with interest to grab what they want. Being involved in a soviet union war meant that they were not in only in a battle of superiority, but were competing for ideas. Winthrop’s John myth citing the idea of a new America that was godlier would vanquish their numerically stronger enemies. They had dismissed the thought of having a stronger warrior squad that would outdo those of their enemies citing it as ancient. The Vietnam presidents by now relied more on virtue but not power in order to carry the day by winning the war. (Westheider 2008) 2 Industrialization got a boost from the farmers from the eighteenth century. This fueled the power of Americans in terms of their organization, and no other a power could outdo them. This proved that they were militarily invisible and after what took place in Hiroshima it was more evident that they were morally superior but the most powerful country in history. In their mind, they knew nobody could beat them in war even if nations joined to fight against them. This is where they went wrong and so writes Miller Arthur, that he believed in America and believed they had technology till the mid 1960’s when he thought they would never accept defeat as they had technologically advanced. The thought of American’s military being conquered in the battlefield with the advanced technology, grown industrialization and technology ability made them think they would never have been insufficient for war and its purposes. With the Soviet Union exploding a bomb as the Americans were not expectant off. Their aim was entirely to come up with means to fight as they avoided nuclear technology. Its premise was that soviets and their team were to indulge in small wars and without provoking or unlocking nuclear energy. In 1945 as they marked the end of the World War 2, Vietnam was left with vivid memories of subordination caused by Japanese and French authority replacing de facto. The moral lessons were western colonialism wasn’t omnipotent, and no name would replace imperialism as it was all the same from all round and equally dangerous.( Sevy 1989) American both political and leaders in businesses had an agreement that they needed to breathe both life and energy from the world system, and the only country 3that had the capacity to see them done was America. The key role w ould be played by political entrance to enact the law through the help of police men. There was a need for coordination of world affairs in the whole worlds system. Britain withdrew in the 19th century. This made Americans eager on taking on the lead as they believed they were able. Their main task was to restore expansiveness in their economy in their quest to increase their productivity as it was devastated by war. However, the imbalance within the system of the world was the major issue. Despite Americans capitalism being so strong, it didn’t quite matter as that of others countries was too weak. (Dougan,1988) But why all this, there were no raw materials in Vietnam to exploit neither were there strategic interests, it’

Personal Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Personal Finance - Essay Example The raising of the state pension age to 68 by 2048 will generally make individuals look for other income and pension alternatives which will sustain them since the current retirement age is 65. Thus, for the three years after the retirement, they will need to find a way in order to finance the lifestyle that they choose. In this case, it is expected that individuals will be opting to compensate their state pension by occupational and personal pension in order to bridge the gap. Personal pensions are more likely noting the fact that the package of benefits under this scheme is based on the discretion of individuals. Other people can also opt to find employment even after the retirement age. This is especially true noting the fact that there are some individuals who augment their pensions by retaining their jobs. Having an employment before the retirement is the most probable action that individuals will take especially those who cannot afford to purchase additional pension scheme. Inc reasing the age at which the pension plan will be received also means that the state will be paying pensioners three years less than what is previously practiced. For pensioners this can mean that lower priced packages will be made available since the expected payment time is now shorter. The establishment of a low-cost pension scheme which is coupled with automatic enrolment will allow more individuals to avail of these packages.

