Critique of the Ramayana Modern Prose Translation Essay

In a just world, Mr. R. K. Narayan’s estate would be responsible for reimbursing seventeen-fifty, plus applicable taxes, to all those who purchased the Penguin Classics 2006 publication of his book, The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. Stated clearly on the back of the cover is the promise that R. K. Narayan â€Å"recounts [The Ramayana] with the narrative flair of a master novelist’’. The back cover lied. Narayan’s re-telling condenses the epic poem so much to the point of nearly listing a series of events. No matter the inspiration, Narayan’s The Ramayana is still a story, and should therefore be able to stand on it’s own as a captivating tale—with further literary research or expansion being used to enhance it’s appeal, not explain it. Arguably, the ‘narrative flair’ of this re-telling is little more expressive than unsolicited summaries found on the Internet, and without further literary aide or instruction, does not stand as a solid piece of literature. What is worse, is that instead of allowing a greater breadth of readers to relate and experience tale of the Ramayana, new readers are alienated by it’s convoluted atmosphere. While the task is grand, Narayan’s translation is not listed as an aide to a larger, more in-depth version; it is still a novel and as such needs to be able to stand strong in its own right when evaluated alone. People who have no prior knowledge of the original Sanskrit story, and who have not been raised with the Hindu epic as a part of their life, should be able to pick up this book, read it, and—regardless of how far the tale may go in global history—be able to enjoy one hundred and fifty one pages of literature, without having any prior knowledge, or requiring further research. Having more knowledge, and doing more research on the original epic tale should increase what readers are able to receive from the book, but it should not be necessary in order to understand it. As it stands, without knowing the original tale, new readers are left with very little literary flow and a patchy depiction of what is supposed to be a lush world. At one point, while Bharatha and Rama argue as to who should be the rightful king, their entire episode is related with: â€Å" The argument went on at a highly academic and philosophical level, the entire assembly watching with respect. (Narayan 60) That assertion does not express a deep academic and philosophical argument, but rather states that one was occurring; the reader doesn’t get to experience what transpired between the brothers, or garner any emotion from it. It goes on to almost quite literally depict the event with a he-said/he-said monotony: So be it; if I have the authority—then I confer it on you as the ruler,† said Bharatha at one stage. â€Å"On my command as the ruler, if you desire to think so, you shall be the King. † It went on thus. Rama went on repeating that there could be no word higher than that of a father; no conduct other than obedience to it. Throughout he referred to Kaikeyi in the gentlest terms and always as â€Å"mother†. (Narayan 61) The listed manner in which the plot is unfolded by Narayan’s re-telling is barely more narrative as a piece of literature than an excerpt from that of the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia: Bharatha refuses to profit from his mother’s wicked scheming and visits Rama in the forest. He requests Rama to return and rule. But Rama, determined to carry out his father’s orders to the letter, refuses to return before the period of exile. However, Bharatha carries Rama’s sandals, and keeps them on the throne, while he rules as Rama’s regent. (Wikipedia Contributors) There is very little more efficiency or flair in Narayan’s telling, and in fact, Wikipedia depicts the stages of the long tale with better clarity; if the prose is not going to be linguistically lush and evocative, it may as well be clear (Wikipedia is not only clear, but free of charge as well). It is of course not a simple task to undertake translating an epic poem from a rhythmic language, into prose with a language devoid of the same musicality. However, to the novice reader of The Ramayana, they would not know the difficulty of the task, and thus—however harsh it may seem— should not be a factor in the reviewing of the story as it stands alone. Narayan was by no means an incapable writer, and as winner of numerous awards and accolades—not the least of which being multiple nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature (Rajnish Wattas), he does not need defending that he has great ability as a writer, yet the bottom line remain that when it is stripped of further discussion, research, and introductions, The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic just does not stand on it’s own as captivating modern prose. With nearly each new episode of the tale, Narayan prefaces the action with even more listed information, take for example the introduction to the chapter of Vali: The characters in the drama that follows are Vali, Sugreeva, Hanuman, and Rama. The action takes place in the mountainous forest regions of Kiskinda, a kingdom ruled and inhabited by monkeys. In the Ramayana, the articipants are not only human beings, but many others from God’s creation, intelligent, cultured and with their own achievements of spirit as well as physique: Jambavan was a bear, Jatayu was an eagle, Lakshmana—Rama’s brother—was himself a human incarnation of the Great Serpent Adisesha in whose coils Vishnu rested. (Narayan 90) Again, the story is told by listing statements of what is going on. As with the landscape, and even the characters themselves, nothing is depicted in the story-writing of the prose, but stated, as if the entire epic was a news article being reported by Narayan, as opposed to a vivid history with grand escapades and extreme characters. By translating an epic tale from poetic verse into shortened modern prose, the objective is ultimately to enable a broader audience to relate to and appreciate a classic tale. Poetry is a secluded literary world that does not have the mass appeal that modern prose does; yet Narayan’s re-telling is too constrained and overwhelmed by the amount of story condensed into it. By trying to constrain the length of the story to allow for more readers to get through it, Narayan’s ‘master narrative flair’ seems lost, and the epic tale is a heavy list of events that merely occur on the page.

Pestle, Porter and SWOT analysis of Lukoil Essay

LUKOIL, a vertically integrated oil company, and carries out exploration, acquisition, integration and subsequent efficient development of oil and gas fields outside the Russian Federation to facilitate the transformation of LUKOIL into a transnational energy corporation. LUKOIL operates in 25 countries (the most major of them are Russia, Azerbaijan, USA, Georgia, Turkey and Czech Republic). Net income in 2013 is $3.105 billion. Basic earnings per share – $4.11. The Company’s 2012 net income rose by 6.2% and reached record $11,004 billion. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization) rose by 1.7% and reached $18,915 billion. Sales revenues were $139,171 billion (+4.1% y-o-y). In 2013 Forbes estimated LUKOIL as #43 in Sales, #34 in Profit, #254 in Assets, #139 in Market value. According to these data we can assume, that LUKOIL is successful Russian company with a lot of strengths, like good prospects regarding financial indicators. And fortu nately, it doesn ´t need any financing. Usually, the company invests in different projects regarding environmental protection and  employee ´s support. 2. Mission and Vision Mission: â€Å"The Company’s mission consists in increasing shareholder value through the exploration and production of hydrocarbons outside Russia.† My vision of the situation is that company wants to be a reliable supplier of hydrocarbons on the international market. Moreover, Lukoil has a purpose to support economic growth and social stability in long-term prospects. Thus, it has some main aims such as to achieve reputation of a reliable and dependable hydrocarbon supplier in the world; to deliver high-quality petroleum products to end-users; to ensure long-term sustainable growth; to reach leading position on the market; My formulation of the mission: Lukoil as a company in the oil and gas industry using natural energy recourses is trying to be a leader in the international market by reducing costs, increasing operations and stabling social aspects. Vision: â€Å"The company wants to be world’s leader in oil and gas sector by first-class services to our customers, effective HR policy, reliable and positive image of the company, effective environmental policy, optimization of the operational efficiency, decrease of the operational costs, sustain high-profit level.† In conclusion, company’s mission determines a purpose within the organization; provides standards for allocating organizational resources; establishes a general organizational climate; shows purpose and direction. Consequently, mission and vision are clear and give a lot of advantage. 3. Macro-environment (PESTLE) At the beginning of this part, it is necessary to mention some relevant facts: Population in Russia: 139mln Area: 17mln sq. km Time zones: GMT +2 to +11 9th largest economy in the world in terms of GDP, reaching USD 2014,8 bn 2013 Exports and Imports exceed 50% GDP Highest GDP per capita among BRICS countries Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi 2012 and FIFA World Cup 2018 are coming 1. GDP Figure 2.1 Real GDP As we can see on the Figure 2.1 Real GDP has a tendency to grow up. Moreover, the present value of Real GDP is about 2014.8 USD billion which is the highest point during the history. Real GDP had been increased up to more than 6% in comparison with the previous period Contemporary situation in economy, especially in Real GDP, shows the opportunity for a company to increase production, because higher GDP means higher consumer expenditures; in turn, it is an alleviating competitive pressure within industry, then it’s the potential for expansion. As we can see GDP is constantly growing that means an opportunity to have higher revenues for LUKOIL Company because people have a higher profits and respectively higher consumer expenditures. 2. Interest rate The interest rate in Russia was last recorded at 5.50 percent. Interest Rate in Russia is reported by the Central Bank of Russia. It is quite high interest rate in comparison with for instance European countries. The average interest rate in Europe is 0.25%. For LUKOIL it is a threat of decreasing the company’s sales, because during high interest rate potential consumers tend to spend less (borrowings become more expensive). Therefore the consumer purchasing power is quite low and company’s sales will be decreased. Figure 2.2 Russia interest rate 3. Inflation rate Figure 2.4 Russia inflation rate Figure 2.5 Petroleum price RUB per liter As we can see Figure 2.4 and Figure 2.5, the oil price and rate of inflation  are connected directly: when oil price goes up, the inflation follows in the same direction. We can explain it by that the oil is the major input in economy (oil is used for manufacturing and transportation). The inflation rate in Russia was recorded at 6.30 percent in October of 2013. It has a positive impact on Oil and Gas industry. LUKOIL can estimate future profit more accurate and eliminate several risks which effected by the oil price and inflation rate. 4. Unemployment rate Figure 2.5 Russia unemployment rate At the moment the rate is 5,5%. And the tendency has a declining character. Thus it could be opportunity to find high-qualified employees. There is a competition on a labor market. 5. Reservoirs of oil Russia is the first country in the world in crude oil production. Its share is 12%. This indicator makes the country attractive for the investors. Consequently, LUKOIL could use positive investment climate of Russia as the company’s benefit. 6. Taxes Nowadays there are three main taxes which have influence on economic in Russia: a) Corporate tax rate – 20% b) Personal income tax rate – 13% c) Sales tax rate – 18% Accordingly to these indicators the corporate tax rate is quite low in comparison with Japan – 38,01%, United Arab Emirates – 55%, US – 35%. Therefore, it is opportunity to increase a profit (low taxes increase net profit). We are analyzing oil and gas industry in Russia. Fortunately most of deposits are situated in cold geographical areas like Tyumen Region, called Extreme North or Far North. Government gives a lot of benefits like people who work there are used to receive an extra grade of payment, referred to as the â€Å"Northern Bonus†, as well as other benefits, including extra vacation, extra disability benefits, extra retirement benefits, and housing benefits. LUKOIL won’t increase outflow of money into pension funds  etc. 4. Technological factors (PESTLE) New technologies are an important competitive advantage of LUKOIL Group. Key technological aspects: 1. The company conducts R&D to develop new technologies and upgrade the existing ones. 2. Cooperation with national projects is actively developing, including the Skolkovo innovation project and the RUSNANO Corporation. 3. Great attention is paid to developing information technologies and improving business processes. 4. The total financing of scientific and technical works in 2012 amounted to US$ 150 million. It is opportunity to use own technology and ability to exclude costs for using technologies from elsewhere. 5. Environmental factors (PESTLE) Waste disposal Russia drowns in 60 million tons of garbage a year. It is serious problem in waste disposal issue. Today, only 11% of the whole volume is recycled. Unfortunately, it is substantial evidence of contemporary problem and the threat for environment. LUKOIL uses chemicals for production, which could be statutory restrictions by the government for environmental protection. It is the threat for company of activities’ restriction. Pollution Oil and Gas industry damages nature by pollution. Many risks occur like spilling of oil into the sea or into the ocean. In this case LUKOIL will pay damage to nature and spoil its reputation. Consequently, LUKOIL should take into account all risks and try to avoid them. Climate There is the dominance of the continental climate on the territory of the country. Russia faced to one serious problem during springs. It is flood. For oil industry it could be a relevant threat because it directly depends on transportation, for instance if roads are damaged it is becoming complicated to transport oil to different regions. 6. Political factors (PESTLE) Strictly speaking, two of the most dangerous threats are the high level of corruption and terrorism. High level of corruption Russia is ranked 127th out of 175 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index in 2013. This score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption in a country or territory. Terrorism There is a terrorist war aimed at destabilizing Russia politically and economically. Few weeks ago there was the 3rd terrorist attack in Volgograd during last 2 months. Membership in World Trade Organization In August 2012, Russia officially became a World Trade Organization member. Moreover, European Union contributes half of Russia trade flows. It is opportunity of simplified international market access with the purpose of trade and it is opportunity of hiring professional and administrative staff on fixed term contracts. Index of Economic Freedom Index of Economic Freedom in Russia is 51.3 out of 100 and it ranked as mostly unfree. These ranking means that the country is not attractive to do business and indicates a low possibility of obtaining investment. Thus, it is a threat for LUKOIL, it will be difficult to attract foreign investors. Protection of property rights It is an opportunity to protect LUKOIL’s innovations and to get patent. 7. Legal factors (PESTLE) The following laws of the Russian Federation form the main legal framework of the oil and gas industry: Constitution of the Russian Federation. Federal Law On Subsoil (Subsoil Law). Federal Law On Gas Supply in the Russian Federation (Gas Supply Law). Federal Law On Natural Monopolies. Federal Law On the Continental Shelf of the Russian Federation. Federal Law On Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency. Federal Law On Production Sharing Agreements. The following federal laws are also relevant to the legal framework of the natural resources industry of the Russian Federation: The Codes of the Russian Federation, including the Civil Code, Land Code, Water Code, Forest Code, Tax Code, Code on Administrative Violations and Criminal Code. Federal Law on Environmental Protection. Federal Law on Ecological Expertise. Supreme Council Regulations on the Procedure of Enactment of the Provisions on the Procedure of Licensing of the Subsoil Use of 1992 (Subsoil Use Licensing Regulations). The fundamental rights that are guaranteed to each Russian citizen are: All people shall be equal before the law and court. The State shall guarantee the equality of rights and freedoms of man and citizen, regardless of sex, race, nationality, language, origin, property and official status, place of residence, religion, convictions, membership of public associations, and also of other circumstances. All forms of limitations of human rights on social, racial, national, linguistic or religious grounds shall be banned. Man and woman shall enjoy equal rights and freedoms and have equal possibilities to exercise them. That means that Lukoil should take into account all this rights and keep it in mind when hiring the employees. 8. Socio-cultural factors (PESTLE) Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.7% (male 11,498,268/female 10,890,853) 15-24 years: 12.4% (male 9,031,057/female 8,662,557) 25-54 years: 45.8% (male 31,894,116/female 33,432,996) 55-64 years: 13.1% (male 7,926,184/female 10,711,347) 65 years and over: 13% (male 5,622,464/female 12,847,828) Most of population is in â€Å"capable of working† age. There is a competition on labor market. It is an opportunity to find employees corresponded to the standards of the company. Main religion: Christianity No requirement in the organization of labor. Thus, it is opportunity for LUKOIL to organize manufacture easily. High level of education Opportunity to attract well-qualified personnel. 9. Porter’s 5 Forces 1. Threat of New Entrants (Low) The LUKOIL is protected by high barriers to entry. Therefore the threat of new entrants is very low Huge amounts of capital expenditure are needed to perform the activities, for example the cost of refinery is almost $7 billion, the price of petrol station is $600 000. Large amounts of fixed are require for the development of oil fields and the installation of production facilities Costs for entering the industry: drilling costs, oilfield services, skilled labor, scientific research, materials and energy Only companies that operate economies of scale can survive, for example LUKOIL has been searching for oil since 1991. They invest a huge amount in up-to-date technologies making it difficult for new entrants to compete. Russia allows only national companies (or foreign companies in partnership with the national company) to exploit oil reservoirs, because it is owned by the state. It is barrier to entry. 2. Power of Suppliers (High) There are more then 100 suppliers in Russia; OAO â€Å"Gaztrubinvest†, TOO â€Å"KST Steel†, OAO â€Å"Severstal† are some of them. But their products are unique: tubular products, electric centrifugal pumps, oil cable, spurt steel framework. What gives them high bargaining power to dictate conditions. Moreover there are no substitutes, because the equipment needed for oil industry is special and impossible to replace. 3. Power of Buyers (Low) The main buyers are government and car owners. Product differentiation is low and customers don’t have opportunity to choose, only to buy. The market share of LUKOIL is almost 17% and it has contracts with government, because  they have a big chain of petrol stations. Consumers’ willingness to pay is the only power buyers have. Only very large buyers of oil such as big countries like US may influence oil price. Overall the buyer power is low 4. Threat of Substitutes (Low) At the moment customers can not switch from using oil and gas for other sources of energy. Only some European countries introduced renewable sources of energy instead of gas and oil. But there are many alternatives of energy: coal, solar, and wind power. Instead of this fact, we notice the demand for oil increases every year and there is no chance of decreasing in consumption. 5. Industry Rivalry (High) LUKOIL has 4 serious competitors: Rosneft (22% share of market), TNK-BP (14%), Surgutneftegaz (12%), Gazprom neft (6%). Even though there is a very strong rate of growth in oil and gas sector the rivalry remain small due to large switching costs, required investments for a new entrance, size of competitors, and political barriers. There is no place for small companies because of few market leaders. Also there is no possibility that competitors will offer a lower price. LUKOIL is second company that operates in Russia. The leader is Rosneft and its main competitor‎. LUKOIL has 17% share of Russian market, Rosneft 22% respectively. 10. SWOT analysis Strengths Weaknesses – 1st among the largest private oil and gas companies in the world. – 1.3% oil reserves of total reserves of oil worldwide – and second in terms of volume proven hydrocarbons reserves – about 2% of total global reserves; – Increase in oil index price in the world. – High entry barriers in the market, which eliminates small competitors. – Very sufficient technology of research and exploration. – Geographical business diversification (30 countries). – Large amount of oil reserves(17%) – Superior oil related technology. – Fully vertical and horizontal integrated. – Well supported by Russian government. – Constant increase in demand for gas and oil in Russia. – Constant research and innovation. – Production costs are relatively high compared with levels achieved by its main competitors. – The company’s communication both inside and outside is slow and bureaucratic. – Cost of environmental hazards. Opportunities Threats – Increase in oil and gas demand in Russia. – New exploration projects. – Investment into new businesses. – Iraq oil project. – Corruption. – Terrorism. – Floods. – Decrease sales (high interest rate). – Competition on the market Internal analysis Revenue $139.2 billion Employees 150.000 Recommendations Despite having a relatively good position in the regional market of Central and Eastern Europe, LUKOIL faces strong competition. In this context, LUKOIL should increase its market share through an offensive strategy of territorial expansion and to attract new customer segments. In addition, LUKOIL should ensure implementation of new technologies for modern and efficient production in terms of cost and continues its efforts to improve product quality and competitiveness, in order to meet international standards, including API and ACEA. Another important trend is the application of marketing strategies on the downstream, taking into account  the factors influencing consumer choice of stations: location, value for money, image, service, the existence of ancillary services. These strategies are reflected in the mix of marketing, in which both product and promotion play a central role.

