Group Engagement Exercise Essay Example for Free

Group Engagement Exercise Essay The experience of this week’s Engagement Exercise made clear to me one idea that I am posting here as the hypothesis: Time and the need for joint efforts are absolutely necessary for the collective of individuals to become a group. Several people put together formally will never become a group, not to mention a team. Two factors are absolutely necessary: time and joint work. Time allows people to get accustomed to each other, understand the processes more clearly, and define their own roles within the group. During our first experience of joint work, I felt a bit uncomfortable because of a slight degree of uncertainty concerning who does what, how it all is organized, and what my role in this process should be. This time, the experience was more successful as we all had had a prior experience of working in small groups on a similar task. The team was different now, and I am curious if it influenced the effectiveness and if the result could be better in case we worked in the same team. We had time to reflect on our prior experience, draw conclusions, and re-establish our own roles. In short, time is tantamount to experience in this case. The need for joint efforts was also a powerful consolidating factor. Each of us understood that our individual success depends on our work now, on how effectively we can work together. None of us could do the task alone for it could not be graded then, so we were compelled by the circumstances to combine our efforts. Thus, each of us was interested in effective team work. Under such circumstances, we began to think of our group as â€Å"we† and not â€Å"I† versus â€Å"them†. And, as Johnson and Johnson (2009) note, â€Å"the one-word test to detect whether someone is on the road to becoming a leader is we† (p. 202). As a result, I found my role to be more active and I am more satisfied with this exercise than with the previous one. I participated in the work process actively as well as the others. I find this exercise to be very important in terms of learning to be a participant-observer. The previous exercise provided us with the material for observation; the discussion provided opportunities for giving and receiving feedback; we could reflect upon this experience and see what could be improved. So, this time we all tried to modify our behavior. I am sure that the further exercises will bring even more understanding and experience.

Domestic Violence in Society | Research

Domestic Violence in Society | Research INTRODUCTION The domestic violence is customary in our society. It has varying manifestations in the society along with the causes which give rise to the domestic violence. Domestic violence in any form, is detrimental for the family and hence society. It has hostile bearings upon the lives of people, children, women and adolescents which result stirring space by disturbing social relationships. Domestic violence with enduring impacts can affect the healthy growth of the society. The main concern of this study is to determine the domestic violence in the society. Education and health of a woman are major concerns towards a healthy growth of the family and society. In our society where patriarchal patterns are followed and women has been given a subordinate place. The low education level and conventional thinking result into domestic violence. Domestic violence has had been faced by women from all walks of life, ethnic groups, social classes, races, religious groups and also in developed and devel oping countries. We have analyzed the domestic violence in rural and urban areas of Muzaffarabad Azad Jammu and Kashmir. We determined causes of domestic violence; the major thing in this research is the use of severity index model to measure the level of physical and psychological severity of domestic violence. Domestic Violence Family violence also called domestic violence; the domestic violence is an act of violence between family members, the adult partners, the partners against elders and siblings. The domestic violence manifested in any form is harmful and it has worst impacts to the parties whether inmate partner or other members and hence the siblings. â€Å"Intimate partner violence is a pattern of purposeful coercive behaviours that may include inflicted physical injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, stalking, deprivation, intimidation and threats. These behaviours are perpetrated by someone who is, was or wishes to be involved in an intimate or dating relationship with an adult or adolescent victim and are aimed at establishing control of one partner over the other† The specific definition of domestic violence includes threats, restricted freedom, and sexual, physical and psychological abuses. It is evident that psychological and physical violence can have developmental and behavioural impacts. It is important to cure the impacts of domestic violence psychologically (Family Violence Prevention Fund, 1999). †Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence, is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one partner against another in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation† (Shipway, 2004). The domestic violence is: the inflicting of physical injury by one family or household member on another; also: a repeated / habitual pattern of such behavior† (Meriem Webster, 2011) â€Å"There is acknowledgment that many victims are not actually married to the abuser, but rather cohabiting or in other arrangements† (Waits and Kathleen, 1985). Violence customarily takes three general forms, physical, sexual and psychological. Physical Abuse includes grabbing and pushing, serious acts of choking, beating and an assault with weapon (Sarah, et al. 2000). â€Å"Domestic violence is an abuse of power. It is the domination, coercion, intimidation and victimization of one person by another by physical, sexual or emotional means within intimate relationships† (Kelsey, et al. 2000). The behavior of sons and in-laws towards the violence is essential to note that women are beaten by their sons, parents and in-laws (Iqbal, 1990). World Health Organization in 2005 conducted a multi-country study on domestic violence which showed that 15% women faced physical violence whereas 71% faced sexual violence by their inmate partners. Among the countries 20% and 75% of women had been victim of emotional abuse for last one year (Garcia, et al. 2006). The young women are often taken from Bangladesh, Thailand in order to serve as domestic servants in the homes of wealthy people. They are desecrated, demoralized and battered physically and sexually (Collective, 1990). Majlis-e-Khawateen is fundamentalist women group established by government to oblige the women and women rights (Mumtaz and Shaheed, 1987). The South-East Asia region is known for patriarchal tradition. The women face social, economic and cultural deterrents. There are certain traditions and norms, which are followed and the law enforcement agencies cannot influence to combat the violence. On the other hand, these agencies are also found involved in rape, acid attacks, and other forms of abuses. For past few decades the women materialized globally against the domestic violence and made their efforts to contribute and condensed the male dominance at home and in the country (Khan, et al. 1990). The women from all social classes, races, ethnicities, religious groups, developed and developing countries and of any age have been victim of violence. It is obvious that violence is generally described in family of domestic realm. The term domestic means violence by inmate partner and by family members. It is mostly revealed as physical, sexual, psychological and emotional. The domestic violence in developing and developed countries generally ranges from 15-17 percent (WHO, 2005). Domestic violence or battering women, maltreated utterly either physically or psychologically twice by a husband for having subtle relations. If the above definition is assumed for domestic violence then all wives do face abuses at some stages after marriage. Later abused women were described as â€Å"subjected to intense criticism, put downs, verbal harassment, sexual coercion and assault, physical attacks and intimidation, restrain of normal activities, freedom and denial of access to resources† (Walker, 1985). Violence include forced marriages, rape and domestic violence which are serious problems faced by a women. The physical and psychological abuses reported by over 85% women in Pakistan. The honor killing cases are also at large and Human Right Commission of Pakistan reported in 2008 that 1019 women have been victim of honor killing and in 2005, 10,000 lives were lost.