African Slaves Essay Example for Free

African Slaves Essay Rationale My project will be to examine the lives of Indian Indentured labourers between 1845 and 1917. The reason I am examining their lives is to prove that Indian Indentureship was just another form of slavery with a different name. The project will also assist me in learning about the Indian Indentureship period for my CSEC examination. Introduction Indentured labour was something like the last resort for planters after slavery. After the abolition of slavery the planters were left with a labour shortage. In their search for other sources of labour the planters tried Chinese, Madeirans, even free African slaves but each of these options all had their disadvantages. After a trial and error period with many different labourers, it was found that the Indians were the ideal labourers. The Indentureship period was supposed to be a fair, humane and just system unlike the African slave trade and slavery on the whole but this was not the case. In many aspects of the Indentureship period, it was almost identical to slavery. In the following paragraphs it will be shown from the evidence given, that Indians were treated almost as badly as African slaves, proving that the Indentureship period was simply another form of slavery. Indentureship and slavery are basically the same thing but the major thing that differentiated them was the fact that the Indian labourers were legally owned while the African slaves were forced to work for the planters. The Indians were cheated into signing contracts which they didn’t understand with false promises of a better life and good working conditions. The Indians were gullible and were easily tricked into signing the contracts  which ran from 3-5 years. The African slaves on the other were kidnapped in most cases and forced to work for the rest of their usually short lives. Their only chance of freedom would be allowed only if they purchased it, which was very unlikely. The journey for both the Africans and the Indians began with a long journey on a boat in deplorable living conditions. For the Indians the journey lasted from 93 to 113 days which was longer than the journey of the Africans which lasted from 6 to 10 weeks. Although both journeys were bad the Middle passage was a little worse than the journey the Indians endured. They were both kept in confined spaces which was unhealthy, especially if kept for long periods of time. Because of their confinement diseases were easily s pread and the mortality rate was very high. Life on the plantation was not much different because their living quarter were also confined.

Harmful Chemicals in Cosmetics Essay -- Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics

Although cosmetics became widely popular in the 1900s, tombs from 3100 B.C. have revealed that makeup originated in the first Egyptian Dynasty ("The History of Makeup", 1). Researchers found that these cosmetics contained ingredients that ranged from lead to cat dung; both of which are toxic. The use of toxic chemicals in cosmetics, such as coal tar, negatively impacts a person's health. Cosmetic companies put consumers' health at risk due to the use of toxic chemicals, marketing ploys and failure to properly regulate their own products and the chemicals they contain. While cosmetics pose dangerous risks to the human body in general, pregnant women and their fetus are especially vulnerable to the consequences of being exposed to these toxins. If some women are not willing to give up their cosmetics during pregnancy, the ingredients in makeup can be lethal to the fetus. Nail polishes and hair sprays contain substances called phthalates, which is more commonly known as a plasticizer and can be found in the material to make rain coats and garden hoses, and its purpose is to make plastic more flexible but still strong (â€Å"Controversy Over Phthalates in Cosmetics† par 1) .When phthalates are absorbed into the skin, they could harm the fetus and, in baby boys, they could cause irregular genitals. Another ingredient, methylisothiazoline (or MIT for short), can be found in everyday shampoos and body washes such as Head and Shoulders, Suave and Pantene Hair conditioner, products a pregnant woman may very well use, and tests have shown that exposure to this ingredient could cause abnormal brain development in the fetus ("Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage" par 2). However, these chemicals can cause health defi... ...rench, Christy T. "History of Makeup" (2004): Authors Den. 20, September, 2011. Web. Mercola, Joseph. "How Dangerous are Your Cosmetics?" (2011): Mercola.com: Take Control of Your Health. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. Reid, Brian. "Controversy Over Phthalates in Cosmetics" (2011): Our Stolen Future. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. Rudow, Barbara. Turning Green (2008): California: Scobre Press Corporation. Pages 3, 14, 33. Print. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (2011): Environmental Working Group. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. â€Å"Coal Tar Hair Dyes: Hair Care Cautions† (2011): Hairfinder: Hair Styles, Hair Care & Fashion. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. "Cosmetic and Personal Care Products Can be Cancer Risks" (2011): Cancer Prevention Coalition. Web. 2 Feb. 2015. "Natural and Organic Beauty Products: Behind the Facade" (2011): Articlesbase: Free Online Articles Directory. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.