Identity and Belonging Essay

Feedback is considered by many education experts to be one of the most important elements of assessment for student learning as well as being a crucial influence on student learning (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). Feedback, when applied effectively, can result in an increase in learner satisfaction and persistence as well as contributing to students taking on and applying more productive learning strategies. Feedback is a powerful strategy for teachers of all subjects and grade levels to use and has been endorsed worldwide. Feedback can be defined as ‘the information provided by an agent, for example; a teacher or parent, regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding’ (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). However, when feedback is provided to students inappropriately it can lead to negative effects. This is why, as teachers, we need to have a full understanding of what constitutes effective quality feedback as well as developing an understanding of how to apply feedback in an appropriate manner for our students as differentiated learners (Clark, 2012). Feedback is consistent with the Assessment for learning strategy which focuses assessment on in-course improvement-orientated interactions between instructors and learners rather than end-of-course testing and examinations (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). Assessment for learning acknowledges that individual students learn in idiosyncratic ways and is designed to give information to teachers on how to modify and differentiate teaching and learning activities as well as giving teachers an idea of how best to provide effective feedback to their students (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). There are a few guidelines in which teachers can follow to help improve the quality of their feedback to their students to increase learner satisfaction and persistence as well as catering for differentiated learning, these guidelines include timing, amount, mode, audience (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013) and also allowing students to provide one another with feedback (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). The timing in which teachers provide their students with feedback is important as feedback needs to come while students are still mindful of the topic, assignment or performance in question (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). Feedback needs to be provided while students are still thinking of their learning goal as a learning goal, meaning; something they are still striving for and not something they have already done (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). It is extremely important to provide students with effective feedback whilst they are still working on reaching their learning target, as mentioned earlier this will influence student learning. It is extremely important for teachers to know the audience in which they are providing feedback to in order for the feedback to be most effective for student learning (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). This is based on the fact that no student is the same and feedback needs to accommodate for differentiated learners (Clark, 2012). Once a teacher understands his or her students individual learning they can then apply feedback in a way that is best addressed to the student about the specifics of the individuals work in terms the student can understand. Mode is also extremely important in providing effective feedback as it also supports differentiated learning. Mode stands for the different ways in which feedback can be delivered as it can be given in many modalities (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). Some sorts of assessment lend themselves better to written feedback, some to oral feedback and others are better in demonstrations, and teachers can decide with their knowledge of how best to provide each individual student with feedback based on how they learn and understand best, whether it is written, spoken or demonstrated, in order for the feedback to be most effective in reaching each students learning needs (Clark, 2012). Also recently there has been an increasing agreement that students are a legitimate source of feedback as peer and self-assessment practices encourage students to identify learning objectives and helps them to understand the criteria used to judge their work aiming to reach the goal of increasing self-regulation (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). As timeliness can play a real issue in the effectiveness and quality of feedback from teachers, using students as a source of feedback can legitimately reduce this problem (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). As there are many different ways in which a teacher can go about providing feedback on set learning tasks to their students whether it is orally, written or demonstrated, the ways in which to construct effective feedback varies depending on the student (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). Ultimately it is the teachers understanding of feedback and the knowing of how each individual student learns best that influences the type and quality of feedback they provide (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). Effective feedback will help increase student evaluation of their own learning progress and will help reach the Assessment for learning goal of developing self-regulating learners (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012).

Leadership & Communication Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership & Communication Skills - Assignment Example out this problem, I tried to mediate while at the same time maintaining control, and keeping the lines of communication open rather than closing them simply in reaction. This strategy worked for me, as I was able to reach a compromise after meeting with three of group and separately designing a more formal training and recruitment procedure together. My leadership style is based on patterns of effective decision making and teamwork, as well as principles of communication which value both upward and downward communication within an organization. I think that leadership is an especially important issue for professionals to consider, because in many cases they are perceived as being the effective district leaders, and must present strong leadership skills and a sense of direction in order to optimize employee performance. Too often, different departments of organizations tend to dissolve along lines of ineffective communication in group meetings in which the leader becomes less of a lea der and more of a scapegoat or outmoded mouthpiece of the status quo, and in situations such as these, political infighting and departmental disagreement over issues of funding and allocation make take priority over what should be the clear mission and shared vision of all involved; that is, determining what is best for the customer (or, in my case, the student body) in terms of loyalty and behavior, and implementing programs which bring about success in the organization. The problem that I was facing was that four of the people under my leadership were trying to undermine my authority and add their own charter to the group, which would give them an unfair position. I reached a compromise with the group, as mentioned, convincing three of them instead to overhaul radically the membership training procedures for the group. The fourth member was then left alone in opposition to my leadership. It was unfortunate that this member had to be left alone, but I had to make a decision. A

Nurses role Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nurses role - Research Paper Example Nurses role Abstract The study of this research is aimed at exploring the role of nurses in prevention of the healthcare associated infections. The concept of healthcare associated infections has been defined in this research. The characteristics of healthcare associated infections have been studied. The essential conditions that lead to the transmission of healthcare associated infections to susceptible patients are identified in the research process. The various features of healthcare associated infections that distinguish it from other diseases have been studied in the research process.The nurses have been identified as the frontline people for prevention of health care associated infections. The duties and responsibilities of the nurses and the role played by them in preventing healthcare associated infections have been analyzed in this research. The various clinical methods and the medical practices adopted by the nurses have been analyzed in the research process that is useful in prevention of healthcare associated infections. Introduction The health care associated infections are the diseases that develop among the patients during the time of hospitalization. The contamination of the hospital environment and the transmission of the infectious agents affect the patients who are vulnerable to such infection. The nurses are frontline healthcare staff who can directly identify the symptoms of healthcare associated infections and could effectively treat the patients for recovery. Healthcare Associated Infections The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, headquartered in Atlanta, USA has provided a formal definition of Healthcare Associated Infections. The health care associated infections are the diseases that affect the patients during the period of hospitalization. These patients are not affected by these diseases before hospitalization. Neither do these infections develop post hospitalization. The period of hospitalization is also counted as the time period from 48 hours to the next 10 days post hospitalization. There are three essential criteria, the fulfillment of which may lead to the transmission of healthcare associated infections. There must be a source of infected microorganism, an agent or a means of transmission of the infectious disease and a host or patient who is vulnerable to be affected by the infection. The various sources of infected microorganisms are the bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. The sources of infection may also be the residual bacteria on the skin, intestine, respiratory system, etc of the patients. These infections are difficult to suppress and as a result of this the hospital environment, equipments, floors and exposed surfaces may get contaminated (Bullock,  Clark and  Rycroft-Malone, 2012). These act as agents for transmission. The infection is transmitted to the susceptible host or the patient who gets infected due to deficiency in the immunity of the host patient. The lack of immunity m ay be due to suffering from anemia, leukemia, diabetes, etc. The susceptibility of the host may also develop due to prolonged hospitalization on account of severe illness. Role of Nurses: Prevention of healthcare associated infections The role of nurses is extremely vital in prevention of healthcare associated infections. The nurses are the first point of resistance who are responsible to take necessary actions for prevention of the healthcare associated infections. The daily precautionary practices adopted by the nurse help in preventing the transmission of the health associated infection to the susceptible patients. The nurses have a direct control over recognizing the source of infection, monitoring the environmental conditions