[1] The status of women contrasts in all walks of life and in demography as well. It has diverse arrays of norms and traditions and their sways. The women working as pilots whereas some still buried alive in tribal areas in the patriarchal society. On other hand women are used as a sex object by media and portrayal on billboards can be seen universally. The women in some parts of Pakistan are restituted for their basic rights. They are not provided identical opportunities for what they deserve. The World Economic Forum placed Pakistan at 56 among the 58 countries which show the highest gender gap among the countries. The extremism has been considered a hindrance in the women development.[2] The states sign a treaty with international human rights as an obligation to gauge the domestic violence and to take measures to control it. It is found as a duty in American deceleration on the rights and duties of man. The UN committee on elimination of racial discrimination endorse that the domestic violence is human rights violation and states are obliged to protect and provide access to justice for victims without any discrimination and additional barriers (Libal Parekh, 2009). The UN failed to respond the domestic violence properly and the states have also failed in addressing the domestic violence adequately. Some countries still don’t have appropriate laws which could protect victims and punish the batterers. Only 89 countries have legislation against domestic violence (Murray, 2008). In developed and developing countries, domestic violence has been a public health issue and has considerable importance (Watts and Zimmerman, 2002, Heise, Raikes, Watts, et al. 1994, WHO, 1997, Kapoor, 2000). In Bradford UK, a study was conducted among Muslim men and women and it was concluded that men use Islam as a source of domestic violence whereas women use Islam as a ladder to gain strength and a way of negotiation for the taboos extended by partners (Macey, 1999). Domestic violence reveals at all levels of society and has varying forms. Recently, it became the concerning area bringing awareness of its commonness and impacts. It ranges from covert to overt acts (Hassan, 1995). In stereotypical society, where wife is considered as sole property of better half and justified it as a private and internal issue of family. This behavior is critical and the wives need endowment of a remedial law. For this in every Tehsil or sub district, government appoints a protection committee of police officers and two women counselors along with a protection officer to hear the aggrieved cases and provide the necessary protection (Rukhsana, 2009). Physical Violence In societies, the main cause which is considered to be a source of domestic violence is the present social structure, women are physically violated by men and men do justify violence against women where the women ultimately give in. Violence is not a common thing to explain (Gelles, 1979). Violence depends upon the man’s education, if there is lower level of education then there will be violence and men justify physical violence to their spouses (Haj, 1998). The women are considered the weaker section of the society and also poorer in status as to men and have been a victim of violence due to that position. The women do perceive themselves insecure due to violence by an inmate partner. When a person is violated physically and has a sense of insecurity then it has adverse emotional effects on their personalities. The women who leave marriages are taunted by families and societies for being a burden. The women lose their children and there is nothing reciprocal which eventually becomes social stigma. The women are not helped by police and the institutions as well. The dilemma of battered women is considered by police as confidential in case of marital abuse where the counselor advice to be a conventional wife (Hassan, 1995). There is astonishing statistics; the actual level of the issue is undermined by the researchers and experts. All the cases are not conveyed to law enforcement agencies and most of the cases are repressed. The studies are often based on police reports and police manipulates the actual facts and level of violence (Durose, 2005). All Muslim societies are critiqued for human rights violation and also for women rights. There are many reports on domestic violence in Pakistani media but the two published studies describe that 150 women were asked about health care facilities in Karachi, 34% of women faced physical abuse and it shows association with domestic violence whereas 43% of male respondents justified the violence when a wife used contraceptive without her husband’s consent (Bawah, et al. 1999). Psychological Violence A person who is abused by her partner is called a victim. A battered wife with typical personality is restraint, nervous with low self-confidence. The women mostly come from restricted and conventional environment where men and women are traditional and victimized (Niaz, 1995). Psychological abuse is fundamentally a systematic attempt to distort one’s thinking and behaviour. Psychological violence includes certain behaviours like seclusion, persuaded incapacity, extreme jealousy and threats (Stordeur, et al. 1989). Human Rights Watch reports in â€Å"Crime and Custom† that domestic violence is not a casual it is rather structural. It is stated that structure of family has some doings, motions and phenomenon which are the causes of domestic violence usually. This hallucination of structure is conceptualized by the society that rejects the discrimination of male and female and brings them to the equal level of the social ladder. It can be operationalized as soon as possible with the vigorous input of the NGO’s, government departments and civil society. Now, the time is to concentrate on this issue to protect the upcoming generation in Pakistan (Khan, n.d). WHO in 2005 conducted a multi-country study and concluded the high ratio of abuse. The violence against women by partner has been a main cause in health concerns. Women are at greater risk at home than anywhere else (Garcia, et al. 2005). Varying forms of violence exist in our county. Women are snubbed, disregarded and even found intolerable by a large section of society (Report of the Commission of Inquiry for Women: Pakistan, 1997). Domestic violence is one of the most pervasive human rights violations across the globe. Estimates are that one-third of the world’s women will endure an abusive relationship (UN Commission on the Status of Women, 2000). Abusive relationships