Emancipation Proclamation- Lincoln’s End of Slavery in America

Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is still, to date, one of the most debated, revolutionary acts of the any of the Presidents of the United States. Through this document Lincoln took responsibility upon himself for the freedom of four million slaves throughout the divided country he presided over and forever changed the scene of what could be a very different American culture than that of which we live in presently today. After reading Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America, written by Allen C. Guelzo, I am fully convinced that Lincoln’s accomplishment through that document is very under credited not only by African Americans today, but also by their white counterparts in regards to the lasting impact it made for the future of the races in this country. Allen C. Guezlo opens his book on the defensive for Abraham Lincoln. Guezlo explains that when the topic of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation comes to mind, basically , either you appreciate it at face value for what it accomplished and stands for, or you are a skeptic. Today more than ever, the Proclamation’s skeptics focus on what the document did not accomplish rather than what it did. In his book, Guezlo works at answering the four main questions that critics will raise regarding the Proclamation. Why is the language of the Proclamation so bland and Legalistic? Did the Proclamation actually do anything? Did the slaves free themselves? Did Lincoln issue the Proclamation to ward off European influence or boost Union morale? In defense of Lincoln, Guezlo takes us through a detailed chronology of the events leading up to the weighted decision made by Lincoln in September 1862, including incredible evidence in the form of documented conversations and eye witness accounts. Abraham Lincoln was a product of the end of the Enlightenment Era, an era that emphasized the age of reason and logic. Being a lawyer by profession, Lincoln exhibited an incredible display of prudence in making his decisions and showed an exceptional respect for the law. When considering the term â€Å"prudence†, Guezlo makes it a point to examine the word in the fashion of hat it would have meant to the classical philosophers that Lincoln came to admire. In this sense, prudence isn’t defined as what it is known as today. By today’s definition, a person who is â€Å"prude† is thought to display exaggerated caution, hesitation, lack of will, and fearfulness. According to Guezlo, the prudence that Lincoln display ed while in office would be better compared to the virtues of the classical philosophers who influenced the Enlightenment period which attributed prudence to shrewdness and sound judgment. Considering all the different obstacles that were thrown at Lincoln during his presidency, he needed to ensure that his actions were deliberate and would achieve a long term lasting effect as he was very cautious and untrusting when considering the judiciary branch of the government. Lincoln understood that any decision he made would be readily tested against the powers afforded to him by the constitution sooner or later. He did not want to take any chances in going about the emancipation process loosely, especially considering the amount of opponents he was going to face regarding the topic of emancipation both in the North and the South. Of the many ways to go about the emancipation process, Lincoln’s preference was that which consisted of three main features, â€Å"gradualism, compensation, and the vote of the people†. He rebuked ideas of using either the Confiscation Acts and Benjamin Butler’s contraband theory as well as the idea of martial law in order to achieve long term emancipation. As far as the contraband theory was concerned, at best Lincoln new that it would make slaves wards of the government until the end of the war. After compromise was reached, the fate of these men was out of his hands and into the hands of the ruling courts which would likely allow them to be reclaimed by their masters. Before issuing his own proclamation, Lincoln actually reversed two attempts at marital law proclamations attempted by both John Charles Freemont and David Hunter. Lincoln did not reverse these attempts so much because he was not for the emancipation process, but because in his legalistic mind, he knew that these courses of action would not stand the judicial test in regards to the limitations of the constitution. First of all, the use of the war powers in question would only be reserved for use by the commander-in-chief, namely himself; secondly there was no specifications provided within the constitution itself on the use of these war powers if hey did in fact exist. Lincoln was firm in his desire to convince the border states to accept his offer of compensated emancipation and aside from being denied time and again, he would continue to be convinced that given enough time and patience at the matter, that politicians in those states would see that the course of events leading to emancipation as inevitable and take the bait which he hoped would set off a chain reaction allowing other states to follow suit shortly there after. Though this plan eventually proved unworkable, it was not because of an unperceivable plan; Lincoln was not entirely prepared for the time restraints that unforeseen obstacles would pose in his attempt at being gradual. Between the defiant and incompetent military generals and the urging of different opinions in Washington, eventually his final course of action would be to take a gamble at using the war powers he was still uncertain and uneasy about and hope that with careful consideration, his document would not