Management at J.C. Penney Company, Inc Research Paper

Management at J.C. Penney Company, Inc - Research Paper Example The company deals in conventional merchandise such as beds and beddings, home appliances and furniture, women and men’s clothing and baby layette, handbags and accessories, gifts, jewelry and watches (Carsky, 1994). JCPenney also leases its premises for departments such as portrait studios, optical centers, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Sephora, salons and jewelry repair. The fact that JCPenney has been around for more than a century definitely means that the organization has undergone several changes in its styles and approaches to management, as shall be seen in the ensuing discourse. One of the key changes that accompanied JCPenney’s management style has been the overlooking of its security of tenure which it has always extended to its management executives. Over time, JCPenney has always accorded its shareholders, employees and its directors a guarantee of uninterrupted period of at least two years. However, this trend was broken once after the appointment of Ron Johnson as the chief executive officer (CEO). Johnson had served Apple Store and was replacing Mike Ullman who is reputed for having run down JCPenney for seven uninterrupted years. However, when JCPenney saw that two years after Johnson’s absorption, the company was seriously plummeting in profits, sales and stock price, Johnson was dismissed (Slywotzky and Weissel, 2002). JCPenney has also reviewed its strategies to ward off the risks that it is facing and to lessen operational costs. For the first in its history, JCPenney intends to close 33 of its stores in 2014 and thereby joining McDonald’s Macy’s, Barnes & Noble and Family Dollar league. With the cost of operation having been attenuated, it is expected that the company will be able to use its plough back profits to reinvigorate itself. From a personal standpoint, JCPenney was not properly managed, though there is room for improvement. The proneness of JCPenney to mismanagement is illustrated by how fast the company has replaced

Project Management Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Project Management Review - Essay Example Project scope management This creates a situation where the scope of the project increases and more tasks are to be accomplished within the limited time and budget that was originally planned for lesser tasks. So, the scope creep puts the project group into overturning the original project time and budget. Project managers are affected by the impacts of the scope creep since the beginning the project management. Controlling the scope creep is a hard task to be completed and requires precisely defined and documented design. The project manger is badly concerned about the project creep as it can sneak up, morph, and destroy a project. However, the term â€Å"scope creep† is not applied when the budget and time of the project is increased in accordance with the changes in the scope, and it is an accepted addition to the scope of the project. 2.0. â€Å"We cannot afford to terminate the project now. We have already spent more than 50 percent of the project budget.† The orga nization has changed its managerial priorities and therefore the project no longer supports the administrative strategies and the project needs to be terminated. The above statement reveals that 50 percent of the project budget is completed. ... 3.0 The role of Project Retrospective. It’s difference from Post-project evaluation. Project Retrospective is a technique to evaluate from the project experience, taking both good and bad of the project into consideration. The primary role of the project retrospective is to discover lessons and to make improvements in process that facilitates planning and execution on future projects. Such discovery is carried by brining up significant positive and negative issues, the basic causes for the issues and suggestions and proposals for improvement, normally accomplished through a retrospective meeting. The Project Retrospective further analyzes the tasks that were successful and also whether to continue with those activities. The analysis includes the functions that were useful and how they could be improved, which decision was wrong that we should not repeat, and about the cause behind the success or failure of an undertaking, and what the team can do about it. On the other hand, P ost-project evaluation is a method of recording the experiences from the past projects for the purpose using those data in the future projects wherever it seems to influence the project. The purpose of the Post-project evaluation is to assist the non-specialists in the project management in dealing with the future decision making. This system will make sure that mistakes are not repeated and the good practices of the management are maintained. In contrast to the project retrospective, the post-project evaluation is prepared with the main objective of learning the lessons that can be applied to the future projects or to transfer to departmental projects and improves project appraisal design, management, and implementation. 4.0 Major deliverables for project closure The

Comparing and Contrasting Sec. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John Kerry Essay

Comparing and Contrasting Sec. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John Kerry - Essay Example This paper is the compare and contrast essays example. It is interesting to note that both Sec. Clinton and Sen. Kerry received both attended Yale University at one time or another. Sen. Kerry received his Political Science degree from Yale University in 1966 (bio.com â€Å"John Kerry†) while Sec. Clinton received her Law degree from Yale in 1973 (bio.com â€Å"Hillary Clinton†). Therefore one can deduce that the political beliefs of these two notable U.S. political figures found itself being shaped and molded within the hallowed halls of this ivy league university. Both Sec. Clinton and Sen. Kerry are active members of the Democratic Party of the United States and have served as senators during their time in active politics. Sen. Clinton was elected to represent the people of New York in the senate halls of Washington D.C. in the year 2000 (bio.com â€Å"Hillary Clinton†) while Sen. Kerry began serving the people of Massachusetts as their senator in 1984. He won his reelection bids in 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008 (bio.com â€Å"John Kerry†). Even though both had a failed run for the Democratic presidential nomination, it seems that Pres. Barack Obama has an unquestioning belief in both of them to have appointed them both to the office of Secretary of State, the little president position as some call it, where they are required to represent both the president and the country across the seas as envoys of foreign relations. While both Sec. Clinton and Sen. Kerry have some notable similarities in their political history and educational background, the two also have some marked differences that one should take note of. The first being that Sen. Kerry actively served in the Vietnam war before entering into political office. It is believed that this field experience will greatly help the incoming secretary as he navigates the treacherous waters of national security and U.S. foreign policies. Democrat Sen. Chris Coons recalls one meeting that Sen. Kerry had with the politicians in Islamabad that could quite possibly set the tone for his run in the State Department. Sen. Coons recalls (Associated Press â€Å"John Kerry Touted as Successor to Hillary Clinton†

Greenhouse Gas Emission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greenhouse Gas Emission - Essay Example From the figure above, the EPA (2010) notes that sources such as agriculture, waste and wastewater, and residential and commercial building are quite new sources that have been added to the sources of greenhouse gas emissions over the years. The understanding therefore is that in years past, these sources did not pose any threat to the world as far as the emission of greenhouse gases was concerned. From these arguments, I can ask a question to support my position that if indeed successes have been achieved, why are the sources of greenhouse gas emission increasing rather than reducing?From the evidence of increasing number of sources of greenhouse gas emissions, the University of Washington (2011) makes a shocking revelation to the fact that the levels of greenhouse gas emissions have been so disturbing that, there is virtually no hope of reversing the trend. The source therefore notes that, â€Å"There would continue to be warming even if the most stringent policy proposals were ad opted† (University of Washington, 2011). The major underlying reason for development is that some greenhouse gases have been left to dominate in global warming so much to the extent that they have created heat-trapping mechanisms that will continue to account for the emission of heat in the nearest future. In the graph below, there is another evidence to support the fact that efforts on greening the earth have failed because global stakeholders have done very little to controlling the effect of certain greenhouse gases., particularly carbon dioxide and methane. Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas Source: IPPC (2007). From the graph above, it would be realized that among the different causes of greenhouse

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

Suatainable Development - Essay Example limatics to sustainability appraisal, corporate social responsibility, transport or one planet living, sustainable development encompasses umpteenth number of such diverse issues, to make life healthier. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development, â€Å"Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.† (WCED 1987: 43) This report is also known as the Brundtland Report (WCED 1987). The Brundtland Report puts forward the primary objectives of sustainable development which has been stated as: The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) conducted in Johannesburg in 2002 was finally able to put sustainable development on the political agenda with the objective of accelerating the environment and development requirement of Africa intensively emphasizing on local issues like household energy, water and sanitation (â€Å"The World Summit†, 2005). More than a hundred Heads of State and Governments discussed the WSSD, the five top spectrums of which encompassed health, water, energy, agriculture and biodiversity (â€Å"The World Summit†, 2005). The UN Summit deserves the credit for bringing together governments in acknowledging a new global deal on sustainable development (â€Å"The World Summit†, 2005). While the WSSD chiefly targeted implementation rather than new visions, treaties and agreements, Rio has been responsible for the exceptionally new paradigm shift in considering sustainable development, as well as the new legally binding agreements particularly those related with biodiversity and climate change (â€Å"The World Summit†, 2005). However, the subsequent years revealed a fall in the high-level political interest and dealing with issues related to sustainable development (â€Å"The World Summit†, 2005). These issues has now been brought back again in the political agenda by the WSSD (â€Å"The World Summit†, 2005). This paved the

Significant Event Essay Example for Free

Significant Event Essay There’s a significant event that happened when I was only four years old. I saw my adult cousin dead in the park that my sister, bother, and I used to play in. I’m sure the memory that I have of this devastating event is not 100% accurate for a number of reasons. One being, the fact that it happened so long ago my memory could’ve been tarnished by hearing different stories from different individuals who also witnessed this dreadful event. Another reason being, the fact that I’ve tried so hard to forget this incident but I’m sure I never will. The last reason being, it was dark and everything happened so fast with a lot of things going on at once. There were so many different emotions being displayed at that time and I was just too young to understand. The affect that this event has had on my subjective well-being has been detrimental in some ways. I am unable to take my kids to a park which is very unfortunate because they deserve to experience the fun of swings, slides, and nature. I can’t get the image of his lifeless body lying there out of my head. It’s painful emotionally to even think about because although I was very young, I remember this older cousin who used to give my brother and me haircuts. This event caused me to lose out on some adult happiness affecting my subjective well-being as a whole. This event has played a significant role on the continuous development of my personality in a few ways as well. I am very humorous which can be viewed as a defense mechanism or a way to defuse a heated situation and not face reality. Like the phrase â€Å"laugh to keep from crying†. It has also given me the personality trait of sympathy. I am extremely sympathetic to people who has experienced losses within their family. Additionally, I am very emotionally sensitive to the point that it is unusual for a grown man. This sensitivity is credited to the fact that there were so many emotions being expressed that night and it was transferred to me as a young boy as an answer of how to deal with painful situations. There are positive and negative impacts involving my health caused by this event. This was far too stressful and dramatic for me to deal with at such a young age which caused a lot of negative impacts on my health. I have what people call â€Å"bad nerves† because of this situation. For example; I sometimes shake. I randomly have problems sleeping as I am subject to jump in my sleep or gasp for air. However, this event has had some positive impacts on my health when I think of the risks that I could’ve taken in that same neighborhood had I not seen the death of my older cousin. I could’ve made poor choices that would’ve got me hurt or caused me my life but because I had these images in my head constantly, I never wanted to end up like my cousin.

Online Grading System Essay Example for Free

Online Grading System Essay 1. INTRODUCTION 1. Background of the Problem Philippine Science High School is a specialized public high school system in the Philippines that operates as an attached agency of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology. The school was established through Republic Act 3661, authored by Congressman Virgilio Afable, and signed into law in 1963 by President Diosdado Macapagal. Now, the school is using a manual grading system in which they are using papers, files, cards and calculators to calculate the marks of each student. This type of grading is very difficult and takes a long time in calculating the grades of each student, and the school spends money for papers files and other things, as well as there is big ability for losing or damaging the document. If some records are lost, they never retrieve it in case of unexpected calamity. The important reports that must be generated for the academe personnel are: Student Academic Standing, Complete Summary of Grades and List of Delinquent Students. Moreover, a lot of parents are neither aware nor updated on their child’s performance in school. They did not know the grades that their child had received. Usually, students do not want to show their grades to their parents or their parents live in a distance place that is why they do not have the chance to show their grades even if they like to do so. These are the main reason why the proponents had created this research. With this, the proponents decided to develop the Online Grade Inquiry System to help the school to exercise the new technology in professional evaluation on the part of the instructor. It will help to collect and evaluate the evidence on students’ achievement or performance over a specified period of time. Through this process various types of descriptive information and measures of students’ performances are converted into grades with summarized students’ accomplishments.