formed by many factors which cover the battering phenomenon. The status of women became inferior when mistrust develops in environs. Domestic violence can be a result of stress and strains of family. The abuser and victim can have some features which give rise to abusive relationships (Mintz, et al. 1997). Variables The variables are as given below: Dependent Variables/ Demographic Variables Education of respondent Education of husband of respondent Education of in-laws No of children Sex of children How the respondent is married Family system Marriage type Social status of husband Residence of respondents Independent Variables The independent variables are categorized into physical and psychological to analyze the severity of the domestic violence as given below: Severity of Physical Violence Kick the partner Slap the partner Throw objects at partner Grabbing the hairs of partner Severity of Psychological Violence Taunt the partner Insult the partner Curse the partner Curse to partner’s parents Quarrel on financial matters by partner Relations of partner with other women Harm belongings of partner Permission of partner to see the parents Fulfilment of Needs by partner Monitoring of time by the partner In-laws taunt to partner Provision of decision making by partner The above mentioned variables are analyzed to find out the severity of the domestic violence in the urban and rural areas of Muzaffarabad. Rational of the Study The domestic violence is known as inmate partner violence and forcible behaviors that may include abuses, imposing behavior, the physical injuries, psychological abuse, sexual assault, social exclusion, depravation and threats. The use of power by inmate partners to their spouses. The patriarchal trends prevalent in the society justify the violence. The purpose of this study is to know the extent of domestic violence, its forms, causes and Severity Index Model is used to know the level of physical and psychological violence prevalent in the society. This research work is helpful for Government organizations, NGO’s, researchers and students to formulate the policies, conduct further research and initiate the programs regarding the mitigation of domestic violence. [1]  http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/honour-killingspolice-240 [2](source: www.riazhaq.com/2009/03/status-of-women-in-pakistan.html ) Strategies of Privacy: Managing Constant Query Evaluation Strategies of Privacy: Managing Constant Query Evaluation STRATEGIES OF PRIVACY FOR MANAGING CONSTANT EVALUATION OF QUERIES ABSTRACT: The problems of data confidentiality are fetching more and more significant and not easy to handle. While preserving database confidentiality or else privacy of the individuals concerned, we require assuring that database makes available as informative answers to needy. The design as well as functioning of a database would be constructed in an approach that will permit users to get hold of and analyze information from a database devoid of allowing its users to access subjects’ confidential information. Our advancement towards data protection difficulty is based on provisions of what users are not authorized to access all the way through query answers, which is relatively normal. When a user poses a query towards database, system practically update various attribute values on basis of confidentiality views connected to that user. Null values as well as imperfect databases have received concentration of database community and might have quite a lot of possible interpretations. T he semantics of null-based virtual updates in support of data privacy that we make available is model-theoretic, in sense that probable permissible instances subsequent to the update, so-called secrecy instances, are distinct and considered. Keywords: Data confidentiality, Attribute values, Database, Null value, Views. 1. INTRODUCTION: In the present days, level of constantly evolving database as well as internet technology has facilitated collection and mining concerning data, plus utilization of that data on a level that was earlier incredible. There is a basic trade-off among functionality of database or else a database management system as well as level of privacy specified to the subjects of database. While there are numerous benefits to advancements in database management system technology, its initiation has also formed likelihood for noteworthy abuses. The design as well as functioning of a database would be constructed in an approach that will permit users to get hold of and analyze information from a database devoid of allowing its users to access subjects’ confidential information. Several recent papers approach data confidentiality as well as access control on basis of authorization views. View-based data privacy generally approaches difficulty by specifying which views a user is authorized to ac cess. If no complete rewriting is probable, the query is discarded. Our advancement towards data protection difficulty is based on provisions of what users are not authorized to access all the way through query answers, which is relatively normal. In accordance with our approach, the information to be sheltered is confirmed as a secrecy view, or else a collection of them. Their extensions have to be reserved undisclosed. Each user or else class of them might have connected a set of confidentiality views. We want our approach to be appropriate to, and implementable on, database management system that conform to SQL Standard, and are employed in database practice. We focus on that situation and SQL nulls, leaving for potential future work the essential modifications for our approach to effort with previous kinds of null values. When a user poses a query towards database, system practically update various attribute values on basis of confidentiality views connected to that user. Data o wners typically contain a clearer picture of data that are responsive rather than concerning data that can be openly released. Dealing with problem as the complement of problem formulated in terms of permission views is not normal, and not unavoidably easy, as complements of database views would be concerned. 2. METHODOLOGY: Database management systems permit for enormous storage of data, which can be resourcefully accessed as well as manipulated. The problems of data confidentiality are fetching more and more significant and not easy to handle. Sensitive, confidential as well as critical information is frequently kept in databases. To defend this information from being contacted by third-parties devoid of clearance, companies as well as organizations have to be industrious concerning data protection. While preserving database confidentiality or else privacy of the individuals concerned, we require assuring that database makes available as informative answers to needy. We consider updates that amend attribute values all the way through null values, which are generally used to stand for omitted or else unidentified values in incomplete databases. As a result, in each of resulting updated instances, the expansion of each of secrecy views moreover turn out to be empty or else contain a single tuple showing simply null values. Either way, we state that secrecy view turn out to be null subsequently, original query is posed towards resulting class of updated instance which amounts to: Posing query towards each instance in class; answering it as normal from each of them; collecting answers that are pooled by all instances within class. The system will return answer towards query that does not make known the secret data. Null values as well as imperfect databases have received