be challenged but gain support. Noting Lincoln’s wariness pertaining to the legality of his actions according to the constitution would lead us to the answer of the first of Guezlo’s four questions. Why was the language of the proclamation so bland and legalistic? In contrast to the conclusions of many critics that Lincoln had no feelings of moral obligation or sympathy towards the slaves, Lincoln was greatly afflicted by the issue at hand. After understanding the caution which Lincoln was trained to proceed with as an attorney and even more so as the President of the United States, Lincoln had to ensure that every syllable, every phrase was written so that it could not be scrutinized within the federal court system. His document held the fate of the lives of millions of people within its wording and he did not want to have to be faced with the possibility that it would be retracted or revoked. Many also believe that the wording of the Emancipation Proclamation is so bland because Lincoln composed it grudgingly as a last resort. Guezlo points out that during Lincoln’s political career his presidency was not the first time that Lincoln had motivation for emancipation. In his term in Congress as an Illinois Representative he made similar attempts at compensated emancipation for slaves in the District of Columbia. Although these attempts never made it to the House, it is notable to recognize that his feelings towards emancipation stem back farther than having to make a pressured decision as Commander in Chief of a nation in rebellion. He was recorded as having been completely transparent in his belief that â€Å"If slavery is not wrong, then nothing is wrong. † Upon disclosing his decision to issue the proclamation to his cabinet it is also important to realize that Lincoln did not address his colleagues for advice whether or not to issue the proclamation as his mind was already made up, but rather to â€Å"hear the views of his associates and receive and suggestions. As defeated as he may have felt over not having had enough time to follow through with the compensation route, it is unarguable that Lincoln did not hold a deep conviction about what had to be accomplished before he left office. In intimate conversations with close colleagues he would comment on his conviction that this decision had been of Divine assistance and that â€Å"he had sometime thought that perhaps he might be an instrument in God’s had of accomplishing a great work. In fact he openly expressed his agenda were there to be any concerns regarding the standing of his proclamation. Lincoln remarked that if there was to be a retraction or nullifying of the right of freedom to emancipated slaves through the courts that â€Å"it would not occur with him in office†. The second question raised by critics that Guezlo seeks to shed some light on is whether or not the Emancipation Proclamation actually did anything. To answer this question, Guezlo moves to highlight the fact that although the Emancipation Proclamation had little immediate impact, it embraced the idea for the first time that there was a long term and permanent solution to the institution of slavery. Not only did it ring the bells of freedom for the slaves, but it also gave the Union an even more dignified reason to continue on with the war. Although the feeling was not unanimous amongst even some of the abolitionists of the day, the expected â€Å"mutiny† that was expected to result from those in the armed forces in protest of the proclamation was not as severe as could’ve been predicted. As soon as more and more whites were exposed to former slaves they began to realize that this label of inferiority in both the mental and physical capacity was not as accurate as they had been led to believe. One Maine soldier admitted to his sister in a letter that, â€Å"instead of thinking less of a Negro, I have sadly learned to think better of them than many white men that hold responsible positions. † Among the newly freed black slaves came finally the feeling of attaining manhood through emancipation. With this feeling of manhood came the rallying of blacks willing and able to join the war effort as made eligible by the proclamation. The proclamation’s provision allowing blacks to enlist into the armed forces further secured the position of freedom in the eyes of the white man in the long term. For â€Å"how could we stand to see the Negro re-enslaved after demonstrating his allegiance to our Union with his blood? † asked one Union commander. In fact, not only was granting the slaves their freedom a major issue upon observing their willingness to loyally serve the military, but also the right of suffrage; although the move for social equality wouldn’t be addressed nearly as soon, the move to place more political power in the hands of the former slaves was introduced. Lincoln’s document would secure the way for future legislation which eventually would result in the complete abolition of slavery with the thirteenth amendment to the constitution. The proclamation also managed to avoid the mass deportation of freed blacks to Africa or South America as some abolitionists were in favor of. In addition to the effects nationally, the Emancipation Proclamation also helped gain a favorable opinion abroad throughout Europe for the United States transforming the civil conflict into a war against slavery ensuring that the Union would have nothing to fear from possible European recognition of the Confederacy. Did the slaves free themselves? Guezlo makes an important point when answering this question and the answer tends to be a bit more unexpected. Although the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, it is surprising to understand that although the rejoicing