Photography And Social Networking Media Essay

Photography And Social Networking Media Essay Photo sharing  is the publishing or transfer of a users  digital photos  online, thus enabling the user to share them with others (publicly or privately). This function is provided through both websites and applications that facilitate the upload and display of images. The term can also be loosely applied to the use of online photo galleries that are set up and managed by individual users, including  photoblogs. Sharing means that other users can view but not necessarily download the photos, users being able to select different copyright options. The first photo sharing sites originated during the mid to late 1990s primarily from services providing online ordering of prints (photo finishing), but many more came into being during the early 2000s with the goal of providing permanent and centralized access to a users photos.  Webshots,  Yahoo! Photos  and  Flickr  were among the first. (Warren, 2002) A selfie is a picture that people taken of themselves that would be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other sort of social networking website. Since nineteen century, self-portraiture had been so popular. But it is hard for the lower class to get a self-portraiture. High quality built-in cameras in smartphones and picture-enhancing apps which is easily to access are making selfies a common form of self-expression among social network users nowadays. (Hourihan, 2002) MySpace has received a significant amount of negative attention from the media and many concerned adults, who point to several isolated incidents where predators have contacted, become involved with and even assaulted adolescents whom they met through the popular social networking web site. Furthermore, concerned parents have expressed discontent with the amount and type of personal and private information youth seem to reveal on their profile pages. In 2006, the authors performed an extensive content analysis of approximately 2423 randomly sampled adolescent MySpace profiles, and found that the vast majority of youth were making responsible choices with the information they shared online. In this follow-up study, the authors revisited the profiles one year later to examine the extent to which the content had changed. Though exceptions occur, youth are increasingly exercising discretion in posting personal information on MySpace and more youth are limiting access to their profile. Mo reover, a significant number of youth appear to be abandoning their profiles or MySpace altogether. (Krishnamurthy, 2002) A recent national survey revealed that 51% of 600 Facebook users are more conscious about their body image after viewing pictures on the social network fuelling fears that social media can negatively affect users self-esteem. According to Doctor Harry Brandt (2012), claims that Facebook is making it easier for people to spend more time and energy criticizing their own bodies and wishing they looked like someone else. Facebook allows us to view our friends pictures and statuses, but this can lead to some of us making unhealthy comparisons between ourselves and others on Facebook. In fact, just over half of the 600 Facebook users surveyed agree that they compare their life to that of their friends when they read status updates and see pictures posted. Doctor Harry Brandt also states that with constant access to the internet it is difficult for people to remove themselves from images and other triggers that lower self-esteem. People make comparisons between themselves and others offline but online we are continually exposed to these images. It probably doesnt help that research shows Facebook users usually post and tag photos of themselves at their best body shape and clothes. The risk is that Facebook is creating an avenue for individuals to compare themselves to others in a detrimental fashion and by doing so poses a serious threat to their users self-esteem. Social network plays a large part in our everyday lives for the majority. the survey showed that 80% of the 600 people surveyed log into Facebook at least once a day. Those who use Facebook frequently are constantly surrounded by images and statuses which could lower their self-esteem. In another study the University of Houston found that there was a link between the amount of time college students spent on Facebook and depressive symptoms. Its not just the amount of time that we spend on using social media that can have an effect on our self-esteem, the number of friends we have on Social media could also have an impact. According to Psychologist Mudra India Muskesh (2000) you should have no more than 354 friends on Facebook. In Mukeshs study those who had just viewed status updates gave themselves lower ratings and those with over 354 friends felt more inadequate in comparison to those with less friends. Is having more friends on Facebook allows people to make more comparisons between themselves and others? Mukesh states that being continually informed of others achievements can make people feel worse about themselves. The above research has shown that using social networks can affect our self-esteem and suggests theres a correlative relationship. Nevertheless, it isnt clear if social networks are creating new self-esteem issues or exacerbating existing ones. Food blogging typically represents a complex interweaving of foodie or gourmet interest in cooking, blog writing and photography. Most food blogs use photos taken by the author and some accounts of food blogging seem to focus on photography in particular: Food bloggers tend to write about travel and restaurants as well as publish domestic food diaries and their own recipes (Robinson, 2009). Some also write cook book reviews. Thus multiple aspects of consumer culture are reflected in writing that draws also on genres from the professional media such as cookery writing, restaurant and book reviewing and travel writing. Food blogging, like mews blogging, seems to reflect a shift from media consumption to production. (DeSolier, 2006) Food blogging is part of a wider growth in forms of writing about food (Brien, 2007), a topic that can be the locus of personal, physical and emotional matters, including concerns about health, well-being and self-esteem and can also engage with global concerns around environmental issues and community building (Brien, 2007). However, much blogging about food specifically reflects foodie culture (Watson et al., 2008). Foodies focus on the aesthetic and the sensual appreciation of food as a form of claim to cultural distinction (De Solier, 2006). Thus Watson et al.s (2008) analysis of one food blog sees it as part of the bloggers search for personal significance and identity through skilled consumption experiences, shared with a community of consumption, other bloggers. Stebbins (2009) recent work has argued that : Consumption and leisure have common ground but are separate worlds, here the two merge. Complex, sustained practices around inventing recipes, making food, appreciating the results, writing about food, and taking pictures combine consumer consumption (food, internet use) and a serious leisure pursuit. In Grant McCrackens (1988) terms, photos can be a tool for displacing meanings that are too fragile and tenuous to be contained in the here and now. By instead claiming these identity statements in the there and then of the tourists travels, they become less subject to interrogation and less demanding of verification. Research also find that, despite the narrative that the tourist photographer imagines delivering at some future time, these tales wind up being more internal tales told to the self than ever finding an audience outside of the immediate family. Our tourist photos are nevertheless selectively taken and retained with an intended audience in mind and are a conscious attempt to manipulate our self-image (Crang, 1999). E-mailed photos as well as photo sharing sites like Flickr and social networking sites, blogs, and web pages may have some greater success in reaching an audience (Schau and Gilly, 2003), and a few of us may also bring selected images to our workplace (Tian and Belk, 2005). According to Rodzvilla (2002) : The fact remains that with the ease of taking photos and the sense of purpose that it gives us to photograph our touristic sights, not to mention the escalating proliferation of photos that result, most of the world will little note, long remember, nor even encounter the self productions we have in mind when we record these images. And as these images become more numerous and more ephemeral in their digital forms, it may well be that we ourselves will never see them again either.

Graduation Speech: Perseverance and Determination :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As a hurdler for County High, I stumble upon some pretty tough obstacles each time I race; the same is true in life. Everyone encounters obstacles, but in order to overcome them and succeed, one must never give up. I love to run hurdles, but unfortunately last year, little pulls and strains prevented me from running to my full potential. One Thursday, we had a home track meet against Lake Stevens. For the first time I was in pretty good shape for my race, the 100-meter hurdles. I began jumping up and down partially to stay warm, and partially to let out some of my excitement. By this time, I had butterflies in my stomach and the adrenaline was pumping. The starter asked us to 'Take your sweats off and stand behind your blocks.' 'Runners take your marks.' Hands shaking, I crouched into the starting blocks. The gun was up. 'Set!' 'Bang!' I bolted out of the blocks. I was way ahead of the other girls when suddenly, I realized I didn't have enough speed to carry me over the next hurdle. Gathering all of the strength I could, I grabbed at the air in hopes of guaranteeing clearance. I had just brushed over the wood when my foot hit the ground and my ankle gave out. I fell. I heard a gasp from the cro wd and the other racers' feet pounding past me. I got back up. I had never gone over a hurdle with my right leg first, but I did after that fall. Sprinting as fast as I could in between hurdles, I found myself basically bunny hopping over the rest of them. My goal was to cross that finish line and to be able to say that I did the very best that I could, even if I didn't look very graceful along the way. Although it might have seemed like a bad day, I was proud. It was the first time I had ever fallen in a race, and not only did I get back up and keep running, I managed to place second. Sometimes you encounter hurdles in life - sometimes you have to adapt and alter your normal routine to clear them. Then there are times you fall; the people surrounding you may gasp - they had been rooting for you. But they haven't given up on you-it's now more than ever that they want you to succeed - it's human nature to want the underdog to come from behind.

Classification of Psychic Experiences Essay -- Classification Essays

Classification of Psychic Experiences Generally speaking, psychic experiences which deal with receiving information from an outside source, either living or passed on can be classified into the following categories: psychometry, telepathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, automatic writing and channeling. Two more psychic techniques, assumption and projection, deal with transferring the personality to a remote location. Psychometry is the art of receiving information about someone by touching an object commonly carried by that person such as a key chain or jewelry. The scope of this paper does not include explaining how psychometry, or any other psychic art is performed, but they do work. I once held someone's keys, closed my eyes and waited for images to appear. Nothing happened. I was miffed and stopped trying to get an image. Then my hands started to itch and suddenly in my mind's eye, I saw boxes being stacked up to form a wall. The man whose keys I was holding was a mason. Another time, I held a woman's ring, closed my eyes and immediately my throat closed up, my chest caught fire and I couldn't breathe. I snapped myself out of it and found that the woman had serious respiratory problems. Her ring was extremely hot when I handed it back to her. These two people were complete strangers I partnered with at a psychic workshop. Psychometry does work, though it may not work all the time, o r work for everyone. Telepathy is more loosely defined. In general, telepathy is a method of receiving information about someone. Telepathy is different from psychometry in that an object is not used. The information pertains to past, present or future events. The way it is transmitted can be visual, as with clairvoyance,... ...g. The CIA became interested because they wanted to know what the Soviets were up to and so they funded the graduates' work for twenty years. Eventually, the CIA stopped funding them and the grad students dabbled in the commodities market. Once again they met with success in eleven out of eleven tries. When asked why they didn't continue and become billionaires, they answered that their remote viewing talents gave them peace of mind, and somehow making money on their talent didn't seem quite right and so they stopped. They are still active in their research at Stanford. This essay is by no means a conclusive discourse on the variety of psychic phenomena present in the world. Other fascinating abilities exist including everything from telekinesis, raising objects, to raising the dead. That, at least, is one psychic gift no one is practicing at the moment.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - Women in The Wife of Bath

Women in Chaucer's The Wife of Bath Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" is a medieval legend that paints a portrait of strong women finding love and themselves in the direst of situations. It is presented to the modern day reader as an early tale of feminism showcasing the ways a female character gains power within a repressive, patriarchal society. Underneath the simplistic plot of female empowerment lies an underbelly of anti-feminism. Sometimes this is presented blatantly to the reader, such as the case of Janekin's reading aloud from "The Book of Wikked Wives" (The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale 691). However, there are many other instances of anti-feminism that may not scream so loudly to the reader. This is shown in the disappearance of the rape victim and the happy ending for the Knight. While the overall story is one of supposed feminism shown through women's empowerment, there are many aspects of "The Wife of Bath" that are anti-feminist in nature. The main character, Alison, or the wife of Bath, is representative of most of the feminist ideals in the work. She is strong, independent, and to be respected as a woman of great courage. Alison has suffered a great deal in her lifetime, indicative of life for women at this time. She has survived five husbands; some of whom beat her, others were unfaithful. She was married off at an early age of twelve and from then on knew what marriage was about: money. "Marriage is the key to survival, and that is what Alisoun seeks and finds" (Carruthers 214), argues Mary Carruthers, justifying Alison's five marriages. Alison equates money with power. With this power comes respect and honor. A more careful analysis of both the "General Pro... ... maiden, the knight is turned into the hero of the tale, with the reader hoping for a happy ending for him. "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" can be seen as both a legend of women's empowerment as well as a reminder of the struggles women encountered daily. Works Cited Abrams, M.H., ed. Norton Anthology of English Literature, v,1. W.N. Norton & Company: 1993 Carruthers, Mary. "The Wife of Bath and the Painting of Lions" The Geoffrey Chaucer Page. 30 June 2000 Chaucer, G. "General Prologue" 81-100. Chaucer, G. "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale" Abrams 117-144. Lee, Brian S. "Exploitation and Excommunication in 'The Wife of Bath's Tale.' Philological Quarterly, v74. (1995): 17(19) O'Brien, Timothy D. "Troubling Waters: The Feminine and the Wife of Bath's Performance" Modern Language Quarterly, v53. (1992): 377(15).