concentration of database community and might have quite a lot of possible interpretations. Figure1: An overview of building of Query Evaluation 3. APPROACH TOWARDS DATA PRIVACY: Our advancement towards data protection difficulty is based on provisions of what users are not authorized to access all the way through query answers, which is relatively normal. In accordance with our approach, the information to be sheltered is confirmed as a secrecy view, or else a collection of them. Figure1 illustrates common architecture employed in query evaluation. Dealing with problem as the complement of problem formulated in terms of permission views is not normal, and not unavoidably easy, as complements of database views would be concerned. We want our approach to be appropriate to, and implementable on, database management system that conform to SQL Standard, and are employed in database practice. We focus on that situation and SQL nulls, leaving for potential future work the essential modifications for our approach to effort with previous kinds of null values. As the SQL standard does not make available a precise, recognized semantics for NULL, we define and approve a formal, logical rebuilding of conjunctive query answering under SQL nulls. Dealing with problem as the complement of problem formulated in terms of permission views is not normal, and not unavoidably easy, as complements of database views would be concerned. We set up unary predicates Is Null as well as Is Not Null in logical formulas that are accurate only when argument is, resp. is not, constant NULL. This treatment concerning null values was outlined, but we build it precise. It captures logics along with semantics of the SQL NULL that are applicable for our effort. These aspects of nulls are essential to make available essential scientific foundations for our approach towards confidentiality. The semantics of null-based virtual updates in support of data privacy that we make available is model-theoretic, in sense that probable permissible instances subsequent to the update, so-called secrecy instances, are distinct and considered. This definition capture requirement that, on a confidentiality occurrence, extensions of secrecy views hold only a tuple by means of null values or else turn out to be empty. The secrecy instance does not head off from unique instance by more than essential to put into effect secrecy. 4. CONCLUSION: While there are numerous benefits to advancements in database management system technology, its initiation has also formed likelihood for noteworthy abuses. Several recent papers approach data confidentiality as well as access control on basis of authorization views. There is a basic trade-off among functionality of database or else a database management system as well as level of privacy specified to the subjects of database. To defend this information from being contacted by third-parties devoid of clearance, companies as well as organizations have to be industrious concerning data protection. Our advancement towards data protection difficulty is based on provisions of what users are not authorized to access all the way through query answers, which is relatively normal. In accordance with our approach, the information to be sheltered is confirmed as a secrecy view, or else a collection of them. We consider updates that amend attribute values all the way through null values, which a re generally used to stand for omitted or else unidentified values in incomplete databases. As a result, in each of resulting updated instances, the expansion of each of secrecy views moreover turn out to be empty or else contain a single tuple showing simply null values. Null values as well as imperfect databases have received concentration of database community and might have quite a lot of possible interpretations. As the SQL standard does not make available a precise, recognized semantics for NULL, we define and approve a formal, logical rebuilding of conjunctive query answering under SQL nulls.

Matthew B. Brady Essay -- essays research papers

Mathew B. Brady: Civil War Photographer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mathew B. Brady: Civil War Photographer was written by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk. Elizabeth Van Steenwyk has written many good books for young people including: Saddlebag Salesmen, The California Missions, Frederic Remington, The California Gold Rush: West with the Forty-Niners, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Woman of Courage. Elizabeth now lives in San Marino, California with her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mathew B. Brady was born somewhere between 1823 and 1824. His early life is somewhat a mystery. He was born in Warren County in New York and his parents might have been Irish immigrants. His middle name was even a mystery, when asked what the â€Å"B† stood for he said that he inserted it because it seemed â€Å"more distinguished.† When he turned 16 he met William Page, a man wanting to become an artist. The both of them worked together, and Page’s artistic abilities were most likely Brady’s starting interest in becoming a photographer. In 1839 or 1840 Brady and Page moved to New York City. Meanwhile, a French inventor named Louis-Jacques-Mandà ¨ Daguerre was inventing something that would change Brady’s life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1839 Daguerre invented his camera. Samuel F. B. Morse went over to France to check out Daguerre’s camera. He wrote back to a magazine saying that it was perhaps the greatest invention in this age. When Samuel Morse returned to New York City and started a school for lea...

Gertrude of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay -- Character of Gertrude

The Gertrude of Shakespeare’s Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Is Gertrude, in the Shakespearean drama Hamlet, a bore? A killer’s accomplice? The perfect queen? A dummy? This paper will answer many questions concerning Claudius’ partner on the Danish throne.    In her essay, â€Å"Acts III and IV: Problems of Text and Staging,† Ruth Nevo explains how the hero’s negative outlook toward Gertrude influences his attitude toward Ophelia:    Whereas it is precisely his total inability to know her [Ophelia], or for that matter himself, that the scene, in this theatrically simpler view, would allow us to perceive as the center of his anguish. He is tormented precisely by doubts, not by confirmations. And how indeed should he know what Ophelia is? Is she loving and faithful to him despite parental authority? Or compliant to the latter and therefore false to him? What has she been told about him? Is he not testing her with his hyperbolic declaration:    I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious; with more offenses at my back than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in?    His mother has predisposed him to believe in women’s perfidy, has produced in him a revulsion from sex and the stratagems of sex; he was unable to draw Ophelia’s face by his perusal; she has refused his letters and denied him access; now returns his gifts. What form of devious double-dealing shall he expect? (49-50)    At the outset of the tragedy Hamlet appears dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do not for ever with thy vailed... ...loom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from Tragic Form in Shakespeare. N.p.: Princeton University Press, 1972.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Smith, Rebecca. â€Å"Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother?† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.   

The Contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret F

The Contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As has been noted before, when we look at the authors of The Declaration of Independence, we are quite aware that the 'document' was written in the interest of the people who were there. The wealthy, white, landowners make up the Constitution to fit their needs and exclude everyone else. The people most notably left without rights are African American's, Native American's and Women. These minority groups formed a bond with each other because they were outside the dominant group. These groups of people helped gain their strength and voice through speeches and conventions with each one using the very words of the Constitution as their platform. During this time powerful voices spoke out like: Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth, who didn't have the advantage of a formal education, but still found a way to become educated or taught themselves.    A brilliant speaker, "Abolionist, women's rights advocate,journalist and newspaper editor, social reformers and race leader, Frederick Douglas was unquestionably one of the most prominent black leaders of the nineteenth century and one of the most eloquent orators in American public life"(1751). Frederick Douglas was basically self-taught and his voice became so polished that he was in fear of losing the audience of his own race to the cause of freeing slaves because he sounded "too white". Douglas was asked to speak at a Fourth of July celebration and in his speech; What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? ; He expresses that it is: "Your National Independence, and of your political freedom"(1819). He reaches out to his audience by showin... ...ither has been answered fully"(2022). This is the backbone of most of the representative material. It is based on spiritual and Christian thought and that people are created and given their rights by God. Since most of these authors weren't taught in the classical sense the Bible was a useful and sometimes life altering tool. Hopefully, we will learn more about these representational authors so that as a collective group of Americans we can fully understand their impact on the growth and development of our country.    Works Cited The Heath Anthology of American Literature Copyright 1998 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Issues in Feminism Copyright 1998,1995,1990 by Mayfield Publishing Company Owl-eyes Biography and Etexts http://owleyes.org/douglas.htm Bright Moments http://brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue:html

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman Essay

Willy Loman is often recognised as the tragic hero of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman but arguments can be made against Biff being the contemporary hero and thus the true hero of the play. The purpose of a tragedy is to create pity and fear in the audience. A traditional tragedy consists of the central character, the tragic hero, creating chaos in the community he lives in. The hero becomes tempted by something, leading to the exposure of the character’s fatal flaw. The fatal flaw becomes the dominant characteristic of the hero and ultimately leads to the hero’s downfall and demise. After the hero’s death, at the end of the tragedy, order is restored, leaving the audience with a sense of catharsis. Miller creates an American tragedy, as opposed to a Greek or Shakespearean. America has never had a king or nobility who could represent a tragic hero in a traditional tragedy and Miller wanted to give a voice to the ordinary working class man, showing their lives can also be tragic. He once stated â€Å"I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for a tragedy as kings are† (New York Times. 27th Feb 1949). Despite critics arguing against it being a tragedy Linda declaring â€Å"attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person† (Page 44) recognises the tragic status of the play. She also highlights the importance of the ordinary working class, who too can be tragic heroes. The tragic hero is seen to be punished out of proportion for one fatal mistake they make. Willy’s mistake is his belief in the American Dream which he continues to chase relentlessly. His fatal flaw -his hamartia – is his insecurity, which leads him to suffer throughout the play. Willy is an unsuccessful salesman, living in the city, struggling to face reality and re-living memories which he had reinterpreted to fit his dreams (Page. 2003. Page 62). Willy has bought into the American Dream, chasing it relentlessly throughout his life, but his dreams are unrealistic. Dave Singleman, an eighty-four year old salesman, became his inspiration and role model, after he â€Å"realized selling was the greatest career a man could want† (Page 63). Willy saw Singleman as loved and adored by everybody and so his insecurity led him to follow the same career path, in the hope he would lead the life that Willy saw Singleman as living. â€Å"Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four†¦ and be remembered and loved and helped by so many people?† (Page 63). Willy’s perception of Singleman is a warped perception. Just like his perception of the American Dream, it is just an illusion. Willy fails to realise this and gain a grasp of reality, leading to his death and making him a tragic hero. Willy has lived the wrong dream; he should be out in the countryside with his family, working in a job making use of his hands. He put his own ceiling in his living room and is oblivious to the amount of skill it takes to do such a job. Charley: â€Å"Yeah. That’s a piece of work. To put up a ceiling is a mystery to me. How do you do it?† Willy: â€Å"What’s the difference?† (Page 34). Biff recognizes Willy â€Å"had the wrong dreams. All, all wrong.† (Page 110). However, Willy always worked hard for his family, showing courage and determination. Willy wants success to be able to spend more time with his wife and family but is often dismissive of them, even berating Linda for buying the wrong cheese. â€Å"Why do you get American when I like Swiss?† (Page 12). Willy is incapable of relinquishing his dream and another character flaw, his pride, stands in the way of him accepting a job from Charley. â€Å"What the hell are you offering me a job for?† – Willy (Page 33). Willy’s relentless pursuit of his dream makes him a tragic hero. Willy was abandoned by his father and brother at a young age. Singleman then became his role model and father figure. Throughout the play Willy struggles with insecurity, a result of being abandoned. During times he relives the past and escapes into old memories he often talks to his older brother Ben. It is not an accurate representation of his real memories of Ben – it is unlikely he ever saw Ben again at all – but Willy uses Ben as a voice to criticise his own life. During Willy’s memories Ben spends a lot of time putting Willy down and trying to leave. â€Å"Haven’t the time, William.† – Ben (Page 66). Although Willy’s main character flaw is his insecurity he has others. Willy is often contradictory, calling Biff a â€Å"lazy bum†, then saying Biff is â€Å"not lazy† (Page 11). Willy fails to berate Biff for stealing a ball, even saying â€Å"Coa ch’ll probably congratulate you on your initiative!