of slaves upon receiving the news of emancipation was universal, more slaves than less remained put where they were waiting patiently for the Union soldiers to declare them free rather than run off to claim their freedom. But why stay put? According to his book, Guezlo remarks that even Abraham Lincoln himself was disappointed that more slaves had not taken it upon themselves to reach over to the other side of Union lines. Especially since he understood that with the upcoming perceived threat to his presidency from McClellan the only way he could ensure their emancipation was if they crossed Union lines before that threat could have a chance to materialize). One of the main reasons that more slaves did not readily embrace leaving their current positions was because of a fear that they would be returned to their masters just as they had heard many of the â€Å"contrabands† had been refused by the military prior to the proclamation. Unfortunately the lack of trust slaves placed in the white ace extended not only to those who had kept them in bondage, but also to those whom they knew even less of. Guezlo quotes Ohio Congressman William Homan, who thought it odd as well that, â€Å"three and a half or four millions of Africans remain right in the hotbed of this rebellion, with your proclamations cast broadcast over the South inviting them to freedom; nay, your policy urged them to assert their freedom and pledges the nation to maintain it,† yet, â€Å"they have remained perfectly indifferent and passive until your Army has reached them, idle spectators of war. The quiescence of the black population actually turned out to becom e an argument in favor of the emancipation as it demonstrated the restraint and self control the slaves possessed even in the face of â€Å"easy bloody opportunity†. Francis Wayland in Atlantic Monthly concluded that â€Å"Nine-tenths of the able-bodied Southern population have been in arms for more than two years and the President’s Emancipation Proclamation was made public nearly a year ago and yet none of the older men, women, and children remaining at home have been slaughtered, massacred or brutalized. Did Lincoln issue the Proclamation to ward off European influence or boost Union morale? This question seems to be Lincoln’s critic’s double edged sword, although a poor attempt might I add. Guezlo adds an interesting note that if morale or intervention were Lincoln’s primary concerns to be addressed, then issuing the proclamation when he did would’ve been the worst possible method he could’ve taken to do so. Alexander Twining wrote in 1865 that, â€Å"European intervention – and especially from England – was, at the time when the proclamation was issued, our most anxious liability. Lincoln’s main concern was that the British would intervene in response to an emancipation proclamation so long as emancipation was seen as a â€Å"direct encouragement to servile Insurrections†, sparking the British government’s memories of the racial carnage of the Indian Mutiny. It was actually during the Chicago ministers’ delegation in September 1862 that any argument for European sympathy was made convincing Lincoln that the issuance of the proclamation may gain the Union any favor. Attempts to down play Lincoln’s motives for standing firm behind his proclamation with this attack are quickly debunked. The second part of this question implies that Lincoln made his decision for emancipation based off of some incentive of united sentiment that would’ve been received as a whole country. This could not be more false. When Lincoln initially issued the Emancipation Proclamation, politically, lines were torn across the board. Within congress debates ran heated and from state to state more and more republicans were loosing favor and being replaced with peace Democrats and proslavery advocates. When it came time for the next elections to congress, Lincoln was hurt to see his majority in the House weaken before his eyes. Lincoln and his supporters fully understood before they issued the proclamation that this would in fact place their positions in government in jeopardy. He also understood that with the military advocating their own desires to negotiate a peaceful compromise with the Confederacy, that this could easily convince them to accelerate an intervention placing Lincoln’s administration in danger of loosing the cause. Eventually Lincoln’s administration would prevail against slavery not only in the Confederate states but also in the Border States. Beginning with West Virginia in 1862, the Border States finally began to embrace the inevitable and took advantage of the only option that was advantageous for them which was to agree to the compensated emancipation package that Lincoln had been pushing for all along. In the end it was even difficult for Lincoln’s most radical abolitionist critics to remain skeptical of the President’s personal conviction and determination regarding his motives with his Emancipation Proclamation. In a meeting with Frederick Douglas, Lincoln’s foremost freed black critic, Douglas was surprised to report that, â€Å"I was taken aback to discover that Lincoln had a deeper moral conviction against slavery than I had ever seen before in anything spoken or written by him†. Very few of the negative possibilities considered that could have taken place in response to the Emancipation Proclamation actually did. This was largely in part to the strict measures that Lincoln took as a skilled attorney and leader when drafting his plan and his determination to make the Proclamation succeed. During the time following the Emancipation Proclamation and even for years beyond his assassination, Lincoln was held in high esteem amongst the African American as well as the