Narcotics Anonymous Assignment Essay

My feelings about this assignment: When first reading the requirements of this assignment I was quite hesitant in approaching group counselling sessions as I was not aware of any in my area. A friend of mine whom I had not seen in a while told me that she was in a rehab facility for a month and was attending an outpatient programme. This was fantastic news and just the opportunity I was looking for, not only was this what I needed for my assignment but it was also an opportunity for me to support her. I asked her if it would be possible for me to go with her to one of her meetings and she was too happy to have me go with her. What is NA? Narcotics Anonymous is a global, community-based organization with a multi-lingual and multicultural membership. They offer recovery from the effects of addiction through working a twelve-step program, including regular attendance at group meetings. The group atmosphere provides help from peers and offers an ongoing support network for addicts who wish to pursue and maintain a drug-free lifestyle. The name, NA, is not meant to imply a focus on any particular drug; NA’s approach makes no distinction between drugs including alcohol. Membership is free, and they have no affiliation with any organizations outside of NA including governments, religions, law enforcement groups, or medical and psychiatric associations. Where is NA? There are various meetings held all over RSA, you can have a look on their website to see where the closest meeting is, when it takes place and whether it is a closed or open meeting. This meeting was held at AKESO Crescent Clinic. This is a rehab facility, the meeting is held in a conference room inside. Once you walk in you will see that the chairs are placed in a circle and behind it are more chairs placed in a bigger circle. The structure of the meeting: Chairperson opens the meeting and advises that it’s an open meeting, meaning that anyone can join, i.e. family, friends and other support structures. He then allows all to introduce them moving from the left to right. Each individual stands up, gives their name followed by the words, and I am an addict. He then asks if there are any new comers and mentions that the newcomer is the most important person at any meeting and although it may seem confusing at first, to keep an open mind and keep coming back. He then proceeds to advise that there is one rule at this meeting: that no drugs or drug paraphernalia be in your possession. If anyone is carrying, they are to leave and come back without them. If anyone is carrying a cell phone to please turn it off for the duration of the meeting. He then asks that someone reads the preambles. These pamphlets have been randomly placed on various chairs prior to the meeting, if you have one; you have the option to read it or to ask someone el se to read. The preambles are: Who is an addict? Why are we here? What is the NA Program? How it works? The twelve traditions We do recover At the meeting they then recognize specific landmarks in their recovery. 24 hours 24 hours to 7 days 7 to 14 days 14 – 30 days 30 – 60 days 60 – 90 days 90 days to 6 months 6 – 9 months 9 – 12 months 1 – 2 years 2 – 3 years More than 3 years People put up the hands and support is given by clapping for their achievements. He then asks whether there are any birthdays or landmarks that anyone would like to share. As they say how long they have been clean, tags are handed out for those achievements and the woman who is handing out the tags gives the person a hug. Below is a picture of the different tags that each addict receives for each landmark: He advises the meeting that the views expressed by the individuals there, do not necessarily show the view of the NA and if anyone is interested in any of the official literature, the literature person will talk about it. The literature rep stands up and advises on what books are available Living clean Just for today How it works and why (12 steps and stories of addicts worldwide) Sponsorship guide The step working guide She explains what each book is about and the price so that if anyone would like to purchase the literature, you will be able to do so after the meeting. There are also various pamphlets that are available. The chairperson then introduces the topic he has chosen for the evening and interprets how the topic relates to his life and then opens the floor so that any of the addicts are open to speak. Only the chair knows what the topic is going to be for the evening. Once everyone has had their turn to share and before closing the meeting he asks: Is there anyone who still feels the need to share Does anyone have a burning issue? Does anyone just have an issue staying clean today? They address these issues separately after the meeting. Chairperson thanks all for sharing and reminds all that what they see and hear here remains here. The seventh tradition states that they are self-supporting through their own contributions. They then send around a donation basket where generous donations are requested. Newcomers and visitors are asked not to contribute and to consider themselves as guests. â€Å"Just for today† is then read, this is the last preamble. He then asks that everyone stands up and holds hands, all the addicts in the meeting and some guests who have attended before say in unison – â€Å"As long as I follow, I have nothing to fear†. The Chair then asks that we take a moment of silence for babies born into active addiction and addicts suffering inside and outside the rooms. The meeting is then ended with the serenity prayer, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Keep coming back, it wor ks if you work it and work it because you’re worth it. Personal story of recovery: I felt it was important not to share the stories I had heard in the meeting as per the request made by the chairperson. I was however able to find personal stories of recovery from addiction available on the NA website so I have chosen to rather share a published story instead. This is the story about Greg C, the topic: Letting Go: On the 12th of September, it will be the 20th anniversary of my baby brother’s death. A good couple of years ago when things were running wild, I took him into my drug business and he was that kind of a guy, a stray dog, so I knew I had to take him under my care but I was happy to do so as he was a great guy. I just got back from Australia and it was a very successful trip and there was nothing in town so I went back to Cape Town. In hindsight, the three months before his death, I was already giving him a hard time about all the money that was outstanding but in my heart I knew that he had already used it and all he needed to do was tell me that he had used it and I wouldn’t have minded. So this Wednesday the 12th, I started  my period of self-destruction. I called him and he hadn’t come down from my parents place and they told me that he hadn’t woken up. My whole life just shattered and it took me 10 years of self-destruction, hitting financial rock bot tom and ending up in the emergency room for a heroin overdose and a number of 48 hours spent in prison cells to get over this. What was my struggle with this? Was I to blame for getting him into this drug world? Was it the guilt that I had treated him badly for the last three months cause if I knew he was going to die three months before I would not have cared what he used or what money he owed me cause I’d pay anything today to get him back. When I walked into NA 10 years ago, I came in like everyone else, rough and wounded. Still with that street bravado and they spoke about surrender. It took me six days to get there; I cleaned and showered, looked in the mirror and then went back to my room to use again. Eventually when I got here, it was somebody’s 1 year anniversary. I was really tired of using about two years before I got here. That birthday meeting was the greatest motivation for me because someone was clean for 365 days. I followed all the steps they told me to do and then they told me to let go. It took me 6 years before I let go of the guilt and let go about what I felt happened with Rowan. It was the most freeing aspect of my recovery was when I was able to put that stuff down and move on with my life. The other things had all changed; I got myself a job and had good friends. It was tough; I made in a month what I used in a day. It took two years before I started seeing the materialistic things of this fellowship but I was still walking around with this baggage. It took me a good 5 nearly 6 years before I let go with Rowan and by that time I was fu lly living NA, I was completely involved for seven and a half years, whatever service came up, I volunteered in the fellowship. I had quite a lot of things to get over, had a lot of meetings where addicts wouldn’t pitch and I took that personally, I had to let that go as well. About two and a half years ago I thought it was time to move out of this fellowship and go and get myself a life and start living. I managed to let go of the service stuff of NA but it was time to let it go and my sponsor thought it was time to let it go, I didn’t want to let it go, but I knew I had to let it go. I was still working for the same company and a lot of things were promised to me and that didn’t happen, so obviously I built up a lot of resentment there. I built this picture up in  my mind that I always needed a lot of money to start up my own business and I suppose it was all fear and paranoia to stay in this comfort zone. Anyway, I stopped coming to meetings, only popped in every now and again when it was someone’s birthday, that sort of thing. Not being around, nobody asked me to share and slowly my connection to NA slowly drifted. One thing is for sure and that’s what was promised to me when I first joined and that’s if I follow the 5 simple rules that my need to use will slowly be lifted. Two and a half years when I left, my obsession to use had been lifted a nd I felt no need to use. Eventually after many years of frustration, I decided to throw in the towel where I was and forget my fear that I needed all this money to start a business. I left there, I bought a few cars and put them on a few friend’s stands and they were selling the cars for me and I was living a half retired life, going to the gym, go swimming, go do this and that. Things still weren’t comfortable on the inside, I was still out of sink and I knew I was still carrying around a bit of stuff and slowly I was drifting into more insanity by not being connected to this place. And then it all happened at once, I knew I was insane, I knew I had to get back to a meeting. I’d heard and read enough of it to know that I had to get back to a meeting. I found a home group and at the same time found a car lot for sale, managed to buy it and put my cars on there and now I have a good business. I know that I have to show up, I have to tell the truth; I have to live with honor, do what I’m responsible for and leave the rest of the results to my higher power. When I look back at the ten years as I have been part of this fellowship, all the good things that have happened in my life, I’ve only realized that it happened after it did and I didn’t even know it was happening; which tells me that the only way I’m going to stay c lean is to let things go, stay focused and stay plugged into this place. Love having my sponsor, I get an objective point of view for my life. What actually happened to me 10 years ago and I only realized this a few months ago is that I was in the middle of a desert with a bag on my back with everything I owned and a bakkie pulled up and a man said, jump on the back, I’ll give you a lift. First thing I wanted to do is take control of the situation and ask are you going in my direction. The voice said – there is only one road. I got onto the back of this bakkie and I stood there with the heavy pack on my back for I don’t know how long on  this ride. It was hot and heavy. The bakkie slowed down, and this voice said, I stopped to give you a ride, take the pack off, sit down and enjoy the ride. And no sooner did I do that and the scenery changed to the most magnificent view and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. My Reflections: My concerns were what to expect and how to approach the meeting as I have not attended something like it before. I did not want to seem judgmental in any way as I have no idea what the reasons are for these people turning to drugs, only that they were looking for a way to stay clean. I know from what â€Å"Ally† has told me that they support each other and try to work through their problems and triggers together. My perception of what to expect and what I experienced was greatly different. I expected a counsellor to be present and do most of the talking as I have witnessed on the various interviews conducted on the UNISA DVD’s. This was not the case at all, everyone who felt the need to share did so and so much support was given to each person for the accomplishments that I felt an appreciation for such a support group. My discussions with â€Å"Ally† helped me tremendously to prepare for what I was going to enter upon. This was an open meeting where friends, fam ily and other support people were allowed to attend; this made me more comfortable as I would not be the only new comer or outsider present at the meeting. This was definitely an eye opening experience for me. From the moment I arrived till the time that I left, I felt so accepted by all. I think I might even have had a moment where I felt that I wished I was an addict so that I could come back. This group was more than a bunch of addicts coming together to talk about their problems, they were like a family, talking and sharing, caring for each other and praising each other for their accomplishments. I was truly moved by the experience and feel a better understanding for what â€Å"Ally† has gone through. I hope that when she feels the need to use that she will feel comfortable enough to talk to me and I will support her as best I can. Conclusions about the helping relationship I have to come to the realization that many find the support they need in groups. They feel comfort in knowing that they are not alone in this struggle. Many feel guilty for what they have put their families through  and therefore I also find it important that the families also attend these meetings. This not only shows support for the addict but also helps them to understand what it is like to be an addict. I think it may be difficult for a family to believe what an addict says but when they hear it from many, it becomes more believable and easier to accept. References: http://www.na.org