† (Page 23). He does not reprimand Biff for his stealing, often encouraging him. Willy is contradictory, telling Biff â€Å"just wanna be careful with those girls†, yet has a mistress himself (Page 21). The introduction of his affair â€Å"[From the darkness is heard a laughter of a woman]† (Page 29) turns Willy’s memories darker, as it was Biff finding out about the affair that caused their relationship to break down. Willy exaggerates his success, telling Linda he did â€Å"five hundred gross in Providence and seven hundred gross in Boston† and then changing to â€Å"roughly two hundred gross on the whole trip† (Page 27). He exaggerates to boost his self confidence and fight against his insecurity. Willy has bought into the materialistic concept of the American Dream. His motto is â€Å"be liked and you will never want† (Page 25). . Willy believes to be successful you must be well liked, believing â€Å"a man can end with diamonds here on the basis of being liked† (page 68). He believes he has to be successful for Biff to love him but ironically Biff has loved him all along. Willy is a good man, proving this by showing his happiness for Bernard success – â€Å"Willy: [genuinely shocked, pained and happy]† (Page 75). Despite Willy pursuing the wrong dreams he shows courage, determination and a love for his family, creating pity and sympathy in the audience. However his several flaws, the biggest of which is insecurity, lead to his demise, making him a tragic hero. A contemporary hero has qualities such as strength, honesty, morality, integrity, self-reliance and the courage to face up to reality. At the start of play Biff has not managed to relinquish his father’s dreams completely. He works out on a ranch, a job he loves, but comes back every spring because of his guilt, to try and succeed in sales, a career he hates. â€Å"It’s a measly manner of existence† (Page 16). He realises he would do better in the country and all he truly desires â€Å"is to be outdoors† (Page 16) but he hasn’t been able to abandon his father’s dreams completely. Biff is physically attractive and could have been a top football star but his confidence has diminished. â€Å"Biff Loman is lost† (Page 11.) It is evident from the beginning of the play that Biff is worried about Willy’s struggle with reality and his past. â€Å"Does he know Mom can hear that?† (Page 20). From a young age Willy encouraged the wrong ideals in Biff. Willy often condoned and ignored Biffs tendency to steal, rather than reprimanded. â€Å"Shut up! He’s not stealing anything!† (Page 40). Biff stole after feeling humiliated to regain a sense of power. By the end of the play Biff is honest about his stealing, even admitting he â€Å"stole a suit in Kansas City and was in jail† (Page 104). Stealing a pen from Ben Oliver’s office forces him to realise the things he loves in the world and the stupidity of his stealing. â€Å"What the hell am I grabbing this thing for?† (Page 105). Biff has a moment of self-realization at the end of the play, accepting reality and being honest about his life. He realises they have spent their lives chasing the wrong dreams and his father must abandon the American Dream. â€Å"Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?† (Page 106). He tries to force the rest of his family into facing reality, managing to force Willy into face it for a brief moment. Willy refuses to let go, relinquishing the chance to become the true hero, and remaining the tragic hero of Death of a Salesman. Biff had always been conceited, a result of Willy’s constant praise – â€Å"Good work, Biff† (Page 22) – throughout his youth, when they had a great relationship, until Biff found out about Willy’s affair. However, by the end of the play Biff realises he’s â€Å"a dime a dozen† (Page 105), ridding himself of the self-superiority he has spent years carrying around. He understands Willy spent so much time praising him that he became egotistical. â€Å"I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air that I could never stand taking orders from anybody† (Page 104). Biff realises his arrogance, facing up to reality, admitting he is â€Å"not a leader of men† (Page 105). Biff has always felt some reluctance to follow the American Dream. By the end of the play he realises Willy and the Lowman family had always been chasing the wrong dreams and he faces and accepts reality. He accepts he was never anything more than a shipping clerk and realises his family have been living in a fantasy world. â€Å"We’ve been talking in a dream for fifteen years† (Page 82). Biff finds self-assurance, and is comfortable with who he is. â€Å"I know who I am, kid† (Page 111). He matures and faces up to the world of reality. Biff finds his identity, faces reality, is honest about his life and finds a personal, as well as physical strength. He shows a lot of the qualities found in a contemporary hero. Miller uses expressionism and realism in Death of a Salesman. Realism accurately portrays characters and situations through human characteristics and language, costumes, and sets. Expressionism is concerned with portraying the inner emotions and psychology of a character. Dialogue tends to become more poetic and lighting is used to create atmosphere in expressionism. Realism looks at the objective; expressionism looks at the subjective. Miller uses realism in the play through the life-like sets, the realistic American-English language and the typical costumes. Expressionism is used when Willy is re-living the past, reinterpreting memories to suit him; he often lives in this world. He is happier in his past memories, before the affair and before his and Biffs r elationship broke down. Willy often tries to escape to the past and into expressionism. Realism and the present are too painful for Willy as he has to live with his strained relationship with Biff, his failure as a salesman, and his guilt of an affair. Happy has been influenced by Willy to chase the American Dream but does not pursue it to Willy’s extent, ruling him out as the tragic hero. He is not as successful as he would like to be. â€Å"All I can get do is wait for the merchandise manager to die (Page 17). He sleeps with women to avenge men who have surpassed him on the career path; similar to Biff seeking revenge on those who have humiliated him by stealing. Happy lives in the Loman dream world, refusing to face reality. He is happy to allow Willy to live in a dream world, to carry on humoring him. â€Å"Sure, have lunch tomorrow!