white population in this country. Unfortunately since the earlier 1900s many critics, both black and white, have risen to the occasion to minimize the greatness to which he impacted generations of human beings to come. Some claim Lincoln was a â€Å"white supremacist† only acting in the best interests of saving his country and others, at best, describe him as indifferent to the African struggle. Regardless of which position you try to understand, it is ridiculous to consider that, in either case, a man who felt no deep conviction for the nature of his actions would’ve remained persistent in his course to the conclusion. Had Lincoln really felt any other way than sympathetic towards the slaves he would’ve bowed down and compromised as many congressman and generals urged of him. Allen Guezlo makes his point strongly apparent; Abraham Lincoln’s actions spoke clearly of his the driving force behind his actions. â€Å"It would be special pleading to claim that Lincoln was in the end the most perfect friend black Americans have ever had, but it would also be the cheapest and most ignorant of all skepticisms to deny that he was the most significant. †

Police Power and Effective Policing Essay

Effective policing techniques are playing a major and an increasingly significant role with regards to keeping and maintaining peace in society. From this point of view, it seems that policing techniques are set to grow and develop in the years to come especially as the global society and community searches to develop and practice the principle of rule of law and to reform security establishments in the United States in order to recover from disagreement and conflict. Police are agents who are authorized to implement the law and to enforce social and public order by means of legally using force (http://www. tymonline. com/index. php? term=police). They are generally linked and associated with departments and agencies of the state that are empowered to observe and exercise police power of a particular state within a legal and defined area of responsibility. Police power is officially regarded as an intrinsic supremacy, controlled and limited by exclusions defined in the constitution of a state which makes it the most extensive, expansive and unrestrained certified power applied and implemented by the state (Hunter, 1994). The intent of writing this paper is to attempt to understand the idea of police power and effective policing that is being observed and exercised nowadays, mainly in the United States. Moreover, related literature about such a principle will be reviewed to better understand its concept and its role for maintaining peace and order in the society and community. Conclusions and recommendations will be generated from the existing literature. The idea of police power in English common law (1) dates back at least four centuries ago (http://www. un. org/apps/news/story. sp? NewsID=25538&Cr=UN&Cr1=police) and approximately concurs with the collapse of social order in Europe and the growth and expansion of both rural and urban areas. Police power is generally described as the ability of a state to control or standardize actions and conduct of its citizens and implement rules within its region which then includes aspects of security, safety, morality and public wellbeing. Also this kind of authority is not confined to the suppression of what is disorderly or offensive but encourages what is for the nation or state’s greatest welfare. Because the police power is the least limitable of the exercises of government, such limitations as are applicable are not readily definable. These limitations can be determined only through appropriate consideration to the subject matter of the practice or observance of that power. The police power is subject to limitations of the federal and State constitutions, and especially to the requirement of due process. In many countries, crimial law procedures have been developed to regulate officers’ discretion, so that they do not randomly or unjustly use their powers of â€Å"arrest, search and seizure, and use of force† (Walker, p. 43). Police power has a particular importance for understanding the constitutional division of power. The United States Supreme Court in the Nineteenth Century has confirmed that the national government had specific authority delegated by the constitution. However, all the undefined or specified regulatory powers rested with the states. The idea was extended in the new deal era to provide police power to the federal government under the commerce clause of the constitution, expanding it to the terms of services to promote public welfare. The United States courts are not based on a balance of interest’s principle to agree issues over police power (Walker, p 143). Controversies arise regarding the observance and practice of police power, specifically the utilization of physical means when it disagrees with the rights of individuals and states or social freedom such as the police power of American states or police violence or brutality. Since the 1960s in the United States, concerns over such matter has increased and reflected on law enforcement agencies, courts and legislatures at every level of government (Walker, p 143). Local governments and police agencies that supervise these officers in some aspects have tried and aimed to lessen or diminish some of these issues by means of community policing and community outreach programs (http://www. ncjrs. gov/App/Publications/abstract. aspx? ID=198029). This is to make the police more available to attend to the concerns of local communities by increasing diversity upon hiring, updating the training of these agents in their responsibilities to the community under the law and by improved