Civil Disobedience: Cost of Change

Aila Pena Dr. Schuetze-Coburn Contemporary Composition, Period 5 March 4, 2013 Civil Disobedience: The cost of change More than 40,000 strong activists from the Sierra Club protested at the White House to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal. They protested because they the extraction of tar sand oil and moving it from Canada to Texas will pollute the groundwater in the surface (Hammel). Civil disobedience is â€Å"the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power† (Civil Disobedience).Throughout history, civil disobedience was a way to get the people’s attention that the government’s idea is immoral and unfair. It is a way to make a change in law or policy and to take action in a non-violent resistance. The act of civil disobedience is effective in our society, for example, Mohandas Gandhi protest against the British rule for India’s independence, Martin Luther King, Jr. à ¢â‚¬â„¢s civil rights action, and the Sierra Club protest to neglect the Keystone XL pipeline.These titles,†On the Relation of the Individual to the State,† â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government,† Civil Disobedience,† and â€Å"A Yankee in Canada with Anti-Slave and Reform Papers,† have different title but all of them have the same concept. Henry David Thoreau’s concept of civil disobedience started at the Mexican-American war. He refused to pay taxes because he knows the taxes are going to the war and slavery. His action resulted being put in jail. In his focus of his beliefs in slavery and the war, he wrote an essay known as â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † According to Thoreau, the main idea of civil disobedience is about â€Å"unjust laws exist† (203).His essay means that sometimes the government make laws that are injustice and it is the people duty or right to stop the law that the government made. He explained what of civil disob edience is and how the people have the right to oppose an immoral state of the government. â€Å"Civil Disobedience† has two principles: first is the power of authority and second is the right of the people to disobey the unjust laws (Civil Disobedience-The History of the Concept). For many centuries, it had a great impact was and still is an important role around the world. Over the years, the Indians were furious and angry at the British authorities.Tensions rose between both the Indians and the British government due to the fight for the country and independence. A leader of the independence movement rose in India, Mohandas Gandhi. Gandhi perfected civil disobedience by using non-violent revolution and was influenced by Thoreau’s concept about civil disobedience. Example of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance, Gandhi’s form of nonviolent resistance was to influenced the Indians to refuse buying British goods and make their own product (Gandhi). The Indians got the British’s attention that they are going to be a problem economically.After many protest and mass demonstrations by Gandhi and the Indians, it caused them many innocent lives such as the Amristar Massacre. The British made a salt law, it means that they are the only one who can produce and sell salts. The Salt March was the key that change the Indians to their new modern life : On April 5, 1930 Gandhi and his satyagrahis reached the coast. After prayers were offered, Gandhi spoke to the large crowd. He picked up a tiny lump of salt, breaking the law. Within moments, the satyagrahis followed Gandhi's passive defiance, picking up salt everywhere along the coast.A month later, Gandhi was arrested and thrown into prison, already full with fellow protestors. The Salt March started a series of protests, closing many British shops and British mills. [†¦ ] The world embraced the satyagrahis and their non-violence, and eventually enabled India to gain their freedom from B ritain. (Benner) The protest brought down the British’s economy which caused the British government to leave the country. They gained their equality, freedom and independence. His protest drew the attention of millions of people around the world and influenced many countries to fight for what is right and moral.The most famous leader of civil rights movement is Martin Luther King, Jr. and the man who fought for the civil rights of the African-American people. He used a non-violent method to gained and protected the rights of African-American. It started on the refusal of buying at Alabama and refusal of seating at the back of the bus. One of the well known march he did was â€Å"more than 250,000 protesters to Washington, DC, where King delivered his famous ‘I have a dream’ speech in which he envisioned a world where people were no longer divided by race† (Tutu).Many civil rights protesters supported his belief that all race should have equality, freedom a nd justice. As Tutu continues to explain, he concluded that the â€Å"Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act in 1964. † It was a breakthrough for the African-American because it was a law that approved Martin Luther King’s goal to protect their rights. It became an American tradition to use civil disobedience in hundreds and hundreds of different movements. There are two sides in the controversy of Keystone XL Pipeline: TransCanada vs Sierra Club.The Sierra Club protest against the Keystone XL Pipeline because they believe that it is the reason for climate change and the destruction of the environment. The tar sand oil also known as the dirtiest oil will be extract from the ground like we dig deep through our closet to find the clothes we want to wear. TransCanada believe that their pipeline will not hurt the environment and the president stated: â€Å"the oil sands represent only one-tenth of 1 percent of global greenhouse emissions† (TransCanada Says Keystone X L Oil Pipeline Would Have No Measurable Effect on Global Warming).He argues to the protesters that the pipeline will only cause a little of gas emissions in the atmosphere. But the club is still not persuaded and still accepted the fact that it is a hazard. They are still resisting in a nonviolent method. Some Sierra Club members were arrested because â€Å"activists have placed themselves onto the north-facing fence of the White House to protest [†¦ ] has cuffed himself onto the fence† (48 Arrested at White House Fence in Opposition to Keystone XL). The act of the Sierra Club got the newspapers, American people and Obama’s attention.It is delaying the decision of President Obama and the State Department to approve or reject it. Another one reason why it is effective because they persuaded Obama to thwart: â€Å"Obama said he will use executive authority to cut greenhouse gas pollution if Congress fails to act† (TransCanada Says Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Wou ld Have No Measurable Effect on Global Warming). The protest made a change on persuading Obama even though the decision is still unknown by the State Department. In many occasions, civil disobedience have been effective throughout history and in the modern time.Civil disobedience is about people using violent and non-violent method to state that a law, demand and concept of the government is unfair. It is the first time that the Sierra Club done the act of civil disobedience and it took them more than 100 years to be where they’re at now. I predict that the Sierra Club will be successful in their goal to stop the tar sand oil project. They show potential hazard to our nature. They will also persuade the honorable President Barack Obama to make green jobs and use clean energy. Not that they will only succeed but they will also be an important event in the 21st century. The Works Cited 48 Arrested at White House Fence In Opposition to Keystone XL. † Tar Sands Blockade. Ta r Sands Blockade, 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. Benner, Alana. â€Å"The Gandhi Salt March. † Gandhi Salt March: 1930. The Web Chronology Project, 12 Sept. 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Civil Disobedience – The History Of the Concept. † N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. Gandhi. Dir. Richard Attenborough. Perf. Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Candice Bergen. RCA/Columbia Home Video, 1983. VHS. Hammel, Paul. â€Å"Pros and Cons of Keystone XL Pipeline Aired One Last Time – Omaha. com. Omaha. com. N. p. , 5 Dec. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † 11th Grade Contemporary Composition Course. Ed. Los Angeles Unified School District. Los Angeles: LAUSD Secondary Literacy Branch, 2009. 203. Print. â€Å"TransCanada Says Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Would Have No Measureable Effect on Global Warming. † Washington Po st. Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Tutu, Desmond. â€Å"Champion, Martin Luther King, Jr, Civil Rights Movement: United for Human Rights. † Champion, Martin Luther King, Jr, Civil Rights Movement: United for Human Rights. United for Human Rights, n. d. Web. 24 Feb. 2013.