† (Page 88). Even after Willy’s death Happy is unable to relinquish Willy’s desire to fulfill the American Dream. â€Å"I’m gonna show you and everybody else that Willy Lowman did not die in vain† (Page 111). Happy appears to be jealous of Biff being Willy’s favorite â€Å"How do you like that damned fool! (Page 47). This could be a possible reason why he follows the dream – to seek his father’s approval. Linda regularly defends Willy and excuses his behavior, which only keeps Willy trapped in his destructive dream. Miller’s opening stage directions suggest Willy creates and structures Linda’s ideals for her â€Å"his massive dreams and little cruelties†¦longings which she shares, but lacks the temperament to utter and follow to the end† (Page . Linda is the mediator of the family, often discovering the reasons behind Willy’s cruelties whilst mediating. She adores Willy but kindness such as buying him special cheese is just thrown back in her face, something she accepts without argument. Linda knows Willy has impossible dreams, but unlike Biff she cannot bring herself to acknowledge the fact. Linda will not allow Willy’s dreams to be crushed because he is the â€Å"dearest man in the world† (Page 43) to her and she will not have anyone â€Å"making him feel unwanted and low and blue† (Page 43). What she does not realise is by leaving Willy to continue chasing his dreams, he will become a tragic hero (Page. 2003. Page 71-73). Willy is a tragic hero; he continues to chase his dreams relentlessly failing to recognise he should be in a job making use of his hands, living in the country. Willy only saw a warped perception of Singleman’s life, Willy’s inspiration, role model and father figure, after his father and brother abandoned him. Willy uses Ben’s voice to criticise himself in his reinterpreted memories. His abandonment led to his insecurity, leading to his death. His insecurity led to his affair, which led to the breakdown of the relationship between him and his son, Biff. Despite Willy’s flaws, he loves his family and shows he is a good man, inspiring pity and sympathy in the audience, provoking sadness with his death, making him a tragic hero in the traditional sense, but not the true hero. Biff could have been a top football star and is physically strong. He is courageous; he is the only member of the Loman family at the start of the play to have partly relinquished the American Dream and by the end he has completely relinquished it. He faces reality and attempts to make his family face it to, even managing to make Willy face it for a brief moment. He is finally honest about his life – his career and his stealing. He shows morality and integrity. One of the hardest things to do in life is to face up to reality and Biff alone manages to do this making him the true hero of Death of a Salesman. Is Biff the true hero of death of a salesman The question posed here, â€Å"Is Biff the true hero of death of a salesman† asks the writer to asses’ weather or not Biff is the ‘true’ hero of Death of a salesman as oppose to Willy Lowman’s role given to him by the author A.Miller as being the tragic hero. Miller broke from the norm of traditional characterization when creating the character Willy Lowman, in that the archetypal Tragic hero had to be a descendant of nobility or aristocratic decent, who’s demise affects not just those close to him but a group of people e.g a population, state of notoriety or kingdom. America had never had the Kings and Queens that a traditional tragedy had historically needed, Miller’s intention was to show how the common working class man could be shown to be a tragic hero and an American tragic hero as oppose to a Greek or Shakespearian one. Linda becomes Millers voice in the play â€Å"attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person† (Page 44) showing that in Millers eyes a regular person can and should be seen as a tragic hero. Biff in Death of as salesman must be seen to be the main protagonist due to his ability to see the proverbial holes in the proverbial fabric of not only his, Willys and all the Lowman’s lives but also the holes that people fall through in pursuit of a dream. The dream in this case being Millers idea of the American dream. The idea of the American dream stems from the notion that America is or was the ‘land of opportunity’ a bountiful land of infinite horizons and opportunities waiting to be explored and taken. Miller paints Biff as a character who initially buys into his farther idealistic view that a â€Å"well liked† person will have doors opened for them, in this sense Willy felt that the reputation of a person directly reflected its self in sales figures which translates directly in to wealth which he would use to translate into time spend more time with his family showing that Willy was a good man who’s goal was for the well being of his loved o nes, its just that his dream was wrong, â€Å"all wrong†. This idea of the acquisition of wealth and being well liked (not to suggest that to be well liked should be avoided, but to actively seek it out above all else can bare negative connotations) detracts Willy from the main goal in anyone’s life to be happy and develop a sense of fullness through honest self discovery. Given that at the time of Millers play the idea of the American dream was tarnished only by a few American writers of that the time and was still a prevalent driving force in American society a relatively young society, Miller Gives the reader the sense that this dream or the pursuit of it is not the only dream or even the right dream for all people. In the United States Declaration of Independence listed among the ‘unalienable rights’ is written â€Å"We hold these truths to be self–evident, That all men are created equal, That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness†, This extract from the defining piece of American literary history supports Millers character Biff Lowman’s idea of discovering ones self in America as oppose to simply discovering wealth. Willy’s dream was not him, it was not who he was or what he wanted to do. Willies own American dream was lived through the idea of acquisition of wealth and gaining notoriety as oppose to finding his own dream and perusing it. Biff buying into his fathers dream goes to see Oliver with the intention of getting twenty thousand dollars in-order to set up in business with his brother happy however Biff sitting in Oliver’s office realizes that he never has been a sales man nor was it his intention to be one, â€Å"How the hell did I ever get the idea I was a salesman there?† (Page 82) it was his fathers dream. Bill Oliver doesn’t recognize Biff and in the frustration of the realization he had lied to himself Biff takes Oliver’s pen. The taking of this pen is symbolic in the sense that Biff has always been overly praised by his farther giving him an over inflated ego, he was never told not to steal and Willy often praised him for it â€Å"Shut up! He’s not stealing anything!† (Page 40) in addition the taking of the pen by Biff at the office of Mr Oliver can also be seen as Biff taking something for himself, something physical, from a life in which he feels he plays no real part, the act of taking the fountain pen, something physical, sees this object become the reparations he seeks from following his farther faulty ideals and beliefs. Towards the end of the play this acceptance of stealing becomes more prevalent when he admits he stole a suit and spent time in prision for the theft. Biff is the only one who voices his opinion that they had been following the wrong dream realizing he was not a leader of men and that he was good, like willy, with his hands and he should be out west being practical bui lding something or working as a farm hand. Willies adoration of Dave Singleman a man he met whilst a traveling salesman is one of a warped view. Singleman becomes a farther figure, role model and source of inspiration for Willy, â€Å"Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four†¦ and be remembered and loved and helped by so many people?