supervision within the department or agency or by resident commissions (http://www. di. ucl. ac. uk/publications/short_reports/problem_oriented_policing. php). The United States Department of Justice will be bringing civil law suits against local law enforcement agencies which are authorized under the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. This has obliged local agencies to create organizational amendments and changes, enter into consent decree agreements to assume such changes and will be presented to the Department of Justice to be controlled and standardized (http://www. jdi. ucl. ac. uk/publications/short_reports/problem_oriented_policing. php). Today the police power of a state embraces systems that are designed to uphold public security and convenience as well as those to support public safety health and morals. Though police power is said to be the greatest authority a state could ever gain, this type of control also has its limitations. Police powers are restricted by state constitutions. The notion of police power is utilized by federal courts which do not have power to interpret state constitutions: from the federal constitutional law’s point of view, states have universal police powers except where restricted by the federal Constitution. Because congress as a body has restricted authority granted in the Constitution, the Federal government does not have a universal police power, unlike the states. The exclusions are laws concerning Federal property and the military. Police forces also find themselves under criticism for their use of force. In this case, the police departments in the United States have devised programs such as outreach programs and further training for police officers to better review their responsibilities in the community in order to address and eventually mitigate this issue. This illustrates the effectiveness of policing in their nation. Training and further development are being planned to assure their community’s orderliness and wellbeing. However, since police power being granted to officers differs in their region or area or responsibility, it is suggested that their power or authority will be well defined and calibrated to avoid any discrepancies. Moreover, this idea may also help elevate the impression of some people in the society that some police officers are using their authority unjustly. With this is mind, a pleasant environment will be created with the use of an effective way of controlling and manipulating the citizen’s behavior.

Press Release Reedsy opens to authors on Monday October 13th 2014

Press Release Reedsy opens to authors on Monday October 13th 2014 Press Release: Reedsy opens to authors on Monday October 13th 2014 â€Å"The best editors, designers, and marketers no longer work for big publishing companies. Instead, they are striking out on their own and working as freelancers,† says trader, investor, writer and entrepreneur, James Altucher.The richness of the freelancer landscape is no secret, but many don’t understand the true impact of having so much talent, so easily accessible: authors can now achieve the same level of quality they would get with a traditional publisher, without sacrificing royalties or creative control. Navigating such a wealth of freelancer talent can be daunting; how can authors meet the quality demands of their audiences and bring their work to a level of professional polish previously unseen in the realm of independent publication?Enter Reedsy. Or rather, enter the freelancers featured on the new platform, launching this month.â€Å"Our freelancers define the difference between vanity publishing and being an independent author,† says Reedsy co-fou nd Ricardo Fayet. â€Å"They are the ones who have turned self-publishing into something serious, professional- a real alternative to finding a publisher.†Reedsy is based on the idea that great authors telling great stories must be joined by equally talented editors and designers in order to produce professional-caliber books. This is why the London-based (though global-minded) startup launched two weeks ago by privately inviting a select group of professional editors and designers to set up their profiles.â€Å"On Monday October 13th, Reedsy will make these profiles public†, Ricardo explains, â€Å"regrouping them on a marketplace. Authors will be able to browse Reedsy, filter their search according to their needs and genre, and instantly message the freelancers they want to reach out to.†Reedsy has been vetting all the freelancers invited to the site, checking their profiles and displaying only those with experience, certifications, and good recommendations.Th e â€Å"streamlined self-publishing solution† can proudly count on the support of the Alliance of Independent Authors, who recognises the work Reedsy has been doing and the value it will add to the publishing ecosystem. Reedsy’s intentions have also been approved by the Society of Authors and The Literary Consultancy.Reedsy will not stop there. CEO Emmanuel Nataf reveals that the company plans to release project management tools that aid collaboration between authors and freelancers. â€Å"Emailing manuscripts and chapter revisions is a thing of the past,† Emmanuel says. â€Å"Reedsy will provide a place to gather these documents and allow for effortless collaboration.†In the meantime, Reedsy aims at becoming what Emmanuel describes as "the trusted network independent authors automatically turn to when looking for a quality editor or designer.†Reminder: Reedsy was founded in January 2014 by Emmanuel Nataf, Richard Fayet, Matthew Cobb and Vincent Dur and, and has been financially backed by Seedcamp and DC Thomson. It has been featured in The Bookseller,  Techcrunch  and Words With JAM.