Great Gatsby

Wide Awake and Dreaming Hanna Chait T. E. Lawrence stated â€Å"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. † In The Great Gatsby, the central theme is realizing that creating your own dreams and living in your reality is extremely different.Myrtle dreamt of having money, yet knew Tom would never leave Daisy, Gatsby dreamt of being with the Daisy he created, but realized she had changed, and Daisy dreamt of being in love and being with Gatsby, but would NEVER leave Tom. Myrtle Wilson desires one thing in life, money. She lives in the valley of ashes, the desolate and barren land that lies between Long Island and New York. She wants nothing more than to become wealthy, leave the valley of ashes, leave her husband, and become a extravagant vapid housewife like she always dreamt of being. ‘I married him because I thought he was a gentleman,’ she said finally. ‘I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe’† Myrtle remarked of her relationship with George. She wanted so badly for him to be something else, someone with class.She wanted a perfect, wealthy man of high social standing. Myrtle discussed her wedding day to George, â€Å"The only crazy I was, was when I married him. I knew right away I made a mistake. He borrowed somebody’s best suit to get married in, and never even told me about it, and the man came after it one day when he was out. Myrtle was embarrassed and almost disgraced about the fact that George didn’t get married in a suit he bought for himself. Myrtle said she knew right away she made a mistake, so the question was why did she go through with it in the first place? That’s why Myrtle has Tom though: he was her fulfillment, her fortune, though in reality they would never truly be together. Tom was with Daisy and that is how it was going to stay, Tom would never truly love a woman from the valley of ashes. This was known because of the elaborate lie Tom constructed about why he will never leave Daisy because she is a Catholic, when in fact she is not.Just as Myrtle was creating a false sense of her relationship with Tom, Gatsby was doing the same with Daisy. Jay Gatsby had a dream, his dream was of the Daisy he met and fell in love with five years ago. He dreamt of Daisy admitting that she never loved Tom, that way they would finally have been able to run off together to the life that he once knew. He dreamt of a future, the future he knew they were meant to have from the day he met her. He wanted nothing less of Daisy than that she should go to Tom and say: ‘I never loved you. After she had obliterated four years with that sentence they could decide upon the more practical measures to be taken. One of them was that, af ter she was free, they were to go back to Louisville and be married from her house – just as if it were five years ago. When Gatsby finally had Daisy he realized that there was no longer a dream, he had what he wanted. He soon finds himself asking has my dream changed, or has Daisy changed? Gatsby first noticed this when he had Daisy over, that she was no longer the whimsical 18-year-old Daisy Fay of Louisville, Kentucky that he once knew, that he grew to love.There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams–not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion The magnitude of this realization was that Daisy was not the same Daisy she once was five years ago she had changed. This hurt Gatsby, it woke him up from the fantasy he was living in and showed him that although the love remained the same the girl was no longer the same.Though Gatsby’s dream of Daisy had existed for the past five years, Daisy’s dream of being with Gatsby had only just been recognized, and she could not decide if it is something she truly wanted or if it was just something to make her happy. She had only just reconnected with Gatsby after five years, at a tea set up by Nick and Gatsby. As Daisy went to say goodbye to Gatsby at the end of the tea, she whispered something in his ear and Gatsby was filled with a rush of emotions. â€Å"As watched him he adjusted himself a little, visibly.His hand took hold of hers, and as she said something low in his ear he turned toward her with a rush of emotion† (103). This is where the reader begins to see a new Daisy, a Daisy that wanted to be with Gatsby, and had a general need to feel loved. Later on she was forced to identify what her true feelings were about Tom and Gatsby, she was told to state the claim that she never loved Tom, but she found herself only able to say that she no longer loves him, but she DID at one time love him. â€Å"’Oh, you want too much! ’ she cried to Gatsby. ‘I love you now — isn’t that enough? I can’t help what’s past. She began to sob helplessly. ‘I did love him once — but I loved you too. ’† Daisy proclaimed this to Gatsby, as he begged her to admit she never loved Tom, she then proceeded to ask Tom to take her home. Thus ending her dream and Gatsby’s, she wants to be with Gatsby and she wants to be loved, but she knows Tom is the life she is meant to have. Daisy loves her money and her place in society too much to actually feel loved; this is something that will never change. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald delves into a world of dreams and fantasies, as well as vast realizations of what life is really like.Myrtle wanted nothing more than to live in a society she feels she truly belongs in, and to be wealthy, but deep down as painstaking as it was to admit she knew she could never have Tom. Gatsby wanted to be with the Daisy he knew and loved five years ago, a dreamlike Daisy of 18 years of age, but the Daisy he meets once more has changed. Lastly Daisy wanted nothing but to be loved and be happy, but she knew she loved her money and life too much to let herself be happy. This is how The Great Gatsby shows us how dreams can hurt you much more than the realty you are living in. Great Gatsby This extract establishes both the physical and symbolic values of the setting in the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It also provides us with the traits of the characters in the novel in relation to the thematic focus. The setting is also symbolic of Fritzgerald's satire of 1920s New York lifestyle , particularly emphasizing on the American dream , social class and money. Prior to the extract, Nick begins by commenting on himself, stating his qualities; tolerance and tendency to reserve judgments as one of them. In the summer of 1922, Nick Carraway has just arrived in New York and is living in a part of Long Island known as West Egg.Fitzgerald establishes Nick Carraway as an impartial narrator but not a passive one. From the novel's opening paragraph onward, this will continue create an internal conflict for Nick himself. Because despite the fact that Gatsby represents all that Nick despises, Nick cannot help but admire him. Geographically, the differences of the upper classes a re symbolized by two residential areas of Long Island, New York â€Å"Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated by a courtesy bay, jut out into . . . Long Island Sound. . . n arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarity in every particular except shape and size. † Fitzgerald continues to emphasize the social divisions between the two Eggs and their inhabitants with colorful imagery which develops symbolic significance. Nick lives in Long Island in what is known as the West Egg. The West Egg is located across the bay from the East Egg. Nick, after describing his area as the less fashionable of the two, continues to confess that â€Å"this is a most superficial tag to express the bizarre and not a little sinister contrast between them. The relationship between geography and social values is an important motif in The Great Gatsby. Each setting in the novel corresponds to a particular thematic idea or character type. This extract intro duces the two most important settings in the novel, East Egg and West Egg. Even though each is home to the wealthy they are separated as Nick says â€Å"by a courtesy bay†, the two regions are opposite in the values they uphold. East Egg represents taste, and aristocracy while West Egg represents ostentation and the flashy manners of the new rich.East Egg is associated with the Buchanans and the monotony of their inherited social position, while West Egg is associated with Gatsby’s gaudy mansion. Nick is attracted to the fast-paced lifestyle of New York. But it is contradictory because he also finds that lifestyle grotesque and damaging. This inner conflict is symbolized throughout the book by Nick’s romantic affair with Jordan Baker. He is attracted to her vivacity and her sophistication just as he is repelled by her dishonesty and her lack of consideration for other people.The second contrast is between the city scenes and the suburban ones. Like Nick Carraway , Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby commute into the city for their respective lines of work. The women are left behind. This geographical divide is also a gender borderline. But the city is important in other ways, too; Tom only interacts with his mistress in the city, and Gatsby only sees Meyer Wolfsheim there. They both use the city to hide their goings-on from the people they value on Long Island. The setting in the Great Gatsby is closely related to the Concept of the American Dream in the novel.The American dream was originally about discovery, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness. In the 1920s depicted in the novel, however, easy money and relaxed social values have corrupted this dream, especially on the East Coast. One of the major topics explored in The Great Gatsby is the sociology of wealth, specifically, how the the new rich are segregated from the old aristocratic rich who live on the East Egg In the novel, West Egg and its denizens represent the newly rich, while Eas t Egg and its denizens, especially Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy.Fitzgerald portrays the newly rich as being vulgar, gaudy, ostentatious, and lacking in social graces and taste. Gatsby, for example, lives in a monstrously ornate mansion, wears a pink suit, drives a Rolls-Royce, and does not pick up on subtle social signals, such as the insincerity of the Sloanes’ invitation to lunch. In contrast, the old aristocracy possesses grace, taste, subtlety, and elegance, epitomized by the Buchanans’ tasteful home and the flowing white dresses of Daisy and Jordan Baker.What the old aristocracy possesses in taste, however, it seems to lack in heart, as the East Eggers prove themselves careless, inconsiderate bullies who are so used to money’s ability to ease their minds that they never worry about hurting others. The Buchanans exemplify this stereotype when, at the end of the novel, they simply move to a new house far away rather than condescend to attend G atsby’s funeral. The setting in the Great Gatsby is closely related to the Concept of the American Dream in the novel.Daisy is in love with money, ease, and material luxury. She is capable of affection (she seems genuinely fond of Nick and occasionally seems to love Gatsby sincerely), but not of sustained loyalty or care. She is indifferent even to her own infant daughter, never discussing her and treating her as an afterthought when she is introduced in Chapter 7. In Fitzgerald’s conception of America in the 1920s, Daisy represents the amoral values of the aristocratic East Egg set. Great Gatsby Charles de Montesquieu says that â€Å"to become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them†. Throughout F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby , protagonist Jay Gatsby progresses as a hero through his dedication for love, his youthful dreams, and his Christ-like persona. His passion for love reflects in his greatness; for he proves commitment, dedication, and a loving soul for others. Jay Gatsby lives the model of the American Dream in a youthful and undertaking way. Extravagance combined with dreams for success comes greatness. Gatsby also is considered a vision of Jesus Christ as the novel uses different biblical allusions to prove his greatness as a relatable leader. Jay Gatsby’s dedication and commitment for love makes him a hero, yet most of others fail to see his greatness. Gatsby dedicates his life to fulfilling his dream of his lost love Daisy Buchanan. He yearns for her love and â€Å"believes in the green light† across the bay (Fitzgerald 25). This is the first time narrator Nick Carraway begins to see Gatsby’s other side and realizes his desire for the one he truly loves. The green light embodies his vision of desire forcing Gatsby â€Å"to fashion a reality of his own to correspond to the dream† (Weinstein 8). He must accomplish his dream in his own way, working with the circumstances given at hand. Gatsby â€Å"stretched out his hand desperately as if to snatch only a wisp of air, to save a fragment of the spot that she had made lovely for him† (Fitzgerald 33). Gatsby is committed to her love and desires NOTHING more than her simple love. Daisy says to Gatsby, â€Å"We haven't met for many years†. Gatsby quickly responds â€Å"Five years next November† (Fitzgerald 87). Gatsby knows the exact date of their last meeting, proving his dedication toward the building upon the relationship. â€Å"Gatsby [is] attracted to Daisy for purely idealistic, romantic, and even metaphysical reasons†; none of it is for money (Mellard 4). He loves Daisy for who she truly is and never gives up in his journey to pursue a mutual love. Gatsby is† profoundly kind, always seeing the best in people, or, what is better, seeing them as they see themselves† (Mellard 2). He reaches people down to their level even within his own greatness; even bringing out the best in others. Jay Gatsby devotes his life to love of others and the dedication of pursuing it. Jay Gatsby lives and thrives in his youth of being the American Dream. Simply put, Gatsy's home is described as being â€Å"a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden (Fitzgerald 9)†. Gatsby’s lavish home is wanted by majority of Americans. Nick explains how his â€Å"eyes fell on Gatsby, standing alone on the marble steps and looking from one group to another with approving eyes† at his own luxurious, well-attended parties (Fitzgerald 50). Everyone attends Gatsby's extravagant parties wether invited or not. He looks at all of his guests identically; with appeal. â€Å"Gatsby has a fabulous career and yet, is humble in himself†, for he is the image of the classic American Dream (Weinstein 5). Gatsby's ability to be able to stay humble yet successful is heroic. Gatsby’s life is full of enchanted objects aspiring to be the youthful man of many dreams (Fitzgerald 93). Gatsby's youth is found through his dreams of love and hope of life and happiness around him. Gatsby’s youth â€Å"leaves an impression of interminability† (Mellard 2). His dreams prolong as his youth stays forever. Gatsby is forever young. Simply said, â€Å"The Great Gatsby is the picture of the American Dream† (Weinstein 1). The American Dream is all about achieving greatness in a self-inflicted way like as Jay Gatsby. Gatsby would not be able to achieve such greatness without the core values of a humble leader whom dominates his own dreams of youth. The character of Gatsby has a religious entity that brings him closer to the vision of the Son of God. â€Å"The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end† (Fitzgerald 104). Gatsby is the â€Å"American Adam† throughout the novel. He acts as the biblical Adam while fulfilling the spot of the American dream. Gatsby is described as having â€Å"a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life† (Fitzgerald 6). Like the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he has promises for the coming life in order to live out his greatness apart from his own senses. Gatsby brings life to the others around him, bringing out the best in people, giving the rare smile of admiration; nevertheless he is the incarnating God (Mellard 12). Nick describes Gatsby when watching him upon first meeting as â€Å"he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling† (Fitzgerald 25-26). Jay Gatsby is like a â€Å"Christ-figure as a scapegoat† (Mellard 9). Similar to Jesus Christ, Jay Gatsby would place blame upon others on himself, for he desires nothing more than love. In conclusion, F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby , protagonist Jay Gatsby progresses as a hero through his dedication for love, his youthful dreams, and his Christ-like persona. His passion for love reflects in his greatness; for he proves commitment, dedication, and a loving soul for others. Jay Gatsby lives the model of the American Dream in a youthful and undertaking way. Extravagance combined with dreams for success comes greatness. Gatsby also is considered a vision of Jesus Christ as the novel uses different biblical allusions to prove his greatness as a relatable leader. Jay Gatsby’s dedication and commitment for love makes him a hero, yet most of others fail to see his greatness. Jay Gatsby lives and thrives in his youth of being the American Dream. The character of Gatsby has a religious entity that brings him closer to the vision of the Son of God. His passion for love reflects in his greatness; for he proves commitment, dedication, and a loving soul for others. Jay Gatsby lives the model of the American Dream in a youthful and undertaking way. All in all Jay Gatsby proves his greatness well. Great Gatsby Great Gatsby Gatsby: The False prophet of the American Dream The American dream, or myth, is an ever recurring theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Briefly defined it is the belief, that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals, be they political, monetary, or social. It is the literary expression of the concept of America: the land of opportunity. F. Scott Fitzgerald has come to be associated with the concept of the American dream more so than any other writer of the country.In fact, the American dream has been for Fitzgerald what the theme of the separate peace has been for Earnest Hemingway – the focal point or building block for much, if not all, of his work. However, Fitzgerald’s unique expression of the American dream lacks the optimism, the sense of fulfilment, so evident in the expressions of his predecessors. Cast in the framework of the metaphor, the aforementioned exponents of the American drea m were Old Testament prophets predicting the coming of the golden age, complete with a messiah who was to be epitome of the word â€Å"American. † Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s answer.To Fitzgerald the long prophesied American dream had its fulfillment in the â€Å"orgiastic† post World War I period was known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † He was the self-appointed spokesman for the â€Å"Jazz Age†, the term he takes credit for coining, and he gave it its arch-high priest and prophet, Jay Gatsby, in his novel The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is aptly suited for the role of arch-high priest because he is the persona and chief practitioner of the hedonism that marked this period. He is also its unwritting prophet, for his failure and destruction serve as a portent for the passing away of an era.The suggestion that The Great Gatsby may contain religious implications is not a new idea. Bernard Tanner sees it as a â€Å"Jazz Parody†, â€Å"The Gospel of Gats by†. Gatsby is characterized as an â€Å"inverted Christ† in this drama, and the rest of the dramatis personae are neatly fitted in, perhaps too neatly, to this allegorical framework. To wit: Nick Carraway is Nicodemus, the Pharisee; Dan Cody is St. John the Baptist with his femme fatale , Salome, in the guise of Ella Kaye; and Meyer Wolfsheim is St. Peter complete with three denials.These characters, plus others, act out their parts in the gospel, carrying out such events as the marriage feast at Cana, various parables, Judas' betrayal, and Christ's crucifixion. A. E. Dyson maintains, that Dr. T. J. Eckleburg â€Å"is the only religious reference† in this novel. Roger L. Pearson doesn’t agree with these two interpretations. He believes that Fitzgerlad is much like Hemingway in his symbolic technique in The Great Gatsby, in that he projects a series of variations in his imagery so as to achieve a cumulative effect.Fitzgerald becomes at times orthodox and f ormulistic to a degree in this novel. However, he achieves a totality of expression by introducing motifs that give the reader a slightly differing perspective of Gatsby, while always moving in a specific direction. Hence, Gatsby is no shallow stereotype. Instead, he has depth and complexity. There is a religious design in The Great Gatsby, and it has its basis in Jay Gatsby himself. Nick Carraway, the narrator and interpreter of the novel, describes Gatsby thus: The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.He was a son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that-and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. It should be noted that Gatsby is â€Å"a son of God,† the God of material love-Mammon. Rather than an â€Å"inverted Christ† or God, Gatsby is a perverted God; one who is dedicated to the physical rather than the spiritual world. Gatsby has come to espouse the gospel of the corrupted American dream. His existence is founded on a lie, a delusion, and he terms this monstrous lie â€Å"God's truth† in relating to Nick his past.It is evident, even to Nick, that Gatsby is a self-deluded fraud living in a world of shams. His lie especially reflects his materialism. He is Mammon resurrected by the hedonism of the 1920s. Fitzgerald introduces a supporting image for the Mammonism of Gatsby in the description of his house which serves, among other things, as the temple of his Philistinism. The description about Gatsby’s home has overtones of Babel with its tower when viewed in the content that it is inhabited by people â€Å"who never knew each other’s name. The beauty of this image of Gatsby's house is that it is a dual one. It seems that Fitzgerald has created a twentieth-century replica-â€Å"a factual imitation†-of Milton's Pandemonium. The image is further solidified in that Mammon was its c hief architect and builder. The lights that decorate the mansion, the expensiveness of its appointments, the opulence of its library, all contribute to this image. Fitzgerald appears deliberately to contribute to the God-like image of Gatsby by withholding him from the novel, while surrounding him with an aura of myth.Some believe him to have been a double spy during the war, others that he once killed a man, while some see him as a criminal lord of the underworld, dealing in bootleg liquor, among other things. A principal image in The Great Gatsby is the valley of ashes, presided over by the ubiquitous Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. This wasteland lies between West Egg and New York City. Several interpretations have been offered as explanations of this scene. There are similarities between the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg and Fitzgerald’s description of the anonymous Owl Eyes. It is Owl Eyes who murmurs the eulogy of â€Å"The poor son-of-a-bitch† at Gatsby’s grave.William Gold hurst believes that Dr. Eckleburg’s presence in the novel is to â€Å"symbolize some implacable deity†. This has credence, for George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, refers to Dr. Eckleburg as the eyes of God. â€Å"God sees everything† But what of the valley of ashes itself? One critic has noted that Fitzgerald may have had the Valley of Hinnon in mind when he created the valley of ashes. Hinnon is the Old Testament name for the city dump outside the walls of Jerusalem. Since fertile, it was defiled by the worship of false god ant turned into ashes by God in his wrath. This analysis resolves the relationship between Dr.Eckleburg, the valley of ashes and Gatsby. The valley of ashes is the result of Jay Gatsby’s testament, the dust of a perverted American dream; and like its biblical counterpart, it has its association with the worshiping of a false god, Mammon, incarnate in his son, Gatsby. A contributing factor in this assessment of the role of Gatsby i s provided by Meyer Wolfsheim. It is an often stated premise that it takes evil to recognize evil. We have just such an instance here. Wolfsheim claims to have â€Å"made† Gatsby, and refers to him as a â€Å"man of fine breeding†. Gatsby also has a perverted or mistaken sense of what constitutes character.He refers to Meyer Wolfsheim as a â€Å"smart man† and he also lauds Jordan Baker as a woman who â€Å"wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t all right†. Gatsby’s gospel of hedonism is reflected in his house, wild parties, clothing, roadster, and particularly in his blatant wooing of another man’s wife. Daisy, a rather soiled and cheapened figure, is Gatsby’s ultimate goal in his concept of the American dream. However, he falls victim to his own preachings. He comes to believe himself omniscient – above the restriction of society and morality. He will win back Daisy by recapturing the past.Gatsby is going to achieve h is ends through sheer materialistic means, through the power that he thinks he commands from his wealth. It is at the death of Gatsby that Fitzgerald becomes formulistic and orthodox in his symbolism. The rejected and soon to be betrayed Gatsby stands alone under Daisy’s window, keeping a vain vigil over his shattered dream. The following afternoon, Gatsby, with the help of his chauffeur, fills his pneumatic mattress and starts for his swimming-pool. Shortly thereafter, the chauffeur hears the shots, fired by an â€Å"ashen fantastic figure† and Gatsby lies dead, a victim of his own absurd aspirations.The passion and crucifixion imagery is perhaps too unmistakable here; however, it does have its desired effect, because it casts Gatsby in the role of a rejected messianic figure through its Biblical illusion. He had come alive to us, â€Å"delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendour,† only to fail in his mission. Jay Gatsby’s eulogy is spo ken by Owl Eyes. Gatsby was the bastard of a hedonistic age, spawned by it and killed by it. Nick, at one point, surmised: â€Å" his imagination had never really accepted†¦his parents at all. The sole monument to the world of Gatsby’s ministry is â€Å"that huge incoherent failure of a house† that he left behind. And his epitaph on this monument is an obscene word, scribbled in chalk, by some neighbourhood boy. As a prophet of the American dream, Gatsby fails – miserably – a victim of his own warped idealism and false set of values. The American dream is not to be reality, in that it no longer exists, except in the minds of men like Gatsby, whom it destroys in their espousal and relentless pursuit of it. The American dream is, in reality, a nightmare. Great Gatsby Gatsby: The False prophet of the American Dream The American dream, or myth, is an ever recurring theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Briefly defined it is the belief, that every man, whatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals, be they political, monetary, or social. It is the literary expression of the concept of America: the land of opportunity. F. Scott Fitzgerald has come to be associated with the concept of the American dream more so than any other writer of the country.In fact, the American dream has been for Fitzgerald what the theme of the separate peace has been for Earnest Hemingway – the focal point or building block for much, if not all, of his work. However, Fitzgerald’s unique expression of the American dream lacks the optimism, the sense of fulfilment, so evident in the expressions of his predecessors. Cast in the framework of the metaphor, the aforementioned exponents of the American drea m were Old Testament prophets predicting the coming of the golden age, complete with a messiah who was to be epitome of the word â€Å"American. † Gatsby is Fitzgerald’s answer.To Fitzgerald the long prophesied American dream had its fulfillment in the â€Å"orgiastic† post World War I period was known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties. † He was the self-appointed spokesman for the â€Å"Jazz Age†, the term he takes credit for coining, and he gave it its arch-high priest and prophet, Jay Gatsby, in his novel The Great Gatsby. Gatsby is aptly suited for the role of arch-high priest because he is the persona and chief practitioner of the hedonism that marked this period. He is also its unwritting prophet, for his failure and destruction serve as a portent for the passing away of an era.The suggestion that The Great Gatsby may contain religious implications is not a new idea. Bernard Tanner sees it as a â€Å"Jazz Parody†, â€Å"The Gospel of Gats by†. Gatsby is characterized as an â€Å"inverted Christ† in this drama, and the rest of the dramatis personae are neatly fitted in, perhaps too neatly, to this allegorical framework. To wit: Nick Carraway is Nicodemus, the Pharisee; Dan Cody is St. John the Baptist with his femme fatale , Salome, in the guise of Ella Kaye; and Meyer Wolfsheim is St. Peter complete with three denials.These characters, plus others, act out their parts in the gospel, carrying out such events as the marriage feast at Cana, various parables, Judas' betrayal, and Christ's crucifixion. A. E. Dyson maintains, that Dr. T. J. Eckleburg â€Å"is the only religious reference† in this novel. Roger L. Pearson doesn’t agree with these two interpretations. He believes that Fitzgerlad is much like Hemingway in his symbolic technique in The Great Gatsby, in that he projects a series of variations in his imagery so as to achieve a cumulative effect.Fitzgerald becomes at times orthodox and f ormulistic to a degree in this novel. However, he achieves a totality of expression by introducing motifs that give the reader a slightly differing perspective of Gatsby, while always moving in a specific direction. Hence, Gatsby is no shallow stereotype. Instead, he has depth and complexity. There is a religious design in The Great Gatsby, and it has its basis in Jay Gatsby himself. Nick Carraway, the narrator and interpreter of the novel, describes Gatsby thus: The truth was that Jay Gatsby of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself.He was a son of God-a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that-and he must be about His Father's business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. It should be noted that Gatsby is â€Å"a son of God,† the God of material love-Mammon. Rather than an â€Å"inverted Christ† or God, Gatsby is a perverted God; one who is dedicated to the physical rather than the spiritual world. Gatsby has come to espouse the gospel of the corrupted American dream. His existence is founded on a lie, a delusion, and he terms this monstrous lie â€Å"God's truth† in relating to Nick his past.It is evident, even to Nick, that Gatsby is a self-deluded fraud living in a world of shams. His lie especially reflects his materialism. He is Mammon resurrected by the hedonism of the 1920s. Fitzgerald introduces a supporting image for the Mammonism of Gatsby in the description of his house which serves, among other things, as the temple of his Philistinism. The description about Gatsby’s home has overtones of Babel with its tower when viewed in the content that it is inhabited by people â€Å"who never knew each other’s name. The beauty of this image of Gatsby's house is that it is a dual one. It seems that Fitzgerald has created a twentieth-century replica-â€Å"a factual imitation†-of Milton's Pandemonium. The image is further solidified in that Mammon was its c hief architect and builder. The lights that decorate the mansion, the expensiveness of its appointments, the opulence of its library, all contribute to this image. Fitzgerald appears deliberately to contribute to the God-like image of Gatsby by withholding him from the novel, while surrounding him with an aura of myth.Some believe him to have been a double spy during the war, others that he once killed a man, while some see him as a criminal lord of the underworld, dealing in bootleg liquor, among other things. A principal image in The Great Gatsby is the valley of ashes, presided over by the ubiquitous Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. This wasteland lies between West Egg and New York City. Several interpretations have been offered as explanations of this scene. There are similarities between the eyes of Dr. Eckleburg and Fitzgerald’s description of the anonymous Owl Eyes. It is Owl Eyes who murmurs the eulogy of â€Å"The poor son-of-a-bitch† at Gatsby’s grave.William Gold hurst believes that Dr. Eckleburg’s presence in the novel is to â€Å"symbolize some implacable deity†. This has credence, for George Wilson, Myrtle’s husband, refers to Dr. Eckleburg as the eyes of God. â€Å"God sees everything† But what of the valley of ashes itself? One critic has noted that Fitzgerald may have had the Valley of Hinnon in mind when he created the valley of ashes. Hinnon is the Old Testament name for the city dump outside the walls of Jerusalem. Since fertile, it was defiled by the worship of false god ant turned into ashes by God in his wrath. This analysis resolves the relationship between Dr.Eckleburg, the valley of ashes and Gatsby. The valley of ashes is the result of Jay Gatsby’s testament, the dust of a perverted American dream; and like its biblical counterpart, it has its association with the worshiping of a false god, Mammon, incarnate in his son, Gatsby. A contributing factor in this assessment of the role of Gatsby i s provided by Meyer Wolfsheim. It is an often stated premise that it takes evil to recognize evil. We have just such an instance here. Wolfsheim claims to have â€Å"made† Gatsby, and refers to him as a â€Å"man of fine breeding†. Gatsby also has a perverted or mistaken sense of what constitutes character.He refers to Meyer Wolfsheim as a â€Å"smart man† and he also lauds Jordan Baker as a woman who â€Å"wouldn’t do anything that wasn’t all right†. Gatsby’s gospel of hedonism is reflected in his house, wild parties, clothing, roadster, and particularly in his blatant wooing of another man’s wife. Daisy, a rather soiled and cheapened figure, is Gatsby’s ultimate goal in his concept of the American dream. However, he falls victim to his own preachings. He comes to believe himself omniscient – above the restriction of society and morality. He will win back Daisy by recapturing the past.Gatsby is going to achieve h is ends through sheer materialistic means, through the power that he thinks he commands from his wealth. It is at the death of Gatsby that Fitzgerald becomes formulistic and orthodox in his symbolism. The rejected and soon to be betrayed Gatsby stands alone under Daisy’s window, keeping a vain vigil over his shattered dream. The following afternoon, Gatsby, with the help of his chauffeur, fills his pneumatic mattress and starts for his swimming-pool. Shortly thereafter, the chauffeur hears the shots, fired by an â€Å"ashen fantastic figure† and Gatsby lies dead, a victim of his own absurd aspirations.The passion and crucifixion imagery is perhaps too unmistakable here; however, it does have its desired effect, because it casts Gatsby in the role of a rejected messianic figure through its Biblical illusion. He had come alive to us, â€Å"delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendour,† only to fail in his mission. Jay Gatsby’s eulogy is spo ken by Owl Eyes. Gatsby was the bastard of a hedonistic age, spawned by it and killed by it. Nick, at one point, surmised: â€Å" his imagination had never really accepted†¦his parents at all. The sole monument to the world of Gatsby’s ministry is â€Å"that huge incoherent failure of a house† that he left behind. And his epitaph on this monument is an obscene word, scribbled in chalk, by some neighbourhood boy. As a prophet of the American dream, Gatsby fails – miserably – a victim of his own warped idealism and false set of values. The American dream is not to be reality, in that it no longer exists, except in the minds of men like Gatsby, whom it destroys in their espousal and relentless pursuit of it. The American dream is, in reality, a nightmare. Great Gatsby Great Gatsby great gatsby Character |Behavior |Consequences | | Jay Gatsby |  He had a overzealous need for|  He lost daisy because of his eagerness for money | | |money and would sacrifice | | | |anything to get it | | |Daisy Buchanan |  Never attached her self to |  Lost Gatsby’s love | | |anyone or anything | | |Tom Buchanan |  Very rude and bossy.Expects |  Marriage issues/ Selfish | | |people to â€Å"jump through hoops†| | | |for him | | |Jordan Baker |  Falls for another guy |  Nick leaves and never returns | |   | | | |Myrtle Wilson |  distressed in wanting to |  She uses adultery to try and enhance her life | | |improve her dull life | | |George Wilson |  Lifeless and not in any way |  Kills Gatsby and then himself | | |motivated | | |Part II: The Great Gatsby: The American Dream | |In your opinion, what is â€Å"The American Dream†? I think that the American Dream is to be successful in life.Everyone has goals | |that they set for themselve s and some get achieved and some don’t. In my opinion being successful is having a family, working in| |a career that you love, and just living life to the fullest. | |According to the media, advertisements, salaries, and society in general, what is â€Å"The American Dream†? How does this compare to| |your definition of â€Å"The American Dream†? | |List at least five elements that make up Jay Gatsby's American Dream. On the chart | |For each of the five elements you listed in question 3, consider what is wrong with either Gatsby's concept of the dream or the | |way he attempts to attain it.On the chart | |As you read the novel, copy down a specific quotation or quotations that most relate to the concept of the American Dream as it | |is presented in the novel. â€Å"That’s my Middle West . . . the street lamps and sleigh bells in the frosty dark. . . . I see now | |that this has been a story of the West, after all—Tom and Gatsby, Daisy and Jord an and I, were all Westerners, and perhaps we | |possessed some deficiency in common which made us subtly inadaptable to Eastern life. â€Å" | |â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no | |matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . And then one fine morning— | |So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. † | | | | | | | |Elements That Make Up Jay Gatsby's American Dream |What is Wrong With Gatsby's Concept of the Dream or The| | |Way He Attempts to Attain It | |1.Daisy loving him |There is a huge difference in their social classes, so | | |when he tries to win her over he starts doing illegal | | |stuff to make money to impress her and keep up with her| | |materialistic lifestyle   | |2. Popularity |  In order to gain popularity he thought that he needed | | |to be wealthy. He had the wrong idea as to how to | | |become popular. | |3. Wealth/ Money |  He became a criminal because of his greed for money. | |He illegally trafficked drugs/ alcohol | |4. Doesn’t want to face reality |  In Gatsby’s eyes Daisy had no flaws but in reality she| | |had many but he didn’t want to face the facts about her| |5. His loyalty to Daisy |  He lied to Daisy about many things, so she didn’t see | | |him for who he truly was | |Part III: Understanding the Historical Context and Setting of the Novel | |F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is a specific portrait of American society during the Roaring Twenties. In | |this part of the assignment you will explore the connection between history and literature. | |Begin your exploration by visiting the following resources: | |Kingwood College Library | |The Media History Project Timeline | | | |Review the major people, places, and events in The Arts, News & Politics, Science, Business, Society and Sports. | | |As you review these resources, think about how they illuminate your understanding of The Great Gatsby. | |After researching the 1920s, respond to the following statement in an essay, either agreeing or disagreeing. Your essay | |should be at least four paragraphs in length (minimum of six sentences in each paragraph). | | | |†The beauty and splendor of Gatsby's parties masked the innate corruption within the heart of the Roaring Twenties. | |Jazz-Age society was a bankrupt world, devoid of morality, and plagued by a crisis of character. | |If you agree with this statement, you must find specific support from both the novel and from history to support your view. | | | |If you disagree with this statement, you must find specific support from both the novel and from history to support your | |view. | |Paragraph 1: Find a quotation from the novel or pose a question to begin your essay. Introduce your thesis statement. Do | |you agree or disagree with the statement? Why? | | Paragraph 2: Discuss at least five references to people, places, and events in the 1920s as specific support for your | |thesis.For example, you might include a discussion of Prohibition, Gangsters, the Stock Market, and Fads if you agree with| |the statement. If you disagree, you might discuss Technological or Scientific Advances, Social Reforms, Literature, Music, | |and Inventors or Inventions. | |Paragraph 3: How do the characters, plot, and theme of The Great Gatsby support or refute the statement that â€Å"the Jazz-Age | |society was a bankrupt world, devoid of morality, and plagued by a crisis of character†? Use specific details and lines | |from the novel to support your view. | |Paragraph 4: Develop a conclusion that reflects on the evidence from history and the novel that supports your thesis. |