† (Page 63). The name Dave Singleman however can be seen to imply Singleman is a ‘single’ man a man who lives out of a suitcase moving from hotel to hotel in solitude and isolation. The characteristics of this interpretation of Singleman Willies role model seem reflect on Willie in his life, adopting the idea of a salesman who is well liked will be a success however once again this is the wrong dream for Willie to be following. At the time Biff catches Willie his farther with another woman he is going to Willie for help, to see if he can speak to his math’s teacher to get him to bump up his mark so that he could graduate and take up his college football scholarship, he goes expecting his farther the â€Å"well liked† salesman with all the charm and charisma in the world to be able to get him out of having to re-sit his exam however he comes to realize Willie is not who he makes himself out to be when he uncovers this deception, â€Å"Biff Don’t touch me you – liar! Willy â€Å"Apologize for that!† Biff â€Å"You fake! You phony little fake! You fake!† from this moment on Biff starts to se Willie for who and what he truly is and most importantly seeing his fathers flaws, this is important because it allows biff later in life to see through the ‘vie en rose’ and deluded image that Willie tries to purvey thus allowing him to start to discover ad pursue hi s own dream. Willie believes he has to be successful for Biff to love him but Biff rather ironically has loved him all along which Willie realizes at the end of the play when Biff breaks down and cries in front of him to which he says â€Å"isn’t that – isn’t that remarkable? Biff – he like me!† (Page 106). This realization however does not detract Willie from his mission to take his own life, shortly after he has another delusion of Ben (the delusion of him being his older and more successful brother although he had not seen his brother since he had left him in thier youth) this shows that Willie has gone too far in his mental degradation when his conversation with Ben even after his realization with Biff spurs him on even more to take his own life. Ben says to Willie that â€Å"the jungle is dark but full of diamonds† (page 106) suggesting that willies death is the dark jungle and that from his death he will receive diamonds, the diamonds in this case being insurance money the family more notably Biff was to receive from his death, money that he would have left to biff to start up a business, once again this shows that Willy still can’t see what Biff was trying to say to him and that he was never going to give up on the pursuit of his dream. Biff up on returning home after he and happy had left Willy in the chop house realises he must be honest with his farther about who he is in order to realise his dreams â€Å"Biff- Pop! I’m a dime a dozen, and so are you!, Willy – I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Lowman and you are Biff Lowman!, Biff – I am not a leader of men, Willy, and neither are you.† For Biff it is in renouncing Willy and willies dreams that he becomes free to dictate his own future and it is here that for the first time in his life completely rids himself of the oppressive shackles of willies dreams. This can be interpreted also as the death of Biff as the sales man, the death of his affiliation and obligation to willies ideologies allowing him to be free to start his new life out west, bringing new life withe the death of an old one, the death of a salesman. In conclusion since Biff is the only member of the family to renounce Willys idea of the American dream with the addition of realizing his own dream and what he must do to peruse it, Biff therefor must be seen to be the true hero. It must be added also that the American dream can still apply to Biff’s pursuit only Biff’s pursuit as stated in the American constitution is a pursuit of happiness the happiness Willie never managed to gain for himself or his family by following his own American dream.

Parliamentary and Presidential Forms of Government

The White House, home of the president of the United States. Egyptian Courts Suspend Parliamentary Elections * * Parliamentary System 1. Intimacy between the Executive and the Legislature: Under this system there is a close relationship between the Executive and the legislature. The members of the Executive, i. e. , the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues are also the members of the legislature. They in fact enjoy the support of the majority in the legislature. Thus the Prime Minister and his cabinet can pass, amend or repeal any type of law with the support of subservient majority in the legislature.In this way, the executive and the legislative branches of the Government work in close harmony. The Executive not only runs the administration but also makes law. 2. Responsibility to the legislature: In this system, the executive is responsible and accountable to the legislature for all its acts of omission and commission. The legislature can remove a cabinet by passing a vote of no-confidence against it whenever it so desires. Moreover, the legislature exercises its control over the executive through interpellation, adjournment motions so on and so forth. . Gap between Practice and Theory: In a Parliamentary System, there is always a gap between law and fact. According to law, all powers of the Government are vested in the Chief Executive head who may be President as in India or Governor General as in Canada or King or Queen as in U. K. In actual fact all his powers are exercised by the Cabinet which is created out of the majority party in the legislature. The Chief Executive head is just an ornamental head or figure head. All real and effective authority is exercised by the Cabinet.The parliament gov is elected by the legislature. Presidential System 1. Separation between the Executive and the Legislature: The executive and the legislative branches of the government under the system are separate and independent of each other. The Executive which generally consists of a President and a cabinet subordinate to him runs the administration of the country. It has nothing to do with law-making. The President or his ministers are neither the members of the legislature nor do they enjoy any support of a majority in it.Sometimes, the President may belong to one Party and another Party may have a majority in the legislature and both may run at cross purposes. The fact is clear from the working of this system in U. S. A. 2. Presidential Executive is not responsible to the Legislature: Under this system the Executive is independent of the legislature and is not responsible to it. The President has a fixed tenure of office and cannot be removed by an adverse vote in the legislature. The ministers are appointed and dismissed by the President himself and the Legislature cannot touch them.Since none of them is a member of the Legislature, they cannot be subjected to any parliamentary criticism. 3. No Gap between Practice and Theory: Under this syste m, there is no such gap between law and fact. The Chief Executive head is the President in whom executive authority is vested by the constitution. He controls effectively his cabinet, which works under him and acts according to his wishes. This fact is clearly illustrated in the working of the Presidential System in the U. S. A. The presidential gov is elelected by us.. (citizens)