Organizational Development Interventions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Development Interventions - Essay Example The idea that organizational change needs to be coordinated across a number of dimensions--of which structure and culture might be seen as the two most fundamental is not in itself very new, and has become conventional wisdom in change circles since McKinsey published its well-known Seven S framework, and Peters and Waterman (1982) first aired their excellence truism, "soft is hard." Yet within this literature, it is clear that some alignments have generated more interest and debate than others. From this point of view, organization design--or to be more precise, designing--is concerned with more than neat pictures and "hard" abstract configurations of roles and responsibilities on paper. It is about putting "the human side of change" back into the design process. Changing an organizations structure, from this perspective, implies paying attention to the underlying, emergent processes and systems that connect and activate structural frameworks. In practical terms, this means combining traditional organization design with more sensitive, microlevel interventions designed to open up and reconstruct the organizations underlying working structure. The organization has an institutional own life, which is notoriously difficult to control and manage. (Barley, 1997, 101) It has long been accepted that leadership is a critical factor in the success of change programmes. Much of the literature on leadership and change, however, has tended to concentrate on capabilities and qualities required of key executives and change managers and to overlook the notion of leadership as a process, the property of a system rather than a single person. Such a view can be highly problematic, leading to a rather overromanticized perspective on change, and the hope that a magical, quasi-mystical leader will somehow emerge to take the organization out of the wilderness.

Parting the waters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parting the waters - Essay Example This led to a number of literatures on Kings Events and occasions (Taylor, 4). One family known as the Rockefeller family created a major impact on King’s early life. It started in 1882, when a plea was raised at Ohio church for donation or a help fund. This plea was made by two women who intended for the Atlanta Female Baptist Seminary and Negro School for girls to be funded. During the event of the plea, the Rockefeller family was present, with the two women being teachers to Mrs Rockefeller. As a result, the family responded positively and agreed to come to the aid. In conjunction with Dr. Henry Morehouse the school was funded and set up and continued to operate. The Rockefeller’s family efforts continued and they saw the need to create a fund that will be able to cater for the needs of the minority group. This witnessed the birth of the Rockefeller fund, which in the later years, become a corner stone to majority of beneficiaries which included King. The fund did su pport King’s early education with a number of other civil rights activists. The foundation became an empowering tool to encourage majority of black Negros to embrace education (Taylor, 11). Years later when Martin Luther King Jr arrived at Crozer theological Seminary, he was amazed by what he found out; there were pool tables on one of the rooms in the basement. This was contrary to his past perception of associating pool social halls and places as scenes for immoral and bad behaviors. Secondly, he found ten Negro students out of a total of thirty five students, which came as a surprise to him as he was expecting a handful of them. One learning activity that surprised him was that there was no lock at the door and students were encouraged to actively participate in any free thinking and sharing of ideas. In the seminary, King’s first year was predominantly occupied with course work which took much of his time and attention and it covered topics like philosophy, the bib le and religious faiths. But the next years saw King being a dominant figure questioning every particular aspect or teachings. The life in the institution provided him with a wider knowledge on Christianity (Taylor, 24). King started to make visits to church leaders, pastors and church functions. One particular day he picked Johns and headed to Montgomery to a particular pastor known as Ralph Abernathy of the First Baptist Church. He was welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. This visit was highly beneficial to King as he was able to discuss in details, with his hosts, about the Negro churches and their challenges. It then brought a clear insight on what needed to be addressed or implemented to promote their existence. It is through such findings during the discussion that King, in the later years, used in reshaping the churches. Churches came up and continued discussing about civil rights (Taylor, 35). In the years that followed, it became an unfair scene to see majority of the Negros in Montgomery having to walk for long and impossible walks to and from work as the bus fares were too high and so was racial discrimination. As a result, city taxis cabs emerged and tried to cater for such needs and help out, but this was directly quashed out by the police commissioner who then arrested taxi drivers who overloaded the cabs smoothly